In the Magic Circle, the words, commands and wishes of the High Priestess are Law. She is the earthly representative of our gracious Goddess. She is to be obeyed and respected in all things. She is our Lady and, above all others, a Queen in the highest sense of the word. All female coveners will curtsy and say "Blessed Be" when they come before Her, and all male coveners will bend their knee and kiss Her on the right cheek and say "Blessed Be".
In the Magic Circle, the High Priest is the earthly representative of the Great God. He commands the respect due a Magus, Lord Counselor and father.
THE LAWS WERE MADE FOR THE WITCHES TO ADVISE THEM IN THEIR TROUBLES. DO NOT CHANGE THEM LIGHTLY.
Some believe that Witches say a few magic words and do a ritual and then a spell is created and performs its function.
There is a metaphorical plane, a plane where all the psychic energy of both the living and the dead exists. We draw from this energy when we are being creative. It can also be psychically tapped to energize one's will and envisionment to cast spells.
The metaphysical plane acts like a battery. Psychic energy is alive and can be given a will of evil or good. Good psychic energy can heal and make good things happen. The evil energy creates a negative field around the person the spell was cast on, Some evil spells can cause someone to lose health etc.
It will effect random chance and make bad or negative things happen, causing luck and other factors to be reduced and depending on the nature of the spell and the psychic skill of the Witch. The spell could take years before it begins to lose its energy and effects.
There are several ways to create a psychic battery. Covens are great for this. A spell cast by a coven is much more powerful then one cast by a single Witch. There are also places in the world where there are rips in the psychic energy layer of the metaphysical plane. These places are ideal for Witches because the psychic energy leaking out of the metaphysical plane is very powerful and very easy to tap. One can also tap a person and use hir as a psychic battery to cast spells, but learning to channel and draw psychic energy from the metaphysical plane is the first thing any Witch should learn.
I am often asked how one becomes a witch. Do you find someone who is a
witch
and they make you one? Or are you a witch just by saying you are? Can you
make yourself a witch?
The process of becoming a witch doesn't happen overnight. It is a life
change, a new path upon the journey of your life. It takes consideration,
study and work. If you have previously followed a mainstream religion, you
may have things that take time to let go, and new things that take time to
absorb. I have heard many people say it is often hard, coming from a life of
Christianity, to feel comfortable praying to the Goddess. All new things
take
time, but if you are serious upon this path, you will find your way. The
Gods call their own home to them.
No matter how you have came about finding the Old Religion, here you are.
So
where do you go? To the book store. For a novice, books are like the air
you breathe. You must have them, or access to them in some way. If you
cannot afford, or do not feel safe having books on the Craft, the internet
is
the next best place.
In both books and on the internet you will find a wealth of knowledge that
will help guide you upon your new path. Of course, as with anything else,
there is good information and bad information. Avoid any kind of book, or
internet site, that speaks of controlling another person in any way, harming
them, doing love spells on a specific person, or tells you to chant in
latin,
even though you have no idea what you are saying (yes, I have seen sites
like
that). These books/sites will not fulfill your need for knowledge in the
Craft and will only serve to confuse you.
Once you have read a variety of books and feel called to this path, the next
step is to find a teacher. If you have access to a teacher, in my opinion
this is the best course of action. A teacher or a coven can often be found
if there is a new age book store in your community. Also, the Witches Voice
is a site that offers networking in every state. It has grown extremely
large over the past few years and is a valuable resource in the Craft
community. All of my coven members have found me on the Witches Voice.
Having a mentor can offer so much to you when you are beginning. There will
be things you come across that you have a hard time understanding and need
clarification. If you have a teacher, they are just a phone call or email
away. If you do not, you must try to decifer things on your own, and may
not
come to the correct end on them. If you do not have a teacher, again, the
internet is the next best place to look.
If you are only looking for a 'how to' on casting spells, then the Craft is
not for you. Witchcraft is a serious spiritual path, in which magick is
performed, but is secondary to the religion itself. I would suggest you
look
to ceremonial magick for that.
A couple of things need to be said about beginning this path, in light of
recent attitudes about the Craft. Here lately it seems that you have a
people who, after reading a few books, feel as if they can call themselves
a
master of the Art. They throw on a title like Lady/Lord, or HP/s, add some
black clothes, a pentacle the size of a hubcap, and they are ready to go.
This is not what the Craft is about. If you have spent years following a
particular path, have worked hard for the spiritual lessons that have been
presented to you, and through this have attained the title and rank, then by
all means use it. But think of how you would feel if, after all that, you
have a newbie with 6 months and 5 books unde their belt walking about
calling
themselves Lady Starry Ski or Lord Thunderbutt. It is very offensive. Just
like your parents told you when you were growing up (or maybe you still are)
'don't rush things, it will all come to you in the end, and be sweeter for
the waiting'. This is true with the Craft. Using titles, putting on airs,
and in general acting high and mighty are not going to make you any more
spiritual. And that is what this path is about. What it will do is
alienate
you from people whom you may actually want to meet and get to know!
All of this being said the way to become a witch is through study and
dedication. Gather all of the information you can. Find the best teacher
possible. Read whatever you can get your hands on. Go outside in nature
and
commune with the Goddess and God. Listen to the trees and the wind and the
rush of the water, for this is the witch's world.
For starters, I would like to say a few things about myself to set the record straight. I have a Masters degree in Quantum Field Theory, am working on my PhD in the same, and am a practicing, if tyro, shaman. I have read in several places that the best way to start in magick is to read read read read, and I have noticed several articles using Physics to explain magickal arguments. Unfortunately, many of these articles either do not explain the Physics very well or are just plain wrong. I am not disrespecting these people: after all, not everyone can be a Physicist! I thought I would write a brief article to clear up a few issues on the nature of probability in Physics as well as how probability might play a role in magick.
The following article is essentially a short paper on the Metaphysics behind what I call "visualization magick." I am not going to footnote: all of the Physics arguments are well known and documented and can be found in any introductory text on Quantum Mechanics. As for my magickal arguments, well, they are as correct as I can make them. Naturally, I accept responsibility for any errors contained in this article.
Most of the science done today is based on a problem solving technique called the "Scientific Method." The Scientific Method is a well-established way to start from the basic principles behind a problem and develop an experimentally based explanation of a given phenomenon. It has been used successfully for centuries. There is one problem with this method, though: it can be very difficult to incorporate any newly discovered facts that do not fit the structure of the current scientific theory. This point has been raised repeatedly when scientists try to discover the nature of ghosts, ESP, etc.
I think it is natural to take the viewpoint that any axiomatic structure, such as the sciences, can only explain certain types of phenomena. Other systems, such as magick, can explain other phenomena. It is interesting that these different axiomatic structures can overlap: they can explain the same types of phenomena, but they explain them in different ways. One might call different axiomatic systems as "paradigms," or "representations." Whatever you call them, it is important not to mix the different systems, because the any term defined in one representation are not likely to have the same meaning in another. For example, anyone trying to explain a magickal phenomenon in terms of Physics needs to be careful of how the word "energy" is used. Energy in magick will not necessarily mean the same thing as it does in Physics. (Incidentally, energy is not a well-defined concept in Physics!)
In the remainder of this article I am going to discuss the Physics representation known as the Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Physics (CI) and, within that representation, provide an explain of visualization magick.
When most people think of Physics, they think of equations, math, and all sorts of difficult problems. In actuality, Physics is based on very simple arguments and can often be put in the form of puzzles that illustrate the basic principles. For instance, Classical Physics can usually be put into the form of some little guy (or person, for you extreme liberalists) firing a cannon over a ravine. Classical Physics describes what we see and touch in everyday life. We are familiar with it and it is the representation that makes the most sense to us. Another representation, which is more basic, is that of Quantum Reality. Classical Reality is fully contained within Quantum Reality, but Quantum Reality contains more phenomena, much of it things we do not see in day-to-day life. Not really accepting Quantum Reality for what it is, Erwin Schrodinger devised a thought experiment to show the odd nature of what Quantum Physics implies. He was essentially trying to ridicule the interpretation of the science he was helping to develop. The thought experiment is known as "Schrodinger's Cat."
We start with building a switch device based on quantum principles. We are going to take an atom of a radioactive material and place it inside a detector. The detector sends a signal to a switch if the atom decays. Now, all atoms decay eventually, and the amount of time it takes for half the amount of a radioactive material to decay is called the "half-life" of the material. So the chance our one atom will decay in one half-life is 50%. Thus, after one half-life, our switch has an equal chance of being "on" or "off." We now connect a vial of the deadliest poison to the switch; if the switch is "off" then the poison vial is closed, if the switch is "on" then the poison vial is open and any creature in contact with the poison will die instantly. Now place the quantum switch and vial of poison along side a cat in a sealed box. The question is after one half-life has elapsed, is the cat alive or is it dead?
Since there is a 50% chance that the atom has decayed in one half-life, our "logical" answer must be that the cat has a 50% chance of being alive or dead. No other answer in our (Classical Reality) experience makes any sense. We cannot say with certainty if the cat is either alive or dead.
However, we are asking a question that requires a specific answer. Is the cat alive, or is it dead? Quantum Reality gives us a third, and actually the only valid, answer to this problem. The cat is in a mixed quantum state of both alive and dead as far as anyone outside the sealed box is concerned. That is, the cat is only in a specific state of alive or dead when someone called a "quantum observer" looks inside the box to determine the state of the cat. This leads us to all sorts of metaphysical problems about the cat as well as the problem of what defines a quantum observer.
The Quantum Reality representation of the result of the Schrodinger's cat experiment does not make any sense as far as Classical Reality is concerned. Nevertheless, it has good basis in Physics. Many of the top Physicists of the time (around the 1930's I believe) met in Copenhagen to discuss Quantum Mechanics. Several topics were on the board there and eventually a consensus was made as to the nature of a quantum system: if a system is not measured it exists in a superposition of all possible quantum states. When the system is measured, it falls into one specific state. (For you Physics buffs, this is the concept behind the Born interpretation of the wave function.) This representation has become known as the "Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Physics." (CI) According to the CI, Schrodinger's cat is both alive and dead until someone opens the box to look.
There is one other way to look at Quantum reality, but you pay a severe price. The representation, called the "Many Worlds Theory," states that every time a quantum level decision is made, the Universe splits into two or more copies, one for each outcome of the decisions. The Many Worlds interpretation of Schrodinger's cat states that the Universe splits into two copies: one with a dead cat and the other with a live cat. When we open the box we find out which Universe we are in. Personally, I find this representation to be a bit ridiculous, but you may feel free to choose which one you like the most. Both the Many Worlds and the CI make exactly the same predictions and we cannot tell which one is correct (if either!).
The Schrodinger's Cat thought experiment does not really tell us anything about the real world unless we can prove it. Obviously, we are not going to learn anything from killing cats (and why would we want to anyway?) so we need to turn to another experiment to give us some facts. The Young's double slit experiment does just that and is almost as simple as Schrodinger's Cat. First though we need to talk about light.
When Sir Isaac Newton was doing his experimentation on light he decided, based on his experiments on reflection, refraction, and the sharpness of shadows, that light was made of little particles, which he dubbed "corpuscles." (We now call corpuscles photons.) Later on, interference experiments (such as the Young double slit) showed that light was made of waves, not particles. Was the great Sir Isaac wrong?? Not entirely. In the early 1900s, a man named DeBroglie showed that electrons, which are "obviously" particles, could be thought to have a wavelike character. Eventually scientists realized that all subatomic particles have both wave and particle properties...subatomic "particles" are neither particles nor waves, but are something else which we have come to call by the badly punned name of "wavicles." (If you are a John Gribbon fan, as I am, then you may like to call subatomic particles "slivey toves.") When we run an experiment that assumes light is a particle, light behaves as if it were made of particles; when we run an experiment that assumes light is a wave, light behaves as if it were a wave.
Young's double slit experiment assumes light is going to behave as a wave. We start with a monochromatic (single colored) light source and pass it through a slit so that we obtain a set of equally spaced wave fronts. We pass these wave fronts through a wall that has two tiny holes in it, equally spaced from the center point. Beyond the wall is our "detector:" essentially a TV that records the wave pattern striking the screen. A diagram of the double slit experiment may be found in any introductory Physics text, just look under the term "interference" in the index.
When we turn the light source on, we see a pattern of light and dark areas on the TV screen. This is the expected result since light is a wave and the two slits create an interference pattern: the peaks and troughs of the wave cancel out in different regions on the TV screen. This is entirely due to the fact of those two little holes in the wall...if there was only one tiny hole in the wall then we would only see one point of light on the TV screen and no interference. The one hole experiment is more like treating light as a particle rather than a wave, and we get no interference from it since particles do not interfere with themselves.
Now let us play with the experiment a bit. We are going to presume that light is made of particles and install detectors in both holes in the wall to see which hole the photon goes through. What kind of pattern do we get on the TV screen now? According to Classical Reality it had better be an interference pattern again. Nope. We get two little points of light on the TV screen. Why? Because we are thinking of light as particles we detected the particles, so they cannot interfere with each other. Let's play with this again. We are going to take the original double slit experiment and this time put the photon detector right in front of the light source and then we are going to run the double slit experiment only letting one photon through at a time. Obviously, we only get a point of light on the TV screen each time a photon passes through. However, let us record where each photon hits and run a bunch of single photons through the experiment. What do we get on the TV screen? We might expect to see two little points of light on the screen, but we do not. We now get a full-fledged interference pattern! Remember, this is a composite pattern made up of individual photons going through the experiment, not a bunch of waves. This is truly weird.
There are only two ways to explain this last result, neither of them comfortable. Consider a photon passing through hole #1 as a photon in state 1 and a photon going through hole #2 as a photon in state 2. The only way we can get an interference pattern is if we have something going through BOTH holes at the same time. This implies that the photon is traveling through the double slit apparatus in both states at the same time. Remember we are not trying to detect which state the photon is in as it goes through the holes, so the CI predicts that the photon is in both states, just as the results say it must be. (We can make a similar argument for the Many Worlds case as well). This is hard experimental evidence for the CI and has not been contradicted in the last 70 years or so. Just the opposite...other experiments have lent validity to the CI. (By the way, this same experiment has been done with electrons and, I believe, neutrons as well.)
Let us go back to Schrodinger's Cat since it is the simpler experiment. We need to discuss what makes a quantum observer again, because it is a tricky point. A quantum observer is some nebulous thing that takes a measurement of a system. What is it that creates the measurement process? Presumably, we have two systems to consider: the first is the actual experiment that we want to measure, and the second is the system that does the measuring. Therefore, if we take the measurement process to its most basic level, a measurement is the process by which the experimental system "gives" information to the observer's system. This information exchange is mediated by photons (or W, Z, gluons, etc. Basically any boson you wish. That's another topic.) To make a long story short, the observer gets information from the experiment by absorbing a photon. This means that an electron can serve as a quantum observer since a absorbing a photon will alter the electron's state. A quantum observer does not actually need to have an intelligence to function; it merely needs to respond to the experiment in some way.
So. Let us go back to Schrodinger's Cat. According to the scientist running the experiment the cat is both alive and dead until the box is opened. Say that he opens the box and knows the state of the cat. Now look at the people in the next room who are waiting to hear from the scientist in the room with the cat. According to them, the cat is STILL in that odd alive and dead mixed state. We can go further and state that the whole lab we ran the experiment in is in an undetermined state since the scientist in the lab might take different actions depending on the state of the cat. No one outside the lab can possibly know what is going on in the lab. Now look at the people in the next room beyond that, etc. What we have is a nested set of "Schrodinger's Cats." Until the information is passed between different rooms, the set of rooms inside exists in a mixed state.
We can take this argument to an (I feel logical) extreme. Since the individual particles in our bodies act as quantum observers the only pertinent information we have about the state of the Universe at large is what we perceive through our senses. Therefore, anything that we do not perceive through our senses exists in a mixed state similar to Schrodinger's alive/dead cat: nothing exists in a definite state unless we are sensing it. This is what I call the "Extreme Copenhagen Interpretation." (ECI) What this implies, then, is that each of us exists in our own personal universes and everything exterior to that universe exists in an undetermined state until we sense it. Note: I am going to ignore the question of other people existing...I will assume other people exist and our knowledge of their reality comes from the "interference" of these multiple universes. To give a quick example consider the question: "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to see it fall, does it make any noise?" The ECI states that since no one was around, the tree is in a mixed state of existance/non-existance. Furthermore it has fallen/not fallen, much less made any noise/silence. Since the tree does not directly influence your universe, you cannot say anything definite about it even existing, even though you may have seen the tree an hour ago.
The ECI tells us that what we sense is what is contained in our universe. In order to do magick we need (at least) one more principle. When we do visualization magick, we actually feel what it is that we visualize. The ECI says that what we feel makes up our reality. Combining these two statements, we have what I call the "Basic Principle of Visualization Magick." What we visualize becomes real in our universe. This principle can be demonstrated by a simple spell, which I call an "empowering" spell. First, enter a light meditative state. (This first step may also be achieved by casting a circle.) Next visualize a blanket of white fire surrounding you, starting at your feet and working its way up to encompass your whole body. Hold this visualization until you can actually feel the fire surrounding you, cleansing your spirit and not letting any darkness penetrate your being. Now visualize your hands held outward from your body and let a globe of white fire come into being between your hands. Hold the globe there until you can feel it. This globe of fire represents your inner strength and the longer you hold it the more in touch with your strength you will be. The result of this spell is that you will feel empowered and more able to cope with the challenges of your life.
Is this magick, physics, or psychology? Remember, how we view our universe depends on the representation we use. In this case, the empowering spell may be viewed in any one of these representations. Using the ECI to describe the spell what we are doing is literally bringing up our inner strength as a concrete object and physically contacting it. We know it is there because we can feel it, therefore according to the ECI it has an actual existence. A similar argument holds for essentially any magick that has its basis in visualization or feelings.
The ECI explains how magick can affect our own universe, what about someone else's? After all many witches (warlocks, sorcerers, etc.) will claim that their magick affects other people, not just their own universe. We can use visualization magick to show how this might work, so there is not necessarily any conflict here. You (presumably) put some clothes on today so anyone that sees you will see those clothes and all of them will be able to describe the same set of clothing. You know you are wearing a certain set of clothes, and your best friend came up to you and mentioned something about the outfit, so you know she saw them. Both of you agree on the set of clothes because both of your universes came into contact, i.e. the two universes interfere because they both contain quantum observers. Now, can your best friend say anything about what you are wearing three hours after you parted? No, because you might have changed clothes. (Or Heck, you might be skinny-dipping in the local watering hole!) Once the universes are out of contact they no longer interfere.
To continue the analogy, if you feel something in your universe then it is real in your universe and thus, because your universe interferes with other universes the effect may well be real in someone else's universe. Say you know a spell to create a rainstorm. It will happen in your universe. Whether or not it happens in someone else's universe depends on the strength of the interference between your universe and theirs. I would suppose that the strength of the interference depends on the strength of your belief (and that of others) that you can make it rain. Taking things at face value, I would say that it would take a tremendously powerful mage to create an effect in someone else's universe seeing how difficult it is to create a magickal effect in our own universe. Note: I am aware the rain spell probably has nothing to do with visualization magick. I am also aware that other magickal principles could come into play here. Remember that I am using a representation, the ECI, to explain an effect. The ECI is probably not a good representation to discuss a rainmaking spell!
The way we explain an effect depends on the representation we use. The rules for which a representation is a good representation to explain an effect are not known, though we may certainly use common sense to guide us. The CI is a well-established representation that is used in modern day Physics. A logical extension to the CI is the ECI, which states that we all live in our own individual universe and that the Universe is composed of the interference of these personal universes. The ECI provides a way for Physics to explain the phenomenon of visualization magick by stating that what we feel is what is real in our universe.
Brujeria. For many, it is nothing more than the Spanish word for witchcraft. But for a growing number of North Americans, Brujeria is something much more complex--it is a religion, not unlike Wicca.
I would like to volunteer to contribute some articles to the archive on this Pagan path. Myself, I am what is known as the Roja, or Red Priestess, of a temple here in Philadelphia. One does not need to be of Hispanic/Latin descent to celebrate Brujeria--I am not.
As a sample, allow me to offer you what is known as the Rule of the Brujo. Much of Brujeria is done in Spanish or in the native language of Nahuatl, but much is being brought into English.
"The one who made the Rule known is not known, but from this person the Rule spread unto the Olmecs, unto the Toltecs, unto the Aztecs, and ultimately the Rule has come down to us. That there is one piece of the rule for every full moon in the solar year is a certainty.
The universe is a living thing (which is an idea brought into modern Brujeria from Aztec cosmology), and Brujeria is a method of interacting with the living energy of the universe.
A brujo/bruja practices what could be termed magic by attuning himself/herself to this living energy.
This living energy can seize a brujo/bruja at any time, or through the concentrated work of an impromptu and inspired ritual.
An individual enters Brujeria through a personal encounter with the living energy.
Once a brujo, always a brujo. It is something that cannot be shaken off.
Brujos are born and cannot be made, even if they do not come to realize their place in Brujeria until much later in life.
A brujo has no ethical laws or limits to restrict his magic. However, he must also assume complete responsability for his actions and be willing to submit to the consequences.
'A dead brujo is more powerful and more dangerous than a living brujo.' What exactly this means is up for interpretation.
As Mexican Presidente Beinito Juarez said, "Respect for the rights of others is peace."
Brujos are free to use their abilities for non-brujos. Example situations are healing, spiritual counselling, and the creation of hechizos ("spellwork").
Brujeria is a community bound together by the living energy of the universe, and all brujos are brothers and sisters. A brujo is pledged to assist a fellow brujo wherever and whenever needed.
Some of what makes Brujeria can be revealed to non-brujos but most of Brujeria must remain between brujos alone.
Brujeria is learned from brujo to brujo, and through interaction with the living energy."
Below is a code of ethics for teachers of Wicca.
This article may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, providing that this original copyright notice stays in place at all times. Permission for commercial, or periodical publications shall be granted through the author at black_raven43@hotmail.com
© 2002 Brian M. Walsh
All initiations, previous experience and group affiliations to be made known to your students.
Before beginning training tell your student you don't know everything about the subject, but are willing to refer them on to another person if you don't have the personal expertise.
Tell your student of your personal beliefs, teaching what you know but also emphasising Paganism is about personal spirituality and that they must find their own truth.
Students should be of legal age (i.e. 18) or have parental permission. This does not exclude passing on basic information of religious beliefs to minors.
All theoretical information should be supported by ritual demonstration.
All lessons must be preprepared by reading up on the area to be teached about, decide how you're going to present this information for the easiest understanding of the individual student and make notes to be given to the student.
There is to be a nominal fee for teaching to cover ritual supplies and fluctuates depending on the student. It is at the discretion of the teacher if they choose to loan books or give supplies from their personal collection.
All teachers must continue their own education also. It is impossible to know everything.
Do not proselytise. All students must seek out their teacher.
You do not take on more than 4 students at a time per mentor.
Students can be taught on an individual basis or in a teaching circle.
Students should be told if the training would not lead to initiation.
You respect the confidentiality of your own students first and foremost but also respect the confidentiality of group members, other Pagans and clients for whom you perform the Occult arts.
The only time that confidentiality is broken is if you feel that the person is a danger either to themselves or to others in a physical or mental way.
A teacher must never have a sexual relationship with their student. It destroys the power balance and has led to much disrepute in the communities both inside and outside the Pagan paths. If relations occur between the teacher and student, a new teacher must be found for that student.
Teaching is to be given on a mentor basis, the teacher adapting for each student.
A student can be rejected and all psychic links can be broken if they use the magickal arts outside the restraints of the magickal law of "harm none".
A list of the code of teaching ethics is given to the student to show your position on various issues. This is to be kept and training can be broken by either parties, but a reason should be given out of courtesy.
Note: Many teachers ask the students to draw up a corresponding Students code of ethics to show commitment.
© Brian M. Walsh 2002 as a brief to all students in Pagan and Magickal training.
An aura is the energy field around all each matter that takes space (excluding air itself), whether that is a person, plant, animal, or an object. Each colour represents a different aspect of that matter. Reading auras can be useful in determining whether you should confront a person at a certain time; what you can do to improve your present condition; tune you in to illnesses and conditions around you, and many other benefits. Every time you come into contact with someone, your aura reacts to his or hers. If your aura's frequency is close to theirs, you will feel close to them quickly and drawn to them. If not, you may feel an instant dislike towards them.
Everything has an aura. We have been "trained" not to see them, but with a little practice many people can successfully see and read them. Below I've listed what the different colours of auras mean, but first you should learn how to read them. When you begin, you may have a hard time seeing the colours. A lot of times, beginners will see pale colours such as white, yellow, and light blue. As time passes, and with practice, you will see that the colours seem to become brighter to you and easier to read. A little bit of patience can go a long way.
The astral aura extends about eight to twelve inches from the physical body and appears as brightly coloured rainbow clouds. The astral aura is the bridge between the physical world and the spiritual world.
The etheric template aura extends about twelve to twenty-four inches from the physical body and appears as a blue print form. There is an empty groove in the etheric aura into which the etheric aura fits. The etheric template aura holds the etheric aura in place. It is the template for the etheric dimension.
The celestial aura extends about twenty-four inches from the physical body and appears as a bright shimmering light of pastel colours. This is the level of feelings within the world of our spirit. Here we communicate with all the beings of the spiritual world.
The ketheric template aura extends about thirty six to forty eight inches from the physical body and appears as an extremely bright golden light that is rapidly pulsating. This aura takes on the form of a golden egg that surrounds and protects everything within it.
Everybody has the ability to see the aura. For beginners a low light is the best way to start.
Turn out the lights and lay on the bed. Leave the window curtains open and let the natural light flow in. As you are lying on the bed hold your hands out at full distance in front of you. Don't stare hard but rather just gaze at your hands. Moving your hands slowly, bring your fingertips together until they are almost touching. You will notice a cloudy blue haze appear around your finger. This is the etheric aura.
Draw a circle on your left hand using your right fingertip. Don't let your finger touch your hand; keep it at a distance of about a half inch. Move slowly. You will feel the power of your aura.
First of all, find a place where you won't be around any harsh light; soft light is best to read auras. You will also need a piece of white paper large enough to place your whole hand on.
Place your hand on the cardboard and relax your eyes. Don't stare at your hand; rather look at the areas around the fingertips and fingers.
After a while, if you are relaxed enough, you will begin to see a soft haze around your hand. If you look at it long enough, you will start to see colours. Beginners can usually make out only one colour, but as you get better you will be able to see more at one time.
Don't be discouraged if you don't see anything the first few times. It takes practice to become good at reading auras, and after a while you will realize that it's not really as hard as you might have first thought.
You may also wish to take nonliving objects, like rocks and such, and try to see their auras as well. This can be very good practice for you.
Red--The colour of strength, strong passion, and will. Dark red may symbolize one who has a quick temper and is nervous or impulsive. All red relates to nervous tendencies.
Orange--Colour of warmth, thoughtfulness, and creativity. The muddier shades may represent pride or vanity, while golden orange denotes self-control. A person with orange in their aura may suffer from kidney ailments.
Yellow--Mental activity, optimism. It can mean new learning opportunities and wisdom. A golden yellow means that the person takes care of him or herself. Ruddy yellow may mean that its owner is shy.
Green--Green is the colour of sympathy and calm. A person who has green in his or her aura may be very good at the healing arts and is very reliable. Dark shades of green can indicate one who is jealous or uncertain.
Blue--The colour of quiet and calm. Any blue in the aura is good to have, but deep blue is the best. One with deep blue in his or her aura shows a person who has found his or her work in life. Many are spiritual minded as well. Blue may sometimes represent a tendency to be moody and depressed.
Indigo and Violet--The colours of one who is seeking something in life. They represent an ability to handle affairs with worldliness and practicality. Dark shades may show that the person has obstacles to overcome and is feeling misunderstood.
Black--The colour of protection. May reflect a person who is hiding something. It may possibly indicate imbalances as well.
Pink--This is the colour of love. It represents compassion, and possibly a love of art and beauty. Darker or muddier shades of pink may point to an individual who is immature.
White--Many times this is one of the first colours you will see in an aura. However, when it is a true and strong colour of the aura, it reflects purity and truth.
Brown--This could reflect a person who is very "earthy" and that a person is establishing new roots. However, if it is seen in the chakras, it may mean that a person's energy is in some way being blocked.
Silver Lights or Twinkles--Seeing these in a person's aura may mean that they are pregnant, or have been or may soon be. However, this is not always so. Seeing this may indicate a person who is allowing great creativity in their life.
Black Spots--The presence of black spots in the aura may indicate that it is imbalanced in some areas. This may mean that the person has some negative habits that he or she should work on.
May be distributed for educational purposes but may not be used commercially.
Here is a very effective personal cleansing spell that I would like to pass on to any who may have need of it.
Choose candles according to your personal and daily preferences, I have found that any will work. Run a bath with as hot of water as you can stand. If you prefer, this ritual can be done in the shower. Use whatever bath oils work for you. Visualize all the day's negative energies surrounding you as you get into the water. Then, visualize all that negativity being removed from your Self by the water. Focus on your candle flames, meditate on cleansing your Self. When the water has cooled to the point of being uncomfortable, pull the stopper, and say these words: "Drain away these pains and troubles, As does this water pure and free. Take with it all this day's distress. As I will, so mote it be!" Dry yourself off and rub your preferred cream onto your body to protect you from negativity over the night. Prepare to sleep well!
This spell has worked wonders not only for me, but for other Wiccans that I have passed it to. I would be honored if you would choose to place this simple spell into your online Book of Shadows.
"We do not see our 'trainees' as empty vessels, waiting to be filled up, but as individuals with a wealth of experience and ideas which they can contribute to the craft. (Rainbird, 1993)
The use of the term progressive arose from a discussion between Ariadne Rainbird and Tam Campbell in London in the late 1980s (*3) They were discussing the evolution of Wicca, and the fact that it had moved on over the decades, beyond the labels of "Gardnerian" or "Alexandrian". They clearly stated that the term was being used to describe a trend, not a tradition, and that any coven that was eclectic in its approach and not limiting itself to the Book of Shadows was being progressive.
In 1991 Ariadne Rainbird formed a network for covens who subscribed to a more eclectic view of Wiccan practice, called the Progressive Wiccan network (*1). This network included covens in Wales, England, Germany and Canada. 1991 also saw the first Grand Sabbat, at Lughnasadh, with around 30 witches from six different covens meeting up to camp out in the wilds of South Wales and celebrate together. This tradition was to continue for some years, developing into an annual weekly gathering in Cornwall for members of different covens to work together.
In 1992 David Rankine became the editor of the magazine Dragon's Brew, which became the magazine of the Progressive Wiccan movement. Dragon's Brew was created by Chris Breen in 1990, originally as the house magazine for the Silver Wheel Coven (*1).
"Progressive Wicca is a movement which spans the traditions and emphasises networking, closeness to nature, personal growth and co-operative development. Personal experience of other paths is welcomed and integrated into covens, and we do not slavishly follow a Book of Shadows, as we see Wicca as an ever growing religion and the Book of Shadows changes and grows with each new Witch." (*1)
Contact details for a number of covens were given in the back of each issue of the magazine. The editorial stance of the magazine was actively supportive of environmental protection, detailing protests, distributing leaflets and supporting organisations like Dragon (eco-magick environmental network) and Friends of the Earth Cymru in their actions. Campaigns like the ones to save Oxleas Wood and Twyford Down were covered, as well as events in other parts of the world, like proposed wolf culling in Canada, tiger conservation in India, and anti-nuclear testing by the French in the Pacific. (*1)
Dragon's Brew ran quarterly until 1997, with a circulation of several hundred copies, and covered a wide range of subjects, from chakras and kundalini to Enochian magick and running effective open rituals. Different pantheons were also explored, including the Welsh, Greek, Sumerian and Egyptian. A number of prominent academics also contributed to the magazine, which received articles from distinguished figures such as Professor Ronald Hutton and the Egyptologist Terry DuQuesne. (*1)
By 1994 Progressive Witchcraft was widely known throughout Europe. David Rankine gave a number of talks at events like the Talking Stick Meet the Groups conference in 1994, and at various University Pagan Societies. The growth of the movement was acknowledged by Michael Jordan, who gave it a sizeable entry in his 1996 book Witches: An Encyclopaedia of Paganism and Magic. (*3)
To avoid some disharmony caused by the term "Progressive" in the Wiccan community the term was changed from "Progressive Wicca" to Progressive Witchcraft in 1993, as was demonstrated by the cover of Dragon's Brew (*1). In combination with this Ariadne Rainbird and David Rankine set up the Progressive Witchcraft Foundation, to deal with enquiries about Progressive Witchcraft, and also ran workshops under the banner of Silver Wheel with other coven members on a variety of related subjects.
In 1994 Ariadne Rainbird and David Rankine started running correspondence courses on natural magick based on much of the (non-oathbound) Progressive Witchcraft material. This material was to form the basis for their book Magick Without Peers: A Course in Progressive Witchcraft for the Solitary Practitioner, published by Capall Bann in 1997. (*2)
(*1) Dragon's Brew, a Magazine of Magick, Paganism & Progressive Witchcraft, (1992 -1997)
(*2) Magick Without Peers, A Course in Progressive Witchcraft. Capall Bann 1997
In a convenient place, preferably in the North, set up a small altar. Cover the altar with a cloth of your choosing. Upon this altar have at each rear corner a candle. Use white at this time. Between these place a censer or incense burner. For this purpose a stick burner will work very well. Use incense that gives you a sense of power and connection with the Greenwood.
Images of the God and Goddess are a bonus however they are not mandatory. Framed images in this case work quite well. If you do not have images I will e mail you some to print. If you use them always remember that the Left side is for The Goddess and the Right, the God.
You will need a small bowl of water and one of salt.
Also a glass of wine or other suitable beverage. Any fruit juice works well however a good wine of your choice is best.
Finally you will need anointing oil. For this use Patchouli.
Your matter of dress is your choice. It is best to work in loose comfortable clothing and as you know Gardnerians work skyclad. At this point I want to make clear that my instruction will not make you an official Gardnerian because there is a strict rule that self initiation is an apostasy. You will however eventually self initiate yourself in the Green Man Craft Tradition.
Each evening approach your altar and sit before it. Use a chair if you must. Light the candles and incense and say:
Now, to the best of your ability imagine that you are surrounded by a sphere of white light. Not just a circle. When this is accomplished take the salt and lift it as in offering and say:
Replace the salt and repeat the above with the water. Now place three pinches of the salt in the water. Hold up the mixture and say:
Lord and Lady Bless this union of earth and water that by Thy power all that is unclean will be cast away.”
Sprinkle the mixture in a CLOCKWISE direction three times. Replace the mixture and say:
“Lord and Lady Bless this union of fire and air that by Thy power all that is unclean will be cast away.”
Cense the incense in a CLOCKWISE direction three times. Replace the mixture and say:
Now return to your place in front of the altar. Meditate for a moment on why you feel that you are being called to the Lord and Lady. Take your time. You will find that each night you will learn something different. When you feel ready begin the invocation:
“I invoke thee and call upon thee, O Mighty Mother of us all, bringer of all fruitfulness, by seed and root, by stem and bud, by leaf and flower and fruit do I invoke thee to bless me and admit me into the company of Thy hidden children, So Mote it Be!”
“Gentle goddess powerful god: I am your child, now and always. Your breath is my life. Your voice Great Mother and yours Great Father speak within me, as they do in all creatures, if we but only listen. Therefore here in your presence and before the Mighty Ones do I open my self to your blessing.”
Bless this wine with your essence Great Lady, Great Lord that by partaking of it I may also take part of you. Make a toasting gesture and drink. After consuming the wine lift up the cup and say:
Sit for a while in silent contemplation. Listen. You will hear the Gods within you. Speak with them and tell them why you wish to follow them. Afterwards put out the candles and thank the Lord and Lady for hearing you. Then Say So Mote it Be.
NOTE* Listen to your inner thoughts, feelings and dreams at all times while using this simple rite. The Lord and Lady will speak in many ways.
Do not underestimate the importance of this rite. It will prepare you for all further work.
When I cleanse a dwelling place, first I burn a good cleansing incense, like frankincense or
sandalwood in the home while I prepare for the rest of the ritual. You should have in addition
to the incense, a candle, a bowl of salt water and a bowl of herbs. I particularly like to use
rose buds for love, lavender for preservation, rosemary for protection, and any other
sweet-smelling ones that appeal to you personally. If you can get them home-grown, so much the
better. You should proceed around the house, widdershins (counterclockwise) and cleanse the area
with the salt water. Be sure to get each corner, window, door, drain, etc. Simply sprinkle a
little salt water on each and ask that any evil or disruptive influences leave the place. When
this is finished, proceed around the house deosil (clockwise) sprinkling the blessing herbs and
invoke whatever deities or properties you wish on the home, such as peace, prosperity,
tranquility, etc. In the past, I have used 3 candles on the central altar. Blue, symbolizing
tranquility, green for healing and prosperity, and purple for protection. Others might be pink
for love, or brown for hearth and home. You and anyone who is to share the home with you should
share food and drink, and don't forget to leave a little of the food and drink to take outside
and return to the Earth that which has been given.
Blessed Be. Rowan
--- DragonMail 0.00
Origin: Beagle Express - (405)848-2828 - *ISA* *IFNA* (1:147/4)
The Circle is cast as usual. All are properly prepared and purified. High Priestess and High
Priest perform the Ceremony in concert. The candidate is brought into the circle by a friend and
circled 3 times deosil, ending north of the altar, facing the Priest, who is standing south of
the altar (where else?).
Initiate is censed with incense from the censer which has been previously placed in the East.
Initiate is circled three times with the brazier, previously placed in the South.
Initiate is circled three times with water and his/her hands washed in a laving bowl,
previously placed in the West.
Initiate's hands are marked with damp earth from a bowl in the North. Initiate is then led
back south of the altar.
Initiate then takes the Oath/Obligation, kneeling.
"In the names of Arianhrod and Bran; Diana and Appolyon; Heartha and Cernunnos; and by
the powers of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, I, __________________, pledge to love, worship and
honor the Goddess in her many aspects; and her Consort, the Horned One, Lord of Death and Ruler
of Chaos; to always be true to the Art and its secrets; to never abuse the Art or my own powers;
and to keep this pledge always in my heart, in my mind, in my body and in my spirit. This I
pledge, by the Circle of Life, by Cerridwen's Sacred Cauldron and by my own hopes of a future
life."
Initiate stands. High Priestess places a necklace over Initiate's head.
High Priest strikes the bell three times.
A circle should be marked on the floor, surrounding those who will participate in the
ceremony. An altar is to be set up at the center of the circle. At the center of the altar shall
be placed an image of the Goddess, and an incense burner placed in front of it. Behind the image
should be a wand fashioned from a willow branch. Candles should be set upon the altar ... a
total of five, since on is to be set at each quarter and one will remain on the altar during the
rite.
When all the people are prepared they shall assemble within the circle. The woman acting as
priestess shall direct the man who acts as priest to light the candles and incense. She shall
then say:
The person closest to the east takes a candle from the altar and places it at that quarter,
saying:
The person closest to the south takes a candle from the altar and places it at that quarter,
saying:
The person closest to the west takes a candle from the altar and places it at that quarter,
saying:
The priest then takes the wand and, starting at the north, draws it along the entire circle
clockwise back to the north point, saying:
The priest now holds the wand out in salute towards the north for a moment and then hands it
to the priestess, who also holds it out in salute. She motions to the group to repeat the
following lines after her:
Now is the time for discussion and teaching. Wine and light refreshments may be served. When
the meeting has ended, all will stand and silently meditate for a moment. The priestess will
then take the wand and tap each candle to put it out, starting at the north and going clockwise
around the circle, while saying:
One of my near and dear once spent an hour in a therapist's office kicking an innocent throw
pillow around the room and screaming out rage at his abusive father. At the end of the hour, he
had a broken foot -- and the first beginnings of a healed mind.
But we have learned that magic works through symbols. Calling an object by your abuser's name
and then abusing that object is sympathetic magic used for the purpose of cursing. To throw a
curse is to project one's worst feelings out into the world of form, and to invoke upon oneself
the inevitable karmic feedback.
It is not our way to blast the crops and sour the milk. Wiccan tradition and plain common
sense both tell us to avoid the practice of baneful magic. But, as usual, it's not quite as easy
as just saying no.
Rape and child abuse, loved ones killed by muggers or drunk drivers, emotional manipulation
and betrayal, economic exploitation and dishonest office politics -- people hurt and
victimize other people in many different ways every day. We are not immune.
At some point in our lives, probably every single one of us will feel violated by some other
human being. Often our feelings will be based in fact. Whether they are or not, however, we need
and deserve a safe way to discharge them.
Symbolic baneful actions are also cathartic actions. They drain and clear our poisonous
feelings and allow our own emotional healing to begin. If we deny ourselves this outlet, what
happens to the grief and pain and rage?
If projection is bad for us, introjection is even worse. Unreleased bad feelings are a major
source of stress. In a very real sense, stress cripples and kills. Ulcers, strokes, heart
attacks and more are all heavily stress-related. A simple refusal to engage in baneful magic
could easily amount to punishing a victim by adding serious illness to the original harm.
I am part of the All. "An it harm none" is about me too. Release of my feelings is
my right.
At first it seems like an insoluble paradox. But the same understanding of magic that forbids
projection of our bad feelings can open a safe channel for those feelings. Here's one possible
form:
The final part of any effective magical working is "acting in accordance" on the
material plane. By doing this, we give the magic a channel through which to manifest. For this
working, there are three forms of follow through, and all are important.
The High Priestess goes to each of the four directions in turn and draws a Banishing
Pentacle, saying:
She raises her athame to the sky and touches it to the earth, then opens her arms and says:
Before these assembled spirits I bring (name type of tool) to be dedicated to the service of
the Lady and Lord.
By the power of air, be thou purified. Be thou dedicated to purity of thought and to
harmlessness that all intentions for which thou art used may harm none and be for the good of
all.
By the power of fire, be thou purified. Be thou dedicated to purity of desire and to
harmlessness that all goals which thou doest help achieve may harm none and be for the good of
all.
By the power of water, be thou purified. Be thou dedicated to purity of emotion and to
harmlessness that all that thou shalt be used in a spirit of harmony, harming none and for the
good of all.
By the power of earth, be thou purified. Be thou dedicated to steadfastness and purity of
purpose, that my will be achieved without wavering, with harm to none and for the good of all.
Lady Freya, Keeper of Femininity, bless this chalice. Let it be as Thy cauldron, a vessel of
productivity that it may be worthy to dispense Thy bounty. Let it be used in Thy service and in
the service of humanity. Let it be so bound that no harm may come of it to any being, but let it
rather be an instrument of goodwill and understanding; of loving harmony. To Thy sacred self I
dedicate this vessel, (name of vessel), that it and I may long be of service to Thee.
Lord Thor, companion to the Lady, champion of the Gods, bless this chalice and keep watch
over it. Guard the works which come forth from it, that they ever be in the service of Thee and
Thy Lady, that they be of service to humankind, and that they abide by the laws of harmony. To
Thee I vow I shall use it for Her sacred purposes, and for no other.
Lord Thor, thunderer & hammer wielder, bless this athame. Let it be as the spring rains
which fall upon the Earth to cause Her to bring forth Her bounty.
Let it quicken my hopes and dreams, yet keep them from causing harm. Let it guide them in the
harmony of the seasons, bringing forth only good for all. Lord Thor, bless this athame, (name of
athame), that it be used ever in the worship and honor of the Gods.
Lady Freya, companion to the Thunderer, lover of the Gods, bless this athame that it shall
bring forth joy, and shall cause no pain nor disharmony to any. I dedicate this athame (name
athame), symbol of the Defender and Rain Maker, to Thy service. May it ever bring Thee joy and
pride.
{file "Samhain Ritual For Small Circle (L. A. Hussey)" "bos007.htm"}
I wrote that ritual for David, myself and two friends who are older than we. It was the first ritual that I wrote not based on NROOGD material in any way, but on entirely original structure and material. The horse's skull is a primitive form of the Mari Lwyd (Grey Mare/Mary), a Welsh folk traditional hobby horse that goes from house to house at the calendar New Year, but she's such a bizarre and macabre beast that she was almost certainly a Samhain leftover. There's interesting material about her in Trefor Owen's "Welsh Folk Customs" (which is probably out of print, but I could provide photocopies for interested parties who provide copying costs...)
{file "NROOGD SAMHAIN - 1987 (l.a. Hussey)" "bos008.htm"}
Procession, consisting of Soulers (any small number) and White Mare.
She stands in the center and to each quarter and above and below she
makes the Hammer-Sign, saying:
The Priestesses and Priests stand opposite each other, and each one of
the pair invokes the other, as follows:
Allow a few minutes for everybody to name the ancestor they want to
welcome. Then Vala gives this admonition:
All the Celebrants but Heimdallr form a circle facing outward;
Heimdallr goes to the West, and all say:
Heimdallr cuts the Soulers' Procession into the Circle on "Come in",
and moves to stand with the other Celebrants while the Soulers dance
slowly around singing:
The Celebrants begin also to circle, dancing in character, starting
widdershins then spiralling in and out to end deosil, as in the
meeting dance, while the Soulers encourage the outer circle to dance
also. The intent should be for luck in the new year, and better
connection with our Ancestors (as well as better treatment of our
Elders!). "We Are The Old People" and "Blood Of The Ancients" are
appropriate and may be sung in polyphony...
As the providers of food, Freyr and Skadi bring forward the feast.
Some food should be laid out for the ancestors, and people should be
encouraged to let the ancestors use their senses for a while to enjoy
the food with them. The Soulers in particular should receive Soul
Cakes. A strong magical gesture would be for people to bring forward
canned and other non-perishable food (which can be later given to a food bank or similar
organization).
If there is to be scrying and divination, it should be done now in a
quiet space marked off as separate from the feasting-place. Freyja
and Heimdallr lead the scrying and Vala and Odin lead rune-work, with
the following optional speeches:
Note: it is entirely appropriate for partying to go on inside the
sacred circle (people can get up and move around), so that the Dead
have the opportunity to enjoy their day before we bid them farewell;
the circle should be cast large, with this in mind. The only
constraint is to open in sufficient time to clean up the hall before
the rental time runs out. The circle is opened as follows:
In recent years, there have been a number of pamphlets and books put out be various Christian
organizations dealing with the origins of modern-day Halloween customs.
Being a Witch myself, and a student of the ancient Celts from whom we get this holiday, I
have found these pamphlets woefully inaccurate and poorly researched. A typical example of this
information is contained in the following quote from the pamphlet entitled "What's Wrong
with Halloween?" by Russell K. Tardo. "The Druids believed that on October 31st, the
last day of the year by the ancient Celtic calendar, the lord of death gathered together the
souls of the dead who had been made to enter bodies of animals, and decided what forms they
should take the following year. Cats were held sacred because it was believed that they were
once human beings ... We see that this holiday has its origin, basis and root in the occultic
Druid celebration of the dead. Only they called it 'Samhain', who was the Lord of the Dead (a
big demon)".1 When these books and pamphlets cite sources at all, they usually
list the Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Americana, and the World Book Encyclopedia. The
Britannica and the Americana make no mention of cats, but do indeed list Samhain as the Lord of
Death, contrary to Celtic scholars, and list no references. The World Book mentions the cats
and calls Samhain the Lord of Death, and lists as its sources several children's books (hardly
what one could consider scholarly texts, and, of course, themselves citing no references).
In an effort to correct some of this erroneous information, I have researched the religious life of the ancient Celtic peoples and the survivals of that religious life in modern times. Listed below are some of the most commonly asked questions concerning the origins and customs of Halloween. Following the questions is a lengthy bibliography where the curious reader can go to learn more about this holiday than space in this small pamphlet permits.
Published by CultWatch Response, Inc., PO Box 1842, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1842. This article may be reprinted only if it is not excerpted or abridged in any way except for review purposes. Permission to republish must be requested in writing from the author at the above address. Price: $1.00 each, 10/$8.00, over 100/$0.65 ea., other quantities available. All prices are postpaid.
Note: there is NO meeting dance before the ritual because the spiral dance occurs inside it.
Now is the darkness. Now is the pain. Now is the fear.
Now is the danger. Now is the hate. Now are the tears.
Call on our mother! She is the one! Hers is the way!
She will bring comfort. She will bring life. She will bring day.
God: Mine is the ripening sun.
Goddess: Mine is the nurturing soil.
God: Mine is the fruit of the vine.
Goddess: Mine is the chalice of life.
Both: We are the blessing of wine! And the wine blesses us.
God: Mine is the planted seed.
Goddess: Mine is the fertile earth.
God: Mine is the mower's blade.
Goddess: Mine is the oven of making.
Both: We are the blessing of bread! And the bread blesses us.
Feasting, dancing, singing, partying etc. Some kind of grounding afterwards.
Blessings upon thee, O creature of water, I cast out from thee all impurities and uncleanness of the spirits of phantasm, confusion or any other influence not for the free will of all.
Blessings be upon this creature of salt; let all malignity and hindrance be cast forth thencefrom, and let all good enter therein. Wherefore I bless thee and invoke thee, that thou mayest aid me.
Wherefore do I bless thee and consecrate thee, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia.
General Mabon info to start with, set the mood &c...
Mabon, sometimes known as the Harvest/Thanksgiving ritual of the Autumn Equinox, is one of
the Spokes of the Wheel of the Year. In the many Earth or Pagan Religions, a special kinship
with the passing of the seasons is felt... this is usually due to the history of said
traditions, most of which stem from agrarian cultures where the seasons marked the way of life.
From planting to reaping to winter to summer... the seasons were of great importance to our
ancestors, for their very existence depended upon good harvests, mild winters, enough rainfall,
and the like.
So... having shown the importance of the seasons, we shall turn to Mabon itself. Autumn...
harvest time... the reaping of what was sown and cared thru during the year. A time of
thankfulness and rejoicing. So, of course, someone at some point in time must have said...
"Now that the work is over... LET'S PARTY!!!"
This is the essence of Mabon. Rejoicing in a bountiful harvest, thanking the Gods for being
so kind during the year, and, hopefully, helping in winning over the Gods' favor for the coming
year.
Now, this will be a very Discordian ritual in that each participant will be (more or less)
writing his/her own part. This outline is provided to sorta nudge (nudge, wink, wink, say no
more, sir, say no more!) people into making their individual pieces able to fit into the whole
thing... (I feel like the Green Ball outta "Heavy Metal", the movie, something which
ties things together).
Back to the rite itself.
Basically, 6 personages will be represented: Callers or Watchers of the East, South, West and
North, High Priest (HP) and High Priestess (HPS).
Of course, since this is a generic rite, the terms "Lord" and "Lady" will
be used when referring to the Male and Female aspects of divinity/godhood/whatever...
individuals may use which ever names they wish, for a Rose, by any other name, would still smell
as sweet.
In addition to the four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic year, there are four lesser holidays as well: The two solstices and the two equinoxes. In folklore, these are referred to as the four 'quarter-days' of the year and modern Witches call them the four 'Lesser Sabbats' or the four 'Low Holidays'. The Summer Solstice is one of them.
Technically, a solstice is an astronomical point and, due to the precession to the equinox, the date may vary by a few days depending on the year. The summer solstice occurs when the sun reaches the Tropic of Cancer and we then experience the longest day and the shortest night of the year. Astrologers know this as the date on which the sun enters the sign of Cancer.
However, since most European peasants were not accomplished at reading an ephemeris or did not live close enough to Salisbury Plain to trot over to Stonehenge and sight down its main avenue, they celebrated the event on a fixed calendar date, June 24th. The slight forward displacement of the traditional date is the result of multitudinous calendrical changes down through the ages. It is analogous to the winter solstice celebration which is astronomically on or about December 21st, but is celebrated on the traditional date of December 25th, Yule, later adopted by the Christians.
Again, it must be remembered that the Celts reckoned their days from sundown to sundown, so the June 24th festivities actually begin on the previous sundown (our June 23rd). This was Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Eve. Which brings up another point: our modern calendars are quite misguided in suggesting that 'summer begins' on the solstice. According to the old folk calendar, summer BEGINS on May Day and ends on Lammas (August 1st), with the summer solstice, midway between the two, marking MID-summer. This makes more logical sense than suggesting that summer begins on the day when the sun's power begins to wane and the days grow shorter.
Although our Pagan ancestors probably preferred June 24th (and indeed most European folk festivals today use this date), the sensibility of modern Witches seems to prefer the actual solstice point, beginning the celebration at sunset. Again, it gives modern Pagans a range of dates to choose from, hopefully with a weekend embedded in it.
As the Pagan mid-winter celebration of Yule was adopted by Christians as Christmas (December 25th), so too the Pagan mid-summer celebration was adopted by them as the feast of John the Baptist (June 24th). Occurring 180 degrees apart on the wheel of the year, the mid-winter celebration commemorates the birth of Jesus, while the mid-summer celebration commemorates the birth of John, the prophet who was born six months before Jesus in order to announce his arrival.
This last tidbit is extremely conspicuous, in that John is the ONLY saint in the entire Catholic hagiography whose feast day is a commemoration of his birth, rather than his death. A generation ago, Catholic nuns were fond of explaining that a saint is commemorated on the anniversary of his or her death because it was really a 'birth' into the Kingdom of Heaven. But John the Baptist, the sole exception, is emphatically commemorated on the anniversary of his birth into THIS world. Although this makes no sense viewed from a Christian perspective, it makes perfect poetic sense from the viewpoint of Pagan symbolism.
In most Pagan cultures, the sun god is seen as split between two rival personalities: the god of light and his twin, his 'weird', his 'other self', the god of darkness. They are Gawain and the Green Knight, Gwyn and Gwythyr, Llew and Goronwy, Lugh and Balor, Balan and Balin, the Holly King and the Oak King, etc. Often they are depicted as fighting seasonal battles for the favor of their goddess/lover, such as Creiddylad or Blodeuwedd, who represents Nature.
The god of light is always born at the winter solstice, and his strength waxes with the lengthening days until the moment of his greatest power, the summer solstice, the longest day. And, like a look in a mirror, his 'shadow self', the lord of darkness, is born at the summer solstice, and his strength waxes with the lengthening nights until the moment of his greatest power, the winter solstice, the longest night.
Indirect evidence supporting this mirror-birth pattern is strongest in the Christianized form of the Pagan myth. Many writers, from Robert Graves to Stewart Farrar, have repeatedly pointed out that Jesus was identified with the Holly King, while John the Baptist was the Oak King. That is why, 'of all the trees that are in the wood, the Holly tree bears the crown.' If the birth of Jesus, the 'light of the world', is celebrated at mid-winter, Christian folk tradition insists that John the Oak King was born (rather than died) at mid-summer.
It is at this point that I must diverge from the opinion of Robert Graves and other writers who have followed him. Graves believes that at midsummer, the Sun King is slain by his rival, the God of Darkness; just as the God of Darkness is, in turn, slain by the God of Light at midwinter. And yet, in Christian folk tradition (derived from the older Pagan strain), it is births, not deaths, that are associated with the solstices. For the feast of John the Baptist, this is all the more conspicuous, as it breaks the rules regarding all other saints.
So if births are associated with the solstices, when do the symbolic deaths occur? When does Goronwy slay Llew and when does Llew in turn slay Goronwy? When does darkness conquer light or light conquer darkness? Obviously (to me, at least), it must be at the two equinoxes. At the autumnal equinox, the hours of light in the day are eclipsed by the hours of darkness. At the vernal equinox, the process is reversed. Also, the autumnal equinox, called 'Harvest Home', is already associated with sacrifice, principally that of the spirit of grain or vegetation. In this case, the god of light would be identical.
In Welsh mythology in particular, there is a startling vindication of the seasonal placement of the sun god's death, the significance of which occurred to me in a recent dream, and which I haven't seen elsewhere. Llew is the Welsh god of light, and his name means 'lion'. (The lion is often the symbol of a sun god.) He is betrayed by his 'virgin' wife Blodeuwedd, into standing with one foot on the rim of a cauldron and the other on the back of a goat. It is only in this way that Llew can be killed, and Blodeuwedd's lover, Goronwy, Llew's dark self, is hiding nearby with a spear at the ready. But as Llew is struck with it, he is not killed. He is instead transformed into an eagle.
Putting this in the form of a Bardic riddle, it would go something like this: Who can tell in what season the Lion (Llew), betrayed by the Virgin (Blodeuwedd), poised on the Balance, is transformed into an Eagle? My readers who are astrologers are probably already gasping in recognition. The sequence is astrological and in proper order: Leo (lion), Virgo (virgin), Libra (balance), and Scorpio (for which the eagle is a well-known alternative symbol). Also, the remaining icons, cauldron and goat, could arguably symbolize Cancer and Capricorn, representing summer and winter, the signs beginning with the two solstice points. So Llew is balanced between cauldron and goat, between summer and winter, on the balance (Libra) point of the autumnal equinox.
This, of course, is the answer to a related Bardic riddle. Repeatedly, the 'Mabinogion' tells us that Llew must be standing with one foot on the cauldron and one foot on the goat's back in order to be killed. But nowhere does it tell us why. Why is this particular situation the ONLY one in which Llew can be overcome? Because it represents the equinox point. And the equinox is the only time of the entire year when light (Llew) can be overcome by darkness (Goronwy).
It should now come as no surprise that when it is time for Llew to kill Goronwy in his turn, Llew insists that Goronwy stands where he once stood while he (Llew) casts the spear. This is no mere vindictiveness on Llew's part. For, although the 'Mabinogion' does not say so, it should by now be obvious that this is the only time when Goronwy can be overcome. Light can overcome darkness only at the equinox -- this time the vernal equinox.
So Midsummer (to me, at least) is a celebration of the sun god at his zenith, a crowned king on his throne. He is at the height of his strength and still 1/4 of a year away from his ritual death at the hands of his rival. The spear and the cauldron have often been used as symbols for this holiday and it should now be easy to see why. Sun gods are virtually always associated with spears (even Jesus is pierced by one), and the midsummer cauldron of Cancer is a symbol of the Goddess in her fullness. It is an especially beautiful time of the year for an outdoor celebration. May yours be magical!
Hear the words of the Threefold Goddess, who of old was called Artemis, Astarte, Diana, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Isis, Arianrhod, Brigid, Aradia and many other names:
"Whenever you have need of anything, once in the month and betterit be when the moon is full, you shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me who is Queen of all the Wise. She who would learn all sorcery yet has not won its deepest secrets, them I will teach her, in truth, all things as yet unknown. And you shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you be free you shall be naked in your rites. Sing, feast, dance, make music and love in My presence, for Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine also is joy on earth. For My law is love unto all beings. Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for behold, I am the mother of all things and My love is poured out upon the earth."
The Initiate is left to meditate as the others rise and follow the High Priest/ess into the Circle area and three times around, chanting:
HIGH PRIEST/ESS takes the Sword from the altar and traces a circle around the coveners. When he/she returns to the north, he/she kneels and salutes saying: "Hail and welcome, frosty Spirits of the North. Lend to us your power and protection this night that <Initiate's born name> may be given a true initiation to justly wield the power of Earth. So mote it be!"
HIGH PRIEST/ESS advances to the east, kneels and salutes saying: "Hail and welcome, bright Spirits of the East. Lend to us your power and protection that <Initiate's born name> may be given a true initiation to justly wield the power of Air. So mote it be!"
HIGH PRIEST/ESS advances to the south, kneels and salutes saying: "Hail and welcome, fiery Spirits of the South. Lend to us your power and protection that <Initiate's born name> may be given a true initiation to justly wield the power of Fire. So mote it be!"
HIGH PRIEST/ESS advances to the west, kneels and salutes saying: "Hail and welcome, tireless Spirits of the West. Lend to us your power and protection that <Initiate's born name> may be given a true initiation to justly wield the power of Water. So mote it be!"
HIGH PRIEST/ESS: "I call upon the Horned God; I call upon the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone; I call upon the Spirits of Earth, Air, Fire and Water; I call upon the Hosts of the Mighty Dead; and I call every true Witch within this circle to witness that we are here to consecrate <Initiate's name> as Priest(ess) and Witch. The circle is cast!"
HIGH PRIEST/ESS cuts a gate in the circle and roughly leads the Initiate to kneel at the edge before the gate, then balances the sword-point over the Initiate's heart (the Initiate raises hir hands to support the point). "You stand at the edge of a place that is between the worlds, in the presence of the Gods and under the watchful eye of the Mighty Dead. If you go any further, you embark on a path that cannot be safely turned aside before your death. Feel the sharpness of the blade at your breast, and know this in your heart that it would be better for you to throw yourself forward and spill out your life than to enter this circle with fear or falseness in your heart."
HIGH PRIEST/ESS lays down the sword, lifts the Initiate to his or her feet and kisses him or her. "Thus are all first brought into the Circle.", then leads the Initiate to the altar and taking up the sword, re-draws the circle over the gateway.
HIGH PRIEST/ESS, administering the Five-fold Kiss: "Blessed are your feet, that have brought you to this place. Blessed are your knees, that shall kneel at the altars of the Gods. Blessed is your sex, without which we could not be. Blessed is your breast, formed in strength and beauty. Blessed are your lips which shall speak the Words of Truth. Are you prepared to take the oath?"
INITIATE places his or her left hand on the top of the head and right hand on the soles of the feet. "All between my two hands belongs to the Gods. So mote it be."
ALL others raise the volume of the "Aum" slightly.
HIGH PRIEST/ESS: "And do you swear to keep silent all those things that must be kept silent and to respect that which is taught to you?"
INITIATE: "I willingly swear to keep silent all that must be kept silent and to respect that which is taught to me. So mote it be."
ALL others raise the volume of the "Aum" a little more.
INITIATE: "All of these things I do swear, by my mother's womb and my hope of future lives, knowing well that my Measure has been taken in the presence of the Mighty Ones. Should I fail utterly in my oaths, may my powers desert me, and may my own tools turn against me. So mote it be. So mote it be. So mote it be!
ALL grab the Initiate quickly and hoist hir completely into the air (if possible), chanting the Initiate's new name over and over again, as fast as possible, as they carry him or her three times quickly around the circle. When they return to the starting point, they set him or her down face-down and press him or her firmly into the ground.
Gradually, the pressure relents to gentle massage. Through all of this they continue chanting the Initiate's new name, falling off in volume and speed as the pressure relaxes.
HIGH PRIEST/ESS: "Know that the hands that have touched you are the hands of love." (removes the Initiate's blindfold and helps hir up.) "In the Burning Times, when each member of the Coven held the lives of the others in her hand, this would have been kept and used against you should you endanger others. But in these happier times, love and trust prevail, so take this (hands the Measure to the Initiate), keep it or burn it, and be free to go or stay as you please."
HIGH PRIEST/ESS hands the sword to the Initiate and leads hirto the East, where they both kneel. The Initiate salutes and the High Priest/ess announces: "Behold, restless Spirits of Water -- I bring before you <new name>, who has been consecrated as Priest/ess and Witch!" Repeats at the South, West, and finally North.
HIGH PRIEST/ESS: "Thank you Spirits of the Mighty Dead, Spirits of the Four Elements, and awesome Lord and Lady for hallowing our circle. Go or stay as you will -- our circle is ended."
ALL ground and center, then absorb the power of the Circle and return it to the Earth beneath their feet.
{file "Invocations to Frigg, Baldur, Freyja, Freyr, Brigit, Herne and Thorr" "bos015.htm"}
"Frigg, Daughter of Jord, Join us.
Frigg, Daughter of Fjorgyn, Join us.
Frigg, Wife of Odin, Join us.
Frigg, Sister of Thorr, Join us.
Frigg, Mother of Baldr, Join us.
Frigg, Mother of Hodr, Join us.
Frigg, Mother of Hermod, Join us.
Frigg, Mother of the gods, Join us.
Frigg, Wise in all fates, Join us.
Frigg, Who will tell no fortunes, Join us.
Frigg, First among the Asynjur, Join us.
Frigg, Queen of Asgard, Join us.
Frigg, Mistress of home and hearth, Join us.
Frigg, Mistress of Eire, Join us.
Frigg, Mistress of healing, Join us.
Frigg, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!"
"Baldr, Son of Frigg, Join us.
Baldr, Son of Odin, Join us.
Baldr, Husband of Nanna, Join us.
Baldr, Brother of Hodr, Join us.
Baldr, Brother of Hermod, Join us.
Baldr, Father of Forsetti, Join us.
Baldr, Slain by blind Hodr, Join us.
Baldr, Master of Breidablik, Join us.
Baldr, Who is much loved, Join us.
Baldr, Who Thokk alone would not mourn, Join us.
Baldr, The Fairest of the Aesir, Join us.
Baldr, Whose Judgments stand unaltered, Join us.
Baldr, Whose Judgments stand unheeded, Join us.
Baldr, The Wisest of the Aesir, Join us.
Baldr, The Shining One, Join us.
Baldr, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!"
"Freyja, Of the many names, Join us.
Freyja, Of the golden tears, Join us.
Freyja, Daughter of Njord, Join us.
Freyja, Wife of Od, Join us.
Freyja, Sister of Freyr, Join us.
Freyja, Mother of Hnoss, Join us.
Freyja, Claimed by Thrym, Join us.
Freyja, Driver of cats, Join us.
Freyja, Goddess of Fertility, Join us.
Freyja, Who shares the slain with Odin, Join us.
Freyja, Who taught the Aesir Magick, Join us.
Freyja, Lender of Falcons' Flight, Join us.
Freyja, Mistress of Brisingamen, Join us.
Freyja, Mistress of Folkvang, Join us.
Freyja, Mistress of nature, Join us.
Freyja, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!"
"Freyr, Son of Njrd, Join us.
Freyr, Husband of Gerdr, Join us.
Freyr, Brother of Freyja, Join us.
Freyr, Father of kings, Join us.
Freyr, Whose sword would fight for itself, Join us.
Freyr, Who gave his sword for Gerdr, Join us.
Freyr, Patron of married couples, Join us.
Freyr, Most beautiful of Gods, Join us.
Freyr, Whose tooth-gift was Alfheimr, Join us.
Freyr, Master of Gullinbursti, Join us.
Freyr, Owner of Skidbladnir, Join us.
Freyr, Slayer of Beli, Join us.
Freyr, Master of Frodi's Peace, Join us.
Freyr, Who directs Man's good fortune, Join us.
Freyr, Who brings fruitful seasons, Join us.
Freyr, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!"
"Thorr, Red-beard, Join us.
Thorr, Son of Jord, Join us.
Thorr, Brother of Frigg, Join us.
Thorr, Father of Modi, Join us.
Thorr, Father of Magni, Join us.
Thorr, Father of Thrudr, Join us.
Thorr, Husband of Sif, Join us.
Thorr, Jtunn bane, Join us.
Thorr, Foe of Jormungandr, Join us.
Thorr, Who bears Marriage Hallower, Join us.
Thorr, Who bears Death Hallower, Join us.
Thorr, Who wields Mjollnir, Join us.
Thorr, Defender of Asgard, Join us.
Thorr, Thunderer, Join us.
Thorr, Storm Lord, Join us.
Thorr, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!"
Circle casting adapted by Matrika of PAN -- the ORIGINAL Psychic Awareness Network BBS at 1-703-362-1139
ADAPTED from the Community of Isis Rites in Salem MA. for use by the Moonchildren Coven
This requires the use of a duly consecrated wand, a chalice, an athame
and a container for salt and water -- non-plastic, PLEASE -- on your
altar as well as 2 candle sticks with candles in them and an incense
burner for stick or hanging incense. You should work robed or nude as
you prefer. In the 4 directions you should have either air (as
incense) or fire (as candle -- lit, of course, and preferably red) in
the east -- according to your tradition. The OTHER element -- the one
not used in the east -- in the south, again according to your
tradition. (I prefer air/east -- wand, fire/south -- athame, personally
-- but I realize there are differences in tradition.
THE HIGH PRIESTHOOD OF A CIRCLE IS THE FINAL SAY IN ANY RITE --
SO ALWAYS FOLLOW THEIR TRADITIONS.
If you wish, you may lay a circle of salt on the floor, leaving a gate
for the priest/ess to enter and leave for the temple purification or
you may visualize the circle coming as electric blue light out of your
athame point as you cast it. After s/he returns from purifying the
outer perimeter, the gate would be closed and the circle cast (after
the directions are called) by pointing the athame (or the sword) at
the salt and charging it instead of casting into the air. The gate
would be closed by completing the circle of salt.
Okay, I am writing this as used by a person working alone, but the P
or PS in parenthesis is how it would be done if done by a couple. PS
is the female and P is the male. This is the ideal form of the rite.
(PS) picks up bowl of salt and bowl of water on alter. (P) picks up
athame and places it point down in the water and says: "Salt is pure.
Let this salt be pure and let it purify our rites as we use it in the
service of the Lady and the Lord."
(PS) pours some of the salt into the water. (P) stirs it with his
athame and says:
"May this sacred salt purify this water so it may be used in this
service of the Lord and Lady, throughout this rite, in any way
and at any time we
may wish to use it."
(PS) takes the salt-water and sprinkles it about the perimeter of the
circle (outer) saying the following while walking widdershins
or counterclockwise (to banish):
She returns to the circle. The (P) then takes the incense burner -- if
a swinging one -- or the burning stick of incense and goes around the
circle deosil saying:
"Ever as we walk in the ways may we feel the presence of the
Lady and the Lord. We know that in all we do they are ever with us. They
abide in us and we in them forever. No disharmony or imbalance can
be entertained for purity, harmony and balance are the dwellers
within and without us:
For good do we strive and
for good do we live.
Love unto all things.
So be it forever.
Love is the law and Love is the bond.
Blessed be the Lady and the Lord."
He returns to the circle. He then picks up his wand and goes to the
East, raising it high he invokes the element of air visualizing either
the ruler of that element as he understands that being OR a yellow
pentacle can be substituted. I like to imagine a weeping willow tree
budding in the spring being moved by the gentle breezes through the
center of the pentacle -- as if through the center of a window. (If
you use fire in the east, swap visualization here with the one I
give in the south and change the invocations accordingly)
Go to the South and repeat this visualizing either your conception of
the ruler of the watchtower for the south OR a red pentacle -- I like
to see a campfire through its center, as if through a window.
Repeat invocation with raised wand making suitable changes of direction
and element in it.
Go to the West and repeat this visualizing either your conception of
the ruler of the watchtower of the west OR a blue pentacle -- I like to
see a mountain stream or the ocean through the center of it, as if
through a window. Repeat invocation making suitable changes of
direction and element in it.
Go to the North and repeat the process visualizing either your
conception of the ruler of the north OR a green pentacle -- I
like to see mountains rising up in the distance through the middle of
it, again as if through a window. Repeat invocation making suitable changes of
direction and element in it.
He returns to the altar and replaces the wand.
THE (PS) takes up hers and invokes the Deities:
"Hail to Thee, Lord and Lady." (Substitute aloud or silently the names
you are using for the Goddess and the God here -- with non-initiates,
some prefer to use the generic "Lord and Lady" out loud, keeping the
names by which the inner circle of initiates know Them a secret. This
is also a good idea to use when you have members of several traditions
present who may not agree on what names are used for them) "We invite
your presence and power in our circle and our magick this night."
She then replaces her wand on the altar and picks up her athame or the
coven sword and casts the circle -- either straight out, visualizing
blue light coming from its point -- or, if a circle of salt is used,
straight DOWN at the salt, to charge it.
This is done deosil (clockwise), of course, just like the censing of
the circle was done earlier. The only time widdershins is used is the
salt-water banishing / cleansing to prepare for circle casting and in
opening the circle.
First casting: " I conjure this circle, a mighty Psychic rampart that
turns back ANY excess positive or negative energy which may come to do
us harm"
Second casting: "I cast this circle, a place that is not a place, a
time that is not a time, a sacred place between the worlds, a place to
commune with eternity (or THE LADY AND THE LORD)"
Third casting: "I charge this circle, a place of perfect love and of
perfect trust where all may know peace profound"
She returns to the altar. If a bell is used (brass or silver ONLY
please) she rings it and says: "Now is the circle cast."
The circle then perform the full-moon rite, raising the power and
drawing down the energy into themselves by whatever rites they use and
Magick is performed as is appropriate and necessary OR the ritual for
one of the 8 sabbats is performed -- a much lighter and informal
occasion -- according to the time and purpose of the circle.
The cakes and ale/wine (I substitute APPLE juice or SPRING water, as I
am allergic to alcohol) are consecrated by the athame in the chalice.
NOTE -- the cakes should be as natural as possible. Show some respect!
Please no twinkies or oreos -- I've seen some "people" do that!
The (P) takes up his wand and goes to the 4 quarters, beginning at the
north and going widdershins, where he raises his wand at each and
dismisses the rulers of the elements thusly:
As he does this, he visualizes whatever he visualized earlier and then
"sees" it fading out. When he has done all 4 quarters he replaces his
wand on the altar.
THE (PS) picks hers up, raises it high and says: "Farewell to the Lord
and Lady" (again names may be substituted silently or aloud) "We thank
you for your presence and your power in Our circle and our magick this
night."
(PS): "Go if you must, stay if you will. Blessed be."
She then picks up her athame (or sword) and pointing it either in the
air or at the salt, whatever she did before, she walks widdershins and
as she opens the circle she pictures in her mind's eye the electric
blue light fading out or being reabsorbed by the tool she carries as
she says: "THE CIRCLE IS OPEN, YET REMAINS UNBROKEN."
Note -- our circle in New England, which met only for the Sabbats
except for its leadership which did the full-moons themselves as it
was a training coven, tended to use a lot of chanting and simple
ritual drama to raise energy as we worked in a very confined space.
Other methods can be used. In full-moon work I like active
deep-meditation or guided trance and chanting because of size of space
available to me at this time. However, many covens also use the dance,
the cords, the Great Rite (actual or symbolic) and other methods.
Always remember there is no one right path.
Part of the circle closing was also adapted from Starhawk. Many people
like to elaborate on the invocations at the quarters and present them
in poetic formats, as they do with the invocation of the Lord and
Lady.
They say that the longest journey begins with a single step. So, too,
the exploration of Magickal studies begins with a single step. Though
the first step in a physical journey is often self-evident, the First
Step on a Magickal journey is often not quite so clear. While
formally organized groups often have a path of lessons to instruct
newcomers, the solitary or isolated student is often left standing in
perplexity on this broad plain of knowledge, wondering just where in
the heck to begin. And wondering, too, if it's "okay" to start just
anywhere.
While it's true that studies can begin in any direction that attracts
you, the necessary first step must be learning to make psychic
shields. There are "Things of the Dark" out there. There are any
number of explanations for what these things might be -- ghosts,
demons, or simply uncontrolled urges of the subconscious mind. In
truth, it doesn't matter what they are. What does matter is that their
effect is very real and unless they are put under your control, they
will drag you over the borders of sanity into psychosis. You are most
vulnerable to them while you're in an "open" trance or meditative
state. That's why the wise practitioner always begins by taking steps
to define exactly what will be permitted through the portals of their
"psychic shields" -- no matter how simple the ritual. And this, in
a nutshell, is what "protective magic" is about.
There are a number of ways to do this. The most common is to begin by
drawing a circle (around a group or yourself) and invoking the one or
more protective powers. Generally, this is done by candlelight, in
front of an altar that holds certain magical objects. The circle may
be further "secured" and "cleared" by using salt, salt water, rum,
incense, or some other method. You may be wearing a special robe and
will have taken a bath (or performed a cleansing ritual) earlier. The
powers that protect you will be called on and then you will begin your
ritual.
Is it psychological? Absolutely! Is there a reason why protection
rituals always take this form? Positively! Let's take a step back
and see what you're actually doing and how the process works -- from a
psychological standpoint -- and how to use this knowledge to help you
refine your circles to enhance your rituals.
Psychologists and psychics alike view the mind's structure as a
three-part entity: The Ego (that which you think of as yourself), the
Superego (the "higher self") and the Id (the child within). The Id
is, in a sense, a computer. Like most computers, it operates on the GIGO
(Garbage In, Garbage Out) principle. There's an old superstition: "As
you name something, so will it become." Tell yourself that you're very
unlucky and your Id will obligingly give you bad days by enhancing any
negatives in your environment. Tell yourself that you are clumsy, and
your Id-computer will obligingly arrange for you to break a leg while
stepping off the sidewalk. The bad news is that the Id can't make a
judgement as to whether or not this is a good idea. It only knows
that it's received these "instructions" and must carry them out. The
good news is that you can actually program/reprogram this portion of
your mind.
You begin programming this Internal Servant of yours by first drawing
its attention to what you want done and then explaining what you need
done in a simple and clear manner. Repeating the instructions in a
chant help fix the goals for the Id -- rhymed chants seem to be easier
for it to process. Each time you perform the ritual and repeat the
chant, the programming is strengthened. Never mind that your ego and
superego understand that you're going to program the child-like Id.
It works just the same.
To direct the Id's attention to the process, you first have to impress
it. Using special tools and clothing alert it that something unusual
is going on and that it must pay attention. Acquiring hard-to-obtain
items, drawing symbols, performing a symbolic sacrifice (donating
money, say, to a good cause) are all ways of reinforcing the Id's
impression that this ceremony is very special and that the result will
be very powerful. Organized, meaningful symbols, speak to your
subconscious mind in ways it understands, reinforcing the goals you
have set.
Drawing the circle itself establishes boundaries within your
environment ("The rest of the world can do what it likes Out There.
All within this circle is in my control!"). Purifying the circle and
consecrating it (sprinkling water which has been blessed and salt
added) further enforce your territory, defining the borders where you
are "safe". Nothing can enter this area except what you invite
inside. You further tighten these borders by calling on certain
Powers.
You can call on any powers you like. Some use traditional Christian
images. Others call up deities from the religion they are most
comfortable with. And many people use the thought/image of a beam of
light that represents either God/Goddess (whichever one they like) or
the power of light and life and goodness in the Universe.
The number of powers called as guardians varies. You may choose to
invoke one powerful being to protect your circle. Or you might call on
the Universal Being/Light and four guardians (one for each quarter of
the compass). A third approach is to use a guardian for the four
quarters of the compass and no higher being. There is no "absolutely
correct" system; the correct system is the one that you are
comfortable with.
Take time to choose the guardians of your circle carefully. You
should select guardians (gods or animals or some form of life) which
have a deeper meaning to you and whose qualities are in harmony with
your goals. For the new student, it's best to have all your Powers and
Guardians from the same belief system/religion/mythic universe so that
the symbols will be consistent and not confuse the Id.
As your studies continue, you will find that your totems or guardians
change. This is to be expected; as you explore new realms in your
studies, you may find you need guardians who deal with very specific
areas to strengthen and guide you in these new fields.
But don't make the mistake of assuming that you'll become so powerful
that you will never need the protection of the psychic shielding
circle in some form. And don't assume that you will not need a circle
for "positive" magicks such as healing. Open is open -- and open is
vulnerable. And circles strengthen and protect you by defining what
psychological influences will be allowed to work with you.
Marriage is a bond to be entered into only after considerable thought and reflection. As with any aspect of life, it has its cycles, its ups and its downs, its trials and its triumphs. With full understanding of this, Groom and Bride have come here today to be joined as one in marriage.
Others would ask, at this time, who gives the bride in marriage, but, as a woman is not property to be bought and sold, given and taken, I ask simply if she comes of her own will and if she has her family's blessing.
Above you are the stars, below you are the stones, as time doth pass, remember...
Like a stone should your love be firm like a star should your love be constant. Let the powers of the mind and of the intellect guide you in your marriage, let the strength of your wills bind you together, let the power of love and desire make you happy, and the strength of your dedication make you inseparable. Be close, but not too close. Possess one another, yet be understanding. Have patience with one another, for storms will come, but they will pass quickly.
Be free in giving affection and warmth. Have no fear and let not the ways of the unenlightened give you unease, for God is with you always.
By the power vested in me by God and the State of Alabama, I now pronounce you husband and wife. May your love so endure that its flame remains a guiding light unto you.
Candidates for initiation should be in good mental and physical health. They should also be
of legal age and have sought out the Craft of their own free will.
Before being accepted into the Coven she should spend sometime
learning about the Craft and magic and such. She should know about
practices that most people get uptight about. She should be told that
initiations are perfectly safe and voluntary. Also, if at any time
prior to taking the oath she wants to back out, she can do so with out
fear or other recriminations.
The candidate must choose a Craft name. This name should not be a
common American name and must have personal meaning to the candidate.
Traditionally the apprenticeship lasted for a year and a day.
This is a good idea if it can be done. Before she can be initiated,
the Coven must vote. A single no is sufficient to not allow the
candidate to be initiated into that particular Coven.
This ritual is written for use in the woods. There has to be a
path leading from the staging area to a clearing where a fire can be
lit. To save time, the fire should be setup but not lighted.
The bathtub should be set up along the path and filled with warm
water and the other ingredients. The water will also have to be
consecrated.
The candidate should be brought to the staging area by their
sponsor. She should be wearing clothing that can be cut away easily by
a sword without undoing buttons or stepping out of pants legs. The
candidate should be lead down the path by the sponsor. After a little
ways a member of the Coven, the Challenger, should step onto the path.
They might want to wear a mask. They take the sword that they carry
and say:
"Who comes to the gate?"
The candidate, coached beforehand, answers:
"It is I, (new Craft name), child of earth and starry heaven."
The Challenger holds the point of the sword up to the candidate's
heart, and says:
"You are about to enter a vortex of power, a place beyond
imagining, where birth and death, dark and light, joy and pain,
meet and make one. You are about to step between the worlds,
beyond time, outside the realm of your human life.
You who stands on the threshold of the dread Mighty Ones,
have you the courage to make the essay?
For know it is better to fall on my blade and perish than
to make the attempt with fear in thy heart!"
And the Challenger takes the sword and cuts off the apprentice's
clothing till she is standing naked. The Challenger grounds their
sword to the Earth. The Challenger should then blindfold the candidate
and tie a cord around their wrists and one ankle while saying:
"And She was bound as all living things must be,
who would enter the Kingdom of Death. And Her feet were
neither bound nor free."
The candidate is led to the tub and bathed, while still blindfolded,
by the rest of the Coven. While being bathed, she must remain quiet.
She is helped from the tub and dried off. The candidate is then carried
to the Circle. Everyone in the Coven, starting with the High Priest,
kisses her and says:
"Thus are all first brought into the world,
and thus are all first brought into the Coven."
The High Priest now leads the candidate
to each of the four corners and introduces her to the Guardians, of
course going deosil.
"Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East and all the Mighty
Ones of the Craft. Behold _________(new name), who will now be
made Priestess and Witch."
The candidate is brought back to the altar. The High Priest kneels and
gives her the Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet,
both knees, womb, both breasts, and the lips, starting with the right
of each pair. He says as he does this:
"Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways.
Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar.
Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.
Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty.
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names."
For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length-to-length, with their
feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her
arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips. The candidate is
then measured with the other piece of cord from head to toe. The cord
is cut. She is then measured around the head and chest and knots are
tied to mark these lengths. The High Priestess rolls up the cord and
asks the candidate: "Are you willing to swear the oath?"
The High Priestess takes the apprentice's hand and with a needle
properly purified by fire and water, pricks her finger, squeezing a few
drops out onto the measure. The candidate then kneels and places one
hand on her head and the other beneath her heel and she repeats what
is read to her. The High Priest says:
The candidate repeats the oath. The Coven shouts:
"So mote it be!"
The High Priest then makes an X mark on the initiate's forehead, breast
and genitals while saying:
"May your mind be free. May your heart be free. May your body be
free. I give you the Craft name of ______"
The rest of the Coven members grab her suddenly, lift her if possible
and carry her three times around the Circle, laughing and shrieking.
They then lay her face down before the altar and press her into the
ground. Gradually the pressure changes to stroking. They chant her new
name, raising a Cone of Power over her. The blindfold is removed and
she is told:
"Know that the hands that have touched you are the hands of love.
Thus are all first brought into the world, and thus are all first
brought into the Coven."
The Charge of the Goddess is spoken and any other myths, mysteries,
and secrets are revealed. She is also told the Coven names of all the
members. The High Priestess returns the measure, saying:
"In the Burning Times, when each member of the Coven held the
lives of the others in their hands, this would have been kept and be
used against you should you endanger the others. But in these more
fortunate times, love and trust prevail, so take this, keep it or burn
it, and be free to go or to stay as your heart leads you."
The service goes on as usual, be it New or Full Moon or Sabbat. Before
the Circle is opened, the new initiate is taken to the four corners
again and introduced to the Guardians again.
Alright, I don't want to sound dumb, but I have no idea what these
rituals entail. What goes on during these, and what is their purpose?
Curly Howard
Boy, you don't ask the easy ones. Dr. Regardie takes 12 volumes to
answer this one; Aleister Crowley, 13 or so; Isaac Bonewits, two (and
that's only introductory).
I'll try to summarize, but if you're really interested, track down
Starhawk's THE SPIRAL DANCE for further details. Most scholars divide
ritual into two classes: 1) theurgic, and 2) thaumaturgic. In fancy
words, this means that either you are praying to make your self "a
better person" or "closer to God/dess" or "to be saved from your sins",
or you are praying for the God/dess to intervene in the world around
you - prayers for peace, for money, for health, etc.
Neopagan ritual partakes of both aspects, to some extent. In a
typical ritual, various techniques (as old as humanity) are used to
"raise the power," then the power is focused via magickal symbols to
contact the God(s) and/or Goddess(es) who are being called upon.
He/She/They take that magickal energy, augment it, and return it to
the circle. The High Priest/ess then focuses that energy on the
target - the object or person to be affected, if any - then any
energies that remain (or the total energy, if there is no magickal
target) are returned to the Gods, via a process called "grounding."
To paraphrase Uncle Isaac's wonderful book on the subject, you have
the wind-up, the pitch, and the follow-through.
The windup uses any ritual techniques that are appropriate to a)
the setting, b) the purpose of the ritual, c) the deities being
contacted, and d) the skills of the participants. The universals are
chanting, dance, and "ritual theatre." There are, of course, others.
The "pitch" uses beautiful, poetic imagery in guided meditations
and ritual movement. Occasionally (if possible), this uses music and
dance. Once the gods are contacted and the energy flows, it is
concentrated in an object - usually cakes and wine, but occasionally
by other means - and distributed, symbolically to all the
participants. Having partaken of the energy thus raised, the guided
meditations direct the people in focusing their energy on the purpose
at hand.
Finally, the High Priest or Priestess goes through a
"follow-through", which involves dissolving the "group mind",
reassuring people that what we have worked is done and was effective,
and then "grounding" any loose energies, so that when the group leaves
the ritual circle, they are back in their normal minds.
As I write, it occurs to me that the real answer to your question
lies in that last sentence - "back in their normal minds." Neopagan
ritual is a collection of tools and techniques for altering your
consciousness, temporarily, to a place where the Gods and Goddesses
are real and near, where we as their children and lovers and friends
can worship them, and where the magick we work can come true. Having
convinced ourselves of this, we act on it, then return to our daily
lives refreshed.
(Gods, what a bunch of gibberish! You would have been better off reading the books!)
Anyway, I tried. Anyone else (esp. Black Dragon if he shows up
again, as he's worked at least as much ritual as I) please feel free
to add or comment. Was this the kind of answer you wanted, Curly?
Reverend Talespinner, O.S.C.
Clan Destiny Chapel of Eris & Dionysus
(aka Brad Hicks)
There are four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic year and
the modern Witch's calendar, as well. The two greatest of these
are Halloween (the beginning of winter) and May Day (the
beginning of summer). Being opposite each other on the wheel of
the year, they separate the year into halves. Halloween (also
called Samhain) is the Celtic New Year and is generally
considered the more important of the two, though May Day runs a
close second. Indeed, in some areas -- notably Wales -- it is
considered the great holiday.
May Day ushers in the fifth month of the modern calendar
year, the month of May. This month is named in honor of the
goddess Maia, originally a Greek mountain nymph, later identified
as the most beautiful of the Seven Sisters, the Pleiades. By
Zeus, she is also the mother of Hermes, god of magic. Maia's
parents were Atlas and Pleione, a sea nymph.
The old Celtic name for May Day is Beltane (in its most
popular Anglicized form), which is derived from the Irish Gaelic
"Bealtaine" or the Scottish Gaelic "Bealtuinn", meaning
"Belfire", the fire of the Celtic god of light (Bel, Beli or
Belinus). He, in turn, may be traced to the Middle Eastern god
Baal.
Other names for May Day include: Cetsamhain ("opposite
Samhain"), Walpurgisnacht (in Germany), and Roodmas (the medieval
Church's name). This last came from Church Fathers who were
hoping to shift the common people's allegiance from the Maypole
(Pagan lingam -- symbol of life) to the Holy Rood (the Cross --
Roman instrument of death).
Incidentally, there is no historical justification for
calling May 1st "Lady Day". For hundreds of years, that title
has been proper to the Vernal Equinox (approx. March 21st),
another holiday sacred to the Great Goddess. The nontraditional
use of "Lady Day" for May 1st is quite recent (within the last 15
years), and seems to be confined to America, where it has gained
widespread acceptance among certain segments of the Craft
population. This rather startling departure from tradition would
seem to indicate an unfamiliarity with European calendar customs,
as well as a lax attitude toward scholarship among too many
Pagans. A simple glance at a dictionary ("Webster's 3rd" or
O.E.D.), encyclopedia ("Benet's"), or standard mythology
reference (Jobe's "Dictionary of Mythology, Folklore & Symbols")
would confirm the correct date for Lady Day as the Vernal Equinox.
By Celtic reckoning, the actual Beltane celebration begins on
sundown of the preceding day, April 30, because the Celts always
figured their days from sundown to sundown. And sundown was the
proper time for Druids to kindle the great Bel-fires on the tops
of the nearest beacon hill (such as Tara Hill, Co. Meath, in
Ireland). These "need-fires" had healing properties, and
skyclad Witches would jump through the flames to ensure protection.
Frequently, cattle would be driven between two such bonfires
(oak wood was the favorite fuel for them) and, on the morrow,
they would be taken to their summer pastures.
Other May Day customs include: processions of chimney-sweeps
and milk maids, archery tournaments, morris dances, sword dances,
feasting, music, drinking, and maidens bathing their faces in the
dew of May morning to retain their youthful beauty.
In the words of Witchcraft writers Janet and Stewart Farrar,
the Beltane celebration was principly a time of "...unashamed
human sexuality and fertility." Such associations include the
obvious phallic symbolism of the Maypole and riding the hobby
horse. Even a seemingly innocent children's nursery rhyme, "Ride
a cock horse to Banburry Cross..." retain such memories. And the
next line "...to see a fine Lady on a white horse" is a reference
to the annual ride of "Lady Godiva" though Coventry. Every year
for nearly three centuries, a sky-clad village maiden (elected
Queen of the May) enacted this Pagan rite, until the Puritans put
an end to the custom.
The Puritans, in fact, reacted with pious horror to most of
the May Day rites, even making Maypoles illegal in 1644. They
especially attempted to suppress the "greenwood marriages" of
young men and women who spent the entire night in the forest,
staying out to greet the May sunrise, and bringing back boughs of
flowers and garlands to decorate the village the next morning.
One angry Puritan wrote that men "doe use commonly to runne into
woodes in the night time, amongst maidens, to set bowes, in so
muche, as I have hearde of tenne maidens whiche went to set May,
and nine of them came home with childe." And another Puritan
complained that, of the girls who go into the woods, "not the
least one of them comes home again a virgin."
Long after the Christian form of marriage (with its
insistence on sexual monogamy) had replaced the older Pagan
handfasting, the rules of strict fidelity were always relaxed for
the May Eve rites. Names such as Robin Hood, Maid Marion and
Little John played an important part in May Day folklore, often
used as titles for the dramatis personae of the celebrations.
And modern surnames such as Robinson, Hodson, Johnson and Godkin
may attest to some distant May Eve spent in the woods.
It is certainly no accident that Queen Guinevere's
"abduction" by Meliagrance occurs on May 1st when she and the
court have gone a-Maying, or that the usually efficient Queen's
guard, on this occasion, rode unarmed.
Some of these customs seem virtually identical to the old
Roman feast of flowers, the Floralia, three days of unrestrained
sexuality which began at sundown April 28th and reached a
crescendo on May 1st.
By the way, due to various calendrical changes down through
the centuries, the traditional date of Beltane is not the same as
its astrological date. This date, like all astronomically
determined dates, may vary by a day or two depending on the year.
However, it may be calculated easily enough by determining the
date on which the sun is at 15 degrees Taurus. British Witches
often refer to this date as Old Beltane, and folklorists call it
Beltane O.S. ("Old Style"). Some Covens prefer to celebrate on
the old date and, at the very least, it gives one options. If a
Coven is operating on "Pagan Standard Time" and misses May 1st
altogether, it can still throw a viable Beltane bash as long as
it's before this date. This may also be a consideration for
Covens that need to organize activities around the week-end.
This date has long been considered a "power point" of the
Zodiac, and is symbolized by the Bull, one of the four
"tetramorph" figures featured on the Tarot cards the World and
the Wheel of Fortune. (The other three are the Lion, the Eagle
and the Spirit.) Astrologers know these four figures as the
symbols of the four "fixed" signs of the Zodiac (Taurus, Leo,
Scorpio and Aquarius, respectively), and these naturally align
with the four Great Sabbats of Witchcraft. Christians have
adopted the same iconography to represent the four gospel-writers.
But for most, it is May 1st that is the great holiday of
flowers, Maypoles, and greenwood frivolity. It is no wonder
that, as recently as 1977, Ian Anderson could pen the following
lyrics for Jethro Tull:
Our Christian friends are often quite surprised at how
enthusiastically we Pagans celebrate the 'Christmas' season. Even
though we prefer to use the word 'Yule', and our celebrations may peak
a few days before the 25th, we nonetheless follow many of the
traditional customs of the season: decorated trees, carolling,
presents, Yule logs, and mistletoe. We might even go so far as
putting up a 'Nativity set', though for us the three central
characters are likely to be interpreted as Mother Nature,
Father Time, and the Baby Sun-God. None of this will come as a
surprise to anyone who knows the true history of the holiday, of
course.
In fact, if truth be known,the holiday of Christmas has always
been more Pagan than Christian, with its associations of Nordic
divination, Celtic fertility rites and Roman Mithraism. That is why
both Martin Luther and John Calvin abhorred it, why the Puritans
refused to acknowledge it, much less celebrate it (to them, no day of
the year could be more holy than the Sabbath), and why it was even
made illegal in Boston! The holiday was already too closely
associated with the birth of older Pagan gods and heroes. And many of
them (like Oedipus, Theseus, Hercules, Perseus, Jason, Dionysus,
Apollo, Mithra, Horus and even Arthur) possessed a narrative of birth,
death and resurrection that was uncomfortably close to that of Jesus.
And to make matters worse, many of them predated the Christian
Savior.
Ultimately, of course, the holiday is rooted deeply in the cycle
of the year. It is the Winter Solstice that is being celebrated,
seed-time of the year, the longest night and shortest day. It is the
birthday of the new Sun King, the Son of God -- by whatever name you
choose to call him. On this darkest of nights, the Goddess becomes
the Great Mother and once again gives birth. And it makes perfect
poetic sense that on the longest night of the winter, 'the dark night
of our souls', there springs the new spark of hope, the Sacred Fire,
the Light of the World, the Coel Coeth.
That is why Pagans have as much right to claim this holiday as
Christians. Perhaps even more so, as the Christians were rather late
in laying claim to it, and tried more than once to reject it. There
had been a tradition in the West that Mary bore the child Jesus on the
twenty-fifth day, but no one could seem to decide on the month.
Finally, in 320 C.E., the Catholic Fathers in Rome decided to make it
December, in an effort to co-opt the Mithraic celebration of the
Romans and the Yule celebrations of the Celts and Saxons.
There was never much pretense that the date they finally chose was
historically accurate. Shepherds just don't 'tend their flocks by
night' in the high pastures in the dead of winter! But if one wishes
to use the New Testament as historical evidence, this reference may
point to sometime in the spring as the time of Jesus's birth. This is
because the lambing season occurs in the spring and that is the only
time when shepherds are likely to 'watch their flocks by night' -- to
make sure the lambing goes well. Knowing this, the Eastern half of
the Church continued to reject December 25, preferring a 'movable
date' fixed by their astrologers according to the moon.
Thus, despite its shaky start (for over three centuries, no-one
knew when Jesus was supposed to have been born!), December 25 finally
began to catch on. By 529, it was a civic holiday, and all work or
public business (except that of cooks, bakers or any that contributed
to the delight of the holiday) was prohibited by the Emperor
Justinian. In 563, the Council of Braga forbade fasting on Christmas
Day, and four years later the Council of Tours proclaimed the twelve
days from December 25 to Epiphany as a sacred, festive season. This
last point is perhaps the hardest to impress upon the modern reader,
who is lucky to get a single day off work. Christmas, in the Middle
Ages, was not a single day, but rather a period of twelve days, from
December 25 to January 6. The Twelve Days of Christmas, in fact. It
is certainly lamentable that the modern world has abandoned this
approach, along with the popular Twelfth Night celebrations.
Of course, the Christian version of the holiday spread to many
countries no faster than Christianity itself, which means that
'Christmas' wasn't celebrated in Ireland until the late fifth century;
in England, Switzerland and Austria until the seventh; in Germany
until the eighth; and in the Slavic lands until the ninth and tenth.
Not that these countries lacked their own mid-winter celebrations of
Yuletide. Long before the world had heard of Jesus, Pagans had been
observing the season by bringing in the Yule log, wishing on it, and
lighting it from the remains of last year's log. Riddles were
posed and answered, magic and rituals were practiced, wild boars were
sacrificed and consumed along with large quantities of liquor, corn
dollies were carried from house to house while carolling, fertility
rites were practiced (girls standing under a sprig of mistletoe were
subject to a bit more than a kiss), and divinations were cast for the
coming Spring. Many of these Pagan customs, in an appropriately
watered-down form, have entered the mainstream of Christian
celebration, though most celebrants do not realize (or do not mention
it, if they do) their origins.
For modern Witches, Yule (from the Anglo-Saxon 'Yula', meaning
'wheel' of the year) is usually celebrated on the actual Winter
Solstice, which may vary by a few days, though it usually occurs on or
around December 21st. It is a Lesser Sabbat or Lower Holiday in
the modern Pagan calendar, one of the four quarter-days of the year,
but a very important one. This year (1988) it occurs on December 21st
at 9:28 am CST. Pagan customs are still enthusiastically followed.
Once, the Yule log had been the center of the celebration. It was
lighted on the eve of the solstice (it should light on the first try)
and must be kept burning for twelve hours, for good luck. It should
be made of ash. Later, the Yule log was replaced by the Yule tree
but, instead of burning it, burning candles were placed on it. In
Christianity, Protestants might claim that Martin Luther invented the
custom, and Catholics might grant St. Boniface the honor, but the
custom can demonstrably be traced back through the Roman Saturnalia
all the way to ancient Egypt. Needless to say, such a tree should be
cut down rather than purchased, and should be disposed of by burning,
the proper way to dispatch any sacred object.
Along with the evergreen, the holly and the ivy and the mistletoe
were important plants of the season, all symbolizing fertility and
everlasting life. Mistletoe was especially venerated by the Celtic
Druids, who cut it with a golden sickle on the sixth night of the
moon, and believed it to be an aphrodisiac. (Magically -- not
medicinally! It's highly toxic!) But aphrodisiacs must have been the
smallest part of the Yuletide menu in ancient times, as contemporary
reports indicate that the tables fairly creaked under the strain of
every type of good food. And drink! The most popular of which was
the 'wassail cup' deriving its name from the Anglo-Saxon term 'waes
hael' (be whole or hale).
Medieval Christmas folklore seems endless: that animals will all
kneel down as the Holy Night arrives, that bees hum the '100th psalm'
on Christmas Eve, that a windy Christmas will bring good luck, that a
person born on Christmas Day can see the Little People, that a cricket
on the hearth brings good luck, that if one opens all the doors of the
house at midnight all the evil spirits will depart, that you will have
one lucky month for each Christmas pudding you sample, that the tree
must be taken down by Twelfth Night or bad luck is sure to follow,
that 'if Christmas on a Sunday be, a windy winter we shall see', that
'hours of sun on Christmas Day, so many frosts in the month of May',
that one can use the Twelve Days of Christmas to predict the weather
for each of the twelve months of the coming year, and so on.
Remembering that most Christmas customs are ultimately based upon
older Pagan customs, it only remains for modern Pagans to reclaim
their lost traditions. In doing so, we can share many common customs
with our Christian friends, albeit with a slightly different
interpretation. And thus we all share in the beauty of this most
magical of seasons, when the Mother Goddess once again gives birth
to the baby Sun God and sets the wheel in motion again. To conclude
with a long-overdue paraphrase: 'Goddess bless us, every one!'
Purify, cast the circle, but do not light the candles. Invoke the
Goddess and God. All sit down and begin an antiphonal chant.
Continue interjecting lines and echoing each other until the
energy dies away. Stand up and link hands. The High Priest stands
before the altar, holding an animal skull filled with salt. The High
Priestess leads a slow spiral procession that first snakes outward
so that each member is brought to face the High Priest. They are
chanting:
The High Priestess leads the spiral inward, until the members are
huddled together. She leads an improvised trance induction, slowly
suggesting that they crumble to the Earth and sleep. As all lie down,
they are sent into a deeper trance with a multivoiced induction. As it
fades out, they are told:
Time is allowed for trance in the state of suspension before birth.
The High Priestess approaches one of the coveners, stands by her
head with her legs apart and pulls her through, symbolically giving
her birth. She becomes part of the birth canal; they continue the
process with the other coveners, the birth canal growing longer. The
men of the coven take the newborns one by one and lay them back down
to sleep, telling them:
As all sink back into trance, they are guided into a
visualization of their hopes for their new life to come. Priestess
smears honey on their tongues, one by one, saying:
A new chant begins softly, builds in power as it gradually wakes
the sleepers, who join in on repeating lines:
Build a Power Chant, focused on reawakening life. Share feasting and
friendship, ideally until dawn. Before ending, the High Priestess
says:
Open the Circle.
Midwinter has long been a traditional time for celebration and
merrymaking in Britain. All of the activities at midwinter were
meant to ensure that the season would renew itself and the days
would begin to grow longer again. Greenery was brought into
decorate the house: evergreen to symbolize the promise of life to
come even in the darkest winter; the mistletoe, believed to hold
the life of the host tree even when the tree itself appeared to
be dead in winter; and the holly and ivy, symbols of male and
female, both of course necessary for new life. Carols, some of
which survive to this day, such as the Gower Wassail, were sung.
The earliest carols consisted of taking hands and singing while
dancing in a ring or around a bush, May tree, or even an apple
tree (as in the case of the Apple Tree Wassail, sung in hopes of
a good crop of cider the following year).
The Wassail Carols in particular date back to the Viking
invasions of England, about 700 A.D., when the greeting was "Ves
heill". By Anglo-Saxon times, the greeting had evolved into "Waes
thu hal", meaning "be whole" or "good health". The response was
"drink hail", meaning "I drink and good luck be to you". People
would travel from house to house in the village bringing good
wishes and carrying an empty bowl. The master of the house being
wassailed was expected to fill the bowl with a hot spicy ale and
then it would be passed around to the carolers.
Midwinter was also a time for exchanging gifts and for feasting.
Turkey only dates to the 1500's. Much more common were boar,
geese, capons, swans, and pheasants. Minced pies were originally
made with meat, and with the coming of spices to England during
the Crusades, plum pudding became quite the traditional dish.
Plum pudding makes a great dish for cakes and wine in the Yule
circle, especially if you pour warmed brandy over it and set it
afire before the blessing.
While I am writing about midwinter customs in Britain because our
heritage in .K.A.M. is largely Celtic in origin, the Isles do not
have a monopoly on Yule. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia for
seven days around the Solstice, and it was a time to look ahead
and rejoice in the longer days to come. Slaves and masters
switched places at table, and presents were exchanged. The
Persian Mithraists held December 25th as sacred to the birth of
their Sun God, Mithras, and celebrated it as a victory of light
over darkness. And in Sweden, December 13th was sacred to the
Goddess Lucina, Shining One, and was a celebration of the return
of the light. On Yule itself, around the 21st, bonfires were lit
to honor Odin and Thor.
Midwinter has always been a Pagan holiday, so much so that during
the 1600's the Christian Christmas was recognized as a
celebration based on Pagan customs and was outlawed in England
and many of the colonies in America.
* Martinmas, November 11, is a christianization of the Pagan
Celtic Hallows when the herds were culled.
Core and heat apples with brown sugar and some of the ale or
cider in an oven for 30 minutes. Put in large pan and add rest
of spices and lemon peel, simmer on stove top of 5 minutes. Add
most of the alcohol at the last minute so it heats up but does
not evaporate. Burgundy and brandy can be substituted to the ale
and sherry. White sugar and halved oranges may also be added to
taste.
1/4 lb. flour
1/4 lb. currants
1 tsp. salt
1/4 lb. sultanas (small raisins)
1 tsp. allspice
2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 tsp. ginger
1 ounce cut mixed (citrus) peel
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 oz. shredded almonds
pinch fresh grated nutmeg
Juice and grated rind of 1 orange and 1 lemon
1/4 lb. fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 lb. molasses (treacle)
1/2 lb. shredded suet
4 large eggs
1/4 lb. brown sugar
2 tbsp. brandy
1/4 lb. dried chopped apricots
1/4 lb. prunes
1/4 lb dates
Sift flour, salt and spices into a large bowl. Stir in
breadcrumbs, suet and sugar. Add fruits, peel and rind. Beat
lemon and orange juice, molasses and eggs together and add to
other ingredients. Steam for 6 hours -- a coffee tin filled with
the mixture and placed in a steamer in a covered pan does well.
A little vinegar and lemon juice in the water will prevent the
pan from discoloration. After steaming cover in a cool place and
let age as long as possible -- usually about 5 weeks. To serve,
re-steam for another 3 hours. Remove from tin, douse with warm
brandy and set it ablaze!
If you haven't got six weeks before Yule to prepare a proper
pudding (I never do) a tinned one from Crosse & Blackwell will do
fine. Just be sure to always heat the pudding first, no matter
who made it, or all the warmed brandy in the world won't help.
And don't forget the hard sauce!
{file "Witches Lesser Banishing Ritual Of The Pentagram (Paul Hume)" "bos025.htm"}
The following text was an addendum to some Wiccan friends of mine
written in 1986. It followed a fairly standard instruction in the
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, with which they were not
familiar. We were feeling out some linking techniques leading to a
proposed joint ritual involving several Wiccans and two ceremonial
qabalists (one Thelemite -- ie. myself, and another). While events
conspired to torpedo this project, some interesting ideas came along
on both sides. The goal was a set of brief rituals meaningful to
both traditions which we could practice individually, thus building
up a group current prior to the date of the proposed rite (Samhain of
that year). Herewith my notes on "The Wiccan Pentagram" ritual which
evolved during this project. My primary source of God Forms was Paul
Huson's "Mastering Witchcraft" which was my main source of information
on Wicca at the time (I've done considerable study elsewhere since).
A ritual can be modified in many ways, to refit it for a different
set of symbols, for example. I have taken the liberty of doing some
research into alternate symbols for the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram
since I know that you work a lunar-feminine current (Wicca) whereas I
use more solar-masculine symbols in my current (Thelemite). The
Qabalistic Cross This might be used as is, though you could use the
English if you don't feel that the Hebrew is relevant. I am sure you
recognize the words as being similar to the end of the Lord's Prayer
in the King James Version: 'Unto thee, the Kingdom and the Power and
the Glory, forever! Amen.' I would point out that this formula was
around a long time before Christ, much less the translators of the
Standard Revised Version of the Bible. If you dislike such a
specifically Christian form, it may be replaced with the words KETHER
(KEH-THER), MALKUTH, GEBURAH, GEDULAH (or Crown, Kingdom, Power,
Mercy), the spheres of occult energy that you are invoking with the
Q-Cross. The mental images remain the same. You could even avoid
these Hebrew symbols entirely, using Names and formulae more suitable
to raising the Cone of Power, which is what you are doing here in
Wiccan terms. See the 'Wiccan Cross,' below.
Again, the pentagram should be used. This symbol is universal
to many, many systems of magick, including Wicca, as you know. The
five-pointed star has supreme power over the Elements: Spirit, Fire,
Water, Air and Earth. It drives off negative influences and
attracts positive ones. It is an essential part of the rite and
there is no symbol that can take its place as effectively.
I prefer using the Hebrew God-Names as is. In this connection
they express formulae that govern the Elements and are no more
religious than E=MC squared. However, there are equivalent Wiccan
God-Names, which I describe in the next section, as substitutes for
the Archangels. The use of the same Names to activate the stars and
to invoke the Elemental force is quite in keeping with the Wiccan
tradition, which does not use the same hierarchical system of
God-Name, Archangel, Angel, Ruler, Spirit, etc. that Qabalism does.
Instead of the Hebrew Archangels I described, you could use
Wiccan Deities to invoke the 'pure' form of the Elements.
The last line of the Invocation refers to a 'six-rayed star' and
the mental work calls for imagining a Star of David. This is not a
specifically Jewish symbol in this context. The six-pointed star, or
hexagram, is the Qabalistic symbol par excellence of initiation and
spiritual illumination. The upward-pointing triangle represents the
aspiration of the magician to the Gods, and the downward-pointing
triangle represents the divine power, flowing down to the world.
These meet at the moment of magick and the interlaced triangles
forming the hexagram symbolize the power of this meeting. Should you
prefer not to use the Star of David, you can replace the mental image
with any symbol showing the meeting of your soul and the power of the
Goddess. This can even be a private symbol, one that is meaningful
only to you. Alternatively, you can just envision the sphere of
white light from the Q-Cross, as a symbol of divine power. Replace
the words about the 'six-rayed star' with some descriptive form: 'the
seal of the Goddess,' or 'the sign of my Awakening,' or simply 'the
light Divine.'
Rubric [This is a form of the rite incorporating the changes in
symbolism discussed above]
Repeat the Wiccan Cross. Rather than performing this in the rather
measured cadences of Qabalistic Ritual, a form of dancing and
chanting more pleasing to the God-forms of Wicca might profitably be
devised.
{file "On the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (Tim Maroney)" "bos026.htm"}
The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram is one of the chief
rituals of Western Magick. It has been with us at least since the
Golden Dawn of the nineteenth century, and it has penetrated into all
the many Golden Dawn spinoffs, including Neo-Paganism. Yet there is
still no widely available, clear instruction. The directions of the
magical orders are mere mnemonics for those who are assumed to have
personal instructors. To formulate my personal approach to the
ritual, to aid any others who may be considering practicing the LBR,
and to satisfy the idle curiosity of any gawking onlookers, I have put
together this short discussion of the ritual and its symbolism and
performance.
The real action of a magick ritual takes place in the mind. Ritual
is a form of moving meditation. The effect is also primarily
psychological.* The LBR is a tool to facilitate meditation.
[*Not all players would agree with this statement. Many would say
that the effect of the LBR is a fortified and cleansed area on the
astral plane, which they think is as real as Hoboken, if not more so.
It doesn't really matter in practice.]
The experience of a proper LBR is pleasurable and soothing, yet
energizing and empowering. One is made at home in the mystical realm,
protected from lurkers and phantasms by strongly imagined wards. This
solace from mundane experience is a precondition for more serious
works of meditation or ritual, but it can also form a healthy part of
the life of the mind by itself.
[* Modern scholarship has a different take on the pronunciation of the
Big Guy's name. I use "Yahweh" rather than the "Ye-ho-wau" of Liber
O because that's what the Catholic priests of my youth taught me to
say, and I've never been able to shake it off. Use whatever
pronunciation you prefer, or a different name altogether.]
With practice, you will no doubt come up with your own style of
performance, and your own different symbolism for ritual acts.
Different people do rituals as differently as actors play parts, even
though the lines and motions may be fundamentally the same. (The
alternative is an authoritarian, dogmatic horror which is alien to the
deep occult understanding of religion, but is still common in magical
groups.) Slavish imitation will get you nowhere in Magick
-- except, perhaps, to some high spiritual degree!
The Christianity -- or at least angelic monotheism -- of the ritual
symbolism may give a start to some. Many of us involved in occultism
have strongly negative feelings about Christianity. These are perhaps
justified, but there are a few saving graces here.
First, as with any ritual, you should feel free to make it yours, to
mess around with it. If you don't start to at least play with the
styles of a ritual after a while, you are probably not doing it very
well. It is perfectly legitimate to substitute cognate symbols at any
time. However, the saying in the martial arts is that one first
learns another's style, and after mastering it, moves on to create
one's own. For a beginner, it will be easiest simply to use an
existing ritual form in order to explore the meaning of a banishing
ritual.
Given that experience, which transcends any mere set of symbols, one
may devise a form more in keeping with the emergence of one's personal
style. For instance, Neo-Pagans use a highly reified form of the same
basic ritual in many of their traditions, but with non-Christian
deities, spirits, and heros at the quarters. Aleister Crowley wrote a
new version which made the performance more dancelike, and used the
names of Thelemic deities and officers rather than monotheist gods and
angels. My private version, called "Opening the Threshold", is
entirely atheistic and philosophical.
In any case, of those people who so abhor Christianity, how many have
looked at some of the practices of historical pagans in Europe, Asia,
Africa and the Americas? No religion should ever be "accepted" by an
occultist. When using any religion's symbolism, the adept should cut
to its sacred poetical core and discard the political dross. By this
standard, Christianity looks about as good as any other religion.
Without this standard and by factoring in historical excesses and power
plays, almost all known religions look just about as bad as Christianity.
In other words, someone who will happily use Norse gods, Arthurian
heroes, Taoist immortals, Voudoun loas, or what have you in rituals,
but will never touch a Christian angel, is guilty of the same
narrowness he or she probably imparts to the Christians.
1. Stand upright. Blow all the air out of your lungs. Hold your
arms straight out at your sides.
2a. Close your eyes and inhale nasally, imagining that the breath is
the name. The exact nature of this imagination differs from person to
person. Thus, you imagine yourself inhaling the name into your lungs.
2b. As you inhale, sweep your forearms smoothly and deliberately up
so that your fists rest on your temples.
3. Imagine the breath moving down through your torso slowly, and
through your pelvis, your legs, and finally to the soles of your feet.
(Don't do this so slowly that you are hurting for air when the name
reaches your feet!)
4a. The instant the inhaled vibrational name hits the soles of your
feet, imagine it rushing back up and out.
4b. Simultaneously, throw yourself forward, thrusting your left foot
forward about twelve inches (or thirty centimeters) and catching
yourself on it. Your hands shoot forward, together, like a diver.
You bend forward at the waist so that your torso winds up parallel to
the floor.
4c. The air in your lungs should be blown out through your nose at
the same time, but imagine the name shooting out straight ahead.
Steps 3-4 are known as the Sign of the Enterer, or of Horus. This
symbolizes powerful active energy. The Enterer should be something of
a "rush". The vibrational name is projected outwards into more
tangible manifestation -- in this case, in the pentagrams of the LBR,
which are charged by the force of the projected god-names.
It is highly inadvisable to omit the portion of step(4b) which reads
"catching yourself on it." But again, I have no desire to infringe on
your freedom of choice.
5. Finally, withdraw into a standing position, left arm hanging at
your side, right forefinger on lips, left foot pointing ninety degrees
out from the body.
Step 5 is called the Sign of Silence, or of Harpocrates. This
Egyptian god was mistakenly believed (at the turn of the century) to
pertain to silence, because his finger or thumb was touching his lips.
This gesture is now believed to be a symbol of childhood; this
correction appears in the World card of Crowley's "Book of Thoth"
Tarot deck. Harpocrates was the god of the Sun at dawn, and so
symbolizes wonder, beauty, potential, growth. So, step 5 may be done
in this academically corrected light instead.
However, the "hush" gesture of the Golden Dawn Sign of Silence is
adequate for the modern occultist, even if deprived of A Divine
Identification. It is a common gesture, at least in the European
culture, meaning silence. Silence perhaps balances the ultra-active
Sign of the Enterer better than does the more scholarly
positive/active "Sign of Harpocrates the Rising Sun", and silence is
surely no alien concept to mystics.
The pentagrams are given form by the drawing, life by the vibration,
identity by the four-part prayer of steps (x) to (xiv). Some people
do very elaborate visualizations of angelic guardians on each of (xi)
to (xiv). Because of my tragic personal deficiencies, I am content
with strong feelings of presence, identity, and divinity in each of
the four directions.
A horizontal cross is built up step by step as you say, "Before me
Raphael", etc, with you at the center; and the position of your arms
forms a vertical cross, a renewal of the Qabalistic Cross from the
start of the ritual. You may feel a quite peculiar rising and
expansion when both of these crosses are formulated. One has become
the center of the geometry of the space, and it is like a little world
in itself, cut adrift from the mundane currents of everyday
experience.
Steps (xv) and (xvi) are when the real banishing takes place, during
"For about me flames the pentagram, and in the column stands the
six-rayed star." A great pulse of force is emitted during these steps,
imposing the personal will on the space and clearing it of all hostile
influences.
After this is done, the invoked "archangels" maintain the banishing
effect, guarding in all four directions. Of course this talk of
angels is all bullshit -- the importance lies in the psychological
effect. Whether there "really is" an archangel standing there
keeping out inimical spirits is not important. The "feeling of
cleanliness" is what matters.
The final Qabalistic Cross is an affirmation of the completeness and
symmetry of the ritual, and also a new self-consecration. This is
more efficacious than the previous Cross because it is done in a
banished environment.
One is now ready to do a formal invocation, an evocation, a
meditation, or whatever the overall purpose may be. The LBR is a
preliminary ceremony, although it has a beneficial effect in itself.
It can profitably be done as a stand-alone ritual, but you should move
on. The LBR should keep away the horrible ickies that turn so many
novices away from Magick. Its mastery is a first step to adeptship.
The Mystical Pentagram is a technique which will enhance psychic
self-awareness. Practiced on a daily basis it will produce surprising
individual results. One of the features of this technique is that it
encourages personal development by allowing each entity to discover a
personal mantra which corresponds to the five elements.
To begin, you will need a table of correspondences such as "777"
by Aleister Crowley. Look up the names of the gods and goddesses which
correspond to the air element. Pick a name which when chanted 'feels'
right for you. For example, Nu is the Egyptian lord of the firmament
and corresponds to air. If I were inclined towards egyptian deities, I
would chant the name Nu for several minutes to see what effect
transpired. If I felt relaxed, comfortable, and generally positive I
would inwardly know that this name would be in tune with my inner
self. Proceed to find correspondences for fire, water, and earth in
the same manner and finally for spirit since it is the aggregate of
the four common elements.
Once you have found a personal mantra or a chant consisting of
five names, vowel sounds, etc. You are ready to proceed with the
practical application of the Mystical Pentagram.
Assume your favorite meditation position, relax and begin to
breathe in a rhythmic pattern; ie. inhale count one, two, three, four,
exhale count one, two, three, four and so on. Continue to breathe in
such a manner for about five minutes so that a definite rhythm is
firmly established.
Visualize the five psychic centers. Memorize their positions so
that you become familiar with the positions.
Next visualize a brilliant white light forming a circle above
your head in the spirit center. Mentally draw a white light pentagram
within the circle of light. This should be an invoking pentagram.
If your mind should begin to wander, gently bring it back and
vocally vibrate the mantra you have chosen for the spirit center. Let
your mind dwell on this center and intone your mantra several times
for at least five minutes.
Next see a shaft of white light radiate down through your skull
stopping at your throat near the adam's apple. See a circle of white
light begin to form and pulsate. Mentally draw an invoking pentagram
within the circle of light and vocally vibrate your chosen mantra for
the air center. Continue to stimulate this center for at least five
minutes.
Now see a shaft of white light radiate down through your torso
stopping at your fire center. This is located just above the navel.
See a brilliant white light begin to pulsate at this center and draw
an invoking pentagram within the circle of light. As your mind begins
to wander gently guide it back to he image of the glowing white
pentagram. Here vibrate your chosen fire mantra. Once this center is
stimulated the sensation is unmistakable. A mild tingling or vibration
of the solar-plexus area is physically experienced. Continue to dwell
on this center for at least five minutes.
See the shaft of white light push down to the water center which
is located in the groin area. Here, too, a brilliant circle of white
light should be visualized. Again draw an invoking pentagram within
the circle of light. Intone the mantra for the water center and repeat
the sound several times for the next five minutes.
Having arrived thus far, see the shaft of white light radiate
down through your legs stopping at the bottom of your feet which is
the earth center. Form a brilliant, white, pulsating circle of light
and draw an invoking pentagram within the circle. Intone your earth
mantra and vocally vibrate the sound several times during the next
five minutes.
When all of the energy centers have been stimulated, direct the
light energy from the spirit center to the earth center. As you exhale
see the light travel from the top of your head down through your body
to the bottom of your feet. As you inhale see the energy travel from
your feet up through your body up to the top of your head, the spirit
center. These circulations should be persisted for at least seven
complete circuits. See the energy cleanse and vitalize every part of
your being and expand your awareness to cosmic consciousness. As you
continue to repeat this technique each day you will begin to see and
feel a change in your psychic awareness and a marked improvement in
your health.
Don't become discouraged if you don't achieve results
immediately. This technique produces very positive effects but they
are cumulative in nature. Be gentle with your inner self however you
must also be persistent and keep the communication open. It is also a
good idea to perform this exercise at the same time each day in order
to allow your body cycles incorporate the energy flow in a natural
order.
Suggested reading:Because of the very nature of Magick, each working should be highly
individualized and personal. Even if following a traditional spell,
it should be tailored to your specific needs to be most effective
for you. Understanding the basics of Spell Construction will enable
you to formulate your own specific, effective spells for any purpose
you desire.
Preliminary planning is necessary. The very first step is to decide
precisely what your desired end result is to be. Before you can
start, you must decide where you are going. You must be very
explicit.
It is important, also, that you choose your time carefully. You
should take into consideration all Astrological implications, energy
currents and Moon phases.
The Moon is the astronomical body closest to us and, therefore, has
a profound influence upon us, it is very important to choose a time
when the Moon is in an astrological sign which is appropriate for
your working. For example: Aries/Action -- Enthusiasm,
Taurus/Renewal -- Sensuality, Gemini/Communication -- Curiosity,
Cancer/Emotion -- Nurturing, Leo/Vitality -- Determined, Virgo/Organizing --
Studious, Libra/Balance -- Cooperation, Scorpio/Sexual --
Philosophical, Capricorn/Authority -- Ambitious, Aquarius/Innovation
-- Social, Pisces/Sensitivity -- Idealistic.
Bear in mind that magickal workings for gain, increase or bringing
things to you, should be initiated when the Moon is Waxing (from
Dark to Full); when the Moon is Waning (from Full to Dark), it is
time for magickal workings of decrease or sending away.
The highest energy occurs at the Full Moon and, therefore, this is
the most powerful time for magickal workings. The New Moon is the
next most powerful time for Magick.
Whenever possible, follow Nature's own energy flows. There
is a natural time for starting things (a planting time), for
maturing things (a growing time), for reaping things (a harvest
time) and, of course, a time for rest and planning.
Flowing with these currents will make your magickal work much easier.
Remember to plan your project for a time of uninterrupted privacy.
It is important that you have no distractions. Generally speaking,
it is best to work as late at night as possible. A time when there
is less frantic energy is most appropriate. You might consider
Midnight or later.
In choosing a place to do your magickal working pay particular
attention to your needs, for you must be comfortable. Your place
should be private, quiet and secure. If at all possible, set aside
a special place for this purpose only. An unused room, a special
corner of your bedroom, a quiet, secluded spot in your garden. A
place that is yours. A place that you can come to whenever need
arises and that is as free from intrusion of others as possible.
Prior to the night of your magickal working, gather together the
things that you will need. All of the things used are tools. They
have no inherent magick. They are to help you create a mood. If
correctly made and used, they will trigger primitive responses from
deep within you. They should be chosen with care.
Consider the purpose of your ritual and choose your tools
accordingly. If your magick is to be sexual, your candles, oils,
incenses and so forth should bring forth a sexual response. If the
desired result of your Magick is tranquility, then the tools should
make you feel calm, peaceful and serene. Any candles you might use
should not have commercially added fragrances as these may not be
appropriate for your working.
Prior to your ritual, prepare yourself and your equipment by any
means necessary to clean and purify. Historically, people have
fasted, followed meticulous and detailed bathing practices,
practiced chastity and used many other methods.
Most often a ritual bath is the preferred method. A bath frequently
utilizing candlelight, fragrant herbs, bath salts or sensuous oils.
A sumptuous hot bath, special bathing preparations and appropriate
lighting, combined, can create the soothing effect which will help
in the very important step of relaxing and clearing the mind
completely of all mundane thoughts and experiences of the day. Your ritual
bath should, also, begin to set the specific vibrations conducive to
your purpose into motion. You must not only cleanse and purify but
must also begin to create the type of energy necessary.
Once your purification process has been accomplished, you are now
ready to begin. Proceed to the special place you have previously
chosen in which to perform your magick. If at all possible, you
should make use of the primitive responses set into motion by a well
chosen piece of music. Your music should start slowly and build to
a rousing climax.
As you use your oils, light your candle or incense (or utilize any
other tool you have chosen), you should begin to further intensify
the energy that you have set into motion around you. A high degree
of intensity is vitally important.
The Altered State of Consciousness that you must reach is not a
meditative state. Anything that interferes with your ability to
concentrate upon, reach and control the high energy state necessary
to perform magick should be avoided, such as screaming children, a
sink full of dirty dishes, use of alcohol or drugs, etc.
Do not scatter your energy by attempting to do more than one
magickal working at a time.
Remember that Magick is the manipulation of energy, a thought is a
form of energy and a visualization is an even stronger form of
energy. Your visualization can be a method used to intensify
further and direct your will. Your visualization can be the method
by which you control the magickal energy you have produced.
You must know what you want. You must see it. You must feel the
high energy flow. You must direct it.
One of the most important elements in the practice of any form of
Magick is the Universal Law of Cause and Effect. This means that
whatever you do (or don't do) you cause something to happen.
The most important consideration is the Universal Law of
Retribution. This means that no matter what you do, it comes back
to you in like kind.
It is the nature of things that as you send something out it gains
momentum, so that, by the time it comes back to you, it is three
times stronger. If you do something nice for someone, someone will
do something nicer for you.
{file "Beltane: Its History and Modern Celebration in Wicca in America" "bos032.htm"}
The celebration of May 1st, or Beltane as it is known in Wicca
Circles, is one of the most important festivals of our religious year.
I will attempt here to answer some of the most often asked questions
about this holiday. An extensive bibliography follows the article so that
the interested reader can do further research.
Set up: place a candle in each of the four cardinal directions. Lay the
rest of the tools on the altar cloth or near it. The altar can be on the
ground, a table, a rock or a stump. The altar should be in the center
or just north of center of the Circle. Light the six candles and the
incense, start the music and begin the ritual.
Facing North, the High Priest and Priestess kneel in front of the
altar with him to her right. She puts the bowl of wateron the altar, places
the point of her athame in it and says:
She then puts down her athame and holds up the bowl of water in both
hands. The High Priest puts the bowl of salt on the altar, puts his athame
in the salt and says:
He then puts down his athame and pours the salt into the bowl of water
the High Priestess is holding. The High Priest then stands with the rest of
the Coven outside the Circle. The High Priestess then draws the Circle with
the sword, leaving a gap in the Northeast section. While drawing the
Circle, she should visualize the power flowing into the Circle from off the
end of the sword. She draws the Circle in a East to North or deosil or
clockwise direction. She says:
The High Priestess lays down the sword and admits the High Priest with
a kiss while spinning him deosil and whispers "Blessed Be". He then admits a
woman the same way. Alternate male/female/male. Then the High Priestess
finishes closing the Circle with the sword. She then names three witches to
help strengthen the Circle. The first witch carries the bowl of consecrated
water from East to East going deosil, sprinkling the perimeter as she/he
goes. They then sprinkle each member in turn. If the witch is male, he
sprinkles the High Priestess last who then sprinkles him. If female she
sprinkles the High Priest last, who then sprinkles her. The bowl is
replaced on the altar. The second witch takes the incense burner around the
perimeter and the third takes one of the altar candles. While going around
the perimeter, each person says:
All the Coven pick up their athames and face the East with the High
Priest and Priestess in front, him on her right. The High Priestess says:
As she speaks she draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air
with her athame. The High Priest and the rest of the Coven copy her
movements with their athames. The High Priestess turns and faces the South
and repeats the summoning:
The Circle is completed and sealed. If anyone needs to leave, a gate
must be made. Using the sword, draw out part of the Circle with a
widdershins or counterclockwise stroke. Immediately reseal it and then
repeat the opening and closing when the person returns.
Before the ritual begins, distribute paper and have an airplane-folding session.
He tries to light the fire with firesticks; She then enters, lights the
charcoal with the sacred Bic, and hands it to He, who lights the quarter
candles with it and hands it back to She, who lights the altar candles.
He & She begin the chant, She drumming. Her shoulder starts acting up; He
gets out the Casio (tempo -2, any 4/4 rhythm). For the chant, mix verses
as is pleasing.
First, He & She 'argue' about who's going to lead it, jokingly asking if
anyone in Circle wants to do background music; then He gets pathworking
with music on audio tape. When pathworking is done, folks should still be
in light trance; the next thing is to concretize the working by
distributing pens so that people can put whatever they symbols they think
are appropriate on their airplanes.
© 1987 Perihelion Press. Reprinted by permission.
Samhain. All Hallows. All Hallow's Eve. Hallow E'en. Halloween.
The most magical night of the year. Exactly opposite Beltane on the wheel
of the year, Halloween is Beltane's dark twin. A night of glowing
jack-o-lanterns, bobbing for apples, tricks or treats, and dressing in costume. A
night of ghost stories and seances, tarot card readings and scrying with
mirrors. A night of power, when the veil that separates our world from the
Otherworld is at its thinnest. A 'spirit night', as they say in Wales.
All Hallow's Eve is the eve of AllHallow's Day (November 1st). And
for once, even popular tradition remembers that the Eve is more important
than the Day itself, the traditional celebration focusing on October 31st,
beginning at sundown. And this seems only fitting for the great Celtic New
Year's festival. Not that the holiday was Celtic only. In fact, it is
startling how many ancient and unconnected cultures (the Egyptians and
pre-Spanish Mexicans, for example) celebrated this as a festival of the
dead. But the majority of our modern traditions can be traced to the
British Isles.
The Celts called it Samhain, which means 'summer's end', according
to their ancient two-fold division of the year, when summer ran from
Beltane to Samhain and winter ran from Samhain to Beltane. (Some modern
Covens echo this structure by letting the High Priest 'rule' the Coven
beginning on Samhain, with rulership returned to the High Priestess at
Beltane.) According to the later four-fold division of the year, Samhain
is seen as 'autumn's end' and the beginning of winter. Samhain is pro-
nounced (depending on where you're from) as 'sow-in' (in Ireland), or
'sow-een' (in Wales), or 'sav-en' (in Scotland), or (inevitably)
'sam-hane' (in the U.S., where we don't speak Gaelic).
Not only is Samhain the end of autumn; it is also, more importantly,
the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. Celtic New Year's
Eve, when the new year begins with the onset of the dark phase of the year,
just as the new day begins at sundown. There are many representations of
Celtic gods with two faces, and it surely must have been one of them who
held sway over Samhain. Like his Greek counterpart Janus, he would
straddle the threshold, one face turned toward the past in commemoration of
those who died during the last year, and one face gazing hopefully toward
the future, mystic eyes attempting to pierce the veil and divine what the
coming year holds. These two themes, celebrating the dead and divining the
future, are inexorably intertwined in Samhain, as they are likely to be in
any New Year's celebration.
As a feast of the dead, it was believed the dead could, if they
wished, return to the land of the living for this one night, to celebrate
with their family, tribe, or clan. And so the great burial mounds of
Ireland (sidhe mounds) were opened up, with lighted torches lining the
walls, so the dead could find their way. Extra places were set at the
table and food set out for any who had died that year. And there are many
stories that tell of Irish heroes making raids on the Underworld while the
gates of faery stood open, though all must return to their appointed places
by cock-crow.
As a feast of divination, this was the night par excellence for
peering into the future. The reason for this has to do with the Celtic
view of time. In a culture that uses a linear concept of time, like our
modern one, New Year's Eve is simply a milestone on a very long road that
stretches in a straight line from birth to death. Thus, the New Year's
festival is a part of time. The ancient Celtic view of time, however, is
cyclical. And in this framework, New Year's Eve represents a point outside
of time, when the natural order of the universe dissolves back into
primordial chaos, preparatory to re-establishing itself in a new order.
Thus, Samhain is a night that exists outside of time and hence it may be
used to view any other point in time. At no other holiday is a tarot card
reading, crystal reading or tea-leaf reading so likely to succeed.
The Christian religion, with its emphasis on the 'historical' Christ
and his act of redemption 2000 years ago, is forced into a linear view of
time, where 'seeing the future' is an illogical proposition. In fact, from
the Christian perspective, any attempt to do so is seen as inherently evil.
This did not keep the medieval Church from co-opting Samhain's other motif,
commemoration of the dead. To the Church, however, it could never be a
feast for all the dead, but only the blessed dead, all those hallowed (made
holy) by obedience to God -- thus, All Hallow's, or Hallowmas, later All
Saints and All Souls.
There are so many types of divination that are traditional to
Hallowstide, it is possible to mention only a few. Girls were told to place
hazel nuts along the front of the firegrate, each one to symbolize one of
her suitors. She could then divine her future husband by chanting, 'If you
love me, pop and fly; if you hate me, burn and die.' Several methods used
the apple, that most popular of Halloween fruits. You should slice an
apple through the equator (to reveal the five-pointed star within) and then
eat it by candlelight before a mirror. Your future spouse will then appear
over your shoulder. Or, peel an apple, making sure the peeling comes off
in one long strand, reciting, 'I pare this apple round and round again; /
My sweetheart's name to flourish on the plain: / I fling the unbroken
paring o'er my head, / My sweetheart's letter on the ground to read.' Or,
you might set a snail to crawl through the ashes of your hearth. The
considerate little creature will then spell out the initial letter as it
moves.
Perhaps the most famous icon of the holiday is the jack-o-lantern.
Various authorities attribute it to either Scottish or Irish origin.
However, it seems clear that it was used as a lantern by people who
traveled the road this night, the scary face to frighten away spirits or
faeries who might otherwise lead one astray. Set on porches and in
windows, they cast the same spell of protection over the household. (The
American pumpkin seems to have forever superseded the European gourd as the
jack-o-lantern of choice.) Bobbing for apples may well represent the
remnants of a Pagan 'baptism' rite called a 'seining', according to some
writers. The water-filled tub is a latter-day Cauldron of Regeneration,
into which the novice's head is immersed. The fact that the participant in
this folk game was usually blindfolded with hands tied behind the back also
puts one in mind of a traditional Craft initiation ceremony.
The custom of dressing in costume and 'trick-or-treating' is of
Celtic origin with survivals particularly strong in Scotland. However,
there are some important differences from the modern version. In the first
place, the custom was not relegated to children, but was actively indulged
in by adults as well. Also, the 'treat' which was required was often one
of spirits (the liquid variety). This has recently been revived by college
students who go 'trick-or-drinking'. And in ancient times, the roving
bands would sing seasonal carols from house to house, making the tradition
very similar to Yuletide wassailing. In fact, the custom known as
'caroling', now connected exclusively with mid-winter, was once practiced
at all the major holidays. Finally, in Scotland at least, the tradition of
dressing in costume consisted almost exclusively of cross-dressing (i.e.,
men dressing as women, and women as men). It seems as though ancient
societies provided an opportunity for people to 'try on' the role of the
opposite gender for one night of the year. (Although in Scotland, this is
admittedly less dramatic -- but more confusing -- since men were in the habit
of wearing skirt-like kilts anyway. Oh well...)
To Witches, Halloween is one of the four High Holidays, or Greater
Sabbats, or cross-quarter days. Because it is the most important holiday
of the year, it is sometimes called 'THE Great Sabbat.' It is an ironic
fact that the newer, self-created Covens tend to use the older name of the
holiday, Samhain, which they have discovered through modern research.
While the older hereditary and traditional Covens often use the newer name,
Halloween, which has been handed down through oral tradition within their
Coven. (This is often holds true for the names of the other holidays, as
well. One may often get an indication of a Coven's antiquity by noting
what names it uses for the holidays.)
With such an important holiday, Witches often hold two distinct
celebrations. First, a large Halloween party for non-Craft friends, often
held on the previous weekend. And second, a Coven ritual held on Halloween
night itself, late enough so as not to be interrupted by trick-or-treaters.
If the rituals are performed properly, there is often the feeling of
invisible friends taking part in the rites. Another date which may be
utilized in planning celebrations is the actual cross-quarter day, or Old
Halloween, or Halloween O.S. (Old Style). This occurs when the sun has
reached 15 degrees Scorpio, an astrological 'power point' symbolized by the
Eagle. This year (1988), the date is November 6th at 10:55 pm CST, with
the celebration beginning at sunset. Interestingly, this date (Old
Halloween) was also appropriated by the Church as the holiday of Martinmas.
Of all the Witchcraft holidays, Halloween is the only one that still
boasts anything near to popular celebration. Even though it is typically
relegated to children (and the young-at-heart) and observed as an evening
affair only, many of its traditions are firmly rooted in Paganism.
Interestingly, some schools have recently attempted to abolish Halloween
parties on the grounds that it violates the separation of state and
religion. Speaking as a Pagan, I would be saddened by the success of this
move, but as a supporter of the concept of religion-free public education,
I fear I must concede the point. Nonetheless, it seems only right that
there SHOULD be one night of the year when our minds are turned toward
thoughts of the supernatural. A night when both Pagans and non-Pagans may
ponder the mysteries of the Otherworld and its inhabitants. And if you are
one of them, may all your jack-o'lanterns burn bright on this All Hallow's
Eve.
Wiccans do not regard physical death as an end but merely one
more event in a continuing progress of the soul's in its path
toward fulfillment of divine destiny. Because of these beliefs,
it is only natural at this time of year to invite our beloved
ancestors to remember and to celebrate with us.
If you do not find these beliefs in conflict with your own
personal beliefs, please join us in the following ritual of
thanksgiving and remembrance.
Blessed Be.
The clergy and members of the United Wiccan Church.
After you have shared the bounty of your harvest with the
children of your neighborhood (candy, etc) and the house has
settled down for the night, disconnect or turn off your telephone
so that this state of serenity will continue uninterrupted.
Prepare a special feast of whatever foods reminds you of a special
departed friend or family member, or of past family gatherings.
While you are preparing this feast think of all of the good
times you had with them.
When the feast is prepared, set your holiday table with a special
place of honor for the departed friend or family member.
Decorate the table and room as you would for a holiday dinner
with the family, add those special things that are important to
you and your family (flowers, candles,etc.) If you have a
picture of the loved one, it is nice to place it at their place
at the table.
Speak to that special person and invite them to join you in this
celebration and time of remembrance. It is completely
appropriate to say grace or offer any prayer that you feel is
fitting.
Serve the meal remembering to serve your honored guest (or
guests) first. If wine or other alcoholic beverages are served,
it is recommended that they be kept in moderation as you and your
guests need to have a clear head.
Now sit down to the table with your loved ones and enjoy your
feast. When you address them in your mind, always see them as
well. (Try not to say in your mind, "if you can hear me...", etc.).
After the meal, the time of silence is over. Do whatever you
normally do at a family holiday gathering (clear the table, play
games, sing songs, etc.). Enjoy the companionship.
When the evening is over, or in the morning if you wish to make
it an all night party, thank your invited guests for being with
you and for making your celebration a special one.
There are a few words of caution that we will offer.
If this ritual does not feel right for you, do not do it.
Follow your instincts.
Remember that crossing over does not necessarily change a
person, so if you could not get through a meal in peace with them
while they were alive, you will probably have the same problem with
their spirit.
Do not ask your guest to grant you wishes or do you favors.
It is rude to invite a guest and then make it obvious that a
favor is the reason they were asked, not because of love and
respect. Spirits do not like rudeness! Besides, spirits often
forget that you are limited in ways that they are not. If you
ask them for $1,000, it may come as an insurance settlement after
a painful break in your water pipe with all the delight in
cleaning up the mess from ensuing water damage.
{file "Samhain Notes (Farrar)" "bos038.htm"}
Samhain Notes
The High Priestess wears her white tabard if she has one for the
opening ritual, with the veil thrown back.
After the Witches' Rune, the High Priest and High Priestess take up
their athames. He stands with his back to the altar, she faces him across
the cauldron, They then simultaneously draw the Invoking Pentagram of
Earth in the air with their athames towards each other, after which they
lay down their athames; he on the altar, she by the cauldron.
The High Priestess scatters incense on the charcoal in the cauldron.
When she is satisfied that it is burning, she stands still facing the High
Priest across the cauldron. She then declaims (if needed, ask a man to
bring one of the altar candles and hold it for her):
"Dread Lord of Shadows, God of Life, and the Giver of Life
Yet is the knowledge of thee, the knowledge of Death.
Open wide, I pray thee, the Gates through which all must pass.
Let our dear ones who have gone before
Return this night to make merry with us.
And when our time comes, as it must,
O thou the Comforter, the Consoler, the Giver of Peace and Rest,
We will enter thy realms gladly and unafraid;
For we know that when rested and refreshed among our dear ones
We will be reborn again by thy grace and the grace of the Great Mother.
Let it be in the same place and the same time as our beloved ones,
And may we meet, and know, and remember,
And love them again.
Descend, we pray thee, in thy servant and priest."
The High Priestess then walks around the cauldron and gives the High
Priest the Five-fold Kiss.
She returns to her place and pulls the veil of her tabard over her
face. She then calls on each woman, by name to come forward and give the
High Priest the Five Fold Kiss.
When they have all done so, the coven forms up around the circle,
alternating male and female with the Maiden next to the West candle. As
soon as they are in place, the High Priestess says:
"Behold, the West is Amenti, the Land of the Dead, to which many
of our loved ones have gone for rest and renewal. On this night, we hold
communion with them; and as our Maiden stands in welcome by the Western
gate, I call upon all of you, my brothers and sisters of the Craft, to
hold the image of these loved ones in your hearts and minds, that our
welcome may reach out to them. There is mystery within mystery; for the
resting place between life and life is Caer Arianrhod, the Castle of the
Silver Wheel, at the hub of the turning stars beyond the North Wind. Here
reigns Arianrhod, the White Lady, whose name means Silver Wheel. To this,
in spirit, we call our loved ones. And let the Maiden lead them, moving
widdershins to the center. For the spiral path inward to Caer Arianhod
leads to night, and rest, and is against the way of the Sun."
The Maiden should spiral into the center, taking three or four
circuits to do so. During this time, the coven should maintain absolute
silence and concentrate on welcoming their dead friends.
When she reaches the center, she faces the High Priestess across the
cauldron. They touch palms and the High Priestess says:
"Those who you bring with you are truly welcome to our Festival. May
they remain with us in peace. And you Maiden, return by the spiral path
to stand with our brothers and sisters; but deosil for the way of
rebirth, outwards from Caer Arianrhod, is the way of the Sun."
The women break contact and the Maiden returns to the West candle.
When she is there, the High Priestess says:
Everyone moves in and sits in a close ring around the cauldron. The
High Priestess renews the incense. Now is the time for communion with the
dead. When finished scrying, the cauldron is placed next to the East
candle.
The spirits of the dead must be thanked and released. The High
Priestess leads the rest of the Coven in saying:
"We thank you our friends for visiting here this night. We bid you a
pleasant repose in Caer Arianrhod. We also thank you, the Dread Lord of
Shadows for taking care of them and giving them comfort."
The next thing to do is the Great Rite in some form.
Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert Hale 1983
Transcribed to computer file by Seastrider
{file "O.T.O. Samhain Ritual" "bos039.htm"}
O.T.O. Samhain Ritual
Open the Temple in fire.
Banishing ritual.
Hierophant: Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Hierophant: Ve Gabolah.
Ring bell 5-5-5-5-5
Priest strikes staff upon ground 3-3-3, 5-5-5-5-5, 3-3-3
Return bell and staff to altar.
Hierophant: Let all adore the King of Fire.
All do the god form of
PUER, the fire of
NOX, facing Altar.
AUM
Hierophant picks up dagger and points toward the East, standing in the West.
(Fire with)
TETRAGRAMMATON TZABOATH (all repeat)
ALGA (all repeat)
BITOM (all repeat)
Hierophant: In the sacred names and letters:
OIP * TEAA * PDOCEE *
In thy name: IHVH TZABAVTH
Hierophant: I declare the sacred fire one and eternal in all worlds seen and unseen.
(priest lights censer)
Hierophant: Glory be the light, eternal fortress on the frontiers of darkness.
Blessed Be. (all repeat)
Priest drops more incense in censer.
Hierophant: Hail those from the caverns of the dark. (sign of enterer)
Bell: 3-3-3 5-5-5-5-5 3-3-3
(sign of silence)
- Hierophant: O great and dreaded Lord of Shadows
- He who is God of all Life & the giver of life,
It is Thee we invoke. (all repeat last line)
Hierophant: Behold, the West is Ameti, Land of the Dead
to which many have gone for rest and renewal.
OPEN WIDE THE GATES THROUGH WHICH ALL MUST PASS
LET THE SHELLS OF KINDERED SOULS RETURN THIS NIGHT
GUIDED BY THE SACRED FIRE SEEN IN ALL WORLDS
DESCEND UPON US, ALL ARE TRULY WELCOME TO OUR FESTIVAL.
MAY YOU REMAIN AMONG US TILL THE FIRST LIGHT OF DAWN...
IN PEACE AND HARMONY
APPROACH THE WALLS OF OUR CASTLE (all repeat)
3-3-3, 5-5-5-5-5, 3-3-3
(put more incense in censer)
Hierophant: Hail those from the caverns of the dark. (all repeat)
pick up contract at sacrifice;
KINDRED SOULS HERE THIS NIGHT, TO THEE WE GIVE OUR SACRIFICE
UPON THIS PAPER WE EACH HAVE WRITTEN A CONTRACT BINDING OF SOULS TO SOULS
SO INTO THE FLAMES & LET IT BE CONSUMED
IT IS BETWEEN YOU AND I, NO ONE ELSE.
as written, to bind the contract, drink of the blood.
So mote it be (all repeat).
Others who desire a sacrifice may now do such; come forward one after another.
all participating in the sacrifice
drop in 'contract' repeating as before
with wine then saying 'so mote it be'...
all should repeat after each sacrifice 'so mote it be'.
After last sacrifice; all raise hands upward, vibrating
AUM
Hierophant: Our sacrificing done, I proclaim this evening rite over.
LOVE IS THE LAW, LOVE UNDER WILL. (all repeat)
{file "Two Witches A Modern Craft Fairy-Tale (Mike Nichols)" "bos040.htm"}
Two Witches
A Modern Craft Fairy-Tale
by Mike Nichols
Once upon a time, there were two Witches. One was a Feminist Witch
and the other was a Traditionalist Witch. And, although both of them were
deeply religious, they had rather different ideas about what their religion
meant. The Feminist Witch tended to believe that Witchcraft was a religion
especially suited to women because the image of the Goddess was empowering
and a strong weapon against patriarchal tyranny. And there was distrust in
the heart of the Feminist Witch for the Traditionalist Witch because, from
the Feminist perspective, the Traditionalist Witch seemed subversive and a
threat to "the Cause".
The Traditionalist Witch tended to believe that Witchcraft was a
religion for both men and women because anything less would be divisive.
And although the Goddess was worshipped, care was taken to give equal
stress to the God-force in nature, the Horned One. And there was distrust
in the heart of the Traditionalist Witch for the Feminist Witch because,
from the Traditionalist viewpoint, the Feminist Witch seemed like a
late-comer and a threat to "Tradition". These two Witches lived in the
same community but each belonged to a different Coven, so they did not
often run into one another. Strange to say, the few times they did meet,
they felt an odd sort of mutual attraction, at least on the physical level.
But both recognized the folly of this attraction, for their ideologies were
worlds apart, and nothing, it seemed, could ever bridge them.
Then one year the community decided to hold a Grand Coven, and all the
Covens in the area were invited to attend. After the rituals, the singing,
the magicks, the feasting, the poetry, and dancing were concluded, all
retired to their tents and sleeping bags. All but these two. For they
were troubled by their differences and couldn't sleep. They alone remained
sitting by the campfire while all others around them dreamed. And before
long, they began to talk about their differing views of the Goddess. And,
since they were both relatively inexperienced Witches, they soon began to
argue about what was the "true" image of the Goddess.
"Describe your image of the Goddess to me," challenged the
Feminist Witch. The Traditionalist Witch smiled, sighed, and said in a rapt
voice, "She is the embodiment of all loveliness. The quintessence of
feminine beauty. I picture her with silver-blond hair like moonlight, rich
and thick, falling down around her soft shoulders. She has the voluptuous
young body of a maiden in her prime, and her clothes are the most
seductive, gossamer thin and clinging to her willowy frame. I see her
dancing like a young elfin nymph in a moonlit glade, the dance of a temple
priestess. And she calls to her lover, the Horned One, in a voice that is
gentle and soft and sweet, and as musical as a silver bell frosted with
ice. She is Aphrodite, goddess of sensual love. And her lover comes in
answer to her call, for she is destined to become the Great Mother. That
is how I see the Goddess."
The Feminist Witch hooted with laughter and said, "Your Goddess is a
Cosmic Barbie Doll! The Jungian archetype of a cheer-leader! She is all
glitter and no substance. Where is her strength? Her power? I see the
Goddess very differently. To me, she is the embodiment of strength and
courage and wisdom. A living symbol of the collective power of women
everywhere. I picture her with hair as black as a moonless night, cropped
short for ease of care on the field of battle. She has the muscular body
of a woman at the peak of health and fitness. And her clothes are the most
practical and sensible, not slinky cocktail dresses. She does not paint
her face or perfume her hair or shave her legs to please men's vanities.
Nor does she do pornographic dances to attract a man to her. For when she
calls to a male, in a voice that is strong and defiant, it will be to do
battle with the repressive masculine ego. She is Artemis the huntress, and
it is fatal for any man to cast a leering glance in her direction. For,
although she may be the many-breasted Mother, she is also the dark Crone of
wisdom, who destroys the old order. That is how I see the Goddess."
Now the Traditionalist Witch hooted with laughter and said, "Your
Goddess is the antithesis of all that is feminine! She is Yahweh hiding
behind a feminine mask! Don't forget that it was his followers who burned
Witches at the stake for the "sin" of having "painted faces". After all,
Witches with their knowledge of herbs were the ones who developed the art
of cosmetics. So what of beauty? What of love and desire?"
And so the argument raged, until the sound of their voices awakened a
Coven Elder who was sleeping nearby. The Elder looked from the Feminist
Witch to the Traditionalist Witch and back again, saying nothing for a long
moment. Then the Elder suggested that both Witches go into the woods apart
from one another and there, by magick and meditation, that each seek a
"true" vision of the Goddess. This they both agreed to do.
After a time of invocations, there was a moment of perfect stillness.
Then a glimmer of light could be seen in the forest, a light shaded deepest
green by the dense foliage. Both Witches ran toward the source of the
radiance. To their wonder and amazement, they discovered the Goddess had
appeared in a clearing directly between them, so that neither Witch could
see the other. And the Traditionalist Witch yelled "What did I tell you!"
at the same instant the Feminist Witch yelled "You see, I was right!" and
so neither Witch heard the other.
To the Feminist Witch, the Goddess seemed to be a shining matrix of
power and strength, with courage and energy flowing outward. The Goddess
seemed to be holding out her arms to embrace the Feminist Witch, as a
comrade in arms. To the Traditionalist Witch, the Goddess seemed to be the
zenith of feminine beauty, lightly playing a harp and singing a siren song
of seduction. Energy seemed to flow towards her. And she seemed to hold
out her arms to the Traditionalist Witch, invitingly.
From opposite sides of the clearing, the Witches ran toward the figure
of the Goddess they both loved so well, desiring to be held in the ecstasy
of that divine embrace. But just before they reached her, the apparition
vanished. And the two Witches were startled to find themselves
embracing each other.
And then they both heard the voice of the Goddess. And, oddly enough,
it sounded exactly the same to both of them. It sounded like laughter.
{file "Wicca from My Point of View (Lady Phoenix)" "bos041.htm"}
Wicca From My Point of View
by Lady Phoenix
I can give you a brief overview of Wicca. (I don't speak for all
Wiccans, only myself. There are some differences in the different
Traditions.)
We believe that the ultimate godhead is unknowable. This doesn't
make for a good working relationship with the deity, however. So, we break
it down into a Goddess and a God. Different Wiccans worship different
Gods/Goddesses. We can utilize *any* pantheon. Some worship Pan/Diana,
some Cernnunos/Aradia, Isis/Osiris, and many others.
We see our Goddess as being Triple Aspected -- Maiden, Mother and
Crone, and she is reflected in the phases of the Moon -- Waxing, Full and
Waning. We see the God as the Lord of Nature, and he is reflected in the
seasonal changes. Like Jesus Christ, he dies for the land and the people,
and is reborn.
In general, we believe in reincarnation and karma. What you call
Heaven, we call the Summerlands. We don't believe that Hell exists (or
Satan either.) We believe that there should be balance in all things --
when the balance is disturbed, that's when 'evil' occurs. Fire, for
example is not 'evil'. It could be considered such when it becomes out of
balance, as in a forest fire, or house fire. Controlled fire is a useful
tool. Anger is not 'evil', but when unbridled can't help but lead to
negative things. When properly expressed and balanced with constructive
working to correct that which invoked the anger -- it, too, can be a useful
tool.
We regard the Earth as our Mother and try to have respect for Her
by not polluting her and try to live in harmony with Her and Her ways.
Women reflect the Goddess, Men reflect the God, so the Wicca have
a Priestess and Priest to 'run' the religious services. We call our
services circles.
This was sort of a "Reader's Digest Condensed Version" of Wicca.
If you have any questions or want more detail on any of this, please let me
know. Thank you for asking.
Blessed be >>Phoenix<<
* Origin: InterVisioN "The ParaNormal Connection" 603-547-6485 HST (1:132/123)
{file "Witchcraft: The Old Religion Q&A (Dr. Leo Martello)" "bos042.htm"}
The following is an excerpt from "Witchcraft: The Old Religion"
by Dr. L. L. Martello.
Questions and Answers.
Q. What is the best way for one who is interested in the Old Religion to
make contact with a genuine coven?
A. Subscribe to all of the Pagan and
Witchcraft publications. It's easier to get into a Pagan grove which often
acts as a backdoor to the Craft, since many are Wicca-oriented in their
worship and rituals. Fill out a Coven-Craft application form issued by
WICA. To obtain yours, enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope.
WICA's address is Suite 1B, 153 West 80 Street; New York 10024.
Q. What are the major feast-days of Witches? Could you tell me more about
the origins of Halloween?
A. Most Anglo-American covens celebrate the following
holy days. The four major ones are Oimelc or Candlemas on February 2; May
Eve, Beltane, or Walpurgisnacht on April 30; Lammas on July 31 or August 1;
and of course Halloween or Samhain on October 31. The four minor Holy Days
are the two solstices: Yule, around December 22; and Midsummer, around June
21 or 22. The other two are the equinoxes: March 20-21 for spring and the
fall equinox on September 22 or 23. The following will help to give you
some idea of the origins of Halloween:
November Eve, All Hallows' Eve, the Gaelic fire festival of Samhain,
now generally called Halloween, represents the summer's end, when the Earth
Goddess turns over her reign to the Horned God of the Hunt, the transition
from life to death, from an agrarian time to one of hunting, from summer to
winter, from warmth to coldness, from light to darkness. It has been
Christianized into All Saints' Day, a time when the souls of the departed
wander the land and in some cases where the souls of the living temporarily
join their spirit brethren, a time for mediumship, remembrance of departed
loved ones, and celebration (as opposed to mourning) of the dead. The
Roman Goddess of fruits and seeds, Pomona, was worshipped on this day. The
stored fruits and seeds of the summer were then opened for the celebrants.
Apples and nuts were the main fruits. This was also the autumn harvest
festival of the Druids.
They believed in the transmigration of souls
and taught that Saman, the Lord of Death, summoned those wicked souls who
were condemned to occupy the bodies of animals in the preceding twelve
months. The accused believed that they could propitiate Saman by gifts and
incantations, thus lessening if not eliminating their sentences. This was
also the time when the Druids lit huge bonfires in honor of Baal, a custom
continued in Britain and Wales until recent times. In Ireland October 31
was called Oidhche Shamhna, or Vigil of Saman. In his Collectanea de Rebus
Hibernicis, Villancey says that in Ireland the peasants assembled with
clubs and sticks, "going from house to house, collecting money, breadcake,
butter, cheese, eggs, etc., for the feast, repeating verses in honor of the
solemnity, demanding preparations for the festival in the name of St.
Columb Kill, desiring them to lay aside the fatted calf and to bring forth
the black sheep. The good women are employed in making the griddlecake and
candles; these last are sent from house to house in the vicinity, and are
lighted up on the (Saman) next day, before which they pray, or are supposed
to pray, for the departed soul of the donor. Every house abounds in the
best viands they can afford: apples and nuts are devoured in abundance; the
nutshells are burnt, and from the ashes many strange things are foretold;
cabbages are torn up by the root; hemp-seed is sown by the maidens, and
they believe that if they look back they will see the apparition of the man
intended for their future spouse; they hang a smock before the fire, on the
close of the feast, and sit up all night, concealed in the corner of the
room, convinced that his apparition will come down the chimney and turn
the smock; they throw a ball of yarn out of the window, and wind it on the
reel within, convinced that if they repeat the Pater Noster backwards, and
look at the ball of yarn without, they will then also see his sith or
apparition; they dip for apples in a tub of water, and endeavor to bring
one up in the mouth; they suspend a cord with a cross-stick, with apples
at one point, and candles lighted at the other, and endeavor to catch the
apple, while it is in a circular motion, in the mouth."
Vallancey concludes that these practices are the remnants of Druidism and will never
be eradicated while the name of Saman remains. In this brief passage we
will see the origins of many modern Halloween practices, such a trick or
treat, the Jack-o-Lantern, and apple bobbing.
In the island of Lewis the
name Shamhna, or Saman, was called Shony. One writer in disgust described
"an ancient custom here to sacrifice to a sea-god, called Shony, at
Hallowtide." The supposed Christian inhabitants would gather at the Church
of St. Mulvay, each family bringing provisions and malt which was brewed
into ale. They chose one of themselves to wander into the sea at night up
to his waist. He then poured out a cup of ale calling upon Shony to bless
his people for the coming year. "At his return," this writer says, "they
all went to church, where there was a candle burning upon the altar; and
then standing silent for a little time, one of them gave a signal, at
which the candle was put out, and immediately all of them went to the
fields, where they fell a-drinking ale, and spent the rest of the night in
dancing and singing. The ministers in Lewis told me they spent several
years before they could persuade the vulgar natives to abandon this
ridiculous piece of superstition."
The name Saman shows evidence of
Druidism in the Irish. Another word, the name of a drink, is "lambswool."
It is made from bruising roasted apples and mixing it with ale or milk.
The Gentlemen's Magazine for May, 1784, says, "this is a constant
ingredient at a merrymaking on Holy Eve." Vallancey shrewdly traced its
etymological origin when he said, "The first day of November was dedicated
to the angel presiding over fruits, seeds, etc., and was therefore named La
Mas Ubhal, that is, the day of the apple fruit, and being pronounced
Lamasool, the English have corrupted the name to Lambs-wool." The angel
referred to of course is the Roman Goddess Pomona.
Q. Are these Holy Days the same throughout the world?
A. No. However, there are many universal similarities between all the pagan
religions. Names, dates and days vary according to national origin.
For instance, one of the Holy Days still celebrated by many Italian and
some Sicilian traditions is the Lupercalia, on February 15. It has since
been Christianized into St. Valentine's Day on Feb. 14. Let me quote from
the WICA Newsletter: Ancient Roman festival honoring Lupercus, God of
Fertility. It was called dies februatus meaning 'day of expiation.' The
Lupercal--'wolf's grotto'--a cave on the western slope of Palatine Hill.
Near it was the ficus ruminalis, the fig tree under which Romulus and Remus
were found and nursed by a she-wolf. The Lupercai who celebrated this
yearly festival were made up of the Fabian who belonged to the Sabines and
the Quintilian Lupercai, the Latins. Later in honor to Julius Caesar, there
was added the Julian Brotherhood. They sacrificed a goat. Young neophytes
were brought in. The High Priest touched their foreheads with the bloody
knife. Then another priest wiped away the blood with wool dipped into milk.
The feast began with the celebrants clothed only in goat skins and carrying
(really hiding) thongs made from the same goat hides. They ran up and down
the streets of the city striking anyone who passed them. Women came
forward to be hit by the goat-thongs, believing it enhanced their own
fertility. This was also a symbolic purification of the land and of the
persons touched. This was on of the last Pagan rites to be given up
before Christianity completely dominated the country. It is still
celebrated today but in modern form, without the goat or any other kind of
sacrifice, but all wearing skins and goat horns in a special streghe
ritual."
Q. What are some of the Christian holy days that are based upon or borrowed
from ancient Pagan Religions?
A. You'll find many of them discussed in this book. However, briefly, here
are some of them. December 25 in ancient times was the day celebrated in
honor of the sun, deified in such figures as Mithra, Osiris, Horus, and
Adonis. It was also the feast day of Bacchus, Krishna, Sakia, and others.
The legends of these Gods were the same as those attributed to Jesus Christ
by the early Church. Pope Julius I in A.D. 337 made December 25 the
official day to celebrate Jesus's birth, following older traditions who
honored their founders on that date. It was also the ancient celebration of
the winter solstice. There is absolutely no record in the Bible or
elsewhere of when Jesus Christ was born. All of us are still paying
tribute to the ancient Gods and Goddesses by the names of our days of the
week.
| English | French | Italian | Spanish | Planet | Deity |
| Sunday | Dimanche | Domani | Domingo | Sun | Mithra |
| Monday | Lundi | Lunedi | Lunes | Moon | Diana |
| Tuesday | Mardi | Martedi | Martes | Mars | Tiw |
| Wednesday | Mercredi | Mercoledi | Miercoles | Mercury | Mercury |
| Thursday | Jeudi | Giovedi | Jueves | Jupiter | Jove-Thor |
| Friday | Vendredi | Venerdi | Viernes | Venus | Venus-Freya |
| Saturday | Samedi | Sabato | Sabado | Saturn | Saturn |
Two of the English names come from Old Saxon rather than Latin. Tiw's Day
became Tuesday in honor of the old Teutonic deity, Tiw or Tives. Wednesday
is named after the old Teutonic Norse God Wodan or Wotan. The Saxon word
for day is doeg. In olden times the days were called Jove's Doeg
(Thursday), Mercury's Doeg (Wednesday), Mar's <sic> Doef <sic> (Tuesday),
etc. Friday was the day when the ancients paid tribute to Venus--the love
day. When Christianity became dominant, Friday was no longer considered
lucky--Jesus was crucified on that day; also, the uninhibited sexual rites
dedicated to the love Goddess Venus was considered a great "sin." Besides
the days of our week our months are also named after the ancient deities:
January: From Latin Januarius, honoring Janus, a Roman God. He presided
over the Gates of Heaven, which the Christians later assigned to St. Peter.
The Anglo-Saxons called it Aefter-Yule, and prior to that Wolf-monat.
February: From Februus, another name for the God of purification Faunus,
thus fertility. The feast was held on February 15 (see Lupercalia) and was
called Februa.
March: After Mars, God of War. Anglo-Saxons called it
Hraed-monat, rugged month, or Hlyd-monat, stormy month. A stormy March was
an omen of poor crops. A dry March indicated a rich harvest.
April: From Latin aperio "to open," like buds. Anglo-Saxons called it Easter-monat,
in honor of the Teutonic Goddess of the same name. She ruled spring and light. The Romans
dedicated this month to Venus, often referring to it as Mensis Veneris instead of Aprilis.
May: Named after Maia Majesta, ancient Roman Goddess of Spring. Considered Vulcan's wife.
Look up the folklore regarding the May Day celebrations, bonfires, and other rites
celebrated throughout Europe.
June: Named after the Roman Goddess Juno.
Called Sear-monat by Anglo-Saxons. Juno was Queen of Heaven and Guardian of
Marriage and ruled childbirth. June is still the most favored month for
marriage today.
July: Originally called Quintilus, the fifth month. Old
Saxons called it Maed-monat, "mead month" the time to gather honey for
the drink called mead.
August: Named after the Roman Emperor Augustus. Was once called Sixtilis, the sixth month.
September: Named after the
Latin number for seven, that being the month in the old calender <sic>.
Saxons called it Gerst-monat, barley month, as this crop was usually
gathered then.
October: From octo, the eighth month in the old calendar.
Saxons named it Wyn-monat, "wine month." This was harvest time, and
Bacchus and Dionysius and all the other ancient deities were honored. See
Halloween above.
November: From the ninth month in old Roman calendar.
Saxons called it Blot-monat, "blood month." This was when the cattle and
sheep were slaughtered for food and sacrifices.
December: Named after
the tenth month in the old calendar. It was consecrated to Saturn, and on
December 17 the great feast of Saturnalia began, lasting several days. It
coincided with the winter solstice and the Yule season. The Anglo-Saxons
called it Yule-monat, "midwinter month." It coincided with the winter
solstice and the Yule season.
{file "Wicca, Wicca, Who's Got the Wicca? (Hurn, RMPJ)" "bos043.htm"}
Wicca, Wicca, Who's Got the Wicca?
or
My Tradition, or Yours?
[An article which attempts to make sense of all the various Traditions,
Brands, Denominations, ect., which may confuse the unwary new-comer to Neo-
Paganism (Wicca in particular).]
By: Hurn
Greetings, and Bright Blessings... Welcome to this, the next in a
series of introductory pieces on Alternate Religions. Today, we shall
take a look at the many varied Traditions in the Wicca Family of Faiths.
Whilst there is, indeed, a large number of groups who profess one set of
tenants, or ideas; one soon begins to see why they may all be lumped
together as one Religion.
Obviously, to start, one must define Religion as it applies to these
groups of people. Next, a listing of some of the more Popular Traditions,
giving a basic description of each. Lastly, some comments on the "cords
which bind these groups together", ie. a discussion on the Underlying
Philosophies of the New Age Movement, Neo-Paganisms in particular.
I. What is a Religion?
A dictionary definition of religion looks something like:
Religion, n.; An organized system of Beliefs and/or Rituals,
centering on a Supernatural Being or Beings.
Everyone with me so far? Good. I think we can all agree on definitions
for "Beliefs" and "Supernatural", so the only sub-definition will be
"Ritual": any ordered sequence of events or actions, including
directed thoughts, especially one that is repeated in the 'same'
manner each time, and that is designed to produce a predictable
altered state of consciousness, within which certain magical or
religious results may be obtained.
Now, by using these definitions, the astute reader may realize that one
need not "believe" in anything in order to belong to a Religion, although
most 'established' churches Do require that one has conforming beliefs in
order to become 'accepted into' that Religion. One of the beauties of
the Pagan/NeoPagan/Wiccan Religion is that the majority of the sects do not
require one to have 'conforming' beliefs. One need not Believe in the
God/dess in order to worship them, and this is the key to being a New Age
type Religion.
New Age Religions acknowledge that there are many paths to Godhood,
and that each person should find his/her own way. Thus, while there is
communication and discussion between the diverse ways of Wicca, there is
generally no cause for religious persecution or Holy Wars. Also, there
are very little 'missionary' type efforts, since there is no Prime
Directive stating that everyone who does not believe a certain piece of
Dogma is Wrong, and will burn in Hell forever, unless saved, or made to
see the light.
Contrary to most religions, it is Not the shared set of Beliefs, or
similar Dogma which holds the Wiccan Religions together. Rather, it is the
Attitudes of the people involved, and their common Heritage which provide
the bonds of cooperation among the Pagan Peoples. These points of agreement
shall be further addressed following a brief list of some of the more
popular Traditions, with a description of each.
II. Traditions/Branches/Gatherings/Sub-Groups/Interpretations/ect.
[nb. This is not, by any means, an all inclusive list]
Gardnerian:
Started by G. Gardner, in England, in the mid 1950's, this Tradition
claims to have existed, in secret, since the Witch-Burnings began during
the Middle Ages. While there is some doubt as to whether or not it is as
old as it claims, there is no denying that the Gardnerian Sect has been one
of the most Influential of the Traditions. In fact, many of the groups
which follow were started by people who had been introduced to Paganism
and the Worship of the Lord and Lady as members of a Gardnerian group.
Characteristics:
A structured religion with definite hierarchy within each group (known,
as a Coven), but little to no Authority of one coven over another. Within
the coven, a Matriarchy exists, with the High Priestess generally being
considered the leader (there are, of course, exceptions to this, but these
descriptions are, for the most part, only generalizations based upon
information gathered from many sources).
The typical Gardnerian view of the God/dess is that of a Dominant Three-Faced
Goddess (Maid, Mother, and Crone) with a Male Consort (Who has 2
sides.. the Young Summer King, and the Old Winter King).
Ceremonies include a series of initiations into higher levels of the
Craft, various Holiday Celebrations (based, of course, upon the "Wheel of
the Year" calendar of Feast days.
Alexandrian:
Started about the same time as Gardner's, this tradition is fairly
similar, with a little more emphasis upon Ceremonial Magick. There are
numerous Covens in both US and Europe.
Dianic:
This is more of a Sub-class, rather than a particular Tradition. There
are several Feminist Traditions which are considered Dianic. This
sub-class tends to emphasize the Female aspect of the Goddess, sometimes to
the exclusion of the Male God. Some feel that these groups are rather
reactionary and self limiting. Be that as it may, the Dianic Covens tend
to be more politically active.
School of Wicca:
Headed by Gavin and Yvonne Frost, this School is the largest
correspondence school of Witchcraft in the US. Numerous Covens have
resulted from this School, although it is somewhat unconventional (if, that
is, anything dealing with Wicca could be called conventional). The Frosts'
views on Wicca as a religion do differ with the majority.. in that they do
not consider Wicca as "Pagan", but rather as Monotheistic.
Seax (or Saxon) Wicca:
Started by Raymond Buckland, who was originally a leader in promoting the
Gardnerian Tradition, as an alternative to the existing Covens. Unlike
most traditions, which consider the Coven group to be the normal unit of
division (ie. all ceremonies/Rituals = Group Rites), the Seax version has
provision for lone witches (often referred to as Solitaires). Another thing
which sets this particular brand apart is its non-reliance upon being
properly initiated into the Wiccan community. Many of the other groups
require that new members be brought to existing covens to be ceremonially
initiated into that Tradition, and that only after years of study within
the group is one ready to start a new coven. The Seax tradition,
recognizing that there may not be a friendly, neighborhood Coven, allows
for self-initiation, and Auto setup of a Coven.
- Traditionalist (Welsh, Scots, Greek, Irish, etc...)
Like Dianic, this is a sub-class. Each Traditionalist group is based
upon the traditions, literature, myth, and folktales of that particular
geographic/demographic area. This is evident in the Names of the God/dess
used by individual groups.
III. Common ties/beliefs/Ideals/ect...
As stated earlier, it's not doctrine/dogma similarities which tend to hold
these diverse groups together, rather, it is the common Ideals and feelings
expressed by the Pagan Peoples themselves. Here are some examples:
The Wiccan Rede: "An it harms none, do what thou will." is almost
universally accepted amongst the groups. Most groups tend to be
polytheistic, animists, pantheists, ect. One is not "converted" to Wicca,
rather, the new comer feels a sense of "Coming Home", or, more poetically,
"The Goddess calls to Her own". Nature plays a big part in most
Traditions, either as direct personification of the God/dess, or as
aspects of them. There is no counterpart to the Devil, as such, in the
Pagan religions... no personification of All Evil, rather, the choice is
there for all to make. However, there is the Law of Three Fold Return,
which states "That which thou dost send out shall return three fold", so
good begets good, and evil befalls those who are evil (a horrendous
understatement / simplification, but true).
Author's note:
Whew! That was a long haul of writing in one sitting... if there are any
big errors noticeable, mail me, and I'll make a second draft of this.. or
perhaps even expand it some.. (my time is limited in as far as when I have
opportunities to just sit down and write something like this, but I can
usually squeeze in some time, here or there.)
I hope that this is somewhat enlightening... there are some other files,
here, which give more basic explanations of the terms used.. (Witch, Coven,
Magick, ect..) ... I did assume a small amount of familiarity present
within the reader... if anyone wishes, I can append a Preface covering that
which was presupposed knowledge.
{file "Binding A Spell (Farrar & Farrar)" "bos044.htm"}
Binding a Spell (Classic version)
Come ye as the charm is made!
Queen of heaven, Queen of hell,
Horned Hunter of the night
Lend your power unto the spell,
And work our will by magic rite!
By all the power of land and sea,
By all the might of moon and sun
I call the Earth to bind my spell.
Air to speed it well.
Bright as Fire shall it glow.
Deep as tide of Water flow.
Count the elements fourfold,
In the fifth the spell shall hold.
- Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert Hale 1983
- Valiente, Doreen; "Witchcraft for Tomorrow"; Phoenix Publishing 1985
{file "Saxon Wicca Rites (Raymond Buckland)" "bos045.htm"}
Saxon Wicca Rites
From "The Tree: The Complete Book of Saxon Witchcraft" by Raymond Buckland
copyright 1974 -- Samuel Weiser Publishers (NOW OUT OF PRINT)
posted for PAN, the ORIGINAL Psychic Awareness Network at 1-703-362-1139
by MATRIKA, co-sysop
Legend of Woden/Odin retrieving the Runes
The Snake came crawling and struck at none
But Woden took nine glory-twigs (pieces of wood on which were carved runic
inscriptions) and struck the adder so that it flew into nine parts.
This quote shows how Woden/Odin was a master magician and drew his power
from the runes. To this day many Saxon Pagans work much of their Magic
with runes, inscribing them on candles in candle magick, incorporating them
into talismans or symbols of protection that they wear, carry or keep in
their homes (can also be for other purposes, etc. They can even be put
somewhere invisibly by tracing them with a scented oil. For example, a
rune or runic monogram (several runic letters overlaying one another) can
be inscribed on your place of business in Money in Abundance oil or some
other money -- oriented oils of your own preference. For healing a rune or
runic monogram of healing can be written on the body of the patient with an
oil of Healing, after the regular transfer of Pranic energy or "laying -- on
-- of -- the -- hands" healing has occurred. (including use of crystals, if
that is so desired) Etc. etc. etc. Why are runes so important? For the
same reason that they were in Cabalistic Magick among the Jews and in
Sidha Yoga. In India among the Sidhis the Shakti or Feminine aspect of
Deity (as Shiva is the male) has many aspects through which the world was
emanated -- one of the more important aspects is matrika shakti or the power
of sound to create via the letters of the alphabet forming themselves into
Words. In both systems -- Kabbalah and Sidha Yoga -- it is believed that the
universe was created by words. This is reflected in modern New-Age work
with Affirmations used by such diverse sources as Marion Weinstein, Diannic
Witch, as described in her book "Positive Magic" (Phoenix Publishing) and the
Unity School of Christianity as well as the Religious Science and Christian
Science and Divine Science and all the other "science" churches. Shakti
Gawain, author of "Creative Visualization" teaches it from the New Age
perspective as well. It is through words we create out own reality and
right use of them for good and in loving ways is one of the most powerful
of Magicks. (Note by Matrika)
From the old Norse Verse, Lay of the High one, stanzas 138, 139, and 141
Woden/Odin is speaking
" I know that I hung there
on the windy tree
swung there nights, all of nine
gashed with a blade
bloodied by Odin
myself an offering to myself
knotted to that tree
no man knows whither the root of it runs
None gave me bread
None gave me drink
down to the depths I peered
to snatch up runes
with a roaring screech
and fall in a dizzying faint
Wellspring I won
and wisdom too
and grew and joyed in my growth
from a word to a word
I was led to a word
from a deed to another deed"
As you can see this legend, which in the original sources pre-dates
Christianity, has much in common with the legend of Jesus's
Crucifixion/Resurrection in the Newer religion -- but then there are
similar themes in the story of Tammuz from the Middle East, the story of
Osiris in Egypt and in many other sources. The story of the fallen God who
is resurrected with great power and wisdom reflects the Shamans's
confrontation with his own death -- either in a literal sense through
sickness or accident, or in a Psychological sense or by other means such as
the mild, natural hallucinogens used by the Native Americans and other
tribal peoples. (Note, I am not endorsing their use; they are completely
unnecessary) -- but nevertheless, this is the practice in some cultures,
where they know how to handle the power of these drugs and guide one safely
through the experience. It is important to note this is not done lightly
or playfully either and that the drugs they use are natural substances, not
the harsher chemical ones abused in our modern society for recreational use)
It also represents the natural cycles of the year -- the grain grows
and is cut down or sacrificed only to be reborn again, the trees lose their
leaves and seem to die only to resurrected, (which is why the tree of
life/cross image developed) some animals hibernate and come back, etc.
etc. etc
Now here is the legend of the Goddess in the Saxon form as the search
by Freya for the necklace Brosingame -- a silver circlet worn about her neck
as a chaplet. As with the Gardnerian Wicca legend of the descent of the
Goddess to the Underworld, it reflects the cycles of the year -- when
fertility seems to sink into the earth and vanish during winter's barren
months only to have the Lady and her bounty return to us in the spring.
(Matrika's notes)
All day had Freya, most lovely of the Goddesses, played and romped in
the fields. Then did she lay down to rest.
And while she slept; deft Loki, the prankster, the mischief-maker of
the Gods; did espy the glimmering of Brosingame, formed of Galdra (magick)
Her constant companion. Silent as the night did Loki move to the Goddess's
side and with fingers formed over the very ages in lightness did remove the
silver circlet from about her snow white neck.
Straightaway did Freya arouse; on sensing it's loss. Though he moved
with the speed of the winds, yet Loki she glimpsed as he passed swiftly
from sight into the barrow (burial mound) that leads to Dreun. (land of the
dead, the underworld)
Then was Freya in despair. Darkness descended all about her to hide
her tears. Great was her anguish. All light, all life, all creatures
joined in her doom.
To all corners were sent the Searchers, in quest of Loki; yet knew
they. they would find him not. For who is there may descend to Dreun and
return again from thence?
Excepting the Gods themselves and, alack, mischievous Loki.
So it was that, still weak from her grief, Freya herself elected to
descend in search of Brosingame. At the portals of the Barrow was she
challenged, yet recognized and passed.
The multitude of souls within cried joyfully to see her, yet could she
not tarry as she sought her stolen light.
The infamous Loki left no trail to follow, yet was he everywhere past
seen. Those to whom she spake held to Freya (that) Loki carried no Jewel
as he went by.
Where then was it hid?
In despair she searched an age.
Hearhden (also known as Heimdall) the mighty smith of the Gods, did arise
from his rest to sense the bewailment of the souls to Freya's sorrow.
Striding from his smithy, to find the cause of the sorrow, did he espy the
Silver Circlet where Loki Mischief-maker had laid it; upon the rock before
his door.
Then was all clear.
As Hearhden took hold of Brosingame (then did) Loki appear before him,
his face wild with rage.
Yet would Loki not attack Hearhden, this mighty smith whose strength
was known even beyond Dreun.
By wiles and tricks did he strive to get his hands upon the (silver)
circlet. He shape-shifted; he darted here and there; he was visible, then
invisible. yet could he not sway the Smith.
Tired of the fight, Hearhden raised his mighty club. Then sped Loki
away.
Great was the joy of Freya when Hearhden placed Brosingame about her
snow-white neck.
Great were the cries of Joy from Dreun and above.
Great were the thanks that Freya and all People gave to the Gods for
the return of Brosingame.
This tale and the Gardnerian legend of the descent of the Goddess into
the Underworld (told in the 2d degree initiation) and similar myths from
around the world, such as the legend of Kwan Yin's descent to the land of
death and her being expelled for spreading mirth and joy, show that women
also shared a very important role in the shamanism/priesthood of the
European Pagan traditions and also faced the ordeals -- i.e. the physical or
psychological confrontation with death. And again, it reflects the times
of darkness and light in the year -- the waxing and waning of the moon each
month and the waxing and waning of the sun each year from Yule or Winter
solstice to Mid-summer's night or Summer solstice when the light grows
stronger and the remainder of the year, when light grows weaker.
{file "Wiccan Shamanism (Selena Fox)" "bos046.htm"}
Wiccan Shamanism
by Selena Fox
typed by Lewis for P.A.N. 508-795-7628
Shamanism exists in tribal cultures around the world and has done so
for centuries. Yet, in reading most anthropological texts on Shamanism,
there is little, if any reference made to shamanism in Europe. However
Shamanism has existed among the peoples of Europe not only in ancient
times, but also through the present day. During the Middle Ages, the Old
Ways largely disappeared from public view because of persecution. Yet they
were not eradicated but took a more underground existence. Today, there
are some of us of European ancestry that are bringing Shamanic ways rooted
in pre-Christian Europe back into the light.
Wiccan Shamanism is a term I began using several years ago in an
attempt to describe my own path of magick and spirituality in relation to
the other forms of Shamanism on the Planet. Wiccan Shamanism draws on the
Old but it is not simply an attempt re-construction and revival of the Old
Ways of tribal Europe. Wiccan Shamanism blends both the Old and the New to
suit the modern times in which we live. Although emphasis is on European
symbology and traditions Wiccan Shamanism is multi-cultural, incorporating
ways of other healers and magick workers from many places and eras.
What follows is a glimpse into Wiccan Shamanism as I know it and
practice it. While Jim, Dennis, and others who help with various aspects
of CIRCLES work may share many of these concepts, I speak here only for
myself - for at the heart of this spiritual approach is the idea that each
person must seek their own connection with the Divine, within their own
Self, rather than having me or anyone else do this for them. This is not a
path of a leader with followers, but a path where each becomes their own
leader.
I call to the Powers of the Four Quarters -- to Earth in the North which
is the Realm of the Physical Body and Material Plane, to Air in the East
which is the Realm of Thoughts and Intellect, to Fire in the South which is
the Realm of Will Power and Action, and Water in the West which is the
Realm of Emotions and Intuition. My Medicine Wheel is the Magick Circle
which connects the Four Quarters. The sacred places I frequent include a
high rock, a crystal clear spring fed pool n a hidden valley and a circle
of stones in a grove of Oak and Birch on a mound.
I am a channel between Planet Earth beneath my feet and the Heavens
above my head. I become the World tree when I Shamanize, linking the
transforming Dark of the Underworld with the Awakening Light of the
Upperworld.
I am the Crystal LIght that is at the Center of the Circle and is the
fifth Element Spirit. I seek always to act out of MY own Inner Self which
is at the enter of MY being, for my Inner Self in the Balance of all the
Elements, of my Female and Male sides, of my Lunar and Solar natures of my
intellect and intuition my Inner Self is my doorway into the realm where
All is One.
I see the Circle of Life from the Center. I watch the Seasons change
as the Wheel of the Year turns and I celebrate the 8 sabbats. I connect
with the dance of Night and Day, of Fair and Stormy Weathers, of the Waxing
and Waning Moon. I see the cycle of Birth, Growth, Maturity, Death, and
Rebirth in all of Nature. I examine the cycles of my own life and of the
lives of those who seek healing aid from me.
I am the traveler between the World of Daily Life and the Otherworld
which is the land of Dreams, visions and Spirits. I am a Consciousness
Explorer. the Otherworldis as real and as important to me as the Day-to-Day
World. I bridge the Worlds rather than seeking to dwell solely in one or
the other. I journey into the Otherworld for a reason -- to bring back
healing and knowledge to apply to Daily Life, helping others, myself and
the Planet.
I see the Divine in all things. My friends and allies include not
only humans but also plants, animals, rocks, winds, waters, fire, stars,
and other life forms. I commune with the Source some call "God" as both
Mother Goddess and Father God, for both aspects are necessary for the
Unity.
The main focus of my Shamanic work is Healing. I was called to this
path as a young child in dreams and Out-of-Body experiences, but I didn't
begin my work until my adult years when I started Healing myself. To do
this I journeyed alone into the Pit of my Shadow Self and came face-to-face
with my problems and hang-ups; my doubts fears, disillusionments,
rejections, angers and hurts; with all MY false self images. Words can not
begin to express the misery, the utter despair the powerlessness I felt
during this time. Yet coming apart was essential; it enabled me to break
through the barriers which I had formed and let others form in my psyche
that had kept me from being one with my True Self. In the deepest
Darkness, I felt the Light of my own Inner Self beginning to shine through.
I focused on the Light and slowly emerged from the Pit, stronger and more
integrated than ever before and with the power to heal others as well as
myself. As a result of this transformation process, my life's work became
clear. I now help others from their own pits of negativity and become
whole again.
Yet my work also extends to more than Humankind; it involves bringing
Healing to the Planet as a whole. In my communing with the Land, I have
heard the cries of the Earth Mother, sorrowing over the self-centered,
greedy, intolerant, and destructive behaviors of many of Her human
children, who are polluting the soils, water, and air; who are playing
power games with nuclear fire; and who are polluting the spiritual
atmosphere of the entire world with their narrow-mindedness and hate. I am
deeply concerned about survival -- not of the Planet Herself for all the
humans in the world can not destroy Her even with all their weapons; She is
too strong and powerful for that to happen. What I am concerned about is
the survival of the human race. -- will we annihilate ourselves and many of
the life forms around us, or will we wake up in time to see the larger
picture, find and implement creative solutions to the worlds problems, and
enter a New Age of expanded consciousness?
The Balance of Life can be restored on Planet Earth; Harmony can be
restored between humankind and other life forms; Love consciousness can
increase and be prevalent on the Earth. I, along with numerous other
healers and ministers from a variety of spiritual traditions around the
world today have responded to the upset of Mother Earth by dedicating our
lives to this Planetary Healing Work, each in our own way. It is this
Great Work that underlies all the healing and other things I do. It is the
Heart of Wiccan Shamanism.
First published in fall 1984 "Circle Network News";
© 1984, CIRCLE, Box 219, Mt. Horeb WI 53572 USA.
{file "Healing Myth (Nihasa)" "bos047.htm"}
A Healing Myth
By "Nihasa"
|
This story can have a powerful healing effect when read out
loud (or recorded and then played) to someone suffering from
a phobia or other effect of childhood trauma. While names,
settings, and style can be varied to suit individual tastes,
the sequence which the apprentice describes, the sequence
the princess goes through, and the vagueness of the "bad
thing" descriptions should remain unchanged and no element
of the story should be left out.
|
Once, in another time and another place, a kingdom of magic
and beauty knew a time of peace. No armies threatened its
borders, no bandits plundered its trade routes, no plagues
sickened its people. Yet even in such peaceful times, bad
things could happen: accidents, misunderstandings, even
good people doing bad things.
The third daughter of the king was a bright and cheerful
sort. She wasn't the strongest or the prettiest of the
royal princesses, but she did have the nicest wings of
anyone her age. She loved to fly around the countryside
and explore the groves and meadows she found...they were
always full of surprises.
One day she found a particularly pretty grove, with a pond
glistening in a little clearing in the middle. As she went
in for a closer look, she saw images start to form. She saw
her own reflection, and as she lightly touched the ground
she saw that her reflection was watching reflections of her
own...dim watery reflections from her past.
"So you can see the pictures." The voice from among the
trees made her jump. "Don't worry," continued the young man
as he stepped out from among the trees, "nobody else can see
the same images, Princess. It's part of the magic."
"How...?" she asked, looking him up and down. He was a young
man, no older than the princess herself, dressed in the
rough tunic of a wizard's apprentice. "Who are you? How did
you know who I am, what I saw?"
"I am apprenticed to the Court Wizard. Everybody knows who
you are, Princess...and besides, I have seen you at the
palace when I have been there with my master." He paused,
glancing at the ground and lowering his voice. "As to the
images... well, at one time I had need of their magic."
"When I entered the Wizard's service, I had a great and
secret fear. Something...bad...happened to me when I was
younger. It hurt to even think about, and after time I
didn't think about it much. But ever since that time, I had
lived with the fear. When my master learned of this, he
taught me the magic of this pool and its stream."
"The pool reflects images from your mind...scenes from your
past, dreams of the future, even fantasies of the present.
The stream flows like time itself, upstream into the past,
and downstream into the future. If I followed the ritual he
described, these magics could wash clean the fear."
She made a face. "I suppose this ritual involves deep magics
usable only by Wizards?"
"Not really. All the magic is in the waters, and anyone can
use the ritual. Even a lowly apprentice." He grinned. "It's
pretty simple. After he told me about it, he brought me here
and then stood back by the trees. He said that he would
answer any questions I had but otherwise I was on my own."
"I stood where I could see my reflection in the pool, and
then thought about my fear. As I thought, my reflection
watched a reflection of my thoughts...like a stage where
dimly lit actors played out the scene against a colorless
backdrop. I looked up and saw that I was still here, in the
glade. I looked back at the water, holding on to a small
part of the special feeling of fear it had given me. As I
turned and looked back upstream, I saw more images...each
earlier than the last. I relaxed and let the feeling guide
me back to the earliest image. When I had that, I turned
back to the pool and found my reflection watching the same
colorless players in their dim reflection of the memory. As
my reflection watched, the image went from a time shortly
before the bad thing happened, through the whole thing, and
on to a time when it was all over. When it passed the ending
that way, it stopped...like a drawing. Then the drawing
faded away, and I was just looking at my reflection. The
Wizard had told me that if I stepped into that last part of
the image, it would run very quickly backwards, with full
color and sound and me living backwards through it all...all
the way through to the part before the beginning. It sounded
very strange. As I looked at my reflection again, it was
watching the image go forward again in its dim, colorless
way. When it reached the drawing at the end, I stepped into
the image and was plunged into a world going backwards! It
went clear through to before the beginning in less than a
second, then stopped. Startled, I let the water carry me
downstream, through all that had happened since, with the
fear gone and the memory unable to hurt me. When I reached
the here-and-now, I got out and just stood there, knowing
that the fear would trouble me no more." He stopped, and
suddenly seemed to remember where he was, and who he was
talking to. "That was over a year ago, and the fear is still
gone. The Wizard says it is gone for good."
She thought for a moment. "So all there is to this ritual is
think of the problem until your reflection sees it, follow a
part of the feeling upstream to my earliest memory of it,
wait for my reflection to see it all the way through, step
into the ending, and live it backwards quickly? What kind of
magic is that?"
He thought for a minute, shrugged, and said "Effective? If
you wish, I will withdraw to the trees while you try it."
"What makes you think that I need it?"
"Because the images only come to those who do." His voice
faded to an embarrassed silence as he realized what he had
said. "I'll go now."
"Yes, do." She said absently, already thinking. Then: "But
not too far, in case I need you." She was remembering an
incident a few days back which had set off her special fear,
and just as the apprentice had described, her reflection in
the pool was watching a dim and watery scene of the memory.
Startled, she looked up again. Yes, she was in the clearing,
with the trees all around and the apprentice all but lost
among the closer ones. She could still feel a part of that
fear, so she kept that feeling while she looked back up
stream at all the images from the past that the feeling had
touched...until she found the earliest of them all. She
brought that memory back to the pool and released it as her
reflection started to watch it unfold in its dim and watery
way. Her reflection seemed to have a life of its own as it
watched the pale scene start before anything happened, run
through the bad parts, and then pause at a time when it was
all over. She watched her reflection shift as she prepared
for what she would do. Her reflection settled as it watched
the scene unfold again. The dim scene passed through the
beginning, through the bad time and on past again. When it
stopped, she jumped in to it. Suddenly, she was there again:
back where and when it had happened. Everything was moving
backwards, and in a flash she had lived backwards through it
and past the beginning. Shocked, she let the water carry her
down stream, forward through all the rest of her yesterdays
without the bad times for company. When she got to today,
she stood up. There she was...standing, dripping in a stream
in the clearing. She looked around for the apprentice, half
expecting him to be laughing at the soggy mess she must be.
He was there, by the trees...not laughing, just smiling in
an understanding way.
In the years that followed, they became friends. Although
they went their separate ways...he, as wizard to one of the
King's high lords and she as wife to a neighboring prince...
they valued that friendship to the end of their days. And
from that time on, neither was ever again troubled by their
great fears.
{file "Candlemas: The Light Returns (Mike Nichols)" "bos048.htm"}
Candlemas: The Light Returns
by Mike Nichols
It seems quite impossible that the holiday of Candlemas should be considered the beginning of
Spring. Here in the Heartland, February 2nd may see a blanket of snow mantling the Mother. Or,
if the snows have gone, you may be sure the days are filled with drizzle, slush and steel-grey
skies -- the dreariest weather of the year. In short, the perfect time for a Pagan Festival
of Lights. And as for Spring, although this may seem a tenuous beginning, all the little buds,
flowers and leaves will have arrived on schedule before Spring runs its course to Beltane.
'Candlemas' is the Christianized name for the holiday, of course. The older Pagan names were
Imbolc and Oimelc. 'Imbolc' means, literally, 'in the belly' (of the Mother). For in the womb of
Mother Earth, hidden from our mundane sight but sensed by a keener vision, there are stirrings.
The seed that was planted in her womb at the solstice is quickening and the new year grows.
'Oimelc' means 'milk of ewes', for it is also lambing season.
The holiday is also called 'Brigit's Day', in honor of the great Irish Goddess Brigit. At her
shrine, the ancient Irish capitol of Kildare, a group of 19 priestesses (no men allowed) kept a
perpetual flame burning in her honor. She was considered a goddess of fire, patroness of
smithcraft, poetry and healing (especially the healing touch of midwifery). This tripartite
symbolism was occasionally expressed by saying that Brigit had two sisters, also named Brigit.
(Incidentally, another form of the name Brigit is Bride, and it is thus She bestows her special
patronage on any woman about to be married or handfasted, the woman being called 'bride' in her
honor.)
The Roman Catholic Church could not very easily call the Great Goddess of Ireland a demon, so
they canonized her instead. Henceforth, she would be 'Saint' Brigit, Patron Saint of smithcraft,
poetry and healing. They 'explained' this by telling the Irish peasants that Brigit was 'really'
an early Christian missionary sent to the Emerald Isle, and that the miracles she performed there
'misled' the common people into believing that she was a goddess. For some reason, the Irish
swallowed this. (There is no limit to what the Irish imagination can convince itself of. For
example, they also came to believe that Brigit was the 'foster-mother' of Jesus, giving no
thought to the implausibility of Jesus having spent his boyhood in Ireland!)
Brigit's holiday was chiefly marked by the kindling of sacred fires, since she symbolized the
fire of birth and healing, the fire of the forge, and the fire of poetic inspiration. Bonfires
were lighted on the beacon tors, and chandlers celebrated their special holiday. The Roman Church
was quick to confiscate this symbolism as well, using 'Candlemas' as the day to bless all the
church candles that would be used for the coming liturgical year. (Catholics will be reminded
that the following day, St. Blaise's Day, is remembered for using the newly blessed candles to
bless the throats of parishioners, keeping them from colds, flu, sore throats, etc.)
The Catholic Church, never one to refrain from piling holiday upon holiday, also called it the
Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. (It is surprising how many of the old Pagan
holidays were converted to Maryan Feasts.) The symbol of the Purification may seem a little
obscure to modern readers, but it has to do with the old custom of 'churching women'. It was
believed that women were impure for six weeks after giving birth. And since Mary gave birth at
the winter solstice, she wouldn't be purified until February 2nd. In Pagan symbolism, this might
be re-translated as when the Great Mother once again becomes the Young Maiden Goddess.
Today, this holiday is chiefly connected to weather lore. Even our American folk-calendar
keeps the tradition of 'Groundhog's Day', a day to predict the coming weather, telling us that if
the Groundhog sees his shadow, there will be 'six more weeks' of bad weather (i.e., until the next
old holiday, Lady Day). This custom is ancient. An old British rhyme tells us that 'If Candlemas
Day be bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year.' Actually, all of the cross-quarter
days can be used as 'inverse' weather predictors, whereas the quarter-days are used as
'direct' weather predictors.
Like the other High Holidays or Great Sabbats of the Witches' year, Candlemas is sometimes
celebrated on its alternate date, astrologically determined by the sun's reaching 15-degrees
Aquarius, or Candlemas Old Style (in 1988, February 3rd, at 9:03 am CST). Another holiday that gets
mixed up in this is Valentine's Day. Ozark folklorist Vance Randolf makes this quite clear by
noting that the old-timers used to celebrate Groundhog's Day on February 14th. This same
displacement is evident in Eastern Orthodox Christianity as well. Their habit of celebrating the
birth of Jesus on January 6th, with a similar post-dated shift in the six-week period that
follows it, puts the Feast of the Purification of Mary on February 14th. It is amazing to think
that the same confusion and lateral displacement of one of the old folk holidays can be seen from
the Russian steppes to the Ozark hills, but such seems to be the case!
Incidentally, there is speculation among linguistic scholars that the very name of 'Valentine'
has Pagan origins. It seems that it was customary for French peasants of the Middle Ages to
pronounce a 'g' as a 'v'. Consequently, the original term may have been the French 'galantine',
which yields the English word 'gallant'. The word originally refers to a dashing young man known
for his 'affaires d'amour', a true galaunt. The usual associations of V(G)alantine's Day make
much more sense in this light than their vague connection to a legendary 'St. Valentine' can
produce. Indeed, the Church has always found it rather difficult to explain this nebulous saint's
connection to the secular pleasures of flirtation and courtly love.
For modern Witches, Candlemas O.S. may then be seen as the Pagan version of Valentine's Day,
with a de-emphasis of 'hearts and flowers' and an appropriate re-emphasis of Pagan carnal
frivolity. This also re-aligns the holiday with the ancient Roman Lupercalia, a fertility
festival held at this time, in which the priests of Pan ran through the streets of Rome
whacking young women with goatskin thongs to make them fertile. The women seemed to enjoy the
attention and often stripped in order to afford better targets.
One of the nicest folk-customs still practiced in many countries, and especially by Witches in
the British Isles and parts of the U.S., is to place a lighted candle in each and every window of
the house, beginning at sundown on Candlemas Eve (February 1st), allowing them to continue burning
until sunrise. Make sure that such candles are well seated against tipping and guarded from
nearby curtains, etc. What a cheery sight it is on this cold, bleak and dreary night to see
house after house with candle-lit windows! And, of course, if you are your Coven's chandler, or
if you just happen to like making candles, Candlemas Day is the day for doing it. Some
Covens hold candle-making parties and try to make and bless all the candles they'll be using for
the whole year on this day.
Other customs of the holiday include weaving 'Brigit's crosses' from straw or wheat to hang
around the house for protection, performing rites of spiritual cleansing and purification, making
'Brigit's beds' to ensure fertility of mind and spirit (and body, if desired), and making
Crowns of Light (i.e. of candles) for the High Priestess to wear for the Candlemas Circle,
similar to those worn on St. Lucy's Day in Scandinavian countries. All in all, this Pagan
Festival of Lights, sacred to the young Maiden Goddess, is one of the most beautiful and poetic
of the year.
{file "Lady Day: The Vernal Equinox (Mike Nichols)" "bos049.htm"}
Lady Day: The Vernal Equinox
by Mike Nichols
Now comes the Vernal Equinox, and the season of Spring reaches its apex, halfway through its
journey from Candlemas to Beltane. Once again, night and day stand in perfect balance, with the
powers of light on the ascendancy. The god of light now wins a victory over his twin, the god
of darkness. In the Mabinogion myth reconstruction which I have proposed, this is the day on
which the restored Llew takes his vengeance on Goronwy by piercing him with the sunlight spear.
For Llew was restored/reborn at the Winter Solstice and is now well/old enough to vanquish his
rival/twin and mate with his lover/mother. And the great Mother Goddess, who has returned to her
Virgin aspect at Candlemas, welcomes the young sun god's embraces and conceives a child. The
child will be born nine months from now, at the next Winter Solstice. And so the cycle closes at
last.
We think that the customs surrounding the celebration of the spring equinox were imported from
Mediterranean lands, although there can be no doubt that the first inhabitants of the British
Isles observed it, as evidence from megalithic sites shows. But it was certainly more popular to
the south, where people celebrated the holiday as New Year's Day, and claimed it as the first day
of the first sign of the Zodiac, Aries. However you look at it, it is certainly a time of new
beginnings, as a simple glance at Nature will prove.
In the Roman Catholic Church, there are two holidays which get mixed up with the Vernal
Equinox. The first, occurring on the fixed calendar day of March 25th in the old liturgical
calendar, is called the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (or B.V.M., as she
was typically abbreviated in Catholic Missals). 'Annunciation' means an announcement. This is the
day that the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was 'in the family way'. Naturally, this
had to be announced since Mary, being still a virgin, would have no other means of knowing it.
(Quit scoffing, O ye of little faith!) Why did the Church pick the Vernal Equinox for the
commemoration of this event? Because it was necessary to have Mary conceive the child Jesus a
full nine months before his birth at the Winter Solstice (i.e., Christmas, celebrated on the
fixed calendar date of December 25). Mary's pregnancy would take the natural nine months to
complete, even if the conception was a bit unorthodox.
As mentioned before, the older Pagan equivalent of this scene focuses on the joyous process of
natural conception, when the young virgin Goddess (in this case, 'virgin' in the original sense
of meaning 'unmarried') mates with the young solar God, who has just displaced his rival. This is
probably not their first mating, however. In the mythical sense, the couple may have been lovers
since Candlemas, when the young God reached puberty. But the young Goddess was recently a mother
(at the Winter Solstice) and is probably still nursing her new child. Therefore, conception is
naturally delayed for six weeks or so and, despite earlier matings with the God, She does not
conceive until (surprise!) the Vernal Equinox. This may also be their Hand-fasting, a sacred
marriage between God and Goddess called a Hierogamy, the ultimate Great Rite. Probably the
nicest study of this theme occurs in M. Esther Harding's book, 'Woman's Mysteries'. Probably the
nicest description of it occurs in M.Z. Bradley's 'Mists of Avalon', in the scene where Morgana
and Arthur assume the sacred roles. (Bradley follows the British custom of transferring the
episode to Beltane, when the climate is more suited to its outdoor celebration.)
The other Christian holiday which gets mixed up in this is Easter. Easter, too, celebrates
the victory of a god of light (Jesus) over darkness (death), so it makes sense to place it at
this season. Ironically, the name 'Easter' was taken from the name of a Teutonic lunar Goddess,
Eostre (from whence we also get the name of the female hormone, estrogen). Her chief symbols were
the bunny (both for fertility and because her worshipers saw a hare in the full moon) and the egg
(symbolic of the cosmic egg of creation), images which Christians have been hard-pressed to
explain. Her holiday, the Eostara, was held on the Vernal Equinox Full Moon. Of course, the
Church doesn't celebrate full moons, even if they do calculate by them, so they planted their
Easter on the following Sunday. Thus, Easter is always the first Sunday, after the first Full
Moon after the Vernal Equinox. If you've ever wondered why Easter moved all around the calendar,
now you know. (By the way, the Catholic Church was so adamant about not incorporating Lunar
Goddess symbolism that they added a further calculation: if Easter Sunday were to fall on the
Full Moon itself, then Easter was postponed to the following Sunday instead.)
Incidentally, this raises another point: recently, some Pagan traditions began referring to
the Vernal Equinox as Eostara. Historically, this is incorrect. Eostara is a lunar holiday,
honoring a lunar Goddess, at the Vernal Full Moon. Hence, the name 'Eostara' is best reserved to
the nearest Esbat, rather than the Sabbat itself. How this happened is difficult to say. However,
it is notable that some of the same groups misappropriated the term 'Lady Day' for Beltane, which
left no good folk name for the Equinox. Thus, Eostara was misappropriated for it, completing
a chain-reaction of displacement. Needless to say, the old and accepted folk name for the Vernal
Equinox is 'Lady Day'. Christians sometimes insist that the title is in honor of Mary and her
Annunciation, but Pagans will smile knowingly.
Another mythological motif which must surely arrest our attention at this time of year is that
of the descent of the God or Goddess into the Underworld. Perhaps we see this most clearly in the
Christian tradition. Beginning with his death on the cross on Good Friday, it is said that Jesus
'descended into Hell' for the three days that his body lay entombed. But on the third day (that
is, Easter Sunday), his body and soul rejoined, he arose from the dead and ascended into heaven.
By a strange 'coincidence', most ancient Pagan religions speak of the Goddess descending into the
Underworld, also for a period of three days.
Why three days? If we remember that we are here dealing with the lunar aspect of the Goddess,
the reason should be obvious. As the text of one Book of Shadows gives it, '...as the moon waxes
and wanes, and walks three nights in darkness, so the Goddess once spent three nights in the
Kingdom of Death.' In our modern world, alienated as it is from nature, we tend to mark the time
of the New Moon (when no moon is visible) as a single date on a calendar. We tend to forget that
the moon is also hidden from our view on the day before and the day after our calendar date. But
this did not go unnoticed by our ancestors, who always speak of the Goddess's sojourn into the
land of Death as lasting for three days. Is it any wonder then, that we celebrate the next Full
Moon (the Eostara) as the return of the Goddess from chthonic regions?
Naturally, this is the season to celebrate the victory of life over death, as any nature-lover
will affirm. And the Christian religion was not misguided by celebrating Christ's victory over
death at this same season. Nor is Christ the only solar hero to journey into the underworld. King
Arthur, for example, does the same thing when he sets sail in his magical ship, Prydwen, to bring
back precious gifts (i.e. the gifts of life) from the Land of the Dead, as we are told in the
'Mabinogi'. Welsh triads allude to Gwydion and Amaethon doing much the same thing. In fact, this
theme is so universal that mythologists refer to it by a common phrase, 'The Harrowing of Hell'.
However, one might conjecture that the descent into hell, or the land of the dead, was
originally accomplished, not by a solar male deity, but by a lunar female deity. It is Nature
Herself who, in Spring, returns from the Underworld with her gift of abundant life. Solar heroes
may have laid claim to this theme much later. The very fact that we are dealing with a three-day
period of absence should tell us we are dealing with a lunar, not solar, theme. (Although one
must make exception for those occasional male lunar deities, such as the Assyrian god,
Sin.) At any rate, one of the nicest modern renditions of the harrowing of hell appears in many
Books of Shadows as 'The Descent of the Goddess'. Lady Day may be especially appropriate for the
celebration of this theme, whether by storytelling, reading, or dramatic re-enactment.
For modern Witches, Lady Day is one of the Lesser Sabbats or Low Holidays of the year, one of
the four quarter-days. And what date will Witches choose to celebrate? They may choose the
traditional folk 'fixed' date of March 25th, starting on its Eve. Or they may choose the actual
equinox point, when the Sun crosses the Equator and enters the astrological sign of Aries. This
year (1988), that will occur at 3:39 am CST on March 20th.
{file "Lammas: The First Harvest (Mike Nichols)" "bos050.htm"}
Lammas: The First Harvest
by Mike Nichols
Once upon a Lammas Night
When corn rigs are bonny,
Beneath the Moon's unclouded light,
I held awhile to Annie...
Although in the heat of a Mid-western summer it might be difficult to discern, the festival
of Lammas (Aug 1st) marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall. The days now grow visibly
shorter and by the time we've reached autumn's end (Oct 31st), we will have run the gamut of
temperature from the heat of August to the cold and (sometimes) snow of November. And in the
midst of it, a perfect Mid-western autumn.
The history of Lammas is as convoluted as all the rest of the old folk holidays. It is of
course a cross-quarter day, one of the four High Holidays or Greater Sabbats of Witchcraft,
occurring 1/4 of a year after Beltane. It's true astrological point is 15 degrees Leo, which
occurs at 1:18 am CDT, Aug 6th this year (1988), but tradition has set August 1st as the day
Lammas is typically celebrated. The celebration proper would begin on sundown of the previous
evening, our July 31st, since the Celts reckon their days from sundown to sundown.
However, British Witches often refer to the astrological date of Aug 6th as Old Lammas, and
folklorists call it Lammas O.S. ('Old Style'). This date has long been considered a 'power point'
of the Zodiac, and is symbolized by the Lion, one of the 'tetramorph' figures found on the Tarot
cards, the World and the Wheel of Fortune (the other three figures being the Bull, the Eagle, and
the Spirit). Astrologers know these four figures as the symbols of the four 'fixed' signs of the
Zodiac, and these naturally align with the four Great Sabbats of Witchcraft. Christians have
adopted the same iconography to represent the four gospel-writers.
'Lammas' was the medieval Christian name for the holiday and it means 'loaf-mass', for this
was the day on which loaves of bread were baked from the first grain harvest and laid on the
church altars as offerings. It was a day representative of 'first fruits' and early harvest.
In Irish Gaelic, the feast was referred to as 'Lugnasadh', a feast to commemorate the funeral
games of the Irish sun-god Lugh. However, there is some confusion on this point. Although at
first glance, it may seem that we are celebrating the death of the Lugh, the god of light does
not really die (mythically) until the autumnal equinox. And indeed, if we read the Irish myths
closer, we discover that it is not Lugh's death that is being celebrated, but the funeral games
which Lugh hosted to commemorate the death of his foster-mother, Taillte. That is why the
Lugnasadh celebrations in Ireland are often called the 'Tailltean Games'.
The time went by with careless heed
Between the late and early,
With small persuasion she agreed
To see me through the barley...
One common feature of the Games were the 'Tailltean marriages, a rather informal marriage that
lasted for only 'a year and a day' or until next Lammas. At that time, the couple could decide to
continue the arrangement if it pleased them, or to stand back to back and walk away from one
another, thus bringing the Tailltean marriage to a formal close. Such trial marriages (obviously
related to the Wiccan 'Handfasting') were quite common even into the 1500's, although it was
something one 'didn't bother the parish priest about'. Indeed, such ceremonies were usually
solemnized by a poet, bard or shanachie (or, it may be guessed, by a priest or priestess of the
Old Religion).
Lammastide was also the traditional time of year for craft festivals. The medieval guilds
would create elaborate displays of their wares, decorating their shops and themselves in bright
colors and ribbons, marching in parades, and performing strange, ceremonial plays and dances
for the entranced onlookers. The atmosphere must have been quite similar to our modern-day
Renaissance Festivals, such as the one celebrated in near-by Bonner Springs, Kansas, each fall.
A ceremonial highlight of such festivals was the 'Catherine wheel'. Although the Roman Church
moved St. Catherine's feast day all around the calender with bewildering frequency, it's most
popular date was Lammas. (They also kept trying to expel this much-loved saint from the ranks of
the blessed because she was mythical rather than historical, and because her worship gave rise to
the heretical sect known as the Cathari.) At any rate, a large wagon wheel was taken to the top
of a near-by hill, covered with tar, set aflame, and ceremoniously rolled down the hill. Some
mythologists see in this ritual the remnants of a Pagan rite symbolizing the end of summer, the
flaming disk representing the sun-god in his decline. And just as the sun king has now reached
the autumn of his years, his rival or dark self has just reached puberty.
Many commentators have bewailed the fact that traditional Gardnerian and Alexandrian Books of
Shadows say very little about the holiday of Lammas, stating only that poles should be ridden and
a circle dance performed. This seems strange, for Lammas is a holiday of rich mythic and
cultural associations, providing endless resources for liturgical celebration.
Corn rigs and barley rigs,
Corn rigs are bonny!
I'll not forget that happy night
Among the rigs with Annie!
[Verse quotations by Robert Burns, as handed down through several Books of Shadows.]
{file "Harvest Home (Mike Nichols)" "bos051.htm"}
Harvest Home
by Mike Nichols
There were three men came out of the West,
Their fortunes for to try,
And these three men made a solemn vow,
John Barleycorn must die...
Despite the bad publicity generated by Thomas Tryon's novel, Harvest Home is the pleasantest
of holidays. Admittedly, it does involve the concept of sacrifice, but one that is symbolic only.
The sacrifice is that of the spirit of vegetation, John Barleycorn. Occurring 1/4 of the year
after Midsummer, Harvest Home represents mid-autumn, autumn's height. It is also the Autumnal
Equinox, one of the quarter days of the year, a Lesser Sabbat and a Low Holiday in modern
Witchcraft. Technically, an equinox is an astronomical point and, due to the fact that the Earth
wobbles on its axis slightly (rather like a top that's slowing down), the date may vary by a few
days depending on the year. The autumnal equinox occurs when the sun crosses the equator on its
apparent journey southward, and we experience a day and a night that are of equal duration. Up
until Harvest Home, the hours of daylight have been greater than the hours from dusk to dawn. But
from now on, the reverse holds true. Astrologers know this as the date on which the sun enters
the sign of Libra, the Balance (an appropriate symbol of a balanced day and night). This year
(1988) it will occur at 2:29 pm CDT on September 22nd.
However, since most European peasants were not accomplished at calculating the exact date of
the Equinox, they celebrated the event on a fixed calendar date, September 25th, a holiday the
Medieval Church Christianized under the name of 'Michaelmas', the feast of the Archangel Michael.
(One wonders if, at some point, the R.C. Church contemplated assigning the four quarter days of
the year to the four Archangels, just as they assigned the four cross-quarter days to the four
gospel-writers. Further evidence for this may be seen in the fact that there was a brief
flirtation with calling the Vernal Equinox 'Gabrielmas', ostensibly to commemorate the angel
Gabriel's announcement to Mary on Lady Day.) Again, it must be remembered that the Celts reckoned
their days from sundown to sundown, so the September 25th festivities actually begin on the
previous sundown (our September 24th).
Although our Pagan ancestors probably celebrated Harvest Home on September 25th, modern
Witches and Pagans, with their desk-top computers for making finer calculations, seem to prefer
the actual equinox point, beginning the celebration on its eve (this year, sunset on September
21st).
Mythically, this is the day of the year when the god of light is defeated by his twin and
alter-ego, the god of darkness. It is the time of the year when night conquers day. And as I have
recently shown in my seasonal reconstruction of the Welsh myth of Blodeuwedd, the Autumnal
Equinox is the only day of the whole year when Llew (light) is vulnerable and it is possible to
defeat him. Llew now stands on the balance (Libra/autumnal equinox), with one foot on the
cauldron (Cancer/summer solstice) and his other foot on the goat (Capricorn/winter solstice).
Thus he is betrayed by Blodeuwedd, the Virgin (Virgo) and transformed into an Eagle (Scorpio).
Two things are now likely to occur mythically, in rapid succession. Having defeated Llew,
Goronwy (darkness) now takes over Llew's functions, both as lover to Blodeuwedd, the Goddess, and
as King of our own world. Although Goronwy, the Horned King, now sits on Llew's throne and begins
his rule immediately, his formal coronation will not be for another six weeks, occurring at
Samhain (Halloween) or the beginning of Winter, when he becomes the Winter Lord, the Dark King,
Lord of Misrule. Goronwy's other function has more immediate results, however. He mates with the
virgin goddess, and Blodeuwedd conceives, and will give birth -- nine months later (at the
Summer Solstice) -- to Goronwy's son, who is really another incarnation of himself, the Dark
Child.
Llew's sacrificial death at Harvest Home also identifies him with John Barleycorn, spirit of
the fields. Thus, Llew represents not only the sun's power, but also the sun's life trapped and
crystallized in the corn.
Often this corn spirit was believed to reside most especially in the last sheaf or shock
harvested, which was dressed in fine clothes, or woven into a wicker-like man-shaped form. This
effigy was then cut and carried from the field, and usually burned, amidst much rejoicing. So one
may see Blodeuwedd and Goronwy in a new guise, not as conspirators who murder their king, but as
kindly farmers who harvest the crop which they had planted and so lovingly cared for. And yet,
anyone who knows the old ballad of John Barleycorn knows that we have not heard the last of him.
They let him stand till midsummer's day,
Till he looked both pale and wan,
And little Sir John's grown a long, long beard
And so become a man...
Incidentally, this annual mock sacrifice of a large wicker-work figure (representing the
vegetation spirit) may have been the origin of the misconception that Druids made human
sacrifices. This charge was first made by Julius Caesar (who may not have had the most unbiased of
motives), and has been re-stated many times since. However, as has often been pointed out, the
only historians besides Caesar who make this accusation are those who have read Caesar. And in
fact, upon reading Caesar's 'Gallic Wars' closely, one discovers that Caesar never claims to
have actually witnessed such a sacrifice. Nor does he claim to have talked to anyone else who
did. In fact, there is not one single eyewitness account of a human sacrifice performed by Druids
in all of history!
Nor is there any archeological evidence to support the charge. If, for example, human
sacrifices had been performed at the same ritual sites year after year, there would be physical
traces. Yet there is not a scrap. Nor is there any native tradition or history which lends
support. In fact, insular tradition seems to point in the opposite direction. The Druid's
reverence for life was so strict that they refused to lift a sword to defend themselves when
massacred by Roman soldiers on the Isle of Mona. Irish Brehon laws forbade a Druid to touch a
weapon, and any soul rash enough to unsheathe a sword in the presence of a Druid would be
executed for such an outrage! Jesse Weston, in her brilliant study of the Four Hallows of British
myth, 'From Ritual to Romance', points out that British folk tradition is, however, full of
mock sacrifices. In the case of the wicker-man, such figures were referred to in very
personified terms, dressed in clothes, addressed by name, etc. In such a religious ritual drama,
everybody played along.
They've hired men with scythes so sharp,
To cut him off at the knee,
They've rolled him and tied him by the waist
Serving him most barbarously...
In the medieval miracle-play tradition of the 'Rise Up, Jock' variety (performed by troupes of
mummers at all the village fairs), a young harlequin-like king always underwent a mock sacrificial
death. But invariably, the traditional cast of characters included a mysterious 'Doctor' who had
learned many secrets while 'travelling in foreign lands'. The Doctor reaches into his bag of
tricks, plies some magical cure, and presto! the young king rises up hale and whole again, to the
cheers of the crowd. As Weston so sensibly points out, if the young king were actually
killed, he couldn't very well rise up again, which is the whole point of the ritual drama! It is
an enactment of the death and resurrection of the vegetation spirit. And what better time to
perform it than at the end of the harvest season?
In the rhythm of the year, Harvest Home marks a time of rest after hard work. The crops are
gathered in, and winter is still a month and a half away! Although the nights are getting cooler,
the days are still warm, and there is something magical in the sunlight, for it seems silvery
and indirect. As we pursue our gentle hobbies of making corn dollies (those tiny vegetation
spirits) and wheat weaving, our attention is suddenly arrested by the sound of baying from the
skies (the 'Hounds of Annwn' passing?), as lines of geese cut silhouettes across a harvest moon.
And we move closer to the hearth, the longer evening hours giving us time to catch up on our
reading, munching on popcorn balls and caramel apples and sipping home-brewed mead or ale. What a
wonderful time Harvest Home is! And how lucky we are to live in a part of the country where the
season's changes are so dramatic and majestic!
And little Sir John in the nut-brown bowl --
And he's brandy in the glass,
And little Sir John in the nut-brown bowl
Proved the strongest man at last.
{file "The Death Of Llew, A Seasonal Interpretation (Mike Nichols)" "bos052.htm"}
The Death of Llew, a Seasonal Interpretation
by Mike Nichols
Not of father, nor of mother
Was my blood, was my body.
I was spellbound by Gwydion,
Prime enchanter of the Britons,
When he formed me from nine blossoms.
-- 'Hanes Blodeuwedd' (R. Graves, trans.)
In most Pagan cultures, the sun god is seen as split between two
rival personalities: the god of light and his twin, his 'weird', his 'other
self', the god of darkness. They are Gawain and the Green Knight, Gwyn and
Gwythyr, Llew and Goronwy, Lugh and Balor, Balan and Balin, the Holly King
and the Oak King, etc. Often they are depicted as fighting seasonal
battles for the favor of their goddess/lover, such as Creiddylad or
Blodeuwedd, who represents Nature.
The god of light is always born at the winter solstice, and his
strength waxes with the lengthening days, until the moment of his greatest
power, the summer solstice, the longest day. And, like a look in a mirror,
his 'shadow self', the lord of darkness, is born at the summer solstice,
and his strength waxes with the lengthening nights until the moment of his
greatest power, the winter solstice, the longest night.
Indirect evidence supporting this mirror-birth pattern is strongest in
the Christianized form of the Pagan myth. Many writers, from Robert Graves
to Stewart Farrar, have repeatedly pointed out that Jesus was identified
with the Holly King, while John the Baptist was the Oak King. That is why,
'of all the trees that are in the wood, the Holly tree bears the crown.'
If the birth of Jesus, the 'light of the world', is celebrated at
mid-winter, Christian folk tradition insists that John the Oak King (the
'dark of the world'?) was born (rather than died) at mid-summer.
It is at this point that I must diverge from the opinion of Robert
Graves and other writers who have followed him. Graves believes that at
midsummer, the Sun King is slain by his rival, the God of Darkness; just as
the God of Darkness is, in turn, slain by the God of Light at midwinter.
And yet, in Christian folk tradition (derived from the older Pagan strain),
it is births, not deaths, that are associated with the solstices. For the
feast of John the Baptist, this is all the more conspicuous, as it breaks
the rules regarding all other saints.
John is the only saint in the entire Catholic hagiography whose feast
day is a commemoration of his birth, rather than his death. A generation
ago, Catholic nuns were fond of explaining that a saint is commemorated on
the anniversary of his or her death because it was really a 'birth' into
the Kingdom of Heaven. But John the Baptist, the sole exception, is
emphatically commemorated on the anniversary of his birth into this world.
Although this makes no sense viewed from a Christian perspective, it makes
perfect poetic sense from the viewpoint of Pagan symbolism. (John's
earlier Pagan associations are treated in my essay on Midsummer.)
So if births are associated with the solstices, when do the symbolic
deaths occur? When does Goronwy slay Llew and when does Llew, in his turn,
slay Goronwy? When does darkness conquer light or light conquer darkness?
Obviously (to me, at least), it must be at the two equinoxes. At the
autumnal equinox, the hours of light in the day are eclipsed by the hours
of darkness. At the vernal equinox, the process is reversed. Also, the
autumnal equinox, called 'Harvest Home', is already associated with
sacrifice, principally that of the spirit of grain or vegetation. In this
case, the god of light would be identical.
In Welsh mythology in particular, there is a startling vindication of
the seasonal placement of the sun god's death, the significance of which
occurred to me in a recent dream, and which I haven't seen elsewhere. Llew
is the Welsh god of light, and his name means 'lion'. (The lion is often
the symbol of a sun god.) He is betrayed by his 'virgin' wife Blodeuwedd,
into standing with one foot on the rim of a cauldron and the other on the
back of a goat. It is only in this way that Llew can be killed, and
Blodeuwedd's lover, Goronwy, Llew's dark self, is hiding nearby with a
spear at the ready. But as Llew is struck with it, he is not killed. He
is instead transformed into an eagle.
Putting this in the form of a Bardic riddle, it would go something
like this: Who can tell in what season the Lion (Llew), betrayed by the
Virgin (Blodeuwedd), poised on the Balance, is transformed into an Eagle?
My readers who are astrologers are probably already gasping in recognition.
The sequence is astrological and in proper order: Leo (lion), Virgo
(virgin), Libra (balance), and Scorpio (for which the eagle is a well-known
alternative symbol). Also, the remaining icons, cauldron and goat, could
arguably symbolize Cancer and Capricorn (representing summer and winter),
the signs beginning with the two solstice points. So Llew is balanced
between cauldron and goat, between summer and winter, on the balance
(Libra) point of the autumnal equinox, with one foot on the summer solstice
and one foot on the winter solstice.
This, of course, is the answer to a related Bardic riddle.
Repeatedly, the 'Mabinogion' tells us that Llew must be standing with one
foot on the cauldron and one foot on the goat's back in order to be killed.
But nowhere does it tell us why. Why is this particular situation the ONLY
one in which Llew can be overcome? Because it represents the equinox
point. And the autumnal equinox is the only time of the entire year when
light (Llew) can be overcome by darkness (Goronwy).
It should now come as no surprise that, when it is time for Llew to
kill Goronwy in his turn, Llew insists that Goronwy stands where he once
stood while he (Llew) casts the spear. This is no mere vindictiveness on
Llew's part. For, although the 'Mabinogion' does not say so, it should by
now be obvious that this is the only time when Goronwy can be overcome.
Light can overcome darkness only at the equinox -- this time the vernal
equinox. (Curiously, even the Christian tradition retains this
association, albeit in a distorted form, by celebrating Jesus' death near
the time of the vernal equinox.)
The Welsh myth concludes with Gwydion pursuing the faithless
Blodeuwedd through the night sky, and a path of white flowers springs up in the
wake of her passing, which we today know as the Milky Way. When Gwydion
catches her, he transforms her into an owl, a fitting symbol of autumn,
just as her earlier association with flowers (she was made from them)
equates her with spring. Thus, while Llew and Goronwy represent summer and
winter, Blodeuwedd herself represents both spring and fall, as patron
goddess of flowers and owls, respectively.
Although it is far more speculative than the preceding material, a
final consideration would pursue this mirror-like life pattern of Llew and
Goronwy to its ultimate conclusion. Although Llew is struck with the
sunlight spear at the autumnal equinox, and so 'dies' as a human, it takes
a while before Gwydion discovers him in his eagle form. How long? We may
speculate 13 weeks, when the sun reaches the midpoint of the sign (or form)
of the eagle, Scorpio -- on Halloween. And if this is true, it may be that
Llew, the sun god, finally 'dies' to the upper world on Halloween, and now
passes through the gates of death, where he is immediately crowned king of
the underworld, the Lord of Misrule! (In medieval tradition, the person
proclaimed as 'Lord of Misrule' reigned from Halloween to Old Christmas --
or, before the calender changes, until the winter solstice.)
Meanwhile, Goronwy (with Blodeuwedd at his side) is crowned king in
the upper world, and occupies Llew's old throne, beginning on Halloween.
Thus, by winter solstice, Goronwy has reached his position of greatest
strength in our world, at the same moment that Llew, now sitting on
Goronwy's old throne, reaches his position of greatest strength in the
underworld. However, at the moment of the winter solstice, Llew is born
again, as a babe, (and as his own son!) into our world. And as Llew later
reaches manhood and dispatches Goronwy at the vernal equinox, Goronwy will
then ascend the underworld throne at Beltane, but will be reborn into our
world at midsummer, as a babe, later to defeat Llew all over again. And so
the cycle closes at last, resembling nothing so much as an intricately
woven, never-ending bit of Celtic knotwork.
So Midsummer (to me, at least) is a celebration of the sun god at his
zenith, a crowned king on his throne. He is at the height of his power and
still 1/4 of a year away from his ritual death at the hands of his rival.
However, at the very moment of his greatest strength, his dark twin, the
seed of his destruction, is born -- just as the days begin to shorten. The
spear and the cauldron have often been used as symbols for this holiday and
it should now be easy to see why. Sun gods are virtually always associated
with spears (even Jesus is pierced by one), and the midsummer cauldron of
Cancer is a symbol of the Goddess in her fullness. If we have learned
anything from this story from the fourth branch of the 'Mabinogion', it is
about the power of myth -- how it may still instruct and guide us, many
centuries after it has passed from oral to written tradition. And in
studying it, we have barely scratched the surface.
{file "Spring Equinox Ceremony (Farrar and Farrar)" "bos053.htm"}
Spring Equinox Ceremony
Preparations:
A wheel symbol stands on the altar; it may be anything that feels suitable a cut-out disc
painted yellow or gold and decorated with spring flowers, a circular mirror, around brass tray.
The High Priest's robe, if any, and accessories should be symbolic of the Sun; any metal he
wears should be gold, gilt, brass or bronze. The altar, if indoors, should be decorated with
spring flowers particularly the yellow ones such as daffodils, primroses, gorse or forsythia.
One banquet should be ready for handing to the Spring Queen, and a chaplet of flowers for her
crowning. The Spring Queen is one of the younger women in the Coven.
The cauldron is placed in the center of the circle, with an unlit candle in it. If outside,
and conditions permit, a bonfire is made ready to light. A taper is placed ready on the altar
for the Maiden to carry fire to the High Priest.
A phallic wand is on the altar.
Half as many cords as there are people present are ready on the altar, tied together at their
center point in a single knot. If there is an odd number of people, add one before dividing by
two.
As part of the feasting and offering to the Gods, you can use hard-boiled eggs with painted
shells. These symbolize the World Egg, laid by the Goddess and hatched by the heat of the Sun of
the God.
The High Priest moves to stands in the East, and the High Priestess in the West, facing each
other over the unlit bonfire. The High Priestess carries the phallic wand in her right hand. The
rest of the Coven distribute themselves around the rest of the perimeter of the Circle.
The High Priestess says:
"We kindle this fire today
In presence of the Holy Ones,
Without malice, without jealousy, without envy,
Without fear of aught beneath the Sun
But the High Gods.
Thee we invoke, O Light of Life,
Be Thou a bright flame before us,
Be Thou a guiding star above us,
Be Thou a smooth path beneath us;
Kindle Thou within our hearts
A flame of love for our neighbors,
To our foes, to our friends, to our kindred all,
To all men on the broad earth.
O merciful Son of Cerridwen,
From the lowliest thing that liveth
To the Name which is highest of all."
The High Priestess holds the phallic wand on high and walks slowly deosil around the bonfire
or cauldron to stand in front of the High Priest. She says:
"O Sun, be Thou ready to conquer the Dark!"
The High Priestess presents the phallic wand the High Priest and then steps to one side.
The High Priest holds up the wand in salute and replaces it on the altar.
The Maiden lights the taper from one of the altar candles and presents it to the High Priest.
The Maiden then steps to one side.
The High Priest carries the taper to the bonfire and lights it. He gives the taper back to
the Maiden, who blows it out and replaces it on the altar. She then picks up the cords and gives
them to the High Priest.
The High Priestess arranges everyone around the fire, man facing woman as far as possible.
The High Priest hands out the ends of the cords in accordance with her instructions, retaining on
end of the final cord himself and handing the other end of it to the High Priestess. If there is
an odd number of people, with more men then women, he holds on to two cord ends himself, or if
more women then men, the High Priestess does the same. Either way, both of them must be linked
with two members of the opposite sex.
When everyone is holding a cord, they all pull the cords taut, with the central knot above the
fire. They then start circling deosil in the Wheel dance, building up speed, always keeping the
cords taut and the knot over the fire. Any chant can be used that sounds good.
Then the Coven all sit in a circle round the fire. The High Priest gathers up the cords, being
careful not to let them get burned and replaces them on the altar.
The High Priest names one of the women to be the Spring Queen and stands her in front of the
altar. He crowns her with the chaplet of flowers and gives her the Five Fold Kiss.
The High Priest steps back and calls forward each man in turn to give the Spring Queen the
Five Fold Kiss. When the last man has done so, the High Priest presents the Spring Queen with
her bouquet.
Then, starting with the Spring Queen, everyone jumps over the fire, singly or in couples,
not forgetting to wish.
Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert Hale 1983
{file "Smudging: How To Do It -- How Not To Do It (Michelle Haas)" "bos054.htm"}
Smudging: How to do it -- how not to do it
Michelle Chihacou White Puma Klein-Hass
I came across a very interesting article from "Shaman's Drum" which
was reprinted for Vision Quest Bookstore. I will attempt to convey
the gist of it, along with my views, as a student of the Ways of the
Teneh, about it. Smudging is a way of using the smoke from burning
herbs as a way to cleanse the body, an object, or a given area of
negative influences. I myself use smudging to "cleanse" crystals
before using them in jewelry projects I may do, and for protecting my
home from some recent "bad vibe"-producing events. (landlord
troubles!) I imagine that the skillful use of the proper herbs could
help in warding and banishing ceremonies as well, if used properly and
with reverence. The three most used plant material for smudging are
sage of all types, cedar and sweetgrass.
- Sage
There are two major genii and several varieties of each genus of Sage
that are used for smudging. Salvia, or the herb sage used for cooking,
comes in two major varieties: S. officinalis, commonly known as Garden
Sage, and S. apiana, commonly known as White Sage. Salvia varieties
have long been acknowledged as healing herbs, reflected in the fact
that its genus name comes from the Latin root word salvare, which is
the verb "to heal" or "to save." Artemisia is the genus commonly
considered "Sagebrush", and is more common in the wilds out here in
California. There are two major varieties to the Artemisia genus:
A. californica or Common Sagebrush, and A. vulgaris or Mugwort.
There are many other varieties of both Salvia and Artemisia, and all are
effective in smudging. Sage is burned in smudging ceremonies to drive
out evil spirits, negative thoughts and feelings, and to keep Gan'n
(negative entities) away from areas where ceremonials take place. In
the Plains Sweatlodge, the floor of the structure is strewn with sage
leaves for the participants to rub on their bodies during the sweat.
Sage is also used in keeping sacred objects like pipes or Peyote wands
safe from negative influence. In the Sioux nation, the Sacred Pipe is
kept in a bundle with sage boughs. I would think special crystals could
be so protected this way as well.
- Cedar
True cedar is of the Thuja and Libocedrus genii. Some Junipers
(Juniperus genus) are also called "cedar", thus complicating things some.
Some Juniper varieties are cleansing herbs, especially J. monosperma, or
Desert White Cedar. But for smudging, the best is Western Red Cedar
(Thuja occidentalis) and California Incense Cedar (Libocedrus descurrens).
Cedar is burnt while praying to the Great Spirit (Usen', the Source -- also
known to Plains nations as Wakan Tanka) in meditation, and also to bless a
house before moving in as is the tradition in the Northwest and
Western Canada. It works both as a purifier and as a way to attract
good energy in your direction. It is usually available in herb stores
in chipped form, which must be sprinkled over a charcoal in a brazier.
I like a piece of charcoaled mesquite for this purpose, rather than
the commercial charcoal cake.
- Sweetgrass
Very important to the Sioux and Cherokee nations, its botanical name is
Hierochloë odorata. In these tribes, the sweetgrass is braided like hair
braids. It could be burnt by lighting the end of it, or (more economically)
by shaving little bits of it onto charcoal in a brazier. Again, use
charcoaled Mesquite (I believe it comes packaged for barbecue use
under the brand name "Red Arrow") to burn it, not pressed charcoal
tablets. Sweetgrass is burnt after smudging with sage, to welcome in
good influences after the bad had been driven out. Sweetgrass is very
rare today, and traditional Plains people have been attempting to
protect the last of it. Myself, I believe that Cedar, which is not
endangered, can safely be used this way. Also Piñon pine needles
(used more frequently by the Southwest Teneh, like the Navajo and
Apache as well as the Pueblo people and the Zuni) and Copal (used by
the Yaqui and in ancient times by the Azteca and the Maya) have
similar effect. The three mentioned here are readily available either
through gathering yourself or, in the case of copal resin, from any
good herb shop.
- Using Smudging
Burn clippings of the herb in a brazier... not a shell as some "new age"
shamanic circles do... it is an insult to White Painted Woman (The Goddess)
to do this, especially with the abalone shell which is especially sacred
to Her. If the herb is bundled in a "wand", you can also light the end
of the wand that isn't woody and use that. I like the latter way. Direct
the smoke with your hands or with a Peyote (feather) wand over the
person or thing you wish to smudge. If you can see auras, look for
discolored places in the aura and direct the healing smoke towards
those places on the patient's body. For cleansing a house, first
offer cedar smoke to the four directions outside the house. Then,
take a sage bough and go throughout the inside of the house, making
sure the smoke penetrates every nook and cranny of the house. It
might help also, if you have a power animal, to visualize your animal
doing these things, to also dance your animal, and if you have a power
song, to sing that too. Then finally, run through the house with a
white candle that is well protected, to "light up" the house. Careful
not to burn it down when you do it!!!
- Final Thoughts
Smudging should be done with care, with reverence, and in an attitude
of LOVE. Show your respect and honor to the plants that Usen' has
given us for our healing, and they will return the favor by keeping us
well and free from disease and negative energy. Aloe Vera plants,
though not to be burnt, are good for the cleansing angle as well. Keep
one or more potted Aloe Veras in the house (modern varieties are too
tender to plant in anything but full shade outside) in organic (wood
or ceramic, never plastic or metal) pots. To honor the plant when you
transplant it, sprinkle the roots with corn meal and smudge it with
cedar once it is transplanted. The spirit of Aloe Vera is a good
protective spirit, and if you burn yourself, can also be used to heal
your skin. Be sure to ask the plant's permission before cutting part
of the leaf off for the healing juice. If you don't, the protective
power of the plant will cease, and you will be left with but an inert
houseplant... and perhaps some bad karma to boot.
Hi-dicho, it is finished.... ENJU!
{file "An Introduction to Traditional Wicca (K.A.M.)" "bos055.htm"}
An Introduction to Traditional Wicca
© 1987, Keepers of the Ancient Mysteries ( .K.A.M. )
Often Traditional Wiccans are asked to describe our religion and beliefs for interested
people, who may or may not have confused us with other Pagan religions, with inversions of
Christian/Islamic religions like Satanism, or with purely magical traditions with no religious
base. There is a lot of flexibility in the ways that we describe ourselves, and one
characteristic of Wicca is a large degree of personal liberty to practice as we please. Still,
there is an outline that can be described in general terms. Many traditions will depart from one
particular or another, but groups departing from all or most of these features are probably
non-Wiccan Traditions attempting to stretch or distort the Wiccan name to cover what they want
to do.
Mysteries and Initiation
Wicca is an Initiatory religion descended from the Ancient Mystery Religions. A mystery
religion is not like Catholicism where a Priest is the contact point between the worshiper and
the Deity, nor like Protestantism where a sacred Book provides the contact and guidelines for
being with the divine. Rather a Mystery Religion is a religion of personal experience and
responsibility, in which each worshiper is encouraged, taught and expected to develop an ongoing
and positive direct relationship with the Gods. The religion is called a "Mystery"
because such experiences are very hard to communicate in words, and are usually distorted in the
telling. You have to have been there in person to appreciate what is meant. Near and far-Eastern
religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and Shinto are probably Mystery traditions, but Wicca
is very western in cultural flavor and quite different than eastern religions in many ways.
A Blend of Pagan Roots
Most Wiccan Traditions, .K.A.M. included, have particular roots in the British Mystery
Traditions. This includes traditions of the Picts who lived before the rise of Celtic
consciousness, the early Celts, and some selected aspects of Celtic Druidism. American Wicca is
directly descended from British Wicca, brought in the late 1950's by English and American
Initiates of Gardnerian, Alexandrian and Celtic Wicca. These traditions are a little like the
denominations in Christianity, but hopefully far more harmonious.
While British Traditions are very strong in Wicca, or the Craft as it is sometimes called,
other Western Mystery traditions feature prominently, including the ancient Greek Mysteries of
Eleusis, Italian Mysteries of Rome, Etruria and the general countryside, Mysteries of Egypt and
Persia before Islam, and various Babylonian, Assyrian and other mid-eastern Mysteries that
flourished before the political rise of the advocates of "one god".
What's In a Name?
Wicca, Witchcraft, and "The Craft" are used interchangeably at times by many kinds
of people. It is fair to say that all Wiccans are Witches, and many of us believe we are the only
people entitled to the name. It is important to know that many people call themselves witches who
are not in the least Wiccan, and that Masons also refer to themselves as "Craft", with
good historical precedent. Carefully question people on the particular things they do and believe
as part of their religion rather than relying on labels. Any real Wiccan would welcome such
honest inquiry.
Traditions and Flavor
There are specific Wiccan beliefs and traditions, including worship of an equal and mated
Goddess and God who take many forms and have many Names. Groups who worship only a Goddess or
only a God are not traditional Wicca however they may protest, although they may be perfectly
good Pagans of another sort. The Wiccan Goddess and God are linked to nature, ordinary love and
children -- Wicca is very life affirming in flavor.
Because we have and love our own Gods, Wiccans have nothing to do with other people's deities
or devils, like the Christian God or Satan, the Muslim Allah or the Jewish Jehovah (reputedly not
his real name). Christians often deny this fact because they think that their particular god is
the only God, and everybody else in the whole world must be worshipping their devil. How arrogant.
They're wrong on both counts.
Traditional Wicca is a religion of personal responsibility and growth. Initiates take on a
particular obligation to personal development throughout their lives, and work hard to achieve
what we call our "True Will", which is the best possibility that we can conceive for
ourselves. Finding your Will isn't easy, and requires a lot of honesty, courage and hard work.
It is also very rewarding.
Wicca is generally a cheerful religion, and has many holidays and festivals. In fact, most of
the more pleasant holidays now on our calendar are descended from the roots Wicca draws on,
including Christmas, May Day, Easter and Summer Vacation. Wicca is definitely not always serious.
Dancing, feasting and general merriment are a central part of the celebrations.
Wiccan Ethics
Wiccans have ethics which are different in nature than most "one-god" religions,
which hand out a list of "do's and don'ts". We have a single extremely powerful ethical
principal which Initiates are responsible for applying in specific situations according to their
best judgment. That principle is called the Wiccan Rede (Old-English for rule) and reads:
"An (if) it harm none, do as ye Will"
Based on the earlier mention of "True Will", you will understand that the Rede is
far more complex than it sounds, and is quite different than saying "Do whatever you want as
long as nobody is hurt". Finding out your Will is difficult sometimes, and figuring out what
is harmful, rather than just painful or unpleasant is not much easier.
Initiation into Wicca
People become Wiccans only by Initiation, which is a process of contacting and forming a good
relationship with the Gods and Goddesses of Wicca. Initiation is preceded by at least a year and
a day of preparation and study, and must be performed by a qualified Wiccan Priestess and Priest.
The central event of Initiation is between you and your Gods, but the Priestess is necessary to
make the Initiation a Wiccan one, to pass some of her power onto you as a new-made Priestess or
Priest and to connect you to the Tradition you're joining.
Women hold the central place in Wicca. A Traditional Coven is always headed by a High
Priestess, a Third Degree female Witch with at least three years and three days of specific
training. A Priest is optional, but the Priestess is essential. Similarly, a Priest may not
Initiate without a Priestess, but a Priestess alone is sufficient. Women are primary in Wicca for
many reasons, one of which is that the Goddess is central to our religion.
One Religion at a Time
People often ask "Can I become a Wiccan and still remain a Christian, Muslim, practicing
Jew, etc. The answer is no. The "one god" religions reject other paths besides their
own, including each other's. "One-god" religions also do not exalt the Female as does
Wicca, and mixing two such different traditions would water them both down. Besides, you'd have
to ask how serious a person who practiced two religions was about either one. Being Jewish is an
exception, since it is a race and culture as well as a religion. There are many Wiccan Jews, but
they practice Wicca, not Judaism.
Magick and Science
People interested in Wicca are usually curious about the magick that Wiccans can do. While
magick (spelled with a "k" to distinguish from stage conjuring) is not a religion in
itself, it is related to our religious beliefs. Wiccans believe that people have many more
abilities than are generally realized, and that it is a good idea to develop them. Our magick is
a way of using natural forces to change consciousness and material conditions as an expression of
our "True Wills". Part of becoming a Wiccan is training in our methods of psychic and
magickal development.
Because we believe that everything a person does returns to them magnified, a Wiccan will not
work a magick for harm, since they would pay too high a price. But a helpful magick is good for
both the giver and receiver! Wicca is entirely compatible with the scientific method, and we
believe all the Gods and forces we work with to be quite natural, not supernatural at all. We do
not, however, hold with the kind of scientific dogma or pseudo religion that sees everything as
dead matter and neglects its own method by trumpeting "facts" without honest
examination of evidence.
Priestesses at Large?
Long ago the spiritual (and sometimes physical) ancestors of Wiccans were Priestesses and
Priests to the Pagan culture as well as devotees of their Mystery. Now that a Pagan culture is
rising again, some ask if today's Wiccans could resume that role. This seems unlikely.
Today's Pagan culture is very diverse and more interested in exploring and creating new forms
than in building on existing traditions. A public role would either dilute our traditions or
force them on an unwilling audience. The neo-Pagan community generally prefers "media
figures" and rapid membership and growth. This is not compatible with our slow methods of
training and Initiation, the insistence that livelihood come from work outside the Craft, or our
needs for privacy. Our religion is not accepted in the American workplace or political system,
and may never be. The most powerful Priestesses are often unknown to all but their Coveners.
While all Wiccans are Pagans, all Pagans are not Wiccan, and it is best that it remain so.
{file "Principles of Wiccan Beliefs (American Council of Witches, 1974)" "bos056.htm"}
Principles of Wiccan Beliefs
1974, Council of American Witches
We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life
forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarter.
We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our
environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment
to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.
We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person.
Because it is far greater than ordinary, it is sometimes called supernatural, but we see it as
lying within that which is naturally potential to all.
We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity --
as masculine and feminine -- and that this same Creative Power lies in all people, and
functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the
other, knowing each to be supportive to the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and
embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and
religious worship.
We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological, worlds sometimes known as the
Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner Planes, etc. -- and we see in the
interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises.
We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.
We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect
those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously
given of themselves in leadership.
We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the
world and lives within it -- a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as
Witchcraft -- the Wiccan Way.
Calling oneself "Witch" does not make a Witch -- but neither does heredity
itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the
forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm
to others and in harmony with Nature.
We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and
development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within
it.
Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of
life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the only way" and have
sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.
As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the
origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are
concerned with our present and our future.
We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as
"Satan" or "the Devil", as defined by the Christian traditions. We do not
seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only
by denial to another.
We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and
wellbeing.
{file "The Wiccan Way (Lady Beckett)" "bos057.htm"}
The Wiccan Way
by Lady Beckett of Circle Atheneum in San Diego, CA in 1988.
Recognizing that there is more than one path to spiritual
enlightenment and that Wicca is but one of many, and that Wicca
holds within itself the belief that there is more than one type of
step set to the spiral dance, find here listed common denominators
of the Craft.
That there is above all the Goddess in her three-fold aspect and many
are her names. With all her names we call her Maiden, Mother and
Crone.
That there is the God, consort and son, giver of strength and most
willing of sacrifice.
That and it harm none, do what ye will shall be the law.
That each of her children are bound by the three-fold law and that
whatever we create, be it joy or sorrow, laughter or pain, is brought
back to us three-fold.
That as she is the mother of all living things and we are all her
children, we seek to live in harmony not only with each other, but
with the planet earth that is our womb and home.
That life upon the earth is not a burden to be born, but a joy to be
learned and shared with others.
That death is not an ending of existence, but a step in the on-going
process of life.
That there is no sacrifice of blood, for She is the mother of all
living things, and from her all things proceed and unto her all
things must return.
That each and everyone of the children who follow this path has
no need of another between themselves and the Goddess, but may find
Her within themselves.
That there shall not by intent be a desecration of another's symbols
of beliefs, for we are all seeking harmony within the One.
That each person's faith is private unto themselves and that
another's belief is not to be set out and made public.
That the Wiccan way is not to seek converts, but that the way be
made open to those who for reasons of their own seek and find the Craft.
And as it is willed, so mote it be.
{file "The Charge of the Goddess (D. Valiente)" "bos058.htm"}
The Charge of the Goddess
Whenever ye have need of any thing, once in the month, and
better it be when the moon is full, then shall ye assemble in
some secret place and adore the spirit of She, who is Queen of
all witches. There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn
all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to these will
She teach things that are yet unknown. And ye shall be free from
slavery; and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be naked
in your rites; and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and
love, all in Her praise. For Hers is the ecstasy of the spirit,
and Hers also is joy on earth; for Her law is love unto all
beings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let
naught stop you or turn you aside. For Hers is the secret door
which opens upon the land of youth and Hers is the cup of wine of
life, and the cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of
immortality. She is the gracious goddess, who gives the gift of
joy unto the heart of man. Upon earth, She gave the knowledge of
the spirit eternal; and beyond death, She gives peace and
freedom, and reunion with those who have gone before. Nor does
She demand sacrifice, for behold, She is the mother of all
living, and Her love is poured out upon the earth.
She who is the beauty of the green earth, and the white moon
among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of
the heart of man, calls unto thy soul. Arise, and come unto Her.
For She is the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe.
from Her all things proceed, and unto Her all things must return;
and before Her face, beloved of gods and men, let thine innermost
divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let Her
worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all acts
of love and pleasure are Her rituals. And therefore let there be
beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility,
mirth and reverence within you. And thou who thinkest to seek
Her, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless
thou knowest the mystery; that if that which thou seekest thou
findest not within thee, then thou wilt never find it without
thee. For behold, She has been with thee from the beginning; and
She is that which is attained at the end of desire.
{file "Satanism vs. Wicca (Diane Vera)" "bos059.htm"}
The article below was written back in 1991 or 1992 e.v.
For an update by the author, please see:
http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/dvera/pagan/intro.html#bos.
Satanism vs. Wicca
by Diane Vera
Since your main worry seems to be public relations, here's how I would make the distinction
between Wicca and Satanism, in a way that is fair to both sides and does not throw Satanists to
the dogs:
Wicca and Satanism are quite distinct. Wiccans worship pre-Christian deities (or a modern-day
composite of pre-Christian deities) and do not worship the Christian anti-God. Some Satanists
also worship a pre-Christian deity, but regard the Christian anti-God as a manifestation of their
deity, which Wiccans do not. Wicca and Satanism are very different in their aims and tone. Wicca
emphasizes harmony and balance, whereas Satanism emphasizes spiritual self-liberation via
iconoclasm and catharsis.
I should mention, though, there's one possible problem with that last sentence. Some feminist
Wiccans might take offense at it, since it implies the more radical forms of feminist Wicca are
really more like Satanism than like Wicca. Which in my opinion they are. If you've read some of
Mary Daly's books, you'll know what I mean.
I myself identify as a feminist Goddess-oriented neo-Pagan, as well as a Satanist. Indeed,
feminist Goddess religion is still my primary religious identification. (Satanism is how I
relate to "male" energy.) I don't and never did call myself a feminist
"Wiccan".
By the way, while I accept today's use of the word Wicca (with a capital W) to refer to a
specific European-based religion with a very specific worldview, I do not accept the
attempt by Wiccans to copyright the words "witch" and "witchcraft". These
words are generic terms, not the property of any one religion. They refer to occult practices
found in many religions around the world. A Satanist has as much right to the word
"witch" as anyone else. (It so happens that I don't call myself a
"witch", but for a different reason: I think many "witches" are making
exaggerated claims to occult power, and I don't want to give the appearance of making such an
exaggerated claim.)
{file "Women vs. Men (Michele Haas)" "bos060.htm"}
Women vs. Men
By: Michelle Hass (in conversation with Scott Szakonyi)
"Ok folks, Loki and I have been chatting, and we're ready to raise a
ruckus that might go on for months."
Chiniginish and I relish the challenge... with Coyote looking over our
shoulders and chuckling...
"Here's the question: Are women superior to men, and if so, why? I think that
women are superior to men in the modern world because evolution is lagging society. Most of the
evolution of the human race (about 60 million yrs) took place in hunter/gatherer tribes, where
aggressive behavior on the part of the male hunters was a survival trait, and relating/caring
behavior was a survival trait for females. Now, in the 20 thousand or so years since we have
become agrarian, the need for male hunter aggressiveness has gone the way of the Dodo, while the
need for relating/caring behavior has become primary. Where does this leave us?
"Well, as I see it, women are almost ideally suited to the overcrowded,
communication-intensive environment that we call modern society. Men, on the other hand, are like
people with no arms playing handball. It's not that we're bad folk, it's just that we were
designed by evolution for an environment that hasn't existed for 20 thousand years, which
is a real drop in the bucket in terms of evolution. Evolution isn't going to be giving us any
help for at least a few million years; maybe never since we are constantly screwing up the gene
pool with our wars that leave the genetically defective to breed and send the genetically
preferable off to evolutionary dead ends. So all we men can do is try to better ourselves and ask
for patience on the part of women, who must feel like the entire male sex has completely missed
the boat."
Well, you've got a nice point, but it assumes something that I believe 'taint necessarily so.
Is male aggressiveness part of nature or nurture? The jury seems to be coming back from a long
period of deliberation, and it looks like the verdict is nurture.
This very nicely dovetails with my own theory of what thelemites refer to as the
"procession of the aeons". In Crowley's notorious Liber Al vel Legis, we are said to
be passing from an aeon of belief in suffering male gods and patriarchy to an aeon of belief in
the value of Self and of partnership between the sexes. Crowley called the old aeon the
"Aeon of Osiris" and the new the "Aeon of Horus, the Crowned and Conquering
Child." The enthroned Child is not masculine or feminine, but androgynous/gynandrous. The
aeon before the Osirian was that of Isis, an aeon of Great Mother Goddesses and matriarchy.
My chronology is a little different than that which Crowley attributed to these three epochs
of human history so far. Crowley declared that the Aeon of Horus began with the Spring Equinox
of +1904 Common, just before the writing of the Book of the Law. I maintain that the change is
still taking place, and had its roots in the +1700s Common. The writings of the philosopher Locke
were some of the first to make a very important quantum jump, and provided ideological impetus
for the vital changes that have and are taking place.
What Locke asserted was that government did not rest on Divine Right, but on the consent of
the governed. Human beings were not born to different castes, some fated to serve while others
were fated to rule by the grace of the gods. Human beings were born equal, and had certain rights
as a birthright: Life, Liberty, the right to pursue Happiness, and the right to security of
private property.
This assertion shows up in Liber Al as these statements:
"Every Man and Every Woman is a Star."
"Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law."
"Love Is The Law, Love Under Will."
"Thou hast no right but to do thy Will."
In a little less arcane language, these statements run thusly:
Every Individual matters.
Every Individual has the right to live, be free and pursue Happiness (harmony with one's life's
purpose, or True Will) as they Will.
These rights stop at the boundary of the Wills of others. Live your life as you see fit, but mind
your own business and above all, harm nobody. This includes yourself in a very conditional
way. You do have the right to self-destruction, but if you truly believe that you matter,
why would you want to?
These assertions are usually encountered firstly in a Locke-inspired document that has passed
into the history of this country, the Declaration of Independence. If there is any one document
that is a trigger point for the New Aeon, it's that one. The American Revolution was the first
time monarchy was cast aside in favor of democracy of a representative sort. Democracy was tried
before, but never quite this way. And despite several course corrections that needed to be made,
(the abolishment of Slavery, the giving of Women, Blacks and Amerinds the right to vote) and some
that still need to be made (the granting of total equality for all races and sexes, a shift to a
more direct method of participation, ie Cyber-democracy) the democratic experiment in the United
States is the most enduring of all.
Before the 1700s, government was imposed from above, not thought of as flowing from the
consent of the governed. Individuals were not accorded rights as a birthright, but were granted
rights by the king, usually on a class-by-class basis. Human beings were dealt with as masses and
classes, on a Collective basis.
Coincidental with these developments was a surfacing of hermetic thought in a more widespread
way then ever before in history. The Rosicrucian and Freemason movements brought hermeticism to a
wide audience. Within the ranks of Freemasonry were both common and noble, and often commoners
would be lodgemasters in lodges frequented by those of noble birth. Hermetic orders ennobled not
by birth, but by level of knowledge and initiation and (hopefully) by level of spiritual
attainment.
Now, this was fine in theory, but unfortunately in practice things weren't so swift. It was
only until the mid-1800s and groups like the original Golden Dawn that women had the possibility
of initiation. Even now, in Masonic lodges that have lost their occult focus and are now little
more than men's clubs, men are ritually strip-searched to assure the initiator that the candidate
is indeed male and not a disguised female.
The baggage of the old days of sexism and classism remain in a lot of hermetic orders even
today. Crowley himself had serious problems accepting women as equals: he had a rather low
opinion of them and was quite cruel to them in numerous cases. But very explicit in the message
of the New Aeon is that people are to be dealt with, not by sex or race or social strata but by
their inborn, inalienable rights as individuals... as Stars, to use a thelemic term.
The Neo-pagan movement was a definite evolutionary step in defining a New Aeon mode of
spirituality. Unlike the traditional hermetic order, Wicca and other forms of Neo-paganism do not
have a multiplicity of ranks and a chain of command. Some have three degrees, some two, some only
one, that of initiate. Initiation is not a bestowal of rank, but more a purpose-oriented process.
As magickal orders continue to evolve, they will either need to emulate more and more the
informality and non-hierarchical non-structure of Neo-paganism or choke on their bloated
hierarchies. It is funny when one considers that there is much evidence to suggest that
Neo-paganism evolved from the Astrum Argentum and the OTO, and that much of Gardner's
groundbreaking work in reconstructing the old pre-Osirian Druidic religion was helped along with
the research help of Uncle Al himself.
Perhaps, as the knightly orders of the past were meant as guardians of the Christian Church,
there will become a symbiotic connection between Neo-paganism and Magickal orders, especially
among those whose non-structure mimics that of the coven. Arguably this symbiosis exists now,
and hell, I'm living proof of this.
So what the deuce does this have to do with the sexes? You'll see as I wrap this up. Ok...
remember I mentioned that before the Osirian epoch and the patriarchy, which seems to have come
in with the rise of the big cities and the transformation from a hunter/gatherer society to an
agrarian one (methinks you have placed the transformation a little too far into the past) there
was the Isian epoch and the matriarchy? Well, before patriarchal philosophy displaced
matriarchalism, women pretty much ran things. They didn't hunt because to place women, who were
the living image of the Goddess and the ex-nihilo creatrixes of the next generation, in bodily
jeopardy was literally blasphemy. Women were the intermediaries for men to the Goddess, who was
unapproachable otherwise. The men had their hunting cults, but they were as insignificant in
reality as the Victorian-era anthropologists misread the ancient religion of the Goddess as
merely an inferior "fertility cult."
When the transition came to the cities and to patriarchy sometime around -10,000 to -7,500
Common, the long-suppressed males took by force what the Goddesses of the Isian era denied them
by their divine decree... power. Male warrior deities replaced female mother deities. The
priestesses of the old religions were destroyed. (The Book of Joshua in the Old Testament is a
vivid account of one triumph of Osiris over Isis.) And the new order began. But the old
matriarchal religions survived for several thousands of years after the turn of the aeon, and it
is painfully obvious that the old patriarchal ways will haunt us for thousands of years into the
future, even as new ways take hold and new philosophies become more accepted. But it really is
nurture rather than nature that makes men aggressive and women passive. Men can learn to be
nurturing and loving, and women can learn to be assertive and empowered. In order that we can
truly enter this new aeon where all are leaders and all are Stars, we each have to cultivate the
"other side" of our Selves. No, women are not superior to men, nor is it the other way
around. Every Individual matters. Everyone has the potential to be a King, in the thelemic sense
of the word. We need to learn to treat all with dignity, be they material successes or abject
material failures. We need to treat even those still enslaved by the old ideas fixes with
as much dignity as those who have declared their secession from them and their embracing of the
New Law.
The evolution is really and truly in our own hands.
Beauty and balance, Will and Love,
Michelle.
The coven that I've been working with in Denver begins its cup blessing by
a dialogue between the Priest and the Priestess. Both have a hand each on
the athame and the chalice:
Priest: "Be it known that a man is not greater than a woman.
Priestess: "Nor yet is a woman greater than a man"
Priest: "For what one lacks"
Priestess: "The other can provide"
Priest" "As the Athame is to the male"
Priestess: So is the cup to the female.
Both: And when conjoined together, they become one in truth, for there is
no greater magick in all the world than that of love.
BB Rowan
{file "WHAT IS D.A.W.N.? (Denver Area Wiccan Network)" "bos061.htm"}
What Is D.A.W.N.?
The Denver Area Wiccan Network is a group of pagans and friends from a wide variety of Craft
traditions. DAWN sponsors parties, group rituals, a student/teacher network and other activities
as inspired or impelled.
Why do I want to join DAWN?
- You want to be part of an active, growing community of Wiccans who can work together to make
some changes in their world;
- You want to meet people and make new friends who share your basic values--people you
can be yourself with, no need to keep your cover;
- You want an ongoing opportunity to exchange views and information with people from groups or
traditions other than your own;
- You want to be in on the creation of a Denver pagan extended family which will make all the
above possible;
- You like hugs, and you enjoy being warmly welcomed.
Do I have to "Go Public" to be a member?
No. Only the Board Chair and Secretary are expected to be "public," and the
identities of all other members are fiercely protected.
How do I join?
Dues are $13 per coven, $5 per solitary, payable twice yearly in May and November. These
cover the cost of mailings and the setup costs for parties and rituals, as well as other costs
authorized by the Board and/or Steering Committee.
Do I have to join DAWN to participate?
No. All parties are open to pagans and friends. To find out about them and other DAWN
functions, write us at the P.O. Box listed below (postage is appreciated) or call Bob Key on his
answering machine. Another way to find out more about DAWN is to show up at one of our Steering
Committee meetings. They are held at 6:30 pm, the second Sunday of each month, at the Glendale
Community Center (999 S. Clermont).
Thank you for your interest in DAWN!
D.A.W.N. Bob Key
P.O. Box 11202 (303) 758-2115
Englewood, Colorado 80151
BYLAWS
Denver Area Wiccan Network
Last amended June 11, 1989
- BOARD OF DIRECTORS
- The Board of Directors (hereinafter referred to as the Board) shall be selected by the
Steering Committee from among the active members of DAWN such that:
- Each coven shall have no more than one member on the Board; if there are fewer than 5
member covens, then there may be a second Director from any coven;
- There shall be at least one member of the Board who is a member of a coven; and
- There shall be at least one member on the Board from among the DAWN members who are not
members of any coven.
- The Board shall have no fewer than 4 members and no more than 13 members. It shall
determine its own size within those limits.
- The Board may appoint members of DAWN to fill vacancies on the Board. Persons so
appointed shall serve only until the next regular election.
- Each elected Director (member of the Board) holds a two-year term, except that, when the
size of the board is increased, half of the new positions shall initially be for one year
only. Any person serving one elected term may not be reelected as a Director until they have
been retired from the Board for one year.
- Each seated Director may designate an Alternate to speak and vote in their stead when they
are absent from Board meetings. The identity of this Alternate shall be recorded in the Minutes
of the Board, and no other person may serve this function until the Director changes the
designation and the change is on record. Being named Alternate to a Director does not
automatically name them Alternate to any offices that director may hold; however, they may so
serve at the discretion of the Chair.
- The Board shall elect Officers from among the Directors for the positions of Chair,
Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. This shall be done after each new election, and no later
than the next regular meeting of the Board.
- A quorum of the Board shall consist of 70 percent of the Directors, either present or
represented by their Alternate.
- The Board shall elect a Newsletter Editor from the general membership of DAWN. This officer
shall serve at the will of the Board and report directly to the Board.
- The Board shall meet regularly, at least four times per year, at a time and place to be
fixed by the Board. Additionally, The Chair or any two Directors may call a Board meeting upon
giving at least 7 days notice to all Directors by U.S. Mail, or upon at least 2 days notice
given by telegram. Said notice will be deemed delivered when deposited in the U.S. Mail with
the last known address of the Director and proper postage thereon prepaid, or when the given
to the telegram company. Any Director may waive notice of any meeting. The attendance of a
Director at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice, except when the Director attends
the meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of business because the
meeting has not been lawfully called or convened. The notice of meeting need only contain the
date, time, and place of the meeting.
- The Board may make rules to govern the conduct of its own meetings.
- All Board Meetings are open to the membership of DAWN. Accordingly, any Director is
required to furnish information regarding dates, times and places of upcoming Board meetings
to any DAWN member upon request.
- STEERING COMMITTEE
- The Steering Committee shall be composed of the Directors, one representative from each
member coven and proportional representation for such DAWN members as do not belong to any
member coven (hereinafter referred to as Solitaries). The method of choosing a coven
representative is left to the discretion of the individual coven. A method for choosing
representation for Solitaries will be determined by said Solitaries, subject to approval by the
Board. There shall be at least one (1) representative of the Solitaries, who is not a Director,
on the Steering Committee.
- Steering Committee members must commit to serve for at least six (6) months. They may serve
as long as their constituents wish them to serve.
- The Steering Committee shall elect a Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Clerk of the Committee
from among its members.
- A quorum of the Steering Committee for the purpose of amending the Bylaws or Constitution
shall be two-thirds (2/3) of the committee. A quorum for other business shall be a majority of
the Committee.
- Steering Committee members will not have alternates.
- The Steering Committee may make rules to govern the conduct of its own meetings.
- Decisions made by the Steering Committee shall be referred to the Board for action, except
as otherwise provided for in these Bylaws.
- Any recommendation that dues be levied or changed must receive at least two-thirds (2/3) of
the votes cast by the Steering Committee, ten (10) days notice having been given that dues will
be discussed.
- The Steering Committee shall meet regularly at a time and place to be fixed by the
Committee. Additionally, the Board may call Steering Committee meetings with 15 days notice
should such meetings be necessary.
- OFFICERS
- Chair - duties shall include:
- Presiding over meetings of the Board.
- Presiding over meetings of the general membership of DAWN.
- Preparing an agenda for Board meetings.
- Preparing an agenda for meetings of the general membership of DAWN.
- Vice-Chair - shall perform the duties of the Chair when the Chair is absent or
incapacitated.
- Secretary - duties shall include:
- Maintaining accurate and current minutes of all meetings of the Board and all
business-related meetings of the general membership of DAWN. All such minutes are to be made
available, upon reasonable notice, to all members of the body so recorded, and are to be
presented at the next meeting of the Board for approval.
- Handling correspondence other than the newsletter and general announcements.
- Maintaining an accurate and current list of members and friends of DAWN. The Secretary may
NOT release the addresses, phone numbers, or full names of any person associated with DAWN,
except as noted in this paragraph, to any person, without specific permission from said
person. The Secretary will share this list with the Newsletter Editor. When leaving this job,
the Secretary will turn over all copies of the membership list, in whatever form, to their
successor in these duties.
- Treasurer - is responsible for maintaining all the financial records of DAWN. The Treasurer
is also responsible for the safekeeping and expenditure of the monies held by DAWN as directed
by the Board.
- Speaker - shall preside over meetings of the Steering Committee and prepare an agenda for
said meetings.
- Deputy Speaker - shall perform the duties of the Speaker when the Speaker is absent or
incapacitated.
- Clerk of the Committee - is responsible for maintaining accurate and current minutes of all
meetings of the Steering Committee. All such minutes are to be available to members of the
Steering Committee, and are to be presented at the next meeting of that body for approval.
- Newsletter Editor - duties shall include:
- Providing timely announcements of meetings and other DAWN functions.
- Providing a regular newsletter in keeping with DAWN policies.
- Maintaining an accurate and current list of newsletter recipients. The Newsletter Editor
may NOT release the addresses, phone numbers or full names of any person associated with
DAWN, except as noted in this paragraph, to any person, without specific permission from said
person. The Newsletter Editor will share the mailing list with the Secretary. When leaving
this job, the Newsletter Editor will turn over all copies of the mailing list, in whatever
form, to their successor in these duties.
- AMENDMENTS
In order to amend this document, the proposed change must receive the
votes of at least two-thirds of the Directors and must receive at least
two-thirds of the votes cast at a proper meeting of the Steering Committee,
both bodies having received at least 20 days notice of the proposed
amendment.
- ELECTIONS
On the second Sunday in October, The Steering Committee shall meet to
hold an election. At this time, the Steering Committee will elect
replacements for Directors whose term is expiring. Names will be taken in
nomination, consent obtained from those nominated, and one ballot cast.
Each Committee member, including retiring and interim Directors, shall have
as many votes as there are vacancies. The qualified candidate with the
most votes will fill the first vacancy - two year terms being filled first.
As each vacancy is filled, members of the successful candidate's coven are
stricken from the list. If only one vacancy remains and either part I.A.2
or part I.A.3 of the Bylaws has not been fulfilled, then only those
candidates who meet the criterion can be selected; otherwise, the position
will remain vacant to be filled by the Board, as soon as possible, by
appointment. If a tie exists between equally qualified candidates, where
all may not serve, a runoff election shall be held between those
candidates. Misspellings shall not invalidate ballots where the
appropriate person can be discerned; nor shall voting for fewer than the
number of vacancies. Voting for too many candidates shall invalidate that
ballot. No individual shall vote more than one time for the same person;
therefore duplicate names on a single ballot shall count as only one vote.
All elected persons take office at the first meeting in November.
- Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised (copyright 1970) will govern in any circumstances not
covered by the Rules, Bylaws or Constitution of DAWN.
- DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS ON DISSOLUTION
In the event of dissolution of the organization, all remaining assets will be delivered to a
tax-exempt organization to be chosen at the time of dissolution by the Board of Directors.
{file "Glossary Of Terms Commonly Used In Wicca" "bos062.htm"}
GLOSSARY OF TERMS COMMONLY USED IN WICCA
Copyright 1992 by Rowan Moonstone and Durwydd MacTara
AKASHA- the spiritual ether (or Aether); the omnipresent
fifth occult element which embraces the other four- earth,
air, fire, and water; and from which they stem. This is the
realm of "pattern" or causality, from which the realm the
normally thought of "five senses manifests. Some define it
is the "other" of the "two worlds" that the witch or
magician walks between.
ARADIA- Daughter of the Goddess Diana, and a name for the
Goddess used by Italian Witches or Strega, commonly used in
many Wiccan traditions today.
ASPECTING- Any advanced magickal activity in which a practitioner
manifests a particular aspect of the Goddess or God, in thought,
feelings, behavior, appearance, etc.; Often as a direct result of a
"Drawing Down". Often a minor variation of this phenomena occurs with
the selection of a "Magical Name", of Craft Name.
ASPECTS- Forms, facets, or personas of Deity: for example, Brighid,
Iseult,Eos, and Kore are all aspects of the Maiden, and the Maiden
is an aspect of the Goddess.
ATHAME- black handled, double edged dagger. Principally used
to cast and dissolve the circle, for which purposes it is
interchangeable with the magic sword. A tool of the
"Element" of Fire in the Georgian Tradition and some others.
BELTANE- May Eve festival. One of the Ancient Celtic "Fire
Festivals." on this night, the cattle were driven between
two bonfires to protect them from disease. Couples wishing
for fertility would " jump the fires" on Beltane night. Also
the traditional Sabbath where the rule of the "Wheel of the
Year" is returned to the Goddess. This Festival also marks
the transition point of the threefold Goddess energies from
those of Maiden to Mother.
BOOK OF SHADOWS- Traditionally hand copied book of rituals,
recipes, training techniques, guidelines, and other
materials deemed important to a Witch or a coven. Each
tradition has it's own standard version of the Book and each
Witch's book will be different as he or she adds to it with
time from many different sources. Only another Witch can see
your book of shadows. Also, traditionally, it may never
leave your hands or possession until death, when it should
be destroyed, or (in some traditions) returned to the coven
to be disposed of.
BURNING TIMES- a term used by some Witches for the period of
persecution in the Middle Ages and later. It is in fact a
misnomer in some places, as Witches were only burned in
Scotland, and on the continent of Europe. In England and the
U.S., they were hanged.
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206
CANDLEMAS- Festival held on Feb. 1. One of the 4 Celtic
"Fire Festivals. Commemorates the changing of the Goddess
from the Crone to the Maiden. Celebrates the first signs of
Spring. Also called "Imbolc" (the old Celtic name). This is
the seasonal change where the first signs of spring and the
return of the sun are noted, i.e. the first sprouting of
leaves, the sprouting of the Crocus flowers etc. In other
words, it is the festival commemorating the successful
passing of winter and the beginning of the agricultural
year.This Festival also marks the transition point of the
threefold Goddess energies from those of Crone to Maiden.
CARDINAL POINTS- North, South, East, and West, marked in the
Georgian Tradition by candles of green, red, yellow, and
blue, respectively. The Circle is drawn to connect these
four points.
CHALICE- one of the tools of the Witch. Placed on the altar
to represent the element of Water.
CHARGE OF THE GODDESS- The Traditional words of the Goddess
to her followers, or "hidden children". Normally declaimed
by the HPS at every coven Circle.
CIRCLE- the area in which the magickal worship and spells
takes place. Can also be used to designate a particular
group of Witches or Pagans such as "Silver Acorn Circle".
CONE OF POWER- power raised in the circle by the Witches
assembled, and sent out into the world to work magick, is
usually visualized as being retained and built in the form
of a "cone" prior to release.
COVEN- an organized group of Witches, led by a High
priestess and/or a High Priest who meet regularly for
worship and fellowship. The traditional membership is 13,
but in fact most covens number considerably less. 3 is the
minimum in the Georgian Tradition. In Middle English,
"Covin" a group of confederates; In Old French "Covine" a
band or group with a single purpose; Latin "Com"-together,
"Venire"-to come or move.
COVENSTEAD- regular meeting place for a coven. Usually the
home of the High Priestess or High Priest.
COWAN- a non-Witch. Formerly used in a very derogatory
manner. Still used in Masonic Ritual to indicate the non
initiate and/or pretender to "real craft". Not often used
today among most Witches.
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207
COYOTE ENERGY- trickster energies. Named for the American
Indian Trickster, Coyote, who tricks man into learning what
he needs to learn. Applies to one who constantly jokes and
clowns. Also applies to the concept of "Holy Fool" in many
traditions.
CROSS QUARTER DAYS- The modern name for the Celtic Fire
Festivals of Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lammas.
DEOSIL- clockwise, or sunwise. Traditional direction for
working "building" magick.
DRAWING DOWN THE MOON- Ritual invocation of the spirit of
the Goddess into the body of the High Priestess by the High
Priest.
DIVINATION- magical method of exploration or inquiry into a
situation via such methods as Tarot cards, runestones, I-
Ching, etc.
ELEMENTS- Earth, air, fire, and water, plus spirit, which
includes them all. These are regarded as realms or
categories of nature (both material and non-material) and
are not to be confused with the physicists table of
elements, which the modern witch, of course, accepts.
ESBAT- weekly or biweekly meeting of a coven. Traditionally
held either on the full moon or the new moon.
FAMILIARS- Either a Witch's pet animal which has been
trained to be a magickal helper, or an artificially
created "elemental" which performs the same functions as
the animal friend.
FIVEFOLD KISS, FIVEFOLD SALUTE- The Witches' ritual salute,
with kisses; (1) on each foot, (2) on each knee, (3) above
the pubic hair, (4) on each breast, and (5) on the lips-
really 8 kisses in all. It is only used within the Circle,
but the words that go with it are the origin of "Blessed
Be."
GARDNERIANS- Tradition of Witchcraft descended from the
teachings of Gerald Gardner.
GNOMES- an "entity" or "elemental" that dwells in the plane
of Earth or is associated with the EARTH Element.
GREAT RITE- The rite which is the main feature of the third
degree initiation, and which is also laid down for certain
festivals. It is sexual in nature, but may be `actual'
(and private to the couples concerned) or symbolic, as the
participants wish.
HALLOWS- name used by some traditions for Samhain, or
Halloween
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208
HANDFASTING- Wiccan equivalent of a wedding. It can be made
legal if the Priestess and/or Priest are registered as
clergy with the local authorities, or it may only be
considered binding within the coven.
HIGH PRIEST/ESS- Technically speaking, a Witch who has
received the 3rd. degree initiation. More usually, the male
and female leaders of a coven.
IMBOLC- Celtic name for Candlemas.
INVOCATION- The ritual "calling-in" of an entity (or
energies) higher than human, either for communication with
the caller through a medium or by visible manifestation or
else to enter into a human body as in the Drawing Down the
Moon. In some traditions, a Prayer.
LAMMAS- August 1st. Witch Festival. The Old Celtic name for
this festival is Lughnassadh. It is the Festival of the
First Fruits, and is the first of the 3 harvests. This
festival also marks the change of the Threefold Goddess
energies from that of Mother to Crone.
MAIDEN- An appointment held by one of the women of the
coven. She is virtually the assistant High Priestess. This
term is also the descriptive term used to describe the first
of the aspects of the Threefold Goddess Energies (Maiden,
Mother, and Crone). It is traditionally associated with the
Waxing Moon, and the period from Imbolc (Candlemas) to
Beltane (May eve) where the energies are those of
initiating, beginning, and creation.
OLD RELIGION- another name for the Craft.
PAGANING- Presentation of an infant to the Circle and to the
Gods.
PENTACLE- a disc shaped talisman; in particular, the metal
disc which represents the earth element among the witch's
working tools.
PENTAGRAM- The five-pointed star. With a single point
uppermost, it represents the human being. Inverted, with two
points uppermost, it can have Satanist associations; but not
necessarily. Some traditions of Wicca use the inverted
pentagram to signify an initiate of the second degree.
QUARTERS- The North, East, South, and West parts of a
magickal circle or other ritual area. (See also
"Watchtowers")
REDE- rule or law.
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209
SABBAT- one of the Eight festivals or high holy days of
Wicca.
SALAMANDER- an entity that dwells in the realm of Fire.
SAMHAIN- The festival of remembrance for the dead, held on
the eve of Nov. 1st. It is the last of the three harvests.
This festival also marks the transition of rulership of the
"Wheel of the Year from that of the Goddess to that of the
God.
SCRYING- divination, usually using such methods as crystal
gazing, or divination via incense smoke, or water as opposed
to tarot or other manipulative means.
SPELL- a prayer, or verbal direction of magickal energies
toward the accomplishment of some goal.
SUMMONER- The male officer of the coven who corresponds to
the Maiden. He is the assistant High Priest.
SYLPH- an "entity" or "elemental" that dwells in the plane
of Air or is associated with the AIR Element.
TRADITIONS- any of the various "sects" of Wicca such as
Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Georgian, Seax, etc.
UNDINE- an "entity" or "elemental" that dwells in the plane
of Water or is associated with the WATER Element.
WAND- A rod or staff that is prepared so that it may be used
for magickal or psychic purposes, usually to project some
form of power.
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210
WARLOCK- a term coined in the Burning Times . It was used to
denote a traitor to the Craft, or one who had betrayed the
followers of the Old Religion. It's origin is Scottish.
Because of the negative connotations, it is not used by most
Wiccans today.
WATCH TOWERS- Originally from the Enochian branch of
Ceremonial Magick, now incorporated into many "Traditions"
of Wicca, these are the four elemental "directions" or
"quarters" (corresponding to the appropriate points on the
compass) called to protect the Circle during its
establishment. Each of them have a correspondence between
the compass point, an element, and (varying amongst
different traditions) color associated with them.
WICCA- the name most modern day Witches use for the Craft.
It comes from the Anglo-Saxon word Wicce, meaning to bend or
to shape. This is the root word from which we get wicker.
WIDDERSHINS- counter clock wise. Used for "tearing down"
OR BANISHING magick.
WHITE HANDLED KNIFE- the working knife of a Witch. It is
used to carve candles, and for fashioning the other tools.
Traditionally, it can only be used in a Circle.
Copyright 1991 by Rowan Moonstone and Durwydd MacTara.
Permission to reprint for educational purposes at no cost is hereby granted
to all and sundry, provided the text is not altered in any way.
Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD
211
{file "Ritual For The Healing And Preservation Of Rainforests" "bos063.htm"}
MOON WEB
C/O Michael Harismides
PO Box 4538, Sunnyside, New York 11104-4538
Subscription $3.00 a year
RITUAL FOR THE HEALING AND PRESERVATION OF RAINFORESTS
May 24th, 1988
8 pm local time
(Individual version):
Cast a circle
Invoke elements by calling upon them in protective aspects (for example,
you might invoke Watchfires or Beacons in the South).
Chant the names of the Earth Goddess, beginning with your personal
favorites, then naming as many as you can think of.
Take a piece of green string. Begin to tie knots in it, while chanting:
Tying the Cord, Renewing the Earth;
We are Her Children, bringing Rebirth.
(The knots may be simple or elaborate, but leave enough string to tie
together at the end.) As you chant, see the world as a network of
connected systems. Breathe the air that comes from the jungles of South
America. Feel the living fire of an ocelot's power. Taste the rain on the
leaves at the tops of the trees. Feel the delicate structure of the soil
at the forest floor.)
Tie the cord together in a loop; hold it up, strung around your two hands,
and begin chanting:
We are the Flow and we are the Ebb;
We are the Weavers, we are the Web.
As you chant, see yourself standing guard over the borders of the
rainforest. See yourself with others, protecting rainforest as you would
protect yourself,_because that's what you're doing._
Bury the cord in a container of earth. Earth the power; thank the Deities
and elements; open the circle. Later bury the cord in the forest if
possible.
Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD
212
(If circumstances make the above impossible):
Sit quietly and see: the network of ecosystems that make up the world; the
rainforests thriving; plants and animals breeding; the Earth, green and
filled with life; yourself, standing guard. Breathe, and know that the air
comes from the sea and the jungles of Brazil. Drink and know that the
water has been around the world, and circulates through you as it does
through the air, land, and sea. Stand up and stretch; the strength of your
body is the Earth's strength.
RITUAL
FOR THE HEALING AND PRESERVATION
OF RAINFORESTS
(Group version):
Facilitators give each participant a slip of paper containing the name of
an Earth Goddess and a Nature God.
Facilitators invoke elements, stressing protective/preservative aspects of
each one and ending with "Into this circle I call the Element Air! (Fire,
Water, Earth.)" After each such invocation, a dancer or dancers
representing the particular element come into the circle from outside and
do an elemental dance.
A facilitator says: "We now call upon the Earth Goddess by her many
names!" Participants call out the Goddess name on their slip of paper,
then any other Goddess names they wish. This ends on a signal from the
drums.
A facilitator says: "We now call upon the God of Nature by his many Names!"
The God is invoked in the same fashion as the Goddess, ending with a drum
signal.
The elemental dancers go to the quarters and begin passing out pieces of
green string, while a facilitator explains that the condition of the
rainforests affects us all, that all things are connected, and that the
worldwide climate is changed every time another acre of rainforest is lost.
S/he explains that these sections of cord represent parts of the Life
Circle of Earth, and that they must be joined to protect her.
When the above speech has been made and all the cords have been passed out,
a facilitator ties the first knot, saying that tying the cord is renewing
the Earth, that we are her children, bringing her rebirth. This is the
signal to begin the chant:
Tying the Cord, Renewing the Earth;
We are Her Children, bringing Rebirth.
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Clockwise around the circle, one by one, each cord is tied to the next.
When the circle is complete, the elemental dancers go to the quarters and
hold the cord aloft (participants should not let go yet). The chant
continues until the facilitators begin a second chant:
We are the Flow and we are the Ebb;
We are the Weavers, we are the Web.
(Since this is to the same tune, the transition should be easy and
seamless.) When this chant begins, the elemental dancers begin to gather
in the cord, gently pulling it away from the participants, who gently
release it. The elementals bury the cord in a container of earth in the
center of the circle, then return to the outside to lead a spiral dance in
to the center and back out (once) as the chant continues. When the
participants are standing in a circle once more, the chant builds to a cone
of power and fires.
The Deities and Elements are thanked, the power is earthed, the circle
opened, hugs exchanged. Later bury the cord in the woods.
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{file "What Are Runes (Lokrien)" "bos064.htm"}
WHAT ARE RUNES
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
LOKRIEN
In the most mundane sense, runes are an alphabet much as our own
alphabet and others such as the Greek and Cyrillic alphabets. Each rune
represents a sound and was/is used to write words with.
But that is in the most MUNDANE of senses.
Runes were used long before the concept of writing was around. Each rune
is an archetype of a force. People had concepts for such things as Fire,
Honour, Birth, et.al. and each of these concepts were given names to make
them easier for us to comprehend. In this way, runes are very similar to
the Hebrew alphabet. Each 'letter' not only has a sound and a name, but
is a complete word with all associated concepts.
This similarity with Hebrew extends even farther. Each hebrew word is
made of several Hebrew letters, therefore each Hebrew word is made of
several Hebrew words. The initial letters of several words in a sentence,
or of the first letters of each sentence or paragraph may be gathered to
form a new word that is used to help explain and expand upon what is
already written. The same can be done with runes.
Runes lend themselves readily to numerology. The Runic alphabet is
properly shown as three rows of eight letters. Therefore each letter can
be identified by row:column number. Additionally, each rune has it's
sequential number identified by it's placement in the alphabet. Much like
us numbering A as 1, B as 2, ... , and Z as 26.
Each rune can be placed in position on a tree pattern much like the
traditional Qabbalah. They may represent the different worlds or paths of
the tree and can be expanded and expounded upon as much as the Qabbalah
itself is. In fact, Runic Qabbalah is quite intriguing and does contain a
life of study (as do all other facets of Runework).
Runes can be used for fortunetelling. They can be drawn and placed and
read much like tarot cards. The can be cast or strewn and the
relationship of groupings, distance and angles and patterns formed will
tell the caster what he wishes to know.
Runes are also entities in and of themselves. Much like the angels,
princes, demons, sylphs, undines and watchtowers of the ceremonial
magician. Each rune can be invoked or evoked and the power harnessed to
work ones will to enlighten the intellect. They are a fantastic meditation
tool and will always increase ones knowledge.
Much as the primal elements of Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Spirit, each
rune also has it's part in the manifestation of all things manifested.
Chaos, grass, people, sunlight, honour, dragons, hopes, and sex are all
replete with runes are could not ever exist without the runic force that
creates, shapes, releases, destroys and changes them.
I have equated runes to many other branches of esoteric, occult,
phsycological and intellectual pursuits. This is in the hopes that if you
are already familiar or interested in one of these, you will realize that
runes are already familiar to you or that you are already interested in
them and don't yet realize it.
May you approach the Well of Wyrd and may your sip there only increase
your thirst.
Lokrien @ The Sacred Grove
(206) 634-1980 (WA)
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{file "Models of Magick" "bos065.htm"}
MODELS OF MAGIC
by
Frater U.'.D.'. (Germany)
In the course of exploring the possibilities of new, more
efficient techniques of magic I was struck by the fact that a
structuralist view of the history of magic to date might prove
helpful. After all, magicians have always aspired to restate the
theory and practice of magic in the language of their times i.e.
in different models pertaining to current world views.
There is, however, some risk involved in such an approach:
models do not really explain anything, they are only
illustrations of processes, albeit rather useful ones. What's
more, over-systematization tends to obfuscate more than it
clarifies and one should not mistake the map for the landscape
anyway, a fallacy a great many kabbalists seem to be prone to.
Thus, the following five (or rather: four plus one) models
of magic should be seen as a means of understanding the practical
possibilities of various magical systems rather than as
definitive theories and/or explanations of the way magic works.
It has proved effective in practice to view magic under the
following categories:
THE SPIRIT MODEL
THE ENERGY MODEL
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MODEL
THE INFORMATION MODEL
THE META-MODEL
***
THE SPIRIT MODEL
This is purportedly the oldest model of magic though it may very
well have come into existence after or simultaneously with the
energy model. We can find it worldwide in shamanic cultures as
well as in many religions. Its basic premise is the existence of
an otherworld inhabited by more or less autonomous entities such
as spirits, angels, demons, gods etc. The shaman or magician is
someone who can enter this otherworld at will, who has travelled
widely in it, knows its language and customs and has made
friends, smitten enemies and/or acquired allies and servitors
there. This is important as all magic is of these entities'
making. The modern German word for witch, "Hexe" (f.) illustrates
this rather neatly if we take a closer look at its etymology. It
derives from Old High German "hagazussa" which translates as
"fence rider". The hagazussa is riding the "fence between the
worlds" i.e. she is at home in the world of everyday life as well
as in the magical otherworld of spirits.
In the spirit model magic is seen as being effected by these
entities who are usually invisible, at least to the average
punter, and it is the shaman's or magician's task to make them
put his will into effect. This may be done by prayer, by barter,
by cajoling or even - vide medieval demon magic - by the
application of magical force, threats and pressure.
The otherworld may have its own geography but it is usually
considered to coexist with the world of everyday life. The key to
entering it is an altered state of consciousness, controlled
trance or ecstasy of which the shaman is an expert.
The spirit model has prevailed in traditionalist or Dogmatic
magic until today, some of its most noted exponents being Franz
Bardon and, at least to a great extent, Aleister Crowley.
THE ENERGY MODEL
The rise of the energy model in the West is marked primarily by
the appearance of Mesmerism towards the end of the 18th century.
Anton Mesmer, who was not an occultist but who was on the other
hand regarded by his contemporaries to be a "miracle worker" of
sorts, rediscovered amongst other things the ancient healing
disciplines of hypnosis and magnetism. He popularized his theory
of "animal magnetism" which he saw as a subtle force inherent in
organisms, but he also made heavy use of metal magnets for
healing purposes.
While the French Revolution put a temporary end to Mesmer's
movement, his ideas were not lost. They were taken up by a number
of others, primarily occultists, who drew on them while
developing their own theories of magic. One of the first to do so
was Bulwer Lytton of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (SRIA),
who postulated the existence of a subtle energy which he termed
Vril, possibly deriving from Latin virilitas or "force, power,
strength". (This was actually the model for the naming of Bovril,
from Latin "bovis" or "ox", and Vril or "life force".) We can
observe interesting parallels to this concept in the vitalist
theories of biology which emerged around the same time. Other
exponents of the energy model of magic (not then so termed) were
Reichenbach with his concept of Od, Eliphas Levi and his Astral
Light and Mme. Blavatsky, who adopted the theories of Prana from
Yoga physiology. This was also the time when anthropology and
ethnology discovered the Polynesian concept of Mana and Asiatic
scholars began to concern themselves with the Chinese principle
of Ki or Ch'i (Chi). The latter two go to show, of course, that
the idea of subtle energies utilized by magic is far older than
the 18th century. In fact, we can observe it already in early
shamanic cultures. Shamanic magic is very frequently a mixture
between spirit and energy model, e.g. the shaman may call upon
his spirits or gods to give him "power" or he may, vice versa,
use his power to extort favours from them.
In its pure form, however, the shaman or magician is not in
need of spirits and other entities. The world is viewed as being
"vitalized" by subtle forces or energies and his primary task
consists in mastering the art of perceiving and manipulating
them. As all phenomena are basically energetic in nature, the
existence of an otherworld is not strictly required. Thus, the
magician is more of an "energy dancer" than a "fence rider" or
go-between. But even here the key to the perception, charging and
general utilization of these forces is again the magical trance
or, as Chaos Magic terms it, gnosis.
Theories and practices pertaining to the energy model can be
found with many magical authors but it has seen its real, large
scale popularity only since the seventies of our century when the
general influx of Eastern thinking (pace the Hippie movement)
made concepts such as chakra and kundalini work a mainstay of
most occult disciplines. Strong energy model elements can also be
found in Franz Bardon's system of "electromagnetic fluids",
"condensators" etc.
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MODEL
Sigmund Freud's theory of the subconscious revolutionized Western
thinking in general and psychology (which he did not, as some
people are wont to believe, invent all by himself) in particular.
Suddenly, man was seen as a being which was only partially
conscious and in control of itself. While psychology is still
fighting for its academical recognition as a science, it has
stamped its mark on therapeutic disciplines - and on magic.
The psychological model of magic does not purport to explain
how magic works, its only premise is that the subconscious (or,
as Carl Jung later retagged it, the unconscious) will do the job
if it is properly addressed and/or conditioned. This again is
achieved by magical trance, suggestion and the use of symbols
(i.e. selective sensory input) as tools of association and as a
means of communication between the magician's conscious will and
his subconscious faculty responsible for putting it into effect.
Aleister Crowley dabbled a great deal in the psychological
model which comes as no surprise as he not only tried to keep up
with all major academic disciplines of his time but thought
himself to be the world's greatest psychologist into the bargain.
But all considered he remained a traditionalist exponent of the
spirit model: after all Aiwass was, in his belief, a
praeternatural entity. Nevertheless he did have a knack of
explaining magic in psychological terms to make it sound sensible
to the sceptics of his time.
A more radical approach was taken by Austin Osman Spare
whose sigil magic rests on the basic tenets of the psychological
model. Spare's brilliant system is in principle an inversion of
Freud's theory of complexes: by actively suppressing his will in
the form of a graphical sigil and forgetting it, the magician
creates an artificial "complex" which then starts to work on
similar lines just as suppressed, subconscious traumas will cause
neurotic behaviour etc.
The psychological magician is a programmer of symbols and
different states of consciousness. He is not necessarily in need
of a transcendent otherworld or even subtle energies, though in
practice he will usually work on the assumption that one or the
other (or both) do in fact exist and can be utilized by his
subconscious.
Authors such as Israel Regardie, Dion Fortune, William
Butler, Francis King, William Gray and to some extent Pete
Carroll subscribe to the psychological model which seems to be
the primary domain of the English speaking world of magic and
which has become the prevailing paradigm ever since the seventies
of this century.
THE INFORMATION MODEL
The information model of magic is being developed since about
1987 and there is still considerable debate about the direction
it shall ultimately take. Its basic premises to date are as
follows:
a) Energy as such is "dumb": it needs information on
what to do; this can be so called laws of nature or
direct commands.
b) Information does not have mass or energy. Thus, it is
faster than light and not bound by the restrictions of
the Einsteinian spacetime continuum. It can therefore be
transmitted or tapped at all times and at all places. In
analogy (but of course only as such!) it may be likened
to quantum phenomena rather than relativistic
mass-energy. It can, however, attach itself to a medium
e.g. an organism or any other memory storage device.
At the start of the theoretical debate it was still believed that
the postulation of morphic (or, more precisely, morphogenetic)
fields as hypothesized by Rupert Sheldrake had to be an essential
factor by way of explaining the mode of actual information
transmittance. This, however, while still being discussed, does
not appear to be strictly prerogative though it cannot be not
ruled out that an act of information magic may create such
fields. It does seem more probable, though, that the concept of
information matrices will prove to be the most promising theory
in the long run.
The application of the as yet evolving information model has
led to the discipline I have termed Cybermagic (from
"cybernetics" or the "science of control systems"). Contrary to
the other models described above, Cybermagic does not rely on
magical trance to achieve its effects. Rather, the Cybermagician
activates either his own main memory banks, namely brain and
spine (the Golf-club chakra, so-called because of its shape
reminiscent of a golf-club) or those of the target person. The
desired information is then called up and transmitted quite
similarly to a copy command on an MS-DOS computer. The copy
command analogy holds good insofar as the information (not having
mass) is not actually "lost" in the process (as energy would be)
but rather is duplicated. This is an important point as it allows
for the magician to perform his magic even in a state of very low
physical power, possibly even when almost completely intoxicated,
as long as his basic "life support systems" are still functional
and the command syntax is employed correctly.
It is, however, obvious that this technique demands a fair
control of what used to be termed kundalini effects and practice
has shown ever and again that a good amount of Yoga and
meditation experience is a great help in achieving to Cybermagic.
Unfortunately, the full theory and practice of Cybermagic
cannot be described here due to lack of space and will thus have
to be the subject of a separate article to be published later. To
date the main experimental research work is being done within the
Magical Pact of the Illuminates of Thanateros (IOT) and some
quite astounding results have already been achieved, especially
in the field of language and knowledge transfer as well as
magical healing.
In spite of its very modern, untraditionalist outlook the
basic principles of Cybermagic may in truth well be the oldest
form of magic extant. For we can, for example, find a number of
reports in the East to the effect of a guru transferring all his
knowledge to his successor before his death, which is usually
achieved by an act of long, mutual meditation.
This goes to show that magic as a whole has always existed
in many, coexisting models. What has changed, however, is the
stress laid on one model or the other in the course of time.
THE META-MODEL
The meta-model of magic is not a model as such but rather an
instruction on the use of the others. For its only advice to the
magician is: "Always use the model most adequate to your aims."
This may sound a bit trite but we will see that it is not quite
as selfevident amongst magicians as one might expect. It is
rooted in Chaos magic's assertion "Nothing is true. Everything is
permitted", which ultimately boils down to pragmatic
utilitarianism. Before this aspect is enlarged upon, though, let
us look at an example of the models presented here as applied in
practice.
We shall take the situation of magical healing to demonstrate how
these models differ from each other.
In the spirit model healing is regarded as an exorcism: illness
is caused by "evil" or, at least, undesired entities which have
to be neutralized and removed by the shaman or magician. In the
case of a patient with a heart condition the shaman may, for
example, "see" a green lizard in the vicinity of the heart which
must be removed. To achieve this the shaman will usually call
upon the help of his own spirits who will then handle the matter.
Properly exorcised, the patient has been freed from the cause of
his ailment and can recuperate.
In the energy model ailments are seen to be caused by energetic
imbalance. Thus, our heart patient may have too much (or too
little) "fire energy" in his heart chakra, and the magician's
task consists of restoring that balance of energies commonly
defined as "health". This he may do by laying on hands, by using
crystals and precious stones, by magnetism or chakra massage etc.
The balance having been restored, the patient is regarded as
having been healed.
In the psychological model illness is considered to be basically
psychosomatic in nature. The magician will, therefore, either do
a ritual work with the patient which enhances his stamina and
resolves his troubles (e.g. a Saturn ritual to cope with
"Saturnian challenges" the patient is seen to have avoided by
becoming ill) or he will charge a sigil for the patient's health.
Preferably he will instruct the patient to construct and charge
his own sigil.
In the information model the Cybermagician will transmit an
informational "healing matrix" into the patient's system (or
somehow create a "morphic field" of health and self-healing) and
let the patient's energies take it from there to do the job of
their own accord i.e. automatically. This rests on the assumption
that the energies are still powerful enough to get the work done,
otherwise he will either jump back into the energy model to
provide the patient with the additional energies required or
install another information matrix to create an influx of the
power desired.
Following the meta-model the magician will decide beforehand in
which paradigm he will begin his operation. This must not
necessarily exclude the possibility of shifting the paradigms in
midwork or of blending them, of course. Usually, the decision is
taken on the lines of expediency, efficiency and personal
preference. Thus, I personally find healing work with patients
easier within the spirit or energy model, while I do seem to get
better results with selfhealing employing either the
psychological or the information model. Then again, cybermagical
work tends to take up to two days to show noticeable effects so
that it may be more expedient to go for laying on hands when pain
is very acute.
Another important point is the time factor. While traditionalist
rituals in the spirit model may take from half a day to weeks and
even months, operations in the energy model seldomly take much
longer than a few hours at the most. If we take Spare's sigil
magic as an example for a very fast technique within the
psychological model, the operation can be over and done with
within five to ten minutes. Information magical operations on the
other hand only take up about three quarters of a second, a time
span which can be cut even shorter by an experienced
Cybermagician.
Self evident as the meta-model may seem, in practice many people
seem to feel somewhat uncomfortable with its inherent relativism.
This is very much the case with beginners in magic. A typical
dialogue on the subject might run on the following lines:
"Are there spirits?"
"In the spirit model, yes."
"And in the energy model?"
"In the energy model there are subtle energy forms."
"And what about the psychological model?"
"Well, in the psychological model we are dealing with
projections of the subconscious."
"What happens in the information model, then?"
"In the information model there are information
clusters."
"Yes, but are there spirits now or not?"
"In the spirit model, yes."
This logical loop is, of course, usually experienced as a pretty
frustrating exercise; but while the asker claims that the
magician is trying to avoid the issue he is at the same time
overlooking the fact that he himself is basically only restating
the old yen for absolute, "objective" truths - not really a
quantum magical approach, to say the least. However, the aspiring
cyberpunk magician of today cannot expect to be spared the pains
of coming to terms with the notion that freedom and dogma are
mutually exclusive.
UBIQUE DAEMON .'. UBIQUE DEUS .'.
(c) copyright 1991 by Frater U.'.D.'. All rights reserved.
==================================================================
Frater U.'.D.'., one of Germany's leading exponents of contemporary
magic, is the author of "PRACTICAL SIGIL MAGIC" and
"SECRETS OF THE GERMAN SEX MAGICIANS" (forthcoming). The essay
above will be part of his next book, "DANCE OF THE PARADIGMS.
A CHAOS MAGICK PRIMER."
(All books: LLEWELLYN's PUBLICATIONS, St. Paul, Minn.)
=================================================================
* Origin: ChaosBox: Nichts ist wahr, Alles ist erlaubt. (2:243/2)
221
{file "The Eight Paths and Other Wiccan Miscellany (Carrie McMasters)" "bos066.htm"}
The Eight Paths and other Wiccan miscellany
Dogs in the Temple:
The "dogs" were MALE Canaanite temple prostitutes
(normally eunuchs, as I understand it), with whom male worshippers had
intercourse in order to obtain various boons from the gods, of which
the fertility of themselves, their herds and their crops were the
chief. A "dog"'s earnings couldn't be contributed to Yaweh's
treasury. (Nor could that of a FEMALE temple prostitute!) Now if
they were doing the Great Rite with male priests way back when TO make
things more fertility, why should Stewart Farrar have a cat over gay
men and lesbians being involved in the Craft now?!? (Although, in
fairness to him, I'll bet he's never thought of it that way! He
strikes me as a reasonable man, all in all... )
As for the Paths:
Meditation is the first and--in my opinion--the most basic,
because you use it to get to or enhance some of the other Paths.
Trance work is the second, which includes astral projection exercises.
Perhaps it's the most important, because it gets us where we go to
exercise the power or obtain the wisdom that we want to.
Dancing is a Path that I personal can't use because I'm lame; but I've
been told by able-bodied Pagan friends that it's great because it
engages the whole self--and especially it helps you be grounded AND
Elsewhere at the same time. Binding with cords and other forms of
sensory deprivation are good for helping the mind travel beyond the
body's limits because one wishes to escape the tedium and discomfort
of them. (I'm sorry, but even a flotation tank gets uncomfortable
eventually!) Scourging and other repetitive acts also use tedium as a
release but are more stimulating than being bound or floating in a
tank. (They do NOT use pain. If they're being done THAT intensely,
they're being done incorrectly... )
Chanting and mantras use repetitive sound and the inherent nature of
some sounds to produce altered states of consciousness.
Drugs (which normally means incense and MAYBE alcohol but NOT
hallucinogens and such) variously stimulate, relax, disinhibit or
otherwise change one's mental state.
And that brings us back to the Great Rite and other forms of sex
magick, which attempt to involve all levels from the physical to the
Divine Within at one time. That's VERY thumbnail; but if anyone wants
to know more, I'll be glad to elaborate on the ones I use or have seen
used. Oh, and I can--and should--add that the various Paths can be
used in combination as well as separately, that there's some variation
from one tradition to another as to what the Eight Paths are, and that
not ALL traditions have Eight Paths per se!
Bright blessings! Granny Spider
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{file "Balance of the God and Goddess (Adrienne)" "bos067.htm"}
Balance of the God and Goddess
Adrienne
I see the God as That is Created and Destroyed; the Goddess is the
Creator and the Destroyer. His knowledge is experiential and he sees
the cycle of rebirth from the unique perspective of the being that
experiences it. He understands, more so than the Goddess, how the
cycle shapes the world of the living. His life cycle of birth to full
power to age to death to rebirth parallels our own lives on this
earth. The Goddess loves Her children, the God understands His.
Through the love they bear for each other, they share in both the
knowledge of the mystery of rebirth and in the power, but the
knowledge remains His province and the power rests in Her.
--- Maximus-CBCS v1.02
* Origin: Pandora's Box, Ottawa, Ontario (93:9630/1)
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{file "Where do we go from here?" "bos068.htm"}
Where do we go from here?
By Pete Carroll
Occult revivals occur when the social, economic or intellectual
status quo is disturbed by the unexpected. Affluence combined
with the collapse of the Roman state religion caused one revival.
The rediscovery of classical knowledge in the Renaissance brought
about another. Dissatisfaction with catholic hellfire
christianity spawned spiritualism, theosophy, the Golden Dawn and
Crowley. In our own time anti-semitism, affluence, drugs and
oriental ideas spawned another outburst.
Occult revivals are stimulated by economics and by the availability,
rather than the creation of ideas. Roman culture was subject to a
huge influx of ideas, cults and philosophies from conquered peoples.
Written material surviving from this synthesis appeared again
as hermetics in the Renaissance. The revivals of the late
nineteenth century and the nineteen-sixties owe much to the
availability of scientific ideas and oriental philosophies. It is
probably more useful then, to look for impending changes in the
general situation rather than within the occult itself if we want
to second guess the next revival. The period between one revival
and the next is shortening rapidly and we are probably due for
another around the turn of the century, give or take a decade.
I`d like to try and identify some of the factors which may help
shape it.
Firstly the millennium. Christianity is unfortunately not yet
completely extinguished and humanity will have to cope with a
rising tide of apocalypse mania as the calendrical millennium draws
closer. Right wing christian fundamentalists in America may even be
in a political position to inaugurate a real Armageddon by then.
I hope that whatever courage and imagination there is in the occult
is put to good use in undermining this sort od idiocy. Those
occultists who do jump on the millennial bandwagon have only
disaster or ridicule to look forward to.
Economics has a powerful effect on the occult climate. A fairly
rapid increase in affluence will often provoke a revival as leisure
time becomes available and some minds turn to higher things.
Conversely, a decline in living conditions will sometimes make
people seek what they have lost, or a substitute, by occult means.
Boom propelled revivals are usually much more fun than slump
propelled upsurges. In this country, any increment in occultism
arising from socio-economic desperation, is likely to be some
species of neo-nazi mystic nationalism. As with millennium madness,
the greater honour will, in the long run, go to those occultists who
oppose such nonsense. However, the metaphysical fallout from the
sixties may yet carry us through to the next boom revival and these
problems may not yet arise.
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It seems unlikely that anthropology or archaeology will be able to
make fresh ideas available for cannibalization by the occult in the
next revival. Computerized libraries, satellite photography and
global communication systems leave few stones unturned. There seems
little chance lost ancient manuscripts, magical tribes or forgotten
occult civilizations coming to light nowadays. So it is to science
itself that I think we should turn for fresh ammunition.
There are already discernable strains of space mysticism in some
quarters of the occult. Questions about the reality or otherwise of
supposed visits by aliens should not distract us from recognizing
that UFO-mania itself is a mystico-religious phenomena. The
UFO-ologist wants to personally receive wisdom for the whole of
humanity from some superhuman being. Seeking angels in space suits
is to repeat humanity`s perennial mistake, pretending to look
outside for what is really inside ourselves.
Quantum physics has been quietly undermining the whole basis of
mechanistic cause and effect type science for nearly sixty years. It
has been said that if you are not shocked by the implications of
quantum physics then you have not understood it. This may be
perfectly true for the scientist but for the magician, quantum
physics provides elegant confirmation of many of his theories. A
quantitative approach to quantum physics is beyond all but the best
mathematician. Many of the principles are enshrined in equations for
which we have few verbal or visual analogies. Because of this very
few laymen or philosophers have been able to appreciate what has
been going on.
Briefly in qualitative terms, we now have hard experimental evidence
which strongly implies that physical process are, at root, acausal;
they just happen out of themselves and that consciousness, or at
least the decisions of the observer, can modify or control what
happens. Secondly it would seem that pure information can travel
anywhere instantaneously and perhaps persists indefinitely,
providing there is some sort of affinity, or magical link as we
would call it, between that which emits and that which receives.
Very few liberties need to be taken with quantum physics to fit in
virtually the whole of parapsychology. It remains to be seen if
quantum physics can be presented in sufficiently accessible form to
provoke another occult revival.
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A quantum based revival would effectively demolish the spirit
hypothesis. A "spirit" would have to be recognized as nothing more
than the information that a phenomenon emitted about itself when it
existed physically. Anything else would have to be put down to the
creativity of the observer`s subconsciousness. Thus the "tree-ness"
of a tree or the quality of a thought is just an extension of the
object itself on the plane of non-local information. If you talk to
Egyptian gods your subconsciousness is, at best, simply animating
the general personality characteristics of the gods projected by
their worshippers millennia ago. Spirits cannot be gaseous
vertebrates with powers of independent discursive thought. On the
practical level quantum physics implies that the medium of magic is
not some sort of nebulous psychic energy or force, it is simply a
transfer of information. Magical healing or attack is accomplished
by long range telepathic suggestion not by astral bandages or
thunderbolts. The quantum paradigm forces a re-examination of
reincarnation. There is no reason why anybody should not be able to
tap the memories of any historical person. Conversely we can all
look forward to fragments of our ideas and personalities manifesting
in other people in the future.
Telekinesis and related phenomena can be accommodated within the
quantum paradigm if we allow intent to expand upon the small degree
of fundamental uncertainty, or more properly indeterminacy, in the
position and momentum of any object. Prophecy is always the most
doubtful of the magical arts although short term prediction or
precognition can often be impressive. The quantum model allows for
this providing the operator later observes the precognised event.
Such apparent nonsense as astrology and homeopathy begin to make
more sense in a quantum paradigm which suggests that expectation can
have real effects via what one might call a magical level. This is
quite over and above the purely psychological effects of expectation
that materialists usually invoke to explain away these things.
I`ve heard the quantum occult paradigm described as Big Bang
Mysticism and Electro Gnosis. I rather like this, for it implies
that the universe is being viewed as a self-created magical organism
and that magic itself is a technology we can potentially master
because it is a part of the nature of ordinary reality. Of course,
what is missing in this scheme are the pseudo certainties of belief
in gods and higher powers or even a benign cosmic mind. It throws us
back on our own powers and ingenuities, but isn`t this what the best
occultism has always been about anyway ?
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{file "Wiccan Path (Madoc)" "bos069.htm"}
(811) Mon 29 Apr 91 3:26
By: Madoc
To: Chris Anderson
Re: What's this "Right" stuff, anyway?
St:
------------------------------------------------------------
@PID: RA 1.01
@MSGID: 8:7703/8 4dba2fe8
>What would a Wiccan provide as an explanation for behavior that was
>"contrary" in the sense that you've given? We've all seen folks
behave in a way that is *apparently* inconsistent with stated beliefs,
even those that are closely held. What do you believe is the basis
for the difference between a "positive direction along the Path" and
actual behavior that is contrary to this by one who earnestly seeks
"the Path"? The answer is stated clearly enough for many other
religions, but I've never had the opportunity to hear a Wiccan add
his/her windage on this topic. Flip Wilson's answer obviously isn't
going to apply, so where do we go with it? ;)
Chris, sorry for the delay in answering your question. I have written
and re-written my response, and although I still may not have answered
your question herein, I feel that I must reply at last.
First, I must stipulate that what follows is my own interpretation of
Wiccan belief, and my own sense of "morals." You know, the usual
disclaimer.
Second, I wish to deal briefly with the concept of separation of Law
and Moral. What I am writing here has absolutely no relation to the
practice of law. I do not advocate murder, for example, nor do I think
that murder should go unpunished by the State. I recognize that we
live in a society which must have rules in order that the maximum
amount of freedom may be enjoyed by all. I would not hesitate, if I
were a juror, to vote to send a proven criminal to jail, or even to
death, if the situation warranted it. Therefore, let none who read my
words mistake my moral convictions with my beliefs about our judaical
system - I am not in disagreement with the majority of our laws as
they exist.
Finally; the point:
To save space, I'll omit the dictionary definition of 'sin.' I think
we all understand that Christians believe in sin, Wiccans do not. As
you have stated, members of other religions have their rules clearly
stated, so that one may easily decide if one is in error or not
(although it's often not quite *that* easy). Wiccans claim to follow
only the Rede, which states, "An it harm none, do as thou shalt."
You have asked how a Wiccan can stray from such a path. The answer is
complex and far-reaching, and even delves into (ugh) philosophy. I'll
try to keep it succinct.
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If one thoughtfully examines the Rede, it quickly becomes apparent
that almost every action has the potential to harm some creature in
some way. Drawing breath can kill micro-organisms that float unseen,
in the atmosphere. Drinking water does the same thing. One could
choose to marry, and ultimately bring pain and suffering on future
generations of children by way of an unhappy union. There is literally
no way that one could possibly foresee all circumstances and avoid
harming anyone. Yet, that is what the Rede demands. What is the
answer?
In my opinion, the answer is obvious. The Wiccan must choose. Each and
every Wiccan is responsible for their own actions, and will be
accountable to themselves for the results of those actions. The wheels
turns, and each Wiccan reaps what they have sown. No Godly mandate or
indulgence can save us from the results of our own actions, be they
good or bad. But, with ultimate responsibility comes ultimate freedom.
No God can shackle my soul or subject me to that which I do not Will.
I am supreme within myself, and I am the "captain of my soul." I have
chosen to obey certain of society's laws and mores. I have chosen to
be a "good" man. Mine is the reward for choosing such action, and mine
will be the punishment if I fail to meet my self-imposed
responsibilities. As you jested, I cannot claim Flip Wilson's
famous defence. Nor do I claim that such things as I do well stem from
my Creator - in ultimate hubris, I claim that "As I Will, so mote it
be."
Every day, I am met with new decisions. I make those decisions, and
then I live with the consequences of my actions. In my opinion, that
is what makes me human, what sets me apart from the animals. Man alone
can choose, man alone is not chained to genetically imprinted
behavior.
I have been asked why, if there is the possibility that the Christian
deity exists, do I not choose Christianity on the possibility that it
is correct? This is Pascal's famous wager. If I wager that (the
Christian) God exists and I am correct, then I win all. If I am wrong
and God does not exist, then I have lost nothing, and have lived
(hopefully) a good and productive life in the bargain. Why would
anyone not accept this wager? My answer to that is that I would not
willingly serve any God that would choose one of His/Her creations
over another, the good over the bad, the shriven over the heathen. If
I had definitive proof that such a God existed, I would actively
oppose Him/Her. I would rather suffer the cold comfort of damnation
than continue to exist in a hereafter peopled with only the "saved."
This is my choice, and again, as I Will, so mote it be.
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>What do you believe is the basis for the difference between a
"positive direction along the Path" and actual behavior that is
contrary to this by one who earnestly seeks "the Path"?
A fine, difficult question, Chris. As you've stated elsewhere, we've
been dancing all around this one for some time. Here goes:
I cannot determine what any one individual's Path is. I am not even
sure of my own. I often follow forks in the road until they come to a
dead end, and have to double back. Of course, that's the problem one
faces in following one's own Will, and not a set of directions laid
down by God. My concept of the Path is that it is like many roads, all
of which lead eventually to self-knowledge (enlightenment, Godhead,
nirvana, and so on). In my theology, my ultimate goal is to become one
with the God of my creation by gaining divine knowledge, or gnosis.
We've discussed the concept of "hidden knowledge" in the past, yet I
feel that my understanding of gnosis differs from yours.
The entire concept of the ancient mystery religions, and of modern
"occult" (which mean only 'hidden' after all) religions and practices
was based on the concept of the inverted filter. Each person passed
through successive layers of filters, gaining knowledge and
understanding at each stop, until they could absorb no more (and so
could not pass through the next layer of filter). Of course, at each
level, the initiate was given to believe that they were now in
possession of secret knowledge, and ultimate truth. If they could find
legitimate questions that led them to reject or doubt those 'truths'
and seek deeper meaning, then they passed through to the next level of
understanding. If they did not question, then they were satisfied that
they had gained truth.
This 'hidden knowledge' can be obtained outside of the constraints of
organized religion; in fact it originally was obtained independently.
Just as Newton's Laws could eventually be figured out by a person
ignorant of his discoveries, one could find a Path to enlightenment
separate from any of the mystery religions. However, just as one
attends school to learn that which is already known, so one pursues
illumination from the teachings of those who have already achieved
more than oneself.
Further, I do not believe that there is one 'right' Path. I accept
that the OTO has valuable knowledge to impart. I accept that Christian
Mystics, Jewish Quabalists, Muslim Sufis, and so on all have some
piece of the puzzle, and that all will eventually converge on the road
to wisdom. I know because I have been to that intersection once or
twice, although I am not there now. My Path is my own, and as Van
Morrison said, I have "No teacher, no guru, no method."
Can I move in a direction that is contrary to positive movement
towards the Laughing Light? You bet. The tough part is that the
definition of what is or is not 'positive' is not static. An example:
it might be proper that I learn what it means to take another human
being's life by killing an intruder in my home. It might not be proper
that I learn that lesson by following the orders of a superior officer
in time of war. OR VICE VERSA. I must choose at every instance, and I
might not immediately know if my choice has given or taken from my
search for truth.
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There are also times when I might know that I am actively choosing to
deviate from my Path. I might choose to sooth a feeling of anxiety
about whether or not I can pay the rent this month by yelling at my
wife. I'm not using this as an example because it is traditionally
"wrong," but because I know that I cannot solve my problems by
transferring my anxiety to others. If I choose to ignore what I have
already learned, then not only have I lost ground, but I will have to
deal with the anger that I've given out at some point.
In conclusion, I believe that I am responsible for my own actions, as
others are for theirs. I also believe that if I commit an action which
may seem 'right' to me, but which society has deemed to be a crime,
I'll be punished by society for breaking that law. I would punish
those who break the laws which are meant to hold our society together,
such as prohibitions on murder, burglary, and so forth. I believe that
my moral convictions are binding only on myself, not on others, and
that I'll ultimately deal with the consequences of my thoughts and
deeds. I believe that I have no right to judge the moral content of
another's actions. I believe in the Wiccan Rede, "An it harm none, do
as thou shalt," and I further believe that it is meant to make me
consider my actions and their consequences, and to make my own
decisions, rather than as a prohibition against any specific action.
There is much that I do not know about Godhead; much that I do not
know about Right and Wrong. I have only my instincts and intellect to
guide me, but I trust myself to make the right decisions eventually.
Madoc
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{file "Sex and Magick (Fra. Apfelmann)" "bos070.htm"}
Sex & Magic
Fra.: Apfelmann
In this article I would like to address the issue of sex and magic.
I am quite aware of the fact that this is a loaded subject. It is
one of the oldest disciplines in occultism and virtually every magic
tradition applies it somewhere down the road. Yet it has always been
regarded as the innermost secret discipline. Witches, Shamans,
Runesters, Yogis and Magicians of all varieties work with it in one
form or another.
To build up, strengthen, direct and aim this powerful energy is an
awesome magical tool, as anyone who has ever worked with it knows.
Being limited in time and space, but having such a wonderful and
eclectic medium to work with, I want to give you a few unbiased
ideas on the subject.
No discipline of magic has attracted as much mumbo jumbo or
misinformation as sex magic does. Nothing stirs the mind more than
the left and right of the so-called middle path quite as vividly.
Nothing is more ancient, powerful and misunderstood as Sex magic.
Yes, the market on Tantra is booming, as a visit to any occult book
shop will show you. Yet well researched, practical introductions
into sex magic are virtually non-existent. Male sexist tunnel vision
abounds.
One of the reasons being that the general approach towards sexuality
and women is steeped in Judeo-Christian hang ups.
The most common approach seems to be: "Just lay down and be the
altar dear, you are going to love it." Even such revolutionaries as
Aleister Crowley have done very little to improve this. Louis
Culling even dares to state in his contemporary work (1971), that a
frigid woman is more conductive to sex magic practice than a sensual
or, mind you, sexually aggressive one. For this would surely disturb
ones concentration on the Great Work.
No wonder that there are few women attracted to these kinds of
partners! You will always get what you want in magic and the
so-called true will does reveal itself in strange ways. Doing some
soul searching and clarifying your motives is quite effective.
Now, regarding literature on this subject there is hope. My german
friend Fra.: U.D. has written a comprehensive, pragmatic book on sex
magic. It`s title is "Secrets of the German Sex Magicians"
(Llewellyn) and he told me last weekend that it is available in the
States right now. (I hope he will give me some extracts to post them
here...) It beats everything that has ever been published on the
subject. Get it!
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Now let me point out, one more time, that magic is a practical
science. Merely reading about it or going to a workshop will not get
you anywhere.
The multitude of sexual expressions is just as great and manifold as
human behavior in general. Here, like everywhere in Chaos Magic, it
is useful to keep in mind that if it works for you, use it!
Remember, the real sex magicians, male and female, have always known
that and discarded social conditioning and taboos, right along with
the do`s and don`ts of dogma.
We do magic to liberate ourselves. So if it is possible for one
thing to be sacred we logically conclude that everything else can be
sacred too.
Auto-, Hetero- and Homosexual expressions are equally valid in
sex magic. It is more about expanding ones horizons that about
finding a certain "right" way, partner or ritual to do it. The Chaos
Magical paradigm kicks right in: Nothing is True, and Everything is
Permitted!
The next issue I want to address is the Auto-erotic practice. So let
me state this loud and clear: Without auto erotic practice it is
impossible to achieve anything in Sex magic!
Auto-eroticism is of central importance because it is the ideal
practice and playground. It constitutes a powerful technique in
itself, and it makes us independent of partners. Especially in the
beginning it is much easier to explore, prolong and amplify orgasmic
trance states. For this very same reason it is possible to do
effective sex magic with a partner who knows nothing about it but
working with a partner who is equally trained in this art is ever so
much more effective. Most amateurs believe that sexual magic is
something that solely happens between partners in a ritual, but in
reality the vast majority of sex magical arts are performed
auto-erotically.
Regarding the physical aspects of the sexual magical training first
thing to consider is that your body is really _your temple_. And for
it to be your ultimate tool and asset it has to be in peak
condition. Physical and mental dependencies, be it alcohol,
stimulants or even tobacco, will interfere with your ability to
develop and direct this tool. I do not want to project a moral
attitude on this, or any other subject, but mind, spirit and body
are deeply intertwined. And the more you alter your mind from the
outside by using drugs of any sort, the harder it gets to focus your
will and physical reaction. If you are in a frizzy condition, you
will get frizzy results! Here, as in all magic, the borders are
fluid. A good training in practical magic will greatly enhance your
sexual magic and vice versa.
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A lot of physical exercises in sex magic derive from Tantra Yoga.
The only point of disagreement appears to be the way of using the
orgasm. In particular, the "traditional" Tantra authors seem to cling
to the idea that there is only a limited amount of sperm available
to men. Therefore this precious substance is carefully guarded, held
back and reassimilated when spent. Western magic does not agree
with this belief. Its approach is rather like: the more you spend -
the more you get! This applies to male magicians, women have always
been pretty much inexhaustible in their orgasmic capacity. What
joins both is that the intent in Sex magic is much more result
oriented and concrete than in Tantra, where it is mainly
transcendental.
The longing for transcendence seems to be inherently natural in
human behavior. Yet being western magicians living in the nineties
we know that we have to handle the "real world", our physical
reality first, and then we can move on to the loftier goals.
A good manual for your physical preparation and training is
"Stalking the Wild Orgasm" by Christopher Scott Kilham. Hie work not
only includes some excellent yoga exercises, but also gives you some
great clues regarding nutrition and aphrodisiacs.
When you get going in this direction you will find that it soon
penetrates into many other areas of your magical work. You will be
in better physical shape, more relaxed, focused and grounded. Magic
is a gut level art. We have to remove it from the intellectual
stuff. Trust your own experiences. Strive to conduct your magic work
from this part of your body where all magic originates - your loins.
Have fun!
With fractalic greetings and laughter * Fra.: Apfelmann *
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{file "The Riddle Of The Trickster" "bos071.htm"}
THE RIDDLE OF THE TRICKSTER
a cross-cultural overview
by
Thunderspud of Dragonfhain
Who is this trickster archetype, the one who inspires such mixed
feelings and brouhaha? Trickster has been with us from the
beginning. Trickster will be there at the ending. (If there is an
ending, Trickster will probably trigger it). Trickster is a creator,
a transformer, a joker, a truth teller, a destroyer.
Whoever has created a dance, a song, written a ritual, tailor-made a
job, birthed a child or invented a game has partaken of a controlled
Trickster energy. After all, in Northwest Native and Inuit
tradition, Raven created the world; Loki is known to the Norse as a
co creator (and the bringer of Ragnarok); Anansi the spider-trickster
among the Ashanti of Ghana and Nareau the spider in Micronesia;
Coyote among the Southwest Natives --these are the creator aspects of
this wild and uncontrolled energy. Trickster often begins in the
void, desiring to bring Order out of Chaos; once Order is imposed,
however, Trickster represents the breaking free of negative power
from the Universal Order of things.
As a shape-shifter, Trickster is all things to all people, at one
time or another, and often simultaneously. Of course Trickster is a
creator and a destroyer. Sure he's a family man and a vagabond.
Naturally he gives fire to humans and then steals their food before
they can cook it. This is his style; when he acts out of
selfishness, everyone benefits -- Maui of the Thousand Tricks might
snare the Sun to slow it down, making life easier for humans, but he
did it so his mother would have more time to cook for him. When he
acts out of altruism, there's most always a negative effect --Marawa,
a Lou Costello prototype from Banks Island carved human figures from
wood and put them in the ground so they would grow and be strong;
however, they merely rotted and death came into the world of humans.
This shape- shifter not only moves from shape to shape, but from
world to world. Number Eleven suffered at the hands of death to free
his brothers; his brothers then took his lifeless body away and
revived him. In the Winnebago cycle, Trickster dies three times and
returns to life three times. In just one collection of Coyote
stories, Giving Birth to Thunder, Sleeping With His Daughter, Coyote
dies of a snake bite, a gunshot, an arrow wound, a broken heart, a
rock-fall and a drowning; this resembles nothing so much as a
Roadrunner cartoon.
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Trickster fuzzes the lines between Male and Female, between cunning
and stupidity (in one story Coyote steals a horse, in another he
almost drowns trying to eat some berries reflected in a stream),
between wisdom and stupidity. Trickster tells us the truth about our
selves, showing us with truth and wit the sides of our nature that we
may be more comfortable not acknowledging; he's the one who points at
the Emperor's nakedness, he's Lenny Bruce and Ashleigh Brilliant, Ken
Kesey and Uncle Remus, Opus, Geech, Tom Robbins, Abbie Hoffman, Don
Becker, Weird Al Yankovich and David Letterman, holding up a skewed
mirror of reality for us to look into. Among the Aztecs, as serious
a culture as this continent has ever seen, Ueuecoyotl, a funny and
outrageously unacceptable clown figure; in the Southwest, at serious
rituals, he's the Koshare speeding around the circle with tickling
feathers and rattle, being ignored completely by the priest.
Trickster shines on as a culture bringer: Prometheus steals fire for
his poor stunted creations, and pays a terrible and eternal price for
his philanthropy. Loki also steals fire for humans, as do Anansi,
Raven, Coyote, Maui; so far I have found no less than seventeen
stories from different cultures on this theme. Anansi tricked
Nyankopon the Sky-God out of his stories and gave them to the humans.
Clat, from Banks Island, taught humans how to sleep.
In the stories of the Ashanti, Anansi invented the tar-baby as a ruse
to trap an elemental spirit, but in the Native American stories,
Coyote is trapped by a tar-baby set up by a farmer. Actually the
farmer had caught a rabbit with his tar-baby, but Coyote happened
along and asked Rabbit what he was doing there. "The farmer who owns
this field got mad at me because I wouldn't eat his melons, so he
stuck me here and said he'd come back and make me eat chicken."
Rabbit replies, "But I told him I wouldn't do it." Of course, greedy
Coyote extricates Rabbit and wraps himself around the tar-baby where
he still his when the farmer comes out and shoots him.
So this is the Trickster, the energy that allows us to break out of
our stereotypes, whether they've been imposed by ourselves, our
families, our culture. This is the energy that opens the world of
limitless possibilities and it behooves us all to work with it before
it destroys us, to touch the Trickster as he touches us.
...........from RMPJ, Oct.'86
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{file "Notes on Kabbalah (Colin Low)" "bos072.htm"}
Notes on Kabbalah (a continuing series of many parts)
Copyright Colin Low 1991
Chapter 1.: The Tree of Life
At the root of the Cabalistic view of the world are three
fundamental concepts and they provide a natural place to begin.
The three concepts are force, form and consciousness and these
words are used in an abstract way, as the following examples
illustrate:
- high pressure steam in the cylinder of a steam engine
provides a force. The engine is a form which constrains the
force.
- a river runs downhill under the force of gravity. The
river channel is a form which constrains the water to run in
a well defined path.
- someone wants to get to the center of a garden maze. The
hedges are a form which constrain that person's ability to
walk as they please.
- a diesel engine provides the force which drives a boat
forwards. A rudder constrains its course to a given
direction.
- a politician wants to change the law. The legislative
framework of the country is a form which he or she must
follow if the change is to be made legally.
- water sits in a bowl. The force of gravity pulls the water
down. The bowl is a form which gives its shape to the water.
- a stone falls to the ground under the force of gravity.
Its acceleration is constrained to be equal to the force
divided by the mass of the stone.
- I want to win at chess. The force of my desire to win is
constrained within the rules of chess.
- I see something in a shop window and have to have it. I am
constrained by the conditions of sale (do I have enough
money, is it in stock).
- cordite explodes in a gun barrel and provides an explosive
force on a bullet. The gas and the bullet are constrained by
the form of the gun barrel.
- I want to get a passport. The government won't give me one
unless I fill in lots of forms in precisely the right way.
- I want a university degree. The university won't give me
a degree unless I attend certain courses and pass various
assessments.
In all these examples there is something which is causing change
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to take place ("a force") and there is something which causes
change to take place in a defined way ("a form"). Without being
too pedantic it is possible to identify two very different types
of example here:
1. examples of natural physical processes (e.g. a falling
stone) where the force is one of the natural forces known to
physics (e.g. gravity) and the form is some combination
of physical laws which constrain the force to act in a well
defined way.
2. examples of people wanting something, where the force is
some ill-defined concept of "desire", "will", or "drives",
and the form is one of the forms we impose upon ourselves
(the rules of chess, the Law, polite behavior etc.).
Despite the fact that the two different types of example are
"only metaphorically similar", Kabbalists see no fundamental
distinction between them. To the Kabbalist there are forces
which cause change in the natural world, and there are
corresponding psychological forces which drive us to change both
the world and ourselves, and whether these forces are natural or
psychological they are rooted in the same place: consciousness.
Similarly, there are forms which the component parts of the
physical world seem to obey (natural laws) and there are
completely arbitrary forms we create as part of the process of
living (the rules of a game, the shape of a mug, the design of an
engine, the syntax of a language) and these forms are also rooted
in the same place: consciousness. It is a Cabalistic axiom that
there is a prime cause which underpins all the manifestations of
force and form in both the natural and psychological world and
that prime cause I have called consciousness for lack of a better
word.
Consciousness is undefinable. We know that we are conscious
in different ways at different times - sometimes we feel free and
happy, at other times trapped and confused, sometimes angry and
passionate, sometimes cold and restrained - but these words
describe manifestations of consciousness. We can define the
manifestations of consciousness in terms of manifestations of
consciousness, which is about as useful as defining an ocean in
terms of waves and foam. Anyone who attempts to define
consciousness itself tends to come out of the same door as they
went in. We have lots of words for the phenomena of consciousness
- thoughts, feelings, beliefs, desires, emotions, motives and so
on - but few words for the states of consciousness which give
rise to these phenomena, just as we have many words to describe
the surface of a sea, but few words to describe its depths.
Kabbalah provides a vocabulary for states of consciousness
underlying the phenomena, and one of the purposes of these notes
is to explain this vocabulary, not by definition, but mostly by
metaphor and analogy. The only genuine method of understanding
what the vocabulary means is by attaining various states of
consciousness in a predictable and reasonably objective way, and
Kabbalah provides practical methods for doing this.
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A fundamental premise of the Cabalistic model of reality is
that there is a pure, primal, and undefinable state of
consciousness which manifests as an interaction between force and
form. This is virtually the entire guts of the Cabalistic view
of things, and almost everything I have to say from now on is
based on this trinity of consciousness, force, and form.
Consciousness comes first, but hidden within it is an inherent
duality; there is an energy associated with consciousness which
causes change (force), and there is a capacity within
consciousness to constrain that energy and cause it to manifest
in a well-defined way (form).
First Principle
of
/ Consciousness \
/ \
/ \
Capacity Raw
to take ________________ Energy
Form
Figure 1.
What do we get out of raw energy and an inbuilt capacity for form
and structure? Is there yet another hidden potential within this
trinity waiting to manifest? There is. If modern physics is to be
believed we get matter and the physical world. The cosmological
Big Bang model of raw energy surging out from an infinitesimal
point and condensing into basic forms of matter as it cools, then
into stars and galaxies, then planets, and ultimately living
creatures, has many points of similarity with the Cabalistic
model. In the Big Bang model a soup of energy condenses according
to some yet-to-be-formulated Grand-Universal-Theory into our
physical world. What Kabbalah does suggest (and modern physics
most certainly does not!) is that matter and consciousness are
the same stuff, and differ only in the degree of structure
imposed - matter is consciousness so heavily structured and
constrained that its behavior becomes describable using the
regular and simple laws of physics. This is shown in Fig. 2. The
primal, first principle of consciousness is synonymous with the
idea of "God".
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238
First Principle
of
/ Consciousness \
/ | \
/ | \
Capacity | Raw
to take _____________ Energy/Force
Form |
\ | /
\ | /
\ | /
Matter
The World
Figure 2
The glyph in Fig. 2 is the basis for the Tree of Life. The first
principle of consciousness is called Kether, which means Crown.
The raw energy of consciousness is called Chockhmah or Wisdom,
and the capacity to give form to the energy of consciousness is
called Binah, which is sometimes translated as Understanding, and
sometimes as Intelligence. The outcome of the interaction of
force and form, the physical world, called Malkuth or Kingdom.
This quaternery is a Cabalistic representation of God-the-
Knowable, in the sense that it the most primitive representation
of God we are capable of comprehending; paradoxically, Kabbalah
also contains a notion of God-the-Unknowable which transcends
this glyph, and is called En Soph. There is not much I can say
about En Soph, and what I can say I will postpone for later.
God-the-Knowable has four aspects, two male and two female:
Kether and Chokhmah are both represented as male, and Binah and
Malkuth are represented as female. One of the titles of Chokhmah
is Abba, which means Father, and one of the titles of Binah is
Aima, which means Mother, so you can think of Chokhmah as God-
the-Father, and Binah as God-the-Mother. Malkuth is the
daughter, the female spirit of God-as-Matter, and it would not be
wildly wrong to think of her as Mother Earth. One of the more
pleasant things about Kabbalah is that its symbolism gives equal
place to both male and female.
And what of God-the-Son? Is there also a God-the-Son in
Kabbalah? There is, and this is the point where Kabbalah tackles
the interesting problem of thee and me. The glyph in Fig. 2 is a
model of consciousness, but not of self-consciousness, and self-
consciousness throws an interesting spanner in the works.
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239
The Fall
Self-consciousness is like a mirror in which consciousness
sees itself reflected. Self-consciousness is modelled in Kabbalah
by making a copy of figure 2.
Consciousness
of
/ Consciousness \
/ | \
/ | \
Consciousness | Consciousness
of ________________ of
Form | Energy/Force
\ | /
\ | /
\ | /
Consciousness
of the
World
Figure 3
Figure 3. is Figure 2. reflected through self-consciousness. The
overall effect of self-consciousness is to add an additional
layer to Figure 2. as follows:
First Principle
of
/ Consciousness \
/ | \
/ | \
Capacity | Raw
to take _____________ Energy/Force
Form |
\ | /
\ | /
\ | /
Consciousness
of
/ Consciousness \
/ | \
/ | \
Consciousness | Consciousness
of ________________ of
Form | Energy/Force
\ | /
\ | /
\ | /
Consciousness
of the
World
|
|
|
Matter
The World
Figure 4
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Fig. 2 is sometimes called "the Garden of Eden" because it
represents a primal state of consciousness. The effect of self-
consciousness as shown in Fig. 4 is to drive a wedge between the
First Principle of Consciousness (Kether) and that Consciousness
realized as matter and the physical world (Malkuth). This is
called "the Fall", after the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden
of Eden. From a Cabalistic point of view the story of Eden, with
the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the serpent and the
temptation, and the casting out from the Garden has a great deal
of meaning in terms of understanding the evolution of
consciousness.
Self-consciousness introduces four new states of
consciousness: the Consciousness of Consciousness is called
Tipheret, which means Beauty; the Consciousness of Force/Energy
is called Netzach, which means Victory or Firmness; the
Consciousness of Form is called Hod, which means Splendor or
Glory, and the Consciousness of Matter is called Yesod, which
means Foundation. These four states have readily observable
manifestations, as shown below in Fig. 5:
The Self
Self-Importance
Self-Sacrifice
/ | \
/ | \
/ | \
Language | Emotions
Abstraction_______________Drives
Reason | Feelings
\ | /
\ | /
\ | /
\ Perception /
Imagination
Instinct
Reproduction
Figure 5
Figure 4. is almost the complete Tree of Life, but not quite -
there are still two states missing. The inherent capacity of
consciousness to take on structure and objectify itself (Binah,
God-the-Mother) is reflected through self-consciousness as a
perception of the limitedness and boundedness of things. We are
conscious of space and time, yesterday and today, here and there,
you and me, in and out, life and death, whole and broken,
together and apart. We see things as limited and bounded and we
have a perception of form as something "created" and "destroyed".
My car was built a year ago, but it was smashed yesterday. I
wrote an essay, but I lost it when my computer crashed. My granny
is dead. The river changed its course. A law has been repealed. I
broke my coffee mug. The world changes, and what was here
yesterday is not here today. This perception acts like an
"interface" between the quaternary of consciousness which
represents "God", and the quaternary which represents a living
self-conscious being, and two new states are introduced to
represent this interface. The state which represents the creation
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241
of new forms is called Chesed, which means Mercy, and the state
which represents the destruction of forms is called Gevurah,
which means Strength. This is shown in Fig. 6. The
objectification of forms which takes place in a self-conscious
being, and the consequent tendency to view the world in terms of
limitations and dualities (time and space, here and there, you
and me, in and out, God and Man, good and evil...) produces a
barrier to perception which most people rarely overcome, and for
this reason it has come to be called the Abyss. The Abyss is also
marked on Figure 6.
First Principle
of
/ Consciousness \
/ | \
/ | \
Capacity | Raw
to take _____________ Energy/Force
Form | |
|\ | /|
| \ | / |
--------------Abyss---------------
| \ | / |
Destruction | Creation
of_____\_____|_____ /____of
Form \ | / Form
| \ \ | / / |
| \ \ | / / |
| \ Consciousness / |
| of |
| / Consciousness \ |
| / | \ |
|/ | \|
Consciousness | Consciousness
of ________________ of
\ Form | Energy/Force
\ \ | / /
\ \ | / /
\ \ | / /
\ Consciousness /
\ of /
\ the World /
\ /
\ | /
\ | /
\ | /
Matter
The World
Figure 6
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242
The diagram in Fig. 6 is called the Tree of Life. The
"constructionist" approach I have used to justify its structure
is a little unusual, but the essence of my presentation can be
found in the "Zohar" under the guise of the Macroprosopus and
Microprosopus, although in this form it is not readily accessible
to the average reader. My attempt to show how the Tree of Life
can be derived out of pure consciousness through the interaction
of an abstract notion of force and form was not intended to be a
convincing exercise from an intellectual point of view - the Tree
of Life is primarily a gnostic rather than a rational or
intellectual explanation of consciousness and its interaction
with the physical world.
The Tree is composed of 10 states or sephiroth (sephiroth
plural, sephira singular) and 22 interconnecting paths. The age
of this diagram is unknown: there is enough information in the
13th. century "Sepher ha Zohar" to construct this diagram, and
the doctrine of the sephiroth has been attributed to Isaac the
Blind in the 12th. century, but we have no certain knowledge of
its origin. It probably originated sometime in the interval
between the 6th. and 13th. centuries AD. The origin of the word
"sephira" is unclear - it is almost certainly derived from the
Hebrew word for "number" (SPhR), but it has also been attributed
to the Greek word for "sphere" and even to the Hebrew word for a
sapphire (SPhIR). With a characteristic aptitude for discovering
hidden meanings everywhere, Kabbalists find all three derivations
useful, so take your pick.
In the language of earlier Cabalistic writers the sephiroth
represented ten primeval emanations of God, ten foci through
which the energy of a hidden, absolute and unknown Godhead (En
Soph) propagated throughout the creation, like white light
passing through a prism. The sephiroth can be interpreted as
aspects of God, as states of consciousness, or as nodes akin to
the Chakras in the occult anatomy of a human being .
I have left out one important detail from the structure of
the Tree. There is an eleventh "something" which is definitely
*not* a sephira, but is often shown on modern representations of
the Tree. The Cabalistic "explanation" runs as follows: when
Malkuth "fell" out of the Garden of Eden (Fig. 2) it left behind
a "hole" in the fabric of the Tree, and this "hole", located in
the center of the Abyss, is called Daath, or Knowledge. Daath is
*not* a sephira; it is a hole. This may sound like gobbledy-gook,
and in the sense that it is only a metaphor, it is.
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243
The completed Tree of Life with the Hebrew titles of the
sephiroth is shown below in Fig. 7.
En Soph
/-------------------------\
/ \
( Kether )
/ (Crown) \
/ | \
/ | \
/ | \
Binah | Chokhmah
(Understanding)__________ (Wisdom)
(Intelligence) | |
|\ | /|
| \ Daath / |
| \ (Knowledge) / |
| \ | / |
Gevurah \ | / Chesed
(Strength)\_____|_____/__ (Mercy)
| \ | / (Love)
| \ \ | / / |
| \ \ | / / |
| \ Tipheret / |
| / (Beauty) \ |
| / | \ |
| / | \ |
|/ | \|
Hod | Netzach
(Glory) _______________(Victory)
(Splendor) | (Firmness)
\ \ | / /
\ \ | / /
\ \ | / /
\ \ | / /
\ \ Yesod / /
\ (Foundation) /
\ /
\ | /
\ | /
\ | /
Malkuth
(Kingdom)
Figure 7
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From an historical point of view the doctrine of emanations and
the Tree of Life are only one small part of a huge body of
Cabalistic speculation about the nature of divinity and our part
in creation, but it is the part which has survived. The Tree
continues to be used in the Twentieth Century because it has
proved to be a useful and productive symbol for practices of a
magical, mystical and religious nature. Modern Kabbalah in the
Western Mystery Tradition is largely concerned with the
understanding and practical application of the Tree of Life, and
the following set of notes will list some of the characteristics
of each sephira in more detail so that you will have a "snapshot"
of what each sephira represents before going on to examine the
sephiroth and the "deep structure" of the Tree in more detail.
Chapter 2.: Sephirothic Correspondences
The correspondences are a set of symbols, associations and
qualities which provide a handle on the elusive something a
sephira represents. Some of the correspondences are hundreds of
years old, many were concocted this century, and some are my own;
some fit very well, and some are obscure - oddly enough it is
often the most obscure and ill-fitting correspondence which is
most productive; like a Zen riddle it perplexes and annoys the
mind until it arrives at the right place more in spite of the
correspondence than because of it.
There are few canonical correspondences; some of the
sephiroth have alternative names, some of the names have
alternative translations, the mapping from Hebrew spellings to
the English alphabet varies from one author to the next, and
inaccuracies and accretions are handed down like the family
silver. I keep my Hebrew dictionary to hand but guarantee none of
the English spellings.
The correspondences I have given are as follows:
1. The Meaning is a translation of the Hebrew name of the
sephira.
2. The Planet in most cases is the planet associated with
the sephira. In some cases it is not a planet at all
(e.g. the fixed stars). The planets are ordered
by decreasing apparent motion - this is one
correspondence which appears to pre-date Copernicus!
3. The Element is the physical element (earth, water, air,
fire, aethyr) which has most in common with the nature
of the Sephira. The Golden Dawn applied an excess of
logic to these attributions and made a mess of them, to
the confusion of many. Only the five Lower Face
sephiroth have been attributed an element.
4. Briatic color. This is the color of the sephira as
seen in the world of Creation, Briah. There are color
scales for the other three worlds but I haven't found
them to be useful in practical work.
5. Magical Image. Useful in meditations; some are astute.
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6. The Briatic Correspondence is an abstract quality
which says something about the essence of the way the
sephira expresses itself.
7. The Illusion characterizes the way in which the energy
of the sephira clouds one's judgement; it is something
which is *obviously* true. Most people suffer from one
or more of these according to their temperament.
8. The Obligation is a personal quality which is demanded
of an initiate at this level.
9. The Virtue and Vice are the energy of the sephiroth as
it manifests in a positive and negative sense in the
personality.
10. Klippoth is a word which means "shell". In medieval
Kabbalah each sephira was "seen" to be adding form to
the sephira which preceded it in the Lightning Flash
(see Chapter 3.). Form was seen to an accretion, a shell
around the pure divine energy of the Godhead, and each
layer or shell hid the divine radiance a little bit
more, until God was buried in form and exiled in matter,
the end-point of the process. At the time attitudes to
matter were tainted with the Manichean notion that
matter was evil, a snare for the spirit, and
consequently the Klippoth or shells were "demonised" and
actually turned into demons. The correspondence I have
given here restores the original notion of a shell of
form *without* the corresponding force to activate it;
it is the lifeless, empty husk of a sephira devoid of
force, and while it isn't a literal demon, it is hardly
a bundle of laughs when you come across it.
11. The Command refers to the Four Powers of the Sphinx,
with an extra one added for good measure.
12. The Spiritual Experience is just that.
13. The Titles are a collection of alternative names for the
sephira; most are very old.
14. The God Name is a key to invoking the power of the
sephira in the world of emanation, Atziluth.
13. The Archangel mediates the energy of the sephira in the
world of creation, Briah.
14. The Angel Order administers the energy of the sephira in
the world of formation, Yetzirah.
15. The Keywords are a collection of phrases which summarize
key aspects of the sephira.
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=================================================================
Sephira: Malkuth Meaning: Kingdom
------- -------
Planet: Cholem Yesodeth Element: earth
--------(the Breaker of -------
the Foundations, sphere of the elements, the Earth)
Briatic Color: brown Number: 10
------------- (citrine, russet-red,------
olive green, black)
Magical Image: a young woman crowned and throned
-------------
Briatic Correspondence: stability
----------------------
Illusion: materialism Obligation: discipline
-------- ----------
Virtue: discrimination Vice: avarice & inertia
------ ----
Klippoth: stasis Command: keep silent
-------- -------
Spiritual Experience: Vision of the Holy Guardian Angel
------
Titles: The Gate; Gate of Death; Gate of Tears; Gate of Justice;
------ The Inferior Mother; Malkah, the Queen; Kallah, the
Bride; the Virgin.
------
God Name: Adonai ha Aretz Archangel: Sandalphon
-------- Adonai Malekh ---------
Angel Order: Ishim
-----------
Keywords:the real world, physical matter, the Earth, Mother
Earth, the physical elements, the natural world, sticks
& stones, possessions, faeces, practicality, solidity,
stability, inertia, heaviness, bodily death, incarnation.
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=================================================================
Sephira: Yesod Meaning: Foundation
------- -------
Planet: Levanah (the Moon) Element: Aethyr
-------------- -------
Briatic Color: purple Number: 9
------------- ------
Magical Image: a beautiful man, very strong (e.g. Atlas)
-------------
Briatic Correspondence: receptivity, perception
----------------------
Illusion: security Obligation: trust
-------- ----------
Virtue: independence Vice: idleness
------ ----
Klippoth: zombieism, robotism Command: go!
-------- -------
Spiritual Experience: Vision of the Machinery of the Universe
--------------------
Titles: The Treasure House of Images
------
God Name: Shaddai el Chai Archangel: Gabriel
-------- ---------
Angel Order: Cherubim
----------
Keywords: perception, interface, imagination, image, appearance,
glamour, the Moon, the unconscious, instinct, tides,
illusion, hidden infrastructure, dreams, divination,
anything as it seems to be and not as it is, mirrors
and crystals, the "Astral Plane", Aethyr, glue,
tunnels, sex & reproduction, the genitals, cosmetics,
instinctive magic (psychism), secret doors, shamanic
tunnel.
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=============================================================
Sephira: Hod Meaning: Glory, Splendor
------- -------
Planet: Kokab (Mercury) Element: air
------ -------
Briatic Color: orange Number: 8
------------- ------
Magical Image: an hermaphrodite
-------------
Briatic Correspondence: abstraction
----------------------
Illusion: order Obligation: learn
-------- ----------
Virtue: honesty, truthfulness Vice: dishonesty
------ ----
Klippoth: rigidity Command: will
--------
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Splendor
------
Titles: -
------
God Name: Elohim Tzabaoth Archangel: Raphael
-------- ---------
Angel Order: Beni Elohim
Keywords: reason, abstraction, communication, conceptualization,
logic, the sciences, language, speech, money (as a
concept), mathematics, medicine & healing, trickery,
writing, media (as communication), pedantry,
philosophy, Kabbalah (as an abstract system), protocol,
the Law, ownership, territory, theft, "Rights", ritual
magic.
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===============================================================
Sephira: Netzach Meaning: Victory, Firmness
------- -------
Planet: Nogah (Venus) Element: water
-------------- -------
Briatic Color: green Number: 7
------------- ------
Magical Image: a beautiful naked woman
-------------
Briatic Correspondence: nurture
----------------------
Illusion: projection Obligation: responsibility
-------- ----------
Virtue: unselfishness Vice: selfishness
------ ----
Klippoth: habit, routine Command: know
--------
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Beauty Triumphant
------
Titles: -
------
God Name: Jehovah Tzabaoth Archangel: Haniel
-------- ---------
Angel Order: Elohim
----------
Keywords: passion, pleasure, luxury, sensual beauty, feelings,
drives, emotions - love, hate, anger, joy, depression,
misery, excitement, desire, lust; nurture, libido,
empathy, sympathy, ecstatic magic.
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================================================================
Sephira: Tipheret Meaning: Beauty
------- -------
Planet: Shemesh (the Sun) Element: fire
-------------- -------
Briatic Color: yellow Number: 6
------------- ------
Magical Image: a king, a child, a sacrificed god
-------------
Briatic Correspondence: centrality, wholeness
----------------------
Illusion: identification Obligation: integrity
-------- ----------
Virtue: devotion to the Great Work Vice: pride, self-importance
------ ----
Klippoth: hollowness Command: dare
--------
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Harmony
--------------------
Titles: Melekh, the King; Zoar Anpin, the lesser countenance, the
------ Microprosopus; the Son; Rachamin, charity.
God Name: Aloah va Daath Archangel: Michael
-------- ---------
Angel Order: Malachim
-----------
Keywords: harmony, integrity, balance, wholeness, the Self, self-
importance, self-sacrifice, the Son of God, centrality,
the Philospher's Stone, identity, the solar plexus,
a King, the Great Work.
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================================================================
Sephira: Gevurah Meaning: Strength
------- -------
Planet: Madim (Mars)
--------------
Briatic Color: red Number: 5
------------- ------
Magical Image: a mighty warrior
-------------
Briatic Correspondence: power
----------------------
Illusion: invincibility Obligation: courage & loyalty
-------- ----------
Virtue: courage & energy Vice: cruelty
------ ----
Klippoth: bureaucracy
--------
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Power
--------------------
Titles: Pachad, fear; Din, justice.
------
God Name: Elohim Gevor Archangel: Kamael
-------- ---------
Angel Order: Seraphim
-----------
Keywords: power, justice, retribution (eaten cold), the Law (in
execution), cruelty, oppression, domination & the Power
Myth, severity, necessary destruction, catabolism,
martial arts.
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===============================================================
Sephira: Chesed Meaning: Mercy
------- -------
Planet: Tzadekh (Jupiter)
--------------
Briatic Color: blue Number: 4
------------- ------
Magical Image: a mighty king
-------------
Briatic Correspondence: authority
----------------------
Illusion: being right Obligation: humility
-------- (self-righteousness) ----------
Virtue: humility & obedience Vice: tyranny, hypocrisy,
------ ---- bigotry, gluttony
Klippoth: ideology
--------
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Love
--------------------
Titles: Gedulah, magnificence, love, majesty
------
God Name: El Archangel: Tzadkiel
-------- ---------
Angel Order: Chasmalim
-----------
Keywords: authority, creativity, inspiration, vision, leadership,
excess, waste, secular and spiritual power, submission
and the Annihilation Myth, the atom bomb, obliteration,
birth, service.
================================================================
Non-Sephira: Daath Meaning: Knowledge
----------- -------
Daath has no manifest qualities and cannot be invoked directly.
Keywords: hole, tunnel, gateway, doorway, black hole, vortex.
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================================================================
Sephira: Binah Meaning: Understanding,
------- -------
Planet: Shabbathai (Saturn)
------
Briatic Color: black Number: 3
------------- ------
Magical Image: an old woman on a throne
-------------
Briatic Correspondence: comprehension
----------------------
Illusion: death
--------
Virtue: silence Vice: inertia
------ ----
Klippoth: fatalism
--------
Spiritual Experience: Vision of Sorrow
--------------------
Titles: Aima, the Mother; Ama, the Crone; Marah, the bitter
sea; Khorsia, the Throne; the Fifty Gates of
Understanding; Intelligence; the Mother of Form; the
Superior Mother.
God Name: Elohim Archangel: Cassiel
-------- ---------
Angel Order: Aralim
-----------
Keywords: limitation, form, constraint, heaviness, slowness, old-
age, infertility, incarnation, karma, fate, time,
space, natural law, the womb and gestation, darkness,
boundedness, enclosure, containment, fertility, mother,
weaving and spinning, death (annihilation).
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==================================================================
Sephira: Chokhmah Meaning: Wisdom
------- -------
Planet: Mazlot (the Zodiac, the fixed stars)
--------------
Briatic Color: silver/white Number: 2
------------- grey ------
Magical Image: a bearded man
-------------
Briatic Correspondence: revolution
----------------------
Illusion: independence
--------
Virtue: good Vice: evil
------ ----
Klippoth: arbitrariness
--------
Spiritual Experience: Vision of God face-to-face
------
Titles: Abba, the Father. The Supernal Father.
------
God Name: Jah Archangel: Ratziel
-------- ---------
Angel Order: Auphanim
-----------
Keywords: pure creative energy, lifeforce, the wellspring.
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==================================================================
Sephira: Kether Meaning: Crown
------- -------
Planet: Rashith ha Gilgalim (first swirlings, the Big Bang)
--------------
Briatic Color: pure white Number: 1
------------- ------
Magical Image: a bearded man seen in profile
-------------
Briatic Correspondence: unity
----------------------
Illusion: attainment
--------
Virtue: attainment Vice: ---
------ ----
Klippoth: futility
--------
Spiritual Experience: Union with God
--------------------
Titles: Ancient of Days, the Greater Countenance
(Macroprosopus), the White Head, Concealed of the
Concealed, Existence of Existences, the Smooth Point,
Rum Maalah, the Highest Point.
God Name: Eheieh Archangel: Metatron
-------- ---------
Angel Order: Chaioth ha Qadesh
-----------
Keywords: unity, union, all, pure consciousness, God, the
Godhead, manifestation, beginning, source, emanation.
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Chapter 3: The Pillars & the Lightning Flash
============================================
In Chapter 1. the Tree of Life was derived from three
concepts, or rather one primary concept and two derivative
concepts which are "contained" within it. The primary concept was
called consciousness, and it was said to "contain" within it the
two complementary concepts of force and form. This chapter builds
on the idea by introducing the three Pillars of the Tree, and
uses the Pillars to clarify a process called the Lightning Flash.
The Three Pillars are shown in Figure 8. below.
Pillar Pillar Pillar
of of of
Form Consciousness Force
(Severity) (Mildness) (Mercy)
Kether
/ (Crown) \
/ | \
/ | \
/ | \
Binah | Chokhmah
(Understanding)__________ (Wisdom)
(Intelligence) | |
|\ | /|
| \ Daath / |
| \ (Knowledge) / |
| \ | / |
Gevurah \ | / Chesed
(Strength)\_____|_____/__ (Mercy)
| \ | / (Love)
| \ \ | / / |
| \ \ | / / |
| \ Tipheret / |
| / (Beauty) \ |
| / | \ |
| / | \ |
|/ | \|
Hod | Netzach
(Glory) _______________(Victory)
(Splendor) | (Firmness)
\ \ | / /
\ \ | / /
\ \ | / /
\ \ | / /
\ \ Yesod / /
\ (Foundation) /
\ /
\ | /
\ | /
\ | /
Malkuth
(Kingdom)
Figure 8
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Not surprisingly the three pillars are referred to as the pillars
of consciousness, force and form. The pillar of consciousness
contains the sephiroth Kether, Tiphereth, Yesod and Malkuth; the
pillar of force contains the sephiroth Chokhmah, Chesed and
Netzach; the pillar of form contains the sephiroth Binah, Gevurah
and Hod. In older Cabalistic texts the pillars are referred to
as the pillars of mildness, mercy and severity, and it is not
immediately obvious how the older jargon relates to the new. To
the medieval Kabbalist (and this is a recurring metaphor in the
Zohar) the creation as an emanation of God is a delicate
*balance* (metheqela) between two opposing tendencies: the mercy
of God, the outflowing, creative, life-giving and sustaining
tendency in God, and the severity or strict judgement of God, the
limiting, defining, life-taking and ultimately wrathful or
destructive tendency in God. The creation is "energized" by these
two tendencies as if stretched between the poles of a battery.
Modern Kabbalah makes a half-hearted attempt to remove the
more obvious anthropomorphisms in the descriptions of "God";
mercy and severity are misleading terms, apt to remind one of a
man with a white beard, and even in medieval times the terms had
distinctly technical meanings as the following quotation shows
[1]:
"It must be remembered that to the Kabbalist, judgement [Din
- judgement, another title of Gevurah] means the imposition
of limits and the correct determination of things. According
to Cordovero the quality of judgement is inherent in
everything insofar as everything wishes to remain what it
is, to stay within its boundaries."
I understand the word "form" inprecisely this sense - itis
that which defines *what* a thing is, the structure whereby a given
thing is distinct from every other thing.
As for "consciousness", I use the word "consciousness" in a
sense so abstract that it is virtually meaningless, and according
to whim I use the word God instead, where it is understood that
both words are placeholders for something which is potentially
knowable in the gnostic sense only - consciousness can be
*defined* according to the *forms* it takes, in which case we are
defining the forms, *not* the consciousness. The same
qualification applies to the word "force". My inability to define
two of the three concepts which underpin the structure of the
Tree is a nuisance which is tackled traditionally by the use of
extravagant metaphors, and by elimination ("not this, not
that").
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The classification of sephiroth into three pillars is a way
of saying that each sephira in a pillar partakes of a common
quality which is "inherited" in a progressively more developed
and structured form from of the top of a pillar to the bottom.
Tipheret, Yesod and Malkuth all share with Kether the quality of
"consciousness in balance" or "synthesis of opposing qualities",
or but in each case it is expressed differently according to the
increased degree of structure imposed. Likewise, Chokhmah, Chesed
and Netzach share the quality of force or energy or
expansiveness, and Binah, Gevurah and Hod share the quality of
form, definition and limitation. From Kether down to Malkuth,
force and form are combined; the symbolism of the Tree has
something in common with a production line, with molten metal
coming in one end and finished cars coming out the other, and
with that metaphor we are now ready to describe the Lightning
Flash, the process whereby God takes on flesh, the process which
created and sustains the creation.
In the beginning...was Something. Or Nothing. It doesn't
really matter which term we use, as both are equally meaningless
in this context. Nothing is probably the better of the two terms,
because I can use Something in the next paragraph. Kabbalists
call this Nothing "En Soph" which literally means "no end" or
infinity, and understand by this a hidden, unmanifest God-in-
Itself.
Out of this incomprehensible and indescribable Nothing came
Something. Probably more words have been devoted to this moment
than any other in Kabbalah, and it is all too easy to make fun
the effort which has gone into elaborating the indescribable, so
I won't, but in return do not expect me to provide a
justification for why Something came out of Nothing. It just did.
A point crystallized in the En Soph. In some versions of the
story the En Soph "contracted" to "make room" for the creation
(Isaac Luria's theory of Tsimtsum), and this is probably an
important clarification for those who have rubbed noses with the
hidden face of God, but for the purposes of these notes it is
enough that a point crystallized. This point was the crown of
creation, the sephira Kether, and within Kether was contained all
the unrealized potential of the creation.
An aspect of Kether is the raw creative force of God which
blasts into the creation like the blast of hot gas which keeps a
hot air balloon in the air. Kabbalists are quite clear about this;
the creation didn't just happen a long time ago - it is happening
all the time, and without the force to sustain it the creation
would crumple like a balloon. The force-like aspect within Kether
is the sephira Chokhmah and it can be thought of as the will of
God, because without it the creation would cease to *be*. The
whole of creation is maintained by this ravening, primeval desire
to *be*, to become, to exist, to change, to evolve. The
experiential distinction between Kether, the point of emanation,
and Chokhmah, the creative outpouring, is elusive, but some of
the difference is captured in the phrases "I am" and "I
become".
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Force by itself achieves nothing; it needs to be contained,
and the balloon analogy is appropriate again. Chokhmah contains
within it the necessity of Binah, the Mother of Form. The person
who taught me Kabbalah (a woman) told me Chokhmah (Abba, the
Father) was God's prick, and Binah (Aima, the mother) was God's
womb, and left me with the picture of one half of God
continuously ejaculating into the other half. The author of the
Zohar also makes frequent use of sexual polarity as a metaphor
to describe the relationship between force and form, or mercy and
severity (although the most vivid sexual metaphors are used for
the marriage of the Microprosopus and his bride, the Queen and
Inferior Mother, the sephira Malkuth).
The sephira Binah is the Mother of Form; form exists within
Binah as a potentiality, not as an actuality, just as a womb
contains the potential of a baby. Without the possibility of
form, no thing would be distinct from any other thing; it would
be impossible to distinguish between things, impossible to have
individuality or identity or change. The Mother of Form
contains the potential of form within her womb and gives birth to
form when a creative impulse crosses the Abyss to the Pillar of
Force and emanates through the sephira Chesed. Again we have the
idea of "becoming", of outflowing creative energy, but at a lower
level. The sephira Chesed is the point at which form becomes
perceptible to the mind as an inspiration, an idea, a vision,
that "Eureka!" moment immediately prior to rushing around
shouting "I've got it! I've got it!" Chesed is that quality of
genuine inspiration, a sense of being "plugged in" which
characterizes the visionary leaders who drive the human race
onwards into every new kind of endeavour. It can be for good or
evil; a leader who can tap the petty malice and vindictiveness in
any person and channel it into a vision of a new order and
genocide is just as much a visionary as any other, but the
positive side of Chesed is the humanitarian leader who brings
about genuine improvements to our common life.
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No change comes easy; as Cordova points out "everything
wishes to remain what it is". The creation of form is balanced in
the sephira Gevurah by the preservation and destruction of form.
Any impulse of change is channelled through Gevurah, and if it is
not resisted then something will be destroyed. If you want to
make paper you cut down a tree. If you want to abolish slavery
you have to destroy the culture which perpetuates it. If you want
to change someone's mind you have to destroy that person's
beliefs about the matter in question. The sephira Gevurah is the
quality of strict judgement which opposes change, destroys the
unfamiliar, and corresponds in many ways to an immune system
within the body of God.
There has to be a balance between creation and destruction.
Too much change, too many ideas, too many things happening too
quickly can have the quality of chaos (and can literally become
that), whereas too little change, no new ideas, too much form and
structure and protocol can suffocate and stifle. There has to be
a balance which "makes sense" and this "idea of balance" or
"making sense" is expressed in the sephira Tiphereth. It is an
instinctive morality, and it isn't present by default in the
human species. It isn't based on cultural norms; it doesn't have
its roots in upbringing (although it is easily destroyed by it).
Some people have it in a large measure, and some people are (to
all intents and purposes) completely lacking in it. It doesn't
necessarily respect conventional morality: it may laugh in its
face. I can't say what it is in any detail, because it is
peculiar and individual, but those who have it have a natural
quality of integrity, soundness of judgement, an instinctive
sense of rightness, justice and compassion, and a willingness to
fight or suffer in defense of that sense of justice. Tiphereth is
a paradoxical sephira because in many people it is simply not
there. It can be developed, and that is one of the goals of
initiation, but for many people Tiphereth is a room with nothing
in it.
Having passed through Gevurah on the Pillar of Form, and
found its way through the moral filter of Tiphereth, a creative
impulse picks up energy once more on the Pillar of Force via the
Sephira Netzach, where the energy of "becoming" finds its final
expression in the form of "vital urges". Why do we carry on
living? Why bother? What is it that compels us to do things? An
artist may have a vision of a piece of art, but what actually
compels the artist to paint or sculpt or write? Why do we want to
compete and win? Why do we care what happens to others? The
sephira Netzach expresses the basic vital creative urges in a
form we can recognize as drives, feelings and emotions. Netzach
is pre-verbal; ask a child why he wants a toy and the answer will
be "I just do". "But why," you ask, wondering why he doesn't want
the much more "sensible" toy you had in mind. "Why don't you want
this one here."
"I just don't. I want this one."
"But what's so good about that one."
"I don't know what to say...I just like it."
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This conversation is not fictitious and is quintessentially
Netzach. The structure of the Tree of Life posits that the basic
driving forces which characterize our behavior are pre-verbal
and non-rational; anyone who has tried to change another person's
basic nature or beliefs through force of rational argument will
know this.
After Netzach we go to the sephira Hod to pick up our last
cargo of Form. Ask a child why they want something and they say
"I just do". Press an adult and you will get an earful of
"reasons". We live in a culture where it is important (often
essential) to give reasons for the things we do, and Hod is the
sephira of form where it is possible to give shape to our wants
in terms of reasons and explanations. Hod is the sephira of
abstraction, reason, logic, language and communication, and a
reflection of the Mother of Form in the human mind. We have a
innate capacity to abstract, to go immediately from the
particular to the general, and we have an innate capacity to
communicate these abstractions using language, and it should be
clear why the alternative translation of Binah is
"intelligence"; Binah is the "intelligence of God", and Hod
underpins what we generally recognize as intelligence in people -
the ability to grasp complex abstractions, reason about them, and
articulate this understanding using some means of communication.
The synthesis of Hod and Netzach on the Pillar of
Consciousness is the sephira Yesod. Yesod is the sephira of
interface, and the comparison with computer peripheral interfaces
is an excellent one. Yesod is sometimes called "the Receptacle of
the Emanations", and it interfaces the emanations of all three
pillars to the sephira Malkuth, and it is through Yesod that the
final abstract form of something is realized in matter. Form in
Yesod is no longer abstract; it is explicit, but not yet
individual - that last quality is reserved for Malkuth alone.
Yesod is like the mold in a bottle factory - the mold is a
realization of the abstract idea "bottle" in so far as it
expresses the shape of a particular bottle design in every
detail, but it is not itself an individual bottle.
The final step in the process is the sephira Malkuth, where
God becomes flesh, and every abstract form is realized in
actuality, in the "real world". There is much to say about this,
but I will keep it for later.
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The process I have described is called the Lightning Flash.
The Lightning Flash runs as follows: Kether, Chokhmah, Binah,
Chesed, Gevurah, Tiphereth, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, Malkuth, and if
you trace the Lightning Flash on a diagram of the Tree you will
see that it has the zig-zag shape of a lightning flash. The
sephiroth are numbered according to their order on the lightning
flash: Kether is 1, Chokhmah is 2, and so on. The "Sepher
Yetzirah" [2] has this to say about the sephiroth:
"When you think of the ten sephiroth cover your heart and
seal the desire of your lips to announce their divinity.
Yoke your mind. Should it escape your grasp, reach out and
bring it back under your control. As it was said, 'And the
living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a
flash of lightning,' in such a manner was the Covenant
created."
The quotation within the quotation comes from Ezekiel 1.14, a
text which inspired a large amount of early Cabalistic
speculation, and it is probable that the Lightning Flash as
described is one of the earliest components of the idea of
sephirothic emanation.
The Lightning Flash describes the creative process,
beginning with the unknown, unmanifest hidden God, and follows it
through ten distinct stages to a change in the material world. It
can be used to describe *any* change - lighting a match, picking
your nose, walking the dog - and novices are usually set the
exercise of analyzing any arbitrarily chosen event in terms of
the Lightning Flash. Because the Lightning Flash can be used to
understand the inner process whereby the material world of the
senses changes and evolves, it is a key to practical magical
work, and because it is intended to account for *all* change it
follows that all change is equally magical, and the word "magic"
is essentially meaningless (but nevertheless useful for
distinguishing between "normal" and "abnormal" states of
consciousness, and the modes of causality which pertain to each).
It also follows that the key to understanding our "spiritual
nature" does not belong in the spiritual empyrean, where it
remains inaccessible, but in *all* the routine and unexciting
little things in life. Everything is equally "spiritual",
equally "divine", and there is more to be learned from picking
one's nose than there is in a spiritual discipline which puts you
"here" and God "over there". The Lightning Flash ends in Malkuth,
and it can be followed like a thread through the hidden pathways
of creation until one arrives back at the source. The next
chapter will retrace the Lightning Flash by examining the
qualities of each sephira in more detail.
[1] Scholem, Gershom G. "Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism",
Schoken Books 1974
[2] Westcott, W. Wynn, ed. "Sepher Yetzirah". Many reprintings.
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Chapter 4: The Sephiroth
========================
This chapter provides a detailed look at each of the ten
sephiroth and draws together material scattered over previous
chapters.
Malkuth
-------
Malkuth is the Cinderella of the sephiroth. It is the
sephira most often ignored by beginners, the sephira most often
glossed over in Cabalistic texts, and it is not only the most
immediate of the sephira but it is also the most complex, and for
sheer inscrutability it rivals Kether - indeed, there is a
Cabalistic aphorism that "Kether is in Malkuth, and Malkuth is
in Kether, but after another manner".
The word Malkuth means "Kingdom", and the sephira is the
culmination of a process of emanation whereby the creative power
of the Godhead is progressively structured and defined as it
moves down the Tree and arrives in a completed form in Malkuth.
Malkuth is the sphere of matter, substance, the real, physical
world. In the least compromising versions of materialist
philosophy (e.g. Hobbes) there is nothing beyond physical matter,
and from that viewpoint the Tree of Life beyond Malkuth does not
exist: our feelings of identity and self-consciousness are
nothing more than a by-product of chemical reactions in the
brain, and the mind is a complex automata which suffers from the
disease of metaphysical delusions. Kabbalah is *not* a
materialist model of reality, but when we examine Malkuth by
itself we find ourselves immersed in matter, and it is natural to
think in terms of physics, chemistry and molecular biology. The
natural sciences provide the most accurate models of matter and
the physical world that we have, and it would be foolishness of
the first order to imagine that Kabbalah can provide better
explanations of the nature of matter on the basis of a study of
the text of the Old Testament. Not that I under-rate the
intuition which has gone into the making of Kabbalah over the
centuries, but for practical purposes the average university
science graduate knows (much) more about the material stuff of
the world than medieval Kabbalists, and a grounding in modern
physics is as good a way to approach Malkuth as any other.
For those who are not comfortable with physics there are
alternative, more traditional ways of approaching Malkuth. The
magical image of Malkuth is that of a young woman crowned and
throned. The woman is Malkah, the Queen, Kallah, the Bride. She
is the inferior mother, a reflection and realization of the
superior mother Binah. She is the Queen who inhabits the Kingdom,
and the Bride of the Microprosopus. She is Gaia, Mother Earth,
but of course she is not only the substance of this world; she is
the body of the entire physical universe.
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Some care is required when assigning Mother/Earth goddesses
to Malkuth, because some of them correspond more closely to the
superior mother Binah. There is a close and deep connection
between Malkuth and Binah which results in the two sephiroth
sharing similar correspondences, and one of the oldest
Cabalistic texts [1] has this to say about Malkuth:
"The title of the tenth path [Malkuth] is the Resplendent
Intelligence. It is called this because it is exalted above
every head from where it sits upon the throne of Binah. It
illuminates the numinosity of all lights and causes to
emanate the Power of the archetype of countenances or
forms."
One of the titles of Binah is Khorsia, or Throne, and the image
which this text provides is that Binah provides the framework
upon which Malkuth sits. We will return to this later. Binah
contains the potential of form in the abstract, while Malkuth is
is the fullest realization of form, and both sephiroth share the
correspondences of heaviness, limitation, finiteness, inertia,
avarice, silence, and death.
The female quality of Malkuth is often identified with the
Shekhinah, the female spirit of God in the creation, and
Cabalistic literature makes much of the (carnal) relationship of
God and the Shekhinah. Waite [7] mentions that the relationship
between God and Shekhinah is mirrored in the relationship between
man and woman, and provides a great deal of information on both
the Shekhinah and what he quaintly calls "The Mystery of Sex".
After the exile of the Jews from Spain in 1492, Kabbalists
identified their own plight with the fate of the Shekhinah, and
she is pictured as being cast out into matter in much the same
way as the Gnostics pictured Sophia, the outcast divine wisdom.
The doctrine of the Shekhinah within Kabbalah and within Judaism
as a whole is complex and it is something I don't feel competent
to comment further on; more information can be found in [3] &
[7].
Malkuth is the sphere of the physical elements and
Kabbalists still use the four-fold scheme which dates back at
least as far as Empedocles and probably the Ark. The four
elements correspond to four readily-observable states of matter:
solid - earth
liquid - water
gas - air
plasma - fire/electric arc (lightning)
In addition it is not uncommon to include a fifth element so
rarified and arcane that most people (self included) are pushed
to say what it is; the fifth element is aethyr (or ether) and is
sometimes called spirit.
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The amount of material written about the elements is
enormous, and rather than reproduce in bulk what is relatively
well-known I will provide a rough outline so that those readers
who aren't familiar with Kabbalah will realize I am talking about
approximately the same thing as they have seen before. A detailed
description of the traditional medieval view of the four elements
can be found in "The Magus" [2]. The hierarchy of elemental
powers can be found in "777" [4] and in Golden Dawn material [5]
- I have summarized a few useful items below:
Element Fire Air Water Earth
God Name Elohim Jehovah Eheieh Agla
Archangel Michael Raphael Gabriel Uriel
King Djin Paralda Nichsa Ghob
Elemental Salamanders Sylphs Undines Gnomes
It amused me to notice that the section on the elemental kingdoms
in Farrar's "What Witches Do" [6] had been taken by Alex Saunders
lock, stock and barrel from traditional Cabalistic and CM
sources.
The elements in Malkuth are arranged as follows:
South
Fire
East Zenith Aethyr+ West
Air Nadir Aethyr- Water
North
Earth
I have rotated the cardinal points through 180 degrees from their
customary directions so that it is easier to see how the elements
fit on the lower face of the Tree of Life:
Tiphereth
Fire
Hod Yesod Netzach
Air Aethyr Water
Malkuth
Earth
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It is important to distinguish between the elements in Malkuth,
where we are talking about real substance (the water in your
body, the breath in your lungs), and the elements on the Tree,
where we are using traditional correspondences *associated* with
the elements, e.g.:
Earth: solid, stable, practical, down-to-earth
Water: sensitive, intuitive, emotional, caring, fertile
Air: vocal, communicative, intellectual
Fire: energetic, daring, impetuous
Positive Aethyr: glue, binding, plastic
Negative Aethyr: unbinding, dissolution, disintegration
Aethyr or Spirit is enigmatic, and I tend to think of it in terms
of the forces which bind matter together. It is almost certainly
a coincidence (but nevertheless interesting) that there are four
fundamental forces - gravitational, electromagnetic, weak nuclear
& strong nuclear - known to date, and current belief is that they
can be unified into one fundamental force. On a slightly more
arcane tack, Barret [2] has this to say about Aethyr:
"Now seeing that the soul is the essential form,
intelligible and incorruptible, and is the first mover of
the body, and is moved itself; but that the body, or matter,
is of itself unable and unfit for motion, and does very much
degenerate from the soul, it appears that there is a need of
a more excellent medium:- now such a medium is conceived to
be the spirit of the world, or that which some call a
quintessence; because it is not from the four elements, but
a certain first thing, having its being above and beside
them. There is, therefore, such a kind of medium required to
be, by which celestial souls [e.g. forms] may be joined to
gross bodies, and bestow upon them wonderful gifts. This
spirit is in the same manner, in the body of the world, as
our spirit is in our bodies; for as the powers of our soul
are communicated to the members of the body by the medium of
the spirit, so also the virtue of the soul of the world is
diffused, throughout all things, by the medium of the
universal spirit; for there is nothing to be found in the
whole world that hath not a spark of the virtue thereof."
Aethyr underpins the elements like a foundation and its
attribution to Yesod should be obvious, particularly as it forms
the linking role between the ideoplastic world of "the Astral
Light" [8] and the material world. Aethyr is often thought to
come in two flavors - positive Aethyr, which binds, and negative
Aethyr, which unbinds. Negative Aethyr is a bit like the
Universal Solvent, and requires as much care in handling ;-\}
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Working with the physical elements in Malkuth is one of the
most important areas of applied magic, dealing as it does with
the basic constituents of the real world. The physical elements
are tangible and can be experience in a very direct way through
recreations such as caving, diving, parachuting or firewalking;
they bite back in a suitably humbling way, and they provide CMs
with an opportunity to join the neo-pagans in the great outdoors.
Our bodies themselves are made from physical stuff, and there are
many Raja Yoga-like exercises which can be carried out using the
elements as a basis for work on the body. If you can stand his
manic intensity (Exercise 1: boil an egg by force of will) then
Bardon [9] is full of good ideas.
Malkuth is often associated with various kinds of intrinsic
evil, and to understand this attitude (which I do not share) it
is necessary to confront the same question as thirteenth century
Kabbalists: can God be evil? The answer to this question was
(broadly speaking) "yes", but Kabbalists have gone through many
strange gyrations in an attempt to avoid what was for many an
unacceptable conclusion. It was difficult to accept that famine,
war, disease, prejudice, hate, death could be a part of a perfect
being, and there had to be some way to account for evil which did
not contaminate divine perfection. One approach was to sweep evil
under the carpet, and in this case the carpet was Malkuth.
Malkuth became the habitation for evil spirits.
If one examines the structure of the Tree without prejudice
then it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that evil is quite
adequately accounted for, and there is no need to shuffle evil
to the periphery of the Tree like a cleaner without a dustpan.
The emanation of any sephirah from Chokhmah downwards can
manifest as good or evil depending on circumstances and the point
of view of those affected by the energy involved. This appears to
have been understood even at the time of the writing of the
"Zohar", where the mercy of God is constantly contrasted with the
severity of God, and the author makes it clear that one has to
balance the other - you cannot have the mercy without the
severity. On the other hand, the severity of God is persistently
identified with the rigors of existence (form, finiteness,
limitation), and while it is true that many of the things which
have been identified with evil are a consequence of the
finiteness of things, of being finite beings in a world of finite
resources governed by natural laws with inflexible causality, it
not correct to infer (as some have) that form itself is
*intrinsically* evil.
The notion that form and matter are *intrinsically* evil, or
in some way imperfect or not a part of God, may have reached
Kabbalah from a number of sources. Scholem comments:
"The Kabbalah of the early thirteenth century was the
offspring of a union between an older and essentially
Gnostic tradition represented by the book "Bahir", and the
comparatively modern element of Jewish Neo-Platonism."
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There is the possibility that the Kabbalists of Provence (who
wrote or edited the "Sepher Bahir") were influenced by the
Cathars, a late form of Manicheanism. Whether the source was
Gnosticism, Neo-Platonism, Manicheanism or some combination of
all three, Kabbalah has imported a view of matter and form which
distorts the view of things portrayed by the Tree of Life, and so
Malkuth ends up as a kind of cosmic outer darkness, a bin for all
the dirt, detritus, broken sephira and dirty hankies of the
creation. Form is evil, the Mother of Form is female, women are
definitely and indubitably evil, and Malkuth is the most female
of the sephira, therefore Malkuth is most definitely evil...quod
erat demonstrandum. By the time we reach the time of S.L. Mathers
and the Golden Dawn there is a complete Tree of evil demonic
Klippoth *underneath* Malkuth as a reflection of the "good" Tree
above it. I believe this may have something to do with the fact
that meditations on Malkuth can easily become meditations on
Binah, and meditations on Binah have a habit of slipping into the
Abyss, and once in the Abyss it is easy to trawl up enough junk
to "discover" an averse Tree "underneath" Malkuth. This view of
the Klippoth, or Shells, as active, demonic evil has become
pervasive, and the more energy people put into the demonic Tree,
the less there is for the original. Abolish the Klippoth as
demonic forces, and the Tree of Life comes alive with its full
power of good *and* evil. The following quotation from Bischoff
[10] (speaking of the Sephiroth) provides a more rational view of
the Klippoth:
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"Since their energy [of the sephiroth] shows three degrees
of strength (highest, middle and lowest degree), their
emanations group accordingly in sequence. We usually imagine
the image of a descending staircase. The Kabbalist
prefers to see this fact as a decreasing alienation of the
central primeval energy. Consequently any less perfect
emanation is to him the cover or shell (Klippah) of the
preceding, and so the last (furthest) emanations being the
so-called material things are the shell of the total and are
therefore called (in the actual sense) Klippoth."
This is my own view; the shell of something is the accretion of
form which it accumulates as energy comes down the Lightning
Flash. If the shell can be considered by itself then it is a dead
husk of something which could be alive - it preserves all the
structure but there is no energy in it to bring it alive. With
this interpretation the Klippoth are to be found everywhere: in
relationships, at work, at play, in ritual, in society. Whenever
something dies and people refuse to recognize that it is dead,
and cling to the lifeless husk of whatever it was, then you get a
Klippah. For this reason one of the vices of Malkuth is Avarice,
not only in the sense of trying to acquire material things, but
also in the sense of being unwilling to let go of anything, even
when it has become dead and worthless. The Klippah of Malkuth is
what you would get if the Sun went out: Stasis, life frozen into
immobility.
The other vice of Malkuth is Inertia, in the sense of
"active resistance to motion; sluggish; disinclined to move or
act". It is visible in most people at one time or another, and
tends to manifest when a task is new, necessary, but not
particularly exciting, there is no excitement or "natural energy"
to keep one fired up, and one has to keep on pushing right to the
finish. For this reason the obligation of Malkuth is (has
to be) self-discipline.
The virtue of Malkuth is Discrimination, the ability to
perceive differences. The ability to perceive differences is a
necessity for any living organism, whether a bacteria able to
sense the gradient of a nutrient or a kid working out how much
money to wheedle out of his parents. As Malkuth is the final
realization of form, it is the sphere where our ability to
distinguish between differences is most pronounced. The capacity
to discriminate is so fundamental to survival that it works
overtime and finds boundaries and distinctions everywhere - "you"
and "me", "yours" and "mine", distinctions of "property" and
"value" and "territory" which are intellectual abstractions on
one level (i.e. not real) and fiercely defended realities on
another (i.e. very real indeed). I am not going to attempt a
definition of real and unreal, but it is the case that much of
what we think of as real is unreal, and much of what we think of
as unreal is real, and we need the same discrimination which
leads us into the mire to lead us out again. Some people think
skin color is a real measure of intelligence; some don't. Some
people think gender is a real measure of ability; some don't.
Some people judge on appearances; some don't. There is clearly a
difference between a bottle of beer and a bottle of piss, but is
the color of the *bottle* important? What *is* important?
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What differences are real, what matters? How much energy do we devote
to things which are "not real". Am I able to perceive how much I
am being manipulated by a fixation on unreality? Are my goals in
life "real", or will they look increasingly silly and immature
as I grow older? For that matter, is Kabbalah "real"? Does it
provide a useful model of reality, or is it the remnant of a
world-view which should have been put to rest centuries ago? One
of the primary exercises of an initiate into Malkuth is a
thorough examination of the question "What is real?".
The Spiritual Experience of Malkuth is variously the
Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel (HGA), or
the Vision of the HGA (depending on who you believe). I vote for
the Vision of the HGA in Malkuth, and the Knowledge and
Conversation in Tiphereth. What is the HGA? According to the
Gnosticism of Valentinus each person has a guardian angel who
accompanies that individual throughout their life and reveals the
gnosis; the angel is in a sense the divine Self. This belief is
identical to what I was taught by the person who taught me
Kabbalah, so some part of Gnosticism lives on. The current
tradition concerning the HGA almost certainly entered the Western
Esoteric Tradition as a consequence of S.L. Mather's translation
[11] of "The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage",
which contains full details of a lengthy ritual to attain the
Knowledge and Conversation of the HGA. This ritual has had an
important influence on twentieth century magicians and it is
often attempted and occasionally completed.
The powers of Malkuth are invoked by means of the names
Adonai ha Aretz and Adonai Melekh, which mean "Lord of the World"
and "The Lord who is King" respectively. The power is transmitted
through the world of Creation by the archangel Sandalphon, who is
sometimes referred to as "the Long Angel", because his feet are
in Malkuth and his head in Kether, which gives him an opportunity
to chat to Metatron, the Angel of the Presence. The angel order
is the Ashim, or Ishim, sometimes translated as the "souls of
fire", supposedly the souls of righteous men and women.
In concluding this section on Malkuth, it worth emphasizing that
I have chosen deliberately not to explore some major topics
because there are sufficient threads for anyone with an interest
to pick up and follow for themselves. The image of Malkuth as
Mother Earth provides a link between Kabbalah and a numinous
archetype with a deep significance for some. The image of Malkuth
as physical substance provides a link into the sciences, and it
is the case that at the limits of theoretical physics one's
intuitions seem to be slipping and sliding on the same reality as
in Kabbalah. The image of Malkuth as the sphere of the elements
is the key to a large body of practical magical technique which
varies from yoga-like concentration on the bodily elements, to
nature-oriented work in the great outdoors. Lastly, just as the
design of a building reveals much about its builders, so Malkuth
can reveal a great deal about Kether - the bottom of the Tree and
the top have much in common.
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References:
[1] Westcott, W. Wynn, ed. "Sepher Yetzirah", many editions.
[2] Barrett, Francis, "The Magus", Citadel 1967.
[3] Scholem, Gershom G., "Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism",
Schocken 1974
[4] Crowley, A, "777", an obscure reprint.
[5] Regardie, Israel, "The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic",
Falcon, 1984.
[6] Farrar, Stewart, "What Witches Do", Peter Davies 1971.
[7] Waite, A.E, "The Holy Kabbalah", Citadel.
[8] Levi, Eliphas, "Transcendental Magic", Rider, 1969.
[9] Bardon, Franz, "Initiation into Hermetics", Dieter
Ruggeberg 1971
[10] Bischoff, Dr. Erich, "The Kabbala", Weiser 1985.
[11] Mathers, S.L., "The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin
the Mage", Dover 1975.
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Chapter 4: The Sephiroth (continued)
========================
This chapter provides a detailed look at each of the ten
sephiroth and draws together material scattered over previous
chapters.
Yesod
-----
Yesod means "foundation", and that is what Yesod is: it is
the hidden infrastructure whereby the emanations from the
remainder of the Tree are transmitted to the sephira Malkuth.
Just as a large building has its air-conditioning ducts, service
tunnels, conduits, electrical wiring, hot and cold water pipes,
attic spaces, lift shafts, winding rooms, storage tanks, a
telephone exchange etc, so does the Creation, and the external,
visible world of phenomenal reality rests (metaphorically
speaking) upon a hidden foundation of occult machinery.
Meditations on the nature of Yesod tend to be full of secret
tunnels and concealed mechanisms, as if the Creation was a Gothic
mansion with a secret door behind every mirror, a passage in
every wall, a pair of hidden eyes behind every portrait, and a
subterranean world of forgotten tunnels leading who knows where.
For this reason the Spiritual Experience of Yesod is aptly named
"The Vision of the Machinery of the Universe".
Many Yesod correspondences reinforce this notion of a
foundation, of something which lies behind, supports and gives
shape to phenomenal reality. The magical image of Yesod is of "a
beautiful naked man, very strong". The image which springs to
mind is that of a man with the world resting on his shoulders,
like one of the misrepresentations of the Titan Atlas (who
actually held up the heavens, not the world). The angel order of
Yesod is the Cherubim, the Strong Ones, the archangel is Gabriel,
the Strong or Mighty One of God, and the God-name is Shaddai el
Chai, the Almighty Living God.
The idea of a foundation suggests that there is a substance
which lies behind physical matter and "in-forms it" or "holds it
together", something less structured, more plastic, more refined
and rarified, and this "fifth element" is often called aethyr. I
will not attempt to justify aethyr in terms of current physics
(the closest concept I have found is the hypothesized Higgs
field); it is a convenient handle on a concept which has enormous
intuitive appeal to many magicians, who, when asked how magic
works, tend to think in terms of a medium which is directly
receptive to the will, something which is plastic and can be
shaped through concentration and imagination, and which transmits
their artificially created forms into reality. Eliphas Levi
called this medium the "Astral Light". It is also natural to
imagine that mind, consciousness, and the soul have their
habitation in this substance, and there are volumes detailing the
properties of the "Etheric Body", the "Astral Body", the "Causal
Body" [1,2] and so on. I don't take this stuff too seriously, but
I do like to work with the kind of natural intuitions which occur
spontaneously and independently in a large number of people -
there is power in these intuitions - and it is a mistake to
invalidate them because they sound cranky. When I talk about
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aethyr or the Astral Light, I mean there is an ideoplastic
substance which is subjectively real to many magicians, and
explanations of magic at the level of Yesod revolve around
manipulating this substance using desire, imagination and will.
The fundamental nature of Yesod is that of *interface*; it
interfaces the rest of the Tree of Life to Malkuth. The interface
is bi-directional; there are impulses coming down from Kether,
and echoes bouncing back from Malkuth. The idea of interface is
illustrated in the design of a computer system: a computer with a
multitude of worlds hidden within it is a source of heat and
repair bills unless it has peripheral interfaces and device
drivers to interface the world outside the computer to the world
"inside" it; add a keyboard and a mouse and a monitor and a
printer and you have opened the door into another reality. Our
own senses have the same characteristic of being a bi-directional
interface through which we experience the world, and for this
reason the senses correspond to Yesod, and not only the five
traditional senses - the "sixth sense" and the "second sight" are
given equal status, and so Yesod is also the sphere of
instinctive psychism, of clairvoyance, precognition, divination
and prophecy. It is also clear from accounts of lucid dreaming
(and personal experience) that we possess the ability to perceive
an inner world as vividly as the outer, and so to Yesod belongs
the inner world of dreams, daydreams and vivid imagination, and
one of the titles of Yesod is "The Treasure House of Images".
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To Yesod is attributed Levanah, the Moon, and the lunar
associations of tides, flux and change, occult influence, and
deeply instinctive and sometimes atavistic behavior -
possession, mediumship, lycanthropy and the like. Although
Yesod is the foundation and it has associations with strength, it
is by no means a rigid scaffold supporting a world in stasis.
Yesod supports the world just as the sea supports all the life
which lives in it and sails upon it, and just as the sea has its
irresistible currents and tides, so does Yesod. Yesod is the most
"occult" of the sephiroth, and next to Malkuth it is the most
magical, but compared with Malkuth its magic is of a more subtle,
seductive, glamorous and ensnaring kind. Magicians are drawn to
Yesod by the idea that if reality rests on a hidden foundation,
then by changing the foundation it is possible to change the
reality. The magic of Yesod is the magic of form and appearance,
not substance; it is the magic of illusion, glamour,
transformation, and shape-changing. The most sophisticated
examples of this are to be found in modern marketing, advertising
and image consultancies. I do not jest. My tongue is not even
slightly in my cheek. The following quote was taken from this
morning's paper [3]:
Although the changes look cosmetic, those responsible for
creating corporate image argue that a redesign of a
company's uniform or name is just the visible sign of a much
larger transformation.
"The majority of people continue to misunderstand and think
that it is just a logo, rather than understanding that a
corporate identity programme is actually concerned with the
very commercial objective of having a strong personality and
single-minded, focussed direction for the whole
organization, " said Fiona Gilmore, managing director of the
design company Lewis Moberly. "It's like planting an acorn
and then a tree grows. If you create the right *foundation*
(my itals) then you are building a whole culture for the
future of an organization."
I don't know what Ms. Gilmore studies in her spare time, but the
idea that it is possible to manipulate reality by manipulating
symbols and appearances is entirely magical. The same article on
corporate identity continues as follows:
"The scale of the BT relaunch is colossal. The new logo will
be painted on more than 72,000 vehicles and trailers, as
well as 9,000 properties.
The company's 92,000 public payphones will get new decals,
and its 90 shops will have to changed, right down to the
yellow door handles. More than 50,000 employees are likely
to need new uniforms or "image clothing".
Note the emphasis on *image*. The company in question (British
Telecom) is an ex-public monopoly with an appalling customer
relations problem, so it is changing the color of its
door handles! This is Yesodic magic on a gigantic scale.
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The image manipulators gain most of their power from the
mass-media. The mass-media correspond to two sephiroth: as a
medium of communication they belong in Hod, but as a foundation
for our perception of reality they belong in Yesod. Nowadays most
people form their model of what the world (in the large) is like
via the media. There are a few individuals who travel the world
sufficiently to have a model based on personal experience, but
for most people their model of what most of the world is like is
formed by newspapers, radio and television; that is, the media
have become an extended (if inaccurate) instrument of perception.
Like our "normal" means of perception the media are highly
selective in the variety and content of information provided, and
they can be used by advertising agencies and other manipulative
individuals to create foundations for new collective realities.
While on the subject of changing perception to assemble new
realities, the following quote by "Don Juan" [4] has a definite
Cabalistic flavour:
"The next truth is that perception takes place," he went on,
"because there is in each of us an agent called the
assemblage point that selects internal and external
emanations for alignment. The particular alignment that we
perceive as the world is the product of a specific spot
where our assemblage point is located on our cocoon."
One of the titles of Yesod is "The Receptacle of the Emanations",
and its function is precisely as described above - Yesod is the
assemblage point which assembles the emanations of the internal
and the external.
In addition to the deliberate, magical manipulation of
foundations, there are other important areas of magic relevant to
Yesod. Raw, innate psychism is an ability which tends to improve
as more attention is devoted to creative visualization, focussed
meditation (on Tarot cards for example), dreams (e.g. keeping a
dream diary), and divination. Divination is an important
technique to practice even if you feel you are terrible at it
(and especially if you think it is nonsense), because it
reinforces the idea that it is permissible to "let go" and
intuits meanings into any pattern. Many people have difficulty
doing this, feeling perhaps that they will be swamped with
unreason (recalling Freud's fear, expressed to Jung, of needing a
bulwark against the "black mud of occultism"), when in reality
their minds are swamped with reason and could use a holiday. Any
divination system can be used, but systems which emphasize pure
intuition are best (e.g. Tarot, runes, tea-leaves, flights of
birds, patterns on the wallpaper, smoke. I heard of a Kabbalist
who threw a cushion into the air and carried out divination on
the basis of the number of pieces of foam stuffing which fell
out). Because Yesod is a kind of aethyric reflection of the
physical world, the image of and precursor to reality, mirrors
are an important tool for Yesod magic. Quartz crystals are also
used, probably because of the use of crystal balls for
divination, but also because quartz crystal and amethyst have a
peculiarly Yesodic quality in their own right. The average New
Age shop filled with crystals, Tarot cards, silver jewelry (lunar
association), perfumes, dreamy music, and all the glitz, glamour
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and glitter of a demonic magpie's nest, is like a temple to
Yesod. Mirrors and crystals are used passively as foci for
receptivity, but they can also be used actively for certain kinds
of aethyric magic - there is an interesting book on making and
using magic mirrors which builds on the kind of elemental magical
work carried out in Malkuth [5].
Yesod has an important correspondence with the sexual
organs. The correspondence occurs in three ways. The first way is
that when the Tree of Life is placed over the human body, Yesod
is positioned over the genitals. The author of the Zohar is quite
explicit about "the remaining members of the Microprosopus", to
the extent that the relevant paragraphs in Mather's translation
of "The Lesser Holy Assembly" remain in Latin to avoid offending
Victorian sensibilities.
The second association of Yesod with the genitals arises
from the union of the Microprosopus and his Bride. This is
another recurring theme in Kabbalah, and the symbolism is complex
and refers to several distinct ideas, from the relationship
between man and wife to an internal process within the body of
God: e.g [6].
"When the Male is joined with the Female, they both
constitute one complete body, and all the Universe is in a
state of happiness, because all things receive blessing from
their perfect body. And this is an Arcanum."
or, referring to the Bride:
"And she is mitigated, and receiveth blessing in that place
which is called the Holy of Holies below."
or, referring to the "member":
"And that which floweth down into that place where it is
congregated, and which is emitted through that most holy
Yesod, Foundation, is entirely white, and therefore is it
called Chesed.
Thence Chesed entereth into the Holy of Holies; as it is
written Ps. cxxxiii. 3 'For there Tetragrammaton commanded
the blessing, even life for evermore.'"
It is not difficult to read a great deal into paragraphs like
this, and there are many more in a similar vein. Suffice to say
that the Microprosopus is often identified with the sephira
Tiphereth, the Bride is the sephira Malkuth, and the point of
union between them is obviously Yesod.
The third and more abstract association between Yesod and
the sexual organs arises because the sexual organs are a
mechanism for perpetuating the *form* of a living organism. In
order to get close to what is happening in sexual reproduction it
is worth asking the question "What is a computer program?". Well,
a computer program indisputably begins as an idea; it is not a
material thing. It can be written down in various ways; as an
abstract specification in set theoretic notation akin to pure
mathematics, or as a set of recursive functions in lambda
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calculus; it could be written in several different high level
languages - Pascal, C, Prolog, LISP, ADA, ML etc. Are they all
they same program? Computer scientists wrestle with this problem:
can we show that two different programs written in two different
languages are in some sense functionally identical? It isn't
trivial to do this because it asks fundamental questions about
language (any language) and meaning, but it is possible in
limited cases to produce two apparently different programs
written in different languages and assert that they are
identical. Whatever the program is, it seems to exist
independently of any particular language, so what is the program
and where is it? Let us ignore that chestnut and go on to the
next level. Suppose we write the program down. We could do it
with a pencil. We could punch holes in paper. We could plant
trees in a pattern in a field. We can line up magnetic domains.
We can burn holes in metal foil. I could have it tattooed on my
back. We can transform it into radically different forms (that is
what compilers and assemblers do). It obviously isn't tied to any
physical representation either. What about the computer it runs
on? Well, it could be a conventional one made with CMOS chips
etc.....but aren't there a lot of different kinds and makes of
computer, and they can all run the same program. It is also quite
practical to build computers which *don't* use electrons - you
could use mechanics or fluids or ball bearings - all you need to
do is produce something with the functionality of a Turing
machine, and that isn't hard. So not only is the program not tied
to any particular physical representation, but the same goes for
the computer itself, and what we are left with is two puffs of
smoke. On another level this is crazy; computers are real, they
do real things in the real world, and the programs which make
them work are obviously real too....aren't they?
Now apply the same kind of scrutiny to living organisms, and
the mechanism of reproduction. Take a good look at nucleic acids,
enzymes, proteins etc., and ask the same kind of questions. I am
not implying that life is a sort of program, but what I am
suggesting is that if you try to get close to what constitutes a
living organism you end up with another puff of smoke and a
handful of atoms which could just as well be ball-bearings or
fluids or....The thing that is being perpetuated through sexual
reproduction is something quite abstract and immaterial; it is an
abstract form preserved and encoded in a particular pattern of
chemicals, and if I was asked which was more real, the transient
collection of chemicals used, or the abstract form itself, I
would answer "the form". But then, I am a programmer, and I would
say that.
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I find it astonishing that there are any hard-core
materialists left in the world. All the important stuff seems to
exist at the level of puffs of smoke, what Kabbalists call form.
Roger Penrose, one of the most eminent mathematicians living has
this to say [7]:
"I have made no secret of the fact that my sympathies lie
strongly with the Platonic view that mathematical truth is
absolute, external and eternal, and not based on man-made
criteria; and that mathematical objects have a timeless
existence of their own, not dependent on human society nor
on particular physical objects."
"Ah Ha!" cry the materialists, "At least the atoms are
real." Well, they are until you start pulling them apart with
tweezers and end up with a heap of equations which turn out to be
the linguistic expression of an idea. As Einstein said, "The most
incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is
comprehensible", that is, capable of being described in some
linguistic form.
I am not trying to convince anyone of the "rightness" of the
Cabalistic viewpoint. What I am trying to do is show that the
process whereby form is impressed on matter (the relationship
between Yesod and Malkuth) is not arcane, theosophical mumbo-
jumbo; it is an issue which is alive and kicking, and the closer
we get to "real things" (and that certainly includes living
organisms), the better the Cabalistic model (that form precedes
manifestation, that there is a well-defined process of formation
with the "real world" as an outcome) looks.
The illusion of Yesod is security, the kind of security which
forms the foundation of our personal existence in the world. On a
superficial level our security is built out of relationships, a
source of income, a place to live, a vocation, personal power and
influence etc, but at a deeper level the foundation of personal
identity is built on a series of accidents, encounters and
influences which create the illusion of who we are, what we
believe in, and what we stand for. There is a warm, secure
feeling of knowing what is right and wrong, of doing the right
thing, of living a worthwhile life in the service of worthwhile
causes, of having a uniquely privileged vantage point from which
to survey the problems of life (with all the intolerance and
incomprehension of other people which accompanies this insight),
and conversely there are feelings of despair, depression, loss of
identity, and existential terror when a crack forms in the
illusion, and reality shows through - Castaneda calls it "the
crack in the world". The smug, self-perpetuating illusion which
masquerades as personal identity at the level of Yesod is the
most astoundingly difficult thing to shift or destroy. It fights
back with all the resources of the personality, it will
enthusiastically embrace any ally which will help to shore up its
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defenses - religious, political or scientific ideology;
psychological, sociological, metaphysical and theosophical
claptrap (e.g. Kabbalah); the law and popular morality; in fact,
any beliefs which give it the power to retain its identity,
uniqueness and integrity. Because this parasite of the soul uses
religion (and its esoteric offshoots) to sustain itself they have
little or no power over it and become a major part of the
problem.
There are various ways of overcoming this personal demon
(Carroll [8], in an essay on the subject, calls it Choronzon),
and the two I know best are the cataclysmic and the abrasive. The
first method involves a shock so extreme that it is impossible to
be the same person again, and if enough preparation has gone
before then it is possible to use the shock to rebuild oneself.
In some cases this doesn't happen; I have noticed that many
people with very rigid religious beliefs talk readily about
having suffered traumatic experiences, and the phenomenon of
hysterical conversion among soldiers suffering from war neuroses
is well known. The other method, the abrasive, is to wear away
the demon of self-importance, to grind it into nothing by doing
(for example) something for someone else for which one receives
no thanks, praise, reward, or recognition. The task has to be big
enough and awful enough to become a demon in its own right and
induce all the correct feelings of compulsion (I have to do
this), helplessness (I'll never make it), indignation (what's
the point, it's not my problem anyway), rebellion (I won't, I
won't, not anymore), more compulsion (I can't give up), self-pity
(how did I get into this?), exhaustion (Oh No! Not again!),
despair (I can't go on), and finally a kind of submission when
one's demon hasn't the energy to put up a struggle any more and
simply gives up. The woman who taught me Kabbalah used both the
cataclysmic and the abrasive methods on her students with
malicious glee - I will discuss this in more detail in the
section on Tiphereth.
The virtue of Yesod is independence, the ability to make our
own foundations, to continually rebuild ourselves, to reject the
security of comfortable illusions and confront reality without
blinking.
The vice of Yesod is idleness. This can be contrasted with
the inertia of Malkuth. A stone is inert because it lacks the
capacity to change, but in most circumstances people can change
and can't be bothered. At least, not today. Yesod has a dreamy,
illusory, comfortable, *seductive* quality, as in the Isle of the
Lotus Eaters - how else could we live as if death and personal
annihilation only happened to other people?
The Klippothic aspect of Yesod occurs when foundations are
rotten and disintegrating and only the superficial appearance
remains unchanged - Dorian Gray springs to mind, or cases where
the brain is damaged and the body remains and carries out basic
instinctive functions, but the person is dead as far as other
people are concerned. Organizations are just as prone to this as
people.
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[1] A.E. Powell, "The Etheric Double", Theosophical Publishing
House, 1925
[2] A.E. Powell, "The Astral Body", Theosophical Publishing
House, 1927
[3] "It's the Image Men We Answer To", The Sunday Times, 6th.
Jan 1991
[4] Castenada, Carlos, "The Fire from Within", Black Swan, 1985.
[5] N. R. Clough, "How to Make and Use Magic Mirrors", Aquarian
1977
[6] S.L. Mathers, "The Kabbalah Unveiled", Routledge & Kegan Paul
1981
[7] Roger Penrose, "The Emperor's New Mind", Oxford University
Press 1989
[8] Peter J. Carroll, "Psychonaut", Samuel Weiser 1987.
Copyright Colin Low 1991
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{file "Footprints in the Chamber - Towards a Quantum Qabbala" "bos073.htm"}
Footprints in the Chamber - Towards a Quantum Qabbala,
by Fra.: +0-
The Qabbala has through the ages been used as a directory towards
the understanding of the universe and man`s relationship to it.
Since former Aeons of magick have had their perceptions rooted in
the observance of simple cause and effect relationships, the Qabbala
itself, having attained its nascence in the earlier traditions, was
unfortunately bogged down by this limited apprehension of the
universe. Here mathematics as used in a more or less Pythagorean
context provide a sort of key with which to approach the
unfathomable nature of human consciousness.
To this very day there are groups which still adhere to and openly
practice the more traditional ramifications of Qabbalistic
principles which are still firmly rooted in the mire of Nineteenth
Century Newton-sewed-it-all-up-there-are-no-more-mysteries physics.
But of course, owing to the leaps and bounds acquired by a very
unpredictable but consistent quantum model of reality as observed in
our laboratories, this simplistic view is necessarily obsolete. We
no longer live, we have learned (if indeed we ever did) in a simple
cause and effect universe where the source can always be gleaned
from observable effect. For the same reasons, Newtonian-based magic
must give way to a more quantum model. Newton`s apple must now take
into consideration Heisenberg`s Uncertainty Principle. The secret
wisdom must follow suit towards quantumization.
Another unfortunate tendency of some modern practioners of Qabbala
is to continue to regard everything from the standpoint of the
Demiurge, Yahweh, which of course is the basis of the now obsolete
(and dangerous) Judeo-Christian foundation of religious thought
which has held western civilization in its thrall for about two
thousand years. Personally I find it amazing that modern
practioners, who despite no real Semitic disposition still practice
an unmistakably orthodox Jewish mysticism. It was Aleister Crowley,
that great Qabbalistic agent provocateur, who initiated the process
of liberating the Qabbala from its otherwise Judaic orientation.
(This is not anti-semitism but a necessary step towards individual
development. It must also be stated that a Qabbala had been in use
centuries earlier by the Egyptians. The Jews merely adopted it to
their own religious precepts. They didn`t invent it. The actual
origin most likely predates Egyptian history.)
Crowley emphasized that the enlightened magician must, after careful
study and application of his knowledge, develop his own Qabbalistic
framework. By virtue of this the magician has arrived at a more
chaotic paradigm in opposition to a purely empirical view. Crowley,
by adapting the Qabbala to a Thelemic context initiated that first
leap forward into the quantum age. Thus, the foundation for a more
quantum/chaotic system was lain.
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I would like now to redefine the secret wisdom in terms of
quantumization as follows:
"The Qabbala is a table of observed synchronicities wherein multi-
dimensional potentia overlap into the field of perception implying a
correlation/interaction as perceived on a three-dimensional plane."
The sum of the parts of the whole is determined by conceptual
visualization and the observer`s ostensible observation thereof. It
is therefore merely a perceptual tool for perceiving hidden meaning
in the world determined entirely by the perceived-perception of the
perciper (in the language of Satre), which will alter its form and
content (via expansion and contradiction) according to the
percipere`s own innate tendencies.
The qabbala is no longer merely a mathematical construct of an
ordered universe as conceived by divine will. Instead it becomes a
kind of computerized network of extra-sensory information. Even the
idea of a prima causa itself may be inadequate as well. This idea is
based solely upon a linear time frame and is therefore a corollary
of our erroneous perception of time whose actual nature may tend
more towards the cyclical. Primitive man, for example was very well
aware of this fact, and acted in accordance with it. (This may have
to do with primitive people being more in tune with their own
circadian rhythms. This expresses a more lunar-intuitive cycle
rather than our own solar one.) If perception of time is based upon
natural rhythms which effect the body coupled with our observance of
nature, then our concept of time is entirely contrary to what nature
itself is telling us. We are thus unaligned with a proper time
framework. Since a cycle is essentially a circle, no beginning or
ending can be found. And, it is already been theorized that there
are other dimensions of reality in which time as we know it (in a
durational, linear sense of perception) simply cannot exist.
The universe has again and again defied our attempts a definable
order upon it. Yet, mysteriously it does seem to act intelligently,
even though this cannot be grasped by a rigid point A to point B
structure. What emerges is a kind of chaotic mandala structure, and
it is the task of quantum qabbalism to apprehend, as much as is
possible, the interior of this structure. This opens the doors to
practical mysticism as opposed to impractical mysticism. The qabbala
must then be updated to accommodate this vital realization in regard
to its properties of being able to regulate perceptive awareness via
interacting forces springing from more or less hidden dimensions
whose effect is known but not the cause.
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The understanding of the intention of creation is a product of the
mind of the qabbalist himself. The fabric of reality is thereby
flexible, effected by his own experience of it, and in turn, this
experience determines his perception of it, which is altered by the
interaction of these elements, more clearly understood as a
transaction. In other words, one perceives his environment and that
environment by virtue of one`s perception of it begins to act
accordingly to the reality model which is believed to be true. This
could be described as a kind of Copenhagen Interpretation as applied
to qabbalistic principles. The qabbalist then shares a unique
position of receiving qabbalistic impressions via observable
systematic synchronicities by means of inclination represented in
his own psyche. These impressions will translate back as meaningful
data insofar as the transaction between observer and the observed
becomes enacted. His perception modifies the universe and in turn,
the universe modifies his perception. (This can serve as a
representation of the union of microprosopus and macroprosopus.) The
feedback of this required information will be meaningful to him
alone as it is a byproduct of his own psychic field. He becomes a
kind of decoder of esoteric information which he has learned to
process.
From this quantum/chaos framework the qabbala can be regarded as a
four (or five) dimensional transaction as revealed in the mundane
world, whereby an enriched quality of information provides the key
to a higher understanding of the universe and of oneself, provided
the person in question is capable of processing this information.
From this perspective, ghosts, poltergeists, and other enigmas of
paranormal phenomena can be understood as failed communication or
remnants of a highly coded system which hasn`t been solved. The
problem arises when one dimension fails to adequately "translate"
into another. You might term this the Tower of Babel Effect. The
information being received is misinterpreted due to inadequate tools
of reception and perhaps an inability to use tools properly. There
is also a basic misunderstanding of what this information means and
to what extent the source can be determined. This is a little like
trying to demonstrate fourth dimension physics by a purely three
dimensional means. The instances of paranormal phenomena as
described above, may be due to a discrepancy of overlapping
dimensions which allows for a greater margin of error which impedes
effective communication between the dimensions themselves. One is
reminded of Plato`s parable of the cave, wherein the shadows of the
things observed on the wall of the cave are mistaken for reality
itself. Granted, a shadow does resemble the object projecting it,
but it is hardly the object itself. It is the task of the quantum
qabbalist to make allowances for this margin of interpretive
miscalculation by preparing for it in advance and thus integrating
this possible glitch into his qabbalistic computer. He makes
allowances for this possible occurrence of organizational entropy and
thus he is able to use it to his advantage.
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The idea of a qabbala based upon an exploration of prima causa is no
longer valid in the quantum age. The quantumized qabbalist learns to
regard himself in the mirror of chaos. For him, the old Gnostic
dictum of "there is no part of me which is not of the gods", is
literally true. His "Tree of Life" is based squarely upon the
apprehension of his own enigmatic existence. He is more interested
in a practical application of his qabbalistic ideas and principles
for himself and others, than a cosmological game of hide and seek
wherein one searches for a prima causa "God" figure. But even for
this, he has an explanation: By careful observation of himself
within the mirror of chaos he has learned that the miracle of
creation is somehow a byproduct of his own consciousness and that he
has played an inexplicable role in the very act itself. ("Did ye not
know that ye were gods?") Joyously he has found that the tracks of
God etched across the illimitable sands of time in the accelerated
particle chambers of his own expanding consciousness. Thus has he
learned to adore the divine mystery of existence donning the masks
of creation.
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{file "The Dark Night of the Soul" "bos074.htm"}
The Dark Night of the Soul
Fra.: Apfelmann
"The Dark Night of the Soul" is the name given to that experience of
spiritual desolation that all students of the Occult pass through at
one time or another. It is sometimes characterized by feelings that
your occult studies or practices are not taken you anywhere, that
the initial success that one is sometimes granted after a few months
of occult working, has suddenly dried up. There comes a desire to
give up on everything, to abandon exercises and meditation, as
nothing seems to be working. St.John of the Cross. a christian
mystic, said of this experience, that it;
"...puts the sensory spiritual appetites to sleep, deadens them,
and deprives them of the ability to find pleasure in anything.
It binds the imagination, and impedes it from doing any good
discursive work. It makes the memory cease, the intellect become
dark and unable to understand anything, and hence it causes the
will to become arid and constrained, and all the faculties empty
and useless. And over this hangs a dense and burdensome cloud,
which afflicts the soul, and keeps it withdrawn from the good."
Though the beginner may view the onset of such an experience with
alarm (I know I did), the "Dark Night" is not something bad or
destructive. In one sense it may be seen as a trial, a test by which
the Gods examine our resolve to continue with occult work, and if
you are not completely whole-hearted about your magical studies, it
is during this period (at its beginning) that you will give up. The
Dark Night of the Soul should be welcomed, once recognized for
what it is (I have always received an innate "warning" just before
the onset of such a period), as a person might welcome an operation
that will secure health and well-being. St.John of the Cross embraced
the soul`s Dark Night as a Divine Appointment, calling it a period
of "sheer grace" and adding;
"O guiding Night,
O Night more lovely than Dawn,
O Night that has united the lover with his beloved
Transforming the Lover in her Beloved."
When entering the Dark Night one is overcome by a sense of spiritual
dryness and depression. The notion, in some quarters, that all such
experiences should be avoided, for a peaceful existence, shows up
the superficiality of so much of contemporary living. The Dark Night
is a way of bringing the Soul to stillness, so that deep psychic
transformation may take place. All distractions must be set aside,
and it is no good attempting to fight or channel the bursts of raw
energy that from time to time may course through your being. This
inner compulsion to set everything aside results in the outer
depression, when nothing seems to excite.
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The only thing to do is obey your inner voice and become still,
waiting for the inner transformation, (which the "Dark Night"
heralds), to take place. You may not be aware for a very long time
of the results of that inner change, but when the desire to work
comes again and the depression lifts, the Dark Night has (for a
moment) passed. No one can help during this time, and in many cases
there is hardly anyone to turn for advice. One must disregard the
well-meaning advice of family and friends to "snap out of it" this
is no ordinary depression, but a deep spiritual experience which
only those who have passed through themselves (in other words to a
magical retreat) but for many, as the routines of everyday life
prohibits this, all you can do is cultivate an inner solitude, a
stillness and silence of heart, and wait, (like a chrysalis waits
for the inner changes that will result in a butterfly) for the
Transformation to work itself out. There are many such "Dark Nights"
that the occult seeker must pass through during the mysterious
process of mitigation. They are all trials but experience teaches
one to cope more efficiently.
With fractalic greetings and laughter * Fra.: Apfelmann *
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{file "Weaving Webs (David Rankine)" "bos075.htm"}
Weaving Webs
by David Rankine
The Mantra Web is a very simple and effective technique for using
sonics in a group. Choose a mantra with a number of syllables
corresponding to the numbers of operators, eg. IAO for 3 people. The
operators should link hands, left palm up and right palm down, and
slowly start to circle clockwise, each vibrating their syllable. As
this is done the operators should each project a thread of light
from their Solar Plexus (Manipura chakra) to a central focal point.
The color(s) of the threads of light should be determined before
the operation according to its purpose and the current beliefs of
the operators. As the speed and resonance of the mantra is built up
over a period of time, so the web is empowered, until a climax is
reached and the web energy directed by a pre-specified operator to
its purpose. This is just a sketchy outline of the technique, which
obviously can be used for much more than this. Some of the more
common uses for this technique include healing (with the individual
in the center at the focus, crystals would also boost the energy
levels); sexual magick (with operator(s) in the center and, if
possible, the climax timed accordingly); empowering sigils, and so
on.
If the operators vibrate their syllable alternately instead of
together, the mantra will spin around the circle and have a
positively disorienting effect on the operators.
It is important that the operators visualize their thread of light
continuously, and not just when vibrating their mantra syllable. I
particularly recommend this technique for outdoor use, especially at
suitably aspected power sites. However, if you are using a stone
circle or any other site of magick, please do think about what
aspects the site has, and preferably visit beforehand to achieve
some rapport with the site.
{file "Supradimensionality Part I (I.O.T.)" "bos076.htm"}
Supradimensionality Part I
by Fra. Forovius
The Quest for Unknown ENNEAD:
Supradimensionality itself cannot be experienced directly; our
senses are not equipped for it. We are used to aligning our
consciousness with the three space dimensions, and these proceed
along the dimension of time. Whereas we can move freely in space, we
experience the dimension of time as a continuum that goes inevitably
in one direction - from past to future, with no return. People often
lay all their hopes and theories on some new, fourth or fifth, or
whatever, dimension, when they are confronted with supernatural
phenomena and ask themselves where it all came from. At the very least
science fiction novels tend to overstress supradimensions; as a source
of UFOs, for example, or of inexhaustible energy sources and similar
things. In this article I would like to try out a little mind
experiment with you to see if we might get a feeling for what it could
be like if a gate opens to other dimensions. Let`s take a look:
In answering the question about the meaning of the word "dimension",
we should leave out all overburdened explanations, be it SciFi or
traditional mathematics. Mathematics is a perfect symbolic language(!)
for the relationships of numbers and quantities, as it is very
accurate and gives exact results where normal language gives up. But
not everything is true that can be proven by mathematics, it is just
conclusive. Let`s use our imagination first...
For the following we begin at the simplest point. Try to experience
your surroundings as a one-dimensional being. You can use all your
senses as in hot/cold, hard/soft, light/dark, silent/loud. You can
move only along one line in one direction - forward. So, now you are
sitting in your easy-chair and start to move as a tiny speck of dust.
At first the world is soft and comfortable; the room`s center gets a
bit more cool, although light; then, at the wall, it is extremely
hard, dark and uncomfortable, and so on. For every section of the way
you have gone you have a single, irreversible impression. Sounds
familiar doesn`t it, like we think of the "eternal flow of time and
aeons". But let`s steer clear od speculation that would not be apt for
a speck of dust.
Resume: when every section of this way has it`s own distinct
characteristic (not affectable by time, because time doesn`t exist),
it is inconceivable for us that in some places other conditions along
the same length in same sector may exist, just to the right or left of
the way. Don`t forget - right/left have not been invented yet!
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Were it able to move left or right, if only slightly, it might be
able to experience different conditions on the same spot of its
one-dimensional axis (on a border, a corner, a different surface).
But what lies outside its one-dimensional paradigm is unknowable. The
model for this paradigm is, therefore, that along the dimension there
can only be one condition at one spot.
Let`s shift now to a 2-dimensional paradigm. Now the first dimension
and the 2nd can be used, and the room presents itself to us like a
section with an even surface. Along the first dimension there are
still the same conditions as before, but to the side (left/right)
there are some more.
The model is changed as follows: along dimension 1 (length) there
can be different conditions, but at different levels of dimension 2
(width). This new being acts in a more familiar manner as, like maps
for example, it orients itself according to a horizontal and
vertical axis.
You can guess how the riddle continues. We learn to move or grow up
and down. Now different conditions are possible on the same surface
coordinates but at different heights and depths. In the new paradigm
there is only one condition at one point in space.
Finally, we shift to our normal paradigm by adding time. We can now
observe different conditions at the same point of space at different
times, and can formulate the paradigm as follows: At the same point in
space only one object can exist at the same time. This is a long
established model of physics, matching perfectly our mechanical world
and our senses.
In this mental experiment we have learned 2 things:
1, Moving along a dimension, one can recognize differences. This is
the characteristic of a dimension, not its definition.
2, After each shift to the next dimension, the model (dogma) of the
preceding one is superseded. Generally, the most recent dimension is a
continuum, ie., a dimension that goes irreversible in one direction.
Our own paradigm model consists of the (old) 3 space dimension plus
the (new) time as a continuum. How could a world look like that
contains one dimension more, the fifth one, called "E" or Ennead for
example? (I think Ennead is an expression from a science fiction
novel, but the Ancient Egyptians had a similar expression for the
place where all possibilities exist that don`t exist here; or where
all the possibilities manifest that are kept by us from manifesting in
this world here.)
You can construct the new model dogma by yourself: at one and the
same point of space and time there CAN be different conditions
(objects, colors, temperatures...), but at a different Ennead(!!).
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BUT: at the same point of space at the same time and Ennead, there is
again only one condition (object etc.) possible! This game can
theoretically be continued forever, but soon gets uninteresting,
because everything becomes far-fetched.
The step to the next dimension implies several interesting changes
because:
- first of all it calls for the parallel existence of different
things and events, side-by-side and at the same spot of the
space/time-paradigm. This sounds very much like the sometimes
incomprehensible reports of mystic experiences, whether from
contemporary times like the Seth-books, or long ago, like Meister
Eckhart, Tauler or Seuse. It is also similar to the picture of the 4
worlds of the Kabbala which exists inside one another, and it makes
certain Egyptian mysteries understandable.
- it makes a huge number of connections possible that we normally
would not think of. Numerous events inexplicable by rational
thinking may have their roots here, because causality is only valid in
the exact space/time paradigm and loses its ultimate character the
moment a new dimension is brought in.
- most probably, and here all thinking and imagination stops, it
replaces the time continuum with a ubiquitous time dimension (like
length, width and height in our paradigm) where we can move freely
forwards and backwards - but always at the same Ennead. Again, this
dimension shift doesn`t free us completely, it just opens a gate and
makes the next border visible.
The question about the quality or sense of this new E-dimension
remains unanswered. But our familiar dimensions also have no state or
sense or quality; they just exist and make us feel that they exist by
limitations of our sense of movement etc. Although we live in this
system, we cannot give a real definition of it (should we really?),
only some more or less mathematical explanations. We just experience
that along a dimension something changes. Dimensions let things
happen. We feel something has changed along a dimension and we measure
it by looking for regular changes. We measure time by observing the
regular movements of the sun and the earth, but with no feeling for
their pure quality.
Also, a new dimension E would not change our world radically; its
only effect to our paradigm would be that some additional things
happened - miraculously side-by-side in time. But as we have no
sensors for this, it would be totally imperceptible. And should a
short impression slip through, it would be instantly erased by our
mind`s censor. Moreover, if some of us should get to this dimension it
would prove nearly impossible to explain it to others; having no
common language, comparisons or symbols for it.
This mental experiment has done its job, if we have achieved a
feeling for what supradimensionality could be. Our paradigm is not the
ultimate possibility, others exist - in between!
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Other Forms of Existence:
Anyone used to observing nature from the heart, will have seen
that it doesn`t like to have jumps in it; especially when it is only
to be fitted into an artificial theoretical system of the human
brain`s. Therefore, it is not consequent to assume that our paradigm
of a space+time-continuum is the only valid system. The motto cannot
be: "either you are with us in our system, or you are non-existent!"
- a logical chain that we tend to follow all too often. If there are
more simple dimensional systems, they will surely have their
inhabitants. However, the creative amongst you should refrain from
designing flat monsters for a 2-dimensional world now. As explained
before, this all exists in our world, one in the other!
Again a little mental experiment may show us the way. Let`s imagine
the following:
1, We put away all conditions related to the last dimension, the
continuum. At the same time the last-but-one dimension becomes the
continuum automatically, as explained before, because the last
dimension always is a continuum (!!). It is interesting that our
time-continuum physically is related only to movement, which means
that everything able to move freely can experience time.(As stated
here, the gift that our space+time paradigm gives to us is motion.
Now, in Ancient Egypt, a very important symbol was the Ankh, meanings
originally a sandal`s belt (scientists say). So, the meaning of the
respective hieroglyph means "TO WALK". On Egyptian pictures, when a
GOD gives life to a HUMAN he hands an ANKH to him, i.e. giving him
LIFE = TO WALK = MOVEMENT.)
So we ignore everything that has to do with motion. And the space
becomes continuum.
2, We look for forms of existing lacking exactly that last paradigm
element, ie., (in our case) time and movement.
That means we are looking for something that fulfills the picture of
this reduced paradigm. In our previous example: something that
doesn`t move, but spreads in space continuously and irreversibly.
Just let the picture grow before thinking further; that`s it -
GROWING! Anything that grows steadily and cannot shrink
deliberately.
We may think of plants growing, clouds rising, micro-organism, fungi
etc. For example, a tree starts from an exact point in space (the
seed) and spreads evenly according to a distinct blueprint. Its size,
especially the section rings of its stem, correlate exactly with its
age; that means spatial growing and age match exactly. It cannot
shrink definitely; it is able to drop leaves or branches, but they
soon grow back to make it fill the same space occupied before. The
process of spatial growth is irreversible. A harrowing thought - most
probably we "grow" through time in the same manner! Maybe, even like
some herbs or grass that die off in Autumn and grow again in the
Spring - a picturesque allegory of death and rebirth!
For our next example we again take one dimension less. Now there is no
free (active) motion and no growth in space. The continuum is the
surface. A much more tricky paradigm. Something existing here must
have the tendency to spread in surface as much as possible and never
contract again deliberately. Hmmm.. what`s the biggest surface on
earth? Of course, water! Water, as a liquid, can be formed freely, as
it has no fixed form and will mould itself to fit any surface. But it
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cannot be compressed, and has the tendency to fill a space from
beneath with the maximum of even surface at the same time. The gain
with this form of existence is in the changeability of form - its
flexibility and adaptability. The picture for this is the ocean, the
river, or organisms like lichens which exist in clumps or patches.
Our next move is one more step towards reduction of existence. Now
there is no area and no spreading over a surface. The continuum is
dimension 1, the line, and everything else is fixed. In this paradigm
all solid objects exist. Changes, if any, are only allowed along one
line and are irreversible as in falling towards a center of gravity
for example, or rolling down a slope. This dimension 1 does not have
to be a straight line, but is the most efficient and best way of
coming nearer to the center of attraction. Irreversible.
It`s interesting to see that we humans still align our orientation in
space according to these same systems as described. The vertical line
is a solid object hanging down, the plumb-rule; the horizontal
surface, the level, is adjusted by hydrostatic balance (with water!).
And the only independent (ie., not geodetic) system for measuring
height is an instrument derived from a barometer (the
altigraph), which works on the basis of the expansion and reduction of
a specific gas volume in a sealed shell.
These thoughts are certainly a little bit hard to chew on, but I`m
sure they give enough themes for meditation.
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Here`s an example for a simple meditation; freestyle of course. Get
yourself into a trance-journey somehow. You may use a shamanic
technique or jump through a Tattwa sign or whatever you prefer and are
best used to. Let`s take the water element for example. According to
classical technique, you imagine the horizontal syrinx sign and go
through it (but in silver and not in green as usual when you want to
explore the water world) and become the water yourself. Try to let
the feeling flow freely. Flow down, spread, split into drops while
breaking on a stone that lies in the water way; flow down as a torrent
etc.; trickle to the ground; evaporate to the sky; experience total
passivity in the respect of controlled growth or active motion. Be
totally passive! It is important to collect oneself after this
meditation and perform a thorough earthing. This exercise is
comparatively easy with the water element. It is also possible with a
3-dimensional system (plant or cloud), but more complicated, or with
1-dimensional system (solid object), but the latter takes a long time
in my experience.
The purpose of this exercise is to get a feeling for the structure and
physical reality of other dimensional existence and their relation
with other systems, and to comprehend that these need not be projected
to distant universes, but really exist in our world and that we meet
them every day.
For people dealing with magic it is of immense value to get the
right feeling of the existence of one universe in the other, and to be
able to shift from a low dimensional system to a supradimensional
system and vice versa. This is because we face many phenomena reaching
into our paradigm from other systems. For example, severe distortions
of reality go hand-in-hand with deep trance, (lucid) dreams and
precognition. These all make our reality and our normal environment
appear more or less different from normal experience: for example,
when we experience our home in dream reality or on a mental journey,
the table in the room isn`t where it normally used to be or maybe the
window is on another wall and looks into a different landscape etc..
All this is due to distortions along the 5th dimension (the Ennead as
I named it provisionally).
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Let`s continue our little mental experiment, but this time in the
forward direction. At first we see no differences, when we go from our
paradigm to a 4+1 dimensional system. Obviously we have no sense and
no feeling for what`s happening when we go beyond our 3+1 (space+time)
system. So the new mental experiment leads nowhere. It`s worth it to
demonstrate that no practical model comes from mental speculations in
this direction. But we can derive a description from our "experiences"
with low-dimensional systems. Keeping the last paradigms in mind and
adding a new dimension, the Ennead, we can formulate the new paradigm
by same method as follows:
"At the same place in space at the same time there ARE different
conditions possible at different E-dimensions."
Exactly like the addition of a "new" time-dimension to the old 2+1
(area+space) paradigm makes free movement possible for the first time,
so also the addition of a new dimension E to our 3+1 paradigm makes it
possible (at least theoretically) for the following to exist:
- the one-inside-the-other-existence of different entities and
conditions
- parallel worlds
- events occurring simultaneously in time
- time travel (forward and backwards).
The key to all this seems to be the existence of "parallel worlds",
and I want to take a little look into how our ability to distinguish
objects function. If different things exist on the same spot at the
same time this implies that the same things exist in different worlds
(systems, universes etc., it`s all the same!). The explanation for
this you will find in the section Other Forms of Existence. Things are
distinguishable for us by their presence (POSITION in space+time) and
their QUALITY (that we check by our senses). They are different if
they have different position and/or quality. Example: sheep A is as
dull as sheep B, looks the same, sounds the same, smells the same. I
know they are different as one stands beside the other (ie. at
different positions at the same time). If there are enough sheep that
are so similar and they run among each other, I can distinguish
nothing. That is unless I mark them to make them look different; or
one has changed its appearance, by having been sheared, for instance.
Then it looks different at a different time, but still is essentially
the same. In all these cases we orient according to differences and
coherence of existence,
and not very reliably at that. I want to show with this shaggy sheep
tale that the question of continuous existence throughout different
positions and qualities is not easily resolved, and therefore we
should be carefully before we discount all talk of "double existence,
parallel worlds etc.".
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Existence is hard to imagine and contradicts with experience and
commonsense unless we postulate the existence of parallel worlds in
which all possibilities at least potential exist. But only one
possibility becomes reality. By taking this thought further, we see
that all these parallel worlds contain the possibilities of life, and
we move through all this, making reality out of one of them - by
DECISION or free will, call it as you like. A picture that we also
find in some of Castaneda`s books.
Outlook:
The question remains unanswered is: What makes these parallel worlds
manifest (ie. how often do "I" exist) or just remain hypothetical
assumptions. But this is without importance for us at the moment. In a
simple and subjective way, only that which we experience actually
manifests. For me it appears dimly that out of Ennead only the
parallel worlds through which we pass by our subjective experience,
our acting and our reality become reality and sharply outlined. All
else remains dim and unreal but may be experienced by others - who
knows? This is similar to a widespread network of rails in a railway
shunting station, with numerous railtracks linked by switches, but
only ONE track being used by a train. The switches stand for important
decisions which open this or that way. According to our decisions we
pass a track leading more "up" or "down", more "ahead" or "back" (all
seen from Ennead), or we just shuttle back and forth in the middle. To
help to understand this we can look at certain games, like chess, that
show how the chain of events is predetermined by decisions that lie
far back in the past. By playing chess you can get an idea of the
reality of fate, and that some errors taken in the past can hardly be
set right whilst some may easily be. These causal chains may be very
long in any case.
The previously described Ennead system could work in a similar
fashion to this: exactly like our space+time paradigm enables us to
move, so the jump into the space/time+ennead paradigm opens the gates
to potentiality and its network of connections. Although we cannot
take part in this because of our limited senses, and we cannot jump
into the next dimension and its adherent paradigm, we can take a peek
behind the curtain and at least get a feeling for the kind of
interference therein. It may open a new view on things hitherto
believed to be inevitable: the passing of time, all our actions and
interactions, and on fate itself. Are we just "programmed" towards
another target or direction, that can only be seen from above, from
Ennead, from the next dimension? Do we "move" in Ennead with our
decisions (and this implies things like character, mental attitudes,
views and opinions, by which we decide on this or that way)?
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296
However, for a being fixed and rooted in his/its paradigm, there is
not much difference how it decides. A root or a branch can grow in
this or that way, and reacts to certain stimuli like light or water,
but remains fixed and not suited for free movement. The more simple an
animal is organized, the more unidirectional its reactions are:
"lurk - snap - gorge" and suchlike. The (occasionally) more complex
motivations of men lead me conclude that we may be on the threshold
before the door to the next paradigm. (Similar to plant-like
organisms, corals for example, that are fixed to the ground but can
push out and pull in their tentacles... Hagazussa already?).
We can "move" in this way - and this is certainly the most noble
expression of "do what thou wilt" and Thelema - by influencing our
position in Ennead consciously and constantly, and without mercy
giving our decisions a certain orientation and thereby "moving" with
this through Ennead and the parallel worlds. (If our personal
"thelema" was not a nonsense ie. Choronzon.) I`m sure many of you have
experienced that after somebody changed their attitude and opinions,
sometimes their environment also begins to change, but without any
causal reasons! Just the right people appear; some lucky (or unlucky)
opportunities open up; old friends seem to withdraw and appear more
and more strange... Maybe a new parallel world has opened, and you
move in? But besides these speculations and as a last consequence this
means we bring all that we face by our own decisions, and we blame
nobody else but our own good selves for "all the bad luck and hard
days we suffer from". On the other hand we are not responsible to
anything/anybody/anygod for all the shit we are in... its our own hard
way! All that has to do with character building starts here. Here and
now and in our own earthbound and mortal life and in our own paradigm,
we have the chance to move in a certain direction, perhaps "up" or
"down" or maybe recognized only from aside/above/from Ennead. Even
from the next paradigm maybe. But
we have the chance NOW. Possibilities are numerous. Let`s use them for
maximum experience.
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297
{file "Celtic Craft Reading List (Rowan Moonstone)" "bos077.htm"}
CELTIC CRAFT READING LIST - 6 JULY 1991
Rowan Moonstone
*** Marks especially good books. Read these FIRST!! Keep in mind,
this is simply a listing of the books that I have found useful.
Question everything.
A.E.(GEORGE RUSSELL); "The Candle of Vision", Quest Books,
Theosophical Pub. 1975
ALFORD, VIOLET; "The Hobbyhorse & Other Animal Masks", Merlin Press
1978
AMERICAN CONFERENCE FOR IRISH STUDIES; "Guide to Irish Studies in
the U.S.A." 1987
ANWYL, EDWARD; "Celtic Religion in Pre-christian Times", Archibald
Constable & Co. 1906 ***
ARTOS, ALLEN; "Arthur, The King of Light", Lorien House 1986
ASHE, GEOFFREY; "The Ancient Wisdom", London 1977
BAIN, GEORGE; "Celtic Art: The Methods of Construction", Dover Pub.
1973
BARBER, CHRIS; "Mysterious Wales", Paladin Press 1983
BOASE, WENDY; "Folklore of Hampshire & the Isle of Wight", Rowman
& Littlefield 1976
BONWICK, JAMES; "Irish Druids and Old Irish Religion", Arno Press
1976
BORD, JANET & COLIN; "The Secret Country", Grenada 1978 ***
BORD, JANET & COLIN; "Mysterious Britain", Grenada 1974 ***
BORD, JANET & COLIN; "Earth Rites", Grenada 1983 ***
BORD, JANET & COLIN; "Sacred Waters", Paladin Books 1986 ***
BREFFNY, BRIAN DE, ed.; "Ireland, A Cultural Encyclopedia", Thames
& Hudson 1983
BREFFNY, BRIAN DE; " The Irish World", Thames & Hudson 1986
BRIGGS, KATHERINE; "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees, & Boggarts", Pantheon
1979
BRIGGS, KATHERINE; "Nine Lives; Cats in Folklore", Rudledge & Kegen
Paul 1980
BROWN, PETER, ed. & selected by; "Book of Kells", Alfred A. Knopf
1980
CAMPBELL, J.F. & GEORGE HENDERSON; "The Celtic Dragon Myth",
Newcastle Pub. 1981
Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD
298
CARMICHAEL, ALEXANDER; "Celtic Invocations", Vineyard 1972
CASTLEDEN, RODNEY; "The Wilmington Giant", Turnstone 1983
CHADWICK, NORA; "The Celts", Pelician 1970
CHANT,JOY; "The High Kings", Bantam 1983
CHMELOVA, ELENA; "Celtic Tales", Exeter Books 1982
CLARE, T.; "Archelogical Sites of Devon & Cornwall", Moorland Pub.
1982
COGHLAN, RONAN; "Dictionary of Irish Myth and Legend", Donard Press
1979
COHANE, JOHN PHILLIP; "The Key", Crown Pub. 1969
COLLUM, PADRAIG; "Treasury of Irish Folklore", Crown Pub. 1967
COLLUM, PADRAIC; "Treasury of Irish Folklore", rev. ed. Killenny
Press 1967
COLLUM, PADRAIC; "The King of Ireland's Son", McMillian & sons 1933
CONWAY, D.J.; "Celtic Magic", Llewellyn Pub. 1990
COOKE, GRACE & IVAN; "The Light in Britain", White Eagle Pub. Trust
1983
COSMAN, MADELEINE, PELNER; "Medieval Holidays and Festivals",
Charles Scribmer & Sons 1981
CROSSLEY-HOLLAND, KEVIN, ed.; "Mabon of the Mabinogion", Thorsen
Pub. 1984
CUNLIFFE, BARRY; "The Celtic World", McGraw Hill MCMLXXIX ***
CURTAIN, JEREMIAH; "Myths and Folk Tales of Ireland", Dover Books
1975
DAMES, MICHAEL; "The Avebury Cycle", Thames & Hudson 1977 ***
DANAHER, KEVIN; "The Year in Ireland", (Leinster Leader, Ltd. 1972)
Mercier Press 1972 ***
DANIEL, GLYN & PAUL BAHN; "Ancient Places - The Prehistoric &
Celtic Sites of Britian", Constable 1987
DAVIDSON, THOMAS; "Rowan Tree and Red Thread", Edinburgh 1949
DAVIES, EDWARD; "The Mythology and Rites of the British Druids",
J. Booth 1809
DELANEY, FRANK; "The Celts", Little Brown & Co. 1986
DILLON, MYLES; "Early Irish Literature", University of Chicago
Press 1948
Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD
299
DINNENN, REV. PATRICK S.; "Irish- English Dictionary", Irish Textes
Society 1927
DUGGAN, COLM; "Treasures of Irish Folklore", Mercantile Marketing
Consultants, Ltd. 1983
DYER, JAMES; "The Penguin Guide To Prehistoric England & Wales",
Penguin Books
EVANS-WENTZ, W. Y.; "The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries",
Universtiy Books 1966 ***
FELL, BARRY; "America, B.C.", Wallaby Books 1976
FITZPATRICK, JIM; "The Silver Arm", Paper Tiger Press 1981
FITZPATRICK, JIM; "The Book of Conquests", E.P. Dutton 1978
FLOWER, ROBIN; "The Irish Tradition", Clarendon Press 1947/1978
FORDE, JOHNSTON J.; "Prehistoric Britian & Ireland", W.W. Norton
& Co. 1976
FRAZIER, SIR JAMES GORDON; "The Golden Bough", (The Macmillan
Company, 1951) Avenel 1981
FRENCH, J.M.F.; "Prehistoric Faith and Worship", London 1912
FROUD, BRIAN & ALAN LEE; "Faeries", Harry M. Abrams 1978
GANTZ, JEFFERY; "Early Irish Myths & Sagas", Penquin 1982
GERALD OF WALES; "The History & Topography of Ireland", Penquin
1982
GLASSIE, HENRY; "Irish Folk History", University of Pennsylvannia
Press 1982
GREGORY, LADY AUGUSTA; "Visions and Beliefs in the West of
Ireland", Colin Smythe 1920/1979
GREGORY, LADY AUGUSTA; "Gods and Fighting Men of the Celts", John
Murray 1913 ***
GUARD, DAVID, "Dierdre: A Celtic Legend", Celestial Arts 1977
HERM, GERHARD; "The Celts", St. Martin's Press 1975
HIGGINS, GODFREY; "Celtic Druids", Philosohpical Research Society
1977
HOPE, MURRY; "Practical Celtic Magic", Aquarian Press 1987
IRISH TEXTES SOCIECTY; "Poems of Egan O'Rahilly", Rev. P.S. Dinnenn
& T.O. Donough 1966
Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD
300
IRISH TEXTES SOCIECTY; "Duanaine Finn", Vol VII, part 1, ed. &
trans. Eoin MacNeil
IRISH TEXTES SOCIECTY; Keating, "History of Ireland, Vol 1-4,
1902/1987
IRISH TEXTES SOCIECTY; "Adventures of Suibhne Geilt", ed. & trans.
J.G. O'Keefe 1913
IRISH TEXTES SOCIECTY; "Poems on the Marcher Lords", ed. Anne
O'Sullivan & Padrain O'Riain 1987
IRISH TEXTES SOCIECTY; "Labor Gabala Erenn", parts 1-4, Trans.
R.A.S. MacAlister 1941 ***
JACKSON, KENNETH HURLSTONE; "A Celtic Miscellany", Penguin 1980
JACKSON, KENNETH HURLESTONE; "The Oldest Irish Tradition; A Window
on the Iron Age", Cambridge 1964
JACOBS, JOSEPH; "Celtic Fairy Tales", Dover 1963
JONES, GWYN & THOMAS; "The Mabinogion", Dragon's Dream 1982 ***
JOYCE, P.W.; "Social History of Ancient Ireland", Vol 1 & 2
Benjamin Blum Pub. 1968 ***
KERR, MILDRED L., HARNES, ELIZABETH & ROSS, FRANCES; "Giants &
Faires", Charles E. Merrill Co. 1946
KINSELLA, THOMAS; "The Tain", Oxford Univ. Press 1969 ***
KNEIGHTLY, THOMAS; "The World Guide to Gnomes, Fairies, Elves, and
Other Little People", Avenel Press 1978
KNIGHT, GARETH; "The Secret Tradition in Arthurian Legend",
Aquarian Press 1983
KRUTA, VENCESLAS & VERNER FORMAN; "The Celts of the West", Orbis
1985
LEAMY, EDMUND; "Golden Spears", Desmond Fitzgerald 1911
LEHMANN, RUTH P.M.; "Early Irish Verse", University of Texas Press
1982
LOGAN, PATRICK; "The Old Gods", Apple Tree Press 1981
LONSDALE, STEVEN; "Animals & the Origin of the Dance", Thames &
Hudson 1982
LUCY, SEAN; "Love Poems of the Irish", Mercier Press 1977
MACALISTER, R.A.S.; "Tara; A Pagan Sanctuary of Ancient Ireland",
Charles Schribner & Sons 1931 ***
MACCANA, PROINSIAS; "Celtic Mythology", Hamlyn Pub. 1970
Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD
301
MACCULLOCH, JOHN ARNOTT; "Religion of the Ancient Celts", Folcroft
Library, 1977rep.
MACCULLOCH, JOHN ARNOTT; "The Mythology of all Races in Thirteen
volumes; Celtic, Volume III.", Cooper Square Pub. 1967
MACLENNAN, MALCOLM; "A Promouncing & Emtylogical Dictionary of the
Gaelic Language", (Scots Gaelic) Aberdeen Univ. Press 1979
MACMANUS, SEUMAS; "The Story of the Irish Race", Devin-Adair Co.
1981
MACNEILL, MAIRE; "The Festival of Lughnasa", Oxford, 1962 ***
MARKALE, JEAN; "Women of the Celts", Inner Traditions International
Ltd. 1986
MARRIS, RUTH; "The Singing Swans & Other Irish Stories", Fontana
Lions 1978
MARSH, HENRY; "Dark Age Britain", Dorset Press 1970
MATTHEWS, CAITLIN; "The Elements of The Goddess", Element Books
1989
MATTHEWS, CAITLIN; "The Elements of The Celtic Tradition", Element
Books 1989
McNEIL, F. MARTIN; "The Silver Bough, Vol 1.: Scottish Folklore &
Beliefs", Cannon Gate Classic 1956/1989
O'BRIEN, CHRISTIAN; "The Megalithic Odyssey", Turnstone 1983
O'CONNOR, FRANK; "Short History of Irish Literature", Capricorn
Books 1967
O'CONNOR, NORREYS; "Battles & Enchantments", Books for Libraries
Press 1922/1970
O'DRISCOLL, ROBERT; "The Celtic Consciousness", George Braziller
1982
O'SULLIVAN, DONALD; "Carolan: The Life & Times & Music of an Irish
Harper", Vol 1 & 2, Celtic Music 1983
PEPPERS & WILCOCK; "A Guide to Magical & Mystical Sites - Europe
& the British Isles", Harper Colophon Books 1977
POWELL, T.G.E.; "The Celts", Thames & Hudson 1980
Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD
302
QUILLER, PETER & COURTNEY DAVIS; "Merlin, The Immortal", Spirit of
Celtia 1984
REES, ALWEN & BRINLEY; "Celtic Heritage", Oxford 1971 ***
RHYS, JOHN; "Celtic Folklore, Welsh & Manx, Vol.I"
ROLLESTON, T.W.; "Myths & Legends - Celtic", Avenel Press 1985
ROSS, ANNE; "Pagan Celtic Britian", Rudledge & Kegen Paul 1967 ***
ROSS, ANNE, & DON ROBBINS; "The Life & Death of A Druid Prince",
Summit 1989 ***
RUTHERFORD, WARD; "Celtic Mythology", Aquarian Press 1987
RUTHERFORD, WARD; "The Druids, Magicians of the West", Aquarian
Press 1978 ***
SEYMOUR, ST. JOHN; "Irish Witchcraft and Demonology", 1913
SHARKEY, JOHN; "Celtic Mysteries", Thames & Hudson 1975/1987
SJOESTEDT, MARIE-LOUISE; "Gods and Heroes of the Celts", Methven
& Co. Ltd. 1949 ***
SMITH, LESLEY M.; "The Dark Age: The Making of Britian", Schocker
Books 1984
SPENCE, LEWIS; "The Minor Traditions of British Mythology", Rider
& Co. 1948
SPENCE, LEWIS; "The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain", Anchor Press
SPENCE, LEWIS; "British Fairy Origins", Aquarian Press 1946
SQUIRE, CHARLES; "Celtic Myth & Legend, Poetry & Romance",
Newcastle 1975 ***
STEWART, R.J.; "Book of Merlin", Blandford Press 1988
STEWART, R.J., ed.; "Merlin & Woman", Blandford Press 1988
STEWART, R.J.; "Mystic Life of Merlin", Arcana Press 1986
Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD
303
STEWART, R.J.; "The Underworld Tradition", Aquarian Press 1985
SUTHERLAND, ELISABETH; "Ravens & Black Rain", Corgi Books 1985 ***
THURNEYSON; "Old Irish Reader", Dublin Institut for Advanced
Studies 1968
TOULSON, SHIRLEY; "The Winter Solstice", Jill Norman & Hobhouse
1981 ***
WHITE, CAROLYN; "A History of Irish Fairies", Mercier Press 1976
***
WHITLOCK, RALPH; "In Search of Lost Gods", Phaidon Press 1979
WILDE, LADY; "Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, & Superstitions of
Ireland With Sketches of the Irish Past" Chatto & Windus 1925
WILLIAMS, GWYNN A.; "Madoc, The Legend of the Welsh Discovery of
America", Oxford Univ. Press 1987
WILLIAMSON, JOHN; "The Oak King, the Holly King & the Unicorn",
Harper & Row 1974 ***
WOOD-MARTIN, W. G.; "Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland, Vols
1 & 2", Kennicat Pub. 1902/1970 ***
YEATS, W.B.; "Fairy & Folktales of Ireland", Pan Books 1882 & 1882/
1973
YEATS, W.B. & LADY GREGORY; "Irish Myth, Legend, & Folklore",
Avenel Press 1986
YOUNG, ELLA; "The Wondersmith and His Son", David McKay Co. 1927
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304
{file "The Covenant of the Goddess" "bos078.htm"}
THE COVENANT OF THE GODDESS
PURPOSE
The Covenant of the Goddess was founded in 1975 to increase
cooperation among Witches, and to secure for Witches and covens
the legal protection enjoyed by members of other religions.
FUNCTIONS
The Covenant publishes a newsletter; issues ministerial
credentials on request to qualified persons; sponsors a national
festival each summer; and encourages networking nationally, as
well as regionally through local councils.
STRUCTURE
The Covenant is incorporated as a non-profit religious
organization in California, though it has grown to be a
nationwide organization. It is a confederation of covens and
solitaires of various traditions, who share in the worship of
the Goddess and the Old Gods and subscribe to a common code of
ethics. The Covenant holds a Grand Council annually to elect
national officers, set a budget, and decide matters which require
deliberation by the full membership. Decisions are usually made
by consensus.
CODE OF ETHICS
* An ye harm none, do as ye will.
* Since our religion and arts and practices peculiar to it
are the gift of the Goddess, membership and training in a local
coven or tradition are bestowed free, as gifts, and only on
those persons who are deemed worthy to receive them. However, a
coven may expect each of its members to bear a fair share of its
ordinary operating expenses.
* All persons have the right to charge reasonable fees for
the services by which they earn a living, so long as our
religion is not thereby exploited.
* Every person associated with this Covenant shall respect
the autonomy and sovereignty of each coven, as well as the right
of each coven to oversee the spiritual, mental, emotional and
physical development of its members and students in its own way,
and shall exercise reasonable caution against infringing upon
that right in any way.
* Members of this Covenant shall respect the traditional
secrecy of our religion.
* Members of this Covenant should ever keep in mind the
underlying unity of our religion as well as the diversity of its
manifestations.
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305
* These ethics shall be understood and interpreted in light
of one another, and especially in light of the traditional laws
of our religion.
CONFIDENTIALITY
All information give to the Covenant of the Goddess or any of
its officials is considered strictly confidential, unless you
indicate otherwise. No information about members is published or
given out without explicit written permission. Direct access
to the Covenant's mailing list is limited to the Board of
Directors. Maximum privacy is assured.
NEWSLETTER
At every Sabbat the Covenant publishes a newsletter of Craft
and Pagan news, original articles, poetry, humor, rituals
and announcements. Member covens receive the newsletter
automatically. Individual coveners and non-members who donate
a suitable tax-deductible gift will also be placed on the mailing
list, to receive the newsletter and other mailings. Circulation
is limited to members and friends of the Covenant.
FINANCES
An annual membership tithe is set every year by the Grand
Council to cover bare expenses, based on the previous year's
expenses and any projected cost increases. The annual
financial statement is published in the newsletter. Other
activities are supported by fund-raising.
All contributions to the Covenant of the Goddess are greatly
appreciated and are tax-deductible.
APPLYING FOR MEMBERSHIP
Any Goddess-supporting coven or solitaire can be eligible
for membership in the Covenant of the Goddess if certain
criteria and requirements are met. All inquiries into membership
should be sent to the National Credentials Officer. If the
coven or solitaire is in an area near a local council, the
National Officer will forward the inquiry to the local
Credentials Officer, who will respond. A member can apply in
person at a council meeting, or by filling out the appropriate
form and sending it in with the initial membership tithe.
GENERAL CRITERIA FOR COVEN MEMBERSHIP
* Generally focus thealogy and ritual, etc., around worship
of the Goddess and the Old Gods (or the Goddess alone).
* Believe and follow a code of ethics compatible with that of
the Covenant.
* Have been meeting monthly or oftener for at least six
months.
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306
* Have three more members who have been formally
accepted into the clergy.
* Be a cohesive, self-perpetuating group.
REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP
Full Membership: The applicant must be recommended without
reservation by two active members of the Covenant.
Provisional Membership: The applicant may be recommended by
one member; and then within a year and a day make a viable
effort to get to know other members, in order to achieve Full
Member status.
The appropriate Credentials Officer (National or local)
shall verify information regarding criteria and credentials.
COVEN-AT-LARGE
This is the term we use to represent the many Witches who are
solitaires, i.e. practicing alone. Each local council may devise
its own standards for admission of coveners-at-large, in harmony
with national guidelines.
LOCAL COUNCILS
A local council is a smaller branch of the Covenant,
consisting of at least three member covens of at least two
different traditions, in
reasonably close geographic proximity to each other. The local
councils generally meet more often than the national
organization. They may initiate independent projects,
sponsor local festivals and workshops, and generally work
together for common goals close to home. As the Covenant
continues to grow, we encourage new member covens close to one
another to form their own local councils.
VOTING
When a matter requiring a decision is presented before the
Covenant in council, it is discussed by the members in attendance
until a consensus is reached. If a consensus cannot be reached,
then a vote is taken. A coven holding a current Full Membership
is entitled to one vote. Each such coven also holds the power to
veto, though this is exercised only in extreme cases. A coven
with Provisional Membership is entitled to one vote, but does not
hold veto power.
A coven-at-large is entitled to one vote if, and only if,
three individuals are physically present at the council and
unanimous in their choice of vote.
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307
MINISTERIAL CREDENTIALS
In order to receive Ministerial Credentials as a Priestess or
Priest, a person shall:
1. Be an active member of a coven which is a Full Member of
the Covenant.
2. Have been "confirmed" to taking on the full commitment
to the requirements of that coven's Tradition of our religion.
3. Have undergone at least a full year of active training
for the ministry of that Tradition.
These credentials shall remain valid only so long as the
person remains an active member of the coven which remains an
active member of the Covenant.
In order to be eligible to receive Ministerial Credentials as
an Elder, a person shall:
1. Satisfy (2.) and (3.) above.
2. Have undergone an additional full year of active training
for the ministry.
3. Be fully able to form a coven, admit members, and train
them in the tenets and practices of that Tradition.
These credentials shall remain valid for life, unless
specifically revoked, so long as the person remains in contact
with the Covenant.
THE NATIONAL FESTIVAL
The annual Grand Council or national business meeting is held
as part of a national festival, which is open to the whole
membership as well as Pagans and Witches who are not part of the
Covenant. The
festival is usually held at a secluded campground or resort, and
moves to a different area of the country each summer. In
addition to the council meeting, the program includes
workshops on magick and the Craft, concerts, a potluck feast, a
talent show, and the opportunity to purchase (or barter for) art,
crafts and ritual tools by Pagan artisans. Registration
information is available in the newsletter.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Write to: Covenant of the Goddess, P.O. Box 1226, Berkeley,
CA 94704.
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308
{file "Covenant of the Goddess Pledge" "bos079.htm"}
A Pledge to Pagan Spirituality
I am a Pagan andI dedicate Myself tochanneling the Spiritual
Energy of my Inner Self to help and to heal myself and others.
* I know that I am a part of the Whole of Nature. May I
grow in understanding of the Unity of all Nature. May I always
walk in Balance.
* May I always be mindful of the diversity of Nature as well
as its Unity and may I always be tolerant of those whose race,
appearance, sex, sexual preference, culture, and other ways differ
from my own.
* May I use the Force(psychic power) wisely and never useit
for aggression nor for malevolent purposes. May I never direct it
to curtail the free will of another.
* May I always be mindfulthat I create my own reality and that I
have the power within me to create positivity in my life.
* May I always act in honorable ways: being honest with
myself and others, keeping my word whenever I have given it,
fulfilling all responsibilities and commitments I have taken on to
the best of my ability.
* May I always remember that whatever is sent out always
returns magnified to the sender. May the Forces of Karma move
swiftly to remind me of these spiritual commitments when I have
begin to falter from them, and may I use this Karmic feedback to help
myself grow and be more attuned to my Inner Pagan Spirit.
* May I always remain strong and committed to my Spiritual ideals
in the face of adversity and negativity. May the Force of my Inner
Spirit ground out all malevolence directed my way and transform
it into positivity. May my Inner Light shine so strongly that
malevolent forces can not even approach my sphere of existence.
* May I always grow in Inner Wisdom & Understanding. MayI see
every problem that I face as an opportunity to develop myself
spiritually in solving it.
* May I always act out ofLove to all other beings on this Planet
-- to other humans, to plants, to animals, to minerals, to
elementals, to spirits, and to other entities.
* May I always be mindful that the Goddess and God in all their
forms dwell within me and that this divinity is reflected through
my own Inner Self, my Pagan Spirit.
* May I always channel Love and Light from my being. May my
Inner Spirit, rather than my ego self, guide all my thoughts,
feelings, and actions.
SO MOTE IT BE
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309
{file "Basic Principles Of The Craft (American Council of Witches)" "bos080.htm"}
The Craft (Witchcraft - NOT to be confused with Satanism. A true
Witch has nothing to do with this, even though there are some
Satanists who (unright-fully) call themselves "Witch".) contains a
large number of groups with bonds to each other, for the most part,
which are looser than those you will find between Christian churches.
Each has it's own traditions, it's own beliefs, it's own pantheon,
etc. So just WHAT is it that, overall, a Witch believes in? The
American Council of Witches was formed to determine what it was that
all Witches have in common, belief-wise. In the early 1970's, a
paper was released with their findings, and gives a good overall
picture of it. The following is the text of that paper.
======================================================================
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE CRAFT
1. The first principle is that of love, and it is expressed in the
ethic,
"DO AS YOU WILL, SO LONG AS YOU HARM NONE"
a)love is notemotional in it'sessence, but isan attribute of
the individual as expressed in relation to other beings;
b) harming others can be by thought, word, or deed;
c> it is to be understood the "none" includes oneself;
d) theharm which isto be regardedas unethical isgratuitous
harm; war, in general, is gratuitous harm, although it is
ethical to defend oneself and one's liberty when threatened by
real and present danger, such as defense against invasion.
2. The Witch must recognize and harmonize with the forces of the
universe, in accord with the Law of Polarity: everything is dual;
everything has two poles; everything has it's opposite; for every
action there is a reaction; all can be categorized as either
active or reactive in relation to other things.
a) Godhead is one unique and transcendent wholeness, beyond
any limitationsor expressions; thus,it is beyond our
human capacity to understand and identify with this
principle of Cosmic Oneness, except as It is revealed to us
in terms of It's attributes and operation.
b) The most basic and meaningful attribute of the One that
we, as humans, can relate to and understand, is that of
polarity, of action and reaction; therefore Witches
recognize the Oneness of the Divinity, but worship and
relate to the Divine as the archetypal polarity of God
and Goddess, the All-Father and the Great Mother of the
universe. The Beings are as near as we can approach to
the One within our human limitations of understanding and
expression, though it is possible to experience the
divine Oneness through the practices of the Mysteries.
c) Harmony does not consist of the pretty and the nice, but
the balanced, dynamic,poised co-operation and
co-relation.
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3. The Witch must recognize, and operate within the framework of the
Law of Cause and Effect; every action has it's reaction, and
every effect has it's cause. All things occur according to this law;
nothing in the universe can occur outside this law, though we may not
always appreciate the relation between a given effect and it's cause.
Subsidiary to this is the Law of Three, which states that whatever
goes forth must return threefold, whether of good or ill; for our
actions affect more than people generally realize, and the
resulting reactions are also part of the harvest.
4. As Above, So Below. That which exists in the Macrocosm exists,
on a smaller scale and to a lesser degree, in the Microcosm. The
powers of the universe exist also in the human, though in general
instance they lie dormant. The powers and abilities can be
awakened and used if the proper techniques are practiced, and this
is why initiates of the Mysteries are sworn to guard the secrets
from the unworthy: Much harm can be done by those who have power
without responsibility, both to others and to themselves according
to the Laws of Cause and Effect and of Threefold Return.
a) Since our philosophy teaches that the universe is the
physical manifestation of the Divine, there can be
nothing in the universe which does not partake of the
nature of the Divine; hence, the powers and attributes of
the Divine exist also in the manifest, though to much
smaller degree.
b) These powers can be awakened through the various
techniques of theMysteries, and,although they areonly
capable of small effects in and of themselves, it is
possible to use them in order to draw upon the forces of
the universe. Thus humanity can be the wielders of the
power of the Gods, a channel for Godhead to act within
It's own manifestation. This, then, is further reason
for the oath of secrecy.
c) Since the universe is the body of the One, possessing the
same attributes as the One, it's Laws must be the
principles through and by which the One operates. By
reasoning from the known to the unknown, one can learn of
the Divine, and thus of oneself. Thus the Craft is a
natural religion, seeing in Nature the expression and
revelation of Divinity.
5. We know that everything in the universe is in movement or
vibration and is a function of that vibration. Everything vibrates;
all things rise and fall in a tidal system that reflects the motion
inherent in the universe and also in the atom. Matter and energy
are but two poles of one continuous phenomenon. Therefore the
Witch celebrates, harmonizes with, and makes use of the tides of the
universe and of life as expressed through the cycle of the seasons
and the motion of the solar system. These ritual observances are
the eight great Festivals of the Year, referred to as the Wheel of
the Year. Further, the Witch works with the forces and tides of the
Moon, for this body is the mediator of much energy to our planet
Earth and thus to ourselves.
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6. Nothing is dead matter in the universe. All things exist,
therefore all things live, though perhaps in a different manner from
that which we are used to calling life. In view of this, the Witch
knows that there is no true death, only change from one condition
to another. The universe is the body of Godhead, and therefore
possesses one transcendent consciousness; all things partake of the
consciousness, in varying levels of trance/awareness.
a) Because of this principle, all things are sacred to the
Witch, for all partake of the one Life.
b) Therefore the Witch is a natural ecologist, for Nature is
part of us as we are a part of Nature.
7. Astrology can be useful in marking and interpreting the flow and
ebb of the tides of our solar system, and thus of making use of
those tides; astrology should not be debased into mere
fortune-telling.
8. Throughout the development of the human race, civilizations have
seen and worshipped many and various attributes of the Divine.
These universal forces have been clothed in forms which were
expressive to the worshipper of the attribute of the Godhead which
they expressed. Use of these symbolic representations of t h e
natural and divine forces of the universe, or god forms, is a
potent method for contacting and utilizing the forces they represent.
Thus the Gods are both natural and truly divine, and man-made in
that the forms with which they are clothed are products of
humanity's striving to know the Godhead.
a) In keeping with the Law of Polarity, these god-forms are
brought into harmony by the one great Law whichstates:
All Gods are oneGod. All Goddesses areone Goddess.
There is one Initiator. This law is an expression of our
understanding that all of the forces of the universe, by
whatever ethnic god-form is chosen to clothe and relate
to whichever force, can be resolved into the fundamental
polarity of the Godhead, the Great Mother and the
All-Father.
b) It is the use of differing god forms, of differing ethnic
sources or periods,which is the basis ofmany of the
differencesbetween
thevariousTraditions
oftheCraft.
EachTraditionuses theforms,andthusthenames,which
to thatTradition bestexpress and awakenan
understandingofthe forcerepresented,accordingto the
areas of emphasis of the Tradition.
c) Because we know that differing names or representations
arebutexpressionsofthesamedivineprinciplesand
forces,werequire ourmemberstoswearthat theywill
nevermockthenames bywhichanotherhonors theDivine,
eventhough thosenames bedifferentfrom andseemingly
lessexpressive thanthe namesand godforms usedby our
Tradition(for tothe membersof anotherTradition, using
it's names, oursmay easily seemequally less
expressive).
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9. A Witch refuses to allow her/himself to be corrupted by the great
guilt neuroses which have been foisted on humanity in the name of
the Divine, thus freeing the self of the slavery of the mind.
The Witch expresses responsibility for her/his actions, and
accepts the consequences of them; guilt is rejected as inhibiting to
one's self-actualization, and replaced by the efforts of the Witch
to obey the teachings of harmlessness, responsibility for t h e
consequences of one's actions, and the goal of actualizing the full
powers of the individual.
a) We refuse to believe that a human being is born innately
sinful,and recognizetheconcepts ofsinandguilt
aretremendouslyinhibitingto thehumanpotential;the
consequencesof theLawof CauseandEffect,called karma
bysome, arenot punishment,but therecurrences of
situations andtheir effectsbecause theindividualas
notgained the Wisdomneeded tohandle or avoidsuch
situations.
b) There is no heaven except that which we ourselves make of
ourlifeonEarth,andlikewisethereisnohellexcept
theeffectsofourunwiseactions.Deathisnotfollowed
bypunishmentorreward,but bylifeandthecontinuing
evolution of the human potential.
c) One cannot damn the divine in oneself; one can, however,
cutoneselfofffromitthroughthe rejectionofwisdom
anda refusaltostrive forself-realization. This
cutting off does not lead to personal suffering
in"hell", forthereisnoSelftosufferifthetieto
one'sown divinityhasbeensevered;whatremainsis
merelyanemptyshell,a"personality"orthought-form
devoid of it's ensouling Spark of the Divine Fire.
10. We know of the existence of the life-force which ensouls all
living things, that is, all that exists. We know that a spark of this
Divine Fire is within each and every thing that exists, and that
it does not die; only the form of it's existence changes. We know
that this spark of the life-force returns to manifestation again
and again in order to fully realize and actualize it's potential,
evolving finally to the peak and essence of existence which is pure
being. In this process of reincarnation each form returns in the
same type of form, though it's ever-increasing actualization may
lead to higher levels of existence of that form. Man returns as
man, cat as feline, mineral as mineral, each class of form
evolving as the individual forms of that class evolve.
11. This process of evolution through successive incarnations in
manifest form works through the utilizations of wisdom gained, t h e
essence of the life-experience. This essence of experience, o r
Wisdom, is an attribute of the spark of life itself, one and
inseparable (see 9a).
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12. We must care for the body, for it is the vehicle of the spark of
life, the form by which we attain. Thus we must heal the body of
it's ills and keep it a tuned and perfected tool; so must we heal
others (both physically and psychologically) as far as it is
within our power to do so. However, we cannot interfere with the life
of another, even to heal, except at their request or with t h e i r
express permission; unless such non-interference would be inhibiting
to our own, ethical existence and development -- and
even then the responsibilities and consequences must be
understood and accepted. This, then, is one of the important
reasons for the communal life the Witches under the guidance of t h e
Priesthood: That the group may be guided by wisdom and
experience, with the aid and support of one's peers; and that one's
actions may be guided by the influence of the ethical life of the
group as a whole.
13. Harmony with, and utilization of, the great natural forces of the
universe is called magick. By magick we speak, not of the
supernatural, but of the superbly natural, but whose laws and
applications are not as yet recognized by the scientific
establishment. The Witch must strive to recognize these forces, learn
their laws, attune her/himself to them, and make use of them. The
Witch must also be aware that power corrupts when
used_only_ for thegains of theself, and thereforemust strive
to serve humanity: Either through the service in the Priesthood,
or by example and effects of his/her life on others. The choice
must be made in accord with the true nature of the Witch.
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{file "In Grandmother's Lap (RMPJ)" "bos081.htm"}
This article is excerpted from the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal.
Each issue of the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal is published by
High Plains Arts and Sciences; P.O. Box 620604, Littleton Co.,
80123, a Colorado Non-Profit Corporation, under a Public Domain
Copyright, which entitles any person or group of persons to
reproduce, in any form whatsoever, any material contained therein
without restriction, so long as articles are not condensed or
abbreviated in any fashion, and credit is given the original
author.!
IN GRANDMOTHER'S LAP
Copyright 1987, RMPJ
"Morals are the nagging fear that somebody somewhere may be
having a good time." --H. L. Mencken
What is the difference between one of us and Oral Roberts?
Well, hopefully there are lots of differences, but the top one
on my list is that I work on being ethical and he is a moralist.
The moralist knows how everybody else should behave in order
to be a good person, avoid Hell, fit into decent society, etc.,
etc. He is quite likely to feel that he is a valid exception to
all his own rules, since he can handle temptation and control his
outcomes. His main characteristic is frantic paranoid distrust
of other people. No one should be seen nude, for instance,
because this would be un-bearably sexually arousing and lead to
promiscuity, neglect of ordinary duties, etc. He knows he can
control himself, but everybody else has to be "protected" from
their evil impulses. His major defence is projection: "I'm not
oversexed, and of course I'd never want to be or want to be
unfaithful to my wife, but that woman in the (name situation or
article of clothing) sure is asking for it. Ultimate expressions
of this type of thinking are wife-beating -- one man said, "When
I walked into the self-help group I thought that when they heard
what I'd had to put up with they'd con-gratulate me for not
having killed her." -- and witch-burning -- "I am a good person.
Bad things do not happen to good people. A bad thing has
happened to me. Somebody did it! Kill them!"
In essence, the moralist is saying "It can't be my fault
(I'm not able to face the idea that it might be my fault). It
must be somebody else's fault. If people would just follow these
few simple rules, which I'll be glad to explain to them, nothing
would go wrong and I wouldn't have to feel anxious. But since
they won't all follow my rules, everything is their fault, not
mine, and I don't have to feel anxious."
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To me this is nauseating. I have no idea how you "should"
behave; who are you? What's the situation? Who else is
affected? Even then, the best I could offer would be some
suggestions of courses of action which might have good results --
but I don't believe there are any simple rules for human conduct
which are always "right." What I do believe is that ethical
behavior consists of choosing your actions such that you can look
at yourself in the mirror in the morning without flinching.
Which means I can see a Corsican being ethical and killing
another person as part of a feud; a gypsy being ethical and
defrauding a gaujo. I suspect that what I mean here is that
ethics impel you to be true to your own values, while morals make
you want to
a) control others, and
b) not get caught yourself. But being ethical implies that they
are your own values, which you have thought through and decided
to accept, and not just the ones you have swallowed whole from
your family or culture.
Marjoe, a famous evangelist who later went straight,
described preaching hellfire and damnation and then going back to
the motel and making love to his girlfriend of the moment -- who
had to be flown in from New York so the locals wouldn't know what
he was doing. Oral Roberts says people have to give him $8
million, or God will "call him home." These are examples of
people whose highest priority is influencing others, making the
right kind of impression - the actuality doesn't seem to be
really relevant to their choice-making process.
The ethical person, on the other hand, may not care at all
about the impression he is erig; he will say in total sincerity
"I know I look like a fool for doing it, but I couldn't have
lived with myself if I hadn't." Or even harder, "I know you
think I'm being hard and cruel, but I honestly believe this is
the best solution in the circumstances."
Next issue (are you holding your breath?) the difference be-
tween act idealism and absolute idealism, or how to tell a witch
from a fundamentalist without a score card.
The Spinster Aunt .......... FROM RMPJ, 2/3/1987
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{file "Exegesis On The Wiccan Rede (Judy Harrow)" "bos082.htm"}
EXEGESIS ON THE WICCAN REDE
by Judy Harrow
originally published in HARVEST - Volume 5, Number 3 (Oimelc, 1985)
second publication: THE HIDDEN PATH - Volume X, Number 2 Beltane,
1987)
All religions began with somebody's sudden flashing insight,
enlightenment, a shining vision. Some mystic found the way and the
words to share the vision, and, sharing it, attracted followers. The
followers may repeat those precise and poetic words about the vision
until they congeal into set phrases, fused language, repeated by rote
and without understanding. Cliches begin as great wisdom - that's why
they spread so fast - and end as ritual phrases, heard but not
understood. Living spirituality so easily hardens to boring religious
routine, maintained through guilt and fear, or habit and social
opportunism - any reason but joy.
We come tothe Craft witha first generation'sjoy ofdiscovery,
and a first generation's memory of bored hours of routine worship in
our childhood. Because we have known the difference, it is our
particular challenge to find or make ways to keep the Craft a living,
real experience for our grandchildren and for the students of our
students.
I think the best ofthese safeguards is already builtinto the
Craft as we know it, put there by our own good teachers. On our Path,
the mystic experience itself is shared, not just the fruits of
mysticism. We give all our students the techniques, and the
protective/supportive environment that enable almost every one of them
to Draw the Moon and/or Invoke the God. This is an incredibly radical
change from older religions, even older Pagan religions, in which the
only permissible source of inspiration has been to endlessly
reinterpret and reapply the vision of the Founder (the Bible, the
Book of the Law, the Koran, ... ). The practice of Drawing the Moon is
the brilliant crown of the Craft.
But notice how often, in the old myths, every treasure has its
pitfalls? I think I'm beginning to see one of ours. Between the normal
process of original visions clotting into cliche, and our perpetual
flow of new inspiration, we are in danger of losing the special wisdom
of those who founded the modern Craft. I do not think we should
assiduously preserve every precious word. My love for my own
Gardnerian tradition does not blind me to our sexist and heterosexist
roots. And yet, I want us to remain identifiably Witches and not meld
into some homogeneous "New Age" sludge. For this, I think we need some
sort of anchoring in tradition to give us a sense of identity. Some of
the old sayings really do crystallize great wisdom as well,
life-affirming Pagan wisdom that our culture needs to hear.
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So I think it's time for a little creative borrowing from our
neighbors. Christians do something they call "exegesis;" Jews have a
somewhat similar process called "midrash." What it is something
between interpretation and meditation, a very concentrated examination
of a particular text. The assumption often is that every single word
has meaning (cabalists even look at the individual letters). Out of
this inspired combination of scholarship and daydream comes the
vitality of those paths whose canon is closed. The contemporary
example, of course, is Christian Liberation Theology, based on a
re-visioning of Jesus that would utterly shock John Calvin.
Althoughour canon is not closed - andthe day it is the day I
quit - I'm suggesting that we can use a similar process to renew the
life of the older parts of our own still-young heritage.
So, I'dlike totry doingsome exegesison anessential statement
of the Craft way of life. Every religion has some sort of ethic, some
guideline for what it means to live in accordance with this particular
mythos, this worldview. Ours, called the Wiccan Rede, is one of the
most elegant statements I've heard of the principle of situational
ethics. Rather than placing the power and duty to decide about
behavior with teachers or rulebooks, the Rede places it exactly where
it belongs, with the actor.
eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:
AN IT HARM NONE, DO WHAT YOU WILL.
I'd like to start with the second phrase first, and to take it almost
word by word.
Do what YOU will. This is the challenge to self-direction, to
figure out what we want, and not what somebody else wants for us or
from us. All of us are subject to tremendous role expectations and
pressures, coming from our families, our employers, our friends,
society in general. It's easy to just be molded, deceptively easy to
become a compulsive rebel and reflexively do the opposite of whatever
"they" seem to want. Living by the Rede means accepting the
responsibility to assess the results of our actions and to choose when
we will obey, confront or evade the rules.
Do what you WILL. This is the challenge to introspection, to know
what we really want beyond the whim of the moment. The classic example
is that of the student who chooses to study for an exam rather than go
to a party, because what she really wants is to be a doctor. Again,
balance is needed. Always going to the library rather than the movies
is the road to burnout, not the road to a Nobel. What's more, there
are others values in life, such as sensuality, intimacy, spirituality,
that get ignored in a compulsively long-term orientation. So, our
responsibility is not to mechanically follow some rule like "always
choose to defer gratification in your own long-term self interest,"
but to really listen within, and to really choose, each time.
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DO what you will. This is the challenge to action. Don't wait for
Prince Charming or the revolution. Don't blame your mother or the
system. Make a realistic plan that includes all your assets. Be sure
to include magic, both the deeper insights and wisdoms of divination
and the focusing of will and energy that comes from active workings.
Then take the first steps right now. But, beware of thoughtless
action, which is equally dangerous. For example, daydreaming is
needed, to envision a goal, to project the results of actions,
to check progress against goals, sometimes to revise goals. Thinking
and planning are necessary parts of personal progress. Action and
thought are complementary; neither can replace the other.
When youreally lookat it, wordby word, itsounds likea subtle
and profound guide for life, does it not? Is it complete? Shall "do
what you will" in fact be "the whole of the law" for us? I think not.
The second phrase of the Rede discusses the individual out of context.
Taken by itself, "DO WHAT YOU WILL" would produce a nastily
competitive society, a "war of each against all" more bitter than what
we now endure. That is, it would if it were possible. Happily, it's
just plain not.
Pagan myth and modernbiology alike teach us that ourEarth is
one interconnected living sphere, a whole system in which the actions
of each affect all (and this is emphatically not limited to humankind)
through intrinsic, organic feedback paths. As our technology amplifies
the effects of our individual actions, it becomes increasingly
critical to understand that
these actions have consequences beyond the individual; consequences
that, by the very nature of things, come back to the individual as
well. Cooperation, once "merely" an ethical ideal, has become a
survival imperative. Life is relational, contextual. Exclusive focus
on the individual Will is a lie and a deathtrap.
The qualifying "AN IT HARM NONE," draws a Circle around the
individual Will and places each of us firmly within the dual contexts
of the human community and the complex life-form that is Mother Gaia.
The first phrase of the Rede directs us to be aware of results of our
actions projected not only in time, as long-term personal outcomes,
but in space - to consider how actions may effect our families,
co-workers, community, and the life of the Earth as a whole, and to
take those projections into account in our decisions.
But, like the rest of the Rede, "an it harm none" cannot be
followed unthinkingly. It is simply impossible for creatures who eat
to harm none. Any refusal to decide or act for fear of harming someone
is also a decision and an action, and will create results of some
kind. When you consider that "none" also includes ourselves, it
becomes clear that what we have here is a goal and an ideal, not a
rule.
The Craft,assuming ethical adulthood,offers us norote rules.
We will always be working on incomplete knowledge. We will sometimes
just plain make mistakes. Life itself, and life-affirming religion,
still demands that we learn, decide, act, and accept the results.
Judy Harrow
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{file "Witches Creed (Doreen Valiente)" "bos083.htm"}
The Witches' Creed
Hear Now the words of the witches,
The secrets we hid in the night,
When dark was our destiny's pathway,
That now we bring forth into light.
Mysterious water and fire,
The earth and the wide-ranging air,
By hidden quintessence we know them,
And will and keep silent and dare.
The birth and rebirth of all nature,
The passing of winter and spring,
We share with the life universal,
Rejoice in the magical ring.
Four times in the year the Great Sabbat
Returns, and the witches are seen
At Lammas and Candlemas dancing,
On May Eve and old Hallowe'en.
When day-time and night-time are equal,
Whensun is at greatest and least,
The four Lesser Sabbats are summoned,
And Witches gather in feast.
Thirteen silver moons in a year are,
Thirteen is the coven's array.
Thirteen times at Esbat make merry,
For each golden year and a day.
The power that was passed down the age,
Each time between woman and man,
Each century unto the other,
Ere time and the ages began.
When drawn is the magical circle,
By sword or athame of power,
Its compass between two worlds lies,
In land of the shades for that hour.
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This world has no right then to know it,
And world of beyond will tell naught.
The oldest of Gods are invoked there,
The Great Work of magic is wrought.
For the two are mystical pillars,
That stand at the gate of the shrine,
And two are the powers of nature,
The forms and the forces divine.
The dark and the light in succession,
The opposites each unto each,
Shown forth as a God and a Goddess:
Of this our ancestors teach.
By night he's the wild wind's rider,
The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades.
By day he's the King of the Woodland,
The dweller in green forest glades.
She is youthful or old as she pleases,
She sails the torn clouds in her barque,
The bright silver lady of midnight,
The crone who weaves spells in the dark.
The master and mistress of magic,
That dwell in the deeps of the mind,
Immortal and ever-renewing,
With power to free or to bind.
So drink the good wine to the Old Gods,
And Dance and make love in their praise,
Till Elphame's fair land shall receive us
In peace at the end of our days.
And Do What You Will be the challenge,
So be it Love that harms none,
For this is the only commandment.
By Magic of old, be it done!
Doreen Valiente,
"Witchcraft For Tomorrow"
pp.172-173
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{file "What is Wicca? (Texas Pamphlet)" "bos084.htm"}
Hill Country Pagan Grove
Austin, Texas, U.S.A.
Published December 1982 by C.C.C. Creative Cooperative Consolidated
12611 Research Blvd. Number 125 Austin, Texas 78759 U.S.A.
First edition, December 1982 Second edition, revised, April 1983
PREFACE
Some have asked how this little booklet came into being. It's all
very straightforward: as the most visible representatives of paganism
here in Austin, Texas, I and my consort, Arnthor Phalius, are asked
often to appear in public to talk about witchcraft. The questions
included here are those most often asked, along with the answers we
give.
Of course we cannot pretend to speak for all Pagans, only for
ourselves. But the little booklet has been well-received as a
non-threatening method of getting to know a subject like Wicca.
Occasionally we will find someone who has had negative experiences
with persons who call themselves Wiccans or Witches, and in those
cases they expressed relief on find that `other types' of Pagans
existed than those which had given them their initial bad impressions.
The Directory* is an individual effort at networking in the Sunbelt.
Here in Texas there are many traditions and varieties of Paganism, and
if one isn't to be alone, one must learn that there are more
similarities than differences in Paganism and the other major
religions. Pagans have always known this, but for various reasons,
have not stepped forward as representatives of this view.
I (Merlana) am a mystic who responds to the Universal Mind as it is
expressed in Nature. It is my deep belief that persons who reverence
these principles are unified at bottom, and separated only by the
illusion of words, which are not reality. Sometimes words aren't even
adequate representations of `Reality`!
It is my intention in this little booklet to re-define some issues
and terms in the way that my tradition sees them. It so happens that
much of the rest of Paganism falls within this general framework.
(NOTE: A `tradition' is a varietal type, like `denomination').
If youalready know the subject and wish to differ, your comments are
welcome. If you are new to the subject, perhaps here you'll find some
questions answered, and (if wanted) fellowship with others who are on
similar paths. Directory* listings are free to those in the Sunbelt of
the USA (South and Southwest.) New editions are published irregularly.
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If you don't live in the Sunbelt, but have goods or services which
interest Pagans, you may also put an ad into the Directory.* Write for
details.
Blessed be, Merlana April 1983
1. WHAT IS WICCA?
`Wicca' (pronounced Wick-ah) is one name given to the Nature religions
practiced in Northern Europe and the Middle East from the times of the
ice ages. It is one spiritual path out of many in a group of spiritual
practices known as NeoPaganism. NeoPaganism is currently in a
world-wide revival, led by persons and groups in the United States and
Britain.
2. HOW DO WICCA AND NEOPAGANISM FIT TOGETHER?
Wicca is one subsidiary form, or `tradition,' similar to the way
Christianity has many forms. One can be a Christian and still be
Baptist, Methodist or Roman Catholic. In the same way, one can be a
Pagan but ascribe to another, more specific, sub-variety of
philosophy.
3. IS IT THE SAME AS WITCHCRAFT?
One linguistic theory has the word Wicca coming from Olde English
`Wicca-Craeft', meaning `craft of the wise ones.' Most followers of
Wicca (and most Pagans) prefer not to use the terms `witchcraft' or
`witch' because of the emotional connotations these words carry in our
society.
Generally, one who calls him or herself a `witch' without further
qualifications is seeking notoriety and special attention. Those of us
who guard the portals of personal Power (like Carlos Casteneda's
character Don Juan) are normally hard to find or engage in discussion.
Our Mysteries are carefully hidden from the world, and from those who
might be tempted to misuse them.
4. WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE ABOUT GOD?
Although Pagans generally agree that one God exists and is the same
regardless of name, they vary in specific concepts about God, as in
other religions.
What an individual Pagan holds is strictly a matter of personal
belief. However, occasionally a tradition will teach highly-specific
concepts, structures and mythologies. If one finds oneself in
disagreement, the best policy is `voting with the feet', or
withdrawing to find another group who better agrees.
NOTE: Sometimes it may be easierto gather together a group of people
who believe as you do to form an entirely new group. That's the
purpose of networking, or what the booklet is designed for.
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Most Wiccans divide the Godhead (generally conceived of as Mother
Nature) into two forces. One force is male and the other female. They
are called respectively: The God and The Goddess.
Between them, these two divinities create balance and harmony in the
Eternal Dance. They represent the forces of birth, death and
regeneration symbolized in the change of the seasons. Wiccans call
5this cycle The Wheel Of The Year. Most rituals celebrate the Wheel Of
The Year and our deep, meaningful participation in natural cycles of
change.
Because the male force has been in ascendancy for thousands of years
due to the Christian, Moslem and Jewish religions, there is presently
a tendency to emphasize The Goddess, especially by feminists (or by
those whose personal concept of God happens to be female).
We also believe in Magick, which is a partnership between humanity
and the Universal Mind. This partnership creates changes in what we
normally call `reality', i.e., change accomplished with prayer. These
changes can seem miraculous or merely coincidental, and always include
personal effort. Magick is not the same as `wishing.'
5. WHAT HAPPENS AT A WICCAN CEREMONY?
There are several types of get-togethers that Pagans of all
traditions attend. The most available and open is called a `Grove,'
where those who wish may study both spiritual and ceremonial topics.
Most groves emphasize fellowship and harmony of mind between their
members. You should choose one as much for how you blend with the
personalities of the members as for a particular brand of teaching.
Eight times a year, at the solstices and equinoxes, May Day,
Halloween, and other points on the lunar calendar, Pagans gather
together (usually outdoors under trees) to celebrate Nature and the
turn of the seasons.
These celebrations consist of dancing, prayer, invocations, and
rituals passed down from the many traditions through the ages. We also
urge participants to develop and use their own original rituals and to
share them with others.
Because we dance and pray in a standing Circle (or sometimes a
spiral), and because we draw at these times from the Universe
spherical energies of protection and power - these meetings are called
(appropriately enough!) Circles.
6. HOW CAN I ATTEND A GROVE OR CIRCLE?
Wiccans and Pagans tend to be very private, and do not advertise
their faith at publicly as some others might. This is mainly because
of past persecutions. However, for those who are sincerely interested,
there always exist persons with whom to visit and explore that
interest. Check the Directory* at the back of this booklet for names
of others who are open to contacts.
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If you are sincere and rally want to setout upon the Pagan path, the
first step is to find a Grove to study with. After a Grove accepts
you, eventually you will attend Circles.
7. DO I HAVE TO GIVE UP MY OTHERSPIRITUAL PATHS TO BECOME A WICCAN?
That will depend on the tradition and the teacher. In general,
Pagans are most tolerant of any philosophical structure, and ask only
that the tolerance be returned. You will not be requested to do
anything that differs with your beliefs and spiritual needs.
8. DOES BEING PAGAN MAKE A PERSON SPECIAL OR DIFFERENT?
Well yes, of course. But the special qualities are available to
everybody. Everything that Pagans do with Magick is done in other
religions by other names. It is only that we have found that these
particular formulas, beliefs, and celebrations work best for us.
These are varying approaches to (and grasps of) personal Power. One
way of recognizing someone who is truly Powerful is to note whether he
or she seems to need control or influence over others. True personal
power is content to control only the self, and personal reality.
9. DO YOU CAST SPELLS ON OTHER PEOPLE?
The major law in our religion is: "Do what you will, an it hurt no
other." (The Golden Rule)
In other words, no one is prevented from exploration of God and
GodSelf as long as others are not harmed.
We do believe in directing the energies of the universe toward
accomplishment of certain ends, but magick is never effective on
another person unless the person specifically requests it and takes
responsibility for that request.
Attempts at so-called `black' magick, or use of the universal
energies for negative or harmful purposes, only result in karmic
backlash magnified at least threefold on the unfortunate would-be
black magician.
Our tradition does not believe in the possibility of `psychic
attack', and hence does not teach methods for combating it. Our
philosophy tells us that to raise a force against `psychic attack' is
only to create that which you fear.
10. ARE PAGANS ANTI-CHRISTIAN?
No. But many Christians are anti-Pagan. Historically there has
existed an adversary relationship between Christianity and the Nature
Religions (largely created by Christians.)
It takes much universal love not to strike back when attacked, and
occasionally a Pagan might seem bitter or afraid as the result of
anti-Pagan treatment. This is only a personal reaction, not a
characteristic of the religion itself.
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It is also true that Wiccans and Pagans have suffered dismissal from
jobs and worse simply from their religious affiliation being revealed.
Events like these lead to a certain caution and sometimes even an
attitude approaching mild paranoia.
11. WHO IS IN CHARGE OF PAGANISM?
Each person is in charge of him or herself, responsible totally to
Godd/ess. One might hear an individual called High Priestess, or
Priest, but this title has more to do with the role played in
ceremonies than with status in any formal hierarchy.
Groves and teaching groups sometimes have various levels of
initiation, but again, these are individual to each tradition.
12. WHAT MAKES WICCA DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PATHS THAT BELIEVE IN THE
PSYCHIC POWERS?
We usually find that people most often comment on the robes and the
tools. Traditionally we wear special garments while engaging in
devotions, as a male Jew wears prayer shawl and skullcap. The garments
have symbolisms, and stand for beliefs of the person wearing them.
The tools are: a cup, knife, staff (or wand), and the pentacle, a
5-pointed star with 5th point upward, enclosed in a circle.
For those familiar with the tarotcards, this was the original source
of the tarot suits as well as many meanings and symbolisms in the
tarot deck.
13. WHAT IS DONE WITH THE TOOLS?
They are used, along with other objects, like candles, bells, and
incense to focus energies and influence Universal forces with our
prayers. If the format reminds you of Roman Catholic mass, that's
because much of the indigenous Nature Religion's mysteries were
`adopted' when Christianity moved into Northern Europe -- into
England, Scotland, Ireland and Scandinavia ... the lands of the Celts.
Also, if the tools and concepts seem to resemble elements in
Rosicrucianism, the Caballa, and the Masonic Temple, it is because the
latter paths drew and adopted Pagan rituals and forms for other uses.
Since ours was an oral tradition we gratefully acknowledge the role
these organizations played in bringing to modern times knowledge and
insights which have otherwise been lost.
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Here's a bit of trivia: Although the Founding Fathers of the U.S.A.
generally held indifferent attitudes about Christianity they were all
thirty-third degree Masons. Obviously they sought to incorporate their
high ideals into writing our first constitution. This odd fact
explains to some people why fundamentalist Christians and the
constitution occasionally seem to be at cross-purposes.
14. HOW LARGE IS THE RELIGION?
Since Wicca, or Paganism, is an alternative religion uninterested in
power or clout, we measure our `size' usually only by spiritual
growth. There is a national newspaper published quarterly by which
many Pagans keep in touch.
15. WHAT ABOUT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY?
That's magick, too! Craft practitioners of old WERE the scientists
... there was need for healers and herbalists, agriculture and
astronomy experts. The scientific method has now made teaching these
subjects respectable in universities. But in the process we have lost
the lore's former integration of the spiritual relationship between
God Expressed As Nature and ourselves.
Manyof us are scientifically trained and hold technological jobs and
interests. This does not interfere with but only adds to a desire for
ritual celebration and union with Godd/ess. Also many of us are
ourselves practicing psychics, or are interested in extrasensory
perception (ESP) and its uses. Paganism makes available a
philosophical structure for all of these ends utilized effectively for
millennia. It urges individuals to develop their personal powers
within that structure and to use them thereafter in a responsible way.
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16. THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE: WHY DON'T I EVER HEAR OR READ ABOUT PAGAN
CHARITIES OR GOOD WORKS?
Good news makes terrible press. News media and supermarket tabloids
would much rather print scandal and controversy. How many times have
you seen a headline that attributed a person's conduct to his/her
belief in Witchcraft? Do you ever see the same types of stories about
Moslems, Jews or Christians?
In addition, organized charity can only be accomplished undercertain
forms of organized religious structures. That takes leadership,
delegation of powers, community resources and accumulation of money
and collective wealth.
We focus instead on personal responsibility and the necessity of
reflecting Godd/ess in our characters and lives. Occasionally persons
in the Craft will join together to change a situation or to help
someone, but this is always done quietly and with the full knowledge
and permission of those for whom the help of change in requested. It
is always done without taking public credit. We feel that Godd/ess
knows, and that is all we need.
17. HOW CAN WE SUM THIS UP IN A FEW WORDS?
Wicca, a branch of the spiritual movement called Neopaganism (or
Paganism) is primarily a religion of personal, mystical relationship
between the Universal Mind as expressed in Nature and the individual.
It believes in Magick, or positive change wrought by prayer and
ceremonial ritual. It brings its practitioners the joy of union and
harmony with Godd/ess as expressed in Nature as well as fellowship
with other persons who are on similar paths. Personal responsibility
and growth are stressed, dogma and rigid beliefs are discouraged.
MAY GODD/ESS SPEAK TO YOU
IN THE VOICE YOU HEAR BEST.
BLESSED BE!
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{file "A Little Less Misunderstanding (J. Brad Hicks)" "bos085.htm"}
A LITTLE LESS MISUNDERSTANDING
(What Christians Don't Understand about Neopaganism)
by J. Brad Hicks
Q: Are you a witch?
A: That's actually a tricky question to answer, so let me go
about it in a round-about way. What I am is a Neopagan.
Neopaganism is a beautiful, complex religion that is not in
opposition to Christianity in any way - just different. However,
some of the people that the Catholic church burned as "witches"
were people who practiced the same things that I do. In
identification with them and the suffering that they went through,
some of us (Neopagans) call ourselves witches. One expert, P.E.I.
Bonewits, says that there are actually several kinds of groups who
call themselves "witches." Some are people whose ancestors were the
village healers, herbalists, midwives, and such, many of whom had
(or were ascribed to have) mental, psychic, or magical powers, which
were passed down through the family in the form of oral tradition,
and Bonewits calls them "Traditional Witches." Some are people who
have deliberately used the term to oppose themselves to Christianity,
are practicing "Satanists," and practice (deliberately) most of the
practices invented by the Inquisitors. Bonewits calls them "Gothic"
or "Neo-Gothic Witches." Of a different kind are some radical
feminist groups, who call themselves witches because they believe
that the original Inquisition was primarily anti-female; some of
these also practice magic, many of them do not - Bonewits calls
them "Feminist Witches." But the vast majority of modern witches
are harmless people who worship God in many forms, including the
Lord of the Dance, the Lady, and the Mother Earth. These are the
people that Bonewits (and I) call"Neopagan Witches" - and this is
what I am. I hope that this helps more than it confuses.
Q: Are you a devil worshipper?
A: I'm tempted to just say, "No!" and leave it at that, but that
probably isn't enough. Devil worship (including Satanism) is
really a Christian heresy. (If you don't believe me, ask an expert -
say, any well-read pastor or theology professor.) In order to worship
Satan, you have to believe in him - and there are no references to
Satan outside of the Christian Bible. So to be a Satanist or a
devil worshipper, you have to believe in the accuracy of the Christian
Bible, then identify yourself with God's Enemy, proclaim that you
are "evil," and then try to "fight against Jesus" or similar
nonsense. Neopagans do not accept the Christian Bible as a source of
truth. As a source of some beautiful poetry, sometimes, or as a
source of myth, but not as a source of truth. Emphatically, we do
not believe that God has an Opposite, an evil being trying to destroy
God, the world, man, or whatever. So it is non-sensical to say that
Neopagans worship Satan. Of course, many people insist that any god
other than JHVH/Jesus (and his other Biblical names) is a demon or an
illusion created by Satan. Well, you're welcome to believe that if
you like - but over half of the world's population is going to
be unhappy at you. Jews and followers of Islam are just as confident
that they worship the True God as you are, and resent being called
devil worshippers. So do I.
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Q: What do Neopagans believe about God?
A: Neopaganism is a new religion with very, very old roots. It
harks back to the first religions that man ever practiced (based
on the physical evidence). Neopagans worship a variety of symbols
from the Old Religions - the practices of the ancient Celts, the
Greeks, the Egyptians, the Romans - and differ with each other over
what those symbols really represent. What I (and many others)
believe is that they are all aspects of God (or maybe, the Gods) -
some kind of beautiful, powerful, and loving being or force that ties
all of life together and is the origin of all miracles - including
miracles such as written language, poetry, music, art ...
Q: Do Neopagans have a Bible?
A: Not most of us. The closest analogue would be a witch's Book
of Shadows, which is a sort of notebook of legends, poetry, history,
and magic ritual which is copied by every newly-initiated witch, then
added to. But on the whole, even a Book of Shadows isn't what
Christians think of as a Bible. It's not infallible (couldn't be,
they've been brought to us via hastily-copied texts under trying
circumstances), it doesn't prescribe a specific code of morality
(except for a few general guidelines), and it doesn't claim to be
dictated by God - except for a few, debatable parts. Those of us
who aren't witches don't even have that much. Neopaganism is a
religious system that relies more on the individual than on the
Book or the Priest. One of the principal beliefs of Neopaganism is
that no one, not Pope nor Priest nor Elder, has the right to
interfere with your relationship to God. Learn from whomever you
want, and pray to whatever name means the most to you.
Q: Did you say magic? Do Neopagans believe in the occult?
A: Cringe. What a badly worded question - but I hear it all the
time. Neopagans as a rule don't "believe in the occult" - we
practice magic. Magic is simply a way to focus the mental abilities
that you were born with, and use them to change the world in
positive ways. Magic can also be mixed with worship; in which case it
differs very little from Christian prayer.
Q: But I thought that you said that you weren't a demon-worshipper?
A: That's right. Magic and demonology are two different things.
Magic you also know as "psychic powers" or "mentallics" or even as
"the power of positive thinking" - in essence, the magical world
view holds that "reality" is mostly a construct of the human mind,
and as such, can be altered by the human mind. That's all there
is to it.
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Q: How do you become a Neopagan?
A: In a very real sense, nobody every "becomes" a Neopagan.
There are no converts, as no conversion is necessary. Neopaganism
is an attitude towards worship, and either you have it or you don't.
My case is not atypical. All of my life, I have been fascinated by
the old mythologies. I have always found descriptions of the Greek
Gods fascinating. If I had any religious beliefs as a child, it was
that somewhere, there was a God, and many people worship Him, but I
had no idea what His name was. I set out to find Him, and through an
odd combination of circumstances, I because convinced that his Name
was Jesus. But seven years later, I had to admit to myself that
Whoever God is, he answers non-Christians' prayers as well as those
in the name of Jesus. In either case, true miracles are rare. In
both cases, the one praying has a devout experience with God. After
searching my soul, I admitted that I could not tell that I was better
off than when I believed in the Old Gods. And in the mean time, I had
found out that other people also loved the Old Gods - and that they
call themselves Neopagans. When I realized that what I believed was
little or no different that what they believed, I called myself a
Neopagan, too. The common element for nearly all of us is that nearly
all of us already believed these things, before we found out that
anyone else did. "Becoming" a pagan is never a conversion. It's
usually a home-coming. No one ever "brainwashed" me. I finally
relaxed, and stopped struggling against my own self.
Q: I've heard about witches holding orgies and such. Do you?
A: No, that sort of thing doesn't appeal to me. Most of the
crap that you've heard about "witch orgies" is nonsense made up by
the National Enquirer to sell magazines. But I shouldn't be flippant
about this, because it underlies a serious question - what kind of
morality do Neopagans hold to?
"Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:
An it harm none, do what thou will!"
from an old Book of Shadows
That about sums it all up. Neopaganism teaches that it is
harmful to yourself (and dangerous) to harm others. It also
teaches that trying to impose your moral standards on somebody
else's behavior is (at least) foolish - and probably dangerous,
as you run some serious chance of hurting that person. Perhaps in
a sense Neopagans don't have morality, for as R. A. Wilson said,
"There are no commandments because there is no Commander
anywhere," but Neopagans do have ethics - standards for behavior
based on honor and mutual benefit.
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Q: I saw on the news that Neopagans use a star in a circle as their
emblem. Isn't that a Satanic symbol?
A: A pentacle (that's what it's called) is a Satanic symbol in
precisely same sense that the cross is a Nazi symbol. The German
National Socialist Party used an equal-armed cross with four flags
attached to it as their emblem. (Yes, I know - that's a swastika.
Well, before the Nazis made the word common knowledge, people just
called it a "bent cross" - it's an old heraldic symbol, and it
means the same thing that a normal cross does). That doesn't make
the Nazis good Christians, and it doesn't make Christians into
Nazis. In the same sense, Satanists (and some rock groups) use a
type of pentacle as their emblem. That doesn't make them Neopagans,
nor does it mean that Neopagans are Satanists (or even
rock-and-rollers).
Q: Are Neopagans opposed to Christianity?
A: Some Neopagans are ex-Christians, and I'm not going to deny
that some of them have a grudge against the Church because of what
they perceived as attempts to control their minds. Further, many
Neopagans are suspicious of the Church, because it was in the name
of Jesus Christ that nine million of our kind were murdered.
Neopagans are opposed to anyone who uses force to control the
minds of others. Does that include you? If not, then it means
that Neopagans as such are not opposed to you. Do you work for the
benefit of mankind, are you respectful to the Earth? Then it makes
us allies, whether or not either of us wants to admit it.
- - - - - - - - - -
There are manyother misconceptions in the popularmind about
the Neopagan religion. Unless you've studied it, read about it
from sympathetic sources, then you really don't know anything about
Neopagan history, beliefs, practices, customs, art, science, culture,
or magic. But it would take several entire books to teach you, and I
already fear that I will be accused of trying to win converts
(despite what I've said above). If you are curious and willing to
learn, try some of the following books:
Margot Adler, _Drawing Down the Moon_
Starhawk, _The Spiral Dance_
P.E.I. Bonewits, _Real Magic_
Stewart Farrar, _What Witches Do_.
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{file "NeoPagism (Eric S. Raymond)" "bos086.htm"}
NEOPAGANISM
By Eric S. Raymond
I. Introduction
The neopagan phenomenon is a loose collection of religious
movements, experiments and jokes that offers a healthy alternative to
the dogmatism of the Judeo/Christian/Islamic mainstream (on the one
hand) and the mushy-mindedness of most 'New Age' groups (on the
other).
This article,prepared atthe requestof anumber ofcurious net.
posters, offers a brief description of neopagan thought and practice.
A list of good sources for further study are listed at the end.
II. What is a neopagan?
I used the term 'religious' above, but as you'll see it's
actually more than somewhat misleading, and I (like many other
neopagans) use it only because no other word is available for the more
general kind of thing of which the neopagan movement and what we
generally think of as 'religion' are special cases.
Neopaganism is 'religious' in the etymological sense of 're
ligare', to rebind (to roots, to strengths, to the basics of things),
and it deals with mythology and the realm of the 'spiritual'. But, as
we in the Judeo/Christian West have come to understand 'religion' (an
organized body of belief that connects the 'supernatural' with an
authoritarian moral code via 'faith') neopaganism is effectively and
radically anti-religious. I emphasize this because it is important in
understanding what follows.
Common characteristics of almostall the groups that describe
themselves as 'neopagan' (the term is often capitalized) include:
1. Anti-dogmatism
Neopagan religions are religions of practice, pragmatism and
immediate experience. The emphasis is always on what they can help the
individuals in them to *do* and *experience*; theology and metaphysics
take a back seat, and very little 'faith' or 'belief' is required or
expected. In fact many neopagans (including yours truly) are actively
hostile to 'faith' and all the related ideas of religious authority,
'divine revelation' and the like.
2. Compatibility with a scientific world-view
This tends to follow from the above. Because neopaganism is
centered in experiences rather than beliefs, it doesn't need or want
to do vast overarching cosmologies or push fixed Final Answers to the
Big Questions -- understanding and helping human beings relate to each
other and the world as we experience it is quite enough for us. Thus,
we are generally friendly to science and the scientific world-view.
Many of us are scientists and technologists ourselves (in fact, by
some counts, a plurality of us are computer programmers!).
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3. Reverence for nature, sensuality, and pleasure
Mostneopaganisms makeheavy use ofnature symbolismand encourage
people to be more aware of their ties to all the non-human life on
this planet. Explicit worship of 'Gaia', the earth ecosphere
considered as a single interdependent unit, is common. Veneration of
nature deities is central to many traditions. Ecological activism is
often considered a religious duty, though there is much controversy
over what form it should take.
Bypreference, mostneopagans holdtheir ceremoniesoutdoors under
sun or moon. Seasonal changes and astronomical rhythms (especially the
solstices, equinoxes and full and new moons) define the ritual
calendar.
Ritual and festivenudity arecommon; to benaked before natureis
often considered a holy and integrating act in itself. Sex is
considered sacramental and sexual energy and symbolisms permeate
neopagan practice (we like to contrast this with Christianity, in
which the central sacrament commemorates a murder and climaxes in
ritual cannibalism).
4. Polytheism, pantheism, agnosticism
Most neopaganisms are explicitly polytheistic -- that is, they
recognize pantheons of multiple deities. But the reality behind this
is more complex than it might appear.
First, many neopagans are philosophical agnostics or even
atheists; there is a tendency to regard 'the gods' as Jungian
archetypes or otherwise in some sense created by and dependent on
human belief, and thus naturally plural and observer-dependent.
Secondly, asin many historicalpolytheisms, there isan implicit
though seldom-discussed idea that all the gods and goddesses we deal
with are 'masks', refractions of some underlying unity that we cannot
or should not attempt to approach directly.
And thirdly, there is a strong undercurrent of pantheism, the
belief that the entire universe is in some important sense a
responsive, resonating and sacred whole (or, which is different and
subtler, that it is proper for human beings to view it that way).
Many neopagans hold all three of these beliefs simultaneously.
5. Decentralized, non-authoritarian organization; no priestly elite
Neopagans have seen what happens when a priesthood elite gets
temporal power; we want none of that. We do not take collections,
build temples, or fund a full-time clergy. In fact the clergy-laity
distinction is pretty soft; in many traditions, all members are
considered 'in training' for it, and in all traditions every
participant in a ritual is an active one; there are and can be no
pew-sitting passive observers.
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Mostneopagan traditionsare (dis)organizedashorizontal networks
of small affinity groups (usually called 'circles', 'groves', or
'covens' depending on the flavor of neopagan involved). Priests and
priestesses have no real authority outside their own circles (and
sometimes not much inside them!), though some do have national
reputations.
Many of us keep a low profile partly due to a real fear of
persecution. Too many of our spiritual ancestors were burned, hung,
flayed and shot by religions that are still powerful for a lot of us
to feel safe in the open. Down in the Bible Belt the burnings and
beatings are still going on, and the media loves to hang that
'Satanist' label on anything it doesn't understand for a good
juicy story.
Also, we never proselytize. This posting is about as active a
neopagan solicitation as anyone will ever see; we tend to believe that
'converts' are dangerous robots and that people looking to be
'converted' aren't the kind we want. We have found that it works quite
well enough to let people find us when they're ready for what we have
to teach.
6. Reverence for the female principle
Oneof the most striking differencesbetween neopagan groups and
the religious mainstream is the wide prevalence (and in some
traditions dominance) of the worship of goddesses. Almost all
neopagans revere some form of the Great Mother, often as a nature
goddess identified with the ecosphere, and there are probably more
female neopagan clergy than there are male.
Most neopagan traditions are equalist (these tend to pair the
Great Mother with a male fertility-god, usually some cognate of the
Greek Pan). A vocal and influential minority are actively feminist,
and (especially on the West Coast) there have been attempts to present
various neopagan traditions as the natural 'women's religion' for the
feminist movement. The effects of this kind of politicization of
neopaganism are a topic of intense debate within the movement and fuel
some of its deepest factional divisions.
7. Respect for art and creativity
Neopaganism tends to attractartists and musicians as muchas it
attracts technologists. Our myth and ritual can be very powerful at
stimulating and releasing creativity, and one of the greatest
strengths of the movement is the rich outgrowth of music, poetry,
crafts and arts that has come from that. It is quite common for people
joining the movement to discover real talents in those areas that they
never suspected.
Poets and musicians have the kind of special place at neopagan
festivals that they did in pre-literate cultures; many of our
best-known people are or have been bards and songsmiths, and the
ability to compose and improvise good ritual poetry is considered the
mark of a gifted priest(ess) and very highly respected.
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8. Eclecticism
"Steal from any source that doesn't run too fast" is aneopagan
motto. A typical neopagan group will mix Greek, Celtic and Egyptian
mythology with American Indian shamanism. Ritual technique includes
recognizable borrowings from medieval ceremonial magic, Freemasonry
and pre-Nicene Christianity, as well as a bunch of 20th-century
inventions. Humanistic psychology and some of the more replicable New
Age healing techniques have recently been influential. The resulting
stew is lively and effective, though sometimes a bit hard to hold
together.
9. A sense of humor
Neopagans generally believethat itis more dangerousto takeyour
religion too seriously than too lightly. Self-spoofery is frequent and
(in some traditions) semi-institutionalized, and at least one major
neopagan tradition (Discordianism, known to many on this net) is
*founded* on elaborate spoofery and started out as a joke.
Oneof the most attractive features of the neopagan approach is
that we don't confuse solemnity with gloom. Our rituals are generally
celebratory and joyous, and a humorous remark at the right time need
not break the mood.
We generally feel that anyreligion that can't stand tohave fun
poked at it is in as sad shape as the corresponding kind of person.
III. What kinds of neopagan are there, and where did they come from?
Depending onwho you talkto and whatdefinitions you use,there
are between 40,000 and 200,000 neopagans in the U.S.; the true figure
is probably closer to the latter than the former, and the movement is
still growing rapidly following a major 'population explosion' in the
late '70s.
The numericallylargest and most influentialneopagan group is
the 'Kingdom of Wicca' -- the modern witch covens. Modern witchcraft
has nothing to do with Hollywood's images of the cackling,
cauldron-stirring crone (though wiccans sometimes joke about that one)
and is actively opposed to the psychopathic Satanism that many
Christians erroneously think of as 'witchcraft'. Your author is an
initiate Wiccan priest and coven leader of long standing.
Otherimportant subgroupsinclude thoseseeking torevive Norse,
Egyptian, Amerind, and various kinds of tribal pantheons other than
the Greek and Celtic ones that have been incorporated into Wicca.
These generally started out as Wiccan offshoots or have been so
heavily influenced by Wiccan ritual technique that their people can
usually work comfortably in a Wiccan circle and vice-versa.
There arealso the variousorders of ceremonialmagicians, most
claiming to be the successors to the turn-of-the-century Golden Dawn
or one of the groups founded by Alesteir Crowley during his brilliant
and notorious occult career. These have their own very elaborate
ritual tradition, and tend to be more intellectual, more rigid, and
less nature-oriented. They are sometimes reluctant to describe
themselves as neopagans.
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The Discordians (and, more recently, the Discordian-offshoot
Church of the Sub-Genius) are few in number but quite influential.
They are the neopagan movement's sacred clowns, puncturing pretense
and adding an essential note to the pagan festivals. Many Wiccans,
especially among priests and priestesses, are also Discordians and
will look you straight in the eye and tell you that the entire
neopagan movement is a Discordian hoax...
Neopaganism used to be largely a white, upper-middle-class
phenomenon, but that has been changing during the last five years. So
called 'new-collar' workers have come in droves during the eighties.
We still see fewer non-whites, proportionately, than there are in the
general population, but that is also changing (though more slowly).
With the exception of a few nut-fringe 'Aryan' groups detested by the
whole rest of the movement, neopagans are actively anti-racist;
prejudice is not the problem, it's more that the ideas have tended to
be accepted by the more educated segments of society
first, and until recently those more educated segments were mostly
white.
OntheEastCoast, ahigher-than-general-populationpercentage of
neopagans have Roman Catholic or Jewish backgrounds, but figures
suggest this is not true nationwide. There is also a very significant
overlap in population with science-fiction fandom and the Society for
Creative Anachronism.
Politically, neopagans are distributed about the same as the
general population, except that whether liberal or conservative they
tend to be more individualist and less conformist and moralistic than
average. It is therefore not too surprising that the one significant
difference in distribution is the presence of a good many more
libertarians than one would see in a same-sized chunk of the general
population (I particularly register this because I'm a libertarian
myself, but non-libertarians have noted the same phenomenon). These
complexities are obscured by the fact that the most politically active
and visible neopagans are usually ex-hippie left-liberals from the
'60s.
I think the most acute generalization made about pagans as a
whole is Margot Adler's observation that they are mostly self-made
people, supreme individualists not necessarily in the assertive or
egoist sense but because they have felt the need to construct their
own culture, their own definitions, their own religious paths, out of
whatever came to hand rather than accepting the ones that the
mainstream offers.
IV. Where do I find out more?
I have deliberatelynot said much aboutmythology, or specific
religious practice or aims, or the role of magic and to what extent we
practice and 'believe' in it. Any one of those is a topic for another
posting; but you can get a lot of information from books. Here's a
basic bibliography:
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Adler, Margot _Drawing_Down_the_Moon_ (Random House 1979, hc)
This book is a lucid and penetrating account of who the modern
neo-pagans are, what they do and why they do it, from a woman who
spent almost two years doing observer-participant journalism in the
neo-pagan community. Especially valuable because it combines an
anthropologist's objectivity with a candid personal account of her
own feelings about all she saw and did and how her ideas about the
neo-pagans changed under the impact of the experiences she went
through. Recommended strongly as a first book on the subject, and
it's relatively easy to find. There is now a revised and expanded
second edition available.
Starhawk _The_Spiral_Dance_
An anthology of philosophy, poetry, training exercises, ritual
outlines and instructive anecdotes from a successful working coven.
First-rate as an introduction to the practical aspects of magick and
running a functioning circle. Often findable at feminist bookstores.
Shea, Robert and Wilson, Robert Anton _Illuminatus!_ (Dell, 1975, pb)
This work of alleged fiction is an incredible berserko-surrealist
rollercoaster that _will_ bend your mind into a pretzel with an
acid-head blitzkrieg of plausible, instructive and enlightening lies
and a few preposterous and obscure truths. Amidst this eccentric tale
of world-girdling conspiracies, intelligent dolphins, the fall of
Atlantis, who _really_ killed JFK, sex, drugs, rock and roll and the
Cosmic Giggle Factor, you will find Serious Truths about Mind, Time,
Space, the Nature of God(dess) and What It All Means -- and also
learn why you should on no account take them Seriously. Pay
particular attention to Appendix Lamedh ("The Tactics of Magick"), but
it won't make sense until you've read the rest. This was first
published in 3 volumes as _The_Eye_In_The_Pyramid_, _The_
Golden_Apple_ and _Leviathan_, but there's now a one-volume trade
paperback carried by most chain bookstores under SF.
Campbell, Joseph W., _The_Masks_of_God_ (Viking Books, 1971, pb)
One of the definitiveanalytical surveys of world mythography-- and
readable to boot! It's in 4 volumes:
I. _Primitive_Mythology_
II. _Oriental_Mythology_
III. _Occidental_Mythology_
IV. _Creative_Mythology_
The theoretical framework of these books is a form of pragmatic
neo-Jungianism which has enormously influenced the neopagans (we can
accurately be described as the practice for which Campbell and Jung
were theorizing). Note especially his predictions in vols. I & IV of a
revival of shamanic, vision-quest-based religious forms. The recent
Penguin pb edition of this book should be available in the Mythology
and Folklore selection of any large bookstore.
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Bonewits, Isaac, _Real_Magic_ (Creative Arts Books, 1979, pb)
A fascinating analytical study of the psychodynamics of ritual and
magick. This was Bonewits's Ph.D. thesis for the world's only known
doctorate in Magic and Thaumaturgy (UCLA Berkeley, 1971). Hardest of
the five to find but well worth the effort -- an enormously
instructive, trenchant and funny book.
V. Will there be more net.info on this topic?
I am also available to answer questions by email or phone. Be
warned that I will probably tell you to go off and study some more,
rather than referring you to a group, if you haven't read at least two
out of the five above or else good equivalents like Michael Harner's
_Way_Of_The_Shaman_ (Castaneda, UFOlogy books and anything on
astrology or the Great Pyramid will *not* count! Grrr...!).
No fooling, learning to do this stuff right is hard work and
demands a lot more rigor and clear thinking than most people associate
with 'occultism'. But it's also fun and empowering and could turn out
to be one of the couple most important things you do with your life.
If response to this posting is heavy, I may post some stuff on
Wiccan ritual practice and theology, that being what I know best.
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{file "What is Wicca? (Amber K.)" "bos087.htm"}
W H A T I S W I C C A ?
An Introduction to "The Old Religion" of Europe
and its Modern Revival
by Amber K, High Priestess
Our Lady of the Woods
P.O. Box 176
Blue Mounds, Wisconsin 53517
(This leaflet may be reproduced and distributed exactly as-is,
without further permission from the author, provided it is
offered free of charge. Changes in the text, however, must be
approved in advance by the author. Thank you!)
WICCA (sometimes called Wicce, The Craft, or The Old
Religion by its practitioners) is an ancient religion of love for
life and nature.
In prehistoric times, people respected the great forces of
Nature and celebrated the cycles of the seasons and the moon.
They saw divinity in the sun and moon, in the Earth Herself, and
in all life. The creative energies of the universe were
personified: feminine and masculine principles became Goddesses
and Gods. These were not semi-abstract, superhuman figures set
apart from Nature: they were embodied in earth and sky, women and
men, and even plants and animals.
This viewpoint is still central to present-day Wicca. To
most Wiccans, everything in Natures -- and all Goddesses and Gods
-- are true aspects of Deity. The aspects most often celebrated
in the Craft, however, are the Triple Goddess of the Moon (Who is
Maiden, Mother, and Crone) and the Horned God of the wilds.
These have many names in various cultures.
Wicca had its organized beginnings in Paleolithic times, co-
existed with other Pagan ("country") religions in Europe, and had
a profound influence on early Christianity. But in the medieval
period, tremendous persecution was directed against the Nature
religions by the Roman Church. Over a span of 300 years,
millions of men and women and many children were hanged, drowned
or burned as accused "Witches." The Church indicted them for
black magic and Satan worship, though in fact these were never a
part of the Old Religion.
The Wiccan faith went underground, to be practiced in small,
secret groups called "covens." For the most part, it stayed
hidden until very recent times. Now scholars such as Margaret
Murray and Gerald Gardner have shed some light on the origins of
the Craft, and new attitudes of religious freedom have allowed
covens in some areas to risk becoming more open.
How do Wiccan folk practice their faith today? There is no
central authority or doctrine, and individual covens vary a great
deal. But most meet to celebrate on nights of the Full Moon, and
at eight great festivals or Sabbats throughout the year.
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Though some practice alone or with only their families, many
Wiccans are organized into covens of three to thirteen members.
Some are led by a High Priestess or Priest, many by a
Priestess/Priest team; others rotate or share leadership. Some
covens are highly structured and hierarchical, while others may
be informal and egalitarian. Often extensive training is
required before initiation, and coven membership is considered an
important commitment.
There are many branches or "traditions" of Wicca in the
United States and elsewhere, such as the Gardnerian, Alexandrian,
Welsh Traditional, Dianic, Faery, Seax-Wicca and others. All
adhere to a code of ethics. None engage in the disreputable
practices of some modern "cults," such as isolating and
brainwashing impressionable, lonely young people. Genuine
Wiccans welcome sisters and brothers, but not disciples,
followers or victims.
Coven meetings include ritual, celebration and magick (the
"k" is to distinguish it from stage illusions). Wiccan magick is
not at all like the instant "special effects" of cartoon shows or
fantasy novels, nor medieval demonology; it operates in harmony
with natural laws and is usually less spectacular -- though
effective. Various techniques are used to heal people and
animals, seek guidance, or improve members' lives in specific
ways. Positive goals are sought: cursing and "evil spells" are
repugnant to practitioners of the Old Religion.
Wiccans tend to be strong supporters of environmental
protection, equal rights, global peace and religious freedom, and
sometimes magick is used toward such goals.
Wiccan beliefs do not include such Judeao-Christian concepts
as original sin, vicarious atonement, divine judgement or bodily
resurrection. Craft folk believe in a beneficent universe, the
laws of karma and reincarnation, and divinity inherent in every
human being and all of Nature. Yet laughter and pleasure are
part of their spiritual tradition, and they enjoy singing,
dancing, feasting, and love.
Wiccans tend to be individualists, and have no central holy
book, prophet, or church authority. They draw inspiration and
insight from science, and personal experience. Each practitioner
keeps a personal book or journal in which s/he records magickal
"recipes," dreams, invocations, songs, poetry and so on.
To most of the Craft, every religion has its own valuable
perspective on the nature of Deity and humanity's relationship to
it: there is no One True Faith. Rather, religious diversity is
necessary in a world of diverse societies and individuals.
Because of this belief, Wiccan groups do not actively recruit or
proselytize: there is an assumption that people who can benefit
from the Wiccan way will "find their way home" when the time is
right.
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Despite the lack of evangelist zeal, many covens are quite
willing to talk with interested people, and even make efforts to
inform their communities about the beliefs and practices of
Wicca. One source of contacts is The Covenant of the Goddess,
P.O. Box 1226, Berkeley, CA 94704. Also, the following books may
be of interest: (Ask your librarian.)
DRAWING DOWN THE MOON by Margot Adler
THE SPIRAL DANCE by Starhawk
POSITIVE MAGIC by Marion Weinstein
WHAT WITCHES DO by Stewart Farrar
WITCHCRAFT FOR TOMORROW by Doreen Valiente
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{file "Re-Thinking The Watchtowers (Mike Nichols)" "bos089.htm"}
RE-THINKING THE WATCHTOWERS
or
13 Reasons Air should be in the North
=======================================
by Mike Nichols
copyright 1989 by Mike Nichols
(fondly dedicated to Kathy Whitworth)
INTRODUCTION
It all started 20 years ago. I was 16 years old then, and a
recent initiate to the religion of Wicca. Like most neophytes,
I was eager to begin work on my Book of Shadows, the traditional
manuscript liturgical book kept by most practicing Witches. I
copied down rituals, spells, recipes, poems, and tables of
correspondences from every source I could lay hands on. Those
generally fell into two broad categories: published works, such
as the many books available on Witchcraft and magic; and
unpublished works, mainly other Witches' Books of Shadows.
Twenty years ago, most of us were "traditional" enough to
copy everything by hand. (Today, photocopying and even computer
modem transfers are becoming de rigueur.) Always, we were
admonished to copy "every dot and comma", making an exact
transcription of the original, since any variation in the
ceremony might cause major problems for the magician. Seldom,
if ever, did anyone pause to consider where these rituals came
from in the first place, or who composed them. Most of us,
alas, did not know and did not care. It was enough just to
follow the rubrics and do the rituals as prescribed.
But something brought me to an abrupt halt in my copying
frenzy. I had dutifully copied rituals from different sources,
and suddenly realized they contained conflicting elements. I
found myself comparing the two versions, wondering which one was
"right", "correct", "authentic", "original", "older", etc. This
gave rise to the more general questions about where a ritual
came from in the first place. Who created it? Was it created
by one person or many? Was it ever altered in transmission? If
so, was it by accident or intent? Do we know? Is there ever
any way to find out? How did a particular ritual get into a
Coven's Book of Shadows? From another, older, Book of Shadows?
Or from a published source? If so, where did the author of the
published work get it?
I had barely scratched the surface, and yet I could already
see that the questions being raised were very complex. (Now,
all these years later, I am more convinced than ever of the
daunting complexity of Neo-Pagan liturgical history. And I am
equally convinced of the great importance of this topic for a
thorough understanding of modern Witchcraft. It may well be a
mare's nest, but imagine the value it will have to future Craft
historians. And you are unconditionally guaranteed to see me
fly into a passionate tirade whenever I'm confronted with such
banal over-simplifications as "Crowley is the REAL author of the
Third Degree initiation," or "Everyone KNOWS Gardner INVENTED
modern Witchcraft.")
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CONFLICTING TRADITIONS
The first time I noticed conflicting ritual elements was
when I was invited as a guest to attend another Coven's esbat
celebration. When the time came to "invoke the Watchtowers" (a
ritual salutation to the four directions), I was amazed to learn
that this group associated the element of Earth with the North.
My own Coven equated North with Air. How odd, I thought.
Where'd they get that? The High Priestess told me it had been
copied out of a number of published sources. Further, she said
she had never seen it listed any other way. I raced home and
began tearing books from my own library shelves. And sure
enough! Practically every book I consulted gave the following
associations as standard: North = Earth, East = Air, South =
Fire, West = Water.
Then where the heck did I get the idea that Air belonged in
the North? After much thought, I remembered having copied my
own elemental/directional associations from another Witch's Book
of Shadows, her Book representing (so she claimed) an old Welsh
tradition. Perhaps I'd copied it down wrong? A quick
long-distance phone call put my mind at ease on that score.
(When I asked her where she'd gotten it, she said she THOUGHT it
was from an even older Book of Shadows, but she wasn't certain.)
By now, I felt miffed that my own tradition seemed to be at
variance with most published sources. Still, my own rituals
didn't seem to be adversely affected. Nor were those of my
fellow Coven members, all of whom put Air in the North.
Further, over the years I had amassed lots of associations and
correspondences that seemed to REQUIRE Air to be in the North.
The very thought of Air in the East offended both my sense of
reason and my gut-level mythic sensibilities. There are good
REASONS to place Air in the North. And the whole mythological
superstructure would collapse if Air were in the East, instead.
If this is so, then why do most published sources place Earth in
the North and Air in the East?
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RITUAL TAMPERING
Suddenly, I felt sure I knew the reason! Somewhere along
the line, someone had deliberately tampered with the
information! Such tampering is a long and venerable practice
within certain branches of magic. In Western culture, it is
most typically seen among Hermetic, Cabalistic and "ceremonial"
magic lodges. It is common among such groups that, when
publishing their rituals for public consumption, they will
publish versions that are INCOMPLETE and/or deliberately ALTERED
in some way from the authentic practice. This prevents someone
who is NOT a member of the group from simply buying a book, and
performing the rituals, without benefit of formal training. It
is only when you are initiated into the lodge that you will be
given the COMPLETE and/or CORRECTED versions of their rituals.
This is how such groups guard their secrets. (And it is a
telling postscript that many scholars now believe modern
Witchcraft to have "borrowed" its directional/elemental
correspondences from ceremonial magic sources! What a laugh if
this was Crowley's last best joke on his friend Gerald Gardner!)
I remember the first time I became aware of such deliberate
ritual tampering. A friend of mine had been making a study of
the so-called "planetary squares", talismans that look like
magic squares consisting of a grid of numbers in some cryptic
order. There are seven such squares -- one for each of the
"old" planets. While making this study, he began coloring the
grids (more for his own pleasure than anything else), making
colorful mini-mosaics, using first two colors, then three, then
four, and on up to the total number of squares in the grid. Six
of the planetary squares yielded pleasing patterns of color.
Then there was the Sun square! Against all expectation, the
colors were a random jumble, with no patterns emerging. Thus,
he began his quest for the CORRECTED Sun square. And I became
convinced of the reality of ritual tampering.
THE WATCHTOWERS
All that remains, then, is for me to assemble all the
arguments in favor of the Air-in-the-North model, which I have
now come to believe is the CORRECTED system of correspondences.
The remainder of this article will be devoted to those
arguments, each with its own name and number:
1. AIRTS: This is perhaps the strongest argument. In
Celtic countries, the four elemental/directional associations
are referred to as the "four airts". And it is a known fact that
this tradition associates Air with North. While it is true that
some writers, familiar with ceremonial magic (like William Sharp
and Doreen Valiente), have given "tampered" versions of the
airts, it is a telling point that folklorists working directly
with native oral traditions (like Alexander Carmichael and F.
Marian McNeill) invariably report the Air/North connection.
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2. PARALLEL CULTURES: Although arguing from parallel
cultures may not be as convincing, it is still instructive to
examine other magical aboriginal cultures in the Western
hemisphere. For example, the vast majority of Native American
tribes (themselves no slouches in the area of magic!) place Air
in the North, which they symbolize by the Eagle. (Aboriginal
cultures lying south of the equator typically have different
associations, for reasons I will discuss next.)
3. GEOPHYSICAL: If one accepts the insular British origins
of elemental directions, then one must imagine living in the
British Isles. To the West is the vast expanse of the Atlantic
Ocean (i.e. water). To the East, the bulk of the European land
mass (earth). South has always been the direction of fire
because, as one travels south (toward the equator), it gets
warmer. Which leaves North as the region of air, home of the
icy winds of winter. (These last two associations would be
reversed for cultures in the southern hemisphere, for whom north
is the direction of the warm equatorial region, and south is the
land of ice.)
4. HYPERBOREAN: In fact, an ancient name for the British
Isles was "Hyperboria", which literally means "behind the north
wind", thus associating north and wind (air) once more. The
inhabitants were themselves called "Hyperborians", and the
phrase "at the back of the north wind" (the title of one of
George MacDonald's faery romances) is still current. Of all the
winds of the compass, it is unquestionably the north wind
(Boreas), bringer of winter, which is perceived as the strongest
and most influential (cf. Robert Grave's goddess fantasy "Watch
the North Wind Rise"). You don't hear too much about the other
three cardinal winds.
5. SEASONAL: Many occultists associate the four seasons
with the four cardinal points, as well. Hence, winter = north,
spring = east, summer = south, and autumn = west. (To be
precise, it is the solstice and equinox points which align with
the cardinal points.) Again, in most folklore, winter is
associated with air and wind, as the icy blasts that usher in
the season. In spring, it is the earth which arrests our
attention, with its sudden riot of blooms and greenery. Again,
south relates to summer, the hottest season (fire), and west
relates to autumn.
6. DIURNAL: Occultists also often associate the cardinal
points of a single day to the four compass points. Thus,
midnight = north, sunrise = east, noon = south, and sunset =
west. (Please note that we are talking about TRUE midnight and
TRUE noon here, the points halfway between sunset and sunrise,
and between sunrise and sunset, respectively.) These associate
nicely with the seasonal attributes just discussed. It is easy
to see why sunrise should equate to east, and sunset to west.
And, once again, from the perspective of the British Isles, the
sun rises over land (earth) and sets over the ocean (water).
South is related to noon because it is the moment of greatest
heat (fire). Leaving the "invisible" element of air to be
associated with the sun's invisibility, at midnight.
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7. MYTHOLOGICAL: In Celtic mythology, north is invariably
associated with air. The pre-Christian Irish gods and
goddesses, the Tuatha De Danann, were "airy" faeries (later
versions came equipped with wings, relating them to sylphs). The
Book of Conquests states their original home was in the north,
"at the back of the north wind". And when they came to Ireland,
they came in ships, THROUGH THE UPPER AIR (!), settling on the
mountain tops. (It has always struck me as odd that some modern
writers see mountains as a symbol of earth. The crucial
symbolism of the mountain is its height, rising into the air,
touching the sky. Virtually all Eastern traditions associate
mountains, favorite abodes of gurus, with air. A CAVE would be
a better symbol of earth than a mountain.) In Welsh mythology,
too, Math the Ancient, chief god of Gwynedd (or NORTH Wales), is
specifically associated with wind, which can carry people's
thoughts to him.
8. YIN/YANG: Many occultists believe that the four elements
have yin/yang connections. Both air and fire are seen as
masculine, while earth and water are seen as feminine. If air
is associated with the north point of the magic circle, and
earth is east, then one achieves a yin/yang alternation as one
circumambulates the circle. As one passes the cardinal points
of east, south, west, and north, one passes feminine, masculine,
feminine, masculine energies. This alternating flux of
plus/minus, push/pull, masculine/feminine, is the very pulse of
the universe, considered of great importance by most occultists.
That it was equally important to our ancestors is evidenced by
standing stones in the British Isles. At sites like the Kennet
Avenue of Braga, the tall, slender, masculine, phallic stones
alternate precisely with the shorter, diamond-shaped yoni
stones.
9. GENERATOR: This argument flows out of the previous one.
Practicing magicians often think of the magic circle as a kind
of psychic generator. Witches in particular like to perform
circle dances to "raise the cone of power". Hand in hand, and
alternating man and woman, they dance clockwise (deosil) around
the circle, moving faster and faster until the power is
released. This model has an uncanny resemblance to an
electrical generator, as man and woman alternately pass each of
the four "poles" of the magic circle. These poles themselves
MUST alternate between plus and minus if power is to be raised.
This means that if the masculine fire is in the south, then the
masculine air MUST be in the north. If the feminine water is in
the west, then the feminine earth MUST be in the east. If any
adjacent pair were switched, the generator would stop dead.
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10. MASCULINE/FEMININE AXIS: When you look at a typical
map, north (the cardinal direction) is at the top. Any
north-south road is a vertical line, and any east-west road is a
horizontal line. Likewise, a "map" of a magic circle makes the
vertical north-south axis masculine (with air and fire), while
the horizontal east-west axis is feminine (earth and water).
This makes logical sense. When we look at the horizon of the
earth, we see a horizontal line. Water also seeks a horizontal
plane. Feminine elements, considered "passive", have a natural
tendency to "lay down". Fire, on the other hand, always assumes
an erect or vertical position. Air, too, can rise upward, as
earth and water cannot. Masculine elements, being "active",
have a natural tendency to "stand up".
11. ALTAR TOOLS: In modern Witchcraft, there are four
principal altar tools, the same four tools shown on the Tarot
card, the Magician. They also correspond to the four Tarot
suits, the four ancient treasures of Ireland, and the four
"hallows" of Arthurian legend. And, like the four elements, two
of them are feminine and two of them are masculine. The
pentacle is a shallow dish inscribed with a pentagram,
representing earth, and is here placed in the east. The
womb-shaped chalice, symbolizing water, is placed in the west.
They form the horizontal feminine axis. The phallic-shaped
wand, representing fire, is placed in the south. And the
equally phallic-shaped athame is placed in the north. They form
the vertical masculine axis. (The gender associations of cup
and blade are especially emphasized in the ritual blessing of
wine.)
12. AXIS SYMBOLISM: In nearly every culture, the vertical
line is a symbol of yang, or masculine energy. The horizontal
line is yin, feminine energy. When the vertical masculine line
penetrates the horizontal feminine line, forming the ancient
Pagan symbol of the equal-armed cross, it becomes a symbol of
life, and life-force. Place a circle around it or on it, and
you have a circle-cross or "Celtic" cross, symbol of everlasting
life. (Please note the importance of the EQUAL-armed cross. If
one arm is longer or shorter, then the four elements are out of
balance. The Christian or "Roman" cross, for example, has an
extended southern arm. And many historians have commented on
Christianity's excess of "fire" or zeal. Some versions actually
show a shortened northern arm, indicating a dearth of "air" or
intellectual qualities.)
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13. ASTROLOGICAL: The astrological year is divided into
four equal quadrants, each beginning at a solstice or equinox.
And each quadrant is governed by one of the four elements.
Which element can be discovered by examining the exact MID-POINT
of the quadrant. For example, the first quadrant, beginning at
the winter solstice (north) is governed by air, which rules 15
degrees Aquarius, symbolized by the Man or Spirit. The second
quadrant, beginning at the spring equinox (east) is governed by
earth, which rules 15 degrees Taurus, the Bull. The third
quadrant, beginning at the summer solstice (south) is governed
by fire, which rules 15 degrees Leo, the Lion. And the fourth
quadrant, beginning at the fall equinox (west) is governed by
water, which rules 15 degrees Scorpio, here symbolized by the
Eagle. Thus, north, east, south and west correspond to air,
earth, fire, and water, and to man, bull, lion, and eagle,
respectively. If the last four symbols seem familiar, it is
because they represent the four elemental power points of the
astrological year, and their symbols appear in the four corners
of the Tarot cards, the World and the Wheel of Fortune. (The
same figures were later adopted by Christians as symbols of the
four gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.)
If those are the arguments in favor of Air-in-the-North,
where are the counter-arguments in favor of Earth-in-the-North?
Surprisingly, I've heard very few. The most common by far is
"But we've always done it this way." Not too convincing.
However, no matter HOW persuasive my arguments may be, many have
countered that magic doesn't lend itself to rational arguments.
It's what FEELS right that counts. True. And there's no
denying that many practitioners do just fine with earth in the
north. Granted. Still, if they've never tried it the other
way, how would they really know?
My challenge to my fellow practitioners then is this: give
Air-in-the-North a shot. Just try it on for size. See what it
feels like. And not for just a single ritual. It'll take
several tries just to overcome your habitual ritual mindset.
And nothing is as habitual as ritual! So in order to give this
a fair shake, you'll have to do a whole series of rituals with
air in the north. And go into it with an open mind. Like all
magic, if you decide ahead of time it won't work, it won't.
Then, once you've tried it, compare it to your old method. Ask
yourself what's different, if it worked any better, and why or
why not. And let me know. I'd enjoy hearing about your
experiences.
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{file "First Degree, What is it?" "bos090.htm"}
What is a First Degree?
Many persons feel that the first degree initiation is something
that a person receives simply because this group or that wishes
to accept a person into their circle (Gardenarian, Alexandrian,
etc.).
In the my tradition, as a first degree, you ARE a priest/ess, and
as such you carry responsibilities. In some traditions, the
knowledge you have gained during your first degree studies will
qualify you for a third degree in that tradition. But let's look
at it a minute.
As I have stated, as a first degree, you ARE a priest/ess. What
does this mean? In other faiths, you must go to seminary or its
equivalent for a period of at least 5 years to obtain this goal.
When you leave there, you are knowledgeable in not only the
beliefs of your faith, but also it's history, sects, and
doctrines. You have been trained to be a counselor, helper, and
friend to your parishioners. You have had training in dealing
with problems within your church, your community, and "the
enemy". Basically, you have been given the trust of your church
to be knowledgeable, loving, caring, and trustworthy.
Should a Priest/ess in the craft be expected to be any less? As
an Isian, the answer is a resounding NO!
During your first degree studies, you are the equivalent of an
Associate Pastor/Minister/Whatever. You are now in training to
eventually have your own coven, or if you wish to be solitary,
you are in training to be able to defend your religion to the
outside world if the need arises.
What are the responsibilities of a First Degree in my tradition?
As always, in the this tradition, you are required to constantly
be learning and growing. This does not mean that you have to be
constantly be learning about the craft, but about yourself, your
community, Mother Earth, etc. This responsibility does not cease
even when you receive your third degree. This is a
responsibility to yourself.
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Some of your responsibilities to the coven are listed below:
1.) To grow within the craft.
2.) Observe and participate in all circle functions of your
degree or lower.
3.) To assist in preparation for all circle functions of your
degree or lower.
4.) To assist any student of a lessor grade in his/her studies
when asked by this student for assistance.
5.) To contribute at least one research paper of 10 pages (5 if
single spaced) or more on the craft subject of your choice.
6.) Contribute in some manner to each sabbat or public gathering
either by time, monies for supplies, or bringing something to
share either during or after event. Time could be by arriving
early to help set up, staying a little later and helping to clean
up after, preparing and sharing a workshop (if open workshop is
scheduled), making phone calls to remind people of the event,
etc.
7.) Contribute to ideas for coven gatherings and help arrange
same. (Remember, all things do not happen at Covenstead!)
8.) Be aware of any conflicts within Circle, and bring this to
the attention of the HP/HPS (even if that's where the conflict
is!)
9.) Be prepared to accept the responsibility of a circle or
ritual should something happen to your HP/S.
To some people, this may seem like a lot of expectations, but
keep in mind. We are not are not training "week-end witches."
You are in training to be a Priest/ess of Wicca.
Your first degree is something to be proud of. You have worked
hard and long to receive it, and your HP/S has found you worthy
of same.
May the Lord and Lady smile on your efforts.
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{file "Church of All Worlds" "bos091.htm"}
CHURCH OF ALL WORLDS
BOX 1542
Ukiah, CA 95482
Duplicate Membership Application (as presented in GREEN EGG Oimlec
1989) Distributed Electronically to the Pagan Community by the Pagan
Information Network in the general interest of all.
In dedication tothe celebration of life in itsmany forms, I hereby
declare my commitment to a way of life that is ethical, benevolent,
humanistic, life-affirming, ecstatic and ecologically sane. I
subscribe to means and methods that are creative rather than
destructive, tolerant rather than authoritarian, gentle rather than
violent, inclusive rather than exclusive. I pledge myself to
harmonious eco-psychic awareness with the total biosphere of holy
Mother Earth.
Like a redwood tree, I would have my roots deep in the Earth and my
branches reaching for the stars.
I acknowledge my personal responsibility for myself, to my fellow
humans, and to the whole of Nature; and I recognize this total
responsibility, in each of us, as the source of our infinite freedom
to become who we are and do what we will. I dedicate myself to my own
inner growth and development that I may be of greater service to
myself and the world around me. For these reasons I recognize
Divinity both within and without, and I say to myself and others :
THOU ART GODDESS; THOU ART GOD.
I wish to unite with others upon a spiritual path that encompasses
both the Heaven's and the Earth, and all the worlds between, and
hereby make application to join the membership of the Church of All
Worlds, in order that we may learn together and teach each other ways
to bring about these ends.
I understand that this association does not require the severing of
any other religious ties.
D a t e _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Signature_________________________________________________
I enclose $_______ as a contribution to help carry on the work of the
Church.
(Annual membership dues are $25 for individuals, $20 each for family
members at one address.) (The Church of All Worlds is a state and
federally tax-exempt 501(c)(3) religious organization. All donations
are tax-deductible.)
Reviewed and approved by______________________this
day:_____________________
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{file "What is Shamanism? (Michelle Haas)" "bos092.htm"}
What is Shamanism?
Michelle Klein-Hass/SysOp, Shaman's Soup BBS
Pardon me for asking, but what is Shamanism? That's one area of "the
occult" that I don't remember hearing about.
OK, I guess I'm the resident shamanism maven here, so I'll try to
define it. Shamanism is the name (from the Tungus Shaman, meaning
miracle-worker) for any tradition of ecstatic worship of the Earth,
and the forces that reside and pervade Her. Most traditions of
shamanism worship two deities, the God and the Goddess. In the
European shamanic tradition, also known as Wicca, the God and Goddess
are most commonly known as The Lord and The Lady, or Great Mother and
the Lord of the Hunt. In the Yoruban tradition, they are known as Ogun
and Yemaja. In the shamanic tradition of the Chiricahua Teneh
(Apache), they are known as Earth Mother and Sky Father, and also as
White Painted Woman and Killer of Enemies. In other traditions, there
are more deities worshipped, and in most of those named, there are
other lesser deities. Some forms of shamanic tradition can be
classified as true polytheism, some, like the tradition of the
Australian Dreamtime, are truly pantheistic (the God-force is in all,
and all exists in the God-force, or as they put it, the Dreamtime) and
at least in the tradition of the Yoruba (Nigerian African) and in most
Native American traditions, these Gods and Goddesses are seen as
emanations from a Great Spirit. In the Teneh tongue, this spirit is
known as Usen', Who is neither Male nor Female but encompasses both.
Joe Wilson describes the difference between the path of the Shaman and
the path of the Priest this way: the Priest is the custodian of
tradition and rite, the Shaman is the one who journeys within and
experiences the God(esse)s directly. The path of the shaman is the
path of healing, direct involvement with ones Gods/Goddesses, and the
path of acquiring Power for The Good. Modern Shamanism in America is
usually of two currents: Wiccan and Native.
Wicca is a reconstructed system, which is probably similar but
not identical to the pre-Christian religion of the Keltoi (the
Britons, the Gallics, the Irish and Scottish Gael, the Picts, and the
Cymri(Welsh) It used to claim quite an impressive history, but is
reliably traceable to people like Gerald Gardner, who designed a
system of Wiccan practice from various sources, including, supposedly,
a wealthy woman whose family had practiced witchcraft for generations.
He obviously had a good grasp of some of the Anthropological works on
the subject, but liberally borrowed as well from Crowley, Freemasonry,
and *fin de Siecle* occultism like the Order of the Golden Dawn.
Artificial or authentic, it seems to still work.
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Native shamanism works with either traditions of a native people
like the Native Americans or the Yoruba tribe (present in Santeria),
or is a distillation of many practices, as is the shamanism taught by
Dr. Michael Harner and by Joseph Wilson of Toteg Tribe. The true
native traditions are dying out quickly, and most native Shamans are
unwilling to transmit their knowledge. In some cases, the knowledge
has died out, and those descendants who remain and wish to embrace the
Old Ways must re-invent their tradition. My teacher, Misha Sacred
Wolf of the Naiche-Tosawi band of the Chiricahua, is in that
unenviable position. The Apache still exist, and they celebrate some
of the old festivals for the benefit of tourists. But much of the Old
Knowledge died with the coming of the white man, the reservation, and
the missionaries that considered the reservation their rightful
"mission field".
While it is true that many Native peoples are indignant about any
non-Native involvement in shamanism, and the new age movement is full
to the brim with hucksters and shysters who if you give them money
will teach you "how to become a Shaman", there are two non-Natives who
seem to respect the Ways, and have attempted to present the teachings
of Native shamanism in a respectful, reverential way. One is Dr.
Michael Harner, author of "The Way of the Shaman" (Bantam) and his
"core shamanism" system. His approach is sometimes a little too
eclectic, with a glaring lack of the ritual and mythos that makes
shamanism so powerful. He has reduced the shamanic experience to a
few major elements: The Lowerworld Journey, where the shamanist comes
face-to- face with their "Power Animal", which is a representative of
the person's basic animal energy; The Upperworld Journey, where the
person journeys to contact their "Teacher Within", who is a
representation of the person's Higher Self; the Middleworld Journey,
where ordinary reality is seen through non-ordinary eyes; and various
techniques of healing, primarily the Jivaro "sucking doctor"technique.
A non-ordinary state of consciousness is reached through rhythmic
drumming, singing, and visualization. Despite the very clinical
"self-help" aspect of Harner's work, it is very valuable. If you live
in the Los Angeles area, you are quite fortunate in that perhaps the
most exciting work in the eclectic shamanic way is going on through
Toteg Tribe, a shamanic society founded and facilitated by Joseph
Wilson. Joseph was a participant in the Neo-Pagan (Wiccan-shamanic)
movement for more than 25 years, and is now trying to forge a new
shamanic way for ALL people of the Americas. He has built on the
techniques of Harner with insight from both traditional Native peoples
of this land that he has studied with and entirely new ways of
expression that he and others that work with him have spontaneously
come up with. He does not claim to teach traditional shamanic ways,
but his work is quite valuable and instead of looking behind to the
old days of Tribal America, is aimed towards the 21st century and
beyond. Again, I study with a woman who is of the Chiricahua Apache
tradition, but I also find Wilson's work to be exciting and very
important. I hope this cleared up a few things...there's a lot of
good info in the file areas about shamanic practice.
Hi Dicho--this is finished (sigh of relief)
Enju! B*B Michelle Klein-Hass (Chihacou White Puma)
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{file "Etymology of "Wicca"" "bos093.htm"}
Here is the complete expansion of the Indo-European root of the word
"witch", from THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY OF INDO-EUROPEAN ROOTS,
revised & edited by Calvert Watkins (Houghton Mifflin Co.: Boston,
1985; ISBN 0-395-36070-6):
WEIK- [1]. Clan (social unit above the household). 1. Suffixed form
*WEIK- SLA in Latin VILLA, country house, farm: VILLA, VILLAGE,
VILLAIN, VILLANELLE, (VILLEIN); (BIDONVILLE). 2. Suffixed o-grade
form *WOIK-O in: a. Latin VICUS, quarter or district of a town,
neighborhood: (VICINAGE), VICINITY; b. Greek OIKOS, house, and its
derivativ e OIKIA, dwelling: ANDROECIUM, AUTOECIOUS, DIOCESE,
DIOECIOUS, DIOICOUS, ECESIS, ECOLOGY, ECONOMY, ECUMENICAL,
HETEROECIOUS, MONOECIOUS, PARISH, TRIOUECIOUS. 3. Zero-grade from
*WIK- in Sanskrit VIS- dwelling, house, with derivative VAISYAH,
settler: VAISYA.
WEIK- [2]. In words connectid with magic and religious notions (in
Germanic and Latin). 1. Germanic suffixed form *WIH-L- in Old English
WIGLE, divination, sorcery, akin to the Germanic source of Old French
GUILE, cunning trickery: GUILE. 2. Germanic expressive form *WIKK-
in: a. Old English WICCA, wizard, and WICCE, witch: WITCH; b. Old
English WICCIAN, to cast a spell: BEWITCH. 3. Possible suffixed
zero-grade form *WIK-T-IMA in latin VICTIMA, animal used as sacrifice,
victim (although this may belong to another root *[SHWA]WEK- not
otherwise represented in English): VICTIM.
WEIK- [3]. To be like. 1. Suffixed variant form *EIK-ON- in Greek
EIKON, likeness, image: ICON, (ICONIC), ICONO-; ANISEIKONIA. 2.
Prefixed and suffixed zero-grade form *N-WIK-ES, not like (*N-, not),
in greek AIKES, unseemly: AECIUM.
WEIK- [4]. Also WEIG-. To bend, wind. I. Form WEIG-. 1. Germanic
*WIK- in: a. Old English WICE, wych elm (having pliant branches): WYCH
ELM; b. Swedish VIKER, willow twig, wand, akin to the Scandinavian
source of Middle English WIKER, wicker: WICKER; c. Old Norse vikja, to
bend, turn, probably akin to the Scandinavian source of Old Nort h
French WIKET, wicket (< "door that turns?): WICKET. 2. Germanic
*WAIKWAZ in: a. Old Norse VEIKR, pliant: WEAK; b. Dutch WEEK, weak,
soft: WEAKFISH. 3. Germanic *WIKON-, "a turning," series, in Old
English WICU, WICE, week: WEEK. II. Form *WEIK-. Zero-grade form
*WIK- in: a. Latin VIX (genetive VICUS), turn, situation, change:
VICAR (VICARIOUS), VICE[3]; VICISSITUDE; b. Latin VICIA, vetch (<
"twining plant"): VETCH.
WEIK- [5]. To fight, conquer. 1. Germanic *WIK- in Old Norse VIGR,
able in battle: WIGHT[2]. 2. Nasalized zero-grade form *WI-N-K- in
Latrin VINCERE (past participle VICTUS), to conquer: VANQUISH, VICTOR,
VINCIBLE; CONVINCE, EVICT.
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{file "Nature Spirit Magick (Larry Cornett)" "bos094.htm"}
NATURE SPIRIT MAGIC
By Larry Cornett
INTRODUCTION:
Each plant, animal, rock, and other entity has a spirit
(consciousness resonance matrix). These spirits can join
together, in a hive-mind, as a spirit of an area. Nature spirits
include real biological intelligences, are psychically powerful,
and are much less abstract and controllable than the Elementals
that many magical people who perform all of their rituals indoors
are familiar with. They can be extremely powerful allies. It is
possible to sense nature spirits, to determine if they are
receptive to a ritual planned, and to have them actively
participate in magical workings if they are.
SOME EFFECTS OF WORKING WITH NATURE SPIRITS:
Spectacular physical manifestations can happen when working with
nature spirits in the wild. I have personally seen actual
foxfire mark the boundaries of a magic circle at a location that
was identified as a receptive power spot and attuned to a
planned ritual the day before. I have seen more than one site
attuned for ritual be dry and comfortable, with a round hole in
the clouds overhead, on days that were cold and rainy at other
nearby locations. Birds have joined in rituals, flying around
the circle when energy was being raised; and insects, birds and
animals have joined in chants. In addition, the wind often
responds to invocations. Generally, these spectacular
manifestations happen unexpectedly.
With or without such manifestations, nature spirits often will
channel tremendous amounts of power into the magic being
performed. It is suggested that you do not consciously try for
specific manifestations. Let Nature channel her power into the
magic in her own way. If approached with respect, nature may
give you many pleasant surprises.
Spectacular physical manifestations are not a necessary sign of
success. If you need a spectacular manifestation and nature
spirits know this, you will get it. The best success in magic is
on the inner planes and more subtle than such manifestations.
This success involves beneficial changes in consciousness that
last and helpful chains of synchronicity. In addition, working
with Nature Spirits can also bring a deep sense of partnership
with Nature, and bring new levels of attunement.
To get the best results, perform nature spirit attunement
several hours to several days before the main ritual. The
purposes of such attunement are to find suitable power spots and
to get the help of friendly nature spirits. This timing gives
Nature time to gather her children and to prepare to actively
participate in the main ritual.
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WHAT TO NOT DO:
If nature spirits are approached with disrespect by attempting
to command them rather than listening to them and inviting them
to work with you, nature spirits may flee, rebel, or attack. I
once attended a ritual by some pseudo-Crowleyites who attempted
to perform the "Ritual of the Barbarous Names" at a power spot in
a forest and then to extend the circle several hundred yards in
all directions.
While the forest in general had loud insect and frog noises, the
area at which the ritual took place got quiet immediately when
the main ritualist declared that all spirits were subject unto
him. The vibes from nature could best be characterized as "Oh
yea, Mother...!" One participant was quickly possessed by an
angry spirit and kept repeating "You killed my children, your
children will never live in peace." When the priestess stepped
out of the boundaries of the original circle, she was attacked by
bees; and bees covered the Book of the Law. Magicians should
know better than to attempt to command spirits whose true names
they do not know!
CALLING NATURE SPIRITS:
To make the most out of working magical ritual in the wild, one
should find power spots where nature spirits are receptive to the
ritual planned and approach the spirits with respect, as equals.
In my experience, the most effective power spots for working with
the living intelligences of nature are located in wild areas with
diverse, active ecologies.
When entering a wild area to find a site for a ritual, find a
place that feels good. Then do the following, either
individually or, if in a group, as a guided meditation:
o Relax, while standing upright, and focus on your breathing.
Breathe deep breaths from the diaphragm. Breathe together if
in a group.
- Feel the wind, and let it relax you and awaken your spirit
within, as your deep breathing takes you into non-ordinary
reality.
- Picture, in your mind's eye, a light inside you. As you
breathe, feel the light expand, purify and energize you - as
it expands to fill your aura.
- Feel yourself glowing, balanced, purified, and full of power.
- Connect with your inner self (your higher self), and feel
your intuitive self operating.
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o Feel yourself as:
- The wind, full of life and intelligence, communicating with
all round.
- The Sunlight, warm, alive, channeling the power to
communicate with nature and energizing all around.
- Water, emotional, intuitive, refreshing, and connected with
nature.
- The Earth, and note how your physical body is able to wander
while remaining part of Mother Earth.
o Focus on your spiritual self, and:
- Note the light within and feel it as love,
- Expand the light and love beyond the immediate aura of your
body to the surrounding area - where you will go to find a
power spot and contact nature spirits.
o Telepathically (by thinking while channeling the love and light
energy) send out signals to nature spirits to emerge and be
aware of your presence.
- Say why you have come, and invite them to join in sharing,
mutual celebration, and the work you intend.
- Visualize the light and love energy you are channeling
extending out and merging with the light from distant places.
- Feel the power of the Earth flowing up through your body and
feet.
- Feel the power from the sky, and channel this power also to
further energize the carrier signal of light and love for
communicating with nature.
- Visualize the light expanding and merging.
- Continue to send out telepathic signals.
o Now go deeper:
- Close your eyes, sit on the Earth, and feel your connection
while you channel more light and love.
- Continue modulating the light and love with your thoughts -
inviting receptive spirits to join with you and to make
themselves known.
- If in a group, someone should start playing a drum at a rate
of about one beat per second; and you should listen to the
drum and let the drum take you deeper.
- Affirm that you are a nature magician, a medicine person, who
knows and communicates with nature. Let this part of
yourself emerge to full consciousness. Let the drum and the
connection to your inner self awaken that part of yourself
that naturally communicates with other life forms. Let it
awaken your telepathic senses.
- Continue sending telepathic signals to nature.
- When you feel ready and an inner urge to begin, open your
eyes a crack and look around, while continuing to channel
love and light and telepathically calling for a response.
- You may see light coming from certain areas that are
receptive. You may get other signals, such as a feeling of
power or love returning in a certain direction. Perhaps the
type of response to this work will be unexpected; follow your
intuition in interpreting it.
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- You may test your connection by communicating (mentally)
instructions for signals for yes/no responses (such as light
getting brighter for less and darker for no) and then
mentally ask questions and observe the responses.
o When you have found an areas that seems to be responsive and
receptive, begin walking to the area, while beaming love
energy. Extend your aura to the area and sense the energy.
ENTERING A POWER SPOT:
o Before entering a power spot, ask permission to enter. If the
response is good, enter; if not, locate another more receptive
area.
o When entering the power spot, look around. Perhaps the
responsive energy will be concentrated around some singularity
(a bush, a tree, a specific branch, a moss covered rock, or
other entity that stands out). Perhaps the energy will be more
general. Use your intuition and feedback from the spirits to
guide your actions.
o If it feels right, send out a signal that you would like to
touch the singularity (or the ground) for better communication.
If the response is good, approach beaming love energy, and then
touch or hug the singularity (or the ground).
o Treat the spirits as you would other Pagans you meet for the
first time - be sensitive, open, and listen.
DEEPENING COMMUNICATION WITH NATURE SPIRITS:
o Now that you have made contact with spirits that seem
receptive, deepen the communication:
- Breathe deep breaths from the diaphragm, and with each
breath, feel more refreshed.
- Now imagine that your spine is the trunk of a tree; and, from
its base, roots extend deep into the Earth. Deep into the
rich moist Earth.
- With every breath, feel the roots extending deeper,
- Feel the energy deep within the Earth and within the waters
of the Earth. Feel your roots absorbing nourishment from the
Earth and from its waters.
- Feel the moist, warm energy rising.
- Feel it bursting up from the Earth and rising up your spine,
like sap rises in a tree.
- Feel the energy rise to your crown chakra (at the top of your
head).
- Now imagine that you have branches, branches that sweep up
and then bend down towards the Earth, like the limbs of a
willow.
- Feel the branches extending and interweaving with your
surroundings.
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- Feel the warm, moist energy of the Earth flowing through your
branches. As it flows, feel yourself being purified,
centered, and connected to the Earth.
- Feel the power from the Earth flowing through your branches
and then down back to the Earth, like a fountain.
- Note how your branches absorb energy from the air. Also,
feel them receiving light (fire) from the sky.
- Feel the energy from above penetrating deep through your body
into the Earth.
- Feel the warmth of the Earth rising also.
- Feel the energy circulating.
o Notice how your branches intertwine with the branches of energy
surrounding you.
- Feel the energy dancing among your branches and the branches
around you.
- Notice how your roots also intertwine with underground energy
channels.
- Feel the energy dancing between your roots and the
surrounding energy patterns.
- Notice how you and the life around you are rooted in the
same Earth, breathing the same air, receiving the same fire,
drinking the same water, sharing the same underlying
essence. You are one with the magical grove.
o Telepathically mention the time in the past when nature spirits
and people communicated regularly and the need to establish
such communication now.
o Test your connection by asking questions and observing the
responses.
WORKING WITH NATURE SPIRITS:
o Explain to the spirits the purpose of your coming to them and
the nature of the ritual you plan.
o If the spirits you contacted are receptive:
- Explain to them the details of the ritual and invite them to
provide ideas.
- Listen, you may receive suggestions on how to improve the
ritual. Such suggestions may come in the form of hunches,
visions, answers to yes/no questions using pre-arranged
signals, or in other ways.
- Explain what type of space is needed and ask what the best
place to perform the ritual is.
- You may see light or get other psychic signals leading you
to other sites, or you may be at one of them.
- You may also ask what the best places for other aspects of
the planned work are (picnicking, individual vision quests,
etc.).
- If preparation of the site is needed (removing briars,
preparing a fire circle, etc.) ask permission of the spirits
before proceeding with such action.
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- Before you leave the power spot, tell the spirits you have
contacted when you plan to return to do the ritual
(visualizing the associated lunar and solar aspects can help
with this communication).
- Invite them to join in the ritual when you return and to
bring their friends.
- Ask if it would be best to return silently, with drums, with
chanting, or with some other form of approach.
- You can also ask the spirits to provide guidance for working
in balance and to provide a teacher to provide further
guidance.
o Before you leave the power spot:
- Thank the spirits,
- Channel love energy,
- Trigger your memory of the experience, and
- If it feels right, leave an offering of tobacco, or beer and
honey poured on the ground (or other suitable material).
o Leave in peace and love.
o Proceed to other sites that were indicated by the spirits,
doing similar meditations at each site.
o If you need something, like a staff, a Maypole, or a wand, you
can also ask where you can find it and follow the guidance you
receive (not slavishly, but as you would guidance from another
Pagan).
o Before leaving the general area in which you found power spots
and contacted nature spirits:
- Channel love energy towards the receptive sites you found,
- Thank the spirits of the land,
- Pull back your roots and branches,
- Ground any excess energy into the Earth (placing your hands
on the Earth, breathe in any excess energy, and channel the
energy down your arms, while visualizing and feeling the
energy going into the Earth), and
- Leave in peace and love.
o Naturally, you should leave the area at least as clean, and
preferably cleaner, than you found it.
o If you work with techniques of Wicca or Ceremonial Magic, you
may find that by casting a circle, calling the Elements, the
Goddess, the Gods, and the local nature spirits while you are
at receptive sites, you may be able to greatly increase
communication.
o Through the use of drums and other power raising techniques, it
is even possible to energize receptive nature spirits. The
results can be very interesting. If with a coven, such circles
can be done as part of a group attunement to a power spot you
have located.
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o If you do not get good feelings in response to your explanation
of the ritual and are unable to come up with a ritual that
gives good responses, do not try to force a good response. You
would only be fooling yourself.
- Thank the spirits for their attention.
- Ask them why they are not receptive (if it feels right and
they are communicative).
- Trigger your memory.
- Pull back your "roots and branches," return any excess
energy you feel into the Earth.
- If it feels appropriate, leave an offering of tobacco or
other appropriate material, out of respect for the spirits.
- Move to a more receptive site.
o If it is hard to find a site that is really receptive, you
should:
- Consider any impressions you got of why the nature spirits
weren't receptive in the area you were in, and re-think your
plans for a ritual, as necessary and appropriate.
- It may also be appropriate to look for another general area
in which to find a suitable power site that is receptive to
the work planned.
WHAT TO DO WHEN RETURNING:
It can be very powerful to purify and center yourself and to
attune to the spirits of the land using the techniques previously
described for calling nature spirits immediately upon returning
to the site.
Often, individuals may have found small specific power spots to
which they have a special attunement, where the spirits are
interested in participating; but where the site is too small, has
too much vegetation, or is otherwise unsuitable for the main
ritual. Individual attunement to the spirits in such areas and
inviting them to participate in the main ritual can be
worthwhile.
Then approach the main ritual site using the previously arranged
technique. You should have the details worked out with the
spirits of the land. An exceptionally powerful technique
involves doing a procession through or past receptive power
spots, inviting nature spirits to join as you pass each power
spot, and then moving to the central power spot for the main
ritual. If participants are at individual power spots, they can
join the procession as it passes nearby.
When consecrating space in the wild, or casting a circle, do not
set up the perimeter as a barrier to all outside forces; it
should be a beacon to attract friendly nature spirits, a
container for holding magical power, and a barrier to spirits
who it isn't right to be with.
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One thing that is fun and worthwhile in nature is to bring
instruments, such as a rattle, a flute and/or a drum, to tune in
to nature's sounds, and to make music in time to nature's
sounds. You may be able to get some very interesting back and
forth exchanges of music going with selected creatures of the
wild, and get into an amazing jam session.
After the work is complete, be sure to thank the spirits for
their participation. Libations and other offerings may also be
left for the spirits during and/or after the ritual.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
There are other ways of working with nature spirits. This is one
approach. The author thanks Selena Fox for teaching the basic
guided meditation technique for locating and contacting nature
spirits at a tranceworking session sponsored by the Chameleon
Club (part of the Association for Consciousness Exploration) in
1981, Vicky Smith for editorial review of this article, Isaac
Bonewitz for the outline of the expanded tree meditation, and
Carlos Castenada, Black Eagle, Pasha, the Goddess, the Gods, and
various nature spirits for teaching the rest of the good methods.
Most of this article is an expansion of an article by the author
titled "Finding a Sacred Grove for Druid Initiation" by Larry
Cornett, published in The Druid's Progress and in Amaranth
Anthology.
RIGHTS TO DISTRIBUTE THIS ARTICLE:
This article is written by Larry Cornett. It is copyrighted
l988; and it is hereby placed by the author in the public domain,
providing it is not modified without the explicit permission of
the author and providing the author is acknowledged. It may
therefore be distributed freely to any BBS or other Electronic
Forum or copied and handed out for free. Permission to reprint
it in a publication for sale may be requested from the author,
and will generally be granted in exchange for a copy of the
publication containing the article. This copyright takes
precedence over any copyright expressed or implied by any BBS or
commercial system on which this file is posted.
by Larry Cornett
9/24/'88 9527 Blake Lane, # 102, Fairfax, VA 22031 (703)352-3791
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{file "Mycenaen Mysteries (J. Teller)" "bos095.htm"}
THE MYCENEAEN MYSTERIES
A Neo-Pagan Alternative Belief System
(C) 1989 By Joseph W. Teller
* Free to Distribute & Copy in its Entirety For Non-Commercial Use*
MYCENEAEN MYSTERIES : A QUICK INTRODUCTION
Myceneaen Mysteries are an ongoing project to introduce a new
path of passage and religious belief to the present Neo-Pagan
community.
Like anything within the Neo-Pagan Community, we do not exist
in a vacuum. I have been trained in several traditions and paths
of the present community, and have learned much from them, but
have found that a personal lack of hereditary connection to some
of the pantheons and belief systems involved have often made my
practice of Celtic or Shamanistic systems to become clumsy and
sometimes ineffective forme personally. Thus, to find my own
way, I went forth on a combination research project and personal path
searching for what path would be best for myself.
The Myceneaen Mysteries are based upon a personal interface
between myself and the aspects of the Early religious system and
belief of the area now known as Greece, a personal comfortable
status with many of the gods and goddesses of the pantheon
therein which I could not find in the Celtic, Norse or American
Indian belief systems. Many hours of painstaking research into t h e
true culture, beliefs, gods and means of worship practiced by t h e
early Myceneaens have resulted in this ongoing system of belief. It
is not for all, but if you feel a true connection b e t w e e n
yourself, the mythologies, the social structure and the beliefs
involved then perhaps this path is for you.
TheMyceneaen beliefsystemis nota total"re-creationist"
idea, nor the structuring of a system out of whole cloth, but like
any belief system stemming from another time and blossoming into
a Neo-Pagan tradition it comes from a combination of both. The land
of Myceneae has gone through not one but two dark ages in its
time, and much of the original material was lost or destroyed or
very badly distorted by the people that would pass through it as
their conquerors, and so I have had to take some liberty to the
myths, sorting them according to the values and theology they
present as to whether they were of these people and if so trying to
prune out the changes made by centuries of conquest. This is an
ongoing project, and the belief structure will be added to as new
material is encountered and adapted, but the basic structure
outlined in the pages of work already completed will for the most
part remain stable, with each person who takes up the system adding
their own touch to the system.
Thus, if you choose this path, you will be forming and helping
to form the belief system for yourself and for others, making
your actions and writingsjust as important as thosethat have
now been finished. Few religions or belief paths truly allow the many
members within it to shape the system to their own needs and t o
bring about change. Myceneaen Mysteries does.
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If you are reading this file online a BBS or from a printout of
such,or on a distributed disk, there should be several other
text files here for you to read over, so please do so and feel free
to distribute it at will among your fellow Neo-Pagans and all open
minded non-pagan friends. Only through the greatest number of
people getting involved can we do the greatest amount of improvement
and gain personal enlightenment on this path.
* Love, Trust & Community : The key of Myceneae *
MYCENEAEN MYSTERIES : THEOLOGICAL ANSWERS
The purpose of this document is to explain some of the positions
of The Myceneaen Belief system that are considered important and
controversial to other Religious groups, many times to the point
where they will place their views not only in public view but to
enforce them upon others not of their beliefs 'for their own
good'. These positions are important, as they help show where we
stand and also explain a bit more of what we are really about. These
views are not forced on the membership of the Laos, but are t h e
official accepted policies, beliefs and viewpoints of the
organization in today's world - based on the overall religion.
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1. Contraceptive Devices.
We realize the importance of life, as most nature-oriented
religions do, and have a high respect for it and for the right
of all to live. On the other hand we strongly believe in the
right to choose one's path and actions in life. Thus, because
of these factors, and in consideration of the high risk of
disease in today's social circles, we support the use of all
non-destructive Contraceptive means to prevent the spread of
disease and the possibility of unwanted children being
conceived Wedo notsupport, on theother hand, operative
contraceptionthrough vasectomyor sterilization- sincethese
cause an actual mutilationof the bodyand because theyare
both questionablein recent studies ascauses of increased
cancerrates. We have astrong belief in taking responsibility
forour actions, and to utilize contraceptivedevices is to
take responsibility in ones sexual activities.
2. Homosexuality/Bi-Sexuality.
These concepts in Sexuality are not nor ever have been in
our beliefs or those of the original Myceneaens anything but
Natural. To call such actions and feelings perverse, or worse,
is to deny the realities of nature and of the human condition.
We areborn bi-sexual and makeour choices based on
environmental enforcement. We accept Homosexuality and
Bi-sexuality as true parts of life, not something to be
encouraged nor discouraged, but accepted as normal.
3. Public Nudity.
This one is obvious and simple, throughout most of the
Neo-Pagan community it hasalways been :if you feel
comfortable and won't be making too many others uncomfortable
then feel welcome to any level of dress or undress that suits
you. It is suggested that among a Damos that a full level of
acceptance and knowing each others bodies, at least by sight,
be eventually accomplished to improve the ability of the Damos
to work as a true group bound in the love and trust they have
declared (if you can't trust to be nude in someone's presence
you probably can't trust them entirely). This will be
difficult for some, it is suggested that if a member seems
uncomfortable with this that they be introduced to it slowly
by the rest of the group so they become more comfortable. Not
only does this build trust, but it can also help in keeping
tension levels down and to improve health of the group overall
in some ways.
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4. Smoking.
The smoking of tobacco in today's society is deeply enmeshed,
but slowly people are bring the realization of the damage of
utilizing this herb as an addictive substance regularly. We
also understand the difficulties of eliminating the effects
of it upon the body in withdrawal. Considering all this, there
shall be no usage of such materials within ritual or within
a celebration's public confines (the exception is the use of
pure, natural, un-chemically treated indian tobacco for use in
American Indian smoking rituals - which are rare and very
limited in scope or exposure). If a smoker chooses to do so at
a celebration they must go off away from the Damos and Guests
to a secluded area where their second-hand smoke cannot affect
anyone else in the group. The Damos should join in on trying
to help the smoker get past the addiction and back to a sense
of personal worth where such is unneeded (all addiction is
caused by a sense of personal inferiority and incompleteness).
5. Ritual Drugs.
The use of these substances should only be within certain very
controlled circumstances, under extreme supervision by people
who are experienced and obviously personally balanced in the
matter. The use of illegal or highly controlled drugs is not
encouraged and anyone choosing to do so are doing so as an
individual, not as a representative of the Laos. Again, the
mainword iscaution withalldrugs ifyoudon't understand
all the risks then don't use the substance.
6. Alcohol.
The Myceneaens were the inventors of Beer and several other
naturally fermented acholic drinks, and so we cannot
deny this part of the past nor the religious aspects of it.
Any naturally fermented alcohol is acceptable for libation in
Ritualand incelebration, butthe takingof distilled
alcoholsshall not bewithin Ritual (itsalright for
celebration though). Unless a ritual is specifically to
Dionysus, the taking of enough alcohol to be considered
'Drunk' in circle is to be frowned upon and felt offensive.
Becoming drunk in a celebration if so wished is acceptable, so
long as one maintains the rules of hospitality and does not
attempt to do such morally wrong things as driving intoxicated
(Hosts be warned that if a guest is so intoxicated you are
under obligation to make sure they either have a ride home
with a non-intoxicated person or that sleeping space, at least
upon your floor, is made available to them). Alcohol in small
amounts acts as a natural remover of the mental shields that
can block ones ability to perceive the powers of nature and
oneself, thus being useful in this way.
7. Abortion.
This is for many groups one of the most discussed area of
personal choice. In Myceneae belief, ones spirit is not found
within an embryo until the finish of the third month, and so
we support the right of a woman to choose whether or not to
take such an action, but do want her to consider all of the
available options before doing such. Life is precious, both
thatof amother andthat ofa child,but anexisting life
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will hold priority overa yet-to-be born, since ifan abortion
doesoccur the spirit of the child will find another bodyto
gain re-entranceinto the life-cycle. We do support the use of
all natural abortifacient herbs and drugs over physical
operations, but again this is the choice of the mother and not
for the religion to enforce.
8. Pornography.
We believe that the true pornography in the world is depictions
of humanities cruelties unto itself for the purpose to glorify
it and encourage it. This means we label books and movies of
a purely violent nature to be Pornographic (Examples of such
are 'Faces of Death', 'The Green Berets' or any of the numerous
'slasher' films). Additionally we feel that films of a sexual
nature that show women as inferior, mere sex objects or actually
depict violent rape as something its not to be pornographic
(ex: The Story of O). We have no objections to sexuality in
books in films, displays of nudity or love within such. We
also oppose Child-pornography, bestiality and slavery of any
kind.
9. Sexual Responsibility.
Myceneaen beliefs have nothing in opposition to group sex or
group marriages, from Menage-a-trois to full multi-faceted
tribal families. We do have a strong ruling of community to
regulate ourselves, and to reduce the risks of disease and other
related problems. Any member of a Damos who has a sexually
transmutable disease should warn all other members of the Damos.
When a person enters into a Damos they must expose such info
to the members, to protect all. If a member of a Damos is in
a relationship withsomeone outside theDamos they should
refrain from sexual contact with members inside the Damos,
unless sure that they are clear of such afflictions.
Relationships within the Damos should be encouraged, as this
will prevent an influx of diseases from outside unknown sources.
Members of a Damos who are sexually active in any way should
seek out a medical check for such problems routinely and should
share the results with the members. Keeping everyone within the
Damos healthy is of import to all members of the Damos. Remember
a Damos is more than just a group of friends and acquaintances
as is common in most Neo-Pagan groups, it is an extended family
and community.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
-----------------
The Mycenaean Era is not the Greece of Homer, and has many of
its own unique differences that set it off from that Era. It is
sometimes known as the Golden Age or Heroic Age of the ancient
land we call Greece. Fledgling borne from migrants coming into
the area from Syria and Persia during the Empire of Crete, the
Mycenaeans were a willful folk, who accepted the rule of Crete
until the Minoans fell from power by a complex series of events
that caused them to abandon the Mainland and Isles of Greece
and vanish back into the mists of History. Neither The Minoans
nor the Mycenaeans were remembered, until our own 1840's (AD)
when the ruins were discovered and slowly excavated (a process
still uncompleted to this day).
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Egypt, it has been said, introduced government to the world
(and Bureaucracy and all that goes with it). Minos introduced the
concept of Laws governing all equally (which Homer's Greece would
rediscover in its own era) and the value of colonization & trade.
Each had its religions and cults, but it was in Mycenaean that did
rise truly human gods and goddesses - those who could weep or
laugh, who did not simply hold themselves aloof from the majority
of the population but who were close and intricately associated
with their people.
In concept, and in Mycenaean Myth, we are all descended from
the gods. We are all their children, and we are all working
towards learning what we must to take our proper places beside
them one day in a future existence. We all have within us the
ability to perform feats of wonder, magic as we call it, through our
own ability of will and perception.
As children of the gods and goddesses, we are imperfect only
in that we have not yet learned the ways to best utilize our own
abilities and to work with nature thoroughly - as Neo-Pagans we
can work towards this goal, unlike those who refuse to open their
eyes to their own ability and instead falsely believe that nature
is a force to be battled and conquered instead of one that we are
part of and must work with in order to survive. We are not in
any way perfect, we do not have 'the one true path' or the 'one
way to enlightenment', we have simply chosen a path in this belief
system and religion that serves our personal growth (some may even
walk this path and then later chose another closer to their own
hearts in some way). We ask that others accept the fact that we
have chosen this path of our own free will, if they ask for any
information we shall give it freely, and that we ask that they be
tolerant of us in our every day lives and not show bigotry against
us for our belief path.
The Mycenaean Era, historically lasted from approx. 1700 BC, as
the Minoan Empire collapsed inward, and prospered through till 1120
BC when the last shreds of it fell beneath the onslaught of the
invading Dorians, who were the ancestors of Homer's Greece. The
fall of Mycenaea brought with it a terrible 400 years of what has
been called the 'Greek Dark Age' for the invaders destroyed all
the knowledge of writing, and much of the culture and technology
of the people of the land that was then Greece. They had come down
out of the Northern parts of Central Europe, outnumbering the
Mycenaeans and being experts at large scale war, still it took
them from 1190 BCE to 1120 BCE to fully conquer the Mycenaeans.
When the Dorians invaded and conquered the people, they
destroyed what was then the most advanced civilized people in
Europe. Mycenae had the benefits of the technology of the Minoans
and the advantages of a widespread sea-trade with Syria, Italy,
Sicily, Spain, Egypt, Rhodes, Persia and even possibly the Isles
of Britain. This widespread trade made them one of the richest
people, and their willingness to exchange knowledge and goods
made them welcome in many ports. Mycenae had colonized villages
in many lands, to serve as trading posts with native peoples.
Their only major war was, that which we know now as the Trojan
War, in 1200 BC (approx), was a successful enterprise supposedly
based on principle instead of greed.
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Mycenae, like the native peoples of the Americas, were slowly
worn down and defeated by an enemy they had sought to not war
with but to trade with. The Dorians came first as raiders, then
in larger numbers as they fled south from either hostile weather
conditions or an unknown northern invader, and were not to be
appeased with simply the lands of the neighbors of the Mycenaeans,
such as the Hittites, but wanted the rich trade of the Black and
Mediterranean Seas. They did not have a written language, but
were evidently of similar stock of that which the Mycenaeans had
once come from centuries before and spoke a similar tongue. They
destroyed the citadels, palaces and shrines, burning many to the
ground in their fury. They slew the learned and enslaved the
poor and agricultural people to serve their own economy - they were
not the peaceful folk that Homer first tries to show them to
be, in Homer's day, after the ages, Mycenae was forgotten and
Minoan Empire a wispy memory of long ago.
Parts of the culture and its gods and goddesses were still so
strongly enmeshed in the people that remained that the Dorians
adapted it into their own rather than try to fight its existence,
changing it to fit their own values and warlike natures. Thus the
Mycenaean Age faded away in history and memory until the 1840's AD
when the ruins of Mycenae were discovered and the Archaeological
Society of Greece began to recover its forgotten past.
Much of what we have to work with in our beliefs are based on
the records of archaeological findings, the eventual deciphering
of the few tablets and inscriptions in the ancient language of
the people (Many of which were simply old accounting records)
and the myths that have survived even the purging and nature of
the Homeric era. Vocal records always change tales with the
telling, and thus it has been painstakingly difficult to produce
what these pages attempt to do. Much has had to been assumed in
my research as the information is not available, and some has been
modified to suit our modern times and needs. Thus this is not a
recreation,no more than Ar nDracht Fan can claim an absolute
reconstruction of Celtic Druidism, but a new view for the present
and hopefully the future.
Each Wanax is responsible for seeing that their Damos sits
down and somehow develops a name for their Damos, and it is by
this name that they will be known to other Damosi. It is
suggested that Greek names or ones related to the places they
choose to name sacred or to the local Native American Indian names
be used (We, as members of the Myceneaen belief must realize the
rights of the natives of the lands we presently live in and also
respect and honor their gods, goddesses and local nature spirits
and beliefs, for like the original Myceneaens we accept the validity
of local deities as much as our own, some being our own known by
other names and some being local powers like the dozens of river
gods and nature spirits found in ancient Greece). If a name is not
to be in Greek or in line with a Native American group then it
should in some way reflect the nature of the people involved and
their own goals together. Names, preferably, should not be more than
ten words in length and not less than two. At the end of each name
shall be added the word Damos, to identify it as a part of the Laos.
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For the present I have chosen to act as the Basileus of the
'organization', that is I wish to be a personage who will be the
arbitrator (if requested by all sides) in disputes between any
two or more Wanaxi or Damosi dealing with the material in my
structure or in a gathering of Damosi. I will also, for the
moment, hold the position of a communications point between any
of the further spread Damosi. I hold this position only until
we have someone who can serve better for either position and who
is willing to take on the duties - the position holds no true
power over other Wanaxi or the greater Damosi unless they choose
to have me arbitrate. This position I will hold no longer than
ten years, and preferably much less. Once a hundred Wanax are
established they will have the power, by a majority decision,
to decide when to replace the Basileus and with who (the who
must be willing to take the office).
I also ask that all Wanaxi record their record of activities
(which we will call, for lack of better terminology your Damosi's
Book of Records) in photocopy, ASCII text file or to be
Handwritten/typed/carboned and pass this duplicate on to me to
keep and utilize for communicating with all the members of the
Laos (the people, in greek) of the Mycenaea faith, either within
newsletters, computer files or whatever - based on the needs of
each individual of the faith. This is a matter of choice of the
Wanax personally, if they feel they need secrecy for some reason
that is their choice and they may choose not to send such to me.
I am not in a position of power in this path, simply a guide for
part of the way and then it is up to your own selves to decide
where you will go dealing with the path, your Wanax, your damos
and your life-cycles.
Many of the ancient titles and positions within Mycenae are
no longer of great import in today's society, but might one day
become of import. The E-qe-tai (ee-kay-tie) were the liaison
between the temples and the military, I suggest that this be a
position given by each Wanax to a member of their Damos when
they feel the need for someone to act as a Liaison between the
Damos and any other Damos, a messenger of sorts between groups,
and also to serve as such if the group comes into contact with
the press or other public media. This position need not be a
permanent one, and several may be bestowed this title at one
time if more than one series of liaisons are necessary. The
Ko-Re-te (kowe-ray-tay) were military commanders within a Damos,
we have no need of such at present, unless the Wanax of a group
chooses that members of their Damos should learn a martial art
or weapon skill for personal growth - then the Ko-Re-te will be
the title given to a teacher within the group (You should not
expect members of your Damos to be taught in such things by a
person outside the Laos, nor can teaching be forced or required,
only requested or suggested).
The Lawagetas was in ancient times the 'Leader of the Host',
a military leader for a collection of the Laos from more than
one Damos for a particular purpose. Obviously this is not a
needed position within our present structure. The Pa-si-re-u
was the official responsible within a Damos responsible for the
bronze smiths, again a title I cannot see the need to restore
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(If anyone is skilled at this art and wishes to offer it as a
teaching to members of your Damos, then grant them the title).
The klawiphoroi were the key-bearers, always female, of the
temple. Since our temples, shrines, groves and altars will be
most likely within other buildings or outside and there is no
plan to purchase buildings at present for this purpose (for we
are a poor folk) this title will remain among the unused.
Each individual of the Laos, including those not of a Damos,
may consider themselves Mycenaean Priests and Priestesses as long
as they choose to follow this path of Neo-Paganism. There are no
paian (non-clerical followers), though there may be members of
other faiths present at a ritual, celebration or gathering -
so long as they are willing to accept the rules of hospitality.
Due to legalities, children are brought into ritual rarely -
they are not yet on this path and should not be forced upon it
like some religions do. We must not make the mistakes that many
mainstream religions have before. They can be present at an open
celebration, but should not be brought into ritual until they
are old enough to understand the beliefs and concepts, say
not before their 16th birthday (this will be an arbitrary
choice between the Wanax and the parents).
Finances are the choice of the to deal with, and whether they
will handle the finances of the Damos or have a separate person
appointed treasurer or choose to keep no finances for the group
but run the group as a 'donate anything but money' operation. I
would like to hear from the Wanaxi on how they are handling their
finances and the operations herein, especially any who set up
their Damos as a physical communal household or farm site.
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THE LAWS OF HOSPITALITY FOR MYCENEAENS
---------------------------------------
1) A Guest always has the right to leave a Host's home, lands,
celebration or gathering when they wish (this is not possible
always in the middle of a ritual and can only be done when the
officiary of the ritual grants it magically etc), without
harm or threat of harm, with all that they brought with them
into the locale.
2) A Host always has the right to ask a Guest to leave their home,
lands, celebration, gathering or ritual without conflict of
a physical or verbal nature, and to take with them all they
brought with them into the locale.
3) A Host has the right to request an armed guest to peace-bond,
remove from the locale or to take a weapon of any obvious
nature, unless necessary for a ritual taking place, until it
the guest is ready to leave without argument or conflict.
4) A Host has the right to request a guest not utilize or even
bring into their home, lands, celebration, gathering or ritual
any substance or device that may be legally questionable or
outlawed or physically harmful to the Hosts health or that of
other guests or members of the Damos. (this may be anything
from drugs, alcohol, poisons, cigarettes, flamethrowers etc.
all by the Host's discretion).
5) A Host may ask the following of a personal rule of hygiene or
social concept be followed by a guest while within the home,
celebration, ritual, lands etc (EX: the removal of shoes before
entering the house, the washing of hands, maintaining a low
level of noise due to someone else sleeping, sharing in the
breaking of bread, etc by the host's discretion).
6) Both Host and Guest are bound by a rule of trust - none shall
carry out violence of a physical or psychic nature against
those present or they shall be in violation of the rules of
Hospitality and nullify all such rules at that point.
7) Neither Host nor guest shall steal from the other - either
doing such shall be in violation of the rules of Hospitality
and they shall be annulled at that point.
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8) The Host may ask one service of the guest if they are to
share meal, sleep within the hosts area, or in other words
impose on the host in any manner. This service cannot require
the leaving of the hosts area, nor be of an illegal, personally
distasteful or harmful way, but will most probably be of a
simple manner (and not the tasks set out historically in legend)
such as assisting with the setting of the table, chopping of
wood for the fire, etc. This is not mandatory, simply suggested
in conceptual context of the original Mycenaean Society.
9) The Host and guest, if of different religions, will not seek to
force their beliefs upon the other - discussion is allowed, but
not obvious attempts to convert or proselytize.
10) The Host and guest (and members of the Hosts Damos) will not
seek to force their affections on each other sexually - this
does not rule out flirtation, involvement or seduction, but
does rule out harassment, forced sex and rape. If a person
says they are not interested then their word is final and any
further consideration should be personally curbed. Violation of
this rule invalidates the rules of hospitality in the
situation.
11) The Host may request of a Guest reimbursement for any supplies
that have been used in the feeding or entertainment of the guest
that are considered excessive. Additionally a guest is expected
to repay any bills of an excessive nature (such as those of
long distance telephone calls) that they are responsible for.
12) A Guest at Ritual is expected to accept the Authority of the
officiaries within the ritual area as absolute, and shall not
question their authority or actions while within the ritual area.
Nor shall a Guest seek to disrupt a ritual from within or from
outside of it while it is being carried out.
13) A Guest is expected to provide a gift for a host or the hosts
Damos when visiting for ritual (A food dish or libation is the
common practice) or celebration. This is waved if not more than
one days notice has been given or if the Guest claims a truly
impoverish condition in their own life.
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The above may seem simplistic, obvious or unnecessary, but I feel
it is important that we have a set of rules for those who cannot
see the obvious and to protect all involved. Further, I'd like to
request that any member of the Laos who has had the Rules violated
by a Host or Guest (especially those rules dealing with violence,
Forced affection, theft etc) to report them by name to me, anyone
who has been found in such violation with witnesses by members of
any three Damosi will be reported as such and publicized by us
internally to be avoided as Guest or Host (and of course, if a
legal violation occurs any Host is welcome to report them as such
to the authorities).
Remember that a Guest or host cannot be considered held by the
rules of Hospitality if they have not seen them and agreed to them
beforehand. Feel free to suggest that other Neo-pagan groups
accept these rules themselves - this does not have to be just a
Myceneaen only concept.
ETHICS & CONCEPTS OF CONDUCT
----------------------------
You take, by using this work and collection of beliefs and the
title of Myceneaen Priest or Priestess, the responsibility for
your own life and actions in it. Every time you make a decision
in life you are exercising your freedom and are responsible for
your actions. With knowledge and power come great responsibility,
to yourself, your Damos, your Waxan, the Laos, your homeland,
your birth family, the human race and that of the entire planet.
There are no 'evil' forces manipulating you or your actions, no
devils or demons exist save in the minds of others (and if any do
exist in your own mind then you must cast them out). No amount of
alcohol, drugs or influence shall change the fact that you are
still responsible for what you choose to do and not to do.
Yes, we recognize that there are forces beyond our ability to
fully conceive in this reality, that at times the gods and the
goddesses might interfere with our lives, remember that there is
something to be learned from each success and every failure, that
they do not wish you to suffer - they simply wish you to learn
and advance to one day rise above the need for the state of being
what you are at present - bound within a limiting fleshly body
for this cycle and for each you have and will have given to you
until you have learned all this existence can teach and advance
to a level where you may enjoin with the gods and see beyond our
present.
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{file "Open Circle Ethics (Brandy Williams)" "bos096.htm"}
OPEN CIRCLE ETHICS
by Brandy Williams
Event organizers and open-circle coordinators have, I think,
a responsibility to participants to provide a safe and comfor-
table environment. The Pagan community here in the Pacific
Northwest seems to be evolving an ethical standard governing
organizers. Althea Whitebirch calls it choice-centered, and I
offer my perception of it here as a model and a basis for dis-
cussion.
HISTORY: A few years ago, the Seattle/ Vancouver/ Portland
area had no ongoing festivals. As I write, August '86, organi-
zers are planning next year's schedule -- the second annual
Spring Equinox Mysteries festival, the first Summer Solstice
Gathering, the third annual Solitary Convention, the fourth
annual Fall Equinox Festival. Many of the attendees are new --
either to Paganism or to the northwest, and the events draw
people from a wide geographical area, including British Columbia,
Montana, Idaho, Oregon, California, and all of Washington state.
We're growing. We're growing very rapidly, and dealing with
a disproportionate influx of people inexperienced in group
rituals. As a result we're starting from scratch in developing
organizer ground rules, and developing solutions to problems
being discussed in the Pagan net nation-wide.
In the Pacific northwest, the circle of organizers is very
small, almost familial, and we're working from a basis of friend-
ship and trust. We're concerned about each other and pay atten-
tion to caring for one another. I think the combination of a
small group handling a lot of newcomers has allowed us to gene-
rate a uniquely compassionate set of attitudes and guidelines.
This outline is my own. I'm going to phrase this is strong,
definitive terms, with this qualifier: I call it Northwest Ethics
because it has evolved out of discussions with other organizers.
However, it isn't offered as a group consensus and any given or-
ganizer might disagree with some of these points or the language.
This is intended as a starting point for discussion and not a
presentation of a set-in-concrete consensus.
My own experience: I've staffed a number of events in and
out of the community. My most recent experience was heading the
SolCon '86 staff, so I'm using it as my most frequent example.
RITUAL CHOICES: Althea Whitebirch and I facilitated a dis-
cussion at the '85 Fall Equinox Festival that has borne substan-
tial results in the local community. We argued that closed
circles can do what they like, but those of us in charge of open
circles should lay down some ground rules to ensure everyone's
comfort and safety.
Explain The Ritual. I'm personally finding it necessary to
make some very basic announcements, like circle boundaries
shouldn't be indiscriminately crossed, and people should only
walk clockwise within them. Again, we're dealing with a lot of
newcomers.
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No Pressure To Physically Touch. I've never seen anyone ob-
ject to holding hands, but a lot of people have commented that
they cringe at kisses. No kissing spirals in open circles.
Why? Newcomers tend to go along with group activities, even
ones they're uncertain about. Maybe they should be assertive,
but more often they're not, and organizers are their voice.
Choice: every event in this area includes space for people to put
together their own circles, some of which can be more touching-
oriented -- and are identified as such. Or we might experiment
with providing an Intimate Circle, which would include a lot of
hugs and kisses.
The rule is: you don't have to touch anyone you don't want
to, anytime. That should be clear to newcomers.
Choice In Participation. In open circles, if the dancing
gets too rapid or wild, participants can step back. Just bring
your neighbors' hands together and move out of the way. I've
also seen some ritualists allow people to cut themselves out of
the circle -- the procedure was clearly explained in advance.
Effective ritual evokes response. Novices are at different
tolerance and skill levels than experienced ritualists, and some
rituals can be overwhelming. Also, the 'boogie till you puke'
crowd exhausts the older folks and the kids in the group.
Experiment note: I recently separated a circle into two
groups, the 'keep on dancing' people, and the 'sit down and rest'
folks. Some rhythm is traded off for comfort. I've also seen
two rituals staged consecutively, one quiet and one 'dance all
night.' Suggestion: we can try a novice ritual, and a more power-
ful one for skilled people.
Also note: one northwest organizer disagreed with these sug-
gested choices, feeling those who participate in a circle should
be committed for the duration of the experience. It's a point.
In that case, I think a clear understanding of what's to come
would be essential.
STIMULANTS
In PANEGYRIA Vol. 3 No. 4, Althea Whitebirch argued for
informed choice in using stimulants. If alcohol is used in a
communal cup everyone should know, and a fruit juice or other
substitute should also be available.
Drugs: NOT AT EVENTS I COORDINATE! At least, not with my
knowledge or approval. Private drug use hasn't been a problem so
far. My concern is that if anyone is caught, it's not private
any more. I'm the one who gets to deal with the police and the
press, and the whole community's image suffers.
If problems arise in the future, I'd consider banning drugs
altogether. Organizing is tough enough -- I have a right to
limit my risks. Call a closed circle and do it at home.
MINORS: Young children supervised by Pagan parents are a real
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joy. Teenagers with absent, non-Pagan parents or guardians are
becoming a problem, even with signed in advance waivers. Some of
us are leaning toward a 'no minor without attending parent'
policy. How do you keep them away from the wine? Think of the
issues surrounding sexuality with under-age kids. The 'what-ifs'
are frightening to contemplate.
I haven't made a firm decision because I know how important
the contacts and support can be to our younger friends. On the
other hand, they do grow up. In two years, a 16 year old can
sign her own waiver. Maybe we could set up a gentle, first con-
tact network to provide them with 'one on one' support, starting
slowly.
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SOLOMONIC DECISIONS
I was asked to kick out two people who wanted to attend the
last SolCon, and I burned one request for a registration.
I know, I know. The word 'blacklist' leaps immediately to
mind. This is a tough issue. The request I burned was from a
person who was suspected of having responded violently to a cri-
ticism. The other two revolved around sexual ethics: men accused
of coercing women into intimacy.
Help.
The problem, as always, is that none of the cases were clear-
cut. How do I substantiate an accusation? Do I kick someone out
on a suspicion? I don't want violence or sexual coercion at an
event that has my name on it. I also don't want to mediate
personal conflicts; that's not my job.
At the moment, one well-placed person can ruin another's
reputation. I've seen three people kicked from the community on
ONE person's request. I've also seen people with a lot of con-
tacts survive a number of complaints. Neither situation seems
fair.
We have a lot of options. This is an essay question: pick
one and list the pros and cons.
1. Anyone at all can attend any event.
2. Each organizer must individually choose who to deny attendance
to. (In practice, we do pass names to each other.)
3..Any person who has been accused by one person of one of the
following things should get flagged. That is, every event orga-
nizer should be notified:
-Theft or destruction of another's property.
-Violence against people -- assault.
-Sexual coercion or abuse.
This seems to me to be most workable:
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4..In one case I had three complaints a man had made weird sexual
phone calls to women. I called him and offered him probation:
find someone to sponsor you, to be willing to act as liaison be-
tween you and the community. As with minors, the sponsor should
be with you at each event you attend. Then I would put the word
out that you are one probation, and the sponsor should be
contacted if you contact anyone on your own and misbehave. The
probation would last for a year. Any repetition of the unde-
sirable behavior would get you kicked from my events permanently,
and I would notify other organizers. Failure to accept the
probation means getting kicked immediately.
I haven't had a chance to use this procedure because the per-
son decided the effort wasn't worth it (a statement in itself).
I notified other organizers.
I'm aware this issue is extremely hot. Personally, I'm in-
troducing a lot of people to the community, AND vice-versa.
There are a lot of weirdos out there. I don't want to let a mass
murderer loose among us (as it were). I also don't want to
blacklist someone because of a personality conflict.
Bottom line: some novice assertiveness training seems to be
in order.
CARETAKING
Some of us have had good experience with 'greeters' or
ombudsmen. (Ombudspeople?) It's a staff position, the sole re-
sponsibility of which is to be available for participants'
support, to solve problems, hold hands, and be a liaison with
staff.
I didn't have greeters at SolCon '86 and regretted it. Even
with 30 people, the event coordinator (me) didn't have time to
personally check in with everyone.
I like very much that northwest events coordinators show
visible concern and caring for everyone. A friend of mine said,
"I love these events because I always feel so cherished." I'd
like to see that become a community standard.
ORGANIZER'S MAGIC
SolCon '86 has a staff conceptualizer who renamed the
position. An organizer is the focus, he said, of the energies
coming into, and generated by the event.
A festival isn't just about magic. It IS magic, and the
focus has the pleasure of shepherding what another friend of mine
calls the magical child through its inception, and allowing par-
ticipants to share in its direction. (Rearing?)
This outline is a suggestion, a template, for focusing event
magic. These are the major focus points:
-Conception. When the event is scheduled/sited. I saw a staff
group hold a circle at the actual site several months before the
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event, asking for: safety, to have enough registrants, what the
event was designed to accomplish for the attendees, the staff,
and the community.
-Presentation. I don't know about anyone else, but for me, put-
ting a flyer together is casting a spell.
-Orientation. Somewhere in the first few hours of the event, ask
the participants to help focus on the event's parameters --
safety, joy, solvency ...
-Major or parting ritual. Of necessity the ritual coordinators
will set the structure, and almost always the nature of the
working as well, but eve here the attendees can have some space
to give feedback.
-Post-event focus: a thank-you circle.
FEEDBACK
It might be suggested that an organizer has a right to do
whatever works, and event participants must fend for themselves.
I argue that event sponsors represent the community -- create the
experience of the Pagan community for many who have no other con-
tacts, and as such, they are accountable to their participants
and to other event organizers and community elders.
Aside from the issues already discussed, there are financial
ones. This year I distributed a financial accounting to SolCon
'86 attendees. That was scary -- laying out the bottom line of
the decisions and mistakes I made! The thing is, a lot of people
asked for that kind of accounting, and I've wondered myself when
I attended events.
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The other issue is proceeds or profits. SolCon '86 didn't
make any. I had, however, planned to pay my staff some salary,
thinking we should be compensated for our work. Some people dis-
agreed, feeling event funds should be channelled into projects
the community benefits from. Since teeny SolCon is becoming a
formal organization (for legal purposes) and I'm putting myself
on the Board, I won't personally be in a position to take any
money out. However, I'd still like to pay the staff -- even a
small amount -- because they sacrifice some of their own fun and
do a lot of work to make the thing possible.
Finally: organizing is a pretty heavy responsibility and a
lot of work. I think we have a right to ask for hugs.
I hope to see lots of discussion on these issues. Because
our value is maximum tolerance for diversity, doesn't have to
mean that anything goes. I think it's possible for us to reach
consensus about some ground rules, to safeguard our community and
everyone in it. We ask for perfect love and perfect trust. I
think we need to provide a safety net to ensure it.
As always, I welcome feedback.
Brandy Williams
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{file "Shamanic Lifeways Fellowship (Michelle Haas)" "bos097.htm"}
STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS--LIFEWAY SHAMANIC FELLOWSHIP
By Usen's grace, Ho-dah....
1.) PURPOSES:
Thisis aneraofdecision.Dowe allowourselvestocutthe
throatoftheMotherWhohasnourishedus asaspeciessince
we "came down from the trees"? Or do we work to walk in
Beauty and Harmony with Her, and cherish Her, and work to
see Her healed? The resurgence of Shamanism, the primal
Earth Religion of practically all of the Earth's
pre-Agrarian cultures, is an important thing, foretold by
the Paiute prophet Wovoka and in the Hopi Prophecies. It
was said that both the Red Man would return to the Ways of
the Old Ones and that the non-Native would also embrace the
Lifeway.
Therearenon-Nativeswho
respectfullyhavechosen
these Ways, and are carrying them on in a reverent way. If
the Lifeway was only given for the Native peoples, it would
die out within our lifetime. There are simply not enough
traditional Elders left.
Ithasbeenshown tosomeofus thatOurMotherThe Earthis
not willing to die quietly. She has demonstrated this by
the increase in natural disasters of the past decade, which
continue day by day. The Hopi prophecies state that, when
the "bowl full of ashes" (most interpret this as the
Thermonuclear Bomb) is overturned, that Our Mother shall
rise up in Her righteous anger and destroy humanity. This
prophecy is coming true, although it may yet be reversible.
Perhaps it is we who reverence the Ways and walk in harmony
with Our Mother that may stay Her hand.
The Lifeway Fellowship is here for those who wish to honor
Our Mother and Our Father, Earth and Sky, and to honor The
Giver Of Life, from whence all things flow in the Universe.
Our world-view is primarily allied with that of the
Navajo/Dineh, Apache/Teneh, and Hopi peoples. However we do
not represent ourselves as the keepers of those ways. The
secrets of those Nations are for them alone, unless Usen'
wishes to reveal them to us. Our mission is to help heal
OurMother,TheEarth,andtohelpeachotherwalk incloser
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harmony with Her. We also exist to provide a way for urban
andsub-urbanpeopletolearnandpractice
therootShamanic
techniques that aid us in finding our True Vision and True
Way of Power, and following that Vision and that Way.
We identify ourselves as Pagan (Webster's New World
Dictionary"1.b)...apersonwhoisnota
Christian,Moslem,
orJew (byfaith);heathen.Paganspecificallyreferstoone
of the ancient polytheistic (or pantheistic) peoples.") and
as unashamed Pantheists and Polytheists. The Lifeway
is trulyareligious commitment. No-onecan makea
commitmenttothe Lifewayandtothe worshipofLifeGiver,
TheEarth Motherand TheSky Father andremain aworshiper
of other Paradigms of the Deity,much as one cannot be a
Christian and worship the Greco-Roman pantheon. However
this does not imply the condemnation of other Paradigms, nor
impel a duty to "convert" others.
WestandbyotherPaganswhodonotshareour paradigms,IE.
Wiccans,Asatruans, Hellenists,and otherShamanic
traditions, (African and neo-African(Santeria & Voudoun),
Australian, Siberian, Traditional Native American, and
Polynesian, to name a few) and even though we may disagree
with some or all of their practices and beliefs, they are
Brothers, Sisters and Cousins, and in times of persecution
as well as times of goodwill we must defend them. We may
even share in their open rituals and allow them to share in
our open ceremonials. But that which is ours must remain
ours, just as that which is theirs must remain theirs.
2.) THE(A)OLOGY:
AsourFellowshipisinherentlyreligious,
wemustdeclarea
The(a)ology. (The strange spelling refers to the fact that
we acknowledge a Goddess as well as a God)
This is summed up very easily. There are three main powers
we worship, Usen' the Life Giver, The Earth Mother, and The
Sky Father. The latter Two are emanations of the First, as
all, including the God and the Goddess, are emanations from
Usen', which is the primeval First Cause.
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Usen':OnecannotlookuponTheLifeGiveras eitherMaleor
Female, for The Life Giver is beyond those distinctions.
Usen', and The Life Giver, are names for this First Cause,
this Force that pervades all and caused all to come into
being. From Usen', the God, Sky Father, and the Goddess,
Earth Mother, emanate, as the lesser Deities emanate from
Them.
The Earth Mother: We live and walk and are sustained from
The Earth Mother, which is our Earth. She is alive, and we
all exist within Her as part of Her structure. Science,
through the Gala Hypothesis, has finally acknowledged Her
existence, and some even have learnt the lesson that our
duty in this life is to care for and honor Her. This is a
lesson that all must learn, for as long as we despoil Her,
we risk Her wrath. She is expressed through the faces of
White Painted Woman, Who is The Woman Warrior, through Corn
Mother, Who is The Nourishing Mother, and through Spider
Woman,WhoisTheWiseWoman,TheAncientOne,TheCustodian
of Wisdom. Women are acknowledged as being human represent-
atives of The Earth Mother.
The Sky Father: Just as among we Humans, there is both Man
and Woman, so there is no Earth Mother without Sky Father.
Sky Father is the air we breathe, the flame that gives us
warmth and cooks our food, and brings forth the rain that
fertilizes Our Mother and allows Her to provide us with
the crops and animals that sustain us. Sky Father is also
expressed as The Hunter, The Warrior, and First Shaman, and
is also expressed in Killer Of Enemies and The Child Of
Water. He is also present and acknowledged as being present
in every Man.
There are other spirits that exist in the Universe, some
beneficent, some maleficent. But most important is Usen',
EarthMother,andSkyFather.Bywalkinginharmonywiththe
God(esse)s, one can tell the Good from the Evil, welcoming
in Good, and protecting each other from Evil.
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3.)ETHICS:
We have our code of Ethics. It is neither lengthy nor
overly restrictive. We do not include ancient taboos in
this list, such as Mother-In-Law avoidance or the taboo
against Fish, because they may not apply nowadays. If you
wish to not eat fish or to avoid your Mother-In-Law for
religious reasons, it is your prerogative. But it is not a
requirement.
1.) If the action does not harm yourself, other people or
intelligentbeings,orOurMotherTheEarth,youarefreeto
do as you wish.
2.)Tochargeforhealings,sweatsorceremonials
istotally
wrong and extremely offensive. Also, to charge excessively
for teaching is equally offensive, but a modest fee
over expenses is allowable. Your conscience is the best
guide, that and the Will of the Deities.
3.) Magick should be limited only to protection of Self and
Loved Ones, and to healing and helping those in need,
provided that permission is given by the patient and that
help other than healing does not interfere with the Will of
others. Magick that is used in a coercive (IE. Love spells)
or destructive (harming or killing magick) way is patently
wrong and is considered Black Magick.
4.) Contact of spirits by any means other than Shamanic
journeyingor
theVisionQuestisveryrisky,andPossession
is a real possibility. The practice of mediumship, or
"channeling" has no place in the Lifeway, and exposes not
only Self but others to danger.
5.)Permissionmustalwaysbeaskedofthespiritsofplants
and/or animals before taking them for either sustenance or
for medicine.
6.) One's visions and one's personal ceremonies are one's
own. Personal visions should not be spoken of, but shared
visions are for all of the group.
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7.) It is wrong to criticize another within the group or
outside the group. Racism, sexism, xenophobia or general
disrespect of others has no place in the Fellowship.
Individual decisions about lifestyle and other ethical
issues not covered here are an individual's own affair.
4.):GROUP STRUCTURE AND INITIATION PRACTICES
There is only one Initiation, which is the Initiation that
makes one Kin within the group and in the sight of The
Deities.Itisgivenafterone hastakentheirfirstVision
Quest, has found their Power Animal(s) and has met the
Shaman Within. It can only be denied to those who have met
theserequirements,isyoungerthanthe
legalAgeOfConsent
(in most places, 18 years) is not of sound mind, and/or is
under suspicion of being a Law Enforcement Officer or other
person antipathetic to Pagan and/or Shamanic belief
who requests initiation for fraudulent purposes (usually to
infiltrate to either sabotage or publicly discredit the
Fellowship) Initiation must not be denied on account of
physical disabilities, blindness, deafness, or sterility,
nor on account of sex, race, nationality, political belief,
or sexual preference.
There are no set offices within the Fellowship. Ideally,
leadership should be by consensus, with true leaders being
temporaryandpurpose-oriented.
Facilitation
ofrituals
may
be done by any Initiate of the Fellowship. ANYONE WHO
REPRESENTS THEMSELVES AS A HIGH PRIEST/ESS OF THE LIFEWAY
SHAMANIC FELLOWSHIP IS A FRAUD, AND IS DOING SO CONTRARY TO
THIS STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS.
Support of the Fellowship is done on a purely voluntary and
mutual basis. No tithe or dues should be assessed unless
they have been agreed upon by all members, initiates and
non-initiates alike.
Membership is extended to all. But initiation is reserved
for those who meet the criteria mentioned above.
Non-initiates can participate in open ceremonials and in
basic workshops, but may be denied participation in certain
ceremonials and advanced workshops.
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5.) THE QUESTION OF RECOGNIZING SHAMANS
In traditional societies, the title Shaman was not just an
honorific, or recognition of talents. Nor was it the
highest initiatory level in a Shamanic society. The Shaman
was,inmostcases,abovetheChiefin
decision-makingpower
and was judge, doctor, father-confessor, and intercessor
withtheDeitiesforthetribe.SomeShamanicsocietiesare
now providing their membership with "Shaman training
seminars" and "Shaman apprenticeships" that can be had for
an exorbitant price. This implies that the cost of being a
Shaman can be paid in money and in a set amount of time.
This is not the case. Many tribes believe that the office
of Shaman is not one that is earned, but one that one is
borninto.Certainly,theskillsareneversomethingoneis
born with, and this is not merely hereditary. Rather, when
achildisborn,thecurrentShamanwouldrecognizethatthe
child had the POTENTIAL of being the next one, and the
child'straining
wouldbeginwhenthey
wereconsideredready
by theShaman.At adulthood,theywould betested. Ifthey
passedthetest, theywould becomethenext Shaman.If they
failed, usuallythe testwas suchthatthey wouldeither die
outright, or they would go insane. Many "heroic quest"
tales,andmostnotablytheArthurianlegendshave
echoesof
this practice within the ancient Shamanic traditions of
Europe.
But the point that is being made here is that we should not
goback tothatsortofwayof doingthings,becauseinthis
society it is nigh on impossible. The stand I am offering
here is that recognition as a Shaman can be conferred only
through shared vision, and signs from the Deities. It is
not my place to say what the signs are...it will be obvious
to the Fellowship. I am not Shaman myself, and will not
brook anyone calling me that. This is something I place in
the lap of the Deities to decide. I cannot do anything
more. It is a mockery of those people that can truly be
called Shamans, who are respected, powerful people of
traditional tribes, to do anything less. In any event, to
claim such a title is definitely not enough, and is
punishableby
withdrawingFellowshipfromthe
onewhoclaims
to be Shaman falsely.
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389
6.) FESTIVALS AND WORSHIP DAYS
The festivals are reckoned as they have been for centuries
by most Southwestern tribes, by both the Sun and the Moon.
Theseasonsbeginonthefirst fullmoonafteraSolsticeor
an Equinox. The Solstices and Equinoxes themselves are
times
ofcelebrationaswell,andperhapstheperiodbetween
the two (which usually works out to be no more than a week
or so) could be considered a time of Holiday. Lesser
ceremonialsareheldonNewMoonsandFullMoonsbetweenthe
first Full Moons of the seasons. Optionally certain Pagan
festivals could be celebrated in conjunction with other
groups, but they are not to be adopted as official Lifeway
Fellowship ceremonial days.
There
areotherceremonialsthatarepersonalinnature,and
can be held at any time, although synchronizing them with
the Festivals and the New and Full Moons is advisable. They
are Naming, where a newborn child is named in the presence
of the group and their Life-beads given; Coming Of Age,
where the child's physical maturity is acknowledged, and
where, for a short time, they become Child of the Water (if
aboy)orWhitePaintedWoman(ifagirl);Initiation,where
a person becomes a full-fledged member of the group, given
after a person becomes a legal adult; Joining, where a man
and a woman consent to be married; Unjoining, where a man
and woman who are married consent to have the bond
dissolved, which is to be done only after four reconcili-
ation attempts fail or after evidence of marital infidelity
or abuse is given before the group; the Moonlodge, which is
a special sweat for women in their Moon-time; and Release,
whereaceremonyforadead memberoftheFellowshipisdone
to guide their soul Back Home. Other ceremonials that are
dreamed or envisioned by a person or group are also
encouraged.
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390
7.) SUMMING UP
A few quick ones: One can be either clothed or unclothed at
ceremonies, but it should be known that none of the
Southwestern tribes did ceremonies in the nude. However,
one should disrobe for the sweat lodge, as clothes are not
only uncomfortable within the sweat lodge, but interfere
with the cleansing process of the lodge.
This Statement can be accepted or rejected by individual
groupsthat
federatethemselves
withLifeway
Fellowship.But
federation can be denied to those groups who stray too far
fromsomeofthebasicguidelines,ordoanythingthatwould
sully the reputation of the Fellowship in general.
Hi-dicho...this is finished.
May these proceeds please Life Giver Usen', and the Mother
and the Father.
ENJU!
Chihacou White-Puma, 1988.
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{file "Pantacle, The (Gary Dumbauld)" "bos098.htm"}
The Pantacle - a teaching story
(c) Gary Dumbauld, 1988
Michael came, walking slowly, purposefully, to the stone
circle deep in the woods. Stripped of clothes he came, naked to
the wind the moon and the stars, a cord of red twice his height
tied round his waist, a black-hilted knife at his left hip. He
tried to still his mind, remember his lessons, push his thoughts
to the back of his mind, and just feel; the feel of the Earth on
which he trod, the feel of the wind on his body, the feather-
weight touch of the moonlight on his skin. He tried to put
himself in harmony with the grand design of the Universe, the
purpose of the evening, he willed himself sternly to master his
emotions, listen and look with sacred intent.
He came, bearing the pantacle before him, balanced firmly on
his hands. Silver, it was, silver like the moon, carved and
etched, polished, burnished and blackened with signs and symbols.
How he had sweated over it, this past year, with hammer and
chisel, graver and burin, acids and wax, the tools of the
silversmith. A year and a day it had been, since he was judged
worthy to become a Priest, and given this task. His to carry,
this silver shield, but not his to own, till the rite was over
and he, like his father and mother before him, his aunts and
uncles and grandparents for generations, inherited by solemn and
sacred ceremony the High Priesthood of the Wise.
The High Priestess' athame pressed to his chest, her low,
clear voice as she asked him the ritual questions, roused him as
from a dream, of forest dark, and woods enchanted. He answered
her with a voice not quite fearful, but not as steady as he would
have wished.
"I come to this Circle seeking knowledge. I am Michael; my
face you well know; I have been sworn and initiated into the
Third Degree, but I would now seek the Priesthood of the Wise. I
come, bringing as my key this sacred Pantacle, over which I have
labored for a year and a day; I wish to be instructed in it's
true meaning; to this end I present my self, the work of my
hands, and two passwords: Perfect Love and Perfect Trust."
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"All who bring such words are doubly welcome" the High
Priestess replied, "and I give to you a third password, a kiss",
And so saying, kissed him on the lips and whirled him sunwise
into the sacred space. He gazed about himself, his eyes sliding
easily over the usual implements on the altar, the candles and
wands, censer, bowls of incense and salt; he looked at the High
Priestess expectantly.
The High Priestess spoke again, her voice reverberating
through the circle, echoing back from the sacred boundary stones;
"A seeker comes; this his purpose. The purpose of the Wise--to
teach! As it has ever been, let it now so be done! Who shall
begin?"
The Priest in the North stood forward. "I shall begin. Young
High Priest to be, step to the North."
Michael walked to the North, handed the Priest his Pantacle, and
stood silently while the Priest examined it, hoping that his work
would be judged as correct, hoping he had made an accurate
rendering of all the signs and symbols that he had been shown, a
year and a day previous.
The Priest carefully examined the pantacle, turning it about to
catch the light of the central fire, then handed it back to the
boy.
"It is well done, all is correct. Look upon the symbol at
the top of the pantacle--the upright triangle. This sign is the
symbol of fire, the flame straining upwards, and stands for the
three-fold salute, by which I now salute you, recognizing the
fire within you, the fire of will, the will to accomplish, the
will to dare. A year ago you knew nothing of the craft of the
silversmith, and yet you have taught yourself to make this pan-
tacle. I say again, well done!", and so saying, the Priest
touched Michael with his athame on the right shoulder, the top of
his head, the left shoulder, and again on the right shoulder.
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Putting his arm around Michael's shoulder, the Priest brought
Michael around sunwards a few steps, then faced him again.
"The next symbol on the pantacle is a pentagram. This
pentagram stands for the five-fold salute. In the form of a
pentagram with one point up, the five-fold salute symbolizes that
which is the best man has to offer, ascending to the Gods, being
enriched, expanded and augmented, and returning to enrich the
life of mankind. Thus, the five fold salute symbolizes the
microcosm of man containing the macrocosm of the Universe." So
saying, the Priest touched Michael with the wand, on the right
hip, head, left hip, right breast, left breast, and right hip.
A priestess stepped forward, saying, "Now, with your
permission, I will carry on this candidate's instruction." The
Priest bowed to her, and returned to his place in the North. The
Priestess took Michael by the hand and walked with him farther
around the circle, still moving sunwards. She stopped, released
his hand, and faced him, taking up a bowl of blue paint.
Stepping closer, she reached out her blue-daubed hand, and made
the sign of the labrys on his chest.
"The next symbol on the pantacle is that of the Goddess in
her aspect as the two moons, monthly waxing and waning. The
waxing moon symbolizes that which is outgoing and constructive in
mankind, the waning moon that which is hidden and withdrawn. The
waning moon also reminds us that for every accomplishment there
will be failures, that for every gain in our lives there will be
setbacks; we are not to weep and wail against the Gods, or fate,
or karma, but we should accept that there is a balance, and the
balance will be maintained, whether we will it or not.
Constructive and destructive, life and death--this is the way the
world is made; that which dies paves the way for the next round
of life."
The Priestess linked arms with him then, and they moved farther
sunwards about the circle. She turned to him, and kissed him
firmly on the mouth, saying "The next symbol on the pantacle is
the kiss. I kiss you, Michael, because we are human; the Gods
have created us male and female. I also kiss you in token of the
perfect love and perfect trust I have for you, and for the
perfect love and perfect trust you declared for us when you
entered this holy space. That is why you were greeted by the
High Priestess with a kiss."
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Michael stood, blushing. He could still taste the sweetness of
her mouth, and his body wanted to respond to her as man to
woman--it was well he was carrying the pantacle in front of him;
then he got himself under control, realizing the importance of
this lesson; the ritual kiss would always be more than a
handshake between equals, but never quite a sexual overture; an
acknowledgement, not a demand. He sighed, composed himself, and
looked at the next sign on the pantacle.
A stern-looking Priest came towards Michael, his face set in grim
lines, carrying something Michael could not quite make out. The
man faced Michael, then walked behind him, carrying what could
now be clearly seen as a cat o'nine tails. Michael flinched in
anticipation of being struck; surely the Priest was not going to
whip him? Ouch! Yes he was!
"Michael," the Priest said, between strokes, "the next sign
on the pantacle is the scourge. The scourge of memory. Stand
tall, now, and be still, it will hurt worse if you try to avoid
it."
Now he had stopped striking Michael with the scourge. The welts
on his back stung and burned, but Michael tried to ignore the
pain and concentrate on the Priest's voice as he continued.
"Michael, you told us at your First Degree initiation that
you were willing to suffer to learn. This scourge will not be
applied to your back again in a physical sense, but I want you to
learn to look back upon your life; and take power from the
foolish stupid things you have done. The mistakes, the petty
jealousies, the little hurts you've inflicted on your friends,
your parents, the people around you. Remember, Michael, and as
you remember, allow yourself to feel sad, to feel the pain and
embarrassment you've caused. Feel it, take the power from it,
then let it go! Go onward, take strength from your past, don't
dwell on it, but don't pretend the past never happened."
The Priest again stepped behind Michael, this time carrying a pot
of something in his hand. Michael flinched again as something
touched his back, but this was cool and soothing, drawing out the
pain. The Priest waited a few moments, till he saw that the
cooling balm had done its work, then took Michael gently by the
hand and drew him along, ever sunwards, to explain the next
symbol.
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"The next symbol on the pantacle is the sign of the God, the
horned circle. The horned circle represents, among other things,
the Cretan bull, annually sacrificed by our ancestors. The bull
symbolizes the wild magic of the God, the intuitional magic, the
magic that springs from the instinct. The Cretan priests
sacrificed the bull, thus indicating the triumph of reason and
intellect over instinct and intuition. We, however are not
Cretans, and we do not immolate the bull of intuition on the
altar of reason. Logic and reason are fine in their place, but
never neglect the way you feel; never forget that the universe is
a mixture, a combination, a melding of the tangible and the
unreal, instinct and logic. Now I must retire, your instruction
will be completed by the High Priestess."
The High priestess approached Michael, walking slowly,
deliberately, each foot placed with purpose, her upright carriage
reminding him of her status, first among equals, High Priestess
of the Coven, the Circle of the Wise.
She stepped closer. "Michael," she said, "the last symbol on the
rim of the pantacle is the inverted triangle, the alchemical
symbol of water; representing the number three, the number of
life. It is a gate, a gateway of life, a gateway of time, for
time is past, present, and future; life is body, mind, spirit. I
am about to bestow upon you, the three-fold kiss, to bring your
body, your past, your mind, the present, your spirit, and the
future to bear on this moment."
So saying, she bent and kissed him, first on the right shoulder,
then the left; kneeling she kissed him just above the phallus,
and then on his right shoulder again.
"Michael, you have now passed around the rim of the
pantacle, let us now move to the center, and I will instruct you
in the meaning of the central pentagram. The pentagram in the
center of the pantacle is the sign of mankind. If I stand thus,
with feet apart, hands stretched to the winds, head erect, the
pentagram will enclose my body. We therefore can observe that
the pentagram in the center of the pantacle represents mankind in
the center of the universe, surrounded by Goddess and God;
blessings and reminders; past, present and future; good memories
and bad; light and life, love and law. The central pentagram
therefore can serve as a reminder to us, that the Universe was
NOT made for man, man was made for the Universe."
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She knelt at his feet, smiling, and kissed him, first on the
left foot, then the right, saying, "I bless your feet, Michael,
that have brought you in these ways, reminding you to be ever
ready to go on foot, to help, protect, and defend the brothers
and sisters of the Wise."
She kissed his knees, saying, "I bless your knees, reminding
you to ever go on bent knee in humility when supplicating the
Deities, that one who knows his own worth will gladly kneel in
order to learn."
She kissed his phallus, and said, "I bless and consecrate
the organ of generation, that in time you may know that love is
the great teacher of equality; love is the prime example of man
and woman as equals; two beings, alike in all ways, equal in all
ways, but totally different; one incomplete without the other;
forever opposite, but forever complimentary. Indiscriminate sex
will gain you nothing, Michael, for though sex is magic, love is
the magician."
She kissed his right and left breast, saying "I bless your
breast, and remind you to keep within the safe repository of the
breast, the secrets of the Wise, as if under lock and key."
Then she kissed him on the mouth, and said, "I bless your
mouth, Michael; henceforth, as a High Priest, you will be a
teacher, and the words of your mouth, based in knowledge,
leavened with intuition and instinct, uttered with magical will,
shall live in the memory of the Wise. Go forward, make your
progress, High Priest and Magus!
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{file "Chaos Magic (Mark Chao)" "bos099.htm"}
Defining Chaos
By: Mark Chao
Introduction
*
Chaos, according to the `Oxford English Dictionary' means:
1. A gaping void, yawning gulf, chasm, or abyss.
2. The `formless void' of primordial matter, the `great deep' or
'abyss' out of which the cosmos or order of the universe was evolved.
There are a couple of additional definitions, but they are
irrelevant
to this discussion. When chaos is used in magic, there is no place
for
confusion or disorder.
Chaos is the creative principle behind all magic. When a magical
ritual is performed, regardless of `tradition' or other variables in
the
elements of performance, a magical energy is created and put into
motion to
cause something to happen. In his book, `Sorcery as Virtual
Mechanics',
Stephen Mace cites a scientific precedent for this creative principle.
I quote:
"To keep it simple, let us confine our example to just two
electrons,
the pointlike carriers of negative charge. Let us say they are a part
of the solar wind--beta particles, as it were--streaming out from the
sun at thousands of miles a second. Say that these two came close
enough that their negative charges interact, causing them to repel one
another. How do they accomplish this change in momentum?
"According to quantum electrodynamics, they do it by exchanging
a "virtual" photon. One electron spawns it, the other absorbs it, and
so do they repel each other. The photon is "virtual" because it
cannot be seen by an outside observer, being wholly contained in the
interaction. But it is real enough, and the emission and absorption
of virtual photons is how the electromagnetic interaction operates.
"The question which is relevant to our purpose here is where does
the photon come from. It does not come out of one electron and lodge
in the other, as if it were a bullet fired from one rock into another.
The electrons themselves are unchanged, except for their momenta.
Rather, the photon is created out of nothing by the strain of the
interaction. According to current theory, when the two electrons come
close their waveforms interact, either cancelling out or reinforcing
one another.
Waveforms are intimately tied to characteristics like electric charge,
and we could thus expect the charges on the two electrons to change.
But electron charge does not vary; it is always 1.602 x (-19)
coulombs. Instead the virtual photons appear out of the vacuum and
act to readjust the system. The stress spawns them and by their
creation is the stress resolved".
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398
Austin Spare understood this principle in regard to magical phenomena
long before scientists discovered photons or began experiments in the
area of chaos science.
Austin Osman Spare-some history
*
Austin Spare was born at midnight, Dec. 31st, 1886 in a London
suburb called Snow Hill. His father was a London policeman, often on
night duty.
Spare showeda natural talent for drawing at an early age, and in
1901-1904 left school to serve an apprenticeship in a stained-glass
works,
but continued his education at Art College in Lambeth. In 1904 he won
a
scholarship to the Royal College of Art. In that year he also
exhibited a picture in the Royal Academy for the first time.
In 1905 he published his first book, `Earth Inferno'. It was
primarily
meant to be a book of drawings, but included commentaries that showed
some of his insight and spiritual leanings. John Singer Sargent
hailed him as a genius at age 17. At an unspecified time in his
adolescence, Spare was initiated into a witch cult by a sorceress
named Mrs. Patterson, whom Spare referred to as his "second mother".
In 1908 he held an exhibition at Bruton Gallery. In 1910 he spent a
short time as a member of the Golden Dawn. Becoming disenchanted with
them, he later joined Crowley's Argentum Astrum. The association did
not last long. Crowley was said to have considered Spare to be a
Black Magician. In 1909 Spare began creation of the `Book of
Pleasure'. In 1912 his reputation was growing rapidly in the art
world. In 1913 he published the `Book of Pleasure'. It is considered
to be his most important magical work, and includes detailed
instructions for his system of sigilization and the "death postures"
that he is well known for. 1914-1918 he served as an official war
artist. He was posted to Egypt which had a great effect on him. In
1921, he published `Focus of Life', another book of drawings with his
unique and magical commentaries.
In 1921-1924 Spare was at the height of his artistic success, then,
in 1924 he published the `Anathema of Zos', in which he effectively
excommunicated himself from his false and trendy artistic "friends"
and benefactors. He returned to South London and obscurity to find
the freedom to develop his philosophy, art and magic.
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399
In 1947 Spare met Kenneth Grant and became actively involved with
other well-known occultists of the period. In 1948-1956 he began work
on a
definitive Grimoire of the Zos Kia Cultus, which is referred to in his
various writings. This is unfinished and being synthesized from
Spare's papers by Kenneth Grant, who inherited all of Spare's papers.
Much of this information was included in `Images and Oracles of Austin
Osman Spare' by Kenneth Grant, but there are some unpublished works
which Grant plans to publish after completion of his Typhonian series.
References for this section are mostly from Christopher Bray's
introduction to `The Collected Works of Austin Osman Spare' and from
`Excess Spare', which is a compilation by TOPY of photocopied articles
about Spare from various sources.
The Magic of Austin Osman Spare
*
Spare's art and magic were closely related. It is reputed that
there are messages in his drawings about his magical philosophy. One
particular picture of Mrs. Patterson has reportedly been seen to move;
the eyes opening and closing. Spare is best known for his system of
using sigils. Being an artist, he was very visually oriented.
The system basically consists of writing down the desire, preferably
in your own magical alphabet, eliminating all repeated letters, then
forming a design of the remaining single letters. The sigil must then
be charged. There is a variety of specific ways to do this, but the
key element is to achieve a state of "vacuity" which can be done
through exhaustion, sexual release or several other methods.
This creates a `vacuum' or `void' much like the condition described
in the introduction to this discussion, and it is filled with the
energy of the magician. The sigil, being now charged, must be
forgotten so that the sub-conscious mind may work on it without the
distractions and dissipation of energy that the conscious mind is
subject to. Spare recognized that magic comes from the sub-conscious
mind of the magician, not some outside `spirits' or `gods'.
Christopher Bray has this to say about Spare's methods in his
introduction to `The Collected Works of Austin Osman Spare':
"So in his art and writing, Spare is putting us in the mood; or
showing by example what attitude we need to adopt to approach the
`angle of departure of consciousness in order to enter the infinite.
What pitch of consciousness we need to gain success.
"One must beware making dogma, for Spare went to great pains to
exclude it as much as possible to achieve success in his magic;
however a
number of basic assumptions underpin chaos magic.
"Chaos is the universal potential of creative force, which is
constantly engaged in trying to seep through the cracks of our
personal and collective realities. It is the power of
Evolution/Devolution.
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400
"Shamanism is innate within every one of us and can be tapped if
we qualify by adjusting our perception/attitude and making our being
ready to accept the spontaneous. Achieving Gnosis, or hitting the
`angle of departure of consciousness and time', is a knack rather
than a skill."
There are other methods to utilize the same concept that Spare
explains for us. Magicians since Spare have written about their own
methods and explanations of his method quite frequently in occult
magazines, mostly in Great Britain. Spare is certainly not the first
person in history to practice this sort of magic, but he is the one
who has dubbed it (appropriately), Chaos.
Chaos since A.O.S.
*
Austin Spare died May 15, 1956, but his magic did not die with
him. There have been select groups of magicians practicing versions
of Chaos
ever since, especially in Northern England and Germany. In 1976, a
couple of dozen Chaos Magicians, including Peter J. Carroll and Ray
Sherwin, announced the formation of a new magical Order, the
Illuminates Of Thanateros. The intention of the group was to have an
Order where degrees expressed attainment rather than authority, and
hierarchy beyond just organizational requirements was non-existent.
There are those who say that this lofty ambition has failed and that
the Order has since slipped into a hierarchical power structure; Ray
Sherwin "excommunicated" himself for this reason, but the Order
continues and is identified as the only international Chaos
organization to date.
The IOT has since spread to America. There are smaller groups
of Chaos practitioners, as well as individuals practicing alone.
Chaos since Spare has taken on a life of its own. It will always
continue to grow, that is its nature. It was only natural that
eventually the world of science would begin to discover the physical
principles underlying magic, although the scientists who are making
these discoveries still do not realize that this is what they are
doing. It is interesting that they have had the wisdom to call it
chaos science...
In the abovw part of my series on Chaos, I've made scant reference to
the IOT due to lack of information, however, in typical Murphy's Law
fashion, a letter just arrived filling in some blank spots and
pointing out to me that I made one mistake in chronology. The story
goes;
In 1977/78 Ray Sherwin was editor and publisher of a magazine called
`The New Equinox', which Pete Carroll was a regular contributor to.
Unsatisfied with the choices of available magical groups in England
at the time, they formed the IOT. They advertised in `New Equinox'
and the
group formed and progressed as previously explained. Ray Sherwin
dropped out before Pete Carroll went on to form `The Pact'. They are
still friends, and Pete has graciously consented to write an
introduction to Ray's newest edition of `The Book of Results' which
will be available through TOPY soon.
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401
Chaos Science
*
Modern chaos science began in the 1960's when a handful of open-
minded scientists with an eye for pattern realized that simple
mathematical
equations fed into a computer could model patterns every bit as
irregular and "chaotic" as a waterfall. They were able to apply this
to weather patterns, coastlines, all sorts of natural phenomena.
Particular equations would result in pictures resembling specific
types of leaves, the possibilities were incredible. Centers and
institutes were founded to specialize in "non-linear dynamics" and
"complex systems." Natural phenomena, like the red spot of Jupiter,
could now be understood. The common catch-terms that most people have
heard by now; strange attractors, fractals, etc., are related to the
study of turbulence in nature. There is not room to go into these
subjects in depth here, and I recommend that those who are interested
in this subject read `Chaos: making a new science' by James Gleick and
`Turbulent Mirror' by John Briggs & F. David Peat.
What we are concerned with here is how all this relates to magic.
Many magicians, especially Chaos Magicians, have begun using these
terms, "fractal" and "strange attractor", in their everyday
conversations.
Most of those who do this have some understanding of the relationship
between magic and this area of science. To put it very simply, a
successful magical act causes an apparently acausal result. In
studying turbulence, chaos scientists have realized that apparently
acausal phenomena in nature are not only the norm, but are measurable
by simple mathematical equations. Irregularity is the stuff life is
made of. For example, in the study of heartbeat rhythms and
brain-wave patterns, irregular patterns are measured from normally
functioning organs, while steady, regular patterns are a direct
symptom of a heart attack about to occur, or an epileptic fit.
Referring back again to "virtual" photons, a properly executed
magical
release of energy creates a "wave form" (visible by Kirlian
photography) around the magician causing turbulence in the aetheric
space. This turbulence will likely cause a result, preferably as the
magician has intended. Once the energy is released, control over the
phenomena is out of the magician's hands, just as once the equation
has been fed into the computer, the design follows the path set for
it.
The scientists who are working in this area would scoff at this
explanation, they have no idea that they are in the process of
discovering the physics behind magic. But then, many common place
sciences of today, chemistry for example, were once considered to be
magic. Understanding this subject requires, besides some reading, a
shift in thinking. We are trained from an early age to think in
linear terms, but nature and the chaos within it are non-linear, and
therefore require non-linear thinking to be understood. This sounds
simple, yet it reminds me of a logic class I had in college. We were
doing simple Aristotelian syllogisms. All we had to do was to put
everyday language into equation form. It sounds simple,and it is.
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402
However, it requires a non-linear thought process. During that
lesson
over the space of a week, the class size dropped from 48 to 9
students.
The computer programmers were the first to drop out. Those of us
who survived that section went on to earn high grades in the class,
but more importantly, found that we had achieved a permanent change in
our thinking processes. Our lives were changed by that one simple
shift of perspective.
Chaos science is still in the process of discovery, yet magicians
have been applying its principles for at least as long as they have
been writing about magic. Once the principles of this science begin
to take hold on the thinking process, the magician begins to notice
everything from the fractal patterns in smoke rising from a cigarette
to the patterns of success and failure in magical workings, which
leads to an understanding of why it has succeeded or failed. There is
a diagram of a fractal design on the cover of `Kaos' magazine #11 (now
out of print) that would be a wonderful example of magic at work and
the many paths that the energy may follow...
Defining Chaos Magic
*
Chaos is not in itself, a system or philosophy. It is rather an
attitude that one applies to one's magic and philosophy. It is the
basis for all magic, as it is the primal creative force. A Chaos
Magician learns a variety of magical techniques, usually as many as
s/he can gain access to, but sees beyond the systems and dogmas to the
physics behind the magical force and uses whatever methods are
appealing to him/herself.
Chaos does not come with a specific Grimoire or even a prescribed set
of
ethics. For this reason, it has been dubbed "left hand path" by some
who
choose not to understand that which is beyond their own chosen path.
There is no set of specific spells that are considered to be `Chaos
Magic spells'. A Chaos Magician will use the same spells as those of
other paths, or those of his/ her own making. Any and all methods and
information are valid, the only requirement is that it works.
Mastering the role of the sub- conscious mind in magical operations is
the crux of it, and the state called "vacuity" by Austin Osman Spare
is the road to that end. Anyone who has participated in a successful
ritual has experienced some degree of the `high' that this state
induces.
An understanding of the scientific principles behind magic does
not necessarily require a college degree in physics (although it
wouldn't hurt much, if the linear attitude drilled into the student
could be by-passed), experience in magical results will bring the
necessary understanding.
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403
This series is directed toward the increasing numbers of people
who have been asking, "What is Chaos Magic?" It is very basic and by
no means intended to be a complete explanation of any of the elements
discussed. Many of the principles of magic must be self-discovered,
my only intent here is to try to define and pull together the various
elements associated with Chaos Magic into an intelligible whole. For
those who wish to learn more about this subject, I have prepared a
suggested reading list for the last section, however, I must emphasize
that there are always more sources than any one person knows about, so
do not limit yourself to this list. Chaos has no limits...
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404
For Further Reading:
*
`The Book Of Pleasure' by Austin Osman Spare
`Anathema Of Zos' by Austin Osman Spare
available from:
Abyss
34 Cottage St. Box 69
Easthampton, MA. 01027
catalog on request
*
`A Book Of Satyrs' by Austin Osman Spare
`Images and Oracles of Austin Osman Spare' by Kenneth Grant
`The Early Work of A.O.S.'
`Excess Spare'
`Stations In Time'
available from;
TOPY
P.O. Box 18223
Denver, CO. 80218
write for information
*
available from most bookstores (at least by special order):
`Chaos: making a new science' by James Gleick
`Turbulent Mirror' by John Briggs & F. David Peat
`Liber Null & Psychonaut' by Peter J. Carroll
`Practical Sigil Magick' by Frater U.D.
*
Magazines dealing with Chaos Magic(k):
Chaos International
BM SORCERY
London WC1N 3XX
England
*
Thanateros
P.O. Box 89143
Atlanta, GA. 30312
*
Mezlim
N'Chi
P.O. Box 19566
Cincinnati, OH. 45219
*
Mezlim deals with a wide range of magical traditions, but the editor
has
expressed an interest in articles dealing with Chaos. Articles about
Chaos can
be found in other Ceremonial Magick magazines as well, as the editors
see fit.
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405
{file "Magickal History (Fra.: Apfelman)" "bos100.htm"}
Notes on the role of the historical Egregore in modern Magic
by Fra.: U.D.
It is quite easy to poke fun at the historical claims of most
magical and mystical orders, especially when they purport to have
derived from "very ancient", possible even "Atlantean" or, to top it
all, "pre-Atlantean" brotherhoods for whose existence even the most
sympathetic historical scholar worth his name would be very hard
pressed to find any significant proof. Actually, it is rather a
cheap joke to cite, for example, AMORC`s claims that even good old
Socrates or Ramses II (of all people!) were "Rosicrucians". However,
the trouble only starts when adepts mistake these contentions for
_literal_ truths. "Literal", of course, derives from literacy and
the letters of the alphabet. And, as Marshall MacLuhan has justly in
his "Understanding Media" and perhaps even more so in "The Gutenberg
Galaxy", western civilization has a
very strong tendency towards _linear_ thinking, very probably due to
- at least in part - the linear or non-pictographic nature of our
alphabet. The very structure of this alphabet informs us at quite a
tender age to think in terms of linear logics such as cause and
effect, or, more interestingly in our context, PAST-PRESENT-FUTURE.
This is not at all a "natural necessity" as most people are wont to
think, for the ideographic or pictographic "alphabets" as used for
example in ancient Egypt or even modern China and Japan tend to bias
the correspondingly acculturalised mind towards what MacLuhan terms
"iconic thinking" - a perception of holistic factors rather than
the systematization into separate (preferably indivisible) single
units. Western thought has formulated this problem as the dichotomy
of the _analytic_ and the _synthetic_ approach. But it is perhaps no
coincidence that our contemporary culture tends to associate
"synthetic" with "artificial" , vide modern chemistry.
Now magical and mystical thinking is quite different; in fact it is
not half as interested in causality as is linear thought. Rather, it
strives to give us an overall, holistic view of processes within
our perceived space-time continuum; an overall view which includes
the psychology of the observer to a far stronger degree than even
modern physics seems to have achieved in spite of Heisenberg`s
uncertainty principle and Einstein`s earlier theory of relativity.
In other words, mythological thinking is not so much about literal
("alphabetic"?) truth but rather about the "feel" of things. For
example, a shaman may claim that the current rain is due to the rain
goddess weeping because of some sad event. He might predict that her
phase of mourning will be over in two days` time and that the deluge
will then end. A Western meteorologist might possibly come to
similar prognoses, but he will of course indignantly deny using any
of "this mystic stuff" in the process. His rain goddess takes the
form of barometric pressure, wind velocity and direction, air
humidity and the like - but who is to say which view is the "truer"
one, as long as abstract and mystic predictions prove to be
accurate? From an unbiased standpoint, the modern demons "barometric
pressure", "wind velocity" and factors of a similar like are just as
abstract and mythic as the shaman`s hypothetical rain goddess -
especially so for us laymen who religiously follow the daily
indoctrination via the TV weather forecasts and satellite photograph
divination: all we can do is _believe_ in what the expert tells us
is the truth. The non-shaman in a shamanic society shares a very
similar fate when he has to believe simply that the rain goddess
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wants to be comforted say, by a substantial donation of meat or
tobacco in the course of a fully fledged tribal ritual.
There _is_ an important difference however. If we accept the model
(strongly propagated by A.O. Spare, who was, of course, in his very
special manner, quite an orthodox Freudian) of magic primarily
taking place within the subconscious (Freud) or, less
ambiguous, the unconscious (Jung); and if we furthermore agree that
said unconscious is not only the source of personal magical energy
(mana, or, as I prefer to term it, _magis_) but tends to think and
act in symbols and images, we might come to the conclusion that our
shaman`s explanation may perhaps not be scientificly more
satisfying in Western terms, but it is surely more in accord with
the way our unconscious tends to perceive reality. In that sense it
is not only more "natural" but, one suspects, even downright
_healthier_ for psychic hygiene. It is, so to speak, more
"ecological and holistic" in terms of psychic structure.
As an aside I might mention that it is the better explanation for
practical magical reasons as well. For at least rain goddesses can
be cajoled into happiness by magical technique, ritual trance and
the like until they stop weeping, a task a meteorologist will hardly
be able to imitate. (Actually I have preferred the magic of rain
prevention to the more classical example of rain making because it
is far more relevant to our own geography and experience).
In recent years Rupert Sheldrake`s theory of morphogenetic fields has
raised quite a hue and cry, not only within the confines of the
scientific community but strangely enough among occultists too. I
find this latter reaction quite astonishing, because a lot of what
Mr. Sheldrake basically claims is nothing more than the old, not to
say ancient, tenet of philosophical idealism: namely that there is
what in both German and English is called "Zeitgeist", a form of
unique time-cum-thought quality, leading to surprisingly similar
albeit completely independent models of thought, technical
inventions, political truths and so on. One would rather expect the
people to be profoundly intrigued to be among materialist/positivist
biologists or physicist rather that occultists who have traded in
the Zeitgeist principle ever since occult thought proper as we
understand it arose in the Renaissance.
From a pragmatic point of view Mr. Sheldrake is behaving very much
like our meteorologist, replacing mythic explanations with
crypto-mythic "scientific" factors. Unfortunately, most scientific
scholars tend to fear a devaluation of scientific termini tecnici;
once they are mentioned in the wrong "context" (almost invariably
meaning: by "wrong" people) they are readily labelled as "non-" or
"pseudo-" scientific - which is, after all, precisely what happened
to poor Mr. Sheldrake amongst his peers in spite of all his academic
qualifications. This example goes to show how very much estranged
occultists can be from their own sources even when working with
them daily.
Reality too is always the reality of its description: we are marking
our pasts, presents and futures as we go along - and we are doing it
all the time, whether we are conscious of the fact or not, whether
we like it or not, we are constantly reinventing our personal and
collective space-time continuum.
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Space seems rather solid and unbudging; even magic can do very
little it seems to overcome its buttresses of solidity and apparent
inertia, occasional exceptions included. (May it be noted that I
include matter in this space paradigm, because solid matter is
usually defined by the very same factors as is space - namely width,
length and height.)
Time, on the other hand, is much more volatile and abstract, so much
so in fact that it is widely considered to be basically an illusion,
even among non-occultist laymen. And indeed in his famous novel
"1984" George Orwell has beautifully, albeit perhaps unwillingly,
illustrated that history is very little more than purely the
_description of history_. (Which is why it has to be rewritten so
often. It seems that mankind is not very happy with an "objective
past" and prefers to dabble in "correcting" it over and again. This
is quite an important point I shall refer to again later on.)
History is, after all, the defining of our past own roots and our
_present_ position within our linear space-time continuum in
relation to past and future. Very often, unfortunately, the
description and interpretation of history seem little more pathetic
endeavour to obtain at least a minimum of objectivity in a basically
chaotic universe. The expression "ordo ab chao" is more or less a
summary of Western thought and Weltanschauung, of the issues
straining and stressing the Western mind since ancient Greece. Chaos
is considered "evil", order on the other hand is "good" - then the
political philosophy, if you care to dignify it by this terms, of
"law and order", appeals to people`s deeply rooted fears of loss of
stability and calculability. ("Anarchy" is another widely
misunderstood case in point.) The ontological fact that everything
is transitory has never been particular well-received in Western
philosophy and theology.
Now before you get the impression that I am only trying to impose a
typical exercise in heavyhanded Teutonic style philosophical
rambling upon your overbusy reading mind, let me hasten to point out
that if past, present and future are, at least in principle, totally
subjective, we as magicians are locally perfectly free to do what we
like with them. For the magician is a) the supreme creator of his
own universe and b) the master of Illusion (ref. the Tarot card "The
Magician/Juggler"). This freedom of historical choice, however, is
seldom realized let alone actively applied by the average magician.
Maybe one of the reasons for this has to do with the somewhat
pathetic fact that most of us tend to live our lives in a more or
less manner, being mild eccentrics at best, distinctly avoiding
becoming too much over the top. There are a number of possible
explanations for this, ranging from "every magician is just another
guy/gal like me" to "prevention of insanity". As we deal all the
time with insanity - i.e. extremely unorthodox states of
consciousness by bourgeois standards, we magicians prefer some
stability in our everyday lives and makeups, but this is not really
our topic.
Rather than delve into social normality of the average magician I
should like to investigate the many bogus claims to antiquity as put
forward by a multiple of magical and mystical orders from this point
of view. Such orders range from Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism and
Theosophy to such venerable institutions as the O.T.O., the Golden
Dawn and many others. Their historical claims are usually quite
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stereotyped: the spectrum covered includes Atlantis, Lemuria, Mu,
Solomon, Moses, Dr. Faustus, St. Germain, the Gnostics, the Knight
Templar,the Cathars, the Illuminati, the Holy Grail myth,
prehistoric witchcraft, matriarchy, shamanism etc.
Now it is quite common for shamans, to cite one example, to claim
that in the good old days (usually, of course, dating back to a
non-calibrated, non-defined time immemorial) things used to be much,
much better. One of the more profane reasons for this contention may
be the fact that most of these shamans have already achieved quite a
venerable age in their trade; and don`t we all know the typical
attitude of old crones towards modernity ? It may not sound
particular spiritual or holy but maybe all we are seeing here is the
primitive`s parallel to the "Now when I was in Poona with Royal
Indian Army, young lad..." reported occasionally to be heard in some
of today`s pubs.
But there is more to it, I think. By calling up "bogus" ancestors
from Moses via Solomon to Dr. Faustus and St. Germain, the magician
not only reinvents his own history, he also is summoning up the
egregore of these "entities" (along with all their powers and
inhibitions of course) - or, to put into Mr. Sheldrake`s
terminology, their morphic fields. By violating all the
painstaking endeavors of the meticulous historian, by simply
ignoring a number of tedious and possibly contradictory facts and
questions (such as whether Moses and Solomon have ever _really_ been
sorcerers of some standing in their own time) the magician becomes
God in the fullest sense of the expression: not only does he choose
his relatives in spirit quite arbitrarily, he even claims the right
to do what not even the judaeo-christian god of the old testament is
ever described as doing, namely changing "objective past" at will.
This type of creative historicism appeals, so it seems, very
strongly to the unconscious mind, supplying it with a great deal of
ideological back-up information, thus reducing its
conscious-mind-imposed limits of "objectivity" to at least some
modicum of superficial probability. It is only when the occultist
mixes up the different planes of reference, when he purports to
speak of "objective linear truth", instead of mythic or
symbological, decidedly non-linear truth, that serious problems
arise.This should be avoided at all costs in order not to strain our
psychic set-up by contradictory evidence, which can easily result in
an unwilled-for neutralization of all magic powers.
But this, of course, is the same problem as with occult scientism.
"Rays" are quite a convincing hypothesis to base telepathic
experiments on, as long as you don`t try to overdefine said rays by
epitheta such as "electromagnetic" or the like. For if you do, you
become the victim of scientists`zealous inquisition boards. Or, as
Oscar Wilde might have put it, it is not truth which liberates man`s
mind but lying. (Which, again, is one of the reasons why Aleister
Crowley entitled his magnum opus "The Book of Lies" in the first
place...)
Let us then resort to _creative historicism_ whenever we find it
useful. Let us not have "historical objectivity" dictated to us by
the powers that be. Let us accept our fuzziness of expression which
is, after all, little more than a honest acknowledgement of the
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fact that symbols and images are always more than just a little
ambiguous, as our dreams well prove every night. As in divination,
it does not pay to become overprecise in magic: the more you try to
define a spell, the higher probability of failure. It is quite easy
to charge a working talisman quite generally "for wealth"; it is
quite another to charge it to "obtain the sum of $347.67 on March
13th at 4.06 p.m. in 93, Jermyn Street, 3rd floor" and still expect
success. While the latter may strangely enough succeed occasionally,
this is usually only the freak exception of the rule. However, by
systematically rewriting our past in fuzzy terms, possibly eventing
past lives and biographies for ourselves consciously or arbitrarily,
we are fulfilling the final demand of Granddaddy Lucifer`s "non
serviam". Let nobody impose his or her time and history parameters
on you!
And for practical exercise, allow your clock occasionally to be well
in advance of your contemporaries`; let it sometimes lay behind for
a few hours _and_ minutes (do not just change the hour hand as this
would make it easy to recalculate into demiurge`s "real" space-time
continuum, making you yet again its slave!) Do this to learn about
your former ill-advised humility towards the current time paradigm -
and about the illusory character of time and its measurement in
general. Rewrite your personal and family history daily, invent your
own kin and ancestors. "Problems with Mom and Dad? Pick a new
couple!" Experiment with retroactive spells, try to heal your
friend`s flu before he even contracted it. But do this in a playful
spirit lest your censor should whack you for your constant
violations of the rules of this game by again confusing the frames
of reference. Jump from one parallel universe to the next one, never
permit yourself to stand still and become enmeshed by Maya`s veil
(you are supposed to be the _Master_ of illusion, remember?). And
don`t panic: for nothing is true, everything is permitted.
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{file "Power Animals (RMPJ)" "bos101.htm"}
This article is excerpted from the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal.
Each issue of the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal is published by
High Plains Arts and Sciences; P.O. Box 620604, Littleton Co.,
80123, a Colorado Non-Profit Corporation, under a Public Domain
Copyright, which entitles any person or group of persons to
reproduce, in any form whatsoever, any material contained therein
without restriction, so long as articles are not condensed or
abbreviated in any fashion, and credit is given the original
author.!
POWER ANIMALS
by Alernon
Come to us: Eagle, Wolf, Bear and Cougar.
Dance we now The Power dances.
Eagle soaring above the peaks,
Share with us freedom, majesty and fighting skills.
Teach us lessons we need to learn.
Dance with us The Power dances.
Wolf, cunning tracker, by day or night. Share with us endurance,
courage and adaptability.
Teach us lessons we need to learn. Dance with us The Power
dances.
Bear, trampling along earthen paths, Share with us Mighty
strength and sense of smell.
Teach us lessons we need to learn. Dance with us The Power
dances.
Cougar, lonely tracker of terrains, Share with us Agility,
stamina and endless curiosity. Teach us lessons we need to
learn. Dance with us The Power dances.
Movements slow
Movements rapid.
Frenzied swaying
Upward, downward.
Dipping, turning
Round and round.
Dance we now
The Power dances.
Dancing partners,
You and I.
With me, in me
I am you, you are me.
Together as one,
Yet separate, too.
Dance we now
The Power dances.
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Awaken now
All Spirit Beings,
To dance the dances
With your human kin.
Dance the Cycles
Of Life and Death,
Hope and Fear,
Good and Evil.
Dance the Cycles,
Now and Again.
Lowerworld, Upperworld,
Journeying now
and forevermore.
Of Time and Space
All is Once,
There is none.
Dance the dances
Again and again. .......from R.M.P.J. 8/86
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{file "Crystals, their care and feeding (Matrika)" "bos102.htm"}
The Care and Feeding of Crystals
by Matrika
co-sysop of PAN - the Psychic Awareness Network
Crystals have been in the lime-light ever since celebrities such as
Shirley Mcleane and Cher have come out of the closet and admitted they
were "New-Agers". However, along with this public scrutiny, has also
been a whole bunch of misconceptions. The most common of which is
that a person just wears a crystal like jewelry or carries it and it
works like some kind of instant stage-magic or prestidigitation.
This, of course, is not the case. To get the full effect of "Crystal
Power" in your life means, as with so much else, that you must put
into it what you take out of it. So here are a few simple guidelines
for those of you who plan on taking this subject seriously.
1. Selecting your Crystal
To select a Crystal is not all that much different from selecting a
pet or a work of art. When you go into the store to purchase your
crystal - or any other stone used in healing or Psychic work - just
pick the one that "calls" to you. Handle the various stones and place
them, one by one, in your receptive hand. (the one that is not your
dominant hand; if you are right-handed or ambi-dextrous, your
receptive hand is your left. If you are completely left-handed your
receptive hand is your right.) The stone that is right FOR YOU will
"pull" you to it. This may not be the stone that looks the clearest
or the most impressive, either. Our societies materialistic values
and our conditioning to accept them must not enter into our decision,
which is very hard for most of us at first. Our first tendency is to
judge the stone -as we always judge ourselves and everything else in a
constant stream of thoughts- by what we have been conditioned to
believe is "good" or "bad".
If the piece you are choosing is for a specific purpose; i.e. for
healing, or to enhance your psychic abilities, or for meditation; it
will help if you keep that purpose in mind while you are selecting the
stone. An interesting phenomena often happens to people who are just
going into the gem and mineral healing or psychic work. Most people
start off with clear quartz, because it has the most applications.
They go into a store or a gem show to purchase a clear quartz and find
themselves drawn to all kinds of other "rocks" (as the collectors call
them) too. Many times they bring a bag of various mineral specimens
home with them. Later they look up the stones in one of the many
reference books on this subject, only to find the stones they were
drawn to are exactly the ones they need to deal with issues or
illnesses that they need to work on.
The very first thing you need to do when you first get a crystal is to
"clear it" from the imbalanced energies of anyone else who has touched
it. Crystals "work" because of their piezoelectrical field.
Researchers in Kirlian photography and other subjects have long shown
us that the body is surrounded by a field of electro-magnetic
energies, which psychics call the AURA. People who have studied this
subject tell us that Crystals help us by attuning their
piezoelectrical charge to the charge of our auras. So we must first
remove the charges from the stone that come from other's handling of
it. This is done by leaving the stone in sea-salt (available at
almost any health-food store) for 3 days. The only time you will have
to use this technique - which is drastic - to cleanse the stone is
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when you first buy it. The reason I say the technique is drastic is
because it erases ALL of your energy from the stone too, so the stone
has to be rebonded. (explained later) This piezoelectrical effect of
the stone is the same reason that quartz is useful in making
computers, telephones, watches, and in other electronic devices.
2. the regular maintenance of your stone
The regular care and maintenance of your stone is really quite simple.
First of all a gentler method of clearing the piece should be used at
least once a week and after any uses in either physical or inner
(mental/emotional/spiritual) healing work. This can be done in
several ways. First of all, you can run it under COOL - no extremes
of temperature PLEASE - water in your sink for several minutes, while
visualizing (intensely imagining in vivid detail, from a meditative or
extremely relaxed state) all imbalanced energies leaving it. You can
also leave it in mugwort (an herb) for 2-3 days buried it in
carefully. You can also place it in a flowerpot with an african
violet plant, but you should know that if it has been used to heal any
severe conditions, the plant will die. The stones should also be
re-charged about once a month or after every use. For other stones,
direct sunlight is not such a good idea as it can fade the colors.
You can get the reflected energy of the sun by placing them in the
moonlight during the waxing of the moon. (from one day after the new
moon through the night of the full moon) They can also be charged by
surrounding them in a circle of quartz points that have been charged
by the sun, with the points of the crystals facing inward toward the
stones being charged. Another method is to purchase an amethyst or
quartz cluster and place the stones on it. A cluster is a specimen
with several individual crystals on it. Oh, and if you charge the
stone by a circle of crystals, be sure they have been cleared and
charged themselves before using them to charge anything else. The
circle should consist of at least 4 points, but 8 is best. These
stones used for charging do NOT have to be large at all.
3. Using your stones
Stones are tools in our psychic work and, as in any other object used,
work by focusing the mind's powers. To get the best use out of them,
more than just wearing them or carrying them is required. They should
be used from a state of meditation, while visualizing the goals we
wish to accomplish with them - such as healing, increased Psychic
perception, etc. A good way to do this for to help you focus and a
self-hypnosis tape that relates to your goals and use it. And if you
are using the crystals in healing, be aware that they are NOT meant to
replace the care of a competent health professional - but many people
find them a useful adjunct to it.
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{file "Ethics and Magick (Warren Stott)" "bos103.htm"}
Date: 10-May-89 22:29
From: Warren Stott
Subj: Ethics in Magick
A local group recently sponsored a seminar on the ethics of magick. I
was unable to attend but heard the tapes of the session. Several
people on this echo were present and had thoughtful things to say as
did the others in attendance. I would like to address a few ideas
that came up there and, of course, are significant to all people that
work magick.
The question of hexing came up. A rousing chorus ensued saying
essentially that many folks there felt their own ethical model does
not allow hexing. Initially, I put myself in that group as well. I am
not a bad person, I do not intentionally hurt people. After some
thought, though, I asked myself this question.
If there is a conceivable ethical situation where I might sucker
punch someone, why would there not be such a time to zap them with
the same magnitude of magick?
If I punch someone when they have no known defense against me, I am
opening the serious potential to harm them. My punch might not hurt
them at all, it might surprise them more than hurt them, it might hurt
them enough that they get the message I was sending, or it might blind
or even kill them. I would not know until after the fact. If I felt
justified in punching them, I would probably do it. If they turned and
destroyed me, I would have to question my judgement afterwards.
Likewise if I blinded them.
Acceptance of the karmic debt was raised as part of this justification
cycle. By going ahead and hitting them, I tacitly or implicitly accept
the debt. Personal destruction or harming the other guy, it is the
same, I accept the debt by my action.
Now where is the ethical question here?
I have often done things, things as simple as saying something in a
certain way, that I immediately want to retract. If I hit this fellow,
I probably would want to take it back afterward. Is it ethical to act
in a fashion that given a little thought you would realize you will
regret later?
Magick works in the same way. Presuming the ability to control the
magickal zap to the relative intensity of the sucker punch, the
results are just as unknown. So you accept the karmic debt, so you zap
away.
"Do what ye will" as long as you accept the debt makes it ethical? I
don't think so, I think it is in fact unethical to hit or zap the
person. But I might do it anyway. It is not really so much a question
of ethics as it is a question of responsibility.
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415
No doubt Ollie North thinks that it is unethical to break the law. But
he did. No doubt Jim Wright takes the ethics of public office very
seriously, but he is now in deep refritos over an ethical dilemma of
his own making.
Shit Happens. (For those of you with new babies, Doo Doo Happens.)
Ethics is a model of what we would like in the ideal. That ideal we
measure ourselves against. We can parade case examples all day to test
this conclusion but it is still unethical to harm another. But we do
it, both physically and magickly.
So, ethical hexing, there is no such thing. I caste a
hurt-you-this-much zap on the intended, I have acted unethically. "An
ye harm none." No disclaimer or release for special situations is
given or implied. She will see me break this, karma will see that the
ripples in the pool come back to me. All together, She will see me
take responsibility, ethics be damned.
One more time, the chorus swells and this time I am sure that I am
part of that group. There is no ethical justification for hexing. Just
don't piss me off though, I might be willing to take responsibility
for my actions.
Bambi died for us, kicking and screaming in torment!
-Warren-
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{file "Candle Magic" "bos104.htm"}
CANDLE MAGIC
1 One of the simplest of magical arts which comes under
the heading of natural magic is candle burning. It is simple
because it employs little ritual and few ceremonial
artifacts. The theatrical props of candle magic can be
purchased at any department store and its rituals can be
practiced in any sitting room or bedroom.
2 Most of us have performed our first act of candle magic
by the time we are two years old. Blowing out the tiny
candles on our first birthday cake and making a wish is pure
magic. This childhood custom is based on the three magical
principals of concentration, will power and visualization.
In simple terms, the child who wants his wish to come true
has to concentrate (blow out the candles), visualize the end
result (make a wish) and hope that it will come true( will
power).
3 The size and shape of the candles you use is
unimportant, although highly decorative, extra large, or
unusually shaped candles will not be suitable as these may
create distractions when the magician wants to concentrate on
the important work in hand. Most magicians prefer to use
candles of standard or uniform size if possible. Those which
are sold in different colors for domestic use are ideal.
4 The candles you use for any type of magical use should
be virgin, that is unused. Under no circumstances use a
candle which has already adorned a dinner table or been used
as a bedroom candle or night-light. There is a very good
occult reason for not using anything but virgin materials in
magic. Vibrations picked up by secondhand materials or
equipment may disturb your workings and negate their
effectiveness.
5 Some magicians who are artistically inclined prefer to
make their own candles for ritual and magical use. This is a
very practical exercise because not only does it impregnate
the candle with your own personal vibrations, but the mere
act of making your own candle is magically potent.
Specialist shops sell candle wax and molds together with
wicks, perfumes, and other equipment.
6 The hot wax is heated until liquid and then poured into
the mould through which a suitably sized wick has already
been threaded. The wax is then left to cool and once is this
has occurred the mould is removed , leaving a perfectly formed
candle. Special oil-soluble dyes and perfumes can be added
to the wax before the cooling process is complete to provide
suitable colors and scents for a particular magical ritual.
Craft shops which sell candlemaking supplies can also provide
do-it-yourself books explaining the technicalities of the art
to the beginner.
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7 Once you have purchased or made your ritual candle it
has to be oiled or 'dressed' before burning. The purpose of
dressing the candle is to establish a psychic link between it
and the magician through a primal sensory experience. By
physically touching the candle during the dressing
procedure, you are charging it with our own personal
vibrations and also concentrating the desire of your magical
act into the wax. The candle is becoming an extension of the
magician's mental power and life energy.
8 When you dress a candle for magical use, imagine that
it is a psychic magnet with a North and a South pole. Rub
the oil into the candle beginning at the top or North end and
work downwards to the half-way point. Always brush in the
same direction downwards. This process is then repeated by
beginning at the bottom or south end and working up to the
middle.
9 The best type of oils to use for dressing candles are
natural ones which can be obtained quite easily. Some occult
suppliers will provide candle magic oils with exotic names.
If the magician does not want to use these, he can select
suitable oils or perfumes from his own sources. The oils
soluble perfumes sold by craft shops for inclusion in candles
can be recommended.
10 the candles you use can be colored in accordance with
the following magical uses:
white- spirituality and peace.
red- health,energy,strength,courage, sexual potency.
pink- love affection and romance.
yellow- intellectualism, imagination, memory and
creativity
green- fertility, abundance, good luck and harmony
blue-inspiration, occult wisdom, protection and
devotion
purple Material wealth, higher psychic ability,
spiritual power and idealism
silver- clairvoyance, inspiration, astral energy and
intuition
orange- ambition. career matters and the law.
11 If you wanted to use candle magic for healing, you would
select a red candle to burn. To pass an exam, burn a yellow
candle, to gain esoteric knowledge burn a blue candle or for
material gain, burn a purple one. It is obvious these
colors relate to the signs of the zodiac and the planetary
forces.
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12 The simples form of candle magic is to write doesn't the
objective of your ritual on a virgin piece of paper. You
can use color paper which matches the candle. Write your
petition on the paper using a magical alphabet, such as
theban, enochian, malachain,etc. As you write down what you
want to accomplish through candle magic-- a new job, healing
for a friend, a change of residence, a new love affair,
etc.-- visualize your dream coming true. Visualize the
circumstances under which you might be offered a new job,
imagine your employer telling you that your salary has been
increased or conjure up a vision of your perfect love
partner.
13 When you have completed writing down your petitio,
carefully fold up the paper in a deliberately slow fashion.
Place the end of the folded paper in the candle flame and set
light to it. As you do this concentrate once more on what
you want from life.
14 When you have completed your ritual, allow the candle to
have completely burned away. You do not need to stay with
the candle after the ritual, but make sure that is safe
and that red-hot wax will not cause damage or fire. Never
re-use a candle which has been lit in any magical ritual. IT
should only be used in that ritual and then allowed to burn
away or be disposed of afterwards.
15 If you are conducting a magical ritual which involves
two people (e.g. an absent healing for a person some distance
away) then the second person can be symbolically
represented during the ritual by another candle. /all you
need to do is find out the subject's birth date and burn the
appropriate candle for that zodiacal sign. These are as
follows-
ARIES red
TAURUS green
GEMINI yellow
CANCER silver
LEO orange
VIRGO yellow
LIBRA pink
SCORPIO red
SAGITARIUS purple
CAPRICORN black
AQUARIUS all colors
PISCES mauve
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{file "Cauldrons (Elemental)" "bos105.htm"}
Elemental Cauldrons
Using a cauldron, symbol of inspiration and rebirth, has brought
new dimensions to both group and solitary work. A cauldron decorates
the center of the Circle during Lesser Sabbats. An air cauldron at a
spring rite creates a misty, magical quality for the ceremony. In
summer, the cauldron will flash and spark. A blue flame burns
mysteriously within the Water cauldron during the autumn festival.
Throughout Yule, the Earth cauldron burns steadfast and constant.
During moon rites, when magick is done, we write the purpose of our
working on flash papers and toss them into the burning cauldron while
chanting.
A working cauldron should be of cast iron, with a tight-fitting
lid, three sturdy legs, and a strong handle. Season your cauldron
before using it for the first time. Pour in generous helping of salt
and lighter fluid, slosh it up to the rim and wipe dry. For indoor
use it MUST have a fireproof base or your workings will summon up
yellow-coated salamander spirits from the fire department.
EARTH Cauldron
Layer salt, wax shavings, three powered or ground herbs, fighter
fluid and ivy leaves in the cauldron while focus and chanting. Use a
candle to light it. When the smoke starts to roll, extinguish the
cauldron by putting the lid on.
AIR Cauldron
Using tongs, put a chunk of dry ice is a small glass or ceramic
bowl and place the bowl on a cloth in the bottom of the cauldron.
Allow the cauldron to smoke as long as the ice lasts. The mists
create excellent images for scrying.
FIRE Cauldron
Cover theinside bottom with dirtor sand to dissipateheat. Light
incense charcoal and add either salt petter for flame and spark or
flash powder for a different but spectacular effect. To assist in
releasing or firing off peak energy, try using flash "bombs". Make a
small pocket in a piece of flash paper, fill with flash powder and tie
with thread. The "bomb" should be about the size of your smallest
fingernail. The results are spectacularly bright, so use the powder
sparingly. Don't look directly at the flash as you drop the "bomb" in
the cauldron.
WATER Cauldron.
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At least seven days before the ritual, place equal quantities of
three appropriate herbs in a pint glass jar. Fill the rest of the jar
with Everclear (200 proof alcohol), cap tightly, and shake gently
while concentrating on the purpose of the ritual. Add a chant if its
feels right. Let the jar rest in a dark, warm spot and shake twice
daily, charging with purpose. Before the ritual, place a fireproof
ceramic or glass bowl in the cauldron. Pour in the herb mixture,
being careful none spills into the cauldron. Light with a candle to
produce a beautiful blue flame.
The cauldron, as the fifth elemental spirit, symbolizes
inspiration, rebirth, illumination and rejuvenation. Use a Fire
cauldron with salt petter to cast a Circle. Use the mists of an Air
cauldron for an initiation. Burn away hate, prejudice and negative
self-images, with a Water cauldron. The Earth cauldron is ideal for
indoor Beltane rites.
Remember to place a burning cauldron on a fireproof surface.
Practice safety when using any volatile materials and you will enjoy
your cauldron for many rites.
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{file "Irish Myth Concordance (Mike Nichols)" "bos106.htm"}
A N
I R I S H M Y T H
C O N C O R D A N C E
=====================
by Mike Nichols
copyright 1985 c.e.
by MicroMuse Press
[This information may be reproduced and distributed exactly as is,
without further permission from the author, provided the statement of
authorship and copyright are retained, and provided it is offered free
of charge. Changes in the text, however, must be approved in advance
by the author. MicroMuse Press is a division of The Magick Lantern,
1715 Westport Road, Kansas City, MO 64111. 816/531-7265]
'Myth is what we call other people's religion.'
--Joseph Campbell
The following concordance isbased on 'Gods and FightingMen' by
Lady Augusta Gregory, first published in 1904. Page number references
are to the 1976 trade paperback edition published by the MacMillan
Company of Canada Limited. Brief supplementary material is taken from
'Dictionary of Irish Myth and Legend' by Ronan Coghlan, published in
1979 by Donard Publishing Comapany, and referenced as 'DIM' in the
following text.
As this is intendedto be a concordanceof the Irishmythological
cycle only (as opposed to heroic, legendary, or historical material),
references are limited to Part I, Books I - V, of Lady Gregory's
volume. 'Gods and Fighting Men' was selected as the primary text for
this concordance because it represents the most comprehensive
synthesis of variant sources (both published and oral) ever attempted
as a continuous narrative of Irish mythology. Lady Gregory lists her
published sources as follows:
O'Curry, 'Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish'
'MSS. Materials'
'Atlantis'
De Jubainville, 'Cycle Mythologique'
'Epope'e Celtique'
Hennessy, 'Chronicum Scotorum'
Atkinson, 'Book of Leinster'
'Annals of the Four Masters'
Nennius, 'Hist. Brit.' (Irish Version)
Zimmer, 'Glossae Hibernacae'
Whitley Stokes, 'Three Irish Glossaries'
'Revue Celtique'
'Irische Texte'
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422
'Gaedelica'
'Dinnsenchus'
Nutt, 'Voyage of Bran'
'Proceedings Ossianic Society'
O'Beirne Crowe, 'Arma Columcille'
Dean of Lismore's Book
Windisch, 'Irische Texte'
Hennessy et. al., 'Revue Celtique'
'Kilkenny Archaeological Journal'
Keatinge's 'History'
'Oyia'
Curtin's 'Folk Tales'
'Proceedings Royal Irish Academy'
'MSS. Series'
Dr. Sigerson, 'Bards of Gael and Gall'
Miscellanies, 'Celtic Society'
Muller, 'Revue Celtique'
Standish Hayes O'Grady, 'Silva Gaedelica'
Abhean - son of Bicelmos, he was the harper of the Tuatha de Danaan,
brought from the hills by the Men of the Three Gods (37).
Aedh (1) - killed by Brian, he was one of the three sons of Miochaoin
(q.v.), the others being Corc and Conn (59)
Aedh (2) - along with Angus and Artrach, one of the three sons of Bodb
Dearg, he was the comeliest of them. Troops of poets from Ireland and
Alban used to be with him, so that his place was called 'The Rath of
Aedh of the Poets' (78).
Aedh (3) - a son of the Dagda, he was killed by Corrgenn, who
suspected Aedh was involved with his wife (82)
Aer - one of two Druids of the Sons of the Gael (the other was Eithis)
who was killed in the first battle against the Tuatha De Danaan, and
was given a great burial (75)
Ai - the plain where Niall pursued Cailcheir, before it went through a
lake (81)
Aife - along with two other daughters of Midhir of the Yellow Hair,
Doirenn and Aillbhe, she was given as wife to one of the three sons of
Lugaidh Menn (79).
Ailbhe - (Ai-noo-al) one of the three daughters of Oilell and a
foster-child of Bodb Dearg (124)
Ailell Anglonach - of the One Fault, brother of Eochaid Feidlech, he
fell in love with his brother's wife, Etain, and pined for her until
she agreed to heal him (95)
Aillbhe - along with two other daughters of Midhir of the Yellow Hair,
Doirenn and Aife, she was given as wife to one of the three sons of
Lugaidh Menn (79).
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Aille - the daughter of Cormac (q.v.) (107)
Aine (1) - the daughter of Modharn, who gave a cook to the sons of
Lugaidh Menn (79)
Aine (2) - some said she was the daughter of Manannan, but some said
she was the Morrigu, she owned the Cathair Aine. But she often gave
her love to men, and she was called Leanan Sidhe, the Sweetheart of
the Sidhe (86). Wisps of straw are burned in her honor on St. John's
Eve. She is associated with meadow-sweet, and invoked against
sickness. According to legend, she was raped by the king of Munster
(DIM).
Ainge - she was a daughter of the Dagda, who made her a great vat (81)
Airmed - sister of Miach, she spread her cloak on which to arrange the
herbs which sprang from the grave of her murdered brother. But
Diancecht, still jealous of Miach, mixed up the herbs, so that no one
knows all their right powers to this day (35). She was the daughter
of Diancecht and sister of Octruil, and helped them in their healing
work at the well of Slaine (64)
Airnelach - brother of Tadg and Eoghan, he was captured by Cathmann
and made to cut firing (115), but was later rescued by Tadg (120)
Amergin - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), he spoke with Banba upon
Slieve Mis (71) and was sent as messenger to the Tuatha De Danaan (72)
and quieted the storm sent against his people by them and was the
first to set foot in Ireland after that (74). Heber gave him a share
of the two provinces of Munster after the Battle of Tailltin (75).
Angus - along with Artrach and Aedh, one of the three sons of Bodb
Dearg (78)
Angus Og - son of the Dagda, he advised his father how to kill
Cridenbel and what reward to ask of Bres (33). After the second
battle of Magh Tuireadh, only four men of the Fomor were left in
Ireland, and they were driven out one Samhain night by Morrigu and
Angus Og (67). He was considered for kingship of the Tuatha de Danaan
after their defeat (77). Also called the Frightener or Disturber, for
the unrest he occasioned in horses and cattle (83). His loves
included Enghi, Derbrenn, and Caer Ormaith (84). He was the Irish
love-god (DIM).
Anvil of the Dese - see Indeoin na Dese (81)
Aobh - (Aev, or Eev) the eldest of the three daughters of Oilell,
foster-daughter of Bodb Dearg and wife of Lir and, by him, mother of
Fionnuala, Aodh, Fiachra, and Conn, though she died bringing the
latter two to birth (125)
Aodh - (Ae, rhyming to 'day') one of the four children of Lir and
Aobh, he was turned into a swan by Aoife, Lir's jealous second wife
(126)
Aodh Aithfhiosach - of the quick wits, a son of Bodb Dearg, he was
sent in search of the children of Lir (132)
Aoibhell - (Evill) a woman of the Sidhe who dwelt at Craig Liath, she
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424
tried to prevent her lover from joining a battle (87). Her harp
fortells death for any who hear it (88).
Aoife - (Eefa) one of the three daughters of Oilell and a foster-child
of Bodb Dearg (124), she became the wife of Lir after her sister Aobh
had died in childbirth (125). Through jealousy, she changed Aobh's
four children into swans at Loch Dairbhreach (126)
Aonbharr - styled 'of the One Mane', he is Manannan's horse, as swift
as the naked cold wind of spring. She can gallop across the sea, and
no rider was ever killed off her back (41). She was often ridden by
Lugh (43).
Arias - styled the 'fair-haired poet', one of the four wise men and
teachers of the Tuatha de Danaan before they came to Ireland. His
home was Finias (27).
Arranan - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), he died by falling from the
mast to the deck of his ship as the Sons of the Gael attempted their
second landing in Ireland (73)
Artrach - along with Angus and Aedh, one of the three sons of Bodb
Dearg, he had a house with seven doors and taught the king's son of
Ireland and of Alban how to throw spears and darts (78)
Athluain - a ford of the Shannon that Lugh passed on his way to do
battle with Bres (45)
Badb - (Bibe) one of the greatest of the women of the Tuatha de
Danaan, she was a battle goddess (27). She, along with Macha and
Morrigu , used powers of enchantment to bring mists , clouds of
darkness, and showers of fire and blood over the Firbolgs at Teamhair
for three days (29). Sometimes regarded as the same as Nemain, her
name means 'crow' and she could appear in that guise. She was the
wife of Net (DIM).
Balor - styled 'of the Evil Eye' or 'of the Strong Blows' (38), he is
chief king of the Fomor (36), husband of Ceithlenn and, by her, the
father of Ethlinn (42). One of his eyes had the power of death in it,
so that none could look at it and live (38), and he also had the power
of putting on a different shape (39). He was also the father of 12
'white-mouthed' sons, all among the chief men of the Fomor (42). At
the second battle of Magh Tuireadh, Lugh made a spear cast that
brought Balor's evil eye out through the back of his head, instantly
killing him and 27 of his own army, thus fulfilling the prophecy that
he would be killed by his grandson (66).
Banba - the wife of MacCuill and a queen of the Tuatha De Danaan, one
of three daughters of the Dagda whose name was given to Ireland
afterwards (27), she met the Sons of the Gael on Slieve Mis and spoke
with Amergin (71), and was later killed in the Battle of Tailltin
(75).
Banna - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
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Battle of Taillten - the great battle between the Sons of the Gael and
the Tuatha De Danaan, after which the Sons of the Gael had the
rulership of Ireland (75)
Bearna nah-Eadargana - the Gap of Separation, it is a place that Lugh
passed on his way to do battle with Bres (45)
Bechulle - one of two witches of the Tuatha De Danaan (the other was
Dianan) who had the power to turn trees and stones and sods of earth
into an armed host (62)
Bed of the Dagda - in the house of the Dagda at the Brugh na Boinne
(80)
Beinn Edair - the dwelling place of Tuireann (60), mentioned briefly
in Ethne's complaint (58)
Belgata - the great mountain to the rear of Magh Nia in Connacht (29)
Beltaine - May Day (28)
Bennai Boirche - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.)
(62)
Berbhe - see Green of Berbhe (42)
Betach - see Fiachna (121)
Bicelmos - see Abhean (37)
Birog - styled 'of the Mountain', a woman-Druid who helped Cian win
the love of Ethlinn who had been imprisoned in a tower. When Ethlinn
bore a child (Lugh), Balor would have had it killed, but Birog rescued
it (40).
Birthplace of Cermait Honey-Mouth - in the house of the Dagda at the
Brugh na Boinne (80)
Blai-Slieve - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Boann - a water goddess, wife of Nechtan and mother, by the Dagda, of
Angus, she is associated with the River Boyne (DIM). Also see Dabilla
(80)
Bodb - (Bove) see Rudrach and Dergcroche (117)
Bodb Dearg - (Bove Darrig) son of the Dagda, he was king of Connacht
when Bres and his army landed in Ireland to battle Lugh (43). He
lived at Sidhe Femen, was eldest among the children of the Dagda, and
was given the kingship of the Tuatha de Danaan after their defeat
(77). His three sons were Angus, Artrach, and Aedh (78), his daughter
was Scathniamh (80) and his musician was Fertuinne (79). Two other
sons were Aodh Aithfhiosach and Fergus Fithchiollach (132)
Boinn - variant of Boinne, one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland
(q.v.) (62)
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Boinne - the salmon of the dumb Boinne are mentioned briefly in
Ethne's complaint (58)
Bran (1) - the son of Tuiren (68)
Bran (2) - son of Febal, he was called by the silver branch to board a
boat and journey to the Land of Women, Tir na mBan (105)
Brath - see Mide (68)
Breagan - see Cuailgne (75)
Bres - son of Eri and Elathan (35), a champion of the Tuatha de
Danaan, he was sent to meet Sreng of the Firbolgs (28). He was the
most beautiful of all the young men, and he was chosen king after
Nuada (31). 'As beautiful as Bres' was a common saying. However, he
was known for his lack of hospitality (32), and was deposed when Nuada
was reinstated as king (35). By Brigit, he was father of Ruadan (64).
Bresal Etarlaim - the Druid who helped Fuamach to destroy Etain (88)
Bri - the daughter of Midhir, she died of a broken heart because she
could not be with her love, Leith, and the hill of Bri Leith, the spot
where she died, was named for them (88)
Bri Leith - home of Midhir the Proud (77), named after his daughter
Bri, and her love Leith (88)
Bri Ruri - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Brian - styled 'Flame of Valour' (60), along with Iuchar and Iucharba,
he is one of the three sons of Tuireann (47) and his sister, the
daughter of Tuireann, was Ethne (50). He had the power to change his
own shape and that of his two brothers (51). He caused the death of
Cian (44), Tuis (53), Pisear (54), Dobar (55), Miochaoin and his three
sons (59).
Brigit - one of the greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan, she
was a woman of poetry, healing, and smith's work. Her name came from
Breo-saighit, meaning a fiery arrow (27). She was daughter of the
Dagda and, by Bres, mother of Ruadan (64)
Brugh na Boinn - (or Brugh na Boinne - 57) the place where Lugh kept
the Scuabtuinne (50) and the place where the Dagda had his house which
Angus took from him by trickery (81)
Buan - the nine lasting hazels of Buan dropped their nuts into the
Well of Knowledge where the salmon would eat them, sending their husks
floating out on the five streams that flowed from the well (108 & 110)
Buas - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Caer of the Fair Hair - see Inis Cenn-fhinne (49)
Cailcheir - one of the swine of Debrann, it was called by Corann's
harping (81)
Cainte - Cian, Cu, and Ceithen were the three sons of Cainte, and they
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had a long-standing feud with the three sons of Tuireann (43)
Cairbre - see Erc (31)
Camel - son of Riagall, he was one of the two door-keepers at Teamhair
when Lugh first arrived (37)
Caoilte - (Cweeltia) one of the last of the Fianna, he was loved by
Scathniamh (80)
Carn Corrslebe - a place near Loch Ce' (67)
Carpre - (variant of Corpre) he had the power to compose a satire that
would shame men so they could not stand against fighting men (62)
Carpre Lifecar - the son of Cormac (q.v.) (107)
Cassmail - one of the Tuatha De Danaan, he was killed by Octriallach
at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (65)
Cathair Aine - a stone belonging to Aine that would cause madness in
someone who sat on it (86)
Cathbad - the Druid, he aided Conchubar in treacherously slaying the
sons of Usnach (97)
Cathmann - son of Tabarn and king of Fresen, he captured Tadg, his
wife (whom he took as his own wife), and two brothers (115), but was
later killed by him (120)
Cauldron - one of the four great treasures the Tuatha de Danaan
brought to Ireland from the north. It came from the city of Murias,
and no one ever went from it unsatisfied (27).
Ce' - the Druid of Nuada, he was wounded in the second battle of Magh
Tuireadh, and when he died and was buried near Carn Corrslebe, a lake
burst out over his grave and it was called Loch Ce'. (67)
Cecht - the plough (28)
Ceis Corain - the place where the champions of Connacht (all except
Niall) gave up their pursuit of Cailcheir (81)
Ceithen - along with Cian (q.v.) and Cu, he was one of the three sons
of Cainte. Cu and Ceithen went towards the south, while Cian went
north, to gather the Riders of the Sidh to help Lugh in his battle
with Bres (43).
Ceithlenn - styled 'of the Crooked Teeth, she was queen of the Fomor,
the wife of Balor and, by him, the mother of Ethlinn (42) She gave
the Dagda a dreadful wound at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (65)
Celtchar of Cualu - see Leith (88)
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Cermait - styled 'Honey-Mouth', son of the Dagda, his three sons
shared the kingship of Ireland at the time of the invasion of the Sons
of the Gael (72), and were killed in the Battle of Tailltin (75). His
birthplace was the house of the Dagda at Brugh na Boinne (80).
Cesair - the first that ever reached Ireland, she later dwelt on
Inislocha where Tadg met her (118)
Cesarn - one of the three Druids of the Firbolgs who broke the
enchantment laid upon them by Badb, Macha, and Morrigu (30)
Children of Rudraighe - see Eimher (75)
Ciabhan - (Kee-a-van) of the Curling Hair, the King of Ulster's son,
he went to Manannan's country (111), won the love of Cliodna, but lost
her due to the treachery of Iuchnu (112)
Cian (1) - a man of the Tuatha de Danaan (27), brother of Goibniu and
Samthainn (39), and father of Lugh by Ethlinn (37), he was present
when Nechtan deceived King Bres (32). He lived at Druim na Teine
(39), and his famous cow was the Glas Gaibhnenn (39). Along with two
other brothers, Cu and Ceithen, he was one of the three sons of Cainte
(43). He had the power of shape-shifting and was killed (by Brian)
while in the form of a pig (44).
Cian (2) - son of Olioll and father of Tadg (114)
Cliach - the Harper of the King of the Three Rosses in Connacht, he
vainly sought one of Bodb Dearg's daughters in marriage. Loch Bel
Sead sprang up under his feet (77).
Cliodna - (Cleevna) of the Fair Hair, daughter of Gebann, she gave her
love to Ciabhan but, through the treachery of Iuchnu, she was drowned
(112) She had three colorful birds, whose sweet singing could lull
the sick to sleep (DIM).
Codal - of the Withered Breast, he threw yew rods for Eochaid to
discover the hiding place of Midhir and Etain (96)
Coir-cethar-chuin - 'the Four-Angled Music', it was another name for
Uaitne (q.v.) (67)
Coll - the hazel-tree (28)
Collbrain - see Nechtan (106)
Colpa - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), his ship was wrecked as the
Sons of the Gael attempted their second landing in Ireland, and he
drowned while trying to reach land at Inver Colpa (73)
Colum Cuaillemech - styled 'of the Three New Ways', he was a smith of
the Tuatha de Danaan (37)
Comb and the Casket of the Dagda's wife - a hill near the house of the
Dagda at Brugh na Boinne (80)
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Compar - a messenger and tax-gatherer of the Fomor, he was one of the
four hardest and most cruel, the other three being Eine, Eathfaigh,
and Coron (41)
Conaire - High King of Ireland, grandson of Etain and Eochaid, who got
his death by Midhir and his people (96)
Conall Cearnach - of the Red Branch of Ulster, he was descended from
the line of the sons of Eimher (75) The slayer of Anluan, he
originally may have been a horned god (DIM).
Conan Maol - it was his gold, hidden in a cairn, that Caoilte gave to
Scathniamh as a bride-price (80) One of the Fianna, he was regarded
as something of a buffoon (DIM).
Conchubar Abratrudh - of the Red Brows, the father of Liban (115)
Conn (1) - killed by Brian, he was one of the three sons of Miochaoin
(q.v.), the others being Corc and Aedh (59)
Conn (2) - of the Hundred Battles, King of Teamhair, grandfather of
Cormac (106), he tried to stop his son Connla from going to Manannan's
country (113)
Conn (3) - one of the four children of Lir and Aobh, he was turned
into a swan by Aoife, Lir's jealous second wife (126)
Connacht - one of the five provinces of Ireland (31), it is where the
Tuatha de Danaan first landed (27). Both Magh Rein (28) and Magh Nia
(with the mountain Belgata) were there (29), as well as the river
Unius (61). It was the province chosen by Sreng for the Firbolgs
after they were defeated by the Tuatha de Danaan (31).
Connla - of the Red Hair, son of Conn, he went to Manannnan's country
despite his father's efforts to prevent it (113)
Coran - the Druid of Conn, he tried to keep Connla from being taken to
Manannan's country (113)
Corann (1) - Lugh passed through the 'place of the bright-faced
Corann' on his way to do battle with Bres (45)
Corann (2) - Diancecht's harper, and the best harper of the Dagda's
household,
he called Cailcheir with his harp (81)
Corc - killed by Brian, he was one of the three sons of Miochaoin
(q.v.), the others being Conn and Aedh (59)
Cormac - grandson of Conn, King of Teamhair, he journeyed to
Manannan's country to bring back his wife, Ethne; his daughter, Aille;
and his son, Carpre Lifecar (106)
Coron - a messenger and tax-gatherer of the Fomor, he was one of the
four hardest and most cruel, the other three being Eine, Eathfaigh,
and Compar (41)
Corpre - son of Etain, he was a poet of the Tuatha de Danaan who
cursed Bres for his lack of hospitality with the first satire ever
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made in Ireland (34)
Corr Slieve na Seaghsa - the Round Mountain of the Poet's Spring, it
is a place that Lugh passed on his way to do battle with Bres (45)
Corrgenn - a great man of Connacht who, while visiting the Dagda,
killed Aedh because he suspected him to be involved with his wife (82)
Craisech - thick-handled spears belonging to Sreng, they were sharp at
the sides though they had no points (29)
Credenus - styled 'the Craftsman', he was a chief among the Tuatha de
Danaan (27)
Credne Cerd - styled 'the Brazier' (64), a worker in brass for the
Tuatha de Danaan (37)
Cridenbel - an idle blind man with a sharp tongue who always demanded
the Dagda's three best bits of food. Starving, the Dagda hid three
pieces of gold in the three bits and this killed Cridenbel (33).
Crimthan Cass - the King of Connacht and father of Laegaire (121)
Cron - mother of Fianlug, she was at the forge of Goibniu grinding
spears when Ruadan was killed (64)
Crow of Battle - see Morrigu (27)
Cruacha - the maidservant of Etain who accompanied her when she
departed with Midhir. Cruachan in Connacht was named after her (96)
Cruachan Aigle - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.)
(62)
Cu - along with Cian (q.v.) and Ceithen, he was one of the three sons
of Cainte. Cu and Ceithen went towards the south, while Cian went
north, to gather the Riders of the Sidh to help Lugh in his battle
with Bres (43).
Cuailgne - the son of Breagan, he and his brother Fuad, two of the
best leaders of the Sons of the Gael, were both killed in the rout of
the Tuatha De Danaan (he at Slieve Cuailgne), following the Battle of
Tailltin (75)
Cualu - the home of Celtchar (88)
Cuan - the wood of Cuan was cleared away by Duach and the men of
Ireland so there could be a gathering around Taillte's grave (68)
Culain - although he may have been Manannan in another guise, he was
the great smith, originally living on the Island of Falga, who was
invited by Conchubar to live on the plains of Muirthemne, where
Cuchulain killed his great dog and thereafter took the name Cuchulain,
meaning 'the hound of Culain' (98)
Dabilla - a little hound belonging to Boann (80)
Dagda, the - father of Eire, Fodla, Banba (27), Angus Og (33), Bodb
Dearg (43), Brigit (64), Cermait (72), Ainge and Diancecht (81)..
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431
Known as a good builder, he was ordered by Bres to build raths (33).
Styled 'the good god' (63) and 'the Red Man of all Knowledge' (80), he
got a dreadful wound from a spear thrown by Ceithlenn in the second
battle of Magh Tuireadh (65) and he owned a magic harp called Uaitne
(67). His house was at the Brugh na Boinne, where Dichu was his
steward and Len Linfiaclach was the smith (81). His personal name was
Eochaid O Uathair, and he had a magical club which could slay or heal
(DIM).
Dalbaech - see Elathan (1) (35)
Dalbh - see Goll (121)
Dana - greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan (from whom they
take their name), she was called the Mother of the Gods (28)
De Domnann - see Indech (61)
Debrann - owned Cailcheir, the swine that was called by Corann's
harping (81)
Delbaeth (1) - see Elathan (3) (61)
Delbaith (2) - see Eri (35)
Denda Ulad - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Deorgreine - a Tear of the Sun, daughter of Fiachna, she was given to
Laegaire as his wife in Magh Mell (123)
Derc-Loch - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Dergcroche - son of Bodb, he and his brother Rudrach were the two
kings of Inislocha (117)
Dianan - one of two witches of the Tuatha De Danaan (the other was
Bechulle) who had the power to turn trees and stones and sods of earth
into an armed host (62)
Diancecht - father of Miach (34), he was a chief among the Tuatha de
Danaan, and understood healing (27). He fashioned an arm of silver
for Nuada, who had lost his own in battle (34). Also father of
Octruil and Airmed, he restored slain warriors in the healing well of
Slaine (64). His father was the Dagda and his harper was Corann (81).
Dichu - steward first to the Dagda (81) and then to Angus (82)
Dobar - the King of Siogair killed by Brian (55), he was the owner of
two horses and a chariot that were among the payments that Lugh
demanded from the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (49)
Doirenn - along with two other daughters of Midhir of the Yellow Hair,
Aife and Aillbhe, she was given as wife to one of the three sons of
Lugaidh Menn (79).
Dolb - the smith of the Fomor (63)
Donall Donn-Ruadh - styled 'of the Red-brown Hair', he was one of the
sons of Manannan. His brothers included Sgoith Gleigeil, Goitne
Gorm-Shuileach, and Sine Sindearg. His foster brother was Lugh (41).
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Donn - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), he and twenty-four others died
when the ship he commanded was wrecked as the Sons of the Gael
attempted their second landing in Ireland (73)
Druim Cain - Teamhair (q.v.) (31)
Druim na Descan - Teamhair (q.v.) (31)
Druim na Teine - the Ridge of Fire, the dwelling place of the three
brothers, Goibniu, Samthainn, and Cian
Druimne - son of Luchair, he made a cooking oven for the Dagda at
Teamhair (80)
Duach (1) - see Echaid (37)
Duach (2) - styled 'the Dark', husband of Taillte, he built the Fort
of the Hostages in Teamhair, and organized the men of Ireland to cut
down the wood of Cuan (68)
Dur-da-Bla - 'the Oak of Two Blossoms', it was another name for Uaitne
(q.v.) (67)
Eab - son of Neid, he was one of the chief men of the Fomor (42)
Eadon - one of the greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan, she
was called the nurse of poets (27)
Eas Dara - in west Connacht, it is the harbour where Bres and his army
landed in Ireland to battle Lugh (43)
Easal - the King of the Golden Pillars, he was the owner of seven
self-regenerating pigs that were among the payments that Lugh demanded
from the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (49). A daughter of
Easal's was the wife of the King of Ioruaidh (56).
Eathfaigh - a messenger and tax-gatherer of the Fomor, he was one of
the four hardest and most cruel, the other three being Eine, Coron,
and Compar (41)
Echaid - styled 'the Rough', son of Duach, he was foster-father of
Lugh (37)
Eimher - (Aevir) the son of Ir, he divided Ulster between himself and
some other chiefs of the Sons of the Gael following the Battle of
Tailltin. It was of his sons, that were called the Children of
Rudraighe, and that lived in Emain Macha for 900 years, that both
Fergus and Conall Cearnach were descended. (75)
Eine - a messenger and tax-gatherer of the Fomor, he was one of the
four hardest and most cruel, the other three being Eathfaigh, Coron,
and Compar (41)
Eire - variant of Eriu, one of the greatest of the women of the Tuatha
de Danaan, she was one of three daughters of the Dagda who gave her
name to Ireland (27)
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Eithis - one of two Druids of the Sons of the Gael (the other was Aer)
who was killed in the first battle against the Tuatha De Danaan, and
was given a great burial (75)
Elathan (1) - the son of Dalbaech and a king of the Fomor, he was
father of Bres by Eri, a woman of the Tuatha de Danaan (35). He came
to her over the sea in a vessel of silver, himself having the
appearance of a young man with yellow hair, wearing clothes of gold
and five gold torcs (35).
Elathan (2) - son of Lobos, he was one of the Fomor who took part in
the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (61)
Elathan (3) - son of Delbaeth, he was one of the Fomor who took part
in the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (61)
Emhain Abhlach - (Avvin -------) an island paradise, the place to
which Bran journeyed (105)
Emain Macha - the capitol of Ulster, named after the twins of Macha
(DIM), the place where the Children of Rudraighe lived for 900 years
(75)
Emmass - see Macha (65)
Eochaid (1) - (Eohee) son of Erc, he was king of the Firbolgs when the
Tuatha de Danaan first came to Ireland (28)
Eochaid (2) - along with Fiacha and Ruide, one of the sons of Lugaidh
Menn, King of Ireland (78)
Eochaid (3) - son of Sal, he was killed by Fiachna after capturing his
wife (121)
Eochaid Feidlech - also called Airem, of the Plough, High King of
Ireland, he wedded the reborn Etain (by whom he had a daughter, Esa),
but lost her to Midhir in a chess game, but got her back by beseiging
Bri Leith (96)
Eoghan - (Owen) brother of Tadg and Airnelach, he was captured by
Cathmann and made to run a ferry (115), but was later rescued by Tadg
(120)
Erc (1) - see Eochaid (1) (28)
Erc (2) - descended from the children of Sreng in Connacht, the son of
Cairbre, he gave Cuchulain his death (31)
Erc (3) - son of Ethaman, he was a teller of tales for the Tuatha de
Danaan (37)
Eremon - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), he spoke with Eriu upon the
hill of Uisnech (72)
Eri - a woman of the Tuatha de Danaan (32), the daughter of Delbaith,
she was mother of Bres by Elathan, a king of the Fomor (35). She was
the wife of Cethor (DIM).
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Eriu - variant of Eire, the wife of MacGreine and a queen of the
Tuatha De Danaan whose name was given to Ireland afterwards, she met
the Sons of the Gael on the hill of Uisnech, and talked with Eremon.
One moment she would be a wide-eyed beautiful queen, and the next she
would be a sharp-beaked, grey-white crow (72). She led the Tuatha De
Danaan in the first battle fought against the Sons of the Gael, but
was beaten back to Tailltin where she was killed in the Battle of
Tailltin (75).
Esa - daughter of Etain and Eochaid Feidlech (96)
Ess Dara - near Magh Tuireadh-2 (q.v.) (63)
Ess Ruadh - home of Ilbrech (77)
Etain - see Corpre (34)
Etain Echraide - the second wife of Midhir, she was driven out by
Fuamach, taken in by Angus, turned into a fly by Fuamach, swallowed by
Etar's wife, and reborn as Etain, later the wife of Eochaid Feidlech
(by whom she had a daughter, Esa), who lost her to Midhir in a chess
game, but got her back by attacking Midhir's stronghold at Bri Leith
(95)
Etar - of Inver Cechmaine, King of the Riders of the Sidhe, his wife
swallowed Etain in the form of a fly who fell into her drinking cup,
and nine months later gave birth to her again (89)
Ethaman - see Erc (3) (37)
Ethlinn - daughter of Balor and Ceithlenn (42), she was mother of Lugh
by Cian (37). Because a Druid foretold that Balor would get his death
from his own grandson, Balor locked Ethlinn in a tower (attended by 12
women) to keep her away from men. Described as 'tall and beautiful',
she came to Teamhair after the second battle of Magh Tuireadh, and
married Tadg. By him, she was mother of Muirne and Tuiren. (68)
Ethne (1) - daughter of Tuireann and sister of Brian, Iuchar, and
Iucharba (50)
Ethne (2) - the wife of Cormac (q.v.) (107)
Fachtna - physician to Eochaid Feidlech (91)
Fail-Inis - a beautiful whelp belonging to the King of Ioruaidh, the
Cold Country, that was among the payments that Lugh demanded from the
sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (49). This king's wife was a
daughter of Easal's (56).
Fais - the wife of Un, she was killed in the first battle fought
between the Tuatha De Danaan and the Sons of the Gael, in the place
later called the Valley of Fais (75)
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Falias - styled 'great', one of the four cities of the Tuatha de
Danaan before they came to Ireland. Its teacher was Morias, and its
treasure was the Lia Fal, the Stone of Virtue (27)
Falga - see Island of Falga
Fand - daughter of Flidhais, her bright vessels were made by Len
Linfiaclach (81). Manannan's wife, and Cuchulain's mistress (DIM).
Fathadh Canaan - descended from the line of Ith, he held sway over the
whole world, taking hostages of the streams, the birds and the
languages (76)
Feast of the Age - Manannan made this feast for the Tuatha de Danaan
(after they were defeated) where they ate his magic swine and drank
Goibniu's ale (77).
Febal - see Bran (103)
Fer Ferdiad - of the Tuatha De Danaan, he was a Druid and pupil of
Manannan who was killed by him for causing the death of Tuag (97)
Ferdiad - descended from the children of Sreng in Connacht, he made a
good fight against Cuchulain (31). He was one of the race called
Gaileoin (76)
Fergus - the son of Rogh, he was descended from the line of the sons
of Eimher (75)
Fergus Fithchiollach - of the chess, a son of Bodb Dearg, he was sent
in search of the children of Lir (132)
Fertuinne - son of Trogain, he was a magician given by Bodb Dearg to
the sons of Lugaidh Menn (79)
Fiacha - along with Eochaid and Ruide, one of the sons of Lugaidh
Menn, King of Ireland (78)
Fiachna - son of Betach and father of Deorgreine (123), of the men of
the Sidhe, his wife was captured by Eochaid, whom he killed, but she
was then given to a nephew, Goll (121), but Goll was killed by
Laegaire and Fiachna's wife was restored to him (122)
Fiachra - one of the four children of Lir and Aobh, he was turned into
a swan by Aoife, Lir's jealous second wife (126)
Fianlug - see Cron (64)
Fianna of Ireland - a band of legendary soldiers and Finn was the head
of them (68)
Figal - see Gamal (37)
Figol - son of Mamos, he was a Druid of the Tuatha de Danaan who had
the power to cause showers of fire to fall on his enemies (62)
Findemas - see Findgoll (32)
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Findgoll - son of Findemas, a Druid who advised Nechtan in the
deceiving of King Bres (32)
Finias - one of the four cities of the Tuatha de Danaan before they
came to Ireland. Its teacher was Arias, and its treasure was the
Spear of Victory (27)
Finn - son of Muirne, he was Head of the Fianna of Ireland (68)
Fionn - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Fionnuala - one of the four children of Lir and Aobh, she was turned
into a swan by Aoife, Lir's jealous second wife (126)
Firbolg - styled 'the Men of the Bag', they were the people who lived
in Ireland before the Tuatha de Danaan but after the people of Nemed,
and they had come from the South (28)
First Battle of Magh Tuireadh - the first battle fought in Ireland by
the Tuatha de Danaan (31). Begun at Midsummer, the Firbolgs were
defeated after four days (30).
Flidais - Lugh wore the cloak of the daughters of Flidais when the
sons of Tuireann returned to Ireland to pay him their fine (57)
Flidhais - see Fand (81)
Fodla - (Fola) daughter of the Dagda, wife of MacCecht, and a queen of
the Tuatha De Danaan whose name was given to Ireland afterwards, she
met the Sons of the Gael on Slieve Eibhline (71) and was killed in the
Battle of Tailltin (75).
Fodhla - variant of Fodla (q.v.)
Fomor - people who lived beyond the sea or below the sea west of
Ireland, they demanded heavy tribute from the Tuatha de Danaan. They
were led by a giant and his mother, and they each had but one foot or
one hand. They were friendly with the Firbolgs but jealous of the
Tuatha de Danaan (32).
Ford of Destruction - the name given to the foot of Unius since the
second battle of Magh Tuireadh (66)
Fort of the Hostages - in Teamhair, it was built by Duach (68)
Freagarthach - styled 'the Answerer', the sword of Manannan, whoever
was wounded by it would never get away alive, and whoever it was bared
against would lose their strength (41)
Fresen - a beautiful country, of which Cathmann was king, that lay to
the south-east of the Great Plain (114)
Fuad - he and his brother Cuailgne, two of the best leaders of the
Sons of the Gael, were both killed in the rout of the Tuatha De Danaan
(he at Slieve Fuad), following the Battle of Tailltin (75)
Fuamach - the very jealous first wife of Midhir, she attempted to
destroy Etain with magic, and was herself killed by Angus for it (89)
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Gae Bulg - the spear of Cuchulain (DIM)
Gaedhal - styled 'of the Shining Armour' and 'the Very Gentle'. The
sons of Gaedhal were also called the Sons of the Gael (q.v.) (71)
Gael - see Sons of the Gael (71)
Gaible - son of Nuada of the Silver Hand, he stole a vat from Ainge
and hurled it away (81)
Gaible's Wood - the beautiful wood that sprang up on the spot where
Ainge's vat was hurled by Gaible (81)
Gaileoin - a race of Ireland that had a reputation for lies, big talk,
injustice, and good fighters (Ferdiad was one of them), but the Druids
drove them out of Ireland (76)
Gairech - one of two hills (the other being Ilgairech) that Lugh
passed on his way to do battle with Bres (45)
Gamal - son of Figal, he was one of the two door-keepers at Teamhair
when Lugh first arrived (37)
Garbhan - he and Imheall were the Dagda's two builders, and they built
the rath around the grave of Aedh, called the Hill of Aileac (82)
Garden in the East of the World - three golden apples from this garden
were among the payments that Lugh demanded from the sons of Tuireann
for the death of Cian (48)
Gebann - the son of Treon (119) and a chief Druid in Manannan's
country, his daughter was Cliodna (112)
Glas Gaibhnenn - (Glos Gov-nan) belonging to Cian, she was a wonderful
cow whose milk never failed (39)
Goll - son of Dalbh and a brother's son of Eochaid, he got Fiachna's
captured wife after Eochaid died (121) but was killed in battle by
Laegaire (122)
Gnathach - one of the three Druids of the Firbolgs who broke the
enchantment laid upon them by Badb, Macha, and Morrigu (30)
Goibniu - styled 'the Smith' (27), the son of Tuirbe (81),and brother
of Cian and Samthainn (39), he was a chief among the Tuatha de Danaan
(27), and lived at Druim na Teine (39). His ale kept whoever tasted
it from age and from sickness and from death (77).
Goitne Gorm-Shuileach - styled 'the Blue-eyed Spear', he was one of
the sons of Manannan. His brothers included Sgoith Gleigeil, Sine
Sindearg, and Donall Donn-Ruadh. His foster brother was Lugh (41).
Goll - one of the Fomor who took part in the Second Battle of Magh
Tuireadh (61)
Gorias - styled 'shining', one of the four cities of the Tuatha de
Danaan before they came to Ireland. Its teacher was Urias, and its
treasure was the Sword (27)
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Grave End - place at Indeoin na Dese where Len Linfiaclach would cast
his anvil (81)
Great House of a Thousand Soldiers - in Teamhair, north of the little
Hill of the Women Soldiers (31)
Great Strand - see Traig Mor (114)
Green of Berbhe - a plain in Lochlann (42)
Green of Teamhair - in Teamhair, it lay to the west of the Hill of
Hostages (31)
Grellach Dollaid - also called 'the Whisper of the Men of Dea', it is
the place where Lugh, Nuada, the Dagda, Ogma, and Diancecht made their
secret plans to rise against the Fomor (40)
Grian - the sun (28), and a fairy queen in County Tipperary (DIM)
Hall of the Morrigu - in the house of the Dagda at the Brugh na Boinne
(80)
Happy Plain - see Magh Mell
hazels of wisdom, nine - hazel-trees of inspiration and the knowledge
of poetry of the Tuatha de Danaan. They grew by a well below the sea,
out of which the seven streams of wisdom spring and return. In the
well are the five salmon of knowledge who eat the nuts that fall from
the hazel trees. If anyone eats one of the salmon, all wisdom and all
poetry would be theirs (28).
Heber - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), he was one of only three who
survived when the Sons of the Gael attempted their second landing in
Ireland (73). He was awarded the two provinces of Munster (less the
share he gave to Amergin) after the Battle of Tailltin (75).
Heremon - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), his ship was wrecked as the
Sons of the Gael attempted their second landing in Ireland, but he got
safely to land at Inver Colpa (73) He was awarded Leinster and
Connacht after the Battle of Tailltin (75).
High Seat - of Teamhair, it lay to the south-west of the Hill of
Hostages (31)
Hill of Aileac - 'the Hill of Sighs and of a Stone', it was the rath
built over the burial site of Aedh (82)
Hill of Dabilla - a hill near the house of the Dagda at Brugh na
Boinne (80)
Hill of Hostages - a hill in Teamhair, north-east of the High Seat
(31)
Hill of Miochaoin - in the north of Lochlann, three shouts given on
this hill were among the payments that Lugh demanded from the sons of
Tuireann for the death of Cian (49)
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Hill of Sighs and of a Stone - see Hill of Aileac (82)
Hill of the Axe - see Tulach na Bela (81)
Hill of the Sidhe - a hill in the north-east of Teamhair, where the
well Nemnach was located (31)
Hill of the White Field - see Sidhe Fionnachaidh
Hill of the Women Soldiers - styled 'little', it lay to the south of
the Great House of a Thousand Soldiers, in Teamhair (31)
Hill of Uisnech - on the west side of Teamhair, where Nuada held an
assembly of his people (40)
House of the Women - in Teamhair, it is where the great feasts were
held. It had seven doors to the east and seven doors to the west
(31).
Ilbrech - of Ess Ruadh, he was considered for kingship of the Tuatha
de Danaan after their defeat (77)
Ilgairech - one of two hills (the other being Gairech) that Lugh
passed on his way to do battle with Bres (45)
Imheall - he and Garbhan were the Dagda's two builders, and they built
the rath around the grave of Aedh, called the Hill of Aileac (82)
Indech - son of De Domnann and father of Octriallach, he was a king of
the Fomor who fell and was crushed in the Second Battle of Magh
Tuireadh (61)
Indeoin na Dese - 'the Anvil of the Dese', where Len Linfiaclach would
cast his anvil every night after work (81)
Ingnathach - one of the three Druids of the Firbolgs who broke the
enchantment laid upon them by Badb, Macha, and Morrigu (30)
Ingol - one of the Fomor who took part in the Second Battle of Magh
Tuireadh (61)
Inis Cenn-fhinne - called the Island of the Fair-Haired Women (59) and
the Island of Caer of the Fair Hair, the women of this island had a
cooking-spit that was among the payments that Lugh demanded from the
sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (49)
Inis Daleb - one of the four paradises of the world, the others being
Inislocha to the west, Inis Ercandra to the north and Adam's Paradise
to the east (118)
Inis Ercandra - one of the four paradises of the world, the others
being Inislocha to the west, Inis Daleb to the south and Adam's
Paradise to the east (118)
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Inislocha - Lake Island, seen by Tadg on his voyages, and ruled by two
kings, Rudrach and Dergcroche, sons of Bodb (117). It is the fourth
paradise of the world, the others being Inis Daleb to the South, Inis
Ercandra to the north, and Adam's Paradise to the East (118)
Inver Cechmaine - home of Etar, where the reborn Etain first met
Midhir while she was bathing (89)
Inver Colpa - in Leinster (75), the place got its name because Colpa,
one of the sons of Miled, was drowned there, although his brother
Heremon came safely to shore there (73)
Inver Sceine - in the west of Munster, it is where the race of the
Sons of the Gael first landed in Ireland (71)
Inver Slane - to the north of Leinster, it is where the race of the
Sons of the Gael made their first attempt to land in Ireland (71)
Ioruaidh - see Fail-Inis (49)
Ir - father of Eimher (75) and one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), he was
known for his bravery in battle but he died when his ship was wrecked
as the Sons of the Gael attempted their second landing in Ireland, and
he was buried on Sceilg Michill (73)
Irish - the language of both the Firbolgs and the Tuatha de Danaan
(29)
Island of Falga - original dwelling place of Culain, the Smith (97)
Island of Joy - Bran left some of his men ashore there on his way to
Emhain (105)
Island of the Fair-Haired Women - see Inis Cenn-fhinne (59)
Island of the Tower of Glass - Balor lived there in the days the Fomor
visited Ireland often. From this island, the Fomor would capture
ships that passed near. They thus defeated the ships of the sons of
Nemed in a time before the Firbolgs were in Ireland. (38)
Islands of Mod - islands from which Ogma was ordered by Bres to bring
firing every day (32)
Ith - one of the race of the Sons of the Gael, he was killed by
treachery while in Ireland, and it was to avenge his death that the
race of the Sons of the Gael invaded Ireland (72). From his line was
descended Fathadh Canaan (76).
Iuchar - along with Iucharba and Brian, he is one of the three sons of
Tuireann (47) and his sister, the daughter of Tuireann, was Ethne (50)
Iucharba - along with Iuchar and Brian, he is one of the three sons of
Tuireann (47) and his sister, the daughter of Tuireann, was Ethne (50)
Iuchnu - he played music to Cliodna in the curragh until she fell
asleep and was drowned (112)
Kath Brese - the Dagda made a trench around it (33).
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King of the Great Plain - father of Taillte (37)
Laegaire - son of Crimthan Cass, he killed Goll in battle in order to
restore Fiachna's captured wife to him (122), after which he took
Fiachna's daughter as his own wife and ruled as a king in Magh Mell
(123)
Lake Island - see Inislocha (117)
Lake of Birds - see Loch na-n Ean (121)
Lake of the Dwarfs - see Loch Luchra (112)
Lake of the Oaks - see Loch Dairbhreach (126)
Land of Promise - dwelling place of the Riders of the Sidh (41). See
Tir Tairngaire (111)
Land of the Ever-Living Ones - see Tir-nam-Beo (113)
Land of the Ever-Living Women - the place to which Fer Ferdiad was
trying to take Tuag when she drowned (98)
Land of Women - see Tir na mBan (105)
Laoi - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Leanan Sidhe - Sweetheart of the Sidhe, a title given to Aine (86)
Leat Glas - Indech's poet, he was present at Indech's death at the
second battle of Magh Tuireadh (66)
Leith - (Leh) the son of Celtchar, he loved Bri, but she died before
they could be together and the hill of Bri Leith was named after them
(88)
Len Linfiaclach - smith to the Dagda, he made the bright vessels of
Fand (81)
Lia Fail - one of the four great treasures the Tuatha de Danaan
brought to Ireland from the north. It came from the city of Falias
(27). It was kept to the north of the Hill of Hostages, and it used
to roar under the feet of every true king of Ireland (31).
Liath - son of Lobais, he was one of the chief men of the Fomor (42)
Liath-Druim - Teamhair (q.v.) (31)
Liban - daughter of Conchubar Abratrudh and wife of Tadg, she was
captured and taken to wife by Cathmann, but was later rescued by Tadg
(115)
Life River - the salmon of the Life River are mentioned briefly in
Ethne's complaint (58)
Lir - father of Manannan (27), of Sidhe Fionnachaidh, he was
considered for kingship of the Tuatha de Danaan after their defeat
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(77). He married Aobh (by whom he had four children), and then her
sister Aoife (125).
Lobais - styled 'the Druid', he was father of Liath and one of the
chief men of the Fomor (42)
Lobos - see Elathan (2) (61)
Loch Arboch - see Slaine (64)
Loch Bel Sead - the lake that is on top of a mountain, it sprang up
under the feet of Cliach (78)
Loch Ce' - see Ce' (67)
Loch Cuan - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Loch Dairbhreach - (Loch Darvragh) Lake of the Oaks, where Aoife
changed Aobh's four children into swans (126)
Loch Dearg - the dwelling-place of Bodb Dearg (124)
Loch Decket - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Loch Echach - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Loch Feabhail - the burial place of Aedh, son of the Dagda (82)
Loch Febail - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Loch Laeig - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Loch Luchra - the Lake of the Dwarfs, near Manannan's city, in Tir
Tairngaire (112)
Loch Luimnech - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Loch Mescdhae - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Loch na-n Ean - the Lake of Birds, where Laegaire met Fiachna (121)
Loch Orbsen - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Loch Riach - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Loch Righ - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Lochlann - the dwelling place of the men of the Fomor (42)
Loscuinn - it lay to the north of the river Unius (61)
Luachaid - see Luchtar (37)
Luan - see Pisear (49)
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Luath - two swift men of the Fomor were named Luath, and they gathered
an army for Bres when he went to do battle with Lugh (42)
Luchair - see Druimne (80)
Luchta - variant of Luchtar (q.v.), styled 'the Carpenter' (64)
Luchtar - son of Luachaid, he was the carpenter of the Tuatha de
Danaan (37)
Lugaidh Menn - King of Ireland. Eochaid, Fiacha, and Ruide were three
of his sons (78).
Lugh - (Loo) styled 'Lamh-Fada', of the Long Hand (41), son of Cian
and Ethlinn, and foster-son of Taillte and Echaid, he was also styled
'Ildanach', the Master of all Arts (37). Nuada abdicated the throne
to him for 13 days in order to enlist his help against the Fomor (38).
His foster-brothers were the sons of Manannan (41). At the second
battle of Magh Tuireadh, he made a spear cast that brought Balor's
evil eye out through the back of his head, instantly killing him and
27 of the army of the Fomor (66). Father of Cuchulain (DIM).
MacCecht - styled 'Son of the Plough', he was the husband of Fodhla
(71)
MacCuill - styled 'Son of the Hazel', he was the husband of Banba (71)
MacGreine - styled 'Son of the Sun', he was the husband of Eriu (72)
Macha - one of the greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan, she
fed on the heads of men slain in battle (27). She, along with Badb
and Morrigu , used powers of enchantment to bring mists , clouds of
darkness, and showers of fire and blood over the Firbolgs at Teamhair
for three days (29). The daughter of Emmass, she was killed by Balor
in the second battle of Mag Tuireadh (65).
Maeltine Mor-Brethach - styled 'of the Great Judgments', he was a wise
man of the Tuatha De Danaan who advised Lugh not to spare the life of
Bres after the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (66)
Magh Cuilenn - (Moy Cullin) the place where some say Uillenn
Faebarderg killed Manannan in battle (96)
Magh Luirg - the Plain of Following, it is a place that Lugh passed on
his way to do battle with Bres (45)
Magh Mell - (Moy Mal) the Pleasant Plain, in Manannan's country (113)
Magh Mell - the Happy Plain, where Laegaire ruled as king, along with
Fiachna (121)
Magh Mor - 'the Great Plain'. See Taillte (68)
Magh Mor an Aonaigh - the Great Plain of the Fair, the place where
Lugh and the Riders of the Sidh met Bres and his army of the Fomor in
battle (45)
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Magh Nia - the second settlement of the Tuatha de Danaan in Ireland,
better fortified and farther west in Connacht than Magh Rein (29)
Magh Rein - (Moy Raen) the first settlement of the Tuatha de Danaan in
Ireland (28)
Magh Tuireadh (1) - (Moytirra) see First Battle of Magh Tuireadh (31)
Magh Tuireadh (2) - not the same as the place where the battle between
the Tuatha De Danaan and the Firbolgs was fought, but to the north,
near Ess Dara. It is where the great battle between the Tuatha De
Danaan and the Fomor was fought, that was later called the Second
Battle of Magh Tuireadh (63)
Mamos - see Figol (62)
Manannan - (Mananuan) son of Lir, a chief of the Tuatha de Danaan who
was greater even than their king, Nuada (27). His sons are Donall
Donn-Ruadh, Sgoith Gleigeil, Goitne Gorm-Shuileach, and Sine Sindearg
(41). Manannan understtod all enchantments, so the Tuatha de Danaan
left it to him to find places for them where they would be safe from
their enemies. He chose the most beautiful hills and valleys of
Ireland and put hidden walls about them (77). He helped Angus to get
the Brugh na Boinne away from the Dagda by trickery (81). Aine may
have been his daughter (86). Some say he was killed by Uillenn
Faebarderg in battle at Magh Cuilenn (96). He raised Deirdre's
children, taught Diarmuid the use of weapons, taught Cuchulain the use
of the Gae Bulg. Some say he was Deirdre's father and a
shape-changer, and was Culain, the Smith (97). He was the major sea
god, ruling Tir Tairngiri. His wife was Fand (DIM).
Mata - the Sea-Turtle that could suck down a man in armour (80)
Mathgen - the great magician of the Tuatha de Danaan who had the power
to topple mountains onto his enemies (61)
Mechi - the son of the Morrigu, he was killed by MacCecht (85)
Miach - son of Diancecht and brother of Airmed, he was better at
healing than his father. He replaced the silver hand that Diancecht
had fashioned for Nuada with Nuada's original hand and healed it.
Diancecht, jealous of his son's healing powers, killed him. But 365
healing herbs sprang up from his grave (34).
Mide - the son of Brath, he kindled the first fire that was ever
kindled in Ireland, at Uisnech, for the sons of Nemed (68)
Midhe - (Mee) the plain of Midhe was the place Taillte was buried with
a mound raised over her grave (68). Also see Uisnech of Midhe (58)
Midhir (1) - of Bri Leith, styled 'the Proud', he was considered for
kingship of the Tuatha de Danaan after their defeat (77). His first
wife was Fuamach, his daughter was Bri, and his second wife was Etain
(88).
Midhir (2) - styled 'of the Yellow Hair', he was chief of the Men of
Dea. His three daughters, Doirenn, Aife, and Aillbhe, were given as
wives to the three sons of Lugaidh Menn (79).
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Midsummer Day - when the first battle between the Firbolgs and the
Tuatha de Danaan began, which lasted for four days (30)
Miled - the sons of Miled, including Amergin (71), Eremon (72),
Arranan, Donn, Ir, Heremon, Colpa, and Heber (73), led the invasion of
the race of the Sons of the Gael into Ireland (71). His wife was
Scota (75).
Miochaoin - killed by Brian, he was guardian of the Hill of Miochaoin
(q.v.) and, along with his sons (Corc, Conn, and Aedh), he was under
bonds not to allow any shouts to be given from that hill. Cian got
his learning with them (49)
Men of Dea - see Tuatha de Danaan (27)
Men of the Bag - see Firbolgs (28)
Modharn - see Aine (79)
Morias - one of the four wise men and teachers of the Tuatha de Danaan
before they came to Ireland. His home was Falias (27).
Mor-Loch - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Morrigu - one of the greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan,
she was styled 'the Crow of Battle' (27) or 'the Battle-Crow (61).
She, along with Badb and Macha , used powers of enchantment to bring
mists , clouds of darkness, and showers of fire and blood over the
Firbolgs at Teamhair for three days (29). After the second battle of
Magh Tuireadh, only four men of the Fomor were left in Ireland, and
they were driven out one Samhain night by Morrigu and Angus Og. She
also proclaimed the news of the victory to the hosts and the royal
heights of Ireland and to its chief rivers and invers (67). Mechi was
her son (85). Aine may have been her daughter (86).
Mother of the Gods - see Dana (28)
Muaid - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Muirne - daughter of Ethlinn and Tadg and sister of Tuiren and mother
of Finn (68)
Muirthemne - see Plain of Muirthemne (43)
Murias - styled 'rich', the southern-most of the four cities of the
Tuatha de Danaan before they came to Ireland. Its teacher was Senias,
and its treasure was the Cauldron (27)
Nas - the place where Lugh held his court following the second battle
of Magh Tuireadh (68)
Nechtan (1) - on the advice of the Druid Findgoll, to deceive King
Bres, who taxed his people of the milk of all dun cows, he singed all
the cows of Ireland in a fire of fern, making them dark brown. (32).
He was the husband of Boann (DIM).
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Nechtan (2) - the son of Collbrain, he begged Bran to leave Emhain and
return to Ireland but, upon reaching shore, he crumbled to ashes (106)
Neid - see Eab and Seanchab (42)
Neit - he was a chief among the Tuatha de Danaan, and a god of battle
(27)
Nem - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Nemed - see Island of the Tower of Glass (38). The first fire ever
kindled in Ireland (at Uisnech, by Mide) was for the sons of Nemed
(68).
Nemnach - a well on the Hill of the Sidhe, out of which flowed the
stream called Nith (31)
Nemthann - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Nes - a magical spear made by Goibniu that would burn up like fire
anyone whom it struck (65)
Net - husband of Badb, an early Irish god of war (DIM)
Niall - a champion of Connacht, he was drowned while attempting to
pursue Cailcheir through a lake (81)
Nine Poets of the Fomor - among the chief men of the Fomor, they had
learning and the gift of foreknowledge (42)
Nith - flowing from the well of Nemnach, it was the stream on which
the first mill in Ireland was built (31)
Nuada - king of the Tuatha de Danaan when they first came to Ireland
(27). He lost his arm in the first battle of Magh Tuireadh and hence,
he lost the kingship (31). Diancecht fashioned an articulated arm of
silver for him and he was called Nuada Argat-lamh, of the Silver Hand,
for ever after (34), even though Miach later restored his original
hand (34). After that, he was restored to the kingship (35). The
father of Tadg (68) and Gaible (81), he was killed by Balor in the
second battle of Magh Tuireadh (65)
Octriallach - son of Indech, he was one of the Fomor who took part in
the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (61) On his advice, the Fomor
threw stones into the well of Slane until it was dried up and a cairn
raised over it, that was called Octriallach's Cairn (64). He killed
Cassmail in the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (65).
Octriallach's Cairn - see Octriallach (64)
Octruil - the son of Diancecht and brother of Airmed, he helped them
in their healing work at the well of Slaine (64)
Ogham - the stone raised over Cian's grave had his name written on it
in Ogham (47), the script of pre-Christian Ireland which was invented
by Ogma (DIM)
Ogma - styled 'the shining poet' (32), father of Tuireann (43) and
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brother of Nuada, he was a champion among the Tuatha de Danaan (37),
and taught them writing (27) He found the sword Orna at the second
battle of Magh Tuireadh (66)
Oilell - of Aran, his three daughters were Aobh, Aoife, and Ailbhe
(124)
Olioll - see Cian (114)
Orna - the sword of Tethra found by Ogma at the second battle of Magh
Tuireadh, it had the power to tell of all the deeds that had been done
by it (66)
Pisear - the King of Persia killed by Brian (54), he was the owner of
the Luan, a deadly spear that was among the payments that Lugh
demanded from the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (49)
Plain of Muirthemne - the place where Cian was killed by the sons of
Tuireann (43)
Plain of the Two Mists - a beautiful plain where Goll fell in battle
against Laegaire (122)
Plain of Victory - in Manannan's country (114)
Pleasant Plain - see Magh Mell (113)
Prison of the Grey of Macha - in the house of the Dagda at the Brugh
na Boinne (80)
Rachlainn - in the sea, from which a young man of the Tuatha gave the
sons of Lugaidh Menn magical wedding gifts (79)
Rath Chobtaige - between this rath and Teamhair was the rath given by
Angus Og to the sons of Lugaidh Menn (79)
Rath of Aedh of the Poets - see Aedh (78)
Red Branch of Ulster - Conall Cearnach was of that line (75)
Riagall - see Camel (37)
Rider of the Wave of Tuaidh - mentioned briefly in Ethne's complaint
(58)
Riders of the Fomor - from Lochlann, seven battalions of them
accompanied Bres to do battle against Lugh (42)
Riders of the Sidh - from the Land of Promise, they accompanied Lugh
on his return to Teamhair (41), and again in his battle with Bres and
his army of the Fomor at Magh Mor an Aonaigh (45)
Rogh - see Fergus (75)
Ruadan - son of Bres and of Brigit, he was sent to spy on the Tuatha
De Danaan during the second battle of Magh Tuireadh, but was killed by
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Goibniu after he tried to kill him (64)
Rudrach - he and his brother Dergcroche were the two kings of
Inislocha (117)
Ruide - along with Eochaid and Fiacha, one of the sons of Lugaidh
Menn, King of Ireland (78)
Ruirtech - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Sal - see Eochaid (121)
salmon of knowledge, five - see hazels of wisdom (28)
Samair - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Samhain - (Sow-in) after the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh, only four
men of the Fomor were left in Ireland, and they were driven out one
Samhain night by Morrigu and Angus Og (67)
Samthainn - brother of Cian and Goibniu, he lived with them at Druim
na Teine (39)
Scathniamh - (Scau-nee-av) styled 'the Flower of Brightness', she was
a daughter of Bodb Dearg who gave her love to Caoilte (80)
Sceilg Michill - the small island where Ir was buried (73)
Scetne - the place where the host of the Fomor landed in Ireland just
before the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (60)
Scota - the wife of Miled, she was killed in the first battle fought
between the Tuatha De Danaan and the Sons of the Gael (75)
Scuabtuine - styled 'the Sweeper of the Waves', it was Manannan's
curragh, which was often used by Lugh and kept at Brugh na Boinn (50)
Seanchab - grandson of Neid, he was one of the chief men of the Fomor
(42)
Sean-Slieve - Lugh passed the head of it on his way to do battle with
Bres (45)
Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh - at Magh Tuireadh (2), it is where the
great battle between the Tuatha De Danaan and the Fomor took place
(63), after which there were only four men of the Fomor left in
Ireland, till they were driven out one Samhain night by Morrigu and
Angus Og (67)
Segois - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Senias - one of the four wise men and teachers of the Tuatha De Danaan
before they came to Ireland. His home was Murias (27).
Sgoith Gleigeil - styled 'the White Flower', he was one of the sons of
Manannan. His brothers included Goitne Gorm-Shuileach, Sine Sindearg,
and Donall Donn-Ruadh. His foster brother was Lugh (41).
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Shannon - a river containing the ford of Athluain (45), it was named
after Sionan, one of the only women (probably a goddess) to eat of the
salmon of knowledge (DIM)
Sidhe Femen - (Shee -----) home of Bodb Dearg, and he put great
enchantments about it (77)
Sidhe Fionnachaidh - the Hill of the White Field, on Slieve Fuad; the
home of Lir (77)
Sine Sindearg - styled 'of the Red Ring', he was one of the sons of
Manannan. His brothers included Sgoith Gleigeil, Goitne
Gorm-Shuileach, and Donall Donn-Ruadh. His foster brother was Lugh
(41).
Siogair - see Dobar (49)
Sionnan - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62), a
variant of Shannon (q.v.)
Sital Salmhor - one of the chief men of the Fomor (42)
Siuir - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Slaine - lying to the west of Magh Tuireadh (2) to the east of Loch
Arboch, the well of Slaine was used by Diancecht, Octruil, and Airmed
to restore to lifethe slain warriors of the Tuatha De Danaan in the
second battle of Magh Tuireadh (64)
Slane - vaiant of Slaine (q.v.) (64)
Slieve Bladma - (Sleev ------) one of the twelve chief mountains of
Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Slieve Cuailgne - the place where Cuailgne was killed (75)
Slieve Eibhline - the place where the Sons of the Gael met Fodhla (71)
Slieve Fuad - the place where Fuad was killed (75), and the location
of Sidhe Fionnachaidh (77)
Slieve Leag - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Slieve Macca Belgodon - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland
(q.v.) (62)
Slieve Mis - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62),
it is where the Sons of the Gael met Banba, and Amergin talked with
her (71)
Slieve Snechtae - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.)
(62)
Sligech - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62)
Sons of the Gael - also called the sons of Gaedhal, they came from the
south to invade Ireland and avenge the death of Ith, one of their race
who had come to Ireland before and met his death there (71)
Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD
450
Spear of Victory - one of the four great treasures the Tuatha De
Danaan brought to Ireland from the north. It came from the city of
Finias (27).
Sreng - a great fighting man of the Firbolgs, he was sent to meet the
Tuatha De Danaan when they first came to Ireland (28). He led the
forces of the Firbolgs after King Eochaid fell (31), and it was he
that struck off Nuada's arm (31).
Stone of Virtue - the Lia Fail (q.v.) (27)
streams of wisdom, seven - see hazels of wisdom (28)
Sweetheart of the Sidhe - see Leanan Sidhe (86)
Sword - one of the four great treasures the Tuatha De Danaan brought
to Ireland from the north. It came from the city of Gorias (27).
Tabarn - see Cathmann (114)
Tadg (1) - (Teig) son of Nuada and husband of Ethlinn and, by her,
father of Muirne and Tuiren (68)
Tadg (2) - the son of Cianand and brother of Airnelach and Eoghan, he
went to the Land of the Ever-Living Ones (114) on his journey to
rescue his wife, Liban, and his two brothers (120)
Taillte - daughter of the king of Magh Mor and wife of Duach and
foster-mother of Lugh, she died during Lugh's kingship and was buried
on the plain of Midhe and is honored each summer by fires and keening
and games and sports at the place called Taillten (68)
Taillten - named after Taillte, it is the place where fires, keening,
games and sports are held each summer in her honor (68)
Tailltin - (probably a variant of Taillten) it is the place Eriu's
forces were driven back to during the first battle between the Sons of
the Gael and the Tuatha De Danaan, and where the Battle of Tailltin
(q.v.) was subsequently fought (75)
Tarba - the oak-wood where Niall caught up with Cailcheir (81)
Teamhair - (T'yower, or Tavvir) residence of Eochaid when the Tuatha
de Danaan first came to Ireland (28). The Tuatha de Danaan took
possession of it after the first battle of Magh Tuireadh, and from
that time it was the chief place of Ireland, for its king was the High
King. It was sometimes called Druim Cain, the Beautiful Ridge, and
Liath-druim, the Grey Ridge, and Druim na Descan, the Ridge of the
Outlook. The king's rath lay to the north (31). The Dagda made his
home here after losing the Brugh na Boinne to Angus (82)
Tethra - a king of the Fomor, he owned the sword called Orna that was
later found by Ogma (66)
Three Gods of Craftsmanship - Credne, Luchtar, and Goibniu (DIM)
Tiabhal - one of the Queens of the sea, her image was placed by Culain
Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD
451
on Conchubar's magical shield (98)
Tir Tairngaire - the Land of Promise, Manannan's country (111)
Tir-nam-Beo - the Land of the Ever-Living Ones, Manannan's country
(113)
Tower of Glass - on the Island of the Tower of Glass (q.v.), it was
the home of Balor (38)
Traig Mor - the Great Strand, in Manannan's country (114)
Traigh Eothaile - the strand where King Eochaid fell in the battle
against the Tuatha de Danaan. He was buried there with a great heap
of stones raised over his grave (30).
Treon - of the Tuatha De Danaan; see Gebann (119)
Trogain - see Fertuinne (79)
Tuag - fosterling of Conaire the High King, she was loved by Manannan,
but his pupil Fer Ferdiad failed in his attempt to bring her to
Manannan, and the girl drowned (98)
Tuaidh - see Rider of the Wave of Tuaidh (58)
Tuatha de Danaan - (Too-a-ha-dae Donnan) styled 'the Men of Dea', the
people of the gods of Dana who came from the North through the air in
a mist to Ireland (27). They landed in north-west Connacht on
Beltaine (28).
Tuirbe - father of Goibniu the Smith, he was famous for the cast of
his axe (81)
Tuireann - son of Ogma, his own three sons were Brian, Iuchar, and
Iucharba (47) and his daughter was Ethne. His sons had a
long-standing feud with the three sons of Cainte and they killed Cian
on the Plain of Muirthemne (43)
Tuiren - daughter of Ethlinn and Tadg, sister of Muirne, and mother of
Bran (68)
Tuis - the King of Greece, killed by Brian (53), he was owner of a
healing pig-skin that was among the payments that Lugh demanded from
the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (48)
Tulach na Bela - 'the Hill of the Axe', place from which Tuirbe would
cast his axe (81)
twelve chief lochs of Ireland - they are Derc-Loch, Loch Luimnech,
Loch Orbsen, Loch Righ, Loch Mescdhae, Loch Cuan, Loch Laeig, Loch
Echach, Loch Febail, Loch Decket, Loch Riach, and Mor-Loch (62)
twelve chief mountains of Ireland - they are Slieve Leag, Denda Ulad,
Bennai Boirche, Bri Ruri, Slieve Bladma, Slieve Snechtae, Slieve Mis,
Blai-Slieve, Nemthann, Slieve Macca Belgodon, Segois, and Cruachan
Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD
452
Aigle (62)
twelve chief rivers of Ireland - they are the Buas, the Boinn, the
Banna, the Nem, the Laoi, the Sionnan, the Muaid, the Sligech, the
Samair, the Fionn, the Ruirtech and the Siuir (62)
Uaitne - also called Dur-da-Bla and Coir-cethar-chuin, it was the
Dagda's magic harp which was taken by the Fomor during the second
battle of Magh Tuireadh. Lugh and the Dagda and Ogma went to retrieve
it. When the Dagda called to it, it sprang toward him, killing nine
men of the Fomor on its way. The Dagda then played the sleeping
strain and as the Fomor slept, he restored to Ireland all the cattle
that the Fomor had taken in tribute. (67)
Uillenn Faebarderg - of the Red Edge, some say he killed Manannan in
battle at Magh Cuilenn (96).
Uisnech - mentioned briefly in Ethne's complaint (58), the place where
the five provinces meet, and the first place there was ever a fire
kindled in Ireland (by Mide). Some say that Lugh died there (68).
The hill of Uisnech is where the Sons of the Gael met Eriu, and Eremon
spoke with her (72).
Ullad Echne - it lay to the south of the river Unius (61)
Un - the husband of Fais (75)
Unius - a river of Connacht where the Morrigu was washing herself when
the Dagda returned from the camp of the Fomor (61). The foot of the
Unius was called the Ford of Destruction since the second battle of
Magh Tuireadh (66)
Urias - styled 'of the noble nature', one of the four wise men and
teachers of the Tuatha de Danaan before they came to Ireland. His
home was Gorias (27).
Valley of Fais - a valley at the foot of a mountain, it is were Fais
was killed (75)
Valley of the Mata - near the house of the Dagda at Brugh na Boinne
(80)
Wall of the Three Whispers - in Teamhair, it was near the House of the
Women (31)
Wave of Tuaidh - see Rider of the Wave of Tuaidh (58)
Whisper of the Men of Dea - see Grellach Dollaid (40)
Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD
BOOK OF SHADOWS
BOOK THE SECOND
PP. 453 - 906
RIDERS OF THE CRYSTAL WIND
TABLE OF CONTENTS
A Minster Speaks Out (J. gordon Melton) .........................975
A Plea For Initiation Standards (Ellen Cannon Reed) .............908
A Tale of Two Witches (Mike Nichols) ............................147
All Hallows Eve (Mike Nichols) ..................................137
Altar Dedication (Durwydd) .....................................125
Amazing (Pagan?) Grace ..........................................959
Ancient Art, The ................................................551
Answers (Grove of the Unicorn) ..................................479
Asatru (Rathulvf Jamieson) ......................................952
Astral Projection (Monroe Technique) ............................783
Athame Dedication (Durwydd) .....................................125
Autarchic Creed .................................................562
Banes, Bindings, and Mirrors (Judy Harrow, Hugh Read) ...........628
Bare Bones 3rd Degree (Humor) ...................................463
Basic Beliefs of WICCA (C.O.G.) .................................947
Basic Love Spell ................................................958
Basic Spell Construction ........................................113
Basic Principles (American Council of Witches)...................310
Basic Ritual Outline (ED FITCH) ...................................6
Beltaine Ritual (Firestar Coven, 1986) ...........................36
Beltane Ritual (Seastrider) .....................................464
Beltane, Its Origins (Rowan Moonstone) ..........................126
Bible, Books not included .......................................652
Bibliography (annotated) ........................................929
Binding A Spell (Farrar & Farrar) ...............................157
Blood Sacrifice (Althea Whitebirch) .............................547
Burning Times, The (Marios) .....................................951
C.O.G. Pledge ...................................................309
Channeling (Jast) ...............................................969
"Condensed" Definition of Wicca (Lady Phoenix) ..................948
Candle Colors ...................................................982
Candle Magic ....................................................417
Candle Scents ...................................................988
Candlemas (Gwydion) .............................................537
Candlemas (Mike Nichols) ........................................168
Catharsis Circle (Judy Harrow).....................................8
Cauldrons (Elemental)............................................420
CELTIC NUMEROLOGY (Mike Nichols) ................................454
CELTIC BIBLIOGRAPHY (Rowan Moonstone) ...........................298
Chants w/ASCII Notation (L.A.Hussey) ...........................1081
Chaos Magic (Mark Chao) .........................................398
Charge of the Phone Goddess (Magenta Griffith) ..................759
Charge of the Goddess, The ......................................193
Charge of The Horned God, The ...................................936
Check List for A Well Working Group (Earthrite BBS) .............957
Church of All Worlds ............................................353
Christian "Cults" ..............................................1000
Circle Closing ..................................................540
Circle Casting (Avaloian)........................................541
Circle Purification for Asthmatics ..............................780
Circle Casting (after Valiente and Farrar) ......................130
Circles, why use them? (Mel White) ...............................65
Cleansing (Rowan Moonstone) .......................................2
Comparison of Wicca and Christianity.............................622
Computer Blessing (Zahai Stewart) ...............................757
Coven Offices ...................................................762
Coven Leadership ................................................543
Covenant of the Goddess .........................................305
Consciousness & Politics (Carol Moore).........................
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
Craft Ethics (J. Crowley) .......................................751
Creation Story ..................................................619
Creed Of The People Of God (Catholic) ..........................1005
Crone Energies (Grey Cat) .......................................559
Crystals, their care and feeding (Matrika).......................413
Cult Danger Evaluation Frame (P.E.I.Bonewits) ...................343
CUUPS (C.O.G. Salt Lake City) ..................................1002
"Dark Night of the Soul".........................................286
DCW Landmarks ...................................................492
Degrees within Covens ...........................................623
Deity Engineering Worksheet .....................................607
Denver Area Wiccan Network ......................................200
Descent of The Goddess (Sewna Silvara) ..........................750
Dianic Wicca (Inanna Seastar) ...................................614
Divination (Bibliography) .......................................605
Divination (RMPJ) ...............................................603
Drawing Down the Moon ...........................................557
Dream Problem Solving ...........................................573
Dream Bibliography ..............................................576
Dream Life ......................................................571
Dream-News ......................................................567
Dreams Precognition .............................................575
Dying God (Ammond ShadowCraft)...................................685
Eclectic Circle Ceremony (Durwydd) ...............................40
EcoMagick .......................................................614
Eight Paths to Altered States (Carrie McMasters).................222
Elements, A Hermetic Summoning (Marios) .........................960
Elemental Correspondences (from Starhawk) .......................979
Elemental Correspondences .......................................560
Ethics and Morals (RMPJ) ........................................315
Ethics and Magick (Warren Stott) ................................415
Ethics and Love Magick (Mike Nichols) ...........................554
Ethics or Etiquette .............................................565
Etymology of "Wicca" ............................................356
Evolution of Wiccan Ritual (Paul Hume) ..........................946
Exorcism ........................................................613
Festivals .......................................................587
Film Guide '89 (Mike Nichols)....................................528
First Degree, What is it? .......................................351
FISH (Creative use of Christian Symbology) ......................611
Five Fold Kiss ..................................................744
Fool ............................................................590
Fortune, The (RMPJ) .............................................953
Full Deck Tarot Spread ..........................................625
Full Moon Ritual (Seastrider)....................................634
Fundamentals of Human Ecology ...................................616
Glossary (Rowan Moonstone & Durwydd MacTara) ....................206
Gnosticism.......................................................694
God/Goddess Balance (Adrienne)...................................223
Golden Dawn (Calif.).............................................689
Golden Dawn Training (outline)...................................691
Goodwife (Story by L.A. Hussey) .................................644
Great Rite, The (Symbolic) ......................................656
Greek Fire Initiation............................................982
Halloween, Origins of (Rowan Moonstone) ..........................26
Handfasting ......................................................68
Harvest Home (Mike Nichols) .....................................176
Harvest Thoughts (Gary Dumbauld) ................................630
Harvest Home - 1987 (Michael Fix) ................................13
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
Heal The Earth (a meditation) ...................................661
Healing (one method) ............................................655
Healing Myth (Nihasa) ...........................................165
Helpful Hints (Humor) ...........................................966
Heretic's Corner (RMPJ) .........................................869
Heyokah (RMPJ) ..................................................632
Hidden Codes in the Torah .......................................733
High Technology Meets The Ancient Wisdom ........................964
History (Weyland Smith) .........................................786
History of Witch Craft ..........................................791
Homeblessing (Selena Fox) .......................................663
Hypnosis 101 ....................................................667
Imbolc (Solitary Ritual) ........................................664
Initiation, Outdoor (adaptation) .................................72
Initiation (Brad Hicks) ..........................................50
Introductory Book List ..........................................926
INVOCATIONS
Freyja (unknown) ............................................56
Frigg (Russ Anderson) .......................................55
Brigit (Russ Anderson) ......................................57
Baldur (unknown) ............................................55
Freyr (unknown) .............................................56
Herne (unknown) .............................................57
Thorr (unknown) .............................................58
Irish Myth Concordance (Mike Nichols) ...........................422
Ishtar ..........................................................740
Issian Circle (Matrika) ..........................................59
K.A.M. ..........................................................735
Kabballah (Colin Low)............................................236
Kali and Modern Physics .........................................730
Keltria (The Henge of) ..........................................739
Lady Day (Mike Nichols) .........................................171
Lammas (Mike Nichols) ...........................................174
"Landmarks" (D.C.W.) ............................................990
LBRP, an Essay (Tim Maroney) ....................................103
Learning Process ................................................962
Lilith (BBS Conversation) ......................................1083
LLEW, Death of (Mike Nichols) ...................................179
Lucid Dreaming (Omni Magazine) ..................................955
MABON Outline (anonymous) ........................................43
Magick, Physics, & Probability (Hurn) ...........................811
Magick (A. Crowley) .............................................817
Magick Vs. Prayer (Salgamma) ....................................684
Magickal Book List ..............................................923
Magick Course Outline (Amber K.).................................815
Magickal Ethics (Judy Harrow) ...................................502
Magickal History (Fra.: Apfelman) ...............................406
Magickal Definitions (RMPJ) .....................................814
Magickal Laws (after P.E.I. Bonewits) ...........................831
Magickal Musical Selection Guide ...............................1079
Magickal Pyramid, The (Durwydd MacTara).........................1096
Magickal Stones & Gems ..........................................912
Manhood Rituals (RMPJ) ..........................................760
Mantra Web technique ............................................288
Mayan Deities (777 Supplement) ..................................834
Mayday Celebration (Mike Nichols) ...............................837
MAYDAY Celebration (Mike Nichols) ................................79
Media Management (Windfire Coven) ...............................851
Maychants (4) (Tanscribed by SeaStrider).........................911
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
Memory & Perception, a new Model (Paul Seymour).................1077
Midsummer (Mike Nichols) .........................................45
Mind Control Techniques (Dick Sutphen) ..........................512
Models of Magick (incomplete)....................................216
Modern Pagaism, Q&A .............................................920
Modern Pagan Persecution (Jonathan Hutchins) ....................942
Mothers Day Message ............................................1076
Monotheism vs. Polytheism (Dan Holdgriewe) ......................941
Mycenaen Mysteries (J. Teller)...................................365
Mystical Pentagram ..............................................110
Nature Spirit Magick (Larry Cornett) ............................357
Necromancy (reprint) ............................................841
Neo-Pagan Ritual (Brad Hicks) ....................................77
Neo-Paganism (J. Brad Hicks) ....................................329
NeoPagism (Eric S. Raymond) .....................................333
NLP- Applied Magic (Brandy Williams).............................459
NROOGD SAMHAIN - 1987 (l.a. Hussey) ..............................21
Occult Resurgence, A theory .....................................224
ODINISM, What is it? ............................................764
Open Circle Ethics (Brandy Williams) ............................377
Open Letter to A New Witch ......................................910
Open Letter to Selena Fox (Isaac Bonewits) .....................1089
Opening (ending) The Circle ......................................12
Origins of the Mandan (Madoc) ...................................949
Pantacle, The (Gary Dumbauld) ...................................392
Personal effects of Ritual (Nihasa) .............................868
Polarity and Single Sex Covens (Marios) .........................945
Pornography & Pagan Ideals ......................................972
Power Animals (RMPJ).............................................411
Psychic Self-Defense ............................................594
Psychic Attack ..................................................563
"Quantum" Kaballah...............................................282
Quantum Magick (Larry Cornett) ..................................857
Quilting and "Craft" (J.M. Cortese) ............................1103
Rainforest Ritual (Michael Harismedes, 1988) ....................212
Ritual Bath (Sewna Silvara) .....................................745
Runes, What are they? (Lokrien) .................................215
Runic Thorn Ritual (Faunus) ....................................1097
Sangreal Sodality, The (Alfgar Maharg) ..........................944
Samhain Notes (Farrar)...........................................143
Samhain Ritual (L. A. Hussey) ....................................19
Samhain Ritual (O.T.O.) .........................................145
Samhain (United Wiccan Church) ..................................141
Satanism vs. Wicca (Diane Vera)..................................194
Saxon Wicca (Matrika) ...........................................158
Scorpio Dragon (Sewna Silvara) ..................................749
Second Degree (Gary Dumbauld) .....................................3
Sex and Magick (Fra. Apfelmann)..................................231
Shamanic Binding (Gaffer Maccluiunn) ............................937
Shamanic Lifeways Fellowship (Michelle Haas) ....................384
Smudging (Michelle Haas) ........................................184
Solitary Moon Rite, Issian (Ellen Cannon Reed) .................1100
Sophia and Gnosticism (Terry J. McCombs) .......................1105
Spitual Emergence or Emergency (Paul Seymour) ...................939
Spring Equinox (Farrar and Farrar) ..............................182
Standing Stones Book Of Shadows (Scott Cunninham) ..............1010
Strings On The Winds (Bardic Fiction)............................778
"Super-Dimensionality" ..........................................289
Taleisin's thoughts .............................................676
iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
Tea Ritual (Sewna Silvara, Triskelion)...........................747
Technology and The Craft (Fun!) .................................132
The Postures of Ecstasy .........................................617
Tool List (Seastrider) ..........................................136
Tool Blessing Ritual ............................................122
Tool Consecration ................................................17
Traditional Wicca (K.A.M.) ......................................186
Trickster Energies ..............................................234
Twelve Exercises Nobody Needs ...................................619
Wartime (Michelle Haas, 1991) ...................................117
Watch Towers, Rethinking The (Mike Nichols) .....................344
What is WICCA? (Texas Pamphlet) .................................322
What is Shamanism? (Michelle Haas) ..............................354
What is Wicca? (Amber K.) .......................................340
Wicca, from My Point of View (Lady Phoenix) .....................149
Wiccan Information Network .....................................1087
Wiccan Way, The .................................................192
Wiccan Pentagram Ritual (Paul Hume) ..............................98
Wiccan Traditions, A comparison (Hurn, RMPJ) ....................154
Wiccan Path (Madoc)..............................................227
Wiccan Shamanism (Selena Fox) ...................................162
Wiccan Principles (American Council of Witches, 1974)............190
Wiccan Rede, An Exegesis (Judy Harrow) ..........................317
Witchcraft Q&A (Dr. Leo Martello) ...............................150
Witches Creed (Doreen Valiente_ .................................320
Women vs. Men (Michele Haas).....................................195
YULE (Mike Nichols) ..............................................84
Yule in Britain (Tana) ...........................................94
Yule Ritual (Starhawk) ...........................................88
v
453
{file "CELTIC NUMEROLOGY (Mike Nichols)" "bos107.htm"}
TOWARD A CELTIC NUMEROLOGY
==========================
by Mike Nichols
'...I have been a word among letters.'
--the Book of Taliesyn, VIII
What's in a word? Or a name? What special power resides in a
word, connecting it so intimately to the very thing it symbolizes?
Does each word or name have its own 'vibration', as is generally
believed by those of us who follow the Western occult tradition? And
if so, how do we begin to unravel its meaning? Just what,
exactly, is in a word? Well, LETTERS are in a word. In fact, letters
COMPRISE the word. Which is why Taliesyn's remark had always puzzled
me. Why didn't he say he had been a 'letter among words'? That, at
least, would seem to make more logical sense than saying he had been a
'word among letters', which seems backwards. Unless...
Unless he was trying to tell us that the word is NOT the important
thing -- the critical thing is the LETTERS that make up a word! The
Welsh bard Taliesyn was, after all, a pretty gifted fellow. He
certainly put all the other bards at Maelgwyn's court to shame. And
over the years, I've learned never to take his statements lightly --
even his most enigmatic statements. Perhaps he was really suggesting
that, in order to understand the true meaning of a word or name, one
must first analyze the letters that comprise it. Of course, this is
certainly not a new theory. Any student of arcane lore would at
once recognize this concept as belonging in the opening remarks of
any standard text on numerology. But to read the same meaning behind
a line of poetry penned by a 6th century Welsh bard may be a bit
surprising. Is it possible that the Celts had their own system of
numerology?
Let us begin the quest by asking ourselves what we know about
numerology in general. Most of our modern knowledge of numerology has
been gleaned from ancient Hebrew tradition, which states that the true
essence of anything is enshrined in its name. But there are so many
names and words in any given language that it becomes necessary to
reduce each word to one of a small number of 'types' -- in this case,
numerological types from 1 to 9 (plus any master numbers of 11, 22,
etc.). This is easily accomplished by assigning a numerical value to
each letter of the alphabet, i.e. A=1, B=2, C=3, and so on. Thus, to
obtain the numerical value of any word, one simply has to add up the
numerical values of all the letters which comprise the word. If the
sum is a two digit number, the two digits are then added to each other
(except in the case of 11, 22, etc.) to obtain the single digit
numerical value of the entire word, which may then be analyzed by
traditional Pythagorean standards.
454
The problemhas always been howto be sure ofthe numerical value
of each letter. Why SHOULD A equal 1, or B equal 2, or Q equal 8?
Where did these values come from? Who assigned them? Fortunately,
the answer to this is quite simple in most cases. Many ancient
languages used letters of the alphabet to stand for numbers (Roman
numerals being the most familiar example). Ancient Hebrew, for
instance, had no purely numerical symbols -- like our 1, 2, 3, etc. --
so their letters of the alphabet had to do double duty as numbers as
well. One had to discern from the context whether the symbol was
meant as letter or number. This was true of classical Latin, as well.
Thus, in languages such as these, it is easy to see how a number
became associated with a letter: the letter WAS the number.
It is a bit more difficult to see how the associations in 'modern'
numerology came into being. The modern numerological table consists
of the numbers 1 through 9, under which the alphabet from A through Z
is written in standard order:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
---------------------------------
A B C D E F G H I
J K L M N O P Q R
S T U V W X Y Z
This arrangement seems somewhat arbitrary, at best. At the very
least, it is difficult to sense any 'intrinsically meaningful'
relationship between a letter and its numerical value. After all, our
modern alphabetical symbols and our modern numerical symbols (Arabic)
come from two completely different sources and cultures.
For this reason, many contemporary numerologists prefer the
ancient Hebrew system because, at least here, there is a known
connection between letter and number. However, when we attempt to
adapt this system to the English language, a whole new set of problems
crops up. For one, the entire alphabet is arranged in a different
order and some of our modern letters have NO Hebrew equivalents.
Thus, based on the Hebrew alphabet, the only letters for which we have
numerical values are the following:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
------------------------------------
A B G D H V Z P
Y K L M N W
Q R S T
Obviously, a modernnumerologist wouldn't get veryfar with this
table. In order to compensate for the missing letters in the Hebrew
system, most modern textbooks on numerology 'fill in' the missing
letters by 'borrowing' numerical values from the Greek alphabet, thus
mixing cultural symbols in an eclectic approach that is not entirely
convincing.
455
Another problem is the exclusion of the number 9 from the table --
which modern textbooks often 'explain' by saying that the Hebrews did
not use the number 9, since it was a 'sacred' and 'mystical' number.
The real truth, however, is far less esoteric. The fact is, the
Hebrew alphabet DID have letters with the numerical value of 9 -- the
letters Teth and Sade. But, since Teth and Sade do not have
equivalents in our modern English alphabet, the 9 value must be left
out.
And finally, it is once again difficult to see any INTRINSIC
relationship between a Hebrew letter and the number it represents.
Why should one symbol stand for 1, or another for 2, or yet another
for 3, and so on? The whole superstructure seems somewhat shaky.
But letus now turn our attention to a Celtic alphabetic system
called the 'Ogham'. This alphabet is written by making a number of
short strokes (from 1 to 5) below, above, or through a 'base line'
(which in practice tended to be the edge of a standing stone). Thus,
A, O, U, E, and I would be written, respectively:
---/----//----///----////----/////---
Of course, in this system it is easy to see how a letter becomes
associated with a number, since the numerical value of each letter is
implicit. Thus, A=1, O=2, U=3, E=4, and I=5. (It is true there is
much disagreement and confusion among modern scholars as to how the
Ogham alphabet should be rendered. Further, a number of different
Oghams seem to have been employed at various times by different
Celtic cultures. But this confusion usually centers on whether the
strokes should be above, below, or through the base line -- NOT on the
number of strokes used. On that point, there is general agreement.
And though orientation to the base line is important, it is not
essential to our discussion of numerology, since we need only concern
ourselves with the NUMBER of strokes used.)
Thus, based on the work of such scholars as P.C. Power, S.
Ferguson, D. Diringer, I. Williams, L. Spence, and D. Conway, I have
synthesized the following table of Celtic numerology:
1 2 3 4 5
---------------------------------
A D T C I
B G U E N
H L V F P
M O W J Q
X K R
S Y
Z
456
Using this table, the student of Celtic numerology would then proceed
to analyze any word in the generally accepted manner. One should not
be concerned that the numbers 6, 7, 8, and 9 do not appear in this
system, as the Ogham alphabet had NO letters with these values (as
opposed to the Hebrew alphabet which DID have letters with the missing
9 value, as mentioned earlier). Another consideration is that the
Ogham alphabet is just that -- an alphabet. It never represented
any particular language, and historically it has been employed by
many different languages. Again by contrast, the Hebrew alphabet was
structured for a particular language -- Hebrew -- and many problems
arise when we attempt to adapt it to a language for which it is not
suited.
Althoughthe Ogham alphabet onlyhas letter valuesfrom 1 through
5, all of the numbers from 1 through 9 (plus any master numbers of 11,
22, etc.) will be used in the final analysis (just as in the Hebrew
system). To understand how this works, let us try an example. We
will use the name of the Welsh goddess Rhiannon:
R + H + I + A + N + N + O + N
5 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 5 + 5 + 2 + 5 = 29
2 + 9 = 11
Most numerologists will agree that
11 is a 'master number' or 'power number' and therefore it is not
further reduced by adding the two digits (although, if one does this,
1 + 1 = 2, and 2 is considered the first even and feminine number in
the numerical sequence, certainly appropriate for a Welsh Mother
Goddess). Viewed as an 11, the analysis is usually that of someone
who is on a 'higher plane of existence' (certainly appropriate for
a goddess), someone who brings 'mystical revelation'. Often this is
someone who feels slightly distant from the people surrounding him or
her, and who has trouble feeling any real empathy for them (which
seems to fit a faery queen who has come to live in the land of
mortals). Also, this is sometimes the number of the martyr,
or of someone unjustly accused (which is certainly true of Rhiannon's
story as told in the 'Mabinogi', in which she is falsely accused of
destroying her own son).
By way of contrast,the 'modern' system would haveRhiannon be a
3, a somewhat inappropriate masculine number (not that all feminine
names should always yield a feminine number -- but one would at least
expect it to do so in the case of an archetypal mother goddess). The
Hebrew system would yield an even more inappropriate 4, that being the
number of the material world and all things physical (and since
Rhiannon hails from faery, she is definitely not of this material
plane.)
457
By now, some of my more thoughtful readers may think they see some
inconsistency in my approach. Why have I gone to so much trouble to
point up the flaws in traditional systems of numerology (even going so
far as to suggest an entirely new system), only to fall back on
interpretations of the numbers that are strictly traditional? The
reason is this: all of my objections thus far have been limited to
METHODOLOGY. When it comes to interpreting the meaning of the
numbers, I have no quarrel with the traditional approach, since here
we enter the field of universal symbolism. All systems of
numerology, be they Hebrew, modern, Oriental, or whatever, tend to
attach the same interpretive meaning to the numbers. When Three Dog
Night sings, 'One is the loneliest number that you'll ever know...',
it is a statement which is immediately understood and agreed upon by
people from widely diverse cultures. And the same holds true for all
other numbers, for we are here dealing with archetypal symbols.
It is worth repeating that, although I believe this system to have
a firm theoretical basis, it is still in an embryonic state -- highly
tentative, highly speculative. To the best of my knowledge, it is
also an original contribution to the field of numerology. While some
writers (notably Robert Graves in 'The White Goddess') have dealt with
the numerical values of Ogham letters, I believe this article is the
first instance of employing it specifically as a system of numerology.
I have spent many long hours working with Celtic numerology -- putting
abstract theory to use in practical application -- but much work
remains to be done. For this reason, I would be happy to hear from
readers who are interested in the subject and who would like to
share their own experiences and thoughts.
458
{file "Bare Bones 3rd Degree (Humor)" "bos109.htm"}
Bare Bones
Third Degree Elevation (spoof)
(Emphasis on action with minimal vocal requirements.)
by Orion
1. Ritual Bath - Both play in water for an inappropriately long time.
2. Casting of Circle - Cast in the usual manner with items at hand.
3. Reason and Challenge - "You're here for Thirds. Are you ready for
the test?
4. Response - "Ready, willing and able!"
5. The Mystery - Perform Great Rite multiple times until sated or worn
out.
6. Cakes and Wine - Required in order to continue.
7. Reprise - Repeat step 5 if desired.
8. Closing of Circle - Must be done before falling asleep.
463
{file "Beltane Ritual (Seastrider)" "bos110.htm"}
BELTANE
This a Pagan Ritual file, of interest to Neo-Pagans,specifically
Wiccan based religions.
Equipment- see standard list
Set up a candle in each of the four cardinal directions. Lay the
rest of the tools on the altar cloth or near it. The altar can be on
the ground, a table, a rock or a stump. The altar should be in the
center or just north of center of the Circle. Light the six candles
and the incense, start the music and begin the ritual.
The Beltane ritual should start before sunrise or in the evening
of April 30th. This is to welcome the sun in and to make effective use
of the bonfire. The party or the ritual should finish some time after
sunrise.
THE RITUAL
Facing North, the High Priest and Priestess kneel in front of the
altar with him to her right. She puts the bowl of water on the altar,
places the point of her athame in it and says:
"I exorcise thee, O Creature of Water, that thou cast out from
thee all impurities and uncleanliness of the world of phantasm; in the
names of Cernunnos and Aradia"
She then puts down her athame and holds up the bowl of water in both
hands. The High Priest puts the bowl of salt on the altar, puts his
athame in the salt and says:
"Blessings be upon this Creature of Salt; let all malignity and
hindrance be cast forth hencefrom, and let all good enter herein;
wherefore so I bless thee,that thou mayest aid me, in the names of
Cernunnos and Aradia."
He then puts down his athame and pours the salt into the bowl of water
the High Priestess is holding. The High Priest then stands with the
rest of the Coven outside the Circle. The High Priestess then draws
the Circle with the sword, leaving a gap in the Northeast section.
While drawing the Circle, she should visualize the power flowing into
the Circle from off the end of the sword. She draws the Circle in a
East to North or deosil or clockwise direction. She says:
"I conjure thee, O Circle of Power, that thou beest a meeting
place of love and joy and truth; a shield against all wickedness
and evil; a boundary between men and the realms of the Mighty
Ones; a rampart and protection that shall preserve and contain t h e
power that we shall raise within thee. Wherefore do I bless thee
and consecrate thee, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia."
464
The High Priestess lays down the sword and admits the High Priest with
a kiss while spinning him deosil and whispers:
"Blessed Be"
He then admits a women the same way. Alternate-male-female-male. Then
the High Priestess finishes closing the Circle with the sword. She
then names three witches to help strengthen the Circle. The first
witch carries the bowl of consecrated water from East to East going
deosil, sprinkling the perimeter as she/he goes. They then sprinkle
each member in turn. If the witch is male, he sprinkles the High
Priestess last who then sprinkles him. If female she sprinkles the
High Priest last, who then sprinkles her. The bowl is replaced on the
altar. The second witch takes the incense burner around the perimeter
and the third takes one of the altar candles. While going around the
perimeter, each person says:
"Black spirits and white,
Red spirits and grey,
Harken to the rune I say.
Four points of the Circle, weave the spell,
East, South, West, North, your tale tell.
East is for break of day,
South is white for the noontide hour,
In the West is twilight grey,
And North is black, for the place of power.
Three times round the Circle's cast.
Great ones, spirits from the past,
Witness it and guard it fast."
All the Coven pickup their athames and face the East with the High
Priest and Priestess in front, him on her right. The High Priestess
says:
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air; I do
summon, stir, and call you up to witness our rites and to guard the
Circle."
As she speaks she draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air
with her athame:
1,6
4 3
2 7 5
The High Priest and the rest of the Coven copy her movements with
their athames. The High Priestess turns and faces the South and
repeats the summoning:
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of Fire; I do
summon, stir and call you up, to witness our rites and to guard
the Circle."
465
She does the same pentagram and then faces West and says:
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, ye Lords of Water, ye
Lords of Death and Initiation; I do summon, stir, and call you u p ,
to witness our rites and to guard the Circle."
She faces North with rest of the Coven and says:
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye Lords of Earth;
Boreas, thou gentle guardian of the Northern Portals; thou powerful
God and gentle Goddess; we do summon, stir and call you up, to
witness our rites and to guard the Circle."
The Circle is completed and sealed. If anyone needs to leave, a gate
must be made. Using the sword, draw out part of the Circle with a
widdershins or counter-clockwise stroke. Immediately reseal it and
then repeat the opening and closing when the person returns.
In this part of the ritual the Goddess becomes incarnate in the High
Priestess. The High Priestess stands in front of the altar with her
back to it. She holds the wand in her right hand and the scrounge in
her left. She crosses her wrists and crosses the wand and scrounge
above them while holding them close to her breast. The High Priest
stands in front of her and says:
"Diana, queen of night
In all your beauty bright,
Shine on us here,
And with your silver beam
Unlock the gates of dream;
Rise bright and clear.
On Earth and sky and sea,
Your magic mystery
Its spell shall cast,
Wherever leaf may grow,
Wherever tide may flow,
Till all be past.
O secret queen of power,
At this enchanted hour
We ask your boon.
May fortune's favor fall
Upon true witches all,
O Lady Moon!
The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the
Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet, both knees, womb,
both breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. He
says, as he does this:
Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways.
Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar.
Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.
Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty.
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names."
466
For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length to length, with their
feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her
arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips. The High Priest
kneels again and invokes:
"I invokethee andcall uponthee, MightyMother ofus all,
bringer of all fruitfulness; by seed and root, by bud and stem, by
leaf and flower and fruit, by life and love do I invoke thee to
descend upon the body of this thy servant and priestess."
During this invocation he touches her with his right forefinger on her
right breast, left breast, and womb, repeats the set and finally the
right breast. Still kneeling, he spreads his arms out and down, with
the palms forward and says:
"Hail Aradia! From the Amalthean Horn
Pour forth thy store of love;
I lowly bend Before thee, I adore thee to the end,
With loving sacrifice thy shrine adore.
Thy foot is to my lip (he kisses her right foot)
my prayer up borne Upon the rising incense smoke;
then spend Thine ancient love, O Mighty One, descend
To aid me, who without thee
am forlorn."
The High Priest stands up and steps backwards. The High Priestess
draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air with the wand and
says:
"Of the Mother darksome and divine
Mine the scrounge, and mine the kiss;
The five point star of love and bliss
Here I charge you in this sign."
The High Priest says:
"Listen to the words of the Great Mother; she who of old was also
calledamong manArtemis,Astarte, Athene,Dione,Melusine,
Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianhod, Isis and by many other names."
The High Priestess, who should be in a trance, says as the Goddess:
"Whenever you have need of anything, once in a month, and better
it be when the Moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret
place and adore the spirit of me, who am Queen of all witches. There
shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not
won its deepest secrets; to these will I teach things that are yet
unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery; and as a sign that ye be
really free, ye shall be naked in your rites; dance, sing, feast, make
music and love, all in my praise. For mine is the ecstasy of the
spirit, and mine also is joy on earth; for my law is love unto all
beings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let
naught stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the cup of the wine of
life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of
Immortality. I am the gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto
the heart of man. Upon Earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit
eternal; and beyond death, I give peace and freedom, and reunion with
those who have gone before. Nor do I demand sacrifice; for behold I am
the Mother of all living things, and my love is poured out upon the
467
earth. I who am the white Moon among the stars, and the mystery of the
waters, and the desire of the heart of man, call unto thy soul. Arise,
and come unto me. For I am the soul of nature, who gives life to the
universe. From me all things proceed, and unto me all things must
return; and before my face, beloved of Gods and men, let thine
innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let
my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all acts
of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty
and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and
reverence within you.
And thouwho seekest to seekfor me, know thyseeking and
yearning shall avail thee not unless thou knowest the mystery; and if
that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee,thou will never
find it without thee. For behold, I have been with thee from the
beginning; and I am that which is attained at the end of desire."
This declamation can be said by the High Priestess, the High Priest or
the Coven as a whole.
"Hear now the words of the witches,
The secrets we hid in the night,
When dark was our destiny's pathway,
That now we bring forth into the light.
Mysterious Water and Fire,
The Earth and the wide ranging Air,
By hidden quintessence we know them,
And will keep silent and dare.
The birth and rebirth of all nature,
The passing of winter and spring,
We share with the life universal,
Rejoice in the magical ring.
Four times in the year the Great Sabbat Returns,
and the witches are seen
At Lammas and Candlemas dancing,
On May Eve and old Hallowe'en.
When day time and night time are equal,
When sun is at greatest and least,
The four lesser Sabbats are summoned,
Again witches gather in feast.
Thirteen silver moons in a year are,
Thirteen is the Coven's array.
Thirteen times at Esbat make merry,
For each golden year and a day.
The power was passed down the ages,
Each time between woman and man,
Each century unto the other,
Ere time and ages began.
When drawn is the magical circle,
By sword or athame of power,
It's compass between the two worlds lies,
In the land of shades that hour.
This world has no right to know it,
And the world beyond will tell naught.
The oldest of gods are invoked there,
The Great Work of Magic is wrought.
For two are the mystical pillars,
That stand at the gate of the shrine,
And two are the powers of nature,
The forms and the forces of the divine.
The dark and the light in succession,
468
The opposites each unto each,
Shown forth as a God and a Goddess:
This did our ancestors teach.
By night he's the wild wind's rider,
The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades.
By day he's the King of the Woodland,
The dweller in green forest glades.
She is youthful or old as she pleases,
She sails the torn clouds in her barque,
The bright silver lady of midnight,
The crone who weaves spells in the dark.
The master and mistress of magic,
They dwell in the deeps of the main,
Immortal and ever renewing,
With power to free or to bind.
So drink the good wine to the Old Gods,
And dance and make love in their praise,
Till Elphames's fair land shall receive us
In peace at the end of our days.
And Do What Thou Wilt
shall be the challenge,
So be it in love that harms none,
For this is the only commandment,
By magic of old, be it done!
Eight words the Witches Creed fulfill:
If It Harms None, Do What Thou Will!
The High Priest faces the Coven, raises his arms wide and says:
"Bagabi lacha bachabe Lamac cahi achababe
Karellyos
Lamac lamac
bachalyas
Cabahag sabalyos
Baryolos
Lagaz atha cabyolas
Samahac atha
famolas
Hurrahya!"
The High Priestess and the Coven repeat:
"Hurrahya!"
469
The High Priest and High Priestess face the altar. The High Priest
continues:
"Great God Cernunnos, return to Earth again!
Come to my call and show thy self to men.
Shepherd of Goats, upon the wild hill's way,
Lead thy lost flocks from darkness unto day.
Forgotten are the ways of sleep and night
Men seek for them, whose eyes have lost the light.
Open the door of dreams, whereby man come to thee.
Shepherd of Goats, O answer unto me!"
The High Priest and the rest of the Coven then say:
"Akhera goittiakhera beitti!"
And lower their hands on the second phrase.
This is a ring dance as usual. This can be replaced or others added as
desired. Everyone should take part. Use what music you feel
comfortable with.
Walpurgis Night, the time is right,
The ancient powers awake.
So dance and sing, around the ring,
And Beltane magic make.
Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
Upon the eve of May,
We'll merry meet, and summer greet,
Forever and a day.
New life we see, in flower and in tree,
And summer comes again.
Be free and fair, like earth and air,
The sunshine and the rain.
Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
Upon the eve of May,
We'll merry meet, and summer greet,
Forever and a day.
As magic fire be our desire
To tread the pagan way,
And our true will find and fulfill,
As dawns a brighter day.
Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
Upon the eve of May,
470
We'll merry meet, and summer greet,
Forever and a day.
The pagan powers this night be ours,
Let all the world be free,
And sorrow cast into the past,
And future blessed be!
Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
Upon the eve of May,
We'll merry meet, and summer greet,
Forever and a day.
The Coven spread themselves out around the Circle. They start a soft
rhythmic clapping. The High Priestess says:
"Now it is time for the Oak King to impregnate Our Lady. No
longer will she be the Virgin Huntress and Maiden. She is now to be
Hecate, the Queen of Elphame. But first she must catch him."
This song is from Robert Graves "White Goddess". It is an old Scottish
Craft song. In it, the High Priest turns into a variety of animals and
the High Priestess chases him. Starting with the High Priest and
Priestess, then followed by the other couples in the Coven, the men
are chased by the women. The ladies use a scarf to signify the
capture at the end of the song. The dancers should try to imitate the
animals they are playing. The dance and the tune should be slow. After
all the couples have done so, the High Priestess and Priest repeat it.
High Priest:
"O, I shall go into a hare
With sorrow and sighing and mickle care,
And I shall go in the Devil's name
Aye, till I be fetched hame."
High Priestess:
"Hare, take heed of a bitch greyhound
Will harry thee all these fells around,
For here come I in Our Lady's name
All but to fetch thee hame."
Coven:
"Cunning and art he did not lack
But aye her whistle would fetch him back."
471
High Priest:
"Yet I shall go into a trout
With sorrow and sighing and mickle doubt,
And show thee many a merry game
Ere that I be fetched hame."
High Priestess:
"Trout take heed of an otter lank
Will harry thee close from bank to bank,
For here come I in Our Lady's name
All but for to fetch thee hame."
Coven:
"Cunning and art he did not lack
But aye her whistle would fetch him back."
High Priest:
"Yet I shall go into a bee
With mickle horror and dread of thee,
And flit to hive in the Devil's name
Ere that I be fetched hame."
High Priestess:
"Bee, take heed of a swallow hen
Will harry thee close, both butt and ben,
For here come I in Our Lady's name
All but to fetch thee hame."
Coven:
"Cunning and art he did not lack
But aye her whistle would fetch him back."
High Priest:
"Yet I shall go into a mouse
And haste me unto the miller's house,
There in his corn to have good game
Ere that I be fetched hame."
High Priestess:
"Mouse take heed of a white tib-cat
That never was balked of a mouse or a rat,
For I'll crack thy bones in Our Lady's name:
Thus shall thee be fetched hame."
Coven:
"Cunning and art he did not lack
But aye her whistle would fetch him back."
472
The High Priestess finally catches the High Priest at the last
refrain. She drapes a scarf over his neck to signify her catching him.
The Maiden and the Coven say:
"TheQueen of Elphame has caught herSon who is also her
Consort. They must mate so that the Earth may bear it's fruits and
that man and animal may live. "
The High Priest and High Priestess, and the rest of the couples in the
Coven, kiss with vigour. The men should wilt and fade back to the edge
of the Circle. The women gather around the unlit bonfire or the
cauldron with the candle in it. The High Priestess says:
"The Oak King is dead. He has died of his love for the Lady
that the Earth may live. So has it been for year after year, since
time began. But the Oak King, the God of the Waxing year, must live
so the crops in the Earth can come forth. "
The Coven shouts:
"Kindlethe Beltanefire.Maythe OakKingliveagain. Maythe
Earth bring forth her fruits, may the animals bear their young and the
land be fruitful again."
The High Priestess lights the bonfire using a taper lit from the altar
candle. She then says:
"Come back to us, Oak King, that the land may be fruitful."
The men gather around the fire, next to their partners, and the say in
unison:
"I am the stag of seven tines;
I am a wide flood on the plain;
I am a wind on the deep waters;
I am a shining tear of the sun;
I am a hawk on a cliff;
I am fair among flowers;
I am a god who sets the head afire with smoke."
The High Priestess and High Priest lead a ring dance around the
bonfire. Start out with "A Tree Song" from Rudyard Kipling's "Weland's
Sword" story in "Puck of Pook's Hill". The dance should be joyful.
"Oh, do not tell the Priest of our Art,
Or he would call it sin;
But we shall be out in the woods all night,
Aconjuring summer in!
And we bring you news by word of mouth
For women, cattle and corn
Now is the sun come up from the South
With Oak, and Ash and Thorn!"
Continue the dance with this song and/or any others that sound
appropriate.
473
This chant goes to the tune of the old folksong, "The Lincolnshire
Poacher":
Come join the dance, that doth entrance,
And tread the circle round.
Be of good cheer, that gather here,
Upon this merry ground.
Good luck to we that faithful be,
And hold our craft so dear,
For 'tis our delight of a shiny night,
In the season of the year.
Oh, 'tis our delight of a shiny night,
In the season of the year.
While stars do shine, we pledge the wine
Unto the Gods of old,
Nor shall there fail the witch wassail,
Nor shall their fire grow cold.
Good luck to we that faithful be,
And hold our craft so dear,
For 'tis our delight of a shiny night,
In the season of the year.
Oh, 'tis our delight of a shiny night,
In the season of the year.
Throughout, about and round about,
By flame that burneth bright,
We'll dance and sing, around the ring,
At witching hour of night.
Good luck to we that faithful be,
And hold our craft so dear,
For 'tis our delight of a shiny night,
In the season of the year.
Oh, 'tis our delight of a shiny night,
In the season of the year.
Near the end of the dance, the High Priestess should call out the name
of either a person or a couple. They should then jump over the fire
while making a wish. They should then rejoin the ring and another
couple or person do it. When ready, stop the dance and sit down about
the fire. After a break, perform the Great Rite.
474
The Coven, except for the High Priestess and High Priest,arrange
themselves around the perimeter of the circle, man and woman
alternately as far as possible, facing the center. The High Priestess
and High Priest stand facing each other in the center of the circle,
she with her back to the altar, he with his back to the South.
The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the
Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet, both knees, womb,
both breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. he
says, as he does this:
"Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways.
Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar.
Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.
Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty.
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names.
For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length to length, with their
feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her
arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips. The High Priestess
then lays herself down, face upwards, with her arms and legs
outstretched to form the Pentagram.
The High Priest fetches the veil and spreads it over the High
Priestess's body, covering her from breasts to knees. He then kneels
facing her, with his knees between her feet.
The High Priest calls a woman witch by name, to bring his athame
from the altar. The woman does so and stands with the athame in her
hands, about a yard to the West of the High Priestess's hips and
facing her.
The High Priest calls a male witch by name, to bring the chalice of
wine from the altar. He does so and stands with the chalice in his
hands, about a yard to the East of the High Priestess's hips and
facing her. The High Priest delivers the invocation:
"Assist me to erect the ancient altar, at which in days past all
worshipped; The altar of all things.
For in old time, Woman was the altar. Thus was the altar made and
placed, And the sacred place was the point within the center of the
Circle. As we have of old been taught that the point within the
center is the origin of all things,
Therefore should we adore it;
Therefore whom we adore we also invoke.
O Circle of Stars, Whereof our father is but the younger
brother, Marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space,
Before whom time isashamed, the mind bewildered, and the
understanding dark,
Not unto thee may we attain unless thine image be love.
Therefore by seed and stem, root and bud, And leaf and flower and
fruit do we invoke thee, O Queen of Space, O Jewel of Light,
Continuous on of the heavens; Let it be ever thus
475
That men speak not of thee as One, but as None; And let them not
speak of thee at all, since thou art continuous.
For thou art the point within the Circle, which we adore; The point
of life, without which we would not be.
And in this way truly are erected the holy twin pillars; In beauty
and strength were they erected To the wonder and glory of all men."
The High Priest removes the veil from the High Priestess's body, and
hands it to the woman witch, from whom he takes his athame. The High
Priestess rises and kneels facing the High Priest, and takes the
chalice from the man witch. (Note that both of these handings over are
done without the customary ritual kiss. The High Priest continues the
invocation:
"Altar of mysteries manifold,
The sacred Circle's secret point
Thus do I sign thee as of old,
With kisses of my lips anoint."
The High Priest kisses the High Priestess on the lips, and continues:
"Open for me the secret way,
The pathway of intelligence,
Beyond the gates of night and day,
Beyond the bounds of time and sense.
Behold the mystery aright The five true points of fellowship...."
The High Priestess holds up the chalice, and the High Priest lowers
the point of his athame into the wine. Both use both of their hands
for this. The High Priest continues:
"All life is your own,
All fruits of the Earth
Are fruits of your womb,
Your union, your dance.
Lady and Lord, We thank you for
blessings and abundance.
Join with us, Feast with us, Enjoy with us!
Blessed Be.
Then, draw the Invoking Pentacle of Earth in the air above the plate
with the athame.
"Here where Lance and Grail unite,
And feet, and knees, and breast, and lip."
The High Priest hands his athame to the woman witch and then places
both his hands round those of the High Priestess as she holds the
chalice. He kisses her, and she sips the wine; she kisses him, and he
sips the wine. Both of them keep their hands round the chalice while
they do this.
476
The High Priest then takes the chalice from the High Priestess,
and they both rise to their feet.
The High Priest hands the chalice to a woman witch with a kiss,
and she sips. She gives it to a man with a kiss. The chalice is passed
around the Coven, man to woman, with a kiss each time, until the
entire Coven has sipped the wine. The chalice can be refilled and any
one can drink from it without repeating the ritual once the chalice
has gone around once.
The woman lays down her athame and passes the cakes to the man with a
kiss,he passes them back with a kiss and they are passed around the
Coven the same way the wine was. Be sure to save some of the wine and
some cake for an offering to the Earth and the Little Folk. After the
meeting,leave the offering outside of the house if working indoors, or
behind in the woods or field, when you leave if you are working
outdoors.
The High Priestess faces East,with her athame in her hand. The
High Priest stands to her right with the rest of the Coven behind
them. If any tools have been consecrated, they should be held by the
person furthest to the back. The Maiden stands near to the front to
blow out each candle in turn. The Priestess says
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air; we do
thank you for attending our rites; and ere ye depart t o y o u r
pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and farewell....Hail and
farewell."
As she speaks, she draws the Banishing Pentagram of Earth in the air
in front of her thus, each time:
2 7
4 5
6 1 3
The rest of the Coven copy the Pentagram and chorus in on the second
hail and farewell. The Maiden blows out the candle and the Coven faces
the south and the High Priestess says:
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of Fire;
we do thank you for attending our rites; and ere ye depart to your
pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and farewell....Hail and
farewell."
She turns to the West and says:
"Ye Lordsof theWatchtowers ofthe West,yeLords ofWater;
ye Lords of Death and Initiation; we do thank you for attending our
rites; and ere ye depart to your pleasant and lovely realms, we bid
you hail and farewell ....Hail and farewell."
477
She turns to the North and says:
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye Lords of Earth;
Boreas, thou gentle guardian of the Northern Portals; thou powerful
God, Thou gentle Goddess; we do thank you for attending our rites; and
ere ye depart for your pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and
farewell ....Hail and farewell."
This ends the Circle. The party following this should be a loving one.
If there is a May Pole available, circle the May Pole. Beltane is also
a time for forfeits. The High Priestess picks out the people and
their forfeit, except the High Priest picks out the last one to play
on the High Priestess. Beltane is also a time for "green wood
marriages" and other unbridled sexuality and such.
(Distributed in the public domain via Seastrider)
478
{file "Landmarks of the Craft" "bos112.htm"}
LANDMARKS OF THE CRAFT
by "Eli". Copyright 2000 The Drudic Craft of the Wise (www.thedcw.org).
A landmark is a prominent feature used to mark the boundaries of real
estate. Therefore, these landmarks of the Craft ar prominent features of
the American Rite, or Druidic Craft of the Wise. Just as departing from
the landmarks in real estate signifies that one has departed from that
piece of land, so does departure from the landmarks of our Craft signify
such a person or organization has departed from the correct defines of the
Craft. Other branches of the Craft sometimes call this their "Law".
THE LANDMARKS
The landmarks were given to man by The Great God, Pan,
In the dim, dark ages of the past
For the rule and regulation of the wise,
To advise and help them in their troubles
And relations, one with the other,
That all might work and love together.
They are the Bill of Rights of each member,
And the code of operation of the Coven.
And are to be honored by all
Or else they become meaningless and of little use,
And departure therefrom by any person or Coven
Shall be a departure from the rest of the Covens
Which constitute the American Rite.
And they shall be disfellowshipped, they from the rest of us,
And no further communication shall be established
Concerning things of the Craft
With either He or They until
They shall return to the fold of the Craft
In love and cooperation.
For the Gods love the Wise, the Brethren of the Way,
And so should we return that love.
But this can only be done and made manifest by love expressed
In deeds for the Brethren of the Craft,
Not in pride, but in cooperation and sincerity.
THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT
Any person, be male or female, who is of good mind
And free to decide for himself in good faith,
Who shall learn of the Craft and its Tenets,
And shall desire to follow the Way,
Shall be permitted to do so,
And none may say him "Nay".
And the Gods will love him and look after him,
And they shall bless him on all things,
And his needs shall always be satisfied,
As he shall show forth love and affection
For all the brethren and sisters of the Craft,
And he shall obey the Admonishments
Of the Craft as to secrecy and correct living.
492
THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT (continued)
And when he shall desire to join the Craft,
And to follow the Way to Perfection,
He shall make his desires known to any member
Of the Priesthood.
And they shall observe his readiness and sincerity,
And shall then administer the rites of
Secrecy, which is sacredness and brotherhood.
But a Priest shall accept the Sister,
And a Priestess the Brother,
As an eternal reminder of
The duality of the Universe.
And a new name and secret mark
Shall be given each new fellow.
By this name, and under this mark,
Shall they be known among the members
Of the Craft, in love and harmony,
And their old name and identity shall not be known
Even among the members of their own Coven,
And none shall inquire for his name or his house
And he shall inquire these of none.
But the Gods have decreed, that in joining the Rite,
Free Will and independence shall not be in jeopardy.
And he shall have the right to follow the Way.
Walking alone if he will it that way,
Or with a Coven of living brethren
If he so shall choose;
And he shall have the right
To withdraw from any coven at any time
Without the need to say why,
If he shall so choose.
And this either for the purpose of joining another
Or to become solitary for his own reasons,
And there will be none to censure;
And he shall have the right to remain
In a certain Coven, and none shall say him "Nay",
Or to attempt to force him to leave and depart;
Except that should he lose harmony with them
Then they may so decide
And he shall depart.
But no man shall have the right
To speak for the Craft,
And leaving one Coven does not mean
Leaving the Craft, or
Leaving the Way
And each is free, then, or at any time later,
To remain solitary
Or to seek admission to another Coven.
493
THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT (continued)
But let him and each other fellow of the Craft
Keep a book, and this shall be of the colors of the Craft,
That it may be readily recognized,
And here he shall keep all the Laws and Landmarks,
And the tenets of the Craft,
That he might not forget,
And if he do forget, that his mind might be
Renewed.
And in this book, all things shall be the mark
Of his own hand, and in ink,
That it shall be long lived.
Let each of the brothers and sisters
Copy what they will from the book,
Providing that they are of sufficient worthiness,
To receive it, and are of sufficient rank,
Or that the writings are of sufficient nature
As pertain to their own rank.
Never suffer this book out of hand or possession,
And never borrow the writings of another
To keep, but merely to copy.
And each shall guard and keep these writings,
As his most sacred possession
And destroy them when danger threatens.
However, should one be of sufficient power,
To remember his past as a wise man,
This book and other Craft artifacts,
May be buried in a stone box
Prepared for them from time to time,
And this in view of immediate death,
And the desire to save them for a future life.
Otherwise, on notice of impending death,
This book should be destroyed by fire,
As well as other things of the Craft,
Which one may posses.
But the wise man will have nothing around
Which has only a Craft use or meaning,
But only things which can be used in daily affairs.
If there is no reason to own a sword,
Then do not own one;
The white wand is just as powerful,
And less distinctive in the minds of the infidels.
If a white wand is too distinctive,
Then any old wand will do for the purpose
Of the ceremonies.
494
THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT (continued)
Have no names written and signs drawn
On anything permanently,
When necessary these can be written
In charcoal or chalk
And erased immediately without the telling of tales.
Let the knife have the shape of,
And be stored with the kitchen knives;
Let the cord be seen around the house,
And be used for a vulgar purpose,
In order to fool the infidels.
Never boast, never threaten, never brag
Of your powers; not even to the Craft,
Above all, never harbor ill thoughts toward another
For the power may make it happen for harm;
And never wish ill to anyone.
As it will Occur.
If anyone speaks of the Craft, to down it,
Remember: the Craft needs no defense,
For it has the Father and
All things will be as He wishes
In the end.
THE COVEN
And it shall be that any Fellow of the Craft,
Finding himself in a place where he knows of no Coven,
Or other Fellow of the Craft
Shall have the right, nay, even the duty,
To seek out such a Coven,
Or other Fellow of the Craft
Without censure.
Provided that he shall not reveal secrets to jeopardize
His former Coven or the members of it,
Or the Craft itself.
And two or three Fellows shall have the right
To meet and discuss subjects of Craft interest,
And to help each other along
On the Way to Perfection,
Except that Craft ceremonies
Must be done by the Priesthood.
Any five fellows who shall desire
To form a Coven may do so,
And they shall apply for a charter
To any High Priest or Priestess,
And they shall then select and choose
A man and a woman to lead them.
And their elected leaders shall be ordained by their High Priest,
And they shall choose two more,
A woman to be the deputy; to learn to be a priestess,
And a Scribe for their Coven.
THE COVEN (continued)
495
But these shall not be ordained to the Priesthood,
Unless also qualified for another reason.
And this Coven shall belong to the High Priest,
And shall be answerable to him in all their doings,
Because they did owe their Priesthood to him,
And he shall act at all times in their interest
As their Spiritual Father in the Craft
So that he may lead them as they walk
The way to perfection.
But the newly appointed Priesthood,
Should it be lacking in the knowledge and wisdom needed,
For the positions to which they have been set apart
Then it shall be his responsibility as their High Priest,
To lead and instruct them,
Or cause it to be done by another.
But should the new Coven refuse to follow
The teachings and instructions of their Spiritual Father,
Then he may, at his discretion and Judgement,
Recall their charter, and their right to work as a Coven.
For that which one can give he may also retrieve,
And they shall not again meet,
Unless they can find another High Priest,
Who will assume responsibility over them.
It is the bounden duty of the High Priest to preside,
For all things must be presided over by the High Priesthood;
And should any Coven desire to change,
Their allegiance from one High Priest to another,
For any reason, even the loss of harmony,
Or if, in their considered opinion, their Spiritual Father
Is no longer spiritual, or serving the Father
Then they shall be reordained in the Priesthood
By the New High Priest, and this shall then
Have superceded the original ordinations,
And there shall be for them
A new Spiritual Father.
And if any Priest or Priestess, or other member of the Priesthood,
Find themselves in a place wherein there is no Coven for them to lead,
Then it is their bounden duly to try to the extent of their Power
To find Fellows of the Craft
And organize them into a Coven.
And should they find that there are no other Fellows of the Craft,
In that place, but there are some of the same good bend of mind,
It is then their duty to teach them by word and deed,
Until there be sufficient to form a Coven,
And this shall be done under the supervision,
And with the knowledge of their High Priest,
Through which they received their ordination
And their Powers.
THE COVEN (continued)
And they shall obligate, teach and initiate all the members of their Coven,
And they shall be theirs and they shall be to them
496
As elder brothers and sisters,
And shall care for them in all their affairs,
And not just at meetings,
For it is in this that the Craft differs
From all man-made institutions.
Should any member be absent, and love of the Priestess is such
That she shall continue to contact them in any manner
And by any method possible,
To tender them her loving care
At all times of sickness or stress.
And should any member move to a far city
The Priestess will continue to care for them
In love, by whatever method is available,
Until such time as they shall,
Of their own free will,
Obligate themselves to another Priestess.
And the Priestess shall at all times remember
That she is the direct representative of the Goddess to her Coven,
And the Priest is the direct representative of
The unknown God, the Father,
And both must act as such at all times.
Yet the Priestess shall have whomever she shall choose
As her Priest, be he of that rank, or qualified to be,
Or else another Fellow, who shall be called
her Magister.
And she must remember at all times that the man provides the power,
For the woman to direct, and so it is,
That the Priest resigns all his power over to her,
Yet it is not his power, nor hers to keep,
It is the power of God to use in the performance
Of the Work.
The Power of God is only lent to be used,
Wisely and Justly.
Both the members of the Priesthood shall remember their Spiritual Father,
At all times with gratitude, love, veneration and cooperation,
keeping constantly in contact, and acting with him in utmost harmony,
For they must always remember that the power
And wisdom which they use,
Comes to them through him.
In the days of old, ere the coming of Christendom,
The Craft was free and open in its ceremonies,
And entire states and nations worshipped the Gods
Freely and without restraint;
497
THE COVEN (continued)
But in these unhappy days, we must remain secret,
And hold our rites and ceremonies in secret,
And there are those who will talk, even without torture,
Which loosens any tongue.
Then let it be ordained, heeded and supported by all
That no Coven shall know wherein
The next Coven shall abide, or who its members be,
Except only the Priestess, Magister and Deputy,
And even they shall not remember
Except for good and sufficient reason.
But, and if only, it should be safe, may the covens meet
In some safe place for festivals, and while there,
None may say whence they came, nor give their true names,
Or tell of where or when their meetings are, and
No secret things shall be spoken of
At these festivals for fear of Cowans and Eavesdroppers.
Let each Priestess govern her own Coven in justice and love,
Ever heeding the advice and instructions of her High Priest.
She will ever heed the complaints of the brethren
And strive to settle all differences between them with love.
But there are those who, in pride, will ever strive
To force their will upon others
But these are not necessarily evil
And will think that they do rightly.
Oft they have good ideas and such ideas
Should be discussed in council with their brethren.
But if they will not agree with their brethren,
Or if they say "I will not work under this Priestess",
Then they shall have the right to withdraw from that Coven,
And work Solitary.
Or if five or more of them shall withdraw,
They shall have the right
To form another Coven under another
Priestess.
Even as it shall be the right of any five or more persons of a Coven
To withdraw, and form a new Coven, for any reason whatever,
But they shall then utterly avoid the old Coven
In all things, as it shall then have ceased to exist for them.
498
THE BOOK OF SHADOWS
Let every Coven of whatever rank
Keep a record in a book of black and silver,
And it shall contain, first, the Landmarks and Tenets,
Then a collection of Wisdom of the Craft,
The Rites and Ceremonies of the Coven
As well as the History of the Coven,
And its charter empowering it to work.
And a record of every meeting shall be written therein,
Together with a record of the doings of any member thereof
With the other side, or the Father, or
Any other thing which is for the teaching of all,
Even unto the listing of herbs and medicines
Spells and incantations and Rites
Which contain power for the use of man.
This book shall be kept by the Scribe,
And it shall be kept and approved by the Priesthood
And also the High Priesthood, when it shall come,
But no names or Craft secrets shall be written therein
That he Craft should not be betrayed
Should the book be taken by force,
Or slyness, by the infidels.
And when the coven shall disband,
It shall be the duty of the High Priesthood
To secure this book and make suitable disposition
That it might not endanger the Craft
Or any brother within it
As if the Coven were a person or Fellow
And the book were his book,
So let it be burned.
499
THE PRIESTHOOD
The Mother, The seven Elder Children, and all the worlds,
Draw their power from the Father.
But the children of the Father are like the sands of the sea,
And He has ordained and set apart certain of his older children,
To help and assist Him in caring for the younger children,
And has given them the Power and the Wisdom to do so,
And these children constitute the Priesthood.
The Father will bestow this power upon whom he will, and none may say him
"Nay"
Yet also may the Priesthood choose workers and helpers
And shall share their power with them,
And this is called ordination.
The Power of the Priesthood is that of the Father
And it is love unfeigned and sincere,
Compassion and gentleness and meekness,
Persuasion and long-suffering and kindness,
And there is no authority over the free will of men
Inherent in the Priesthood,
Nor to be assumed by the members of it.
And the Power of the Priesthood is the Power of God,
And the Power of God can never be wielded by an ungodly man,
Nor an evil man; nor the love of God by an unloving man;
And when the man becomes evil, the Power of God is withdrawn from him.
Nor can a member of the Priesthood be inactive,
For inactivity without cause is lack of love for the Father,
And this man's priesthood shall depart from him
At the end of a year and a day,
For it is truth eternal,
That the thing which is unused will be taken away.
So if any Fellow of the Craft shall desire the Priesthood,
First let him learn to be a leader of men,
For a Priest with no following is no Priest,
And his Priesthood is in vain.
So therefore let the Fellow who would be a Priest
First learn the knowledge and wisdom he will need in the new appointment,
Then let him learn to lead men, and
When he shall either have been selected
As leader for his Coven,
Or when he shall have gathered up a Coven of his own,
Then let him apply for ordination.
And he shall apply to a High Priest, for it is written
That only the higher can ordain the lesser,
That there shall be an unbroken line
Of power and authority extending
Back through the line of ordination,
To the Father Himself.
500
And no man can ordain his peers,
For the Lord's House is not a house of confusion,
So let not the line be broken
For it is the cable tow by which
Men are drawn from the lower
Up to the greater;--
An impossibility without it.
And each must work within their line of ordination
In perfect love and perfect trust,
With perfect harmony in all things,
But should they find that they fall out of harmony
With their line of ordination,
Then let him seek another, to be ordained of him
To be their new spiritual Father.
Let the Priesthood be a leadership of fact; not of fancy,
For those who have no following to lead,
Why are they in the Priesthood?
501
THE PRIESTHOOD (continued)
And so it is that they who lose or give away their following,
Or they who through inactivity have lost their power,
Or they who are not in harmony and love with their Spiritual Father;
Shall be retired from a rank to which entitled
Other than by leadership of men.
But this can only be done by he who ordained them,
For only those who give can take away,
Yet each High Priest is responsible that this is done.
Should any Fellow fain the Priesthood, and use it wisely and well,
The Gods have decreed that those who serve them
Shall prosper and grow in this life,
And shall gain eternal perfection
To be freed from the Wheel of Life,
And to become like unto the angels
In that they should be perfect.
For perfection is to be gained by love,
And there is no greater love than to
Lay down one's life for his brethren
In their service and for their sake,
And the Father will reward them for
Their labor of love, because
He is not unjust.
FINIS
502
{file "Magickal Ethics (Judy Harrow)" "bos113.htm"}
THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC:
Getting Specific about Magical Ethics
Sometimes a clichejust wearsout. It losesmeaning or, worse,begins
to say things we never meant. I think it's time to retire the phrase "black
magic."
Saying"black" when we mean "evil" is nasty nonsense. In the first
place, it reinforces the racist stereotypes that corrupt our society. And
that's not all. Whenever we say "black" instead of "bad," we repeat again
the big lie that darkness is wrong. It isn't, as people who profess to love
Nature should know.
Darkness canmean the inside of the womb, and the seed germinating
within the Earth, and the chaos that gives rise to all truly new
beginnings. In our myths, the one who goes down to the underworld returns
with the treasure. Even death, to the Wiccan understanding, is well-earned
rest and comfort, and a preparation for new birth. Using "black" to mean
"bad" is a blasphemy against the Crone.
But even if we no longer speak of magic as "black" or "white," we
still need to think and speak about the ethics of magic. Although black is
not evil, some actions are evil. It simply is not true that anything a
person is strong enough or skilled enough to do is OK, nor should doing
what we will ever be the whole of the law for us. We need a clear and
specific vocabulary that enables us to choose wisely what we will do.
We need to replace the word "black," not simply to drop it. Some
Pagans have tried using "negative" as their substitute, but that turned out
to be confusing. For some people, "negative" means any spell to diminish or
banish anything. Some things - tumors, depression, bigotry - are harmful.
There's nothing wrong with a working to get rid of bad stuff. "Left-handed"
is another common term for wrongful practice, very traditional, but just as
ignorant, superstitious and potentially harmful as the phrase "black magic"
itself. So in Proteus we tried using the word "unethical." That's a lot
better - free of extraneous and false implications - but still too vague.
Gradually, I began to wonder whether using any one word, "black" or
"unethical" or whatever, might just be too general and too subjective.
Perhaps all I really tell a student that way is "Judy doesn't like that."
I won't settle for blind obedience. If ethical principles are going to
survive the twin tests of time and temptation, people need to understand
just what to avoid, and why. Even more important, they need a basis for
figuring out what to do instead. Especially when it comes to projective
magic.
Projectivemagic means active workings,the kind inwhich we project
our will out into the world to make some kind of change. This is what most
people think of when they use the word magic at all. Quite clearly, magic
that may affect other people is magic that can harm. This is the basis of
the proverb "a Witch who can't hex can't heal." Either you can raise and
direct power, or you can't. Your strength and skill can be used for
blessing or for bane. The choice - and the karma - are yours.
503
Just as some people feel that strength and skill are their own
justification, others feel that any projective magic is always wrong - that
it is a distraction from our one true goal of union with the Divine or a
willful avoidance of the judgments of Karma. I think these attitudes are
equally inconsistent with basic Wiccan philosophy.
Weare taught that we will find theLady within ourselves or not at
all, that the Mother of All has been with us from the beginning. We can't
now establish a union that was always there. All we can do, all we need to
do, is become aware. Knowing what it feels like to heal and empower, again
and again till you can't dismiss it as coincidence, is one of the most
powerful methods for awakening that awareness. It makes no sense to say
that the direct experience and exercise of our indwelling divinity
distracts from the Great Work.
Indeed, it is this intimate connection between our magic and our
self-realization that our ethics protect. Wrongful use of magic will choke
the channel. No short term gain could ever compensate for that.
The karmic argument againstpractical workings seems to meto arise
from a paranoid and defeatist world view. Even if we assume that the
hardships in this life were put there by the Gods for a reason, how can we
be so sure that the reason was punishment? Perhaps instead of penance to be
endured, our difficulties are challenges to be met. Coping and dealing with
our problems, learning magical and mundane skills, changing ourselves and
our world for the better - in short, growing up - is that not what the Gods
of joy and freedom want from us?
One of the most radically different things about a polytheistic belief
system is that each one of us has the right, and the need, to choose which
God/desses will be the focus of our worship. We make these choices knowing
that whatever energies we invoke most often in ritual will shape our own
further growth. Spiritual practices are a means of self-programming. So we
are responsible for what we worship in a way that people who take their One
God as a given are not.
Think about this: what kind of Power actively wants us to submit and
suffer, and objects when we develop skills to improve our own lives? Not a
Being I'd want to invite around too often!
So it will not workfor us to rule out projectivemagic completely;
nor should we. Total prohibitions are as thoughtless as total
permissiveness or blind obedience. Ethical and spiritual adults ought to be
able to make distinctions and well-reasoned choices. I offer here a start
toward analyzing what kinds of magic are not ethical for us.
Baneful magicis magic done forthe explicit purposeof causing harm
to another person. Usually the reason for it is revenge, and the
rationalization is justice. People who defend the practice of baneful magic
often ask "but wouldn't you join in cursing another Hitler?"
For adults there is no rule without exceptions. If you think you would
never torture somebody, consider this scenario: in just half an hour the
bomb will go off, killing everybody in the city, and this terrorist knows
where it is hidden....
504
It's a bad mistake to base your ethics on wildly unlikely cases, since
none of us honestly knows how we would react in that kind of extreme.
Reasonable ethical statements are statements about the behaviors we expect
of ourselves under normally predictable circumstances.
We all getreally angry on occasion, and sometimeswith good cause.
Then revenge can seem like no more than simple justice. The anger is a
normal, healthy human reaction, and should not be repressed. But there's no
more need to act it out in magic than in physical violence. Instead of
going for revenge - and invoking the karmic consequences of baneful magic -
identify what you really need. For example, if your anger comes from a
feeling that you have been attacked or violated, what you need is
protection and safe space. Work for the positive goal, it's both more
effective and safer.
The consequences of baneful magic are simply the logical, natural and
inevitable psychological effects. Even in that rare and extreme situation
when you may decide you really do have to use magic to give Hitler a heart
attack, it means you are choosing by the same choice to accept the act's
karma. Magical attack hurts the attacker first.
The only way I know how to do magic is by use of my imagination, by
visualizing or otherwise actively imagining the end I want, and then
projecting that goal with the energy of emotional/physiological arousal.
All the techniques I know either help me to imagine more specifically or to
project more strongly. So the only way I can send out harm is by first
experiencing that harm within my own imagination. Instant and absolute
karma - the natural, logical and inevitable outcomes of our own choices.
I would think, also, that somebody dumb enough to dosuch workings
often would soon lose the ability to imagine specifically, as their
sensitivity dulled in sheer self-defense. That callusing effect is the
reality behind the pious proverb that says "if you abuse it, She'll take it
away."
But not every othermagician is ethical. Psychic attacksdo happen.
Should we not defend ourselves? Of course we should. Leaving ourselves open
to psychic attack is no good example of the autonomy and assertiveness our
chosen Gods expect. But first, how can we be sure what we are experiencing
really is psychic attack?
Thefantasy ofpsychic attackis often aconvenient excusethat allows
us to avoid looking at our own shortcomings. When lack of rest or improper
nutrition is the cause of illness, or a project isn't completed on time
because of distraction, it's a real temptation to put the blame outside
ourselves. Doing this too easily betrays our autonomy just as badly as
meek submission to attack does. Then, to compound matters, projected blame
becomes an excuse for unjust revenge -- and that is baneful magic without
excuse.
Once in a rare while, some fool really does tryto throw a whammy.
It's hard to predict when you might be targeted. Passive shields are always
a good idea. Like a mirror, these are totally inactive until somebody sends
unwelcome energy. Then a shield will protect you completely and bounce back
whatever is being thrown. You may not even know consciously when your
shield is working, but the result is perfect justice.
505
Perfect justice; elegant and efficient. You won't hurt anybody out of
paranoia or by mistake. And perfect protection, even though we do not have
perfect knowledge.
Bindings, according to some, arecompletely defensive. They do not
harm, only restrain. But imagine yourself being bound - perhaps by someone
who believes themselves justified - and notice the feeling of impotence and
frustration. Binding is bane from the viewpoint of the bound.
Even if restraint were truly not harm, bindings are just plain poor
protection. They target a particular person or group. What if you suspect
the wrong person? Somebody harmless is bound and your actual attacker is
not bound. Shields, which cover you, not your supposed enemy, will cover
you against any enemy, known or unknown.
So, baneful magic, besides being painful in the short run and
crippling in the long run, is never necessary. There are better ways of
self protection, and retribution is the business of the Gods.
Coercive magicis magicthat targets anotherperson to makethem give
us something we want or need. When most people think of the "Magic Power of
Witchcraft," this is what they have in mind.
The spell to make the teacher give you a good grade, or the supervisor
give you a good evaluation, the spell to make the personnel officer or
renting agent choose you, the spell to attract that cute guy, all are
examples of coercive magic.
So, what's wrong with high grades, a good job, a raise, a nice
apartment and a sexy lover? There's nothing at all wrong with those goals.
An it harm none, do what ye will. As long as nobody is hurt, go for it! But
don't strive toward good ends by coercive means.
Although there is no deliberate intent to do harm or cause pain in
coercive workings, other people are treated as pawns. Their autonomy and
their interests are ignored.
For Pagans, to do this is total hypocrisy. We profess to follow a
religion of immanence, one that places ultimate meaning and value in this
life on this Earth, here and now. We claim to see every living thing,
humans included, as a sacred manifestation. To do honor to this indwelling
divinity, we place great value on our own personal autonomy. How can we
then justify treating other people as objects for our use?
Nor is it harmless. Forcing the will, controlling the independent
judgement of another human being, is harm. Once again, empathy leads to
understanding. Just imagine you are the person whose will and judgement is
being externally controlled. How does puppethood feel? From the viewpoint
of the target, the harm is palpable.
506
The Pagan and Wiccan community asa whole is also hurt by coercive
magic. One of the main reasons people fear and hate Witches is our
reputation for controlling others. This is an old, dirty lie, created by
the invading religion in an attempt to discredit the indigenous
competition. Today, that reputation is mostly perpetuated by people who
claim to be "our own," who teach unethical coercive magic by mail order to
strangers whose ethical sensitivity cannot be evaluated long distance. May
the Gods preserve the Craft!
People who are connected to thesituation, but invisible to us,may
also be seriously hurt: the cute guy's fiancee, the other applicant for
that job. What you think of as a working designed only to bring good to
yourself can bring serious harm to innocent third parties, and the karma of
their pain will be on you.
That isn't the only way an incomplete view of the situation can
backfire. There's a traditional saying that goes, "be careful about what
you ask for, because that's exactly what you will get." What if he is
gorgeous, but abusive? What if the apartment house is structurally
unsound? Better to state your legitimate needs (love in my life, a nice
place to live) and let the Gods deal with the details.
Finally,remember this: asking specificallylimits us towhat we now
know or what we can now imagine. But I remember a time when I could not
have imagined being a priestess. What if the cute guy in the office is
perfectly OK, but your absolutely perfect soul-mate will be in the A+P next
Wednesday? The more specifically targeted your magic is, the more you limit
yourself to a life of tautology and missed chances.
And beyond all the scenario spinning lies the instant karma, the
natural, logical and inevitable consequence of the act. It's more subtle
than in the case of baneful magic, since you are not trying to imagine and
project pain, but the damage is still real.
Every time you treat another human being as a thing to be pushed and
pulled around for your convenience and pleasure, you are reinforcing your
own alienation. The attitude of being removed from and superior to other
people takes you out of community. As the attitude strengthens, so will the
behavior it engenders. The long term result of coercive magic, as with
mundane forms of coercion, is isolation and loneliness.
Are youbeginning to think thatmagic is useless?Did I justrule out
all the good stuff: love charms, job magic, spells for good grades? Not at
all. It is not only ethical but good for you to do lots of magic to improve
your own life. Whenever it works you will get more than you asked for -
because along with whatever you asked for comes one more experience of your
own effectiveness, your power-from-within.
Work on yourself and your own needs and desires without targeting
other people. Then feel free! Ask for what you want. Visualize it and raise
power for it and act in accordance on the material plane. "I need a caring
and horny lover with a good sense of humor." "I want an affordable
apartment near where my coven meets with a tree outside my window." "I need
to be at my best when I take that exam next week." Fulfill your dreams, and
sometimes let the Gods surprise you with gifts beyond your dreams.
507
Manipulative magic is magicthat targets another person forwhat we
think is "their own good," without regard for their opinions in the matter.
In the general culture around us, this is normal. As you read this, you may
have some friend or relative praying for you to be "saved" from your evil
Pagan ways and returned to the fold of their preference. These people mean
you well. By their own lights, they are attempting to heal you. We work
from a very different thealogical base.
Aspolytheists, weaffirm thediversity of thedivine andthe divinity
of diversity. If there is no one, true, right and only way in general, do
we dare to assume that there is one obvious right choice for a person in
any given situation? If more than one choice may be "right," how can one
person presume they know what another person would want without asking them
first?
No life situation ever looks the same from outside as it does to the
person who is experiencing it. Are you sure you even have all the facts?
Are you fully aware of all the emotional entanglements involved? Perhaps
that illness is the only way they have of getting rest or getting
attention. Perhaps they stay in that dead end job because it leaves them
more energy to concentrate on their music. How do you know till you ask?
And,to furthercomplicate theanalysis, it'spossible thatthe person
you are trying to help would agree with you about the most desirable
outcome, but fears and hates the very idea of magic. They have as much of a
right to keep magic out of their own life, as you have to make it part of
yours!
Ourreligion teaches thatthe sacredlives withineach person,that we
can hear the Lady's voice for ourselves if we only learn to listen. "... If
that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it
without." In behavioral terms, when you take another person's opinion
about their own life seriously, you are reinforcing them in thinking and
choosing for themselves. The more you do this, the more you encourage them
to listen for the sacred inner voice.
Conversely, whenever you ignore or override a person's feelings about
their own life, you are discounting those feelings and discouraging the
kind of internal attention that can keep the channels to wisdom open.
Although well-intentioned meddling may actually help somebody in the short
run, in the longer run it trains them to dependency and indecision. Few
intentional banes damage as severely. This is especially true because even
the untrained and unaware will instinctively resist overt ill-will, but in
our culture we are trained to receive "expert" interference with gratitude.
Check byasking yourself, "who'sin charge here?" Theanswer to that
will tell you whether you are basically empowering or undermining the
person you intend to help.
And, as usual, the effects go both ways. The same uninvited
intervention
that fosters passivity in the recipient will foster arrogance in the
"rescuer." It's control and ego-inflation masked as generosity. It's very
seductive.
508
If you makethis a habit, youwill come to believethat other people
are incompetent and powerless. Then what happens when you need help? Your
contempt will make it impossible for you to see what resources surround
you. Manipulative magic is ultimately just as alienating as coercive magic
- and it's a much prettier trap!
The way to avoid the trap is to do no working affecting another person
without that person's explicit permission. Proteans are pledged to this,
and I think it's a good idea for anybody.
You don'tneed to waitpassively forthe person toask. It'sperfectly
all right to offer, as long as you are willing to sometimes accept "no" for
your answer. For the person who believes s/he is unworthy or who is simply
too shy, offering help is itself a gift. Taking their opinion seriously is
an even greater gift: respect.
Therule is thatwhenever itis in anyway physically possibleto ask,
you must ask. If it's not important enough to pay long distance charges, it
certainly isn't important enough to violate a friend's autonomy. If asking
is literally not possible, then and only then, here are a few exceptions:
Sometimesan illness or injuryhappens very suddenly,and the person
is unconscious or in a coma before you could possibly ask them. If you know
that this person is generally comfortable with magic, you may do workings
to keep their basic body systems working and allow the normal healing
process the time it needs. If they are opposed to magic, for whatever
reason, back off!
Traditionally, anunconscious personis understood tobe temporarily
out of their body. Maintaining their body in habitable condition is
preserving their option, not choosing for them. Doing maintenance magic
requires a lot of sensitivity. At some point, the time may come when you
should stop and let the person go on. Be sure to use some kind of
divination to help you stay aware.
This is a hard road. It may be your lover, your child, lying there
helpless. Any normal human being would be tempted to drag them back, to
force them to stay regardless of what is truly best for them, regardless of
what they want. Don't repress these feelings, they do no harm, even though
your actions might. It takes great strength and non-possessive love to
recognize that your loved one knows their own need. You may be calling them
back to a crippled body, to a life of pain. You may be calling them back
from the ecstasy of the Goddess. And this is no more your right than it
would be to murder them.
If a person is temporarily not reachable, you may charge up a physical
object, such as an appropriate talisman or some incense. When you present
it to them, give them a full explanation. It is their choice whether to
keep or use your gift. By interposing an object between the magic and the
target in this way, you can work the magic in Circle, with the coven's
power to draw on, and still get the person's permission before the magic is
triggered.
509
With all these rulesabout permission, perhaps it would besafer to
work only on ourselves? Safer, yes, but not nearly as good. If you have
permission, you may do any working for another person that you might do for
yourself. Coercive magic is just as unacceptable when somebody else asks
for it, and you may not do manipulative magic on your friend's mother, even
at your friend's request. The permission must come from the magic's
intended target and from nobody else. With proper permission, working magic
for others is good for all concerned.
Every act of magic has two effects. One is the direct effect, the
healing or prosperity working or whatever was intended. The other is a
minute change in the mind and the heart of the person who does the working.
Everything we experience, and especially everything that we do in a
wholehearted and focused way - the only way effective magic can be done -
changes us. Each experience leaves its tiny trace, but the traces are
cumulative. They mold the person we will become. Our karma is our choice.
Instant karma can also be good karma. Logical, natural and inevitable
outcomes can be desirable. When you send out good, what you send it with is
love. Love is the driving force. When you let love flow freely, the channel
down to love's wellspring stays clear and open. When you send out good, you
direct it along the web of person-to-person connection, and awareness of
that web is reinforced. The totality of that web is the basis of community.
When you send out good it feels good. In the same way that sending out
bane requires imagining pain, sending out blessing requires imagining
pleasure, strongly and specifically. And, when you send out good, just the
same as when you call it to yourself, you reinforce your sense of
effectiveness in the world. Blessings grow in the fertile ground of
mutuality, to the benefit of all.
A pattern isbecoming visible.In baneful magic,the magicianintends
to harm the target. In coercive magic, the intent toward the target is
neutral. In manipulative magic, the magician actually means the target
well. But no matter how different the intent may be, in all three cases
magic is done to affect another person without that person's permission. In
all three cases, the target, the practitioner and ultimately the community
are all hurt. And in all three cases, there are safer and more effective
ways to reach the valid goals that we mean to aim for.
So, perhaps there is a descriptive word that covers all wrongful
magical workings after all. How about "non-consensual" or "invasive"
magic?
There's one thing left to examine: the paradox of making rules to
protect personal autonomy.
If we make some of our choices as a community, by discussing things
together and arriving at a common understanding about what magical
behaviors are acceptable among us, then we choose and shape the kind of
community we become.
Or wecould give up ourright to choose,because we feelwe shouldn't
tell each other what to do. Some people believe that a refusal to set
community standards promotes personal autonomy. It never has before.
Appeals toindividual rights can bereal seductive. Noneof us wants
Big Brother looking over our shoulders, telling us what to do "for our own
510
good." For Witches in particular - members of a religious minority with
bad image problems - this is a very legitimate fear. But make sure when
somebody talks about "rights" without specifying something like "religious
practice rights" or "the right to consensual sex," that you find out just
what "rights" they mean.
Rhetoric about"rugged individualism" hasbeen usedin recenthistory
to fast talk us into letting the rich or strong dominate all our lives.
Without anything to stop them, they can destroy the forestland, or deny
jobs or apartments to "cultists." Personal autonomy for most of us is
diminished when we allow that.
Magic can be used for dominance,just the same as muscle or money.
There is no difference, ethically, between the magical and the mundane. We
are not obligated to tolerate power trippers among us. We are not obligated
to run our own community by the slogans and ground rules of the dominator
culture.
Thinking about "rights," or about "laws" for that matter, in the
abstract leads to "all or nothing" thinking - immature and slogan driven. I
don't think we should ever "just say" anything. We need a deeper and more
mature analysis. We need to ask questions like "right to do what?" and
"law against what?" We need to get away from absolutes and to look in
practical terms at the advantages or disadvantages of our choices.
Once more,our religion itself showsus the way tosteer between the
false choices. "An it harm none, do what you will." What a person does
that affects only herself - magical or mundane - is truly nobody's business
but her own. For example, consensual sexual behavior affects only the
participants. But toxic waste dumping affects everybody in the watershed.
As long as we look at behavior in terms of private choices or
individual will, we obscure the distinction that really makes a difference.
If we're serious about wanting to give each of us the most possible control
over our own lives, then decisions should be made by all the people
affected by the behavior - not just by the people acting.
As soon as another person is magically targeted, that other person is
affected. If we allow such targeting without consent, we are not supporting
personal autonomy, we are subverting it!
When the behavior begins to affect us all - for example when real
estate development threatens the salt marshes, and ultimately the air
supply - or, very specifically, when invasive magic erodes the trust we
need to work together - then we have a right to protect ourselves as a
community. No ideology should turn us into passive victims when something
we hold precious stands to be destroyed.
Invasive magichurts the targetfirst, and soonthe actor, butin the
long run it hurts all of us. It's been so long since we've been able to
meet together, share our knowledge, help one another in need. Pagan
community is very new, and still very fragile. It can only grow in safe
space.
511
The People of this Land forbade skirmishes around the pipestone
quarries, keeping that sacred source open to all. Otherwise, no sane person
would go there, and the Old Ways would wither. For much the same reason, we
cannot tolerate poppets in our council meetings.
An atmosphere of coercion and manipulation and magical duels does not
nurture community. Eventually, for self protection, the gentle will either
change or go away. We could lose what we have misguidedly refused to
protect.
As within, so without: our karma is our choice.
Judy Harrow
512
{file "Mind Control Techniques (Dick Sutphen)" "bos114.htm"}
THE BATTLE FOR YOUR MIND
by Dick Sutphen
Persuasion & Brainwashing Techniques Being Used On The Public Today
SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
The Birth of Conversion/Brainwashing in Christian Revivalism in 1735. The
Pavlovian explanation of the three brain phases. Born-again preachers:
Step-by-Step, how they conduct a revival and the expected physiological
results. The "voice roll" technique used by preachers, lawyers and
hypnotists. New trance-inducing churches. The 6 steps to conversion. The
decognition process. Thought-stopping techniques. The "sell it by zealot"
technique. True believers and mass movements. Persuasion techniques: "Yes
set," "Imbedded Commands," "Shock and Confusion," and the "Interspersal
Technique." Subliminals. Vibrato and ELF waves. Inducing trance with
vibrational sound. Even professional observers will be "possessed" at
charismatic gatherings. The "only hope" technique to attend and not be
converted. Non-detectable Neurophone programming through the skin. The
medium for mass take-over.
I'm Dick Sutphen andthis tape is a studio-recorded,expanded version
of a talk I delivered at the World Congress of Professional Hypnotists
Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. Although the tape carries a copyright to
protect it from unlawful duplication for sale by other companies, in this
case, I invite individuals to make copies and give them to friends or
anyone in a position to communicate this information.
Although I've been interviewed about the subject on many local and
regional radio and TV talk shows, large-scale mass communication appears to
be blocked, since it could result in suspicion or investigation of the very
media presenting it or the sponsors that support the media. Some government
agencies do not want this information generally known. Nor do the
Born-Again Christian movement, cults, and many human-potential trainings.
Everything I will relate only exposes the surface of the problem. I
don't know how the misuse of these techniques can be stopped. I don't think
it is possible to legislate against that which often cannot be detected;
and if those who legislate are using these techniques, there is little hope
of affecting laws to govern usage. I do know that the first step to
initiate change is to generate interest. In this case, that will probably
only result from an underground effort.
In talkingabout this subject, I am talking about my own business. I
know it, and I know how effective it can be. I produce hypnosis and
subliminal tapes and, in some of my seminars, I use conversion tactics to
assist participants to become independent and self-sufficient. But, anytime
I use these techniques, I point out that I am using them, and those
attending have a choice to participate or not. They also know what the
desired result of participation will be.
513
So, to begin, I want to state the most basic of all facts about
brainwashing: IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF MAN, NO ONE HAS EVER BEEN
BRAINWASHED AND REALIZED, OR BELIEVED, THAT HE HAD BEEN BRAINWASHED. Those
who have been brainwashed will usually passionately defend their
manipulators, claiming they have simply been "shown the light" . . . or
have been transformed in miraculous ways.
The Birth of Conversion
CONVERSION is a "nice" word for BRAINWASHING . . . and any study of
brainwashing has to begin with a study of Christian revivalism in
eighteenth century America. Apparently, Jonathan Edwards accidentally
discovered the techniques during a religious crusade in 1735 in
Northampton, Massachusetts. By inducing guilt and acute apprehension and
by increasing the tension, the "sinners" attending his revival meetings
would break down and completely submit. Technically, what Edwards was doing
was creating conditions that wipe the brain slate clean so that the mind
accepts new programming. The problem was that the new input was negative.
He would tell them, "You're a sinner! You're destined for hell!"
As a result, one person committed suicide and another attempted
suicide. And the neighbors of the suicidal converts related that they,
too, were affected so deeply that, although they had found "eternal
salvation," they were obsessed with a diabolical temptation to end their
own lives.
Oncea preacher, cult leader,manipulator or authority figure creates
the brain phase to wipe the brain-slate clean, his subjects are wide open.
New input, in the form of suggestion, can be substituted for their previous
ideas. Because Edwards didn't turn his message positive until the end of
the revival, many accepted the negative suggestions and acted, or desired
to act, upon them.
Charles J. Finney was another Christian revivalist who used the same
techniques four years later in mass religious conversions in New York. The
techniques are still being used today by Christian revivalists, cults,
human-potential trainings, some business rallies, and the United States
Armed Services . . . to name just a few.
Let me point out here that I don't think most revivalist preachers
realize or know they are using brainwashing techniques. Edwards simply
stumbled upon a technique that really worked, and others copied it and have
continued to copy it for over two hundred years. And the more sophisticated
our knowledge and technology become, the more effective the conversion. I
feel strongly that this is one of the major reasons for the increasing rise
in Christian fundamentalism, especially the televised variety, while most
of the orthodox religions are declining.
The Three Brain Phases
The Christians may have been the first to successfully formulate
brainwashing, but we have to look to Pavlov, the Russian scientist, for a
technical explanation. In the early 1900s, his work with animals opened the
door to further investigations with humans. After the revolution in Russia,
Lenin was quick to see the potential of applying Pavlov's research to his
own ends.
514
Three distinct and progressive states of transmarginal inhibition were
identified by Pavlov. The first is the EQUIVALENT phase, in which the brain
gives the same response to both strong and weak stimuli. The second is the
PARADOXICAL phase, in which the brain responds more actively to weak
stimuli than to strong. And the third is the ULTRA-PARADOXICAL phase, in
which conditioned responses and behavior patterns turn from positive to
negative or from negative to positive.
With the progression through each phase, the degree of conversion
becomes more effective and complete. The way to achieve conversion are many
and varied, but the usual first step in religious or political brainwashing
is to work on the emotions of an individual or group until they reach an
abnormal level of anger, fear, excitement, or nervous tension.
Theprogressive result of thismental condition isto impair judgement
and increase suggestibility. The more this condition can be maintained or
intensified, the more it compounds. Once catharsis, or the first brain
phase, is reached, the complete mental takeover becomes easier. Existing
mental programming can be replaced with new patterns of thinking and
behavior.
Other often-used physiological weapons to modify normal brain functions
are fasting, radical or high sugar diets, physical discomforts, regulation
of breathing, mantra chanting in meditation, the disclosure of awesome
mysteries, special lighting and sound effects, programmed response to
incense, or intoxicating drugs.
The sameresults can beobtained in contemporarypsychiatric treatment
by electric shock treatments and even by purposely lowering a person's
blood sugar level with insulin injections.
Before I talk about exactlyhow some of the techniques areapplied, I
want to point out that hypnosis and conversion tactics are two distinctly
different things--and that conversion techniques are far more powerful.
However, the two are often mixed . . . with powerful results.
How Revivalist Preachers Work
If you'd like to see a revivalist preacher at work, there are probably
several in your city. Go to the church or tent early and sit in the rear,
about three-quarters of the way back. Most likely repetitive music will be
played while the people come in for the service. A repetitive beat, ideally
ranging from 45 to 72 beats per minute (a rhythm close to the beat of the
human heart), is very hypnotic and can generate an eyes-open altered state
of consciousness in a very high percentage of people. And, once you are in
an alpha state, you are at least 25 times as suggestible as you would be in
full beta consciousness. The music is probably the same for every service,
or incorporates the same beat, and many of the people will go into an
altered state almost immediately upon entering the sanctuary.
Subconsciously, they recall their state of mind from previous services and
respond according to the post-hypnotic programming.
Watch the people waiting for the service to begin. Many will exhibit
external signs of trance--body relaxation and slightly dilated eyes. Often,
they begin swaying back and forth with their hands in the air while sitting
in their chairs. Next, the assistant pastor will probably come out. He
usually speaks with a pretty good "voice roll."
Voice Roll Technique
515
A "voice roll" is a patterned, paced style used by hypnotists when
inducing a trance. It is also used by many lawyers, several of whom are
highly trained hypnotists, when they desire to entrench a point firmly in
the minds of the jurors. A voice roll can sound as if the speaker were
talking to the beat of a metronome or it may sound as though he were
emphasizing every word in a monotonous, patterned style. The words will
usually be delivered at the rate of 45 to 60 beats per minute, maximizing
the hypnotic effect.
Now the assistant pastor begins the "build-up" process. He induces an
altered state of consciousness and/or begins to generate the excitement and
the expectations of the audience. Next, a group of young women in "sweet
and pure" chiffon dresses might come out to sing a song. Gospel songs are
great for building excitement and INVOLVEMENT. In the middle of the song,
one of the girls might be "smitten by the spirit" and fall down or react as
if possessed by the Holy Spirit. This very effectively increases the
intensity in the room. At this point, hypnosis and conversion tactics are
being mixed. And the result is the audience's attention span is now totally
focused upon the communication while the environment becomes more exciting
or tense.
Right about this time, when an eyes-open mass-induced alpha mental
state has been achieved, they will usually pass the collection plate or
basket. In the background, a 45-beat-per-minute voice roll from the
assistant preacher might exhort, "Give to God . . . Give to God . . . Give
to God . . ." And the audience does give. God may not get the money, but
his already wealthy representative will.
Next, the fire-and-brimstone preacher will come out.He induces fear
and increases the tension by talking about "the devil," "going to hell," or
the forthcoming Armageddon.
In the last such rally I attended, the preacher talked about the blood
that would soon be running out of every faucet in the land. He was also
obsessed with a "bloody axe of God," which everyone had seen hanging above
the pulpit the previous week. I have no doubt that everyone saw it--the
power of suggestion given to hundreds of people in hypnosis assures that at
least 10 to 25 percent would see whatever he suggested they see.
In most revivalist gatherings, "testifying" or "witnessing" usually
follows the fear-based sermon. People from the audience come up on stage
and relate their stories. "I was crippled and now I can walk!" "I had
arthritis and now it's gone!" It is a psychological manipulation that
works. After listening to numerous case histories of miraculous healings,
the average guy in the audience with a minor problem is sure he can be
healed. The room is charged with fear, guilt, intense excitement, and
expectations.
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Now thosewho want tobe healed are frequentlylined up aroundthe edge
of the room, or they are told to come down to the front. The preacher might
touch them on the head firmly and scream, "Be healed!" This releases the
psychic energy and, for many, catharsis results. Catharsis is a purging of
repressed emotions. Individuals might cry, fall down or even go into
spasms. And if catharsis is effected, they stand a chance of being healed.
In catharsis (one of the three brain phases mentioned earlier), the
brain-slate is temporarily wiped clean and the new suggestion is accepted.
For some, the healing may be permanent. For many, it will last four
days to a week, which is, incidentally, how long a hypnotic suggestion
given to a somnambulistic subject will usually last. Even if the healing
doesn't last, if they come back every week, the power of suggestion may
continually override the problem . . . or sometimes, sadly, it can mask a
physical problem which could prove to be very detrimental to the individual
in the long run.
I'm not saying that legitimate healings do not take place. They do.
Maybe the individual was ready to let go of the negativity that caused the
problem in the first place; maybe it was the work of God. Yet I contend
that it can be explained with existing knowledge of brain/mind function.
The techniques and staging will vary from church to church. Many use
"speaking in tongues" to generate catharsis in some while the spectacle
creates intense excitement in the observers.
The use of hypnotic techniques by religions is sophisticated, and
professionals are assuring that they become even more effective. A man in
Los Angeles is designing, building, and reworking a lot of churches around
the country. He tells ministers what they need and how to use it. This
man's track record indicates that the congregation and the monetary income
will double if the minister follows his instructions. He admits that about
80 percent of his efforts are in the sound system and lighting.
Powerful soundand the properuse of lightingare ofprimary importance
in inducing an altered state of consciousness--I've been using them for
years in my own seminars. However, my participants are fully aware of the
process and what they can expect as a result of their participation.
Six Conversion Techniques
Cults and human-potential organizations are always looking for new
converts. To attain them, they must also create a brain-phase. And they
often need to do it within a short space of time--a weekend, or maybe even
a day. The following are the six primary techniques used to generate the
conversion.
The meeting or training takesplace in an area whereparticipants are
cut off from the outside world. This may be any place: a private home, a
remote or rural setting, or even a hotel ballroom where the participants
are allowed only limited bathroom usage. In human-potential trainings, the
controllers will give a lengthy talk about the importance of "keeping
agreements" in life. The participants are told that if they don't keep
agreements, their life will never work. It's a good idea to keep
agreements, but the controllers are subverting a positive human value for
selfish purposes. The participants vow to themselves and their trainer that
they will keep their agreements. Anyone who does not will be intimidated
into agreement or forced to leave. The next step is to agree to complete
training, thus assuring a high percentage of conversions for the
organizations. They will USUALLY have to agree not to take drugs, smoke,
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and sometimes not to eat . . . or they are given such short meal breaks
that it creates tension. The real reason for the agreements is to alter
internal chemistry, which generates anxiety and hopefully causes at least a
slight malfunction of the nervous system, which in turn increases the
conversion potential.
Before the gathering is complete, the agreements will be used to ensure
that the new converts go out and find new participants. They are
intimidated into agreeing to do so before they leave. Since the importance
of keeping agreements is so high on their priority list, the converts will
twist the arms of everyone they know, attempting to talk them into
attending a free introductory session offered at a future date by the
organization. The new converts are zealots. In fact, the inside term for
merchandising the largest and most successful human-potential training is,
"sell it by zealot!"
At least a million people are graduates and a good percentage have been
left with a mental activation button that assures their future loyalty and
assistance if the guru figure or organization calls. Think about the
potential political implications of hundreds of thousands of zealots
programmed to campaign for their guru.
Be wary of an organization of this type that offers follow-up sessions
after the seminar. Follow-up sessions might be weekly meetings or
inexpensive seminars given on a regular basis which the organization will
attempt to talk you into taking--or any regularly scheduled event used to
maintain control. As the early Christian revivalists found, long-term
control is dependent upon a good follow-up system.
Alright. Now, let's look at the second tip-off that indicates
conversion tactics are being used. A schedule is maintained that causes
physical and mental fatigue. This is primarily accomplished by long hours
in which the participants are given no opportunity for relaxation or
reflection.
The third tip-off: techniquesused to increasethe tension in theroom
or environment.
Number four: Uncertainty. I could spend hours relating various
techniques to increase tension and generate uncertainty. Basically, the
participants are concerned about being "put on the spot" or encountered by
the trainers, guilt feelings are played upon, participants are tempted to
verbally relate their innermost secrets to the other participants or forced
to take part in activities that emphasize removing their masks. One of the
most successful human-potential seminars forces the participants to stand
on a stage in front of the entire audience while being verbally attacked by
the trainers. A public opinion poll, conducted a few years ago, showed that
the number one most-fearful situation an individual could encounter is to
speak to an audience. It ranked above window washing outside the 85th floor
of an office building. So you can imagine the fear and tension this
situation generates within the participants. Many faint, but most cope with
the stress by mentally going away. They literally go into an alpha state,
which automatically makes them many times as suggestible as they normally
are. And another loop of the downward spiral into conversion is
successfully effected.
The fifth clue that conversion tactics are being used is the
introduction of jargon--new terms that have meaning only to the "insiders"
who participate. Vicious language is also frequently used, purposely, to
make participants uncomfortable.
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The final tip-off isthat there isno humor in thecommunications . ..
at least until the participants are converted. Then, merry-making and humor
are highly desirable as symbols of the new joy the participants have
supposedly "found."
I'm not saying that good does not result from participation in such
gatherings. It can and does. But I contend it is important for people to
know what has happened and to be aware that continual involvement may not
be in their best interest.
Over the years,I've conductedprofessional seminars toteach peopleto
be hypnotists, trainers, and counselors. I've had many of those who conduct
trainings and rallies come to me and say, "I'm here because I know that
what I'm doing works, but I don't know why." After showing them how and
why, many have gotten out of the business or have decided to approach it
differently or in a much more loving and supportive manner.
Many of these trainers havebecome personal friends, and it scaresus
all to have experienced the power of one person with a microphone and a
room full of people. Add a little charisma and you can count on a high
percentage of conversions. The sad truth is that a high percentage of
people want to give away their power--they are true "believers"!
Cult gatheringsor human-potential trainings arean ideal environment
to observe first-hand what is technically called the "Stockholm Syndrome."
This is a situation in which those who are intimidated, controlled, or made
to suffer, begin to love, admire, and even sometimes sexually desire their
controllers or captors.
But let me inject a wordof warning here: If you think youcan attend
such gatherings and not be affected, you are probably wrong. A perfect
example is the case of a woman who went to Haiti on a Guggenheim Fellowship
to study Haitian Voodoo. In her report, she related how the music
eventually induced uncontrollable bodily movement and an altered state of
consciousness. Although she understood the process and thought herself
above it, when she began to feel herself become vulnerable to the music,
she attempted to fight it and turned away. Anger or resistance almost
always assures conversion. A few moments later she was possessed by the
music and began dancing in a trance around the Voodoo meeting house. A
brain phase had been induced by the music and excitement, and she awoke
feeling reborn. The only hope of attending such gatherings without being
affected is to be a Buddha and allow no positive or negative emotions to
surface. Few people are capable of such detachment.
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Before I go on,let's go backto the six tip-offsto conversion. Iwant
to mention the United States Government and military boot camp. The Marine
Corps talks about breaking men down before "rebuilding" them as new men--as
marines! Well, that is exactly what they do, the same way a cult breaks
its people down and rebuilds them as happy flower sellers on your local
street corner. Every one of the six conversion techniques are used in boot
camp. Considering the needs of the military, I'm not making a judgement as
to whether that is good or bad. IT IS A FACT that the men are effectively
brainwashed. Those who won't submit must be discharged or spend much of
their time in the brig.
Decognition Process
Once the initial conversion is effected, cults, armed services, and
similar groups cannot have cynicism among their members. Members must
respond to commands and do as they are told, otherwise they are dangerous
to the organizational control. This is normally accomplished as a
three-step Decognition Process.
Step One is ALERTNESS REDUCTION: The controllers cause the nervous
system to malfunction, making it difficult to distinguish between fantasy
and reality. This can be accomplished in several ways. POOR DIET is one;
watch out for Brownies and Koolaid. The sugar throws the nervous system
off. More subtle is the "SPIRITUAL DIET" used by many cults. They eat only
vegetables and fruits; without the grounding of grains, nuts, seeds, dairy
products, fish or meat, an individual becomes mentally "spacey." INADEQUATE
SLEEP is another primary way to reduce alertness, especially when combined
with long hours of work or intense physical activity. Also, being bombarded
with intense and unique experiences achieves the same result.
Step Two is PROGRAMMED CONFUSION: You are mentally assaulted while your
alertness is being reduced as in Step One. This is accomplished with a
deluge of new information, lectures, discussion groups, encounters or
one-to-one processing, which usually amounts to the controller bombarding
the individual with questions. During this phase of decognition, reality
and illusion often merge and perverted logic is likely to be accepted.
StepThree is THOUGHT STOPPING: Techniques areused to cause the mind
to go "flat." These are altered-state-of-consciousness techniques that
initially induce calmness by giving the mind something simple to deal with
and focusing awareness. The continued use brings on a feeling of elation
and eventually hallucination. The result is the reduction of thought and
eventually, if used long enough, the cessation of all thought and
withdrawal from everyone and everything except that which the controllers
direct. The takeover is then complete. It is important to be aware that
when members or participants are instructed to use "thought-stopping"
techniques, they are told that they will benefit by so doing: they will
become "better soldiers" or "find enlightenment."
There are threeprimary techniquesused for thoughtstopping. Thefirst
is MARCHING: the thump, thump, thump beat literally generates self-hypnosis
and thus great susceptibility to suggestion.
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Thesecond thought stopping technique is MEDITATION. If you spend an
hour to an hour and a half a day in meditation, after a few weeks, there is
a great probability that you will not return to full beta consciousness.
You will remain in a fixed state of alpha for as long as you continue to
meditate. I'm not saying this is bad--if you do it yourself. It may be very
beneficial. But it is a fact that you are causing your mind to go flat.
I've worked with meditators on an EEG machine and the results are
conclusive: the more you meditate, the flatter your mind becomes until,
eventually and especially if used to excess or in combination with
decognition, all thought ceases. Some spiritual groups see this as
nirvana--which is bullshit. It is simply a predictable physiological
result. And if heaven on earth is non-thinking and non-involvement, I
really question why we are here.
The third thought-stopping technique is CHANTING, and often chanting in
meditation. "Speaking in tongues" could also be included in this category.
All three-stopping techniques produce an altered state of
consciousness. This may be very good if YOU are controlling the process,
for you also control the input. I personally use at least one self-hypnosis
programming session every day and I know how beneficial it is for me. But
you need to know if you use these techniques to the degree of remaining
continually in alpha that, although you'll be very mellow, you'll also be
more suggestible.
True Believers & Mass Movements
Before ending this section on conversion, I want to talk about the
people who are most susceptible to it and about Mass Movements. I am
convinced that at least a third of the population is what Eric Hoffer calls
"true believers." They are joiners and followers . . . people who want to
give away their power. They look for answers, meaning, and enlightenment
outside themselves.
Hoffer, who wrote THE TRUE BELIEVER, a classic on mass movements, says,
"true believers are not intent on bolstering and advancing a cherished
self, but are those craving to be rid of unwanted self. They are followers,
not because of a desire for self-advancement, but because it can satisfy
their passion for self-renunciation!" Hoffer also says that true believers
"are eternally incomplete and eternally insecure"!
I know this from my own experience. In my years of communicating
concepts and conducting trainings, I have run into them again and again.
All I can do is attempt to show them that the only thing to seek is the
True Self within. Their personal answers are to be found there and there
alone. I communicate that the basics of spirituality are
self-responsibility and self-actualization. But most of the true
believers just tell me that I'm not spiritual and go looking for someone
who will give them the dogma and structure they desire.
Never underestimate the potential danger of these people. They can
easily be molded into fanatics who will gladly work and die for their holy
cause. It is a substitute for their lost faith in themselves and offers
them as a substitute for individual hope. The Moral Majority is made up of
true believers. All cults are composed of true believers. You'll find them
in politics, churches, businesses, and social cause groups. They are the
fanatics in these organizations.
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Mass Movements will usually havea charismatic leader. The followers
want to convert others to their way of living or impose a new way of
life--if necessary, by legislating laws forcing others to their view, as
evidenced by the activities of the Moral Majority. This means enforcement
by guns or punishment, for that is the bottomline in law enforcement.
A common hatred, enemy, or devil is essential to the success of a mass
movement. The Born-Again Christians have Satan himself, but that isn't
enough--they've added the occult, the New Age thinkers and, lately, all
those who oppose their integration of church and politics, as evidenced in
their political reelection campaigns against those who oppose their views.
In revolutions, the devil is usually the ruling power or aristocracy. Some
human-potential movements are far too clever to ask their graduates to join
anything, thus labeling themselves as a cult--but, if you look closely,
you'll find that their devil is anyone and everyone who hasn't taken their
training.
There are mass movements without devils but they seldom attain major
status. The True Believers are mentally unbalanced or insecure people, or
those without hope or friends. People don't look for allies when they love,
but they do when they hate or become obsessed with a cause. And those who
desire a new life and a new order feel the old ways must be eliminated
before the new order can be built.
Persuasion Techniques
Persuasion isn't technically brainwashing but it is the manipulation of
the human mind by another individual, without the manipulated party being
aware what caused his opinion shift. I only have time to very basically
introduce you to a few of the thousands of techniques in use today, but the
basis of persuasion is always to access your RIGHT BRAIN. The left half of
your brain is analytical and rational. The right side is creative and
imaginative. That is overly simplified but it makes my point. So, the idea
is to distract the left brain and keep it busy. Ideally, the persuader
generates an eyes-open altered state of consciousness, causing you to shift
from beta awareness into alpha; this can be measured on an EEG machine.
First, let me give you an example of distracting the left brain.
Politicians use these powerful techniques all the time; lawyers use many
variations which, I've been told, they call "tightening the noose."
Assume for a moment that you are watching a politician give a speech.
First, he might generate what is called a "YES SET." These are statements
that will cause listeners to agree; they might even unknowingly nod their
heads in agreement. Next come the TRUISMS. These are usually facts that
could be debated but, once the politician has his audience agreeing, the
odds are in the politician's favor that the audience won't stop to think
for themselves, thus continuing to agree. Last comes the SUGGESTION. This
is what the politician wants you to do and, since you have been agreeing
all along, you could be persuaded to accept the suggestion. Now, if you'll
listen closely to my political speech, you'll find that the first three are
the "yes set," the next three are truisms and the last is the suggestion.
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"Ladies and gentlemen: are you angry abouthigh food prices? Are you
tired of astronomical gas prices? Are you sick of out-of-control inflation?
Well, you know the Other Party allowed 18 percent inflation last year; you
know crime has increased 50 percent nationwide in the last 12 months, and
you know your paycheck hardly covers your expenses any more. Well, the
answer to resolving these problems is to elect me, John Jones, to the U.S.
Senate."
And I think you've heard all that before. But you might also watch for
what are called Imbedded Commands. As an example: On key words, the speaker
would make a gesture with his left hand, which research has shown is more
apt to access your right brain. Today's media-oriented politicians and
spellbinders are often carefully trained by a whole new breed of specialist
who are using every trick in the book--both old and new--to manipulate you
into accepting their candidate.
The concepts and techniques of Neuro-Linguistics are so heavily
protected that I found out the hard way that to even talk about them
publicly or in print results in threatened legal action. Yet
Neuro-Linguistic training is readily available to anyone willing to devote
the time and pay the price. It is some of the most subtle and powerful
manipulation I have yet been exposed to. A good friend who recently
attended a two-week seminar on Neuro-Linguistics found that many of those
she talked to during the breaks were government people.
Another technique that I'm just learning about is unbelievably
slippery; it is called an INTERSPERSAL TECHNIQUE and the idea is to say one
thing with words but plant a subconscious impression of something else in
the minds of the listeners and/or watchers.
Let me give you an example: Assume you are watching a television
commentator make the following statement: SENATOR JOHNSON is assisting
local authorities to clear up the stupid mistakes of companies contributing
to the nuclear waste problems." It sounds like a statement of fact, but, if
the speaker emphasizes the right word, and especially if he makes the
proper hand gestures on the key words, you could be left with the
subconscious impression that Senator Johnson is stupid. That was the
subliminal goal of the statement and the speaker cannot be called to
account for anything.
Persuasion techniques are also frequently used on a much smaller scale
with just as much effectiveness. The insurance salesman knows his pitch is
likely to be much more effective if he can get you to visualize something
in your mind. This is right-brain communication. For instance, he might
pause in his conversation, look slowly around your living room and say,
"Can you just imagine this beautiful home burning to the ground?" Of course
you can! It is one of your unconscious fears and, when he forces you to
visualize it, you are more likely to be manipulated into signing his
insurance policy.
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The Hare Krishnas, operating in every airport,use what I call SHOCK
AND CONFUSION techniques to distract the left brain and communicate
directly with the right brain. While waiting for a plane, I once watched
one operate for over an hour. He had a technique of almost jumping in front
of someone. Initially, his voice was loud then dropped as he made his
pitch to take a book and contribute money to the cause. Usually, when
people are shocked, they immediately withdraw. In this case they were
shocked by the strange appearance, sudden materialization and loud voice of
the Hare Krishna devotee. In other words, the people went into an alpha
state for security because they didn't want to confront the reality before
them. In alpha, they were highly suggestible so they responded to the
suggestion of taking the book; the moment they took the book, they felt
guilty and responded to the second suggestion: give money. We are all
conditioned that if someone gives us something, we have to give them
something in return--in that case, it was money. While watching this
hustler, I was close enough to notice that many of the people he stopped
exhibited an outward sign of alpha--their eyes were actually dilated.
Subliminal Programming
Subliminals are hidden suggestions that only your subconscious
perceives. They can be audio, hidden behind music, or visual, airbrushed
into a picture, flashed on a screen so fast that you don't consciously see
them, or cleverly incorporated into a picture or design.
Most audio subliminal reprogramming tapes offer verbal suggestions
recorded at a low volume. I question the efficacy of this technique--if
subliminals are not perceptible, they cannot be effective, and subliminals
recorded below the audible threshold are therefore useless. The oldest
audio subliminal technique uses a voice that follows the volume of the
music so subliminals are impossible to detect without a parametric
equalizer. But this technique is patented and, when I wanted to develop my
own line of subliminal audio cassettes, negotiations with the patent holder
proved to be unsatisfactory. My attorney obtained copies of the patents
which I gave to some talented Hollywood sound engineers, asking them to
create a new technique. They found a way to psycho-acoustically modify and
synthesize the suggestions so that they are projected in the same chord and
frequency as the music, thus giving them the effect of being part of the
music. But we found that in using this technique, there is no way to reduce
various frequencies to detect the subliminals. In other words, although the
suggestions are being heard by the subconscious mind, they cannot be
monitored with even the most sophisticated equipment.
If we were able to come up withthis technique as easily as we did,I
can only imagine how sophisticated the technology has become, with
unlimited government or advertising funding. And I shudder to think about
the propaganda and commercial manipulation that we are exposed to on a
daily basis. There is simply no way to know what is behind the music you
hear. It may even be possible to hide a second voice behind the voice to
which you are listening.
Theseries by Wilson Bryan Key, Ph.D., on subliminals in advertising
and political campaigns well documents the misuse in many areas, especially
printed advertising in newspapers, magazines, and posters.
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The big question about subliminals is: dothey work? And I guarantee
you they do. Not only from the response of those who have used my tapes,
but from the results of such programs as the subliminals behind the music
in department stores. Supposedly, the only message is instructions to not
steal: one East Coast department store chain reported a 37 percent
reduction in thefts in the first nine months of testing.
A 1984 article in the technical newsletter, "Brain-Mind Bulletin,"
states that as much as 99 percent of our cognitive activity may be
"non-conscious," according to the director of the Laboratory for Cognitive
Psychophysiology at the University of Illinois. The lengthy report ends
with the statement, "these findings support the use of subliminal
approaches such as taped suggestions for weight loss and the therapeutic
use of hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming."
Mass Misuse
I could relatemany stories that support subliminal programming, but
I'd rather use my time to make you aware of even more subtle uses of such
programming.
I have personally experienced sitting in a Los Angeles auditorium with
over ten thousand people who were gathered to listen to a current
charismatic figure. Twenty minutes after entering the auditorium, I became
aware that I was going in and out of an altered state. Those accompanying
me experienced the same thing. Since it is our business, we were aware of
what was happening, but those around us were not. By careful observation,
what appeared to be spontaneous demonstrations were, in fact, artful
manipulations. The only way I could figure that the eyes-open trance had
been induced was that a 6- to 7-cycle-per-second vibration was being piped
into the room behind the air conditioner sound. That particular vibration
generates alpha, which would render the audience highly susceptible. Ten to
25 percent of the population is capable of a somnambulistic level of
altered states of consciousness; for these people, the suggestions of the
speaker, if non-threatening, could potentially be accepted as "commands."
Vibrato
This leads to the mention of VIBRATO. Vibrato is the tremulous effect
imparted in some vocal or instrumental music, and the cycle-per-second
range
causes people to go into an altered state of consciousness. At one period
of English history, singers whose voices contained pronounced vibrato were
not allowed to perform publicly because listeners would go into an altered
state and have fantasies, often sexual in nature.
People who attend operaor enjoy listeningto singers like MarioLanza
are familiar with this altered state induced by the performers.
ELFs
Now, let's carry this awareness a little farther. There are also
inaudible ELFs (extra-low frequency waves). These are electromagnetic in
nature. One of the primary uses of ELFs is to communicate with our
submarines. Dr. Andrija Puharich, a highly respected researcher, in an
attempt to warn U.S. officials about Russian use of ELFs, set up an
experiment. Volunteers were wired so their brain waves could be measured on
an EEG. They were sealed in a metal room that could not be penetrated by a
normal signal.
Puharich then beamed ELF waves at the volunteers. ELFs go right through
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the earth and, of course, right through metal walls. Those inside couldn't
know if the signal was or was not being sent. And Puharich watched the
reactions on the technical equipment: 30 percent of those inside the room
were taken over by the ELF signal in six to ten seconds.
When I say "taken over," I mean that their behavior followed the
changes anticipated at very precise frequencies. Waves below 6 cycles per
second caused the subjects to become very emotionally upset, and even
disrupted bodily functions. At 8.2 cycles, they felt very high . . . an
elevated feeling, as though they had been in masterful meditation, learned
over a period of years. Eleven to 11.3 cycles induced waves of depressed
agitation leading to riotous behavior.
The Neurophone
Dr. PatrickFlanagan is a personalfriend of mine. Inthe early 1960s,
as a teenager, Pat was listed as one of the top scientists in the world by
"Life" magazine. Among his many inventions was a device he called the
Neurophone--an electronic instrument that can successfully program
suggestions directly through contact with the skin. When he attempted to
patent the device, the government demanded that he prove it worked. When he
did, the National Security Agency confiscated the neurophone. It took Pat
two years of legal battle to get his invention back.
In using thedevice, you don't hear or see a thing; it is applied to
the skin, which Pat claims is the source of special senses. The skin
contains more sensors for heat, touch, pain, vibration, and electrical
fields than any other part of the human anatomy.
In one of his recent tests, Pat conducted two identical seminars for a
military audience--one seminar one night and one the next night, because
the size of the room was not large enough to accommodate all of them at one
time. When the first group proved to be very cool and unwilling to
respond, Patrick spent the next day making a special tape to play at the
second seminar. The tape instructed the audience to be extremely warm and
responsive and for their hands to become "tingly." The tape was played
through the neurophone, which was connected to a wire he placed along the
ceiling of the room. There were no speakers, so no sound could be heard,
yet the message was successfully transmitted from that wire directly into
the brains of the audience. They were warm and receptive, their hands
tingled and they responded, according to programming, in other ways that I
cannot mention here.
The more we find out about how human beings work through today's highly
advanced technological research, the more we learn to control human beings.
And what probably scares me the most is that the medium for takeover is
already in place! The television set in your living room and bedroom is
doing a lot more than just entertaining you.
Before I continue, let me point out something else about an altered
state of consciousness. When you go into an altered state, you transfer
into right brain, which results in the internal release of the body's own
opiates: enkephalins and Beta-endorphins, chemically almost identical to
opium. In other words, it feels good . . . and you want to come back for
more.
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Recent tests byresearcher Herbert Krugman showedthat, while viewers
were watching TV, right-brain activity outnumbered left-brain activity by a
ratio of two to one. Put more simply, the viewers were in an altered state
. . . in trance more often than not. They were getting their Beta-endorphin
"fix."
To measure attention spans, psychophysiologist Thomas Mulholland of the
Veterans Hospital in Bedford, Massachusetts, attached young viewers to an
EEG machine that was wired to shut the TV set off whenever the children's
brains produced a majority of alpha waves. Although the children were told
to concentrate, only a few could keep the set on for more than 30 seconds!
Most viewers are already hypnotized. To deepen the trance is easy. One
simple way is to place a blank, black frame every 32 frames in the film
that is being projected. This creates a 45-beat-per-minute pulsation
perceived only by the subconscious mind--the ideal pace to generate deep
hypnosis.
The commercials or suggestions presented following this alpha-inducing
broadcast are much more likely to be accepted by the viewer. The high
percentage of the viewing audience that has somnambulistic-depth ability
could very well accept the suggestions as commands--as long as those
commands did not ask the viewer to do something contrary to his morals,
religion, or self-preservation.
The medium for takeover is here. By the age of 16, children have spent
10,000 to 15,000 hours watching television--that is more time than they
spend n school! In the average home, the TV set is on for six hours and 44
minutes per day--an increase of nine minutes from last year and three times
the average rate of increase during the 1970s.
It obviously isn't getting better . . . we are rapidly moving into an
alpha-level world--very possibly the Orwellian world of "1984"--placid,
glassy-eyed, and responding obediently to instructions.
A research project by Jacob Jacoby, a Purdue University psychologist,
found that of 2,700 people tested, 90 percent misunderstood even such
simple viewing fare as commercials and "Barnaby Jones." Only minutes after
watching, the typical viewer missed 23 to 36 percent of the questions about
what he or she had seen. Of course they did--they were going in and out of
trance! If you go into a deep trance, you must be instructed to
remember--otherwise you automatically forget.
I have just touched the tip of the iceberg. When you start to combine
subliminal messages behind the music, subliminal visuals projected on the
screen, hypnotically produced visual effects, sustained musical beats at a
trance-inducing pace . . . you have extremely effective brainwashing. Every
hour that you spend watching the TV set you become more conditioned. And,
in case you thought there was a law against any of these things, guess
again. There isn't! There are a lot of powerful people who obviously
prefer things exactly the way they are. Maybe they have plans for?
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{file "A Neo-Pagan Filmography (Mike Nichols)" "bos115.htm"}
A NEO-PAGAN FILMOGRAPHY
An Annotated List
of Recommended Viewing
=======================
(compiled 3/89)
by Mike Nichols
Although this list is a long one, it could easily have been much
longer. In fact, the hard part was deciding which of many good movies had
to be left out, due to limitations of space. So I used a few rules to
guide me. First, I gave preference to movies that had a strong Pagan
message, as opposed to films that are 'merely' entertaining. Thus, a film
like 'Never Cry Wolf', though it has no supernatural elements, made the
list; whereas superbly crafted atmospheric entertainments like 'Gothic' and
'Eyes of Fire' didn't. Second, in dealing with the supernatural, I
concentrated on films that informed, or at least stayed within the realms
of possibility. Hence, I include 'The Haunting', but not 'Poltergeist'.
Inevitably, I will have left out some of your favorites, for which I
apologize in advance. But I had to stop somewhere.
APPRENTICE TO MURDER, 1988, C-94m
D: R.L. Thomas. Donald Sutherland, Chad Lowe, Mia Sara, Knut Husebo,
Rutanya Alsa.
Intriguing fact-based story of a man who was a 'hex-meister' in the
Pennsylvania Dutch tradition. His practice of folk medicine lands him in
trouble with the law, and a final confrontation with a rival sorcerer leads
to a charge of murder. Sutherland is appealing in the lead role, and the
story unfolds mainly through his eyes. Mia Sara does a nice job in a
supporting role. There's a lot of authentic folk magic to lend atmosphere.
THE BELIEVERS, 1987, C-114m
D: John Schlesinger. Martin Sheen, Helen Shaver, Harley Cross, Robert
Loggia, Elizabeth Wilson, Lee Richardson, Harris Yulin, Richard Masur,
Carla Pinza, Jimmy Smits.
Afterthe death ofhis wife, Sheen andhis son moveto New York City,
where they become involved in a grisly series of cultish human sacrifices.
Although the religion of Santeria is unfortunately shown in a negative
light, there is enough authenticity to lend lots of interest. A gripping
thriller.
BELL, BOOK, AND CANDLE, 1958, C-103m
D: Richard Quine. James Stewart, Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovaks,
Hermione Gingold.
Yes, I'm well aware that this movie, based on the John Van Druten
play, is responsible for more misinformation about Witchcraft than anything
outside the 'Bewitched' TV series. Still, I hardly know a Pagan who
doesn't love it. For many of us, it was the first time we'd encountered
the idea of Witchcraft alive and well in a modern metropolis. And Kim
Novak is STILL my idea of what a Witch OUGHT to look like. And none of us
will ever forget Kovak's reading of the line 'Witches, boy! Witches!' Or
Stewart's offhand comment that it feels more like Halloween than Christmas.
Lots of fun.
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BROTHER SUN, SISTER MOON, 1973-Italian-British, C-121m
D: Franco Zeffirelli. Graham Faulkner, Judi Bowker, Leigh Lawson, Alec
Guinness, Valentina Cortese, Kenneth Cranham
For most Pagans, St. Francis of Assisi is usually considered an
honorary Pagan, at the very least. His insistence on finding divinity in
nature is exactly what Paganism is all about. This film biography portrays
his extreme love of and sensitivity to nature with poignant beauty. And
the musical score by Donovan is such a perfect choice that, having heard
it, nothing else would ever do. This is also a visually stunning film, as
those who remember Zefferelli's 'Romeo and Juliet' might expect. If ever
Christianity could be made palatable to the sensibilities of Neo-Pagans, it
would have to be through the eyes of a nature mystic like Francis. The
Catholic Church came close to naming him a heretic but, at the last minute,
the Pope (played by Alec Guinness) sanctioned him. (Old Obi Wan comes
through again!)
BURN, WITCH, BURN!, 1962-British, 90m
D: Sidney Hayers. Janey Blair, Peter Wyngarde, Margaret Johnston, Anthony
Nicholls.
Based on the Fritz Leiber classic 'Conjure Wife' and scripted by
Richard Matheson, this is an interesting view of Witchcraft. Granted, this
has as many misconceptions as 'Bell, Book, and Candle', yet the premise is
intriguing: that ALL women are secretly Witches, and ALL men don't know
about it. This is mainly about one woman's use of magic to advance the
career of her schoolteacher husband.
DARBY O'GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE, 1959, C-93m
D: Robert Stevenson. Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, Sean Connery, Jimmy
O'Dea, Kieron Moore, Estelle Winwood.
Simply the best fantasy ever filmed. No kidding. This is a PERFECT
little movie, and (along with 'The Quiet Man') the ultimate St. Patrick's
Day film. Sharpe is sensational as Darby O'Gill, who likes to sit in the
pub telling stories about his adventures with the King of the Leprechauns.
Unbeknownst to everyone, they are TRUE stories! Every tidbit of Irish
folklore, from banshees to the crock of gold to the costa bower (the death
coach) is worked into the plot. The music and songs are great. So is the
cast, many of whom were brought over from the Abbey Theater in Dublin!
Sean Connery makes his screen debut, in a SINGING role! The subsequent
untimely death of Janet Munro robbed the screen of one of its brightest
actresses. (Her character's combination of willfulness and femininity is a
textbook study. Compared to her, Princess Leia's character is not
'strong-willed' -- it's just snotty!) The special effects are miraculous
for 1959! When Darby walks into King Brian's throne room, we walks THROUGH
a crowd of Leprechauns, and I defy anyone to find a matte line! In fact,
the special effects are so good throughout, that you FORGET that they're
special effects, and end up deciding that they must have rounded up some
real Leprechauns from somewhere.
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THE DARK CRYSTAL, 1983-British, C-94m
D: Jim Henson and Frank Oz. Performed by Jim Henson, Kathryn Mullen, Frank
Oz, Dave Goelz, Brian Muehl, Jean Pierre Amiel, Kiran Shaw.
The creators of the Muppets come up with an entire fantasy world,
where even the flora and fauna are original. And this world is in grave
peril unless the missing shard of the Dark Crystal can be found and
restored to it. This is a hero-quest in the classic mold, with art
stylings by Brian Froud. Although wonderfully imaginative and
entertaining, it has a very strong message of mysticism, all about
universal balance and the synthesis of opposites. (One wonders if the
entire quartz crystal fad of the late 1980's had its origins here!)
DON'T LOOK NOW, 1973-British, C-110m
D: Nicolas Roeg. Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland, Hilary Mason, Clelia
Matania, Massimo Serato.
Based ona so-so occultthriller by Daphnedu Maurier, thisbecomes a
brilliant film in the hands of Italian director Nicolas Roeg (famed for
'The Man Who Fell to Earth). Shortly after their daughter has drowned,
Sutherland (who restores mosaics in old churches) and his wife go to Venice
where they meet two sisters who are spiritualists. They begin to receive
messages from the daughter, who keeps warning Sutherland to leave Venice
because he is in mortal danger. If ever a film captured the real feeling
of how psychic ability operates, this is it. The use of subjective
editing, and the symbolic use (and total control of!) color throughout the
film is masterful. (This film also contains one of the most stylish love
scenes ever filmed.) Squeamish people need to be warned about the violent
ending, however.
THE DUNWICH HORROR, 1970, C-90m
D: Daniel Haller. Sandra Dee, Dean Stockwell, Ed Begley, Sam Jaffe, Lloyd
Bochner, Joanna Moore, Talia Coppolia (Shire).
Nice adaptation of an H. P.Lovecraft story, with a wonderfulcast.
Dean
Stockwell is the quintessential ritual magician, both mysterious and
compelling. He steals the original 'Necronomicon' from a library in order
to 'bring back the Old Ones', a race of powerful but dark beings that
inhabited the earth before humans. Sam Jaffe is wonderful as his crazed
grandfather. (What happened to the father is part of the mystery!) And
Sandra Dee is perfect as the innocent virgin chosen to be the unwilling
host mother for the rebirth of these demons. (Some versions of the film
cut the last scene short, which shows a developing fetus superimposed over
Dee's abdomen. 'Nuff said.) By the way, no film has ever shown the raw
power of otherworldly beings as well as this. No 'latex lovelies' here.
Just pure, unadulterated elemental force. Nice job!
THE EMERALD FOREST, 1985, C-113m
D: John Boorman. Powers Boothe, Meg Foster, Charley Boorman, Dira Pass.
A look atour ownculture through theeyes of theaboriginal tribesof
the Amazon. (They call us the 'termite people', because of the
deforestation and industrial development we have brought to their
homeland.) The director's son, Charley, is totally convincing as a young
boy raised by aborigines. Great music by Junior Homrich.
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THE ENTITY, 1983, C-115m
D: Sidney J. Furie. Barbara Hershey, Ron Silver, Jacqueline Brooks, David
Lablosa, George Coe, Margaret Blye.
The trulyfrightening thing about thismovie is that it'sbased on a
true story, about a woman who is repeatedly violently raped by an invisible
presence. Initially, she seeks the help of a psychologist, who is a strict
behaviorist and thinks that it is all 'in her mind'. It is not until a
chance encounter with a team of parapsychologist from the local university
that she finally finds people who understand her problem. One of the
film's great strengths is its portrayal of the professional rivalry that
develops between the psychologist (who has begun taking a personal
interest) and the parapsychologists, who are interested in investigating
the phenomena. The final scene in the gymnasium is the only part of the
film based on speculation only. At last report, the case was still active.
EXCALIBUR, 1981-British, C-140m
D: John Boorman. Nicol Williamson, Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicholas
Clay, Cherie Lunghi, Corin Redgrave, Paul Geoffrey.
A stylish adaptationof ThomasMalory's 'Le MorteD'Arthur'. Boorman
knew exactly what he was doing in combining certain key characters and
keeping the spirit of the legends. The Grail Quest is especially well
handled. Williamson's Merlin and Mirren's Morgana are both brilliant
performances. Great music. Try to see this one on the big screen.
HARVEY, 1950, 104m
D: Henry Koster. James Stewart, Josephine Hull, Peggy Dow, Charles Drake,
Cecil Kellaway, Victoria Horne, Jesse White, Wallace Ford, Ida Moore.
Imagine a movie that chooses as its main theme a Welsh animal spirit
called a pooka (or 'pwcca' in Welsh)! That would be improbable enough by
today's standards. But the fact that it happened in a 1940's Pulitzer
Prize-winning play and subsequent movie boggles the mind! The pooka in
question is a 6-foot invisible rabbit named Harvey, who manifests himself
only to a gentle tippler named Elwood P. Dowd, played to perfection by
Stewart. Jesse White (the lonely Maytag repairman) made his film debut
here. Few movies are as much fun as this.
THE HAUNTING, 1963, 112m
D: Robert Wise. Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn,
Lois Maxwell, Fay Compton
Based on ShirleyJackson's masterpiece 'TheHaunting of HillHouse',
this is probably the ultimate ghost movie. A parapsychologist and a team
of student assistants investigate a haunted house. Based on the premise
that no ghost ever hurts anyone physically; the damage is always done by
the victim to himself, psychologically. Julie Harris is marvelous.
INHERIT THE WIND, 1960, 127m
D: Stanley Kramer. Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, Gene Kelly, Florence
Eldridge, Dick York, Harry Morgan, Donna Anderson, Elliot Reid, Claude
Akins, Noah Beery, Jr., Norman Fell.
This should be required viewing for every Pagan. For many of us,
there came a time when our own ideologies simply collided head-on with
fundamental Christian faith, and we knew we could no longer accept it.
Never has a movie embodied this theme so well. Based on the play by Jerome
Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, it deals with the Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925
in Tennessee, where a high school teacher was arrested for teaching
Darwin's Theory of Evolution. The debate that ensued was between two of
the most brilliant minds of their day, the great trial lawyer Clarence
Darrow for the defense, and two-time Presidential candidate William
Jennings Bryan for the prosecution. Kelly's character is based on
acid-tongued columnist H. L. Mencken. This is riveting, from first to
last.
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JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL, 1973, C-120m
D: Hal Bartlett. Many seagulls.
Although the film is flawed and drags a little toward the end, it is
nevertheless well worth seeing. The photography is beautiful, and Neil
Diamond's score (including 'Skybird') is marvelous. It is, of course,
based on Richard Bach's marvelous tale of a little seagull that refuses to
fit in with his flock, preferring to follow a higher, more mystical,
calling. This is yet another one you should try to see on the big screen.
LADYHAWKE, 1985, C-124m
D: Richard Donner. Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Leo
McKern, John Wood, Ken Hutchison, Alfred Molina.
Whoever decidedon themusic for thisfilm should beshot! Think what
a nice soundtrack by Clannad would have been like. That reservation aside,
this is a great medieval fantasy concerning two lovers who have been
separated by a curse, and a young thief who becomes their ally, an unusual
but charming role for Matthew Broderick. (If anyone ever gets around to
filming Katherine Kurtz's 'Deryni' books, this is the team that ought to do
it.)
THE LAST UNICORN, 1982, C-84m
D: Rankin & Bass. Voices of Mia Farrow, Alan Arkin, Jeff Bridges, Tammy
Grimes, Robert Klein, Angela Lansbury, Christopher Lee.
Based on theincomparable fantasy novel by PeterS. Beagle, this is
very adult animation. And because Beagle himself wrote the screenplay,
this film contains spiritual one-liners that hit you right in the gut.
Example: 'Never run from anything immortal. It attracts their attention.'
Though this is NOT classic Disney animation (in fact, it looks like limited
animation), the voice-work, screenplay, and art stylings are all so good,
you're inclined to overlook it. Angela Lansbury's character voice for
Mommy Fortuna is marvelous. And there's a lovely lyrical score by the
group America.
THE LAST WAVE, 1977-Australian, C-106m
D: Peter Weir. Richard Chamberlain, Olivia Hamnett, (David) Gulpilil,
Frederick Parslow, Vivean Gray, Nanjiwarra Amagula.
Chamberlainplays anAustralian lawyerdefending anaborigine accused
of a murder that was actually done by magic. This is a rare and wonderful
glimpse into the tribal religion of the native Australians, their myths,
and their belief in the Dream Time. Peter Weir (famed for 'Picnic at
Hanging Rock') directs this atmospheric thriller.
LEGEND, 1985-British, C-89m
D: Ridley Scott. Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry, David Bennent, Alice
Playten, Billy Barty.
Oneof the mostvisually luscious filmsever created. Every frame is
gorgeous. The plot is nearly archetypal, with evil (Curry) attempting to
seduce innocence (Sara). Though it's hard to accept Cruise as the hero of
this Grimm's-like fairy tale, Curry and Sara turn in good performances.
The European version runs 20 minutes longer and retains the original (and,
in my opinion, superior) musical score by Jerry Goldsmith. The American
score is by Tangerine Dream.
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THE LORD OF THE RINGS, 1978, C-133m
D: Ralph Bakshi. Voices of Christopher Guard, William Squire, John Hurt,
Michael Sholes, Dominic Guard.
This ambitious but flawed animated feature covers half of J.R.R.
Tolkien's fantasy trilogy, ending much too abruptly. But for all the
criticism usually heaped upon this film, there ARE moments of absolute
genius. Such as the Dark Riders attempting to kill Frodo and friends in
their beds at the Prancing Pony Inn. Or Gandalf and Frodo's moonlit walk
through the Shire. Or the first time Frodo puts on the ring. These
moments alone make the movie well worth seeing.
NEVER CRY WOLF, 1983, C-105m
D: Carroll Ballard. Charles Martin Smith, Brian Dennehy, Zachary
Ittimangnaq, Samson Jorah.
A brilliant performance by Smith (based on author Farley Mowat) as a
young man sent to study wolves in the Arctic. Again, we are treated to the
insights of the native culture (the Innuit), and are shown how it has been
debased through contact with our own greedy culture. This film contains
some of the most spectacular nature photography ever put on film. Ballard
was chief nature photographer for Disney Studios for years. Try to see
this one on the big screen.
NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE, 1979-West German, C-107m
D: Werner Herzog. Klaus Kinski, Isabelle Adjani, Bruno Ganz, Roland Topor.
Forvampire lovers, this film isthe creme de lacreme. Werner Herzog
is a leader of modern German Expressionist cinema, and here he is operating
at the top of his form. The spooky atmosphere is so thick you could peel
it off the screen in layers. (Try to see this one in the theater.) The
creepiness of Kinski's Dracula is equaled only by the classic beauty of
Adjani's Lucy. This is the perfect film for Halloween night. The German
language version with English subtitles is far superior to the English
version, and slightly longer. (The SOUND of the German dialogue actually
fits the mood of the film better.)
ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER, 1970, C-129m
D: Vincente Minnelli. Barbra Streisand, Yves Montand, Bob Newhart, Larry
Blyden, Simon Oakland, Jack Nicholson. Alan Lerner & Burton Lane score.
Probablyinspired by the case of BrideyMurphy, this musical is all
about hypnosis, past life regression, ESP, reincarnation, and other 'New
Age' topics (though 20 years too early). (One wonders how Shirley MacLaine
missed starring in this. Yet, one is thankful for small favors.)
Streisand is wonderful, especially in the lavish flashback sequences.
Montand should have been replaced. Still, the plot's surprising turns are
well within the realm of supernatural possibility.
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THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW, 1988, C-98m
D: Wes Craven. Bill Pullman, Cathy Tyson, Zakes Mokae, Paul Winfield,
Brent Jennings, Theresa Merritt, Michael Gough.
Directed by Wes Craven (famed for his 'Nightmare on Elm Street'
series), this is the true story of Wade Davis, an ethnobotanist who is sent
to Haiti to bring back the secret of the so-called Zombie drug,
tetrodotoxin. But the local practitioners of 'Voodoo' don't yield their
secrets too easily and, before it's all over, Davis finds himself a victim
of the drug -- which gives Craven carte blanche for the wonderful special
effects he's famous for. Like 'The Believers', this film unfortunately
shows the native religion (Voudoun) primarily in a negative light. Still,
at times it manages to capture its beauty, mystery and innocence,
especially in the festival scenes when the entire village spends the night
asleep in a candle-lighted forest.
7 FACES OF DR. LAO, 1964, C-100m
D: George Pal. Tony Randall, Barbara Eden, Arthur O'Connell, John Ericson,
Kevin Tate, Argentina Brunetti, Noah Beery, Jr., Minerva Urecal, John
Qualen, Lee Patrick, Royal Dano.
For people who think that decent fantasy films are a recent
development, this movie is going to come as a delightful surprise. The
special effects and gentle magic of director George Pal was the perfect
means of bringing the Charles Finney classic 'The Circus of Dr. Lao' to the
screen. Randall, in a tour de force performance of six roles, is the
mysterious Chinese guru, Dr. Lao, whose travelling circus changes the
course of history for a small Western town. For the better. A lovely and
funny film with a spiritual dimension that would appeal to every Pagan.
Nice musical score by Leigh Harline combines Western and Oriental music.
SILENT RUNNING, 1971, C-89m
D: Douglas Trumbull. Bruce Dern, Cliff Potts, Ron Rifkin, Jesse Vint.
Should be subtitled 'Druidsin Spaaaaace!!!' Aboard thedeep space
ship Valley Forge, the very talented Bruce Dern (in his most likable film
role ever) battles to save the last vestiges of the Earth's forests.
Special effects by the team that created '2001'. And a brilliant musical
score by Peter Schickele (whose better-known comic persona is P.D.Q. Bach),
sung by Joan Baez.
SLEEPING BEAUTY, 1959, C-75m
D: Clyde Geronimi. Voices of Mary Costa, Bill Shirley, Elinor Audley,
Verna Felton, Barbara Jo Allen, Barbara Luddy.
The all-time masterpiece of the animator's art, this is the most
lavish and most expensive (by contemporary standards) animated feature ever
done by Disney studios. The uninitiated may babble about 'Fantasia', but
the true cognoscente of animation know that THIS is the apogee of the art
form. From the lush color stylings (heavy use of greens and purples), to
the elegantly stylized backgrounds, to the figure of Maleficent (designed
by Marc Davis), to a fire-breathing dragon that wasn't equaled until
'Dragonslayer', this film is superb. Voice work by Audley and Felton is
outstanding. The film should also serve as a textbook example of how to
adapt a classical score (Tchaikovsky's 'Sleeping Beauty Ballet') to a movie
soundtrack. Never has it been done better. See it. One last
consideration: this was filmed in the extra-wide-screen Technerama process,
and naturally loses a lot when transferred to video. Try to see this in a
theater. One with a BIG screen and a state-of-the-art sound system. You
will be amazed.
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SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, 1983, C-94m
D: Jack Clayton. Jason Robards, Jonathan Pryce, Diane Ladd, Pam Grier,
Royal Dano, Shawn Carson, Vidal Peterson, Mary Grace Canfield, James Stacy,
narrated by Arthur Hill.
RayBradbury's fantasy novel is brought tothe screen by a director
who understands it. This is a mood piece, and it's done to perfection. It
all takes place in that strange twilight halfway between children's
make-believe and the world of the supernatural. You're never quite sure
which it is. Jonathan Pryce is utterly mesmerizing as the sinister Mr.
Dark, leader of a mysterious travelling carnival. He has so much screen
presence you can barely take your eyes off him. I haven't seen an actor in
such total control of a role since Gene Wilder did 'Willy Wonka'. An added
bonus is that Bradbury himself wrote the screenplay, and it shows. It's a
real cut above the insipid screenplays we're all used to.
STAR WARS, 1977, C-121m
D: George Lucas. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing,
Alec Guinness, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, voice of James Earl Jones (as
Darth Vader)
Despite the spaceships and high-tech doodads, this is really more
fantasy than science fiction. And the reliance which director George Lucas
placed in the theories of Joseph Campbell help shape a story that is very
near to myth. The other two movies in the trilogy, 'The Empire Strikes
Back' and 'Return of the Jedi' are also important. The main interest to
most Pagans lies in the mystical sub-motif of 'the Force', a kind a 'mana'
that is ethically neutral, but may be used in magic for either good (as
evidenced by Obi Wan Kenobe) or evil (as evidenced by Darth Vader). In the
second film, it is the great Jedi Master, Yoda (created by Muppet masters,
Jim Henson and Frank Oz), who teaches us most about the Force. This is
pure magic.
THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS, 1980, C-84
D: John Hough. Bette Davis, Carroll Baker, David McCallum, Lynn-Holly
Johnson, Kyle Richards, Ian Bannen, Richard Pasco.
What I wouldn't giveto have seen thisas a teenager! Johnson stars
as a girl whose family has just rented an old English country house, where
she is haunted by the image of a young girl who disappeared years ago.
During a strange seance-type initiation ritual. In the ruins of an old
chapel. During a freak lightning storm. During an eclipse. The subtext
is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Even though such elements
remain unstated, for those of us interested in power points, ley lines, and
astronomical alignments, this movie is a real treat. Someone Knew
Something! Sadly, the end is badly flawed. But no matter, because the fun
is in the getting there. A delightful cast, and great atmosphere
throughout, make this film special.
THE WICKER MAN, 1973-British, C-95m
D: Robin Hardy. Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Diane
Cilento, Ingrid Pitt, Lindsay Kemp.
Based on the Anthony Shaffer thriller,this movie is a favorite of
most Pagans. The plot concerns a police sergeant (Woodward) sent to
investigate the disappearance of a young girl, on a small island off the
coast of Scotland. There he finds a completely Pagan society. Local color
and beautiful folk music enhance the most loving portrayal of a Pagan
society ever committed to film. Unfortunately, in the end, the Pagans are
'revealed' to be the requisite bad guys. If you can overlook the ending,
however, this is fine movie. Every Pagan I know who's seen it wants to
move to Summer Isle immediately.
WILLOW, 1988, C-125m
D: Ron Howard. Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Warwick Davis, Jean Marsh,
535
Patricia Hayes, Billy Barty, Pat Roach, Gavan O'Herlihy.
Despitethe story byGeorge Lucas, thisis NOT the'Star Wars' of the
fantasy genre. Too derivative (especially Mad Martigan, who is a Han Solo
clone). Still, the film has a lot to say about magic, and Davis gives a
delightful performance. Jean Marsh is terrific as the evil Queen Bavmorda
(in a role that almost parallels her role as Queen Mombi in 'Return to
Oz'). And the scene in which Chirlindrea appears to Willow in the forest
is as close to an epiphany of the Goddess as I've ever seen on film. That
scene alone is worth the admission price.
WINDWALKER, 1980, C-108m
D: Keith Merrill. Trevor Howard, Nick Ramus, James Remar, Serene Hedin,
Dusty Iron Wing McCrea.
This is the best cowboy-and-Indian movie I've ever seen. Mainly
because there are no cowboys in it. It is pure Native American. Trevor
Howard is incredible as the old Indian chief who returns from the dead in
order to protect his family, and restore to it a lost son, a twin who was
stolen at birth by an enemy tribe. This film FEELS more like genuine
Native American than any other I can think of. The Utah mountain scenery
is breath-taking. Costuming (mostly furs) is authentic. And dialogue is
actually in the Cheyenne and Crow languages, with English subtitles. And
there's enough mysticism (especially in the old Indian's relationship with
his horse) to please any Pagan audience.
WIZARDS, 1977, C-80m
D: Ralph Bakshi. Voices of Bob Holt, Jesse Wells, Richard Romanus, David
Proval, Mark Hamill.
Post-holocaust scenario withthe forcesof evil technologyled bythe
wizard Blackwolf arrayed against the forces of benevolent magic led by the
wizard Avatar. With background stylings a la Roger Dean, and character
design that borrows from Vaughn Bode, this is tongue-in-cheek wizardry at
its finest. The character of Elinor, a faery nymph, is a complete success
-- a milestone in adult animation. Great voice work and nice music. And
who is that wonderful (uncredited) narrator???
XANADU, 1980, C-88m
D: Robert Greenwald. Olivia Newton-John, Michael Beck, Gene Kelly, James
Sloyan, Dimitra Arliss, Katie Hanley.
Yeah, yeah, I know. On one level, it's just Olivia Newton-John on
roller-skates. But on another level, it is the story of how one of the
nine muses of classical mythology (Terpsichore) comes down from Olympus to
inspire a young artist. On yet a third level, it is the biggest Hollywood
musical produced since the golden years of MGM. And it works well on all
counts. The brilliant musical score (including several chart-toppers) is
provided by the Electric Light Orchestra's Jeff Lynne, and Olivia does them
up proper. Gene Kelly might not dance as well as he once did, but he can
still charm as well. And did anyone notice that's Sandahl Bergman leading
the muses in dance? As if that weren't enough, the film includes a
delightful animated segment that marked the debut for Don Bluth studios,
which later gave us 'The Secret of NIHM' and 'An American Tail'.
536
{file "Candlemas (Gwydion)" "bos116.htm"}
C A N D L E M A S
by Gwydion Cinhil Kirontin
It seems quite impossible that the holiday of Candlemas
should be considered the beginning of Spring. Here in the
heartland, February 2nd may see a blanket of snow mantling the
Mother. Or, if the snows have gone, you may be sure the days are
filled with drizzle, slush, and steel-grey skies -- the dreariest
weather of the year. In short, the perfect time for a Pagan
Festival of Lights. And as for Spring, although this may seem a
tenuous beginning, all the little buds, flowers and leaves will
have arrived on schedule before Spring runs its course to Beltane.
"Candlemas" is the Christianized name for the holiday, of
course. The older Pagan names were Imbolc and Oimelc. "Imbolc"
means, literally, "in the belly" (of the Mother). For in the
womb of Mother Earth, hidden from our mundane sight but sensed by
a keener vision, there are stirrings. The seed that was planted
in her womb at the solstice is quickening and the new year grows.
"Oimelc" means "milk of ewes", for it is also lambing season.
The holiday is also called "Brigit's Day", in honor of the
great Irish Goddess Brigit. At her shrine, the ancient Irish
capital of Kildare, a group of 19 priestesses (no men allowed)
kept a perpetual flame burning in her honor. She was considered
a goddess of fire, patroness of smithcraft, poetry and healing
(especially the healing touch of midwifery). This tripartite
symbolism was occasionally expressed by saying that Brigit had
two sisters, also named Brigit. (Incidentally, another form of
the name Brigit is Bride, and it is thus She bestows her special
patronage on any woman about to be married or handfasted, the
woman being called "bride" in her honor.)
The Roman Catholic Church could not very easily call the
Great Goddess of Ireland a demon, so they canonized her instead.
Henceforth, she would be "Saint" Brigit, patron saint of
smithcraft, poetry, and healing. They "explained" this by
telling the Irish peasants that Brigit was "really" an early
Christian missionary sent to the Emerald Isle, and that the
miracles she performed there "misled" the common people into
believing that she was a goddess. For some reason, the Irish
swallowed this. (There is no limit to what the Irish imagination
can convince itself of. For example, they also came to believe
that Brigit was the "foster-mother" of Jesus, giving no thought
to the implausibility of Jesus having spent his boyhood in Ireland!)
Brigit's holiday was chiefly marked by the kindling of sacred
fires, since she symbolized the fire of birth and healing, the
fire of the forge, and the fire of poetic inspiration. Bonfires
were lighted on the beacon tors, and chandlers celebrated their
special holiday. The Roman Church was quick to confiscate this
symbolism as well, using "Candlemas" as the day to bless all the
church candles that would be used for the coming liturgical year.
(Catholics will be reminded that the following day, St. Blaise's
Day, is remembered for using the newly-blessed candles to bless
the throats of parishioners, keeping them from colds, flu, sore
throats, etc.)
The Catholic Church, never one to refrain from piling holiday
upon holiday, also called it the Feast of the Purification of the
537
Blessed Virgin Mary. (It is surprising how many of the old Pagan
holidays were converted to Maryan Feasts.) The symbol of the
Purification may seem a little obscure to modern readers, but it
has to do with the old custom of "churching women". It was
believed that women were impure for six weeks after giving birth.
And since Mary gave birth at the winter solstice, she wouldn't be
purified until February 2nd. In Pagan symbolism, this might be
re-translated as when the Great Mother once again becomes the
Young Maiden Goddess.
Today, this holiday is chiefly connected to weather lore.
Even our American folk-calendar keeps the tradition of
"Groundhog's Day", a day to predict the coming weather, telling
us that if the Groundhog sees his shadow, there will be "six more
weeks" of bad weather (i.e., until the next old holiday, Lady
Day). This custom is ancient. An old British rhyme tells us
that "If Candlemas Day be bright and clear, there'll be two
winters in the year." Actually, all of the cross-quarter days
can be used as "inverse" weather predictors, whereas the quarter-
days are used as "direct" weather predictors.
Like the other High Holidays or Great Sabbats of the Witches'
year, Candlemas is sometimes celebrated on it's alternate date,
astrologically determined by the sun's reaching 15-degrees
Aquarius, or Candlemas Old Style (this year, February 6th).
Another holiday that gets mixed up in this is Valentine's Day.
Ozark folklorist Vance Randolf makes this quite clear by noting
that the old-timers used to celebrate Groundhog's Day on February
14th. Once again, this shows the resultant confusion of calendar
changes and "lost days" that have accumulated down the centuries.
For modern Witches, Candlemas O.S. may be seen as the Pagan
version of Valentine's Day, with a de-emphasis of "hearts and
flowers" and an appropriate re-emphasis of Pagan carnal
frivolity. This also re-aligns the holiday with the ancient
Roman Lupercalia, a fertility festival held at this time, in
which the priests of Pan ran through the streets of Rome whacking
young women with goatskin thongs to make them fertile. The women
seemed to enjoy the attention and often stripped in order to
afford better targets.
One of the nicest folk-customs still practiced in many
countries, and especially by Witches in the British Isles and
parts of the U.S., is to place a lighted candle in each and every
window of the house, beginning at sundown on Candlemas Eve
(February 1), allowing them to continue burning until sunrise.
Make sure that such candles are well seated against tipping and
guarded from nearby curtains, etc. What a cheery sight it is on
this cold, bleak and dreary night to see house after house with
candle-lit windows! And, of course, if you are your Coven's
chandler, or if you just happen to like making candles, Candlemas
Day is the day for doing it. Some Covens hold candle-making
parties and try to make and bless all the candles they'll be
using for the whole year on this day.
538
Other customs of the holiday include weaving "Brigit's
crosses" from straw or wheat to hang around the house for
protection, performing rites of spiritual cleansing and
purification, making "Brigit's beds" to ensure fertility of mind
and spirit (and body, if desired), and making Crowns of Light
(i.e. of candles) for the High Priestess to wear for the
Candlemas Circle, similar to those worn on St. Lucy's Day in
Scandinavian countries. All and all, this is certainly one of the
prettiest holidays celebrated in the Pagan seasonal calendar.
539
{file "Opening the Circle" "bos117.htm"}
OPENING THE CIRCLE
The High Priestess goes to each of the four directions in turn,
and draws a Banishing Pentacle, saying,
Guardians of the East (South, West, North), Powers of Air
(Fire, Water, Earth), we thank you
For joining in our circle
And we ask for your blessing
As you depart
May there be peace between us
Now and forever. Blessed be.
She raises her athame to the sky and touches it to the earth, then
opens her arms and says,
The circle is open, but unbroken,
May the peace of the Goddess
Go in your hearts,
Merry meet, and merry part.
And merry meet again. Blessed be.
540
{file "Circle Casting (Avaloian)" "bos118.htm"}
Ritual of Casting Sacred Circle
Many times we are asked "how do you cast a circle ?" There are so many
different was that this can be done. Differs from each Tradition to the
next. Even within our own Avaloian Tradition we make improvisions on this.
The main factor is to cast a sacred space. A space that separates this
world from the other. A space that we ourselves make holy. And that is
what is important. A space that you set aside from all else, to glorify
and exalt. For you are the one casting, cleansing, purifying, and setting
it aside from all else.
Before you cast, one should make sure of the intent of casting. Ask
yourself why you are doing it. Once you have this the gathering is made
easier. If you are doing this with a group of people One must be chosen to
be the Lord or Lady. The Lord or Lady usually has one person who waits
them. This is not to say the Lord or Lady is higher than they, but the
fact that they shall be the God/dess incarnate. You may also do this
solitary. Depending on the amount tending.
The Lord/Lady has the sword brought to them. All else are standing outside
where the circle is to be cast. The Lord/Lady takes the sword and walk
deosil (clockwise) around the space to be cast. The wait has a small bell
with them. Beginning at the East, the sword, in a non-threatening manner,
is raised. The wait rings the bell. All fill fall silent. Moving
clockwise the Lord/Lady salute each direction. If there are four novices
present each will stand to the directions as the Lord/Lady passes.
Lord/Lady: Let all those that wish to partake enter ye now ! (the bell is
rung)
Everyone enters by stepping forward (no actual circle has been cast yet)
Wait: My Lord/Lady all those that wish to partake in this Magickal Rite
are now present. I pray you, cast the Sacred Circle.
Lord/Lady: What thou doth sees makes here this night, shall be forever
within this circle. So Mote It Be !
(When anyone speaks the So Mote It Be or Blessed Be, all shall repeat it)
Again at the East, the Lord/Lady takes the sword and draws within the
ground or upon the floor the circle saying as the pass...
"I draw this magick circle let no evil or ill will cross its mark."
Once the Lord/Lady has reached the East again, They take the sword and
place it upon the shoulders of the novice, and says...
"be thou the guardian of this gate... I call I summon I stir oh ye
spirits of Air, come forth now I pray thee and witness our Rite. So Mote
It Be !"
The Guardian answers: I am he/she the guardian, no evil or ill will shall
pass by me, My Lord/Lady.
the Wait rings the bell
The Lord/Lady goes to each quarter and perform the same, on each guardian.
The Wait will ring the bell as each guardian answers.
Once the quarters are called the Lord/Lady goes to the center of the circle
as the Wait preforms the cleansing of the circle with salt and water.
541
Incense can be used instead of salt and water mixture. The Lord/Lady
summons the spirit of the Great Lady and the Great Lord by saying....
Great Lady witness now your children who stand before you in Perfect Love
and Perfect Trust.
Standing East, with the censer the Lord/Lady says....
Great Maiden Come To Us.....
All repeat....
Standing South, with the torch or candle the Lord/Lady says....
Great Mother Come To Us....
All repeat...
Standing West, with chalice of wine or water, the Lord/Lady says...
Ancient Queen of Wisdom Come To Us....
All repeat...
Standing North, with the salt, the Lord/Lady says....
Brother Come To Us...
All Repeat...
Drumming, rattles, any form of music making can be added to this. As you
can take note there really isn't any particular God or Goddess called, this
is the Avaloian Tradition. All Gods are one God, all Goddesses are one
Goddess.
So there is the very basic beginnings of Magical Workings... you can take
it from here..... Do What Thou Wilt, Save Harm None, Shall Be the Whole.
Bright Blessing...
Lord OberRon
Knight of the Sacred Light
542
{file "Coven Leadership" "bos119.htm"}
LOOKING AT YOURSELF
before you go a step further, take a good long look at your
desires, motivation and skills. What role do you see yourself
playing in this new group? "Ordinary" member? Democratic
facilitator? High Priestess? And if the last -- why do you want
the job?
The title of High Priestess and Priestess are seductive,
conjuring up exotic images of yourself in embroidered robes, a
silver crescent (or horned helm) on your brow, adoring celebrants
hanging on every word which drops from your lips...
Reality check. The robes will be stained with wine and candle
wax soon enough, and not every word you speak is worth
remembering. A coven leader's job is mostly hard work between
rituals and behind the scene. It is not always a good place to
act out your fantasies, because the lives and well-being of
others are involved, and what is flattering or enjoyable to you
man not be in their best interest. So consider carefully.
If your prime motive is establishing a coven is to gain status
and ego gratification, other people will quickly sense that. If
they are intelligent, independent individuals, they will refuse
to play Adoring Disciple to your Witch Queen impressions. They
will disappear, and that vanishing act will be the last magick
they do with you.
And if you do attract a group ready to be subservient Spear
Carriers in your fantasy drama -- well, do you really want to
associate with that kind of personality? What are you going to
do when you want someone strong around to help you or teach you,
and next New Moon you look out upon a handful of Henry
Milquetoasts and Frieda Handmaidens? If a person is willing to
serve you, the they will also become dependent on you, drain your
energy, and become disillusioned if you ever let down the
Infallible Witch Queen mask for even a moment.
Some other not-so-great reasons for starting a coven: a) because
it seems glamorous, exotic, and a little wicked; b) because it
will shock your mother, or c) because you can endure your boring,
flunky job more easily if you get to go home and play Witch at
night.
Some better reasons for setting up a coven, and even nomination
yourself as High Priest/ess, include: a) you feel that you will
be performing a useful job for yourself and others; b) you have
enjoyed leadership roles in the past, and proven yourself
capable; or c) you look forward to learning and growing in the
role.
Even with the best motives in the world, you will still need to
have -- or quickly develop -- a whole range of skills in order to
handle a leadership role. If you are to be a facillitator of a
study group, group process insights and skills are important.
These include:
543
1) Gatekeeping, or guiding discussion in such a way that
everyone has an opportunity to express ideas and
opinions;
2) Summarizing and clarifying;
3) Conflict resolution, or helping participants understand
points of disagreement and find potential solutions which
respect everyone's interests;
4) Moving the discussion toward consensus, or at any rate
decision, by identifying diversions and refocussing
attention on goals and priorities; and
5) Achieving closure smoothly when the essential work is
complected, or an appropriate stopping place is reached.
In addition to group process skills, four other competencies
necessary to the functioning of a coven are: ritual leadership,
administration, teaching, and counseling. In a study group the
last one may not be considered a necessary function, and the
other three may be shared among all participants. But in a coven
the leaders are expected to be fairly capable in all these areas,
even if responsibilities are frequently shared or delegated. Let
us look briefly at each.
Ritual leadership involves much more that reading invocations by
candlelight. Leaders must understand the powers they intend to
manipulate: how they are raised, channeled and grounded. They
must be adept at designing rituals which involve all the sensory
modes. They should have a repertoire of songs and chants, dances
and gestures or mudras, incense and oils, invocations and spells,
visual effects and symbols, meditations and postures; and the
skill to combine these in a powerful, focused pattern. They must
have clarity of purpose and firm ethics. And they must
understand timing: both where a given ritual fits in the cycles
of the Moon, the Wheel of the Year, and the dance of the spheres,
and how to pace the ritual once started, so that energy peaks and
is channeled at the perfect moment. And they must understand the
Laws of Magick, and the correspondences, and when ritual is
appropriate and when it is not.
By administration, we refer to basic management practices
necessary to any organization. These include apportioning work
fairly, and following up on its progress; locating resources and
obtaining them (information, money, supplies); fostering
communications (by telephone, printed schedules, newsletters
etc.); and keeping records (minutes, accounts, Witch Book
entries, or ritual logbook). Someone or several someone's has to
collect the dues if any, buy the candles, chill the wine, and so
forth.
544
Teaching is crucial to both covens and study groups. If only one
person has any formal training or experience in magick, s/he
should transmit that knowledge in a way which respects the
intuitions, re-emerging past life skills, and creativity of the
others. If several participants have some knowledge in differing
areas, they can all share the teaching role. If no one in the
group has training and you are uncertain where to begin, they you
may need to call on outside resources: informed and ethical
priest/esses who can act as visiting faculty, or who are willing
to offer guidance by telephone or correspondence. Much can be
gleaned from books, or course -- assuming you know which books
are trustworthy and at the appropriate level -- but there is no
substitute for personal instruction for some things. Magick can
be harmful if misused, and an experienced practitioner can help
you avoid pitfalls as well as offering hints and techniques not
found in the literature.
Counseling is a special role of the High Priest/ess. It is
assumed that all members of a coven share concern for each
other's physical, mental, emotional and spiritual welfare, and
are willing to help each other out in practical ways. However,
coven leaders are expected to have a special ability to help
coveners explore the roots of their personal problems and choose
strategies and tactics to overcome them. This is not to suggest
that one must be a trained psychoanalyst; but at the least, good
listening skills, clear thinking and some insight into human
nature are helpful. Often, magickal skills such as guided
visualization, Tarot counseling and radiasthesia (pendulum work)
are valuable tools as well.
Think carefully about your skills in these areas, as you have
demonstrated them in other organizations. Ask acquaintances or
co-workers, who can be trusted to give you a candid opinion, how
they see you in some of these roles. Meditate, and decide what
you really want for yourself in organizing the new group. Will
you be content with being a catalyst and contact person -- simply
bringing people with a common interest together, then letting the
group guide its destiny from that point on? Would you rather be
a facillitator, either for the first months or permanently: a low-
key discussion leader who enables the group to move forward with
a minimum of misunderstanding and wasted energy? Or do you
really want to be High Priestess -- whatever that means to you --
and serve as the guiding spirit and acknowledged leader of a
coven? And if you do want that job, exactly how much authority
and work do you envision as part of it? Some coven leaders want
a great deal of power and control; others simply take an extra
share of responsibility for setting up the rituals (whether or
not they actually conduct the rites), and act as "magickal
advisor" to less experienced members. Thus the High Priest/ess
can be the center around which the life of the coven revolves, or
primarily an honorary title, or anything in between.
545
That is one area which you will need to have crystal-clear in
your own mind before the first meeting (of if you are flexible,
at least be very clear that you are). You must also be clear as
to your personal needs on other points: program emphasis, size,
meeting schedule, finances, degree of secrecy, and affiliation
with a tradition or network. You owe it to prospective members
and to yourself to make your minimum requirements known from the
outset: it can be disastrous to a group to discover that members
have major disagreements on these points after you have been
meeting for six months.
546
{file "Blood Sacrifice (Althea Whitebirch)" "bos120.htm"}
BLOOD SACRIFICE
by Althea Whitebirch
We have all moved through periods of crisis in our lives; things
ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, from the death of someone
close to us to final exams. Events which are extremely stressful--which
threaten our lives, home, future or security--would seem t call for
strong measures of assistance. There have been many times that I have
felt that the course of events required swift and strong intervention of
a deity. Blood sacrifice is, to my mind, one of the more powerful magics
one could perform, and so seemed particularly suitable for this. But
it's rather ethically sticky.
I may feel that the kind of energy contained in the outpouring of
blood would be most efficacious in a serious situation, but I'm dead-set
against the use of an unwilling victim for the purpose. So, in the past
I've spilled my own blood with an athame, at the same time offering up
prayers; it just didn't seem to work as well as I thought it would.
Perhaps, I thought, one needs lots of blood to generate any appreciable
amount of energy.
Then a friend suggested what seemed the perfect solution--blood
donation! I'd been giving blood for several years and the thought just
never had occurred to me before. So the next time I went in to donate, I
approached it as ritual sacrifice for a particular purpose, and both the
process and results seemed to be much improved. Since then I've gone to
donate blood many times, each time with a prayer for healing for the
recipient of my blood, and a request for aid from the deity that seemed
most appropriate.
For those of you who've never donated blood before, I can provide a
few details of the process. It's not very frightening, and it can be a
very spiritually moving experience, I'll tell you! As well, remember
that you don't sell blood (at least not in Puget Sound), you donates it.
You can sell plasma--the straw-colored fluid that makes up the bulk of
your blood--but not blood itself.
The first time you go in you'll fill out a medical questionnaire:
the Puget Sound Blood Bank doesn't want your blood if you're ill right
then (or just getting over something), taking certain medications, ever
had hepatitis or malaria, or are in a high-risk category for contracting
AIDS (Haitian, homosexual, needle-using drug user or prostitute). If
you have any questions, they'll be happy to answer them.
After you fill out the questionnaire, they'll take your blood
pressure and a blood sample (like sticking your finger with a pin) to
test your hemocrit (% of hemoglobin) as well as determining what type
your blood is. If your hemocrit count isn't high enough they'll send
you home. Nowadays, all blood is sent to a lab to be tested for
presence of AIDS anti-bodies as well; if you test positive they'll
notify you by mail. You'll be asked if you've eaten in the last four
hours, and if not, sent to the canteen for cookies and juice.
547
Then comes the fun part--you go lie down on a table where a phlebo-
tomist (who draws the blood) asks you some questions, verifies your
name, and then sets you up to donate. They tie a rubber hose around your
arm, so the vein will stand out and be easy to find. They use cold
liquid ethyl chloride on your arm, to numb it where the needle goes in.
I won't say that it doesn't hurt when the needle is inserted--it does
but it's tolerable--when it's in place though, you'll hardly know it's
there. (You may get the idea from all this that I'm a stoic--hardly!
I'm a wimp when it comes to pain, but this I can handle.) At this time
they'll leave you there for up to five minutes while you clench and
relax your hand (to keep the blood from clotting) and the blood flows
into a little plastic bag. It's warm and red, and rather reassuring,
really. At this time you can get into some really serious prayer, or
hum a little healing chant for the person your blood's going to. (I
once was doing this and got a flash image of a little boy, a burn
victim. I always wondered who got my blood that day.) I wouldn't
recommend getting too spaced-out though; remember you've got to be able
to return to yourself when you want to, and the physical effects of
giving blood can make some people light-headed or slightly woozie. When
they ask you how you're feeling, be honest, not macho. You don't want
to embarrass yourself by fainting.
Afterwards they'll ask you to have some juice and cookies. By all
means, do! For one thing, you've earned them; for another it's impor-
tant to replace the fluid and blood sugar you just gave up. Working
magic really takes it out of you, too (at least it does me).
In my experience, there are several good reasons to use this parti-
cular method of blood sacrifice: a) It doesn't require the death of one
of the Gods' children. b) It is giving of yourself--for the good of
others as well as your own. c) It is safe--the Blood Bank uses sterile
instruments and never re-uses needles, so you can't catch anything. d)
You have the added benefit of being able to see the blood as it's being
given (somehow that adds to my experience), and a pint is a lot more
than I've ever been able to get with a knife! Next time you want to get
the Gods' attention, try it!
548
The Grove of Phoenix Rising
*
FOUR WEEK FAST
*
FIRST WEEK
*
If you normally eat meat, begin to eliminate it from your diet
during this first week. If you feel you must eat it, eat a small
amount and no more than 3 times during the week.
*
Eliminate all alcoholic beverages, carbonated beverages (except for
bottled waters such as Artesia, etc.), and diet drinks. Substitute
fruit juices or fruit drinks.
*
Refrain from smoking (anything), or using any other intoxicants.
*
Cut way back on any other stimulants, such as coffee or tea or
cocoa. No more than three cups a day if you are a heavy coffee or
tea drinker.
*
Use as little salt as possible and no other spices.
*
Refrain from sweets - cakes, pies, candy.
*
Drink large amounts of fluids, especially water.
*
*
SECOND WEEK
*
Eliminate meat entirely. Substitute dairy products - IN MODERATION.
*
Continue to limit intake of stimulants (coffee, tea, cocoa),
cutting back to no more than two cups a day.
*
Continue to avoid tobacco, alcohol, other intoxicants, spices,
and soft drinks, and use as little salt as possible.
*
Continue to drink large amounts of water.
*
Your diet should consist largely of vegetables and grains, with
large amounts of liquids.
*
*
THIRD WEEK
*
Limit intake of stimulants (coffee, tea, cocoa) to one cup a day.
*
Continue to avoid tobacco, alcohol, other intoxicants, meat,
spices, and soft drinks, and use as little salt as possible.
*
Do not use meat in seasoning vegetables.
*
Your diet should consist of vegetables and fruits only. Raw
vegetables and fruits are best (nuts can be included). Drink large
amounts of water and substitute fruit or vegetable juices for meals
as often as possible.
*
FOURTH WEEK (first four days)
*
549
Fluids only. Fruit and vegetable juices in desired quantity,
cutting back each day. Drink large amounts of water. If you feel
you must have coffee, limit it to a cup a day (a half cup if
possible).
*
If you feel you must have something the first day or so of this
week, a small handful of raisins or other dried fruit may be taken.
Nibble slowly. As the week progresses, continue to cut back on
nibbles and the amount of juice taken. A spoonful of honey added
to hot water helps satisfy the craving for hot beverages and gives
you an energy boost.
*
*
THE FAST
*
The fast should last for three days. It is best to do this on a
weekend and if possible, alone and in the woods. (Go camping!)
*
Drink lots of water and if you feel the need for an energy
stimulant, a small amount of honey may be added to hot water.
*
Spend as much time as possible in meditation. This period should
sooth your spirit as well as cleanse your body. RELAX!
*
You will probably want to sleep a lot. Do so. Allow yourself to
drift with your thoughts. Do not attempt to solve your problems
during this time. They will solve themselves later, for your mind
will be clearer after the fast is over.
*
Most people feel great the first day, a little weakness the second
day, and great again on the third day.
*
*
AFTER THE FAST
*
Eat lightly for your first meal after the fast. It is best to begin
by returning to fruit and vegetable juices and working your slowly
into solid foods over a few days.
*
*
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS TO DRINK LARGE AMOUNTS OF
WATER ALL THE WAY THROUGH! This flushes out toxins the body is
releasing.
550
{file "Ancient Art, The" "bos121.htm"}
THE ANCIENT ART
Once upon a time, a long time ago, there were people who believed
in laughter, joy and love. They believed in many deities, but
the most important to them was their Great Mother Goddess. They
believed in and lived with the powers of Nature. They reveled in
the Wind, the Rain, the Snow and the Sunlight. They marveled at
and revered the changing of the seasons and saw therein great
excitement and wisdom to be gained. They knew that if they
tended, cared for and loved the Earth, in return She would
provide for, care for and love them. They saw that all around
them the world was filled with Life, much as their own but in
many different and wonderful forms. They felt the life of the
flowers, plants and trees and respected them for that life
essence. They looked about and observed all the many types of
animals and saw that they were kindred to them and loved them.
They felt and observed the great Love of the Goddess all about
them and knew kinship with the Moon. They were practioners of
The Old Religion, worshipers of The Great Mother.
Witch! The very word instantly invokes visions for each of us,
visions which vary greatly from individual to individual. Many
of these visions, however, are quite false, brought about by many
centuries of severe persecutions, misrepresentations, prejudice
and, in recent years, lack of knowledge. Witchcraft! What is it
really?
Witchcraft is the oldest, most irrepressible religion in the
world because it stimulates the intellect, promotes a simple,
practical way of life and, most importantly, is emotionally
satisfying. Its roots lie in the ancient Matriarchal systems of
Goddess worship. A religion of Nature in which the primary
deity is female (The Essence of Femininity, The Earth Mother,
The Great Mother, etc.).
It was easy for the Wise Ones to look at the world around them
and see the great importance of Feminine Principle. The female
was, indeed, the one who bore the young, perhaps the most
magickal of all events to ancient man. Then, she played by far
the most important role in rearing the young, being totally
responsible for feeding, for without her milk there was no life
past birth. She was responsible for the teaching and early care
of the young. In all youths the greatest comfort and nurturing
love were connected with the mother. These revelations and
experiences could hardly lead to any other choice than the total
reverence and deification of the female.
Although The Great Mother is the most important deity, Witches
do, generally, recognize many Goddesses and/or Gods and are,
therefore, polytheistic. The tenets of Witchcraft are few but
all-encompassing, for with three simple Universal Observations
all of life can be explained and understood:
1) Reincarnation - Mortality
2) Cause & Effect - Magick
3) Retribution - Morality
Reincarnation enlightens the Witch to the fact that, as we come
551
to this material world over and over in a series of learning
periods, or lifetimes, we will eventually have to experience all
things, be all things, understand all things. This creates a
great tolerance for other viewpoints in the Witch.
Cause & Effect, and an understanding of it, allows the Witch to
see what makes the world work and how to live most efficiently.
It gives them a great advantage in that it explains the working
of Magick.
Retribution shows the Witch, in graphic terms, that every thought
one might have, every action one may take, is returned in like
kind. This realization forms the basis of the Moral Code of the
Witch.
The Patriarchal Societies which evolved in later times had no
tolerance for the Goddess religions and systematically set out to
destroy the material vestiges, kill or convert the adherents and
wipe out all knowledge of them. They destroyed the temples and
other places of worship, desecrated the sacred groves and
magickal places, attempted to pervert the old deities, mutilated
and totally suppressed sacred art, tore down libraries and burned
books, tortured and killed the practitioners of the Old
Religions, demeaned, persecuted and oppressed women in general
and passed strictly enforced laws which made theirs the State
Religion and forbade all other viewpoints.
Despite the centuries of insidious persecution, deliberate
destruction and perversions at the hands of the Christian
Conspirators, Witchcraft has survived.
COMMON INQUIRIES
I've heard the terms 'White Witch' and 'Black Witch'. Can you
explain?
In this connotation, white is referring to Positive, Black is
referring to Negative. A White Witch then is someone who tries
to do Positive or Good things. Black Witch could be a term used
to describe someone who deliberately does Negative or Bad things.
A True Witch believes in the Law of Retribution and would never
deliberately harm anyone or anything or participate in Negative
or Destructive acts.
552
Is it possible for me to practice Witchcraft and remain a
Christian?
No. The Christian Doctrine states, unequivocally, that
Christians shall have no other Gods before the Christian God.
Christian Doctrine says to believe in any other deities or to
practice any other religion is not only evil but should be
punished by death, specifically naming Witchcraft. The Christian
Doctrine also denies Reincarnation and prescribes punishment for
those who practice Magick.
Devil worship?
Witches do not worship the Devil. Witchcraft predates
Christianity and does not incorporate a belief in the Christian
Devil.
The Wise Ones did deify the Masculine Principle and quite often
He was depicted as The Great Horned God; Pan, Cernunnos, the
Great Stag, The Green Man. To the Traditional Witch, the
Masculine Deity (the Goddess' Consort) is very important, revered
and loved. He is the perfect Father, the Lord Protector. The
Horned God of the Witches is loving, kind and good.
Don't men have difficulty with a supreme female deity? There are
some groups which give equal status to the female and male
deities.
Neo-Pagans are, by definition, people who attempt to live with
the Old Country Ways in a new, modern day manner. And while, in
this modern era, equal status for the deities may be popular, as
it relates to Witchcraft it is historically incorrect.
Therefore, a group which does not recognize the Goddess as
primary deity is not practicing The Ancient Art. Indeed, they,
generally, know very little about Witchcraft, despite their
claims. Traditional Dualistic Witches do most emphatically
believe that women and men are equal, but have no trouble
relating to the Goddess. The Male Witch finds great comfort and
solace in his Great Mother.
Do I have to join a Coven?
No. It is not necessary nor is it desirable for a great many
people. Some people enjoy the support and companionship a Coven
provides, others enjoy solitary worship. The Coven, which is an
extremely close knit worship group, may not be possible for some
because of location, family climate, availability, etc.
553
Why is Witchcraft secretive?
The horror of the 'Burning Time' is still very real to the Witch.
The past persecutions were severe. Even so, in today's more
enlightened society the need for complete secrecy has lessened
and many are able to share their beliefs openly. Very few,
however, are willing to expose their very personal and private
religious expressions to others who may not understand.
What do I have to do to become a Witch?
The answer to this question is very simple. To become a Witch
one must follow the religion of Witchcraft. To do this one must
believe in the Goddess as primary deity and follow the three
basic tenets. How simple! How uncomplicated! How Pagan!
Everything else concerning witchcraft is simply minor details.
Details that vary from Aspect to Aspect, Coven to Coven and
individual to individual. The details are relatively personal.
They should not become more important than the basic tenets. If
you do not understand, believe and practice Witchcraft, you are
not a Witch. No one can make you a Witch. Reading about it can
not make you a Witch. An Initiation can not make you a Witch.
Saying you are a Witch, one thousand and fifty two times, can not
make you a Witch.
In the search for your individual path beware of those who would
take advantage of you. Do not fall prey to the unscrupulous
charlatans who would swindle you in a monetary sense (mail-order
courses, charges for teaching or initiations, vows of poverty,
etc.), exploit you sexually or manipulate you for their own
personal ego-trips.
554
{file "Ethics and Love Magick (Mike Nichols)" "bos122.htm"}
'Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true
happiness.' -- Bertrand Russell
CHARMED, I'M SURE
The Ethics of Love Spells
=========================
by Mike Nichols
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
To gain the love of someone: On a night of the full moon, walk to a spot
beneath your beloved's bedroom window, and whisper his/her name three times
to the nightwind.
--Ozark love spell
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It seems tobe an immutable law ofnature. You are interviewedby a
local radio or TV station, or in some local newspaper. The topic of the
interview is Witchcraft or Paganism, and you spend the better part of an
hour brilliantly articulating your beliefs, your devotion to Goddess and
nature, the difference between Witchcraft and Satanism, and generally
enlightening the public at large. The next day, you are flooded with
calls. Is it people complimenting you on such a splendid interview? No.
People wanting to find out more about the religion of Wicca? Huh-uh.
People who are even vaguely interested in what you had to say??? Nope.
Who is it? It's people asking you to do a love spell for them! This used
to drive me nuts. I'd take a deep breath and patiently explain (for the
thousandth time) why I won't even do love spells for myself, let alone
anyone else. This generally resulted in my caller becoming either angry or
defensive, but seldom more enlightened. 'But don't you DO magic?', they
ask. 'Only occasionally,' I answer. 'And aren't most magic spells love
spells?', they persist. That was the line I really hated, because I knew
they were right! At least, if you look at the table of contents of most
books on magic, you'll find more love spells than any other kind. This
seems as true for the medieval grimoire as for the modern drugstore
paperback.
Why? Why so many books containing so many love spells? Why such an
emphasis on a kind of magic that I, personally, have always considered very
negative? And to make matters even more confusing, the books that do take
the trouble of dividing spells between 'positive' and 'negative' magic
invariably list love spells under the first heading. After all, they would
argue, love is a good thing. There can never be too much of it.
Therefore, any spell that brings about love must be a GOOD spell. Never
mind that the spell puts a straightjacket on another's free will, and then
drops it in cement for good measure.
555
And thatis whyI hadalways assumedlove magicto benegative magic.
Years ago, one of the first things I learned as a novice Witch was
something called the Witch's Rede, a kind of 'golden rule' in traditional
Witchcraft. It states, 'An it harm none, do what thou will.' One uses
this rede as a kind of ethical litmus test for a spell. If the spell
brings harm to someone -- anyone (including yourself!) -- then don't do it!
Unfortunately, this rule contains a loophole big enough to fly a broom
through. It's commonly expressed, 'Oh, this won't HARM them; it's really
for their own good.' When you hear someone say that, take cover, because
something especially nasty is about to happen.
That's why I had to develop my own version of the Witch's Rede. Mine
says that if a spell harms anyone, OR LIMITS THEIR FREEDOM OF THOUGHT OR
ACTION IN ANY WAY, then consider it negative, and don't do it. Pretty
strict, you say? Perhaps. But there's another law in Witchcraft called
the Law of Threefold Return. This says that whatever power you send out,
eventually comes back to you three times more powerful. So I take no
chances. And love spells, of the typical make-Bobby-love-me type,
definitely have an impact on another's free will.
Sowhy are they so common? It's taken me yearsto make peace with
this, but I think I finally understand. The plain truth is that most of us
NEED love. Without it, our lives are empty and miserable. After our basic
survival needs have been met, we must have affection and companionship for
a full life. And if it will not come of its own accord, some of us may be
tempted to FORCE it to come. And nothing can be as painful as loving
someone who doesn't love you back. Consequently, the most common,
garden-variety spell in the world is the love spell.
Is there ever a way to do a love spell and yet stay within the
parameters of the Witch's Rede? Possibly. Some teachers have argued that
if a spell doesn't attempt to attract a SPECIFIC person into your life, but
rather attempts to attract the RIGHT person, whomever that may be, then it
is not negative magic. Even so, one should make sure that the spell finds
people who are 'right' for each other -- so that neither is harmed, and
both are made happy.
Is there ever an excuse for the make-Bobby-love-me type of spell?
Without endorsing this viewpoint, I must admit that the most cogent
argument in its favor is the following: Whenever you fall in love with
someone, you do everything in your power to impress them. You dress nicer,
are more attentive, witty, and charming. And at the same time, you
unconsciously set in motion some very powerful psychic forces. If you've
ever walked into a room where someone has a crush on you, you know what I
mean. You can FEEL it. Proponents of this school say that a love spell
only takes the forces that are ALREADY there -- MUST be there if you're in
love -- and channels them more efficiently. But the energy would be there
just the same, whether or not you use a spell to focus it.
Iwon't attempt to decidethis one for you. People must arrive at
their own set of ethics through their own considerations. However, I would
call to your attention all the cautionary tales in folk magic about love
spells gone awry. Also, if a love spell has been employed to join two
people who are not naturally compatible, then one must keep pumping energy
into the spell. And when one finally tires of this (and one will, because
it is hard work!) then the spell will unravel amidst an emotional and
psychic hurricane that will make the stormiest divorces seem calm by
comparison. Not a pretty picture.
It should be noted that many spells that pass themselves off as love
spells are, in reality, sex spells. Not that there's anything surprising
556
in that, since our most basic needs usually include sex. But I think we
should be clear from the outset what kind of spell it is. And the same
ethical standards used for love spells can often be applied to sex spells.
Last year, the very quotable Isaac Bonewits, author of 'Real Magic', taught
a sex magic class here at the Magick Lantern, and he tossed out the
following rule of thumb: Decide what the mundane equivalent of your spell
would be, and ask yourself if you could be arrested for it. For example,
some spells are like sending a letter to your beloved in the mail, whereas
other spells are tantamount to abduction. The former is perfectly legal
and normal, whereas the latter is felonious.
One mitigating factor in your decisions may be the particular
tradition
of magic you follow. For example, I've often noticed that practitioners of
Voudoun (Voodoo) and Santeria seem much more focused on the wants and needs
of day-to-day living than on the abstruse ethical considerations we've been
examining here. That's not a value judgement -- just an observation. For
example, most followers of Wicca STILL don't know how to react when a
Santerian priest spills the blood of a chicken during a ritual -- other
than to feel pretty queasy. The ethics of one culture is not always the
same as another.
And speaking of cultural traditions, another consideration is how a
culture views love and sex. It has often been pointed out that in our
predominant culture, love and sex are seen in very possessive terms, where
the beloved is regarded as one's personal property. If the spell uses this
approach, treating a person as an object, jealously attempting to cut off
all other relationships, then the ethics are seriously in doubt. However,
if the spell takes a more open approach to love and sex, not attempting to
limit a person's other relationships in any way, then perhaps it is more
defensible. Perhaps. Still, it might be wise to ask, Is this the kind of
spell I'd want someone to cast on me?
Love spells. Whether to dothem or not. If you area practitioner
of magic, I dare say you will one day be faced with the choice. If you
haven't yet, it is only a matter of time. And if the answer is yes, then
which spells are ethical and which aren't? Then you, and only you, will
have to decide whether 'All's fair in love and war', or whether there are
other, higher, metaphysical considerations.
557
{file "Drawing Down the Moon" "bos123.htm"}
DRAWING DOWN THE MOON
In this ritual the Goddess becomes incarnate in the High Priestess. The
High Priestess stands in front of the altar with her back to it. She holds
the wand in her right hand and the scrounge in her left. She crosses her
wrists and crosses the wand and scrounge above them while holding them
close to her breast. The High Priest stands in front of her and says:
"Diana, queen of night
In all your beauty bright,
Shine on us here,
And with your silver beam
Unlock the gates of dream;
Rise bright and clear.
On Earth and sky and sea,
Your magic mystery
Its spell shall cast,
Wherever leaf may grow,
Wherever tide may flow,
Till all be past.
O secret queen of power,
At this enchanted hour
We ask your boon.
May fortune's favor fall
Upon true witches all,
O Lady Moon!"
The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the Five
Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet, both knees, womb, both
breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. He says, as he
does this:
"Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways.
Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar.
Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.
Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty.
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names."
For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length to length, with their feet
touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her arms wide,
and the same after the kiss on the lips.The High Priest kneels again and
invokes:
"I invoke thee and call upon thee, Mighty Mother of us all,
bringer of all fruitfulness; by seed and root,
by bud and stem, by leaf and flower and fruit,
bylife and love doI invoke theeto descend uponthe body of
this,
thy servant and priestess."
558
During this invocation he touches her with his right forefinger on her
right breast, left breast, and womb, repeats the set and finally the right
breast. Still kneeling, he spreads his arms out and down, with the palms
forward and says:
"Hail Aradia! From the Amalthean Horn
Pour forth thy store of love; I lowly bend
Before thee, I adore thee to the end,
With loving sacrifice thy shrine adore.
Thy foot is to my lip
(he kisses her right foot)
my prayer up borne
Upon the rising incense smoke; then spend
Thine ancient love, O Mighty One, descend
To aid me, who without thee am forlorn."
The High Priest stands up and steps backwards. The High Priestess draws the
Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air with the wand and says:
"Of the Mother darksome and divine
Mine the scrounge, and mine the kiss;
The five point star of love and bliss
Here I charge you in this sign."
The High Priestess should be in a trance now. This is a good time to do the
Charge or the Witches' Creed.
When the Charge or Creed is finished, the Goddess must be dismissed. It is
bad magical practice not to do so.
The High Priest faces the Priestess and says:
"We thank you Our Lady for attending our rites. We bid you farewell
till
next we call you. Blessed Be."
Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert Hale 1983
and dismissal added by Seastrider. Distributed over various BBS systems via
Ravensong.
559
{file "Crone Energies (Grey Cat)" "bos124.htm"}
CALLING ALL CRONES
by Grey Cat
Into the dark, the pale light of the waning moon brings forth
shapeless shadows; bushes, a wandering stone fieldwall, nameless
areas of blackness. Some still, some moving; no night for good
folk to stray from cot or castle. Black hares amove across the
moors, black cattle idly gossip together, one old woman dressed
in black searches the grass for secret herbs. And there amongst
the standing stones, age heavy upon their backs, three hags dare
all the mercy of God's Holy Mother Church to make the magic of an
older race.
``Call old Mother Piggot, she knows the proper words for
warts.''... ``Tis Goody Nurse you'll need if it's a son ye
want.''... ``Tis naught but an Old Wives Tale.''... ``Don't
mind Mother, she hasn't been herself since she went through the
Change of Life.''
Looming high over the imagination of humankind, the shadow of the
Crone casts a miasma of fear and uselessness, power and casting--
out, across the myths of our race and society.
I have talked and talked to women who either have arrived at
crone time or who are preparing themselves for this transition
and we have found much to talk about. And I think that it is
important that we keep right on talking after the season of
Gatherings has passed for the year. I have absolutely no
interest in trying to start a newsletter for Crones, nor really
of founding OWL (Old Woman's League), SOW (Salty Old Women),
CRONE (Clearly Rational Older Natural Energy), nor HAG (Honorable
Aged Geniuses).
However, I, no more than many of you, want to have to wait until
next year to get a chance to discuss all these fascinating
topics. So how about some suggestions, and perhaps some offers
of help. Would we like to cooperate in an APAZine* which
dispenses with an editing and layout burden, leaving some low--
level bookkeeping which I don't mind doing. Does someone feel
like working on a Newsletter? Do we want to form a loose
organization as part of or instead of the above? Or are most of
us too busy to do anything about this between gatherings?
I'll be sending this letter to people I know personally and to
many Pagan publications; you'll probably see it often enough to
be sick of the whole idea. But there is a lot of magick
available in the Time of the Crone. There is a lot of
sociological pressure to understand, combat or accept. And there
is a whole lot of our lives left for us to function as Crones.
If we don't figure out what it is and what to do with it, nobody
else will.
So write me at the address below (SASE appreciated) and let me
know what you think about the whole idea, what you might be
willing to do, what insights you may have about Crone Time --
let's figure out what has been left out of all the books. We're
already ``Uppity Women'' and we've nothing to lose but a bad rap.
(Crones are assumed to be women more or less at the age of
menopause or past it. Baby Crones are any who realize that this
time is not far away.)
Grey Cat P.O. Box 181 Crossville, TN 38555
560
{file "Elemental Correspondences" "bos125.htm"}
THE ELEMENTS
Air Fire Water Earth Akasha
Characteristics Transparent, light Force of motion Clear, Heavy Massive Essence
Reflective Animator Reflective, Insula. Insulator Multi dimensional
Insulator Weightless Absorptive Resists motion Transformative
Compressible & Radiative Non-compressible non compress/Expand Compr/Expandable
Expandable Compr/Expandable Expandable Endurance Endurance, mobile
Moveable, Mutable Non-mutable Smooth flowing Stable, solid Highly mutable
Malleable Storable Malleable/mutable Non-mutable malleable, balanced,
Male, Penetrating Male,Penetrating Female,Receptive Receptive-to water Transcends E,A,F,W
Mediator Evaporates water Mediator Female yet immanent
Reacts to Energy for movement by Carries Fire Renews and
Carries Fire air Air & Earth nourishes
Non-local Essence Logos, switching Power, force Act of choosing Underlying Underlying,
mechanism prime mover Intuitive Stability connecting all
Energy Flow Crown down Spine behind Front to heart Base of spine up Non local
heart to hands with love energy
Feeling Free Enthusiastic, Love Centeredness Ecstasy & Bliss
energized
Correspondences
Direction East South West North Center
Direction of view Outward Forward/Future Inward To past Holistic
Part of Person Mind Will, lifeforce Emotions,intuition Body Spirit
(spirit)
Consciousness Intelligence Will Wisdom Memory Enlightenment
Physical action Thinking Asserting will Making love Sleep, experiencing
Breaking barriers Partying, unity
Spiritual aspect Enlightenment Life-force Compassion Serenity/beingness Om tat sat
Colors Clear/White/Blue Red/Yellow Silver/blue/purple Green/gold/brown Ultraviolet
Time Dawn Noon Sunset Night Now and all time
Season Spring Summer Fall Winter Kalpas
Astrological Libra, Aq., Gemini Ares,Leo,Sagitar. Cancer,Scorp,Pices Capr.,Taurus, Virgo
3,7,11 House
Mercury
Tarot Swords (esp. Queen) Rods Cups Disks
Physical state Gas Plasma/Energy Liquid Solid Singularity
Spirits Sylph Salamander Undine Gnome Demigods,God(ess)s
Deities Zeus, Urania, Ares, Hestia, Poseidon, Aphrodite Gaia, Pan, Hera Isis, Buddha, Ahura
Athena, Aradia Brigid, Hermes Tiamat,Isis Demeter, Rhiannon Mazda, Quan Yin, True
Thoth, Pele, Vulcan,Agni Adonis, Dionysus will, Zeus, Hera
Power Animals Eagle/hawk Dragon, lion Fish, seal Buffalo, stag Any
Otter
Symbol Circle Triangle Crescent Square Infinity Sign, white
egg, equal arm cross
Tools Incense Red Candle Chalice Pentagram Wand, Athame, Crystal
561
cauldron,
ankh
Incense/Odor Sandlewood/mellow Frankincense/spicy Rose/flowery Musk/Goaty/earthy Combination incense
Feeling cool & fresh Warm Tingles like spray Rigidity, Centered
Taste Salty Bitter
Image Billowing clouds Erupt. Volcano Waterfall Mountain/landscape Blue-white light
plants & animals
Word of Power YOD-EH-VAV-HE ADNI(add dough nay) AHIA (Aiy Hey Yeh) AGLA (ah gal lah) OM
Kabbalistic action Movement Expansion Contraction Stability Underlying essence
562
Wind Spirit Eurus Notus Zephyrus Borus Tornado of power
manifesting deities
Bija Yam (Yaungg) Ram (Raumgg) VAM (Vaungg) Lam (Laung) Hum (Haumgg)/Om
Affirmation I am intelligent I am powerful I am creative I am strong, I am balanced
& intuitive centered & know I am all
Posture Arms raised Arms above head Arms extended Arms extended back straight
Parallel forming triangle palms up palms down arms sweep then
at side
Virtues Intelligence, Courage, Love, compassion Centeredness Beyond
practical, joy enthusiasm, receptivity,flexib. Patience, truth
willpower forgiveness thorough, dependable
Vices Impulsive,frivolous Anger, jealousy Indifference, Dullness, laziness Beyond
boasting, hatred, bullying depression inconsiderateness
easily fooled unstable hang-ups
Chakra Heart behind waste Behind sex organ Base Crown/third eye
Other Quick response Brigid
Networking
communicative
linking people
into social
unit
active
Dawn, day, drive
heat, yellow
plants expression
of DNA
Benevolent
dictator
Purple
Billowing clouds
563
{file "Autarchic Creed" "bos126.htm"}
THE AUTARCHIC CREED
We of the Old Religion have our own particular compact with our
deities that charges simply, "An it harm none, do as ye will."
And our gods do not despise us for being human but delight in our
celebrations of life and love. We are ageless souls, only for a
while within bodies - merely visitors upon this plane. We are
brothers to the gods and only temporarily cousins to the ape,
and our lives belong to us, not to this world nor to its earthly
governors. We are not doomed to shame and decay; not lost; not
indentured to perish with earthly manifestations; not disposed
to eternal misery for any past or present lapses of courage or
wisdom. We are as children in the school of life who must learn
our lessons, on life at a time, before we graduate. Our lives
span the march of time, striving upward, subordinate only to our
individual probity and growth.
But in this mortal life, greedy, trivial hierophants and mundane
rulers have perpetrated a fraud upon humanity. They have purloined
for profit and temporal power, our legitimate heritage, and that of
all society, and have substituted for it shame, despair, and fear,
inventing evil deities to terrify and to constrain mankind from the
exercise of his own native conscience.
Still we take our uncertain portion time and again, joining with the
species on this plane, only to meet with earthly disunity and distress;
only to be told by bogus, uncelestial shepherds that we are deficient
and fundamentally iniquitous; constantly rebuked that our natural
birthright is insubstantial or even sinful, and that we must cleave
to the pious injunctions of reigning mortals, no matter how oppressive,
or suffer beyond measurable time, yearning for some mythical golden
glory just out of reach, but somehow never quite worthy of it.
That is the apocryphal hell and the fabled satan; they are of mortal
creation; they are now, not in some remote bye-and-bye; and those who
choose to believe in them perpetuate them in this earth. But nevertheless,
by sublime design, despite narrowness, folly or fear, we all, each
and every one, possess this wondrous legacy:
that each of us sustains a singular covenant with the cosmic, in that
the soul is and ever was, one with the universe, conducting itself in
concordance with the absolute. And whatever paths it may walk, or
whichever faith it may follow, on sojourn at a time, each shall as a
consequence of that oneness, and attuning with its destiny, eventually
return on its own to its source to again be part of that totality,
atoned, aware and unshackled.
"JUSTIFICUS"
564
{file "Psychic Attack" "bos127.htm"}
Dealing with psychic attack
Zhahai Stewart
What to do if you think you are being attacked.
1 - Question if it is really either imagination, or coming from within
yourself. Something may be trying to get your attention, but it may not be
external, and by focussing on an external "enemy" you may be missing the
point.
2 - Check to see if you are yourself inadvertently sending something out;
maybe someone is just reflecting some energy back! Nothing is gained if you
get into adversarial mode in that case. Many people have been taught that
reflecting is the proper response.
3 - Put up a grounding shield. Ground it out, send it to the Mother who
can recycle the energy. Grounding is usually taught to every student. If you
don't feel you can be a "conduit" safely, ground it by reflecting it
downward to the Earth; that is a big target and easy to hit. By grounding
it out, you are protecting yourself, yet not being caught up in it.
What not to do.
1 - Figure out who is sending it and counter attack. You might be wrong,
and may be starting a feud. You might be right, but they may not realize
that they are "sending" so you may start a feud or cause unnecessary harm.
Even if you are right, you are escalating a feud, of which we have too many.
This is commonly discussed as a bad idea.
2 - Put up a reflective shield which will return the energy to the sender.
This is commonly discussed as a good idea, but we disagree. We think this is
unwise.
For one thing, it is not necessary; if you can make an accurate return
reflection, you can certainly reflect it to Earth instead (where it can be
recycled). There is no reason you should not be able to ground out more
energy than you can accurately reflect to the sender, if viewed properly.
For another, your accuracy in returning it may be less than perfect. You
might hit close but not close enough; if you can't reflect it to earth, you
are going to have trouble reflecting it to an unknown person.
Sometimes this is discussed as if once you return it, the sender will just
stop; because they will awaken to what they are doing, or because the
returning energy will be too much to handle. The thing which is seldom
mentioned is that if the sender (assuming there is one) was consciously
attacking, they will likely already be prepared with their own mirrors, etc.
Great, if we put near perfect mirrors at each end and pump in energy, maybe
we can get a psychic laser effect; guess who is just on the other side of the
mirrors to catch the intensified leakthru?
565
If they weren't aware of sending, they will probably just assume they are
being attacked and take countermeasures. If they follow the 3 steps above,
fine, nothing is damaged. But many of them will immediately think they have
to put up a defensive mirror, or maybe worse (see below; they may decide to
teach you a lesson for attacking them). Few people naturally respond to
perceived attacks positively (especially if they are in such a bad mood
already as to be sending without even realizing it).
Another serious concern is getting drawn into a unacknowledged feud by your
own weaknesses. It is often agreed that one should reflect back exactly
what is received, without adding anything of one's own. But the same people
who advocate that may use terms implying "returning it with enthusiasm".
There appears to be an easily tapped source of self-righteousness in most
people feeling attacked, and it is _very hard_ not to get drawn into
imagining, at some level, the satisfying effects of the energy going back to
the attacker; that draws one into a "counter-attack" even without realizing
it. Grounding it does not.
Watch for yourself when people are discussing "returning to sender"; see if
there isn't very often a hidden desire for revenge or retribution lurking
there grasping for their "control panel" - and deflecting their normal
attempts at staying centered by claiming to do no more than is "justified".
Justified is not the question; self knowledge and balance are.
There is another thread which shows up often in discussions like these; the
need to "teach the sender a lesson". In some cases, I have even heard this
justified as "protecting the community". This way lies many... ....PRINT D did
the goddess give you an "agent of threefold return" marshall's badge, that
exempts you from any consequences "because you are just an agent"? That
hubris is gonna teach some hard lessons, but the self appointed marshall may
be the major recipient. It would be a little bit healthier to just shed the
self-righteousness and call it an ego driven feud. "Teaching them a lesson"
gets filed under the pitfalls of righteousness, the ways that one's own
weaknesses seduce one.
Also consider, what if despite your initial impression, the negative energy
is really coming from inside, from part of you? Are you going to be better
off "reflecting it back" (maybe with additional conscious or unconscious
oomph) or grounding it? "Gee, I returned it but good, and now they have
stepped it up; the sender really needs a lesson!". That may be more true
than you know, bucko.
Notice that nowhere do we say that one has no "right" to put up a
reflective shield; of course one does, and is fully justified. Also,
possibly, unwise. There is a distinction between what one has a "right" to do
in "self defense", and what is wise to get drawn into. Reflecting it is
neither necessary, nor likely to produce positive results, but if _that
itself_ is the lesson to be learned, what can I say? Each chooses their own
path, and that is as it should be. At least if one has considered the above,
one should know what they are stepping into.
566
{file "Ethics or Etiquette" "bos128.htm"}
ETHICS OR ETIQUETTE
by Ellen
Recently in conversation with friends in a small intimate
gathering, I mentioned outer-court names and passed on gossip.
Later I was told that I had "violated etiquette." Had I?
Etiquette is socially accepted forms of behavior, agreed
upon by the members of a community. Ethics involves morality,
the nature of right as determined by a group or an individual.I
believe there is a great deal of confusion of these terms in the
"Pagan Community."
Going by fairly traditional rules there are the "Laws of
Wicca." Among these there is a very firm one saying one should
never reveal another person as a Witch without their permission.
However a person who has revealed themselves publicly as a
witch shouldn't complain. And is it a violation of ethics to
tell of a person by their outer-court name? Only insiders could
know the legal name of the person, so what is the danger?
Ethics can be fairly easily agreed upon in the general pagan
community. Anything that puts someone else in an embarrassing or
dangerous position is unethical. We all make mistakes at times,
but we try to act in a manner consistent with our ethical code.
Etiquette, on the other hand, is very deceiving. We assume,
since we are all members of the "Neo-Pagan Community" that we
have the same etiquette. But the only etiquette I have ever been
explicitly told about involves greetings to be exchanged between
members of a group and their high priestess or between two high
priestess of different groups. What about a more common meeting?
Say a friend of mine is tired of being a solitary and wishes
to come to a group celebration. What etiquette should I follow
to bring this person to such a circle? I could either contact
the group beforehand and ask permission, or tell them I will be
bringing a guest, or I could simply bring a guest - with no
warning at all. In the first situation, the responsibility and
decision is theirs; in the second I am responsible for my guest's
behavior; in the third I am a boor and will never be invited to
their circles again.
No one has covered all the possible conflict situations in
the Pagan Community. So there is no way I could agree to follow
an "etiquette." My general code is simply to use common sense,
and give the other person an easy out. For example, if you think
someone else is a Witch and wish to find out, you might tell them
that you are one. To receive trust you have to give it first.
567
A secondary problem in this situation is how does one keep a
secret? Should one only speak in whispers, or when no one is
within 100 paces? I think that looks furtive and produces suspi-
cion in the mind of outsiders. Or do we follow Poe's lead and put
the secret out in the open and disarm the opposition?
I know several people who studiously "maintain secrecy" but
everyone knows that they are "witches." Worse, because of their
secrecy, their colleagues don't know what a witch is except it
must be nasty since they won't speak of it. I do not proclaim my
religion, nor do I hide it, and I have never had any problems. I
hear 3rd hand horror stories but would like to hear first hand
experiences, good or bad. Please write me c/o Panegyria.
568
{file "Dream-News" "bos129.htm"}
Dream News
----------
NUCLEAR NIGHTMARES: With the threat of nuclear war hanging overhead, it is not
surprising that our dreams might reflect this source of anxiety. In fact,
reports peace psychologist Randy Morris, PhD, many children in our country, not
to mention in other nations, have had nuclear imagery in their dreams. Are
such dreams simply another example of how daily anxieties are reflected in our
nighttime ruminations? Possibly, but Dr. Morris offers another explanation.
"Could it be some kind of collective survival mechanism to come as close as
possible to experiencing, in order to reject, our self-destruction?"
. "I believe," he states, in answer to his question, "that nuclear
nightmares represent an impulse on the part of this collective psyche to
confront directly the horror of nuclear war, literally, to 'imagine the
unimaginable,' and by so doing to take the first step toward healing this
festering rupture in the family of man. These dreams, as expressions of pure
emotion, have the power to motivate people to work in new ways for peace
movement." Dr. Morris notes that the threat of nuclear war is increased by the
number of people who simply cannot imagine that it would ever happen. Nuclear
nightmares tend to be very "real" in their feeling, and thus may be a natural
counterbalance to the ostrich syndrome.
. Anyone who has had a nuclear nightmare, or any kind of dream involving
nuclear imagery, is invited to write a letter to Randy Morris, PhD, Hiroshima
International School, 2-2-6 Ushita-naka, Higashi-ku, Hiroshima 730, Japan,
leave a message in ANECDOTAL PSI or PREMONITIONS REGISTRY.
SUDDEN DEATH SYNDROME: SUICIDE BY NIGHTMARE: A healthy adult goes to sleep at
night but then never wakes up. The medical examiners can find no cause of
death? What happened. No one knows, but it happens enough to have earned a
name, "sudden death syndrome," and to warrant having the Atlanta Center for
Disease Control monitor the incidence of such cases. One population group,
Laotian refugees, has a higher than average mortality from sudden death
syndrome. Dr. Joseph Jay Tobin, reporting in the American Journal of
Orthopsychiatry (July, 1983), presents a case study that leads him to suggest
that this phenomenon may be suicide by nightmare.
. The patient was a male refugee from war-torn Laos, who had been recently
relocated with his family to their own apartment in an American city. Shortly
thereafter, the man complained of difficulty sleeping. He reported nightmares
in which something (once a cat, once a dog and once a woman) came to him in his
bedroom, sat on his chest and tried to prevent his breathing. Dr. Tobin
arranged for a Laotian healer to perform a "spirit cure," which was consistent
with the patient's world view. Afterwards, Dr. Tobin investigated further into
the patient's background.
569
. Examination of the patient's history revealed that he was suffering from
"survivor's guilt." This post-traumatic malady, first identified in survivors
of the Holocaust, combines depression and paranoia with the nagging feeling,
"why was I saved when so many others died?" Dr. Tobin also discovered that
among South Asian persons there is the belief in something akin to "voodoo
death," called banqunqut, or "Oriental nightmare death," in which a person is
believed to be killed during sleep by a spirit which squeezes out the breath.
Apparently a similar belief was held in Europe during the Middle Ages. At that
time, the name, "incubi" was given to the presumed spirit, from the Latin word
for nightmare, incubus.
. Previous medical research has indicated that heart attacks can be
precipitated in dreams and that certain psychosomatic disorders can be
dangerously aggravated during the sleep state. Other research focussing on the
healing potential of dreams, nevertheless receives indirect support for the
physical potency of dreams by the suggestion that they might also be a vehicle
of death.
DREAM AFTER SURGERY RESTORES INTEGRITY OF PERSONALITY: Major surgery is a
harrowing experience, a trauma to the personality, for the person submits their
life, while unconscious under anesthesia, to the operation of other people's
hands upon their vital organs. The most critical aspect of the surgery
experience--the operation itself--seems beyond the reach of the patient's
personality to integrate, as would be needed following any traumatic
experience, because of the anesthesia. Patient's occasional reports of
"witnessing" their operation, and statements, by psychics such as Edgar Cayce
or philosophers such as Alfred North Whitehead, that the mind never sleeps,
that it registers everything, would suggest that despite the anesthesia, it
should be theoretically possible for the post-operative patient to regain
access to the surgery experience so that it could be digested and the recovery
made more complete. Dr. Paul W. Pruyser, of the Menninger Foundation,
reporting in the Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic (June, 1983) suggests that
such an integration of the surgery experience may occur through a dream!
. Dr. Pruyser writes about his experience undergoing emergency, triple
coronary bypass surgery and how his recuperation was helped by a dream he had
five days after the operation. In his dream, he visits a little-known,
secluded part of the hospital grounds, a ruins site from the 19th century,
where he encounters a heavy metal door. The door opens with eerie creak and he
enters a dimly lit cave. He finds three strange, two-story, cubical habitats,
each with leaky and rusty pipes meant to furnish heat to the inside from a
centrally located, old-fashioned wood-burning cook stove that was very
dilapidated.
570
. When he awoke from this dream, he reports that he felt elated and
immensely satisfied, because, in his own words, "my mind had found access to an
experience I was not supposed to have undergone at all because of the total
anesthesia." He believes, for example, that the creaking of the door was
actually the sound of his rib cage when it was opened by the surgeon. He
provides background information to develop an interpretation of the details of
the dream, which in essence refers to his confrontation with his heart and its
clogged arteries and with his ancestral history of coronary deficiency. More
generally, he ascribes to his dream an act of restoration of the integrity of
his personality--"a guarantee of the continuity of selfhood"--after being the
threatened by his near brush with death. The ability of dreams to spontaneously
provide this otherwise missing ingredient to total recovery deserves further
investigation. (Author's address: Menninger Foundation, P.O. Box 829, Topeka,
KS 66601).
GROUP DREAMING: What happens when a group of people attempt to dream about the
same thing? The December, 1983 issue of Omni Magazine reports the work of
Henry Reed (DreamNet Sysop) on an intriguing approach to studying the psychic
potential of dreams. A group of dreamers would be gathered together, he would
introduce them to a stranger said to be suffering from an undisclosed problem,
and ask the group to dream for this person, to see if they could dream up a
solution to the person's problem. In the morning the dreams were analyzed, the
person's problem was revealed, and the pieces of information from the several
dreams were pieced together to develop a solution. Most of the dreams
evidenced psychic information in the dreams. Pooling the dreams enhanced the
visibility of the psychic effect. Having a good reason for dreaming
telepathically seems to increase the probability of psychic material in the
dreams. For further reading: "Dreaming for Mary, "Sundance Community Dream
Journal, #3 (See Mail Order Services).
EXPLORING YOUR DREAMS: For a "hands-on" guide to the "New Dreamwork" see the
October, 1983 issue of New Age Journal. It has a comprehensive special section
on what's happening in the world of the new dreamworker. It gives several
different approaches to dreamwork, has articles on some of the prominent
dreamworkers, as well as general discussion of current developments and
controversies.
571
NEW LUCID DREAM INDUCTION TECHNIQUE: Robert Price and David Cohen, of the
University of Texas at Austin, report that they have accidentally discovered a
method for inducing lucid dreams. It happened while they were researching the
ability of a subject to control, while asleep in the dream state, the sounding
of a tone being played in the dream laboratory. A biofeedback setup was used,
such that whenever the sleeping subject entered the dream state, with rapid eye
movements (REM), a loud tone would be played. This tone would interrupt sleep,
but if the subject could increase the amount of rapid eye movements, he could
terminate the tone, and sleep in peace. They found that their research subject
could learn this task. Then the subject began to report lucid dreaming, that
is being aware in the dream state that he was dreaming, and reported that he
tried to move his eyes as a means of signalling to the experimenter. A
"communication" system was thus set up between the experimenter and the
dreaming subject. The researchers suggest that such a biofeedback situation
may be an effective way to learn lucid dreaming. Reported in Lucidity Letter,
November, 1983 (See Mail Order Services).
TELEPATHIC DREAMS IN COUNSELING: A counselor whose dreams provide psychic
information about clients has a powerful addition to his kit of clinical tools.
Kenneth Orkin, Ph.D., has written an article entitled, "Telepathic Dreams:
Their Application During the Counseling Process," describing his experiences
with psychic dreaming about clients. He is in private practice in Miami,
Florida. He recounts several types of psychic dreams, including precognitive
dreaming about the problems of a client who would be coming for a consultation
in the future, with the dream providing information about the source of that
person's problem. He also recounts a story about a dream that provided
past-life information about a client. His article appeared in the November,
1983 issue of A.R.E. Journal. You may write to the author c/o A.R.E., P.O. Box
595, Virginia Beach, VA 23451.
572
{file "Dream Life" "bos130.htm"}
Dream Life & Waking Life: Both are Creations of the Person
There is a growing appreciation for the variety of dream phenomena, such as
the creativity in dreams and their sometimes transpersonal aspects. Older
theories that generally ignored such facts are being replaced by newer ones
that attempt to account for such phenomena. Most recently, Gordon Globus,
M.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Philosophy at the University of
California, Irvine, has taken a stab at integrating such perspectives as
psychoanalysis, transpersonal psychology, cognitive science, and
phenomenological philosophy in a pleasantly person- able statement of a
view of dreams that readers of Perspective can live with.
That dreams are a creative experience is one of the main factors that he
wishes to explain. The author rejects the notion, in existence before
Freud made it law, that dreams are merely rearrangements of past memory
experiences. Instead, the author claims that dreams are created "de novo,"
meaning from scratch. In defending this position, he finds himself arguing
that our waking life is also an experience that we create, thus placing his
work close at hand to the metaphysical perspective that claims that we
"create our own reality." Both realms are created "in the image" (meaning
"in the imagination") of the person, in the same way God has been said to
create the world. The symmetry between the creative aspect of both dream
existence and waking existence, and the "divine" role given to the person,
is pleasing both to the ancient Buddhist and modern spiritual
metaphysician.
The question is, how does this modern, scientifically grounded theoretician
justify such a metaphysical basis to dreams and waking life? He does so by
reference to both the leading edge theories of perceptual psychology and
certain philosophical traditions. Perceptual psychology has long abandoned
the camera analogy to explain how we see things. Plato's concept of the
archetype, the transpersonal, non-material "ideas" that govern the actual
ideas and things that we experience, has gained new favor in modern
thinking about the perceptual process. Instead of theorizing that our
perceptual mechanisms "photograph" what is out there, modern work has
forced the theory that we already "know" or "suppose" what it is that we
are trying to perceive, and then we search and analyze data bits according
to their significance and fit to what we are attempting to "perceive."
Meaning and intention are more significant to perception, in modern theory,
than light waves and photo-sensitivity. In other words, the creative and
subjective processes in perception are given more central prominence, and
the physics of perception are accorded more the status of tools than
primary determinants. Similarly, the philosophy of science has been
arguing that facts, as such, do not exist; rather theories--in other words,
intentional approaches to creating meaning--are what determine which data
bits constitute facts, and determines whether or not the data bits will
even be noticed.
573
Perhaps such philosophical abstractions seem cloudy or irrelevant, but the
mechanistic, sensory-based, objective approach to perception (whether in
visual perception or scientific knowing) has been
undergoing radical changes. Fans of the transpersonal dimension of life
who assume that the eye sees like a camera have an unnecessarily tough time
trying to justify as scientific their views on ESP. Realizing how
scientific and philosophical views on perception have evolved makes ESP
seem more natural than supernatural. Thus the author's work does us a
great service. It provides a readable treatise on how one can argue, on
the basis of both scientific and philosophical grounds, that dreams, not to
mention our lives, are pregnant with meaning (sometimes transpersonal
meaning), and deserve our attention.
Source: Dream life, waking life: The human condition through dreams.
Published by the State University of New York Press, 1987.
574
{file "Dream Problem Solving" "bos131.htm"}
Taken from AMERICAN HEALTH July/August 1987.
How to problem-solve in your dreams
-----------------------------------
Your dreams are "written" in your own private vocabulary; that's why
their meaning is often unclear (and why dream books you buy at the corner
newsstand won't explain your own visions). Moreover, the language of dreams
is sensory and visual, whereas the language of daily life is verbal. You
need to translate a dream much as you would a foreign language.
Unfortunately, the same force s that make us disguise problems in our
dreams are likely to hinder our recognizing them when we're awake. Even
Freud had trouble with self-analysis. So an impartial listener - attained
therapist - can help. "It's a collaborative process," says New York
psychoanalyst Walter Bonime, author of the classic text, THE CLINICAL USE
OF DREAMS (Da Capo Press, $29.50)
But that doesn't mean you shouldn't explore your dreams alone or with a
partner. People who keep dream journals say that over time, patterns often
emerge.
To put your dreams to work solving problems, try this routine:
o Program yourself to wake up after every REM period. I did it while
writing this article simply by telling myselfI wanted to at bedtime.
But don't make it a regular habit. "The ability to maintain
consciousness during sleep can backfire," says Dr. Neil Kavey, director
of the Columbia-Presbyterian sleep lab. "If you can't shut it off, you
may have trouble remaining asleep, or you may sleep so poorly that you
feel you didn't sleep at all."
o Put a notebook and pen or tape recorder at your bedside.
o At bedtime, select a problem and sum it up with a question, such as
"Should I take this new job?" Write it down and list possible solutions.
o Turn off the lights and reflect on these solutions. Stick with it until
you drift off to sleep.
o When you wake up - during the night or in the morning - lie still. To
jog your memory, pretend you're a detective interviewing an eyewitness.
What's the last thing you remember? Before that? Going backward can help
you more easily reconstruct a dream.
o Write down or tape record all that you remember. Do it before you shower
and have breakfast.
o If you have trouble catching dreams, try sleeping late on weekends
The longest dreams occur in the last part of sleep and many of us cut
sleep short on week nights.
575
Once you've recorded your dream, how do you decode it? Tell it to yourself
in the third person, suggest psychologist Lillie Weiss in DREAM ANALYSIS IN
PSYCHOTHERAPY (Pergamon Press, $11.95). This may give you some distance
from the dream and help you see the actions more clearly. Then look at the
part of the dream that is the most mysterious. "Frequently the most
incongruous part provides the dream message," Weiss says.
In her dream-therapy study, Cartwright asks participants to examine and
try to change repetitive, troublesome dreams along seven dimensions:
o Time orientation. Do all your dreams take place in the past? Try
positioning them in the present or future.
o Competence to affect the outcome. Tryfinding a positive way to resolve
a dream.
o Self-blame. In your dreams, do you hold yourself responsible when
things
go wrong? Must you?
o Relation to former role: If your divorced, do you still dream of
yourself as married? If you have lost your job, do you still see
yourself at work? Consider alternatives.
o Motivation. Do you dream of being nurtured? Can you think of a way to
take care of yourself?
o Mood. What would make a dream more pleasant?
o Dream roles: Do you like the part you play in your dreams? What role
would you prefer?
576
{file "Dreams Precognition" "bos132.htm"}
. This following is an excerpt from "Psi Notes", prepared by William
Braud, Ph.D., of the Mind Science Foundation in San Antonio, Texas.
Question: What percentage of a person's dreams are precognitive (foretell
the future) and how can we recognize the difference between a precognitive
dream and an ordinary dream?
Answer: A large proportion of precognitive experiences occur during
dreams. One survey indicates that as many as 65 percent of precognitive
experiences occurred during sleep. Precognitive dreams also seem to
provide more complete and more accurate information than do waking psychic
experiences.
. There's no way to know with certainty what percentage of our dreams are
precognitive. The content of the majority of our dreams is probably quite
mundane, involving replays of experiences of the day, perhaps some wish
fulfillment, and maybe even "random" content. But now and then, dreamers
do have accurate glimpses of the future as they sleep.
. The only way to know with certainty which dreams are precognitive and
which are not is to keep a dream diary of all dreams and check to see which
come true and which don't. Some persons are able to associate certain
feelings of confidence in connection with psychic dreams - but these are
very subtle feelings which are difficult to put into words and which may
differ from person to person.
. Let me describe a program of research in which we are more certain
about what's going on. This research program was initiated by a New York
psychiatrist, Dr. Montague Ullman, as a result of his observation that he
and his patients were sharing telepathic dreams in the context of
psychotherapy. A dream laboratory was set up at Maimonides Medical Center
in Brooklyn. Ullman, along with his associates Stanley Krippner and
Charles Honorton, designed experiments in which persons spent the night in
the dream lab. They were monitored electro-physiologically in order to
detect physiological indications of dreaming - these indications include:
an activated EEG, rapid eye movements, and reduced muscle tension. When
these indications of dreaming occurred, the sleeper was awakened and asked
to describe his dream. These descriptions were tape-recorded and later
transcribed. The next day, a target experience was randomly selected and
the subject then went through some waking sensory experience. What was
discovered was that the sleeper was able to have accurate dreams about
events of which no one was as yet aware at the time of the dream, but which
were randomly selected the next day.
577
{file "Dream Bibliography" "bos133.htm"}
DREAM BIBLIOGRAPHY
==================
Appreciation is extended to Kathy Seward of the University of New England,
in Biddefored, Maine for providing this information.
2 ALLEN-R-MICHAEL/ATTENUATION OF DRUG-INDUCED ANXIETY DREAMS AND PAVOR
NOCTURNUS BY BENZODIAZEPINES./JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY. 1983 MAR VOL
44(3) 106-108.
3 ANON-/AN APPARENTLY PRECOGNITIVE DREAM. 1969, DEC, VOL. 45(742),
170-171.
4 ARENA-R. MURRI-L. PICCINI-P. MURATORIO-A/DREAM RECALL AND MEMORY IN
BRAIN LESIONED PATIENTS/RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY &
BEHAVIOR.1984 VOL 9(1) 31-42.
5 ATWAN-ROBERT/IVORY AND HORN: DREAMS AND BILATERALITY IN THE ANCIENT
WORLD/RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY & BEHAVIOR. 1984
VOL 9(1) 177-189.
6 BADALAMENTI-ANTHONY-F/TIME IN THE DREAM/JOURNAL OF RELIGION & HEALTH.
1983 WIN VOL 22(4) 334-339.
7 BELOFF-JOHN/A NOTE ON AN OSTENSIBLY PRECOGNITIVE DREAM/ JOURNAL OF THE
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1973 DEC VOL. 47(758) 217-221.
8 BENDER-HANS/THE GOTENHAFEN CASE OF CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN DREAMS AND
FUTURE EVENTS: A STUDY OF MOTIVATION/ INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF
NEUROPSYCHIATRY. 398-407.
9 BERTINI-M. VIOLANI-CRISTIANO/CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES, REM SLEEP, AND DREAM
RECALL/RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS IN PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY & BEHAVIOR.
1984 VOL 9(1) 3-14.
10 BLACKMORE-SUSAN-J/OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCES, LUCID DREAMS, AND IMAGERY:
TWO SURVEYS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1982
OCT VOL 76(4) 301-317.
11 BLACKMORE-SUSAN-J/HAVE YOU EVER HAD AN OBE? THE WORDING OF THE
QUESTION/JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1982 JUN VOL
51(791) 292-302.
12 BLECHNER-MARK-J/CHANGES IN THE DREAMS OF BORDERLINE
PATIENTS/CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1983 JUL VOL 19(3) 485-498.
13 BLICK-KENNETH-A. HOWE-JOAN-B/COMPARISON OF THE EMOTIONAL CONTENT OF
DREAMS RECALLED BY YOUNG AND ELDERLY WOMEN/JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY. 1984
JAN VOL 116(1) 143-146.
14 BRAKEL-LINDA-W/THE FATE OF THE DREAM AFTER AWAKENING: STAGES TOWARD
ANALYTIC UNDERSTANDING/JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY. 1984 MAR VOL
5(1-2) 97-108.
578
15 BUCK-LUCIAN-A. GEERS-MARGARET-B/VARIETIES OF CONSCIOUSNESS: I.
INTERCORRELATIONS/JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 1967, 23(2), 151-152.
16 CARPINTER-PAUL-J. CRATTY-BRYANT-J/MENTAL ACTIVITY, DREAMS AND
PERFORMANCE IN TEAM SPORT ATHLETES/ INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORT
PSYCHOLOGY. 1983 VOL 14(3) 186-197.
17 CARTWRIGHT-ROSALIND-D. LLOYD-STEPHEN. KNIGHT-SARA/ BROKEN DREAMS: A
STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF DIVORCE AND DEPRESSION ON DREAM
CONTENT/PSYCHIATRY. 1984 AUG VOL 47(3) 251-259.
18 CAVALLERO-CORRADO. CICOGNA-PIERCARLA/COMPARING REPORTS OF THE SAME
DREAM: PROPOSALS FOR A STRUCTURAL/PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS. 1983 OCT
VOL 57(2) 339-356.
19 CERNOVSKY-ZACK-Z/DREAM RECALL AND ATTITUDE TOWARD DREAMS/PERCEPTUAL &
MOTOR SKILLS. 1984 JUN VOL 58(3) 911-914.
20 CICOGNA-PIERCARLA/RESTRUCTURING DREAM-RECALL/PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS.
1983 OCT VOL 57(2) 629-630.
21 CLYNE-JACKSON-SHEILA-A/DEFENSIVENESS IN DREAM RECALL IN RESPONSE TO A
PROVOCATIVE DAY RESIDUE/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1983 SEP
VOL 44(3-B) 906.
22 COMARR-A-ESTIN. CRESSY-JEFFREY-M. LETCH-MICHAEL/ SLEEP DREAMS OF SEX
AMONG TRAUMATIC PARAPLEGICS AND QUADRIPLEGICS/SEXUALITY & DISABILITY. 1983
SPR VOL 6(1) 25-29.
23 COOLIDGE-FREDERICK-L. BRACKEN-DUANE-D/THE LOSS OF TEETH IN DREAMS: AN
EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION/PSYCHOLOGICAL REPORTS. 1984 JUN VOL 54(3)
931-935.
24 COOLIDGE-FREDERICK-L. FISH-CYNTHIA-E/DREAMS OF THE DYING/OMEGA: JOURNAL
OF DEATH & DYING. 1983-84 VOL 14(1) 1-8.
25 COVELLO-EDWARD/LUCID DREAMING: A REVIEW AND EXPERIENTIAL STUDY OF WAKING
INTRUSIONS DURING STAGE REM SLEEP/JOURNAL OF MIND & BEHAVIOR. 1984 WIN
VOL 5(1) 81-98.
26 CRICK-FRANCIS. MITCHISON-GRAEME/THE FUNCTION OF DREAM SLEEP/NATURE.
1983 JUL VOL 304(5922) 111-114.
27 DEVEREUX-GEORGE/PATHOGENIC DREAMS IN NON-WESTERN SOCIETIES/IN G. E. VON
GRUNEBAUM AND R. CAILLOIS (EDS.), THE DREAM AND HUMAN SOCIETY. 213-228.
28 DIMIDJIAN-VICTORIA-J/SEEING ME, BEING ME, BECOMING THE ME I WANT TO BE:
THE IMPORT OF THE DREAM IN IDENTITY FORMATION DURING WOMEN'S EARLY ADULT
YEARS/WOMEN & THERAPY. 1983 WIN VOL 2(4) 33-48.
29 DOMINO-GEORGE/ATTITUDES TOWARDS DREAMS, SEX DIFFERENCES AND
CREATIVITY/JOURNAL OF CREATIVE BEHAVIOR. 1982 VOL 16(2) 112-122.
30 DOYLE-MARIE-C/ENHANCING DREAM PLEASURE WITH SENOI STRATEGY/JOURNAL OF
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 1984 MAR VOL 40(2) 467-474.
31 EBON-MARTIN/PARAPSYCHOLOGICAL DREAM STUDIES/IN G. E. VON GRUNEBAUM AND
R.CAILLOIS (EDS.), THE DREAM AND HUMAN SOCIETY. (SEE 43:10), 163-177.
32 EICHELMAN-BURR/HYPNOTIC CHANGE IN COMBAT DREAMS OF TWO VETERANS WITH
579
POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER/1985 JAN VOL 142(1) 112-114.
33 EIGEN-MICHAEL/ ON TIME AND DREAMS/PSYCHOANALYTIC REVIEW. 1983 SUM VOL
70(2) 211-220.
34 EISENBUD-JULE/CHRONOLOGICALLY EXTRAORDINARY PSI CORRESPONDENCES IN THE
PSYCHOANALYTIC SETTING/ PSYCHOANALYTIC REVIEW. 1969, 56(1), 9-27.
35 EISER-ALAN-S/A LABORATORY STUDY OF DREAMING IN ENDOGENOUS
DEPRESSION/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1983 DEC VOL 44(6-B) 1957.
36 EPSTEIN-ARTHUR-W/ SIMMONS-NINA-N/APHASIA WITH REPORTED LOSS OF
DREAMING/AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. 1983 JAN VOL 140(1) 108-109.
37 EPSTEIN-ARTHUR-W/THE CONTRIBUTION OF CEREBRAL HEMISPHERIC DISEASE TO THE
UNDERSTANDING OF DREAM TYPE AND CONTENT/RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS IN
PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY & BEHAVIOR. 1984 VOL 9(1) 15-30.
38 EPSTEIN-ARTHUR-W/THE WAKING EVENT-DREAM INTERVAL/ AMERICAN JOURNAL OF
PSYCHIATRY. 1985 JAN VOL 142(1) 123-124.
39 FABER-P-A. SAAYMAN-G-S. PAPADOPOULOS-R-K/FANTASY, ITS EFFECTS UPON THE
ARCHETYPAL CONTENT OF NOCTURNAL DREAMS/ JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL PSYCHOLOGY.
1983 APR VOL 28(2) 141-164.
40 FARRELL-RONALD-A/SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DREAM
CONTENT OF HOMOSEXUALS/INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY. 1983
FAL VOL 29(3) 183-189.
41 FENWICK-PETER ET AL/LUCID DREAMING: CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN DREAMED AND
ACTUAL EVENTS IN ONE SUBJECT DURING REM SLEEP/BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY.
1984 JUN VOL 18(4) 243-267.
42 FIERZ-H-K/ANALYTICAL PSYCHOTHERAPY AND DREAM, RESISTANCE AND
WHOLENESS/ANALYTISCHE PSYCHOLOGIE. 1976 VOL 7(4) 275-285.
43 FISCHMAN-LAWRENCE-G/DREAMS, HALLUCINOGENIC DRUG STATES, AND
SCHIZOPHRENIA: A PSYCHOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL COMPARISON/SCHIZOPHRENIA
BULLETIN. 1983 VOL 9(1) 73-94.
44 FISS-HARRY/TOWARD A CLINICALLY RELEVANT EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY OF
DREAMING/HILLSIDE JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY. 1983 VOL 5(2) 147-159.
45 FOSSHAGE-JAMES-L/THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTION OF DREAMS: A REVISED
PSYCHOANALYTIC PERSPECTIVE/PSYCHOANALYSIS & CONTEMPORARY THOUGHT. 1983
VOL 6(4) 641-669.
46 FOULKES-DAVID ET AL/LONG-DISTANCE, 'SENSORY-BOMBARDMENT' ESP IN DREAMS:
A FAILURE TO REPLICATE/PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS. 1972 DEC VOL. 35(3)
731-734.
47 FOULKES-DAVID. SCHMIDT-MARCELLA/TEMPORAL SEQUENCE AND UNIT COMPOSITION
IN DREAM REPORTS FROM DIFFERENT STAGES OF SLEEP/SLEEP. 1983 SEP VOL 6(3)
265-280.
580
48 FURST-KATHRYN-A/ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION OF WOMEN'S DREAMS IN EARLY
ADULTHOOD/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1984 JAN VOL 44(7-B)
2242-2243.
49 GACKENBACH-JAYNE. SCHILLIG-BARBARA/LUCID DREAMS: THE CONTENT OF
CONSCIOUS AWARENESS OF DREAMING DURING THE DREAM/JOURNAL OF MENTAL IMAGERY.
1983 FAL VOL 7(2) 1-13.
50 GERSHAM-HARRY/CURRENT APPLICATION OF HORNEY THEORY TO DREAM
INTERPRETATION/AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOANALYSIS/ 1983 FAL VOL 43(3)
219-229.
51 GLOBUS-G. KNAPP-P. SKINNER-J/AN APPRAISAL OF TELEPATHIC COMMUNICATION IN
DREAMS/PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY. 1968, 4(3), 365.
52 GOLLUB-DAN/DREAM INTERPRETATION/PSYCHOLOGY: A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF HUMAN
BEHAVIOR. 1983 VOL 20(2) 30-33.
53 GUNTER-P-RICHARD/RELIGIOUS DREAMING: A VIEWPOINT/ AMERICAN JOURNAL OF
PSYCHOTHERAPY. 1983 JUL VOL 37(3) 411-427.
54 HALL-CALVIN-S/""A UBIQUITOUS SEX DIFFERENCE IN DREAMS''
REVISITED/JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY & SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY/ 1984 MAY VOL 46(5)
1109-1117.
55 HALL-JAMES-A/TOWARD A PSYCHO-STRUCTURAL THEORY: HYPNOSIS AND THE
STRUCTURE OF DREAMS/AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPNOSIS. 1984 JAN VOL
26(3) 159-165.
56 HALL-JAMES-A/DREAMS AND TRANSFERENCE/ COUNTERTRANSFERENCE: THE
TRANSFORMATIVE FIELD/CHIRON. 1984 31-51.
57 HARALDSSON-ERLENDUR/SOME DETERMINANTS OF BELIEF IN PSYCHICAL
PHENOMENA/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1981
OCT VOL 75(4) 297-309.
58 HARTMAN-FRANK-R/A REAPPRAISAL OF THE EMMA EPISODE AND THE SPECIMEN
DREAM/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSOCIATION. 1983 VOL 31(3)
555-585.
59 HASTINGS-ARTHUR-C/DREAMS OF FUTURE EVENTS: PRECOGNITIONS AND
PERSPECTIVES/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PSYCHOSOMATIC DENTISTRY &
MEDICINE. 1977 VOL 24(2) 51-60.
60 HEARNE-KEITH-M/THREE CASES OF OSTENSIBLE PRECOGNITION FROM A SINGLE
PERCIPIENT: 1. SADAT ASSASSINATION; 2. REAGAN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT; 3.
S.S. ACHILLE LAURO INCIDENT/ JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
1982 JUN VOL 51(791) 288-291.
61 HEARNE-KEITH-M/AN AUTOMATED TECHNIQUE FOR STUDYING PSI IN HOME ""LUCID''
DREAMS/JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1982 JUN VOL
51(791) 303-304.
62 HEARNE-KEITH-M/AN OSTENSIBLE PRECOGNITION OF THE ACCIDENTAL SINKING OF
H.M/JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1982 JUN VOL 51(791)
283-287.
581
63 HEARNE-KEITH-M/""LUCID'' DREAMS AND ESP: AN INITIAL EXPERIMENT USING ONE
SUBJECT/JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1981 FEB VOL
51(787)
7-11.
64 HEARNE-KEITH-M/LUCID DREAM INDUCTION/JOURNAL OF MENTAL IMAGERY. 1983
SPR VOL 7(1) 19-23.
65 HERMAN-JOHN-H ET AL/EVIDENCE FOR A DIRECTIONAL CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN
EYE MOVEMENTS AND DREAM IMAGERY IN REM SLEEP/SLEEP. 1984 MAR VOL 7(1)
52-63.
66 HIMELSTEIN-PHILIP/DREAM SYMBOL OR DREAM PROCESS?/ PSYCHOLOGY: A
QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR. 1984 VOL 21(1) 9-11.
67 HONE-VALERIE/DREAMS AS PREPARATION FOR DEATH: A STUDY OF THE MANIFEST
AND LATENT DYING CANCER PATIENTS/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL.
1984 MAY VOL 44(11-B) 3528.
68 HONORTON-CHARLES/SIGNIFICANT FACTORS IN HYPNOTICALLY-INDUCED CLAIRVOYANT
DREAMS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1972 JAN
VOL. 66(1) 86-102.
69 HONORTON-CHARLES. STUMP-JOHN-P/A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF
HYPNOTICALLY-INDUCED CLAIRVOYANT DREAMS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR
PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1969, 63(2), 175-184.
70 HONORTON-CHARLES/REPORTED FREQUENCY OF DREAM RECALL AND ESP/JOURNAL OF
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1972 OCT VOL. 66(4) 369-374.
71 HOWE-JOAN-B. BLICK-KENNETH-A/EMOTIONAL CONTENT OF DREAMS RECALLED BY
ELDERLY WOMEN/SO PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS. 1983 FEB VOL 56(1) 31-34.
72 INGMUNDSON-PAUL-T/DREAMING, REM SLEEP, AND MEMORY/ DISSERTATION
ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1985 JAN VOL 45(7-B) 2342.
73 JACKSON-M-P/SUGGESTIONS FOR A CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT TO TEST PRECOGNITION
IN DREAMS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1967,
61(4), 346-353.
74 JOHNSON-MARCIA-K. KAHAN-TRACEY-L. RAYE-CAROL-L/DREAMS AND REALITY
MONITORING/JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY: GENERAL. 1984 SEP VOL
113(3) 329-344.
75 KAUVAR-ELAINE-M/BLAKE'S INTERPRETATION OF DREAMS: ""MENTAL FORMS
CREATING.''/AMERICAN IMAGO. 1984 SPR VOL 41(1) 19-45.
76 KIRTLEY-DONALD-D. SABO-KENNETH-T/AGGRESSION IN THE DREAMS OF BLIND
WOMEN/JOURNAL OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT & BLINDNESS. 1983 JUN VOL 77(6)
269-270, 295.
77 KOH-JUSUCK/DESIGN FOR FANTASY AND FANTASY FOR DESIGN: USING FANTASY AND
DREAM FOR CREATIVITY AND SYMBOLISM IN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN/EDRA:
ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN RESEARCH ASSOCIATION. 1983 NO 14 36-47.
78 KOLB-GISELA-E/THE DREAM IN PSYCHOANALYTIC GROUP THERAPY/ INTERNATIONAL
JOURNAL OF GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY. 1983 JAN VOL 33(1) 41-52.
79 AU KOUKKOU-M. LEHMANN-D/DREAMING: THE FUNCTIONAL STATE-SHIFT
HYPOTHESIS: A NEUROPSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL MODEL/ BRITISH JOURNAL OF
582
PSYCHIATRY. 1983 MAR VOL 142 221-231.
80 KRAMER-MILTON. KINNEY-LOIS. SCHARF-MARTIN/EXPERIENCES IN
DREAMS/PSYCHIATRIC JOURNAL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA. 1983 MAR VOL 8(1)
1-4.
81 KRIPPNER-S ET AL/A LONG-DISTANCE ''SENSORY BOMBARDMENT'' STUDY OF
EXTRASENSORY PERCEPTION IN DREAMS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR
PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1971, OCT, VOL. 65(4), 468-475.
82 KRIPPNER-S/INVESTIGATIONS OF ''EXTRASENSORY'' PHENOMENA IN DREAMS AND
OTHER ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS/ JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF
PSYCHOSOMATIC DENTISTRY & MEDICINE. 1969, 16(1), 7-14.
83 KRIPPNER-S. ULLMAN-M. HONORTON-C/A PRECOGNITIVE DREAM STUDY WITH A
SINGLE SUBJECT/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1971
APR VOL. 65(2) 192-203.
84 KRIPPNER-STANLEY. ULLMAN-MONTAGUE/TELEPATHY AND DREAMS: A CONTROLLED
EXPERIMENT WITH ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM-ELECTRO-OCULOGRAM MONITORING/JOURNAL
OF NERVOUS & MENTAL DISEASE. 1970, DEC, VOL. 151(6), 394-403.
85 KRIPPNER-STANLEY/NORMAL DREAM AND MAN'S PLIABLE FUTURE/ PSYCHOANALYTIC
REVIEW. 1969, 56(1), 28-43.
86 KRIPPNER-STANLEY/ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF ESP IN DREAMS: SEX
DIFFERENCES IN SEVENTY-FOUR TELEPATHY SESSIONS/ JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1970, JUL, VOL. 64(3), 277-285.
87 KRIPPNER-STANLEY. HONORTON-CHARLES. ULLMAN-MONTAGUE/A SECOND
PRECOGNITIVE DREAM STUDY WITH MALCOLM BESSENT/ JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1972 JUL VOL. 66(3) 269-279.
88 KRIPPNER-STANLEY. ULLMAN-MONTAGUE/TELEPATHIC PERCEPTION IN THE DREAM
STATE: CONFIRMATORY STUDY USING EEG-EOG MONITORING TECHNIQUES/PERCEPTUAL &
MOTOR SKILLS. 1969, DEC, VOL. 29(3), 915-918.
89 KRIPPNER-STANLEY/DREAMS AND OTHER ALTERED CONSCIOUS STATES/JOURNAL OF
COMMUNICATION. 1975 WIN VOL 25(1) 173-182.
90 KRIPPNER-STANLEY/DREAMS AND OTHER ALTERED CONSCIOUS
STATES/PARAPSYCHOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF SOUTH AFRICA. 1981 DEC VOL 2(2)
18-34.
91 KRISHNAN-RANGA-R. VOLOW-MICHAEL-R. CAVENAR-JESSE-O.
MILLER-PATRICIA-P/DREAMS OF FLYING IN NARCOLEPTIC PATIENTS. SO
PSYCHOSOMATICS. 1984 MAY VOL 25(5) 423-425.
92 KUPER-ADAM/THE STRUCTURE OF DREAM SEQUENCES/CULTURE, MEDICINE &
PSYCHIATRY. 1983 JUN VOL 7(2) 153-175.
93 LAMBERT-KENNETH/REFLECTIONS ON A CRITIQUE OF HILLMAN'S APPROACH TO THE
DREAM BY WA. SHELBURNE/JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 1984 JAN VOL
29(1) 57-66.
583
94 LANG-RUDIE-J. OCONNOR-KIERON-P/PERSONALITY, DREAM CONTENT AND DREAM
COPING STYLE/PERSONALITY & INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES. 1984 VOL 5(2)
211-219.
95 LEBOEUF-ALAN. MCKAY-PATRICIA. CLARKE-KEITH/LATERAL EYE MOVEMENTS AND
DREAM RECALL IN MALES: A RE-APPRAISAL/ COGNITION & PERSONALITY. 1983-84
VOL 3(1) 61-68.
96 LEHMANN-HERBERT/FREUD'S DREAM OF FEBRUARY 1918/ INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF
PSYCHO-ANALYSIS. 1983 VOL 10(1) 87-93.
97 LEVITAN-HAROLD/DREAMS WHICH CULMINATE IN MIGRAINE
HEADACHES/PSYCHOTHERAPY & PSYCHOSOMATICS. 1984 JUL VOL 41(4) 161-166.
98 LEWIN-ISAAC/THE PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY OF DREAMS IN THE BIBLE/JOURNAL OF
PSYCHOLOGY & JUDAISM. 1983 SPR-SUM VOL 7(2) 73-88.
99 LOTHANE-ZVI/REALITY, DREAM, AND TRAUMA/CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOANALYSIS.
1983 JUL VOL 19(3) 423-443.
100 LYNCH-VINCENT-J/WORKING WITH DREAMS: A COLLABORATION BETWEEN THERAPIST
AND PATIENT/PERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHIATRIC CARE. 1983 JAN-MAR VOL 21(1)
21-25.
101 MALAKOFF-CHERYL-A/DREAM RECALL AS A FUNCTION OF SELF CONCEPT AND
PERSONAL VALUES/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1984 SEP VOL
45(3-B) 1021.
102 MANLEY-FRANCIS-J/THE EFFECT OF INTENTIONAL DREAMING ON
DEPRESSION/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1983 JUN VOL 43(12-B)
4154.
103 MARTIN-JAY/THREE STAGES OF DREAMING: A CLINICAL STUDY OF HENRY MILLER'S
DREAM BOOK/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1984 APR
VOL 12(2) 233-251.
104 MARTINETTI-RAYMOND-F/DREAM RECALL, IMAGINAL PROCESSES AND SHORT-TERM
MEMORY: A PILOT STUDY/PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS. 1983 DEC VOL 57(3, PT
1) 718.
105 MAYKUTH-PATRICIA-L/INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT IN DREAMS: A LONGITUDINAL
STUDY OF 3- TO 8-YEAR OLDS/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1984
DEC VOL 45(6-B) 1941-1942.
106 MELSTROM-MARGARET-A. CARTWRIGHT-ROSALIND-D/EFFECTS OF SUCCESSFUL VS.
UNSUCCESSFUL PSYCHOTHERAPY OUTCOME ON SOME DREAM DIMENSIONS/PSYCHIATRY.
1983 FEB VOL 46(1) 51-65.
107 MEZENTSEV-V-A/ARE THERE MIRACLES IN NATURE?/MOSCOW, USSR: MOSKOVSKII2
RABOCHII2, 1967. 240 P.
108 MONTRELAY-MICHELE/ON FOLDING AND UNFOLDING: AN EXAMPLE OF DREAM
INTERPRETATION IN ANALYSIS/PSYCHOANALYTIC INQUIRY. 1984 VOL 4(2) 193-219.
109 MURRI-LUIGI ET AL/DREAM RECALL IN PATIENTS WITH FOCAL CEREBRAL
LESIONS/ARCHIVES OF NEUROLOGY. 1984 FEB VOL 41(2) 183-185.
584
110 MYERS-ROBERT-K/THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DREAMS AND DREAMERS IN MODERN
PSYCHOLOGICAL LITERATURE/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1985 JAN
VOL 45(7-B) 2316.
111 MYERS-WAYNE-A/AN ATHLETIC EXAMPLE OF THE TYPICAL EXAMINATION
DREAM/PSYCHOANALYTIC QUARTERLY. 1983 OCT VOL 52(4) 594-598.
112 NAROTRA-R-S/A STUDY OF DREAM ANALYSIS/ASIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY &
EDUCATION. 1983 VOL 11(2) 14-18.
113 PALESKI-ZBIGNIEW/PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF BELIEF IN ''PROPHETIC''
DREAMS/PSYCHOLOGIA WYCHOWAWCZA. 1970, SEP, VOL. 13(4), 523-527.
114 PALOMBO-STANLEY-R/THE GENIUS OF THE DREAM/AMERICAN JOURNAL OF
PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1983 WIN VOL 43(4) 301-313.
115 PALOMBO-STANLEY-R/THE POET AS DREAMER/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY
OF PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1984 JAN VOL 12(1) 59-73.
116 PALOMBO-STANLEY-R/RECOVERY OF EARLY MEMORIES ASSOCIATED WITH REPORTED
DREAM IMAGERY/AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. 1984 DEC VOL 141(12)
1508-1511.
117 PALOMBO-STANLEY-R/DECONSTRUCTING THE MANIFEST DREAM/ JOURNAL OF THE
AMERICAN PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSOCIATION. 1984 VOL 32(2) 405-420.
118 PARKER-A. BELOFF-J/HYPNOTICALLY-INDUCED CLAIRVOYANT DREAMS: A
PARTIAL REPLICATION AND ATTEMPTED CONFIRMATION/ JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1970, OCT, VOL. 64(4), 432-442.
119 PATALANO-FRANK/COLOR IN DREAMS AND THE PSYCHOANALYTIC
SITUATION/AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1984 SUM VOL 44(2) 183-190.
120 PERLMUTTER-RICHARD-A. BABINEAU-RAYMOND/THE USE OF DREAMS IN COUPLES
THERAPY/PSYCHIATRY. 1983 FEB VOL 46(1) 66-72.
121 PEROLD-ETIENNE-A/ON EXPLANATION IN PSYCHOANALYSIS AND THE
DREAM/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1983 NOV VOL 44(5-B) 1603-1604.
122 PETERS-LARRY-G/THE ROLE OF DREAMS IN THE LIFE OF A MENTALLY RETARDED
INDIVIDUAL/ETHOS.
123 POTTINGER-JOSEPHINE-S/THE EFFECT OF POSTHYPNOTIC SUGGESTION ON DREAM
RECALL/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1984 JAN VOL 44(7-B) 2257.
124 RANDALL-JOHN-L/CARD-GUESSING EXPERIMENTS WITH SCHOOLBOYS/JOURNAL OF THE
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH. 1974 SEP VOL 47(761) 421-432.
125 RENIK-OWEN/THE CLINICAL USE OF THE MANIFEST DREAM/ JOURNAL OF THE
AMERICAN PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSOCIATION. 1984 VOL 32(1) 157-162.
126 ROBBINS-PAUL-R. HOUSHI-FARZANEH/SOME OBSERVATIONS ON RECURRENT
DREAMS/BULLETIN OF THE MENNINGER CLINIC. 1983 MAY VOL 47(3) 262-265.
127 RUIZ-KAY-N/AN EXPERIMENT USING AN IMAGING METHOD BASED ON
SENOI-DREAMWORK WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITICS/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS
INTERNATIONAL. 1983 JUL VOL 44(1-B) 324.
128 SABO-KENNETH-T/EMOTIONS IN THE DREAMLIFE OF PARAPLEGICS: A QUANTITATIVE
APPROACH/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1983 APR VOL 43(10-B)
585
3374-3375.
129 SALTZMAN-NOLAN/ELICITING EMOTIONS OF DREAMS AND MEMORY FRAGMENTS IN BIO
PSYCHOTHERAPY/INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECLECTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY. 1984 SEP
VOL 3(1) 1-6.
130 SARGENT-CARL-L. HARLEY-TREVOR-A/THREE STUDIES USING A PSI-PREDICTIVE
TRAIT VARIABLE QUESTIONNAIRE/JOURNAL OF PARAPSYCHOLOGY. 1981 SEP VOL 45(3)
199-214.
131 SARGENT-LARRY/DREAMS IN THE NUCLEAR AGE/JOURNAL OF HUMANISTIC
PSYCHOLOGY. 1984 SUM VOL 24(3) 142-156.
132 SARLIN-M-BRUCE/THE USE OF DREAMS IN PSYCHOTHERAPY WITH DEAF
PATIENTS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1984 JAN VOL
12(1) 75-88.
133 SCHAPIRO-S-A/A CLASSIFICATION SCHEME FOR OUT-OF-BODY PHENOMENA/JOURNAL
OF ALTERED STATES OF CONCIOUSNESS. 975-76 VOL 2(3) 259-265.
134 SCHROER-THOMAS/ARCHETYPAL DREAMS DURING THE FIRST
PREGNANCY/PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES. 1984 SPR VOL 15(1) 71-80.
135 SCHUHL/SOCIETE MOREAU DE TOURS: IS THE PROBLEM OF SORCERERS ONE THAT IS
PURELY PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL?/ANNALES MEDICO-PSYCHOLOGIQUES. 1968, 2(4), 592.
136 SECHZER-PHILIP-H/DREAMS WITH LOW-DOSE KETAMINE IN OBSTETRICAL
PATIENTS/CURRENT THERAPEUTIC RESEARCH. 1984 MAR VOL 35(3) 396-404.
137 SHELBURNE-W-A/A CRITIQUE OF JAMES HILLMAN'S APPROACH TO THE
DREAM/JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 1984 JAN VOL 29(1) 35-56.
138 SHEPARD-ROGER-N/ECOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS ON INTERNAL REPRESENTATION:
RESONANT KINEMATICS OF PERCEIVING, IMAGINING, THINKING, AND
DREAMING/PSYCHOLOGICAL REVIEW. 1984 OCT VOL 91(4) 417-447.
139 SIEGEL-RONALD-D/A COMPARISON OF FREUD'S AND JUNG'S APPROACHES TO DREAM
INTERPRETATION/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1984 JUL VOL 45(1-B)
366.
140 SILBER-AUSTIN/A SIGNIFICANT ""DREAM WITHIN A DREAM.''/ JOURNAL OF THE
AMERICAN PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSOCIATION. 1983 VOL 31(4) 899-915.
141 SLOCHOWER-HARRY/FREUD'S DEJA VU ON THE ACROPOLIS: A SYMBOLIC RELIC OF
''MATER NUDA.''/PSYCHOANALYTIC QUARTERLY. 1970, 39(1), 90-102.
142 SMITH-ROBERT-C/A POSSIBLE BIOLOGIC ROLE OF DREAMING. PSYCHOTHERAPY &
PSYCHOSOMATICS. 1984 JUL VOL 41(4) 167-176.
143 SPARROW-GREGORY-S./AN EXPLORATION INTO THE INDUCTION OF GREATER
REFLECTIVENESS AND ""LUCIDITY'' IN NOCTURNAL DREAM REPORTS. DISSERTATION
ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1984 SEP VOL 45(3-B) 1050.
144 SPERO-MOSHE-H./A PSYCHOTHERAPIST'S REFLECTIONS ON A COUNTERTRANSFERENCE
DREAM./AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOANALYSIS. 1984 SUM VOL 44(2) 191-196.
145 STEIN-MARTIN-H./RATIONAL VERSUS ANAGOGIC INTERPRETATION: XENOPHON'S
DREAM AND OTHERS/JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOANALYTIC ASSOCIATION. 1984
VOL 32(3) 529-556.
586
146 STERN-DEREK-A. SAAYMAN-GRAHAM-S. TOUYZ-STEPHEN-W./ THE EFFECT OF AN
EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED DEMAND ON NOCTURNAL DREAM CONTENT./JOURNAL OF MENTAL
IMAGERY. 1983 FAL VOL 7(2) 15-31.
147 TART-CHARLES-T. FADIMAN-JAMES./THE CASE OF THE YELLOW WHEAT FIELD: A
DREAM-STATE EXPLANATION OF A BROADCAST TELEPATHIC DREAM./PSYCHOANALYTIC
REVIEW. 1974-1975 WIN VOL 61(4) 607-618.
148 TART-CHARLES-T./THE CONTROL OF NOCTURNAL DREAMING BY MEANS OF
POSTHYPNOTIC SUGGESTION./INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PARAPSYCHOLOGY. 1967,
9(3), 184-189.
149 THACKREY-SUSAN-E./THE TROPICS OF THE DREAM: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF
CLASSICAL DREAM THEORY IN THE LIGHT OF THE STRUCTURALIST
APPROACH/DISSERTATION ABSTRACTS INTERNATIONAL. 1984 MAY VOL 44(11-B)
3512.
150 THALBOURNE-MICHAEL-A./SOME CORRELATES OF BELIEF IN PSYCHICAL PHENOMENA:
A PARTIAL REPLICATION OF THE HARALDSSON FINDINGS./PARAPSYCHOLOGY REVIEW.
1984 MAR-APR VOL 15(2) 13-15.
151 THOLEY-PAUL./RELATION BETWEEN DREAM CONTENT AND EYE MOVEMENTS TESTED BY
LUCID DREAMS./PERCEPTUAL & MOTOR SKILLS. 1983 JUN VOL 56(3) 875-878.
152 THOLEY-PAUL./TECHNIQUES FOR INDUCING AND MANIPULATING LUCID
DREAMS./1983 AUG VOL 57(1) 79-90.
153 TOLAAS-JON./DREAMING: A PSI MODALITY?./ PSYCHOENERGETIC SYSTEMS. 1976
JUL VOL 1(4) 185-195.
154 TRENHOLME-IRENE. CARTWRIGHT-ROSALIND. GREENBERG-GLEN./ DREAM DIMENSION
DIFFERENCES DURING A LIFE CHANGE./ PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH. 1984 MAY VOL 12(1)
35-45.
587
155 TYSON-PAUL-D. OGILVIE-ROBERT-D. HUNT-HARRY-T./ LUCID, PRELUCID, AND
NONLUCID DREAMS RELATED TO THE AMOUNT OF EEG ALPHA ACTIVITY DURING REM
SLEEP. PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY. 1984 JUL VOL 21(4) 442-451.
156 ULLMAN-M. KRIPPNER-S. HONORTON-C./A CONFIRMATORY STUDY OF THE
TELEPATHIC
DREAM WITH EEG-REM MONITORING/ PSYCHOPHYSICS. 1968, 5(2), 218.
157 ULLMAN-MONTAGUE./KRIPPNER-STANLEY. FELDSTEIN-SOL.
EXPERIMENTALLY-INDUCED TELEPATHIC DREAMS: TWO STUDIES USING EEG-REM
MONITORING
TECHNIQUE. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NEUROPSYCHIATRY. 1966, 2(5), 420-437.
158 ULLMAN-MONTAGUE/TI RAPID EYE MOVEMENT DREAM-MONITORING TECHNIQUES IN
CURRENT ESP RESEARCH./TRANSACTIONS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.
1967, 30(2), 265-270.
159 ULLMAN-MONTAGUE/PSI COMMUNICATION THROUGH DREAM SHARING.
PARAPSYCHOLOGY REVIEW. 1981 MAR-APR VOL 12(2) 1-8.
160 ULLMAN-MONTAGUE & KRIPPNER-STANLEY/ESP IN THE NIGHT. PSY 1970, JUN,
VOL. 4(1), 46-50, 72.
161 ULLMAN-MONTAGUE & KRIPPNER-STANLEY/AN EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH TO DREAMS
AND TELEPATHY: II. REPORT OF THREE STUDIES./AMERICAN JOURNAL OF
PSYCHIATRY. 1970,
126(9), 1282-1289.
162 ULLMAN-MONTAGUE/TELEPATHY AND DREAMS./EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE & SURGERY.
1969, VOL. 27(1-2), 19-38.
163 ULLMAN-MONTAGUE. KRIPPNER-STANLEY/A LABORATORY APPROACH TO THE
NOCTURNAL DIMENSION OF PARANORMAL EXPERIENCE: REPORT OF A CONFIRMATORY
STUDY USING THE REM MONITORING TECHNIQUE/BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. 1969, JUL,
VOL. 1(3), 259-270.
588
{file "Festivals" "bos134.htm"}
FESTIVALS
---------
Within the Pagan community there are many holidays and Sabbats
celebrated for various means, and not all celebrate each holiday/Sabbat in
the same exact way or for the same reasons. The following is a general list
of the Holidays most common between all the Sects within Neo-Paganisim.
YULE (Winter Solstice, December 20-23 (varies according to the particular
date on the standard calendar according to when the Solstice will
occurastronomically)).Longest nightof theyear, theturning
point whenthe days shall afterwardsgrow longer as winterbegins
its passageinto thecoming spring.It is,inthe Goddessworship,
the time when she gives forth again to the birth of the Divine Sun
child who shall be both child and eventually lover and father of
the next child in the cycle. Winter Solstice for pagans is a time
of feasting and the exchanging of gifts and is the original Holiday
that the Christian religions modified into their own Christmas,
even upto the birth of the child (Most theologians who have spent
time studying the birth of Jesus admit he was born in either March
or April, not the celebrated Christmas date we all know from the
standard calendar - it was moved to this date to help induce Pagans to
give up their old ways yet allow them their holidays during the spread
of Christianity thru Europe and the British Isles).
Traditional adornments are a Yule Log, usually of oak, and a
combination of mistletoe and holly (also all later plagiarized into
Christian ways).
CANDLEMAS (Brigid's Day, February 2nd) Not common to all pagans, this is
very popular with Wiccans and various Celtic sects. Brigid is the
Celtic goddess of fire and inspiration (Poetry, smithcraft and healing)
as well as yet another representation of the Fertility of Femininity and
Love. Brigid had such a strong following among the Celtics that the
Christian church decided it was easier to assimilate her into their own
system, and so there came about the making of Saint Brigit and all the
stories they created about her so that her followers would leave their
old beliefs enough so they would not side with the Druids, who were
known at that time as 'the snakes' because of their tendency to have
tamed snakes that were used to help produce various healing mixtures via
their venom, and who were violently opposing the Catholic church. In
History, of
course, the druids lost against the overwhelming odds presented by the
church, led by a man who would then be himself sainted by the church,
their Saint Patrick (who was no clergyman but a warrior). Thus
Christian rule of various sorts came into Ireland. Handcrafts are often
sacrificed to Brigid or dedicated to her as they are started on this day.
Its celebration is done with many candles and as usual much feasting.
The Christians also took, moved slightly and used this d a t e b y
creating St. Valentine and using the day for one of chaste l o v e
reflections.
589
Eostar Ritual (Spring Equinox, March 20-23 dependant on actual astronomical
event) This is the start in the pagan year of spring, at least among
Wiccans and Celtics. The first flowers are praised and the Gods and
Goddesses thanked for the true return to happier times for all. Eostar
is oneof the more colorful holidays, not one of the somber colors
found in Yule and Candlemas. Feasting and socializing are the important
factors in this holiday as well as the celebration of the return of color
to the natural world. In the Christian calendar, again to draw early
worshipers, they marked this as the final days and rebirth of Jesus
(when according to history he died in June!)
Beltane (May Eve, April 30th-May 1st) Most important to pagans, save f o r
Samhain, I don't know of any Pagan group that doesn't celebrate t h i s
holiday in some way. Beltane is the great Fertility rite of life,
starting at dusk on the 30th and continuing until the dawn of the 1st.
The union of the God and Goddess to conceive the sun-child to be takes
place upon this holiday, no matter which tradition of paganisim is
involved. Beltane is the one holiday most discouraged by the
Christians, who didn't even use it as a point for a holiday of their o w n
because the power and nature of the day involved. Still, even in
Christianized Ireland the May day dance of the Maypole remained, as d i d
the giving of flowers to those you loved or cared for as friends. T h e
Maypole is a symbol of the union of the God and Goddess to create life,
the pole itself a phallic symbol while the dancers and their streamers
or vines of flowers represent the fertile womb of the goddess a s i t
takes in the Phallus of the god and takes in his seed. Besides t h e
Maypole often a bonfire is present, and members of the group are
encouraged to jump the flames for luck and their own fertility. Food, drink
and love are the order of the evening. In most sects the celebration of
Beltane will become one large orgy as the participants are encouraged
to enact their own unions of love. Beltane is the time o f m a n y
marriages/handfastings in the pagan community (in some it is the point
where one chooses to begin and end relationships of a physical nature).
Clothing is very optional in most get togethers on this holiday, and
mostly it is sensual and colorful. Even those sects that are prudish
about things tend to accept the rules of the holiday, as it is the holiday
of free love. It is said that a child conceived on this day will grow up
to wield great power and knowledge and to be healthier than upon any
other.
Litha (Summer Solstice, June 20-23, dependant on actual astronomical event)
Held on the longest day of the year, the Solstice is the celebration
of lights triumph over darkness and that of the bountiful beauty that
light brings into life. Flowers are common in the circle, roses and
brightcheerful wildflowers are upon the altar and usually worn by
all. It is the changing point of the year, and the celebration of the
spiral dance of the year is common among Wiccans. It a celebration with
much joy, and much feasting. Many wiccans will attire themselves i n
bright colors and equally bright adornments of flowers. Litha' usual food
fare may include honeycakes or cornbread. Litha is not celebrated by
all sects nor in the same way.
590
Lughnasad (August 1st) The great corn ritual of Wiccan belief (in Celtic
realms this is the celebration of the wheat god, corn is an
Americanization and it is possible there is an American Indian
traditional holiday near this date that was borrowed by the American
Neopagans). THis is the big celebration of the harvest (Sort of a Pagan
Thanksgiving, but the time clock is different as is that of the Celtics).
Much feasting and dancing occur, thou it is a bit more somber than
many of the other holidays. Some Pagans celebrate this day as merely
the day to bake their bread and cakes for the coming winter and do no
actual rituals save that of blessing the foods prepared.
Mabon (Fall Equinox, Sept. 20-23, dependant on actual astronomical event)
A lesser holiday, this is not widely celebrated and is most come with
Pure wiccan groups, especially those who are based in the works of
Starhawk and other Dianic sects. This is the weavers festival, and a
braiding of cords are done in the process of casting a spell to
add to ones life from what it is, each person weaving unto themselves
what they wish and the coven as a whole weaving all the cords together
to unite the power and efforts symbolically.
SAMHAIN (Halloween Oct 31st) THe year ends traditionally in Wiccan beliefs
with this holiday. Samhain is said to be the period of time when the
gates between the worlds are least guarded and the veils their thinnest.
It is a time for dimensional openings and workings, and a l s o t h e
celebration of the death of the year king. It is a somber holiday, one of
dark clothes and thoughts for the dead, it is said to be the time when
those of necromantic talents can speak with the dead and it is certainly
a time to remember ones dead. It is a time of endings of relationships
and bad situations and it is the time when one can see the glimmer of
hope in the future. THere are as many concepts attached to this holiday
as any other.
591
{file "Fool" "bos135.htm"}
THE HOLY FOOL:
The Third member of the Triad
-some musings by: the Bard
*
"Remember, the Moon is only half as big as the Earth, but it's twice as
far away."
-Anonymous
*
After some time musing on the concept of Goddess/God that is
common in Wiccan (and most Neo-Pagan groups) and seeing the common theme
of "things come in threes" in these belief systems, I fell to wondering
"Why only the God and Goddess? If all things come in threes, where is
the Third Aspect that should be there?"
So what is this Third Aspect? I feel it is the Holy Fool; the
Prometheus who is the Trickster, the God (neuter) that rolls the dice.
This also fills in certain holes in neo-Pagan Theology that have bothered
me for some time, too.
First, we need to have a quick look at the Holy Fool in religious
and/or cultural beliefs, both primitive and modern:
American Indian:
Aztec: Ueuecoyotl
Caddo: Coyote
Chinook: Coyote
Coos: Coyote
Haida: Raven
Hopi: Mudhead Kachina, Clown Kachina
Kiowa: Coyote
Navaho: Coyote
Nez Perce: Coyote
Omaha: Coyote, Rabbit, Iktinike, Orphan
Pueblo: Koshare
Sioux: Spider
Tillamook: Coyote
Tinglit: Raven
Winnebago: Rabbit
Zuni: Coyote
African: Spider, Tortoise, Rabbit, Jackal
Graeco/Roman: Pan, Dionysis
Celtic: Phooka and the like (see Irish: Fear Dearg, and a host of
others. The Fool must love Ireland very much...He made so
many of Itself there!)
Norse: Loki...-and- Balder
Banks Island: Clat
Micronesia: Nareau
England: Puck, Black Jack Davy
Christianity: "Doubting" Thomas, and The Christ Himself, in many
ways....and Judas, too.
20th Cent. North American: Bugs Bunny, The Joker, Mr. Mxyzpltk,
Murphy, ("And Pooh is a -good- example,
too!" said Eeyore)
592
Neo-Paganism: Discordians
18th thru 20th Cent. Appalachian: Jack (from British Isles)
18th and 19th Cent. N.A. Black: Br'er Rabbit, Long John, &c.
German: Tyl Eulenspiegel
Italy: Harlequin (check out Agatha Christie's stories about
"Harley Quinn." VERY interesting!)
Islamic: Juha, Abu Nawwas, Mullah Nasruddin, Nasreddin Khoja,
Nasreddin Hodja
Japanese: Fox, Hotei, and the whole concept of Zen......
And the many, many instances of the Hero figure and his Friend in
most people's mythology....Gilgamesh and Enkidu, Robin Hood and Little
John, the Mythic Hollywood Western Hero and his ridiculous sidekick, Don
Quixote and Sancho Panza.....and many times you see the recurrent theme of
the Great Betrayal of the Hero, which leads to His death...and to His
Resurrection!
One immediately sees that the Fool is a universal constant in
folk belief, just as the Goddess and God are!
(NB: I have not gotten more specific for two reasons: one, for
limitations of space, and two, to encourage others to do a little reading
on their own!)
As most things, the Fool is Personified in three basic Aspects
that (of course) overlap with each other and with the God and Goddess.
The first is that of the Saviour God, the Prometheus, the Culture Hero, who
brings Knowledge (and -occasionally- Wisdom) to Mankind. This Aspect loves
Mankind with all His Being, and only wishes Good. His Good Intentions
sometimes fall short of His (or Mankind's) expectations, however.
Thesecond isthat ofthe Clown,the Nerd,the Jerk,that teaches
by his own mistakes (and who usually comes out ahead because of His own
Innocence.) This Aspect is mostly neutral, and is how He seems to mostly
manifest Himself.
Butletus notforget thethird,and darker,side oftheFool, best
exemplified by Jack Nicholson's portrayal of The Joker in the film version
of "Batman." Just as the Goddess has Her Dark side (the Crone, the
Morrigan, &c) and the God has His (Odin as Death-God) so does the Fool
have a terrifying Aspect (at least, from the human point of view): Chaos
Personified.
This is not an Aspect to invoke, as It does not care. Period. It
is the ultimate psychopath, the ultimate Spoiled Brat, the quintessence
of Ego-centric self-love. In some circles, it could be quite nicely named
Ahriman, or Shaitan, or Satan, because it fits all concepts of that
Middle-Eastern deity....except one: It does not care if Man worships It or
not. It is not in -conflict- with the God and/or Goddess, It is -not- on
the kind of power-trip that the Judeo-Christian Satan is represented as
having, it just -is-. It should be considered as neither "good" nor
"evil," though it can personify both or either....or neither! This is
confusing, but with a little thought the concept will (hopefully) come
clear.
593
(And, just in passing, the film version of "Batman" is perhaps a very
good metaphor for the eternal struggle between the Fool-as-Prometheus
(Batman) and the Fool-as-Chaos (the Joker).
Areyou confused? If youare, GOOD! If you arenot, keep thinking by
not-thinking. (wha-a-a-a-a-t?)
Some of thebest examples ofthe three Personifications arefound in
the Navaho and Zuni tales of Coyote, or the Br'er Rabbit tales, or the
older Bugs Bunny cartoons, or even Walt Disney's Goofy. And, while speaking
of classic animation, if you can see any of the cartoons of the Cannibal
Boy and the Mynah Bird, do so! It shows not one, but TWO Aspects in
action!
For a look at His more serious (?) side, try J.R.R. Tolkien's
wonderful evocation of Tom Bombadil.....who is described as "the oldest."
Prof. Tolkien came very close to the core of the truth with that one!
The Fool is your slightly daffy Uncle, that comes to visit at
Christmas and is such fun to be with, but who seems to have a sadness
about him too, that you found out later, when you were all grown up, was
his slide into alcoholism. The Fool is the American sit-com "Daddy" who
never seems to get anything right, but wins out in the end anyway. The
Fool is the classic scene of Bugs Bunny, floating in a washtub in the
middle of the Pacific Ocean, happily singing "As Time Goes By," blissfully
uncaring about his obvious predicament...one which would send a human into
sheer despair....knowing that something will turn up, some scam that he
can pull that will get him out of the washtub and into clover again. The
Fool is the Tarot's Fool, of course....but He is also the Hanged Man.
Do -not- invoke the Fool unless you are ready for literally ANYTHING
to happen! He just might turn you into a Large Green Frog just to observe
what happens......He is capricious. He is unpredictable. He is what He is,
and nothing you can do will turn Him from His Purpose, whatever that may
be at any given moment. He is "Murphy," and whatever can go wrong, WILL
go wrong...or right. Unless you have an uncommonly flexible mind, you
-might- not be able to handle it!
He has no Festival, unless it is the Lupercal, or perhaps April Fool's
Day, or even New Year's Eve, for every day is His, as He chooses. Some
have inquired about the seeming overlap of functions in the
Goddess/God/Fool triad, and this should be addressed here. The modern
Western mind tends to "pigeonhole" things, and rigidly excludes other
things
from these pigeonholes. This, I feel, is in some ways an error in thinking,
especially about the Triad.
594
One cannot and should not "compartmentalize" the God/Fool/Goddess
into three rigidly separate Beings, but rather think of them as three
separate sources of ripples in the same Pond: the ripples interact and
intersect, and act on each other, but move within the same Source,
whatever
That may be.
-the Bard
at Samhain, 1990 CE
I wish I could list all of my sources, but if I did, it would add several
pages to this text, and I am trying to keep it short. I -will- recommend
reading one book, however, that will give a great insight into the Holy
Fool:
CONTRARIWISE
Zohra Greenhalgh, Ace (paperback) April 1989
0-441-117112-2
(it has a sequel, but I can't remember the title offhand....)
*
"Rimble, Rimble!"
*
Permission is granted to reprint this article, both in electronic and in
print. Any copy of this article must include the WHOLE article, and any
comments should be sent net-mail to "the Bard" at FIDOnet 1:114/29 (602)
439-7080. Copies of any printed reproduction of this article should be
forwarded to "the Bard" c/o DEUS EX MACHINA BBS, PO Box 35190, PHOENIX, AZ
85069. Thanks!
595
{file "Psychic Self-Defense" "bos136.htm"}
PSYCHIC SELF-DEFENSE by =Carlin=
One of the problems which faces the aspiring witch or magician is
an increased sensitivity to and awareness of the "unseen" forces of the
world. Usually this sensitivity is a delight, but occasionally it
becomes a nightmare -- in the most literal sense of the word. In
particular, this article deals with what spiritualists and shamans
would refer to as spirit obsession -- a cluster of "symptoms" that
differ from possession, but that still can destroy the integrity of the
victims <AND ALSO> gives some background information on obsession, and
then outlines a few "generic" techniques that will benefit those
subject to this form of "psychic harassment."
DEFINING OBSESSION
Obsession occurs in every nation and subculture,and as a result
every magical subculture has had it's own way of defining and dealing
with the phenomena involved. Modern medicine, with the exception of
Jungian and "New Age" psychiatry/psychology, tends to dismiss obsession
as either hysteria or budding schizophrenia. The major religions, for
the most part, now agree with this evaluation. Of course, the "New
Right" fundamentalists are likely to see a demon in every corner....
Either of these approaches tends to disempower the afflicted person by
destroying her/his trust in his own inner processes and making him
dependent on the "expert" who will control the attempt to cure him/her.
Spiritualists will warn you against psychic attack or unprotected
dealings with the Dead. Work <?> will tell you that the problem is
either openness to astral influences or rebellion within the psyche <OR
"ALL OF THE ABOVE">. There is more to being human than the conscious
mind, and unintegrated and unrecognized "complexes" within the psyche
will sometimes have separate agendas that can lead to "attack from
within" if those needs are continually ignored. My own tendency
<PERHAPS "BIAS" OR "APPROACH" IS A BETTER WORD> is philosophically
Jungian-to-agnostic,but practically Shamanic. I tend to view
such"entities" as psychological. However, the techniques I use are
more effective if the problem is "projected" outward and treated as if
it were the result of attack by a sentient being. Even if obsessions
are caused by "complexes", a truly well established complex takes on
enough "life" to be regarded as a "secondary personality" demanding of
respect. If someone is having to live with obsession, chances are that
the person is more interested in resolving the problem than debating
metaphysics. The methodology outlined below is designed to work,
whether you agree with the philosophy behind it or not. These
techniques are "homeopathic" in nature, contrived with the idea of
strengthening the victIm's "psychic immune system" to the point where
s/he no longer can be victimized. Without this increase in inner power,
the person can be temporarily freed from the obsession, but remains
vulnerable to "evil influence" in the future.
596
THE BEGINNINGS OF OBSESSION
Checking a person's personal history, one will usually find that
obsessions begin during periods where stress,negative emotions, or
injury have impaired that person's natural self-protective abilities.
Or where the person has been unprepared or confused and has
intentionally or unintentionally "dropped his/her guard" around someone
already disturbed. Or where the person has been abused and degraded
since early childhood and is consequently continually open to negative
influences<LAST THREE SENTENCES NEED TO BE "SMOOTHER">. In
psychological terminology, old "complexes" are cathected during periods
when the ego is foundered in depression, weakening the "auric shield"
that normally will protect against "outside influences," as well as the
physical body. This auric shield can also be "pierced" during "psychic
attacks," leaving a "hole" through which invading astral-organisms can
pass freely. In the same way, "evil spirits" are contagious. Emotional,
sexual, or magical intimacy with someone already obsessed can allow the
entity to pass over to oneself. And an extreme period of rage or
vengefulness can attract like to like, bringing one to the attention of
"vengeful creatures" in the "lower astral."
SYMPTOMS OF OBSESSION
Among the most common symptoms of obsession is a brooding fixation
upon some negative thought or act. The obsessed person being unable to
"turn off" the voice that urges her/him on to self-destructive or
vindictive acts. The idea that one is the Messiah or the rightful ruler
of the universe, or too low to continue to live may repeatedly intrude
upon consciousness. To consider much addictive behavior to be the
result of obsession by "earth-bound spirits" or elementals<???>. No
longer having physical bodies, the "astral low-lifes" push susceptible
living humans into overindulging in whatever the discarnate entity
still craves. In other cases, the symptoms take other forms. Sleep
can be disrupted by repeated nightmares or night terrors. The
individual may awaken with no memory of the contents of the dream, but
over time will develop insomnia or a fear of sleep. Especially in
children,the shadows of night can resolve themselves into terrifying
images, and there can be an overwhelming sense of being constantly
watched. Visual "hallucinations" may force themselves onto the
physical plane or may manifest themselves solely upon the "mind's eye."
At times the obsession can be relatively benign. Budding magicians can
"pick up hitchhikers" during their initial workings, and these
"creatures" may well content themselves with acting as Guardians of its
cases the "entities" will only "act out"when the magician re-enters
trance or attempts to work on the astral levels<PATCH IT UP>. People
who work with divinatory techniques without proper training and
grounding are especially vulnerable, with the Ouija board being the
worst offender. This is one reason that the traditional religions,
which do not want the general populace trained in magical
techniques,urge people away from divinatory practices. Obsessions that
strike those not trained to magick are usually not so courteous. In
the more entrenched cases,physical symptoms other than insomnia can
manifest. Especially when one is very tired or ill, the obsession
attempt can escalate and begin to unbalance the homeostatic mechanisms
of the body. Constipation,sinusitis and migraine headaches are the
more usual manifestations, along with extreme pallor, edema, and mental
confusion and memory loss. Poltergeist activity is also sometimes
reported.The obsessing entity can also color the impressions of others.
597
One can suddenly find oneself being accused of unsavory attitudes or
persistently misunderstood. At the same time, truly unsavory
characters will be attracted to the new image and will begin to pop up
out of the woodwork.
THE MAGICAL APPROACH
There are many things that one can do if one suspects that
obsession has occurred. One can treat it as a demon and turn to
spiritual authority for help. One can treat it as mental illness and
turn to psychiatric explanations. One can ignore it as much as
possible, or begin to avoid the activities that call it forth. One can
also "raise one's energies" using self-help techniques such as those
outlined in following paragraphs.Any one of the above reactions
cripples one as a magician, however. From a ceremonial viewpoint, one
must pass the "Guardian on the Threshold" before one can pass on to the
next level of development.From a Jungian standpoint, one must develop
rapport with and "reintegrate" the rejected portion; from a Shamanic
standpoint, one must "turn" the entity and either dismiss it or convert
it into a spirit helper<?>.
THE INNER DIALOGUE
Step one, using the magical approach, is to become acquainted with
the "entity" and engage it in dialogue.In some instances the entity
will turn out to be malevolent, in other's only "immature" or confused
and angry at being ignored. Before engaging in this activity, one is
advised to ground and center, and to shield in whatever manner one's
tradition suggests. One is also advised to begin/continue in whatever
other spiritually protective exercises one has faith in.If there is
someone available to work with the afflicted person, have that helper
prepare a list of non-leading(Not "are you a demon?," but "what are
you?") questions. Then drop into light trance and Then let the other
person ask the questions while the victim answers with the first thing
that pops into his/her head. In effect, s/he will be voluntarily
"channelling" for the entity's unconscious and perhaps "denied"
(officially) circumstances.If there is no other person, then the victim
must do whatever form of divination or trance work he/she have
developed to contact his/her subconscious. Those with vivid
imaginations can simply find a quiet moment and ask "are you there?,"
personifying the "entity" in the same way that children create
imaginary friends. Afterwards, no matter what the technique used, the
obsessed person is to be certain that his/her aura is closed and that
s/he is grounded and centered. AFTER "CONTACT" At this point s/he may
have failed to make contact.In which case there is nothing to him/her
to do but repeat the exercise until either it works or s/he is sure it
isn't going to work. If real contact does not occur, then s/he might
attempt to simply banish "it". It is possible that the entity will not
answer directly, but will begin to up<INCREASE> its activity level or
bring a string of unusual circumstances into the obsessed person's
life.
598
It is more likely, however, the<Y> have begun a dialogue.
Sometimes "complexes"are immature parts of our own personalities that
will calm down and begin to behave themselves once "they" no longer
feel that they are being ignored.If the obsessing image is that of an
animal, or even an ugly humanoid being, then it may simply be time to
intensify one's spiritual quest and face down one's power animal or
dark side. Frequently, these allies will attempt to come to the aid of
someone undergoing psychic attack, and because of the general
atmosphere of fear,will be perceived as threats and turned away
themselves.Eventually, in either case the "entity" can either
be"reintegrated" into the personality, or "kept" as a spirit-helper by
those with shamanic leanings. If one is ALSO under psychic attack, the
ally will probably help in the defense once asked and properly
recognized.
"LOST SOULS" AND WORSE
On the other hand, "it" may claim to be a spirit or other entity
that requires help. If the request is not ridiculous <d>o consider
honoring it. The author has personally dealt with a "poltergeist" who
claimed to be a woman who had died of yellow fever over a century ago.
When questioned, the "spirit" was confused at first, then admitted that
she had died in delirium and had not realized that she was dead until
"awakened" out of her stupor by some young people using a Ouija board.
When asked what she wanted, the reply was "Pray for me." The
poltergeist activity ended as soon as prayers were begun, and the last
message received from the spirit was "Thank God, I'm free." Not being
able to make herself understood on the material plane by any other
means, the "spirit" had resorted to knocking physical objects around to
attract attention. If someone of "mediumistic" nature had been about,
she might have obsessed that person instead in her bid to gain
attention. The obsession would have become malevolent only if the
obsessed person repeatedly blocked her out or otherwise caused her to
<?>become cases of obsession in relatively "normal"persons will fall
into one of the first few categories.In rare cases, the obsessed may
have had his/her attempt at contact met with a voice screaming "DIE,
DIE, DIE." Or something similar and profane. This is where the
spiritual practices suggested in the following paragraphs will be of
greatest benefit, followed by professional help or even exorcism, if
necessary. (Even where an entity seems totally hostile, it is
sometimes possible to "turn" it through raising "light"as described
below.)
599
SELF-HELP WITH OBSESSION
Not everyone is a magician and not everyone wishes to open the
"can of worms" of the subconscious.The following activities are very
useful in "uprooting"spiritual obsession by increasing "light". In
cases of "mild" obsession only a few of these measures,or a simple
ritual of dismissal, will be sufficient to be rid of the problem.In
more entrenched cases, these techniques should be continued for the
healing period, accompanied by Inner Work, depth psychology, or other
techniques that promote self-understanding. Those suffering from
physical symptoms should also work to strengthen their immune system
and improve their diet and lifestyle. If possible, the severely
afflicted individual should have a counselor, teacher, or trusted
friend monitor his/her progress "just in case."
EXAMPLE TECHNIQUES FOR "RAISING THE LIGHT"
For a period of three months, the obsessed should "cleanse"
him/herself daily in whatever manner her/his spiritual tradition
decrees. Grounding and centering are excellent techniques, as is
renewing oneself through visualizing the aura as strong and untainted.
One can draw pictures of oneself expelling all darkness or meditate on
the same image.Prayer is useful, as is catching oneself thinking the
old negative thoughts and declaring that one has "taken that out of the
Law" or "averted" the consequences. If the afflicted has friends who
engage in spiritual pursuits, send him/her mental support and positive
energy. The individual is also advised to spend time in sacred places
where evil is barred from entering, and to refrain from the company of
persons s/he knows are bad for her/him.If already attuned to ritual
work, the victim can"cleanse" his/her home or have it cleansed by
someone trusted. Those who have faith in Holy Water should sprinkle
and apply it liberally. Afterwards, if the obsessed is truly serious
about being rid of a persistent fixation, s/he can burn white candles
constantly while awake and at home. This will act as a symbol of
the"light" one wishes to draw into one's life. The most seriously
affected are advised to surround their beds with a protective circle
and never to sleep in a darkened room. Other religious/protective
symbols can be placed in sight and called upon, and protective incenses
such as sandalwood may be burned. The important thing is to keep one's
spiritual goal constantly in mind and the"entity<?> one's determination
to improve. This may seem like a great deal of effort, but the effect
will be to "open" the individual to positive influences, even if s/he
doesn't believe in "demons".The individual will be "raising his/her
energy" level to the point where something "dark" cannot even bear to
approach her/him, and keeping the energy "high"for a long enough period
that "it" will become "discouraged" and fade from sight.At the end of
the three months, the "entity" should either be weakened severely from
being "starved" or should be gone. If it is gone, then a ritually
adept person can do a rededication wherein the formerly obsessed is
declared sealed against recurrences. If the problem still exists, then
the cause may actually be mental illness brought on by a brain
imbalance or early trauma. In any case, entrenchment of that degree of
severity is beyond the scope of any self-help article to deal with. In
every case the author has seen or dealt with however, vast improvement
over the three month period<?>.
600
DIANISM IN A NUIT-SHELL
Recently, I got back in touch with my teacherafter nearly two
years and dropped a couple of bombshells on her: I had changed gender
identity and had come together with two other women to form a Dianic
coven. When the initial shock wore off, Rita sent me a complete run of
Protean Synthesis and a solicitation for this article.
Several yearsago I subscribed toseveral stereotypes regarding
"those peculiar Dianics". They were thealogically unbalanced, they
hated men, they denied that men had souls, they were all lesbians, they
couldn't spell (in the orthographic sense; no one has yet accused
Dianics of inability to work magick), etc. etc. When I came together
with my covensisters, I realized that these notions were at most
partially true and some cases were patently false.
Ibelieve there are onlythree valid generalizationsthat can be
made about Dianics: 1) We are all feminists. 2) We all look to the
Goddess(es) far more than to the God(s). 3) We are all eclectics.
Note well that there are plenty of non-Dianic feminist Witches,
non-Dianic eclectics, and non-Dianics who are primarily
Goddess-oriented. There are also doubtless a good many feminist,
Goddess-oriented eclectics who do not choose to call themselves
Dianic. In my own case I use the "If it quacks like a duck, it
probably is a duck" argument, as well as the fact that my HPS learned
the Craft as a Dianic and runs Dianic rituals.
Some of thestereotypical generalizations I can dismiss out of
hand. I don't know of a single Dianic who denies that men have souls.
Even Z Budapest doesn't believe that piece of tripe anymore! It is
true that Dianism is particularly attractive to separatists, and many
separatists actually hate men. Many Dianics are lesbians. Some
misspell words like "woman", women", "egalitarian", and "holistic" on
purpose. Not all fit these, however, and I think that Z Budapest in
her younger, or spiritual bomb-throwing, days represents an extreme and
a small minority. There are a number of males involved in Dianism, and
some of those are men [NB: I use the terms "man" and
"woman" to indicate gender identity, that is, how one's heart, mind,
and/or soul are configured. I use "male" and "female" to indicate
physical sex, that is, how one's plumbing is configured. I hope this
dispels confusion.].
Thealogical and magickalimbalance isnot soeasily dismissedand
needs to be addressed further, as that is the most valid objection that
thoughtful Witches have to Dianism. The apparent imbalance comes from
the Dianic emphasis on Goddess-worship, often to the complete exclusion
of God-worship. This upsets many Witches' sense of polarity balance.
The resolution of this apparent imbalance lies in the consideration of
other polarities than sexual and/or gender as the primary polarity.
There are indeed many other polarities to consider: true-false,
life-death, dark-light, rational-mystical, creation-destruction,
order-chaos, and good-evil, to name but a few.
One problem with the masculine-feminine polarity is that there is a
strong tendency to express all other polarities in terms of it. The
Chinese were particularly fond of this, and mapped everything they
liked into the yang side, and everything they disliked or feared into
the yin side, the patriarchal no-accounts!
601
One thingI have discovered isthat if you lookhard enough, you
can find goddesses to fit both ends of most polarities. Some even
occupy both ends simultaneously. Inanna, my matron goddess, is a good
case in point. She is the Sumerian goddess of love, war, wisdom (which
she won in a drinking bout!), adventure, the heavens, the earth, and
even of death (in the guise of her dark aspect, Ereshkigal). A very
busy lady indeed is Inanna. At this point it
becomes largely a matter of personal preference rather than of
polarity, whether one chooses a god or a goddess to occupy a particular
place in a ritual.
NoDianic I know ofdenies the existence ofthe God. Indeed, He
gets mentioned as the consort of the Goddess with some frequency in Z
Budapest's HOLY BOOK OF WOMEN'S MYSTERIES, which is close a thing as
there is to a Dianic version of the Gardnerian Book of Shadows. He is
there, and sometimes we will invoke Him, when it is appropriate. He
makes His own path, and we follow our own, and when they cross
naturally we honor Him and do not avoid Him. We also do not force the
paths to cross simply to lend an artificial balance to a ritual where
none is really needed.
Now that I have spilled agood deal of ink over what Dianismis
not, I should now say a few words about what it is: a movement of
feminist, eclectic, Goddess-oriented Witches.
Feminism: This covers avast multitudeof virtues andsins. Ido
not think the stereotypical radical lesbian separatist is as common as
is believed. Moderate to liberal feminism is probably far more common,
even among Dianics. Certainly my own coven contains no separatists!
There are too many nice men out there, even though surveys have shown
that 70% or more of all men are potential rapists. The nice ones are
found among those who are not in that repulsive majority; you just have
to look to find them. One of the places you might find such nice men
is in Dianic covens! Some are mixed groups, at least some of those of
the branch founded by Morgan McFarland. My
own is something of a mixed up group, I suppose. While we do not
currently have any men in the coven, two of the three of us were born
male and still have original-equipment plumbing. The Goddess and our
HPS accept us unreservedly as women.
Eclecticism: If there isone dictum of Z Budapest's thatbears
repeating to everyone in the Craft, and which gets followed by many, it
is "When in doubt, invent." Dianics tend toward creative ritual,
drawing from any and all possible sources. I have yet to see a Dianic
equivalent of the Gardnerian Book of Shadows, nor do I ever hope to see
one.
602
Goddess Orientation: I've discussed this at some length while
talking about polarity. There are some wags who have said that Dianics
are nothing but matriarchal monotheists. I tell you three times: The
Dianic Goddess is NOT Jehovah in drag! The Dianic Goddess is NOT
Jehovah in drag! The Dianic Goddess is NOT Jehovah in drag! A much
closer analogy would be that Dianics have taken the Classical pantheon
and reclaimed most of the roles. This, too, is oversimplifying, but it
is not nearly as wide of the mark as the usual
criticism. At some point I may write up a long exegesis on the Dianic
Goddess, but not here. My own personal involvement with Her comes from
a great feeling of comfort I do not find elsewhere. She feels right.
I have a great deal of difficulty accepting known rapists (most of the
Olympian males are this, especially Zeus, Hades, and Pan!) into my
personal pantheon. I also feel a personal vocation from the Mother; it
is rather incongruous to me to embrace a male deity wholeheartedly when
the Goddess comes to me and calls me Her daughter. This goes doubled,
redoubled, in pentacles, and vulnerable for lovers of women.
Ihope thislittlediscussion ofDianism-in-a-Nuitshell hasproved
enlightening to you. It is not a path for everyone, but it is a valid
path for some, and in considering it I hope that you can now ignore the
garbage that has been put forth in the past as "data" regarding it.
Inanna Seastar
Birdsnest Coven
603
{file "Divination (RMPJ)" "bos137.htm"}
DIVINATION
This seems like a fairly good time of year to be talking
about divination. What is it, why do we do it, and what's in it
for us? Lots of people think it's a way of avoiding
responsibility - if the future is preordained, we might as well
go back to bed.
Of course, that's not it at all. Divination is the use of
any one of several methods to obtain information which is not
directly accessible to the conscious mind of the person asking
the question. Whether you use cards, crystals, a pendulum, ink,
lead, dice, the flight of birds or anything else, what you are
really doing is opening your end of a channel to higher wisdom.
I consider the "actual" source of that wisdom irrelevant and
immaterial; it could be one's own subconscious, the collective
unconscious, the Gods' will, telepathic insight, or a big
computer buried in the Balkans. It's still additional
information which is not as tainted by ego and intellect's
limitations as most.
So what do we do with it? The same things we do with any
other information; add it to what we already know and develop a
synthesis that can help us do our decision-making. The easiest
way to analyze the process is with a concrete (well, maybe jello)
example:
A young man has been between relationships for some time.
He wants very much to link up with the great love of his life,
but is not aware of anyone on the horizon. He is putting himself
in a position to meet new people, presenting himself as
attractively as he can, and generally taking care of business,
but no results. He has to decide whether to take a work-related
course at night or not. It will take a lot of time and there are
not likely to be any women attending. His progressed horoscope
is neutral. He gets his cards read. They say:
[PAUSE]
1.Nothing at all about love, but a lot about skilled craftsman-
ship and satisfaction through work. He decides to relax and wait
for a better time, takes the course, and is rewarded with a
modest promotion which enhances his satisfaction with his job.
2.A lot about increasing social activities, leading to the start
of a new romance, leading to great happiness and satisfaction
after some difficulties are resolved. He does not take the
course, and meets a really nice interesting lady at a party given
by a friend (which he couldn't have attended had he taken the
course).
604
3.That he is overlooking sources of emotional gratification in
his current situation. Given the information, he starts looking
around and discovers that one of his quieter friends is a really
thoughtful and insightful person who helps him learn to know
himself better, and that a young cousin needs a mentor and this
relationship gives him a lot of pleasure and fulfillment. He
begins to feel much more ready for a good relationship, and much
less impatient to have one start.
These examples illustrate the point made above; divination
provides you with choices, and you take the consequences, no
matter what the oracles say. Treat them with respect, not
adoration or blind compliance, and may they always show you the
truth.
Blessed Be,
The Spinster Aunt ...from RMPJ 12/86
605
{file "Divination (Bibliography)" "bos138.htm"}
Divination Bibliography
TAROT
Butler, Bill. Dictionary of the Tarot. (Schocken Books, 1975).
Campbell, Joseph and Richard Roberts. Tarot Revelations. (Vernal
Equinox Press, 1979).
Case, Paul Foster. The Tarot. (Maccy Publishing, 1947).
Cavendish, Richard. The Tarot. (Harper & Row, 1975).
Connelly, Eileen. Tarot - A New Handbook for the Apprentice.
(Newcastle Publishing, 1979).
Crowley, Aleister. The Book of Thoth. (Samuel Weiser, Inc. 1984).
TheEgyptian(GoldenDawn)TarotbyTheMaster
Therion.
Douglas, Alfred. The Tarot. (Taplinger Publishing, 1972).
Gettings, Fred. The Book of Tarot. (Triune Books, 1973).
Gray, Eden. A Complete Guide to the Tarot. (Bantam Books, 1970).
Gray, Eden. The Tarot Revealed. (Signet Books, 1960).
Greer, Mary K. Tarot for Yourself. (Newcastle Publishing, 1984).
Hargrave, Catherine Perry. A History of Playing Cards. (Dover
Publishing, 1966).
Hutton, Alice. The Cards Can't Lie. (Hippocrene Books, 1983).
Kaplan, Stuart R. The Encyclopedia of Tarot. (U.S.Games Systems,
1978).
Konraad, Sandor. Classic Tarot Spreads. (Para Research, 1985).
Leland, Charles Godfrey. Gypsy Sorcery and Fortune Telling.
(University Books, 1962).
* Nichols, Sallie. Jung and Tarot. (Samuel Weiser Inc. 1980). Good
but lengthy examination of the Jungian aspects of the Tarot.
Noble, Vicki. Motherpeace. (Harper & Row, 1983).
* Pollack, Rachel. Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom. Part I: The Major
Arcana. (Aquarian Press, 1980). Excellent explanation of the
Tarot, using the Rider Waite deck. Highly recommended.
* Pollack, Rachel. Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom. Part II: The
Minor Arcana and Readings. (Aquarian Press, 1980). Good
explanations of various reading methods and extensions.
Roberts, Richard. Tarot and You. (Morgan and Morgan, 1975).
606
* Walker, Barbara G. The Secrets of the Tarot. (Harper & Row, 1984).
Examination of the origins and symbolism of the Tarot.
Beautifully done.
* Wang, Robert. The Qabalistic Tarot. (Samuel Weiser, Inc. 1983).
Good reference for the Golden Dawn system of Tarot.
THE I CHING
Chu, W.K. and W.E. Sherril. The Astrology of the I Ching. (Routledge
& Kegan Paul, 1976.)
Chu, W.K. and W.E. Sherril. An Anthology of I Ching. (Routledge &
Kegan Paul, 1977.)
Legge, James. I Ching, Book of Changes. (University Books, 1964).
Ni, Hua-Ching. Tao, The Subtle Universal Law and the Integral Way of
Life. (Shrine of Eternal Breath of Tao, 1979).
Ni, Hua-Ching. The Book of Changes and the Unchanging Truth. (Shrine
of Eternal Breath of Tao, 1983).
Pattee, Rowena. Moving With Change. (Arkana, 1986). Interesting
approach to oriental divination. Cards also available.
Ponce, Charles. The Nature of the I Ching, Its Usage and
Interpretation. (Award Books, 1970).
Trosper, Barry R. and Gin-Hua Leu. I Ching: The Illustrated Primer.
(KGI Publications, 1986).
Walker, Barbara G. The I Ching of the Goddess. (Harper & Row, 1986).
Waltham, Clae. I Ching. (Ace Books, 1969). Adaptation of the work
by James Legge.
Wilhelm, R. and C.G. Jung. The Secret of the Golden Flower.
(Harcourt, Brace and World, 1931).
RUNES
Blum, Ralph. The Book of Runes. (St. Martin's Press, 1982). Set
comes with a set of runestones.
Osborn, Marijane and Stella Longland. Rune Games. (Routledge & Kegan
Paul, Ltd. 1982).
CARTOUCHE
Hope, Murray. The Way of Cartouche. (St. Martin's Press, 1985).
Set comes with cards.
607
{file "Exorcism" "bos142.htm"}
OLD MAGIC EXORCISM
Power of wind have I over thee.
Power of wrath have I over thee.
Power of fire have I over thee.
Power of thunder have I over thee.
Power of lightning have I over thee.
Power of storm have I over thee.
Power of moon have I over thee.
Power of sun have I over thee.
Power of stars have I over thee.
Power of the heaven's and the worlds have I over thee.
(lift sword over head with both hands and chop down.)
Eson! Eson! Emaris!
Garner, Alan; "The Moon of Gomrath"; Ballantine
614
{file "EcoMagick" "bos143.htm"}
E C O M A G I C
---------------
The following is excerpted from an article, Making Magic For
Planet Earth, written by Selena Fox for Circle Network News (Box 219,
Mt. Horeb, WI 53572 ) and presented here as being of public interest to
the pagan community at large. Selena, I didn't have time to ask your
permission, I presume that by the very nature of your writings you want
them to be shared with as many people as possible, and so they are
presented here. This is submitted with this statement and not to be
edited, by Shadowstar of Boston MA.
"There are many things thatcan be done in spiritual realmsto help
bring about solutions to the world's problems:
* We can kindle spiritualfriendships with other lifeforms through
communication with Nature Spirits, who can be teachers for us and
allies in bringing about planetary healing.
* We can do daily meditations in whichwe creatively visualize the
spiritual body of the planet glowing with radiant healing light.
* We can organize and/or take part in ecumenical planetary prayer
services and rituals with practitioners of other spiritual paths and
cultures.
* We canhonor Mother Earth as an aspect of the divine in our solo
and group rituals.
* We can send Mother Earth our love and pray for planetary health
each time we visit a stone circle, sacred grove, place of power,
temple, shrine or other sacred site.
* We can do spiritual healing magic for the planet in our circles.
It is important to reinforce whatever spiritual work we do with
physical action. There are a variety of ways to do this and you should
decide on at least one approach and then carry it out. Here are a few
examples:
* Recycle trash from your household, take paper, plastics, glass,
aluminum cans, and other recyclables to recycling centers.
*Recycle clothes and no longer needed household items by donating
them to charities to distribute to the needy.
* Join and actively participate in environmental action groups.
* Write government officialsand urge them to takespecific actions
on specific environmental issues, such as stopping all ocean dumping.
* Write letters and articles for publications about the need for
environmental preservation.
* Plant trees as part of reforestation efforts.
* Compost food scraps.
* Stop buying and using non-bio-degradable detergents.
615
* Boycott products from companies that are destroying the Amazon
rainforest.
* Pick up cigarette butts and other non-biodegradable litter from
parks and other wilderness areas.
* Donate money to nature preserves.
* Give talks atschools, civic groups, churches andin other places
in your area about ecological issues.
* Read publications, view films, and attend presentations inorder
to keep informed about ecological conditions and to learn about
additional ways you can work for planetary healing.
* Conserve electricity, water and other resources on a daily basis.
* Network with others.
616
{file "Fundamentals of Human Ecology" "bos144.htm"}
The Fundamental Laws of Human Ecology
1. We're all in it together. Everything is connected to everything
else. You can't do just one thing. <Law of Interrelatedness>
2. The Earth and its resources are finite. or You can't get something
for nothing. <Law of Conservation of Energy>
3. As energy and other resources are used, there is an overall
decrease in the amount of usefulness. (Second Law of Thermodynamics>
4. Everything must go somewhere-there is now away. <Law of Conservation
of Matter>
5. Up to a point, the bigger the better; beyond that point, the bigger
the worse. or To everything there is an optimum size. <Brontosaurus
Principle>
6. Everything is becoming something else. <Law of Continuous Creation>
7. In most cases, the greater the diversity of a system, the greater
its stability. <The Diversity Principle>
8. Nature frequently but not always "knows" best. Note: People use
antibiotics to counter nature. <Nature knows best>
9. We shape our buildings <environment> and afterwards our buildings
<environment> shape us. - Winston Churchhill <Your Environment is You>
10. As human beings, one of our inalienable rights is the right to live
in a clean environment. <The Environmental Bill of Rights>
11. Our environment does not belong to us alone. It was used by our
forefathers, passed on to us, and we are charged with the
responsibility of passing it undamaged to all future generations. <the
Rights of the Unborn>
12. All persons must be held responsible for their own pollution. <the
Responsibility of the Born>
13. All persons are created with an equal right to live in dignity and
peace and to work out a meaningful existence. Everyone is entitled to a
fair share of the world's resources-provided one is carrying one's own
share of the responsibilities for maintaining an orderly world. <The
Law of Equity>
14. Comfortable living, in harmony with nature, should be each
society's goal. <the Goal of Society>
15. Our dependence on technology is, today, so strong and widespread,
that we are compelled to use technology as a means for getting out of
our environmental dilemma. <Technology-Part of the Problem, Part of the
Solution>
16. No national purpose however urgent, no political or economic
necessity however pressing can possibly justify the risk of bringing
all human history to an end. <Give Earth a Chance>
617
{file "The Postures of Ecstasy" "bos145.htm"}
The Posture of Ecstasy
The nature of ecstatic states of consciousness may be encoded in their
postures. The types of visions, prophecies or healing abilities that
accompany ecstatic states may have less to do with the religious
content surrounding the ceremonies of ecstasy than with the posture
assumed by the people undergoing the ecstatic experience.
This unusual hypothesis is being proposed by psychological
anthropologist Felicitas D. Goodman, PhD, based on observation of
people in ecstatic states and her experiments training people to enter
such states of consciousness. In some of her earlier re- search, Dr.
Goodman learned that she could induce an ecstatic state in a subject
through the use of a gourd rattle similar to that used in many
primitive shamanistic ceremonies. While a subject, alone, or in a
group, walked in a circle, or simply sat, Dr. Goodman would shake this
rattle in a steady manner for 15 minutes. The use of the rattle was
based on the hypothesis that "acoustic driving" affects the functioning
of the brain, blocking the verbal left hemisphere and opening access
the intuitive right hemisphere. Within five minutes, most subjects
were giving indications of being in an altered state of consciousness.
At the end of the experiment, their verbal reports confirmed that they
had been experiencing something resembling an ecstatic state, including
visions and variations in body image.
Noting that the content of these visions seemed to vary as a function
of which subjects had remained standing and which had become seated,
Dr. Goodman ran a series of experiments to specifically test the effect
of posture.
To obtain experimental postures, she went to ethnographic resources to
locate either photographs of shamans in ecstasy, or artistic renditions
of this state. She found five different postural positions. In her
subsequent experiments, she would ask her subjects to assume a
particular posture, commence the rattle playing for 15 minutes, then
obtain their reports. She found that these
reports were highly consistent for a given posture, but differed
between various postures.
For example, one posture was similar to sitting in meditation, except
that the legs are both tucked under the body and turned toward the
right. Subjects experienced color sensations, spinning and strong
alterations in mood. This posture was that assumed by Nupe Mallam
diviners. According to the literature, the divination experience
begins by alterations in moods.
618
In another posture, subjects stood erect with their heads back and
their hands clasped at the abdomen. Subjects reported warmth, a flow
of energy rising, and a channel opening at the top of the head.
According to the ethnographic literature, this posture had been
associated with healing, involving the flow of energy. In a similar
manner, the other postures tested produced experiences resembling the
reports of native shamans who assume the posture in their trance
work.
The author can only speculate concerning the mechanism by which posture
affects the content of ritualized trances. We know that posture affect
mood states. It is perhaps by their effect upon a wide variety of
psychophysiological variables that posture affects the course of
ecstasy.
(Source: "Body posture and the religious altered state of
consciousness: An experimental investigation," Journal of Humanistic
Psychology, Summer, 1986, Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 81-118. Author's
address: Cuyamungue Institute, 114 East Duncan St., Columbus, OH
43202.)
619
{file "Creation Story" "bos146.htm"}
The Men's Circle
Copyright 1987 by R.M.P.J.
Those of you who attended the "Opening the Sky" ritual at
Dragonfest this year probably realized that a large part of it was a
Creation Myth. At the Manhood Ritual on Friday night, Thomas's Circle
Invocation was also a Creation Myth, although a very brief one.
Perhaps it is in the stars, but I have been
thinking about a Pagan Creation Myth for several months now and perhaps
this is as good a time as any to publish it. The basic idea
originally came when some people complained that science didn't have
any mystery or poetic power in its formulations. That is not really
true, it is just that not enough scientists are trained to write well,
or encouraged to present new knowledge in a form that will appeal to
all levels of our minds. Well, I decided to have a go at it, and the
following myth is based pretty closely on modern cosmology and
evolutionary theory.
..................................
In the beginning therewas neither matter nor energy,neither was
there space nor time, force and form were not. Yet there was
Something. Poised between Spirit and Void, without form or qualities,
pure potentiality, the first physical manifestation had existence.
Scientists call it the Primordial Singularity, occultists call it the
Cosmic Egg.
It changed, and the first moment of time came to be. It
expanded, and space was born. Not the space we know, but one of many
dimensions, and that space was filled with the first Force. So intense
was that Force that space itself altered. Dimensions folded back on
themselves, while others expanded mightily. The first Form came to be.
As the infant universe expanded it changed subtly, and as naturally as
snowflakes forming in the air, the first material manifestation
precipitated out of nothingness. Neither matter nor
energy as we know them, but yet both. The Element Fire was born. The
universe continued to expand, and the one Force became two forces, then
three and finally four. Matter and energy became distinguishable, and
the Element Earth was born from Fire. A hundred thousand years went
by, and the universe continued to expand and cool until, quite
suddenly, the fire died, space became transparent to light, and there
were great clouds of cool gas, moving freely.
The Element Air was born. The clouds began to draw together, then
break apart into smaller clouds, and smaller still, until a limit was
reached, and a hundred thousand clouds collapsed inward upon
themselves, swirling and twisting, flattening and smoothing, rippling,
and organizing themselves. The Element Water was born.
620
One cloud, like many of its siblings, took on astructure like a
great pinwheel, with spiral arms stretching out from its center. It
was Galaxias, our Milky Way. Within its turbulent swirling, smaller
eddies formed and contracted, tighter and tighter. At the center of
one a spark grew bright then another and another. The first stars were
lighted, and shown in a universe grown dark. Many of them burned
prodigally for a time and then exploded, hurling the ashes of their
burning outward, ashes such as oxygen and carbon and
nitrogen; star stuff, life stuff. Generations of stars came and went
over the billions of years, and out in one of the spiral arms a cloud
of gas and dust began to collapse like so many others before. It
contracted, and a new star lighted, with a disc of dust and gas
circling it. The disc became lumpy as grains of dust and crystals of
ice collided and stuck together. The lumps touched and merged, ever
growing in the light of the young star. Finally, nine bodies circled
the new star, which would one day be called Sol, or simply, the Sun.
Third out from the sun a rare event had happened. Two young planets
had collided and merged violently, forming a single planet. In the
violence of that collision, part of the surfaces of both had been
ripped off and hurled out to form a ring of molten rock which quickly
drew together to form a giant satellite. The Earth and the Moon had
been born in a passionate joining.
Asthe young Earth cooled,great volcanos belchedforth gases from
its still hot interior. An atmosphere of steam and carbon dioxide
formed and then clouds appeared. The first rains began, pouring down
on the rocks and washing down into the low places. The oceans were
born. Water evaporated from the oceans and fell again as rain,
dissolving minerals from the rocks and carrying them into the sea. The
early ocean became richer and richer in dissolved minerals and gases.
Lightning in the young atmosphere formed new substances
which added to the complexity of the mix. The dissolved substances in
the oceans became more and more complex, until one day a complex
molecule attracted simpler compounds to itself, and then there were
two, then four. Life was born.
From its simple origins, Life grew in complexity, until one day a patch
of green appeared, drawing energy from the Sun, and exuding oxygen.
Within a short time the atmosphere changed radically. The sky became
blue, the air clear and rich in oxygen. As the Earth had shaped Life,
so Life began to shape the Earth. Delicately balancing and ever
re-balancing between the furnace heat of her sister Venus, and the icy
cold of her brother Mars, Gaia, the Living Earth, had come to be.
The first animals appeared and swam in the oceans. Then
venturesome ones crawled onto the land. The forms taken by life
changed. Fish appeared, and dragons walked the land. Tiny furred
creatures supplanted the great dragons, whose descendants now flew
through the skies, clothed in feathers. By and by some of the furred
creatures came down from the trees and began to walk about on their
hind legs, and then they started picking things up. Soon they were
using the things they picked up. Then they started talking to each
other. After they had been talking for a while, they started thinking.
Some of them even started thinking about where they had come from and
where they were going. And they began to wonder how everything had
come to be - and why.
..................................
621
Well, there it is. Now thatit's written I'mwondering what itall
means. You who read this have as much right to interpret it as the
author, who after all is mostly gathering the thoughts and conclusions
of other men and women and putting them into a hopefully attractive
package. Creation myths are supposed to tell us something about the
world we live in and our relationship with that world, and perhaps
about ourselves. This one seems to be telling us that the
world in which we live was not made, like a clock, it grew, like an
embryo in an egg. We humans are as much a part of our world as the eye
of an embryo is part of the embryo. We are the part of the world that
"sees". And what about the Gods? Where do they fit into all this?
Well, eggs generally have a mother and a father, and newborn chicks
aren't aware of either until they open their eyes. We are the eyes of
our world, and one of our functions is to see the Mother and Father.
___Robin
622
{file "Comparison of Wicca and Christianity" "bos147.htm"}
From: ROWAN MOONSTONE
To: ALL
Subj: CHRISTIANITY AND WICCA
The following is the comparison listing of Christianity and Wicca that
I mentioned in a previous message. It was prepared by Kerr Cuchulain,
who is the Canadian Chapter Head for the Witches League for Public
Awareness, in response to a request from a Christian minister who
contacted the League.
Christianity Wicca
Patriarchal/Paternalistic Duotheistic (Goddess/God)*
Dualistic: divinity separate Monistic: Divinity inseparable
from everyday world from everyday world
Resurrection Reincarnation
Heaven: destination of Christian Summerland: resting place
between souls incarnations
Hell No equivalent
Satan No equivalent
Original Sin No equivalent
Redemption/Atonement/Confession Karma/Threefold Law(evil returns
uponthe perpetratorthree-fold)
Hierarchy/Authoritarian No hierarchy/ Autonomy
Bible( scripture) No equivalent **
Sabbats based upon Biblical Seasonal and Lunar Sabbats
and Christian historical events
Prophets/Saints/Messiahs no equivalent
Generally daylight worship Some worship nocturnal(lunar
esbats)
Churches/temples Circles case where convenient
usually
no
formal
temple
no
size
restrictions
on
small
groups
(covens)
3-13
people
usual
though congregations may be
larger.
10 Commandments Wiccan Rede Harm none
Psychic phenomena generally Psychic abilities encouraged
discouraged except for (magick)
"miracles"
* Names vary from tradition to tradition. lDifferent aspects of the
Goddess/God have different names creating the impression that Wicca may
be pantheistic.
** Wiccans use a book called the "Book of Shadows". This is a working
notebook rather than a scriptural text.
623
{file "Degrees within Covens" "bos148.htm"}
DEGREES OF INITIATION
SPARROW SONG
What do the three ( or four ) degrees of Wicca entail?
Well, as I see it, the (in my case) three degrees reflect levels
of competency. You have to know and maybe even be able to teach
various things to be upped a degree. Also, I see the degrees as much
like Church hierarchy. First degree makes you a priest/priestess, and
makes you responsible for a small part of the lay community. Second
degree is kinda like being a bishop -- that's also when you become an
"Elder" -- and makes you responsible for lay community and what first
degrees are in your group. In other words, 2nd degree has more and
greater attendant responsibilities (which is as it should be, no?). In
my tradition, 3rd degree is given when it looks like the person is
ready to go off and found a coven of his/her own (preferably with
his/her mate -- they like to give thirds in pairs), which the person
then should do (cause there shouldn't be more than one set of 3rds in a
coven). 3rd is rather closer to 2nd than 2nd is to 1st, as I see
it. And in the way of what one must know, well, it seems to consist of
memorizing a basic ritual and knowing why it works, plus various other
things too numerous and eclectic to mention here. Ultimately, I think,
advancement is according to the whim of the High Priestess & Priest.
Yea, it's a pain, but if you don't like it you can always "invent
yer own grandmother" and start off on your own.<grin> After all,
that's one of the good things about this religion: its flexibility.
And as long as you don't dismember animals and children, you may even
be recognized and acknowledged! (mostly joking)
Seriously, I've been finding the whole degree system a pain lately, a
source of unfair manipulation along the carrot-and-stick lines, so I'm
somewhat bitter about it all. Brighit (are you out there?) may be
better able to explain it, since she's a HPs herself, and of a very
formalized tradition...
Seems that while I've been gone there have been one or two
requests for me to comment on things ... First, on degree systems:
Yes, SeaHawk is right, we Gardnerians do have a fairly rigid system
although each coven interprets it slightly differently. In Tobar
Bhride [my coven] our first degree is NOT considered clergy nor is it
eligible for CoG credentials because it is considered an acknowledge-
ment of one's commitment to the Craft and the Coven, but not
necessarily a commitment to clerical responsibility. First degrees are
considered competent to do a circle for themselves only -- and given
only that part of the Book which is relevant to that scope of practice.
Second degree Priest/ess/es are considered teachers, and in our
particular coven must have taught us, as a coven, something before
elevation to that degree is considered. They are eligible to lead
group celebrations and also eligible for CoG Ministerial Credentials.
Elders, Third Degree Witches, in Tobar Bhride, are those with direct
experience of deity through a formalized ritual of possession. This
experience, and a year of service to Tobar Bhride, are the requirements
for Third Degree.
624
I agree with SeaHawk about the sometimes arbitrary forces at work
in initiation and elevation. Unfortunately in many covens the HP & HPs
feel themselves oathbound to be arbitrary, authoritarian and
autocratic, and absolutely not subject to any constraint or needing
any consensus whatsoever. Or in some covens they will agree to
consensus on the little things and arbitrarily disperse the big ones
<listening, SeaHawk? *wink*>. In Tobar Bhride, to avoid this, we have
made a rule for ourselves: if a person fulfills all the paper
requirements for initiation/elevation and does not receive that degree
within two Sabbats' time, the Council of Elders is FORCED to explain
why to the petitioner. This seems to curb the temptation to such
authoritarian use of power ...
625
{file "Full Deck Tarot Spread" "bos149.htm"}
Full Deck Tarot Star Spread
by Unicornis
There are very few Tarot spreads which use the entire deck in a
single unified pattern. What follows is a description of such a
spread. It is best suited for situations in which a great deal of
complexity is present, and for 'general' readings. The steps for
creating the spread are:
1: Thoroughly shuffle the deck until it 'feels' right. While I
personably do not allow another person to shuffle my cards, if the
reading concerns another it is acceptable to allow that person to hold
the deck while concentrating upon the matter in question. This is a
personal preference, but I am convinced that the relationship between
reader and deck is a very personal one and that contact with the deck
by another may 'confuse' the reading.
2: Dealing from the 'bottom' of the deck (i.e. withthe cards face
down and dealing from the topmost position), create thirteen piles of
six cards each. The first pile is in the center and the other twelve
are in a circle around it. Each pile should be dealt consecutively
(all six cards at once). Although it is not necessary to actually place
them so, at least understand that the first card dealt in a pile (Card
0) is in the center of a circle of five cards (Card 1 through Card 5).
This circle is, in actuality, a Star. When laying them out in a Star,
use the following spread for each pile:
1
3 4
0
5 2
Note that if you trace the numbers from 1 to 5 you will trace a
five-pointed star, always moving clockwise around the circle to reach
the next point.
3: Interpret the spread.
Interpretation of this spread is based upon the astrological
symbolism of the twelve houses. The first pile of cards in the circle
of twelve piles is House 1, the second is House 2, etc..
626
The individual piles delineate the specific factors at work in each
of the twelve basic areas. Card 1 represents the matter in question
(the 'problem', question, etc.). Card 2 represents the 'source' (cause
of the problem, inception of a project, etc.). Card 3 represents
factors which bear upon the matter, but which are external to it (and
probably out of the control of the querant). Card 4 represents actions
taken with regard to the matter. Card 5 represents the outcome of
those actions. Card 4 is the most difficult to interpret, since
'action' could here represent several different things. First of all,
it might represent an action which has already been taken. If so, then
Card 5 will represent the probable outcome, unless counter actions are
taken. Secondly, it might represent the action which the querant is
asking about (i.e. 'Should I ...'.
Card 5, again, represents the probable outcome. Thirdly, it might
represent the suggested course of action (answer to the question 'What
should I ...'). In this case, Card 5 is the suggested goal. It is
quite possible that Card 5 will relate to a past outcome (i.e.
everything has already transpired). If this seems to be the case, then
it is possible that all five cards must be interpreted as relating to
another person, instead of the querant. Most of the time the sense of
Card 4 should be apparent from the context of the reading.
Card 0 always represents the 'heart' of the individual Star spread.
Usually, this relates to the querant's own relationship to the matter
which is germane to the house in question. It can also, however,
represent the underlying ('behind the scenes') factors which
precipitated the matter, not to be confused with the 'cause' of a
problem. In this sense, it will usually represent motivations, rather
than actions. In some cases Card 0 will represent a person, other the
querant, to which the Star actually relates. In such a case, an
attempt should be made, based upon the situation and the nature of the
card to identify that person, since this implies that the matter is
either out of the hands of the querant or the querant is only an
'ambient' factor (and will then be represented by Card 3 for that
particular Star.
In a similar manner, Pile 0 (the one at the center of the circle),
represents the 'heart' of the entire reading. This will always pertain
to the reasons (motivations) of the querant, and interpretation of this
Star spread must be used to modify all of the others.
This is not the place to delve into the meanings of the twelve
houses in detail. There are many good books in print which deal with
this. I highly recommend the following, which give excellent
interpretations of the twelve astrological houses (coinciding with the
twelve 'Stars' of this Tarot spread):
The Astrological Houses: The Spectrum of Individual Experience
by Dane Rudhyar
The Astrology of Personality
by Dane Rudhyar
A Handbook for the Humanistic Astrologer
by Michael R. Meyer
The full deck star spread lends itself admirably to an in-depth
study of any matter. The human condition is far too complex to use a
627
simple yes-no approach to any matter of importance. More so than
spreads which involve only a small number of the total factors which
could come into play, the full deck star spread allows detailed
analysis of all of the options and avenues which are available. It
will also show how the outcome of an action might affect areas of the
querant's life which were not specifically part of the reason for
consulting the Tarot in the first place.
It might take a little longer to use, and might require a little
more effort on the part of the interpreter, but the extra work will be
repaid many-fold in the certainty that no stone was left unturned.
628
{file "Banes, Bindings, and Mirrors (Judy Harrow, Hugh Read)" "bos150.htm"}
Self-defense and Banes
Judy Harrow
I surely agree that we have every right to protect ourselves and our
"own folk" from attack. But I do believe that shield and mirror
workings are more efficient, effective and elegant at accomplishing the
goal of self-protection. Consider this - a mirror working is perfect
justice. If I am mistaken, either that psychic attack is being done at
all or about the perpetrator, a bane will jeopardies me karmically and
(if psychic attack truly is being done by somebody other than the one I
suspect) fail to protect me. A mirror sits there passively, ignores any
mistaken paranoia that I may occasionally get, does nothing at all
until and unless an attack happens, and then sends the bad energy
directly back to the exactly deserving person or group in exactly the
proper amount and kind. A mirror is perfect justice.
A grounding shield is perfect mercy, taking bad energy and
dissipating it harmlessly. I think I already said this but I recently
talked one of my students into using a grounding shield where she would
have been perfectly entitled to use a mirror. The situation is an
ongoing battle between my student's lover and his former wife. While
the ex-wife did an entirely unjustifiable attack, and would fully
deserve to have it returned full force, all this would really
accomplish would be to perpetuate the craziness, hostility and tension
in the situation - and both the couple's innocent children and my
student are being hurt. Better for all concerned to ignore justice and
drain as much of the tension as possible, to make room for the healing
that all of them need. A grounding shield is perfect mercy.
Butbanes and bindings, whilethey may giveshort term protection,
risk your own karma, are susceptible to mistake, and may, if
misdirected, even fail of their well-intended purpose. Sure you're
entitled to self-protection. This is just a lousy way to go about it. I
guess my kind of Warrior is Athena, the wise defender.
warmly / Judy
From: Hugh Read
You have a gentle way. For myself, I love Minerva who I feel is a
Being unto Herself. The concept of the Grounding Shield is clear to
me...would you care to share the practice with me. Justice has little
interest for me. That takes care of itself in the process of time. We
are all amply repayed for our varies deeds simply by wearing this body
of ours. Healing is far more to the point. The word Justice makes me
cringe a bit, though long ago I came to peace with Justice. One of my
more angry prayers is May he/she have perfect Justice, NOW! Instant
karma, NOW...and I always add, and so may it be with me.
I remember telling this to a New Age teacher a few years ago. He
turned pale and promised me auto accidents, fire, theft and robbery if
I did that. Well, I am still bopping along with my share in the
chancier aspects of life affirming perfect Justice for my self and
every now and then in those very rare (!) moments of anger instant
Karma for me and whoever. I love the idea of a shield that will ground
and disperse any nasties send grovelling in my direction. Let Healing
Be the Way!!! Tender bliss and explosive ecstacy be yours as the days
pass softly!
629
From: Judy Harrow
It's visualization either way. For the grounding shield, it is
velvety, absorptive black (Oops, I should say that MINE is - you may
alter this to whatever will convince your Younger Self). Every so often
along it's length, for me every 2-3 yards, there is a post somewhat
like a fence post that extends deep into the ground and is conductive
like a lightening rod. Trust mother Earth to filter any kind of energy
back into simple, pure, undifferentiated energy and recycle it to
wherever it is most needed. So the shield catches incoming energy and
channels it down through the purifying rocks. I don't know exactly how
to describe physically how the shield can be
semi-permeable, allowing in the well-wishes of your friends, but, as
semi permeable membranes exist in Nature, helping each cell maintain
its water/salt balance, so can this shield. Can you conceive of a
substance both velvet and mesh? That's how it is with me.
Onthe justice endof the spectrum, myown Younger Selfis a bit of
a literalist. A flat mirror will not work for me, since the angle of
incidence is complementary to the angle of reflection, which means that
bad energy is actually diverted from the sender and bounced onto
innocent parties. My mirror looks like a waffle, and is optically
designed to send stuff back exactly where it came from. It's also
semi-permeable, and that is even harder to explain. I guess Younger
Self is not altogether consistent.
On the issue of choosing between the two modes. Justice is a
tautology. It will do no better - and no worse - than getting you back
to where you began. It protects and maintains, but does not allow for
growth. Perhaps you've read Diana Paxon's wonderful book "Red Mare,
White Stallion." At the beginning, the women of the tribe have a ritual
opportunity to make a wish for the coming year. But the heroine does
something even better. When her turn comes, she tells the Goddess
"Mother, You choose." Had she chosen, she could not possibly have
received anything more than she was capable of imagining. Taking the
risk of not choosing was opening herself to surprise and
transformation.
Reading that was a mind-blow forme. Since then, I have tried to
take Diana's dare as much as possible, and not limit myself to
tautology. I don't do it all the time, but I stretch toward it. The
mirror/shield question resonates with that for me.
Minerva/Athena wears a shieldand helmet, and carries aspear. My
Sister is a Warrior, but always in defense of the community and always
for justice. Never for greed or domination. It is worthy to protect
what you have, and worthy to reach beyond.
warmly / Judy
630
{file "Harvest Thoughts (Gary Dumbauld)" "bos151.htm"}
This article is excerpted from the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal.
Each issue of the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal is published by
High Plains Arts and Sciences; P.O. Box 620604, Littleton Co.,
80123, a Colorado Non-Profit Corporation, under a Public Domain
Copyright, which entitles any person or group of persons to
reproduce, in any form whatsoever, any material contained therein
without restriction, so long as articles are not condensed or
abbreviated in any fashion, and credit is given the original
author.!
The Way it Looks from Here
Hello again. Lots of changes the last couple of months,
both for me and for relatives, friends, acquaintances... This
time I think I'd like to talk about "harvest season" for a bit.
There are times in the various rites and ceremonies that
have to do with the `gathering in' time of the year, when we feel
that we need to offer up the "fruits of the harvest" to the Gods.
We carefully select the best examples of what we have grown and
nurtured since planting-time, polish our apples and scrape the
mud off the squash and pumpkins, shuck a few ears of corn
perhaps, and bring it all to the altar to offer in solemn ritual
to the Lord and Lady, hoping to justify the time and labor we've
spent.
It is certainly not my purpose here to be skeptical of that
pursuit, rather to expand our horizons a bit. For a great many
years I followed this "custom", and I must say I never thought
much about it all.
Two years ago, my father was diagnosed as having cancer.
The doctors toiled mightily over him for the past two years, but
to no avail. My father passed into Summerland on October 14th, a
week short of his 81st birthday, just a few months shy of 50
years of marriage.
I couldn't say that Dad was a Pagan in most senses of the
word. He did, however, have some interesting views on my
religious practices. This last spring, I was trying to explain
to Dad why we have harvest celebrations; something he said jarred
me out of a rut, as it were, and got me thinking on a parallel,
if different track.
If, he said, you believe that the Goddess and God are
responsible for everything being here, why do you make a big deal
out of the harvest offering? The Gods already "own" everything
you're trying to give them... Dad pointed out to me that, given
a modicum of rain and sun, most plants will grow and flower and
fruit entirely on their own, untouched by human hands. Well,
that set me to thinking. I've been mulling this over for a few
months, and I'm still a bit confused. However, let me have a go
at explaining what my thoughts are at this point on the
"offering".
631
When I select fruits and vegetables from the garden to offer
up to the Gods, the offering I make is not just the produce I lay
on the altar. As Dad said, things will grow without, and
sometimes in spite of what we do. What I'm doing is offering the
fruits of my labor, not the produce itself. I've taken what the
Gods gave me, and hopefully increased the yield by watering,
fertilizing, hoeing, weeding.... Am I not saying, "I thank you
for the raw materials, see what I've accomplished with your
gift"?
Is life not a gift of the Gods? Every time I step up to the
altar in circle, should I not offer up the best of myself in
Their service?
A little child will pick up a stick or a rock off the
street, and give it to you because he loves you. It's all he has
to give. We have so much more. The Gods gave us life; they gave
us the tools to mold it. By intellect, willpower, emotion, we
become who and what we are. If we use those tools, what we offer
to the Gods is surely a more acceptable thing to give.
My Dad didn't have the easiest or the best of life. Yet,
though he had to work six days out of seven most of his life to
make a home for Mom and me, he did it with a right good will. He
learned everything he could; he did what he had to and a good
deal extra; he loved life, nature and his family. He left a leg-
acy in the hearts and minds of those who knew him that will not
soon be forgotten. I can only hope that when it's time for my
final "harvesting", I can make as acceptable an offering as he.
And that's the way it looks from here.
___Gary Dumbauld, editor.
..........from RMPJ 12/86
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{file "Heyokah (RMPJ)" "bos152.htm"}
This article is excerpted from the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal.
Each issue of the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal is published by
High Plains Arts and Sciences; P.O. Box 620604, Littleton Co.,
80123, a Colorado Non-Profit Corporation, under a Public Domain
Copyright, which entitles any person or group of persons to
reproduce, in any form whatsoever, any material contained therein
without restriction, so long as articles are not condensed or
abbreviated in any fashion, and credit is given the original
author.!
CONCERNING THE HEYOKAH
Copyright 1987, T. W. Moore
Hello, people! Before I get to the subject of this little
piece, let me give you a bit of information as to its roots.
Recently I have been doing a lot of writing, horror stories
for the most part, and this article grew out of that. It is also
derived from a dream that I had not too long ago and something
that has puzzled me until recently. Now, with all that out of
the way, let's get to it.
Those of you who are familiar with Native American beliefs
already have an idea of what a heyokah is. For the benefit of
those who aren't, I'll try to briefly describe him for you. Who
knows? There may well be a counterpart in your own tradition.
The word heyokah comes from the Lakotah (Sioux) and is used
in reference to a particular type of shaman. According to
tradition, the heyokah is one who has "dreamed of the Thunder
Spirits." This dream bestows great powers upon the medicine
man/medicine woman, one of which is reputed to be an ability to
influence storms. However, these powers have their price in that
the shaman becomes a "contrary/" If you've seen the movie Little
Big Man, then you have seen a sample of the heyokah's antics. Of
course, this was a parody of the real thing, but our subject does
do a lot of clowning around in reverse.
Now I've read quite a bit on the subject (there's a lot out
there, too), but still couldn't put it together. There seemed to
be something missing! It's only in the last month or so that
it's become clear to me and I'd like to share my insights with
you.
633
Probably the greatest barrier to my understanding was the
one created by language. Not being able to speak Lakotah, and
additionally not knowing the culture, I lost something in the
translation. Here's the whole picture, as I see it anyway.
In his vision, the heyokah comes into direct contact with
the life-force itself. This is symbolized by the Thunder Spirits
that he dreams of. When this occurs, a death/rebirth sequence is
begun, which gives the shaman the capacity to control some of the
manifestations of life-force. This would include an ability to
influence storms and, as is typical of the shamanic experience,
the power to heal. He also becomes a very potent teacher. This
last is where the "contrariness" comes into focus, in two ways.
The first is that the heyokah is teaching us about our selves.
By "mirroring" all of our doubts, fears, hatreds, weaknesses,
etc. he forces us to examine what we really are. For example, if
you have any self-hatred (a common malady in our society) this
sacred teacher will make you look at it. The second aspect of
his mirroring is that, as we are taught, the heyokah heals us of
our hurts. This is the most important and remarkable part of the
holy man's clowning. For this wonderful shaman takes our pain
and transforms it into laughter. And what can heal a human
beings faster than to laugh at ourselves?
As you can see, these "sacred clowns" had a very important
role in traditional societies. And personally, I think we could
use a few more of them in today's world.
Suggested Reading
SEVEN ARROWS, Hyemeyosts Storm .
SONG OF HEYOKAH, Hyemeyosts Storm .
LAME DEER: SEEKER OF VISIONS, Richard Erdoes and Lame Deer.
SHAMANIC VOICES, Joan Halifax.
If anyone would like to respond to this or has anything to
share with me, please write to me c/o Post Office Box 11125,
Englewood, CO 80110
.......... FROM RMPJ, 2/3/1987
634
{file "Full Moon Ritual (Seastrider)" "bos153.htm"}
FULL MOON RITUAL GROUP
The Esbat takes place on the nights of the New Moon and the nights of
the Full Moon. On these nights, the Coven usually does any kind of
magical work and business they need to. It is enacted, hopefully every
Full Moon.
Set up: Place a candle in each of the four cardinal directions.Lay the
rest of the tools on the altar cloth or near it. The altar can be on
the ground, a table, a rock or a stump. The altar should be in the
center or just north of center of the Circle. Light the six candles and
the incense, start the music and begin the ritual.
THE RITUAL
Facing North, the High Priest and Priestess kneel in front of the altar
with him to her right. She puts the bowl of water on the altar, places
the point of her athame in it and says:
"I exorcise thee, O Creature of Water, that thou cast out from
thee all impurities and uncleanliness of the world of phantasm; in the
names of Cernunnos and Aradia"
She then puts down her athame and holds up the bowl of water with both
hands. The High Priest puts the bowl of salt on the altar, puts his
athame in the salt and says:
"Blessings be upon this Creature of Salt; let all malignity and
hindrance be cast forth hencefrom, and let all good enter herein;
wherefore so I bless thee,that thou mayest aid me, in the names of
Cernunnos and Aradia."
He then puts down his athame and pours the salt into the bowl of water
the High Priestess is holding. The High Priest then stands with the
rest of the Coven outside the Circle. The High Priestess then draws the
Circle with the sword, leaving a gap in the Northeast section. While
drawing the Circle, she should visualize the power flowing into the
Circle from off the end of the sword. She draws the Circle in a East to
North or deosil or clockwise direction. She says:
"I conjure thee, O Circle of Power, that thou beest a meeting
place of love and joy and truth; a shield against all wickedness and
evil; a boundary between men and the realms of the Mighty Ones; a
rampart and protection that shall preserve and contain the power that
we shall raise within thee. Wherefore do I bless thee and consecrate
thee, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia."
635
The High Priestess lays down the sword and admits the High Priest with
a kiss while spinning him deosil and whispers"Bless Be" . He then
admits a women the same way. Alternate male female male. Then the High
Priestess finishes closing the Circle with the sword. She then names
three witches to help strengthen the Circle. The first witch carries
the bowl of consecrated water from East to East going deosil,
sprinkling the perimeter as she/he goes. They then sprinkle each member
in turn. If the witch is male, he sprinkles the High Priestess last who
then sprinkles him. If female she sprinkles the High Priest last, who
then sprinkles her. The bowl is replaced on the altar. The second witch
takes the incense burner around the perimeter and the third takes one
of the altar candles. While going around the perimeter, each person
says:
"Black spirits and white,
Red spirits and grey,
Harken to the rune I say.
Four points of the Circle, weave the spell,
East, South, West, North, your tale tell.
East is for break of day,
South is white for the noontide hour,
In the West is twilight grey,
And North is black, for the place of power.
Three times round the Circle's cast.
Great ones, spirits from the past,
Witness it and guard it fast."
All the Coven pickup their athames and face the East with the High
Priest and Priestess in front, him on her right. The High Priestess
says:
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air;
I do summon, stir, and call you up to witness our rites and to
guard the
Circle."
As she speaks she draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air with
her athame:
2 7
4 5
6 1 3
The High Priest and the rest of the Coven copy her movements with their
athames. The High Priestess turns and faces the South and repeats the
summoning:
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of Fire;
I dosummon,stirand callyouup, towitnessour ritesandto
guard
the Circle."
She does the same pentagram and then faces West and says:
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, ye Lords of Water, ye
Lords of Death and Initiation; I do summon, stir, and call you up, to
witness our rites and to guard the Circle."
636
She faces North with rest of the Coven and says:
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye Lords of E a r t h ;
Boreas,
thougentleguardian oftheNorthernPortals; thoupowerful
God and
gentleGoddess;we dosummon,stirandcallyou up,towitness
our
rites and to guard the Circle."
The Circle is completed and sealed. If anyone needs to leave, agate
must be made. Using the sword, draw out part of the Circle with a
widdershins or counterclockwise stroke. Immediately reseal it and then
repeat the opening and closing when the person returns.
In this part of the ritual, the Goddess becomes incarnate in the High
Priestess. The High Priestess stands in front of the altar with her
back to it. She holds the wand in her right hand the scrounge in her
left. She crosses her wrists and crosses the wand and scrounge above
them while holding them close to her breast. The High Priest stands in
front of her and says:
"Diana, queen of night
In all your beauty bright,
Shine on us here,
And with your silver beam
Unlock the gates of dream;
Rise bright and clear.
On Earth and sky and sea,
Your magic mystery
Its spell shall cast,
Wherever leaf may grow,
Wherever tide may flow,
Till all be past.
O secret queen of power,
At this enchanted hour
We ask your boon.
May fortune's favor fall
Upon true witches all,
O Lady Moon!"
The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the Five
Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet, both knees, womb, both
breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. He says,
as he does this:
"Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways.
Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar.
Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.
Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty.
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names."
For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length to length, with their
feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her
arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips.The High Priest
kneels again and invokes:
637
"I invoke thee and call upon thee, Mighty Mother of us a l l ,
bringer of all fruitfulness; by seed and root, by bud and stem, by leaf
and flower and fruit, by life and love do I invoke thee to descend
upon the body of this thy servant and priestess."
During this invocation he touches her with his right forefinger on her
right breast, left breast, and womb, repeats the set and finally the
right breast. Still kneeling, he spreads his arms out and down, with
the palms forward and says:
"Hail Aradia! From the Amalthean Horn
Pour forth thy store of love; I lowly bend
Before thee, I adore thee to the end,
With loving sacrifice thy shrine adore.
Thy foot is to my lip
(he kisses her right foot)
my prayer up borne
Upon the rising incense smoke; then spend
Thine ancient love, O Mighty One, descend
To aid me, who without thee am forlorn."
The High Priest stands up and steps backwards. The High Priestess draws
the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air with the wand and says as
the Goddess:
"Of the Mother darksome and divine
Mine the scrounge, and mine the kiss;
The five point star of love and bliss
Here I charge you in this sign."
The High Priest starts off by saying:
"Listen to the words of the Great Mother; she who of old was also
called among man Artemis, Astarte, Athene, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite,
Cerridwen, Dana, Arianhod, Isis and by many other names."
638
The High Priestess, who should be in a trance, says as the Goddess:
Whenever you have need of anything, once in a month, and better it
be when the Moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret place
and adore the spirit of me, who am Queen of all witches. There shall ye
assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won
its deepest secrets; to these will I teach things that are yet
unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery; and as a sign that ye be
really free, ye shall be naked in your rites; dance, sing, feast, make
music and love, all in my praise. For mine is the ecstasy of the
spirit, and mine also is joy on earth; for my law is love unto all
beings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let
naught stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the cup of the wine of
life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of
Immortality. I am the gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto
the heart of man. Upon Earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit
eternal; and beyond death, I give peace and freedom, and reunion with
those who have gone before. Nor do I demand sacrifice; for behold I am
the Mother of all living things, and my love is poured out upon the
earth. I who am the white Moon among the stars, and the mystery of
the waters, and the desire of the heart of man, call unto thy soul.
Arise, and come unto me. For I am the soul of nature, who gives life
to the universe. From me all things proceed, and unto me all things
must return; and before my face, beloved of Gods and men, let thine
innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let
my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all acts of
love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty
and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and
reverence within you. And thou who seekest to seek for me, know thy
seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless thou knowest the
mystery; and if that which thou seekest thou findest not within
thee,thou will never find it without thee. For behold, I have been
with thee from the beginning; and I am that which is attained at the
end of desire."
The High Priest faces the Priestess and says:
"We thank you Our Lady for attending our rites. We bid you
farewell
till next we call you. Blessed Be."
639
The Witches' Creed should be said by the entire Coven.
"Hear now the words of the witches,
The secrets we hid in the night,
When dark was our destiny's pathway,
That now we bring forth into the light.
Mysterious Water and Fire,
The Earth and the wide ranging Air,
By hidden quintessence we know them,
And will keep silent and dare.
The birth and rebirth of all nature,
The passing of winter and spring,
We share with the life universal,
Rejoice in the magical ring.
Four times in the year the Great Sabbat
Returns, and the witches are seen
At Lammas and Candlemas dancing,
On May Eve and old Hallowe'en.
When day time and night time are equal,
When sun is at greatest and least,
The four lesser Sabbats are summoned,
Again witches gather in feast.
Thirteen silver moons in a year are,
Thirteen is the Coven's array.
Thirteen times at Esbat make merry,
For each golden year and a day.
The power was passed down the ages,
Each time between woman and man,
Each century unto the other,
Ere time and ages began.
When drawn is the magical circle,
By sword or athame of power,
It's compass between the two worlds lies,
In the land of shades that hour.
This world has no right to know it,
And the world beyond will tell naught.
The oldest of gods are invoked there,
The Great Work of Magic is wrought.
For two are the mystical pillars,
That stand at the gate of the shrine,
And two are the powers of nature,
The forms and the forces of the divine.
The dark and the light in succession,
The opposites each unto each,
Shown forth as a God and a Goddess:
This did our ancestors teach.
By night he's the wild wind's rider,
The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades.
By day he's the King of the Woodland,
The dweller in green forest glades.
She is youthful or old as she pleases,
She sails the torn clouds in her barque,
The bright silver lady of midnight,
The crone who weaves spells in the dark.
The master and mistress of magic,
They dwell in the deeps of the main,
Immortal and ever renewing,
With power to free or to bind.
640
So drink the good wine to the Old Gods,
And dance and make love in their praise,
Till Elphames's fair land shall receive us
In peace at the end of our days.
And Do What Thou Wilt shall be the challenge,
So be it in love that harms none,
For this is the only commandment,
By magic of old, be it done!
Eight words the Witches Creed fulfill:
If It Harms None, Do What Thou Will!
The High Priest faces the Coven, raises his arms wide and says:
"Bagabi lacha bachabe
Lamac cahi achababe
Karellyos
Lamac lamac bachalyas
Cabahagy sabalyos
Baryolos
Lagaz atha cabyolas
Samahac atha famolas
Hurrahya!"
The High Priestess and the Coven repeat:
"Hurrahya!"
The High Priest and High Priestess face the altar. The High Priest
continues:
"Great God Cernunnos, return to Earth again!
Come to my call and show thy self to men.
Shepherd of Goats, upon the wild hill's way,
Lead thy lost flocks from darkness unto day.
Forgotten are the ways of sleep and night
Men seek for them, whose eyes have lost the light.
Open the door of dreams, whereby man come to thee.
Shepherd of Goats, O answer unto me!"
The High Priest and the rest of the Coven then say:
"Akhera goittiakhera beitti!"
641
This invocation can be said by anyone or everyone.
"Diana of the rounded moon,
The Queen of all enchantments here,
The wind is crying through the trees,
And we invoke thee to appear.
The cares of day departed are,
The realm of might belongs to thee;
And we in love and kinship join
With all things wild and free.
As powers of magic round us move,
Now let time's self dissolve and fade.
Here in the place between the worlds
May we be one with nature made.
Thy consort is the Horn'd One,
Whose sevenfold pipes make music sweet.
Old Gods of life and love and light,
Be here as merrily we meet!
For ye the circle's round we tread,
And unto ye the wine we pour;
The sacred Old Ones of this land,
Ye we invoke by ancient lore
By magic moon and pagan spell,
By all the secrets of the night,
Dreams and desires and mystery,
Borne on the moonbeams' silver light.
Now may we hear, or may we see,
Or may we know within the heart,
A token of true magic made,
Ere from this circle we depart."
Pause and wait in silence. There may come a sound, an outward sign or
inner vision. When you feel the time is right, end the period of
silence by bowing towards the altar and saying:
"O GoddessQueen of Night,
O Horn'd One of might,
In earth and sky and sea
May peace and blessing be!"
Relax. You can also do any other magic craft at this time.
The Coven, except for the High Priestess and High Priest,arrange
themselves around the perimeter of the circle, man and woman
alternately as far as possible, facing the center.
The High Priestess and High Priest stand facing each other in the
center of the circle, she with her back to the altar, he with his back
to the South.
The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the
Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet, both knees, womb,
both breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. He
says, as he does this:
"Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways.
Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar.
Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.
Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty.
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names.
642
For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length to length, with their
feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her
arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips. The High Priestess
then lays herself down, face upwards,with her arms and legs
outstretched to form the Pentagram.
The High Priest fetches the veil and spreads it over the High
Priestess's body, covering her from breasts to knees. He then kneels
facing her, with his knees between her feet.
The High Priest calls a woman witch by name, to bring his athame
from the altar. The woman does so and stands with the athame in her
hands, about a yard to the West of the High Priestess's hips and facing
her.
The High Priest calls a male witch by name, to bring the chalice
of wine from the altar. He does so and stands with the chalice in his
hands, about a yard to the East of the High Priestess's hips and facing
her.
The High Priest delivers the invocation:
"Assist me to erect the ancient altar, at which in days past
all worshipped;
The altar of all things.
For in old time, Woman was the altar.
Thus was the altar made and placed,
And the sacred place was the point within the center of the
Circle.
As we have of old been taught that the point within the center is
the
origin of all things,
Therefore should we adore it;
Therefore whom we adore we also invoke.
O Circle of Stars,
Whereof our father is but the younger brother,
Marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space,
Before whom time is ashamed, the mind bewildered, and the
understanding dark,
Not unto thee may we attain unless thine image be love.
Therefore by seed and stem, root and bud,
And leaf and flower and fruit do we invoke thee,
O Queen of Space, O Jewel of Light,
Continuous on of the heavens;
Let it be ever thus
That men speak not of thee as One, but as None;
And let them not speak of thee at all, since thou art
continuous.
For thou art the point within the Circle, which we adore;
The point of life, without which we would not be.
And in this way truly are erected the holy twin pillars;
In beauty and strength were they erected
To the wonder and glory of all men."
The High Priest removes the veil from the High Priestess's body,and
hands it to the woman witch, from whom he takes his athame.
The High Priestess rises and kneels facing the High Priest,and
takes the chalice from the man witch. (Note that both of these handings
over are done without the customary ritual kiss.The High Priest
continues the invocation:
"Altar of mysteries manifold,
643
The sacred Circle's secret point
Thus do I sign thee as of old,
With kisses of my lips anoint."
The High Priest kisses the High Priestess on the lips, and continues:
"Open for me the secret way,
The pathway of intelligence,
Beyond the gates of night and day,
Beyond the bounds of time and sense.
Behold the mystery aright
The five true points of fellowship...."
The High Priestess holds up the chalice, and the High Priest lowers the
point of his athame into the wine. Both use both of their hands for
this. The High Priest continues:
"All life is your own,
All fruits of the Earth
Are fruits of your womb,
Your union, your dance.
Lady and Lord,
We thank you for blessings and abundance.
Join with us, Feast with us, Enjoy with us!
Blessed Be.
Then, either the High Priestess or one of the other women draws
the Invoking Pentacle of Earth in the air above the plate with the
athame. The High Priest hands his athame to the woman witch and then
places both his hands round those of the High Priestess as she holds
the chalice. He kisses her, and she sips the wine; she kisses him, and
he sips the wine. Both of them keep their hands round the chalice while
they do this.
The High Priest then takes the chalice from the High Priestess,
and they both rise to their feet.
The High Priest hands the chalice to a woman witch with a kiss,
and she sips. She gives it to a man with a kiss.the chalice is passed
around the Coven, man to woman, with a kiss each time, until the entire
Coven has sipped the wine. the chalice can be refilled and any one can
drink from it without repeating the ritual once the chalice has gone
around once.
The woman lays down her athame and passes the cakes to the man
with a kiss, he passes them back with a kiss and they are passed around
the Coven the same way the wine was. Be sure to save some of the wine
and some cake for an offering to the Earth and the Little Folk. After
the meeting,leave the offering outside of the house if working indoors,
or behind in the woods or field,when you leave if you are working
outdoors.
The High Priestess faces East,with her athame in her hand. The High
Priest stands to her right with the rest of the Coven behind them. If
any tools have been consecrated, they should be held by the person
furthest to the back. The Maiden stands near to the front to blow out
each candle in turn. The Priestess says:
644
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air;
we do thank you for attending our rites; and ere ye depart
to your pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and
farewell
....Hail and farewell."
As she speaks, she draws the Banishing Pentagram of Earth in the air in
front of her thus, each time:
2 7
4 5
6 1 3
The rest of the Coven copy the Pentagram and chorus in on the second
hail and farewell. The Maiden blows out the candle and the Coven faces
the south and the High Priestess says:
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of Fire;
we dothankyou forattendingour rites;andere yedepartto
your
pleasant and lovely realms, we bid you hail and
farewell....Hail and
farewell."
She turns to the West and says:
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, ye Lords of Water;
ye Lords of Death and Initiation; we do thank you for attending
our
rites;and ereyedepartto yourpleasantandlovely realms,we
bid you
hail and farewell....Hail and farewell."
She turns to the North and says:
"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye Lords of Earth;
Boreas, thou gentle guardian of the Northern Portals;
thoupowerfulGod, Thougentle Goddess;wedo thankyou for
attending
our rites; andere yedepart for yourpleasant andlovely
realms, we
bid you hail and farewell....Hail and farewell."
This ends the Circle. Bless Be.
(Via Seastrider, responsible for the typing and Ravensong for editing
into ASCII)
645
{file "Goodwife (Story by L.A. Hussey)" "bos154.htm"}
THE WISE GOODWIFE
"Gramma, I feel hot."
"Lands, child, on a cool fall day like this? Come here and let me
feel of your forehead. Tsk! Feels like fever. Off to bed with you!"
"Gramma, I don't feel good."
"I know, child, I know. I reckon it's time to ask Goody Hawkins
to help us."
"Who's Goody Hawkins?"
"Hush, now, try to sleep. I'll come back soon."
"Gramma, where did you go?"
"Out into the woods back of the farm, child."
"Why, Gramma?"
"To get Goody Hawkins' help."
"Who's Goody Hawkins?"
"Well, that's a long story."
"Tell me a story, Gramma."
Well, you know 'bout the pilgrim days, Thanksgiving and all.
Those people way back then, that first time, were giving thanks that
they'd lived a whole year in a whole new country, without too many of
'em dyin'.
Lotta times you see pictures, drawings, with lots of Indians
standin' there to welcome them folks. Well, 'taint so. Weren't
nobody there when they got off that boat, not but one Indian, all
alone. Hist'ry books say it was him, Squanto, as taught them first
folks how to live through one of our winters -- ice 'n sleet 'n snow
'n all, not like they had back in England, where they come from. But
that ain't rightly so, neither. Squanto, and a few other friendly
Indians as wandered in later, they taught the menfolk. But the women,
those days, well, they weren't s'posed to be important, even though
they did most o' the work, so we don't hear 'bout them much.
Well, a woman come off'n that boat, not quite yet old as your
mamma, and her name was Grace Hawkins, but ever' one called her Goody
Hawkins. "Goody" is short for "good wife", and it's like callin' a
lady "Missus" today.
Goody Hawkins was young and pretty, though you couldn't tell that
very well, 'cause in those days the womenfolk wore long skirts and
long sleeves and bonnets to tuck in and hide their hair. So Goody
Hawkins had beautiful long brown hair, though you couldn't see it, and
skin soft as the skin of a peach. But she had a nice young husband
who loved her very much, and he knew how pretty she was.
And Goody Hawkins was one more thing that made her very special:
she was a wise woman, who knew plants and herbs and roots and barks to
make sick people feel better. They didn't have doctors like we do
now, just a lot of men who figured if you were sick your blood was bad
and so they'd make you bleed. That got people sicker, more often than
not. They thought they were real smart, them old doctors, and maybe
they were smart about gettin' money from folks. But they weren't
smart 'bout the folks themselves, mostly 'cause they were too busy
listening to each other talking 'bout high-falutin' doctor things in
big words than listening to the sick bodies of the sick people.
646
But Goody Hawkins was different. She listened to the people
talking 'bout what hurt them, and she felt of their heads and wrists
and looked into their eyes and ears and mouths. And sometimes she
didn't seem to look at them at all. She just closed her eyes and
looked at them with her heart. And then she'd go into big clay pots
and little wooden boxes in her house, and pick out just the thing a
sick person needed. And do you know how she knew just the right
thing, how Goody Hawkins could see with her heart and not just her
eyes?
Goody Hawkins was a witch.
No, not like you dress up at Halloween. A real witch, a real wise
woman. No warts, no wire hair, remember I told you she was pretty.
And no flying broom, neither. She didn't need to fly, 'cause she
could see ev'rything.
Well, no, she didn't have a crystal ball. But they way my granny
told me, and her granny told her, was that she had a big silver bowl,
a real treasure. And she'd pour clear rainwater in that bowl, and
look into it in the nighttime, with just a candle for light. And they
say she could see miles away, and even years away. Into yesterday,
say, or last year, or ten years ago. And sometimes, she could see
tomorrow.
A cauldron? Why of course she had a cauldron. Ever'one did,
those days, just like we have pots and pans today. But she only had a
little one at first--remember, they were poor in them first few years
in America, and iron costed a lot of money. Goody Hawkins had just
the little cauldron she brought with her from home, only as big as my
big soup pot.
What did she boil up in her cauldron? Well, not babies, I can
tell you that! It was herbs, mostly, tree bark and roots and such.
Anise and coltsfoot, simmered with a little sugar or honey, as good a
cough syrup as you can find nowadays, and even better than some.
That's a recipe my granny's granny knew, and likely Goody Hawkins as
well. Goody Hawkins made ointments from herbs and grease, she made
soaps for fleas and lice, she brewed teas, she made mashes for cuts
and bad hurts to make them heal clean and fast.
But I haven't told you the best part: Goody Hawkins could do
magic. Not like making scarves disappear in her fist or pulling
quarters out of your ear. I mean spells, oh yes, and special little
bundles of things in little bags to keep in your pocket or put under
your pillow. These had herbs in 'em, yes, and besides that she could
put in a special rock, maybe, or a little short twig from a certain
tree, or a piece of paper with secrets written on it, or any such
small thing. You could wear one for good luck, sleep on one to have
good dreams.
In the nighttime, often, you could see a light shining in Goody
Hawkins' cottage, warm and bright, and if you listened real hard, you
might hear words, strong and beautiful, or singing so soft and sweet
it might have come out of a fairy hill.
And in the daytime, oh, the smells that came out of that cottage!
You could tell what was brewing by the smells of the herbs in the
breeze. Rosemary, mint, clove and cinnamon, lemon-leaf, basil,
horehound and lavender.
And hanging from the ceiling in one corner of the cottage were
always bunches of drying herbs, filling the whole room with spicyness
and sweetness. She brought the little boxes special from her home in
England, but the rest she got right here, from the meadows and
forests.
647
One day she was in the forest, gathering plants for medicines.
Some of the plants were just like at home, she knew them right away.
Others she didn't know, and them she would look at, and smell, and
taste of--it was right dangerous, that, but weren't no other way to
find out about 'em. This spring day, after their first long hard,
winter had passed, Goody Hawkins went to pluck a leaf off'n a plant,
to taste it.
Suddenly, she heard a crashing in the bushes and a woman's voice
crying out to her. She turned around and who should she see but an
Indian woman, near her own age, come runnin' toward her, talkin' words
she couldn't understand. This Indian woman, she snatched that leaf
from Goody Hawkins and shooed her away from that plant quick as she
could. The Indian woman pulled out a thin stick, rounded at one end,
and waved it so that Goody Hawkins thought the other woman might hit
her with it, so she backed up, afraid.
But the Indian woman turned to the plant and commenced to digging
it out of the ground with her stick, digging up the roots. The Indian
woman pulled off the roots and pushed them into Goody Hawkins' hands,
keeping some for herself. She put the roots into a deerskin bag, and
'twas then that Goody Hawkins saw other herbs and things in that bag,
and figured out that t'other woman was in the woods for just the same
job as herself, namely, getting herbs.
Even though they didn't speak each other's language, by
pantomiming and pointing they could understand each other, and Goody
Hawkins learned that the leaf she'd been about to eat was deadly
poison. But the roots were good eating, roasted or boiled just like a
potato. How 'bout that! Plants are funny that way.
Goody Hawkins realized she owed her life to the Indian woman, for
warnin' her off'n them leaves. But she didn't know just how to thank
her new friend. Still, they spent the rest of the day walkin' in the
woods, an' Goody Hawkins learned more about the new world's plants in
one day than she could've in weeks if she'd had to figure things out
for herself.
And by the end of the day, Goody Hawkins knew some Algonquin, and
the Indian woman, Namequa, knew some words in English. Namequa saw
Goody Hawkins back to the little town and then faded into the trees
almost like magic.
Well, the seasons came and went, and Goody Hawkins had her hands
full trying to keep people well, what with the snakes and unfriendly
Indians and poisonous plants all around. The folks couldn't get none
of the plants they brought with 'em to grow very well, 'cause the
weather was so different from England's. That mean that folks weren't
eatin' right, and 'specially with the children that was bad. But
Namequa showed Goody Hawkins plants that were good eating, and Goody
Hawkins showed the other womenfolk, and for a time the folks there
lived like Indians, what with the menfolk learnin' to hunt and fish
from Squanto and the women learnin' to gather wild plants to eat from
Goody Hawkins and Namequa.
That first thanksgiving feast, they didn't eat just the corn and
squash and beans that Squanto showed the men how to grow, they also
had roasted-seed mush and lamb's-quarters gathered by the women. All
those, and the deer the neighboring Indians brought, well, that was
some dinner!
648
Well, little by little, them folks got settled. Other ships came,
with more people, and, later, with cows and other stock. And then
Goody Hawkins was busier than ever, 'cause she was s'posed to take
care of sick animals, too. Back then, if a cow didn't give milk,
folks were apt to think the fairies had stolen the milk in the night,
so 'twas only natural they should ask their wise woman for help.
Before long, there were babies, too, human and animal, and mothers
needed Goody Hawkins' help to bring 'em into the world. Somehow,
though, through all of this, Goody Hawkins kept time to visit with her
good friend, and to keep learning, and to look into her silver bowl
every now and again.
Well, the years went on, and ever'body got older, and some folks
just died from getting old. Goody Hawkins' husband died too, and they
hadn't any children, so Goody Hawkins should have been alone in the
world. But she had her friend Namequa, and every little child in the
town called her "Aunt Grace"--she wasn't their real aunt, you know, but
they loved her like she was, 'cause she made them things, like
sweet-scented pillows, and spicy cookies, and she always listened to
them when they told her things. Goody Hawkins had learned a lot from
Namequa's tribe, and now that she had no husband to take care of, she
spent more time visiting with her Indian friends, and they learned
from her too.
Indian magic is full of drums and dreaming. Goody Hawkins' magic
was full of words and wishing. But she was careful not to let the
rest of the folks know she was learnin' and teachin' magic. Why not?
Well, folks don't like what they don't understand, is all. People
were afraid of lots of things in them days, 'specially in a strange
new place.
And as more o' them Puritan preachers come over from England, the
folks would be more secret 'bout visiting Goody Hawkins, not wanting
the preachers to know they was holding to the old ways. And the
preachers, 'specially one Pastor Langford, looked sidewise and never
straight on at Goody Hawkins, bein' afraid she might hex 'em or some
such nonsense. Well, Pastor Langford thought she was workin' for the
devil, but he didn't want to say it outright, 'cause folks liked her.
But even that was changing as Goody Hawkins spent more time with
Namequa's tribe, and folk got to whispering about it. There was a
number of men interested in marryin' to her, after her husband died,
saying it wasn't right for a woman to live alone, but she didn't care
'bout any of 'em. She said no to all of 'em, and some of 'em went
away mad. And folk got to saying things outright.
One lady said she seen Goody Hawkins dancing naked with all them
Indians. Another said there was a demon keeping Goody Hawkins
company, which was why she wasn't wanting to marry again. Somebody
else said that it was that demon that killed Goody Hawkins' husband.
All round town words buzzed like stinging wasps. Now, when a cow
wasn't giving milk, it was Goody Hawkins, not the fairies, who they
thought had stolen it. Folks began to keep their children away from
her. And Pastor Langford came right out and made fiery sermons about
witches and the devil and sin and punishment.
Goody Hawkins saw and heard all of this, but what could she do?
It was her word against the words of respectable folk, and nobody was
going to believe her. So she kept silent, kept to herself, and
waited.
649
She didn't have to wait long. One evening, she came home from a
visit to her Indian friends and found her cottage in ruins. Jars were
smashed, boxes thrown all over. The herb-bunches had been torn down
from the ceiling, her cauldron overturned, Bible verses scrawled all
over the walls with charcoal from her fireplace. "Thou shalt not
suffer a witch to live", they said, and Goody Hawkins felt cold in her
heart because she knew that the people wanted to kill her.
And worst of all, her beautiful silver bowl was all bent and
crushed, like someone had hit it with a hammer. Goody Hawkins sat
down at the table in the midst of the mess, and cried.
She felt helpless and angry. She wished she really could turn
people into toads. She made half-hearted tries at cleaning up, but
gave it up. Her heart burned with wanting to hurt the people who'd
done it, and froze with knowing her life wasn't worth a straw to 'em.
My granny said, that in that hour the devil did come to her,
offerin' to kill the townsfolk for her, if she'd give up her soul to
him, but Goody Hawkins chased him out with her broom. I think more
likely, she thought about putting poison in the well-water, but knew
that not only would that poison the townsfolk, it'd poison the water
and the earth, and the water and earth hadn't hurt her. And she knew
that killing all those folks would poison her soul, too, forever, make
her sour and angry as a real wicked witch.
So instead, she gathered all her power to her, all her love and
strength; she threw down her hiding bonnet, and shook out her hair,
which was getting grey by now, and walked proud and tall out into the
town square. The folks began to gather round, saying hateful things.
But Goody Hawkins lifted up her arms and began to sing, strong and
sweet, in the old tongue that nobody but wise folk could speak
anymore. And when the folks saw that their words couldn't hurt her,
they commenced to pick up stones to throw at her.
But before they could throw their stones, the preachers came and
said she'd have to have a proper trial. So soldiers took Goody
Hawkins away with them, away from the shouting people, and she was
still singing as they locked her up.
They tried to get her to tell them things, like was she partners
with the devil, and had she hexed people and animals, and did she have
a demon helper, and did she change into a cat to steal milk, but she
never did nothing but close her eyes and sing softly, smiling like she
saw something beautiful. So finally they gave up and took her to the
courthouse.
There all kinds of people told stories about Goody Hawkins and
things she'd never really done. And all through it, Goody Hawkins
stood tall, and looked straight in the faces of the folks as was doing
the telling. When ever'one was through with their lyin', the judge
asked Goody Hawkins had she anything to say.
Goody Hawkins looked round at the folks, looking like your momma
when she's gonna scold you, and began tellin' each one what she'd done
for them. This one wouldn't be alive if Goody Hawkins hadn't helped
his mother with the birthing. That one's daughter was deathly sick
with fever, and Goody Hawkins cured her. The other one's cows were
dropping down dead before Goody Hawkins found out they were eating
poisonous leaves. There wasn't one person in that courtroom Goody
Hawkins hadn't helped somehow over the years. And folks were looking
like you do when you're getting a scolding and you know you've been
wrong.
650
But Pastor Langford butted in and said that Goody Hawkins must
have led the cows to the poison leaves, she must have made the little
girl sick, she must have put a hex on the mother so her baby had
trouble being born. And even though some folks still looked
uncertain, the rest of 'em started howling for Goody Hawkins to die,
and that was that.
They took her out to the town square where there was a big oak
tree, to hang her onto it. Some soldiers held the crowd back, while
two of the others tied Goody Hawkins up, tied a rope around her neck,
and threw the other end over one of the branches of the tree. Goody
Hawkins wasn't scared to die, but she was scared of the pain, though
she didn't let the people see that. She looked out at them and
smiled, and was glad to see some people quit their shouting and look
worried.
Pastor Langford come up, looking nervous, and said, "Do you wish
to confess your sins? You may yet be forgiven and reach Heaven."
Goody Hawkins just smiled and said, "I have nothing to confess or
be forgiven for, nothing I am ashamed of. I want no part of your
heaven."
The preacher fairly threw a fit right there, choking and
stuttering, he wanted so bad to cuss and swear at her but couldn't in
front of the townsfolk. So he just pointed to the soldier holding the
end of the rope, and he commenced to hauling on it.
Goody Hawkins felt the rope tighten and her ears started to ring,
and she took what she was sure was her last breath. But suddenly
there was a scream, and the rope went loose. Her head cleared, she
looked around, and saw the soldier who'd been pulling her up holding
onto his arm, where there was an arrow sticking out of it.
Folks was shouting and running all over the place, and Goody
Hawkins saw that a whole tribe of Indians had come out of the woods
like magic with bows and arrows and spears and all. The soldiers
couldn't get a clear shot at none of the Indians, what with folks
running round like ants when their hill gets kicked over. And in the
middle of all that hollerin' and confusion, Goody Hawkins felt a sharp
blade between her wrists, cutting the ropes that tied her.
There was two Indians there, a big young man and Goody Hawkins'
friend Namequa who held a finger to her lips to shush her. The young
man scooped Goody Hawkins up in his arms, and ran into the woods
carrying her.
All of a sudden, the Indians disappeared like morning mist, and
when the folks looked round, Goody Hawkins was gone too.
The folks never saw her again, and Namequa's tribe were never as
friendly to them. Goody Hawkins' cottage was just left to fall down
and rot, and nothing in it was ever touched. But some folks was sorry
Goody Hawkins was gone, 'specially when they got sick, or their
children or animals. And one day a mother whose little baby was sick
as could be and nobody could help her, she went into the woods by
herself, carrying an iron pot. She walked into a clearing, and
waited, listening. The woods got quiet, like they were listening too,
and the lady commenced to talking about the baby's problem and asking
for help of whoever was listening.
She put the pot down, turned around, and walked out of the woods
without looking back. The next day, she came back, and where she'd
left the pot, there was a little bundle of herbs, wrapped up in a soft
deerskin. She ran home with it, and made it into tea for her baby,
and the baby got better.
651
Well, word of the cure got round among the womenfolk. Real quiet
like, it got round, not like the lies 'bout Goody Hawkins had gotten
round before. They kept it a secret from the preachers, and after a
while the preachers forgot about Goody Hawkins.
And ever' once in a while, a woman would slip away from the town,
out into the woods, carrying some small thing, that she thought Goody
Hawkins might be able to use, knowing that Goody Hawkins was out there
somewhere, and would hear them. And always there would be an herb
packet there the next day, or a little charm, or some such.
As the years went by, the herb packets stopped appearing, but the
woman who turned back would see a shaft of light fall on some plant,
and would take of that back home with her. And finally, even that
stopped, but somehow the help always came, somebody got better. There
was a song, too. My granny's granny taught her this song, and my
granny taught it to me, to sing to Goody Hawkins when we needed help:
With heavy heart I come and stand
The oak and bonny ivy,
A gift to offer in my hand.
The hazel, ash and bay tree.
How can I hope for any good
The oak and bonny ivy,
By standing in the empty wood?
The hazel, ash and bay tree.
But I will trust and dry my tears,
The oak and bonny ivy,
And know that the Wise Goodwife hears.
The hazel, ash, and bay tree.
Tsk! Asleep already. Good.
"Child, what are you doing out of bed?"
"I feel better, gramma!"
"Let me feel of your forehead. Well, that's fine."
"Gramma, can I have my coat?"
"Where are you going, child?"
"Out to the woods, gramma."
"What's that you have there?"
"It's a picture, gramma, look."
"Well, that's right nice. I think I can guess who that is. And I
see you've given her back her silver bowl! She'll be happy. Off you
go, then."
"Bye, gramma. I'll come back soon."
(c)copyright 1986, Leigh Ann Hussey. Used with permission.
If you enjoyed this story, send $5 to: Leigh Ann Hussey, 2240 Blake St.
#308, Berkeley, CA 94704, and I'll send you a nicely typeset copy for
your library!
652
{file "Great Rite, The (Symbolic)" "bos156.htm"}
THE GREAT RITE (SYMBOLIC)
Preparation: the chalice should be filled with wine. A veil of at
least a yard square is needed preferably of a Goddess color such as blue,
green, silver, or white.
The Coven, except for the High Priestess and High Priest,arrange
themselves around the perimeter of the circle, man and woman alternately as
far as possible, facing the center.
The High Priestess and High Priest stand facing each other in the
center of the circle, she with her back to the altar, he with his back to
the South.
The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the
Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet,both knees, womb, both
breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. he says, as he
does this:
"Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways.
Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar.
Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.
Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty.
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names."
Forthekisson thelips,they embrace,lengthtolength,with their
feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her arms
wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips.
TheHighPriestess thenlays herselfdown,face upwards,with her
arms and legs outstretched to form the Pentagram.
The High Priest fetches the veil and spreads it over the High
Priestess's body, covering her from breasts to knees. He then kneels facing
her, with his knees between her feet.
TheHigh Priestcalls a womanwitch byname, tobring his athame
from the altar. The woman does so and stands with the athame in her hands,
about a yard to the West of the High Priestess's hips and facing her.
TheHigh Priestcalls amalewitch byname,to bringthe chaliceof
wine from the altar. He does so and stands with the chalice in his hands,
about a yard to the East of the High Priestess's hips and facing her.
657
The High Priest delivers the invocation:
"Assist me to erect the ancient altar, at which in days past all
worshipped;
The altar of all things.
For in old time, Woman was the altar.
Thus was the altar made and placed,
And the sacred place was the point within the center of
the Circle.
Aswehave ofold beentaught thatthe pointwithin thecenter is
the origin of all things,
Therefore should we adore it;
Therefore whom we adore we also invoke.
O Circle of Stars,
Whereof our father is but the younger brother,
Marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space,
Before whom time is ashamed, the mind bewildered, and the
understanding dark,
Not unto thee may we attain unless thine image be love.
Therefore by seed and stem, root and bud,
And leaf and flower and fruit do we invoke thee,
O Queen of Space, O Jewel of Light,
Continuous on of the heavens;
Let it be ever thus
That men speak not of thee as One, but as None;
And let them not speak of thee at all, since thou art continuous.
For thou art the point within the Circle, which we adore;
The point of life, without which we would not be.
And in this way truly are erected the holy twin pillars;
In beauty and strength were they erected
To the wonder and glory of all men."
TheHigh Priestremoves theveil fromthe HighPriestess's body,
and hands it to the woman witch, from whom he takes his athame.
TheHigh Priestess risesand kneels facingthe High Priest,and
takes the chalice from the man witch. (Note that both of these
handings-over are done without the customary ritual kiss.The High Priest
continues the invocation:
"Altar of mysteries manifold,
The sacred Circle's secret point
Thus do I sign thee as of old,
With kisses of my lips anoint."
The High Priest kisses the High Priestess on the lips, and
continues:
"Open for me the secret way,
The pathway of intelligence,
Beyond the gates of night and day,
Beyond the bounds of time and sense.
Behold the mystery aright
The five true points of fellowship...."
658
TheHigh Priestessholdsupthe chalice,andtheHigh Priestlowers
the point of his athame into the wine. Both use both of their hands for
this. The High Priest continues:
"Here where Lance and Grail unite,
And feet, and knees, and breast, and lip."
TheHigh Priesthandshis athametothe womanwitchand thenplaces
both his hands round those of the High Priestess as she holds the chalice.
He kisses her, and she sips the wine; she kisses him, and he sips the wine.
Both of them keep their hands around the chalice while they do this.
TheHighPriest thentakesthechalice fromtheHighPriestess, and
they both rise to their feet.
TheHigh Priesthands thechaliceto awoman witchwitha kiss,and
she sips. She gives it to a man with a kiss. The chalice is passed around
the Coven, man to woman, with a kiss each time, until the entire Coven has
sipped the wine. The chalice can be refilled and any one can drink from it
without repeating the ritual once the chalice has gone around once.
To consecratethe cakes,the woman picksup her athame,and the
man, kneeling before her, holds up the dish. the woman draws the Invoking
Pentacle of Earth in the air above the plate while the man says:
"O Queen most secret, bless this food into our bodies;
bestowing health, wealth, strength, joy and peace,
and that fulfillment of love that is perfect happiness."
The womanlaysdown herathameand passesthe cakestothe manwith
a kiss, he passes them back with a kiss and they are passed around the
Coven the same way the wine was. Be sure to save some of the wine and some
cake for an offering to the Earth and the Little Folk. After the
meeting,leave the offering outside of the house if working indoors, or
behind in the woods or field, when you leave if you are working outdoors.
Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert Hale 1983
(Transcribed onto computer file by Seastrider)
THE GREAT RITE ACTUAL
Preparation: the chalice should be filled with wine. A veil of at
least a yard square is needed preferably of a Goddess color such as blue,
green, silver, or white.
The Coven, except for the High Priestess and High Priest,arrange
themselves around the perimeter of the circle, man and woman alternately as
far as possible, facing the center.
The High Priestess and High Priest stand facing each other in the
center of the circle, she with her back to the altar, he with his back to
the South.
The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the
Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet,both knees, womb, both
breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. he says, as he
does this:
659
"Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways.
Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar.
Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.
Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty.
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names."
For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length-to-length,with their
feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her arms
wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips.
The High Priestess then lays herself down, face upwards,with her arms
and legs outstretched to form the Pentagram.
The High Priest fetches the veil and spreads it over the High
Priestess's body, covering her from breasts to knees. He then kneels facing
her, with his knees between her feet.
The High Priest delivers the invocation:
"Assist me to erect the ancient altar, at which in days past all
worshipped;
The altar of all things.
For in old time, Woman was the altar.
Thus was the altar made and placed,
And the sacred place was the point within the center of the Circle.
As we have of old been taughtthat the point within the center is the
origin of all things,
Therefore should we adore it;
Therefore whom we adore we also invoke.
O Circle of Stars,
Whereof our father is but the younger brother,
Marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space,
Before whom time is ashamed, the mind bewildered, and the
understanding dark,
Not unto thee may we attain unless thine image be love.
Therefore by seed and stem, root and bud,
And leaf and flower and fruit do we invoke thee,
O Queen of Space, O Jewel of Light,
Continuous on of the heavens;
Let it be ever thus
That men speak not of thee as One, but as None;
And let them not speak of thee at all, since thou art continuous.
For thou art the point within the Circle, which we adore;
The point of life, without which we would not be.
And in this way truly are erected the holy twin pillars;
In beauty and strength were they erected
To the wonder and glory of all men."
The Maiden fetches her athame from the altar and ritually opens a gate
way in the Circle. The Coven file through and leave the room. The Maiden is
the last one through and reseals the Circle. The High Priest removes the
veil from the High Priestess's body.
660
The High Priestess rises and kneels facing the High Priest. The High
Priest continues the invocation:
"Altar of mysteries manifold,
The sacred Circle's secret point
Thus do I sign thee as of old,
With kisses of my lips anoint."
The High Priest kisses the High Priestess on the lips, and continues:
"Open for me the secret way,
The pathway of intelligence,
Beyond the gates of night and day,
Beyond the bounds of time and sense.
Behold the mystery aright
The five true points of fellowship...."
"Here where Lance and Grail unite,
And feet, and knees, and breast, and lip."
The High Priest and High Priestess now have intercourse.This is a
private matter between them and none of the Coven can question them about
it. When they are done, one of them ritually opens the Circle and calls the
rest of the Coven. When they are back in the Circle, it is again sealed.
The wine is now consecrated.
A male witch kneels in front of the altar before a female witch. He
holds up a chalice of wine and she holds her athame point down and lowers
the athame into the wine. The man says:
"As the athame is to the male, so the cup is to the female;
and conjoined, they become one in truth."
The woman lays down her athame on the altar and kisses the man who
remains kneeling and she accepts the chalice from him. She sips the wine,
kisses him again and he sips, rises, and gives it to another woman with a
kiss. The chalice is passed around the Coven, man to woman, with a kiss
each time, until the entire Coven has sipped the wine. The chalice can be
refilled and any one can drink from it without repeating the ritual once
the chalice has gone around once.
To consecrate the cakes, the woman picks up her athame,and the man,
kneeling before her, holds up the dish. The woman draws the Invoking
Pentacle of Earth in the air above the plate while the man says:
"O Queen most secret, bless this food into our bodies;
bestowing health, wealth, strength, joy and peace, and that
fulfillment of love that is perfect happiness."
The woman lays down her athame and passes the cakes to the man with a
kiss, he passes them back with a kiss and they are passed around the Coven
the same way the wine was. Be sure to save some of the wine and some cake
for an offering to the Earth and the Little Folk. After the meeting,leave
the offering outside of the house if working indoors, or behind in the
woods or field, when you leave if you are working outdoors.
Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert Hale 1983
Transcribed to computer file by Seastrider.
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{file "Heal The Earth (a meditation)" "bos157.htm"}
WORLD HEALING MEDITATION By John Randolph Price
In the beginning
In the beginning God
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And God said Let there be light; and there was light.
Now is the time of the new beginning.
I am a co-creator with God, and it is a new Heaven that comes.
as the God Will of God is expressed on Earth through me.
It the Kingdom of Light, Love, Peace, and Understanding.
And I am doing my part to reveal its Reality.
I begin with me.
I am a living Soul and the Spirit of God dwells in me, as me.
I and the Father are one, and all that the Father has is mine.
In Truth, I am the Christ in God.
What is true of me is true of everyone, for God is all and all is God.
I see only the Spirit of God in every Soul.
And to every man woman and child on Earth I say:
I love you, for you are me. You are my Holy Self!
I now open my heart.
and let the pure essence of Unconditional Love pour out.
I see it as a Golden Light radiating from the center of my being.
and I feel its Divine Vibration in and through me, above and below me.
I am one with the Light.
I am filled with the Light.
I am illumined by the Light.
I am the Light of the world.
With purpose of mind, I sends forth the Light.
I let the radiance go before me to join the other Lights.
I know this is happening all over the world at this moment.
I see the merging Lights.
There is now one Light. We are the Light of the world.
The one Light of Love, Peace, and Understanding is moving.
It flows across the face of the Earth,
touching and illuminating every soul in the shadow of the illusion.
And where there was darkness, there is now the Light of Reality.
And the Radiance grows, permeating, saturating every form of life.
There is only the vibration of one Perfect Life now.
All the kingdoms of the Earth respond, and the Planet is alive with
Light and Love.
There is total Oneness, and in this Oneness we speak the Word.
Let the sense of separation be dissolved.
Let mankind be returned to Godkind.
Let peace come forth in every mind.
Let Love flow forth from every heart.
Let forgiveness reign in every soul.
Let understanding be the common bond.
And now from the Light of the world.
the One Presence and Power of the Universe responds.
The Activity of God is healing and harmonizing Planet Earth.
Omnipotence is made manifest.
I am seeing the salvation of the planet before my very eyes.
as all false beliefs and error patterns are dissolved.
The sense of separation is no more; the healing has taken place,
and the world is restored to sanity.
This is the beginning of Peace on Earth and Good Will toward all,
as Love flows forth from every heart, forgiveness reigns in every soul,
and all hearts and minds are one in perfect understanding.
It is done. And it is so.
662
{file "Healing (one method)" "bos158.htm"}
How I "Heal"
by Matrika of PAN - the Psychic Awareness Network
You asked what forms of healing people do and included things that might
not be considered healing in the usual sense. Well, one of my special
interests is Pagans in Recovery. This is a group of Pagans who are in
12-step recovery programs - Alcoholics Anonymous and other self-help groups
that are based on A.A. such as Gamblers Anonymous, Al-Anon, Narcotics
Anonymous, Overeater's Anonymous, Adult Children of Alcoholics, Emotions
Anonymous etc. etc. etc. If you can think of an obstacle in your life or
somebody else's, chances are that someone somewhere has started a 12-step
program to deal with it.
The problem is that many Pagans, Feminist Priestesses, Shamans, Druids, and
any other type of Magickal folk you can think of, often don't feel
comfortable in AA and these related groups. WHY? THe meetings CLOSE with
the Lord's prayer or the "our father" and have many Christian overtones
taken from the general culture, although they are technically supposed to
be non-sectarian in their spiritual approach. Many Pagans in these groups
find that they have trouble applying the steps of recovery in the context
of what they believe to find recovery for their specific problems. This is
particularly difficult in cases of Alcoholism and Drug addiction - and
these problems DO exist to a great degree in the Pagan/Magickal communities
- in which A.A. and Narcotics Anonymous are often the most successful
treatment approaches available to the average person and that feeling
excluded from them can mean death, insanity or jail to the person who does
not find the help they need.
While living in New England I wrote a series of articles on how to apply
the steps of recovery in a Pagan/Magickal context in HARVEST - a popular
newsletter for the Craft in that region, that is now becoming nationwide.
THe last of these was printed in Yule of 1989, just before I left to move
here. At the same time I discovered PAGANS IN RECOVERY had been formed on
a national basis in Ohio and had a list of a large number of people, as
well as nationwide contacts for networking. (Pagans in Recovery is
published for $8.00 a year - address Pagans in Recovery Newsletter c/o
Bekki 6500 S.R. 356 , New Marshfield OHIO 45766)
An interesting note is that we both started doing this work separately and
originally I also had a network called PANTHEISTS IN RECOVERY. Neither of
us had known of the others existence at the time of starting the work and
taking these names. Pantheists in Recovery has since merged with the
national network, as I saw no need to duplicate their excellent efforts.
Another interesting note is that, in my case, doing this was inspired by
J.A.C.S. - an organization for Jewish Alcoholics, Chemically dependent
people and their Significant others. It had been founded for the same
purpose by some Jewish folks in A.A. in New York City and has now spread
across the country, to Canada, and to Israel with several thousand names on
their mailing lists. These people also felt the need for support to
integrate their recovery program with their religion because they were
non-Christians.
A very special part of this extended "healing" work for me is that I have
the support of my partner Koren, the sysop of PAN, who is my partner both
in the Craft and in our lives together. Although he is not himself in any
of these recovery programs, he has been very helpful and supportive of my
work in reaching out to other Pagans who are also in these groups.
663
{file "Homeblessing (Selena Fox)" "bos159.htm"}
HOME BLESSING MAGICK
A home blessing meditation for charging a room:
o Sit Straight with palms on lap, take deep breaths, relax,
and move into a mental space where you activate your
intuitive senses,
o Imagine a cord of energy from your spine connecting you to
the Earth, and channel energy from the Earth through it,
o Silently ask for divine protection, guidance, and blessing,
o Direct your psychic sensing outward, and feel lines of
force coming out of your aura,
o Note where the strongest energy is (check out the
floor,ceiling, directions, etc), Note spots that feel empty
or dead, note places that feel full alive, focus on where
you are sitting and how you feel at that particular spot,
o Imagine a sphere of light and love energy at your heart,
feel it pulsing outward with every breath.
o Feel the radiance increase with every breath, feel your self
as a star, continue to breathe deeply and send out the
energy, letting it pulsate in the room,
o When ready, start making power sounds representing the love
and light you are channeling; use it to amplify the light
you are weaving; and fill the room with the energy,
o Then shift focus to sending a probe out into the room, and
note the differences in the quality of energy and how you feel
about it,
oRepeat if necessary,
oWhen done, feel the completeness of the work.
A room blessing involving elemental quarter invocations:
oFace each direction (with arms out in appropriate elemental
invoking gesture), and say, while channeling and visualizing
elemental power:
- Powers of (say direction),
- Powers of (say corresponding element),
- We great you, we honor you, we welcome you here!
- Watch over and bless and protect this place.
oAfter each invocation, shape the energy into columns of light
by sweeping ones arms together until they are parallel and
sweeping them up and down while channeling and shaping the
energy,
oWhen the energy is properly shaped, say so "mote it be."
oAfter you have done all four quarters, channel in spirit
energy.
To return the energy to a more mellow state while energizing
yourself, put your hands out and take in a bit of the energy into
your self from each direction, going widdershins, hold hands to
your heart and take in the energy (techniques also exist for
bringing it into a stone and retrieving it when needed).
The above was taught by Selena Fox at Esotericon V, in January
1988.
664
{file "Imbolc (Solitary Ritual)" "bos160.htm"}
SOLITAIRE IMBOLC RITUAL
by Micheal Hall
distributed by PAN - the Psychic Awareness Network -
1703-362-1139
Note - by Matrika, co-sysop - this ritual was written by someone I knew
from the Boston MA. area a couple of years back. It is based on a
combination of the lore of the Wicca and some of the afro-caribbean
diaspora traditions of Paganism and Magick.
==================================================================
On your altar should be placed a circle of 13 stones and, within the circle
of stones, a circle of 13 candles. Within the circle of candles should be
spread some maize - i.e. corn meal - and in that a waxen female candle to
symbolize the Goddess on your altar. On the eastern side of the altar
should be placed a small sheaf of grain with a candle inserted inside it.
You should dress in your usual ceremonial garb for Magickal rites or
skyclad, as you prefer.
Retire to bathe in salt-water (use sea salt) before the ritual. As you do
so picture the water cleansing the soul and spirit, just as it cleanses the
body. When you have dressed, anoint yourself with a holy oil. When you
have prepared yourself, sit in a dim quiet place and light a candle - ONE
THAT IS NOT BEING USED IN THE RITES - and meditate on how at this time of
year the Goddess in her fiery aspect AS LIGHT was welcomed back into the
Temples and the Homes of the land.
Take this candle and walk slowly to your altar. Place it in the circle of
the 13 candles. Then light the two altar candles, which are separate from
the circle of lights also, and the incense. (Incense should be stick or
powdered incense on charcoal in a swinging burner.) Then light all the
quarter candles in the 4 directions, starting in the east and going
clockwise.
cast your circle in the usual manner, but Invoke the Goddess with the
following:
"Sacred womb, giver of the secrets of Life, Mother of all that exists in
the Universe, I ask your guardianship of this gathering and your assistance
in my work. I am gathered in celebration of your gifts and my work is most
holy. SO MOTE IT BE"
and Invoke the God in the following manner:
"Fire of the sky, guardian of all that exists in the Universe, I ask your
guardianship of this gathering and your assistance in my work. I am
gathered in celebration of your gifts and my work is most holy. SO MOTE IT
BE"
(continue with the circle casting if it is not already finished)
Light the 13 candles and then the Goddess candle in the center and say:
"Warm and quickening Light
awaken and bring forth beauty
for thou art my pleasure and my bounty
LORD and LADY
OSiRIS AND ISIS" (or you may substitute whatever names your circle uses
for the God and the Goddess - or those you personally prefer)
665
Reflect a moment on the coming of the light and offer up the incense.
say
"O ancient Ones
Timeless Goddess and Sacred King who art
the heralds of springtime and it's bounties
be with me now in celebration
Hail to Osiris and Isis
Harvest giver and blessed Lady
Let this be a time and a place sacred to your power and your beauty
SO MOTE IT BE"
Light the candle in the sheaf of grain and hold it up with the loaf of
bread in the other hand and say
(or the cakes - whatever you or your tradition uses for the cakes and
wine/juice ceremony)
"My Lord and Lady, as the seed becomes the grain, so the grain becomes the
bread, Mark the everlasting value of our seasons and their changes. "
Break a piece of the bread or cakes off and burn it as an offering in the
central candle.
Then say
" IN the deepest Icy Winter the seed of the Earth lies deep within the womb
of the Great Mother. The Spring brings the heat of the Father and with
their joining comes new life. The completion of the cycle brings
food to the children of the world. As I taste the food I shall know the
wisdom of the cycles and be blessed with the food of wisdom throughout my
life"
consecrate cakes and wine/juice in the usual manner and partake of them,
but first raise your chalice or drinking horn and say
"Hail to thee ISIS
Hail to thee Osiris
For thou art blessed"
After this commune in meditation with the Lord and lady for a while, then
close the circle in your usual manner.
GOOD IMBOLC
666
{file "Hypnosis 101" "bos161.htm"}
The Perridwyn School of Hypnosis presents ...
-HYPNOSIS 101-
Hypnosis is a state offocused awareness. It issomething everyone
has experienced countless times; among instances of it are waking up or
getting absorbed in a good book. The characteristics of the state vary;
it cannot be pinpointed on an EEG and the experience is different for
everyone though there are common elements. A person can be hypnotized and
while that state be having a great time at a party; no zombie eyes no
intonations of Yeesss Massterr no wandering about with arms outstretched.
Hypnosis does not have a unique and unmistakable insignia indicating its
presence.
This is generally not the case with the PROCESS of hypnosis.
Patterns of hypnosis have been written up and used for decades. You can
find books depicting the process in bookstores and libraries. The process
is intended to create that state of focused awareness. It is this process
I wish to discuss in the remainder of this post. [Hypnosis and being
hypnotized will refer to the process should there be any confusion.]
General Considerations
Hypnosis can be thought of as a game that is binding. The rules are
initially defined by the expectations of the subject which encompasses all
their experiences with it everything they've seen on TV and old movies and
what the subject has been told about hypnosis. These rules dictate what
will and will not be effective; which inductions will and will not work;
and the conduct of the subject while in the state of hypnosis. The rules
are mutable. Debunking misconceptions demonstrations and providing more
information -- accurate or not -- will affect the rules of the game.
A professor at Stanford illustrated how greatly expectations dictate
results. The gentleman told one of his introductory psychology classes
that an unfailing indication of a hypnotized subject was that their right
arm would float upwards. The professor told another class the same thing
only in this case he specified it was the left hand that would rise. When
he hypnotized members of both classes he discovered that students responded
in accord with their expectations. The right arm of the members of the
first class did indeed rise while with members of the second class only the
left hand rose.
Inhypnosis the subject callsthe shots. Their expectations outline
the manner in which the game is to be played. The hypnotist wields no
mystical power; she and the subject have an agreement that the process of
hypnosis is conducted in a certain manner and each player behaves in a
particular way. The level at which the game is played is defined by the
rules and the degree of trust the subject feels for the hypnotist. A
mistrustful subject will be paying far more attention to what you are doing
and what you might be scheming than to what you are saying.
667
Hypnosis is useful as a catalyst. As seen above the state itself is
not too exhilarating in and of itself. The process and the applications
are what make it fun and useful. You can call on your mind's abilities to
control pain [useful]; you can play the most intense imagination game of
D&D of your life [fun].
The functionof the hypnotist is to provide a focal point and talk
their partner through evoking the intended result. The process usually
begins with a discussion of hypnosis. This is to determine the purpose of
a session debunk misconceptions get a sense of the subject's expectations
and
generally make things go easier later. The induction consists of bringing
the subject's awareness to something and keeping it focused. The
hypnotist gives suggestions to bring about the determined purpose including
any post-hypnotic suggestions. Then she guides the subject back to a
normal state of awareness.
WHAT HYPNOSIS IS NOT
- It is not sleep. The participant is thoroughly aware of their
surroundings. They may choose to ignore them. The hypnotist may ask the
subject to ignore things or to focus all attention on one idea.
- You can not get stuck in hypnosis. Either you will awaken on your own
or the state will become one of natural sleep. Sometimes a subject
requires a few more moments to return. Sometimes the subject refuses to
return. This is particularly true of stage hypnosis; if a subject feels
pissed off at the hypnotist it can be mightily gratifying to unnerve said
offending hypnotist by not responding. Even if this is the case the
subject will still either return on their own or fall asleep.
- A hypnotized person will not knowingly violate their code of ethics.
Milton Erickson messed around with this a bit and found it to be
particularly true if he made it clear that the subject was responsible for
the consequences of their actions. There are three twists here;
1. A person may do somethingseemingly unethical if it is o.k. according
to their moral standards especially if they believe being hypnotized at the
time is sufficient excuse.
2. Stage hypnotists evoke some silly behavior which might ordinarily be
contrary to the subject's code of conduct. This is a result of group
pressure of the forgivability of stage hypnosis and of the
streak of hamming it up in each of us.
3. A person can be tricked. If I am told I am in a blazing hot
desert sweating buckets and the only way to get cool is to take my shirt
off I might do that. I will not do that because I am an exhibitionist. If
I am directly told to take off my shirt first I will snap back to the here
and
now and next I will drop-kick the lech out of my house. Furthermore once
such a maneuver is recognized the hypnotist has utterly destroyed the
subject's trust and will have no further success with them.
668
NITTY GRITTY STUFF
First some things concerning speaking. The hypnotist oughtnot speak in
a monotone; not only is it unnecessary it is an annoyance. Rather she
should
make her voice congruent with what she's saying. If she is describing a
soothing walk on the beach under a restful sunset she ought not sound
hyper.
It is useful to use a particular tone of voice when hypnotizing people.
This is helpful because soon there will be an association between The Voice
and the state. In addition it means you will not inadvertently trip an
association if you use your normal speaking voice with someone whom you
see primarily for hypnosis you are apt to zone them out just by saying
Howzit goin The Voice comes with practice and you can pick it out after a
while.
There are definite reasons behind word choices. Sense words make
things more vivid; describe the colors textures and sounds associated with
that soothing walk on the beach. Repeating words and phrases helps
things sink in and adds rhythm to your patter. You may opt to say things
in a permissive way [in a moment you may picture yourself walking upon a
soothing beach; perhaps there is a glorious sunset coloring the sky crimson
and purple] or in an authoritative way [ You are walking on a beach. The
beach is soothing; it makes you more and more relaxed. Notice the glorious
sunset]. The choice of words is based on the situation the hypnotist's
style and most of all upon the personality and rules of the subject. Make
them fit.
LEVERAGE
Synonyms for this word include credibility and rapport. Leverage makes
suggestions more effective. Things that generate leverage are accurate
descriptions of present experience and accurate descriptions of future
events.
An accurate description of your present experience may be that your eyes
are moving across these words and you feel the keyboard beneath your
waiting
fingers and you feel the chair beneath you and you hear noises in the
background that you have not been paying much attention to until now.
An accurate description of future events can be that as you read these
words you will become aware of your left earlobe. Another is that when you
take your next really deep breath your hand may feel somewhat lighter.
I base my estimation of your awareness of your earlobe on the fact that
mentioning it almost inevitably makes you think about it. The second
assertion is much shakier in this context but stronger if you were being
hypnotised. Relax your hands on your lap for a moment and inhale deeply.
Notice how your shoulders rise a little and tug your arm up a little bit
Things that are bad for credibility are ability tests and blatant
contradictions of present experience. When you use an ability test you
run the risk of it not working. They do work for many people and sometimes
providing useful information but it is very difficult to recover
gracefully from an unsuccessful ability test. The participant may reach
the conclusion that they can not be hypnotized or that you are incapable of
hypnotizing them. Blatant contradiction of present experience as you
carefully scrutinize the upper left corner of your monitor you can become
aware of the little picture of a pink-and-purple hippopotamus. Riiight.
669
Now to tie these together. If you have been correct in the past few
descriptions you increase the probability you will be in the next one.
As an example presume I am being hypnotized right now. I am told about how
I feel the keyboard under my hands as my fingers dance from key to key
(correct)I glance at my scribblings to help me clarify this thought
(correct)and I hear muffled music in the background (also correct)and as
I notice these things I can feel myself becoming more and more relaxed.
The last assertion is pure speculation; there is no reason that those
things
should make me feel more relaxed and no real indication that I'm mellowing
out noticing these things. However the hypnotist has been right on three
counts so far. He has acquired a little credibility. My response is going
to be Sure he's been right so far why not now
This point is somewhat esoteric;if it makes sense fine. Ifit doesn't
or even if it does read Trance-Formations listed at the end of this post.
The authors go over this in detail and in a very skillful and clear
fashion. Let this stand the more accurate you are, so much the better; a
really incorrect statement or blatant failure is apt to be disruptive.
INDUCTIONS
The purpose of an induction is to focus awareness on something and
gradually move through to evoking the intended results. The methods are
many and varied.
Very often the focal point is relaxation. Progressive relaxation
consists of deliberately tensing and relaxing (sometimes just relaxing)
each part of the body paying attention to releasing every bit of tension.
Descriptions of soothing surroundings or experiences are also used to
produce relaxation.
Trance-Formations describes an induction utilizing points mentioned
above. It consists of sets of six statements. The first set contains five
accurate descriptions of present experience and one abstract or
unverifiable statement (... and these things make you feel more and more
relaxed ...and while you notice them you feel a sense of security ... and
strangely enough these remind you of wrecking Aunt Milllie's car). The
next set contains four present-experiences and two abstracts; then three
present-experiences and three abstracts and so on until you're dealing with
just the abstracts.
Confusion inductions consist of confusing the hell out of someone and
then providing them with an understandable option. This confusion often
consists of ambiguous statements or plays on words. Take the words right
write rite and Wright. As you right about the right brothers you realize
you have violated the rights of those whose right this is by righting with
your right instead of your left. The intended response is a huge HUH at
which point you offer an understandable option ... and that makes you feel
really silly! The option is an escape route from all that unpleasantness
and ambiguity and therefore desirable.
670
Inductions take time. It is common for an induction to take ten or
twenty minutes with a participant who has not been hypnotized much before
or is unused to your style. Signs of effectiveness the participant's
responses match your description. ... and that makes you feel really silly
may be met with a smile; depictions of relaxation are matched with visible
decreases in tension. Requests to picture scenes usually evoke rapid eye
movement. If you ask your partner to do a lot of talking you will notice
changes in their manner of speaking; it becomes quieter slower perhaps a
little less well enunciated. Depending on what you ask them to say and
how familiar you are with their normal speech patterns you may notice
differences in word choices. Subjectively you or the participant may feel
more lethargic and may experience dissociation. For me that means that I
could do a lot of things like move my hand up a few inches but it would
require so much energy and I do not think it important enough at the time
to expend that energy. Also I tend to start loosing track of where I left
my limbs (tee hee); I know they're there somewhere but don't think it
important enough to bother to relocate them.
It is desirable to make series of suggestions flow as smoothly as
possible. Choppy sentences are more apt to create tension than soothe
them. Flowing sentences encourage relaxation have better rhythm to them
and can possess more leverage.
Take these three phrases You feel the chair beneath you. You see the
text on the screen. You are becoming more relaxed than ever before.
The simplest way to connect them is with plain old conjunctions. You
feel the chair beneath you AND you see the text on the screen AND you are
becoming more relaxed than ever before.
Next step up simultaneous words. AS you feel the chair beneath youyou
see the text on the screen AND AT THE SAME TIME you are becoming more
relaxed than ever before.
The most powerful way to hook up phrases is with causal words. SINCE
you feel the chair beneath you AND BECAUSE you see the text on the screen
you are becoming more relaxed than ever before.
SUGGESTIONS CENTRAL
This is the portion of the process where you accomplish the stated
purpose; the part of the game that is binding. Suggestion styles include
the following:
- Direct suggestion. This is where you flat-out say such and such is going
to happen. When you are going to bed tonight you will feel compelled to
think of purple hippos. As soon as your head touches the pillow purple
hippos will occupy your every thought.
671
- Indirect suggestion. Comprised of visualization and storytelling.
Visualization is just mentally creating the event. It is not
restricted to just pictures; whichever senses make it more real are the
ones you should appeal to. If you know the person is oriented to one sense
more than another, describe with them. ( See the purple hippos dancing on
your quilt. Hear them thundering up the hallway. Feel the floor shake
with their every step. ) If in doubt it can't hurt to use all of them. [
Most people favor either vision hearing or kinesthics so you needn't
necessarily go into how it tastes to chow down on purple hippo. If you
were visualizing walking in a flower garden however it makes sense to
include smell. Use what is appropriate.] Picture yourself preparing for
bed. Your teeth are brushed; the sounds of traffic are hushed; and the
pillow feels delightfully cool against your cheek. As you snuggle down
under the pillows your mind turns to thoughts of purple hippos.
Storytelling is more subtle than both direct suggestion and
visualization. You relate an event or anecdote which provides a sort of
framework for conduct.
When I was a child every night as I went to sleep I would conjure up a
rainbow zoo dancing on my bed covers. First there would be the lions as
yellow as lemons. Following them were orange alligators... [blah blah blah
through blue ostriches..] And last and best of all were the purple hippos.
They were my favorite part of the procession; I looked forward to them as
soon as my head touched the pillow. And the last thoughts on my mind were
of those purple hippos cavorting on my quilt.
If it's something really strange like the above you probably wish to
attribute it to a weird cousin or obscure newspaper clipping. Lead into
these gracefully; this example might start off with bedtime rituals in
general and in the present then remembering back to bedtime rituals as a
child then into your story. ( How many people will think of purple hippos
the night after they read this)
These should be related in an appropriately serious manner. If it's
silly sound a little silly but present it as if it's important as if you
were sharing it with a friend. If you make it sound important it will be
received as such. Go gently with them too; don't holler PURPLE HIPPOS
CAVORTING ON THE QUILT. Just weave it into its surroundings. Storytelling
is best for going sideways at something for attending to integral
corollaries of the purpose. Their power is in subtlety.
- Subliminals. It is possible to mark out certain words as you say them.
You may make a certain unobtrusive gesture change pitch or loudness
slightly glance off in a certain direction -- something small enough not to
require the participant's full-blown attention but designed so they will
be able to perceive it. This is the hardest thing for me to give an
example of because it's something I have not begun to master. If you could
possibly string the words purple hippo and bedtime together in a few
sentences that make enough sense so the listener doesn't get confused and
go back to review them then you'd mark out those particular words with a
perceivable and unique action. You'd also probably want to throw in
similar words -- lavender going to sleep late-night thoughts -- to be sure
the point gets across. Trance-Formations goes over this too; if you read
it you may find it interesting to observe your own behavior during the
subliminals chapters.
672
Phrase suggestions as positively as possible. Don't think of purple
hippos is an utterly futile idea. Eating less is better put as being
content with smaller portions. Pain is a loaded word; use discomfort or
the presence of comfort instead. You get the idea.
Participants tend to take suggestions literally. One lady was told to
picture herself leaving the office then turning out the lights. When she
acted on this she left work. She then turned the lights off via the
circuit box. Telling someone .. and your husband is being a big pain in
the neck can translate into a nasty headache. If you're doing hypnosis at
night be careful with words about being wide awake when you're bringing
your partner back. Be as unambiguous as possible; be aware of literal
translations.
This is a good place to mention trance logic and literal mindedness.
Trance logic appears when the participant is really into it. Presume they
believe they speak only French. If you ask if they understand English the
reply will be Non. Do they know only French Oui. Literal mindedness
is illustrated by asking your partner if they can raise their right hand
and getting a response of Yes. Will they Yes. Now Yes.
Suggestions should be given at a pace that matches the participant's
breathing. It enhances rapport and is an acceptably leisurely pace.
Appeal to preferred senses.
If you're using hypnosis for habit modification when you're determining
the purpose of the session learn what is motivating the participant. If
the purpose were keeping up interest in exercise and the participant liked
jogging because it created a feeling of independence don't sell the virtues
of those neat suits and funky sneakers. Unless of course s/he likes them
too.
If you are confused by a response ask. Doesn't hurt a bit.
If something unexpected happens stay calm. If it's an unusual action
like drumming fingers you can ask about it. You can also incorporate it
which
acknowledges and accepts that action. And the drumming of your
fingers makes you more and more relaxed. If someone bursts into tears
suddenly stay calm. Ask why this is happening. Ask if the participant
wants to continue and respect their reply. You can incorporate that too;
... and you feel those tears washing through you cleaning away your
anger leaving you calm and serene. Unexpected interruptions and noises
are better incorporated than ignored unless you discern from a total lack
of response that they were not important enough for the participant to pay
attention to.
THERE AND BACK AGAIN
Bringing your partner back to the here-and-now is easy.
First undo any unusual suggestions that would make life unpleasant. If
you suggested numbness in a hand be sure feeling is restored. If you're
unsure do a general banishing.
Next make it clear you are concluding. And before you return to the
here and now allow yourself to bask in this feeling of relaxation.
If you look down the hall you will see a door marked EXIT.
Then conclude. When you're ready you can return to the here and now
feeling perfectly fine in every way. 1starting to return2feeling
more alert3half way there4feeling fine in every way5awake!
( Snap if you feel really showy.)
673
If your participant doesn't sit up and rub their eyes blearily within a
reasonable amount of time ( a couple minutes or as soon as you get to
awake! ) determine if they fell asleep. If they did it's a credit to
your ability to help others feel relaxed. Make certain they heard you and
know what the deal is. Restate it; if you do a count-up the best maneuver
is to leave the ball in their court and let them come back when they're
ready. If that seems to be taking an inordinate amount of time give
suggestions about feeling more alert prepared to come back. And as usual
if
you're uncertain ask!
A nice reinforcer is to gradually switch back from The Voice to your
regular voice as you conclude. With the 1-to-5 set up you might be
speaking
very quietly at one and graduate until at five your voice is somewhat
louder than usual.
Now is an excellent time to ask for feedback. Feedback will tell you
if you forgot to undo anything [ bring them back in, negate it, ask if
anything else needs undoing, bring them back out]. It will tell you how
you
can make your style more effective in general or with just this person. It
also acknowledges their part in the proceedings. If they're pissed off at
you for some inconsideration it is a good time to clear the air and
acknowledge the validity of their complaint.
REINDUCING HYPNOSIS
If you both desire to create a word, gesture, mental image, whatever
that will bring the participant back to a state of deep relaxation between
the main set of purpose-suggestions and the return is the place to do it.
Select an appropriate item; state that when this item is done AND the
participant consciously desires to return to this state of deep relaxation
that it will happen. Conscious intent prevents accidentally triggering
it.
You do NOT want it to be inadvertently activated while the participant is
driving. It might not be in their rules that they can realize the deal and
correct it; it may take vital moments for that realization to arrive; it
may take time to brush away those cobwebby feelings of deep relaxation --
don't put it to the test.
MISCELLANY
Pre-induction chats not only let you become more aware of the
participant's rules it prevents problems by letting you debunk. You might
not discover that this person believes they can reawaken only if you say
Ah-La-Peanut-Butter-Sandwiches; telling them they'll just fall asleep is a
nice margin to have.
Be trust-worthy and honorable. A gentleman tried to induce me to swig a
beer. I would not. He has been unable to hypnotise me since then; he has
lost my trust utterly. I will not risk a second chance. Not many people
will.
This is intended to be an overview of general hypnosis. There are
really weird variants that I don't know enough about to write up. [
F'rinstance --
inducing hypnosis like as in zoning people waaaaay out without formal
inductions just talking with them. NEAT!] I left out a bunch of stuff
you will find in most books on hypnosis -- history depth categories (not
necessarily useful and specifics on applications. Go to your bookstore.
674
Supplement this.
These are my rules of the Game. If you find them useful, keep them.
GOOD BOOKS
Hypnosis A Journey Into The Mind by Anita Anderson-Evangelista. The most
thorough beginning book on hypnosis the library possesses. Good stuff!
Trance-Formations by Richard Bandler and John Grinder. Kind of esoteric,
but really neat techniques and approaches.
Frogs Into Princes, also by Bandler and Grinder. Provides information on
sense preferences, keywords, and rapport. Does not deal with hypnosis per
se but the information within applies.
Tapes or live sessions are useful for helping you pick up the pattern of
patter. They can provide new approaches and effective ways to say things.
THINGS I THOUGHT TO ADD IN THE WEE HOURS OF THE NIGHT
Presuppositions also possess leverage. A presupposition offers achoice
on the surface and at the root of it is a fundamental Given. Would you
prefer to go into a light or deep trance - the given is that the state
will manifest and it is also presumed that the participant is capable of
deeper degrees.
An induction related to the Confusion technique is overloading. Direct
the participant's awareness to as many things as possible. The human mind
can only attend to so many things; given too many it will start to withdraw
or cut down. Offer suggestions regarding relaxation along with pointing
out that they can perceive X while thinking of K. Kind of the same
principle as the confusion technique.
Another way to reinduce a hypnotic state is to ask the participant to
recall one. To answer your questions especially very specific questions
your partner re-accesses that state goes into it a little bit. Or a lot.
Depends on the person and memory. If you're working with the same person
you can ask them to review the last session. If your partner has been
hypnotised before you can ask questions about what the hypnotist said how
they were seated or lying down did the hypnotist talk in a slow drawling
manner or in an intense steady one what did s/he say what did the
participant find most effective -- anything pertaining to recreating the
experience is fine. Then you can gracefully start an induction. Ok while
you're still recalling how pleasant it was to be so deeply relaxed why
don't
you just let your eyes close.
675
ADDENDA
When you're giving the main set of suggestions repetition of the main
points is helpful. Drives the ideas home. You may wish to ask if the
suggestions were well understood from time to time.
Whenyou're giving suggestions in generalwatch the participant carefully
especially if you're describing something. You want to be on the alert for
a negative response (handy word comes fastest to mind). If you're
describing something that's really loaded, unpleasant, or plain too weird
you can see it by the participant's responses. Clenched hands tension
around the jaw hunched shoulders tensing up in general; these and anything
you recognize as a negative response are things to look out for. If you
are describing the participant as swimming in the ocean and they are phobic
of water or if Jaws is on their mind you will know it by these indicators.
Your choices are to gracefully offer alternatives (... or if you prefer
you can find yourself in a forest glade) or to inquire.
676
{file "Taleisin's thoughts" "bos162.htm"}
Taliesin
Subject:witchcraft & Prayer
Jrohr states that"Magic to a witch is the same thing as prayer to
a Christian" Then jrohr goes on to say"A witch would use magick in
the form of a spell or a circle to focus the power of mind that is
within us all."
Magick is not the same thing as prayer!Prayer is not used to focus
the power of mind that is within us all.Prayer is sent to outside
forces.The benefits are attributed to whatever god or gods the
supplicant believes in.It is also used without much hope of success.
It is considered "God's will",no matter whether your god is benevolent
or a zealous tyrant.I'm speaking in general about religions,not just
christianity.
If a ritual\{such as the one's described\}were being used to augment
the psychic abilities of us all,given that they exist,I fail to see
in what way it would be related to prayer,religion,or any sort of
spirituality.
If a spell or circle were being used to achieve the desired results
by calling on gods or goddesses in a carefully proscribed way,intending
to enforce their aid,willing or not,to enforce you will,I would not
call that prayer either.
I have read the Mists of Avalon.I thought it was a very interesting
book,both for her ideas on religion and feminism.I think it helps
make witchcraft very attractive as a religion.But is it really a religion?
Is it a science based on natural abilities?What is the role of magic
in witchcraft?
Many people object to witchcraft from a religious point of view.It
doesn't fit their beliefs or cultural biases.Others object to it
from a scientific point of view because they don't believe in magic.
Is a belief in magic necessary to embrace witchcraft as a religion?
Is a belief in religion \{i.e.faith,mysticism,enlightenment\}necessary
for the practice of the craft\{magick\}?
677
Subject: What the occult is (or may be)
As a practicing witch (and I do need the practice!) I simply cannot allow
a charge (as I saw it) of Satanism to go unanswered. I don't know if
the guy was trying to be funny or what, but it did get some discussion
going, so that's something.
What I was trying to get at (reading it back) was just how little
the occult has to do with religion. Most of the occult is tied
up in religious beliefs, true, but then so was most of science back
before the Renaissance and Copernicus. Before then, the greatest
. If we begin to treat the occult the same
way we would treat investigations int o physics or biology, then we
Parapsychologists are studying
occult and psychic phenomena, and coming up with some very interesting
results. True, they have not been able to definitively prove or dis-
prove anything, but please keep in mind that they are working under
a tremendous social attitude that "there's some reasonable explanation
for all of this." I think, that given the nature of this particular
conference, we can make the assumption that occult and psychic phen-
omena exist, and can be worked with at a practical level., and therefor
we can go from there. (Something I picked up from religion class...
to keep people from nit-picking over minutiae, you list your assumptions
at the top of the page.)
So there we are. THE OCCULT EXISTS. The next step is to come up
with a satisfactory definition. To me, the occult consists of the
entire set of ritual and ritualized behaviors intended to promote
a particular psychic or psychological result. This can range from
ritual magic (Beltaine gatherings and the Catholic mass) to personal
rituals intended to help you get through an ordeal (sports figures
preparing to go into a game, or me preparing to receive a shot.).
to receive a shot).
These rituals (for lack of a better word, forgive) result in a
change in state, of the people involve as well as possibly a
d and possibly in the world
around (if such was the intent.)
That may not satisfy you. Remember that at this stage, definitions
are a highly personal thing., rather like your own personal philosophy.
I also write this under trying circumstances (a friend is loudly
championing her views as I type).
A word about bookstores. Remember, bookstores cater to the public,
and try to keep anything controversial off the shelves. Unless they
are occult bookstores, DO NOT TRUST THE SUBJECT HEADINGS. Be careful
what you buy. Flub and bunnies Shirley McLaine is next to The Necro-
nomicon is next to 1400 Ways to Read Your Future in an Ordinary Deck
of Playing Cards is next to... You get my meaning. Your best bet
is to find a book someone else has read and liked and to special
order it. It may be more expensive, but you know what you are getting.
678
It seems that throughout history different words have been given meanings
that are not really what they mean. The word "occult" is one of them. The
word as Jezebel pointed out means "hidden" or "secret". In fact early
christianity was a "occult religion" (I find it interesting and sad that a
religion that was so persecuted in its infancy has turned around and in its
power persecuted other victim of bad press. The word "witch" and "faggot"
are other examples. Did you ever wonder where that word fag come from??
Well its because they used to burn the homosexuals before that witches
(hence "flaming faggot") To a Brit the word means " a small thatch of
kindling" I could go on but I will spare you all.... Please keep in mind
that language is a powerful thing.
Enough of my babblings..end note.. I personally hope for the day when
people can reach a level of open mindedness that no positive religion must
be hidden or secret and must spend all this time and energy saying what
they are NOT.
By the way speaking as a future librarian, most bookstores need to have a
intensive course in cataloging. I, who can find my way around Watson with
no problem get lost at Town Criers!!
Subject: witchcraft
I hope this helps to clarify a few points. Magick to a witch is basically
the same thing as prayer is a christian..again evidence of language. A
witch
would use magick in the form of a spell or circle to focus the power of the
mind that is within us all. For example I have a object that when I feel
some real negative energy I concentrate that energy and "put" it into the
object then I ground out the object... another example is the burning of
loveletters after the relationship has gone away. This is a way of purging
the focusing. What I want to stress is that Wicca is the religion and
witchcraft is the practice. A good book to read is Marion Zimmer Bradleys
"The Mists of Avalon". It is basically a retelling of the Arthurian Legend
though the eyes of the women. It gives a good feel of the spirit of Wicca
and its conflict with the church (notice I said church not Christ) In fact
Morgaine says "I have no quarrel with the christ only his priests" Please
keep in mind that the book descriptions of the rituals are what it might
have been like in the 6th century Witches celebrate the holidays in a more
modern manner. Just as the christians celebrate edited versions of the
original mass.
Subject: RE:What occult is
I don't think that I can leave Jezebel's basic assumptions unchallenged.
I don't think that they are the minutiae but rather the basics of this
discussion.
I still think that you are stirring religion,mysticism,parapsychology,
and magic into one large cauldron of ideas and beliefs.It's rather more
clear to me that your definition of "occult"is closer to my definition of
magic. I'm not at all sure that you can give magic \{or magic\}the
categorization of a science.
Let's start with parapsychology.Parapsychologists do not consider their
field as having anything to do with the occult.They feel the same way about
being confused with magic or witchcraft\{or ufology or cryptozoology or
fortune-telling,etc.\}as witches do about being confused with Satanists.
They're having a difficult enough time being accepted as a legitimate
science as it is,due to the subjective and elusive nature of "psi"and
it's inability to be reconciled with what we know to be true of"normal"
679
laws of nature.
Their are three main areas of paranormal study.Informational psi
\{telepathy,clairvoyance,precognition,retrocognition\},expressive psi
\{psychokinesis and related effects\}and survival-related experiences.
These are rather arbitrary divisions since it is often impossible
to determine which category of psi may be in effect.
If we have the given that people have psi experiences in all cultures
and that they are a common and normal part of human experience although
difficult to understand,it still requires a large conceptual leap to
conclude that one could influence their world through the use of magick
or ritual.
Witchcraft also has much to do with religion.Many religions have promoted
and accepted the inborn psi abilities of people,often without the trappings
or belief system associated with ritual magic.In fact,one anthropological
division made between magic and religion is the idea that religions use
prayer\{politely asking the god or gods to intercede on their behalf]and
magic uses ritual designed to coerce or persuade the gods to act\{or,if
you prefer,the universe to change itself to suit you.\}Either way,both of
these things are quite different from the idea that people can sometimes
know or do things in ways that are as yet inexplicable,but will someday
be known.
If you accept the presence of psi as an innate human ability,it still
doesn't prove the existence of any god or gods,the efficacy of magic or
magical laws or rules.It doesn't justify one belief system over any others
although I can understand the temptation to point to PK and say,"see,people
can move things with their minds,therefore magic works."
What would be a good example of proof that their is something to"the
craft"in witchcraft?I don't know.Maybe jezebel or jrohr can answer that.
Does the acceptance of the existence of magic justify a belief in witch-
craft as a religion?I don't think so.I think that is an entirely
different concept.If witchcraft is a religion at all,a belief in magic
would just be another part of that religion,although it may be necessary
to it.
RE: what do we worship?
No, we do not worship Satan! The occult (the word means "hidden")
was a perfectly legitimate field of study among the Magi before and
during the Renaissance. But with the birth of "science", notably
physics and chemistry (from alchemy), the study of the occult fell
into disfavor because it couldn't be "proved" in the same way that
the "hard" sciences can. Remember, the driving quest of the alchemists
was to discover how to turn lead into gold. That is now possible.
It's not easy, but it's now possible. the study of the occult has
been revived and renamed "parapsychology", and there are serious,
documented cases of telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, the
existence of ghosts, etc.. So there is some scientific (unless
you don't consider psychology to be science) evidence of "supernatural"
phenomena, which may prove to be a set of very natural occurrences
after all.
680
If you are studying the occult as a non-scientist, you are probably
studying ways in which a person can expand her own psychic powers.
Religion has little to do with it! Admittedly, the Christian church
attempts to discourage people from experimenting, but the Jewish
tradition has a splendid tradition of occult study in the Caballah.
It is important to realize that the occult is a tool by which many
things can be accomplished. THE OCCULT IS NOT EVIL IN AND OF ITSELF!
A hypodermic needle, for instance, can cause great harm, by being used
to inject poison or intravenous drugs (and helping the spread of such
diseases as hepatitis and AIDS.) But a needle can also be used to
inject vaccines, and antibiotics, and none considers banning needles
simply because of the potential harm they can "do". The same is true of
the occult. It is not the fact of its use that is important, it is
rather the use to which it is put. An evil action is an evil action,
whether it is by spell or by physical means. The Wiccans have but one
law: An it harm none, do as you will. The Wiccans are also great users
of positive magic.
For a good, non religious look at the occult and its potential, I
suggest Marian Weinstein's book POSITIVE MAGIC. I found it at
Adventure here in lawrence, and I understand it can also be gotten
through Lamplighter Books.
Subject: What is the "occult"?
I'm sorry,jezebel,but your reply to "guest"left me a bit confused.
Are you trying to define occult,or defend and rationalize belief
in the paranormal,or give a discourse on the ethics of the use of
ritual magic?
It seems to me that there are several issues here\{admittedly,none
of which have anything to do with devil worship\}."Occult" is a very
catch-all term.It seems to have been used for everything from
the Necronomicon to Shirley McClaine.\{Have you ever looked in the "occult
section"of your local bookstore?"\}
I"d really be interested in seeing more conversation on these
subjects.
Subject: occult
Well, Melisande beat me to it - I too felt that jezebel had magic and the
occult confused. The occult concerns those forces/phenomena not explained
by science (if/when they are explained they won't be "hidden" anymore,
right?). Magic is the ritual manipulation or use of these forces. Psi is a
group of related forces (which may or may not be used in a magical sense).
Religion is not necessarily associated with any of the above. HOWEVER,
belief in "supernatural" forces is just that, *belief*, and if you believe
that when you practice magic, you affect people/the world about you, then
you are accepting belief in these "supernatural" forces. I feel that this
belief presupposes a "religion" of sorts. I.e. if you hold an unfounded
belief (not supported by science) then you have "faith" and "faith" begets
"religion". So, can there be such a thing as an atheistic witch?
Go ahead, blast away. This was intended to provoke some comment!
All of the above represent my own opinions which are subject to change
without notice.
681
Subject: inspection
There is a world of difference between a little inspection and outright
dissection. It seems to me that people must have "proof" in order for
something to be considered valid. That is the point that I am trying to
get across. Education is a good tool for showing people every side of
an issue. But if their faith (not some half-baked preacher) tells them
that something is wrong or right that also is valid. The issue is
freedom of choice (sound familiar??) Although this person may feel one
way, he/she has no right to impose that on another person. The country
that we live in is based on the separation of church and state. Period.
Is a person truly believes that witches are evil and after been presented
with our point of view still believes this that is his right. But that
person does not have the right to take the freedom from another person
I guess that what i am trying to say in a long-winded fashion is TOLERANCE
is needed on both parties. Why can't we live and let live as long as
there is no harm being done.
Subject: 'occult' -- religion vs prayer vs magick
I, and several other posters, have thus far been playing in the shallows of
this interest area; I'm not the only one who's been avoiding the deeper
issues here set afloat. I understand the relevance of getting the basics
out in the open, where we may discuss them; I admire honest curiosity;
and I respect most sincerely the desire to understand each other's points
of view. So: All right, Melisande! I'll swim out to meet your questions
trusting to some of that faith in Providence that I'll not stray too far
off the course of logic nor yet be caught by the undertow of over-reaction.
But help me out if I start to stray *too* far from solid ground, hey?
jrohr is quite right in pointing out that language is a powerful tool. It
can be a powerful nuisance also, at times. I doubt that any two or three
of us share precisely the same definitions -- both in denotation and
connotation -- for any randomly chosen set of words. That is in the nature
of human thought, and thus of human language; and I think it is no bad
thing, in itself. I would find it very boring to see the world always
through the same eyes as everyone else, with no more sudden surprises nor
the delicious strangeness of another's way of seeing. I've always
preferred predictability in moderate doses only. Generally our
definitions have enough common ground that we can communicate well enough;
when we fail to quite understand what is meant, we certainly ought to ask!
And indeed we have some slippery terms before us -- religion, magick,
prayer. I've thought on my own meanings for these, and reached somewhat of
the premises and beliefs underlying them. I do feel them to be separate
and different things. Sam, your input regarding faith, belief in the
irreproducible and unprovable, strikes a very loud chord. And by my
definition, to be 'religiously' scientific is to accept the results and
some of the method of science on faith -- as those who believe that psi
cannot exist 'scientifically', considering not the difficulties of proving
a negative hypothesis. But to me faith is a necessary but NOT sufficient
condition; I've put off entering this discussion largely because the other
half of my understanding of religion is difficult to articulate. To me,
religion must have also an element of worship, of appreciation or love
for the object of that faith, removed from all expectations of gain or
profit. Prayer can be an act of worship -- but "Oh Deity or Deities, in
your infinite wisdom and grace and general wonderfulness, could you
possibly assist your humble servant?" is not in that category, while "Hey,
nice universe you got here, God(ess)(es), really awesome work, like wow"
is.
682
Prayer to me is essentially an attempt to communicate with the object of
faith and worship. (By the bye, I'm sorry if 'object of etcetera' is
beginning to wear on you all, but I do believe that the object of worship
and subject of religion may take any number of forms for any number of
people.) Prayer can attempt to communicate only faith or worship, or it can
attempt to communicate a desire or request. But as a purely communicative,
not an active, phenomenon, prayer cannot guarantee results, nor promise
miracles. If there really are a bunch of Christian pro-lifers out there
praying for the death of a pro-choice judge (I read that somewhere, but
I've no idea if it's a real-world example), they may be disappointed if
s/he doesn't die off soon, but it is an outcome they are prepared to
accept.
Magick, on the other hand, is an attempt to DO something. A properly
structured spell performed under the right conditions is expected to have
certain results. Granted that there's more art than science to it, it has
still that element of expected repeatability, and of action. Magick may
certainly have a place in religion, and it may play an important role. For
example, when a clergymember of a faith that takes the literal view of the
sacrament of the eucharist performs that rite, he or she is indeed
performing a magickal act. I'll grant you freely that I have my doubts
about the cookies and grape juice really truly transubstantiating
themselves into flesh and blood, and frankly I'd not care to partake if I
did believe it. (Just squeamish, I suppose!). But that's not the issue.
The issue is that it is real to the person doing this, and that he (or she)
expects it to happen -- nay, KNOWS that it will happen, if the thing is
done correctly. The rationale for this expectability can vary -- to said
clergymember, it's a matter of right, and a promise made, and a covenant
agreed to. All perfectly reasonable reasons to expect it to work, in the
framework of that belief.
It can just as well be rooted in a belief that the operator is exercising
some natural ability, just as s/he might push a car or dial a telephone on
a more mundane level -- although in the latter case, the magick need not be
part of a religion. (By this definition, psi may be treated as magick --
my apologies to any parapsychologists out there, in advance!) It could be
derived, to the practitioner, from a bargain or from some aspect of the
laws of the universe that allows him/her to coerce a power to act. I
follow beliefs that do somewhat concern me regarding the source of the
expectability in magick; but we should perhaps discuss that separately, if
anyone wishes to, after we have agreed on definitions of terms. The
current point, for me, is that the rationale behind it doesn't make it
magick; it's the presence of that rationale, whatever it is, combined with
the fact that the operator expects results.
Now, then. Here are my definitions, and several of my precepts, as best I
understand them. What do the rest of you think concerning them? Do you
differ on some points? Which ones, and why, and precisely how? Do you
feel that I've missed something? And again, where, in what manner, and
why? Do you found your definitions from other lines of thought entirely?
Once more, what are those lines of thought, exactly how do they treat the
subjects to hand, and why do you feel that way about it?
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Whether you agree or disagree, I would like to read of it. I would like to
know if we are stymied by essentially different views on how the world
works, or merely each by our own assumptions of what the other means. If
any feel threatened by this invitation to investigate further, my
apologies: I intend none, nor do I perceive any in this request (or
Melisande's, or Sam's). The one who does not care to examine his beliefs
is trapped is as narrow a world as he who declines to dream of anything
intuitive and irreproducible in his philosophy: a world view that can't
stand to be looked at once in a while makes a very poor window indeed to
view the world through! Some of you have said you are active in Wicca or
the craft; I'm curious to know if you were raised in the craft? If not,
what belief system did you grow up in? Didn't you look at those beliefs,
new and old both, before you chose your path? Don't be afraid to continue
thinking, then, and to continue to examine what you believe and why.
Subject: witchcraft
I really must stick to my statement that a spell is very much like a
prayer. The diffusion of stems from magick bringing about a altered state
of consciousness. I would not say that they are identical. Each form fits
the needs of the population that uses it.
There are some who say that science is a religion..If I could answer why
people need that facet in their life i would win the Nobel...I can answer
only for myself. Why must we dissect things in order to understand them?? I
have seen more things torn apart because of human fear. Why can't we as
Starhawk says "dare to dream the dark" Living in such a technological and
hard scientific world (as I sit a terminal <GRIN>) i find some solace in
that there are things that man can not define to his(or her) satisfaction.
Thus perhaps the basis for the place of religion.
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{file "Magick Vs. Prayer (Salgamma)" "bos163.htm"}
Magick Vs. Prayer
One of the questions brought up on MagickNet was the difference between
Magick and prayer, and how this ties into the scheme of things in general.
Well, I feel that prayer and magick are only loosely connected. In prayer,
a person pleas with their deity for assistance. Energy wise, the person
praying is asking that something be changed, and believes that the request
will result in a change.
In magick, we use ourinner energy, combined with earthly andelemental
energy and Deity energy, and send this forth do accomplish the goal of our
spell. I think it's like "breaking" in the game of pool. We are
controlling stick (our spell), while we gather the energy to push the
stick/spell. Our Cone Of Power is like the cue ball, and the racked balls
are the target, which effects a change (breaks, or the goal of our spell)
from the force of our energy. There may be a point where prayer becomes a
type of magick (or, a psychic event) if the person knows of the personal
energies involved, and releases them with the prayer.
I feel that aprayer works the opposite way. The prayer is arequest to
effect a change in the ambient energy and invoke God (using the Christian
form). This change in energy is slower because it is "diluted" in the
surrounding energy and depends solely on faith ("I believe it will happen,
so it will").
Am I out in left field or just being redundant? I forgive if I'm
"running at the mouth". Now I'll try and tie in Parapsychology. Magic and
psi are very closely related in that (aside for leaving out the 'k' in
magicK) the same form of energy is used. It's just on a different
'frequency'. When I do an object reading or empathic reading on
someone/thing, I'm receiving a type of energy. When I send a Cone of
Power, I'm using the same type of energy, but on a (higher?) wavelength and
with greater force and higher power. Grounding negative feelings is an
example of converting one form to the other. Auric healing is the
opposite. So, I feel the energies are inter-changeable. I ask, as
Elsbeth has, "What do you think of THIS?" As someone stated before, the
definitions we are trying to define and clarify are our own, much like our
beliefs- our own. We are trying to find, I believe, common ground between
the nuances of our definitions and beliefs.
Blessed Be!
Salgamma
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{file "Dying God (Ammond ShadowCraft)" "bos164.htm"}
The Sacrificial God man
Ammond Shadowcraft
How did the Christian mythos arise? Where did it come from?
The Christian myth is almost totally Pagan in origin. I used to
thinkthat anythingoutside theJudeo/Christian/Moslem BeliefSystem or
worldview was Pagan. Such is not the case.
Thetwomain featuresofthe CBSarethe EucharistandSacrifice of
a God man. These two features were well known and well loved by Pagan
mystery cults centuries before the Christian Cults integrated them
into the Gospels.
The Eucharist goes way back into history and is based upon the
ritual consumption of the God man. Osiris, Dionysus, Attis and many
others were ritually consumed. The practice dates back to prehistory
when a human sacrifice was identified with the God (perhaps a
Vegetative God) and was sacrificed and eaten. Over the ages human
sacrifice was found detestable. Animals were then substituted and
sacrificed as the ritual identifier of the God which was then followed
by grain offerings, breads shaped into the form of the God, sometimes
in the shapes of natural items (sun, moon, etc.).
The mythos of the Jewish Christ integrated this practice into it's
mysteries. There is strong reason for this. For some 200 plus years
before the time recorded for Jesus the Greeks and their mystery cults
invaded and changed Israel for all time. A war was instituted to
diminish or wipeout theHellenizing influence. Partof theHellenizing
influence was an effort to update or change the Jewish religion to
something more applicable to the times. After the Maccabbees War the
Hellenizing cultist were driven underground; right to the heart of the
Jewish mystical culture. Hence the Greek influence upon the myth of
Jesus.
The sacrifice of the God man (Jesus, Attis, Adonis, Osiris) was a
well known and well loved feature also. In fact it was necessary to
have a willing sacrifice before a Eucharist could be performed. When
the sacrifice was not willing the legs and sometimes arms of the
sacrifice were broken to make it look like the sacrifice was willing
(not struggling against the sacrificers). Jesus was a willing
sacrifice.
Images of Attis (Tammuz/Dummuzi) were nailed or impaled upon a pine
tree. The Jews knew this and wrote "Cursed is he who hangs upon a
tree." A goat was substituted for a boy in sacrifice to Dionysus at
Potniae and a hart for a virgin at Laodicea. King Athamas had been
called upon to sacrifice his first born son by the Delphic Oracle,
Melenloas sacrificed two children in Egypt when stayed by contrary
winds; three Persian boys were offered up at the battle of Salamis. It
was only inthe time of Hadrianthat the annualhuman sacrifice toZeus
was abolished at Salamis in Cyprus. The God man Jesus was hung upon a
tree;he was also thelamb of God.As such the sacrificeand Eucharist
of the God man Jesus is purely Pagan in origin.
686
Part of the older Pagan sacrifices was in the King sacrificing his
only begotten son. Jesus was the only begotten son of the King of
Israel, sacrificed to take away the sins of the world. This practice
was overturned in the myth of Abraham and Issac when it was found
detestable andinjurious to thetribe or kingdom.Yet the Godman Jesus
wassacrificed in the flesh.This was done to appealto the underground
Greek mystery cults who had much in common with the Jewish Christian
Cultist.
"During centuries of this evolution, the Jewish people tasted many
times thebitterness ofdespair and theprofound doubt denouncedby the
last of the prophets. In periods when many went openly over to
Hellenism, it could not be but the ancient rites of the Semitic
race were revived, as some are declared to have been in earlier times
oftrouble. Among therites of expiationand propitiation, nonestood
traditionally higher than the sacrifice of the king, or the king's son.
The Jews saw such an act performed for them, as it were, when the
Romans under Anthony, at Herod's wish, scourged, crucified [lit. bound
to stake], and beheaded Antigonous, the last of the Asmonean priest
kings in 37 B.C." _Pagan_Christs_ page 44,45 by J. M. Robertson
ThemodeofsacrificewaspredeterminedbypreviousPagan doctrine.
The type of sacrifice was also predetermined by Pagan doctrine. Both
the sacrifice of the king, and the king's son were incorporated into
the Gospel myth.The God man Jesusis both the Kingof the Jews andthe
son of God, the king of Israel.
As stated before the sacrifice of the king or king's son was found
injurious to the state. Before animal and grain sacrifices, criminals
and prisoners of war were substituted. Yet the criminal had to be
identified with the king. This was done by putting royal robes on the
sacrifice and parading the sacrifice around, calling it the king.
"The number three was of mystic significance in many parts of the
East. The Dravidians of India sacrificed three victims to the Sun-god.
Inwestern as ineastern Asia, thenumber three wouldhave its votaries
in respect of trinitartian concepts as well as the primary notions of
'the heavens,the earth,and theunderworld.' Traditionally,the Syrian
rite called for a royal victim. The substitution of a criminal for the
king or kings son was repugnant, however, to the higher doctrine that
thevictim be unblemished.To solve thisproblem oneof the malefactors
was distinguished fromthe other criminalsby a ritual ofmock-crowning
and robing in the spirit of 'sympathetic magic'. By parading him as
king, and calling the others what indeed they were, it was possible to
attain the semblance of a truly august sacrifice." _Pagan_Christs_, by
J.M. Robertson page 45
There is nothing in this mythos that did not originate in other
cultures.
"We can only conclude that the death ritual of the Christian creed
was framed in a pagan environment and embodies some of the most
widespread ideas of Pagan religion. the two aspects in which the
historic Christ is typically presented to his worshipers, those of his
infancy and death, are typically Pagan." _Pagan_Christs_ by J.M
Roberts, page 52.
What about the man Jesus then? Was he divine? Did he exist? Is/was
687
he the Savior?
Most, if not all, of the Christian Belief System is Pagan in
origin. It is indeed hard to force oneself to believe that Jesus is
the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God when such titles were readily
copied from Pagan doctrine. Perhaps the only item not borrowed from
Pagan sources was the Messiah concept. That, of course, was taken from
the Jewish hysteria of the time. In the siege of Jerusalem in 72 C.E.
there were some18 Messiahs insideJerusalem alone. Neitherthe Godman
Jesus nor the self proclaimed militant messiahs saved Jerusalem. Such
was the measure of hysterical superstition upon the nation of Israel.
"There is not a conception associated with Christ that is not
common to some or all of the Savior cults of antiquity. The title
Savior was given in Judaism to Yahweh; among the Greeks to Zeus,
Heilos, Artemis, Dionysus, Hercales, the Dioscurui, Ceybele and
Aesculapius. It is the essential conception of Osiris. So, too, Osiris
taketh away sin, is the judge of the dead and of the last judgment.
Dionysus, the Lord of the UnderWorld and primarily a god of feasting
('the Son of Man commeth eating and drinking'), comes to be conceived
as the Soul of the World and the inspirer of chastity and self
purification.[J. M. Robertson maybe referring toAttis here.] From
the Mysteries of Dionysus and Isis comes the proclamation of the easy
'yoke'. Christ not only works the Dionysiac miracle, but calls himself
the 'true vine.'"
"Like Christ, and like Adonis and Attis, Osiris and Dionysus also
suffer and die and rise again. To become one with them is the mystical
passion of their worshippers. They are all alike in that their
mysteries give immortality. From Mithraism Christ takes the symbolic
keys of heaven and hell and assumes the function of the virgin-born
Saoshyant, the destroyer of the Evil One. Like Mithra, Merodach, and
the Egyptian Khousu, he is the Mediator; like Khousu, Horus and
Merodach, he is one of a trinity, like Horus he is grouped with a
Divine Mother;like Khousu heis joined tothe Logos; andlike Merodach
he is associated with the Holy Spirit, one of whose symbols is fire."
"In fundamentals, therefore, Christism is but paganism reshaped. It
is only the economic and doctrinal evolution of the system--the first
determined byJewish practice andRoman environment, the secondby
Greek thought--that constitutesnew phenomena in religious history."
_Pagan__Christs_ by J.M. Robertson pages 52,53
No religion develops in a vacuum. All religions are influenced not
only by it's predecessors but by the contemporaries of the time also.
Such is the nature of Christism yesterday and today.
Now about Jesus the man, did he exist? I think not. All the
teaching of Jesus can be attributed to other sources and grafted over
the Gospel myth. Nothing he said was substantially different in any way
from previous sayings. Jesus was not a man but a contrived myth.
688
"The Christian myth grew by absorbing details from pagan cults. The
birth story is similar to many nativity myths in the pagan world. The
Christ had to have a Virgin for a mother. Like the image of the
child-godin the cultof Dionysus, hewas pictured inswaddling clothes
in a basket manger. He was born in a stable like Horus--the stable
temple of the Virgin Goddess, Isis, Queen of Heaven. Again , like
Dionysus, he turned water into wine, like Aesculapius, he raised men
from the dead and gave sight to the blind; and like Attis and Adonis,
he is mourned and rejoiced over by women. His resurrection took place,
like that of Mithra, from a rock tomb."
The man Jesus did not exist. There are however sources that speak
of others seeing him. These were secondhand sources. No direct
observations were made. Atone time oranother we haveall had avision
of Deity in our minds. Such is the sight of Jesus, a mental image.
What of the Gospels then? They are passion plays designed to be
read or acted out in front of an audience. Passion plays were a common
feature of pagan religion. Looking at the Gospels themselves one finds
a choppilywritten, scene byscene, display of thelife of theGod man.
Only the important aspects of his life are described. The minor events
and influences of the life of Jesus are not recorded, which leaves one
to think that the Gospels are indeed a play.
"When we turn from the reputed teaching of Jesus to the story of
his career, the presumption is that it has a factual basis is so
slenderas to benegligible. The Churchfound it sodifficult to settle
the date ofits alleged founder's birththat the Christian erawas made
to begin someyears before the year which chronologistslatter inferred
on the strength of other documents. The nativity was placed at the
winter solstice, thus coinciding with the birthday of the Sun-god. And
the date for the crucifixion was made to vary from year to year to
conform to the astronomical principle which fixed the Jewish Passover.
[The Passover is moon based, an already familiar pagan method of
cyclic, monthly dating.]In between thebirth anddeath of Jesus,there
is analmost total absence ofinformation except about thebrief period
of his ministry. Of his life between the ages of twelve and thirty we
know nothing. There are not even any myths. It is impossible to
establish with any accuracy the duration of the ministry from the
Gospels. According to the tradition it lasted one year, which suggests
that it was either based on the formula 'the acceptable year of the
Lord', or on the myth of the Sun-god." _Pagan_Christs_ by J.M.
Robertson, page 68
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{file "Gnosticism" "bos167.htm"}
A Shared Vision
by
D. M. DeBacker
June 23, 1988 11:36 PM
Gnosticism is a religious/philosophical tradition that began
sometime in the last century before the present era1. The word
"tradition" should be stressed because one of the tenets of
Gnosticism is that of a general disdain for authority or
orthodoxy. The Gnostics adhered to a belief in strict equality
among the members of the sect; going so far as to chose the role
of priest by drawing lots among the participates at gnostic
gatherings2. They also stressed direct revelation through dreams
and visions and an individual interpretation of the revelations
of fellow Gnostics and sacred scriptures.
The Greek word gnosis (from which we have "Gnosticism") and
the Sanskrit bodhi (from which we have "Buddhism") have exactly
1 see J.M. Robinson, Introduction, in The Nag Hammadi
Library (New York, 1977); hereafter cited as NHL, for a general
discussion of the origins of Gnosticism.
2 Pagels, Elaine; The Gnostic Gospels;(New York, 1979); p 49
1
695
the same meaning. Both gnosis and bodhi refers to a knowledge
that transcends the knowledge that is acquired through means of
empirical reasoning or rational thought; it is intuitive
knowledge derived from internal sources. To the Gnostic this
knowledge is necessary for salvation3.
"I say, You are gods!"
-John 10:34
The Gnostic sects were essentially eschatological; concerned
with salvation, with transcendence from the world of error (as
opposed to sin) towards a knowledge of the Living God, who is
knowable only through revelationary experience. The object of
gnosis is God- into which the soul is transformed monistcally.
This notion of assimilation into a divine essence is known in
Gnostic Circles as "immanentizing the Eschaton"4.
"Christ redeemed us from the Curse of the Law."
-Gal.3:13
3 Barnstone, Willis, ed.; The Other Bible; (San Francisco,
1984); p 42
4 Wilson, Robert A.; The Illuminati Papers; (Berkely, 1980);
p 46
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The Gnostic defiance towards authority took on many levels.
They developed an elaborate cosmogony, in defiant opposition to
traditional Jewish and Christian beliefs. For the Jew and
Christian, it was a good, though authoritarian, god that created
Adam and Eve. It was through their own sin that they fell into
corruption. Yet for the Gnostic, the creator was not good at all,
rather he became known to the Gnostics as the Demiurge1, a
secondary god below Sophia, Mother Wisdom, and the unknown God-
who-is-above-all-else.2 To the Gnostics, the Demiurge- who is
also known as Ialdabaoth, Sabaoth, and Saclas- acted in error
when he created the material universe and mistakenly thought of
himself as the only god.
In Gnostic literature, Adam and Eve are seen as heroic
figures in their disobedience; aided by the serpent, who gave
them knowledge and who will later return in some sects as Jesus,
to redeem humanity by teaching disobedience to the curse of the
laws of Yahweh the Creator3.
1 Greek for "craftsman", much like the Masonic "Architect of
the Universe". From Plato's Timaeus.
2 I have come up with Greek term "Theoseulogetes" to
describe "God-who-is-above-all-else" which I found in Paul's
Epistle to the Romans (9:5), but I hesitate to make use of it
because I am not sure how it should be pronounced.
3 Hypostasis of the Archons 89:32-91:3 (NHL p. 155)
3
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Many writers when discussing Gnosticism approach the subject
with a scholarly morbidity. They tend to look upon the Gnostics
as a cult of dreadful ascetics who shunned the world of error and
delusion. Yet as a neo-gnostic, I can not help but see a gnostic
world-view as that of looking upon the universe not as some
sinister mistake, but more as a complex and complicated cosmic
joke.
When one first begins reading the Gnostic literature
contained in the pages of the Nag Hammadi Library (cf. note p.
1), one is tempted to filter the language and the symbols of
Gnosticism through a mindset of `hellfire' fright conjured by
images brought from the Book of Revelations or Daniel. The key to
reading the NHL is not to be frightened or distressed by some of
the images, but to realize that the tractates of the NHL were
collected as consciousness raising tools. To the Gnostic, the
pages of NHL are not to be meant to be taken as the
authoritative, apostolic writings of the Christian bible or the
prophetic and patristic writings of the Jewish bible, but rather
as visions shared with fellow Gnostics. The following discourse
is meant to be just that- a Gnostic sharing his vision.
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"When the Elohim began to create..."
- Gen 1:1
As all religious thought has as its ultimate aim the thought
of God, it is best that I begin my "vision" by imparting my
perception of God.
To me, God is indescribable, inscrutable, and
ultimately
"nonexistent". Any attempt at describing God invokes, what a
friend termed, the "great syntax catastrophe"2. It is wrong, I
believe, even to use the pronouns he or she when speaking of God;
and it seems better to speak of what God is "not" rather than to
speakof whatGod"is".Toparaphrase theChinesephilosopher,
Lao
Tse "The god that can be named is not the God"3.
It is best not to even attempt a description of God, but to
think of God as inscrutable by definition: that which cannot be
1 For a discussion on this translation of the opening verses
of Genesis cf. Asimov, Issac; Asimov's Guide to the Bible; Vol.
II; (NY, 1968); pp 16-17
2 A friend tells me that he picked up this term from an
evangelical Christian in Georgia.
3 "The Tao that can be trodden is not the enduring and
unchanging Tao. The name that can be named is not the enduring
and unchanging name." Lao-Tse; Tao teh Ching (I,1)- trans. by
James Legge
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easily understood, completely obscure, mysterious, unfathomable,
and enigmatic; the "Mystery of the Ages"1.
Many Gnostics speak of God as being "non-existent"; not in
the atheistic sense, but in the sense that God does not exist in
the same sense as you or I or anything else in the Universe
exists. In some Gnostic writings God is referredto as
the
"unbegotten one"2.
As a Gnostic Christian, one who emphasizes the salvic
influence of gnosis (knowledge) over the influence of pistis
(faith), it is not enough for me merely to believe that God
exists; I must know that God exists.
In his epistle to the Galatians, Paul tells us that
ignorance of God is a form of bondage3; and in his epistle to the
Colossians, he tell us that man's purpose is to "be filled with
the knowledge of [God's] will in all spiritual wisdom and
understanding,.. and increasing in (gnosis) knowledge of God"4.
Many Christian sects teach that "faith" is an unquestioning
belief that does not require proof or evidence. To understand
1 Col 1:26
2 Tripartite Tractate; 51.24-52.6; (NHL p. 55)
3 Gal. 4:8-9
4 Col. 1:9-10
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"faith" properly it requires knowing that belief and opinion are
not one and the same. A mere opinion is something that is
asserted or accepted without any basis at all in evidence or
reason1. Whereas, to believe in something is to exercise one's
faith or trust in something. Faith then could be said to be
"trust"; and `faith in God' is, therefore, the same as `trust in
God'.
The basis of any degree of trust must be a certain degree of
knowledge concerning a given object or situation. The more
knowledge one has concerning, say, a person, determines the
amount of trust allowed that person. For example, if you know a
person to be completely unreliable, youthen have very
little
faith inthat person. Conversely,You havea greatdeal of
faith
that person is not to be trusted. If you know that a person
is highly reliable, you then have built up a degree of trust in
that person based on your knowledge of him.
Therefore, knowledge of God must parallel faith in God. Yet
how can God be known when we are not even sure that he exists? If
we say that God is essentially `unknowable and can only be
spoken of in terms of what God is not, then how can we come to
have any knowledge of God?
1 See Adler, Mortimer J.; Ten Philosophical Mistakes; chap.
4; (New York, 1985); for a detailed discussion of knowledge and
opinion.
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There are basically two ways to know God. The first is by
way of reason or logic and second, by way of intuitive knowledge
or gnosis. We shall see in following paragraphs how the former
method may help us in understanding the problems we are faced
with in our attempts to know God, and many will see, also, how
severelylackingthe pathof logiccan becomparedto that of
the
gnostic path.
In studying the problem of `logical proofs' of God's
existence I have come across several historical arguments of
which I have grouped into what I call "The Seven Arguments and
the General Argument for the Existence of the Almighty." I have
labeled these arguments the Ideological (ideo as in idea), the
Etiological ( `aetio' meaning cause), the Teleological (`teleo'
meaning final outcome), the Cosmological (`cosmo' meaning
universal), the Ontological (`onto' meaning being), the
Pantheological (`pantheo' as in `pantheism'), and the
Psychological (`psyche' meaning soul) Arguments. I will provide
a brief discussion of each.
1] The Psychological Argument
Before anything can be said concerning the reality of
God or of anything else for that matter. One must take a
skeptical stance. A skeptical stance would be that of doubting
the reality of absolute or universal truths. In other words one
8
702
could say that the certainty of knowledge is impossible and that
onecan achieve only `probable' knowledge, i.e., ideas
whose
validity is highly probable. An example of this would be to say
that it is only highly probable that you are reading this page,
but that neither you nor I can be absolutely certain of this.
Yet probable knowledge implies the existence of absolute
knowledge. For instance a skeptic could deny that the objects of
his perceptions exist, but he could not deny that his perceptions
exist. St. Augustine stated that the person who doubts all truths
is caught in a logical dilemma, for he must exist in order that
he may doubt. As Descartes, put it "I think, therefore I am.". In
the act of doubting one establishes the absolute reality of one's
own consciousness or "psykhei".
For Augustine the "psykhei" comprises the entire
personality of the living being, who becomes aware through
self-consciousness not only that he or she is a real
integrated
existing person but also that he knows with absolute certainty
his own activities and powers of memory, intellect, and will.
Thus the being `remembers' what it is doing in the act of
self-doubt; it understands or knows the immediate experience; and
it can will to act or not to act as it does. Hence three aspects
of the individual "psykhei" may be described as powers of memory,
intellect, and will, or as activities of being, knowing, and
willing.
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703
2] The Ideological Argument
Prior to the history of any object the ideal had to exist as
the source imparting reality to the particular object. Humanity
must exist as a universal ideal before any individual human being
can possibly exist. An object's essence (ideal) must be a reality
before the particular object can come into existence.
Many people, when first confronted by this argument fail to
understand it. One fellow thought the argument was preposterous,
because he thought it somehow denied that things could be
discovered by accident. He gave a convoluted example involving a
chemist seeking to invent a glue and in the course of his
research accidently discovering a cure for cancer. What this
fellow failed to realize is that the notion of a death dealing
disease such as cancer and the idea of a needed cure for cancer
existed long before this bumbling chemist started on his glue
project. Both the psychological and ideological arguments are
really not arguments for the existence of God, but are intended
as an introduction to the following arguments.
3] The Etiological Argument
God, by definition, must have existed as a first cause
because every effect requires a cause and this must have been
true ofentire universe. Thematerial world iscontingent,
unable
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704
to create itself, hence requires something else, a necessary,
spiritually uncreated Being to bring it into existence and impel
it to continue its progress.
The same fellow who debated the ideological argument said
that the etiological argument "hurt his head" and that it
reminded him of "the old chicken and the egg argument". The key
wordsinthis argumentare"contingent" (meaning,"dependent
on
chance"; "conditional"), "necessary", and "uncreated" (see the
General Argument below). The cosmological argument is almost
identical to the etiological argument, yet the wording is quite
different.
4] The Cosmological Argument
There must have been a time when the universe did not exist,
for all things in the universe are mere possibilities dependent
on some other objects for their being and development; the fact
that the universe does exist implies that a necessary or
noncontigent Being exists who was capable of creating the
universe.
5] The Ontological Argument
Since we possess an idea of a perfect Being (and we can
think of nothing greater or more perfect), such a Being must
necessarily exist because perfection implies existence. Any idea
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705
that is lacking in reality (any concept which has no objective
reality of its own) would be imperfect, whereas one of the
attributesofa perfectBeingis actualexistence(not merely
an
idea in any person's mind, but real existence external to any
mind which happens to conceive of it).
The ontological argument is possibly the oldest argument and
dates back to the 4th C. of the present era. This argument has
caused a great debate that rages to this day in the pages of
modern textbooks on philosophy and theology. The key to this
argument is "perfection" and the statement: "any concept which
has no objective reality of its own would be imperfect" (and
therefore not exist) is the thin thread upon which the validity
of argument hangs.
6] The Teleological Argument
The presence of design in the world, the fact that objects
are designed with a purpose, to function for a given end, implies
the existence of an intelligent, competent designer, who planned
the purpose of each thing that exists.
The teleological argument posses problems of its own. The
same fellow who debated the previous arguments insisted that he
needed proof of a design to the world and that everything has a
purpose. The problem in replying to his argument is that I can
not think of one useless thing existing in the universe. My mind
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draws a blank in this respect and I would invite anyone to show
me one thing that exists in this universe which is without design
or purpose.
7] The Pantheological Argument
God, the supreme unity, the original Being, and the Ideal of
all ideals, has caused all things to become manifest by means of
a logical unfolding of particulars from their ideals. To speak of
creation is to speak of particularization, a process of
unfolding that makes individual objects out of ideals.
Conversely,
immortality is an opposite process whereby the particulars return
to their universal essence or archetypes. Immortality means the
return of things to God (apocatastasis), that is their
deification, so that there is complete unity of all things in
God; pantheism.
The Pantheological vision of God is negative in the sense
that God can be characterized only in terms of comparison on the
ground that the infinite is beyond human comprehension; however
not beyond human contemplation. When speaking of the nature of
God and using the terms of argument #1 in speaking of the nature
of the psyche as that which possess memory, intellect, and will,
one may say that God is Omniscient, possessing absolute memory
and intellect; Omnipotent, possessing absolute will; and in the
terms of the pantheological argument, Omnipresent, possessing
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pure randomness and non-localized in time and space.
The General Argument for the Existence of the Almighty is as
follows and derived in part from the argument as put forth in How
to Think About God by Mortimer J. Adler:
1. The existence of an effect requiring the concurrent existence
and action of an efficient cause implies the existence and action
of that cause.
2. The cosmos as a whole exists.
3. If the existence of the cosmos as a whole is radically
contingent, which is to say that, while not needing an efficient
cause of its coming to be, since it is everlasting, then it
nevertheless does need a efficient cause of its continuing
existence, to preserve it in being and prevent it from being
replaced by nothingness.
or
3a. If the cosmos which now exists is only one of many possible
universes that might have existed in the infinite past, and that
might still exist in the infinite future, and if a cosmos which
can be otherwise is one that also can not be; and conversely, a
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cosmos that is capable of not existing at all is one that can be
otherwise than it now is, then the cosmos, radically contingent
in existence, would not exist at all were its existence not
caused.
4. If the cosmos needs an efficient cause of its existence or of
its continuing existence to prevent its annihilation, then that
cause must be one the existence of which is uncaused, and one
which has reason for being in and of itself; i.e. The ultimate
cause and being of the cosmos.
5. If the ultimate cause and being of the cosmos is that about
which nothing greater can be thought, that being must be thought
of as omnipotent, possessing absolute will; omniscient,
possessing absolute knowledge; and omnipresent; non-localized in
time and space.
PART TWO
Intuition differs from reason in that as man is a finite
beingpossessing limitedsensualcontactwiththeuniverse;it
is
impossible for man to fully understand God through his senses or
by empirical means. This, therefore, involves the understanding
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of abstract concepts. We must understand the universe as being
"conceptusensual"; that parallel to the objective universe there
is a universe made up of abstracts. This abstract universe is
viewable to us through means of symbols; objects not
possessing
objectivity. These symbols cannot be known by means of empirical
reasoning, but by means of gnosis; without the conscience use of
reasoning, immediate apprehension or understanding.
It should be realized that while this abstract universe,
that sits parallel to the material universe, and is sometimes
referredto asthespiritual worldor heaven,isbeyond logic
and
reasoning; it is supported by logic and reasoning. You will
recall that imperfection or "degrees of perfection" implies the
existence of perfection (cf. Arg #3 and Arg #5). Perfection is an
abstract ideal having no analog in our material world, yet it is
intuitively known to exist.
Just as there are degrees of knowledge concerning mundane
truths in the material world, there are degrees of gnosis
concerning revealed truths in the spiritual world. Because man in
his human form is by nature limited there is a certain limit to
his understanding and knowledge. Yet as all things are in a
constant state of flux and change, man's knowledge is constantly
growing. For everythingthat is knownobjectively thereis
an
abstract idea that precedes the object.
The Scriptures speaks about angels and devils, the creation
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of the world in seven days, etc., and many Christian sects
require of their followers acceptance of these "revealed truths"
by way of faith or trust. Many speak of the Bible as being
infallible and without error even when portions are contradictory
or counter to logic. I, however, assert that the Bible is first
and foremost an anthology of religious/philosophical tradition
compiled over the centuries from about 750 BCE to around 150 BCE.
It should, in no way, be advertised as a "closed canon" or a
compilation of the sum of man's knowledge of truth, revealed or
otherwise. The Bible was written by men and is therefore subject
to human error. This does not, however, discount the presence of
revealed truths within the Bible or within any scripture
(religious writings).
If any of the above arguments fall short of convincing an
individual of God's existence, the one argument that cannot be
denied is the argument which provides for the proof of one's own
existence (cf. Arg #1). Here we spoke of "taking a skeptical
stance"; one of doubting one's own existence. Through the
process of self-doubt we become faced with the reality of our
existence; we cannot deny the object of our perceptions-
ourselves.
The question, then, is raised concerning "life and death".
One may wonder: "If I exist now, was there ever a time when I did
not exist and will there be a time when I will not exist?" We can
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limit this by asking: "Did I exist before this lifetime and will
I exist after this life?" Perhaps before these questions can be
broached more should said concerning the subject of gnosis.
As stated above, the Apostle Paul spoke of ignorance of God
as being a form of slavery; and told us that it was our purpose
to know (gnosis) and obey God1. This is reiterated in his first
epistle to the Corinthians, when Paul gave "thanks to God... that
in every way [they] were enriched in [Christ] with all speech and
all knowledge"2.
In John's first epistle, we are told that we may come to
know (gnosis) God, if we keep God's Law and "walk in the same way
in which [Christ] walked3. This echoed in John's Gospel chapter
14, verses 20-21; and at verse 26 he adds that the Holy Spirit
will be sent to "teach [us] all things, and bring to [us]
remembrance all that [Christ had] said to [us]." I have
emphasized the word "remembrance" as an important part of the
process of gnosis. This will be discussed in detail below.
In another epistle Paul spoke of the "riches of assured
understanding and knowledge (epi-gnosis) of God's mystery, of
1 See above p. 4
2 1 Cor. 1:4-5
3 1 Jn 2:3-4
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Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge"1. In the seventeenth chapter of John's Gospel, Christ
tells us that gnosis, knowing God, is equivalent to eternal
life2; and in his epistle to the Philippians, Paul tells us that
gnosis supersedes all3.
In Matthew's Gospel we are told that spiritual knowledge
comes to us through Christ:
"I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent
and revealed them unto the little ones; yes, Father, for
such was thy great pleasure. All things have been delivered
to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the
Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and any
one whom the Son chooses to reveal him.4"
When we read the thirteenth chapter of Paul's first epistle
1 Col 2:2-3
2 Jn 17:3
3 Phil 3:8-10
4 Matt 11:25-27 & Lk 10:21-22
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to the Corinthians, we learn that "love" is the key to
maintaining spiritual knowledge (gnosis) and faith (pistis)1; and
in John's first letter we are told that "he who does not love,
does not know God; for God is love"2.
Besides the necessity of loving God, we are told that
knowledge of truth equals knowledge of God. In Paul's letter to
Titus, Paul greets his "child in common faith" by describing
that, as an apostle of Christ, his main purpose is to "further
the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth which
accords with godliness"3. In John's Gospel we are told that the
Holy Spirit is the "Spirit of truth, whom the (material) world
cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you
know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you"4. Jesus
tells us: "If you continue in my word, you are truly my
disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make
you free"5.
1 1 Cor 13
2 1 Jn 4:7-8
3 Titus 1:1
4 Jn 14:17
5 Jn 8:31-32
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Atsomepointsthissavingknowledgeisreferredtoas
a
secret knowledge. In his closing remarks to his disciple,
Timothy, Paul tells him to guard closely the knowledge that has
been entrusted to him and to avoid those who "chatter" about
false knowledge1; and in first Corinthians, he speaks of those
who imagine that they know, yet do not know as they ought to
know2. In second Corinthians, Paul tells us that the mystery of
the Gospel is "veiled" to those who have been blinded by the god
of this world3. This concept of the "hardening the hearts" and
"shutting the eyes"of the peoplecan befound in Isaiah4,
Mark5,
Luke6, and Acts7. Paul speaks of the process of gnosis as
spiritual maturity when he tells the Corinthians that they were
"fed with milk, not solid food; for [they] were not ready for
1 1 Tim 6:20-21
2 1 Cor 8:2
3 2 Cor 4:3-6
4 Isaiah 6:9-10
5 Mark 8:17-18
6 Lk 10:23
7 Acts 28:26-27
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it."
We are told that Jesus spoke in parables because "seeing
they do not see, and hearing they do not hear"1; and that "not
all men can receive this [knowledge] but only those to whom it is
given (revealed)"2. He said that in order that those who could
not understand, be allowed to understand that they would have to
"turn again" and be forgiven3. This "turning again" or being
"reborn" will be discussed in greater detail below.
In Colossians, Paul speaks of this mystery as having been
hidden from angels and men (aeons and generations)4. There is
evidence in many of the books of the Bible that books which are
known to authors have either been lost or intentional kept out of
the Bible for a variety reasons. In his epistles, Paul speaks of
epistles that do not appear in Bible. There is evidence of a
third epistle to the Corinthians; perhaps one that went between
the first and second epistles5; and in his closing remarks to the
1 Matt 10:13-17
2 Matt 19:11
3 Mk 4:11-12
4 Col 1:26
5 1 Cor 5:9 & 2 Cor 2:3-9; 7:10
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Colossians, Paul speaks of an Epistle to the Laodiceans1. First
Chronicles speaks of the Book of Nathan and the Book of Gad2;
while Second Chronicles, also, speaks of a Book of Nathan and a
Book of Shemaiah the Prophet3. In Jude's Epistle there is a quote
from the Book of Enoch!4 Could these books have contained
"secret knowledge" that could not be understand by all?
Turning to the "apocrypha", those books which are not
considered by some Christian sects to be a part of the "closed
canon" of the Bible, we are able to discover a possible answer to
our question. The Apocrypha, or "hidden" books, were never really
hidden, but were kept apart from the Bible. Each Christian sect
has a different "list" of books that belong in their individual
"canon" and because those "lists" overlap each other many
Christians today are quite familiar with a majority of the books
contained in the Apocrypha.
One book contained in the Apocrypha, 2 Esdras, a book that
is found in many Roman Catholic Bibles, has the following
information to impart to us concerning "hidden books":
1 Col 4:16
2 1 Chr 29:29
3 2 Chr 9:29; 12:15
4 Jude 9 quotes Enoch 1:9
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"Therefore write all these things that you have seen in
book, and put it in a hidden place; and you shall teach them
to the wise among your people, whose hearts you know are
able to comprehend and keep these secrets.1"
(It is curious to note that this portion of 2 Esdras was
added to original sometime in the third century AD; when at
the same time Gnostic Christians were compiling the Nag
Hammadi in Egypt!)2
Yet it seems that nothing can remain hidden forever. In
Luke's Gospel Jesus prophesies that "nothing is hid that shall
not be made manifest, nor anything secret that shall not be known
and come to light"3. Perhaps this prophecy came true when,
following the dreadful destruction of WW II, two astonishing
discoveries of hidden works were made; the first at Nag Hammadi,
Egypt in December of 1945, and the second at Q'umran, Palestine
1 2 Esdras 12:37-38, cf. 2 Esdras 14:37-48
2 see introduction to "The Second Book of Esdras" in the
New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha; Apoc p 23
3 Lk 8:17
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in 1947.
PART THREE
Even in the Bible itself there is found "secret knowledge"
that is never spoken of amongst the christian sects that consider
themselves to be "orthodox". The best example of this is in the
creation account of the Book of Genesis. The opening line of the
first book of the Bible has been translated throughout history to
read: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth1."
Yet if we translate the first verse literally we find it to read:
"When the Elohim began to create the heavens and the earth2."
The term "Elohim" should not be translated directly to read
"God" or "god", because it is the feminine plural of god (Eloah)
and should probably be translated "goddesses" or "offspring of
the Goddess" . Now, to many "orthodox" christians the notion that
there exists "gods", in the polytheistic sense, most likely is a
bizarre notion. Yet the early Hebrews were not "monotheistic",
that is, a person who believes in the existence of one God, as is
usually thought; but, rather, they were "henotheistic", and while
believing in a multitude of gods, they focused all their worship
1 Gen 1:1
2 Cf. p 3 note 1
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on their "national god". Examples of Hebrew henotheism can be
found in throughout the Old Testament. In 1 Kings, chapter 18
there is an account of the prophet Elijah, a prophet of the
Israelite god Yahweh, engaged in a contest with the prophets of
the god Ba'al and the goddess Asherah (Ishtar)1. In 2 Kings,
chapter 3 we are told that when Mesha, king of the Moabites,
sacrificed his son to the Moabite god Chemosh "there came a great
wrath upon " the army of the Israelites2. Further on in 2 Kings
there is the story of Naaman, a Syrian general who is afflicted
with leprosy. Following a raid in Israel, Naaman is told by one
of his captives that there is a prophet living in Samaria who has
the power to cure leprosy. Naaman then visits Elisha, where he is
told to go and bathe in the Jordan river. After bathing seven
times in the Jordan, Naaman is cured of leprosy, and as a result
he converts and becomes a worshiper of Yahweh, god of the
Israelites. He is now faced with a dilemma; as he must return to
Syria, he must take "two mule's burden" of Israelite soil back
with him. This is done so that he may have a plot of Yahweh's
land upon which to offer sacrifice to the Israelite god. Elisha
does not argue this matter with Naaman, but only tells him to "go
in peace"3.
1 1 Kngs 18:19
2 2 Kngs 3:27
3 2 Kngs 5:1-19
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Perhaps the strongest suggestion of Hebrew henotheism is
contained in line from Ezekiel that tells of the women weeping
for the Sumerian harvest god, Tammuz1. The Jewish calendar
contains the month of Tammuz (usually in the summer) and one of
the titles for Tammuz, "Adonai", was adopted by the Hebrews as a
title for their god. The phrase "Adonai Elohim" is translated in
the english Bible to read "Lord of Hosts". The Greeks, also,
adopted "Adonai" and called him "Adonis"; a term used today in
the english language to describe a good looking young man.
In the New Testament, we are told by Saint Paul that there
are "many gods and many lords"2. In Colossians, he refers to them
as the "elemental spirits of the universe" or Archons3. Could it
be that the Archons and the Elohim were one and the same:
"elemental spirits of the universe"? In Ephesians, he refers to
them as the "world rulers of the present darkness"4. In John's
Gospel, Jesus puts us on equal footing with the Archons by
quoting Psalms5; and in Acts we are called "God's offspring"6.
1 Ezekiel 8:14
2 1 Cor 8:5
3 Col 2:8
4 Eph 6:12
5 Jn 10:34 & Ps 82:6
6 Acts 17:27-29
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The scriptures in places speak of the concept of pre-
existence. God tells Jeremiah, "before I formed you in the womb I
knew you"1. In Ephesians, we are told that God "chose us in him
before the foundation of the world"2.
Could it be that the "secret message" that the Scriptures
have to impart to us is that we and the Elohim are one and the
same? That we were present at the creation? That we created our
own universe under God's guidance, but because we were not in
harmony with each other, because a few us tried to "lord" over
the others, because we were not in agreement on how to go about
making the universe, and instead of making the universe according
to God's design, we made it according to our design, in "our
image"; could this be why the universe is such an imperfect
place?
Between chapters 16 and 19 of the Book of Genesis there is
a curious exchange that deserves to be followed. In chapter 16 we
are told the story of Hagar, the mother of Ishmael. Hagar, one of
Abraham's concubines, is sent out into desert by Sarai, the first
wife of Abraham. At verse seven Hagar is met by an "angel of the
1 Jeremiah 1:4-5
2 Eph 1:4
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Lord". Later, after conversing with this "angel of the Lord", she
refers to the angel as a "god of vision". She is shocked to think
that she has actually seen "God" and has lived1. In the next
chapter, Abraham is visited by a being who describes himself as
"El Shaddai"2. Most english language Bibles translate this to
read "God Almighty", but a literal translation would render it
"El, one of the gods". In chapter 18 Abraham, we are told, is
visitedagain by the"Lord", and upon looking up he sees
"three
men". The persons that appear to Abraham in this chapter of
Genesis are usually described as being God and two of his angels,
yet strangely enough the one who is thought to be God, the
Almighty (omniscient and omnipresent) does not know what's going
in a city on the planet Earth and remarks: "I will go down to see
whether they have done altogether according to the outcry which
has come to me; and if not, I will know"3. After wrangling with
Abraham over whether or not he would destroy the cities of Sodom
and Gomorrah, we are told that "the Lord rained... fire from the
Lord out of heaven"4.
1 Gen 16:7-14
2 Gen 17:1
3 Gen 18:21
4 Gen 19:24
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The "main of event" occurs in the first chapters of Genesis.
Here is where the Elohim see light for the first time1, and go
about the process of the first creation2, that of "calling and
creating" the material world3. The Elohim cause a separation to
be made between the spiritual world, "the waters which were above
the firmament, and the material world, "the waters which were
under the firmament"4. Genesis 1:9-31 details this "ordering" of
the material world.
In Genesis 1:27, we are told that the Elohim created, or
developed the idea of mankind in an image that the Elohim
perceived. According to Rabbinic tradition this image was the
image of the Higher God that the Elohim saw reflected in the
firmament which they took to be that of their own. In the second
creation, that of "making and forming" the material world in the
"day that the Lord made the earth and the heavens"5, we are told
that the Elohim actually "formed" man out of dust, but it was
1 Gen 1:4
2 Gen 1:1 - 2:3
3 Isaiah 43:7
4 Gen 1:7
5 Gen 2:4
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only after the Elohim breathed into man's nostrils the "breath of
life", did man become a living being1.
Yet it seems that the Elohim had made a mistake. In Genesis
1:28, we are told that the Elohim had created man as an
androgynous being, "male and female [they] created them." Most
Gnostic Christians take this to mean that we were originally
intended to posses both soul and spirit combined. It appears the
Elohim had made a mistake and formed a "sleeping" soul which they
attempted to manipulate2, and when they realized that they were
mistaken they found it necessary to pull the "spirit" (Eve) out
of the soul (Adam) in order to bring it to life; hence Adam calls
Eve "the Mother of the living"3.
The events that follow in the third chapter of Genesis
deserve to be looked at in detail. In chapter 2, verse 9 we have
been told that there are two trees in the center of the Garden of
Eden; the tree of life and the tree of knowledge. In verse 17 of
that same chapter we were told that the Creator had ordered Adam
not to eat of the tree of knowledge, for if Adam were to eat from
that tree he would die. In chapter three a serpent appears to Eve
1 Gen 2:7
2 Gen 2:16-17
3 Gen 2:21
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and the following exchange takes place:
Serpent: "Did [the Creator] say, `You shall not eat of any
tree in the garden'?"
Eve: "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden;
but [the Creator] said, `You shall not eat of the
fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the
garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.' "
Serpent: "You will not die. For [the Creator] knows that
when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and
you be like [the gods] knowing good and evil."
Later, after eating from the tree, and, by the way, not
dying, Adam and Eve "heard the sound of the Lord God walking in
the garden"1. It is curious to note that from the exchange that
follows that the Creator does not seem to know what has taken
place in their "absence", just as they did not seem to know what
was happening inSodom andGomorrah orwhat occurredto
Cain's
brother, Able2. Upon learning what has transpired the Creator
1 Gen 3:8
2 Gen 4:9
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then put a curse upon the serpent, Eve, and Adam. We then learn
that the Creator had lied to Adam and Eve when they told them
that they would die and in remarking reveal: "Behold, the man
has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest
he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat,
and live forever..."1. This speaking in the plural is echoed in
the Tower of Babel incident: "Come, let us go down and there
confuse their language"2.
Throughout time the serpent has stood as symbol of
immortality. Many ancient cultures upon seeing the shed skin
of a snake believed that the snake never died; only shedding one
body for a new one. In Greek mythology the god Prometheus is
often depicted as a winged serpent bringing the gift of fire to
man. Later Prometheus was replaced by the image of the wing-
footed Hermes holding aloft the caduceus or "serpent entwined
staff" as he brought the secret knowledge of the gods to mankind.
These images of winged and fiery serpents can be found in
the Old Testament. In Numbers "the Lord sent fiery serpents among
the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of
Israel died"3. To counteract this attack, Moses is told to "make
1 Gen 3:22
2 Gen 11:7
3 Num 21:6
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a fiery serpent and set it on a pole" so that when the people see
the "brazen serpent" they would not die1. This symbolic gesture
of the serpent lifted up in the wilderness is reminiscent not
only of the serpent in the garden, but that of Jesus on the
cross2. In Isaiah's vision of God, he describes the throne of
God as being surrounded by "seraphim". Seraphim may be defined as
"fiery winged serpents". In 2 Kings we are told that the "brazen
serpent" survived down into reign of Ahaz, king of Israel. It
seems Ahaz did some house cleaning and broke the "brazen serpent"
into pieces and threw it out. Is this some how a prophetic
gesture of Israel's rejection of the Messiah3?
CONCLUSION
It should be remembered that when approaching the subject of
"hidden works" or "secret knowledge" that "there is nothing hid,
1 Num 21:8-9
2 Jn 3:14-15
3 2 Kngs 18:4
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except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to
come to light"1. In other words, there is nothing hidden that
cannot, or will not, be found. Christ extols us to seek and
find, and that when we knock at the door of mystery it will be
opened to us2. It can be found that God has a "divine plan" in
which God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the
knowledge of the truth"3. In Acts we are told that the end of
time will not come until all things have been restored to God.
This "restoration of all things" became known to the early
christians as the Doctrine of Apocatastasis4. Ephesians speaks of
the "plan for the fullnessof time,to uniteall thingsin
him,
things in heaven and things on earth"5.
Yet what happens to us when we die in a pre-gnostic state
before the Apocatastasis? In Mark's Gospel, we are told to take
heed of what we hear in the message, for "the measure you give
will be the measure you get"6. This is the Doctrine of
1 Mark 4:22
2 Matt 7:7-8
3 1 Tim 2:4
4 Acts 3:21
5 Eph 1:10
6 Mk 4:24
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Metrethesis; the "measure for measure" spoken of in Matthew 7:2
and the "sowing" and "reaping" in Galatians 6:71. This is the
plan by which God allows all souls in the universe to eventually
redeem themselves in the prison of Metempsychosis.
Metrethesis and Metempsychosis are doctrines that are not
unique to Christian Gnosticism. In Buddhism and the Vedic
religions these doctrines are known as
[The text is lost at this point.]
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{file "Kali and Modern Physics" "bos168.htm"}
The Manifestation of Kali in Universe as an Astrophysical Anomaly
By Persona Navitae 353.
There is no light, nor any motion.
There is no mass, nor any sound.
Still, in the lampless heart of the ocean,
Fasten me down and hold me drowned
Within thy womb, within thy thought,
Where there is naught-where there is naught!
From "Kali", by Aleister Crowley
In the beginning was the KAOS water, the pure creative force
of undivided being. Crowley called this "Nuit", which seems to be
the combination of the sky goddess "Nut" with the chaos God "Nu",
or "Nun". This was the potential for manifestation before the
dream of Siva, before the suffering of Sophia that coalesced into
the mist of dark reality. This primal force exits in a perpetual
state of non-being, always edging toward being. A binary movement
sets up from this tension of pre-creation, from a state of
collapsed oneness, to a state of open potential. This is the
struggle between Siva; the force of perfect order, and Sakti; the
force of pure chaos. In Siva is the need to collapse to stable
systems, the continual drive for one-ness that uni-fests as the
point monad of Kether on the Tree of Life. In Sakti is the need
for continual creation, the pure fertile need to populate
Universe with the divine sparks of mani-fested intelligence. From
these two forces arises the numinous Androgyne. This force exists
at the beginning of physical creation, from its parthenogenic
fullness it emanates across the Pleroma of the void, and down the
Tree to Malkuth.
This mythos is at the core of the unconscious and of many
creation theories. From the bliss of Androgyny comes the
suffering of Maya, illusion. This is the illusion of multi-
verse. Sophia, the divine mother of the Gnostics, was conceived
of as Androgynous but she broke away from her partner and
conceived the physical universe as a polarized order. The result
was the creation of ignorance, the demiurge Yahweh.
From the primal Nuit is created Babylon, and from her is Isis,
but what of Nepthys? She is hidden; present but unseen. Felt but
rarely named. In Indian theosophy divine Sakti exists as the
primal energy behind the static monad, Siva. She is Nuit in
Thelema, and her creation on the mundane level is Kali. In many
systems they are considered one, which is rightly so. The job of
Kali is to devour the ignorance of static non-creation and re-
create Universe with new potential for mani-festation. Left to
its own, Siva would freeze up Universe in a cage of entropy. This
is known to physicists as the "Heat death of Universe". Heat is
not a substance, not an energy. It is a process, "The
transference of energy by virtue of a difference in temperature".
When all forms of energy, Sakti/Kali, have been equilibrated
then no more growth is possible. Any divine sparks left in such a
state would no longer develope, all life would stop.
731
The Heat Death is only one scenario. It would seem possible
that Universe could go on perpetually if there were some way to
re-create it. All matter/energy would have to be sucked back in
and thrust out in another "Big bang". This "devouring" is well
known to devotees of Kali. In early myths she is known to devour
the demons who would upset the balance of space-time. Kali is the
Goddess of time, Kala. In time all things die and are re-born. In
time all ignorance is replaced by divine Gnosis, if we accomplish
nothing else in life we cannot help but learn. Experience is the
great teacher. At the end of time there is no manifested
existence, just the Satchidananda of bliss-being-consciousness.
Kali offers the bliss of Gnosis with one hand which holds the
Sangrail, freedom from fear with another raised, with a third she
holds the sword that destroys Universe, and with a forth she
holds a head to remind us that all situations will change, death
is the constant force of new life. She is naked because she has
no veils of illusion, and to remind us that the secret of
re-creation is in sexual bliss. She is black because she is
beyond human comprehension, this also ties in with the freudian
devouring mother, who is in the realm of shadow, we all will be
swallowed by Kali in the little death and the greater ones. She
dances on the corpse of Siva, who has over extended himself in
the attempt for divine Order. However, her dance has aroused him
even in death and she stands over his erect penis to accept the
seed of new creation.
In the early 1930's Edwin Hubble concluded that Universe is
expanding, and even in the 1920's evidence existed of such
expansion. It has been postulated that if there is not enough
mass in Universe then it will eventually suffer the heat death of
Siva. If there is enough however, then it is possible that the
expansion will slow down due to the drag of continual gravitational
forces that all matter possesses, and eventually return to a
single point where the explosive forces of the dynamic interplay
of matter/energy will cause a new expansion.
One method to determine if Universe has enough matter to halt
the expansion is to add up all the luminous matter. Matter exits
in particular, stable energy states. If extra energy is added to
a system, then the matter present would tend to jump to a higher
energy state. Every element has very particular states it prefers
and will not reside in any others. This is the rule of the Siva-
Order force in Universe. All chaotic energy states will either
jump to a higher state, and stay there as long as the extra
energy does, or it will ignore the extra force. When there isn't
enough energy to maintain the element in this state, it drops to
a specific lower state and sheds the excess energy. When this
happens we see it as a burst of light which will be specific to
each particular element. By examining the luminous evidence,
astrophysicists can determine how much matter is shedding light.
According to older theories all matter radiates light, and this
could be used to determine how much matter was in Universe.
Through these studies, it was found that there is only about 2%
of the necessary amount for re- creation.
732
In 1933, Fritz Zwicky discovered that galaxies were moving
much faster than they should according to the accepted theories.
Speculating from the amount of matter found through the
luminosity present, he found that galaxies should be breaking up.
The obvious conclusion is that there is more matter present than
can be seen. This substance became known as Dark Matter. Since
then numerous experiments have been devised to test this theory.
Vera Rubin showed that galaxies rotate as fast at the outer rim,
or faster, as they do in the inner. If they are less dense at the
outer edges, as the luminosity indicates, then they should move
slower. Jeremiah Ostriker and James Peebles showed that without
extra matter, galaxies would develope gravitational anomalies
that would cause them to collapse into other forms than the
spiral we usually see. It seems likely that there is Dark Matter
in Universe, and estimates now indicate that it could make up as
much as 95% of all physical creation.
What is this Dark Matter? Nobody knows, but there are many
theories. Sub-atomic particles, so small they don't radiate
visible energy, Neutrinos, Magnetic Monopoles (one sided
magnets), and Gravitinos (bundles of gravity, in the same sense
that Photons are bundles of light) are prime candidates. So far
neither Magnetic Monopoles, nor Gravitinos have been found.
Arcane knowledge provides some answers assuming we ask the
questions. If Isis is "Infinite Stars, Infinite Space", then
what is Nepthys? Being the opposite side of Isis we have to
assume she plays a part in Universe. And, if Kali's re-creation
of Universe is possible, then can we see it in the process? The
answer to both of these lies in the Dark Matter. In "Mumbo Jumbo"
Ishmael Reed referred to "Dark Isis". I found this very
intriguing at the time, and later found the connection in Isis's
dark twin, Nepthys. She is dark (like Kali) because she is
hidden, manifested but unseen. In his book, Reed speculated that
she became dominant when Isis was shedding lunar blood (sacred to
Kali), this is when the unfertile seeds are being discarded. For
the aspirant this is a time of great power, and danger. Nepthys
is the goddess of the night magicks, the red magick of Vamamarg
sometimes referred to as the "left hand path". Hers is the force of
re-creation which is so vital to the growth of the aspirant. IAO,
Isis-creator, Apophis (Set, husband of Nepthys)-destroyer, and
Osiris-re-creator. In Tantra, Kali is all three. She gives birth
to Universe, devours it when all life has expended its energy,
and re-creates it from the seeds of the old Universe.
It's uncertain whether there is enough Dark Matter to cause
the collapse of Universe, but clearly if there is a chance, it is
in this manifestation of the Dark Goddess. Her body is the body
of matter that lies "between" known spaces and stars, her power
is felt in the pull of matter itself, "Love is the law, love
under will" is the axion of gravity where all particles seek to
unite with all others. Her books are written in the night sky,
her rites are the rites of ancient humans awed by the power of
the Great Sleep, and equally awed by it's power of re-creation.
If Kali/Nepthys manifests at the end of time, it will be as the
mouths of numerous black holes, each larger one devouring the
smaller, uniting in one undifferentiated monad of space-time,
not only matter sucked in but the net of creation on which it
resides as well. In the Dark Matter is the new creation.
733
{file "Hidden Codes in the Torah" "bos169.htm"}
A SAMPLING OF HIDDEN CODES IN THE TORAH
=======================================
Here is a sampling of some of the hidden words in the Torah. Since the
Hebrew cannot be uploaded, the transliteration is as follows:
Aleph = A Bet = B Gimel = G Dalet = D Hey = H Vav = V
Zayin = Z Chet = Kh Tet = T Yod = Y Kaf = Ch Kaf Sofit =
Ch:
Lamed = L Mem = M Mem Sofit = M: Nun = N Nun Sofit = N:
Samech = $ Ayin = E Pei = P Phei = Ph Phei Sofit = Ph:
Tzadi = Tz Kuf = Q Reish = R Shin = Sh Sin = S Tav =Th
The chart below works as follows:
The first column is the hidden word. Second column is the location of
the starting letter. The third column is the word in the sentence which
"houses" the starting letter of the hidden word. The letter enclosed <X> is
the first letter of the hidden word. If the housing word appears more than
once in the same sentence, the number of the correct word appears here in
parentheses.
The fourth column indicates spacing, i.e., 49 indicates there are 49
letters BETWEEN the letters of the hidden word. An "R" in the fifth column
indicates the hidden word is spelled out in reverse. The last column is
just a transliteration of the first column for ease of comprehension.
."AMTh" Genesis 1:1-5 BRAShY<Th> 50 R Emet (Truth)
."ThVRH" Genesis 1:1-5 BRAShY<Th> 49 Torah
."ThVRH" Genesis 49:28-30 VZA<Th> 49 Torah
."ThVRH" Exodus 1:1-7 ShMV<Th> 49 Torah
."ThVRH" Exodus 39:8-13 ThChL<Th> 49 Torah
."ThVRH" Numbers 1:1-3 MSh<H> 49 R Torah
."ThVRH" Numbers 34:9-12 Z<H> 49 R Torah
."ThVRH" Deut. 1:5-8 <H>ThVRH 48 R Torah
."ThVRH" Deut. 32:3-7 LAL<H>YNV 48 R Torah
."ALHYM" Genesis 1:7-9 <A>Th 26 Elokim
."Y-VH" Genesis 1:8-9 AL<H>YM 26 R The Name
."QYN" Genesis 4:13-15 <Q>YN 49 Cain
."HBL" Genesis 4:23-25 OD<H> 49 Abel
."MLACh" Genesis 2:1-2 V<Ch>L 26 R Malach
."ShBTh" Exodus 34:35- M<Sh>H (2) 49 Shabat
."ShBTh" Exodus 35:3-5 A<Sh> 49 Shabat
."ABRHM" Genesis 1:22-26 <A>LHYM 49 1 Avraham
."Y-VH" Levit 1:1 V<Y>QRA 7 The Name
."Y-VH" Levit. 1:2-3 <Y>QRYB 21 The Name
."Y-VH" Levit. 1:3- <Y>QRYBNV 13 The Name
."Y-VH" Levit. 1:3 YQR<Y>BNV 34 The Name
."MThThYHV" Deut. 34:5-10 <M>ShH 49 Matityahu
."YSRAL" Genesis 1:30-2:3 E<L> 49 R Yisrael
."YSRAL" Genesis 1:31-2:1 HShSh<Y> 7 Yisrael
."LAH" Genesis 28:2-6 <L>Ch: 49 2 Leah
."RKhL" Genesis 28:5-6 A<R>M: 49 2 Rachel
."YHVDH" Genesis 49:8-11 YHVD<H> 49 R,2 Yehuda
."MShH" Genesis 50:24:25 V<H>ELH 49 R,2 Moshe
."MShH" Exodus 13:18-19 ALHY<M> 49 2 Moshe
."ThVRH" Genesis 28:13-16 A<Th>NNH 26 Torah
."MQDSh" Genesis 28:15:16 VH<Sh>BThYCh:26 R Mikdash(Temple)
734
."HMVEDYM" Genesis 1:8-16 ShMY<M> 70 R HaMoadim
."Y-VH(Y)" Genesis 1:25-27 V<Y>ES 26 The Name
."(Y)-VHY" Genesis 1:25-27 H<Y>M: 26 R The Name
."ERBH" Genesis 1:11-15 V<E>Tz: 49 Arava
."LVLB" Exodus 2:7-11 HE<L>MH 49 Lulav
."HD$" Numbers 4:28-32 ShN<H> 49 Hadas
."AThRG" Deut. 1:32-37 L<A>MR 49 Etrog
."BRChH Deut. 1:1-32 HD<B>RYM 613 Bracha
."RMBM" Exodus 11:9-12:13 <R>BVTh Init 3 Rambam
."MShNH" Exodus 11:9-12:13 <M>ShH 49 3 Mishneh
."ThVRH" Exodus 11:9-12:13 A<Th>V 49 3 Torah
."NTzY" Deut. 28:63-64 V<N>$KhThM: 49 Nazi
."HShVAH" Deut. 31:16-18 MSh<H> 49 HaShoah
."HYTLR" Genesis 8:21 <H>ADMH 31 R Hitler
."H$" Genesis 8:1 BThB<H> 31 Hess
."RVML" Genesis 8:20 HTHV<R> 31 Rommel
."BQ" Genesis 8:22 V<Q>R 31 R Beck
."DNYTz:" Genesis 8:21 EV<D> 31 Danitz
."MVTh" Genesis 8:3 H<M>YM:(2) 31 R Mavet
."HShVAH" Genesis 8:14 <H>ARTz: 62 2x31 HaShoah
1) "ABRHM" begins with the Aleph <A> of ALHYM and ends about 250 letters
later on the Mem <M> of ALHYM.
2) Note the section of Torah this word is embedded in.
3) Rambam appears as the initial letters of "Rabos Mofsai B'eretz
Mitzrayim. If one begins in the same pasuk on the Mem of Moshe, the Word
"Mishneh" is spelled out. If one starts at the same Mem and counts 613
letters, one then Reaches a Tav, which is the first letter of the hidden
word "Torah", thus completing Mishneh Torah, Rambam's famous work about the
613 Mitzvos.
735
{file "K.A.M." "bos170.htm"}
An Introduction to Traditional Wicca
c. 1987, Keepers of the Ancient Mysteries ( .K.A.M. )
Often Traditional Wiccans are asked to describe our religion and
beliefs for interested people, who may or may not have confused
us with other Pagan religions, with inversions of
Christian/Islamic religions like Satanism, or with purely magical
traditions with no religious base. There is a lot of flexibility
in the ways that we describe ourselves, and one characteristic of
Wicca is a large degree of personal liberty to practice as we
please. Still, there is an outline that can be described in
general terms. Many traditions will depart from one particular or
another, but groups departing from all or most of these features
are probably non-Wiccan Traditions attempting to stretch or
distort the Wiccan name to cover what they want to do.
Mysteries and Initiation
Wicca is an Initiatory religion descended from the Ancient
Mystery Religions. A mystery religion is not like Catholicism
where a Priest is the contact point between the worshiper and the
Deity, nor like Protestantism where a sacred Book provides the
contact and guidelines for being with the divine. Rather a
Mystery Religion is a religion of personal experience and
responsibility, in which each worshiper is encouraged, taught and
expected to develop an ongoing and positive direct relationship
with the Gods. The religion is called a "Mystery" because such
experiences are very hard to communicate in words, and are
usually distorted in the telling. You have to have been there in
person to appreciate what is meant. Near and far-Eastern
religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and Shinto are probably
Mystery traditions, but Wicca is very western in cultural flavor
and quite different than eastern religions in many ways.
A Blend of Pagan Roots
Most Wiccan Traditions, .K.A.M. included, have particular roots
in the British Mystery Traditions. This includes traditions of
the Picts who lived before the rise of Celtic consciousness, the
early Celts, and some selected aspects of Celtic Druidism.
American Wicca is directly descended from British Wicca, brought
in the late 1950's by English and American Initiates of
Gardnerian, Alexandrian and Celtic Wicca. These traditions are a
little like the denominations in Christianity, but hopefully far
more harmonious.
While British Traditions are very strong in Wicca, or the Craft
as it is sometimes called, other Western Mystery traditions
feature prominently, including the ancient Greek Mysteries of
Eleusis, Italian Mysteries of Rome, Etruria and the general
countryside, Mysteries of Egypt and Persia before Islam, and
various Babylonian, Assyrian and other mid-eastern Mysteries that
flourished before the political rise of the advocates of "one
god".
736
What's In a Name
Wicca, Witchecraft, and "The Craft" are used interchangeably at
times by many kinds of people. It is fair to say that all Wiccans
are Witches, and many of us believe we are the only people
entitled to the name. It is important to know that many people
call themselves witches who are not in the least Wiccan, and that
Masons also refer to themselves as "Craft", with good historical
precedent. Carefully question people on the particular things
they do and believe as part of their religion rather than relying
on labels. Any real Wiccan would welcome such honest inquiry.
Traditions and Flavor
There are specific Wiccan beliefs and traditions, including
worship of an equal and mated Goddess and God who take many forms
and have many Names. Groups who worship only a Goddess or only a
God are not traditional Wicca however they may protest, although
they may be perfectly good Pagans of another sort. The Wiccan
Goddess and God are linked to nature, ordinary love and children
-- Wicca is very life affirming in flavor.
Because we have and love our own Gods, Wiccans have nothing to do
with other people's deities or devils, like the Christian God or
Satan, the Muslim Allah or the Jewish Jehovah (reputedly not his
real name). Christians often deny this fact because they think
that their particular god is the only God, and everybody else in
the whole world must be worshipping their devil. How arrogant.
They're wrong on both counts.
Traditional Wicca is a religion of personal responsibility and
growth. Initiates take on a particular obligation to personal
development throughout their lives, and work hard to achieve what
we call our "True Will", which is the best possibility that we
can conceive for ourselves. Finding your Will isn't easy, and
requires a lot of honesty, courage and hard work. It is also very
rewarding.
Wicca is generally a cheerful religion, and has many holidays and
festivals. In fact, most of the more pleasant holidays now on our
calendar are descended from the roots Wicca draws on, including
Christmas, May Day, Easter and Summer Vacation. Wicca is
definitely not always serious. Dancing, feasting and general
merriment are a central part of the celebrations.
Wiccan Ethics
Wiccans have ethics which are different in nature than most
"one-god" religions, which hand out a list of "do's and don'ts".
We have a single extremely powerful ethical principal which
Initiates are responsible for applying in specific situations
according to their best judgment. That principle is called the
Wiccan Rede (Old-English for rule) and reads:
"An (if) it harm none, do as ye Will"
737
Based on the earlier mention of "True Will", you will understand
that the Rede is far more complex than it sounds, and is quite
different than saying "Do whatever you want as long as nobody is
hurt". Finding out your Will is difficult sometimes, and figuring
out what is harmful, rather than just painful or unpleasant is
not much easier.
Initiation into Wicca
People become Wiccans only by Initiation, which is a process of
contacting and forming a good relationship with the Gods and
Goddesses of Wicca. Initiation is preceded by at least a year and
a day of preparation and study, and must be performed by a
qualified Wiccan Priestess and Priest. The central event of
Initiation is between you and your Gods, but the Priestess is
necessary to make the Initiation a Wiccan one, to pass some of
her power onto you as a new-made Priestess or Priest and to
connect you to the Tradition you're joining.
Women hold the central place in Wicca. A Traditional Coven is
always headed by a High Priestess, a Third Degree female Witch
with at least three years and three days of specific training. A
Priest is optional, but the Priestess is essential. Similarly, a
Priest may not Initiate without a Priestess, but a Priestess
alone is sufficient. Women are primary in Wicca for many reasons,
one of which is that the Goddess is central to our religion.
One Religion at a Time
People often ask "Can I become a Wiccan and still remain a
Christian, Muslim, practicing Jew, etc. The answer is no. The
"one god" religions reject other paths besides their own,
including each other's. "One-god" religions also do not exalt the
Female as does Wicca, and mixing two such different traditions
would water them both down. Besides, you'd have to ask how
serious a person who practiced two religions was about either
one. Being Jewish is an exception, since it is a race and culture
as well as a religion. There are many Wiccan Jews, but they
practice Wicca, not Judaism.
Magick and Science
People interested in Wicca are usually curious about the magick
that Wiccans can do. While magick (spelled with a "k" to
distinguish from stage conjuring) is not a religion in itself, it
is related to our religious beliefs. Wiccans believe that people
have many more abilities than are generally realized, and that it
is a good idea to develop them. Our magick is a way of using
natural forces to change consciousness and material conditions as
an expression of our "True Wills". Part of becoming a Wiccan is
training in our methods of psychic and magickal development.
738
Because we believe that everything a person does returns to them
magnified, a Wiccan will not work a magick for harm, since they
would pay too high a price. But a helpful magick is good for both
the giver and receiver! Wicca is entirely compatible with the
scientific method, and we believe all the Gods and forces we work
with to be quite natural, not supernatural at all. We do not,
however, hold with the kind of scientific dogma or pseudoreligion
that sees everything as dead matter and neglects its own method .v..by
trumpeting "facts" without honest examination of evidence.
Priestesses at Large?
Long ago the spiritual (and sometimes physical) ancestors of
Wiccans were Priestesses and Priests to the Pagan culture as well
as devotees of their Mystery. Now that a Pagan culture is rising
again, some ask if today's Wiccans could resume that role. This
seems unlikely.
Today's Pagan culture is very diverse and more interested in
exploring and creating new forms than in building on existing
traditions. A public role would either dilute our traditions or
force them on an unwilling audience. The neo-Pagan community
generally prefers "media figures" and rapid membership and
growth. This is not compatible with our slow methods of training
and Initiation, the insistence that livelihood come from work
outside the Craft, or our needs for privacy. Our religion is not
accepted in the American workplace or political system, and may
never be. The most powerful Priestesses are often unknown to all
but their Coveners. While all Wiccans are Pagans, all Pagans are
not Wiccan, and it is best that it remain so.
739
{file "Keltria (The Henge of)" "bos171.htm"}
The Henge of Keltria--a Neo-pagan Druidic organization
What is The Henge of Keltria?
The Henge of Keltria is a positive path Druidic tradition
dedicated to protecting the Earth, honoring our ancestors,
revering the spirits of nature and worshipping the Keltic
Deities. Our focus is on spiritual development achieved through
the study and practice of the Druidic Arts and Keltic Magick.
Through training, networking, resources, ritual and
communications we strive to provide a religious and spiritual
framework through which each individual can reach his of her own
full potential.
What does the Henge offer?
Currently the Henge of Keltria Publishes "Keltria: A Journal of
Druidism and Keltic Magick" on a quarterly basis, and an
introductory 31 page booklet "The Henge: An Introduction to
Keltrian Druidism." Classes in neo-pagan Druidism are offered
in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area on an ongoing basis.
Campouts and workshops are held on an irregular basis in
Northwestern Wisconsin. Future plans include a book of ritual,
bardic songbook, correspondence courses, theological journal and
membership directory.
For more info, send a business sized SASE to:
The Henge of Keltria
P.O. Box 33284
Coon Rapids, MN 55433
740
{file "Ishtar" "bos172.htm"}
ISHTAR: IN HER PRAISE, IN HER IMAGE
-----------------------------------
By Pauline Campanelli
(Originally published in Circle Network News, under the column PANTHEON;
She was called Ishtar by the Babylonians, Inanna by the Sumerians,
Astarte by the Greeks, and Ashtoreth by the Hebrews. She is a Goddess of
Love and beauty, The Giver of All Life, The Maiden, The Mother, The Crone.
As the maiden hymns were sung to her beauty and her love:
"Praise the Goddess, most awesome
of the Goddesses,
Let one revere the mistress of the
people, the greatest of the Gods.
Praise Ishtar, the most awesome of
the Goddesses,
Let one revere the Queen of Women,
the greatest of the Gods.
She is clothed with pleasure and
love.
She is laden with vitality, charm
and voluptuousness.
In lips she is sweet; life is in
her mouth.
At her appearance rejoicing
becomes full.
She is glorious; veils are thrown
over her head.
Her figure is beautiful; her eyes
are brilliant."
--from a First Dynasty Babylon text, circa 1600 BCE
741
TheGoddess has her darkside too. In thisportion of a Sumerian prayer
to Inanna from Ur, circa 2300 BCE, she is the bringer of death. In the
following lines, "the Powers" refer to the powers and duties assigned to
the various cosmic entities at the moment of creation:
"My Queen, You who are guardian
of all the great Powers,
You have lifted the Powers, have
tied them to your hands,
Have gathered the Powers, pressed
them to your breasts.
You have filled the land with
venom like a serpent.
Vegetation ceases when you thunder
like Ishkur.
You who bring down the flood from
the mountains,
Supreme One who are the Inanna of
Heaven and Earth."
In the Epic of Gilgamesh,it is the word of Ishtar thatcauses Enlil to
bring the Deluge upon her Children, and in the same legend she brings death
not only to her people but her lover too: "When the glorious Ishtar raised
an eye at the beauty of Gilgamesh, she said, 'Come, Gilgamesh, be thou my
lover! Do but grant me thy fruit. Thou shalt be my husband, and I will be
thy wife.'" But the hero refuses her, listing the fates of her other
lovers:
"For Tamuz, the lover of thy
youth,
Thou has ordained wailing year
after year.
Having loved the dappled
Shepherd-bird,
Thou smotest him, breaking his
wing.
In the grove he sits crying, 'My
wing!'
Then thou lovedst a lion, perfect
in strength.
Seven pits and seven didst thou
dig for him.
Then a stallion didst Thou love,
famed in battle.
The whip, the spur, the lash Thou
ordainedst for him."
And ratherthan marry Ishtar, Gilgameshwent in searchof immortality on
his own.
Images of this Great Goddess from the land of theTigris and Euphrates
appear in many shapes and forms. Some of the earliest may be the clay or
limestone figures discovered at the site known as Mureybit in what is today
Syria. These figurines from hunter-gatherer villages of 8000 BCE range
from the crude and stylized to the highly naturalistic. Like later images
of Ishtar, these female divinities are depicted with their hands to their
breasts. These ancient images of a goddess are not joined by a male God
until a thousand years later and then he remains less important.
742
One common characteristicof the early imagesof Ishtar is thebird-like
facial features. These features are also seen on images of the Goddess
from the Thracian culture of what is today Bulgaria, the Vinca culture of
the Central Balkans, and the Tisza culture of northeastern Hungary, circa
6000-5000 BCE. This bird Goddess of ancient eastern Europe, and the
closely related Snake Goddess are frequently associated with the baking of
sacred bread. Miniature temples made in the form of the Goddess contain
scenes of baking bread being presided over by a priestess. Later,
miniature Minoan temples contain images of a Goddess with the same
bird-like features. The Greek Aphrodite is often associated with doves
which are her symbol also. Like Aphrodite's consort was the Grain God
Adonis, Ishtar is the consort of Tamuz, God of Grain and of bread. The
"wailing year after year," in the above text refers to the annual death and
subsequent resurrection of Tamuz the Grain God, the Mesopotamian equivalent
of Adonis and Attis.
The pierced crown and earsof figures are also reminiscent ofimages in
bone and clay from Bulgaria that date to 5000 BCE (Similar piercing can be
seen on bird-faced figures of the Machalilla culture of ancient Ecuador and
some of the Chancay "Moon Goddess" figures of central Peru). The pierced
crown is repeated in the headdress of figures from Mycenae Greece. When
Dr. Heinrich Schleimann discovered figures like these, some had their arms
upraised while others had their hands to their hips forming a circular
outline. He thought they might represent two phases of the moon. Dr.
Schleimann was probably right. The arms of the figure from a tomb form the
crescent of the New Moon rising, an ancient symbol of Ishtar in her aspect
as the moon Goddess. They also repeat the design of the Assyrian Moon
Tree. These upraised arms from ancient Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia.
LikeCybele and Attis, Demeterand Persephone, Aphroditeand Adonis, and
Isis and Osiris; Ishtar sought to retrieve her lover from the "house
wherein the entrants are bereft of light, where dust is their fare and clay
their food." When she arrived at the gate She demanded to be let in. The
Gatekeeper at the command of Allatu, Queen of the Underworld and sister of
Ishtar, allowed her to enter. As she passed thru the first gate, however,
she was told she must remove her crown as "that is the custom of Allatu".
At the second gate she had taken the pendants from her ears; at the third
the chains from her neck; at the fourth the ornament from her breast; at
the fifth the Girdle of birthstones from her hips; at the sixth her
bracelets and anklets; and at the seventh she had the garment removed from
her body.
Allatu imprisoned Ishtar in teh Underworld and because of her absence
from the World of the living, "the bull springs not upon the cow, the ass
impregnates not the jenny, the man lies in his own chamber and the maiden
lies on her side." Because of this, the God Ea sent a messenger to Allatu
and caused Allatu to sprinkle Ishtar with the waters of life. As Ishtar
passed thru each of the seven gates on her ascent, Her garments and her
jewels were returned to her.
As for Tamuz, her beloved, his fate is not known according to the
Summerian myth because the last tablet of the text is missing. In a
Babylonian version of the myth, however, the Gatekeeper is told "Wash him
with pure water, anoint him with sweet oil, clothe him with a red garment,
and let him play on a flute of lapis." As the knowledge of her brought
death, so death brought resurrection.
"On the day that Tamuz comes up
743
to me
When with him the lapis flute and
the carnelian ring come up to me,
When with him the wailing men and
the wailing women come up to me,
May the dead rise and smell the
incense!"
She was worshipped as a Goddess of Loveand Beauty, a bringer of death
and the mother of all life:
"She is sought after among the
Gods, extraordinary is her station,
Respected is her word, it is
supreme over them.
Ishtar among the Gods,
extraordinary is her station.
Respected is her word, it is
supreme over them."
--from a first Dynasty Babylonian text, circa 1600 BCE
Thepriestesses of Her temples were "harlots" detested by the Hebrews,
but, in the words of The Great Goddess, "All acts of love and pleasure are
my rituals." Ishtar is one of the earliest manifestations of The Great
Goddess and the geographic boundaries of her worship may be far greater
than is currently believed.
744
{file "Five Fold Kiss" "bos173.htm"}
FIVE FOLD KISS FEMALE
The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the
Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet, both knees, womb, both
breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. He says, as he
does this:
"Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways.
Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar.
Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.
Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty.
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names."
For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length-to-length, with their feet
touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her arms wide,
and
the same after the kiss on the lips.
FIVE FOLD KISS MALE
The High Priestess kneels before the High Priest and gives him the
Five Fold Kiss; that is, she kisses him on both feet, both knees, phallus,
both breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. she says,
as she does this:
"Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways.
Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar.
Blessed be thy phallus, without which we would not be.
Blessed be thy breasts, formed in strength.
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names."
For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length-to-length, with their feet
touching each others. When she reaches the phallus, he spreads his arms
wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips.
Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert Hale 1983
Transcribed to computer file by Seastrider
745
{file "Ritual Bath (Sewna Silvara)" "bos174.htm"}
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| RITUAL BATH |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
The purpose of a ritual bath is to cleanse Yourself,
from the inside and out, of negative energies and prepare
your Physical, Mental and Spiritual Self for Circle. A
ritual bath is a rite in and of itself. The rite is ideally
done just prior to Circle, but this is not always the case.
[An example of such is if you have to travel to the meeting
place.] After the rite is completed and you must travel to
another place for Circle, try to keep your mind in a
Spiritual frame as this will aid you in Circle.
The bath water should be infused with salts, herbs oils
and colors that are harmonious with the work to be done in
Circle. To prepare for the bath:
Select the Herbs, [it is best to have your herbs in a
satchel for easier clean-up] oils and salts [of the same
color as the candle] that you will be using.
Have a censer and charcoal block ready to burn a
corresponding incense on.
Anoint a candle of appropriate color [Possibly using
the same oil as you are using in the bath water.] If you
have a shrine set up in your bathroom there should be a
Goddess and God candle present.
Have some Holy Water ready. [Holy Water is made from:
1/3 sea-water \{river-water with sea-salt added will do if
sea-water is unavailable\}; 1/3 river-water; 1/3 spring-water
\{store bought is OK\}.]
Have a tape recorder with meditation music in the
bathroom with you, as its aid to visualization and
meditation is invaluable. [Be cautious to have the tape
recorder far away from any water and DO NOT TOUCH IT WHILE
YOU ARE STILL WET.]
A glass of wine is also needed for consumption upon
completion of the rite. And your libation dish for the
libation to the Gods.
To begin turn out the lights and light the candle(s)
and incense, turn on tape, fill the tub with warm water and
add herbs, oils, salts and a cup or so of Holy Water. With
your Athame draw and visualize a Water or Banishing
Pentagram over the bath water. All of these tools represent
the four Elements; Air/the incense and the scents from the
bath, Fire/the heat of the bath, Water/the bath and Holy
Water and, Earth/the herbs and oils.
746
Lower yourself into the water and visualize it
cleansing you of all negativity. Know that these energies
are flowing from your Physical, Mental and Spiritual Self
into the water. Relax and enjoy the warmth of the water,
the scents in the air and the feeling of being cleansed of
all negativity, let yourself drift. Now concentrate and
visualize on the purpose of the coming ritual and know that
you are truly prepared. When you feel you are ready, pull
the plug and stay in the tub until all the water has
drained. As the water is draining visualize and know that
the negative energies that are now in the water are going
into the Earth and are grounded.
Rise up out of the tub and do a Self Blessing like the
following:
Anoint each area while saying aloud:
Blessed be my Mind, that learns of Your ways
[anointing your forehead]
Blessed be my eyes, that have seen this day.
Blessed be my lips,
That utter Your names and keep Your secrets.
Blessed be my breast(s), formed in strength (Beauty).
Blessed be the phallus (Womb),
For without which I would not be.
Blessed be my knees, that shall kneel at thy Sacred Altar.
Blessed be my feet, that have brought me in these ways.
Pour a libation to the Gods and drink the wine. When
dried, robe, clean-up the bathroom and take the libation
outside to return it to the Earth. The rite is ended.
So Mote it Be!
747
{file "Tea Ritual (Sewna Silvara, Triskelion)" "bos175.htm"}
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| The Triskelion Rite of Tea |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
Purpose: The purpose of this working is to pay homage
to the Gods and to reflect on Their blessings
upon this your life.
Tools: * Herb(s) for tea
* Container for herb(s)
* Cup(s) and Tea Pot
* Decanter of Pure Spring Water
* Brewing dish with candle
* Scrying Candle
Prepare By: Placing a small table or platform in the
center of your working space and arranging
the Brewing dish, herbs, cup(s), Tea Pot and
spoon on the table. Also place the cauldron
with scrying candle within for use during the
meditation. (Use the diagram, which follows,
as a guide for arranging of the tools.)
Prior to casting the Circle, light candle and
fill the Brewing dish with Spring Water from
a decanter. Keep the Brewing Dish covered
during the Casting, as I have found this
helps the water to heat faster and hotter.
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| The Blessing of the Herbs |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
With the tip of your Athame touching the Herbs, intone
this blessing:
Thou has grown by favor of the Sun,
The Moon, and of the dew.
I make this intercession, ye herb:
I beseech thee to be of benefit to me and my rite,
For thy virtues are unfailing.
Thou art the Dew of all the Gods,
The Eye of the Sun,
The Light of the Moon,
The Beauty and Glory of the Sky,
The Mystery of Terra.
I purify thee so that
Whatever is wrought by me with thee may,
In all its powers,
Have a good and speedy effect with good success.
Be purified by my prayer and be powerful!
So mote it be!
When water is hot enough, place the herbs in the Tea
Pot and add water from the brewing dish, give it a couple of
stirs.
748
While the tea is steeping, intone this Prayer.
Earth Mother
Giver of life
Strengthen me during my life-long strife.
Teach me Your ways of perfect love,
Peace, and wisdom true.
Spawn from my purest heart
These words to You
May this prayer help me to better
Myself in word and deed,
To a higher plane I shall succeed.
Beautiful Light of Goodness Fair
Lore of old we both do share
A Witch's brew, I drink to You
My love for You, by day, by night
In thought and in sight
Will my soul learn
The meaning of this life again.
Pour out a cup for all present, including one for the
Gods, and enjoy.
Sit before the table and meditate on the blessings that
the Gods have bestowed upon your life. You may use the
scrying candle here to focus upon for your meditation. If
the Gods so choose They may give you a Message or Vision
through the blessings of the Sight.
You may relax now and finish off the pot. (Note: this
rite is not to take the place of The Feast, but is to be
used as a time of blessing and communing with the Goddess)
749
{file "Scorpio Dragon (Sewna Silvara)" "bos176.htm"}
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| The Scorpio Dragon |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
I am Scorpio and I can fly as high as the noble eagle or
play it down and dirty, stinging as if a scorpion, both of
which symbolize my zodiacal sign. I have been told so many
times that I am passionate, intense, can be green with envy,
can be vindictive that I almost begin to believe some of
these appellations. If I took seriously what is said and
written, I would be making love all night and planning
insurgencies all day.
I am drawn to the Occult, I am competitive, I desire victory
but I also insist on fair play. It is not easy to defeat me
because, like the fabled Phoenix, I rise from my own
ashes...I come alive when most people would consider me dead
and buried. I adore secrets, I am sensual, my psychic
impressions usually are accurate, my dreams are prophetic
and I am an incurable romantic.
I delve deep, I reject superficial responses, I am the
probing editor, psychoanalyst, finder of lost persons,
purveyor of arcane aspects of the law, knowledgeable about
taxes and various aspects of inheritance.
I can be jealous, will fight for what is right, seldom do
anything halfway, can fall madly in love and I can also be
completely vulnerable. Yes, I can be hurt, but I also
possess retaliatory weapons that might give as adversary
fits. I tear down for the ultimate purpose of rebuilding on
a more suitable base. I am creative, rebellious, can be
fixed in my views, am willing to take a gamble but prefer a
sure thing.
I am tormented by the fact that evil exists. Maybe that is
why I seem to be a natural healer. I abhor suffering and
will risk my own skin to save others. Oh, yess, I can be
evangelistic. I am dynamic and dedicated when the cause is
right.
In the Chinese Astrology, I am an unquenchable fire, the
center of all energy, the stout heroic heart. I am truth
and light, I hold power and glory in my sway. My presence
disperses dark clouds. I have been chosen to tame the
Fates. I AM THE DRAGON!
Now, listen. If I tell you anymore, you might know
everything and then lose interest. And that would devastate
me!
Blessed Be!.........Sewna, The Scorpio Dragon
750
{file "Descent of The Goddess (Sewna Silvara)" "bos177.htm"}
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| The Legend of the descent of the Goddess |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
Now our Lady the Goddess had never loved, but She would
solve all the Mysteries, even the Mystery of Death; and so
She journeyed to the Underworld.
The Guardians of the Portals challenged her: "Strip off
thy garments, lay aside thy jewels; for naught mayest thou
bring with the into this our land."
So She laid down her garments and her jewels, and was
bound, as are all who enter the Realms of Death, the Mighty
One.
Such was her beauty, that Death himself knelt and
kissed her feet, saying: "Blessed be thy feet, that have
brought thee in these ways. Abide with me; but let me place
my cold hand on thy heart."
She replied: "I love thee not. Why dost thou cause all
things that I love and take delight in to fade and die?"
"Lady," replied Death, "tis age and fate, against which
I am helpless. Age causes all things to wither; but when
men die at the end of time, I give them rest and peace, and
strength so that they may return. But thou! Thou art
lovely. Return not; abide with me!"
But She answered: "I love thee not."
Then said Death: "An thou receivest not my hand on thy
heart, thou must receive Death's scourge."
"It is fate - better so," She said. And She knelt, and
Death scourged her tenderly. And She cried, "I feel the
pangs of love."
And Death said, "Blessed Be!" and gave her the Fivefold
Kiss, saying: "Thus only mayest thou attain to joy and
knowledge." And he taught her all the Magicks.
For there are three great events in the life of man:
Love, Death, and Resurrection in the new body; and Magick
controls them all. For to fulfil love you must return again
at the same time and place as the loved one, and you must
remember and love them again. But to be reborn you must die
and be ready for a new body; and to die you must be born;
and without love you may not be born; and this is all the
Magicks.
751
{file "Craft Ethics (J. Crowley)" "bos178.htm"}
MY CRAFT ETHICS
Copyright by James T. Crowley III 1986
This article may be reproduced for personal
use as long as it is complete and un edited
There aredoubtlesslyreaders ofthisarticle thatbelieveI have
no ethics. Those readers are entitled to there opinion however
shallow I may feel that opinion is.
Iam theHigh Priestof CovenantOfThe Doves,the commentsI make
hereare necessarilymy personalethicsand viewpointand notthat
of my High Priestess or members of the Coven. Even as a leader
of a coven, I have no right or power to speak for another
person. They do however necessarily govern my actions as a High
Priest.
The only way I know to state my ethical viewpoint is by a
annotated recitationof theLawsof theCraft ofthe Wiseasthey
pertain to ethics and have been revealed to me by my teachers,
thewritings ofothers andthatwhich theLord andLady havemade
clear to me through their visions and actions.
I bear the mundane name Crowley that has a certain significance
in the craft community beyond my personal contributions. Yes, I
amprovedof thelegacy ofthat nameas membersof myfamily have
played important parts in history. Aleister Crowley was by no
means the most important of them nor the least.
Aleister Crowley, the Current Lord Crowley and myself all bear
common ancestorstoSir AmbroseCrowley,Lord MayorofLondon (at
the time of Cromwell) and author of the 'Law Book of the Crowley
Iron Works' which is considered to be the bases of British
statutory law. This, I hope will clear up confusion about my
relationship to Aleister Crowley.
The name Hearth Witch is far more dear to me than Crowley, as it
represents a true understanding of what the WICCA is. When an
astronaut looks out of the window of his space capsule and sees
the body of our Lady looking back at him. The astronaut knows,
in that moment that technology, and the centuries of mans' labor
that put him there, are pale when compared to the wonders of our
Lady.
752
MY CRAFT ETHICS BY JAMES CROWLEY III 12/19/86
I feel that it is necessary to explain some of the structure of
the Covenant of the Doves. We say that we have one degree but
that is not strictly true. There are 4 things that happen to a
person on the pathway. We cannot call them degrees as they do
not happen in the same order to each person.
1. Dedication to the coven.
2. Initiation by the God and Goddess
3. Worldly recognition of their Initiation by the Gods
and their ability to act as a Priest or Priestess
4. Birth or Adoption into the family which is as permanent
and unrevokable as the Initiation of the Lord and Lady.
THE WITCH 'LAW'
Do not what you desire -
do what is necessary.
Take all you are given -
give all of yourself.
"What I have - - - I hold."
When all else is lost, and not until then,
prepare to die with dignity.
There are two kinds of law, Law of Tribe and the Law of Goddess
(ie: natural law). The Law of Tribe requires the services of a
Priesthood. The Law of the Goddess require no Priesthood as they
are self-enforcing. If you see an apparent violation of the law
of the Goddess, there are only two possible explanations. The
law is not of the Goddess but of man, or you do not understand
that law of the Goddess. If you see a ball fall up, either
someone is deceiving you, or you are in a spacecraft or similar
artificial environment that is manifesting some of the "fine
print" in the law of the Goddess. This partial telling of the
laws contain both the law of the tribe and that of the Goddess.
It is left to the wisdom of the student to learn which is which.
THE LEADERSHIP OF THE COVEN
The High Priestess must be an ordained Nymph or a Crone.
The High Priest must be an ordained Magician.
The High Priestess is the final word on the quality of Worship as
the High Priest is the final word on the quality of Magick within
the WICCA Circles.
The High Priest's relationship is: Father, Brother, and Lover.
The Priestess's relationship is: Mother, Sister, and Lover.
753
THE PRIEST AND PRIESTESS ARE THE LEADERS OF THE COVEN IN THE
MUNDANE WORLD, NOT IT'S DICTATORS. MEMBERS MUST BE GIVEN A VOICE
IN THE ACTIONS OF THE COVEN.
The Covenant of the Doves is necessarily a theocracy not a
democracy. Meetings are opened to all who are dedicated and
sometimes to concerned outsiders. Whatever the business, it is
open to discussion by all. There are no votes taken because when
it is all said and done, there are only two people in the coven
that bear the responsibility for the actions of this coven, the
High Priestess and the High Priest. So, the final decision is
theirs ALONE.
When the Circle is cast by The Priest and Priestess, they are
necessarily the ABSOLUTE RULERS OF THE COVEN. No witch shall
enter the Circle with out PERFECT LOVE AND PERFECT TRUST in all
members of the Circle. The only question of the order of the
Priest or Priestess is: if told to jump, it is permissible to ask
how high -- on the way up.
IFONEDISAGREES WITHTHE DECISIONOF THELEADERSOF ANYCOVEN OR
CIRCLE. IT IS THERERIGHT AND DUTYTO LEAVE THECOVEN. THEREIS
NO OTHER LAWFUL RECOURSE.
LEADERS MUST BE EVER MINDFUL THAT MEMBERS WILL SOON LEAVE AN
UNJUST LEADER.
THE LAW OF THE COVEN
THE CIRCLE IS A PLACE THAT IS NOT A PLACE, BETWEEN THE WORLDS.
A COVEN IS A FULLY AUTONOMOUS UNIT ANSWERABLE TO NO POWER BEYOND
ITS OWN, SAVE THE LORD AND LADY.
IN ANY DISPUTE WITHIN THE FAMILY (COVEN) OR TRIBE, NO ONE MAY
INVOKE ANY LAW BUT THOSE OF THE FAMILY AND TRIBE.
It being known that the Circle is a "place that is not a place,
between the worlds", and that what is between the Worlds does not
concern the World. Discussion of actions taking place within a
consecrated circle is appropriate for discussion only within that
Circle, or by Elders of the Craft in a Council of Elders Convened
by the High Priest and High Priestess of the coven involved as
only Elders can or should have any direct knowledge of actions
that take place within the Circle of another Coven.
With the fragmentation of the WICCA since the burning times, the
identification of Elders of the Craft is at best ambiguous. The
only working definition that I can feel comfortable with is:
Those members of the WICCA community that the High Priest and
High Priestess of the Coven recognize as their peers regardless
of what rank they hold in other circles.
754
THE WORD OF A WITCH NEED NO BOND OR CONTRACT. IT IS NECESSARILY
TRUE AND FREE OF EQUIVOCATION.
We make it clear to all around us that we do not tolerate lying.
If it is on the part of a friend or an acquaintance, we will
cease contact with them, if necessary. If it is a member of the
craft, we do not willingly stand in the same circle with them.
If they are a student, this is one of the few areas that we will
invoke banishment as a punishment (or, if there are extenuating
circumstancesand thepersonis ofextremevalue tothe covenand
the Craft, we will consider corporal punishment or an equivalent
alternative proposed by the student to balance the wrong done to
the Coven, in lieu of banishment). If they are an Initiate, it
is necessarily more harmful to the family, and therefore, more
serious.
PERFECT LOVEANDPERFECT TRUST(my fingerswantedto typelove is
the law)
Perfect love and perfect trust are not words spoken in blind
faith. They do not mean a blanket trust. Perfect love and
perfect trust are what was in the hearts of the few, and most
dear, that when they heard rumors, first came to us and said
"what are these rumors about...". These people knew that as
fallible as we are, these rumors were not a reflection of our
will. These people sought to know what happened, not to satisfy
any of their own devices or to judge us, but to share our pain
and the load. These people are of different traditions and
levels of worldly Craft learning, but these people will always
hold a place in my heart second only to my brothers and sisters
that are literally of the My Family.
THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF SECRETS IN THE WICCA CIRCLE AND ALL ARE
INVIOLATE EXCEPT IN AN ELDER CIRCLE, AND THEN ONLY TO THE EXTENT
THAT THEY ARE RELATIVE TO CRAFT BUSINESS AND HELD IN THAT ELDER
CIRCLE.
1. Secrets that are within the Circles that are private
to the members of that coven.
(ie: when Charlie has a few drinks he.....
2. The secret held by the High Priestess and High Priest of
the inside and outside Circle affairs of the coven members,
due to their office.
3. The social and magick practices of the Craft that cannot be
talked of outside of the Wicca without being taken out of
context and sensationalized.
755
THERE ARE AS MANY WAYS TO LOVE THE GODDESS AS SHE HAS NAMES.
All ways of loving the Goddess are correct. None are Wrong as
long as they are based in love.
Say not "they are wrong" say "they are a different path from
mine".
Until you know in your heart that you have found your path, do
not deny any wicca path that you have not walked.
When you find your path, still walk other paths with your
brothers and sisters in joy and love.
"THE WICCA SHALL BE NAKED IN THERE RITE"
All mankind is naked before God and Goddess.
NO STRANGER NOT BORN IN THE FAMILY SHALL LEAD THE FAMILY OR A
TOTEM OF THE FAMILY.
NO ONE WHO RALLIES AGAINST HIS FAMILY OR TRIBE SHALL BE KEPT IN
BANISHMENT PAST 14 YEARS AFTER THE EVENT, IF THAT UNDO THE HARM
CAUSED.
NO ONE WHO EXTENDED THEMSELVES IN THE SUPPORT OF THEIR FAMILY OR
TRIBE SHALL BE BANISHED FOR OLD AGE OR THE ACTIONS OF INFIRMITY.
IT IS NECESSARY THAT SCRYING, VISIONS, ASPECTING AND ALL OTHER
APPARENT VISIONS OF OUR LORD AND LADY BE QUESTIONED. IT IS
ESSENTIAL TO OUR REBIRTH THAT WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE NOT OUR OWN
WISHFUL THINKING OR PRIDE, IF THERE BE THE LEAST DOUBT, THE
VISION MUST BE DENIED.
If a true vision is denied by the initiated, the Lady will
underline the truth in the vision in an unquestionable form. If
this underlining comes as a punishment, it is still a small price
to pay when compared to the consequences of a false vision.
IFEVER ANYOF THETRIBE NEEDA HOUSEOR LANDAND NONEWILL SELL,
THEN CRAFTMAY BEUSED TO INCLINETHE OWNERS TOSELL, PROVIDEDIT
HARMETH HIM NOT, AND THE FULL PRICE IS PAID WITHOUT HAGGLING.
NEVER BARGAIN OR CHEAPEN ANYTHING YOU BUY BY THE ART.
NOMAN,WOMAN, HIGHPRIESTESS,OR HIGHPRIEST CANSAYWHAT "HARMS
NONE".
The answer to this is for the Gods, not man. A just action may
well harm someone in some way in the mundane world (every action
has an equal and opposite reaction). It is always best to give
the action and the power to the Goddess, and abide by her will.
If it cannot be given to her after due consideration, then one
must actin themostjust formthat ispossible, freelytakingon
to our selves all adverse reaction of an error in judgment.
756
NO ONE MAY DO ANYTHING WHICH WILL ENDANGER ANY OF THE TRIBE OR
BRING THEM INTO CONTACT WITH THE LAW OF THE LAND.
THE ART MAY ONLY BE USED IN ERNEST AND NEVER FOR SHOW OR VAIN
GLORY.
NO PERSON MAY BE WARNED OF HIS FATE MORE THAN THREE TIMES.
MAIDEN: (Youngsters still new to the Craft, or older ones who do
ritual work and do not mind publicity.) Young people oriented to
cope with, and the ability to handle publicity. Some knowledge
of occult and the Craft both in its practical and religious
aspects is necessary. Childless women, virgins; Warm friendly
people with good powers of projection.
NYMPHS - (Do the bulk of ritual work, young adults.) Creative
people, artists, dancers, singers, etc. Very mature, rational
and responsible. Intuitive and uninhibited. Knowledge of Craft
and occultism, etc. necessary. Dislikes publicity.
CRONES: (executive branch - teachers of neophytes, makes judg-
ments, etc.) Must be sober and serious, but with a sense of
humor, very mature in most all ways, intuitive of the true nature
and inner working of things. Older folks, intellectual, Masters
of there Craft, and dislike publicity.
No woman shall be a Maiden who has not been in her courses.
No woman shall be ordained unless she has passed her 17th year,
nor shall she have her ordination recognized until that time.
No woman shall have her ordination recognized unless she is in
her courses, has ten fingers, ten toes, two eyes, two ears, a
nose. Her generative organs and breasts must be complete. The
honorable loss of limbs or the effects of torture following
ordination shall not invalidate the ordination.
No woman shall be a Nymph who has not coupled.
No woman shall be a Crone who has not given birth.
No man shall be a Magician who has not healed.
No man shall be ordained unless he has passed his 33rd year, nor
shall he have his ordination recognized until that time.
No man shall have his ordination recognized unless he is the
father of a living child, has ten fingers and ten toes, two eyes,
two ears and a nose and generative organs complete. The
honorable loss of limbs or the effects of torture following
ordination shall not invalidate the ordination.
In their youth, let those who cannot swing the axe till the
field. Those who cannot till the field carry water. Those who
cannot carry water, nor till the field, nor chase, nor battle,
nor be of service to their family or tribe, let them leave it.
757
None shall be kept as a child forever. Better that they be
banished if they cannot grow in mind.
INITIATION
NO PERSON MAY BE CALLED TO INITIATION MORE THAN THREE TIMES.
NO PERSON MAY BE INITIATED WHO HAS LESS THAN 20 YEARS OF LIFE
LEFT TO THEM AT THE TIME OF INITIATION.
No High Priestess or High Priest of the WICCA can cause an
initiationto takeplace. Initiation isinthe handsof theLord
and Lady. The teachercan only providethe environmentthat will
aide in the initiation if the God and Goddess so will it.
If one questions the validity of their own initiation, there can
be but one answer, the initiation did not take place. An
initiation by the Gods will be remembered.
Letyour judgmenton matterswhich youmake befit tothesize of
the case, not to your feelings. Let your heart not rule your
mind, nor mind your heart, but bear a balance as has been taught
you.
Not all are chosen for the tribe, nor are all in the tribe of one
family, nor are all in the family to be initiated, nor are all
the initiated to be ordained. Your yoke is to be as strong as
you can bear, but no stronger.
James Crowley
P. O. Box 16025
North Hollywood, CA
91615-6025
758
{file "Computer Blessing (Zahai Stewart)" "bos179.htm"}
Computer Blessing
Blessings on this fine machine,
May its data all be clean.
Let the files stay where they're put,
Away from disk drives keep all soot.
From its screen shall come no whines,
Let in no spikes on power lines.
As oaks were sacred to the Druids,
Let not the keyboard suffer fluids.
Disk Full shall be nor more than rarity,
The memory shall not miss its parity.
From the modem shall come wonders,
Without line noise making blunders.
May it never catch a virus,
And all its software stay desirous.
Oh let the printer never jam,
And turn my output into spam.
I ask of Eris, noble queen,
Keep Murphy far from this machine.
1988 Zhahai Stewart
759
{file "Charge of the Phone Goddess (Magenta Griffith)" "bos180.htm"}
Charge of The Phone Goddess
Listen to the words of the Phone Goddess, who in days of old was
called Mama Cass, Ma Barker, Moms Mabley, the last of the Red Hot
Mamas, and by many other names not mentionable in mixed company.
Whenever you have need to make a call, preferably long distance,
and better it be when the rates are high, then shall ye assemble your
funds in some convenient place to pay me, who am Queen of all Highway
Robbery. These ye shall assemble, ye who are fain to bankruptcy yet
have not sent me all your earnings. To these shall I send bills as are
yet unheard of. Ye shall be free from bank accounts, as a sign that
ye be truly free ye shall be naked from my rates. And ye shall sing,
talk, shout, trade gossip and love, all at your own expense. Let your
fingers do the walking through my yellow pages. Let none stop you or
turn you aside, just call information. For mine is the dial tone that
opens upon the busy signal of life, which is the princess phone of
immorality. Mine is the poverty of the masses, and call now, pay
later. For my law is profit before people. Today I give knowledge of
facts you do not wish to have, and tomorrow calls that will sell you
things you do not wish to own. For behold, I demand everything in
sacrifice. I am the next best thing to being there, and my bills are
sent out upon the earth. (- Magenta G. and Steve P-C, 1982)
760
{file "Manhood Rituals (RMPJ)" "bos181.htm"}
This article is excerpted from the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal.
Each issue of the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal is published by
High Plains Arts and Sciences; P.O. Box 620604, Littleton Co.,
80123, a Colorado Non-Profit Corporation, under a Public Domain
Copyright, which entitles any person or group of persons to
reproduce, in any form whatsoever, any material contained therein
without restriction, so long as articles are not condensed or
abbreviated in any fashion, and credit is given the original
author.!
THE MEN'S CIRCLE
(c)1986, by Robin
The Rocky Mountain Men's Group has put in a good deal of
time the past two or three months working on a Manhood Ritual for
initiating young males into adulthood. We still don't have a
complete ritual that we are all satisfied with, but a good start
has been made. Some of the approaches taken in creating this
kind of ritual have drawn upon traditional tribal rites of
passage. Some of these tribal manhood rituals include taking the
young candidate abruptly away from his family to an isolated
spot, where he must remain for a long period of time, usually
blindfolded and bound in the dark. Part of the ritual may
involve physical pain such as tattooing, circumcision or
ceremonial infliction of cuts that leave characteristic scars.
Even leaving out the physical cutting, these rites deliberately
put the young candidate through frightening, isolating and
painful experiences.
No one has seriously proposed any ritual that leaves
permanent scars on the candidate's body, but even so some feel
that putting an innocent youngster through a traumatic experience
is insensitive. It seems to me that this attitude misses the
point. It is not a lack of compassion that is being expressed.
There is no single word for it in English, it is a willingness to
inflict (or at least allow) pain in order to teach a necessary
lesson that cannot be conveyed in any other way. As sensitivity
is usually considered a light feminine quality, so this
complement is a dark masculine quality.
Is this dark masculine quality desirable - or even ethical?
I think it is. There are elements of it in the Wiccan Initiation
Rituals and the symbolism of the Scourge. It partially explains
some of the Legend of the Descent of the Goddess into the
Underworld - where the Goddess only learns to love the God after
being scourged by Him. "Remember this - that you must suffer in
order to learn". Although many people are put off by the dark
quality of this particular attribute of the Masculine, it is
important to remember that although not pretty, it is necessary.
Perhaps the following story will illustrate this point.
761
A boy around eight or nine years old once found a very large
caterpillar. It was dark green, as long and thick as a man's
finger, and decorated with curious stalky and warty protuberances
in blue, red, and bright yellow. Since it was nearly the end of
summer, he took it home and put it in a large open jar, and kept
it supplied with leaves of the type he had seen it eating. After
a couple of months it began to spin a cocoon about itself. He
watched this with fascination, and when the cocoon was complete,
he put the jar on a shelf of his screened back porch, where it
remained through the winter. When the days began to lengthen and
the weather grew warmer he checked the jar every morning and
afternoon, waiting for a little miracle of rebirth. One Saturday
morning his patience was rewarded. There was movement within the
cocoon and a small hole had appeared. The boy watched in
fascination as the hole became larger and the reborn creature
inside struggled to emerge. The struggle went on for what seemed
to the boy a long time and he began to feel sorry for the trapped
insect. Out of compassion, he ran off and returned with a pair
of his mother's smallest, finest, scissors. Carefully he
enlarged the hole, and then stood back to watch a beautifully
patterned moth emerge into the light of day. The moth spread its
folded wings, moving them gently to dry in the air. Their tan-
and-gray markings seemed to the boy to be one of the most
beautiful things he had ever seen. When the moth's wings seemed
dry, he carefully held the jar to the outside of the porch screen
so that it could crawl out. He planned to watch it until it flew
away to find a mate. The moth crawled onto the screen and
perched there. It flapped its wings from time to time but did
not fly. When evening came, several male moths came and
fluttered about the female clinging to the screen, but although
she seemed to be trying to fly off and join them, she never moved
from where she was. She stayed where she was for three or four
days, and finally died and fell to the ground. The boy later
learned that the struggle to emerge from the cocoon is so
prolonged for moths and butterflies because the long effort
serves to pump necessary fluids into their wings and strengthen
them for flight. By shortening this process, to spare the moth
pain, he had prevented her wings from fully developing and so she
could never fly and mate and lay the eggs of the next generation.
......Robin
......from RMPJ Oct. '86
762
{file "Coven Offices" "bos182.htm"}
COVEN OFFICES
Leadership in a mixed coven:
1. High Priestess - Coordinates ritual leadership, counseling,
teaching, and administration duties, in company with the High
Priest. Chief representative of the Goddess energies at rituals.
Badge of office: crescent Moon crown or coronet of candles.
2. High Priest - See above. Chief representative of the God
energies at rituals. Badge of office: horned headdress or animal
mask.
3. Maiden - Understudy to the High Priestess, and substitutes for
her when necessary. Badge of office may be a simple silver
circlet or tiara.
4. Summoner - Understudy to the High Priest, who substitutes for
him when necessary. Main administrative deputy, passing out
information, collecting dues, letting people know when to meet and
what to bring, etc. Also called the "Man in Black," "Black Rod,"
or "Verdelet." Badge of office may be a blackthorn staff.
Leadership in an all-woman's coven:
One pattern: No hierarchy or titles at all: ritual leadership
rotates, other jobs are carried out by anyone capable and willing.
Another pattern:
1. Maiden - Understudy to the Mother, and chief administrative
deputy (see Summoner's duties above)
2. Mother - Coordinates ritual leadership and administration,
guides coven projects and activities. She does not necessarily do
these jobs herself always, but has the responsibility to see that
they are apportioned fairly and done effectively.
3. Crone - Chief counselor to the Mother, and does a large share
of teaching and individual counseling. May perform divination on
questions of concern to the coven. Possibly a former "Mother" or
High Priestess, experienced and skilled in magick, herbalism, etc.
For both mixed and single-sex coven:
Council of Elders - A gathering of all the higher-rank initiates
in the coven. They may function as advisors to the coven leaders,
or may actually set policy, establish the budget etc. In the
latter case, coven leaders are essentially executives responsible
to the Elders.
763
Other possible officers in mixed or single-sex covens:
1. Scribe (secretary) - Keeps minutes of business meetings, handles
correspondence under the direction of coven leaders.
2. Pursewarden (treasurer) - collects dues, keeps accounts, makes
purchases, coordinates fund-raising projects.
3. Archivist (historian) - Keeps the coven Book of Shadows or "Witch Book"
up to date, keeps files of coven projects and activities, rituals. These
functions may be combined with the
Scribe's job.
4. Bard (music director) - Collects songs and chants, leads the coven in
them, provides musical accompaniment; collects ballads and legends,
preserves the old lore and coven history in original songs.
5. Watchman (sergeant-at-arms) - Assists in initiation rituals; in charge
of safety & security at meetings and rituals. Indoors, checks locks and
closes curtains; outdoors, finds safe places for rituals and posts
sentries to warn off strangers approaching. Sets wards and arranges other
magickal protection. Knows laws regarding freedom of religion and
assembly, trespass ordinances etc.
6. Mistress-of, Master-of- (resource persons and teachers) - Any
individual who has achieved great competency in a magickal skill may
earn this title. They serve as a resource for the coven, and teach
others. An initiate may choose to apprentice with any Mistress or
Master. Fields:
* Divinatory Arts (or sub-category, such as Tarot, Astrology, I
Ching, Lithomony, Dreamcraft, Scrying, Radiesthesia etc.)
* Herbalism (for healing, amulets/talismans, oils, incense)
* Healing Arts (including herbal healing, psychic healing, aromatherapy,
Bach remedies, polarity balancing, healing with stones, color therapy,
chakras etc.)
* Familiar Arts (magickal work with animals, totems, elementals,
shapeshifting)
* Talismanic Arts (designing & creating talismans & amulets)
* Ritual Toolcraft (designing & creating ritual tools)
* Runecraft (use of magickal alphabets)
* Necromancy (communication with, or evocation of, the dead)
* Psychic Skills (astral travel, telepathy, telempathy, clairvoyance,
clairaudience, telekinesis, teleportation)
* Incantation (Words of Power, charms, chants, mantras)
* Fascination (trancework, hypnosis)
764
{file "Odinism, What is it?" "bos183.htm"}
This material was apparently excerpted from a book titled
What is Odinism?.
We encourage you to
visit The Odinic Rite
for more information. --sacred-texts Editor
ODINISM, WHAT IS IT?
1. What do you mean by Odinism?
Odinism isthe indigenous religiousfaith of theScandinavian, British
and other peoples of Northern Europe; it is an amalgam of attitudes, ideas
and behavior, both a personal faith and a communal way of life. In its
beginnings Odinism is probably as old as our race. Historically it may be
divided into three periods:
A. Before the coming of Christianity
B. Its gradual merging with Christianity and the ensuing Period of
Dual Faith, and
C. Its efforts in the present century to free itself of Christian
influences and to reassert its ancient independence.
2. How have the tenets of Odinism been preserved?
Is there an Odinist holy book?
The ancient oral traditions of Odinism were during the Middle Ages
embodied in writings, the Odinist books of wisdom, the principle of which
are the Eddas. The poetic Elder Edda presents the Odinist cosmogony, the
mythological lays and the heroic lays, including the story of Sigurd and
Brynhild which were in later times moulded into the Lay of the Nibelungs.
The Younger Edda is a prose synopsis of the Odinist faith.
3. When did Britain and the rest of Europe cease to be Odinist?
The first of our Northern countries to succumb to the false promises of
the new religion were the Goths, in the fourth century of the Christian
era; the Icelanders became Christians by official decree in the year 1000
CE, to be followed by the Scandinavian countries over the next two hundred
years. England was "converted" between 597 and 686 CE and Scotland somewhat
earlier (although some of the people of Ross-shire were still worshipping
the old Gods as late as the seventeenth century). Ireland, when Patrick the
Proselytizer landed there in the year 432, was described as "a heathen
land"; Dublin and the other principal Irish towns were actually founded by
Odinist Vikings, who dedicated the country to the god Thor.
4. Well, the people were converted to Christianity.
Would you have denied them their freedom of choice?
They had no choice. Most of those who were "converted" had little
knowledge of Christian doctrine; the new religion was imposed on them by
sword and sermon. The Revd S. C. Olland's Dictionary of English Church
History is explicit: "The adoption of Christianity generally depended
upon State action: the king and his nobles were baptized and the people
largely followed their example. . . . .The wholesale conversions. . . . .
could not have implied individual conviction." On one day alone in the
year 598 more than ten thousand English "converts" were baptized in a mass
ceremony; it is unlikely that they had received a great deal of instruction
in the Christian faith. Even in the twentieth century the vast majority of
Christians are still quite ignorant of Christian doctrine. It was always
so.
765
5. Why do you say that Odinism was practiced in the Church
during what you have called "the Period of Dual Faith"?
We can see the evidence everywhere, even today. When the foreign
missionaries subverted Britain what they could they repressed and what
they could not they ignored or adopted. The ancient spring renewal festival
of Summer Finding was transformed into the Christian feast of the
resurrection; the Mid-winter festival of Yule became Christmas. Not only
the folk festivals connected with the great changes of season - May Day and
Midsummer and Harvest - but numerous customs associated with life's
milestones, birth and marriage and death, all showed that the old Gods
lived on in the life and in the language of the people. Many of the
external signs of the ancient faith were retained: water was consecrated
and wood was blessed. A Christian writer, Professor P. D. Chantepie de la
Saussaye DD, has said, "We recognize in this folklore a form of historical
continuity, the bond of union between the life of the people in pagan and
In Christian times." Even today when we say, "Touch wood!" we are recalling
the sacred nature of an important symbol of our ancient religion; and how
many people are aware that they are paying unconscious tribute to the Gods
of Odinism when they light their Christmas or Paschal candles or their
bonfire on the fifth of November? Or that the very "Christmas tree" is
itself the World Ash of Odinism? Even the sign of the cross is really the
sign of Thor's hammer!
6. How long did the Period of Dual Faith last?
The period during which Odinism was actually practiced within the
Church extended in Britain from about the seventh century CE right down to
the 1930's, when the purity of ancient worship was revived by a number of
groups working outside the Church for the first time for more than a
thousand years.
7. But the adoption of Christianity, a creed that preaches peace on earth
and the equality of all men was, surely you must agree, a step forward in
the civilizing of our people?
Odinists were happy enough to put up with the new doctrines so long as
they were allowed to go on practicing their own faith in peace. But the
inherent contradiction at the heart of Christianity is that it denies in
action the faith that it professes verbally. There is no history of
religious warfare in Europe before the coming of Christianity. It is ironic
indeed that the message of peace on earth has been propagated with so much
bloodshed. As for the equality of all men, we just do not believe in it;
and even the Christian god has his "chosen people".
8. Why is it now necessary to reassert what you describe as Odinism's
ancient independence? Why can you not , in the present unsettled state
of society, leave well alone. Surely we should be getting together, not
creating more divisions amongst ourselves?
First of all it is necessary to state that because of its organic
origins and development Odinism is a religion of visual truth.
Nevertheless,for just so long as Christian and Odinist ethics coincided -
even superficially - it was possible for Odinists to worship the Gods under
their Christian designations; but only for so long as they remained
adequate interpretations of the true divinities of Odinism (the nature of a
god being of greater importance than his name).
766
The Churches are today opposed to many of the things that Odinists hold
sacred: they sin against nation and people by espousing causes whose
ultimate aim is our destruction; they condone legislation that has given
statutory approval to unnatural sexual deviance and perversion; they
encourage criminal activities by calling for the exemption from punishment,
or even prosecution, of whole categories of lawbreakers; they provide
financial aid for revolutionary propaganda and even terrorist activities
against our own people; they remain totally indifferent to the rape of our
countryside in the short-term interests of economic gain and technology;
and they have successfully divided the people of our own islands against
themselves (eg, in Ireland). Life in Northern Europe is today, after
fifteen hundred years of Christianity, almost entirely concerned with
material wealth and self-indulgence and the Christian clergy have largely
forsaken their spiritual vocations in order to preach the causes of
subversion and revolution.
The people yearn for spiritual bread but have been offered by the
Churches only a political stone. It is no longer possible for anyone who is
aware of his debt to our past or who has concern for the future of our
nation and race to remain within the Christian Church. This must not,
however be taken to imply that Odinists bear hatred towards Christians; we
recognize that there are many good and sincere people within the Christian
community from whose example Odinists themselves could not fail to profit.
But the Church is itself largely responsible for the "present unsettled
state of society". Odinists see it as their duty to oppose those who menace
the things that they regard as holy. If we cannot in justice always blame
the sheep we should and do attack the shepherds.
9. But surely it would be preferable to have one god for all mankind?
Why? One god or many Gods, it really does not matter. Our true Gods are
actually worshipped by peoples all over the world, using their own
mythologies and adapting their worship to local cultures and conditions.
We prefer to worship the Gods in our own way with people of our own kind.
And we respect the right of others to their own beliefs. It was an Odinist
gothi (priest), Sigrith, who told the foreign missionaries, "I must not
part from the faith which I have held, and my forefathers before me; on the
other hand I shall make no objection to your believing in the god that
pleases you best."
10. You have mentioned the "Gods of Nature". Does this mean that Odinists
are nature-worshippers?
Odinists recognize man's spiritual kinship with Nature, that within
himself are in essence all that is in the greater world, which perform
within him the same functions as in the world. Thus there are in man the
four elements, the vegetative life of plants, an ethereal body - the god-
soul - corresponding to the heavens, the sense of animals, of spiritual
things and reason and understanding. Because in this way man comprises
all the parts of the world within himself he is thus a true image of the
Gods.
767
Also containing the essence of the universe within themselves, the Gods
are everywhere and in everything: they show themselves to us as fire, as a
flower, as a tree. Odinists believe that all life should be lived in
communion and in accord with the mind of the Gods. Christianity turned away
from Nature and concentrated its adherents' attention on the human soul and
became obsessed with the fall of man, by which it was implied that man had
brought all Nature down into sin with him. Christian teaching encouraged
man to see Nature only in her physical form whereas Odinists regard Nature
as a true manifestation of the divine. "We and the cosmos are one," wrote
D. H. Lawrence, "The cosmos is a vast living body, of which we are still
part. The sun is the great heart whose tremors run through our smallest
veins. The moon is a great gleaming nerve-centre from which we quiver
forever. . . . Now all this is literally true, as men knew in the great
past and as they will know again." Whoever shall properly know himself and
all things in himself shall know the Gods. The Odinist, because of his
awareness of his relationship with Nature, is able to feel a consanguineous
kinship with plants and animals and the land - a complete oneness.
11. You speak of "the Odinist mythology". Do you really expect anyone to
believe in a myth?
Every religion is mythical in its development. Mythology is the
knowledge that the ancients had of the divine; it is religious truth
expressing in poetical terms mankind's desire for personal and visible
gods. The mythology of Odinism consists of a group of legends, fables and
tales relating to The Gods, heroes, demons and other beings whose names
have been preserved in popular belief. Our object must be to discover, with
the help of our mythology, the Gods who manifest themselves throughout
Nature: in the streets and in the trees and in the rocks, in the running
streams and in the heavy ear of grain, in the splendor of the sun by day
and in the star-strewn sky at night. But it is not the myth that Odinists
believe in but the Gods whom that myth helps us to understand.
12. What, then, is the Odinist mythology?
Briefly, our mythology unfolds in five acts (which may be compared to
the evolution of the seasons of the year):
A. the Creation (spring)
B. the time preceding the death of Balder (summer)
C. the death of Balder (summer's end)
D. the time immediately after the death of Balder (autumn)
E. Ragnarok, the decline and fall followed by the regeneration of
the world (winter and spring)
The first effort of speculative man has always been to solve the
mystery of existence, to ask what was in the beginning. The condition
of things before the world's creation is expressed in the Eddas
negatively; there was nothing of that which sprang into existence:
Nothing was
Neither land nor sea,
Nor cool waves.
Earth was not ,
Sky was not,
But a gaping void
And no grass.
768
Ymir was a frost-giant, eg chaotic matter:
From Ymir's flesh
The world was made,
And from his blood the sea.
Mountains from his bones,
Trees from his hair,
And the welkin from his skull.
There were as yet no human beings upon the earth when one dayas the
Gods Odin, Hoener and Loder were walking along the seashore they saw two
trees from which they created the first human pair. Odin gave them life and
spirit, Hoener endowed them with reason and the power of motion and Loder
gave them blood, hearing, and a fair complexion. The man they called Ask
ash)--and the woman Embla (elm). As their abode the newly-created pair
received from the Gods Midgarth and from them is descended the whole human
race.
Balder is the godof the summer, the favorite god ofall Nature and a
son of Odin; he is one of the wisest and most eloquent of the Gods and his
dwelling is in a place where nothing impure can enter. The story of Balder,
well-known in the Northern countries, finds explanation in the seasons of
the year, in the change from light to darkness; he represents the bright
and clear summer and his death is the impermanent victory of darkness over
light, of winter over summer, of death over life. When Balder is dead, all
Nature mourns. His death presages the disaster of Ragnarok, the
consummation of the world, followed by its cleansing and return to the
primal state.
Ragnarok, the Twilight of the Gods, represents a great conflict between
good and evil powers. The idea is already suggested in the story of the
Creation in which the Gods are represented as proceeding from giants, that
is from an evil and chaotic force. And whatever can be born must surely
die. In the seasons and activities of Nature we see a constantly recurring
picture of the necessity for death and the equal certainty of its being
overcome. At Ragnarok all the worlds of Nature will be destroyed and even
the giants must die. But from that catastrophe will emerge a renewed world
and the Gods themselves will be born again. We see this drama enacted
every year in miniature when autumn heralds the period of decline and decay
until with the spring we witness the magic of resurrection and new life.
This, briefly told, is the myth that explained to our ancestors their
origin and the origin of the world, the creation of life from chaos and the
mergence of evolution and harmony.
13. Who is Odin?
Odinis the first and eldest ofthe Gods, the all-pervading spirit of
the sun, the moon, the stars, the hills, the plains and of man. With his
help were made heaven and earth and the first man and woman. All knowledge
came from him; he is the inventor of poetry and discovered the runes; he
governs all things, protects the social organization influences the human
mind, avenges murder and upholds the sanctity of the oath. He is well
named Allfather. And because he chooses to surround himself with a
bodyguard of those who have fallen in battle he is also known as
Valfather, Father of the Slain.
769
In the mythology Odin's single eye (the other he sacrificed in exchange
for wisdom) is the sun, his broad-brimmed hat the arched vault of heaven,
his blue cloak the sky. A conspicuous passage in the Edda is Odin's
sacrifice of himself to himself:
I know I hung
on the windy tree
nine nights through:
I know I hung
I know I hung
myself to myself,
on the tree
that springs
from roots unknown.
Order is the basis of Odin's government. Nature the garment by which he
manifests himself. Odinism says: study the natural laws, conform to them
and you will prosper; ignore them or violate them and you must suffer.
Just so far as you study and obey Nature exactly so far will Nature reward
or punish you. For under Odin the government of Nature is harmonious and
unchangeable.
14. Who are the other Gods of Odinism? What kind of Gods are they?
We have already spoken of Odin and Balder. Of the other Gods the best-
known is Thor, the most famous story concerning whom tells of this
Warrior-God crushing the powers of chaos. He rules over clouds and rain
and makes his presence known in the lightning's flash. He is the protector
of the farm worker, the chief god of agriculture, a helpful deity who makes
the crops grow and who also blesses the bride with fertility. In the words
of Professor P. V. Glob, " He wishes all men well and stands by them in
face of their enemies and against the new God, Christ." Tyr is the God of
martial honor, the most daring and intrepid of the Gods. He dispenses
justice in time of peace and valor in war. He it was who sacrificed a hand
when overpowering the evil Fenris Wolf, showing us that we ourselves must
be prepared to make sacrifices in order to protect ourselves and our kin
from those who seek to cast our society into anarchy and chaos.
Frey is God of the harvest and is therefore also a God of fecundity and
growth; some authorities believe that he and Christ may have become
blended, in England at least, in so a God of fecundity and growth; some
authorities believe that he and Christ may have become blended, in England
at least, in the new religion of Christianity. Freya is a Goddess of love
and the sister of Frey: barren women may invoke her and she is also the
Goddess of death for all women. Another God, Vali, is called he Avenger
because when he was yet only one night old he avenged Balder's death, thus
demonstrating the moral obligation we have of punishing society's enemies.
Other Gods include Brage, Heimdal, Vidar, Frigg and Forsete.
770
The Gods of Odinism are the ordaining powers of Nature clothed in
personality. They direct the world which they themselves created. They are
referred to collectively as the Aesir, of whom every living thing forms a
part (thus not all the Gods are necessarily good ones). Objects and
phenomena that are regarded as greater or lesser Aesir are qualities such
as thought and memory, and natural things such as the sun, rivers,
mountains and trees as well as animals and ancestral spirits. There are
also the guardian Gods of the land, of skills and occupations and the
spirits of national heroes, the Einheriar and other men and women whose
outstanding deeds and virtues have contributed to our civilization,
culture and well-being.
15. Is there a table of commandments that sets out the rules to be
followed by Odinists?
The main rules of Odinist conduct are listed in the Nine Charges which
are:
1. To maintain candor and fidelity in love and devotions to the tried
friend: though he strike me I will do him no scathe.
2. Neverto make a wrongsome oath: for great andgrim is the reward
for the breaking of plighted troth.
3. To deal not hardly with the humble and lowly.
4. To remember the respect that is due great age.
5. To suffer noevil to go unremedied andto fight against the
enemies of family, nation, race and faith: my foes will I fight
in the field nor be burnt in my house.
6. To succor thefriendless but to putno faith in the pledgedword
of a stranger people.
7. If I hear the fool's word of a drunken man I will strive not: for
many a grief and the very death groweth out of such things.
8. To give kind heedto dead men: straw-dead, sea-dead or
sword-dead.
9. To abide by the enactments of lawful authority and to bear with
courage and fortitude the decrees of the Norns.
The Chargesare based on the rules oflife indicated by the High Song
of Odin and in the Lay of Sigurd in which the Valkyrie gives counsel to
Sigurd. They may be summarized as demanding in the struggle for life a
self-reliance which should be earned by a love of learning and industry, a
prudent foresight in word and deed, moderation in the gratification of the
senses and in the exercise of power, modesty and politeness in intercourse
and a desire to earn the goodwill of our fellow men.
16. The first four Charges seem fairly innocuous, but I must say the
Fifth Charge sounds rather sinister! Isn't it all very violent and
retributive?
771
"To suffer no evil to gounremedied," does appear to run contrary to
the trends of modern progressive thinking. And the idea of fighting
"against the enemies of family, nation, race and faith" would be anathema
to many people. Unlike the Christian, whose duty it is to "turn the other
cheek" (advice that is more often observed ub tge breach than otherwise)
and to be patient and long-suffering under the most grievous attacks, it is
the duty of the Odinist to punish wrongs and above all those wrongs offered
to his own family and kin. Society's enemies already know the basic law of
life: that the race is to the strong and that the meek will inherit th
earth only when the earth inherits them dust to dust. Others should also
learn to recognize this truth.
17. What do you mean by "kinship loyalty"?
We mustof course give loyal service to anyoneor any concept to whom
or to which loyalty is due. But we owe our loyalty in the fullest degree to
our immediate family and to those who are related to us by blood-ties or
blood-brotherhood. A husband owes loyalty to his wife, for instance, and
vice versa, just as a son owes loyalty to his parents to a greater extent
than to anyone outside the immediate family circle. Beyond that we owe
allegiance to our own country and racial kindred before we can even
consider giving it to strangers who must therefore have the last call upon
us. But there may be occasions when loyalty to nation and kin must
transcend even our loyalty to our own family.
This concern for kin is an essential part of Odinist teaching. More
than twelve centuries ago the Christian proselytizer, Boniface, wrote of
the Odinists, "Have pity on them, because even they themselves are
accustomed to say, "We are of one blood and one bone". Filial love,
patriotism and kinship loyalty are religious principles still adhered to by
Odinists. In the words of the Edda:
We shall help our kinsmen as foot helps foot. . .
If one foot stumbles then shall the other restore balance.
18. You seem to have an exaggerated respect for things like law and order!
What about unjust laws?
No, not an "exaggerated respect for law and order"; just regard for
the rules by which civilized man must live. But laws, to be just, must
apply equally to all citizens and groups without discrimination. Odinists
certainly have a duty to oppose what they regard as unjust laws but in
doing so they accept the consequences of their opposition and do not expect
to be given exemption or favorable treatment.
19. What view do Odinists take of modern, enlightened substitutes for
traditional, repressive forms of punishment? Do you agree that the
wrong-doer in our society is more often than not the victim of his
environment and that we are thus all guilty?
772
Odinists refuse to accept responsibility for the actions of others.
Just as it would be wrong to accept credit for another person's merits so
it is wrong to relieve the wrong-doer of responsibility for his actions.
"Crime should be blazoned abroad by its retribution," wrote Tacitus.
Punishment should be an unpleasant and memorable experience. Those in
authority who neglect to punish the criminal adequately place themselves in
the position of being accessories after the fact. Odinists believe that
anyone who seriously or continually flouts the law should forfeit for a
period of time his rights to protection under that law; enemies of the
community should not be permitted to run with the hare and hunt with the
hounds!
20. The Sixth Charge speaks about putting no faith in the pledged word of
a stranger people. What is meant by "a stranger people"?
By "a strangerpeople" we mean those from differentcultures than our
own. It is a warning that words often mean different things to different
peoples, that their standards are not always the same as our own. It is
simply one of those things in life that ought to be widely known and
appreciated but does not seem to be!
21. Please explain the Ninth Charge, which speaks of "the decrees of the
Norns". Who or where are the Norns?
The Norns are the three Fates of Northern mythology, the Goddesses of
time. They are named Urd (the past), Verdande (the present) and Skuld (the
future). They watch over man; they spin his thread of fate at his birth
and mark out with it the limits of his sphere of action through life;
their decrees are inviolable destiny, their dispensations inevitable
necessity. Urd and Verdande, the past and present, may be seen as
stretching a web from the radiant dawn of life to the glowing sunset,
while Skuld, the future tears it to pieces!
Man's fate must be met but the way in which it is met rests with the
individual; and by the way in which he meets his fate man is able to
demonstrate his free will. This important principle shows a man that it is
worth while fighting life's battles courageously while at the same time
fate's inexorable nature allows no room for careful weighing of arguments
for and against or for anxiety about the nature of things that are in any
case destined to happen.
22. What other aspects of human behavior are admired by Odinists?
The Noble Virtues are held in high esteem. They are:
Courage
Truth
Honor
Fidelity
Discipline
Hospitality
Industriousness
Self-reliance
Perseverance
773
The Odinist must do what lies before him without fear of either foes,
friends or the Norns. He must hold his own council, speak his mind and
seek fame without respect of persons; be free, independent and daring in
his actions; act with gentleness and generosity towards friends and
kinsmen but be stern and grim to his enemies (but even towards the latter
to feel bound to fulfill necessary duties); be as forgiving to some as he
is unyielding and unforgiving to others. He should be neither trucebreaker
nor oathbreaker and utter nothing against any person that he would not say
to his face. These are the broad principles of Odinist behavior, features
of the spirit that made our Northern peoples great.
23. You call industriousness a Noble Virtue? What is so spiritual about
that?
Industriousness is a virtue which, partly inherited, is nevertheless
acquired largely through training and self-discipline; it is at once
something we owe to ourselves, to our family and to the community. There
is a time for relaxation as there is a time for most things but it is not,
for instance, during our working hours; neither should it be at the expense
of other members of the community by way of the so-called welfare state.
24. What about material possessions?
A principle of Odinism is the realization of the worthlessnessand
fleeting nature of worldly possessions. Enough should be enough. Adam of
Bremen, a Christian, remarked how Odinists with whom he had come into
contact "lack nothing of what we revere except our arrogance. They have no
acquisitive love of gold, silver, splendid chargers, the furs of beaver and
marten or any of the other possessions we pine for". One thing alone is
worth while in this life: the stability of a well-earned reputation.
"Goods perish, friends perish, a man himself perishes," says the Edda "but
fame never dies to him that hath won it worthily."
25. You describe self-reliance as one of the Noble Virtues. Surely even
you must admit that none of us is, or can be, self-reliant in these
days?
Self reliance does not, as you appear to suggest, imply selfishness or
mean that a man must live in isolation from his fellows. We recognize that
men are dependent upon Nature and on the community of which he forms part;
he has obligations to that community as well as to his employer (or
employees). He receives from society and he owes a debt to society.
Odinism teaches that people must be encouraged to stand on their own feet
and not to ask continually, "When is somebody going to do something for
me?"
774
26. Do Odinists believe in prayer?
Odinism is not a philosophy invented to ease mankind's comfort or to
assuage his fears; that kind of religion acts against rather than in man's
interests because it takes from him his independence and self-respect and
makes of him a humble supplicant by encouraging him to shed his
responsibilities. The person who prays to a saint or God asking for help
or guidance is seeking to shift the responsibility from his own shoulders,
surrendering his own faculties of thought and physical action, unless he
also does something to help himself. To pray is to beg and plead; it is
self-abasement ("we worms of the earth"). That is not the object of true
religion which, as Carlyle has told us, is "transcendent wonder": wonder
without limit or measure, reverent admiration alike for the immensity of
creation, the inspiration of the human heart and the capability of the
human brain.
Odinists in theirinveitan (praise); singular, inveita) callupon the
Aesir to approach them in their thoughts as they themselves strive towards
the Aesir. Through increased understanding is achieved wholeness, a unity
with the Gods that helps us to think out our problems and how they may be
overcome. We project the Gods within ourselves and that, externally
realized, speaks to the divine in others. Through their invetian Odinists
express gratitude for life and the world they live in and resolve to try
to make it better - not just to leave it to "someone up there" or hope for
something better in the next world.
27 How do Odinists regard good and evil?
Evil of itself cannot originatein man but must always beregarded as
an intruder, like an illness or an affliction; as such it must be opposed
and expelled. Good and evil are relative: there can be no absolute norm
and actions must depend upon circumstances and motives as well as time and
place. The ethical standards relating to custom and tradition are flexible
and responsive to the specific demands of different ages, so that moral
judgments of what is right and wrong cannot be placed in a fixed system
of standards but must vary according to time and situation. Just as the
world is constantly changing so are values constantly changing, so that
nothing can be regarded as unconditionally good or evil in all ages. In
general, that which disturbs the social order and peaceful evolution and
causes unhappiness - including such natural disasters as floods and
earthquakes, disease and pollution - obstructs the natural development of
the world and must be regarded as evil. As for sin, Odinism knows but two
major sins - perjury and murder: that is sin against the Gods and sin
against one's fellow man.
28. Do you believe in Original sin?
Man is inherently good andthe world in which he livesis good. There
is no sin in man which has been inherited from his first, or any other,
ancestor; it is enough that he should be held responsible for his own
actions. But a lthough his spirit is good, his flesh and his senses may
succumb to evil, especially when by neglecting his own spiritual well-
being he has left his defenses weakened. So it is necessary for him to be
able to distinguish between what is good and what is evil.
775
29 What do Odinists believe about marriage - and divorce?
Odinists support theinstitution of marriageand marital fidelity.But
a broken marriage is and unhappy marriage and traditional Odinic law allows
great latitude to separation of husband wife, at the will of both parties,
if a good reason exists for the desired change. It is recognized that the
worst possible service is rendered to those who are forced to live together
against their will; but it must be borne in mind that marriage is basically
a solemn exchange of vows between two people and as such can only be ended
by agreement between the same two people.
30. Does Odinism offer salvation to those who believe?
Odinism offers no salvation in the sense in which that term is used by
Christians. Instead, the Odinist seeks liberation by bringing the Aesir
into the world of man and into his daily life - whether at home or at work.
Liberation refers to the human condition as we know it, which is subject to
birth and death and decay. It is not, " the kingdom of God which is with in
you," but the Gods themselves which exist within man.
31. Does man possess an immortal soul? Is there a life after death and
will people go to Odin in heaven?
Odinists believe that man consists of body (i.e. matter) and spirit or
soul. Physical man is born, produces young and eventually dies. But the
whole of Nature shows us that death is not final: the material body
decomposes and recombines, it is regenerated and lives again. As it was in
the beginning so it is now; every atom continues to exist and must exist
as in the beginning. There is nothing new under the sun and what we call
death is really nothing more than transformation.
Spiritual man is divided into two distinct souls, one passive, the
other active, the divine and the human, which we call God-soul and
human-soul. The first is in the fullest sense a divine being, contemplating
a past eternity and a future immortality, occupying itself in contemplation
rather than in action and to be regarded as a kind of guardian spirit.
Although the God-soul and the material body are associated in this life,
the former is not bound to man in the way that, say, a limb is (it may
indeed absent itself from his body during sleep or periods of
unconsciousness). Without the spirit there can be no motivation: when the
physical change (i.e. death) takes place the God-soul passes to another
living organism -a human being, a tree, an animal, perhaps a bird. This
is the element that gives man his mystical attachment to a particular
district or country (which is what we call patriotism): because it is
where the God-souls of countless generations of ancestors dwell. It is
because of this that man is compelled to nurture, love and defend his
country, which is, in the purest sense, a holy land. The philosopher
Fichte said, "Death is the ladder by which my spiritual vision rises to
anew life and a new nature." This is also the reason why Odinists regard
all life as sacred and unnecessary violence as criminal.
776
The human-soul (or self-soul), is essentially individual to a
particular person. It may be likened to his personality, his fame or his
infamy. Because the whole of man's life is a continuing struggle of the
good and light Gods on the one hand and the offspring of chaotic matter
(the giants, Nature's disturbing forces) on the other, the human-soul is
extremely active. It is involved in a struggle that extends to man's
innermost being: both the human-soul and the God-soul proceed from the
Gods; but the body be longs to the world of giants and they struggle for
supremacy. If the human-soul conquers by virtue and courage then it goes
after death to Valhalla, to fight in concert with the Gods against the
evil powers. If on the other hand the body conquers and links the spirit
to itself by weakness then after man's death the human-soul sinks to the
world of the giants and joins itself with the evil powers in their warfare
against the Gods. Long after his individual identity has been forgotten a
man's human-soul, absorbed into the corporate spirit of the regiment,
college, village, nation or other group, continues to demonstrate its
immortality by inspiring future generations to noble deeds - or to acts of
degradation.
32. If the God-soul migrates to other living things after death, how can
you square this with, for example, the need to slaughter livestock in
order to sustain human life? Isn't it rather like killing a God?
The God-soul must not be confused with the being that it inhabits.
Animals, birds and trees have always been regarded by Odinists with
respect; it is indeed probable that the domestication of some creatures
arose from their former sacred character. Every living thing is a
manifestation of the divine and its spirit is immortal: every time a tree
is felled or an animal slaughtered it is indeed a kind of sacrifice. But
the tree or the animal is only a temporary dwelling-place for the immortal
God. Everything in Nature has a purpose and it is necessary in order that
life may be sustained in others for such "sacrifices" to be made. Such an
attitude encourages consideration and reverence for Nature and discourages
its wanton despoliation. It is the unnecessary, cruel or unnatural killing
of animals (or of human beings), the unjustifiable destruction of trees or
landscape and the defiling of natural resources, that is wrong.
33. You have mentioned "ancestral spirits". Does this mean that Odinists
believe in ancestor-worship?
The human-souls of one's own family ancestors provide us with moral
strength and inspiration. Just as we received our spirit from Odin, so we
received our physical being through our parents and our ancestors from
time memorial. Our respect for ancestors maintains the continuity of the
family, the kin and the race. We have a duty to try to attain the ideals
of our ancestors and an equal duty of cherishing our descendants so that
they in their turn will come to understand and realize our own hopes and
ideals. Life is continuing process: we must try to visualize ourselves as
ancestors; for ancestors and descendants are genealogically one. Edmund
Burke once remarked that society was a partnership between those who were
living, those who are dead and those yet to be born; past and present and
future are seen as a continuing evolvement and must be looked upon as
complete being.
777
34. What kind of status do women have within the Odinist community?
Odinists do not need reminding of women's rights! Our religion
anciently held women in high honor: not only are Goddesses included in the
Odinist pantheon, but, when the Odinist priesthood is restored, all offices
will be open to women just as they were before the Christian usurpation
relegated them to permanent backbenches of religious life.
35. What are the chief festivals of the Odinic Rite?
In ancient times there were three great festivals: Yule (the Mid-Winter
Festival), Summer Finding (or spring equinox) and Winter Finding (autumn
equinox). To these we nowadays add the Midsummer Festival.
Yule, the popularFestival ofMid-Winter (sometimescalled theFestival
of Light), heralds the beginning of the Odinist year. It is the birthday of
the unconquered sun, which at this time begins to new vigor after its
autumnal decline when, having descended into darkness, it pauses, kindles
the fire of germination and ascends renewed with the fruit of hope. The
Mid-Winter Festival includes the Twelve Nights of Yule, encapsulating the
twelve months of the year in miniature, and culminates in the celebration
of Twelfth Night.
Summer Finding, in March, is the Festival of Odin. It celebrates the
renewal, or resurrection, of Nature after the darkness of winter. It was
transformed by the Christians into their Easter (named after the Odinist
Goddess of the Saxons, Ostara), Rogation and Whitsun and was also recalled
in folk custom by the festivities of May Day.
The Midsummer Festival, theFeast of Balder, is thegreat celebration
of the triumph of light and the sun.
Winter Finding mourns the death of summer and heralds the coming of
autumn. It is dedicated to the god Frey, patron of the harvest, and is
also sometimes called the Charming of the Fruits of Earth, when we render
thanks for the years supply of life-giving foods.
36. What other Odinist festivals are there?
Besides the great festivalsthere are a number ofsecondary festivals
and also some commemorations of local Gods or various aspects of life.
The secondary festivals of the Odinic Rite are:
The Charming of the Plough, January 3
The festival ofVali, Febuary 14, whichcommemorates the family andis
an occasion for betrothals, the renewal of marriage vows and vows of
kinshiployalty.
The festival of the Einheriar on November 11, known asHeroes' day,
which honors the dead.
778
37. What is the Odinist Committee?
The committee for the Restoration of the Odinic Rite (to give its full
title) was set up on April 23, 1973 with the limited objects of restoring
Odinist ritual and ceremonies, to define Odinist faith and doctrine and to
constitute a teaching order of gothar (singular: gothi, meaning priest of
teacher). When these immediate objects have been achieved the Committee
will disband. In the past not a great deal of attention was paid to
systemizing the doctrinal aspects of Odinism and consequently the body of
writing on the subject has remained limited and uneven. The Odinist
Committee will place the worship of the Aesir on a more formal and
permanent basis.
38. How do I go about becoming an Odinist?
First of all by understanding, thenby believing. You do not have to
"be born again" but you are expected to live your whole life according to
the Odinist precepts. There is a ceremony of reception (or initiation) into
the Odinist community for those who wish it. The secretary of the Odinist
Committee, 10 Trinity Green, London, E1, will be able to tell you whether
there is an Odinist group in your neighborhood or, if there is not one,
how you may form one.
39. Can the Odinist Committee supply me with a list of Odinist temples
and shall I be permitted to attend some of the inveitan?
There are at presentno Odinist hofs (temples) in Great Britain open
for public worship. Odinism starts with the individual and extends, through
the family, to the community and the world. So with worship, which is at
present practiced mostly at family level, the festivals of the Odinist
year being celebrated in the home, with friends and other Odinist
sometimes being invited to participate. But it is expected that various
regional meeting places will be authorized when eventually the ritual of
Odinist worship has been fully restored and gothar licensed by the
successor body to the Odinist committee.
These things are thought the best:
Fire, the sight of the sun,
Good health with the gift to keep it,
And a life that avoids vice.
The High Song of Odin *
* The verse from The High Song of Odin is from Paul B. Taylor and W H
Auden's translation of The Elder Edda and is reproduced by permission of
Messrs Faber and Faber. Other quotations from the Eddas in the foregoing
pages are from the translation by Rasmus B. Anderson.
FOR MORE INFORMATION WRITE:
Midgard Pagan Computer Bulletin Board
P.O. Box 256
North Highlands, CA. 95660
(916) 338-4214 8:00 pm to 6:00 am (PST) daily 300/1200 baud
***** Call at these times with your computer. *****
779
{file "Strings On The Winds (Bardic Fiction)" "bos184.htm"}
STRINGS ON THE WINDS
by Taliesyn map Avaon
...And it came to pass that into this time of great turmoil,
there came a man clad simply and carrying unto himself little
else than a harp, the likes of which I have yet to see.His
name was Ahrian and he made known that he was Bard.He went
unto the house of a village elder, asked lodging, and was
granted it.There he stayed and he sang from the green and
played the songs which drifted into the air as if they were
the air itself.
One afternoon I made to inquire of him his whereabouts and
what was Bard. He said unto me: 'You speak little else to me
but nonsense. Speak clearly and I shall answer as I can.'
He took the harp into his lap. 'What then is your trade?'
'I am Bard. Mine is the way of music, song, and tale. In
this lies my being.'
'Then you are a minstrel or story-teller?'
'I am both and neither. I am minstrel and story-teller in
what I do, but I am Bard in what I am.'
'I do not understand.'
'Then listen and I shall make it known to you. Music lies
at the base of the world. It is magick in itself, and it
contains other things that are it's nature. I am Bard and bound
to the music, as it is my existence. I work the music as a fine
silversmith works the silver into a cup. So I work the music
into a fine remembrance of the past. Or time hence. Or man and
woman present. So the music works for me and does my bidding,
as I in turn do its bidding in the working.'
'You speak of magick as the music and music as the magick.
Which is it then? Is music the cause of the magick, or is
magick the cause of the music?'
'Both are true. In playing the song I am working in the
magick, and in working in the magick I am drawn to work a song.
Such is my call.'
'What of tales then?'
'They are great and beauteous. In splendor they cannot be
equalled, for the Gods run thru them as the maids run through
fields of grass in the Spring.'
'What Gods are these of which you speak?'
'All Gods to some, and none to others. It is as you see.
And then it is as it is.'
780
'What of these do you worship?'
'I worship none and I worship all. I worship not, and
devoutly pray unto the Muses. Mine is not the way of the zealot,
but of the song.'
'How then do you work your magick if the Gods are not yours?'
'Ahh, but they are mine. I do not see the Gods as they appear
to others, but as they are in the song of a bird in summer, or
a stream in the Spring. My magick is not of them, but is them of
their essence. It aids them to survive and pierces their
nature as the light pierces the darkness.'
...And so I bid him let me rest, that I might ponder and
inquire further on the morrow. As I left him, I heard a sweet
melody drift into the hollows...
********************************
In this age of rebirth for many of the ways of the Craft,
it has often come to my attention that there is not a similar
revival of the Bardic arts in force. However, as we move into
a New Age, it is distressing to see so few wielding the candle
to light the path. Thus armed with this dearth of those
practicing the Bardic Way, I have decided to set forth some
illumination into the subject of Bardism.
In the classical concept, the Bard was many things: a
musician, a songster, a story-teller, a historian, a collector
of lore both magickal and mundane. He also served the
community in announcing through his arts the coming Circles.
However, should he attend this Circle, he would be little else
than a minion of the Watchtower's guardians.
Of all these things, I must point out that he was a magickal
individual, whose concerns tended not towards ritual, but
application. His song was his work of magick, and could either
be loving and compassionate or cold and harsh as the case
warranted. He was restricted in many ways in the expression
of his duties inherent in the office and title he carried.
The title 'Bard' was (and is) worn with pride for it was a
religious indication and a general term for a way of life.
This introduction leaves us with one nagging question:
What is the Bard of today? It is this question that I shall
address in full in coming articles. Each will contain a
conversation with Ahrian (an actual 15th century Scots Bard)
and a discussion of the concepts involved. Later, I will include
samples of the Bard's art by my hand and that of Seamus Myrick,
an Irish Bard I know personally.
Blessed Be!
Mike Nichols
781
{file "Circle Purification for Asthmatics" "bos185.htm"}
A Circle Purification that doesn't use Incense:
for asthmatics, those with allergies, and those with other pulmonary
disorders
by Matrika, co-sysop of
PAN- the Psychic Awareness Network, 300/1200/2400 baud at 1-703-362-1139
This ritual was inspired when someone in our circle back in Central
Massachusetts started dating a young woman who was a great herbalist,
knowledgeable about crystal healing, a competent tarot-reader and a
beginning astrologer. She had read "Spiral Dance" by Starhawk on the Craft
of the Wise (Wicca) and wore a pentagram around her neck, but couldn't try
circle work because she was allergic to smoke and had a serious asthma
problem.
So, heres the rite. You prepare your altar as usual, with the exception of
the incense and incense burner. 5 non-electric pot-pouri burners filled
with water and an appropriately scented pot-pouri should be on or near the
altar with 5 candles. Be sure that you use the correct type of candles for
your pot-pouri burners, as other types can destroy the burners. Put these
on the altar, which should be at the center of the circle and facing North
or East according to your custom. If they do not fit without obstructing
the work, place them in a semi-circle at the foot of the altar. Have
matches there to light the candles under them at the proper time.
The rite
(Leader 1 should be a male, if possible. Leader 2 should be a female, if
possible.)
Leader 1 - blessing the water and herbal mixture in each pot-pouri burner
with the wand. a long-stem rose with the thorns removed can be used for a
wand if you do not yet have one. Of course, this must be replaced each
time you do a ritual -
"By Fire and By Air
By Water and by Earth
by the Lady and the Lord
I conjure thee to purify our circle this night"
all- " So mote it be"
He takes one of the burners and the matches to the North where he lights
it. Leader 2 accompanies him with her wand, after he lights it she raises
her wand and says
Leader 2 - "By fire and air
By water and by earth
Let us purify the
Northern Quarter of our circle"
782
There is a pause during which everyone visualizes (vividly imagining in
every detail from a relaxed, meditative state) an arc of rainbow light
forming that quarter of the circle then, when she lowers the wand, everyone
responds.
all - "So Mote It Be"
Leader 1 returns to the central altar and gets the next burner, placing it
in the East and lighting it. Leader 2 continues in the same way as above.
This procedure is then repeated in the South and then in the West. Each
time the invocation is changed to reflect the direction they are in. Each
time the group visualizes the rainbow arc of light. And after each
direction, Leader 1 returns to the center to get the burner for the next
direction ready. By constantly returning to the center each time, the
emphasis is placed there. After the Western quarter is lit, Leader 1
places the final burner on the altar, between the candles, where the
incense burner would be if there was one and lights it. Leader 2 stands
before the altar, raises her wand and says
Leader 2 - "By Fire and by air
By water and by earth
Let us purify the sacred center of our circle
where Heaven and Earth Unite
and
Where the Lord and Lady are joined in love."
While her wand is raised, everyone visualizes the rainbow light from the
outer circles flooding in to the center and filling the circle with
harmonious vibrations and energies. After a few moments, she lowers her
wand and everyone responds.
all- "SO mote it be"
The circle casting is continued as usual with the invocations of the
elements at the 4 corners, according to your tradition. Then the actual
circle-casting is done as usual. After this do whatever rite and/or magick
you would usually do and close in the usual manner. Be sure to snuff the
candles and not to blow them out. Use a silver teaspoon to do this, if you
don't have a snuffer. This ceremony ONLY replaces the part of the rite
where you sprinkle with salt-water and then cense the circle to purify it
in PREPARATION for the actual circle casting. It is NOT the full casting
of the circle. (Some traditions purify with all 4 elements separately,
sprinkling salt on the floor for earth, water on the floor for itself,
censing the circle for air, and carrying a candle around for fire. Either
way this rite replaces the elemental purification, as the burners embody
all 4 elements - the water for itself, the candle for fire, the herbs for
earth, and the scent the steam gives off for air.)
OF course the pot-pouri burners used for this should only be used in your
psychic work and should have been consecrated or smudged (by someone who
can deal with the smoke) in preparation for this ritual.
783
To prepare appropriate pot-pouri scents for the purpose of your rites, use
the directions for making the various home-made herbal incenses traditional
in Witchcraft and in Magick; however, don't grind them with a mortar and
pestle as you would in making incense. If you do not know the recipes for
these, any of the Scott Cuningham books on making incenses would provide
them for you. They are available from Llewelyn Publishing, box 64383 St.
Paul Minnesota. (They will send you a free catalogue on request)
Despite the initial cost involved in obtaining the 5 burners, it is highly
suggested you do it that way for two reasons"
1. In anything but a very small and enclosed space, you will not get
enough scent to represent the air element sufficiently for magickal and
ritual working.
and
2. To represent all 4 elements in EACH of the quarters and in the center
of the circle is very important in establishing the traditional boundaries
between the worlds (the ordinary and non-ordinary or shamanic realities)
that is the purpose of casting the circle and creating sacred space.
ALSO IF YOU TRY TO CARRY A POT-POURI BURNER THAT IS LIT AND HOT ENOUGH TO
BE GIVING OFF THE SCENTED STEAM AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE CIRCLE, YOU
WILL CERTAINLY BURN YOUR FINGERS BADLY. (It is not appropriate to bring a
pot holder into circle to carry it either! PLEASE!)
I hope this is helpful to those who have breathing problems and wish to
perform magick.
(submitted to Harvest newsletter, under JUKNO)
784
{file "Astral Projection (Monroe Technique)" "bos186.htm"}
MONROE TECHNIQUES FOR ASTRAL PROJECTION
Note: After having studied many methods of Astral
Projection, I have found that this is the easiest to do.
Monroe teaches these techniques in a week, but they can be
easily done in a day, with proper devotion. I feel that this
technique is superior to others because it doe not require
intense visualization, which many people cannot do.
enjoy!
(Taken from Leaving The Body: A Complete Guide to Astral
Projection, D. Scott Rogo, prentice Hall Press)
One of the chief barriers people learning to project face is
fear. Many are afraid that they may die, or be harmed in some
way as a result of their projection. Nothing could be farther
from the truth. The Canterbury Institute, renowned for its
occult studies, executed an experiment in projection involving
over 2,000 people. None of them were hurt in any way by this,
and now, three years later, none have complained of any newly
arising problems.
Once you are aware that you cannot be harmed by projecting,
you should begin monroe's techniques, step by step.
Step one:
Relax the body. According to Monroe, "the ability to relax
is the first prerequisite, perhaps even the first step itself"
to having an OBE. (out of body experience) This includes both
physical and mental relaxation. Monroe does not suggest a
method of attaining this relaxation, although Progressive
Muscle relaxation, coupled with deep breathing exercises
(inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale 3.... until 50 or 100) are known
to work well.
Step two:
Enter the state bordering sleep. This is known as the
hypnagogic state. Once again, Monroe doesn't recommend any
method of doing this. One way is to hold your forearm
up, while keeping your upper arm on the bed, or ground. As you
start to fall asleep, your arm will fall, and you will awaken
again. With practice, you can learn to control the Hypnagogic
state without using your arm. Another method is to
concentrate on an object. When other images start to enter
your thoughts, you have entered the Hypnagogic state.
Passively watch these images. This will also help you
maintain this state of near-sleep. Monroe calls this Condition
A.
Step three:
Deepen this state. Begin to clear your mind. observe your
field of vision through your closed eyes. Do nothing more
for a while. Simply look through your closed eyelids at the
blackness in front of you. After a while, you may notice
light patterns. These are simply neural discharges. They
have no specific effect. Ignore them. When they cease, one
785
has entered what Monroe calls Condition B. From here, one
must enter an even deeper state of relaxation which Monroe
calls Condition C-- a state of such relaxation that you lose
all awareness of the body and sensory stimulation. You are
almost in a void in which your only source of stimulation will
be your own thoughts.
The ideal state for leaving your body is Condition D.
This is Condition C when it is voluntarily induced from a
rested and refreshed condition and is not the effect of normal
fatigue. To achieve Condition D, Monroe suggests that you
practice entering it in the morning or after a short nap.
Step Four:
Enter a state of Vibration. This is the most important
part of the technique, and also the most vague.
Many projectors have noted these vibrations at the onset
of projection. They can be experienced as a mild tingling, or
as is electricity is being shot through the body. /their
cause is a mystery. It may actually be the astral body trying
to leave the physical one.
For entering into the vibrational state, he offers the
following directions:
1. Remove all jewelry or other items that might be touching
your skin.
2. Darken the room so that no light can be seen through your
eyelids, but do not shut out all light.
3. Lie down with your body along a north-south axis, with your
head pointed toward magnetic north.
4. Loosen all clothing, but keep covered so that you are
slightly warmer than might normally be comfortable.
5. Be sure you are in a location where, and at a time when,
there will be absolutely no noise to disturb you.
6. Enter a state of relaxation
7. Give yourself the mental suggestion that you will remember
all that occurs during the upcoming session that will be
beneficial to your well-being. Repeat this five times.
8. Proceed to breath through your half-open mouth.
9. As you breath, concentrate on the void in front of you.
10. Select a point a foot away from your forehead, then change
your point of mental reference to six feet.
11. Turn the point 90 degrees upward by drawing an imaginary
line parallel to your body axis up and above your head. Focus
there and reach out for the vibrations at that point and
bring them back into your body.
Even if you don't know what these vibrations are, you
will know when you have achieved contact with them.
Step five:
Learn to control the vibrational state. Practice
controlling them by mentally pushing them into your head, down
to your toes, making them surge throughout your entire body,
and producing vibrational waves from head to foot. To produce
this wave effect, concentrate of the vibrations and mentally
push a wave out of your head and guide it down your body.
Practice this until you can induce these waves on command.
Once you have control of the vibrational state, you are
786
ready to leave the body.
Step six:
Begin with a partial separation. The key here is thought
control. Keep your mind firmly focused on the idea of leaving
the body. Do not let it wander. Stray thought might cause you
to lose control of the state.
Now, having entered the vibrational state, begin exploring
the OBE by releasing a hand or a foot of the "second body".
Monroe suggests that you extend a limb until it comes in
contact with a familiar object, such as a wall near your bed.
Then push it through the object. Return the limb by placing it
back into coincidence with the physical one, decrease the
vibrational rate, and then terminate the experiment. Lie
quietly until you have fully returned to normal. This exercise
will prepare you for full separation.
Step seven:
Dissociate yourself from the body. Monroe suggests two
methods for this. One method is to lift out of the body. To
do this, think about getting lighter and lighter after
entering this vibrational state. Think about how nice it
would be to float upward. Keep this thought in mind at all
costs and let no extraneous thoughts interrupt it. An OBE will
occur naturally at this point.
Another method is the "Rotation method" or "roll-out"
technique. When you have achieved the vibrational state, try
to roll over as if you were turning over in bed. /do not
attempt to roll over physically. Try to twist your body from
the top and virtually roll over into your second body right
out of your physical self. At this point, you will be out of
the body but next to it. Think of floating upward, and you
should find yourself floating above the body.
Monroe suggests you begin with the lift-out method, but
argues that both are equally efficacious.
If, after all this, you still can't project, I recommend
purchasing Leaving The Body, by R. Scott Rogo. It only costs
$7.95 and contains another eight or so techniques. Not all
techniques work for everyone, but chances are you'll find one
that works for you in this book. Good luck!
787
{file "History (Weyland Smith)" "bos187.htm"}
History
(c) 1988, by Weyland Smith and
The Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal
"Mommy, how old are we?" Does our faith come down to us in
Apostolic succession from "that time whereof the memory of man
runneth not to the contrary", or was our religion dreamed up in
the nineteenfortiesbyaretiredBritishcivilservantwiththe
collaboration ofa dyingheroin addictandpoet? Does itreally
matter?
To
whatextent
themodern
practitionersof
paganismmay
lay
ajust claimto themantleof theirpredecessorsfrom thetwelfth
centuryhas beena matterof greatdebate bothwithin andwithout
the Craft community almost from the moment Gerald Gardner
published _Witchcraft Today in 1954.*1* Though the debate is
continued with somewhat less fervor today than it was in the
1960s,ithasnever whollyceasedanditcontinuesto beaCrisis
of Faith which besets many practitioners of paganism every year.
Itcan
beatroubling
questionto
face,especiallyif
one's
early teachers tried to justify their credentials by claiming
that what they taught had great antiquity. The question isn't
any easier to answer with truth or objectivity when there is a
bunch
ofradicalfundamentalistsrunningaroundseekingtoclaim
that we aren't really a religion and so of course we aren't
entitled to protection under the First Amendment.
It is a sign of progress, I think, that there seems to be
less of that sort of teaching today than there was when I began
my studies. Today most of the teachers that I know are secure
enough in their religion that they can face the staggering
thought that the ethical and philosophical system that guides
their lives may indeed be younger than some of them are. The
plain fact is that we simply don't know.
Gerald
Gardnerand
CharlesLeland*2*
mayhave
triedto
palm
fiction off on the world as fact. It's certainly been tried
before--and since. On the other hand, they may each have been
reporting the truth as they found it. It certainly is a fact
thatnoone Iknowhasever comeacrossany BookofShadowsthat
dates before the beginning of this century. Presumably, if one
exists,sayintheBritishMuseum, itwouldhavebecomeknownto
scholars looking into the subject over the last half century.
GrantedthattherewaslessburninginEnglandthan elsewherein
Europe, but there was enough that surely some physical evidence
would have survived in the hands of the government if nowhere
else.
The
VaticanLibrary,of
coursemayyet
turnup
sucharelic.
Theirfailure todosoat thistimecanbeexplained aseasilyby
the lack of such a document as by a possible desire to suppress
it. We may never know that one, but when push comes to shove,
does it really matter?
Thomas
Jefferson,
speakingon
the
questionof
whether
black
colonial slaves were Americans or not is said to have remarked
788
"They're people and they're here. If there's any other
requirement,Ihaven'theardofit."Perhapswemightparaphrase
Jefferson a bit and remark that the modern practitioners of
Witchcraft are undeniably here and a large number of them are
sincere intheirbeliefs. Thatinitselfshouldqualify usasa
religion.
Perhaps as important as the legal question is our own self
image. Would a "real witch" from the middle ages recognize or
disownone ofhersisters oftoday? Wouldshewant togowith a
"New Age" circle, a Dianic grove, a Gardnerian coven, or would
she laugh hysterically at the bunch of us and walk off into the
sunset?
While the antiquity of our current practice of witchcraft
shouldn't be a matter of serious concern, to us _or to our
detractors,itsauthenticityshouldbe.Thesearchforourroots
must continue to be pursued by serious scholars and magicians
alike in order that we may come as close as possible to the
ideals andpurposesofourancientpredecessors.Thereisavery
practical reason why this is so. That reason is tied up in
somethingcalledan_egregore. Onthesubjectofan egregore,I
would like to quote extensively from a recent article in _Gnosis
by Gaetan Delaforge:
..."An egregore is a kind of group mind which is created when
peopleconsciouslycometogetherforacommonpurpose.Whenever
people gather together to do something and egregore is formed,
butunlessanattemptismadetomaintain itdeliberatelyitwill
dissipaterather quickly.Howeverifthe peoplewishtomaintain
it and know the techniques of how to do so, the egregore will
continue to grow in strength and can last for centuries.
An egregore has the characteristic of having an effectiveness
greater than the mere sum of its individual members. It
continuously interacts with its members, influencing them and
being influenced by them. The interaction works positively by
stimulating and assisting its members but only as long as they
behaveand actinlinewith itsoriginalaim.It willstimulate
both individually and collectively all those faculties in the
groupwhichwillpermittherealizationoftheobjectivesof its
original program. If this process is continued a long time the
egregore will take on a kind of life of its own, and can become
so strong that even if all its members should die, it would
continue to exist on the inner dimensions and can be contacted
even centuries later by a group of people prepared to live the
livesoftheoriginalfounders,particularlyiftheyarewilling
to provide the initial input of energy to get it going again.
789
If the egregore is concerned with spiritual or esoteric
activities its influence will be even greater. People who
discoverthekeyscantapinonapowerfulegregorerepresenting,
for example, a spiritual or esoteric tradition, will, if they
follow the line described above by activating and maintaining
suchanegregore,obtainaccesstotheabilities,knowledge,and
driveofall thathasbeen accumulatedin thategregoresince its
beginnings. Agroup ororder whichmanages to dothis can,with
a clear conscience, claim to be an authentic order of the
tradition represented by that egregore. In my view this is the
only yardstick by which a genuine Templar order should be
measured."*3*
Mr.
Delaforgewas
writingabout
theKnights
Templarand
the
various groupsclaimingto representitin moderntimes, butthe
parallel with ancient witchcraft and the many diverse groups
claimingto representittodayisobvious. Ihopethebenefitto
be gained by reconstructing as faithfully as possible the
attitudes and goals of our ancient brethren is equally obvious.
In her books "The Sea Priestess" and "Moon Magic", Dion
Fortune was demonstrating this technique. Vivien LeFay Morgan
wasattemptingnothinglessthanthe
reactivationoftheegregore
of the Atlantean priesthood.
When Gerald Gardner published "Witchcraft Today", he
embarked upon the outward steps of his part of the reactivation
of the egregore of the old witch cult in western Europe. The
inward steps were probably begun by one or more of the magical
lodgesof
theearlytwentiethcentury,mostlikelyDionFortune's
Society of the Inner Light during its "pagan phase" in the late
twentiesandthirties.*4*Gardner'spublic
worksservedtobring
the reactivated egregore into contact with an increasingly
receptive populace where it could gather unto itself the
additionalpsychicenergyitneededtobecomeonceagainaviable
force in the world. How well it has achieved this end is to be
observed by anyone with the eyes to see.
I personally think that our job in this generation is to
deepen and strengthen our ties with this newly reawakened force
in the world; to learn from it and to draw inspiration from it,
and to bring the Craft back from the status of a "cult" to that
of a genuine religion. To do this we must learn more of the
goals,ideals,andambitionsofourbrothersandsisterswhohave
gone before--as they really were, not as we would like them to
have been.
790
Please
notethat
theidea
isnot
necessarilyto
recreatethe
_practices of our predecessors, particularly if we are talking
about things like blood sacrifice. One should note that this
practicewasfollowedby thejewsinbiblicaltimes,but thatin
moderntimes theydon't doit. This doesnot keepthemodern jew
frominteracting withthe egregoreof hisancient faith. Judaism
has surely progressed since the time of the Ceasars, so has the
Craft. The idea, when activating and interacting with an
egregore is to re-create the _goals and _attitudes of the
founders. That doesn't freeze the practitioner into practices
which have long since been outgrown.
WhatI
thinkweneednow
ismorerealscholarship.
Whatdid
Samhainreallymean toourpredecessors;or Beltane;orImbolc?
Not only howdid theycelebrate it,but how didthey _feelabout
it? Platitudes about"fruitfulness and fertility"are simplytoo
superficial. This is not madeany easier by the factthat these
observances were pastoral and agricultural while most of us are
city dwellers who do well to keep a potted plant alive through
one summer.
An attempt in this direction was made by the Holy Order of
SaintBrigitnearFortMorgan,Coloradoabout tenyearsago.The
farm is gone now and its residents are scattered, yet it cannot
be said to have entirely failed of its purpose. Many of the
former participants in the experiments can be found today,
quietly practicing the Craft.
This is not to say that we all should sell our goods, quit our
jobs, and move out into communes somewhere, but we must at the
leastestablishcloseenoughcontactwiththeharshrealitiesof
this world that we can appreciate how frightening the onset of
winter must have been to those who had no central heating, food
storesorwelfare tofallback upon.Whenwe havedonethis, we
will,perhaps,be ableto recapturethemindset ofthePriestess
at Samhain.
These truths are not to be found in the Fantasy fiction
sectionofB.Dalton's,butinthehistoryandanthropologylibr-
aries of our local universities. The reading is much dryer and
lessfun,but ittalksaboutthe peopleasthey reallywere.It
isn't afantasy worldto hidefromreality in,but neitheris it
a dead end. It can take us back in time and forward in our
understandingsothatwemayreallycontacttheancientreligion
of witchcraft as it was, learn from it, and pass it on,
rejuvenated and strengthened to our children.
791
Notes
1. Gerald B. Gardner, _Witchcraft _Today, (London: Rider and
Company, 1954) reprinted (New York: Citadel Press, 1971)
2. Charles Godfrey Leland, _Aradia, _or _Gospel _of _the
_Witches, (London: David Nutt, 1899; reprinted (New York:
Samuel Weiser, 1974)
3.GaetanDelaforge,_Gnosis,"TheTemplarTradition:
yesterday
and today", No. 6, (Winter 1988), pp 8-13.
4. Alan Richardson, _Dancers _to _the _Gods, (London: The
Aquarian Press, 1985)
792
{file "History of Witch Craft" "bos188.htm"}
History of Witchcraft
As I am trying to put this all together, I hope to bring about an
understanding that Witchcraft, like any religion, has undergone
it's changes throughout the centuries. It is my personal
feeling, however, that the religion of Witchcraft has undergone
far fewer changes than any other in history.
As the song sung by Neil Diamond starts:
" Where it began, I can't begin to knowin..."
Witchcraft, sorcery, magic, whatever can only begin to find its
roots when we go back as far as Mesopotamia. With their deities
for all types of disasters, such as Utug - the Dweller of the
Desert waiting to take you away if you wandered to far, and
Telal - the Bull Demon, Alal - the destroyer, Namtar -
Pestilence, Idpa - fever, and Maskim - the snaresetter; the days
of superstitution were well underway.
It was believed that the pharaohs, kings, etc. all imbued some
power of the gods, and even the slightest movement they made
would cause an action to occur. It was believed that a picture,
or statue also carried the spirit of the person. This is one of
the reasons that they were carried from place to place, and also
explains why you see so many pictures and statues of these
persons with their hands straight to their sides.
In the Bible, we find reference to "The Tower of Babel" or The
Ziggurat in Genesis 11. "Now the whole world had one language and
a common speech. As men moved eastward, they found a plain in
Shinar (Babylonia) and settled there. They said to each other,
`Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly.' They used
brick instead of stone, and tar instead of mortar. Then they
said, `Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that
reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves
and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.' But the
Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men were
building. The Lord said,`If as one people speaking the same
language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do
will be impossible for them. Come let us go down and confuse
their language so they will not understand each other.'" It goes
on to say that the tower was never finished.
In other references, we find that the "Tower" was in fact
finished, and that it was a tower that represented the "stages"
between earth and heaven (not a tower stretching to the heaven in
the literal sense.) From this reference, it was a tower built in
steps. A hierarchy on which heaven and hell were based. It was
actually a miniature world representing the Mountain of Earth.
793
Each stage was dedicated to a planet, with its angles symbolizing
the four corners of the world. They pointed to Akkad, Saburtu,
Elam, and the western lands. The seven steps of the tower were
painted in different colors which corresponded to the planets.
The "Great Misfortune:, Saturn, was black. The second was white,
the color of Jupiter. The third, brick-red, the color of
Mercury, followed by blue, Venus; yellow, Mars, gray or silver
for the moon. These colors boded good or evil, like their
planets.
For the first time, numbers expressed the world order. A legend
depicts Pythagoras traveling to Babylon where he is taught the
mystery of numbers, their magical significance and power. The
seven steps often appear in magical philosophy. The seven steps
are: stones, fire, plants, animals, man, the starry heavens, and
the angels. Starting with the study of stones, the man of wisdom
will attain higher and higher degrees of knowledge, until he will
be able to apprehend the sublime, and the eternal. Through
ascending these steps, a man would attain the knowledge of God,
whose name is at the eighth degree, the threshold of God's
heavenly dwelling.
The square was also a "mystical" symbol in these times, and
though divided into seven, was still respected. This correlated
the old tradition of a fourfold world being reconciled with the
seven heavens of later times.
It is thought that here was the start to numerology, but for this
to have developed to the point where they had taken into
consideration the square as the fourfold world, it would have had
to have developed prior to this.
From Mesopotamia lets move over to Persia.
Unlike the Mesopotamians, and Egyptians, who believed that all
was done with either the favor or lack thereof of the Gods, the
Chaldean star religion taught that luck and disaster were no
chance events, but were controlled from the heavenly bodies
(planets/stars) which send good and bad according to mathematical
laws. It was their belief that man was incapable of fighting the
will of the planet divinities. Though, the more this system
evolved, the more the wise men read ethical values into man's
fate. The will of the stars was not completely separate from
man's behaviors. The stars were important, but not omnipotent in
deciding man's fate. It was believed that the star Sirius would
carry messages to the higher gods and he returned to announce
their will.
Around the 7th Century B.C. Zoroaster, the Median prophet was
preaching the doctrines that evil could be avoided and defeated.
He brought about the principles of the good and evil spirits.
Below, we will look at the beliefs and influences of this man's
life which created the religion named after him.
794
The first of the belief structure had to do with Ormazd (Ahura-
Mazda) king of light, and his twin brother Ahriman (Anro-Mainyu)
prince of darkness.
Zoroaster brought about the belief in the "holy war" (that
between good and evil.) In this faith, the archangels (the
spirits of Divine Wisdom, Righteousness, Dominion, Devotion,
Totality, and Salvation) and the demons (the spirits of Anarchy,
Apostasy, Presumption, Destruction, Decay, and Fury) were
constantly at battle with one another. The archangels were
controlled by Ormazd and the demons by Ahriman.
This religion had it's belief that in the end, Ormazd and his
demons would prevail, but until then, Ormazd would keep the world
safe.
It is interesting that the last of the demons (the demon of Fury)
holds such a hard and fast thought that it was incorporated into
the Hebrew and Christian belief structure. The last archdemon's
name is Aeshma Daeva also know to the Hebrews as Ashmadai and to
Christians as Asmodeus.
Asmodeus was the "chief of the fourth hierarchy of evil demons",
called "the avengers of wickedness, crimes and misdeeds." He
appears with three heads, a bull's, human, and a ram. He has
goose feet, and a snake's tail. To appear more frightening, he
also exhales fire and rides upon a dragon of hell.
It is said that Asmodeus is not to be feared. When you say to
him: "In truth thou art Asmodeus," he will give you a wonderful
ring. He will teach you geometry, arithmetic, astronomy and
mechanics. When questioned, he answers truthfully.
The other demons tempt people away from the true worship of
Mazda. They are Paromaiti - Arrogance, Mitox - The Falsely
Spoken Word, Zaurvan - Decrepitude, Akatasa - Meddlesomeness,
Vereno - Lust.
Much of the current day Christian beliefs were taken from this
man's religion. (That of good and evil forces, the redemption,
the "savior" factor, etc.)
From here, let us move on to Egypt where we will look at other
mystical symbols and more history of magic and the craft.
The Sphinx was a mythological creature with lion's body and human
head, an important image in Egyptian and Greek art and legend.
The word sphinx was derived by Greek grammarians from the verb
sphingein (to bind or squeeze), but the etymology is not related
to the legend and is dubious.
The winged sphinx of Boeotian Thebes, the most famous in legend,
was said to have terrorized the people by demanding the answer to
a riddle. If the person answered incorrectly, he or she was eaten
by the sphinx. It is said that Oedipus answered properly where
upon the sphinx killed herself.
795
The earliest and most famous example in art is the colossal
Sphinx at Giza, Egypt. It dates from the reign of King Khafre
(4th king of 4th dynasty; c. 2550 b.c.)
The Sphinx did not occur in Mesopotamia until around 1500 b.c.
when it was imported from the Levant. In appearance, the Asian
sphinx differed from its Egyptian model mostly in the addition of
wings to the leonine body. This feature continued through its
history in Asia and the Greek world.
Another version of the sphinx was that of the female. This
appeared in the 15th century b.c. on seals, ivories and
metalworkings. They were portrayed in the sitting position
usually with one paw raised. Frequently, they were seen with a
lion, griffin or another sphinx.
The appearance of the sphinx on temples and the like eventually
lead to a possible interpretation of the sphinx as a protective
symbol as well as a philosophical one.
The Sphinx rests at the foot of the 3 pyramids of Khufu, Khafre,
and Menkure. It talons stretch over the city of the dead as it
guards its secrets.
The myth goes that a prince who later became Thutmose IV, took a
nap in the shadow of the half-submerged Sphinx. As he slept, the
Sun-god (whom the Sphinx represents, appeared to him in a dream.
Speaking to him as a son, he told the prince that he would
succeed to the throne and enjoy a long and happy reign. He urged
the prince to have the Sphinx cleared of the sand.
In his book on Isis and Osiris, Plutarch (A.D. 45-126) says that
the Sphinx symbolizes the secret of occult wisdom, though
Plutarch never unveiled the mysteries of the Sphinx. It is said
that the magic of the Sphinx lies within the thousands of hands
that chiseled at the rock. The thoughts of countless generations
dwell in it; numberless conjurations and rites have built up in
it a mighty protective spirit, a soul that still inhabits this
time-scarred giant.
Another well know superstition of the peoples of Ancient Egypt
was that regarding their dead.
They believed that in the West lies the World of the Dead, where
the Sun-god disappears every evening. The departed were referred
to as "Westerners." It was believed that, disguised as birds, the
dead soar into the sky where in his heavenly barge Ra, the Sun-
god, awaits them and transforms them into stars to travel with
him through the vault of the heavens.
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The cult of the dead reached it's height when it incorporated
the Osiris myth. Osiris was born to save mankind. At his
nativity, a voice was heard proclaiming that the Lord had come
into the world (sound familiar?). But his brother/father Seth
shut him up in a chest which he carried to the sea by the
Tanaitic mouth of the Nile. Isis brought him back to life. Seth
then scattered his body all over the place. It is said that Isis
fastened the limbs together with the help of the gods Nephtis,
Thoth, and Horus, her son. Fanning the body with her wings, and
through her magic, Osiris rose again to reign as king over the
dead.
The Egyptian believed that a person had two souls. The soul
known as Ba is the one that progressed into the afterlife while
the Ka remains with the mummy. The Ka is believed to live a
magical life within the grave. Thus the Egyptians placed
miniature belongings of the deceased into the tomb. Such items as
images, statuettes, imitation utensils, and miniature houses take
the place of the real thing. They believed that the Ka would use
these as the real item because the mortuary priests possessed
magic that would make them real for the dead.
The priests believed that the gods could be deceived, menaced and
forced into obedience. They had such trust in the power of
magic, the virtue of the spoken word, the irresistibility of
magic gestures and other ritual, that they hoped to bend even the
good gods to their will. They would bring retribution to the
deities who failed to deal leniently with the dead. They
threatened to shoot lightning into the are of Shu, god of the
air, who would then no longer be able to support the sky-goddess,
and her star-sown body would collapse, disrupting the order of
all things.
When Ikhnaton overthrew the Egyptian gods and demons, making the
cult of the One God Aton, a state religion, he also suppressed
mortuary magic. Ikhnaton did not believe in life after death.
As Christianity became a part of this nation, there is much
evidence to show where the Christians of the time, and the pagans
lived peacefully together.
In theology, the differences between early Christians, Gnostics
(members - often Christian - of dualistic sects of the 2nd
century a.d.), and pagan Hermeticists were slight. In the large
Gnostic library discovered at Naj'Hammadi, in upper Egypt, in
1945, Hermetic writings were found side by side with Christian
Gnostic texts. The doctrine of the soul taught in Gnostic
communities was almost identical to that taught in the mysteries:
the soul emanated from the Father, fell into the body, and had to
return to its former home.
It was not until later in Rome that things took a change for the
worse. Which moves us on to Greece.
797
The doctrinal similarity is exemplified in the case of the pagan
writer and philosopher Synesius. When the people of Cyrene
wanted the most able man of the city to be their bishop, they
chose Synesius, a pagan. He was able to accept the election
without sacrificing his intellectual honesty. In his pagan
period, he wrote hymns that follow the fire theology of the
Chaldean Oracles. Later he wrote hymns to Christ. The doctrine
is almost identical.
To attempt to demonstrate this...let's go to some BASIC tenets
and beliefs of the two religions:
Christian Beliefs
The 10 Commandments
1.) You shall have no other gods before me.
To the Christian, this means there will be no other God. Yet, in
the bible, the phrase is plural. I does not state that you will
not have another god, it says that you will have no other gods
before the Christian God.
In the case of the later, it could be interpreted to mean that
whereas other gods can be recognized, as a Christian, this person
should place YHVH ahead of all gods recognizing him/her as the
supreme being of all.
2.) You shall not worship idols
Actually, what it says in the New International Version is "You
shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in
heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You
shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your
God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the
fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
but showing love to thousands who love me and keep my
commandments.
3.) You shall not take the name of the lord in vain.
This one is pretty self explanatory. When a person is calling on
the lord he/she is asking the lord for guidance or action. Thus,
the phrase "God damn it!" can be translated into a person asking
the lord to condemn whatever "it" is to hell. The phrase "To
damn" means to condemn to hell. In modern society, several
phrases such as the following are common usage:
"Oh God!", "God forbid!", "God damn it!", "God have mercy!"
Each of these is asking God to perform some act upon or for the
speaker with the exception of "Oh God!" which is asking for Gods
attention.
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4.) Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.
Depending on which religion you are looking at (i.e. Jewish, from
which the 10 commandments come; or Christianity, which adapted
them for their use as well.) the Sabbath is either Saturday or
Sunday. You may also take a look at the various mythological
pantheons to correlate which is the first and last days of the
week...(i.e. Sun - Sunday.. Genesis 1:3 "And God said, "Let there
be light,' and there was light., Moon - Monday.. Genesis 1:14
"And God said,"Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to
separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to
mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the
expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16
God made two great lights - the greater light to govern the day
and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the
stars." Thus the Sun was created first. With the day of the Sun
being the first in the week, then Saturday would be the 7th or
Sabbath.
5.) Honor thy mother and thy father.
This is another that is fairly self explanatory. It is any
parent's right after spending the time to raise you to expect
that you respect them.
6.) You shall not murder.
This does not say "You shall not murder...except in my name." It
says YOU SHALL NOT MURDER. PERIOD. Out of the 10 commandments, I
have found that over the course of history, this one has been the
most ignored. As we look as the spread of Christianity from
around 300 A.D. forward, we find that as politics moved into the
church and those in charge of man's "souls" were given more
control that this one commandment sort of went out the window.
We see such things as the Crusades, the inquisition, and the
dominating fear that was placed into the Christian "psyche" that
one should destroy that which is not like you.
Even though we here stories about the "witch trials", and the
"witch burnings" etc....There were actually very few "Witches"
tried or burned. Most of these poor souls were that of
Protestant beliefs (Against the Catholic Church) yet still
maintained that they were Christians. But...more on this later.
7.) You shall not commit adultery.
You can look up the meaning in the dictionary, and this one
becomes pretty self-evident. What it comes down to is that no
person who has ever been divorced can marry again, and you don't
have sex with someone that you are not married to.
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8.) You shall not steal.
Again, enough said. However...don't go looking at Constantine to
be obeying this one! The Pagan temples were looted to make his
coinage.
9.) You shall not give false witness against thy neighbor
Again, during the times of the inquisition, this also went out
the window. Such tools as torture were used to pull confessions
from these poor people who then signed statements that the
inquisitors had written up saying that they freely signed this
document. Of course...the inquisitors stated that this person
was not tortured, but it was his clever wit that had extracted
this confession.
It was also during this time that persons, refusing to take
responsibility for their own actions or accept that nature does
in fact create strange circumstances...(i.e. drought, flood,
etc.) and the resulting illness and bug infestations. Very
often, as the Witch-craze developed stronger, the one neighbor
would accuse another of Witchcraft and destroying the fields or
making their child sick, or whatever.
10.)You shall not covet your neighbor.
On the surface, this one is pretty self explanatory. Don't
crave your neighbor's possessions. Yes...I can relate this back
to the inquisitional times as well since most of the accused's
property reverted back to the Catholic church at this
time...there were several accused and convicted of Witchcraft
simply because they would not sell their property to the church.
However...How does this effect persons today? How far do we
carry the "Thou shalt not covet..."? This can be even so much as
a want, however is it a sin to want a toy like your neighbor has?
If so...we're all in trouble. How many of us "want" that Porsche
that we see driving down the road? Or how about that beautiful
house that we just drove past? Do we carry this commandment to
this extreme? If so...I pity the person that can live by it for
what that would say is "Thou shalt not DREAM."
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Wiccan Beliefs
Since the religion of Wicca (or Witchcraft) is so diverse in it's
beliefs, I have included several documents here that encompass
the majority of the traditions involved. Again, this is simply a
basis...NOT the be all and end all.
Wiccan Rede
Bide ye wiccan laws you must,
in perfect love and perfect trust
Live ye must and let to live,
fairly take and fairly give
For the circle thrice about
to keep unwelcome spirits out
To bind ye spell well every time,
let the spell be spake in rhyme
Soft of eye and light of touch,
speak ye little, listen much
Deosil go by the waxing moon,
chanting out ye baleful tune
When ye Lady's moon is new,
kiss ye hand to her times two
When ye moon rides at her peak,
then ye heart's desire seek
Heed the north winds mighty gale,
lock the door and trim the sail
When the wind comes from the south,
love will kiss thee on the mouth
When the wind blows from the east,
expect the new and set the feast.
Nine woods in the cauldron go,
burn them fast and burn them slow
Elder be ye Lady's tree,
burn it not or cursed ye'll be
WHen the wheel begins to turn,
soon ye Beltane fires will burn
When the wheel hath turned a Yule
light the log the Horned One rules
Heed ye flower, bush and tree,
by the Lady blessed be
Where the rippling waters go,
cast a stone, the truth ye'll know
When ye have and hold a need,
harken not to others greed
With a fool no season spend,
or be counted as his friend
Merry meet and merry part,
bright the cheeks and warm the heart.
Mind ye threefold law ye should
three times bad and three times good
When misfortune is enow,
wear the star upon thy brow
True in love my ye ever be,
lest thy love be false to thee
These eight words the wiccan rede fulfill;
An harm ye none, do what ye will.
800
Wiccan Beliefs
Since the religion of Wicca (or Witchcraft) is so diverse in it's
beliefs, I have included several documents here that encompass
the majority of the traditions involved. Again, this is simply a
basis...NOT the be all and end all.
Wiccan Rede
Bide ye wiccan laws you must,
in perfect love and perfect trust
Live ye must and let to live,
fairly take and fairly give
For the circle thrice about
to keep unwelcome spirits out
To bind ye spell well every time,
let the spell be spake in rhyme
Soft of eye and light of touch,
speak ye little, listen much
Deosil go by the waxing moon,
chanting out ye baleful tune
When ye Lady's moon is new,
kiss ye hand to her times two
When ye moon rides at her peak,
then ye heart's desire seek
Heed the north winds mighty gale,
lock the door and trim the sail
When the wind comes from the south,
love will kiss thee on the mouth
When the wind blows from the east,
expect the new and set the feast.
Nine woods in the cauldron go,
burn them fast and burn them slow
Elder be ye Lady's tree,
burn it not or cursed ye'll be
WHen the wheel begins to turn,
soon ye Beltane fires will burn
When the wheel hath turned a Yule
light the log the Horned One rules
Heed ye flower, bush and tree,
by the Lady blessed be
Where the rippling waters go,
cast a stone, the truth ye'll know
When ye have and hold a need,
harken not to others greed
With a fool no season spend,
or be counted as his friend
Merry meet and merry part,
bright the cheeks and warm the heart.
Mind ye threefold law ye should
three times bad and three times good
When misfortune is enow,
wear the star upon thy brow
True in love my ye ever be,
lest thy love be false to thee
These eight words the wiccan rede fulfill;
An harm ye none, do what ye will.
801
One of the Pagan Oaths recognized nationally here in the U.S.
A Pledge to Pagan Spirituality
I am a Pagan and I dedicate Myself to channeling the Spiritual
Energy of my Inner Self to help and to heal myself and others.
* I know that I am a part of the Whole of Nature. May I
grow in understanding of the Unity of all Nature. May I
always walk in Balance.
* May I always be mindful of the diversity of Nature as
well as its Unity and may I always be tolerant of those whose
race, appearance, sex, sexual preference, culture, and other ways
differ from my own.
* May I use the Force (psychic power) wisely and never use
it for aggression nor for malevolent purposes. May I never
direct it to curtail the free will of another.
* May I always be mindful that I create my own reality and that
I have the power within me to create positivity in my life.
* May I always act in honorable ways: being honest with
myself and others, keeping my word whenever I have given it,
fulfilling all responsibilities and commitments I have taken
on to the best of my ability.
* May I always remember that whatever is sent out always
returns magnified to the sender. May the Forces of Karma move
swiftly to remind me of these spiritual commitments when I
have begin to falter from them, and may I use this Karmic
feedback to help myself grow and be more attuned to my Inner
Pagan Spirit.
* May I always remain strong and committed to my Spiritual
ideals in the face of adversity and negativity. May the Force
of my Inner Spirit ground out all malevolence directed my way
and transform it into positivity. May my Inner Light shine
so strongly that malevolent forces can not even approach my
sphere of existence.
* May I always grow in Inner Wisdom & Understanding. May I
see every problem that I face as an opportunity to develop
myself spiritually in solving it.
* May I always act out of Love to all other beings on this
Planet -- to other humans, to plants, to animals, to minerals,
to elementals, to spirits, and to other entities.
* May I always be mindful that the Goddess and God in all
their forms dwell within me and that this divinity is
reflected through my own Inner Self, my Pagan Spirit.
.pa
* May I always channel Love and Light from my being. May my Inner
Spirit, rather than my ego self, guide all my thoughts, feelings, and
actions.
SO MOTE IT BE
802
In the Wiccan Rede above, and scattered in the oath, we find
words such as Perfect Love and Perfect Trust. What are these
strange words and what do they mean?
Before one can analyze the meaning behind the phrase "Perfect
Love and Perfect Trust", one must first define the words. For
this purpose, I will use the Webster's New World Dictionary of
the American Language 1982 edition. Perfect: adj. [L. per-,
through + facere, do] 1. complete in all respects; flawless 2.
excellent, as in skill or quality 3. completely accurate 4.
sheer; utter [a perfect fool] 5. Gram. expressing a state or
action completed at the time of speaking - vt. 1. to complete 2.
to make perfect or nearly perfect - n. 1. the perfect tense 2. a
verb form in this tense - perfectly adv - perfectness n.
Love: n. [<OE. lufu] 1. strong affection or liking of someone or
something. 2. a passionate affection for one of the opposite sex.
3. The object of such affection, sweetheart.
Trust: n.[ON, traust] 1. a) firm belief in the honesty,
reliability, etc. of another; faith b) the one trusted 2.
confident expectation, hope, etc. 3. responsibility resulting
from confidence placed in one. 4. Care, custody 5. something
entrusted to one....
Using these definitions, we come up with "Flawless strong
affection and flawless faith.
Is this possible? Those that follow the religion of Wicca often
give excuses for this just being words. When this is the case,
they are not obeying their faith....thus..they are not following
perfect love and perfect trust. But to the rest...the answer is
a resounding YES. This does not ask that you "like" a person.
It asks that you see the divine light and love within individual
whether you like them or not. Can this be done...YES. As to the
perfect trust...we can always trust a fox to be a fox right.
Therefore, when we are entering circle, we can honestly answer
perfect trust even if it is on shaky ground. We may have faith
that this person will act like any other human.
It with these beliefs and doctrines that I state that not only
was the doctrine, or teaching almost identical, but the
vocabulary was extensively the same.
It's with these beliefs and doctrines that I state that not only
was the doctrine, or teaching almost identical, but the
vocabulary was extensively the same.
803
Greek life was characterized by such things as democratic
institutions, seafaring, athletics theatre and philosophy. The
mystery religions adopted many expressions from these domains.
The word for their assembly was Ekklesia of the mystai. They
spoke of the voyage of life, the ship, the anchor and the port of
religion, and the wreath of the initiate. The Christians took
over the entire terminology, but had to twist many pagan words in
order to fit into the Christian world. The term Leitourgia
(meaning service of the state) became the ritual or liturgy of
the church. The decree of the assembly and the opinions of the
philosophers (dogma) became the fixed doctrine of Christianity.
The term for "the correct opinion" (or the doxa) became orthodoxy.
The mysteries declined quickly when the emperor Constantine
raised Christianity to the status of the state religion. After a
short period of toleration, the pagan religions were prohibited.
The property of the pagan gods was confiscated, and the temples
were destroyed. The metal from which Constantine's gold pieces
were coined was taken from the pagan temple treasuries.
The main pagan "strong holds" were Rome and Alexandria. In Rome,
the old aristocracy clung to the mysteries and in Alexandria the
pagan Neoplatonist philosophers expounded the mystery doctrines.
In 394, the opposition of the Roman aristocracy was crushed in
the battle at the Frigidus River (modern stream of Vipacco, Italy
and stream of Vipava, Yugoslavia).
According to the Christian theologian Origen, Christianity's
development during the time of the Roman Empire was part of the
divine plan. The whole Mediterranean world was united by the
Romans, and the conditions for missionary work were more
favorable than ever before. He explains the similarities as
natural considering the cultures etc. The mystery religions and
Christianity had many features in common. Some examples of this
are found in their time of preparation prior to initiation, and
periods of fasting. Their were pilgrimages, and new names for
the new brethren. Few of the early Christian "congregations"
would be called orthodox according to later more modern
standards.
Though for many years, the pagan "churches" of this area tried to
bring about a unity among their "doctrines", beliefs, and
practices to raise support for their practices, the Christian
philosophies and doctrines were so organized and strong that this
fell as well. Little did they know that a couple hundred miles
away, peoples were still worshipping in pagan temples.
Let's take a look up north.
The worship of trees goes far back into the history of man. It
was not until Christianity converted the Lithuanians toward the
close of the 14th century that tree worship was thought to be in
the past. The truth is...whereas they are not worshiped, they
are still honored by society today in the burning of the Yule
log, May Day bon-fires, Kissing under the Mistletoe, and the ever
famous Christmas tree.
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The worship of the oak tree or god appears to have been universal
by all branches of the Aryan stock in Europe. Both Greeks and
Italians associated the tree with their highest god, Zeus or
Jupiter, the divinity of the sky, the rain, and the thunder.
Possibly one of the oldest and most famous sanctuaries in Greece
was that of Dodona, where Zeus was revered in th oracular oak.
The thunderstorms which are said to rage at Dodona more
frequently than anywhere else in Europe, would render the spot a
fitting home for the god whose voice was heard alike in the
rustling of the oak leaves and in the crash of thunder.
Zeus of Greece, and Jupiter of Italy both were gods of thunder
and rain, and to both the oak tree were sacred.
To the Celts, or Druids, their worship was conducted in oak
groves. The Celtic conquerors, who settled in Asia in the third
century b.c., appear to have carried with them the worship of the
oak to their new home. In the heart of Asia Minor, the Galatian
senate met in a place which bore the Celtic name of Drynemetum,
"the sacred oak grove" or "the temple of the oak."
In Germany, we find that the veneration for sacred groves seems
to have held the foremost place. According to Grimm, the chief
of their holy trees was the oak. Again, here we find that it is
dedicated to the god of thunder, Donar or Thunar, the equivalent
of the Norse Thor. Among the Slavs, the oak tree was sacred to
the thunder god Perun. Among the Lithuanians, the oak tree was
sacred to Perkunas or Perkuns, the god of thunder and rain.
The Christmas tree, usually a balsam or douglas fir, was
decorated with lights and ornaments as a part of Christmas
festivities. The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands
as a symbol of eternal life was an old custom of the Egyptians,
Chinese, and Hebrews. Tree worship, common among the pagan
Europeans, survived after their conversion to Christianity in the
Scandinavian customs of decorating the house and barn with
evergreens at the New Year to scare away the devil and of setting
up a tree for the birds during Christmastide. It survived in the
custom observed in Germany, of placing a Yule tree inside the
house in the midwinter holidays.
The modern Christmas tree originated in Western Germany. The
main prop of a popular medieval play about Adam and Eve was a fir
tree hung with apples (the tree of Paradise) representing the
Garden of Eden. The Germans set up the Paradise tree in their
homes on December 24, the religious feast day of Adam and Eve.
They hung wafers on it (symbolizing the host, the Christian sigh
of redemption). In later tradition, the wafers were replaced by
cookies of various shapes. Candles were often added as the
symbol of Christ, though they were also a pagan symbol for the
light of the God.
805
As we can see, even though the pagan community has been trod
upon, it was never destroyed. The date of Christmas was
purposely fixed on December 25 to push into the background the
great festival of the sun god, and the Epiphany on January 5 to
supplant an Egyptian festival of the same day and the Easter
ceremonies were set to rival the pagan spring festival.
Let's take a look at a few of the holidays and compare.
As we can see, even though the pagan community has been trod
upon, it was never destroyed. The date of Christmas was
purposely fixed on December 25 to push into the background the
great festival of the sun god, and the Epiphany on January 5 to
supplant an Egyptian festival of the same day and the Easter
ceremonies were set to rival the pagan spring festival.
Let's take a look at a few of the holidays and compare.
Easter
On Easter Sunday, everywhere, the children hunt the many colored
Easter eggs, brought by the Easter rabbit. This is the vestige
of a fertility rite, the eggs and the rabbit both symbolizing
fertility. The rabbit was the escort of the Germanic goddess
Ostara who gave her name to the festival by way of the German
Ostern.
The first day of Spring holds much in the way of folklore. It is
also known as the Spring Equinox, Ostara, Eostre's Day, Alban
Eilir, the Vernal Equinox, or Festival of the Trees. It takes
place between March 19 and 22. It marks the first day of true
spring (verses the balmy weather that may precede it.)
The day and night is equal on this day, thus the name of Equinox.
There is a story in one culture that says that the sun has begun
to win it's race with the night and that the days get longer as
the sun pulls ahead. (Followed by the fact that the sun begins to
lose the race at Mid-Summer, and loses the race at Mid-Winter
just to start the race again the next day.)
It is a time of beginnings, of action, of planting seeds for
future grains, and of tending gardens. On the first Sunday after
the first full moon following Eostre's Day (the name from which
the Easter was derived), the Christian religion celebrates it's
Easter Day.
Spring is a time of the Earth's renewal, a rousing of nature
after the cold sleep of winter. As such, it is an ideal time to
clean your home to welcome the new season.
Spring cleaning is more than physical work. Some cultures see it
as a concentrated effort on their part to rid themselves of
problems and negativity of the past months and tho prepare
themselves for the coming spring and summer.
806
To do this, they approach the task of cleaning their homes with
positive thoughts. They believe that this frees the homes of the
hard feelings brought about by a harsh winter. Even then, they
have guidelines that they follow such as any scrubbing of stains
or hand rubbing the floors should be done in a "clockwise"
motion. It is their belief that this aids in filling the home
with good energy for growth.
To the Druidic faith, this is a sacred day occurring in the month
of Fearn (meaning, "I am the shining tear of the Sun"). Part of
their practices are to clean and rededicate outdoor shrines,
believing that in doing so they honor the spring maiden. This is
a time of fertility of both crops and families. In promoting
crops, they believe that the use of fire and water (the sun and
rain) will reanimate all life on Earth. They decorate hard-
boiled eggs, the symbol of rebirth, to eat during their rites,
and such foods as honey cakes and milk punch can also be found.
The mothers and daughters give dinners for each other and give
cards and gifts as a way of merging with the natural flow of life
and with each other. (The Druids consider this also as Mother's
Day.)
In Greek mythology, spring was the time when Persephone returned
from the underworld (where the seed was planted in the barren
winter months) and thus represents the seedlings of the spring.
Demeter, Persephone's mother represents the fertile earth and the
ripened grain of harvest since it is alleged that she is the one
that created the need to harvest crops when her daughter was
kidnapped and taken to the underworld. It was through an
arrangement that her daughter could return for 1/2 the year that
Demeter allowed the crops to spring forth for that time until she
again went into mourning for her daughter in the fall.
In some cultures, even today, the ones that continue to celebrate
the rites of spring rise on Easter morning to watch the sun
"Dance" as it rises.
The Christian festival commemorating the resurrection of Christ,
synchronized with the Jewish Pesach, and blended since the
earliest days of Christianity with pagan European rites for the
renewed season. In all countries Easter falls on the Sunday
after the first full moon on or following March 21. It is
preceded by a period of riotous vegetation rites and by a period
of abstinence, Lent (in Spain Cuaresma, Germany Lenz, central
Italy, Quaresima) and by special rites of Holy Week.
Everywhere Easter Sunday is welcomed with rejoicing, singing,
candle processionals, flowers in abundance, and ringing of church
bells. Many pagan customs survive, such as the lighting of new
fires at dawn, among the Maya as well as in Europe, for cure,
renewed life, and protection of the crops.
May Day
The first day of May: observed as a spring festival everywhere in
Europe, the United States, and Canada, and as a labor festival in
certain European countries.
807
Rites such as the ever famous May Pole occur in the town squares
or in the family's front yard. The gathering of green branches
and flowers on May Eve is the symbolic act of bringing home the
May, i.e. bringing new life, the spring, into the village.
The May Queen (and often King) is chosen from among the young
people, and they go singing from door to door throughout the town
carrying flowers or the May tree, soliciting donations for a
merrymaking in return for the "blessing of May". This is
symbolic of bestowing and sharing of the new creative power that
is stirring in the world. As the kids go from door to door, the
May Bride often sings to the effect that those who give will get
of nature's bounty through the year.
In parts of France, some jilted youth will lie in a field on May
Day and pretend to sleep. If any village girl is willing to
marry him, she goes and wakes him with a kiss; the pair then go
to the village inn together and lead the dance which announces
their engagement. The boy is called "the betrothed of May."
This festival is also known as Beltane, the Celtic May Day. It
officially begins at moonrise on May Day Eve, and marks the
beginning of the third quarter or second half of the ancient
Celtic year. It is celebrated as an early pastoral festival
accompanying the first turning of the herds out to wild pasture.
The rituals were held to promote fertility. The cattle were
driven between the Belfires to protect them from ills. Contact
with the fire was interpreted as symbolic contact with the sun.
The rowan branch is hung over the house fire on May Day to
preserve the fire itself from bewitchment (the house fire being
symbolic of the luck of the house.
In early Celtic times, the druids kindled the Beltane fires with
specific incantations. Later the Christian church took over the
Beltane observances, a service was held in the church, followed
by a procession to the fields or hills, where the priest kindled
the fire.
In some rituals, a King and Queen May symbolize the male and female
principles of productivity.
We have looked briefly at the similarities of the philosophies
and vocabularies, but is that all that they had in common? Let's
look at symbologies.
For many years, the cross has been the symbol representing the
death of the Christian Christ. It has represented that through
his death, man could be reborn into God's grace. Thus, we have
the philosophy of life in death being connected to the cross.
Is this the only time where this symbol was recognized as such?
Let's go back to Egypt and find out.
An upright piece of wood, tied to a horizontal beam indicated the
height of the flood waters on the Nile. This beam formed a
cross. If the waters failed to rise during the season of
planting, it meant a poor harvest for these people. Thus the
cross was revered as a symbol of life and regeneration.
808
The Ankh represents the genitals of both sexes. The cross itself
is a primitive form of the phallus, and the loop that of the
womb. Again, we continue the symbol of the cross as the giver of
life.
Oh my gosh...did I use the word phallus in connection with the
cross? Oops!
Yes...even prior to this time was the cross a symbol of the
phallus or fertility. This is not the only thing that the
phallus has symbolized over the many centuries within and without
the pagan world. It has also been used as a symbol of strength.
Within the Bible, we find several references to the horn also as
a symbol of strength.
2 Samuel 22:3 - He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation.
Luke 1:69 - And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us.
Psalm 18:2 - He is my shield and the horn of my salvation.
The move from horn to helmet is followed up also in the bible as
follows:
Isaiah 59:17 - For he put an helmet of salvation upon his head.
Ephesians 6:17 - Take the helmet of salvation.
1 Thessalonians 5:8 - ...putting on faith and love as a
breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
In Roman days a warrior would were horns on his helmet. If he
came back defeated, he was said to have been dehorned. There are
several references where a soldier who lost his helmet on the
field was killed for this offense because it meant dishonor for
him to loose his horn.
Shakespeare had much knowledge of the use of horns as a symbol of
protection and victory as is evident in his works "As You Like
It" (IV,2) and in "Measure for Measure" (II,4:16) when he writes:
"Let's write good angell on the devill's horne; tis not the
devill's crest."
Even in modern days, the Catholic Church uses this symbol when
setting the mitre upon the head of a newly consecrated bishop.
The words used at such a time are: "We set on the head of this
Bishop, O Lord, Thy champion, the helmet of defense and of
salvation, that with comely face and with his head armed with the
horns of either Testament he may appear terrible to the
gainsayers of the truth, and may become their vigorous assailant,
through the abundant gift of Thy grace, who didst make the face
of Thy servant Moses to shine after familiar converse with Thee,
and didst adorn it with the resplendent horns of Thy brightness
and Thy truth and commandedst the mitre to be set on the head of
Aaron, Thy high priest, Etc..." (Copies in Latin and translated
can be found in The Order Consecration of a Bishop Elect with the
imprimatur of H. Card. Vaughn, p. 14, Burns and Oates, 1893.)
809
If we are looking at protections and the like, we must look at
the use of stones and crystals within our lives. Yes, even in
the Christian bible, the powers and uses of stones is mentioned.
Exodus 28:15-21 - "Fashion a breastpiece for making decisions -
the work of a skilled craftsman. MAke it like the ephod: of
gold, and of blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and of finely twisted
linen. It is to be square - a span (9 inches) wide - and folded
double. Then mount four rows of precious stones on it. In the
first row there shall be a ruby, a topaz and a beryl; in the
second row a turquoise, a sapphire (or lapis lazuli) and an
emerald; in the third row a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst; in
the fourth row a chrysolite, an onyx and a jasper. Mount them in
gold filigree settings. There are to be twelve stones, one for
each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a
seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes."
Exodus 28:9-14 - Take two onyx stones and engrave on the
names of the sons of Israel in the order of their birth - six
names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. Engrave
the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a gem
cutter engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in gold filigree
settings and fasten them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as
memorial stones for the sons of Israel. Aaron is to bear the
names on his shoulders as a memorial before the Lord. Make gold
filigree settings and two braided chains of pure gold, like a
rope, and attach the chains to the settings.
Though it does not say as much, we might take the engraving as a
form of runes, again creating a similarity between the craft and
religions of old.
From man's search for protection, we come to the telling by the
stars...Astrology, and the use of stars as protectors of man.
The lore behind the star of David is an interesting tale. The
easy interpretation is that of Zionism. The more research you do
on this though, you will find that once again, depending on the
cultures you look at, it's interpretation changes. The six-
pointed star formed by the superimposing of one triangle on
another. The symbol is a combination of the male (apex upwards)
and female (apex downwards) triangles; it is said, in cabalistic
writings, to comprise the signs of the four elements and the four
letters of the Tetragrammaton, and thus it came to be the symbol
for God. Since the Biblical commandment puts a taboo on the use
of the Name of God and on the depiction of God, the symbol was
inscribed as the graphic representation of God in synagogues and
wherever the Name was appropriate. In alchemy, the star of David
combined the symbols for fire and water; hence, it meant
distillation. Until recently, therefore, it appeared on shops
selling brandy. The star of David is the symbol of Zionism and
appears on the flag of Israel. As Solomon's seal, the hexagram
possessed power to control demons of all kinds. The stopper on
the bottle containing the bottle imp or jinni was stamped with
the seal of Solomon. In the Nsibidi script of West Africa, a
native form of writing, the symbol means ardent love; the
universality of the male-female content of the sign is here
apparent.
810
Astrology also has interesting roots. Though the word itself is
made up of the Greek words meaning "star logic" (astra - star,
Logos - logic), the actual origin is yet to be determined. We
read in the Epic of Creation of Sumer - Akkad, or Early Babylon
(ca 2200-1900 B.C.) that: "The Star - Jupiter who brings
prophecies to all is my Lord. My Lord be at peace. The Star -
Mercury allows rain to fall. The Star - Saturn, the star of Law
and Justice..."
The telling of fortunes by the stars underwent an avid growth
spurt during the times of the Roman Empire, and though with minor
qualms with the Christian church, it co-existed peacefully until
the time of Constantine when all "pagan" activities were
outlawed. Though outlawed within the Roman Empire, Astrology
continued to thrive within the Middle East.
I realize that I said that I would touch on the inquisition and
such, however, I think that it is common knowledge the document
used to persecute those involved was written by the Friars within
the Catholic Church at the time. The document, The Malleus
Maleficarum, was a document designed to bring about fear within
the Christian community, and more power to the church. What is
not widely realized is that the majority of the persons that were
either burned, drowned, or hung were not witches, but Protestants
within the Christian church. (The ones that were Protesting the
Catholic church.)
I realize that, at this time, this is a rather sketchy document.
I hope in the near future to be able to take the time to develop
more of the depth that I would like to put into bring up our
roots. I hope to include in the expanded edition the times of
burning, modern witchcraft, more symbols, and famous persons in
the craft.
We've changed...but then as a good friend has told me on more
than one occasion..."When we cease to change, we cease to grow.
When we cease to grow, life ends."
811
Bibliography
The Golden Bough - Frazer, Sir James George, Macmillan Publishing
Co., NY, NY c 1922
Witchcraft The Old Religion - Martello
Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and
Legend
The History of Witchcraft - Russell, Jeffrey B., c 1980
Encyclopedia Britanica - 1986
The Holy Bible (New International Version)
Under the Spell of the Zodiac - Mark Graubard
Alchemy: Origin or Origins? - H. J. Sheppard, AMBIX, July 1970
Magic, Supernaturalism, and Religion - Seligmann c 1948
812
{file "Magick, Physics, & Probability (Hurn)" "bos189.htm"}
MAGICK, Physics, and Probability
Now, as most of you may know, Magick is a somewhat controversial issue.
Even the spelling of the word is argued about! I have picked up the habit
(only the gods know where I picked it up ... possibly from my occasional
perusals of Crowley) of using "Magick" for the real thing, and using
"Magic" for what a stage magician does.
Before I go any further, I guess that I had better define Magick. One
definition is: "the art or science of causing change to occur in conformity
to Will" - A. Crowley.
Now, while Crowley himself, was quite controversial, I think we can all
agree that this should serve as a generic definition of Magick. But, one of
the differences between types of magicks is in the way of raising or
calling energy to cause change. Thus, such a change may be accomplished in
one of a couple of ways:
1. The magick may be caused by the action of only one person or group of
people.
2. The magick may be caused by the intercession of some higher (or lower)
being who was evoked or controlled by a person or group of people.
3. The magick may be caused by the action of one person or group of people
who is/are "borrowing" energy from some higher being (lower beings may sell
energy, but seldom lend or give it).
4. The magick may be caused by the person or persons use of an object or
location which was previously charged with energy (ie. a Magickal Tool,
Talisman, standing stones, etc).
Note: The use of a sacrifice (which can range from symbolic sacrifices of
Grain, Wine, etc., all the way to Human Sacrifice [something which I,
personally, am against]) is a combination of methods, in that a relative
amount of energy is released at the sacrifice itself, and, a larger amount
of energy is usually then given forth by a higher or lower being.
In many ways, Magick is quite similar to the harder sciences. In both, one
must expend energy in order to effect a change, or, TANSTAAFL (There Ain't
No Such Thing As A Free Lunch). Another difference between types of Magick
is in the Focusing or Concentrating of the power being raised. This may be
accomplished through the use of chanting, singing, dancing, various types
of meditation, and through formalized Ritual steps, which may or may not
involve Magickal Tools. Which brings us up to another controversial
issue... the use and meaning of the Circle in Wiccan and Ceremonial
Magicks.
813
Now, as some of you may know, a Magickal Circle serves a couple of uses,
and, as far as I can see, the argument is really over which is the most
important aspect of such a Circle. Most modern Wicca types will say that a
Circle's property of: "Holding and concentrating the energy being raised,
until it is ready to be released" is the most important. Many Ceremonial
types cite the Circle's ability to keep out negative energies and
influences as being most important. While, some others say that a Circle
relates the tie of spirit to body, and the ability of spirit to act on the
body, with the tie of the people on the inside to the world(s) without, and
a similar ability to cause change.
As for my own position on this argument, while, in most areas, I tend to
favor the Wiccan position (albeit, with a decidedly Discordian slant),in
this case, I'll say: "Who CARES which is most important!?! A Circle does
all of the above, and more, but, it's not worth arguing over!" So, on to
the heart of this article: Explaining Magick in terms of Quantum Physics
[\{chuckle\}, I knew a couple of Physicists who used to explain Quantum
Physics in terms of Magick \{grin\}]. This covers the how and why Magick
works. PLEASE NOTE: I do not claim to be infallible, this is not a laying
down of the LAW. Rather, this is simply a theory. But then, E =
MC(squared)is simply a theory. However there exists lots of data which
supports both theories. Since I've already covered some basic Magickal
Theory, it looks like time to start on the Physics end of things. I'll
start with the theories of Probability and Uncertainty.
Probability can be likened to Voltaire's Theory that: "Since this is the
Only One of All Possible Worlds that we know, it must, therefore, be the
Best of All Possible Worlds!". While this may be an interesting concept,
Voltaire's logic is slightly flawed. A better statement would be: "This is
the most Probable of All Possible Worlds". Thus, the Theory of Probability
is quite simple. Everything we see or experience is due to probability.
An Apple, when dropped, will fall (as long as it's in a gravity well, like,
the surface of a planet, and, no other forces are acting on it), because
falling is the most probable course of action open to it. Uncertainty
comes into play when there IS no one most probable thing to happen. Good
examples of uncertainty in action are small things, like electrons in orbit
around an atom. Since there is no one most probable spot for that electron
to be, it isn't in one place. There is a locus of higher probability,
where in a lower energy electron is more likely to be closer to the
nucleus, and higher energy ones farther away. Thus, scientists may either
pin down where an electron is, or, where it is going, but, they CAN'T pin
down both at the same time. Also, electrons tend to vibrate in energy
level, spontaneously bouncing up and down, seeking their most probable
states.
814
So, "Where does Magick come into play?" one may ask (assuming, that is,
that one has made it this far). Well, one of the tenants of the Theory of
Probability is that: the possibility of an event occurring depends upon the
events probability. Thus, if said probability can be changed, one could,
theoretically, either make such an event happen, or prevent such an event
from happening. And this is what Magick really is ... the Art of Changing
Probability. And, here's how that happens ... Einstein, as some may
recall, was NOT happy with the theory of Probability. Since, who decides
what is most probable, and, how can such decisions be altered? Einstein
said "God does not play dice with the universe!", and tried, for years, to
come up with a better theory. But, he failed, and so far, all the data
collected tends to support the theory of Probability. Some others have
come up with possible answers to the above posed question. One of which is
that Chance determines probability (this is the theory that Einstein
commented upon). Another theory is that some sort of GOD decides
probability. Needless to say, whatever being who could alter probability
at will, WOULD be a god! And so, that brings us to the present state of
affairs. No doubt, even as I write, somewhere, there is someone trying to
come up with some more theories governing the manipulation of probability,
and thus, allowing the construction of a machine which does just that.
But, there are also some who have found that such a machine exists...
PEOPLE! There is already lots of evidence, some documented, most
overlooked or kept hidden by the use of vows, that People CAN affect
probability.
Blessed Be... Hurn
815
{file "Magickal Definitions (RMPJ)" "bos190.htm"}
Definitions
Some food for thought for those of us who are fond of the word
magic.
"... as the symbolic background of magical techniques as well as their
deployment in official ceremonies shows, the transition between magic and
religion is very fluid. Since religious symbols are always a synthesis
between the visible and the invisible, they may be looked upon as signposts
in the search for religious meaning, or misinterpreted as ends in
themselves. In this sense each ritual may be either religious or magical,
conditional upon the intention of the participants.
Distinctionscan be made, as precise as the symbols and principles
employed allow, among various types of magic. Substitute Magic is based
upon the idea that a part substitutes for the whole, thereby reversing the
transcendental principle that the part may represent the whole. Man seizes
power over someone else by possessing parts of him, e.g. bones, hair,
nails, etc. Contagious magic obtains when the substitution of the part
for the whole is only partially realized and integrated into a scheme of
causal connection. By touching or wearing power-laden objects such as
relics, fetishes, sacred stones, amulets, etc. or even by assimilating them
as in the case of cannibalism, man integrates him-self and his deeds into
the efficacy of an invisible power structure. Sympathetic magic deals with
symbols and their supposed unity or sympathy with that which is
sympathized. It differs from substitute magic by the ideational character
of the substitution. Examples are the anticipation of a successful hunt by
striking a picture of the animal; the manipulation of pictures and figures
in general; the use of curse figurines or dolls; the deployment of arcane
formulas, both in connection with pictures and statues or independently
from them. In this latter instance, the practice of subjecting the
godhead, a ghost, or an individual to one's will by means of a name or
proper formula should also be mentioned. Gnoseological magic appears as a
more or less autonomous type when the instrumental function of knowledge
and reason becomes an end in itself. The knowledge of the right time, the
right setting, the godhead proper in a given situation, is in itself
sufficient reason to achieve the desired goal. The world of the sacred as
a means of orientation for the growth and meaning of the person turns into
a state of impersonal and mechanically effective anonymity. Ascetic
technique becomes its own end, effective by its very deployment.
As a technique of reaching goals by means different from those
required by these goals, magic is of particular significance for the social
life of a community. In this regard we have to distinguish between
official and private magic. Official magic obtains when public affairs are
treated by help of magical techniques, e.g., when a drought is counteracted
by the imitative act of sprinkling water, or when the office of a shaman
is a generally recognized institution. Private magic on the other hand is
a matter of individuals and/or exclusive groups who, often in deep secrecy,
use their knowledge and techniques in order to pursue their particular
goals....."
__________________________________
From the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Religion.
.......... FROM RMPJ, 2/3/1987
816
{file "Magick Course Outline (Amber K.)" "bos191.htm"}
THE BASICS OF MAGICK
I. Ethics
A. The Wiccan Rede
B. The Law or Return (sometimes called the "Threefold Law")
C. Perfect Love and Perfect Trust (among partners in magick)
II. The Witches' Pyramid
A. Faith in your abilities and powers.
B. Imagination to vividly create in your mind that which you desire
to manifest.
C. Will to achieve your goal despite all obstacles.
D. Secrecy to keep your magickal intention concentrated and pure.
III. The four Qualities of the Mage
A. To know
B. To will
C. To dare
D. To keep silence
IV. Preparatory Skills (hatha and raja yoga are good aids to developing
these)
A. Cleansing, clearing and stilling
B. Grounding
C. Centering
d. Concentrating ieving one-pointedness)
V. Defining the Goal: Form vs. Essence
VI. Working with the Power
A. Confining it (casting the Circle)
B. Raising it
C. Sending it (channeling it)... for immediate effect or into storage
D. Earthing the excess (grounding it)
VII. Systems and Techniques
A. Spellcraft
B. Words of Power and affirmations, charms and
incantations
C. Dance, postures and mudras
D. Meditation, trancework and hypnosis, fascination
E. Stone magick
F. Candle magick
G. Amulets and talismans; power objects or "psychic batteries"
H. Healing
1. Psychic (visualization, laying on of hands)
2. Herbal
3. Energy channeling iwht auras and chakras
4. Color therapy
5. Other systems listed above
817
I. Divination
1. Scrying
2. Astrology
3. Tarot
4. Runesticks
5. Lithomancy (casting the stones)
6. I Ching
7. Other systems
8. Pendulum or radiesthesia
J. Astral travel
K. Thought forms; wraiths, fetches, artificial elementals
L. Extra-sensory perception
1. Clairsentience
2. Clairvoyance
3. Clairaudience
4. Precognition
5. Telepathy
6. Telempathy
7. Psychometry
8. Telekinesis
9. Teleportation
M. Sympathetic magic (poppets and such)
N. Runes
O. Mediumship, necromancy, and spirit guides
P. Philtres and Poteins
Q. Cleansing, purification, protection and blessing; exorcism;
ligature, binding
R. Power animals, totems and familiars; shapeshifting
S. Tree magick
T. Dreamcraft
U. Ritual tool magick
V. Invocation, evocation and going into aspect
W. Symbols, sigils and images; Tattvic symbols; numerology
X. Conjuration or summoning; banishing or exorcism
Y. Commemoration or linking
Z. Past life regression or recall
AA. Pathworking on the Tree of Life
BB. Ceremonial magic
VIII. Timing
A. The lunar cycle
B. The Wheel of the Year
C. Astrological conjunctions
D. Planetary hours and days
E. Individual biorhythms
IX. Creating your own reality, following your True Will
Prepared by: Amber K
Our Lady of the Woods
818
"Magick is the Highest, most Absolute, and most Divine
Knowledge of Natural Philosophy; advanced in its works and
wonderful operations by a right understanding of the inward and
occult virtue of things; so that true Agents being applied to proper
Patients, strange and admirable effects will thereby be produced.
Whence magicians are profound and diligent searchers into
Nature; they, because of their skill, know how to anticipate an
effect, the which to the vulgar shall seem to be a miracle."
The Goetia of the Lemegeton of King Solomon.
*
"Whenever sympathetic magic occurs in its pure unadulterated
form, it is assumed that in nature one event follows another
necessarily and invariably without the intervention of any spiritual
or personal agency.
Thus its fundamental conception is identical with that of
modern science; underlying the whole system is a faith,
implicit but real and firm, in the order and uniformity of
nature. The magician does not doubt that the same causes will
always produce the same effects, that the performance of the
proper ceremony accompanied by the appropriate spell, will
inevitably be attended by the desired results, unless, indeed, his
incantations should chance to be thwarted and foiled by the more
potent charms of another sorcerer. He supplicates no higher
power: he sues the favor of no fickle and wayward being: he
abases himself before no awful deity. Yet his power, great as he
believes it to be, is by no means arbitrary and unlimited. He can
wield it only so long as he strictly conforms to the rules of his
art, or to what may be called the laws of nature as conceived by
him. To neglect these rules, to break these laws in the smallest
particular is to incur failure, and may even expose the unskillful
practitioner himself to the utmost peril. If he claims a sovereignty
over nature, it is a constitutional sovereignty rigorously limited in
its scope and exercised in exact conformity with ancient usage.
Thus the analogy between the magical and the scientific
conceptions of the world is close. In both of them the
succession of events is perfectly regular and certain, being
determined by immutable laws, the operation of which can
be foreseen and calculated precisely; the elements of caprice,
of chance, and of accident are banished from the course of nature.
Both of them open up a seemingly boundless vista of possibilities
to him who knows the causes of things and can touch the secret
springs that set in motion the vast and intricate mechanism of the
world. Hence the strong attraction which magic and science alike
have exercised on the human mind; hence the powerful stimulus
that both have given to the pursuit of knowledge. They lure the
weary enquirer, the footsore seeker, on through the wilderness of
disappointment in the present by their endless promises of the
future: they take him up to the top of an exceeding high mountain
and shew him, beyond the dark clouds and rolling mist at his feet,
a vision of the celestial city, far off, it may be, but radiant with
unearthly splendor, bathed in the light of dreams."
Dr. J. G. FRAZER, "The Golden Bough".
*
819
"So far, therefore, as the public profession of magic has
been one of the roads by which men have passed to supreme
power, it has contributed to emancipate mankind from the
thraldom of tradition and to elevate them into a larger, freer
life, with a broader outlook on the world. This is no small
service rendered to humanity. And when we remember
further that in another direction magic has paved ther way for
science, we are forced to admit that if the black arts has done much
evil, it has also been the source of much good; that if it is the
child of error, it has been the mother of freedom and
truth."
Ibid.
*
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good".
St. Paul.
*
"Also the mantras and the spells; the obeah and the wanga; the
work of the wand and the work of the sword: these he shall learn
and teach.
"He must teach; but he may make severe the ordeals.
"The word of the Law is THELEMA."
LIBER AL vel xxxi: The Book of the Law.
-----------
This book is for
ALL:
for every man, woman, and child.
My former work has been misunderstood, and its scope limited,
by my use of technical terms. It has attracted only too many
dilettanti and eccentrics, weaklings seeking in "Magic" an escape
from reality. I myself was first consciously drawn to the subject
in this way. And it has repelled only too many scientific and
practical minds, such as I most designed to influence.
But
MAGICK
is for
ALL.
I have written this book to help the Banker, the Pugilist, the
Biologist, the Poet, the Navvy, the Grocer, the Factory Girl, the
Mathematician, the Stenographer, the Golfer, the Wife, the
Consul--and all the rest--to fulfil themselves perfectly, each
in his or her own proper function.
820
Let me explain in a few words how it came about that I blazoned
the word
MAGICK
upon the Banner that I have borne before me all my life.
Before I touched my teens, I was already aware that I was The
Beast whose number is 666. I did not understand in the least
what that implied; it was a passionately ecstatic sense of identity.
In my third year at Cambridge, I devoted myself consciously to
the Great Work, understanding thereby the Work of becoming a
Spiritual Being, free from the constraints, accidents, and deceptions
of material existence.
I found myself at a loss for a name to designate my work, just
as H.P. Blavatsky some years earlier. "Theosophy", "Spiritua-
lism", "Occultism", "Mysticism", all involved undesirable con-
notations.
I chose therefore the name.
"MAGICK"
as essentially the most sublime, and actually the most discredited,
of all the available terms.
I swore to rehabilitate
MAGICK,
to identify it with my own career; and to compel mankind to
respect, love, and trust that which they scorned, hated and feared.
I have kept my Word.
But the time is now come for me to carry my banner into the
thick of the press of human life.
I must make
MAGICK
the essential factor in the life of
ALL.
In presenting this book to the world, I must then explain and
justify my position by formulating a definition of
MAGICK
and setting forth its main principles in such a way that
ALL
may understand instantly that their souls, their lives, in every
relation with every other human being and every circumstance,
depend upon
MAGICK
and the right comprehension and right application thereof.
821
I. DEFINITION.
MAGICK
is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in confor-
mity with Will.
( Illustration: It is my Will to inform the World of certain facts
within my knowledge. I therefore take "magical weapons", pen,
ink, and paper; I write "incantations" --these sentences-- in the
"magical language" i.e. that which is understood by the people I
wish to instruct; I call forth "spirits", such as printers, publishers,
booksellers, and so forth, and constrain them to convey my message
to those people. The composition and distribution of this book is
thus an act of
MAGICK
by which I cause Changes to take place in conformity with my
Will) *By "intentional" I mean "willed". But even unintentional act
so-seeming are not truly so. Thus, breathing is an act of the Will-
to-Live.*
II. POSTULATE.
ANY required Change may be effected by the application
of the proper kind and degree of Force in the proper
manner through the proper medium to the proper object.
( Illustration: I wish to prepare an ounce of Chloride of Gold.
I must take the right kind of acid, nitro-hydrochloric and no other,
in sufficient quantity and of adequate strength, and place it, in a
vessel which will not break, leak, or corrode, in such a manner as
will not produce undesirable results, with the necessary quantity
of Gold: and so forth. Every Change has its own conditions.
In the present state of our knowledge and power some changes
are not possible in practice; we cannot cause eclipses, for instance,
or transform lead into tin, or create men from mushrooms. But it
is theoretically possible to cause in any object any change of which
that object is capable by nature; and the conditions are covered by
the above postulate.)
III. THEOREMS.
(1) Every intentional act is a Magical Act. *In one sense Magick
may be defined as the name given to Science by the vulgar.*
(Illustration: See "Definition" above.)
(2) Every successful act has conformed to the postulate.
(3) Every failure proves that one or more requirements
of the postulate have not been fulfilled.
822
( Illustrations: There may be failure to understand the case; as
when a doctor makes a wrong diagnosis, and his treatment injures
his patient. There may be failure to apply the right kind of
force, as when a rustic tries to blow out an electric light. There
may be failure to apply the right degree of force, as when a
wrestler has his hold broken. There may be failure to apply the
force in the right manner, as when one presents a cheque at the
wrong window of the Bank. There may be failure to employ the
correct medium, as when Leonardo da Vinci found his masterpiece
fade away. The force may be applied to an unsuitable object, as
when one tries to crack a stone, thinking it a nut.)
(4) The first requisite for causing any change is
thorough qualitative and quantitative understanding of the
conditions.
(Illustration: The most common cause of failure in life is
ignorance of one's own True Will, or of the means by which to
fulfil that Will. A man may fancy himself a painter, and waste
his life trying to become one; or he may be really a painter, and
yet fail to understand and to measure the difficulties peculiar to
that carrier.)
(5) The second requisite of causing any change is the
practical ability to set in right motion the necessary forces.
(Illustration: A banker may have a perfect grasp of a given
situation, yet lack the quality of decision, or the assets, necessary
to take advantage of it.)
(6) "Every man and every woman is a star". That is to
say, every human being is intrinsically an independent individual
with his own proper character and proper motion.
(7) Every man and every woman has a course, depending
partly on the self, and partly on the environment which is
natural and necessary for each. Anyone who is forced from
his own course, either through not understanding himself,
or through external opposition, comes into conflict with the
order of the Universe, and suffers accordingly.
(Illustration: A man may think it his duty to act in a certain way,
through having made a fancy picture of himself, instead of
investigating his actual nature. For example, a woman may make
herself miserable for life by thinking that she prefers love to
social consideration, or visa versa. One woman may stay with an
unsympathetic husband when she would really be happy in an attic
with a lover, while another may fool herself into a romantic
elopement when her only true pleasures are those of presiding at
fashionable functions. Again, a boy's instinct may tell him to go
to sea, while his parents insist on his becoming a doctor. In such
a case, he will be both unsuccessful and unhappy in medicine.)
823
(8) A man whose conscious will is at odds with his True
Will is wasting his strength. He cannot hope to influence
his environment efficiently.
(Illustration: When Civil War rages in a nation, it is in no
condition to undertake the invasion of other countries. A man
with cancer employs his nourishment alike to his own use and to
that of the enemy which is a part of himself. He soon fails to resist
the pressure of his environment. In practical life, a man who is
doing what his conscience tells him to be wrong will do it very
clumsily. At first!)
(9) A man who is doing his True Will has the inertia of
the Universe to assist him.
(Illustration: The first principle of success in evolution is that
the individual should be true to his own nature, and at the same
time adaot himself to his environment.)
(10) Nature is a continuous phenomenon, though we
do not know in all cases how things are connected.
(Illustration: Human consciousness depends on the properties of
protoplasm, the existence of which depends on innumerable physical
conditions peculiar to this planet; and this planet is determined by
the mechanical balance of the whole universe of matter. We may
then say that our consciousness is causally connected with the
remotest galaxies; yet we do not know even how it arises from--
or with--the molecular changes in the brain.)
(11) Science enables us to take advantage of the contin-
uity of Nature by the empirical application of certain
principles whose interplay involves different orders of idea
connected with each other in a way beyond our present comprehension.
(Illustration: We are able to light cities by rule-of-thumb
methods. We do not know what consciousness is, or how it is
connected with muscular action; what electricity is or how it is
connected with the machines that generate it; and our methods
depend on calculation involving mathematical ideas which have
no correspondence in the Universe as we know it.) *For instance,
"irrational", "unreal", and "infinite" expressions.*
824
(12) Man is ignorant of the nature of his own being and
powers. Even his idea of his limitations is based on
experience of the past, and every step in his progress
extends his empire. There is therefore no reason to assign
theoretical limits to what he may be, or to what he may do.
*i.e., except--possibly--in the case of logically absurd questions,
such as the Schoolmen discussed in connection with "God".*
(Illustration: A generation ago it was supposed theoretically
impossible that man should ever know the chemical composition of
the fixed stars. It is known that our senses are adapted to receive
only an infinitesimal fraction of the possible rates of vibration.
Modern instruments have enabled us to detect some of these supra-
sensibles by indirect methods, and even to use their peculiar qualities
in the service of man, as in the case of the rays of Hertz and
Roentgen. As Tyndall said, man might at any moment learn to
perceive and utilize vibrations of all conceivable and inconceivable
kinds. The question of Magick is a question of discovering and
employing hitherto unknown forces in nature. We know that they
exist, and we cannot doubt the possibility of mental or physical
instruments capable of bringing us into relation with them.)
(13) Every man is more or less aware that his individu-
ality comprises several orders of existence, even when he
maintains that his subtler principles are merely symptomatic
of the changes in his gross vehicle. A similar order may be
assumed to extend throughout nature.
(Illustration: One does not confuse the pain of toothache with
the decay which causes it. Inanimate objects are sensitive to
certain physical forces, such as electrical and thermal conductivity;
but neither in us nor in them--so far as we know--is there any
direct conscious perception of these forces. Imperceptible influences
are therefore associated with all material phenomena; and there
is no reason why we should not work upon matter through those
subtle energies as we do through their material bases. In fact, we
use magnetic force to move iron, and solar radiation to reproduce
images.)
(14) Man is capable of being, and using, anything which
he perceives, for everything that he perceives is in a certain
sense a part of his being. He may thus subjugate the whole
Universe of which he is conscious to his individual Will.
(Illustration: Man has used the idea of God to dictate his
personal conduct, to obtain power over his fellows, to excuse his
crimes, and for innumerable other purposes, including that of
realizing himself as God. He has used the irrational and unreal
conceptions of mathematics to help him in the construction of
mechanical devices. He has used his moral force to influence the
actions even of wild animals. He has employed poetic genius for
political purposes.)
825
(15) Every force in the Universe is capable of being
transformed into any other kind of force by using suitable
means. There is thus an inexhaustible supply of any
particular kind of force that we may need.
(Illustration: Heat may be transformed into light and power by
using it to drive dynamos. The vibrations of the air may be used
to kill men by so ordering them in speech as to inflame war-like
passions. The hallucinations connected with the mysterious
energies of sex result in the perpetuation of the species.)
(16) The application of any given force affects all the
orders of being which exist in the object to which it is
applied, whichever of those orders is directly affected.
(Illustration: If I strike a man with a dagger, his consciousness,
not his body only, is affected by my act; although the dagger, as
such, has no direct relation therewith. Similarly, the power of
my thought may so work on the mind of another person as to
produce far-reaching physical changes in him, or in others through
him.)
(17) A man may learn to use any force so as to serve
any purpose, by taking advantage of the above theorems.
(Illustration: A man may use a razor to make himself vigilant
over his speech, by using it to cut himself whenever he unguardedly
utters a chosen word. He may serve the same purpose by resolving
that every incident of his life shall remind him of a particular thing,
making every impression the starting point of a connected series of
thoughts ending in that thing. He might also devote his whole
energies to some one particular object, by resolving to do nothing
at variance therewith, and to make every act turn to the advantage
of that object.)
(18) He may attract to himself any force of the Universe
by making himself a fit receptacle for it, establishing a
connection with it, and arranging conditions so that its
nature compels it to flow toward him.
(Illustration: If I want pure water to drink, I dig a well in a
place where there is underground water; I prevent it from leaking
away; and I arrange to take advantage of water's accordance with
the laws of Hydrostatics to fill it.)
(19) Man's sense of himself as separate from, and
opposed to, the Universe is a bar to his conducting its
currents. It insulates him.
(Illustration: A popular leader is most successful when he
forgets himself, and remembers only "The Cause". Self-seeking
engenders jealousies and schism. When the organs of the body
assert their presence otherwise than by silent satisfaction, it is a
sign that they are diseased. The single exception is the organ of
reproduction. Yet even in this case its self-assertion bears witness
to its dissatisfaction with itself, since it cannot fulfil its function
until completed by its counterpart in another organism.)
826
(20) Man can only attract and employ the forces for
which he is really fitted.
(Illustration: You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. A
true man of science learns from every phenomenon. But Nature
is dumb to the hypocrite; for in her ther is nothing false.)
*It is no objection that the hypocrite is himself a part of Nature. He
is an "endothermic" product, divided against itself, with a tendency to
break up. He will see his own qualities everywhere, and thus obtain a
radical misconception of phenomena. Most religions of the past have
failed by expecting Nature to conform with their ideals of proper
conduct.*
(21) There is no limit to the extent of the relations of
any man with the Universe in essence; for as soon as man
makes himself one with any idea the means of measurement
cease to exist. But his power to utilize that force is limited
by his mental power and capacity, and by the circumstances
of his human environment.
(Illustration: When a man falls in love, the whole world
becomes, to him, nothing but love boundless and immanent; but
his mystical state is not contagious; his fellow-men are either
amused or annoyed. He can only extend to others the effect which
his love has had upon himself by means of his mental and physical
qualities. Thus, Catullus, Dante and Swinburne made their love a
mighty mover of mankind by virtue of their power to put their
thoughts on the subject in musical and eloquent language. Again,
Cleopatra and other people in authority moulded the fortunes of
many other people by allowing love to influence their political
actions. The Magician, however well he succeed in making contact
with the secret sources of energy in nature, can only use them to the
extent permitted by his intellectual and moral qualities.
Mohammed's intercourse with Gabriel was only effective because
of his statesmanship, soldiership, and the sublimity of his command
of Arabic. Hertz's discovery of the rays which we now use for
wireless telepathy was sterile until reflected through the minds
and wills of people who could take his truth, and transmit it
to the world of action by means of mechanical and economic
instruments.)
(22) Every individual is essentially sufficient to himself.
But he is unsatisfactory to himself until he has established
himself in his right relation with the Universe.
(Illustration: A microscope, however perfect, is useless in the
hands of savages. A poet, however sublime, must impose himself
upon his generation if he is to enjoy (and even understand)
himself, as theoretically should be the case.)
(23) Magick is the Science of understanding oneself and
one's conditions. It is the Art of applying that under-
standing in action.
(Illustration: A golf club is intended to move a special ball in a
special way in special circumstances. A Niblick should rarely be
used on the tee, or a Brassie under the bank of a bunker. But
also, the use of any club demands skill and experience.)
827
(24) Every man has an indefeasible right to be what he is.
(Illustration: To insist that any one else shall comply with one's
own standards is to outrage, not only him, but oneself, since both
parties are equally born of necessity.)
(25) Every man must do Magick each time he acts or
even thinks, since a thought is an internal act whose
influence ultimately affects action, though it may not do
so at the time.
(Illustration: The least gesture causes in a man's own
body and in the air around him; it disturbs the balance of the
entire Universe, and its effects continue eternally throughout all
space. Every thought, however swiftly suppressed, has its effect
on the mind. It stands as one of the causes of every subsequent
thought, and tends to influence every subsequent action. A golfer
may lose a few yards on his drive, a few more with his second and
third, he may lie on the green six bare inches too far from the hole;
but the net result of these trifling mishaps is the difference of a
whole stroke, and so probably between halving and losing the
hole.)
(26) Every man has a right, the right of self-preserva-
tion, to fulfil himself to the utmost. *Men of "criminal nature" are
simply at issue with their True Wills. The murderer has the Will-to
-Live; and his will to murder is a false will at variance with his
true Will, since he risks death at the hands of Society by obeying
his criminal impulse*
(Illustration: A function imperfectly performed injures, not
only itself, but everything associated with it. If the heart is afraid
to beat for fear of disturbing the liver, the liver is starved for
blood, and avenges itself on the heart by upsetting digestion, which
disorders respiration, on which cardiac welfare depends.)
(27) Every man should make Magick the keynote of his
life. He should learn its laws and live by them.
(Illustration: The Banker should discover the real meaning of
his existence, the real motive which led him to choose that profes-
sion. He should understand banking as a necessary factor in the
economic existence of mankind, instead of as merely a business
whose objects are independent of the general welfare. He should
learn to distinguish false values from real, and to act not on
accidental fluctuations but on considerations of essential impor-
tance. Such a banker will prove himself superior to others; because
he will not be an individual limited by transitory things, but a
force of Nature, as impersonal, impartial and eternal as gravitation,
as patient and irresistible as the tides. His system will not be
subject to panic, any more than the law of Inverse Squares is
disturbed by Elections. He will not be anxious about his affairs
because they will not be his; and for that reason he will be able to
direct them with the calm, clear-headed confidence of an onlooker,
with intelligence unclouded by self-interest and power unimpaired
by passion.)
(28) Every man has a right to fulfil his own will without
828
being afraid that it may interfere with that of others; for
if he is in his proper place, it is the fault of others if they
interfere with him.
(Illustration: If a man like Napoleon were actually appointed
by destiny to control Europe, he should not be blamed for
exercising his rights. To oppose him would be an error. Any
one so doing would have made a mistake as to his own destiny,
except in so far as it might be necessary for him to learn the
lessons of defeat. The sun moves in space without interference.
The order of Nature provides an orbit for each star. A clash
proves that one or the other has strayed from its course. But as
to each man that keeps his true course, the more firmly he acts, the
less likely are others to get in his way. His example will help
them to find their own paths and pursue them. Every man that
becomes a Magician helps others to do likewise. The more firmly
and surely men move, and the more such action is excepted as the
standard of morality, the less will conflict and confusion hamper
humanity.)
----------
I hope that the above principles will demonstrate to
ALL
that their welfare, their very existence, is bound up in
MAGICK.
I trust that they will understand, not only the reasonableness, but
the necessity of the fundamental truth which I was the means of
giving to mankind:
"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law."
I trust that they will assert themselves as individually absolute, that
they will grasp the fact that it is their right to assert themselves, and
to accomplish the task for which their nature fits them. Yea, more,
that this is their duty, and that not only to themselves but to
others, a duty founded upon universal necessity, and not to be
shirked on account of any casual circumstances of the moment which
may seem to put such contact in the light of inconvenience or even
of cruelty.
I hope that the principles outlined above will help them to
understand this book, and prevent them from being deterred from
its study by the more or less technical language in which it is
written.
The essence of
MAGICK
is simple enough in all conscience. It is not otherwise with the art
of government. The Aim is simply prosperity; but the theory is
tangled, and the practice beset with briars.
829
In the same way
MAGICK
is merely to be and to do. I should add: "to suffer". For Magick
is the verb; and it is part of the Training to use the passive voice.
This is, however, a matter of Initiation rather than of Magick in
its ordinary sense. It is not my fault if being is baffling, and doing
desperate!
Yet, once the above principles are firmly fixed in the mind, it is
easy enough to sum up the situation very shortly. One must
find out for oneself, and make sure beyond doubt, WHO one is, WHAT
one is, WHY one is. This done, one may put the Will which is
implicit in the "Why" into words, or rather into One Word. Being
thus conscious of the proper course to pursue, the next thing is to
understand the conditions necessary to following it out. After
that, one must eliminate from oneself every element alien or
hostile to success, and develop those parts of oneself which are
specially needed to control the aforesaid conditions.
Let us make an analogy. A nation must become aware of its
own character before it can be said to exist. From that knowledge
it must divine its destiny. It must then consider the political
conditions of the world; how other countries may help it or hinder
it. It must then destroy in itself any elements discordant with its
destiny. Lastly, it must develop in itself those qualities which will
enable it to combat successfully the external conditions which
threaten to oppose its purpose. We have had a recent example in
the case of the young German Empire, which, knowing itself and
its will, disciplined and trained itself so that it conquered the
neighbors which had oppressed it for so many centuries. But
after 1866 and 1870, 1914! It mistook itself for superhuman, it
willed a thing impossible, it failed to eliminate its own internal
jealousies, it failed to understand the conditions of victory, it did
not train itself to hold the sea, and thus, having violated every
principle of
MAGICK,
it was pulled down and broken into pieces by provincialism and
democracy, so that neither individual excellence nor civic virtue
has yet availed to raise it again to that majestic unity which made
so bold a bid for the mastery of the race of man.*At least it allowed
England to discover its intentions, and so to combine the world against
it.*
830
The sincere student will discover, behind the symbolic techni-
calities of this book, a practical method of making himself a
Magician. The processes described will enable him to discriminate
between what he actually is, and what he has fondly imagined
himself to be. *Professeur Sigmund Freud and his school have, in recent
years, discovered a part of this body of Truth, which has been taught
for many centuries in the Sanctuaries of Initiation. But failure to
grasp the fullness of Truth, especially that implied in my Sixth
Theorem (above) and its corollaries, has led him and his followers into
the error of admitting that the avowedly suicidal "Censor" is the proper
arbiter of conduct. Official psycho-analysis is therefore committed to
upholding a fraud, although the foundation of the science was the
observation of the disastrous effects on the individual of being false
to his Unconscious Self, whose "writing on the wall" in dream language
is the record of the sum of the essential tendencies of the true nature
of the individual. The result has been that psycho-analysts have
misinterpreted life, and announced the absurdity that every human being
is essentially an anti-social, criminal, and insane animal. It is
evident that the errors of the Unconscious of which the psycho-analysts
complain are neither more nor less than the "original sin" of the
theologians whom they despise so heartily.* He must behold his soul in
all its awful nakedness, he must not fear to look on that appalling
actuality. He must discard the gaudy garments with which shame has
screened him; he must accept the fact that nothing can make him
anything but what he is. He may lie to himself, drug himself,
hide himself; but he is always there. Magick will teach him that
his mind is playing him a traitor. It is as if a man were told that
tailors' fashion-plates were the canon of human beauty, so
that he tried to make himself formless and featureless like them,
and shuddered with horror at the idea of Holbein making a portrait
of him. Magick will show him the beauty and majesty of the self
which he has tried to suppress and disguise.
Having discovered his identity, he will soon perceive his purpose.
Another process will show him how to make that purpose pure
and powerful. He may then learn how to estimate his environ-
ment, learn how to make allies, how to make himself prevail against
all powers whose error has caused them to wander across his path.
In the course of this Training, he will learn to explore the
Hidden-Mysteries of Nature, and to develop new senses and
faculties in himself, whereby he may communicate with, and
control, Beings and Forces pertaining to orders of existence which
have been hitherto inaccessible to profane research, and available
only to that unscientific and empirical
MAGICK
(of tradition) which I came to destroy in order that I might fulfil.
831
I send this book into the world that every man and woman may
take hold of life in the proper manner. It does not matter if
one's present house of flesh be the hut of a shepherd; by virtue
of my
MAGICK
he shall be such a shepherd as David was. If it be the studio of a
sculptor, he shall so chisel from himself the marble that masks his
idea that he shall be no less a master than Rodin.
Witness mine hand:
TO MEGA THERION (in Greek) (zayin, vav, yod, resh tav): The Beast 666;
MAGUS 9=2 A.'. A.'. who is The Word of the Aeon THELEMA;
whose name is called V.V.V.V.V. 8=3 A.'. A.'. in the City of
the Pyramids; OU MH 7=4; OL SONUF VAORESAGI 6=5, and ..... ..... 5=6
A.'. A.'. in the Mountain of Abeignus: but FRATER PERDUABO in the Outer
Order or the A.'. A.'. and in the World of men upon the Earth, Alleister
Crowley of Trinity College, Cambridge.
832
{file "Magickal Laws (after P.E.I. Bonewits)" "bos192.htm"}
Laws of Magick
by
Simon Magus
Magick, not unlike physics or chemistry, operates according to certain
laws. These laws, as well as those of the sciences, reside in reality
within the heads of those who use them. However, the analysis of reality
into artificial categories is useful at certain levels of investigation.
It is well to bear in mind, nevertheless, that such categories reflect more
the contents of the human mind than they do of whatever "reality" might be
out there.
For the following analysis we are indebted to REAL MAGIC by P.E.I.
Bonewits. Mr Bonewits, incidentally, holds the first Bachelor of Arts
degree in magic(k) ever awarded. He, much to the chagrin of some of the
faculty of the University of California, was awarded the degree in June,
1970.
LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT
Anything done under EXACTLY the same conditions will always be associated
with exactly the same result. This law is taken for granted in the
sciences and in everyday life. The whole concept of causation is now on
shaky ground, thanks to developments in the field of quantum physics. But
for practical purposes, in magick as well as in our everyday lives, we
ignore causality to our own peril. We must assume, at least in dealing
with things the size of human beings, that effects follow causes. Even in
the constantly flowing, changing astral realm we find the law of cause and
effect in full operation.
LAW OF KNOWLEDGE
This law tells us that "understanding brings control," that the more you
know the more powerful you are. If you know all about something, you have
total control over it. "Knowledge is power."
LAW OF SELF-KNOWLEDGE
This is a sub-law of the previous law and follows from it. If you know
yourself, you control yourself. The more you know about yourself, the
better you can control yourself.
LAW OF NAMES
This law is related to the Law of Knowledge and to the Law of Association.
It states if one knows the whole and complete name of a phenomenon or
entity, one has complete control over it. This is one of the reasons the
Mystery Religions (including Christianity) conferred a new name on the
neophyte. His new name was then his true name, but it was known only to
his fellow members of the mystery. The Law of Names also relates to the
Law of Personification which will be explained later. Two premises behind
the present law are: (1) Names are definitions. This is more obvious in
simpler languages, but it is as true of English as of any other. Sometimes
the definition is hidden in the origin of the word, as is often the case
with those derived from Latin or Greek, but it is there. (2) Names are
mnemonic (memory) devices which trigger a range of associations. (See the
Law of Association).
833
LAW OF WORDS OF POWER
This is a sublaw of the Law of Names. It states that certain words trigger
changes in the inner and outer realities of the person saying them. Many
of these words are corruptions of the names of ancient Gods. Words like
"Abraxas," Osorronnophris," "Abracadabra" are examples. They have no
meaning to us today, but THEIR POWER LIES IN THE SOUNDS OF THE WORDS
THEMSELVES.
LAW OF ASSOCIATION
If two things have something in common (anything!), that thing can be used
to control both. Bell's theorem in quantum mechanics indicates that every
particle in the Universe affects every other. The following two sublaws,
which anthropologists think are the basis of "primitive" magick, are more
useful in practice. These are the Laws of Similarity and Contagion.
LAW OF SIMILARITY
Most people have heard of sympathetic magick, which is based on this
principle. Effects resemble causes. To make something fly, put feathers
on it and make chirping noises. Wave it in the air. The example is not
entirely absurd and serves to illustrate the principle. Much of the magick
of "primitive" people is of this nature. For example, rain is made by
(among other actions) sprinkling water on the ground (or by washing your
car -- a modern example of the same principle!).
LAW OF CONTAGION
This is the principle behind doll-sticking and such in "primitive" magick.
This directly relates to Bell's theorem and states that things once in
physical contact continue to influence one another after they have been
separated. This relates more to our consciousness than to things as
they are in the physical world, but defining the two is more difficult than
they appear on the surface. Thinking, feeling, and memory are
associational functions of the human brain. New data are related to
existing knowledge and patterns are established which correlate particular
elements of knowledge. The overall pattern, which includes the
"personality" and the "world view" is the METAPATTERN of all this. This
metapattern we may consider to be made up of the memories, fantasy images,
beliefs, values, techniques, rules of behavior, attitudes, etc. which make
up the individuality of the person.
LAW OF IDENTIFICATION
This law relates to those of Knowledge, Association and Personification.
It states that by complete association between your metapattern and that of
another entity, you can BECOME that entity. You can then examine your own
metapattern from the point of view of that entity. At full identification,
one "becomes" the entity. All idea of distinctness vanishes and you are
empowered with all the attributes of that entity because you ARE that
entity. The danger here is that many people become lost in the new
identity as the stronger metapattern submerges the weaker. Proper
training, practice and guidance will lessen the danger.
834
LAW OF SYNTHESIS
Two opposing ideas or items of data will be resolved into a third idea that
is more valid than the first two. This principle allows you to hold two
seemingly contradictory ideas (such as, "Electrons are particles," and
"Electrons are waves.") at the same time. Reality is as it is, not as we
conceive it (or even as we perceive it, for that matter). The
wave-particle duality in physics is an example. Physicists were nonplussed
to observe in their experiments that light behaved (depending on the
experiment) sometimes like a wave and sometimes like a particle. Light
striking a surface of copper, say, releases electrons from the surface.
This phenomenon, when examined closely, demonstrates that light is made up
of particles (now called photons) which impart energy to the electrons,
allowing them to escape. However, another experiment, in which we direct
a beam of light at some pinholes, "proves" that light is of the nature of
waves. If we direct a beam of light at an arrangement of pinholes:
---------------------------------------
I I I
I I I
I I screen--> I
I I I
I <--pinhole I
I I I
I I I
I I
LIGHT I I
I I
I I I
I I I
I <--pinhole I
I I I
I I I
I I I
I I I
---------------------------------------
assuming that we have a beam of "parallel" light (a plane wavefront),
we see the light projected onto the screen. If we cover one of the
pinholes, we see a single illuminated spot on the screen. If wwe uncover
the first and cover the second pinhole, we again see a single spot
projected onto the screen. Now, if we uncover both pinholes, what do we
see? Two spots of light? No! We see a pattern of alternating light and
dark bands on the screen. This phenomenon is due to INTERFERENCE between
the crests and troughs of the WAVES of light as they strike the screen.
When two crests occur together, or two troughs, the amplitude is doubled,
and we get a bright area. But when a crest and trough coincide, they cancel
each other, and the result is a dark spot of zero amplitude (no
brightness). The point of all this is that interference is necessarily a
WAVE phenomenon. The experiment demonstrates the wave nature of light.
How do we resolve the dilemma? By realizing that we are dealing with
something that is neither a wave nor a particle, but SOMETHING ELSE.
835
{file "Mayan Deities (777 Supplement)" "bos193.htm"}
Mayan Deities
From Sekhet Bast Ra Lodge
The contents of this file is derived from the research
resources from within our lodge and is the sole property of
Sekhet Bast Ra Lodge. Copyright 1987.
777
Column XXV
Mayan Deities
Key Scale - Mayan Deities - Explanation
0 - Itzam Na - This diety encompasses all deities yet this
Diety is beyond all comprehension.
1 - Itzam Na - "one" or "unique" He is the greatest of
the Gods.
Hunab Ku - "All powerful God of no Image" I listed
this diety although information shows
this diety did not exist until after the
Spanish Conquest. It probabily came
about due to christian influence.
2 - Ohoroxtotil - Father of the Sun.
Ben Ich - "He of the Starry Sky" He is a
great infinite Jaguar (his spots are
thought to be stars and planets).
3 - Ix Chebel Yax - Mother of the Sun.
Ix Hun Zipit - Lady of the Sea.
4 - Kunku Chacs - 'Kun' means "kindly" or "tender"
'Ku' means "God".
5 - Ah Hadz'en Caan Chacs - "Lash" The Sky God.
6 - Ah Kin - "He of the Sun".
7 - Ix Ahau - "Mistress" She is the Mistress of
Creative Arts and the Master of Weaving
(she like Athene, in the Greek myths,
worked her magick on the loom).
8 - Ah Kin - as the Patron of Knowledge and Power.
9 - XAhau - "Lady Ahau" Moon Goddess Wife of Ah Kin
(the Sun God).
10 - Cobel Cab - Mistress of the Earth.
Ix Tan Dz'onot - The Child of She who Sits in the
Mud, the Child of She who emerges
from the Sand.
836
11 - Acan - God of Wine (Actually he rules over
intoxicating drinks such as beer, wine,
Kola, etc.) He is known for his loud
"bellowing" and his foolish behavior
He is Cacoch's aid (Cacoch is a God of
Creation).
12 - Ah Kin Xoc - 'Ah kin' means "Priest". 'Xoc' means
"to count or read". He is a great
singer, musician, and poet. He won
the respect of the Sun God when he
took the guise of a Hummingbird and
wooed the Moon Goddess. Husband of
the Plumeria, the sacred flower of
Itzam Na (this flower rules Divine
Sexuality, its colors are red and
white). This Flower contained the
secret of Truth and Immortality.
13 - Ix Chel - Moon Goddess She rules over Pro-
creation, birth, medicine, and wisdom.
She is a Virgin but she had a secret
cult which she is regarded as a Sacred
Mistress to Itzam Na.
14 - Ix Ahau Na - "Palace-Lady".
15 - Canan Chul Chan - Guardian of Holy Sky. "Big
Star".
16 - Itzam Na Kinch Ahau - Old Sun God of balanced
judgement. Ruler of the
Bacabs (Elements).
17 - Xbalanque & Hunahpu - Twin Heros Brothers who
heard the Divine Call of
Itzam Na which lead them to
destroy the False Ones who
had exalted themselves and
deceived some Mayas to
worship them; and defeated
the Lords of Death.
18 - Nucuch Chacob - "The Great Chacs" Four horsemen
who are the Rain Gods. They
bring Water of Life from the
Gods to the Maya.
19 - Balanke - "Jaguar-Sun" This aspect of the Sun is
the essence of Strenght (warrior-type
strenght). He is considered a Great
Breast. All His Priests and Priestesses
are His harlots.
20 - Xob - Mother of Maize. All Maize Deities sprang
from Her seed (literally corn seed).
837
21 - Ek Chuah - He is the Merchant Diety, but most im-
portantly is ruled the cacao which was
the Mayan's biggest trade commodity.
22 - Itzam Na - as Great God who oversees Justice
between the Gods and the Mayan who
worships the Gods.
23 - Ku Kulcan - The Aztecs called Him "Quetzalcoatl".
He is the God of Self-sacrifice which
was done so the Maya could survive
and gain acknowledgement of Itzam Na.
Some myths place Him as the Judge of
the dead (but I would take this with
a gain of salt).
24 - Yum Cimil - "Lord of Death".
25 - Zip - Protector of the Deer (according to myth
the Deer created the Vagina of the Moon
Goddess by stepping on Her abdomen and then
she was able to bear children of the Sun
God. Note the sole of deer's foot looks like
a Vagina). Zip would deceive hunters to
believe he was shooting a deer when in fact
it was a iguana (a sacred animal of Itzam
Na; to kill one incites the Death penalty).
To those who gained Zip's Favor meant a
successful hunt.
26 - Ah Ahaah Cab - "Awakener" He is associated with
the Morning Star (Venus).
27 - Cit Chac Coh - "Father Red Great Puma" The Lord
God of War.
Buluc Chabtan - The God of Human Sacrifice and War.
28 - Bolon Tzcab - The Ruling-Lineage Diety. He kept the
Line of Itzam Na pure and made sure the
Nobility of the Maya was strong.
29 - XAhau - as Moon Goddess.
30 - Kinich Ahau - "Sun-Eyed Lord" It is said He had
a golden Sun eye (some say it was
almond eye) at the place of His
Ajna Chakra.
31 - Hun Kak - "Unique Fire" The Divine Fire that
consumes all what ever remains is
prepared for Divinity.
32 - Ben Ich - "He of the Starry Sky"
838
{file "Mayday Celebration (Mike Nichols)" "bos194.htm"}
A Celebration of
M A Y D A Y
--by Gwydion Cinhil Kirontin
* * * * * *
"Perhaps its just as well that you
won't be here...to be offended by the
sight of our May Day celebrations."
--Lord Summerisle to Sgt. Howie
from "The Wicker Man"
* * * * * *
There are four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic year and
the modern Witch's calendar, as well. The two greatest of these
are Halloween (the beginning of winter) and May Day (the
beginning of summer). Being opposite each other on the wheel of
the year, they separate the year into halves. Halloween (also
called Samhain) is the Celtic New Year and is generally
considered the more important of the two, though May Day runs a
close second. Indeed, in some areas -notably Wales - it is
considered the great holiday.
May Day ushers in the fifth month of the modern calendar
year, the month of May. This month is named in honor of the
goddess Maia, originally a Greek mountain nymph, later identified
as the most beautiful of the Seven Sisters, the Pleiades. By
Zeus, she is also the mother of Hermes, god of magic. Maia's
parents were Atlas and Pleione, a sea nymph.
The old Celtic name for May Day is Beltane (in its most
popular Anglicized form), which is derived from the Irish Gaelic
"Bealtaine" or the Scottish Gaelic "Bealtuinn", meaning "Bel-
fire", the fire of the Celtic god of light (Bel, Beli or
Belinus). He, in turn, may be traced to the Middle Eastern god
Baal.
Other names for May Day include: Cetsamhain ("opposite
Samhain"), Walpurgisnacht (in Germany), and Roodmas (the medieval
Church's name). This last came from Church Fathers who were
hoping to shift the common people's allegiance from the Maypole
(Pagan lingam - symbol of life) to the Holy Rood (the Cross -
Roman instrument of death).
Incidentally, there is no historical justification for
calling May 1st "Lady Day". For hundreds of years, that title
has been proper to the Vernal Equinox (approx. March 21st),
another holiday sacred to the Great Goddess. The nontraditional
use of "Lady Day" for May 1st is quite recent (within the last 15
years), and seems to be confined to America, where it has gained
widespread acceptance among certain segments of the Craft
population. This rather startling departure from tradition would
seem to indicate an unfamiliarity with European calendar customs,
as well as a lax attitude toward scholarship among too many
Pagans. A simple glance at a dictionary ("Webster's 3rd" or
O.E.D.), encyclopedia ("Benet's"), or standard mythology
reference (Jobe's "Dictionary of Mythology, Folklore & Symbols")
would confirm the correct date for Lady Day as the Vernal
Equinox.
839
By Celtic reckoning, the actual Beltane celebration begins on
sundown of the preceding day, April 30, because the Celts always
figured their days from sundown to sundown. And sundown was the
proper time for Druids to kindle the great Bel-fires on the tops
of the nearest beacon hill (such as Tara Hill, Co. Meath, in
Ireland). These "need-fires" had healing properties, and sky-
clad Witches would jump through the flames to ensure protection.
* * * * * *
Sgt. Howie (shocked): "But they
are naked!"
Lord Summerisle: "Naturally.
It's much too dangerous to jump
through the fire with your
clothes on!"
* * * * * *
Frequently, cattle would be driven between two such bon-fires
(oak wood was the favorite fuel for them) and, on the morrow,
they would be taken to their summer pastures.
Other May Day customs include: processions of chimney-sweeps
and milk maids, archery tournaments, morris dances, sword dances,
feasting, music, drinking, and maidens bathing their faces in the
dew of May morning to retain their youthful beauty.
In the words of Witchcraft writers Janet and Stewart Farrar,
the Beltane celebration was principly a time of "...unashamed
human sexuality and fertility." Such associations include the
obvious phallic symbolism of the Maypole and riding the hobby
horse. Even a seemingly innocent children's nursery rhyme, "Ride
a cock horse to Banburry Cross..." retain such memories. And the
next line "...to see a fine Lady on a white horse" is a reference
to the annual ride of "Lady Godiva" though Coventry. Every year
for nearly three centuries, a sky-clad village maiden (elected
Queen of the May) enacted this Pagan rite, until the Puritans put
an end to the custom.
The Puritans, in fact, reacted with pious horror to most of
the May Day rites, even making Maypoles illegal in 1644. They
especially attempted to suppress the "greenwood marriages" of
young men and women who spent the entire night in the forest,
staying out to greet the May sunrise, and bringing back boughs of
flowers and garlands to decorate the village the next morning.
One angry Puritan wrote that men "doe use commonly to runne into
woodes in the night time, amongst maidens, to set bowes, in so
muche, as I have hearde of tenne maidens whiche went to set May,
and nine of them came home with childe." And another Puritan
complained that, of the girls who go into the woods, "not the
least one of them comes home again a virgin."
840
Long after the Christian form of marriage (with its
insistence on sexual monogamy) had replaced the older Pagan
handfasting, the rules of strict fidelity were always relaxed for
the May Eve rites. Names such as Robin Hood, Maid Marion, and
Little John played an important part in May Day folklore, often
used as titles for the dramatis personae of the celebrations.
And modern surnames such as Robinson, Hodson, Johnson, and Godkin
may attest to some distant May Eve spent in the woods.
These wildwood antics have inspired writers such as Kipling:
Oh, do not tell the Priest our plight,
Or he would call it a sin;
But we have been out in the woods all night,
A-conjuring Summer in!
And Lerner and Lowe:
It's May! It's May!
The lusty month of May!...
Those dreary vows that ev'ryone takes,
Ev'ryone breaks.
Ev'ryone makes divine mistakes!
The lusty month of May!
It is certainly no accident that Queen Guinevere's
"abduction" by Meliagrance occurs on May 1st when she and the
court have gone a-Maying, or that the usually efficient Queen's
guard, on this occasion, rode unarmed.
Some of these customs seem virtually identical to the old
Roman feast of flowers, the Floriala, three days of unrestrained
sexuality which began at sundown April 28th and reached a
crescendo on May 1st.
By the way, due to various calendrical changes down through
the centuries, the traditional date of Beltane is not the same as
its astrological date. This date, like all astronomically
determined dates, may vary by a day or two depending on the year.
However, it may be calculated easily enough by determining the
date on which the sun is at 15 degrees Taurus. British Witches
often refer to this date as Old Beltane, and folklorists call it
Beltane O.S. ("Old Style"). Some Covens prefer to celebrate on
the old date and, at the very least, it gives one options. If a
Coven is operating on "Pagan Standard Time" and misses May 1st
altogether, it can still throw a viable Beltane bash as long as
it's before this date. This may also be a consideration for
Covens that need to organize activities around the week-end.
841
This date has long been considered a "power point" of the
Zodiac, and is symbolized by the Bull, one of the four
"tetramorph" figures featured on the Tarot cards the World and
the Wheel of Fortune. (The other three are the Lion, the Eagle,
and the Spirit.) Astrologers know these four figures as the
symbols of the four "fixed" signs of the Zodiac (Taurus, Leo,
Scorpio, and Aquarius, respectively), and these naturally align
with the four Great Sabbats of Witchcraft. Christians have
adopted the same iconography to represent the four gospel-
writers.
But for most, it is May 1st that is the great holiday of
flowers, Maypoles, and greenwood frivolity. It is no wonder
that, as recently as 1977, Ian Anderson could pen the following
lyrics for Jethro Tull:
For the May Day is the great day,
Sung along the old straight track.
And those who ancient lines did ley
Will heed this song that calls them back.
THE END
P.S.--I would be glad of any comments, corrections, additions,
etc. regarding this article. Please E-mail them to Mike Nichols
(a.k.a. Gwydion Cinhil Kirontin) 73445,1074
P.P.S.--A special thank you to "The Rune", Kansas City's premiere
Pagan publication for permission to reprint this article, which
originally ran in a somewhat condensed form there.
P.P.P.S.--Please feel free to reprint this article wherever you
see fit. I ask only that I be given credit as the author. Also,
it would be nice if you could drop me an E-mail note and let me
know where you are using it. Thanx!
842
{file "Necromancy (reprint)" "bos195.htm"}
________________________________________________________________________
Taken from the 1960 reprint of AN ENCLYCLOPAEDIA OF OCCULTISM
by Lewis Spence, University Books, Hyde Park, New York. First
published in 1920, it is considered to be one of the best
sources on the subject.
Submitted by Alan Wright, Atlanta GA, Illumi-Net 404-377-1141
________________________________________________________________________
NECROMANCY: Or divination by means of the spirits of the dead, from the
Greek work `nekos', dead; and `manteria', divination. It is through its
Italian form nigromancia that it came to be known as the "Black Art".
With the Greeks it originally signified the descent into Hades in order
to consult the dead rather than summoning the dead into the mortal
sphere again. The art is of almost universal usage. Considerable
difference of opinion exists among modern adepts as to the exact methods
to be properly pursued in the necromantic art, and it must be borne in
mind the necromancy, which in the Middle Ages was called sorcery, shades
into modern spiritualistic practice. There is no doubt, however, that
necromancy is the touchstone of occultism, for if, after careful
preparation the adept can carry through to a successful issue, the
raising of the soul from the other world, he has proved the value of his
art. It would be fruitless in this place to enter into a psychological
discussion as to whether the feat is possible of accomplishment or not,
and we will confine ourselves tit he material which has been placed at
our disposal by the sages of the past, who have left full details as to
how the process should be approached.
In the case of a compact between the conjuror and the devil, no
ceremony is necessary, as the familiar is ever at hand to do the behests
of his masters. This, however, is never the case with the true
sorcerer, who preserves his independence, and trusts to his profound
knowledge of the art and his powers of command; his object therefore is
to 'constrain' some spirit to appear before him, and to guard himself
from the danger of provoking such beings. The magician, it must be
understood, always has an assistant, and every article named is prepared
according to rules well known in the black art. In the first place,
they are to fix upon a spot proper for such purpose; which must be
either in a subterraneous vault, hung around with black, and lighted by
a magical torch; or else in the center of some thick wood or desert, or
upon some extensive, unfrequented plain, where several roads meet, or
amidst the ruins of ancient castles, abbeys, monasteries, etc., or
amongst the rocks on the sea shore, in some private detached churchyard,
or any other solemn, melancholy place between the hours of twelve and
one in the night, either when the moon shines very bright, or else when
the elements are disturbed with storms, thunder, lightning, wind, and
rain; for, in these places, times, and seasons, it is contended that
spirits can with less difficulty manifest themselves to mortal eyes, and
continue visible with the least pain, in this elemental external world.
When the proper time and place is fixed on, a magic circle is to be
formed, within which, the master and his associate are carefully to
retire. The dimensions of the circle are as follow: - A piece of ground
is usually chosen, nine feet square, at the full extent of which
parallel lines are drawn within the other, having sundry crosses and
triangles described between them, close to which is formed the first or
outer circle, then, about half-a-foot within the same, a second circle
is described, and within that another square correspondent to the first,
the center of which is the seat of spot where the master and associate
843
are to be placed. "The vacancies formed by the various lines and angles
of the figure are filled up with the holy names of God, having crosses
and triangles described between them. The reason assigned by magicians
and others for this institution and use of circles, is, that so much
ground being blessed and consecrated by such holy words and ceremonies
as they make use of forming it, hath a secret force to expel all evil
spirits from the bounds thereof, and, being sprinkled with pure,
sanctified water, the ground is purified from all uncleanliness;
besides, the holy names of God being written over every part of it, its
force becomes so powerful that no evil spirit hath ability to break
through it, or to get at the magician and his companion, by reason of
the antipathy in nature they bear to these sacred names. And the reason
given for the triangles is, that if the spirit be not easily brought to
speak the truth, they may by the exorcist be conjured to enter the same,
where, by virtue of the names of the essence and divinity of God, they
can speak nothing but what is true and right. The circle, therefore,
according to this account of it, is the principal fort and shield of the
magician, from which he is not, at the peril of his life, to depart,
till he has completely dismissed the spirit, particularly if he be of a
fiery or infernal nature. Instances are recorded of many who perished
by the means, particularly Chiancungi, the famous Egyptian
fortune-teller, who was so famous in England in the seventeenth century.
He undertook a wager, to raise up the spirit "Bokim", and having
described the circle, he seated his sister Napula by him as his
associate. After frequently repeating the forms of exorcism, and
calling upon the spirit to appear, and nothing as yet answering his
demand, they grew impatient of the business, and quitted the circle, but
it cost them their lives; for they were instantaneously seized and
crushed to death by that infernal spirit, who happened not to be
sufficiently constrained till that moment, to manifest himself to human
eyes."
There was a prescribed form of consecrating the magic circle, which we
omit as unnecessary in a general illustration. The proper attire or
"pontificalibus" of a magician is an ephod made of fine white linen,
over that a priestly robe of black bombazine, reaching to the ground,
with the two seals of the earth drawn correctly upon virgin parchment,
and affixed to the breast of the outer vestment. Round his waist is
tied a broad consecrated girdle, with the names Ya, Ya, - Aie, Aaie, -
Elibra, - Sadai, - Pah Adonai, - tuo robore, - Cintus sum. Upon his
shoes must be written Tetragammaton, with crosses round about; upon his
head a high-crowned cap of sable silk, and in his hand a Holy Bible,
printed or written in pure Hebrew. Thus attired, and standing within
the charmed circle, the magician repeats the awful form of exorcism; and
presently, the infernal spirits make strange and frightening noises,
howlings, tremblings, flashes, and most dreadful shrieks and yells, as a
forerunner of their becoming visible. Their first appearance in the
form of fierce and terrible lions or tigers, vomiting forth fire, and
roaring hideously about the circle; all which time the exorcist must not
suffer any tremor of dismay; for, in that case, they will gain the
ascendancy, and the consequences may touch his life. On the contrary,
he must summon up a share of resolution, and continue repeating the
forms of constriction and confinement, until they are drawn nearer
to the influence of the triangle, when their forms will change to
appearances less ferocious and frightful, and become more submissive and
tractable. When the forms of conjuration have in this manner been
sufficiently repeated, the spirits forsake their bestial shapes, and
enter the human form, appearing like naked men of gentle countenance and
behavior, yet is the magician to be warily on his guard that they
844
deceive him not by much wild gestures, for they are exceedingly
fraudulent and deceitful in their dealings with those who constrain them
to appear without compact, having nothing in view but to suborn his
mind, or accomplish his destruction. With great care also must the
spirit be discharged after the ceremony is finished, as he has answered
all the demands made upon him. The magician must wait patiently till he
has passed through all the terrible forms which announce his coming, and
only when the last shriek has died away, after every trace of fire and
brimstone has disappeared, may he leave the circle and depart home in
safety. IF the ghost of deceased person is to be raised, the grave must
be resorted to at midnight, and a different form of conjuration is
necessary. Still another, is the infernal sacrament for "any corpse
that hath hanged, drowned, or otherwise made away with itself"; and in
this case the conjurations are performed over the body, which will at
last rise, and standing upright, answer with a faint and hollow voice
the questions that are put to it.
Eliphas Levi, in his `Ritual of Transcendent Magic' says that
"evocations should always have a motive and a becoming end, otherwise
the are works of darkness and folly, dangerous for health and reason."
The permissible motive of an evocation may be either love or
intelligence. Evocations of love require less apparatus and are in
every respect easier. The procedure is as follows: "We must, in the
first place, carefully collect the memorials of him (or her) whom we
desire to behold, the articles he used, and on which his impressions
remains; we must also prepare an apartment in which the person lived, or
otherwise, one of similar kind, and place his portrait veiled in white
therein, surrounded with his favorite flowers, which must be renewed
daily. A fixed date must then be observed, either the birthday of the
person, or that day which was most fortunate for his and our own
affection, one of which we may believe that his soul, however blessed
elsewhere, cannot lose the remembrance; this must be the day for the
evocation and we must provide for it during the space of fourteen days.
Throughout this period we must refrain from extending to anyone the same
proofs of affection which we have the right to expect from the dead; we
must observe strict chastity, live in retreat, and take only modest and
light collation daily. Every evening at the same hour we must shut
ourselves in the chamber consecrated to the memory of the lamented
person, using only one small light, such as that of a funeral lamp or
taper. This light should be placed behind us, the portrait should be
uncovered and we should remain before it for an hour, in silence;
finally, we should fumigate the apartment with a little good incense,
and go out backwards. On the morning of the day fixed for the
evocation, we should adorn ourselves as if for a festival, not salute
anyone first, make but a single repast of bread, wine, and roots, or
fruits; the cloth should be white, two covers should be laid, and one
portion of the bread broken should be set aside; a little wine should
also be placed in the glass of the person we design to invoke. The meal
must be eaten alone in the chamber of evocations, and in the presence of
the veiled portrait; it must be all cleared away at the end, except the
glass belonging to the dead person, and his portion of bread, which must
be placed before the portrait. In the evening, at the hour for the
regular visit, we must repair in silence to the chamber, light a fire of
cypress wood, and cast incense seven times thereon, pronouncing the name
of the person whom we desire to behold. The lamp must then be
extinguished, and the fire permitted to die out. On this day the
portrait must not be unveiled. When the flame is extinct, put more
incense on the ashes, and invoke God according to the forms of the
religion to which the dead person belonged, and according to the ideas
845
which he himself possessed of God. While making this prayer we must
identify ourselves with the evoked person, speak as he spoke, believe in
a sense as he believed; then, after a silence of fifteen minutes, we
must speak to him as if he were present, with affection and with faith,
praying him to manifest to us. Renew this prayer mentally, covering the
face with both hands; then call him thrice with a loud voice; tarry on
our knees, the eyes closed and covered, for some minutes; then call
again thrice upon him in a sweet and affectionate tone, and slowly open
the eyes. Should nothing result, the same experiment must be renewed in
the following year, and if necessary a third time, when it is certain
that the desired apparition will be obtained, and the longer it has been
delayed the more realistic and striking it will be.
"Evocations of knowledge and intelligence are made with more solemn
ceremonies. If concerned with a celebrated personage, we must meditate
for twenty-one days upon his life and writings, form an idea of his
appearance, converse with him mentally, and imagine his answers; carry
his portrait, or at least his name, about us; follow a vegetable diet
for twenty-one days, and a severe fast during the last seven. We must
next construct the magical oratory. This oratory must be invariably
darkened; but if we operate in the daytime, we may leave a narrow
aperture on the side where the sun will shine at the hour of the
evocation, and place a triangular prism before the opening, and a
crystal globe, filled with water, before the prism. If the operation
be arranged for the night the magic lamp must be so placed that its
single ray shall be upon the alter smoke. The purpose of the
preparations is to furnish the magic agent with elements of corporeal
appearance, and to ease as much as possible the tension of imagination,
which could not be exalted without danger into the absolute illusion of
dream. for the rest, it will be easily understood that a beam of
sunlight, or the ray of a lamp, colored variously, and falling upon
curling and irregular smoke, can in no way create a perfect image. The
chafing-dish containing the sacred fire should be in the center of the
oratory, and the alter of perfumes close by. The operator must turn
toward the east to pray, and the west to invoke; he must be either alone
or assisted by two persons preserving the strictest silence; he must
wear the magical vestments, which we have described in the seventh
chapter (of Levi`s "Ritual of Transcendent Magic"), and must be crowned
with vervain and gold. He should bathe before the operation, and all
his under garments must be of the most intact and scrupulous
cleanliness. The ceremony should begin with a prayer suited to the
genius of the spirit about to be invoked and one which would be approved
by him if he still lived. For example, it would be impossible to evoke
Voltaire by reciting prayers in the style of St. Bridget. For the great
men of antiquity, we may see the hymns of Cleathes or Orpheus, with the
adjuration terminating the Golden Venus of Pythagoras. In our own
evocation of Apollonius, we used the magical philosophy of Patricius for
the ritual, containing the doctrines of Zoroaster and the writings of
Hermes Trismegistus. We recited the Nuctemeron of Apollonius in greek
with a loud voice and added the following conjuration:-
"Vouchsafe to be present, O Father of All, and thou Thrice Mighty
Hermes, Conductor of the dead. Asclepius son of Hephaistus, Patron of
the Healing Art; and thou Osiris, Lord of strenght a vigor, do thou
thyself be present too. Arnebascenis, Patron of Philosophy, and yet
again Asclepius, son of Imuthe, who presidest over poetry.
* * * *
"Apollonius, Apollonius, Apollonius, Thou teachest the Magic of
Zoroaster, son of Oromasdes; and this is the worship of the Gods."
846
For the evocation of spirits belonging to religions issued from
Judaism, the following kabalistic invocation of Solomon should be used,
either in Hebrew, or in any other tongue with which the spirit in
question is known to have been familiar:-
"Powers of the Kingdom, be ye under my left foot and in my right hand!
Glory and eternity, take me by the two shoulders, and direct me in the
paths of victory! Mercy and Justice, be ye the equilibrium and
splendor of my life! Intelligence and Wisdom, crown me! Spirits of
Malchuth, lead me betwixt the two pillars upon which rests the whole
edifice of the temple! Angels of Netsah and Hod, strengthen me upon the
cubic stone of Jesod! O Gedulael! O Geburael! O Tiphereth! Binael,
be thou my love! Ruach Hochmael, be thou my light! Be that which thou
are and thou shall be, O Ketheriel! Tschim, assist me in the name of
Saddai! Cherubim, be my strength in the name of Adonai! Beni-Elohim,
be my brethren in the name of the Son, and by the power of Zebaoth!
Eloim, do battle for me in the name of Tetragrammation! Malachim,
protect me in the name of Jod He Vau He! Seraphim, cleanse my love in
the name of Elvoh! Hasmalim, enlighten me with the splendors of Eloi
and Shechinah! Aralim, act! Orphanim, revolve and shine! Hajoth a
Kadosh, cry, speak, roar, bellow! Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, Saddai,
Adonia, Jotchavah, Eieazereie: Hallelu-jah, Hallelu-jah, Hallelu-jah.
Amen.
It should be remembered above all, in conjurations, that the names of
Satan, Beelzebub, Adramelek, and others do not designate spiritual
unities, but legions of impure spirits.
"Our name is legion, and we are many" says the spirit of darkness in
the Gospel. Number constitutes the law, and progress takes place
inversely in Hell - that is to say, the most advanced in Satanic
development, and consequently the most degraded, are the least
intelligent and feeblest. Thus, a fatal law drives the demons downward
when they wish and believe themselves to be ascending. So also those
who term themselves chiefs are the most impotent and despised of all.
As to the horde of perverse spirits, they tremble before the unknown,
invisible, incomprehensible, capricious, implacable chief, who never
explains his law, whose arm is ever stretched out to strike those who
fail to understand him. They give this phantom the names of Baal,
Jupiter, and even others more venerable, which cannot, without
profanation, be pronounced in Hell. But this phantom is only a shadow
and remnant of God, disfigured by their willful perversity, and
persisting in their imagination like a vengeance of justice and a
remorse of truth.
"When the evoked spirit of light manifests with dejected or irritated
countenance, we must offer him a moral sacrifice, that is, be inwardly
disposed to renounce whatever offends him; and before leaving the
oratory, we must dismiss him, saying: "May peace be with thee! I have
not wished to trouble thee; do thou torment me not. I shall labor to
improve myself as to anything that vexes thee. I pray, and will still
pray, with thee and for thee. Pray thou also both with and for me, and
return to thy great slumber, expecting that day when we shall wake
together. Silence and adieu."
Christian, in his "Historie de le Magic" (Paris, 1871) says: "The
place chosen for the evocation is not an unimportant point. The most
auspicious is undoubtedly that room which contains the last traces of
the lamented person. If it be impossible to fulfill this condition, we
must go in search of some isolated and rural retreat which corresponds
in orientation and aspect, as well as measurement, with the mortuary
chamber.
847
"The window must be blocked with boards if olive wood, hermetically
joined, so that no exterior light may penetrate. The ceiling, the four
interior walls, and the floor must be draped with tapestry of emerald
green silk, which the operator must secure himself with copper nails,
invoking no assistance from strange hands, because, from this moment, he
alone may enter into this spot set apart from all, the arcane Oratory of
the Magus. The furniture which belonged to the deceased, his favorite
possessions and trinkets, the things on which his final glance may be
supposed to have rested - all these things must be assiduously collected
and arranged in the order which they occupied at the time of his death.
If none of these souvenirs can be obtained, a faithful likeness of the
departed being must be procured, it must be depicted in the dress and
colors which he wore during the last period of his life. This portrait
must be set up on the eastern wall by means of copper fasteners, must be
covered with a veil of white silk, and must be surmounted with a crown
of those flowers which were most lived by the deceased.
"Before the portrait there must be erected an alter of white marble,
supported by four columns which must terminate in bull`s feet. A five
pointed star must be emblazoned on the slab of the alter, and must be
composed of pure copper plates. The place in the centre of the star,
between the plates, must be large enough to receive the pedestal of a
cup-shaped copper chafing-dish, containing dessicated fragments of
laurel wood and alder. By the side of the chafing-dish must be placed a
censer full of incense. The skin of a white and spotless ram must be
stretched beneath the alter, and on it emblazoned another pentagram
prawn with parallel lines of azure blue, golden yellow, emerald green
and purple red.
" A copper tripod must be erected in the middle of the Oratory; it
must be perfectly triangular in form, it must be surmounted by another
and similar chafing-dish, which must likewise contain a quantity of
dried olive wood.
" A high candelabrum of copper must be placed by the wall on the
southern side, and must contain a single taper of purest white wax,
which must alone illuminate the mystery of the evocation.
"The white color of the alter, of the ram`s skin, and of the veil, in
consecrated to Gabriel, the planetary archangel of he moon, and the
Genius of mysteries; the green of the copper and tapestries is dedicated
to the Genius of Venus.
"The alter and tripod must both be encompassed by a magnetized iron
chain, and by three garlands composed of the foliage and blossoms of the
myrtle, the olive, and the rose.
"Finally, facing the portrait, and on the eastern side there must be a
canopy, also draped with emerald silk, and supported by two triangular
columns of olive wood, plated with purest copper. On the north and
south sides, between the each of these columns and the wall, the
tapestry must fall in long folds to the ground, forming a kind of
tabernacle; which must be open on the eastern side. At the foot of each
column there must be a sphinx of white marble, with a cavity in the top
of the head to receive spices for burning. It is beneath this canopy
that the apparitions will manifest, and it should be remembered the the
Magus must turn to the east for prayer, and to the west for evocation.
"Before entering this little sanctuary, devoted to remembrance, the
operator must be clothed in a vestment of azure, fastened by clasps of
copper, enriched with a single emerald. He must wear upon his head a
tiara surrounded by a floriated circle of twelve emeralds, and a crown
of violets. On his breast must be the talisman of Venus depending from
a ribbon of azure silk. On the annular finger of his left hand must be
a copper ring containing turquoise. His feet must be covered with shoes
848
of azure silk, and he must be provided with a fan of swan`s feathers to
dissipate, if needful, the smoke of the perfumes.
"The Oratory and all its objects must be consecrated on a Friday,
during the hours which are set apart to the Genius of Venus. This
consecration is performed by burning violets and roses in a fire if
olive wood. A shaft must be provided in the oratory for the passage of
the smoke, but care must be taken to prevent the admission of light
through this channel.
"When the preparations are finished, the operator must impose on
himself a retreat of one-and-twenty days, beginning on the anniversary
of the death of the beloved being. During this period he must refrain
from conferring on anyone the least of those marks of affection which he
was accustomed to bestow on the departed; he must be absolutely chaste,
alike in deed and thought; he must take daily but one repast, consisting
of bread, wine, roots, and fruits. These three conditions are
indispensable to success in evocation, and their accomplishment requires
complete isolation.
"Every day, shortly before midnight, the Magus must assume his
consecrated dress. On the stroke of the mystic hour, he must enter the
Oratory, bearing a lighted candle in his right hand, and in the other an
hour-glass. The candle must be fixed in the candelabra, and the
hour-glass on the alter to register the flight of time. The operator
must then proceed to replenish the garland and the floral crown. Then
he shall unveil the portrait, and erect it immovable in front of the
alter, being thus with his face to the east, he shall softly go over in
his mind the cherished recollections he possesses of the beloved and
departed being.
"When the upper reservoir of the hour-glass is empty the time of
contemplation will be over. By the flame of the taper the operator must
then kindle the laurel wood and alder in the chafing-dish which stands
on the alter; then, taking a pinch of incense from the censer, let him
cast it thrice upon the fire, repeating the following words:- ~Glory be
to the Father of life universal in the splendor of the infinite
altitude, and peace in the twilight of the immeasurable depths to all
spirits of good will !"
"Then he shall cover the portrait, and taking up his candle in his
hand, shall depart from the Oratory, walking backward at a slow pace as
far as the threshold. The same ceremony must be fulfilled at the same
hour during every day of the retreat, and at each visits the crown which
is above the portrait, and the garlands of the alter and tripod must be
burnt each evening in a room adjoining the Oratory.
"When the twenty-first day has arrived, the Magus must do his best to
have no communication with any one, but if this be impossible, he must
not be the first to speak, and must postpone all business till the
morrow. On the stroke of noon, he must arrange a small circular table
in the Oratory, and cover it with a new napkin of unblemished whiteness.
It must be garnished with two copper chalices, an entire loaf, and a
crystal flagon of the purest white. The bread must be broken and not
cut, and the wine emptied in equal portions into the two cups. Half of
this mystic communion, which must be his sole nourishment on this
supreme day, shall be offered by the operator to the dead, and by the
light of the one taper he must eat his own share, standing before the
veiled portrait. Then he shall retire as before, walking backward as
far as the threshold, and leaving the ghost`s share of bread and wine
upon the table.
"When the solemn hour of the evening has at length arrived the Magus
shall carry into the Oratory some well-dried cypress wood, which he
shall set alight in the alter and the tripod. Three pinches of incense
849
shall be cast into the flame in honor of the Supreme Potency which
manifests itself by Ever Active Intelligence and by Absolute Wisdom.
When the wood of the two chafing-dishes has been reduced to embers, he
must renew the triple offering of incense on the alter, and must cast
some seven times on the fire in the tripod; at each evaporation of the
consecrated perfume he must repeat the previous doxology, and then
turning tot he East, he must call upon God by prayer of that religion
which was professed by the person whom he desires to evoke.
"When the prayers are over he must reverse his position and with his
face to the West, must enkindle the chafing-dishes on the head of each
sphinx, and when the cypress is full ablaze he must heap over it well
dried violets and roses. Then let him extinguish the candle which
illuminates the Oratory, and falling on his knees before the canopy,
between the two columns, let him mentally address the beloved person
with a plenitude of faith and affection. Let him solemnly entreat it to
appear and renew this interior adjuration seven times, under the
auspices of the seven providential Genii, and endeavouring during the
whole of the time to exalt his soul above the natural weakness of
humanity.
"Finally, the operator, with closed eyes, and hands covering his face,
must call the invoked person in a loud but gentle voice, pronouncing
three times all of the names which he bore.
"Some moments after the third appeal, he must extend his arms in the
form of a cross, and lifting up his eyes, he will behold the beloved
being, in a recognizable manner, in front of him. That is to say, he
will perceive that ethereal substance separated from the perishable
terrestrial body, the fluidic envelope of the soul, which Kabalistic
initiates have termed the `Perispirit'. This substance preserves the
human form but is emancipated from human infirmities, and is energized
by the special characteristics whereby the imperishable individuality of
our essence is manifested.
"The departed soul will give counsel to the operator; it will
occasionally reveal secrets which may be beneficial to those whom it
loved on earth, but it will answer no question which has reference to
the desires of the flesh; it will discover no buried treasures, nor will
it unveil the secrets of a third person; it is silent on the mysteries
of the superior existence to which it has now attained. In certain
cases, it will, however, declare itself either happy or in punishment.
If it be the latter, it will ask for the prayer of the Magus, or for
some religious observance, which we must unfailingly fulfill. Lastly,
it will indicate the time when the evocation may be renewed.
"When it has disappeared, the operator must turn to the East, rekindle
the fire on the alter, and make a final offering of incense. Then he
must detach the crown and the garlands, take up his candle, and retire
with his face to the West till he is out of the Oratory. His last duty
is to burn the final remains of the flowers and leaves. Their ashes,
united to those which have been collected during the time of retreat,
must be mixed with myrtle seeds, and secretly buried in a field at a
depth which will secure it from disturbance of the ploughshare."
850
The last two examples are, of course, those of "white" necromancy.
The procedure followed by savage tribes as of course totally different.
Among certain Australian tribes the necromants are called Birraark. It
is said that a Birraark was supposed to be initiated by the "mrarts"
(ghosts) when they met him wandering in the bush. It was from the
ghosts that he obtained replies to questions concerning events passing t
a distance, or yet to happen, which might be of interest or moment to
his tribe. An account of a spiritual seance in the bush is given in
"Kamilaroi and Kurnai" (p. 251): The fires were let down; the Birraark
uttered the cry "Coo-ee" at intervals. At length a distant reply was
heard, and shortly afterwards, the sound as of persons jumping on the
ground in succession. A voice was then heard in the gloom asking in a
strange intonation "What is wanted?" At the termination of the seance,
the spirit voice said "We are going." Finally, the Birraark was found
in the top of an almost inaccessible tree, apparently asleep.
In Japan, ghosts can be raised in various ways. One mode is to "put
into an andon" (a paper lantern in a flame), "a hundred rushlights, and
repeat an incantation of a hundred lines. One of these rushlights is
taken out at the end of each line, and the would-be ghost-seer then goes
out in the dark with one light still burning, and blows it out, when
their ghost ought to appear. Girls who have lost their lovers by death
often try that sorcery."
The mode of procedure as practiced in Scotland was thus. The haunted
room was made ready. He , "who was to do the daring deed, about
nightfall entered the room, bearing with him a table, a chair, a candle,
a compass, a crucifix, if one could be got, and a Bible. With the
compass he cat a circle on the middle of the floor, large enough to hold
the chair and the table. He placed within the circle the chair and the
table, and on the table he laid the Bible and the crucifix beside the
lighted candle. If he had not a crucifix, then he drew the figure of a
cross in the floor within the circle. When all this was done, he rested
himself on the chair, opened the Bible, and waited for the coming of the
spirit. Exactly at midnight the spirit came. Sometimes the door opened
slowly, and there glided in noiselessly a lady sheeted in white, with a
face of woe and told her story to the man on his asking her in the name
of God what she wanted. What she wanted was done in the morning, and
the spirit rested ever after. Sometimes the spirit rose from the floor,
and sometimes came forth from the wall. There was one who burst into
the room with a strong bound, danced wildly round the circle, and
flourished a long whip round the man's head, but never dared to step
into the circle. During a pause in his frantic dance he was asked, in
God`s name, what he wanted. He ceased his dance and told his wishes.
His wishes were carried out, and the spirit was in peace."
851
In Wraxall`s "Memoirs of the Counts of Berlin, Dresden, Warsaw, and
Vienna" there is an amusing account of the raising of the ghost of
Chevalier de Saxe. Reports had been circulated that at his palace at
Dresden there was secreted a large sum of money, and it was urged that
if his spirit could be compelled to appear, interesting secrets could be
extorted from him. Curiosity, combined with avarice, accordingly
prompted his principal heir, Prince Charles, to try the experiment, and,
on the appointed night, Schrepfer was the operator in raising the
apparition. He commenced his proceedings by retiring into the corner of
the gallery, where kneeling down with many mysterious ceremonies, he
invoked the spirit to appear. At length, a loud clatter was heard at all
the windows on the outside, resembling more the effect produced by a
number of wet fingers drawn over the edge of glasses than anything else
to which it could well be compared. The sound announced the arrival of
the good spirits, and was shortly followed by a yell of a frightful and
unusual nature. Schrepfer continued his invocations, when "the door
suddenly opened with violence and something resembling a black ball or
globe rolled into the room. It was enveloped in smoke or cloud, in the
midst of which appeared a human face, like the countenance of the
Chevalier de Saxe, from which issued a loud and angry voice, exclaiming
in German,"Carl, was wollte du mit mich?" - "Charles, what would thou do
with me?" By reiterated exorcisms Schrepfer finally dismissed the
apparition, and the terrified spectators dispersed fully convinced of
his magical powers.
- end -
852
{file "Quantum Magick (Larry Cornett)" "bos197.htm"}
QUANTUM MAGIC
REALITY AS DESCRIBED BY QUANTUM MECHANICS
In quantum mechanics, reality is described by waves defining the
probabilities of different outcomes from the same interactions.
These waves manifest as what we have been taught to call matter,
energy, particles, and/or waves when observed.
These probability waves overlap and continue forever. The
interactions between different entities constitute a single
structure of linked wave patterns, so that the entire universe
can be thought of as an unbroken whole. The waves form a matrix,
with all parts of the system affecting all other parts. Non-
local relationships exist between parts of the system that are
distant from each other [1]. It is impossible to distinguish
two particles of the same type in a region of space in which they
may be found simultaneously [2]. Particles loose their
individual identity in such regions. Thus, the physical universe
is fundamentally unified.
The basic equation of non-relativistic quantum mechanics is
Schrodinger's Wave Equation [2]:
2 2
i h (p)Q /(p)t = - h /2m Delta Q + V(x,y,z) Q
satisfying the normalizing condition:
Integral 2
over all |Q| dx dy dx = 1
space
where:
h = 6.63E-34 joule sec / (2 pi)
pi = 3.14...
V(x,y,z) = Potential energy, as a function of
coordinates x, y and z
m = Mass
t = Time
(p) = Partial derivative of
2
Q = Wave function of the particle, where Q dx dy dz is
the probability that the particle may be found in the
volume element dx dy dz at a particular time. Values
of Q are components of the "state vector."
859
Values of Q are quantum mechanically defined states and
constitute components of the "state vector." These quantum
mechanically defined states define the probabilities of various
results from quantum mechanically defined interactions [2]. In
one orthodox interpretation of quantum mechanics, a system exists
simultaneously in all quantum mechanically possible states until
an observer (or apparatus outside the system) interacts to
"collapse" the state vector" and obtain an observation.
Quantum mechanical systems can go from one configuration to
another instantly, without passing through any states in
between. Quantum mechanical movement is discontinuous, with all
actions occurring in discrete amounts (quanta).
Schrodinger himself discovered one of quantum mechanics' more
distinctive features: whenever two systems interact, the
mathematical waves that represent the two systems do not separate
but remain linked. The link does not drop off with distance and
the link acts instantaneously at both locations, but the
specificity of the link can be diluted through interactions with
other objects [7].
WHAT UNDERLIES QUANTUM MECHANICS?
There are lots of hypotheses on the nature of the underlying
reality described statistically by quantum mechanics.
o Some scientists are content with the hypothesis that there is
no more subtle structure than the probability waves described
by quantum mechanics; and reality, at its most basic level, has
a large amount of randomness whose limits are described by the
quantum mechanical wave function, making the wave function
itself the fundamental reality. This is called the probability
doctrine. It asserts that such indetermination is a property
inherent in nature and not merely a profession of our temporary
ignorance, from which we expect to be relieved by a future
better and more complete theory [2].
o Einstein speculated that there must be some underlying
mechanism, some hidden variables, that uniquely determines
the outcome of the interactions quantum theory can only
statistically predict.
o J.S. Bell showed mathematically that, if such a mechanism
exists, and the math of quantum mechanics is strictly correct,
hidden variables must not have any functional dependence on the
separation of events in space and time [3].
860
o According to David Bohm, from both a consideration of the
meaning of the mathematical equations and from the results of
experiments, particles can be understood as projections of a
higher-dimensional reality. This reality can not be accounted
for by any force of interaction between independent entities,
but can be understood as a process of enfoldment in a higher
dimensional space [1]. Information within the quantum wave
determines the outcome of the quantum process. This
information is potentially active everywhere but only actually
active when and where it enters into the energy of an observed
particle, implying that all particles have complex inner
structures [10].
o Recently, superstring theory has been proposed, describing a
ten dimensional webwork of space-time at an incredibly small
scale (1E-33 cm) underlying the phenomenon described
statistically by quantum mechanics, relatively, particle
physics etc.
Some scientists consider speculation about the nature of the
underlying reality to be irrelevant, since the predictions of
quantum mechanical equations match the statistics of the results
of experiments. To the best of my knowledge, experiments have
not been performed that unambiguously distinguish between these
alternative world-views. On the other hand, experiments have
been proposed; and some work is underway to check some
predictions of superstring theory. Eventually, from the results
of experiments, some of these hypotheses may be screened out and
others elevated to the level of scientific theory.
We are one and the same as the structures that underlie the
matter and energy that we manifest as; and that structure is
continuous, interconnected, and non local in nature. Whatever
the underlying structure behind the interconnected wave pattern
described by quantum mechanics (if any), we are that.
QUANTUM MECHANICS AND CONSCIOUSNESS
Getting back to established scientific theory, normal waking
consciousness occurs when the nerve cell firing rate (synaptic
switching rate) is high enough to spread out the waves associated
with electrons to fill the gaps between nerve cells (synaptic
clefts) with waves of probability of similar amplitude. This is
described mathematically by the quantum mechanical mechanism of
tunneling. These waves are interconnected throughout regions of
the brain through resonances, resulting in a large, complex,
unified, quantum mechanically defined resonance matrix filling a
region in the brain. The waves are interconnected with each
other and with information storage and sensory input mechanisms
within these regions of the brain.
861
The nerve cell firing rate (v') at which this occurs has been
modeled mathematically by Evan Harris Walker (at the U.S. Army
Ballistics Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground) and corresponds to
the threshold between waking and sleeping consciousness in people
and animals. For normal waking consciousness to exist, the
synapse transmission frequency for the brain (v') must satisfy
the condition:
2/3
v' must be greater than or equal to N /T
where:
N = The total number of synapses in the brain (in humans,
about 5E11)
T = Synaptic transmission delay time (the time interval
required for the propagation of the excitation energy
from one synapse to another)
This theory ascribes consciousness to an association of the
events occurring at any one synapse with events occurring at
other synapses in the brain by means of a quantum mechanical
propagation of information. The sense of individual identity is
an aspect of the continuity of the wave matrix residing in the
brain [4].
862
QUANTUM MECHANICS AND PSYCHOKINESIS
By merely observing a phenomenon (resonating ones brain with it)
one can affect the outcome, since the physical mechanisms in your
brain are part of the wave matrix described by quantum mechanics.
The information handling rate in resonance determines the amount
of effect, along with the elapsed time of resonance and the
probability distribution of the phenomenon you are observing
[5]. According to Evan Harris Walker, quantum mechanical state
selection can be biased by an observer if [5]:
W te is greater than or equal to -Log P(Qo-Qi)
Q 2
where:
P(Qo-Qi) = Probability that state Qi will occur by chance
alone
W = Information handling rate in process in brain
Q associated with state vector selection (bits/sec)
te = Elapsed time
Q = Overall state vector
Qo = Initial physical state of system
Qi = State that manifests "paranormal" target event
The effect of consciousness is incredibly small on macroscopic
systems; but it can be measurable when it occurs on quantum
mechanically defined and divergent systems, where a slight change
can amplify itself as it propagates through the system. The
effect is about 1E-17 degrees on the angle of the bounce of cubes
going down an inclined plane. Changes in the angle of bounce
result in changes in displacement of the cubes that increase
about 50% on every bounce, and the effect is measurable after
many bounces [6]. The theory successfully and quantitatively
modeled the differing amounts of displacement observed in
experiments on cubes of different weights and weight
distributions [5].
Walker also modeled information retrieval in "guess the card"
experiments. Simple, classical, random chance would predict a
smooth, binomial curve for the probabilities of getting the right
answer versus the number of subjects making successful
predictions at these probabilities. Walker's model predicts that
the curve would have peaks at certain levels of probability of
getting the right answer above those predicted by chance alone.
Experimental data showed peaks at the locations modeled.
However, more people were successful at the higher probability
levels than Walker's model estimated. This is considered to be
evidence of learning enhancement [5].
863
SCIENTIFIC THEORY
Mr. Walker's ideas and equations would only be hypotheses if it
weren't for the fact that they have been tested experimentally
and found to predict the results of experiments with reasonable
accuracy [4,5]. The evidence meets the usual rules of proof for
scientific theory, and this makes Walker's equations legitimate
scientific theory.
The non-local underlying wave patterns beneath manifestations of
matter and energy that we hold in common with our surroundings
allow us to influence reality and to obtain information about it
using the power of the mind. This underlying interconnecting
pattern is the very stuff of consciousness and manifests, not
only as matter & energy, but also as psychokinesis, precognition
and other phenomenon that are only now beginning to be recognized
and embraced by some theories of modern physics.
IMPLICATIONS OF QUANTUM CONSCIOUSNESS THEORY
Deflections caused by consciousness are not caused by force or
energy in the conventional sense; but by something more subtle,
namely effects within the underlying wave structure out of which
matter and energy are manifestations (collapse of the state
vector) [5].
To psychically obtain information about a target or to
psychically influence events, one has to have one's brain
resonating with aspects of reality interconnecting the brain with
the target. The more one's brain resonates with non-local
aspects of reality connecting with a target, the more
communication and direct influence one can have on it.
The more fundamentally diverse the potential outcomes of a
process targeted are, the more effect one gets from resonating
ones brain with it [5]. Also, the more small changes in the
system tend to amplify as larger changes in the end result, the
more effect one can get. This provides an explanation of why
patterns exist within seemingly random events and why successful
magic often results in a chain of synchronicities.
For a given subject (performing under optimum conditions and
having no difficulty visualizing the nature of the experimental
target nor psychological aversions to the target), the
magnitudes of the results obtained in tasks to affect the
readings on measuring devices (such as magnetometers, radiation
detectors, Josephson effect devices, balances, etc.) can be
related to one another by calculating the probability of the
reading based on the standard physical principles of quantum
mechanics [5].
The sporadic nature of psi phenomena can be explained as a
matter of outside observers randomizing the process, causing
dilution of will data channels and randomizing the results [5].
Thus, the need for secrecy in magical operations.
One can no longer maintain the division between the observer and
864
observed or between consciousness and the physical world.
Rather, both observer and observed, along with both consciousness
and the material world, are merging and interpenetrating aspects
of one whole indivisible reality [1].
Whatever the subtle level of reality underlying matter and
energy, we are that (including our consciousness). If hidden
variables exist, we are the hidden variables. It has been
theorized that consciousness is an inseparable aspect of this
underlying reality. When our awareness connects with the deepest
layer of reality interconnecting everything, we may experience
the level of consciousness beyond time and form reported by many
mystics. It is this non local structure that we share with
nature that makes it possible to "attune to nature," to
psychically participate in nature, and to live in accordance with
it.
What we are usually aware of (normal waking consciousness) is a
relatively superficial movement in the order of things. Behind
the things we are aware of in waking consciousness are a vast
array of less strongly linked phenomena. This latter realm is
commonly called the unconscious (and parts of it the
subconscious). The unconscious is not very accurate, since it
forms a kind of ground of consciousness [8]. Our awareness can
link with this ground of consciousness to gain information and to
influence events.
THE GODS, GODDESSES AND NATURE SPIRITS
At this point, I diverge from theory and describe some plausible
hypotheses. Consciousness, at a fundamental level, is associated
with the continuity of the underlying structures out of which
matter and energy manifest. Everything shares this continuous
structure; therefore everything has consciousness to some degree
(though not necessarily normal waking consciousness).
Quoting from Evan Harris Walker (4): "Consciousness may exist
without being associated with either a living system or a data
processing system. Indeed, since everything that occurs is
ultimately the result of one or more quantum mechanical events,
the universe is 'inhabited' by an almost unlimited number of
rather discrete, conscious, usually non-thinking entities that
are responsible for the detailed working of the universe. These
conscious entities determine (or exist concurrently with the
determination) singly the outcome of each quantum mechanical
event, while the Schrodinger equation (to the extent that it is
accurate) describes the physical constraint placed on their
freedom of action collectively."
In shamanic and in religious practice, one resonates with other
intelligences to get their assistance, inviting them to join in
the work at hand. These intelligences can be thought of as
consciousness resonance matrices. Some may be localized, as we
are (such as other biological intelligences, plant divas, power
spot spirits, some deities, etc.); and some may be non localized
(spirit animals in the other world, some deities, etc.).
865
The personalities of the Gods, Goddesses and spirits that many
practitioners of religion relate to can also be thought of as
consciousness resonance matrices. They can be very non-specific
and disperse, or very specific (such as the Orishas and other
deities that can manifest in full possession of those who invoke
them).
QUANTUM MECHANICS AND MAGICAL RITUAL
Consider a typical structure of magical ritual and its quantum
mechanical explanation:
o Purify one's mind and one's surroundings, freeing them of
interfering resonances, quieting the static so that one can
get a clear and strong resonance on the target desired.
o Achieve a non-localized state of consciousness, often by
resonating ones mind with ones inner being, with the Earth,
the sky, and ones surroundings.
o Meditate on the elements (Earth, Air, Fire, Water)
representing non-local essences. This helps your mind to
resonate powerfully non-locally.
o After reaching out with one's mind and connecting its
resonance pattern intimately with the non-local web of wave
patterns connecting everything, invoke deities whose natural
function is related to the purpose of your ritual. If
successful, this connects your mind to a powerful,
established, non-localized, intelligent resonance matrix that
(hopefully) joins in the magic.
o Focus on the target of the work, connecting with the target.
o While connected with the target, visualize the end result
desired, thus creating a resonant template for the phenomenon
one wants to achieve.
o Energize the resonance through dance, drumming, chants, pure
channeling of will power, or other means.
o Release the energy into the target while strongly visualizing
the target achieved (energizing the resonance in the target).
o Ground, removing ones mind from the direct, resonant link
with the target, so that the patterns you have set in motion
in the target can continue with minimum interference (to
throw a ball, one has to let go).
o Thank and say goodbye to the intelligences one works with, thus
disconnecting ones mind further from other resonance matrices.
866
There are other forms of magic, and much more detail to the
forms I described. There are also ethical considerations. This
paper provides a description of some aspects of the integration
of quantum mechanics with magickal thinking, but it does not
cover everything.
SO WHAT?
To read about theories of magic is like reading about sports.
You may pick up a few ideas; but to become proficient, you must
participate and play the game. People have been teaching and
performing magic for thousands of years, without the benefit of
quantum theory. Many magicians have had to separate their
scientific training from their magical practice. Now, magical
theory has been merged with scientific theory, and more of the
mind of those trained in science can resonate with magic. Also,
critics of magic can be shown the scientific theory and data
validating it, to show that there is more to magic than
superstition.
I have not seen any other quantitative scientific theories that
explain the results of experiments on psychokinesis, extrasensory
perception, and consciousness as accurately as Walker's theory,
or that give as satisfying of an explanation of the
synchronicities that I, as a worker of magic and a scientist,
have observed from personal experience. This is not to say that
these ideas represent ultimate truth, that alternative theories
no not exist, or that flaws will not be found and that
alternative theories will not replace them. I would welcome
hearing from others who have additional information and insight
into the applicability and limitations of the theories of modern
Physics as applied to the occult.
MULTIPLE UNIVERSES?
One interesting hypothesis is that of multiple universes. As I
understand it, this hypothesis states that all of the alternative
possibilities allowed by quantum mechanics actually occur, but in
different universes. Magicians can interpret their magic as
moving their awareness between these alternative universes. I
have never seen the multiple universe theory set up
mathematically in a way that would allow it to be quantitatively
tested, using physical measurements (like was done with Mr.
Walker's theory),
It would be interesting to determine if and to what extent the
multiple universe hypothesis can be integrated with Mr. Walker's
theory. Consciousness, acting at a gross level, seems to be
relativistic - something experienced by observers relative to
their frames of reference. Consciousness, at its ultimate level,
seems to be subtler than time and location.
867
When two observers see the same thing, they both may have certain
experiences in common, they both may affect the thing observed,
and they may report some of the events the same and some
differently. Experience may be categorized in a multiple
universe mode and/or in a single universe mode. If would be
interesting to know which mode is most useful for various
purposes.
It is obvious that some people have such a different personal
perception of reality as to be seemingly out of touch with the
world we experience around them. Their self-world image becomes
more important than anything, and they adjust their memories and
perceptions to meet whatever emotional needs they have at the
time [9]. Delusions of personal reality and the high
probability that such realities are real for the person
experiencing that reality can result in interesting questions
about what is real and what is unreal.
Although the universe may be a seamless whole, most physicists
describe it in two different modes, depending on whether things
are being observed or not [7]:
o A classical, mechanistic mode for the definite attributes of
observation, and
o A statistical, mathematical, quantum mechanical mode for the
wave patterns described by quantum mechanics.
David Bohm has begun to develop new terminology that integrates
both the process of observation and quantum theory [1].
868
REFERENCES
1. Bohm, David. Wholeness and the Implicate Order, ARK
Paperbacks, London, 1983.
2. Merzbacher, Eugene. Quantum Mechanics, John Wiley and
Sons, Inc., New York, 1967.
3. Bell, J.S. "On the Problem of Hidden Variables in Quantum
Mechanics, Review of Modern Physics 38, 447-452, 1966.
4. Walker, Evan H. "The Nature of Consciousness,"
Mathematical Biosciences 7, 1970.
5. Walker, Evan H. The Complete Quantum Mechanical
Anthropologist. U.S. Army Ballistic Research Laboratories,
Aberdeen Proving ground, Maryland, presented at the 73rd
Annual American Anthropological Association Meeting,
Mexico City, November 19-24, 1974.
6. Walker, Evan H. and Nick Herbert. "Hidden Variables:
Where Physics and the Paranormal Meet," Future Science,
edited by John White and Stanley Krippner, Anchor books,
Garden City, New York, 1977.
7. Herbert, Nick. "Notes Toward A User's Guide to the Quantum
Connection," Psychological Perspectives 38, Jung
Institute of Los Angeles, Spring-Summer 1988.
8. Bohm, David. "Consciousness and Self-Consciousness-A
Working Paper," Psychological Perspectives 38, Jung
Institute of Los Angeles, Spring-Summer 1988.
9. Bohm, David. "Beyond Relativity and Quantum Mechanics,"
Psychological Perspectives 38, Jung Institute of Los
Angeles, Spring-Summer 1988.
10. Bohm, David and Peat, David. Science Order and Creativity,
Bantam, 1987.
***************************************************************
I used WordPerfect to write this article, and I used CompuServe B
protocol, Procomm 2.4.1 and an Everex Evercomm 24 modem to transmit it.
I don't know how to transmit Greek and many mathematical symbols with
this software and hardware. As a result, I had to use non-standard
symbols in the equations. Any suggestions?
Note that "E" in numbers like 5E11 stands for five "times ten to
the" eleventh power.
869
{file "Personal effects of Ritual (Nihasa)" "bos198.htm"}
Personal Effects of Magic Ritual
By Nihasa
LC> I am exploring the power of change, as applied to
LC> ritual. When I step out of my suit and tie and into my
LC> ceremonial robe, then step out of my rooms and into my
LC> temple, then leave behind my everyday life and enter
LC> into the sacred space, what is it that makes it 'work'
LC> for me?
.
One part of the effect seems to come from an unconscious pact
you make with your many-faceted mind. When you remove your
"street" clothes, you give your mind permission to likewise
"put off" important thoughts about "mundane" life until you
return to those clothes. Notice that I don't say "compel
your mind" to avoid those thoughts...that generally doesn't
work very well. Instead, you acknowledge the importance of
the mundane thoughts and promise to return to them after the
ceremony (gee, did you know you were being so polite to your
self? <-;).
.
Likewise, when you don your ceremonial robes you invite your
mind to start focusing on the ceremony ahead and the general
context of such ceremonies and their associated mental
states. For those who work 'skyclad', this effect is often
achieved by tieing on a cord or putting on ritual jewelry.
When you step into the ritual chamber, you reiterate those
invitations while you step out of the transition and into
the magick.
.
These dynamics are fairly universal...they are the same for
a Christian priest and his vestments or a Toreador and his
Suit of Lights; from an actor slipping into his costume and
character to a couple slipping into those "special" night-
things. The mechanics vary from a simple "change clothes and
walk in" to elaborately formal vesting rituals with
prescribed chants and gestures at each stage. In NLP we call
the clothes and places "anchors", while others call them
reminders, Mnemonics, or talismans. They can be constructed
consciously or evolve unconsciously.
.
870
{file "Heretic's Corner (RMPJ)" "bos199.htm"}
THE HERETIC'S CORNER
(c)1986, Buck Jump
Greetings, my Pagan friends; may your Gods be well disposed
to you. May the rain fall gently on your rhubarb. May the hail
fall in a lake or on a parking lot. May our little six-legged
friends develop an allergy to your pickle patch.
Now is the sweet season of our year. Our Mother the Earth
is pregnant with the harvest to come. The days are long and the
thoughts of the season are long, long thoughts. In the soft
afternoon sky the white thunderheads sail serenely on like ships
of dream in dreamland seas. Surely even such as I can be
forgiven for dreaming a bit, for letting the fancy roam free.
In dreams I see a world set free. I see the human race
living in peace, with each one going his own way but with
courtesy to all who go another way. I see us as one species,
which we are, and all of us acknowledging that fact. I see each
walking in beauty, with dignity, and respecting the other
person's dignity. I see us loving one another, helping our
fellow men along their way. When I dream, I don't mess around -
I rear back and dream up a doozy!
So much for dreams; back to the world we live in, back to
the life we know. Before I spring my question for the day, a
little background, a few facts:
Every one of us must come to terms with his environment and
his heredity. We all live on one Earth. That is the main part
of our environment, or at least the location of it.
We are all human beings, homo occasionally sapiens. That is
the basis of our heredity.
Anything that is done to one of us is done to all of us.
Anything that happens in one place on this planet has some effect
on every place on the planet.
We are, all of us, stuck with our whole species. Here we
are with a bunch of people we wouldn't willingly walk down a
country road with. Indeed, we are as ship- wrecked mariners in a
lifeboat with a bunch we wouldn't sit down to eat a free meal
with. To jump out of the boat is to drown. To try to toss those
_______________s out is very apt to upset the boat and drown all
of us. These facts are self-evident, axiomatic.
I have always held that we should all walk the path of life
with our hands outstretched in fellowship with respect and love
for all. Of course, I have a caveat - keep a Bowie knife handy
in case they haven't all heard the message.
As the Ultimate is reported to have said when the mountains
were made, "Now for the background". The present situation is a
mess. Violence is everywhere. Not even foolish violence, but
violence without reason. Surely a leopard is in our streets and
a shark loose in our swimming pool.
871
An armed bandit shoots down an unarmed clerk who is
cooperating. A litigant in court shoots down an attorney. A
parent beats a child to death. A driver gets cut off coming onto
the freeway and guns down the chap in the pickup who did the
off-cutting. An otherwise reasonable young man is annoyed by the
sounds of traffic on a mountain road and starts shooting at the
cars passing. Those are only a few examples culled from the news
in recent months. In truth, senseless violence is loose in the
land.
As it is with the individual, so with groups. From the
racist fringe movement on to great governments. Violence for the
sake of violence is epidemic. Each age of history has had a
plague - the plague of this age is senseless violence. I have
friends of the "born again" persuasion who tell me that it is the
Devil doing it. I don't think so. As far as I can determine,
devils are a disorganized bunch. Satan Mekatrig Lord of Chaos is
a confusion in terms. Seen another way, that's organized
confusion. As I see it, the flow of the power of the Universe is
organized and rational. So it seems to me that any force opposed
to that flow must be disorganized and irrational. That is to say
nothing of the personal devils within us. They must have a hand
in at least some of this senseless violence.
I have other friends who blame it on some as yet
unidentified virus. Could be, but it's a rare virus that has no
fever, nor nausea accompanying its onset....
Others hold that it is all explainable by Sigmund Freud and
others of that ilk. Again I say could be, but what mental
discomboomeration comes on suddenly with no sign of
disorientation nor disturbance until it suddenly manifests itself
in the acute stage?
For all I know, none of the above are correct. The fact re-
mains that a wild unreasoning violence is loose among us, a
danger to us all. The fact is, we are all in the same boat, and
the boat is encountering some heavy weather. Don't you think we
should do something about it? I personally can think of a whole
lot of folks who I don;t really care to rescue, but being as we
are all in the same boat, I am sure going to do my best for
them....... But what?
In case this is all some psychosis, maybe we should engage a
firm of head shrinkers to drag in a trainload of couches and get
everyone to undergo psychoanalysis. I refuse to consider the
logistics of this. The idea by itself causes my mind to boggle.
Or, suppose it is a virus. In that case when the
virologists and immunologists have a bit of spare time from their
search for the cause and cure of AIDS, they could do the same for
the senseless violence virus. In view of the fact that we are
all at greater risk from senseless violence than from AIDS, it
might be a worthwhile task.
Or, just in case the gnostics have some truth in their
ideas, and it is Auld Clootie, maybe a mass general exorcism is
in order. Once again, my mind refuses to consider the logistics.
872
In view of the fact that the cause of senseless violence is
still unknown, we might get a government grant to study the
problem. Considering the speed that such grants usually get
results, I would expect a definite answer by the twenty-second
century. Of course, such a grant would have the added advantage
of keeping a large number of researchers out of the pool halls
and off the streets.
Now I am going to go against my usual custom and make a
suggestion; only a suggestion, mind, and not to be taken as a
dictum, but only as an idea to be considered. It has been my
observation that there are only two occasions when magic is apt
to work. One is after all other methods have been tried and
found ineffectual. The other is when there is no other method.
Now I believe that I have explored the other methods and found
them impractical if not impossible. So I feel that I am safe in
saying it's going to take magic to stop this purposeless killing.
So how to go about it? What spell, what charm, what
ceremony shall we use? What power shall we invoke? What power
evoke? Magic works, the proper ceremony at the proper time, done
for the proper reason, will work. True for you, you may well
say, but which ceremony? When? Why?
I just told you. The proper one. The one that is proper
for you is the one you yourself believe is proper. This is not
an essay on morals and ethics, so I refrain from putting in my
two cents worth on what is in my estimation proper. When you are
fighting a grass fire is no time to discuss what sort of shovel
to use.
In my dream we were all walking each in his own way, each
helping the others as much as possible. So here let us not try
to all walk in one path. No point in the universe can be reached
from only one direction. Let us rather each from where it seems
most right and comfortable, try by magic means to stop this
senseless violence. Not-ice I said senseless violence, not just
violence. Some who follow the old Norse way could hardly be ex-
pected to endorse some anti-violent intention, but I know of none
who do not deplore reasonless violence. We have our differences,
but surely no one objects to improving all our chances of kissing
our grandchildren.
So, what I propose is this. Sometime in the next quarter
year, whenever it seems most proper, let us in our various ways
by whatever means one believes in, try by magic means to stop
this epidemic of senseless violence.
873
I have noticed a few things about power on the unseen side.
For a ceremony to be more than a mere charade, everyone involved
in it must believe in the ceremony and in whatever power is used
in it. Everyone must believe that the ceremony can and will
work. Everyone must want the ceremony to work. If anyone
involved in the ceremony does not so believe and want, that
person will be a dead weight on the others that do. When I say
everyone, I mean everyone, all, each one with one belief and one
resolve. What can be done by a group acting in true spiritual
harmony is indeed amazing, but first you must have that true
spiritual harmony.
That is why I suggest we go at this not as some sort of
super- coven ecumenical pagan group. I have seen a few of these
"lets all get together" bunches back in the sixties, and they
couldn't even get drunk.
I personally am in favor of any religion that don't practice
human sacrifice, interfere in the private lives of the
nonbelievers, or use force in conversion. I love 'em all, but
I'm not fool enough to yoke the ass and the ox together. So
let's all go, but let's not try to make it a parade.
That is my suggestion, and my question is why not? I'd
appreciate your ideas on this, I truly would. If you have any
ideas on the subject, please communicate them to the editors of
the RMPJ. Even if the ideas are along the lines of, "You're
Nuts!!", just say why you think so. I'd appreciate it.
May your dreams come true; may the wind cool without
chilling, and may you reap a harvest even richer than the seed
catalogue said you would. May your shadow fall long on the
Earth. Go in peace, remember your fellows, and with these words
I do part now from thee.
________Buck Jump. ....from RMPJ 8/86
874
The Heretic's Corner
Greetings, my Pagan friends, may your Gods be well disposed
to you. May the sad and ugly in your lives be covered by the
blessing of beauty even as the trash of Autumn is covered by the
beautiful snow. May all that is sad in your lives decompose
beneath the blessings even as the dry leaves decompose beneath
the snow; out of the dead past a living future. The flower of
hope ever springs from the mulch and compost of dead regret.
Remember, a curse may force its way into your citadel, but a
blessing only enters through an opened door. In other words, my
blessings upon you, may your Gods bless you, but do your part
too.
Samhain has come and past, the leaves of autumn have fallen
to the ground, the veil between the worlds is once more grown
thick. It is winter now, early winter, but winter none the less.
Our mother the Earth is now the old woman by the fire- side, past
all passion now, but also past regret. She is the loving wise
woman, the old one who looks back in order to show us the path
ahead. Youth is the time for courage and hope, but courage
without caution is spectacular suicide and hope without wisdom is
gentle madness. The fruitful Mother Summer changes the snow-
baby's diaper, but Grandmother Winter shows her how. The Romans
dedicated this quiet season to Janus who looks back into the past
and ahead into the future with good reason. It is the season of
history and prophesy. The sound of the pipes dies in a wail,
the nimble fingers of the harper are still upon the strings, a
hush falls over the hall and the blind seer of things unseen
makes his way slowly up the length of the Ard Righ's great hall,
tapping with his staff before him. It is the hour of telling the
King's fortune, the tribe's fortune. When the blind seer begins
to chant all tongues are stilled, all ears are straining to catch
every word. So it was, so it still is, and my guess is, it will
be so as long as men walk the earth.
Now for my questions. A heretic without questions is a
confusion in terms. I may be confusing and even [some say]
confused, but I am a bona fide heretic here to question any faith
- even my own.
First question: What do you see up the road before us?
There are Tarot cards, there are Runes, there are crystal balls
and dark mirrors, peep stones and visions in the mind. I can't
even begin to list all the ways of looking into the future, but
whatever method you use, won't you tell us what you see? As a
voting member of the human corporation you owe it to your fellows
to share your vision with us all. So come on all you
astrologers, scryers, mystics and shamanic prophets, give us the
word. Now I know how hard it is to go out on a limb, I lived in
a tree house for a while. No one but a masochist or a publicity
hound wants to be proved wrong in public. Even the delphic
oracle used to state her predictions in ambiguous terms. The
fact that any prophet can at times be wrong tends to make serious
prophets a rather close-mouthed bunch. I understand how that is,
no one's complexion is improved by egg on the face.
875
Now I think I have a way for you to share your vision
without going out on a limb and falling like Lucifer if the limb
breaks. Write your prediction to the editors of the R.M.P.J. and
ask that your name be kept confidential. It will be. I know
Kyri and Gary and I give you my word and oath, they are honorable
people who will respect your confidence. A Pagan Priest or
Priestess is no more apt to break the seal of confession than a
Christian one. In the case of astrologers this is hardly the
case. The stars are a matter of public knowledge and any error
in an astrological prediction is a matter of interpretation
rather than false vision. To some degree readers of cards and
runes are the same as astrologers - the error is more apt to be
in the reading than in what is read. Anyway, in these troubled
times [that is a redundancy] we all can use any guidance we can
get, so please pass on to the rest of us any vision you have. So
that is the first question. What do you see, and that's a public
question.
Here is the next question, and it is a private question -
that is, answer it, but don't pass the answer on. If you do, it
can only lead to quarrels, argument and sorrow. We have enough
trouble in the world without adding to it. Answer, but keep your
answer where you found it. The question is this: Is the future
you saw the only future possible?
The idea that the future is fixed, that the last day's
doings were inevitably programmed before the first day's dawn did
not begin with John Calvin. If the future is fixed then it can
be known - however, if it's fixed, knowing it won't help. In
fact in a totally known or knowable future even your finding out
is part of the programme.
Now as for me, I'm a heretic. I truly can't call myself a
Pagan and I'm sure not part of anything else either. I wouldn't
try to get anyone to share my beliefs. For one thing, being "a
poor seeker after the truth, whatever it may be" is lonely, for
another it is apt to give a person lots of shocks. So if I toss
in a bit of private faith at this point don't think I'm trying to
make any converts. I only bring this up for your consideration.
If you see a coyote chasing a rabbit and the coyote is
gaining, you can predict rabbit dinner. The odds are you will be
right unless... You didn't see the hole one jump ahead of the
rabbit, or you may have overlooked the hawk already stooping on
the rabbit. All of these, coyote, rabbit, and hawk, are living
creatures, self-directed by minds, so we must consider these
possibilities too. The coyote may become a vegetarian, the
rabbit may take a quick course in judo and the hawk may become a
guru and announce that she has become a butterfly. The future
will probably be a continuation of the past, what is in motion
will probably stay in motion, but so long as minds are a part of
the future, the future is changeable. The ability to change is
the chief attribute of a mind.
876
So, if I'm right any vision of the future, even if it cannot
be totally exact will be of value to me. If I'm wrong and the
future is fore-ordained, prearranged, fated or kismet, I would be
wasting my time even considering it. The worst part of that is
even my wasting my time must also be fated. I don't believe
that, but it is a consoling thought when I've lost the rent money
shooting pool.
Now the last question. This one can be public or private as
you prefer. I can't see how the answer or how you answer would
in itself cause any real trouble. Oh, those who agree with your
answer will call you wise and those who disagree will call you a
blind fool, but that goes on all the time anyway. The question
is this: How did some of the old-timers in the game of
prediction roll up their impressive scores?
There was the oracle at Delphi, the Roman spurinna, St. Malachy,
and Coinneach Odhar the Brahan seer; they all rolled, so far as
we know, a perfect score. How did they do it? Or did they? It
may well be that their hits have been remembered and their misses
swept under the rug.
Then there are others; Nostradamus, Homer Lee the hunch-
back, Roger Bacon and Robert Nixon the cheshire idiot, to name a
few. These all proved quite accurate after the fact. That is,
their pre-dictions have been seen to be accurate after the events
predicted have come to pass, but difficult to understand before
they happened. This in spite of the fact that both Lee and Nixon
were quite plain spoken.
Some have had dream visions, some have been suddenly granted
knowledge, some have had visions in trance and some of them were
correct. Others by the same methods or means have been totally
wrong. Is there a way to tell the true from the false before the
predicted event either comes to pass or passes beyond
possibility? If so how? Did they, the visionaries whose visions
were accurate beyond the laws of chance, see the real and only
future, or the most likely future? Did they perceive the causes
in their times and follow them logically to their final efforts,
or did they physically go forward in time?
No big deal, but something to while away the hours when the
snow keeps all but those employed outside (and brave fools)
isolated by the fireside with nothing but a bunch of books to re-
read and the idiot box to look at. When the white blanket cuts
us off from society it is well to have something to occupy the
mind. Figuring out the prophets of old ought to last even a busy
mind through a day of blizzard.
Any way, let us have a bit of prophetic prediction from the
readers. I have no doubt that there is at least one Michel de
Nostredame out there and probably several William Millers.
Miller, if you don't know, was the gent who predicted the end of
the world for Oct. 22, 1844. If you haven't noticed, he was
wrong. Let us hear a word from the future from these Rocky
Mountains.
877
The snow grows deeper up in the hills; old Yuler skiis over
the mountains and through the canyons, his long red cap trailing
behind like the tail of a comet and his merry laugh ringing in
the crisp air. Yuler of the winter stars, friend of wolves,
fools, drunks and children - enemy of armies, noble princes, and
"the brave of mouth, coward of heart", - may he take a liking to
you. Even more, may you be the sort of person he likes,
cheerful, full of laughter, not boastful, simple of heart, open
of mind and blessed with a generous giving hand.
Be of good cheer dear friends; listen to the voice of our
Mother. The longest coldest winter will end one day in spring.
However deep beneath the snow the seeds are buried, in time the
flowers will bloom again. I don't need a crystal ball to see
some rough times ahead. Times are hard and getting harder, but
we humans have weathered some bad times getting this far. We can
make it. My blessings on one and all, with which words I do part
now from thee.
__________Buck Jump
.......from RMPJ 12/86
878
THE HERETIC'S CORNER
Copyright (c) 1987 by Buck Jump
Greetings my Pagan friends; may your Gods be well disposed
to you. May the smoke go lightly up your chimney, taking the
ills and sorrows of your house with it. May your wood pile
diminish slowly and your fire kindle quickly. May you not lack
for ale nor friends to share it with.
Yule has come and passed, the sun has once more turned North
and the short winter days grow longer. For all that, the wolf of
winter howls the louder around our doors. The sky holds a
promise of spring; the wolf howls louder and prowls closer around
our doors for he knows his time is short.
We people of the North Intemperate Zone are the children of
the seasons. Our special magic is weather magic. Out of the
cold hard winter and the hot blazing summer we have fashioned our
arts and our inventions. All the strength under the sky is of no
avail without some-thing to push against. Yet for all our clever
inventions we are still shaped by the seasons, ruled by the
weather. here in the rockies, all our promises and our contracts
carry the unspoken clause, "If the road is open and the crick
don't rise."
Our Mother the Earth speaks to us by the seasons, in the
ever changing, ever repeated weather. Hereabout when Mother
speaks all men listen. Now in the hard season be-tween the
winter solstice and the vernal equinox the lesson Mother teaches
is one of patience and introspection.
Consider, my friends, how it is this time of year. We walk
abroad in a world that seems dead, or at least dormant and
sleeping. Yet out of this seeming death will spring the life of
the summer to come. Life into death, death into life the seasons
roll on. Under the frost the seeds of the plants to come are
waiting. Deep in their roots the grass and the greenwood trees
are gathering strength for the green to come. A person who won't
learn from nature won't long cast a shadow on the earth.
Now is the time for planning and preparation. Now, when
every thing is moving slowly is the time to set our minds for the
quick decisions to come. The time to plan for a journey is
while the road is blocked with snow. Perspiration without
preparation is a waste of effort. Now in this quiet time we
should prepare for the busy season ahead. In this life the quick
and the dead are judged. Those who ain't quick are judged dead.
True enough, but quick alone won't get it. The frog that means
to survive must be ever ready to jump, but he has to jump in the
right direction. Old Blue Heron gets many a meal from frogs who
jump the wrong way. We live in a hard world where to do nothing
is to die, and to do the wrong thing is suicide. The eyes that
look not ahead are soon stopped with grave dust.
879
Look into the future to plan for the future, but don't
forget the past. Old defects and mistakes are a better teacher
than old triumphs. Remember what went wrong in the past, so it
won't go wrong again. Anyone alive to read these words must be
at least fair at for-seeing the future, or have luck beyond the
ordinary. Now is the time to get out the crystal ball, cast the
horoscope, shuffle the Tarot cards, consider the predictions of
sages and experts, read the record to establish a pattern, and
then meld them all into some sensible plan of action. It's not a
bad idea to have a contingency plan or two on hand just in case.
Enough of this, I am beginning to sound like a guru, and I
only meant to pass the time of day. I have no certificate of
appointment signed by the ultimate and witnessed by our Mother
the Earth appointing me councillor to the human race. No, I'm
just the asker of questions, and I don't need an appointment for
that. Does a bird need an appointment to fly?
Don't pay too much attention to me, or to any other tribal
elder. We are all of us ever tempted to sit in the seat of the
oracle, and reveal to the young the words of the Gods, that we
heard in the age we call golden. If the elder is really good at
it he can even recall an age when every goose was a swan and
every goat a gazelle. The flower children who said "don't trust
anyone over thirty" had good reason for saying it. I would add
"Don't trust anyone under thirty, either." If you can't trust
your own observations and intelligence, you have a real problem.
I trust you to know the difference between gold and bull-
plop. I will propose questions, you will have to find your own
answers. If I, or any other old crock,knew the answers to all of
life's questions, do you think we'd be here casting our pearls of
wisdom to the winds?
When, and if you have a bit of time to consider general
questions, after considering your own specific problems, here are
a few good ones.
What should our relations be with one who has gone wrong?
We should love all life, even the self made mess, the scoundrel
who knows no law save his own appetites, the seeker after free
lunches, the T.V. evangelist and all the self proclaimed "great
leaders". We should love them, but how close should we get?
Holding hands with a fool who insists on standing under a tall
tree during a thunderstorm just isn't bright. The laws of nature
have no pity, and being an innocent bystander is the most
dangerous employment known to man. So the real question is, how
close should we get?
880
Another to ponder, how far should we go in turning one of
our fellows from the wrong path? "No effort to great to promote
the right" sounds good but is it? Consider: When does a
friendly word of warning become a pack of alarmist lies? How far
does friendly persuasion go, before it becomes `unfriendly
coercion? It's all very well to be the dedicated teacher, but
when does the teacher become the demagogue? How far can a
teacher go before he is interfering with the student's free will?
Where does seduction end and rape begin? Just how far can one go
in correcting a friend gone wrong without buying in to a real bad
deal? I was once picking apples with a fellow who was color-
blind. With the best intention he picked a small round hornets
nest. We learn by observation.
Here's one to ponder on long cold nights when old Fenris
howls outside the door, and ghost lights gleam in the northern
sky. Can right ever be wrong? At first glance, it looks like
the Old Heretic has drunk too deep from the good plum wine.
Could be, but consider before you judge. Take for instance the
statement "The Earth is our mother, we should all love, cherish
and protect her." Now, I don't think you can find a sane person
anywhere who don't agree with that statement, at least in spirit.
Self-preservation demands that we try to save our home and
our heritage. So far so good, but just how far should we go in
our protecting? What weapons should we use, and how use them?
Adolph Hitler had the idea that over-population was our big
problem, and he set out to fix it. The laws of nature don't need
a bunch of petit bureaucrats to enforce them. No judge and jury
are needed to sentence a fool to dismemberment for failing to
show the proper respect for high explosives. It doesn't take the
hand of Lud to drown a fool who shoots a hole in the boat. The
laws of nature have no pity, you who know better and are in the
boat with the armed idiot will drown along with him if he fires
the shot. The trick is to save the boat. In a case like that,
anything that works is right and proper--if it works. Throwing
the armed lunatic overboard is fine if you can do it without
upsetting the boat.
Anyone can cure a dog of running away by shooting him in the
head.
It's a poor medicine that causes more pain than it cures. It is
not enough to know right and defend it, you must still be right
after your defence triumphs. The end would justify the means
always, except any end must reflect the means and be a part of
them. So I lied a little, right can become wrong. The real
question is how does one defend right without destroying the
right defended? That's one we all damn well better have an
answer for every day.
881
These grey days that keep me indoors have gotten me full of
questions; a house-bound heretic is a menace to man's peace of
mind. Here is a question to discuss with friends by the fire
over a mug of ale. I toss this in as a gift. After you have
discussed the weather and displayed your knowledge of sports
you'll need a topic of conversation. That boring lull in the
conversation is all too easy to fill with remarks about the
neighbors, and that leads all to often to digging a grave in the
frozen ground. So here is my gift to the peace of the
neighborhood. When is it proper to work weather magic?
I won't bore you with a discourse on the ways and means of
weather magic, they are many and for the knowledgeable person
they all work. I know that there are a few world-class weather
fixers in my audience. Most of us are somewhere between poor and
fair at weather magic. In terms of snow we range from a white
frost to an occasional ground hider. The real adept can bring on
a real road-blocker at will. The question is not "can it be
done?", the quest-ion is "When should it be done?"
Why? Before you answer it might be well to consider another one
of those laws of nature. There is one that can be stated
`whatever you do by whatever means is your responsibility', or in
the vulgate "if you order it you have to take de-livery on it and
pay for it."
My first three questions are intended for private answers,
I don't want to know your answers, but I hope you do. As long as
your personal moral code doesn't endanger me, I'm in favor of
you keeping it personal. I have trouble enough with my own moral
code. I'm not interested in yours, but I hope you are.
I'd like some input on the last question. If you have any
ideas on the subject please pass them on to our ever-tolerant
editors. We who love our Mother Earth, and practice a bit of
benign magic owe it to each other and to humanity generally to
share our ideas. Some of the magi of the old times seem to have
worked out the morality of weather magic, but that was then, this
is now. Or does that make a difference?
I have done my best to give you something to think about,
something to keep boredom at bay and break the monotony of the
cold grey days. If this doesn't work you can shovel snow and
keep your body so busy that your mind won't have time to grow
bored. If you don't have any snow of your own to shovel I'll let
you come over to my house and have at the drifts with a shovel.
My blessing to one and all; may the green grass of spring
know your shadow - with these words I do now part from thee.
P.S. Women: Please read mankind for man, and Hers or His for
his. I respect all of you persons, but I plead `non culpa' to
the charge of male chauvinism - I did not invent the English
language, I only use it.
882
THE HERETIC'S CORNER
by Buck Jump
Greetings, my Pagan friends; may your Gods be well disposed
to you; may the bugs flee your patch as from a crow; may the
gentle rain fall softly on your flower beds; and may your lovers
be all you wish them to be. Now at the season of long lovely
days and short passionate nights, when our Mother the fair Earth
is at her richest and most bountiful, it is hardly the season for
deep thinking.
When nature is at its very best and the season most
enjoyable are we not all of us tempted to shut of maymental
processes and enjoy life in a purely sensual mammalian way? Of
course we are, to do less would be an insult to creation.
At this glad time, here comes that old pest, the heretic,
like the ghost at Ceasar's feast. Consider, dear friends, even
as the screech owl is put into this world to scare goose bumps on
our backs, the here-tic is put into the world to ask hard
questions and discomboomerate the quiet mind. The only place on
this sweet earth where we can look for a quiet unchanging stay is
a graveyard. It is so with me, even as with you.
The other day when I was minding my own business [a most ha-
zardous occupation], a stranger came to me with a request. He
wanted me to magically restore to him a lost love. It seems that
he had, by his own actions, turned his lady's love if not to
hate, at least to an active dislike. He was sorry. He knew it
was all his own fault. He agreed that she was justified in
leaving him. He beat his chest and cried `mea culpa', but he
wanted her back, and he wanted me or someone to, as he put it,
"push the right button", and change the situation. Before he
came to me he had been to a friend of mine. The friend is a
scholar and practical magician who is rather more daring than
most- he had by magic means caused the lady to recall the best of
the past. With that, the lady consented to talk with her ex-
inamorata, and discuss, in a civilized fashion, her decision to
be done with him. At that, the magician bowed out. He pointed
out to the petitioner that from there on, it was up to him. My
friend maymagician can be, when he has to be, a most impressive
man, and I gather he dismissed the `lorn lover' with a definite
dismissal.
Then he came to me. I pointed out that there ain't no free
lunch in the universe and I had no intention o making on a
karmic debt of considerable proportion for his possible benefit.
I told him that it is easier to move a mountain than to move a
human mind if it will not be moved. I told him that he was
trying to find someone to do for him what could only be properly
done by himself. I pointed out to him that his situation was an
effect of a cause, a cause that he was responsible for. I told
him that magic is fine as a last resort, but hardly to be
considered as first aid. I told him ...... I wasted my breath.
Such a one hears only what he wants to hear.
883
The petitioner only said, "I just need someone to push the
right button - she used to love me. I am not asking much, I just
want things to be like they were."
I refrained from pointing out that Hitler could have said
the same thing in the bunker. Then he said, "I am willing to pay
you. Just tell me how much it's going to cost." Some things are
an insult from a knowledgeable person, and a joke from a fool. I
laughed. He was the sort who would ask "How much?", referring to
one's head.
Now I am, I think, a reasonable sort, patient, and in my own
way polite, but enough is enough, and this chap was rapidly
becoming too much. I told him flatly, that I was not about to do
any button pushing. I gave him what I felt was good advice.
That is, I told him that if he was determined to further his
amours by magic means to learn to do it himself. I referred him
to a most knowledgeable teacher. I was in that way certain that
he would either learn what was involved in his request and give
it up, or more likely abandon the whole thing as too slow and too
difficult. (The teacher informs me that he never bothered to
even go around to see what the teacher had to offer. A case of
"Gimme my daily bread, I'm willing to wait with my mouth open".)
Then he countered that if I wouldn't "push the button" could
I refer him to someone who could, or would. I inquired around.
One col-league I know is willing to try just about anything. He
once did a weather spell out on the high plains in tornado season
and another time worked a charm to rid a field of grasshoppers in
hail season. I add, both were successful in a disastrous way.
When I contacted him with the case, his words were, "I'd like to
but I'm going on a trip to South America." Surprised, I asked
about the trip, adding I hadn't known about it. He replied, "I
didn't know about it either, but if that dude shows up here, I'm
going!"
Failing to find a genuine scholar and practicing magician
to attempt the matter, I tried a couple of unethical charlatans.
In view of the fact that the petitioner was a large muscular sort
who would expect instant results, they regretfully declined.
I was beginning to feel like Sinbad the Sailor when he
carried the old man of the sea piggyback around the island. At
wit's end (where I have lived for years), I suggested that he try
religion. I offered to introduce him to some nice Pagan folks,
or even get him in touch with some T.V. type evangelists. He
refused on the grounds that they would be too slow and uncertain.
He wanted instant gratification.
At last, thanks be to the power that watches over well-
meaning fools like me, another lady hove into sight, and he took
off in her direction with deep breath and flashing eyes. This
sad fellow is but one of many I've had my misfortune to meet. I
am sure most of you could recount similar sad males. We'll all
have to get together and I'll haul out the portable wailing wall,
and we can share a cup of tea and all sympathize with each other.
884
I wouldn't have bored you with this all too familiar tale
except I have a question. How does one deal with such people?
Is there some way to tell a person with a real problem who can be
helped from the person who has an endless amount of wants and no
energy to help himself? That is, some way, without finding out
the hard way? I can handle skeptics (I am one myself), I can
handle cynics, I can handle atheists and deal with convinced true
believers of all sorts, but how do I deal with a person who
believes that I can work miracles?
One question leads to another. I have a few more on the
same line. How comes it that as soon as people, some of them at
least, find that one is not part of some main line orthodox
church, they straightway want you to work some magic? Are Roman
Catholic and Episcopal priests pestered by miracle seekers? Are
T.V. evangelists? If not, why not? They deal in magic as much
as any Pagan or free thinker. Is the prevalence of lazy
freeloaders the reason that Christianity for the last fifteen
centuries or so has been down playing the magical basis of the
early Church? This is a topic worthy of our consideration.
Another question comes to mind at this point. A question
about magic in general. I am sure you know what magic is, just
is I am sure I know what it is. The definitions are many and
varied, but they all basically state in one way or another, that
magic is the practical side of religion, and the practice of
magic is the art of causing changes in the tangible by intangible
means. Or, to put it another way, magic is a mental way of
changing the physical by means o the spiritual. That is what
magic is, no question there. The question is what does the
uninitiated, uninformed layman think magic is?
If you are going to make a living repairing televisions and
radios, it is not enough that you know electronics. You must
also know what your customers believe about electronics. The
degree of success in the TV-Radio repair business is generally in
direct proportion to the amount of customer knowledge the
proprietor of the business has. The rule is, if you deal with
the run of humanity, you must understand the general run of
humanity. You must not know only what you know, but also what
people ignorantly suppose you know.
I pass this bit of wisdom on to you, for I think it has
value to any serious student of matters intangible. An old
doctor of medicine told me this some forty years ago. The
occasion was a patient of his inquiring about an operation for a
then inoperable condition. I, only an army medic, was astounded
at the fellow's ignorance and when the Doc and I were alone, said
as much. "Son," the old doctor said, "Here is something to
remember Anything that works that you don't understand is magic
and a magician can do anything. That's not the truth, but
ninety per cent of the human race believe it is." That is how
people who have never studied the arts of magic see it. To them
it is a power without cost and without limit.
885
Now, the final question for this time is, what should we do
about this situation? How should one handle a request made in
good faith, to do something clearly impossible? Don't tell me
the answer is nineteenth century elitist secrecy. Even if one
is a member of The Mystic Confraternity of the Aureate, six
fifteen A.M. some well intentioned ill informed citizen is going
to crawl out of your woodwork either begging for a miracle or
demanding one. Secrecy restricts the free flow of information
and the cross fertilization of ideas, besides which it don't
work. I fear that people more or less like the chap I described
at the start of this will ever be with us. What can we do about
them, how should we do it? I am as always serious with my ques
tions. If anyone has some idea on the subject please let us all
know. Write the editorial staff of the RMPJ. Don't hide your
light in this dark world.
Now, having done my best to dispel the boredom of too much
of a good thing, I part now from you. May the sunshine fall
softly on you, tanning but not burning. May our sweet Mother the
Earth long know your shadow. May you go ever with the current of
the power of the Absolute. My blessings on one and all.
(c)1986, by Buck Jump .........from R.M.P.J. 8/86
886
THE HERETIC'S CORNER
Copyright 1987, Buck Jump & RMPJ
Greetings, my Pagan friends--may your Gods be well-disposed to you.
May the rain be sufficient unto the needs of your gardens but not so much
as to change the creek bottom geography. May the fish be attracted to your
bait and the deer flies and mosquitos find you nauseating.
Now is the sweet season of our year when our sweet Mother the Earth is
at Her most satisfying, must nurturing aspect. Ripe Summer just a moon to
come, Spring with her fickle teasing just a moon past. Now the days are
long and our thoughts are longer. The nights are short and our sorrows
even shorter. To add my blessing to the blessing of being alive in this
glad season would be to lay a penny on a gold-piece. Rejoice and be glad
that you are alive in this season.
According to my Almanac, which holy writ I have so far found to be
true, on the night of June 25 the Sun and Moon will both be in Cancer.
That night if the clouds are not intervening we will be treated to the
sight of the new moon with the old moon in her arms. The earth light then
is so bright on the moon that we can see it from here.
The Teutons call it the geigenschine, and, in the old times at least,
believed it was the time when one might peer through the veil of time, to
see both past and future. The Celts held that the new moon was pregnant
with the harvest to come on these nights. Those who follow the seasons in
their doings hold it a grand time for beginnings. A good time for marrying
and giving in marriage. The Hebrideans hold it to be the luckiest of times
for launching a fishing boat. Come to think about it those two things are
not very different.
Any way it's a fine night for a bonfire and a picnic. I must confess
in my own case it's hard to think of a night that isn't good for a fire and
a feast, but when the new moon holds the old moon in her arms seems the
best of nights for partying and feasting. It is a time without equal for
blessing ceremonies -- especially ceremonies to bless the beginning of
something.
Most of you, I am sure, know more about this than I do, but I thought I'd
just give you all a gentle reminder. Another thing -- it is generally said
to be ill luck to start the new cider in the fall with over half the old
cider still not drunk. Party time, friends!!
887
Now I may seem to change the subject. I have found that only the
Absolute Ultimate Intelligence and the tables of mathematics can be trusted
totally. That is why I trust the Almanac, the axioms of geometry, and the
equations of physics more than the revealed words of all the prophets. Not
that I think prophets are liars, far from it, but one man's truth may be
another man's fairy tale. If you don't think that is so, consider: Three
honest, fair, sober citizens witness the same event, say a wreck on the
highway. One is a farmer from the San Luis Valley, one a Denver truck
driver, and one a sheep herder from Craig; they tell their story in what
they all fondly believe to be standard English. What do we hear? Three
different stories that don't even seem to concern the same event. Now take
three metallurgists, or chemists, or physicists - any three people all
knowledgeable in the same physical discipline. Let one be a Swede, one a
Chinese and one an American; let them all make the same observation and
report on it each in his own language. The equations they use explaining
the observation will be identical. That is why I hold Almanacs and such to
be holy writ.
Interesting, but what has that piece of information to do with a feast
by a bonfire or a ceremony under the new moon? Music is what. Music is
that form of mathematics that describes and evokes emotion. A ceremony
without music is like a feast without food, a confusion in terms.
I can't speak the highland Gaelic, but when a good piper blows "I will
see ye no the more" I understand what it is to go bravely into a battle
knowing you won't win, and can't win, but can't avoid either. They had no
piper, but I wonder if someone didn't whistle that sad brave tune inside
the Alamo that morning when Santa Anna's trumpeter blew "Death and Glory."
A native American blowing on a bone flute can tell you more about the Hopi
nation and what the coyote's song means than a whole library full of
anthropological studies. A classic Chinese orchestra playing "Dragons
Crossing a River" will put you more in tune with China than a year spent
studying Kung Fu Tse in translation. A drummer from the Congo banks and a
drummer from the Shetlands don't have the same beat, nor do they carry the
same message, but each can understand the other.
Magic is at least in part emotion, a mood-thought or as we say in the
country `you have to hold your mouth right.' So if you do plan some
ceremony for the night of the double moon, give a thought to the music. It
is not enough that a ceremony "work" it has to "work right."
Now for my question. I am not just being silly with this, I ask it in
hope that we can establish some uniformity of terms. At the night of the
new moon we who count time by moons begin a new count. Different folk in
different places name the moons differently. That is, the full moon
occurring when the Sun is in Cancer or first after the Summer solstice is
called Green Corn moon, Catfish moon, Strawberry moon, or First Heat moon,
to name only a few designations. I am not trying to establish any
uniformity in these names. As the heart feels let the mouth speak. Any
way a list beginning with the Full moon next after the Vernal Equinox is
easily translated from one name system to another.
888
What I'd like to know is something else. The other day I was playing
trivial pursuit and one of the questions was "what is the second full moon
in a month called? I missed it. The answer was a "blue moon." I lost
fair and square, a game is played by the rules of the game and damn the
facts. In fact, a blue moon occurs whenever there is a cloud of volcanic
dust in the stratosphere. We had several after St. Helens blew up. There
were some emerald sunrises at that time too. We had `blood on the moon'
some fifty years ago during the dust storms. That red moon phenomenon
occurs during forest fires too. Signs in the moon of impending doom and
disaster are too well known to warrant comment, so I won't make any.
What I want to know is what does one call the second full moon
occurring in the passage of the sun through a single sign of the Zodiac? In
four full years there are 48 sun signs, but 49 full moons. What does one
call that extra full moon? For instance it happened now would it be
"second full moon", or "early currant moon", or "more catfish moon", or "If
you didn't catch 'em last time moon get 'em now moon"? Being as I'm not
color blind I know it's not a "blue moon" but what is it?
So dear friends the year rolls on. Enjoy the good green days when
Summerland is here and not hereafter. To look ahead at the cold to come
will spoil the enjoyment of Summer but it won't make Winter any less sharp.
So enjoy the sweet days while you may. May you so live that the Summer
days will live in your hearts throughout the whole cycle of seasons and be
with you even when you pass this way again. May our Mother bless you and
guide you. With these words I do now part from thee.
--Buck Jump
889
THE HERETIC'S CORNER
(c)1986, Buck Jump
Greetings, my Pagan friends; may your Gods be well disposed
to you. May your harvest be bounteous, may your winter meat be
fat and easily gotten, and may the autumn sun warm you for the
cold to come.
Now is the time of the grand payoff when what we have worked
for throughout the long summer is at last laid in the granary. A
little while to enjoy the sweet earth, the time between harvest
and wood chopping. Our Mother is especially sweet just now - past
bearing but not yet the wise old grandmother, our Earth is still
warm with passion, a lover of pleasure without consequence.
Autumn is the year's reward. May yours be rich and filled with
ecstasy.
The black birds flock for the long trip south; the wild
geese return from the arctic barrens. The coyotes sing their
wild song of life and love. A night wind rustles the drying
leaves under the Hunter's moon, and I hear the horn of the wild
hunt rushing over the land. The veil between the worlds grows
thin and the past comes back into the present.
There is a sweet nostalgia in the past. Old loves still
warm the cooling blood; old triumphs still make the heart beat
faster; old mistakes still bring a blush to the cheek. "Old
mistakes", as the English sailor said in the Japanese bath house,
"Aye, there's the rub."
I hope the wild hunt in passing your house, starts only such
game as you will want to see. I fear that old Herne has started
a hare in my woods that I neither knew was there nor wanted to
see.
My Pagan friends, forgive me... I goofed. Mea Culpa, and I
should have known better. At least I give thanks that I can
acknowledge my goof before it goes farther, and thanks too that I
haven't entirely dislocated my arm patting myself on the back.
When last I wrote in these pages, I suggested that we all
work some magic to put an end to senseless violence. I thought I
was being reasonable, I thought my idea would perhaps inspire an
outpouring of spiritual power that might well improve our common
environment. It seemed like such a good idea. I was proud of
myself. Well, pride goeth before a forced landing.
890
I have a friend with whom I've debated many an issue of
moral philosophy over many a cup of coffee. He shall remain
nameless here, but I can identify him as a Talmudic scholar who
has taken a post graduate course in human nature in the "second-
hand" business. He is a master schooled in both theory and prac-
tice. As soon as you issue of the R.M.P.J. came out, I
rushed down to the coffee shop to gloat and play `one-up' with my
friend. I went in like a falcon and got shot down like a goose.
He read my prose carefully, and re-read parts of it. He is a
scholar and a gentleman. The former kept him from agreeing, the
latter kept him from being nasty about it. Every philosopher
should have such a friend, someone to keep our feet on the
ground.
"I agree with your position", he told me, "I think you have
a noble idea, but your first premise is false. There is no
senseless violence -- all violence seems sensible to the one who
does it. Now you, I, and every well intentioned reasonably
intelligent person must agree the examples you cite are
senseless. To us they are senseless, but to the people who did
them they were sensible."
Then he proceeded to show how, from the warped viewpoint of
these violent people their actions were, to them, both sensible
and justified. He convinced me that I was making a moral and
value judgement rather than a positive statement of natural fact.
In order to achieve what I wanted, I now realize, would require
some drastic reshaping of a lot of minds, an overhaul of millions
of psyches. I didn't realize what I was asking. Well, when I
dream, I dream big....
If all the moral philosophers, gurus, religious leaders,
prophets and shamans who have tried and failed to re-shape
humanity en masse were gathered together in a single place, it
would take a Texas wheat field to hold them. In order to stop
senseless violence it will be necessary to get everyone to agree
on what is senseless. I know what is right, you know what is
right, but that wierdo next door has some other idea. Before we
can feel safe around him we have to get him to agree with us.
I'm not too optimistic about a mass mind change even by magic.
It is worth a try, but recall - in the past, some real eternity
class magicians have tried and failed. Some of those old boys
could control the weather, transmute metals, turn juice or water
in to wine instantly and levitate, but they couldn't change the
mind set of mankind. It's easier to move a mountain than a mind.
To use force either real or implied, either physical or social,
is only to replay the inquisition, and we've already had too many
remakes and sequels to that. Education seems to be the only
method that works, and that's as slow as evolution.
891
Right and Justice are not to be had in job lots, even with
magic. Every case must be approached individually one by o@e.
To change minds in mass lots can be done magically; however
people who are so changed are not really changed, but only
suppressed -- what you get are a bunch of zombies. So far as I
know this sort of thing is only done by magicians on the dark
side. Adolph Hitler and Jim Jones are two examples that come
readily to mind. For all I know both of the named examples may
well have started with the highest motives. When you start
superimposing your mind o@ the mind of another or others, things
have a way of coming unglued. History is full of examples of
groups that acted with one mind for a while and then unravelled
when the guru leader either died or ran out of gas. No my
friends, it won't work, even with the noblest of motives it just
won't work.
I knew all this from long ago, but I was misled as to what
was going on. I thought the senseless violence I saw around me
was from some outside source. A mad spirit, a virus or some sort
of "dis-harmonic vibration". If that were the case my idea would
have been a good one. On the off chance that something like that
is now afoot in our world a general intention for reason and
against violence can't hurt, and may well do some constructive
good. I'm all for anyone who tries to clean up our environment,
seen or unseen. Considering the sort of good folk who read the
R.M.P.J. I'm not too worried that anyone who read my last little
effort will be misled by it. I fear that at worst, those of you
who followed my suggestion may have wasted both time and effort -
- I hope that at best, you may have done some good by promoting
reason and discouraging confusion. Cleaning the house won't stop
a fire, but it will lessen the chances of spontaneous combustion,
and make a fire easier to fight if it does break out. As I see
it, my mistake was in supposing we all have more or less the same
values and in externalizing he source of senseless violence.
Enough of apology and explanation. Breast-beating and
patting your back are both good exercises .....in futility.
One good bray from the donkey, o@e good hoot from the owl, and
then back to work. We are still at risk from some angry fool
armed and dangerous. What can be done? What should be done?
I can think of several things to do. First, learn to
perceive the violent odes. Some of us can see auras, some can
pick up on "bad vibes", some can "smell" trouble -- however,
whichever, my advice would be to use it. An antelope don't long
survive in the veldt without looking, listening, smelling and
generally keeping on the alert. Second, surround yourself with
protection. Some walk in a sphere of protection, some are guided
by some unseen force, I rely on my guardian spirit, guardian
angel or however you call her. In any case, whatever protection
you have, use it. Whatever ceremonies, prayers, incantations or
deep meditations you use, don't neglect them. That is about it.
We're back where we were when we wore fur bikinis and hunted with
stone-tipped spears, but haven't we always been there? Safety
is, in this life, I fear only an illusion.
892
One thing more we can do, and should do -- we can teach.
Part of the debt we all owe to life is to clean the place. Non
only should we pick up the trash, but we should also clean up the
vicious bull-shit wherever we find it. Like it or not we are all
teachers. Whatever we do, whatever we say is part of the
lesson we teach.
Before all the Gods I wish I had some magic formula to give
you that would clean up the world both seen and unseen, but I
don't. The life of mankind is a hard road to travel, that is why
the ultimate designed a hard bunch to travel it. My blessings on
you one and all. May you find enlightenment. You are smart, may
you find wisdom. Let this subject now be closed between us. If
you have any ideas on this subject pass them on to our long-
suffering editors.
Now it may be that I can resume my clown suit and once more
arm myself with my gadfly stinger and get back to the heretic
business and leave metaphysics to those better equipped to deal
with it. A silversmith shoeing a horse rarely does a good job of
it.
In the spring the wild plums were a'blooming. White
blossoms on the bough, lace for the bride. In the long summer
the little green plums grew and changed to a lighter green color.
When the first frost was still up in the high country the plums
grew sweet and turned a lovely purple-pink shade. Then at the
time of the autumnal equinox, they were picked and crushed. Now
the new wine works behind the air seals in the fermenter. The
promise of spring blossoms is redeemed in the good strong wine of
winter. What we learn in any one place we can use in another
place. The wild plums are a part of life; from them we can learn
about other parts of life. When the wine falls clear, a drink
all around, a toast to life. May we all go our separate ways
bound for a common goal. May the flowers bloom where we have
passed. Go in peace, well disposed to your fellows. With these
words I do now part from thee.____Buck Jump
.......from RMPJ Oct '86
893
THE HERETIC'S CORNER
Copyright 1987, Buck Jump
and the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal
Greetings my Paganfriends; may yourGods be welldisposed to you. May
the breeze of Autumn cool your sun-browned skin while the heat of summer
past still warms your heart. May you find pinon nuts in plenty -don't
forget to leave a few for our furry friends. May the cider of your apples
be finer than the best champagne. May the sacred blue corn from your corn
patch be enough to see you through the winter, enough to plant next spring,
and still enough to make cornbread for all your friends when your next
year's corn is as high as your knees.
The full moon of Libra rides now in the sky. The Blood moon, the
Hunters' moon, time for such of us as are not vegetarians to go on the
hunt. Now is the time to make proper apologies and then lay in the winter
meat. The fine days of Autumn are upon us. Enjoy the beauty of the season
even as you work like one bailing a leaking boat in the middle of a large
lake, to prepare for the cold to come. These are fine days, these are hard
days. Our Mother the Earth loves us, but she is a stern parent. It's work
or die for us Her children. Be glad that this is so; if Mother only gave
what a bunch of spoiled brats we would be. So dig your potatoes and while
you dig remember the folks who held this land before us. Bless them for
the potatoes and the sacred blue corn. Tread lightly on the ground -who
knows whose graves we walk upon.
The other day a lady inquired of me as to where to get some clear
quartz crystals. I referred her to a couple of rock shops that I have
found to both reasonable and reliable. In the course of our talk she began
to question me about the ghostly and magic qualities of crystals generally.
I had to tell her that as to crystals, my knowledge was rather like my
knowledge of electronics-- purely academic. I know that both are useful in
the hands of one knowledgeable about them, and I know that I am not so
knowledgeable. I advised her to get some of the good books on the subject
and to enroll in a class to study that discipline.
I wonder why it is that people assume that because I have some
incomplete knowledge of magic sticks and enchanted rings that I would know
about crystals. Some folks suppose that since I can play a mountain
dulcimer I can also play an indian flute - I can't. Do they also suppose
that a stone mason knows the cabinet maker's trade? Most of the
definitions of magic I have read were written by magicians, from within as
it were. Here is one written by one not at all knowledgeable about magic,
from without. It is this, "Magic is anything that I don't understand that
works." It also has a corollary: "A magician can do anything." That's
another good reason to soft-pedal your pagan beliefs. Besides the people
who want to throw stones at you, you have to contend with a pack of nuts
who expect you to turn their leaden lives into fine
gold with no effort on anyone's part. I digress, but I feel this paragraph
may be of use to you.
So back to my conversation with the crystal seeking lady. She next
remarked that I probably had never had a lucky piece nor a lucky stone.
Again, I surprised her. I told her that I had several such. That led to a
discussion of lucky stones in general, and the difference in crystals,
metals, and shapes that will work for any knowledgeable person, and special
talismanic tokens that have power usable only by an individual or a small
group of people.
894
A true lucky stonehas a value,at least to itsowner, that hasnothing
to do with its price. A natural crystal has a price fixed more or less in
relation to its value. Such a stone is rather like any other tool or piece
of equipment. Personal lucky stones are another matter - I know a good
deal about them, learned by both study and experience. Any solid object
may be a lucky piece. Usually it is a natural object, but it can be
something manmade. There is extensive literature on the subject. If you
are interested you can look up talismans, mazels, gluckenstinen, destiny
stones, Indian medicine rocks, lucky stones, they are all the same thing,
no matter the language. I personally prefer "lucky stone", the common
American term, and why not? I am a common American. So much for
nomenclature, how do they work and where can you get one?
As for the first question, life is too short to give a good positive
answer. I have a private guess, but for anything definite you'll need to
study cosmology, physics, metaphysics, geology, psychogeology and
"energyology." If you should come up with a good positive answer, one that
can be proved by demonstration, please let me know.
Now for whereto obtain alucky stone or luckypiece. First,you can't
buy one - oh, you might buy the stone, but the seller loses the luck and
the buyer don't get it. I guess it goes back to wherever it came from.
Second, you can't steal it. True, a clever thief can lift any solid
object, but the act of theft reverses the luck. If you doubt that, I refer
you to the history of the Hope diamond. So, having forewarned you what not
to do, I'll proceed to what you can do. You can obtain a lucky stone by
gift. You can be given a lucky stone provided the gift is made in love,
without fear nor hope of future favor. I have one such, which I got by
inheritance. The best and cheapest way to acquire a lucky stone is to have
it thrust upon you. A gift from the hands of the Gods, as it were. To put
it another way, a lucky stone becomes a lucky stone at some moment in time
when you and the stone come together in some, to you, great event. For
example, bringing down a deer when you are really starving; being
near-missed by a bolt of lightning; a truly monumental moment of love.
By wayof illustration, here'show two ofmine came tobe lucky stones.
The first is a sort of family lucky stone, the one I got by inheritance.
One day in early June some sixty years ago a gang of relatives were putting
up the hay crop on my grandfather's farm. Purely by chance, everyone there
was a member of my mother's family. You may wonder what a boy not ten
years old was doing there. In those days a kid to load the stacker pony
was a regular part of most haying crews. Suddenly there was a flash of
greenish light, a sonic boom, the earth shook and a thin wisp of smoke or
steam rising from the meadow. One of my uncles took a shovel and ran over
to investigate. A wisp of smoke was rising from a hole in the ground. He
dug up a red hot meteorite, rare enough in its self, but this particular
one is an isotropic form of copper. It is somewhat cylindrical in shape,
about the size of a large salt shaker. That is the family lucky stone. It
has been handed down in the family ever since. All I can say is,
comparatively we have had better luck since then than most other families.
The keeper or custodian of the piece has always been favored with unusual
good fortune.
895
The other that I will describe is a piece of red and white Oregon beach
agate. It is about the size of the first joint of my thumb, polished and
shaped by the random tumbling of the waves and sand - it seems to have a
sort of Salvador Dali eye on one side. What a certain lovely lady and I
were doing in an Oregon beach cave at low tide I leave to your imagination;
when we again returned to the world we usually live in I was gripping the
stone in my hand. My own personal love charm.
I know a manwho carries with himeverywhere a watch, meltedand fused
into a worthless chunk of brass, but still recognizable as a watch. He
found it smoking in his pocket as he hastily shed his pants after being
knocked off his feet by a bolt of lightning. That is his lucky piece.
Soit is withall lucky stones,they are souvenirsof a great occasion.
Magic sticks are made, the result of human intention. Lucky stones are
given or granted by power or powers outside the ken of man. If you are
fortunate enough to get one, you will know it. We have an instinct about
some things. If you have one, guard it well. Remember, the difference
between worthless and priceless is in that inner wisdom that only a
superior person possesses.
My question this time rises from this: In the regalia and equipage of
Kings, the royal orb and scepter of royalty are second only to the crown
itself in importance. Now what I'd like to know is this... In the old time
of "the simple rule and antique plan - of him to take who has the power and
him to keep who can", was the scepter the head man's shillelagh and the orb
his lucky stone? Along the same line another related question. Would
kings still rule as well as reign if the scepter were cut with appropriate
ceremony from a living tree and the orb of power was a true lucky stone? I
have noted in history that royal power began to wane about the time kings
began to rely on courtiers and craftsmen for things they had better done
them-selves.
It is well to have friends, it is well to be a part of a group, but
when you inwardly begin to identify your self with some thing or person
outside yourself, you begin to inwardly diminish. Yours should be a part
of you while you have custody of it, otherwise it's only trading stock and
capital.
So much for magic sticks, and lucky stones for history and kings,
autumn is upon us. The wild hunt rides the night wind, the veil between
the worlds grows thin, it's time to prepare for the cold to come. Now is
the time when the long long thoughts rise in our minds unbidden.
May you have food and fire for the winter and thoughts to meditate upon
when your paths are blocked with snow. May you be blessed, may neither
boredom nor hard living trouble you, with which words I do now part from
thee.
___ Buck Jump
896
THE HERETIC'S CORNER
(c)1986, Buck Jump
Greetings, my Pagan friends; may your Gods be well disposed
to you. May your harvest be bounteous, may your winter meat be
fat and easily gotten, and may the autumn sun warm you for the
cold to come.
Now is the time of the grand payoff when what we have worked
for throughout the long summer is at last laid in the granary. A
little while to enjoy the sweet earth, the time between harvest
and wood chopping. Our Mother is especially sweet just now - past
bearing but not yet the wise old grandmother, our Earth is still
warm with passion, a lover of pleasure without consequence.
Autumn is the year's reward. May yours be rich and filled with
ecstasy.
The black birds flock for the long trip south; the wild
geese return from the arctic barrens. The coyotes sing their
wild song of life and love. A night wind rustles the drying
leaves under the Hunter's moon, and I hear the horn of the wild
hunt rushing over the land. The veil between the worlds grows
thin and the past comes back into the present.
There is a sweet nostalgia in the past. Old loves still
warm the cooling blood; old triumphs still make the heart beat
faster; old mistakes still bring a blush to the cheek. "Old
mistakes", as the English sailor said in the Japanese bath house,
"Aye, there's the rub."
I hope the wild hunt in passing your house, starts only such
game as you will want to see. I fear that old Herne has started
a hare in my woods that I neither knew was there nor wanted to
see.
My Pagan friends, forgive me... I goofed. Mea Culpa, and I
should have known better. At least I give thanks that I can
acknowledge my goof before it goes farther, and thanks too that I
haven't entirely dislocated my arm patting myself on the back.
When last I wrote in these pages, I suggested that we all
work some magic to put an end to senseless violence. I thought I
was being reasonable, I thought my idea would perhaps inspire an
outpouring of spiritual power that might well improve our common
environment. It seemed like such a good idea. I was proud of
myself. Well, pride goeth before a forced landing.
897
I have a friend with whom I've debated many an issue of
moral philosophy over many a cup of coffee. He shall remain
nameless here, but I can identify him as a Talmudic scholar who
has taken a post graduate course in human nature in the "second-
hand" business. He is a master schooled in both theory and prac-
tice. As soon as the last issue of the R.M.P.J. came out, I
rushed down to the coffee shop to gloat and play `one-up' with my
friend. I went in like a falcon and got shot down like a goose.
He read my prose carefully, and re-read parts of it. He is a
scholar and a gentleman. The former kept him from agreeing, the
latter kept him from being nasty about it. Every philosopher
should have such a friend, someone to keep our feet on the
ground.
"I agree with your position", he told me, "I think you have
a noble idea, but your first premise is false. There is no
senseless violence -- all violence seems sensible to the one who
does it. Now you, I, and every well intentioned reasonably
intelligent person must agree the examples you cite are
senseless. To us they are senseless, but to the people who did
them they were sensible."
Then he proceeded to show how, from the warped viewpoint of
these violent people their actions were, to them, both sensible
and justified. He convinced me that I was making a moral and
value judgement rather than a positive statement of natural fact.
In order to achieve what I wanted, I now realize, would require
some drastic reshaping of a lot of minds, an overhaul of millions
of psyches. I didn't realize what I was asking. Well, when I
dream, I dream big....
If all the moral philosophers, gurus, religious leaders,
prophets and shamans who have tried and failed to re-shape
humanity en masse were gathered together in a single place, it
would take a Texas wheat field to hold them. In order to stop
senseless violence it will be necessary to get everyone to agree
on what is senseless. I know what is right, you know what is
right, but that wierdo next door has some other idea. Before we
can feel safe around him we have to get him to agree with us.
I'm not too optimistic about a mass mind change even by magic.
It is worth a try, but recall - in the past, some real eternity
class magicians have tried and failed. Some of those old boys
could control the weather, transmute metals, turn juice or water
in to wine instantly and levitate, but they couldn't change the
mind set of mankind. It's easier to move a mountain than a mind.
To use force either real or implied, either physical or social,
is only to replay the inquisition, and we've already had too many
remakes and sequels to that. Education seems to be the only
method that works, and that's as slow as evolution.
898
Right and Justice are not to be had in job lots, even with
magic. Every case must be approached individually one by one.
To change minds in mass lots can be done magically; however
people who are so changed are not really changed, but only
suppressed -- what you get are a bunch of zombies. So far as I
know this sort of thing is only done by magicians on the dark
side. Adolph Hitler and Jim Jones are two examples that come
readily to mind. For all I know both of the named examples may
well have started with the highest motives. When you start
superimposing your mind on the mind of another or others, things
have a way of coming unglued. History is full of examples of
groups that acted with one mind for a while and then unravelled
when the guru leader either died or ran out of gas. No my
friends, it won't work, even with the noblest of motives it just
won't work.
I knew all this from long ago, but I was misled as to what
was going on. I thought the senseless violence I saw around me
was from some outside source. A mad spirit, a virus or some sort
of "dis-harmonic vibration". If that were the case my idea would
have been a good one. On the off chance that something like that
is now afoot in our world a general intention for reason and
against violence can't hurt, and may well do some constructive
good. I'm all for anyone who tries to clean up our environment,
seen or unseen. Considering the sort of good folk who read the
R.M.P.J. I'm not too worried that anyone who read my last little
effort will be misled by it. I fear that at worst, those of you
who followed my suggestion may have wasted both time and effort -
- I hope that at best, you may have done some good by promoting
reason and discouraging confusion. Cleaning the house won't stop
a fire, but it will lessen the chances of spontaneous combustion,
and make a fire easier to fight if it does break out. As I see
it, my mistake was in supposing we all have more or less the same
values and in externalizing he source of senseless violence.
Enough of apology and explanation. Breast-beating and
patting your back are both good exercises .....in futility.
One good bray from the donkey, one good hoot from the owl, and
then back to work. We are still at risk from some angry fool
armed and dangerous. What can be done? What should be done?
I can think of several things to do. First, learn to
perceive the violent ones. Some of us can see auras, some can
pick up on "bad vibes", some can "smell" trouble -- however,
whichever, my advice would be to use it. An antelope don't long
survive in the veldt without looking, listening, smelling and
generally keeping on the alert. Second, surround yourself with
protection. Some walk in a sphere of protection, some are guided
by some unseen force, I rely on my guardian spirit, guardian
angel or however you call her. In any case, whatever protection
you have, use it. Whatever ceremonies, prayers, incantations or
deep meditations you use, don't neglect them. That is about it.
We're back where we were when we wore fur bikinis and hunted with
stone-tipped spears, but haven't we always been there? Safety
is, in this life, I fear only an illusion.
899
One thing more we can do, and should do -- we can teach.
Part of the debt we all owe to life is to clean the place. Non
only should we pick up the trash, but we should also clean up the
vicious bull-shit wherever we find it. Like it or not we are all
teachers. Whatever we do, whatever we say is part of the
lesson we teach.
Before all the Gods I wish I had some magic formula to give
you that would clean up the world both seen and unseen, but I
don't. The life of mankind is a hard road to travel, that is why
the ultimate designed a hard bunch to travel it. My blessings on
you one and all. May you find enlightenment. You are smart, may
you find wisdom. Let this subject now be closed between us. If
you have any ideas on this subject pass them on to our long-
suffering editors.
Now it may be that I can resume my clown suit and once more
arm myself with my gadfly stinger and get back to the heretic
business and leave metaphysics to those better equipped to deal
with it. A silversmith shoeing a horse rarely does a good job of
it.
In the spring the wild plums were a'blooming. White
blossoms on the bough, lace for the bride. In the long summer
the little green plums grew and changed to a lighter green color.
When the first frost was still up in the high country the plums
grew sweet and turned a lovely purple-pink shade. Then at the
time of the autumnal equinox, they were picked and crushed. Now
the new wine works behind the air seals in the fermenter. The
promise of spring blossoms is redeemed in the good strong wine of
winter. What we learn in any one place we can use in another
place. The wild plums are a part of life; from them we can learn
about other parts of life. When the wine falls clear, a drink
all around, a toast to life. May we all go our separate ways
bound for a common goal. May the flowers bloom where we have
passed. Go in peace, well disposed to your fellows. With these
words I do now part from thee.____Buck Jump
.......from RMPJ Oct '86
900
THE HERETIC'S CORNER
(c)1986, Buck Jump
Greetings, my Pagan friends; may your Gods be well disposed
to you. May the rain fall gently on your rhubarb. May the hail
fall in a lake or on a parking lot. May our little six-legged
friends develop an allergy to your pickle patch.
Now is the sweet season of our year. Our Mother the Earth
is pregnant with the harvest to come. The days are long and the
thoughts of the season are long, long thoughts. In the soft
afternoon sky the white thunderheads sail serenely on like ships
of dream in dreamland seas. Surely even such as I can be
forgiven for dreaming a bit, for letting the fancy roam free.
In dreams I see a world set free. I see the human race
living in peace, with each one going his own way but with
courtesy to all who go another way. I see us as one species,
which we are, and all of us acknowledging that fact. I see each
walking in beauty, with dignity, and respecting the other
person's dignity. I see us loving one another, helping our
fellow men along their way. When I dream, I don't mess around -
I rear back and dream up a doozy!
So much for dreams; back to the world we live in, back to
the life we know. Before I spring my question for the day, a
little background, a few facts:
Every one of us must come to terms with his environment and
his heredity. We all live on one Earth. That is the main part
of our environment, or at least the location of it.
We are all human beings, homo occasionally sapiens. That is
the basis of our heredity.
Anything that is done to one of us is done to all of us.
Anything that happens in one place on this planet has some effect
on every place on the planet.
We are, all of us, stuck with our whole species. Here we
are with a bunch of people we wouldn't willingly walk down a
country road with. Indeed, we are as ship- wrecked mariners in a
lifeboat with a bunch we wouldn't sit down to eat a free meal
with. To jump out of the boat is to drown. To try to toss those
_______________s out is very apt to upset the boat and drown all
of us. These facts are self-evident, axiomatic.
I have always held that we should all walk the path of life
with our hands outstretched in fellowship with respect and love
for all. Of course, I have a caveat - keep a Bowie knife handy
in case they haven't all heard the message.
As the Ultimate is reported to have said when the mountains
were made, "Now for the background". The present situation is a
mess. Violence is everywhere. Not even foolish violence, but
violence without reason. Surely a leopard is in our streets and
a shark loose in our swimming pool.
901
An armed bandit shoots down an unarmed clerk who is
cooperating. A litigant in court shoots down an attorney. A
parent beats a child to death. A driver gets cut off coming onto
the freeway and guns down the chap in the pickup who did the
off-cutting. An otherwise reasonable young man is annoyed by the
sounds of traffic on a mountain road and starts shooting at the
cars passing. Those are only a few examples culled from the news
in recent months. In truth, senseless violence is loose in the
land.
As it is with the individual, so with groups. From the
racist fringe movement on to great governments. Violence for the
sake of violence is epidemic. Each age of history has had a
plague - the plague of this age is senseless violence. I have
friends of the "born again" persuasion who tell me that it is the
Devil doing it. I don't think so. As far as I can determine,
devils are a disorganized bunch. Satan Mekatrig Lord of Chaos is
a confusion in terms. Seen another way, that's organized
confusion. As I see it, the flow of the power of the Universe is
organized and rational. So it seems to me that any force opposed
to that flow must be disorganized and irrational. That is to say
nothing of the personal devils within us. They must have a hand
in at least some of this senseless violence.
I have other friends who blame it on some as yet
unidentified virus. Could be, but it's a rare virus that has no
fever, nor nausea accompanying its onset....
Others hold that it is all explainable by Sigmund Freud and
others of that ilk. Again I say could be, but what mental
discomboomeration comes on suddenly with no sign of
disorientation nor disturbance until it suddenly manifests itself
in the acute stage?
For all I know, none of the above are correct. The fact re-
mains that a wild unreasoning violence is loose among us, a
danger to us all. The fact is, we are all in the same boat, and
the boat is encountering some heavy weather. Don't you think we
should do something about it? I personally can think of a whole
lot of folks who I don;t really care to rescue, but being as we
are all in the same boat, I am sure going to do my best for
them....... But what?
In case this is all some psychosis, maybe we should engage a
firm of head shrinkers to drag in a trainload of couches and get
everyone to undergo psychoanalysis. I refuse to consider the
logistics of this. The idea by itself causes my mind to boggle.
Or, suppose it is a virus. In that case when the
virologists and immunologists have a bit of spare time from their
search for the cause and cure of AIDS, they could do the same for
the senseless violence virus. In view of the fact that we are
all at greater risk from senseless violence than from AIDS, it
might be a worthwhile task.
Or, just in case the gnostics have some truth in their
ideas, and it is Auld Clootie, maybe a mass general exorcism is
in order. Once again, my mind refuses to consider the logistics.
902
In view of the fact that the cause of senseless violence is
still unknown, we might get a government grant to study the
problem. Considering the speed that such grants usually get
results, I would expect a definite answer by the twenty-second
century. Of course, such a grant would have the added advantage
of keeping a large number of researchers out of the pool halls
and off the streets.
Now I am going to go against my usual custom and make a
suggestion; only a suggestion, mind, and not to be taken as a
dictum, but only as an idea to be considered. It has been my
observation that there are only two occasions when magic is apt
to work. One is after all other methods have been tried and
found ineffectual. The other is when there is no other method.
Now I believe that I have explored the other methods and found
them impractical if not impossible. So I feel that I am safe in
saying it's going to take magic to stop this purposeless killing.
So how to go about it? What spell, what charm, what
ceremony shall we use? What power shall we invoke? What power
evoke? Magic works, the proper ceremony at the proper time, done
for the proper reason, will work. True for you, you may well
say, but which ceremony? When? Why?
I just told you. The proper one. The one that is proper
for you is the one you yourself believe is proper. This is not
an essay on morals and ethics, so I refrain from putting in my
two cents worth on what is in my estimation proper. When you are
fighting a grass fire is no time to discuss what sort of shovel
to use.
In my dream we were all walking each in his own way, each
helping the others as much as possible. So here let us not try
to all walk in one path. No point in the universe can be reached
from only one direction. Let us rather each from where it seems
most right and comfortable, try by magic means to stop this
senseless violence. Not-ice I said senseless violence, not just
violence. Some who follow the old Norse way could hardly be ex-
pected to endorse some anti-violent intention, but I know of none
who do not deplore reasonless violence. We have our differences,
but surely no one objects to improving all our chances of kissing
our grandchildren.
So, what I propose is this. Sometime in the next quarter
year, whenever it seems most proper, let us in our various ways
by whatever means one believes in, try by magic means to stop
this epidemic of senseless violence.
903
I have noticed a few things about power on the unseen side.
For a ceremony to be more than a mere charade, everyone involved
in it must believe in the ceremony and in whatever power is used
in it. Everyone must believe that the ceremony can and will
work. Everyone must want the ceremony to work. If anyone
involved in the ceremony does not so believe and want, that
person will be a dead weight on the others that do. When I say
everyone, I mean everyone, all, each one with one belief and one
resolve. What can be done by a group acting in true spiritual
harmony is indeed amazing, but first you must have that true
spiritual harmony.
That is why I suggest we go at this not as some sort of
super- coven ecumenical pagan group. I have seen a few of these
"lets all get together" bunches back in the sixties, and they
couldn't even get drunk.
I personally am in favor of any religion that don't practice
human sacrifice, interfere in the private lives of the
nonbelievers, or use force in conversion. I love 'em all, but
I'm not fool enough to yoke the ass and the ox together. So
let's all go, but let's not try to make it a parade.
That is my suggestion, and my question is why not? I'd
appreciate your ideas on this, I truly would. If you have any
ideas on the subject, please communicate them to the editors of
the RMPJ. Even if the ideas are along the lines of, "You're
Nuts!!", just say why you think so. I'd appreciate it.
May your dreams come true; may the wind cool without
chilling, and may you reap a harvest even richer than the seed
catalogue said you would. May your shadow fall long on the
Earth. Go in peace, remember your fellows, and with these words
I do part now from thee.
________Buck Jump. ....from RMPJ 8/86
904
THE HERETIC'S CORNER
by Buck Jump
Greetings, my Pagan friends; may your Gods be well disposed
to you; may the bugs flee your patch as from a crow; may the
gentle rain fall softly on your flower beds; and may your lovers
be all you wish them to be. Now at the season of long lovely
days and short passionate nights, when our Mother the fair Earth
is at her richest and most bountiful, it is hardly the season for
deep thinking.
When nature is at its very best and the season most
enjoyable are we not all of us tempted to shut off the mental
processes and enjoy life in a purely sensual mammalian way? Of
course we are, to do less would be an insult to creation.
At this glad time, here comes that old pest, the heretic,
like the ghost at Ceasar's feast. Consider, dear friends, even
as the screech owl is put into this world to scare goose bumps on
our backs, the here-tic is put into the world to ask hard
questions and discomboomerate the quiet mind. The only place on
this sweet earth where we can look for a quiet unchanging stay is
a graveyard. It is so with me, even as with you.
The other day when I was minding my own business [a most ha-
zardous occupation], a stranger came to me with a request. He
wanted me to magically restore to him a lost love. It seems that
he had, by his own actions, turned his lady's love if not to
hate, at least to an active dislike. He was sorry. He knew it
was all his own fault. He agreed that she was justified in
leaving him. He beat his chest and cried `mea culpa', but he
wanted her back, and he wanted me or someone to, as he put it,
"push the right button", and change the situation. Before he
came to me he had been to a friend of mine. The friend is a
scholar and practical magician who is rather more daring than
most- he had by magic means caused the lady to recall the best of
the past. With that, the lady consented to talk with her ex-
inamorata, and dis-cuss, in a civilized fashion, her decision to
be done with him. At that, the magician bowed out. He pointed
out to the petitioner that from there on, it was up to him. My
friend the magician can be, when he has to be, a most impressive
man, and I gather he dismissed the `lorn lover' with a definite
dismissal.
Then he came to me. I pointed out that there ain't no free
lunch in the universe and I had no intention of taking on a
karmic debt of considerable proportion for his possible benefit.
I told him that it is easier to move a mountain than to move a
human mind if it will not be moved. I told him that he was
trying to find someone to do for him what could only be properly
done by himself. I pointed out to him that his situation was an
effect of a cause, a cause that he was responsible for. I told
him that magic is fine as a last resort, but hardly to be
considered as first aid. I told him ...... I wasted my breath.
Such a one hears only what he wants to hear.
905
The petitioner only said, "I just need someone to push the
right button - she used to love me. I am not asking much, I just
want things to be like they were."
I refrained from pointing out that Hitler could have said
the same thing in the bunker. Then he said, "I am willing to pay
you. Just tell me how much it's going to cost." Some things are
an insult from a knowledgeable person, and a joke from a fool. I
laughed. He was the sort who would ask "How much?", referring to
one's head.
Now I am, I think, a reasonable sort, patient, and in my own
way polite, but enough is enough, and this chap was rapidly
becoming too much. I told him flatly, that I was not about to do
any button pushing. I gave him what I felt was good advice.
That is, I told him that if he was determined to further his
amours by magic means to learn to do it himself. I referred him
to a most knowledgeable teacher. I was in that way certain that
he would either learn what was involved in his request and give
it up, or more likely abandon the whole thing as too slow and too
difficult. (The teacher informs me that he never bothered to
even go around to see what the teacher had to offer. A case of
"Gimme my daily bread, I'm willing to wait with my mouth open".)
Then he countered that if I wouldn't "push the button" could
I refer him to someone who could, or would. I inquired around.
One col-league I know is willing to try just about anything. He
once did a weather spell out on the high plains in tornado season
and another time worked a charm to rid a field of grasshoppers in
hail season. I add, both were successful in a disastrous way.
When I contacted him with the case, his words were, "I'd like to
but I'm going on a trip to South America." Surprised, I asked
about the trip, adding I hadn't known about it. He replied, "I
didn't know about it either, but if that dude shows up here, I'm
going!"
Failing to find a genuine scholar and practicing magician
to attempt the matter, I tried a couple of unethical charlatans.
In view of the fact that the petitioner was a large muscular sort
who would expect instant results, they regretfully declined.
I was beginning to feel like Sinbad the Sailor when he
carried the old man of the sea piggyback around the island. At
wit's end (where I have lived for years), I suggested that he try
religion. I offered to introduce him to some nice Pagan folks,
or even get him in touch with some T.V. type evangelists. He
refused on the grounds that they would be too slow and uncertain.
He wanted instant gratification.
At last, thanks be to the power that watches over well-
meaning fools like me, another lady hove into sight, and he took
off in her direction with deep breath and flashing eyes. This
sad fellow is but one of many I've had the misfortune to meet. I
am sure most of you could recount similar sad tales. We'll all
have to get together and I'll haul out the portable wailing wall,
and we can share a cup of tea and all sympathize with each other.
906
I wouldn't have bored you with this all too familiar tale
except I have a question. How does one deal with such people?
Is there some way to tell a person with a real problem who can be
helped from the person who has an endless amount of wants and no
energy to help himself? That is, some way, without finding out
the hard way? I can handle skeptics (I am one myself), I can
handle cynics, I can handle atheists and deal with convinced true
believers of all sorts, but how do I deal with a person who
believes that I can work miracles?
One question leads to another. I have a few more on the
same line. How comes it that as soon as people, some of them at
least, find that one is not part of some main line orthodox
church, they straightway want you to work some magic? Are Roman
Catholic and Episcopal priests pestered by miracle seekers? Are
T.V. evangelists? If not, why not? They deal in magic as much
as any Pagan or free thinker. Is the prevalence of lazy
freeloaders the reason that Christianity for the last fifteen
centuries or so has been down playing the magical basis of the
early Church? This is a topic worthy of our consideration.
Another question comes to mind at this point. A question
about magic in general. I am sure you know what magic is, just
is I am sure I know what it is. The definitions are many and
varied, but they all basically state in one way or another, that
magic is the practical side of religion, and the practice of
magic is the art of causing changes in the tangible by intangible
means. Or, to put it another way, magic is a mental way of
changing the physical by means of the spiritual. That is what
magic is, no question there. The question is what does the
uninitiated, uninformed layman think magic is?
If you are going to make a living repairing televisions and
radios, it is not enough that you know electronics. You must
also know what your customers believe about electronics. The
degree of success in the TV-Radio repair business is generally in
direct proportion to the amount of customer knowledge the
proprietor of the business has. The rule is, if you deal with
the run of humanity, you must understand the general run of
humanity. You must not know only what you know, but also what
people ignorantly suppose you know.
I pass this bit of wisdom on to you, for I think it has
value to any serious student of matters intangible. An old
doctor of medicine told me this some forty years ago. The
occasion was a patient of his inquiring about an operation for a
then inoperable condition. I, only an army medic, was astounded
at the fellow's ignorance and when the Doc and I were alone, said
as much. "Son," the old doctor said, "Here is something to
remember Anything that works that you don't understand is magic
and a magician can do anything. That's not the truth, but
ninety per cent of the human race believe it is." That is how
people who have never studied the arts of magic see it. To them
it is a power without cost and without limit.
A PLEA FOR INITIATION STANDARDS
I'm full of radical ideas. I think the terms "Priest, Priestess,
High Priest and High Priestess" are more than titles. I think
being a member of the Priesthood means more than status. I think
a coven is more than a study group, or a social gathering. I think
being a Witch is more than a protest against the patriarchy.
I think receiving a First Degree should mean you have worked and
studied and grown and dedicated yourself to your path and your
Gods. I think an initiation should mean something.
I know of a young man who received a third degree after having
proved he could lead a ritual. That's all he had to do, lead a
ritual.
I know of a woman who claims third degrees in both the English and
American traditions of a well-known tradition. She shows
absolutely none of the qualities by which one usually recognizes a
High Priest or High Priestess.
I know of a woman who refused to accept the standards set by her
High Priestess, who threw a fit when she didn't get her First on
demand. She went to another teacher, secretly received her First,
and a year later, her Second. Considering her attitude toward her
first teacher, I have absolutely no faith that she did any work to
earn her second. Yet she calls herself a High Priestess.
When two members of Sothistar received their first degrees last
year, they had: studied and worked with the five magical
elements, worked at developing personal relationships with the
Gods, studied astrology, symbology, qabala, Tarot (both as a
divinational and meditational tool), several forms of divination,
writing rituals, leading rituals, drawing down the Moon, basic
spell-casting and various methods,ethics, the Egyptian deities and
mythology, ritual etiquette, the laws of the coven, the use of
stones and crystals, meditation, conducting rituals, the meaning
and duties of the priesthood, and the use of chants and songs.
Both had chosen (or been chosen by) deities to whom they wished to
make a special dedication. Both had proven their loyalty to the
coven and the Craft. Both had served as vessels for both the God
and the Goddess, and both had led rituals. After all of this,
they received First Degree.
Am I saying that mine is the only way--that if your coven does not
study these subjects your initiations aren't valid? Certainly
not! I am saying that our tradition has standards for initiation.
Many other covens have standards--some more stringent and some
less demanding than mine. What I am saying is that I wish
everyone had standards.
Why? Because when you have standards, the initiations you give
mean something.
908
When we took the two mentioned above around to the four quarters and
pronounced them Priest/ess, they could not have been prouder of their
achievement. Nor could we. We had no doubt they could serve as
competent dedicated Priest and Priestess in a ritual. In the time
since, they've proved it over and over. When they make Second
Degree, and Third, and eventually have a coven of their own, they'll
continue to make us proud. When they represent the coven other
places, they do so in a manner that reflects well on the coven.
I've met many First Degrees of other covens who did not reflect well
on their teachers. (I've also met many who have.)
You ask again, Why? I'll give you a personal reason--because it
irritates the hell out of me that the people mentioned at the
beginning of this article can put their noses in the air and claim
a higher status in the Craft than my two dedicated, hard-working,
sincere students.
Once upon a time, a high school diploma meant something. You
couldn't get a decent job without one. These days, it means
nothing. These days, a Bachelor's Degree doesn't mean much. I
don't want that to happen to initiations!
Perhaps I should discuss what I think initiation is. A true
initiation is not a ritual, it is not entrance into a club,
it is not just a dedication. An initiation is a spiritual step to
a higher stage in spiritual growth. There are many such steps.
Such "initiations" are not given by High Priest/esses. They are
given by the Gods. An initiation ritual is an acknowledgment by a
coven leader that the Initiate has, in that leader's opinion,
reached a certain stage in spiritual growth.
Coven leaders are not omniscient. Although I'm sure such leaders
strive to serve as worth representatives of the God and Goddess,
they (the coven leaders) are not the God and Goddess. All of them
must find their own ways of determining whether their students
have achieved this growth. They must also give what guidance they
can to those attempting to achieve it. Our study program includes
many things not mentioned above, exercises and spiritual work
that, we hope will help our students reach that goal. If our
students apply themselves to all they are given to do, it is
possible for them to reach that stage. When we give a first
degree initiation, we are saying that the Initiate is *already* a
Priest/ess of the Goddess.
I do not ask that all covens adopt our particular standards. I do
plead with you to *have* standards beyond simple attendance at
ritual for a year and a day. Insist that they work hard, that
they learn and grow, that they struggle, that they strive, that
they become, in your opinion, worthy servants of the Gods.
Some months ago, I mentioned this to two leaders of a newly-formed
group north of here. Their eyes lit up and they said "You can
help us. We were just talking about setting standards!" No true
standards had been set for their initiations, and they felt the
lack. Oh, they had third degrees from their teacher, but they
wanted more meaning for those they gave than was given to their
own. Bravo! There's hope for the Craft yet!
Ellen Cannon Reed
909
{file "Open Letter to A New Witch" "bos200.htm"}
AN OPEN LETTER TO A WITCH
I do not know what Tradition you follow. That does not matter.
Indeed, for all I know, you may not follow any of the traditions. You
may be one of those many lonely ones who, for whatever reason, must
worship by 'feel' rather than through any formal coven training or
participation. But whoever you are, and however you worship, all that
matters to me is that you hold
true to the God and the Goddess. My purpose in writing this letter is
to enjoin your aid in destroying that which cripples our Craft.
Dissension is the disease. It is not a cancer,
for it can be cured; and, as with most herbal cures, the best
treatment is that administered internally.
Friend,help spread theBrotherhood andSisterhood ofthe Craft.
do not seek to establish a scale of Wicca purism, (for no two Witches
will ever agree on the relative positions on the scale of even their
own tradition.) There is no one religion for all people, and THERE IS
NO ONE TRADITION FOR ALL WITCHES! Let this be understood, and
accepted. Choose your own path and
leave your neighbor to choose his. Remember the primary tenet: "AN
IT HARM NONE, DO WHAT THOU WILT."
Yetnever forget:"An it harmnone..." If your pathleads to sex
rites, to homosexuality, to phallic-initiation...do not pt it foreward
as "THE WICCAN WAY". It is only A Wiccan way, one of MANY. And by
the same token, if a path so presented is not your way, do not decry
it simply because it is not your way. Who are you to say another is
wrong, so long as it harms none.
Strive for honesty, friend. Do not make false Craft claims,
whether of position, heredity, lineage, or whatever. If you have a
quarrel with someone, seek out the one you disagree with, rather than
utilize perhaps unreliable intermediaries. do not spread unfound
rumors and question those who do so. News of battle makes more
exciting reading than news of peace. Why, then, provide battle news
for publication when the serenity of the Craft is what we should be
showing?
We have come along way, myfriend, in a fewshort years. Let
us move on along our chosen paths till we emerge - as we will -
accepted and respected by ALL as a religion in our own right.
Help usbring anend to washingour dirty linenin public. There
will always be disagreements, there will always be those who cannot
tolerate others, but they are in the minority and so they should
remain, if you wish. But do not deny them their right to those
differences.
Friend, weare Children ofthe Universe, andChildren ofthe God
and the Goddess. Let us try to remember that, and live in Peace.
Blessed Be, and Merry Part!
910
{file "Maychants (4) (Tanscribed by SeaStrider)" "bos201.htm"}
MAY DAY CHANT ONE
Here we come apiping,
In Springtime and in May;
Green fruit aripening,
And Winter fled away.
The Queen she sits upon the strand,
Fair as lily, white as wand;
Seven billows on the sea,
Horses riding fast and free,
And bells beyond the sand.
Valiente, Doreen; "Witchcraft for Tomorrow"; Phoenix Publishing 1985
MAY DAY CHANT Two
The High Priestess and High Priest lead a ring dance around the
bonfire. Start out with "A Tree Song" from Rudyard Kipling's "Weland's
Sword" story in "Puck of Pook's Hill".
"Oh, do not tell the Priest of our Art,
Or he would call it sin;
But we shall be out in the woods all night,
A conjuring summer in!
And we bring you news by word of mouth
For women, cattle and corn
Now is the dun come up from the South
With Oak, and Ash and Thorn!"
Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert Hale
1983
STAG CALL also MAYCHANT THREE
The men gather around the fire, next to their partners, and they say
in unison:
"I am the stag of seven tines;
I am a wide flood on the plain;
I am a wind on the deep waters;
I am a shining tear of the sun;
I am a hawk on a cliff;
I am fair among flowers;
I am a god who sets the head afire with smoke."
Graves, Robert; "The White Goddess"; Farrar 1970
Transcribed to computer files by Seastrider
911
{file "Magickal Stones & Gems" "bos202.htm"}
CRYSTALS & STONES
Gemstoneshave beenusedforcenturiesas meditationalaidsand
magical magical foci. Each individual type of stone has different
properties. Here are some healing and spiritual properties from a
list I have. These descriptions are based on ancient legend and lore:
AGATE: Moss Agates considered to be most powerful. Aid in
restoration of energy, used in healing, and believed to bring wearer
happiness, wealth, health, and long life. Increases
ability to ward off self-induced anger and inner bitterness.
Carnelian-gives protection and energy. Moss green-balances emotional
energy. Moss red-balances physical energy. Blue lace-gives
tranquility.
Amber: Powerful healing stone with large amount of organic
energy. In ancient times, ground to a powder and mixed with honey or
oil of roses for various physical problems. Filters germs and
infections and has the power to disinfect. Worn around the neck to
help fight infection and respiratory diseases. Lifts the spirits.
Apatite: Promotes communication and mental clarity.
Amethyst: Increases spiritual awareness, has a calming and
soothing influence, has the ability to transmute negative into
positive, and is very effective as a healing stone. Warmed and placed
on the forehead and temples, it is good for headaches. Has the
ability to draw through it forces directed towards the body and repels
vibrations which the body doesn't need, thus releasing only the energy
patterns beneficial to the body. Best worn in healing near the heart
center. Opens up spiritual and psychic centers. Helps prevent
drunkeness.
Aquamarine: Calms nervous tension. Calming effects of the sea.
Used to help banish fears and phobias. Means seawater.
Soothing and cleansing.
Adventurine: Increases perception and creative insight.
Stimulates opportunity and motivation.
Azurite: Powerful healing stone, invokes spiritual guidance,
opens psychic eye. Good for dreams and improving psychic ability.
Bloodstone: Stimulates flow of energy for healing blood
circulation, stops hemorrhaging. Removes emotional blockages.
Citrine: Stimulates openness and accelerates the awakening of the
mind. An aid to the digestive system. Helps eliminate
toxins. Encourages tremendous healing on the emotional and mental
levels, helps unblock subconscious fears, and serves as a natural
relaxant.
Coral: Balances physical energy and relaxes tensions. Carries
the creative vibrations of the sea.
912
Emerald: Promotes creativity, stimulates perception and insight,
and strengthen memory. Beneficial effect on the eyes.
Garnet:Balances hormones, goodfor mentaldepression, enhances
self-esteem, alleviates bad dreams, and encourages success in
business. Thought to assist in seeing into past incarnations.
Hematite: Calmingto the emotions. Worn as an amuletto confer
strength and procur favorable legal judgements. In Egypt, used to
reduce inflammation and treat hysteria. Considered to be a grounding
stone. Helps maintain balance between body, mind, and spirit.
Ivory: Spiritual protection.
Jade:Stimulates practicality,wisdom,and universalattunement.
Thought to provide a link between the spiritual and the mundane. Most
revered by the Chinese.
Jasper: For energy balancing of emotions and stress.
Flourite: Opens andsoftens the wayfor the useof otherstones.
Excellent used in aquariums-provides needed minerals.
Lapis Lazuli: Stimulates wisdom, truthfulness, & psychic
experiences, healing and strengthening when worn next to the skin.
Strengthens mind and body to spiritual awareness.
Malachite: often used asa child's talisman to sleepsoundly &
protect from bad dreams. Stimulates clear vision and insight,
represents hope and inner peace, believed to protect from danger.
Increases abundance in all areas of life.
Moonstone: Bringsgood fortune. Reflects the wearersbeing and
feelings. Promotes unselfishness. Opens the heart to humanitarian
love and hope. Good for protection while travelling on water. Gives
clarity to spiritual understanding. Good for pre-menstrual symptoms
and balancing to the reproductive system. Used to ease childbirth.
Pearl:Stimulates feminine qualities,used to focus attention,
helps pull together mental and spiritual forces, peace of mind.
Represents purity, modesty, & gentleness.
Peridot: Dispels fears, guilt, and depression. Used to
counteract negative emotions and healing of the spirit. Affects top
three chakras. Once worn as a means of gaining foresight and divine
inspiration.
QUARTZ: Amplifiesthe healing energyof the one usingit. Used
to help draw out pain. Able to tap into the energies of the
universe. A good stone for meditating on. Works primarily with the
Third Eye center, also relates well with the heart center. To be able
to tune into the quartz promotes clarity while concentrating on it.
Also affects the crown chakra. Very potent and often worn to protect
from negative vibrations. Cleanse regularly. Rudilated-rutile
needles help focus attention. Smoky-good for calming the mind.
Rose-vibrations of universal love & inner serenity.
Ruby: Increases vigor, renews vitality and cleanses the blood.
The stone of courage.
913
Topaz: Calms emotions, protects against external stresors. To
restore physical energy & quiet emotional nature.
Tiger Eye: Very powerful protection, clarity of thought.
Tourmaline: Causes the wearer to be more flexible, more
understanding and more objective in purpose and reason. Calming.
Each person has a different response to this stone. Causes a
reaction in the intestinal tract. Black and Crystal-removes
negativity and cleanses. Some say it should not be worn as jewelry.
Electric and magnetic properties.
Turquoise: Vibratescalmingradiations, protective,andrestores
healthy mental attitude. Stone of friendsship. Balancing and
healing. Great strength and vitality. Takes on characteristics of
the wearer.
914
CRYSTALS & STONES
NAME COLOR CHAKRA USES
AMETHYST Violet Crown Calming,grounding, a
cleanser and spiritual
stimulator, yin/yang
balance, strengthens
heart, cleanses liver of
toxins, excellent for lung
problems.
ADVENTURINE Green Heart Soothes emotions,
used for the heart and
heartache, for acceptance o f
self and others, for inner
peace.
AGATE Varied Solar- Compelstruth, promotes
Plexus, good manners, happiness,
intelligence, prosperity.
Heart
longevity, fertility,
and
good
health,
affects stomach,
throat, heart.
AZURITE- Blue-green Heart, Allpurpose healing
stone, affects
MALACHITE Crown ethericbody,parathyroid
glands, nerve, spleen,
pancreas, used to release
repressed emotions and f o r
physical detoxing.
BLOODSTONE Green-red Root Offers courage,
endurance, harmony, used t o
stop bleeding, helps i n
making decisions, used f o r
iron deficiency, in t h e
blood, for moving kundalini
energy, and to invoke
peace in all who are drawn
to it.
CITRINE Golden Solar- Generates radiant, happy
Plexus vibrations, helps
thoughts to be clear and
emotions controlled,
raises thinking to
intuitive levels, on a
physical level it can be used
to help eliminate
toxins from the colon, gall
bladder and kidneys a n d
entire eliminative
system.
915
CHRYSOPRASE Green Solar- Has a quality of
compassion and a
Plexus,
capacity
for
fine
attunement works
Heart
on
the
solar
plexus
and
heart areas to sooth
emotions, will help
tranquilize many forms of a n d
neurosis, also used t o
absorb or deflect unwanted
energies.
FLOURITE Clear, Crown, Multi-dimensional
stone, balances
Blue,
3rd
Eyeandintegrateslower
(human) self
Purple withhigher(spiritual)
self, good for meditation over
3rd eye chakra, works well
with virulent diseases.
GARNET Red Root Stimulates happiness,
peace, balance, patience,
inspiration, persistence, good
for rebirthing,
menstruation and life
passages, disorders,
fertility, eases arthritis
pain.
HEMATITE Grey-black Root A verygrounding stone,
very cooling to the
physical body, use for
fevers, alleviates worry a n d
anxiety as it allows f o r
mental clarity, often known
as the "worry stone".
HERKIMER Clear Crown Very balancing special
variety of quartz crystal
"DIAMOND" works with yin/yang
energies,
often
known
as
the "Dream Crystal", aids
in bringing teachings of
the dream state into
conscious awareness, very
highly attuned
spiritually.
KYANITE Blue, Crown, Aligns all chakras,
if so directed
Black
3rdEye
can
openchakras(energy
centers in the body),
dispells frustration and
anger, excellent attunement
stone, good for meditating,
aids in p a s t l i f e
regression.
LAPIS Blue Throat, Used over 3rdeye
916
(brow) chakra,
LAZULI 3rd Eye assists in opening
and clarifying
(Brow)
inner
vision,
provides
strength, vitality and
self-assurance, used for
disorders of the throat,
heart,spleen, blood, skin a n d
to counter effects of
stroke and epilepsy, also good
for dream work.
LITHIUM Lavender Crown, Helps to reduce stress
and ease depression,
with Pink Solar- relates to cycles of
Tourmaline
Plexus
birth
and
deathand
eases
transition, good
preparatory stone inner
spiritual work, on physical
helps with digestion.
MOONSTONE White Crown Has avery calming effect
on the emotions,
Pastel stimulatesthe pineal
gland, assists in
stimulating the feeling
(intuitive) nature, eases
menstrual pain, alleviates
many degenerative
conditions in the skin,
hair, eyes, and body fluids
(tears, digestive juices).
OBSIDIAN Black- Used tosharpen both the
internal and external
Snowflakevision,oneofthemost
important "teachers" of
the New Age stones,
teaches one the truth of
oneself in relation to ones
ego, depicts the contrasts
of life-day and night,
darkness and light, truth
and error.
PERIDOT Green Heart, Promotes digestion,
eases ailments
Yellow/ Brow inthedigestive
system, used for
Green forprotection,
prosperity, emotional
calming, purifies,
balances.
PHANTOM Clear All Very powerful tool
for the New Age,
Redor used togroundand
center while
917
Yellow attuning to higher
spiritual energies, in
healing work used to
disperse congested energies.
PYRITE Gold Solar- Hasa very protecting,
shielding aspect which
Plexus
works
on
the
physical,
mental, emotional levels.
Shields from many forms o f
negative energy, strengths
circulatory system, clears
oxygen in the blood.
QUARTZ Clear Trans- All-purpose, all
healing, amplifies
personal
thought-forms,
transmutes energy
point
and
forms
protective
shield around auric
field, excellent for
meditation stone, color work,
aura work, very
energizing.
IRRADIATED Very Absorbs all formsof
negative
QUARTZ Black energy,placed on or
near
electrical
equipment
(T.V., microwave,
computer) to absorb
harmful energies.
ROSE QUARTZ Pink Heart Comfortsheart from all
wounds, helps heal emotional
pain, enhances l o v e ,
self-love, positive
outlook, joy and oneness,
helpful for heart, throat,
ears, nose, hypertension.
918
SMOKEY Black Root, Eases depression,
fear and panic,
QUARTZ Grey Solar- clears aura, very
grounding,
Plexus enhances positive
attitudes, tranquilizes, works
well with root chakra to
release negative blocks
emotional and physical,
used for menstrual
cramps,intestines, stomach
and digestion.
TOPAZ Yellow Solar- Draws negativity from
chakras,
Plexus
protects
against
insomnia
and depression, mood
elevator, revitalizes, very
stimulating to the
creative thinking processes,
eases death.
TOURMALINE Varied Root, Works as a protective
shield, consumes negative
energy without releasing i t
into the atmosphere, h a s
to do with visions a n d
"seeing" with compassion,
good for the eyes, teaches
to expand l i m i t e d
concepts of
thinking, relates to
aspirations for higher love,
very complete stone.
TURQUOISE Aqua Heart, Known as"The Sky
Stone", is
Throat excellent for both
Spiritual attunement and
healing of the energy
centers and the physical body,
valuable for grounding as
well as for vision quests
and astral t r a v e l ,
purifies all levels of
being and is capable of
handling strong negativity,
also used for wounds and
for damage to bones.
919
{file "Modern Pagaism, Q&A" "bos203.htm"}
920
M O D E R N P A G A N I S M :
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
To promote community harmony and freedom of religious practice.
Distributed by : The Committee for Religious Freedom, Salt Lake City,
Utah.
Thanks to LesleyPhillips andLinda Pinti ofThe Covenantof
Unitarian Universalist Pagans for original material.
Contemporarysociety isexperiencingaresurgence ofinterest
in earth- and nature-centered spirituality. Modern Paganism is a rich
and diverse religious movement drawing the attention of the media,
law-makers, and spiritual seekers. This pamphlet attempts to answer
some of the questions frequently asked about modern Pagan beliefs and
practices.
What is Paganism?
Theterm"Pagan" comesfrom aLatinword for"country dweller"
first used in early Christian times to refer to those not yet
converted to Christianity. "Pagan" was an epithet that cast aspersions
on those not seen as "true believers." Today, it refers more general
to the faith of those whose spiritual center is drawn to native and
natural religions, usually pantheistic or polytheistic, and almost
always earth-centered.
What then is "Modern Paganism"?
ModernPaganism,orNeo-Paganism, isamodern, Earth-centered
religious perspective which borrows and adapts from pre-Christian
paganism as well as from contemporary religious thought. While
reconnecting with ancient wisdom, it speaks eloquently to the needs
and concerns of the present.
What is meant by "The Old Religion"?
The term describes the pre-Christian religion of much of
western and northern Europe, which was based on the agricultural
cycles and other natural rhythms of the Earth. It coexisted with
Christianity for centuries, from the so-called "Dark Ages" up until
the Inquisition and the "Burning Times" (witch hunts) of the late
Middle Ages. It also can refer more generally to other
native and tribal religions of the world.
What is the difference between Paganism and Witchcraft?
SomecontemporaryPagans callthemselvesWitches.The termhas
many meanings, some carrying rather heavy negative baggage.
"Witchcraft" or "The Craft" is most properly applied to three broad
categories: Descendants of the European witches of the Middle Ages,
practitioners of the "reconstructed" Witchcraft of the 20th century,
and "feminist Witches" whose religion and politics center in the
contemporary womens' spirituality movement. It can generally be said
that all modern Witches are Pagans, but not all modern Pagans are
Witches. At least one writer, Aidan Kelly, has begun to use the term
"Neo-Pagan Witchcraft" to describe the largest portion of the
contemporary Pagan community.
921
What is meant by the term "Wicca"?
Oftenused asa synonymfor Witchcraft,"Wicca" isthought to
derive from an Anglo-Saxon root meaning to bend or to turn. It is more
properly applied only to those Witchcraft traditions which originated
in or derive from practices in the British Isles.
What about Shamanism?
Shamanismisnot areligion, butaset ofspiritual techniques
used for healing and the acquisition of knowledge through forays into
non-ordinary states of consciousness. Now gaining increasing
attention in the counseling profession, this journeying is usually
aided by sonic driving (such as repetitive drumming or chanting) and
often involves interactions with totemic and archetypal figures. These
techniques are used in virtually every tribal society and are widely
used by contemporary Pagans.
What do modern Pagans believe?
The centralbeliefs ofmodern Pagansdiffer in specificsyet
share many fundamentals. Deity is seen as immanent rather than
transcendent. Experience is preferred over doctrine. It is believed
that there are and should be multiple paths to the Divine. There is
no prescribed creed, but there are a number of beliefs shared by most
contemporary Pagans, summarized at the end of this pamphlet.
Isn't this just Humanism by another name?
Noand Yes.Likereligious Humanists,modernPagans havealove
and reverence for this world and the physical plane generally. The
rational is seen as important. Great emphasis is also placed on the
intuitive, however, and the belief that the physical and non-physical
worlds are equally real, and are interconnected, interpenetrating
manifestations of nature. This means that spiritual work, whether
called meditation, prayer, or magic, and whether done as ritual,
worship, or celebration, is efficacious and can result in changes in
the physical world. The majority of Pagans also believe in the
survival of the consciousness or soul after physical death.
How do modern Pagans worship?
Some groups have formalworship services or similar group
meetings. Others conduct rituals that have varying degrees of set
forms. Some Pagans worship by themselves without formal ritual. Most
contemporary Pagans hold rituals corresponding to the turning of the
seasons and the phases of the moon. Rituals are often performed in a
sacred space defined by the demarcation of a circle, within which the
celebration and worship take place. Celebrations include eight major
seasonal holidays, sometimes collectively referred to as "Sabbats".
These Sabbats, as most frequently observed by North American and
European Pagans, follow the agricultural cycles of the northern
temperate zone, and include the solstices and equinoxes as well as
four intermediate festivals which fall in between, sometimes called
"cross-quarters," on or near the first days of February,
May, August, and November. Regular public Sabbat rituals, reflecting
a variety of contemporary Pagan styles, are held in many communities.
Rituals may include meditation, chanting, drumming, myth- and
story-telling, ritual drama, dance, and so on. Deeper ritual work is
most often practiced at private gatherings, which for many traditions
coincide with the phases of the moon. The work may include more
intense raising of energy, healing work, and personal spiritual
development.
922
What about Satanism?
Contrary to the claims of ill-informed Christian
fundamentalists, the practices of modern Pagans are in no way related
to Satanism. Most Pagans do not even believe Satan exists. As a
profanation of Christian symbolism, Satan worship is a Christian
heresy, not a Pagan religion.
Do Pagans proselytize?
No,Pagansdo notproselytize.Most modernPagantraditions do
welcome newcomers. Most modern Pagans also do not discourage other
Pagans from integrating other religious and spiritual practices and
beliefs into their practice.
WHAT CONTEMPORARY PAGANS BELIEVE
while there is no set of beliefs shared by all Pagans, most would
agree that similarities far outweigh differences. There are a number
of beliefs held by the vast majority of modern Pagans. Some of these
are:
1. Divinity is seen as immanent.
2. Divinity is as likely to manifest itself in female as male form,
the God or the Goddess, in the interconnectedness of all life.
3. Multiple paths to the divine exist, as symbolized by many goddesses
and gods. These are often seen as archetypes or gateways to the
unconscious.
4. We respect and love Mother Earth as a living being, Gaia, of which
we are a part.
5. The physical world, as an emanation of the divine, is good and to
be enjoyed by all living beings in love and harmony.
6. Ethics and morality are based on avoidance of harm to other beings,
including Earth as a whole, which mandates environmental activism as a
spiritual responsibility.
7. Human interdependence implies the need for community cooperation.
8. The solar and lunar cycles and the cycles of our lives are
celebrated. This leads to the maintenance and revival of old customs
and the creation of new ones.
9. A strong commitment to personal and planetary growth, evolution,
and balance are vital.
10. One's lifestyle must be consistent with one's beliefs. The
personal is political.
11. A minimum of dogma and a maximum of individual responsibility in
all things are goals to strive for. Thus a healthy skepticism is to be
fostered, and ideas are not to be accepted without personal
investigation of their validity.
12. Messiahs and gurus are to be avoided. The mediation of another
being is unnecessary for an individual to commune with Deity.
Power-from-within is preferred to power-over.
13. All beings are personal emanations of the Divine. Thou art
Goddess, thou art God.
923
{file "A Booklist of Pagan/Magickal Titles" "bos204.htm"}
A Booklist of Pagan/Magickal Titles
I. Tarot:
A. The Tarot - Paul Foster Case (f)
B. The Qabalistic Tarot - Robert Wang (a,f)
C. The Book of Tokens - Paul Case (f)
D. TheBook ofThoth - Crowley(a,f)
II. The Qabalah:
A. The Mystical Qabalah - Dion Fortune (f)
B. The Kabbalah Unveiled - MacGregor Mathers (f)
C. The Sepher Yetzirah - W. Wynn Westcott (f)
D.APracticalGuideto
QabalisticSymbolism-GarethKnight
(a,f)
E. The Ladder of Lights - William Grey (f?)
III. Magick in general:
A. The Tree of Life - Israel Regardie (a,f)
B. Magick in Theory and Practice - Aleister Crowley (a,f,b)
C.TheGolden Dawn;TheComplete Golden DawnSystem of
Magic- Israel Regardie (c)
D. Magick without Tears - Crowley (c)
IV. Meditation
A. The Training of the Mind - Alan Bennett (a)
B. Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism - Chogyam
Trungpa(d)
C. Book 4 - Crowley (a)
D. The Experience of Insight - Goldstein (d)
V. Crowley
A. The Holy Books of Thelema (a)
B. The Vision and the Voice (a)
C. The Eye in the Triangle - Israel Regardie (c)
D. The Equinox, esp The Temple of Solomon the King (a)
E. The Book of Lies (a)
VI. Paganism, historical
A. The Golden Bough - Frazer
B. The Mystery Religions - S. Angus (b)
C. Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism - F. Cumont (b)
D. The God of the Witches - Margaret Murray
E. The Golden Ass - Apuleius, transl. Robert Graves
VII. Paganism, modern
A. Drawing Down the Moon - Margot Adler
B. The Meaning of Witchcraft - Gerald Gardner (g)
VIII. Eastern Mysticism
A. Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines - Evans-Wentz
B. Shakti and Shakta - Arthur Avalon (a)
C. The Serpent Power - Arthur Avalon (a)
D. The Tibetan Book of the Dead - Evans-Wentz
IX. Egyptian religion (all b)
A. The Gods of the Egyptians - E.A. Budge
B. The Egyptian Book of the Dead - Budge
C. Egyptian Magic - Budge
D. The Leyden Papyrus - Budge
924
X. Miscellaneous
A. The Chaldean Oracles - Westcott (f,e)
B. The Life of Apollonius of Tyana - Philostratus
C. Prometheus Rising - Robert Anton Wilson (c)
D. Cosmic Trigger - Robert Anton Wilson (c)
Sources
(a) Samuel Weiser, Inc
Box 612
York Beach, Maine 03910
-EXCELLENT source for books of all sorts, all high quality.
Especially good source for books by Crowley & on ceremonial
magick. Highly recommended.
(b) Dover Publications
31 East 2nd St.
Mineola, NY 11501
-reprints manyold books,most notably Budge'sclassic egyptian
series
(c) Falcon Press
3660 N. 3rd St
Phoenix, AZ 85012
-small press specializing in Crowley, Israel Regardie,& the
Golden Dawn. Also carries Robert Anton Wilson's latest works,
such as PROMETHEUS RISING, THE NEW INQUISITION, and the reprinted
classic COSMIC TRIGGER.
(d) Shambalah Publications
314 Dartmouth St.
Boston, MA 02116
-mainly Eastern religion & Buddhist, but also some western
magick, and recently lots of high-quality New Age works. Recently
reprinted the classic series HERMETICA by Sir Walter Scott.
(e) Heptangle Books
Box 283
Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922
-small specialty printing house issuing one volume per
year, beautifully typeset. Issued the classic ENOCHIAN
INVOKATION by Geoffrey James, which was still in print in April.
(f) The Best of Cards Catalog
Division of US Games Systems
38 East 32nd St
NY, NY 10016
-sells every Tarot pack in existence, & also has a
surprisingly extensive booklist of occult books. Good source for
Eliphas Levi & tarot material & carries many of the books issued
by the above publisher. Catalog is $2. Delivery is the fastest I've
ever seen.
925
(g) Magickal Childe
35 West 19th St.
NY,NY 10011
-excellent listing; carries Gardner's books & assorted
paraphanalia such as Abramelin oil. Carries many more books than
listed in their catalog; reportedly if you call them they can get
ANY occult book, if it's available anywhere. No, I don't have their
phone #.
(h) Llewellyn Publications
P.O. Box 64383-873
St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
-not so good a source these days,but carries reprints of
many of Israel Regardie's classics. Their catalog resembles the
National Enquirer; caveat emptor. Interesting to read for
entertainment purposes, occasionally one will find a good book there.
(i) Circle
P.O. Box 219
Mt. Horeb, WI 53572
-apagan organizationpublishinga newsletter& sellssome books,
most notably Circle Guide to Pagan & Wiccan Resources, for contacts.
(j) Dharma Publishing
2425 Hillside Ave
Berkeley CA 94704
-sellsbooks onBuddhism, posters of Tibetan Thanka paintings;
much more hardcore Buddhist than Shambalah.
These opinions are my own, & where I recall purchasingthese
books in the past. They may no longer be available.
926
{file "Talespinner's Neopagan Reading List" "bos205.htm"}
TALESPINNER'S NEOPAGAN READING LIST
by J. Brad ("Talespinner") Hicks
THE BEST FIVE:
(Read these five first,they are by themselves thebest possible
introduction to Neopagan Witchcraft and practical magic that I've
found anywhere.)
Starhawk, _The_Spiral_Dance_. (San Francisco: Harper & Rowe, 1979).
Paperback, $10.95
This isthe essential firstbook fora newwitch, Neopaganor
otherwise. In fact, many new covens have been formed with no other
sources than this book. Starhawk details the myths, legends, and
magic of the Craft in a beautifully elegant, easy-to-read way. Often
found in bookstores on the "Women's Studies" shelf, Starhawk's vision
of the Craft emphasizes the Goddess as the source of inspiration, with
secondary emphasis on the Horned God. Perhaps a bit too Feminist, but
still the best introduction yet.
Margot Adler, _Drawing_Down_the_Moon_. (Boston: Beacon Press, 1979).
Paperback, $9.50
Althoughit isnow 7yearsout-of-date, thisis stillthe best
history of the modern, Neopagan Craft that has been published yet.
Includes many valuable interviews with some of the people who gave
shape to the Craft as we know it. While the book does include some
instruction in magic, its primary thrust is philosophy and history.
Keep an eye out--there's an updated second edition due out some time
in late 1986.
Marion Weinstein, _Positive_Magic_. (Surrey, B.C.: Phoenix
Publishing, revised 1981). Paperback, $8.95
I see-saw betweenthis book andthe next onefor 3rd and4th
place. Both are good, detailed texts on magic and spell-casting. At
the moment, I recommend _Positive Magic_ first for the following
reasons:
1) it is more practical, teaching actual techniques before
tackling theoretical justifications, and 2) the language is a bit
easier to follow for non-scientists. The topics covered include the
karmic effects of magic, astrology, divination with tarot cards and
the I'Ching, and general spell-casting. Its strongest point is the
section on tarot, which is the best I've seen yet. Its weakest point
(in my opinion) is that it under-emphasizes poetry and ritual.
P.E.I. Bonewits, _Real_Magic_. (Berkeley: Creative Arts Publishing,
revised 1979). Paperback, $8.95
Thisis theother"best" bookon magic. Itcovers amuch wider
variety of topics, including ritual, psychic self-defense, and many
other psychic phenomena. Isaac's approach is scientific and rational,
not "religious," and his language is often more that of a scholar than
a witch, but this is nevertheless an essential book for any student of
magic. WARNING: Make sure that you get the second edition (1979) or
later, as the 1971 edition includes much material that is misleading,
extraneous, and sometimes just plain false--the 1979 edition was
heavily edited.
927
Scott Cunningham, _Earth_Power_. (St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications,
1983).
Paperback, $6.95
Agood, reliablevolumeof spellsandcharms, compiledfromthe
Family Traditions and other witchcraft sources. The magic in this
book consists entirely of what scholars call "Low Magic"--the magic of
village herballists, midwives, and healers--and as such, it is very
practical, simple, and unpretentious. Missing is much of the ceremony
of Neopagan Witchcraft; in its place, a huge vocabulary of magic that
can be used easily and quickly, regardless of where you are and what
you have for tools.
THE BEST OF THE REST:
(Onceyou have a good background, from the previous five books,
you will find the following all make good reference books, worth
having on your shelf.)
Stewart Farrar, _What_Witches_Do_. (Custer, WA: Phoenix Publishing,
revised 1983). Paperback, $8.95
Thisbook isso goodthat it ALMOSTmade itinto thetop five,
displacing _Earth Magic_. When its first edition came out in 1971, it
was the only book on modern Witchcraft that was written for outsiders.
It is surprisingly well-written, and very thorough. Its only serious
problem is that it is very specifically Alexandrian Witchcraft (named
after Alex Sanders, its first High Priest), and some of it doesn't
generalize well. Nevertheless, it has the best-written chapter on
initiation, among other things, that I've seen yet.
Herman Slater (ed.), _A_Book_of_Pagan_Rituals_. (York Beach, ME:
Samuel Weiser, 1978). Paperback, $8.95
This is thecomplete Bookof Shadows ofa Neopagantradition
called The Pagan Way. It includes complete, very well-written rituals
for all eight of the High Holidays (both solo and group ritual), plus
a mixed bag of rituals for healing, trance work, and so forth.
Requires some basic knowledge of the Craft and its symbolism, so its
not for beginners, but it is definitely useful to any worthwhile
fully-initiated witch.
Ellen Cannon Reed, _The_Witches'_Qabala_. (St. Paul: Llewellyn
Publications, 1985). Paperback, $7.95
So far, only Book 1, "The Goddess and the Tree" has been
published, but it's already the best book on the Qabala that I've een
yet, and the only one I would recommend to a new Neopagan Witch. The
Qabala and its commentary to date contain a lot of sexist material,
reflecting their Judeao-Christian origins. Ellen Reed strips all of
that away, but in a way that is truer to the Qabala's origins and
meaning than was the offensive material. Where she changes the
traditional attributions, she documents it, and includes the
traditional ones as well.
This book is almost a "must-read."
928
Jack Schwarz, _Voluntary_Controls_. (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1978).
Paperback, $7.95
Jack Schwarzis NOTa witch,but don't letthat stopyou from
profiting from the single clearest, most practical book on kundalini-
style meditation that has been published in the West. If you are
having trouble meditating, or wish to do serious trance work, turn to
this book first.
Camden Benares, _ZEN_Without_Zen_Masters_. (Phoenix: Falcon Press,
1977). Paperback, $6.95
Outof printfor almost 7years, Iam VERYhappy to beable to
recommend it again. This book is, among other things, proof that
there is more to the Discordian branch of Neopaganism than just
practical jokes. It is also the best practical book on Zen for the
western world that I have seen yet. All of the best zen koans,
including these, are also humorous (and therefore memorable). The
book also includes MANY valuable exercises. As Robert Anton Wilson
(see below) says in the Commentary at the beginning, "If you don't
laugh at all, you've missed the point. If you only laugh, you've
missed your chance for Illumination."
Robert Anton Wilson,
_Cosmic_Trigger:_The_Final_Secret_of_the_Illuminati_.
(New York: Pocket Books, 1977). Paperback, $3.95
Inthisautobiographical work,Wilson detailshis initiation
into and experience with almost every form of shamanic magick that is
still practiced today, and draws some very surprising conclusions.
Strongest point: this is a fantastic synthesis of magick, psychology,
and physics. Weakest point: its central theme--that all of the great
mystical societies and movements in history have been in contact with
aliens from Sirius--is not taken seriously by Wilson (no matter how
serious he seems in this book), and should not be taken seriously by
the reader.
929
{file "Witchcraft (Annotated bibliography)" "bos206.htm"}
W I T C H C R A F T
the Magic of Ancient Celtic Beliefs
in a Contemporary Society
===================================
The purpose of this listingis to helpthe novice sortout the
reliable from the sensational in the wealth of material that is
now available on Witchcraft. I have left out old historical
treatises (records of the Inquisition and such) which are of little
value to the modern student, and have concentrated instead on
contemporary sources. This also yeilds a much more objective
perspective.
- Michael Nichols
THE TEXTS:
'Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and
Other Pagans in America Today' - 2nd ed. - by Margot Adler. Beacon
Press trade paperback.
You may have already heard Margot's voice, as shewas once
hostess of National Public Radio's news program, 'All Things
Considered'. This book is the end result of five years of research
and interviews. (The 2nd edition is an update published eight years
after the original.) This landmark study focuses on the rise
of the Neo-Pagan movement (which includes Witchcraft, of course)
especially as it relates to the values and beliefs of the
counterculture of the mid-60's, hippies, flower children, et. al.
It is the single most comprehensive study of modern American
Witchcraft in existence.
'What Witches Do: The ModernCoven Revealed' - 2nd ed. - by Stewart
Farrar. Phoenix trade paperback.
If Adler's book gives a comprehensive overview of modern
American Witchcraft, Farrar's is a complimentary look at
traditional British Witchcraft. Concentrating on the
Alexandrian tradition (which is only marginally different from
Gardnerian, easily the largest Craft tradition extant), Farrar
lays stress on the actual working of Covens and the integration
of novice Witches into them. Also included is much of the
Gardnerian (via Alexandrian) Book of Shadows. So there is plenty
here for someone who wants to begin practice.
'The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great
Goddess' by Starhawk (pseud. for Miriam Simos). Harper & Row trade
paperback. This book shifts back to America again, this time with a
slight emphasis on feminist Witchcraft, arguably the fastest growing
branch of the Craft. Starhawk is herself High Priestess of two
California Covens and her book is insightful, genuine, and beautifully
poetic. This overview also contains specific instructions for
Circles, chants, spells, invocations, creating rituals and, in
short, everything you need to get started. And it is a
delight to read.
930
'Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft' by Raymond Buckland.
Llewellyn trade paperback.
British-born Ray Buckland can, with some validity, be
considered Gerald Gardner's American successor. Not only did he
introduce Gardnerian Witchcraft to the United States, but he also
founded his own tradition of the Craft, called Seax (Saxon)
Wicca, which has grown to worldwide practice. His early books, like
'Witchcraft from the Inside', did much to dispel negative
stereotypes of Wicca in the 60's. And 'The Tree: Complete Book
of Saxon Witchcraft' remains one of the best published Books of
Shadows to date. The present volume has a practical orientation,
with chapters set up as 'lessons', covering every imaginable aspect of
modern Wicca. The book is Traditionalist in approach, making a nice
counterpoint to works by Adler and Starhawk.
OTHER SOURCES:
'A Witches' Bible, Compleat' by Janet & Stewart Farrar. Magickal
Childe trade paperback tandum edition of 'Eight Sabbats for Witches'
and 'The Witches' Way', respectively, also called 'A Witches' Bible,
Vol 1 & 2'.
The first book is an examination of thefestival Holidays
of the Old Religion - the Solstices and Equinoxes and the
cross-quarter days - together with the rich folk customs associated
with them. The second book contains the long-awaited remainder of
the previously unpublished portions of the Gardnerian Book of
Shadows. In both of these books, the Farrars had the invaluable
help of Doreen Valiente, who actually wrote parts of the Gardnerian
liturgy. The three Farrar books taken together form the most
complete system of Witchcraft currently available. Their more
recent book 'The Witches' Goddess' focuses on the feminine
archetype, and contains a gazetteer of Goddesses that is
mind-boggling in its thoroughness.
'Dreaming the Dark: Magic, Sex, & Politics' and 'Truth or Dare:
Encounters with Power, Authority, and Mystery' both by Starhawk.
Beacon Press trade paperback and Harper & Row hardback, respectively.
If we have gained new religious insights from Pagan and
feminist philosophy, how are we to incorporate those insights into
our daily lives? Starhawk, the author of one of our principal texts,
pulls together a wide range of materials to answer this question
in two books as beautifully poetic as her first. Some of these things
have waited a long time to be said - and they couldn't have been
said better!
'The White Goddess' by Robert Graves. Farrar, Straus, &
Giroux trade paperback.
A rather weighty and yet poetic book, tracing the female
deity of Witchcraft - Goddess of Birth, Love, and Death; of the
New, Full, and Old Moon, worshipped under countless titles.
Fascinating for the advanced student. Know your Celtic
mythology (particularly Welsh) before you start, though! (If you need
a quick intro to this book, check out the feature in the Reviews SIG.)
931
'Witchcraft Today' and 'The Meaning of Witchcraft' byGerald B.
Gardner. Magickal Childe trade paperbacks.
GeraldGardner hasthe distinction ofbeing thefirst practicing
Witch to write a book about Witchcraft. He was initiated into
one of the surviving traditional British Covens, and onto the tattered
remnants of magic and ritual inherited from them, he grafted
elements of ceremonial magic. The synthesis that emerged came to be
called 'Gardnerian' Witchcraft, and it became the major cause
of the Witchcraft revival of the twentieth century. Because
Gardner was the first to deal with this material in written form, it
sometimes seems very disorganized, but its historical importance is
immense 'An ABC of Witchcraft', 'Natural Magick', and 'Witchcraft for
Tomorrow' all by Doreen Valiente. Phoenix trade paperbacks.
British Witch Doreen Valiente isperhaps best known for her
work with Gerald Gardner in creating the Gardnerian canon of
liturgy. However, in her own books, she really shines as an amateur
folklorist, managing to convey a sense of Witchcraft as a folk
religion, tied very much to the locality, the land, and the oldest
strains of folk wisdom and nature. Her sense of history and
tradition is rich and deep, and she often presents fascinating
historical tidbits about the Craft. From no other author can one gain
such a rich sense of heritage.
'A History of Witchcraft: Sorcerers, Heretics, & Pagans' by
Jeffrey B. Russell. Thames and Hudson trade paperback.
This bookrepresents theapproach of agifted Cornellhistorian.
Although Russell doesn't always adequately cover modern sources, he
has become famous for his ability to integrate a sensible approach to
the evidence of medieval Witchcraft with an acceptance of modern
Neo-Pagan Witchcraft.
'Magical Rites from the Crystal Well' by Ed Fitch.
Llewellyn trade paperback.
A book ofrites, simple celebrations of land and water, wind
and fire. Rites of passage, seasonal celebrations, magical
workings, healings, and many more. Ed Fitch (one of the founders of
Pagan Way) is truly in his element here. And it is one of the
most beautiful books on the Craft ever published. The art work alone
is worth the price of the book!
'A Book of Pagan Rituals' by Herman Slater. Weiser trade paperback.
Originally published in two volumes as the 'Pagan Way
Rituals', this extremely beautiful book is just what it says it is:
a book of rituals. Not authentic Wiccan rituals, but very nearly so,
these rituals are often used by Covens in the training of
neophytes. Like a good Catholic missal, the words are printed in
'sense lines' using BOLD PRINT (easier to read by candlelight).
Anyone who is at least part animist or nature-lover is going to
cherish this beautiful book.
'Celtic Heritage' by Alwyn and Brinley Rees. Thames and
Hudson trade paperback.
A good deal ofmodern Witchcraftcan be tracedto ancientCeltic
sources. This book, based in comparative religion, mythology, and
anthropology, gives one a clear picture of the Celtic world-view.
Drawn mainly from Ireland and Wales, the study focuses on the
interplay of Light and Darkness, Day and Night, Summer and
Winter, and all the seasonal myths and rituals that make up the great
Celtic yearly cycle.
932
OTHER USEFUL BOOKS:
'The Politics of Women's Spirituality: Essays on the Rise of
Spiritualist Power Within the Feminist Movement' by Charlene
Spretnak. Doubleday trade paperback.
Ahuge (and, oneis tempted tosay, thedefinitive) anthology of
feminist and Pagan theology. Many familiar authors here: Starhawk,
Weinstein, Daly, et. al. Subjects range from Amazons to the ethics of
magic. A real bargain!
'Sex in History' by Reay Tannahill. Stein & Day trade paperback.
It has oftenbeen said that Witchcraft grew outof an earlier
'fertility religion' and, although 'fertility' is probably the
wrong word here, it is undeniable that the history of Witichcraft is
irrevocably bound up with the history of sexuality. Like
Tantrists and many others in the East, Witches tend to view sex as
sacramental. Since this is quite contrary to the prevailing
attitudes of our own culture, it may be helpful to understand how
our culture acquired such negative ideas about sex in the first
place. Ms. Tannahill's unique landmark study will not only answer
this question but also indicate the many options other cultures
throughout history have chosen.
'When God Was A Woman' by Merlin Stone. Harcourt, Brace, &
Jovanovich trade paperback.
At the foundations of the religion of Witchcraft is the
religion of the Goddess. Ms. Stone's book is an archeological
tour-de-force of that religion, which is found at the beginnings of
virtually every known culture (yes, even the Judeo-Christian culture).
In this book, one learns about the worship of Astarte, Isis,
Ishtar, and many others. Also recommended is her 'Ancient
Mirrors of Womanhood'. Both are splendid books!
'A Different Heaven and Earth' by Sheila D. Collins. Judson
Press trade paperback.
Byone ofthe leading feministtheologians of ourday, this book
asks what are the psychological and social implications of
worshipping a male deity exclusively, while ignoring the feminine
principle in religion. This is one of the most influencial books I've
read in the last ten years. It changed my way of thinking (for the
better) and I dare say it will change yours.
'The Way of Wyrd' by Brian Bates. Harper & Row hardback.
What Carlos Castaneda didfor Native American tradition, this
author does for ancient Pagan Anglo-Saxon tradition. Subtitled 'The
Book of a Sorcerer's Apprentice' and based on authentic manuscripts
found in the British Museum, it is the chronicle of a young Christian
monk sent into the wilds beyond Mercia in 674 to record the heresies
(beliefs) of the Pagans. He is lucky to have as his guide the
Anglo-Saxon shaman Wulf. Throughout this documentary novel, the
Christian and Pagan beliefs are juxtaposed for abetter understanding
of both. Not since 'The Mists of Avalon' has a book accomplished this
task so neatly.
933
'Positive Magic' - revised edition - by Marion Weinstein.
Phoenix Publications trade paperback.
Although a book about how to use magic to changeyour life
could be extremely tedious, this one is far from it. While it is true
that Marion uses a simple and direct style of writing, it is used on
such difficult and subtle questions as the ethics of magic. She
draws upon her own experiences to create a book that is
truely positive. If I had to recommend one book on magic, this would
be it!
'Earth Power' by Scott Cunningham. Llewellyn trade paperback.
Scott is arguablythe strongest of the young writers in the
immensely popular 'Llewellyn's Practical Magick Series'. This is,
in fact, a book of spells. Practical, down-to-earth, useful,
everyday, garden-variety spells. It is the only such book in this
bibliography. Although I do not recommend a 'cookbook' approach to
magic, this book will be extremely helpful when used as a guide for
creating your own spells. Also, Scott concentrates on 'natural' or
'folk' magic, as opposed to 'ritual' or 'ceremonial' magic. This is
the type of magic (involving Sun, Moon, stars, trees, rocks,
springs, etc.) that is the natural heritage of Witchcraft. An
excellent starting-place for the novice spell-wright. His
many other books, especially 'The Magical Household', are all
highly recommended.
'The Medium, the Mystic, and the Physicist' and 'Alternate
Realities' by Lawrence LeShan. Ballantine paperbacks.
Dr. LeShandoes not deal with magic orWitchcraft per se, but
what he has to say about the nature of the cosmos is magical
indeed. He is an experimental psychologist, an Esalen veteran,
director of ESP research, psychic healing, and other projects.
His is a synthesis of philosophy, parapsychology, and
Einsteinian physics. His other books, especially 'How To Meditate'
(Bantam paperback), are also of great value.
'Seth Speaks' and 'The Seth Material' by Jane Roberts. Bantam
paperbacks.
Yet another startlingly clear (albeit less scientific)
look at metaphysics. This is probably the cream of the crop of all
modern mediumistic data: Seth is the communicant, and the late Jane
Roberts is the medium. The other 'Seth' books are also of value.
'Psychic Exploration: A Challenge for Science' by Edgar Mitchell,
edited by John White. Putnam trade paperback.
This anthology serves as an excellent introduction to the
scientific field of parapsychology. Each chapter is an extensive
review article on laboratory work carried out in one particular
sub-genre of the field: telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition,
psychokinesis, OOBE's, apparitions & hauntings, etc. These
excellent articles will bring you up-to-date on virtually
everything that is currently known about the topic in
question. Other chapters deal with the history of the discipline,
social & psychological implications, military applications, etc.
This book could open the mind of the severest skeptic. But at the
same time, it could serve as a necessary check on those
too-credulous souls who have a tendency to 'believe everything'.
934
BOOKS ON RELATED SUBJECTS:
ASTROLOGY: For the absolute beginner, 'Chart Your Own Horoscope'
by Ursula Lewis. Pinnacle paperback. The find-at-a-glance tables
and charts are worth their weight in gold. For the more advanced
students, Michael Meyer's 'A Handbook for the Humanistic
Astrologer' is highly recommended for its 'humanistic' (a la Dane
Rudyar) approach. If you want to really learn to do astrology, try
'The Only Way To Learn Astrology, Vol I-IV' by March & McEvers. Books
by Linda Goodman, Grant Lewi, Ronald Davison, and Liz Greene are
also recommended.
TAROT: 'Secrets of the Tarot' by Barbara Walker is the best of
the newest books on Tarot. You may know Barbara as the author of the
amazing 'Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets'. Bill Butler's
'Dictionary of the Tarot' is a wonderful reference book which
encompasses works by such authors as Case, Crowley, Douglas, Gray,
Huson, Kaplan, Mathers, Papus, Waite, et. al.
ESP: Any and all books by J. B. and Louisa Rhine, Gertrude
Schmeidler, Thelma Moss, Charles Tart, D. Scott Rogo, J. G. Pratt,
Raynor Johnson and Lawrence LeShan would be highly recommended.
PALMISTRY: 'The Palmistry Workbook' by N. Altman is clearly the
leader here. The book actually has hand-prints, not just line
drawings!
GHOSTS: Firstly, I'd recommend 'An Experience of Phantoms'
and 'The Poltergeist Experience' both by D. Scott Rogo (Penguin
paperbacks), who is a kind of historian of psychical research. Also,
'The Poltergeist' by William Roll, director of the Psychical
Research Foundation, and this country's leading authority on ghosts.
And most importantly, 'Conjuring Up Phillip' by Iris M. Owen, the
account of a group of Canadian researchers who 'created' a ghost!
This last title is now out of print, but if you can find one in a used
book store, it's well worth it.
SURVIVAL: 'At the Hour of Death' by Karlis Osis is exceptional.
Books by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross are adequate, but not as good. And, if
you can find it, the out-of-print 'Life Is Forever' by Susy
Smith is perhaps the best introduction.
OUT-OF-THE-BODY EXPERIENCES: 'Journeys Out of the Body' and 'Far
Journeys' both by Robert A. Monroe. The narative of a much-researched
psychic, he only
one of its kind. Also, 'Astral Projection' by Oliver Fox, and any
early works
by Sylvan Muldoon and Hereward Carrington, if you can find them.
MEDIUMSHIP: Firstly, the 'Seth' books by Jane Roberts, listed above.
Any and all books by Eileen Garrett. Plus, 'Here, Mr. Splitfoot' by
Robert Sommerlot, 'Singer in the Shadows' by Irving Litvag, and 'She
Spoke to the Dead' by Susy Smith.
CABALISM: Introductory works include 'The Magician: His Training
and Work' and 'Magick: Its Ritual, Power, and Purpose' both by W.
E. Butler. Later, works by Dion Fortune and Aleister Crowley
(definately not for the novice).
935
BOOKS OF LORE & MYTHOLOGY:
'The Mists of Avalon' by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Ballantine trade
paperback.
This Arthurian fantasy novel,which reached the N.Y. Times
best-seller list, is truly superlative. It is narrated by Morgan le
Fay and so we finally understand that strange antipathy that exists
between her and Arthur. The religious and philosophical
conflict between the Old Religion and the newer one of Christianity is
beautifully portrayed. An excellent choice.
The Prydain Chronicles of Lloyd Alexander, a pentology on Dell
paperbacks: 'The Book of Three', 'The Black Cauldron', 'The
Castle of Llyr', 'Taran Wanderer', and 'The High King'.
These award-winning children's fantasies are based on
ancient Welsh mythology. Alexander admits that the two authors who
most influenced him were J. R. R. Tolkien and T. H. White. The books
are also the basis of the recent animation feature from Disney
studios. I'm often asked about pagan books to recommend for children.
These are them.
The Deryni Chronicles of Katherine Kurtz: 'Deryni Rising', 'Deryni
Checkmate', 'High Deryni', 'Camber of Culdi', 'Saint Camber',
Camber the Heretic', 'The Bishop's Heir', 'The King's Justice' and
'The Quest for Saint Camber', all Ballantine paperbacks.
Set in the landscape of ancient Wales, the Deryni are a race
with magical powers which must fight for its life against a
medieval Church Militant. Kahterine is someone who knows what magic
is all about.
'The Once and Future King' and 'The Book of Merlyn' both by T.
H. White. Berkely paperbacks.
Sparkling books, and my own personal favorites. The final
crystalization of centuries of Arhturian romance. The books on which
'Camelot' was based.
'The Weirdstone of Brisingamen', 'TheMoon of Gomrath', 'Elidor', and
'The Owl Service' by Alan Garner. All Ballantine paperbacks.
Garner isone of thebest Britishfantasy authors, witha superb
sense of local 'color' and folklore. The first two (related) titles
are in the heroic quest mold, the third is a story about the four
'hallows' of Arthurian legends, and the fourth is an eerie modern
re-creation of the fourth branch of the 'Mabinogi'.
'A Wizard of Earhtsea', 'The Tombs of Atuan', and 'The Farthest
Shore' by Ursula K. LeGuin. A trilogy on Bantam paperbacks.
This isthe chronicle of ayoung boy who isan apprentice mage.
LeGuin, a leading science fiction and fantasy author, has some
fascinating things to say about the light side and dark side of magic,
and how they're related. And she says it very well, indeed.
'Lammas Night' by Katherine Kurtz. Ballantine paperback.
In this case, theauthor of the important Deryni fantasies
turns her attention to a historical setting: England in World
War II. There is a long-standing tradition that Hitler's thwarted
plans for invading England owed a certain something to the many
Covens throughout Britain who combined their efforts to stop him.
There is even a hint that the Royal Family itself was involved.
Ms. Kurtz's historical research is, of course, impeccable.
936
{file "Charge of The Horned God, The" "bos207.htm"}
The Charge of the God
Listen to the words of the Horned God, the Guardian of all
things wild and free, and Keeper of the Gates of Death,
whose Call all must answer:
I am the fire within your heart...
The yearning of your Soul.
I am the Hunter of Knowledge
and the Seeker of the Holy Quest
I - who stand in the darkness of light
am He whom you have called Death.
I - the Consort and Mate of Her we adore,
call forth to thee.
Heed my call beloved ones,
come unto me and learn the secrets of death and peace.
I am the corn at harvest
and the fruit on the trees.
I am He who leads you home.
Scourge and Flame,
Blade and Blood -
these are mine and gifts to thee.
Call unto me in the forest wild
and on hilltop bare
and seek me in the Darkness Bright.
I - who have been called;
Pan,
Herne,
Osiris ,
and Hades,
speak to thee in thy search.
Come dance and sing;
come live and smile,
for behold:
this is my worship.
You are my children and I am thy Father.
On swift night wings
it is I who lay you at the Mother's feet
to be reborn and to return again.
Thou who thinks to seek me,
know that I am the untamed wind,
the fury of storm and passion in your Soul.
Seek me with pride and humility,
but seek me best with love and strength.
For this is my path,
and I love not the weak and fearful.
Hear my call on long Winter nights
and we shall stand together guarding Her Earth
as She sleeps.
937
{file "Shamanic Binding (Gaffer Maccluiunn)" "bos208.htm"}
Shamanic Binding
By: Gaffer Maccluiunn
There are many "heaven"s, as I see it...
One of these, which I go to for information, is the Realm of Spirit
Animals. I do the usual preparations for a journey, then halfway up (I
use a ricketywooden ladder: my teacher suggested a ladder when I was
very young, and I haven't rebuil it yet...It's had many years of
almost constant use, and I think that it's time to repair this mental
tool...), and though the ladder continues (both up, down, several
other ways...) I swing through a little hole and come up underneath an
enormous tree. The place is filled with animals (of course) and I can
find out from them, generally, whatever I need to know. There's
usually something I do in return; I was taught (and believe, since it
works for me) that there are essentially five (5) KNOWN ways to relate
to a spirit. The first rule, as I believe it, is that no matter what,
in any dealing between entity and entity, the relationship MUST be
made clear for there to be useful communication. It doesn't matter as
much WHAT the relatioship is (although I have preferences), so long as
it is clear. The five ways I am aware of are:
1. Binding by Gift.
2. Binding by Love.
3. Binding by Trade.
4. Binding by Spirit.
5. Binding by Weapon.
Since the last one is, in MY way of thinking, least desireable, we'll
start there: Binding by weapon, for me, is only used when a spirit or
entity comes to me with something nasty planned, and only if there is
no other way. It is kind of like putting the genie in the bottle (the
old Arabian Nights Genies were very tricky, and would just as soon
devour someone who lets them free as grant them wishes...): first,
you must have superior force, and superior will. And Plenty of
Reasons...
Binding by Spirit is MUCH more preferable: This is the link you have
with your spirit animals: A link from like to like, regardless of
form. It usually HAPPENS to you, rather than you CAUSING it to
happen.
Binding by Trade is offering something in return for what you wish to
receive. Not as wonderful an experience as Binding by Spirit, but
still worthwhile. It is necessary to find some entity willing to
trade, however, and for this the Realm of Animals is where I use it
most. After a while, you can get into a routine, whereupon in becomes
Binding By Gift:
938
Binding by Gift is when the shaman leaves a gift or gives a gift, in
expectation of needing a favor later. This can be considered the case
when a spirit comes to you for help, but generally I classify that as
Trade, since it is the same as trade, just the other way around.
Binding by Gift, you do the thing first: If I need information that I
think the Squirrels, for instance, in the Animal Realm can offer, I'll
leave out a selection of nuts underneath the pine tree in the fron
yard, for I know that there are squirrels which frequent it. Then,
later, I'll go up to the Animals and ask for what I need. This
originally started as Binding by Trade, where they'd tell me the
information I needed to know, and then say, "In Trade, you can leave
nuts for the Little Brothers." Now, I do it aforehand, knowing. This
is a much more comfortable relationship than Trade, as Trade is
generally a one-or-two-time thing, while Gift is something much more
meaningful and long-lasting.
Binding by Love is actually entering into a friendship (or deeper)
with a spirit. Most of the shamans to whom I speak agree with me that
the relationship they have with their Spirit Helpers/Guides is a love
or lover relationship. Some explain that they are soul-mated to their
guides. This makes sense to me, and is the last form of relationship
of which I am aware in this context.
Hope this was interesting. Let me know.
Tapadh Leibh.
Gaffer.
939
{file "Spitual Emergence or Emergency (Paul Seymour)" "bos209.htm"}
SPIRITUALITY
In order to facilitate clearer communication in an area that very
often becomes very "fuzzy" because of specialized or unclear
definitions, let us now define the term Spirituality and the sense of
its use here. The term "spirituality" (as used here) is reserved for
situations that involve personal experiences of unique dimensions of
reality that give one's life and general existence a numinous quality.
Jung used the term "numinous" for the description of experiences that
feel sacred, holy, or out of the ordinary (in the sense of a special
feeling of ultimate meaning or reality). Therefore, spirituality
characterizes individual relationship to the universe and does not
necessarily require a formal structure, collective ritual, or
mediation by a priest or other external authority figure.
Religionis a form of organized groupactivity that may or may
not be conducive to (or even supportive of) true spirituality,
depending on the degree to which it provides a context for personal
discovery and experience of the numinous dimensions of reality. While
at the root of most great religions are the direct visionary
revelations of their founders, prophets, seers, and saints, in many
instances religions have lost their connection with this vital core
over time.
Experiencesand mentalstatesinvolving personalencounters with
the numinous dimensions of consciousness are of two different types.
Included in the first are experiences of the "immanent divine", or
perceptions of divine intelligence expressing itself in the world of
everyday reality. All of creation - people, animals, plants, and
inanimate objects - seems to be permeated by the same cosmic essence
and divine light. A person in this state suddenly sees that
everything in the universe is a manifestation and expression of the
same cosmic energy and that separation and boundaries are illusory.
In theology, this is called Monism. This is also the core experience
of the "all is illusion" claim in some belief systems.
Experiences in the second category do not represent a different
perception of what is already known but reveal a rich spectrum of
dimensions of reality that are ordinarily hidden from human awareness
and are not available in the everyday consciousness. These can be
referred to as experiences of the "transcendent divine". A typical
example would be a vision of God as a radiant source of light of
supernatural beauty or a sense of personal fusion and identity with
God perceived in this way. Visions of various archetypal beings, such
as deities, demons, legendary heroes, and spirit guides, also belong
in this category. Other experiences do not involve merely individual
suprahuman entities but entire mythological realms, such as heavens,
hells, and purgatories, or various sceneries and landscapes unlike
anything known on earth. This seems to be the nature of many reports
of Native American "Shamanic Journeyings".
940
What interests those studying practical magic are the practical
consequences of personal encounters with spiritual realities. For the
people who have had them, the existence of the immanent and
transcendent divine is not a matter of unfounded belief but a fact
based on direct experience - much as our attitude toward the material
reality of our everyday life is based on fist hand sensory
perceptions. In contrast, a belief is an opinion about the nature of
reality based on a specific form of indoctrination, or reading of
religious literature; It lacks direct experiential validation. Yet
once again we are brought up against the very
difficult problems of integrating personal realities with consensual
reality, or at least in integrating them closely enough that they can
be discussed in a meaningful manner.
Oneof thepractical consequencesof thesespiritual experiences
is permanent physiological change in the one experiencing them. There
are usually also a set of perceptual changes, as well as (often) an
ability to experience more of these episodes and not always with full
control over when they will occur. In other words, the whole
mind-body-spirit linkage takes on new dimensions and depth, and can
become very difficult to understand and manage! To be sure, no one
has an experience of this type and remains the same person they were
before.
A common physiological change that results from these types of
experiences is a change in the individuals general state of health.
Allergies and allergic type reactions are a typical area of change.
Someone who had few allergies may find that they suddenly react
strongly to a number of substances that did not bother them
previously, and (more often) the reverse also happens. There have
also been cases of "spontaneous remission" of long-term ills such as
arthritis and rheumatism as well as even one case of cancer known to
the author.
Theperceptual changes that happencan also be very confusing.
People seem to experience a whole new "tone" and new levels of meaning
to their everyday perceptions. There is often an increase in the
sensitivity in their sight, hearing, smell, taste, and tactile senses,
as well as what one person described as a new "depth" to the
sensations, i.e. they felt as if all of their senses previously had
been muffled or distorted, and now those distortions were removed.
Anothercommon phenomenonthat resultsfrom directexperience of
the numinous is that further experiences become more likely, and
"shifts" in consciousness become facilitated. Some people who do not
have a good background in self analysis and "taking charge" of their
lives, find that it is very easy to lose control and quickly become
unable to deal with the every day world. Even those who are actively
seeking and working hard to achieve personal growth and are used to
dealing with their innermost thoughts and psychological functionings
find these experiences causing a lot of hard work!
941
{file "Monotheism vs. Polytheism (Dan Holdgriewe)" "bos210.htm"}
Monotheism vs. pantheism
By: Dan Holdgreiwe
The primary meaning of "pantheism" is "the belief that the Divine is
identifiable with the forces of nature and with natural substances,"
and it is this meaning of pantheism which is properly contrasted with
"panentheism" (the belief that the Divine is within the natural world
but not limited to it). This pantheism *denies* all Gods and
Goddesses, at least to the extent that They are understood as anything
more than natural forces. Thus if you believe that the Goddess is
something more than the physical planet Earth, you are NOT a
pantheist; you are a panentheist.
A secondary meaning of "pantheism" is "worship that admits or
tolerates all gods." As this meaning directly contradicts the primary
meaning, persons using the term should be careful to specify which
meaning they intend. (Under this meaning, if there is any god whose
existance you do not acknowledge -- Satan, for example -- you are NOT
a pantheist.)
Within the pagan community, the term pantheism is used even more
sloppily as a synonym for polytheism and/or animism. This had led
many people who don't meet either of the above definitions to
mistakenly call themselves pantheists.
P> By that, I mean that I believe the Christian God exists, but
P> don't necessarily worship that particular deity. If all gods
P> and goddesses exist, you can worship one of them (Monotheism),
P> without excluding the existance of the rest of them
That's not monotheism, that's henotheism. Monotheism is the belief
that only one "God" exists. Note, however, that monotheism does not
deny the existance of lesser beings (saints, angels, etc.) who might
also be called "gods" in a polytheistic system. Note also that
Christianity is not truely monotheistic, as it has the top job shared
three ways.
942
{file "Modern Pagan Persecution (Jonathan Hutchins)" "bos211.htm"}
Modern Pagan Persecutions
By: Jonathan Hutchins
I wonder about this whole big deal of how unrealisticly paranoid
people can get about Paganism. I live here in the real Bible Belt.
People get pretty extreme here about religion, although there are
places where it's worse. They even refused to install the statue of
Ceres that was commissioned for the Kansas State Capitol building
because she was a Pagan Goddess. (There followed the three worst
grain harvests since the dust bowl.)
Still, we have a thriving Pagan community, and not a small share of
misguided fundamentalist teenagers rebelling into holywood satanism.
We have had a lot of trouble with cases of religious persecution - but
not the kind you might think. What has happened has been that a
borderline Pagan has imagined or misunderstood something, and started
telling all their friends that _somebody_ was being hassled for being
a Witch.
We have a Rennisance Festival here, and the rumor mill there is
boringly predictable. Every year, two stories are guaranteed to make
the rounds:
One goes that a knife was stolen from a participant, and used by a
parton to stab someone. Therefore you can't carry live steel. Funny
thing, no one ever seems to actually know either the participant, the
patron, or the victim. And responsible people still carry their
knives.
The other story varries a little; either the adminstration is hassling
participants for wearing pagan jewlry (ridiculous - 1/3 of the jewlry
sold out there is "pagan"), or someone was planning a circle on the
grounds and got hassled about it, or someone actually _had_ a circle
and was raided. (How do you do a circle of 100 or so people, and get
raided, within 200 yards of all the people camping on site, and not
make a single noise?)
We've had problems with the Heartland Pagan Festival too. One year,
someone started a rumor that there was an objection to our beliefs and
practices on the part of the people who owned the camp we'd used. One
of the people who was peripherally involved with the planning group
took it upon himself to do something. Unfortunately, that something
didn't involve checking out the rumor first - he just called the Camp
offices and gave everybody who would listen to him holy hell <sorry>
for being religious bigots.
Fortunately we were able to explain that he was not an official of the
organisation, and we were able to mend things sufficiently that we
were allowed to use the camp untill it was sold last year.
Unfortunately, we were never quite as well trusted as we had been, and
the camp staff lost their new found belief that we weren't all just a
bunch of nuts.
943
Why does this happen with so often with Pagans?
Those of us who've studied the history of the Christian Church may be
aware of the power the church found in being persecuted. It gave them
a binding common enemy. It gave them a reason for extremism. It gave
their persecutions of heretics legitimacy. It made people willing to
sacrifice everything for the church.
When true persecution ended, they found goals for the Crusades that
carried on the tradition of holy war. Even today, if you watch
Fun-D-TV, you will find that they use the false story that the church
is a persecuted minority to drum up support an dcontributions, and to
justify their actions.
Is this what we're after? Do those of us who come from these
traditions find it so hard to leave the old habits behind, even when
we've dressed them in new forms? Do some of us even see this kind of
activity as legitimate?
Gods save us from Jehova in drag.
We do ourselves more damage with false, imagined, and exagerated
claims of persecution than is done against us by all the fundies
combined.
If we are to be credible, if we are to be taken seriously by the
mundane world, if we are ever to be able to mount a real defense
against those who would persecute us because of our beliefs, we must
refrain from crying wolf.
We must be vigilant to apply our critical minds to the accounts we
hear, to track them down, and to explain to the people who start and
spread them that we are held to a higher standard of truth because we
are in the minority.
Jonathan.
944
{file "Magick Christians (Alfgar Maharg)" "bos212.htm"}
Magick Christians
By: Alfgar Maharg
Greetings from BaphoNet. Apparently, I fall into the
"Non-Traditional Christian" box. I shall now proceed to confuse
everybody by refusing to fit into any pigeonhole.
I have been for some ten years a member of the New Church
("Swedenborgian").
The 18th century revelations found in the voluminous writings of
Emmanuel Swedenborg, renowned scientist, theologiand and visionary,
overwhelmed by MAKING SENSE. However, we have yet a considerable way
to go in conveying the news to the public at large. On announcing that
one is a Swedenborgian, approximately 62% of the population respond
with "What church is that?" 29% ask "Is that the Swedish Church?" The
rest simply stand there with mouths open.
When asked what he was teaching, Swedenborg replied "Two things:
that God is one, and that faith is inseparable from charity."
Point 1 means that the Lord Jesus Christis the SAME God who made
Heaven and Earth and no nonsense about it. Worship is always addressed
to Christ, not to any "trinity".
Point 2 represents arepudiation of salvation "by faithalone". We
hold most emphatically the truth of James: "Faith without works is
dead".
Naturally, things could not be left so simple. I look forward to
discussing the immoderately abstruse issues involved.
Just in case you are not confused enough already, I found myself
drawn into the pursuit of the so-called "high" occult. This led
directly to the formation of the Third Order of St. Michael, which
coalesced from the set of esoteric Christians collected around
Katheriine Kurtz, and who found the "Deryni Christian" archetype a
valid spiritual expression. The principal result so far has been
liturgical expression pursued wherever enough of us can be found.
Locally I amaffiliated with atemple of the SangrealSodality, a
non-sectarian, decentralized, and frighteningly eclectic organization
following the broad tradition of the Golden Dawnand its successors,
and drawing inspiration and initation from the work of William G.
Gray.
945
{file "Polarity and Single Sex Covens (Marios)" "bos213.htm"}
Polarity and Single Sex Covens
By: Marios
M> Here's my latest question for theological debate:
M> Given the emphasis on male/female polarity within the
M> structure of Craft mythology, can a group that is entire
M> same sex gay or lesbian legitimately claim to be
M> practicing Wicca? Or is it something else pagan, that
M> is not Wicca? Please give reasons for your answer...
M> I've found this to be a really sticky one.
In a word, "YES". Try this on for size:
1. Craft as an immenentalist religion, recognizes the "fact" that
individuals contain both "male" and "female" parts. Polarity work
takes advantage of this situation. After all, we recognize solitaires
as practicing Wicca, so we have already accepted that polarity work
may involve only one person. As a logical extension of this:
2. Given that polarity work includes immanent "male" and "female"
components, we must assume that a group situation will take advantage
of this fact in their workings. But, since polarity work may take
place within an individual, the actual genders of the group are
unimportant. However:
3. While it can be argued that polarity work is possible, and off
necessity, takes place in same sex groups, can we state that they are
practicing Wicca? That must depend on how one defines Wicca.
Personaly, I would say "Yes", however, the central mysteries of the
Craft can be interpreted as demanding a heterosexual couple.
4. I suspect that certain rituals (e.g. the Great Rite) can easily be
reworked from their current, heterosexist, form. However, if
"practicing Wicca" is defined by a strict adherance to the LITURGY of
Gardnerian derivation, then a same sex coven cannot be practicing the
TOTALITY of Wicca (or certain of its main rituals). They may, on the
other paw, be defined as practicing PART of Wicca.
946
{file "Evolution of Wiccan Ritual (Paul Hume)" "bos214.htm"}
Some Thoughts on the Evolution of Wiccan Ritual
By: Paul Hume
Undoubtedly (insofar as anything in this mish-mash of magick can be
undoubted (g)) the "convergent evolution" thing has a place in the
development of the various trads.
ie. hitting on similar manifestations of one True Thing. An algorithm
stays the same, no matter how you code it.
Some of the interesting divergences, f'rinstance...
The Quarters: Always a lively discussion (g). Air's in the East.
No, it's in the North, etc. The traditional post-GD attributions stem
fgrom a system attributed to Egypt, and Egyptian climate. The
traditional Wiccan ones make sense in the context of Northern Europe,
esp. Britain. (At least the Brit-Trad ones do).
The ceremonial (solar variety) magician concentrates on the Equinoxes
and Solstices as his major milestones in the wheel of the year,
whereas Wicca sticks with the Cross-Quarters as their main events.
Again, the solar calendar is an Egypto-Sumerian bugaboo, and more
important to agricultural peoples (or so it is suggested) whereas the
Cross-Quarters fit the rhythm of birth and growth in herd animals, and
thus suggest a tradition that evolved in the herding cultures of the
early Celts and Britons (who did not succumb to the siren song of
agro-economy until much later).
How rigorous these arguments are is open to dispute - they may just be
attempts to correlate anthropology and tradition. But they suggest
areas of emphasis that separate the two paths, and suggest further the
different aspects of Reality that drive them.
Paul
947
{file "Basic Beliefs of WICCA (C.O.G.)" "bos215.htm"}
BELIEFS AND CUSTOMS OF WICCA
Not every Wiccan will subscribe to all of these points, but
generally they are representative.
1. The divine Spirit is present in all creatures and things:
people, animals, plants, stones...
2. The ultimate creative force manifests in both feminine and
masculine modes; therefore it is often symbolized as the Goddess
and The God.
3. In some covens, both are celebrated equally. In others, The
Goddess is given precedence or even celebrated without reference
to the God.
4. All Goddesses and Gods are aspects of The Goddess and The God.
The aspects most popular in Wicca are the Triple Goddess of the
Moon (Maiden, Mother and Crone) and the Horned God of death and
rebirth.
5. Reincarnation and karma are valid concepts. Upon death one
goes to a state of rest and reflection, and eventually chooses
where and when s/he will be reborn.
6. Magick is practiced for positive (helping) purposes:
spiritual development, healing, guidance, safety, etc.
7. Rituals are generally performed outdoors when possible, at the
New and Full Moons, and at eight Sabbat festivals which mark the
progression of the seasons.
8. Magick and celebration are performed in small groups, usually
3 to 13, called covens. These are basically autonomous -- there
is no central church authority or hierarchy.
9. There is no holy book, or prophet, no equivalent of the Bible
or Jesus or Mohammed. Individuals have access to the divine, and
do not require an intermediary. Every initiate is regarded as a
priest/ess.
10. The central ethic is "And ye harm none, do as ye will."
Whatever energy you send out returns threefold, so it is wise to
be kind to others.
11. We should live in harmony with the Earth and Nature, and not
exploit them.
12. Though Wicca is a valid spiritual path, it is not the only
one. There is no recruiting, and people should be free to choose
the path that best fits their needs.
13. The concepts of original sin, sacrifice, redemption,
confession, the divinity of Jesus, sinfulness of sex, Judgment,
Heaven and Hell, denigration of women, bodily resurrection, and
the Bible as divine revelation are not part of Wicca. Neither are
Satanism, the Black Mass, desecration of cemeteries, the sacrifice
of animals, etc.
Copyright (c) 1983 Amber K., Our Lady of the Woods. Used by
Permission
948
{file ""Condensed" Definition of Wicca (Lady Phoenix)" "bos216.htm"}
The Wiccan Faith
I cangive youa briefoverview ofWicca. (Idon't speakfor
all Wiccans, only myself. There are some differences in the different
Traditions.)
We believe that the ultimate godhead is unknowable. This
doesn't make for a good working relationship with the diety, however.
So, we break it down into a Goddess and a God. Different Wiccans
worship different Gods/Goddesses. We can utilize *any* pantheon.
Some worship Pan/Diana, some Cernnunos/Aradia, Isis/Osiris, and many
others.
We see our Goddess as being Triple Aspected -- Maiden, Mother,
and Crone, and she is reflected in the phases of the Moon -- Waxing,
Full and Waning. We see the God as the Lord of Nature, and he is
reflected in the seasonal changes. Like Jesus Christ, he dies for the
land and the people, and is reborn.
In general, we believe in reincarnation and karma. What you
call Heaven, we call the Summerlands. We don't believe that Hell
exists (or Satan either.) We believe that there should be balance in
all things - when the balance is disturbed, that's when 'evil' occurs.
Fire, for example is not 'evil'. It could be considered such when it
becomes out of balance, as in a forest fire, or house fire.
Controlled fire is a useful tool. Anger is not 'evil', but when
unbridled can't help but lead to negative things. When properly
expressed and balanced with constructive working to correct that
which invoked the anger - it, too, can be a useful tool.
We regard the Earth as our Mother, and try to have respect for
Her by not polluting her and try to live in harmony with Her and Her
ways.
Women reflect the Goddess, Men reflect the God, so the Wicca
have a Priestess and Priest to 'run' the religious services. We call
our services circles.
This was sort of an "Reader's Digest Condensed Version" of Wicca.
Blessed be >>Phoenix<<
949
{file "Origins of the Mandan (Madoc)" "bos217.htm"}
Origins of The Mandan
By: Madoc
As a direct lineal descendantof Madoc ab Gwynedd, Princeof Wales
and alleged founder of the Mandan tribe, I'd like to shove my two
cent's worth in...
Madoc (or Madog) was born about 1150, one of four sons of the King of
Wales. He and his brothers did not get along at all, and after the
King died, Wales was divided 4 ways among his children. Madoc chose
not to rule his domain directly, having developed the wanderlust that
consumes so many Celts. He was a well-regarded sailor, such that his
sea-faring exploits were recorded less than 100 years later by a
French historian, and again by Dr. John Dee in the 1500's.
Madoc is said to have left Wales with 5 ships, and to have arrived in
the New World about 1172 or '73. He landed twice, once in Central
America, where he is alleged to have been the "God" that the locals
later mistook Cortez for. He then backtracked through the Gulf of
Mexico and landed around New Orleans. He packed his men and equipment
up the Mississippi, finally stopping due to sickness in his men. He
and his able-bodied crew floated back downriver and returned to Wales.
Madoc left Wales again around 1176, and returned to the Mississippi
river. He supposedly found that his surviving original crew had
intermarried with the local Native American populations, and most
chose not to return to Wales. Madoc himself may have stayed, as there
is no record of his returning to Wales again.
Years later, Lewis and Clark heard fantastic tales of "white Indians"
who supposedly built forts, spoke Welsh, and fished from "coracles,"
which are leather boats totally unlike canoes. They were unable to
substantiate those claims, although they found many "light-skinned"
Native Americans, some of whom had blue eyes and blond or blondish
hair and spoke a mish-mash of Souix and something that resembled Welsh
in some aspects. These people claimed, unlike their compatriots, that
they were descended of a "race of giants" who built their tipis of
logs and came from "across the sea" (a sea which they had never seen,
by the way) and whose leader (Madoc?) had promised to return for them
one day. The local Native Americans whom they lived with supported
their claims.
The Mandan as a tribe still exist. They speak Souix and live mostly on
reservation land in Wisconsin and up into Canada. They traditionally
build log cabins and fish from leather coracles.
The Mandan claim that they were seperated as an independant tribe
because of disease and wars with settlers. They have largely become
Souix, and the US government lists the Mandan as Souix.
My family traces its roots directly to Madoc through Ireland, where
his offspring settled after being evicted from Wales by the British.
As the King of England said at the time, "They can go to Hell or go to
Connaught." My father is the direct lineal descendant of the Crown,
and I am his first-born (and only) son. My father is the legitimate
Prince of Wales, and Charles is a Pretender.
950
Documentation:
AUTHOR(s): Deacon, Richard, 1911-
TITLE(s): Madoc and the discovery of America; some new light
on an old controversy [by] Richard Deacon.
[1st American ed.]
New York, G. Braziller, 1967 [1966]
AUTHOR(s): Armstrong, Zella.
TITLE(s): Who discovered America? The amazing story of Madoc.
Chattanooga, Lookout Pub. Co., 1950.
AUTHOR(s): Burder, George, 1752-1832.
TITLE(s): The Welch Indians; or, A collection of papers
respecting
a
peoplewhose
ancestorsemigrated
from
WalestoAmerica
inthe
year1170,with
PrinceMadoc,
(threehundredyearsbeforethefirstvoyageof
Columbus),and whoaresaid nowtoinhabit a
beautifulcountry onthe westsideof the
Mississipi[!]DedicatetotheMissionarysocietyby
GeorgeBurder. London, PrintedforT. Chapman
[1797] 35 p. 21 cm.
Consists
chiefly
ofextrats
fromthe
Gentleman's
magazine,
1789-1792,
the
Monthly
magazine,
December,
1796, and letters from missionaries and traders.
AUTHOR(s): Pugh, Ellen, 1920-
TITLE(s): Brave his soul; the story of Prince Madog of Wales
and
hisdiscoveryof
Americain
1170,
byEllen
Pugh,
with the assistance of David B. Pugh.
New York, Dodd, Mead [1970]
Summary: Discusses the validity of the claims that an obscure
Welsh prince landed in Mobile Bay in 1170 and
established a settlement that resulted in a tribe of
Welsh-speaking Indians.
---
951
{file "Burning Times, The (Marios)" "bos218.htm"}
The Burning Times, Some "Facts"
By: Marios
Okay, let's try "another subject". "Facts", a term which derives
from the latin factum meaning to make or to do, are constructs. If you
"change" history, you automatically change the "facts". Let's take an
example: during the so-called Burning Times, aprrox. 200,000 - 500,000
people where executed by either mob action and/or legal action. We
will neven know how many people were arrested, sentanced and executed
for crimes of witchcraft (and please note that there were several
different "crimes of witchcraft" at this time).
In the late 1940' and early 1950's, several British Witches and
occultists started talking about 9,000,000 "witches" killed. This
number appears to have derived not from any research, but rather from
an attempt to "one-up" the number of Jews exterminated by the Nazis in
WW II. In order to support this contention, the definition of the
Burning Times was changed. First, the period of the major whitch hunts
was extended from its peak, 1550 - 1675, backwards to the founding of
the Inquisition (early 13th century). Second, the figures for judicial
executions of heretics, notably the Cathari and the Waldensians, were
included in the total. Finally, all judicial executions which took
place during the Catholic "civil war" (the Avignon Papacy) were
included. In effect, the definition of "witch" was changed to include
"heretic".
This definitional change is most interesting, since it parallels
the definitional change that took place in the Catholic churches
construction of demonic witchcraft (see, for example, Ginzburg's
"Ecstacies"). The "facts" of the situation where "changed" when the
definition of the term "witch" was changed. "Witch" was defined as
"not-orthodox" and, as such, included all heretics and non-Christians.
To me, the interesting point is that this definition was created not
by the Catholic church, but by Gerald Gardner in an attempt to prove
that "witches" had suffered more than Jews.
What does this say about the idea of "facts"? First, it means that
what is a "fact" changes with the definition of terms... in other
words, a fact is a human, and therefore inherantly biased, construct.
Second, while agreement between opposing biases may be reached on
certain "facts", such as the date of a battle, I doubt whether
agreement can be reached on the motivations or causes of the battle.
Finally, history is basically mythology that is constructed around
certain quasi-religious disciplines, e.g. Marxism, positivist science,
etc. It is a story that is told and, in the telling, it changes the
"facts".
Bright Blessings M
952
{file "Fortune, The (RMPJ)" "bos219.htm"}
ASATRU
Rathulvf Jamieson
+-
| Asatru is a term virtually unknown outside pagan circles. It's
| the pagans who have no idea what Asatru is that believe that it has
| any connection with the Nazis. Maybe you need to explain in more |
detail what Asatru is?? I'd be interested in that myself.
+-
Greetings, Adrienne. I know that Grendel will answer this, however
maybe a literal translation won't hurt either. Simply put from a
historical view, Asatru is a combination of two words:
Ase, pl. Ases [pron. `ace']: The gods and goddesses of
consciousnessintheTeutonicpantheon, governingthepowers
of sovereignty and physical force (ON Ass; AEsir).
troth: Religion, being loyal to the gods, goddesses and
cultural values of the ancestors (ON tru, OE treowth).
true: Adjectiveform of"troth," canmean "loyal."A "true
man" is a man loyal to the gods and goddesses of his
ancestors.
The word is a compound of asa-, "of the gods (aesir)," and -tru,
usually translated as "faith." But this can be misleading. Tru is
derived from the same root (deru-) that gave rise to "troth," "truth,"
"trust," and "true" in English. The root word "deru-" really has to
do with something firm, solid, and steadfast. The fact that the word
"tree" also comes from this word is significant as well. Therefore it
is clear that originally the term had more of the connotatins of our
"true" (loyal), "trusting," and "troth" than with the connotations of
"faith" or "belief."
Belief is the acceptance through an external authority that a given
thing is true, and perhaps that some form of "salvation" is dependent
on this belief. Troth is based on experience. One trusts that the
sun will come up tomorrow because this recurring phenomenon has been
experienced in the past. The things that one is commanded to believe
in Christianity,
Judaism, Islam, Marxism, etc., are precisely those things one cannont
experience, or those things known only to pastors, popes, rabbis,
imams,
commissars, etc. "To trust" therefore is to gain personal experience
of the
truth of a thing. The term asatru therefore most literally means
"gaining experience of the ancestral sovereign gods."
Thorsson, Edred. "A Book of Troth." St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 1989
This is what I based my belief on, even before I discovered
Thorsson's books. I just didn't know the "historical" meaning of the
word. I did, however, know the beauty of Asatru (the Troth) even
though it was twisted by others. I hung in there, and enjoy one of
the greater "freedoms of religion" today because of it.
Urdhr, Verdhandi, Skuld!
So is was, so it is, so it shall be!
- Rathulvf -
953
This article is excerpted from the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal. Each
issue of the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal is published by High Plains
Arts and Sciences; P.O. Box 620604, Littleton Co., 80123, a Colorado
Non-Profit Corporation, under a Public Domain Copyright, which
entitles any person or group of persons to reproduce, in any form
whatsoever, any material contained therein without restriction, so
long as articles are not condensed or abbreviated in any fashion, and
credit is given the original author.!
THE FORTUNE
by Richard Myers
I've seen them before at carnivals and flea markets -- dark
complexion, colorful scarves around their heads, crow's marks around
the eyes, often a babe balanced on the hip. They're harmless enough,
and I'd never before paid them any mind. Oh sure, storekeepers
complain about petty thievery, and a farmer may lose an occasional
chicken. But I'm no easy mark for Gypsy women. They leave me alone.
So it was strange when I saw two of them near the pawn shops on
Larimer Street; and the older woman said, "There's a man on a
dangerous journey."
I pointed to a newly purchased camp stove under my arm. "Good guess,"
I said. "Into the wilderness. So what else?" She stretched forth her
hand. "For three coins in the palm I shall tell what else."
I dug out three quarters and, wishing they'd been dimes, dropped
them into her hand.
"I see a difficult journey to a remote place where few travel."
"Wilderness," I repeated with an edge to my voice. "What else?"
"A high place. Very cold."
"Winter in Colorado. Another guess. Tell me what I don't know."
She dropped the coins into a pocket in her ragged old coat and turned
away. As she rounded the corner she paused. "I see death", she said
quietly. She was gone.
An empty feeling in my belly turned suddenly to laughter when I
realized that me and Chester were counting on a little death this very
weekend. We were after high-country Wapiti, the majestic Colorado elk
that roam the flat-tops. With any luck we'd put death to a couple of
'em before sundown.......
I saved the question til we'd packed the gear to a high meadow just
below Retribution Peak. I didn't want to seem too anxious for an
answer. "Chester, you believe in fortune tellin'?"
Chester kept right on settin' up the tent as he chuckled, "That what's
got you so quiet? You ain't said a word all the way up the mountain.
Someone musta told you a bad one."
954
"Gypsy woman said something about dying in the wilderness."
Chester fell silent for the briefest moment before he answered, "Hell,
you ain't dead yet, so start drivin' stakes!" "Chester, you don't
believe in nothin'" I laughed, "In any case, I'm sleepin' with my
rifle to-night."
By Saturday afternoon we'd scouted Three-Elk meadow without seeing any
sign, so we climbed the high ridges above the beaver ponds to scan the
area. It was almost dusk when we headed back through Medicine Spring
a ceremonial ground where the Cheyenne once danced the ceremony of the
sacred arrow. The Cheyenne were long gone, but in our sights were a
pair of the biggest, proudest Wapiti we'd ever seen. The bull had
already picked up the swish of our snow shoes when we topped the rise,
but Chester brought down the cow with a single shot. Grandpa Elk got
away, but we had all day tomorrow to track him down.
You might not think a Gypsy woman can see the future; and you might
not expect an elk to seek revenge for a lost mate; and I admit that in
the dark of the tent I never really saw the instrument of our
destruction. But we awakened to a bellowing like a steam train and we
fired our rifles in every direction before the tent finally collapsed.
I didn't dare move until the morning light showed Chester's skull was
cracked, and a Gypsy woman's words were ringing in my ears. ...from
RMPJ 12/86
955
{file "Lucid Dreaming (Omni Magazine)" "bos220.htm"}
THE OMNI EXPERIENCE
POWER TRIPS: CONTROLLING YOUR DREAMS
Release Date: Thursday, 19 March 1987
A number of techniques facilitate lucid dreaming. One of the simplest
is asking yourself many times during the day whether you are dreaming.
Each time you ask the question, you should look for evidence proving
you are not dreaming. The most reliable test: Read something, look
away for a moment, and then read it again. If it reads the same way
twice, it is unlikely that you are dreaming. After you have proved to
yourself that you are not presently dreaming, visualize yourself doing
what it is you'd like. Also, tell yourself that you want to recognize
a nighttime dream the next time it occurs. The mechanism at work here
is simple; it's much the same as picking up milk at the grocery store
after reminding yourself to do so an hour before.
At night people usually realize they are dreaming when they experience
unusual or bizarre occurrences. For instance, if you find yourself
flying without visible means of support, you should realize that this
happens only in dreams and that you must therefore be dreaming.
If you awaken from a dream in the middle of the night, it is very
helpful to return to the dream immediately, in your imagination. Now
envision yourself recognizing the dream as such. Tell yoursel, "The
next time I am dreaming, I want to remember to recognize that I am
dreaming." If your intention is strong and clear enough, you may find
yourself in a lucid dream when you return to sleep.
Even if you're a frequent lucid dreamer, you may not be able to stop
yourself from waking up in mid-dream. And even if your dreams do
reach a satisfying end, you may not be able to focus them exactly as
you please.
During our years of research, however, we have found that spinning
your dream body can sustain the period of sleep and give you greater
dream control. In fact, many subjects at Stanford University have
used the spinning technique as an effective means of staying in a
lucid dream. The task outlined below will help you use spinning as a
means of staying asleep and, more exciting, as a means of traveling to
whatever dream world you desire.
956
Before retiring, decide on a person, time, and place you would like to
visit in your lucid dream. The target person and place can be either
real or imaginary, past, present, or future. Write down and memorize
your target person and place, then visualize yourself visiting your
target and firmly resolve to do so in a dream that night.
To gain lucidity, repeat the phrase describing your target in your
dream, and spin your whole dream body in a standing position with your
arms outstretched. You can pirouette or spin like a top, as long as
you vividly feel your body in motion.
The same spinning technique will help when, in the middle of a lucid
dream, you feel the dream imagery beginning to fade. To avoid waking
up, spin as you repeat your target phrase again and again. With
practice, you'll return to your target person, time, and place.
When spinning, try to notice whether you're moving in a clockwise or
counter-clockwise direction.
- Stephen LaBerge and Jayne Gackenbach
Stephen LaBerge, Ph.D., of the Stanford University Sleep Research
Center, is also the author of LUCID DREAMING, Ballantine Books, New
York, (C) 1985. LUCID DREAMING is a 305 page book which costs $3.95
and is available in the "Psychiatry" or "Self-Help" section of most
major bookstores.
957
{file "Check List for A Well Working Group (Amber K)" "bos221.htm"}
CHECKLIST FOR A WELL-WORKING GROUP
1. We are clear about our goals and how we intend to achieve
them.
2. We know and respect each other well enough to feel very
comfortable and attuned working together.
3. Our magickal is ethical, designed for our growth and
fulfillment and the benefit of those who request help, and it
never used to harm others.
4. We share the responsibilities of making the group work; every
individual's contribution is important.
5. We see each other socially outside the group, and support
each other through difficulties.
6. We enjoy. there is fun and laughter at our meetings.
7. We work at learning magick. We dig deep, compare different
sources, try new techniques, ask pointed questions, do it until
we get it right.
8. We keep ourselves healthy and fit in order to more readily
channel power and receive insight.
9. We keep our ritual area and tools orderly and clean.
10. We constantly seek knowledge from many sources -- people,
books, workshops, other paths...
11. We do not make a virtue of authority and obedience, but treat
each other as respected equals (regardless of the formal
structure of the coven).
12. We raise genuine power and channel it; our rituals are not
tame readings or rote gestures, but filled with energy, vitality,
will and purpose.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Note: This document appears to be adapted from the work of
Amber K in "Covencraft : Witchcraft for Three or More", 1998
Llewellyn Publications.
----------------------------------------------------------------
958
{file "Basic Love Spell" "bos222.htm"}
A basic love spell.. (be careful how you use these)
Take three cords or strings of various, pleasing pastel colors-
perhaps pink, red, and green- and braid them tightly together.
Firmly tie a knot near one end of the braid, thinking of your need
for love.
Next, tie another knot, and another, until you have tied seven
knots. Wear or carry the cord with you until you find your love.
After that, keep the cord in a safe place, or give to one of the
elements- burn and scatter the ashes in the ocean or in a stream.
959
{file "Amazing (Pagan?) Grace" "bos223.htm"}
The song is sung to the tune of Amazing Grace. Enjoy!
Verna Knapp
Amazing grace, how sweet the Earth
that bore a witch like me!
I once was burned, now I survive,
was hung and now I sing.
T'was grace that drew down the moon
and grace that raised the seas.
The magic in the people's will
will set our Mother free.
We face the East and breathe the winds
that move across this earth.
From gentle breeze to hurricane
our breath will bring forth the change.
Turn towards the South and feel the fire
that burns in you and me.
The spirit's flame will rise again
and burn eternally.
We greet the West, our souls awash
in tides of primal birth.
Our tears and blood, our pain and love
will cleanse and heal the earth.
Reach into the North and know your roots
down deep ancestral caves.
We find the wisdom of the Crone,
Of circles we are made.
Amazing earth, enduring life,
from death into rebirth.
T'is earth I am and earth I love
and earth I'll always be.
Amazing grace, how sweet the Earth
that bore witches like we.
We once were burned, now we survive,
were hung and now we sing.
Goddess bless, so mote it be,
Our magic spirals on.
Merry meet and merry part
and merry meet again.
960
{file "Elements, A Hermetic Summoning (Marios)" "bos224.htm"}
The Hermetic Summoning of The Elements
By: Marios
OK, here it is. This was originally developed by an old friend and
working partner of mine.
.
(Cirlce area should be completely dark. All people should be inside
the circle. A central altar is used with five candles on it: a source
candle of gray or pearlescent white or emerald green; a form candle of
black; a force candle of white; a fire quarter candle of red; and a
lighting taper.)
(The HP and HPS should face each other over the central altar)
HP: First there was nothing, and the Womb of the Void begat Light
(light Source candle)
HPS: And that Light gave form to the Void, the form that we call
darkness, and that was the first Goddess. (Light Form candle)
HP: And the darkness gave to the light potency, power, and that was
the first god. (light force candle).
Both: From the union of these came Fire, least tangible and most
active of all the elements. (light fire candle, hand to 3rd person in
the south. they then circumambulate a full 360 degrees and place fire
candle in the south, picking up air candle there.)
HPS: Fire calmed and made more tangible became air. (light Air candle,
circumambulate 270 degrees to the east.)
HP: Air flowing with solid form, became water. (light water candle (in
east) (circumambulate 180 degrees to the west)
HPS: And still, solid water, is earth. (3rd person goes directly to
the north side of the altar)
All: Thus does all come from the Void, and so shall all return to the
Void when creation's day is done.
(HP faces east, then south, then zenith. while facing shouts "Fiat".
at the same times, HPS faces west, north and nadir and shouts "Fiat".
HPS raises both hands from nadir to the centre above the altar, HP
lowers arms from zenith to the centre above the altar)
Both: Fiat, voluntas mea. (hands should be touching in the centre.
961
Notes:
1. The third person who carries the quarter candles acts as the
channel for the energy of the HP and HPS during their invocation. S/he
should visualize constructing a ribbon roadway that has landing stops
at each elemental area.
2. The "Fiat"s at the end should include a visualization of
either an invoking pentagram, or a door opening, or something similar
(I have modified the invoking pentagrams to follow the descent lines
-- e.g. invoking air would be from fire point to air point).
The effort of building the road and the landings is form with
minimal force. It is the "Fiat"s at the end which generate the force
flows to balance the system.
The road itself can be useful for visiting the various elemental
kingdoms, but you might find them different from what you expect.
Following the road from nadir up to and beyond zenith in an ascending
arc is quite good for either deep meditation or projection work.
Anyhow, 'nuff stuff for now. I hope you find this useful.
Bright Blessings M.
962
{file "Learning Process" "bos225.htm"}
LEARNING
(K) 1987 by Jehana.
Disseminate freely if copied in entirity
The learning process can be examined as a three-tiered model
(remembering
that, as always, the map is almost always not the territory). The
three tiers
I shall examine are:
* Absorption
* Integration
* Expression
Forany reasonableapproximation offull andcomplete learningto
have occurred, all three stages are necessary. One might argue that
there are different types of learning, and that each of these types
have their own requirements; or that science must be learned
differently than philosophy, but I think there are fundamental
similarities governing the learning of all types of things -- the
emphasis and mechanisms may change, but the underlying principles
apparently remain.
Absorption isthe actof takingthe externaland bringingit into
the internal. Absorption may involve the cramming of information for
final exams; it may involve the day-to-day experiences of life; it may
involve the shattering emotional impact of traumas. However, this
emotional impact is not reacted to at this stage of the learning
process. Absorption is the coming aware of information, whether for
short or long term, from the whole body of constant information
bombarding the physical senses at all times. Not all that is
witnessed or studied becomes absorbed -- the human mind needs a
filtering agent.
Integrationis aninternal process,where theknowledge recently
gained is integrated with what is already in the mind. No mind ever
starts out as a vacuum, despite the efforts of generic television to
assume this. Not all that is absorbed is integrated -- that which
falls into short-term memory is not; nor is material that is studied
simply to know for the knowing's sake. A deep and thourough internal
integration of material is not necessary in all fields of study,
although to some extent this takes place in all devotees of a subject,
whether it be mathematics, engineering, art, or philosophy. This
integration leaves its touches upon the person, and will affect
his/her filtering for material to absorb in the future. Be advised
that some integration is voluntary; while other integration is
involuntary. The actual process of integration bears no relation to
what Other People Are Doing (although one may integrate a dependency
upon others, for instance.) A conscious awareness of integration is
fostered in the study of certain religious paths (such as the Craft)
and in many of the philosophies, as well as in many of the arts. The
necessity for the stage of integration is one reason why the learning
of anything of internal value generally takes time -- there are no
Instant Philosophies which work.
963
Expression is essential for communication. It is a step
shallowly expressed in the regurgitation of information on a
quickly-studied exam, but when dealing with philosopy, art, or
livelihood, it should be of more durable quality -- in other words,
expression should be tempered with the fires of Integration.
Expression may be involuntary (the fright reaction from a phobia), or
it may be voluntary -- but the most fervent Expression is rooted
within the internal regions of the being, and is not the shallow sort
of expression related to acting the way other people expect you to
act; for simply the purpose of scratching that itch of satisfaction
(gaining or giving satisfaction). The most useful forms of Expression
occur in taking that information which one has both Absorbed and
Integrated, and then Expressing it. However, needless to say, some
forms of Expression (ie, phobias) may be well-integrated and absorbed,
but are counterproductive to happiness. The true conscious learner
must therefore take a hand in what he/she decides to learn/unlearn
(the steps involved in the process of Unlearning are the same as those
in the process of Learning.)
*Absorption and Expressionwithout Integration ismindless and
empty reading/living. One may as well be a parrot. Absorption and
Integration without Expression is hypocritical and/or schitzophrenic.
*Integration and Expression without Absorption permits no
external influences to have any bearing on thought -- one may as well
be autistic.
*Expression without Absorptionencourages fallacies,untruths,
and easy answers.
All portions of the Absorption, Integration, and Expression cycle
are necessary for true learning to take place. While much of the
current school system as set up in today's society emphasizes the
Absorption and the Expression stages, leaving the Integration process
to be assumed, children still do grow up learning to emulate and
integrate the values that impinge upon them. (Not all these values
are necessarily beneficial -- the learning process does not always
rely on those values externally professed, but does pick up on those
implied on a deeper level.) Therefore, say, a geography lesson need
not be Integrated within the student, as a study of values or personal
transformation should most definitely be. A student has, through life
experiences, already Integrated a system of functioning; of viewing
the world. (Indeed, the student may have Integrated a varying set of
systems -- this often leads to internal conflicts, which really should
be resolved. Within certain alternative Philosophies, Integration of
other ways of viewing the world and the person is done in a more
purposeful manner. The student learns that true learning is not in
rote memorization but in the acceptance and the working with of all
three stages of learning. Also, the student learns to realize that
Integration is a personal stage, wherein the information absorbed
interacts with that he/she has already Integrated during life --
therefore this Integration may definitely not resemble the Integration
process of another student in the same class. Nor should Expression
be forced (at least when dealing with the momentous events of a
life-philosophy -- it should come from the heart -- in other words, it
should come from the Expression of the Absorption and the Integration
the student has undergone, rather than from what someone else has
decreed to be Proper).
964
{file "High Technology Meets The Ancient Wisdom" "bos226.htm"}
THE HEART &WINGS JOURNAL,P.O. Box 574Lebanon Springs,NY,12114,
6/issues yr. $12.00 - a publication of the Sufi Order of the West.
HIGH TECHNOLOGY MEETS THE ANCIENT WISDOM
By Kenneth Reese
Ifyou're like me, you've probably succumbed to some level of
consumer electronics mania. Maybe it started innocently with a digital
watch or calculator and then worked its way up to a VCR and then to a
personal computer. You might even have felt some twinge of guilt when
you suddenly realized these gadgets had become indispensable (when one
of them breaks!). Perhaps you've felt all this runs counter to your
commitment to humanistic values. However, as I see it, new age values
and technology are inextricably bound together.
Thefact thatmany peoplefirst involvedwith thehuman potential
movement were later drawn into the world of high-tech (and vice versa)
is a measure of the affinity the two worlds have for one another.
Futurist John Naisbitt identifies it as a high tech/high touch
polarity. For the majority of people who have feet planted in both the
worlds of advanced technology and human potential the affinity has
long been obvious, but perhaps not well articulated.
Exactlyhow the interests of thetechnology enthusiast and the
person on the path merge is not in any way readily obvious. The
relationship between the two can be better revealed by considering the
various tools of high technology as artificial devices which magnify
the human senses and human experience. With such a comparison several
observations easily follow.
Aclassic example of thismagnification of thehuman senses can
be seen in the home video revolution. Technology is used in a
straightforward fashion as an extension of the human senses of sight
and hearing. This results in a thousand-fold increase in an
individual's power to receive impressions. This has been made possible
by television combined with more recent inventions -- the
communication satellite, back-yard dishes, cable, videocassette
recorders, laser discs, and other breakthroughs in video and audio
technology. In short, for the person in front of the enormous increase
in video and audio choices, there has, in effect, been an
amplification of that individual's capacity to experience reality
through the medium of sight and sound. And, of course, all this choice
is delivered by the exploding global network created by the news,
communications, and entertainment industries.
Similarly, withthe personalcomputer revolution therehas been
an amplification of the mind. An individual using a personal computer
has a level of technological power that rivals that once available
only to large corporations and governments. This magnification of
power may be used to accomplish a variety of directed tasks or in more
playful and creative ways. The net result is that the individual may
greatly increase personal productivity and expand mental and creative
powers by using an electronic tool.
965
All this potential amplification of the power of a single
individual by use of these human-made artifacts greatly increases the
need for a center or focus around which unprocessed information can be
organized in a meaningful fashion. In other words, the individual
requires more than ever a sense of purpose simply because the
personal capacity for experience and action has been greatly enhanced
by these new technologies. At this point, the tie-in to the new age
becomes more obvious. There is no more exact a science for the
processing of impressions and the discovery of purpose than the
ancient spiritual traditions and their modern expressions in
transpersonal psychology and the human potential movement.
It is no accident that new age people often find themselves
thickly involved with new technologies. There is a real void in the
midst of the silicon chip revolution for knowledge which can balance
one of the effects of the information age -- a communications
explosion which threatens individual and cultural stability with an
overload of raw, unprocessed information. This overload confuses both
individuals and, more dangerously, nations and their political and
military institutions. Spiritual traditions have long taught ways for
maintaining a center in the face of chaos and offered time-tested
techniques for controlling the senses, disciplining the mind, and
discovering purpose and right action.
Thisknowledge isnow applicableat bothan individualand global
level. Ancient wisdom has never been more relevant than it is today,
to help guide and focus the tremendous power unleashed by the
electronic awakening of the planet. Esoteric knowledge has been sought
throughout the ages by a select few as a response to an inner call to
discover personal meaning in life. Today, the growth of a planet-
wide communications network both enerates the need and provides the
means for the spiritual quest to become of vital global importance.
The enthusiasm ofsome futurists(such as JohnNaisbitt whoends
his international best-seller 'Megatrends' with the line 'My God, what
a fantastic time to be alive!') is a reflection of the tremendous
Power for Good inherent in technological advances. But high technology
is without a mind or a soul unless it is guided by an intelligence
more powerful and compassionate than simple human cleverness. Ancient
wisdom provides the vehicle for such an Intelligence.
Three decades after the threat of planetary annihilation was
delivered to humanity on a silver platter of scientific achievement,
it is gratifying that at least the instruments for planetary salvation
and evolution have been delivered by the same means. However, this
possible salvation is a process which can only be achieved by each one
of us using the power of our lives and all the tools at our disposal
in positive, creative, and purposeful ways. The myth of technology
saving us from ourselves was long ago proven false. Salvation for
humanity is not a scientific formula but a very human one -- the
individual heart in its search for God multiplied by the number of
people on this planet.
966
{file "Helpful Hints (Humor)" "bos227.htm"}
Helpful Hints for a Nearly Extinct Species
Submitted satirically by Haragano
Let's get down to basics. Being the leader of a group is more than
just the hard work of raising dust devils in the back yard or zapping
a friend's TV antenna so they can get HBO. Leading a group offers a
lot of perks. You get a lot of ego strokes, you get to divide up
babies just like Solomon and you even get to keep the leftovers from
the potlucks at moon feasts. After all you have put in a lot of long,
hard hours and cashed in a lot of empties to win the coveted title of
"High Poop-di Ha of the Infinite Invisibility". And you want to keep
it! The bottom line, the final word in keeping your position on top
of the heap is spelled P-O-W-E-R. These hints are concerned with
helping you keep it.
In the busy modern craft of today there are many ways that your
power base can be erroded. The two most likely ways you can end up
preaching to an empty circle are through the insiduous inroads made by
INFORMATION and DISCUSSION. These twin curses have upset more High
Poop-di-Has than Carter has little liver pills.
Information is the worst threat. The more a follower is acquainted
with history, anthropology, psychology, socio-dynamics ... really, any
area that requires an individual to exert himself mentally, you are in
for questions you don't really want to answer. The very best way to
deal with this sticky situation is to avoid it. Recruit the immature
and the fanatic. They don't bring really tasty goodies to feasts, but
they are good ego boosters. They are expendable and feircely loyal
for no particular reason.
If you find you are being pestered by an "intellect" (they should
have never gotten through your screening) you have to quickly learn to
manage information more effectively. Don't worry. Managing
information is easier than it seems. Newscasters do it every night.
First, Adopt an attitude of "ask me anything", then make sure you
don't have any answers and don't know where to get them. Create a
vacuum! Yes, nature abhors a vacuum but it is your strongest weapon
in the war for ignorance. Second is the wild goose chase, atried and
true method of dealing with anyone who persists in asking questions.
Send a troublesome individual on a few of these. Tire them out, and
they will go away sooner or later. When they leave, the stage is set
for you to shake your head solemnly and expound at length on how they
were not ready to learn what you had to offer. This act is very
impressive to newcomers.
Reassure your followers that they don't have to keep up on current
thoughts in and about the craft. After all, books and magazine
subscriptions are expensive. Imply that they will learn all that they
need from you by hinting at the "secrets of the craft" that yet await
them. If they are adamant about reading, call their attention only to
those items that reinforce your point of view (you need all the backup
you can get). The Xian (as in Xmas) fundamentalists have developed
this sort of information management into an art form. "Information
Management is next to Godilness". I'm sure Mr. Falwell has that
embroidered on a pillow slip somewhere. You might want to write him
for a needlepoint kit.
967
ON TO DISCUSSION...
Discussion with other groups must be limited. If they don't share
your point of view, all contact with them should be eliminated. After
all, your immature followers do mature and fanatics mellow out. The
free exchange of differing ideas has a justifiablely bad reputation
for expanding an individuals craft viewpoint. And THAT is deadly to
the sacred position of High Poop-di Ha.
There is an effective means of terminating troublesome contacts with
other groups, while at the same time confirming your position as the
center of attention. It is the practice of the "Fine Art of
Self-Righteous Indignation"! The premier example of this was the
medieval Church. When it met with a conflicting view, such as a
scholar pointing out that the Church was rewriting history or physics,
the Church would denounce him as a "minion of Satan". Usually the
scholar was hauled off and put to the
Question. What's the truth, more or less, compared to the self
Righeous
Indignation of God's Chosen....right?
Remember, you haveto slam the door tightly on any new ideas! This
takes dramatic measures. You don't want conflicting information
coming in, and you certainly don't want your s/h/e/e/p/ followers
wandering off.
Pick a public occasion and invade a circle or burst into a study
group. Most importantly, make sure your group is around you. After
all, the coming performance is really for them. Rant, pound your
breast, whatever you need to do, to get across the idea of YOU as the
poor, persecuted victim. Make this crystal clear to your group and
they will stick to you like you were dipped in crazy glue. If anyone
in your group has ever had a course in group dynamics, send them on a
wild goose chase that evening. They might tumble to what you are up
to, and besides they are probably asking too many questions anyway.
When facing the m/i/n/i/o/n/s/o/f/S/a/t/a/n/ opposing group, be
personally offensive if you can. Call them picky, heretical,
egotistical, perverse, etc. Anything you can get away with (wailing
in the background is a nice touch). To keep your group successfully
insulated from differing ideas, you have to clearly label the
opposition in the minds of your followers. People just LOVE tags!
Now, this next point is important, so listen up! You must make it
clear that you want no further contact with the opposing group. Try
to affect a tone in your voice that conveys "this is a regrettable
decision but it just has to be", like the tone Billy Graham takes on
when he talks about sinners. This gives you a twofold bonus. First,
it gets the word to "them" in no uncertain terms and, second, it gets
the word to your people that it would not be wise for anyone who wants
to remain a part of your group to have any contact with "those" you
have just judged unacceptable. This sort of frontal assault generally
alienates both groups as well as every individual in them. There will
be no information exchange, no open discussion and very little growth.
But what do you care, you're safe.
968
One warning though; If for any reason you think the other group will
simply laugh at your overacting, don't chance a face-to-face
confrontation. Keep the performance within your own group. If you
have been a good information manager that should be effective enough.
Although you are one of the last "High Poop-di-Ha's of the Infinite
Invisibility" in the craft, you belong to an ancient society that can
be traced through most of the world's major religions. You exemplify
rigidity, closed-mindedness and religious manipulation. You have a
lot to be self-righteous about! In order to pervent your kind from
dying out completely, you have to remember to stringently restrict the
information flow to your group and terminate all open discussions with
outsiders holding differing views. If you take to heart these few
pointers you won't go the way of the Great Auk and the Passenger
Pigeon.
969
{file "Channeling (Jast)" "bos228.htm"}
Channeling
By Jast
Channeling has become a popular phenomena in the last several years.
We see it featured in News-Magazines and on talk shows. We read
articles about it, and bookshelves everywhere now hold volumes of
books written by channeled entities, with more appearing every month.
Some channeled sources have gained a great deal of notoriety, drawing
large crowds for seminars and workshops, often at a steep price.
.
How can we better understand this sudden outpouring of information?
Webster defines "channel" as: " a means of access, a route". In the
context of New Age work, channeling provides an access-way through
which communication can be achieved between planes of existence.
Channeling is a route through which those who are NOT focused in
physical reality can give information to those who ARE focused in
physical reality.
.
Though it may seem to be a fairly recent phenomena, channeling in
various forms has existed as long as humankind. The most common form
of channeling, in fact, is one we all have experienced: That sudden
helpful insight that occasionally comes to us from "out of the blue".
This form of channeling has created many works of art and has helped
us find solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems. Unlike other forms
of channeling, this inspiration is always available to us and whether
we receive it rarely or often may simply depend on our receptivity and
openness.
.
Dreams are another avenue through which channeled information can
reach us. In the dream state we are open and spiritually attuned,
creating an un-obstructed gateway through which Universal knowledge
can flow. While the dream channel and inspiration are both valid
routes of channeling, dreams, for many people, are more easily
ignored. We tend to respond to and use those insights which inspire
us.
.
The most spectacular form of channeling is, of course, "Trance
Channeling". In this technique, the channel gives up the use of his or
her body by entering a trance state, allowing the "source" to speak
directly to a third party.
.
Although most trance channels work with only one source, sources can
be a number of things or beings. Many believe that channeled "sources"
reflect the channel's subconscious mind or a "collective unconscious".
.
Channeled material may also flow from one's "Higher Self".
Information communicated to us through this Source definitely "counts"
as channeled material, for our "Higher Selves" are not focused in
physical reality. Others may channel material from the Cosmic Mind or
from the God -Goddess-All-That-Is.
.
Most channeled material, however, comes to us from spirit guides or
Masters and, ultimately, it is the material which is important
regardless of who or what we believe our source to be.
970
Another way of communicating with ones "source" is through "Automatic
Writing". In this form of channeling, the channel first meditates then
sits with a pen and paper or a typewriter and allows the source to
write. Meditation should be practiced each time before automatic
writing since meditation puts us at peace and makes us more receptive
to true spiritual sources.
.
The technique for automatic writing is fairly simple: After
meditating, sit in a comfortable position holding a pad of paper and a
pen, resting the point of the pen on the paper. Keep the body relaxed
and ask if there is a "source" present. Stay relaxed and just wait for
writing to begin.
.
At first the writing may be unreadable, just fine little scribbles
that mean nothing. After some practice, however, the scribbles will
become readable words and phrases which allow the source to identify
themselves and discuss whatever subject we wish. Success may not be
achieved in the first few sessions. It may take time and daily
practice to develop a strong connection but it is well worth the
effort.
.
No matter what technique we use to channel our information, it is
very important that we not follow blindly. Until we are satisfied with
their believability, each of our sources should be regarded with a
certain amount of healthy skepticism. We should examine all channeled
material with a detached and questioning mind.
.
Although the material may vary in content, there are certain
qualities which will always be present in information which is
"channeled" by a true spiritual source. Such information will be
positive in outlook and will always direct us toward the spiritual
path. Since our sources will always try to help us as much as they can
by giving us sound and usable advice, sources who attempt to dazzle us
with incomprehensible garbage should be regarded with suspicion. A
true source will not lie nor will they gossip. Our guides will not
tell us to do things, and they cannot predict the future because the
future is always changing.
.
When we attempt to channel our spirit guides, it is important to keep
these points in mind. Non physical entities have "personalities" just
as physical ones do. Someone whose attitudes were negative, or
depressed, in LIFE, might carry remnants of these qualities into
spirit life. Edgar Cayce was once quoted as saying: "The only
difference between a LIVE Episcopalian and a DEAD Episcopalian is
that one is DEAD and one is ALIVE."
.
In reality, there is no such thing as communication with the "dead".
We tend to see life in physical terms but LIFE is a SPIRITUAL reality
which, for us, is presently housed in a physical form.
.
Though misguided entities can not harm you physically, their
influence could produce negative side effects which could make your
experience of channeling less fulfilling or pleasant, just as being
around ANY negative personality might tend to do. For this reason it
is important to establish a secure system of protection and awareness
when attempting to channel. Observing and following these giudelines
can protect us from the inevitable confusion which results from
contact with these misguided "sources".
971
A certain amount of preparation is also necessary if we hope to be a
clear and responsible channel. With this as our goal, it is probably
not advisable that we attempt any form of channeling until we have
attained some degree of proficiency at meditation.
.
Meditation makes us more centered and loving. It also acts as a
shield against contact with negative spirit personalities. Meditation
should be practiced daily, for besides facilitating our ability to
channel clearly, it is the most important thing we can do to expand
our spiritual lives.
.
Your spirit guides can become life-long friends and advisors as they
have a wonderful outside view of our lives and life in general. They
have access to information that we could not otherwise obtain. They
help to deepen our understanding of ourselves and help us through our
times of crisis. Contacting these spirit friends is not difficult.
There is no loss ofcontrol of our bodies and nothing to fear for we
can quit any time we choose.
.
Spirit friends, just like our friends in the physical world, should
always be treated with respect. They should not be expected to
entertain our friends or answer a lot of trivial questions. (If it is
important to us, then it is not trivial.) Probably the most serious
mistake we can make, however, is to become too dependent on our guides
as this is the one thing that will cause us to lose them. Like any
true friend, our guides do not want us to count on them too heavily.
.
The process of channeling our spirit guides is truly a great
adventure. It may take weeks or months to develop but it is an amazing
process and will bring invaluable results to those who persevere. Good
luck and happy channeling.
972
{file "Elemental Correspondences (from Starhawk)" "bos231.htm"}
THE ELEMENTS
TheElements havebeen apart ofman'sancient andarcane lore
since its inception in pre-historic times. Different traditions
associate them with various things. The following list of
correspondences comes from Starhawk's "The Spiral Dance."
AIR: Direction: East.
Rules:Themind,allmental,intuitiveandpsychicwork,
knowledge, abstract learning,theory, windswept
hills, plains, windy beaches, high mountain peaks,
high towers, wind and breath.
Time: Dawn.
Season: Spring.
Colors: White, bright yellow, crimson, blue-white.
Signs of the Zodiac: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius.
Tools: Athame, sword, censer.
Spirits: Sylphs, ruled by King Paralda.
Angel: Michael.
Name of the East Wind: Eurus.
Sense: Smell.
Jewel: Topaz.
Incense: Galbanum.
Plants:Frankencense,myrrh,pansy, primrose,vervain,
violet, yarrow.
Tree: Aspen.
Animals: Birds.
Goddesses: Aradia, Arianrhod, Cardea, Nuit, Urania.
Gods: Enlil, Khephera, Mercury, Shu, Thoth.
FIRE: Direction: South.
Rules:Energy, spirit,heat,flame,blood, sap,life,
will, healing and destroying, purification, bonfires,
hearth fires, candle flames, sun, deserts, volcanoes,
eruptions, explosions.
Time: Noon.
Season: Summer.
Colors:Red,gold,crimson,orange, white(thesun'snoon
light).
Signs of the Zodiac: Aries, Leo, Saggitarius.
Tools: Censer, wand.
Spirits: Salamanders, ruled by King Djin.
Angel: Ariel.
Name of the South Wind: Notus.
Sense: Sight.
Jewel: Fire Opal.
Incense: Olibanum.
Plants:Garlic,hibiscus, mustard,nettle,onion,red
peppers, red poppies.
Tree: Almond, in flower.
Animals: Fire-breathingdragons, lions, horses(when
their
hooves strike sparks).
Goddesses: Brigit, Hestia, Pele, Vesta.
Gods: Agni, Hephaestus, Horus, Vulcan.
980
WATER: Direction: West.
Rules: Emotions,feelings, love,courage, daring,sorrow,
the ocean, the tides, lakes, pools, streams, and
rivers, springs and wells, intuition, the
unconscious mind, the womb, generation, fertility.
Time: Twilight.
Season: Autumn.
Colors: Blue, blue-green, green, gray, indigo, black.
Signs of the Zodiac: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces.
Tools: Cup.
Spirits: Undines, ruled by King Niksa.
Angel: Raphael.
Name of the West Wind: Zephyrus.
Sense: Taste.
Jewel: Aquamarine.
Incense: Myrrh.
Plants: Ferns,lotus,mosses,rushes, seaweed,water
lillies, and all water plants.
Tree: Willow.
Animals: Dragons(asserpents),dolphinsandporpoises,
fish, seals and sea mammals, water-dwelling snakes,
all water creatures and sea birds.
Goddesses: Aphrodite, Isis, Mariamne, Mari, Tiamat.
Gods: Dylan, Ea, Llyr, Manannan, Osiris, Neptune,
Poseidon.
EARTH: Direction: North.
Rules:Thebody,growth,nature, sustenance,material
gain, money, creativity, birth, death, silence,
chasms, caves, caverns, groves, fields, rocks,
standing stones, mountains, crystal,
jewels, metal.
Time: Midnight.
Season: Winter.
Colors: Black, brown, green, white.
Signs of the Zodiac: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn.
Tools: Pentacle.
Spirits: Gnomes, ruled by King Ghob.
Angel: Gabriel.
Name of the North Wind: Boreas, Ophion.
Sense: Touch.
Jewel: Rock crystal, salt.
Incense: Storax.
Plants:Comfrey,ivy,grains:barley,oats,corn,rice,
rye, wheat.
Tree: Oak.
Animals:Coworbull, bison,snakes(earth-dwelling),
stag.
Goddesses: Ceres, Demeter, Geae, Mah, Nephthys,
Persephone, Prithivi, Rhea, Rhiannon.
Gods: Adonis,Athos,Arawn, Cernunnos,Dionysus,Marduk,
Pan, Tammuz.
981
SPIRIT
/ETHER: Direction: Center and circumference, throughout and about.
Rules: Transcendence,tranformation, change,everywhere
and nowhere, within and without, the void, immanence.
Time: Beyond time, all time is one.
Season: The turning wheel.
Colors: Clear, white, black.
Tools: Cauldron.
Sense: Hearing.
Plant: Mistletoe.
Tree: The flowering almond.
Animal: Sphinx.
Goddesses: Isis, the Secret Name of the Goddess, Shekinah.
Gods: Akasha, IAO, JHVH.
982
{file "Candle Colors" "bos232.htm"}
CANDLES
Candleshavebeenusedfor
morenaturallightinginritual
work as well as focal points and concentration aids for centuries.
Each different color has a different meaning for both internal and
external uses. Here are a list of uses put together by Charles
Butler.
Outer Works Inner Works
RED:ENERGY RED:COURAGE
ORANGE:GENEROSITY ORANGE:PLENTY
YELLOW:THE UNKNOWN YELLOW:CENTERING
GREEN:PROSPERITY GREEN:HEALING
BLUE:LOVE BLUE:EMOTIONS
PURPLE:INSPIRATION PURPLE:SPIRIT
PINK:REVELATION PINK:JOY
BURGUNDY:PASSION BURGUNDY:REKINDLING
BLACK:COMFORT BLACK:AUTHORITY
WHITE:VISION WHITE:PROTECTION
983
GREEK FIRE INITIATION
Cast of Characters
Tiresias:____________
Hephaestus:____________
Artemis:____________
Apollo:____________
Hestia:____________
Prometheus:____________
Seeker:____________
Incastingthecircle,whencalling theQuartersyouare
free to use your own words but we ask that you use Greek styling and
personify with the names of the four Greek winds:
North: Boreus
East: Eurus
South: Notus
West: Zephyrus
Tiresiasseatednorthofaltarrises,goesaroundtoface
altar, and invokes God and Goddess in a Greek style using these two
triumverates:
GOD
Zeus: Strength
Hades: Knowledge
Poseidon: Emotion
GODDESS
Hera: Power
Athena: Wisdom
Aphrodite: Love
He then stepback andsays: "We havebeen calledforth fromthe
edges of Time and Space by one who seeks entry to the Halls of
Olympus. I am Tiresias, Prophet of Thebes, who, though blind, shall
be his guide. Seeker, come forth!"
984
Seeker approaches circle at north-east point of Circle.
Tiresias: "Who seeks entry to Olympus?"
Seeker: "I, __________.
Tiresias: "Beforeyou enter,gaze uponone whosought whatwas
not rightfully his. Do you still desire entry?"
Seeker replies.
Tiresias: (If no,he leaves and circleis closed. Ifyes):
"Then enter and ask passage of the Guardians of the Gods."
Seeker enters and they travel 1 1/8 to North.
Tiresias: "Hail, MightyHephaestus, Craftsman of the Gods.
With me is one who seeks entry to Olympus."
Hephaestus: "How are you known, Seeker?"
Seeker: "I am called __________."
Hephaestus:"By whatright seekyoupassage throughthe North?"
Seeker: "I haveendured ayear of thepath ofEarth andlearned
of my own mortality."
Hephaestus: "Pass with the Blessings of the Earth."
They travel around 1 1/4 to East.
Tiresias: "Hail,Vigilant Artemis,Virgin Goddess. Withme is
one who seeks entry to Olympus."
Artemis: "How are you known, Seeker?"
Seeker: "I am called __________."
Artemis: "By what right seek you passage through the East?"
Seeker: "I have endured a year of the path of Airand have
learned the need for focus of will."
Artemis: "Pass with the Blessings of the Air."
They travel around 1 1/4 to South.
Tiresias: "Hail, Bright Apollo, Lordof the Sun. With me is
one who seeks entry to Olympus."
Apollo: "How are you known, Seeker?"
Seeker: "I am called __________."
Apollo: "By what right seek you passage through the South?"
Seeker has no answer.
Apollo: "Youhave not yetearned theright topass through the
South. To win this right, you must seek Fire from he
who first gave it to Mankind, Prometheus. Tiresias, guard
him upon his path of Fire that he learn what he needs to
face the Titan."
They travel around 1 1/2 to North.
Tiresias: "Icome with __________, whonow seeks Prometheus
that he may gain the right to Fire. What can you teach
him that will ease his path?"
985
Hephaestus: "Knowthat Iam Hephaestus,Craftsman andSmith of
the Gods. In my labors, I use Fire as a purifying
agent, seperating the metal from the stone, and
for the actual forging of my Art. But remember that
creativity requires forethought. Daedalus w a s a
Master of my Craft, yet rarely considered t h e
implications of his creations. He created the
Labyrinth of Minos, who then imprisoned him within i t s
intricacies. He crafted wing that he and his s o n
might escape, yet in their flight Icarus died.
Always consider the consequences of the which you
create."
They travel 1 1/4 around to East.
Tiresias: "I come with __________,who now seeks Prometheus
that he may gain the right to Fire. What can you teach
him that will ease his path?"
Artemis: "Knowthat I amArtemis, VirginHuntress. Through my
will, no man has ever known me. Yet will must be
tempered by intellegence. Remember Otus and
Ephialtes, twin giants who were arrogant enough to think
themselves better than the Gods. They continued their
ill-wrought plans, even after Poseidon warned
them. Through supposed desire, they chose to pursue
me. They seperated in pursuit of what they saw as a
white hind, and, with simultaneous throws, slew each
other. Thus blind will caused the death of all they
truly loved."
They travel 1 1/4 around to the South
Tiresias: "Icome with __________, whonow seeks Prometheus
that he may gain the right to Fire. What can you teach
him that will ease his path?"
Apollo: "Know thatI am Apollo, Godof the Sun andKeeper of
Knowledge. Knowledge of Fire has allowed Man to forge
a civilization. But seeking to advance without
can lead to catastrophe. Witness Phaethon, who
attempted to drive the Sun Chariot without proper
knowledge, nearly causing the incineration of the
Earth. Action without knowledge will often lead to
ruin."
They travel around 1 1/4 to the West.
Tiresias: "I come with__________, who now seeks Prometheus
that he may gain the right to Fire. What can you teach
him that will ease his path?"
Hestia: "Know that I amHestia, Goddess of Hearthand Home.
The warm glow of emotion in balance is vital for
proper growth and life. But when emotions are
allowed to rule above all else, tragedy is soon to
follow. Consider Paris, who upon seeing Helen, bowed
to an all-consuming desire for her, kidnapping her
without thought of the consequences. Thus began the
Trojan War. Do not bury your emotions, but
neither should you elevate them to the level of
Ruler.
986
Theytravel 1 3/4around to theSouth. Tiresiasalone goes to
altar and faces Seeker.
Tiresias: "Seeker,are youprepared toface Prometheushimself
with your request?"
Seeker: "I am."
Tiresias: "Then come forward and call him forth."
Seeker goes to altar facing North.
Seeker: "From the depths of Time, I call you forth. Arise
Prometheus, Lightbringer."
Fromwithinthe membersin theCircle,Prometheus risesand goes
to north side of altar.
Prometheus: "I am Prometheus. Who summons me here?"
Seeker: "I am __________."
Prometheus: "Why haveyou brought me herefrom the depths of
Time?"
Seeker: "I seek the Gift of Fire."
Prometheus: "And by what right do you ask it?
Seeker: "By the right of perfect love and perfect trust."
Prometheus: "Thenknow thatyou are wellmet. I willgrant you
Fire and its path for a year and a day that you
might learn its lessons. The most important
lesson it can teach you is the need for thought
before action of any kind. You must always consider
the consequences of all that you do or say. At the
end of your time on this path, you will be judged
on your fitness to continue your search."
Prometheus gives Seeker a token of Fire.
Prometheus: "With my service done, I bid you farewell."
Prometheus leaves, blending into Circle.
Tiresias: "Welldone, mostnoble Seeker.Pleasejoin usfor the
remainder of our revels."
Seekeris given seatin Circle. Tiresias faces frontof altar
and dismisses Deities using Greek styling and the following names:
GOD
Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon
GODDESS
Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite
Each Quarter dismisses its element in a Greek style and
dismisses the appropriate Wind:
NORTH: Boreas
EAST: Eurus
SOUTH: Notus
WEST: Zephyrus
Tiresias: "Our workis completed fornow. Letus rejoice and
enjoy this company, remembering that though we may go our seperate
ways, we are alway united as one. Merry meet, merry part, and merry
meet again!"
GREEK FIRE INITIATION
987
Seeker's Copy
Seeker approachescircle atnorth-east pointof Circle when
summoned.
Seeker: "I, __________.
Seeker replies to question.
Seeker enters and they travel 1 1/8 to North.
Seeker: "I am called __________."
Seeker: "I haveendured ayear of thepath ofEarth andlearned
of my own mortality."
They travel around 1 1/4 to East.
Seeker: "I am called __________."
Seeker: "I have endured a year of the pathof Air and have
learned the need for focus of will."
They travel around 1 1/4 to South.
Seeker: "I am called __________."
Seeker has no answer.
They travel around 1 1/2 to North.
They travel 1 1/4 around to East.
They travel 1 1/4 around to the South
They travel around 1 1/4 to the West.
They travel 13/4 aroundto theSouth. Tiresiasalone goesto
altar and faces Seeker.
Seeker: "I am."
Seeker goes to altar facing North.
Seeker: "From the depths ofTime, I call you forth. Arise
Prometheus, Lightbringer."
Seeker: "I am __________."
Seeker: "I seek the Gift of Fire."
Seeker: "By the right of perfect love and perfect trust."
Seeker is given seat in Circle.
988
{file "Scents and Oils" "bos233.htm"}
SCENTS AND OILS
It has long been one of man's beliefs that different scents
effect us on many levels including the spiritual One of the main
reasons for perfumes and colognes is this belief. Here is a brief
list of properties distributed by Connections Candles, a company the
makes candles and sells them at metaphysical gatherings.
APPLE: Peace of mind, relaxation, love, wisdom.
BAYBERRY: Luck to the home, money to the pocket.
BURGAMOT: Protection from harm.
CEDAR: Instills confidence, protection from misery and
misfortune.
CINNAMON: raise and enhance spiritual vibrations, stimulate
clairvoyance, aids focus and concentration, good for
personal protection.
CITRONELLA: Attracts friends and customers, protection from
insects.
CLOVE: Strengthens memory, protects from hostile negative forces.
EUCALYPTUS: Promotes healing of any hurt, depression or illness.
Especially good for colds or flu.
FRANKENCENSE: Frees one of obsessions and destructive habits, brings
spiritual blessings, protects, exorcises, purifies.
HELIOTROPE: Increases clairvoyance, assists meditation,
protects from physical harm.
HONEYSUCKLE: Aids in understanding non-physical realities, sharpens
intuition, brings prosperity.
JASMINE: Psychic protection, cleanses the aura, stimulates -
creativity and originality, attracts spiritual love.
LAVENDER: Frees from emotional stress, brings inner calm and peace,
gives increased awareness, brings stability and permanance,
good for headaches.
LEMON: Evokes protective spirits.
LILAC: Helps recall past lives, draws good spirits, helps
decision making, improves memory.
989
MUSK: Instills self assurance, confidence and strength,
heightens passions.
MYRRH: Guards against evil, brings peace, assists in understanding
personal sorrow.
ORANGE: Brings harmony, raises power.
PINE: Cleanses, ends useless recriminations.
ROSE: Unconditional love, peace, harmony, tranquility.
SAGE: Powerful clearing and cleansing, removes negative
energy.
SANDALWOOD: Stimulates clairvoyance, aids in seeing past lives,
healing, clearing, protection, calms the mind.
SWEETGRASS: Invokes spiritual blessings, aids transformation.
VANILLA: Vitalizes energy, brings happy occasions to the premises,
draws good fortune.
990
{file ""Landmarks" (D.C.W.)" "bos234.htm"}
LANDMARKS OF THE CRAFT
A landmark is a prominent feature used to mark the boundaries of real
estate. Therefore, these landmarks of the Craft ar prominent features of
the American Rite, or Druidic Craft of the Wise. Just as departing from
the landmarks in real estate signifies that one has departed from that
piece of land, so does departure from the landmarks of our Craft signify
such a person or organization has departed from the correct defines of the
Craft. Other branches of the Craft sometimes call this their "Law".
THE LANDMARKS
The landmarks were given to man by The Great God, Pan,
In the dim, dark ages of the past
For the rule and regulation of the wise,
To advise and help them in their troubles
And relations, one with the other,
That all might work and love together.
They are the Bill of Rights of each member,
And the code of operation of the Coven.
And are to be honored by all
Or else they become meaningless and of little use,
And departure therefrom by any person or Coven
Shall be a departure from the rest of the Covens
Which constitute the American Rite.
And they shall be disfellowshipped, they from the rest of us,
And no further communication shall be established
Concerning things of the Craft
With either He or They until
They shall return to the fold of the Craft
In love and cooperation.
For the Gods love the Wise, the Brethren of the Way,
And so should we return that love.
But this can only be done and made manifest by love expressed
In deeds for the Brethren of the Craft,
Not in pride, but in cooperation and sincerity.
THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT
Any person, be male or female, who is of good mind
And free to decide for himself in good faith,
Who shall learn of the Craft and its Tenets,
And shall desire to follow the Way,
Shall be permitted to do so,
And none may say him "Nay".
And the Gods will love him and look after him,
And they shall bless him on all things,
And his needs shall always be satisfied,
As he shall show forth love and affection
For all the brethren and sisters of the Craft,
And he shall obey the Admonishments
Of the Craft as to secrecy and correct living.
991
THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT (continued)
And when he shall desire to join the Craft,
And to follow the Way to Perfection,
He shall make his desires known to any member
Of the Priesthood.
And they shall observe his readiness and sincerity,
And shall then administer the rites of
Secrecy, which is sacredness and brotherhood.
But a Priest shall accept the Sister,
And a Priestess the Brother,
As an eternal reminder of
The duality of the Universe.
And a new name and secret mark
Shall be given each new fellow.
By this name, and under this mark,
Shall they be known among the members
Of the Craft, in love and harmony,
And their old name and identity shall not be known
Even among the members of their own Coven,
And none shall inquire for his name or his house
And he shall inquire these of none.
But the Gods have decreed, that in joining the Rite,
Free Will and independence shall not be in jeopardy.
And he shall have the right to follow the Way.
Walking alone if he will it that way,
Or with a Coven of living brethren
If he so shall choose;
And he shall have the right
To withdraw from any coven at any time
Without the need to say why,
If he shall so choose.
And this either for the purpose of joining another
Or to become solitary for his own reasons,
And there will be none to censure;
And he shall have the right to remain
In a certain Coven, and none shall say him "Nay",
Or to attempt to force him to leave and depart;
Except that should he lose harmony with them
Then they may so decide
And he shall depart.
But no man shall have the right
To speak for the Craft,
And leaving one Coven does not mean
Leaving the Craft, or
Leaving the Way
And each is free, then, or at any time later,
To remain solitary
Or to seek admission to another Coven.
992
THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT (continued)
But let him and each other fellow of the Craft
Keep a book, and this shall be of the colors of the Craft,
That it may be readily recognized,
And here he shall keep all the Laws and Landmarks,
And the tenets of the Craft,
That he might not forget,
And if he do forget, that his mind might be
Renewed.
And in this book, all things shall be the mark
Of his own hand, and in ink,
That it shall be long lived.
Let each of the brothers and sisters
Copy what they will from the book,
Providing that they are of sufficient worthiness,
To receive it, and are of sufficient rank,
Or that the writings are of sufficient nature
As pertain to their own rank.
Never suffer this book out of hand or possession,
And never borrow the writings of another
To keep, but merely to copy.
And each shall guard and keep these writings,
As his most sacred possession
And destroy them when danger threatens.
However, should one be of sufficient power,
To remember his past as a wise man,
This book and other Craft artifacts,
May be buried in a stone box
Prepared for them from time to time,
And this in view of immediate death,
And the desire to save them for a future life.
Otherwise, on notice of impending death,
This book should be destroyed by fire,
As well as other things of the Craft,
Which one may posses.
But the wise man will have nothing around
Which has only a Craft use or meaning,
But only things which can be used in daily affairs.
If there is no reason to own a sword,
Then do not own one;
The white wand is just as powerful,
And less distinctive in the minds of the infidels.
If a white wand is too distinctive,
Then any old wand will do for the purpose
Of the ceremonies.
993
THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT (continued)
Have no names written and signs drawn
On anything permanently,
When necessary these can be written
In charcoal or chalk
And erased immediately without the telling of tales.
Let the knife have the shape of,
And be stored with the kitchen knives;
Let the cord be seen around the house,
And be used for a vulgar purpose,
In order to fool the infidels.
Never boast, never threaten, never brag
Of your powers; not even to the Craft,
Above all, never harbor ill thoughts toward another
For the power may make it happen for harm;
And never wish ill to anyone.
As it will Occur.
If anyone speaks of the Craft, to down it,
Remember: the Craft needs no defense,
For it has the Father and
All things will be as He wishes
In the end.
THE COVEN
And it shall be that any Fellow of the Craft,
Finding himself in a place where he knows of no Coven,
Or other Fellow of the Craft
Shall have the right, nay, even the duty,
To seek out such a Coven,
Or other Fellow of the Craft
Without censure.
Provided that he shall not reveal secrets to jeopardize
His former Coven or the members of it,
Or the Craft itself.
And two or three Fellows shall have the right
To meet and discuss subjects of Craft interest,
And to help each other along
On the Way to Perfection,
Except that Craft ceremonies
Must be done by the Priesthood.
Any five fellows who shall desire
To form a Coven may do so,
And they shall apply for a charter
To any High Priest or Priestess,
And they shall then select and choose
A man and a woman to lead them.
And their elected leaders shall be ordained by their High Priest,
And they shall choose two more,
A woman to be the deputy; to learn to be a priestess,
And a Scribe for their Coven.
994
THE COVEN (continued)
But these shall not be ordained to the Priesthood,
Unless also qualified for another reason.
And this Coven shall belong to the High Priest,
And shall be answerable to him in all their doings,
Because they did owe their Priesthood to him,
And he shall act at all times in their interest
As their Spiritual Father in the Craft
So that he may lead them as they walk
The way to perfection.
But the newly appointed Priesthood,
Should it be lacking in the knowledge and wisdom needed,
For the positions to which they have been set apart
Then it shall be his responsibility as their High Priest,
To lead and instruct them,
Or cause it to be done by another.
But should the new Coven refuse to follow
The teachings and instructions of their Spiritual Father,
Then he may, at his discretion and Judgement,
Recall their charter, and their right to work as a Coven.
For that which one can give he may also retrieve,
And they shall not again meet,
Unless they can find another High Priest,
Who will assume responsibility over them.
It is the bounden duty of the High Priest to preside,
For all things must be presided over by the High Priesthood;
And should any Coven desire to change,
Their allegiance from one High Priest to another,
For any reason, even the loss of harmony,
Or if, in their considered opinion, their Spiritual Father
Is no longer spiritual, or serving the Father
Then they shall be reordained in the Priesthood
By the New High Priest, and this shall then
Have superceded the original ordinations,
And there shall be for them
A new Spiritual Father.
And if any Priest or Priestess, or other member of the Priesthood,
Find themselves in a place wherein there is no Coven for them to lead,
Then it is their bounden duly to try to the extent of their Power
To find Fellows of the Craft
And organize them into a Coven.
And should they find that there are no other Fellows of the Craft,
In that place, but there are some of the same good bend of mind,
It is then their duty to teach them by word and deed,
Until there be sufficient to form a Coven,
And this shall be done under the supervision,
And with the knowledge of their High Priest,
Through which they received their ordination
And their Powers.
995
THE COVEN (continued)
And they shall obligate, teach and initiate all the members of their Coven,
And they shall be theirs and they shall be to them
As elder brothers and sisters,
And shall care for them in all their affairs,
And not just at meetings,
For it is in this that the Craft differs
From all man-made institutions.
Should any member be absent, and love of the Priestess is such
That she shall continue to contact them in any manner
And by any method possible,
To tender them her loving care
At all times of sickness or stress.
And should any member move to a far city
The Priestess will continue to care for them
In love, by whatever method is available,
Until such time as they shall,
Of their own free will,
Obligate themselves to another Priestess.
And the Priestess shall at all times remember
That she is the direct representative of the Goddess to her Coven,
And the Priest is the direct representative of
The unknown God, the Father,
And both must act as such at all times.
Yet the Priestess shall have whomever she shall choose
As her Priest, be he of that rank, or qualified to be,
Or else another Fellow, who shall be called
her Magister.
And she must remember at all times that the man provides the power,
For the woman to direct, and so it is,
That the Priest resigns all his power over to her,
Yet it is not his power, nor hers to keep,
It is the power of God to use in the performance
Of the Work.
The Power of God is only lent to be used,
Wisely and Justly.
Both the members of the Priesthood shall remember their Spiritual Father,
At all times with gratitude, love, veneration and cooperation,
keeping constantly in contact, and acting with him in utmost harmony,
For they must always remember that the power
And wisdom which they use,
Comes to them through him.
In the days of old, ere the coming of Christendom,
The Craft was free and open in its ceremonies,
And entire states and nations worshipped the Gods
Freely and without restraint;
996
THE COVEN (continued)
But in these unhappy days, we must remain secret,
And hold our rites and ceremonies in secret,
And there are those who will talk, even without torture,
Which loosens any tongue.
Then let it be ordained, heeded and supported by all
That no Coven shall know wherein
The next Coven shall abide, or who its members be,
Except only the Priestess, Magister and Deputy,
And even they shall not remember
Except for good and sufficient reason.
But, and if only, it should be safe, may the covens meet
In some safe place for festivals, and while there,
None may say whence they came, nor give their true names,
Or tell of where or when their meetings are, and
No secret things shall be spoken of
At these festivals for fear of Cowans and Eavesdroppers.
Let each Priestess govern her own Coven in justice and love,
Ever heeding the advice and instructions of her High Priest.
She will ever heed the complaints of the brethren
And strive to settle all differences between them with love.
But there are those who, in pride, will ever strive
To force their will upon others
But these are not necessarily evil
And will think that they do rightly.
Oft they have good ideas and such ideas
Should be discussed in council with their brethren.
But if they will not agree with their brethren,
Or if they say "I will not work under this Priestess",
Then they shall have the right to withdraw from that Coven,
And work Solitary.
Or if five or more of them shall withdraw,
They shall have the right
To form another Coven under another
Priestess.
Even as it shall be the right of any five or more persons of a Coven
To withdraw, and form a new Coven, for any reason whatever,
But they shall then utterly avoid the old Coven
In all things, as it shall then have ceased to exist for them.
997
THE BOOK OF SHADOWS
Let every Coven of whatever rank
Keep a record in a book of black and silver,
And it shall contain, first, the Landmarks and Tenets,
Then a collection of Wisdom of the Craft,
The Rites and Ceremonies of the Coven
As well as the History of the Coven,
And its charter empowering it to work.
And a record of every meeting shall be written therein,
Together with a record of the doings of any member thereof
With the other side, or the Father, or
Any other thing which is for the teaching of all,
Even unto the listing of herbs and medicines
Spells and incantations and Rites
Which contain power for the use of man.
This book shall be kept by the Scribe,
And it shall be kept and approved by the Priesthood
And also the High Priesthood, when it shall come,
But no names or Craft secrets shall be written therein
That he Craft should not be betrayed
Should the book be taken by force,
Or slyness, by the infidels.
And when the coven shall disband,
It shall be the duty of the High Priesthood
To secure this book and make suitable disposition
That it might not endanger the Craft
Or any brother within it
As if the Coven were a person or Fellow
And the book were his book,
So let it be burned.
THE PRIESTHOOD
The Mother, The seven Elder Children, and all the worlds,
Draw their power from the Father.
But the children of the Father are like the sands of the sea,
And He has ordained and set apart certain of his older children,
To help and assist Him in caring for the younger children,
And has given them the Power and the Wisdom to do so,
And these children constitute the Priesthood.
The Father will bestow this power upon whom he will, and none may say him
"Nay"
Yet also may the Priesthood choose workers and helpers
And shall share their power with them,
And this is called ordination.
The Power of the Priesthood is that of the Father
And it is love unfeigned and sincere,
Compassion and gentleness and meekness,
Persuasion and long-suffering and kindness,
And there is no authority over the free will of men
Inherent in the Priesthood,
Nor to be assumed by the members of it.
998
THE PRIESTHOOD (continued)
And the Power of the Priesthood is the Power of God,
And the Power of God can never be wielded by an ungodly man,
Nor an evil man; nor the love of God by an unloving man;
And when the man becomes evil, the Power of God is withdrawn from him.
Nor can a member of the Priesthood be inactive,
For inactivity without cause is lack of love for the Father,
And this man's priesthood shall depart from him
At the end of a year and a day,
For it is truth eternal,
That the thing which is unused will be taken away.
So if any Fellow of the Craft shall desire the Priesthood,
First let him learn to be a leader of men,
For a Priest with no following is no Priest,
And his Priesthood is in vain.
So therefore let the Fellow who would be a Priest
First learn the knowledge and wisdom he will need in the new appointment,
Then let him learn to lead men, and
When he shall either have been selected
As leader for his Coven,
Or when he shall have gathered up a Coven of his own,
Then let him apply for ordination.
And he shall apply to a High Priest, for it is written
That only the higher can ordain the lesser,
That there shall be an unbroken line
Of power and authority extending
Back through the line of ordination,
To the Father Himself.
And no man can ordain his peers,
For the Lord's House is not a house of confusion,
So let not the line be broken
For it is the cable tow by which
Men are drawn from the lower
Up to the greater;--
An impossibility without it.
And each must work within their line of ordination
In perfect love and perfect trust,
With perfect harmony in all things,
But should they find that they fall out of harmony
With their line of ordination,
Then let him seek another, to be ordained of him
To be their new spiritual Father.
Let the Priesthood be a leadership of fact; not of fancy,
For those who have no following to lead,
Why are they in the Priesthood?
999
THE PRIESTHOOD (continued)
And so it is that they who lose or give away their following,
Or they who through inactivity have lost their power,
Or they who are not in harmony and love with their Spiritual Father;
Shall be retired from a rank to which entitled
Other than by leadership of men.
But this can only be done by he who ordained them,
For only those who give can take away,
Yet each High Priest is responsible that this is done.
Should any Fellow fain the Priesthood, and use it wisely and well,
The Gods have decreed that those who serve them
Shall prosper and grow in this life,
And shall gain eternal perfection
To be freed from the Wheel of Life,
And to become like unto the angels
In that they should be perfect.
For perfection is to be gained by love,
And there is no greater love than to
Lay down one's life for his brethren
In their service and for their sake,
And the Father will reward them for
Their labor of love, because
He is not unjust.
FINIS
1000
{file "Modern Paganism: Questions & Answers (C.O.G. Salt Lake City)" "bos236.htm"}
M O D E R N P A G A N I S M :
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
To promote community harmony and freedom of religious practice.
Distributed by : The Committee for Religious Freedom, Salt Lake City,
Utah.
Thanks to LesleyPhillips andLinda Pinti ofThe Covenantof
Unitarian Universalist Pagans for original material.
Contemporarysociety isexperiencingaresurgence ofinterest
in earth- and nature-centered spirituality. Modern Paganism is a rich
and diverse religious movement drawing the attention of the media,
law-makers, and spiritual seekers. This pamphlet attempts to answer
some of the questions frequently asked about modern Pagan beliefs and
practices.
What is Paganism?
Theterm"Pagan" comesfrom aLatinword for"country dweller"
first used in early Christian times to refer to those not yet
converted to Christianity. "Pagan" was an epithet that cast aspersions
on those not seen as "true believers." Today, it refers more general
to the faith of those whose spiritual center is drawn to native and
natural religions, usually pantheistic or polytheistic, and almost
always earth-centered.
What then is "Modern Paganism"?
ModernPaganism,orNeo-Paganism, isamodern, Earth-centered
religious perspective which borrows and adapts from pre-Christian
paganism as well as from contemporary religious thought. While
reconnecting with ancient wisdom, it speaks eloquently to the needs
and concerns of the present.
What is meant by "The Old Religion"?
The term describes the pre-Christian religion of much of
western and northern Europe, which was based on the agricultural
cycles and other natural rhythms of the Earth. It coexisted with
Christianity for centuries, from the so-called "Dark Ages" up until
the Inquisition and the "Burning Times" (witch hunts) of the late
Middle Ages. It also can refer more generally to other
native and tribal religions of the world.
What is the difference between Paganism and Witchcraft?
SomecontemporaryPagans callthemselvesWitches.The termhas
many meanings, some carrying rather heavy negative baggage.
"Witchcraft" or "The Craft" is most properly applied to three broad
categories: Descendants of the European witches of the Middle Ages,
practitioners of the "reconstructed" Witchcraft of the 20th century,
and "feminist Witches" whose religion and politics center in the
contemporary womens' spirituality movement. It can generally be said
that all modern Witches are Pagans, but not all modern Pagans are
Witches. At least one writer, Aidan Kelly, has begun to use the term
"Neo-Pagan Witchcraft" to describe the largest portion of the
contemporary Pagan community.
1003
What is meant by the term "Wicca"?
Oftenused asa synonymfor Witchcraft,"Wicca" isthought to
derive from an Anglo-Saxon root meaning to bend or to turn. It is more
properly applied only to those Witchcraft traditions which originated
in or derive from practices in the British Isles.
What about Shamanism?
Shamanismisnot areligion, butaset ofspiritual techniques
used for healing and the acquisition of knowledge through forays into
non-ordinary states of consciousness. Now gaining increasing
attention in the counseling profession, this journeying is usually
aided by sonic driving (such as repetitive drumming or chanting) and
often involves interactions with totemic and archetypal figures. These
techniques are used in virtually every tribal society and are widely
used by contemporary Pagans.
What do modern Pagans believe?
The centralbeliefs ofmodern Pagansdiffer in specificsyet
share many fundamentals. Deity is seen as immanent rather than
transcendent. Experience is preferred over doctrine. It is believed
that there are and should be multiple paths to the Divine. There is
no prescribed creed, but there are a number of beliefs shared by most
contemporary Pagans, summarized at the end of this pamphlet.
Isn't this just Humanism by another name?
Noand Yes.Likereligious Humanists,modernPagans havealove
and reverence for this world and the physical plane generally. The
rational is seen as important. Great emphasis is also placed on the
intuitive, however, and the belief that the physical and non-physical
worlds are equally real, and are interconnected, interpenetrating
manifestations of nature. This means that spiritual work, whether
called meditation, prayer, or magic, and whether done as ritual,
worship, or celebration, is efficacious and can result in changes in
the physical world. The majority of Pagans also believe in the
survival of the consciousness or soul after physical death.
How do modern Pagans worship?
Some groups have formalworship services or similar group
meetings. Others conduct rituals that have varying degrees of set
forms. Some Pagans worship by themselves without formal ritual. Most
contemporary Pagans hold rituals corresponding to the turning of the
seasons and the phases of the moon. Rituals are often performed in a
sacred space defined by the demarcation of a circle, within which the
celebration and worship take place. Celebrations include eight major
seasonal holidays, sometimes collectively referred to as "Sabbats".
These Sabbats, as most frequently observed by North American and
European Pagans, follow the agricultural cycles of the northern
temperate zone, and include the solstices and equinoxes as well as
four intermediate festivals which fall in between, sometimes called
"cross-quarters," on or near the first days of February,
May, August, and November. Regular public Sabbat rituals, reflecting
a variety of contemporary Pagan styles, are held in many communities.
Rituals may include meditation, chanting, drumming, myth- and
story-telling, ritual drama, dance, and so on. Deeper ritual work is
most often practiced at private gatherings, which for many traditions
coincide with the phases of the moon. The work may include more
intense raising of energy, healing work, and personal spiritual
development.
1004
What about Satanism?
Contrary to the claims of ill-informed Christian
fundamentalists, the practices of modern Pagans are in no way related
to Satanism. Most Pagans do not even believe Satan exists. As a
profanation of Christian symbolism, Satan worship is a Christian
heresy, not a Pagan religion.
Do Pagans proselytize?
No,Pagansdo notproselytize.Most modernPagantraditions do
welcome newcomers. Most modern Pagans also do not discourage other
Pagans from integrating other religious and spiritual practices and
beliefs into their practice.
WHAT CONTEMPORARY PAGANS BELIEVE
while there is no set of beliefs shared by all Pagans, most would
agree that similarities far outweigh differences. There are a number
of beliefs held by the vast majority of modern Pagans. Some of these
are:
1. Divinity is seen as immanent.
2. Divinity is as likely to manifest itself in female as male form,
the God or the Goddess, in the interconnectedness of all life.
3. Multiple paths to the divine exist, as symbolized by many goddesses
and gods. These are often seen as archetypes or gateways to the
unconscious.
4. We respect and love Mother Earth as a living being, Gaia, of which
we are a part.
5. The physical world, as an emanation of the divine, is good and to
be enjoyed by all living beings in love and harmony.
6. Ethics and morality are based on avoidance of harm to other beings,
including Earth as a whole, which mandates environmental activism as a
spiritual responsibility.
7. Human interdependence implies the need for community cooperation.
8. The solar and lunar cycles and the cycles of our lives are
celebrated. This leads to the maintenance and revival of old customs
and the creation of new ones.
9. A strong commitment to personal and planetary growth, evolution,
and balance are vital.
10. One's lifestyle must be consistent with one's beliefs. The
personal is political.
11. A minimum of dogma and a maximum of individual responsibility in
all things are goals to strive for. Thus a healthy skepticism is to be
fostered, and ideas are not to be accepted without personal
investigation of their validity.
12. Messiahs and gurus are to be avoided. The mediation of another
being is unnecessary for an individual to commune with Deity.
Power-from-within is preferred to power-over.
13. All beings are personal emanations of the Divine. Thou art
Goddess, thou art God.
1005
{file "Standing Stones Book Of Shadows (Scott Cunninham)" "bos238.htm"}
THE
STANDING STONES
BOOK OF SHADOWS
by Scott Cunningham
excerpted from:
WICCA A Guide For The Solitary Practioner
PP. 111 - 187
1989, Llewellyn Publications
ISBN 0-87542-118-0
1011
WORDS TO THE WISE ....
O daughters andsons of theEarth, adore theGoddess and Godand
be blessed with the fullness of life.
Know thatThey havebrought youto thesewritings, forherein lie
our ways of the Craft, to serve and fulfill the keepers of wisdom, the
tenders of the sacred flame of knowledge. Run the rites with love and
joy, and the Goddess and God will bless you with all that you need.
But those who practice dark magicks shall know Their greatest wrath.
Remember thatyou are ofthe Craft. No moredo you trodthe ways
of doubt. You walk the path of light, ever climbing from shadow to
shadow to the highest realm of existence. But though we're the
bearers of truths, others do not wish to share our knowledge, so we
run our rites beneath moon filled skies enwrapped in shadows. But we
are happy.
Live fully, forthat is the purpose of life. Refrain not from
earthly existence. From it we grow to learn and understand, until
such time that we are reborn to learn more, repeating this cycle 'till
we have spiralled up the path of perfection and can finally call the
Goddess and God our kin.
Walk the fields andforests; be refreshedby the cool windsand
the touch of a nodding flower. The Moon and Sun sing in the ancient
wild places: The deserted seashore, the stark desert, the roaring
waterfall. We are of the Earth and should revere Her, so do Her
honor.
Celebratethe riteson theappropriate daysand seasons,and call
upon the Goddess and God when the time is meet, but use the Power only
when necessary, never for frivolous ends. Know that using the Power
for harm is a Perversion of Life itself.
But for those who love and magnify love, the richness oflife
shall be your reward. Nature will celebrate.
So love the Goddess and God, and harm none!
1012
THE NATURE OF OUR WAY
* As often as possible, hold the rites in forests, by the
seashore, on deserted mountaintops or near tranquil lakes. If this is
impossible, a garden or some chamber shall suffice, if it is readied
with fumes of flowers.
*Seek outwisdom inbooks, rare manuscriptsand crypticpoems if
you will, but seek it out also in simple stones and fragile herbs and
in the cries of wild birds. Listen to the whisperings of the wind and
the roar of water if you would discover magick, for it is here that
the old secrets are preserved.
* Books contain words;trees contain energies andwisdom books
ne'er dreamt of.
* Ever remember that the Old Ways are constantly revealing
themselves. Therefore be as the river willow that bends and sways
with the wind. That which remains changeless shall outlive its
spirit, but that which evolves and grows will shine for centuries.
* Therecan be no monopolyon wisdom. Thereforeshare what you
will of our ways with others who seek them, but hide mystic lore from
the eyes of those who would destroy, for to do otherwise increases
their destruction.
* Mock not the rituals or spells of another, for who can say
yours are greater in power or wisdom?
*Ensure that your actions are honorable, for all that you do
shall return to you three-fold, good or bane.
* Be waryof one who would dominate you,who would control and
manipulate your workings and reverences. True reverence for the
Goddess and God occurs within. Look with suspicion on any who would
twist worship from you for their own gain and glory, but welcome those
priestesses and priests who are suffused with love.
* Honorall living things,for we are ofthe bird, thefish, the
bee. Destroy not life save it be to preserve your own.
* And this is the nature of our way.
1013
BEFORE TIME WAS
Beforetime was, therewas The One;The One was all,and all was
The One.
Andthe vast expanseknown asthe universewas TheOne, all-wise,
all-pervading, all-powerful, eternally changing.
And space moved. The Onemolded energy into twin forms,equal
but opposite, fashioning the Goddess and God from The One and of The
One.
The Goddess and God stretched and gave thanks to The One,but
darkness surrounded them. They were alone, solitary save for The One.
So They formed energy into gasses and gasses into suns and
planets and moons; They sprinkled the universe with whirling globes
and so all was given shape by the hands of the Goddess and God.
Light aroseand the sky wasilluminated by a billionsuns. And
the Goddess and God, satisfied by their works, rejoiced and loved, and
were one.
From theirunion sprang the seedsof all life, andof the human
race, so that we might achieve incarnation upon the Earth.
TheGoddess chose theMoon as Hersymbol, and theGod the Sun as
His symbol, to remind the inhabitants of Earth of their fashioners.
All areborn, live, dieand are rebornbeneath the Sunand Moon;
all things come to pass thereunder, and all occurs with the blessings
of The One, as has been the way of existence before time was.
1014
SONG OF THE GODDESS
I am the GreatMother, worshipped by all creationand existent
prior to their consciousness. I am the primal female force, boundless
and eternal.
I am thechaste Goddessof the Moon,the Lady ofall magick. The
winds and moving leaves sing my name. I wear the crescent Moon upon
my brow and my feet rest among the starry heavens. I am mysteries yet
unsolved, a path newly set upon. I am a field untouched by the plow.
Rejoice in me and know the fullness of youth.
I amthe blessed Mother,the gracious Lady ofthe harvest. I am
clothed with the deep, cool wonder of the Earth and the gold of the
fields heavy with grain. By me the tides of the Earth are ruled; all
things come to fruition according to my reason. I am refuge and
healing. I am the life-giving Mother, wondrously fertile.
Worship me as theCrone, tender of the unbrokencycle of death
and rebirth. I am the wheel, the shadow of the Moon. I rule the
tides of women and men and give release and renewal to weary souls.
Though the darkness of death is my domain, the joy of birth is my
gift.
I amthe Goddess of theMoon, the Earth,the Seas. Mynames and
strengths are manifold. I pour forth magick and power, peace and
wisdom. I am the eternal Maiden, Mother of all, and Crone of
darkness, and I send you blessings of limitless love.
CALL OF THE GOD
I am the radiant King of the Heavens, floodingthe Earth with
warmth and encouraging the hidden seed of creation to burst forth into
manifestation. I lift my shining spear to light the lives of all
beings and daily pour forth my gold upon the Earth, putting to flight
the powers of darkness.
I am the master of the beasts wild and free. I run with the
swift stag and soar as a sacred falcon against the shimmering sky.
The ancient woods and wild places emanate my powers, and the birds of
the air sing of my sanctity.
I amalso the lastharvest, offering upgrain andfruits beneath
the sickle of time so that all may be nourished. For without planting
there can be no harvest; without winter, no spring.
Worshipme as the thousand-namedSun of creation,the spirit of
the horned stag in the wild, the endless harvest. See in the yearly
cycle of festivals my birth, death and rebirth - and know that such is
the destiny of all creation.
I am the sparkof life, the radiantSun, the giver of peaceand
rest, and I send my rays of blessings to warm the hearts and
strengthen the minds of all.
1015
THE CIRCLE OF STONES
The Circle of stonesis used during indoor rituals,for energy
raising, meditation and so on.
First cleanse the area with the ritual broom.
For this circle you willneed four large, flat stones. If you
have none, candles can be used to mark the four cardinal points of the
circle. White or purple candles can be used, as can colors related to
each direction - green for the North, yellow for East, red for South
and blue for West.
Placethe first stone(or candle) tothe North, torepresent the
Spirit of the North Stone. In ritual when you invoke the Spirits of
the Stones you're actually invoking all that resides in that
particular direction, including the elemental energies.
After setting theNorth Stone(or candle), placethe East,South
and West Stones. They should mark out a rough square, nearly
encompassing the working area. This square represents the physical
plane on which we exist - the Earth.
Nowtake a long purpleor white cordand lay it outin a circle,
using the four stones or candles to guide you. It takes a bit of
practice to smoothly do this. The cord should be placed so that the
stones remain inside the circle. Now you have a square and a circle,
the circle representing the spiritual reality. As such, this is a
squared circle; the place of interpenetration of the physical and
spiritual realms.
The size of the circle can be anything from 5 to 20 feet
depending on the room and your desires.
Next, set up the altar. The following tools are recommended:
* A Goddess symbol (candle, holed stone, statue)
* A God symbol (candle, horn, acorn, statue)
* Athame
* Wand
* Censer
* Pentacle
* A bowl of Water (spring, rain or tap)
* A bowl of Sea Salt (it can also be placed on the pentacle)
* Incense
* Flowers and greens
* One red candle in holder (if not using point candles)
* Anyother tools ormaterials requiredfor the ritual,spell or
magickal working
Set upthe altar accordingto theplan shown hereor accordingto
your own design. Also be sure to have plenty of matches, as well as a
small heat-proof container in which to place them when used. A
charcoal block is also necessary to burn the incense.
1016
Goddess God
Symbol or Symbol or
Candle Candle
Censer
Bowl of Red Bowl of
Water Candle Salt
Pentacle
Cup Incense
Cauldron,
or Spell
Wand Materials Knife
Bell Boline
Suggested Altar Layout
Light thecandles. Set theincense smoking. Lift theathame and
touch its blade to the water, saying:
I consecrate and cleanse this water
that it may be purified and fit to
dwell within the sacred Circle of Stones.
In the name of the Mother Goddess and Father God,
I consecrate this water.
As you do this, visualize your athame blasting away all
negativity from the water.
The salt is next touched with the point of the athame while
saying:
I bless this salt that it may be fit
to dwell within the sacred Circle of Stones.
In the name of the Mother Goddess and Father God,
I bless this salt.
Now stand facing North,at the edge of thecord-marked circle.
Hold your athame point outward at waist level. Walk slowly around the
circle's perimeter clockwise, your feet just inside the cord, charging
it with your words and energy. Create the circle - through your
visualization - with the power flowing out from your athame's blade.
As you walk, stretch the energy out until it forms a complete sphere
around the working area, half above the ground, half below. As you do
this say:
Here is the boundary of the Circle of Stones.
Naught but love shall enter in,
Naught but love shall emerge from within.
Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones!
1017
When youhave arrived backat the North,place the athameon the
altar. Take up the salt and sprinkle it around the circle, beginning
and ending in the North, and moving clockwise. Next, carry the
smoking censer from the altar, and finally sprinkle water around the
circle. Do more than carrying and walking; sense the substances
purifying the circle. The Circle of Stones is now sealed.
Holdaloft the wand atthe North, atthe edge ofthe circle, and
say:
O Spirit of the North Stone,
Ancient One of the Earth,
I call You to attend this circle.
Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones!
As yousay this,visualize agreenish mistrising and writhingin
the Northern quarter, over the stone. This is the elemental energy of
the Earth. When the Spirit is present, lower the wand, move to the
East, raise it again and say:
O Spirit of the East Stone,
Ancient One of Air,
I call You to attend this circle.
Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones!
Visualize theyellowish mistof Airenergy. Lowerthe wand,move
to the South and repeat the following with your upraised wand,
visualizing a crimson Fire mist:
O Spirit of the South Stone,
Ancient One of Fire,
I call You to attend this circle.
Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones!
Finally, to the West, say with the wand held aloft:
O Spirit of the West Stone,
Ancient One of Water,
I call You to attend this circle.
Charge this by Your powers, Old Ones!
Visualize the bluish mist, the essence of Water.
The circle breaths and lives around you. The Spirits of the
Stones are present. Feel the energies. Visualize the circle glowing
and growing in power. Stand still, sensing for a moment.
The Circleof Stones is complete. The Goddess and God may be
called, and magick wrought.
1018
CUTTING A DOORWAY
At times you may have to leave the circle. This is fine, of
course, but as previously mentioned, passing through the circle
dissipates it. To prevent this from occurring it's traditional to cut
a doorway.
Todo this,face Northeast. Hold yourathame pointdownward near
the ground. See and sense the circle before you. Pierce its wall of
energy with the athame and trace an archway, tall enough to walk
through, moving counter-clockwise along the circle for about three
feet. Move the point of the athame up at the arch's center and down
the other side until it is near the ground.
As you're doingthis, visualizethat area ofthe circle'senergy
being sucked back into the athame. This creates a void, allowing
passage in and out of the circle. Pull the athame out of the circle's
wall. You're free to walk outside.
Onceback inside, close the door by placing the athame at the
lower North-Eastern point of the archway. With your athame trace the
circle's perimeter clockwise, as if redrawing that portion of the
Circle of Stones, again visualizing blue or purple energy flaring out
from the blade and converging with the rest of the circle. It is
done.
RELEASING THE CIRCLE
Once the rite is ended, face North, hold aloft the wand and say:
Farewell, Spirit of the North Stone.
I give thanks for your presence here.
Go in power.
Repeat this same formula to the East, South and West,
substituting the proper direction in the words. Then return to the
North and hold the wand aloft for a few moments.
Lay the wandon the altar. Take up theathame. Standingin the
North, pierce the circle's wall with the blade at waist level. Move
clockwise around the circle, visualizing it's power being sucked back
into the athame. Literally pull it back into the blade and handle.
Sense the circle dissolving, shrinking; the outside world slowly
regaining its dominance in the area.
When you arrive at the North again, the circle is no more.
1019
VISUALIZATIONS FOR THE CIRCLE OF STONES
If you wish, you can back up the circle casting with the
following visualizations as you form the circle itself:
Prepare asusual. Approachthe Northand set theNorth Stone(or
the candle) on the ground. Then, visualize a stone slab standing
upright two feet to the left of and behind the North Stone. Visualize
this as being bluish-grey, two feet wide, two feet thick and six feet
tall. This stone represents the Goddess.
When thestone is really there- in your visualization- create
another stone of the same size and color two feet to the right of and
behind the North Stone. This represents the God.
Now visualize a capstone resting on top of the two upright
stones. It is about two feet by two feet by six feet. This
represents The One before the Goddess and God, the source of all power
and magick. The Northern Trilithon is now complete.
Thestones form anarchway, a symbolof the gatewayto the realm
of the element of Earth.
Firmlyvisualize this, then gazethrough the archformed by the
stones. See the greenish haze of the Earth energy.
Repeat the entire procedure to the East, South and West.
Visualize the appropriate elemental color within each trilithon.
Now purify salt and water,cast the circle as usual, andcarry
around the salt, censer, candle and water.
As youapproach each quarterto callits Spirit ofthe Stone,see
the trilithon firmly in your mind. Visualize it in all its Pagan
splendor. See the elemental hazes within them, boiling and writhing
in unmanifestedness. Stretch out with your feelings; sense the
arrival of the spirit of each stone, then go on to the next.
With practice this comes easily, but such visualizations are
never necessary.
THE BLESSING CHANT
The Blessing Chant can be said at the beginning of any type of ritual
as a general invocation. Separate invocations of the Goddess and God
may follow.
May the powers of The One,
the source of all creation;
all-pervasive, omnipotent, eternal;
may the Goddess,
the Lady of the Moon;
and the God,
Horned Hunter of the Sun;
may the powers of the Spirits of the Stones,
rulers of the elemental realms;
may the powers of the stars above and the Earth below,
bless this place, and this time, and I who am with you.
1020
THE SIMPLE FEAST
Hold up a Chalice of wine (or some other liquid) betweenyour
hands to the sky, and say:
Gracious Goddess of Abundance,
Bless this wine and infuse it with your love.
In your names, Mother Goddess and Father God,
I bless this wine (or brew, juice, etc.).
Hold upa plate ofcakes (bread,biscuits) with bothhands tothe
sky and say:
Powerful God of the Harvest,
Bless these cakes and infuse them with your love.
In your names, Mother Goddess and Father God,
I bless these cakes (or this bread).
CONSECRATION OF TOOLS
Lightthe candles. Set the incensesmoking. Castthe Circle of
Stones. Place the tool on the pentacle, or a plate of salt. Touch it
with the point of your athame (or your projective hand) and say:
Iconsecrate you, O Athame of steel(or wand of wood, etc.) to
cleanse and purify you to serve me within the Circle of Stones. In
the names of the Mother Goddess and Father God, you are consecrated.
Send projective energy into the tool, cleansing it of all
negativity and past associations. Now pick it up and sprinkle with
salt, pass it through the incense smoke, through the candle flame and
sprinkle with water, calling upon the Spirits of the Stones to
consecrate it.
Then hold the tool to the sky, saying:
I charge youby the OldOnes: By theomnipotent Goddess andGod:
By the virtues of the Sun, Moon and Stars: By the powers of the Earth,
Air, Fire and Water, that I shall obtain all that I desire through
you. Charge this by your power, Old Ones!
The toolshould immediately beput touse to strengthenand bind
the consecration. For example, the athame can be used to consecrate
another tool; a wand to invoke the Goddess; the pentacle to act as a
resting place for a tool during its consecration.
1021
THE FULL MOON RITE
Perform this at night,in the view ofthe Moon if possible. It
is appropriate for crescents, white flowers, silver and other lunar
symbols to be present on the altar for this ritual. The quartz
crystal sphere can be placed on the altar as well. Or, if you prefer,
use the cauldron (or a small white or silver bowl) filled with water.
Place a piece of silver into the water.
Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the
Circle of Stones.
Stand beforethe altar andinvoke the Goddess andGod, with the
Blessing Chant and/or any other invocations (see Prayers, Chants and
Invocations in this Book of Shadows).
Now gaze at the Moon, ifpossible. Feel its energies sinking
into your body. Feel its cool Goddess energy wash you with power and
love.
Now say these or similar words:
Wondrous Lady of the Moon
You who greets the dusk with silvered kisses;
Mistress of the night and of all magicks,
who rides the clouds in blackened skies
and spills light upon the cold Earth;
O Lunar Goddess,
Crescented-One,
Shadow maker and shadow breaker;
Revealer of mysteries past and present;
Puller of seas and ruler of women;
All-wise Lunar Mother,
I greet your celestial jewel
at the waxing of its powers
With a rite in Your honor.
I pray by the Moon,
I pray by the Moon,
I pray by the Moon.
Continue chanting"I pray bythe Moon" foras long asyou will.
Visualize the Goddess if you so desire, perhaps as a tall, robust
woman wearing silver jewelry and white, rippling, draped clothing. A
crescent Moon may rest upon Her brow, or She may toss a glowing
silvery white orb in Her hands. She treads the starfield of eternal
night in an eternal round with Her lover, the Sun God, spreading
moonrays wherever She goes. Her eyes laugh, Her skin is white and
translucent. She glows.
Nowis the timefor magick ofall types, forthe full ofthe Moon
marks the height of its powers, and all positive spells cast then are
powerful.
FullMoons arealso excellenttimesfor meditation,mirror magick
and psychic workings, for such are often more successful within the
circle. Crystal-scrying is particularly recommended; flood the
crystal with moonlight prior to the ritual. If you have no crystal
sphere, use the cauldron filled with water and the piece of silver.
Gaze at the water (or at the Moon glinting on the silver) to awaken
your psychic awareness.
1022
Lunar liquids such as lemonade, milk or white wine can be
consumed during the simple feast that follows. Crescent cakes are
traditional as well.
Thank the Goddess and God and release the circle. It is done.
YULE (circa December 21)
Thealtar isadorned withevergreens suchas pine,rosemary, bay,
juniper and cedar, and the same can be laid to mark the Circle of
Stones. Dried leaves can also be placed on the altar.
The cauldron, resting onthe altar on a heat-proofsurface (or
placed before it if too large), should be filled with ignitable spirit
(alcohol), or a red candle can be placed within it. At outdoor rites,
lay a fire within the cauldron to be lit during ritual.
Arrange the altar, lightthe candles and incense, andcast the
Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant.
Invoke the Goddess and God.
Stand before the cauldron and gaze within it. Say these or
similar words:
I sorrow not,
though the world is wrapped in sleep.
I sorrow not,
though the icy winds blast.
I sorrow not,
though the snow falls hard and deep.
I sorrow not,
this too shall soon be past.
Ignitethe cauldron (or candle),using long matchesor a taper.
As the flame(s) leap up say:
I light this fire in Your honor,
Mother Goddess
You have created life from death;
warmth from cold;
The Sun lives once again;
the time of light is waxing.
Welcome,
ever-returning God of the Sun!
Hail Mother of All!
Circle the altar andcauldron slowly, clockwise, watching the
flames. Say the following chant for some time:
The wheel turns; the power burns.
Meditate upon the Sun,on the hidden energies lyingdormant in
winter, not only in the Earth but within ourselves. Think of birth
not as the start of life but as its continuance. Welcome the return
of the God.
1023
After a time cease and stand once again before the altar and
flaming caldron. Say:
Great God of the Sun,
I welcome Your return.
May You shine brightly upon the Goddess;
may You shine brightly upon the Earth,
scattering seeds and fertilizing the land.
All blessings upon You,
reborn One of the Sun!
Works of magick, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
The circle is released.
YULE LORE
Onetraditional Yuletidepractice isthe creationof aYule tree.
This can be a living, potted tree which can later be planter in the
ground, or a cut one. The choice is yours.
Appropriate Pagandecorations are fun to make,from strings of
dried rosebuds and cinnamon sticks (or popcorn and cranberries) for
garlands, to bags of fragrant spices which are hung from boughs.
Quartz crystals can be wrapped with shiny wire and suspended from
sturdy branches to resemble icicles. Apples, oranges and lemons
hanging from boughs are strikingly beautiful, natural decorations, and
were customary in ancient times.
Many enjoy the custom of lighting the Yule log. This is a
graphic representation of the rebirth of the God within the sacred
fire of the Mother Goddess. If you choose to burn one, select a
proper log (traditionally of oak or pine). Carve or chalk a figure of
the Sun (such as a rayed disc) or the God (a horned circle or a figure
of a man) upon it, with the Boline, and set it alight in the fireplace
at dusk on Yule. As the log burns, visualize the Sun shining within
it and think of the coming warmer days.
As to food, nuts, fruits such as apples and pears, cakes of
caraways soaked in cider, and (for non-vegetarians) pork are
traditional fare. Wassail, lambswool, hibiscus or ginger tea and fine
drinks for the Simple Feast or Yule Meals.
1024
IMBOLC (February 2)
Asymbol ofthe season, suchas arepresentation ofa snow flake,
a white flower, or perhaps some snow in a crystal container can be
placed on the altar. An orange candle anointed with musk, cinnamon,
frankincense or rosemary oil, unlit, should also be there. Snow can
be melted and used for the water during the circle casting.
Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the
Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant.
Invoke the Goddess and God.
Say such words as the following:
This is the time of the feast of torches,
when every lamp blazes and shines
to welcome the rebirth of the God.
I celebrate the Goddess,
I celebrate the God;
all Earth celebrates
Beneath its mantle of sleep.
Light the orange taper fromthe red candle on the altar(or at
the Southern point of the circle). Slowly walk the circle clockwise,
bearing the candle before you. Say these or similar words:
All the land is wrapped in winter.
The air is chilled and frost envelops the Earth.
But Lord of the Sun,
Horned One of animals and wild places,
unseen you have been reborn of the gracious Mother Goddess,
Lady of all fertility.
Hail Great God!
Hail and welcome!
Stop before the altar, holding aloft the candle. Gaze atits
flame. Visualize your life blossoming with creativity, with renewed
energy and strength.
If you need to look into the future or past, now is an ideal
time.
Works of magic, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
The circle is released.
IMBOLC LORE
It istraditional uponImbolc, atsunset or justafter ritual,to
light every lamp in the house - if only for a few moments. Or, light
candles in each room in honor of the Sun's rebirth. Alternately,
light a kerosene lamp with a red chimney and place this in a prominent
part of the home or in a window.
If snow lies on the ground outside, walk in it for a moment,
recalling the warmth of summer. With your projective hand, trace an
image of the Sun on the snow.
1025
Foods appropriate to eat on this day include those from the
dairy, since Imbolc marks the festival of calving. Sour cream dishes
are fine. Spicy and full-bodied foods in honor of the Sun are equally
attuned. Curries and all dishes made with peppers, onions, leeks,
shallots, garlic or chives are appropriate. Spiced wines and dishes
containing raisins - all foods symbolic of the Sun - are also
traditional.
OSTARA (circa March 21)
Flowersshould belaid onthe altar,placed around thecircle and
strewn on the ground. The cauldron can be filled with spring water
and flowers, and buds and blossoms may be worn as well. A small
potted plant should be placed on the altar.
Arrange the altar, lightthe candles and incense, andcast the
Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant.
Invoke the Goddess and God in whatever words please you.
Stand before the altar and gaze upon the plant as you say:
O Great Goddess,
you have freed yourself from the icy prison of winter.
Now is the greening,
when the fragrance of flowers drifts on the breeze.
This is the beginning.
Life renews itself by Your magick,
the Earth Goddess.
The God stretches and rises,
eager in His youth,
and bursting with the promise of summer.
Touch theplant. Connect with itsenergies and, throughit, all
nature. Travel inside its leaves and stems through your visualization
- from the center of your consciousness out through your arm and
fingers and into the plant itself. Explore its inner nature; sense
the miraculous processes of life at work within it.
After a time, still touching the plant, say:
I walk the Earth in friendship,
not in dominance.
Mother Goddess and Father God,
instillwithinme throughthis plantawarmth forall living
things.
Teach me to revere the Earth and all its treasures.
May I never forget.
Meditate uponthe changing of theseasons. Feelthe rousing of
energies around you in the Earth.
Works of magick, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
The circle is released.
1026
EOSTRA LORE
A traditional VernalEquinox pastime:go to afield andrandomly
collect wildflowers [Thank the flowers for their sacrifice before
picking them, using a collection formula such as can be found in "An
Herbal Grimoire" elsewhere in this Book of Shadows]. Or buy some from
a florist, taking one or two of those that appeal to you. Then bring
them home and divine their magickal meanings by the use of books, your
own intuition, a pendulum or by other means. The flowers you've
chosen reveal your inner thoughts and emotions.
It isimportant at thistime ofrenewed life toplan a walk(or a
ride) through gardens, a park, woodlands, forest and other green
places. This is not simply exercise, and you should be on no other
mission. It isn't even just an appreciation of nature. Make your
walk celebratory, a ritual for nature itself.
Other traditionalactivities include plantingseeds, workingon
magickal gardens and practicing all forms of herb work - magickal,
medicinal, cosmetic, culinary and artistic.
Foods intune with thisday (linkingyour meals withthe seasons
is a fine way of attuning with nature) include those made of seeds,
such as sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds, as well as pine nuts.
Sprouts are equally appropriate, as are leafy, green vegetables.
Flower dishes such as stuffed nasturtiums or carnation cupcakes also
find their place here. [Find a book of flower cooking or simply make
spice cupcakes. Ice with pink frosting and place a fresh carnation
petal on each cupcake. Stuff nasturtium blossoms with a mixture made
with cream cheese, chopped nuts, chives and watercress.]
BELTANE (April 30)
If possible,celebrate Beltanein a forestor neara livingtree.
If this is impossible, bring a small tree within the circle,
preferably potted; it can be of any type.
Create a small token or charm in honor of the wedding of the
Goddess and God to hang upon the tree. You can make several if you
desire. These tokens can be bags filled with fragrant flowers,
strings of beads, carvings, flower garlands - whatever your talents
and imagination can conjure.
Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the
Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant
Invoke the Goddess and God.
Stand before the altar and say, with wand upraised:
O Mother Goddess,
Queen of the night and of the Earth;
O Father God,
King of the day and of the forest,
IcelebrateYour unionas naturerejoicesin ariotous blaze
of color and life.
Accept my gift,
Mother Goddess and Father God,
in honor of Your union.
1027
Place the token(s) on the tree.
From Your mating shall spring forth life anew;
a profusion of living creatures shall cover the lands,
and the winds will blow pure and sweet.
O Ancient Ones,
I celebrate with You!
Works of magick, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
The circle is released.
BELTANE LORE
Weavingand plaiting are traditionalarts at thistime of year,
for the joining together of two substances to form a third is in the
spirit of Beltane.
Foods traditionally come from the dairy, and dishes such as
marigold custard (see recipes - food) and vanilla ice cream are fine.
Oatmeal cakes are also appropriate.
MIDSUMMER (circa June 21)
Before the rite, make upa small cloth pouch filled withherbs
such as lavender, chamomile, St. John's Wort, vervain, or any of the
Midsummer herbs listed in "An Herbal Grimoire." Mentally pour all
your troubles, problems, pains, sorrows and illnesses, if any, into
this petition as you construct it. Tie it shut with a red string.
Place this on the altar for use during the rite. The cauldron should
also be there or nearby. Even if you use candles to mark the
quarters, the red candle in a holder should also be on the altar. For
outdoor rituals, light a fire - however small - and drop the pouch
into this.
Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the
Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant.
Invoke the Goddess and God.
Stand before the altar and say, with wand upraised:
I celebrate the noon of summer with mystic rites.
O great Goddess and God,
allnaturevibrateswith YourenergiesandtheEarth isbathed
with warmth and life.
Now is the time of forgetting past cares and banes;
O fiery Sun,
burn away the unuseful,
the hurtful,
the bane,
in Your omnipotent power.
Purify me!
Purify me!
Purify me!
1028
Lay thewand onthe altar. Take up theherbal petitionand light
it in the red candle on the altar (or, if outdoors, the ritual fire).
When it is burning drop it into the cauldron (or some other heat-proof
container) and say:
I banish you by the powers of the Goddess and God!
I banish you by the powers of the Sun,
Moon and Stars!
I banish you by the powers of the Earth,
Air,
Fire and Water!
Pause,seeing thehurts andpains burninginto nothingness. Then
say:
O Gracious Goddess,
O Gracious God,
onthis night of Midsummermagick I pray that You
charge my life with wonder and joy.
Help me in attuning with the energies adrift on the
enchanted night air.
I give thanks.
Reflect upon the purification you have undergone. Feel the
powers of nature flowing through you, washing you clean with divine
energy.
Works of magick, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
The circle is released.
MIDSUMMER LORE
Midsummeris practically theclassic time toperform magicks of
all kinds. Healings, love magick and protections are especially
suitable. Herbs can be dried over the ritual fire if you're
celebrating outdoors. Leap the fire for purification and renewed
energy.
Fresh fruits are standard fare for Midsummer.
1029
LUGHNASADH (August 1)
Placeupon the altarsheaves of wheat,barley or oats,fruit and
breads, perhaps a loaf fashioned in the figure of the Sun or a man to
represent the God. Corn dollies, symbolic of the Goddess, can be
present there as well.
Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the
Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant.
Invoke the Goddess and God.
Stand before the altar, holding aloft the sheaves of grain,
saying these or similar words:
Now is the time of the First Harvest,
when thebounties ofnaturegive ofthemselvesso thatwemay
survive.
O God of the ripening fields,
Lord of the Grain,
grant methe understanding ofsacrifice as Youprepare to
deliver Yourself under the sickle of the Goddess and journey to the
lands of eternal summer.
O Goddess of the Dark Moon,
teachmethe secretsofrebirth asthe Sunlosesits strength
and the nights grow cold.
Rub theheads of the wheatwith your fingers sothat the grains
fall onto the altar. Lift a piece of fruit and bite it, savoring its
flavour, and say:
I partake of the first harvest,
mixing itsenergieswithmine thatImay continuemyquestfor
the starry wisdom of perfection.
O Lady of the Moon and Lord of the Sun,
gracious ones before Whom the stars halt their courses,
I offer my thanks for the continuing fertility of the Earth.
May the nodding grain loose its seeds to be buried in the
Mother's breast,
ensuring rebirth in the warmth of the coming Spring.
Consume the rest of the fruit.
Works of magick, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
The circle is released.
1030
LUGHNASADH LORE
It is appropriate toplant the seedsfrom the fruit consumedin
ritual. If they sprout, grow the plant with love and as a symbol of
your connection with the Goddess and God.
Wheat weaving (the making of corn dollies, etc.) is an
appropriate activity for Lughnasadh. Visits to fields, orchards,
lakes and wells are also traditional.
The foods of Lughnasadh include bread, blackberries and all
berries, acorns (leached of their poisons first), crab apples, all
grains and locally ripe produce. A cake is sometimes baked, and cider
is used in place of wine.
If youdo make afigure of theGod from bread,it can beused for
the Simple Feast.
MABON (circa September 21)
Decorate the altar with acorns, oak sprigs, pine and cypress
cones, ears of corn, wheat stalks and other fruits and nuts. Also
place there a small rustic basket filled with dried leaves of various
colors and kinds.
Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the
Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant.
Invoke the Goddess and God.
Standbefore the altar, holdingaloft the basketof leaves, and
slowly scatter them so that they cascade to the ground within the
circle. Say such words as these:
Leaves fall,
the days grow cold.
The Goddess pulls Her mantle of the Earth around Her as You,
O Great Sun God,
sail toward the West to the lands of
Eternal Enchantment.,
wrapped in the coolness of night.
Fruits ripen,
seeds drop,
the hours of day and night are balanced.
Chill winds blow in from the North wailing laments.
In this seeming extinction of nature's power,
O Blessed Goddess,
I know that life continues.
For spring is impossible without the second harvest,
as surely as life is impossible without death.
Blessings upon You,
O Fallen God,
as You journey into the lands of winter
and into the Goddess' loving arms.
1031
Place the basket down and say:
O Gracious Goddess of all fertility,
Ihave sownandreapedthe fruitsofmy actions,goodandbane.
Grantme the courageto plantseeds of joyand lovein the coming
year,
banishing misery and hate.
Teach me the secrets of wise existence upon this planet,
O Luminous One of the Night!
Works of magick, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
The circle is released.
MABON LORE
A traditional practice is to walk wild places and forests,
gathering seed pods and dried plants. Some of these can be used to
decorate the home; others saved for future herbal magick.
The foods ofMabon consistof the secondharvest's gleanings,so
grains, fruit and vegetables predominate, especially corn. Corn bread
is traditional fare, as are beans and baked squash.
1032
Samhain (October 31)
Placeupon thealtarapples, pomegranates,pumpkins, squashesand
other late autumn fruits. Autumn flowers such as marigolds and
chrysanthemums are fine too. Write on a piece of paper an aspect of
your life which you may wish to be free of; anger, a baneful habit,
misplaced feelings, disease. The cauldron or some similar tool must
be present before the altar as well, on a trivet or some other
heat-proof surface (if the legs aren't long enough). A small, flat
dish marked with an eight-spoked wheel symbol should also be there.
[This is just what it sounds like. On a flat plate or dish, paint a
large circle. Put a dot in the center of this circle and paint eight
spokes radiating out from the dot to the larger circle. Thus, you
have a wheel symbol - a symbol of the Sabbats, a symbol of
timelessness.]
Prior toritual, sit quietlyand thinkof friends andloved ones
who have passed away. Do not despair. Know that they have gone on to
greater things. Keep firmly in mind that the physical isn't the
absolute reality, and souls never die.
Arrangethe altar, light the candles and censer, and cast the
Circle of Stones.
Recite the Blessing Chant.
Invoke the Goddess and God.
Lift one of the pomegranates and, with your freshly-washed
Boline, pierce the skin of the fruit. Remove several seeds and place
them on the wheel-marked dish.
Raise your wand, face the altar and say:
On this night of Samhain I mark Your passing,
O Sun King,
through the sunset into the Land of the Young.
I mark also the passing of all who have gone before,
and all who will go after.
O Gracious Goddess,
Eternal Mother,
You who gives birth to the fallen,
teach meto know that inthe time of the greatest
darkness there is the greatest light.
Taste the pomegranate seeds; burst them with your teeth and
savour their sharp, bittersweet flavour. Look down as the
eight-spoked symbol on the plate; the Wheel of the Year, the Cycle of
the Seasons, the End and Beginning of all Creation.
Light a firewithin the cauldron(a candle isfine). Sitbefore
it, holding the piece of paper, gazing at its flames. Say:
Wise One of the Waning Moon,
Goddess of the Starry Night,
I createthis firewithin Your cauldronto transform
that which is plaguing me.
May the energies be reversed:
From the darkness, light!
From bane, good!
From death, birth!
1033
Light thepaper in thecauldron's flames anddrop it inside. As
it burns, know that your ill diminishes, lessens and finally leaves
you as it is consumed within the universal fires. [The cauldron, seen
as the Goddess.]
If you wish, you may attempt scrying or some other form of
divination, for this is a perfect time to look into the past or
future. Try to recall past lives too, if you will. But leave the
dead in peace. Honor them with your memories but do not call them to
you. [Many Pagans do attempt to communicate with their deceased
ancestors and friends at this time, but it seems to me that if we
accept the doctrine of reincarnation, this is a rather strange
practice. Perhaps the personalities that we knew still exist, but if
the soul is currently incarnate in another body, communication would
be difficult, to say the least. Thus, it seems best to remember them
with peace and love - but do not call them up.] Release any pain and
sense of loss you may feel into the cauldron's flames.
Works of magick, if necessary, may follow.
Celebrate the Simple Feast.
The circle is released.
SAMHAIN LORE
It is traditional on Samhain night to leave a plate of food
outside the home for the souls of the dead. A candle placed in the
window guides them to the Lands of Eternal Summer, and burying apples
in the hard-packed earth "feeds" the passed ones on their journey.
Forfood, beets,turnips,apples, corn,nuts, gingerbread,cider,
mulled wines and pumpkin dishes are appropriate, as are meat dishes
(once again, if you're not vegetarian. If so, tofu seems ritually
correct).
1034
A RITUAL OF GESTURES
Stand in the ritualarea. Stillyour thoughts. Breathedeeply
for half a minute or so until composed and calm. Turn your mind to
our Deities.
Face North. Lift bothhands to waistheight, palms down. Press
your fingers together, creating two solid, flat planes. Sense
solidity, foundation, fertility. Invoke the powers of the Earth
through the gesture.
Moments Later, turn toward the East. Raise your hands a foot
higher, your palms facing away from you (no longer parallel with the
ground), and elbows slightly bent. Spread your fingers and hold this
position, sensing movement and communication. Invoke the forces of
Air through the gesture.
Face South. Lift your handsfully above yourhead. Keepingthe
elbows straight, grasp your fingers into tight fists. Feel force,
power, creation and destruction. Invoke the forces of Fire through
the gesture.
Turn to the West. Lower your hands a foot or so. Bend the
elbows, turn your palms upward and cup them, pressing the thumbs
against the forefingers. Sense fluidity, the ocean, liquidity.
Invoke the forces of Water through the gesture.
Face Northagain. Throw yourhead back and raiseboth hands to
the sky, palms up, fingers spread. Drink in the essence of The One,
the unknowable, unapproachable ultimate source of all. Sense the
mysteries within the universe.
Lower your projective hand (your writing hand) but keep your
receptive hand high. Pressing the third, forth and fifth fingers
against the palm, lift the forefinger and thumb to create a rough
crescent shape. Sense the reality of the Goddess. Sense Her love,
Her fertility, Her compassion. Sense the powers of the Moon in the
gesture; the force of the eternal seas - the presence of the Goddess.
Lower your receptivehand; liftyour projective hand. Benddown
the middle and forth fingers toward the palm, and trap them with the
thumb. Lift the forefinger and little finger up to the sky, creating
a horned image. Sense the reality of the God. Sense the power of the
Sun in the gesture; the untamed energies of the woodlands - the
presence of the God.
Lower yourprojective hand. Laydown flat. Spread yourlegs and
arms until you've created the pattern of a pentagram. Sense the
powers of the elements running through you; merging and coalescing
into your being. Sense them as emanations from The One, the Goddess
and God.
Meditate. Commune. Communicate.
When finished, simply stand up. Your rite of gestures is over.
1035
THE LAW OF THE POWER
1. The Power shall not be used to bring harm, to injure or
control others. But if the need rises, the Power shall be used to
protect your life or the life of others.
2. The Power is used only as need dictates.
3.The Power can be usedfor your own gain, aslong as by doing
so you harm none.
4.It is unwiseto accept money forthe use ofthe Power, for it
quickly controls its taker. Be not as those of other religions.
5. Use not the Power forprideful gain, for such cheapens the
mysteries of the Craft and magick.
6. Everremember that the Poweris a sacred giftof the Goddess
and God, and should never be misused or abused.
7. And this is the Law of the Power.
INVOCATION OF THE ELEMENTS
Air, Fire, Water, Earth,
Elements of Astral birth,
I call you now; attend to me!
In the circle, rightly cast,
Safe from psychic curse or blast,
I call you now, attend to me!
From cave and desert, sea and hill,
By blade and wand, cup and pentacle,
I call you now; attend to me!
This is my will, so mote it be!
[This invocation may be chanted while moving or dancing around the
altar to raise elemental energy for magickal workings.]
PRAYERS, CHANTS AND INVOCATIONS
OF AND TO
THE GODDESS AND GOD
These prayers can be used toinvoke the Goddess and Godduring
ritual, just after the circle casting. Of course, any which you
compose or are inspired to say and be used as well.
A fewchants arealso includedto raise energyor tocommune with
the deities.
Someof theseinvocations rhyme, andsome donot. But recall the
power of rhyme - it link our conscious mind to the unconscious or
psychic mind, thereby producing ritual consciousness.
Some of these are related to specific deities but, as Dion
Fortune wrote: "All the gods are one god; and all the goddesses are
one goddess, and there is only one initiator."
1036
INVOCATION TO THE GODDESS
Crescent One of the starry skies, Flowered One of the fertile plan,
Flowing One of the ocean's sighs,
Blessed One of the gentle rain;
Hear my chant 'midst the standing stones,
Open me to your mystic light;
Waken me to your silver tones,
Be with me in my sacred rite!
INVOCATION TO PAN
O Great God Pan,
Beast and man,
Shepherd of goats and Lord of the Land,
I call you to attend my rites
On this most magickal of nights.
God of the wine,
God of the vine,
God of the fields and God of the kine,
Attend my circle with your love
And send Your blessings from above.
Help me to heal;
Help me to feel;
Help me to bring forth love and weal.
Pan of the forests, Pan of the glade,
Be with me as my magick is made!
ISIS INVOCATION
Isis of the Moon,
You who are all that ever was,
All that is,
And all that shall be:
Come, veiled Queen of Night!
Come as the scent of the sacred lotus
Charging my circle
With love and magick.
Do descend upon my circle,
I pray,
O Blessed Isis!
PRAYER TO THE HORNED GOD
Horned One of the wilderness,
Winged One of the shining skies,
Rayed One of the spen'drous Sun,
Fallen One of the Samhain cries-
I call amidst the standing stones
Praying that You, O Ancient One,
Will deign to bless my mystic rites-
O fiery Lord of the Blazing Sun!
1037
NEW MOON CHANT TO DIANA
Waxing, waxing, growing, growing-
Diana's power is flowing, flowing.
(repeat)
CALL TO THE GOD
Ancient God of the forest deeps,
Master of beast and Sun;
Here where the world is hushed and sleeps
Now that the day is done.
I call You in the ancient way
Here in my circle round,
Asking that You will hear me pray
And send Your Sun force down.
INVOCATION TO THE GODDESS
Gracious Goddess,
You who are the Queen of the Gods,
The lamp of night,
the creator of all that is wild and free;
Mother of woman and man;
Lover of the Horned God and protectress of all the Craft:
Descend, I pray,
With Your Lunar ray of power
Upon my circle here!
INVOCATION TO THE GOD
Blazing God,
You who are the King of the Gods,
Lord of the Sun,
Master of all that is wild and free;
Father of woman and man,
Lover of the Moon Goddess and protector of all the Craft:
Descend I pray,
With you Solar ray of power
Upon my circle here!
GODDESS CHANT
Luna, Luna, Luna, Diana
Luna, Luna, Luna, Diana
Bless me, bless me, bless me, Diana,
Luna, Luna, Luna, Diana
(repeat)
1038
EVENING CHANT TO THE GOD
Hail fair Sun,
Ruler of day;
Rise on the morn
To light my way.
(to be said while watching the sunset)
EVENING CHANT TO THE GODDESS
Hail fair Moon
Ruler of night;
Guard me and mine
Until the light.
(to be said while Moon-gazing at night)
GODDESS CHANT
Aaaaaaaaaaaaah
Oooooooooooooh
Uuuuuuuuuuuuuu
Eeeeeeeeeeeeee
Iiiiiiiiiiiiii
[These are obviously, the vowels of the English language. Pronounce
them as: A-"Ah," O-"O," U-"Oo," E-"E," I-"Eye." Extend the vowels as
you vocalize them, stretch the sounds. This produces Goddess
awareness, and rouses the psychic mind]
1039
THE LORE OF NUMBERS
To be used in ritual and magickal workings. In general, odd
numbers are related to women, receptive energy and the Goddess; even
numbers to men, projective energy and the God.
1. The universe; The One; the source of all.
2. The Goddess and God; The perfect duality; projective and
receptive energy; the couple; personal union with deity;
interpenetration of the physical and spiritual; balance.
3. The Triple Goddess; the Lunar phases; the physical, mental and
spiritual aspects of our species.
4. The elements; the Spirits of the Stones; the winds; the
seasons.
5. The senses; the pentagram; the elements plus Akasha; a Goddess
number.
7. The planets which the ancients knew; the time of the Lunar
phase; power; protection and magick.
8. The number of Sabbats; a number of the God.
9. A number of the Goddess.
13. The number of Esbats; a fortunate number.
15. A number of good fortune.
21. The number of Sabbats and Esbats in the Pagan year; a number of
the Goddess.
28. A number of the Moon; a number of the goddess.
101. The number of fertility.
The planets are numbered thus:
Saturn 3 Venus 7
Jupiter 4 Mercury 8
Mars 5 Moon 9
Sun 6
1040
THIRTEEN GOALS OF A WITCH
I. Know yourself
II. Know your Craft (Wicca)
III. Learn
IV. Apply knowledge with wisdom
V. Achieve balance
VI. Keep your words in good order
VII. Keep your thoughts in good order
VIII. Celebrate life
IX. Attune with the cycles of Terra
X. Breathe and eat correctly
XI. Exercise the body
XII. Meditate
XIII. Honor the Goddess and God
RECIPES FOR FOOD
CRESCENT CAKES
1 cup firmly ground almonds
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2 drops almond extract
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg yolk
Combinealmonds, flour,sugarand extractuntil thoroughlymixed.
with the hands, work in butter and egg yolk until well-blended. Chill
dough. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Pinch off pieces of dough
about the size of walnuts and shape into crescents. Place on greased
sheets and bake for about 20 minutes. Serve during Simple Feast,
especially at Esbats.
1041
BELTANE MARIGOLD CUSTARD
2 cups milk
1 cup unsprayed marigold petals
1/4 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. sugar
1 to 2-inch piece vanilla bean
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. rose water
whipped cream
Using a cleanmortar and pestle reservedfor cooking purposes,
pound marigold petals. Or, crush with a spoon. Mix the salt, sugar
and spices together. Scald milk with the marigolds and the vanilla
bean. Remove the vanilla bean and add the slightly beaten yolks and
dry ingredients. Cook on low heat. When the mixture coats a spoon,
add rose water and cool.
Top with whipped cream, garnish with fresh marigold petals.
SOFT MEAD
1 quart water, preferably spring water
1 cup honey
1 sliced lemon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Boil together all ingredients in a non-metallic pot. While
boiling, scrape off the rising "scum" with a wooden spoon. When no
more rises add the following:
pinch salt
juice of 1/2 lemon
Strain andcool. Drinkin placeof alcoholic meador wineduring
the Simple Feast.
BEVERAGES
If you wish to avoid the use of wine, which has long been
utilized in religious and magickal rites, there are many other
beverages that can be used to toast the Goddess and God. These
include (but certainly aren't limited to):
Sabbats: apple juice, grape juice, grapefruit juice,
orange juice, pineapple juice, black tea, soft mead,
guava nectar, cinnamon coffee, ginger tea, hibiscus tea
Esbats: lemonade, apricot nectar, mango nectar, pear
nectar, papaya nectar, peach nectar, jasmine tea, peppermint
tea, rosebud tea, milk
1042
RECIPES FOR INCENSES
To make incenses, simply grind the ingredients and mix them
together. As you mix, sense their energies. Burn on charcoal blocks
in the censer during ritual.
CIRCLE INCENSE
4 parts Frankincense
2 parts Myrrh
2 parts Benzoin
1 part Sandalwood
1/2 part Cinnamon
1/2 part Rose petals
1/4 part Vervain
1/4 part Rosemary
1/4 part Bay
Burn in the circle for all types of rituals and spells.
Frankincense, myrrh and benzoin should definitely constitute the bulk
of the mixture.
ALTAR INCENSE
3 parts Frankincense
2 parts Myrrh
1 part Cinnamon
Burn as a general incense on the altar to purify it and to
promote ritual consciousness during rituals.
FULL MOON RITUAL INCENSE
2 parts Sandalwood
2 parts Frankincense
1/2 part Gardenia petals
1/4 part Rose petals
a few drops Ambergris oil
Burn during Esbats or simply at the time of the Full Moon to
attune with the Goddess.
SPRING SABBAT INCENSE
3 parts Frankincense
2 parts Sandalwood
1 part Benzoin
1 part Cinnamon
a few drops Patchouly oil
Burn during spring and summer Sabbat rituals.
1043
FALL SABBAT INCENSE
3 parts Frankincense
2 parts Myrrh
1 part Rosemary
1 part Cedar
1 part Juniper
Burn during fall and winter Sabbat rituals.
RECIPES FOR OILS
To create oils, simply mix themin a bottle. Wear for ritual
purposes.
SABBAT OIL #1
3 parts Patchouly
2 parts Musk
1 part Carnation
Wear to the Sabbats to promote communion with the deities.
SABBAT OIL #2
2 parts Frankincense
1 part Myrrh
1 part Carnation
1 part Allspice
Use as the above formula.
FULL MOON OIL #1
4 parts Gardenia
2 parts Lotus
1 part Jasmine
Anoint the body prior to Esbats to attune with Lunar energies.
FULL MOON OIL #2
3 parts Sandalwood
2 parts Lemon
1 part Rose
Another like the above.
1044
GODDESS OIL
3 parts Rose
2 parts Gardenia
1 part Lemon
1 part Lotus
1 part Ambergris
Wear to honor the Goddess during rituals.
HORNED GOD OIL
2 parts Frankincense
2 parts Cinnamon
1 part Bay
1 part rosemary
1 part Musk
Wear to honor the Horned God during rituals.
ALTAR OIL
4 parts Frankincense
3 parts Myrrh
1 part Galangal
1 part Vervain
1 part Lavender
Anoint thealtar withthis oilat regularintervals topurify and
empower it.
1045
OF GATHERING FLOWERS, HERBS AND PLANTS:
Before cutting with the Boline, attune with the plantthrough
visualization. Feel its energies. As you cut, say these or similar
words:
Olittle plant of (name, such as hyssop, etc.) I ask
that you give of your bounty that it may aid me in my work. Grow
stronger by my stroke, stronger and more powerful, O
plant of (name)!
If it isa tree, substitute theappropriate word (tree ofoak).
Gently cut only what you need, and never from very young plants or
more than twenty-five percent of the growth. At the base of the plant
leave an offering: a silver coin, a bright jewel, a bit of wine or
milk, grain, a quartz crystal and so on. Cover the offering and it is
done.
OF THE CIRCLE
The magick circle may be fashioned with garlands of flowers
sacred to the Goddess and God. Alternately, flowers can be scattered
around the perimeter of the circle.
The point stones may be ringed with fresh flowers and herbs
suitable to the elements, such as:
North: corn, cypress, fern, honeysuckle, wheat, vervain
East: acacia,bergamot,clover, dandelion,lavender,lemongrass,
mint, mistletoe, parsley, pine
South:basil, carnation, cedar,chrysanthemum, dill, ginger,
heliotrope, holly, juniper, marigold, peppermint
West: apple blossoms,lemon balm,camellia, catnip,daffodil,
elder, gardenia, grape, heather, hibiscus, jasmine, orchid
Fresh flowers may be present on the altar or, if none are
available, greens such as ferns may be used.
When casting the circle around a tree, youcan use the fruit,
leaves, nuts or flowers of that tree to mark out the circle, if
desired.
All of these can be used in addition to the cord and stones.
1046
OF THE BALEFIRE:
If you wish to build a fire for an outdoor ritual, it can be
composed of all or any combination of the following woods:
Rowan Dogwood
Mesquite Poplar
Oak Juniper
Pine Cedar
Apple
If these are unavailable, use native woods. Rites run on the
seashore can be illuminated with balefires of dried driftwood
collected prior to the rite.
OF THE HOME CIRCLE:
Magickal plants growing outside the home incontainers can be
placed around the circle or on the altar during ritual. If you
primarily work indoors, choose an odd-numbered selection of sacred
plants and grow these in your ritual area. If they need more
sunlight, simply move them outdoors and bring inside during ritual.
Give them energy and love, and they'll aid you in your worship and
magick.
Though anybut poisonousplants canbe used,such plantsas these
are recommended:
African Violets Red Geraniums
Cacti (all types Rose
Ferns (all types) Rose Geranium
Holly Rosemary
Hyssop Ti (Cordyline terminalis)
Palms (all types) Wax Plant (Hoya carnosa)
OF THE CELEBRANT:
Wearfresh flowers and herbs in yourhair and on your body, if
you prefer, during the rites. Crowns or caplets of flowers are always
appropriate for spring and summer rites. Wear oak and pine during the
winter rituals.
You may wishto wear anecklace ofherbs and seeds,such astonka
beans, whole nutmegs, star anise, acorns and other seeds and nuts,
strung on a natural fiber. Strings of small pine cones may also be
worn.
For Full Moon rituals held at night, wear night-blooming,
fragrant flowers to suffuse yourself with Lunar energies.
1047
OF THE TOOLS:
These are suggestions for dedicating the tools prior totheir
first use or formal consecration, if any. Perform these with proper
visualization and ritual intent.
The Athame or Sword:
Rub the blade with fresh basil, rosemary or oak leaves, at
sunrise, outdoors where you will not be disturbed or seen. Lay the
sword or Athame on the ground with its point to the South. Walk
clockwise around it thrice, scattering bay leaves (preferably fresh)
over it. Take up the sword or Athame, stand facing East and, holding
it upward but with arms lowered, invoke the God to infuse your Athame
or sword with His strength. Point it to the sky, invoking the Goddess
to charge your blade with Her love and power.
Wrap yourAthame or swordin red cloth andtake it home. It may
be stored in the cloth, if desired.
The Bolline:
Early in the morning, goto a forest (or park, garden,or your
indoor garden). Choose the most beautiful and vibrant plants. Touch
the point of the Boline gently to these in turn, forging a connection
between your Boline and the plants (and, thusly, the Earth).
Next, siton the Earth. Ensuring thatyou are quitealone, draw
a pentagram with the Boline's point on the ground. It is done.
The Wand:
If the wand is of wood, take it outdoors at sunsetand rub it
with fresh lavender, eucalyptus or mint leaves. Raise it in the air
toward the East (or the Moon if it is visible) and invoke the Goddess.
At sunrise, take it again outdoors, rub with the fresh fragrant leaves
and invoke the God by raising it to the East.
The Pentacle:
Place the pentacle on bare Earth. Lay upon itdried parsley,
patchouly, mistletoe, or fresh jasmine or honeysuckle flowers. Sit
before it facing North for several seconds, visualizing the pentacle
absorbing the Earth's energies. Then pick it up and scatter the herbs
or flowers to the four quarters, beginning and ending in the North.
Ifthis must bedone indoors, filla small dishwith fresh Earth
and place the pentacle on this. Proceed as above, saving the herbs or
flowers to be scattered outdoors at a latter time.
1048
The Censer:
Fume purerosemary, frankincenseorcopal withinthe censerprior
to its first use. Do this for about an hour.
The Cauldron:
Takethe cauldron toa stream, river,lake or ocean. Gather the
leaves of some plants growing nearby (at the sea, perhaps seaweed).
Dip the cauldron into the water to fill it. Place the leaves in the
cauldron, then set it on the water's edge where it is on both water
and sand. Place your hands on the cauldron and dedicate it to the
Goddess in any words you like.
Emptyand drythe cauldron, andreturn home. Thecharge has been
made.
Ifperformed inside, placethe cauldronin alarge basinof water
or the bathtub, in a candle-lit room. Add a bit of salt to the water,
which should be cold. Proceed as above.
Salt water corrodes metal. Thoroughly wash the cauldronafter
immersion in sea or salk water.
The Chalice:
Anoint the base withgardenia, rose or violetoil and fillwith
pure spring water. Then set afloat a sprig of ivy, a small rose, a
fresh gardenia or some other appropriate flower or herb. Gaze into the
Chalice and invoke the Goddess to bless it. You might also wish to
take it outside as night, filled with water, and catch the Moon's
reflection within it.
The Broom:
It canbe fashioned from anash staff, birch twigsand a willow
binding. Brush the broom with chamomile, willow, lemon balm, elder or
mallow stalks and branches, then bury these with due solemnity. You
might also wish to carve a crescent Moon upon its handle.
The Crystal:
Onthe night ofa FullMoon, rub thesphere with fresh(or dried)
mugwort, then take it outside. Hold it up so that it drinks in the
light and energies of the Moon. Gaze at the Moon through the crystal
by holding it before your eyes. Repeat at least thrice yearly for the
best benefits.
The Book of Shadows:
Sewinto the cover of the Bookof Shadows leaves of the sacred
herbs vervain, rue, bay, willow or others, if you wish. They should
be well-dried and secretly placed by the light of the Moon. The
covers of the Book of Shadows should, of course, be covered with cloth
for this purpose.
1049
The Robe:
If you choose to wear one, lay it among sachets filled with
lavender, vervain and cedar when not in use. Sew a bit of rosemary or
frankincense into the hem while fashioning it, if desired (and if the
resulting stains won't show after washing).
OF THE HERBS OF THE SABBATS:
Tobe used asdecorations on thealtar, round thecircle, in the
home.
Samhain:
Chrysanthemum, wormwood, apples, pears, hazel, thistle,
pomegranates, all grains, harvested fruits and nuts, the pumpkin,
corn.
Yule:
Holly, mistletoe, ivy, cedar, bay, juniper, rosemary, pine.
Place offerings of apples, oranges, nutmegs, lemons and whole cinnamon
sticks on the Yule tree.
Imbolc:
Snowdrop, rowan, the first flowers of the year.
Eostara:
Daffodil,woodruff,violet, gorse,olive,peony,iris, narcissus,
all spring flowers.
Beltane:
Hawthorn, honeysuckle, St. John's wort, woodruff, all flowers.
Midsummer:
Mugwort, vervain, chamomile, rose, lily, oak, lavender, ivy,
yarrow, fern, elder, wild thyme, daisy, carnation.
Lughnasadh:
All grains, grapes, heather, blackberries, sloe, crabapples,
pears.
Mabon:
Hazel, corn, aspen, acorns, oak sprigs, autumn leaves, wheat
stalks, cypress cones, pine cones, harvest gleanings.
OF THE HERBS AND PLANTS OF FULL MOON RITUALS:
Placeupon thealtar allnocturnal, whiteor five-petaledflowers
such as the white rose, night-blooming jasmine, carnation, gardenia,
cereus, lily, iris; all pleasingly-scented flowers which shall call
forth the Goddess. Camphor is also symbolic.
1050
OF OFFERINGS:
To the Goddess:
Allwatery and earthy flowersand seeds suchas camellia, lily,
water lily, willow stalks; those flowers used in Full Moon rituals;
white or purple blooms such as hyacinth, magnolia, heather and lilac;
sweet-scented herbs and flowers; those dedicated to Venus or to the
Moon; rue, vervain and olive; or others that seem suitable.
To the God:
All fiery and airy herbs and flowers such as basil,
chrysanthemum, snapdragon, clover, lavender, pine; strongly-scented,
clean or citrusy herbs and flowers; those ruled by Mars or the Sun;
yellow or red blooms such as sunflower, pine cones, seeds, cacti,
thistles and stinging herbs; orange, heliotrope, cedar, juniper and so
on.
1051
OF THE SACRED HERBS OF THE GODDESSES:
Aphrodite: olive, cinnamon, daisy, cypress, quince. orris
(iris), apple, myrtle
Aradia: rue, vervain
Artemis: silver fir, amaranth, cypress, cedar, hazel, myrtle,
willow, daisy, mugwort, date palm
Astarte: alder, pine, cypress, myrtle, juniper
Athena: olive, apple
Bast: catnip, Vervain
Bellona: belladonna
Brigit: blackberry
Cailleach: wheat
Cardea: hawthorn, bean, arbutus
Ceres: willow, wheat, bay, pomegranate, poppy, leek, narcissus
Cybele: oak, myrrh, pine
Demeter: wheat, barley, pennyroyal, myrrh, rose, pomegranate,
bean, poppy, all cultivated crops
Diana: birch, willow, acacia, wormwood, dittany, hazel, beech,
fir, apple, mugwort, plane, mulberry, rue
Druantia: fir
Freya: cowslip, daisy, primrose, maidenhair, myrrh,
strawberry, mistletoe
Hathor: myrtle, sycamore, grape, mandrake, coriander, rose
Hecate: willow, henbane, aconite, yew, mandrake, cyclamen, mint,
cypress, date palm, sesame, dandelion, garlic, oak, onion
Hekat: cypress
Hera: apple, willow, orris, pomegranate, myrrh
Hina: bamboo
Hulda: flax, rose, hellebore, elder
Irene: olive
Iris: wormwood, iris
Ishtar: acacia, juniper, all grains
Isis: fig, heather, wheat, wormwood, barley, myrrh, rose,
palm, lotus, persea, onion, iris, vervain
Juno: lily, crocus, asphodel, quince, pomegranate, vervain, iris,
lettuce, fig, mint
Kerridwen: vervain, acorns
Minerva: olive, mulberry, thistle
Nefer-Tum: lotus
Nepthys: myrrh, lily
Nuit: sycamore
Olwen: apple
Persephone: parsley, narcissus, willow, pomegranate
Rhea: myrrh, oak
Rowen: clover, rowen
Venus: cinnamon, daisy, elder, heather, anemone, apple, poppy,
violet, marjoram, maidenhair fern, carnation, aster, vervain,
myrtle, orchid, cedar, lily, mistletoe, pine, quince
Vesta: oak
1052
OF THE SACRED HERBS OF THE GODS:
Adonis: myrrh, corn, rose, fennel, lettuce, white heather
Aesculapius: bay, mustard
Ajax: delphinium
Anu: tamarisk
Apollo: leek, hyacinth, heliotrope, cornel, bay, frankincense,
date palm, cypress
Attis: pine, almond
Ares: buttercup
Bacchus: grape, ivy, fig, beech, tamarisk
Baldur: St. John's wort, daisy
Bran: alder, all grains
Cupid: cypress, sugar, white violet, red rose
Dagda: oak
Dianus: fig
Dionysus: fig, apple, ivy, grape, pine, corn, pomegranate,
toadstools, mushrooms, fennel, all wild and cultivated trees
Dis: cypress
Ea: cedar
Eros: red rose
Gwydion: ash
Helios: oak
Horus: horehound, lotus, persea
Hypnos: poppy
Jove: pine, cassia, houseleek, carnation, cypress
Jupiter: aloe, agrimony, sage, oak, mullein, acorn, beech,
cypress, houseleek, date palm, violet, gorse, ox-eye daisy,
vervain
Kernunnos: heliotrope, bay, sunflower, oak, orange
Kanaloa: banana
Mars: ash, aloe, dogwood, buttercup, witch grass, vervain
Mercury: cinnamon, mulberry, hazel, willow
Mithras: cypress, violet
Neptune: ash, bladderwrack, all seaweeds
Odin: mistletoe, elm, yew, oak
Osiris: acacia, grape, ivy, tamarisk, cedar, clover, date
palm, all grains
Pan: fig, pine, reed, oak, fern, all meadow flowers
Pluto: cypress, mint, pomegranate
Poseidon: pine, ash, fig, bladderwrack, all seaweeds
Prometheus: fennel
Ra: acacia, frankincense, myrrh, olive
Saturn: fig, blackberry
Sylvanus: pine
Tammuz: wheat, pomegranate, all grains
Thoth: almond
Thor: thistle, houseleek, vervain, hazel, ash, birch, rowen,
oak, pomegranate, burdock, beech
Uranus: ash
Woden: ash
Zeus: oak, olive, pine, aloe, parsley, sage, wheat, fig
Asthe Craft, wewill takeonly that whichwe need fromthe green
and growing things of the Earth, never failing to attune with the
plant before harvesting, nor failing to leave a token of gratitude and
respect.
1053
SPELLS AND MAGICK
PROTECTIVE CHANT
Visualizea triplecircle ofpurplish lightaround youbody while
chanting:
I am protected by your might,
O gracious Goddess, day and night.
Another of the same type: visualize a triple circle and chant:
Thrice around the circle's bound,
Evil sink into the ground.
A MIRROR SPELL OF PROTECTION FOR THE HOME
Compose analtar: place acenser inthe center beforean imageof
the Goddess. Have a twelve-inch (or so) round mirror there as well.
Ring the altar with nine white candles. Burn a protective incense
(such as sandalwood, frankincense, copal or rosemary) in the censer.
Beginningwiththe candlemost directlybefore theGoddess image,
say these or similar words:
Lunar light protect me!
Repeat as you light each candle until all are glowing.
Now,holding the mirror, invokethe Goddess inHer lunar aspect
with these or similar words:
Great Goddess of the Lunar Light
and Mistress of the Seas;
Great Goddess of the Mystic Night
and of the Mysteries;
Within this place of candles bright
and with Your mirror nigh;
Protect me with Your awesome might
while ill vibrations fly!
Standing before thealtar, holdthe mirror facingthe candlesso
that it reflects their flames. Keeping the mirror toward the candles,
move slowly, clockwise, around the altar, watching the reflected
firelight bouncing off your surroundings.
Gradually increaseyour speed,mentally invoking theGoddess to
protect you. Move faster and faster; watch the light shattering the
air, cleansing it, burning away all negativity and all lines along
witch the ill energies have traveled into your home.
Charge your homewith the protectivelight of theGoddess. Race
around the candles until you've felt the atmosphere change, until you
feel that your home has been cleansed and guarded by the Great
Goddess.
When finished, stand once again before the image. Thank the
Goddess in any words you wish. Pinch out the candles one by one, bind
them together with white cord and store them in a safe place until
(and if) you need to use them again for this same purpose.
1054
A SPELL TO BREAK THE POWERS OF A SPELL
Ifyou believe that a spell hasbeen cast against you, place a
large black candle in a cauldron (or a large black bowl). The candle
must be tall enough to extend a few inched above the cauldron's rim.
Affix the candle to the bottom of the cauldron with warmed beeswax or
the drippings of another black candle so that it will not tip over.
Fill the cauldron tothe rim with fresh water,without wetting
the candle's wick. An inch or two of the candle should remain above
the water. Deep breathe, meditate, clear your mind, and light the
candle. Visualize the suspected spell's power as residing within the
candle's flame. Sit in quiet contemplation of the candle and
visualize the power flowing and growing with the candle's flame (yes
the power against you). As the candle burns down, its flame will
eventually sputter and go out as it contacts the water. As soon as
the flame has been extinguished by the water, the spell will be
dispersed.
Break your visualization of the spell's power;see it explode
into dust, becoming impotent.
Pourthe water intoa hole inthe ground,a lake orstream. Bury
the candle. It is done.
TO PROTECT AN OBJECT
Withthe firstand middle fingers(or yourAthame, ifyou have it
with you), trace a pentagram over the object to be protected.
Visualize electric-blue or purple flame streaming from your fingers
(Athame) to form the pentagram. Say this as you trace:
With this pentagram I do lay
Protection here both night and day.
And to the one who should not touch
Let the fingers burn and twitch.
I now invoke the Law of Three:
This is my will, so mote it be!
CRYSTAL MAGICK
Crystals andstones are gifts ofthe Goddess and God. They are
sacred, magickal tools which can be used to enhance ritual and magick.
Here are some of the ways of Earth magick.
1055
PREPARING THE CIRCLE:
The magick circlecan be laid out withcrystals and stones, if
desired, rather than with herbs.
Beginning and ending in the North, lay 7, 9, 21 or 40 quarts
crystals of any size around the circle, either inside the cord or in
place of it. If the ritual to be conducted within the circle is of a
usual spiritual or magickal nature, place the quartz crystals with
points outward. If of a protective nature, place with points facing
inward.
If youuse candlesto markthe four quartersof themagick circle
rather than large stones, ring each candle with any or all of the
following stones:
North: Moss Agate, Emerald, Jet, Olivine, Salt, Black Tourmaline
East: Imperial Topaz, Citrine, Mica, Pumice
South: Amber, Obsidian, Rhodochrosite, Ruby, Lava, Garnet
West:Aquamarine,Chalcedony, Jade,Lapis Lazuli,Moonstone,
Sugilite
A STONE ALTAR:
Tomake this altar, searchthrough dry riverbeds and seashores
for a variety of smoothly-shaped stones. Or check rock shops for
appropriate pieces.
Create thealtar itself ofthree large stones. Two smallerones
of even size are used as the base, while a longer, flat stone is
placed on top of these to form the altar itself. On this place one
stone to the left of the altar to represent the Goddess. This might
be a natural, river-rounded stone, a holed stone, a quartz crystal
sphere, or any of the stones related to the Goddess which are listed
below.
Tothe right of the altar, placea stone to represent the God.
This might be a piece of lava, a quartz crystal point, a long, thin or
club-shaped rock or a God-symbolic stone such as those presented
below.
Between thesetwo stones placea smallerstone with ared candle
affixed to it to represent the divine energy of the Goddess and God as
well as the element of Fire.
Beforethis, place a flat stone to receive offerings of wine,
honey, cakes, semi-precious stones, flowers and fruit.
A small,cupped stone (ifone can befound) should be setto the
left of the offering stone. Fill this with water to represent that
element.
To theright of the offeringstone place aflat rock. Pour salt
upon this to symbolize the element of Earth.
Additionally, another flat stone can be placed before the
offering stone to serve as an incense burner.
1056
Use along, thin,terminated quartscrystal as awand anda flint
or obsidian arrowhead for the Athame.
Any other tools which are needed can simply be placed on the
altar. Or, try to find stone alternatives to them.
This can be used for all types of Craft rituals.
STONES OF THE GODDESSES:
In general,all pink, greenand bluestones; thoserelated tothe
Moon or Venus; Water and Earth-ruled stones, such as peridot, emerald,
pink tourmaline, rose quartz, blue quartz, aquamarine, beryl, kunzite
and turquoise.
Stones which are related to specific deities follow.
Aphrodite: salt
Ceres: emerald
Coatlicue: Jade
Cybele: jet
Diana: amethyst, moonstone, pearl
Freya: pearl
The Great Mother: amber, coral, geodes, holed stones
Hathor: turquoise
Isis: coral, emerald, lapis lazuli, moonstone, pearl
Kwan Yin: jade
Lakshmi: pearl
Maat: jade
Mara: beryl, aquamarine
Nuit: lapis lazuli
Pele: lava, obsidian, peridot, olivine, pumice
Selene: moonstone, selenite
Tiamat: beryl
Venus: emerald, lapis lazuli, pearl
STONES OF THE GOD:
Generally,all orange and redstones; stones relatedto the Sun
and Mars; Fire and Air-ruled stones, such as carnelian, ruby, garnet,
orange calcite, diamond, tiger's eye, topaz, sunstone, bloodstone and
tourmaline.
Stones which are related to specific deities follow.
Aesculapius: agate
Apollo: sapphire
Bacchus: amethyst
Cupid: opal
Dionysus: amethyst
Mars: onyx, sardonyx
Neptune: beryl
Odin: holed stone
Poseidon: beryl, pearl, aquamarine
Ra: tiger's eye
Tezcatlipoca: obsidian
1057
[Pearl and coral have been mentioned in these lists as "stones"
because they were anciently thought to be such. Our knowledge of them
as products of living creatures leaves us with the ethical question of
whether or not to use them in ritual. This must be a personal
decision. Beach gathered coral and shells (mother of pearl is from
shells) can be used without conflicting with the above statement
because the creature has already died by the time the item was found.
If you decide not to use them, just remember leather is also a product
of a living creature.]
CAIRNS:
Inearlier times, throughout the world,people built mounds or
piles of stones. These were sometimes formed to mark the passage of
travelers, or to commemorate some historic even, but such cairns
usually had ritual significance.
In magickal thought, cairns are places of power. They
concentrate the energies of the stones used to create them. Cairns
are rooted in the Earth but lift upward to the sky, symbolically
representing the interconnectedness of the physical and spiritual
realms.
Duringoutdoor circles, a smallcairn, composed ofno more than
nine or eleven rocks, can be fashioned as each point of the Circle of
Stones. This can be done prior to creating the circle itself.
The nexttime you're insome wild, lonelyplace with aprofusion
of stones, clear a place among them and sit. Visualize a magickal
need. As you visualize, grasp a near-by stone. Feel the energy
beating within it - the power of the Earth, the power of nature.
Place it on the cleared ground. Pick up another stone, still
visualizing you need, and set it next to the first.
Stillvisualizing, continue toadd stones, buildingthem into a
small pile. Keep adding stones until you feel them vibrating and
pulsating before you. Place the last rock on top of the cairn with
firm ritual intent - affirm to yourself, to the cairn and the Earth
that with this final magickal act you're manifesting your need.
Placeyour hands oneither sideof the pile. Giveit your energy
through your visualization. Nurse it. Feed it strength and see your
need as being fulfilled.
Then leave the cairn alone to do its work.
1058
A QUARTZ AND CANDLE SPELL:
Have a candle of the color symbolic of your magickal need,
according to the following list (or as your intuition tells you):
WHITE Protection, Peace, Purity, Truth, Sincerity, Spirituality
RED Strength, Health, Vigor, Sexual Love, Passion, Protection,
Courage,Danger,Warning,Anger,Element ofFire,God
oriented, Male aspects
LIGHT BLUE Tranquility, Happiness, Understanding, Patience, Health,
Element of Water, Goddess oriented, Feminine aspects
DARK BLUE Impulsiveness, Depression, Changeability, psychism
GREEN Finance, Fertility, Luck, Growth, Employment, Element of
Earth, Goddess oriented, Feminine aspects
GOLD/YELLOW Attraction, Persuasion, Charm, Confidence, Intellect,
Study,Divination,ElementofAir,God oriented,Male
aspects, (Gold) The Great God, The Sun
BROWN Hesitation, Uncertainty, Neutrality, Healing Animals,
Poverty
PINK Honor, Love, Morality, Friendship
BLACK Protection from, absorption Evil, loss, discord &
Confusion,Lackofcolorandvibrations, Neutrality,
Element of Akasha, Spirituality, The Divine, The Void
PURPLE Relief from; Tension, Calming, Healing of severe Disease,
Spiritualism,Meditation,Protection,PsychicPower,
Element of Akasha, The Divine
SILVER/GRAY Cancellation, Neutrality, Stalemate,(Silver) The Great
Goddess, The Moon
ORANGE Encouragement, Adaptability, Stimulation, Attraction,
Energy
GREENISH YELLOW Sickness, Cowardice, Anger, Jealousy, Discord
With the tipof acleansed, terminated quartzcrystal, scratcha
symbol of your need onto the candle. This might be a heart for love,
a dollar sign for money, a fist for strength. Alternately, use an
appropriate rune or write your need on the candle with the crystal.
As you scratchor draw,visualize your needwith crystalclarity
as if it had already manifested. Place the candle in a holder. Set
the crystal near it and light the wick.
As the flame shines, again strongly visualize. The crystal,
candle and symbol will do their work.
1059
A SELF-DEDICATION RITE
Prepare yourself by doing the Ritual Bath and Self Blessing.
If you,reperforming this ritual at the sea or a river, bathe
there if you so desire.
As you bathe, prepare for the coming rite. Open your
consciousness to higher levels of awareness. Breath deep. Cleanse
your mind as well as your body.
After bathing, dry and dressfor the journey. Go to aplace in
the wild where you feel safe. It should be a comfortable spot where
you won't be disturbed by others, an area where the powers of the
Earth and the Elements are evident. It may be a mountain top, a
desert canyon or cave, perhaps a dense forest, a rocky outcropping
over the sea, a quiet island in the center of a lake. Even a lonely
part of a park or garden can be used. Draw on your imagination to
find the place.
Youneed take nothingwith you buta vial ofrichly scented oil.
Sandalwood, frankincense, cinnamon or any other scent is fine. When
you arrive at the place of dedication, remove your shoes and sit
quietly for a few moments. Calm your heart if you've exerted yourself
during your travel. Breathe deeply to return to normal, and keep your
mind free of cluttered thoughts. Open yourself to the natural
energies around you.
When you're calm, riseand pivot slowly on onefoot, surveying
the land around you. You're seeking the ideal spot. Don't try to
find it; open your awareness to the place. When you've discovered it
(and you'll know when), sit, kneel or lie flat on your back. Place
the oil on the Earth beside you, Don't stand - contact the Earth.
Continue deep breathing. Feelthe energiesaround you. Callthe
Goddess and God in any words you like, or use the following
invocation. Memorize these words before the rite so that they'll
spill effortlessly from you, or improvise:
O Mother Goddess,
O Father God,
Answers to all mysteries and yet mysteries unanswered;
In this place of power I open myself to Your Essence.
In this place and in this time I am changed;
From henceforth I walk the Paths of the Craft.
I dedicate myself to you, Mother Goddess and Father God.
(rest for a moment, silent, still. Then continue:)
I breathe you energies intomy body,
commingling, blending,
mixing them with mine,
that I may see the divine in nature,
nature in the divine,
and divinity within myself and all else.
O Great Goddess,
O Great God,
Make me one with your essence
Make me one with your essence
Make me one with your essence.
1060
You may feel bursting with power and energy, or calm and at
peace. Your mind might be in a whirl. The Earth beneath you may
throb and undulate with energy. Wild animals, attracted by the
psychic occurrence, might grace you with their presence.
Whatever occurs, knowthat youhave opened yourselfand thatthe
Goddess and God have heard you. You should feel different inside, at
peace or simply powerful.
After the invocation, wet a finger with the oil and mark the
symbols of the Goddess and God somewhere on your body. It doesn't
matter where; you can do this on your chest, forehead, arms, legs,
anywhere. As you anoint, visualize these symbols sinking into your
flesh, glowing as they enter your body and then dispersing into
millions of tiny points of light.
Theformal self-dedication is ended. Thank theGoddess and God
for Their attention. Sit and meditate before leaving the place of
dedication.
Once home, celebrate in some special way.
1061
THE DAYS OF POWER
In the past, when peoplelived with Nature, the turningof the
seasons and the monthly cycle of the Moon had a profound impact on
religious ceremonies. Because the Moon was seen as a symbol of the
Goddess, ceremonies as adoration and magick took place in its light.
The coming of Winter, the first stirrings of Spring, the warm Summer
and the advent of Fall were also marked with rituals.
The Witches,heirsof thepre-Christian folkreligions ofEurope,
still celebrate the Full Moon and observe the changing of the seasons.
The Pagan religious calendar contains 13 Full Moon celebrations and
eight Sabbats or days of power.
Four of thesedays (or,more properly, nights)are determinedby
the Solstices and Equinoxes, the astronomical beginnings of the
seasons. The other four ritual occasions are based on old folk
festivals. The rituals give structure and order to the Pagan year,
and also remind us of the endless cycle that will continue long after
we're gone.
Four of theSabbats - perhaps thosethat have been observedfor
the longest time - were probably associated with the agriculture and
the bearing cycles of animals. These are Imbolc (February 2), Beltane
(April 30), Lughnasadh (August 1) and Samhain (October 31). These
names are Celtic and are quite common among Witches, though many
others exist.
When careful observationof theskies led tocommon knowledgeof
the astronomical year, the Solstices and Equinoxes (circa March 21,
June 21, September 21 and December 21; the actual dates vary from year
to year) were brought into this religious structure.
Who first beganworshipping and raising energy atthese times?
That question cannot be answered. However, these sacred days and
nights are the origins of the 21 Craft ritual occasions.
Many of thesesurvive todayin both secularand religiousforms.
May Day celebrations, Hallowe'en, Ground-hog Day and even
Thanksgiving, to name some popular North American holidays, are all
connected with ancient Pagan worship. Heavily Christianized versions
of the Sabbats have also been preserved within the Catholic Church.
The Sabbats are Solarrituals, marking the points ofthe Sun's
yearly cycle, and are but half of the Pagan ritual year. The Esbats
are the Pagan Full Moon celebrations. At this time we gather to
worship She Who Is. Not that Witches omit the God at Esbats - both
are usually revered on all ritual occasions.
There are 13 Full Moons yearly, orone every 28 1/4 days. The
Moon is a symbol of the Goddess as well as a source of energy. Thus,
after the religious aspects of the Esbats, Witches often practice
magick, tapping into the larger amounts of energy which are thought to
exist at these times.
1062
Some of the oldCraft festivals, stripped of theironce sacred
qualities by the dominance of Christianity, have degenerated. Samhain
seems to have been taken over by candy manufacturers in North America,
while Yule has been transformed from one of the most holy Pagan days
to a time of gross commercialism. Even the later echoes of a
Christian savior's birth are hardly audible above the electronic hum
of cash registers.
But the old magick remains on these days and nights, and the
Craft celebrate them. Rituals vary greatly, but all relate to the
Goddess and God and to our home, the Earth. Most rites are held at
night for practical purposes as well as to lend a sense of mystery.
The Sabbats, being Solar-oriented, are more naturally celebrated at
noon or at dawn, but this is rare today.
THE SABBATS
TheSabbats tell osone ofthe stories ofthe Goddessand God, of
their relationship and the effects this has on the fruitfulness of the
Earth. There are many variations on these myths, but here's a fairly
common one, woven into the basic descriptions of the Sabbats.
YULE
The Goddess gives birth to a son, the God, at Yule (circa
December 21). This is in no way an adaptation of Christianity. The
Winter Solstice has long been viewed as a time of divine births.
Mithras was said to have been born at this time. The Christians
simply adopted it for their use in 273 C.E. (Common Era).
Yule isa time of thegreatest darkness and isthe shortest day
of the year. Earlier peoples noticed such phenomena and supplicated
the forces of nature to lengthen the days and shorten the nights.
Witches sometimes celebrate Yule just before dawn, then watch the Sun
rise as a fitting finale to their efforts.
Sincethe God is also theSun, this marks thepoint of the year
when the Sun is reborn as well. Thus, the Witches light fires or
candles to welcome the Sun's returning light. The Goddess, slumbering
through the Winter of Her labor, rests after Her delivery.
Yule is remnantof early rituals celebratedto hurry theend of
Winter and the bounty of Spring, when food was once again readily
available. To contemporary Witches it is a reminder that the ultimate
product of death is rebirth, a comforting thought in these days of
unrest
1063
IMBOLC
Imbolc (February 2) marks the recovery of the Goddess after
giving birth to the God. The lengthening periods of light awaken Her.
The God is a young, lusty boy, but His power is felt in the longer
days. The warmth fertilizes the Earth (the Goddess), and causes seeds
to germinate and sprout. And so the earliest beginnings of Spring
occur.
This is a Sabbat of purification after the shut-in life of
Winter, through the renewing power of the Sun. It is also a festival
of light and of fertility, once marked in Europe with huge blazes,
torches and fire in every form. Fire here represents our own
illumination and inspiration as much as light and warmth.
Imbolc is also known as Feast of Torches,Oimelc, Lupercalia,
Feast of Pan, Snowdrop Festival, Feast of the Waxing Light, Brighid's
Day, and probably by many other names. Some female Witches follow the
old Scandinavian custom of wearing crowns of lit candles, but many
more carry tapers during their invocations.
Thisis oneof thetraditional timesfor initiationsinto covens,
and so self-dedication rituals, such as the one outlined in this Book
of Shadows, can be performed or renewed at this time.
OSTARA
Ostara (circa March 21), the Spring Equinox, also known as
Spring, Rites of Spring and Eostra's Day, marks the first day of true
Spring. The energies of Nature subtly shift from the sluggishness of
Winter to the exuberant expansion of Spring. The Goddess blankets the
Earth with fertility, bursting forth from Her sleep, as the God
stretches and grows to maturity. He walks the greening fields and
delights in the abundance of nature.
On Ostara the hours of day and night are equal. Light is
overtaking darkness; the Goddess and God impel the wild creatures of
the Earth to reproduce.
Thisis a timeof beginnings, of action,of planting spells for
future gains, and of tending the ritual gardens.
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BELTANE
Beltane (April 30) marks the emergence of the young God into
manhood. Stirred by the energies at work in Nature, He desires the
Goddess. They fall in love, lie among the grasses and blossoms, and
unite. The Goddess becomes pregnant of the God. Witches celebrate
the symbol of Her fertility in ritual.
Beltane (alsoknown as MayDay) has longbeen marked withfeasts
and rituals. May poles, supremely phallic symbols, were the focal
point of Old English village rituals. Many persons rose at dawn to
gather flowers and green branches from the fields and gardens, using
them to decorate the May pole, their homes and themselves.
The flowers andgreenery symbolizethe Goddess; theMay polethe
God. Beltane marks the return of vitality, of passion and hopes
consummated.
May poles are sometimes used by Witches today during Beltane
rituals, but the cauldron is a more common focal point of ceremony.
It represents, of course, the Goddess - the essence of womanhood, the
end of all desire, the equal but opposite of the May pole, symbolic of
the God.
MIDSUMMER
Midsummer, the SummerSolstice (circa June 21), also known as
Litha, arrives when the powers of Nature reach their highest point.
The Earth is awash in the fertility of the Goddess and God.
In the past, bonfires were leapt to encourage fertility,
purification, health and love. The fire once again represents the
Sun, feted on this time of the longest daylight hours.
Midsummer is a classic time for magick of all kinds.
LUGHNASADH
Lughnasadh (August 1)is thetime of thefirst harvest, whenthe
plants of Spring wither and drop their fruits or seeds for our use as
well as to ensure future crops. Mystically, so too does the God lose
His strength as the Sun rises farther in the South each day and the
nights grow longer. The Goddess watches in sorrow and joy as She
realizes that the God is dying, and yet lives on inside Her as Her
child.
Lughnasadh, also known as AugustEve, Feast of Bread, Harvest
Home and Lammas, wasn't necessarily observed on this day. It
originally coincided with the first reapings.
AsSummer passes, Witches rememberits warmth andbounty in the
food we eat. Every meal is an act of atunement with Nature, and we
are reminded that nothing in the universe is constant.
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MABON
Mabon (circaSeptember 21),theAutumn Equinox,is thecompletion
of the harvest begun as Lughnasadh. Once again day and night are
equal, poised as the God prepares to leave His physical body and begin
the great adventure into the unseen, toward renewal and rebirth of the
Goddess.
Nature declines, drawsback its bounty,readying for Winterand
its time of rest. The Goddess nods in the weakening Sun, though fire
burns within Her womb. She feels the presence of the God even as He
wanes.
SAMHAIN
At Samhain(October 31),the Craftsay farewell tothe God. This
is a temporary farewell. He isn't wrapped in eternal darkness, but
readies to be reborn of the Goddess at Yule.
Samhain, alsoknown as NovemberEve, Feast ofthe Dead, Feastof
Apples, Hallows, All Hallows and Hallowe'en, once marked the time of
sacrifice. In some places this was the time when animals were
slaughtered to ensure food throughout the depths of Winter. The God -
identified with the animals - fell as well to ensure our continuing
existence.
Samhainis a time of reflection, oflooking back over the last
year, of coming to terms with the one phenomenon of life over which we
have no control - death.
The Craft feel that on this night the separation between the
physical and spiritual realities is thin. Witches remember their
ancestors and all those who have gone before.
After Samhain, Witches celebrateYule, and so the Wheelof the
Year is complete.
1066
Surely thereare mysteries buried here. Why is theGod the son
and then the lover of the Goddess? This isn't incest, this is
symbolism. In this agricultural story (one of many Craft myths) the
everchanging fertility of the Earth is represented by the Goddess and
God. This myth speaks of the mysteries of birth, death and rebirth.
It celebrates the wondrous aspects and beautiful effects of love, and
honors women who perpetuate our species. It also points out the very
real dependence that humans have on the Earth, the Sun and the Moon
and of the effects of the seasons on our daily lives.
Toagricultural peoples, the majorthrust of thismyth cycle is
the production of food through the interplay between the Goddess and
God. Food - without which we would all die - is intimately connected
with the deities. Indeed, Witches see food as yet another
manifestation of divine energy.
And so, byobserving the Sabbats, Witches attunethemselves to
the Earth and to the deities. They reaffirm their Earth roots.
Performing rituals on the nights of the Full Moon also strengthens
their connections with the Goddess in particular.
It is thewise Witch who celebrates on theSabbats and Esbats,
for these are times of real as well as symbolic power. Honoring them
in some fashion is an integral part of Witchcraft.
THE ESBATS
When our earliest ancestors first painted images of their
religious rituals on the walls of sacred caves and understood all of
Nature to be inhabited by Spirit, there can be little doubt that they
first reckoned time by the waxing and waning of the Moon. The primary
reason for this is that the monthly cycles of the Moon are far more
visible than the slow and subtle changes in the position of the Sun,
even to someone who is not especially looking for repeated cycles.
One of the earliest calendars known (although its use is still a
controversy that may never be settled) is a 30,000 year-old piece of
bone from Europe. It is pierced with variously shaped holes in a
series of sevens, suggesting the quarters of the Moon, in a loop
design, which represents the Lunar cycle from New Moon to Full and
back to the New or Dark of the Moon. The artifact, just a few inches
across, describes three such Lunar cycles - three months or one
season.
Because there are 13 Lunar months in a year, and because the
first New Moon does not necessarily coincide with the first day of the
first Solar month, the Full Moon, midpoint of the lunar month, may not
always fall in the Solar month that is given here. And because there
are 13 Full Moons in a Solar year, one month will have two. The
second Full Moon to occur in a Solar month is popularly called the
Blue Moon.
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JANUARY
To each Lunar monththe ancients assigned a namein accordance
with the nature of the activity that took place at that time. The
Moon of deepest Winter is the Wolf Moon, and its name recalls a time
when our ancestors gathered close around the hearth fire as the
silence of the falling snow was pierced by the howling of wolves.
Driven by hunger, wolves came closer to villages than at any other
time of the year, and may have occasionally killed a human being in
order to survive.
The wolf innorthern countries wasat one timeso feared thatit
became the image of Fenris, the creature of destruction that
supposedly will devour the world at the end of time. The Christian
version of the myth would leave it at that, but the myth continues.
Like the wolf in the fairy tale of Little Red Ridinghood, which
preserves the full idea of the myth but is used only to frighten
children, the wolf is slain; and the grandmother, like the world, is
brought forth once more.
As the lightof the new-born yearslowly increases andthe Wolf
Moon waxes full, it is a good time to look back upon that which has
just ended and learn from our experiences. Bid the past farewell and
let it go in order to receive the year that has just been born.
Learning to let go of that which we would cling to is one of the
greatest secrets of magick.
FEBRUARY
The Moon followingthe Wolf Moonis the StormMoon. Whetheryou
meet with a coven on the night of the Full Moon, salute Her in a
solitary ritual, or simply blow Her a kiss, bear in mind the magick of
this night and the nature of the storms of February. Unlike the
boisterous storms of the light half of the year, which are accompanied
by the clashing of thunder and the flinging of lightning bolts, the
storms of February come in silence. They blanket the world in
coldness in keeping with the nature of the dark half of the Wheel of
the Year. But beneath the blanket of cold and silent snow, Nature
rests, as we do when in the realm of the Spirit that is called death;
and like those in the world of Spirit, Nature prepares for life anew.
1068
MARCH
The Moon following the Storm Moon is the Chaste Moon. Like
Diana, chaste Goddess of the Moon, all of Nature at this moment is
pure potential waiting to be fulfilled. The Goddess has many forms:
The maiden pure and lovely as the snow of February, the seductive
enchantress of the night, or the Crone ancient and wise. As the
Goddess can change Her form according to the Moon or according to Her
will, ever renewing Herself, ever beginning again, se can we, Her
children, always begin again by discovering new potential within
ourselves. When you cast the Circle of the Chaste Moon, when the
candles have been lit and the incense burned, look deep within
yourself to discover what potential lies there waiting, like the
Maiden, to be fulfilled.
As it is the time forthe planting of seeds on the material
plane, so may it be time to do so on the psychic planes as well. On
the night that the Seed Moon (another name for the Chaste Moon) of
March is full, cast your magick Circle. Then before the rite has
ended, select the spiritual seeds you would like to plant. They may
be seeds of wisdom, seeds of understanding, or seeds of certain
magickal skills. Then by an act of will, plant these seeds in the
fertile soil of your subconscious mind with the firm commitment that
they will be nurtured and cultivated in the months that lie ahead, so
that they will grow and flower and bear fruit.
APRIL
Asthe Hare Moonof Aprilwaxes full,observe therabbits leaping
and playing, carefree in their mating and joyful in their games, and
as you cast your Esbat Circle and joyfully dance the round, feel
within your heart the carefree nature of the wild creatures that are
also children of the Old Gods.
MAY
This time ofthe Sacred Marriage of the Godand Goddess is the
Dyad Moon, the time when the two become one, when all things meet
their opposites in perfect balance and in perfect harmony. As you
cast your Circle this night of the Dyad Moon, adorn it with apple
blossoms, and light candles of white. When the sacred round has been
danced, sit a moment and reflect. Seek harmony in all things. As the
dark half of the Wheel of the Year balances the light, as heat
balances cold, recall the words of the Goddess, "Let there be beauty
and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and
reverence, within you." And then before the rite is ended, if it is
appropriate, become one with your working partner, physically as well
as spiritually.
1069
JUNE
Afterthe spectacular flowers of May have passed and the bees
have gathered their pollen and nectar, the hives are filled with honey
that is waiting to be gathered. In ancient times much of this honey
was made into a drink called mead by a fermentation process similar to
that of making wine. The "Moon in June" is the Mead Moon. Mead has
been considered to have magickal and even life-restoring properties in
many of the countries of ancient Europe, and it was the drink of many
of the great heroes of legend.
Thelegendary figureRobin Hood, whois acceptedhistorically as
being a composite of several peasant leaders during the reign of King
Richard I, is also generally accepted by Pagans as being one of us.
One reason is that Robin was a popular Witch name, and also because he
was always described as being dressed in green, symbolic of the Green
Man of Sherwood Forest. Lincoln green, which is made from woad, the
dyestuff used by the Picts of ancient Britain and the Druid
priestesses, is also a color that symbolizes, historically, the Pagan
peasantry. Among the articles robbed from the rich by Robin Hood are
"met and met." This probably means "meat and mead." In the myth of
Odin, one of His quests is for the Poetic Mead of Inspiration, which
He returns to the realm of the Gods where it belongs, but a few drops
fall to Earth, and this may be had by anyone who can find them.
Onthe night thatthe Mead Moonwaxes full, afterthe Circle has
been cast and dancing done, fill the cup with mead (if it is
available), sweet wine, or an herb tea sweetened with honey. Sip the
sweet drink and sit quietly and make yourself a vessel ready to
receive the inspiration of the higher realms. Become a mead cup ready
to be filled, not with the brew of everyday life but with the clear,
bright liquid of illumination. Every time this ritual is performed,
even if there are no immediate results, you are becoming a more
perfect vessel for divine inspiration.
If the night of the Mead Moon is very close to the Summer
Solstice, the results of this exercise can be very powerful. If the
Mead Moon is full on Midsummer Night, then the priestess into whom the
Moon is Drawn should be prepared.
JULY
As the Wort Moon of July waxes full, this is the time for
gathering of herbs. The word wort is old Anglo-Saxon for "herb."
When the magickal herbs have been gathered and hung to dry, the time
of the Wort Moon is the time to give thanks to the spirits who dwell
in the herb garden, and to leave them an offering. Perhaps as you
place an offering in the moonlit garden, they will whisper to you
other secrets of herbal magick.
1070
AUGUST
One day atmid-month we realize that therobins and wrens that
were nesting nearby have simply vanished. Their lovely songs have
been replaced by the shrill calls of the bluejays, who were so silent
during the nesting season.
As August progresses the days are still hot but nighttime
temperatures are beginning to cool, and the late afternoon
thunderstorms that bring the cooler air also bring about the ripening
of tomatoes.
In thefields and meadowsand along roadsidesnow thereare wild
herbs to be gathered. There are goldenrod, Queen Anne's lace, and
milkweed - all awaiting the natural dyer who can extract from them
tan, green, and bright yellow respectively, for dyes and for natural
inks for talismans. Among the medicinal herbs to be collected at this
time is boneset, which does not help broken bones to heal but is a
febrifuge that was used as a remedy for "Breakbone Fever" in the
1840s. Milkweed pods with their silken fluff, goldenrod, and wild
grasses and grains gathered now will be dried in time to adorn the
altar at the Autumnal Equinox.
As thearomatic herbs begin tofill the rafters inthe dry heat
of the attic, and the braids of onions and garlic fill the cool
darkness of the root cellar, the golden grain and yellow corn ripen in
the fields under the waning August Sun.
Tothe Ancients thiswas the Barley Moon,a time to contemplate
the eternalness of life. Just as we are descended from the first
woman and the first man, who descended from the Gods, so is the grain
of the bread that we eat descended from the first grain ever gathered.
By ritually eating the Lammas bread we are participating in a chain of
events that stretches back through time to the Gods themselves. And
here before us in the ripening fields is the promise of the future.
Everywhere there is abundance -in herb garden, the vegetable
garden, the field, and the orchard. The pantry shelves are lined with
glistening glass jars that are filled with colorful fruits and
vegetables preserved for Winter days; quarts of red tomatoes,
cucumbers in slices or spears, dark red beets with cloves and cinnamon
sticks, the yellow of corn, the orange of carrots - a feast for the
eyes as well as the palate. The house is filled with delightful
aromas as pickling spices are added to crocks of brine and exotic
chutneys simmer on the stove.
But thetime of abundance isdrawing to a close. The fireflies
of June and July have given way to katydids, whose scratchy calls to
one another fill the evening air of August with the promise of frost
in six weeks.
1071
SEPTEMBER
Sincewine was, and is, such asacred fluid, the Pagans of old
naturally named this Lunar month the Wine Moon. As you celebrate the
night of the Full Wine Moon and dance the magickal round in the
moonlit Circle, pour some white wine in a silver cup. Before the rite
is ended, if possible, catch Her reflection in the liquid, then take a
sip. As the Moon-blessed wine casts its inner glow, sit quietly and
feel your own spirit, of which the wine is a symbol. As the body is
stilled and the spirit soars, feel on this night of magick a sense of
the kind of transformation that takes place during true spiritual
initiation.
Today the term HarvestMoon is appliedto the Full Moonnearest
to the Autumnal Equinox. This is because, it is said, in other times
when harvesting was done by hand, as the days grew shorter farmers
were able to work into the night in the brightness of Her light.
OCTOBER
Atthis timeof yearthe abundanceof fruit andvegetables begins
to slow. It is a time when our ancient ancestors gathered what they
could store and then supplemented their Winter diets either by hunting
wild animals or by slaughtering domestic ones. So this Lunar month is
called the Blood Moon. As you cast the Esbat Circle on this moonlit
Autumn night and fill the cup with blood-red wine, know that you will
be joined in the sacred dance not only by the unseen presence of
departed friends and family so close at this time of year, but also by
the spirits of animals as well, perhaps of those that have died so
that we may have food. In this age of assembly line slaughterhouses
and meatpacking plants, it is especially appropriate that on this
night of the Blood Moon we who are on the Pagan path ritually ask the
understanding of our animal sisters and brothers, bless them, and bid
them merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.
1072
NOVEMBER
As theWinter Sun wanes andthe Snow Moon waxesfull, cast your
Circle in the warm glow of candlelight. Salute the Moon in Her snowy
whiteness and breathe in the coolness of Her light. Become as still
as this Winter night, and know that the activity of the warm light
months is behind us. Ahead are the dark months of the year. The
Spirit is most active when the body is most still.
DECEMBER
The Full Moon nearestthe Winter Solstice is the OakMoon, the
Moon of the newborn year, the Divine Child. Like the Divine Child who
is born to die and dies to be reborn anew, the ancient Oak has its
trunk and branches in the material world of the living, while its
roots, the branches in reverse, reach deep into the Underworld,
symbolic land of the Spirit. As the roots probe downward into the
grave-like darkness of the Earth, its branches grow ever upward toward
the light, to be crowned by sacred Mistletoe. At this most magickal
time of the year, as the light of the old dying year wanes and the Oak
Moon waxes to full, cast your Circle wearing Mistletoe in your hair.
Let this token remind you that like the Oak, we too dwell
simultaneously in two worlds - the world of physical matter and the
world of Spirit. As you invoke the Goddess of the Moon, ask that you
become ever more aware of the other side of reality and the unseen
forces and beings that are always among us.
1073
{file "Consciousness & Politics (Carol Moore)" "bos239.htm"}
Consciousness & Politics
Below is rough draft overview of my "worldview" as presented in the
book I'm working on "CONSCIOUSNESS AND POLITICS". It is definitely
a "new age" interpretation of epistemology, metaphysics,
metapsychology, ethics and politics. Comments welcome.
EPISTEMOLOGY: (how we find truth) We must recognize that knowledge
and truth will always be elusive and subjective. As Rupert
Sheldrake points out, even "natural laws" seem to be evolving.
They are not static and unchanging. A balance of intuition, reason
and empirical methods must be applied in seeking knowledge in any
field, though the appropriate balance of methods will depend on the
field. And these can be used to prove that some viewpoints are
more accurate than others, even if they aren't the "ultimate, final
truth".
Today humans are becoming aware that humans "construct"
reality, create truth, rather than discovering it. Reality is not
some objective, knowable entity created by God or natural law. It
is an evolving, ever-changing process.
Individuals know reality through their particular
personal/social/political "psychic grid". What is important is for
each of us to decide what psychic grid we choose to work from and
how to change it if we choose. Each of us can create
philosophically/emotionally gratifying reality. We don't have to
just go along with what the power structure calls reality.
METAPHYSICS: (the nature and purpose of reality) Consciousness is
both the nature and the propose of reality. I choose to call the
nature and purpose of reality "consciousness" because the new
sciences show principles like consciousness operate throughout
reality. At the subatomic level I equate the dynamic, yang force
with imagination and will, and the integrating, yin force with
memory and creativity. There is an inherent drive to evolve, for
the propose of exploring full the potentials of consciousness, and,
ultimately, to develop into fully self-conscious beings like
ourselves.
There may well be an ever evolving "morphogenetic field"
of human consciousness. Individual consciousness survive and
passes from body to body over many life times in a process
known as "reincarnation".
The concept of consciousness must replace the concept of
god. For if we know that consciousness is the basis of
reality, and if we relate that to the fact that we all have
consciousness, then it is obvious to all that we are the
personification of natural, not "divine" principles of
reality. The word god just confuses people, making them think
that there is some divinity apart from and above from
themselves.
Moreover, as experience has shown, the concept of god is
so easily corrupted by authoritarianism as to be worse than
useless -- ie. totally counter-productive. How many people
have been persecuted and murdered in the name of this, that or
the other "god"??
People of good will must recognize this and give up the
word god. We are the product of our own conscious evolution
for our own conscious purposes. We created ourselves -- and
we did not create ourselves to live in ignorance of that fact
or to make ourselves suffer!!
1074
METAPSYCHOLOGY: (spiritual psychology) We know that the human
brain is really three brains: the original reptilian and
mammalian brains controlling automatic and reflexive survival
functions, and, heaped over these, the unique human "neo-
cortex" which contains enormous intellectual and creative
potentials.
Humans do not have to be content to be ruled by their
"lower brains," by their most basic needs for survival,
procreation and status. Abraham Maslow points out there is a
psychological need hierarchy. If humans remain stuck on
fulfilling the lower needs (safety, belonging, esteem) and
ignore fulfillment of the higher needs (self-actualization,
humanistic values, peak experiences) they become frustrated,
obsessive, and addicted -- to food, drink, sex, power, money.
The need hierarchy and the concept of chakras describe
essentially the same phenomena. Humans rise up the need
hierarchy or chakras in 3 ways: 1) by being aware that they in
fact exist; 2) by creating a culture which suggests simple, as
opposed to extravagant, definition of what fulfillment of
these basic needs are and then creates institutions which make
sure these basic need are fulfilled; 3) by having myths,
symbols, and rituals which reinforce the existence and
fulfillment of all human physical, emotional and spiritual
needs.
Cultures worldwide have too little of the knowledge,
attitudes and structures needed to boost us up our need
hierarchies. However, through education and meditation humans
can develop their higher brain, move up the need hierarchy,
rise to higher consciousness. They can lose the desire for
obsessive material accumulation, develop a tolerance for
individual diversity, experience love and connectedness with
all living things, give up the need to dominate, exploit or
direct them, fulfill their individual potentials and even
experience cosmic consciousness, cosmic ecstasy.
ETHICS: (What values we should pursue, how we should act
towards one and other) I believe in a yin-yang ethical
system. One in which hedonism/self-actualization are the yang
goals, and utilitarian "what's best for all" the yin goals.
I believe our actions towards one and other must also be
very "yin-yang". The yang is the libertarian view that the
individual is free to do as she/he pleases as long as she/he
doe not harm others. The yin is non-violence, cooperation and
mutual aid. They are both necessary and totally
complementary.
1075
POLITICS: We must begin to understand Gandhi's message that
all conflicts - personal and political, individual and group,
local, regional and global - should be resolved through non-
violent mediation instead of police and military violence.
Today's great nation states have been created and maintained
by violence. Without violence they, would crumble, to be
replaced by networks of non-violent communities.
Individuals must be free to establish or choose their own
ethical system and then join in free, self-governing
communities with those who share those views. However, this
"yang" commmunitarianism must be complemented by the "yin"
values of non-violent conflict resolution between communities
and mutual aid to all afflicted humans, whateve their
community.
Our means to creating this society should be nonviolent
as the ends we seek. We should be assertive as possible,
starting as soon as possible.
1076
{file "Mothers Day Message" "bos240.htm"}
A Mother's Day Message
Everyone has a mother. She is usually regarded with much love and
affection, as the benign, loving presence in our childhood. That is,
unless she was abusive, in which case her kids usually write books
about her later. But who could forget the apprehension and downright
FEAR you'd have if you had pulled your sister's hair, or written on
the walls with a crayon, or got caught snitching a cookie from the
cookie jar. The fear was not that of an innocent victim of
oppression, but of a wrongdoer facing just punishment. The fear and
loathing would inevitably subside after your behind would stop
smarting, and she'd be back to being Benevolent Mom again.
As it is with our mother, so is it with the Earth Mother. Those
who live in harmony with Her prosper, their needs met from Her bounty.
Those who do violence to Her, however, risk Her wrath. The Mother is
not just mild Demeter and sweet Parvati, but dark Hecate, the fierce
Durga, and the absolutely horrifying Kali. She cares for us and loves
us, and Her patience is near boundless. But Her patience has limits.
We live in a time when more rape has been perpetrated on Her than in
any other time of our existance as a species. Her Body has been
defiled by mining and over-building. Her exhalations have been made
foul by the smoke of cars and factories. And from Her Sacred Body, the
Anglo has extracted what could be the seeds of our extinction--the
Uranium used in both weapons production and nuclear power. The sacred
Hopi prophecies speak of the world being defiled by "...a bowl full of
ashes." This could mean the various atmospheric and underground
detonations of nuclear weapons, or the accidents at Chernobyl and
Three Mile Island.
I believe that this Bowl Full Of Ashes is not only these, but
refers to all the destruction we have wrought on Our Mother. I have
had some information revealed to me, in a way that seems to suggest
that the Mother was speaking to me, both through Big Dreams and
through an uncanny transmission I got while hanging out at Sepulveda
Dam Basin. This is not a boast--this is something which I simply HAVE
to talk about. We who strive to walk in harmony with The Mother, be
you Wiccan, or Shamanist, or just someone who cares, have an awesome
responsibility. Putting it simply, we are the ONLY FORCE STANDING
BETWEEN THE PEOPLE OF EARTH AND HER RIGHTEOUS WRATH.
Our efforts might not be entirely enough to stay Her fury,
considering the dramatic upswing in natural disasters that have
occured over the last 10 years, but it is obvious that WE MUST TRY.
Shamanism has been "rediscovered" for a very basic reason. It means
the possibility of healing this Planet and regaining awareness of Our
Mother's will. We must guard against this tradition being bastardized
and cheapened by those who commercialize these ways, and be very
careful to not fall into the trap of honoring Mother to the point of
forgetting the Sky Father, and forgetting that both Mother and Father
are the ways that The Source Of All is revealed to us in a form we can
understand. We must also be careful to whom we reveal information,
being mindful that an unstable mind given some of this knowledge is
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. But most importantly, Our Mother is calling us to
restore our link with Her, and to work towards her healing. We have a
lot of work ahead of us. Our very lives depend on it.
For The Earth Mother...ALWAYS!!!!!
Enju.
Michelle Klein-Hass
1077
{file "Memory & Perception, a new Model (Paul Seymour)" "bos241.htm"}
Memory, A Proposed New Model
We will be usinga chart based on a simplified model of Laser Holography
to look at the nature of consciousness and memory. This model will be
very simplified, but necessitate a brief layman's introduction to the
principles of physics involved in holography. It is no accident that
mystics and wise men of all ages have often spoken about certain aspects
of mental and spiritual activity, as well as knowledge in terms relating to
light. Please keep in mind that this is a MODEL only, and will fall far
short of expressing the true complexity of the subject.
Holographic Imaging Model of Consciousness
_____________
/ /|
/ / |
/____________/ |
Laser [reference] | | |
______ Prism [beam] | OBJECT | /
/ | coherent |\->->->->->->-| | /
/ |>=>=>=>=>=| \ |___________|/
\ |)=>=>=>=>=| / \/
\_____| light |/\ / \/
\/ /\ \/
[working beam] \/
\ / [reflected image]
\/ /\ \/
\ / \/
_______ \/_______ ____ ____
MIRROR SCREEN
The characteristic of a laser that makes it so useful is that it is
the source of "pure" or coherent light. "Normal" light is composed of
many frequencies which are all jumbled together and out of phase. Try
to picture the set of ripples generated in a still pool of water when just
one pebble is dropped in. All of the wave crests are equidistant and in
phase and highly regular, aren't they? This is analogous to laser light.
Now picture the same pool, only toss in a random handful of pebbles, the
results are quite different aren't they? This is analogous to "normal"
light.
The laser generates coherent light which enters a prism that splits
the beam in two: (1) the Reference Beam, and (2) the Working Beam.
The working beam is, in turn, reflected from a mirror and redirected back
to the object being illuminated. When the wave fronts of the two beams
collide on the surface, they create an "interference pattern" which is
reflected to the screen or photographic plate. This interference
pattern, when properly viewed, recreates the 3 dimensional image of the
original object.
At first look, one might well say: "O.K.,this works well for an
explanation of a laser light show, but what bearing does it have on the
operation and function of the human mind?" I see the symbolism in this
model as follows:
1) The coherent light is the "light" or conscious(ness) energy of the
Aether, sort of the "Universal Mind" if you will.
2> The Prism symbolizes two of the directional functions of the
"Higher Self; that of illuminating both the object form its own standpoint,
and of providing "light" (consciousness) for the Mirror.
3. The Mirror represents a function of the sub conscious mind in the
creation of "attention" or focusing of consciousness on the world.
1078
4. The Screen (photographic plate) is the storage mechanism/process
for what we call memory.
Therefore the Prism, Mirror, and Screen may all be used to symbolize
certain portions of the mind or mental processes in a human being.
Because the Prism, Mirror,and screen are a part of the individual and
unique to that individual, the actual "records" or memories (and
consciousness) of the same event or object will vary a great deal form one
individual to another. None of these functions exists in isolation from
the others, so there is a process of "feedback" going on at all times
between them. The nature of the recorded "images" will "color" and modify
both the prism and the mirror, thereby modifying the quqlity of all future
images, memories, or recordings. This is one of the reasons that memories
of past events can color or distort our present perceptions of reality so
thoroughly.
One of our tasks (many would call it a "Great Work") in our lifetime
is to try to "purify" or refine the quality of the Prism function, so that
the "light" that forms the "working beam" is as close to identical in
quality to the "reference beam" as possible. Some call this process tha
attaining of consciousness of the Higher Self. Another task is to "polish"
and learn control over the mirror function so that the reference beam may
be directed more precisely and with little or (ideally) no distortion upon
the objects/events of our attention. Yet a third task is to do our best to
perfect the recording mechanism of the screen, in order that the meory-
image be as faithful as possible to what was presented to it.
Another point worth keeping in mind at this point is that ALL
memories, no matter how distorted and/or "colored" are REAL to the
individual possessing those memories. This fact may well explain the
apparent anomaly of people suffering from PROVABLE no-existent abuse at an
early age. If a traumatic and non-understood (or misunderstood) event
occurs to an individual at an early age, the only recording will be one of
trauma and an individual can be easily "talked into" (by self or others)
putting that trauma into a frame of reference that can be presently
understood. The fact That a meory is misunderstood, distorted, etc., does
not make the any less "real" in their effect on the individual, and it must
be dealt with as such.
Another interesting point is that these "holgrams" or memory images
can cometogether in a synergy where the sum of the parts becomes greater
than the whole in a process of "constellation" (in Jungian terms) and form
whole "complexes" which take on a (seeming?) life of their own. If these
complexes are encouraged to grow and flourish, they can also be percieved
by (some) others as some sort of "other worldly beings" and can be further
fed and strengthened by others until they become Archetypal in nature.
This process could well be the cause of many of the "Angels" and "Demons"
of the Christian and other Pantheons.
1079
{file "Some Magical Musical Selections" "bos242.htm"}
Some Magical Musical Selections
This is a small listing of 'New Age' music derived in part from suggestions
in the book 'Vision Quest' by Nevill Drury (Prism Press,1984),
and my own limited personal experience. These albums almost all
contain exclusively instrumental tracks, usually long & to varying degrees
'transcendental',suggestive of 'altered states'or just pleasant background
music well suited for meditation, magick, etc.
Fripp & Eno: Evening Star
Edgar Froese: Aqua
Ages
Epsilon in Malaysian Pale
Klaus Schulze: Irrlicht
Cyborg
Timewind
Blackdance
Moondawn
Mirage
Tangerine Dream: Alpha Centauri \} in a boxed set: In the Beginning
Zeit \}
Atem \}
Force Majeure
Phaedra
Rubycon
Encore
Stratosfear
Brian Eno: Discreet Music
Ambient 1: Music for Airports
Ambient 3: Day of Radiance (by Laraaji; produced by Eno)
Ambient 4: On Land
Ash Ra Temple: New Age of Earth
Join Inn
Steve Halpern: Zodiac Suite
Mike Oldfield: Ommadawn
Incantations
Tubular Bells
Kay Gardner: Moods and Rituals
Jade Warrior: Waves
Robert Bearns &
Ron Dexter: Golden Voyage
Jan Garbarek Dis
1080
Kitaro: Oasis
Paul Horn Inside the Great Pyramid
Inside The Taj Mahal
Philip Glass: Koyaanisqatsi (soundtrack)
Einstein on the Beach (boxed set)
North Star
Glassworks
Jean Michel Jarre: Equinoxe
Oxygene
Vangelis: Soil Festivities
Ignacio
A resource book of inner space music compiled by Anna Turner and
Stephen Hill based on a selection of music played by KPFA, Berkeley
over the last 10 years - 'The Hearts of Space Guide' is reportedly
available from PO Box 31321, San Francisco, CA 94131
Anyone with other musical suggestions feel free to add to this list
as you will.
1081
{file "Chants w/ASCII Notation (L.A.Hussey)" "bos243.htm"}
ASCII MUSICAL NOTATION
developed by Leigh Ann Hussey
with help from Shadowthought and Josh Gordon
Each line of the music consists of 4 lines of music. The time
signature(s),
the lines between bars, and each note take up one column, with modifiers
such
as sharps, flats, and dots extending a note up to three columns. The time
signature is written at the beginning in the obvious way. Three vertical
bars
(lines 2 to 4) mark the divisions between measures. Lines 1 to 3 indicate
note durations, as follows:
1/16 1/8 1/4 1/2 dotted-1/2 1/8 1/4
note note note note note rest rest
= _
| | | | | ' %
| | | o o.
Line 4 indicates the pitch. The numbers 1 to 8 mark the octave including
middle C (A through F); 1' to 8', one octave above middle C; 1" to 8",
two
octaves above middle C; '1 to '8, the octave below middle C. A number
followed
by a # is a sharp; a number followed by a lower-case b is a flat.
Underscores
connecting a note to the next note indicate a slur. Consider the following
examples:
HOOF AND HORN
| | | ||
4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ||
- | | o | | | o | | | | | | | | o ||
4 1 7b 1 | 1 7b 1 | 1 3b 2 7b | 7b 2 1 ||
Hoof and horn, hoof and horn, All that dies shall be re-born.
Corn and grain, corn and grain, All that falls shall rise a- gain.
PATIENCE/WAITING MEDICINE CHANT
____ | ____ | ||
4 | | | | | | | | | | ||
- | | | o | | | | o | ||
4 3' 5' | 5' 2' 2' 1' | 6__6 ||
Hey Yah Hey Hey Yah
CALYPSO CHANGING CHANT
(1) and (2) mark beginnings for round
(1)
_ _ | _ _ | _ _ |
5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
4 3' 2' 1' 7 6__1' | 7 1' 2' 5 3'_1' | 3' 2' 1' 7 6__1'|
We come from the fire, Living in the fire, Go back to the fire,
(2)
1082
_ _ | | | _ _ |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | o | o. o | o | | | | | | | | | | |
7 1' 2' 7 1' | 3' 4'| 5' 4' 3' 1'| 3' 3' 3' 3' 4'_4'|
turn the world around! We come from the fire, Go back to the fire,
_ _ ||
| | | | | ||
| | | | o ||
2' 2' 7 7 1' ||
turn the world around.
ADDITIONAL We come from the mountain, living in the mountain,
VERSES: Go back to the mountain, turn the world around!
We come from the mountain;
Go back to the mountain, turn the world around!
(Also: spirit, ocean, prairie, forest, river, water, etc.)
I'm the hundreth monkey, we're a hundred monkeys,
Be the hundreth monkey, turn the world around!
Be the hundreth monkey,
Be the hundreth monkey, turn the world around!
AUM SHIVAYA VASHI
___ ___ | | ___ ___ | ||
4 | | | | | | | | | % % | | | | | | | | | | % % ||
- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ||
4 1 5 4 3 2 4 | 5 1 | '7 4 3 2 1 3 | 4 '7 ||
Aum Shiva--ya- Va-shi, Aum Shiva--ya- Va-shi, ...
From Crowley: "Note that 'shi' means rest, the absolute or male aspect of
the
Deity; 'va' is energy, the manifested or female side of Deity. This mantra
represents the whole course of the Universe, from Zero through the finite
back
to Zero."
GOD/GODDESS CHANTS
____ | _____ | | _____ _____| | | _ |
||
2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ' | | | |
||
- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | o
||
4 1 1 1 | 1 1 1 |'7 '7 | 1 1 1 1 | 1 1 | 1 1 | '7 '7 | 1
||
I-sis,A- star-te, Di- a- na, He- ca-te, De- me-ter,Ka- li, In-na-
na.
O-din,Cer-nun-nos, Merd-dyn,Man-na-nan,He- li-os, Shi-va, Horned
One.
1083
{file "Lilith (BBS Conversation)" "bos244.htm"}
From: Claudia Slate
To: Zhahai Stewart Msg #35, 14-Jan-89
Subject: Re: Lilith
In response to your request for information on
Lilith, I looked her up in "The Woman's Encyclopedia ofMyths and Secrets"
by Barbara Walker and published by Harper and Row. (1983). This book was
strongly recommended to me by a Dallas parapsychology teacher, (male at
that), who felt I might enjoy and benefit from this study of sexism, which
is dealt with in the book from both historical and mythical viewpoints.
I found this information, which I have paraphrased for the most part.
Lilith, (also know as Lilit), was a relic of an early rabbinical attempt to
assimilate the Sumero-Babylonian Goddess Belit-ili, or Belili, to Jewish
mythology. to the Canaanites, Lilith was Baalat, the "Divine Lady".
Hebraic tradition said Adam married Lilith because he grew tired of mating
with animals, a common custom of Middle-Eastern herdsmen, though the Old
Testament declared it a sin. Moslems were insistent on the male-superior
sexual position and apparently Lilith was not Moslem, disagreed with Adam
and flew away to the Red Sea.
God sent angels to bring Lilith back, but she refused to return. She
supposedly spent her time mating with "demons" and gave birth to "a hundred
children a day". (Busy woman!) So God had to produce Eve as Lilith's more
docile replacement. Lilith became the "Great Mother" of settled tribes who
resisted invasions of nomadic herdsmen represented by Adam. Early Hebrews
disliked the Great Mother who is said to have drank the blood of Abel after
he was slain by Cain.
Lilith's Red Sea was another version of Kali Ma's Ocean of Blood, which
gave birth to all things. There may have been a connection between Lilith
and the Etuscan divinity Leinth, who had no face and who waited at the gate
of the underworld along with Eita and Persipnei, (Hades and Persephone) to
receive the souls of the dead. The underworld gate was a yoni and a lily,
which had no face. Admission into the underworld was often mythologized as
a sexual union. The lily or lilu, (lotus) was the Great Mother's flower -
yoni, whose title formed Lilith's name.
The story of Lilith disappeared from the Bible, but her daughters, the
lilim, haunted men for over a thousand years. The lilim were thought
responsible for nocturnal emissions and the Jews still made amulets to keep
away the lilim well into the Middle Ages. Greeks adopted the lilim and
called them, Lamiae, Empusae, or Daughters of Hecate. Christians also
adopted them and called them harlots of hell or succubae. They believed
that Lilith laughed every time a Christian man has a wet dream. The
Daughters of Lilith were supposedly very beautiful and presumed to be so
expert at lovemaking that after an experience with one, a man couldn't be
content with a mere mortal woman.
1084
From: Zhahai Stewart
To: Claudia Slate Msg #83, 20-Jan-89
01:29pm
Subject: Re: Lilith
Thanks for the information about Lillith. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite
answer my questions about Lillith, which are not so much what the myth or
legend is, as how was it propagated down thru history to us?
A while ago, someone here suggested that Lillith was expunged from the
Christian Bible. Others, more knowledgeable about that than I, gave
reasons that that was unlikely as a Christian era event, without
postulating a monumental conspiracy. OK, if Lillith is at least as old as
the bible, how did the myth or legend get propogated? Was there lost
ancient written material? Or was it propagated orally for many generations
even after some or many of the books of the old testament were written
down? Or did it arise later?
As for the lovemaking of the daughters of Lillith, sounds kinda fun.
(Maybe we should ask David Rice about that?) Do the sons of Pan spoil
mortal women as well? :-)
Barbara Walker's Encyclopedia is interesting, but seldom gives very
thorough sources. It is apparently worth keeping that grain of salt on
hand.
I just got her Tarot cards & book; pretty powerful images, I thought. I
haven't tried a reading with them yet.
Thanks for the info!
B*B ~z~
---
* Origin: Adelante - 300 meters above Boulder, CO (Opus 1:104/93)
From: Tony Iannotti
To: Zhahai Stewart Msg #116, 24-Jan-89
10:52am
Subject: Re: Lilith
As I understand it, Lilith is said to be as old as the bible, because
she is mentioned in the Mishna, a form of commentary on the Pentateuch.
Whether she was ever in what is now canonical, i.e. Genesis per se, is hard
to prove or disprove. The Mishna was an oral tradition for much longer. She
has been identified with Ishtar in much the same ce" way as Mercury to
Thoth to Wotan. I don't think there is a literal or philological
connection.
---
* Origin: OPERA DEII = BaphoNet-by-the-Sea (718)499-9277 (Opus 1:107/293)
1085
From: Antony Landsman
To: Zhahai Stewart Msg #122, 10-Jan-88
03:58pm
Subject: Re: Lilith
> Have you any insight as to where the Lillith myth
> originates? For example, what are the oldest documents
> that mention Lillith? If indeed Lillith goes back at least
> as far as the beginnings of the old testament, was that
> myth carried verbally even while the rest of the Adam & Eve
> show was written? Or did Lillith originate later?
Lillith is mentioned in an esoteric Jewish text called the Midrash.
It is a compilation of mystical interpretations surrounding the Torah (old
Testament). It was handed down orally along with the rest of the Talmud
and was written down in the middle ages when the Rabbis thought that these
teachings might be forgotten.
Apparently Lillith was created at the same time as Adam (see the
initial reference to the creation of man "Man and Woman" he created them)
but somehow disappeared from the scene due to her rebelious nature.
I think that she was probably the primary Goddess in the region prior
to the advent and revolution of the Jehovah followers. I also tend to
believe that Innana was one of her descendants.
Blessed Be
--- QuickBBS v2.03
* Origin: Canyonlands BBS, Moab Utah: The most scenic place on Earth
(1:15/27)
From: Inanna Seastar
To: Antony Landsman Msg #145, 25-Jan-89
07:32pm
Subject: Re: Lilith
The only Lilith likely to be found in _my_ family huluppu-tree is
Lilith Velkor... :-)
On a more sirius note (even though I don't use Sirius any more; I use
Gnome), there is no question that Inanna is a third- or later-generation
goddess in the Sumerian pantheon. I rather suspect that the image of
Inanna as THE Goddess before whom all other deities at least swear a little
fealty comes from Uruk. Inanna was the matron goddess of Uruk, and most of
our legends and such concerning her were dug up (literally) in Uruk. The
myth of the huluppu-tree shows a young Inanna, in a young Uruk, trying to
get help from other deities of other, older cities to get rid of a problem
that was too big for her to handle at the time. The problem is solved by
Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, rather than by any foreigner. Likewise, the tale
of Inanna & Enki & the _me's_ (civic virtues), shows a young goddess of a
young city who has managed to elevate her city into the first rank. In
winning the _me's_ from Enki, Inanna adds to them by the time she gets her
virtuous cargo back to Uruk. I do not recall whether Lilith was formally
mentioned as being in Inanna's lineage, though.
Blessed Bheer--drinking Enki under the table--
Inanna
1086
--- Gnome v1.30
* Origin: The Lizard King--Inanna Seastar's Place (1:104/45.5)
ZS> "As for the lovemaking of the daughters of Lillith,
sounds ZS> kinda fun. (Maybe we should ask David Rice about
that?)
Er, were you interested in some phone numbers? It's
extreamly hard work to love a daughter of Lilith, but the
rewards are undeniably worth it.
I've started an extended study on strong Lilith women vs.
the domesticated Eve ones. So far, with only about 18
tallies in (painstakingly and personaly researched with
great, er, debauch, with plans on adding many hundreds of
more into the study), the following has been observed:
Most American men give out long before the Lilithian woman
(or any other) will. Lilith will say "Excuse me, kind sir,"
(as she can't remember his name at the moment). "You're not
finished, are you?!" and Eve will say "Gee, that was great!"
and reach for the batteries and flee into the bathroom for
an hour.
Lesbians tend to be strongly Lilithian. This may be because
"the only thing men are good FOR they aren't good AT," as
the true and valid saying goes. Also, most if not all men
are little cry babies, and Lilith can't stand for that
nonsence.
Conversly, Eve women always knew men make horrible lovers,
but resign themselves to 4 minutes of sex twice a week, when
they'd rather have 16 hours of sex every day. This is why,
perhaps, Eveian women make such good Catholics.
If your typical male pig says, rightly, that a woman's place
is in the bed, Lilith will say "Eat shit and die!" and Eve
will say "Yes, dear," and hate herself.
1087
{file "Wiccan Information Network" "bos245.htm"}
The WICCAN INFORMATION NETWORK
What is WIN?
The Wiccan Information Network is a project of the Wiccans Invoking
Tolerance, Compassion, and Harmony Society (W.I.T.C.H.). The WITCH Society
is a registered society in the province of British Columbia. The WITCH
Society works to support the right of Pagans (including Goddess Worship-
pers) and Witches to practice their faith as they see fit, as it falls
within the Craft, civil, and criminal law and does not infringe in any way
on the rights of others. WITCH is working toward the return of the Wiccan
and Pagan religions as respected faiths in society through education via
the media and by public discussion.
The Wiccan Information Network is a non denominational Wiccan project
sponsored by the WITCH Society. The WIN project is coordinated by the
police liaison committee of WITCH. The WIN coordinators are responsible
for coordinating the efforts of those involved in the project. WIN is made
up of Wiccans from all over North America and includes many Wiccans who are
law enforcement officers.
What are the objectives of WIN?
The objectives of the Wiccan Information Network are:
1. To monitor anti-Wiccan activities, groups and individuals;
2. To research occult related crime;
3. To distribute this intelligence to those in the Wiccan
community that are affected by it; and
4.To liaise with law enforcement agencies in order to provide
them with accurate information on Pagan religions and occult
related crime.
How does WIN work?
The WIN coordinators have assigned area coordinators to specific
regions in the US and Canada. WIN members forward any anti Wiccan infor-
mation that they come across to their area coordinators. These coor-
dinators investigate this information and forward it to:
1) Pagan groups in their areas affected by this information;
2) Area coordinators of other areas affected; and
3) The WIN coordinators.
The WIN coordinators analyze and collate all intelligence received and
assign area coordinators to follow-up tasks if necessary. The WIN coor-
dinators send out a monthly intelligence summary to WIN members.
1088
What else does WIN do?
The Wiccan Information Network also:
1) Publishes information booklets and manuals for law enforcement
investigators;
2) Publishes resource directories for those seeking information
or speakers on Pagan beliefs or occult related crime;
3) Arranges public speaking engagements in order to brief members
of the Pagan community on the subjects studied by WIN.
Do I have to join WIN to participate?
No. You don't need to join WIN to help us. All that you need to do
is send us any information, newspaper clippings, articles, etc. that you
feel we should be aware of. We'll make sure this information gets to the
right people.
Who receives the monthly WIN intelligence summary?
Only WITCH Society members, WIN project members, selected Pagan
newsletters and Pagan organizations affiliated with WIN receive the monthly
intelligence summary. You cannot subscribe to it, for security reasons.
If you'd like to become a member of WITCH the current dues are $25 (Canad-
ian) per annum, which includes notice of meetings by mail and subscription
to the WITCH Society newsletter. A copy of the WITCH constitution and
bylaws is available upon request if you send a stamped and self addressed
envelope.
How can I become involved in WIN?
You don't have to belong to WITCH to be a part of WIN, although it is
preferred. If you are interested in becoming a part of WIN you should
contact the WIN coordinator with a r.sum. of your previous experience in
anti defamation work for the Wiccan community. Organizations or newslet-
ters interested in obtaining WIN intelligence summaries should contact the
WIN coordinator in writing and send information on their constitution and
editorial policies.
Donations to assist us in our work are greatly appreciated. All
donations should be forwarded to the WITCH Society and all checks should be
made payable to the WITCH Society.
Wiccan Information Network, W.I.T.C.H. Society,
Box 2422, Main Post Office, c/0 2708 Belmont Ave.,
Vancouver, BC, V6B 3W7 Victoria, BC, V8R 4A8
1089
{file "Runic Thorn Ritual (Faunus)" "bos248.htm"}
The Thorn Ritual
The Runic Sub-Committee of the Orgone Committee has been
working on many facets of the Runic Magical System in the past
four years. The following ritual is the result of many months
of discussion and work. May it serve you well.
Set-up:
One's Runic Wand (or fingers if one is not available)
A place in which to cast the circle...
Meditation on the aspects of the Thorn (Thuriaz) Rune
Sit quietly in the space in which the cirle is to be cast.
Meditate on the various aspects of the Thorn rune (consult
various sources such as Thorrson's Futhark, F. Asswyn's Tree
Yggdrasil, and N. Pennick's Runic Astrology). Concentrate on the
passive and active protective aspects of the force embodied int
the Thorn Rune.
Stand Facing North.
Assume the Isa stance, hands at side and feet together.
Visualize yourself as an antennae for the forces of the
Multiverse. Feel the forces flowing through you from above and
below. Let the energy flow through your body from the floor and
the sky passing your solar plexus and energizing it.
When you feel that the energy is flowing smoothly through
your body visualize the space around you as deep blue. The deep
blue of the late night sky. Shimmering with energy. Scintillating
as you look in to it.
Inhale evenly and deeply from you diaphram (letting your stomach
expand and contract with your breath. Do not allow your upper body
to be moved by the intake of breath. Let the sides of your mid section
and the back of your midsection expand and contract with your breath.
Breath fully and calmly. Let the breath energize your cells. Feel
the energy adding to the energy raised with the Isa meditation.
Trace the Hammer of Thor with your dominant hand using the
wand or your fingers...
I
I
I
I
_______________
As you trace the Thorn, say (vibrate) the word Thorn (or
Thuriaz if you are using the Norse name). Visualize the energy
flowing from you solar plexus, through your hand/wand, tracing
the rune.
Turn to the East and repeat the invocation. Then to the South
then to the West. Then Above you, then below you.
Turn to the North (if not already standing in that direction)
and say:
Thorn in the North, Hallow and hold this Holy Stead.
Do this for the other five Thorns you have invoked.
Having invoked the six points of the circle, we will be invoking
1098
a thorny circle of briar in four parts. Each "string" will be
invoked as long as you can say the word Thorn. When your breath runs
out then one shoud inhale and begin another string, until you have
scribed four interlacing, intricate strings of ethric briar. You will
be tracing these strings so as to create a ball similar to yarn. As
you are tracing the strings of briar, visualize the briar as being
covered with sharp, pointy, nasty looking thorns. Invest these
thorns with the power to keep out unwanted influences.
O.K. now. Stand facing North. Inhale and as you exhale vibrate
the word "Thorn" make the vibration of the name last as long as you
have breath. As you are saing the word trace briar in a circle around
you. Visualize the stream of briar comming out of the end of your
wand/finger. Trace the briar in any way you want. I am fond of
dancing in spirals, spinning in cirlces, moving my hand in the
way an artist would with a pencil if they were in a globe of
canvas... When your breath runs out from the first "Thorn", inhale
and invoke that name again..."TTTTTTHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRNNN
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNN", drawing a string of briar around the inner surface
of a globe, forming a globe of briar with your actions. Remember
to see what is already there and fill in the spaces you have yet
to get to. When you are out of breath again, inhale, and begin
the third string of Briar...Don't forget to get the space over your
head and below your feet. Make wide sweeping motions, small scribbly
motions. Let your enjoyment of movement arouse more energy, feel the
energy flowing through you, through your hand, and coming out in the
stream of briar. When you are out of breath inhale, and invoke the
Thorn one last time. Make sure to get all of those places that
have not been covered. Don't worry about small spaces, just make
sure that there are no large gaps in the ball of briar you have
just make. Fix the holes with this last invocation.
As you finish this last invocation of Thorn, stand facing North.
It is not uncommon to feel both exhiliarated and exhausted by this
process. Stand, with feet apart and hands spread over your head.
Breath deeply. Visualize the glowing ball of briar...see it, its green
tendrils intertwining, feel the vibrance of its life force, a force
that you have given to it. Breath deeply, calming yourself...
While standing with your feet apart, arms upraised in a "Y"
inhale, and as you exhale feel your energy flowing through the
orb of briar, and see, as you energize the orb, the thorns grow. See
the thorns, browinsh and reddish, getting larger and closing up
the small spaces that existed between the strings of briar. Feel
the spaces being blocked off. See the blue of the space around you,
see the orb of thorny briars...Keep the thorns growing until you
feel that the orb is complete and capable of keeping out any unwanted
influences. Infuse the orb of briar with the ability to repel unwanted
energies and permit those energies desired.
Stand in a comfortable position. We are near the end of the
ritual. The invocation of the God/desses.
Stand in the Isa position. Say IIIIIISsssssssss.
Stand in the As (Anuz) position. Say Odhinn.
Stand in the Beorch position. Say Urdh.
Stand in the Ing position. Say Freyr.
Stand in the Foeh position. Say Freya.
Stand in the Thorn position. Say Thorr.
Stand in the Isa position. Breath deeply. Thank the God/desses
1099
silently. Feel the Orb of Thorns surrounding you. Begin your
working...secure in your circle.
Certain parts of the ritual were taken from Thorrson's Hammer
Rite. But the ritual is mostly original. The God/dess names at the
end can be altered at your behest but try to keep Odhinn First,
Freya in the middle, and Thorr last. I will be posting meditations
for the Runic God/desses to help with the last part of this ritual.
May your path be filled with Wisdom and Wonder,
Blessings of the Aesir and Vanir,
Faunus,
The Runic Sub-Committee
of
The Orgone Committee
1100
{file "Solitary Moon Rite, Issian (Ellen Cannon Reed)" "bos249.htm"}
SOLITARY MOON RITE
By: Ellen Reed, Coven of Sothistar
This rite may be used for either New or Full Moon. The difference is
in your meditation and mental attitude in preparation. Remember that
the New Moon is a time of outward work and thought, building to the
peak which is the Full Moon. At the Full Moon, you should be prepar-
ing to lessen the outward flow of energy, bit by bit, until the period
before New Mo on, during which you are passive, building a pool of
energy within you, in preparation for the New Moon.
The altar should be placed in the center of the ritual area. On it
should be placed a rose or stick of incense on the eastern side, a red
votive candle to the South; a cup of water on the West, and a bowl of
salt or living plant on the North.
Around your ritual area, you should place an unlighted candle at the
cardinal point of each direction.
To begin your rite, enter your darkened temple, carrying one burning
candle, white or lavender, with you. Place it on the center of your
altar, sit, and meditate on the meaning of the rite. When you feel
the time is right, stand, and go to the eastern point, carrying with
you, the burning taper. Light the votive at the eastern point and go
to the southern, picturing, as you do, an arc of pure strong light
curving from one candle to the next. Continue to the West, and then
to the North, lighting the candles as you go, and then walk to your
eastern candle again, having formed a circle of pro tective light
surrounding the area in which you worship.
Return to the center of the circle, replace the candle on the altar,
and say:
My Lady of the Moon, who is called Diana, Artemis, Levanah, Isis and
by any other names, I come to you to bring you my love and my devo-
tion. May you grant me the joy of your presence.
Mentally divide the room into four quadrants by visualizing a line of
silvery moonlight from the southeast to the northw est, and from the
northeast to the southwest. Go the East, taking with you the rose or
incense. Say:
Sweet Goddess, the gentle breeze is the touch of your loving hand, the
wind of storm a reminder of your strength. The s ound of the trees in
the wind is your voice, and the fragrance of flowers borne on the wind
is your gift of beauty.
Place the rose next to the votive candle, then stand there as you
picture the quadrant filling with moonlight. See the moonlight
streaming quietly and gently into the room, filling the quadrant
from center point to the edge of your circle.
When this is complete, take the red candle to the South. Place the
gift and see the quadrant fill with moonlight. Say:
Most loved Lady, the light of the candle is a guide along our path
leading to you; its warmth the reassurance of your presence and your
1101
love. The light of the Sun is the knowledge you impart to us, driving
out ignorance and those things which can survive only in darkness.
At the West:
Lovely One, the quiet pool is the serenity of your being. The vast
sea where life began on this planet is the vast sea of your being
whence all life came; its waves are the ebb and flow of the universe
you rule.
At the North:
Goddess of all, the fertility of the earth is a sign of your fer-
tility, whence all life rose. The solidity and permanence are still
of it are still less than yours. The Earth's fertility feeds our
bodies, and your fertility feeds our souls.
Go to the center of your temple, which is now filled with moonlight.
Everything in the circle is touched by it, blessed by it, including
you. Sit down and feel this moonlight around you. Know that it is
the Goddess. Realize that you are in the center of a sphere of light
that is half above and half above and half below where you sit. Begin
to breathe slowly and evenly, deep breaths that penetrate your whole
body. When this rhythmic breathing becomes natural, imagine that the
moonlight by which you are surrounded enters you, fills you entirely.
With each exhalation of your breath, some of the essence of yourself
leaves your body, and with each inhalation, the light enters you. You
are being filled ever so gently with this beautiful light. This
light, which is the presence, the being of the Goddess, is within you
as well as without. With each breath, you are less yourself and more
the Goddess.
When you are filled with light, filled with the Goddess, the shell of
your body fades away. You have no body; there is nothing to separate
you from the entire being of the Goddess. Nothing exists but the
being of which you are apart. You have ceased to be a separate
entity. You are nothing and everything. All that was, that is, and
all that will be, you are.
Enjoy this feeling as long as you like. When you feel it is time,
picture the outer shell of your physical body reformi ng, becoming
solid again. It is being built out of the Universe of which you are a
part.
Now, as you continue your slow deep breathing, see the moonlight
flowing out of your body, as gently and slowly as it entered. As it
flows out, realize there is a difference. Because you have become one
with the Goddess, with the Universe, your being has changed. As the
moonlight flows out of your body, it takes with it a part of that
which was yourself, now part of the Goddess, and leaves behind a part
of the Goddess, forever now part of you. You become yourself again,
solid as you were, but changed. You are surrounded by the presence of
the Goddess, which now contains a part of yourself .
Move again to the East. As you speak, and after, picture the moon-
light in that quadrant flowing back to its source, lea ving that
quadrant as it was.
Do this at each quadrant, until all the moonlight has returned to the
Moon.
1102
At the East:
My Lady, guide my thoughts. Let them lead always closer to you.
At the South:
Gracious Goddess, guide my actions. Let them always help and never
harm others or myself.
At the West:
Lovely One, guide my emotions: Let them be healing and touched
always by you.
At the North:
Sweet Goddess, let my mind always be fertile and storng, that I may
grow always toward you.
Return to the East to complete the circle and say:
Queen of Heaven, I thank you for your presence, both now and always.
My love and devotion are yours. Blessed be!
All spirits who have joined me tonight may depart, with my love.
Return to your proper places.
Walk again around your circle, but this time counterclockwise, extin-
guishing the quadrant guards as you go, and at the same time, mentally
erasing the white line which surrounded your circle. When the candles
are out and the circle gone, rap on your altar and say:
The rite is ended.
1103
{file "Quilting and "Craft" (J.M. Cortese)" "bos250.htm"}
Quilting and "CRAFT"
Janis Maria Cortese
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Organization: University of California, Irvine
Last night I attended the first session of a first-time quilter's
class. While I was there listening to the teachers tell us the little
tricks that make quilting easier and buying all the neat gadgets that
you use, something very fundamental struck me, to the point that I was
unable to speak for a few minutes until I had acknowledged this
movement in my mind.
Let me describe something to you, and you try to guess what I'm
talking about. The characteristics are as follows:
1) done by a group of women together, which is frequently called a
circle.
2) handed down from mother to daughter, in a VERY hands-on fashion.
3) uses specialized tools that other people don't understand and
usually don't recognize.
4) requires strict adherence to ritual preparation of materials.
5) can be monotonous and repetitive -- PERFECT for meditation.
6) can be decorative as well as practical, and frequently both.
7) can be done entirely by hand, OR with the aid of techie stuff.
8) causes things to come into being that other people usually call
"magic."
Sound like Wicca? Well, it's not, at least not the "standard" type,
if there is any such thing. I'm talking about the quilting class.
Have you ever wondered WHY so many WOMEN do it, and so few men (apolo-
gies to male Witches out there; I discovered these things through
feminism)? What else has been so "religiously" handed down through
generations aside from crafting skills, and how many women do you know
who have a love affair with that old afghan that their grandmother
made and wouldn't part with it for the world? Sound familiar now? I
mean, REALLY. This *can't* be coincidence!
I will follow the Craft in the barest sense of the word -- a CRAFT,
some talent which can be used for practical and beautiful purposes,
and has all the trappings of a "true" ritual. (And believe me, you'd
better adhere to the rules hard and fast. You must use EXACTLY the
required seam allowance, and you'd better treat your cloth before you
start sewing, or whatever you end up with might as well be a drop-
cloth.) And when you're done, you have something. You have some-
thing to which you can point and say, "That's where the last five
weeks have gone." You can follow a pattern established by another
woman, or you can create your own, or you can follow a pattern and
personalize it with your choice of materials.
1104
I mean, they're called QUILTING CIRCLES and SEWING CIRCLES, people?
How much more of a HINT do you need?!?!?!
Howzaboutit? Anyone else interested in a coven of Crafters who
literally craft? I feel it deeply enough that I can finally call
myselef Wiccan/Witch and have it feel right.
However, I'd rather not do this by myself. I realize that many people
would rather follow Wicca in a different way, but if this way feels so
wonderful to me, it MIGHT be good for others, too. I'm not saying
that you need to do this the same way *I* do it; just give it a try
and see how it feels. If you like, try consecrating your materials
before starting. Make something (I'm not just talking quilts, here,
but ALL kinds of crafts) with a Pagan theme. After I finish here, I'd
LOVE to make a four-pane quilt with a full moon, a chalice, a blade,
and a tree in the panes.
Any feedback on this? I can't tell you how strongly I feel this and
how amazed I am at that strength. If I really allowed myself to
absorb this, I think I'd be in tears. Maybe I'm just typing this to
get it on "paper"; I don't know. But I've never felt this way -- this
sublime -- about anything connected with Paganism/Wicca before.
THIS CAN'T BE COINCIDENCE!!!!!!!
Blessings,
Janis C.
1105
{file "Sophia and Gnosticism (Terry J. McCombs)" "bos251.htm"}
SOPHIA
By Terry J. McCombs
NAME: SOPHIA which is the Greek verson of Her name, other names and
titles are Hohkma (Hebrew), Sapienta (Latin), Mother-Of-All (Gnostic),
Holy Spirit (very early Christians),Wisdom (what the other names
mean).
SYMBOLS: A cup, the cresent moon, a dove, a tree.
USUAL IMAGE: A red winged woman, crowned with seven stars, at Her feet
lies the World, She carrys a golden cup. She is also often shown
wareing a red gown, and pregnant.
HOLY DAYS: November 28th is the Day of Sophia.
HOLY BOOKS: The Trattato Gnostico. The Clementine Homilies. The
Gospel According to Mary.
PLACES OF WORSHIP: Temples, but also places of learning.
RELATIVES: Yahway (ex-husband), Adam, Eve, Lilith, angels (children),
Jesus Christ (step-son).
SYNODIETIES:Isis (Egyptian), Juno (Roman), Hera (Greek), Frigga
(Norse) Spider Grandmother (Native American), Inanna (Sumerian), Tara
(Tibetan) Yemaya (African-Caribbean), Amaterasu (Japanese), Pachamama
(Incan), Estsanatlehi \}Changing Woman\{ (Navajo and Apache), Danu
(Celtic).
DETAILS: Sophia, or Hohkma or Sapienta etc... is the primary female
figure of Judeo-Christianity, She was once very important, but because
of the efforts of men who had a very serious problem with the female
force in nature and themselfs She has all but been exsponged from
modern Bibles. She was the veiled holy spirit of wisdom, pregnant with
knowledge and inviting us to drink deeply from Her cup. Old Jewish
literature tells of Her role as God's co-creator, "She reaches out
from one end of the earth to the other with full strength and orders
all things well...Herself unchanging, she makes all things anew."
without Her God is powerless. She shares God's throne, and is his
creative breath. The Shakers recognized her in the rhyme: "Wisdom
holds the Mother's seat, and is the Father's helper-meet."
Yes, it's time that Mrs God got Her due!
1106
Gnostics and sophia
Gnosticism (Gnost = knowledge) was one of the very earlyist forms of
Christianty being some what older then what became the Roman Catholic
Church, and one of it's chief rivals during the first part of the
first millennium. They sought communion with Sige (Silence) who dwelt
at the beginning of all things and gave birth to Sophia (Wisdom or
Knowledge), The Gnostic Great Mother, who was both spouse and mother
of God. (Hey! it's how they thought back then, read your Joseph
Campbell.)
What became the orthodox church especially hated the Gnosticfemin-
ine imagery. Followers of Paul denounced the Gnostics as the spawn of
Satan and ravening wolves in human form, and both devil worshipers AND
atheists, and other insults Christians used against other Christians
of a diffrent type in those times, and for that matter today against
other religions that they don't like today.
Starting mainly in the 4th and going through the 8th the Paulist
church persecuted any Gnostic minorities that they could find, killing
them in the thousands.
Church fathers of the Paulist type were very upset and angry by the
Gnostics admiting women to ecclesiastical rank. Tertullian reported
with horror that "All initiates, men and women alike...might be
elected to serve as priest, bishop, or prophet. Beyone that the women
teach, engage in discussion; they exorcise; they cure. They even
baptize and in all way have equally, they pray equally -- even Pagans,
if any happen to come...They also share the kiss of peace with all who
come."
Some sects of Gnosticism even went sofar as to say that there were
twelve female apostles lead by the beloved of Jesus Mary Magdalene,
and that while Jesus was the real God made flesh, Mary Magdalene was
the real Goddess also made flesh, most of their gospels pertaining to
this were distroyed by the eary Paulist, though some have survived.
In return for what the other Christians had to say about them the
Gnostics said that the God of the Roman church was not the real God
but was a devilish
demiurge who only wanted to entrap human souls in lies, illusion, and
evil.
But what about some of these differences that are to be found
between the
Gnostics who had a Yahway AND Sophia, and the Paulist who had only
Jehovah and Jesus? Lets take a short look at the Gnostic verson of
the Garden of Eden myth next.
The Gnostics said that Sophia was born from the primordial female
power Sige (Silence). And that she \}Sophia\{ was God's mother, "the
great revered Virgin in whom the Father was concealed from the begin-
ing before He had created anything.
1107
Sophia gave birth to a male spirit, Christ, (who only much later
came to earth in human form) and a female spirit Achamoth (who later
came to earth as Mary Magdalene). These two gave birth to the elements
and the terrestrial world, then brought forth a new god named Jehovah,
Son of Darkness, along with five planetary spirits later regarded as
emanations of Jehovah: Iao, Sabaoth, Adonai, Eloi, annd Uraeus. These
spirits produced archangels, angels, and finally men and women.
Jehovah forbade men to eat the fruit of knowledge, but his mother
Achamoth sent her own spirit to earth in the form of the serpent Ophis
to teach menkind to disobey the jealous god. The serpent was also
called Christ, who taught Adam to eat the fruit of knowledge despite
Jehovah's prohibition.
...later
Sophia sent Christ again to earth in the shapeof one of Her totems
the dove, to enter the man Jesus at his baptism in Jordan. After Jesus
died,Christ left his body and returned to heaven to help collect
souls.
But notall of Sophia was taken out ofthe final verson of the Bible
by the Paulist, some was able to slip past ie from the 8th and 9th
chapters Proverbs we see the early conflict between followers of
Sophia and those of God. Maybe the divorse was going on at this time?:
Doth not Sophia cry? and understanding put forth her voice? She
standeth in the top of high places, by way in the places of the paths.
She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in of
the doors. Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of
man. O ye simple, understand Sophia: and , ye fools, be ye of an
understanding heart. Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and
the opening of my lips shall be right things... for Sophia is better
then rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be
compaired to Her. I Sophia dwell with prudence, and find out knowlege
of witty inventions... Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am under-
standing; I have strength. By me kings reign, and princes decree
justice. By me princes rule, and and nobles, even all judges of the
earth. I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall
find me... I lead the way into righteousness, jin the midst of the
paths of judgment: that I may cause those that love me to inherit
substance; and I will fill their treasures... Blessed is the man that
heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my
doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life... But he that sinneth
against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
1108
Then we get:
Sophia hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her sevenpillars:
she hath killed her beasts: she hath mingled her wine: she hath also
furnished her table. She hath sent forth her maindens: she crieth
upon the highest places of the city. Whoso is simple, let him turn in
hither; as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Come,
eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled...(but)
the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the kknowledge of
the holy is understanding. For by me (God) thy days shall be mul-
tiplied, and the years fo thy life shall be increased... a foolish
woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing. For she
sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high place of the
city, (temples) to call passengers who go right on their ways: whoso
is simple, let him turn in hither... But he knoweth not that the dead
are there; and her guests are in the depths of hell.
Sounds like thenasty sort of thing that goes on in a lot of divor-
ces to me. Or at least a heated PR battle.
Lets say that the campaign to bring Sophia (or Sapienta or Hohkma or
Goddess which ever) is a success, what are some of the effects that it
might have? I mean other then the religious aspects, I mean also the
political or more mundane aspects, because as it is now while women
make up the majority of those that DO anything in the churchs the
power is in the hands of men, well, with Sophia back thinks would have
to loosen up more then a little bit, so what are some of the changes
that could take place?......:
Catholicism
Sure theyhave nuns, but that does not count because even they have
to have a Priest that is over them (I think I'm really not sure about
the details). So with the return of Sophia we could see also the
Catholic Priestess who would have her very on sacraments and every-
thing (see following message) and to be sure they could also become
bishops and cardinals I understand that such things were quite common
way back when.
And Pope? There was Pope Joan, but she had to be in disguise to do
that.
and all that Pope stuff did not start till well after the last of the
Sophiaist had been offed.
But I know the perfect compromise, there is a lotof controveray in
the Roman Catholic church right now between people who think that
Priest should be able to marry, and those that think things should
stay just as they are. But if you let Priest marry who knows what
would happen! after all nobody can understand anybody elses choices in
books or mates, and if your Catholic would would you do if Father Dan
showed up one day married to a Yahway's Witness or a nice Jewish
girl?! you know what gosips church people can be, well here's the
solution, let them get married, but only to Priestesses, sure that
cuts down the feld a lot but hey! that's tough, it comes with the
territory.
1109
Protestantism
Now here's a group that needs some work, ever seen some of the more
hard-core groups with the men in their Penta-Pimp suits and the
poofyed up hair-dos and their drab mousey wifes who never seem to say
anything? (not to try and get anybody mad or upset, but if I do...I
try) I think there is more then room for a little loosening up to be
done there, and in the more avereage protestant churchs too.
Along with the minister have a wominister, yeah that would work,
maybe haveing another power would help cut down on the power triping
that often takes place. And just think, one more person to gosip
about!
Judaism
Sorry, I really don't know enough about Judaism to talk about
changes that might take place with the return of a Goddess figure, but
I'm sure it would have to mean something...right?
All Judeo-Christianity
One thing that is to be found in all Christian religious groups is
the male-force verson of the leader, no matter if he is called Priest
minister or what, who is let's face it more matter how you might like
to not look at it, is for the most part a political figure, somebody
in charge, so that you have a lot of religion but very, very little if
any real spirituality.
Perhaps that could be fixed with the return of Sophia because with
the return of a Female eleament to a religion you open up the door to
the possibility of the Christian Shaman, something that the world has
yet to see, this person could be ether male or female and..well I
think this needs it's own message.
Even if you are not Catholic yourself I am sure that you are at
least somewhat familiar with each of the seven sacraments that a
priest can perform as part of his office. Just for the record they are
listed below.
The seven sacraments that a priest of the Roman Catholic church can
preform are:
1. Baptism 2. Communion (eucharist) 3. Confirmation 4. Marriage 5.
Priesthood 6. Sacrament of the Sick (formerly known as 'last rites')
7. Reconciliation (confession)
Now, what would be the case if a campaign to return Sophia to Judeo-
Christianity were to succeed? There would be no need to take anything
away from the priests, or even for them to share the seven sacraments
for that matter, I think that the priestess would have plenty to do
with the seven sacraments of the Priestesshood:
1110
1. Pre-Baptism (sacred midwifery) To atend in a number of ways to the
spiritual and physical needs of pregnant women, blessing the child,
doing some rite at the birth etc...
2. Blessing the Cup. Rite by which a cup of milk or water is imbued
with the essence of Sophia.
3. Bake the Love in. Rite in which an entire meal is imbued with the
essence of Sophia.
4. Match-Making. Something that is badly needed before the Priest can
do the marriage bit. a number of ways in which the compatablility is
tested between two people, also the aiding of finding a suitable
match. ("Nu! have I got a girl for you!")
5. Nag. Sort of like confession, only while one is told to the priest
this one is told to you by the priestess, sort of like naging...but in
a good way, a way of pointing out where some improvement could be
made, all under the influence of Sophia and not the good Mother
herself `nach. Mayby it could start out by the Priestess saying
something like "Watch it buster, for you have sined" or something like
that.
6. Tidy-Up. Rite to "clean-up" the spiritual "being" of the person in
question, sort of like all that aura cleaning that the New Agers do.
7. Make-Over. Training that lets the Priestess note changes that would
be helpfull if they were made in an individual, sort of like that Hail
Mary thing, only the Priestess would asign things of a more tangible
form. Like give me one week with no beer drinking, or such like.
The White Goddess. Robert Graves.
Forerunners and Rivals of Christianity. (2 vols.) Francis Legge.
The Gnostic Religion. Hans Jonas.
Venus in Sackcloth. Marjorie Malvern.
Myths to Live By. Joseph Campbell.
The Gnostic Gospels. Elaine Pagels.
When God Was a Woman. Merlin Stone.
The Lady Was a Bishop. Joan Morris.
Spiral Dance. Starhawk.
The Book of Goddesses and Heroines. Patricia Monagham.
The Goddesses and the Tree. Ellen Cannon Reed.
Urban Shaman. Serge Kahili King.
Growing the Tree Within. William Gray.
The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets. Barbara G. Walker.
Many of these booksare to be found at the libary. . And there is a
new one out called Sophia the Black Goddess I believe butI'm not sure
and I don't know the authors name.....sorry.
1111
{file "Beltane (The White Bard)" "bos252.htm"}
Bardic Beltaine
By "The White Bard", Dragonhart Cove, Phoenix, AZ
--------------------------------------------------------------
The BARD should stand to the WEST, unless otherwise specified in the
ritual.
BELTANE RITUAL: May Day
-by the White Bard
Materials: One cauldron, filled with water
a wreath of flowers for the MAIDEN
the Maiden should wear white, if possible
two wooden swords (optional)
a fire, as close to the ground as possible
A BARD/GREEN MAN (note: if you have no Bard, then a
male to act as Green Man should be chosen either
by lottery, or by the Maiden. The Maiden is, of
course, free to request a specific person to
act as Green Man even if there is a Bard available
to the coven.)
candles for all, if possible
*****************************************
% The place of ritual should be set up, away from the gathered
% participants.
% It is more than a good idea to manage bathrooms and such like
% before the circle is closed. This Mystery is not something any
% of the participants should miss out on!
HPS: Go we now to the sacred place
And stand within the sacred space
Turn your minds to sacred things
And dance with me unto the ring!
% HP and HPS lead the coven to the place of ritual by a
% spiral dance, ending in a circle around the altar. The
% cauldron should be at the south. The Bard/Green Man
% dances at the end of the line.
HPS: Come we forth, with the Spiral Dance
Within the Lady's radiance
To celebrate the Year renewed
And praise the Powers, with gratitude.
Earth and Water, Fire and Air
I invoke the Goddess there!
This night we are Between the Worlds
To celebrate the year unfurled!
HP: Earth and Water, Fire and Sky
I invoke the God on high
This night we are Between the Worlds
To celebrate the year unfurled!
% The corners shall be called thusly, that all may hear, but
% shall not be called until the HPS reaches that corner on her
% circumnabulation.
1112
EAST: O Guardians of the Eastern Tower,
Airy ones of healing power
I do summon, stir and call you
See these rites and guard this circle!
Come to us and heed our call!
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
Come to us; and Blessed Be!
SOUTH: Oh fiery ones of Southern Power
Thus I invite you to this tower
I do summon, stir and call you
See these rites and guard this circle!
Come to us and heed our call!
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
Come to us; and Blessed Be!
WEST: Western ones of water's flow
Help to guard us here below
I do summon, stir and call you
See these rites and guard this circle!
Come to us and heed our call!
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
Come to us; and Blessed Be!
NORTH: Earthen ones of Northern fame
Bless and guard our Power's fane
I do summon, stir and call you
See these rites and guard this circle!
Come to us and heed our call!
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
Come to us; and Blessed Be!
% The HPS shall move to each corner, and say, following each
% corner's crying as she moves to the next:
HPS: So I cast and consecrate
This Circle of the small and great:
By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree,
By Rock and Earth, by Land and Sea,
By Fire and Water, Earth and Air,
By the Lord, and Lady Fair!
By Love and Joy and Work and Play,
All things harmful cast away!
By lightening's flash, and rain's soft fall,
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
(Cast the Circle: Blessed be!)
% On her return to the first corner she shall change the last
% line above, and say:
The Circle's cast; and Blessed Be!
1113
% The callers of the corners shall return their tools to the
altar, and then shall join the circle at their corners.
--------------------------------------------------
% Here begins the Beltane Mystery
BARD or GREEN MAN: Thus I invoke the Lady White
To come to us this sacred night.
By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree,
I show you a Mystery!
% The Maiden shall stand beside the HP, who shall hold a
% wooden sword. The Bard/Green Man shall approach them, also
% carrying a wooden sword, and shall, in mime, challenge the
% HP. They shall strike their swords together in three sets
% of three blows, then Bard/Green Man shall strike the HP, with
% the last blow of his sword, who shall fall as if dead.
% (Note: This can be played as a Morris Dance, if so wished.)
% If no Maiden and Bard/Green Man are used, then the above combat
% may be eliminated, and the HP and HPS shall enact the Mystery.
% The HPS' part shall then be spoken by the participants.
% The Maiden moves to the East. The Bard/Green Man moves to the
% North.
HPS: Cunning and art she did not lack
But aye his whistle would fetch her back!
MAIDEN: Oh, I shall go into a hare
with sorrow, sighing and mickle care
And I shall go in the Lady's Name
Aye, until I be fetched hame!
BARD/GREEN MAN: Hare, take heed of a swift greyhound
Will harry thee all these fields around
For here come I in the Lady's Name
All but for to fetch thee hame!
% The Maiden moves to the South. The Bard/Green Man moves to the
% East.
HPS: Cunning and art she did not lack
But aye his whistle would fetch her back!
MAIDEN: Yet I shall go into a bee
With mickle fear and dread of thee
And flit to hive in the Lady's Name
Ere that I be fetch-ed hame!
BARD/GREEN MAN: Bee, take heed of a red, red cock
Will harry thee close thru door and lock
For here come I in the Lady's Name
All but for to fetch thee hame!
% The Maiden moves to the West. The Bard/Green Man moves to the
% South.
HPS: Cunning and art she did not lack
But aye his whistle would fetch her back!
1114
MAIDEN: Yet I shall go into a trout.
With sorrow and sighing and mickle doubt
And show thee many a merry game
Ere that I be fetch-ed hame!
BARD/GREEN MAN: Trout, take heed of an otter lank
Will harry thee close from bank to bank
For here come I in the Lady's Name
All but for to fetch thee hame!
% The Maiden moves to the North. The Bard/Green Man moves to the
% West.
HPS: Cunning and art she did not lack
But aye his whistle would fetch her back!
MAIDEN: Yet I shall go into a mouse
And haste me unto the Miller's House
There in his corn to have good game
Ere that I be fetch-ed hame!
BARD/GREEN MAN: Mouse, take heed of a white tom-cat
That never was baulked of mouse nor rat
For here come I in the Lady's Name
And -thus- it is I fetch thee hame!
% Bard/Green Man walks to Maiden and takes her hand. They
% both move to the Cauldron, and face HPS.
HPS: Cunning and art she did not lack
But aye his Song has fetched her back!
Old Winter's dead, the Lady reigns
And Summer has returned again!
% Bard/Green Man and Maiden both wet their hands with water
% from the Cauldron, and sprinkle it on the HP, who comes to
% life again.
HP: Cunning and art I do not lack
But aye Her Cauldron will bring me back!
% Bard/Green Man and Maiden both move to, and jump, the fire.
% Here ends the Beltane Mystery.
% Note: This Mystery is the more historically correct "Great Rite."
------------------------------------------------
% If there is a May Pole, it should be erected by the men -only- at
% this point, and all dance around it, alternating male and female
% to raise the cone of power as outlined below.
% A normal cone-of-power may be raised, for growth and healing:
HPS: In a ring we all shall stand
Pass the Power, hand to hand.
1115
HP: As the year is given birth
Build the Power; root to Earth
HPS: Pass the Power, hand to hand
Bless the Lady, bless the Land
HP: Bless the Lord, and bless the Skies
Bless the Power that never dies!
% The above four verses should be repeated three times, (or
% as many as needed to fully wrap the pole) and then the HPS
% should say:
HPS: By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree:
Let the Power flow out and free!
% All should release, at this point.
------------------------------------------------------
% Such coven business as must be transacted may be done here.
------------------------------------------------------
% The Circle is opened.
HPS: Thus I release the East and West
Thanks to them from Host to Guest
Thus I release the South and North
With "Blessed Be' I send them forth!
The Circle's open, dance we so
Out and homeward we shall go.
Earth and Water, Air and Fire
Celebrated our desire.
Winter's cold is gone away
Now it is the Day of May.
By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree,
Our circle's done; and Blessed Be!
COVEN: Blessed Be!
% All spiral dance out from the Circle, jumping the fire as
% they go. HP and HPS lead, with Bard/Green Man and Maiden
% taking care of bringing the Bel Fire into camp. Allow the Bel
% fire to burn out on its own, if possible, otherwise put it
% out with the water from the Caldron. Disposal of the water
% otherwise should be to pour it at the roots of a tree.
% All participants may take fire from the Bel Fire to take home
% with them, cook over, or whatever, before it is extinguished.
----------------end of Beltain ritual: the Bard--------------
1116
{file "Samhain (The White Bard)" "bos253.htm"}
-------------------------------------------------------------
SAMHAIN RITUAL: 31 October
by the White Bard
Materials: one cauldron, filled with water
CRONE: This should be an older female.
OLD KING: This should be a person chosen by
lottery, or by whoever is acting as
Crone. It can be enacted by the HP
if needed.
BARD/GREEN MAN: If the coven has no Bard available,
then a Green Man should be chosen
by lottery, or by whoever is acting
as Maiden. It can be enacted by the
HP, if needed.
------------------------------------------------
% The place of ritual should be set up, away from the gathered
% participants. This is not something that people should miss,
% so make sure that potty break is taken care of before the
% circle is cast.
HPS: Go we now to the sacred place
And stand within the sacred space
Turn your minds to sacred things
And dance with me unto the ring!
% HP and HPS lead the coven to the place of ritual by a
% spiral dance, ending in a circle around the altar. The
% cauldron should be at the south. The Old King dances at
% the end of the line.
HPS: Come we forth, with the Spiral Dance
Within the Lady's radiance
To mark the turning of the year
The door to Winter now is here.
Earth and Water, Fire and Air
I invoke the Goddess there!
This night we are Between the Worlds
To celebrate the year unfurled!
HP: Earth and Water, Fire and Sky
I invoke the God on high
This night we are Between the Worlds
To celebrate the year unfurled!
% The corners shall be called thusly, that all may hear, but
% shall not be called until the HPS reaches that corner on her
% circumnabulation.
1117
EAST: O Guardians of the Eastern Tower,
Airy ones of healing power
I do summon, stir and call you
See these rites and guard this circle!
Come to us and heed our call!
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
Come to us; and Blessed Be!
SOUTH: Oh fiery ones of Southern Power
Thus I invite you to this tower
I do summon, stir and call you
See these rites and guard this circle!
Come to us and heed our call!
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
Come to us; and Blessed Be!
WEST: Western ones of water's flow
Help to guard us here below
I do summon, stir and call you
See these rites and guard this circle!
Come to us and heed our call!
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
Come to us; and Blessed Be!
NORTH: Earthen ones of Northern fame
Bless and guard our Power's fane
I do summon, stir and call you
See these rites and guard this circle!
Come to us and heed our call!
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
Come to us; and Blessed Be!
% The HPS shall move to each corner, and say, following each
% corner's crying as she moves to the next:
HPS: So I cast and consecrate
This Circle of the small and great:
By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree,
By Rock and Earth, by Land and Sea,
By Fire and Water, Earth and Air,
By the Lord, and Lady Fair!
By Love and Joy and Work and Play,
All things harmful cast away!
By lightening's flash, and rain's soft fall,
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
(Cast the Circle: Blessed be!)
% On her return to the first corner she shall change the last
% line above, and say:
The Circle's cast; and Blessed Be!
1118
% The callers of the corners shall return their tools to the
altar, and then shall join the circle at their corners.
--------------------------------------------------
% Here begins the Samhain Mystery:
OLD KING: Thus I invoke the Lady White
To come to us this sacred night.
By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree,
I shall show you a Mystery!
% Bard/Green Man and Maiden join hands, facing each other.
% The Maiden speaks to the Bard/Green Man:
MAIDEN: Lord of Life, hail Land-Master!
God of grain that grows and dies
Rising reborn, full of richness;
Fallow fields shall yet be fertile --
Spring sap runs as stirs your manhood
Bless barren earth, bear fruit again!
% The Bard/Green Man speaks to Maiden:
BARD/GREEN MAN: Snow-shoes striding, hail swift Huntress!
Wild one, free and willful Goddess
Bow and blade you bear beside you,
Finding food to fend off hunger --
Winter will not leave us wanting;
Give good hunting, grant us skill.
% The Old King moves to the West. The Crone moves to the
% North.
HP: Cunning and art he did not lack
But aye her whistle would fetch him back!
OLD KING: Yet I shall go into a trout.
With sorrow and sighing and mickle doubt
And show thee many a merry game
Ere that I be fetch-ed hame!
CRONE: Trout, take heed of an otter lank
Will harry thee close from bank to bank
For here come I in the Lady's Name
All but for to fetch thee hame!
% The Old King moves to the South. The Crone moves to the West.
HP: Cunning and art he did not lack
But aye her whistle would fetch him back!
OLD KING: Yet I shall go into a bee
With mickle fear and dread of thee
And flit to hive in the Lady's Name
Ere that I be fetch-ed hame!
1119
CRONE: Bee, take heed of a red, red cock
Will harry thee close thru door and lock
For here come I in the Lady's Name
All but for to fetch thee hame!
% The Old King moves to the East. The Crone moves to the South.
HP: Cunning and art he did not lack
But aye her whistle would fetch him back!
OLD KING: Oh, I shall go into a hare
with sorrow, sighing and mickle care
And I shall go in the Lady's Name
Aye, until I be fetch-ed hame!
CRONE: Hare, take heed of a swift greyhound
Will harry thee all these fields around
For here come I in the Lady's Name
All but for to fetch thee hame!
% The Old King moves to the North. The Crone moves to the East.
HP: Cunning and art he did not lack
But aye her whistle would fetch him back!
OLD KING: Yet I shall go into a mouse
And haste me unto the Miller's House
There in his corn to have good game
Ere that I be fetch-ed hame!
CRONE: Mouse, take heed of a white she-cat
That never was baulked of mouse nor rat
For here come I in the Lady's Name
And -thus- it is I fetch thee hame!
% Crone walks to Old King and takes his hand. He falls as if
% dead.
HPS: Cunning and art he did not lack
But aye Her Song has fetched Him back!
Summer's gone, the Lady reigns
And Winter has returned again!
% Maiden wets her hands with water from the Cauldron, and
% sprinkles it on the Old King, who comes to life again.
OK: Cunning and art I do not lack
But aye Her Cauldron will bring me back!
% The Crone and Old King shall join hands, facing each other,
% and say:
Note: These Norse style verses were taken from a file I got
(I think) from Paul Seymour. Don't know who author is.
1120
CRONE: One-eye, Wanderer, God of wisdom,
Hunt-lord, hail, who leads the hosting!
Nine nights hanging, knowledge gaining,
Cloaked at crossroads, council hidden.
Now the night, your time, is near us --
Right roads send us on, Rune-winner.
OLD KING: Every age your eyes have witnessed;
Cauldron-Keeper, hail wise Crone!
Rede in riddles is your ration --
Wyrd-weaver at the World-tree's root.
Eldest ancient, all-knowing one,
Speak unto us, send us vision!
% Here the HPS should say:
HPS: We remember our dead; our loved ones gone to the Summerland
before
us. Give them peace and joy.
ALL: Blessed be!
% Here ends the Samhain Mystery.
----------------------------------------------------
% A normal cone-of-power may be raised, for growth and healing:
HPS: In a ring we all shall stand
Pass the Power, hand to hand.
HP: As the season turns again
Power flows from friend to friend
HPS: Pass the Power, hand to hand
Bless the Lady, bless the Land
HP: Bless the Lord, and bless the Skies
Bless the Power that never dies!
% The above four verses should be repeated three times, or as
% many times as needed, and the HPS shall then say:
HPS: By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree:
Let the Power flow out and free!
% All should release, at this point.
------------------------------------------------------
% Any needed coven business may be transacted here.
------------------------------------------------------
% The Circle is opened:
HPS: Thus I release the East and West
Thanks to them from Host to Guest
Thus I release the South and North
With "Blessed Be' I send them forth!
The Circle's open, dance we so
Out and homeward we shall go.
Earth and Water, Air and Fire
Celebrated our desire.
We think of those in Summerland
Who dance together, hand in hand.
By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree,
Our circle's done; and Blessed Be!
COVEN: Blessed Be!
% All spiral dance out from the Circle, led by HP and HPS.
******************************************************
{file "Celtic Bibliography (Annotated, by Eryn Darkstar)" "bos254.htm"}
CELTIC STUDIES ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Notations c. 1991/1992 Erynn Darkstar.
The following books, articles, papers and ephemera are in my personal
collection are photocopies. Annotations will contain notes regarding
the format of the material, my general comments or impressions as to
copy quality or the usefulness of the material for a Pagan practit-
ioner.
C - cloth binding
T - trade paper
M - mass paper
P - photocopy
S - spiral bound
A - article
E - ephemeral material of some sort, e.g. cards, charts, etc.
244 entries as of April 18, 1992.
-- Basic Irish for Parents, (Institiuid Teangeolathochta Eireann,
1985) P, gover language course for parents with children learning
Gaelic. Incomplete.
-- Britannia After the Romans; Being an Attempt to
Illustrate the Religious and Revolutions of That Province in the Fifth
and Succeeding Centuries. (Henry G. Bohn, London, 1836) C, uncut
pages. An early examination of Celtic mythology and society with a
critical and discerning eye for bullshit.
-- Do Ghabh.laibh Arend, (no pub data available)
PS, vol 1 of possibly 4 or 5. English text and translation.
Covers the beginning of the world to the invasio the Sons of M.l. --
Focl.ir P.ca English-Irish Irish-English Dictionary (An G.m, Baile
Atha Clia T, pocket dictionary.
-- The Birth of Merlin : A Comedy Attributed to William Shakespeare &
William R (Element Books, Longmead 1989) T, commentary by RJ Stewart
and others. More of Stewart's "Merlinology".
Bain, George, Celtic Art : The Methods of Construction (Dover, NY
1973) T, an introduction to constructing knotwork designs.
Bartrum, P. C., Tri Thlws Ar Ddeg Ynys Brydain : The Thirteen Trea-
sures of Brit (Etudes Celtiques, 1963) AP, a discussion of the 13
Treasures, some original te from Welsh with English translation.
Bleakley, Alan, Fruits of the Moon Tree : The Medicine Wheel &
Transpersonal Psychology (Gateway Books, Bath 1988) T, Jungian/Graves-
ian psychobabble based in tree-lore.
Bodmer, Frederick, The Loom of Language : An Approach to the Mastery
of Many Languages (Norton, NY1985) T, reprint of 1944 edition. Lin-
guistics, touches on Celtic languages among others in the Indo-Europ-
ean group.
Bonwick, James, Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions (Dorset 1986) C,
reprint o edition.
1134
Bord, Janet & Colin, Earth Rites (Grenada Publishing, London 1982) C,
book club by arrangement with publisher. Fertility folklore and
archaeology.
Bord, Janet & Colin, Sacred Waters : Holy wells and water lore in
Britain and I (Grenada Publishing, London 1985) C, folklore and site
gazetteer of wells and springs.
Bord, Janet & Colin, The Secret Country (Walker and Co, NY 1976) C,
folklore, l UFO's and mysterious sites.
Borvo, Alan, Le Grand Oracle Celtique d'Alan Borvo (Grimaud, nd) ET,
card deck, layout chart and booklet in French and English. Unusual
three-suit and Major Arcana structure.
Breathnach, Breand.n, Folk Music and Dances of Ireland (Mercier Press,
Dublin 1 T, reprint of 1971 edition. Brief history of folk music and
dance with some sa scores.
Breatnach, Liam, The Cauldron of Poesy, (Eriu #32, 1981) AP, Irish and
English dealing with internal "cauldrons" and possibly a meditative or
yogic system. G glossary appended.
Breeze, David J. and Brian Dobson, Hadrian's Wall (Pelican/Penguin,
Middlesex 1 M, b/w photo plates. An archaeological survey of Had-
rian's Wall and the sites deities associated with it.
Briggs, Katherine M, A Dictionary of British Folk-Tales (Indiana
University Pre Bloomington 1970) C, vols 1-4 of 4 vols. 1 and 2 are
Folk Narratives, 3 and 4 Folk Legends. No real indexing or table of
contents, so things are difficult to locate.
Briggs, Katherine M. The Fairies in English Tradition and Literature
(Bellew Pu London 1989) T, reissue of 1967 edition. Celtic and later
British lore.
Bromwich, Rachel, Celtic Dynastic Themes and the Breton Lays (Etudes
Celtiques, AP, a discussion of kingship and successsion with the
figure of Sovereignty outlined.
Bromwich, Rachel, Trioedd Ynys Prydein : The Welsh Triads (University
of Wales Cardiff, 1961) P, translation and discussion of the Welsh
Triads. Welsh and English. Four pages in the indexes and supplemen-
tary material on names are bad copies.
Brown, Beth Phillips, A Celtic Daybook (White Pine Press, Fredonia NY
1987) T, perpetual illustrated calendar with brief mythological
commentary.
Buchan, David, Scottish Tradition : A Collection of Scottish Folk
Literature (R & Kegan Paul, Boston 1984) C, folk songs, drama and
poetry.
Byrne, Mary E & Dillon, Myles, T.in B. Fra.ch (Etudes Celtique, Paris,
June 193 The Driving of Fr.ech's Cattle in English, with analysis.
1135
Calder, George, Auraicept na n-.ces : The Scholar's Primer (John
Grant, Edinbur PS, Irish and English text and translation from the
Book of Ballymote, and the Yellow Book of Lecan, with the Ogham Tract
and the Trefhocul. Much not translated. A primary medieval source on
Ogham. Fold-out facsimile pages illustrating Oghams.
Cameron, Anne, Tales of the Cairds (Harbour Publishing, Madeira Park
BC, Canada 1989) T, fiction, myth. Carmichael, Alexander, Carmina
Gadelica : Hymns and Incantations : Ortha nan Gaidheal (Scottish
Academic Press, var dates) SP, have 1-5, and in process of gaining
access to all 6 volumes. Scottish Highland folk prayers and charms in
Gaelic and English.
Carr-Gomm, Philip, Elements of the Druid Tradition (Element Books,
Longmead 199 T, inside look at a particular British Druidic order's
workings. About average terms of an occultist's knowledge of Celtic
lore.
Castleden, Rodney, The Wilmington Giant : The quest for a lost myth
(Turnstone Wellingborough 1983) T, analysis of an English hill-figure.
Cavendish, Richard, Prehistoric England (British Heritage Press, NY
1983) C, archaeological gazetteer.
Chadwick, Nora, Celtic Britain (Newcastle Publishing, North Hollywood
1989) T, archaeology, history.
Chadwick, Nora, The Celts (Penguin, Middlesex 1985) M, archaeology,
history.
Chadwick, Nora, Geilt (Scottish Gaelic Studies vol V, part II, Oxford
1942) AP, analysis of sacred madness in Irish and Scottish tales.
Chadwick, Nora, Imbas Forosnai (Scottish Gaelic Studies vol IV, part
II, London AP, an excellent discussion of Irish visionary and divin-
atory techniques.
Caesar, The Conquest of Gaul (Penguin, London 1984) M, translation by
S. A. Han revisions by Jane Gardner.
Caesar's Gallic wars.
Chotzen, Th M Th, Emain Ablach - Ynys Avallach - Insula Avallonis -
Ile D'Avalo (Etudes Celtiques, Paris 1948) AP, article in French on
the Isle of Apples.
Coghlan, Ronan, Dictionary of Irish Myth and Legend (Donards Publish-
ing, Bangor 1979) T, brief compilation of the more familiar characters
and places of Irish.
Cole, Bryony & John, People of the Wetlands : Bogs, Bodies and
Lake-Dwellers (T & Hudson, NY 1989) c, many photos & line drawings.
Worldwide survey of bog finds and bodies, with significant material on
Celtic finds. Archaeology, hist.
Connellan, Owen, The Annals of Ireland, Translated from the Original
Irish of t Masters. (Bryan Geraghty, Dublin 1846) P, poor copy
throughout, dark and spotty. English-only translation of early annals,
including numerous footnotes regarding the Tuatha d. Danann. Who did
what to whom, and when.
1136
Cross, Tom Peete and Clark Harris Slover, Ancient Irish Tales (Barnes
&
Noble, NJ 1988 reprint of 1936 edition) C, a good standard English-
-only translation of much mythic material.
Cunliffe, Barry, The Celtic World : An Illustrated History of the
Celtic Race, Culture, Customs and Legends (Greenwich House, NY 1986)
C, archaeology, mythology and brief discussion of modern legacy. Many
plates.
Curtin, Jeremiah, Myths and Folk Tales of Ireland (Dover, 1975) T,
unabridged r 1890 Myths and Folk-Lore of Ireland without introduction
from original edition.
Darkstar, Erynn, Ogham, Tree-Lore & The Celtic Tree Oracle : Part I
(Preppie Bi Press, Seattle 1991) T, self-published compilation and
reorganization of the first two Fireheart articles on Ogham and Irish
tree-lore.
Darkstar, Erynn, Ogham, Tree-Lore and The Celtic Tree Oracle: Search-
ing for Roots (Ouroboros, Roskilde Denmark various dates) A, Manteia :
A magazine for the mantic arts #3, #4, #6. Parts 1, 2 & 3 of a
projected 7-part series.
Darkstar, Erynn, Ogham, Tree-Lore and The Celtic Tree Oracle (Fire-
heart, 1991) 1 of projected 5-part series.
Davidson, HR Ellis, Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe : Early
Scandinavian and Celtic Religions (Syracuse University Press, Syracuse
1988) T, archaeology and folklore.
Davis, Courtney, Celtic Iron-On Transfer Patterns (Dover, NY 1989) T,
only artwork.
Davis, Courtney, The Celtic Tarot (Aquarian, Wellingborough 1991) ET,
accompany book by Helena Patterson. Nice Tarot deck artwork, but the
book is really abysmal. Has one of those stinky plastic casette
keepers.
de Santillana, Giorgio and Hertha von Dechend, Hamlet's Mill : An
Essay Investigating the Origins of Human Knowledge and its Trans-
mission Through Myth 2ed (David R. Godine, Boston 1983)
de Troyes, Chr.tien, Arthurian Romances, Including Perceval, (Everyman
Library, Charles E. Tuttle & Co, Rutland VT 1991) T, translation by D.
D. R. Owen. A good translation of some of the original Arthurian
material.
Dillon, Myles & . Cr.in.n, Donncha, Teach Yourself Irish (Random
House, NY 1987 confusing language course in the "Teach Yourself..."
series.
Dillon, Myles, Early Irish Literature (University of Chicago Press,
Chicago 194 summary of many mythic themes by an acknowledged expert in
the field.
Dillon, Myles, The Cycles of the Kings, (Oxford University Press,
London 1946) compilation of English-only translations of King Cycle
tales.
1137
Doan, James E., Sovereignty Aspects in the Roles of Women in Medieval
Irish and Society (Northeastern University, Boston 1984) P, Irish
Studies Program working paper.
Doan, James E., Studies in Welsh Arthurian Romance: Peredur and
Trystan (Northeastern University, Boston 1990) P, Irish Studies
Program working paper. Dobbs, ME, Altromh Tighi da Medar : The Foster-
age of the House of the Two Goble (Zeitschrift Fur Celtische Phil-
ologie, NY 1930, Band XVIII) AP, tale in Irish a English featuring
Manann.n mac Lir and others of the S.dhe.
Dorson, Richard M (ed), Peasant Customs and Savage Myths : Selections
from the British Folklorists, 2 vols (University of Chicago Press,
Chicago 1968) C, Discussions of and excerpts from the works of
influential British folklorists.
Duval, Paul-Marie, Obesrvations sur le Calendrier de Goligny, III
(Etudes Celti 1963) AP, French article (third in a series) on the
Coligny Calendar.
Dwelly, Edward, Faclair Gaidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan : Dwelly's
Illustrated G English Dictionary (Alexander MacLaren & Sons, Glasgow
1967) C, Scottish Gaelic, line illustrations
Dyer, T. F. Thiselton, British Popular Customs, Present and Past;
Illustrating and Domestic Manners of the People : Arranged According
to the Calendar of the Year (George Bell & Sons, London 1876) C,
calendrical lore and folk- celebrations from England, Wales, Cornwall,
Mann, Ireland and Scotland. Very good early source.
Easpaig, Donall MacGiolla, Noun + Noun Compounds in Irish Placenames
(Etudes Celtiques, Paris 1981) AP, discussion of elements of place
names.
Ellis, Peter Berresford, A Dictionary of Irish Mythology (Oxford
University Pre 1987) T, a good reference by a known Cornish-language
linguist.
Evans, E. Estyn, Irish Folk Ways (Routledge & Kegan Paul, London 1988)
T, discu of folk tools and country life.
Evans, E. Estyn, The Personality of Ireland : Habitat, Heritage and
History (Ca University Press, London 1973) P, double-sided copy.
Brief anthropological stu of Irish personality as developed within the
context of the land and its history.
Evans-Wentz, WY, The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries (Citadel Press,
NY 1990) T reprint of 1911 edition. Folklore concerning the s.dhe.
Faraday, W, Druidic Triads : The Wisdom of the Cymry (Sure Fire Press,
Edmonds 1984) T, unsourced triads in English. Probably from the
Barddas. Ferguson, Samuel, Ogham Inscriptions in Ireland, Wales and
Scotland (David Doug Edinburgh 1887) P, a listing and interpretation
of many of the inscriptions of Ogham from Celtic lands.
Fleetwood, John, History of Medicine in Ireland (no pub data avail-
able) P, chap "The Pre-Christian Era".
Flower, Robin, The Irish Tradition (The Clarendon Press, Oxford 1947)
P, a good primer on Irish folklore and tales, and the Irish literary
1138
traditions.
Ford, Patrick K, The Mabonogi and Other Welsh Medieval Tales (Univer-
sity of Cal Press, Berkeley 1977) T, one of the best translations
available.
Fortune, Dion, Avalon of the Heart (Samuel Weiser, NY 1971) C, reprint
of 1934 Pagans, Joseph of Arimathaea and Atlantean priesthoods.
Fox, Robin, The Tory Islanders : A People of the Celtic Fringe
(Cambridge Unive Press, London 1978) C, an excellent study of the past
and present culture of To Isle, including some very interesting notes
about Balor.
Gantz, Jeffrey, Early Irish Myths and Sagas (Penguin, London 1988) M,
good tran of several Irish tales and some poetry. Geoffrey of Mon-
mouth, History of the Kings of Britain (E. P. Dutton, NY 1958) M
standard reference in the field. Sebastian Evans translation, revision
by Char Dunn.
Gerschel, Lucien, L'Ogam et le Nombre : Pr.histoire des Caract.res
Ogamiques (Et. Celtiques, 1962) AP, French article on the Ogham and
numbers/tally systems.
Gerschel, Lucien, L'Ogam et le Nom (Etudes Celtiques, 1963) AP, French
article apparently regarding Ogham and masons's marks.
Gmelich, Sharon ed. Irish Life and Traditions (Syracuse University
Press, Syrac T, analysis of impact of tradition on modern Irish life.
Gomme, Alice B, The Traditional Games of England, Scotland and Ireland
(Thames Hudson, NY 1984) T, 2 vols in 1 originally printed in 1894 and
1898. Words and music to children's games, rules for adult's games.
Interesting survivals of P influence.
Graves, Robert, The White Goddess (Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, NY 1966)
T, amended edition of 1948 printing. Mythic history reinterpreted
through poetry.
Gray, Elizabeth A, ed. Cath Maige Tuired : The Second Battle of Mag
Tuired (Iri Society, Leinster 1982) PS, Irish and English text and
translation. Excellent and commentary. This press is noted for its
scholarly work.
Green, Miranda, The Gods of the Celts (Barnes & Noble, Totowa NJ 1986)
C, archaeological analysis of deific types.
Gregory, Lady Augusta, Cuchulain of Muirthemne (Colin Smythe Ltd,
Gerrards Cros 1976) T, reprint of 1902 edition. The first accessible
English translation of stories of Cuchulain, the T.in and the Red
Branch tales.
Gregory, Lady Augusta, Visions & Beliefs in the West of Ireland (Colin
Smythe L Gerrards Cross 1979) T, reprint of 1920 edition. Folktales
and anecdotes collected over 20 years.
Gwynn, Edward, Poems From the Dindshenchas (Royal Irish Academy,
Dublin 1900) P Todd Lecture Series Vol VII. Geographic origin poetry
in Irish and English.
1139
Gwynn, Edward, The Metrical Dindshenchas (Royal Irish Academy, Dublin
1903) P, Todd Lecture Series Vol VIII. Part I of 5(?) Geographic
origin poetry in Iris and English.
Haggard, H Rider, A Farmer's Year (The Cresset Library, London 1987)
T, reprint 1899 edition. Diary touching briefly on aspects of English
folklore and custom.
Hartley, Christine, The Western Mystery Tradition (Aquarian, London
1968) T, considered a "classic" by some occultists, it is for the most
part more Atlantis and space-aliens.
Hartley, Dorothy, Lost Country Life : How English country folk lived,
worked, thatched, rolled fleece, milled corn, brewed mead... (Pantheon
Books, NY 1979) T, folk life in England and Wales.
Hastings, James ed. Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics (Charles
Scribner's So nd) AP, poor copy quality. Excerpts on the Celts by
various authors: Ancestor- Worship and Cult of the Dead; Art; Blest,
Abode of the; Calendar; Celts; Druids Dualism; Ethics and Morality;
Fairy; Festivals and Fasts; Feinn Cycle; Head; Ma (Introductory)
(Celtic); May, Midsummer; Stones (Introductory and Primitive); Stone
Monuments (Rude); Sun, Moon and Stars (Primitive) (Celtic);
Transmigration (Introductory and Primitive) (Celtic).
Hawkes, Christopher & Jacquetta, Prehistoric Britain (Pelican, Middle-
sex 1952) reprint of 1937 edition. Archaeology.
Hawkes, Jacquetta, A Guide to the Prehistoric and Roman Monuments in
England an Wales (Abacus, London 1978) T, reprint of 1951 edition.
Archaeological gazetteer.
Heaney, Seamus, Sweeney Astray : A version from the Irish (Farrar,
Strauss & Gi NY 1985) T, poetry based on traditional poetry of Buile
Suibhne, the Frenzy of Sweeney.
Henry, PL, The Cauldron of Poesy, (Studia Celtica #14/15, 1979/1980)
AP, Irish English of a text dealing with internal "cauldrons" and
possibly a meditative or yogic system.
Hoover, Tracey, The Celtic/Druid Tarot (a privately printed work in
progress - yet) E, discussion of the possibilities of a Celtic/Druidic
Tarot system. Grav based.
Hubert, H, The Greatness and Decline of the Celts (Constable Press,
London 1987 History of Civilization series. Volume 2 of 2. Originally
published in 1934. Archaeology, history.
Hubert, H, The Rise of the Celts (Constable Press, London 1987) C,
History of Civilization series. Volume 1 of 2. Originally published in
1934. Archaeolog history.
Hughes, Thomas, The Scouring of the White Horse (Allan Sutton,
Gloucester 1989) reprint of 1859 edition. An account of the White
Horse of Uffington's yearly cleansing festival of 1857.
Hull, Vernam, Cairpre mac Edaine's Satire Upon Bres mc Aladain
(Zeitschrift F.r Celtische Philologie, NY 1930, Band XVIII) AP, Irish
and English text of the Satire.
1140
Hull, Vernam, L.m D.oraid, (Zeitschrift F.r Celtische Philologie, NY
1930, Band AP, notes on the phrase "the hand of a hostile stranger."
Hull, Vernam, The Four Jewels of the Tuatha d. Danann, (Zeitschrift
F.r Celtisc Philologie, NY 1930, Band XVIII) AP, discussion of the
Treasures and Irish and English text from the Lebor Gab.la.
Hull, Vernam, Cause of the Exile of Fergus mac Roig, (Zeitschrift F.r
Celti Philologie, NY 1930, Band XVIII) AP, Irish and English text from
the Book of Leinster.
Hutton, Ronald, The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles :
Their Nature Legacy (Blackwell, Oxford 1991) C, well-written, inter-
esting, and (surprisingly familiar with at least some of the neoPagan
movement. He concludes that there no such thing as a Pagan survival
anywhere in the British Isles. Strictly archaeology-based.
Ingalls, Jaquelin, Moon, Sun and Stars : An Accurate Solution of the
Sickbed of Cuchulainn as a Nature Myth (thesis, University of Wash-
ington, Seattle 1950) P, examination of the Sickbed as a description
of an eclipse and Celtic star-lore.
Jackson, Kenneth Hurlstone ed. A Celtic Miscellany (Penguin, NY 1971)
M, reprin 1951 edition. Excerpts from Celtic tales and poetry in Eng-
lish.
Jackson, Kenneth Hurlstone, The Oldest Irish Tradition: A Window on
the Iron Ag (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1964) P, text of
the 1964 Rede Lecture. Discussion of Pagan Iron Age elements in the
Irish tales.
Jackson, Kenneth, Language and History in Early Britain (The Univer-
sity Press o Edinburgh, Edinburgh 1956) C, hardcore linguistics.
Jackson, Kenneth, The Gododdin : The Earliest Scottish Poem (Edinburgh
Universi Press, Edinburgh 1978) M, reprint of 1969 edition. Trans-
lation and analysis, b the poem is spread throughout the book, not
printed as a whole.
Jekyll, Gertrude, Wood and Garden : Notes and Thoughts, Practical and
Critical, Working Amateur (The Ayer Company, Salem NH 1983 - reprint
of 1899) P, chapter "December" which contains a reference to a gar-
dener's notched writing system vaguely resembling an Ogham.
Jones, Gwyn & Thomas, The Mabinogion (Everyman's Library, NY 1974) C,
reprint o 1949 translation.
Kinsella, Thomas, The Tain (University of Philadelphia Press,
Philadelphia 1985 translation of the Tain Bo Cuailnge with brush & ink
illustrations by Louis le Brocquy.
Kirk, Robert, The Secret Common-Wealth (Folklore Society, Cambridge
1976) C, ed Steward Sanderson. Compilation of manuscripts dating from
the period of approx 1644. Highland folklore concerning witches and
fairies.
Knott, Eleanor, An Introduction to Irish Syllabic Poetry of the Period
1200 - 1 (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Dublin 1957) P, poor
copy quality. English description of metres and poetry in Gaelic with
some notations.
1141
Knowlton, Derrick, The Naturalist in Scotland (David & Charles, London
1974) C, photo plates, line drawings. A brief guide to the flora and
fauna of Scotland. Little folklore, but much interesting information
on location and habitat of na and imported animals and plants.
Ledwich, Dr. Antiquities of Ireland (Dublin 1804) P, reprint of 1792
edition. copy. Antiquarian notes and speculation. Lehmann, RPM & WP,
An Introduction to Old Irish (University of Texas Press, Aus nd) P,
poor quality copy. Works through the text of Scela Mucce Meic Datho
and some poetry.
Lehmann, Ruth P, "The Calendar of the Birds" and "A Grave Marked With
Ogam" : T Problem Poems from the Book of Leinster (.tudes Celtique,
Paris 1980) AP, poetry and analysis in Irish and English.
Lethbridge, TC, The Legend of the Sons of God (Routledge & Kegan Paul,
Boston 1 T, megalithic figures and space aliens.
Lethbridge, TC, Gogmagog : The Buried Gods, (Routledge & Kegan Paul,
London 195 P, story of Lethbridge's dig on buried hill-figures and a
study of related "gia tales.
Linguaphone Institute, C.rsa Gaelige (London, 1974) PE, Irish language
instruct vols and cassettes.
Littleton, C. Scott, The New Comparative Mythology : An Anthropolog-
ical Assessm the Theories of Georges Dum.zil, 3ed (University of
California Press, Berkeley 1982) T, excellent overview of Dum.zil's
material, which includes references to works on Celtic mythology.
Logan, James, The Scottish Gael; or Celtic Manners, as Preserved Among
the Highlanders ... 5ed (S. Andrus & Son, Hartford nd) P, the chapter
"Of the Knowledge of Letters Among the Celts"
Logan, Patrick, Irish Country Cures (Appletree Press, Belfast 1981) T,
folk med herbology.
Lyle, Emily B, Dumezil's Three Functions and Indo-European Cosmic
Structure (publication data unknown, 1982) P, notes and discussion of
God/Goddess roles i IE structure.
MacAlister, RA Stewart, The Secret Languages of Ireland : with special
referenc origin and nature of the Shelta language (University Press,
Cambridge 1937) PS, good modern anlaysis of Ogham and "Oghamized
Irish".
MacAlister, RAS, Corpus Inscriptionum Insularum Celticarum (Coimisi.n
L.imhscr.bhinn. Na h.ireann, Dublin 1949) P, 2 vols. An attempt to
catalogue a of the stone inscriptions and some inscribed archaeolog-
ical finds in Ireland. Reviewed in Speculum as terribly poor and
incomplete, but a gallant effort.
MacAlister, RAS, The Archaeology of Ireland (Nethuen & Co, Lodon 1928)
P, the chapters on Ogham & title page.
MacAlpine, Neil & Mackenzie, John, Gaelic-English and English-Gaelic
Dictionary (Gairm Publications, Glasgow 1979) C, formerly "MacAlpine's
Pronouncing Gaelic Dictionary". Scottish Gaelic.
MacCana, Proinsias, Celtic Mythology (Hamlyn, London 1970) C, overview
1142
of mythological themes and personalities.
MacCulloch, John Arnott and M.chal, Jan, Mythology of All Races :
Volume 3, Cel and Slavic (Cooper Square Publishers, NY 1946) C, two
volumes bound as one; Celtic Mythology by MacCulloch and Slavic Myth-
ology by M.chal. B/w plates, colorized plate frontspiece. Fair to
good general overview with brief retellin certain sections of tales.
MacCrossan, Tadhg, The Sacred Cauldron : Secrets of the Druids
(Llewellyn, St. 1991) T, a sexist, racist look at "non-political"
druidry. Some useful information but mostly either bad or dangerous
advice, like a ritual that includes giving honey to a newborn
(potentially deadly).
MacFirbis, Duald, On the Fomorians and the Norsemen (Det Norske
Historiske Kildeskriftfond, Bogrykkeri 1905) P, trans by Alexander
Bugge. Text compiled approx. 1650. Irish and English. Equates the
vikings with the mythical Formoi.
MacKillop, James, Fionn mac Cumhaill : Celtic Myth in English Liter-
ature (Syrac University Press, Syracuse 1986) T, analysis of Fionn as
a literary figure, from hero to buffoon.
Mackinnon, Roderick, Teach Yourself Gaelic (Hodder & Stoughton, NY
1985) M, a reasonable Scots Gaelic course from the "Teach Yourself..."
series.
MacLaren, James, MacLaren's Gaelic Self-Taught (Gairm Publications,
Glasgow 198 revised 4th edition. Scots Gaelic language course.
Maclean, Charles, Island on the Edge of the World : The Story of St.
Kilda (Tap Publishing Co, NY 1980) C, b/w photos. The evacuation of
the St. Kilda Islanders.
MacLeod, Fiona, The Winged Destiny : Studies in the Spiritual History
of the Ga (Lemma Publishing, NY 1974) C, reprint of 1904 edition.
Pseudonym of William Sharp. Fiction, essays, myth/folklore.
MacManus, Seumas, The Story of the Irish Race (The Devon-Adair Com-
pany, Old Greenwich CT 1974) C, revision of 1921 edition. Mythic
history, pseudo-history and political history up to approximately
1944.
Malory, Sir Thomas, Le Morte d'Arthur : A rendition in modern idiom by
Keith Ba (Bramhall House, NY 1962) C, a passable modern rendition.
Markale, Jean, Women of the Celts (Inner Traditions International,
Rochester VT T, translated from 1972 French edition. Primary focus on
Welsh and Breton, ver little discussion of Goddesses.
Matthews, Caitl.n & John, Hallowquest : Tarot Magic and the Arthurian
Mysteries (Aquarian, Wellingborough 1990) T, a magickal system to go
with their Arthurian based Tarot deck. Interesting but forced in many
places.
1143
Matthews, Caitl.n & John, The Western Way : A Practical Guide to the
Western My Tradition, Vol 1 The Native Tradition (Arkana, NY 1985) T,
analysis of British and Celtic mythological material which states that
Pagan deities are "unregenerate godforms".
Matthews, Caitl.n & John, The Western Way : A Practical Guide to the
Western My Tradition, Vol 2 The Hermetic Tradition (Arkana, NY 1986)
T, an expansion on vol 1 which insists that qabala and Egypto-Greek
hermeticism is the True Wester Way.
Matthews, Caitl.n, Arthur and the Sovereignty of Britain : King and
Goddess in Mabonogion (Arkana, NY 1989) T, discussion of the Irish and
Welsh concept of Sovereignty as feminine embodiment of the land.
Matthews, Caitl.n, Mabon and the Mysteries of Britain : An Exploration
of the Mabinobion (Arkana, NY 1987) T, another Matthews "occult book
of the month club" publication.
Matthews, Caitl.n, The Celtic Tradition (Element Books, Longmead 1989)
T, volum "The Elements of..." series. So-so introductory Celtic myth
and culture.
Matthews, John, Taliesin : Shamanism and the Bardic Mysteries in
Britain and Ir (Aquarian, Wellingborough 1991) T, better than their
average attempt. Good discussion of similarities between "shamanic"
trance-techniques and aspects of "bardic mysteries."
Matthews, John & Caitl.n, The Aquarian Guide to British and Irish
Mythology (Aq Wellingborough 1988) T, sketchy and incomplete compen-
dium of mythic figures.
Matthews, John & Caitl.n, The Grail Seeker's Companion : A Guide to
the Grail Q the Aquarian Age (Aquarian, Wellingborough 1986) T,
compendium of people and places, with suggested magickal system.
Matthews, John, The Arthurian Tradition (Element Books, Longmead 1989)
T, a vol in "The Elements of..." series. Talks about the Matter of
Britain without real talking much about the Pagan origins.
McKenna, Lambert ed. Bardic Syntactical Tracts (Dublin Institute for
Advanced S Dublin 1944) PS, notes on grammar and syntax in Irish, with
some obscure notes and partial translations in English.
McNeill, F. Marian, The Silver Bough (Cannongate, Edinburgh 1989) M,
vol 1 of 4 Scottish folk and calendrical lore.
Megaw, Ruth & Vincent, Celtic Art : From its beginnings to the Book of
Kells (T & Hudson, NY 1990) T, many plates. Archaeology, art history.
Merrifield, Ralph, The Archaeology of Ritual and Magic (New Amsterdam
Books, NY 1988) T, excellent overview of the archaeological evidence
for magic and religi ritual in the British Isles and Western Europe.
Meyer, Kuno, Hail Brigit : An Old-Irish Poem on the Hill of Alenn
(Hodges, Figg Co, Ltd, Dublin 1912) P, a Dindsenchas poem about Brigid
and the Hill of Ailenn Facing page Irish-English text & translation.
Meyer, Kuno, Selections from Ancient Irish Poetry, (Constable & Co,
London 1911 translations of Irish poetry from different periods.
1144
Meroney, Howard, Early Irish Letter-Names (Speculum, Vol XXIV, No. 1,
Jan. 1949 Cambridge, MA) PA. Proposes the Ogham letter names to be
"kennings" rather than a list of trees. Linguistics, history.
Murphy, Gerard, Early Irish Lyrics, Eighth to Twelfth Century (Clar-
endon Press, 1970) P, first published in 1956. Poor copy quality.
Irish and English text a translation, analysis of poetic metre and
traditions.
Murray, Colin, Ephemera collection (Golden Section Order) EP. Deck:
Ogham Diviniation Tree Card Pack. Charts: Directions on Using the
Ogham; Ogham Divination Correspondence Chart. Posters: Ogham Alphabet
Cyphers; The Soli/Lunar Gaelic Year; The Tree Alphabet Beth Luis Nuin;
The Triple Goddess; The Golden Section; The Pilgrim Path of Percival
on the Serpent of Initiation t Achieve the Grael Quest; Four Fire
Festivals. Gravesian.
Murray, Liz & Colin, The Celtic Tree Oracle : A System of Divination
(St. Marti NY 1988) PE, cards and accompanying information booklet.
Gravesian.
Naddair, Kaledon, Ogham, Koelbren and Runic (Shamanic Divination
Scripts) of Br and Europe (Private publication, nd) P, 2 vols. Poor
quality copies, euro size paper. Heavily line illustrated. Very odd,
lots of CAPITALS. Anti-Graves.
Nagy, Joseph Falaky, The Wisdom of the Outlaw : The Boyhood Deeds of
Finn in Ga Narrative Tradition (University of California Press,
Berkeley 1985) C, excellen analysis of the Fenian Cycle through the
Macgnimartha Fionn and its related material. One of the best avail-
able titles.
New Celtic Review (London) P, periodical from the Golden Section
Order. Beltan double-size euro format, Beltaine 1984, euro paper.
N. C. Dobs, Maighr.ad, Tochomlad Mad Miledh a hEspain i nErind : no
Cath Taillt (.tudes Celtique, Paris, June 1936) AP, The Battle of
Taillten in Irish and Eng N. Ghr.d., M.ir.ad, Progress in Irish (The
Educational Company, nd) T, basic Ir grammar and vocabulary.
N. Sh.aghdha, Nessa, Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in the National
Library of Fasciculus I (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Dublin
1967) P, a partial cataloguing of Irish manuscripts. Excellent source
for translations available the publication date.
Norton-Taylor, Duncan, The Celts (Time-Life Books, New York 1974) P,
selected excerpts.
O'Boyle, Se.n, Ogam, The Poets' Secret (Gilbert Dalton, Dublin 1980)
T, Ogham a method of musical notation.
O'Corr.in, Donnchadh, Liam Breatnach, and Kim McCone ed., Sages,
Saints and Storytellers : Celtic Studies in Honor of Professor James
Carney (An Sagart/Maynooth, Naas 1989) P, selected essays from the
work: Davies, The place of healing in early Irish society;
McCone, A tale of two ditties: poet and sati Cath Maige Tuired;
McManus, Runic and Ogam letter-names: a parallelism;
1145
O'Briain, Some material on Ois.n in the Land of Youth;
O'Buachalla, Aodh Eangach and the Irish king-hero; O'Corr.in, Early
Irish hermit poetry?;
O'hAodha, The lament of the Old Woman of Beare; O'hUiginn, Tongu do
dia toinges mo thuath and related expressions;
Picard, The strange death of Guaire mac .ed.in; Sims-Williams, The
Irish geography of Culhwch and Olwen;
Tristram, Early modes of Insular expression; Williams, Some Irish
plant names.
O'Curry, Eugene, Lectures on the Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish
History Hinch & Patrick Traynor, Dublin 1878) PS, lectures at the
Catholic University o Ireland in 1855 and 1856. Excellent source
material.
O'D.naill, Niall, Folcl.ir Gaeilge-B.arla (Richview, Brown & Nolan,
Baile Atha 1977) C, Irish Gaelic to English dictionary.
O'Driscoll, Robert ed. The Celtic Consciousness (George Braziller, MY
1987) T, lectures, essays and articles from the Symposium on Celtic
Consciousness presented at the University of Toronto in 1978.
O'hOg.in, D.ith., Fionn mac Cumhaill : Images of the Gaelic Hero (Gill
& MacMil Dublin 1988) P, selected sections with chapter notes.
O'Murch., D.agl.n & P.draig, Briathra na Gaeilge : Regular and
Irregular, (Fole Chuid, Bhaile Atha Cliath nd) P, book of verb forms
for Irish Gaelic.
O'Tuathail, Se.n, An Fiodhr.dh (privately printed, 1985) P, work on
tree-lore a divination, with some annotations.
O'Tuathail, Se.n, An Lebor Tosach : or the Book of Beginnings (priv-
ately printed tale of Celtic origins.
O'Tuathail, Se.n, Canteanna na Luise, (privately printed) P period-
ical. Issues Print quality fair to poor. Covers mostly very bad.
Primarily English with ab 1/3 written in Irish. Very useful material.
O'Tuathail, Se.n, Duan Amhairghane : The Song of Amergin (privately
printed 1984/1986) P, Irish and English reworking of the Song of
Amergin.
O'Tuathail, Se.n, Roscanna on Bhroguis Drum Damhghaire (privately
printed 1988) Irish and English reworking of "Druid Rhetorics from
"The Siege of the Ridge of the Stag's Call".
Parry-Jones, D, Welsh Legends and Fairy Lore (BT Batsford, London
1988) C, firs published in 1953. Folktales, legends.
Pennick, Nigel, Ogham and Runic : Magical Writing of Old Britain and
Northern E (Fenris Wolf, Cambridge 1978) P, euro size paper. Brief
discussion of Book of Ballymote and Leabhar na hUidrh. material.
Obvious errors.
1146
Pennick, Nigel, Practical Magic in the Northern Tradition (Aquarian
Press, Guil 1989) T, passing mention of Oghams. Relates some Celtic to
Norse practices.
Pennick, Nigel, Runestaves & Oghams (Runestaff Publications, Cambridge
1985) P, size paper. Only slight differences from Pennick 1978.
Piggot, Stuart, Ancient Europe (Aldine Publishing Co, Chicago 1970) C,
archaeol survey including proto-Celts and Celts.
Piggot, Stuart, The Druids (Thames & Hudson, NY 1986) C, archaeology.
Polunin, Oleg, A Concise Guide to the Flowers of Britain and Europe
(Oxford Uni Press, NY 1987) T, color photo plates. Field guide to
flowering plants and tre including the British Isles and Ireland.
Porter, Arthur Kingsley, The Crosses and Culture of Ireland (Arno
Press,
NY 197 Lectures on archaeology delivered at Metropolitan Museum of Art
in 1930. History of the church in Ireland as reflected in monuments
inscribed with cross.
Power, Patrick C, The Book of Irish Curses (Mercier Press, Cork 1984)
P, curses analysis with examples in Irish and English.
Propp, Vladimir, Morphology of the Folktale, 2ed (University of Texas,
Austin P Austin 1971) T, classic work on the structure and analysis of
folktales and the themes. Translated by Laurence Scott, revised by
Louis A. Wagner.
Propp, Vladimir, Theory and History of Folklore, (University of
Minnesota Press Minneapolis 1984) T, a collection of essays and other
works on the development and history of oral traditions and lore.
Translated by Ariadna Y. Martin and Richard P. Martin.
Ragan, Michael, The Runes of Ancient Ireland : R.n n. Erenn Seanda
(Runestone Publications, Dilsboro IN, 1987) S, Gravesian vaguely
Ogham-based "Irish" runic system.
Rees, Alwyn and Brinley, Celtic Heritage : Ancient Tradition in
Ireland and Wal (Thames & Hudson, NY 1989) T, reprint of 1961 edition.
Probably the best popular analysis of insular Celtic myth & folklore
available.
Renfrew, Colin, Before Civilization : The Radiocarbon Revolution and
Prehistori Europe (Alfred A. Knopf, NY 1975) C, archaeology of
megalithic monuments.
Renfrew, Colin, The Origins of Indo-European Languages (Scientific
American, Oc 1989) AP, a new linguistic theory offering a different
date for the Celtic sett of Ireland and the British Isles.
Rhys, John, Celtic Folklore, Welsh and Manx (Clarendon Press, Oxford
1901) PS, volume 1 of 2.
Richardson, Alan & Hughes, Geoff, Ancient Magicks for a New Age :
Rituals from Merlin Temple, The Magick of the Dragon Kings (Llewellyn,
St. Paul 1989) T, magickal diaries and discussion of contact with the
"Merlin current".
1147
Rolleston, TW, Celtic Myths and Legends (Avenel Books, NY 1986) C,
volume in th "Myths and Legends" series. Facsimile of an earlier
edition, probably no later 1935-1940. Mythology of Ireland and Wales.
Ross, Anne & Robins, Don, The Life and Death of a Druid Prince : The
Story of L Man, an Archaeological Sensation (Summit Books, NY 1989) C,
archaeology. Interesting analysis of the Celtic "threefold death"
theme.
Ross, Anne, Pagan Celtic Britain : Studies in Iconography and Trad-
ition (Routle Kegan Paul, London 1967) PS, a classic source, one of
the best works by an expert in the field.
Ross, Anne, The Pagan Celts (Barnes & Noble, Totowa NJ 1986) C,
formerly Everyd Life of the Pagan Celts. Archaeology and anthropo-
logical analysis.
Sapir, Edward, Culture, Language and Personality : Selected Essays
(University California Press, Berkeley 1958) M, essays on linguistics
and culture, edited b David G. Mandelbaum. Influential linguistic
theories regarding the origins of thought, religion, and myth in
language structure.
Saul, George Brandon, Traditional Irish Literature and Its Back-
grounds: A Brief Introduction (A Revision of The Shadow of the Three
Queens), (Bucknell University Press, Lewisburg 1970) P, history,
mythology, literature.
Seymour, St. John D, Irish Visions of the Other-World : A Contribution
to the S Medi.val Visions, (Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge,
London 1930) P, reasonably good material, excellent chapter on imm-
rama.
Sharp, Cecil J & MacIlwaine, Herbert C, The Morris Book (EP Publishing
Ltd, Eas Ardsley 1974) C, parts 1-3 of 5. Morris dance instructions
and music.
Sharp, Cecil J & MacIlwaine, Herbert C, The Morris Book (EP Publishing
Ltd, Eas Ardsley 1974) C, parts 4 & 5 of 5. Morris dance instructions
and music.
Sharp, Cecil J, Sword Dances of Northern England (EP Publishing Ltd,
East Ardsl 1978) C, 3 vols bound as one. Sword dance instructions and
music, folklore commentary. Also includes the Horn Dance of Abbotts
Bromley.
Simpson, Jacqueline, Gr.mr the Good, A Magical Drinking-Horn (.tudes
Celtiques, 1963) AP, a comparison of Gr.mr with the Horn of Bran from
Welsh mythology.
Sjoestedt, Marie-Louise, Gods and Heroes of the Celts (Turtle Island
Foundation Berkeley 1982) T, trans by Myles Dillon. Original French
publication in 1940. highly respected classic.
Skelton, Robin and Margaret Blackwood, Earth, Air, Fire, Water :
Pre-Christian Pagan Elements in British Songs, Rhymes and Ballads
(Arkana, London 1990) T, English-only poetry with some commentary.
Nothing unusual. Modern poetry is included.
Spence, Lewis, Magic Arts in Celtic Britain (pub unknown - book out)
C, better average book. Lots of good information.
1148
Spence, Lewis, The Minor Traditions of British Mythology (Rider and
Co, London C, survey of "lesser" themes of British and Celtic myth-
ology.
Spence, Lewis, The Mysteries of Britain (Health Research, Mokelumne
Hill CA 197 interesting but not necessarily accurate mythology and
druidry.
Spence, Lewis, Myth and Ritual in Dance, Game and Rhyme (Watts & Co,
London, 1947) C, some b/w photos. Survey of world ritual dance, games
and rhyme, with fairly large listing of Celtic/English material.
Spencer, Edmund, The Faerie Queene (Odyssey Press, NY 1965) T, ed by
Kellogg a Steele. Books 1 & 2, with other poetry and commentary.
Steel, Tom, The Life and Death of St. Kilda (Fontana/Collins Books,
Glasgow 197 b/w photo plates. Anthropology. Another account of the
evacuation of St. Kilda.
Steinbeck, John, The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights (Aven-
el, NY 1982 also M, Del Rey 1976. Reworking of Mallory.
Stewart, RJ ed. The Book of Merlin : Insights from the first Merlin
Conference, June 1986 (Blandford Press, NY 1987) C, essays on
Merlinology and mythology.
Stewart, RJ, Advanced Magical Arts (Element Books, Longmead 1988) T,
western mysticism and "Celtic" archetypal forms.
Stewart, RJ (Bob), Where is Saint George? : Pagan Imagery in English
Folksong, (Blandford Press, NY 1988) P, Pagan remains and qabbalism
in English folk music.
Stewart, RJ, The Merlin Tarot (Aquarian, Wellingborough 1988) TE,
Tarot deck an explanatory book. Illustrations and deck by Miranda
Gray. Places Merlin mythology on the qabalistic tree of life.
Stewart, RJ, The Mystic Life of Merlin (Arkana, NY 1987) T,
psychological analy Geoffrey of Monmouth's Vita Merlini.
Stewart, RJ, The Prophetic Vision of Merlin (Arkana, NY 1987) T,
psychological of Geoffrey of Monmouth's Merlin material.
Stewart, RJ, The UnderWorld Initiation : A Journey Toward Psychic
Transformatio (Aquarian, Guildford 1985) T, qabala with a thin veneer
of "Celtic" and western mysticism focusing on ballads.
Strett, Jakob, Sun and Cross : The development from megalithic culture
to early Christianity in Ireland (Floris Books, London 1984) C,
megalithic monuments and religious transformation in Ireland.
Taylor, Isaac, Greeks and Goths : A Study on the Runes (MacMillan &
Co, London P, chapter on the Oghams only.
Taylor, Timothy, The Gundestrup Cauldron, (Scientific American, March
1992) A, article on the origins of the Gundestrup Cauldron, excellent
clear photos of rarely seen panels.
1149
Taylor, Pat & Tony, The Henge : An Introduction to Keltrian Druidism,
(Keltria, Minneapolis, 1990) P, introductory material for a neoPagan
Druidic tradition.
Thomas, NL, Irish Symbols of 3500 BC (Mercier Press, Dublin 1988) T,
speculativ interpretation of New Grange and other megalithic symbols
in Ireland. Thomas is absolutely certain of his analysis.
Travis, James, Early Celtic Versecraft : Origin, Development, Dif-
fusion (Cornel University Press, Ithaca 1973) P, a scholarly study of
the forms and rhythms of Celtic poetry and its spread through Europe.
Turco, Lewis, The New Book of Forms : A Handbook of Poetics (Univer-
sity Press o England, Hanover NH 1986) T, book of poetic forms
including many ancient Celtic verse patterns and structures.
Vansina, Jan, Oral Tradition as History (University of Wisconsin
Press, Madison not directly related to Celtic, but an excellent
analysis of the use and explor oral traditions. Useful in recreating
religious and mythic meanings.
Vendryes, J, L'.criture Ogamique et Ses Origines (.tudes Celtiques,
Paris, 1945 article on Ogham in French. Discussion of basic source
material.
Ventura, Michael, Hear That Long Black Snake Moan (Whole Earth Review,
Spring 1987) AP, rock, voudon and some thoughts on an interesting
Irish connection.
Wagner, H, Origins of Pagan Irish Religion (Zeitschrift f.r Celtische
Philologi 1981) AP, in-depth examination of Manann.n.
Watson, Alden, The King, the Poet and the Sacred Tree (.tudes Cel-
tique, Paris 1 AP, discussion of the sacred tree in Pagan Irish
religion.
Watson, J. Carmichael, Mesca Ulad (Scottish Gaelic Studies, vol V,
part I, Lond AP, translation of the Intoxication of the Ulstermen.
Webster, Graham, Celtic Religion in Roman Britain (Barnes & Noble,
Totowa NJ 19 C, formerly The British Celts and Their Gods Under Rome.
Archaeology and paleo-ethnology. Whiting, Bartlett Jere ed.,
Traditional British Ballads (Appleton-Century-Croft 1955) M, a small
ballad collection. Wood, Juliette, The Elphin Section of Hanes
Taliesin (.tudes Celtique, Paris 19 analysis of a Taliesin tale.
Wood-Martin, W.
G., Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland : A Folklore Sketch :
Handbook of Irish Pre-Christian Traditions (Longmans, Green & Co,
London 1902) P, 2 vols. Line drawings. A wide-ranging collection of
excellent materi including such obscurities as Irish sweat-house
traditions. Woodman, P. C., A Mesolithic Camp in Ireland (Scientific
American, Vol. 245, No August 1981) AP, archaeology. Some thoughts
on a mesolithic site with notes regarding linguistics and the
Indo-European origin of the Irish. Wylie, Jonathan, and David Mar
golin, The Ring of Dancers : Images of Faroese Cu (University of
Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia 1981) C, anthropological study
modern and historical aspects of the Faroe Islands, an island group
of mixed Norse/Celtic ancestry with a Norse language. Yeats, William
Bulter, Mythologies (Collier, NY 1978) T, reprint of The Celtic The
1150
Secret Rose, Stories of Red Hanrahan, The Tables of the Law, The
Adoration of the Magi, and Per Amica Silentia Lunae. Yeats, William
Butler, Irish Fairy and Folk Tales (Modern Library, NY nd) C,
ERYNN DARKSTAR
LAST UPDATE: 4/18/92
1151
{file "Candlemas (The White Bard)" "bos255.htm"}
CANDLEMAS (IMBOLC) RITUAL: 2 February
-by the White Bard
Materials: a candle for each covener present.
a MAIDEN, dressed in white.
a Crown of Light, made from three, six, or nine
candles.
a BARD/GREEN MAN.
a DARK LORD, dressed in dark clothing, and holding a
dark cloak.
% The place of ritual should be set up, away from the
gathered participants.
% It is more than a good idea to manage bathrooms and such like
% before the circle is closed. This Mystery is not something any
% of the participants should miss out on!
The BARD should stand to the WEST, unless otherwise specified in the
ritual.
---------------------------------------------------------------
HPS: Go we now to the sacred place
And stand within the sacred space
Turn your minds to sacred things
And dance with me unto the ring!
% HP and HPS lead the coven to the place of ritual by a
% spiral dance, ending in a circle around the altar. The
% cauldron should be at the south. The Bard/Green Man
% dances at the end of the line. A good song to sing here
% is "Lord Of The Dance."
HPS: Come we forth, with the Spiral Dance
Within the Lady's radiance
To celebrate the Sun's rebirth
To renew life, to warm the Earth
Earth and Water, Fire and Air
I invoke the Goddess there!
This night we are Between the Worlds
To celebrate the year unfurled!
HP: Earth and Water, Fire and Sky
I invoke the God on high
This night we are Between the Worlds
To celebrate the year unfurled!
% The corners shall be called thusly, that all may hear, but
% shall not be called until the HPS reaches that corner on her
% circumnabulation.
EAST: O Guardians of the Eastern Tower,
Airy ones of healing power
I do summon, stir and call you
See these rites and guard this circle!
Come to us and heed our call!
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
Come to us; and Blessed Be!
1152
SOUTH: Oh fiery ones of Southern Power
Thus I invite you to this tower
I do summon, stir and call you
See these rites and guard this circle!
Come to us and heed our call!
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
Come to us; and Blessed Be!
WEST: Western ones of water's flow
Help to guard us here below
I do summon, stir and call you
See these rites and guard this circle!
Come to us and heed our call!
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
Come to us; and Blessed Be!
NORTH: Earthen ones of Northern fame
Bless and guard our Power's fane
I do summon, stir and call you
See these rites and guard this circle!
Come to us and heed our call!
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
Come to us; and Blessed Be!
% The HPS shall move to each corner, and say, following each
% corner's crying as she moves to the next:
HPS: So I cast and consecrate
This Circle of the small and great:
By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree,
By Rock and Earth, by Land and Sea,
By Fire and Water, Earth and Air,
By the Lord, and Lady Fair!
By Love and Joy and Work and Play,
All things harmful cast away!
By lightening's flash, and rain's soft fall,
By the Power that made us all;
By the Power that blesses Thee:
(Cast the Circle: Blessed be!)
% On her return to the first corner she shall change the last
% line above, and say:
The Circle's cast; and Blessed Be!
% The callers of the corners shall return their tools to the
altar, and then shall join the circle at their corners.
1153
--------------------------------------------------
% Here begins the Candlemas (Imbolc) Mystery:
% The Maiden shall step forth, and say:
MAIDEN: This is the time of Brigid, the Patron of Poets and Fire,
and of Healing.
HPS: This is the time of new beginnings, when the Mother has become
Maiden.
HP: The days have turned, and grow longer, and the Sun-child is
growing
to His strength.
BARD/GREEN MAN: I have been a wave upon the sea,
And a spark in the firelight.
I have been a fish in the ocean.
I have been a Thought within a Word,
And a Word within a Deed.
I was cast away, and found again.
I have been made of flowers
And of cold steel and brass.
Fire and ice are alike unto me.
I have been the narrow blade of a sword
That kills without cutting.
And the Void is my homeland.
I have been in Caer Sidi
In the Spiral Castle of Glass.
And the letters on the Standing Stones
Are no secret from me.
I have been in Annwyn
And Tir na n'Og,
I have danced the Spiral Dance,
And drunk from the Hierlas at daybreak.
I have ridden beneath two ravens
And served in the kitchen,
And all places are alike unto me.
I have been a child
And now I come into my strength!
I invoke the Land, the dear Land,
the Earth our Mother!
1154
MAIDEN: The cycles of the Moon have taken their course, and I am
in my Maidenhood. The stars are kindled, and I dance in
their light.
DARK LORD: Thy home is with me thru the long months of Winter, and the
Earth shall lie fallow and bare.
% The HPS shall then light the candles of the Crown of Light,
% and shall approach the Maiden, who is now standing in the East,
and
% place it upon her head.
% She shall now, in company with the Bard/Green Man, circumnabulate
the
% circle, and the coveners shall light their candles from her crown.
% The Bard/Green Man shall return to his normal place within the
circle
% and the Maiden shall place the Crown of Light on the altar.
% The Maiden shall then approach the Dark Lord, and kneel before
him,
% and he shall say:
DARK LORD: As it always is, always was, and always shall be. Come to
my
Kingdom.
% Here he shall place the dark cloak around her, and they shall
retire
% to the West.
% Here ends the Candlemas Mystery.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
% A normal cone-of-power may be raised, for growth and healing:
HPS: In a ring we all shall stand
Pass the Power, hand to hand.
HP: As the Sun is given birth
Build the Power; root to Earth
HPS: Pass the Power, hand to hand
Bless the Lady, bless the Land
HP: Bless the Lord, and bless the Skies
Bless the Power that never dies!
% The above four verses should be repeated three times, (or
% as many times as needed) and then the HPS should say:
HPS: By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree:
Let the Power flow out and free!
% All should release, at this point.
1155
------------------------------------------------------
% Such coven business as must be transacted may be done here.
% This is a good time to bless candles for use during the coming
year.
% This is also a good time for initiations.
------------------------------------------------------
% The Circle is opened.
HPS: Thus I release the East and West
Thanks to them from Host to Guest
Thus I release the South and North
With "Blessed Be' I send them forth!
The Circle's open, dance we so
Out and homeward we shall go.
Earth and Water, Air and Fire
Celebrated our desire.
The Sun's returned to banish dark
The Earth awakes to sunlight's spark.
By Fin and Feather, Leaf and Tree,
Our circle's done; and Blessed Be!
COVEN: Blessed Be!
% All spiral dance out from the Circle.
-------------------------end----------------------------------
1156
{file "Salem Anniversary Ritual (Sandy & Diug Kopf)" "bos256.htm"}
SALEM REMEMBERED
by Sandy and Doug Kopf
presented at Pacific Circle XII
June, 1992
This year is the 300th anniversary of the Salem Witch Trials. This
ritual was presented in remembrance of those who died, and a reminder
that we must be aware and strong even now. The ritual was attended
by over 100 people and was very moving. Many wept.
It is being shared now, not only because it is beautiful, but to make
it available for others who might wish to use it. Sandy and Doug ask
only that there be no charge for attending the ritual. It would
disturb them greatly to find that such was the case.
.
The flash powder mentioned in the ritual was simply a mixture of sugar
and saltpetre (50/50). Should you chose to use this, be careful to
"dump" it rather than pour it. It will not only be more effective
this way, but will prevent the fire from climbing the stream of
powder back up to the hand of the person pouring it!
.
= = = =
.
Quarters are called:
.
EAST: Powers of the East! Lords and Ladies of Greece and Rome!
Guardians of the mysteries and honored dead! Pagans and witches who
dwell in the East, be ye spirit or be ye flesh! Come! Come one and
all who would join us in our right of remembrance, affirmation, and
protection! Be with us now, that the Craft
shall ever survive!
.
SOUTH: Powers of the South! Lords and Ladies of the two lands of
Egypt! Guardians of the mysteries and honored dead! Pagans and
witches who dwell in the East, be ye spirit or be ye flesh! Come!
Come one and all who would join us in our right of
remembrance, affirmation, and protection! Be with us now, that the
Craft shall ever survive!
.
WEST: Powers of the West! Lords and Ladies of the Land of the Celts!
Guardians of the mysteries and honored dead! Pagans and witches who
dwell in the East, be ye spirit or be ye flesh! Come! Come one and
all who would join us in our right of remembrance, affirmation, and
protection! Be with us now, that the Craft shall ever survive!
.
NORTH: Powers of the North! Lords and Ladies of the Viking Lands!
Guardians of the mysteries and honored dead! Pagans and witches who
dwell in the East, be ye spirit or be ye flesh! Come! Come one and
all who would join us in our right of remembrance, affirmation, and
protection! Be with us now, that the Craft shall ever survive!
.
AT CENTER, PRIEST AND PRIESTESS INVOKE GOD AND GODDESS AND SPIRITS OF
THIS PLACE.
.
ALL SING 'LADY WEAVE YOUR CIRCLE TIGHT' AND 'LORD, LORD GUIDE US' (OR
OTHER SUITABLE SONG.)
.
1157
PRIEST: Three hundred years have gone by since that dark time of
history we all remember as the "Salem Witch Trials," yet, even after
three hundred years, we dare not allow ourselves to forget! We must
remember what can happen wahen hatred, fear, and intolerance gain a
stronghold over love, sanity, and tolerance. Innocent people died in
Salem. They died horrible deaths, tried and sentends for the "crime"
of witchcraft. They died for the crime of practicing an alternative
religion, and they were not even part of that religion. They died,
not for their own beliefs, but for ours! They died in the name of our
Gods, yet they did not know Them.
.
PRIESTESS: They were not witches, but we ARE! They were not pagans,
but we ARE! It is our task to remember, and to be sure history cannot
repeat itself today. Therefore, we now call their names into our
circle, to be remembered and honored here. .
THE NAMES OF THE VICTIMS OF SALEM ARE PROCLAIMED, ONE BY ONE, AND A
CHIME IS SOUNDED AFTER EACH NAME.
.
Rebecca Nurse
Sarah Good
Sarah Wilde
Susanna Martin
Briget Bishop
John Proctor
John Willard
George Jacobs
George Burroughs
Martha Carrier
Samuel Wardwell
Giles Corey
Alice Parker
Martha Corey
Mary Parker
Margaret Scott
Ann Pudeator
Mary Esty
Wilmot Redd
Sarah Osborne
.
PRIESTESS: Sisters and Brothers! We will not allow your deaths to
have been in vain.
.
SONG: "BURNING TIMES". ALL JOIN IN WITH THE CHORUS OF "ISIS, ASTARTE"
AND THE CHANT BLENDS INTO "WE ARE THE OLD PEOPLE".
.
WHEN THE SONG HAS REACHED THE PEAK OF ENERGY, THE PRIEST SAYS: .
We ARE the old people. We ARE the new people. We ARE getting stron-
ger every day. We are stronger, and we are no longer in hiding. We
are here, and none need fear us, for our way is love and our ethic is
harmlessness, but we say to the world that all may hear: We WILL
stand against hatred! We WILL stand against intolerance! We will not
stand silent in the face of harm to others or to our own. The few
have become many, and our Gods are awake and strong! Never more the
burning! We won't be burned again!
.
1158
PRIESTESS (LIGHTS FIRE IN CAULDRON): Let the cauldron burn with our
love and our faith! Let it illuminate the world with the light of the
Old Religion. Let negativity and fear be banished in its flames, and
let it kindle love in the hearts of those who hate us. (LOUDLY,
POINTING AT CAULDRON) Fire! Burn high on all planes, that strength
and protection come to us from all directions, as we join hearts and
hands to weave a destiny of peace and freedom! (TO CIRCLE) Let us sing
and dance, that all may remember Salem, and the Craft shall ever
survive.
.
SONG: "WE ARE THE WEAVERS". ALL JOIN HANDS AND DANCE SLOWLY IN A
CIRCLE. ALL WHO ARE UNABLE TO DANCE SHOULD STEP INTO THE CIRCLE, NOT
OUT OF IT.
.
THE SONG SHOULD BE SUNG FOR SEVERAL ROUNDS, ENDING WITH A VERY EN-
THUSIASTIC "WE ARE THE WITCHES, BACK FROM THE DEAD!
.
STARTING WITH THE EAST, THE REPRESENTATIVE OF EACH QUARTER WALKS TO
THE CENTER, POURING FLASH POWDER FROM A BOWL INTO THE
CAULDRON, PROCLAIMING:
.
EAST: From the guardians of the mysteries of the ancient temples, from
the windswept mountains of Greece and Rome, I bring protection and
wisdom! Remember Salem and the Craft
will survive!
.
SOUTH: From the guardians of the mysteries of the towering pyramids,
from the burning deserts of the Two Lands of Egypt, I bring protection
and courage! Remember Salem, and the Craft will survive.
.
WEST: From the guardians of the mysteries of the Standing Stones, from
the lakes and groves of the land of the Celts, I bring
protection and love! Remember Salem, and the Craft will survive.
.
NORTH: From the guardians of the mysteries of the sacred runes, from
the snow and ice of the Viking Lands, I bring protection and strength!
Remember Salem and the Craft will survive!
.
PRIEST: Great Lady! Bright Lord! Lords and Ladies all! Guardians and
Honored Dead! Spirits of this place! All in flesh and spirit who
have joined us here! We thank you for attending! Go if you must,
stay if you will! REMEMBER SALEM! MAY THE CRAFT SURVIVE!
.
Circle is ended.
.
= = = =
.
Written by Doug and Sandy Kopf, Coven Ashesh Hekat, Circle of Circles,
1992
1159
{file "Elven (Modern Mythic Prose by Par Garou)" "bos257.htm"}
This is mythic prose. Take it as such...
------------------------------------------
Elves (Ah Kin) live in Shamballa, the City of Eternal Bliss, also
called 'Foresthome', which lies deep within the forest and exists
simultaneously on many planes. Within Shamballa all needs are met,
all dreams are realized, and no wish is ungranted. Things seem
dreamlike and intimately real at once, Adventurous elves visit the
world outside Shamballa, inhabited by all types of plants and animals
(called, sadly, 'The Dying Realms'). When they do so they are often
on spiritual journeys or exploratory missions. Otherwise it is only
the 'half-elf' that braves such a challenge.
All elves are a family. All time for elves is long (and, arguably,
short). They all greet one another with great big hugs. If the two
have met before, then they sing songs of their travels since last
meeting. Humans who hear an elf sing are enchanted by their voices
and while within hearing distance cannot move, such is the ecstasy in
which they are wrapt. Plants harmonize with all being and their song
is the song of the universe.
Elves don't sleep. They meditate in trance for a few moments and then
enter the world of dreams fully awake. Those elves who spend time
with humans may be able to join in the human dreams and control them,
to a certain extent, somewhat like the computer in 'Star Trek: The
Next Generation' controls the 'holodeck'.
Humans who spend time with elves and encounter such dream-work will
gradually transform into elves over time. Given shared dreams, they
begin showing elven characteristics and attitudes. From this observa-
tion, it has been suggested by elven sages that humans are elven
'eggs', which can be fertilized through dreams by an elf who wishes to
see this 'hatchling' through to 'becoming', or full realization.
As some elves see it, then, humans are like children, some playing
Mother Nature's game, and some not. Regardless, since elves live so
long, it seems likely that all humans may eventually become elves.
Elves rarely eat outside Shamballa, living quite healthily on water
and sunshine. Human food makes them queasy and human liquor is of
unfortunately poor quality. Elven mead and wine are very strong and
tasty.
Elves love trees because they are directly related to them. Elves are
evolved plants, coming from the same 'branch' of the geneological
family. They understand that trees are intelligent, nonmobile sages
of great wisdom, spending the entirety of their lives in meditation.
Elven sages are said to become trees upon their final rebirth.
Elves don't die like humans do. They mature and then, after many
journeys about the Great Star, (this process is not completely under-
stood), they wither and are reborn in Shamballa with continued memory
and a similar, though renewed body. This is the evolved state of the
vegetative cycle of renewal (rebirth). It is said that rebirth req-
uires a conscious choice, however, so that elves who venture into the
Dying Realms and begin to doubt their ability to be reborn may be
reborn as trees instead. Often rites of death and rebirth are per-
formed in winter and spring, respectively, at Shamballa.
1160
The entirety of the elven life, the Way, is one of fun, love and
laughter. They delight in games and their childlike nature combines
with their often advanced intellect to create some of the most sophis-
ticated and challenging games of skill and chance, involving magical
powers, spells, quests and mysteries. Some of those less fortunate
young elves get lost in the Dying Realms and begin to take the games
for reality, becoming dour and moody. A brief time in the company of
other elves usually cures them of this, however.
Their 'religion', if you will, is based on such games. Elves aren't
required to believe anything, but are told a marvelous story which
encompasses and enriches their lives.
This is the story which most elves are told upon their lingual maturi-
ty. It is understood, at the time, that it can help the individual
understand hir place in the cosmos and give hir a basis for inter-
action with the World, but that there are other, equally valuable
stories that will do the same.
'Ah and Kin were the first great trees. They stood atop the world and
fruited Sun, Moon, Seas, Stars and the various plants and animals. In
this way all things grew and ripened, falling off the branch of
statelessness onto the ground of being. Once there, they crawled or
moved to different parts of the world, where they were born from the
seed, pod, egg or womb of their parents. Enjoying the movement of
their offspring, Ah and Kin died and became the first elves - what
humans might call 'gods' and the elves call 'The Elders', 'The Ancient
Onces', 'The Celestial Masters', 'The Old Ones', or countless thous-
ands of other names of endearment. Gradually Ah and Kin, now unified
in the elven race, are waking to their true essence and will grow to
their old strength in a never-ending cycle.'
To the elves the Old Ones are less wholly other beings and more divine
patterns of behavior. In 'worshipping' them elves engage in activit-
ies with which the Old One is associated. This does NOT make the
worshipper of greater value than the non-worshipper. Worship is not
considered a show for others but an ecstatic experience. While the
practice is considered serious business (if anything is for elves!),
once one becomes acquainted with the stories, legends about the
Elders, one begins to realized the value not only of acting but of
watching, of listening to the new stories which they tell through
their new worshippers. No harm is ever done in elven worship, and
those who do so accidentally are advised to return to Shamballa
immediately to renew their sacred vows. Little if anything is
known about these vows, but often they are said to be ideal goals
rather than adopted commandments.
The Old Ones are innumerable in their variation. They have as many
faces and names as there are days in life (and for an elf, this is a
LOT!). The Old Ones this adventurer knows of thusfar are these:
Varda, Star Mother (aka 'Queen of the Stars')
Creatrix, Genetrix, Womb of life. She is associated with planting
and/or defending trees.
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Leollyn, Dancing Father
Magick energy of being, the dancing Song of All. He is associated
with magick, singing and dancing.
Yow, the Teacher (aka 'Uncle Yow')
The Trickster, the Fool. He is associated with deception and the
revealing of wisdom, trickery and education.
Cleowyn, Wizardress
Wise One, compassionate Lover. She is associated with magick and
romance.
Tufyl, Leader of the Festive Spirits
Partier, mirthmaker, intoxicator. Associated with merrymaking,
drinking, smoking. The Festive Spirits include all those substances
which trigger altered states of consciousness and levity.
Snassis, Snake Beauty
Regenerator, renewer, rebirther. Associated with awe, 'death' and
knowledge (books), it is said that Snassis will be the final guide
beyond the veil(?). Her sisters, Almuldhea and Cleowyin (q.v.) are
alternatively said to accompany her in this function.
Vitraya, Healer
Healer, vitalizer and restorer of life. She is associated with
healing, aiding and service generally.
Farrelon, The Game Hunter
Dedicated challenger and adventurer. He is associated with hunting
and game playing.
Kellon, the Silent (aka 'Eternal Questor')
The keen eye, the sensitive ear. SHe is associated with searching,
tracking and quests. SHe, paired with Almuldhea (below) are said to
be neither male nor female, but both and neither. Both are rather
seldom spoken of, actually, for it is thought that to do so is to
bring them shame.
Amuldhea
Mysterious Mystery, Darkness in its extreme, SHe is Death in the sense
of eternal extinction. This is not a concept which elves understand
well, and many find Hir difficult if not impossible to speak about.
SHe is associated with sex, secrecy and hiding.
These are brief descriptions only. Each has countless tales told
about them around deadwood fires and in mead-slick taverns late at
night.
1162
The Pact, by Pete Carrol
Most occult traditions have complex and highly ordered otherworld
cosmologies and metaphysical theories. Yet their accompanying
techniques are frequently a shambles. In contradiction to all this,
one of the fundamental insights of Chaos Magic is that if magical
technique is sharply delineated it will work because the universe
itself is more of a shambles than it appears. Or perhaps I should
more respectfully say that it has the magical property of confirming
most of the interpretations placed upon it. Thus a wide variety of
metaphysical paradigms can be made to fit, even if mutually
exclusive.
So when selecting from the Supermarket of Belief, the critical
question for the Chaoist is: how effective are the accompanying
magical techniques? Hence Chaoist magic is characterised by its
cavalier attitude to metaphysics and its puritanical devotion to
empirical techniques.
For some time Chaoist orthodoxy has had it that cavalier metaphysics
and mythology are incompatible with the formal structure of a
magical teaching order. However, this need not be so if it is only
technique that is being taught and practised. Experience has shown
that people can come together and engage in highly productive
exchanges of practical expertise, and that a formal structure and a
division of labour encourage this.
The Magical Pact of the Illuminates of Thanateros, or the Pact for
short, is an organisational structure for those wishing to perform
Chaos type magic in company with others of like mind. The Pact
exploits the device of a graded hierarchy, with certain checks and
balances, and is delighted to admit candidates with the drive and
initiative to rise rapidly through its structure.
Every occult revival begets a magical child or two and Chaoist Magic
is the major synthesis to emerge from the occult renaissance of the
last twenty years. The Pact is amongst the prime vehicles designed
to develop and carry forward that synthesis well into the next
millenium. It is likely that the Pact will be to the end of this
century and to the beginning of the next, rather more than what the
G.D. was in its time, a century ago.
In practice a number of the formal devices of the Pact are treated
somewhat more lightly than the written conventions might leed one to
suppose, with members styling themselves with such oddities as
Frater Vacuity or Soror Impropriety and so on, in deliberate parody
of tradition. The prime functions of the grade structure are to
provide a mechasnism for the exclusion of certain psychotic
misanthropes and neurotic creeps who are sometimes attracted to such
enterprises and to ensure that that which needs organisation is duly
attended to.
Persons who, having read and carefully considered the accompanying
information and conventions of the Pact, are interested in
contributing to its activities may submit an extensive letter of
application to:
OBLIVION, P.O.Box 18514, Encino, CA 91416-8514, USA
1163
{file "Craft Laws (by Lady Sheba)" "bos258.htm"}
THE LAWS
from Lady Sheba
Your High Priestess
In the Magic Circle, the words, commands, and every wish of the High
Priestess are law.
She isthe earthly,living representativeof our GraciousGoddess.
She must be obeyed and respected in all things. She is Our Lady and
above all others, a queen in the highest sense of the word.
Allfemale coveners must curtsywhenever they comebefore her and
say, "Blessed Be." All male coveners must bend the knee and give her a
kiss on the right cheek and say, "Blessed Be."
Your High Priest
He is the earthly, living representative of the Great Horned God and
in the Magic Circle, He commandeth the respect due to one who is a
Magus, a Lord Counselor, and father.
The Laws
1. The Law was made and ardane of old.
2. The Law was made for the Wicca to advise and help in their troubl-
es.
3. The Wicca should give due worship to the Gods and obey Their will,
which They ardane, for it was made for the good of the Wicca, as the
worship of the Wicca is good for the Gods. For the Gods love the
brethren of the Wicca.
4. As a man loveth a woman by mastering her,
5. So the Wicca should love the Gods by mastering them.
6. And it is necessary that 0 (Magic Circle) which is the temple of
the Gods, should be duly cast and purified that it may be a fit place
for the Gods to enter.
7. And the Wicca should be properly prepared and purified to enter
into the presence of the Gods.
8. With love and worship in their hearts, they shall raise power from
their bodies to give power to the Gods.
9. As has been taught of old.
10. For in this way only may man have a communion with the Gods, for
the Gods cannot help men without the help of man.
11. And the High Priestess shall rule Her Coven as the representative
of the Goddess.
12. And the High Priest shall support Her as the representative of the
God.
13. And the High Priestess shall choose whom She will, if he have
sufficient rank, to be Her High Priest.
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14. For, as the God himself kissed Her feet in the Fivefold salute,
laying His power at the feet of the Goddess, because of Her youth and
beauty, Her swetness and kindness, Her wisdom and Her justice, Her
humility and gentleness and generosity,
15. So He resigned all His power to Her.
16. But the High Priestess should ever mind that all power comes from
Him.
17. It is only lent, to be used wisely and justly.
18. And the greatest virtue of a High Priestess be that She recognizes
that youth is necessary to the representative of the Goddess.
19. So will She gracefully retire in favor of a younger woman, should
the Coven so decide in council.
20. For the true High Priestess realizes that gracefully surrendering
the pride of place is one of the greatest virtues.
21. And that thereby will She return to that pride of place in another
life, with greater power and beauty.
22. In the old days, when Witches extended far, we were free and
worshipped in all the greatest temples.
23. But, in these unhappy times, we must celebrate our Sacred Mys-
teries in secret.
24. So be it ardane, that none but the Wicca may see our mysteries,
for our enemies are many and torture loosens the tongue of men.
25. So be it ardane, that no Coven shall know where the next Coven
bide.
26. Or who its members be, save only the Priest and Priestess and the
Messenger.
27 And there shall be no communication between them, save only by the
Messenger of the Gods, or the Summoner.
28. And only if it be safe may the Covens meet in some safe place for
the Great Festivals.
29. And while there, none shall say whence they come, nor give their
true names.
30. To this end, that if any be tortured, in their agony, they may not
tell if they do not know.
31. So be it ardane, that no one shall tell anyone, not of the Craft,
who be of the Wicca, or give any names, or where any abide, or in any
way tell anything which can betray any of us to our faces.
32. Nor may he tell where the Covendom be.
33. Or the Covenstead.
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34. Or where the meetings be.
35. And if any break these Laws, even under torture, the Curse of the
Goddess shall be upon them, so they may never be reborn on earth, and
may they remainm where they belone, in the Hell of the Christians.
36. Let each High Priestess govern Her Coven with justice and love,
with the help and advice of the High Priest and the Elders, always
heeding the advice of the Messenger of the Gods if He comes.
37. She will heed all complaints of all Brothers and strive to settle
all differences among them.
38. But it must be recognized that there will always be people who
will ever strive to force others to do as they will.
39. These are not necessarily evil.
40. And they oft have good ideas, and such ideas should be talked over
in council.
41. But, if they will not agree with their Brothers or if they say:
42. "I will not work under this High Priestess."
43. It hath ever been the Old Law, to be convenient for the Brethren,
and to avoid disputes.
44. Any of the third may claim to found a new Coven, because they live
over a league from the Covenstead or are about to do so.
45. Anyone living within the Covendom and wishing to form a new Coven
shall tell the Elders of their intentions and on the instand avoid
their dwelling and remove to a new Covendom.
46. Members of the old Coven may join the new one when it is formed,
but if they do they must utterly avoid the old Coven.
47. The Elders of the old and new Covens should meet in peace and
brotherly love to decide the new boundaries.
48. Those of the Craft who live outside both Covens may join either
indifferent, but not both.
49. Though all may, if the Elders agree, meet for the Great Festivals,
if it be truly in peace and brotherly love.
50. But splitting the Coven oft means strife, so for this reason these
Laws were made of old, and may the Curse of the Goddess be on any who
disregard them!
SO BE IT ARDANE.
51. If you would keep a book (your Black Book) let it be in your own
hand of write, let Brothers and Sisters copy what they will, but never
let the book out of your hands and never keep the writings of another.
52. For if it be in their hand of write, they may be taken and en-
gained.
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53. Le each guard his own writings, and destroy them whenever danger
threatens.
54. Learn as much as you may by heart, and when danger is past,
rewrite your book when it be safe.
55. For this reason, if any die, destroy their book, an they have not
been able to.
56. For, an it be found, 'tis clear proof against them.
57. And our oppressors know well: "Ye may not be a Witch alone."
58. So all their kin and friend be in danger of torture.
59. So destroy everything not necessary.
60. If your book be found on you, 'tis clear proof against you alone.
You may be engained.
61. Keep all thoughts of the Craft from your mind.
62. If the torture be too great to bear, say: "I will confess. I
cannot bear this torture. What do you want me to say?"
63. If they try to make you talk of the Brotherhood, do not.
64. But if they try to make you speak of impossibilities such as
flying through the air, consorting with the Christian Devil, or
sacrificing children or eating men's flesh,
65. To obtain relief from the torture, say, "I hold an evil dream, I
was beside myself, I was crazed.:
66. Not all the magistrates are bad; if there be any excuse, they may
show mercy.
67. If you have confessed ought, deny it afterwards. Say you babbled
under the torture, say you do not know what you said.
68. If you are condemned, fear not.
69. Fear not, the Brotherhood is powerful, they will help you to
escape if you stand steadfast.
70. But if you betray ought, there is no hope for you in this life or
that to come.
71. Be sure, if steadfast you go to the pyre, drugs will reach you,
you will feel naught. You but go to death and what lies beyond.
1167
The Ecstasy of the Goddess
72. To avoid discovery, let the working tools be as ordinary things
that any may have in their houses.
73. Let the Pentacles be of wax so that they may be broken at once or
melted.
74. Have no sword, unless your rank allows you one.
75. Have no names or signs on anything.
76. Write the names or signs on them in ink immediately before con-
secrating them, and wash it off immediately afterwards.
77. Do not engrave them lest they cause discovery.
78. Let the color of the hilts tell which is which.
79. Ever remember, ye are the "Hidden Children of the Goddess," so
never do anything to disgrace them or her.
80. Never boast, never threaten, never say you would wish ill of
anyone.
81. If any person, not in the magic circle, speak of the Craft say,
"Speak not to me of such, it frightens me. 'Tis eveil luck to speak of
it."
82. For this reason: the Christians have their spied everywhere. These
speak as if they were well affected to us, as if they would come to
our meetings saying, "My mother used to go worship the Old Ones. I
would I could go myself."
83. To such as these, ever deny all knowledge.
84. But to others, ever say, "'Tis foolish talk of Witches flying
through the air. To do so they must be light as thistledown. And men
say that Witches all be so bleary-eyed, old crones, so what pleasure
can there be at a Witch meeting such as folks talk on?"
85. And say "Many wise men now say there be no such creatures."
86. Ever make it a jest and in some future time, perhaps, the persec-
ution may die and we may worship our Gods in safety again.
87. Let us all pray for that happy day.
88. May the blessings of the Goddess and God be on all who keep these
Laws which are ardane.
89. If the Craft have any Appenage, let all guard it, and help to keep
it clear and good for the Craft.
90. And let all justly guard all monies of the Craft.
91. But if any brother truly wrought it, 'tis right they have their
pay, and it be just. And this be not taking money for the Art, but for
good and honest work.
1168
92. And ever the Christians say, "The laborer is worthy of his hire"
but if any brother work willingly for the good of the Craft without
pay, 'tis to their greatest honor.
SO BE IT ARDANE
93. If there be any quarrels or disputes among the brethren the High
Priestess shall straightly convene the Elders and inquire into the
matter and they shall hear both sides, first alone, then together.
94. And they shall decide justly, not favoring the one side or the
other.
95. Ever recognizing there be people who can never agree to work under
others.
96. But at the same time, there be some people who cannot rule justly.
97. To those who ever must be chief, there is one answer.
98. Void the Coven, or seek another one or make a Coven of your own,
taking with you those who will go.
99. To those who cannot rule justly the answer be, "Those who cannot
bear your rule will leave you."
100. For none may come to meetings with those with whom they are at
variance.
101. So, an either cannot agree, "Get hence, for the Craft must ever
survive."
SO BE IT ARDANE
102. In the olden days, when we had power, we could use the Art
against any who ill-treated the Brotherhood. But in these evil days,
we must not do so! For our enemies have devised a burning pit of
everlasting fire, into which they say their God casteth all the people
who worship Him, except it be the very few who are released by their
priest's spells and masses. And this be chiefly by giving monies and
rich gifts to receive His favor, for their God is ever in need of
money.
103. But as our Gods need our aid to make fertility for man and crops,
so it is the God of the Christians ever is in need of man's help to
search out and destroy us. Their priests ever tell them that any who
get our help are damned to this Hell forever, so men be mad with the
terror of it.
104. But they make men believe that they may escape this Hell if they
give Witches to the tormentors. So for this reason, all be forever
spying, thinking, "An I catch but one of the Wicca, I will escape this
fiery pit."
105. So for this reason we have our hidels, and men searching long and
not finding say, "There be none, or if there be, they be in a far
country."
106. But when one of our oppressors dies, or even be sick, ever is the
cry, "This be Witches' malice," and the hunt is up again and though
1169
they slay ten of their own to one of ours, still they care not. They
have countless thousands.
107. While we are few indeed.
SO BE IT ARDANE
108. That none shall use the Art in any way to do ill to any.
109. However much they injure us, HARM NONE and now times many believe
we exist not.
SO BE IT ARDANE
110. That this Law shall ever continue to help us in our plight. No
one, however great an injury or injustice they receive, may use the
Art in any way to do ill or harm any. But they may, after great
consultations with all, use the Art to restrain Christians from
harming us or tax others, but only to let or constrain them.
111. To this end, men will say: "Such a one is a mighty searcher out
and a persecutor of old women whom they deemeth to be Witches, and
none hath done him skith, so they be proof they cannot, or more truly
where be none."
112. For all know full well, that so many folk have died because
someone had a grudge against them, or were persecuted because they had
money or goods to seize, or because they had none to bribe the sear-
chers. And many have died because they were scolding old women. So
much that men now say that "only old women are Witches."
113. And this be to our advantage, and turns suspicions away from us.
114. In England and Scotland, 'tis now many a year since a Witch hath
died the death. But the misuse of the power might raise the persec-
ution again.
115. So never break this Law, however much you are tempted, and never
consent to it being broken in the least.
116. If you know it is being broken, you must work strongly against
it.
117. And any High Priestess who consents to its breach must immedia-
tely be deposed. "For 'tis the blood of the Brethren they endanger."
118. Do good, an it be safe and only if it be safe.
119. And strictly keep to the old Law.
120. Never accept money for the use of the Art. For money ever smear-
eth the taker. "'Tis sorcerers and conjurers and priests of the
Christians who ever accept money for the use of their Arts. And they
sell dwale, and evil loves spells and pardons, so let men escape from
their sins."
121. Be not as these. If you accept no money, you will be free from
temptation to use the Art for evil courses.
1170
122. All may use the Art for their own advantage, or for the advantage
of the Craft, only if you are sure you harm none.
123. But ever let the Coven debate this at length. Only if all be
satisfied and none be harmed may the Art be used.
124. If it is not possible to achieve your ends one way, perchance the
aim may be achieved by acting in a different way, so as to harm none.
May the Curse of the Goddess be on any who breaketh this Law.
1171
SO BE IT ARDANE.
125. 'Tis judged lawful if any of the Craft need a house or land and
none will sell, to incline the owner's mind so as to be willing to
sell, providing it harmeth it not in anyway and the full price is
paid, without haggling.
126. Never bargain or cheapen anything whilst you live by the Art.
SO BE IT ARDANE.
127. 'Tis the old Law and the most important of all Laws that no one
may do anything which will endanger any of the Craft, or bring them
into contact with the law of the land, or any of our persecutors.
128. In any disputes between the brethren, no one may invoke any Laws
but those of the Craft.
129. Or any tribunal but that of the Priestess, Priest and Elders. And
may the Curse of the Goddess be on any who do so.
SO BE IT ARDANE.
130. It is not forbidden to say as Christians do: "There be Witchcraft
in the land," because our opressors of old make it heresy not to
believe in Witchcraft, and so a crime to deny it, which thereby puts
you under suspicion.
131. But ever say "I know not of it here, perchance there may be, but
afar off - I know not where."
132. But ever speak of those as old crones, consorting with the Devil
and riding through the air.
133. But ever say: "But how many men may ride through the air an they
be not light as thistledown?"
134. But the Curse of the Goddess be on any who cast any suspicion on
any of the Brotherhood.
135. Or who speaks of any real meeting place where any abide.
SO BE IT ARDANE.
136. Let the Craft keep books with the names of all herbs which are
good for men, and all cures, so all may learn.
137. But keep another book with all the Bales and Apies and let only
the Elders and other trustworthy people have this knowledge.
SO BE IT ARDANE.
138. Remember the Art is the secret of the Gods and only may be used
in earnest and never for show or pride, or vainglory.
139. Magicians and Christians may taunt us saying, "You have no power.
Do magic before our eyes. Then only will we believe." Seeking to cause
us to betray our Art before them.
1172
140. Heed them not. For the Art is holy, and may only be used in need.
And the Curse of the Gods be on any who break this Law.
SO BE IT ARDANE.
141. It ever be the way with women, and with men also that they ever
seek new love..
142. Nor should we reprove them for this.
143. But it may be found to the disadvantage of the Craft.
144. As, so many a time it has happened that a High Priest or High
Priestess impelled by love, hath departed with their love, that is,
they have left the Coven.
145. Now if a High Priestess wishes to resign, they may do so in full
Coven.
146. And this resignation is valid.
147. But if they should run off without resigning, who may know if
they may not return within a few months.
148. So the Law is: If a High Priestess leaves her Coven, but returns
within rthe space of a year and a day, then she shall be taken back
and all shall be as before.
149. Meanwhile, if she has a deputy, that deputy shall act as High
Priestess for as long as the High Priestess is away.
150. If she returns not at the end of a year and a day, then shall the
Coven elect a new High Priestess.
151. Unless there be a good reason to the contrary, the person who has
done the work should reap the benefit of the reward.
152. If somebody else is elected, the deputy is made maiden and deputy
of the High Priestess.
SO BE IT ARDANE.
153. It hath been found that practicing the Art doth cause a fondness
between aspirant and tutor, and it is the cause of better results if
this be so.
154. But if for any reason this be undesirable, it can easily be
avoided by both persons from the outset firmly resolving in their
minds that if any such ensure, it shall be that of brother and sister,
or parent and child.
155. And it is for this reason that a man may be taught by a woman and
a woman by a man and that woman and woman and man and man should never
attempt these practices together.
156. And may all the Curses of the Mighty Ones be on any who make such
an attempt.
SO BE IT ARDANE.
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157. Order and discipline must be kept.
158. A High Priestess or a High Priest may and should punish all
faults.
159. To this end: all the Craft must receive their correction willin-
gly.
160. All, properly prepared, the culprit kneeling, should be told his
fault, and his sentence pronounced.
161. Punishment should be the $ followed by something amusing such as
several S S S S, or something of this nature.
162. The bulprit must acknowledge the justice of the punishment by
kissing the hand of the Priestess and by kissing the $ on receiving
sentence; and again thanking for punishment received.
SO BE IT ARDANE.
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{file "New Laws (Lady Galadriel, Grove of The Unicorn)" "bos259.htm"}
THE NEW BOOK OF THE LAW
[sources: The Book of The Law, The Old Laws for the Old Religion, The
Great Book of the Law, The Dragon Law]
Preface: In my years of teaching and running a group, I have always
had a dissatisfaction with the popular "Book of the Law" available to
most Seekers. I felt it to be too archaic in its wording and perspec-
tive -- and while it was valuable in the Burning Times, it simply does
not deal with the concerns and needs of "modern-day" Witches. Over
the years I became familiar with several other sets of Laws. Each of
these had many good points, yet they also had their disadvantages as
well.
Recently, I decided to do something daring -- I took the four dif-
ferent versions of the Laws which I had, and combined and reworked
them. I deleted what was no longer pertinent or meaningful, rewording
others to make them clearer and more understandable, as well as
throwing in a few new ones which I felt had been lacking.
I believe that what has evolved out of this work is a set of Laws
which
are readable, usable, and most importantly, pertinent to the needs of
today's Witches and Neo-Pagans. It is with these thoughts and hopes
that I would like to share them with you. If you should find merit or
worth in them, then I will feel as though I have accomplished some-
thing. The material in this booklet has not been copyrighted, so you
may reproduce the Laws for students or friends, or reprint them in
your publication. It is my sincere hope that the New Book of the Law
will be of use to the Craft Community.
Blessed Be, Lady Galadriel
PART ONE
1. The Laws were created to give our lives form and order, that all
might be balanced throughout all of the planes. In truth there are
two sets of laws which govern us -- one sets forth the ways of the
Wiccan, and the other the ways of the Universe. Both are important,
both should be observed with respect and treated with honor. The
Laws were shaped and molded to teach us, to advise us, and to counsel
us in our time of mortal life on earth.
2. Honor the Gods, for They are the channels and the manifestation of
the Source. Honor yourself, for this force also lies within you.
Love the Gods as They love you, and by loving yourself and your
brothers and sisters, so the Gods shall honor you. As the love and
joy of a man and a woman [or "lover and beloved" -- LAH] flowers and
grows when nurtured with respect, and cultivated with understanding
and honor, so should you love the Gods.
3. The Goddess is the Great Mother, and the God is the Great Father,
and we are Their children; and we shall worship Them, for They are
the rulers of the Universe, and all that is therein. Therefore, O
Children of the Gods, try Them not, nor attempt to test Them, for
They shall show you that he Ways of the Craft are not to be belittled
or mocked.
1175
4. Let the Power of the Craft flow from you only in love -- or not at
all. For it has always been known that the energy webs which we
weave and maintain shall eventually return to encircle their creator.
Thus our works become either the net which entagles and binds us, or
the web of light by which we find the Gods.
5. Let the Rites of the Wicca be a way for the children of the Gods to
be as One -- for Power only flows when unified. Always should you
revere the Earth, and heal and tend Her, for She is our life, our
Mothership, on which we navigate the dark currents of space.
6. When you reap the harvests of your lands, then you shall not reap
one corner of the field, nor glean the herb gardens, or the fallen
fruits of the orchards. These you shall offer to the Earth Mother,
in direct return, or through offerings made to your Circle, or to
sustain its Priests and Priestesses.
7. Always be proud to be of the Wicca, but do not allow your pride to
become vanity -- for those who are conceited are a stubling block at
the door of the Temple, and they shall be cast adrift, to swim within
their own vanity.
8. Observe and listen, reserving your judgement, for until all the
silver is weighed, who can know the worth thereof?
9. As like breeds like, even more so does good beget love and joy.
Your life will be full of love and joy if you are joyful and happy.
10. Your teachers are the servants of the Gods, and they shall plant
the seeds of knowledge within the minds of their students, and they
shall use their power for the good of the Wicca. Yet it is each
individual's duty to tend the seeds which are planted, and to make
the final harvest. Those who misuse the power and the trust of the
teacher's position shall have to answer to the Lords of Karma, and
adjust the balance accordingly.
11. The Temples of the Gods, which are Their abode on Earth, shall
belong to all Their children, and each Circle shall be as a special
family. Do naught against any Temple or any family of the Wicca, lest
you do that thing unto the Gods, and against yourself.
12. You must not be a teller of tales amongst the children of the
Goddess, and you must hold no malice or evil thoughts towards others
of the Wicca.
13. You should not lie, nor give false testimony before your Elders,
or those who are of the Wicca -- for liars are fools, and a menace
unto themselves, and to the Wicca. Be truthful in all your works and
deeds, especially within the Circle, for what you say within the
presence of the Gods becomes manifest.
14. You must not put stumbling blocks in the way of those who do not
follow the Path of the Wicca. You must make no unrighteous judge-
ments of their ways, and you should aid them with an attitude of love
when it is asked for. Yet ever should you keep the Counsel of the
Elders, and reveal naught to others of where our Circles may be, nor
may you reveal our ways without the consent of the Priestess.
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15. When you make a vow to the Lord or the Lady, or you swear an oath
to another of the Wicca, then you must do all that has come forth from
your mouth, for a covenant with the Gods, or with the Wicca, is your
Honor, and woe to those who care not for the fetters they attach to
their souls by not keeping their word.
16. The Great Mother and Father would not have their children suffer
the indignities of oppressors for their sake, for what is within the
hearts of Their children is dear and true to Them. The Ancient and
Mighty Ones shall cause the balance to be made for those who desecrate
the Lord and Lady, Their temples, or Their creations.
17. Never shall you use Magick, nor the Craft, to cause harm, for this
is misuse of the Power, and it is not to be condoned. To cause the
death of another through the Craft is to require the death of the Self
in sacrifice.
18. Never betray any of the brethren, nor the lore of our people, for
you are all servants of the Gods, and must live by the virtues of
love, honor and wisdom. Let truth, loyalty and honor be your creed.
Let them be your guides, tempered by love and wisdom.
19. The Order of the Gods shall you keep, and within Their Circles
shall you walk. You should not say "I believe" when you doubt, nor
claim to obey the Lord and Lady's word when you never enter into the
Temple. You must not profess with your lips that which is not in your
heart.
20. Do not use the names of the Gods in negative or evil ways, for
They love and cherish Their children above all others. All others
They love, even those who know them not. Yet those who hate and curse
in Their name shall have the Mighty Ones take the measure of their
worth.
21. In any disputes between the children of the Goddess, no one may
invoke any laws but those of the Craft, or any tribunal but that of
Priestess, Priest, and Elders.
22. No one of the Wicca may do anything which will endagner the Craft,
nor bring any of the Wicca into conflict with the Law of the Land, or
with any of our persecutors.
23. Your magickal tools are channels to that which is most precious
and pure within you. Do not cheapen them by haggling their price
when you acquire them.
24. Never accept money for the use of the Power. It is sorcerors and
charlatans who accept money for their spells and prayers. If you
accept no money, you will be free from the temptation to use the Craft
for evil or unworthy causes.
25. You shall never take unduly from any human, animal or elemental
that which is not yours to take -- for if you steal from another, in
the end you will have to sacrifice something dearer to you in order
to attain the balance.
26. Show honor to all people, that they may look up to you, and
respect you, and their eyes shall become a mirror for your soul.
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27. Those who are of the Wicca shall not own slaves, for one person
may not own the spirit of another, for only the Great Mother and
Father own our souls. Nor shall you take as a pledge any person's
life, for to do so is to take upon yourself both a mill and a mill-
stone.
28. If a stranger sojourns with you, you shall do them no wrong; they
shall be as one of the Circle, born amongst ye, and you shall deal
with them as you would yourself.
29. Just weights and just balances shall be given by you, and just
value shall you give, and thereby receive threefold.
30. Your altars shall be kept clean, pure and holy, and all that is
brought into the Temple or the Circle shall be cleansed and blessed,
for the joy of the Gods, and of the Wicca.
31. A clean mind should have a clean body. You should keep your body,
your clothes, and your house clean, in honor of the Mother, who gives
these things to you.
32. Let none die without honor, without love, without respect, unless
their actions have decreed otherwise.
33. You should not couple together if it shall cause pain, jealousy or
deprivation to another by doing so. Union for malice or evil reasons
such as these upsets the balance, and the Lords of the Universe shall
make adjustments accordingly.
34. Let those who would love, and would be as one, and bear child, be
handfasted. For the sharing of love in this manner is beauteous, and
love's union in the energy of the Gods, and the heritage of the child.
It is important for children to know and to identify with those who
brought them here.
35. The Law of the Goddess is that none of the Wicca shall take and
wed someone who they do not love, whether it is to harm another, or
for some form of material gain.
36. Remember that your children are Goddess-spawned, and are free
spirits. You do not own nor control them. They are your brethren,
come to visit for a while, that they may share in the vision of your
love and wisdom. Let each parent realize that although they may teach
and guide with love, the child shall also teach the parent, and aid
them in their growth and lesson
37. The etheric web and energy vortexes of the earth are in constant
flux and motion to adjust to the needs of the planet. The sacred
trust of the Wicca is to create and to maintain centers of light and
knowledge, using the magick of the divine spark within us to focus and
channel the forces of the Universal fire. And these are the channels
established between the worlds of the stars and the realms of the
earth, bringing in and regulating the spirit flames which energize and
activate all life forms. Thus we tend and guard the threads of
creation, and we weave the patterns of life and manifestation in an
ever-evolving tapestry.
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38. Never use your heritage or position for self-glorification or
gain. Respect your magick and our ways. We must always recognize that
while others may look to us to lead them, they too are our guides.
1179
39. Keep yor body strong, your mind keen, and your purpose pure, for
within your being you shall channel the Power, and it needs to be
strong and pure. And these are the keys to the path of Oneness, and to
communication with the Gods. Yet first you must learn to speak to
Them in such a manner as They can comprehend you. For the children of
the Wicca must aid the Gods, and work with Them, otherwise the Gods
cannot aid and work with you. Ever remember that the Priest and
Priestess are the living representatives of the God and Goddess
Forces, and likewise that all humans carry these forces within them,
though they may lie dormant and unawakened.
40. As the Great Mother and Father come unto one another and create
with the pure vibration of Love-Wisdom, so should you strive to make
your Temple pure in vibration, and thus a fitting place wherein you
may invite the Gods. Thus, your Circle should always be duly purified
and cast, and likewise, those who would use the gateways and travel
the Circle between the earth and other realms should also be duly
prepared and purified.
41. The Goddess hath said, "I shall not carry thee, yet neither shall
I hinder thee, nor keep thee from having the same opportunities as all
of my children. Thou art free, yet thou shalt not be coddled like
babes in the storm. If thou hast true devotion within thee, then all
obstacles may be overcome."
42. The laggard is but half a person -- and though half is better than
none, the whole is twice as good as the half. Those who do not work,
or who lack the will and desire to learn the ways of the Gods, unto
them is said, "The Ancient and Mighty Ones shall not keep thee within
their house, if ye learneth not."
43. A sanctuary you shall make unto the Gods, that They may dwell
amongst you. And you shall fashion it to the best of your ability,
according to all tha your Elders shall show you, and pure energy shall
you place therein.
44. An altar shall you make to unto the Lady, and you shall make due
reverence unto Her, for every place where She is exalted, She will
come
to you and bless you. And you shall fashion your altar out of wood or
stone, and burn incense and candles thereon, at the proper times, in
observance of her ways.
45. You should set aside at least one day during each moon unto the
Goddess, and on these days you shall do Her work; and on those days
She shall renew Her children and bless them.
46. Learn to build your own Temple, and to craft your own sacred
Circle, and all the tools that are used therein -- for to be a person
of the Craft is to be a person of consequence.
47. Let each of you inscribe your own record of our ways and teach-
ings. For the course of each Wiccan should be charted, that the
patterns of their life-web may be made known and utilized. Let each
Wiccan start their Book of Light with the teachings and lore of their
tradition, yet let it also contain the rites and ways of each in-
dividual, which are the harvest of each child of the Wicca, to use the
wisdom of their heritage as the seeds of their own wisdom. Thus shall
our lore and knowledge continue to grow and unfold, like a beautiful
flower.
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48. It is right to study and to understand the sigils, statues and
stories of the Gods, for they shall guide your thoughts to Them, and
They shall hear them. Yet you must ever remember that you worship not
the sign nor the statue, but the Gods which inspired them.
49. If your Circle owns any land, let all guard it, and help to keep
it clean. Let all justly guard all monies of the Circle, as well as
the rights and property of all members of the Circle.
50. If any Wiccan truly labors, then it is right that they should have
their just pay. This is not considered the taking of money for the
Art, but good and honest work. Yet if any Wiccan works willingly for
the good of the Craft, or for their brothers and sisters without pay,
then it is to their greatest honor.
51. If any Wiccan should deny themselves some pleasure or material
indulgence in order to do service in the Circle, this person shall be
blessed and remembered. For those who give for the greater good of
all shall have their spirit uplifted.
52. Know also that if you gift the Lady's Priests and Priestesses, or
Her Circles, this is an offering made unto the Mother Herself, for a
true Priest or Priestess strives always to do Her work, and to be of
service to Her children, so to honor and respect them is to honor and
respect the Queen of All.
53. And the offerings which are considered the most pleasing to the
Gods are these: the fruits of the orchards the scents of the trees and
herbs the metals of the earth the waters of the earth the flowers of
the meadows and the milk of all mothers. Yet offerings of labor or
money are honest too, and these will also be accepted -- moreso if you
work with love in your heart, for always there is work to be done for
the Gods, and service to be given to the children of the Wicca.
54. If your offerings are made to restore the balance, it must by of a
nature that it not offensive to the Gods. It must be of value, yet
given with a free heart. Thus shall the harmony be restored. If your
offerings are given with a heart filled with love and devotion, or are
of service to the Gods, or to the Craft, then shall you receive
blessings manifold.
55. And when you make an offering unto the Gods, you should offer it
thru the most proper medium, at the proper times, and in such a manner
as to make it acceptable. Any and all remains of the rituals shall be
consumed in the fire, or buried within the Earth, as a way of retur-
ning to the Source all that we use in the observance of our ways, thus
ensuring the continuity of the cycle.
56. All may use the Craft to help and aid them, or for the advantage
of their Circle, or the Craft -- yet only if you are sure that you
harm none. Let each Wiccan and Circle always debate these matters at
length. Only if all be satisfied that none be harmed in any way, may
the Art then be used. If it is not possible to achieve your ends one
way, then perhaps the goal may be achieved by actng in a different
way, so as to harm none.
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57. Throughout the world it has been many a year since Wiccans have
been burned. Yet misuse of the Power might raise the persecutions
once again. So never break the Laws, however much you might be temp-
ted, and never consent to their being broken. And if you know they
are being broken, then you must work strongly against it.
58. In days of old it was decided by the Mighty Ones who came before
us that the Art might be used to restrain others from harming the
Craft or its children, yet only after great consultation with all
members of the Circle, and only then to deflect or to constrain them.
59. And such were the ways of the Lady that She brought us forth in
joy, and such were the Ways of the Lord that His reign gave all life
pleasure. Offer love in your worship and all shall be joyous in
beauty.
60. In the dimly remembered dawn of ages past, the Wicca were truly
free. Then, in Atlantis came the Age of the Misuse of Power, followed
by the Ages of Persecution and Suffering. Thus the people of the
Wicca hid themselves and cloaked their knowlege, and wove veils of
secrecy and silence. And this is how the Ways of the Wicca have been
preserved through the time of darkness. Yet much of the ways of our
people were lost to the ignorance of others.
61. Yet the cycle spirals ever on -- and the Age of the Earth Mother
once again draws nigh. We must be strong -- one with our birthright,
and one with our Gods, if we are to bring forth the balance. Those
who would harm us, or attempt to enslave us, we must overcome -- yet
only through light and love, and never through violence or the evil of
chaos. And through our efforts the time of our people will come into
being once more. In the times which lie ahead, there lies much work
to be done, so that once more the cycles of life are drawn to the path
of light, and the balance acheived through the power of love.
62. In order to bring the ways of Light and Love and Life to the
peoples of the Earth, our secrets are slowly becoming secrets no more,
and it is good that this is so -- for the age of shadow and secrecy is
passing. Yet the sharing of our ways needs always to be guided by
wisdom and by love. Let our rites and our mysteries be kept sacred.
Let no one defile our worship or our heritage. For the defilement of
our ways is an honor loss to self, and for the Craft.
63. Let each High Priestess govern her Circle with justice and Love,
and with the help and advice of the Elders and the High Priest, always
heeding the messages of the Gods when they come.
64. Ever remember that although the Priest is the force with which the
Circle is built, the Priestess is the ruler therein -- for it is
through
her that the Goddess created the world, and all things therein.
65. The High Priestess will heed all complaints of all Pagans and
Wiccans, and strive to settle any differences between them with reason
and with justice.
66. Let each Circle of Light decide how it shall be known -- whether
by earthly name or magickal one. For each child of the Wicca knows
best the safety or dangers of their homeland.
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67. Let each Circle or Temple maintain and dedicate unto the Goddess
and the God all the things that are required for Their rituals, for
what is blessed in the name of the Gods rightly belongs to Them, and
the Priest and Priestess shall be the caretakers thereof.
68. Anyone of the circle who is of sufficient rank, and wishes to form
a new Circle, shall tell the High Priestess and the Elders of their
intentions. Members of the old Circle may join the new Circle when it
is formed, but if they do so they must leave the other Circle, unless
otherwise instructed. For it is the Old Law that each Wiccan may join
the Circle of their choice, yet their energy should not be divided
between two or more Temples.
69. The Elders of the old and new Circles shall meet in peace and with
respect, to decide the level of interaction and connection between the
Circles. Yet it is known that the splitting of a Circle often means
strife. So only if it is truly in a spirit of peace and harmony should
the Circles meet for the celebration of the Great Festivals.
70. None shall enter the Circle that have a sickness or an ailment
which may be passed on to the Lady's other children -- for to do so
causes harm to yourself, as well as to the others of the Circle.
Rather should the Healers go unto the sick one, that through the love
of the Gods they shall be made well and whole once more.
71. It has been judged lawful that if any of the Craft need a house,
or land, and none will sell, to incline someone's mind so as to be
willing to sell, providing it harms none and the full price is paid
without haggling.
72. In the matter of quarrels or disputes between the members of the
Circle, the High Priestess shall convene the Council, and inquire into
the matter. The Council shall hear each person privately, and then
both together. And they shall decide justly, not favoring one side
nor the other.
73. If an agreeable resolution cannot be reached, then that Wiccan
must leave the Circle, for a Circle of Light cannot be properly formed
where there is disagreement and discord. And when a Circle is not
properly formed, the energy within is either dissipated, or turns
ugly, festering like a hidden sore. So let them leave, but only with
love in their hearts and yours, for even though your paths may div-
erge, you are still all children of the Wicca, and there must be no
violence between us. Bear no grudges, hold no thoughts of vengeance,
for this will rot away the foundation of your power.
74. It has ever been recognized that there are some people who can
never agree to work under any others. At the same time there are also
people who cannot rule justly. To those who must ever be chief there
is but one answer: "Void this Circle, and seek another one, or if ye
be of sufficient rank, then form a Circle of your own." To those who
cannot rule justly, the answer shall be "Those who cannot bear your
rule will leave you." For none may come to Circle with those with
whom they are at variance, for to do so angers the Gods, and hinders
the Craft.
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75. Those that do wrong without knowlege shall be held innocent; those
that do wrong through carelessness shall be judged lacking in wisdom,
and dealt with according to the nature of the transgression. Those
who do wrong with deliberation and forethought shall be thrice punish-
ed, and the Lords of Karma shall lay low their pride.
76. Each person must make a balance for their words and actions, and
the judgements of the Elders should incline to try to make good come
from the injustice or wrong-doing. Many are the ways to restore the
balance, so let the judgements of the Elders and the Priestess be in
keeping with this.
77. Do not turn aside those who seek the ways of the Wicca for the
want of an offering or the lack of a robe. You are the servants of
the Gods, and the servants of Their people, and those that seek for
the Gods you must aid in their quest.
78. Of those who would inquire as to the ways of the Goddess, or who
wish to become of the Wicca, ye shall search their hearts, and even
into their spirits you shall look, as you are able. For the Wicca do
not look to acquire mere numbers. Let none be turned away if their
hearts are true, and their desire earnest.
79. The hidden children are like the strings of a harp: each one may
give a clear note, and when gathered together in sympathy and accord,
they shall give rise to a beautiful symphony. Yet when struck without
reason or thought, these notes may cause discord or disharmony.
Therefore the Gods decree to Their Teachers and Priests that all must
be taught to master their harp, and to pluck their strings with care,
that they cause no discord or imbalance.
80. Choose the Priests and Teachers of the Wicca with diligence and
with care. The qualities that you should search for within them are
Faith, Belief, Knowledge, Ability, Patience, Leadership, Humility, and
a loving nature -- for they must lead and teach the children of the
Goddess, and will thereby have the power to do great good, or to cause
great imbalance.
81. In practice it should be that the greatest of the Priests and
Priestesses should guide the rituals within each of the Temples of the
Old Gods, and truly you should be content with the advice and guidance
given by them. Yet ever it should be given so that it is clear and
understandable, for within the Temple each of the Wicca is free, and
thus they should be able to recognize and to understand our ways and
their implications. And those who cannot explain the inner workings,
or give just cause and reason for their decisions, may be questioned,
or the wisdom of the advice weighed.
82. Let the Priestess and Priest lead as long as they are able, and
their leadership be wise and strong, and to the benefit of the Wicca.
Yet if their health is ill-favored, or if the next generation needs to
try their hand, then let them have the vision and the wisdom to step
away from their position, and pass the duties of the Circle t o
another. Let them not become overly attached to the office, nor too
fond of the power.
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83. If a Priestess or a Priest should tire of their duties and char-
ges, then they may step down, but only after having trained and
acknowledged a successor. If a Priest or Priestess deserts their
Circle, then they have lost the right to ever lead again within this
life, so great a trust they have broken. If they should return to the
Circle within one turn of the Wheel, and are judged to have true
atonement in their hearts, new insight and growth, then they may be
forgiven, and allowed to return to the Circle, yet they shall worship
only, and hold no office or title. Leadership is a sacred commitment
and an honor, and they have shown that they cannot be trusted with
such responsibility.
84. Any Priestess, Priest, or Elder who consents to a breach of the
Laws regarding the use of the Craft to cause harm to others must
immediately be relieved of their office, for it is the lives of the
children of the Goddess which they endanger, as well as the honor of
the Craft.
85. The High Priestess may take a Sabbatical from her Circle, if her
personal life and duties require it, for up to a year and a day.
During that time, the Maiden shall act as High Priestess. If the High
Priestess does not return at the end of a year and a day, then the
Initiates of the Circle shall name a new Priestess. Unless there is
good reason to the contrary, the person who has done the work of the
Priestess should reap the reward. If someone else is named, then the
Maiden should continue in that office.
86. Each Priestess and Priest shall choose their own consorts, yet let
them be wise in the learning of our people, and thus others shall
abide by the wisdom of their choice. Yet if the Circle feels the
decision is ill-advised, or that they cannot abide and work in honor
and trust with that consort, then they may request a gathering of all
concernted to meet and to talk, and to resolve the balance with love
and honor. For only those who are pure and strong, keen and wise,
patient and loving, can effectively and properly carry out the duties
of a Keeper of the Circle.
87. Those of the Priesthood shall not neglect their mates, or their
children, or their house, nor anything which is in their possession;
nor shall the sick and the needy be neglected for the sake of the
Circle. Therefore let them adjust the one thing against the other,
that neither should suffer, and that which is given by the Gods is
treated with love and respect.
88. Long ago, at the time of Creation, it was deemed that the female
should hold the power of life-giving. And such was the male force
drawn to the love and beauty of the Creation of life, that he sur-
renders unto her keeping the force of his powers in the furtherance of
life. Yet the Priestess must always remember that the fuel of the
flames which light the fires within her Temple comes from the Priest.
Thus she must use the force wisely, and only with love, and she must
honor and respect he who is the activator of the Life Force.
HERE ENDS THE NEW BOOK OF THE LAW.
Published by: The Grove of the Unicorn PO Box 13384 Atlanta, GA 30324
Ordering Information: Send Legal size SASE A small contribution
towards
printing/handling costs will be appreciated.
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{file "The New Book Of Law, A Commentary (J. Random Folksinger)" "bos260.htm"}
THE NEW BOOK OF THE LAW
Commentary by J. Random Folksinger
I have to preface this by stating that I was first drawn to
this work by Leigh Ann Hussey, and reacted very negatively to it.
This will be my second time through these Laws, with comments that
are SOLELY MY OWN OPINION. I know that Lady Galadriel put a lot of
work (translate: sweat blood) into these Laws, and I am not attac-
king her or her work. Making my points without sounding negative
would have been nice, but I have not been very successful at this;
since several people have been asking me to put down *WHY* I didn't
like them, I felt that getting the project over with would be better
than struggling with a novel-length exercise in not offending anyone.
To Lady Galadriel: I, too, have sweat blood over a reconstruction
project similar to this (and I got lots of negative feedback, too).
My finished copy, which includes the old "Burning Times" laws as a
historical source or what to do when things *really* get bad, can be
had from Leigh Ann, Judy Harrow, or downloaded from WeirdBase in St.
Louis as "JRFLAWS.TXT". My heart goes out to you, but I am commenting
on your Laws from my head only.
Notes:
On the Preface:The Book of the Law, orLiber Al, which Lady G.
refers to as a primary source, is not the same as Craft law in most
traditions as it was written by Aleister Crowley; it is, therefore,
hardly a wonder why it was not found to be very pertinent by Lady G.
If, indeed, Lady G.'s Book of the Law was *not* Liber Al, it is hard
to understand where many of these Laws originated.
The Laws:
1. Form and Order? Ask a Discordianor Shamanic Craft type. The
Laws were created for guidance, as the latter part of this Law at-
tests.
2. Channels, and manifestation of the Source? This sounds more
like New Age Xtianity than Wicca. I should stop talking about the
flowers in the language, although they are disconcerting and very
distracting from the original goal of "readable, usable, and per-
tinent to the needs ..." I suppose I can just use the term "flowers"
as my way of saying that the language is unnecessarily complicated
when it really bothers me -- and most of these laws do fall in this
category.
3. Oh,no. Not the Xtian "Ye are as children"routine again. The
Gods, in my training, wish us to grow, not perpetually remain
children. To not test what they say is the same as channelling some
unknown spirit and believing everything he/she says. We are growing,
making the Gods proud, not belittling or mocking them.
4. This law isover-judgemental (something I am accusedof being
at times), and ignores the need for working with our shadow-side; I
suppose naivete is the worst I can say about this Law. I can easily
find better in Marion Weinstein's POSITIVE MAGIC...
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5. The "Mothership"routine smacks of CloseEncounters, butother
than the children routine and some language problems, this one isn't
too bad -- but isn't there something in an initiation ritual about
us and the Gods being the same "but for a difference of power"? I
would think Brothers and Sisters of the Gods would be better ter-
minology -- feminists are welcome to reverse the wording.
6. Hmmm. Sounds liketithing to me. While it is certainlya good
idea, we give back to the Gods all the time -- this would be making
the meaningful ritual a mechanical one. Sustain its Priests and
Priestesses? Paid (or fed) clergy? Shades of Paul! This part would
still work in my tradition, since we are all priests and pries-
tesses, but I know some that are different...
7. I can't see the purpose of this Law, and know of no cor-
responding Law in the Laws I have come across. It sounds like the God
of the Xtians again, making people the way they are and then judging
them for being that way.
8.A direct statement wouldbe better. Who do you know in these
times that goes around weighing silver? Is this a modern metaphor?
I don't think so.
9. Does not parse. Sounds good, though...
10. This soundslike it's setting up theteacher as infallible--
shut up and listen. Also, while I hear Karma used frequently in
Craft discussions, it is because it is a useful concept for us;
however, this is the first time I have seen the Lords of Karma
enthroned in Craft Law.
11. I could have taken the Golden Rule in one of its permuta-
tions, but this is much more akin to the concept of "Sin" than that of
Karma.
12. "You must not be a teller of tales..."? What, we areto
have no Bards in the Craft? If this law means that gossipping is
not a good thing, why doesn't it say so? And "must hold no malice"
indicates that we are not allowed to be human again -- true, it is
better for the Craft that we all be as a loving family, but there
are otheR ways to deal with the problems caused by personality
conflicts than to outlaw legitimate feelings.
13. Flowers. Old Law. (Meaning that, other than difference in
wording, this is the same as the "Old Laws", i.e., Lady Sheba and
others.)
14. Oh, boy! Priestess Knows Best (and will be happy to be
responsible for *you*). If someone asks me a question, give them
the straightest answer I can, and without phoning up my Priestess for
permission to do so. I am a trained, adult Witch, and am capable both
of making my own decisions *and* taking the consequences for making
a wrong decision. The "You must not put stumbling blocks..." sounds
like the old parental admonishment, "Don't put beans in your ears."
The Xtians have enough stumbling blocks of their own; I don't
think ours would even be noticed, and so are unnecessary.
1187
15. The key words are in the Preface: readable, usable, and
pertinent. "Fetters" and "woe" are not very meaninful words in this
half of the 20th century. Not sure about the use of "souls",
either, since that seems to be mostly a xtian concern. Remember,
Lady G. said that she reworded some of these laws "to make them
clearer and more understandable". I think she missed here.
16. Sounds like"Trust in God; Hewill provide." Where is the
Craft basis for this Law?
17. Ifyou killsomeone magickally,accidentally orotherwise,
you should be sacrificed to atone for it? My Goddess demands nothing
in sacrifice. It would be far better to get into therapy and see how
you could forgive yourself and help others to forgive you (I'm using
"forgive" as a psychological, not religious, term). No problem with
the first sentence.
18. Could be said more clearly.
19.The source for this, especially the final sentence, seems
to be Jesus in Revelation. "Many say, Lord, Lord, but I know them
not..." etc.
20. Sounds like, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord,thy
God in vain". Either that is what this law is saying, or it needs to
be clearer.
21. Old Law. I would have worded it, "In any disputes among
the Wicca..."
22. Old Law.
23. To me, mymagickal tools are channels between whatis within
me and what is outside of me (on the magickal planes, which
frequently intersect with the planes of reality). Still, Do Not Haggle
is Old Law.
24. Old Law, except for the semantical substitution of
"Power" for "Art" and the use of the judgmental terms "evil" and
"unworthy".
25. "Thou shalt notsteal"? Hinted-at consequences are unneces-
sary.
26. I don't understand "Show honor" as a phrase, and the last
phrase is not comprehensible to me.
27. "Those whoare of the Wiccashall not own slaves,"-- good
idea, although I have never seen it included in Craft Law. The rest
of this sentence is again unclear and/or unnecessary justification.
"Nor shall you take as a pledge any person's life,"; well, the Laws
of Karma (if you accept them, which these Laws purport to) demand
otherwise from time to time, and again, this has not been found
necessary in any other set of Craft Laws I have seen.
1188
28. Thisis the second time the Golden Rulehas been quoted in a
faulty permutation. "If a stranger sojourns with you...they shall be
as one of the Circle..." What, we're going to invite total strang-
ers into our rites just because this Law says so? There are
enough Laws that contradict this already. This doesn't sound right.
29. This came straight out of Leviticus, and also exists in
Baha'i law in a slightly clearer form. It's nice that We're getting
ecumenical, but what is the need for this in Craft Law? The Threefold
Law applies, and is easier to understand.
30. The Good Wiccan Houskeeping Seal is required for Circle?
31. Not a Wiccan Law. "Cleanliness is next to god/dessliness"
would be a shorter way of phrasing this. Although the old customs
(NOT laws) require bathing prior to a ritual, even that has been
used to "find" Witches with in some areas (they're clean and smell
nice -- they must be seducing our men for Satan!).
32. Not Law, but a start; Ibelieve none should die without
someone having cared for them; and that death with dignity is the
hoped-for ideal. Many of you already know that I'm initiating action
toward Pagan hospice, funeral, and cemetery care. The judgement
about "their actions" is for the Dark Lord to make.
33. ThreefoldLaw is all youneed here. Anythingelseis moral
judgement.
34. Amendedversion: "Let those who desire union asa couple (or
other forms as might be desirable, such as a triad or a group relati-
onship) be handfasted, sharing their love in a manner they and the
Gods find pleasing." Children are not necessary for shared love
(and often separate the parents from their mutual desires), and
there is no need to deny handfasting to couples not wanting childr-
en. I also am not certain that this needs to be a Law.
35. "The Law of the Goddess isthat none of the Wicca shalltake
and wed someone who they do not love." Period.
36. Not Law. Also uses "brethren", another male term. (Anyone
who has read my revision of Gardnerian Craft Law should have noticed
the near-total lack of gender terminology.)
37. The first sentenceis incomprehensible, immaterial, orboth.
This law is very flowery, and I would love to know what Lady G.
extracted it from.
38. Old Law:"Never boast,never threaten..." seemsto be theroot
here - and is much clearer in that form.
39. The concept of magickal purity is one of ritual magick,
not the Craft. This Law is, in letter and spirit, one of ritual
magick. While some traditions of the Craft do get into ritual magick,
that still does not make this "proper" as Craft Law.
40. Old Law was both clearer and less "new-agey".
1189
41. WHERE hath the Goddess said these things? Nowhere in my
tradition, and they sound more like things She may have
said in circle -- certainly no need to canonize them.
42. Back to Leviticus. This is far too judgemental for any
tradition I am familiar with. There also seems to be confusion between
"work" as in make money and "work" as in learning and teaching the
things of the Craft.
43. A sacred trust? This explainswhy Grove of the Unicorn
built a sanctuary in Georgia, but I have never seen this
expressed as a requirement. Most traditions are not getting over
being hidden; this Law requires total openness. I think it's danger-
ous to do this in most areas, and having the Goddess decree (here)
that we should do something that could harm Her Witches (something
She expressly forbids us to do in the Old Laws) doesn't feel right.
What is the source of this one? It appears to be the inner feelings of
some Witch or Witches, which is not good enough to pass off as Craft
Law.
44. While Ihave been taught this, it wasunder "What We Do"
rather than "The Law". The style of presentation sounds too much
like what YHWH would have written as a law rather than the
Goddess I know...
45.Am I readingthis wrong, oris this saying "Honor the Sabbath
and keep it holy"? We need to set aside a whole day(s)? I don't
think that's realistic in these times, although it might have
been in paleolithic times.
46. Not necessary. Any teacher will give you this information.
47. Definitely flowers. Let each Witch keep a book (she even
dropped the "in their own hand" part). What else is necessary?
48. Clumsy, with toomany "they"s in spots;How about, "Studythe
signs of the Gods in all their forms; these shall guide your thoughts
to the Gods and the Gods will take notice of you. Turn your thoughts
and worship to the Gods, not the signs and statues of them."
49. Theoriginal here says"If *any* inthe Craft ownsany land..-
.guard all monies of the Craft..." thus widening the circle of love
beyond just the Circle you are a part of.
50. Old Law. I feel this could be done a bit more clearly.
51. Extremely Crowleyian in content, where the content
can be determined. It sounds like it is favoring asceticism "for
the good of the Craft...". Unclear rules like this have led to
excesses in other religions they have appeared in.
52. NOT CRAFT LAW. Paul wouldhave loved to have this kind of
law as stated by Christ, but it wasn't true then and it isn't true
now. IF WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO TAKE MONEY FOR THE ART, HOW COME WE CAN
BE ALLOWED TO TAKE GIFTS?????
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53.Taken as an extension of#52, this law repulses me; however,
having deleted #52, and deleting "offerings of ... money", it could be
OK. But it is totally unnecessary unless you're trying to set your-
self up as the First Church of Wicca, N.A., complete with Xtian
abuses of power. In any loving circle, poeple will bring the
incense, or the cakes and/or wine, or work together on building a new
altar. This is already covered in the laws above, though.
54. Harmony will be restored by working toward harmony, not by
donating to your favorite non-profit Temple. Again, the emphasis on
giving makes me think of televangelists ("I need to make the
payment on my Inspirational Cadillac"). I don't know what problems
Grove of the Unicorn has been having in keeping up their payments on
the land or whatever, but their problems should not be used as a
lever to change Craft Law (if indeed this is the object of these
laws).
55. Once more, this law either comes out of ritualmagic or
televangelism (or both). Every Witch should know (or know how to look
up) the proper times for a ritual, and should be able to offer it
up themselves ("thru the most proper medium" could mean "Pay the
Priestess" or it could mean "use the right tools" -- if it is *not*
intended to mean the latter, then this law has no basis in the Craft).
56. Old Law, and one of the most important Craft Laws.
57. Separating this Law from the previous one causes a minor
problem -- it now becomes "Never break the Laws" (and there are some
dillies in this set) instead of "Never break *this* Law".
58. The "Mighty Ones" decided for us "in days of old" that we
cannot use the Art against anyone? A shirking of responsibility is
again evident. While the same precept occurs in my set of the Laws,
it is obviously a decision made in the light of persecutions, not
something decreed from on high.
59.Sentence fragments. (sic)This is asubject that isnot in the
Laws (but is in the Charge of the Goddess, without the God's side of
things).
60. Why do we need "thedimly remembered dawn of ages past" and
Atlantis to make this point? This is the only version I've seen that
goes beyond remembered history.
61. Should be combined with #60, and have more of the
excessive verbiage dropped. Oh, no! Not another cry of "the evil of
chaos" again! How can these people even *talk* to Discordians?Any set
of Laws that is intended to be Craft-inclusive must not include
value judgements, especially using the words "good", "evil", and
"chaos". This law seems to be wishing for the time when we were in
power; every set of Laws I've seen prior to this one would settle
for a time in which we are tolerated or accepted.
1191
62. I don't understand what this is trying to say -- it seems
to fluctuate between "No more secrets", "Only a few secrets", and
"Don't tell anybody anything". Since all three of these have been
expressed above, I'm not sure this law is needed; it hardly even adds
to the confusion.
63. The change from "always heeding the Messenger" to "always
heeding the messages" is a little dangerous, but otherwise, this is
Old Law.
64. This law sounds pretty Gardnerian in tone, but it does not
agree with Gardnerian myths -- i.e., while Goddess created everyth-
ing, she did not create Death itself. Life without Death offers no
regeneration, as Life could not continue on its own; the God was
outside of Her creation, and so He had things to teach Her about
Death. (Those of you who prefer Starhawk's version of this myth are
TOTALLY ignored in this law.)
65. I thought anHPs was only concerned mainlywith what happens
in Her Circle -- this Law seems to state that She is concerned with
an unstated, but large-sounding, community. Other than that, this is
Old Law.
66. I don'tthink this needs to be in the Laws, but it's a good
idea for each Circle to consider.
67. This seems to be based upon the Old Laws' "If any in the
Craft has any land...", but it does take that additional step into
demi-deified clergy. I wish I knew whether Grove of the Unicorn was an
authoritarian structure or not, but these Laws go a long way toward
making its sound like one. (I'm not sure this group could "pass"
Isaac Bonewits' Cult Danger Evaluation Frame after having read this
many of their Laws.)
68. Aha! Almost OldLaw, and a"Burning Times" law!This is still
a good Law, but it was formulated to keep anyone from knowing more
than one group to "give away" if they cracked under pressure of
Inquisition.
69. Old Law; probably should be included in #68.
70. Are wetalking about pneumonia, herpes, ora cold here? You
can do a lot better healing work *in* Circle (in my experience) than
outside of it in many cases, and any Witch can decide for her/him-
self whether they are too sick to be in Circle and ask (or not ask)
for healing. I suppose I find this law too judgemental, or too gen-
eral.
71. Old Law.
72.There is nodefinition of Council given (the "Old Law" says
"the Elders"), and the "Old Law" states that either the High Priest
or the High Priestess can convene the Elders (useful if the HPs is out
of town...) Otherwise, Old Law.
73. Generally, Old Law.Some of therestatements aredifficult or
unwieldy, but no real problems.
1192
74. Old Law.(Actually, a bit of another Old Law is grafted
in for clarification, but it doesn't hurt anything.)
75. In conflict with English(/American) Law, "Ignorance is no
excuse," includes threefold law (which is NOT included in the Old
Laws), and throws in the Lords of Karma again; rephrased, this could
be an excellent law or rule, but I do not recognize a single source
for this one. Some ritual magic, a little Hinduism, no Craft per se.
76. Nice thought; sounds like a personal addition.
77. As above, the "want of an offering" is not an issue in Old
Law; the "lack of a robe" has never been discussed, since most groups
I am familiar with generally work skyclad or negotiate the issue.
Personal addition?
78. Nice thought; sounds like a personal addition.
1193
79. So many flowers that (I feel) most would miss the point. I'm
afraid I did, and I'm a musician.
80. Sounds likethe Apostle Paul. The qualitiesI was taught to
look for in a High Priestess were caring, leadership, patience,
ability, and knowing when to ask for help. This cuts out faith (some-
thing Goddess says in Her Charge is not asked for) and belief (some-
thing she wouldn't be in Circle without). More flames on the topic of
children.
81. Source? Sounds clergy-like to me...
82.Old Law states that arequirement of being High Priestess is
youth; while this is not easily practiced in all covens, going to the
opposite extreme is probably not much better. My personal experiences
have been in covens where everyone takes their hand at practicing HP
and HPs, with the HPs acting more like organizer and running coven
meetings.
83. Ouch.Based upon Old Law,this Law removes theaspect of Love
as an excuse (or Glands, if you like the Wombat Wicca version) -- and
demands both judgement *and* atonement for a HPs who has left and
come back -- even uses the judgemental term, "deserts", in dealing
with the issue. The Old Law may have its drawbacks, but is a much
better guide (I feel) than getting nasty about it. Oooh, they don't
even get to hold office again! Many things are sacred, and certainly
being High Priestess is one of them, but in my teaching, Love is a
higher ideal, and the Craft has always allowed for it.
84. Old Law, with flamesas above. "It isthe lives of all ofthe
Craft they endanger." Honor is still undefined in this context.
85. The useof the word,"Sabbatical" is cutein this context,but
this should be a part of #83 rather than separating them out.
Also, the phrase, "the Maiden should continue in that office" confuses
the reader as to which office -- the law has already stated that she
should reap the reward; does election of another person invalidate the
election? It should read, "...the Maiden shall be the Maiden for the
new HPs."
86. This is a new idea, and probably a good one:the Priestess
and the Priest need not be the consort of the other, but are select-
ed each by the coven or circle and are free to choose their own
consorts. The one possible negative I can think of concerns the few
times when Great Rite is held, and the feelings of their consorts on
this matter. But then it lets the coven decide whether the choice
was right nor not! If we're dealing with private lives, let them
remain private. Based on Old Law, except that in Old Law the
Priestess is chosen and She selects the Priest. This law again
contains too many value judgements -- if you need a perfect person
to run your circle, you will never meet.
87. Adapted from the Letters of Paul the Apostle, not the Old
Laws. It is nice to state that we should be responsible for oursel-
ves, but that is a part of being a Witch (oops, by these Laws,
Witches are only children, so I suppose making "those of the Pries-
thood" adults is what this law is about). This also seems to state
(per Xtianity) that their mates, children, and house are all posses-
sions; hardly a feminist or Craft perspective.
1194
88. Reverse Xtian. Extremely sexist, andno more or less bad
than making the Man ruler of the world.
THE NEW BOOK OF THE LAW is published by:
The Grove of the Unicorn PO Box 13384 Atlanta, GA 30324
To order, send a legal size SASE. A small contribution
towards printing/handling costs will be appreciated.
These comments have been made by Gerald L. Bliss, who is also
known as J. Random Folksinger.
1195
{file "Aporrheton 5 (Judy Harrow?)" "bos261.htm"}
Aporrheton 5
The Craft Laws
(Marked 4/73 by Judy Harrow; author not noted)
ManytraditionsabouttheCraft arescatteredthroughoutrecent
books; a sizable bunch is the 161 "Craft Laws" you can find in Lady
Sheba or in June Johns. Many of these traditions are merely defini-
tions of what the Craft is, and so of the context within which the
other traditions should be understood; they are "true" merely because
(and insofar as) they are internally consistent. In contrast, some of
the other traditions seem to be shrewd, hard-won observations about
how psychic energy (as dealt with in the Craft) seems to work, and
THESE are the important ones.
The psychicreality that these traditionsconcern has been
called by many names: spiritualists call it "the upper astral plane";
Jungians, the "superconscious"; the Bhagavad Gita, "the True Self";
many mystics, the "godhead"; Isaac Bonewits, the "Switchboard"; and
very much so on. Any such name is an attempt to map (part of) a
psychic reality that seems all too willing to accomodate itself to any
map you use, and you will get nowhere in trying to understand that
reality if you don't keep its Plasticity firmly in mind. In the Craft
we conceive that reality as the Goddess (as #11 below states); She is
both very real and a metaphor. She is real because human energy goes
into making Her real; She exists as a "thought form on the astral
plane," yet She can manifest physically whenever She wants to. She
does not exist independently of mankind, but She is most thoroughly
independent of any one person or group. (And precisely the same is
true of any concept of divinity that people put energy into maintain-
ing.) She is a metaphor because, great though She may be, She is
finite, like any other human concept, whereas reality is infinite. And
why do we need the Goddess, or any divinity at all? Because the human
mind seems unable to grasp an undifferentiated infinity. By creating
our own divinities, we create mental steps for ourselves, up which we
can mount, toward relizing ourselves as divine.
TheCraft Laws,then, arenot "13Commandments" fromon high;
they are merely unproved hypotheses about how SOME psychic reality
seems to work. They should be treated like any other hypotheses:
respected as being the best guesses going, but continually tested to
find out how valid they are and to generate better guesses. Naturally,
you cannot test them by breaking them, any more than you can test the
law of gravity by jumping off a ten-story building. Instead, you draw
conclusions from them, or base predictions on them, and try workings
to see if the latter hold up. The 13 below are ones that have held up
so far under such testing; some we had in an earlier set of 13 did
not. In compiling this set, I culled through all the traditions I
could find, picking out especially (or thinking up) the most general
statements, which would include many of the other traditions as
special cases; you should be able to spot examples of this by careful-
ly comparing Aporrheton 10 with this one. Certain of the laws here
(the ones typed in all caps) seem necessary and reliable to us, and we
will not tolerate any bending (let alone breaking) of them, for the
reasons discussed under #12 below. Many of the rest are here, not
because we understand them, but because we don't.
1196
I always approach traditional occult systems (astrology, the
Tarot, the Craft, etc.) on the assumption that they consist of a
terse, ultileveled coding of hard-earned information about something
real and important. It is almost as silly to think you've discovered
everything such a system might mean as it is to think it meaningless.
The only way to find out what such a system means is to get in there
and work with it until you speak its language fluently. Then you will
likely find (at least, this has been my experience) that the system
gives you a map of reality, but of many places, not just one place,
that it gives you a way to work with classes of realtionships that
hold for many different kinds of people, things, and situations. That
is, these traditional systems are very much like nonquantitative
algebras or calculi; a symbol in one of them is not going to have an
invariant and simple meaning, or even the same meaning in two dif-
ferent contextx, anymore than X is going to have the same numerical
value in two different algebra problems.
It therefore seems safest to keep these Craft laws whose
meanings are not obvious in mind, and hope that further "experiment-
ation" will shed some light on them. Of course, to get any results at
all in dealing with psychic phenomena, you have to be optimistic and
openminded. If you already hold a firm belief that you know what the
Craft Laws mean, or that they are "Absolutely True," or the opposite,
then your mind is closed, and you can't learn anything new. That is,
you're not supposed to "believe" in the Craft Laws, or memorize them;
you're supposed to UNDERSTAND them, else you've missed the whole point
of why we have them.
1. YOU CANNOT USE THE ARTS OF THE CRAFT TO CREATE OR INCREASE BAD
KARMA, EXCEPT FOR YOURSELF.
2. YOUMAY NOT USETHE ARTS OF THECRAFT TO AFFECTANOTHER PERSON
IN ANY WAY, UNLESS YOU HAVE THAT PERSON'S EXPLICIT PERMISSION.
These two are best discussed together, since they replace the
inadequate statement one often finds that "You may not use the arts of
the Craft to work malevolent magic." Notice that the first one says
"cannot," being an observation of fact, wherease the second says "may
not," being a statement of ethics.
Thefirst lawstates that,INTHE LONGRUN, youcan harmno one
but yourself. You cannot benefit from trying to harm another, because
you are part of the fabric of reality, not separate from it. You get
whatever you give, because getting and giving are the same, just as
the trough and the crest are the same wave./ If you set up a pattern
of nasty, callous selfishness around yourself, that is what you have
projected onto the world, and that is all you will experience. If you
act out of genuine affection and concern for others, you receive their
affection and concern as well. The psychic (or life) field seems to
have a single polarity: to create positive effects for yourself, you
must create positive effects for others. And this observation applies
not just to the arts of the Craft, nor to all the psychic arts, but to
life in general.
1197
Now, whatthe second law pointsout is that itis the OTHER
person's opinion that determines whether the effects of what you do
are positive or not. This law is the equivalent of the Craft's version
of the "Golden Rule": "Do unto others not as YOU wish to be done
under, but as THEY wish to be done unto--for their tastes may damned
well differ from yours." (Thus this law, most usefully, eliminates any
arguments over how one defines "good" or "evil.") It follows that you
may not do something for what YOU think is someone else's "own good";
you have no right to make that decision. You may not even work a
healing unless you have permission from the person to be healed; it is
unethical to hit an unprepared person with a jolt of energy. You may
work without prior permission for someone whose karma you are already
PERSONALLY involved with (as a mother for her child, a man for his
wife, etc.), but you may not accept anyone's opinion that another
would give permission if asked; no matter how close two people might
be, they neither own one another nor carry each other's karma, and so
cannot give such permission to another.
3. You cannot usethe arts of theCraft to win fame, fortune,
power, or any other sort of material or social advantage.
Thisagainis anobservation ofhow allthe psychicarts work,
not just those of the Craft. WHY they work thus is another question---
THAT they do work thus is well-known. Perhaps the simplest explanation
is that if your major motive for working is (or becomes) a desire for
fame, fortune, etc., you soon get into a headspace where psychic
abilities simply cannot function; many erstwhile psychics throughout
history have lost their abilities and become charlatans, because they
did not know this rule. You can (as many people do) make your living
by a psychic art, as long as you charge only enough to live comfortab-
ly by your society's standards; it is only going on a "power trip"
that would endanger your abilities. Similarly, doing trips on people
without their knowledge (or the magician's favorite project,
raising "demons" in order to control them) is another sort of power
trip, and will have exactly the same effect on your abilities. A more
traditionals Craft statement of this rule would be, "The arts of the
Craft are the gift of the Goddess; if you misuse them, She will take
them back."
4.You cannot usethe arts ofthe Craft forshow, in pretence, but
only in earnest, and only in need.
If youwork aritual, itwill haveeffects, whetheryou think
you want it to or not. Therefore you cannot "pretend" to throw a hex,
for example; the Lady does not recognize pretence. On the other hand,
you cannot work the arts successfully just because you WANT to, as a
head trip; the Lady won't cooperate. You have to need the energy or
the information for some real purpose, else you can't tap into it. (At
least, this is what meaning I have seen in this law so far.)
1198
5. The arts ofthe Craft can onlybe worked in acircle with at
least one other person of the opposite sex.
This "law" is actually just a set of definitions, though
important ones, as follows. (a) The arts of the Craft are defined as
those that will work only under these conditions; psychic arts that
work under other conditions are thus not necessarily part of the
Craft. (b) A coven consists of at least one man and one woman; it
cannot consist of all men or all women. (c) If you're working by
yourself, you are working as a magician, not as a witch--but you are
still obliged by your oaths to the Lady to observe the other Craft
Laws. (For more on this last point, see #12.)
6.A man must learn the arts of the Craft from a woman, a woman
from a man, except between parent and child.
Since#5 definesthe artsof theCraft asthose thatonly work
in the circle, obviously they can only be learned in the circle. If
you're working with just one other person, that person must be of the
opposite sex, else the arts won't work, and nothing can be learned.
Thus it seems logical that this tradition applies only to a one-to-one
teacher-apprentice relationship. If you're not in the circle, and/or
are teaching a mixed group of men and women, obviously there's no
problem. (This tradition MAY imply that the arts WILL work for two
women if they are mother and daughter, or for father and some, since
part of the key to the working, and the learning, seems to be the
emotional closeness between the two; consider section IV, last para,
in Aporrheton 10.)
7. You mustalways pay whateverprice is asked,without haggling
or complaining, when you buy something to be used for the
Craft.
TheGardnerian Craft Laws (sectionIV, para 4,of Apor. 10)
allow the arts of the Craft to be used to persuade someone to sell
something, as long as his asking price is met, but this would violate
our Law #2. In contrast, this law here is a safeguard against using
your psychic talents not-quite-consciously to take unfair advantage of
someone.
8. You cannot belong to more than one coven at a time.
Any two covens willlikely have rather different symbolic
systems for their workings, different understandings of the Craft
Laws, and so on. Trying to work with both would then tend to confuse
you, snarl up your communication lines to the Lade, and reduce the
efficiency of your learning and working. Of course, if two covens do
have identical systems (which could only happen if they shared a
common ancestry), they could be considered the same cove, for the
purposes under discussion here.
1199
Inits originalcontext (seesection III,Apor. 10),this law
seems merely an observation of fact: even if you're working with two
or more covens, you will only BELONG to one of them; your loyalty will
be with that one, and if there were a parting of the ways, you would
stick with it. Obviously, in time of persecution, divided loyalties
and disagreements could be a source of great danger, and would have to
be forbidden. Also, in a Craft structure where the High Priestess has
final authority within each coven, she would not much like having a
Witch she is trying to train be influenced by another Priestess. True,
these considerations don't apply to us, but they are valid as reasons
for the tradition.
9. None can coven with others they cannot agree with.
Statedthis way,this lawbecomes anetymological tautology,
for "coven" means "to agree" (or "to come together"). The more those
in a coven can agree on the interpretation of the Craft Laws, on the
symbolic system used for workings, on the purposes of the workings,
the greater the coven's effectiveness will be. Naturally, minor
disagreements will crop up regularly in a group of individualists;
they are not what this law concers. Rather, it applies to disagree-
ments (or bad interpersonal feelings) that are strong enough that they
are amplified by the group field, make the meeting unpleasant, and so
make it impossible for the coven to work. For this reason--not, one
may hope, out of mere in-group exclusiveness or arbitrariness--acoven
must select its members carefully for compatibility. Also, since a
coven is necessarily a "small group," many normal small-group proc-
esses will operate in it. These can be powerful, and emotionally very
heavy, but there's nothing mysterious about them. Don't mistake them
for something occult; that would lead you up a blind alley.
10. You must not betray the secrets that cannot be told.
Thesecrets in question hereare Her secrets,the ones dis-
cussed in the Caution to the Novices. Insofar as these Craft Laws are
simply observations of how psychic reality works (and it is for that,
really, that we should value them) then they are "self-enforcing" like
any other statement of fact. So what this law means is: (a) Don't
commit suicide; (b) Don't violate your own sense of your self-integ-
rity; (c) Don't "sell your soul to the devil"; (d) If you stick your
finger in a flame, you'll get burned.
1200
11. ALL POWER IN THE CRAFT COMES FROM THE GODDESS.
This lawis anotherobservation about howpsychic reality
works. The energy that is raised in the circle comes not from any one
person, nor from all the persons in the coven as individuals, but from
somewhere else: from the Goddess, or from some source ever further
beyond. Such energy, like all psychic energy, comes THROUGH you, not
from you; it is not your personal property, for you are merely a
channel for it, a custodian of it. You do "own" your body and your
individual personality, and you are entitled to the fruits of your
labors, but the energy is not yours to exploit for your own benefit,
for any human being could (potentially) learn to do anything you can
do. Therefore, although you have a right to earn a living, the Craft
is free to all, being a gift of the Goddess: you may not charge anyone
even a penny to be initiated into the Craft or to learn its arts. Of
course, you should insist on having your actual expenses covered; the
Craft Laws do not require you to operate at a loss or to coddle
freeloaders. But you may not make money from practicing the Craft as a
religion, and if you try, you will lose all access to the power. This
law also means that the only genuine initiations in the Craft are
those worked (though not necessarily directly) by the Goddess Herself.
That is, if you have the power from the Goddess, credentials from
other people are unnecessary, and if you don't have any power from
the Goddess, credentials from other people are useless. Hence there
can be no authority in the Craft outside each coven.
Thislaw alsoprovides anotherdefinition: anypowerthat comes
from the Goddess could be part of the Craft; so any poet who has
experienced the reality of the Muse is, to that extent, a Witch.
Conversely, any energy that cannot be conceptualized as coming from
the Goddess (and apparently there ARE such forms of the energy) is
definitely not part of the Craft. (The tradition that the Priestess is
supreme within the circle also appears to be a special case of this
law, insofar as only the Priestess can incarnate the Goddess.)
12. IFSOMEONE INTENDS TO HARMYOU, YOU MAY USETHE ARTS OF THE
CRAFTTO RESTRAINHIM FROM DOINGSO, BUT ONLYIF ALL INTHE
COVEN AGREE THAT HE WILL IN NO WAY BE HARMED BY THE WORKING.
No matterwhat the provocation,trying to harmanother will
only create bad karma for yourself. So, although you have an absolute
right to protect yourself, you must not retaliate. As is said in K'ung
Fu, "Solve the problem, no less, no more." The reason why the coven
must discuss the situation and agree on the workings is twofold: (1)
to allow cooler minds to prevail, for it is when one acts on impulse,
out of anger, that one is most likely to overstep the line between
self-defense and aggression; and (2) because those in the coven,
having taken an oath to help one another, and being linked by the
generation of the group psychic field, will all share to some extent
in any bad karma generated by any member's misuse of the arts. If you
are one who can only learn the hard way, say, by sticking your finger
into a flame, you are of course free to burn your own fingers--but NOT
if you are holding someone else's hand, which is exactly the situation
if you belong to a coven. For its own self-preservation, a coven must
therefore retain the right, as a last resort, to expel (and cut loose
from the karma of) any member who persists in interfering in other
people's lives without their permission or, of course, who attempts
even blacker workings.
1201
13. Always rememberthat allmankind and allcreatures areequally
childrenof theGoddess;therefore neverboastor threaten,or
do anything that mightdisgrace Her oryour brothers and
sisters in the Craft.
Toblatherthoughtlesslyaboutthe Craft,especiallytopersons
who have no business knowing about your coven's affairs, not only
drains your own energy and that of your coven, but also is a form of
boasting, of using the Craft for self-aggrandizement, that will get
you into the bad headspace law #3 warns about. More obviously, threat-
ening to "hex" someone, even though you THINK you have no intention of
doing so, violates the intent of laws 1 through 4, because you are
playing games with the Lady, who just might decide to act on the
threat, and because you are using the Craft (especially if you are
known to be a Witch) to influence another against his will and to get
your own way; furthermore, making such a threat reinforces the false
impression most people have of the Craft, and so disgraces the God-
dess. Again, since anyone could learn to do anything you can do, being
a Witch doesn't make you any better than anyone else; put on airs, and
the Lady will deflate you. Perhaps a good rule of thumb about discus-
sing the Craft with outsiders is this: once you are convinced that
someone's interest is sincere, then answer questions, fully and
freely; but don't just volunteer information that has in no way been
asked for, else you risk burdening that person with more information
than he or she is able to cope with.
1202
{file "The Abbreviated Laws (including Comment by J.R.F.)" "bos262.htm"}
THE ABBREVIATED LAWS
'Tis the Old Law, and the most important of all Laws, that no one
may do anything which will endanger the Craft, or bring us into
contact with the law of the land or any of our persecutors.
*Be it ardane that noneshall use the Art (magick)in any way to
do ll to any. 8 words the Wiccan Rede fulfil: An it harm none, do
what ye will.
* Respect the privacy of other Coveners. You may reveal the
involvement of no person save yourself. In case of trouble, the Coven
will be disbanded. Should this happen, all Coveners are to avoid one
another for the safety and well-being of all. Should this happen,
refer to the Old Laws.
*Never accept moneyfor the useof the Art, formoney ever smears
the taker (and clouds ethical judgement). For all things magickal, pay
the full price asked without haggling. If it is unaffordable, it is
probably inappropriate in some hidden way.
* In case of dispute, the High Priestess is the final arbiter.
Within the Craft, no law save Craft Law may be invoked. Any who will
not agree, or who will not work under this HPs, may and shall remove
themselves from the Coven. Any of the third (L.T. Initiates OK) may
form a new Coven.
* The traditional way to hear complaints is this: Before the High
Priestess and any other Elders shall come first one, then the other,
then both together to be heard. The decision may be rendered immedia-
tely, one lunar month later, or whenever the time of waiting is
filled.
* The year-and-a-day rules pertains to: The minimum time between
Progressions; The final time of all Leavings; The closings of all
cycles.
THE TEMPLE LAWS
* Inorder of precedence, you areaccountable to: The Gods, your
Self, your High Priestess, your Teacher. Initiates are also account-
able to the Craft as a whole.
* "Pagan Standard Time" gives you 15 minutes leeway for an an-
nounced class or ritual. If you'll be any later or won't make it,
CALL!
* Questions are expected, desired, and anticipated.. The only
"dumb question" is the one the student doesn't ask.
* Commoncourtesy in all things. Whenin doubt, it is preferable
to err on the side of caution and silence.
* Ultimately, you are responsible for your own development.
Independent thought and research are strongly encouraged.
1203
Comments on The Abbreviated Laws
by J. Random Folksinger
The Wiccan Rede, while it has been taught widely, is not a
part of the Laws, although it may be considered derivative of them.
There is nothing in the Laws that says that "in case of trouble, the
Coven will be disbanded". There are, in fact, quite a few possible
solutions to specific instances, not just for "trouble".
There is nothing in the Laws about unaffordability equalling
inappropriateness in the purchase of a magickal tool. What the heck
are "L.T. Initiates"? Long Term? Why is is OK for them to form a Coven
when it is plain that you have to be of the Third Degree?
The traditional way to hear complaints, at least in my set of the
Old Laws, is for the High Priest or High Priestess to convene the
Elders. It says nothing about whether the HP or HPs are included in
this group, but it is assumed that BOTH, not just the HPs, are so
included. There is also nothing in the Old Laws about a "time of
waiting" for a decision.
In the Old Laws, the only thing the year-and-a-day rule pertains
to is the leaving of a High Priestess.
Everything in the "Temple Laws" falls in the good-to-very-good
category of advice; NONE of it is in the Old Laws. And I have known a
good many pagans to take PST to mean anytime during the calendar DAY.
There are a number of teachers in my experience to whom you NEVER ask
a question, at penalty of being kicked out of the class; still, a
teacher who can accept this rule is probably a good teacher.
In general, this sheet appears to be a worksheet handed to new
students and gone over with them for a quick rundown of the Craft in
order to go on to other things; in my opinion, giving them this sheet
and NOT reviewing the entire set of the Old Laws (in whatever form) is
doing the students a disservice; having this sheet around for later
reference, on the other hand, is probably a Good Thing.
1204
{file "The Law (Humor)" "bos263.htm"}
THE LAW
by Rosemary Edgehill
The Law was made and ardane about a week from last Wednesday.
The Law was made for the Wiccca, in order that they should develop a
nice longhand style from copying it.
TheWicccashouldgive dueworshiptotheGodz, presumingthey
believe the Godz exist and aren't just metaphors; and obey Their Will,
which the HPS of the Coven will make up as she goes along, for it was
made for the purpose of ego-tripping and wild parties. The worship
of the Wiccca is good for the owners of Occult Supply Stores, for the
owners of Occult Supply Stores love the money of the Wiccca.
Asa manlovetha womanusingthe missionaryposition, sothe
Wiccca should shaft their fellows and other total strangers frequent-
ly. And it is necessary that the Magick Circle which is the prin-
cipal difference between a Wicccan rite and a frat party be cast and
all Wiccca properly purified to enter it so they can drink five
gallons of Ripple each and not throw up.
TheHPSshallr/u/i/n/ rulehercovenasthe localrepresenta-
tive of the Goddess, and choose whomever she is sleeping with this
week to be her HP...or her Maiden.
Andremember that the Wiccca would have it that The God
Himself kissed her feet and gave up the position of Ringmaster to her
because of her arbitrariness and autocracy, her spite and unreason,
her mysteriousness and ignorance: so the HP is expected to go as far
away as possible and not even show up for Sabbats.
It is the greatest virtue of a HPS that she turn as many of her
Covenors into closet Xtians as possible, for the true HPS realizes
that anyone with the sense Goddess gave a goose is not going to stick
around without having a death wish.
* * * * *
In the Olden Days when Wiccca extended far, we were free and had
reservations in all the best restaurants. But these days, we eat at
McDonald's.
SO BE IT ARDANE, that nonebut the Wiccca shall ever be
invited to dinner, for people who ignore us are many, and if they
ever found out what we are really up to, they would giggle.
SO BE ITARDANE, that no Coven shall knowwhere the next Coven
bide, nor who its member be, save anybody who looks in Circle Newslet-
ter and the hit team we send out to sanction them.
SOBEITARDANE, thatnoone shalltellanyoneanything, least
of all thy fellows in the Craft, for fear one of you will learn
something; because as it is truly writ: Gerald wrote it, I believe it,
that settles it.
Andif anybreakthese Laws,theywill havetostart theirown
Tradition and make up their own Grandmother.
Leteach HPSgovernherCoven asshedamn'well please,riding
rough-shod over the Covenors as long as they will stand for it.
1205
Butitmust berecognized thatsooner orlater theywill get
mad and stop bringing the Ripple to Coven meetings. When this hap-
pens, it hath ever been the Old Law that the HPS will Elevate them to
the Third Degree and kick them out, and promise them the rest of the
Book...someday.
Anyone ofanydegree ornonemay founda Coven,providedthey
think they can get away with it and can create a convincing Grand-
mother.
They mayraidother Covensformembers aslongas nooneknows
where to find them.
But splitting the Covenoft means new opportunities for
evading the consequences of your actions, so the wise HPS will think
of it first.
* * * * *
If you should keep a Black Book, let it be in your own hand of write,
except for the parts you xerox out of Lady Sheba. Or better yet, tell
everybody they're not of a high enough degree to see it.
ProclaimyourWicccahoodloudly, andoften;youmaybe ableto
do a brisk trade in spells, psychic fairs, and talk shows. If nobody
believs you, try holding a public skyclad circle. If all else fails,
hire a press agent and advertise in the National Inquirer. If they
try to make you talk of the Brotherhood, lay it on with a trowel.
Ancient Atlantis is always good for a five-minute spot on the six o'
clock news. Not all interviewers are bad; some may even flash your
business address on the screen for a few seconds.
* * * * *
To avoid discovery, let your working tools be ordinary stuff such as
any may have around the house: AR-15's, Patton Tanks, Howitzers (let's
see how far we can stretch that First Amendment, gang!). Have no
names or signs on anuything, and remove the ones they came with, as
otherwise this can lead to a charge of receiving stolen property.
LetthePentacles bemadeof waxunlesssomethingelse ismore
convenient.
Haveno sword, unlessyou are inthe SCA ora collector of
WWII memorabilia.
Writethe namesand signson agummed labelsothat itcan be
peeled off immediately afterwards; remember that not guilty by reason
of insanity is not a valid defense in cases of this kind.
Everrememberthatyou aretheHiddenChildrenof theGoddess;
when you can take time out from Karma Dumping Runs, Psychic Vendettas,
Banishing each other from the Coven and discussing how much fun it
would be to persecute the Xtians, remember never to do anything to
disgrace Her. Or Them, if that's possible.
1206
* * * * *
In the Olden Days, when we had Power, we could use the Art against any
who ill-treated us; but these days a whispering campaign works better.
Remember always that there are a lot of flaky people out there, and
for this reason it is best to give a fake name and a Post Office Box
address. Someone is always going to blame you for something.
SO BEIT ARDANE: HARMNONE, or atleast have agood alibi.
Never break this law, or people who get burned along with you will
come after you with baseball bats, and you will never be able to score
any decent hash again.
AnyHPSwho doessomethingyou don'tlikeyou canwalkout on,
but be sure to clout the Coven Book on the way to the door and set up
in business for yourself (Learn Witchcraft From The Experts!).
Alwaysaccept moneyfor useofthe Art,butkeep aneye onthe
Gypsy Laws. In some states, Barter works better. All may use the Art
for their own advantage; remember, quick and dirty works best, and you
can lay off Karma on the Coven. If that doesn't work, try dead cats
in the mailbox.
* * * * *
'Tis the Old Law and most important of all the Laws that no one may do
anything that will endanger any of the Craft. Unless there's money in
it, or it's to someone you think deserves it, and anyway, "endanger"
is in the eye of the beholder.
In anydispute betweenthe Wiccca,no onemayinvoke anyLaw
but that of the Craft. However, you can break into your opponent's
home and mess up his stuff.. after all, it says right here they can't
go to the Police.
Neverbargain orhaggle whenyou buybythe Art;most Occult
Store owners will just throw you out and everyone else will think
you're a nut.
* * * * *
It is ever the way with men and with women that they are ruled by
their glands. At any moment your HPS may run off and become a Rosi-
crucian. And the way of Resignation is this: if she doesn't answer
her phone for two weeks and is never home when you drive by, you can
declare her outcast from the Coven and take it over yourself, with as
many as will have you. But if she comes back she will probably take
of the Coven again, or start another one in the same building and
declare you Invalid, and there's not much you can do about it. Learn
to live with anxiety. Get everything in writing.
* * * * *
It hath been found that two people sitting around with a bottle of
Chianti discussing Atlantean Grandmothers will become fond of each
other, if only because of the Stockholm Syndrome. Therefore, let it
be resolved that a human being shall be taught in the Craft only by
another human being, and screw the middle-class morality of the
nineteen-fifties.
1207
* * * * *
And the Curses of the Mighty Ones be on all who try to take this
seriously, or the Craft seriously, or the Wiccca seriously. Caveat
Lector, and May The Force Be With You!
1208
{file "Karma, The Three-Fold Law (Paul Seymour)" "bos264.htm"}
Karma, The Three Fold Law, & Grace
"As you sew, so shall ye reap". "What goes around, comes around".
"Whatever you send out returns three times". These are all sayings
very familiar to all of us, all of them examples of a supposedly
Universal Law of cause and effect, action and reaction. Of course
many of the religious systems try to furnish us with some sort of
"escape clause" that will allow man to either alleviate suffering fo
past misdeeds, or to escape responsibility totally. Let us take a
little closer look at these three ideas and ther inter-reationship.
It seems that, on one level, we do live ina mechanistic uni-
verse, one pretty much ruled by cause-and-efect. This Newtonian
universe seems to react in a very mechanical fashion, i.e. every
action "produces an equal and opposite reaction". A good analogy for
this is the example of one billiard ball striking another. The energy
from the striking billiard ball is transfered to the one struck and is
used to push against the first, imparting motion in the same direc-
tion. This brings the second law into play, i.e. an object in motion
tends to stay in motion untill acted upon by an outside force.
The principle of Karma basically says the same thing; i.e. any
negative or positive action or thought remains that way, until it
expends its energy by acting upon the originator. Of course this also
makes implicit the idea that thoughts or mental energy have a reality
of their own, one that interacts with the physical universe. If this
idea is accepted, it then implies the existence of at least one more
"world" or order of the universe, one with a non physical "reality",
and one where the basic fundamental rules of physics (as we know them)
may not truly apply.
The magician can bedescribed as one who "walksbetween" these
two worlds. "Walking between two worlds" implies that an individal is
connected with both and can move between them at will. The purpose of
magic is to manipulate one world for the benefit of the other, i.e. to
manipulate the unseen world for the express purpose of influencing
events in the physical. Unfortunately there does not seem to be a
"free ride" anywhere in the universe, and when an individual acquires
the power to do this, they also aquire a great deal of responsibility!
By accepting the power to exert "leverage" in the unseen world,
an individual seems to also accept a multiplied succeptibility to
influences initiated in that world. This is why negative workings are
so dangerous! This may also be the reasoning behind the "law of three
fold return".
Now comesthe hard part! Ifall of this causeand effect stuff
is absolute, how can any individual ever hope to "pay off" the debts
for all of the "stupid" things they have done not only in this life-
time, but in many others? Must we "pay off" all past transgressions
on a one for one basis? Is there no ecape clause in this "contract"
we seem to have for living in the universe?
This "escape clause" is called Grace by the Christians and by
other names in other systems, but it does exist in all. Basically,
the idea is this: "Once a lesson is completely learned and one grows
beyond a need for this lesson, it need not be repeated, even if the
'books' are not balanced". This is the "Enlightenment" sought by the
Buddhist that allows the "breaking" of the wheel.
1209
{file "Exegesis on The Wiccan Rede (Judy Harrow)" "bos265.htm"}
EXEGESIS ON THE WICCAN REDE
by Judy Harrow
originally published in HARVEST - Volume 5, Number 3 (Oimelc, 1985)
second publication: THE HIDDEN PATH - Volume X, Number 2 Beltane,
1987)
All religions began with somebody's sudden flashing insight,
enlightenment, a shining vision. Some mystic found the way and the
words to share the vision, and, sharing it, attracted followers. The
followers may
repeat those precise and poetic words about the vision until they
congeal into set phrases, fused language, repeated by rote and without
understanding.
Cliches begin as great wisdom - that's why they spread so fast -
and end as ritual phrases, heard but not understood. Living spiritual-
ity so easily hardens to boring religious routine, maintained through
guilt and fear, or habit and social opportunism - any reason but joy.
We cometo the Craftwith a firstgeneration's joy ofdiscovery,
and a first generation's memory of bored hours of routine worship in
our childhood. Because we have known the difference, it is our
particular challenge to find or make ways to keep the Craft a living,
real experience for our grandchildren and for the students of our
students.
Ithink the best of these safeguardsis already built into the
Craft as we know it, put there by our own good teachers. On our Path,
the mystic experience itself is shared, not just the fruits of mys-
ticism. We give all our students the techniques, and the protective/-
supportive environment that enable almost every one of them to Draw
the Moon and/or Invoke the God. This is an incredibly radical change
from older religions, even older Pagan religions, in which the only
permissible source of inspiration has been to endlessly reinterpret
and reapply the vision of the Founder (the Bible, the Book of the Law,
the Koran, ... ). The practice of Drawing the Moon is the brilliant
crown of the Craft.
But notice how often, in the old myths, every treasure has its
pitfalls? I think I'm beginning to see one of ours. Between the normal
process of original visions clotting into cliche, and our perpetual
flow of new inspiration, we are in danger of losing the special wisdom
of those who founded the modern Craft. I do not think we should
assiduously preserve every precious word. My love for my own Gardner-
ian tradition does not blind me to our sexist and heterosexist roots.
And yet, I want us to remain identifiably Witches and not meld into
some homogeneous "New Age" sludge. For this, I think we need some sort
of anchoring in tradition to give us a sense of identity. Some of the
old sayings really do crystallize great wisdom as well, life-affirming
Pagan wisdom that our culture needs to hear.
1210
So I think it's time for a little creative borrowing from our
neighbors. Christians do something they call "exegesis;" Jews have a
somewhat similar process called "midrash." What it is is something
between interpretation and meditation, a very concentrated examination
of a particular text. The assumption often is that every single word
has meaning (cabalists even look at the individual letters). Out of
this inspired combination of scholarship and daydream comes the
vitality of those paths whose canon is closed. The contemporary
example, of course, is Christian Liberation Theology, based on a
re-visioning of Jesus that would utterly shock John Calvin.
Although our canonis not closed- and theday it isis the dayI
quit -I'm suggesting that we can use a similar process to renew the
life of the older parts of our own still-young heritage.
So, I'dlike totry doingsome exegesison an essentialstatement
of the Craft way of life. Every religion has some sort of ethic, some
guideline for what it means to live in accordance with this particular
mythos, this worldview. Ours, called the Wiccan Rede, is one of the
most elegant statements I've heard of the principle of situational
ethics. Rather than placing the power and duty to decide about be-
havior with teachers or rulebooks, the Rede places it exactly where it
belongs, with the actor.
eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:
AN IT HARM NONE, DO WHAT YOU WILL.
I'd like to start with the second phrase first, and to take it almost
word by word.
do what YOU will. This is the challenge to self-direction, to figure
out what we want, and not what somebody else wants for us or from us.
All of us are subject to tremendous role expectations and pressures,
coming from our families, our employers, our friends, society in
general. It's easy to just be molded, deceptively easy to become
acompulsive rebel and reflexively do the opposite of whatever "they"
seem to want. Living by the Rede means accepting the responsibility to
assess the results of our actions and to choose when we will obey,
confront or evade the rules.
Do what you WILL. This is the challenge to introspection, to know
what we really want beyond the whim of the moment. The classic example
is that of the student who chooses to study for an exam rather than go
to a party, because what she really wants is to be a doctor. Again,
balance is needed. Always going to the library rather than the movies
is the road to burnout, not the road to a Nobel. What's more, there
are others values in life, such as sensuality, intimacy, spirituality,
that get ignored in a compulsively long-term orientation. So, our
responsibility is not to mechanically follow some rule like "always
choose to defer gratification in your own long-term self interest,"
but to really listen within, and to really choose, each time.
1211
DO what you will. This is the challenge to action. Don't wait for
Prince Charming or the revolution. Don't blame your mother or the
system. Make a realistic plan that includes all your assets. Be sure
to include magic, both the deeper insights and wisdoms of divination
and the focusing of will and energy that comes from active workings.
Then take the first steps right now. But, beware of thoughtless
action, which is equally dangerous. For example, daydreaming is
needed, to envision a goal, to project the results of actions, to
check progress against goals, sometimes to revise goals. Thinking and
planning are necessary parts of personal progress. Action and thought
are complementary; neither can replace the other.
When youreally look atit, wordby word, itsounds likea subtle
and profound guide for life, does it not? Is it complete? Shall "do
what you will" in fact be "the whole of the law" for us? I think not.
The second phrase of the Rede discusses the individual out of context.
Taken by itself, DO WHAT YOU WILL" would produce a nastily competitive
society, a "war of each against all" more bitter than what we now
endure. That is, it would if it were possible. Happily, it's just
plain not.
Pagan myth andmodern biology alike teach us thatour Earth is
one interconnected living sphere, a whole system in which the actions
of each affect all (and this is emphatically not limited to humankind)
through intrinsic, organic feedback paths. As our technology amplifies
the effects of our individual actions, it becomes increasingly crit-
ical to understand that these actions have consequences beyond the
individual; consequences that, by the very nature of things, come back
to the individual as well. Cooperation, once "merely" an ethical
ideal, has become a survival imperative. Life is relational, contex-
tual. Exclusive focus on the individual Will is a lie and a deathtrap.
The qualifying "AN IT HARM NONE," draws a Circle around the
individual Will and places each of us firmly within the dual contexts
of the human community and the complex life-form that is Mother Gaia.
The first phrase of the Rede directs us to be aware of results of our
actions projected not only in time, as long-term personal outcomes,
but in space - to consider how actions may effect our families,
co-workers, community, and the life of the Earth as a whole, and to
take those projections into account in our
decisions.
But, like the rest of the Rede, "an it harm none" cannot be
followed unthinkingly. It is simply impossible for creatures who eat
to harm none. Any refusal to decide or act for fear of harming someone
is also a decision and an action, and will create results of some
kind. When you consider that "none" also includes ourselves, it
becomes clear that what we have here is a goal and an ideal, not a
rule.
The Craft, assumingethical adulthood, offersus no roterules.
We will always be working on incomplete knowledge. We will sometimes
just plain make mistakes. Life itself, and life-affirming religion,
still demands that we learn, decide, act, and accept the results.
Judy Harrow
1212
{file "JOAN on the Witch Laws" "bos266.htm"}
JOAN on the Witch Laws 8/22/81
Note: These are the comments of one of the early members of
Proteus Coven on what we gave her to read about ethics and laws. All
the material she had is still here, although a good deal has been
added since then, so I thought her comments would also be interesting.
Judy Harrow
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Reaction to "Traditional" - i.e. essentially Gardnerian - format
In many respects, as constricting as Catholocism without the
administrative experience, intellectual prowess, or verbal expertise
of Catholicism. If current researchers are correct, what we have is
one man's fantasy (with jumbled and skewed sources) made everyone's
obligation.
Maybedealtwith mosteffectively-especiallyas regardsthe
reality of current practice and expectation - by juxtaposition with
Lady Ikandkhop's masterful irony.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Reaction to Aporrheton 5 - [generally very good thinking, but
still more traditional than my preference]
ParagraphTwo: Good thinkingon nature ofGoddess -or any divini-
ty. My agreement is reserved, uncertain, withheld.
Paragraph Three: Claims to have arrived at FIRMLY ("no bending")
UNDISPROVEN hypotheses. This arouses natural suspicion in me. I
disagree with some of his perceptions of FACTS.
Idisagree violently withLaws 5 +6. Heterosexuality isa streng-
th, but not an essential. POLARITY OPERATES OUTSIDE [or INSIDE]
BOUNDARIES OF ANATOMICAL EQUIPMENT AND HORMONES. AND THE CHARACTER -
THE SACRED CHARACTER - OF THE WITCH IS WITHIN THE AT ONCE TRANSCENDANT
AND DISCIPLINED SELF.
Law #7 is unnecessary. A silly bow to a misunderstood "Trad" law.
Law #8 islargely true, but makes no allowancefor valid, honest
(fair to all), and necessary transitional states many must pass
through. Also sticks on "authority" peg, which has some necessity/-
validity but can easily get out of hand. I find HONESTY + COURTESY
better yardsticks.
Law #9. True.But much of interpersonaltension (inevitable) can
be worked out of God/dess' love and coven support-with-discipline
prevail.
1213
Law #10. TheGreat Mysteries mustbe livedout. And, withoutusing
Craft parlance, if another needs to hear them, they MUST BE VERB-
ALIZED. TO DO LESS IS HARM. i.e., it is to allow another to drown
when you're on shore and have a rope.
But no missionary zeal!
No proseletyzing!!!
That for which others are unready is foolishness for them and
foolishness for the Witch. (It may also be subconscious power
tripping. See agreement in Law #13.)
Law #11 - I agree with paragraphs one and two.
Paragraph3:saying thatonlythe HPsincarnatesthe Goddess
is inappropriate and - in my firm opinion - NOT FACTUAL. (note from
Judy - as I interpret what he says there, it's that only WOMEN incar-
nate the Goddess. I also disagree with that, but it's less bad than
Joan's reading that he limits it to the HPs only.) The Goddess is not
bound by ceremonial elevations. She incarnates where and when She Damn
Well Pleases!
Re:"all initiations..."- etc.-Ritual iscrystallization
of preexistent, potential, incipient reality and this actualization is
not trivial.
Law #12 - Goodcaution on limits (ill defined whereemotion runs
high) or self-defense. But assumption rules out solo magic (his
previous premise is that it isn't Wiccan) by corollary of group
responsibility / group danger to all action. "Return to sender" is
generally agreed as rule-of-thumb for defense. Practice has not
disproven. This is a difficult area to define. Probably group consen-
sus on this would help.
Does"impossibility factor" negatedanger? How about the
verbal escape clause sometimes used?
Obviously,I'mless sureofboundarieson thisonethan onany
other.
Law #13 - Good idea. Rather an ideal than a norm.
OMISSION: APORRHETON does not mention Balance or Polarity concept
except in male/female context. But these are valuable and central
concepts.
I got the feeling this person is still ruled by fragments of
left-over fear.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Starhawk is GREAT. But many people will need more codification
than she offers.
1214
{file "Commentary by L.A. Hussey" "bos267.htm"}
From: L.A. HUSSEY
To: J_RANDOM FOLKSINGER
Subj: THE LAWS
I am disturbed and disappointed. "The Christians are our enemies."
"They will torture you to make you talk about the Craft." "Lie about
the Craft." "Covens splitting up makes for bad feelings."
What depressing garbage. This is the 20th century, and this is
America, this is not Inquisition days. The more we keep secret, the
more the ignorant will assume that we have horrible secrets to keep.
The true secrets of the Gods cannot be given away, because they cannot
be spoken -- they are beyond all language. And as for bad feelings
when covens break up, maybe that is how it is where you are, but
around here, there is rejoicing when one coven becomes two. Seems to
me like my best possible response to your "Laws" is the following
song:
BURNING TIMES
The songs are sung to rouse our anger of martyred Witches gone to the
fires,
But what is served by righteous singing, if all we do is stew in our
ire?
Nine million dead in four hundred years;
More in that time simply died of disease.
Why do we dwell on long past dead
When we are alive in times like these?
(cho)
Rise up, Witches, throw off your masks
And cease crying guilt for ancient crimes.
Earth and all Her children need us
For ALL face now the Burning Times.
In the face of that hostile power, how did the old knowledge stay
alive?
How have we still a Craft to practise? Our ancestors knew how to
fight and survive!
How do we honour our blessed dead?
Slavery threatens us all but few.
We must teach their cunning ways --
EVERYONE needs the skills they knew!
(cho2)
Rise up, Witches, gather your strength,
And let your power spread and climb;
Earth and all Her children need us
For ALL face now the Burning Times.
I will not cast off Science's works -- Witches all forces to Will can
bend;
I'll not accuse for war and waste some patriarchy of faceless men.
Men do not cast the only votes;
Women alone do not demonstrate.
Rather than shut out half the race,
Who if not we will change that state?
(cho2)
1215
I will not blame a Father's Church -- blame and guilt are their tools,
not mine,
And even in the shuls and churches, allies there will I seek, and
find!
I will not answer hate with fear,
Nor with a smug, cheek-turning love.
I will not answer hate with rage;
By strength alone will I not be moved!
(cho2)
I will not hide in my sacred grove -- the fact'ries and cities yet
ring me about;
I will not climb my ivory tower -- the real world exists tho' I shut
it out.
I will not work for Church nor State
Who serve themselves while they serve us lies,
Nor only for my Witchen kin,
But for the family of all alive!
(cho2)
So if rebellion means to fight a State lost sight of why it was built,
If heresy's to reject a Church that rules with force or fear or guilt,
Then let us all be rebels proud,
And shameless heretics by creed --
A tyrant's hand subjects the Earth,
More heretic rebels are what She needs!
(cho2)
Did it ever occur to the writers of your antique laws that the Craft
might actually be WELCOMED by a great number of people? That there
might actually be more of us than of those who wish us ill? That the
only reason those who fear us are so active nowadays is because they
see us becoming more and more welcomed by more people? As I say in
another song, "When folk in sorrow turn away/ From paths that lead to
misery/ And seek new ways for wholeness' sake/ Then waiting, ready
shall we be."
All I can say is, I'm Goddess-glad I'm not in your tradition.
B*B
Leigh Ann
To this I would add only one more admonishment, based on my own
experience: It is as important not to take oneself, one's power, and
one's Craft too seriously as it is not to take them too lightly.
Moderation in all things, including moderation. And remember that all
acts of love and pleasure are the rites of
the Goddess, and this includes HAVING FUN.
B*B Leigh Ann
1216
{file "Craft Ethics Response (M.K.H)" "bos268.htm"}
A RESPONSE TO "CRAFT ETHICS OF THE COVENANT OF THE DOVES"
It has always been my view that the Earth Traditions, both in the
Wiccan (European Shamanic) and Neo-Native Shamanic senses, are seeing
their rebirth out of a true need to heal this wounded Mother of ours,
and to stay Her hand, for Her anger is growing. It is quite possible
that without this renewed spirit of reverence and worship of Earth and
Sky and the True Source of All that Is, humanity as a species would be
made as extinct as the Passenger Pigeon and the Dodo Bird.
Therefore,as a Pagan and asa follower of theWays of the Chiri-
cahua Teneh Nation, I cringe whenever I see restrictions and require-
ments that are, for all intents and purposes, useless today, and only
hamper the mission we have of encouraging others to walk in a more
sacred way on the Body of Our Mother. I see the power trips, the "I'm
the High Priest(ess), that's why" crap and the games driving more and
more Pagans solitary, when we should be uniting. And I was extremely
angered when I read the published "ethics" of one organization, the
Covenant of the Doves, now known as the United Wiccan Church.
I have listed the salient points that disturb me the most, and
will respond to them one by one.
> No woman shall be a Maiden who has not been in her courses.
MK-H: I guess that's fair enough. But whether or not a woman is
currently menstruating is none of the Coven's business.
> No woman shall be ordained unless she has passed her 17th year,
> nor shall she have her ordination recognized until that time.
MK-H: No coven has any business ordaining a person, woman or man,
before the legal Age of Consent, unless the minor is legally eman-
cipated, and can produce their emancipation papers. To do otherwise
is a wonderful excuse for prosecution if the persecution that File 18
and other Fundie hate articles I have been compiling in my XIANHATE
series of files seem to augur comes to pass.
> No womanshall have herordination recognized unless sheis in
> her courses, has ten fingers, ten toes, two eyes, two ears, a
> nose. Her generative organs andbreasts must becomplete. The
> honorable loss of limbs or the effects of torture following
> ordination shall not invalidate the ordination.
MK-H: So you would deny ordination to a woman who is handicapped, or
blind, or deaf, or has suffered the effects of cancer and may have had
a hysterectomy, a mastectomy or even the less-invasive "lumpectomy"
done on her to save her life? That is bigoted and totally without
reason in this day and age. And what if she is past Menopause? Would
you deny ordination to a woman who may be past her fertile years?
That's wholly disrespectful to the Elders who hold so much wisdom that
could be an asset to a Circle.
> No woman shall be a Nymph who has not coupled.
MK-H: Again, this is none of the Coven's business whether or not a
woman has had sex.
1217
> No woman shall be a Crone who has not given birth.
MK-H: Some have chosen NOT to bear children, out of either financial
necessity, or conviction that this society is not the place to raise
kids in. And some have recognized that they simply do not have the
temperment for child-rearing (myself included in that category.)
Some are infertile, through no fault of their own. And some, through
either psychological or physical drives, prefer other women. There
are a great deal of Lesbians in the Wiccan movement. Would you write
them off as nonexistant?
> No man shall be a Magician who has not healed.
MK-H: Healing is not necessarily the only talent the God and Goddess
give to people. Therefore, if a person does not have that talent,
that does not mean that they aren't useful to the Circle in other
capacities. And why is this criterion only applied to MALE postul-
ants? Some of the best healers I know are female.
> Noman shall beordained unless he haspassed his 33rdyear, nor
> shall he have his ordination recognized until that time.
MK-H: Why a double standard on when a man should be ordained? 18 is
just fine for an eligability date.
> No man shall have his ordination recognized unless he is the
> father ofa living child, has ten fingers andten toes, two
> eyes, two ears and a nose and generative organs complete. The
> honorable loss of limbs or the effects of torture following
> ordination shall not invalidate the ordination.
MK-H: Again I voice my objections about the anti-Physically Chall-
enged bias that this requirement implies. And I suspect that the re-
quirement of being "the father of a living child" is there for only
one reason--that it is a legally permissable way of stating "No Poo-
ftahs". Just as the childbearing requirement is discriminatory to
Lesbians, the fatherhood requirement is discriminatory to Gays.
So what would I myself ask of postulants wishing initiation? In my
theoretical Circle, I would ask them to attest, under pain of dis-
fellowship, that they are not law enforcement officers joining the
Circle for espionage purposes, nor are they there for sabotage or in-
filtration purposes under religious grounds. Furthermore, they should
affirm their allegience to The Earth Mother, The Sky Father, and Their
Ultimate Source, forswearing allegiance to other deities. (primarily
to weed out Christian or "satanist" infiltrators) They should have
completed their Vision Quest, and have contacted their Lower Self in
the form of their Power Animal(s), and their Higher Self in the form
of the Shaman or Teacher Within. They also should not show outward or
inward signs of being mentally unbalanced (something that would
require a lot of trusting one's gut, although a psychologically-based
questionnaire might be a good way of confirming it) or overly con-
cerned with "finding power". They must also, for legal reasons, be
either over 18 or legally Emancipated.
Furthermore, there will be only ONE degree in my Circle--that of
Kin. Anyone who is initiated is theoretically ready to act as cerem-
onial facilitator, and that duty will be rotated to them as the
rotation goes around the Circle. Decisions should be made by consen-
sus, with one person having only one vote.
1218
I ask you, James...does notthe Mother and the Father decreethat we
should all be free and equal to one another? Is that not why you opt
to have your Coven be naked in their rite? (Due to the fact that the
Chiricahua Teneh never performed ceremonials in the nude, I would
myself opt for robed work, even to the point of people working in
comfortable street clothes.) So why all this bloody RESTRICTION? Why
all these trivial, and sometimes even discriminatory rules and regul-
ations? Your ancestor Aleister once said "The word for Sin is Rest-
riction." It's a good rule of thumb.
Respectfully,
Michelle Chihacou White Puma Klein-Hass
1219
{file "Broken Heart Spell (Healing)" "bos269.htm"}
SPELL TO EASE A BROKEN HEART*
John Shaman
You will need the following ingredients (be sure to charge them all
before you begin):
strawberry tea (one bag) Small wand or stick from a willow tree
sea salt 2 pink candles
a mirror one pink drawstring bag
one quartz crystal a copper penny
a bowl made of china or crystal that is special to you
1 teaspoon dried jasmine 1 teaspoon orris-root powder
1 tsp. strawberry leaves 1 teaspoon yarrow
10 plus drops apple-blossom oil or peach oil
10 plus drops strawberry oil
On a Friday morning or evening (the day sacred to Venus) take a bath
in sea salt in the light of a pink candle. As you dry off and dress,
sip the strawberry tea. Use a dab of strawberry oil as perfume or
cologne. Apply makeup or groom yourself to look your best. Cast a
circle with the willow wand around a table the the other ingredients.
Light the second pink candle. Mix all oils and herbs in the bowl.
While you stir look at yourself in the mirror and say aloud: "Oh,
Great Mother Goddess, enclose me in your loving arms and nurture and
bring forth the Goddess within me." Gaze deeply into the mirror after
you have finished mixing the ingredients and say aloud, "I represent
the Great Goddess, Mother of all things. I shine in the light of the
Golden Wings of Isis. All that is great and loving only belongs to
me." Then put half the mixture in the pink bag and add the penny and
crystal. Carry it with you always [or until you find another love].
Leave the other half of the potion in the bowl, out in a room where
you will smell the fragrance. Repeat this ritual every Friday if
necessary.
*From Laurie Cabot's "Power of the Witch"
Brackets mine.
Needless to say, you should replace the goddess name with one that you
attune
to.
1220
{file "Statement of Principles and Ethics (Lifeway Shamanic Fellowship)" "bos270.htm"}
STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS--LIFEWAY SHAMANIC FELLOWSHIP
By Usen's grace, Ho-dah....
1.) PURPOSES:
This is an era of decision. Do we allow ourselves to cut the
throat of the Mother Who has nourished us as a species since
we "came down from the trees"? Or do we work to walk in
Beauty and Harmony with Her, and cherish Her, and work to
see Her healed? The resurgence of Shamanism, the primal
Earth Religion of practically all of the Earth's
pre-Agrarian cultures, is an important thing, foretold by
the Paiute prophet Wovoka and in the Hopi Prophecies. It
was said that both the Red Man would return to the Ways of
the Old Ones and that the non-Native would also embrace the
Lifeway. There are non-Natives who respectfully have chosen
these Ways, and are carrying them on in a reverent way. If
the Lifeway was only given for the Native peoples, it would
die out within our lifetime. There are simply not enough
traditional Elders left.
It has been shown to some of us that Our Mother The Earth is
not willing to die quietly. She has demonstrated this by
the increase in natural disasters of the past decade, which
continue day by day. The Hopi prophecies state that, when
the "bowl full of ashes" (most interpret this as the
Thermonuclear Bomb) is overturned, that Our Mother shall
rise up in Her righteous anger and destroy humanity. This
prophecy is coming true, although it may yet be reversable.
Perhaps it is we who reverence the Ways and walk in harmony
with Our Mother that may stay Her hand.
The Lifeway Fellowship is here for those who wish to honor
Our Mother and Our Father, Earth and Sky, and to honor The
Giver Of Life, from whence all things flow in the Universe.
Our world-view is primarily allied with that of the
Navajo/Dineh, Apache/Teneh, and Hopi peoples. However we do
not represent ourselves as the keepers of those ways. The
secrets of those Nations are for them alone, unless Usen'
wishes to reveal them to us. Our mission is to help heal
Our Mother, The Earth, and to help each other walk in closer
harmony with Her. We also exist to provide a way for urban
and sub-urban people to learn and practice the root Shamanic
techniques that aid us in finding our True Vision and True
Way of Power, and following that Vision and that Way.
We identify ourselves as Pagan (Webster's New World
Dictionary "1. b)...a person who is not a Christian, Moslem,
or Jew (by faith); heathen. Pagan specifically refers to one
of the ancient polytheistic (or pantheistic) peoples.") and
as unashamed Pantheists and Polytheists. The Lifeway
is truly a religious commitment. No-one can make a commitment
to the Lifeway and to the worship of Life Giver, The Earth
Mother and The Sky Father and remain a worshiper of other
Paradigms of the Deity, much as one cannot be a Christian
and worship the Greco-Roman pantheon. However this does not
imply the condemnation of other Paradigms, nor impel a duty to
"convert" others.
1221
We stand by other Pagans who do not share our paradigms, IE.
Wiccans, Asatruans, Hellenists, and other Shamanic traditions,
(African and neo-African(Santeria & Voudoun), Australian,
Siberian, Traditional Native American, and Polynesian, to name
a few) and even though we may disagree with some or all of
their practices and beliefs, they are Brothers, Sisters and
Cousins, and in times of persecution as well as times of
goodwill we must defend them. We may even share in their open
rituals and allow them to share in our open ceremonials. But
that which is ours must remain ours, just as that which is
theirs must remain theirs.
2.) THE(A)OLOGY:
As our Fellowship is inherently religious, we must declare a
The(a)ology. (The strange spelling refers to the fact that
we acknowledge a Goddess as well as a God)
This is summed up very easily. There are three main powers
we worship, Usen' the Life Giver, The Earth Mother, and The
Sky Father. The latter Two are emanations of the First, as
all, including the God and the Goddess, are emanations from
Usen', which is the primaeval First Cause.
Usen': One cannot look upon The Life Giver as either Male or
Female, for The Life Giver is beyond those distinctions.
Usen', and The Life Giver, are names for this First Cause,
this Force that pervades all and caused all to come into
being. From Usen', the God, Sky Father, and the Goddess,
Earth Mother, emanate, as the lesser Deities emanate from
Them.
The Earth Mother: We live and walk and are sustained from
The Earth Mother, which is our Earth. She is alive, and we
all exist within Her as part of Her structure. Science,
through the Gaea Hypothesis, has finally acknowledged Her
existence, and some even have learnt the lesson that our
duty in this life is to care for and honor Her. This is a
lesson that all must learn, for as long as we despoil Her,
we risk Her wrath. She is expressed through the faces of
White Painted Woman, Who is The Woman Warrior, through Corn
Mother, Who is The Nourishing Mother, and through Spider
Woman, Who is The Wise Woman, The Ancient One, The Custodian
of Wisdom. Women are acknowledged as being human represent-
atives of The Earth Mother.
The Sky Father: Just as among we Humans, there is both Man
and Woman, so there is no Earth Mother without Sky Father.
Sky Father is the air we breathe, the flame that gives us
warmth and cooks our food, and brings forth the rain that
fertilizes Our Mother and allows Her to provide us with
the crops and animals that sustain us. Sky Father is also
expressed as The Hunter, The Warrior, and First Shaman, and
is also expressed in Killer Of Enemies and The Child Of
Water. He is also present and acknowledged as being present
in every Man.
1222
There are other spirits that exist in the Universe, some
beneficient, some maleficient. But most important is Usen',
Earth Mother, and Sky Father. By walking in harmony with the
God(esse)s, one can tell the Good from the Evil, welcoming
in Good, and protecting each other from Evil.
3.) ETHICS:
We have our code of Ethics. It is neither lengthy nor
overly restrictive. We do not include ancient taboos in
this list, such as Mother-In-Law avoidance or the taboo
against Fish, because they may not apply nowadays. If you
wish to not eat fish or to avoid your Mother-In-Law for
religious reasons, it is your perogative. But it is not a
requirement.
1.) If the action does not harm yourself, other people or
intelligent beings, or Our Mother The Earth, you are free to
do as you wish.
2.) To charge for healings, sweats or ceremonials is totally
wrong and extremely offensive. Also, to charge excessively
for teaching is equally offensive, but a modest fee
over expenses is allowable. Your conscience is the best
guide, that and the Will of the Deities.
3.) Magick should be limited only to protection of Self and
Loved Ones, and to healing and helping those in need,
provided that permission is given by the patient and that
help other than healing does not interfere with the Will of
others. Magick that is used in a coercive (IE. Love spells)
or destructive (harming or killing magick) way is patently
wrong and is considered Black Magick.
4.) Contact of spirits by any means other than Shamanic
journeying or the Vision Quest is very risky, and Possession
is a real possibility. The practice of mediumship, or
"channeling" has no place in the Lifeway, and exposes not
only Self but others to danger.
5.) Permission must always be asked of the spirits of plants
and/or animals before taking them for either sustenance or
for medicine.
6.) One's visions and one's personal ceremonies are one's
own. Personal visions should not be spoken of, but shared
visions are for all of the group.
7.) It is wrong to criticise another within the group or
outside the group. Racism, sexism, xenophobia or general
disrespect of others has no place in the Fellowship.
Individual decisions about lifestyle and other ethical
issues not covered here are an individual's own affair.
1223
4.):GROUP STRUCTURE AND INITIATION PRACTICES
There is only one Initiation, which is the Initiation that
makes one Kin within the group and in the sight of The
Deities. It is given after one has taken their first Vision
Quest, has found their Power Animal(s) and has met the
Shaman Within. It can only be denied to those who have met
these requirements, is younger than the legal Age Of Consent
(in most places, 18 years) is not of sound mind, and/or is
under suspicion of being a Law Enforcement Officer or other
person antipathetic to Pagan and/or Shamanic belief
who requests initiation for fraudulent purposes (usually to
infilitrate to either sabotage or publically discredit the
Fellowship) Initiation must not be denied on account of
physical disabilities, blindness, deafness, or sterility,
nor on account of sex, race, nationality, political belief,
or sexual preference.
There are no set offices within the Fellowship. Ideally,
leadership should be by consensus, with true leaders being
temporary and purpose-oriented. Facilitation of rituals may
be done by any Initiate of the Fellowship. ANYONE WHO
REPRESENTS THEMSELVES AS A HIGH PRIEST/ESS OF THE LIFEWAY
SHAMANIC FELLOWSHIP IS A FRAUD, AND IS DOING SO CONTRARY TO
THIS STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS.
Support of the Fellowship is done on a purely voluntary and
mutual basis. No tithe or dues should be assessed unless
they have been agreed upon by all members, initiates and
non-initiates alike.
Membership is extended to all. But initiation is reserved
for those who meet the criteria mentioned above.
Non-initiates can participate in open ceremonials and in
basic workshops, but may be denied participation in certain
ceremonials and advanced workshops.
1224
5.) THE QUESTION OF RECOGNIZING SHAMANS
In traditional societies, the title Shaman was not just an
honorific, or recognition of talents. Nor was it the
highest initiatory level in a Shamanic society. The Shaman
was, in most cases, above the Chief in decision-making power
and was judge, doctor, father-confessor, and intercessor
with the Deities for the tribe. Some Shamanic societies are
now providing their membership with "Shaman training
seminars" and "Shaman apprenticeships" that can be had for
an exorbitant price. This implies that the cost of being a
Shaman can be paid in money and in a set amount of time.
This is not the case. Many tribes believe that the office
of Shaman is not one that is earned, but one that one is
born into. Certainly, the skills are never something one is
born with, and this is not merely hereditary. Rather, when
a child is born, the current Shaman would recognize that the
child had the POTENTIAL of being the next one, and the
child's training would begin when they were considered ready
by the Shaman. At adulthood, they would be tested. If they
passed the test, they would become the next Shaman. If they
failed, usually the test was such that they would either die
outright, or they would go insane. Many "heroic quest"
tales, and most notably the Arthurian legends have echoes of
this practice within the ancient Shamanic traditions of
Europe.
But the point that is being made here is that we should not
go back to that sort of way of doing things, because in this
society it is nigh on impossible. The stand I am offering
here is that recognition as a Shaman can be conferred only
through shared vision, and signs from the Deities. It is
not my place to say what the signs are...it will be obvious
to the Fellowship. I am not Shaman myself, and will not
brook anyone calling me that. This is something I place in
the lap of the Deities to decide. I cannot do anything
more. It is a mockery of those people that can truly be
called Shamans, who are respected, powerful people of
traditional tribes, to do anything less. In any event, to
claim such a title is definately not enough, and is
punishable by withdrawing Fellowship from the one who claims
to be Shaman falsely.
6.) FESTIVALS AND WORSHIP DAYS
The festivals are reckoned as they have been for centuries
by most Southwestern tribes, by both the Sun and the Moon.
The seasons begin on the first full moon after a Solstice or
an Equinox. The Solstices and Equinoxes themselves are
times of celebration as well, and perhaps the period between
the two (which usually works out to be no more than a week
or so) could be considered a time of Holiday. Lesser
ceremonials are held on New Moons and Full Moons between the
first Full Moons of the seasons. Optionally certain Pagan
festivals could be celebrated in conjunction with other
groups, but they are not to be adopted as official Lifeway
Fellowship ceremonial days.
1225
There are other ceremonials that are personal in nature, and
can be held at any time, although synchronizing them with
the Festivals and the New and Full Moons is advisable. They
are Naming, where a newborn child is named in the presence
of the group and their Life-beads given; Coming Of Age,
where the child's physical maturity is acknowledged, and
where, for a short time, they become Child of the Water (if
a boy) or White Painted Woman (if a girl); Initiation, where
a person becomes a full-fledged member of the group, given
after a person becomes a legal adult; Joining, where a man
and a woman consent to be married; Unjoining, where a man
and woman who are married consent to have the bond
dissolved, which is to be done only after four reconcili-
ation attempts fail or after evidence of marital infidelity
or abuse is given before the group; the Moonlodge, which is
a special sweat for women in their Moon-time; and Release,
where a ceremony for a dead member of the Fellowship is done
to guide their soul Back Home. Other ceremonials that are
dreamed or envisioned by a person or group are also
encouraged.
7.) SUMMING UP
A few quick ones: One can be either clothed or unclothed at
ceremonies, but it should be known that none of the
Southwestern tribes did ceremonies in the nude. However,
one should disrobe for the sweat lodge, as clothes are not
only uncomfortable within the sweat lodge, but interfere
with the cleansing process of the lodge.
This Statement can be accepted or rejected by individual
groups that federate themselves with Lifeway Fellowship. But
federation can be denied to those groups who stray too far
from some of the basic guidelines, or do anything that would
sully the reputation of the Fellowship in general.
Hi-dicho...this is finished.
May these proceeds please Life Giver Usen', and the Mother
and the Father.
ENJU!
Chihacou White-Puma, 1988.
1226
{file "Dragon, The Last (story by Gerald Decampo)" "bos271.htm"}
Visit Gerald del Campo's website at
http://www.Thelema.net/~cypher1000/books.html
[External Site]
THE LAST DRAGON
by
Gerald del Campo
In the land of Oz lived a great Wizard named Albert Creemshaw.
He was loved by everyone, and became quite popular when he
destroyed the Last Dragon in a great battle between the forces of
oppression and the powers of Freedom.
When the villagers heard that the monster had been killed they
rushed the mountain side where the Dragon had its nest and
proceeded to break the eggs; thereby insuring the destruction of
the creatures forever.
What they did not know, was that Albert had snuck one of the eggs
out before the villagers got there. He cared for it in his Castle
and through his great magical ability he was able to genetically
alter the dragon fetus so that it would soon be the watcher of
the people; a symbol of freedom and great strength. But he kept
this a secret from the people because they were not ready yet for
the trial which awaited them; they would just have ganged up and
tried to kill the Little Dragon. He became a Hermit and loved
the little creature.
One day the Wizard received a message from his God that he would
have to move on, and release his body the way that a butterfly
sheds its cocoon. So Albert called for the Council of The Sword
and Shield, a ruling body of his most trusted students, and told
them about the little dragon. At first they were repulsed by the
idea of bringing up the offspring of the object of their misery;
but the Magician persuaded them by telling them that the little
dragon would soon be the symbol of freedom and strength: they
swore by the Warrior Gods they would care for it.
The following evening, while the Full Moon shined on the peaceful
waters of Oz, Albert and his God left forever.
Upon finding their Master dead, the Council released the
information about the Little Dragon to the people of Oz. The
people of Oz loved Albert as much as he loved them, and after
they saw how fragile this poor orphaned creature was they decided
amongst themselves that they would honor those raising the little
dragon, for the dragon would represent all of the things Albert
himself stood for.
1227
Things went well, for a while. The favoritism displayed by the
people of Oz towards the Priests and Priestesses that cared for
the Dragon created turmoil: all of the sudden there were power
struggles within the Council, its members were fighting over who
would supervise the education of the Little Dragon, who would
feed it, who would educate it. They set up rules specifically
designed to make it impossible for others to reach the grades
appropiate to caring for the Dragon so that only a few on top
could reap the benefits associated with caring for the Little
Dragon.
One would say: "I have risked my life and given all so that the
little dragon could have food", and his ego was pleased. The
other would say: "While you first despised the dragon I stood
fast in my duty to care for it, for I have kept my word", and her
ego was satisfied.
The people were so impressed by the "devotion and selflessness"
of The Council that certain members were given gifts of silver,
gold, spices, and women. Treated as Gods for their sense of
duty.
Everyone at The Council became so preoccupied with the power
struggle, and with keeping their peers in lower positions that
they forgot about the little, fragile Dragon. When they finally
gained their senses, and returned to the Castle where it was
guarded they found it dead, starved from attention and
sustenance. They then realized that empty, lost feeling Albert
himself would have felt, if HE had killed the Last Dragon.
1228
{file "Circle Casting" "bos272.htm"}
Circle casting Dragon style
Cameron Mandrake
I just thought I'd drop a note on the traditional Dragon Tradition
Circle casting. The circle is cast with the Blade, the Cup and the
Censor. The Priest starts with the Blade in the north and draws the
boundry of the circle. As he does he recites "I tread this Path for
the Elements, that which comprises all that we see."
The HPS takes to sprinkling the boundries with the Cup filled with
salted water. She recites "I tread this Path for Self, a reflection
of the Divine."
The HP then takes the censor and carries the smoketo the boundries
of the circle in a deosil direction. He recites "I tread this Path
for Spirit, that which unites all things."
The HP or HPS then state the charge of our Circle. It is as follows.
"Our Circle is a place where hearts and minds can meet and share in
the wonder and empowerment of a living and loving Goddess. We are a
coven of friends, but above all things we are Family. Our Love and
our Magick binds us together and our Circle keeps us and nurtures us.
We are blessed. Blessed Be!"
The Dragon Guardians are then invoked.
EAST
Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the East. Your tongue is
a sharp sword, cutting with the knowledge of the arcane. Your spirit
flows as graceful as a swift in flight. Purify us with truth.
Blessed Be.
SOUTH
Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the South, your breath is
aflame with the fires of inspiration and passion. Your spirit is
searing
and fervent. Purify us with Love. Blessed Be.
WEST
Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the West, your coils are the
cleansing healing waves that nurture the soul. Your spirit lunges,
leaps and splashes like a Talbot at play. Purify us with pulsing
tides. Blessed Be.
NORTH
Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the North, your talons run
like roots into the earth, giving you infinite strength. Your spirit
is substantial, hard and pure like a clear crystal. Purify us with
persistant wisdom. Blessed Be.
Each of these Dragons has a secret name that they are also invoked
with. A suggestion is that anyone using these invocations meditate to
find an appropriate name for each Guardian and use it along with or
instead of the words "Mighty Dragon".
1229
I find that the Circle charge sets the mood for the Circle and I
change it to suit the situation. If anyone has ideas for a Circle
charge, I'd like to hear them. I have a number of Circle charges that
I use but fresh ones always are nice.
Blessed Be.
Cameron Mandrake
... Copyright 1992 - DragonHart Coven - All Rights Reserved
1230
{file "On the Number 451 (Ordo Argentum Astrum)" "bos273.htm"}
ON THE NUMBER 451
(The true nature of the A.`. A.'.)
Publication in Class B
ORDO ARGENTUM ASTRUM
Anthra Andromda
The number is a very interesting one indeed. Originally suggested by
David Cherubim, in connection with the "true" meaning of the initials
A.`. A.'.. At first glance there doesn't seem to be much there...BUT!
451 = 4 + 5 + 1 = 10 = 1.
A glyph of the cycle. The monad starting its trek through experience
in the infinite body of Nuith and returning to this supreme Unity.
451 = ATh HADM. The essence of Man. Also Ath ADMH (a Temurah), The
essence of the attained Man.
ADMH also means "Red Earth" in the traditional sense. However, there
is a rather 'new' qabalistic operation at work here, that of fusing or
synthesis.That of two words joining to make a new one (or an old one)
with a new meaning. Here we have 'ADM' and 'MH'. Both words add to 45,
which may be a key to the way things are working here. ADM, Man and
MH, Yetzirah. In this case we have man identified with Yetzirah to
which he aspires. Crowley says of this number, "Thus 45 baffles the
accuser, but only by affirmation of progress. It cannot help that
progress."
Quite true, it baffles! ADMH is 50, and is "red earth". This would
seem to have little to do with the foregoing. However, consider this;
in the word ADMH we have the 'H' appended. This would place the number
five behind the Man, and would have the effect of giving him motion in
a forward direction (indicating progressive motion).
When the number 451 is divided by the number 51 (451/51) the result is
8.02. Perhaps not much here, but! The number 802 is twice that of 401
(essences) and is defined in 'Sepher Sephiroth' as; "401 X 2 = The
Reflection of 401, which is the (Th a), alpha and omega". It also
refers to the three grades of A.`. A.'. above the abyss. As to the
number 8.02; the number 8 is that of Ch = Chith = 418. And the 2
represents the 'extended' monad proceeding from the infinitely small
and un-extended point. Thus it is representative of the 'human' Star,
the true essences of Man that aspires to the higher, or in Enochian
terms; That Star (monad) that aspires, and is driven, to a higher
place in the hierarchy of the Universe. This is accomplished by the
motion imparted to it by the 'H' which gives the Star motion so that
it may gain in experience.
Now, 401 = 5 = Motion. And, 50 = 5 = Motion, and is also the 14th
letter of the Hebrew alphabet; Nun. The mystic number of 'Nun' is 300,
which is the number of the 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet 'Sh'
Shin. Shin refers Yetziratically to fire, and is symbolic of the 'Holy
Spirit' and therefore is the letter and number of 'Spirit'. Spirit is
unmanifested energy, and matter is manifested energy (another pos-
sibility for the 2 of 8.02) which is, in a sense, the whole nature of
Man. This duality of man is shown in dual nature of his motion. The
401 which is the essences of his motion (the higher) and the 50 which
is the manifestation of this motion.
1231
CROWLEY'S ESSAY on MAN.
"The Mind of the Father riding on the subtle guiders which glitter
with the inflexible tracings of relentless fire." ZOROASTER.
MAN.
"What is man, that thou art mindful of him?"
Man being the subject of these Essays, it is first proper to explain
what will be meant therein by the word.
Man is a microcosm: that is, an image (concentrated around the point
of consciousness) of the macrocosm, or Universe. This Theorem is
guaranteed by the hylo-idealistic demonstration that the perceptible
Universe is an extension, or phantasm, of the nervous system.
It follows that all phenomena, internal and external, may be
classified for the purpose of discussing their observed relations, in
any manner which experience may show to be the most convenient.
(Examples: the elaborate classifications of science, chemical, phys-
ical, etc., etc. There is no essential truth in any of these aids to
thinking: convenience is the sole measure.) Now for the purposes of
analysing the spiritual nature of man, of recording and measuring his
experiences in this kind, of planning his progress to loftier heights
of attainment, several systems have been devised. That of the Abhid-
hamma is on the surface alike the most practical, the most
scientific, and the most real; but for European students it is cer-
tainly far too unwieldly, to say nothing of other lines of criticism.
Therefore, despite the danger of vagueness involved in the use of a
system whose terms are largely symbolic, I have, for many reasons,
preferred to present to the world as an international basis for
classification, the classico-mathematical system which is vulgarly and
erroneously (though conveniently) called the Qabalah.
The Qabalah, that is, the Jewish Tradition concerning the initiated
interpretation of their Scriptures, is mostly either unintelligible or
nonsense. But it contains as it ground-plan the most precious jewel of
human thought, that geometrical arrangement of names and numbers which
is called the Tree of Life. I call it the most precious, because I
have found it the most convenient method hitherto discovered of
classifying the phenomena of the Universe, and recording their relat-
ions. Whereof the proof is the amazing fertility of thought which has
followed my adoption of this scheme.
Since all phenomena soever may be referred to the Tree of Life (which
may be multiplied or subdivided at will for convenience' sake) it is
evidently useless to attempt any complete account of it. The cor-
respondences of each unit -- the Ten Sephiroth and the Two-and-Twenty
Paths -- are infinite. The art of using it consists principally in
referring all our ideas to it, discovering thus the common nature of
certain things and the essential differences between others, so that
ultimately one obtains a simple view of the incalculably vast com-
plexity of the Universe.
1232
The whole subject must be studied in the Book 777, and the main
attributions committed to memory: then when by constant use the system
is at last understood -- as opposed to being merely memorized -- the
student will find fresh light break in on him at every turn as he
continues to measure every item of new knowledge that he attains by
this Standard. For to him the Universe will then begin to appear as a
coherent and a necessary Whole.
For the purpose of studying these Little Essays, it will be sufficient
if a bare outline of the Cosmic Theory which they imply be given: but
it may be added that, the fuller the comprehension of the Tree of Life
which the reader brings to them, the clearer will their thought
appear, and the more cogent their conclusions.
(1) Jechidah
This is the quintessential principle of the Soul, that which makes man
at the same time identical with every other spark of Godhead, and
different (as regards his point-of-view, and the Universe of which it
is the centre) from all others. It is a Point, possessing only posit-
ion; and that position is only definable by reference to co-ordinate
axes, to secondary principles, which only pertain to it per accidents,
and must be postulated as our conception grows.
(2) Chiah.
This is the Creative Impulse or Will of Jechidah, the energy which
demands the formulation of the co-ordinate axes aforesaid, so that
Jechidah may obtain self-realization, a formal understanding of what
is implicit in its nature, of its possible qualities.
(3) Neschamah.
This is the faculty of understanding the Word of Chiah. It is the
intelligence or intuition of what Jechidah wishes to discover about
itself.
These three principles constitute a Trinity; they are one, because
they represent the being, and apparatus which will make the manifest-
ation possible, of a God, in manhood. But they are only, so to speak,
the mathematical structure of man's nature. One might compare them
with the laws of physics as they are before they are discovered. There
are as yet no data by whose examination they may be discerned.
A conscious man, according, cannot possibly know anything of these
three principles, although they constitute his essence. It is the work
of Initiation to journey inwards to them. See, in the Oath of a
Probationer of A.`. A.'. "I pledge myself to discover the nature and
powers of my own Being."
This triune principle being wholly spiritual, all that can be said
about it is really negative. And it is complete in itself. Beyond it
stretches what is called The Abyss. This doctrine is extremely dif-
ficult to explain; but it corresponds more or less to the gap in
thought between the Real, which is ideal, and the Unreal, which is
actual. In the Abyss all things exist, indeed, at least in posse, but
are without any possible meaning; for they lack the substratum of
spiritual Reality. They are appearances without Law. They are thus
Insane Delusions.
1233
Now the Abyss being thus the great storehouse of Phenomena, it is the
source of all impressions. And the Triune Principle has intended a
machine for investigating the Universe; and this machine is the fourth
Principle of Man.
(4) Ruach
This may be translated Mind, Spirit, or Intellect: none of these is
satisfactory, the connotation varying with every writer. The Ruach is
a closely-knitted group of Five Moral and Intellectual principles,
concentrated on their core, Tiphareth, the Principle of Harmony, the
Human Consciousness and Will of which the four other Sephiroth are (so
to speak) the feelers. And these five principles culminate in a sixth,
Da(acu)ath, Knowledge. But this is not really a principle; it contains
in itself the germ of self-contradiction and so of self-destruction.
It is a false principle: for. as soon as Knowledge is analysed, it
breaks up into the irrational dust of the Abyss.
Man's aspiration to Knowledge is thus simply a false road: it is to
spin ropes of sand.
We cannot here enter into the doctrine of the "Fall of Adam," invented
to explain in parable how it is that the Universe is so unfortunately
constituted. We are concerned only with the observed facts.
All these mental and moral faculties of the Ruach, while not purely
spiritual like the Supernal Triad, are still, as it were, "in the
air." To be of use, they need a basis through which to receive impres-
sions, much as a machine requires fuel and fodder before it can
manufacture the article which it is designed to produce.
(5) Nephesch.
This is usually translated the "Animal Soul." It is the vehicle of the
Ruach, the instrument by which the Mind is brought into contact with
the dust of Matter in the Abyss, that it may feel it, judge it, and
react to it. This is itself a principle still spiritual, in a sense;
the actual body of man as composed of the dust of Matter, temporarily
held together by the Principles which inform it, for their own pur-
poses, and ultimately for the supreme purposes of self-realization of
Jechidah.
But Nephesch, devised as it is with no other object that the direct
traffic with Matter, tends to partake of its incoherence. Its facul-
ties of perceiving pain and pleasure lure it into paying undue atten-
tion to one set of phenomena, into shunning another. Hence, for the
Nephesch to do its work as it should, it requires to be dominated by
the severest discipline. Nor is the Ruach itself to be trusted in this
matter. It has its own tendencies to weakness and injustice. It tries
every trick -- and it is diabolically clever -- to arrange its busi-
ness with Matter in the sense most convenient to its inertia, without
the smallest consideration of its duty to the Supernal Triad,
cut off as that is from its comprehension; indeed, unsuspecting as it
normally is of its existence.
1234
What then determines Tiphareth, the Human Will, to aspire to
comprehend Neschamah, to submit itself to the divine Will of Chiah?
Nothing but the realization, born sooner or later of agonizing ex-
perience, that its whole relation through Ruach and Nephesch with
Matter, i.e.,with the Universe, is, and must be, only painful. The
senselessness of the whole procedure sickens it. It begins to seek for
some menstruum in which the Universe may become intelligible, useful
and enjoyable. In Qabalistic language, it aspires to Neschamah.
This is what we mean in saying that the Trance of Sorrow is the motive
of the Great Work.
This "Trance of Sorrow" (which must be well-distinguished from any
petty personal despair, and "conviction of sin," or other black
magical imitations) being cosmic in scope, comprehending all phenomena
actual or potential, is then already an Opening of the Sphere of
Neschamah. The awareness of one's misfortune is itself an indication
of the remedy. It sets the seeker on the right road, and as he devel-
ops his Neschamah he soon attains other Experiences of this high
order. Her learns the meaning of his own true Will, to pronounce his
own Word, to identify himself with Chiah.
Finally, realizing Chiah as the dynamic aspect of Jechidah, he becomes
that pure Being, at once universal and individual, equally nothing,
One, and All.
It is of the essence of the Ideas of the Supernal Triad that the Laws
of Reason which apply to intellectual functions are no longer oper-
ative. Hence it is impossible to convey the nature of these Experien-
ces in rational language. Further, their scope is infinite in every
direction, so that it would be futile to attempt to enumerate or to
describe them in detail. All that one can do is to note the common
types in very general language, and to indicate what experience has
shown to be the most useful main lines of research.
The Quest of the Holy Grail, the Search for the Stone of the
Philosophers -- by whatever name we choose to call the Great Work --
is therefore endless. Success only opens up new avenues of brilliant
possibility. Yea, verily, and Amen! the task is tireless and its joys
without bounds; for the whole Universe, and all that in it is, what is
it but the infinite playground of the Crowned and Conquering Child, of
the insatiable, the innocent, the ever-rejoicing Heir of Space and
Eternity, whose name is MAN?
In Enochian Physics Man is known as 'the monad', we shall discuss the
nature of the monad or 'Star' from the Enochian view.
MONAD MODEL.
In conjunctionwith theCosmic Planes andElements Model,
Enochian Physics proposes the Enochian Monad Model. These two models
are not meant to be independent, rather they are inclusive and are
only separated for convience.
1235
A monad isdefined asan indivisible unit(Hadit), but,is
used in the sense that a monad is the infinitely small conscious point
of every entity. The only difference between monads is experience.
Giordano Bruno taught that the monad was the ultimate spiritual
particle and that all entities had a monad at their center, the core
of their being. Every monad is monastic above the first Aethyr (LIL),
and is dualistic below. This duality takes many forms as the monad
manifests itself downward. Basically, it consists of a subjective
self in the center of an objective world. Figure 2 shows a pictorial
representation of this model.
000000000
0 0 INDIVISIBLE MONAD
0 monadic 0
0 essence 0
000000000
|
+-----------------------+
| ring-pass-not |
+-----------------------+
| LIL - first Aethyr
000000000
0 0 DUALIST Watchtowers
0 I 0 MONAD (Life-atom) |
0 0 |
000000000 <-- NOT-I (world) TIME
SPACE
FORM
FIG. 2
ENOCHIAN AXIOMS.
1. Man, and every entity (thing) in existence, is in his (its)
essence a monad. This monadic essence expresses itself as a
subjective 'I' and an objective 'NOT-I'.
2. A monad's geometric equivalent is the sphere. The center is
the 'I'. The surface of the sphere is the 'NOT-I'.
3. The 'I' is conscious individuality.
4. The 'NOT-I' is the world in which the 'I' finds itself at
any given point in time and space.
5. Everygeometric pointinspace isan 'I-NOT-I'monad in
some stage of self-expression.
6. Any'I'can communicatewith anyother 'I'onlyin sofar
as their 'NOT-I's' intersect.
7. A world is defined as a set of intersections of a host of
'NOT-I's' at any given point in time and space.
8. Subsets of 'I's' are mutually exclusive.
9. Subsets of 'NOT-I's' may be either exclusive or inclusive.
1236
10. The monadic essence of each monad allows multitudinous
expression, but no 'I' can ever separate itself from or
exist independently of its 'NOT-I'.
THEOREMS OF ENOCHIAN PHYSICS.
1. Every person is an 'I-NOT-I' monad.
2. Every point in space is a consciousness center.
3. Energy flows from one cosmic plane or sub-plane to an
adjacent cosmic plane or sub-plane through Laya centers,
dimensionless points of space which serve as channels for
the flow of energies and forces.
4.Spirit isunmanifested energy.Matter ismanifested
energy.
5. Every manifestation within space and time is dualistic.
6. Space, time, and consciousness come into existance
simultaneously.
7. Every energy field and every force in our universe is
directed by the True Will.
THE FORCES OF MAGICK.
There aresix Magickal forcesthat aremanifested inexis-
tance. These six forces, by necessity, manifest in dual triads, the
upper, and the lower.
THE UPPER TRIAD;
1.Divine Force. This is said to be the "Supreme Force"
relative to our universe. This so-called 'Supreme Force' is known as
'The TRUE WILL'. It is the 'Divine' driving force of Hadit.
2.CreativeForce.TheKundaliniofEasternthought,manifest-
ing, below the Abyss, as electromagnetic energy.
3.Thought Force.This isthe occultforce thatoften takes
the form of projection, and continually projects fundamental subjec-
tive ideas of the 'I' outward into the 'NOT-I'.
1237
THE LOWER TRIAD;
1.MindForce.Thisforceshouldproperlybecalled 'Intellec-
tual', and would be attributed to Mercury. This is the reasoning and
logical powers of the intelligent entity. This force also includes all
of the senses.
2.Will Force.Thisis thelowermanifestation ofthe'Divine
Force'. This force is what drives us in a physical sense, it is our
outer needs and desires. It is what most 'men' perceive as their
'will', however it is frequently the opposite side of the 'Will
Duality'.
3.Word Force.Wordsand Letters,speechand physicalaction
make up this aspect of the magickal forces. It is the power of sound,
which has long been known in the west. God is said to create by
uttering His Word. Consider this; some politicians are virtual masters
of this magickal force.
As can beseen thereis little realdifference betweenthe
Enochian view of man and that of the Thelemic Magician, with the main
differences being that of nomenclature. It can also be seen that the
six 'magical forces' generally correspond to the five divisions of man
as set forth by Crowley, with the exception of the sixth 'force'. This
extra point is comprised of the actions performed by the first five.
If we think of man as a hexagram, instead of a pentagram, we have the
four elements, spirit, and motion.
The elementsand spiritmakeup theessential man,but heis
still static. With the addition of the sixth, he becomes dynamic,
capable of experience. It is then this 'man' that has the 'essences of
man', for until he becomes dynamic by virtue of his motion, and gains
in experience, he is incapable of attainment.
As wasstatedabove, Man'saspirationis toahigher placein
the hierarchy of the universe. Here then are the Laws of Hierarchies,
they will show, though perhaps not directly, how this ascension
(attainment) is made possible.
HIERARCHIES
LawofHierarchies. Fromthe highestrealmsof spiritto the
lowest levels of matter, everything in between is composed of a host
of gods, monads or life atoms arranged in a myriad of hierarchies.
The following rules apply:
1.All aggregatesare composedof hierarchies.All things,
save Hadit, are aggregates. We see in our world complete structures,
which are composed of molecules, atoms, and sub-atomic particles in
one direction. And planets, solar systems, and galaxies in another.
Thus science has enabled us to see, on a mundane level, that our
physical universe is composed of some basic hierarchies. Though from
rules 3 and 4 we see that these hierarchies continue unto infinity.
1238
2.Foreveryhierarchy thereisagoverningruler orhierarch.
On our personal level we have that which is referred to as our Holy
Guardian Angel. Aswe descend to the atomic level, we have the >nuc-
leus< of the atom. Each component of that atom has, in turn, its own
hierarch. In our worldly governments we see examples of these hier-
archs; mayors, governors, presidents, etc. And we can begin to see our
place in the physical manifestation of these hierarchies. We are also
members of hierarchies on less physical, or spiritual levels, though
little is known of these.
3.Hierarchiesdescendinfinitelyintomatter.Again,fromour
'middle world, we see the manifestation of yet smaller structures or
hierarchies, which descend to the smallest particles which science is
able to see or theorize.
4.Hierarchiesascendinfinitelyinto spirit.Ontheselevels
little is known, science has or can not enter into the realm of
spirit. We do know, however, that our own personal hierarch is our
H.G.A., and that logically we are but a component part of some yet
higher structure or hierarchy.
5.The universehas ahierarchicalstructure, interlinking
groups of entities living and working together. If we look sky-ward we
can begin to see something of this structure on a physical level. Out
stellar universe is made up of planets, solar systems, stellar clust-
ers, galaxies, and on and on. While earth is not yet working with
other groups of entities on a stellar level (as
far as we are allowed to know), it is clear that we must share the
same stellar environment with others. We can, however, observe this
'working together' here on planet earth. We can see the governments of
cities, counties, states, and countries working toward what is per-
ceived as the common good (at least in most cases).
6.Hierarchies areborn,evolve, anddie.The bestexampleof
this, I think, is ourselves. We are born into this world, grow and
experience (evolve) over some period of time then die, this is all a
part of what we call 'life'. Other examples of this rule may be seen
in various extinct forms of animal life, which came into existance,
evolved over time, then died out. We can also see examples on the
stellar level, stars which are born from collections of gases, grow
and evolve into fiery furnaces, then die out.
7.Worlds arecreatedby hierarchiesof cosmicbuilders and
architects acting together.
8. Everyworld containshierarchies of recorderswho con-
stitute the forces of karmic history.
9. Thecosmic elementsand planesarecomposed ofcountless
hosts of evolving hierarchies.
Theselast tworules are forthe mostpart redundant(see 3
and 4 above); they serve to stress the fact that hierarchies do, in
fact, extend infinitely in all directions.
10. Every hierarchyis composedof a hostof smallerhier-
archies.
11. Every hierarchy is a component part of a larger hierarchy.
1239
Thuswehave theEnochianview onthe nature,place,and path
of Man. To better understand this mystery of the true meaning of A.`.
A.'. and this nature of man we may now look at some of the Temurahs of
the number 451.
These are;451, 415,541, 514,145, and154. Weshall start
with the least of these.
The number 145; InSepher Sephiroth it is definedas the
numerical value of the 13 paths of the Beard of Microprosopus.
Thenumber 154;Againfrom SepherSephiroth;it is'Elohimof
Loves', and we are referred to the number 149. The reference in 149 is
to 'The living GODS'.
Inthese two numbers we have references to Man and this
'Starry' nature. Though in the number 149 it is perhaps more direct.
'The living GODS', indeed, the most tangible link between man and GOD
is this 'Starry' essence. Both Man and ANY GOD that one cares to think
of are at the core one and the same, that is to say, that we are all
made of the same stuff, we are all MONADS at some level of evolution.
But, on we go.
Thenumber415;Still againfromSepherSephiroth. Thenumber
is that of the Voice of the Chief Seer and also 'The Holy One'.
Stillagainsubtle referencestothis 'Star'naturewhich we
have already examined.
The number 514and 541. Hereare references thatare abit
more obscure. 514 gives reference to 'KABBALA DENUDATA', a reference
that unfortunately I will have to pass on due to a mis-fortune beyond
my control. The number 541 refers to 'Israel', which at first may
seem strange, but, historically Israel is/are 'Gods' chosen people. We
may take this to mean 'Free Man' in the Thelemic sense. The number is
thus indicating Man, or rather those Men that have risen above the
slavery of the old aeon and have begun to ascend/aspire to Yetzirah.
Those Men who have realized some small part of their true essence.
So then! Just what he hell is the true meaning of the initials
A.`. A.'. and the number 451? It is no more and surely no less than
the MONAD! Though others may use different words and different systems
to explain this, their meaning will of necessity be the same.
1240
{file "Chaos Magick vs. Thelema" "bos274.htm"}
CHAOS vs THELEMA ?
Alistair Livingstone
Inspired, no doubt foolishly, by a new moon and the
Cramps`"Psychedelic Jungle", I have decided to enter the
Thelema vs Chaos debate. This is of course an impossible task, which
is no doubt why it appeals to me.
Firstly, what is it that distinguishes Thelma from Chaos? In
Starfire, Mick Staley attempts to distinguish Thelema from
Crowleyanity. Thelema he suggested pre-existed Crowley`s formulation
of it. This immediately causes problems, since for the majority of
magicians, Crowley = Thelema. But if it can be accepted that there
is a something which exists independently of Crowley`s writings,
then it must be this something (Thelema) which is to be contrasted
with Chaos Magick. The core of this something, I suggest, is the
Will. Is this idea of the Will in any way opposed to Chaos?
What is Chaos then?
For the purposes of this argument I will interpret Chaos as follows:
that the familiar world of everyday experience has its roots in
Chaos. So that any attempt to understand the world via reason
reaches a boundary, on the other side of which lies Chaos, a state
of existence/non-existence which cannot be understood by the
rational ego. However, through the techniques of ritual, that state
can be manifest in the everyday world, suspending the accepted
"laws" of common sense and allowing magick to occur. Furthermore,
perhaps as a result of the practice Chaos magick, the idea of Chaos
is slowly entering the popular imagination via science. This refutes
classical science, which is based on the belief that if the
structure of the physical world could be sufficiently precisely
modelled in a mathematical form, it would be possible to predict the
future state of various systems (wheather, for example) which make
up the physical world.
However, it is now grudgingly admitted that this would require a
precision of measurement which it is impossible to achieve.
Engineers have long since had to accept this uncertainty - that all
measurement is limited by the accuracy of the measuring device.
Absolute precision is an impossible goal. There is always a degree
of uncertainty, an instability, and by focusing the Will upon this
either/or region, the magician can exert an influence upon the world
at this level, which when it occurs, can produce the Willed outcome.
To the extent that Chaos is a form of magick, ie. it seeks to exert
an influence upon the world of erveryday consciousness, it must
involve the Will. Otherwise it would be closer to a form of
mysticism, that is the attempt to "go with the flow" of the
experienced world without seeking to influence the direction of that
flow. In this form, Chaos is closer to a "higher form of order",
that is that the apparent random or chance events of one`s
experience of existence are in fact the result of some greater
existence than that of the individual. And that by disengaging the
desires of the ego-self, one can experience this greater existence,
interpreting the obstacles and blows of everyday existence as a
stimulus to the development of a "Stoic" consciousness, which will
enable the self to eventually swimm freely as a fish in the river of
the Tao, or Chaos.
1241
The idea which this is based on tends to be that of the hermit, the
forest sage of Hinduism, the solitary adept of High Magick. No doubt
if it was possible in this present age, one could experience such an
existence if one could remove the self from the rest of human
existence. But such a model is no longer valid, since the growth of
human consciousness is such that there is no virgin wilderness left
in which to undertake such a quest. We are forced to contend with
the results of the human desire for knowledge, power, control and
security.
This is perhaps the crucial difference between Chaos magick and
Thelema. Thelema, as developed by Crowley into a form suitable for
the 20th century, contains a whole heritage of experience and
practice which reaches back through the Golden Dawn through
hermeticism to Egypt and Sumeria, which in turn drew on the beliefs
of our nameless ancestors who struggled to create models of the
world, cosmologies and creation myths within which to make sense of
their being in the world.
Crowley`s task, as had been of Mathers and Eliphas Levi before him,
was to synthesize this vast body of conscious/unconscious knowledge
and represent it in a way understandable by at least a few of his
contemporaries. Partly it is a question of language. Unfortunately
the language of magick was limited by the dominance of
Judeao-Christianity on the one hand and Reason on the other. Our
everyday language derives from our perception of a world made up of
distinguishable objects, and on the faculty of sight primarily. But
as soon as we move into the more subjective sphere of magick,
problems arise. To what extent do we share the same magickal reality
and use words such as "the Will" in the same way? The problem is not
confined to magick. For a time I worked in quality control at London
Rubber. Periodically I had to compare my work with others to make
sure we were all applying the same so that I was not rejecting
condoms that another person was passing. In science the theory is
that one person`s work is critically examined by their peer group.
The difficulty is that as soon as creativity enters the picture, it
will tend to disrupt this process. The test of any form of magick
should be "does it work?". But how can that be judged, since the
results of a ritual may not become apparent for some time. In the
early eighties, much work was done to halt the expansion of nuclear
weaponry. But it is only now, as profound changes occur in Eastern
Europe, that this can be judged a success. And the changes may yet
be lost by a failure of imagination and the difficulty of
challenging the parasitic military-industrial complexes of both East
and West.
Thelema may be saddled with the archaic terminology inherited via
Crowley from the Golden Dawn, but at its heart lies a crucial
bullshit detector. I have found that the question "what is your
Will?" directed at any group or individual who claims to be desiring
change is a very effective challenge. What is unsettling, however,
is the discovery that in most cases it evokes only silence, or at
best a string of evasions.
1242
This I feel is the most damaging criticism of Thelema, that it has
failed to cross over from magick into the diverse pool of
"alternative" beliefs which seek to reshape society. This is hardly
a question of mere academic interest, as Green issues emerge and
look set to dominate the next decade, the "spiritual", that is
neo-pagan, belief structures which infest Green consciousness are
also going to exert a growing influence. We may yet discover that
the future, as the Dead Kennedy predicted, will be "California .ber
Alles".
Can Chaos magick then succeed where Thelema has not (yet)? I doubt
it, since the reaction to both by the average alternative type (let
alone Joe Normal) is that it is "too dark". The very word "Chaos"
tends to get tagged with "anarchy" and evoke nightmare visions of
mad-axemen running wild in the street. Of course, for some this may
be its very appeal, anything so bad must be good...
No, somehow we have to achieve the Sysphean task of applying the
notion of Will like Occam`s razor to the fast mulitiplying dualistic
entities of New Age (un)awareness. In practical terms I understand
this to mean directing our Wills at and with the growing Green
movement, so that rather than disappearing into a fog of "good
intentions", it becomes a real and willed critique of consumer
culture. Just as Marxism failed to achieve its desires, since the
working class had already been "mobilizised" by the capitalists, so
magick fails since the energies of the mass unconscious have already
been tapped by advertising, via the mass media.
The energy tending towards change of consciousness (evolution) has
been subverted by consumer culture into the desire to possess an
unending stream of glass beads and cheap cottons, or in our case,
microwave ovens and mink belly-button brushes. The whole thrust of
advertising is to bypass our logic circuits and touch directly our
desire for status and security. We don`t just buy the product, we
buy the dream, maya the illusion of success. It is, however much we
may protest, a form of magick. I may be an impoverished squatter in
a third world shanty town, but if I can buy a bottle of Coke, I
believe I possess the whole dream of the richest American
millionaire. I may be a Trabant owning East German, but by crossing
the (former) abyss of the Wall I become a potential Porsche
possessor.
But if you look at those already possess such dreams, what do you
find? That it is, as in California, these same people who turn to
the most ridiculous New Age bullshit in order to satisfy their
craving for something more, for something to fill up the endless
aching void they feel scratching and gnawing like some Charles
Manson nightmare outside the walls of their Beverly Hills mansions.
But of course, the last thing they want to hear is "the truth".
Better to create a multi-billion dollar New Age industry than accept
that within the richest mansions lies the reality of Chaos, of that
Void which spins around itself the veils of maya, the dance of
illusion, in which one is equally a starving beggar and a voluptuous
moviestar. "What is your Will?".
1243
Of course I am somewhat prejudiced for all I used to sing along with
Bowie on Ziggy Stardust (I could make it all worthwhile as a rock n
roll star) I chose magick as a path. Through experiences both
beautiful and terrifying I have come to understand the human
condition as but one aspect of a continuum of consciousness. For me,
the whole universe is a living entity which I interact with in the
fleeting streams of energies which inspire my awareness. Both
rationally and poetically I perceive my brain, my body as part of
the very substance of the universe and not distinguishable from it
(ie NUIT). For me, the human condition is part tragedy, part farce.
We are semi-intelligent apes who have been driven by fleeting
glimpses of what might be, to create this world, our reality. But in
our ignorance, we mistake the glimpse for the whole, the ego for the
self. We strive for "order" and create a chaos, and then recognize
in chaos a "higher form of order".
"Knowledge is power, power is control, control is security". Oh
yeah? But knowledge is also pleasure, a pleasure more intense than
any created by security. Security is sterility, sterility is death.
We pay lip service to evolution, but cannot accept that evolution
implies change, and change denise security. What do we will?
If our will is security, stability, then that we shall have, as so
many fossils. To embrace Chaos (Thelema) is to renounce such false
gods and accept that our actions as magicians will change not only
ourselves, but our world. Insofar as both Chaos and Thelema are
valid paths, thus far will they change us. To cling to an
identity, however pleasing or fulfilling, is a denial of magick.
Magick is about change, the only constant factor in the unfolding of
the implicate order/chaos of the universe.
Along with Thelema and Chaos, I also practise the magick of Maat. To
the Egyptians Maat was the "right order of the universe". The
contrast is between the familiar Hindu concept of "karma", which
deals with our human existence and the less familiar concept of
"rta" which deals with our aspects as forms of (universal)
consciousness.
Magick diverged from science some 300 years ago. Science sought to
discover "the hand of god" in the natural world; magick sought to
become the equal of the gods. Now we witness the overlapping of
these paths. We are no longer the creations of some distant god, but
the natural products of the universe. We have "evolved" out of a
handful of organic chemicals. Now we have the ability, through the
replication of DNA to evolve ourselves. We have, literally, the
powers of a god. What we lack, and what magick must seek to provide,
is the intelligence to use (or refuse) such power. The way to
achieve this is to ask the question: "what is our will?" Are our
genes our motivating force, or is there something else which I call
"consciousness"? This consciousness I hold to be implicit in the
structure of the universe, and has been revealed as such by quantum
physics, however difficult such a realisation may be for us. It may
be unprovable/undeniable, and therefore unscientific, but I suggest
that our so-called consciousness is a quantum phenomena.
1244
This is what Crowley experienced as the interplay of Nuit and Hadit
in the Book of the Law. It is also the root of Chaos. So that
Thelema and Chaos are but different aspects of a single (multiple)
experience, expressed in languages appropriate to their different
times and ambiences.
Alone I cannot fully express the complexity of these possibilities,
and yet we must each try to do so. Only by placing them at the heart
of our experience of being in the world, can we hope to create a
society which will survive rather than perish under its unconscious
contradictions. As yet we are but "naked apes", but we are apes with
sufficiently complex brains to at least glimpse the possibility of
being more than we are and become "homo veritas", that is truly
human at last.
As we are, we cannot fully know this to be true, only with our
imagination can we glimpse the potential implied. It is my Will to
bring this about, this is why I write these words, that they have
touch and stimulate whoever may read them. So mote it be.
On rereading the above, I feel the need to expand the argument
somewhat. Having bashed my way through an anthropological essay on
nationality and the state, it struck me that recent events in
Eastern Eurpe have many consequences. The whole point of the "iron
curtain", was to allow East to develop its alternative economic
system, as spelt out by Marx. What is happening now is the
incorporation of that economic system into a global economy, which
implies the failure of Marxism. This failure leaves a power vacuum.
The majority of critiques of the Western power structure have come
from Marxism. But if it is now seen to have failed, the possibility
exists for a more powerful critique to arise.
Where will we find this critique - in magick. Of course this
requires magicians to adopt a more rigorous intellectual approach to
their beliefs, but surely that is what Chaos/Thelema argument is
about, with each side arguing that the other is deceiving itself as
regards the "true" form of magick. What I am suggesting is that
magicians start to take magic seriously as "energy directed (willed)
towards change". Rather than as an escapist belief system parasitic
upon the economic success of capitalism. To practise magick we must
surely believe that we inhabit a magical, rather than a strictly
economic universe. How much more effective would our magick be then
if we could replace the belief system of economic society with that
of a society rooted in a magickal conception of reality.
Such is the apple with which I tempt you - do you dare taste the
forbidden fruit ?
Alistair Livingston
----
I do know him personally and am glad to meet him again in summer.
A. Livingstone is a pseudonym of Ramsey Dukes (which is a pseudonym
too :-)). He is member of the OTO and made a lot of Chaos working &
theory. He wrote some very genuine books about magic (Liber SGDSMEE,
Thunderqueak), is now concerned with KI (Words Made Flesh).
You can contact him via:
T.M.T.S., Wharf Mill, Winchester, Hants, SO23 9NJ, England
With fractalic greetings and laughter * Fra.: Apfelmann *
1245
{file "Notes On The Historical Egregore in Magick (I.O.T.)" "bos275.htm"}
Notes on the role of the historical Egregore in modern Magic
by Fra.: U.D.
It is quite easy to poke fun at the historical claims of most
magical and mystical orders, especially when they purport to have derived
from "very ancient", possible even "Atlantean" or, to top it all, "pre-
Atlantean" brotherhoods for whose existence even the most sypathetic
historical scholar worth his name would be very hard pressed to find any
significant proof. Actually, it is rather a cheap joke to cite, for
example, AMORC`s claims that even good old Socrates or Ramses II (of all
people!) were "Rosicrucians". However, the trouble only starts when adepts
mistake these contentions for _literal_ truths. "Literal", of course,
derives from literacy and the letters of the alphabet. And, as Marshall
MacLuhan has justly in his "Understanding Media" and perhaps even more so
in "The Gutenberg Galaxy", western civilisation has a very strong tendency
towards _linear_ thinking, very probably due to - at least in part - the
linear or non-pictographic nature of our alphabet. The very structure of
this alphabet informs us at quite a tender age to think in terms of linear
logics such as cause and effect, or, more intersetingly in our context,
PAST-PRESENT-FUTURE. This is not at all a "natural necessity" as most
people are wont to think, for the ideographic or pictographic "alphabets"
as used for example in ancient Egypt or even modern China and Japan tend to
bias the correspondingly acculturalised mind towards what MacLuhan terms
"iconic thinking" - a perception of holistic factors rather than the
systematisation into seperate (preferably indivisible) single units.
Western thought has formulated this problem as the dichtonomy of the
_analytic_ and the _synthetic_ approach. But it is perhaps no coincidence
that our contemporary culture tends to associate "synthetic" with "artif-
icial" , vide modern chemistry.
Now magical and mystical thinking is quite different; in fact it is not
half as interested in causality as is linear thought. Rather, it strives to
give us an overalll, holistic view of processes within our perceived
space-time continuum; an overall view which includes the psychology of the
observer to a far stronger degree than even modern physics seems to have
achieved in spite of Heisenberg`s uncertainity principle and Einstein`s
earlier theory of relativity. In other words, mythological thinking is not
so much about literal ("alphabetic"?) truth but rather about the "feel" of
things. For example, a shaman may claim that the current rain is due to the
rain goddess weeping because of some sad event. He might predict that her
phase of mourning will be over in two days` time and that the deluge will
then end. A Western meteorologist might possibly come to similar prognoses,
but he will of course indignantly deny using any of "this mystic stuff" in
the process. His rain godess takes the form of barometric pressure, wind
velocity and direction, air humidity and the like - but who is to say which
view is the "truer" one, as long as abstract and mystic predictions prove
to be accurate? From an unbiased standpoint, the modern demons "barometric
pressure", "wind velocity" and factors of a similar like are just as
abstract and mythic as the shaman`s hypothetical rain goddess - especially
so for us laymen who religiously follow the daily indoctrination via the TV
weather forecasts and satellite photograph divination: all we can do is
_believe_ in what the expert tells us is the truth. The non-shaman in a
shamanic society shares a very similar fate when he has to believe simply
that the rain goddess wants to be comforted say, by a substantial donation
of meat or tobacco in the course of a fully fledged tribal ritual.
1246
There _is_ an important difference however. If we accept the model (stron-
gly propagated by A.O. Spare, who was, of course, in his very special
manner, quite an orthodox Freudian) of magic primarily taking place within
the subconscious (Freud) or, less ambiguous, the unconscious (Jung); and if
we furthermore agree that said unconscious is not only the source of per-
sonal magical energy (mana, or, as I prefer to term it, _magis_) but tends
to think and act in symbols and images, we might come to the conclusion
that our shaman`s explanation may perhaps not be scientiffical more
satisfying in Western terms, but it is surely more in accord with the way
our unconscious tends to perceive reality. In that sense it is not only
more "natural" but, one suspects, even downright _healthier_ for psychic
hygiene. It is, so to speak, more "ecological and holistic" in terms of
psychic structure.
As an aside I might mention that it is the better explanation for practical
magical reasons as well. For at least rain goddesses can be cajoled into
happiness by magical technique, ritual trance and the like until they stop
weeping, a task a meteorologist will hardly be able to imitate. (Actually I
have preferred the magic of rain prevention to the more classical example
of rain making because it is far more relevant to our own geography and
experience).
In recent years Rupert Sheldrake`s theory of morphogentic fields has raised
quite a hue and cry, not only within the confines of the scientific
community but strangely enough among occultists too. I find this latter
reaction quite astonishing, because a lot of what Mr. Sheldrake basically
claims is nothing more than the old, not to say ancient, tenet of philoso-
phical idealism: namely that there is what in both German and English is
called "Zeitgeist", a form of unique time-cum-thought quality, leading to
surprisingly similar albeit completely independent models of thought,
technical inventions, political truths and so on. One would rather expect
the people to be profoundly intrigued to be among materialist/positivist
biologists or physicist rather that occultists who have traded in the
Zeitgeist principle ever since occult thought proper as we understand it
arose in the Renaissance. From a pragmatic point of view Mr. Sheldrake is
behaving very much like our meteorologist, replacing mythic explanations
with crypto-mythic "scientific" factors. Unfortunately, most scientific
scholars tend to fear a devaluation of scientific termini tecnici; once
they are mentioned in the wrong "context" (almost invariably meaning: by
"wrong" people) they are readily labelled as "non-" or "pseudo-" scientific
- which is, after all, precisely what happened to poor Mr. Sheldrake
amongst his peers in spite of all his academic qualifications. This example
goes to show how very much estranged occultists can be from their oown
sources even when working with them daily.
Reality too is always the reality of its description: we are marking our
pasts, presents and futures as we go along - and we are doing it all the
time, whether we are conscious of the fact or not, whether we like it or
not, we are constantly reinventing our personal and collective space-time
continuum.
1247
Space seems rather solid and unbudging; even magic can do very little it
seems to overcome its buttresses of solidity and apparent inertia, oc-
casional exceptions included. (May it be noted that I include matter in
this space paradigm, because solid matter is usually defined by the very
same factors as is space - namely width, length and height.) Time, on the
other hand, is much more volatile and abstract, so much so in fact that it
is widely considered to be basically an illusion, even among non-occultist
laymen. And indeed in his famous novel "1984" George Orwell has beauti-
fully, albeit perhaps unwillingly, illustrated that history is very little
more than purely the _description of history_. (Which is why it has to be
rewritten so often. It seems that mankind is not very happy with an
"objective past" and prefers to dabble in "correcting" it over and again.
This is quite an important point I shall refer to again later on.) History
is, after all, the defining of our past own roots and our _present_
position within our linear space-time continuum in relation to past and
future. Very often, unfortunately, the description and interpretation of
history seem little more pathetic endeavour to obtain at least a minimum of
objectivity in a basically chaotic universe. The expression "ordo ab chao"
is more or less a summary of Western thought and Weltanschauung, of the
issues straining and stressing the Western mind since ancient Greece. Chaos
is considered "evil", order on the other hand is "good" - then the polit-
ical philosophy, if you care to dignify it by this terms, of "law and
order", appeals to people`s deeply rooted fears of loss of stability and
calculability. ("Anarchy" is another widely misunderstood case in point.)
The ontological fact that everything is transitory has never been par-
ticular well-received in Western philosophy and theology.
Now before you get the impression that I am only trying to impose a typical
exercise in heavyhanded Teutonic style philosophical rambling upon your
overbusy reading mind, let me hasten to point out that if past, present and
future are, at least in principle, totally subjective, we as magicians are
locally perfectly free to do what we like with them. For the magician is a)
the supreme creator of his own universe and b) the master of Illusion (ref.
the Tarot card "The Magician/Juggler"). This freedom of historical choice,
however, is seldom realised let alone actively applied by the average
magician. Maybe one of the reasons for this has to do with the somewhat
pathetic fact that most of us tend to live our lives in a more or less
manner, being mild eccentrics at best, distinctly avoiding becoming too
much over the top. There are a number of possible explanations for this,
ranging from "every magician is just another guy/gal like me" to "preven-
tion of insanity". As we deal all the time with insanity - i.e. extremely
unorthodox states of consciousness by bourgeois standarts, we magicians
prefer some stability in our everyday lives and makeups, but this is not
really our topic.
Rather than delve into social normality of the average magician I should
like to investigate the many bogus claims to antiquity as put forward by a
multiple of magical and mystical orders from this point of view. Such
orders range from Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism and Theosophy to such
venerable institutions as the O.T.O., the Golden Dawn and many others.
Their historical claims are usually quite stereotyped: the spectrum covered
includes Atlantis, Lemuria, Mu, Solomon, Moses, Dr. Faustus, St. Germain,
the Gnostics, the Knight Templar,the Cathars, the Illuminati, the Holy
Grail myth, prehistoric witchcraft, matriarchy, shamanism etc.
1248
Now it is quite common for shamans, to cite one example, to claim that in
the good old days (usually, of course, dating back to a non-calibrated,
non-defined time immemorial) things used to be much, much better. One of
the more profane reasons for this contention may be the fact that most of
these shamans have already achieved quite a venerable age in their trade;
and don`t we all know the typical attitude of old crones towards modernity
? It may not sound particular spiritual or holy but maybe all we are seeing
here is the primitive`s parallel to the "Now when I was in Poona with Royal
Indian Army, young lad..." reported occasionally to be heard in some of
today`s pubs.
But there is more to it, I think. By calling up "bogus" ancestors from
Moses via Solomon to Dr. Faustus and St. Germain, the magician not only
reinvents his own history, he also is summoning up the egregore of these
"entities" (along with all their powers and inhibitions of course) - or, to
put into Mr. Sheldrake`s terminology, their morphic fields. By violating
all the painstakeing endeavours of the meticulous historian, by simply
ignoring a number of tedious and possibly contradictory facts and questions
(such as whether Moses and Solomon have ever _really_ been sorcerers of
some standing in their own time) the magician becomes God in the fullest
sense of the expression: not only does he choose his relatives in spirit
quite arbitrarily, he even claims the right to do what not even the
judaeo-christian god of the old testament is ever described as doing,
namely changing "objective past" at will.
This type of creative historicism appeals, so it seems, very strongly to
the unconscious mind, supplying it with a great deal of ideological back-up
information, thus reducing its conscious-mind-imposed limits of "objec-
tivity" to at least some modicum of superficial probability. It is only
when the occultist mixes up the different planes of reference, when he
purports to speak of "objective linear truth", instead of mythic or
symbological, decidedly non-linear truth, that serious problems arise.This
should be avoided at all costs in order not to strain our psychic set-up by
contradictory evidence, which can easily result in an unwilled-for neutral-
isation of all magic powers.
But this, of course, is the same problem as with occult scientism. "Rays"
are quite a convincing hypothesis to base telepathic experiments on, as
long as you don`t try to overdefine said rays by epitheta such as "electro-
magnetic" or the like. For if you do, you become the victim of scien-
tists`zealous inquisition boards. Or, as Oscar Wilde might have put it, it
is not truth which liberates man`s mind but lying. (Which, again, is one of
the reasons why Aleister Crowley entitled his magnum opus "The Book of
Lies" in the first place...)
1249
Let us then resort to _creative historicism_ whenever we find it useful.
Let us not have "historical objectivity" dictated to us by the powers that
be. Let us accept our fuzziness of expression which is, after all, little
more than a honest acknowledgement of the fact that symbols and images are
always more than just a little ambiguous, as our dreams well prove every
night. As in divination, it does not pay to become overprecise in magic:
the more you try to define a spell, the higher probability of failure. It
is quite easy to charge a working talisman quite generally "for wealth"; it
is quite another to charge it to "obtain the sum of $347.67 on March 13th
at 4.06 p.m. in 93, Jermyn Street, 3rd floor" and still expect success.
While the latter may strangely enough succeed occasionally, this is usually
only the freak exception of the rule. However, by systematically rewriting
our past in fuzzy terms, possibly eventing past lives and biographies for
ourselves consciously or arbitrarily, we are fulfilling the final demand of
Granddaddy Lucifer`s "non serviam". Let nobody impose his or her time and
history parameters on you!
And for practical exercise, allow your clock occasionally to be well in
advance of your contemporaries`; let it sometimes lay behind for a few
hours _and_ minutes (do not just change the hour hand as this would make it
easy to recalculate into demiurge`s "real" space-time continuum, making you
yet again its slave!) Do this to learn about your former ill-advised
humility towards the current time paradigm - and about the illusory
character of time and its measurement in general. Rewrite your personal and
family history daily, invent your own kin and ancestors. "Problems with Mom
and Dad? Pick a new couple!" Experiment with retroactive spells, try to
heal your friend`s flu before he even contracted it. But do this in a
playful spirit lest your censor should whack you for your constant viola-
tions of the rules of this game by again confusing the frames of reference.
Jump from one parallel universe to the next one, never permit yourself to
stand still and become enmeshed by Maya`s veil (you are supposed to be the
_Master_ of illusion, remember?). And don`t panic: for nothing is true,
everything is permitted.
1250
{file "Nemesis Conjuration (I.O.T.)" "bos276.htm"}
The Nemesis Conjuration
In this ritual the Greek Goddess Nemesis, a deity of fate and
vengeance, is seen in the role of being the complementary opposite of ones
ego referring to the inner self as the centre of both personalitties.
Habits and actions taken against ones real desires create the opposite to
the same degree and thereby form an anti-personality of ones ego, which in
this case is identified with the principle of Nemesis.
Disturbances on the plane of reality due to actions against ones subcon-
scious desires can be eliminated by ritual union with this personal
demon-sister/brother and enable one to reach ones inner self, which is
defined as the mean value of both the personalities.
The effect of this ritual, if performed correctly, would by
definition be fatal. Therefore the operation is strictly limited to the
part of the psyche which the magician wishes to explore.
A sigil representing this portion of the psyche is forcibly
activated during the ritual in order that the magician may
seek answers to his problems within the chosen area in the
personality. No specific wishes or desires can be used for this
purpose, only general ones. This is a necessary restriction to
avoid being overwhelmed by any unpleasant effects. The magician
should be aware of this when constructing the sigil.
Nemesis Conjuration:
1.Banishing.
2.The ritual is performed sitting on the ground in the posture
of the Rune PERDRO. The head may rest on the lower part of the
arms, and the face should be covered by the cowl of the robe.
3.Statementof intent: IT IS MY WILL TO TAKE A STEP TOWARDS THE
CENTRE OF MY SELF BY UNION WITH MY OPPOSITE THROUGH THIS SIGIL!
4.The incantation is given while visualising a winged figure of
opposite sex who approaches the magician. The figure wears the
chosen sigil on his/her breast and is both beautiful and
terrifying at the same time.
5.Incantation:
Come to me oh Nemesis, mighty, terrifying and beloved sister.
Come to me oh Nemesis, you, who are the goddess of my god,
you, who are the demon of my demon.
Come to me oh Nemesis, you, who are the demon of my god,
you, who are the goddess of my demon.
Come to me oh Nemesis, you, who are part of me which I am not,
you, who are the counterbalance on the
scales of my fate.
Come to me oh Nemesis, you, whose wings carry us to our
mutual central Kia.
Come to me oh Nemesis, you, who are my ultimate fear,
you, who are my ultimate desire.
you, with whom to unite is the sigh of
ecstacy and the silence of death.
Come to me oh Nemesis, for you are my path and I am our aim
I call upon you to meet me in this sigil.
Come to me oh Nemesis and guide me through this sigil to our
mutual central Kia !
1251
Start hyperventilation during the reading out of the incantation.
The visualised figure with the sigil coming closer and closer to
finally melt into your own body. When this point is reached
shout out:
ZodACAM VaPAAHe ANANAEL ZoDA Ah!
(I move the wings of the secret wisdom within me!)
6.Banishing and/or laughter.
With fractalic greetings and laughter * Fra.: Apfelmann *
1252
{file "Ideology (I.O.T.)" "bos277.htm"}
IDEOLOGY
0
The human mind seeks to create order out of Chaos
It is in the nature of humanity to attempt to formulate laws from ex-
perience as a guide to future action. Acting as a feedback-response
mechanism, the mind considers the results of previous behaviour and
creates laws of action in an attempt to repeat past good results and
avoid bad results. In the individual this is known as personality, in
the communal world it is known as science.
1
All scientific laws are false
Science attempts to map the universe as a result of previous collec-
tive experience. Since this is limited to what has actually been
experienced so far, it is always inadequate, and since it is not what
has been experienced it is always human-centred. It cannot be objec-
tive because the object does not experience, only the subject, human-
ity, experiences. Two approaches have been used to tackle this prob-
lem. The philosophy of the western world posits that an external,
objective world interacts with us through scientific experiment, thus
science creates objectively true laws. Other European philosophy
holds, correctly in my view, that talk of an objective reality is
beyond experience and is thus meaningless babble. Moreover, scientific
experiment is no more objective than a childs attempt to walk. To Know
is not a high ideal, it is an instinct born of our particular way of
survival, and is thus survival-centred. Science is our Elephant Trunk,
our Giraffe Neck, and since it is inherently inadequate, it is a
belief system, a set of interconnected ideas-about-things. In terms of
European, Post-Hegelian philosophy, it is an ideology.
2
All idealogies are subject to chaotic dissolution
Every idealogy, whether science, Christianity or whatever, seeks to
and succeeds in creating a coherent view of reality that satisfies its
believers. The problem is that there is inevitably a gulf between the
idealogy and reality. Ideologies are fixed; reality is fluid. Thus all
ideologies are subject to readjustment when a new discovery challenges
the existing view. The rediscovery of the Greek text of the New
Testament and the discovery of the non-existence of the Ether each
corroded the existing ideologies of their day.
The Christian world responded with Reformation and Counter-Reformat-
ion. (Historical note: Counter-Reformation was the Reformation of the
Catholic Church rather than an attack on the Protestant Reformation.)
Science responded with Einsteinian relativity. These new elements are
Chaotic. The extent to which the ideology can reform depends on how
deep the Chaotic element bites into the ideological structure. Every
ideology has central tenets upon which the rest depend: so the dis-
covery that Jesus was actually stoned to death rather than crucified
would cause major rumblings; the discovery that he was a woman would
cause deeper rumblings; but the discovery that he was a spaceman
carrying out a standard sociological experiment would bring down the
ideology entire. Several ideologies have completely collapsed in the
past, such as Ptolomaic astronomy, and it can happen again. Moreover,
the spread of a unified ideology over the whole globe, Western Democ-
racy, leaves the way open to a bigger collapse than ever before.
1253
3
There is no such thing as innate value
All present Western ideologies depend upon a concept of innate
worth, whereby certain things are automatically "better" than
others. The White Race, Men, Adults, all have had their "innate"
value knocked for six. Even the Animal Kingdom is no longer seen as
of higher worth than the Vegetable as the spread of the Gaia
hypothesis shows. This is the Chaotic element that can bring down a
whole pack of cards. There is no ethical reference point, no
beginning from which to derive an end to aim for, to praise, to work
towards. As it says in Liber Al: "let there be no difference made
between one thing and another". The result is a confusion of belief
as people scramble to find a new ideology. Fundamentalists choose
deliberate blindness and perverse stupidity. Thelemites choose "pure
will, unassuaged of purpose". Chaoists worship the confusion itself
as the only "true thing" left. Pagans begin to construct a new
ideology based on the absence of heirarchy and turn to cyclical and
egalitarian beliefs. That a new ideology, or many, will arise is
inevitable; even the truth of Chaos is only true to us, in our
experience. But so what. All things considered, I think that things
are going pretty well.
Further readings:
Knowledge and Human Interest, J.Habermas, 1967
Differance, translated as Language and Difference, Derrida, 1959
Anything by Sir Karl Popper for the view from the opposition
With fractalic greetings and laughter * Fra.: Apfelmann *
1254
{file "Thunder, Perfect Mind (Tony Ianotti)" "bos278.htm"}
Thunder, Perfect Mind
or
How did all these people get into my room?
Tony Iannotti
Thetext called _Thunder, PerfectMind_ is a composite document,
composed of three distinct types of writing. These types of writing
can be compared to the Isis aretalogies, Hebrew wisdom literature, and
Platonic dialogue.\{FN:1\} The composite nature of the text is clearer
when the three strands are separated and reconstructed, each by
themselves. The three resultant texts can be found below.\{FN:2\}
If the document isto be considered agnostic document, adefini-
tion of gnostic must be tendered first. For now, the definition of
Theodotus will be used, that "what liberates us is the knowledge of
who we were, what we became; where we were, whereunto we have been
thrown; whereunto we speed, wherefrom we are redeemed; what birth is,
and what rebirth."\{FN:3\} The Thunder, Perfect Mind_ answers some of
these questions, but not others.
The questions dealingwith self-knowledge aredealt with veryfully
in the text. The tradition of Isis aretalogies is one of self-definit-
ion, aretalogies being strings of "I am" statements. The part of the
text like an Isis aretalogy describes the speaker in paradoxical but
full detail. The very first section of the aretalogy text answers the
questions of where the speaker comes from, where she has come to, and
where she might be found. There is a slight deviation, in that she
has actively come to "those who reflect" upon her, rather than "being
thrown" to them, but the idea of being removed from one's original
habitation is there. In the sixth section of this part she says that
she is an alien, as well as a citizen.
This bringsup the question ofwhat the point ofthe dichotomies in
the aretalogy section is. They range from philosophical, political and
social opposites to sexual and familial polarities. In each opposition
of polarity, the speaker maintains that she encompasses both poles, or
roles. She is "the whore and the holy one."\{FN:4\} She is "the barren
one, and she whose sons are many."\{FN:5\} She is "Knowledge and
ignorance."\{FN:6\} And she is "the one whom they call Law, and you
have called Lawlessness."\{FN:7\}
In the last dichotomy, the difference may be ascribed to the
people who call her either Law or Lawlessness, either "they" or "you."
Similar distinctions are made in other seemingly paradoxical state-
ments in terms of temporal placement. The tenses change, for instance,
in the fifth section in many statements, such as "I am the one who is
hated everywhere, and who has been loved everywhere.", "I am the one
whom you have despised, and you reflect upon me." and "I am the one
whom you have hidden from, and you appear to me." These distinctions,
either temporal or nominal, are subservient to the larger message that
the speaker is a very diverse personality. They are also only possible
to discern in a small percentage of the proffered paradoxes\{FN:8\} The
main attempt is to define herself, not to set up distinctions in time
or peoples. There is almost no cosmology or anthropology in this text,
and this is a clue to the nature of the message of the text. The
emphasis is on the person, not the cosmos; on the self, and not the
environment.
1255
In thisaretalogy third ofthe text, therean attemptto transcend
the intellect through intellectual paradox. By setting up identities
between polar opposites the mind is set in circles, as it is by the
Zen _koans_, until it is driven into the brick wall of impossibility.
In the introduction to his translation of this text, MacRae states
that "...the particular significance of the self-proclamations of
_Thunder, Perfect Mind_ may be found in their antithetical charac-
ter."\{FN:9\} One might rather say that the significance _must_ be
found in their antithetical character. There is no other common
denominator.
The second type of writing seen in this text is comparable to
Hebrew wisdom literature. The excerpted and reconnected text is a
series of hortatory instructions for those who would be _gnostikoi_,
in the form of very short injunctions to "Look upon me"\{FN:10\} , "Hear
me"\{FN:11\} , "Do not be arrogant to me"\{FN:12\} , etc. The speaker
exhorts the reader to be on his guard twice, and not to be ignorant of
her twice. This emphasis on care and awareness augments the intellec-
tual exercises of the aretalogy section. One could easily skim over
the polarities and not stop to reflect on them or their import, in
which case their efficacy of liberation would be severely
diminished. All three parts of this text work together.
The exhortationsgo on to impressupon the reader thathe must be
aware that the speaker encompasses all things, great and small, as
well as left and right, male and female, royal and base, rich and
poor. There is an element of the union of opposites here as well, the
speaker saying she is compassionate and cruel, and obedient and
self-controlled.\{FN:13\}
In the thirdsection of this part of the text, the instructions
are to "come forward to me, you who know me ... and establish the
great ones among the small first creatures." Here is some evidence of
an organised attempt to proselytise, or establish a group of those who
know the speaker. The fourth section also calls to "you, who know me."
They are told to learn the speaker's words, while those "hearers" are
told simply to hear. This suggests some form of hierarchy among the
"hearers" and the "knowers". The first step would seem to be that one
must hear the voice, and then come to know it.
This could be a sign of the initiatory path, along which one
must pass to come to _gnosis_ As noted above, the simple act of
hearing the message intellectually would not be enough. One must pay
special care to the paradoxes presented, and reflect upon them until
illumination comes. The process can again be compared to the effect of
_koans_, where one perceives them first as outright nonsense, "the
sound of one hand clapping,"_ etc._, until one comes to the crux of
where they attempt to fix the mind.\{FN:14\}
Where the _Thunder, Perfect Mind_ would fix the mind is on a
realisation of the transcendence of the speaker, and eventually on the
identification of the speaker with the hearer when that hearer becomes
a knower. As it says in the sixth section of the aretalogy part, "I am
the knowledge of my inquiry, and the finding of those who seek after
me, ... and of the spirits of every who exists with me, and of the
women who dwell within me." The path to _gnosis_ and the traveler on
that path are both played here by the character of the speaker.
1256
Another point madeby this partof thetext like wisdomliterature
is that manifestation implies duality, and that to perceive in the
world implies discrimination. The nature of the speaker comprehends
all things, but to appear in the world she must choose one of the two
halves of all those things through which to appear. As a complete
being she would be both invisible and insensible in any way, since to
contain both poles of being, such as 1 and -1, would be to equal 0.
This has a parallel in the way of the Tao, in which one of the aims is
to do everything by doing nothing. One might hear the speaker saying
"I am she who does everything, and nothing." The idea is to incor-
porate in oneself a balance between action and non-action, yin and
yang, and by doing such one gets beyond having to struggle with the
world. There will be no antagonism between the person and then en-
vironment, once that person becomes one with the environment. (Or a
reflection of it, by incorporating or epitomising all its elements.)
This shows the less ascetic nature of the text _Thunder, Perfect
Mind_. The world is not actively evil, but rather simply distracting
due to its incomplete nature. When one gets beyond this, then one has
improved, but there is no shame in being merely a "hearer," and not a
"knower." The only desiderata are to hear and then to know, to balance
oneself according to what one comes to know, and despise nothing along
the way, for every thing is part of the transcendent whole. Here one
could draw Deist parallels, intensifying the impression that the
writers of this text did not see the world as inherently evil.
It is ourperception of theworld that causesthe apparent evilof
the world. To perceive something is to discriminate between it and its
context.
It is this separation or making of differences that allows us to
operate in the world, but also that enslaves us to it by monopolising
our attention.
_Thunder, Perfect Mind_ insists that only by seeing the larger
picture of unions of all opposites can we escape this servitude to the
world. In other words, what liberates us is the knowledge of into what
we have been thrown, or have come.
The last section, the fifth of this part of the text, is a final
exhortation to the reader to "look," "give heed" and be aware of who
speaks and what that means, that by encompassing all things she is
"the one who alone exists," comprising all, "and ... no one who will
judge" her exists outside her. This extreme recognition of the unity
of oneself with the cosmos, of subject with object, and of positive
and negative, leads to an extension of the self to the limits of
perception. Sometimes this continues to the point that manifestation
requires a relimitation by definition of person. As the speaker has
done this, the extension and then the relimitation in order to com-
municate, she also implies that it is an achievement attainable by
all, if one will just "hear" and "know."
The third part of the text represents Greece, as the first two
reflect the Egyptian and Judaic strands of the Hellenistic world.\{FN:-
15\} It consists of questions and answers, not always on philosophical
subjects, but always leading to philosophical points. It is similar in
many ways to the prototypical Platonic dialogue in which the inter-
locutor is led to the truth
of the matter by way of dialectic. Another parallel would be the
dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna in that chariot.
1257
There are six sections to this partof the text, as it has been
cut up and fitted to the other two parts, and the first five display
an elegant ring composition. Section one is a question and amplifica-
tion of the question, while section five is the answer to it. Section
two is another question and amplification, answered by section four.
Section three is the center point, pointing out the union of the two
questions and their respective answers. Section six is a conclusion
of sorts, resuming that which the dialogue has attempted to draw.
The first question is why the reader, and people in general,
display contradictory behavior. This is not a psychological type of
inquiry, into the roots of irrationality, but rather another attempt
to unveil the nature of the speaker. The contradictory behavior
referred to deals with the reader's reaction to the speaker, and the
nature of complete being in general.\{FN:16\} If complete being entails
all things, then it elicits all responses, each of which will have an
opposite reaction that will be elicited simultaneously (or there-
abouts). Love and hate, truth and lie, knowledge and ignorance are all
part of man's reactions to the world.
The answer to this problem is contained in section five. The
incompleteness of things, inside and outside, judge and judged,
condemning and acquitting; these distinctions elicit opposite respon-
ses to each of their halves, yet both halves are only that: halves of
a whole, which elicits both love and hate, fear and confidence, and
obedience and self-control. The way out of the world of appearances is
again to realise the unity of opposites. that what is seen inside is
what is outside also.
The second question is directed toward the question of the ig-
norance of these unions of opposites. "Why have you hated me," asks
the unity, "Because I am a barbarian among barbarians?"\{FN:17\}
Because I don't speak the language of any specific nation, not even
those who don't speak you language? Because I speak of universals?
The answer is that "those who are without association with me are
ignorant of me, and those who are in my substance are the ones who
know me."\{FN:18\} Those who know, know; those who don't don't. One
cannot understand the nature of the speaker or the world until one
becomes a part of it, and all the parts of it. The antithetical and
polarised nature continues to be shown, "On the day when I am close
to you, you are far away from me, and on the day when I am far away
from you, I am close to you."\{FN:19\}
Thethird section unitesthese two questionsof the manifestation
of opposites, and the difficulty of perception of perfection. (not to
mention perfection of perception!) Both problems stem from human
nature in the world of manifestation. The separation of opposites,
needed for perception of manifested things, is necessary to operate in
the world as humans with human limitations, as these limitations are
usually counted. But the speaker here says the real need ideally is
not to separate, and thus to come to a realisation of the unity. This
is similar to the idea of _samadhi_, where the subject and object of
contemplation are united in a flash of illumination.
1258
Section six concludes, saying that the worldly forms are pleas-
ant, but numerous, disgraceful, and fleeting. When men "become sober
and go up to their resting place.... they will find me there, and they
will live, and they will not die again." This implies the possibility
of a permanent state of comprehension of the unity of opposites.
Nowwe can seewhere Theodotus' definitionof gnosticismis and is
not exemplified by _Thunder, Perfect Mind_. The writers of this text
were concerned with most of Theodotus' questions, but not all. They
provide answers for where we have come from, and whereunto we have
been thrown. They address the question of who we were, what we have
become, but not really what birth is, and what rebirth. Nor do they
proffer answers to whereunto we speed, or wherefrom we are redeemed,
beyond the answers to the first questions of where we were and where
we are. The answers that are offered deal with personal rather than
cosmological questions (if there is a difference). The issue is
primarily one of self-liberation, rather thanredemption, unless the
reception of the "good news" of unity is to be considered redemption.
This difference of degree of activity and passivity between
Theodotus and the speaker of _Thunder, Perfect Mind_ is revealed in
the answers to whereunto we have been thrown, and wherefrom we are
redeemed.\{FN:20\} In _Thunder, Perfect_ _Mind's_ view we came our-
selves to this world, and liberate ourselves through Hearing and
Knowing. What liberates us is still the knowledge, but the knowledge
of slightly different things. The lack of
cosmology or theology in the text, compared to other texts in the Nag
Hammadi library, suggests the comparison rather to the more psycholog-
ical sect of Buddhism in contrast to the majority of Mahayana that has
absorbed local religious or theological superstructure.
The path suggested by the text towards illumination is a strictly
intellectual path to the transcendence of intellect. Through the
mortification of the mind rather than of the flesh one may achieve
_gnosis_. There is therefore no need for a theology on which to hang
precepts of asceticism. The authors of the text say simply that when
one understands the facts, one gives up the preoccupation of the world
as incomplete.
The gnosticism exemplified by this text then, is transcendental,
syncretic, and hortatory. It is transcendent in that it looks at the
world and insists that there is a larger reality beyond what we see as
separate, discrete things. It is syncretic in that it uses three
distinct literary styles to get across its point. These three texts
may have been actual texts on their own before incorporation into this
text, or they may not. They fit so smoothly into each other in terms
of subject continuity that were they originally distinct texts, they
must have been revised for the purpose. The authors are hortatory as
opposed to imperative in that they say that if you come to their idea
of unity, then you will be less confused by the complexity of the
world. If you do not, then you will stick to all those pleasant forms
of passions and fleeting pleasures, and simply not achieve peace. They
do not threaten any punishment for ignorance, only a perpetuation of a
potentially temporary confusion.
1259
The comparisons ofthe threestyles of writingsis profitableonly
in so far as it serves to conveniently categorise the material. Too
strict ananalog y to the three styles would be blinding as well. The
content is radically different in message from the usual content of
any of the borrowed forms. Again, what must be looked at to explain
the meaning of the text is the antithetical nature of the "I am"
statements, and their commentary in the other two styles of text. The
medium (in this case) is not the message. The function of the text
must be considered to be not philosophical speculation, theological or
moral exhortation or religious definition, as the borrowed types were,
but rather psychological revelation, buttressed by practical exhor-
tation and logical proof.
What really qualifies the author or authors of this text for
consideration as excellent and true gnostics is their appropriation of
existing forms, whether myths, ritual speeches, or philosophical
methods, and turning them to their own ends.
_The text like an Isis Aretalogy_
1) I was sent forth from the power, and I have come to those who
reflect upon me, and I have been found among those who seek after me.
2) For I am the first and the last. I am the honored one and the
scorned one. I am the whore and the holy one. I am the wife and the
virgin. I am the mother and the daughter. I am the members of my
mother. I am the barren one and many are her sons. I am she whose
wedding is great, and I have not taken a husband. I am the midwife
and she who does not bear. I am the solace of my labour pains. I am
the bride and the bridegroom, and it is my husband who begot me. I am
the mother of my father and the sister of my husband, and he is my
offspring. I am the slave of him who prepared me. I am the ruler of my
offspring. But he is the one who begot me before a time on a birthday.
And he is my offspring in due time and my power is from him. I am the
staff of his power in his youth, and he is the rod of my old age. And
whatever he wills happens to me. I am the voice whose sound is man-
ifold and the word whose appearance is multiple. I am the utterance of
my name.
3) For I am knowledge and ignorance. I am shame and boldness. I am
shameless, I am ashamed. I am strength and I am fear. I am war and
peace. Give heed to me. I am the one who is disgraced and the great
one.
4) But I am she who exists in all fears and strength in trembling. I
am she who is weak, and I am well in a pleasant place. I am senseless
and I am wise.
1260
5) For I am the wisdom of the Greeks and the knowledge of the bar-
barians. I am the judgment of the Greeks and the barbarians. I am the
one whose image is great in Egypt and the one who as no image among
the barbarians. I am the one who is hated everywhere and who has been
loved everywhere. I am the one whom they call Law, and you have called
Lawlessness. I am the one whom they call Life, and you have called
Death. I am the one whom you have pursued, and I am the one whom you
have seized. I am the one you have scattered and you have
gathered me together. I am the one before whom you have been ashamed,
and you have been shameless to me. I am she who does not keep fes-
tival, and I am she whose festivals are many. I, I am godless, and I
am one whose God is great. I am the one whom you have reflected upon,
and you have scorned me. I am unlearned, and they learn from me. I am
the one whom you have despised, and you reflect upon me. I am the one
whom you have hidden from, and you appear to me. But whenever you hide
yourselves, I myself will appear.
6) But I am the mind of ... and the rest of .... I am the knowledge
of my inquiry, and the finding of those who seek after, and the
command of those who ask of me, and the power of the powers in my
knowledge of the angels, who have been sent at my word, and of the
gods in their seasons by my counsel, and of the spirits of every man
who exists with me, and of the women who dwell within me. I am the one
who is honored, and who is praised, and who is despised scornfully. I
am peace, and war has come because of me. I am an alien and a citizen.
I am the substance and the one who has no substance.
7) I am ... within. I am ...of the natures. I am ... of the creation
of the spirits. ... request of souls. I am control and the uncontrol-
lable. I am the union and the dissolution. I am the abiding and the
dissolving. I am the one below, and they come up to me. I am the
judgment and the acquittal. I, I and sinless, and the root of sin
derives from me. I am lust in outward appearance, and interior self-
-control exists within me. I am the hearing that is attainable to
everyone, and the speech that cannot be grasped. I am a mute who does
not speak, and great is the multitude of my words. Hear me in gentle-
ness, and learn of me in roughness. I am she who cries out, and I am
cast out on the face of the earth. I prepare the bread and my mind
within. I am the knowledge of my name. I am one who cries out, and I
listen. I appear and ... walk in ... seal of my ... I am ... the
defense ... I am the one who is called Truth, and iniquity ....
8) I am the hearing that is attainable toeverything; I am the speech
that can not be grasped. I am the name of the sound, and the sound of
the name. I am the sign of the letter and the designation of the
division. And I .... ... light .... ... hearers ... to you ... the
great power. And ... will not move the name. ... to the one who
created me. And I will speak his name.
1261
_The text like a Hebrew Wisdom Text._
1) Look upon me and reflect upon me, and you hearers. hear me. You
who are waiting for me, take to yourselves. And do not banish me from
your sight. And do not make your voices hate me, nor your hearing. Do
not be ignorant of me any where or any time. Be on your guard! Do not
be ignorant of me.
2) Give heed to my poverty and my wealth. Do not be arrogant to me
when I am cast out upon the earth, and you will find me in those who
are to come. And do not look upon me on the dung heap nor go and leave
me cast out, and you will find me in the kingdoms. And do not look
upon me when I am cast out among those who are disgraced and in the
least places, nor laugh at me. And do not cast me out among those who
are slain in violence. But I, I am compassionate and I am cruel. Be on
your guard! Do not hate my obedience, and do not love my self-control.
In my weakness do not forsake me, and do not be afraid of my power.
For why do you despise my fear and curse my pride?
3) Those who have ... to it ... senselessly.... Take me ... under-
standing from grief, and take me to yourselves from understanding and
grief. And take me to yourselves from places that are ugly and in
ruin, and rob from those which are good, even though in ugliness. Out
of shame, take me to yourselves shamelessly; and out of shamelessness
and shame, upbraid my members in yourselves. And come forward to me,
you who know me and who know my members, and establish the great ones
among the first small creatures. Come forward to childhood, and do not
despise it because it is small and it is little. And do not turn away
greatnesses in some parts from the smallnesses, for the smallnesses
are known from the greatnesses.
4) Hear me you hearers. and learn of my words, you who know me.
5) Look then at his words and all the writings which have been
completed. Give heed then you hearers and you also the angels and
those who have been sent, and you spirits who have arisen from the
dead. For I am the one who alone exists, and I have no one who will
judge me.
1262
_The text like a Platonic Dialogue._
1) Why, you who hate me, do you love me, and you hate those who love
me? You who deny me, confess me, and you who confess me deny me. You
who tell the truth about me lie about me, and you who have lied about
me tell the truth about me. You who know me, be ignorant of me, and
those who have not known me, let them know me.
2) Why have you hated me in your counsels? For I shall be silent
among those who are silent, and I shall appear and speak. Why then
have you hated me, you Greeks? Because I am a barbarian among the
barbarians?
3) Why do you curse me and honor me? You have wounded and you have
had mercy. Do not separate me from the first ones whom you have
known. And do not cast anyone out nor turn anyone away ... turn you
away and ... know him not ... him. What is mine.... I know the first
one and those after know me.
4) Those who are without association with me are ignorant of me, and
those who are in my substance are the ones who know me. Those who are
close to me have been ignorant of me, and those who are far away from
me are the ones who have known me. On the day when I am close to you,
you are far away from me, and on the day when I am far away from you,
I am close to you.
5) You honor me ... and you whisper against me. ... victorious over
them. Judge then before they give judgment against you, because the
judge and the partiality exist within you. If you are condemned by
this one, who will acquit you? Or if you are acquitted by him who will
be able to detain you. For what is in side of you is what is outside
of you, and the one who fashions you on the outside of you is the one
who shaped the inside of you. And what you see inside of you, you see
outside of you; it is visible and it is your garment.
6) For many are the pleasant forms which exist in numerous sins, and
incontinencies, and disgraceful passions, and fleeting pleasures,
which men embrace until they become sober and go up to their resting
place. And they will find me there, and they will live, and they will
not die again.
1263
1) For examples of aretalogies see Grant, F.C.; _Hellenistic Relig-
ions: The Age__of Syncretism._
2) The text _Thunder, Perfect Mind_ is CG VI, 2.
The aretalogy-like material's sections are;
1. 13,1-13,6
2. 13,16-14,15
3. 14,25-15,1
4. 15,25-15,30
5. 16,5-17,1
6. 18,10-18,30
7. 19,5-20,10
8. 20,29-21,12
The wisdom literature styled section are;
1. 13,6-13,15
2. 15,1-15,25
3. 17,1-17,32
4. 20,26-20,28
5. 21,12-21,20
The dialogue material comes from;
1. 14,15-14,25
2. 15,30-16,5
3. 17,32-18,10
4. 18,30-19,5
5. 20,10-20,25
6. 21,20-21,32
3) This definition of Theodotus is cited in Clemens Alexandrinus,_
Excerpta ex__Theodoto_ 78.2.
4) IA 2(Sections will be referred to by their section number prefixed
by IA for aretalogy sections, WT for wisdom sections, and PD for
the dialogue sections.)
5) IA 2
6) IA 2
7) IA 5
8) Only in 9 out of 68 complete paradox statements does there occur
temporal or nominal changes along with alteration of description.
(Interestingly, all occur in sections IA 2 & IA 5, two sections of
8)
9) Robinson, James M., ed.; _The Nag Hamadi Library in English_,
(Harper &
Row: San Fransisco) 1977/81, p. 271
10) WT 1
11) WT 1
12) WT 2
13) WT 2. In the sentence regarding obedience and self-control, the
point is also to have no reactive emotions to these things, as the
emotions form attachment to objects. This advice towards detachment,
reminiscent of Eastern philosophies more often than Western, shows up
in the dialogue sections more obviously.
14) _i.e.,_ where the subject of the knowledge they are designed to
impart lies.
1264
15) The Macedonian, Seleucid, and Ptolomaic Kingdoms made up the
Hellenistic world, _per se_, though external contact with Europe,
Asia, and Africa was constant. Of course, all three nations were also
assimilating parts of each other's cultures, creating the internat-
ional and cosmopolitan atmosphere necessary for the creation of our
text, and the sources are named after the originating national culture
for convenience only.
16) "Complete being" refers to the unified speaker and world.
(1)+(-1)=(0).
17) PD 2
18) PD 4
19) PD 4
20) These two questions presuppose a passive role on our part, which
may or may not refer to the Gnostic Redeemer as well as us regular
joes, the recipiants of the redeeming message. In this text, however,
there is no strong distinction between the speakers and the hearers on
the basis of origin; only on the level of knowledge. We may be assumed
to have the same genesis as she, and she states that she had an active
role in coming into the world. This only difference is that she knows
this, and presumably we do not.
1265
{file "Treatise On Mind (The Tigress)" "bos279.htm"}
Treatise on Mind
From: The Tigress
Fromthe moment that 2cells form a zygote, wesee the interaction
of informational process - recognition, communication, interaction,
integration, re-stabilization and reproduction and or re-structuriz-
ation. This cycle of life can be see from the barest combinations of
any two elemental components beginning at the lowest atomic desig-
nations of energy and throughout the continuum of increasing com-
plexity - perhaps far beyond our capabilities
to understand. *** If consciousness can be defined as an awareness
of integrity through this process of self recognition; then conscious-
ness can be easily applied to that which is non-human.***
From the most basicinteractions of chemistry, wefind that evenon
an atomic level there is to be found this type of consciousness. We
have become aware of the atom's necessary maintenance of it's own
structure through the evidence of necessary balancing of protons,
neutrons and electrons; the importance of electron shell valences is
also a reminder of this type of integrity. Even on an atomic level,
there is a form of awareness of self-integrity in order to maintain
structure and identity.
This process ofawareness is alsoa geniusof discrimination. A
form of identification of self & non self on an energetic level.
There is a borrowing, and sometimes a sharing energetically, yet when
this process of self recognition begins to fail we see the destruction
of the matter it involves <this is evident with atomic structure and
also evident at the human level in the study of cancer.> Therefore we
might look at this process of self-recognition and maintenance and
examine it's nature in order to find its function and capabilities.
1266
When we lookat different typesof matter, wefind that themore
simple the atomic structure of the mass, the less complex its process
of "consciousness" needs to be. Things which are comprised of only
one atomic component do not need complex processes of communication
between those components. Thus the level of consciousness is rather
low on an evolutionary scale of creativity, yet we also see that these
types of things are far more stable in regards to their integrity -
far less vulnerable to destruction. In example, it takes an enorm-
ously concentrated force of heat to break the integrity of an atom...-
yet a mere 2000 degree flame will not only destroy the integrity of
human consciousness, but also destroy the integrity of the individual
component molecules which form the material mass of a human to their
lowest forms as individual atoms.
1267
Whenwe look at theforces involved incommunication of energy,
we see a flowing medium of different frequencies within a single
spectrum of energetic potential. Elemental energies and forces
<light, sound, temperature, pressure, magnetism, electricity...>
differentiate and vary in intensity and frequency yet are very alike
in that they are all means of transferring energy as a form of com-
munication which can be informative/stabilizing or disinformative/des-
tructive, depending on the structure of the "consciousness" they
encounter. It may be perceived that the more complex the structure,
the lower the frequency of the integrity of that structure and the
more vulnerable that structure is to disinformation.
The more diverse the components are that are included within a
thing, and the more efficient the means of communication within the
structure of that thing; the lower the common denomination of freq-
uency of integrity must be in order that the informational frequency
will not be destructive to any of the component parts. To analyze
this statement we must look at other analogies within our environment.
Firstly I would like to examine the nature of sound.
1268
Sound waves come in varying frequencies and modulations, and as
humans we assign different notes to those steps within the frequency
spectrum which we can differentiate and perceive. If we play several
notes simultaneously, we find that in order to maintain a balance
harmonically, we must play notes that match each others modulation.
You can play a "C" note at any octave and in fact play all "C" notes
simultaneously and you will find that within the frequency range
these notes will compliment each other, in fact they will contribute/-
share energy with each other. WE find similar matching if we look at
musical chording. If you play the notes "F" and "C" , the sharing of
energy vibrationally between those two ranges of frequency will in
fact create the note of "A" in the range in which the two notes
frequencies overlap. In this way communication is informative and in
fact the "whole is greater" than the sum of its parts. Similarly,
playing two notes which lie in the same modulation frequencies simul-
taneously will increase the duration of the vibration compared to the
duration if each note were played alone.
When we examine the sharing of electrical information at an
atomic level, we see that through the temporary sharing of electrons
in a phase path also indicates something that we might consider as
investing a thing <atom> with more than the sum of its parts. Simil-
arly in using electric frequencies in a series, we store information
on silicon chips which invest them with more than they would be if one
simply looked at the electrical and silicon components alone. This
transference of energy is also a transference of information in
frequencies which in many ways we are still attempting to understand.
1269
Simple, one component things, can sustain far higher frequencies
of energetic transmission than can complex components of things.
Frequencies which pass freely through atoms ultimately destroy complex
things such as humans when they are subject to them. It appears that
the more complex the union of the components, the slower and more
tediously complex the transformation of data must be. The more
complex a thing is, the lower the vibrational capability it sustains
in order to maintain the integrity of its own structure.
Energetic communication exists infinitely throughout the univ-
erse. The transference of information through radio waves and light
waves continues back in time to the occasion of what was known as the
Big Bang. It may be that in the future we will find that in the same
way gravity and electromagnetism are also continuums of information
from times long past. Scientifically we study these energetic con-
tinuums and yet we doubt and deny the holistic communicative nature of
the universe. We search for causes and effects within the realms of
our limited perceptions and are amazed when we can find no causal
effects to explain change.
1270
When we examine biological life, we find that each evolutionary
adaptation seems to be an extension of the process of self/non self
awareness and maintenance of integrity. Not only do we see inten-
sification of sensory perceptual abilities, but also we note that the
integrational and responsive/reactive components of the process also
have to evolve and adapt in order to stay integrated with the rest of
the "consciousness". Amoebas are "simple" life forms, and yet we can
examine them and see that each organic component within that life form
serves as an informational and communicative component within the
process of maintaining the integrity <life> of the whole. When this
communication process or any part of it ceases, the organization of
the organism begins to deteriorate and eventually ceases and dies. In
biological life, we find that though we have maintained the use of
electronic communication on some neural levels, we have sunk to the
depths of transferring actual molecular compounds <proteins, amino
acids...> in most of our organic processes. Even the human brain,
supposed highest achievement of organic life forms, requires base
molecular salts in order to process electrical information. Our
complexity denies us the speed of light, radio,
and other faster and higher frequency modes of communication except
from outside of ourselves.
1271
The human consciousness is a genius of discrimination. We use
the abilities of discrimination to identify those stimuli which come
from outside of our biological forms in order to protect and maintain
our integrity <life. We use our senses <inefficient though they may
be> to gather and interpret pure energetic communications such as the
radiated energy of sunlight and we are so inefficient at interpreting
that data that we can only sense light and heat and it destroys those
sensors that gather that information through blindness and sunburn if
we continue too long in our attempts. Yet,
conversely , we need the information from sunlight which stimulates
our organic forms into producing vitamin D <without which we would
die>. Is this a remnant of photosynthetic capabilities from lessor
complex integrations, or merely a new attempt at further increasing
our potential?
1272
As organic forms of consciousness, we are sorely limited in our
perceptions of the universe. Limited in exploring the possibly
limitless ranges of energetic exchange simply due to the limits placed
upon communication due to the complexity of our component structure.
Yet rather than admit to our limitations, we seek further exploration
through the development of tools made from things less complex than
ourselves. In the laboratory, we use light waves and shaped silicon
to create microscopes to increase our sense of visual acuity within
the spectrum of visible radiation imaging. In the studio, we use
simple cones flattened vegetable matter and electronic amplification
to create tools to compensate for our limited aural perception. We
have created many tools out of simpler and less complex components in
order to reach those higher frequencies of information which are
either so far removed from us as to be imperceptible, or so destruc-
tive to us that we dare not experience them ourselves.
The human zygote from the moment of conception is a discriminat-
ing consciousness which is involved in the differentialization of its
components in order to
develop finer levels of complexity. This fetus is also even before
birth learning to interpret communicative energies from the outer
world in order to begin definition of itself, its integrity and its
maintenance of self apart from the influence of "other". Cells,
joining together in communication to form co-operative systems each
with separate responsibilities to the whole. Organs with specific
functions supporting the organism in its fight to maintain its integ-
rity. Consciousness of Mind, determining the difference between self
and non self, regulating the integrity of the whole. This harmony of
components within a symphony of orchestration, this is the matter of
being alive.
1273
Despite our complexities, despite recognition of our vulnerabil-
ities and limitations; we as humans are beings of arrogant mind. We
claim supremacy over all biological organisms and claim the sole right
to conscious thought <as if we were the only from of communication we
wished to recognize.> We deny our insecurities and lay claims to
great understandings concerning the universe, when we in fact do not
even understand the actual workings of our own process of integration
and communication within our own biological forms.
We claim ownership of consciousness, yet we do not even pretend to
truly evaluate the process of consciousness nor its beginnings.
Despite our inadequacies, we assume to know the nature of the
beginnings of all life. We claim to know the "mind" of "God" <the
prime causation for all that exists> and we claim title to superiority
in emulation of this "God" - above and beyond all other forms of life
or integrity. An egotistic lot are we, who strive to seek security in
the midst of our fear, our inadequacies, our vulnerabilities; by
developing a system of belief which guarantees our security in a place
beyond our perception. We seek safety and foundation at the same time
that we reach outward to claim flight amongst the stars.
This is the paradox on humanity, of mind. Complexity found in
simplicity... using simplicity to explore a universe beyond the range
of our complex integrity. Our complex integrity vulnerable to all but
the simplest energies, while we lay grasp to use complex energies
which would destroy us in order to prove our strength. What it is we
look for, we eventually find at the expense of closing our senses to
see what really is. Perhaps it is true that the most foolish are
those who lay claim to knowledge for they have closed their minds
to further learning, and that the most wise are those who claim
knowledge of no thing, that they may learn all.
1274
Copyright (c) 1988 by Phil Hansford. This article is
is licenced for free non-commercial distribution only.
----------------------------------------------------------
** MAGICK 1 -- WHY MAGICK **
Theability tothink seems toset usapart fromother crea-
tures. And although we are concerned with living in the physical
world, we are mental beings. The fact is we are thinking all the time.
We plan, we brood, we get depressed or elated -- all of it is thought.
But the universe is mental too, and if we could control our thinking
we would see magnificent results in the everyday world.
Manysystems have been developedover the agesto help us
control our thoughts. A great amount of dogma too has been kicked
around in an attempt to make us into better people. Magick (the occult
kind, spelled with a 'k') is one of the oldest and most general of
these systems. Magick is the study and application of psychic forces.
It uses mental training, concentration, and a system of symbols to
program the mind. The purpose of magick is to alter the self and the
environment according to the will.
Mostofthe magickwesee todaycomesto usfromancient Egypt
and Chaldea. The Chinese, Hindus, and Tibetans developed their own
unique types of magick. Western magick was locked up by the Egyptian
priests for thousands of years and then supressed by the rise of
Christianity. It was not until medieval Europe that magical knowledge
was rediscovered by the alchemists and Cabalists. Only during the past
hundred years or so has western culture been open minded enough to
permit widespread investigation of the subject. Only since the start
of the twentieth century has science shown much interest in it al all.
PARAPSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIC PHENOMENA
Through parapsychology, weare gaining insightsinto the
hidden nature of man. Parapsychology is a branch of psychology which
studies psychic phenomena. It remains something of a frontier, even
today. Perhaps one reason for this is that psychic phenomena are
somewhat inconsistent.
Nevertheless, there is strong evidence from numerous cases and exp-
eriments in support of psychic phenomena. Somehow, under the right
conditions, the mind can directly affect the environment.
Wemaytheorize thatthehumanmind andbodybroadcasts akind
of psychic energy or force, much like a radio station. Kirlian photog-
raphy, temperature effects, cloud chamber tests, and other experiments
tend to support this theory. Although the exact nature of this psychic
force
is subtle and unknown, it is undoubtedly the energy behind all psychic
phenomena and magick. However, it is *not* a radio wave, since it
behaves somewhat differently. The psychic force is too weak to be
1275
measured directly (at least so far as we know). Everyone has some
psychic ability. There
are numerous types of psychic phenomena. Parapsychology separates them
into two groups: ESP and PK...
EXAMPLES OF ESP
ESP,theabreviation forextrasensoryperception, meansthe
reception of information through paranormal means (ie. not regular
physical senses of sight, sound, touch, smell, or taste). In theory,
this is accomplished by receiving psychic force from outside the body.
Here are some examples of ESP:
1)Clairvoyance,orRemote Viewing--the abilitytosense or
'see' (non-physically) distant objects, places, and people. Individ-
uals who see ghosts and spirits are probably clairvoyant.
2) Clairaudience, or remote hearing -- the 'hearing'
of paranormal information.
3)AstralProjection(OOBE)or TravelingClairvoyance--Full
experience at a remote location while the physical body sleeps.
4) Psychometry -- the reading of information by the
touch of physical objects.
5) Telepathicreceiver --the ability todirectly receive
thought (communication) at a distance, with no physical connection to
the sender. There are many everyday examples of this, in which we
1276
think something just as another person is about to say it. This is an
easy one to test for through experiment. Very dramatic cases of
telepathy have been recorded; there is often an emotional element in
such cases.
6) A 'channel'or medium, asin a seance,who is indirect
communication with a 'spirit' or entity.
7) Experiencewith a Ouija board,pendulum, or automatic
writing.
8) Precognition--to forseethefuture. Again,highlyemot-
ional events are the ones most likely to be 'tuned in'.
9) Retrocognition-- knowledgeof the past,by paranormal
means.
EXAMPLES OF PK
PK, the abreviation forpsychokinesis, is the active or
sending side of psychic phenomena. The theory here is that psychic
force is sent out from the individual. Examples of PK include:
1)Telepathicsender --thetransmitterin thetelepathyjust
discussed.
2)Psychokinesis (ortelekinesis) proper-- theability to
move objects by means of psychic force.
3)Somewhatalong thesamelinesarepoltergeist(noisyghost)
phenomena in which objects move of their own accord or noises are
1277
heard. There is always a human agent involved -- frequently a teenage
girl -- who appears to be the source of psychic energy.
4)Psychic healing-- theability toheal variousillnesses
and infirmities. There are many documented cases of this. Usually it
involves a healer and a subject, although there are recent cases
invloving cancer patients learning to heal themselves.
5)Teleportation, apportation,andlevitation. Someoccul-
tists feel a magician producing PK effects is simply a channel for
universal energy. Others think the force originates some way directly
within the magician.
THE SUBCONSCIOUS
Postulated byFreud andothers, theconcept of thesubcon-
scious mind is an important one. Basicly, this is the idea that part
of the mind normally operates below or outside of ordinary conscious-
ness and awareness. Dreams and hypnosis are examples of this. Also
subconscious are the many
automatic functions of the physical body such as respiration and
digestion.
1278
WHY DO MAGICK?
Magickencompassesmanythings-- scienceandart,philosophy
and metaphysics, psychology and comparative religion. Magick is an
adventure at the borderlands of the unknown. It can fit the pieces of
the puzzel of life into a meaningful whole.
*Magick is fun*and interesting. Usemagick to helpraise
consciousness without drugs. Gain new experiences. Fantacy can come
alive through magick. Psychic phenomena can be controlled and be fun
and helpful.
*Magick isbeneficial*. It canhelp you tohave excellent
health, and bring you good luck. With magick life runs smoothly; life
is good. Also use magick for personality improvement, to control bad
habits and to develop new motivations.
*Magickis
powerful*.Neverunderestimatethetremendouspower
of magick. Use magick to alter events and to achieve your goals. Exert
an influence over people and phenomena. But power for its own sake is
self defeating. The power which magick can give you should not be your
primary
reason for studying it.
MAGICK AND WITCHCRAFT
1279
A numberof other occult disciplinesare prevalent today
besides magick. There are many cults and sects which profess their own
views, but there are really few differences between them. One popular
area in the occult today is witchcraft. This is far removed from the
cliche of devil
worship. Real witchcraft is a nature religion (pagan). Witchcraft has
much in common with magick.
Alchemy alsohas muchin common withmagick. It'sheritage
comes from the middle ages. Alchemy fathered chemistry and the phys-
ical sciences. But the avowed purpose of alchemy, turning lead into
gold, is too limiting to be called magick. Sometimes the goal of
alchemy is interpreted in another way, as the transformation of man
into a spiritual being.
Thentherearethe numerousmodernday seersor'pychics', as
they like to be called, who operate within their own somewhat unique
systems. Although many of these people are deluded frauds, some are
very powerful occultists indeed.
1280
Of course,everything Ihavesaid hereis ageneralization.
Magick, witchcraft, alchemy, or any occult field are complex subjects.
Suffice it to say that magick includes them all (it is eclectic). For
magick is undoubtedly a philosophy which has, as the late Aleister
Crowley wrote,
"The method of science -- the aim of religion."
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) Define magick.
2) Define ESP and PK. Give examples.
3) What is the subconsicous?
BOOK LIST
Hal N. Banks, An Introduction to Psychic Studies.
Annie Besant, Thought Power.
Michael H. Brown, PK, A Report on the Power of Psychokinesis.
Richard Cavendish, The Black Arts.
Alexandira David-Neel, Magic and Mystery in Tibet.
Raynor C. Johnson, The Imprisoned Splendour.
Janet Lee Mitchell, "Is Anything Out There?", Fate magazine,
May 1988.
1281
Ostrander and Shroeder, Psychic Discoveries Behind the
Iron Curtan.
========
Phil Hansford, 4/88
Mysteria
(818) 353-8891 (modem)
P.O. Box 83
Tujunga, CA 91042
1282
Copyright (c) 1988 by Phil Hansford. This article is
is licenced for free non-commercial distribution only.
----------------------------------------------------------
** MAGICK 2 -- THE SUBJECTIVITY OF EXPERIENCE -- **
' The universe is a projection of ourselves;
an image as unreal as that of our faces in a
mirror....We cannot affirm any quality in an
object as being independent of our sensorium,
or as being in itself that which it seems to
us. Nor can we assume that what we cognize is
more than a partial phantom of its cause.'
( --Aleister Crowley, Magick, p. 110)
Yourawarenessofthe physicalworldand ofyourplace within
it is mostly based upon the physical senses(hearing, sight, smell,
touch, taste). These five senses continually send information to the
mind, and it is up to
the mind to select and interpret them. If you could not do so, your
senses would overwhelm you and be meaningless. Selection and inter-
pretation of your sensory inputs is essentially an automatic, mostly
1283
subconscious function of the mind. The program or map which the
subconscious follows
as its reference point is called a 'model'. The model is a subcon-
scious mental photograph of how you believe the world looks (ie.
worldview, mindset, egregore, or belief system). It was built up from
an early age by your religious and cultural background through inter-
action with family and
others. It contains your experiences, attitudes, and habits. And
whether you realize it or not, most of your behavior, thoughts,
feelings, and habits are based upon and conditioned by that model;
even personality. The model is one of the mind's master programs.
Change in behavior generally requires a change in the model. These
limitations built into our way of thinking cause our perceptions to be
subjective. That is why Hindu philosophy looks upon the world as
illusory (maya); the world itself (object) is not an illusion, however
from our viewpoint through perception
(subject) it is.
Thus weare allconditioned byexperience. Exceptthat our
perceptions, hence our experiences, are first conditioned and limited
by the model. Our perceptions and experiences tend to conform to what
we expect. We tend to misinterpret or ignore things which do not match
our
preconcieved notions about them. This is automatic.
1284
THE TRUE WILL
The forgoingdemonstrates how itis thatthere are somany
different versions of 'truth'. One's particular view is almost arbit-
rary. Although numerous religions, philosophies, and occult systems
abound, they do not contradict one and other as much as it might
appear. Rather, they describe the same (universal) reality taken from
different perspectives. For there can be no ultimate truth in the
physical world. We can only base our actions upon assumptions and
agreements. All experience is subjective. I like to think of the
universe as something indescribable, perhaps a 4-dimentional 'thing'.
As soon as we attempt to put it into our 3-dimentional knowledge-base,
something changes and we only see an aspect of the big picture. Just
as a photograph can only show us a flat *representation* of a greater
thing, so it is with any attempt to describe *spiritual reality* in
physical terms.
Yet,there isa separatereality withineach of uswhich is
often ignored unless we seek it. This inner self is in magick called
the 'true will'. The true will is the center of consciousness and
identity. It is the 'real you'. Everything else is an interface or
link to it from the outer (illusory) world. Since that interface is
based upon our model, it is conditoned and may sometimes produce false
information. 'Do what thou wilt' (Crowley) is an axiom of magick; for
1285
the true will expresses our exact desires. And what we truly want
('down deep') we tend to automatically
get. This isn't always in our best interests, since the true will can
be conditioned (tricked) by the illusion; and then we might desire and
obtain that which is not ultimately good for us. (Karma strikes
again!) The task of the magician therefor is to awaken his awareneess
of the true will, to be free of conditioning, and thereby to transcend
maya. ('My will unconditioned is magical' -- Spare).
1286
HAPPINESS IS BEING HAPPY
Thereis nogreatsecretto changingbehaviororhabits. Itis
largely a matter of determination. It equires that you ignore the
'pull' of the model when you strive for changes within yourself. The
model is, after
all, a collection of 'habits', some of which must be unlearned for
permananent change to occur. There are two ways to do this: direct,
through will power and awareness alone -- observing and acting out in
an unattached or indifferent manner; and indirect -- through con-
ditioning such as affirmation (explained later), self-hypnosis, and
magick. Meditation may help too, by relaxing tension and conflict.
Emotionsfollowphysical expression:smileandact happyand
you will tend to feel and be happy. The same is also true for other
emotions. Also, emotions can be purposely used (or programed) to
replace other emotions. Using this technique, a magician is somewhat
like an actor
in that he learns how to turn his emotions on and off at will. Note
that this is not 'fakeing it'; the magician is probably more in touch
with his true feelings than most people. And for these reasons we say
that happiness is being happy.
1287
SYSTEMS OF MAGICK
Magickalwaysinvolvesself-hypnosis.However, itmaybemore
than that. For one thing, there are objective forces involved (or so
it would seem). Deities, spirits, and cosmic force can have an indep-
endent existence. And the repetitive physical movement sometimes
involved in ritual can itself generate PK force. On the other hand, it
could be argued that all of this is subjective to the magician. Or
that the deities and spirits are nothing more than architypes or
cosmic patterns which the magician energizes with his own vitality.
Perhaps all magical effects could be produced through hypnosis alone.
But the effects are certainly real.
1288
Greatcomplexityisnotnecessaryinmagick.Although basicly
magick is a medieval system of symbolism (in a modern context), any
cosmological system will work from Cabala to Star Wars. We usually use
the medieval one in magick because it is convenient and traditional,
and
because it seems to fit our thought processes well. Traditional
symbols have greater emotional effect on the magician than modern ones
because of his familiarity with them. What really matters is that the
model of the magician be understood and programmed, and thus that the
model and the cosmological system do correspond.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) Contrast subjective with objective.
2) What is a 'model'?
3) Explain the task of the magician.
BOOK LIST
Eric Berne, Games People Play.
Fritjof Capra, The Tao of Physics.
Carlos Castaneda, The Fire From Within.
Arthur Koestler, The Roots of Coincidence.
1289
John C. Lilly, The Center of the Cyclone.
------, Programming and Metaprogramming in the Human Biocomputer.
------, Simulations of God -- The Science of Belief.
Alan Watts, The Book (on the taboo against knowing who you are).
========
Phil Hansford, 4/88
Mysteria
(818) 353-8891 (modem)
P.O. Box 83
Tujunga, CA 91042
1290
Copyright (c) 1988 by Phil Hansford. This article is
is licenced for free non-commercial distribution only.
----------------------------------------------------------
** MAGICK 3 -- THE FOUR WORLDS **
Theancientsdescribed manasmind, body,andsoul. Psychol-
ogists of the twentieth century added the subconscious to that def-
finition. This produces a four-fold classification. The universe is
also divided into four corresponding parts ('worlds'), as shown below:
WORLD BODY QUALITY
===== ==== =======
spiritual world spiritual body (soul or kia) intuition
mental world mental body (conscious mind) rationalthought
astral world astral body (subconscious) emotions
physical world physical body physical senses
Theastral body(subconscious)is theintermediary forint-
uition, magical and psychic phenomena, and is the 'psychic link' to
the physical world. J.H. Brennan says that the astral is the realm of
1291
visual imagination. It seems to be both a 'place' and a 'state of
mind' at the
same time. Most occult and magical phenomena originate in the invis-
ible, non-sensate, non-physical realm (ie. without physical senses).
Each of the four worlds interacts with the other worlds. Psychic
energy flows from the spiritual to mental to astral to physical. The
physical world is a projection (manifestation, reflection, or shadow)
of the higher worlds. Our center of consciousness is generally within
these higher worlds. "We are", to quote the rock music group the
Police, "spirits in the material world".
1292
Therearemanysimilar termsusedby otheroccultgroups. For
example, 'astral light' is another name for astral world, although it
may sometimes also refer to the entire non-physical realm, as may
'inner planes' or 'the invisible world'. Planes are essentially the
same as worlds. Vehicles or sheaths are the same as bodies. Some
groups include an etheric or vital body between physical and astral:
it is mostly 'physical' with a little of the lower 'astral' besides.
And sometimes astral and mental are each divided into two parts (upper
and lower). The 'causal body' is the upper 'mental'.
MICROCOSM AND MACROCOSM
Wehavebeendescribing'traditonal'occultphilosophy here,
and certainly an important part of the tradition is the idea (and
terms) microcosm and macrocosm. The greater universe, known as the
*macrocosm*, includes everything that exists. It corresponds with the
*microcosm*,
or tiny universe, ie. man -- who is thought of as a miniature replica
of the macrocosm (whole universe). This basic magical relationship is
demonstrated in the Bible (Genesis 1.27), where God is the macrocosm;
and in the writing of Trismegistus ("As above so below"). Since man
is in the image of God (universe) it follows that God is in the image
of man (in other words, man and the God/universe match each other).
1293
The magician, as a microcosm is thus connected with the macrocosm.
There is an intimate relationship of energies between you and every-
thing else. The universe is reflected within us and we are projected
into the universe. This is an important theory behind magick and
astrology.
MAGICK WHITE AND BLACK
'Personalmagick' is thatmagick used toaffect the self;
often involving affirmation, self-suggestion, and self-hypnosis.
'Active magick' is outer directed magick (as in PK) used to affect
someone or thing, or to bring about an event. 'Passive magick' is to
be affected (as in ESP)
by an outside non-physical cause. Everyone possesses some magical (and
psychic) potential. Some are especially gifted. Usually people are
better at one kind of magick (ie. active or passive) than they are at
the other kind; only rarely does an individual excell at both. Traning
and practice will, of course, improve ability somewhat.
1294
Although the forces of magick are neutral, various systems may
take on the qualities of good and evil. There is so-called white
magick or good magick, black magick or evil magick, and gray magick
between them. When many people refer to white magick they mean magick
for unselfish purposes, also healing and mental influence with spec-
ific permission. By black magick they refer to magick for self-inter-
est and healing *without* specific permission. Using magick to
forcefully control another's will is, in a sense, black magick too.
There are also some people on the occult fringe who claim to be,
possibly even think they are, 'Satanists', devil worshipers, or black
magicians. These people are most likely charlatans, hoaxters, dab-
blers, or merely misinformed. They may be attracted by the 'art' of
black magick, or even by the 'glamor' of doing something
against the 'rules'. But a real black magician is very dangerous.
Because he has dedicated his life to evil. We usually think of 'white
magick' as having *unselfish intent*, and (in the extreme case) of
'black magick' as
being actual Satan worship, human or animal sacrifice, dangerous
unconventional magical practices, and other bizarre stuff as makes a
nightmare. It is all a matter of degree. Most mild self-interest
magick (one of the most common kinds) would be called 'gray'. Better
terms may be
*constructive magick* as being beneficial; and *aversive magick* as
magick intended to work against the natural order, and to tear down.
1295
There is also the *high magick* of spiritual alchemy (ie. spiritual
growth), also known as 'the Great Work'; and conversely there is 'low
magick' which is concerned with materiality.
Any magickactislikelyto producesideeffectsregardlessof
whether or not the desired result is achieved. Such side effects are
no problem for constructive magick, since they are benificial as well.
However, aversive magick can produce aversive side effects which may
even harm the magician -- aversive magick is dangerous!
1296
MAGICK IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS
Whatwe havebeencalling 'magick'is actuallya continuous
process. Since your subconscious never rests, your environment is
continually being shifted into line with your model. This is true
whether you study magick or not. For most people, these effects are
usually very subtle, and they are probably not aware of them. However,
as you work
with the occult, the flow of psychic energy and your awareness of it
increases. Your true will is more likely to be strongly expressed.
Your luck may be affected (either in a positive or a negative way).
Remember, our lives tend to follow what we want down deep. That is why
a positive
outlook is so very beneficial to us.
THE MAGICAL DIARY
Sometimes it ishelpful to keep a diary of your magical
experiments and research. Such a diary should include the date,
perhaps even some astrological data (or anything else you think may
have a relationship to what you are doing). This is also a good time
1297
to begin recording your dreams -- at least the important ones -- in a
dream diary. Your dreams
can tell you a great deal about yourself, and may sometimes reveal
premonitions. Dreams are personal. Don't fall for the commercial
'dream book' gimmick.
AFFIRMATIONS
Themind is always open to suggestion -- especially the
subconscious. Most of the time we censor any suggestions according to
the model; but one way to break through the censor is with repetition.
An affirmation does this exactly. By suggestion, we mean any statement
which is capable of affecting your model. Usually suggestion is in the
form of a positive statement (such as the hypnotist's patter -- " You
are becomming sleepy"). An affirmation is the same kind of thing -- a
positive suggestion, which you repeat (affirm) to yourself aloud or
silently (for example, "I remember my dreams"). If there is some
quality you wish to change or develope within yourself, an affirmation
is ideal. Repeat it several times every day at several different times
throughout the day,
expecially when you go to bed. Affirmations are subtle and may require
a few months to work. Use them for changes, not miracles.
SIMPLE BANISHING TECHNIQUE
1298
Visualizationisanotherimportantmethod weusetoinfluence
the subconscious. A good example of this is the simple banishing
technique which follows. Banishing is used in magick to 'clear the
air' of negative 'vibes' and interference...
Visualize astrong white lightflowing outthe top ofyour
head, flowing down around you and covering you. At the same time
imagine you are throwing away any 'problem' vibes. Maintain the
visualization for a half a minute or longer. Good way to help you
handle your emotions, and to control worry or anger.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What is a microcosm?
2) List the four worlds. Explain.
3) What is an affirmation? Give an example.
BOOK LIST
Geoffry Hodson, Theosophy Answers Some Problems of Life.
Marc Edmund Jones, Key Truths of Occult Philosophy.
Marion Weinstein, Positive Magic.
Nelson & Ann White, The Wizard's Apprentice.
Beatrice Bruteau, The Psychic Grid.
1299
========
Phil Hansford, 4/88
Mysteria
(818) 353-8891 (modem)
P.O. Box 83
Tujunga, CA 91042
1300
Copyright (c) 1988 by Phil Hansford. This article is
is licenced for free non-commercial distribution only.
----------------------------------------------------------
** MAGICK 4 -- ELEMENTS AND FORCES **
The Ancientsdividedthe worldintofour basicprinciplesor
*elements* -- earth, water, fire, and air. That viewpoint has mostly
changed with advances of science, but the four elements are still
accepted in magick, for they are more closely linked with emotions,
the human psyche, and with nature than are modern explanations of the
world. These
*magical elements* are also of some importance in astrology. Many
occultists think of the magical elements as forces, or as *qualities*
of energy; especially within the astral world. Each element has a
symbol and color. (Common symbols are -- fire: a triangle pointing up;
air: a triangle pointing up and with a horizontal line through the
middle of it; water: a triangle pointing down; earth: a triangle
pointing down and with a horizontal line through the middle of it.)
Colors of the elements are -- earth: brown and green; water: blue;
fire: red; air: yellow...The Eastern tattvic system uses different
1301
symbols and colors. (The tattvic symbols are briefly described later
on in this course.) The elements are often used in magick ritual.
Magickseesrelationships
betweenthings.Theserelationships
are called 'correspondences'. Although magical correspondences are not
literally equal to one another, you can think of them that way (such
as gold equals sun). Tables of these relationships, called 'Corres-
pondence Tables', are available (an important one is Crowley's '777').
Thus one thing or symbol can be used to suggest another. This is
important in
magick, for the magician may surround himself with as many appropriate
correspondences as he can to vividly affect the senses; thus making
his magical contact with the inner planes more lucid.
1302
Themagicalelementshavecorrespondenceswiththetarotcards
as the four suits. The four quarters (directions of the universe as
used in magick ritual) and the Archangels also correspond with these
same elements --
Element Suit Quarter Archangel
======= ==== ======= =========
earth pentacles north Uriel
water cups west Gabriel
fire wands south Michael
air swords east Raphael
Astrologicalsignsalsocorrespondwiththeelements.Taurus,
Virgo, and Capricorn are earth signs. Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces are
water signs. Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are fire signs. Gemini, Libra,
and Aquarius are air signs.
ELEMENTALS
The magicalelements are saidto bepeopled by spiritsand
mythological entities called elementals or nature spirits. These are
grouped into four main categories --
1303
Gnome (earth) Undine (water) Salamander (fire) Sylph (air)
============= ============== ================= ===========
dwarfs nymphs jin (genies) fairies
elves tritons storm angels
brownies mermaids
hobgoblins mermen
lepricauns sirens
harpies
Elementalsareusuallyonlyvisible tothosewithclairvoyant
sight and are more likely to be seen at night in the mountains or
country away from cities -- especially if you are tired or sleepy.
Although elementals exist naturally, it is also possible to create one
which will exist for a limited time -- no elemental has immortality. A
created elemental is called
an 'artificial elemental'.
1304
TotheAncients, elementalswerethephysical explanationof
the universe. However, some contemporary occultists see them only as
symbols for forces and otherwise not 'real' at all. Another word
sometimes used for elemental is 'familiar' (usually in medieval
witchcraft); the term is ambiguous, as it might merely be an ordinary
household pet such as a dog or cat.
YIN YANG
Chinesephilosophyandacupuncture talkofyin yang.This is
the idea of polarity, or opposite pairs, as shown --
YIN YANG
=== ====
water fire
contraction expansion
cold hot
feminine masculine
moon sun
negative positive
passive active
ebb flow
1305
wane wax
The list could go on. In Chinese literature it is quite long. Some
occultists suggest everything can be similarly arranged into related
opposite pairs.
1306
SIMPLE MAGICK
Hereis asimple magicaltechniqueyou maywish totry. Itis
a variation of affirmation, which was discussed in an earlier les-
son...To help you to achieve your goal (magical or otherwise), find a
word or short phase which sums up what it is that you want to accom-
plish. Write the word (or phrase) down 10 times each day until you
achieve success.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) List the four elements.
2) What is an elemental?
3) What are correspondences?
BOOK LIST
William Britten, Art Magic (long out of print, but in some
libraries).
Pete Carrol, Liber Null.
Wing-Tsit Chan, A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy.
Manly Hall, Unseen Forces.
1307
========
Phil Hansford, 4/88
Mysteria
(818) 353-8891 (modem)
P.O. Box 83
Tujunga, CA 91042
1308
Copyright (c) 1988 by Phil Hansford. This article is
is licenced for free non-commercial distribution only.
----------------------------------------------------------
** MAGICK 5 -- CHAKRAS AND MEDITATION **
AccordingtoEastIndianphilosophy,manpossessessevenmajor
*chakras* or psychic centers on his body. Each of these forms a
bridge, link, or energy transformer; changing pure (higher) energy
into various forms, and connecting the four bodies (ie. spiritual,
mental, astral, and physical) together. The chakras are located along
the nadies (a network of psychic nerves or channels) and follow the
autonomic nervous system along the spinal cord. Chakras correlate
with major acupuncture points along the 'governing vessel meridian'
(acupuncture term). The seven major chakras are connected together by
three major nadies which are parallel and near each other. The middle
nadi is called *sushumna* and it has neutral characteristics. The nadi
on the left (ie. nearest your left hand) is the *ida* nadi which has
yin characteristics. On the other side of sushumna
(nearest your right hand) is the *pingala* nadi, having yang qualit-
ies.
1309
Chakrasarevisible toclairvoyantsightas varouslycolored
rotating circles or funnels. In the East they are described as petaled
flowers or lotuses. Sources disagree on the colors.
The first chakra,located at thebase of the spineat the
perineum is the *root chakra*, muladhara. It primarily relates to the
element of earth and to psychic smell.
Thesecondchakra,knownasthe*sacralcenter*,svadhisthana,
is located above and behind the genitals. Its dominant element is
water, and it is related to psychic taste.
Thirdof thechakrasisthe*solar plexus*,manipura,located
at the navel and corresponding with the emotions and with the element
of fire; also with psychic sight (clairvoyance).
The*heart chakra*,anahata, isthe fourthchakra, located
over the heart and corresponding with the element of air, and also
with psychic touch.
Thefifthchakraisthe*throat chakra*,vishuddha,locatedat
the base of the throat (thyroid) and corresponding with psychic
hearing (clairaudience).
1310
The remainingtwo chakrasare very important.They relate
mostly to elevated states of consciousness. The *frontal chakra*, (or
'third eye') ajna, the sixth chakra, is located between, and slightly
above, the eyebrows. Ajna is the center of psychic powers and can
produce many psychic effects. Meditation on ajna is said to cure
nervousness.
Finally,the*crownchakra*,sahasrara,locatedatopthehead,
(pineal gland) is the seventh chakra. It is referred to as the thous-
and-petaled lotus and corresponds with astral projection and enlight-
enment.
Thereare alsomany minorchakras throughoutthebody. Each
chakra has a sound (letter) and a pitch which is sometimes used to
invoke it.
THE TATTVAS
Someoccultists preferto describethe magicalelements as
tattvas according to the Eastern system. Notice that these symbols and
1311
colors are generally different than the western symbols and colors for
the elements.
element tattva tattvic symbol
======= ====== ==============
earth prithivi yellow square
water apas silver crescent
fire tejas red triangle
air vayu blue circle
(spirit) akasa black oval
1312
YOGA
Yoga originated inIndia. It is aphysical or mentaldis-
cipline designed to condition and invigorate the mind and body. There
are many kinds of yoga, but they may be generally divided into three
main types...
Hathayoga--affect themindthrough thebodyusing physical
exercises; improve physical health and endurance.
Rajayoga-- affectthemindthrough mentaltraining;improve
concentration.
Mantrayoga --affect themind throughchanting andaffirm-
ation; achieve relaxation.
MEDITATION
This is a much touted areaof the occult. There aremany
meditation techniques, and many claims made for the benefits of
meditation. Basicly, meditation has two functions -- relaxation, and
perhaps, improved concentration. There are two main types...
1) concentration meditation (focusing),
2) insight meditation (mindfullness).
1313
Most kinds of meditation are the concentrative type. One simply
focuses his attention upon a single physical object (such as a candle
flame); upon a sensation (such as that felt while walking or breath-
ing); upon an emotion (such as reverence or love); upon a mantra
spoken aloud or even silently; or upon a visualization (as in chakra
meditation, seebelow)...Concentration meditation is, simply put, a
form of self-hypnosis.
Amantra(or mantrum)is oneormore wordsorsyllables which
are repeated -- often chanted -- aloud...A simple yet powerful mantra
is to vibrate the mystical word 'OM'. This mantra has long been
associated in India with the godhead/unity. Use it to aid in tuning
into universal vibrations which promote feelings of harmony, peace,
and well-being. Use it before magick ritual to 'get into the mood' and
afterward to 'dismiss the
forces'. You vibrate a mantra by saying it slowly aloud in a lower--
pitched voice than your normal speech, and a more or less constant
pitch as well. Let the sound fade at the end of the mantra. A powerful
one such as 'OM' will seem to vibrate the air around you. It should be
vocalized for 5-10 seconds and repeated a number of times with a few
seconds rest between each vocalization. Chanting of mantras may cause
slight dizziness from hyperventilation.
1314
Theothermaintype ofmeditaiton-- insightmeditation-- is
the analysis of thoughts and feelings in such a way as to cause
realization of the subjectivity and illusion of experience. This is
done in a effort to attain trancendental awareness. Such statements
as, 'This body is not me', fall under this category. Buddhist medit-
ations are usually of this type.
CHAKRA MEDITATION
Thereis aspecialtype ofconcentrativemeditation whichwe
will call 'Chakra meditation'. This is basicly Kundalini yoga -- the
practice of causing psychic energy (kundalini) to flow up sushumna,
energizing the various chakras along the way. The practice, considered
dangerous by
some, will produce deffinite physiological sensations and psycholog-
ical effects if continued long enough. It should not be attempted by
epileptics or persons with an unstable mental or physical condition,
or with heart disease. Certain drugs and medications, such as those
used to treat epilepsy may retard progress. Although the technique is
very simple, it may eventually produce powerful results. Results may
at first appear hours after the practice during sleep. As each chakra
is energized by this practice, it is said to add occult powers (si-
dhis), until at last the crown chakra is reached, and with it, full
enlightenment is attained. Sometimes kundalini awakens all by itself.
1315
Topracticethischakrameditation, yousimplyconcentrateon
the chakras, beginning with the root chakra, and moving progressively
up, as you visualize psychic energy from the root chakra traveling up
shushumna and vivifying each higher chakra. As we mentioned the
chakras have certain properties associated with them, so that this
type of visualization may
'raise consciousness', promote astral projection, and other things --
once you have reached ajna and eventually the crown chakra. You might
typically meditate in this fashion for 15 minutes to a half hour a
day. It might help to practice some hatha yoga or other physical
exercise in an effort to make the spinal cord 'more flexible'. Diet
may also affect the process. The technique is also similar to the
Tibetan 'Tummo' meditation. The rise of kundalini is sometimes
experienced as a 'vibration' or buzzing, as light, or as heat.
1316
HEALTH AND DIET
Certainly theway you treatyour physicalbody willaffect
your mind. In magick you want an alert mind. Therefore, your body must
be as healthy as you can keep it. Take care of your body. Exercise
regularly. eat a good diet (with vitamin supplements), and do not
consume anything which will have a negative effect upon the mind.
Drugs, smoking,, and alcohol
should be restricted, or eliminated. (The mind can create any condit-
ion which a drug can create.) A good rule here is moderation in what
and how much you consume. (Most of this stuff is pretty obvious isn't
it.) You may also want to cut down on sugar and processed foods. Many
occultists advise dietary changes, expecially the non-eating of meat.
We cannot deny the
physical, psychological, and spiritual effect which all foods have.
This effect may be described as the 'heaviness' factor of foods.
Various foods are so ranked in the chart, lighter to heavier...
1. lettuce and other greens.
2. fruits and most vegetables.
3. wheat, rice, and other grains.
4. nuts, beans, and other legumes.
5. cheese, dairy products, including eggs.
1317
6. fish, seafood.
7. chicken, poultry.
8. beef, pork, other red meats.
Note that meats, especially red meats are the 'heaviest' foods.
Generally, foods which are harder to digest, or which are higher in
protein are 'heavier' than those which are not. Animal products are
heavier than plants. Foods high in carbohydrate (candy, bread, starch)
are heavy. However, the 'heaviness' of foods is not directly related
to the amount of calories.
1318
Whatthismeansis thatforvarious reasons,theheaviness of
food in your diet will affect your magical experiences. You may be
able to increase your psychic receptivity ('energy level') by eating
lighter foods, or by eating less. Conversely, emphasizing heavy foods
in your diet, or eating larger helpings, may help to 'bring you down
to earth' should you 'rent the veil' too much. These are generalizat-
ions, of course, and it may take a number of days of dietary change
before you notice much effect. I do not advocate radical dietary
changes, excessive fasting, or malnutrition. Your good health is far
more important in magick than any temporary effect you get from
prolonged starvation. A change in diet will sometimes only
produce a temporary effect, until the physical body adapts to the
change. Healthy natural foods and lifestyle make it easier for us to
be healthy, but ultimately, good health is a mentual quality (at-
titude).
THE FOUR-FOLD BREATH
With physicalexercise too, moderation isadvised. (You
should be cautious, or not attempt it if you have a respiratory or
heart condition. Check with your physician if in doubt, and don't
overdo.) One of the most useful physical exercises is pranayama, or
controlled breathing (actually a type of hatha yoga exercise). For
1319
this and any other calesthentics or hatha yoga which you might choose
to do a 'kitchen timer' is suggested (many of these aren't accurate
for under three minutes, but are helpful for longer periods).
1320
Themain purposeofpranayama isto relaxthe bodyand mind.
There are many kinds of pranayama, but a simple one called the 'four--
fold breath' will suffice. This consists of four short quick inhall-
ations, then four short quick exhallations; then repeat, continuing
until the allotted time is used up. It will take about 1 1/2 seconds
for the four inhallations, and about 1 1/2 seconds for the four
exhallations; or about 3 seconds for the complete in-out cycle ('rep'
for repetition). There should be no strain of any kind during your
pranayama. You will probably notice a slight dizziness, particularly
at first, since the effect of pranayama is to hyperventilate. Try
sitting back in a chair with your eyes closed when you do your prana-
yama. Begin a minute a day for the first week and gradually increase
up to about five minutes a day. If you do the pranayama befor
your magical activity, it will help you to get 'into the mood'. It is
also an excellent aid to relaxation and tension release. Pranayama
should not be done during heavy air pollution. Other exercises you
might consider are hatha yoga, calesthentics, walking or jogging.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What is a chakra? List them.
2) Name the three major nadies. Which nadi is hot?
3) What is pranayama?
1321
BOOK LIST
Arthur Diekman, The Observing Self.
W.Y. Evans-Wentz, Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines.
Sandra Gibson, Beyond the Mind.
King and Skinner, Techniques of High Magic.
Swami Sivananda, Kundalini Yoga.
John Woodroffe (pseud. for Arthur Avalon), The Serpent Power.
========
Phil Hansford, 4/88
Mysteria
(818) 353-8891 (modem)
P.O. Box 83
Tujunga, CA 91042
1322
Copyright (c) 1988 by Phil Hansford. This article is
is licenced for free non-commercial distribution only.
----------------------------------------------------------
** MAGICK 6 -- THOUGHTFORMS AND SPIRITS **
Although there are hundredsof kinds of divination, the
principle ones are astrology, geomancy, the tarot, the I Ching, and
direct psychic means (especially clairvoyance). True divination is
more than a mechanical system, for it implies true psychic interp-
retation (receiving). Some form of divination is often used in magick
ritual to communicate with
the entity invoked.
Sincedivination operatesthroughthemind,itisaffectedand
biased by the mind. Our attitudes and fears may alter it. Sometimes
results are very detailed, and accurate -- but not always. Often the
future is plastic and changeable anyway, and the use of magick may
alter the result. Thus divination shows tendencies only, which may be
helpful, but must not rule us.
DEVELOPING CLAIRVOYANCE
1323
It ispossible toimprove yournatural abilitywith clair-
voyance through practice. A good start might be to look around you,
then close your eyes and try to picture your surroundings. This is
also good exercise for visualization. And visualization is an essen-
tial talent in magick. Open your eyes again and check your accuracy.
Then close your eyes and try it
again. When you use your physical eyes, look at everything like a
child seeing it for the first time. Let the vividness of color and
form burn into you, until everything takes on a veritable glow. Try to
capture that glow when you close your eyes now and picture your
surroundings. It's just a simple step to extend what you see with your
eyes closed into what you remember seeing in the next room, or what
you *imagine* seeing in the next building, the next city, even the
other side of the world. Don't expect perfect results, especially at
first. Just try to be even partly right. Another exercise is to
picture a clock face, and thereby tell the time
clairvoyantly.
1324
THE AURA
Underthe rightconditions,it ispossible toclairvoyantly
observe a colored light around other people. This is known as the
'aura'. Sometimes the aura is seen as multi-colored emanations around
the person, built up of various differently colored layers and zones.
Although many
occult dabblers claim to be able to see the aura easily and under many
varied conditions, I seriously doubt that they do. There are optical
illusions and qualities of sight which can sometimes trick one into
thinking he sees what he does not see. In this area, the quality of
sight known as after image is especially pertinent. Do this: stare at
any solidly colored bright object for a few moments. Very intense red,
green, or blue are especially good for this. Now look away at a white
surface and you will see a phantom image of the object in its comp-
lementary color (a red object will show green, a blue one orange,
etc.). If the bright object is in front of a light surface, you may
observe a fringe of complementary color
around the object after a few moments. This is all very normal, and is
used by some magical groups as an aid to visualization sometimes
called 'flashing colors'. Some silly people will stare at other people
in the same way. And when they see the after image of the person's
clothing, they think they are seeing his aura. What is more, various
1325
meanings have been attributed to the colors of the aura. A psychic who
can see the aura is supposed to be able to determine that persons
emotional state. Thus psychic frauds can have a marvelous time with
auras. One deluded psychic taught a class I attended in which he
performed instant psychoanalysis on the
basis of the supposed aura. It was obvious that he was actually
observing after images from the students clothes!
Thisbrings usto thechart ofaura colorson thenext page.
It is a general guide, based mostly on Theosophical material. Various
groups may attribute different meanings to the colors. The colors we
show on the chart are emotional in nature; useful if you plan to
create an artificial elemental or do healing. Surrounding yourself
with a particular color will tend to produce the specific psycho-
logical effect described in the chart. That quality of color is
useful in magick ritual.
1326
COLORS OF THE AURA
BLACK malice
dark gray depression
pale gray fear
BROWN materialism
muddy gray selfishness
or
dull rust
RED energy
bright red anger and force
dirty red passion and sensuality
dull red selfish love
rose unselfish love
ORANGE pride
orange cloud irritability
bright orange noble indignation
YELLOW intellect
yellow-green low intellect
earthy yellow selfish thought
1327
lemmon high intellect
bright gold logical thinking
brt. red-yel. spiritual thought
GREEN empathy
gray-green deceit, jealously
greenish-brown jealousy
emerald green unselfish resourcefulness
foliage green sympathy & empathy
brt. apple-grn strong vitality
brt. turquoise deep sympathy & compassion
BLUE devotion (religious feeling)
gray-blue fetishism
light blue noble spiritual devotion
dark blue religious feeling
brt. lilac-blu lofty religious idealism
VIOLET spiritual psychic & spiritual
faculty
WHITE purity/protection
1328
THOUGHTFORMS AND SPIRITS
Whenever we concentrate our thoughts, we draw psychic energy
together. This is called a thoughtform. Usually the energy dis-
sipates as soon as we break the concentration, but it is possible to
purposely concentrate energy in this way, producing very strong
thoughtforms. Such thoughtforms are
vortexes or centers of psychic energy. They can exist as entities by
themselves, at least for a while. They are basically inanimate,
non-thinking forces. Talking to one is about as logical as talking to
a chair. In this way, thoughtforms are similar to elementals, ghosts,
and spirits. All of these psychic entities consist of a psychic
energy vortex which could be described as a localized field or as a
discontinuity of the physical world.
Psychic entities respond to certain electrostatic and magnetic
fields, and to other energy vortexes. That is why they respond to
magick ritual. Someday, we may accomplish the same thing with elect-
ronic machines. Psychic entities are sometimes able to affect our
thought processes.
Thoughtforms, elementals, and ghosts are usually not very smart.
If they display any intelligence at all, it is limited. They are the
morons of the spirit world. Their behavior is usually automatic,
1329
repetitive, robot-like (just like some people). We see that artif-
icial elementals
are little more than astral robots. Spirits and deities are more
intelligent and volitional.
DIRECTED ATTENTION
Your mind follows your attention. Wherever you direct your
attention, there will your thoughts go too. By directing attention to
a specific place or purpose you *focus* mental energy upon it.
For example: you're having lunch in a cafeteria crowded with
people. It is a large place, and everyone there is talking at once, so
that the room is a constant jumble of noise. You happen to notice a
man accross the room; he reminds you of someone. All at once he drops
his fork and you hear it hit the table. But would you have noticed the
sound of his fork if you had not been looking? No. Only by focusing
your attention there were you able to pick out that individual event
and associated sound.
1330
It is a dark night. You are walking and the only light you have
is from the flashlight you hold in your hand. As you move the flash-
light around, the beam of light from it directs your attention first
one way then another. Now, the mind is something like that flashlight
in the dark. And by directed attention, you point the mind to one
place or another. As with that flashlight beam, you see where the mind
is pointed; nothing more. The rest is 'noise'. And so we could define
mental noise as anything not focused upon. In another way, noise could
be considered as negative emotions, attitudes, and thoughts which make
it more difficult to direct the attention.
Your emotions follow your thoughts quite easily. Your emotions
are not YOU, but are rather reactions prompted by your model and ego
-- like a performance or an act, while the real you watches. In a
similar way, directing your attention toward a specific emotion will
cause you to
experience that emotion.
VISUALIZATION EXERCISES
Visualimagination andconcentration areveryimportant in
magick. Here are some exercises to help in your development...
1331
A. Close youreyes and visualize asingle digit numberas
clearly as you can. Then a two digit number, then a 3 digit one. Hold
the visualization in front of your 'inner eye' for about two minutes.
Repeat with a letter or a word.
B.Visualize abrightlycolored greencircle orspot. Again
hold the visualization for two minutes. Try again with a different
color.
C.Visualizein succession,eachone ofthetattvic symbols,
in their proper color. Hold each symbol for at least two minutes.
D.Look through atarrot card deckand pickout several of
your favorite cards. Then, after briefly studying a card, visualize it
vividly in detail. Hold the visualization for at least two minutes. Do
this for each card you selected.
E. Repeat the above visualization exercises with
your eyes open.
1332
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What is the aura?
2) What is a thoughtform?
3) How can you develope clairvoyance?
BOOK LIST
Annie Bessant and Charles Leadbeater, Thought Forms.
W.E. Butler, How to Develop Clairvoyance.
J.H. Brennan, Astral Doorways.
Piero Ferrucci, What We May Be.
Kilner, The Human Aura.
Swami Panchadasi, The Human Aura.
A.E. Powell, The Etheric Double.
Harold Sherman, How to Make ESP Work for You.
========
Phil Hansford, 4/88
Mysteria
(818) 353-8891 (modem)
P.O. Box 83
1333
Copyright (c) 1988 by Phil Hansford. This article is
is licenced for free non-commercial distribution only.
----------------------------------------------------------
** MAGICK 7 -- BASIC RITUAL **
'The first part of every ceremony is the
banishing; the second the invoking.'
(--Crowley, Magick, p. 104)
Itmay besaid that ritualis thevery heartof magick. For
it is through ritual that we achieve our magical results. Ritual is a
magical procedure or ceremony we perform in order to change the
environment. Usually we think of ritual as bearing on active magick,
although certainly, it can also affect passive magick. Most often the
change achieved is subjective (it may be subtle) and in the physical
world. Outsiders may put them down to coincidence, but the effects are
very real. Magical goals for a ritual should not be taken lightly.
Thesuccessfulpracticeofmagick dependsuponstrongbelief.
The simplest ritual of them all must be belief itself. If you can
believe in your desired results strongly enough, that act is a magical
ritual which will achieve your results. Even a very complex ritual is
1334
no more effective than strong belief. There are aids to concentration
which may help. Thus in *creative visualization*, imagination and
controlled breathing are brought into play.
1335
CREATIVE VISUALIZATION
Whenyouwanttomagicallyachievesomething,first pictureit
clearly in your mind. The more deffinite and specific your idea of
what it is the better. Picture yourself having it or doing it. Vis-
ualize it as vividly and as intensely as you can and hold it in your
thoughts for a few
moments. Concentrate on it intensely (it may help to hold your breath-
). Feel the energy of desire welling up inside you. Then suddenly feel
the image or desire released from your mind. Feel the energy filtering
through the image and intensifying it, as if the image is a 'stencil'.
Imagine the
energy exploding out from you into the macrocosm in all directions at
once, and feel the universe 'tilt' as it reacts to the force. (At the
same time it may help to release your breath suddenly). Feel the
energy draining from you. Finally, *believe* that your purpose *has*
been accomplished; that it
HAS HAPPENED, perhaps saying something such as "so mote it be", or "it
is done".
THE BASIC PARTS OF A RITUAL
1336
Often ritualsare more formalthan theabove, but anyfull
magick ritual must always reduce to these stages -- 1) imaging; 2)
building; 3) firing. Sometimes a ritual must be repeated every day
for a while to achieve difficult results or to overcome weak belief.
1337
THE MAGICK CIRCLE
Often animportantpartofformal ritualisthemagickcircle.
Medieval magicians considered the circle essential, and placed great
emphasis upon its exactness. Elaborate designs were invented with
many layers of complex symbols and words. It was very important that
the circle
be completely intact with no breaks in it. The magician and any other
participants stand in the circle during ritual. The ritual began with
a banishing of evil forces (using the lesser ritual of the pentagram
for example) to keep them outside the circle. Today, circles are made
on the floor with chalk or paint, rock salt, or a rope. Whatever its
form, the circle is still an important part of magical protection for
the magician. This is especially important for aversive entities and
purposes. The circle also helps in focusing the energy of the ritual
toward its purpose, that is, it keeps it contained until the magician
is ready to release it. Of course, the magick circle is basicly only a
symbol, but it may eventually be possible to supplement the circle
with electronic equipment for a
similar purpose. We are researching the practicality of electro-
staticly charged Faraday shields.
ARTIFICIAL ELEMENTALS
1338
An artificial elemental isuseful for certain tasks: 1)
invisible watcher and observer, telling you what it sees; 2) psychic
guard; 3) it can be used in healing; 4) it is helpful in other ways.
Ophiel calls the artificial elemental a 'familiar'. Producing your own
artificial elemental is fairly easy. YOU MUST ASSUME THAT THE ACT HAS
PRODUCED RESULTS, EVEN IF YOU DO NOT IMMEDIATELY OBSERVE THEM. It is
entirely possible to produce one of these little beasties and not know
it (not being clairvoyant enough to
observe it directly). Therefore, and this is a general principle of
any magick, never ignore forces you have set into motion. Even though
you may not see the elemental, you may nevertheless 'feel' it.
WARNING-- Donot useartificial elementalsfor anykind of
aversive magick at this point; they can be nasty little critters to
get rid of. Should you have to eliminate one of them which you created
in error, you must re-absorb it back into yourself through your will;
or in some cases you can 'exorcise' it.
HOW TO CREATE AN ARTIFICIAL ELEMENTAL
You cancreate your own artificialelemental for various
purposes. An artificial elemental is basically a thoughtform which has
been strengthened with emotion. Refer to the aura color chart in the
1339
previous lesson and decide what color to make the elemental, based
upon your intended purpose. Apple green is a good choice for general
purposes.
Then decide on a shape or outline. Do you want your elemental to
resemble some sort of animal? A simple circle or cloud is a good place
to start. With this in mind you can use ritual to create your elemen-
tal. Creative visualization is good for this. Visualize it glowing
before you. A darkened room is helpful for this.
Communicatewithyourelementalwith telepathy,bytalkingto
it, or with creative visualization. Your artificial elemental is
closely linked to you and your subconscious attitudes. It will
generally not do things you think it cannot do. As in any magick,
results relate to effort and belief. Another way of looking at an
artificial elemental is as an aspect of your personality (sub person-
ality) which has been detached from you.
INVOCATION
Formalritual usually involves the invocation (ritually
calling up) of a god or goddess, spirit, or other entity. In this
sense, magick is somewhat similar to pagan religion and witchcraft.
However, we consider magick ritual a technique, not a religion.
Worship need not be involved.
1340
Sometimes the invocation of an entity creates an artificial elemental.
Crowley says there are three different kinds of
invocation --
1) Devotion to the entity (as in the Bhakti yoga of
the Hare Krishna sect; the Faustian devil pact).
2) Ceremonial invocation -- usual method of the
middle ages.
3) Drama -- usually needs more than one person (as in
a mass).
1341
Becauseof themicrocosm-macrocosmidentity,whenyouinvoke
the gods, you are invoking aspects of yourself. Jung has referred to
the gods as primitive archetypes. This makes it sound like spiritual
entities are illusions. But in fact the microcosm-macrocosm identity
does not discredit the gods and goddesses. It instead helps to il-
lustrate our relationship to the cosmos.
>>CAUTIONS<<
1.Balanceis importantinmagick. Varytheentities invoked
in order to keep your personality in balance.
2. Oftenas nota ritualmay produce side-effects,usually
something similar to, though not exactly the desired goal. If the true
goal is delayed (as sometimes happens) we may see the side effects
first. And if for some reason the goal is not achieved at all ('mi-
ssing the target') the side effects may be pronounced. Examples: 1)
You use magick ritual to hurry shipment of an anticipated package in
the mail. Side effect -- the next day an unexpected package (the wrong
one) arrives instead. 2) You use magick ritual to cause a certain
person to phone you. Side effect -- for several
days all sorts of people phone you...The sides effects will not affect
you (or anyone else) adversely unless that is what you inwardly want.
1342
3.We maysaywith certaintythat"something alwayshappens"
when we perform a magick ritual. But like everything else, magick
follows the 'law of results'. This means that results require effort
of some kind. And if you don't work hard enough at it you don't get
results. Difficult goals have greater resistance (magical inertia) to
overcome. If the ritual doesn't produce the desired results there is a
good chance that the reason for the failure is within oursleves. Be
certain there is no contradiction between your model and your magical
goals. Sometimes self doubt and mental
contradictions (wanting and not wanting at the same time) may inter-
fere. The first step in magick is to re-program your model. And, of
course you can help your magical results by working on the physical
level toward your goals. Don't expect them to fall into your lap by
themselves.
1343
4)A peculiarqualityofmagickis timedisplacement.Results
of a ritual are not usually instantaneous. There is often a delay of
12 hours or more. Difficult tasks or weakly performed ritual are more
likely to be delayed. In most cases a slight delay is alright, and it
gives us time to get used to the comming changes. And sometimes the
effects of a ritual
appear to extend to before the ritual was performed!
5)Because of theway magick works,a ritualmay create an
emphasis in what is sought, and a de-emphasis in everything else.
Balance is therefore important here. Once the magical result is
achieved it may be 'bound' to you and difficult to get rid of should
you later decide to do so.
Example: You use a magick ritual to help you find and buy a new house.
Years later when you decide to sell it, you are unable to do so.
Consider your magical goals wisely so you dont get stuck with som-
ething you don't really want. Note that theory says you can always
unbind through ritual what was bound to you...theory says.
6) Sometimesthe environmentappears to reactagainst the
magick after the results are achieved. This is particularly noticeable
in using magick to affect the weather (and the main reason why you
1344
should NOT use magick to affect the weather). For example...Your
performance of a ritual to produce a sunny day produces a sunny day.
The next day is sunny, alright, but the rest of the month is cold and
overcast. Here the weather seems to react to the magick in the op-
posite way to re-establish its natural balance. It is something like
pushing a pendulum to one side and releasing it -- the pendulum swings
to the other side. To quote
Emmerson -- "For everything you gain you lose something...". I don't
know that this is always true in magick, but it does illustrate the
point. And another reason not to use magick to affect the weather is
that it might foul it up in other parts of the country (world??).
7) Finally,magickritual(orany magickoroccultism)isvery
dangerous for the mentally unstable. If you should somehow 'get out
too far', eat 'heavy foods' as previously discussed (lesson on chak-
ras) and use your religious background or old belief system for
support. But remember too, that wierd experiences are not necessarily
bad experiences.
1345
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What is creative visualization?
2) List the basic parts of a ritual.
3) What is invocation?
RESEARCH TOPICS (for independent study)
1) Examine the differences between western magick and oriental
magick.
2) How do medieval grimoirs follow the basic ritual pattern?
3) Research and design your own formal ritual.
BOOK LIST
P.E.I. Bonewitz, Real Magic.
David Conway, Magic: an Occult Primer (or Ritual Magic).
Aleister Crowley, Magick in Theory and Practice.
Denning and Phillips, Creative Visualization.
Ophiel, Creative Visualization.
A.E. Powell, The Astral Body.
________, The Mental Body.
Joseph Weed, Wisdom of the Ancient Masters.
1346
Julian Wilde, Grimoire of Chaos Magick.
========
Phil Hansford, 4/88
Mysteria
(818) 353-8891 (modem)
P.O. Box 83
Tujunga, CA 91042
1347
{file "Magickal Training Course (Phil Hansford)" "bos280.htm"}
Copyright (c) 1988 by Phil Hansford. This article is
is licenced for free non-commercial distribution only.
----------------------------------------------------------
** MAGICK 8 -- HEALING AND BANISHING **
Psychic or spiritual healingis a human potentialwe all
possess. Some people are especially good at this. It is probably
easier to heal someone else by occult means than yourself. In addition
to healing in the presence of the person, there is 'absent healing' in
which the healing
occurs at a distance. Note that there are some who maintain that
influence on another person without his specific knowledge and permis-
sion (yes, even in healing and helping) is black magick. (After all,
everybody is living according to his own true will, so that healing or
helping someone without permission is affecting his will). This means
it is important to tell the person what you are planning to do and to
ask his permission. The theory of psychic healing is that sickness is
characterized (although not necessarily caused) by a deficiency and
imbalance of vital energy. Psychic healing transfers energy from the
healer to the sick to repair and rebalance his energies. If an inept
healer overdoes the process, or if he doesn't take the precaution to
'disconnect' himself afterwards, he may find himself
1348
becoming sick due to energy drain and a linkage to his subject.
Similarly, the healer should always be in a good state of health or he
could unintentionally transfer his illness to the subject.
1349
Thebasicmethods ofpsychichealingare: 1)creativevisual-
ization, 2) prayer, 3) ritual. Creative visualization is one of the
easiest techniques. Mild illness may yield to only one or two treat-
ments; serious ills will require many treatments over time. Psychic
healing should always be combined with medical care and treatment. It
does not replace
doctors, medicine, or hospitals, since different levels (worlds) are
involved. In creative visualization, we visualize the person being
well. It may be helpful to utilize the appropriate color from the aura
chart (such as bright apple-green, rose pink, or white) sent as a beam
to the person or as a cloud surrounding him. This technique can be
extended to include a simple kind of yoga in which we feel energy sent
as we exhale explosively; the energy sent either via the breath or
from one of the chakras such as the solar plexus. Sometimes in absent
healing it is helpful to arrange a time for treatment in advance,
asking your subject to be in a receptive state of mind and to sit back
and close his eyes.
THE BANISHING RITUAL
Oneofthemost basicanduseful ceremonialritualsof magick
is called the *banishing ritual*, or lesser ritual of the pentagram. A
pentagram (or pentacle) is a five-pointed star with the point up. The
1350
banishing ritual is helpful in psychic protection and healing since it
forms a protective barrier against malevolent forces. The psychic
barrier it creates can be made to permit entry of desired (const-
ructive) forces and the exclusion of negative ones. Thus, the banish-
ing ritual is an essential first step in almost any formal full magick
ceremony. The ritual requires that you use a magical implement or
"weapon", such as a
ceremonial knife, wand, or simply point your index finger, to "draw"
the pentagram in the air at each of the cardinal points (four direc-
tions). Also, you will be chanting ('vibrating') some Hebrew names of
God.
1351
Holdingyour magicalweaponand facingeast,extend yourarm
out straight in front of you. In this ritual you will use the full
sweep of your arm to draw the pentagram in the air. Follow the desc-
ription below by beginning at the lower left and sweeping your magical
weapon up toward the
right, etc. as shown. Do not bend your arm at the wrist or elbow.
While you do this, visualize the lines and eventually the star as
vibrant white, floating in the space before you. You are projecting
energy to do this, and the result will be a gleaming 5-pointed star
floating in the east; visualize this as vividly as you can. Now you
will energize it further
by piercing the center of it with your magical weapon and vibrating
(speaking slowly in a slightly lower than normal pitch, remember)
"Yod-He-Vau-He".
=============================================
-- DESCRIPTION --
Approximate points on a round clock face --
1. Begin at 7:30 position.
2. Point to 12 oclock position.
3. Point to 4:30 position.
4. Point to 10:30 position.
5. Point to 2:30 position.
1352
6. Return to 7:30 position.]
=============================================
Thenturn slowlytothe nextcardinal pointinsequence, and
as you do so, with your arm still extended in front of you, visualize
a white line connecting around to the cardinal point. Trace a similar
pentagram with the appropriate words and following the same procedure:
South -- Adonai Tzaboath
West -- Eh-Ei-He
North -- Agla.
Now complete the white line drawn back to the center of the eastern
pentagram. Note that the cardinal points must be followed in a clock-
wise order, and the pentagram must be drawn in the manner illustrated;
to do otherwise would change the function of the ritual. The result of
all this should be a large bright white pentagram visualized hanging
in mid-air
at each of the four directions, all tied together by a bright white
line. You could now, for example, visualize the pentagrams moving out
to the circumference of your home, thereby protecting all within.
Thereisalsoa somewhatsimplifiedversion ofthisritual in
which the pentagram is traced only once overhead and then is energized
with one of the four names, such as "Eh-Ei-He". Oftentimes the simpli-
1353
fied version is sufficient, but naturally the effect of the full
version is more
complete.
One ofthe primaryusesof thisritual istoward offpsychic
attack -- that is, when another is (consciously or unconsciously)
attempting to harm you, cause sickness, accidents, bad dreams, emo-
tional upset, or to force you to do something against your will.
Fortunately this doesn't happen very often. The world of the magician
is fairly safe for the pure of heart. Psychic attack usually depends
upon vulnerabilities. If you are not vulnerable you are safe. Thus
unificaition with the true will is the greatest protection possible.
And the use of the banishing ritual is never hurtful. You can even use
it to hold off negative aspects of
yourself.
Otherformsofprotection sometimeshelpful(depending upon
one's model) are recitation of the 'Lord's Prayer', the 23rd, and 91st
Psalms.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What is a pentagram?
2) What is psychic healing? List the basic methods.
3) What is the banishing ritual? Why is it used?
1354
BOOK LIST
Dion Fortune, Psychic Self-Defense.
________, Sane Occultism.
Adeliade Gardner, Vital Magnetic Healing.
Max Heindel, The Vital Body.
Ernest Holms, The Science of Mind.
Mouni Sadhu, Theurgy.
========
Phil Hansford, 4/88
Mysteria
(818) 353-8891 (modem)
P.O. Box 83
Tujunga, CA 91042
1355
Copyright (c) 1988 by Phil Hansford. This article is
is licenced for free non-commercial distribution only.
----------------------------------------------------------
** MAGICK 9 -- ASTRAL PROJECTION **
Astral projection (OOBE,out of thebody experience) isa
popular area of occult literature; for traveling to see other worlds
and places while the physical body sleeps or is entranced is an
exciting notion. Astral projection is not dangerous. It is as safe as
sleeping. Most dreams are probably unconscious astral projections,
anyway. Although there has
been quite a bit written on the subject, astral projection is dif-
ficult for many people. The main difficulty is the tendency to forget
dream consciousness upon awakening. Accordingly, the successful
practice of astral projection requires work.
Modernpsychologydiscounts theideaofactual OOBE(thatthe
spirit temporarily vacates the physical body). However, the idea is
very ancient. The Tibetans have an entire system of yoga (dream yoga)
based upon astral projection. And here we have an important assump-
tion: you are involved in an OOBE (at least to a degree) whenever you
dream. What sets it apart from a full OOBE is your hazy consciousness
1356
during the experience and poor recall afterwards. Many people forget
most of their dreams completely. Learning astral projection requires a
kind of inner mental clarity and alertness.
Dreamsare adoor to thesubconscious whichcan beused for
psychological and spiritual insight, and sometimes for precognition.
Dream content is influenced by external sounds and sensations. For
example, a loud external noise (such as a train) will likely appear in
your dream (if it doesn't wake you up!). Dreams are also influenced by
events of the previous day, by your moods, and by suggestion. Every-
one normally dreams 4 or 5 times a night (about every 2 hours). The
longest dreams occur in the morning. Everyone dreams. You are more
likely to remember the details of your dream when you first wake up.
By keeping a dream diary you will improve dream recall. Have writing
equipment or a tape recorder at your bedside for this purpose; also a
light which isn't too bright. Suggest to yourself several times before
you go to sleep, "I will awaken with the knowledge of a dream." Then
when you do awaken, move quietly (sometimes
just turning over drives the idea away). Remember first, then write
the dream down, and then add as many details as possible. The next day
check for objective facts and expand if you can (by remembering 'what
happened before that'). Once you start remembering your dreams in this
way, it will become easier to do so. (If you are unsuccessful at this,
and *really* want to remember your dreams, you could arrange for
1357
someone to sit by your bedside all night long with a dim light on.
Then when he sees your eyes moving back and forth -- rapid eye move-
ments, a sign you are dreaming -- he can wake you and ask for a dream
report.)
FORMS OF ASTRAL PROJECTION
Astralprojection maybesubdivided intothree basictypes:
mental projection, astral projection (proper) and etheric projection.
And your OOBE may shift between them. Mental projection is really
simple clairvoyance ('remote viewing'), and 'traveling in your mind'.
Imagination plays a key role. The experience of mental projection is
not particularly vivid, and you will more likely be an observer than a
participant. Nevertheless, mental projection is an important 'way in'
to astral projection proper.
Duringmentalprojectionandastralprojection youareableto
travel through solid objects, but are not able to act directly upon
them or to move them (if they are in the physical world). This is not
true during etheric projection. Whether it is simply subconscious
expectation, or whether it is a true etheric projection which in
theory means that part of your physical body has been relocated with
your projection (the etheric or vital part) may be difficult to
determine. Etheric projections generally travel at or very near the
1358
physical world. There are even cases reported (very, very rare ones)
in which the entire physical body is transferred to another location
(teleportation), or cases in which the physical body exists and acts
in two separate places at once (bilocation)!
But ourprimary interestis astral projectionproper, and
mental projection to a lesser extent. Astral and mental projection are
not confined to the physical world. Travel in the mental and astral
realms is feasible, and often preferred. Nor are astral and mental
projection restricted to the realm of the earth (you could even go to
the moon and planets).
1359
STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
The electricalactivity ofthe brainhas beenobserved and
classified with EEG (electroencephalograph) equipment; signals picked
up from the scalp by electrodes, then filtered and amplified, drive a
graph recorder. Brain activity has been found to produce specific
ranges for
certain basic states of consciousness, as indicated in 'hz' (hertz, or
cycles/vibrations per second):
delta -- 0.2 to 3.5 hz (deep sleep, trance state),
theta -- 3.5 to 7.5 hz (day dreaming, memory),
alpha-- 7.5to 13 hz(tranquility, heightenedawareness,
meditation),
beta -- 13 to 28 hz (tension, 'normal' consciousness).
As you can see, some form of physical relaxation is implied in the
alpha, theta, and delta consciousness. These states are in fact
reached through deep breathing, hypnosis, and other relaxation tech-
niques. OOBE occurs during these states, and delta is probably the
most important for it.
The problem is really, as we have said, one of maintaining mental
awareness and alertness while experienceing these altered states.
Experimental subjects hooked to an EEG do not show a discrete change
from drowsy to sleep; it is very gradual.
1360
Atthe thresholdbetweensleep andwakingconsciousness isa
drowsy condition known as the hypnogogic state. OOBE seems to occur
during this state, or a variant of it. By careful control of the
hypnogogic state (not going beyond it) it is possible to enter OOBE
directly.
BASIC TECHNIQUES
Mostmethodsofastralprojectionaremethodsofconditioning.
Some form of trance or altered consciousness is always involved. No
one ever projects consciously while fully awake (some may think that
they do). Although there are many techniques used to produce an astral
projection,
they boil down to ten of them. They all sort of overlap.
1361
1) Diet-- Certain dietarypractices mayaid in OOBE,esp-
ecially at first. These include fasting, vegitarianism, and in general
the eating of 'light' foods as discussed in a a previous lesson.
Carrots and raw eggs are thought to be especially beneficial, but all
nuts are to be avoided. Over-eating should be avoided. And no food
should be eaten just before an OOBE attempt. If you intend to practice
during sleep, for example, allow 2 to 4 hours of no food or drink
(except water) before bedtime. In general, we see here the same kind
of dietary restrictions advocated for kundalini yoga.
2) Progressivemuscularrelaxation--This isoneofthebasic
methods used in hypnosis and self-hypnosis. Physical relaxation can
assist one in attaining the requisite trance state. These techniques
involve beginning at the toes and tensing, then relaxing the muscles,
progressively up the entire body.
3)Yogaand breath-- Yoga,mantra, andbreathing exercises
similarly aim at physical relaxation. The practice of kundalini yoga
is particularly relevant, since it is concerned with altered con-
sciousness. In fact the arousal of kundalini requires a similar state
of consciousness to
OOBE.
1362
4)Visualization --This involvesa typeof extendedclair-
voyance or picturing of remote surroundings. If you can experience the
feeling of being there, so much the better. Although this technique
is essentially mental projection, it is possible to deepen mental
projection into astral
projection through (you guessed it!) visualization. Crowley taught a
similar technique: a) visualize a closed door on a blank wall, b)
imagine a meditation symbol on the door, c) visualize the door opening
and yourself
entering through it. And J.H. Brennan describes similar techniques
wherein the door is shaped and colored like a tattva, or alternately,
a chosen tarrot card is visualized and the student visualizes entering
into it.
5) Guided imagery -- Inmany respects similar tovisual-
ization. Except in this case, there is a guide (or perhaps a voice on
tape) directing you by means of descriptions. As with visualization,
mental rather than astral projection is most likely.
1363
6)Body ofLight --The oldGolden Dawntechnique. Imaginea
duplicate (mirror image) of yourself in front of you. Then transfer
your consciousness and sensation to the duplicate ('body of light').
7) Strongwilling -- Sort oflike creative visualization
experienced in the present. That is you express your strong desire to
project through your willpower while you visualize yourself doing it.
8) The Monroetechniques -- These are a series of steps
developed by Robert Monroe: a) relax the body, b) enter the hypnogogic
state, c) deepen the state, d) develope the senstation of 'vibration',
e) separate from the body. The Monroe Institute has developed some
cassete tapes which are claimed to help in this.
9) Dreamcontrol --This isone ofthe mostimportant tech-
niques. It involves becoming aware that you are dreaming. There are
several ways to do this. Oliver Fox says to look for descrepancies in
the dream to realize you are dreaming. One occult student I know of
visualized a white horse which he could ride wherever he wished to go.
After a time, when the horse appeared in his dreams it was his cue
that he was actually dreaming/projecting. Don Juan tells Castaneda to
look at his hands while he is dreaming. And even the tarot and Cabala
may be used as dream signals.
1364
Another method is to tell yourself each night as you go to sleep, "I
can fly"; then when you do, you will know you are dreaming. Once you
know you are dreaming you can control your dream/OOBE and go anywhere
you want. Repetitive activities will also likely influence your
dreams. For example, if you are on an automobile trip and spend most
of the day driving, you will probably dream about driving. You can
condition yourself to be aware you are dreaming by doing a repetitive
activity many times (walking across
the room or a particular magick ritual, for example). Then when you
dream about it, you will know you are dreaming.
10)Dream expansion--Avariation ondream control.A dream
may be *extended* by imagining it continuing from where it was when
you awaken. Then it is just a simple step to 'astral project' by
directing you 'dream'.
Althoughallthesetechniques
mayappearstraightforward,they
all require effort. Astral projection is generally learned.
The astral worldis the "ghostland"into which onepasses
after death. It is sometimes possible to visit with the dead, or you
might be called upon to reassure and assist those who have just passed
over (died) or those who are consciously projecting for the first
time. Many spirits,
1365
elementals and ghosts exist in the astral world. The magician should
feel comfortable there. Tibetan belief is that through proficiency in
OOBE, you no longer need reincarnate after death. The astral world is
extremely
changeable and subject to your thoughts. Your will can control your
movements in the astral world, and if you seem to be going somewhere
non-volitionally ('astral current') it is probably your true will
causing it anyway. You might also experience heightened magical
ability while in the astral realm.
[This is a popular subject, and there may be other files online about
it. Check the MIND file area for OOBE.ARC. This file includes the
following articles --
MIAS.DOC.
MONROE.DOC.
OBEBOOK.AST
OOBE.THR.
TN.TXT.]
1366
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What is the relationship between astral projection and
dreams.
2) What is mental projection?
3) List the ten basic methods of astral projection.
BOOK LIST
H.P. Battersby, Man Outside Himself.
Susan J. Blackmore, Beyond the Body.
J.H. Brennan, Astral Doorways.
Robert Crookall, The Techniques of Astral Projection.
Denning and Phillips, The Llewellyn Practical Guide to Astral
Projection.
Oliver Fox, Astral Projection.
Gavin & Yvonne Frost, Astral Travel.
Celia Green, Out-of-the-body Experiences.
Richard A. Greene, The Handbook of Astral Projection.
Herbert Greenhouse, The Astral Journey.
Jack London, Star Rover (historical occult novel).
Janet Mitchell, Out of Body Experiences.
Robert Monroe, Journeys Out of the Body.
Robert E. Moser, Mental and Astral Projection.
1367
Muldoon and Carrington, The Projection of the Astral Body.
Ophiel, The Art and Practice of Astral Projection.
A.E. Powell, The Astral Body.
D. Scott Rogo, Leaving the Body.
J.M. Shay, Out of the Body Consciousness.
Susy Smith, The Enigma of Out-of-the-body Travel.
Brad Steiger, The Mind Travelers.
Yram, Practical Astral Projection.
========
Phil Hansford, 4/88
Mysteria
(818) 353-8891 (modem)
1368
Copyright (c) 1988 by Phil Hansford. This article is
is licenced for free non-commercial distribution only.
-----------------------------------------------------------
** MAGICK 10 -- CABALA **
Western magick isbased uponthe Cabala,a Jewishmystical
traditon first written down in 12th and 13th century southern France
and Spain. It was oral before that; and it contains the "lost"
knowledge of the ancients, possibly going back to Egypt and before.
The most important Cabalistic
books are SEPHIR YETZIRAH (The Book of Creation), and the ZOHAR (Book
of Splendor). Through Cabalistic philosophy we are able to classify
and "pigeon-hole" all of existence.
The fourworlds are recognizedin theCabala, but theyare
given Hebrew names. Thus -- Assiah, physical; Yetzirah, astral;
Briah, mental; and Atziluth, spiritual; as shown in the chart.
WORLD NAME MEANING ATTRIBUTE
===== ==== ======= =========
spiritual Atziluth Archetypal World pure deity
mental Briah Creative World archangels
1369
astral Yetzirah Formative World angels
physical Assiah Material World action
The divine name of God is TETRAGRAMMATON (or name of four letters)
made from the Hebrew letters YOD HE VAU HE (English YHVH). Of the four
letters, YOD corresponds with Atziluth and the element of fire; the
first HE corresponds with Briah and water. These first two letters
make up a yang-yin pair (respectively). The other two letters also
form a yang-yin
pair (respectively), with the VAU corresponding with Yetzirah and air;
while the second HE corresponds with Assiah and the element of earth.
TheCabalistic partsofthe souluse newnames forthe three
highest vehicles of consciousness. NESHAMAH (Divine Soul) is the
Spiritual body; RUAH (Moral Soul) is the Mental body; and NEFESH
(Animal Soul) is the Astral body.
1370
An importantattributeoftheCabala istheSEFIROTICTREE(or
"Tree of Life", Otz Chieem). The Sefirotic Tree is a diagram of the
universe made up of the ten SEFIROTH (primal numbers or orders of
creation) drawn as circles upon the Tree in a decending pattern from
the highest aspect of God at the top to the most physical aspect of
our world at the bottom. As can be seen in the accompanying diagram,
the sefiroth are connected together with numbered lines, called paths.
/ (1)\
/ | \
/ | \
(3) /----------|---------\ (2)
| | |
1371
| | |
| | |
(5)\-----------|---------/ (4)
| \ | / |
| \ | / |
| \ (6)/ |
| / | \ |
| / | \ |
| / | \ |
(8)/-----------|--------\ (7)
\ | /
\ | /
\ | /
\(9)/
|
|
(10)
This is my attempt to draw a Sefirotic Tree using ASCII characters.
Several paths are omitted (15, 17, 29, 31). Please refer to a printed
diagram (in most any book on Cabala) for a better illustration.
----------------------------------------------------------
1372
Above theTree is theinfinite void-- the unknowable,un-
manifest God as Divine Light -- the three veils of negative existence:
Ain, Ain Sof, and Ain Sof Aur. The Divine Light (Ain Sof Aur) is made
manifest by the first sefira where it is transformed into positive
existence. Emanations of energy (magical current) flow from the first
sefira (Source) along the paths into other sefiroth which transform
and emanate to lower and lower sefiroth. In Adam Kadman (primal or
ideal man) the sefiroth fit upon the
physical body; note the similarity to the chakras. The process of
creation is one of emanation from the spiritual at the top of the Tree
to the physical world (Sink) at the bottom. All current which is
Sourced into the Tree must also be Sinked (earthed). That is, magical
energy set in motion
by ritual shoud be used up in the physical world whether or not the
ritual was a success.
Sefiroth1, 2,and 3on theTree form theSupernal Triangle
which is beyond normal human experience in the world of Atziluth. The
first sefira, KETHER, is the supreme *crown* of God; it signifies pure
Being, and is the Source. Kether is androgynous. Immediately arising
from Kether are
two further emanations. The second sefira is HOKMAH, the *wisdom* of
God and the masculine force of the universe. Third is BINAH, the
*understanding* or intelligence of God; this is the supernal mother.
1373
Between theSupernals and theother seven sefirothis the
Abyss -- a great gulf which forever separates ideal from actual.
Within the Abyss an 11th sefira, DAATH, the *knowledge* of God is
sometimes placed.
The second triangle, comprised of the 4th,5th, and 6th
sefiroth in the world of Briah, is sometimes called the Mental Tri-
angle. Sefira 4, HESED, the *love* or mercy of God, is male and
positive. The 5th sefira, GEVURAH, the power or *strength* of God
complements Hesed as justice. Sixth is TIFARETH, as the compassion or
*beauty* of God; the heart of the universe.
1374
Thethird orAstralTriangle containssefiroth7, 8,and 9in
Yetzirah. Sefira 7, NETSAH, is the lasting endurance or *victory* of
God. Complementing Netsah is 8, HOD, the majesty or *splendor* of God.
The 9th sefira, YESOD, the *foundation* of the world, is linked with
the moon, hence the tides and the libido. Yesod is experienced as
dream consciousness, and is very important in magick and astral
projection.
Finally,at thephysicalworld ofAssiah isthe10th sefira,
MALKUTH, the *kindgom* of God, and the basis of all material creation.
We experience Malkuth as sense consciousness.
TheSefirotic Treehasthree verticalcolumns or*pillars*.
As you face the tree, the pillar on the right, headed by Hokmah and
ending with Netsah, is called the Pillar of Mercy and has light/mascu-
line (yang) qualities. The pillar on the left, headed by Binah and
ending with Hod, is the Pillar of Severity with dark/feminine (yin)
qualities. The Middle Pillar between them equilibriates the two
opposites, and is the *Shekhinah*, or feminine counterpart of God.
The *klippoth*, or evil demons, generally in Assiah, represent un-
balanced forces or excesses.
1375
Allthe attributesoftheuniverse fitlikepiecesof apuzzle
upon the Sefirotic Tree. Each numbered part is a numeric key to the
various correspondence tables, such as Crowley's '777'. The sefirotic
tree has its parts variously colored and each sefira has a color; in
fact the paths which run between the sefiroth have their own colors
too. There are four major color scales for the sefirotic tree and
each color scale corresponds with one of the four worlds. That means
we are dealing with not just one sefirotic tree, but actually with a
separate tree for each of the four worlds; although it is easier to
think of it as the same tree with a different color scale. The Queen
(Briah) and King (Atziluth) scales are
the most important. There is also the Empress scale (Assiah), and the
Emperor scale (Yetzirah).
1376
TheQueen andKing scalesfor thesefiroth areshown below.
(Note that when 4 colors are listed toghether, the sefira is divided
into quarters and the first color is assigned to the upper quarter,
the 2nd color to the right quarter, the 3rd color to the left quarter,
and the last color to the lower quarter.)
KEY QUEEN SCALE KING SCALE
=== =========== ==========
1 pure white brilliance brilliance
2 gray pure soft blue
3 black crimson
4 blue deep violet
5 scarlet red orange
6 yellow (gold) clear pink rose
7 emerald green amber
8 orange violet purple
9 violet indigo
10 citrine, olive, russet, yellow
and black
The 22 paths connectthe sefiroth together. These paths
correspond with the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, as based upon
the SEFIR YETZIRAH. Due to the nature of the Hebrew alphabet (some
1377
letters can take two forms) SEFIR YETZIRAH divides each of two of the
letters into two (dual) parts. For this reason, it is necessary to
divide each of the two related paths into two (dual) parts. These are
numbered 31, 31b (bisected); 32, 32b. Yet when these paths are drawn
on the sefirotic tree they are usually shown undivided (and numbered
simply 31, and 32). The following
table shows the colors and location of the paths in relation to the
sefiroth. You will want to add the path numbers to the illustration of
the sefirotic tree, or draw a new tree. Some writers may refer to "32
paths", by calling the sefiroth "paths" 1-10.
1378
KEY JOINS SEFIROTH QUEEN SCALE KING SCALE
=== ============== =========== ==========
11 1 - 2 sky blue brt. pale yellow
12 1 - 3 purple yellow
13 1 - 6 silver blue
14 2 - 3 sky blue emerald green
15 2 - 6 red scarlet
16 2 - 4 deep indigo red orange
17 3 - 6 pale mauve orange
18 3 - 5 maroon amber
19 4 - 5 deep purple greenish yellow
20 4 - 6 slate gray yellowish green
21 4 - 7 blue violet
22 5 - 6 blue emerald green
23 5 - 8 sea green deep blue
24 6 - 7 dull brown green blue
25 6 - 9 yellow blue
26 6 - 8 black indigo
27 7 - 8 red scarlet
28 7 - 9 sky blue violet
29 7 - 10 buff, flecked crimson (ultra-
silver-white violet)
30 8 - 9 gold yellow orange
31 8 - 10 vermilion glowing orange-
1379
scarlet
32 9 - 10 black indigo
31b deep purple, white merging
nearly black into gray
32b amber citrine, olive,
russet, black
Thequeenand kingscalesarecomplementary. Alsocomplemen-
tary are the paths and the sefiroth. Traditional use of the queen
scale sefiroth will find the king scale as paths and vice versa. The
use of complementary scales is based upon the idea of balance. A tree
composed of sefiroth in the queen scale and paths in the king scale is
all you need for most magick. Although correspondences are what work
for you, there is said to be an ancient tradition surrounding the
conventional color scales and it may be helpful to lock into the
energy associated with them.
1380
From themagical pointof view,the Treeof Lifeis a mapof
consciousness which is useful for understanding and attaining various
states of consciousness. In cabalistic magick we are concerned with
the linking of higher energy to lower levels on the tree. That very
thing takes place naturally as well, in nature and in life. A subject
in itself is cabalistic meditation (pathwork, or the way of return),
in which we attempt to climb up the tree (ladder of lights) to attain
union with divinity.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What is the sefirotic tree?
2) How is the queen scale used in magick?
3) What is a path? How many are there?
1381
BOOK LIST
J. Abelson, Jewish Mysticism
Edward Albertson, Understanding the Kabbalah
Bernard J. Babmerger, Fallen Angels
Richard Cavendish, The Black Arts
______, editorial comments to "Cabala", Man Myth and Magic
Aleister Crowley, The Book of Thoth
______, 777 Revised
Denning and Phillips, The Magical Philosophy
______, Magical States of Consciousness (on pathworking)
A.D. Duncan, The Christ, Psychotherapy and Magic
Dion Fortune, The Mystical Qabalah
Adolphe Frank, The Kabbalah: The Religious Philosophy
of the Hebrews
Perle Epstein, Kabbalah, the Way of the Jewish Mystic
William Gray, The Talking Tree
Stephan A. Hoeller, The Royal Road
Isidor Kalish, Sepher Yezirah: A Book on Creation
Alta J. LaDage, Occult Psychology
Bernhard Pick, The Cabala: Its Influence on Judaism and
Christianity
Charles Ponce, Kabbalah: An Introduction and Illumination
for the World Today
Henry B. Pullen-Burry, Qabalism
1382
Israel Regardie, A Garden of Pomegranets
______, The Golden Dawn
______, The Middle Pillar
Leo Schaya, The Universal Meaning of the Kabbalah
Gershom Scholem, Kabbalah
______, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism
______, On the Kabbalah and Its Symbolism
______, Zohar: The Book of Splendor
Arthur Edward Waite, The Holy Kabbalah
R.J. Zwi Werblowsky, "Cabala", Man, Myth and Magic
William Wynn Wescott, An Introduction to the Study of
the Kabalah
______, Sepher Yetzirah
========
Phil Hansford, 4/88
MYSTERIA
(818) 353-8891 (modem)
P.O. Box 83
Tujunga, CA 91042
1383
Copyright (c) 1988 by Phil Hansford. This article is
is licenced for free non-commercial distribution only.
----------------------------------------------------------
** MAGICK 11 -- PSYCHIC ENERGY **
We have seen in the theories of magick, that there isa
definite relationship between the 'inner' and 'outer' worlds. We saw
this in the theory of the microcosm and the macrocosm; in the four
worlds; in the theory of correspondences; and also in the Cabala and
Tree of Life. This relationship between inner and outer is very
important. And it means quite simply that success (or lack of it) in
one world (inner or outer) influences success (or lack of it) in the
other. Therefore developing of magical ability is more than meditation
and magical practice, for it
implies mastery of the four worlds. The developed magician is not only
master of the inner worlds; he is also master of himself.
Thisis notto implythat successfulmagicians areall mil-
lionaires (or whatever standard people measure success by), but it
should mean that they are basically pleasant people, at least; no
serious hangups. The developed magician is described as a 'king' in
the Book of the Law. This means simply that he has full control over
1384
all aspects of his physical and inner life. He should be who he wants
to be, doing what he wants to do.
PLANETARY CORRESPONDENCES
The*numbers* in thetables and diagramof the preceeding
lesson on Cabala are the 'key' numbers which we find in various
*correspondence tables* (such as Crowley's '777'). One important set
of correspondences for the planets, is shown below...
KEY PLANET METAL ATTRIBUTE
=== ====== ===== =========
3 Saturn lead home
4 Jupiter tin luck, wealth
5 Mars iron anger, war-like
6 Sun gold vitality
7 Venus copper love
8 Mercury mercury knowledge
9 Moon silver emotions, travel
1385
Notice that we have included the metal which is associated with the
planet, as well as common attributes of each planet. The theory of
Cabalistic magick is to select the appropriate planet for the desired
result. The attribute column will assist in that selection. Once a
particular planet is determined, an entity is selected from the
correspondence tables by matching the key number. A set of correspon-
dence tables may be available on this board as a separate file (777.A-
RC). Additionally, a list of selected deities from several popular
pantheons and with a brief description about them may be available on
this board as GODS.LST.
AlthoughHebrewMysticismistheoriginalsourceofCabalistic
ideas, it is mostly unconcerned with the magical implications of those
ideas. How can a religious philosophy which is monotheistic lend
credibility to a polytheistic approach? Various deities are understood
as *aspects* or *qualities* of the Supreme God. This is not a con-
tradiction, merely a restatement of the microcosm-macrocosm idea once
again. The Sefirotic Tree, in its representation of the universe is
the Macrocosm. While it could be said that any single sefiroth has its
own separate qualities, it remains, nonetheless, a part of the whole
tree, and
a part of the macrocosm. As a result, virtually any pantheon or belief
system is compatible with the Cabala.
1386
WILLPOWER AND MAGICK
Western magick has traditionallyplaced a great deal of
emphasis upon the use of willpower as a means of development and
self-mastery. But this may not be the best method in the long run.
Isaac Bonewitz describes how the subconscious will sometimes rebel
against willpower with 'spectacular results'. It is far better to run
one's life democratically.
HawaiianKahunamagick describesthe'threeselves', ie.the
lower self (or subconscious), the middle self (or normal conscious-
ness), and the high self (spirit or Holy Guardian Angel). Enlighten-
ment in the Hawaiian system consists of unification of the three
selves. They become 'buddies'. Enlightenment does not come from great
change. It comes from great acceptance. Continual effort at becoming
better takes you nowhere. For becoming it is not being it. The
unification is achieved by first developing communication with the
subconscious and later with the high self also. Simple exercises with
a pendulum, automatic writing, raised finger responses, self hypnosis,
recording and analysis of dreams etc. facilitate communication with
the subconscious. At first communication with the high self must be
via the subconscious, but later it is possible to go direct to it.
1387
PSYCHIC ENERGY
Manyoccult groupsfollowan energymodel formagickand the
physical body. This model (or theory) equates psychic energy with
kundalini/prana/sexual or life force energy. The ideal of kundalini
yoga is thus to raise the kundalini to the higher chakras (especially
ajna and
sahasrara) thereby enhancing psychic/magick powers. The release of
psychic energy is also relevant to mental control, good health and
longevity, and the attainment of 'cosmic consciousness'. Meditation
and yoga is used to
liberate psychic energy so that it can be used for magical purposes.
But there are other ways to liberate psychic energy. Many of these
techniques will act as a mental catharsis in the sense of invigorating
the psyche and
resulting in improved intellectual and physical performance.
1) Psychotherapyof certain types whichreleases pent up
psychological energy.
2)Overcoming mindgames,hangups, andinhibitions. Thisis
the basis of all listed practices, as hangups waste psychic energy.
Certain psychotropic drugs may have this affect. Also the 'kicks' from
'risks' like skydiving.
1388
3) Vigorousdance and physicalexercise --to the pointof
'second wind'.
4) 'Desirelessness' and various religious practices.
5) The way of return, and various other mystical practices.
6)Atavistic resurgence.Thislast itemdeserves someextra
mention. It was one of Austin Spare's methods. It means to contact
the primitive emotions deep within the psyche. In a sense it is
regressive. However, there is power there, if you are able to control
it.
1389
Wehave seenhowmagical theoryis baseduponthe assumption
that psychic phenomena is real. If this is so, then magick is also
real. And we have also seen how magick is the art and science of
causing change in accordance with the will by non-physical means.
Magical philosophy is the
working system of terms, theories, and symbols upon which magick is
based. But magick goes further than that, for as an ancient system of
psychology, magick may be used as is a means of self improvement and
spiritual growth. For magick and mysticism are parallel paths, each
ultimately leading to transcendence.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What do we mean by the relationship between the inner
and outer worlds?
2) What is wrong with willpower?
3) Explain the energy model of magick.
1390
BOOK LIST
P.E.I. Bonewitz, Hawaiian Magic (tape).
Pete Carrol, Liber Null.
------, Psychonaut.
John Heriot, Teaching Yourself White Magic.
Allan P. Lewis, Clearing Your Lifepath.
Max Freedom Long, The Secret Science Behind Miracles.
------, The Secret Science At Work.
Stephen Mace, Stealing the Fire from Heaven.
Julian Wilde, Grimoire of Chaos Magick.
========
Phil Hansford, 4/88
Mysteria
(818) 353-8891 (modem)
P.O. Box 83
Tujunga, CA 91042
1391
{file "Chaos-sphere" "bos281.htm"}
Practical Applications of the Chaossphere
by Fra.: Neonfaust
The Chaossphere is the prime working tool of Chaos magicians and the
Magical Pact of the Illuminates of Thanateros (IOT). The physical
Chaossphere has a vast range of applications of which a few shall be
briefly delineated here:
Meditation employing the Chaossphere:
1, The Chaossphere is a symbol of the primeval Big Bang, it maybe
considered as a "frozen explosion" or even as "frozen information".
Regard the Chaossphere in a relaxed state, using the 180* stare if
you prefer. After a while shut your eyes and meditate on the
creative powers of Chaos. Chaos is not disorder let alone entropy
but rather the sum total of all possibillities incumbent in
existence and the unmanifest as a whole. In this manner you will
open the doors to the magickal multiversum for yourself.
2, Proceed as described above simultaneously meditating on
Nietzsches Zarathustra admonition:
"I say unto you: a man must have chaos yet within him to be able to
give birth to a dancing star. I say unto you: ye have chaos yet
within you."
You can have this statement read aloud to you by a partner or friend
during your meditation (or use a cassette recording). Experience
shows that this will greatly enhance the effect described above
under item number 1.
1392
Sigil charging employing the Chaossphere:
In lieu of other charging techniques you can project the magickal
sigil activation into the Chaossphere; banishing (preferably by
laughter) should follow immediately. Afterwards aim to forget the
whole magickal operation as thoroughly as possible to avoid
interference with the sigil`s operation by the unwanted rise of
consciousness of said operation/sigil and resultant inhibiting
psychic censor activity.
Drawing energy employing the Chaossphere:
To be performed preferably after a meditation with the Chaos-
sphere (see above); regard the Chaossphere in a very intensive manner
for a while and stretch your palms in its direction. Now close your
eyes fully or halfway and suck in the powers of Chaos through your
palms while inhaling; exhaling, distribute the energies all over your
body or store them in the Hara centre (appr. three fingers` width
below the navel). You will probably experience these energies as a
warm or cool current, possibly as a slightly tingling sensation.
Telepathy employing the Chaossphere:
During a partner experiment participants concentrate on the
Chaossphere (can also be performed with different participants
working on different locations); observe in a very relaxed state
messages, information and/or images rising from the unconscious.
Advanced magicians will find that this experiment can be performed
successfully via great distances even without participants
practising simultaneously. For Chaos (= pure information) is not
restricted by space and time.
1393
Astral projection and lucid dreaming employing the Chaossphere:
1, Using the 180* stare regard the Chaossphere until you ex-
perience a strong suction emerging from the sphere and pulling at your
"psychic entrails". This can frequently even be felt as a strong
physical sensation. Give way to this suction and let your astral
body emerge gradually. In the beginning this should be practised
partially, ie. the astral body portion extracted increasing with
every subsequent attempt. Thus, you may for example only project
half an arm the first time, the full at the next go etc. Finally the
astral body should emerge totally. Be aware that astral projection
may demand weeks` or months` dedicated practice to succeed, depending
on personal talent and inhibitions. Incidentally, the same technique
may be used to extract the magickal doppelganger, personal daemons
etc.
2, Immediately before dropping off to sleep visualize the
Chaossphere as accurately as possible and continue as described
above. This will induce either stronger astral projection or lucid
dreaming or both. This has proved to be an extremely powerful
exercise, but it is strongly suggested that you attempt it only
after having acquired a thorough working knowledge with the variaant
described above under item 1. (If you start off with mental working
chances are that you will very soon become severely sloppy without
even being aware of the fact; this may in turn inhibit control of
magickal powers and could lead to obsession.) You may also want to
wake yourself up at 4 a.m. and give this exercise a try for a few
minutes before dropping off to sleep again. Take care to note your
dreams next thing in the morning, do not - repeat: DO NOT! - rely on
your memory alone.
1394
Activating psychogones/chaoservitors employing the Chaossphere:
Use the Chaossphere as a "base camp" and "home" for psychogones/-
chaoservitors and/or as a form of "launching pad". In case of the
former the Chaossphere presents itself as a high class power recep-
tacle and storage battery from which you can extract your psycho-
gones/chaoservitors into the Chaossphere as you would with sigils to
be activated; thus, the Chaossphere will become a gate to the Sphere
of Chaos for your magickal entities in which (and from which) they
will become active in accord with your bidding.
Charging magical objects employing Chaossphere:
Magical objects such as talismans, amulets, fetishes etc. can be
charged with the aid of the Chaossphere by fastening them to the
sphere or its tip during a ritual, placing them under it etc. while
directing the energies of Chaos into the objects in question.
Combat magic training employing the Chaossphere:
During combat magical training the Chaossphere is particularly
suited as a power storage battery out of which the magician draws
Magis or Mana. It is furthermore used as a combat target while
practising the kiai or other battle cries and martial arts Chi
techniques. In the same manner, magickal energy bolts, curses, words
of powers and strong affections are hurled emphatically into the
Chaossphere where they may be stored for further use.
1395
Charging the Chaossphere:
Experience has shown that the Chaossphere does not demand a
special
charging by ritual etc. Rather, the charging takes place alone by
its practical application. Should you desire to incorporate magickal
"condensator" fluids or solids (eg. as used for charging magickal
mirrors) this can easily be achieved by unscrewing the tips and
replacing them after filling in the condensator.
1396
{file "I.O.T. History (The Beginnings)" "bos282.htm"}
THE PACT (IOT) - The Story So Far
by Pete Carroll
In 1976 in an abandoned ammunition dump dug deep into a mountain
somewhere in the Rhineland, two magicians, one English, one German
announced the formation of a magical order with the celebration of a
Mass of Chaos in the company of a couple of dozen other magicians.
Soon after we emerged from the bowels of the mountain a localized
tornado hit immediate area. This was but a small portent of things
to come.
We left the mountain with no particular idea other than to form an
Order such as had never existed before, that would break the
existing mold and provide a vehicle for Chaos Magic. A year later
some of us met in a splendid Austrian castle and formally arranged
ourselves into the Magical Pact of the Illuminates of Thanateros,
using as a basis a simple structure of four grades and five offices
that I had devised in the meantime. Since then the Pact has evoked a
veritable whirlwind of activity, and at the time of writing counts
some sixteen temples in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland,
Australia and the USA. A meeting for all members is now held
annually, usually at the same original castle (Burg Lockenhaus,
Austria, 2.-6.August 1991 followed by an Exercitium open for all).
It is always a wild experimental gathering during which plenty of
hard work is being done. In devising a structure I sought mainly to
avoid the mistakes of previous established orders such as the Golden
Dawn and the Ordo Templi Orientis. A certain division of labour is
essential just to ensure that people take responsibility for
organizing that which needs organizing. Beyond that it seems an
absurdity to form an order on the basis of one or a few persons
1397
adopting the role of great guru almighty. Their bluff must
eventually be called, and such organisations are unlikely to advance
beyond whatever set of ideas they start with. Crowley had to break
with the Golden Dawn to make his own contribution to magic, and
Austin Spare had to break with Crowley in his turn. Such progress
through schism is an idiotic waste of time and effort. Any
contemporary order which wishes to remain alive, exciting and
innovative requires a structure or at least a communication network
to exist at all, but dogmatic ideas, rigid hierarchies and fixed
teachings and beliefs will kill its creative spirit rapidly.
Thus in the Pact, the individual temples, which are its basic unit,
experiment with whatever techniques, rituals and ideas they please,
and exchange results and inspirations through newsletters,
magazines, a computerized electronic mailbox system, inter-temple
visits and the annual Pact meeting. There is thus a natural
selection of ideas. Techniques, Spells and Rituals which are found
to be really useful become used and expanded upon whilst the less
effective material is forgotten. Those members who enter the Pact
bubbling over with ideas are encouraged to put them into use
immediately. Naturally in an organisation such as this there is less
emphasis on discipline than on enthusiasm and creativity. The Pact is
more interested in those who can experience magic as a living thing,
than in those who can merely follow instructions. Indeed the only
power the Pact reserves over its members is the right of expulsion
for extreme non-fraternal behaviour or for bringing the Pact into
danger. The Pact has but two aims. Firstly the pursuit of the Great
Work of Magic and pleasures and profits attendant to this Quest.
Secondly to act as a Psychohistoric Force in the Battle for the
Aeon. To fulfill the first aim we provide communication facilities
that enable us to work together and develop our own magics through
1398
the exchange of ideas and information. Esoterics should also be fun.
If you don`t enjoy doing magic you are probably doing something
wrong. The profits are entirely whatever rewards individuals can
make from their own magic. There are no membership fees and the
annual Pact meeting is free and funded by seminars and exercitiums
that some members hold for the general public plus any members who
wish to attend. The somewhat grandiosely phrased Psychohistoric
action in the Battle for the Aeon, consists mainly in spreading the
philosophy of magical paradigm where we can, in print and by word of
mouth, although we occasionally perform acts of magic to hasten
things along.
The magical techniques and philosophy of the Pact are mainly Chaoist
in inspiration. Chaos Magic calls for a concentration of the actual
mechanics at work when planning acts of evocation, divination,
enchantment, invocation and illumination. It is techniques and
intention that are important in successful magic. The most Important
Techniques are those which adjust subconscious belief. Subconscious
belief controls both the self or selves and the world. So long as
this is never forgotten one can structure a ritual or spell with
just about any form of symbolism from Tibetan Tantra to Icelandic
Runelore. And indeed, where else but in the Pact could you find
magicians experimenting with Runic Sex Magic? Well perhaps you will
find other examples. I notice the eclectic approach becoming ever
more pervasive in esoterics. Insights and ideas are now poached
shamelessly from one so-called tradition to another, but this is how
it should be, and Chaos Magic boldly encourages the meta-tradition
which takes anything and everything that is effective from all
traditions to create an explosive mixture.
1399
So, on with the pursuit of the Great Work of Magic, with whatever
forms of Techno-Shamanism, Tantric Goetia or Greco-Egyptian Quantum
Physics we can make work for us. There are worlds within us, and the
universe is infinitely more weird, I`m sure, than all our theories
put together. Hopefully, some of the explosives the Pact cooks up
can propel us a little further into these strange domains. I have no
idea how this years Pact meeting will unfold, except that there will
be magicians from many lands seated in a huge circle ready to offer
their specialities in everything from Buddhist sorcery through Norse
wyrdcraft and Chaos mathematical investment schemes to Voodoo and
Ice Magics. We have the technology and we`re crazy enough to use it!
The Pact may be contacted in the US care of:
Temple Oblivion, P.O.Box 18514, Encino CA 91416-8514
1400
1402
Blackout and Sigils
Fra.: Apfelmann
The blackout or as it is commonly referred to, the death posture, is
the technique that the late Austin Osman Spare refined for his own magical
use and which has been adopted by chaoists, solo and group, world wide as
its popularity has been increased by the works of the IOT over the last
decade or so.
The normal procedure, as many will undoubtedly be familiar with, (and
this is only one of its uses) is that a sigil/glyph of desire is held in
the mind`s eye whilst in what we all refer to as the death posture e.g.,
stood on tiptoe, arms locked behind the head, body stretched to its limit,
deep spasmodic breathing, until total exhaustion and inevitably one blacks
out, the sigil is then lost to the mind of the inner and the banished of
laughter is evoked to prevent the resurfacing of the said sigil.
Anyone who has used this technique for the above said purpose, will
have at sometime or another experienced, even if just slightly, difficulty
in holding the posture long enough for the desired gnosis to take effect
sufficiently for blackout. And due to this difficulty, a well planned
ritual can be a well planned waste of time as the desired result is not
implanted properly.
A technique that has been repeatedly employed by myself on such
occasions is based upon the same principles as the death posture but as I
have found, a little easier and without pitfalls that one can experience
with A.O. Spare`s technique.
This technique is a strange mixture of inhibitory and excitatory
gnosis, forced overbreathing, dancing or spinning, and of course exhaus-
tion. The end result is of necessity for this process the blackout, which
is as we know, of the inhibitory gnosis. I will now explain how this
technique is employed by one for the insertion of sigils for whatever
purpose one feels the need.
First one has to sigilise the desire in any form that one may wish,
but in all cases and especially this one, it must be very easy to visual-
ise. Once that has been achieved, one may then begin to design the ritual
for that particular purpose in mind. Banishings and invocations may be
employed, if so wished, this is, however, not a necessity for the suc-
cessful outcome of this process. At the culmination of the rite the
individual starts the overbreathing, panting deeply and spasmodically and
at the same time visualising the sigil as vividly as you possible can,
bright, intense and very clear as the overbreathing continues. Then when
you feel that the time is right, start your spinning round and round, still
overbreathing and still holding your visualised sigil in your mind`s eye.
Music can be played for a background to the dancing, tom toms or any other
drum is rather excellent background sound for this purpose. When the
individual has reached a state of sheer exhaustion, very dizzy, sweating
and ready to drop, he or she then, still spinning and overbreathing and of
course holding the visulised sigil in mind, works their way to the centre
of the circle or working area.
1403
There a partner, either active or passive to the rite, (in other
words, if a solo worker, try to get someone to help you with this part)
stops you spinning and grabs you in a bear hug lifting you off the ground
and squeezing you about the solar plexus, where a large network of nerves
lie. At this precise moment the music, if any has been employed, is
stopped, and death-like silence is kept. The practitioner holds his or her
breath whilst being squeezed and the sigil is visualised as if burning with
bright, white heat as its image is burnt into your mind. Within seconds the
blackout will occur and the sigil is lost to the mind. At this point it is
important that your partner lets you drop to the floor, unless that is you
wish to return to primal chaos!
On coming round, in most cases, you should evoke laughter to banish the
sigil and all thoughts thereof, your laughter breaks that silence and the
rite is finished in whatever manner wished.
With fractalic greetings and laughter * Fra.: Apfelmann *
1404
{file "Chaoism and Chaos Magick (Pete Carroll)" "bos283.htm"}
Chaoism & Chaos Magic, A Personal View
by Pete Carroll
As there are as many Chaos Magicians as there are Chaoists
practising magic, I cannot speak for the subject in general but only
for my own Chaoism and Chaos Magic.
However, if you want a one-line definition with which most Chaoists
would probably not disagree, then I offer the following. Chaoists
usually accept the meta-belief that belief is a tool for achieving
effects; it is not an end in itself.
It is easy to see how other people and cultures are the victims of
their own beliefs. The horrors of Islam and the ghasty state of
politics in sub-Saharan Africa, are obvious examples, but we rarely
pause to consider the extent to which we are the victims of our own
beliefs, and the ability we have to modify them if we wish.
It is perhaps worth considering the recent history of belief in
Western cultures before mounting an attack on the very foundations
of the contemporary world view. For about a millenia and a half the
existence of "God" was an incontrovertible fact of life in
Christendom. It was never questioned or thought to be questionable.
Hideous wars and persecutions were conducted to support one
interpretation of deity against another. Learned men wrote thousands
of books of theoology debating points which seem utterly tedious and
idiotic to us now, but the central question of the existence of
"God" was never considered. Yet now, the belief in "God" as the
author of most of what goes on in the world has been almost
competely abandoned, and belief in even the existence of an absentee
"God" is in most places fading. Satanism as an anti-religious
gesture is now a waste of iconoclastic talent. The alchemists,
1405
sorcerers and scientists of the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance
won a stupendous posthumous victory. Their questioning of the
medieval world view started a rot that brought the whole edifice
down eventually.
We can laugh looking back on it now, but I assert that we now live
under a collective obsession which is even more powerful and will
appear equally limiting and ridiculous to future historians.
Since the eighteenth century European enlightment, a belief has grown
to the point where it is now so all-pervasive, and so fundamental a
part of the Western world view, that one is generally considered mad
if one questions it. This is a belief that has proved so powerful
and useful that virtually everyone in the Western world accept it
without question. Even those who try to maintain a belief in "God"
tend to place more actual faith in this new belief for most
practical purposes.
I am about to reveal what this fundamental contemporary belief
is. Most of you will think it is so obvious a fact that it can,
hardly be called a belief. That, however, is a meassure of its extror-
dinary power over us. Most of you will think me a madman or a fool to
even question it. Few of you will be able to imagine what it would be
like not to believe it, or that it would be possible to replace it
with something else. Here it is: the dominant belief in all Western
Cultures is that this universe runs on material causality and is
thus comprehensible to reason. Virtually everyone also maintains a
secondary belief that contradicts this - the belief that they have
something called free will, although they are unable to specify what
this is - but I will deal with that later.
1406
We spend billions every year indoctrinating our young with the
primary belief in material causality in our schools. Our language,
our logic, and most of our machines, are built largely upon this
belief. We regard it as more reliable than "God".
Now, it has been one of the functions of the Magician to try and
break through to something beyond the normal. My own magical quest
has always had a strongly antinomian and iconoclastic element, and I
long ago decided to go for broke and attack the primary beliefs of
our culture. Religion is too easy a target as it is already fatally
disabled by our ancestors, the Renaissance sorcerers and scientists.
Contemporary Satanists are waisting their efforts.
Ideology is thankfully beeing gradually replaced with economics. The
main thrust of my Chaoism is against the doctrine of material
causality and secondarily against most of the nonsense that passes
for modern psychology.
Anyway, now I have to firstly try and convince you that there is
something seriously wrong with material causality, and that there is
something that could supersede it as a belief. These are vitally
important questions for magicians, for since the demise of
essentially spiritual descriptions of magic, the belief in material
causality has been increasingly used in a haphazard fashion to form
various ill-conceived metaphors such as "magical energy" or "magical
force" which are tactily presumed to be something analogous to
static electricity or radio waves. This is, I think, complete
bullshit. Magic can sometimes be induced to behave a bit like this,
but it is not a very effective description.
Before attempting a frontal assault on material causality I shall
1407
backtrack a little to gather ammunition. Few people noticed that in
the 1930`s a serious crack was discovered in the fabric of material
causality which, on the grounds of faith alone, was supposed to
cover everything. This crack was called Quantum Physics, and it was
pre-eminently Niels Bohr who, with his Copenhagen Interpretation,
poked a finger into the crack and prised open a wrap to reveal a
different reality.
Basically Bohr showed that this reality is better modelled by a
description of non-material causality operating probabilistically
not deterministically. This may sound tame at first, but the
implications for our everyday view of the world and for our theories
of magic are awesome. It brought to an end the era of the clockwork
universe paradigm which began over two hundred years ago and which
almost everyone still believes in their guts, even if they cannot
formulate it precisely. I urge magicians everywhere to give thanks
by drinking what is probably the best lager in the world, for it was
the Carlsberg Brewery in Copenhagen that supported Bohr and his
colleagues while they did the physics.
The majority of straight scientists find quantum physics as
distasteful as a priest would find witch-craft. If they have to use
it they prefer not to think about the implications. Even Einstein,
who started quantum physics going but made his major contribution in
Relativity, felt repelled by its implications, on ground of
scientific faith and residual Judaic belief, and wasted much of his
later life campaining fruitlessly against it.
1408
Quantum physics says to me that not only is magic possible in a
world that is infinitely Chaotic than we thought, but that magic is
central to the functioning of this universe. This is a magical
universe not a clockwork one. Causal materialist beliefs were a
liberating and refreshing breath of fresh air after a millenia and a
half of monotheism, but now, at their zenith, they have become
tyranny. Relativity and the fundamental physics associated with it
are probably close to a final refinement of the causal materialist
paradigm, and as such they now seem a terrible prison. For all
practical purposes they confine us to this planet forever and rule
out magic from our lives. Quantum physics, which I believe currently
to be basically an investigation of the magical phenomena underlying
the reality most people have perceived as non-magical for the last
two hundred years, shows us a way out.
It may be some time before any significant portion of humanity
learns to believe the new paradigm in their guts and live accordingly,
but eventually they will. Until then it is bound to sound like discom-
bobulating gobbledgegook or tarted-up intellectualism to most people.
I would like to mention my other favourite iconoclasm in passing
without explanation. I reject the conventional view of post-mono-
theistic Western psychology that we are individual unitary beings
possessing free will. I prefer the description that we are colonial
beings composed of multiple personalities; although generally unaf-
flicted with the selective amnesia which is the hallmark of this
otherwise omnipresent condition. And that secondly there is no such
thing as free will; although we have the capacity to act randomly, or
perhaps one should say more precisely stochastically, and the propen-
sity to identify with whatever we find ourselves doing as a result.
1409
All the gods and goddesses are within us and non-materially about us
as well, in the form of non-local information.
I consider that all events occur basically by magic; the apparent
causality investigated by classical science is merely the more
statistically reliable end of a spectrum whose other end is complete
Chaos. However, I would like to end with a few words about how my
Chaoism affects my personal activity in what is ordinaryly called
magic.
There are for me two main aspects of magic; the parapsychological
and the psychological. In enchantment and divination I believe that
the magician is attempting to interact with nature via non-material
causality. He is basically exchanging information with his environment
without using his physical faculties. Austin Osman Spare precisely
identified the mental manoeuvres necessary to allow this to occur. The
manoeuvres are startlingly simple and once you have understood them
you can invent an unlimited number of spells and forms of divination.
The manoeuvres are sacred but the forms of their expression are
arbitrary; you can use anything at random. Bohr and Spare are for me
Saints of the Church of Chaos.
1410
I consider that when a magician interacts with those apparently
sentient sources of knowledge, inspiration and parapsychological
ability that used to be called spirits, gods, demons and elementals,
he is tapping into the extraordinary resources that each of us
already contains. When activated they may also receive some input
via non-material causality from outside. Yet since we all contain
such a rich multitude within our own unconscious or subconscious and
can also receive congruent information from the collective
unconsciousness as it were, then the possibilities are practically
limitless. Given the correct technique one can invoke or evoke
anything, even things which did not exist before one thought of
calling them. This may sound like complete Chaos, and I have to
report that my own researches confirm that it is !
Chaos Magic for me means a handful of basic techniques which must
be adhered to strictly to get results, but beyond that it offers a
freedom of expression and intent undreamt of in all previous forms
of magic.
1411
{file ""Dark Night of the Soul"" "bos284.htm"}
The Dark Night of the Soul
Fra.: Apfelmann
-------------------------------------------
"The Dark Night of the Soul" is the name given to that experience
of spiritual desolation that all students of the Occult pass through
at one time or another. It is sometimes charcterised by feelings that
your occult studies or practises are not taken you anywhere, that the
initial success that one is sometimes granted after a few months of
occult working, has suddenly dried up. There comes a desire to give up
on everything, to abandon exercises and meditation, as nothing seems
to be working. St.John of the Cross. a christian mystic, said of this
experience, that it; "...puts the sensory spiritual appetites to
sleep, deadens them, and deprives them of the ability to find pleas-
ure in anything. It binds the imagination, and impeeds it from doing
any good discursive work. It makes the memory cease, the intellect
become dark and unable to understand anything, and hence it causes
the will to become arrid and constrained, and all the faculties empty
and useless. And over this hangs a dense and burdensome cloud, which
afflicts the soul, and keeps it withdrawn from the good."
Though the beginner may view the onset of such an experience with
alarm (I know I did), the "Dark Night" is not something bad or destr-
uctive. In one sense it may be seen as a trial, a test by which the
Gods examine our resolve to continue with occult work, and if you are
not completely whole-hearted about your magical studies, it is during
this period (at its beginning) that you will give up. The Dark Night
of the Soul should be welcomened, once recognised for what it is (I
have always received an innate "warning" just before the onset of such
a period), as a person might welcome an operation that will secure
health and wellbeing. St.John of the Cross embraced the soul`s Dark
1412
Night as a Devine Appointment, calling it a period of "sheer grace"
and adding;
"O guiding Night,
O Night more lovely than Dawn,
O Night that has united the lover with his beloved
Transforming the Lover in her Beloved."
When entering the Dark Night one is overcome by a sense of
spiritual dryness and depression. The notion, in some quarters, that
all such experiences should be avoided, for a peaceful existence,
shows up the superficiality of so much of contemporary living. The
Dark Night is a way of bringing the Soul to stillness, so that deep
psychic transformation may take place. All distractions must be set
aside, and it is no good attempting to fight or channel the bursts of
raw energy that from time to time may course through your being. This
inner compulsion to set everything aside results in the outer depres-
sion, when nothing seems to excite.
1413
The only thing to do is obey your inner voice and become still,
waiting for the inner transformation, (which the "Dark Night" heralds-
), to take place. You may not be aware for a very long time of the
results of that inner change, but when the desire to work comes again
and the depression lifts, the Dark Night has (for a moment) passed. No
one can help during this time, and in many cases there is hardly
anyone to turn for advice. One must disregard the well-meaning advice
of family and friends to "snap out of it" this is no ordinary depres-
sion, but a deep spiritual experience which only those who have passed
through themselves (in other words to a magical retreat) but for many,
as the routines of everyday life prohibits this, all you can do is
cultivate an inner solitude, a stillness and silence of heart, and
wait, (like a chrysalis waits for the inner changes that will result
in a butterfly) for the Transformation to work itself out. There are
many such "Dark Nights" that the occult seeker must pass through
during the mysterious process of mitigation. They are all trials but
experience teaches one to cope more efficiently.
With fractalic greetings and laughter * Fra.: Apfelmann *
1414
{file "Liber OZMA (Tim Maroney)" "bos285.htm"}
Liber OZMA
Tim Maroney
----------------------------------------
OOOOOOO "There is no bond
O O that can unite the divided
O O but love:
O O all else is a curse."
OOOOOOO Z M A:
-- AL I:41
"In their rules there was only one clause: DO WHAT YOU WILL"
-- Gargantua, 57
"For the cherub with his flaming sword is hereby commanded to leave
his guard at the tree of life, and when he does, the whole of creat-
ion will be consumed, and appear infinite. and holy whereas it now
appears finite & corrupt" -- THE MARRIAGE OF HEAVEN & HELL, 14
"Every man and every woman is a star."--AL I:3
There is no god but humanity.
1. People have the right to live by their own law --
to live in the way that they will to do:
to work as they will:
to play as they will:
to rest as they will:
to die when and how they will.
1415
2. People have the right to eat what they will:
to drink what they will:
to dwell where they will:
to move as they will on the face of the earth.
3. People have the right to think what they will:
to speak what they will:
to write what they will:
to draw, paint, carve, etch, mould, build as they will:
to dress as they will.
4. People have the right to love as they will :-
"take your fill and will of love as ye will,
when, where, and with whom ye will." -- AL I:51.
5. People have the right to use force to secure their rights.
"For how should I be able to govern others,
when I don't know how to govern myself?" -- Gargantua, 52
"Love is the law, love under will." -- AL I:57
TIM MARONEY
1416
{file "Sigil Magick (I.O.T.)" "bos286.htm"}
Sigil Magic for the Professional Magician
by Areosol
I will assume that you are already initiated into the secrets of
Austin Spare`s sigil magic. Consulting with my clients as a profes-
sional magician, I am always confronted with the same question: Is the
client`s will identical with my own ? If it is, there should be no
problem involved in charging the sigil in the client`s stead by
myself. (The client, one must remember, will usually not be familiar
with the basic tenets of sigil magic or even magic in general and will
probably hesitate to try it out for himself.) However, I believe as a
matter of principle that everybody should vaccinate his will for
himself. I do not feel happy with charging myself i.e. my subconscious
with other people`s desires. For example: if Mrs. X wants to be
brought together with Mr. Y by a sigil (love spell), it could be
intersting to know what might happen if the pertinent sigil were
charged by myself.
Accordingly I had to find a means to implant sigils into my
individual clients in such a way that they are not aware of what they
are really doing. At first, talking with the client, I will try to
find the "smallest common denominator" out of a tangled mass of
multiple desires. This will continue until the client is able to word
his or her statement of will (henceforth to be termed "will sentence")
in plain and unambiguous language. Following this all contact between
the client and myself will be abandoned for two or tree weeks. In the
meantime I will construct the sigil, usually employing the word
method, and sketch it on a piece of parchment. Very often the clie-
nt`s name will be encoded applying the magical camea of the planet
1417
pertinent to the client`s desire. I may then supplement the sigil with
this personalised glyph. Then I will outline a short ritual for the
client in which will be hidden the charge proper of the sigil (employ-
ing either the mantric method or a variation of the so-called "death
posture").
After a while I will send the client this constructed sigil by
mail including instructions on how to charge it plus possible addit-
ional admonitions, if necessary. Most probably the client will have
forgotten the precise wording of his/her will sentence by now; neither
will he or she be able to draw any conclusions from these strange
glyphs. After having been charged the sigil can be sealed and con-
stantly worn in a locket, it can also be put permanently in view e.g.
as a wall decoration. Some of my clients have placed or hung their
sigils nicely framed in their office rooms.
To charge a sigil the following method is very effective. The
client arrives for consultation. In some cases has to bring along some
substance imbibed with his or her Od. During a small ritual client
must close his/her eyes and place the odic substance on the sigil
which will be lying open in front of him/her. Then I will take the
client`s finger and prick it quickly and sharply with a small chirur-
gical lancet. After the blooddrop has been smeared onto the sigil, the
latter will be folded and sealed immediately. I then admonish the
client to bear in mind that this talisman must never get into other
people`s hands. This charging method is especially effective in
working with protection or "antipersonnel mine" sigils.
1418
Here are some examples relating to client`s feedback:
30.04. Sigil as wall decoration
24.06. Business enterprises developed well.
12.07. Protection/defence sigil, charged employing chirurgical
lancet.
14.07. Client feels well and secure.
23.06. Sigil as a defense "antipersonnel mine" with codification of
client`s name by the magical camea of Mars, charged with
lancet.
09.10. "Mine" fully operative: sickness and accidents of 2-3
enemies.
11.10. Sigil employed as a wall decoration.
11. Business successful. Sale of real estate to a monastry (!)
has been agreed upon.
27.12. Sigil, mantric charge.
14.02. Client`s partner becomes more friendly and loving.
18.03. Partnership satisfactory.
17.06. Sigil charged spastically by myself in client`s stead.
18.06. Shortly before the potential buyer arrived for inspection in
the afternoon, the last seat in the coffeehouse (sales
object) had been taken, suggesting excellent business;
immediately after inspection number of customers decreased
again.
07.12. Fast charge of a "combat sigil".
21.12. The idea incorporated by the sigil incarnates as a conscious
wish in the target person`s love partner.
1419
{file "Drugs and Religion -- Snakebite Trips? (Loren Petrich)" "bos287.htm"}
Drugs and Religion -- Snakebite Trips?
Loren Petrich
In Merlin Stone's book "When God Was a Woman", about early
goddesses, there is a strange hypothesis about the importance of
snakes in the early Middle East. MS notes that snakes are associated
with prophecy and wisdom -- and goddesses -- in several places, such
as Egypt, Sumer, Crete, and Greece. In Egypt, the female deity of
predynastic northern (Lower) Egypt was the cobra goddess Ua Zit.
Egyptian deities and royalty has a _uraeus_ emblem -- a head and hood
of a cobra. Some Sumerian goddesses, such as Inanna, were associated
with snakes. In Minoan-era Crete, we find some statuettes of goddesses
or priestesses with snakes. In one case, the snakes are cobras. In
Greece, in what is most likely a Minoan legacy, Hera and Athena were
associated with snakes, and the shrines of Delphi, Olympia, and Dodona
were originally associated with goddesses. However, they were taken
over by the followers of the male gods Zeus and Apollo, who were
depicted as snake-killers. Even then, the greatest wisdom was
associated with priestesses. Serpenticidal male gods also include
Marduk, who killed Tiamat, and Yahweh himself, who killed Leviathan.
MS suggests a connection to the Adam and Eve legend. The
Philistines had "snake tubes" nearly identical to some found on Crete,
which is consistent with them being Cretan refugees. So some "snake
priestesses" may have set up shop in Palestine when the Israelites
showed up. The Adam and Eve legend may have been an effort to
discredit these women, for it suggests that snakes are wicked, and
women who listen to snakes are wicked. This is all in keeping with the
Yahvist effort to discredit religions other than the worship of
Yahweh, which is a sordid story of religious persecution. This
persecution involved going so far as destroying a bronze snake kept in
1420
the Temple, the Nehushtan, which could supposedly cure snakebite. This
snake was probably associated with an earlier acceptance of this snake
cult.
Buthow didthissnake cultactuallywork? Itisdifficult to
say, but MS offers a strange hypothesis. She notes that we are told
that Cassandra and Melampus had acquired prophetic powers from having
their ears licked with snakes. So is there some snakebite connection?
MS suggests that there was, and tells of someone who had been
immunized against krait venom, but who had been bitten by a krait
[_Cobras in the Garden_, H. Kursh]
He had developed a sense of enhanced awareness and he had
visions. He reported himself making up verses, and said "My mind had
extraordinary powers."
This is evidently much like mescaline [from peyote] or
psilocybin [in certain mushrooms], used by some Native Americans for
similar purposes; those who take these two or LSD often feel as if
they are in touch with the basic forces of existence and a sensation
of perceiving the events and meaning of the past, present, and future
with great clarity and comprehension. It could well be that some snake
venoms have components similar effects.
So could it be that early snake prophetesses (and male
prophets) were going on snakebite trips?
Oracles connected with snakes were consulted in Greece and
elsewhere for important decisions, which seems very trustworthy of
people with "highs".
1421
One does have to ask the question on how this type of
prophesying got associated with women instead of men or both sexes
equally in the ancient Middle East.
This only adds to the riddle of Minoan Crete. Since the
priestesses there were important citizens, and since they are
associated with snakes, then could some of the leaders of Crete back
then have been snakebite-tripping priestesses? The possibility of a
"feminist theocracy", rule by a largely female priesthood, seems
awesome enough (no prominent "kings"), but this is truly wild.
I confess I don't have much taste for theocracy, but I would
certainly prefer a Minoan-type theocracy (if that was what it was) to
the more familiar kinds -- Jewish, Christian, and Muslim -- which I
find absolutely disgusting.
1422
{file "Wishing Well (I.O.T.)" "bos288.htm"}
The Wishing Well -or - Releasing The Butterfly of Chaos
Frater Choronzon
The general function of a Wishing Well is understood from an early
age by most people. The user projects some required outcome of
events, or "wish" into the well, perhaps accompanied by a symbolic
financial donation, and waits for events to take their course.
Similar properties are attributed in popular tradition to acts of
cutting a birthday cake and breaking a wish-bone while devouting
certain species of poultry.
In every sense, the act of making a wish using any of the above
ritual props is a magical operation though experience suggest that
Wells tend to be more effective than both chicken bones and all but
the most esoterically decorated cakes in achieving the intended
result.
As of late, many Wishing Wells have been withdrawn from public
access; and, moreover, recent opinion polls have indicated high
levels of dissatisfaction with the scarcity of wish-fulfillment
opportunities, particularly among vegetarians. This paper attempts
some analysis of the dynamics involved in successful wish-making,
and offers a ritual procedure which readers may find useful pending
the launch of another "Wishing Well Withdrawal" from the public eye.
1423
Anyone who has studied non-linear dynamics (or Chaos Mathematics) as
applied to the interaction of complex systems (for instance life-in-
general) will be aware of the extreme sensivity of such systems to
initial conditions. This is illustrated by the so called Butterfly
Effect; a model of the process by which a butterfly flapping its
wings on the Carribean Islands can set in train a series of
atmospheric interactions which may culminate, after some elapsed
time, in the occurence of a hurricane in London.
The hypothesis in this context is that the ritual act of making a
wish sets up initial conditions for a Chao/dynamic process which
culminates, after some elapse time, in the occurrence of whatever
event was the original objective of the wish; hence the subtitle
"Releasing the Butterfly of Chaos". Atmospheric effects are often
synchronous with successful magickal operations as was observed, for
example, by those who were present for (or within earshot of) the
4,000 watt "Enochian Verse Recital" in South London, 17.30 Hrs,
Monday, 28 May, 1990; but where magic is concerned the atmospherics
are felt to be little more than by-products of casual sequence which
is primarily electromagnetic in character.
The actual process by which a successful wish is transformed into
its outcome is, of course, magic; at least in the sense that modern
TV receiver might be acknowledged as such by Agrippa or Abra-Melin
the Mage - Was there ever a more effective acrostic "for divers
visions" than an infrared remote control?
1424
A detailed explanation of how the magical process appears to work
would fill a book (reasonable offers from reputable publishers
accepted); suffice it to say that no rewrite of either the Laws of
Physics or the Axioms of Mathematics is required, and to mention
that the Astrological elements of the hypothesis will form the
substance of a paper to be presented to a forth coming meeting of
the "Talking Stick".
For the purpose of this exercise, the process may be appropriately
visualized by consideration of nothing more complicated than a
humble smoke-ring. In mathematical terms this is a Torus (a ring-
doughnut shaped structure) which has a clearly defined, coherent and
self-contained existence for an extended period within a
fundamentally chaotic matrix; ie. it can hung around for several
seconds retaining its structure in the turbulent air of a
smoke-filled room. Such ordered structures fall quite naturally out
of the Chaos Mathematics which models the behavior of gases and
liquids (Fluid Dynamics for the technically inclined). Examples of
such ordered structures in a chaotic environment abound, and not
only on this planet. The Great Red Spot on Jupiter, for instance,
has been in existence at least since Galileo observed it in 1610,
though the chaotic nature of that planets atmosphere was not
appreciated until the flypast of the Voyager spacecraft of 1979.
1425
A perfect smoke-ring requires very little expenditure of energy to
be brought into existence, though that energy, in the form of a
controlled pulse of gas projected from its creator lips has to be
quite precise - ie. smoke-rings don`t always work, particular if
someone is watching, and the best ones of all usually happen quite
by accident! Significantly, the only way an observer can know if a
smoke-ring is there because it has smoke in it. If an identical
pulse of gas is projected from a non-smoker, the Toroidal ring
structure will be established in the just the same way within the
atmosphere, but its presence is almost impossible to detect, even
with the most sophisticated of scientific instruments.
The atmosphere is not the only chao/dynamic envelope surrounding our
planet; there also exists the magnetosphere, which we perceive at
ground level as the earths magnetic field. At present it exerts a
force which causes a compass needle to point approximately towards
the North Pole.
The magnetosphere extends out into so-called empty space well beyond
the atmosphere of the planet, and is anything but static in
character. Complete polarity reversals can occur. A record of these
is preserved in the sequence of North and South oriented volcanic
rocks which have been mapped in the ocean floor extending outwards
from mid-oceanic ridges, such as that which runs the lenght of the
Atlantic. The magnetosphere exhibits its own "weather" patterns
which, like the atmospheric weather, are driven primilarily by
radiation from the Sun/Solar Winds. Magnetic and electric storms
which affect TV and radio reception are a phenomena of
magnetospheric weather, and interaction between the magnetosphere
and the atmosphere can result in phenomena such as the Aurora
1426
Borealis or Northern Lights. Other manifestations include ball-
lightning and St. Elmo`s fire.
The ritual procedure put forward here postulates a process whereby a
sudden pulse of electro-chemical energy, through an operators
nervous system, establishes a magnetic structure which is the
mathematical equivalent of a smoke-ring. It is suggested that this
can occur on the onset of orgasm or accompanying a powerful
martial-arts styled shout or KIAI, by a process akin to that of the
Faraday Induction described in any half-decent textbook. The
"magical" part of the process involves injecting a
flash-visualisation of the eventual desired outcome of the magneto-
smoke-ring as it is being established. The rest of the process of
wish fulfillment is left to the wondrous dynamics of Chaos. It may
be helpful for the operator to face towards the geographical
(magnetic) North Pole.
If performed as a solo working, this ritual may usefully be preceded
by a banishing and visualisation exercise. The ritual text is
written in the Enochian language of the angelic calls which were
devised or discovered by Dr. John Dee in the 16th Century. In the
sense that Enochian can be seen as a system of control (or cyber-)
language for "life, the universe, and everything" it has many of the
characteristics of a computer programming language. Among such
properties would be those of recursive self-reference (ie. the
ability to modify itself), and some of the phraseology of the
preamble to the ritual is designed to apply ideas developed by
Douglas Hoffstadter in his book Godel, Escher, Bach to the Enochian
language. Specifically, the text of the ritual should increase its
own potency with repetition.
1427
After the Enochian preamble, the participant(s) should make a
vocalized statement of a "wish" or willed endpoint for the working,
at the same time strongly visualizing the desired outcome. This
"wish" may be of a benefic or malefic intent, but beware! the
Enochian preamble carries a force of personal honor, in wishes of a
dishonorable character they are likely to backfire.
The pre-climatic mantrum "Zarzas Zarzas Nasatanata Zarzas" is held
to be untranslatable. It is, by tradition, a formula which opens the
Gates of Hell or the Abyss; in this context it is used to invoke the
dynamic process of Chaos by which the wish can be fulfilled. Some
occult authorities, Crowley among them, assert that the Zarzas
formula is dangerous and advise against using it. Modern Chaos
magicians do not share that view and, besides having employed it for
years with no particular ills impacting the user, is consistently
been found to enhance the effectiveness of most categories of
magical working.
The final climatic KIAI may be shout such as that projected by a
martial arts practioner in the process of shattering a concrete
block (or someone`s sternum), or else an exaggerated cry of orgasmic
ecstasy. Prospective participants with orgiastic inclinations may
care to experiment with variant techniques to effect the final KIAI
exclamation which sets the magical "butterfly effect" process in
motion. For example, the Enochian couplet following the statement of
the wish might be committed to memory by operator of either gender,
and repeated while other participants stimulate that operator to a
frenzied pitch of ecstasy, culminating in the final KIAI. Such
variants are for the more experimentaly inclined, but it is the sort
of experiments which magicians of an unhibited frame of mind (or
1428
body) may find it enjoyable to carry out as an end in itself. Any
feedback on results would be welcome!
1429
Ritual text / Enochian Invocation:
COMSELH I P MALPURG DSI
The circle with eight fiery darts which is
DRILPA EMETGIS DE CHAOS
the great seal of chaos
AS IOADAF DE TOL GLO
was in the of all things.
beginning
T I TA HUBAR BLIOR
It is as a continual of comfort
burning lamp
NONCA GMICALZOMA CRIP I CORAXO
to you of power & but is as thunders of judgement
understanding & wrath
CIAOFI DE PAR AG IAIADIX
to the of them of no honor
terror
SOLPHETH BIEN:
hearken to my voice:
VOMSARG IADNAMAD GOHULIM:
unto every one of you of undefiled knowledge it is said:
"OI EMETGIS LONSHI OVOF SA
"This seal of power may be in
magnfied
MIAN I SAPAH DE OI
1430
continuancewith the mighty of this
sounds
LU IA HE BAHAL"
song of honor cried with a loud voice"
VLCININ DS I ZA ZAZ
Happy is s/he who has framed
ANGELGARD MANIN PRGE
thoughts in the mind with the fire
ANANAEL PI
of this secret wisdom, s/he
I VGEG T CAPMIALI FISIS
is become also successively to execute
strong
BUTMONA ATH OD AMMA EMNA:
By mouth the works and curses herein:
>> MAKE YOUR WISH HERE <<
SA CHAOS ANGELGARD HARG
Into chaos the thoughts are planted
OD IONAS AZIAGIAR.
and they will become like unto the harvest
ZARZAS ZARZAS NASATANATA ZARZAS
!!! KIAI !!!
1431
{file "Hymns To The Star Goddess (O.T.O.)" "bos289.htm"}
XXXI Hymns
Fr. Achad (Charles Stansfield Jones)
Key entry by Fr. Nachash
Ur.us-Hadit Camp, OTO
Completed 11-21-90 e.v.
**********************************************************************
XXXI HYMNS
TO THE STAR GODDESS
Who is Not
BY XIII: which is ACHAD
I ... Invocation
Mother of the Sun, Whose Body is White with the Milk of the Stars,
bend upon Thy servant and impart unto him Thy Secret Kiss!
Enkindle within him the Holy Ecstasy Thou hast promised unto them
that love Thee; the Ecstasy which redeemeth from all pain.
1432
Hast thou not proclaimed: All the sorrows are but shadows, they
pass and are done, but there is that which remains? That the
Universe is Pure Joy-that Thou givest unimaginable Joys on
Earth--that Thou demandest naught in sacrifice?
Let me then rejoice, for therein may I serve Thee most fully. Let
it be Thy Joy to see my joy; even as Thou hast promised in Thy Holy
Book!
Now, therefore, am I Joyful in Thy Love.
AUMN
II ... The Brook
I wandered beside the running stream, and mine eyes caught the glint
of Thy Starry Orbs in the swirling waters.
So is it with my mind; it flows on towards the Great Sea
of Understanding wherein I may come to know Thee more fully.
Sometimes, as it journeys, it threatens to overflow its banks in
its eagerness to reflect a wider image of Thine Infinite Body.
Ah! How the very stones, over which flow the life of my being,
thrill at the tender caress of Thy reflected Image.
1433
Thou, too, art Matter; it is I---Thy Complement---who am
motion! Therefore these very stones are of Thee, but the Spirit---the
Life---is the very Self of me; mine Inmost Being.
Flow on, O Stream! Flow on, O Life! Towards the Great Sea
of Understanding, the Great Mother.
III ... The Rose Garden
Long have I lain and waited for Thee in the Rose Garden of Life;
yet ever Thou withholdest Thyself from mine Understanding.
As I lay I contemplated Thy nature as that of an Infinite Rose.
Petals, petals, petals.. but where, O Beauteous One, is Thy Heart?
Hast Thou no Heart? Are Thy petals Infinite so that I may never
reach the Core of Thy Being?
Yet, Thou hast said: "I love you! I yearn to you! Pale or
purple, veiled or voluptuous, I who am all pleasure and purple, and
drunkeness of the innermost sense, desire you: Come unto me!"
Yea! Mine innermost sense is drunken; it is intoxicated upon the Dew
of the Rose. Thy Heart is my Heart; there is no difference, O Beloved.
When I shall have penetrated to the Heart of Thine Infinite Rose,
there shall I find Myself.
But I shall never come to myself---only to Thee.
1434
IV ... The Fox Glove
Tall and straight as a Fox Glove do I stand before Thee, Mother
of Heaven.
The flower of my being is given over to a strange conceit; I grow
up towards the Stars and not towards the Sun.
Art Thou not Mother of the Sun?
Thus have I blasphemed the Lord and Giver of Life for Thy sake. Yet
am I not ashamed, for in forgetting the Sun I am become the
Sun--Thy Son--yet a thousand times more Thy Lover.
The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but now
I have nowhere to lay my head; for tall and straight as a Fox Glove
do I stand before Thee. My resting place is the Womb of the Stars.
Yet all that I may comprehend of Thine Infinite Body is but as
the Glove upon one of Thy soft sweet hands, touching the Earth, not
hurting the little flowers.
1435
V ... The Storm
A Dark Night and the Storm. The lightening flashes between Thee and
me. I am dazzled so that I see Thee not.
So in the depths of my being flash the fires of life; they blind
me to the Understanding of Thee and Thine Infinite Body of Stars.
Yet I see Thee reflected in the body of her I love, as we lie
with quivering limbs awaiting the coming of the sound of thunder.
She fears the thunder, and turns within herself for consolation.
But even there the Lightning flameth, for I have loosed the fires of
my being within the dark recess---in honour of the Storm and of
Thine Infinite Body which I see not.
VI ... The Hole in The Roof
Once I knew an ancient serpent. He delighted to bask in the
Sunshine which penetrated through a tiny hole in the roof of the cave.
He was old and very wise.
He said: "Upon me is concentrated the Light of the whole Univ-
erse."
1436
But a little brown beetle, who had long lived in the cave with
him, looked up, and spreading his wings passed out through the
hole in roof---into the Infinite Beyond.
Thus, forsaking wisdom, would I come to Thee, Beloved Lady of
the Starry Heavens.
VII ... The Design
Strange curves: and every Curve a Number woven into a Musical
and Harmonious Pattern.
Such was the design showed me by my friend when first we met.
It was like an exchange of greetings by means of an inward recog-
nition.
Oh! Could I but grasp the Ever-changing Design of Thy Star
Body, Mother of Heaven!
Yet, it is written: "Every man and every woman is a star. Every
number is infinite, there is no difference."
Such then is Life, for those who love Thee: Strange Curves, and
every Curve a Number woven into a Musical and Harmonious Design.
1437
VIII ... The Snow Drift
My body was blue as Thine, O Beloved, when they found me. I was
stiff as if held in a close embrace. Nor was I conscious of aught
but Thee, till the small fires of Earth brought me back with an agony
of tingling pain.
How came I to be lost in the snow-drift?
I remember how I had taken shelter from the blinding storm. The
snow fell about me, and I waited, turning my thought to Thee.
Then did I realize how every snow-flake is built as a tiny star.
I looked closer, burying my face in the white pile, as in Thy
Bosom. Mine arms embraced the snow-drift; I clung to it in a mad
ecstacy.
Thus would I have pressed Thy Body to mine, wert Thou not Infinite
and I but as tiny as a star-flake.
So was my body frozen---as by the utmost cold of inter-stellar space.
It was blue as Thine when they found me locked in Thine embrace.
1438
IX ... Daylight
In the Daylight I see not Thy Body of Stars, O Beloved.
The little light of the Sun veils the Great Light of the Stars,
for to-day Thou seemest distant.
The Sun burns like a great Torch, and Earth seems as one of His
little Spheres, filled with life.
I am but a tiny spermatozoon, but within me is the fiery and
concentrated essence of Life.
Draw me up into Thyself, O Sun! Project me into the Body of Our
Lady Nuit!
Thus shall a new Star be born, and I shall see Thee even in
the Daylight, O Beloved.
1439
X ... The Bird
Once I bought a little bird; his cage was very small; it had only
one perch. He was so young he had not even learned to sing, but he
chirped gladly when I brought him home.
Then I raised the bars of his cage, and without a moment's hesit-
ation he flew out into the room, and spying the cage of the
love-birds, perched upon it and examined it carefully.
Not long afterwards another and stronger cage was obtained for
the love-birds, for they had pecked through some of the frail bars.
When the little bird was offered the discarded cage, he quickly
hopped from his tiny one to theirs.
Now he has three perches and room for his tail, and when we open
the door of his cage he refuses to come out. Perhaps he fears to lose
what he had once coveted and then obtained.
Herein lies the secret of Government. Give the people what will
make them reasonably comfortable; let them have three perches and
room for their tails; and forgetting their slavery and restrictions,
they will be content.
Hast Thou not said "The slaves shall serve." Lady of the Starry
Heaven?
1440
XI ... The Moral
There is another moral to the story of the little bird. Having
gained his desire for a larger cage, he forgot his longing for Free-
dom.
The door remained open; the room was before him, wherein he
could stretch his wings and fly.
Yet he preferred his cage.
The wide world might have been his had he known how to use it, but
he was not ready for that; he would have perished of cold had I let
him out into the wintry snow.
Let those who would travel the Mystic Path remember this:
Earth Consciousness is an illusion and limitation. When it frets us,
like a little cage, our chance for greater freedom comes.
But when a larger cage is offered---when we obtain Dhyana---let us
not rest there thinking ourselves free. The door is open, Samadhi
lies beyond, and beyond that, when we are ready for it, the Real
Freedom, Nirvana.
O Lady of the Stars, let me not content till I penetrate the
ultimate bars and am Free---One with the Infinitely Great as with the
Infinitely Small.
1441
XII ... The Invisible Foot Prints
Long have I roamed the Earth delighting in the Good, the Beautiful
and the True; ever seeking the spots where these seem to be most
Perfect.
There is joy in this wandering among the flowers of life, but Thy
Joy, O Beloved, is to be desired above all.
Now I seek a resting place, I am set upon a new Quest, to Worship
at Thy feet.
For it is written of Thee: "Bending down, a lambent flame of
blue, all touching, all penetrant, her lovely hands upon the black
earth, and her lithe body arched for love, and her soft feet not
hurting the little flowers."
Oh! That I might discover Thine Invisible Footprints upon the Earth
and there come to the Understanding of Thy Being, O Beloved.
1442
XIII ... The Finger Tips
Or, it may be, O Beloved, I shall discover the imprints of Thy
finger tips amid the flowers or upon the Black Earth.
Hath not Nemo a Garden that he tendeth? Doth he not also labour in
the Black Earth?
Who knoweth when Thy hands may grasp me and draw me up into Thine
arms, there to nestle at Thy breast, to feed upon the Milk of the
Stars?
Beloved, verily this tending of the Garden of the World---although
the labor may seem heavy---leadeth to a Great Reward. As Thou hast
said: "Certainty, not faith, while in life upon death, rest,
ecstasy." Nor dost Thou demand aught in sacrifice.
What do the Bhaktis know of Love? They see the Beloved everywhere.
But when I am one with Thee, O Beloved, I shall not see Thee, for
I shall know Theee as Thou art.
1443
XIV ... The Well of Stars
I know a hidden well of clearest water. Naught but the coping
of delicate pink onyx is visible until the secret spring be touched.
Then beware! For above the entrance hangs a fiery sword.
Few find this Well or know its Secret; there are but two roads
leading thereto.
From the broad Mountain summit we may search the slopes for a vision
of the Woodland Delta where grow the Trees of Eternity, or we may
journey through the Valley between the Ivory Hills---if we fear not
the purple shadows and the black pit-fall.
From Thee we came; to Thee may we return, O Well of Living Stars!
XV ... The Icicles of Isis
It hath been written how the Old King dreamed of his banished
peacock, entombed in a palace of ice, who cried: "The Icicles of
Isis are falling on my head."
Thus it is with those who arebanished to the Palace of the Moon----
for the Word of Sin is Restriction.
Oh! Lady of the Starry Heavens, let me not become frozen at the
touch of the cold Veil of Isis. For the Moon is but the dead reflector
of the Sun, and He but the youngest of Thy Children of Light.
1444
Let me lift Thy Peacock Veil of a Million Starry Eyes, O Beloved!
Show Thy Star Splendour, O Nuit; bid me within Thine house to dwell!
XVI ... Purple Mill
The delicate purple mist streams up from the hills: I watch and
wait for the meaning of it all.
Sometimes it seems like the incense smoke of Aspiration ascend-
ing towards the Sun---giver of Light, Life, Love and Liberty
to the Children of Earth.
But the Sun is going down behind the Mountains, and Thy Starry
Lamps glow in the Sky.
Is not the Lamp above the Altar a symbol of the Desire of the Higher
to draw up the lower to Itself?
So, O Lady of Heaven, I liken the Mist to the life-breath of Souls
who pant for Thee here below.
And I remember Thy words:
Above, the gemmed azure is
The naked splendour of Nuit;
She bends in ecstacy to kiss
The secret ardours of Hadit.
The winged globe, the starry blue,
Are mine, O Ankh-af-na-khonsu!
1445
I, too, would ascend as a delicate purple mist that steams up from
the Hills. Art Thou not all Pleasure and Purple?
XVII ... The Infinite Within
I would that I were as the feminine counterpart of Thee, O
Beloved; then would I draw the Infinite within.
Yet since Thy Pure Being must ever be more refined than this body
of mine I should interpenetrate every part of Thee with my living
flesh.
Thus, O Beloved, should we enter into a new and more complete
embrace: not as of earth wherein the male uniteth with the female by
means of the physical organs of love, but with every atom of my
being close pressed to every atom of Thine---within and without.
Then, O beloved, would I cry unto the Lord of the Primum Mobile
to teach me the Art of the Whirling Motion of Eternity.
Thus, whirling within Thee, our never-ending nuptial feast shall
be celebrated, and a new System of Revolving Orbs be brought to birth.
Ah! the shrill cry of Ecstacy of that Refined Rapture---the Orgasm
of the Infinite Within.
1446
XVIII ... The Rainbow
As I sat in the shelter of the forest glade, my eye caught the
multi-coloured gleam of diamonds. I looked again; the Sun rays were
playing upon the dew which clung to a little curved twig.
It seemed like a tiny rainbow of promise.
Then, while I watched in wonder, a small grey spider bridged the
arch of the bow with his silken thread.
Ah! My Beloved, thus, too, hath the Spider of Destiny woven his
silken rope from extreme to extreme of the Great Rainbow of Promise.
Fate hath fitted me as an Arrow to the String of Destiny in the bow
of the Sun.
But Whose Hand shall draw that Mighty Bow, O Beloved, and send me
upon fleet wings to my resting place within Thine Heart?
1447
XIX ... Dropped Dew
As I came from tending the Rose Garden and was about to return to
my humble shelter, my eyes caught the gleam of dropped dew like a
tiny trail along the path.
It was very early; the Sun had not yet re-arisen; the Stars
still twinkled faintly in the sky.
Who could have come before me to the Garden?
I followed the trail of dew, stooping down so that I saw in
each crystal drop the reflection of a tiny star.
Thus came I to my lady's chamber; she it was who carrying roses
had left this silvery thread as a clue to her hiding place.
When I found her, her eyes were closed, as she pressed the fragrant
the pink blossoms to her white breast.
Then did I bury my face in the blossoms and I saw not her eyes
when she opened them in wonder.
Thus, too, would I follow the Star-trail of Dropped Dew, ere
the re-arisen Sun hides Thee from me, O My Beloved!
Thus would I come to Thee and bury my face in Thy Breast amid the
Roses of Heaven.
1448
Nor should I dare to look into Thine eyes, having discovered
Thy secret---the Dew of Love---the Elixir of Life.
XX ... Twilight
Twilight... and in a few brief moments the Stars will begin to peep.
I will await Thee, here amid the heather, O Beloved.
I wait... no stars appear for a mist has stolen up from the foot of
the mountains.
Thus I waited for a sight of Thy Star Body till the cold damp mist
of suppresed emotion chilled my being and my reason returned.
The woman stood girt with a sword before me. Emotion was overcome
by clarity of perception. Then did I remember Thy words: "The Khabs
is in the Khu not the Khu in the Khabs. Worship then the Khabs and
behold my light shed over ye."
Thus turned I my thoughts within, so that I became concentrated
upon the Khabs---the Star of mine inmost being. Then did Thy Light
arise as a halo of rapture, and I came a little to lie in Thy bosom.
But I offered one particle of dust---and I lost all in that hour.
Such is the Mystery of Her who demandest naught in sacrifice.
The twilight is returned.
1449
XXI ... The Dog Star
Wisdom hath said: "Be not animal; refine thy rapture! The canst
thou bear more joy!"
I have been like an unleashed hound before Thee, O Beloved. I
have striven towards Thee and Thou seest in me only the Dog Star.
Yet will I not fall into the Pit called Because, there to perish
with the dogs of reason. There is no reason in me; I seek Under-
standing, O Mother of Heaven.
Thus, with my face buried in the black earth, do I turn my back
upon Thee. I will refine my rapture.
So Thou mayest behold me as I am, and so Thou shalt Understand at
last, O Beloved; for in reverse Thou readest this DOG aright.
Hast Thou not said: "There is none other?"
1450
XXII ... Pot-pouri
The roses are falling. This is the night of the full moon whereon
the children of Sin attend the Sacred Circle.
Therein they will sit divided---but not for love's sake---for they
know Thee not---O Beloved. Into the Elements, the fiery, the
watery, the airy and the earthly Signs are they divided when they
gather at the Full Moon within the forest.
I wandered down the deep shadowy glade, there I espied a tiny
sachet of pot-pouri, dropped---maybe---from the streaming girdle of
one of the maidens.
Tenderly I raised it. Its perfume is like unto the perfume ofher
I love. She, too, perhaps, has heard the call of the moon and is
even now on her way to the secret tryst.
But hast Thou not said: "Let there be no difference made among
you between any one thing and any other thing; for thereby cometh
hurt." What matter then the name of the maiden? What matter the
flowers of which it is composed?
Yet dare I not burn this incense unto Thee, O Beloved, because of
Thine hair, the Trees of Eternity.
Oh! Little sachet of pot-pouri, thou hast reminded me of her I
love, for the roses are falling, it is the night of the Full Moon
and the children of Sin gather to attend the Sacred Circle.
1451
XXIII ... Red Swansdown
It hath been told how Parzival shot and brought down the Swan
of Ecstacy as it winged over the Mountain of the Grail.
But there is within the archives another story, unheard by the ears
of men.
From the breast of the Eternal Swan floated one downy feather,
steeped in blood. This did the youngest and least worthy of the
Knights hide tenderly in his bosom till he concealed it within the
hard pillow of his lonely couch.
Night after night that holy pillow became softer; sweeter and
sweeter were his dreams. And one night---the night of the
crowning of Parzival---he was granted the Great Vision wherein
the Stars became like flecks of Swansdown upon the Breast of
Heaven, each living and throbbing, for they were steeped in Blood.
Then did every atom of his being become a Star racing joyfully
through the Great Body of the Lady of Heaven. Thus in sweet sleep
came he into the Great Beyond.
Grant unto me Thy Pillow of Blood and Ecstacy, O Beloved!
1452
XXIV ... Passing Clouds
A dark night: Not a star is visible, but presently the moon
shines out through a rift in the clouds. And I remember, "The sorrows
are but shadows, they pass and are done, but there is that which
remains."
Yet is the moon but illusion.
A dull day: but presently the Sunis seen as the clouds are dispelled
by His light.
Is He that which remains?
Night once more: the Sun is lost to sight, only the moon reminds me
of His presence. The clouds scud swiftly across the Sky and disappear.
Thy Star Body is visible, O Beloved; all the sorrows and shadows
have passed and there is that which remains.
When clouds gather, let me never forget Thee, O Beloved!
1453
XXV ... The Coiled Serpent
Thus have I heard:
The ostrich goeth swiftly; with ease could he outstrip those who
covet his tail-feathers, yet when danger cometh he burieth his
head in the sand.
Thetortoise moveth slowly and when embarrased he stoppeth, withdra-
wing into his own shell; yet he passeth the hare.
The hare sleepeth when he should be swiftly moving; he runneth in
his dreams thinking himself at the goal.
But the Coiled Serpent hath wisdom, for he hideth his tail and it is
not coveted; he raiseth his head and fears not; he moveth slowly
like the tortoise, yet withdraweth not; he nestles close to the hare,
darting his tongue with swiftness, yet falleth not asleep by the
wayside.
Would that I had the Wisdom of the Coiled Serpent, O Beloved, for
Thou hast said: "Put on the wings, arouse the coiled splendour
within you: come unto me!"
1454
XXVI ... Love and Unity
Twenty-six is the numeration of the Inneffable Name, but It con-
cealeth Love and Unity.
The Four-lettered Name implieth Law, yet it may be divided for
love's sake; for Love is the law.
The Four-lettered Name is that of the elements, but it may be
divided for the chance of Union; for there is Unity therein.
There is but One Substance and One Love and while these be twen-
ty-six they One through thirteen which is but a half thereof.
Thus do I play with numbers who would rather play with One and that
One Love.
For Thou hast said: "There is naught that can unite the divided
but love!"
And is not Achad Ahebah?
1455
XXVII ... The Riddle
What is that which cometh to a point yet goeth in a circle?
This, O Beloved, is a dark saying, but Thou hast said: "My colour
is black to the blind, but the blue and gold are seem of the seeing.
Also I have a secret glory for them that love me."
And Hadit hath declared: "There is a veil; that veil is black."
I would that I could tear aside the veil, O Beloved, for seeing Thee
as Thou art, I might see Thee everywhere, even in the darkness that
cometh to a point yet goeth in a circle.
For Hadit, the core of every star, says "It is I that go," and
Thou, Mother of the Stars, criest "To me! To me!"
Resolve me the Riddle of Life, O Beloved, for loving Thee I
would behold Thy Secret Glory.
1456
XXVIII ... Sayings
Isis hath said: "I am all that was and that is and that shall be,
and no mortal hath lifted my veil."
Who cares what is back of the moon?
Jehovah showed his back unto Moses, saying: "No man hath seen my
face at any time."
Who cares to face the elements?
Hadit hath said: "I am life and the giver of life; therefore is
the knowledge of me the knowledge of death."
Who cares to know death?
But Thou, O Beloved, hath said: "I give unimaginable joys on
earth, certainty, not faith, while in life upon death, peace
unutterable, rest, ecstacy; nor do I demand aught in sacrifice."
Who would not long to invoke Thee under Thy Stars, O Beloved?
1457
XXIX ... The Falling Star
Falling, falling, falling! Thus fall the Rays from Thy Body of
Stars upon this tiny planet, O Beloved! Innumerable streams of
Light like Star-rain upon the black earth.
Since every man and every woman is a star, their lives are like
unto streams of light concentrated upon every point in Space.
As I lay with arms out-stretched, my bare body shining like ivory
in the darkness. my scarlet abbai flung wide, mine eyes fixed upon
the star-lit Heaven; I felt that I, too, was falling, falling,
falling, in an ecstacy of fear and love into the void abyss of space.
Then did I remember that Thou art continuous. Beneath, above, around
me art Thou. And lo, from a falling star I became as a comet wheeling
in infinite Circles, each at a different angle, till my course traced
out the Infinite Sphere that is the Symbol of Thee, O Beloved.
Then did I aspire to find the Centre of All.
And even now I am falling, falling, falling.
1458
XXX ... Justice
I am a Fool, O Beloved, and therefore am I One or Nought as the
fancy takes me.
Now am I come to Justice, so that I may be All or Naught according
to the direction of vision.
No Breath may stir the Feather of Truth, therefore is Justice ALone
in L. Yet the Ox-goad is Motion and Breath Matter if it be called
the Ox which is also A.
How foolish are these thoughts, which are but as the Sword in the
hand of Justice. They are as unbalanced as the Scales that stir not,
being fixed in the figure of Law above the Court House of a great
City.
But Thou hast said: "Love is the law, love under will."
And Love is the Will to Change and Change is the Will to Love.
Even in the stern outline of the Scales of Justice do I
perceive the Instrument of Love, and in the Life Sentence, the
Mystery of Imprisonment in Thy Being, O Beloved!
1459
XXXI ... Not
Three Eternities are passed... I have outstripped a million Stars in
my race across Thy Breast---The Milky Way.
When shall I come to the Secret Centre of Thy Being?
Time, thou thief, why dost thou rob the hungry babe? Space, thou
hadst almost deceived me.
O Lady Nuit, let me not confound the space-marks!
Then, O Beloved, Thy Word came unto me, as it is written:
"All touching; All penetrant."
Thus left I Time and Space and Circumstance, and every Star became
as an atom in my Body, when it became Thy Body. Now never shall
I be known, for it is I that go.
But Thou, O Beloved, though Thou art infinitely Great, art Thou
not energized by the Invisible Point---the Infinitely Small?
A Million Eternities are Present, Deem
not of Change; This is the
Here and Now,
and I am
NOT
-oOo-
1460
{file "Mind, A Treatise on The (The Tigress)" "bos290.htm"}
Treatise on Mind
From: The Tigress
From themoment that 2 cells forma zygote, we see the interaction
of informational process - recognition, communication, interaction,
integration, re-stabilization and reproduction and or re-structuriz-
ation. This cycle of life can be see from the barest combinations of
any two elemental components beginning at the lowest atomic desig-
nations of energy and throughout the continuum of increasing com-
plexity - perhaps far beyond our capabilities
to understand. *** If consciousness can be defined as an awareness
of integrity through this process of self recognition; then conscious-
ness can be easily applied to that which is non-human.***
Fromthe most basicinteractions of chemistry, wefind that even on
an atomic level there is to be found this type of consciousness. We
have become aware of the atom's necessary maintenance of it's own
structure through the evidence of necessary balancing of protons,
neutrons and electrons; the importance of electron shell valences is
also a reminder of this type of integrity. Even on an atomic level,
there is a form of awareness of self-integrity in order to maintain
structure and identity.
Thisprocess of awarenessis also agenius of discrimination. A
form of identification of self & non self on an energetic level.
There is a borrowing, and sometimes a sharing energetically, yet when
this process of self recognition begins to fail we see the destruction
of the matter it involves <this is evident with atomic structure and
also evident at the human level in the study of cancer.> Therefore we
might look at this process of self-recognition and maintenance and
1461
examine it's nature in order to find its function and capabilities.
Whenwe look atdifferent types ofmatter, we findthat the more
simple the atomic structure of the mass, the less complex its process
of "consciousness" needs to be. Things which are comprised of only
one atomic component do not need complex processes of communication
between those components. Thus the level of consciousness is rather
low on an evolutionary scale of creativity, yet we also see that these
types of things are far more stable in regards to their integrity -
far less vulnerable to destruction. In example, it takes an enorm-
ously concentrated force of heat to break the integrity of an atom...-
yet a mere 2000 degree flame will not only destroy the integrity of
human consciousness, but also destroy the integrity of the individual
component molecules which form the material mass of a human to their
lowest forms as individual atoms.
1462
Whenwe look at theforces involved incommunication of energy,
we see a flowing medium of different frequencies within a single
spectrum of energetic potential. Elemental energies and forces
<light, sound, temperature, pressure, magnetism, electricity...>
differentiate and vary in intensity and frequency yet are very alike
in that they are all means of transferring energy as a form of com-
munication which can be informative/stabilizing or disinformative/des-
tructive, depending on the structure of the "consciousness" they
encounter. It may be perceived that the more complex the structure,
the lower the frequency of the integrity of that structure and the
more vulnerable that structure is to disinformation.
The more diverse the components are that are included within a
thing, and the more efficient the means of communication within the
structure of that thing; the lower the common denomination of freq-
uency of integrity must be in order that the informational frequency
will not be destructive to any of the component parts. To analyze
this statement we must look at other analogies within our environment.
Firstly I would like to examine the nature of sound.
Sound waves come in varying frequencies and modulations, and as
humans we assign different notes to those steps within the frequency
spectrum which we can differentiate and perceive. If we play several
notes simultaneously, we find that in order to maintain a balance
harmonically, we must play notes that match each others modulation.
You can play a "C" note at any octave and in fact play all "C" notes
simultaneously and you will find that within the frequency range
these notes will compliment each other, in fact they will contribute/-
share energy with each other. WE find similar matching if we look at
musical chording. If you play the notes "F" and "C" , the sharing of
1463
energy vibrationally between those two ranges of frequency will in
fact create the note of "A" in the range in which the two notes
frequencies overlap. In this way communication is informative and in
fact the "whole is greater" than the sum of its parts. Similarly,
playing two notes which lie in the same modulation frequencies simul-
taneously will increase the duration of the vibration compared to the
duration if each note were played alone.
When we examine the sharing of electrical information at an
atomic level, we see that through the temporary sharing of electrons
in a phase path also indicates something that we might consider as
investing a thing <atom> with more than the sum of its parts. Simil-
arly in using electric frequencies in a series, we store information
on silicon chips which invest them with more than they would be if one
simply looked at the electrical and silicon components alone. This
transference of energy is also a transference of information in
frequencies which in many ways we are still attempting to understand.
Simple, one component things, can sustain far higher frequencies
of energetic transmission than can complex components of things.
Frequencies which pass freely through atoms ultimately destroy complex
things such as humans when they are subject to them. It appears that
the more complex the union of the components, the slower and more
tediously complex the transformation of data must be. The more
complex a thing is, the lower the vibrational capability it sustains
in order to maintain the integrity of its own structure.
1464
Energetic communication exists infinitely throughout the univ-
erse. The transference of information through radio waves and light
waves continues back in time to the occasion of what was known as the
Big Bang. It may be that in the future we will find that in the same
way gravity and electromagnetism are also continuums of information
from times long past. Scientifically we study these energetic con-
tinuums and yet we doubt and deny the holistic communicative nature of
the universe. We search for causes and effects within the realms of
our limited perceptions and are amazed when we can find no causal
effects to explain change.
When we examine biological life, we find that each evolutionary
adaptation seems to be an extension of the process of self/non self
awareness and maintenance of integrity. Not only do we see inten-
sification of sensory perceptual abilities, but also we note that the
integrational and responsive/reactive components of the process also
have to evolve and adapt in order to stay integrated with the rest of
the "consciousness". Amoebas are "simple" life forms, and yet we can
examine them and see that each organic component within that life form
serves as an informational and communicative component within the
process of maintaining the integrity <life> of the whole. When this
communication process or any part of it ceases, the organization of
the organism begins to deteriorate and eventually ceases and dies. In
biological life, we find that though we have maintained the use of
electronic communication on some neural levels, we have sunk to the
depths of transferring actual molecular compounds <proteins, amino
acids...> in most of our organic processes. Even the human brain,
supposed highest achievement of organic life forms, requires base
molecular salts in order to process electrical information. Our
complexity denies us the speed of light, radio,
1465
and other faster and higher frequency modes of communication except
from outside of ourselves.
The human consciousness is a genius of discrimination. We use
the abilities of discrimination to identify those stimuli which come
from outside of our biological forms in order to protect and maintain
our integrity <life. We use our senses <inefficient though they may
be> to gather and interpret pure energetic communications such as the
radiated energy of sunlight and we are so inefficient at interpreting
that data that we can only sense light and heat and it destroys those
sensors that gather that information through blindness and sunburn if
we continue too long in our attempts. Yet,
conversely , we need the information from sunlight which stimulates
our organic forms into producing vitamin D <without which we would
die>. Is this a remnant of photosynthetic capabilities from lessor
complex integrations, or merely a new attempt at further increasing
our potential?
As organic forms of consciousness, we are sorely limited in our
perceptions of the universe. Limited in exploring the possibly
limitless ranges of energetic exchange simply due to the limits placed
upon communication due to the complexity of our component structure.
Yet rather than admit to our limitations, we seek further exploration
through the development of tools made from things less complex than
ourselves. In the laboratory, we use light waves and shaped silicon
to create microscopes to increase our sense of visual acuity within
the spectrum of visible radiation imaging. In the studio, we use
simple cones flattened vegetable matter and electronic amplification
to create tools to compensate for our limited aural perception. We
have created many tools out of simpler and less complex components in
1466
order to reach those higher frequencies of information which are
either so far removed from us as to be imperceptible, or so destruc-
tive to us that we dare not experience them ourselves.
The human zygote from the moment of conception is a discriminat-
ing consciousness which is involved in the differentialization of its
components in order to
develop finer levels of complexity. This fetus is also even before
birth learning to interpret communicative energies from the outer
world in order to begin definition of itself, its integrity and its
maintenance of self apart from the influence of "other". Cells,
joining together in communication to form co-operative systems each
with separate responsibilities to the whole. Organs with specific
functions supporting the organism in its fight to maintain its integ-
rity. Consciousness of Mind, determining the difference between self
and non self, regulating the integrity of the whole. This harmony of
components within a symphony of orchestration, this is the matter of
being alive.
Despite our complexities, despite recognition of our vulnerabil-
ities and limitations; we as humans are beings of arrogant mind. We
claim supremacy over all biological organisms and claim the sole right
to conscious thought <as if we were the only from of communication we
wished to recognize.> We deny our insecurities and lay claims to
great understandings concerning the universe, when we in fact do not
even understand the actual workings of our own process of integration
and communication within our own biological forms.
We claim ownership of consciousness, yet we do not even pretend to
truly evaluate the process of consciousness nor its beginnings.
1467
Despite our inadequacies, we assume to know the nature of the
beginnings of all life. We claim to know the "mind" of "God" <the
prime causation for all that exists> and we claim title to superiority
in emulation of this "God" - above and beyond all other forms of life
or integrity. An egotistic lot are we, who strive to seek security in
the midst of our fear, our inadequacies, our vulnerabilities; by
developing a system of belief which guarantees our security in a place
beyond our perception. We seek safety and foundation at the same time
that we reach outward to claim flight amongst the stars.
This is the paradox on humanity, of mind. Complexity found in
simplicity... using simplicity to explore a universe beyond the range
of our complex integrity. Our complex integrity vulnerable to all but
the simplest energies, while we lay grasp to use complex energies
which would destroy us in order to prove our strength. What it is we
look for, we eventually find at the expense of closing our senses to
see what really is. Perhaps it is true that the most foolish are
those who lay claim to knowledge for they have closed their minds
to further learning, and that the most wise are those who claim
knowledge of no thing, that they may learn all.
1468
{file "Dragon Trad and the Holy Grail (C.J. Mandrake)" "bos291.htm"}
Dragon Trad and the Holy Grail
Cameron Mandrake
Recently we have discovered the significance of sharing water in our
circles. This ritual should be warm and meaningful. This being the
case it should only be shared by members of the coven and visitors
should be excluded unless the visitor is VERY close to the group.
Someone reads the following poem or one that is written for the
occaision.
Quest for the Grail
by C.J. Mandrake
I have sailed the seven seas.
I have walked the deserts of this world,
searching for clues and kin;
always awed by the stories that they told.
Time my only enemy,
every stone my friend;
carried by myth's fluid words,
looking for a gold cup 'round every bend.
Mountains loom before me:
The path, all but lost behind.
Arthur's song plays deep within me!
The Merlin's words dance within my mind!
``The blessed cup that you seek,
it is the Mother's womb.
It has poured out all our world
and it will be your tomb.''
1469
Grail of Love
Grail of Light
Grail of Truth
Grail of Might
carry me to the very Fount of life.
I threw a coin in a wishing well:
My wish, the Grail to see.
When the waters stilled again
I beheld the Mystery.
The Cup is made of flesh and blood.
The secret of deep peace it lends.
I drink from it every day
and I share it with my friends.
One and one and one is three:
Three by three is nine.
The heart of the world I see,
the secret of the Grail is mine.
The Cup, it is a lotus flower
deep within my soul,
flaming with the love of Her:
The Goddess and I made whole.
****
1470
The reader takes the chalice of water and drinks and the cup is passed
around the circle deosil, each person taking a drink in turn. Each
person may offer a thought before they drink. This may be a thanks or
an observation or anything that seems significant to the moment. When
the cup makes it back to the reader, he/she again drinks of the cup
and pours the remainder as a libation. With the libation is said...
I partake of the Cup of Abundance. I share this Cup with those around
me. I return what is left to the earth. <pours water out onto the
ground> And my Cup remains full. <holds cup to heart> Blessed Be.
This rite is very good for group binding. Last time we did this we
drank water from the Chalice Well in Glastonbury that one of the coven
members brought back from vacation.
Enjoy! And Bright Blessings.
CJ
... Copyright 1992 - DragonHart Coven - All Rights Reserved
1471
{file "Ritual of the Blessed Motherboard (Discordian Humor)" "bos292.htm"}
Ritual of the Blessed Motherboard
The Tigress
Thus it follows that after many days of chaos, unfounded mayhem and
startling inconvienience <as given in favor by the Goddess Eris> so it
shall be that I am finally able to share with you the official cere-
mony of the Blessed Motherboard and the Horned One that Plugs in the
Wall. This ceremony is one to be practiced by discordian compu-pagans
each Midsummer Eve in holy celebration and appreciation of debugged
upgrades, new shareware, faster circutry and all the blessings that
flow from the Goddess...
Note : Let it be said that if your system crashes, your motherboard
becomes twitchy, your hard drives fail, or your cables spout forth
fire - that this is an indication that the Goddess is displeased with
your compu-worship. At this time, if the posting of many tales of
compu-sexuality doth fail to pacify Her. This is the time that this
ritual must be done to regain Her pleasure.
It is thus that this ritual be made easier if thou coven of compu-pag-
ans is large, for then the obtainment of the necessary materials be
far easier...
Necessary ritual components -
To represent the Matron Goddess : 1 AT Motherboard <preferably a 386
with Large Co-processors.> <may be in "twitchy condition".>
To represent the Crone: 1 AT&T Phone bill from Mother Bell. <the
higher the debt, the better one can justify ones needs to the Goddess>
1472
To represent the Maiden: a large firepit dug in the shape of a circle
around which the pentagram will be formed. <dry wood laid in prepar-
ation>
To represent the God: 1 very Large, very THICK power supply cable
For the Pentagram : 1 can of neon or glow in the dark paint
For the Quarters : The following items are placed at each quarter -
North : A Power supply with cable, the energy which inspires us
East: A keyboard through which our innocence is transformed to lust
South: A hard drive which saves our writ to seal our doom
West : A Monitor by which all might see our lustful spells at work
The Altar : A makeshift desk
The Incense: A chipped ashtray and a pack of Camels <extra humps>
The Cup: A container of highly caffinated substance <coke, jolt,
pepsi>
The Bowl : a bowl of fine earth to represent the accumulation of dust
in your house which you haven't cleaned since you spend all your time
at the keyboard .
The Flame: One jar of kerosene, gasoline, or other flamable substance
with matches that one uses to light the fire.
1473
In addition: Each member of the network coven should bring spare
parts, broken cables, split chips, bungled software, etc...for fire
offerings at the conclusion of the ceremony. Clothing during this
ceremony is optional.
Opening Chant <To be sung as the HPs and HP draw the circle and
pentagram around the firepit><sung to the tune of "Rain drops keep
falling on my head >
Circuts keep blowing on my board
my hard drive keeps crashin
and its heads are getting scored
Messages are lost OH
Time to appease the Goddess of all Computers
Alas I'm broke
My bills
Are higher than my income
Oh please Goddess I'm begging thee
To hear my plea and heal my system
ba dum dum, ba dum ba dum dum
1474
Cables are ruined by crossing wires
My modem is burping
and its screwing up my files
Data's being lost OH
I ask the Horned One Plugging into my wall
Oh Please don't surge
My dos
is shareware and its fragile
Oh please Horned One
I'm begging thee
Remember that my ram is borrowed
ba dum dum, ba dum ba dum dum
The Crone works her spells through Mother Bell
My phone bills enormous
and my life is living hell
Long distance is a bitch OH
What did I do before to deserve this karma?
I have five days
To pay
The toll charge for downloading
from New Jersey
Oh Mother Bell,
have mercy on my lust addiction
ba dum dum, ba dum ba dum dum
1475
I worship through the message base
Hiding behind keyboards
where you cannot see my face
Sexual inuen - DO
Maiden protect me from my own sweet confusion
Let me log in
to boards
To satisfy my hunger
and to praise you
and sacrifice your innocence among the echos
ba dum dum, ba dum ba dum dum
Its My Lust...... Sacrifice it or BUST
<To be sung until the Pentagram and altar are set up, the
last sentence repeated and slowly faded>
The ritual begins...
As the coven sings the ritual opening chant the HP & P paint the
Pentagram around the firepit with neon or glow in the dark paint. The
items are placed in the designated directions and the altar is set up
to the north of the fire with the following items placed upon it.
To the North end of the altar the ashtray and cigarettes
To the East end of the altar the holy cup
To the South end of the altar the bowl of earth
To the West end of the altar the jar of kerosene and matches.
1476
As the HP calls the elements the P shall pass her the items in ques-
tion
The coven at the end of each elemental calling shall chant the fol-
lowing:
Elemental Power
Come out and play with me
Play midst my flaming spree<fire>
and sing the chant with me <Air>
Splash in my rain barrel <Water>
Slide down my cellar door <Earth> And we'll be jolly friends
Forever more
The HP calls to the Element of Fire <and taking the kerosene from the
P> intones:
Fire, Fire burning bright, like a candle in the night
Come and join us in our flight, Lend us your eternal light
Warm the Maiden with your flame,
I call you in the Goddess's Name.
The HP pours the kerosene liberally upon the firewood in the pit and
lights the fire with the matches. <the coven sings the elemental
chant>
1477
The P hands the HP the bowl of earth. The HP tosses the earth upwards
to scatter it around the circle and over the altar as she intones:
Elemental Earth I beckon thee, with us in this circle be
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, firm foundation is a must
Warm bed for the Matron's frame I call you in the Goddess's Name
<the coven sings the elemental chant>
The P hands the HP the cup of caffinated substance. The HP lifts it
to her lips and intones:
Water quench our thirst, keep us wet and wild
Join us in our circle hence, praise the lady mild.
Liquid of Life that has no shame
I beckon thee in Goddess's Name
The HP drinks from the cup and beckons the P to drink of it, he does.
<the coven sings the elemental chant>
The P hands the HP the ashtray and a cigarette and lights it for her,
the HP takes a long drag and as she exhales intones:
Airy, Airy, quiet and contrary how doth your winds blow?
Through maidens hair your breath ensnare, your secrets we would know.
The Pow'r of Wind by Lady made tame
I beckon thee in Goddess's Name
1478
<the HP smokes and exhales as the coven sings the elemental chant>
The HP and P perepare to summon the directions in supplication to be
followed by the closing of the circle.
The following is a chant used by the coven at each directional open-
ing.
"From the North awakening, the energy inspires
From the East our eagerness to learn amid the fires
From the South commitment and thus we seal our doom
From the West comes reckonning, our message answered soon"
The HP and P walk to the North and hold up the Power supply. The P
intones:
The Power of the north inspires us and lends us its energy for our
use in supplication. This Power Supply I offer to thee Oh Goddess
that your Power run through my computer and my life. The P tosses the
Power supply into the fire.
<the coven sings the directional chant>
The Hp and P walk to the East and hold up the keyboard. The P in-
tones:
The Power of the East transforms our innocence through tasting the
fire of Life. This Keyboard, I offer to thee Oh Goddess that your
knowledge guide my fingers on their path through the system of Life.
The P tosses the keyboard into the fire.
<the coven sings the directional chant>
1479
The HP and P walk to the South and hold up the hard drive. The P
intones:
The Power of the South is that of action and consequence, of commit-
ment to the path and the ability to remember the lessons learned
thereof. This Hard Drive I offer to thee Oh Goddess that your memory
of my acts and deeds be remembered with praise and favor in thine
eyes. The P tosses the Hard Drive into the fire.
<the coven sings the directional chant>
The HP and the P walk to the West and hold up the monitor. The P
intones:
The Power of the West is that of access to all things, to seeing
turthfully into the path of a life and judging it thusly, worthy or
unworthy. This monitor I offer to thee Oh Goddess that your eternal
eyes may see into my life and may watch over my actions, and that I
may find favor in you as my eternal Sysop. The P tosses the monitor
into the fire.
<the coven sings the directional chant>
The HP and P walk thrice around the circle widdershins and all chant
thusly:
Ring around the altar
Power never faulter
Goddess, God
We summon thee <repeated until the circle is thrice closed.>
1480
The Circle Closed and the directions and elements present, the HP and
P prepare to call to the Goddess and to the Horned One.
The HP stands before the fire pit and calls:
Virgin Goddess, gentle maid
She whose seeking to get laid
Bring your innocence to Bare
For those who worship for your care
<the P leads the coven in the Maiden chant>
Come on Maiden light your fire
Come on Maiden light your fire
Come and set the night on FIRE
The HP stands before the fire pit and holding the phone bill calls:
Oh Mother Bell, Oh Crone of Disconnection from this pagan life
I beseech thee, hold back thy hand of dread financial strife
In attonement bills I pay to thee
Of thy modem killing hand let me be free
The HP tosses the phone bill into the fire.
<The P leads the coven in the Crone Song>
" We're sorry, the number you have reached has been temporarily
disconnected Booooo Hissssss
We're sorry, the number you have reached has been temporarily discon-
nected Booo Hisssss"
1481
The HP stands before the Altar and holds high the very long and very
thick cable of the Horned One that Plugs into the Wall and calls:
Oh Horned One, Powerful Consort of the Blessed Motherboard
Surging with Energy you take your place as Lord
Pulsing with Power, with each surge of volts you swell
Pumping life into the Goddess, you serve her purpose well
The HP tosses the very long, very thick cable into the fire
<the P leads the coven in the Horned One chant>
Pump, Pump, Pump it up....keep the power flowing
Pump, Pump, Pump it up....hard fast and never slowing
Pump, Pump, Pump it up....We know you please the Goddess
Pump, Pump, Pump it up....Be strong and never modest
The HP raises the Blessed Motherboard with Large Co-processors high in
the air and the P and HP each take and end in their hands. Raising
the Motherboard high in the air they intone:
Blessed Mother, Sacred Goddess come to bless your users
Keep us safe from disk crash and lurking abusers
Let thy healing hands caress our crippled hardware
Let our nodes stay stable, that through distance we may share
In your holy worship together we may gather nightly
Writing inuendo, our modems steaming slightly
Bless us Holy Goddess, and show us by your sign
That we have earned your favor, your blessing so divine.
1482
The HP and P lead all in the following chant:
A Prayer to the Goddess for self conscecration
Dominus regit Goddess
The Blessed Goddess is my mistress;
I shall not be in want
She maketh me lie down on soft bedding
and leadth me to think of rumpling it
She revives my soul <when I thought I was exhausted>
and guides me along the most sensual pathways for pleasures sake
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of dangerous desire
I shall fear not impotence
for she is insatiable
my rod and staff they comfort her
We spread a table of ecstacy in the presence of those
who are sorely troubled by arrousal
She annoints my head with honeyed oil
and I make her cup run over
Surely the pleasure and bliss shall follow me all the days of my life
and I will dwell in the caves of ecstacy within mind forever.
1483
Thus said, the HP and P intone the following:
OH Blessed Motherboard please accept this offering in your name, and
in the name of the Horned One who plugs in the Wall and gives you
pleasure...
that we may be blessed in our offerings to you both in circle and in
life.
Thus said, the HP and P toss the Motherboard into the fire.
The HP and P lead the coven in the following chant -
Blessed be the Motherboard from whom all messages flow
Blessed be the Horned One who fills Her with His offering
Blessed be the sysops who transfer the packets
Blessed be the writers and those who inspire what they bring
Blessed be the hard drives that keep messages from harm
Blessed be the modems which send packages large and small
Blessed be the shareware we use to commune
Blessed be the network which links us up with all
Blessed be our minds, that we might write our prayers
Blessed be our fingers that tap amongst the keys
Blessed be our monitors that shine with holy light
Blessed be our senses that stimulate with ease
Blessed be the circle, a circut without end
Through which we hail and merry meat with those that we call friend.
1484
At this point the HP and P gaze into the fire for the portent of the
Goddess's sign of approval <the flames of blue light from the mother-
board offering>
At seeing this both HP and P raise their arms in joyful supplication
and shout <To be echoed by the Coven members in attendance after each
line>
The Maiden's found appeasement and She is satisfied
The Crone is in abeyance, her compu-billings fried
The Horned One's filled with power, in joining He is pleased
The Goddess sends Her blessings, cleansing virus and disease.
We thank the 4 directions for standing by our side
We thank the elementals and their power all allied
To Celebrate our status annointed compupagans of sin
Let Joyful Inhibition be released and the saturnalia begin!!!!
<the HP and P release the circle and the partying shall now commence>
Sensual foods and drinks are served and shared, <the rest you can
imagine>
1485
{file "Prosperity Spell [Famtrad] (Rowan Moonstone)" "bos293.htm"}
Prosperity Spell
Rowan Moonstone
The following is a quarterly prosperity spell given to me by Angel and
Gracie, my first two FamTrad teachers. I have no idea where they got
it, but I can tell you that it DOES work. I"ve used it for years and
it never fails to bring me some unlooked for money. I find that I've
overpaid a bill, or an old debt which I had written off as uncollec-
tible gets repaid, I find a $20 on the sidewalk, etc. Try it, it
works!
The spell is to begin at one minute past midnight SUN TIME (I HATE
daylight savings time when I do this. Means 1AM!) on the night of
April 30 (May 1), July 31 (Aug 1), Oct 31 (Nov. 1) and Jan 31 (Feb 1)
In other words, on the first minute of the cross quarter day.
You will need the following:
1 gold candle
6 green candles
9 white candles
Pine oil for anointing candles
salt
All candles must be dressed with pine oil and then arranged as fol-
lows:
gold candle in the center
green candles in a circle around gold candle
white candles in a circle around green candles.
At one minute past midnight on the appointed day, trace a salt circle
around the outermost circle of candles, light the gold candle first,
then the green candles, moving deosil, then the white candles, moving
deosil. Circle the altar three times, chanting "Orbiting Jupiter
trine the sun, bring money on the run." Do the chant 3 times also.
Sit quietly for a few minutes and visualize your monetary NEEDS.
(needs, not desires). The SNUFF (do not blow or pinch) the candles in
reverse order.
That's it. That's all there is to it and it works beautifully. Since
Lammas is coming up, thought I'd post it for everyone to see. I've
got a bunch more stuff from these two ladies if anyone is interested.
They worked a great deal with Archangels and I suspect a strong
Kabalistic crossover in there somewhere. But the spells and rituals
DO work quite nicely.
BB Rowan
1486
{file ""Quarter Calls"" "bos294.htm"}
Quarter Calls for The Dragon Tradition
EAST
Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the East. Your tongue is
a sharp sword, cutting with the knowledge of the arcane. Your spirit
flows as graceful as a swift in flight. Purify us with truth.
Blessed Be.
SOUTH
Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the South, your breath is
aflame with the fires of inspiration and passion. Your spirit is
searing and fervent. Purify us with Love. Blessed Be.
WEST
Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the West, your coils are the
cleansing healing waves that nurture the soul. Your spirit lunges,
leaps and splashes like a Talbot at play. Purify us with pulsing
tides. Blessed Be.
NORTH
Mighty Dragon, Guardian of the realms of the North, your talons run
like roots into the earth, giving you infinite strength. Your spirit
is substantial, hard and pure like a clear crystal. Purify us with
persistant wisdom. Blessed Be
Each of these Dragons has a secret name that they are also invoked-
with. A suggestion is that anyone using these invocations meditate to
find an appropriate name for each Guardian and use it along with or
instead of the words "Mighty Dragon".
Blessed Be.
Enjoy!
... Copyright 1992 - DragonHart Coven - All Rights Reserved
1487
{file "Safe Travel Spell (Rowan Moonstone)" "bos295.htm"}
Safe Travel Spell
Rowan Moonstone
You will need:
2 white candles annointed with sandalwood oil.
1 purple candle annointed with sandalwood oil.
Photo or personal articles of the person the spell is for
"Personality " candle, appropriate to the recipient of the spell
Sandalwood incense
Altar should be arranged as below:
_____________________________________________________________________
| |
| O (white candle) O (Personality candle) O (purple candle |
| (1) (3) (4) |
| |
| O (white candle) Photos or personal object O (incense) |
| (2) (5) |
| |
_____________________________________________________________________
Light white candles (1& 2) light personality candle (3) light purple
candle (4), light incense (5). Repeat the following invocation:
"Hail Mother of the World!
Nanna, Isis, Astarte, Selene, Holy Sin (pronounced Sheen).
See me, look upon me
See me, look upon me
See me, look upon me
Protect me and my people tonight.
Send your white light around me.
Send your protective light around ______________
That they may be protected
As they travel and as they dream.
Send only good and lucid energies their way.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
You can either let the candles burn out by themselves, or snuff them
in reverse order and let them burn a little each night if the person
will be on an extended trip. On the last night let them burn down on
their own. NEVER blow our or pinch out the candles. This destroys
the luck.
BB Rowan
1488
{file "Wiccan Rede, The (J. Taylor, S.O.T.E.G.)" "bos296.htm"}
WITH THESE EIGHT WORDS
THE WICCAN REDE FULFILL:
"AN IT HARM NONE, DO WHAT YE WILL."
Copyright 08/17/92 by Servants Of The Elder Gods, Rocky Mountain
Coven and James C. Taylor
OVERVIEW. The purpose of this paper is to look at the Wiccan Rede, at
the types of conduct it excludes, and at the type of conduct it
requires. We will begin with a detailed examination of the wording of
the Rede itself, which presents as "pseudo-archaic" but actually makes
excellent use of the specific meanings of several archaic words which
have no real equivalents in contemporary English. We will then take a
look at the two sections of the Rede, and see why they are presented
in their proper order as written. Finally, we will examine various
uses of magick and see how--and if--they adequately measure up to the
standard of the Rede.
THE VOCABULARY OF THE WICCAN REDE. As mentioned above, the Rede
appears to be presented in a pseudo-archaic or "phony ancient" form of
English. Is this simply harmless foolishness, or is there some
excellent reason for the vocabulary selected? Let's take a look at
the Rede, word by word.
AN: This word is commonly mistranslated as "IF", which is a
significant error. The word "AN" is more accurately trans-
lated "JUST SO LONG AS".
IT: This pronoun refers to whatever it is that you are thinking
of doing.
HARM: This refers to anything which either you or any other person
involved or affected by "it" would regard as loss, damage,
pain, discomfort, injustice, invasiveness, or prevention,
relative to the situation existing before "it" was done.
Anything which goes against another person's free will, even
if it intends them good, would constitute serious harm.
NONE: This ought to be self-explanatory. "None" is an all-ex-
clusive word. If you harm anyone or anything, including
yourself, including a small rock in Trenton, New Jersey, you
have harmed "some", not "none".
DO: To perform whatever working is contemplated by "IT", above.
WHAT: The meaning here is "Whatever", and refers forward.
YE: The archaic PLURAL form of "you". The current word "you"
denotes both the singular and the plural; the archaic word
"YE" is always plural. We shall see, later on, that this is
no accident.
WILL: To will something is to exercise your intellectual decision-
making power to determine the course of action which you
feel to be the best. "Will" has little or nothing to do
with "wish" or "want" or "desire". It is not an emotional
inclination or feeling. It is the employment of reason to
make a decision based upon your best judgment.
THE TWO SECTIONS OF THE WICCAN REDE;
1489
A. SECTION ONE: "AN IT HARM NONE".
Why does the Wiccan Rede not say, "Do what ye will, an it harm
none"? There is a reason why the "An it harm none" comes first
in the Rede, and that reason is that "An it harm none" is in-
tended to come first in your own thinking, as a Wiccan initiate
and practitioner. If you or any Wiccan begins with "Do what ye
will", I assure you that you, like the Fundamentalists before
you, will find a way to excuse and even to justify anything you
take it into your head to do! Knowing this about human nature,
the Lady inspired the Rede to be written as it is, with the "An
it harm none" to come first.
The Wiccan Rede's "An it harm none" has parallels in many dis-
ciplines. Perhaps the most significant parallel is found in the
Hippocratic Oath taken by every physician before s/he is cer-
tified to practice. The first part of the Hippocratic Oath binds
the physician "First, to do no harm." It is sobering to realize
that magical ethics, as set forth in the Wiccan Rede, are or
should be so similar to medical ethics, an issue with such a
powerful effect on so many lives.
When we read of a physician who has violated his medical ethics,
we read this with outrage toward him and with empathy toward
those patients who suffered inadequate care because the physician
violated his ethics. It is more sobering to realize that future
generations will regard violations of magickal ethics with the
same degree of outrage, and rightly so.
B. SECTION TWO: "DO WHAT YE WILL."
Even without the first part of the Rede, "Do what ye will" is
most certainly not a blanket permission to do whatever you desire
to do. As one Wiccan High Priestess has observed, "Power cor-
rupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Seems like I've
heard that before, but it's certainly true when you're talking
about using real magick to accomplish real goals in the real
world.
1490
When we realize the kinds and orders of results, both expected
and unexpected, both knowable and unknowable, which eventuate
from almost every human action, it would seem the better part of
both valor and wisdom to never do anything at all, especially not
anything which is done with spiritual power guided by no more
than human wisdom! Unfortunately, to do nothing is also a
choice, and the results of inaction are often far worse than the
results of even ill-considered action. This is why the second
half of the Rede demands that we make a decision and act upon it,
as well as conforming that decision to the requirement that it
harm none.
THE STANDARD OF THE REDE. Please note that the Wiccan Rede contains
no loop-holes whatsoever. The Rede does not say, "An it harm none to
the best of your knowledge." The Rede also does not say "An it harm
none to the best of your ability to discern whether it will harm
someone."
The Wiccan Rede does not say these things, or anything similar to
them. It simply says "An it harm NONE, do what ye will." This means
that YOU, once you have committed to live by the Wiccan Rede, are
committed to be solely and totally responsible for any harm resulting
from ANY ACTION YOU TAKE, MAGICKAL OR NOT.
Paul Seymour's forthcoming book begins with some strong cautionary
notes concerning the use of magick. One of the examples he gives is
particularly tragic, and concerns a young man who worked a simple and
apparently harmless "money spell". The spell worked, and the young
man got his money--he inherited it, when his parents were both killed
in an accident shortly after he worked the spell.
Paul does not say in his book if this young man was a Wiccan initiate.
If he was, then in addition to his sorrow and loss, he has had to live
with the fact that, by the standard of the Rede, he is ultimately
responsible for the death of his parents.
When you commit to live according to the Wiccan Rede, you commit to
conform your entire life, not just the magickal, mystical and reli-
gious aspects of it, to the standard set by the Rede. Never again
will you be able to act impulsively or without considering the results
of what you do. Never again will you be able to act or even speak in
thoughtless irritation or anger. Instead, you will come to consider
the implications of every word you speak, and of every routine action
you do. For it is not just by magick that we can harm ourselves or
others; everything we do, and everything we say, has the potential to
help or harm others, and to help or harm ourselves.
1491
It is also important to note that the Rede sets up a standard which
prevents us from harming ourselves as well as others. Other relig-
ions, including Christianity, regard it as virtuous to suffer harm for
the sake of another, even to die so that another person might live.
The Wiccan Rede does not permit this. You are to harm none, and this
means that you are not to harm yourself, even for the sake of doing
good for someone else.
To some, this may seem like a selfish standard. But think about it.
Would you wish to benefit by someone else's injury or death? Of course
not! If you did derive some benefit, such as an inheritance, from the
death of another person, would you feel good about this? Well, some
people might, but probably you would not. Therefore, in a very real
sense, you yourself are harmed by a benefit you derive from the injury
or death of another. True, the harm is emotional, but it is entirely
real.
Wicca recognizes that human beings are social creatures. What does
harm to one, does harm to all in varying degrees. Therefore, it is
imperative that each person strive to harm no one, himself or herself
included.
Finally, it is significant to note that word "ye" in the statement,
"Do what YE will." This is the ancient plural form of "you", and it
means that your individual will is assumed to be in accord with some
other will, instead of acting entirely on its own.
What is this other will which, together with yours, comprises the "ye"
in the Rede? Well, if you are working in a coven, it could well be
the combined will of the members of the coven. But this would not
apply to those who are working on their own, and it is not the highest
or best meaning, even for those working in coven.
How does one act, so as to be certain to harm none? Not by refusing
to act, since inaction is itself a decision, and often causes far more
harm than even rash action. Not by delaying action until the time for
it is past, because that is the same as inaction. And not by relying
solely upon your own human wisdom, either.
The best way to act, so as to be certain to harm none, is to call upon
the Goddess and/or the God, and to hand to Them the power you have
raised, together with the situation you have raised the power to deal
with, and say, "You are holy, good, and wise, and know how to use this
power to help and not harm. Do Your will in this situation. That is
my will, that Your will be done." And thus the Rede is fulfilled: For
the "ye" who will are yourself and Them-selves, who are good, and love
humanity, and who always act for the highest good of all.
1492
{file "Wicanning Ritual (Earthworld Circle)" "bos297.htm"}
--- A WICCANING ---
Date: 08-31-92 18:25
By: Ceridwen Goddess
(please bear in mind that since non-Wiccans were present at this
ceremony, some things WERE toned down...we did not perform the
Five-fold Kiss, or a more emphatic version of the Great Rite... our
horned statue of Pan was left at home in favor of a small, antlered
god-figure from an American Indian motif.. we did not include the
scourge on the alter, or the Cords (I chose instead to wear our
blue-colored Cord around my waist, however), and **most** references
to the Horned God were altered to reflect a less-imposing Antlered
One... I do hope that those who may read this will understand my
reasoning for these actions.
Lammas 1992
I thought that i would share with you the ritual that we performed in
blessing our children this past Lammas (we did it on July 30th),
Blessings to you all!
-Heidi
A WICCANING:
--consecrate the salt and water
(Priestess takes her athame, plunges the blade into the container of
salt, "So that you may be fit to dwell in this Sacred Space, I bless
this salt, in the names of our Lord and Lad, i bless this salt" then
transfering three 'knife-fuls' to the container of [in this case
water taken from the beach where we held the ritual] water "So that
you may be fit to dwell in this Sacred Space, I consecrate and bless
this water" and stir the salt into the water.)
--purify work space with [salt-]water
(Priestess walks the diameter of the Circle and casts the [salt-]water
along its perimeter)
--purify work space with incense and candle...
(Priest traverses the perimeter of the Circle with frankincense &
myrrh and then a candle)
Priest hands athame to Priestess who casts the Sacred Circle:
"With earth and air draw forth all that is fair
by fire and sea of ill stay free
O Circle, be thou a meeting-place of love and joy and truth
a shield against all wickedness and evil
a rampart of protection that shall preserve
the powers that we may raise within Thee.
Wherefore do i bless and consecrate thee.
Priestess welcomes all gathered into the Circle space:
"May your mind be free, may your heart be free, may your body be
free."
1493
Invoking the Watchtowers:
The Priestess takes the bowl of water to the East and says:
O cool lakes and deep seas of the East
waters soft and giving of fresh life
join with us --
Cast your blessings upon these children
and become a friend to them!
Blessed Be.
All echo, "Blessed Be!"
(the water is placed at the east gate)
The Priestess takes a candle to the South and says:
O warm sun and warm skies of the South
bringing life anew, the growth of all things,
and promise of the future,
join us --
Cast your blessings upon these children
and become a friend to them!
Blessed Be!
All echo, "Blessed Be!"
(the candle is placed at the south gate)
The Priestess takes the censor/sage to the West and says:
O Winds of the East
who bring forth freshness, life, and joy...
join us --
Cast your blessings upon these children
and and become a friend to them!
Blessed Be!
All echo, "Blessed Be!"
(the censor is placed at the west gate)
The Priestess takes the bowl of earth to the North and says:
O mighty mountains and endless steppes of the North
Meadows of green and the creatures that therein dwell
join us --
cast your blessings upon these children
and become a friend to them.
All echo, "Blessed Be!"
(the bowl is set at the north gate)
1494
The Priestess holds the alter Wand aloft and asks:
"Repeat after me....
As above so below
as the Universe, so the soul
as without so within.
Blessed and Gracious Ones -- on this night
do we consecrate to you
our minds, our bodies, and our spirits. Blessed Be!"
INVOKING THE GODDESS AND GOD
goddess:
All-dewy Sky-sailing Pregnant Moon
who shines for all
who flows through all
light of the world which is yourself
maiden mother crone
the weaver the green one
O most gracious and magnificent Lady
We ask that some portion of your presence
be here among us now
Give protection and shelter to the small
and sacred ones
who are here to be dedicated in Your honor.
god;
Seed sower, grain reborn
Antered One come!
Bright sun, Dark death,
Lord of winds, lord of the dance
sun-child, winter born king
Hanged one
Untamed, untamed!
Stag and stallion, goat and bull,
sailor of the last sea, guardian of the gate
lord of the two lands
ever-dying, ever-living, radiance
O ancient lord of the universe
we ask some portion of your presence here
among us now.
Shield and strengthen the children who shall be
dedicated in your honor!
1495
THE BLESSINGS and PURIFICATIONS
Maiden (in this case an unattached and close aunt of the children):
(as she sprinkles the children with barley)
"Dearest ones, may you never know hunger or poverty for
material or spiritual things. I bless you with the barley
of the Spirits, for nourishment and wealth."
Mother (the Priestess who is the mother of the children):
(as she sprinkles the children with water)
"I bless you in the name of the Spirits of all life and
healing, with the waters of the Earth, that you may be
healthy and strong in body, mind, and spirit. Let love
be your treasure, may you be happy in your heart."
Crone (the Priestess's mother and the grandmother of the children):
(as she sprinkles the children with salt)
"Dearest ones, may you have access to your own wisdom
and that of others. May you be protected from foolishness
and self-destruction. May you know the essence of things;
may you be bright and find it easy to learn and teach."
The Antlered One (the Priest, who is the father of the children):
(fire/sage incense)
"With the Fire of the Universe to spark your temper,
I would ask that you may find joy and a sense of merriment
in all that you accomplish - to see the lighter side
of life's journey and find happiness in your work."
THE DIVULGENCE OF THE NAMES (explained to the Witnesses):
ANCIENT EUROPEAN PEOPLES BELIEVED THAT YOU MUST HAVE TWO
NAMES, ONE PUBLIC AND ONE A SECRET NAME THAT ONLY THOSE
PRESENT AT THE BLESSING CEREMONY KNEW. THIS SECOND NAME
IS FOR USE AFTER PUBERTY, WHEN THE SOUL CHANGES INTO ITS
FIRST ADULT SELF, WHEN IT CAN BE UTTERED ONCE MORE, AND
MADE PUBLIC. THE PURPOSE OF THE FIRST PUBLIC NAME WAS TO
DIVERT THE EVIL EYE, TO GAIN FAVOR WITH THE FATES, TO
KEEP AWAY SICKNESS, AND TO HELP THE CHILD REACH ADULTHOOD.
Priestess:
"Great Spirit of Nature, protect and guide these young souls
among us.
May the Blessings of the wise and joyous Father of the Gods
far-seeing and far-knowing be upon thee.
May the blessings of the Triple Goddess,
of Maiden, of Mother, of Crone, and all their power
be upon thee."
The following blessings/invocations were spoken and followed by
the child being immersed in the ocean water of the beach where
the ritual was held:
1496
ELIZABETH'S DUNKING:
Anna Perenna
Great Goddess, Mother of All
Envelope this daughter of yours
in the waters of Your womb
Grant her protection from wrong-doing
Wash away the memories of her pain
Shower her with Your blessings
in a life everlasting
Bless Elizabeth Mae Luzerne.
So Mote it Be!
PATRICK'S DUNKING:
Great Goddess, Nurturer and Bearer of all Men, great and small
Without whose womb they would not be
Mother of Gods, of Sacrificial Kings,
Presidents, Emperors, and beggars
Welcome this son of Yours into Your Light
and as you have taught us, let him find
"Beauty and strength, power and compassion,
mirth and reverence, honor and humility"
within his heart.
Wash his fears away with your caress!
Bless Patrick Howard Lloyd!
Blessed Be!
MORGAINNE'S DUNKING:
Hail, o gracious and most magnificent Lady
whose slender hand turns the vast wheel of the sky.
whose triple aspect does see
the beginning, the life, and the end of all things.
whose wells of mystery do give
inspiration and rebirth thoughout eternity,
receive here this small daughter of yours with blessings
and with love.
Bless Morgainne Ellayne!
So mote it be!
(explained to the Witnesses:)
THE SECOND NAMES CHOSEN WERE DECIDED UPON FOR BOTH WHIMSICAL
AND SERIOUS REASONS -- FOR PERSONALITY AND FOR CIRCUMSTANCE.
"For this newest arrival, a small girl-child who came as
an unplanned gift from the gods, whose arrival has
challenged us and helped us grow, as did her namesake,
bringing all of Mankind's challenges upon him, she is
called PANDORA."
"For a small boy-child who seems to live for good food and drink,
who enjoys this life he's been blessed with, and who reminds us
that merriment is part of our everyday challenge as well as
paying the bills and doing the housework, so we found inspiration
in the spirited and fun-loving god of wine, and give his name
to our son, who will be BACCHUS."
1497
(our oldest, 4 year old daughter was severely burned when she was
16 months old, thus the inspiration for her naming...)
"And at last, for our eldest daughter, as did the beautiful bird rise
miraculously from its burning, so did she -- and aptly she is
named PHOENIX."
Priestess:
"O Lady of the Starry Heavens, Wise All-Father, behold these
lovely children, PANDORA, BACCHUS, and PHOENIX
conceived and brought forth in love.
Bless and protect them and grant the gifts of wisdom,
inspiration, and wonder, adorn them with your enduring
and eternal strength and steadfastness. May they ever
have spirits that seek the stars, and roots that hold
tight deep within thy loving breast."
SHARING OF THE BREAD AND WINE:
Priestess blesses the wine, dipping the athame into the chalice:
"As the cup is to the female so the athame is to the male,
and conjoined they bring blessed creation"
"Offering to the Mother:
Hail Earth, Mother of All!
May your fileds increase and flourish.
Your forests grow and spread,
And your waters run pure and free!
Accept my offering, O Earth Mother!
Bring forth that which is good, and sustaining,
For every living thing!"
--The Bread:
As the bread is passed around, the Priestess asks for its
glorification:
"Let us join hands and purify ourselves
breathing in the life force of the universe
and expelling all evil from us.
Take now of the bread
and know of the grain of which you partake
as the latest of countless generations
growing to fruitfulness
and in dying, giving of the seeds
from which new life shall spring
Know that every seed, every grain is
the record of times most ancient
and a promise of all that shall be.
Partake of the bread
and know of life eternal and of Immortality.
With this knowledge are our souls sustained."
1498
--The Wine:
As the Chalice of wine is shared around the Circle, the
Priestess asks for it's glorification, also:
Drink now of the wine
And know of the tranformation
of simple fruits to sparkling elixir
as this wine has undergone change
so by life's cauldron shall we
As this wine gives the enchantment of the Divine
or abasement into the lower realms,
so do all humans rise or fall in each life
As their own will and strength determines.
--The Storytelling:
at this point the group of celebrants and the witnesses were asked
to seat themselves and the Priestess read a story called "The Burning
of the Lady's People" chosen from a collection of Goddess tales,
THE STORYTELLER'S GODDESS by Carolyn McVickar Edwards.
--OPENING THE CIRCLE:
All join hands, Priestess says:
"Lords of the Winds, the Fires, the Seas, and the Fields, before you
depart to your fair and lovely realms, we thank you for your presence
this evening! Blessed be! ...
May the Circle be open but not broken
may the Beauty of the Goddess and the Strength of the God
dwell in our hearts. Merry meet, and merry part, and merry
meet again. Blessed Be!"
END
The Priestess of EarthWorld Circle wishes to acknowledge the many
sources from which these invocations and blessings and ritual writings
were chosen including MAGICAL RITES FROM THE CRYSTAL WELL by Ed Fitch,
and several of the various books by Stewart and Janet Farrar, Doreen
Valiente, Starhawke's THE SPIRAL DANCE, A WICCAN BARDO by Paul Beyerl,
and probably others that i've forgotten their original sources over
the years of use.
1499
{file "Washington Post Article (1991)" "bos298.htm"}
WP 04/28 The New Theology-Sheology; Mystical Women's Spiritual
Movements, Gaining Momentum ... and Adherents
By Judith Weinraub
Washington Post Staff Writer
Pagans atthe Harvard Divinity School.A goddess-centered ritual
at the University of Pennsylvania. A feminist seder in Silver Spring.
New moon groups at a rabbinical seminary. Women's spirituality ses-
sions at Appalachian State University, Wesleyan University, Brown.
What on earth is going on?
If theevents of thelast few monthsare any indication,women are
looking for a spiritual connection - for a way to push the boundaries
of their religious experience beyond the ordinary confines of tradi-
tional Judeo-Christian monotheism. Consciousness-raising may have been
the solace of the '70s and career development the icon of the '80s,
but the '90s offer a very different option - the spirit.
Today's seekers, after all, are the daughters of the feminist
revolution. Not for them the victimized heroines and saints of the
past. Not for them the patriarchal structure of the male-dominated
religions of the Old and New Testaments.
Their touchstones are the pagan religions, the pre-Christian
Earth-centered goddess cults that stress the harmony of the universe -
movements that offerequality rather than hierarchy, peace rather than
war, joy rather than guilt, ritual rather than rote.
"It'sreligion without the middleman- including sex and drugs,"
says Margot Adler, a journalist at National Public Radio and the
author of "Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers
and Other Pagans in America Today."
The women's spirituality movement, which practitioners estimate as
attracting as many as 500,000 people across the country, is basically
benign. And has nothing to do with the satanic cults of national TV
talk shows. Whether mainstream, new age, goddess-oriented (a point of
view expressing a female- and earth-centered style of worship rather
than a specific body of liturgy) or wiccan (a mainly British Isles
paganism that refers to the Old English word for witch), today's
celebrants are as various as they are hard to count.
"It'sdefinitely growing,but you'll neverget hardfigures," says
Adler, whose book was originally published in 1979 and, with more than
100,000 in print, still sells more than 10,000 a year. "A group of
women can start a group and not tell anybody, and you'll have a
thriving group doing rituals and who will know?"
What canbe traced isthe flourishingbook industry, mostlyout of
San Francisco, that the movement has spawned. Two books published in
1979 - Adler's and "The Spiral Dance," a more personal vision by the
San Francisco-based "priestess" known as Starhawk - have been par-
ticularly influential.
What can also be pinned down are the threads that are woven
through the burgeoning movement: a dissatisfaction with the way women
are treated within traditional religions, a yearning for ritual, a
desire for a historical connection, despair over the fragmentation of
society and a concern about the future of the planet.
Says Diana Hayes, professor of theology at Georgetown: "Within
Christianity, theology and spirituality have been male oriented, male
dominated, because they are the ones articulating it. But we all are
affected by who we are, where we came from, our life experience, our
relationship with god.
1500
"So thechallenge has beento get thisrealization out inthe open
and to have the men who dominate theological circles realize that they
cannot speak for the rest of the human race. Women do not think or act
the way men do. Therefore our spirituality will not be the same as
men's."
Listen to voices from the women's spirituality movement:
Diann Neu, women's religiousleader, master's degrees in sacred
theology and in divinity from the Graduate Theological Union, Graduate
School of Theology, Berkeley; co-founder of WATER (Women's Alliance
for Theology, Ethics and Ritual) in Silver Spring: "I was a Catholic
woman who thought I'd be one of the first to be ordained. I thought it
would happen by 1980. After all, there were only two possible paths
from the seminary: to teach on a faculty or to be ordained. I wasn't
interested in teaching and of course couldn't be ordained - though I
always hoped there was the possibility. I was disappointed. Pained.
Hurt. Angry. Distressed. So I started creating alternatives. I knew it
was something I needed to do. It was very exciting to me."
Starhawk, priestess of the Old Religion of the Goddess, witch,
religious leader, writer, counselor, women's spirituality superstar:
"In the very simplest terms, the goddess represents the sacredness of
nature, of human life and human creativity as well - the idea that
human beings are meant to be integrated with nature. In the goddess
tradition the sacred is embodied in the earth, in ecological systems,
in human beings in different cultures. If we're all sacred, we have to
deal equally with each other. And when we really see the earth as this
sacred place, and we know that everything is connected, it makes it
very hard to think about killing somebody, to write off whole groups
of people."
Diana Hayes, Catholic convert (from AME), professor of theology,
Georgetown University: "All of us have to be allowed to voice our
spirituality in our own ways. I see myself not as a feminist but as a
womanist, a feminist of color. Women of color - black, Hispanic,
Asian - have begun to realize that the feminist movement has been an
exclusive, white, middle, and upper-middle-class movement. Womanists
are challenging the feminist movement in the same way that feminists
have been challenging the church. As a black woman within the
Catholic church, without that attitude, I'd have to be deaf, dumb and
blind."
Margot Adler, journalist, an elder with Covenant of the Goddess, a
priestess, the granddaughter of analyst Alfred Adler: "I think it
would be fair to say that none of this would have happened to me if I
hadn't been hit over the head in the seventh grade by studying the
gods Artemis and Athena. This was the late '50s, and there weren't a
lot of powerful images of women. What was interesting was we studied
Greece for a whole year, and this was my religion. But I think way
down deep I didn't want to worship these goddesses - I wanted
to BE them."
Linda Pinty, a student atHarvard Divinity School, the intern
minister at the First Parish Church of Unitarian Universalists in
Cambridge, and one of the co-founders of CUPPS, the Covenant of
Unitarian Universalist Pagans: I was brought up a Baptist in Michigan
but left the church in my late teens and read my way to the Unitarian
Universalists. I felt it was a place I could have freedom to search.
The neo-pagan movement brings a lot of things together. It offers a
much healthier and holistic way of experiencing ecstasy about life,
the goodness of creation and connecting at deep levels with other
creatures. In neo-paganism, a need to heal the earth is prominent -
it's important to take care of Mother Earth."
1501
Susan Gale, a Philadelphia wife and mother and self-described
"radical feminist witch not yet out of the broom closet" in her
neighborhood: "There's a pain that's in young women even a decade
after feminism. I was raised in a tough poor working-class neighbor-
hood. My mother was a German Protestant, my father an Italian Catho-
lic. I was raised as a very religious Presbyterian, but it didn't
matter that I was the most brilliant student in my religion class -
there wasn't a place for me as a minister. Deacons and ministers were
men. And a lot of it rubbed me the wrong way: the anti-sexuality,
anti-sensuality, the guilt and sin and punishment rather than joy.
From the time I was a little kid, I couldn't accept redemptive suffer-
ing. Why is the central metaphor of most religions the bloody violent
death of a male? Why is it not birth?"
Invoking the Spirit
Starhawk signs her books"Blessed be." It is alsoher greeting
and her Amen.
In alarge room set up withflowers, crystals, trinkets and copies
of her books, she presided recently at a women's ritual at the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania's Christian Association.
"Where would you likethe altar?" asked a participantbefore the
candles encased in glass were set on a brightly colored cloth in the
center of the room.
Two hundred womenof similarmind-sets - butvarying ages,religi-
ons, occupations and sexual orientations - were ready to join Starhawk
at the three-hour, $40 event. Another couple of hundred men and women
arrived later that evening for Starhawk's lecture.
People like GeelaRazael Raphael,a rabbinical studentwho wasone
of the event's organizers. "Starhawk is a spiritual leader, a women's
spirituality leader," says Raphael. "As a potential rabbi wanting to
be a spiritual leader, I want to see as many role models as I can. Her
form of non-hierarchical religion can be used in more traditional
practice."
In person, the 40ishpriestess looks not unlike theonetime tall
Jewish girl from Los Angeles she used to be. But her soft-voiced,
authoritative presence and staccato chanting and drumming command her
sessions with surprising power.
Women wear comfortable clothing: jeans, skirts, sweaters, tie-dye
revisited. A majority tend to be of a certain size - the goddess
religion rejoices in the female body. There are many embraces. Net-
working materials are exchanged. Before casting the formal circle that
so many women's rituals start out with, Starhawk encourages the
youngest and strongest in the group to form an inner circle around the
altar.
Starhawk warms up the group with physical and vocal stretches. As
participants form a larger ring around the inner one, she "casts" the
ritual circle, theoretically making the space within it a special
place. Candles representing the four directions and the Earth's center
are lit. Earth, air, fire and water are invoked.
Women stand and sway as she drums, urging them to find their
centers, their connectedness, often against the background of a simple
chant:
"Rising, rising, the earth is rising.
Turning turning, the tide is turning.
Changing changing, she changes everything she touches.
Changing, changing, and everything she touches changes."
1502
Like many women's ritualleaders, Starhawk uses such chantsas a
kind of surrogate liturgy. Presented at different moments that morn-
ing, the lilting song she teaches is used as a blessing, a uniting
force, a backdrop to movement and dance.
Starhawk leads the groupthrough a series ofactivities - somethat
draw upon the circle as a whole, some small group discussions, guided
visualizations. "What kind of a body are you in?" she asks. "Look at
your body. How does it feel?"
Some people writhe. Others beat time to the drums. Some stand
awkwardly (earlier she assured them not to worry if they feel ill at
ease). Some look dubious.
Tofocus the visualization evenmore, Starhawk takesthe group to
an imaginary crossroads in the sky. "Close your eyes," she says.
"Reach out and feel and touch and smell these roads until you find one
that feels like a road in the future. Go down the road. Know you can
come back to this place of power because it is you. And remember there
are many roads to the future. The road you chose is only one pos-
sibility."
The session endswith a grandfinale "spiral dance"- clockwiseto
invoke, then counterclockwise to release. "Anything you want to do
involves both," she says.
A giftedspeaker with an easysense of humor, Starhawkis equally
at home beating time in the center of a ritual or working the crowd at
the podium of a lecture hall. She is also at home with what she calls
the "W" word ("witch"). "Unless we understand it, we don't know why a
powerful woman is so threatening and so frightening," she says. "There
was a 400-year reign of terror particularly directed against women who
were then burned alive," she says, likening the witch hunts to the
African slave trade, the Holocaust.
Starhawk became interested in witchcraft in her late teenswhen
she and a friend did a student seminar on the subject at UCLA. Now she
is at the forefront of a movement to reclaim the word for positive
use. (Male witches also use the word rather than warlock, which means
traitor.)
For mostpeople, of course,the word "witch" conjuresup an image
of a crinkled old woman you wouldn't want your children to talk to.
But the picture of the craft that emerges within today's women's
spirituality movement (and that is reinforced by Starhawk's Philadel-
phia ritual) is a combination of group therapy, positive thinking,
stretching exercises, guided visualization, song and dance - and even
pot luck.
Its goddess- and nature-orientedprecepts are similar tothe Old
Religion of prehistoric times and societies that fell victim to the
witch hunts and persecutions of medieval and renaissance Europe. It is
earth-centered, individualistic and peace-loving.
Starhawk spends about a third of her time teaching ritual and
spreading the
faith at college campuses and other forums around the country, and in
Canada. She feels that people crave it. "Even people who live in
cities - like most of us - are still connected to the cycles of
nature," she says. "Doing ritual that helps you affirm that helps us
not to feel cut off from the larger life around us, the actual life
support systems that sustain our lives."
1503
Women's Rites
Spring,with itsvivid reminders ofthe cycle ofbirth and death
andrebirth, is a fertile time for the rituals of women's spirituality.
Look at some recent manifestations in the Washington area:
Last month, attracted by a flier heralding a celebration of the
goddess ("dancing, singing, drumming, healing, creativity, inspira-
tion, discovery, nurturing and goddess games"), 21 women gathered in a
conference center in Potomac in honor of the spring equinox. "The day
was designed for women who wanted to bring out the goddess within
them," says organizer Nancy Smith, a seminar leader who specializes in
stress management and massage therapy.
120 men, women and children turned up last month for a feminist
Seder (for Holy Thursday as well as Passover) put on by the Silver
Spring-based WATER. Now a place where Christian and Jewish women can
come together for a feminist interpretation of religious rituals,
WATER was created by Diann Neu and Mary Hunt, two Catholic theologian-
s, in 1983. They send out 10,000 newsletters, stage workshops, con-
ferences and lectures, hold ecumenical monthly breakfasts for women in
ministry, publish books and act as an all-purpose feminist resource.
On April 14, the new moon heralded the Jewish celebration of Rosh
Hodosh. A group of women interested in finding or creating ritual
specifically for Jewish women gathered in a Silver Spring home in
honor of the occasion. Instead of going ahead with their scheduled
topic - the redefinition of God in non-masculine terms - the group
(representing a 30-year age span) shared its feelings and prayed (to
the feminine aspect of god) about the recent death of a 42-year-old
friend.
Atthe All Souls Church in the District a smaller group of women is
currently investigating women's religious history each Sunday after-
noon through "Cakes for the Queen of Heaven," a 10-part correspondence
course available through the Unitarian Universalist Church. Bev Tubby,
who took the course last year, is one of the conveners this year. "In
spite of everything that's been written about feminism and role
differences, women really do bring a wonderfully strong view to this
world," she says. "We do have a different perspective - it has to do
with the human context and human relationships. If women are not
cognizant of their spiritual history, they are missing out on a more
complete identity that can help form our ideas of who we are and what
we want to do in this world and how we're going to do it."
And June 6, "Kestryl & Company," the first of six biweekly talk
shows about contemporary witchcraft will air on Arlington Community
Cable, Channel 33. Produced by Cheryl Ann Costa, a computer program-
mer and third-degree Wicca high priestess, and moderated by Erica
Angell (known as Kestryl), a housewife and second-degree high pries-
tess, the show will feature high priests, magical tool makers, tarot
experts and pagan bards. "Many people are looking for a way to plug
into The Craft," says Costa. This is an easy way to do it.
Havingcast their lotwith an enlargedview ofthe sacred, these
women, like many others all over the country, are looking to the
spiritual as a hope for the future.
"It's life-giving for me to be a part of it, and tocreate it,"
says WATER's Neu.
"What I keep coming back to is that there is a growing power
within women. We are breaking all kinds of silences. Things are
happening because there are more and more groups where women feel
safe. My hope is that we'll keep creating these safe spaces where
being together as men and women is possible."
1504
{file "The 12 Steps and Shamanism (Matrika, P.A.N.)" "bos299.htm"}
The 12 steps and Shamanism
by Matrika co-sysop of PAN - the Psychic Awareness Network at
1-703-362-1139 copyright by PAN and Harvest ( a pagan newsletter at
box 228 S. Framinham MA 01701 - $13. per year)
Author's note - this article was first published by me under the name
JUKNO in Harvest's Yule edition, 1989.
Recently a local charecter in Alcoholics Anonymous here in the Wor-
cester MA. area died. His name was "John the Indian" (he identified
himself this way) and he was well-known as an AA speaker all over the
world, although he lived near central Massechusetts. John had about
thirty years of sobriety and was a great power of example to many
people including Betty Ford who told him she had listened to tapes of
his talks while she was in detox.
John's story intrigued many people. An Indian who had been orphaned
on the reservation when Tuberculosis wiped out his familly, he had
ended up on skid row after serving in the Canadian army during World
War II as a dishwasher. He came to AA in his mid-twenties, an il-
literate wine. ( my note - this is NOT to imply that most alcoholics
are on skid row. In fact most of them are people with nice famillies,
a place to live, a car or even two, a job, etc. etc. etc. Less that
2% of the alcoholics in this country are on skid row) He ended up
owning his own construction business after learning to read (from a
elderly woman in AA who was a school teacher) and marrying a lady in
AA with whom he raised a lovely familly.
Because John had inspired me and so affected my life with his gift of
simplicity, I was inspired to do a shamanic-style rite in his memory.
I had always felt sorry for John because, in the process of his
recovery, he seemed to have lost touch with the beauty of this herita-
ge. Then it hit me; John WAS a shaman and anyone who truly worked a
12-step program was one too.
In BIRTH OF A MODERN SHAMAN by Cynthia Bend and Tayja Wiger (Llewelyn
Publication box 64383, St. Paul MN. 1988 ) it states
" A shaman is hard to define. There are no two alike..... what
happens, a shaman goes through a catastrophe or a string of
catastrophes that enhance certain abilities within him ( or her! )
.....Most often theShaman has togo through a severetrauma, a
severe illness or a severe psychosis and recover from it before he
learns the recovery process that he can use."
The authors are quoting Tsonkawa, Tayja's teacher on the Shamanic
path. (a Native American Medicine person)
Many other authors on Shamanism; Sunbear, Lynn Andrews, Amber Wolfe
and Micheal Harner, to name a few: echo this truth. A shaman is a
person who goes through great suffering, usually in the form of a
mental or physical illness, and then goes on to heal himself or her-
self. They are then able to use that same process to heal others.
This is what happens in a twelve-step fellowship. Through the process
of healing ourselves, we come to the point where we can help others hy
"carrying the message" after having had a "spiritual awakening" as the
result of taking the first eleven steps.
1505
Here are some books that can help any Pagan, Shaman, Druid, Witch,
Practitioner of Feminist Spirituality, or other Magickal folk as they
walk the steps in the process of recovering, while retaining their own
unique spiritual path.
TRUTH OR DARE by Starhawk (San Francisco, Harper and Row, 1987) This
contains many references to the 12-step programs, especially Alcohol-
ics Anonymous and Adult Children of Alcoholics, in a work on Wicca by
a well-known priestess of the Craft who is also a psychotherapist.
CRYSTAL CLEAR by Connie Church (Bew York, Willard books 1987) It
contains a good section on how to use quartz crystals to help in
relieving yourself of bad habits, compulsions, and obsessions, specif-
ically for use with the various twelve-step programs. (note - amethyst
is traditionally said to help in all these areas)
BIRTH OF A MODERN SHAMAN, mentioned above, tells the story of a blind
Native American woman who was a survivor of Child abuse and had been
Psycotic as well as Alcoholic. This is the story of her complete
recovery, including her eyesight, (documented by doctors) and the
discovery of her Psychic gifts with her Native roots. Her healing
occured through a process that began for her in Alcoholics Anonymous.
THE TWELVE STEPS FOR EVERYONE published by Compcare (Minneapolis MN.)
this is a non-sexist book on the steps by a grateful recovering member
of Emotional Health Anonymous written in non-sexist language. The
author draws heavily on the Eastern traditions of spirituality as well
as the traditional Western monotheistic ones.
EVERYDAY A NEW BEGINNING Published by Hazelden corp. (Also in Min-
neapolis, MN. I believe) This is a daily meditation guide BY women in
Anonymous fellowships and FOR women in these same self-help groups.
Unlike the TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY book (published by the same company
and widely used in AA) it doesn't use quotes from the Bible. Instead
it uses quotes from various women authors. Many men also claim to
have benefitted from it due to it's non-religious approach.
PAGANS IN RECOVERY a networking newsletter for Magickal folk, Shamans,
Druids, Feminist Priestesses, Witches, Pagans, Pantheists, etc. who
are in recovery via a 12-step fellowship of any type. It has con-
tacts, reviews, articles, recovery techniques and more. It is a great
source of support and inspiration to any Pagan in any of the Anonymous
support groups. It is $8.00 a year and the address is P.I.R. c/o
Bekki 6500 S.R. 356 New Marshfield, OHIO 45766
1506
ADDITION TO READING LIST
REFLECTIONS IN THE LIGHT by Shakti Gawain, published by New World
Library, San Rafael, California 1978. While not ONLY for the 12-step
programs this book does go into the problems of addictions in light of
the New-Age, Psychic Awareness as well as many other subjects. It
provides a inspirational message and/or a creative visualization
exercise with a non-sectarian affirmation for each day. The book is
neither sexist nor sectarian and is truly a beautiful aid to anyone
seeking to work the program of recovery. It is also a great way to
share what you are doing with friends who share your spirituality but
not your program, as it makes no direct references to the 12-step
groups at all. It is very useful to those of us who prefer a daily
meditation to the "prayer" people in the monotheistic Churches and
Synagogues tend to use in their application of the program to their
lives.
1507
{file "Divine Circle Scam" "bos300.htm"}
Divine Circle of The Sacred Grove ***SCAM**
Office of the Preceptor
P.O. Box 66311, Seattle, WA, U.S.A. 98166
THE FOLLOWING IS FOR PUBLICATION;
To the Pagan Community:
In July of 1991, ADF sent out a Druid Alert about an
organization called the Divine Circle of the Sacred Grove. ADF
began investigating this group because they were using ADF
letterhead, membership forms, advertising copy, and other
materials with their names substituted for ours. Prior to raising
any public issues, ADF's Preceptor, Domi O'Brien called the group
and talked to their Scribe, Kal Mannis. Mr. Mannis told her that
if she had questions, she could come to a public meeting on July
2nd, 1991, in Seattle, and ask them there.
Domi, Bwca, Erynn and members of 4 other Traditions and
organizations attended their talk. We noted with increasing
amazement their claims and their views of the interrelationship
of Druidism and Wicca, and after they mentioned Isaac Bonewits,
Domi challenged some of their staements, as the ADF Preceptor.
The DCSG literature going back to 1988 was examined, along with
other staements which have been made to us or others. Janette
Laverna Garcia a/k/a Gordon a/k/a Copeland, born 2/9/1942,
Houston TX,; Richard Norman Ian Garcia a/k/a Gordon a/k/a
Copeland, born 8/12/1940, Prescott, AZ; Jerry Eugene Everett
Wayne Reamer a/k/a Prophet, born 8/12/1948, Pottstown, PA; Kalman
Mannis, Nancy Brown, Brenda Matarazzo, David Trippey, Donovan
Cotton; Dr. Jay Tibbles, Mary Ernst, and others affiliated with
their group were examined for legitamate mundane and magickal
credentials. The only person whose credentials we were able to
verify was Dr. Jay Tibbles.
Janette's claims, as given in her various peices of
literature, and as made to us, or to persons whose credentials we
were able to verify, include: Hereditary Witch and Druid; Pipe
Carrier for the Lumbee, the Sioux, the Cherokee, and the Chumash;
member of the MotherGrove and Board of Directors of the ADF, as
well as group marriage to the entire ADF Board of Directors;
membership and 3rd Circle status in the British Circle of the
Universal Bond; training by Ross Nichols, 3rd Degree Celtic and
Egyptian Priestess; 3rd Degree Alexandrian Priestess, New York,
1973; 3rd Degree Gardinarian Priestess, New York, 1965;
incorporation of her organization in 14 states; training by
Rhuddlwm Gawr, and training by Grandmaster Eli (Barney Taylor, of
the Druidic Craft of the Wise), marriage to Eli, as well as being
both Eli's daughter and graddaughter. She has also claimed to be
a registereed nurse, a cosmetologist; a paralegal; a professional
writer of romance novels, and a Vietnam Veteran. Ms. Copeland (?)
claims that she has 10,000 people on her mailing list, groves all
over the United States, and that she was born in London during
the Blitz, although she has alos claimed that she was born in
Houston TX. Ms Garcia (?) claims that her father, a U.S. Army
Major on Eisenhower's staff during WW II (not, by the way,
Grandmaster Eli), and her mother, a nurse now resident in
Atlanta, were both members of the Circle of the Universal Bond.
She claims that she was raised by a Cherokee grandfather. She
claims to have been teaching Wicca, which she says is a
simplified version of Druidism for the masses, since 1954, when
she was 12 years old.
1508
Ms Gordon(?) took Lady Sabrin's course from Our Lady of
Enchanment in 1987 and 1988, giving totally different information
about herself then she gives now. According to Lady Sabrina,
Janette has been selling Sabrina's courses as her own ever since.
We have examined lessons from Janette's and Sabrina's courses,
and they are indeed substantially identical, except that Sabrina
can spell.
Janette joined ADF in 1987, giving yet another set of data
about herself, claiming no leadership positions, newsletters, or
other affiliations. A check of the material on her application
shows it to be substantially false.
In checking Janette's claims, we contacted the Secretary of
state, and Board of Nursing Registrations in the 14 states in
which she claimed incorporation. Her organization is incorporated
only in Washington and California. She is not listed as a
registered nurse anywhere we checked. She and her group were
offering BA's, MA's, and PhD's in Washington State until directed
to cease and desist by the Higher Education Coordinating Board.
They later obtained a religious exemption by saying that they
were offering degrees only in Divinity and Theology. Former
mebers of their organization state that most of their claims in
their catalog as to available courses and faculty credentials are
false.
In examining their other claims we contacted over two
hundred persons and groups in this country and abroad in an
effort to authenticate their initiations and organizational
affiliations.
No one we contacted verified any of the DCSG's claims. All
stated that they had never trained or initiated any known
officers or members of the DCSG. Most had never even heard of
them. Furthur, former members of her organization have mentioned
paying thousands of dollars for courses, and additional thousands
paid out on "tithes" -- 10% of their annual income to support the
work of the Order of Melchizadek (demanded in the middle of their
initiation or elevation rituals). We have also been contacted by
Social Serrvices, Education, Law Enforcement and other
authorities for other information about DCSG, and/or its members.
ADF and some other Pagan groups and organziations are
cooperating fully with these investigations, and have made it
clear to the investigators that we do not regard these people as
legitamate members of the Pagan community, since none of their
alleged training and initiations can be verified, and may have
been directly disproven. As Pagans, whatever our path, we can
ill-afford to remain silent while groups knowingly steal and sell
courses written by others, claiming training ties to the most
senior and respected members of our community that they do not
have, and engage in questionable behaviour presenting themselves
as our kin, elders, and representatives to the world at large.
Domi O'Brien T. Bwca Erynn Darkstar
DTG Priestess Elder, NECTW Greenleaf Coven
CWO Priestess Inis Glas
Preceptor/Vice ArchDruid, ADF
1509
By: Domi O
To: Lewis Stead
Re: Details, please.
Lady Sabrina was initiated by Bob Moshier and Dorothy Trion in
Tuscon Arizona in 1978, according to what she says. She was in
Danville, California for a
while, near San Franscisco; and was in COG (I have not checked
this); she then studied with Gavin and Yvonne in New Bern for 1 and
a half years; then moved to Billerica, Mass; then to Hudson, NH;
then Nashua, NH. I was in Epping, NH when a Gardnerian friend and
fellow NH College administrator, Gerry Reilly, introduced me to
Sabrina. Since I am Daughters of the Triple Goddess and Celtic
Wiccan Order trained, Gerry's brand of witchcraft and Sabrina's
struck me equally weird.
I talked to Gavin and Yvonne last week; they feel Sabrina has
borrowed heavily from them but they don't have an issue with it and
they don't consider their organisation and hers to be connected.
In 1987 Geraldine Gumm aka Gerri Garcia aka Queen Druid aka Laura
Copeland aka Janette Gordon aka Janette Copeland aka Laverna Gordon
aka Laverna Copeland aka Gerry Garcia aka Gerri Gunn aka Gerri Teah
Garcia aka Jerry Leah Garcia took Sabrina's course; in winter of
1989 she began advertising a coorespondence course in Wicca, which
according to Sabrina is Sabrina's. I've looked at them; they are
very much alike. The Frosts and Sabrina both teach non-mainstream
Wicca and charged for Craft when no one was doing that. I have
heard far more negative things about some far more mainstream
figures; both the Frosts and Sabrina are very public and really
seem to have nothing to hide. What they teach isn't my Craft, but
I will defend their right to practice their version and teach it
as they see fit. Or did you mean something else ?
Domi of ADF
By: Domi O
To: Corwynt
Re: ADF letter
Indeed it is from us. Since then, we have gotten "Janette's" arrest
and conviction records from New Mexico and word from a usually
reliable source that her real name may be Geraldine Gumm, and real
date of birth may be 2-9-40. I am also informed by a law
enforcement source that she has other records in several states.
These range from child neglect to unlawful touching of dead bodies
to kidnapping.
Her group was investigated in 1975 in Arizona for dead bodies and
missing persons, moved a bit over a hundred miles as the crow
flies, and she and her husband were arrested in New Mexico in 1978.
The children involved were returned to their parents, two being
kept in social service custody while it was determined to whom they
belonged, and two members of the group were "deprogramed" by Ted
Patrick. She was calling herself "Queen Druid" then and initiating
folks as "WI" or "witch one". I have a lovely pile of court papers
and newspaper clippings I will gladly share with anyone who'd like
to send me $4 for photocopying and postage...
Domi O'Brien
Box 66311
Seattle, WA 98166
1510
{file "Wiccan Rede (Poetic)" "bos301.htm"}
The Rede of the Wicca
(Being known as the Counsel of the Wise Ones:)
Bide the Wiccan laws ye must
in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust
Live and let live
Freely take and freely give
Cast the circle thrice about
To keep all evil spirits out
To bind the spell every time
Let the spell be spake in rhyme
Soft of eye and light of touch
Speak little, listen much
Deosil go by the waxing moon
Sing and dance the Wiccan rune
Widdershins go when the moon doth wane
And the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane
When the Lady's moon is new
Kiss thy hand to her times two
When the moon rides at her peak
Then your heart's desire seek
Heed the northwind's mighty gale
Lock the door and drop the sail
When the wind comes from the south
Love will kiss thee on the mouth
When the wind blows from the east
Expect the new and set the feast
When the west wind blows o'er thee
Departed spirits restless be
Nine woods in the cauldron go
Burn them fast and burn them slow
Elder be ye Lady's tree
Burn it not or cursed ye'll be
When the wheel begins to turn
Let the Beltain fires burn
When the wheel has turned to Yule
Light the log and let Pan rule
Heed ye flower, bush and tree
By the Lady, Blessed be
Where the rippling waters go
Cast a stone and truth ye'll know
1511
The Rede of the Wicca
(Being known as the Counsel of the Wise Ones:)
(continued from previous page)
When ye have a need
Hearken not to others' greed
With the fool no season spend
Nor be counted as his friend
Merry meet and merry part
Bright the cheeks and warm the heart
Mind the Threefold Law ye should
Three times bad and three times good
When misfortune is enow
Wear the blue star on thy brow
True in love ever be
Unless thy lover's false to thee
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill
An' it harm none, do what ye will
1512
{file "Blessing Prayer (Traditional Gardnerian "Dryghten Prayer")" "bos302.htm"}
"Dryghten" Blessing Prayer (Gardnerian)
By: David Piper
The only published copy of the Blessing Prayer that I know of is in
the book "Witch Blood! The Diary Of A Witch High Priestess!" by
Patricia Crowther in chapter four (paperback edition 1974, House Of
Collectibles, Inc.).
"In the name of Dryghtyn, the Ancient Providence,
Who was from the beginning and is for eternity,
Male and Female, the Original Source of all things;
all-knowing, all-pervading, all-powerful;
changeless, eternal.
"In the name of the Lady of the Moon,
and the Lord of Death and Resurrection.
"In the name of the Mighty Ones of the Four Quarters,
the Kings of the Elements.
"Blessed be this place, and this time,
and they who are now with us."
Life, Light, Love!
Blessed Be!
Dianis Lucien
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(120) Tue 17 Nov 92 21:12
By: Airmid
To: David Piper
Re: Monism/monotheism
St:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
@INTL 93:9500/0 93:9500/0
DP> When you examine the "Blessing Prayer" of English Trad
Wicca however, the Dryghtyn is obviously more than just a unifying
essence since It is called: "the original source of all things;
all-knowing, all-pervading, all-powerful; changeless, eternal." It
describes the Ultimate, the Absolute, the Godhead of which the God and
the Goddess are at one and the same time, both Its Polarities and also
Its first Manifestations.
Dryghtyn is also the name used for JHVH in some old English bibles. I
think that was where the term actually originated. I think I saw a
passing reference to it in some boxed comparative translated text in
"In Search of the Indo-Europeans."
1513
{file "Meditation Techniques, Basic (Bill Witt)" "bos303.htm"}
===================================
BASIC MEDITATION TECHNIQUES
by
Bill Witt
===================================
The course is devided into three sections. Section one deals with
what meditation is and how it plays a part in the lives of those who
use it. Section two will go into the techniques and tools of medita-
tion. Section three gives suggestions on how to use what you've
learned, in everyday life. A list of books for further reading on the
subject, will be given at the end of section three.
Webster defines meditation as "The act of meditating; close or con-
tinued thought; the revolving of a subject in the mind."
To meditate is to focusmentally on one thought, idea, orconcept.
It may also mean, to revolve an idea in your mind so as to change the
way in which you think of that idea. Meditation is therefore, a tool
with which you may manipulate thought in an organized manner.
Many people view meditationas a very difficult thing tolearn. In
reality though, we do it often without even knowing it. When you
daydream or find your mind fixed on one thought, that is a form of
meditation. Have you ever watched a bird in flight, or stared up at
the clouds in the sky, or maybe even found yourself watching a stream
of water flow by? If you have and at that moment the rest of the world
around you has seemed removed, then you were in a state of meditation.
The real key to this practice, is to be able to exercise control over
your thoughts and awareness of the world around you.
There are manygroups of people for whom meditationis an everyday
ritual. Others use it at special times as a means of relaxation and
"mental house cleaning." It allows the individual a freedom unlike no
other freedom. The freedom to look inside oneself and learn just who
you are. Some use it as a way of being closer to nature or God. No
matter how you wish to use it, you will find it a healthy and very
rewarding experience.
Most all religions practice meditation in one way or another.
Eastern philosophies such as Yoga, and Buddism are not the only ones
to view meditation as a way of looking for the Truth found in one's
own consciousness. Even in Christianity meditation finds a place of
value. The Bible itself mentions the value of meditation. In writing
to the Phillippians, the Apostle Paul tells them this. "Finally,
brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever
things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be
any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
(Phil. 4.8)
So you ask,what can it do for me. Well, beyond just being a good
way to really relax, which we can all use in this hectic world, it can
be a doorway to the Truth inside yourself. It is a way of gaining
wisdom. Knowledge has always been fairly easy to come by. Wisdom on
the other hand, is a bit harder to grasp onto.
1514
In "The Task" by William Cowper, the following line is found.
"Knowledge dwells in heads replete with thoughts of other men: Wisdom,
in minds attentive to their own."
For me, meditaion becomesa way of "grounding" myself,of reaching
a place of peace and stability, where I can find how I fit into the
universe.
Inmany philosophies, meditaion isviewed as anecessary skill. All
those who are students of these philosophies must learn the ways of
meditaion early in their training. Although the techniques may vary
from one group to another, the most basic concepts remain the same.
The ability to be able to focus on one thought and selectively block
out all others is the foundation upon which many more advanced skills
will be built. These skills may range from telepathy to the ability to
move objects with only the mind.
It is well known that Yogi adepts can lower their breathing and
heart rates to near death levels. This is something you should not try
as it takes years of practice to learn and can be quite dangerous.
Still, these yogis are proof of the type of power the mind can exer-
cise over the body through meditation.
In some cultures, the use of drugs to achieve a meditative state is
encouraged. The american indians for example, used drugs derived from
various plants to put themselves into an altered state of concious-
ness. This was usually done as a religious practice and as an event
marking the change from one state of life to another. A good example
would be the ceremony marking the coming into manhood of a young boy.
Today there are still many, who advocate the use of drugs to achieve
these altered states. It is my opinion that such measures are neither
necessary nor good. You can reach an altered state of conciousness
without the use of drug induced "highs". It takes practice, but
it can be done.
In New Age philosophy, theart of meditaion is highlyvalued. We
also find another well developed skill which is called "creative
visualization". This is the idea of visualising what you want to the
point of it becoming reality. A good example would be a salesman
visualizing himself as successful and prosperous. The concept is
simple, if you can visualize a personal reality, you can change or
bring that reality into being. "Positive Thinking" is a very
similar idea. The technique of creative visualization goes beyond
positive thinking however. It deals with the premise that we all
create our own reality and therefore have the power to change many
aspects of that reality. The idea of "personal reality" is a lengthy
one and we do not have enough room to cover it in this course.
So far we have lookedbriefly at what meditation is and how it is
used. By no means have we touched on all the aspects of this practice.
There are many books on the subject which cover it in much more
detail. My purpose is to give you an overview of the many facets of
meditation in the hope that you will wish to learn more.
1515
BASIC MEDITATION TECHNIQUES
===================================
This is the second part of a three part online course in Basic
Meditation Techniques
Thecourse is devided into three sections. Section one deals with
what meditation is and how it plays a part in the lives of those who
use it. Section two will go into the techniques and tools of medita-
tion. Section three gives suggestions on how to use what you've
learned, in everyday life. A list of books for further reading on the
subject, will be given at the end of section three.
In thissecond section ofthe "Basic MeditationTechniques" course,
we will discuss various relaxation procedures and how they will aid
you in entering a trance or meditative state. You will also be given
some ideas about types of music and other "tools" which can help you
achieve these relaxed states of mind. Let's begin.
First, let's set thestage for our meditation practice.You should
pick a place which is as private and safe as possible. An altered
state of mind, as in meditation, lessens your awareness of the outside
world. For this reason, it is not advisable to practice these techni-
ques in a public place where there is a chance of being mugged,
robbed, or molested. If you are at home, with other family members or
friends present, ask that you not be disturbed and that all other
noise in the house be kept to a minimum. When you have found a place
suitable for meditation, you may begin.
"The seekers of new mind states-the mind control devotees, the
encounter group enthusiasts, the drug takers, the psychics, the
meditators - all are on a journey into the interior universe trying to
burst the limits of the socially conditioned mind. Weither acceptable
or unacceptable, moral or immoral, wise or foolish, the mind of man is
stirring toward a new evolution."
Dr. Barbara Brown (1)
As Isaid in section one,trance or meditaive states,alter the way
your mind deals with the realities it accepts as normal. Things which
are experienced in a trance state are often not easily expressed in
everyday language. You will at some level, experience a heightened
state of awareness. Colors, smells, and sounds may seem amplified
from what they normally are.
People who can acheivevery deep statesof trance often leavetheir
bodies in astral projection, or have psychic experiences.
I highly recommend, that if you wish to enter deep states of
meditation, you do so under the guidance and teaching of someone who
is well trained in the practice of such techniques. The key thing to
remember is that it's not what level your working on as much as what
you are learning. There is alot to be gained in wisdom and knowledge
at all levels of trance.
Now let's learn some simple and usefull relaxation exercises.
1516
You want to besure that the timeyou pick to practice yourmedita-
tion is a time when you are least likely to be disturbed. You should
not be overly tired or have just finished eating as both of those
conditions may cause you to fall asleep. Even though you wish to
acheive an altered state of consciousness, you do want to remain
conscious to some degree. If you fall asleep when you are meditating,
no harm is done and you will awaken quite refreshed and rested.
Unfortunately though, you may not be able to recall all the things you
experienced while in trance.
If you are lying down, be sure your back and neck are properly
supported so as not to fatigue the body. If you are sitting, be sure
that both feet are flat on the floor and that you are sitting as erect
as possible without being too stiff or strained. You should have your
arms resting comfortably in your lap with palms up.
In eithercase, it is important thatyour body not become strained
or fatigued for at least thirty minutes. This is a good length of
time to begin with as it should put neither a physical or mental
strain on your being.
Next, visualize a yourself in a cocoon of whitelight. You should
surround yourself completely. See the light as bright and warm. You
may play with this sphere of light making it bigger or smaller until
it "feels" right for you. Say to yourself, "I am protected by the
pure white light of all that is good and truthfull. I am surrounded by
the pure light which keeps out all unwanted and evil influences."
Thisis a good ideato do for several reasons.There are those, and
I am one of them, who believe that each of generates an aura which
protects us from outside influences when we are in trance. This aura
may be strengthened by visualizing the light as growing brighter at
our command. Even if you do not accept this idea, the practice lends a
feeling of safety and security to you. Nothing which is outside of
you may enter or touch you without your permission.
Learning tocontrol and pay attentionto your breathing isthe next
step. You should start by taking a deep breath in through your nose,
hold it for the mental count of 4 and then let it all out slowly
through your mouth. Repeat this until you begin to feel at rest and
relaxed. Allow your breathing to settle into a steady, rythmic rate.
Just this simple technique can relax and refresh you at any time. When
you are only doing the breathing exercise, it is not necessary to go
through the white light sphere visualization. Some people use a
muffled metronome or recording of some other rythmic sound, such as
ocean waves, to aid them in setting the pace of their breathing. A
good source of recorded sounds which can help you in meditation is a
series of records and tapes which have been produced under the title
"ENVIRONMENTS".
Now, as you are breathing,see yourself lying in the warmlight of
the sun. The light is warm and pleasant to be in. Starting with the
tips of your toes, feel the light warming all of your body, slowly
moving up into your legs, your trunk, and then into your arms and
fingers. As you feel this warming become more and more relaxed, going
deeper and deeper into a calm and quiet place.
1517
Whenyou fell totally relaxed andat peace, bring a single thought
into your mind. It should be of a pleasant experience or of an idea
such as love, joy, peace, or compassion. Focus on this one thought and
if some other thought should try to intrude, picture it as being
written on a clear board between you and your focal thought. Then
picture it being erased from that board as it might be from a piece of
paper. Deal with any thought, other than your focal thought, quickly.
Try to maintain concentration on your focal thought for at least five
minutes. Picture it as being real and experience it as if it were.
When you are able to do this and can exclude all other thoughts as
they attempt to enter your mind, you will have learned the single most
important technique of meditation.
It isnow time to begincoming back tonormal consciousness. slowly
let the thought fade from your mind and again become aware of the warm
light of the sun. As you fell the light bathing you in its' warmth,
start to reconnect your mind with the physical sensations of your
body. Become aware of your breathing and the room around you. Do this
slowly and calmly. When you are fully aware of your surroundings, open
your eyes slowly. Enjoy the sense of calm and peace.
If you succeeded in doing this exercise, you should feel more
relaxed and calm than normal. It is important to remember that you are
comparing it to normal for you, not to what you think others would or
should feel.
If you do not feel you succeeded try again in a day or two. Between
meditaion sessions, practice your deep breathing exercises. If you
keep trying, you will soon reach a calm and meditative state. Do not
attempt to meditate when you are ill, tired, or hungry. Those feelings
only serve to make your efforts more difficult. A very important part
to remember is that you can not force yourself into a meditative
state. You must flow into it and surrender to it calmly.
Some things which are found to be helpfull in meditation follow.
Tryconcentrating on theflame of a candlewhen focusing. You could
also use a crystal ball. The later is rather exspensive but small
crystal window ornaments or pyramids also work well and cost much
less.
Music is also anaid to some. The music shouldbe quiet and rhyth-
mic. It should bring on feelings of peace and comfort. Such music may
range from New Age recordings to classical.
Anotherusefull device is to focus ona symbol which holds special
meaning for you. It may be an well known symbol or one you design
yourself. As long as it holds a special meaning or expresses a special
concept, it is a usefull focusing tool.
This brings section twoof this course toa close. In the nextpart
I will give you some pratical ways in which to use what you have
learned.
1518
The mostobvious use ofthe techniques you havelearned, is relaxa-
tion. During the course of the day, many of us have moments when the
pressure becomes almost to much. When this happens, we often can't
deal with other people or projects the way we should. The breathing
exercises you learned in section two can help at these times.
It doesn't require alot of time or absolute quiet as does your
meditation practice. All that is required is about five minutes and
relative privacy. At these times, begin doing your rhythmic breathing
and visualize a place which is calm and refreshing. This simple and
quick exercise, can work wonders to help you regain control in a
hectic situation.
Another way in which meditation is used is in the development of
psychic powers. There are several books on the subject, listed at the
end of this section. Most of those who teach about the use and develo-
pment of these abilities, agree that meditation is necessary to any
such study. Again the reason for this is that meditation allows you to
reach an altered state of conciousness. In this altered state your
mind is more open to such phenomenon as telepathy. If you should
decide to persue studies in this direction, please seek the help of
someone trained in these areas.
One final use I will suggest is visualization. Meditation can be
used as a tool for problem solving. While in a meditative state of
mind, you have the ability to take any situation and manipulate it. By
that I mean you can mentally play the out the situation using several
different solutions. Then, you can pick the one which seems to best
solve the problem. While the use of meditation can help you deal with
problem solving more effectively, it is not infallible. All it can do
is allow you to think more clearly and concisely about the problem at
hand.
Well that concludes this study on meditation. I hope you have
gained something usefull from this course. It has been by no means, a
full explanation of the subject. There is much more to learn than
could be covered in this short series and It is my hope that you will
want to continue your studies into this fascinating and usefull skill.
More studiesof this type willbe developed in thenear future. The
New Atlantis BBS will continue to post these studies as an ongoing
service to it's users. Please feel free to leave suggestions on the
BBS about subjects you would like to see covered.
1519
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
list of books for further reading will be included.
References:
(1) Dr. Barbara Brown
"New Mind, New Body"
New York, Bantam Books, 1975
Page 17
Miriam Simos (Starhawk)
The Spiral Dance
New York
Harper & Row; 1979
W.E. Butler
How To Read The Aura, Practice
Psycometry, Telepathy and
Clairvoyance
New York
Destiny Books; 1978
Melita Denning & Osborne Phillips
The Development of Psychic Powers
St. Paul, MN
Llewellyn Publications; 1985
NEW ATLANTIS BBS
301-632-2671
Member of the ParaNet system
End Of File
-----------------------------------
Changes in format by the magician. 02/26/89 Crystal Cave 719-391-1092
1520
{file "When Magic Doesn't Work (Magical Blend Magazine)" "bos304.htm"}
The following is from Magickal Blend Magazine, a
bay-area periodical that publishes four editions a year.
The magazine deals with many branches of the magickal world
and can be useful to all aspiring magicians. Subscriptions
cost $12 per year. They can be reached at:
Magickal Blend
P.O. Box 11303
San Francisco, Ca. 94101-7303
WHEN MAGIC DOESN'T WORK
by Van Ault
Every magician has occasions in which the magic he is directing
does not seem to work. The desired result, whether internal or
external, does not come into manifestation. These occasions are
opportunities for greater developement in the magical arts, and by
working through the disappointment and discouragement, he can reach
greater self-knowledge and technical expertise in the art.
I believe that magic always works. Magic is a tool, a reality
shaper. Like any tool, however, its ability is limited to the operat-
or's knowledge and skill. For an illustration, let's use the bow and
arrow. Your intention is the arrow and your magical technique for
directing that intention is the bow. You use the bow/technique to
poise, balance and guide the intention/arrow with the strength of
your arms and hands/ determination and will.
What happens when thisall works together optimally? The will
firmly grasps the clear intention, balances it upon the technique, you
gather your emotional and mental force, and then fire the intention
into the invisible world to be made manifest. In its own time and
way, your wish materializes.
Conversely,if you haven't got theskill to bring all of these
efforts together, things can go askew. Your arrow can veer and stray,
or it may travel a few feet before losing power. Your bow can break,
or not be strong enough to propel the arrow. Or, you may find that
you've got your bow and arrow ready to use, but you haven't got
sufficient strength to manipulate it.
I offer thefollowing meditationprocess for thosetimes whenit
seems that your magic doesn't work. When you've tried all the techni-
ques, when you've gotten no results, when you're wondering if any of
this matters at all, the process in this meditation can produce
miracles and create a sense of completion. You can read the script
into a tape, or have a friend lead you through it.
1521
RIVER OF LIFE MEDITATION
Find a comfortable placewhere you can relax andbe completely
quiet...relax...allow your thought snow to just come and go...come and
go...and take a deep breath in and hold it...(pause)...now gather up
the tension in your body, and release it as you exhale...take another
deep breath, and as you exhale, let go of anybody else's energy or
thoughts you may be carrying....and breathe in new energy...breathe in
new possibilities...and allow your body to fill with lightness...feel
it becoming lighter and lighter as you relax more and more...relaxing
deeply...going deeper...feeling very light now...so light you could
almost float away..........
And asyou relax,imagine abeautiful coloredmist is swirlingup
around you, billowing up around you into a cushiony, soft, cloud of
energy...and you are resting completely upon this cloud...and you are
safe...as you breathe in and out, let your thoughts just come and
go...relaxing more and more...and the cloud of energy now lifts you up
into the air and carries your down into your own inner world...down
between the boundaries of time and space...to a place of timeless
beauty and infinite possibilites...floating down now, going deeper and
deeper,leaving the outer world and its concerns far behind, as you
drift and float on this beautiful cloud....going further and further-
...down below you is a rock, a giant rock...and the cloud gently and
effortlessly lands upon the rock and you step off it, as the cloud
swirls back into a mist and disappears for now...
Stand upon thisrock now, andfeel the strengthof it underyour
feet...and as you turn around, you look out upon a great river...flo-
wing as far as you can see...seeming to come from some infinite
place...and disappearing into an infinite place,,,a flowing,endless
river of energy...this is the river of all life waters...all of life
draws upon the lifeforce that moves through its steaming currents...
look closely at the water...what color is it? it may look like liquid
light to you...look deeply into it, and sense the power and depth of
the river...what sound does it make as it courses through its chan-
nels?...as you stand securely upon your rock, notice and fragrance
...and bend down and cup your hands in the living water,and splash
some of it on your face...feel the life giving force on your skin...
take a sip of the water...allow the river of life to nourish you....
Now relaxa moment upon therock...and bring into yourmind the
magical intention that never seemed to go anywhere...what were you
trying to accomplish?...what was the basic intention you had?...what
was the emotion behind the intention?...feel the energy of that
emotion moving onto the palms of your hands now...feel the energy
glowing...pulsating...breathe and allow your intention that you're
still clinging to externalize...the energy of it is now shimmering,
glowing...swirling into a sphere...allow all of your desire to flow
into this sphere...and allow this sphere to appear to you however it
appears...and just observe what you see...you may see pictures or
symbols emerging within the sphere...whatever you see is fine...
1522
When your sphere is completely filled with the last of your
desire,emotion,and intention, hold it aloft...feel the power of it in
you hands,a globe of power that you can now release...and look out
into the river of life...watch as its currents of possibility flow for
ever and ever,as far as you can see...and whenever you're ready,with
as much and as little force as you need, throw the pulsating sphere
into the river...and give this intention to the life force of this
great river...watch as the sphere touches the water...and gradually
disappears into the current...
Take a deepbreath... as the spheredisappears the last ofyour
intention and emotion and desire merges with the source of all life,
from which it orriginally came...and leaves you...
Nowcomplete any business herethat you needto finish...take a
few moments to enjoy the flowing river of life,and know that the
possibilities it nourishes can bring miracles into you life too...
Takeanother deep breath, and notice tha colored mist is once
again swirling around you...billowing up underneath you to form a
beautiful cloud of cushiony energy, which is lifted up into the air,
with you upon it...relaxing into the cloud you are returning the way
you came...lifting up up through time and space, coming back from the
inner world...coming up... further and further...floating and drifting
back...coming back...bringing you all the way back into your body now,
into this room...brining your attention completely back into this time
and place...take a deep breath and begin to re-orient yourself to the
outer world...and when you're ready, count to three..., and on the
count of three open your eyes,and return feeling relaxed,alert and at
peace.
* * *
As always, change any of the wording or images in this
meditation if it suits your purpose better. The
important part is just to finally and completely let go
of your intention, so that the energy can be recycled in
whatever form the creative force and your own
consciousness will allow. Out of this release, new
lives, new opportunities, and new magical opportunities
are born!
1523
{file "MONISM (Durwydd Mac Tara)" "bos305.htm"}
MONISM, One Wiccan Perspective
Copyright 11/24/92
Durwydd MacTara
"Henotheism n. Belief in one god without denying the existence of others."
(American Heritage Second College Dictionary)
"Monism n. philos. A metaphysical system in which reality is conceived as a
unified whole." (American Heritage Second College Dictionary)
"Monotheism n. The belief or doctrine that there is only one God." (Amer-
ican Heritage Second College Dictionary)
"Pantheism n. 1. The doctrine identifying the Deity with the various forces
and workings of nature. 2. Belief in and worship of all gods." (American
Heritage Second College Dictionary)
"Polytheism n. The worship of or belief in more than one god." (American
Heritage Second College Dictionary)
"To witches, deities manifest in different ways and can be
worshipped and contacted through any form suitable to local
conditions and personal needs. Wicca does not believe, as
do the patriarchal monotheisms, that there is only one
correct version of God and that all other God forms are
false: the Gods of Wicca are not jealous Gods. We there-
fore worship the personification of the male and female
principles, the God and the Goddess, recognizing that Gods
are aspects of the One God and all Goddesses are different
aspects of the one Goddess, and that ultimately these two
are reconciled in the one divine essence."
(Vivianne Crowley, WICCA: The Old Religion in The New Age,-
pp. 11-12)
Vivianne Crowley, a very capable spokesperson for British Traditional
Wicca, identifies the core belief of Wicca (at least BTW) as Monism in the
piece quoted above. However, she also opens the door to defining Wicca as
duotheistic in principle with the subdivision of the monist reality into
the praxis of worshiping both Lord and Lady.
However, there is yet a THIRD level of obscurity in Wiccan Praxis! Most
Wiccans worship a threefold Goddess (Maid, Mother, and Crone) and many also
worship at least a twofold God. So, are the Wicca REALLY polytheists or
perhaps pantheists or even modified Henotheists as some have claimed? Or,
perhaps, a new category altogether needs to be invented to accurately
describe Wiccan belief and practice.
1524
One suggestion has been made to add a word to our Thea/Theo-logical
lexicon, perhaps "Cthonotheism" (provided we MUST have a "Theism") to
describe "Theistic Wicca". One advantage is that it makes the assumption
of worshipping that which was there to be found and worshipped, NOT a Deity
or deities invented in 1939! (More on this later.)
The following is the only published copy of the (Gardnerian) Blessing
Prayer that I know of.
"In the name of Dryghtyn, the Ancient Providence,
Who was from the beginning and is for eternity,
Male and Female, the Original Source of all things;
all-knowing, all-pervading, all-powerful;
changeless, eternal.
"In the name of the Lady of the Moon,
and the Lord of Death and Resurrection.
"In the name of the Mighty Ones of the Four Quarters,
the Kings of the Elements.
"Blessed be this place, and this time,
and they who are now with us."
("Witch Blood! The Diary Of A Witch High
Priestess!" by Patricia Crowther in chapter
four (paperback edition 1974, House Of Col-
lectibles, Inc.).) Courtesy of David Piper
Airmid (aka Erynn Darkstar), a contemporary craft scholar and researcher
says of this new (to most of us) name of Ultimate Deity:
"Dryghtyn is also the name used for JHVH in some old
English bibles. I think that was where the term ac-
tually originated. I think I saw a passing reference
to it in some boxed comparative translated text in "In
Search of the Indo-Europeans."
Grendel, an Asatruar from Seattle suggests the "Dryghtyn" may be an
alternative spelling of the Teutonic "Drighten" meaning "Lord". I admit
this is interesting, to me, as the closeness of the linguistic link between
the Old English and Old German languages has been a scholarly "fact" widely
known for many years.
As a side issue, this might be some evidence that runs contrary to the
thesis put forth by Aidan Kelly that Gerald Gardner "manufactured" Wicca in
1939. From personal experience, I have found that one unique distinction
of the non BTW strains of Witchcraft (some times called "FamTrads" of
Family Traditions) is the incorporation of old Christian Imagery, often
including ArchAngels for the four directions or elements. Though this
instance does not include Archangels, it DOES include archaic (and rel-
atively unknown) Christian terminology. If Gardner did discover a remnant
of the Old Religion upon which he based his modern reconstruction effort,
it is this sort of linguistic "artifact" which would have survived.
Perhaps a more scholarly investigation than mr. Kelly's will "turn up" more
evidence?
1525
Jim Taylor, an Eastern Orthodox Theologian, also makes two (to me) il-
luminating statements, concerning "The Dryghtyn Prayer":
1. "'In the name of Dryghtyn, the Ancient Providence,
Who was from the beginning and is for eternity,
Male and Female, the Original Source of all things;
all-knowing, all-pervading, all-powerful;
changeless, eternal.'
This would be, entirely, an acceptable way of describing God, both for most
Jews and for most Christians."
AND
2. "'In the name of the Lady of the Moon,
and the Lord of Death and Resurrection.'
The Lord of Death and Resurrection would seem, to any Christian to refer to
Jesus Christ."
This evidence of a possible mixing of an older (unrecorded) Christian
Prayer may lend further credence to Gardners' claims of building on an
older, hidden, traditional remnant.
I, personally, also agree with Mr. Taylors' statement that "the idea of
Wicca being 'manufactured' in 1939 is far too pat, and ignores a great deal
which ought not to be ignored. At the very least, some degree of recog-
nition should be accorded to the obvious fact that most Wiccan practices
and attitudes predate Wicca by considerable periods of time--possibly even
millennia".
The existence of Monism, Duotheism, and Polytheism simultaneously in the
belief structure of Wicca is one good example of one of the Five Mysteries
of Wicca, that of Union. Wicca is a mystery religion, a PARTICIPATORY
religion, and much of its symbology must be lived and practiced to have
meaning because much of the real (some say hidden meaning is based on the
knowledge of experience and not the intellectual knowledge of mere logic
and conscious thought processes.
I am an eclectic Wiccan with strong ties in my beliefs and practice to
British Traditional Wicca. I am a Monist, yet I have had strong direct
experience with Brigid, Danu, and the Morrigan as well as the Earth Mother
and the Horned Lord of the Forests. So my personal answer to the question
of "What kind of Theism fits Theistic Wicca?" is "several, or none; it is
not really a valid question in those limited terms"! But perhaps the
concept of "Chthonotheism" would give a better label to this concept when
attempting to discuss the idea of the peculiar theism unique to Wicca?
Blessed Be,
Durwydd MacTara
1526
{file "Bardic Wedding (RowanHart Circle)" "bos306.htm"}
Wedding Ceremony
The Bard
THE ORDER OF SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGE (GENERAL)
The Altar shall be dressed with a white cloth, with a Cup, and an un-
sheathed Sword. A small lectern should be provided to the Minister,
that he may hold the Sword and read the ceremony. One candle shall be
unlit upon the altar, and two lit candles shall be provided, to either
side.
Smaller candles shall be provided to at least the wedding party, and
to the whole congregation, if possible.
% Ministers take Altar
% Groom and attendants take altar
% Processional music starts
% Bridesmaids process
% Bride and father process
% Bride and father take altar
MINISTER: Dearly beloved, today you are surrounded by your family,
your friends, and your loved ones, all of whom have gathered here
today in the sight of the ONE to share your joy and witness
your marriage.
Who gives this woman to be wed?
FATHER: I do.
% (the Bride's father shall give the Bride's hand to the
Groom, and then take his seat)
MINISTER 2: This most sacred of bonds is not to be entered into
lightly, but soberly and advisedly, with openness and honesty. I
require and charge you both now, upon your honors, to disclose
any reason or impediment why you may not be lawfully joined
this day.
BRIDE/GROOM: By our honors, there are none.
% (The Minister shall turn to the congregation and say:)
MINISTER: Likewise, I charge all of you now, upon your honors, that if
any know a reason that these two may not be lawfully joined
this day, to speak now or forever hold your peace.
% (There shall be a short pause for any response)
MINISTER: (N) and (N), life has no singular meaning so much as it is
made up of many meaningful events, some of which may be
specified and planned for. One of these is Marriage. As you know,
no minister, no priest, no rabbi, no public official can marry
you; you can only marry yourselves. By a mutual commitment to
love each other and to create an atmosphere of considera-
tion and respect, you can make your marriage come to life.
1527
MINISTER 2: On this, the day of your marriage, you stand somewhat
apart from all other human beings. You stand within the
charmed Circle of your love, and this is as it should be, b u t
love is not meant to be the possession of two people alone.
Rather it should serve as a source of common energy, a form in
which you can find the strength to live your lives w i t h
courage. From this day onward, you must come closer together
than ever before, yet your love should give you the strength
to stand apart; to seek out your own unique des tinies, and to
make your own special contribution to that which is always a
part of us, and more than us.
MINISTER: A marriage that lasts is one which is continually develop
ing, in which each person is continually developing while
growing in understanding of the other. Deep knowledge of
another is not something that can be achieved in a short time.
Real understanding can only develop fully with years of in-
timacy. This wonderful knowledge of another grows out of really
caring for the other so much, that one wants to understand as
completely as possible the intricacies of the other.
MINISTER 2: May you be blessed with this deep knowledge of each other
through all the days of your lives.
Would you now give your vows?
BRIDE/GROOM: We will.
MINISTER: What tokens do you give that you will keep these vows?
BRIDE/GROOM: We give these rings.
% (The rings shall be given to the Minister, who shall take
them in hand.)
MINISTER 2: The ring is used in this ceremony because the Circle is
our symbol for Spirit; that which was in the Beginning, is now,
and ever shall Be, Love, without end. In this ceremony, it is
that love which is deathless and eternal.
% (Both Ministers shall join hands, holding the Rings, and
shall say:)
MINISTER: We ask now the Blessing of the One upon these rings. They
are bands of silver with the Tree of Life cast in relief upon
their surfaces. Let the bands represent eternity, love
without end, and let the trees represent the nurturement you will
share in that Love, now and always.
BOTH: And so it is.
% (The Rings shall be taken by the second Minister.)
% (And if it is a Swordfasting, then the Minister shall take
up the Sword, and flourish it aloft, and then place it
point-down in front of him.)
1528
% (The Bride and Groom shall face each other, and place their
% hands upon the Sword's pommel, with both Ministers placing %
their hands over the Bride and Groom's.)
% (the Minister #2 shall turn to the Groom, and say:)
MINISTER 2: (N), repeat after me:
(N), I take you as my wife.
I pledge to share my life openly with you
To speak the truth to you in love
And to honor and cherish you all the days of our lives.
I promise to love and tenderly care for you
For better and for worse
For richer and for poorer
In sickness and in health
In all storms and fair days we may weather together
For as long as we both shall live.
I promise to respect your needs,
To support you in your endeavors
And encourage you as an individual
Through all the changes of our lives.
With these words, I pledge my love.
% (The Groom shall take the Ring)
And with this ring I seal my vows
Now and forever.
% (The Groom shall place the Ring upon the Bride's finger.)
% (The Minister shall then turn to the Bride, and say:)
MINISTER: (N), repeat after me:
(N), I take you as my husband.
I pledge to share my life openly with you
To speak the truth to you in love
And to honor and cherish you all the days of our lives.
I promise to love and tenderly care for you
For better and for worse
For richer and for poorer
In sickness and in health
In all storms and fair days we may weather together
For as long as we both shall live.
I promise to respect your needs,
To support you in your endeavors
And encourage you as an individual
Through all the changes of our lives.
With these words, I pledge my love.
% (The Bride shall take the Ring)
And with this ring I seal my vows
Now and forever.
% (The Bride shall place the Ring upon the Groom's finger.)
1529
% (Both Ministers shall then say:)
MINISTER: May you never hunger.
MINISTER #2: May you never thirst.
% (Here there may be an interlude of music)
MINISTER 2: At this time, I would like to speak of some of the things
that many of us wish for you.
First,wewish foryou aLove thatmakes youboth better
people, That continues always to give you joy
And a zest for living,
Andprovidesyouwith theenergytoface theresponsibili
ties of life.
Wewish foryoua Home,notaplace ofstoneor wood,butan
island of serenity and sanity.
Wehopethat thisHome isnot justaplace ofprivate joy
and retreat, But rather serves as a Castle wherein the
values of your life and family are generated and upheld.
We hope your home stands as a symbol of humans living
together in Love and peace, Seeking Truth and nurturement
through each other.
We hope that it has within it the elements of Simplicity,
Exuberance,Beauty,Silence,Colorandaconcordancewith
the Rhythms of Life.
We wishforyou aHomewith Books,Poetryand Music,Fora
home with all the things that represent the highest striv ings
Of men and women.
Finally, we wish that your lives be blessed with Spiritual
Abundance, and that your spiritual involvement be enhanced
through This marriage.
% (The Minister shall turn to the congregation, and shall
say:)
MINISTER: Let us all stand together for the closing benediction, and
the passing of the Light.
% (The congregation shall stand. The Bride and Groom shall go
% to the Altar and light the single candle from their candles,
% and then shall light their attendant's candles, and shall %
light the candles of the first person in each row of the %
congregation. They shall then return to the altar, and %
extinguish their candles, placing them on the altar, and %
return to their place before the Ministers.)
MINISTER 2: May we all recognize that the Presence of the One has
already blessed you with the presence of each other. Keep in your
rememberance the sacredness of this trust and the love that
knows no end. May that Peace, which passes all human
understanding abide with you now, and for always.
BOTH: And so it is.
1530
MINISTER 2: And forasmuch as (N) and (N) have expressed their desire
to be husband and wife, showing their love and affection by
joining hands, and have made promises of faith and devotion, each
to the other, and have sealed these promises by giving a n d
receiving of rings:
MINISTER: In the presence of this company of witnesses, by virtue of
my sacred stewardship and the power vested in me by the State
of Arizona, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife.
You may kiss the Bride.
% (The Bride and Groom shall then recess from the altar, %
followed by their attendants. The congregation shall be %
released by rows.)
% (Here ends the Order Of Solemnization Of Marriage (General)
1531
Weasel Wicca: a Toon Trad
by fara Shimbo, Diane Darling and the European Land Otters
(Green Egg, Issue 95, Yule '91, p. 21.)
The Great Mothers of this tradition are Galanthus, who was
turned into a weasel for lying to Juno; and Eris, both Goddess and
Ferret incarnate, who are IN CHARGE.
This is the Holy Sacred Oath of the Weasel Tradition:
"I don'tbelieve anythingunless Iwant to.Mymind issubject
to change within reason and without notification at any time. We will
always have Paris. (But not paris of sox.) I can do without my socks.
Other than that there are absolutely no absolutes."
Sacred Objects of the Weasel tradition include:
* A Floppy Witch Hat (double sided, single density)
* The nearest operational refrigirator
* Dirty Socks
* Tubes made of cardboard or plastic
* Rubber erasers and squeaky toys
* Loud plastic bag and ping pong balls
* The Golden Apple of Eris
* Silk Top hat.
In order tobe initiated into the WeaselTradition, a new ber-
serker must:
* Co-habit with a Ferret; at least one.
*Acquireyourtoolsin
asomewhatless-than-entirely-scrupul-
ous manner- stopping short of Genuine Theft. Use your imagination.
*Sacrifice aSock toGalanthus. Itmust bea goodSock, one
you wouldn't otherwise throw away, and you must have the other one in
your possession.
* Bake some holyFhood, with Weasel Help,which includes
raisins and chocolate chips.
*Write aritual containingat leastthree thingswhich are
obviously or blatantly lifted, word for word, from somewhere else.
Anywhere else.
* Let a weasel lick your lips while you sing:
The Weasel Help Song:
Everyone needs Weasel help,
Weasel Help, Weasel Help
Everyone needs Weasel help,
to get them through the day!
I don't need no Weasel Help,
Weasel Help, Weasel Help,
I don't need no Weasel Help,
no matter what you say!
The Sacred Holidays of the Weasel tradition are any holidays
which have even the slightest thing to do with Fhood.
1532
{file ""Weasel Wicca" (Humor fm. Green Egg)" "bos307.htm"}
A Weasel Wiccan Witual
======================
Participants infloppy witch hatsenter, bearing theHoly Fhood
and Drinkh. Arrange tastefuly around altar area. Prominent should be
the Golden Apple of Eris, which is set upon the altar by itself.
Call Watchtowers, lighting quarter candles at each. Suggestion
invocations:
EAST,being Air,signifies mediaand masscommunications. Invite
the Marx brothers, Firesign Theatre, Douglas Adams, and Robert Anton
Wilson, and, of course, the Illuminati, as representatives of Chaos.
(Squeeze squeaky toys)
SOUTH, for Fire, signifies fidelityto ideals. I suggest John
Lennon and our witch ancestors, whose bravery in defense of the Sacred
Right To Be Strange led to the ultimate sacrifice. May we be as brave,
but luckier. (Hide the Matches.)
WEST,for Water, signifies herethe Waters ofLife, ie: Bhooze.
Invite W.C. Fields along with Dionysius and Osiris (inventors of wine
and beer, respectively.) (Slug some eggnog.)
NORTH, for Earth, signifies the Ultimate Mystery: Life, the
Universe and Everything. Toast the Mystery itself and invite it to
relax, take off its cloak and join us for awhile. (Hide a cookie.)
And to provide a fifth point: SKY, for Eris, Our Mother,Lady
Luck Herself, Lady of Chaos and Dealer of the Inside Straight. Hold up
the Golden Apple, hail Her enthusiastically and invite Her to the
party.
Close theCircle, whichis,of course,semi-permiable toweasel--
kind.
Lightaltarcandle; assume*ahem* seriousdemeanor. Whoeveris to
read, don silk hat and drape a sock for a priest's vestement. Proceed:
"For unto us is born a Saviour, who is Coyote, Pan, loki, Raven,
Dionysius, and Robin Hood; to save us all from Santa's power when we
have come to play, o tiding of chocolate and toys. And Io, neither is
his Mother a Virgin, for She believeth in a good time. And when He
came forth, She wrapped him in a National Enquirer and cradled him in
her top hat, which holdeth all the stars of all the skies plus 500
foolproof card tricks; and the Wise came to Marvel (and to DC) because
indeed and forsooth, they knew trouble when they beheld it."
And Eris, the Great and Terrible, said to her son:
"Kid, this is a special occasion; how should we celebrate?"
And the TinyOne spoke, surprising all butthe Mother of the
Unexpected:
"let's have lots of Fhood, and create the most chaotic and
demented animal of all to play with. And since I have a feeling that
this party will be repeated many, many times, let's make that a rule:
anyone celebrating My birthday should do the same. For I am the Glitch
and the Song and the Gambler's Luck, and I love Surprises--which will
never be lacking with Them around. Let them do this in honor of Me."
1533
And Eris was pleased and created The Weasel (hold one up).
"This is the SacredWeasel, beloved little monster, honored
pest, dearest of Holy Terrors and Agent of Entropy Everywhere. May it
always remind us that Eris and the Kid love Surprises."
(Holdup plateof cookies:)"This isthe HolyFhood; weshare it
in Their names, and with the wish that we should always keep Life as
interesting and strange as possible."
(Hold upHoly Bhooze:)"This isthe HolySpikedEggnog; weshare
in with the understanding that reality can always use a little bend-
ing."
Share all,generalhailing,toasts,silliness,woozlesnoozling,
tricks and demonstration of weasel arranging. Guard honored guests of
all species from overindulging in and/or diving into eggnog. Songs
excellent idea.
Open circle whenever you feel like it.
=================================================================
Fara Shimbo, an ethologist living outside Boulder, Colorado with her
husband Robert, ferret, Ruby, Siamese cat, mong, and Thoroughbred
Hunter, Oficial Dude (AKA Chewie). She is main honcho of _Ferret unity
and Registration Organization (FURO)_, a weasle warrior of reknown and
author of "The Ferret Book" (see review GE83) and, with Bill Phillips,
of _Ferrets and the New Inquisition_, published by the California
Domestic Ferret Association (Box 1861, healdsburg, CA 95448. She is
editor-in-chief of _The Weasle Help Monthly_, (wonderful!) newsmagazi-
ne of FURO, available by joining FURO, PO Box 18193, greensboro, NC
27419.
1534
{file "Rabbit (John Lone Wolf)" "bos308.htm"}
This is the story of Rabbit.
A long time ago- No one knows how long ago it was-- rabbit was a brave
and fearless warrior. Rabbit was befriended by Eye Walker, a witch.
The witch and Rabbit spent much time together sharing and talking.
One day EyeWalker and rabbitwere walking alongand thesat
down on the trail to rest. Rabbit said "I'm thirsty." Eye Walker
picked up a leaf and blew on it... it turned into a gourd of water...
he handed it to Rabbit. Rabbit drank the water and didn't say any-
thing. Than he said "I am hungry"
Eyewalker pickedup astone andblew onit... itturned intoa
turnip. She gave the turnip to Rappit... He tasted it and than ate
the turnip with relish... but didn't say anything.
Thetwo continued along thetrail, which ledinto the moun-
tains. Near the top, rabbit tripped and fell and rolled almost to the
bottom. Rabbit was in very sad condition when Eye Walker got to him.
She used a magick salve on Rabbit to heal his great pain and mend his
broken bones. Rabbit didn't say anything.
Several days laterEye Walkerwent searchingfor herfriend.
She searched high and love but Rabbit was nowhere to be found.
Finally Eye Walkergave up.She met Rabbitquite byaccident
one day. "Rabbit, why are you hiding and avoiding me?" the witch
asked.
"becauseI amafriad ofyou. I amafraid ofmagick," Answered
Rabbit, cowering in fear. "Leave me alone!"
"I see." SaidEye Walker. "I haveused my magical powerson
your behalf and now you turn on me and refuse my friendship."
"I wantnothing more to dowith you oryour powers," Rabbit
countered. He did not even see the tears his words were bringing to
Eye Walkers eye's. "I hope we never meet and that I never see you
again." Rabbit continued.
"Rabbit" Eye walker said. "We oncewere great friends and
companions, but no more. It is within my power to destroy you, but
because of the past and the medicines we have shared together I will
not do this. But from this day on I lay a curse on you and your tribe.
From now on, you will call fears and your fears will come to you. Be
on your way, for the sweet medicines that bound us together as friends
are now broken."
1535
{file "Literary Roots of Wicca (Diane Vera)" "bos309.htm"}
The article below was written back in 1991 or 1992 e.v.
For an update by the author, please see:
http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/dvera/pagan/intro.html#bos.
Modern Wiccan Concepts based in Literary Satanism
By: Diane Vera
As I pointed out to Warren Grant in the PAGAN echo recently, Charles
G. Leland mentions Michelet in the Appendix to _Aradia:_
_Gospel_of_the_Witches_: "Now be it observed, that every leading
point which forms the plot or centre of this _Vangel_ [...] had
been told or written out for me in fragments by Maddalena (not to
mention other authorities), even as it had been chronicled by Horst
or Michelet" (pp.101-102, 1974 Weiser paperback edition).
.
In _A_History_of_Witchcraft_, Jeffrey B. Russell writes:
"Michelet's argument that witchcraft was a form of social protest
was adapted later by Marxists; his argument that it was based on a
fertility cult was adopted by anthropologists at the turn of the
century, influenig Sir James Frazer's _Golden_Bough_, Jessie
Weston's _From_Ritual_to_Romance_, Magaret Murray's _Witch-
Cult_in_Western_Europe_, and indirectly T.S. Eliot's
_The_Waste_Land_" (_A_History_of_Witchcraft_, p.133).
.
Russell states further: "Neopagan witchcraft has roots in the
tradition of Michelet, who argued that European witchcraft was the
survival of an ancient religion. This idea influenced Sir James
Frazer and a number of other anthropologists and writers in the late
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The publication of
Charles Leland's _Aradia_ in 1899 was an important step in the
evolution of the new religion of witchcraft. [...] The doctrines
and practices of the witches as reported by Leland are a melange of
sorcery, medieval heresy, witch-craze concepts, and political
radicalism, and Leland reports ingenuously that this is just what he
expected, since it fitted with what he had read in Michelet"
(Russell, p.148).
.
As far as I know, it's possible that Michelet's influence on Gardner
was only indirect, via the other above-named writers. This would
not invalidate my point, which is that Michelet played a key role in
the development of the ideas in question.
.
Michelet has had a more direct influence on feminist Goddess
religion than on Wicca proper. Michelet's _La_Sorciere_
(_Satanism_and_Witchcraft_) is listed in the bibliography of
_Woman,_Church,_and_State_ by Matilda Gage (19th-century Women's
Suffrage leader and the founder of pre-Wiccan feminist Goddess
religion) and, more recently, in _Witches,_Midwives,_and_Nurses:_
_A_History_of_Women_Healers_ by Barbara Ehrenreich and Dierdre
English (1973).
.
In my opinion, Michelet's most important contribution to both Wicca
and feminist Goddess religion was that, as far as I know, he was the
first well-known writer (in recent centuries, anyway) to use the
word "Witch" (capital W) with its present-day positive connotations
of healing and opposition to tyranny.
1536
{file "Satanism 101 (Diaane Vera)" "bos310.htm"}
The article below was written back in 1991 or 1992 e.v.
For an update by the author, please see:
http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/dvera/pagan/intro.html#bos.
Intro to Satanism
By: Diane Vera
As promised in the PAGAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES echo, here's my brief
introductory essay on Satanism (though Corwynt won't be seeing it,
alas). I'll confine myself to discussing _serious_occultists_ who
identify as Satanists. I have no interest in the teen-age glue-
sniffing "Satin rulz" crowd, who are into "Satanism" as a way to
shock the grown-ups, and who usually (as far as I know) outgrow it.
Nor am I interested in criminals who say the Devil made them do it
(often, I suspect, as a way to get themselves declared insane).
.
Since I don't know how much you don't know, perhaps I should start
with the usual elementary disclaimers:
.
(a) Most Satanists do not think of themselves as "worshipping evil".
Satan is associated with a variety of human traits and magic(k)al
energies which Christianity traditionally considers "evil", but
which the Satanists themselves do not consider "evil" -- though some
Satanists may describe themselves as "evil" in an ironic sense.
.
(b) In what there is of a Satanist subculture (for serious
occultists), nobody advocates sacrificing animals or babies,
sexually abusing children, or other horrific activities described in
fundamentalist propaganda. As Anton LaVey explains in
_The_Satanic_Bible_, such activities serve no useful magic(k)al
purpose.
.
(c) Although Satan is, obviously, a figure from Christian mythology
(derived from Judaism and Zoroastrianism), Satanism is not just
"reverse Christianity". I have yet to meet even one Satanist who
believed in Christian theology, or a simple reversal thereof. (I've
heard that such Satanists do exist, but they don't seem to be part
of the organized Satanist scene.) All Satanists I've ever
encountered have some alternative explanation of who/what Satan is.
.
There are many alternative explanations and, correspondingly, many
different kinds of Satanism. Following is a list of _some_ of the
many different possible interpretations of who/what Satan is:
.
(1) Satan is the Christian-era guise of some pre-Christian deity,
e.g. Set or Pan.
.
(2) Satan is not a real entity at all, but just a symbol of human
individuality, pride, thinking for oneself, sensuality, etc.
.
(3) Satan is an actual discarnate intelligence, and is the bringer
of wisdom in a form of Gnosticism with the Christian "God" cast as
the Demiurge. This idea is based on a form of Gnosticism that
actually existed in the early centuries C.E., which venerated the
serpent of the Garden of Eden myth.
.
(4) Satan is not an actual discarnate, sentient being, but is more
than just a symbol. Satan is, at the very least, today's most
powerful magic(k)al egregore. "Satan" is present-day society's
number-one magic(k)al Name of Power.
1537
(5) Satan is an impersonal "Dark Force in Nature".
.
(6) Satan is one of many gods, all of whom are in some sense real.
There is no one all-powerful "God" like the Christian idea of "God".
There are many gods who are powerful, but not all-powerful.
.
Of the above possiblities, my own personal beliefs lean toward a
combination of interpretations #4, 5, and 6. The Church of Satan,
founded in 1966 C.E. by Anton LaVey, usually espouses interpretation
#2 and sometimes #5. The Temple of Set is into _something_like_
(but not quite) a combination of #1 and #3.
La> If you haven't been around other satanists, how do you know
La> what is being practiced, is what you would do? I could call
La> myself a Dianic Wiccan, but what I might practice is not what
La> is generally practiced...and there is no way for me to really
La> learn "right way" from "wrong way".
.
It doesn't matter. Satanism isn't really just one religion, but a
category of religions, some of which are radically different from
each other. (See my message to Deborah Kest on "Satanism 101".)
Since most forms of Satanism do celebrate individuality, the lack of
standardization is just fine, in my opinion. The only "right way"
or "wrong way" has to do with _what_works_, and this will vary from
one individual to another.
.
La> The reason you are being "punished" I think ostracized<SP?> is
La> a better word, is that most Satanists, and people who follow
La> left-handed Magick/spirituality (folks I know it is not a fair
La> term, but it works for this arguement) are considered by many
La> of us the true enemies of Spiritualism that we would practice.
.
The term "Left-Hand Path" is OK. We use it too. You and I would
probably define it very differently, however. What's your
definition?
.
La> Even more than Christaniaty folks who follow your system of
La> believes are very differnt than we. Pagan and Christanity,
La> have very similar ideas and ethics, and while not at all
La> tolerant of each other (generally) can live and let live.
La> Satanists et.all on the other hand, have such a different view
La> of life, love and the pursuit of the Divine, it is hard for us
La> to accept you into our midsts.
.
Could you please be more specific? _What_ do you see as the
similarities between neo-Paganism and Christianity?
.
I too see some profound differences between Satanism and neo-
Paganism. And I too see enough similarities between neo-Paganism
and Christianity that one can meaningfully use a term like "Right-
Hand Path", which includes both Christianity and neo-Paganism but
not Satanism.
1538
But I _also_ see some profound similarities between Satanism and
neo-Paganism (especially Wicca) as well, which set them both apart
from Christianity. For example, Satanism and Wicca-based Paganism
are both much more tolerant toward sexual variety than Christianity
traditionally is. (To be more exact, Wicca is _now_ tolerant toward
sexual variety, though there was a time when it was quite
homophobic.) And in general, Satanism and Wicca-based Paganism both
emphasize individuality in ways that Christianity doesn't.
.
Also, as I've discussed at length both here and in the PAGAN and
PAGAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES echoes, Satanism and most forms of neo-
Paganism (especially Wicca) are both part of the family of modern
Western magic(k)al religions, with many common roots and many basic
magic(k)al concepts in common. We have natural reasons to be part
of the same magic(k)al community (e.g. occult bookstores and this
computer network). It would be much more pleasant for everyone
concerned if neo-Pagans could get used to Satanists, because you are
going to keep running into more and more of us whether you like it
or not.
1539
{file "Satanism Defined (Delohine)" "bos311.htm"}
Satanism, A Personal Definition
By Delphine
Please keep in mind that Satanism is a *very* individualistic
religion, and if you asked 50 Satanists what Satanism is, you'd
probably get 60 different responses. As a solitaire Satanist, I'll
have a go at this.. but I'm pretty bad at trying to summarize what I
believe, so please feel free to ask me questions.
For me, these are the most important things I believe as a Satanist:
*I believe in Satan as a literal entity. Many other Satanists do not,
esp. those from the LaVey school of thought.
*Satan is NOT a fallen angel, or a lesser created being, but instead a
deity with as much power (for lack of a better word) as any other. He
is the Shadow, a Destroying Deity.. and by such destruction,he purif-
ies, for death of anything leads the way for rebirth. He is a symbol
of rebellion, of pride, and of righteous anger. He brings freedom, in
many different ways.
* My first care is to myself, for if I am unable to serve myself, I
have no basis by which to judge the actions of others. I strive for
excellence, in a sense, very close to what Setians call "Xeper".
*I believe in free will, with the understanding that "with freedom
comes responsibility". I do not accept the threefold law, or any
specific prohibitions like "harm none". In relating to others, I use
the rule "do unto others AS they do unto you". If I am harmed or
treated with dishonor, I will not continue to treat such persons in a
way that is more than they deserve. Revenge, at the proper time and in
a fitting manner, is acceptable behavior. If there are consequences to
such revenge, I will accept them responsibly.
*I will endeavor to be honorable about my own actions, and I will
expect the same behavior from others.
*I see Satan in Nature, in the floods, hurricanes, volcanoes, and
tidal waves. I see fundamental laws in Nature, that death is as
necessary as life. I am humbled and empowered by this, for though it
blindly destroys, it is yet a part of me, as deity is immanent and
transcendant to me. Satan the transcendant is that excellence that I
strive for, Satan the immanent is the spark in me that strives.
* I am polytheistic. The divine, to me, is like a jewel with many
facets, each a part of us, each with something to teach us. No such
lesson, to me , is greater or lesser than any other; but are instead
more or less appropriate for a person at a given time.
There is a great deal more I could say, and in greater detail, but
this covers a large part of Satanism to me. Of course, I'm sure that
Diane Vera, Sheryl, Balanone, and others will have different beliefs
than I do. It seems that individualism and personal pride seem to be
the link between most serious Satanists.
-Qapla'
Delphine
1540
{file "Wiccan Rede (Poetic, WCC)" "bos312.htm"}
The Wiccan Rede (WCC)
Bide ye Wiccan laws ye must,
in perfect love and perfect trust
Live ye must and let to live,
fairly take and fairly give
Form the circle thrice about,
to keep unwelcome spirits out
To bind the spell well every time,
let the spell be spake in rhyme
Soft of eye and light of touch,
speak ye little, listen much
Deosil go by the waxing moon,
sing and dance the Wiccan rune
Widdershins go by the waning moon,
chanting out the baleful tune
When the Lady's moon is new,
kiss the hand to her times two
When the moon rides at Her peak,
then the heart's desire seek
Heed the north wind's mighty gale,
lock the door and trim the sail
When the wind comes from the south,
love will kiss kiss thee on the mouth
When the wind blows from the west,
departed souls will have no rest
When the wind blows from the east,
expect the new and set the feast
Nine woods in the cauldron go,
burn them quick and burn them slow
Elder be the Lady's tree,
burn it not or cursed you'll be
When the wheel begins to turn,
soon the Beltain fires will burn
When the wheel has turned to Yule,
light the log the Horned One rules
Heed ye flower, bush and tree,
by the Lady blessed be
Where the rippling waters flow,
cast a stone and the truth you'll know
When you have and hold a need,
hearken not to others' greed
With a fool no season spend,
nor be counted as his friend
Merry meet and merry part,
bright the cheeks and warm the heart
Mind the threefold law ye should,
three times bad and three times good
When misfortune is anow,
wear the star upon thy brow
True in love you must ever be,
lest thy love be false to thee
These eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill,
An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will
1541
{file "Orphic Invocations of God & Goddess (Phaedra)" "bos313.htm"}
Orphic invocations of Goddess & God
Bright Blessings to all...
Here are invocations to the Goddess and God that I have used
quite successfully in ritual. They are from the Orphic Hymns,
for those who like historical accuracy, but have been updated just
a tad, for those who like ritual with modern applications.
Hope you enjoy them.
Invocation to the Goddess
Divine are Your honors, Oh Mother of the Gods and Nurturer of All.
Yoke your swift chariot drawn by bull-slaying lions and,
O Mighty Goddess who brings things to pass, join our prayers.
Many named and reverend, You are the Queen of the Sky.
In the cosmos, Your throne is above all others, for You are
Queen of the Earth, and You give gentle nourishment to mortals.
Goddesses, Gods, and mortals were born of You,
And You hold sway over the rivers and all of the sea.
Hestia, Gaia, Demeter, Inanna, Isis, Astarte, Ishtar, Persephone,
Diana,
Giver of prosperity who bestows upon mortals all manner of gifts,
Come to this Rite, Queen whom the drum delights.
Honored and loving Nurturer of Life,
Joyfully and graciously visit our deeds of piety.
Blessed Be.
Invocation to the God
Hear Our Prayer, O best and Many-Named God.
Fine-haired, solitary, and full of lovely song;
Many shaped and noble nurturer of all,
Maiden and yout in one, unwithering bloom, O Adonis
You vanish and grow again in the fair seasons' turn.
Kurnunnos, Pan, Myrddhn, two horned Spirit of growth and blooming;
Much loved and wept for are you,
O Fair and Youthful Hunter of the luxuriant mane.
Desire is in Your mind and You come to the Goddess
in reverence and respect,
in sensuous joy is your desire fulfilled
You are the seed planted in the depths of the Underworld
That springs forth, the Green God, that we may sustain our lives.
You sacrifice Yourself in gentleness when you are grown.
Come Kind-Hearted One, Come Blesseed God,
and bring much joy to all.
Blessed Be.
Hope you find these beneficial...
Briget Bless...Phaedra.
1542
{file "EAST" "bos314.htm"}
EAST
(INVOCATION)
Facing East:
Guardians of the watchtower of the east, we do summon, stir, and
call thee up to protect us in our rite. Come to us now on the cool
breath of Autumn's sigh which
heralds the advent of Winter and the close of harvest time. Breathe
into us the spirit of the pure joy of life. So mote it be!
Responsorial: So mote it be!
AIR (invocation)
(Celebrant with the incense burner symbolizing the element of air) :
"I am everywhere. I fill the fleshy pouches of your lungs, I
stir all things from the smallest blade of grass to the tallest tree.
I cool you with my breezes and
destroy you with my storms.
Without me you would die. Am I not holy and worthy of praise? "
EAST
(BANISHMENT)
Facing East:
"Guardians of the watchtower of the east, return now to the brisk
Autumn breezes which are brimming with the excitement of the year's
climax. Take with you our
blessings and thanks. Hail and
farewell!
Responsorial: Hail and farewell!
1543
{file "SOUTH" "bos315.htm"}
SOUTH (invocation)
Facing South:
Guardians of the watchtower of the south, we do summon, stir, and
call thee up to protect us in our rite. Come forth from the cook
fires and smokehouses where food is being made ready for the coming
cold months. Kindle within us the flame of spiritual awakening. So
mote it be!
Responsorial: So Mote it Be!
FIRE (invocation)
(Celebrant with the candle symbolizing the element of fire):
"I live in the guarded embers of campfires and the pilot lights
of stoves, I spring from the lightning and the hands of men, I warm
you and I destroy you. Without me you would die. Am I not holy and
worthy of praise? "
SOUTH (banishing)
Facing South:
"Guardians of the watchtower of the south, return now to the
dying fires of Autumn's heat soon to give way to Winter's chill. Take
with you our blessings and thanks. Hail and farewell!
Responsorial: Hail and farewell
1544
{file "WEST" "bos316.htm"}
WEST (invoking)
Facing West:
Guardians of the watchtower of the west, we do summon, stir, and
call thee up to protect us in our rite. Come forth from the rainbow
hued morning dew that covers the fields, and is soon to be frost.
Asperge us with your diadems and water our deepest roots that we may
find peace of mind. So mote it be!
Responsorial: So mote it be!
WATER (invocation)
(Celebrant with the water vessel symbolizing the element of water):
"I rise from the moist crevices of the Earth, I beat on the shores of
Her body, I fall from the skies in silver sheets. Without me you would
die. Am I not holy and worthy of praise? " (Celebrant asperges the
circle with water)
WEST (banishing)
Facing West:
"Guardians of the watchtower of the west, return now to the
Autumn rains which cool the Earth's fevered brow baked in the heat of
Summer afternoons. Take with you our blessings and thanks. Hail and
farewell!
Responsorial: Hail and farewell!
1545
{file "NORTH" "bos317.htm"}
NORTH (invoking)
Facing North:
Guardians of the watchtower of the north, we do summon, stir, and
call thee up to protect us in our rite. Come forth from the fertile
bosom of our Blessed Mother Earth, and nourish us so that our hopes
may grow to fruition. So mote it be!
Responsorial: So mote it be!
EARTH (invocation)
(Celebrant with the salt vessel symbolizing the element of earth):
"I am your Mother. From me come the fruit and grain and animals
which feed you. I am your support, and my pull on your bodies keeps
you held firmly to me. Without me you would die. Am I not holy and
worthy of praise? "
NORTH (banishing)
Facing North:
Guardians of the watchtowers of the north, return now to the
Earth where worms burrow deeper and seeds nestle awaiting the long
sleep of Winter. Take with you our
blessings and thanks. Hail and farewell!
Responsorial: Hail and farewell!
1546
{file "Wiccan History (BTW, Julia Phillips)" "bos318.htm"}
Wiccan History
Wicca is a relatively modern attempt (approximately 50 years old)
at reviving and reconstructing the old pre-Christian religions of
Europe. In a mythopoetic sense it is many centuries old. However,
the Witch of 200 years ago would not recognize what is called "witch-
craft" today. Modern Wicca may have some of its roots in some of the
local folk-magic and "family witchcraft" of mid 20th Century England.
It does have traceable roots in the Golden Dawn magical society of
late 19th century England, some of Aleister Crowley's magickal work
and some Ceremonial Magic dating back to Elizabethan times. For a
modern history of English Wicca, the reader can most profitably
consult the works of Janet and Stuart Farrar and Doreen Valiente.
PREHISTORY
Up until recently, the earliest known remnants of human society
that give us any clues to the spiritual dimension of prehistoric man
are those belonging to the Gravettian-Aurignacian cultures of 2500-
1500 B.C.E. This is called the Upper Paleolithic Period. Though most
of the sites so far discovered have been found in Europe, a very
important site in Anatolia (modern Turkey) has also been found and is
the (so far) the first or oldest City of Catal Huyuk (pronounced
chatal Hoo-Yook),they form a conjectural foundation for the religion
of the goddess as it emerged in the later Neolithic Age of the Near
East. There have been numerous studies of these Paleolithic cul-
tures, including extensive explorations of the sites occupied by these
peoples, including the apparent rites connected with the disposal of
their dead.
The earliest remains of ancient civilization indicating some form
of Goddess worship were in the caves in Lascaux, France. Here, the
first and earliest non-anthropomorphic divine figures were symbolized
by the horse for female Divinity and the Bison as the male divine
influence. This portion of the cave was painted in approximately
17,000 B.C.E. and sealed approximately 10,000 B.C.E. The anthropo-
morphic Goddess figures appear sometime approximately 7,000 B.C.E. The
earliest remains in Catal Huyuk have been reliably carbon dated to
6,500 B.C. and show some interesting parallels in that the horse was
replaced with an anthropomorphic goddess and the Bison (an ice age
animal) has been replaced with the aurochs bull, ancestor of modern
cattle. The anthropomorphic Goddess is an Earth Mother and the nearby
volcanoes (then active) were considered her breasts.1
One major conjecture has been that the concept of the creator of
all human life may have been formulated by the clan's image of women.
The reasoning behind this conjecture lies in the observations in this
century of the few remaining Paleolithic type cultures. These Paleo-
lithic cultures tend to be woman centered since it is from the women
that babies come and the women are absolutely essential for the
continuation of the tribe or clan. Current information also indicates
that it is also probable that the mother was regarded as the sole (or
at least primary) parent of children in this culture, and that there
was a definite pattern of ancestor worship. It is also very probable
that ancestry was matrilineal.
1547
The most tangible evidence that these very ancient cultures and
their predecessors worshipped a goddess is the numerous sculptures of
women found throughout most of Europe and the Near east. Some of
these sculptures date as far back as 25,000 B.C.E.! Small female
figurines, made of stone, bone and clay (most seemingly pregnant) have
been found throughout the widespread Gravettian-Aurignacian sites as
far apart as Spain, France, Germany, Austria, and Russia spanning an
apparent period of at least 10,000 years. Erich Neumnann, in "The
Great Mother" (p.95) says- "Of the Stone Age sculptures known to us,
there are fifty-five female figures and only five male figures. The
male figures, of youths, are atypical and poorly executed, hence it is
certain that they had no significance for the cult. This fits in with
the secondary character of the male godhead, who appeared only later
in the history of religions and derived his divine rank from his
mother, the Goddess."
Johannes Maringer, in his book the "Gods of Prehistoric Man"
says- "it appears highly probable then that the female figurines were
idols of a Great Mother cult, practiced by the non-nomadic Aurignacian
mammoth hunters who inhabited the immense Eurasian territories that
extended from Southern France to Lake Baikal in Siberia." It was
from the Lake Baikal area in Siberia that tribes are believed to have
migrated across the Bering land bridge to North America about this
time period, and formed the nucleus of what was to become the race of
North American Indians. In some primitive societies known to history,
the male role in procreation was not known. Intercourse and pregnancy
both begin with puberty, and there was no evident reason to regard one
as the cause of the other. Women were believed to conceive from the
light of the moon or from ancestral spirits.
Neolithic cultures have left a bit more evidence for study and
the images are a bit clearer and less speculative. One good instance
of this is the stone age painting of a priestess officiating over a
group of worshippers along with a male wearing a horned headdress. An
interesting point here is that the priestess pictured is wearing a
garter and wielding a ceremonial dagger, much like the ones used in
modern witchcraft. Of course much has been made of this, including a
lot of unfounded speculations on the "ancient connections" of modern
witchcraft, but that is a topic beyond the scope of the present work.
The beginnings of Roman religion are sure to have been based on the
Etruscan culture. Ancestor worship was the earliest form of religion
in Rome. Another interesting fact relating to ancient Matrilineal
forms influencing present society is reflected in the Jewish custom
current today that membership comes from the mother's side of a
marriage.
The above mentioned goddess images, some as old as 7000 BC, offer
silent testimony to the most ancient worship of a great goddess in the
land that is most often remembered today as the homeland of Judaism
and Christianity. In exploring the influence and importance of the
worship of the Goddess in Canaan in biblical times, we find that as
Ashtoreth, Asherah (perhaps the origin of the tribe of Asher?),
Astarte, Attoret, Anath, or simply as Elat or Baalat, she was the
principal deity of such great Canaanite cities as Tyre, Sidon, Asca-
lon, Beth Anath, Aphaca, Byblos, and Ashtoreth Karnaim.
1548
In Egypt, the Hebrews had known the worship of the Goddess as
Isis or Hathor. For four generations they had been living in a land
where women held a very high status and the matrilineal descent system
continued to function at most periods.
Judging from the number of Hebrews who emerged from Egypt in
the Exodus, as compared with the family of the twelve sons who sup-
posedly entered it four generations earlier, it seems likely that a
great number of those Hebrews known as Israelites may actually have
been Egyptians, Canaanites, Semitic nomads and other Goddess-worshipp-
ing peoples who had joined together in Egypt. Archaeological records
and artifacts reveal that the religion of the Goddess still flourished
in many of the cities of Canaan long after the Hebrews invaded.
What are some of the modern day applications of this long history
of Goddess worship? For an answer to this, let's look at an encap-
sulation of the "herstory" of the legend of the Universal Goddess as
taught to the new entrants to the Faerie Tradition in 20th Century
America.
According to the legends of the Faerie, Witchcraft and magick
began more than 35 thousand years ago, when the last ice age in europe
began and small bands of nomadic hunters followed the free-running
reindeer and bison herds. They were armed with but primitive weapons
( Stone Age, remember?), and had to lure or chase the animals over a
cliff or into a pit to kill and eat them. As Starhawk says,"...some
among the clans were gifted, could "call" the herds to a cliff side or
a pit, where a few beasts,in willing sacrifice, would let themselves
be trapped."
As the last ice age retreated the tribes of nomadic hunters
worshipped the Goddess of the Wild Things and Fertility and the God of
the Hunt.Semipermanent homes were set up in caves carved out by the
glaciers. Shamans and Shamanka conducted rites within hard to reach
portions of the caves, which were painted with scenes of the hunt,
magical symbols and the tribes totem animals.
The transition from Hunter-Gatherers to agriculturists was
reflected in the change of the "Lady of the Wild Things and Fertility"
to the "Barley Mother" and the "God of the Hunt" to the "Lord of the
Grain". The importance of the phases of the moon and the sun was
reflected in the rituals that evolved around sowing, reaping, and
letting out to pasture.
Villages grew into towns and cities and society changed from
tribal to communal to urban. Paintings on the plastered walls of
shrines depicted the Goddess giving birth to the Divine Child - Her
son, consort and seed. The Divine Child was expected to take a
special interest in the city dwellers, just as His Mother and Father
had taken an interest in the people who lived away from the cities.
Mathematics, astronomy, poetry, music, medicine, and the understanding
of the workings of the human mind, developed side by side with the
lore of the deeper mysteries.
1549
Far to the east, nomadic tribes devoted themselves to the arts of
war and conquest. Wave after wave of invasion swept over Europe from
the Bronze Age onward. Warrior gods drove the Goddess' people out
from the fertile lowlands and the fine temples, into the hills and
high mountains, where they became known as the Sidhe, the Picts or
Pixies, and the Fair Folk or the Fairies. The mythological cycle of
Goddess and Consort, Mother and Child, which had held sway for 30,000
years was changed to conform to the values of the conquering patriar-
chies.
In Canaan, Yahweh fought a bloody battle to ensure that his
followers had "no other gods before me." The Goddess was given a
masculine name and assigned the role of a false god. Along with the
suppression of the Goddess, women lost most of the rights they had
previously enjoyed.
In Greece, the Goddess in Her many aspects, was "married" to the
new gods resulting in the Olympic Pantheon. The Titans, who the
Olympians displaced were more in touch with the primal aspects of the
Goddess.
The victorious Celts in Gaul and the British Isles, adopted many
features of the Old Religion and incorporated them into the Druidic
Mysteries. The Faerie, breeding cattle in the stony hills and living
in turf-covered round huts preserved the Craft. They celebrated the
eight feasts of the Wheel of the Year with wild processions on horse-
back, singing and chanting along the way and lighting ritual bonfires
on the mountaintops. It was said that the invaders often joined in
the revels and many rural families, along with some royalty, could
claim to have Faerie blood. The College of the Druids and the Poetic
Colleges of Ireland and Wales were said to have preserved many of the
old mysteries. ***
In the late 1400's the Catholic Church attempted to obliterate
its competitors, and the followers of the Old Religion were forced to
"go underground." They broke up into small groups called Covens and,
isolated from each other, formed what would later be known as the
Family Traditions. Inevitably, parts of the Craft were forgotten or
lost and what survives today is fragmentary.
After nearly five centuries of persecution and terror, came the
Age of Disbelief. Memory of the True Craft had faded as non-members
who could remember how they once had met openly died and those who
came after never knew of them. All that was left were the hideous
stereotypes which were ludicrous, laughable or just plain tragic.
With the repeal of the last Witchcraft Act in England in 1954, the
Craft started to re-emerge as an alternative to a world that viewed
the planet as a resource to be exploited.
1550
Janet and Stewart Farrar, in the introduction to The Witches
Goddess say of the modern re-emergence of the Goddess " ..may well
prove to be one of the most significant spiritual, psychic and psycho-
logical developments of our lifetime". They have since done a wonder-
ful job of presenting an overview of the ascendancy and history of the
expression of the masculine principle of deity as e pressed by Male
God-forms and Gods with their book The Witches' God. What do the
Farrars consider this "masculine principle" to be? "...it represents
the linear-logical,analyzing, fertilizing aspect, with its emphasis on
Ego-consciousness and individuality, while the feminine principle
represents the cyclical-intuitive, synthesizing, formative, nourishing
aspect, with its emphasis on the riches of the unconscious, both
Personal and Collective, and on relatedness."
As mankind started to develop his cultures in directions that
were more male dependent in the nature of the cultures, the emphasis
in religion shifted to become more male god than female goddess
oriented. As this happened, the Goddess(es) lost ground to the
God(s). At first, the female aspect merely became secondary to the
male, but eventually the male took over and dominated to the total
exclusion of the female, particularly in western society as we know it
today. "The first major god-form to claim a monopoly of divinity was
the Hebrew Yahweh, from which in due course sprang the Christian and
Moslem forms." "Dr. Raphael Patai, in his books Man and Temple and
The Hebrew Goddess shows that the Goddess Asherah was worshipped
alongside Yahweh as his wife and sister in the Temple at Jerusalem for
240 of the 360 years the temple complex existed, and her image was
publicly displayed there." There is also evidence that the Jewish
community at elephantine in egypt acknowledged two goddess-wives of
Yahweh, and also there still remains in Ezekiel (xxiii)a metaphorical
reference to a pair of wives, where Yahweh condemns the "whoredom" of
two sisters who "became mine and bore me sons and daughters".
1551
{file "What is Wicca (Durwydd Mac Tara)" "bos319.htm"}
MY WICCA
By Durwydd MacTara
My RELIGION is Wicca, my LIFE-STYLE is Witchcraft! I believe in
a supreme being that is both Immanent and Transcendent, that is
expressing itself within AND without. However, I also believe that
trying to define/describe such an infinite Divine Being in finite
terms to be a waste of time and energy. I CAN describe my perceptions
of the Ultimate in terms of the energies that I work with and find
significant in my daily living. My style and methods of relating to
what I can perceive of these Divine Energies are what I describe as my
RELIGION. How I apply these insights gained via my religious prac-
tices, I term my CRAFT.
The name for my religion is derived from the Saxon root "wicce"
(pronounced "witchy") and is loosely translated as "Wise". The word
"Wicca" was first used in modern times in England by Gerald B. Gardner
to describe/define an attempt at restoring "the old wisdom" of pre-
Christian beliefs and practice into a modern context in the 1940's.
Ergo, I could call my religion "wisdom" and my style of application of
this wisdom "wise-craft" or more simply, "The Craft of the Wise".
For the sake of convenience and easy understanding, I divide the
expressions of the Divine Energies into two groups; that of the active
positive (symbolically "male") energies represented to me by the stag
horned Lord of the Forest, and those of a more passive, nurturing, or
"negative" polarity represented to me by the Threefold Goddess.
Approaching my perceptions of the universe and its energies in this
way allows me to break them down into "bite sized chunks", applicable
to my daily life in a mundane world, and what good is ANY belief
system if it is not of immediate and practical use here and now?
So what are some of the beliefs and practices of this religion
called Wicca, and how do I apply them to my daily life? What does it
all mean? The following explanation is based on a press statement
released by the American Council of Witches released in the early
1970's, with some editing on my part to reflect my own beliefs and
practices.
=================================
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE CRAFT
1. The first principle is that of love, and it is expressed in the
ethic,
"AN IT HARM NONE, DO AS THOU WILL"
a) love is not emotional in it's essence, but is an
attribute of the individual as expressed in relation
to other beings;
b) harming others can be by thought, word, or deed.
Thought is included here, because for the Witch,
"thoughts are things" and every action, even thoughts,
can become magical actions, whether consciously intended
or not;
c> it is to be understood the "none" includes oneself,
though it is permissable to harm self in helping others,
should one so choose;
d) the harm which is to be regarded as unethical is
gratuitous harm; war, in general, is gratuitous harm,
1552
although it is ethical to defend oneself and one's
liberty when threatened by real and present danger,
such as personal defense or defense of another WHEN REQUESTED.
2. The Witch must recognize and harmonize with the forces of the
universe, in accord with the Law of Polarity: everything is dual;
everything has two poles; everything has it's opposite; for every
action there is a reaction; all can be categorized as either active or
reactive in relation to other things.
a) The Infinite and Ultimate Godhead is one unique and
transcendent wholeness, beyond any limitations or expressions;
thus, it is beyond our human capacity to understand and identify
with this principle of Cosmic Oneness, except as It is
revealed to us in terms of It's attributes and operation.
b) One of the most basic and meaningful attribute of the One
that we, as humans, can relate to and understand, is
that of polarity, of action and reaction; therefore
Witches recognize the Oneness of the Divinity, but
worship and relate to the Divine as the archetypal
polarity of God and Goddess, the All-Father and the
Great Mother of the universe. The Beings are as near as
we can approach to the One within our human limitations
of understanding and expression, though it is possible to
experience the divine Oneness through the practices of the
Mysteries.
c) Harmony does not consist of the pretty and the nice,
but the balanced, dynamic, poised co-operation and
co-relationship.
3. The Witch must recognize, and operate within the framework of
the Law of Cause and Effect; every action has it's reaction, and
every effect has it's cause. All things occur according to this law;
nothing in the universe can occur outside this law, though we may not
always appreciate the relation between a given effect and it's cause.
Subsidiary to this is the Law of Three, which states that whatever
goes forth must return threefold, whether of good or ill; for our
actions affect more than people generally realize, and the resulting
reactions are also part of the harvest.
4. As Above, So Below. That which exists in the Macrocosm exists, on
a smaller scale and to a lesser degree, in the Microcosm. The powers
of the universe exist also in the human, though in general instance
they
lie dormant. The powers and abilities can be awakened and used if the
proper techniques are practiced, and this is why initiates of the
Mysteries are sworn to guard the secrets from the unworthy: Much harm
can be done by those who have power without responsibility, both to
others and to themselves according to the Laws of Cause and Effect and
of Threefold Return.
a) Since our philosophy teaches that the universe is the
physical manifestation of the Divine, there can be
nothing in the universe which does not partake of the
nature of the Divine; hence, the powers and attributes
of the Divine exist also in the manifest, though to much
smaller degree.
1553
b) These powers can be awakened through the various
techniques of the Mysteries, and, although they are only
capable of small effects in and of themselves, it is
possible to use them in order to draw upon the forces of
the universe. Thus humanity can be the wielders of the
power of the Gods, a channel for Godhead to act within
It's own manifestation. This, many feel, is further reason
for the oath of secrecy.
c) Since the universe is the body of the One, possessing
many of the same attributes as the One, it's Laws must be the
principles through and by which the One operates. By
reasoning from the known to the unknown, one can learn
of the Divine, and thus of oneself. By experiencing the Mysteries
a person can truly LEARN more about the One. Thus the Craft is a
natural religion as well as a MYSTERY religion, seeing in Nature
the expression and revelation of Divinity.
5. We know that everything in the universe is in movement or vibration
and is a function of that vibration. Everything vibrates; all things
rise and fall in a tidal system that reflects the motion inherent in
the universe and also in the atom. Matter and energy are but two
poles of one continuous phenomenon. Therefore the Witch celebrates,
harmonizes with, and makes use of the tides of the universe and of
life as expressed through the cycle of the seasons and the motion of
the solar system. These ritual observances are the eight great
Festivals of the Year, referred to as the Wheel of the Year. Further,
the Witch works with the forces and tides of the Moon, for this body
is the mediator of much energy to our planet Earth and thus to oursel-
ves.
6. Nothing is dead matter in the universe. All things exist,
therefore all things live, though perhaps in a different manner from
that which we are used to calling life. In view of this, the Witch
knows that there is no true death, only change from one condition to
another. The universe is the body of Godhead, and therefore
possesses one transcendent consciousness; all things partake of the
consciousness, in varying levels of trance/awareness.
a) Because of this principle, all things are sacred to
the Witch, for all partake of the one Life.
b) Therefore the Witch is a natural ecologist, for Nature
is part of us as we are a part of Nature.
7. Throughout the development of the human race, civilizations have
seen and worshipped many and various attributes of the Divine. These
universal forces have been clothed in forms which were expressive to
the worshipper of the attribute of the Godhead which they expressed.
Use of these symbolic representations of the natural and divine forces
of the universe, or god forms, is a potent method for contacting and
utilizing the forces they represent. Thus the Gods are both natural
and truly divine, and man-made in that the forms with which they are
clothed are products of humanity's striving to know the Godhead.
1554
a) In keeping with the Law of Polarity, these god-forms
are brought into harmony by the one great Law which
states: All Gods are one God. All Goddesses are one
Goddess. There is one Initiator. This law is an
expression of our understanding that all of the forces of
the universe, by whatever ethnic god-form is chosen to
clothe and relate to whichever force, can be resolved
into the fundamental polarity of the Godhead, the Great
Mother and the All-Father.
b) It is the use of differing god forms, of differing
ethnic sources or periods, which is the basis of many of
the differences between the various Traditions of the
Craft. Each Tradition uses the forms, and thus the names,
which to that Tradition best express and awaken an
understanding of the force represented, according to the
areas of emphasis of the Tradition.
c) Because we know that differing names or
representations are but expressions of the same divine
principles and forces, we require our members to swear
that they will never mock the names by which another
honors the Divine, even though those names be different
from and seemingly less expressive than the names and god
forms used by our Tradition (for to the members of
another Tradition, using it's names, ours may easily seem
equally less expressive).
8. A Witch refuses to allow her/himself to be corrupted by the great
guilt neuroses which have been foisted on humanity in the name of the
Divine, thus freeing the self of the slavery of the mind. The Witch
expresses responsibility for her/his actions, and accepts the conse-
quences of them; guilt is rejected as inhibiting to one's self-actual-
ization, and replaced by the efforts of the Witch to obey the teach-
ings of harmlessness, responsibility for the consequences of one's
actions, and the goal of actualizing the full powers of the individ-
ual.
a) We refuse to believe that a human being is born
innately sinful, and recognize the concepts of sin and
guilt are tremendously inhibiting to the human potential;
the consequences of the Law of Cause and Effect, called
karma by some, are not punishment, but the recurrences of
situations and their effects because the individual has
not gained the Wisdom needed to handle or avoid such
situations.
b) There is no heaven except that which we ourselves make
of our life on Earth, and likewise there is no hell
except the effects of our unwise actions. Many of us believe
in a "waiting place" sometimes called Summerland where we rest,
recuperate and prepare for our next sojurn in the earth. "Death
is not followed by punishment or reward, but by life and the
continuing personal evolution of our human potential.
1555
c) One cannot damn the divine in oneself; one can,
however, cut oneself off from it through the rejection of
wisdom and a refusal to strive for self-realization.
This cutting off does not lead to personal suffering in
"hell", for there is no Self to suffer if the tie to
one's own divinity has been severed; what remains is
merely an empty shell, a "personality" or thought-form
devoid of it's ensouling Spark of the Divine Fire.
9. We know of the existence of the life-force which ensouls all
living things, that is, all that exists. We know that a spark of
this Divine Fire is within each and every thing that exists, and that
it does not die; only the form of it's existence changes. We know that
this spark of the life-force returns to manifestation again and again
in order to fully realize and actualize it's potential, evolving
finally to the peak and essence of existence which is pure being. In
this process of reincarnation each form returns in the same type of
form, though it's ever-increasing actualization may lead to higher
levels of existence of that form. Man returns as man, cat as feline,
mineral as mineral, each class of form evolving as the individual
forms of that class evolve.
10. This process of evolution through successive incarnations in
manifest form works through the utilizations of wisdom gained, the
essence of the life-experience. This essence of experience, or Wisdom,
is an attribute of the spark of life itself, one and inseparable.
11. We must care for the body, for it is the vehicle of the spark of
life, the form by which we attain. Thus we must heal the body of it's
ills and keep it a tuned and perfected tool; so must we heal others
(both physically and psychologically) as far as it is within our power
to do so. However, we cannot interfere with the life of another, even
to heal, except at their request or with their express permission.
The reasoning behind this apparent limitation is that we are endowed
with Free Will, and what the Gods themselves hesitate to infringe
upon, is best left alone by us "mere" mortals.
13. Harmony with, and utilization of, the great natural forces of the
universe is called magick. By magick we speak, not of the super-
natural, but of the superbly natural, but whose laws and applications
are not as yet recognized by the scientific establishment. The Witch
must strive to recognize these forces, learn their laws, attune
her/himself to them, and make use of them. The Witch must also be
aware that power corrupts when used _only_ for the gains of the self,
and therefore must strive to serve humanity: Either through the
service in the Priesthood, or by example and effects of his/her life
on others. The choice must be made in accord with the true nature of
the Witch.
1556
{file "wiccan Monism (Durwydd MacTara)" "bos320.htm"}
MONISM, One Wiccan Perspective
Durwydd MacTara
"Henotheism n. Belief in one god without denying the existence of
others." (American Heritage Second College Dictionary)
"Monism n. philos. A metaphysical system in which reality is conceived
as a unified whole." (American Heritage Second College
Dictionary)
"Monotheism n. The belief or doctrine that there is only one God."
(American Heritage Second College Dictionary)
"Pantheism n. 1. The doctrine identifying the Deity with the various
forces and workings of nature. 2. Belief in and worship o f
all gods." (American Heritage Second College Dic tionary)
"Polytheism n. The worship of or belief in more than one god." (Ameri
can Heritage Second College Dictionary)
"To witches, deities manifest in different ways and can be
worshipped and contacted through any form suitable to local
conditions and personal needs. Wicca does not believe, as do
the patriarchal monotheisms, that there is only one correct
version of God and that all other God forms are false: the
Gods of Wicca are not jealous Gods. We therefore worship the
personification of the male and female principles, the God and
the Goddess, recognizing that Gods are aspects of the One God
and all Goddesses are different aspects of the one Goddess,
and that ultimately these two are reconciled in the one divine
essence."
(Vivianne Crowley, WICCA: The Old Religion in The New Age,pp.
11-12)
Vivianne Crowley, a very capable spokesperson for British Traditional
Wicca, identifies the core belief of Wicca (at least BTW) as Monism in
the piece quoted above. However, she also opens the door to defining
Wicca as duotheistic in principle with the subdivision of the monist
reality into the praxis of worshiping both Lord and Lady.
However, there is yet a THIRD level of obscurity in Wiccan Praxis!
Most Wiccans worship a threefold Goddess (Maid, Mother, and Crone) and
many also worship at least a twofold God. So, are the Wicca REALLY
polytheists or perhaps pantheists or even modified Henotheists as some
have claimed? Or, perhaps, a new category altogether needs to be
invented to accurately describe Wiccan belief and practice.
One suggestionhas beenmade toadd aword to ourThea/Theo-logi-
cal lexicon, perhaps "Cthonotheism" (provided we MUST have a "Theism")
to describe "Theistic Wicca". One advantage is that it makes the
assumption of worshipping that which was there to be found and wor-
shipped, NOT a Deity or deities invented in 1939! (More on this
later.)
1557
The following is the only published copy of the (Gardnerian) Blessing
Prayer that I know of.
"In the name of Dryghtyn, the Ancient Providence,
Who was from the beginning and is for eternity,
Male and Female, the Original Source of all things;
all-knowing, all-pervading, all-powerful;
changeless, eternal.
"In the name of the Lady of the Moon,
and the Lord of Death and Resurrection.
"In the name of the Mighty Ones of the Four Quarters,
the Kings of the Elements.
"Blessed be this place, and this time,
and they who are now with us."
("Witch Blood! The Diary Of A Witch High
Priestess!" by Patricia Crowther in chapter
four (paperback edition 1974, House Of Collec-
tibles, Inc.).) Courtesy of David Piper
The Gawain Poet (the poet who wrote Sir Gawain and the Green
Knight in Middle English) used the term 'Dryghtyn' to refer to the
Lord God.
At the start of fit IV -
"Now neghes the Newe Yere and the night passes,
The day drives to the derk, as Dryghtyn biddes."
("Now approaches the New Year and the night passes,
The daylight comes up on the darkness, as the Lord God bids."
or from Brian Stowes verse translation (Penguin Classics, 1974) -
"Now the New Year neared, the night passed,
Daylight fought darkness as the Deity ordained.")
Grendel Grettison, an Asatruar from Seattle suggests the "Dryghtyn"
may be an alternative spelling of the Teutonic "Drighten" meaning
"Lord". I admit this is interesting, to me, as the closeness of the
linguistic link between the Old English and Old German languages has
been a scholarly "fact" widely known for many years. Supporting this
view, the Anglo-Saxon (Old English) word was actually 'dryhtin', meant
'lord, the Lord' and is linguistically related to 'dreogan' meaning
'to perform, to serve'.
1558
As a side issue, this might be some evidence that runs contrary to the
thesis put forth by Aidan Kelly that Gerald Gardner "manufactured"
Wicca in 1939. From personal experience, I have found that one unique
distinction of the non BTW strains of Witchcraft (some times called
"FamTrads" of Family Traditions) is the incorporation of old Christian
Imagery, often including ArchAngels for the four directions or elem-
ents. Though this instance does not include Archangels, it DOES
include archaic (and relatively unknown) Christian terminology. If
Gardner did discover a remnant of the Old Religion upon which he based
his modern reconstruction effort, it is this sort of linguistic
"artifact" which would have survived. Perhaps a more scholarly
investigation than mr. Kelly's will "turn up" more evidence?
Jim Taylor, an Eastern Orthodox Theologian, also makes two (to me)
illuminating statements, concerning "The Dryghtyn Prayer":
1. "'In the name of Dryghtyn, the Ancient Providence,
Who was from the beginning and is for eternity,
Male and Female, the Original Source of all things;
all-knowing, all-pervading, all-powerful;
changeless, eternal.'
This would be, entirely, an acceptable way of describing God, both for
most Jews and for most Christians."
AND
2. "'In the name of the Lady of the Moon,
and the Lord of Death and Resurrection.'
The Lord of Death and Resurrection would seem, to any Christian to
refer to Jesus Christ."
This evidence of a possible mixing of an older (unrecorded) Christian
Prayer may lend further credence to Gardners' claims of building on an
older, hidden, traditional remnant.
I, personally, also agree with Mr. Taylors' statement that "the idea
of Wicca being 'manufactured' in 1939 is far too pat, and ignores a
great deal which ought not to be ignored. At the very least, some
degree of recognition should be accorded to the obvious fact that
most Wiccan practices and attitudes predate Wicca by considerable
periods of time--possibly even millennia".
The existence of Monism, Duotheism, and Polytheism simultaneously in
the belief structure of Wicca is one good example of one of the Five
Mysteries of Wicca, that of Union. Wicca is a mystery religion, a
PARTICIPATORY religion, and much of its symbology must be lived and
practiced to have meaning because much of the real (some say hidden
meaning is based on the knowledge of experience and not the intellec-
tual knowledge of mere logic and conscious thought processes.
I am an eclectic Wiccan with strong ties in my beliefs and practice to
British Traditional Wicca. I am a Monist, yet I have had strong
direct experience with Brigid, Danu, and the Morrigan as well as the
Earth Mother and the Horned Lord of the Forests. So my personal
answer to the question of "What kind of Theism fits Theistic Wicca?"
is "several, or none; it is not really a valid question in those
limited terms"! But perhaps the concept of "Cthonotheism" would give
a better label to this concept when attempting to discuss the idea of
the peculiar theism unique to Wicca?
Blessed Be,
Durwydd MacTara
1559
{file "AIR - A Meditation (Charis)" "bos321.htm"}
Air Meditation
(taken from the WICCA echo on Sun 24 Jan 93 22:17)
It is dawn. I find myself in a forest filled with Aspen trees.
I raise my eyes and look for the sky, but the boughs looming
overhead hide it from my view. As I look up, feel the cool
breeze of spring brush my face, and hear the sound of the
rustling leaves. Blowing, laughing from the east, Eurus brings
thoughts of renewal and life. I follow the wind further into the
soft shadows of the forest, inhaling deeply the strong scent of
the trees. I smell, too, the wafting hints of fragrant incense.
I follow where my senses lead me and come to a small clearing
circled by burning censers filled with sweet-smelling oils.
Toward the east end of the circle is a staff. I walk over to the
place and sit on the ground before it. I take the staff into my
hands and close my eyes. First come swirling colors of white
then yellow then fading darker into lavender. Then, out of the
swirling fog of colors come dozens of small, lithe figures who
swirl around as if carried on the wind itself. They dance around
my head and body, swirling around as if caught in a dance to
unheard music. Then, taking my attention from the spirits of the
air, I look up to find further figures emerging from the mist.
First comes a woman with the beauty of the dawn. As she steps
forward, each of the four winds, in turn, hasten from around here
and fly, one to each of the four corners of the earth. As she
fades, there comes another whose form seems insubstantial, and
seems to constitute both the image of a woman and a cow at the
same time. I look closely the attempt to solidify one form, but
I cannot. As this image fades, I am presented with the forms of
two women who immediately remind me of the nighttime sky. One
glows with the pale light of the full moon, and her eyes hold the
fullness of hidden knowledge. The other, whom also seems to
radiate cool starlight, seems to embody the possibilities of many
lifetimes. In due course, these figures too fade and I am left
with only the mist of the elemental world of air. Suddenly,
three male figures issue from the mist. They seem to be three
aspects of one man, but each's attributes differ. The first
glows with the light of the moon, seeming to be its protector.
The second and third appear almost identical, except that one has
a winged helmet and shoes. As I sit and study the sameness and
difference of the three, they begin to fade, as does the fog.
When the mist clears, I find myself sitting within the circle
still clutching the staff in my hands. I place the staff once
again on the ground and rise. I thank the element of air, and
all it is associated with for sharing with me its wisdom, and
leave the circle.
Charis
---
* PALLAS ATHENA, Atlanta, Georgia 404-920-1349 (93:9603/0)
1560
{file "Setian Symbolism (T.O.S.)" "bos322.htm"}
Re: Symbolism
Classification: IT.IV.C.2.e
Title: Symbolism
Author: Grand Master of the Order of Shuti
Temple of Set
Date: December, XXIV
Published: Dialogues I.3
(The section on "Neters" was published in
issue I.4)
Subject: Symbolism
Reading List: 2L, 2V
[copyright 1989, Temple of Set. Permission for electronic distr-
ibution by echo and on PODS has been given by the author. Do not copy
or distribute further without permission of the author or the Temple
of Set.]
The first session of the year-XXIV Order of Shuti Workshop discussed
symbolism.
While the study of symbolism itself is not a primary concern of the
Order of Shuti, several of the Order's activities do involve working
with forms of symbolism, or are discussed using various symbols.
The symbols of the twin lion gods, Shu and Tefnut, who together are
Shuti, are obviously of importance in understanding the activities
of the Order. The topic of symbolism was therefore chosen for the
introductory session of the workshop.
Application
In discussing this session and what would be discussed, the Grand
Master stressed that symbolism wasn't to be discussed simply as an
intellectual exercise, but that all participants should try to
apply the Setian yardstick of "application" to this discussion.
Each and every topic of this session (and all sessions in the
workshop) should be measured by the questions of a) Can it be
applied? b) Is it useful? c) Does it work?
What is symbolism?
One answer suggested by workshop participants is that symbolism is
a language of the unconscious.
It is a dynamic language in which one image, a single symbol, can
conjure up archetypical impressions, complex or complete concepts
and/or meanings, rather than being a structured language in which
many words and/or several sentences are needed to put together an
equivalent concept or meaning.
Another purpose of symbolism offered by the participants is to
serve as a metalanguage which has two levels or multiple levels of
meaning.
1561
Each symbol or set of symbols can have one meaning to the
initiated, and another meaning to the uninitiated. That symbol or
set of symbols could also have /different/ meanings to the
initiated, depending upon how the symbols are communicated, and how
they are mixed with other symbols. A statement in a symbolic
language could even have multiple meanings communicated at the same
time to the same person.
A lot of the symbols Setians use in our writings are like that.
When we read through the _Scroll of Set_ or the jewelled Tablets,
those of us who have been using the language of the Temple of Set
for a while will see certain words, and will know just from the way
the words are used that the author is writing symbolically as well
as grammatically, and he therefore means "this type of thing".
This symbolic use of language lets us add meaning to an article
without adding substantially to the size of that article.
Those who haven't been in the Temple of Set long enough to pick up
on that symbolic use of language will miss almost all of that
meaning on their first reading.
This is one of the reasons why we all find it useful to reread past
issues of the _Scroll_ and to reread Tablet articles. It enables
us to read meaning in an article that we may have missed on an
earlier reading.
It sometimes happens that "unintended" meaning is found in an
article during such a rereading.
Even though the author may not have consciously intended to convey
a certain meaning, that author's Higher Self may have influenced
the writing in such a way as to symbolically give a specific
message in the writing. These messages remain hidden except for
those who can perceive and understand them.
On the other side of the scale, if our writings are read by someone
totally unfamiliar with occult symbolism, then the message can be
totally lost, and the reader may never see it.
Symbolism can be visual (examples are the Pentagram of Set,
pictures of the Egyptian Neters, etc), and verbal (the closing we
use on our letters, "Xeper and Remanifest", is a statement and
reminder of our dedication to this Formula, a way of developing and
keeping the habit of Xeper and Remanifestation going strong).
Each Word itself is a symbol (Xeper, Indulgence, Thelema, etc.),
as is each Neter (Shu, Tefnut, Sekhmet, Bast). A lot of principles
can be used as symbols which have more meaning to the initiated
than they do to those who just read about them in a dictionary.
Visual and verbal/written symbols involve just one of our senses
(sight). If you include verbal/spoken symbols, we then involve a
second sense (hearing). We then asked the question, "Are there
symbols which are perceived and communicated through each of our
other senses?"
1562
The first examples offered by workshop participants were incense
and music: Incense can bring about different emotions and responses
through the sense of smell. Music can bring about different
responses through the sense of hearing, in ways totally different
than the verbal symbols do (the difference between right brained
behavior and left brained behavior).
Where does symbolism come from?
When dealing with incense and music, we are leaving the mental
processes and intellectual reactions that visual symbols will
evoke, and going instead to the more reactive, bodily, reactions.
We react to the smell of bodily feces with distaste because of the
body's reaction to that sort of an input. We find the fragrance
of a rose very pleasing.
One of the reasons we use fragrant incenses during a ritual is to
bring about bodily reactions which enhance a ceremony because of
the smells and our reactions to the smells.
The discussion of one question leads to another. We learn the
reactions / interpretations / meanings of visual and verbal symbols
(at least those discussed above). Do we also learn reactions to
incenses and music, or are those reactions more innate?
The first response was that our reactions and interpretations, even
our likes and dislikes of music are learned.
The example given was classical music, which strikes some people
as very soothing and relaxing, and which is likely to put these
people to sleep. But others who are aware of the intelligent
dynamics and many other ingredients of classical music will find
the same music very stimulating.
(We believe that the workshop participant was thinking about the
lighter classical pieces, such as "Tales from the Vienna Woods,"
and not the more active pieces such as "Night on Bald Mountain.")
The second response disagreed with the first, pointing out that
regardless of whether they are used in classical, modern, or any
other form of music, harps and strings tend to evoke emotional
(peaceful) moods, while drums are more primal and physical, evoking
more active responses.
The next example we discussed referred to the sense of smell. To
a farmer, feces and fertilizer are pleasing and filled with
promise, a smell of promised growth and life, a totally different
reaction than most people will have (especially after scraping a
dog's refuse off the bottom of one's shoe).
Similarly, an inlander's first pleasant reaction to sea gulls on
wing, grace in motion, can be compared to the reaction of those who
live on the beach and have to live with the noise and the mess and
the droppings left behind by those very same sea gulls.
These examples tend to support the theory that we learn our
interpretations of the sounds and smells around us.
1563
It seems from these examples that our reactions to inputs are
learned, or at least they arise from our experiences. The question
then becomes, can symbols have innate visceral responses, or is the
response to a symbol necessarily a learned one?
To look at innate responses, the original responses to stimuli, we
necessarily looked at children.
For instance, children generally have no innate response to feces,
and will often eat them until they learn not to. They later learn
to either react with disgust to feces, or to view them as
fertilizer and the source of life.
The first example of a possibly innate response brought to the
discussion was that of the ephemeral beauty of a butterfly on the
wing. None of the participants could envision any child's reaction
other than awe and delight at such beauty (or at least none would
admit to any other vision).
This brought forth remarks concerning innate childish "awe", where
almost everything is new and wonderful.
Children as they begin to distinguish between the multiple events
and objects in their world are simply delighted at the beauty and
diversity they find around them. There is no "evil" during this
time -- only the beauty of nature.
Few of us have any reason to unlearn this initial response to the
butterfly. These reactions can therefore be considered innate,
stemming from the earliest days of our consciousness. Other
reactions, unpleasant reactions and also more complex reactions,
seem to be learned over time.
Therefore, there's some of both types of reactions. People will
have initial reactions to many meaningful symbols and inputs, but
their reactions can be modified by their experience and training.
This discussion raised yet more questions, for which no answers
were attempted during this workshop. The questions were, how much
of our symbolism is learned, and how much of our symbolism is
innate? And if some form of consciousness or memory can survive
from one life to another, then how much might be remembered from
past lives?
Symbols may or may not come to one's attention. An extremely
visually-oriented person may not notice or respond to other types
of symbols, such as a room's smell, or a background level of music,
while those who are oriented towards those senses will respond to
those inputs, but perhaps not to others.
Symbolism may have personal and/or experiential meaning (such as
the manure used to plant your garden or that you step in), or
symbolism may be abstract (learned and used in writing, teaching,
or jewelry, but not something that's impacted upon you in the
past). This is the difference between a) the visceral response,
which may be innate and may also be a learned response, modified
through experience or training, and b) the mental response which
must always be learned or developed.
1564
The Grand Master wishes to note that the discussion at this point
had unintentionally left the strict topic of symbolism, and was
dealing instead with experience and reaction to stimuli, on the
unspoken assumption that these reactions applied to our use of
symbolism.
We feel this to be a valid assumption, since the pleasant reaction
we have to a butterfly or to a unicorn extends to and impacts our
use of those images as symbols. Those with differing reactions to
sea gulls as described above would similarly have different
reactions to Johnathon Livingston Seagull's story.
Also, by concentrating on experience and reaction rather than
symbolism, we temporarily lost sight of the most important measure
of symbolism -- that of meaning.
Yes, music has impact, but that music is symbol only if its impact
includes meaning, such as the sense of freedom and power that
accompanies the visual image of the "Flight of the Valkyries" and
similar images of meaning those who are familiar with the movie
will get from various pieces in the sound track from 2001.
Likewise incense is symbol only if its impact includes meaning.
That meaning may be supplied by the smell, or that meaning may be
supplied by knowledge of the ingredients within the incense.
Meaning may also be supplied by the words used during the censing
of the chambre. Without some meaning, incense is not symbol, but
only smell.
Closely related to the sense of smell is the sense of taste, and
it's fairly easy to see that certain tastes can have meaning as
well.
During Passover Seder, a ritual meal of thanksgiving and freedom
(celebrating the Exodus), Jews will dip greens into salt water and
eat the salty greens, to remind them of tears shed by the Jews in
bondage. They will eat bitter herbs to remind them of the
bitterness of slavery.
Likewise, there can be kinesthetic symbols as well.
We feel different when we hold a sword in ritual as opposed to when
we hold a dagger. We feel different when we are standing up than
we feel when we are sitting down, and different still when we are
kneeling or laying down. We feel different in charged rooms, dry
rooms, wet rooms, hot rooms, cold rooms, still rooms, breezy rooms.
Uncontrolled, these latter experiences are just stimuli.
Controlled and used meaningfully, these latter experiences can be
symbols, manipulated and understood as such.
How should symbolism be used?
The first obvious use of symbolism is in the communication of
ideas, whether written, spoken, or communicated through one or more
other senses.
1565
Based on the idea that a single symbol can have a whole galaxy of
meaning, a useful communications skill is the ability to use
symbols in the proper places, in the proper ways, to communicate
more meaning in a smaller package (with fewer words).
Perhaps of greatest importance within the Temple of Set are the
magical aeonic Words: Xeper, Remanifestation, and Xem, and the
preceding Words of Indulgence and Thelema. By using these Words
in writing or other forms of communication, we communicate the
meanings associated with those Words.
If I say the word "Xeper" to an initiate, it means something
totally different than it would mean to someone off the street, and
it means something totally different to a Setian than it would mean
to an Egyptologist who /thinks/ he knows the Egyptian god Xepera.
Our use of the Word is quite different and the symbol carries so
much more meaning than just the word "Xeper" would carry in a
modern Egyptian dictionary.
This use of symbolism doesn't apply just to magical Words or
Formulae, but applies to symbols of many different kinds, in many
different uses.
You'll sometimes find certain words capitalized in text, as are
"Words" and "Formulae" above. When not overly used, this is a
clear indication that the author wishes you to view these words
with their symbolic meanings, rather than their normal meanings.
During group ritual, certain words will be spoken more
flamboyantly, perhaps louder, perhaps longer, and often with more
gesturing. These words are then generally being used symbolically,
with special meaning at least to the speaker, if not to other
participants.
Symbolism can also be used in Lesser Black Magic, as tools to
influence certain people (singular or multiple) in certain ways.
The magician (or politician or religious leader or arts director
or other manipulator) will use lighting, music, fragrance, and
other symbols in ways particular to their audience's response to
the symbols.
Symbolism can be used upon ourselves in a similar manner, to bring
out responses from us that we want to bring out, as in ritual or
as an aid to Xeper.
Words which have become symbols to us can be used as a means of
increased concentration, as a visual mantra or as a sensual mantra.
Such mantras can be used in ritual, in nonritual meditation, or
whenever we choose to remind ourselves of the principles carried
within that symbol.
Over time, some symbols can become richer and can carry more and
more meaning to those people who work with the symbol.
These symbols can become "magnetic", in that each use of the symbol
brings forth yet another repetition of the symbol. Each reference
brings forth a constellation of meaning, with one meaning and use
leading to another. Each use of the symbol sparks, or attracts,
another use of the symbol.
1566
In these cases the symbols will often be repeated over and over
throughout a conversation or other communication, each time
exercising one or more of those meanings, and through the course
of the communication this symbol can almost hold or reflect an
entire world view. This is the way the people influenced by the
symbol see their world.
At a political rally the symbol might be "America", "Democracy",
or "the Party" (citizens of other countries may substitute those
symbols meaningful in your domain). To some, the symbol might be
"the Environment".
The symbol "Xeper" has a similar impact within the Setian culture.
Group consensus is important for communication through symbols.
Different groups can have differing uses of symbols, and attempts
to communicate between these groups using the symbols particular
to one group (or those symbols which are viewed differently by
different groups) can result in confusion or worse.
Because Setians come from such diverse backgrounds, we have various
communication problems related to these diverse backgrounds.
Members from the O.T.O. may know all of the Qabalic
correspondences, while members from the Wiccan background couldn't
care less about the Qabalic attributions, and have correspondences
which are totally different. Numerologists apply different
meanings to their numbers than do the Qabalists. And all of these
symbolic systems work.
But very, very few of them work for all Setians.
Qabalists within the Temple of Set who write articles and/or
letters steeped in Qabalic symbolism find that very few others care
enough about their symbols to wade through the text. Those from
other backgrounds with intensive use of symbols similarly find
difficulty communicating within the Temple of Set, since our
symbolic vocabulary is so much less cohesive.
This lack of similarity in symbolism affects not only written
communication, but also ritual activity.
Each pylon seems to develop its own pattern of symbolism, and
inter-pylon rituals can at times be very difficult. Fitting many
diverse magicians with their diverse backgrounds into one
meaningful ceremony can be a challenge, a challenge faced at each
Conclave, and at each activity like the Order of Shuti Workshop.
1567
Language of the Unconscious?\{fn 1\}
The first question asked by the Grand Master was, "What is
symbolism?" The first answer received was, "A language of the
unconscious."
Parts of the workshop's discussion might seem to support this
definition, while others contradict it. So let the Grand Master
speak:
Symbols have many attributes. Among the more important of these
attributes is their ability to cause reaction in their audience,
visceral if not innate reactions, as discussed above.
Elizabeth S. Helfman, in her book _Signs and Symbols around the
World_, defines symbol as being: "anything that stands for
something else."
Look in your dictionary. Mine includes several definitions of
symbol and symbolism, including:
>> Symbol: 2: something that stands for or suggests something
else
by reason of relationship, association, convention, or accidental
resemblance. 5: an act, sound, or object having cultural
significance and the capacity to excite or objectify a response.
>> Symbolism: 1: the art or practice of using symols esp. by
investing things with a symbolic meaning or by expressing the
invisible or intangible by means of visible or sensuous
representations; as a: the use of conventional or traditional
signs
in the representation of divine beings and spirits, b: artistic
imitation or invention that is a method of revealing or
suggesting
immaterial, ideal, or otherwise intangible truth or states. 2: a
system of symbols or representations.
Symbolism is an art, a practice, something which is done. It is
used to communicate meaning. It is a language.
Our visceral responses to symbolism may be unconscious, but if
that's all there is, then have we received and/or responded to
meaning?
The transmission and communication of *Meaning* requires some
form
of consciousness.
Let's use the word /Awake/ to mean the highest form of
consciousness. Remember -- the capital letter indicates I'm
using
a symbol; Setian use of this specific symbol (Awake) most often
refers to Ouspenski's heightened state of consciousness and
awareness, a state of being totally awake.
1568
For simplicity, let's assign a whole range of various levels of
conscious awareness to the name "conscious". This name can apply
to heightened states of consciousness which those we would call
Awake, those that barely miss being Awake, down to the almost
somnabulent states in which most of mankind spends their day.
Finally, I would call the preconscious state one of consciousness
in this case, a state in which meaning can be received,
interpreted, and acted upon, without the individual being
"consiously" aware that this has happened. But if the
individual's
attention is brought to the subject, then the symbol and its
meaning can be recalled and the process repeated without any
difficulty.
If symbols are generated and communicated, if they are
transmitted
and received, in one of these three states, then I believe we can
correctly talk about symbolism, about language.
However, if the generation and/or reception of the symbol is
unconscious, and/or totally unintended, then I propose that that
instance is not an example of symbolism, not language or
communication, but rather the accidental generation of and/or
visceral response to sensory input.
[Now let us return to the discussion as it took place in the
workshop...]
Planetary Symbol System?
We know there are differences in the meanings of many symbols.
"Patriotism" can be exceedingly important to a Republican and
also
to a Libertarian, but the meanings that this symbol will have can
be quite different in many ways.
This leads us to ask the question of whether there might perhaps
be a "planetary symbol system" in which some symbols at least can
be found commonly used in many or all cultures.
The cross, square, circle, and most or all simple symbols have
been
found in use all over the earth. We therefore can ask whether
their meanings are similar, or are the symbols used simply
because
they are simple geometric figures, but with meanings arbitrarily
assigned by the individual cultures?
One participant brought forth Ouspenski's example that "Table"
has
a function, an innate form or essence, which can be perceived
beyond words, and beyond a learned experience.
"Table" provokes an image, feeling, or essence that is evoked
through a willed perception that extends beyond the actual set of
tables that a person may have ever experienced.
1569
Ouspenski claims that at a certain state of consciousness the
Aware
individual can see this deeper meaning or essence, and that this
deeper meaning or essence can be commonly perceived by all who
reach this level of consciousness.
Similar ideas were offered by Plato, and the concept of Platonic
Forms is very prevalent throughout the Setian use of symbolism.
We often speak of the Egyptian Neters as being Forms, the
original or specific essence of an Ideal.
This is certainly an area that needs deeper investigation. The
workshop session discussion however left the topic of abstract
Forms, and instead investigated the historic use of symbols in
various cultures.
Looking first at the more complex god forms, it seems each major
culture has a "trickster" god: Coyote fills this niche in several
Amerindian cultures, Loki in the Norse mythos, and Thoth (Hermes
and Mercury) in the Egyptian (Greek and Roman) mythologies.
The Trickster is that Spirit who makes you Think. He is the Spirit
who is unpredictable in his actions or reactions, who gets himself
and everyone else into trouble. In the process of doing so -- most
often after everyone is already in trouble -- he makes people
Think, and in the end he generally gets everyone out of trouble by
thinking.
To represent the Trickster, each culture used that type of symbol
or god form which for them was most appropriate for that type of
character.
The coyote is a fairly independent and hard to track animal in
America, requiring more than the usual amount of intelligence and
stealth to catch. Monkeys similarly were appreciated for their
seeming intelligence and playfulness, and so Egyptians assigned the
Trickster attribute and the monkey's form to Thoth.
The question becomes ... is this type of being, this symbol,
something which is universal, cross-cultural, or is it something
which happens in just a few cases, and many other societies never
had any use for it?
Jung was exploring this area. He defined specific symbols which
he felt were common to many or all cultures. They were fairly
common within his culture and Jung did manage to validate them with
some cross-cultural study.
We still need to ask how complete his studies were, how extensive
and wide spread.
Given people in extremely different environments, such as the
Eskimo, Hawaiian, Indian, Tibetan, etc., cultures where the people
have many different experiences, totally different social and
physical environments, it can be expected that these people would
have very different reactions to the symbols that Jung thought he
had commonality on.
1570
Jung's _Man and his Symbol_ was recommended by one participant as
containing documentation on his cross-cultural studies in this
area.
Not having access to any resource materials that would answer our
questions at the time, the workshop session then proceeded into the
topic of Egyptian Neters and the use of Neters in symbolism.
Neters
The Workshop discussion of Egyptian Neters started with a brief
discussion of the Egyptian languages.
The ancient Egyptians used three different written languages, the
hieroglyphic, hieratic, and demotic.
The demotic language was a mostly alphabetic language used for
common communications among those who could read and write. Its
primary uses were for social and business reasons.
The hieratic language was a pictographic language related to the
hieroglyphic, but in which the pictographs were abbreviated and
simplified to speed writing. It was used for important state
documents and many later religious texts.
The hieroglyphic language was the most ornate of the three
languages, the most ancient of the three languages, and the most
symbolic. It was used for the most important religious and
philosophical statements, and for the most important state
declarations.
Many of the symbols used to form the hieroglyphic language had
assigned sounds, and many others did not. In addition to the
sounds and symbols used to form words, the Egyptians used
determinatives, signs added to specifically identify each word.
Through the use of the determinative, it was impossible to mistake
one written word for another, even if verbal sounds were the same,
even if the letters used were the same.
This use of a purely symbolic, picture-oriented language encouraged
the ability in the learned ancient Egyptians to think with right
brained methods while doing the left brain activity of reading.
It also encouraged these educated and intelligent Egyptians to work
with symbols as they worked with language. They were able to
communicate ideas and ideals in a language particularly well suited
to this purpose.
Setians use the ancient Egyptian neters as symbols, representing
aspects of the world, or aspects of the individual. We feel this
is very close to the way the higher initiates of the ancient
Egyptian Temples, the priests of the Temples, and the smarter
pharaohs used and viewed their neters. The neters were concepts
that could be communicated to and shared among the initiated,
rather than being actual gods and goddesses.
1571
The common man may very well have believed in the literal existence
of his many gods and goddesses, but we believe the elite of the
Egyptian society understood that these neters were purely symbols.
When the Egyptian elite paid homage to the neters, they paid homage
to the aspects of the universe or of the self represented by those
neters.
One neter of obvious importance is Set. In dealing with this
symbol, we try to identify the original meaning of the symbol, and
try to eliminate the corruptions of the symbol imposed by the later
rule of Osirian religion.
Rather than take space here to discuss the corruptions and
distortions that were applied to the symbol of the neter Set
through the Osirian culture, we'll simply refer the interested
student to appropriate books in the reading list: 2A, 2E, 2G, 2W,
and 2AA.
It is rather clear that the use and peripheral meanings of the
neter Set changed over time. The study of Set must therefore
include the careful consideration of the source of whatever
writings are being studied. Fortunately most other Egyptian
symbols/god forms did not change significantly over time, and such
care need not be used in studying and working with them.
The neters were used and viewed as symbols. But the Egyptian
temples _were_ temples, and were recognized as religions, not
simply as centers of enlightened philosophy. This brings up the
question: Do/did the Egyptian Neters actually exist? Were these
religions founded to worship or work with beings that actually
existed? Or were they simply the creations of the ancient Egyptian
priesthoods?
Rather than tackle immediately the question of whether the Neters
actually existed, workshop participants first chose to examine ...
Egyptian Priesthoods
The first statement made about these priesthoods was that each
temple in Egypt taught a different area of philosophy or knowledge.
Those temples dedicated to a major neter or god taught that their
primal Form was the First Cause. These were the major temples of
the land, and an initiate who studied at temple after temple would
be presented with the opposing claims that each god was the god,
The Creator.
We noted in our discussion that the priesthoods of several of the
"minor" neters did not make any such claims. Thoth as a single
neter never seemed to be treated as the creator god; nor was Geb.
However, many of the major neters were treated as creator gods, and
many gods were intentionally combined into units (such as
Amon-Thoth-Ra) in order to form a god which would be powerful
enough to qualify as The creator god.
1572
Neters as Symbols
We returned to discussing the neters as ways of viewing possibility
and potentiality, and ways of viewing different aspects of the
universe and of the individual.
For example, Ra, the sun god, was a most pervasive and powerful
being, since every single day, there he is in the sky. Ra was
consistent, reliable, and therefore powerful.
Similarly each force in nature was given a personality, because
each force in nature has a personality (or seems to, to those who
humanize such things). This is the basic principle behind most
spirits of most animistic religions.
These personalities are generally reliable. A rain cloud is going
to rain; it isn't going to add to the day's heat. The Nile was not
going to dry up -- it was going to overflow once a year, and
deposit good, rich, fertile earth upon the ground. Each force of
nature, each personality, was given a name, a face, and a story.
The most powerful stories, faces, and names are those that belong
to the creator gods. There are so many creator gods, that it's
really difficult to pin down an actual order of precedence.
This brings up the fact that there are many apparently conflicting
stories within the Egyptian mythology.
The Grand Master pointed out that in several Egyptian myths, Shu
and Tefnut are self-created. In others they were created by tears
of the master creator god (whoever he happened to be according to
the story teller). In yet others they were created by the master
god's masturbation.
Shu and Tefnut by definition are the first male and female. The
master god's masturbation in these latter stories was always male
masturbation, but Shu is the first male. Shu and Tefnut begat Geb
and Nut, but Nut was the all-pervasive universal sky that preceded
the first god...
This confusion is the result of centuries of Egyptian story
telling, and while some of it appears to be contraditory, most of
it is useful. We certainly must hesitate to consider this
mythology as one consistent symbolism, and must be careful if we
wish to communicate consistent meanings using these symbols, but
we have found value in this mythology.
Each story is a different way of looking at the world, a different
way of looking at the first cause, and of looking at the symbols.
By using these symbols, we can then indicate not only a symbol, but
also which way we are looking at the world.
Hence, if in ritual or other communication we call upon
Ptah-Geb-Nu, we are calling upon the creator of the earth and sky,
the god who created the physical universe. If instead we call upon
the Neter Ra-Ptah-ankh, we are calling upon the god who brought
light and life to this planet.
1573
Having discussed these differing views of the world as expressed
by the many symbolic neters, we felt that this was a good point
from which to launch into a discussion of one of the ways in which
we look at Neters.
Set, the prime source of intelligence and the ageless intelligence
himself, is a wee bit complex for someone a mere 20 or even 200
years old to understand, regardless of whether we look at Set as
an actually existing being or instead as a master symbol.
So rather than try to encompass all of Set, intellectually or
emotionally, rather than try to understand all of Set, we can work
with neters which are facets of Set's being, facets of Set's
symbolism. Each neter can be thought of as a specific element of
Set.
As examples, Shu is one set of symbolism, one set of ideas, that
an initiate can work with to "get somewhere" with, to accomplish
certain initiatory goals. Tefnut is another set of ideas, as is
Geb, Isis, etc.
Rather than trying to encompass and work with the entire universe
simultaneously, grab whatever you can hold onto, work with that
handful, study that symbol or symbols, and see what it leads to.
We had originally intended to discuss whether or not the Neters
might or might not exist in their own right. Having discussed the
above, it seemed somewhat unimportant as to whether the Neters
actually exist. That topic will be left for a later discussion.
Bibliography
While the following books and papers were not necessarily discussed
nor referenced during the workshop discussion (or in completing
this article), the initiate interested in studying symbolism as a
subject on its own would be well advised to begin with this
bibliography. Additions to this bibliography are welcome, and
should be sent to the Grand Master. (_RT_ entries are from _The
Ruby Tablet of Set_.)
Barrett, Ronald K., "Book of Opening the Way (Key #4)". _RT_
IT.II.A.5.b.(1).(d).
Barrett, Ronald K., "Stele of Xem". _RT_ IT.II.A.4.a.(3).
Cavendish, Richard, _The Black Arts_. 4C (TS-3).
Crowley, Aleister, _The Book of Thoth_. 9L (TS-4).
De Lubicz, Isha Schwaller, _Her-Bak_. 2L (TS-1).
De Lubicz, Isha Schwaller, _Symbol and the Symbolique_. 2V (TS-4).
Fisher, Leonard Everett, _Symbol Art: Thirteen Squares, Circles,
and Triangles from Around the World_. NY: Four Winds Press,
MacMillan Publishing Company, 1985.
Helfman, Elizabeth S., _Signs and Symbols Around the World_. NY:
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co., 1967.
1574
Jung, Carl G., _Man and his Symbols_. Garden City: Doubleday &
Co., 1964, 1968. Also NY: Dell Publishing Co., 1968, and London:
Aldus Books, 1964.
Menschel, Robert, "Remanifestation: A Symbolic Syntheses", _RT_
IT.II.B.3.e.(2).
Menschel, Robert, "Tarot Primer", _RT_ IT.II.B.3.e.(3).
Norton, Lynn, "Golden Section Tarot Working", "Atu XV: The Devil",
and "The Dialogue". _RT_ IT.II.A.3.k.(1), 4.h.(1), and 4.h.(2).
Regardie, Israel, _777 and Other Qabalistic Writings of Aleister
Crowley_. 9M (TS-4).
Schaefer, Heinrich, _Principles of Egyptian Art_. 2R (TS-4).
=========
Footnote:
=========
1. The Grand Master wishes to digress temporarily from the
workshop's discussion, and to comment at this time on one of the
first statements offered during this discussion.
1575
{file "Perscution, Ancient & Modern (Julia Phillips)" "bos324.htm"}
PERSECUTION: ANCIENT AND MODERN
This is the text of a talk entitled PERSECUTION: ANCIENT AND MODERN.
Written by Julia Phillips, it was presented by Julia and Matthew
Sandow at the Wiccan Conference, Canberra, September 1992, and was
illustrated with slides of medieval woodcuts, paintings and documents.
To begin, an example of religious persecution:
I am told that, moved by some foolish urge, they consecrate and
worship the head of a donkey, that most abject of all animals. This
is a cult worthy of the customs from which it sprang! Others say that
they reverence the genitals of the presiding priest himself, and adore
them as though they were their father's... As for the initiation of
new members, the details are as disgusting as they are well-known. A
child, covered in dough to deceive the unwary, is set before the
would-be novice. The novice stabs the child to death with invisible
blows; indeed, he himself, deceived by the coating of dough, thinks
his stabs harmless. Then - it's horrible! - they hungrily drink the
child's blood, and compete with one another as they divide his limbs.
Through this victim they are bound together; and the fact that they
all share the knowledge of the crime pledges them all to silence. Such
holy rites are more disgraceful than sacrilege. It is well-known too
what happens at their feasts.... On the feast day they forgather with
all their children, sisters, mothers, people of either sex and all
ages. When the company is all aglow from feasting, and impure lust has
been set afire by drunkenness, pieces of meat are thrown to a dog
fastened to a lamp. The lamp, which would have been a betraying
witness, is overturned and goes out. Now, in the dark so favourable to
shameless behaviour, they twine the bonds of unnameable passion, as
chance decides. And so all alike are incestuous, if not always in
deed, at least by complicity; for everything that is performed by one
of them corresponds to the wishes of them all... Precisely the secrecy
of this evil religion proves that all these things, or practically
all, are true. (Minucius Felix: Octavius)
Although the language is not modern, the description of the practices
could have come straight from last week's "Picture" magazine! And this
is the point that I wish to make; the facts of persecution have not
changed in almost 2,000 years, for that piece was written in the 2nd
century AD. Moreover, the religion it condemns is Christianity, not
Paganism, for Paganism at that time was the dominant state religion.
In fact the author is a Christian apologist, and is attempting to
rebuke what he sees as unfair criticism, by parodying the offences
which Pagans accuse Christians of perpetrating.
Persecution of religious minorities is quite simply that; it is
persecution by a large body of people - generally those who represent
"society" - against a smaller one; generally comprised of those who
have either rejected, or for one reason or another, fall outside of
the social "norm".
1628
Let us look at the medieval picture of the witch; society's scapegoat
par excellence: here we see her - for it is most often "her" - an old,
ugly woman, most likely poor, and most likely on the fringe of the
society in which she lives. This is the stereotype of the witch. We
know it is false; we know it has no basis in fact; however, it became
an integral part of the mindset of medieval Europe, and through fairy
tales, drama and literature, and more latterly, cinema, the media and
television, it has remained an integral image in modern society. One
has only to look to Roald Dahl's "Witches", or Frank Baum's "Wizard of
Oz", for proof of this. It came as a surprise to me to learn that
"The Wizard of Oz" was in fact a deliberate propaganda exercise,
released just at the beginning of World War II. If you remember, the
magic words are: "There's no place like home"; and where was "home"?
Kansas! that epitome of the WASP culture.
When looking at medieval persecution of heresy, the waters are muddied
by the many different causes and effects which permeate the whole
matter. There was no single cause, and no single victim. It is a fact
that far more women than men were persecuted; there are a number of
reasons for this, not least that throughout this period, Europe was
engaged in one war after another - most notably The Crusades - and men
were in rather short supply. There were also several epidemics of the
plague, not to mention other diseases such as dysentery and cholera,
which in the Middle Ages were sure killers. Another reason is the
rampant misogyny which, begun with the earliest Christians, has
permeated their theology ever since:
"What else is woman but a foe to friendship, an
inescapable punishment, a necessary evil, a nat-
ural temptation, a desirable calamity, a domestic
danger, a delectable detriment, an evil of nature,
painted in fair colours... The word woman is used
to mean the lust of the flesh, as it is said: I
have found a woman more bitter than death, and a
good woman more subject to carnal lust... [Women]
are more credulous; and since the chief aim of the
devil is to corrupt faith, therefore he rather
attacks them [than men]... Women are naturally
more impressionable... They have slippery tongues,
and are unable to conceal from their fellow-women
those things which by evil arts they know....
Women are intellectually like children... She is
more carnal than a man, as is clear from her many
carnal abominations... She is an imperfect animal,
she always deceives.... Therefore a wicked woman
is by her nature quicker to waver in her faith,
and consequently quicker to abjure the faith,
which is the root of witchcraft.... Just as th-
rough the first defect in their intelligence they
are more prone to abjure the faith; so through
their second defect of inordinate affections and
passions they search for, brood over, and inflict
various vengeances, either by witchcraft or by
some other means.... Women also have weak mem-
ories; and it is a natural vice in them not to be
disciplined, but to follow their own impulses
without any sense of what is due... She is a liar
by nature... (Malleus Maleficarum, edited by
Jeffrey Russell).
1629
It is easy to comprehend the persecution of women when one is con-
fronted with such obvious hatred and fear of the sex. But perhaps the
most powerful impetus of the witch trials era is one which is subtly -
and sometimes not so subtly! - present in all the trials; that of a
pursuit of power or wealth. For an example we can look to Gilles de
Rais, who as the wealthiest man in Europe (as well as Joan of Arc's
military Captain), was a prime victim for a charge of heresy. Found
guilty, his lands, properties and wealth were confiscated by his
accusers. Curiously though he was buried on consecrated ground in the
Churchyard; normally forbidden to heretics. In "The Encyclopaedia of
Witchcraft and Demonology", Russell Hope Robbins says:
"At first, Gilles dismissed their accusations as
"frivolous and lacking credit", but so certain
were the principals of finding him guilty that on
September 3, fifteen days before the trial began,
the Duke disposed of his anticipated share of the
Rais lands. Under these circumstances, it is
difficult to place any credence in the evidence
against him, among the most fantastic and obscene
presented in this Encyclopaedia."
Charges included the now obligatory conjurations of devils and demons
- Satan, Beelzebub, Orion and Belial are mentioned by name - and the
practice of that dreadful art: geomancy! And of course the charges
included human sacrifice and paedophilia; no self-respecting Christian
could exclude these crimes from charges against a confirmed heretic!
There were not many who had the wealth of Gilles de Rais, but in
a small parish, even the meanest property was eagerly seized, and
the witch hunts became a profitable business. The victims were even
required to pay for the fuel upon which they were burnt. But the laws
were not consistent throughout Europe, and in some areas, if the
victim confessed, then his or her property could not be confiscated,
but was inherited by the next of kin. However, many of these victims
were in fact devout Christians, who would be loath to confess to
heresy just so that their family could inherit their land! Of course
many were tortured to the point were they would admit to being any-
thing demanded of them, although technically, they were only allowed
to be tortured once. This is why you will read in trials records that
the torture was "continued", which, of course, gets round the problem
of the poor torturer missing out on his lunch and dinner.
Although most heretics were women, a great many men were also taken,
tortured, and put to death. This is a letter from one such victim at
the notorious Bamberg in Germany; a poignant epitaph to one of Eur-
ope's most hideous crimes:
Many hundred thousand good-nights, dearly beloved
daughter Veronica. Innocent have I come into pris-
on, innocent have I been tortured, innocent must I
die. For whoever comes into the witch prison must
become a witch or be tortured until he invents
something out of his head - and God pity him -
bethinks him of something.
I said: "I have never renounced God, and will
never do it - God graciously keep me from it. I'll
rather bear whatever I must."
1630
And then came also - God in highest heaven have
mercy - the executioner, and put the thumbscrews
on me, both hands bound together, so that the
blood spurted from the nails and everywhere,
so that for four weeks I could not use my hands,
as you can see from my writing. Thereafter they
stripped me, bound my hands behind me, and drew me
up on the ladder. Then I thought heaven and earth
were at an end. Eight times did they draw me up
and let me fall again, so that I suffered terrible
agony.
All this happened on Friday June 30th and with
God's help I had to bear the torture. When at last
the executioner led me back into the cell, he said
to me: "Sir, I beg you, for God's sake, confess
something, whether it be true or not. Invent some-
thing, for you cannot bear the torture which you
will be put to; and, even if you bear it all, yet
you will not escape, not even if you were an earl,
but one torture will follow another until you say
you are a witch."
The author of this letter, Johannes Junius, did indeed confess to
being a witch, and in August of 1628, was burned at the stake. He
managed to send his final letter to his daughter, which ended by
saying:
Dear child, keep this letter secret, so that peo-
ple do not find it, else I shall be tortured most
piteously and the jailers will be beheaded. So
strictly is it forbidden... Dear child, pay this
man a thaler... I have taken several days to write
this - my hands are both crippled. I am in a sad
plight. Good night, for your father Johannes Jun-
ius will never see you more.
This letter describes more accurately than any historical treatise
just how uncompromising the ecclesiastical courts were in their
hunt for heretics. Witches, of course, were only one kind of heretic.
I mentioned earlier that there are many causes, and many effects, to
the period which is commonly referred to as "The Burning Times", or
the Great Witch Hunt. It is often assumed by many people today that
Christianity has been the dominant western religion for 2,000 years.
This is not so. The death of Christ, which probably occurred in the
year AD 30, may have heralded the new religion, but there was cert-
ainly not an immediate conversion of the world to Christianity. Parts
of Scandinavia remained wholly Pagan until as late as the 12th cen-
tury. The British Isles and mainland Europe were converted to Chris-
tianity over a lengthy period covering mainly the 4th to 9th cen-
turies. Some parts have never truly been converted, and with the
opening up of the Eastern bloc countries, we are now re-discovering a
wealth of Pagan tradition and folklore that has been hidden for
hundreds of years: initially from the invading Christian mission-
aries, and then later from the various communist regimes.
1631
As the new religion of Christianity began to spread, many different
sects and cults appeared within its ranks. The Pope in Rome was the
nominal head, but rarely was the Pope a person of spiritual purity and
ascetic tastes; the political scene in Rome has always been cut-throat
and devious. A truly spiritual person would have lasted approximately
two seconds amongst the clever and calculating politicians who in-
fested the Papal See! The enormous wealth and power controlled by the
Pope was an incentive to the most grasping and corrupt of men at that
time to aspire to the Papacy. Pope Alexander VI (1492) is a superb ex-
ample of the type who made it to Europe's foremost political seat of
power: otherwise known as Rodrigo Borgia; father (yes, we all know
Catholics practise celibacy!) of Cesare, Juan, Lucrezia and Jofre,
and supreme commander of a private army of which any modern dictator
would be proud.
Because of their sumptuous lifestyle, their obvious disregard and
contempt for vows of poverty and chastity, and their abuse of the
spiritual authority invested in them, many spiritually inclined
Christians rejected the Catholic Church, and instead followed
leaders who lived simple, ascetic lives in accordance with the
teachings of Christ. Some of these sects became very popular,
and were soon perceived by the Pope as a threat to his status and
power. It has been suggested that the witch trials were a direct
result from the persecution of these sects. Rather than incorporate a
discussion of the different sects within this talk, handouts are
available which very briefly describe the main ones.
The main thrust was against the Cathars or Albigensians, and the
Waldensians (Vaudois), and it was their persecution which gave rise to
the legal machinery which developed into the Inquisition, and the
so-called witch hunts. It began with Pope Lucius III and the emperor,
Frederick I Barbarossa; they met at Verona in 1184, and issued the
decree "Ad abolendam", which excommunicated sects like the Cathars and
Waldensians, and laid down the procedures for ecclesiastical trial,
after which the accused would be handed over to the secular author-
ities for punishment. The punishment decreed was confiscation of
property, exile, or death. By the 12th century, burning had already
become the established means of execution for heretics, and so this
became enshrined in law.
At the beginning of the 13th century, the Dominican Order of Friars
was established, and its members were instructed by the Pope to
investigate and prosecute heresy. From this simple beginning grew the
awesome machinery of the Inquisition, which although never aimed
particularly at witches, became a byword for terror in parts of
Europe.
As you can see, the motives for the heresy persecutions were not to
stamp out Paganism - although that was certainly a by-product - but
to remove the threat of any competition to the power of the Church
(and thus to the Pope), in Rome. And the greatest threat came from
other "Christian" sects, not the Pagans. The change from an accusatory
to an inquisitorial process became established, and the legal mach-
inery which allowed - indeed encouraged - individual psychopaths and
religious maniacs to persecute at will, was in place.
1632
Have you got a neighbour who annoys you? plays loud music, or who
keeps their smelly refuse next to your garden fence? Now your recourse
is to the local council or the police; in the Middle Ages, you simply
denounced the offender as a witch or heretic, and let the Church deal
with them for you. Not only did it cost you nothing, if you were
lucky, you might also inherit their property!
For once you were taken as a witch or a heretic, there was little
chance of escape. Certainly some victims were pardoned and released,
but the vast majority were not so lucky. When you consider the style
of questioning, this is not surprising:
1 How long have you been a witch?
2 Why did you become a witch?
3 How did you become a witch and what happened on that occasion?
4 Who is the one you chose to be your incubus? What was his name?
5 What was the name of your master among the evil demons?
6 What was the oath you were forced to render to him?
21 What animals have you bewitched to sickness and death, and
why did you commit such acts?
22 Who are your accomplices in evil...?
24 What is the ointment with which you rub your broomstick
made of...?
This set of questions came from Lorraine, and was used consistently
throughout the three centuries of the main persecutions. Bearing in
mind that the accused HAD to answer - no answer at all, or a denial,
was tantamount to guilt - you can see how easily the composite picture
of the witch evolved. As Rossell Hope Robbins says: "The confessions
of witches authenticated the experts, and the denunciations ensured a
continuing supply of victims. Throughout France and Germany this
procedure became standardised; repeated year after year, in time it
built up a huge mass of "evidence", all duly authorised, from the
mouths of the accused. On these confessions, later demonologists based
their compendiums and so formulated the classic conceptions of witchc-
raft, which never existed save in their own minds."
As the new religion of Christianity began to spread, many different
sects and cults appeared within its ranks. The Pope in Rome was the
nominal head, but rarely was the Pope a person of spiritual purity and
ascetic tastes; the political scene in Rome has always been cut-throat
and devious. A truly spiritual person would have lasted approximately
two seconds amongst the clever and calculating politicians who in-
fested the Papal See! The enormous wealth and power controlled by the
Pope was an incentive to the most grasping and corrupt of men at that
time to aspire to the Papacy. Pope Alexander VI (1492) is a superb ex-
ample of the type who made it to Europe's foremost political seat of
power: otherwise known as Rodrigo Borgia; father (yes, we all know
Catholics practise celibacy!) of Cesare, Juan, Lucrezia and Jofre,
and supreme commander of a private army of which any modern dictator
would be proud.
1633
It is also rather disturbing to discover just how important individual
religious maniacs appear to have been in the persecutions. Rather like
today, where a crusading tele-journalist, or evangelical vicar, can
cause untold harm to innocent people. Without exception, these accus-
ations are by those with an unhealthy mania against anyone whose
theology or practices differ from their own. In the words of one
modern evangelist: "if you're not fighting and winning, you're los-
ing.".
Conrad of Marburg, described by Norman Cohn as, "a blind fanatic", was
a severe and formidable persecutor. As confessor to the young 21
year-old Countess of Thuringia, he would trick her into "some trivial
and unwitting disobedience, and then have her and her maids flogged so
severely that the scars were visible weeks later". (Cohn). Conrad
became Germany's first official Inquisitor, and his zeal in denouncing
heretics was unsurpassed. Another Conrad, a lay-Dominican Friar, and
his sidekick Johannes, were also vigorous in denouncing heretics. As
they moved from village to village, they claimed to be able to iden-
tify a heretic by his or her appearance, based on nothing but their
own intuition. They were responsible for the burnings of many people,
and said, "we would gladly burn a hundred if just one among them were
guilty". (Annales Wormantiensis).
Their comment about appearance is an important one; as we saw earlier,
the stereotype of the witch hasn't changed much in hundreds of years.
We know it is false; we know that it exists only in the imagination of
the persecutors, and yet how powerful and enduring this stereotype has
proven to be.
If we think about this stereotype, what images do we conjure up? An
old woman - occasionally an old man; or perhaps a young and alluring
temptress? Flying through the air on a broomstick; worshipping a
devil, often in the form of a goat; trampling upon the sacred symbols
of Christianity; and of course our old friend the Sabbat, with its
practices of sexual license, debauchery, drunkenness and ritual
murder; the latter often of children.
But persecution does not restrict itself to witches; the similarities
between this stereotype and that of the Jew are obvious: Jews have
been persecuted throughout their history, but it is interesting to
compare some aspects of their persecution with that of witches.
In the 12th century, the word "Synagogue" was used for the first time
to describe the meeting place of heretics. Professor Russell says
that: "This usage, obviously designed to spite the Jews, was common
throughout the Middle Ages, being replaced only towards the end of the
15th century by the equally anti-Jewish term 'sabbat'.
The Encyclopaedia Britannica says on the subject of Jewish persecution
that: "To reinforce racial and religious prejudice, the preposterous
ritual murder accusation became common from the 12th century." The
third and fourth Lateran Councils had already prohibited gentiles from
entering Jewish service, or being employed by Jews, and further
ordered that Jews should wear a distinctive badge, and live only in
Jewish settlement areas. This of course was the beginning of the
ghetto.
1634
As we have seen though, the ritual murder accusation was already over
a thousand years old, before it was used against either the Jews or
the heretics and witches. Most people know of the expulsion of Jews
from Spain in the 15th century, but perhaps not so commonly known is
that for about 200 years prior to the expulsion, the Jews had been
massacred and persecuted. Indeed, it was against the Jews that the
infamous Spanish Inquisition of the 15th century was directed. The
persecution of Jews in 20th century Europe is too well-known to
require further comment here, but perhaps a few comments about its
encouragement would be useful.
We are discussing persecution in this talk, and how persecution is
manifested. Throughout history, the written word has been invaluable
as a means of spreading propaganda. Even in the Middle Ages the
"crimes" of the heretic were publicised by records of trials, where
the "confessions" were made known to the general public. The infamous
"Malleus Maleficarum" became highly influential in Europe mainly
because its publication coincided with the introduction of mass
printing. It had little effect in England because no English transla-
tion was available until 1928. This fact alone demonstrates the power
of the written word.
In medieval Europe, a pamphlet describing the crimes of a convicted
heretic would be pinned to a post in the town square, and those who
could not read had it read to them. In 20th century Europe, pamphlets
were still used by one group to spread lies about another. As we
approach the 21st century, this technique is still used with very
great success; for the persecutor needs to make only a glancing nod to
the truth, and the lies which are published (or more frequently broad-
cast) are far more scandalous than the reality!
An example: soon after the launch of the Pagan Alliance, Sydney radio
2MMM broadcasted a news story about the sexual abuse of children by
occultists and witches. Matthew responded immediately, and provided
the station with copy documents and news clippings from Britain,
proving the story to be without foundation, and a scheme by the Chris-
tian fundamentalists to discredit Pagans. The news editor and chief
journalist were impressed by the material, and agreed that they had
been used by the fundies. However, they refused to broadcast a retrac-
tion because it would be "old news". So, the damage had been done,
and the fundamentalists achieved their objective.
This technique was used with very great effect in the early part of
the 20th century, with the circulation of a pamphlet called, "The
Protocols of the Elders of Zion". This purported to be, "an account
of the World Congress of Jewry held in Basel, Switzerland in 1897,
during which a conspiracy was planned by the international Jewish
movement and the Freemasons to achieve world domination." (M Howard).
German nationalists made very great use of the Protocols, which it
was claimed were "smuggled out of Switzerland by a Russian journalist
who had placed the documents in the safe keeping of the Rising Sun
Masonic Lodge in Frankfurt." (ibid) They were widely disseminated, and
writing in "Mein Kampf", Hitler "denounced the Jews as agents of an
international conspiracy devoted to world domination...". (ibid) We
all know what happened next.
1635
The point is that although the Protocols were confirmed as a fraud in
1921, they continued to have an effect, and once published, could not
effectively be retracted. This is the aim of today's fundamentalist
Christian, who believes that if he or she throws enough dirt at their
opponents (basically anyone who does not agree with their uncomprom-
ising version of Christianity), then some will stick, and the battle
will be won. This is the strategy which has been used for thousands of
years to persecute minorities, and has always been successful. The
formula is simple: discover what most people fear most, and then
accuse your enemies of practising it. It is an interesting comment on
humanity that those things which occur time and time again are consis-
tent: conspiracy, buggery, paedophilia, sacrifice (human and animal)
sexual license, drunkenness and feasting. More specific charges
relating to a pact with a devil or desecrating sacred objects are
additions to these core accusations.
A further interesting aspect is that many of the accusations were
made by children; interesting parallels can be drawn to modern accusa-
tions by children "encouraged" to reveal information about occultism
and witches. It has been widely recorded that Hitler's "Youth Army"
required children to spy upon their parents, and report any indiscre-
tions; modern social workers use an identical process for identifying
Pagan parents - children are asked about what their parents do, and
leading questions are commonly used. And of course there have always
been children who, for one reason or another, tell the most fantastic
tales. It is unlikely today that the victims of these child fantasies
will be burned at the stake, but there have been families torn apart,
children placed in detention centres, and untold misery for parents
and children alike, based upon no more than the verbal report of a
child.
Commentators on this aspect of persecution have suggested that the
children wish to be the centre of attention; or to direct punishment
for their own misdeeds elsewhere; or are simply reacting in a hyperac-
tive manner to the onset of puberty. Whatever the cause, the effects
are dramatic, and have caused severe suffering, and in the middle
ages, loss of life, on many occasions.
In medieval England, there were many occasions where children's "evid-
ence" (sic) was used to convict witches. "The Leicester Boy", "The
Burton Boy" and "The Bilson Boy" were a few of many who claimed to be
bewitched by witches. Eventually proven to be a fraud, at least ten
women died as a result of the accusations of The Leicester Boy, and
the Burton Boy caused the death of at least one of the women whom he
accused. In the 17th century a number of women were executed on the
allegations of hysterical children, even though fraud was often
discovered during the course of the trial. It is a fact that the
delusions of delinquent or disturbed children were often used by
judges to confirm their own prejudices; how little things have chang-
ed!
1636
Salem (1692) is probably the best known of all the cases where child-
ren were the chief accusers. Although in fact, the "children" were
more like young adults, with only one under the age of ten, and most
in their late teens or early twenties. However, as the panic grew, a
great many more were sucked into the web of lies, and Martha Carrier
was hanged on the "evidence" (sic) of her 7 year-old daughter. At the
height of the hysteria almost 150 people were arrested; thirty-one
were convicted, and nineteen hung. Some died in jail, and others were
reprieved. As was common in Europe, the accused were required to pay
their expenses whilst in jail, even if they were subsequently found
innocent. Sarah Osborne and Ann Foster both died in jail, and costs of
.1 3s 5d and .2 16s 0d respectively were demanded before the bodies
would be released for burial.
The chief of the accusers, Ann Putnam, confessed fourteen years later
that the whole thing was a fraud. In 1697 the jurors publicly con-
fessed they had made an error of judgement, and ten years after the
executions, Judge Samuel Sewall "confessed the guilt of the court,
desiring to take the blame and shame of it...". By then of course it
was too late for those who were dead, or whose lives had been dest-
royed by the accusations.
But we are getting ahead of ourselves here, for Salem is the last of
the great witch trials, coming as it does towards the end of the 17th
century.
We mentioned earlier that in Continental Europe, the heresy trials
appeared to arise from the persecution of the Christian sects of the
Bogomils, Cathars, Albigensians, and others such as the Jews, Walden-
sians, and even the Knights Templars. The stereotype of the witch was
compounded from many different sources, and gradually became the
composite figure of the shape-shifting hag, who flew through the air
on a broom, and flung her curses at all and sundry.
The concept of the pact with the devil existed as early as the 8th
century, and as we have seen, sexual license, buggery and ritual
sacrifice have long been seen as activities supposed to be practised
by those outside of society's norm, whether they be Christian or
Pagan. During the 9th century, shape-shifting, maleficia and the
incubus/succubus became more commonly reported, and by the 10th cen-
tury, the idea of nocturnal flight was established. Published in 906,
the Canon Episcopi described how some women were deluded in the belief
that at night they could fly behind their Goddess, Diana (Holda or
Herodias):
"Some wicked women are perverted by the Devil and
led astray by illusions and fantasies induced by
demons, so that they believe they ride out at
night on beasts with Diana, the pagan goddess, and
a horde of women. They believe that in the night
they cross huge distances. They say that they obey
Diana's commands and on certain nights are called
out in her service..."
1637
Echoes here to Maddalena's story recounted by Leland in Aradia: Gospel
of the Witches:
"Oncein the month, and when the moon is full, ye
shall assemble in some desert place, or in a for-
est all together join to adore the potent spirit
of your Queen, my mother, great Diana".
Carlo Ginzburg has also published a remarkable book about the Witches'
Sabbath, and the night flight, where he suggests that these are in
fact based on genuinely ancient shamanic practices; nothing new in
this concept to modern Witches, but a novel observation in the acad-
emic circles in which Ginzburg moves.
In 1012, Burchard's Collectarium was published: the first attempt to
assemble a book of Canonical Law. Book number 19 of this vast collec-
tion was called the Corrector, and chapter five deals with various
sins, and their respective penances. As we might suppose, Maleficia is
prominent in this chapter! It enshrines in law the notion of night
flight, together with murder, and the cooking and eating of human
flesh. Although both the Canon Episcopi and Burchard's Corrector are
specific in attributing the powers of flight to Witches, it is not
until 1280 that the first picture of a witch riding upon a broom
appears. This is found in Schleswig Cathedral.
In 1022, the first burning occurred: at Orleans, the victims were
accused of, "holding sex orgies at night in a secret place, either
underground or in an abandoned building. The members of the group
appeared bearing torches. Holding the torches, they chanted the names
of demons until an evil spirit appeared. Now the lights were extin-
guished, and everyone seized the person closest to him in a sexual
embrace, whether mother, sister or nun. The children conceived at the
orgies were burned eight days after birth, and their ashes were
confected in a substance that was then used in a blasphemous parody of
holy communion."
Strange how these charges appear to have changed so little in so many
years! Compared with our first example, and indeed with the accusa-
tions of modern day fundamentalists, one would be forgiven for believ-
ing that time is a figment of our imagination, and that nothing ever
really changes; certainly not human nature.
The 14th century saw a steady growth in the number of accusations and
trials, and by the 15th century, the idea of the Devil's (or Witch's)
mark had become established. So too was the idea of a flying ointment,
and a consistent image of The Devil became common in trials liter-
ature.
The Papal Bull of 1484, Summis Desiderantes Affectibus, and then two
years later, publication of the Malleus Maleficarum, further establis-
hed the "crime" of witchcraft as a heresy, and confirmed Papal support
for its eradication. This infamous work - The Hammer of the Witches -
was incredibly influential in establishing a code of practice by which
witches were to be denounced, tried, convicted and executed. There was
no escape from this dreadful fate. The third part of the book desc-
ribes how to deal with one who will not confess to the charges:
"But if the accused, after a year or other longer
period which has been deemed sufficient, continues
1638
to maintain his denials, and the legitimate wit-
nesses abide by their evidence, the Bishop and
Judges shall prepare to abandon him to the secular
Court; sending to him certain honest men zealous
for the faith, especially religious, to tell him
that he cannot escape temporal death while he thus
persists in his denial, but will be delivered up
as an impenitent heretic to the power of the sec-
ular Court.
It is also in this section that our friendly Dominican monks refer to,
"witch midwives, who surpass all other witches in their crimes... And
the number of them is so great that, as has been found from their con-
fessions, it is thought that there is scarcely any tiny hamlet in
which at least one is not to be found."
Despite its incredible influence in Europe, the Malleus had little
effect in England, Wales or Ireland, where witchcraft accusations
and trials were very different to those of the continent and Scotland.
In fact Wales and Ireland seemed to escape from the witch persecutions
almost entirely, with very few trials, and even fewer executions.
Although many laws have been enacted in England against witchcraft,
there has never been anything like the hysteria about witches common
in mainland Europe. The earliest known person accused of sorcery in
England was Agnes, wife of Odo, who in 1209 was freed after choosing
trial by ordeal of grasping a red-hot iron.
Until 1563, commoners accused of witchcraft in England met light (if
any) punishment. Those of noble birth were treated rather more severe-
ly, as the crime could easily be one of treason, and any action which
implied a threat to the monarch was treated very seriously indeed.
This resulted in the charge of witchcraft being used to remove polit-
ical opponents with great expediency. There were certainly laws
against the practice of witchcraft or sorcery: Alfred the Great
(849-899 AD), King of Wessex and overlord of England, decreed the
death penalty for Wiccans (that was the word he actually used), and
Aethelstan - perhaps one of the most compassionate of Saxon Kings,
ordered those who practised Wiccecraeft to be executed, but only if
their activities resulted in murder.
Under Henry VIII's Act of 1546, the penalty for conjuration of evil
spirits was death, and the property of the accused was confiscated
by the King. However, this was in effect for only one year, being
repealed by Edward VI in 1547, and only one conviction under this
Act is recorded. In 1563, the statute of Queen Elizabeth I was es-
tablished, which also made death the penalty for invoking or conjuring
an evil spirit, but those who practised divination, or who caused harm
(other than death) by their sorceries, were sentenced to a year's
imprisonment for a first offence. Subsequent offences could be punish-
able by death, and in some cases, the confiscation of property as
well.
1639
However, even though laws against the practice of witchcraft had
been established for hundreds of years, the first major trial was not
until 1566, at Chelmsford, and was typical of the English style of
witchcraft: no pact with the devil, no gathering at Sabbats, but
simple and direct acts of maleficia, and the introduction of witches'
familiars. It was an important trial, for it set the precedent in
English law for accepting unsupported, and highly imaginative, stories
from children as evidence. It also accepted spectral evidence (sic),
witch's marks, and the confession of the accused.
There are some very distinctive aspects to English witchcraft, which
set it apart from its Continental and Scottish counterparts, and which
are worth noting. There was a relative lack of torture, and, this may
come as a surprise to some people, but witches were never burned in
England. Traitors and murderers were burned; witches were hung. Of
course, a traitor or a murderer could also be a witch, but this was
actually quite rare. The torture used in England - when it was used at
all - was typically swimming, pricking, enforced waking, and a diet of
bread and water. Unpleasant, but when compared to squassation, being
skinned alive, the strappado, the rack, and such delights as the
thumbscrews and the iron maiden, hardly in the same class. The focus
of English witchcraft was more towards simple, personal, acts of
maleficia than a perceived conspiracy against the power of the Chris-
tian Church. As one of Britain's foremost folklorists says: "Trad-
itions of an organised, pagan witch-cult were never very plentiful in
England, although they did exist occasionally, especially in the later
years of the witch belief. They were never really strong, and after
the end of the persecution in the early 18th century, they disappeared
altogether." (Christina Hole) This is interesting, because it has
been suggested that the witch trials phenomena was largely inspired by
the heretical Christian sects; this would seem to be born out by the
type of accusations made in England, which were largely neighbour
against neighbour rather than Church and State against an organised
conspiracy of heretics.
What is also interesting is that it was commonly believed in England
that if the bewitched victim could draw blood from the witch, then
they would be cured, and the witch's power made ineffective. This
belief has persisted in folk traditions to modern times. In 1875, at
Long Compton, the body of an old woman, one Ann Turner, was discov-
ered. She had been pinned to the ground by a pitchfork through her
throat, and across her face and chest had been carved the sign of a
crucifix. James Heywood, a local farmer, had once claimed: "It's she
who brings the floods and drought. Her spells withered the crops in
the field. Her curse drove my father to an early grave!". Heywood
maintained that the only way to destroy her power was to spill her
blood, and so after her murder, he was taken and tried for the crime.
He was convicted, and sentenced to life imprisonment. Long Compton has
always been associated with the practice of witchcraft, and is located
only a short distance from the magical Rollright Stones, and near to
the aptly named Wychwood Forest. The derivation of this name is from
the curiously named tribe of THE HWICCE, who lived in the area at the
time of King Penda of Mercia, and who seemed always to be ruled by two
brothers. But back to Long Compton:
1640
In 1945, Charles Walton, a local labourer, set out one morning to do
some hedging on nearby Meon Hill. That evening, his mutilated body was
found in a field - pinned to the ground by his pitchfork, which had
been stuck through his throat. There were cuts to his arms and legs,
and local police were baffled as to the motive for the crime, and who
the likely culprit might have been. But gradually locals began to talk
about Mr Walton; they said he was a solitary and vindictive old man,
who was concerned more with searching out the secrets of nature than
in taking company with his neighbours. They said that he harnessed
toads, using reeds and pieces of ram's horn, and then sent them across
fields to blight the crops. They also remembered that he kept a
witch's mirror - a piece of black stone polished in a mountain stream
- concealed in his pocket-watch, which he used for weaving spells and
seeing into the future. The police never discovered the culprit, but
it was accepted locally that Mr Walton was murdered because he was a
witch. His wounds were a result of the belief that a victim could be
freed from enchantment if he or she were able to draw the blood of
the witch.
We could not leave English witchcraft without mention of that infamous
gentleman, Matthew Hopkins; self-styled Witchfinder General. For all
his fame, his activities were restricted to a relatively small area,
and a relatively short period of time. However, his boundless energy,
and boundless enthusiasm for the collection of large amounts of money,
ensured that his name has not been forgotten.
Matthew Hopkins used the unrest of the Civil War to prey upon the
fears of the common people. Little is known of his early life, except
that he became a lawyer "of little note", and failing to make a living
at Ipswich in Suffolk, moved to Manningtree in Essex - an area of
Civil War tension.
With virtually no knowledge of witchcraft, but armed with a couple of
contemporary documents (including James I's "Demonology"), Hopkins set
himself up in business as a witchfinder. And a very profitable bus-
iness it was too. At a time when the average daily wage was 6d,
Hopkins received .23 for a single visit to Stowmarket, and .6 for a
visit to Aldeburgh.
His approach was consistent: James I mentioned that witches had
familiars, and suckled imps; therefore, anyone who kept a familiar
spirit or imp must be a witch! Bearing in mind the English partiality
to keeping pets, and you begin to see just how very successful this
technique could be. For example, Bridget Mayers was condemned for
entertaining an evil spirit in the likeness of a mouse, which she
called "Prickears"; another (unnamed) woman was rescued by her neigh-
bours from a ducking, where she confessed to having an imp called
"Nan". When she recovered she said: "she knew not what she had con-
fessed, and she had nothing she called Nan but a pullet that she
sometimes called by that name...".
Hopkins moved from Essex to Norfolk and Suffolk, and by the following
year, had operations in Cambridge, Northampton, Huntingdon and Bed-
ford, with a team of six witch finders under his control. "In Suffolk
alone it is estimated that he was responsible for arresting at least
124 persons for witchcraft, of whom at least 68 were hanged." (RHR)
However, Hopkins moved too far too quickly, and public opinion began
to go against him. In 1646, a clergyman in Huntingdon preached against
him, and judges began to question both his methods of locating wit-
1641
ches, and the fees that he charged for the service. In 1647 Hopkins
published a pamphlet called "Discovery of Witches", in which he sup-
ported his methods in sanctimonious and pseudo legal language. Howev-
er, it was to no avail, for later that year he died, "in some dis-
grace" according to most authorities. Witchcraft legend has it that he
was drowned by irate villagers in one of his own ducking ponds, but
this has no recorded evidence to support it. However, it would be a
fitting end to such an evil man, and I hope it was true.
Moving away from England; Scottish and Continental witchcraft shared a
great many similarities; Mary Queen of Scots, and her son, James VI,
were both educated in France, and this ensured that continental
attitudes towards witches were enshrined in Scottish law at the
highest level. In fact the concepts of witchcraft were introduced into
Scotland by Mary in about 1563. Before then, trials for witchcraft had
been few, and there were no recorded burnings of witches. In "The
Encyclopaedia of Witchcraft and Demonology" Rossell Hope Robbins says:
"Scotland is second only to Germany in the bar-
barity of its witch trials. The Presbyterian cler-
gy acted like inquisitors, and the Church sessions
often shared the prosecution with the secular law
courts. The Scottish laws were, if anything, more
heavily loaded against the accused. Finally, the
devilishness of the torture was limited only by
Scotland's backward technology in the construction
of mechanical devices."
It is well known that James VI was an ardent prosecutor of witches,
and it was under his authority that the Bible was translated to
include the word "witch" (Exodus 22:18) to provide Biblical sanction
for the death penalty for witches. The original Hebrew word - kashaph
- meant either a magician, diviner or sorcerer, but was definitely not
a witch. In the Latin Vulgate (4th century version of the Bible) the
word had been translated as "maleficos", which could mean any kind of
criminal, although in practice often referred to malevolent sorcerers.
Similarly, the so-called Witch of Endor, consulted by King Solomon:
the original Hebrew was "ba'alath ob": "mistress of a talisman". In
the Latin Vulgate she became a "mulierem habentem pythonem": a women
possessing an oracular spirit. It was only in the version of the Bible
authorised by King James that she became a witch.
By the time that James acceded to the English throne in 1603, his
attitude towards witches had undergone a subtle transformation. In
fact, he was directly responsible for the release and pardon of
several accused "witches", and personally interfered in trials where
he believed that fraud or deception was being practised. However,
Lynn Linton writing in 1861 says of him:
"Whatever of blood-stained folly belonged special-
ly to the Scottish trials of this time - and here-
after - owed its original impulse to him; every
groan of the tortured wretches driven to their
fearful doom, and every tear of the survivors left
blighted and desolate to drag out their weary days
in mingled grief and terror, lie on his memory
with shame and condemnation ineffaceable for all
time."
1642
But it was under Charles II that perhaps the most famous - and endur-
ing - of Scottish witches was tried, and most probably executed
(although records of her punishment have not survived). Isobel Gowdie
of Auldearne, on four separate occasions during 1662 testified that
she was a witch, and gave what Russell Hope Robbins describes as: "a
resum. of popular beliefs about witchcraft in Scotland.". He says that
Gowdie "appeared clearly demented", but that "it is plain she believed
what she confessed, no matter how impossible...".
From Gowdie are derived some of the concepts of today's Wicca, incl-
uding the idea of a coven, comprised of 13 people. Gowdie said that a
coven was ruled by a "Man in Black", often called "Black John". He
would often beat the witches severely, and it seemed their main tasks
were to raise storms, change themselves into animals, and shoot elf
arrows to injure or kill people. Coming as she does right at the end
of the witchcraft persecutions, it is difficult to establish how much
of Gowdie's confession is based upon real, traditional folk practices
of Auldearne, and how much she is simply repeating the standard
accusations against witches. The Coven of 13 is probably the single
aspect of her confessions which does not appear elsewhere in records
of witchcraft trials, and my own feelings are that she was probably as
genuine a witch as was ever taken and tried.
We have already commented how terrifying it is to consider the impact
that a single person can have upon the lives of so many people. We
have looked at a number of these - King James, Kramer and Sprenger,
Matthew Hopkins, Conrad of Marburg - and their latter day successors
are no less dangerous. Let us consider some of the 20th century
persecutors. We have already mentioned Adolf Hitler; what about
Stalin? his great purge in the period following 1936 saw charges of
treason, espionage and terrorism brought against anyone who showed the
least inclination to oppose him. Using techniques which would not have
been out of place during the great witch hunts, Stalin's henchmen
enforced "confessions", and effectively exterminated any threat to his
political power.
We could look too at McCarthy, whose fame for persecution was such
that his name is now used to describe "the use of unsupported accusa-
tions for any purpose". It is no accident that his activities were
referred to as a "witch hunt", nor that Arthur Miller's play about the
Salem witch trials, "The Crucible", was more a comment about McCar-
thyism than a comment about 17th century American life.
In 20th century Australia we are heirs to a European history, which
maintains that witches are servants of the devil, and should be
prosecuted for their crimes against humanity. In some States these
laws actually remain upon the Statute Books; in others, the legal
machinery has been removed, but often public opinion hovers around the
middle ages, believing that the only good witch is a dead witch.
Our latter-day inquisitors play upon these fears, in much the same
way as Matthew Hopkins played upon the fears of the people during the
Civil War. Christian Fundamentalists have no hesitation in using every
dirty trick in the book to ensure that public opinion remains opposed
to witchcraft. If this means that some of them have to stand up and
say: "Yes, I was a witch: I sacrificed my babies to the devil, and
copulated with a goat; I took part in drunken orgies, and drank the
blood of the sacrifice"; but then I found Jesus, and was born again,
1643
and now I'm a really nice person; well so be it. Some of them are so
psychiatrically unbalanced they may even believe it themselves.
Listen to a sample of the claims made by Audrey Harper, who achieved
notoriety in Britain as an ex-HPS of a Witches' Coven. This extract
is from an article by Aries, which appeared in Web of Wyrd #5:
Sent to a Dr Barnado's home by her mother, she
grew up with deprivation and social stigma. In
time she becomes a WRAF, falls in love, gets preg-
nant, boyfriend dies, she turns to booze, gives up
her baby and becomes homeless. Wandering to Pic-
cadilly Circus she meets some Flower Children with
the killer weed, and her descent into Hell is
assured. By day she gets stoned and eats junk
food; by night she sleeps in squats and doorways.
Along comes Molly; the whore with a heart of gold
who teaches Audrey the art of streetwalking. She
flirts with shoplifting, gets into pills, and then
gets talent spotted and invited to a Chelsea par-
ty, where wealth, power and tasteful decor are
dangled as bait. At the next party she is hooked
by the "group", which meets "every month in Vir-
ginia Water". She agrees to go to the next meeting
which is to be held at Hallowe'en.
Inside the dark Temple lit by black candles and
full of "A heady, sickly sweet smell from burning
incense", she is "initiated" by the "warlock",
whose "face was deathly pale and skeletal... his
eyes ... were dark and sunken" and whose "breath
and body seemed to exude a strange smell, a little
like stale alcohol." She signs herself over to
Satan with her own blood on a parchment scroll,
whereupon a baby is produced, its throat cut, and
the blood drank. Following this she gets dumped
on the "altar" and screwed as the "sacrifice of
the White Virgin". The meeting finishes with a
little ritual cursing and she's left to wander
"home" in the dark.
Her life falls into a steady routine of meetings
in Virginia Water, getting screwed by the "war-
lock", drug abuse, petty crime, and recruiting
runaways for parties, where the drinks are spiked
-"probably with LSD" - and candles injected with
heroin release "stupefying fumes into the air";
the object being sex kicks and pornography. She
falls pregnant again, gets committed to a psychia-
tric hospital, has the baby, and gives it away
convinced that the "warlock" would sacrifice it.
Things then become a confusion of Church desecra-
tion, drug addiction, ritual abuse, psychiatric
hospital, and falling in with Christian folk who
try vainly to save her soul. For rather vague
reasons the "coven" decide to drop her from the
team, and she dedicates herself to a true junkie's
lifestyle with a steady round of overdosing, jaun-
dice, and detoxification units. The "warlock"
1644
drops by to threaten her, and she makes her way
north via some psychiatric hospitals to a Chris-
tian Rehabilitation farm. She gets married, has a
child which she keeps, and becomes a regular chur-
chgoer. But beneath the surface are recurring
nightmares, insane anger and murderous feelings
towards her brethren. At the Emmanual Pentecostal
Church in Stourport she asks the Minister, Roy
Davies, for help. He prays, and God tells him that
she was involved with witchcraft. An exorcism has
her born again, cleansed of her sin. She gets bap-
tised and has no more nightmares, becoming a gen-
erally nicer person. She becomes the "occult ex-
pert" of the Reachout Trust and Evangelical Al-
liance, and makes a career out of telling an edi-
ted version of her tale.
Geoffrey Dickens MP persuades her to tell all on
live TV; "Audrey, to your knowledge is child sacr-
ifice still going on?" To this she replies, "To my
knowledge, yes." After this the whole thing ram-
bles into an untidy conclusion of self-congratula-
tion, self-promotion, and self-justification; and
for a grand finale pulls out a list of horrendous
child abuse, which is shamelessly exploited in
typically journalistic fashion, and by the usual
fallacious arguments which links it to anything
"occult"; help-lines, astro predictions in news-
papers, and even New Age festivals.
And so we are left with a horrifying vision of hordes of Satanists
swarming the country, buggering kids, sacrificing babies, and feeding
their own faeces to the flock."
Whilst all this seems incredible to any rational person, unfortunat-
ely, in the age old tradition, it confirms the worst fears of the man
and woman in the street, and so they swallow it whole. After all, it
was on telly, so it MUST be true!
As a direct result of people like Audrey Harper publicising their lies
and fantasy, children in England and Scotland were forcibly removed
from their homes, and subjected to the type of questioning that we had
previously believed had died out at the end of the Middle Ages.
A consultant clinical psychologist scrutinised the interview trans-
cripts and audio records of the recent Orkney child abuse case,
and in her summing up said: "[the Social Workers] told the children
they knew things had happened to them and were generally leading all
the way. When the children denied things, the questions were con-
tinually put until the children got hungry and gave them the answers
they wanted."
Who says that torture is no longer legal in the British Isles?
The father of four of the children who were taken into care said:
"At first I thought the allegations were laughable, but I found out
how serious the police were...". Just to remind you of the words of
Gilles de Rais some 500 years ago: [the accusations] are frivolous
and lack credit...".
1645
One 11 year-old described being asked to draw a circle of ritualistic
dancers. He said: "They got me to draw by saying, 'I am not a drawer.
Can you draw that?' It was meant to be a ring with children around and
a minister in the middle wearing a black robe and a crook to pull
children in."
The boy said he had been promised treats such as a lesson on how a
helicopter worked if he co-operated, and was told that he could
go if he gave one name. How remarkably similar to medieval witch
trials, where the victims were always pressed to name their accomp-
lices - for is it not said, "thou canst not be a witch alone?"!
In 1990, journalist Rosie Waterhouse commenting upon the Manchester
child abuse case said: "After three months of questioning by the
NSPCC, strange stories began to come out and other children were
named. The way the children began telling "Satanic" tales in this case
is remarkably similar to the way such stories first surfaced in
Nottingham. As "The Independent on Sunday" revealed last week (23/9/-
90), the Nottingham children began talking about witches, monsters,
babies and blood only after they had been encouraged, by an NSPCC
social worker, to play with toys which included witches' costumes,
monsters, toy babies, and a syringe for extracting blood."
Believe it or not, the parents of these children had no access to
them whatsoever. Why? Because our modern, scientifically trained,
20th century social workers believed that, "[the parents] would try
to silence the children, using secret Satanic symbols or trigger
words".
By March 1991, senior Police spokesmen were publicly claiming that
"police have no evidence of ritual or satanic abuse inflicted on
children anywhere in England or Wales". Scotland has a different
legal system, which is why it was not included in the statement -
not because the police have evidence there, for they do not.
When the Rochdale case finally came to court, after the children
had been in care (sic!) for about 16 months, the judge delivered a
damning indictment upon those who were responsible for it, and said:
"the way the children had been removed from their parents was par-
ticularly upsetting." He saw a video of the removal of one girl from
her home during a dawn raid, and commented that, "It is obvious from
the video tape that the girl is not merely frightened but greatly
distressed at being removed from home. The sobbing and distraught girl
can be seen. It is one of my most abiding memories of this case."
Let us return briefly to Salem, where, in 1710, William Good petit-
ioned for damages in respect of the trial and execution of his wife
Sarah, and the imprisonment of his daughter, Dorothy, "a child of four
or five years old, [who] being chained in the dungeon was so hardly
used and terrified that she hath ever since been very chargeable,
having little or no reason to govern herself.".
1646
Today's Christian Fundamentalist, like his vicious and self-righteous
predecessors, will use anything in his or her power-including innocent
children - to destroy the evils of Paganism and the occult. Sometimes
I wonder if we are becoming paranoid, or the subjects of a persecution
complex, but in writing this lecture it was brought home to me more
strongly than ever before: the witch trials of the Middle Ages are not
a bloody stain on the history of Christianity; they are the source
from where today's fundamentalists draw their power, and are just as
terrifying today as they were hundreds of years ago. Bigotry and
persecution have changed in only one respect: 20th century mankind has
far more efficient and effective means of spreading lies and propa-
ganda than was available to our ancestors.
PERSECUTION: ANCIENT AND MODERN
Appendix A
The subject of the European Witch Trials has been written about ad
infinitum (and nauseam!), and there are a great many useful books
which the student will find of interest. There follows a short bib-
liography of those to which I referred when writing this lecture.
Select Bibliography
Bradford, Sarah Cesare Borgia (1981)
Cohn, Norman Europe's Inner Demons (1975)
Ginzburg, Carlo Ecstasies: Deciphering The
Witches' Sabbath (1990)
Hole, Christina Witchcraft in England (1977)
Howard, Michael The Occult Conspiracy (1989)
Kieckheffer, Richard European Witch Trials (1976)
Larner, Christina Enemies of God: The Witch Hunt in
Scotland (1981)
Larner, Christina Witchcraft and Religion (1985)
Maple, Eric The Complete Book of Witchcraft and
Demonology
(1966)
Radford, Kenneth Fire Burn (1989)
Ravensdale & Morgan The Psychology of Witchcraft
(1974)
Robbins, Rossell Hope The Encyclopaedia of Witchcraft and
Demonology (1984)
Russell, Jeffrey A History of Witchcraft (1980)
Scarre, Geoffrey Witchcraft and Magic in 16th and 17th
century Europe (1987)
Stenton, Sir Frank Anglo-Saxon England (1971)
Summers, Montague (Trans) Malleus Maleficarum (1986)
Thomas, Keith Religion and the Decline of Magic
(1971)
Trevor-Roper, H R The European Witch-Craze of the 16th
and 17th Centuries (1988)
Walsh, Michael Roots of Christianity (1986)
Worden, Blair (Ed) Stuart England (1986)
Encyclopaedia Britannica (1969 edition)
Collins Dictionary of the English Language (1980)
Newspapers: The Times, The Guardian, The Independent (Britain)
1647
PERSECUTION: ANCIENT AND MODERN
Appendix B - Historical Periods
Anglo-Saxon: broadly 550 AD to 1066 AD (the Norman invasion).
Middle Ages: broadly the period from the end of classical
antiquity (476 AD) tothe Italian Renaissance (or
fall of Constantinople in 1453). More specifically
the period from 1000 AD to the 15th century.
Medieval: of, or relating to, the Middle Ages.
Tudor: the Royal House, descended from Welsh Squire Owen
Tudor (d.1461), which ruled in England between 1485
AD - 1603 AD
Stuart: the Royal House which ruled in Scotland between
1371 ADand 1714,and inEngland between1603 AD-
1714 AD.
Jacobean: relating to the period of James I's rule of England
(1603-1625).
Reformation: a 16th century religious and political movement
which beganas anattempt toreform theCatholic
Church, but actually resulted inthe establishment
of the Protestant Church.
Renaissance: usually considered as beginning in Italy in the
14th century,this isthe period whichmarked the
transitionfromtheMiddleAges tothemodern
world.Itis characterisedbyclassicalscholar
ship,scientific andgeographicaldiscovery,and
the exploration of individual human potential.
Civil War: 1640-1649, between the Royalists under Charles I,
and the Parliamentarians ledby Oliver Cromwell.
Charles I was executed in 1649.
Crusades: a series of wars undertaken by the Christians of
western Europe with the authorisation of the Papacy
from1095untilthe mid-15thcenturyforthe
purpose of recoveringthe HolySepulchre atJerus
alemfrom theMuslimsand defendingpossessionof
it. (Enc. Britannica)
Thirty Years' War: a major conflict involving Austria, Denmark,
France, Holland,Germany, Spain andSweden that
devastated central Europe, but especially Germany.
It beganas awarbetween Protestantsand Catholics
but developedintoa generalpowerstruggle (1618
1648).
Lateran Councils: Five ecumenical councils held at the Lateran Palace
(the official residence ofthe Pope) between 1123
AD and 1512 AD.
1648
PERSECUTION: ANCIENT AND MODERN
Appendix C - Gnostic and Christian sects
Manichaeism: a dualistic Gnostic religion first preached by Mani
(q.v.)in the 3rdcentury AD. Itsearly centrewas
Babylonia,then partofthePersianempireanda
meeting place of faiths. (EB)
The basic theology of Manichaeism is that good and evil are
separate and opposed principles, which have become mixed in the world
through the action of the evil principle. There is a complicated
mythology which describes the creation of the world and the elements,
and a set of complex correspondences by which the seeker can return to
a state of salvation. Manichaeism spread across a huge area, including
the Roman Empire. However, by the 6th century it had virtually been
eradicated from Spain, France and Italy, although was strong in the
eastern Mediterranean until the 9th century, when it was absorbed into
the neo-Manichean sects of the Bogomils, Cathars, etc.
Bogomils: a religious sect which flourished in the Balkans
between the 10th and 15th centuries.
Their central teaching was strictly dualistic; that the visible,
material world was created by the Devil, and that everything within it
was therefore evil. They rejected many of the trappings of Chris-
tianity, and their condemnation of anything to do with the flesh -
including eating and drinking! - has rightly earned them the nickname,
"the greatest puritans of the middle ages".
Cathars: a heretical Christian sect that flourished in
western Europe in the 12th and 13th centuries.
They believed that goodness existed only in the spiritual world
created by God, and that the material world, created by Satan, was
evil. Their theology bore a great resemblance to that of Manichaeism
and the Bogomils, and they were closely connected with the latter.
Waldensians: also known as Valdenses or Vaudois. The sect was
founded in southern France in the 12th century, and
emphasised poverty, abstinence from physical labou
r, and a life devoted to prayer.
They were influenced by other "heretical" sects, and rejected a
number of the basic tenets of the Catholic faith. They were stern
opponents to the acquisition of wealth and power within the Church,
and thus came into direct opposition to the Papacy,which thrived on
both. They were fiercely persecuted, and by the end of the 15th
century, confined mainly to the French and Italian
valleys of the Cottian Alps. During the 16th century, the Waldensians
were transformed into a Protestant church, but suffered heavy persecu-
tion throughout the 17th century from the Dukes of Savoy. This ceased
only after Oliver Cromwell intervened personally on their behalf with
the duke, Charles Emmanuel II. In the latter part of the 17th century
the Waldensians returned to their original homeland, and in 1848 the
Waldensians were given civil rights, and are today members of the
World Presbyterian Alliance.
1649
PERSECUTION: ANCIENT AND MODERN
Appendix D - A calendar of events connected with the persecution of
heretics
640 AD Eorcenberht succeeds Eadbald as King of Kent, and
becomes the firstEnglish king toorder the destr
uction of pagan idols throughout his kingdom;
663 AD Council of Whitby determines the date of Easter to
be inaccordance withRomanpractice, andso ends
Celtic Christianity in Northumberland;
668-690 AD Liber Poenitentialis by Theodore, Archbishop of
Canterbury. Probably the first legislation against
witches. Itadvised penances (eg, fasting)for
those who"sacrificedto devils,foretold the
futurewiththeiraid,atefoodthathadbeen
offeredin sacrifice,orburnedgrainafter aman
was deadforthewell-beingofthelivingandof
the house."
735-766 AD the Confessional of Ecgberht, Archbishop of
York, which prescribed a 7-year fast for a woman
convicted of "slaying by incantation";
871-899 AD reign of King Aelfred (brother of Aethelred), who
declared the death penaltyfor those who practise
Wicca;
925-939 AD reign of King Aethelstan, where murder - including
murderbywitchcraft -waspunishablewith the
death penalty;
936 AD Otto elected King of the Germans, whereupon he
declaredit hisintention to drivethe pagans out
of his land;
951 Otto crowned King of Lombardy;
955 Otto defeated the Magyars and proclaimed himself
"Protector of Europe";
962 Otto crowned Holy Roman Emperor;
1022 the first burning (at Orleans) for heresy;
1066-1087 AD reign of William the Conqueror in England; he
reduced Aethelstan'ssentence ofdeath forcon
victed murderers to banishment;
1118 King Baldwin II of Jerusalem suggested to Sir Hugh
dePayensthat heorganiseachivalric orderof
knightsto defendtravellersto theHolyLand, and
grantedpartofhispalace,which stoodonthesite
ofSolomon'soriginaltemple, fortheirheadquar
ters.Asaresultof thisgesture,HughdePayens
calledhisOrdertheTempliMilitia,andthenlater
1650
changedthisto KnightsoftheTempleofSolomonin
Jerusalem;
1162 Pope Alexander III issued a special papal bull
releasing Templars from spiritual obedience to any
butthe Popehimself,gavethemexemption from
paying tithes, andallowed themtheir own chaplains
and burial grounds;
12/13th cent the Cathar heresies: introduction of the obscene
kiss and ritual adoration of the devil;
1243-44 Siege of Montsegur;
1244 225 Cathars burned at the stake at Montsegur;
1259 relationships between the Knights Templars and the
Hospitallers ofKnights ofStJohn deteriorated
into open warfare;
1291 the Saracens took Jerusalem, and the Knights
Templars were expelled, and lost their headquarters
on the site of Solomon's Temple;
1301 Walter Langton, bishop of Coventry, tried by
ecclesiastical court for diabolism and acquitted;
1302 trial in Exeter for defamation of a man who called
a woman a "wicked witch and thief";
1307 King Philip of France ordered the arrest of every
member ofthe KnightsTemplar in France:this was
followed bya papalbull toall rulersin Christian
Europe that all Templars were to be arrested;
1311 investigation in London by episcopal authority into
sorcery, enchantment, magic, divination and
invocation;
1312 the Pope officially disbanded the Knights Templars;
1314 Jaques de Molay (last Grand Master of the Knights
Templars) burned as a relapsed heretic;
1321 last Cathar burned at the stake;
1324 Alice Kyteler tried in Kilkenny by secular and
ecclesiastical authorities for diabolism, invoca
tion and sorcery;
1347 the Plague spreads over the whole of Italy, and
arrives in France by the end of the year;
1348 the Plague reaches Paris, then the Low Countries,
and then via the Channel to southern England;
1349 Britain ravaged by the Plague, which passes into
Germany, Austria and Scandinavia;
1651
1360 the Plague, complicated by influenza reappears in
Europe, continuing in waves until 1441, and finally
ending around 1510;
1390 woman tried in Milan for attending an assembly led
by "Diana", "Erodiade" or "Oriente";
1408 the Plague, still rampant in Europe is complicated
by an epidemic of Typhus and Whooping Cough;
1409 trial of Pope Benedict XIII at Pisa for divination,
invocation, sorcery and other offences;
1428-47 Dauphine: 110 women and 57 men executed by secular
court for witchcraft, especially diabolism;
1431 Joan of Arc tried for heresy and burnt at the
stake: the trial decision was annulled in 1456, and
in 1920 shewas canonised byPope Benedict XVwith
the date of her execution (May 30) becoming a
national holiday in France;
1440 Gilles de Rais tried on 47 charges including con
juration of demons and sexual perversions against
children: nearlyall evidence washearsay, none of
his servantswascalled totestify,and theprocee
dingswerehighlyirregular: hewasstrangledand
thensenttothe pyre,buthisfamilyweregiven
permissionto removehisbodybefore theflames
reached it for burial at a nearby Carmelite Church;
1441 Margery Jourdain ("the Witch of Eye") convicted of
plottingtokillKingHenry VI,andburnedasa
traitor;
1458 first recorded use of the word "sabbat" (Nicholas
Jacquier). "Synagogue" was the word commonly used
todescribethemeeting placesofhereticsand
witches;
1470 trial before Royal Court in England for defamation
- man had accused the Duchess of Bedford of image
magic;
1479 Earl of Mar executed for employing witches
to kill James III of Scotland;
1484 Papal Bull of Pope Innocent VIII officially
declaring witchcraft a heresy;
1486 first publication of the Malleus Maleficarum;
1488 Metz: 31 women and 4 men tried by secular court for
weather magic: 29 burned;
1492 expulsion of Jews from Spain;
1521 Martin Luther excommunicated by Pope Leo X, and so
begins the Reformation;
1652
1532 the Constitutio Criminalis Carolina: the criminal
code for the HolyRoman Empire which specified how
witches, fortunetellers, etc wereto be tried,and
punished;
1542 first statute against witchcraft in England passed
by Parliament (revoked 1547);
1557 first list of prohibited books issued by the Roman
church;
1562 statute enacted in Scotland under Mary Queen of
Scots declaring the death penalty for witchcraft,
sorceryand necromancy:theAct wasconfirmed in
1649 and repealed in 1736;
1563 statute against witchcraft by Elizabeth I in
Englandordering the deathpenalty for witches,
enchantersand sorcerers(undercivil, notecc
lesiastical law);
1566 first major trial under statute of 1563: Elizabeth
Francis, Agnes Waterhouseand JoanWaterhouse at
Chelmsford: Agneshanged,Elizabethreceived a
light sentence and Joan was found not guilty;
1584 "Discoverie of Witchcraft" by Reginald Scot
published - a Protestant argument against belief in
witchcraft;
1590-92 North Berwick trials by James VI;
1595 Nicholas Remy publishes "Demonolatreiae" where he
boasted on the title page that he had condemned 900
witches in 15 years;
1596 John Dee as Warden of a Manchester College acts as
an advisor for cases of witchcraft and demonology;
1597 "Daemonologie" by King James VI published;
1600 Giordano Bruno burnt at the stake in Rome
as an "impenitent heretic";
1603 ascension of James VI to the English throne as
James I;
1604 new statute against witchcraft by James I
which established pact, devil-worship and other
continental ideas in English law;
1611 King James authorises a new translation of
the Bible to include the word "witch";
1612 twenty witches tried together at Lancashire
(the Pendle witches);
1628 in Massachusetts, an English lawyer, Thomas
Mortonordered amaypoleto beerectedin the
colony which he founded (Merrymount), and celebrat
1653
ed MaywithlocalIndians andrefugeesfromthe
Puritans,withstag antlers,bellsandbrightly
coloured clothes, under an elected "Lord and Lady"
to ruleover thecelebrations; He wasarrested
under charges ofpractising witchcraft,but was
released;
1633 the public exorcisms of the nuns of Loudun as part
ofa plotby CardinalRichelieu to revengehimself
upon Urban Grandier: Grandier arrested and tried by
investigating committee;
1634 Grandier tortured then burned alive;
1644 maypoles made illegal in England;
1644-5 Matthew Hopkins active in Chelmsford;
1646 Matthew Hopkins retired - he died the following
year;
1647 first witch hung in the USA, in Connecticut;
1649 first newspaper astrology column by Lilly;
1662 at Bury St Edmunds women were accused and convicted
ofwitchcrafton thetestimonyof hysterical
children;
1662 the trial of Isobel Gowdie in Auldearne, Scotland:
Gowdie introduces the idea of a coven of thirteen;
1663 the Licensing Act determined that books could not
be published without priorconsultation with the
Church or State;
1679-82 the Chambre Ardente affair: a star chamber court
admittingof noappealarraigned totry Madame
Bosse, her daughter and sons; Madame Montvoisin (La
Voisin)and La DameVigoreux. Duringthe courseof
the trial,severalhundredsofthehighestcour
tiersofKing LouisXIVwereimplicatedinthe
poisoningscandal.Theaffairdegeneratedintoa
searchforheresyandwitchcraft,andeventually
CatholicPriestsDavot, Gerard,Deshayes,Cotton,
Tournet,Guibourg andMariettewere alsodrawnin,
accused ofperforming theBlackMass. Evidencewas
collectedto showthat Madamede Montespan(Louis'
former mistress)attempted to poisonLouis andhis
new mistress, andwas the leader ofthe Satanic
cult. In all, 319 peoplewere arrested and 104
sentenced: 36 to death,4 to slavery in the gal
leys, 34 to banishmentand 30 acquitted. In 1709
Louis attempted to destroy the records of the
affair, but failed;
1684 Alice Molland was the last person executed as a
witch in England (at Exeter);
1654
1689 Cotton Mather (New England) publishes "Memorable
Providences Relating to Witchcraft and Possessions"
supporting belief in witchcraft;
1692 Salem witch trials: 19 hung and more than 100
jailed; thelast personexecutedin theUSA for
witchcraft;
1727 last execution in Scotland for witchcraft;
1731 last trial for witchcraft in England: Jane Wenham,
who was convicted, then pardoned and released;
1736 the repeal of the statutes against witchcraft of
Mary Queen of Scots(1562), Elizabeth I (1563) and
JamesI &VI(1604): replacedwith astatutewhich
statedthat,"no prosecution,suitor proceeding
shallbe commencedorcarriedoutagainstany
personorpersonsforwitchcraft, sorcery,inchant
ment (sic),orconjuration."Itprovided forthe
prosecutionof thosepretendingtopossessmagical
powers, but it denied reality to those powers;
1745 last execution in France for witchcraft;
1775 last execution in Germany for witchcraft;
1829 Lamothe-Langan fabricated and published documents
represented to berecords of trialsof witches in
Toulouse andCarcassonne, probably in an attempt to
provethe continuingexistenceof theworship of
the old religion;
1830 in "Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft" Sir
Walter Scott argues thatalleged witches had been
misunderstood and mistreated;
1862 Jules Michelet argues in his book "La Sorcerie"
that witchcraftwas aprotest bymedieval serfs
against a crushing social order;
1865 Pope Pius X again attacked secret societies,claim
ing that Freemasonry was anti-Christian, satanic,
and derived from paganism;
1899 publication of Aradia: Gospel of the Witches by
Leland;
1928 first English translation of the Malleus Malefic
arum (tr Summers);
1951 repeal of the 1736 Witchcraft Act with the Fraud
ulent Mediums Act;
1963 demand made for reinstatement of the Witchcraft
Laws in England following desecration of churches
and graveyards;
1655
1966 the Index (of prohibited books) abolished;
1991 Anti-occult amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill
had its third reading in Parliament. Presented by
Geoffrey Dickens, this prescribed imprisonment for
not morethan five yearsagainst one who,"permits,
entices orencourages aminorto participatein, or
bepresentataceremonyorotheractivityofany
kindspecifiedinsub-section3...".Subsection3
says:"Theceremoniesoractivitiestowhichthis
sectionappliesare thoseof,orassociated with,
Satanism andotherdevilworshipping, blackmagic,
witchcraft, oranyactivity towhich Section1 of
the Fraudulent Mediums Act (1951) applies.
The Bill was rejected for a number of reasons, not
least because it made newspaper/magazine editors culpable if
minors should read the astrology column!
1656
HISTORY OF WICCA IN ENGLAND: 1939 - present day
This talk was given by Julia Phillips at the Wiccan Conference in
Canberra, 1991. It is mainly about the early days of the Wicca in
England; specifically what we now call Gardnerian and Alexandrian
traditions. The text remains "as given", so please remember when you
read it that it was never intended to be "read", but "heard" and
debated.
Text begins:
There are three main strands I intend to examine: one, Gardner's claim
of traditional initiation, and its subsequent development; two,
magical traditions to which Gardner would have had access; and three,
literary sources.
As we look at these three main threads, it is important to bear in
mind that Gardner was 55 years old at the time of his claimed initia-
tion; that he had spent many years in Malaya, and had an enormous
interest in magic, Folklore and Mythology. By the time he published
High Magic's Aid, he was 65, and 75 when "The Meaning of Witchcraft"
appeared. He died in 1964, at the age of 80.
Gardner was born in 1884, and spent most of his working adult life in
Malaya. He retired, and returned to the UK in 1936. He joined the
Folklore Society, and in June 1938, also joined the newly opened
Rosicrucian Theatre at Christchurch where it is said he met Old
Dorothy Clutterbuck.
I chose 1939 as my arbitrary starting point as that was the year that
Gerald Gardner claims he was initiated by Old Dorothy into a practis-
ing coven of the Old Religion, that met in the New Forest area of
Britain. In his own words,
"I realised that I had stumbled upon something interesting; but I was
half-initiated before the word, "Wica" which they used hit me like a
thunderbolt, and I knew where I was, and that the Old Religion still
existed. And so I found myself in the Circle, and there took the usual
oath of secrecy, which bound me not to reveal certain things." This
quote is taken from The Meaning of Witchcraft, which was published in
1959.
It is interesting that in this quote, Gardner spells Wicca with only
one "c"; in the earlier "Witchcraft Today" (1954) and "High Magic's
Aid" (1949), the word Wicca is not even used. His own derivation for
the word, given in "The Meaning of Witchcraft", is as follows:
"As they (the Dane and Saxon invaders of England) had no witches of
their own they had no special name for them; however, they made one up
from "wig" an idol, and "laer", learning, "wiglaer" which they shor-
tened into "Wicca".
"It is a curious fact that when the witches became English-speaking
they adopted their Saxon name, "Wica"."
1657
In "An ABC of Witchcraft Past and Present", Doreen Valiente does not
have an entry for Wicca, but when discussing Witchcraft, does mention
the Saxon derivation from the word Wicca or Wicce. In the more recent-
ly published The Rebirth Of Witchcraft, however, she rejects this
Saxon theory in favour of Prof. Russell's derivation from the Indo-
European root "Weik", which relates to things connected with magic and
religion.
Doreen Valiente strongly supports Gardner's claim of traditional
initiation, and published the results of her successful attempt to
prove the existence of Dorothy Clutterbuck in an appendix to "The
Witches' Way" by Janet and Stewart Farrar. It is a marvellous piece of
investigation, but proving that Old Dorothy existed does nothing to
support Gardner's claims that she initiated him.
In his book, "Ritual Magic in England", occultist Francis King does
offer some anecdotal evidence in support of Gardner's claims. However,
it is only fair to point out that in the same book, he virtually
accuses Moina Mathers of murder, based upon a misunderstanding of a
story told by Dion Fortune! With that caveat, I'll recount the tale in
full:
King relates that in 1953, he became acquainted with Louis Wilkinson,
who wrote under the pen-name of Louis Marlow, and had contributed
essays to Crowley's Equinox. He later became one of Crowley's literary
executors. King says that in conversation, Wilkinson told him that
Crowley had claimed to have been offered initiation into a witch
coven, but that he refused, as he didn't want to be bossed around by a
bunch of women. (This story is well-known, and could have been picked
up anywhere.)
Wilkinson then proceeded to tell King that he had himself become
friendly with members of a coven operating in the New Forest area, and
he thought that whilst it was possible that they derived their exis-
tence from Murray's "Witch Cult in Western Europe", he felt that they
were rather older.
King draws the obvious conclusion; that these witches were the very
same as those who initiated Gardner. King claims that the conversation
with Wilkinson took place in 1953, although "Ritual Magic in England"
was not published - or presumably written - until 1970. However, on
September 27 1952, "Illustrated" magazine published a feature by Allen
Andrews, which included details of a working by, "the Southern Coven
of British Witches", where 17 men and women met in the New Forest
to repel an invasion by Hitler. Wilkinson had told King of this
working during their conversation, which King believes to be proof
that such a coven existed; there are some differences in the two
stories, and so it is possible that two sources are reporting the same
event, but as Wilkinson's conversation with King came after the
magazine article, we shall never know.
In the recently published "Crafting the Art of Magic", Aidan Kelly
uses this same source to "prove" (and I use the word advisedly - the
book "proves" nothing") that Gardner, Dorothy, et al created Wicca one
night following a social get together! Of one thing we can be certain
though: whatever its origin, modern Wicca derives from Gardner. There
may of course be other traditional, hereditary witches, but even if
they are genuine, then it is unlikely that they would have been able
to "go public" had it not been for Gardner.
1658
There have been many claims of "hereditary" origin (other than Gard-
ner's own!) One of the most famous post-Gardner claimants to "heredi-
tary" status was actress Ruth Wynn-Owen, who fooled many people for a
very long time before being exposed. Roy Bowers, who used the pseud-
onym Robert Cochrane, was another: Doreen Valiente describes her
association with him in "The Rebirth of Witchcraft", and The Roebuck,
which is still active in the USA today, derives directly from Coch-
rane, via Joe Wilson. "Witchcraft: A Tradition Renewed" by Evan John
Jones with Doreen Valiente describes a tradition derived from Robert
Cochrane. Alex Sanders, of course is another who claimed hereditary
lineage, and like Cochrane, deserves his own place in this history,
and we'll get to both of them later.
Many people have been suspicious of Gardner's claims, and have accused
him of making the whole thing up. They suggest that the Wicca is no
more than the fantasy of an old man coloured by a romantic imagina-
tion. One particularly virulent attack upon Gardner came from Charles
Cardell, writing under the pseudonym of Rex Nemorensis.
One of Gardner's initiates who is still active in the Wicca today has
an interesting tale to tell about Cardell, whom he knew:
"Cardell claimed to be a Witch, but from a different tradition to
Gardner's. Cardell was a psychopathic rat, with malevolent intent
toward all and sundry. He managed to get a woman called Olive Green
(Florannis) into Gardner's coven, and told her to copy out the Book of
Shadows so that Cardell could publish it, and destroy Gardner. He
also contacted a London paper, and told them when and where the coven
meetings were held, and of course the paper got quite a scoop. Cardell
led people in the coven to believe that it was Doreen Valiente who had
informed on them.
Doreen had just left Gardner in a bit of a huff after a disagreement;
another coven member, Ned Grove, left with her. Anyway, the day the
paper printed the exposure, Cardell sent Gardner a telegram saying,
"Remember Ameth tonight". (Ameth was Doreen's Craft name, and as it
has now been published, I see no reason not to use it here)."
My informant also said that Olive Green was associated with Michael
Houghton, owner of Atlantis book shop in Museum Street, who was the
publisher of High Magic's Aid. Through this association, she also
encountered Kenneth Grant of the OTO, although their association was
not friendly.
Cecil Williamson, the original owner of the witchcraft museum on the
Isle of Man, and present owner of the Witchcraft Museum in Boscastle,
has also published a number of articles where he states quite categor-
ically that Gardner was an utter fraud; but, he offers only anecdotes
to support these allegations.
Although Gardner claimed his initiation occurred in 1939, we don't
really hear anything about him until 1949, when "High Magic's Aid" was
published by Michael Houghton.
1659
This book has very strong Solomonic leanings, but like Gardner's own
religious beliefs, combined the more natural forms of magic with high
ceremonial. In his introduction to the book, Gardner says that: "The
Magical rituals are authentic, party from the Key of Solomon (MacGreg-
or Mathers' translation) and partly from magical MSS in my posses-
sion)." Gardner did indeed have a large collection of MSS, which
passed with the rest of his goods to Ripleys in Toronto after his
death.
Scire (pseudonym) was the name Gardner took as a member of Crowley's
branch of the OTO; although it is generally agreed that his membership
was purely nominal, he was certainly in contact with people like
Kenneth Grant and Madeline Montalban (founder of the Order of the
Morning Star).
Gardner was given his OTO degree and Charter by Aleister Crowley, to
whom he was introduced in 1946 by Arnold Crowther. As Crowley died in
1947, their association was not long-lived, but Crowther confirms that
the two men enjoyed each other's company.
So, after that brief introduction we can have a look at the first of
the strands I mentioned.
In 1888, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was born, beginning a
renaissance of interest in the occult that has continued to the
present day. It is impossible to overstate the importance of the GD to
modern occultists; not only in its rituals, but also in its personal-
ities; and of course, through making available a large body of occult
lore that would otherwise have remained unknown, or hidden in obscur-
ity.
I will be looking at this body of occult lore with other literary
influences later, and will here concentrate on the rituals and per-
sonalities that have influenced Wicca.
We cannot look at the GD in isolation from its own origins. It is
descended from a myriad of esoteric traditions including Rosicrucian-
ism, Theosophy, and Freemasonry. The latter in its own right, as well
as via the SRIA - a scholarly and ceremonial association open to
Master Masons only.
Whether the German Lodge or Fraulein Sprengel actually existed is a
matter still under debate; but either in fact or in spirit, this is
the source for the "Cypher Manuscripts" which were used to found the
Isis-Urania Lodge in 1888.
As I'm sure everyone knows, Isis-Urania was founded by Dr Wynn-West-
cott, Dr Woodman, and MacGregor Mathers. Not only were all three
Master Masons; Wynn-Westcott and Mathers were also members of the
Theosophical Society. The most important thing though is the fact the
these three men were a ruling triumvirate that managed the affairs of
the SRIA. This is important, for the SRIA included Hargrave Jennings
in its membership, and Jennings is reputed to have been involved with
a Pagan group at the end of the 19th century, which drew its inspir-
ation from Apuleius - The Golden Ass.
1660
But back to the GD - whether the Cypher Manuscripts actually existed,
or Wynn-Westcott manufactured them is now irrelevant; Mathers was
commissioned to write-up the rituals into a workable shape, and thus
the Golden Dawn was born.
Members of the Isis-Urania Lodge at various times also included Allan
Bennett, Moina Mathers, Aleister Crowley, Florence Farr, Maud Gonne,
Annie Horniman, Arthur Machen, "Fiona Macleod", Arthur Waite and WB
Yeats. Also associated were Lady Gregory, and G W Russell, or AE,
whose "The Candle of Vision" was included in the bibliography of "The
Meaning of Witchcraft". The literary and Celtic influences within the
GD were immense.
From the Isis-Urania Lodge sprang all the others, including the
so-called Dissident Orders derived through Crowley. It is this line
that some commentators trace to modern Wicca, so it is the one upon
which we will concentrate.
Aleister Crowley was initiated into the Isis-Urania Lodge on 18
November 1898. As you most probably know, Crowley later quarrelled
with MacGregor Mathers, and in 1903 began to create his own Order, the
Argenteum Astrum, or Silver Star. In 1912, Crowley was initiated into
the OTO, and in 1921, succeeded Theodor Reuss as its Chief.
According to Arnold Crowther's account, it was in 1946, a year before
Crowley's death, that Crowley gave Gardner an OTO Charter. Ithell
Colquhoun says only that it occurred in the 1940s, and further states
that Gardner introduced material from the OTO, and less directly from
the GD, into "...the lore of his covens".
As Doreen Valiente also admits, "Indeed, the influence of Crowley was
very apparent throughout the (Wiccan) rituals.". This, Gardner ex-
plained to her, was because the rituals he received from Old Dorothy's
coven were very fragmentary, and in order to make them workable, he
had to supplement them with other material.
To give an example of some of the lines by Crowley which are rather
familiar to modern Wiccans:
I give unimaginable joys on earth; certainty, not faith, while in
life, upon death; peace unutterable, rest, ecstasy; nor do I demand
aught in sacrifice.
I am Life, and the giver of Life, yet therefore is the knowledge of me
the knowledge of death.
And of course, the Gnostic Mass has been immensely influential.
Not only poetry, but also magical practices in Wicca are often derived
from GD sources. For example:
the way of casting the circle: that is, the visualisation of the
circle, and the pentagrams at the quarters, are both based upon the
standard GD Pentagram Ritual;
1661
both the concept and word "Watchtowers" are of course from the Eno-
chian system of Magic, passed to Wicca via the GD (although I would
like to make it very clear that their use within Wicca bears no
relation to the use within Enochia - the only similarity is in the
name);
the Elements and colours generally attributed to the Quarters are
those of the GD;
the weapons and their attributions are a combination of GD, Crowley
and Key of Solomon.
In "Witchcraft Today", Gardner says, "The people who certainly would
have had the knowledge and ability to invent (the Wiccan rites) were
the people who formed the Order of the Golden Dawn about seventy years
ago...".
The GD is not the only influence upon Gardner; Freemasonry has had a
tremendous impact upon the Wicca. Not only were the three founders of
Isis-Urania Temple Masons, so too were Crowley and Waite; Gardner and
at least one member of the first coven (Daffo) were both Co-Masons.
Gardner was also a friend of JSM Ward, who had published a number of
books about Masonry.
Doreen describes Ward as a "leading Mason", but Francis King says only
that Ward was, "a bogus Bishop... who had written some quite good but
far-fetched books on masonry, and who ran a peculiar religious-cum-oc-
cult community called The Abbey of Christ the King..." Whether the
books were far-fetched or not, we can assume that some of the many
similarities between Wicca and Masonry are in some ways due to Ward's
influence.
Some of these include:
The Three Degrees
The Craft
So Mote It Be
The Challenge
Properly Prepared
The 1st Degree Oath (in part)
Presentation of the Working Tools at 1st degree
and so on.
It seems to me quite clear that even if Gardner received a traditional
set of rituals from his coven, they must have been exceptionally
sparse, as the concepts that we know of as Wicca today certainly
derive from ceremonial magic and Freemasonry to a very great extent.
Indeed, Gardner always claimed that they were sparse.
It could be argued that all derive from a common source. That the
appearance of a phrase, or technique in one tradition does not autom-
atically suggest that its appearance elsewhere means that the one was
taken from the other. However, Gardner admits his sources in many
cases, and Doreen confirms them in others, so I think it is safe to
presume that the rituals and philosophy used by Wicca descends from
the traditions of Freemasonry and Ceremonial magic, rather than from a
single common source. However, as Hudson Frew points out in his
commentary upon Aidan Kelly's book, the phenomena of the techniques
1662
and practices of ceremonial magic influencing folk magic and trad-
itions is widely recognised by anthropologists, and certainly does not
indicate plagiarism. And of course there are many traditional witch-
craft aspects in the Wicca.
We have looked at the development of the magical orders which resulted
from the British occult revival of the 19th and 20th centuries, and
now we can see where this ties in with Wicca, and Gardner's claim of
traditional initiation.
I have here a "family tree" of the main branches of British Wicca. It
is by no means exhaustive, and is intended to provide an outline, not
a definitive history! I have included my own coven lines and develop-
ment as an indication of the kind of "cross-over" of tradition which
often occurs, not to suggest that these are the only active groups!
Also, it would not be ethical for me to include details of other
covens.
We have two possible "hereditary" sources to the Gardnerian Craft:
one, the Horsa Coven of Old Dorothy, and two, the Cumbrian Group which
Rae Bone claims to have been initiated into before meeting Gardner.
(NB: Doreen Valiente says that the Horsa Coven is not connected with
Old Dorothy, but is another group entirely.) There is also sometimes
mention of a St Alban's group that pre-dates Gardner, but as far as I
know, this is mistaken. The St Albans group was Gardner's own group,
which as far as research confirms, did not pre-date him.
To return to Rae Bone: she was one of Gardner's HPSs, and her "line"
has been immensely important to the modern Wicca; she was featured in
the magazine series, "Man Myth and Magic" if anyone has a copy of
that.
In her heyday she ran two covens: one in Cumbria, and one in South
London. Rae is still alive, and lives in Cumbria, although her last
coven moved to New Zealand many years ago, and she is no longer
active. No-one has ever been able to trace the coven in New Zealand.
At this point, I will just mention George Pickingill, although he is
not shown on the tree, as I think it extremely dubious that he had any
connection with Gardner, or any other modern Wiccan.
Pickingill died in 1909, whilst Gardner was still in Malaya. Eric
Maple is largely responsible for the beginnings of the Pickingill
myth, which were expanded by Bill Liddell (Lugh) writing in "The
Wiccan" and "The Cauldron" throughout the 1970s. Mike Howard still has
some of Liddell's material which he has never published, and I have
yet to meet anyone within the British Craft who gives credence to
Liddell's claims.
In the book, "The Dark World of Witches", published in 1962, Maple
tells of a number of village wise women and cunning men, one of whom
is George Pickingill. There is a photograph included of an old man
with a stick, holding a hat, which Maple describes as Pickingill. This
photograph has subsequently been re-used many times in books about
witchcraft and Wicca.
1663
Issue number 31 of "Insight" Magazine, dated July 1984, contains a
very interesting letter from John Pope:
"The photograph purporting to be Old George Pickingill is in fact a
photo of Alf Cavill, a station porter at Ellstree, taken in the early
1960s. Alf is now dead, but he was no witch, and laughed over the
photograph when he saw it."
A very respected Craft authority has told me that he believes the
photo, which is in his possession, to be of Pickingill, but like so
much to do with Craft history, there is no definitive answer to this
one.
Many claims were made by Liddell; some obviously from cloud-cuckoo
land, others which could, by a stretch of the imagination, be ac-
cepted. The very idea of Pickingill, an illiterate farm labourer,
co-ordinating and supervising nine covens across the breadth of the UK
is staggering. To accept - as Liddell avers - that he had the likes of
Alan Bennett and Aleister Crowley as his pupils bends credulity even
further.
The infamous photograph which Liddell claims shows Crowley, Bennett
and Pickingill together has conveniently disappeared, and no-one
admits to ever having seen it. Like most of Liddell's claims, nothing
has ever been substantiated, and when pushed, he retreats into the
time honoured favourite of, "I can't reveal that - you're not an
initiate"!
But to return to the family tree: the names of Doreen Valiente, Pat
and Arnold Crowther, Lois Bourne (Hemmings), Jack Bracelin and Monique
Wilson will probably be the most familiar to you.
Jack Bracelin is the author of Gardner's biography, "Gerald Gardner,
Witch", (published 1960) now out of print, although still available
2nd hand, and in libraries. (In Crafting the Art of Magic, Kelly
claims that this book was actually written by Idries Shah, and simply
published under Bracelin's name. As with every other claim, Kelly
offers no evidence of this)
I have seen a copy of Bracelin's Book of Shadows, which it is claimed
dates from 1949, although in The Rebirth Of Witchcraft, Doreen says
that Bracelin was a "relative newcomer" in the mid-1950s. I have also
been told by two different sources that Bracelin helped Gardner write
"The Laws". In The Rebirth Of Witchcraft, Doreen states that she did
not see The Laws until the mid 1950s, when she and her partner Ned
Grove accused Gardner of concocting them in order to re-assert control
over the coven. As Bracelin was in the Gardner camp during the breakup
of the group, it seems reasonable that he did in fact help with their
composition. (NB: Alex Sanders increased the number of "The Laws"
much later - these appeared in June Johns' book, "The King of the
Witches")
1664
Although Doreen claims that the reason for the coven break-up was the
fact that Gardner and Bracelin were publicity crazy, there was another
reason, which was the instatement of a new lady into the coven,
effectively replacing Doreen as HPS. This is also the main reason for
Gerald's Law which states that the HPS will, "...gracefully retire in
favour of a younger woman, should the coven so decide in council."
Needless to say, Doreen was not impressed, and she and Ned left the
coven under very acrimonious circumstances. It was quite some time
before Doreen had contact with Gardner again, and they never quite
regained the degree of friendship that had previously existed.
Monique and Campbell Wilson are infamous, rather than famous, as
Gardner's heirs who sold off his magical equipment and possessions
after his death, to Ripleys in the USA.
Monique was the last of his Priestesses, and many Wiccans today still
spit when her name is mentioned. Pat Crowther was rather scathing
about her recently in an interview, and in The Rebirth Of Witchcraft,
although Doreen tells of the sale of Gardner's magical possessions to
Ripleys, she doesn't ever mention the Wilsons by name. In effect, the
Craft closed ranks against them, and they became outcasts.
Eventually, in the face of such opposition they had to sell the Museum
in Castletown, and they moved to Torremolinos, where they bought a
cafe. Monique died nine years after selling the Museum. It is rumoured
that Campbell Wilson moved to the USA, and met with a car accident
there: this is only hearsay though - I really do not know for sure
what happened to him.
However, Monique was influential in a way that even she could not have
imagined, when in 1964 or 5 she initiated Ray Buckland, who with his
wife Rosemary (later divorced), was very influential in the develop-
ment of the Wicca in the USA.
Fortunately, Richard and Tamarra James managed to buy the bulk of
Gardner's collection back from Ripleys in 1987, for the princely sum
of US$40,000, and it is now back within the Craft, and available for
initiates to consult and view.
D and C S. are probably completely anonymous, and if it were not for
the fact that C initiated Robert Cochrane (briefly mentioned earlier)
they would probably stay that way!
Cochrane's origins are obscure, but I have been told that he was
initiated into the Gardnerian tradition by C S, and met Doreen Valien-
te through a mutual acquaintance in 1964. When he met Doreen, however,
he claimed to be a hereditary witch, from a different tradition to
Gardner's, and as Doreen confirms, was contemptuous of what he called
"Gardnerian" witches. Indeed, Doreen believes he coined the term,
"Gardnerian".
Doreen said she was completely taken in by Cochrane and for a while,
worked with him and the "Clan of Tubal-Cain" as he described his
tradition, which was also known as "The Royal Windsor Cuveen", or
1734.
The figures "1734" have an interesting history. Doreen gives a rather
strange account of them in The Rebirth Of Witchcraft, which contra-
1665
dicts what Cochrane himself describes in a letter to Joe Wilson, dated
"12th Night 1966", where he says,
"...the order of 1734 is not a date of an event but a grouping of
numerals that mean something to a witch.
"One that becomes seven states of wisdom - the Goddess of the Cauld-
ron. Three that are the Queens of the Elements - fire belonging alone
to Man, and the Blacksmith God. Four that are Queens of the Wind Gods.
"The Jewish orthodoxy believe that whomever knows the Holy and Un-
speakable name of God has absolute power over the world of form. Very
briefly, the name of God spoken as Tetragrammaton ... breaks down in
Hebrew to the letters YHVH, or the Adam Kadmon (The Heavenly Man).
Adam Kadmon is a composite of all Archangels - in other words a poetic
statement of the names of the Elements.
"So what the Jew and the Witch believe alike, is that the man who
discovers the secret of the Elements controls the physical world. 1734
is the witch way of saying YHVH." (Cochrane, 1966)
Although Doreen says that Cochrane's group was small, it still proved
to be remarkably influential. As well as Cochrane and his wife (whom
Doreen refers to as "Jean") and Doreen herself, there were others who
are well-known today, and a man called Ronald White, who very much
wanted to bring about a new age in England, with the return of King
Arthur.
In The Rebirth Of Witchcraft, Doreen elaborates upon the circumstances
surrounding the death of Cochrane: the bald facts are that he died at
the Summer Solstice of 1966 of an overdose. Craft tradition believes
that he became in fact, and of his own choice, the male ritual sacri-
fice which is sometimes symbolically enacted at the height of Summer.
The Royal Windsor Cuveen disbanded after Cochrane died, only to be
re-born from the ashes at Samhain that year under a new name - The
Regency. All of its early members were from the Royal Windsor Cuveen,
and they were under the leadership of Ronald White. The Regency proved
to be of great importance to the development of the Wicca, although
its existence was kept a fairly close secret, and even today, there
are relatively few people who have ever heard of it.
Meetings were held in North London, at a place called Queens Wood. As
well as Ron White and Doreen Valiente, members included "John Math",
founder of the Witchcraft Research Association in 1964, and editor of
Pentagram magazine, and the founder of the Pagan Movement, Tony Kelly.
At its height, there were frequently more than 40 in attendance at
rites, which tended to be of the dramatic, pagan kind rather than the
ceremonial associated with high ritual magic. The Regency operated
fairly consistently for over twelve years, finally disbanding in 1978.
The Membership roll reads like a who's who of the British Wicca! Some
of the rites have been incorporated into modern Wiccan rituals - in
fact, one was used at the Pan European Wiccan Conference 1991 with
very great success.
Moving back over to Rae Bone's line, there are a number of influential
people here, mainly through her initiates, Madge and Arthur, who
probably take the award for the most prolific pair in Wiccandom! Rae,
although initiated by Gardner, does of course also claim a hereditary
status in her own right.
1666
Madge and Arthur's initiates include:
John and Jean Score
John Score was the partner of Michael Houghton (mentioned earlier),
and the founder of the Pagan Federation, which is very active today.
Houghton died under very mysterious circumstances, which is briefly
mentioned in "The Sword of Wisdom" by Ithell Colquhoun. My Craft
source told me that this was actually a ritual that went badly wrong,
and Houghton ended up on the wrong end of some fairly potent energies.
There is an interesting anecdote about Houghton in The Rebirth Of
Withcraft, which is taken from "Nightside of Eden" by Kenneth Grant,
and agrees in some respect to a similar story that I was told some
years ago. Doreen suggests in The Rebirth Of Witchcraft that the story
may relate to a magical working involving Kenneth Grant and his wife,
Gardner, Dolores North (Madeline Montalban), and an un-named witch,
who was probably Olive Green.
They were all to perform a ritual together, supposedly to contact an
extra-terrestrial being. The material basis for the rite, which took
place in 1949, was a drawing by AO Spare.
Apparently soon after the rite commenced, a nearby bookseller (Michael
Houghton) turned up and interrupted proceedings. On hearing that
Kenneth Grant was within, he declined to enter, and wandered off. The
rite was disrupted, and the story goes that everyone just went home.
Kenneth Grant claims that as a result of disturbing their working,
Houghton's marriage broke up, and that Houghton died in mysterious
circumstances. In fact, the Houghton divorce was a cause celebre, with
her suing him for cruelty because he boasted of being a Sagittarian
while sneering at her because she was only a dingy old Capricorn!
The interrupted ritual could well have taken place. Madeline had a
flat near to Atlantis (Houghton's shop), and would certainly have
known both Grant and Houghton. I know for a fact that Madeline was
acquainted with Gerald, although her opinion of both him and the Wicca
was rather poor. One of Madeline's older students told me that she
thought Gardner rather a fraud, and ritually inept. She also had a
very low opinion of Wiccans, and refused to allow her own students to
participate in Wiccan rites. The reason for this lies in an anecdote
which Doreen doesn't relate: the story goes that Madeline agreed to
participate in a rite with Gerald, which turned out to involve Made-
line being tied up and tickled with a feather duster! The great lady
was not amused.
Prudence Jones
Prudence was for many years the president of the Pagan Federation, and
editor of its newsletter. She inherited her role from John Score,
after he passed away. With Nigel Pennick, Prudence also runs the Pagan
Anti-Defamation League (PADL), and is an active astrologer and therap-
ist. She has edited a book on astrology, and with Caitlin Matthews,
edited "Voices from the Circle", published by Aquarian Press. Al-
though Prudence took her degree in Philosophy, her main interests lie
in the areas of the Grail and troubadour tales, and she has published
privately an excellent essay on the Grail and Wicca. She is also a
very highly respected astrologer, who lectures extensively in Britain.
1667
Vivianne and Chris Crowley
Vivianne Crowley, is author of "Wicca - The Old Religion in the New
Age", and also secretary of the Pagan Federation. She has a PhD in
Psychology, and is perhaps the only person to have been a member of
both a Gardnerian Coven and an Alexandrian one simultaneously!
Vivianne is very active at the moment, and has initiated people in
Germany (having memorised the ritual in German - a language she
doesn't speak!), Norway, and - on the astral - Brazil. As a result of
her book, she receives many letters from people from all around the
world, and organised the first ever pan-European Wiccan conference,
held in Germany 1990. The second conference was held in Britain at the
June solstice, and the third (1992) in Norway. In 1993, the Conference
will be in Scotland.
John and Kathy (Caitlin) Matthews, are probably well-known to every-
one, but possibly their Gardnerian initiations are not such common
knowledge. The story that John Matthews relates in "Voices from the
Circle" is essentially the one which he told the HPS who initiated
him.
Pat and Arnold Crowther
I have left Pat and Arnold till last, as it is from their line that
the infamous Alex Sanders derives! It is no secret anymore that Alex,
far from being initiated by his grandmother when he was seven, was in
fact turned down by Pat Crowther in 1961, but was later accepted by
one of her ex-coven members, Pat Kopanski, and initiated to 1st
Degree.
In "The Rebirth of Witchcraft" Doreen says that Alex later met Gard-
ner, and was allowed to copy from the Book of Shadows; Craft tradition
is somewhat different! It has always been said (even by Alex's sup-
porters!) that he pinched what he could from Pat Kopanski before being
chucked out, and that the main differences between the Alexandrian and
Gardnerian Books of Shadows occur where Alex mis-heard, or mis-copied
something! There are certainly significant differences between the
two Books; some parts of Gardnerian ritual are quite unknown within
the Alexandrian tradition, and the ritual techniques are often dif-
ferent. It is usually very easy to spot whether someone is an Alexand-
rian, or Gardnerian initiate.
Alex needed a HPS, and as we know, chose Maxine Morris for the role.
Maxine is a striking Priestess, and made a very good visual focus for
the movement which grew in leaps and bounds.
In the late 1960s, Alex and Maxine were prolific initiators, and a
number of their initiates have become well known. Some came to Austra-
lia, and there are still a number of covens in the UK today whose HP
and/or HPS was initiated by Alex or Maxine.
Alex and Maxine's most famous initiates are almost certainly Janet and
Stewart Farrar, who left them in 1971 to form their own coven, first
in England, then later, in Ireland. Through their books, they have
probably had the most influence over the direction that the modern
Craft has taken. Certainly in Australia, the publication of "What
Witches Do" was an absolute watershed, and with Janet and Stewart's
consistent output, their form of Wicca is more likely to become the
"standard" than any other type.
1668
Since their early days of undiluted Alexandrianism, they have drifted
somewhat towards a more Gardnerian approach, and today, tell everyone
that there are no differences between the two traditions. In fact,
despite the merging that has been occurring over the last few years,
there are very distinct differences between the traditions; some
merely external, others of a very significant difference of philos-
ophy.
Seldiy Bate was originally magically trained by Madeline Montalban,
and then took an Alexandrian initiation from Maxine and Alex. Her
husband, Nigel, was also initiated by Maxine, and they have been
"public" witches for a number of years now, often appearing on TV,
radio and in the press. Their background in ritual magic is expressed
in the type of coven that they run; a combination of Wicca and Cerem-
onial Magic.
In 1971, Alex and Maxine went their separate ways. David Goddard is a
Liberal Catholic Priest, and for many years, he and Maxine worked in
the Liberal Catholic faith, and did not run a coven of any kind. Then
in 1984, Maxine gathered together a group again, and started pract-
ising a combination of Wicca, Qabalah and Liberal Catholicism. She and
David separated in 1987, and since then her coven has been exclusively
Wiccan. In 1989, she married one of her initiates, Vincent, and they
are still running an active coven in London today.
Alex's history after the split was a little more sordid, with one girl
he married, Jill, filling the gutter press with stories about Alex
being homosexual, and defrauding her of all her money to spend on his
boyfriends. Sally Taylor was initiated by Maxine and David, but then
transferred to Alex. She was trained by him, and then started her own
group.
I'd now like to focus upon the last of the strands which I believe has
been influential upon the birth and development of Wicca; that of the
literary traditions and sources to which Gardner would have had
access. To a certain extent these are contiguous with the magical
traditions described earlier, as nowhere is it ever suggested that
Gardner did in fact ever work in a magical Lodge, so we must assume
that his knowledge came from the written form of the rites, not from
the actual practise of them.
From reading Gardner's books, it is quite apparent that Margaret
Murray had a tremendous impact upon him. Her book, "The God of the
Witches" was published in 1933, and twelve years previously, "The
Witch Cult in Western Europe" had appeared. "The God of the Witches"
has been tremendously influential on a number of people, and certainly
inspired Gardner.
In fact, "Witchcraft Today", published by Gardner in 1954 contained a
foreword by Margaret Murray. At this time, remember, Murray's work was
still taken seriously, and she remained the contributor on the subject
of witchcraft for the Encyclopedia Britannica for a number of years.
1669
Now of course her work has been largely discredited, although she
remains a source of inspiration, if not historical accuracy. In
Gardner's day, the idea of a continuing worship of the old pagan gods
would have been a staggering theory, and in the second article in my
series about Murray (published in The Cauldron), I made the point that
Murray may have had to pretend scientific veracity in order to get her
work published in such times. Don't forget that Dion Fortune had to
publish her work privately, as did Gardner with High Magic's Aid.
Carlo Ginzburg's excellent book, "Ecstasies", also supports Murray's
basic premise; although of course he regrets her historical decep-
tions.
There were of course other sources than Murray. In 1899, "Aradia:
Gospel of the Witches" was published. Most of Crowley's work was
available during the pre- and post-war years, as were the texts
written and translated by MacGregor Mathers and Waite. Also readily
available were works such as The Magus, and of course the classics,
from which Gardner drew much inspiration.
Of paramount importance would have been "The White Goddess", by Robert
Graves, which is still a standard reference book on any British
Wiccan's bookshelf. This was published in 1952; three years after High
Magic's Aid appeared, and two years before Gardner's first non-fict-
ional book about witchcraft. I would just like to say at this point
that Graves has taken some very unfair criticism in respect of this
book. The White Goddess was written as a work of poetry, not history,
and to criticise it for being historically innaccurate is to miss the
point. Unfortunately, I agree that some writers have referred to it as
an "authority", and thus led their readers up the garden path. This is
not Graves's fault, nor do I believe it was his intention.
Another book which has had a profound influence on many Wiccans, and
would undoubtedly have been well known by Gardner is "The Golden
Bough"; although the entire book was written based upon purely secon-
dary research, it is an extensive examination of many pagan practices
from the Ancient World, and the emphasis of the male sacrifice could
certainly have been taken from here equally as well as from Murray.
Certain of the Gardnerian ritual practices were almost certainly
derived from The Golden Bough, or from Frazer's own sources.
In "Witchcraft Today" Gardner mentions a number of authors when
speculating where the Wiccan rites came from. He says that, "The only
man I can think of who could have invented the rites was the late
Aleister Crowley."
He continues to say, "The only other man I can think of who
could have done it is Kipling...". He also mentions that,
"Hargrave Jennings might have had a hand in them..." and then
suggests that "Barrat (sic) of The Magus, circa 1800, would
have had the ability to invent or resurrect the cult."
It's possible that these references are something of a damage control
operation by Gardner, who, according to Doreen, was not too impressed
when she kept telling him that she recognised certain passages in the
Witch rites! "Witchcraft Today" was published the year after Doreen's
initiation, and perhaps by seeming genuinely interested in where the
Rites came from, Gardner thought he might give the appearance of
innocence of their construction!
1670
As mentioned previously, Gardner also had a large collection of
unpublished MSS, which he used extensively, and one has only to read
his books to realise that he was a very well-read man, with wide-rang-
ing interests. Exactly the sort of man who would be able to draw
together a set of rituals if required.
The extensive bibliography to "The Meaning of Witchcraft" published in
1959, demonstrates this rather well. Gardner includes Magick in Theory
and Practice and The Equinox of the Gods by Crowley; The Mystical
Qabalah by Dion Fortune; The Goetia; The White Goddess (Graves); Lady
Charlotte Guest's translation of The Mabinogion; English Folklore by
Christina Hole; The Kabbalah Unveiled and the Abramelin by Mathers;
both Margaret Murray's books and Godfrey Leland's Gypsy Sorcery, as
well as a myriad of classic texts, from Plato to Bede!
Although this bibliography postdates the creation of Gardnerian Wicca,
it certainly indicates from where Gardner draws his inspiration from.
There are also several books listed which are either directly, or
indirectly, concerned with sex magic, Priapic Cults, or Tantra.
Hargrave Jenning, mentioned earlier, wrote a book called "The Rosi-
crucians, their Rites and Mysteries", which Francis King describes as
a book, "concerned almost exclusively with phallicism and phallic
images - Jennings saw the penis everywhere."
As I mentioned earlier, Hargrave Jennings, a member of the SRIA, also
belonged to a group, described as a coven, which met in the Cambridge
area in the 1870s, and performed rituals based upon the classical
traditions - specifically, from The Golden Ass. There is no evidence
to support this, except that there are often found references to a
"Cambridge Coven" linked to Jennings' name. Many of the rituals we
are familiar with today were of course later additions by Doreen
Valiente, and these have been well documented by both her and the
Farrars, in a number of books. Doreen admits that she deliberately
cut much of the poetry by Aleister Crowley, and substituted either her
own work, or poems from other sources, such as the Carmina Gadelica.
Of course we can never really know the truth about the origins of the
Wicca. Gardner may have been an utter fraud; he may have actually
received a "Traditional" initiation; or, as a number of people have
suggested, he may have created the Wicca as a result of a genuine
religious experience, drawing upon his extensive literary and magical
knowledge to create, or help create, the rites and philosophy.
What I think we can be fairly certain about is that he was sincere in
his belief. If there had been no more to the whole thing than an old
man's fantasy, then the Wicca would not have grown to be the force
that it is today, and we would not all be sitting here in Canberra on
a Saturday morning!
1671
{file "Wheel of The Year (Julia Phillips/Matthew Sandow)" "bos325.htm"}
The Wheel of the Year
From "The Witches of Oz", by Julia Phillips and Matthew Sandow,
Sydney,
New South Wales.
The Wheel of the year is of great significance to Wiccans, and
is one of the principle keys to understanding the religion. As we
said earlier, Wicca sees a profound relationship between humanity
and the environment. For a Wiccan, all of nature is a manifesta-
tion of the divine and so we celebrate the turning seasons as the
changing faces of our Gods.
The Wheel of the Year is a continuing cycle of life, death and
rebirth. Thus the Wheel reflects both the natural passage of life
in the world around us, as well as revealing our own connection
with the greater world. To a Wiccan, all of creation is divine,
and by realizing how we are connected to the turning if the seasons
and to the natural world, we come to a deeper understanding to the
ways in which we are connected to the God and Goddess. o when we
celebrate our seasonal rites, we draw the symbolism that we use
from the natural world and from our own lives, thus attempting to
unite the essential identity that underlies all things.
Undoubtedly the significance of the Festivals has changed over
the centuries, and it is very difficult for us today to imagine the
joy and relief that must have accompanied the successful grain
harvest. What with factory-farming, fast freezing and world wide
distribution, our lives no longer depend upon such things and as a
consequence, our respect for the land has diminished in proportion
to our personal contact with it.
Wiccans believe that we can re-affirm this contact by our
observance of the passage of the seasons, in which we see reflected
our own lives, and the lives of our gods. Whether we choose to
contact those forces through silent and solitary meditation, or
experience the time of year in a wild place, or gather with friends
in a suburban living room, we are all performing our own ritual to
the Old Ones, reaching out once more towards the hidden forces
which surround us all.
What is of the utmost importance with the Wheel of the Year is
that we understand what we hope to achieve through our festival
celebrations, and avoid the trap of going through empty motions,
repeating words from a book which may sound dramatic, but have no
relevance in our everyday lives. That simply leads to the creation
of a dogma, and not a living breathing religion. It is not enough
to stand in a circle on a specific day, and "invoke' forces of
nature, those forces are currents which flow continuously through-
out our lives, not just eight times a year, and if we choose not to
acknowledge them in our everyday lives, there is no point in
calling upon them for one day.
1672
By following the Wiccan religion you are affirming your belief
in the sanctity of the Earth, and acknowledging that you depend
upon the Earth for your very life. Although modern lifestyles do
not encourage awareness of our personal relationship with the
turning seasons, or the patterns of life, growth, death and decay,
that does not mean that they no longer exist. The ebb and flow
of the Earth's energies may be hidden beneath a physical shell of
tarmac and concrete, and a psychic one of human indifference, but
they are nevertheless there for those who wish to acknowledge them
once more.
We do this by observing the changes of the seasons, and
feeling the changes reflected in our innermost selves, and in our
everyday lives. In our rituals we focus upon different aspects of
the God and Goddess, and participate in the celebration of their
mysteries; thus we re-affirm our connections on the most profound
levels.
The Wiccan Wheel has two great inspirations; it is both a
wheel of celebration, and a wheel of initiation. As a wheel of
initiation it hopes to guide those who tread its pathway towards an
understanding of the mysteries of life and the universe, expressed
through the teachings of the Old Ones made manifest in the turning
of the seasons. For a Wiccan, the gods and nature are one. In
exploring the mysteries of the seasons we are seeking to penetrate
more deeply the mysteries of the God and Goddess.
As a wheel of celebration, Wiccans accord to the words of the
Charge of the Goddess, where She says, "Let my worship be within
the heart that rejoiceth, for behold, all acts of Love and Pleasure
are my rituals"; and that, "Ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music
and love, all in my praise". Anyone can celebrate the turning of
the seasons, in their own way, and in their own time. Wiccan
covens will commonly gather together, and make the Festivals times
of joyful merrymaking, but you can just as easily make the
celebration a solitary one, or with just one or two friends. The
principles do not alter; just the way in which you acknowledge
them.
Wiccans generally celebrate eight Festivals, roughly six weeks
apart, which are pivotal points in the solar (seasonal) cycle.
Four of the Festivals are called the Lesser Sabbats: these are the
Spring and Autumn Equinoxes, and the Winter and Summer Solstices.
The other four Festivals are called the Greater Sabbats, and relate
to particular seasons when in bygone days, certain activities would
have been undertaken, usually followed by a party of some kind.
There are variations upon the names by which these Greater Sabbats
are known, but the simple ones are Candlemas, Beltane, Lammas and
Samhain. Candlemas is also known as Imbolg, Oimelc, or Brigid;
Lammas is sometimes called Lughnassadh.
1673
It is important to understand that the Festivals are celebrat-
ing a time of year: a season, not a date. Most books written about
Wicca have been written by an author living and working in the
northern hemisphere, who may quite rightly say that "Beltane is
celebrated on May Eve." Northern hemisphere readers will automati-
cally interpret this as, "Beltane is at the end of spring, just
before summer gets underway." IN the Wiccan Book of Shadows, the
poem by Kipling is used at this Festival which says, "O do not tell
the Priests of our art, for they would call it sin; but we've been
out in the woods all night, a'conjurin' summer in.... ."
Of course, "May eve" in the southern hemisphere is autumn
heading into winter, entirely the wrong time of year to celebrate
the portent of summer. In much the same way, Christmas and Easter
are celebrated at the wrong time of year here. In the Christian
calendar, Christmas coincides with the Winter Solstice - and the
growing popularity of the June Yule Fest in the Blue Mountains in
NSW each year suggests an awareness of this, even if it is, in this
case, expressed in a commercial sense. The date of Easter changes
each year, because it is the first Sunday after the first Full Moon
after the Spring Equinox, (And they try to tell us that Easter
wasn't originally a Pagan Festival!) So in the southern hemi-
sphere, according to the rules by which the date of Easter is
determined, it should fall sometime in late September or early
October each year. However, Christianity is not a religion which
sees a particular connection between humanity and the environment,
and therefore has no problem in celebrating Easter in autumn, and
Christmas at the Summer Solstice. Wicca is different, and it IS
important to us to attune ourselves to the passage of the seasons,
hence we follow the natural cycle wherever we live. In the
southern hemisphere this means celebrating Beltane at the start of
summer, i.e., the beginning of November, not the beginning of May.
The Wiccan year starts and ends with Samhain, which is also
known as Hallowe'en, or All Saints Eve. It is the celebration
which falls just before the dark nights of winter take hold. The
Winter Solstice comes next, where Wiccans celebrate the rebirth of
the Sun; at Candlemas about six weeks later, we celebrate the first
signs of the growing light (longer days,) and of spring beginning
to show itself. The Spring Equinox (around 21 September - it
varies from year to year) is the time when day and night are equal
in length, and the Sun is on its increase. Next is Beltane, the
Festival where Wiccans celebrate the union of the young man and
woman, and everyone dances around a tree, crowned with a garland of
flowers, and decked with red and white ribbons.
1674
About six weeks after Beltane we come to the Summer Solstice,
when the Sun reaches its greatest height. It is the longest
day/shortest night, and in the southern hemisphere, falls around 21
December. Then the Sun begins its way back down towards winter,
but we are still in summer. Six weeks after the Solstice is
Lammas, when in agricultural societies, the harvest is reaped, and
we receive the benefits from our hard work. The Sun at Lammas
still has great strength, for it is the ripening time, rather than
the growing time which ceases around the Summer Solstice. The
Autumn Equinox follows this, usually around 21 March (again, it
varies from year to year), which is often celebrated as a Harvest
Festival. The next Festival, some six weeks after the Equinox, is
Samhain, which is the time just before the winter really sets in,
and when food is stored, and we remember those who have passed
away. In many countries this is the time when the Lord of the Wild
Hunt rides, which is mirrored in the way that the winds are often
wild at this time of year, and the clouds ragged and wind-torn.
In parts of Australia you will find that some of these
seasonal aspects are a little different, but generally speaking,
you should be able to feel the change from winter to spring; spring
to summer; summer to autumn and then autumn to winter. The
specifics will change, but the general trend is very similar - one
season leading to another. You have only to become aware of the
natural changes in your own environment to realize that the
concepts of the Wheel of the Year are valid wherever you may be.
As a Wheel of initiation, the Wheel of the Year is the path
which leads us through the experiences of our gods towards that
point which Jungian psychologists call individuation, and which
Wiccans call knowledge of the Old Ones. As with all mystical
experiences, these mysteries are not communicated in an academic or
intellectual manner; they are direct experiences which each
individual shares with the Old Gods. Different traditions have
developed different ways of travelling the Wheel, but all ways have
a common purpose, and all are equally valid, provided the basic
principles are sound.
We gave a very brief description of the cycle of the Wheel of
the Year above. Now we can have a look at this in more detail,
using for our framework a mythology which is used by our own Coven.
It is based upon the Gardnerian and Alexandrian traditions in which
we were initiated, but has evolved over several years, and has been
greatly modified to reflect our own understanding of the turning
wheel of the seasons. We should say at this point that we use the
terms "King" and "Queen" to refer to the principle characters in
the mythology. It is important to understand that we are not
referring to a modern monarchy, but to the ancient pagan principles
those titles infer. The King is the priest/king of the forest:
his tale is told in many forms in many lands. He is the essential
male that lies within all men, and is the animus (in it Jungian
sense) of all women. The Queen is Sovereignty: she is the
mysterious soul of nature; the essential woman that lies within all
women, and is the anima of all men.
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So to begin our journey: how do we set out to explore the
mysteries of existence? Well, the journey begins with a question -
we have first to be aware that there is a mystery to explore! And
that most basic of questions is: "where did life come from? how
did it all begin?" For a Wiccan there is an underlying spiritual
intuition that the answer to that question is quite simply that the
universe was created by deity. So we celebrate the beginning of
the Wheel of the Year as a being the creation of all life by the
God and the Goddess; we begin with a creation myth.
The Wheel of the Year starts with Samhain; at this time we
celebrate the Great Rite - the joyful union of the God and Goddess
in the Otherworld. This touches the very depths of the mystery.
We celebrate at this time the conception that will lead to the
birth of all creation.
Wiccans celebrate all life as a manifestation of the mystery
of the gods, but do not pretend to understand how such life came
into being. Nor do we claim to fully understand our gods; to the
Wicca they are a mystery, and when describing our vision of deity
we use symbols to express as best we can the vision we have seen.
We do not know how the universe was created and this remains
essentially mysterious. However, by choosing to take the path of
initiation - that is, by following the Wheel of the Year - we can
learn to commune more deeply with the gods, and experience visions
which can reveal a little of the mystery.
The vision that we have of Samhain is of the creation. In the
Wicca the inexpressible mystery of the deity is symbolized in the
form of the God and Goddess. Thus at Samhain we celebrate their
love as the root of all creation. Samhain is the time of creation:
the moment when life is conceived in the womb of the Great Mother.
As we proceed to the next of the festivals - Yule - it should
not be surprising to find that following the moment of conception
we should seek to understand the moment of birth. The conception,
the moment of creation deep within the mystery, took place at
Samhain. The seed planted at this time gestates in the womb of the
Goddess until the child of the gods - in essence, the whole of
creation - emerges from the womb of the Great Mother. This is
celebrated at Yule, which is symbolized by the birth of the Sun.
In pre-Christian times, this time was called "Giuli," and followed
"Modra Necht" - the Night of the Mothers.
Yule is celebrated at the time of the Midwinter Solstice.
This is the time of the longest night, and of the shortest day.
The Sun is seen to be symbolically born anew, as the Great Mother
gives birth at the time of the darkest night. The Sun is a vitally
important symbol to us, for it has been long known that all life on
Earth is dependant upon the Sun. The Wheel of the Year itself is
based upon the solar cycle, and the Sun is seen as symbolic of the
life force which we worship as the God and the Goddess. The Sun is
the dominant force in all our lives. Without its light and heat,
life as we understand it is impossible. The passage of the Sun
through the heavens regulates the passage of the seasons we
experience upon the Earth, and is therefore the foundation of the
Wiccan Wheel of the Year.
1676
At the Midwinter Solstice we celebrate the rebirth of the Sun.
Many Wiccan covens follow the old pagan tradition of enacting this
as the Goddess giving birth to the Child of Promise. It was at the
Midwinter Solstice in the northern hemisphere that the birth of
Mithras was celebrated. For the same reason it was decided in 273
A.D. to appoint this date to celebrate the birth of Christ; the
"son" of God.
In the world of nature, Yule signifies the moment of the
rebirth of the Sun. In our own lives we can take it to represent
the moment of physical birth. Thus in our ritual cycle, we enact
the rebirth of the Sun by the lighting of candles, and especially
the lighting of a flame within the cauldron to represent the
emergence of new life from the darkness of the womb of the Goddess.
We ritually invoke the Great Mother and All-Father, and we
symbolically enact the Goddess giving birth to the new year. In
human terms the child represents all the potential for life, as yet
unaware that all the mysteries of the universe lies hidden deep
within. Like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the child is born
in innocence, created in the image of the gods.
We have taken the second step upon our journey. From now on
the days continue to lengthen as the Sun climbs toward its height
at the Summer Solstice. In response to the greater heat of the
Sun, the land begins to awaken as we start the journey from winter
towards spring. The next festival is Candlemas. As we might guess
from the name (given to it by the Christians), it is a festival of
lights which celebrates the growth of the Sun. By Candlemas, the
days are appreciably longer. Our understanding of this festival
has been guided by ancient pagan tradition and our own inspiration.
We see this as a time of purification and most especially a time of
initiation into the female mysteries. At Candlemas we observe in
nature the awakening potential for the fullness of summer. In
human terms we represent this by the first female menstruation.
This is the virgin aspect of the Goddess, marking the awakening of
her potential to become the mother.
We celebrate this ritual by arming the young virgin with the
powers of the elements. We celebrate her initiation into the
mysteries of her sex. To reflect this essential female mystery, we
enact the young girl being instructed by her mother and grandmother
into the mysteries of being a woman. Thus we reveal that the
mystery of the virgin is also found within the mother crone as
well.
It is at Candlemas in many parts of Britain that the women of
the house dress a sheaf of oats in woman's clothing, and lay it in
a basket called "Brighid's bed." They also place a small phallic
club in the bed and then call out three times, "Brighid is come,
Brighid is welcome!", and leave candles burning all night beside
the bed. Behind all this we catch glimpses of deeper mysteries
that can only be grasped by passing beyond a mere intellectual
appreciation of the symbolism.
1677
To continue our journey we now come to the Spring Equinox. It
might seem that celebrating Candlemas as a female mystery is rather
unbalanced in a religion which is based upon polarity of male and
female; but no; for reasons of tradition, and because woman reach
puberty before men, it is not until the Spring Equinox that the
initiatory male rite is enacted. In this we arm the young god with
the knowledge of his own creative power; he is initiated into the
mysteries of sex, just as the young girl was armed with the powers
of her potential. This ritual expresses the mystery that he
contains within his young life; the potential to become a father
and wise old man.
This continues to reflect the turning tide of the seasons. We
are now in the spring. New life is awakening on all sides. The
sap is rising in the trees, and both the young man and young girl
have awakened to the mysteries of their sexuality. The Spring
Equinox is a vital moment in the passage of the solar cycle. Day
and night now stand equal, and from this point onwards the light
will dominate the darkness. The long dark nights of winter have at
last been overthrown.
Between the Spring Equinox and Beltane the young man and woman
pursue one another, each becoming more aware of the other sex.
Thus the man understands that there is more to the mystery of life
than pure masculinity, and the woman sees that there is more to
life than her femininity. Having found this vision, they express
it in their desire to be joined as one.
We arrive now at Beltane. This is the time of the sacred
marriage when the young man and woman are joined together as
husband and wife. With their wish to be married, they have
glimpsed that the mysteries of love may lead to a deeper union
still - in essence, to a union with the gods. By going beyond
their sense of individual self to embrace one another, they have
taken a profound step toward the God and Goddess. They have
discovered that deep within themselves they are both male and
female, and the experience of this brings a new sense of joy and
wholeness.
Beltane is a time of joy and celebration; the dark of winter
is forgotten, and summer is coming. It is a time of fertility and
fire. We dance the ancient mystery of the Maypole, celebrating our
understanding our understanding of the mystery of the love of a man
for a woman. The pole is crowned with a garland of flowers to
symbolize their joining; the ribbons are red and white, reminding
us of blood and sperm. The dance is the sexual fire, as we dance
about the pole winding the ribbons in the pattern of the spiral,
which reveals the mystery of the serpent; that ancient awakener who
slumbers until warmed by the rising Sun.
This is the time of the sacred marriage. It is a moment when
human consciousness has grasped the powers of nature, joined with
those powers and shared in the mystery of life. The land and our
lives are married as one. For those that are able to see it, there
is a vision of the creation of all life by the God and the Goddess.
For the mystery is now revealed for all to see - the woman
conceives of her husband. She is pregnant and will bear a child.
1678
Through their union they discover their deeper selves, which
we symbolize as the King and Queen of the land. The man and woman
now take up their new roles, and rule the kingdom of their new
found lives. At Candlemas and the Spring Equinox a man and a woman
were instructed in the powers of nature. Now at Beltane that
knowledge is transformed into understanding. For in joining
together they have understood that their lives and the land are
one.
The land continues to bring forth life in an ever greater
profusion. The woman who is now the Queen begins to show the first
signs of the Beltane seed planted in her womb by her husband, the
King. She is pregnant; the mirror image of the maturing crops.
Now we come to Midsummer, the height of the solar Wheel. This
is the time of the longest day and shortest night, and a time of
maturity, both in the agricultural cycle and the lives of the man
and woman. They rule now as King and Queen; just as the Sun is at
its height, so too they are at the height of their creative powers.
The woman's mature power is reflected in her approaching mother-
hood. The man's power is reflected in his kingship, and in his
mastery of nature and rule of the kingdom. Together the King and
Queen preside over the kingdom of their lives, celebrating the
vision of creative light.
But the light does not continue to rise. The vision of light
must once more give way to a growing darkness. As things grow, so
too they must wither and die. From Midsummer, the Sun must fall,
until reborn once more at the Winter Solstice. Thus Midsummer is
a celebration of the King and Queen's power, but must also reflect
the returning current of darkness. We symbolize this by the
appearance of a challenger who confronts the couple. Until now the
King and Queen have ruled supreme; they have imposed their will
upon the kingdom without challenge, but now a single dark figure
must appear. This is the beginning of the ancient pagan theme of
the battle between the brothers; the light and dark kings now begin
their conflict.
The challenger seeks to abduct the Queen; the child she bears
represents the kingdom. The King must now defend the land. They
fight, light against dark, but as yet the sun is still supreme, and
the King drives the challenger back. But, the challenger is armed
with the power of fate; we know that the Sun must fall. With a
single stroke the challenger wounds the King, laying open his
thigh; but still the light is the greater power, and the King
defeats the challenger. The light still rules supreme, but a
shadow has fallen over the kingdom.
Thus Midsummer comes to a close. The King and Queen remain at
the height of their power, yet a new force - darkness - is
awakening in the world. As the seasons continue to turn, the gods
begin to reveal a further mystery: not only are they light, they
are also dark as well. Thus the King and Queen have awakened to a
deeper mystery; they have seen that not only are they male and
female, but they are also light and dark as well.
1679
As we look at the natural world, we see that the Sun is now
waning. The days grow shorter, and we sense profound changes in
the world around us. After Midsummer, the next festival we come to
is Lammas. The crops have matured, and in the way of nature, aged
and turned to seed. The days are still longer than the nights; the
light still rules in the land, but the powers of darkness are now
visibly growing. Summer is coming to an end and we are approaching
autumn. To symbolize the theme of the waning light and growing
power of darkness, we celebrate Lammas as a Harvest Festival. In
cutting the corn (wheat), we celebrate the end of the vision of
light. We cut the corn with joy; as we have sown, so now we reap,
but in cutting the corn we signal the end of the cycle of growth.
As we gather in the harvest we watch as the power of the Sun
wanes. The cutting of the corn is an ancient symbol of death and
transformation, and reflects the seasonal changes at work in the
land around us. As we look to the King and Queen, who were married
to the land at Beltane, we see in their lives a reflection of these
themes. Just as the harvest is reaped, so the Queen now births her
child.
The mystery of Lammas is that by fulfilling the vision of
light in bringing to fruition the seed sown in the spring, we must
face the vision of death. For the King bears the wound he received
at Midsummer, it is a wasting wound and will not heal. He slowly
weakens, his creative power spent. He is still King, but his
powers are waning, a reflection of the falling light. But Lammas
is also a time of hope, for in the cutting of the corn the seed is
gathered in, which is the hope for life to come. As the King looks
to his first born son he looks to the heir of the kingdom. We
celebrate Lammas as a time of fulfillment; it is a time of joy,
when we reap all we have sown.
Both King and Queen have been transformed. The King had to
accept the glimpse of the vision of death in his killing of the
challenger and taking of a mortal wound; so now the Queen dies to
herself, for in giving birth she has given the child a part of her
life, passing her power to her son. As the Wheel of the Seasons
turns, it reveals that the gods embrace both life and death. Just
as the man and woman were born, so too they must die. Lammas
brings the vision of mortality, but reveals the hope of the
immortal spirit hidden in the new cut grain, made manifest in the
new born child, who symbolizes the awakening darkness; he is the
power of the waning Sun. He emerges from the womb as the growing
darkness appears in the natural world.
We must now move on. Time will stand still for no-one. The
wheel must turn, and we must turn with it. This is our fate, as
our lives reflect the turning cycle of the seasons. We must now
make our way to the Autumn Equinox, where once again the powers of
light and darkness stand as equals - but now it is the darkness
that is in the ascendant.
It is the nature of human beings to resist the darkness.
Humanity fears death above all things. It is the root of all our
fears; death is the final initiation. Only through an acceptance
and understanding of death can we hope to understand the goods.
Only in accepting death can we truly accept life. Life and death
are two sides of the same coin; we cannot have one without the
other.
1680
By the time we reach the Autumn Equinox, it becomes harder to
describe the mysteries that we celebrate. The mystery that can be
taught or explained is not, after all, a mystery. At the Autumn
Equinox we must face life's greatest mystery: death. This is the
hardest trial of all. In the ancient mystery schools, and in
shamanic practices, the most important of initiations was - and is
- the near death experience.
The child born at Lammas is now a young man. He is the
reflection of the growing powers of darkness. The old King of
Light bears his mortal wound and is now advancing in years, his
powers waning as the days grow shorter, and the Sun falls lower and
lower in the sky. The Queen also is no longer young; the flower of
her youth is past. The King and Queen are aging with the land, for
they and the land are one.
But as is natural in human affairs we none of us want to admit
the darkness. We fight against the coming of the night. So the
King and Queen each in their own way try to hold onto the kingdom
they have been at such pains to build. The King's powers are
waning; his son is in the first flush of youth and vigor, and has
been initiated into the mysteries of his power. The King grows
weak, and must rely upon his son to defend the kingdom. But, the
King now fears his son as a potential challenge to the throne. The
Queen likewise does not want to relinquish her power. She sees
that her husband grows weak and infirm, and is no match for a
challenger. To maintain her position in the kingdom she relies on
the power of her son.
Finally, in the dead of the night, the old pagan tale replays
itself. The battle begun at the Midsummer Solstice between the
light and darkness must now be resumed; the King and his son fight
as the Equinox comes upon us. Sword against spear the battle
rages; the experience of the King against the naked strength of his
son's youth. The Queen watches as they fight, torn by hope and
fear. But as they fight, there is a great mystery at work. Both
the King and Queen now face their fear of death, and as they look
death in the eye there is a moment of understanding. The King, the
Queen, and the land are one. Thus they are both the light and
darkness. In the moment of vision the King looks upon his son, and
at last realizes that he is only fighting himself, for all things
are one. The King and his son understand the mystery, and they
join in love as one. They give up the conflict of light and dark
to pass beyond this world, and they become the Lord of the
Otherworld. The Queen too has seen both life and death, and knows
that they are one. With this realization she becomes the crone,
and understands the ancient mystery. The Equinox marks her last
menstrual cycle; she can no longer bear children.
So now we must take our last step upon the Wheel; we come at
last to Samhain, from where it all began. As we saw at the
beginning this is the Wiccan New Year. The Queen has become the
crone - the hag, the Witch. She lives alone, for the King is now
dead. The Sun is waning toward the Solstice; winter is upon us,
and the night is now longer than the day.
1681
If we look to the land, the cycle of growth has come to an
end. The kingdom of the old year has symbolically passed away,
transformed by the turning of the seasons. The Queen is now a
Witch; the ancient hag crone who knows the mysteries of life and
death. In making her journey she has discovered the ancient power
which lies behind the Wheel of the Year. She has seen the spring,
the summer, autumn and winter, and she knows that an ancient
mystery lies hidden within it all.
Standing alone, for she is feared by those who have yet to
walk the Wheel, she kindles the ancient Samhain fire. As she
raises her arms in invocation to the Lord of the Otherworld, a
great storm gathers. The veil is opened between the worlds. The
storm breaks, and the Wild Hunt is upon us as the spirits of the
dead are led from the Otherworld by the ancient Horned God; the
Ancient Lord of the Samhain fire. To complete the final turn of
the Wheel, the Crone must now join with his mystery, and go with
him back into the Otherworld. She and the Horned Lord travel
together back into the depths of the mystery. There they join in
love as one; the supreme moment of the true Great Rite in which all
the mysteries of the male and female, all the mysteries of the
light and dark are married together as one as the seed is planted
deep within the womb of the Great Mother.
For now in the natural cycle the seeds of nature fall to the
ground, the seed of life to come. The seed harvested at Lammas is
now planted in the earth, fulfilling the mystery of the return.
For a while the land sleeps, and lies fallow. The darkness seems
to complete, but of course we know that we will eventually return
to the Winter Solstice, and the cycle will continue.
Let us now approach the Wiccan Wheel of the Year as it is
meant to be: as a mystery. Forget the intellect, and allow your
intuition and emotions to be your guide. What follows is a guided
visualization, which you can read onto a tape, or have one person
read aloud, as you follow the journey it describes. Allow the
images to form naturally in your imagination, and you will find
yourself making a magical journey through the mysteries of the
gods.
For those who are not used to following a guided visualiza-
tion, there are a few simple rules to observe. Before starting any
meditation work (which includes the kind of altered state that
guided visualization encourages), seat yourself comfortably in a
quiet room, free from distractions. Take the phone off the hook,
and tell anyone who lives with you not to disturb you. You can of
course do this out of doors, but if you do, make sure you are well
off the beaten track, with no danger of bush walkers stumbling over
you, or any other kinds of disturbance. Have a pen and pad handy,
and if it helps you to relax and focus, use some incense.
1682
{file "Wheel Visualization (Julia Phillips and Rufus Harrington)" "bos326.htm"}
The Wheel of The Year, A Guided Visualization:
Julia Phillips & Rufus Harrington
Make sure you are seated comfortably, and spend a few moments
quietly, allowing your mind and body to relax. Now, close your
eyes, and allow these images to build in your imagination:
It is dark, and a chill wind is blowing. You are standing
within a mighty forest, and can feel the ground hard and cold
beneath your feet. You look up, and see the stars, but there is no
Moon. Patiently, you wait. You hear a sound behind you, and turn
and look over your shoulder. You realize that you are standing
upon the edge of a clearing; at its center burns a fire, with an
old man seated before it. He is wearing tattered animal skins, and
has long ragged hair which blows about in the wind. On the far
side of the clearing you see the mouth of a cave, and standing
before it is the mighty figure of the Horned God.
You turn back and look through the trees, looking towards the
eastern horizon. For tonight is the longest night: the dark time
before the Sun is reborn at the Winter Solstice, and you wait
patiently for the first rays of the new born Sun. At last you see
a faint glimmer of light upon the eastern horizon, and as the rays
of the new born Sun rise in the morning sky, you hear the sound of
a new born babe crying. You turn and look back across the clearing
as an old woman walks out of the cave carrying a new born child in
her arms. The Horned God reaches forwards and caresses the child's
cheek, and then the old woman takes the child, and sits by the side
of the old man at the camp fire.
As the Sun continues to rise in the sky, you know that you
have witnessed a very great mystery - the mystery of birth - the
birth of the Sun, and of the Son. You leave the clearing, and walk
back through the forest to your own cottage, where you warm
yourself at the fire, for you are chilled through after your long
vigil throughout the darkest night.
Days pass, and although the ground is still hard and cold, and
the nights long and dark, you are aware of a change in the season,
and know that winter is drawing to its close. One night as you are
about to go to bed, you hear a tinkling of bells from deep within
the forest, and are strangely drawn towards their sound. As you
make your way through the night, a waxing Moon lights your path,
and at last you find yourself once more in the clearing. You look
towards the cave, and see that a great red veil hangs across the
mouth, and that the old Crone, and another woman stand before it.
The other woman is younger than the Crone, but obviously not a
youth, and you instinctively realize that this is the Crone's own
daughter.
As you stand and watch you realize that the bells are being
shaken by the Crone, and that she and her daughter are softly
singing an ancient song: a song which calls to the Virgin to
awaken, and to come forth as the herald of winter's end, and
spring's beginning. The two women reach up, and with a single
movement, rend the veil, tearing it away, revealing the Virgin
standing poised upon the threshold. She is purity and innocence:
a young figure - blindfolded, dressed in white, and carrying in her
hands a posy of bright yellow flowers, symbolic of the growing
powers of the Sun.
1683
The Mother and Crone reach forward, and linking their hands
behind the Virgin, they pull her out of the cave. They lead her
towards the fire, and then the Mother speaks quietly to her. You
see the Virgin nod. The Crone then seems to ask her a question,
and although you cannot hear the answer, it seems she has spoken
truly, for the Crone nods, and reaches up to remove the blindfold.
The Virgin blinks her eyes, and stretches. She begins to dance
slowly around the fire at the center of the clearing, full of the
joy of her awakening, and in the knowledge of her power and
potential as a woman.
Self-contained, she dances the dance of life; of blood and
waters flowing freely, no long frozen and still. You turn and
leave the clearing, taking one last look at the Virgin dancing
joyfully around the fire. As you walk back through the forest, you
feel an answering power moving through the land, and you are aware
that the Earth is beginning to come alive beneath your feet, and on
the trees you see the yellow blooms which are the promise of
spring, and the end of winter.
Day by day the Sun now grows visibly stronger: the land has
awakened from its sleep with the fire dance of the Virgin, and now
the Sun itself approaches the magical time of the Equinox: the
time when day and night are equal, but when light is in the
ascendant. The day of the Equinox dawns bright and clear. The
wind is fresh, and all around you are signs of spring. From deep
within the forest you hear the sound of a horn, and deep within
your innermost self you are aware of a stirring response to its
call. You make your way quickly through the forest; as you
approach the clearing, you realize that you are not alone, for all
the creatures of the forest are gathered upon the edge of the
clearing. They too have answered the summons of the horn.
At the center of the clearing stands a naked young man, his
skin shining with reflected sunlight. He is blindfold: before him
stands the old man, and behind him, the mighty figure of the Horned
God. It was he who blew the horn. The old man dances around the
youth - slowly, a shambling kind of dance - shaking a rattle and
chanting softly. He stops. The Horned God whispers to the youth,
who nods his head in reply. The old man then asks the youth a
question, and after listening to the reply, nods, and reaches up
and removes the blindfold. The youth blinks, and stretches. The
Horned God hands him the horn. He puts this to his lips, and a
single blast echoes through the forest. With a laugh the youth
leaps away into the forest, followed by all the birds and animals,
for he is Lord of the Forest. You feel a stirring in your own
blood, and before you realize what has happened, you find yourself
chasing the figure of the youth on his mad dash through the forest.
It is a wild and carefree dance, and you feel the answering echo
from the trees, and from the Earth, as they are warmed by the
growing Sun. The Land and the Youth both awaken to their fertile
potential.
1684
As you run through the trees, out of the corner of your eye
you see a flicker of white; you turn, and there hidden in the trees
you see the Virgin, watching and waiting. She is looking curiously
at the Lord of the Forest, intrigued by his strength and drawn by
his beauty. He sees her watching, but on this day, he is too full
with the joy of being in control of his own creative power to cease
his headlong chase through the forest. Gradually you tire, and at
last you find yourself walking back through the forest to your own
cottage, where you find rest.
All through the growing spring the Virgin and the Young Lord
watch each other through the forest. Each aware of the other, but
both self-fulfilled with their own potential and power. But the
Sun keeps getting stronger, and at last we come to that moment
where the Young Lord and the Virgin realize that they have a
greater destiny to fulfil, and driven by their natural desires, and
the signs of the burgeoning world all around them, they seek each
other out, and in celebration of the great mystery of the Land
Marriage, they join as one.
It is the height of spring, and the signs of fertility are all
around. As you make your own way towards the clearing, you feel
the warm Sun upon your face, and feel the life in the Earth beneath
your feet. In the center of the clearing stands a great tree
trunk, crowned with a garland of spring flowers, with many red and
white ribbons fluttering in the breeze. From far and wide people
have travelled to the clearing, for today is the day of celebrating
the growing Sun, and the fertile Earth. Men and women take hold of
the ribbons, and enact their own celebration of Life as they dance
the pattern of the sacred spiral of creation around the tree. You
hold your ribbon firmly, and watch the spiral form as you dance the
ancient steps that have been danced since first Man and Woman were
joined as one.
You hear cheering and shouts of laughter, and there, walking
through the crowd hand in hand come the Young Lord and his wife -
Virgin no longer. Together they have celebrated the sacred mystery
in accordance with the Old Laws: for they have joined in love, and
so have become the King and Queen of the Land.
And the weeks pass, and the Sun grows ever stronger in the
sky, and the King grows in strength and majesty. The Queen begins
to show signs of her pregnancy, the mirror of the crops and fruits
that the Land begins to produce, for the Queen represents the Land,
and is at one with it.
At last the day arrives when the Sun reaches its most powerful
time: the Midsummer Solstice. The King and Queen are at their
peak too, reflected in the majesty of the King, and the growing
life in the womb of the Queen. To mark this day, the King and
Queen host a great celebration in the forest clearing: a feast to
mark the Solstice day, and their own creative powers which have
brought many good things to the Land. All day the feast and games
continue, with the King and Queen bestowing their blessings upon
everyone.
1685
At long last the Sun begins to sink slowly towards the west;
as it falls you hear a disturbance upon the edge of the clearing.
You see people running, and hear their screams. And then into the
clearing stalks a dark figure, his black cloak swirling around him,
wearing a helmet which obscures his face from view - shadow of
darkness in the forest. He strides towards the King, and in a loud
clear voice, challenges him for the right to rule the kingdom, and
for the Queen as his consort.
The King must protect what he has striven so hard to create,
and must protect his wife and unborn child. He accepts the
challenge, and a great battle ensues as the Sun slowly sinks in the
west. The challenger lays the King's thigh open with a sweep of
his sword, but is unbalanced, and despite his wound, the King
manages to throw the challenger to the ground and disarm him. The
challenger begs for mercy, but the King fears this dark and
threatening figure, and so ignoring his cries for mercy, he plunges
his sword deep into the challenger's heart. And so in order to
protect, the King destroys, and a shadow of darkness is cast upon
the Land. The challenger's blood soaks into the Earth, and the Sun
finally sinks beyond the western horizon.
You make your way back to your cottage, as the King is carried
away to have his wound attended to. The next day the Sun rises as
before, and seems as strong as it ever was, but you have seen and
felt the shadow of the dark, and now sense a change in the Land.
Instead of growing, things are ripening; the heat of the summer Sun
brings the crops and fruit to ripeness, but the growth is now over.
And just as the Land gives forth its fruits, so now does the Queen
give birth to her son. The wheat is harvested; the barley made
into ale; and a great feast is held to give thanks for all the good
things of the Earth, and for the safe birth of the King and Queen's
son.
But in giving birth, the Queen is no longer simply a wife; she
becomes the Mother. She knows that her son is the hope for the
Land, for the King's wound, taken at the Midsummer battle, is a
wasting wound, and will not heal. He grows weaker by the day, a
reflection of the waning powers of the Sun. The Queen knows this,
and as her son grows, she trains him in the ways of sovereignty.
The King sees only that his son grows stronger, as he grows weaker.
He watches the Sun wane day by day as summer slips towards the time
of the Equinox, when once again day and night are equal; but this
time, the dark is in the ascendant.
At last the night of the Equinox arrives. The King feels
drawn towards the clearing in the forest, and under a waning Moon,
he makes his way along the track. He remembers his initiation at
the Spring Equinox; his love for the Virgin, and their joyful
celebration of the Land Marriage at Beltane; he remembers how proud
he was of his creative powers at the Midsummer Solstice, and with
a pang of sadness, he remembers how he had to face the dark
challenger who threatened his Kingdom and his Queen. And finally,
he remembers the birth of his son - a joy now turned to sorrow, as
the King finds himself once more in the clearing, where waiting at
the center is his son, armed with a spear.
1686
Out of the corner of his eye, the King sees a movement in the
shadows, and remembers how he first saw his beloved wife, when she
was newly awakened, a young Virgin, and he was the Lord of the
Forest. Now his wife hides in the shadows - she wears a black
cloak, and covers her face with its hood. The King and his son
face each other, and then without a word being spoken, the King
draws his sword and they begin to fight. Sword against spear, a
mighty battle rages in the clearing. The powers of light and dark
are equal, but the powers of darkness are now in the ascendant, and
as the night grows on, the King begins to tire. The wasting wound
he suffered at the Summer Solstice has never healed, and his powers
- like those of the Sun - are waning.
There is a brief pause in the fight: the King and his son
look deep into each others eyes. There flashes between them
recognition of the mystery that light and dark are equal: that
they are not fighting each other, but that each is fighting
himself. For the light and the dark are one and the same, as are
the King and his son, and with this realization, the King joyfully
lifts his guard, and is impaled upon the spear as he drives his
sword deep into his son's heart. Together they fall dead to the
ground, and their blood pours out upon the Earth.
At the edge of the clearing the Queen watches, and as she sees
her husband/son die, she sends a great wail echoing through the
forest. There, standing in the cave mouth is the Lord of Death and
Resurrection, but she cannot see him. For her husband/son/lover
has now become the Lord of the Otherworld, and she is still of this
world. The waning Moon watches as she tears her hair, and as one
possessed, runs through the forest in an agony of grief. For she
too saw the mystery, and now she understands that the light and
dark are but the same. She knows that her husband/lover/son has
passed beyond the veil, and that her creative time is passed. For
the Queen is now a Witch: the ancient Hag Crone who knows the
mysteries of life and death and has walked the path of initiation.
In making her journey she has truly found the gods, and knows that
behind the wheel of the seasons there is an ancient power. By
walking the wheel she has joined with the mystery. She has been a
Virgin, a Wife, the Queen, the Mother and the Crone. She has
walked the way of the seasons. She has seen the spring, the
summer, autumn and winter, and she understands that an ancient
truth lies hidden within it all.
At last the time of the dark Moon arrives, when the Sun's
powers are low, and the veil between the worlds is thin. Standing
alone in the forest she makes her way to the clearing. She stands
alone for she is feared by those who have yet to walk the wheel.
For now she must perform the supreme act of magic. She kindles the
ancient Samhain fire, with woods of all the sacred trees. One for
each season, one for each way, one for the night and one for the
day, one for her lover and one for her son, one for the serpent and
one for her song.
1687
As she raises her arms in invocation a great storm gathers.
With a final act of understanding she opens the veil between
herself and the gods. She opens the veil of the Otherworld and
calls back the spirits of the dead. For she knows now to fulfil
the mystery she must join with the Lord of the Otherworld; they
must love and join as one. The storm breaks: lightning and
thunder tear and crack at the ancient night as the trees creak and
bend in the wind. For the wild hunt is now upon us as the spirits
of the dead are led from the Otherworld by the Horned God. Chaos
now reigns in the world for the Mystery is upon us.
But to join with this mystery the Crone must embrace the Lord
of Flame, the Lord of Death and Resurrection, and go with him back
into the Otherworld. To join with him she must become the Goddess.
So of her own free will, she dies the death of true initiation and
enters into the cave, and passes with the Horned Lord back into the
depths of the Otherworld. There they join in love as one: the
supreme moment of the true Great Rite in which all the mysteries of
the male and female; all the mysteries of the light and dark are
married together as one. For love has always been the key. It is
love that conquers our fear and shows the way to union. For true
love is true death, as the individual sense of self is transcended
by a vision of the One. As the gods fulfil the mystery of love,
the seed of new life is planted deep within the womb of the Great
Mother.
And the land sleeps, for the dark time is upon us once again,
and the God and Goddess lay in each others arms, deep within the
Land, hidden from sight. The Sun quickly wanes day by day, the
nights growing longer, the days shorter. Winter grips the land as
a cold wind blows through the forest. The darkness seems complete,
but those of the Wicca are wise and weep not for they know that the
Sun will be reborn through the love of the God and Goddess. Life
will not fail - the Sun will return again. And at last the night
of the Midwinter Solstice arrives: the longest night of the year,
but we know now it is only the darkness that comes before the dawn.
As you stand upon the edge of the forest, you see the first
signs of the new born Sun rising upon the eastern horizon, and hear
the sound of a new born babe. But this time, you walk away from
the clearing towards the rising Sun, and as you leave the forest,
you turn and see that it is no more than a shadow behind you.
Before you is a world which you know well; it is the world in which
you live, and now it is time to return. The Otherworld is real,
and you may return at any time, for the mysteries of the gods are
there for all to understand, if you have but eyes to see. You
continue to walk into the everyday world, and become aware of the
sounds around you, and of the place in which you sit. Spend a few
moments quietly re-attuning yourself to your normal state, and then
open your eyes and stretch. (End of Guided Visualization)
If you want to make any notes do, but please remember that the
Wheel of the Year is an emotional experience, not an academic
exercise!
And finally, always have something to eat and drink after any
activity which uses an altered state of consciousness. This is the
most effective and efficient way to "ground," and is vital if
participants are travelling home after the working.
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{file "Coven at Pooh Corner (D. Wadsworth)" "bos327.htm"}
The Coven at Pooh Corner
(This article was first given as a talk at The Wiccan Workshop
Number 6, held at Coombe, North Cornwall, in May 1989, and was publis-
hed in Web of Wyrd #7, January 1993)
This talk is designed to illustrate that spiritual significance is
present in everything around us (see "Wicca and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance: Children of Sekhmet, May 1988). On this occasion I shall
be using for my inspiration the stories of that world famous writer A
A Milne, to whit, Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner. These
are of course coded allegories of the spiritual development of a
certain bear.
Firstly I would like to introduce the characters because there may be
someone here not enlightened enough to have read these great works, in
a similar sort of way as a Christian may not have read his Bible.
Our Hero. W T Pooh.
Pooh, as he is known to his more intimate acquaintances, is a modest
chap not known for his intellectual ability, and has been called "a
bear of very little brain". He is given to composing hums well aware
that being a bear his singing voice is not what it might be. I would
think he is probably a Taurean and all in all a well rounded pers-
onality; possibly because it is always time for a little something.
Piglet
Piglet is a small timid little person, a very young spirit, and Pooh's
best friend. He is a chattery soul who tends to dwell on his fears of
heffelumps and woozles. It is generally thought he may be a Gemini and
would be an extrovert if he could find more confidence. He has a
peculiar aversion to being clean.
Wol
Wol has delusions of being the wise old owl based mainly on the fact
that he can spell his name, which is OWL. He lives in the grandest
house in the woods, the old oak tree. It is quite obvious to everyone
that he is in fact Libran because he comes out with statements of fact
which are more often than not wrong. All the other animals turn to him
for advice, which he gives freely although no-one understands a word
of it.
Eeyor
Eeyor is a very interesting character. He is a very, very old spirit
who in this incarnation has come back as a donkey. Nothing much seems
to bother him and he lives all alone in a boggy field. He is generally
perceived to be miserable. This is wrong. He is quite happy in his own
little world and is thought to be a Piscean with a Capricorn ascen-
dant. He is in fact the most intellectual of them all because he can
make the letter A out of three twigs. Also he has a brain whilst all
the rest have grey fluff which has blown in by mistake.
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Kanger
Kanger is a newcomer to the forest and something of a matriarch being
very protective of her offspring, Roo. She is of course Cancerian,
like my wife, and will mother everybody whether they like it or not.
Tigger
Tigger is the archetypal extrovert and obviously an Aries. Overwhelm-
ingly friendly and bouncy. Piglet is terrified of him because he jumps
out at you and says "WorraWorraWorra" in what he thinks is a friendly
tone... He has no idea that he can't do something until after he has
done it. He shows no trace of forethought and eventually is adopted by
Kanger.
Christopher Robin
A small boy who will be fully explained at the end.
The Parables of Pooh
1 Down the Rabbit Hole
In this story, Pooh after breakfast of honey followed by honey,
decides to go visiting. First he visits Piglet, and is just in time
for a little something, ie a little honey. Eventually they go to
Rabbit's place. Rabbit, who has hundreds and thousands of relations,
naturally lives in a rabbit hole, where Pooh and Piglet are just in
time for a little something. Pooh however eats too much and being a
stoutish bear anyway, finds that when he leaves he gets stuck in the
rabbit hole, with his feet dangling in Rabbit's living room and his
head out in the air. Everyone comes to his aid, but no amount of
pulling or pushing will shift him. Christopher Robin is summoned and
decides that Pooh will have to stay there without honey until think
enough to leave. Rabbit is obviously not well pleased about having a
bear wedged in his front door. However he is compensated when he
discovers that Pooh's legs make excellent towel rails.
Moral: From this escapade we can see that Pooh is not very spiritually
developed. He is far too keen on the physical desires of the body and
through this forced period of fasting and the altruistic use of his
lower limbs, he learns that it is alright to be portly so long as you
don't block someone's portal. In other words, you are at liberty to
follow your own way so long as you do not block another's. This is the
experience of the tarot card of The Devil. Deluded about the relative
sizes of the door and his tummy, he cannot pass through until he has
cast off the chains of his baser desires for honey. Most covens have a
Pooh at this stage of development. This is the witch who overindulges
in the communal wine during the rite, becomes comatose before the
altar, and neither heaven, earth, or High Priestess's boot, can shift.
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2 In which Pooh and Piglet go hunting heffalumps
One snowy day, Piglet finds Pooh staring at some footprints. Pooh
thinks this may be a heffalump or maybe a woozle, and exhorts Piglet
to come and follow it. Piglet is not keen. He agrees as long as Pooh
is with him. Sometime later they notice that the footprints have been
joined by another set, two heffalumps, or, as it may be, woozles! Pooh
composes a hum to keep their spirits up, "How cold my nose, tiddly
pom....". A little while later there are four sets of footprints.
Piglet is getting frightened. They sit down for a think and eventually
realise they are walking around a wood following their own footprints.
So off they go for a little something.
Moral: Here we see Pooh's total lack of brilliance. He gets there in
the end with a bit of help. On the other hand there is the immense
faith he inspires in others. People feel safe with Pooh. He knows the
value of a kind word and a cheery song. This also illustrates the
danger of overwhelming others with your enthusiasm for a path, which
may not be the path they would choose. This is why in Wicca we are not
evangelical. Each must find his or her own heffalump or woozle.
In Which Pooh Builds Eeyore a House
One rainy day Pooh sets out to find Piglet. After many hours of
careful thought he has realised that everyone has a house except
Eeyore, but he has a plan. On one side of the wood he has discovered a
pile of sticks, so with Piglet's help they take the sticks around to
the other side of the wood and build Eeyore a fine Des. Res. After
some moments of contemplation of their labours, they set off to find
Eeyore. They come across Eeyore in the approximate location of the
pile of sticks looking puzzled. So they take him off to show him his
new house. Eeyore is muttering but Pooh and Piglet take no notice
whatsoever. They arrive at Eeyore's house and Pooh and Piglet say
proudly, "There!". Eeyore looks pleased, but even more puzzled. It
transpires that Eeyore built a house out of a pile of sticks on the
other side of the wood. He puts down the change of location and
certain architectural improvements to the high wind of the night
before. Pooh and Piglet say nothing to Eeyore, and then Pooh says that
he thinks it's "Time for a little something."
Moral: From this we can see that although still not devastatingly
intelligent, Pooh has managed to perceive someone else's problem, and
has made some attempt to solve it for them. It may however have been
better if he had consulted Eeyore who had already gone about solving
his problem for himself. Thus we see that we should not impose our
particular perception of the universe on others. Fortunately Eeyore is
of such greatness of spirit that he lets this event pass, and Pooh has
developed sufficient maturity to let discretion be the better part of
valour. As Eeyore was muttering perhaps we should also learn to listen
to others.
1691
The Great Flood
Pooh looks out one morning and sees that it is STILL raining. Chris-
topher Robin has been getting concerned about the rising waters,
measuring their progress with sticks. Each morning yesterday's stick
has disappeared. He goes around and warns everyone to go to high
ground. Pooh laboriously takes his stock of honey and balances all his
jars on a high branch of a tree, where he takes refuge. When all his
stock is exhausted he ponders for a while, then makes a not very
successful boat out of a honey jar. The boat and Pooh have some
disagreement as to whom should be on top. He eventually paddles this
Craft over to Christopher Robin's house where they take to Christopher
Robin's upturned umbrella. They then ensure that all the other animals
are safe.
Moral: This story illustrates Pooh's growing concern for the environ-
ment and his fellow creatures. In this particular crisis, Pooh does
not go off half cock making rash decisions, but seeks the help of the
most developed spirit in the forest. Pooh exhibits great fortitude
and determination in his quest for this higher spirit. Also he is
showing better use of his baser desires, ie for honey. There are
obvious parallels with numerous other flood myths although in this
Wiccan version, having had our fill of our favourite tipple, the Ark
mark 1A has some design faults. This is why in the world of today
there aren't quite so many unicorns and other mythical beasts. They
lost the argument with their honey pots.
What Tiggers Eat
Pooh, strolling through the woods, hears this peculiar noise:
"WorraWorraWorra". He picks himself up, looks around and espies this
strange creature. The creature bounces up and down and says, "Hello,
I'm Tigger". Pooh, being a generous soul, asks him back for a little
something. He asks Tigger what he would like to eat. Tigger doesn't
know what he eats, so Pooh gives him some honey. Tigger is not imp-
ressed, so off they go to Piglet's house with Tigger bouncing along,
running ahead of Pooh and leaping our at him in a very friendly
fashion. When they arrive, Piglet gives him some acorns. Tigger does
not like Acorns. So off they go to Eeyore's where Tigger tries thist-
les. Tigger definitely does not like thistles. Lastly they try Kanger.
Kanger is very concerned, but doesn't know quite what to suggest.
However, whilst giving malt extract to her baby Roo, Tigger bounces up
and grabs the spoon and says "Mmmmmmm". So we find out what Tiggers
eat.
Moral: This shows Pooh's ready acceptance of all types of people, even
Aries! He goes to great lengths to help this very young spirit to find
spiritual sustenance and someone willing to look after him. Kanger, as
is the case with most Cancerians, does not believe they can solve the
problem but in fact the solution is in their grasp all the time.
Unfortunately, Kanger is now stuck with this waif and stray. Pooh has
climbed a long way from the days when he got stuck in Rabbit's door,
and has learnt the responsibility that goes with new initiates in our
world.
N.B. Please note that in the true Pagan spirit of this tome,
even Tiggers eat vegetarian food.
1692
Pooh and the Honey Tree
On this day we find Pooh staring up into the branches of a tree. His
highly tuned senses have detected honey. Being a portly bear he is
none too good at climbing trees, so he comes up with a plan. Chris-
topher Robin had a party with lots of balloons. So off he goes to
Christopher Robin's house to ask if he might borrow a balloon. He also
asks Christopher Robin to help him. They set off with Pooh's require-
ments. The balloon is painted black to look like a thundercloud, and
blown up. Pooh, grasping the string, floats aloft. Christopher Robin
stays beneath with his umbrella announcing "Tut tut, it looks like
rain." The bees of course are not fooled for an instant. About this
time Pooh discovers the major flaw in his plan. He cannot get down.
After much careful thought, Christopher Robin shoots the balloon with
his pop gun, and Pooh descends very rapidly and lands on a thistle.
Eeyore considers this a waste of a good thistle.
Moral: This is the pinnacle of Pooh's intellectual development. He has
solved his immediate problem, but not really thought out the conse-
quences. In a spiritual sense, he has strived too far without being
properly prepared and is brought back to earth with a bump. Pooh,
having developed so far, has forgotten that if you are to go flying,
astrally or not, then you must not forget your parachute. As Pooh
found with the bees, we must learn not to underestimate life forms we
perceive as being lower than ourselves. Eeyore is another case in
point. Although he is seen as under-developed because he does not say
much, he has obviously seen the outcome from the word go, and is only
upset at the demise of a juicy thistle. Christopher Robin is obviously
an interplanes adept since once again he rescues Pooh after having
clairvoyantly foreseen the outcome.
Conclusion:
To lead up to my great revelation I must conclude the story. On
frequent occasions when Pooh calls on Christopher Robin, he is out,
but has left a note that he will be "BAK SON", and is nowhere to be
seen. Pooh takes these notes to Wol, who is not sure if they refer to
a herbaceous "Bakson" or a spotted "Bakson". One evening, Christopher
Robin arrives at Pooh's house and reveals to Pooh that his time in
this place is nearly over and he must go to school. He and Pooh have a
long chat and Christopher Robin decides that Pooh is ready to accom-
pany him on this great adventure and they walk off hand in hand into
the Sun.
This illustrates the basic fact of life that no matter how comfortable
we are we must be prepared to grow and develop and move on when we
must. Christopher Robin is in fact Pooh's Higher Self and as can be
seen from the stories, unless you use your Higher Self you will not
reach your desired aims, and indeed may go the same way as the uni-
corns and their honey pots. Between Christopher Robin and Pooh they
have achieved sufficient development to leave their current plane and
move on to higher things. Christopher Robin, as can be seen from his
name, Christ/Robin, is a Tipherathic aspect of Pooh; ie the centre
where the lower and higher self come together. When they have united
the way is open and clear for them to move on to the next sphere of
existence.
1693
Thus it should be every witch's ambition to be reincarnated as a bear
of very little brain who lives in the hundred acre wood on a plane at
least one above this one. After all the idiots we see running this
world have to be seen as a damn sight more stupid than even Wol. (PS
Mrs Thatcher is also a Libran!)
copyright to David Wadsworth, who has been a bear of little brain for
many a long year!
The End
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{file "Wicca and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (D. Wadsworth)" "bos328.htm"}
Wicca & The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
by David Wadsworth
(This article first appeared in Children of Sekhmet, May 1988. It was
originally given by Dave as a talk at a Wiccan Workshop organised by
Chris and Vivianne Crowley in 1987)
This talk aims to illustrate the all-pervading nature of Wicca. If a
system of natural laws or beliefs is true, it can be applied to
virtually anything. I intend to try and apply parts of Wiccan beliefs
to my other passion, biking.
There is a peculiar sort of bonding between a real biker and his
machine. The biker will put the well-being of his machine far above
his own. I have seen men cry over a bent bike, or after an accident
tell the driver off for hitting his bike rather than him. I have
personally fought off two ambulence men so that I could hop to my bike
to inspect the damage before being taken to hospital. My theory for
this strange bond is that the motorcycle and rider form a sort of
Gestalt being, a conplete entity, either part of which is incomplete
or useless without the other.
The motorcycle represents the male part of this entity. It provides
all the force and power, but lacks control and direction. It is all
potential, in Wiccan terms, the God force, waiting for the female
aspect, the Goddess, in the form of a horrible grubby motorcycle
rider. The rider takes the force and harnesses it, giving purpose,
form and direction. Controlling the raw male potential, and together,
in harmony, they will be capable of reaching heights impossible to
either on their own.
The motorcycle can be seen as a way through which to tap a source of
cosmic energy. The energy which we in the Wicca use for healing,
spells, divination, as a gateway to alternative universes. Just as a
witch wouldn't attempt to tap this awesome power without protection,
neither would a biker. The biker will put on boots, gloves, helmet and
leathers in a similar sort of way as a member of the Craft would
surround themselves with a protective circle to preserve the power and
keep out undesirable spirits. In the biker's case he is also aiming to
keep in the heat, and protect him from the road, onto which demon car
drivers possessed of evil spirits (gin, vodka, whiskey etc.) would
lure him to his death!
This brings us neatly (?) to the subject of reincarnation. Most of you
reading this will have some knowledge of the ideas of reincarnation;
i.e. that we are born, live in the world, die, and are then reborn to
develop further. Not many of you will realise that motorcycles go
through a similar process. They leave the factory to roam about the
face of the earth, then some parts wear out, and they descend into the
dark underworld of the workshop. Here they are consoled and repaired
by the creative force of the female, who is the biker, to emerge
re-born in Spring, once more blooming with refreshed colour of res-
tored paintwork, and the cycle starts again. Many British machines go
through this every year. About Yule they are ready, and in the first
days of Spring they roar about in the first flush of youth. Then at
the peak of their power, at Lammas, they are cut down, usually due to
some terminal mechanical problem. They dwell for the remainder of the
year in Hades, the garage, thus mirroring the cycle of the God.
1695
The spirituality of bikes is perceived by man in different forms, and
each has its followers. Here are some of the major religions:
THE CHRISTIAN
This newcomer to the spiritual motorcycle rides a modern Japanese
bike. He pays little more than lip service to his religion. He has
few rituals, all he has to do is turn the key and start the starter
engine. He tends to be into power and speed, tearing past older
machines which he regards with contempt. He cares little for the inner
workings of the machine, running to his priest/mechanic whenever he
has a problem. Should his machine pass on, i.e., wear out, it will
believed to be irreparable, i.e., too expensive, and gone to the great
scrap heap in the sky. The makers of this are the great salesmen and
evangelists of the bike, not to mention the profit makers.
THE MAGICIAN
He will typically be an older bearded gentleman, who rides an immacu-
late old British motorcycle. They are into status, and will pootle
along at 40 mph all day, imagining themselves the envy of all who see
them. They are into ritual and mystery. The performance required to
summon some older bikes into life is awesome and dangerous. Yet these
fellows will watch in silence as a machine spits at a new initiate and
breaks his shin. They will endlessly pontificate on the correct shade
of colour for the petrol tank, or whether a part is the right year for
the model; mostly that's all they do.
THE WITCH
The bike will most likely be filthy, not from lack of care, but from
constant use in all sorts of conditions. The rider knows and under-
stands the inner workings of his machine, its every click and whistle.
He relies on no guru for his understanding, he is not afraid to try
things out and see if it works. Not for him the search for power or
acclaim. He is just out to explore the universe and glean its myster-
ies. He will get there in the end, there's plenty of time. He will
rebuild bikes time after time, not sticking to rigid formulae, but
with whatever comes to hand. he enjoys his bike and is in-tune with
it.
As a biker-witch, I am now going to use two useful tools to explain my
theory of Life, the Universe and Everything: i.e., the Kaballah and
the four-stroke cycle.
Firstly the act of invocation and the four-stroke cycle. For those of
you who are not mechanically minded, I'll try and keep this simple.
Officially the four-stroke cycle is referred to as Induction,
Compression, Power and Exhaust. I prefer the much more evocative Suck,
Squeeze, Bang, Blow. There are a few parts that really matter: the
crank shaft, the con rod, the piston and the inlet plus exhaust
valves.
1696
1) Suck: Initially the piston is at the top and both valves are
closed. As the crank shaft turns, the inlet valve opens, the con rod
pulls the piston down which draws air and fuel in. At this point in an
invocation, the invoker is opening his chakras and drawing the cosmic
energy which surrounds us into his body.
2) Squeeze: The crank shaft continues around, the inlet valve shuts,
and the piston is pushed up, squeezing tha gases together. This is
when the invoker says the invocation and passes the power to the
invokee.
3) Bang: The fuel/air mixture ignites and pushes the piston down. The
priest/ess takes on the aspect of God/dess being invoked.
4) Blow: The exhaust valve opens and the piston pushes the charge into
the exhaust pipe. The God/dess charges and shares his/her power with
those assembled.
And now - motorcycles on the Tree of Life:
Kether - traditionally the godhead from which all energy flows. It is
formless. This is the high tension spark which ignites the fuel and
without which the bike is naught.
Chokmah - Formless, directionless energy, raw untamed power. In the
engine this is the burning fuel mixture.
Binah - this takes the raw force and starts organising and forming it.
The piston, conrod and crankshaft takes the power of the expanding
gases
and converts it to rotary motion.
Chesed - Takes the potential energy of Binah, gives it order, and
makes it more solid and usable. In the engine, the gearbox and final
drive take the power from the crank shaft and make it usable to the
whole machine.
Geburah - An essential breaking down. Where there is life, there must
be death. In an engine when you have got two lumps of metal thrashing
about in violent motion, they must wear each other away.
Tiphareth - This is the image of the godhead, the wayshower, Lucifer,
Prince of Light. In the bike this is represented by the electrical
system and the ignition system, and the lights, which on British
machines are provided by Joe Lucas, Prince of Darkness!
Netzach - This is the spirit of nature, intuition and sexuality. This
is more concerned with what bikers do. They are in tune with nature
and tend to get drawn to ancient sites, eg Stonehenge, Avebury and
Wayland Smithy, or just standing around in a muddy field communing
with nature and the local brewery. This is also the source of the
sexual bond between man and machine.
Hod - Communication, intellect and travel. It is also where your will
produces power. The travelling aspect of motorcycles is fairly ob-
vious, and hordes of despatch riders fulfil the communication role.
This is where we get the knowledge of the workings of the bike. It
definitely takes Hodic willpower on a cold, wet morning, along with
1697
highly verbal expletives, leaping up and down on the kickstart to get
the bugger moving.
Yesod - This is the lunar aspect of biking, linked to Tiphareth on the
Middle Pillar (refer Joe Lucas, Prince of Darkness). Many bikers will,
by the light of the Full Moon, switch their lights off and ride by
moonlight in their lunatic hunt for the local hostellry. In the event
of a biker meeting his death through this ridiculous activity, look
into the sky. For there you will espy, on his silver machine, the
spirit of the biker riding across the astral heavens. Scientists tend
to think these are meteors. There is also the illusion of security one
gets from riding around with one's head in a goldfish bowl, collo-
quially known as a blood bucket.
Malkuth - The concrete world, reality. On a bike you are cold, wet,
tired, frequently uncomfortable, and very vulnerable, and no-one in
their right mind would do it if it wasn't for something else......
Despite Malkuth, biking opens up other realms, other worlds (Birmi-
ngham, London, Glasgow, etc) and puts you in tune with the inner and
outer universes.
The End.
1698
{file "Greek and Roman Deities (Thomas Palmer)" "bos329.htm"}
THE GREEK & ROMAN GOD(ESSE)S
A quick overveiw by Thomas Palmer
APOLLO-Also called Phoebus, the bright one. Identified with the sun.
Said to be the most powerful of the Gods. Son of Zeus and Leto. Born
on Delos, taken North and raised by the hyperboreans, he went to
Delphi and killed the dragon Python, guardian of the oracle of Themis,
but a ravager of the countryside.
Tall,handsome,outstanding inword anddeed,he wasthe god
of ever-renewed youth, archetype of virile beauty and masculine
virtue. He was also known as a seducer & extremely arrogant. Talented
in music, inventor of the lyre, he was the inspiration of poets and
soothsayers. His oracles were expressed in verse.
Hecould cure illnessand banish evil.He was adoctor who
knew the purification rites and was invoked against plague. His image
was set at dangerous places for protection (Lighting the ways) Nothing
escaped his vision (light of day).
ARIES (MARS)-Son of Hera, born without male assistance. He was a
supreme fighter, loved battle and cared little about issues, switching
sides without scruple. He delighted in massacres.
Hewas god of war,not victory, andwas thoughtless about
winning, only fighting. Was on occasion disarmed by Athena, Goddess of
restraint and forethought, to keep him from interfering in battles
that did not concern him.
He wasprolific inlove, butalso arapist.He wasrun byhis
passions.
CRONOS (SATURN)- Son of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth). Gaea, worn
out by numerous pregnancies, requested to be free of this burden, so
Cronos (Saturn) took up a sickle and cut off his father's testicles.
His wife was Rhea, and he fathered Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades,
Poseidon and Zeus. Was eventually deposed by Zeus.
Hisfestivals, theSaturnalia,were atimeof liberationand
freedom for all and got pretty wild. They were celebrated from Dec.
17th until the new year. Saturn is the archetype for "father time".
DIONYSUS- Son of Zeus and Semele. His escort was satyrs and marginally
sane gods. He did not respect laws or customs, loved disguises, wild
screaming, licentious dances and wild places. He was a drunken god
with no home, living in the wild and eating raw meat. He encouraged
excesses of all kinds.
HerahatedDionysus becauseofZeus'sinfidelity andhounded
him. She caused him to be killed by the Titans, but he was resurrected
through the efforts of Athena, Zeus, Apollo, and Rhea. She drove him
mad, but through Cybele he gained mastery of it. He drove many people
mad for various reasons.
EROS (CUPID)- A primordial god, contemporary of Chaos, who existed
before Cronos (Saturn) and Zeus. He came out of an egg that formed the
earth and sky when it broke in two. He precipitated the embraces of
Gaea (the Earth) and Uranus (the heavens), which resulted in the birth
of Oceanus, Tethys, Coeus, and Cronos (Saturn). The Earth and heavens
were so tightly embraced that none of the children could rise towards
the light until Cronos (Saturn) castrated his father.
CupidwasassociatedwithAphrodite, whomoderatedhispower.
Where he was desire, instinct and violent sex, she was grace, tender-
ness and sweet pleasure.
Cupidmadepeoplelosetheir reasonandparalyzedtheirwills,
even inspiring Zeus to capricious sexual desires.
1699
AsEros heis saidto bethe childof Porus(Expedience) and
Penia (Poverty). Like Penia, he was said to always be in search of
something, and like Porus, he always found a means of attaining his
aims.
FAUNUS- A Roman God, Son of Circe and Jupiter. Protector of the Roman
peoples, he lived on Palatine Hill in Rome. His oracle was given in
nightmares. Lupercalia was his festival, during which his priests ran
through the streets with leather straps and struck any women they met
with them to bestow health and fertility. The women were said to strip
themselves to be better targets. He reproduced himself in the satyrs.
HADES (PLUTO)- Son of Cronos (Saturn), brother of Zeus and Poseidon.
When the world was divided between the three brothers, the underworld
and hell fell to Hades, while Zeus took the heavens and Poseidon the
seas. He had a helmet that made him invisible. He ruled the dead, and
forbade his subjects to leave his domain. He desired Persephone, but
Zeus forbade the marriage. He then kidnapped her.
HEPHAESTUS (VULCAN)- Son of Zeus and Hera. He was lame, either because
his mother, startled by his ugliness, dropped him, or because Zeus,
angry that he took his mother's side in a dispute, threw him from
Olympos. He dwelled among mortals and became the god of black smithing
and artistic metal work. He made a golden throne that imprisoned any
who sat in it, and gave it to Hera to avenge himself for his fall from
Olympos.
HERMES (MERCURY)- Son of Zeus and the nymph Maia. He stole some of
Apollo's cattle shortly after his birth and concealed them, sacrific-
ing two to the Olympian Gods. This theft won him recognition as a God
himself. When Apollo discovered the theft and Hermes was tried, his
defense was so skillful and spirited that Zeus laughed and ruled that
there should be a friendly settlement between the brothers.
Hermes was Godof the spoken wordand oratory and wasthe
intermediary between the Gods and men. Also the God of commerce and
contracts, where language must be precise to convey the correct
meaning.
JANUS- ROMAN- The Two faced God. he was God of beginnings and presided
over new undertakings, gateways and initiations. he was revered as the
first king of Rome and made order reign. His temple was left open in
wartime so the God could act, but was closed in peace.
THE LARES- Roman- Twin children of Mercury by the rape of Lara. They
protected the land. Were symbolized by two boys and a dog.
PAN- Half man, half goat, with horns on his brow and lust in his eyes.
Son of Hermes and a daughter of the Dryops, he was the God of pastoral
regions and wilderness. Special friend of shepherds, he guided and
protected them from afar. Protector of all wild things and places. His
pipes had an aphrodisiac effect on those who heard them and induced
mating.
Pan wasalecherand adrunkwho constantlypursuednymphswho
would flee in terror. Caves rang with their cries when he caught them.
He was famous for his rages, where he attacked anyone who got in his
way. His irrational behavior led people to flee him in "panic." He
was dangerous when he took possession of a being. The possessed, or
panoleptic, took on his bearing and would wander in the wild, laugh
madly, or throw themselves on others for sex without respect to
gender, or have epileptic fits.
1700
POSEIDON (NEPTUNE)- Son of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea, he is represented
wielding a trident and being pulled by monsters in a chariot. After
Zeus's victory over Cronos (Saturn), the young gods, who preferred
life on earth, divided the various domains of earth. Poseidon chose
the seas. He represented the hidden forces of germination and death.
Together with his wife Amphitrite, he had powerful ties with Gaea, the
Earth, mother of the Titans. As subterranean Gods, they shook the
world from inside.
Poseidoncausedearthquakes whenhemade lovetohis wife.
The mystery isle of Atlanta belonged to Poseidon. Poseidon could
provoke storms, set fire to rocks on shore and create springs of
water. He had many children, most wicked and violent, like the Cyclops
of the Oddessy.
PRIAPUS- A small god with a penis of immense size. Son of Zeus and
Aphrodite, he was deformed by Hera in revenge. Aphrodite abandoned him
in fear that she would be ridiculed for her ugly child. He began as a
symbol of fertility, but of no significance. Although he was over-
sized, he was impotent. He seemed to fail at everything he tried. He
was compared to an ass and ridiculed. He lent his name to the disease
priapism, an incurable illness where the penis remains painfully erect
but incapable of ejaculation. Ended up as an obscure gnome.
QUIRINUS- A Roman warrior god originally, he became a god who watched
over the well being of the community, opposite to his former nature.
Called an apparition of Romulus the founder of Rome.
ZEUS (JUPITER)- Son of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea. He defeated Cronos
(Saturn) in a ten year battle and then divided the realms with his
brothers by lot, getting the heavens for his own. He was ruler and
judge, the arbiter of disputes among Gods and men. His decisions were
just and well balanced, showing no favoritism. He had several wives
and many lover's, earning the title "all father" or "father god". His
infidelity caused much strife on Olympos and in the world through he
raging of his wife, Hera.
Goddesses
APHRODITE (VENUS)- Daughter of Zeus and Dione according to Homer. 'The
Woman Born Of The Waves' according to Hesiod, born of the foam impreg-
nated by the sexual organs of Uranus, which Cronos (Saturn) had
severed and thrown into the sea. Plato identifies these as two
separate Aphrodites. One Urania, the daughter of Uranus was goddess of
pure love. The other, called Pandemos, (Root of pandemonium?) was the
Goddess of 'common' love. She married Hephaestus, but was unfaithful
with Aries.
Arieswascaughtandhumiliated. Aphroditefledinshame to
Cyprus, and there took Thrace as lover, resulting in the birth of Eros
(Love), Anteros (Love in return), Deimos and Phobos (Terror and Fear).
She also was a lover of Adonis, a human shepherd named Anchises who
fathered Aneas, of Hermes and of Dionysus who fathered Priapus. She
was known for jealousy. She made Eos (Dawn) fall in love with Orion in
spite for her seduction of Aries. She punished all who did not succumb
to her. A beauty competition between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite was
proposed by Eris (Discord) with the prize being a golden apple. It was
judged by the human Paris. All the Goddesses offered him bribes to
win.
1701
AphroditeofferedHelen, mostbeautifulofall Humans.She
won and thus caused the Trojan War. Eros was the primordial god of in-
stinct. When Aphrodite appeared he adapted himself and joined forces
with her. At this time the sexes became distinct. Aphrodite's kingdom
was the place of desire. Young girls were said to pass from the place
of Artemis (chastity and games) to the place of Aphrodite, where they
become women. Considered by some to be an affliction or madness that
women must bear. She represents female lust and passion, and demonstr-
ates its potential for destructive effect. Young girls gave their vir-
ginity to the Goddess by living in her temples and offering themselves
to passing strangers.
ARTEMIS (DIANA)-Daughter of Zeus and Leto. The huntress, she is seen
as the forever young goddess. She is proud of her shapeliness and
keeps her virginity to protect it. She was a warrior, joining Apollo
to kill Python and other exploits. Anyone who offended her or tried to
win her virginity paid dearly. They were killed, transformed, or
mutilated. She defended modesty and punished illicit love and exces-
ses. She avenged rape. She also took out her anger on those virgins
who gave in to love. She did not mind marriage, but when a virgin
married she was to give up all the things of childhood, toys and
dolls, locks of hair, etc., leaving them on her altar.
ATHENA (MINERVA)- Daughter of Zeus and Metis. Metis was swallowed by
Zeus, and when it was time for Diana's birth, he had Hephaestus crack
open his skull and she came forth in full armor shouting a war cry.
Also a virgin Goddess, she lived among men without fear due to her
warrior's skills. She was the protectress of Odysseus and other men.
She was a warrior who used strategy, ambush, cunning, and magic rather
than brute force. Her shield bore the head of a gorgon and she paraly-
zed her adversaries and made her companions invincible. She was
against excess, both in war and every day life. She taught men to
control their savagery and to tame nature. Was the initiator of all
skills. Taught Pandora to weave, trained horses and invented the
chariot. She was the patroness of blacksmiths and carpenters. She
built the first ship and the boat of the Argonauts.
CYBELE- Was born as Agditis, a hermaphrodite monster, from a stone
fertilized by Zeus. The Gods decided to mutilate him(?) and made the
Goddess Cybele from him. Her love for Attis, a human shepherd, drove
him insane and he castrated himself for her. Her priests were eunuchs
dressed as women. It is from the temple of Cybele that the reference
in the Wiccan Charge of the Goddess to "At mine Altars, the youths of
Laced.mon in Sparta made due sacrifice.", comes.
DEMETER (CERES)- Daughter of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea, the Goddess of
corn and grain. Demeter bore Persephone. She renounced her duties as
goddess and began a fast and went into exile from Olympos when her
daughter was abducted into the underworld until her daughter should be
returned to her. She caused the spread of the knowledge of the cul-
tivation of corn.
During herexilethe earthbecamebarren untilZeusdemanded
that Hades return Persephone. She had eaten from a pomegranate,
however, and was forever bound to the underworld. As a compromise, she
was allowed to rise up into the world with the first growth of spring
and return to the underworld at seed sowing in fall. And so the Earth
is barren in the winter, while Demeter mourns, and becomes fruitful
again when Persephone is released. Demeter made herself known to the
children of Eleusis, who raised her a temple and instituted the
1702
Eleusinian mysteries. In Sept.-Oct., the candidates for initiation
purified themselves in the sea, then processed down the sacred path
from Athens to Eleusis. The rites remain secret, but involve a search
for a mill for grinding corn, and a spiritual experience. During the
rites, men women and slaves were all treated as equal.
ERINYES, THE- Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megaara. They were born from
drops of blood that fell from Uranus's severed Penis, and did not
recognize the authority of the gods of Olympos. They hounded and
tortured their victims, driving them mad. Also called the Eumenides,
The Good Ones, to divert their wrath. Assimilated by the Romans as the
Furies. They were implacable and demanded punishment for every murder.
To them murder was a stain. The murderer had to be banished and driven
mad before purification could occur. They were blind and carried out
their punishments indefinitely.
HARPIES- Greek genii/spirits- Daughters of Thaumes and Electra:
Nicotho or swift-footed, Ocypete or swift of flight, and Celaeno, the
dark one. Were either women with wings or birds with the heads of
women. Called the 'hounds of Zeus' and seized children and souls.
Skillful at torture, they could pester a victim into madness.
HERA (JUNO)- Daughter of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea brought up by
Oceanus and Tethys. Married Zeus. It was claimed that each year Hera
regained hervirginity by bathing in the spring of Canathus. According
to some traditions Hephaestus, Aries, and Hebe (Youth) were conceived
by her alone without male assistance. As Zeus' legitimate wife, her
fury at his infidelities was boundless, and she took vengeance on his
lovers and any progeny of the affair without distinction. Zeus was
often reduced to hiding or disguising his children to protect them.
HESTIA/VESTA- Daughter of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea. Goddess of the
hearth, she had the privilege of retaining her virginity forever. Her
symbol was the fire, which was never allowed to go out. The young
bride and newborn child were presented to her and she was invoked
before each meal. Her temple in Rome was served by the young vestal
virgins.
MOERAE (PARCAE)- The Three Fates. Atropos, Clotho, Lachesis, daughters
of Zeus and Themis. The first spins a thread symbolizing birth. The
second unravels it, symbolizing life's processes, and the third cuts
it, symbolizing death. They too were blind and ruled destiny. They
were also symbols of a limit which could not be overstepped. Were
connected to their sisters, the furies, who punished crime.
MUSES- Nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Memory). Calliope ruled
epic poetry, Clio ruled history, Polyhymnia mime, Euterpe the flute,
Terpsichore dance, Erarto lyric art, Melpomene tragedy, Thalia comedy
and Urania astronomy. They delighted the Gods and inspired poets. The
Muses created what they sang about. By praising the gods, they com-
pleted their glory, by boasting of valiant warriors, they wrote their
names in history.
Theywerecelebrated bythe Pythagoreansasthe keepersof the
knowledge of harmony.
1703
NEMESIS- Daughter and Night. Ruled over the distribution of wealth,
looked after balance, took revenge on arrogance and punished excess,
including excessive happiness, riches and power. Moderation in all
things was her creed.
NYMPHS- Daughter of Zeus and usually part of a greater god(esses)
entourage. Not immortal, though long lived. Mostly lived in caves.
Were dark powers whose beauty alone could lead to madness. Were
seducers of many of the gods. Were considered secondary deities.
THETIS- Daughter of the old man of the sea. Very beautiful. Mother of
Achilles. Saved Zeus from a plot to overthrow him and was an ally of
Hera. Saved the Argonauts as they passed between the clashing rocks.
1704
{file "Against The Witch Hunters (R. Culain)" "bos330.htm"}
Against The Witch Hunters
Robin Culain
"All this has happened before. And all this will happen again. But
this time it happened to ..."
Well, us.
Thebeginning of Sir James Barrie's PeterPan must echo what many of
us are feeling, as we watch a new and loosely-knit conglomerate of
yellow journalists, right-wing eco-spoilers and Evangelical and
Fundamental Christians move slowly towards a Witch hunt for the 90's.
Our spiritual ancestors faced similar problems in many times and many
lands.
Recall the Priestesses of Eleusis, last of an ancient line, in
decline, falling at last to the stratagems of Theseus and his new
Attic Gods. Recall the Etruscans, their vision of sexual-political
balance overpowered by the might and organization of the husband-
headed Roman empire. And most tender to the touch, recall the agony of
the middle ages, as the Catholic, then Protestant churches consolidat-
ed their grip on the rural population, killing six million alleged or
actual Witches in the process.
The hunt is in a beginning stage and beginnings are important. The
formal focus of the television specials, Redbook articles, diatribes
in the LaRouchite New Federalist, "Occult Crime" seminars and newspap-
er articles is some thing called "Satanism", which bears little or no
relationship to Wicca and Neo-Paganism.
In fact, media "Satanism" bears little resemblance to any histori-
cally verifiable Satanism. It is neither classical Egyptian Set-
worship", Romantic Ceremonial Satanism a la Huysmanns nor modern
Egoist flamboyance per La Vey. Sometimes it's heavy metal sullenness,
drugs and violence, but that's usually only for starters. The heavy
metal boys, we're usually told, are just dupes of the Great Conspira-
cy. And when you get down to the real stuff, the genuine complaint,
it's generally the stuff of horror movies and nightmare -- baby-
eating, virgin-sacrificing bloodsucking monsters!
All this has happened before. And all this will happen again.
There's a limited range of things that can be used to stir up the
anger of a populace against a group, or deaden moral sensitivity to a
persecution. It pretty much boils down to baby-eating, virgin-sacrifi-
cing and bloodsucking.
This has been the century of Hitler's Holocaust. but the Russians
who butchered entire Jewish villages in the Pogroms, the inhabitants
of York who slaughtered nearly every Jew in the city in the 1100's
didn't merely think the Yiddim dressed and talked funny. The accusa-
tions were the same. By Jesus, those Jews ate babies! They were just
like Satanists, with one exception.
You could find the Jews.
1705
There probably aren't any "Satanists" as portrayedin the articles,
seminars and diatribes. If there are, they're certainly not Neo-Pagans
or Wiccans. But in the lucrative atmosphere in which the press,
missionaries and so-called "Crime Advisers" publicize and proselytize,
the word "Witch" creeps in every third sentence.
Naturally,we Witches and Neo-Pagans have spent a certain amount of
effort pointing out that we love children like anybody else, have no
particular attraction to virginity, and tend, in the most extreme of
our diets, to vegetarianism. In short, we have tried to educate our
detractors and the media to our harmlessness.
This tactic is true, andthis tactic is good, but I thinkthat if it
becomes our primary response to persecution we will ultimately fail to
endure.
Imagine a Witch inthe Middle Ages in front of aCatholic or Protes-
tant tribunal. In some cases she has been denounced by a business
competitor, or an envious rival in love, or a spiteful neighbor. In
other cases she has been brought to the dock by an expert in "Occult
Crime" -- the traveling Witch Finder.
She stands bound before her Inquisitors,plain or pompous depending
on their religious persuasion. Perhaps there's a crowd around. She
tries to educate them to the simple fact that she's a worshipper of
the Old Gods, loves children like anybody else, has no particular
attraction to virginity, and tends, in the most extreme of her diets,
to vegetarianism.
They, in turn, accuse her of worshipping a living fiend, blighting
the cattle, and eating babies.
She doesn't stand a chance.
Now picture another scene, one that has not occurred often. She
stands before those assembled, and begins, shall I say, to point out
some facts. She points out the medieval physician with the two per
cent live delivery rate who wants the local midwifery practice shut
down. She points out the priest and bishop who are terrifying the once
fun-loving populace into penury and pestilence with the twin threats
of damnation and the noose. She denounces the Christian nobles who
will brook no interference with their rule, least of all from the old
Nobility of the land.
She'd be shut up in short order, but in a different way, for she
would be addressing the real issues. The nonsense about babies, Black
Men and cattle was then, and is now nothing more than a smoke screen
to mask real and significant religious and political differences. It's
all a cheap trick, a coward's cheat, a way of throwing muck until some
sticks. It is only used when the real terms of debate cannot stand the
light of day, and it works only if we permit it!
Our situation is in no way as dire as that of our ancestors. Only
now have things moved to the stage where one group, the far-right and
sometimes farcical Limonites, actively bait Wiccans and Neo-Pagans as
being "as bad as Satanists". And unlike our ancestors, we have a
freedom of speech they could only dream of. We will not be silenced if
we speak, certainly not at this time.
1706
So let's not waste our opportunity! Whenever the "Witch-Hunters"
bait us or attempt to smear us with their cannibal taunts, let's find
out what the real agenda is, and address it. Make the Lyndonite defend
himself against whipping up the population against a minority religion
as Hitler stirred hatred against the Jews. Make the entire La Rouche
crew explain their suicidal environmental policies, and their editori-
al statement that "the worship of Mother Earth does indirectly lead to
mass murder ..." Engage them on the real issues -- just what the
worship of the Mother really means, and what people are really like
that scapegoat innocents and despise nature!
Likewise with the "Occult Crimewatch". Ask them about theirsources
of revenue. About their religious agendas and connection with Evan-
gelical missions. Ask the if they support religious freedom, and if
non-Evangelical religious belief, in their opinion, is a hazard to the
public. Ask them, if you can corner them into a frank reply, what on
earth they are doing lecturing hate to police officers sworn to
protect all the public, Christian and Pagan!
The media deserve the same. Let's not spend more than a breath
denying lurid charges. Instead, ask them why they are sensationalizing
and smearing a legitimate religion to make sales. Inquire as to
whether the German press in the 30's had a responsibility for the
slanders on the Jews that they printed. Ask them how they'll feel if
harm comes to one Pagan woman or man, girl or boy through their
negligence, indifference to non sensational fact and search for sales.
In every case we have an opportunity to turn the tide, by coming
right out with our real differences in front of the public, and
insisting that the terms of debate be on genuine issues. We must
refuse to be backed into a defensive posture, denying ever wilder
charges.
Instead let us bring our active advocacy and love of our Gods, of
Mother Earth, of our families and children and ourselves to the fore
in every debate. We must require our opponents to bare their genuine
beliefs and motives, and contrast them clearly with our own in full
view. We must sharpen the terms of debate so keenly that no person can
leave the scene without having to make a clear and conscious choice
about what they value and believe is right.
There's no point in lecturing to the Cardinal. The audience for
every debate is not the Witch Hunter, it is the neutral observer. Let
them see the love of the Earth, and contrast it to nearsighted greed
and poverty of emotion. Let them see the love of the Old Gods and
contrast it to a cringing fear of the Father's judgment. Let them see
generosity and intelligence and refusal to be sacrificed, and contrast
them to venality, cunning and scape goating. In every debate, let us
rise to the height of our capability, and let our opponents have it
in the Values -- right where it hurts!
1707
{file "Charging Crystals (Ian Kesser)" "bos331.htm"}
Charging Crystals
Ian Kesser
Crystals,as many of you know, are extremely useful for practition-
ers of the Magickal arts. They can be used to channel power, to store
power, to heal, and many other ways. Due to space considerations, I
have chosen to limit myself to the charging aspect in this article.
Thefirst and most important part of charging a crystal is choosing
the crystal itself. For most general uses, Quartz is the best one. For
specific use, there are many others. I have found that Diamonds are
useful in storing Good energy, and Zircons (my birthstone!!) for Evil
energy. If you have a specific purpose in mind, please consult one of
the many fine tables of crystal affinities.
The next step, and also important, especially the first few times,
is to prepare yourself for the actual channeling of energy. In my
case, music helps, as well as pranayama and other forms of breath
control. The first one I used is simple
.
Pranayama, simply, is control of breath. Most forms amount to
hyperventilation or subventilation. The one I used first, and still
use, is this: take four quick inhalations, filling the lungs. This
should be over the space of about one and a half seconds. Then exhale
in four short bursts, again over one and a half seconds. Repeat as
necessary. The first few times this is done, I recommend you desist
after about one minute. Over the course of time, this can and should
be increased, but until you are used to the effect this gives, a
shorter time is suggested.
Now that you're in the mood, take the crystal in your right-hand
(left hand for those of you who are lefties). Visualize a door within
the heart of the crystal. Until this visualization is firm and steady,
wait. Then open the door. Behind it you should see a store of diffuse
energy, which varies with the type of the crystal. Some crystals,
usually the inferior ones, have little or nothing back here. These are
generally not good to use.
Close the door, but keep it in mind. That was just to check on its
energy. Decide which energy you wish it to house. Usually only one
will be needed, such as for talismans and storage of energy for later
use, but in some cases, such as a divination tool, more is suggest-
ed/required. DO NOT TRY THIS ON YOUR FIRST ATTEMPT! YOU WILL FAIL! The
energy you will be handling is powerful, and trying to handle more
than one world at a time is strenuous. Trying to handle all three,
plus personal and other energies, is straining to the limit. As with
all other bodily systems, an ability used beyond its capacity will
overload and break or refuse to perform, as with a man trying to lift
300lb barbells on his first try at weight lifting.
For general use, I find nature's energy is best for multipurpose
storage. Those in the Church of Set would probably find differently,
as would those in the Church of Christ. Use what you feel comfortable
with.
1708
Now, the fun part. For the three major energies, I find there are
certain ways of drawing them tat are easiest on the practitioner. For
Good energy, try it like this: Form a cone with the base connecting to
your skull in the region just between and above your eyebrows. "suck"
the energy (visualize it as you will, I use a light, golden yellow)
into the cone, then through a tube into your brain. The visualization
on this is a bit tricky, but it can be done.
For Nature's energy, visualize a "hose" going down into the Earth
from the base of your spine. This hose should ideally connect with the
center of the Earth, but some people simply cannot conceive the
distance involved with that, and can therefore not visualize it. Go as
deep as you can, with time, you should improve. I "see" this energy as
a ruddy, glowing red, as with magma. Use what works. Draw this energy
up the tube, then through your spinal column into the brain.
Now, the Evil energy. This is trickyfor me, but here's how I doit.
Place the feet together (if they already are, so much the better! It
means this isn't uncomfortable for you, as it is for me.) and visual-
ize a siphon, with the hose connecting to a cone connecting to your
feet, about two inches in diameter, one inch on either foot. Then, on
the other end, a hose entering a black, inky void(or whatever color
you perceive evil energy to be). One last connection: another hose
running from that area of your feet to the previously mentioned area
in the skull. This aligns nicely with the Chakra theory, to which I
subscribe, in that a Chakral spinal-type column connects all the major
power centers of ones body. If you know this system, so much the
better! Draw the energy through the siphon(sometimes visualizing the
bulb on the siphon squeezing helps) into the feet, then into the
skull, then into the brain.
Other objects you wish to draw energy from, use the door anal-
ogy/visualization given above( for powerful things such as the Tarot,
I see it as a gate more than a door. Again, whatever works for you),
and draw from your use hand. If you plan on using that object again,
take only a token amount of energy, and DON'T FORGET TO CLOSE THE
DOOR!
Personal energy: This varies so much with the individual! Some
people draw from their auras, some from the Chakras, some from the
Astral Body. Just use the method you feel most comfortable with. For
those of you who have no preference, or no knowledge of such things, I
use the Astral approach. I draw a bit of the substance of the Astral
body, generally the feet, into the brain. After I finish all else, I
"spread out" the Astral body to make up for this loss. Astral bodies
DO heal.
Well, that's most of it. Draw the energy you need, then draw from
the crystal. Take it in your use hand again, open that door, and take
out the energy, and bring it to the brain. Generally, I use the hose
again, connecting to that spot in the skull, but this one generally
runs INSIDE y body, such as along the arm bones, then up the neck
bone. Mix the energy up. If it helps, visualize a cosmic Cuisinart or
whatever. If it won't mix, like oil and water, you have failed. This
crystal will not hold this energy. Give up, put back the crystals
power, ground yourself(later...), and try again later with another
energy.
1709
Once you've achieved the mix, refill the crystal. Sometimes, the
energy won't go back in. This usually means you've put too much of the
energy you're using in, and not enough of the crystal's own energy.
Bring it back to the brain, and remix. How do you refill the crystal,
you ask? Switch hands on the crystal, then visualize that handy hose
again, but this time flow backwards, through the door. There will come
a point, especially early on in your practice, that the crystal is
full when you have energy left over. Slam that door and ground your-
self(later...), don't overfill it! Doors have their bursting point,
and that's a wonderful way to destroy a good crystal.
OK, it's later. You've finished the job at hand (Applause, you've
earned it!) but have all this energy left! There are many ways of
grounding energy, use the one you are comfortable with(I know I keep
saying that, but it bears repeating. Don't do anything against your
Will). The one I use is simply grounding it. Take that handy-dandy
all-purpose hose again, connect it to the base of the spine, and
thence into the Earth. Flip the switch to reverse, and push that
energy out! Be careful not to let out yourself as well!
That's it. I hope you find this helpful to you.
1710
{file "Tarot Divination (Tuppence)" "bos332.htm"}
Tarot Divination
Tuppence
Not long agoan on-line friend told methat he saw no reasonto use
the Tarot in divination; in fact, he felt that no one should use them
for divination as this was a profane use of the cards. He preferred to
use the cards solely for contemplation.
At the time Idid not feel inclinedto respond to thisnarrow view,
but after a night of thinking about it, I was prompted to write the
following in defense of Tarot Divination (and I don't mean fortune
telling!)
Divination:
1) The art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future
events or discover hidden knowledge usually by means of augury
(divination from omens) or by the aid of supernatural powers
2)Unusual insightor intuitiveperception (thesedefinitions from
Webster's)
According to theBrotherhood of Light there are fourmain uses for
the Tarot:
1) Science of Vibration
2) Divination by cards
3) Divination by number
4) Spiritual Science (themethod of putting the resttogether to
develop a philosophy)
Is it wrong to USE the cards?
1) Playing cards is fun! Without such use perhaps Tarot would long
ago have died as other games have faded from use. Chess may be
considered to be a child's game or a highly developed intellectual
discipline. The same is true of using the Tarot card's.
2) Have you ever played Taroc? It is a very interesting game like
bridge using the Major Arcana as Trumps...in profane decks the
court cards and majors may have two heads (to be read either up or
down.) Some versions of the game have certain mystical aspects.
3) In studying the history of the Tarot you will see that the
decks (except those belonging to aristocrats who had hand-painted
decks made for them by great artists) used long ago were very
primitive and made from wood cuts. We have come far from those
crude representations...but the ideas expressed in the Tarot
remain the same - they are still there in those early decks.
4) Where did the Tarot come from? We have only theory and conjec-
ture:
a) Ancient Egyptians
b) They always have existed buthave been revived from timeto
time
c) Gift of Divine Origin
d) etc.
1711
It's validity and usefulness are what count
a) it works when used
b) it contains Universal symbology and archetypes found elsewhere
c) it is numerically correct and corresponds with ancient systems
of wisdom (especially to the Qabala)
10 = sephiroth (ace through 10 in the Minor Arcana)
22 = paths (22 Major Arcana cards)
4 = elements (four suits)
(etc.)
The Tarot is MUCH MORE than mere pictures on pasteboard. The
pictures on the Tarot cards are physical symbols for spiritual con-
cepts. One definition I use for the Tarot is as follows:
Asymbolic representationof ArchetypalForces and/orBeings which
have always existed and have been identified and passed on to us by
ancient initiates and which provide a focus for us to use in self-
initiation, spiritual development, and the perception of hidden
wisdom.
A few notes regarding the above........
1) Jung says of Archetypes that they exist for us at birth...they
emanate from the collective unconscious....they are NOT self-crea-
ted or generated.
2) Aleister Crowley says in his book the Book of Thoth:
"Each card is, in a sense, a living being." "It is for the student to
build these living stones into his living Temple."
"...the cards of the Tarot are living individuals..."
"Howis he to blendtheir life with his? Theideal way is that of
contemplation. But this involves initiation of such high degree that
it is impossible to describe the method in this place. Nor is it
attractive or suitable to most people. The practical everyday com-
monplace way is divination."
3) In Magick without Tears he says:
"...theTarot itself as a whole is an universal Pantacle...Each
card, especially this is true of the Trumps, is a Talisman; ...It is
evidently an Idea far too vast for any human mind to comprehend in its
entirety. For it is 'the Wisdom whereby He (God) created the worlds.'
"
As regards these Lively Forces:
1. These Forces can communicate with us...or rather we can
interpret their currents through our subconscious intuitive
minds....this is one use of divination (and contemplation). This
is the level, as Jung says, at which we are all connected.
2. These Forces can be directed by us Magickally if we are so
trained. First we must master divination; then direction.
1712
3. The Tarot is a Magickal Weapon In the hands of a trained
initiate the mere placement of one card between two others can
alter the forces involved and affect physical (and ethereal)
reality.
4. The Tarot is a philosophy as well, with an Ancient Message
about the Soul's journey.
5. Yes, the Tarot is useful to study and contemplate....the colors
and symbols are specifically designed and arranged to stimulate
things within us (forces, archetypes, subconscious).
6. The Major Arcana are especially sacred to us because they
represent the Paths, Steps, Forces which are necessary for us to
rejoin the Godhead and attain enlightenment.
I maintain that the best wayto understand that the Tarot cards
are ALIVE and ACTIVE FORCES is to USE/HANDLE/EXPERIENCE them and so
Divine (and perceive) what they are all about. The cards are a focus
for our minds upon forces which are ever-changing and evolving (even
as humankind is evolving).
We are fortunate that modern printing is so good and that the
Tarot decks and books which we have today are easily available to us.
This was not always the case for our brothers and sisters in times
past. Today one can afford to smile and say: "I only need to con-
template the cards to understand them." But there is more to the use
of the cards in Divination than many have been taught; for it is a
mysterious process.
Just as one muststudy and practice upon amusical instrument to
become a virtuoso, so too the Tarot takes many years of study and
practice to use correctly. One must be well developed spiritually,
emotionally, and intuitively, or (as in music) naturally gifted to
make full and accurate use of the cards in divination. In the hands of
a gifted Diviner or Initiate the Tarot is a formidable weapon. It can
even talk and spell out sentences! Hence the Hebrew letters correspon-
dence to the Major Arcana. However, since we do not all learn in the
same ways....the Tarot may not be the DIVINATORY METHOD for everyone.-
..although everyone can learn from it and should study it.
Other methods which may suit:
a) Astrology
b) Numerology
c) I Ching
d) Pendulum
e) Runes
f) etc.
Ashumankind evolves spiritually (and in other ways) so too the
Tarot evolves. Take for example the reconstruction of The Chariot
(Arcanum VII) and The Devil (Arcanum XV) cards by Levi. He gave them a
new presentation based upon his advanced knowledge at the time. Also,
note how The Lovers (Arcanum VI) has changed from earlier decks. It
still has the same basic meaning, but the symbols have changed. No
longer are there two women...one good one bad...with the man in
between...now it is two people with an Angel above them. New Tarot
decks continue to be made as our knowledge and understanding evolves.
1713
A noteon The Book ofThoth, Aleister Crowley's Tarotdeck, is as
seen by him from the Astral Plane. This is why it is so different from
many decks; why it is so striking; and, why the energy felt has such
strong effects upon many people.
Some cardscome and go....thereare morecards on theastral plane
than we have on the physical....between the cards, above and below the
cards are others...as with the Quaballa.
When workingwith the Tarot ifone is in aMagickal State (Asana,
etc.) and reads the cards it is a Magickal or Divine (hence the term
divination) operation. I take the forces into myself when using the
cards thus they affect me and I them.
Because ofthis knowledge, I respect the Tarot as a Living Thi-
ng/Force and I do not bother it with profane questions. I treat it as
a Magickal Weapon and thus with care and respect. Fortune telling,
while not wrong, is the profane use of the cards.
Contemplationof thecards isuseful; withoutDivination, however,
one could not experience the forces within them in the same way. Also,
there are hidden uses for the Tarot. The Tarot is indeed a Teacher. It
is also a door, a gateway, an entryway into other realms which is
partly how it was used in Egyptian Initiation Rites. We may use it in
some of the ways listed below:
1) Scrying/meditation
2) Ritual (invocation and evocation)
3) Works/spells
4) Talisman use/focus
5) Divination
Some of the goals of initiates(after perfecting divination and
the Tarot's philosophy) are 1) to read with a blank deck and to use a
spread with no set meanings, and 2) to develop one's own Astral Deck.
Magick (in Theory and Practice), Crowley's famous book, calls
Divination an important branch of Magick, and defines it thusly:
1. "We postulatethe existence of intelligence's, either within or
without the diviner, of which he is not immediately conscious. (It
does not matter to the theory whether the communicating spirit so-
called is an objective entity or a concealed portion of the divi-
ner's mind.) We assume that such intelligence's are able to reply
correctly - within limits- to the questions asked."
2. "We postulate that it is possible to construct a compendium of
hieroglyphs sufficiently elastic in meaning to include every
possible idea, and that one or more of these may always be taken
to represent any idea. We assume that any of these hieroglyphs
will be understood by the intelligence's with whom we wish to
communicate in the same sense as it is by ourselves. We have
therefore a sort of language...."
3. "We postulate that the intelligence's whom we wish to consult
are willing, or may be compelled, to answer us truthfully."
1714
He goes on to discuss divinationas shown in some of the quotes
below:
"In a system of divination each symbol stands for a definite
idea."
"As regards theHoly Quaballa, based as it ison pure number, (it)
evidently possesses an infinite number of symbols. Its scope is
conterminous with existence itself; and it lacks nothing in precision,
purity, or indeed any other perfection. But it cannot be taught, each
man must select for himself the materials for the main structure of
his system."
"It is always essentialfor the diviner to obtainabsolute magical
control over the intelligence's of the system which he adopts."
"Experienceis the only teacher. One acquires what one may almost
call a new sense. One feels in one's self whether one is right or not.
The diviner must develop this sense."
"In order to divine without error,one ought to be a Master ofthe
Temple. The faintest breath of personal preference will deflect the
needle from the pole of truth in the answer."
"One mustprepare oneself by generalpurification and consecration
devised with the object of detaching oneself from one's personality
and increasing the sensitiveness of one's faculties."
"The muscles with which hemanipulates the apparatus ofdivination
must be entirely independent of any volition of his. He must lend them
for the moment to the intelligence whom he is consulting."
(note:one of the first steps indivination is the invoking of the
Angel HRU)
"He must have succeeded in destroying the tendency of the ego to
interfere with the object of thought. He must be able to conceive of a
thing out of all relation with anything else."
"He should allow the question entire freedom to make for itself
its own proper links with the intelligence directing the answer."
"Hemust sink his personality in that of the intelligence hearing
the question propounded by a stranger to whom he is indifferent, but
whom it is his business to serve faithfully."
"He should exhaust the intellectual sources ofinformation at his
disposal, and form from them his judgment. But having done this, he
should detach his mind from what it has just formulated, and proceed
to concentrate it on the figure as a whole, almost as if it were the
object of his meditation."
"The concluding operation istherefore to obtain a judgmentof the
figure, independent of all intellectual or moral restraint. One must
endeavor to apprehend it as a thing absolute in itself."
1715
"Divination is in one sense an art entirely separatefrom that of
Magick; yet it interpenetrates Magick at every point. The fundamental
laws of both are identical. The right use of divination has already
been explained: but it must be added that proficiency therein, tremen-
dous as is its importance in furnishing the Magician with the informa-
tion necessary to his strategic and tactical plans, in no wise enables
him to accomplish the impossible. It is not within the scope of
divination to predict the future with the certainty of an astronomer
in calculating the return of a comet. There is always much virtue in
divination."
"One must not assume that the oracle is omniscient."
"The Magician ought therefore to make himself master of several
methods of divination; using one or the other as the purpose of the
moment dictates. He should make a point of organizing a staff of such
spirits to suit various occasions. These should be 'familiar' spirits,
in the strict sense; members of his family."
"Divination ofany kind is improper inmatters directly concerning
the Great Work itself. In the Knowledge and Conversation of his Holy
Guardian Angel, the adept is possessed of all he can possibly need. To
consult any other is to insult one's Angel."
"Although the adept is in daily communication with his Angel, he
ought to be careful to consult Him only on questions proper to the
dignity of the relation. One should not consult one's Angel on too
many details, or indeed on any matters which come within the office of
one's familiar spirits. One does not go to the King about petty
personal trifles. The romance and rapture of the ineffable union which
constitutes Adeptship must not be profaned by the introduction of
commonplace cares."
Thus wemay use Divinationfor those worthy questionswhich we need
answered but cannot find out in any other way...either through our own
research or by the contacting of one's Holy Guardian Angel. If we can
attain the necessary magickal states discussed above and if we com-
plete the necessary study and work which he suggests, we can become
masters of Tarot Divination.
1716
{file "Dangers of "Magical Thinking" in Magick (Nihasa)" "bos333.htm"}
The Dangers Of Magical Thinking In Magick
Nihasa
.
Magicalthinking is a psychological term for making a naive assump-
tion of cause and effect without consideration of intervening mechan-
isms. In plain English, it is the assumption that if I do THIS, then
THAT will happen even though I have no idea how or why. Prominent
examples of magical thinking can be found in Economics (if we cut
taxes on the Corporations, they will invest more money in upgrading
their production facilities and create more jobs) and Politics. It is
typical of the world-view of very young children, who have a somewhat
simplistic model of How-Things-Work.
.
To many outsiders,most Magick seems to bebuilt on this basis...so-
me guy mutters some weird words and waves his hands and expects to get
a lot of money soon (sounds like a Management Consultant, come to
think of it), or to make it rain, or to be rid of an enemy. Then they
shake their heads, call the Magick-users children or worse, and go on
with their lives.
.
Within real Magick-use, this sort of sloppy thinking can lead to
anything from disappointing 'fizzles' to disastrous misfires of
spells. Our cultural heritage's are filled with "monkey's paw" type
stories of the results of ill-thought-out Magick use. While dilettante
New Agers are more likely to blindly 'cookbook' a spell or ritual,
some of us have been known to skip a few steps in the process as well.
.
Just think of the consequences of invoking Diana or Aphrodite in a
ritual designed to "keep those foolish women in their place." (Anyone
remember "Good-bye, Charlie"?)
.
While I am not saying thatyou need to understand thephysics/chemi-
stry/etc. of each step down to the subatomic level, I am suggesting
that you think through each step and each mechanism (and likely
consequences) of any major working BEFORE you perform it. A black-box
understanding (detailed knowledge of the inputs and outputs of a
mechanism and the relationship between them without an understanding
of the internal details of the mechanism) is usually enough for mot
purposes. For instance, if invoking or evoking a deity, make sure you
know the strengths, weaknesses, character, and personality of that
deity. If using herbs (ingested or in balms or incense) be sure you
know the pharmacological and combinational effects of each. Most of
all, when going for a long-term effect think of the ecology of that
effect: where it can come from and what it may causelater. You can't
always anticipate all side effects, and you certainly can't always
avoid them, but with a bit of work you can give yourself a shot at
handling them.
.
Do a reality check before you start a working. If you just pay
attention to the beginning (the ritual or working) and the end (the
desired effect) and leave the rest to wishful thinking, you are asking
for trouble.
.
NOTE: The above is an excerpt of a 1988 seminar on Magick and
Psychology: Insights and Interactions.
.
1717
{file "Satanism as Media Hype (News Article)" "bos334.htm"}
Satanism As Media Hype
News article:
From the Phoenix Gazette 24 June, 1989
SCAPEGOAT: Satanism scareis mostly hype, experton cults says....
by Michelle Bearden
Judging by Satan's popularity in news accounts and police reports
these days, you'd think Satan had been elected to Congress or won the
Pulitzer Prize. But it's not true, says J. Gordon Melton, director of
the Institute for the Study of American Religion in Santa Barbara,
Calif. and one of the country's leading experts on cults. In fact,
there is no surge at all in Satan's popularity. "The only surge we're
seeing is the spread if mis-information," Melton says. "Malicious,
suspicious, and ritualistic acts are being attributed to satanism, and
people are buying into it."
Melton has launched a one-man crusade to get what he considers the
truth out to the public. Using an extensive survey he completed in
1986 as his guide - "The Evidences of Satan in Contemporary America" -
Melton makes his case frequently before groups and in interviews. Most
misinformation regarding satanism comes out of police agencies, Melton
maintains. That's because, in the absence of true satanic groups, law
officials have to blame "something concrete," he says.
"What we've got is creation of imagination, paranoia, and general
ignorance," Melton says. "We've got wild speculation and jumps in
logic. What we don't have is the truth. One story perpetuates another,
and, before long, 'experts' in police departments are conducting
seminars on a topic they don't really understand."
At the Phoenix Police Department, police spokesman Andy Hill says
the agency analyzes every incident that has satanic overtones. He
blames a majority of these crimes on "kids caught up in experimen-
tation." "It's safe to say that most of it isn't hard-core. We're
usually dealing with copycat crimes," he says. " I wouldn't consider
satanism a big problem here in Phoenix. We know it exists, but it's
more underground than anything else."
According to Melton, onlythree established satanic cults exist:The
Church of Satan, a San Francisco based group headed by founder Anton
LaVey; a splinter group, the Temple of Set, also in San Francisco and
headed by Michael Aquino; and the Church of Satanic Liberation in New
Haven, Conn., led by Paul Douglas Valentine. Total membership in all
three groups is "probably less than 3,000," Melton says. Those fol-
lowers are the true satanists, and their numbers haven't varied much
in the last two decades, he says.
Many of the acts blamed on satanism are committed by teenagers who
are bound together b drugs and violence rather than demons. While they
may use satanic imagery in their deeds, Melton says they are "play-
acting" the role of worshipping the Prince of Darkness. "It's true
we're hearing a lot of satanic references in today's music, but that's
pure commercialism," he says. "Just because your teenager gets wrapped
up in certain rock'n'roll doesn't mean he's into the occult."
Someof the conclusions that support Melton's studies to combat the
theory of international satanic conspiracy include:
1718
* The existence of a large number of nonconventional religions, such
as cults, that have nothing to do with occultism, much less
satanism.
* The growth of witchcraft as a new religion and how it is confused
with satanism. Melton labels contemporary Wicca as a nature
religion that places great emphasis upon the preservation of life
and non- violence.
* Reports of cattle mutilations, which ignore the facts that most
are mistaken observations of predator damage.
* The discovery of common symbols, such as an inverted cross,
pentagrams, and bloody altars, which lead investigators to con-
clude that satanic activity has taken place. However, no evidence
of any conspiracy involving the kidnapping and transportation of
children for ritual purposes has emerged.
* Fantasies of people who make "confessions" of their involvement on
satanic cults.Typically, they cannot supply independent corrobora-
tion of the stories.
Moreover,a good portion of the mis-information on satanism - which
Melton says is really a "parody of religion" - comes out of evangeli-
cal Christian publishing houses. With that bias, "it;s easy to see how
misinformation breeds," he says.
Melton contends that opensatanic groups pose no publicthreat. If
there is cause for concern, it would be the small, ephemeral satanic
groups, mostly consisting of young adults or teenagers and possibly
led by psychopaths or sociopaths. "These are the groups that cause
immediate danger to themselves and society at large. That's where
police should be concentrating their efforts," he says. "In the
meantime, we've got to get out of this satanic mentality and get our
labels straight."
1719
{file "Why I don't Believe the "Survivors" (R. Moonsone)" "bos335.htm"}
Why I Don't Believe The "Survivors" Of Occult Groups
by Rowan Moonstone
Recently onthis echo, several people have taken Pagans to task for
naysaying the Christian sources dealing with former practitioners of
various occult disciplines. I have researched this area thoroughly for
the past five years. I've bought or read all the Christian books on
the subject that I can get my hands on. I have over 1,000 clippings in
the files dealing with this subject, I've got over 100 audio tapes and
20 videotapes on this subject, and I've got reams of Christian litera-
ture, and police training material to draw from. In addition to this,
I grew up as a Southern Baptist and was a Sunday School teacher at the
age of 16. I know whereof I speak when it comes to Christian sources.
I've also been a Witch for nigh on to 8 years now, and have net-
worked with other Pagans all across the country, attended festivals in
various states, and subscribed to many Pagan publications both in this
country and abroad. I've read many books on modern and ancient Pagan
religions, and can furnish a complete bibliography for anyone that's
interested.
After a concentrated search through this material, I must conclude
that most of the allegations of the "survivors" are fabricated and
insupportable. In the rest of this report, I will give documented
reasons why I believe this to be true.
6-17-82 -Province Victoria Bulletin - "A misunderstanding appeared
to be the root of a satanic scare in Victoria this weekend, police
sources said Wednesday. Police, hospitals and human resources ministry
workers had gone on the alert following a report that a satanic group
was planning Tuesday to sacrifice a human baby. The report came
through the child abuse prevention HELP line in Vancouver. Victoria
police said they had traced the source of the report to a church group
in Vancouver. The group apparently had heard rumors of a rise in
satanic activities in Victoria and had prayed that no atrocities would
occur. Somehow someone interpreted that to mean that a sacrifice was
actually planned, police said. That was the report that got to the
HELP line. However, Tuesday passed peacefully with no evidence of any
satanic activity. "
5-4-86 - New York Times-" Derry Knight told an astonishing story
about his membership in a secret Satanic cult called the Sons of
Lucifer and his heroic efforts to take over the leadership of the cult
to free himself and 2,000 members from the coils of the devil. As he
told it, it was an incredibly dangerous mortal struggle he was waging
against the most evil forces in the universe, personified by some
prominent politicians, including Viscount Whitelaw, the deputy Prime
Minister, who were, he said, the secret masters of Britain's Satanic
orders ... In little more than a year, before Mr. Knight's activities
aroused the suspicions of Bishop Eric Kemp of Chichester, who called
in the police fraud squad, the support group contributed at least
$313,000 to the anti-Satanism struggle. A jury that convicted Mr.
Knight April 25 of 19 counts of fraud heard that much of the money
raised by Mr. Baker had been spent by his supposedly struggling friend
on call girls, fast cars, and a life of dissipation."
1720
January 1988 New York Folklore"Satanism, Where are thefolklorists?
by Phillips Stevens, Jr. p 12 ( Mr. Stevens is referring to a murder
of a 13-year =old girl in this incident) "While preparing me for the
taping of some commentary to be aired locally following the National
Geraldo Rivera TV special on Satanic cults on October 25, 1988, an
investigative reporter for a Buffalo TV station was discussing That
incident [the murder]. There were 13 people at that party, he said,
the murdered girl being the 13th. Since the murder, six of the party
goers had committed suicide.....I noted that it was strange that six
suicides with such a factor in common had not been reported in the
news; how did he know the details? The mother of the most recent
suicide had told him. ...I advised him to wait and check out the facts
before airing this story; he called me a few days later saying no, the
other suicides could not be confirmed."
1-19-89 Joplin Missouri Globe News (front page) - "Jasper County
Sheriff Bill Pierce said he had no figures available on how much time
and money that department has spent investigating claims. He cited a
November case as an example of the fruitless searches that have been
undertaken because of claims eventually fount to be false. ...a
Blytheville, Ark. woman told authorities there she had watched satanic
cultists cut the stomach of an infant, pour gasoline on the baby, and
set it on fire....After agreeing to take a polygraph examination, the
woman admitted the story was false. She told deputies she made the
false accusations to get attention."
3=6=89 - HoustonChronicle - "A Houston -area womanwho claims to be
a former satanic priestess and has told audiences she witnessed the
ritualistic murder of an 8-year-old Tomball girl has left law enforce-
ment officers frustrated in their attempts to investigate her allega-
tions. 'We have no homicide to link it to. Why she would make those
claims and then be hesitant to talk with authorities is reason to
question her motives,' Harris County Assistant D.A. Casey O'Brien
said"
The previous three messages should tell you why I don't believe in
the hysteria being generated. If anyone wants to see the entire
articles that these quotes were taken from, send a SASE with 3 stamps
to P. O. Box 1842, Colorado Springs, Co 80901. BB Rowan
1721
{file "Twenty-Two Commandments for the New Age (A. Waldrum)" "bos336.htm"}
"22 Commandments" For The New Age
Ann Waldrum
1. You shall learn of Honesty and attempt to heal your fear of it,
to use this in daily living.
2. You shall learn to Love Unconditionally--beginning with your-
self.
3. You shall help all people in your worlds come to physical heal-
ing.
4. You shall dwell on things of high and pure energy in others and
self to change Earth.
5. You will learn and practice Pure Service -- unconditional and
with love energy.
6. You will release Judgment into the Void--You will see, identify
and choose for yourself Only.
7. You will Recognize One God --the God that corresponds to your
vision.
8. You will destroy no one in any way -- through gossip -- through
killing their gifts -- discouraging self love by injuring the
physical body by foreign substance -- incorrect foods -- incorrect
labor.
9. You will use your mind in the way the Source prepared -- by
faithfulness of prayer -- by study and spiritual growth.
10. You will learn self discipline so that you respond to the Earth
with wisdom.
11. You will take full responsibility for your own life -- blaming
no other.
12. You will seek to learn about your God -- seeing the Connection
clearly.
13. You will be known for your Gentleness, your Loyalty, your
Kindness, according to your beliefs.
14. You will grow in Peace by change of attitude and understanding
of others.
15. You will learn to respond and act from the Highest Center of
Inner God -- the Love Response.
16. You will learn to Love All Mankind by seeing the Highest in all
people without exception.
17. You will promote the healing of Mind, Body, and Spirit by
teaching and living the belief in Man's Divinity.
18. You will show faithfulness in your study of yourself and your
persona (masks) in order to Free All Parts of Self.
19. You will Live your life as ordained by your faithfulness to the
Truth, as you understand the Truth.
20. You will Speak in Love, Honesty and Wisdom.
21. You will Think in Love, Honesty and Wisdom.
22. You will live in Moderation (Balance) in All Areas of your
life.
1722
Theforegoing was delivered on July 20, 1989, through the trance-
mediumship of Carla Neff Gordan by the Spirit Guide "Mary." Mary
stated that these ideas will also be released through other mediums in
six different areas of the world. In preface to these "Commandments"
Mary said the following:
"Youare a loving,connected community oflike-minded souls assist-
ing through our inner connection. You are becoming a profound source
of awakening for your world. These rules are to open your hearts, to
teach you self-love, to calm your emotion to help you to live in
reality that you have wished. To grow, first you must become a source
of service. There must be a difference in earth because you have
walked here. Now is the time of shifting your energy into a higher
place through unconditional love. A part of your purpose is to heal
the earth through holy, or wholeness, relationships. You will begin
now."
1723
{file "Risk Assessment for The Craft Community (Weyland Smith)" "bos337.htm"}
Risk Assessment Within The Craft Community
By Weyland Smith
There seems to betwo schools of thought within the "Craft Com-
munity" concerning the dangers faced by Pagans in general and witches
in particular. One school thinks that we are now in the Age of Aqu-
arius and that all danger has passed. The other camp seems to feel
that we are beset with dangers and that our only safety lies in
remaining "the hidden children of the Goddess", telling no one of our
religious faith (including our fellow practitioners), and being ready
to fly or fight on a moment's notice. Who's right? Do we know? Have we
even tried to find out?
On theone hand, we live in a countrywith a Bill of Rights. Times
have certainly changed since witchcraft was a hanging offence in
Massachusetts. People have been known to proclaim their faith and live
unmolested. On the other hand, there are about 3 million people in the
United States who profess themselves to believe that the Bible is the
literal word of God. If Leviticus says "Thou shalt not suffer a witch
to live.", then there should be 3 million people out there ready to
drag me out of my house and kill me.
Fortunately, the answer does not lie with either extreme and
therefore our reaction should likewise avoid either extreme position.
We live in a world beset by dangers. We could be in a traffic ac-
cident. We could have our house burglarized. Our child could be
abducted on the way home from school. We could be struck by lighten-
ing. Do we stay home, guard the house and family and avoid living? Of
course not!
What we DOis to act in sucha way as to recognize therisks we run
and to minimize them. We try to live in reasonably safe neighborhoods.
We keep good locks on our doors. We drive defensively and wear seat
belts. We teach our children to run from threatening situations. This
isn't paranoia, just good sense.
Is thereany danger that we as witches and pagans might be sub-
jected to another violent suppression? Any Jew with an eye to recent
history would tell you that of course there is! Is that danger great
here in this country? Not at present, but we do live in a world
subject to rapid changes. Within my lifetime, people of Japanese
extraction in this country were summarily rounded up and shipped off
to remote camps. This action was contested all the way up to the
Supreme Court to no avail.
1724
So what should we do?
Well for a start, recognize that there is SOME residual risk
whenever anyone takes an ethical position. We must understand that
this risk is present whether we think it should be so or not. Further,
we must each decide what level of hazard we are personally willing to
run and to which we would subject our families. Finally, we should
avoid doing anything which might subject ourselves and those around us
to risks when such risks are avoidable. Especially, we should respect
one another's right to manage his own dangers. Just because I choose
to take a risk doesn't give me the right to endanger you!
Should wereturn to living ourlives under perpetual cover?I hope
not. But I do respect the individual rights of my brothers and sisters
of the Art to each make that decision on their own. It is on this
middle ground where I suggest we should all try to live for the
present.
1725
{file "Peyote & The Supreme Court (News Articles)" "bos338.htm"}
Supreme Court And Peyote (Articles)
The following 13 messages, retrieved from PeaceNet, discuss the
recent Supreme Court ruling permitting states to prohibit sacramental
use of peyote.
Supreme Court Continues Chipping Away At Citizen's 1st Amendment
Rights, Part 1.
Excerpts fromthe following articledetailing the April17th ruling
by the US Supreme Court which decided that Native Americans could no
longer use peyote in their religious practices:
"For all practical purposes,a majority of the SupremeCourt has
eliminated the Free Exercise clause of the First Amendment from our
Bill of Rights," said American Jewish Congress Executive Director
Henry Siegman.
"The court's decision in the peyote case can have the most far-
reaching consequences for all religions, but primarily for religious
minorities," continued Siegman. "It is precisely such minorities the
Bill of Rights sought to protect, for it is they who are particularly
vulnerable to the depredations of momentary and localized majorities."
Dr.Robert L. Maddox, executive directorof Americans United for
Separation of Church and State, said the "Smith" ruling is cause for
concern...
"We are concerned," he continued, "that this ruling will have a
negative effect on minority religions. Mainstream faiths will probably
have little difficulty getting the exemptions they need; smaller
groups with less political influence will have a tougher time of it.
That is unfortunate. Religious freedom should not be left to the whim
of state and federal lawmakers.
"No one wants anarchy in the name of religion," headded, "but do
we really want more and more government regulation of religion? What
bothers us most is the movement away from individual liberty and
toward statism--whatever the government wants, goes."
[2]
The following article appeared in the June 1990 issue of "Church
and State", a publication of Americans United for Separation of Church
and State, 8120 Fenton St., Silver Spring, MD, 20910, and is reprinted
here w/permission.
1726
The Day 'Sherbert' Melted
by Rob Boston
Discarding A 27-Year-Old Test For Religious Liberty Cases, The
Supreme Court Says Government May Restrict Religiously Motivated
Conduct
Alfred Smithconsiders himselfapolitical; he's noteven registered
to vote. But, in light of what the Supreme Court did April 17, the 70-
year-old Oregonian is ready to jump into politics in a big way.
The highcourt ruled 6-3 thatday that Native Americansdo not have
a constitutional right to use the drug peyote during their religious
ceremonies. Smith, one of the plaintiffs who helped bring the case
before the nation's highest court, is angry enough to take his fight
to the polls.
"I'm encouraging all peopleto register and vote thisyear," Smith
said. "This is the time for it. I have never voted before because I
don't care to condone the system, but I have made a stand here with
this case."
The political route Smith proposes may be one many members of
minority religions are forced to take in the future, thanks to the
Supreme Court's decision in the "Employment Division v. Smith" case.
The justices' ruling marks an abrupt shift in free exercise jurisprud-
ence, granting government broad new powers over religious practices.
What makes the "Smith"decision so significant is thatin reaching
it five justices voted to abandon the court's doctrine of "compelling
state interest," a move with far-reaching implications for religious
liberty.
In a nutshell, the 27-year-old doctrine says that the government
can restrict religious freedom only when it proves there is a compell-
ing interest to do so and that there is no less intrusive alternative
available to achieve the state's goals. The judicial rule grew out of
the 1963 "Sherbert v. Verner" decision and is usually called the
"Sherbert" Test.
Inthe recent peyote case the court rejected the "Sherbert" stan-
dard in favor of a much narrower test, holding that government may
offer religiously based exemptions from generally applicable laws if
it chooses, but it is under no constitutional obligation to do so.
Wrote Justice Antonin Scaliafor the majority, "We havenever held
that an individual's religious beliefs excuse him from compliance with
an otherwise valid law prohibiting conduct that the State is free to
regulate."
Scalia went on to say that applying the doctrine of compelling
state interest in the peyote dispute and similar cases would create
"a private right to ignore generally applicable laws [which would be]
a constitutional anomaly." Rigorous application of the "Sherbert"
approach, he said, would be "courting anarchy."
1727
Later in the opinion, Scalia admitted that the ruling will force
minority religious groups to seek relief from oppressive laws by
lobbying elected officials, and some may fail in their efforts. But he
excused this as unavoidable. "It may fairly be said," observed Scalia,
"that leaving accommodation to the political process will place at a
relative disadvantage those religious practices that are not widely
engaged in; but that unavoidable consequence of democratic government
must be preferred to a system in which each conscience is a law unto
itself or in which judges weigh the social importance of all laws
against the centrality of all religious beliefs."
The court majority acknowledged that judicial exemptions from
neutral laws have sometimes been granted for religious reasons. But,
Scalia argued, such exemptions have generally been granted in conjunc-
tion with another constitutional right--such as free speech. He called
these examples "hybrids" and implied they are special cases. Other
than that, said Scalia, the only legal disputes where the "Sherbert"
analysis has been applied consistently and usefully are unemployment
compensation rulings, such as the line of decisions approving jobless
benefits for workers who are fired for refusing to work on their
sabbath.
Ironically the "Smith" case involved just such an unemployment
controversy. It started in 1984 when Smith, a Klamath Indian, and
another man, Galen W. Black, a non-Indian, were fired from their jobs
as drug counselors after the agency they worked for learned the pair
had used the drug peyote during ceremonies in the Native American
Church.
The Council on Alcoholand Drug Abuse Prevention Treatment(ADAPT)
had a policy stating that all employees must be drug free. Smith and
Black thought an exemption would be made for their religious use of
peyote, a mild hallucinogen derived from some cactus plants, but ADAPT
officials saw things differently: Both men were dismissed.
When Smithand Black subsequently appliedfor unemployment bene-
fits, they were turned down. Officials with the state Employment
Dvision said the two had been fired for misconduct and therefore did
not qualify. The duo took the case to the courts.
Fouryears later the OregonSupreme Court ruledthat the ceremonial
use of peyote is permissible under state law and is even protected by
the First Amendment. The Supreme Court's recent action overturns that
decision.
The "Smith" majority drew upon a somewhat unusual alignment of
justices. Scalia, Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justices Anthony
Kennedy and Byron R. White were predictable allies. All four have
argued for a narrower reading of the First Amendment's religious
liberty clauses.
Justice John Paul Stevens, however, provided the key fifth vote.
Stevens, often thought of as a member of the court's liberal wing,
favors a strict separationist reading of the Establishment Clause, but
has argued in past cases for a less expansive reading of the Free
Exercise Clause.
1728
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor concurredin the "Smith" outcome, but
wrote a separate dissent that accused the majority of going too far.
"Although I agree with the result the Court reaches in this case, I
cannot join its opinion," asserted O'Connor. "In my view, today's
holding dramatically departs from well-settled First Amendment jurisp-
rudence, appears unnecessary to resolve the question presented, and is
incompatible with our Nation's fundamental commitment to individual
religious liberty." The free exercise of religion, O'Connor added, is
a "preferred constitutional activity," entitled to "heightened judi-
cial scrutiny." The "Sherbert" Test, she continued, has worked well to
"strike sensible balances between religious liberty and competing
state interests."
Justices Harry A. Blackmun, William J. Brennan Jr. and Thurgood
Marshall indicated agreement with O'Connor's opinion, although they
said they would have gone further and upheld the Native American
Church members' claim. The court's liberal wing criticized the maj-
ority for "mischaracterizing this Court's precedents" and engaging in
a "wholesale overturning of settled law concerning the Religion
Clauses of our Constitution."
Wrote Blackmun, "One hopes that the Court is aware of the conse-
quences, and that its result is not a product of over-reaction to the
serious problems the country's drug crisis has generated."
The justice insisted that ritual peyote use by Native Americans
could be tolerated without jeopardizing the nation's campaign to curb
drug abuse. He noted that the federal government allowed the Roman
Catholic Church to employ sacramental wine at masses during Prohibi-
tion.
Said Blackmun, "Ido notbelieve the Foundersthought theirdearly
bought freedom from religious persecution a 'luxury,' but an essential
element of liberty--and they could not have thought religious in-
tolerance 'unavoidable,' for they drafted the Religion Clauses precis-
ely in order to avoid that intolerance."
Even though the case dealt with the sensitive issue of drug use,
several religious organizations had sided with the Native American
Church members, most notably the American Jewish Congress, which filed
a friend-of-the-court brief in support of Smith and Black.
"For all practical purposes, a majority of the Supreme Court has
eliminated the Free Exercise clause of the First Amendment from our
Bill of Rights," said AJC Executive Director Henry Siegman.
"The court's decision in the peyote case can have the most far-
reaching consequences for all religions, but primarily for religious
minorities," continued Siegman. "It is precisely such minorities the
Bill of Rights sought to protect, for it is they who are particularly
vulnerable to the depredations of momentary and localized majorities."
Three weeks after the decision the AJC and an extraordinarily
diverse coalition of religious and civil liberties groups filed a
petition for rehearing before the Supreme Court. The petition urged
the justices to hear the case again so the organizations will have the
opportunity to address their free exercise concerns in friend-of-the-
court briefs.
1729
Groups joining the AJC include: the Baptist Joint Committee on
Public Affairs, the National Council of Churches, the National As-
sociation of Evangelicals, People for the American Way, the Pres-
byterian Church U.S.A., the American Civil Liberties Union, the
Christian Legal Society, the American Jewish Committee, the Unitarian-
Universalist Association, the General Conference of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church, the Worldwide Church of God and the Lutheran Church,
Missouri Synod. Americans United for Separation of Church and State
also signed the petition.
Attorney OliverS. Thomas of theBaptist Joint Committee saidit is
important that religious and civil liberties groups have the oppor-
tunity to express their views to the court. He said the court's
abandonment of the "Sherbert" Test could have a wide impact.
"Taxation ofchurch assets, regulationof church schoolsand child-
care centers, zoning and other land-use questions are all areas of the
law where we've relied upon the compelling state interest test to
provide churches with exemptions," Thomas told the Baptist Press.
"With a stroke of his pen, Justice Scalia has overturned 27 years of
legal precedent and made the 'first liberty' a constitutional step-
child."
The Rutherford Institute, a conservative legal aid group that
frequently litigates free exercises cases, was also dismayed by the
ruling. Said Institute President John W. Whitehead in a press state-
ment, "Justice Scalia's opinion rejects the notion that free exercise
of religion is a preferred right. Rather, in most situations it is
valid only when coupled with another constitutional right.
"Armed with this opinion, a state may draft a law that violates
religious liberty, claim it is `religiously neutral' and those af-
fected by it may have no recourse under the Constitution."
Constitutional scholars wereparticularly amazed that themajority
in the peyote case relied heavily on "Minersville School District v.
Gobitis," a 1940 Supreme Court decision that said Jehovah's Witness
children in public schools could be forced to say the Pledge of
Allegiance. "Gobitis" was overturned three years later in the "Ba-
rnette" decision and has been roundly criticized ever since as one of
the court's biggest mistakes.
Observed Douglas Laycock, law professor at the University of
Texas, "The court repeatedly quotes "Gobitis" without noting that it
was overruled in "Barnette," and without noting that it triggered a
nationwide outburst of violence against Jehovah' s Witnesses. Until
the opinion in this case, "Gobitis" was thoroughly discredited."
But not all courtwatchers were chagrined by the ruling. Jules B.
Gerard, a constitutional law professor at Washington University in St.
Louis, told Religious News Service there has been a lot of overreac-
tion. Gerard said the decision "overturns very little" and accused
those who have protested it of "hysterical talk."
Bruce Fein, a conservative constitutional scholar, went even
further, applauding the ruling in a column in "The Washington Times."
Fein wrote, "It is both counter-intuitive and contrary to American
political experience to suppose the "Smith" ruling portends an epitaph
for religious tolerance and accommodation in generally applicable
1730
legislative enactments. And when religion must yield to secular law,
the former continues to prosper."
Fein went on to saythat religions can drop fundamentaltenets and
still survive, pointing out that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints (the Mormons) in 1890 dumped its support for plural
marriage after the Supreme Court refused to allow the practice for
religious reasons.
Conservative columnist George Will also was pleased with the
"Smith" decision. "A central purpose of America's political arrange-
ments is the subordination of religion to the political order, meaning
the primacy of democracy," he observed. "The Founders, like Locke
before them, wished to tame and domesticate religious passions of the
sort that convulsed Europe....Hence, religion is to be perfectly free
as long as it is perfectly private--mere belief--but it must bend to
the political will (law) as regards conduct."
However, Dr. Robert L. Maddox, executive director of Americans
United for Separation of Church and State, said the "Smith" ruling is
cause for concern.
"If a majority ofthe justices did not believe theNative American
Church members had a valid claim, they could have rejected them by
relying on the doctrine of compelling state interest," said Maddox.
"But a majority chose to go much further, effectively weakening the
protection the court has extended to religious free exercise.
"We are concerned," he continued, "that this ruling will have a
negative effect on minority religions. Mainstream faiths will probably
have little difficulty getting the exemptions they need; smaller
groups with less political influence will have a tougher time of it.
That is unfortunate. Religious freedom should not be left to the whim
of state and federal lawmakers.
"No one wants anarchy in the name of religion," he added, "but d
we really want more and more government regulation of religion? What
bothers us most is the movement away from individual liberty and
toward statism--whatever the government wants, goes."
The decision has already had a practical consequence for one
minority faith. Just six days after the "Smith" ruling, the justices,
by a 7-2 vote, ordered the Minnesota Supreme Court to reconsider a
recent decision it made exempting an Amish group from complying with a
highway safety law.
Members of theOld Order Amish had protesteda state law requiring
them to display orange safety triangles on their horse-drawn buggies.
The Amish said the bright symbols violated their belief in a plain
lifestyle. The Minnesota high court agreed in 1989, but now may be
forced to reverse the "State v. Hershberger" decision in light of the
"Smith" ruling.
In Eugene, Ore., meanwhile, Al Smith has no more faith in the
courts. After joining about 100 people in a protest of the decision
that bears his name at a Eugene federal building April 20, Smith told
reporters he is backing proposed legislation suggested by state
representative Jim
1731
Edmunson of Eugene thatwould allow Native Americans touse peyote
in religious rituals in Oregon. If that fails, Smith said, the Oregon
Supreme Court could decide Native American peyote use is permissible
under the state constitution.
Smith told"Church & State" heis also working withNative American
groups in the United States that are considering filing a protest
before the International Court of Justice (commonly called the World
Court) in The Hague, Netherlands.
"The UnitedStates is saying theoriginal people of thisland can't
worship," Smith told Church & State. "We were worshipping a long time
before the white man ever set foot on this turtle island.
"The issue is not dead, by no means," continued Smith. "I'm not
giving up; I have committed no crime. It's not a crime to pray in the
old way."
KOYAANISQATSI ko.yan.nis.qatsi(from theHopi Language) n.1. crazy
life. 2.life in turmoil. 3. life out of balance. 4. life disintegrat-
ing. 5. a state of life that calls for another way of living.
__________________
Excerpts from the following article analyzing the effects the US
Supreme Court ruling on the Native American Church's use of peyote as
being illegal:
--------------------------------
Native American churchmembers stripped oftheir rights underthe
Constitution are now subject to the will of the legislative branch of
our state and federal governments. Not an enviable place for Indian
people; as a distinct racial and religious minority Indians have
always had an uphill struggle in the halls of Congress and elsewhere
to have their rights recognized and respected.
The legislativebranch ofany governmentis anexceedingly unusual
place for individuals to look to have their rights under the First
Amendment vindicated. Courts are traditionally looked to as protectors
of these rights, against majoritarian legislatures. Justice O'Connor,
in a separate concurring opinion which joined the result of the
majority but sharply criticized its method, reasoned that "the First
Amendment was enacted precisely to protect those whose religious
practices are not shared by the majority and may be viewed with
hostility."
As a result of "Smith," minority religions, in Justice Scalia's
opinion, may be at a disadvantage in the political arena. But that is,
in his estimation, "an unavoidable consequence of democratic govern-
ment," preferable to "a system in which each conscience is a law unto
itself." Justice Scalia had to strain to defend his decision, citing
the need to prevent "anarchy" in our democratic society. Indian
people simply want to be left alone in our societyto worship the
god of their choice. Is that asking too much? The Court's decision in
"Smith" strips Indians of their pride and integrity, and makes many of
them criminals in the eyes of the law. Only history will judge the
Court's decision in "Smith;" but for now the remote specter of anarchy
may very well have been the preferred choice.
1732
1733
------------------------
The following article appearedin the Spring 1990 issueof "Native
American Rights Fund Legal Review", a publication of the Native
American Rights Fund,
1506 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80302, andis reprinted here w/permis-
sion.
------------------------
Supreme Court Deals Devastating Blow to Native American Church
by Steve Moore
On Tuesday, April 17,1990, the United States SupremeCourt struck
a gut wrenching blow to the religious lives of many of this country's
Native Americans, in a decision which invites the return to an era of
religious persecution one would hope a presumably enlightened and
tolerant society such as ours had left behind. In the case of "Oregon
Department of Employment v. Alfred Smith," Justice Antonin Scalia,
writing for a five member majority, and describing the First Amend-
ment's Free Exercise Clause as little more than a "negative protection
accorded to religious belief," held that a member of a religious faith
may not challenge under the free exercise clause of the First Amend-
ment to the United States Constitution a legislature's criminal
enactment of otherwise general application which produces infringement
on a particular religious practice. In the "Smith" case this amounted
to a challenge to the constitutionality of an Oregon drug law which
the Court Interpreted as a general criminal prohibition on all uses of
the drug peyote, considered by Indian members of the Native American
Church as an essential sacrament, the physical embodiment of the Great
Spirit.
The Native American Church, which claims over 250,000 members
nationwide, and additional Indian practitioners in Canada and Mexico,
and which can be traced back archaeologically several thousand years
in North America, was not absolutely destroyed or driven underground
by the Court's action. The Court did not go so far as to rule that any
state or federal law exempting the religious, sacramental use of
peyote was an unconstitutional establishment of religion, at the other
end of the religion clauses of the First Amendment. In the Court's
terms, a peyote exemption, while constitutionally *permitted*, is
neither constitutionally *required* or *prohibited*. A kind of con-
stitutional limbo-land for the Native American Church and its members.
In real terms the decision leaves the fate ofthe peyote religion
to the whim of majoritarian legislatures and Congress. Eleven states
currently have exemptions on the statute books protecting the relig-
ion; another twelve tie their exemption to a federal Drug Enforcement
Agency regulation which rests on questionable foundation since the
decision. A small handful of states, notably California and Nebraska,
in which are located some of the largest Indian and Native American
Church populations, have based their protection on court decisions.
The others, and the federal government through Congress, have no
statutory or common law protection. Indian reservation lands will
provide some safe haven from possible prosecution, given the par-
ticular Public Law 280 configuration in any given state, but problems
of transportation of the sacrament into Indian country through "il-
legal" territory will reduce peyote ceremonies to complex and danger-
ous liaisons.
1734
Native American church members strippedof their rights under the
Constitution are now subject to the will of the legislative branch of
our state and federal governments. Not an enviable place for Indian
people; as a distinct racial and religious minority Indians have
always had an uphill struggle in the halls of Congress and elsewhere
to have their rights recognized and respected.
The legislative branchof any government is anexceedingly unusual
place for individuals to look to have their rights under the First
Amendment vindicated. Courts are traditionally looked to as protectors
of these rights, against majoritarian legislatures. Justice O'Connor,
in a separate concurring opinion which joined the result of the
majority but sharply criticized its method, reasoned that "the First
Amendment was enacted precisely to protect those whose religious
practices are not shared by the majority and may be viewed with
hostility."
A noted scholar of Indian law and philosopher, Felix Cohen, was
quoted several decades ago as saying: "Like the miner's canary the
Indian marks the shifts from fresh air to poison gas in our political
atmosphere; and our treatment of Indians, even more than our treatment
of other minorities, reflects the rise and fall in our democratic
faith " Cohen's words become even more prophetic after the Court's
decision in "Smith." The "Smith" decision may perhaps portend even
greater persecution for other forms of Indian religious expression.
Examples which come to mind include: the wearing of long hair by
Indian students in public schools, and by Indian prisoners in federal
and state prisons; missing school on a regular basis for cultural/rel-
igious ceremonial purposes; the taking of game by Indians out season,
when not otherwise protected by treaty; burning wood to heat rocks for
sweat- lodge ceremonies, when burning is otherwise outlawed by local
ordinance during times of high pollution; and body piercing as part of
the Sun Dance ceremony. If these forms of religious expression are
otherwise prohibited by general criminal laws, the First Amendment no
longer provides a basis from which to claim protection from religious
infringement. As with peyote use, reservation boundaries will provide
a buffer from the application of state law, except where Public Law
280 legitimizes intrusion.
As a result of "Smith," minority religions, in Justice Scalia's
opinion, may be at a disadvantage in the political arena. But that is,
in his estimation, "an unavoidable consequence of democratic govern-
ment," preferable to "a system in which each conscience is a law unto
itself." Justice Scalia had to strain to defend his decision, citing
the need to prevent "anarchy" in our democratic society. Indian people
simply want to be left alone in our society to worship the god of
their choice. Is that asking too much? The Court's decision in "Smith"
strips Indians of their pride and integrity, and makes many of them
criminals in the eyes of the law. Only history will judge the Court's
decision in "Smith;" but for now the remote specter of anarchy may
very well have been the preferred choice.
1735
Statement From Pacific Northwest Church Leaders
Who Support Indian Religious Rights
Re: Employment Division, State of Oregon v. Al Smith, Galen Black,
88-1213
-----------------
The recentU.S. Supreme Court decisionregarding the sacramental
use of peyote in Native American religious rites is unfortunate and
deeply disappointing. We support the right of Native Americans to
practice their religion as they have for centuries. We concur with
Justice Harry Blackmun, who writing for the dissent, called the
decision a "wholesale overturning of settled law concerning the
religious clauses of our Constitution." The decision jeopardizes the
fundamental right of all citizens to exercise freedom of religion free
from government restraint. We will continue to work with Native
Americans to help them protect their religious rights.
The Most Rev. Raymond G. Huthausen Archbishop of Seattle Roman Cath-
olic Archdiocese of Seattle
The Right Rev. Vincent W. Warner, Bishop Episcopal Diocese of Olympia
The Most Rev. Thomas Murphy, Coadjutor Archbishop Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of Seattle
The Rev. John Boonstra, Executive Minister Washington Association of
Churches
The Rev. Calvin D. McConnell, Bishop United Methodist Church Pacific
NW Conference
The Rev. W. James Halfaker, Conference Minister Washington-Idaho
Conference United Church of Christ
The Rev. Lowell Knutson, Bishop NW Washington Synod Evangelical
Lutheran Church In America
The Rev. Dr. William B. Cate, President Director Church Council of
Greater Seattle
The Rev. Gaylord Hasselblad, Executive Minister American Baptist
Churches of the Northwest
These church leaders issued an apology to Indians that was carried in
the Winter 1988 NAF Legal Review
1736
{file "Channeling for Fun and Prophet (F.J. McGovern)" "bos339.htm"}
Channeling For Fun And Prophet
Farrell J. McGovern
Channelling is one of the more popular parts of what is call the
"New Age". It is also one of the most controversial aspects of this
movement.
To properly channelsomeone, be itMarylin Monroe, AliesterCrowley
(I have been told this doesn't work well...) or Devine, one must know
something of this person. The easiest way is by reading about this
person. Autobiographies are the best, of course, but biographies, news
reports, or even old photos are almost as good. You need some connec-
tion...
InPagandom, and Wicca, popular beingsfor channelling are various
aspects of the God and the Goddess. Again, one must know as much as
possible about the Lady or Lord that you are going to bring into
yourself for the enjoyment, edification and education of the others in
the Circle with you.
The most popular source of information on Gods and Goddesses is
again in books. Since there are many aspects of deities, there is a
great deal of literature about these beings. Most of this literature
that is over a couple of hundred of years old is usually in the form
of Fables or Epics, which have more literary content than reality. One
could easily call these works Docu-dramas, but they are still fiction.
"But..." I hear you ask,"How can they channel these beingsif all
they know about them is fictional?" Well, there seems to be enough
consensus on certain deities, but not on all. But these rituals work,
as anyone who has attended the beautiful "Drawing Down the Moon"
ritual of Wicca.
So it seems to me that the idea of a "consensual reality" is
created from the energies that all these people put into their concept
of whatever God or Goddess they believe in. There are hundreds of
thousands, maybe even millions of people who believe in Cerwdwin,
Eris, Hecate, Cherenous, and others. But...are there not also millions
of people who believe in Captain James T. Kirk? Arthur Dnt? Catwoman?
Batman? Smurfs?.....or even Peewee Herman?
Imaginesome Circle performing the DrawingDown The Moon ceremony,
and due to a lack of concentration by the priestess, she channels, not
Athena, but Marry Tyler-Moore?!?!?!? Or the priest channeling PeeWee
Herman?!?!?!
Weshall leave the furtherexploration of thisto some experimental
coven...but please! If you manage to channel Papa Smurf....we DON'T
want to hear about it!
1737
{file "Bibliography of Magic in Sci-Df (M. Griffith)" "bos340.htm"}
Bibliography Of Magick In Science Fiction
Magenta Griffith
Abbey, Lynn Daughter Of The Bright Moon
The Guardians
Anderson, Poul Operation Chaos
Mermaid's Children
Blish, James Black Easter
Bradley, Marion Z Darkover series, especially The Forbidden
Tower
Crowley, Aleister Diary of a Drug Fiend
Moonchild
DeCamp, L. Sprague & The Complete Enchanter, Wall of Serpents
Fletcher Pratt
DeLint, Charles Moonheart
Eddings, David Pawn of Prophecy
Queen of Sorcery
Magician's Gambit
Castle of Wizardry
Enchanter's Endgame
Farrar, Stewart Omega
Fortune, Dion Sea Priestess
Moon Magic
Winged Bull
The Goat Foot God
Garrett, Randall Too Many Magicians
Murder and Magic
Lord D'Arcy Investigates
Heinlein, Robert A Stranger in a Strange Land
Waldo & Magic Inc.
Kurtz, Katherine Deryni Rising
Deryni Checkmate
High Deryni
Lammas Night
LeGuin, Ursula K A Wizard of Earthsea
Lovecraft, H. P. The Shadow out of Time
At the Mountains of Madness
The Strange Case of Charles Dexter Ward
Miesel, Sandra Dreamrider
Norton, Andre Witch World Series
Paxton, Diana Brisingamen
1738
Bibliography Of Magick In Science Fiction (cont.)
Magenta Griffith
Sky, Kathleen Witchdame
Tolkien, J.R.R The Hobbit
Lord of the Rings
Walton, Evangeline Island of the Mighty
Song of Rhiannon
Prince of Annwn
The Children Of Lyr
Wilson, Robert Anton & Illuminatus! Trilogy
Robert Shea
Zelazny, Roger Chronicles of Amber
1739
{file "Modified Assyrian Protection Spell (With Commentary)" "bos341.htm"}
Modified Assyrian Protection Spell
Ban! Ban! Barier That None Can Pass,
Barrier Of The Gods, That None May Break,
Barrier Of Heaven and Earth That None Can Change,
Which No God May Annul,
Nor God Nor Man Can Loose,
A Snare Without Escape, Set for Evil,
A Net Whence None Can Issue Forth, Spread for Evil,
Whether It Be evil Spirit, or evil Fiend, or Hag-Demon, or Ghoul, or
Robber-Sprite,
Or Phantom, or Night-Wraith, or Handmaid of the Phantom,
Or Evil Plague, or Fever-Sickness, or Unclean Disease,
Or That Which May Do Harm in Any Form or Fashion
Which Hath Attacked the Shining Waters of Ea,
May the Snare of Ea Catch It;
Or Which Hath Assailed the Meal of Nisaba,
May the Net of Nisaba Entrap It;
Or Which Hath Broken The Barrier
Let Not the Barrier of the Gods,
The Barrier of Heaven and Earth, Let It Go Free;
Or Which Reverenceth Not the Great Gods,
May the Great Gods Entrap It,
May the Great Gods Curse It;
Or Which Attacketh the House,
Into a Closed Dwelling May They Cause It To Enter;
Or Which Circleth Round About,
Into a Place Without Escape May They Bring It;
Or Which is Shut In By the House Door,
Into a House Without Exit May They Cause It To Enter;
With Door and Bolt, a Bar Immovable,
May They Withhold It;
Or Which Bloweth In at the Threshhold and Hinge,
Or Which Forceth a Way Through Bar and Latch,
Like Water May They Pour It Out,
Like a Goblet May They Dash It to Pieces,
Like a Tile May They Break It;
Or Which Passeth Over The Wall,
Its Wing May They Cut Off;
Or Which Lieth in a Chamber,
Its Throat May They Cut;
Or Which Looketh In at a Side Chamber,
Its Face May They Smite;
Or Which Muttereth In a Chamber,
Its Mouth May They Shut;
Or Which Roameth Loose In an Upper Chamber,
With a Basin Without Opening May They Cover It;
Or Which at Dawn is Darkened,
At Dawn To a Place of Sunrise May They Take It.
Out With You! Spirits of Fear, Spirits of Death!
Give Way to the Sun and the Moon!
For This is a Place Made Safe!
Bright Blessings and Peace Upon Us!
And All Who Reside Here,
Let None Enter Here Unbidden,
Keep Harm and Fear Far from This Place,
May God and Goddess Bless Us!
So Mote It So!
So Mote It Be!
1740
"This should be performedon the night of the full moon, and is a
very intricate spell. All portals and doorways should be open, includ-
ing closet doors and windows, Then, as you start, close every closet
and cabinet door, making the sign of the banishing pentacle with your
wand, your athame, or your hand (a stick of patchoili incense may be
substituted). Music should be light. Use a goodly amount of commanding
incense as well as patchouli and sandalwood. Once you have done the
closets and cabinets, go from window to window outlining the banishing
pentagram on each one, and close AND LATCH each window. Remember to
close and latch your fireplace, as well, perhaps burning some incense
there. Once the windows are secured, do inside doors, then when you
reach the entry ways, state the last ten lines. If performed correct-
ly, you will notice the difference in atmospheres from the outside
compared to the inside, the moment you walk into the house or apart-
ment."
--Avon, Sysop, Sanctuary BBS
Okay, that's how I got it. Here's what happened when we performed
it.
I had pulled one of my partners intothis with me, and we did itthe
night after the full moon, being as how we didn't get home in time the
night OF the full moon (being across town and having to stay the night
as our friends were very tired). We also didn't use patchouli incense,
as I dislike it, opting for sandalwood instead with the commanding
incense. Several times, though I had talked to said partner about what
to do when I was speaking, I still had to pause in the recitation to
tell him what to do. So, there were breaks in concentration. WITH ALL
THIS, we still got an apartment that feels much happier. This buil-
ding, just since we moved in a year and a half ago, has seen an axe
murder on the lower floor, a shooting on the upper floor where we are,
two police break-ins on drug raids, several shootings in the back
alley, and two stabbings on the sidewalk near the building. Bad vibes.
Now it's better.
Here's the downfalls--if you can call them that.
This is supposedto, at least how I interpretit, clear out EVERYTH-
ING in your house to start fresh. We had a ghost cat before. We still
have her now. Also, we now have two dark brown, heavily fanged...THIN-
GS...hovering in my kitchen, worshipping my fridge. You think I'm
kidding. I'm not. Scared the hell out of me when I first noticed them;
eventually, I broke down and went into the kitchen. When they didn't
attack, I moved near the fridge. "It's a refrigerator," I said. They
gave back a sort of sub-vocal "Wow..." I opened said fridge. "It's
still a fridge," I said. They looked in; seemed even more impressed. I
have NO idea why. Also, once I looked down from my computer, feeling
watched, and noticed another dark brown thing, all rags and big feet
and big eyes. His whole being radiated shock and surprise when I
looked down; again, I caught a sort of sub-vocal "WHAT??!!??", and he
vanished. Poof. That's been it, but it's interesting. Did these slip
in due to the changes or due to the lack of concentration? No harmful
thing is in this apartment now; of that I'm sure. So how are these new
residents explained?
Anyway, that's it. Hope you have fun with it... :>
1741
{file "Rosicrucianism (J. Phillips)" "bos342.htm"}
Rosicrucianism
Julia Phillips
Esoteric Legend: the Rosicrucians were founded by Pharoah Thothmes
III in the fifteenth century BC. The Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne
was said to have founded a Rosicrucian lodge at Toulouse in the 9th
century AD, and in 898 AD a second lodge was founded. Around 1000 AD a
group of heretical Catholic monks established the first Rosicrucian
college which flourished until the 16th century. It has also been
claimed that the Brotherhood of the Rose Cross was founded by Templars
after their order was disbanded by Pope Clement.
Historical story: The Fama Fraternitatis appeared in 1614 (written
in 1610), describing the foundation and purpose of the Society (Broth-
erhood) of the Rose Cross. This related that a Father CRC, born in
1378, a German, poor but from a rich and noble family, made a pilgrim-
age to Jerusalem. He remained at Damascus through ill-health, and
studied there. He later travelled to Damcar, where he was trained by
the Arabs, and translated the book "M" into the Latin tongue. He then
travelled to Fez, and after two years to Spain, where meeting with
ridicule, he returned to Germany.
After five years he calledthree of his bretheren to him,bound them
by an oath, and then founded the "Fraternity of the Rose Cross". They
later initiated another four members, and decided to spread the word
to other countries. Their by-laws were that they should heal the sick
without charge; wear the clothes of the country they visited; every
year upon a certain date should meet, or be represented, in the "House
of the Holy Spirit"; each should search for a worthy replacement for
when he dies; that the letters R.C. would be their mark; that the
Order would remain secret for 100 years. It was later also decided
that burial places would be kept a secret.
It is known thatJohann Valentin Andreae, a Germantheologian, wrote
at least one of the so-called Rosicrucian documents, but how much can
be laid at his door is not known. It is also an esoteric legend (with
some grounds in fact) that whilst an historical character called
Andraea did in fact exist, that the Rosicrucian writings attributed to
that person were in fact the work of Sir Francis Bacon. The three
major objects of the Rosicrucian Fraternity are:
1) The abolition of all monarchical forms of government and the
substitution therefor of the rulership of the philosophic elect. (This
demonstrates that the Rociscrucians are, in fact, Platonic, despite
their proclaiming themselves Christians.)
2) The reformation of science,philosophy and ethics. (Materialarts
and sciences are shadows of the divine wisdom; only by penetrating the
mysteries of nature can man attain reality and understanding.)
3) The discovery of the Universal Medicine, or panacea, for all
forms of disease.
In 1646 Elias Ashmoleand astrologer William Lilly foundeda Rosicr-
ucian lodge in London based upon a utopian ideal of the creation of a
new Atlantis.
1742
{file "Vernal Equinox Ritual from OZ (Julia Phillips)" "bos343.htm"}
SPRING EQUINOX 1990
Circle cast by the HP
Old God: HP
Young God: Priest
Earth: Priest
Air: Priest
Fire: Priestess
Water: Priestess
Everyone else may choose to take the role of an animal of their choice.
Young God is blindfolded and bound (three cords), and stands in the middle
of the circle. Everyone else holds hands, and circles around deosil
chanting:
Io Pan! Io Pan! Io Pan Pan Pan!
until HPS changes the chant to the Ekos; finish arms up.
HPS and Priestess make an archway, which everyone else passes through,
moving as their chosen animal, chanting, "chop, chop, chop, chop etc."
Every so often, HPS and Priestess drop their arms around one person, and
whenever they "capture" one of the four elements, they hold them and the
chanting stops. A riddle is then asked by each of the elements:
Air: What is whispered on the wind?
Fire: What is the kiss of fire?
Water: What is the secret of the serpent?
Earth: What lies at the centre of the labyrinth?
If Young God answers satisfactorily, a cord is removed. The blindfold is
removed last. When the blindfold has at last been removed, HP will step
forward to present the wand to arm the Young God.
HP says:
"You are now come to your manhood, and must be armed. Will you accept the
wand, this symbol of your power?"
Young God: "I will"
HP: "Then you must take it from me!"
And so saying, runs away. Young God catches him, and they fight for the
wand. Young God wins, and holds the wand aloft in triumph.
Young God and HPS then perform cakes and wine.
1743
{file "Beltane Ritual 1987 (Coven of The Serpents Eye)" "bos344.htm"}
BELTANE 1987
Coven of the Serpent's Eye
Declamation: Rufus Harrington
Invocation of the Young God: Prudence Jones
Invocation of the May Queen: Rufus Harrington
Responses to the invocations: Paul Greenslade and
Jacky Salter
The Blessing of Love: H. Rider Haggard
The Union of God and Goddess: Rufus Harrington and
Julia Phillips
The Beltane Charge: Julia Phillips
Temple set up as follows:
Altar set up, and ritual weapons as usual
One extra sword
One extra chalice of wine and dish of cakes
Candles and incense
Maypole in the centre of the Temple
Green Cord
Roles:
HPS#1 Blessing the Union
HPS#2 Invocation to the God
PS#1 The May Queen
PS#2 Swordbearer
PS#3 Swordbearer
PS#4 Handmaiden
HP#1 Declamation, invocation to the May Queen and .
Blessing the Union
HP#2 The Young God
Casting the Circle:
All present will be purified and consecrated, and the circle will .
be cast by the HPS and HP.
The HPS and HP will ask everyone to assist in the invocation to .
the quarters. Those who have athames should collect them from the .
altar at this point. After the Northern Quarter has been invoked, .
the group should all face centre while the HPS performs the .
invocation to Spirit.
This completes the casting of the circle.
1744
THE RITUAL
The ritual will commence with a meeting dance. Everyone should .
link hands (male/female as far as possible), and move slowly in a .
deosil motion following the chants initiated by the HP and HPS.
When she feels the time is right, the HPS will break the circle, .
and lead everyone in a meeting dance, where each man and woman
kiss as they pass. When everyone has greeted one another, the .
circle will be re-formed by the HPS, and finish with the EKO .
chant.
HP#2 and PS#1 will stand at the maypole, facing the altar.
HPS#2 will stand at the altar facing them, and the rest of the .
group will seat themselves around the maypole in a horseshoe .
shape, with the end nearest the altar left "open". HP#1 will read .
the declamation:
Deep within the dream of silence
Blood and passions born beyond,
Gather at the serpent's calling,
Echo to its siren song.
For deep within the cauldron's darkness
Two hearts ache to join as one,
Must answer to the serpent's laughter;
Dance within its spiral song.
For blood is called, and passions gather:
Drum beat rhythms call the blood
To dance the paths of passion's power,
To sing for joy, for life, for love.
Within the shadows of a clearing
Deep within the silent green,
Revealed through a veil of moonlight,
Caught beside a crystal stream.
A woman from the land of beauty
Dances in the silver light,
Entranced within a web of silver
Woven by the serpent's light.
The serpent's laughter, song of shadows,
Echoes through the spinning web,
Weaving dreams with songs of silver,
Calling sacred fires long dead.
Within her body, flames awaken
Beauty and her passions need
Power and a desperate yearning,
Calling to the serpent's seed.
1745
Within the ancient forest shadows,
Roots and boughs that weave and dream,
re-echo to the serpent's laughter,
Weaving webs of dancing green.
The serpent's song now calls the Hunter;
Beast Lord, Master of the Woods.
Calls the Stag Lord from the shadows,
Woodland's Master, Lord of Love.
She dances now, her passions spiral,
Calls her love into the night;
He flies upon the wings of laughter,
Led on by her silver light.
Flesh and sinew, man and muscle,
Loins that ache now hear her call.
She hears the Hunter's horn of power,
Hears his cry and hunting call.
The Stag Lord stalks within the clearing,
She turns to flee, but cannot run.
Transformed she spreads herself for passion,
Calling with her silver song.
Both their bodies rage with passions,
Beasts now dance within their blood.
Their eyes now flash with love's own lightning
As flesh now kindles warm for love.
Her thighs remember mothers' movements,
Moments from her mother's birth,
Cries of silver golden laughter
Plough within the fertile earth.
Their song and cry a single moment,
Pain, and yet a single joy,
As Earth unites a single sunlight
Lust fulfilled, reborn as joy.
HPS#2 will now perform invocation to the Young God:
God of the meadow, God of the hill,
God of the sap and of our true will:
Thee I invoke as Spring awakes,
Thee I invoke as the blossom breaks.
Come young God, come come with the fire,
Lissome and leaping, alive with desire.
Come with the pipe and come with the drum,
With the heartbeat's pounding, come God come!
1746
O seeker of joy, O hunter of pleasure,
Come enter the ring, tread the pagan measure.
Be here in Thy servants, be here in Thy Priests,
Be here in the flesh, and join in the feast!
Io Pan, Io Pan, Io Pan Pan Pan, etc.
Young God responds:
"Response"
HP#1 will now perform the invocation to the Goddess as May Queen:
"Invocation to Goddess"
May Queen Goddess responds:
I who am the fragrant spring air,
And the soft breeze that refreshes the earth;
The cool spring rain, the sudden shower
That nourishes the earth.
The source of all joy and love,
The Goddess of all new beginnings,
Answer your call,
And once more I walk upon the earth.
Seek for me; I am all around you.
HPS#2 will now acknowledge the arrival of the God and Goddess:
Spring has sprung!
The God has made the world seem young again.
The blossom blows,
The Goddess lets the world know joy again.
May Queen now breaks away from the God, and he must chase and capture her.
(Anything spoken at this point should be spontaneous). The group should
form a spiral from the maypole, going out to a circle, leaving a space
between each person for the May Queen and Young God to pass in and out in
their "love chase". While this goes on, the group should play tambourine,
bodrhun, bells and Abo sticks in a lively rhythym. The God should event-
ually capture the Goddess through his realisation that hunting is not the
way to her heart!.They should embrace and kiss, and then kneel to receive
their crowns: PS#2 and PS#3 will collect these from the altar, and place
the crown of flowers on the Goddess' head, and the crown of leaves upon the
God's head. PS#2 and PS#3 should then collect the swords from the altar,
and stand either side of the altar holding the blades of the swords down.
PS#4 should collect a bouquet of flowers, and present these to the Goddess.
The God and Goddess should now lead PS#4 and the rest of the group around
the Temple in a simulation of their journey to the Blessing of their Union.
At a given signal, PS#2 and PS#3 will stand in the North, and make an
archway with their swords through which the God, Goddess and Handmaiden
will pass. As they do so, HP#1 says:
1747
Hail to our King and Queen!
For love fulfills an ancient law,
Born before the Gods and Men,
Decreed of old when all was still.
HPS#1 and HP#1 will be standing at the altar, and the God and Goddess will
kneel to receive the blessings of their predecessors (ie, the God and
Goddess of the previous cycle). The Goddess will hand her bouquet to the
Handmaiden, who will replace it upon the altar.
HPS#1 reads the Blessing of Love:
Love is like a flower in the desert.
It is like the aloe of Arabia that blooms but once and dies;
It blooms in the salt emptiness of life, and the brightness of its beauty
is set upon the waste as a star is set upon a storm. It hath the sun above
that is the spirit, and about it blows the air of its divinity.
There is only perfect flower in the wilderness of Life:
That flower is love!
There is only one fixed light in the mists of our wanderings:
That light is love!
There is only one hope in our despairing night:
That hope is love!
All else is false. All else is shadow moving upon water. All else is wind
and vanity.
Who shall say what is the weight or measure of love?
It is born of the flesh, it dwelleth in the spirit. From each doth it draw
its comfort.
For beauty it is as a star.
Many are its shapes but all are beautiful, and none know whence that star
rose, or the horizon where it shall set.
And I say unto you, that every man and woman is a star, and therefore,
every man and woman is love.
1748
HP#1 and HPS#1 perform the Blessing of the Union. HP#1 says:
Dancers to the Gods of Love,
We bless you in these sacred signs:
[Perform blessings, loosely bind hands with cord]
Spread your blessing on the land,
Fulfill with love the ancient law:
Fruit and corn for man and beast,
And love for evermore.
[remove cord]
HP#1 and HPS#1 assist the God and Goddess to rise with a kiss.
PS#2 and PS#3 replace their swords upon the altar, and pick up a dish of
cakes and a chalice of wine. They hand the wine to the God, and the cakes
to the Goddess, saying:
Please bless this food and wine into our bodies, bestowing
health, wealth, love and compassion, and that deep joy which
is the knowledge of Thee.
They step back while the God and Goddess bless the wine and cakes. The "Io
Evohe" chant is initiated by HPS#1 and HP#1, and everyone else joins in.
(Note: this is a joyful celebration of the good things of the Earth which
the God and Goddess provide for us, so the chant should be lively.) The
Handmaiden then steps forward to receive a cake, and a sip of wine. She is
followed by PS#2 and PS#3, and then the rest of the group ending with HPS#1
and HP#1, who take the wine and cakes, and offer them to the God .
and Goddess, then replace them upon the altar.
The God and Goddess now embrace around the maypole, and everyone .
takes a ribbon (male/white, female/red) to dance around. Minstrel .
now plays the maypole dance, and everyone begins: men go in a .
widdershins direction, female in a deosil one. The dancers go .
under the first person, over the next, under the next, and so on .
until the ribbons are used up. The dancers must then unwind the .
maypole, so everything is reversed (tip: keep watching your own .
ribbon!)
1749
After the dance has ended, Young God and May Queen are released from
the Maypole (!), and they read the Beltane Charge:
YG I am the burning flame of inspiration
Bringing light and life to the world:
MQ I am the burning flame of love
Which creates light and life in the world:
YG I am the rushing stream, sweeping all before me:
MQ I am the deepest ocean, taking all within me:
YG I am the swiftest wind that carries the seed:
MQ I am the gentlest breez which kisses the land:
YG I am the mighty mountain which caresses the stars:
MQ I am the smallest leaf which falls in the forest glade:
YG I am He! The Lord of Life and Death;
The Keeper of the Gates, the Hunter and the hunted:
MQ I am She! Queen of the darkness and the light;
Guardian of the Veil, the Mystery of Creation:
YG/MQ Together we stand, and in the power of our love
shall the wheel turn.
They now perform Cakes and Wine - servers step forward to assist.
The Feast
TO END THE RITUAL
HPS#1 READS THE BLESSING PRAYER
All take their athames, and support the HP and HPS as they thank, and bid
farewell to the Quarter Guardians.
Formal Grounding of the Power.
All present make their farewells to each other, and leave the Temple.
1750
{file "Candlemas Ritual 1987 (Coven of The Serpents Eye)" "bos345.htm"}
C A N D L E M A S 1 9 8 7
Coven of the Serpent's Eye
Declamation: Rufus Harrington
Invocation of the Mother: Paul Greenslade
Response of the Mother: Adapted by Prudence Jones from an original by
Vivianne Crowley
Invocation to the Crone: Rufus Harrington
Response of the Crone: Julia Phillips
Welcome to Spring: Mike Pinder
Welcome to the Virgin: Prudence Jones
Dance of the Elements: Prudence Jones and Julia Phillips
Initiate's Ceremony of Adapted by Julia Phillips from
Illumination: traditional Gardnerian source
Charge of Brigid's Fire: Adapted by Rufus Harrington
Temple set up as follows:
Veil across northern quarter
Altar set up, and ritual weapons as usual
Candles and incense
Cauldron in centre of Temple
Brighid Doll
Sistrum
White silk veil for Virgin
Wrist and ankle bells for each Priestess
Large white candle, placed in cauldron
Symbols of the elements:
One athame (or dagger) \}
One wand \} These should be placed ready One chalice
\} upon a small altar,
One pentacle \} adjacent to the main altar
One black egg \}
1751
Roles:
HPS-1 Goddess - Crone Aspect
HPS-2 Goddess - Mother Aspect
PS-1 Goddess - Virgin Aspect
HPS-3 Spirit
HP-1 Declamation and Invocation to Crone
HP-2 Invocation to Mother
PS-2 Eastern Quarter (Air)
PS-3 Southern Quarter (Fire)
PS-4 Western Quarter (Water)
PS-5 Northern Quarter (Earth)
(Note: it is essential that the first six roles be taken by experienced
initiates only)
Casting the circle:
All present will be purified and consecrated, and the circle will be cast
by the HPS.
The HPS will ask everyone to assist in the invocation to the quarters.
Those who have athames should collect them from the altar at this point.
After the Northern Quarter has been invoked, the group should all face
centre, while the HPS performs the invocation to Spirit. This completes the
casting of the circle.
THE RITUAL
PS-1 will go behind the veil, and put on the white silk veil.
HPS-1 and HPS-2 will stand side by side in the centre of the Temple. PS-2,
3, 4, and 5 will take up their positions at the cardinal points of the
Temple, and the Priests will stand between the Priestesses, ensuring
polarity. HPS-3 will stand in front of the main altar.
HP-1 will read the declamation:
Child of the Spinning Serpent,
Daughter of the morning star;
Startled from the depths of silence
Wakens vision's Silver Star.
Starting cold from depths of nightmare,
Shadows passing on the land;
Tears of silver, iced and shining
These she sheds upon the land.
1752
For deep within the night of vision
There the coiled serpent stirs,
Calling from the cauldron's darkness,
Singing with the song of stars.
For there she sees a frozen river,
There beholds a land of ice,
And sees an ancient mother mourning,
Tears that quickly turn to ice.
And sees herself, the youthful virgin,
Reach that river; frozen, cold,
Shining in the crystal moonlight
Seeming like a silver road.
Across the waters, there the mother;
Ancient Queen of the Shining Night;
Standing in the silver darkness
Lit by icy crystal light.
Reaching out across the darkness,
Silver arms across the ice,
Two hands touch above the waters,
Reach across the frozen night.
But now the serpent song of starlight
Calls across the cauldron's night;
Their hands a bridge across the silence,
Darkness shatters into light.
As sunlight calls across the waters
Rising from the shining east,
Cries of joy that echo terror
Crack as silent ice release.
Now hear the cry of mourning mothers;
Hear the joy of pain released:
Dull ache deep within the waters
Calling to the stirring beast.
For now behold the icy rivers
Touched by sunlight, turned to blood;
See the waters flowing freely
Through the gates of land and love.
1753
HP-2 will move forward, and perform the invocation to the Mother aspect of
the Goddess upon HPS-2:
I call to you, Mother of all,
Queen of our most secret dreams.
From dark and starlit heavens,
And deep within the fertile earth:
Come to us crowned in glory - Come!
I invoke you, and call upon you;
By the fertile earth and pregnant moon:
Come! Descend upon the body of Thy Priestess.
HPS-2 responds:
I am thy Goddess:
Before the beginning of time was I.
I made the mountains into peaks,
And laid with soft green grass the valleys and the meadows.
Mine was the first foot which trod upon the earth,
And where I walked there sprang forth flowers.
Mine was the voice which gave rise to the first song,
And the birds listened, and heard, and made return.
In the beginning of time
I taught the sea its song,
And mine were the tears
That gave forth the first rains.
Listen and hear Me!
For it was I who gave birth to you,
And in the depths of my earth
You will find rest and rebirth.
I will spring you forth anew,
A fresh shoot to greenness.
Fear Me; Love Me; Adore Me!
Lose yourself in Me.
For I am the cup of the wine of life:
I stir the senses;
I am the power.
1754
HP-1 will now perform the invocation to the Crone aspect of the
Goddess upon HPS-1:
Ancient Mother born of silence,
Silver Queen of spiral ice;
Hear the serpent's song of starlight
Call across the cauldron's night.
A name, a call, a key of shadows;
An ancient song from an ancient dream
Echoes deep within the darkness,
Calls Thee from the depths unseen.
For now I see Thy crystal spiral,
Now I see the crystal web,
Shining in the cauldron's darkness,
Bringing life and bringing death.
And now I call upon Thee, Ancient Mother,
To descend upon this the body of Thy servant
and Priestess.
HP-1 bows down before HPS-1
HPS-1 responds:
Who calls to the Queen of the Night?
(HP: "A worshipper")
Who calls to the cutter of the thread?
(HP: "The Spinning Serpent")
Who calls to the Mother of the Serpent?
(HP: "A lover")
Who calls to the Mistress of the Spiral Castle?
(HP: "Life itself")
If that man has not fear in his heart, let him stand and face me
now. (HP rises)
You have called, and I have answered, and now I shall teach thee
a mystery: That if that which thou seekest, thou findest not
within thee, thou wilt never find it without thee. For behold, I
have been with thee from the beginning, and I shall be with thee
at the end. Blessed Be.
1755
HP-1 returns to his place in the Temple. The Mother and Crone
will now "arm" each of the female guardians with the relevant
elemental weapon: The Crone will take an athame from the altar,
hand it to the Mother, who will present it to the Eastern
guardian. The wand will be given to the Southern guardian, the
chalice to the Western guardian, the pentacle to the Northern
guardian, and the black egg to Spirit.
Crone and Mother will now approach the veil: the Crone will part
the veil, and say:
As the white eagle of the north is flying overhead,
And the browns, reds and golds of autumn lie in the gutter, dead.
Remember then that summer birds with wings of fire flaying,
Came to witness spring's new hope, born of leaves decaying.
As new life will come from death, love will come at leisure:
Love of love, love of life, and giving without measure
Gives in return a wondrous yearn of a promise almost seen.
Live hand in hand, and together we'll stand
On the threshold of a dream.
During this, the Mother leads the Virgin to the centre of the
circle, and on the last line, all three stand hand in hand.
Then the Mother unveils the Virgin saying:
Welcome Virgin to Life!
Welcome Virgin to Spring!
Let life spring from thine heart,
And out thine eyes.
Let joy behold the dawn.
The Crone now instructs the Priests to turn away, as they may not
witness this stage of the female mysteries.
The Priestesses start to slowly circle deosil about the circle in
The Dance of the Elements. While this is going on, the Mother and
Crone will explain to the Virgin the significance and power of
each of the elements. 1755Note:1755 This is an integral part of the
ritual, but cannot be written as it is performed spontaneously by
the Mother and Crone. The format is basically as follows:
Mother: I give you the power of your intellect
Crone: I give you the power of beginnings
Mother: I give you the power of decision
Crone: I give you the freedom of air
and so on, remaining with each element as long as desired.
1756
On command from the Crone, the Dance will cease, and each
Priestess will return to her respective position. Now, the Mother
will take the Virgin to each Priestess in turn, starting with the
East, where she will be presented with the elemental weapons.
(ie, armed with her potential). After each presentation, the
Virgin will replace the weapon on the altar, to signify her
understanding and acceptance of this knowledge. Both Virgin and
Mother will return to the cauldron, where the Crone will present
the Virgin with the Bride Doll, which she will accept, and place
upon the altar. She then returns to the centre, and looks into
the cauldron, where she now finds a sistrum, which she picks up
and shakes joyfully shouting "Bride is Come, Bride is Welcome!"
This is the cue for the Priests to face centre once more. HP-1
starts playing the Bodrhun, and HPS-3 leads the dance. The Mother
and Crone link hands around the Virgin in a symbol of protection.
Everyone chants 1756"Bride is Come, Bride is Welcome"1756 as the dance
increases in tempo, and then HPS-3 will initiate the Witches'
Rune when she feels the time is right. The dance will finish with
arms held aloft, and then the Virgin will break out from between
the Mother and Crone, and take the cauldron candle to the altar,
where she will light it from one of the altar candles.
She will turn to face the group while HPS-3 leads the Initiate's Ceremony
of Illumination.
The virgin now returns to the East, where she reads The Charge of Brigid's
Fire.
I am She of the golden hair, Queen of the white hills, Rider of
the white swan, and now stand at the threshold of my glory.
I bring with me three gifts of fire: the first is the flame of
Inspiration that is kindled within the heart of the seeker.
The second is the flame of purification; the cleansing flame of
truth. The third is the flame born of the fires of love that
brings the seed of hope to all life.
Virgin now performs cakes and wine with a Priest of her choice.
The feast.
TO END THE RITUAL
All take their athames, and support HPS-1 as she thanks, and bids
farewell to the Quarter Guardians.
Formal grounding of the power.
All present make their farewells to each other, and leave the
Temple.
1757
{file "Imbolg '92 (Julia Phillips)" "bos346.htm"}
IMBOLG 1992
JULIA PHILLIPS
Temple in darkness, apart from the Yule log in the centre. Brigid in her bed on the
small altar. Lots of unlit candles in sand pots around the room. All enter as usual,
and the Circle is cast in the normal manner. After the central invocations, HP says:
Awake O Earth from your slumbers! Awake O Sun and restore the Earth! Mother - we are
in darkness.
HPS picks up a jug of water, and pours it into the cauldron saying:
The waters are broken. The ice melting towards Candletime. Blood has been along the
track, but now the ways are clear of death. Old and grey I was, but here in the
mystery of the waters I am renewed. For I am the one you sought, but could not find.
For I was singing to my child unseen, beneath the hills of birch and rowan.
HPS takes the asperge, and all circle around her chanting the Witches Rune. She
asperges each person as they pass, and on the last round, hands each person a white
candle. When everyone has a candle, the circling stops, and HPS lights the main
candles and says:
The darkness of winter is passing: the Earth awakens once more from its slumbers;
the Virgin walks among us again, and brings Her blessings upon the land and upon our
lives.
Priest and Priestess step forward and remove the cover from Brigid's bed, revealing
the Virgin. Everyone shouts:
Brigid is Come! Brigid is Welcome!
1758
HPS takes a light from the Yule log and says:
Let the inner light bear fruit in our own lives, even as the Earth bears the first
flowers.
I am Brigid: She of the Golden Hair; Queen of the White Hills, and rider of the
White Swan. I bring three gifts of fire. The first is the flame of creation; of the
poet and artist; of the lovers' passion for union with the beloved. The second is
the flame of purification and testing, the flame of truth. With this flame all dross
and weakness are made clear and cleansed from thee, so thou become like a true and
tested sword. The third is the greatest of all, for it is the healing flame born out
of the love that gives all, the maker of peace and harmony. But I do not give these
gifts one by one; I give them as a whole in the form of the growing Sun.
Everyone then lights their candle from the Yule log, and starts to circle deosil,
lighting the candles around the room as they go, chanting:
Thus we banish winter, thus we welcome spring;
Say farewell to what is dead, and greet each living thing.
When all the candles are lit, everyone places their candle in a sand pot, and the
chanting ceases.
HPs and HP bless cakes and wine.
1759
{file "Samhain Ritual 1986 (Coven of The Serpents Eye)" "bos347.htm"}
S A M H A I N 1 9 8 6
Coven of the Serpent's Eye
Declamation written by Rufus Harrington
Invocation to Horned God written by Doreen Valiente
Response of the Horned God written by Paul Greenslade
Consecration of the seeds written by Jim Kitson
Temple set up as follows:
Veil in northern quarter
Cauldron in centre, with charcoal blocks ready lit
Stereo ready with taped music
A dish of corn seeds on the altar
One pot of earth for each person
Pomegranate on altar
Candles, incense and ritual weapons as usual
Floor tom-tom drum
Roles:
HPS The Goddess
HP The Horned God
Priest To consecrate the seeds
P or PS Ritual drumming
Casting the circle:
The Circle will be cast by the HPS
The HPS will invoke the quarters: while she does so, each person .
should face the quarter being invoked, and direct power to the .
quarter with their athame (or other if they have no athame). The .
group should all face centre, forming a circle after the .
invocation to the northern quarter, and hold both arms aloft .
while the HPS calls upon the Lord and Lady to join with the .
celebrations. This completes the casting of the circle.
.pa.
The Ritual:
HPS wearing black silk robe and veil stands at the altar, .
facing the group, who are seated. 1759The HP reads the declamation:1759
Iced legions of the damned
Call and dance the songs of madness;
Hollow hills re-echo to the silent cries of night,
For dancing flames now turn to shadows,
Winds and madness call the night,
And just a single light in darkness
Stands before the veil to fight.
1760
And so the Goddess stood in darkness,
Tear stained cheeks lashed by rain,
Turned to face the veil of darkness,
Turned to face the world of pain.
Alone, an outcast, branded traitor;
She it was who killed the land.
To save the land from age and darkness,
To save the land from fear and death,
For love of life she sought to conquer,
Sought to stay the hand of death.
But in her love and in her madness
She summoned death into the land;
Summoned death to fight the darkness,
Thus it was destroyed the land.
Cracked silver lightning; shattering darkness,
Revealing eyes, and visions born beyond.
Iced visions of light,
Echoes of dying laughter chill and cool the blood.
Storm clouds tearing sky and screaming,
Battles fought at heaven's gate,
Fly upon the winds of madness,
Seek the silver key of fate.
HPS: SILENCE! An end must be made!
For there are three great events in the life of man:
Love, Death and resurrection in the new body, and magic
controls them all.
For to fulfil love you must return again at the same
time and place as the loved one, and you must remember
and love them again.
But to be reborn, you must die and be ready for a new
body; and to die you must be born, and without love
you may not be born, and so is formed the spiral of
creation, and this is all the magics.
The group now stand, and when everyone is facing the HPS, she assumes pentagram
position. The ritual drummer takes his position, and the Priest who is taking the
role of the Horned God switches on the music tape, blows out the northern quarter
candle and moves behind the veil. Silence while the tape of "The making of Bloduedd"
is played, as this is the invocation the the Goddess in her transformation aspect.
(Note: the tape is allowed to continue playing, as this is the only item on the
tape, the remainder being blank.)
The HPS turns to face the altar, and holds aloft the sword. As she does so, the
drummer plays a steady rhythm. The HPS moves to the centre of the circle, facing the
veil; the group arrange themselves behind her, all facing the veil. The HPS points
the sword at the veil, and the group hold aloft their arms for the invocation to the
Horned God.
1761
HPS says:
By the flame that burneth bright O Horned One,
We call Thy name into the night, O Ancient One!
Thee we invoke by the moon led sea,
By the standing stone, and the twisted tree.
Thee we invoke where gather Thine own,
By nameless shrine, forgotten and lone.
Come where the round of the dance is trod,
Horn and hoof of the goat foot God!
By moonlit meadow and dusky hill,
When haunted wood is hushed and still,
Come to the charm of the chanted prayer,
As the moon bewitches the midnight air.
Evoke Thy powers that potent bide,
In shining stream and secret tide,
In fiery flame and starlight pale,
In shadowy hosts that ride the gale.
And by the fern brakes, fairy haunted,
Of forests wild and woods enchanted;
Come O come to the heart beats drum,
Come to us who gather below,
When the pale white moon is climbing slow,
Through the stars to the heavens height,
We hear Thy hooves on the wings of night!
As black tree branches shake and sigh,
By joy and terror we know Thee nigh.
We speak the spell Thy power unlocks,
At solstice, sabbat and equinox.
Word of virtue, the veil to rend,
From primal dawn to the wide world's end!
(As the invocation proceeds, the drummer speeds his rhythm to suggest the sound of
hoofbeats, and after the final line of the invocation, he suddenly reverts to a
simple, slow four beats for the entrance of the Horned God.)
P#1 responds from behind the veil:
I am the Dread Lord of the Shadows:
God of life and giver of life.
I open wide the veil through which all must pass.
The gate is open between the worlds
And all who would enter on this night are welcome.
Come spirits; departed ones; brethren from our past and present
Join us in the hunt tonight.
During his response, he parts the veil, and then fastens it open in some way, as
the veil between the worlds remains open until closed by the Horned God at the end
of the ritual.
1762
As he finishes speaking, he enters the Temple, and proceeds to move in a widdershins
direction, and the drummer plays a rhythm according to the speed and movement of the
Horned God. The Horned God then takes the hand of one of the group (female), and
she takes the hand of the next male, and so on until all the group except for the
HPS and drummer are dancing with the Horned God. This represents the Wild Hunt, and
the drumming and dancing should reflect the feeling of this. At a prompt from the
Horned God, the group will stop dancing, and seat themselves on the floor facing
inwards around the cauldron. The drummer will join them, and the HPS will bring a
pot of incense, from which she will take a handful and throw it into the cauldron.
she will then pass the incense to the HP, who will also throw some into the
cauldron, and will pass it to his neighbour, and so on around the circle until each
person has thrown some incense into the cauldron. There is now a period of
meditation, where everyone thinks about the past year, and those who may have passed
over during that time. It is also a time for joining with our loved ones who have
gone beyond, and who we invite to return to us for the night. When the HPS feels
that long enough has been spent on this part of the ritual, she will signal that
everyone should end their meditation.
P#2 shall now rise (also PS#1 if designated), and approach the altar where he/they
will perform the consecration of the sacred seed.
P#2 says:
Bounded by a shell then?
Secure in the vice of the earth, a unity waiting.
And outside?
Cold, wet loneliness, the comfort of death.
And above?
The agony of birth and growth, total struggle in total night.
O Gaia!
Smile upon your children, set free the seed of life and joy.
So Mote It Be!
When this has been completed, P#2 takes some of the seeds, and energises them with
his own hopes and desires for the coming year, and then plants them in one of the
prepared pots. The rest of the group do likewise, commencing with 1762PS#11762 if
designated, and following male/female if possible. The Horned God and Goddess do not
plant seeds at the altar. When the last person has planted their seeds, and all are
seated again, the 1762Horned God1762 approaches the altar, and slices the
pomegranite in half, and holds both halves in one hand. He picks up some seeds and
charges them with his hopes and desires for the coming year, but does not plant them
at the altar. He holds them in his hand, and then he calls to all the spirits who
followed him through from beyond the veil to return with him now, and moving in a
deosil direction, circles around the Temple finally ending up beyond the veil again.
He calls to the Goddess to join with him once more, and she has such love for him
that she willingly leaves her life this side of the veil, and of her own free will
joins once more with her consort. She rises, and goes to the altar to collect and
charge her own seeds, which she then carries with her as she moves around the
Temple, finally joining the Horned God behind the veil. He closes the veil between
the worlds once more, and to symbolise her willing descent to the Otherworld, the
Goddess eats one half of the pomegranate. She and the Horned God then plant their
seeds.
The northern quarter candle is relit by the person nearest to it.
1763
At this point, 1763PS#1 and P#21763 approach the altar, and perform the consecration
of cakes and wine, in which all participate bar the HPS and P#1 behind the veil, as
they are "no longer of this world". After cakes and wine, 1763HPS and P#11763 rejoin
the circle for the feast, no longer "Horned God and Goddess".
TO END THE RITUAL:
Each quarter is thanked and bidden to depart by HPS
All present make their farewells to each other, and leave the Temple.
The Rite is ended.
1764
{file "Yule Ritual 1984 (Julia Phillips)" "bos348.htm"}
Y U L E 1984
Julia Phillips
Circle is cast and Quarters erected.
HPS: We now stand at the turning of the year.
Dark Lord: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter,
All fades and passes, day to night.
Dark Lord extinguishes candles leaving only altar candles alight.
HPS: Let us dance for the long year's end, for the sun sets
quickly in the West, and we begin the long night of
hope.
Coven do Wheel or Cord dance widdershins about the cauldron
chanting:
Time and Death, Life and Seasons, All must pass, All must change.
Star Child now leaves the circle, and stands behind the veil in the North.
HPS stands at the cauldron in the centre, wearing a black veil.
HPS: I am the Hag who engendered you all;
I am the Three and the One who is here;
I am the log that is ripe for burning;
In my end is your hope of beginning.
HPS now lifts the cauldron aloft and presents it to each quarter.
She returns to the centre, and lights the cauldron candle, from
which she lights a quarter candle for each member of the coven.
The quarter candles are placed in their respective quarters.
Narrator: This is the night of the Solstice; the Mother Night.
Now darkness triumphs, and yet gives way and changes to light.
Time stops, and all wait while the cauldron of the Dark King is
transformed into the infant Light. We watch for the dawn when the Mother
again gives birth to the sun, who is the bringer of hope and the
promise of summer. Holly gives way to Oak, the Wren to the Robin, Old to
New.
Narrator: We stand now in the long night, we pray for the sun's return. In
darkness and shadows the Great Mother groans. The Mother labours to bring
forth the sun from her pain. From her cries of labour comes forth our
cries of welcome; from her toil and anguish our hope is reborn. Let us
now call forth the Great Mother, and the Lord of Life, her husband and son.
The Star Child emerges from behind the veil, and lays at the feet of the
HPS. The HPS points to the Star Child and proclaims:
Behold the Child! Here lies our king!
1765
The HPS crowns the Star Child with a crown of misteltoe. She
removes her veil and announces:
I am the Mother who brought forth the child;
I am the inspiration, and I am the rebirth.
Narrator: You are the ecstasy of the blessed
You are the light of the sun's beams
You are the lordly door of welcome
You are the guiding star
Yours is the step of the roe on the hill
Yours is the step of the white-faced mare
Yours is the grace of the swimming swan
You are the jewel in each mystery
Coven now do Wheel or Cord dance deosil about the cauldron
chanting:
Power of soil and power of air,
Power of fire and power of water,
Power that spins the wheel of birth,
Spins the wheel of joy and mirth,
Spins the wheel of sun and moon,
Push, push, push, Open the gate.
Power of spell and magic free,
Eternal power that binds the sea,
Weaves the web of infinity,
Light of dark and light of day,
Speed the spokes fast on their way,
Push push push - ah ah
Open the gate, So Mote It Be!
HPS now invokes the Lord of Misrule into the circle. He is
challenged upon entry by the Dark Lord, and must explain who he
is, and why he is there. The Lord of Misrule is now in charge of
the circle, and may behave as he sees fit. At some point, he must
take the burdens of the coven for the previous twelve moons and
pack them in his bag.
Cakes and Wine.
The Lord of Misrule must be ritually hunted as a wren to bring
about his downfall. The coven mime hunting the wren chanting,
"Burn the bush, hunt the wren"
When he is discovered, the coven point their athames at his neck
to symbolise his death.
Close ritual.
1766
{file ""Legitimacy" in the Craft (Khaled Q.)" "bos349.htm"}
"LEGITIMACY" IN THE CRAFT, a conversation
---------------------------------------------------------------------
(117) Sun 25 Apr 93 11:16
By: Khaled
To: Lana
Re: things
St:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
L> What rituals do you think I would have to do to become "letigimate" L> ....(do I
have to be "initiated" in other words... )!
That rather depends on who you want to recognise you as legitimate. There's a
wide variance of opinion as to what makes a witch, a Witch or a Wiccan. If you open
your heart to the Lady and commune (speak with your heart, not necessarily in words)
with her often, she will eventually adopt her as one of her special Children (the
"inner", or Lady's, initiation). Her adoption will cause changes to your spirit and
way of looking at things that will be obvious to those of us who share it, as its
presence in others will become obvious to you after you've awakened to her touch
(unfortunately, it's one of those things
that doesn't make much sense until you've *been there*).
Most of us here accept the Lady's initiation as the mark of a true Witch
(capitalised to denote the priest/ess, as opposed to the folk mage or witch). I
gather that the majority of those posting here think of Wiccans and Witches as one
and the same, though many of us think of Wicca as a particular subset of Witches
(i.e. all Wiccans are Witches, but not all Witches are, or even wish to be, Wiccan).
1767
For those of us who see them as different (I'm one of them), you will need to
be formally adopted into a Wiccan clan to be a *Wiccan* Witch. Some traditions
permit self-adoption into their clans, some (Gardnerians and their near kin in
particular) recognise you as Wiccan only if you've been adopted by an authorised
Elder of the clan in question. Then again,there's a few diehards who don't
recognise anyone but members of their own clan as Wiccan.
Which brings us back to square one -- it depends on whose recognition you're
looking for. Most will accept your legitimacy *as a Witch* based on the quality of
your rapport with the Lady. And the way to develop that is to spend a lot of time
in her company, whether with like-minded others in a coven or quietly by yourself.
A large minority will accept you *as a Wiccan* based on whether or not you have
passed through a human rite of passage (confusingly, also called initiation)
adopting you into a Wiccan clan. Be sure you know the
family that wishes to adopt you before accepting: this time you get to *choose* your
relatives <g>. Those who insist that only *they* have the Truth, and therefore only
they are legitimate aren't really worth wasting your time worrying about, IMHO.
1768
L> I was wondering if you HAD to belong to a coven in order to
L> practice, or to be "letigimate", so to speak.
As Ayesha mentioned, what matters is that you spend time in the Lady's company,
and "listen" to what she has to say, "feel" what she has to show. Even amongst
crusty old Gardnerians such as myself, there's no need to be a member of a coven to
practice your Craft, nor does resigning from a coven invalidate your initiation(s).
We prefer to work in covens, because we generally prefer the company of our brethren
in Circle, but there's no law that says we *have to* if we feel like being alone, or
have no choice in the matter. Gardnerian
*initiations* are done by a coven, and one normally has to be a candidate for
membership in that coven in order to be initiated (by us). This is by no means
invariable, but initiating someone you don't want in your coven is considered
tasteless at best, a betrayal of your sacred trust at worst.
So, no, you don't HAVE to be a member of a coven to be seen as legitimate. And
since my own opinion is that the weakest link in a coven is its weakest solitary,
I'd encourage you to continue to do some solo work, even if you DO join a coven.
But what would I know, I'm just a 3rd <big grin>. Blessings on your path, whichever
way you choose to go...
K
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{file "Descent of The Goddess (G.B.G.)" "bos350.htm"}
The Meaning of Witchcraft
Gerald B. Gardner
P.265
Appendix I
THE MAGICAL LEGEND OF THE WITCHES.
Now, G. (the Witch Goddess) had never loved, but she would solve
all the Mysteries, even the Mystery of Death; and so she journeyed to
the Nether Lands.
The Guardians of the Portals challenged her, "Strip off thy
garments, lay aside thy jewels; for naught may ye bring with ye into
this our land."
So she laid down her garments and her jewels, and was bound, as are all who
enter the Realms of Death the Mighty One. (Note: There was a Celtic custom of
binding corpses. The cord which had bound a corpse was useful in learning the
"second sight.")
Such was her beauty that Death himself knelt and Kissed her feet,
saying, "Blessed be thy feet that have brought thee in these ways.
Abide with me, let me place my cold hands on thy heart."
She replied, "I love thee not. Why dost thou cause all things that I love and
take delight in to fade and die?"
"Lady", replied Death, "tis Age and Fate, against which I am
helpless. Age causes all things to wither; but when men die at the end of time I
give them rest and peace, and strength so that they may
return. But thou, thou art lovely. Return not; abide with me."
But she answered, "I love thee not."
Then said Death, "An thou received not my had on thy heart, thou
must receive Death's scourge."
"It is Fate; better so", she said, and she knelt; and Death
Scourged her, and she cried, "I feel the pangs of love."
And Death said, "Blessed be", and gave her the fivefold kiss,
saying, Thus only may ye attain to joy and knowledge.
And he taught her all the Mysteries. And they loved and were one, and he
taught her all the Magics.
For there are three great events in the life of man; Love, Death,
and Resurrection in a new body; and Magic controls them all. For to
fulfil love you must return again at the same time and place as the
loved one, and you must remember and love them again. But to be reborn you must
die, and be ready for new body; and to die you must be born; and without love you
may not be born. And these be all the Magics.
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{file "Descent of The Goddess (Starhawk)" "bos351.htm"}
The Spiral Dance
1979; Starhawk
p 159
The Goddess In The Kingdom Of Death
In this world, the Goddess is seen in the moon, the light that shines in darkness,
the rain bringer, mover of the tides, Mistress of mysteries. And as the moon waxes
and wanes, and walks three nights of its cycle in darkness, so, it is said, the
Goddess once spent three nights in the Kingdom of Death.
For in love She ever seeks Her other Self, and once, in the winter of the year, when
He had disappeared from the green earth, She followed Him and came at last to the
gates beyond which the living do not go.
The Guardian of the Gate challenged Her, and She stripped Herself of Her clothing
and jewels, for nothing may be brought into that land. For love, She was bound as
all who enter there must be and brought before Death Himself.
He loved Her, and knelt at Her feet, laying before Her His sword and crown, and gave
Her the fivefold kiss, and said,
"Do not return to the living world, but stay here with Me, and have peace and rest
and comfort."
But She answered, "Why do you cause all things I love and delight in to die and
wither away?"
"Lady," He said, "It is the fate of all that lives to die. Everything passes; all
fades away. I bring comfort and consolation to those who pass the gates, that they
may grow young again. But You are My heart's desire -- return not, but stay here
with Me."
And She remained with Him three days and three nights, and at the end of the third
night She took up His crown, and it became a circlet that She placed around Her
neck, saying:
"Here is the circle of rebirth. Through You all passes out of life, but through Me
all may be born again. Everything passess; everything changes. Even death is not
eternal. Mine is the mystery of the womb, that is the cauldron of rebirth. Enter
into Me and know Me, and You will be free of all fear. For as life is but a journey
into death, so death is but a passage back to life, and in Me the circle is ever
turning."
In love, He entered into Her, and so was reborn into life. Yet is He known as Lord
of Shadows, the comforter and consoler, opener of the gates, King of the Land of
Youth, the giver of peace and rest. But She is the gracious mother of all life;
from Her all things proceed and to Her they return again. In Her are the mysteries
of death and birth; in Her is the fulfillment of all love.
*Traditional Craft Myth
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{file "A True History of Witchcraft (Allen Greenfield)" "bos352.htm"}
A TRUE HISTORY OF WITCHCRAFT
updated through January 3, 1992. copyright (c) 1992 by Allen Greenfield. All
rights reserved.]
"The fact is that the instincts of ignorant people invariably find expression in
some form of witchcraft. It matters little what the metaphysician or the moralist
may inculcate; the animal sticks to his subconscious ideas..."
Aleister Crowley
The Confessions
"As attunement to psychic (occult) reality has grown in America, one often
misunderstood and secretive branch of it has begun to flourish also -- magical
religion..."
J. Gordon Melton
Institute for the Study of
American Religion, Green Egg, 1975
"Curse them! Curse them! Curse them!
With my Hawk's head I peck at the eyes of
Jesus as he hangs upon the cross
I flap my wings in the face of Mohammed &
blind him
With my claws I tear out the flesh of the
Indian and the Buddhist, Mongol and
Din..."
Liber Al Vel Legis 3:50 - 53
"If you are on the Path, and see the Buddha walking towards you, kill him."
Zen saying, paraphrased slightly
"Previously I never thought of doubting that there were many witches in the world;
now, however, when I examine the public record, I find myself believing that there
are hardly any..."
Father Friedrich von Spee, S.J. , Cautio Criminalis, 1631
Having spent the day musing over the origins of the modern witchcraft, I had a
vivid dream. It seemed to be a cold January afternoon, and Aleister Crowley was
having Gerald Gardner over to tea. It was 1945, and talk of an early end to the
war was in the air. An atmosphere of optimism prevailed in the "free world" , but
the wheezing old magus was having none of it.
"Nobody is interested in magick any more!" Crowley ejaculated. "My friends on the
Continent are dead or in exile, or grown old; the movement in America is in
shambles. I've seen my best candidates turn against me....Achad, Regardie -- even
that gentleman out in California, what's - his - name, AMORC, the one that made
all the money.."
1772
"O, bosh, Crowley," Gardner waved his hand impatiently, "all things considered,
you've done pretty well for yourself. Why, you've been called the `wickedest man
in the world' and by more than a few. And you've not, if you'll pardon the
impertinence, done too badly with the ladies."
Crowley coughed, tugged on his pipe reflectively. "You know" he finally ventured,
"it's like I've been trying to tell this fellow Grant. A restrictive Order is not
enough. If I had it all to do over again, I would've built a religion for the
unwashed masses instead of just a secret society. Why, the opportunities! The
women!"
Gardner smiled. "Precisely. And that is what I have come to propose to you.
Take your BOOK OF THE LAW, your GNOSTIC MASS. Add a little razzle-dazzle for the
country folk. Why I know these occultists who call themselves `witches'. They
dance around fires naked, get drunk, have a good time. Rosicrucians, I think.
Proper English country squires and dames, mostly; I think they read a lot of
Frazier and Margaret Murray. If I could persuade you to draw on your long experience
and talents, in no time at all we could invent a popular cult that would have
beautiful ladies clamoring to let us strip them naked, tie them up and spank their
behinds! If, Mr. Crowley, you'll excuse my explicitness."
For all his infirmity, Aleister Crowley almost sprang to his feet, a little of the
old energy flashing through his loins. "By George, Gardner, you've got something
there, I should think! I could license you to initiate people into the O.T.O.
today, and you could form the nucleus of such a group!" He paced in agitation. "Yes,
yes," he mused, half to Gardner, half to himself. "The Book. The Mass. I could
write some rituals. An `ancient book' of magick. A `book of shadows'. Priest-
esses, naked girls. Yes. By Jove, yes!"
Great story, but merely a dream , created out of bits and pieces of rumor, history
and imagination. Don't be surprised, though, if a year or five years from now you
read it as "gospel" (which is an ironic synonym for `truth') in some new learned
text on the fabled history of Wicca. Such is the way all mythologies come into
being.
Please don't misunderstand me here; I use the word `mythology' in this context in
its aboriginal meaning, and with considerable respect. History is more metaphor
than factual accounting at best, and there are myths by which we live and others
by which we die. Myths are the dreams and visions which parallel objective
history. This entire work is, in fact, an attempt to approximate history.
To arrive at some perspective on what the modern mythos called, variously,
"Wicca", the "Old Religion", "Witchcraft" and "Neopaganism" is, we must firstly
make a firm distinction; "witchcraft" in the popular informally defined sense may
have little to do with the modern religion that goes by the same name. It has been
argued by defenders of and formal apologists for modern Wicca that it is a direct
lineal descendent of an ancient, indeed, prehistoric worldwide folk religion.
1773
Some proponents hedge their claims, calling Wicca a "revival" rather than a
continuation of an ancient cult. Oddly enough, there may never have been any such
cult! The first time I met someone who thought she was a "witch," she started
going on about being a "blue of the cloak." I should've been warned right then and
there. In fact, as time has passed and the religion has spread, the claims of
lineal continuity have tended to be hedged more and more. Thus, we find Dr.
Gardner himself, in 1954, stating unambiguously that some witches are descendants
"... of a line of priests and priestesses of an old and probably Stone Age
religion, who have been initiated in a certain way (received into the circle) and
become the recipients of certain ancient learning." (Gardner, WITCHCRAFT TODAY, pp
33-34.)
Stated in its most extreme form, Wicca may be defined as an ancient pagan
religious system of beliefs and practices, with a form of apostolic succession
(that is, with knowledge and ordination handed on lineally from generation to
generation), a more or less consistent set of rites and myths, and even a secret
holy book of considerable antiquity (The Book of Shadows).
More recent writers, as we have noted, have hedged a good deal on these claims,
particularly the latter. Thus we find Stewart Farrar in 1971 musing on the
purported ancient text thusly: "Whether, therefore, the whole of the Book of
Shadows is post-1897 is anyone's guess. Mine is that, like the Bible, it is a
patchwork of periods and sources, and that since it is copied and re-copied by
hand, it includes amendments, additions, and stylistic alterations according to
the taste of a succession of copiers...Parts of it I sense to be genuinely old;
other parts suggest modern interpolation..." (Farrar, WHAT WITCHES DO, pp
34-35.)As we shall discover presently, there appear to be no genuinely old copies
of the Book of Shadows.
Still, as to the mythos, Farrar informs us that the "two personifications of
witchcraft are the Horned God and the Mother Goddess..." (ibid, p 29) and that the
"Horned God is not the Devil, and never has been. If today `Satanist' covens do
exist, they are not witches but a sick fringe, delayed-reaction victims of a
centuries-old Church propaganda in which even intelligent Christians no longer
believe." (ibid, p 32).
One could protest:, "Very well, some case might be made for the Horned God being
mistaken for the Christian Devil (or should that be the other way around?), but what
record, prior to the advent 50 years ago of modern Wicca via Gerald Gardner, do we
have of the survival of a mother goddess image from ancient times?"
Wiccan apologists frequently refer to the (apparently isolated) tenth century
church document which states that "some wicked women, perverted by the Devil,
seduced by the illusions and phantasms of demons, believe and profess themselves
in the hours of the night to ride upon certain beasts with Diana, the goddess of
pagans, or with Herodias, and an innumerable multitude of women, and in the
silence of the dead of night to traverse great spaces of earth, and to obey her
commands as of their mistress, and to be summoned to her service on certain
nights." (Quoted in Valiente, WITCHCRAFT FOR TOMORROW, Hale, 1978, p 32.) I do not
doubt that bits of pagan folklore survived
on the Continent through the first millenium -- Northern Europe remained overtly
pagan until the High Middle Ages. But what has this to do with Wicca?
Farrar, for his part, explains the lack of references to a goddess in the
testimony at the infamous witch trials by asserting that "the judges ignored the
Goddess, being preoccupied with the Satan-image of the God.." (WHAT WITCHES DO, p
33). But it is the evidence of that reign of terror which lasted from roughly 1484
to 1692 which brings the whole idea of a surviving religious cult into question.
It is now the conventional wisdom on the witchburning mania which swept like a
1774
plague over much of Europe during the transition from medieval world to modern
that it was JUST that; a mania, a delusion in the minds of Christian clergymen and
state authorities; that is, there were no witches, only the innocent victims of
the witch hunt.
Further, this humanist argument goes, the `witchcraft' of Satanic worship,
broomstick riding, of Sabbats and Devil-marks, was a rather late invention,
borrowing but little from remaining memories of actual preChristian paganism. We
have seen a resurrection of this mania in the 1980s flurry over `Satanic
sacrificial' cults, with as little evidence.
"The concept of the heresy of witchcraft was frankly regarded as a new invention,
both by the theologians and by the public," writes Dr. Rossell Hope Robbins in THE
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WITCHCRAFT & DEMONOLOGY, (Crown, 1959, p.9)"Having to hurdle an
early church law, the Canon Episcopi, which said in effect that belief in
witchcraft was superstitious and heretical, the inquisitors cavilled by arguing
that the witchcraft of the Canon Episcopi and the witchcraft of the Inquisition
were different..."
The evidence extracted under the most gruesome and repeated tortures resemble the
Wiccan religion of today in only the most cursory fashion. Though Wicca may have
been framed with the "confessions" extracted by victims of the inquisitors in
mind, those "confessions" --- which are more than suspect, to begin with, bespeak
a cult of devil worshipers dedicated to evil.
One need only read a few of the accounts of the time to realize that, had there
been at the time a religion of the Goddess and God, of seasonal circles and The
Book of Shadows, such would likely have been blurted out by the victims, and more
than once. The agonies of the accused were, almost literally, beyond the
imagination of those of us who have been fortunate enough to escape them.
The witch mania went perhaps unequaled in the annals of crimes against humanity
en masse until the Hitlerian brutality of our own century. But, no such confessions
were forthcoming, though the wretches accused, before the torture was done, would
also be compelled to condemn their own parents, spouses, loved ones, even children.
They confessed, and to anything the inquisitors wished, anything to stop or reduce
the pain.
A Priest, probably at risk to his own life, recorded testimony in the 1600s that
reflected the reality underlying the forced "confessions" of "witches". Rev. Michael
Stapirius records, for example, this comment from one "confessed witch": "I never
dreamed that by means of the torture a person could be brought to the point of
telling such lies as I have told. I am not a witch, and I have never seen the
devil, and still I had to plead guilty myself and denounce others...." All but one
copy of Father Stapirius' book were destroyed, and little wonder.
A letter smuggled from a German burgomaster, Johannes Junius, to his daughter in
1628, is as telling as it is painful even to read. His hands had been virtually
destroyed in the torture, and he wrote only with great agony and no hope. "When
at last the executioner led me back to the cell, he said to me, `Sir, I beg you,
for God's sake, confess something, whether it be true or not. Invent something,
for you cannot endure the torture which you will be put to; and, even if you bear
it all, yet you will not escape, not even if you were an earl, but one torture
will follow another until you say you are a witch. Not before that,' he said, `will
they let you go, as you may see by all their trials, for one is just like
another...' " (ibid, pp 12-13)
For the graspers at straws, we may find an occasional line in a "confession" which
is intriguing, as in the notations on the "confession" of one woman from Germany
dated in late 1637. After days of unspeakable torment, wherein the woman
1775
confesses under pain, recants when the pain is removed, only to be moved by more
pain to confess again, she is asked: "How did she influence the weather? She does
not know what to say and can only whisper, Oh, Heavenly Queen, protect me!"
Was the victim calling upon "the goddess"? Or, as seems more likely, upon that
aforementioned transfiguration of all ancient goddesses in Christian mythology, the
Virgin Mary. One more quote from Dr. Robbins, and I will cease to parade late
medieval history before you.
It comes from yet another priest, Father Cornelius Loos, who observed, in 1592
that "Wretched creatures are compelled by the severity of the torture to confess
things they have never done, and so by cruel butchery innocent lives are
taken....." (ibid, p 16). The "evidence" of the witch trials indicates, on the
whole, neither the Satanism the church and state would have us believe, nor the
pagan survivals now claimed by modern Wicca; rather, they suggest only fear,
greed, human brutality carried out to bizarre extremes that have few parallels in
all of history. But, the brutality is not that of `witches' nor even of `Satanists'
but rather that of the Christian Church, and the government.
What, then, are we to make of modern Wicca? It must, of course, be observed as an
aside that in a sense witchcraft or "wisecraft" has, indeed, been with us from the
dawn of time, not as a coherent religion or set of practices and beliefs, but as
the folk magic and medicine that stretches back to early, possibly paleolithic
tribal shamans on to modern China's so-called "barefoot doctors".
In another sense, we can also say that ceremonial magick, as I have previously
noted, has had a place in history for a very long time, and both these ancient
systems of belief and practice have intermingled in the lore of modern Wicca, as
apologists are quick to claim.
1776
But, to an extent, this misses the point and skirts an essential question anyone
has the right to ask about modern Wicca -- namely, did Wicca exist as a coherent
creed, a distinct form of spiritual expression, prior to the 1940s; that is, prior
to the meeting of minds between the old magus and venerable prophet of the occult
world Aleister Crowley, and the first popularizer, if not outright inventor of
modern Wicca, Gerald Brosseau Gardner?
There is certainly no doubt that bits and pieces of ancient paganism survived
into modern times in folklore and, for that matter, in the very practices and
beliefs of Christianity.
Further, there appears to be some evidence that `Old George' Pickingill and
others were practicing some form of folk magick as early as the latter part of the
last century, though even this has recently been brought into question. Wiccan
writers have made much of this in the past, but just what `Old George' was into is
subject to much debate.
Doreen Valiente, an astute Wiccan writer and one-time intimate of the late Dr.
Gardner (and, in fact, the author of some rituals now thought by others to be of
"ancient origin"), says of Pickingill that so "fierce was `Old George's dislike of
Christianity that he would even collaborate with avowed Satanists..." (TOMORROW, p
20). What
George Pickingill was doing is simply not clear.
He is said to have had some interaction with a host of figures in the occult
revival of the late nineteenth century, including perhaps even Crowley and his
friend Bennett. It seems possible that Gardner, about the time of meeting Crowley,
had some involvement with groups stemming from Pickingill's earlier activities,
but it is only AFTER Crowley and Gardner meet that we begin to see anything
resembling the modern spiritual communion that has become known as Wicca.
"Witches," wrote Gardner in 1954, "are consummate leg-pullers; they are taught it
as part of their stock-in-trade." (WITCHCRAFT TODAY, p. 27) Modern apologists both
for Aleister Crowley AND Gerald Gardner have taken on such serious tones as well
aspretensions that they may be missing places where tongues are firmly jutting
against cheeks.
Both men were believers in fleshly fulfillment, not only as an end in itself but,
as in the Tantric Yoga of the East, as a means of spiritual attainment. A certain
prudishness has crept into the practices of postGardnarian Wiccans, especially in
America since the 1960s, along with a certain feminist revisionism. This has
succeeded to a considerable extent in converting a libertine sex cult into a rather
staid neopuritanism.
The original Gardnarian current is still well enough known and widely enough in
vogue (in Britain and Ireland especially) that one can venture to assert that what
Gardnerian Wicca is all about is the same thing Crowley was attempting with a more
narrow, more intellectual constituency in the magickal orders under his direct
influence.
These Orders had flourished for some time, but by the time Crowley ` officially'
met Gardner in the 1940s, much of the former's lifelong efforts had, if not
totally disintegrated, at least were then operating at a diminished and diminishing
level.
Through his long and fascinating career as magus and organizer, there is some
reason to believe that Crowley periodically may have wished for, or even attempted
to create a more populist expression of magickal religion. The Gnostic Mass, which
1777
Crowley wrote fairly early-on, had come since his death to somewhat fill this
function through the OTO-connected Gnostic Catholic Church (EGC).
As we shall see momentarily, one of Crowley's key followers was publishing
manifestos forecasting the revival of witchcraft at the same time Gardner was being
chartered by Crowley to organize an OTO encampment. The OTO itself, since Crowley's
time, has taken on a more popular image, and is more targeted towards interna-
tional organizational efforts, thanks largely to the work under the Caliphate of
the late Grady McMurtry. This contrasts sharply with the very internalized OTO that
barely survived during the McCarthy Era, when the late Karl Germer was in charge,
and the OTO turned inward for two decades.
The famous Ancient and Mystic Order of the Rose Cross (AMORC), the highly
successful mail-order spiritual fellowship, was an OTO offspring in Crowley's
time. It has been claimed that Kenneth Grant and Aleister Crowley were discussing
relatively radical changes in the Ordo Templi Orientis at approximately the same
time that Gardner and Crowley were interactive.
Though Wiccan writers give some lip service (and, no doubt, some sincere credence)
to the notion that the validity of Wiccan ideas depends not upon its lineage, but
rather upon its workability, the suggestion that Wicca is -- or, at least, started
out to be, essentially a late attempt at popularizing the secrets of ritual and
sexual magick Crowley promulgated through the OTO and his writings, seems to evoke
nervousness, if not hostility.
We hear from wiccan writer and leader Raymond Buckland that one "of the
suggestions made is that Aleister Crowley wrote the rituals...but no convincing
evidence has been presented to back this assertion and, to my mind, it seems
extremely unlikely..." (Gardner, ibid, introduction) The Wiccan rituals I have
seen DO have much of Crowley in them. Yet, as we shall observe presently, the
explanation that `Crowley wrote the rituals for Gardner' turns out to be somewhat
in error. But it is on the right track.
Doreen Valiente attempts to invoke Crowley's alleged infirmity at the time of his
acquaintance with Gardner:
"It has been stated by Francis King in his RITUAL MAGIC IN ENGLAND that Aleister
Crowley was paid by Gerald Gardner to write the rituals of Gardner's new witch
cult...Now, Gerald Gardner never met Aleister Crowley until the very last years of
the latter's life, when he was a feeble old man living at a private hotel in
Hastings, being kept alive by injections of drugs... If, therefore, Crowley really
invented these rituals in their entirety, they must be about the last thing he ever
wrote. Was this enfeebled and practically dying man really capable of such a tour
de force?"
The answer, as Dr. Israel Regardie's introduction to the posthumous collection
of Crowley's late letters, MAGICK WITHOUT TEARS, implies, would seem to be yes.
Crowley continued to produce extraordinary material almost to the end of his life,
and much of what I have seen of the "Wiccan Crowley" is, in any case, of earlier
origin.
Gerald Gardner is himself not altogether silent on the subject. In WITCHCRAFT
TODAY (p 47), Gardner asks himself, with what degree of irony one can only guess
at, who, in modern times, could have invented the Wiccan rituals. "The only man I
can think of who could have invented the rites," he offers, "was the late Aleister
Crowley....possibly he borrowed things from the cult writings, or more likely
someone may have borrowed expressions from him...." A few legs may be being pulled
here, and perhaps more than a few. As a prophet ahead of his time, as a poet and
dreamer, Crowley is one of the outstanding figures of the twentieth (or any)
century. As an organizer, he was almost as much of a disaster as he was at
1778
managing his own finances...and personal life. As I understand the liberatory
nature of the magical path, one would do well to see the difference between
Crowley the prophet of Thelema and Crowley the insolvent and inept administrator.
Crowley very much lacked the common touch; Gardner was above all things a
popularizer. Both men have been reviled as lecherous "dirty old men" -- Crowley,
as a seducer of women and a homosexual, a drug addict and `satanist' rolled
together.
Gardner was, they would have it, a voyeur, exhibitionist and bondage freak with a
`penchant for ritual' to borrow a line from THE STORY OF O. Both were, in reality,
spiritual libertines, ceremonial magicians who did not shy away from the awesome
force of human sexuality and its potential for spiritual transformation as well as
physical gratification.
I will not say with finality at this point whether Wicca is an outright invention
of these two divine con-men. If so, more power to them, and to those who truly
follow in their path. I do know that, around 1945, Crowley chartered Gardner, an
initiate of the Ordo Templi Orientis, giving him license to organize an OTO
encampment.
Shortly thereafter, the public face of Wicca came into view, and that is what I
know of the matter: I presently have in my possession Gardner's certificate of
license to organize said OTO camp, signed and sealed by Aleister Crowley. The
certificate and its import are examined in connection with my personal search for
the original Book of Shadows in the next section of this narrative.
For now, though, let us note in the years since Crowley licensed Gardner to
organize a magical encampment, Wicca has both grown in popularity and become, to
my mind, something far less REAL than either Gardner or Crowley could have wanted
or foreseen. Wherever they came from, the rites and practices which came from or
through Gerald Gardner were strong, and tapped into that archetypal reality, that
level of consciousness beneath the mask of polite society and conventional wisdom
which is the function of True Magick.
At a popular level, this was the Tantric sex magick of the West. Whether this
primordial access has been lost to us will depend on the awareness, the awakening or
lack thereof among practitioners of the near to middle-near future. Carried to its
end Gardnerian practices, like Crowley's magick, are not merely exotic; they are,
in the truest sense, subversive.
1779
Practices that WORK are of value, whether they are two years old or two thousand.
Practices, myths, institutions and obligations which, on the other hand, may be
infinitely ancient are of no value at all UNLESS they work.
The Devil, you say
Before we move on, though, in light of the furor over real and imagined
"Satanism" that has overtaken parts of the popular press in recent years, I would
feel a bit remiss in this account if I did not take momentary note of that other
strain of left-handed occult mythology, Satanism. Wiccans are correct when they
say that modern Wicca is not Satanic, that Satanism is "reverse Christianity"
whereas Wicca is a separate, nonChristian religion.
Still, it should be noted, so much of our society has been grounded in the
repressiveness and authoritarian moralism of Christianity that a liberal dose of
"counterChristianity" is to be expected. The Pat Robertsons of the world make
possible the Anton LeVays. In the long history of repressive religion, a certain
fable of Satanism has arisen. It constitutes a mythos of its own. No doubt,
misguided `copycat' fanatics have sometimes misused this mythos, in much the same
way that Charles Manson misused the music and culture of the 1960s.
True occult initiates have always regarded the Ultimate Reality as beyong all
names and description. Named `deities' are, therefore, largely symbols. "Isis" is
a symbol of the long-denied female component of deity to some occultists. "Pan" or
"The Horned God" or "Set" or even "Satan" are symbols of unconscious, repressed
sexuality. To the occultist, there is no Devil, no "god of evil." There is,
ultimately, only the Ain Sof Aur of the Cabbalah; the limitless light of which we
are but a frozen spark. Evil, in this system, is the mere absence of light. All
else is illusion.
The goal of the occult path of initiation is BALANCE. In Freemasonry and High
Magick, the symbols of the White Pillar and Black Pillar represent this balance
between conscious and unconscious forces.
In Gardnarian Wicca, the Goddess and Horned God - and the Priestess and Priest,
represent that balance. There is nothing, nothing of pacts with the "Devil" or the
worship of evil in any of this; that belongs to misguided exChristians who have
been given the absurd fundamentalist Sunday school notion that one must choose the
Christian version of God, or choose the Devil. Islam, Judaism and even
Catholicism have at one time or another been thought "satanic," and occultists have
merely played on this bigoted symbolism, not subscribed to it.
As we have seen, Wicca since Gardner's time has been watered down in many of its
expressions into a kind of mushy white-light `new age' religion, with far less of
the strong sexuality characteristic of Gardnerianism, though, also, sometimes with
less pretense as well.
In any event, Satanism has popped up now and again through much of the history
of the Christian Church. The medieval witches were not likely to have been
Satanists, as the Church would have it, but, as we have seen, neither were they
likely to have been "witches" in the Wiccan sense, either.
The Hellfire Clubs of the eighteenth century were Satanic, and groups like the
Process Church of the Final Judgement do, indeed, have Satanic elements in their
(one should remember) essentially Christian theology.
Aleister Crowley, ever theatrical, was prone to use Satanic symbolism in much the
same way, tongue jutting in cheek, as he was given to saying that he " sacrificed
millions of children each year, " that is, that he masturbated. Crowley once
1780
called a press conference at the foot of the Statue of Liberty, where he announced
that he was burning his British Passport to protest Britain's involvement in World
War One. He tossed an empty envelope into the water. He was dead serious, though,
about the "Satanism" of Miltonian eternal rebellion, and the "Satanism" of
fundamentalism's dark fear of sexuality. The Devil, however; the Satanic "god of
evil" was an absurdity to him, as to all thinking people, and he freely said so.
The most popular form of "counterChristianity" to emerge in modern times,
though, was Anton Szandor LaVey's San Francisco-based Church of Satan, founded
April 30, 1966. LaVey's Church enjoyed an initial burst of press interest, grew to
a substantial size, and appeared to maintain itself during the cultural drought of
the 1970s. But LaVey's books, THE SATANIC BIBLE and THE SATANIC RITUALS, have
remained in print for many years, and his ideas seem to be enjoying a renewal of
interest, especially among younger people, punks and heavy metal fans with a
death-wish mostly, beginning in the middle years of the 1980s. By that time the
Church of Satan had been largely succeeded by the Temple of Set. This is pure
theatre; more in the nature of psychotherapy than religion.
It is interesting to note Francis King's observation that before the Church of
Satan began LaVey was involved in an occult group which included, among others,
underground film maker Kenneth Anger, a person well known in Crowlean circles. Of
the rites of the Church of Satan, King states that "...most of its teachings and
magical techniques were somewhat vulgarized versions of those of Aleister
Crowley's Ordo Templi Orientis." (MAN MYTH AND MAGIC, p 3204.) To which we might
add that, as with the OTO, the rites of the Church of Satan are manifestly potent,
but hardly criminal or murderous.
LaVey, like Gardner and unlike Crowley, appears to have "the common touch" --
perhaps rather more so than Gardner.
I determined to trace the Wiccan rumor to its source. As we shall see, in the very
year I "fell" into being a gnostic bishop, I also fell into the original charters,
rituals and paraphernalia of Wicca.
1781
THE CHARTER AND THE BOOK
Being A Radical Revisionist History of the Origins of the Modern Witch Cult and
The Book of Shadows.
"It was one of the secret doctrines of paganism that the Sun was the
source, not only of light, but of life...The invasion of classical beliefs by the
religions of Syria and Egypt which were principally solar, gradually affected the
conception of Apollo, and there is a certain later identification of him with the
suffering God of Christianity, Free - masonry and similar cults..."
Aleister Crowley in Astrology, 1974
"...if GBG and Crowley only knew each other for a short year or two, do you think
that would be long enough for them to become such good friends that gifts of
personal value would be exchanged several times, and that GBG would have been able
to aquire the vast majority of Crowley's effects after his death?"
Merlin the Enchanter, personal letter, 1986
"...On the floor before the altar, he remembers a sword with a flat cruciform
brass hilt, and a well-worn manuscript book of rituals - the hereditary Book of
Shadows, which he will have to copy out for himself in the days to come..."
Stewart Farrar in What Witches Do, 1971
"Actually I did write a scholarly book about the Craft; its title was Inventing
Witchcraft. . . But I spent most of the last fifteen years failing to persuade Carl
Weschcke of Llewellyn or any other publisher that there was a market for it."
Aidan A. Kelly, Gnosis, Winter, 1992
"...the Gardnerian Book of Shadows is one of the key factors in what has become a
far bigger and more significant movement than Gardner can have envisaged; so
historical interest alone would be enough reason for defining it while first-hand
evidence is still available..."
Janet and Stewart Farrar in
The Witches' Way, 1984
"It has been alleged that a Book of Shadows in Crowley's handwriting was formerly
exhibited in Gerald's Museum of Witchcraft on the Isle of Man. I can only say I
never saw this on either of the two occasions when I stayed with Gerald and Donna
Gardner on the island. The large, handwritten book depicted in Witchcraft Today
is not in Crowley's handwriting, but Gerald's..."
Doreen Valiente in
Witchcraft for Tomorrow, 1978
1782
"Aidan Kelly...labels the entire Wiccan revival `Gardnerian Witchcraft....' The
reasoning and speculation in Aidan's book are intricate. Briefly, his main
argument depends on his discovery of one of Gardner's working notebooks, Ye Book
of Ye Art Magical, which is in possession of Ripley International, Ltd...."
Margot Adler in
Drawing Down the Moon, 1979
PART ONE
WAITING FOR THE MAN FROM CANADA
I was, for the third time in four years, waiting a bit nervously for the Canadian
executive with the original Book of Shadows in the ramshackle office of Ripley's
Believe It or Not Museum.
"They're at the jail," a smiling secretary-type explained, "but we've called them
and they should be back over here to see you in just a few minutes."
The jail? Ah, St. Augustine, Florida. "The Old Jail," was the `nation's oldest
city's' second most tasteless tourist trap, complete with cage-type cells and a
mock gallows. For a moment I allowed myself to play in my head with the vision of
Norm Deska, Ripley Operations Vice President and John Turner, the General Manager
of Ripley's local operation and the guy who'd bought the Gerald Gardner collection
from Gardner's niece, Monique Wilson, sitting in the slammer. But no, Turner
apparently had just been showing Deska the town. I straightened my suit for the
fiftieth time, and suppressed the comment. We were talking BIG history here, and
big bucks, too. I gulped. The original Book of Shadows. Maybe.
It had started years before. One of the last people in America to be a fan of
carnival sideshows, I was anxious to take another opportunity to go through the
almost archetypally seedy old home that housed the original Ripley's Museum.
I had known that Ripley had, in the nineteen seventies, acquired the Gardner
stuff, but as far as I knew it was all located at their Tennessee resort museum. I
think I'd heard they'd closed it down. By then, the social liberalism of the early
seventies was over, and witchcraft and sorcery were no longer in keeping with a
`family style' museum. It featured a man with a candle in his head, a Tantric skull
drinking cup and freak show stuff like that, but, I mean, witchcraft is sacrile-
gious, as we all know.
So, I was a bit surprised, when I discovered some of the Gardner stuff - including
an important historical document, for sale in the gift shop, in a case just
opposite the little alligators that have "St.Augustine, Florida - America's Oldest
City" stickered on their plastic bellies for the folks back home to use as a
paper-weight. The pricetags on the occult stuff, however, were way out of my
range.
1783
Back again, three years later, and I decided, what the hell, so I asked the
cashier about the stuff still gathering dust in the glass case, and it was like I'd
pushed some kind of button.
Out comes Mr. Turner, the manager, who whisks us off to a store room which is
filled, FILLED, I tell you, with parts of the Gardner collection, much of it, if not
"for sale" as such, at least available for negotiation. Turner told us about
acquiring the collection when he was manager of Ripley's Blackpool operation, how
it had gone over well in the U.S. at first, but had lost popularity and was now
relegated for the most part to storage status.
Visions of sugarplums danced in my head. There were many treasures here, but the
biggest plum of all, I thought, was not surprisingly, not to be seen.
I'd heard all kinds of rumors about the Book of Shadows over the years, many of
them conflicting, all of them intriguing. Rumor #1, of course, is that which
accompanied the birth (or, depending on how one looked at it, the revival) of
modern Wicca, the contemporary successor of ancient fertility cults.
It revolved around elemental rituals, secret rites of passage and a mythos of
goddess and god that seemed attractive to me as a psychologically valid
alternative to the austere, antisexual moralism of Christianity. The Book of
Shadows, in this context, was the `holy book' of Wicca, copied out by hand by new
initiates of the cult with a history stretching back at least to the era of
witchburnings.
Rumor number #2, which I had tended to credit, had it that Gerald Gardner, the
`father of modern Wicca' had paid Aleister Crowley in his final years to write the
Book of Shadows, perhaps whole cloth. The rumor's chief exponent was the
respected historian of the occult, Francis King.
Rumor #3 had it that Gardner had written the Book himself, which others had since
copied and/or stolen.
To the contrary, said rumor #4, Gardner's Museum had contained an old, even
ancient copy of the Book of Shadows, proving its antiquity.
In more recent years modern Wiccans have tended to put some distance between
themselves and Gardner, just as Gardner, for complex reasons, tended to distance
himself in the early years of Wicca (circa 1944-1954) from the blatant sexual
magick of Aleister Crowley, "the wickedest man in the world" by some accounts, and
from Crowley's organization, the Ordo Templi Orientis. Why Gardner chose to do
this is speculative, but I've got some idea. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
While Turner showed me a blasphemous cross shaped from the body of two nude women
(created for the 18th century infamous "Hellfire Clubs" in England and depicted in
the MAN MYTH AND MAGIC encyclopedia; I bought it, of course) and a statue of
Beelzebub from the dusty Garderian archives, a thought occurred to me. " You
know," I suggested, "if you ever, in all this stuff, happen across a copy of The
Book of Shadows in the handwriting of Aleister Crowley, it would be of considerable
historical value."
I understated the case. It would be like finding The Book of Mormon in Joseph
Smith's hand, or finding the original Ten Commandments written not by God Himself,
but by Moses, pure and simple. (Better still, eleven commandments, with a margin
note, "first draft.") I didn't really expect anything to come of it, and in the
months ahead, it didn't.
1784
In the meantime, I had managed to acquire the interesting document I first mistook
for Gerald Gardner's (long acknowledged) initiation certificate into Crowley's
Thelemic magickal Ordo Templi Orientis. To my eventual surprise, I discovered
that, not only was this not a simple initiation certificate for the Minerval
(probationary-lowest) degree, but, to the contrary, was a license for Gardner to
begin his own chapter of the O.T.O., and to initiate members into the O.T.O.
In the document, furthermore, Gardner is referred to as "Prince
of Jerusalem," that is, he is acknowledged to be a Fourth Degree
Perfect Initiate in the Order. This, needless to say would usually imply years of
dedicated training. Though Gardner had claimed Fourth Degree O.T.O. status as
early as publication of High Magic's Aid,(and claimed even higher status in one
edition) this runs somewhat contrary to both generally held Wiccan and contemporary
O.T.O. orthodox understandings that the O.T.O. was then fallow in England.
At the time the document was written, most maintained, Gardner could have known
Crowley for only a brief period, and was not himself deeply involved in the O.T.O.
The document is undated but probably was drawn up around 1945.
As I said, it is understood that no viable chapter of the O.T.O. was supposed to
exist in England at that time; the sole active chapter was in California, and is
the direct antecedent of the contemporary authentic Ordo Templi Orientis. Karl
Germer, Crowley's immediate successor, had barely escaped death in a Concentartion
Camp during the War, his mere association with Crowley being tantamount to a death
sentence.
The German OTO had been largely destroyed by the Nazis, along with other
freemasonic organizations, and Crowley himself was in declining health and power,
the English OTO virtually dead.
The Charter also displayed other irregularities of a revealing nature. Though
the signature and seals are certainly those of Crowley, the text is in the
decorative hand of Gerald Gardner! The complete text reads as follows:
Do what thou wilt shall be the law. We
Baphomet X Degree Ordo Templi Orientis
Sovereign Grand Master General of All
English speaking countries of the Earth
do hereby authorise our Beloved Son Scire
(Dr.G,B,Gardner,) Prince of Jerusalem
to constitute a camp of the Ordo Templi
Orientis, in the degree Minerval.
Love is the Law,
Love under will.
o
Witness my hand and seal Baphomet X
Leaving aside the misquotation from The Book of the Law, which got by me for some
months and probably got by Crowley when it was presented to him for signature, the
document is probably authentic. It hung for some time in Gardner's museum,
possibly giving rise, as we shall see, to the rumor that Crowley wrote the Book of
Shadows for Gardner. According to Doreen Valiente,and to Col. Lawrence as well,
the museum's descriptive pamphlet says of this document:
"The collection includes a Charter granted by Aleister Crowley to G.B. Gardner
(the Director of this Museum) to operate a Lodge of Crowley's fraternity, the Ordo
Templi Orientis. (The Director would like to point out, however, that he has never
1785
used this Charter and has no intention of doing so, although to the best of his
belief he is the only person in Britain possessing such a Charter from Crowley
himself; Crowley was a personal friend of his, and gave him the Charter because he
liked him."
Col. Lawrence ("Merlin the Enchanter"), in a letter to me dated 6 December, 1986,
adds that this appeared in Gardner's booklet, The Museum of Magic and Witchcraft.
The explanation for the curious wording of the text, taking, as Dr. Gardner does,
great pains to distance himself from Crowley and the OTO, may be hinted at in that
the booklet suggests that this display in the "new upper gallery" (page 24) was
put out at a relatively late date when, as we shall discover, Gardner was making
himself answerable to the demands of the new witch cult and not the long-dead
Crowley and (then) relatively moribund OTO.
Now, the "my friend Aleister" ploy might explain the whole thing. Perhaps, as some
including Ms. Valiente believe, Aleister Crowley was desperate in his last years to
hand on what he saw as his legacy to someone. He recklessly handed out his literary
estate, perhaps gave contradictory instruction to various of his remaining few
devotees (e.g. Kenneth Grant, Grady McMurtry, Karl Germer), and may have given
Gardner an "accelerated advancement" in his order.
Ms. Valiente, a devoted Wiccan who is also a dedicated seeker after the historical
truth, mentions also the claim made by the late Gerald Yorke to her that Gardner
had paid Crowley a substantial sum for the document. In a letter to me dated 28th
August, 1986, Ms. Valiente tells of a meeting with Yorke "...in London many years
ago and mentioned Gerald's O.T.O. Charter to him, whereon he told me, `Well, you
know, Gerald Gardner paid old Crowley about ($1500) or so for that...' This may or
may not be correct..." Money or friendship may explain the Charter. Still, one
wonders.
I have a Thelemic acquaintance who, having advanced well along the path of
Kenneth Grant's version of the OTO, went back to square one with the unquestionably
authentic Grady McMurtry OTO. Over a period of years of substantial effort, he
made his way to the IVo `plus' status implied by Gardner's "Prince of Jerusalem"
designation in the charter, and has since gone beyond.
I am, myself, a Vo member of the OTO, as well as a chartered initiator, and can
tell you from experience that becoming a Companion of the Royal Arch of Enoch,
Perfect Initiate, Prince of Jerusalem and Chartered Initiator is a long and
arduous task.
Gardner was in the habit, after the public career of Wicca emerged in the 1950s,
of downgrading any Crowleyite associations out of his past, and, as Janet and
Stewart Farrar reveal in The Witches' Way (1984, p3) there are three distinct
versions of the Book of Shadows in Gerald Gardner's handwriting which incorporate
successively less material from Crowley's writings, though the last (termed "Text
C" and cowritten with Doreen Valiente after 1953) is still heavily influenced by
Crowley and the OTO.
Ms. Valiente has recently uncovered a copy of an old occult magazine contemporary
with High Magic's Aid and from the same publisher, which discusses an ancient
Indian document called "The Book of Shadows" but apparently totally unrelated to
the Wiccan book of the same name. Valiente acknowledges that the earliest text by
Gardner known to her was untitled, though she refers to it as a "Book of Shadows."
It seems suspicious timing; did Gardner take the title from his publisher's
magazine? Ms. Valiente observed to me that the "...eastern Book of Shadows does not
seem to have anything to do with witch-craft at all....is this where old Gerald
first found the expression "The Book of Shadows" and adopted it as a more poetical
1786
name for a magical manuscript than, say `The Grimoire' or `The Black Book'....I
don't profess to know the answer; but I doubt if this is mere coincidence...."
The claim is frequently made by those who wish to `salvage' a preGardnarian source
of Wiccan materials that there is a `core' of `authentic' materials. But, as the
Farrars' recently asserted, the portions of the Book of Shadows "..which changed
least between Texts A, B and C were naturally the three initiation rituals; because
these, above all, would be the traditional elements which would have been
carefully preserved, probably for centuries...." (emphasis added)
But what does one mean by "traditional materials?" The three initiation rites, now
much-described in print, all smack heavily of the crypto-freemasonic ritual of the
Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the OTO, and the various esoteric neorosicruci-
an groups that abounded in Britain from about 1885 on, and which were, it is
widely known, the fountainhead of much that is associated with Gardner's friend
Crowley.
The Third Degree ritual, perhaps Wicca's ultimate rite, is, essentially, a
nonsymbolic Gnostic Mass, that beautiful, evocative, erotic and esoteric ritual
written and published by Crowley in the Equinox, after attending a Russian
Orthodox Mass in the early part of this century. The Gnostic Mass has had
far-reaching influence, and it would appear that the Wiccan Third Degree is one of
the most blatant examples of that influence.
Take, for example, this excerpt from what is perhaps the most intimate, most
secret and most sublime moment in the entire repertoire of Wicca rituals, the
nonsymbolic (that is, overtly sexual) Great Rite of the Third Degree initiation,
as related by Janet and Stewart Farrar in The Witches' Way (p.34):
1787
The Priest continues:
`O Secret of Secrets, That art hidden in the being of all lives, Not thee do we
adore, For that which adoreth is also thou. Thou art That, and That am I. [Kiss] I
am the flame that burns in the heart of every man, And in the core of every star. I
am life, and the giver of life. Yet therefore is the knowledge of me the knowledge
of death. I am alone, the Lord within ourselves, Whose name is Mystery of
Mysteries.'
Let us be unambiguous as to the importance in Wicca of this ritual; as the
Farrars'put it (p.31) "Third degree initiation elevates a witch to the highest of
the three grades of the Craft. In a sense,a third-degree witch is fully
independent, answerable only to the Gods and his or her own conscience..." In
short, in a manner of speaking this is all that Wicca can offer a devotee.
With this in mind, observe the following, from Aleister Crowley's Gnostic Mass,
first published in The Equinox about 80 years ago and routinely performed (albeit
,usually in symbolic form) by me and by many other Bishops, Priests, Priestesses
and Deacons in the OTO and Ecclesia Gnostica (EGC) today. The following is
excerpted from Gems From the Equinox, p. 372, but is widely available in published
form:
The Priest. O secret of secrets that art hidden in the being of all that lives,
not Thee do we adore, for that which adoreth is also Thou. Thou art That, and That
am I. I am the flame that burns in every heart of man, and in the core of every
star. I am Life, and the giver of Life; yet therefore is the knowledge of me the
knowledge of death. I am alone; there is no God where I am.
So, then, where, apart from the Thelemic tradition of Crowley and the OTO, is
the "traditional material" some Wiccan writers seem to seek with near desperation?
I am not trying to be sarcastic in the least, but even commonplace self -
references used among Wiccans today, such as "the Craft" or the refrain "so mote
it be"are lifted straight out of Freemasonry (see, for example, Duncan's Ritual of
Freemasonry). And, as Doreen Valiente notes in her letter to me mentioned before,
"...of course old Gerald was also a member of the Co-Masons, and an ordinary
Freemason..." as well as an OTO member.
PART TWO
THE REAL ORIGIN OF WICCA
We must dismiss with some respect the assertion, put forth by Margot Adler and
others, that "Wicca no longer adheres to the orthodox mythos of the Book of
Shadows."
Many, if not most of those who have been drawn to Wicca in the last three decades
came to it under the spell (if I may so term it) of the legend of ancient Wicca.
If that legend is false, then while reformists and revisionist apologists
(particularly the peculiar hybrid spawned in the late sixties under the name
"feminist Wicca") may seek other valid grounds for their practices, we at least
owe it to those who have operated under a misapprehension to explain the truth,
and let the chips fall where they may.
1788
I believe there is a core of valid experience falling under the Wiccan-neopagan
heading, but that that core is the same essential core that lies at the truths
exposed by the dreaded boogy-man Aleister Crowley and the` wicked' pansexualism of
Crowley's Law of Thelema. That such roots would be not just uncomfortable, but
intolerable to the orthodox traditionalists among the Wiccans, but even more so
among the hybrid feminist "wiccans" may indeed be an understatement.
Neopaganism, in a now archaic "hippie" misreading of ecology, mistakes responsible
stewardship of nature for nature worship. Ancient pagans did not `worship' nature;
to a large extent they were afraid of it, as has been pointed out to me by folk
practioners. Their "nature rites" were to propitiate the caprice of the gods, not
necessarily to honor them. The first neopagan revivalists, Gardner, Crowley and
Dr. Murray, well understood this. Neopagan wiccans usually do not.
In introducing a "goddess element" into their theology, Crowley
and Gardner both understood the yin/yang, male/female fundamental polarity of the
universe. Radical feminist neopagans have taken this balance and altered it,
however unintentionally, into a political feminist agenda, centered around a
near-monotheistic worship of the female principle, in a bizarre caricature of
patriarchal Christianity. Bigotry, I submit, cuts both ways.
I do not say these things lightly; I have seen it happen in my own time. IF this
be truth, let truth name its own price. I was not sure, until Norm and John got
back from the Old Jail.
A couple of months earlier, scant days after hearing that I was to become a
gnostic bishop and thus an heir to a corner of Crowley's legacy, I had punched on
my answering machine, and there was the unexpected voice of John Turner saying that
he had located what seemed to be the original Book of Shadows in an inventory
list, locating it at Ripley's office in Toronto.
He said he didn't think they would sell it as an individual item, but he gave me
the name of a top official in the Ripley organization, who I promptly contacted. I
eventually made a substantial offer for the book, sight unseen, figuring there was
(at the least) a likelihood I'd be able to turn the story into a book and get my
money back out of it, to say nothing of the historical import.
But, as I researched the matter, I became more wary, and confused; Gardner's
texts "A" "B" and "C" all seemed to be accounted for. Possibly, I began to
suspect, this was either a duplicate of the "deThelemized" post1954 version with
segments written by Gardner and Valiente and copied and recopied (as well as
distorted) from hand to hand since by Wiccans the world over.
Maybe, I mused, Valiente had one copy and Gardner another, the latter sold to
Ripley with the Collection. Or, perhaps it was the curious notebook discovered by
Aidan Kelly in the Ripley files called Ye Book of Ye Art Magical, the meaning of
which was unclear.
While I was chatting with Ms.Deska, Norm returned from his mission, we introduced
in best businesslike fashion, and he told me he'd get the book, whatever it might
be, from the vault.
The vault?! I sat there thinking god knows what . Recently, I'd gotten a call from
Toronto, and it seems the Ripley folks wanted me to take a look at what they had. I
had made a considerable offer, and at that point I figured I'd had at least a
nibble. As it so happened Norm would be visiting on a routine inspection visit,
so it was arranged he would bring the manuscript with him.
1789
Almost from the minute he placed it in front of me, things began to make some kind
of sense. Clearly, this was Ye Book of Ye Art Magical. Just as clearly, it was
an unusual piece, written largely in the same hand as the Crowley Charter- that
is, the hand of Gerald Gardner. Of this I became certain, because I had handwriting
samples of Gardner, Valiente and Crowley in my possession. Ms. Valiente had been
mindful of this when she wrote me, on August 8th, 1986:
I have deliberately chosen to write you in longhand, rather than send a
typewritten reply, so that you will have something by which to judge the validity
of the claim you tell me is being made by the Ripley organisation to have a copy
of a "Book of Shadows" in Gerald Gardner's handwriting and mine. If this is..."Ye
Book of Ye Art Magical," ....this is definitely in Gerald Gardner's handwriting.
Old Gerald, however, had several styles of handwriting....I think it is probable
that the whole MS. was in fact written by Gerald, and no other person was
involved; but of course I may be wrong....
At first glance it appeared to be a very old book, and it suggested to me where
the rumors that a very old, possibly medieval Book of Shadows had once been on
display in Gardner's Museum had emerged from.
Any casual onlooker might see Ye Book in this light, for the cover was indeed
that of an old volume, with the original title scratched out crudely on the side
and a new title tooled into the leather cover. The original was some mundane
volume, on Asian knives or something, but the inside pages had been removed, and a
kind of notebook -- almost a journal -- had been substituted.
As far as I could see, no dates appear anywhere in the book. It is written in
several different handwriting styles, although, as noted above, Doreen Valiente
assured me that Gardner was apt to use several styles. I had the distinct
impression this "notebook" had been written over a considerable period of time,
perhaps years, perhaps even decades. It may, indeed, date from his days in the
1930s when he linked up with a neorosicrucuian grouping that could have included
among its members the legendary Dorothy Clutterbuck, who set Gardner on the path
which led to Wicca.
Thinking on it, what emerges from Ye Book of Ye Art Magical is a developmental set
of ideas. Much of it is straight out of Crowley, but it is clearly the published
Crowley, the old magus of the Golden Dawn, the A.A., and the O.T.O.
1790
Somewhere along the line it hit me that I was not exactly looking at the
"original Book of Shadows" but, perhaps, the outline Gardner prepared over a long
period of time, apparently in secret (since Valiente, a relatively early initiate of
Gardner's, never heard of it nor saw it, according to her own account, until
recent years, about the time Aidan Kelly unearthed it in the Ripley collection
long after Gardner's death).
Dr. Gardner kept many odd notebooks and scrapbooks that perhaps would reveal much
about his character and motivations. Turner showed me a Gardner scrapbook in
Ripley's store room which was mostly cheesecake magazine photographs and articles
about actresses. Probably none are so evocative as Ye Book of Ye Art Magical,
discovered,it has been intimated,hidden away in the back of an old sofa.
I have the impression it was essentially unknown in and after Gardner's lifetime,
and that by the Summer of 1986 few had seen inside it; I knew of only Kelly and my
own party. Perhaps the cover had been seen by some along the line, accounting for
the rumor of a "very old Book of Shadows" in Gardner's Museum.
If someone had seen the charter signed by Crowley ("Baphomet") but written by
Gerald Gardner, and had gotten a look, as well, at Ye Book, they might well have
concluded that Crowley had written BOTH, an honest error, but maybe the source of
that long-standing accusation. There is even a notation in the Ripley catalog
attributing the manuscript to Crowley on someone's say-so, but I have no indica-
tion Ripley has any other such book. Finally, if the notebook is a sourcebook of
any religious system, it is not that of medieval witchcraft, but the twentieth
century madness or sanity or both of the infamous magus Aleister Crowley and the
Thelemic/Gnostic creed of The Book of the Law.
As I sat there I read aloud familiar quotations or paraphrases from published
material in the Crowley-Thelemic canon. This is not the "ancient religion of the
Wise" but the modern sayings of " the Beast 666 " as Crowley was wont to style
himself.
But, does any of this invalidate Wicca as an expression of human spirituality? It
depends on where one is coming from. Certainly, the foundations of feminist Wicca
and the modern cult of the goddess are challenged with the fact that the goddess in
question may be Nuit, her manifestation the sworn whore, Our Lady Babalon, the
Scarlet Woman. Transform what you will shall be the whole of history, but THIS
makes what Marx did to Hegel look like slavish devotion.
What Crowley himself said of this kind of witchcraft is not merely instructive, but
an afront to the conceits of an era.
"The belief in witchcraft," he observed, " was not all superstition; its
psychological roots were sound. Women who are thwarted in their natural instincts
turn inevitably to all kinds of malignant mischief, from slander to domestic
destruction..."
1791
For the rest of us, those who neither worship nor are disdainful of the man who
made sexuality a god or, at least, acknowledged it as such, experience must be its
own teacher. If Wicca is a sort of errant Minerval Camp of the OTO, gone far astray
and far afield since the days Crowley gave Gardner a charter he "didn't use" but
seemed to value, and a whole range of rituals and imagery that assault the senses
at their most literally fundamental level; if this is true or sort of true, maybe
its time history be owned up to. Mythos has its place and role, but so, too, does
reality.
PART THREE
WICCA AS AN OTO ENCAMPMENT
The question of intent looms large in the background of this inquiry. If I had to
guess, I would venture that Gerald Gardner did, in fact, invent Wicca more or less
whole cloth, to be a popularized version of the OTO. Crowley, or his successor
Karl Germer, who also knew Dr. Gardner, likely set "old Gerald" on what they
intended to be a Thelemic path, aimed at reestablishing at least a basic OTO
encampment in England.
Aiden Kelly's research work on all this is most impressive, but at rock bottom I
can't help feeling he still wants to salvage something original in Wicca. In a way,
there is some justification for this; the Wicca of Gerald Gardner, OTO initiate and
advocate of sexual magick produced a folksy, easier version of the OTO, but by the
middle nineteen fifties some of his early "followers" not only created a revisionist
Wicca with relatively little of the Thelemic original intact, but convinced Gardner
to go along with the changes.
It is also possible, but yet unproven, that, upon expelling Kenneth Grant from the
OTO in England, Germer, in the early 1950s, summoned Gardner to America to
interview him as a candidate for leading the British OTO. Gardner, it is
confirmed, came to America, but by then Wicca, and Dr. Gardner had begun to take
their own, watered-down course. Today most Wiccans have no idea of their origins.
Let me close this section by quoting two interesting tidbits for your consider-
ation.
First consider Doreen Valiente's observation to me concerning "the Parsons
connection". I quote from her letter abovementioned, one of several she was kind
enough to send me in 1986 in connection with my research into this matter.
1792
...I did know about the existence of the O.T.O. Chapter in California at the time
of Crowley's death, because I believe his ashes were sent over to them. He was
cremated here in Brighton, you know, much to the scandal of the local authorities,
who objected to the `pagan funeral service.' If you are referring to the group of
which Jack Parsons was a member (along with the egregious Mr. L. Ron Hubbard),
then there is another curious little point to which I must draw your attention. I
have a remarkable little book by Jack Parsons called MAGICK, GNOSTICISM AND THE
WITCHCRAFT. It is unfortunately undated, but Parsons died in 1952. The section on
witchcraft is particularly
interesting because it looks forward to a revival of witchcraft as the Old
Religion....I find this very thought provoking. Did Parsons write this around the
time that Crowley was getting together with Gardner and perhaps communicated with
the California group to tell them about it?
We must remember that Ms. Valiente was a close associate of Gardner and is a
dedicated and active Wiccan. She, of course, has her own interpretation of these
matters. The OTO recently reprinted the Parsons "witchcraft" essays in Freedom is a
Two Edged Sword , a postumous collection of his writings. It does indeed seem that
Gardner and Parsons were both on the same wave-length at about the same time.
The other matter of note is the question of the length of Gardner's association
with the OTO and with Crowley personally. My informant Col. Lawrence, tells me
that he has in his possession a cigarette case which once belonged to Aleister
Crowley. Inside is a note in Crowley's hand that says simply: `gift of GBG, 1936,
A. Crowley'."
(Personal letter, 6 December, 1986)
The inscription could be a mistake, it could mean 1946, the period of the Charter.
But, as Ms. Valiente put it in a letter to me of 8th December, 1986:
If your friend is right, then it would mean that old Gerald actually went through a
charade of pretending to Arnold Crowther that Arnold was introducing him to Crowley
for the first time - a charade which Crowley for some reason was willing to go
along with. Why? I can't see the point of such a pretence; but then occultists
sometimes do devious things...
Crowley may have played out a similar scene with G.I. Gurdjieff, the other
enlightened merry prankster of the first half of the twentieth century.
Gnosticism and Wicca, the subjects of Jack Parsons' essays, republished by the OTO
and Falcon Press in 1990, are the two most successful expressions to date of
Crowley's dream of a popular solar-phallic religion. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think
Aleister and Gerald may have cooked Wicca up.
If Wicca is the OTO's prodigal daughter in fact, authorized directly by Crowley,
how should Wiccans now relate to this? How should Crowley's successors and heirs in
the OTO deal with it?
1793
Then too, what are we to make of and infer about all this business of a popular
Thelemic-Gnostic religion? Were Crowley, Parsons, Gardner and others trying to do
something of note with regard to actualizing a New Aeon here which bears scrutiny?
Or is this mere speculation, and of little significance for the Great Work today?
If the Charter Crowley issued Gardner is, indeed, the authority upon which Wicca
has been built for half a century, then it is perhaps no coincidence that I
acquired that Charter in the same year I was consecrated a Bishop of the Gnostic
Catholic Church. Further, it was literally days after my long search for the
original of Gardner's BOOK OF SHADOWS ended in success that the Holy Synod of T
Michael Bertiaux's Gnostic Church unanimously elected me a Missionary Bishop, on
August 29, 1986.
Sometimes, I muse, the Inner Order revoked Wicca's charter in 1986,placing it in
my hands. Since I hold it in trust for the OTO, perhaps Wicca has, in symbolic
form, returned home at last. It remains for the Wiccans to, literally (since the
charter hangs in my temple space), to read the handwriting on the wall.
" Witchcraft always has a hard time, until it becomes
established and changes its name." - Charles Fort
1794
{file "Paganism at the Crossroads (Skytoucher)" "bos353.htm"}
Paganism at the Crossroads
by Skytoucher
These are tricky and dangerous times. Paganism has grown in size to
the point where we no longer enjoy the luxury of obscurity. We now
face a choice that all initiatory paths face at some time in their
development: Whether to remain a viable initiatory path, and if so
under what circumstances; or to devolve into a mere religion.
I'd better backtrack--some readers may not understand what an
initiatory path is, or how it differs from a religion. Others may
think paganism is a religion already, and wonder what I mean by
suggesting it is or could be something else.
A defense often used against fundamentalist Christians and others who
attack paganism on a religious basis is to say, "We are not like you,
only different in a few not-so-important ways. We are a religion, like
you, another belief system, harmless, ordinary. We worship the Earth,
the Goddess, the same way you worship your abstract God. You should
extend tolerance to us for the same reason you extend it to Muslims or
Buddhists or Catholics or Jews. When you single us as something weird,
you are exhibiting hysterical paranoia." It's an effective defense,
but somewhat disingenuous.
We are different. We aren't just a religion. We are at present, and in
my view we should try to remain, a path of initiation. It may be
inevitable that a religion grow up around us. It may even be desirable
to employ such a religion as a cloak, or a doorway, to both. But a
Pagan religion is also a threat to the Pagan path of initiation. We
need to ensure that the growth, if it occurs, is that of a tree from a
seed, not of a pearl from a grain of sand.
A tree produces more seeds.
A pearl only hides the sand to
save the oyster from discomfort.
What is an initiatory path? And what, then, is initiation? We touch
here upon a word badly misunderstood by many Pagans. Initiation is one
thing; an initiation ritual is another. A person is not an initiate,
in the sense I mean here, just because he or she has passed through an
initiation ritual. Initiation is a personal experience in which one
becomes aware of mysteries--realities that were previously hidden, that
cannot be communicated by one person to another in words or symbols,
that must be experienced directly, firsthand. This last point is
crucial. One finds "mysteries" communicated in coven initiations or
even at festivals, but these are only hidden meanings of symbols and
tools used in the Craft, or of stories told about the Gods. The fact
that they can be communicated makes them not true mysteries, only
secrets.
A body of teaching, practice and ritual that facilitates initiation is
an initiatory path. Most religions start out as paths of initiation.
Religion tends to be conservative. Initiation, however, is always
revolutionary.
Initiation transforms a person's life, bringing inner peace, greater
insight into the workings of fate, and awareness of the connections
linking all things, as well as magical power. If it were a commonplace
event, if people went through initiation as surely as they go through
puberty, we would have a far different and better world.
Even if the circle of initiates included a significant minority of the
population, the magical effect of such a number of altered minds on
the world would be profound and positive. Of course, this very fact
means that initiatory paths will be opposed by those interests, both
human and non-human, that are opposed to positive change. The
opposition is not really a conspiracy; it seems more than an automatic
reaction, a law of nature.
Initiation is not an instantaneous event, but one that occurs through
years of effort and devotion. It seems likely that there is no end to
the process, and that the idea of there being a "fully enlightened
being" is a peculiar Oriental fantasy. There are times, it is true,
when revelation comes in a flash like lightning, but such moments are
exclamation marks punctuating a story that unfolds chapter by chapter.
Many tools and methods for achieving initiation have evolved over the
ages. Some are intellectual, aiming to expand consciousness through
thought: Vedanta and the Qabala come to mind as among the most
impressive. Others are ritual or devotional, such as Bhakti Yoga,
chanting the names of the Gods, drawing down the Moon, the meditations
of the monastics. Some are also physical: Hatha Yoga, Sufi dancing,
some forms of the martial arts. Some aim at expanding consciousness
directly by stretching it to its limits: meditation, Raja Yoga, guided
visualization, vision quests. Then there is sex magic, drugs,
drumming, austerities, the use of talismans, self-discipline, and so
on. Most of these techniques evolved outside a pagan context, but they
are amenable to incorporation in a pagan framework. Initiation
rituals, of course, are another method, but they are seldom sufficient
by themselves.
Initiates can be found in the context of any religion, including those
least similar to Neopaganism. St. Francis of Assisi was an initiate,
and many a Sufi and Qabalist, Buddhist and Yogi, Taoist and shaman. A
modern Neopagan initiate has far more in common with them than with an
illiterate, superstitious pagan of the Roman Empire, gobbling the
flesh of sacrificed animals while contemplating how to backstab his
competitors. All initiates of all paths have a common heart; it is
religions that circle the periphery of the sacred that differ.
But, while Christian, Jewish, and Muslim initiates do exist, the
established religions don't make it easy. For every illuminated
Catholic saint, there are hundreds of burned heretics. Indeed, many
post-Constantinian saints escaped burning themselves only by miracles
greater than those for which they were canonized. Burning is passe
nowadays, but condemnation for heresy is not, and thrives as well in
most Protestant denominations. So bound about with the fetters of
faith is the Christian that initiation is virtually impossible, except
for their boldest and best minds.
This is no accident.
The tragedy of Christianity is that it began so well and decayed so
quickly into such a parody of its beginnings. This is a recurring
phenomenon. Again and again, the initiatory message has presented
itself in some new form and met with some success, only to be hidden
in a maze of illusion, crusted over with barriers and restrictions.
There are always counterattacks from outside the new path, from
established religions, but the truly effective counterattacks also
come from within, so that what began as a bright new hope becomes a
mere religion. The priests, the figures in authority, forge an
instrument for the furtherance of their own authority, to which
genuine initiation is a serious threat. The initiatory impulse is
carefully bled into harmless channels, and all magic outside those
channels is ruthlessly suppressed.
There is a great deal of magic in Christian monastic orders, and more
still in Hindu and Buddhist ashrams, or wielded by wandering saddhus.
But many of these illuminated souls, both Western and Eastern, are
sworn to poverty, chastity and humility. Many do not reproduce,
ensuring that, if there is a genetic component to magic, it will be
weakened by removing its best practitioners from the gene pool. Too,
in renouncing the world, they ensure that their spiritual insight will
play a small role shaping events. In contrast, a few secret initiatory
paths remain active and true to their original mission. These paths,
which include Hermeticism, the Qabala, surviving shamanic traditions,
and a few branches of Sufism, have made themselves nonthreatening in a
different way. They continue to live in the world and to learn and
teach practical as well as spiritual magic, but in such tiny numbers
and in so furtive a fashion that they hold little promise of genuine
large-scale transformation. There is not really anything wrong with
this; such secret orders have acted over the centuries to preserve the
Mysteries, not to spread them. Without them, efforts to break the
chains on a large scale would be to no avail. But Paganism is
different.
Neopaganism is unique--at this time, though not historically--in that it
is a genuine initiatory path that has grown large. Moreover, in its
diversity and flexibility, its protean and progressive nature, it
promises to incorporate all the virtues of the other surviving paths.
It may not be the most advanced, the most powerful, or the most
aesthetically refined, but these characteristics can all be absorbed
from the smaller paths that possess them, for Paganism is an
all-gobbling magical amoeba, sucking up the myths, methods, and
knowledge of every other path in existence. Once again, an initiatory
path threatens to break out and make some changes in reality.
On schedule, opposition has begun to arise.
As always, some of the opposition is from the outside, but I don't
think we need to be concerned about that. A strain of paranoia is
built into our origin myths and traditions, and is always a greater
danger than the persecution we fear. The external opposition has
seldom been very effective against any path. Some right-wing
Christians are beginning to engage in Witch-hunting of a relatively
genteel sort, mostly involving propaganda. However, propaganda is
legitimate (they have a right to express their opinions about what we
do, as we have the right to speak in counterpoint). There may be more
serious difficulties, even occasional violence, but the Burning Times
are gone for good, barring a complete collapse of civilization. We
have more important things to worry about within our own ranks.
The rapid increase in our numbers in the last few decades means there
are many newcomers. Newcomers are ripe for exploitation, both
monetarily and politically, and both have begun to occur. The first
fills me with amusement and outrage. The second is more alarming.
There seems to be a growing desire in some quarters to commercialize
Neopaganism and profit from it. That's only natural, but when crystal
athames go for $1,400 and classes are taught in return for a pledge of
a percentage of the students' income in perpetuity, somebody is
getting fleeced. This is bad enough, but not nearly as bad as what
might happen in reaction. Better a crowd of poorer and wiser novices,
the hucksters filling the role of the Dweller on the Threshold, than a
Paganism reduced from a path of initiation to a mere religion, its
bright promise gone dull, as have so many others.
The seeds of this development lie chiefly in individuals we might call
Pagan politicians, and in our response to them. They may not be high
initiates or powerful magicians, but they are skillful at organizing;
they like to strike poses in public, and they know how to work the
media.
Sometimes they appear on television to say, "This is what Paganism is.
This is what Witchcraft is ... ," self-appointed spokespersons for the
entire Pagan community. Their power over the Craft may be small, but
it could easily grow as the Craft grows, as they sink their hooks into
more and more beginners.
An experienced initiate is unlikely to be moved by a picture on
television, or a story in the newspaper. It is otherwise for a novice.
When first appraising something, it is the surface one sees. And there
are two dangers in this trend:
1. Insightful, intuitive, independent people--the kind who would make
good Witches--may be turned off by the media spectacle. (Analogy:
What is your reaction to the words, "new age"?)
2. Those who are not repelled may develop a kind of mundane
"Neopaganism," a mere religion, based as other religions are on
faith, dogma, and prescribed observances, conservative (in the sense
of resisting progress, not of voting Republican) and
anti-initiatory. There may be points in common between it and us
(such as an environmental ethic or "worship" [how I despise that
word!] of a Goddess), as a baboon might wear a tuxedo, but the heart
and soul would be gone. Anyone who sought initiation would have to
pass the gauntlet of this other paganism first and then unlearn this
religion to approach the new path. Few could be expected to do so.
It is important to recognize these politicos for what they are. They
are our would-be clergy who, like Christian priests, Muslim mullah and
Jewish rabbis, would be religious leaders but, with rare exceptions,
no initiates. Their authority would derive from knowledge of accepted
doctrines and from political acumen, rather than spiritual awareness.
Pagan pontiff pretenders are not necessarily malevolent, but they do
not comprehend the purpose of initiation or the fundamental ways in
which Paganism differs, not just from this or that religion, from all
religions. Consequently, they do not understand that priests,
ministers, rabbis, and so forth are not good role models for Pagan
spiritual leaders, even if allowances are made for differing value
systems. Paganism, as currently practiced, is not simply a different
religion, but a different category of thing altogether.
The bishops who created the Catholic Church were not particularly evil
men. But they were misguided, and the result of their labor was
disastrous. Yet some movement on this road is inevitable. It is the
fruit of growth, a sign that a path of initiation has matured into a
serious threat to the status quo. It represents a counterattack by the
forces of inertia.
Let's not be unduly alarmist. We are not in immediate danger, but the
clouds can be seen on the horizon, and we need to prepare ourselves,
and consider whether anything can be done to avoid the usual fate of
an initiatory path at the crossroads. All our predecessors, on
reaching this juncture, have taken the wrong turning. But we have
advantages former initiatory paths lacked. That no one has succeeded
up to now is not so imposing an an obstacle as it might seem.
One of our advantages is the First Amendment to the United States
Constitution and similar provisions, in fact and tradition if not law,
guaranteeing religious liberty in all Western democracies. It is
literally impossible for a Pagan Catholic Church, even if one comes
into existence, to exile or execute dissident Pagans, as was done to
dissident Christians after the council of Nicaea. It is unlikely that
any pagan organization, or that of any other religion, could get a
modern Western government to do its dirty work to any significant
degree. Overt persecution is reduced from a terror to a nuisance.
That's no small achievement.
Another advantage is modern information technology. Communication of
ideas is now so easy, and suppression of them so difficult, that to
contain, channel, or eliminate the initiatory message will be harder
than ever before, and may be impossible. Of course, the downside of
this development is the proliferation of blatant nonsense. But I think
that is an acceptable price. Better the truth be heard whispering
through shouted lies and bellowed folly than that it not be heard at
all.
The third, most subtle, and possibly the greatest advantage we have
over our predecessors is science. By science I do not mean any
particular bit of knowledge that has been uncovered by scientists,
although all that is useful as well. I mean the attitudes of science.
I mean the methods of science. Above all, I mean the vision of
science. Thanks to science, we no longer think of all knowledge as
being handed down to us from the past. Thanks to science, we can
consider magic not only in its sacred and spiritual and aesthetic
dimensions--though these are certainly important--but in its technical
dimensions as well, and seek the laws and principles that underpin
magic, analogous to the laws of physics that underpin technology.
And best of all--thanks to science--we are not limited to what we know
today. We understand that even our best picture of reality is only an
approximation, that we will have a better picture tomorrow. This gift
promises to upset the creeping authoritarianism that has ruined so
many paths of initiation and created so many religions.
These are potent advantages. I believe they allow us the possibility
of success. But not the certainty. As we approach the crossroads,
there are a number of things that need doing. Some of these steps are
simply a matter of keeping our attitudes in the right places. Others
involve research, development, and artistic creation. Others still
involve magical tasks.
We need to understand that modern Paganism, though built on the past,
is not limited by it, that we are capable of improving on our
ancestors' wisdom--even to the extent that we can make sure that their
wisdom is not just a product of our own romantic imagination, which in
large measure it is. We need to recognize, once and for all (and say
so), that our myths of origin are just that--myths. Wicca is not a
survival from the pre-Christian past, but an eclectic/creative
construct meant to imitate what such a survival should ideally be. Its
resemblance, and that of Neopaganism in general, to ancient paganism
in any of its multitude of forms is slight and ultimately beside the
point.
We need to make these changes of mindset because they will allow us to
take the next step, which is to expand Paganism, as a path of
initiation, to its potential. We cannot do that as long as we are
locked into an old model--real or romanticized. The initiatory paths of
the past have failed. Therefore, we need something better than what
has gone before. We can take the essentials of Neopaganism, the broad
strokes of its mythology and ritual, as a starting point, but we must
go beyond that start.
First, we need to penetrate beneath the level of religious symbolism
to what might be called the physics of magic, the nuts and bolts and
laws of nature that account for what magic does and is. Next to the
initiatory experience itself, which can never be communicated or
replaced by anything--that point cannot be emphasized too much or too
often--the physics of magic would be the deepest level of
understanding, accounting for all forms of symbolic knowledge.
Secondly, we need to improve our tool chest of spiritual methods. Much
of the work has already been done by initiates outside Paganism. All
we have to do is translate it and incorporate it within our own
framework. At the same time, an expanded and improved body of poetic
ritual would be useful.
These things have already begun to happen, but the pace should be
accelerated. A common recognition of both the possibility and the need
would be a valid step. We must acknowledge that yoga can meditate us
into a corner, that the Qabala theorizes rings around us, and that any
good shamanic lineage works magic to put us to shame. We must also
insist that Paganism has advantages over these that should not be
surrendered, and work to incorporate what other paths can teach us
into our own framework.
These accomplishments would serve to strengthen and fortify the
initiatory path of Paganism. It will need all the strength it can get
if it is to resist turning into a religion. But there are other things
that need doing as well, on both the communicative and magical fronts.
Those of us with active pens can communicate the idea of an initiatory
path that lies within the mythical and ritual structure of the Pagan
religion. There is, at present, no established Pagan doctrine or
dogma, no established Pagan clergy, and no established Pagan pantheon,
and this also must be made clear.
The magical side of the battle may be the most important one. Here,
the guiding principle should be a clear visualization of what we want
Paganism to be. Should exoteric Pagan religions grow up around the
initiatory core, then, ideally, we would want the priests or
priestesses of this religion to be initiates. But this may not be
practicable. First, many of us are unsuited for (or uninterested in)
the role of ministering to those who are unready for initiation.
Second, there may be too many newcomers to Paganism (by some estimates
the fastest-growing religion in North America) and too few initiates.
I believe we could agree on two goals. A viable and visible initiatory
tradition must be maintained within the religion, and no exoteric
priesthood must be allowed to gain preeminence over the path. To those
ends, then, the following magical workings are suggested.
Weave the Net: There is a tenuous telepathic link among all initiates.
This can be invoked as part of the opening of any major magical work,
which will strengthen both the work and the net. Some covens and
individuals already do this. Reach out the heart's fiery hand and feel
the love of one another, both within the coven and beyond it, setting
aside the quarrels of the mind, poles of a tipi each supporting each,
moving faster and faster circles made of love. In this way, a
synergistic entity, a collective consciousness, may be generated,
incorporating all our diversity--yet stronger than any of us alone.
This consciousness can be invoked like any deity, and can be a guide
and an empowerment. We can give it names; there will be private names
known to individual covens or solitaries, but among us all the name is
Love.
Shine like a Beacon: Another working, which I feel is appropriate to a
Full Moon ritual, is one to avoid the light-under-a-bushel syndrome,
to illuminate all minds equipped with eyes to see. The metaphor of a
lighthouse beacon seems appropriate; we can visualize this light
shining brightly, overpowering any attempt to hide it, so that truth
cannot be hidden from those able to understand it, initiation cannot
be denied to those capable of attaining it.
Let a Hundred Flowers Bloom: Or, divide and rule. Assume that a
mundane Paganism must arise; above all we must not allow any one sect
or denomination of the Pagan religion to achieve preeminence over the
others. It doesn't matter how much we like or dislike what the leaders
of this or that sect are saying. Any Pagan doctrine will always be
wrong, even if it's right, because initiation cannot be conveyed in
words or symbols. We can, through our magic, encourage diversity and
creativity in the ranks of newcomers and non-initiate leaders,
preferring chaos to conformity, and subtly bend the path of discourse
so that it leads towards initiation rather than away from it. We must
avoid the temptation to encourage a unified, strong Paganism, and that
temptation will arise! A fractious, splintered, disorganized, and
confusingly multi-headed Paganism may be somewhat embarrassing when it
appears on network news or in Time magazine. But if the initiatory
tradition is clearly visible within, we will be far better served by
chaos than by an order that serves its own purposes and not ours.
I believe--certainly, I hope--that these steps can preserve the Neopagan
path of initiation, prevent its burial under the mantle of religion,
and permit what has never before happened: genuine, large-scale,
beyond-the-point-of-no-return breakout of the Mysteries, leading to
the transformation of human culture and this planet--assuming, of
course, that civilization survives the crisis of the coming years.
{file "Witches Rede of Chivalry (Ed Fitch & Janine Renee)" "bos354.htm"}
Witches Rede of Chivalry
Magical Rites from the Crystal Well, Ed Fitch and Janine Renee, 1987, Llewellyn
Publications.
Insofar as the Craft of the Wise is the most ancient and most honorable creed of
humankind, it behooves all who are Witches to act in ways that give respect to the
Old Gods, to their sisters and brothers of the Craft, and to themselves.
Therefore, be it noted that:
1. Chivalry is a high code of honor which is of most ancient Pagan origin, and must
be lived by all who follow the old ways.
2. It must be kenned that thoughts and intent put forth on this Middle Earth will
wax strong in other worlds beyond and return... bringing into creation, on this
world, that which had been sent forth. Thus one should exercise discipline, for "as
ye plant, so shall ye harvest."
3. It is only by preparing our minds to be as Gods that we can ultimately attain
godhead.
4. "This above all... to thine own self be true..."
5. A Witch's word must have the validity of a signed and witnessed oath. Thus,
give thy word sparingly, but adhere to it like iron.
6. Refrain from speaking ill of others, for not all truths of the
matter may be known.
7. Pass not unverified words about another, for hearsay is, in large
part, a thing of falsehoods.
8. Be thou honest with others, and have them know that honesty is
likewise expected of them.
9. The fury of the moment plays folly with the truth; to keep one's
head is a virtue.
10. Contemplate always the consequences of thine acts upon others.
Strive not to do harm.
11. Diverse covens may well have diverse views of love between members
and with others. When a coven, clan, or grove is visited or joined, one should
discern quietly their practices, and abide thereby.
12. Dignity, a gracious manner, and a good humor are much to be admired.
13. As a Witch, thou has power, and thy powers wax strongly as wisdom
increases. Therefore, exercise discretion in the use thereof.
14. Courage and honor endure forever. Their echoes remain when the
mountains have crumbled to dust.
15. Pledge friendship and fealty to those who so warrant. Strengthen
others of the Brethren and they shall strengthen thee.
16. Thou shalt not reveal the secrets of another Witch or Coven. Others have labored
long and hard for them, and cherish them as treasures.
1804
17. Though there may be differences among those of the Old Ways, those
who are once-born must see nothing, and must hear nothing.
18. Those who follow the mysteries should be above reproach in the eyes of the
world.
19. The laws of the land should be obeyed whenever possible and within
reason, for in the main they have been chosen with wisdom.
20. Have pride in thyself and seek perfection in body and in mind. For
the Lady has said, "How canst thou honor another unless thou give honor to thyself
first?"
21. Those who seek the Mysteries should consider themselves the select
of the Gods, for it is they would lead the race of humankind to the highest of
thrones and beyond the very stars.
1805
{file "Autonomatrix Manifesto" "bos356.htm"}
T H E A U T O N O M A T R I X
Nascent Manifesto of 930111
:: Symbolism & Design ::
The name AutonomatriX is derived from the words autonomy and matrix to
represent a self-directed and self-governing repository of information. The emblem
of the Auto-nomatriX is a circular blade with eight teeth providing a background to
t he glyph of Eris turned on its side.
The AutonomatriX is a networking chaos magic guild of those striving to discover and
rejuvenate magical ideas and technical skills with success as the only key to
validation. We do not discriminate on
the basis of lifestyle, gender, affiliation, race, or sexuality. We seek to interact
with creative magicians who are pushing boundaries instead of being trapped by them.
We are a guild composed of working craftspeople, whereas an order/lodg e/clique is
generally an exclusive
membership of supplicants.
The time of centralized info-banks is at an end; the nature of "classified" or
"secret" information is that it is more often limiting than useful to the collector,
and only profitable to the banker
of such media. Hierarchical structures are unnecessary and undesired; checks and
balances regarding membership are determined by an individual's interaction with
the rest of the group rather than personal prejudices or acceptance for any member
by any other member. The principles "sink or swim" and "(inter)action equals life"
are applicable to this magical guild, as in any network.
:: Access to the AutonomatriX ::
When a candidate has made intentional contact with a member of the AutonomatriX
(called the "AX"), that member sponsors the candidate hirself and provides all
pertinent information about that candidat
e to another member as soon as is possible for co-sponsorship. Alternatively, if for
any reason the member chooses not to sponsor the candidate after the initial
inquiry, that member must send the
information to two other members, one of whom is the member nearest to the
candidate's geographic locale. Ideally, the two sponsors would be geographically
separated from one another. All inquirers will be provided with the current AX
manifesto by any member who accepts sponsorship of that candidate at the onset of
their relationship. The suggested sponsorship period is three months, at the end of
which the co-sponsors mutually decide upon whether or not initiation should take
place.
The sponsored candidate is requested to provide information regarding any personal
magical work done in a journal or magical record. The candidate may in turn be
given any part of the Corpus Fecundi other than the Contacts Listing (see below)
that the sponsors deem appropriate at any time. Initiation may be performed by one
or both of the sponsors and/or an y other members of the AX with the consent of the
sponsors. The candidate must provide a record of a magical working whi
ch has resulted in mani-festation of the intent at least two times, and design a
self-initiation ritual. All initiation s must be performed in person. At the
climax of the initiation, the new member
is handed the current Contacts Listing ( on a scroll) and the remainder of the
Corpus Fecundi.
:: The Corpus Fecundi ::
1813
The Corpus Fecundi comprises a record of research, technical experimentation and
ritual methods that have arisen since the emergence of this guild of Chaos. The
entirety of this information is provided only after a period of sponsorship
resulting in initiation and excludes non-req uested information of a political or
genealogical nature.
It is the personal responsibility of each member of the AX to update their copy of
the Corpus Fecundi as new information becomes available. An active member of the AX
is any person who is on the Contacts Listing. All information for inclus ion into
the Corpus Fecundi is
transferred throughout the network on at least a quarterly basis.
The Corpus Fecundi consists of three parts, as follows:
The first part is the "Contacts Listing," which includes all participants in the AX.
All are listed by their appellation (any titles may be chosen), mailing address,
Working Group and/or Project involvement information, and a brief biography (bio) of
personal interests, researches, requests for information on any topic, etc. To
remain on the Contacts Listing each member is responsible for making their mem-
bership known by interaction with other members. If for any reason this cannot be
done, membership requires that the current AX curators are notified of continued
participation in the net-work by a work record semi-annually.
The second part is an "Index" of all works currently making up the Corpus Fecundi.
All members are responsible for ensuring that their copy is complete via this Index.
The author of each item will be
listed here, rather than on the items themselves.
:: The Curators ::
The issuance of Contacts Listings and Indexes are provided by the AutonomatriX
curators, who ensure that each display the name and emblem of the AX upon them. Two
curators are randomly chosen on June
27th of each year from volunteers to update and maintain securely the hard-copies
and electronic copies of all material in the Corpus Fecundi. The Corpus Fecundi is
maintained in its entirety in both formats at all times. Any individual in the
network may assume these responsibilities, although no curator may have successive
terms of office.
:: Working Groups ::
Each member of the AX is encouraged to form autonomous Working Groups. All WGs may
be designated by whatever name (Coven, Project, Team, Clan, Temple, Group, Cabal,
Tribe, etc.) deemed appropriate by those directly involved. A Working Group is
composed of at least two active me mbers of the network and as many nonmembers as
desired by them.
1814
Each Working Group is inaugurated by the generation of its own unique
manifesto, accepted by all participating in that WG. It must be distributed by the
AX members of that group to all on the current Contacts Listing. This particular
manifesto should be made as detailed as possible, to outline the WG's objectives and
intent, protocol, any offices assumed within the WG's internal structure, and
whatever else the WG decides upon. Accompanying the manifesto should be each
participant's signature (of their chosen appellation), mailing address, and bio. The
AX will in no way interfere in matters of any Working Group's internal structure or
protocol, with the fullest intention being to keep regulation to a minimum in
regards to the network's guild structure.
Each WG is encouraged to access any form of media available for wider
distribution of ideas and material, and the AX pro vides encouragement and/or
assistance to members who have material suitable for this purpose.
:: Projects ::
Projects or Operations which include any member of the AX within or without one's
Working Group are to be listed in the Contacts List. An "Operation" is usefully
described as an extended working for a specific goal carried out by two or mo re
members of the guild regardless of WG affiliation.
:: Main Contact Points ::
It is recommended that each WG and Operation designate a Main Contact Point (or MCP)
elected by the members in that Working Group, for response to inquiries and
distribution of information. It is the responsibility of the acting MCP of that
group to distribute all information for inclusion into the Corpus Fecundi of the
members in hir Working Group and/or O peration.
:: Information Transference ::
Information is distributed throughout the entire active membership of the network in
the issuance of the Contacts Listing and Index of the Corpus Fecundi by the AX
curators. The authors of any item produced and distributed for inclusion into the
Corpus Fecundi are responsible for the distribution of that information throughout
the network. Any item may be marked "Private" by its author, and this is understood
to mean distribution via the Corpus Fecundi only (not for public consumption). No
items intended for the Corpus Fecundi may be marked with the
author's appellation, although it is recommended that each item is accompanied by a
cover letter providing whatever personal data the author or distributor desires.
:: Voting ::
When voting is required within the AX as a whole, all members must provide a written
response of yes, no, or abstinence. The votes of each member are then listed beside
their name on the next Contacts Listing. A measure's success depends upon at least
a two-third's majority of all members of the AutonomatriX. All members are encour-
aged to voice their own o pinions at all times.
:: Identification ::
The AX does not employ any single clue to disclose membership in the guild.
However, objects that are easily available are periodically chosen to represent
active participation in the network, such as a certain semiprecious stone or a
color-specific pen for example. At any time, suggestions may be supplied to a
curator for random selection. The identifier is described as briefly as possible at
the top of each Contacts Listing. Aside from this, each WG and Operation is encou
1815
raged to generate totems and/or fetishes to designate themselves symbolically within
the guild.
:: Accessories ::
Each Working Group in the AX chooses what ritual accessories are necessary. Some may
choose specific forms of jewelry or ritual garments as a group. Each member must
possess the current identifier
object of the AX in the working area at the time of any meeting attended.
The AutonomatriX may be reached via
Temple Babel
PO Box 26362
San Francisco, CA 94126
Vox Mail: 415- 267-6937
or via the
PSYBERNET BBS: (805)772 AS IF
1816
{file "Aethyr, On the Nature of (Anthra Andromda)" "bos357.htm"}
ON THE NATURE OF THE AETHER
by: Anthra Andromda
[1] The Anahat Shabd, the "soundless sound", is the subtlest element of all. It
is the etheric essence, finer than earth, air, water, or fire, beyond the speed of
light... all pervasive, the source of cohesion, of electricity, of magnetism and
gravitation, of all that exists.
The modern physicist E.C.G. Sudarshan has described the etheric essence of the
Anahat Shabd in scientific terms as follows:
"The ether as superfluid is consistent with relativity and quantum theory.
It is the support of all light, in it all bodies exist,it is attached to none, it is
ever present beyond the limitations of time and space. It has no inertial
qualities, no interactions, yet it is the very substance of illumination."
E.C.G. Sudarshan (preprint, University of Texas, 1974)
Such is the Eastern view of the aether, in the west it has been given the following
definition:
1. An imaginary substance regarded by ancients as filling all space and making up
the stars, etc.
2. In physics, as a hypothetical, invisible substance, postulated as
pervading space and serving as the medium for the transmission of light and other
energies.
This Aether has been theorized and expounded upon by metaphysists for hundreds,
perhaps thousands of years (I have so far been unable to find the true source of the
idea). Back in the 1600 there were several Aethers, but around 1638, Rene' Descartes
postulated a single Aether that was "all-pervasive".
As recently as a hundred years ago this idea was quite popular, though now it is
dismised by science, or at least most of science. There are now several physists who
are beginning to develop theories about the universe that look for all the world
like theories of the Aether, though, they are using different names for the very
ideas that the ancient metaphysists proposed.
Consider these two exerpts from papers written by modern physists. They are
going to describe two "fields" that exist in their theories, and are in all
likelyhood what the ancients called; the Aether.
[2] Space is filled with an energy field, the energy concentration of which is
extremely large (for the layman, the energy field in this lecture room could
correspond to the energy of several bombs.)
1817
This energy field has little to do with light energy or solar energy,
and instead is called the GRAVITON FIELD, TACHYON FIELD or NEUTRINO FIELD.
There are two essential models of imagination for this field and the tachyon.
We are either dealing with EXTREMELY SHORT WAVES which possess VERY HIGH ENERGY
electromagnetic radiation, or we are dealing with very small energy units
which display a PULSATING BEHAVIOR which, in turn, determines their energy.
[...]
The majority of them (tachyons) may remain relatively stationary (these
are called BRADYONS) and because of their OSCILLATORY BEHAVIOR (Prof. Seike
calls it "trembling motion" [Zitterbewegung]), they HAVE A GREAT AMOUNT OF
ENERGY.
This means that ALL MATTER is immersed in an EXTREMELY DENSE ENERGY FIELD
which we cannot percieve.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Vangard note...
Think of the Bradyon field in its continuous jiggle as having a
composition similar to syrup. Rapidly moving Tachyons can be thought of as water
or gas.
Comparison of the flow speed of the two fields shows how the Bradyon
field could "sustain" the holographic (3d) image of the universe in a matrix of
living energy.
This opens up very interesting concepts relating to Sheldrake's
Morphogenetic Fields and Burrs' Electrodynamic Fields of Life.
-------------------------------------------------------
[3] QUANTUM MAGIC
REALITY AS DESCRIBED BY QUANTUM MECHANICS
In quantum mechanics, reality is described by waves defining the
probabilities of different outcomes from the same interactions. These waves manifest
as what we have been taught to call matter, energy, particles, and/or waves when
observed.
These probability waves overlap and continue forever. The interactions between
different entities constitute a single structure of linked wave patterns, so that
the entire universe can be thought of as an unbroken whole. The waves form a matrix,
with all parts of the system affecting all other parts. Non-local relationships
exist between parts of the system that are distant from each other. It is
impossible to distinguish two particles of the same type in a region of space in
which they may be found simultaneously. Particles loose their individual identity in
such regions. Thus, the physical universe is fundamentally unified.
[...]
SCIENTIFIC THEORY
1818
Mr. Walker's ideas and equations would only be hypotheses if it weren't for the fact
that they have been tested experimentally and found to predict the results of
experiments with reasonable accuracy [4]. The evidence meets the usual rules of
proof for scientific theory, and this makes Walker's equations legitimate scientific
theory.
The non-local underlying wave patterns beneath manifestations of matter and energy
that we hold in common with our surroundings allow us to influence reality and to
obtain information about it using the power of the mind. This underlying
interconnecting pattern is the very stuff of consciousness and manifests, not only
as matter & energy, but also as psychokinesis, precognition and other phenomenon
that are only now beginning to be recognized and embraced by some theories of modern
physics.
[...]
Whatever the subtle level of reality underlying matter and energy, we are that
(including our consciousness). If hidden variables exist, we are the hidden
variables. It has been theorized that consciousness is an inseparable aspect of
this underlying reality. When our awareness connects with the deepest layer of
reality interconnecting everything, we may experience the level of consciousness
beyond time and form reported by many mystics. It is this non local structure that
we share with nature that makes it possible to "attune to nature," to psychically
participate in nature, and to live in accordance with
it.
What we are usually aware of (normal waking consciousness) is a relatively
superficial movement in the order of things. Behind the things we are aware of in
waking consciousness are a vast array of less strongly linked phenomena. This
latter realm is commonly called the unconscious (and parts of it the subconscious).
The unconscious is not very accurate, since it forms a kind of ground of conscious-
ness. Our awareness can link with this ground of consciousness to gain information
and to influence events.
-------------------------------------------------
As may be seen from the two quotations above modern science is developing theories
that are harmonious with the Thelemic concept of the Universe. True they are using
different names for the particles and fields, but they are none the less the same.
It should be noticed in the above that one writer talks about a particle field,
while the other writes about probability waves. These should not be confused -- it
is entirely likely that these are one in the same -- much like the photon, which is
alternately thought of as a particle and a wave -- yet it is still our mundane
light.
This Tachyon field is in all likely-hood a field of Hadits -- after all Hadit is
omnipresent. At any rate this does seem to fit into the current Thelemic and
Enochian theories of that which underlies reality, and even in the worst case
science is describing a field of RA-HOOR-KHUITs. This goes a long way to explaining,
in modern scientific terms, why and how Magick works.
---------------------------------------------------------
It is Descartes' "All-pervasive Aether" or field of infinitely small particles that
is becoming known as the Tachyon or neutrino field by modern science.
1819
In the Enochian theories, the universe is filled with a virtually infinite number of
'infinitely small' points of consciousness, these are known as the 'Monad'. These
Monads are the very stuff of which all things are made, and are in all likelyhood
the 'fundimental particle' of modern science. These monads then would also be the
'unit' particles which make up what the ancients called the aether, since at this
level they would be indistinguishable from energy. They would also form a great
'matrix' which would fill the material universe.
Since these particles are not only infinitely small, but are infinitely close
together, any action on one given particle would have an effect on ALL others. As
was noted above; these particles are 'points' of consciousness. This brings to mind
statements made by Hermes; The ALL is MIND (or something to that effect). If these
infinitely small particles are indeed consciousness, then it would follow that the
All or the Universe is mind. The universe would indeed be a living 'thinking'
creature in itself -- this idea is consistant with the theories of Enochian Physics.
But I think I digress. As is pointed out above, modern physics is beginning to
formulate theories that there is an 'all-pervasive' field or structure that includes
and penetrates all things. This idea is harmonious with the ancient idea of the
aether. Science postulates that this 'field' underlies all manifestion, the two
exerpts above seem to agree on this point, as do the ideas of the aether. It seem to
follow that the 'waves' that Mr. Cornett speaks of are what 'cause' what we call
"physical manifestation", and that these waves are caused by mind (did the universe
litterally 'think' itself into existance?). These waves could also be caused by
aggreates of monads acting as a unit (the manifestation of an intelligent creature).
The possibilities are endless, and all equally valid. So what does all this
have to do with the price of tea in China? Just this;
1. It goes a long way in proving the Thelemic Cosmology, though we Thelemites would
use different nomenclature. The Ideas of Nuit (infinite space) and Hadit (the
infinitely small particle which fills and manifests Nuit) are beginning to be
accepted by modern physics. The conjunction of these infinites, Ra-Hoor-Khuit, any
and all events occuring within Nuit and Hadit, is therefore a 'given'.
2. It shows the mechanics of Magick. Since it can be observed that one consciousness
affects another, it follows that one may affect the entire universe by simply
'fixing' an idea in their consciousness. This may seem a bit over-simplified...it
is! The process is not an easy one, however, the rituals and processes that have
been given us by the ancients do begin to make some sense in the light of modern
physics. It is these ancient mechanisms that allow us to put our mundane minds into
the proper 'frame' and therefore 'excite' our consciousness, thus allowing us to
have a 'physical' effect on
or enviroment.
References:
1. S.S. Guruka Singh Khalsa, Research Associate
Department of High Energy Physics
Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio
December 13, 1987
2. The Symposium on Energy Technology in Hannover
November 27 and 28, 1980
Topic of the Symposium (Tachyon Field)
Dr. Hans A. Nieper
1820
3. AMARANTH Vol. E.1.1: QUANTUM MAGIC
An Electronic zine by Larry Cornett 8/22/88
4. Evan Harris Walker...Scientst and author. Worked for US Army
Ballistic Research Labs. at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. He is the author
on several papers and book concerning psychic and other para-normal
phenomenon.
1821
{file "Dangers of Deity? (a Conversation)" "bos358.htm"}
By: Dan Holdgreiwe
To: Adrienne
Re: Dangers of Deity?
-----------------------
In the presence of the Goddess, Adrienne said to Dan Holdgreiwe:
PH> ...to suggest that the human psyche, confronted with the Divine PH> presence
without being built up to sustain that impact, can frag ment.
DH> I don't buy it, at least not in those terms. This sort of thing makes for
impressive sermons, but it does not correspond to the Divine reality that I have
experienced.
Ae> Then you're lucky. I'm with Paul Hume on this one.
Well, I've been rethinking this myself, mostly because I realized that in other
contexts I make a big deal about the "dangers" of confronting the Divine. So why
was I so critical of the dangers espoused by Paul and others?
A major reason, I beleive is that I was taking their statements too literally. I
can't take the image of God as a high voltage line seriously. For that matter, I
find myself more and more disatisfied the the electrical metaphor that so permiates
modern discussions of magic. Words such as "charging," "grounding," and "energy"
capture only one side -- and not the most important side -- of ritual work. My over
literal reading of their posts conjured up a ridiculous image in my mind, which I
emphatically rejected.
Let me say instead that the dangers of encounter with the Divine are not electrical,
but rather are moral and intellectual. If one demands a relationship with Deity
which exceeds one's moral maturity, one does indeed face serious risks. I suspect
that most of these risks are related to self-deception and self-indulgence, but I
suppose that in extreme cases the damage to the personality could be more rapid.
All this, of course, presumes a basically healthy psyche.
On the other hand, approaching Deity often feels much more dangerous than it is. We
are likely to feel a great deal of fear as our pretensions and denials are stripped
away by the appraoch of the Divine presence. This feeling of fear is necessary and
good, but it is fear of change as much as fear of real danger.
Ae> Traumatic not just for the unwilling. I recently had a pries tess of
mine who did the Drawing Down for the first time and she was profoundly
disturbed by it. Not in an unpleasant way, but she's well trained and she
still found the whole experience hard to deal with on an emotional level.
Some people can shrug it off, others find it hard to incorporate into
themselves. Kinda like losing one's virginity...
I wasn't thinking that "emotionally hard to deal with" was what Paul et al. meant by
"zapped" or "crispy." Certainly such experiences can be emotionally hard to deal
with (although I have never found them so myself).
Ae> To be blunt, bullsh*t. Sure it can. The Gods sometimes force us to
prove our mettle, *especially* if we ask them to. If we are strong
enough,fine. If not...
Prove our mettle at what exactly? Lightning bolts at fifty paces? I probably agree
with you, but I reject the idea that we are tested like transistors -- turn on the
juice and throw away the ones that burn out.
1822
Ae> Besides, the biggest danger isn't in the presence of the Divine. It's
when the mage/priest *thinks* the Divine is there and is deluded. The
unconscious mind will happily produce all sorts of fantasies if you ask.
This I agree with 100%
Ae> It isn't a case of how effective the participants are, rather, how
ineffective. Delusion is a stock in trade for the occult arts.
Here you seem to have come around to my side. Most dangers come not from the
presence of the Gods, but rather from their absence. An imaginary power line isn't
dangerous, but an imaginary like with God/dess is.
Blessed Be
Dan
By: Paul Hume
To: Dan Holdgreiwe
Re: Re: Dangers of Deity?
----------------------------
Dan -
The zapped or crispy metaphor (hmmm, more Divine Electricity imagery) could include
"emotional discomfort," though I find that to be so basic an element in dealing with
Divine encounters (in my *vast* experience (g)), as the ego tries to relate to what
has just happened, that I don't really consider it at issue.
Someone who shrugs and mutters "No big deal," whether they've Drawn Down a God for
the first or five hundredth time has more of a problem, in my arrogant opinion, than
someone who throws shrieking fits in the wake of the experience (assuming they get
to stop screaming, eventually).
Yes, the crispness of the unprepared is, in fact, a metaphor for psychological
disintegration, an explosion of "mundane consciousness" in the wake of an experience
which blows the underpinnings out from under it. In a not uncommon example,
priesthood who begin to expect, to demand, the reverence shown them when they are
vessels of the Divine be shown them when they are not exercising their theurgic
office. Whether it is a Wiccan HPS or a Catholic monsignor (or
what you will), this is a typical poison that can breed in the wake of the Divine
invocation.
1823
Psychically, the Gods ARE high-voltage lines, whether you accept them as "real" or
"mere archetypes," or whatever. They, by definition, function on a level of
consciousness that is tremendously potent in the context of day-to-day awareness.
And they may be as solicitous of humans as a human is when caring for a small and
fragile animal, but They also do not exercise the same controls on humans that
humans do on animals, and rarely force us to turn away from danger, though They try
and protect us when we think to ask for it.
The fact that humanity contains (in my view) Divine potential in its own right
allows for humans to confront Deity on its own plane, even at the cost of the
present incarnation.
Paul
By: Dan Holdgreiwe
To: Paul Hume
Re: Re: Dangers of Deity?
--------------------------
In the presence of the Goddess, Paul Hume said to Dan Holdgreiwe:
PH> The zapped or crispy metaphor (hmmm, more Divine Electricity
imagery) could include "emotional discomfort," though I find that to be so
basic an element in dealing with Divine encounters (in my *vast* experience
(g)), as the ego tries to relate to what has just happened, that I don't
really consider it at issue.
Really? My own experience has included more than a little emotional
discomfort, but almost all of it was in those periods when I wasn't receiving
palpable confirmation that the work was acomplishing anything. Breaking through to
the Divine, on the other hand, is usually a joyful, ecstatic experience for me.
Part of this may be training (I spent about 10 unpleasant but productive years under
the disipline of a very demanding spiritual group) and part of it may be a matter of
pre-stripping the ego in anticipation of contact with the Divine (a less than common
practice among Pagans, who tend tobe suspicious of anything that smacks of humility-
).
PH> Someone who shrugs and mutters "No big deal," whether they've Drawn
Down a God for the first or five hundredth time has more of a problem, in my
arrogant opinion, than someone who throws shrieking fits in the wake of the
experience (assuming they get to stop screaming, eventually).
I would agree, but I find the more common reaction to be along the lines of "Oh,
wow!" or even "Mmmmmmmmmmm, yes!" Perhaps this means I'm not "plugged in" to the
high-amp Deities (like maybe Cthulu). <g>
On a more serious note, I probably use an egregore that mediates the
relationship with God/dess in ways that make screaming fits less likely -- thought I
suppose it could be disputed whether this was good or bad.
1824
PH> Yes, the crispness of the unprepared is, in fact, a metaphor for
psychological disintegration, an explosion of "mundane con sciousness" in
the wake of an experience which blows the under pinnings out from under it.
In a not uncommon example, pries thood who begin to expect, to demand, the
reverence shown them when they are vessels of the Divine be shown them when
they are not exercising their theurgic office. Whether it is a Wiccan HPS
or a Catholic monsignor (or what you will), this is a typical poison that
can breed in the wake of the Divine invocation.
Ah, this is where your metaphor confuses me. You speak of an "explosion" but your
example is more akin to a cancer -- not a dramatic shattering of the personality,
but a gradual corruption. The latter is a danger that I readily acknowledge.
PH> Psychically, the Gods ARE high-voltage lines, whether you accept them as
"real" or "mere archetypes," or whatever. They, by definition, function on a
level of consciousness that is treme ndously potent in the context of
day-to-day awareness.
PH> The fact that humanity contains (in my view) Divine potential in its own
right allows for humans to confront Deity on its own plane, even at the cost
of the present incarnation.
The Lord and Lady are indeed potent, but their energy is wisely controlled. Each of
us, hoever, is a high-voltage line in much less capable hands. I believe it is not
God/dess, but our own Divine potential which will "zap" us if we are careless in its
use.
Blessed Be
Dan
1825
{file "Eight Magicks (Pete Carroll)" "bos359.htm"}
RITUALS AND SPELL OBJECTIVES AND DESIGN IN EIGHT MAGICS
by Pete Carroll
Our perceptual and conceptual apparatus creates a fourfold division
of matter into the space, time, mass, and energy tautology.
Similarly, our instinctual drives create an eightfold division of
magic. The eight forms of magic are conveniently denoted by colours
having emotional significance:
OCTARINE,
PURE MAGIC
RED, BLACK,
WAR MAGIC .... DEATH MAGIC
....
... .... ...
... ........ ...
... .............. ...
... C H A O S ....
....... BOX ........
ORANGE, ....................................... BLUE,
THINKING ............. THE MAGICAL ............. WEALTH MAGIC
MAGIC ..... MAILBOX .......
...04962577966.....
... .............. ...
... ........ ...
... .... ...
....
PURPLE or .... GREEN,
SILVER, LOVE MAGIC
SEX MAGIC YELLOW,
EGO MAGIC
The eight types of magic can be attributed to the seven classical
"planets", plus Uranus for Octarine. However in the cause of
expanding the parameters of what can be attempted with each of these
forms of magic, such an attribution will largely be avoided. The
eight forms of magic will each be considered in turn.
OCTARINE MAGIC
Following Pratchett's hypothesis, the eighth colour of the spectrum,
which is the magicians personal perception of the "colour of magic",
may be called octarine. For me, this is a particular shade of
electric pinkish-purple. My most signifikant optical visions have
all occured in this hue, and I visualise it to colour many of my
more important spells and sigils on the astral. Before I set sail in
a handmade open boat through the Arabian Sea I was tricked into
accepting a huge and priceless star ruby by a wizard in India. It
was of an exactly octarine hue. During the most violent typhoon I
have ever experienced I found myself shrieking my conjurations to
Thor and Poseidon whilst clinging to the bowsprit as mountainous
waves smashed into the boat and octarine lightning bolts crashed
into the sea all around. Looking back it seems miraculous that I
and my crew survived. I have kept the octarine stone, uncertain as
to whether it was passed to me as a curse, a joke, a blessing, or a
test, or all of these things.
1826
Other magicians perceive octarine in different ways. My personal
perception of octarine is probably a consequence of sex (purple) and
anger (red) being my most effective forms of gnosis. Each should
seek out the colour of magic for himself.
The octarine power is our instinctual drive towards magic, which, if
allowed to flower, creates the magician self or personality in the
psyche, and in affinity with various magician god forms. The
"Magician Self" varies naturally between magicians, but has the
general characteristics of antinomianism and deviousness, with a
predilection for manipulation and the bizarre. The antinomianism of
the magician self arises partly from the general estrangement of our
culture from magic. The magicial self therefore tends to take an
interest in everything that does not exist, or should not exist,
acording to ordinary consensus reality. To the magician self,
"Nothing is Unnatural". A statement full of endless meanings. The
deviousness of the magician self is a natural extension of the
sleight of mind required to manipulate the unseen. The god forms of
the octarine power are those which correspond most closely with the
characteristics of the magician self, and are usually the magicians
most important modes of possession for purely magical inspiration.
Baphomet, Pan, Odin, Loki, Tiamat, Ptah, Eris, Hekate, Babalon,
Lilith and Ishtar are examples of god forms which can be used in
this way.
Alternatively the magician may wish to formulate a magician god form
on a purely idiosyncratic basis, in which case the symbolism of the
serpent and the planet Uranus often prove useful starting points.
The magician can invoke such god forms for the illumination of
various aspects of the magical self, and for various works of pure
rather than applied magic. The category of pure magic includes such
activities as the development of magical theories and philosophies,
and magical training programs, the devising of symbolic systems for
use in divinations, spells and incantations, and also the creation
of magical languages for similar purposes. It is worth noting here
that chaos-magical languages are usually now written in V-Prime
before transliteration into magical barbaric form. V-Prime or
Vernacular Prime is simply one's native tongue in which all use of
all tenses of the verb "to be" is omitted in accordance with quantum
metaphysics. All the nonsense of transcendentalism disappears quite
naturally once this tactic is adopted. There is no being, all is
doing.
The octarine power is invoked to inspire the magician self and to
expand the magicians primary arcana. The primary personal arcana
consists of the fundamental symbols with which he interprets and
interacts with reality (whatever that may assault perception as),
magically. These symbols may be theories or kabbalas, obsessions,
magical weapons, astral or physical, or indeed anything which
relates to the practice of magic generally, that is not dedicated
specifically to one of the other powers of applied magic, whose
symbols form the secondary personal arcana of magic.
1827
From the vantage point of the octarine gnosis, the magician self
should be able to perceive the selves of the other seven powers, and
be able to see their interrelationship within his total organism.
Thus the octarine power brings some ability in psychiatry, which is
the adjustment of the relationship between the selves in an
organism. The basis difference between a magician and a civilian is
that the latter the octarine power is vestigial or undeveloped. The
normal resting or neutral mode a civilian corresponds to a mild
expression of the yellow power which he regards as his normal
personality or "ego". The magician self however, is fully aware that
this is but one of eight major tools that the organism possesses.
Thus, in a sense, the "normal personality" of the magician is a tool
of his magical self (and, importantly, vice versa). This realisation
gives him some advantage over ordinary people. However the
developing magical self will soon realize that it is not in itself
superior to the other selves that the organism consists of, for
there are many things they can do which it cannot.
The development of the octarine power through the philosophy and
practice of magic tends to provide the magician with a second major
centre amongst the selves to complement the ego of the yellow power.
The awakening of the octarine power is sometimes known as "being
bitten by the serpent". Those who have been, are usually as
instantly recognisable to each other as, for example, two lifeboat
survivors are.
Perhaps one of the greatest tricks of sleight of mind is to allow
the magician self and the ego to dance together within the psyche
without undue conflict. The magician who is unable to disguise
himself as an ordinary person, or who is unable to act independently
of his own ego, is no magician at all.
Nevertheless, the growth of the octarine, or eighth power of the
self, and the discovery of the type of magician one wants to be, and
the identification or synthesis of a god form to represent it, tend
to create something of a mutant being, who has advanced into a
paradigm that few others are aware of. It is not easy to turn back
once the jouney has begun, though quite a few have tried to abort
the voyage with various narcotics including mysticism. It is a
pilgrimage to an unknown destination, in which one awakes
successively from one nightmare into another. Some on them appear
vastly entertaining at the time. There are worlds within us, the
abysses are just the initiations in between them.
The evocation of an octarine servitor can create an invaluable tool
for those engaged in magical research. The main functions of such
entities are usually to assist in the discovery of useful
information and contacts. Negative results should not be ignored
here, the complete failure of a well prepared servitor to retrieve
information about the hypothetical cosmic "big bang", was a
contributory factor in the development of the Fiat Nox theory, for
example.
1828
BLACK MAGIC
The Death programs built into our genetic and hence behavioral and
emotional structure are the price we pay for the capacity for sexual
reproduction which alone allows for evolutionary change. Only
organisms which reproduce asexually, to replicate endless identical
copies of their very simple forms, are immortal. Two conjunctions
with the black power are of particular interest to the magician: the
casting of destruction spells and the avoidance of premature death.
So called "Chod" rites are a ritual rehearsal of death in which the
Death-self is invoked to manifest its knowledge and wisdom.
Traditionally conceived of as a black robed skeletal figure armed
with a scythe, the Death-self is privy to the mysteries of ageing,
senescence, morbidity, necrosis, entropy and decay. It is often also
possessed of a rather wry and world weary sense of humour.
Surrounding himself with all the symbols and paraphernalia of death,
the magician invokes his Death-self in a Chod rite for one of the
two purposes. Firstly the experience of the Death-self and the black
gnosis brings the knowledge of what it feels like to begin dying and
thus prepares the magician to resist the manifestation of actual
premature death in himself and perhaps others by, as it were,
knowing the enemy. A demon is just a god acting out of turn. In the
course of various Chod rites the magician may well experiment in
shamanic style by invoking into himself the visualised entities and
symbols that he associates with various diseases, to practice
banishing them. Thus the Death-self has some uses in medical
diagnosis and divination.
Secondly, the death-self may be invoked as a vantage point from
which to cast destruction spells. In this case the invocation takes
the same general form but the conjuration is usually called an
Entropy Rite. One should always look for any possible alternative
to the exercise of destructive magic, for to be forced into the
position of having to use it is a position of weakness. In each case
the magician must plant in his subconscious a mechanism by which the
target could come to grief and then project it with the aid of a
sigil or perhaps an evoked servitor. Entropy magic works by sending
information to the target which encourages auto-destructive
behaviour.
Entropy magic differs from Combat magic of the Red Gnosis in several
important respects. Entropy magic is always performed with complete
stealth in the cold fury of the black saturine gnosis. The aim is a
cold blooded surgical strike of which the target is given no
warning. The magician is not interested in getting into a fight,
merely in a quick and efficient kill. The supreme advantage of such
attacks is that they are rarely perceived as such by the targets who
have nothing but themselves and blind chance to blame for the
disasters which even magnanimity in victory does little to assuage.
One disadvantage however, is that it is rather difficult to present
invoices to clients for effects that appear to be due entirely to
natural causes.
1829
God forms of the black power are legion; if the simple form of a
cloaked skeleton with scythe does not adequately symbolise the
Death-self then such forms as Charon, Thanatos, Saturn, Chronos,
Hekate the Hag, Dark sister Atropos, Anubis, Yama and Kali may
serve.
Servitors of the black power are rarely established for long term
general use, partly because their use is likely to be infrequent and
partly because they can be danger to their owner, thus they tend to
be made and dispatched for specific single tasks.
BLUE MAGIC
Wealth is not to be measured in terms of assets, but rather in terms
of how much control over people and material, and thus ultimately
one's own experiences, one achieves by economic activities. Money is
an abstract concept used to quantify economic activity, thus wealth
is a measure of how well you control your experiences with money.
Assuming that varied, exciting, unusual and stimulating experiences
are preferable to dull ones, and that they tend to be expensive for
this reason, then the main problem for most people is to find a
highly efficient form of money input which has the above agreeable
qualities. The aim of wealth magic is to establish a large turnover
of money which allows agreeable experiences at both the input and
output stages. This demands what is called Money Consciousness.
Money has acquired all the characteristics of a "spiritual" being.
It is invisible and intangible, coinage, notes and electronic
numbers are not money. They are merely representations or talismans
of something which economists cannot coherently define. Yet although
it is itself intangible and invisible it can create powerful effects
on reality. Money has its own personality and idiosyncratic tastes,
it avoids those who blaspheme it, and flows towards those who treat
it in the way it likes. In a suitable environment it will even
reproduce itself. The nature of the money spirit is movement, money
likes to move. If it is hoarded and not used, it slowly dies. Money
thus prefers to manifest as turnover rather than as unexploited
assets. Monies surplus to immediate pleasure should be re-invested
as a further evocation, but the truly money conscious find that even
their pleasures make money for them. Money consciousness gets paid
to enjoy itself. Those in money consciousness are by nature
generous. Offer them an interesting investment and they will offer
you a fortune. Just don't ask for small cash handouts.
The attainment of money consciousness and the invokation of the
Wealth-self consists of the acquisition of a thorough knowledge of
the predilections of the spirit of money and a thorough exploration
of personal desires. When both of these have been understood, real
wealth manifests effortlessly.
1830
Such invocations must be handled with care. The blue gnosis of
wealth and desire creates demons as easily as gods. Many
contemporary success and sales seminars concentrate on creating an
hysterical desire for money coupled with an equally hypertrophied
desire for the mere symbols of wealth rather than the experiences
the punters actually want. To work like a possessed maniac all day
for the questionable pleasure of drinking oneself into near oblivion
on vintage champagne every night, is to have missed the point
entirely and to have a entered a condition of anti-wealth.
However, the majority of those who are poor in relatively free
societies where others are rich, owe their poverty either to a lack
of understanding of how money behaves, or to negative feelings which
tend to repel it. Neither intelligence nor investment capital are
required in any great degree to become wealthy. The popularity of
tales about the misery and misfortunes of the rich is testimony to
the ridiculous myth prevalent amongst the poor, that the rich are
unhappy. Before beginning works of blue magic it is essential to
seriously examine all negative thoughts and feelings about money and
to exorcise them. Most of the poor people who win in lotteries, and
only the poor regularly enter them, manage to have nothing to show
for it a couple years later. It is as if some subconscious force
somehow got rid of something they felt they did not really deserve
or want. People tend to have the degree of wealth that they deeply
believe they should have. Blue magic is the modification of that
belief through ritual enactment of alternative beliefs.
Blue magic rituals may thus involve exorcisms of negative attitudes
to wealth, divinatory explorations of one's deepest desires, and
invocations of the Wealth-self and the spirit of money during which
the subconscious wealth level is adjusted by ritual expression of a
new value, and affirmations of new projects for the investment of
resources and efford are made. Hymns and incantations to money can
be delivered. Cheques for startling sums can be written to oneself
and desires can be proclaimed and visualised. Various traditional
god forms with a prosperity aspect can be used to express the
Wealth-self such as Jupiter, Zeus and the mythical Midas and
Croesus.
Simple money spells are rarely used in modern blue magic. The
tendency nowadays is to cast spells designed to enhance schemes
designed to make money. If one fails to provide a mechanism through
which money can manifest then either nothing will happen or the
spell will flesh by strange means, such as a legacy from the
untimely death of a much beloved relative for example. Serious blue
magic is never attempted by conventional forms of gambling.
Conventional gambling is an expensive way of buying experiences
which have nothing to do with increasing one's wealth. Blue magic is
a matter of carefully calculated investment. Anyone but a fool
should be able to devise an investment that offers better odds than
conventional forms of gambling.
1831
RED MAGIC
As soon as humanity developed the organisation and weapons
technology to defeat its main natural predators and competitors it
seems to have applied a fierce selection mechanism to itself in the
form of internecine warfare. Many of the qualities we regard as
marks of our evolutionary success, such as our opposable thumbs and
tool handling abilities, our capacity for communication by sound,
our upright posture, and our capacity to give and receive commands
and discipline, were almost certainly selected for during millennia
of organized armed conflict between human bands. Our morality
reflects our bloody history, for whilst it is taboo to attack
members of one's own tribe, it remains one's duty to attack
foreigners. The only debate is over who constitutes one's own tribe.
When enthusiasm for war is limited, we devise sports and games in
which to express our aggression. From the whole ethos and
terminology of sport it is plain that sport is just war with extra
rules.
However, it should not be supposed that war is completely without
rules. Wars are fought to improve one's bargaining position; in war
the enemy group is a resource that one wishes to gain some measure
of control over. Wars are fought to intimidate one's adversaries,
not to exterminate them. Genocide is not war.
The structure and conduct of war reflects the "fight or flight"
program built into our sympathetic nervous system. In battle, the
aim is to intimidate the enemy out of the fight mode and into flight
mode. Thus, assuming there is sufficient parity of force to make a
fight seem worthwhile to both parties, morale is the decisive factor
in conflict. Indeed, it is the decisive factor in virtually any
inter-human competitive, sporting or military encounter.
Red magic has two aspects, firstly the invocation of the vitality,
aggression, and morale to sustain oneself in any conflict from life
in general to outright war, and secondly the conduct of actual
combat magic. A variety of god forms exist in which the War-self can
be expressed, although hybrid or purely idiosyncratic forms work
just as well. Ares, Ishtar, Ogoun, Thor, Mars, Mithras and Horus in
particular are often used. Contemporary symbolism should not be
neglected. Firearms and explosives are as welcoming to the red
gnosis as swords and spears. Drums are virtually indispensable.
Sigils drawn in flammable liquids, or indeed whole flaming circles
in which to invoke should be considered.
Combat magic is usually practised openly with the adversary being
publicly threatened and cursed, or finding himself the recipient of
an unpleasant looking talisman, spell or rune. The aim is
intimidation and control of one's adversary who must therefore be
made as paranoid as possible and informed of the origin of the
attack. Otherwise combat magic takes the same general form as that
used in Entropy Rites, with sigils and servitors carrying
auto-destructive information to the target, although with sub-lethal
intent.
However, the real skill of red magic is to be able to present such
an overwhelming glamour of personal vitality, morale and potential
for aggression that the exercise of combat magic is never required.
1832
YELLOW MAGIC
Most of the extant texts on what is traditionally called "solar
magic", contradict each other or suffer from internal confusion.
Astrological commentaries on the supposed powers of the sun are
amongst the most idiotic nonsense that discipline can produce. This
is because the yellow power has four distinct but related forms of
manifestation within the psyche. This fourfold division has led to
immense problems in psychology, where various schools of thought
have chosen to emphasise one in particular and to ignore those which
other schools have alighted upon.
The four aspects can be characterised as follows. Firstly the Ego,
or self image, which is simply the model the mind has of the general
personality, but excluding most of the extreme behaviour patterns
that the selves are capable of. Secondly Charisma, which is the
degree of self-confidence that a person projects to others. Thirdly,
something for which there is no single English term, but which can
be called Laughter-Creativity. Fourthly, the urge to Assertion and
Dominance. All these things are manifestations of the same yellow
power; although their relative emphasis varies greatly between
individuals.
Success in most human societies usually results from a skilful
expression of the yellow power. The strength of the yellow power in
an individual seems to bear a direct relationship to levels of the
sexual hormone testosterone in both sexes; although its expression
depends on personal psychology. There is a complex interplay
between testosterone levels, self image, creativity, social status
and sexual urges, even if they are unexpressed. In esoteric terms,
the moon is the secret power behind the sun, as most female
magicians realise instinctively, and most male magicians discover
sooner or later. The Ego gradually accretes through the accidents of
childhood and adolescence, and, in the absence of particularly
powerful experiences thereafter, remains fairly constant even if it
contains highly dysfunctional elements. Any type of invocation
should make some difference to the ego, but direct work with it can
achieve much more. Several tricks are involved here. The very
recognition of the ego implies that change is possible. Only those
who realize that they own a personality rather than consis of a
personality, can modify it. For most people a preparation of a
detailed inventory of their own personality is a very difficult and
unsettling activity. Yet once it is done it is usually quite easy to
decide what changes are desirable.
Changes to the Ego or self image or personality by magic are classed
as works of Illumination and are mainly accomplished by Retroactive
Enchantment and Invocation. Retroactive Enchantment in this case
consits of re-writing one's personal history. As our history largely
defines our future, we can change our future by redefining our past.
Everybody has some capacity to re-interpret things which were
considered to have gone wrong in the past in a more favourable
light, but most fail to pursue the process to the full. One cannot
eliminate disabling memories, but by an effort of visualisation and
imagination one can write in parallel enabling memories of what
might also have happened, to neutralise the originals. One can also,
where possible, modify any remaining physical evidence that favours
the disabling memory.
1833
Invocations to modify the ego are ritual enchantments and
personifications of the new desired qualities. Attention should be
given to planned changes of dress, tone of speech, gesture,
mannerisms and body posture which will best suit the new ego. One
manoeuvre frequently used in yellow magic is to practice the
manifestation of an alternative personality with a specific mnemonic
trigger, such as the transference of a ring from one finger to
another.
Various god forms such as Ra, Helios, Mithras, Apollo and Baldur are
useful to structure fresh manifestations of the ego, and for
experiments with the other three qualities of the yellow power.
Charisma, the projection of an aura of self confidence, is based on
a simple trick. After a short while there is no difference at all
between the pretence and the actuality of self confidence. Anyone
wishing to remedy a lack of confidence and charisma, and uncertain
as to how to begin pretending to these qualities, may find that a
day or two spent pretending to absolute zero self confidence will
quickly reveal both the effectiveness of pretence and the specific
thoughts, words, gestures and postures required to project either
pretence.
Laughter and Creativity may not immediately seem to be related, but
humour depends on the sudden forging of a new connection between
disparate concepts, and we laugh at our own creativity in forging
the connection. Exactly the same form of elation arises from other
forms of creative activity, and if the insight comes suddenly,
laughter results. If you don't laugh when you see a seriously
brilliant piece of mathematics then you have not really understood
it. It also take a degree of positive self-esteem and confidence to
laugh at something creatively funny. Persons of low self-esteem tend
only to laugh at destructive humour and the misfortunes of others,
if they laugh at all.
Laughter is often an important factor in the invocations of the god
forms of the yellow power. Solemnity is not a prerequisite for
ritual. Laughter is also a useful tactic in drawing conscious
attention away from sigils or other magical conjurations once they
are finished with. The deliberate forcing of hysterical laughter may
seem an absurd way of ending an enchantment or an invocation, but it
has been found to be remarkably effective in practice. This is yet
another sleight of mind manoeuvre which prevents conscious
deliberation.
The "pecking order" within most groups of social animals is usually
immediately obvious to us, and the animals themselves. Yet within
our own society such dominance hierarchies are equally prevalent
within all social groups; although we go to quite extreme lengths to
disguise this to ourselves. The human situation is further
complicated by the tendency of individuals to belong to many groups
in which they may have different degrees of social status, and
status is often partly dependent on specialist abilities other than
displays of naked force.
1834
However, assuming that a person can appear competent in the
specialist ability that a social group requires, that person's
position in the group depends almost entirely on the degree of
assertion and dominance that person exhibits. It is basically
exhibited through non-verbal behaviour which everybody understands
intuitively or subconsciously but which most people fail to
understand rationally. As a consequence they cannot manipulate it
deliberately. Typical dominance behaviours involve talking loudly
and slowly, using lots of eye contact, interrupting the speech of
others whilst resisting the interruption of others, maintaining an
upright posture of concealed threat, invading the personal space of
others whilst resisting intrusion into one's own, and placing
oneself strategically in any space at the focus of attention. In
cultures where touching is frequent, the dominant always initiate
it, or pointedly refuse it. Either way, they control it.
Submissive behaviour is of course the reverse of all the above, and
appears quite spontaneously in response to successful dominance from
others. There is a two way interaction between dominance behaviour
and hormone levels. If the levels change for medical reasons then
the behaviour tends to change, but more importantly, from a magical
point of view, a deliberate change of behaviour will modify hormone
levels. Fake it till you make it. There is nothing particularly
occult about the way some people are able to control others. We
simply fail to notice how it is done because nearly all the
behavioural signals involved are exchanged subconsciously. Dominance
signals do not tend to work if their recipients perceive them
consciously. Thus in most situations they must be delivered subtly
and with gradually increasing intensity. One of the few situations
where such signals are exchanged deliberately is in military
hierarchies, but this is only possible because of the immense
capacity for direct physical coercion that such systems exhibit.
Break the formal rules of non-verbal communication with an officer
and he will have a sergeant instil some submission by direct means.
Eventually the formal rules become internalised and function
automatically, allowing enough obedience to permit mass
self-sacrifice and slaughter. The yellow power is the root of most
of the best and the worst of what we are capable.
GREEN MAGIC
There is inevitable a considerable overlap in what is written in
popular magic books on the subject of venusian (love) and lunar
(sex) magic. Consequently a planetary nomenclature has been largely
avoided in this text. Although love magic is frequently performed in
support of sexual objectives, this chapter will confine itself to
the arts of making other people friendly, loyal and affectionate
towards oneself.
Friends are probably anyone's greatest asset. My adress book is
easily my most valuable possession. As with erotic attraction, it is
first necessary to like oneself before others will. This ability can
be enhanced by appropriate invocations of the green power. Most
people find it easy to elicit friendliness from people that they
like themselves; but making persons who are not disposed to
friendship towards you, become friendly, and making persons who you
do not like at all friendly towards you, are valuable abilities. An
unreciprocated friendship is a disability only to the person
offering it.
1835
Invocations to the green power should begin with self-love; an
attempt to see the wonderful side of every self one consists of, and
then proceed into a ritual affirmation of the beauty and loveability
of all things and all people. Suitable god forms for the Love-self
include Venus, Aphrodite and the mythical Narcissus, whose myth
merely reflects a certain male prejudice against this type of
invocation.
From within the green gnosis, spells to make people friendly may be
cast by simple enchantment or by the use of entities created for
this purpose. However it is in face to face meetings that the
empathic abilities stimulated by the invocation work most
effectively. Apart from the obvious manoeuvres of showing interest
in everything the target has to say and affirming and sympathising
with most of it, there is another critical factor called "behavioral
matching", which usually takes place subconsciously. Basically, in
the absence of overtly hostile postures on the part of the target,
one should attempt to match the non-verbal behaviour of the target
precisely. Sit or stand in the identical bodily posture, make the
same movements, use the same degree of eye contact, and talk for
similar intervals. As with dominance behaviour, such signals only
work if they are not consciously perceived by the recipient. Do not
move to match the target's moves and postures immediately. It is
also essential to try and match the verbal behaviour and to
communicate with the same level of intelligence, social status and
sense of humour as the target.
Before I made myself wealthy, I used to practice these abilities
when hitch-hiking. Soon, even people whom I found quite ghastly were
buying me lunch and transporting me far out of their way. Empathy
will get you anywhere.
ORANGE MAGIC
Charlatanry, trickery, living by one's wits and thinking fast on
one's feet are the essence of the orange power. These mercurial
abilities were traditionally associated with the god forms which
acted as patrons to doctors, magicians, gamblers and thieves.
However the profession of medicine has now partly dissociated itself
from charlatanry since doctors discovered that antibiotics and
hygienic surgery actually worked. Nevertheless about eighty percent
of medications are still basically placebos, and the profession
still retains the mercurial caduceus for its emblem. Similarly the
profession of magic has become less dependant on charlatanry with
the discovery of the quantum-probabilistic nature of enchantment and
divination and the virtual abandonment of classical alchemy and
astrology. Pure magic is now best described as an expression of the
octarine power, having an Uranian character. Yet charlatanry still
has its place in magic as in medicine. Let us not forget that all
"conjuring tricks" were once part of the shamanic warm up repertoire
in which something lost or destroyed is miraculously restored by the
magician to get the audience in the right mood before the serious
business of placebo healing began. In its classical form, the
magician puts a dead rabbit in a hat before pulling out a live one.
1836
To the list of professions drawing heavily on the orange power one
must now add salesman, confidence trickster, stockbroker and indeed
any profession with an extreme heart attack rating. The motive power
of the orange gnosis is basically fear, a species of fear which does
not inhibit the user, but rather creates an extraordinary nervous
speed that produces quick moves and answers in tight corners.
The apotheosis of the Wit-self is the ability to enter that state of
mental overdrive in which the fast response is always forthcoming.
This ability is,, paradoxically enough, created by not thinking
about thinking, but rather allowing anxiety to partially paralyse
the inhibitory process themselves so that the subconscious can throw
out a quick witted response without conscious deliberation.
Invocations of the orange power are best delivered at frantic speed
and gnosis can be deepened by the performance of mentally demanding
tasks such as adding up large lists of numbers in one's head or
ripping open envelopes containing difficult questions and answering
them instantly; activities which should be persisted with until a
breakthrough to the experience of thinking without deliberation is
achieved. Varied god forms can be used to give form to the Wit-self.
Hermes, Loki, Coyote the Trickster and the Roman Mercurius are often
employed.
Orange magic is usually restricted to invocations designed to
enhance general quick wittedness in secular activities such as
gambling, crime and intellectual pursuits. Enchantments and
evocations performed subsequent to an invocation of the orange
gnosis rarely seem to give results as effective as the invocation
itself in my experience. Perhaps something should be said about
crime and gambling for the benefit of those hotheads who may
misunderstand what can be done with orange magic in support of such
activities. Theft is ludicrously easy performed methodically yet the
majority of thieves get caught after a while because they become
addicted to anxiety, which they experience as excitement and
start taking risks to increase it. The novice thief who, in state of
extreme anxiety, takes something in a situation of zero risk, does
not of course get caught and neither does the careful professional.
However there are few careful professionals because there are far
easier ways of making money in most societies for people with that
kind of ability. The great majority of thieves however always manage
to find some way of incriminating themselves because the anxiety of
the theft itself fades, only the anxiety of punishment remains.
Those quick witted and outwardly cool enough to thieve successfully
can easily make more from salesmanship.
1837
There are three types of persistent gambler. The losers account for
two types. Firstly there are those addicted to their own arrogance,
who just have to prove that they can beat pure chance or the odds
set by the organisers. Secondly there are those addicted to the
anxiety of loosing. Even if they win, they invariably throw it away
again soon afterwards. Then there are the winners. These people are
not gambling at all, either because they are organising the odds and
stakes, or because they have inside information, or because they are
cheating. This is true orange magic. Poker is not a game of chance
if played skilfully, and skilful play includes not playing against
persons of equal or superior skill, or persons holding a Smith and
Weston to your Four Aces. Most conventional forms of gambling are
set up in such a way that the use of anything but the most extreme
forms of psychic power will make little difference. I would not
bother to bet on odds that I had reduced from an hundred to one to
merely sixty to one. However certain results obtained using double
blind prescience with horse racing show encouraging potential.
PURPLE MAGIC
A large proportion of all the cults throughout history have shared
one particular characteristic. They have been led by a charismatic
man able to persuade women to freely dispense sexual favours to ther
men. When one begins to look, this feature is startlingly common to
many ancient cults, monotheistic schismatic sects and modern
esoteric groups. Many, if not the majority of adepts past and
present were, or are, whoremasters. The mechanism is quite simple,
pay the woman in the coinage of spirituality to service the men who
repay you with adulation and accept your teachings as a side effect.
The adulation from the men then increases your charisma with the
women creating a positive feedback loop. It can be a nice little
earner until old age or a police raid catches up with the
enterprise. The other danger is of course that the women, and
eventually the men, may come to feel that constant changes of
partners work against their longer term interests of emotional
security and reproduction. The turnover in such cults can thus be
high, with young adults constantly replacing those approaching early
middle age.
Few religions or cults lack a sexual teaching, for any teaching
provides a powerful level of control. The vast majority of the more
durable and established religions trade on a suppression of so
called free love. This pays considerable dividends too. Women's
position becomes more secure, and men know who their children are.
Naturally adultery and prostitution flourish in such conditions
because some people always want a little more than lifelong monogamy
has to offer. So it's quite true that brothels are built with the
bricks of religion. Indirectly so with conventional religions,
directly so with many cults.
All this begs the question of why it is that people have such an
appetite for wanting to be told what to do with their sexuality. Why
do people have to seek esoteric and metaphysical justification for
what they want to do? Why is it so easy to make a living selling
water by the river?
1838
The answer, it appears, is that human sexuality has some built in
dissatisfaction function of evolutionary origin. Our sexual
behaviour is partly controlled by genetics. Those genes most likely
to survive and prosper are those that in the female encourage the
permanent capture of the most powerful male available and occasional
liaisons (clandestine) with any more powerful male that may be
temporarily available. Whereas in the male, the genes most likely to
prosper are those encouraging the impregnation of as large a number
of females as he can support, plus perhaps a few on the sly that
other men are supporting. It is interesting to note that only in the
human female is oestrous concealed. In all other mammals the fertile
time is made abundantly obvious. This appears to have evolved to
allow, paradoxically both adultery and increased pair bonding
through sex at times when it is reproductively useless. The economic
basis of any particular society will usually supply some pressure in
favour of a particular type of sexuality and this pressure will be
codified as morality which will inevitably conflict with biological
pressures. Celibacy is unsatisfactory, Masturbation is
unsatisfactory, Monogamy is unsatisfactory, Adultery is
unsatisfactory, Polygamy and Polyandry is unsatisfactory and
presumably Homosexuality is unsatisfactory, if the renetic
merry-go-round of partner exchanges in that discipline is anything
to go by.
Nothing in the spectrum of possible sexualities provides a perfect
long term solution, but this is the price we pay for occupying the
pinnacle of mammalian evolution. So much of our art, culture,
politics and technology arises precisely out of our sexual
yearnings, fears, desires and dissatisfactions. A society sexually
at peace with itself would present a very dull spectacle indeed. It
is generally if not invariably tha case that personal creativity and
achievement are directly proportional to personal sexual turmoil.
This is actually one of the major but often unrecognised techniques
of sex magic. Inspire yourself with maximum sexual turmoil and
confusion if you really want to find out what you are capable of in
other fields. A tempestuous sex life is not a side effect of being a
great artist for example. Rather it is the art which is the side
effect of a tempestuous sex life. A fanatical religion does not
create the suppression of celibacy. It is the tensions of celibacy
which create a fanatical religion. Homosexuality is not a side
effect of barracks life amongst elite suicide shock troops.
Homosexuality creates elite suicide shock troops in the first place.
The Muse, the hypothetical source of inspiration, usually pictured
in sexual terms, is the Muse only when one's relationship to her is
unstable. Every possible moral pronouncement on sexual behaviour has
doubtless been given a million times before, and it would be
unseemly for a Chaoist to re-emphasise any of it. However, one thing
seems reasonably certain. Any form of sexuality eventually invokes
the whole gamut of ecstasy, self-disgust, fear, delight, boredom,
anger, love, jealousy, rafe, self-pity, elation and confusion.It is
these things which make us human and occasionally superhuman. To
attempt to transcend them is to make oneself less than human, not
more. Intensity of experience is the key to really being alive and
given the choice I'd rather do it through love than war any day.
1839
A dull sex life creates a dull person. Few people manage to achieve
greatness in any field without propulsion that a turbulent
emotional-sexual life supplies. This is the major secret of sex
mgic, the two minor secrets involve the function of orgasm as gnosis
and the projection of sexual glamours.
Anything held in the conscious mind at orgasm tends to reach down
into the subconscious. Sexual abnormalities can readily be implanted
or removed by this method. At orgasm sigils for enchantment or
evocation can be empowered either by visualisation or by gazing at
the sigil taped to one's partner's forehead for example. However
this kind of work is often more conveniently performed
auto-erotically. Although the gnosis offered by orgasm can in theory
be used in support of any magical objective, it is generally unwise
to use it for entropy or combat magic. No spell is ever totally
insulted within the subconscious and any leakages which occur can
implant quite detrimental associations with the sexuality.
At orgasm an invocation can be triggered, this operation being
particularly effective if each partner assumes a god form. The
moments following orgasm are a useful time for divinatory vision
seeking. Prolonged sexual activity can also lead to stages of trance
useful in visual and oracular divination or oracular states of
possession in invocation.
The projection of Sexual Glamour for the purposes of attracting
others depends on far more than simple physical appearance. Some of
the most conventually pretty people lack it entirely, whilst some of
the plainest enjoy its benefits to the limit.
To be attractive to another person one must offer them something
which is a reflection of part of their self. If the offer becomes
reciprocal then it can lead to that sense of completion which is
most readily celebrated by physical intimacy. In most cultures it is
conventional for the male to display a tough public exterior and for
the female to display a softer persona, yet in a sexual encounter
each will seek to reveal their concealed factors. The male will seek
to show that he can be compassionate and valnerable as well as
powerful, whilst the female seeks to display inner strength behind
the outward signs and signals of passive receptivity. Incomplete
personalities such as those which are machismo to the core, or
consist of the polar opposite of this, are never sexually attractive
to anyone except in the most transient sense.
Thus the philosophers of love have come to identify a certain
androgyny in either sex as an important component of attraction.
Some have taken the poetic license to express the quaint ideal that
the male has a femal soul and the female a male one. This reflects
the truism that to be attractive to others you must first become
attracted to yourself. A few hours spent practising being attractive
in front of a mirror is a valuable exercise. If you cannot get
mildly excited about yourself, then don't expect anyone else to get
wildly excited.
1840
The "moon glance" technique is often effective. Basically one
briefly closes the eyes and momentarily visualises a lunar crescent
in silver behind the eyes with the horns of the moon projecting out
of each side of the head behind the eyes. Then one glances into the
eyes of a potential lover whilst visualising a silver radiance
beaming from your eyes to theirs. This manoeuvre also has the effect
of dilating the pupils and usually causes an involuntary smile. Both
of these are universal sexual signals, the first of which acts
subconsciously.
It is generally unwise to cast spells for the attraction of specific
partners but better to conjure for suitable partners in general for
oneself or others. One's subconscious usually has a far more subtle
appreciation of who really is suitable.
Sexual magic is traditionally associated with the colours of purple
(for ppassion) and silver (for the moon). However, the effectiveness
of black clothing as either a sexual or an anti-sexual signal,
depending on the style and cut, shows that black is in a sense the
secret colour of sex, reflecting the biological and psychological
relationship between sex and death.
________________
This text is out of Pete Carroll's book
"Liber Kaos, The Psychonomicon" (Weiser)
With fractalic greetings and laughter * Fra.: Apfelmann *
1841
{file "Dedication Ritual (Khaled Quicksilver)" "bos360.htm"}
Dedication Ritual
Lammas, 1992 Khaled Quicksilver
OPENING: Put up circle as per usual, up to but not including DDTM. Principal
witness is Priest or Priestess, whichever is opposite gender to the Candidate.
Candidate (with sponsors, stands facing Priest/ess:
"I, (full given name), have decided to dedicate myself to the keeping of the
Gods, and I wish to so swear, with this Circle of the Craft of the Wise as witness."
Priest/ess (to sponsors):
"Is (candidates full name) a proper person, of good report and standing in both
communities, sacred and profane, who resoects our ways and wishes to learn the path
of Wisom from the Lord and Lady?"
Sponsor:
"I have found her/him to be so."
Priest/ess (to Candidate):
"What is the Rede?"
Candidate:
"An it harm none, do what ye will."
Priest/ess:
"Truly an Ethical core. And art willing to make oath to the Gods?"
Candidate:
"I am."
Priest/ess:
"Art willing to ever keep secret what is unfolded before you, even though it
should cost thee thy life?"
Candidate:
"I am."
Priest/ess:
"Art willing to swear so before the Gods, and before these here assembled?
Candidate:
"I am."
Priest/ess (to Sponsor):
"Has s/he the password to enter into the worlds where such a compact must needs
be made?
Sponsor:
"S/he has it not. I give it for him/her, so she may enter into compact."
1842
Dedication (continued)
Priest/ess:
"By what Right or Privelege do you ask admittance into our Rites and into the
company of the Gods?"
Sponsor:
"By the right of two passwords. Perfect Love and Perfect Trust!"
Priest/ess (to dedicant):
"The door has been opened for you. But you must make the step alone. By what
right do you enter?"
Dedicant:
"By those very passwords. Perfect Love and Perfect Trust."
Priest/ess:
"I give thee a third. (Kisses Candidate)
DDTM is then performed.
Priest/ess:
"You may now proceed with your wish."
Candidate:
Gives dedication oath. (this should be written by the candidate with the help
of the sponsor(s), so that all the elements required are included, but should not
follow a "canned" script.)
Priest/ess (to those assembled):
"We have heard (Canddates name)'s intentions. Have you any questions or do you
wish any clarification?"
Each covenor does so, if they want a clarification. This continues until all
are satisfied as to the meaning of the candidate's oath and are satisfied that the
candidate has promised to live up the the Rede, to the best of his/her ability while
a student and to keep the Secrets, whether they stay in or not. (NOTE: Promising
more than is outlined is grossly unfair -- The candidate MUST fully cognizant of
what has been promised!)
Priest/ess:
"We have heard your Oath and your meaning. Remember that you Oath binds you,
for it has been made in the presence of the Gods and witnessed by the Craft of the
Wise."
Priest/ess then introduces the new dedicant to each member of the group, then to the
Quarters, and finally to the Gods:
Priest/ess:
"Lord and Lady, here is your Child, (name) who has sworn his/her devotion to
you. Treat him/her gently and with justice, for s/he is young in the ways of the
Wise. Teach us to do the same."
Cakes and Wine, with the new Dedicant fiven the first drink in honour of his/her new
status. Dismiss the Circle.
1843
{file "Witches Creed (Doreen Valiente)" "bos361.htm"}
The Witches' Creed
Doreen Valiente
Hear Now the words of the witches,
The secrets we hid in the night,
When dark was our destiny's pathway,
That now we bring forth into light.
Mysterious water and fire,
The earth and the wide-ranging air,
By hidden quintessence we know them,
And will and keep silent and dare.
The birth and rebirth of all nature,
The passing of winter and spring,
We share with the life universal,
Rejoice in the magical ring.
Four times in the year the Great Sabbat
Returns, and the witches are seen
At Lammas and Candlemas dancing,
On May Eve and old Hallowe'en.
When day-time and night-time are equal,
Whensun is at greatest and least,
The four Lesser Sabbats are summoned,
And Witches gather in feast.
Thirteen silver moons in a year are,
Thirteen is the coven's array.
Thiteen times at Esbat make merry,
For each golden year and a day.
The power that was passed down the age,
Each time between woman and man,
Each century unto the other,
Ere time and the ages began.
When drawn is the magical circle,
By sword or athame of power,
Its compass between two worlds lies,
In land of the shades for that hour.
This world has no right then to know it,
And world of beyond will tell naught.
The oldest of Gods are invoked there,
The Great Work of magic is wrought.
For the two are mystical pillars,
That stand at the gate of the shrine,
And two are the powers of nature,
The forms and the gorces divine.
1844
The Witches' Creed (cont.)
The dark and the light in succession,
The opposites each unto each,
Shown forth as a God and a Goddess:
Of this our ancestors teach.
By night he's the wild wind's rider,
The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades.
By day he's the King of the Woodland,
The dweller in green forest glades.
She is youthful or old as she pleases,
She sails the torn clouds in her barque,
The bright silver lady of midnight,
The crone who weaves spells in the dark.
The master and mistress of magic,
Thet dwell in the deeps of the mind,
Immortal and ever-renewing,
With power to free or to bind.
So drink the good wine to the Old Gods,
And Dance and make love in their praise,
Till Elphame's fair land shall receive us
In peace at the end of our days.
And Do What You Will be the challenge,
So be it Love that harms none,
For this is the only commandment.
By Magic of old, be it done!
Doreen Valiente,
"Witchcraft For Tomorrow"
pp.172-173
1845
{file "Samhain Chant (Doreen Valiente)" "bos362.htm"}
SAMHAIN CHANT
Fire red, summer's dead
Yet it shall return.
Clear and bright, in the night,
Burn, fire, burn!
Chorus:
Dance the ring, luck to bring,
When the year's a-turninng.
Chant the rhyme at Hallows-time,
When the fire's burning.
Fire glow, vision show
Of the heart's desire,
When the spell's chanted well
Of the witching fire.
Chorus:
Dance the ring, luck to bring,
When the year's a-turninng.
Chant the rhyme at Hallows-time,
When the fire's burning.
Fire spark, when nights are dark
Makes our winter's mirth.
Red leaves fall, earth takes all,
Brings them to rebirth.
Chorus:
Dance the ring, luck to bring,
When the year's a-turninng.
Chant the rhyme at Hallows-time,
When the fire's burning.
Fire fair, earth and air,
And the heaven's rain,
All blessed be, and so may we,
at Hallows-tide again.
Chorus:
Dance the ring, luck to bring,
When the year's a-turninng.
Chant the rhyme at Hallows-time,
When the fire's burning.
Doreen Valiente
"Witchcraft For Tomorrow" p. 193
1846
{file "Horn Song (Hugh Read)" "bos363.htm"}
HORN SONG
Great stag's horns are sprouting out of my head!
Now I sing great songs!
Thundering voices roar
Ancient melodies
That now are caught in my magickal horns
To power my soul
And to heal my body
And enrich my mind!
Listen as I soar! Listen as I sing!
My words are power
To heal bodies, minds, soul
And to conquer death!
Date: 01-29-89 14:07
From: Hugh Read
Origin: FIRE OPAL - A Gem of an OPUS [Minneapolis, MN
(612) 822-4812] (Opus 1:282/8)
1847
{file "Pan To Artemis (Hugh Read)" "bos364.htm"}
PAN TO ARTEMIS
Uncharmable charmer
Of Bacchus and Mars,
In the sounding, rebounding
Abyss of the stars!
O virgin in armour,
Thine arrows unsling
In the brilliant resilient
First rays of the spring!
By the force of the fashion
Of love, when I broke
Through the shroud, through the cloud,
Through the storm, through the smoke,
To the mountain of passion
Volcanic that woke--
By the rrage of the mage
I invoke, I invoke!
By the midnight of madness,
The lone-lying sea,
The swoon of the moon,
Your swoon into me;
The sentinel sadness
Of cliff-clinging pine,
That night of delight
You were mine, you were mine!
You were mine, O my saint,
My maiden, my mate,
By the might of the right
Of the night of our fate.
Though I fall, though I faint,
Though I char, though I choke,
By the hour of our power
I invoke, I invoke!
By the mystical union
Of fairy and faun,
Unspoken, unbroken--
The dusk to the dawn!--
A secret communion,
Unmeasured, unsung,
The listless, resistless,
Tumultuous tongue!--
O virgin in armour
Thine arrows unsling,
In the brilliant resilient
First rays of the spring!
No Godhead could charm her,
But manhood awoke--
O fiery Valkyrie,
I invoke, I invoke!
1848
{file "ALOHA! Serge King (Hugh Read)" "bos365.htm"}
ALOHA, Serge King -- a full moon blessing
The only Temple of Peace worth building
Is in your heart, Serge
Is in the human heart
In your students hearts
Peace can not be won with money, Serge
Peace can not be bought
Nor can peace be sold
But peace must be earned
In loving, selfless service to us all
Giving, regiving
Just for the Joy of It
THAT is Aloha
Aloha is never prosperity, Serge
Bought with the money
Tinkling in your pocket
Aloha is free
Giving, regiving in poverty
Sings an ancient song
Full of Joy, Bliss and Love
The true coin of Peace
A so is giving, regiving in wealth
A thing of beauty
Filled with ancient glory
Unsurpassable
With blessings and thanks, I give you this gift
May it touch your heart
And open your heart
May it touch all hearts
ALOHA, Serge King!
Date: 01-22-89 05:33
Hugh Read
1849
{file "Burning Times (L.A. Hussey)" "bos366.htm"}
BURNING TIMES
The songs are sung to rouse our anger
Of martyred witches gone to the fire
But what is served by righteous singing
When all we do is stew in our ire?
Nine million dead in four hundred years
More in that time simply died of disease.
Why do we dwell on long-passed dead
When we are alive in times like these?
cho1: Rise up, Witches, throw off your masks
And cease crying guilt for ancient crimes;
Earth and all her children need us,
For all face now the Burning Times.
In the face of that hostile power,
How did the old knowledge stay alive?
How do we have a Craft to practise?
Our ancestors knew how to fight and survive!
How do we honour our blessed dead?
Slavery threatens all but the few!
We must teach their cunning ways;
Everyone needs the skills they knew.
cho: Rise up, Witches, gather your strength,
And let your power spread and climb;
Earth and all her children need us,
For all face now the Burning Times.
I'll not cast off science's works
Witches all forces to Will can bend.
I'll not accuse, for war and waste,
Some patriarchy of faceless Men.
Men do not cast the only votes;
Women alone do not demonstrate.
Rather than shut out half the race,
Who, if not we, will change that state?
cho: Rise up, Witches, gather your strength,
And let your power spread and climb;
Earth and all her children need us,
For all face now the Burning Times.
I will not blame a Father's Church --
Blame and guilt are Their tools, not mine.
And even in the shuls and churches
Allies there will I seek and find!
I will not answer hate with fear;
Nor with a smug, cheek-turning love;
I will not answer hate with rage;
By strength alone will I not be moved!
1850
BURNING TIMES (cont.)
cho: Rise up, Witches, gather your strength,
And let your power spread and climb;
Earth and all her children need us,
For all face now the Burning Times.
I will not hide in my sacred grove --
The factories and cities yet ring me about.
I will not climb my ivory tower --
The real world exists though I shut it out.
I will not work for Church nor State
Who serve themselves while they serve us lies.
Nor only for my Witchen kin
But for the family of all alive!
cho: Rise up, Witches, gather your strength,
And let your power spread and climb;
Earth and all her children need us,
For all face now the Burning Times.
So if rebellion means to fight
A State lost sight of why it was built,
If heresy's to reject a Church
That rules with force or fear or guilt,
Then let us all be rebels proud,
And shameless heretics by creed!
A tyrant's hand subjects the Earth
More heretic rebels are what She needs!
cho: Rise up, Witches, gather your strength,
And let your power spread and climb;
Earth and all her children need us,
For all face now the Burning Times.
copyright 1988, Leigh Ann Hussey
ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93)
1851
{file "Chance (Hugh Read)" "bos367.htm"}
CHANGE
I wonder if the sadness I feel
Is the shadow
Of my profound happiness
Something is finished
That was filled with wonderful excitement
The search is over
Now it is time to work
This is something new
It is as if a tiger were lurking
Unseen and waiting
To pounce on me and kill
This, my new beauty
01-10-89 Hugh Read
FIRE OPAL - A Gem of an OPUS [Minneapolis, MN (612) 822-4812]
(Opus 1:282/8)
1852
{file "To Greyshield, With Love ("Phoenix")" "bos368.htm"}
To Greyshield, with love
The circle cast about us.
The Gods bear witness to our love.
The Watchtower Guardians keep
silent vigil.
Our brothers and sisters stand with us.
The Lord and Lady have granted
us audience.
The candlelight reflects the love
in your eyes.
A love that we have shared before,
Not even death to come between us.
We stand together, hand in hand.
Our paths have merged again.
The Moon beckons us to join Her,
gladly we go.
The Lady smiles upon us.
Phoenix
InterVisioN "The ParaNormal Connection" 603-547-6485 HST
(1:132/123)
1853
{file "Pagan Awakening (Jeff Bordeaux)" "bos369.htm"}
A PAGAN AWAKENING
A new life is there,
You hear Her now,
She was always there,
and You're forever changed.
So listen to Diana, and accept Her love.
Hoard not Her gifts : feeling, renewal, music.
A new life is there,
You see Him now,
He was always there,
and you're forever changed.
So look to Apollo, and receive His light.
Hoard not His gifts : healing, growth, joy.
A new life is there,
Your hands reach it now,
It was always there,
and You're forever changed.
So touch the earth, and partake of it's sustenance.
Hoard not it's gifts : body, green, silence.
A new life is there,
You soar with it now,
It was always there,
and You're forever changed.
So breathe in the air and gather the wind.
Hoard not it's gifts : mind, dreams, empathy.
A new life is there,
You're warmed by it now,
It was always there,
and You're forever changed.
So build the flame and brave it's heat.
Hoard not it's gifts : spirit, will, energy.
A new life is there,
You flow with it now,
It was always there,
and You're forever changed.
So study the ocean and follow it's tides.
Hoard not it's gifts : self, courage, sorrow.
A new life is there,
You're one with them now,
They were always there,
and You're forever changed.
So take Their gifts and return them threefold.
Share this magic : friendship, love, trust.
.... Jeff A. Bordeaux 4 Jan 89
InterVisioN "The ParaNormal Connection" 603-547-6485 HST
(1:132/123)
1854
{file "A Call To Lord And Lady (Jeff Bordeaux)" "bos370.htm"}
A CALL TO LORD AND LADY
She lives and breathes upon the Earth
Her wheel spins round the hub of June
She is the web of life and birth
Her smile floats softly with the moon
Heart of life, and caring mother
Loving sister, noble princess
Firebird spirit, restless lover
Shadowy hidden sorceress
His strength is there in mountains high
His lightning flys from air and cloud
His horn heralds the wild hunt's ride
He quickens forest, roaring proud
Children's friend, protecting father
Watchful brother, noble fighter
Laughing wise one, dark magister
Player of pipes, thoughtful sheperd
Their faces many, countless names
Pan, Diana, Zeus, Astarte
Teachers from dreams, oracle's flames
Speak, and guide us within our hearts
- J.A.B. 14 Feb 89
1855
{file "Seeking The Sign To Dragonheim (Jeff Bordeax)" "bos371.htm"}
SEEKING THE SIGN TO DRAGONHEIM
-
Mighty wings once carved the cumulus
sowing storm filled clouds and reaping rain.
Soaring, we bounded the radius
of the peak crowned heights of our domain.
-
How long is the road to Dragonheim?
The length of a dreamer's call.
How number the miles to Dragonheim?
It is none, I say, and all.
-
And the sky roared when touched by our flames
it sang to words wrought in fume and smoke.
Firey visions dwelt within the names
of numberless tribes of dragon folk.
-
Where winds the path to Dragonheim?
Hidden in a name; a secret sound.
Where stands the entrance to Dragonheim?
In the place never lost, though seldom found.
-
Majestic mountains once housed our young
born from crystal eggs that caught the light.
In strong shadowed heights our dwellings hung
ne'er crossed by the foes who feared our might.
What shapes the trail to Dragonheim?
A maze of dreams, pointing streight.
How travels the way to Dragonheim?
On paths of heart, devoid of hate.
Now the lands are gone, scourged by the ire
of the modern day people's decree.
But spirits live on, look to the fires.
You must catch our souls to set us free.
In what age stands the halls of Dragonheim?
Time beyond time, between the worlds.
Where dwell the inhabitants of Dragonheim?
They smile as your spirits soar and curl.
** - J.A. Bordeaux (Steorra Rokraven) , 17 Feb 89
InterVisioN "The ParaNormal Connection" 603-547-6485 HST
(1:132/123)
1856
{file "To The Dragons Reborn (Jeff Bordeaux)" "bos372.htm"}
TO THE DRAGONS, REBORN
-
They say the flame wrought winds are dead;
Ethereal dancing, jeweled wings - no more.
Monolithic rationality is the head.
Noble dreams and works - shattered, torn.
-
Their world was theirs - never doubt.
But the magic and power faded away,
When the light gave way to spiritual drought
and Oppenheimer replaced Morganna Le Fay.
-
But in some strange souls they found a home:
Those inspired, lost, exiled castaways.
Music and verse and The Craft are the bones
Of these long lost archetypes of elder days.
-
And it takes a mere seed to create an oak,
and music and light, rain and mirth,
bridging land and sky with it's growth;
fulfilling the call to renew the Earth.
-
So nurture these dragons who live within you-
The Burning has ended and they may go free.
Let them grow so that their work may continue.
An it harm none, do what ye will - Blessed Be!
-
Jeff A. Bordeaux 3 January 1989
InterVisioN "The ParaNormal Connection" 603-547-6485 HST
(1:132/123)
1857
{file "Earthdream (Jeff Bordeux)" "bos373.htm"}
EARTHDREAM
-
I feel earth drums deep in the mountain's feet;
Compelling rhythm driving from the core.
I quicken to the flow of molten heat,
and sing with earth song felt in granite's roar.
-
And overhead, elusive secrets heard
in rushing air, bright lightning's stormy ring.
The wisdom of the dragon, cloud and bird
I hear in wind, and see in eagle's wing.
-
A roaring flame will dance and show it's gaze
and speak with firey language, spark and smoke.
My needful spirit feeds upon this blaze
and feeds the source with rowan, ash and oak.
-
The swelling ocean, graced with moon's soft kiss
will heal and bathe the heart within it's wake.
The clear blue source of flowing feeling's bliss
is found in winding stream, dark pool and lake.
-
This dream surrounds and makes our spirits one.
Learn from the Earth, her smile, her forests green;
To watch and listen, feel the visions come,
to find the center, find the worlds between.
-- J.A.B. 15 Feb 89
InterVisioN "The ParaNormal Connection" 603-547-6485 HST
(1:132/123)
1858
{file "Elf (Marcus)" "bos374.htm"}
ELF
Wilst I think,
And sit and dream within the forest,
soft footfall comes up behind me,
as I think.
A soft cool hand touches my shoulder
and whispers like the wind enter my ear.
Her perfume preceeds her words,
her intentions reflected ,
in the calming mist.
Like dust, sleep overcomes me,
as soft secrets fill my thoughts,
the hand releases its elfin grip,
And I drift into sleep...
Marcus
Baker Street Irregular * Ft Walton Beach FL (1:366/222)
1859
{file "LYRA (Hugh Read)" "bos375.htm"}
LYRA
Lyra
In her bubble
Dances near me now
Tiny seer
You never wobble
As you dance the Tao
Rainbow Fire
Like the Maple
And the Oak Tree, too
Flumes your Air
Suppley
Beauty! Wow!
(Us little people gotta stick together even at a distance...maybe better at a
distance )
Hugh Read
The Terraboard, Minneapolis, MN (Opus 1:282/341)
1860
{file "The Goddess is Alive (Unknown)" "bos376.htm"}
The Goddess is Alive
Moon shines down upon a sea of Light,
Shifting sands lay singing in the Heart of the Night.
I looked upon a scene that gripped me to the core,
White-clad maidens below were dancing on the shore.
Sweet sounds slipped from moon-lit throats,
Wind whipped hair abound,
Lit by the light within and without,
The Women circled 'round.
As I stood, water engulfed my feet,
My body swayed to your Heavenly Heart beat.
Wind and wave and fire light,
Paled in my mind Earthly delight.
Time slipped by me as you held your embrace,
And windblown spray covered my face.
Protected deep within your Womb,
I could feel the tender pain of Life's bloom.
Candles flared high as the Dance progressed,
Deep inside with a healing touch you blessed.
All around, wind, wave and fire shouted of your life,
Your light speared deep within, soothing my strife.
Divine Mother, Goddess of Light,
To you I come seeking protection from the night.
Come home to shelter within your arm,
Surrounded by Love, hidden from harm.
Holy Mother, Queen of Heaven and Earth,
From you we all trace our Birth.
Heavenly Goddess, light from above,
Shine down upon us, we pray for your Love.
1861
{file "Hunter's Warning (Jeff Bordeaux)" "bos377.htm"}
HUNTER'S WARNING
-
I have a tale, all grim forbode
of one who sought the night.
He mounted, then in darkness rode
to work upon the height.
Control and power over all,
the essence of his quest.
The people he would hold in thrall.
Ill omen was his crest.
He found a cliff beside the sea.
A glowing circle cast,
with magic burnt the Sacred Tree
and drawing sword, stood fast.
The ocean swelled, and gale winds cried-
a storm of ice and chill.
Bright lightnings slashed and burned the sky
imposed by dark'ning will.
A gateway through the Other World
was opened by his hand,
For from the clouds a funnel swirled
and Bifrost's road did stand.
A raucous army then came down
and rode upon that coast.
Weird hoofbeats rang upon the ground
from steeds who were as ghosts.
Just from the Hunt they had returned
to challenge fox, and deer.
And from the leader, one eye burned
and sighted down his spear.
'What magus honors not my name?',
a booming voice then cried.
'What fool does play this ill wrought game?
Best answer quick - or die.'
'My title matters not, O Lord.',
the sly tongued one did speak.
'We share the spirit of the sword-
your wisdom I would seek.'
'My secrets will I gladly give
to all who share my way-
but test ye must, to die or live-
one chance to go or stay.'
'Though death is not the thing I crave,
your questions will I bear.
And favour lacking, to the grave
and thralldom will I swear.'
'But I am learn'ed, wise and strong
so if your test surpassed
you must then swear before your throng
your power you will pass.'
The Hunt Lord scowled, and it was done,
then said with frosty breath:
'Unto me you will answer one-
what purpose does serve death?'
'My foes have often met their end.
I glory in the kill.
My way will use the death to bend
the people to my will.'
The Goddess Freyja then impart:
'What say you of the dove?
What use to you are things of heart?
Regard ye what of love?'
'I scorn all love, I favour wrath,
tis best left for the meek.
And peaceful ways cross not my path,
tis only for the weak.'
'War is my art, so answer this:',
spoke grim one handed Tyr.
'Affairs of state, when go amiss-
is honor in your sphere?'
'All honor I return to friends
and other Lords deserved.
I say again, foes meet their ends
when wrath has been incurred.'
'Unto us now, one more reply
before you hear our will.
of spells and power - magic high,
of what does this fulfill?
'To honor you, I would enshrine,
the world then I would take.
To snare, all shiftless peoples bind
with forces I would wake.'
All Asgard's dwellers, looking grim,
then nodded to this king.
Triumphant mein came over him-
his darkened soul did ring.
But Odin set his rage filled face-
the mages blood ran cold.
'Ye think that thou hast won our grace
with naked evil bold?'
'All death is but the way to birth
and peace is men's desire.
Our way is to renew the Earth-
despoiling not in ire.'
'This and the magics meant to heal
and guide on wisdom's path.
So this is why the powers wield-
you have incurred our wrath.'
'But go in sorrow - life we give,
along with this one curse-
That ever long as you shall live
your life now is reversed.'
'Harm with your magic, and you die
a death forever long.
Hurt with your guile, and you shall cry-
your way is twisted, wrong.'
They rode like leaves upon the wind.
Ensorcelled mage grew mad.
He wanders - never trust or friends.
Just woe, dark soul, nomad.
Pay heed, all seekers on the path
to shadow's knowledge earned.
To evil go, you gain the wrath
of Powers great and stern.
- J.A. Bordeaux 8 Mar 89
1862
{file "The Moon Pool (unknown)" "bos378.htm"}
THE MOONPOOL
-
It is a lazy, restful time
here in the forest glade.
The sun is departing, the stars arriving
and the trees are a darkening jade.
-
An air of buzzing, drowsing stillness
invades the meadow, lends weight to my head
as I settle down - bedroll, backpack
and strains of music are seemingly played.
-
A deep, cool, dark pool is here,
mirror clear, reflections of skies,
as peace fills my mind, my soul
and sleep gently touches my eyes.
-
I know not whether I was awake, or in dream
or how much time had passed,
when I felt the magic of this place
camped there, upon the grass.
-
No sounds - no crickets? (The Music!)
As the Moon awakens the pool, so bright.
Why this anticipation, premonition,
this magical feeling, this ghost haunted night?
-
Then, a siamese cat enters the meadow-
silver grey, regal compusure, flowing lines.
And somehow I know - I see intelligence
and wit, and power, as she looks into my eyes.
-
How does she speak without speaking?
But somehow, she communicates good will, and cheer.
'Stay quiet, childe of man.', she says.
'Be still - you are but a guest here.'
Then a parade of feline musicians
wandered in singing from the right.
I shake my head *bedazzled*; Am I dreaming, or mad?
Why me - here to witness this eldritch sight?
THE MOONPOOL (cont.)
-
A troupe of dancing, cavorting gnomes
made their appearence upon a rocky stage.
And following them : silver clad, haughty elves
accompanied by a wizened old mage.
-
Now, many strange but noble presences made manifest
on that starlit night in June.
And I witnessed and heard sweet music, high magic, secrets
until dawn, with the passing of the Moon.
-
And the high bred Queen of Cat Folk
smiled with warmth, and left.
Left me shaking with these visions,
and nodding, I finally slept.
-
I return often to these stately woods, seeking
but never finding the sacred pool, so bright.
It makes me sad - very sad to think
that it was but a dream, a peculiar night.
-
But sometimes, at the edge of sleep,
soft music slowly beckons, and calls.
And I know with every fiber of my being
that I will again visit these magical sylvan halls
1863
{file "Jewel (Shadow Hawk)" "bos379.htm"}
Jewel
Sparkling like a priceless gem,
Your eyes glisten, a living diadem.
Touched from the past brought forth Today,
And once again my Heart is brought to bay.
I remember when we rode the Field,
Banner flying, raised the shield,
And then the time we loved and lost
And the unforgiving sea claimed a deadly cost.
Once in a village, poor and downtrodden,
Once with new birth our life was broken,
Lover I remember you when,
Ages past we wandered a glen.
Many lives have come and gone,
But for a while, with you I would be alone.
An oasis in the desert of life,
An island of Joy in an ocean of Strife.
It seems so strange the day we met,
Our eyes crossed briefly and our gazes met.
Stars in our eyes we heard them say,
But then you had to turn away.
Departing you went with backwards gaze,
My eyes followed you gently and my heart was ablaze.
Visions of the Past and Future days,
And all I could see was the Sun's bright rays.
It seems so fateful that you walked in that day,
And to your smile my heart fell prey,
Eyes that dance filled with moonbeams of light,
While under your breast beats a heart filled with Life.
Into my arms I call you to me,
Eager our love to set free,
Into the air, like Hawks on the wing,
My love I give to you without any strings.
You say that you need time to be sure,
Lover, I tell you, that our love will endure.
This lifetime or next, only time will see,
But sooner or later, our love it will be.
Shining like diamonds caught in the sky,
A beacon for others, calling them to fly,
Showing no limits, teaching others to be free,
Visions of Love and Life we will be.
Shadow Hawk, 03-12-89 14:07
1864
{file "The Coming of Lugh (Iarwin)" "bos380.htm"}
The Coming of Lugh
by Iarwain
Lugh the Il-Dana came to the Tara
Lugh Samildanach came to the palace of the Tutha De
Lugh, master of all arts, came to Eireann
The gate keeper did not recognize Lugh
The gate keeper asked the Il-Dana his name
The gate keeper asked Lugh Samildanach what skill he possesed
Lugh said:
I am Lugh Samildanach
I am Lugh the Il-Dana
I am Lugh, master of battle
The gate keeper said:
We have no need of a battle master
King Nuada de Danann is our battle master
Nuada Airgitlamh is our battle master
Lugh said:
I am Lugh Samildanach
I am Lugh the Il-Dana
I am Lugh, master of healing
The Coming of Lugh (cont.)
The gate keeper said:
We have no need of a master of healing
Diancecht de Danann is our master healer
Diancecht is master of all herbs and healings
Lugh said:
I am Lugh Samildanach
I am Lugh the Il-Dana
I am Lugh, master of knowledge
The gate keeper said:
We have no need of a master of knowledge
Oghma de Danann is master of all learning
Oghma is master of all knowledge
Lugh said:
I am Lugh Samildanach
I am Lugh the Il-Dana
I am Lugh, master of Sailing
The gate keeper said:
We have no need of a master of sailing.
Mananan mac Lyr de Danann is our master of ships.
Mananan mac Lyr, son of the sea, is our master of sailing
Lugh said:
I am Lugh Samildanach
I am Lugh the Il-Dana
I am Lugh, master of sorcery
The gate keeper said:
We have no need of a master of sorcery
The Badb de Danann are mistresses of all sorcery
The three sisters Macha, Nemhain and
Morrigan are mistresses of all witchcraft
Lugh said:
I am Lugh Samildanach
I am Lugh the Il-Dana
I am Lugh, master of smithing
The gate keeper said:
We have no need of a master of smithing
Goibniu de Danann is our master of smithing
Goibniu is a master of all crafts
Lugh said:
I am Lugh Samildanach
I am Lugh the Il-Dana
I am Lugh, master of the battle
I am Lugh, master of healing
I am Lugh, master of knowledge
I am Lugh, master of sailing
I am Lugh, master of sorcery
I am Lugh, master of smithing
I bid you, unless you know of another who is master
of all these arts, take me to Nuada Airgitlamh,
take me to Nuada, king of the Tutha de Danann.
The gatekeeper went to Nuada.
When Nuada heard of Lugh's coming he said:
Let him come in, for never has his like entered
this fortress
Lugh the Il-Dana was admitted to the Tara
Lugh Samildanach was admitted to the palace of the Tuatha De
Lugh master of all arts found his place amongst the Tuatha de Denann
1865
{file "Night Wind (Shadow Hawk)" "bos381.htm"}
Night Wind
Night Wind whispers gently through the trees tonight,
Soon, softly, soon they whisper in delight,
Flights of Night Visions take wing in the night,
Off to the slumbers of children to bring Joy and Fright.
Over house, street, mountain and meadow
Wind flies swirling, fast and then slow,
To windows of children, it's dreams to bestow,
Dreams of Heros, Dragons, Maidens and more.
Little faces move in the night,
Eyes seeing Night Dreams of Horror and Delight,
Innocent faces asleep in the night,
While mighty undertakings go on with Inner Light.
Strong do they battle, they play in the night,
While parents lie dreaming of their own fear and delight.
Deep in the Heart of the Night Wind they soar,
No longer Children, but Adventurers and More.
Explorers and Travellers, Saints and Devils,
The Children of Day become Night's greatest Messengers,
Carrying word of Great Cities, Underground Oceans and Life,
Back to the day to see the Sun's light.
And in the morning as Night Wind retires,
Bright little faces alight with the glow,
Tell Tales of Valour and Strife into he night,
and condescending pats on their Heads is their plight.
Off to your play they are told in the Day,
Enough of this dreaming they are told is the way,
That they are growing up and that this is the Real Way,
Dreams are for nighttime, and not for the day.
Dreams are for Dreamers, now you go and Play,
And the Mighty Warriors on the Night go into the Day,
Playing with dolls and trucks and clay,
The mighty forget Night's battles along the way.
But Deep in the forest, the cave, and the Dark,
Night Wind lies Dreaming and awaiting the Time,
When Night visions once more take to flight,
And Children of Day become Warriors of the Night.
Shadow Hawk, 03-12-89 14:06
1866
{file "A Tree Song (Kipling)" "bos382.htm"}
A TREE SONG
by Rudyard Kipling
Of all the trees that grow so fair,
Old England to adorn,
Greater is none beneath the sun,
Than Oak, and Ash, and Thorn.
Sing Oak, and Ash, and Thorn, good sirs,
(All of a Midsummer morn!)
Surely we sing of no little thing,
In Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!
Oak of the Clay lived many a day,
Or ever Aeneas began.
Ash of the Loam was a Lady at home,
When Brut was an outlaw man.
Thorn of the Down saw New Troy Town
(From which was London born);
Witness hereby the ancientry
Of Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!
Yew that is old in churchyard-mould,
He breedeth a mighty bow.
Alder for shoes do wise men choose,
And beech for cups also.
But when ye have killed, and your bowl is spilled,
And your shoes are clean outworn,
Back ye must speed for all that ye need,
To Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!
Ellum she hateth mankind, and waiteth
Till every gust be laid,
To drop a limb on the head of him
That any way trusts her shade.
But whether a lad be sober or sad,
Or mellow with wine from the horn,
He will take no wrong when he lieth along
'Neath Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!
Oh, do not tell the priest our plight,
Or he would call it a sin;
But--we have been out in the woods all night,
A-conjuring Summer in!
And we bring you good news by word of mouth --
Good news for cattle and corn --
Now is the Sun come up from the south,
With Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!
Sing Oak, and Ash, and Thorn, good sirs
(All of a Midsummer morn)!
England shall bide till Judgement Tide,
By Oak, and Ash, and Thorn!
1867
{file "The Cloud Sculptors (Jeff Bordeaux)" "bos383.htm"}
THE CLOUD SCULPTORS
Staeorra Rokraven
-
The air finds flight in forms of lofty wind
As one with nature's children taking part
And soaring up to go and find a friend
Then join with water spinning wispy art.
-
This nature's process has eternal known
The way to hang up on the sky these drapes
But wonder not how these soft clouds have grown
From fleecy strand filled webs to take their shapes?
-
Perhaps the artist's brush a thing unseen
With living tools the Elder Gods express
Those firey ones whose scales and talons gleam
To grace the heavens with their soft caress.
-
Now see the strokes of carving wings along
With falling rain - the strains of Dragon song.
1868
{file "A Dreaming Desire (Jeff Bordeaux)" "bos384.htm"}
A DREAMING DESIRE
Staeorra Rokraven
-
A spark comes coiling to the edge of sleep
From realms arcane which have become unknown
And from this psychic well does beauty leap
A vision cherished for to call my own.
-
This wispy strand now takes it's shape in fire
And fueled by sources boldly to enchant
Then forming curves from wish of heart's desire
A Woman's eyes all graced with Elvish slant.
-
The shield maid's arms then reach and wanting clasp
We intertwine within her streaming hair
Then sighing voices send a heartfelt gasp
As fragrance heralds tawny skin now bare'd.
-
This honored Lady may in shadows walk
But fate may someday find my heart unlock.
1869
{file "To The Bonfires (Jeff Bordeaux)" "bos385.htm"}
TO THE BONFIRES
Staeorra Rokraven
-
A circle gathered round a roaring pit
All joining hands to bask within it's glow
And under Moon crowned sky all starry lit
We sing and praise the Power's shadowed flow.
-
For some the flames form dancing Dragon's wing
And other smoke wrought visions climb the air
For all a caring closeness will this bring
And psychic current bonding hearts to share.
-
We charge this timeless place between the worlds
To call the Goddess' love within our hearts
And join with her our joyous souls unfurled
Our spirits dance with her by ancient arts.
-
This night forever captured in this glade
To see old souls re-met and friendships made.
- J.A. Bordeaux (S.R.) -
1870
{file "Amphitrite (Sourdough Jackson)" "bos386.htm"}
AMPHITRITE
The Lady went out sailing,
She spoke to all She saw,
And all who heard took ship with Her
And signed the sailors' law.
She sailed across the foamy waves,
Her trident in Her hand,
Her throwing-net beside Her,
And little thought of land.
The Lady went out sailing.
Her vessel had a heart of oak,
And hearts of oak her crew,
Her rig was square, five-masted,
Her compass always true.
The mermaids swam before her,
The whales swam in her wake,
The dolphins on her bow-wave,
On any course she'd take.
The Lady went out sailing.
The young and brash Earth-Shaker
Espied the Lady's ship
And vowed he'd have both Lady
And boat beneath his whip.
He hungered to be Sea-Lord;
He took his winged horse
And busked them both for battle,
And dogged the Lady's course.
The Lady went out sailing.
AMPHITRITE (cont.)
At length, he overtook them,
And lighted on the stern.
He drew his sword for boarding;
He felt his passion burn.
The oaken-hearted crewmaids
Dodged as he swung apace
They made a path before him
To give their Captain space.
The Lady went out sailing.
The Lady stood before him;
He raised his sword to slice.
She stood firm; with Her trident
She smote the deck thrice.
A wrenching seized his belly;
He rushed to the lee side
To puke his guts while laughter
Assailed his godly pride.
The Lady went out sailing.
"And what would you, bold pirate?"
The Lady asked with force.
"I just want off this vessel!"
They led him to his horse.
He mounted to take leave of those
Who at young gods would scoff.
But he'd barely room for landing--
And none for taking off!
The Lady went out sailing.
"You've lost!" cried Amphitrite
Her net stopped his career
"Now--tell me what you came for
You half-baked buccaneer."
"I came to take your crewmaids
And vessel for my fee,
But most of all your maidenhead
And Lordship of the Sea.
The Lady went out sailing.
"I think you're cute", the Lady said
"Too cute to feed to fishes,
"And so that Zeus might call you strong
"I'll grant most of your wishes.
"You may have My net and fork;
"I've better stored below,
"And you may have My oaken car
"To sail where winds might blow."
The Lady went out sailing.
"My crewmaids are not Mine to give,
"But you may call Me wife.
"Our wedding night, Poseidon dear,
"Must last you all your life,
"For you shall rule the Middle Sea
"And none shall take your place,
"But I shall rule the Ocean
"And the boundless deeps of Space."
The Lady went out sailing.
--Copyright (c) 1988 by Sourdough Jackson
The Lizard King-"I am the Lizard King; I can do anything."(1:104/45.5)
1871
{file "Heaven is A Resting Place (Sourdough Jackson)" "bos387.htm"}
HEAVEN IS A RESTING-PLACE
I reject the mortal fear
Which brings on doctrine-strife,
For I have seen with poet's eyes
The Door twixt Death and Life.
I know not what might lie beyond;
That time is yet to come.
Heaven is a resting-place,
A home to journey from.
The churchmen argue overmuch
On who is out and in,
On how they should be organized,
And how their neighbors sin.
The flag is not the nation;
The whole is more than sum;
Heaven is a resting-place,
A home to journey from.
When God is shrunk to fit a Church,
The greater part is lost,
The Holy Ghost too oft gets thrown
When "heathen trash" is tossed.
If God's knocked down to Patriarch,
Full half of God's struck dumb.
Heaven is a resting-place,
A home to journey from.
I shall fear not for my friends,
Nor worry for my kin,
And when I face that bright-lit Door
I'll joyfully go in.
All those dear to me will join
The Feast of Friends to come:
Heaven is a resting-place,
A home to journey from.
--Copyright (c) 1988 by Sourdough Jackson
The Lizard King-"I am the Lizard King; I can do
anything."(1:104/45.5)
1872
{file "Prayer Drive (Sourdough Jackson)" "bos388.htm"}
PRAYER DRIVE
With every turn of the disk in the drive:
To him who helps the poet thrive
By swapping silver for the use
Of verse, sweet blessings from the Muse.
But woe to him who plays the thief,
Deletes this message--grant him grief!
For every time the disk spins around,
His luck shall tumble to the ground.
--Copyright (c) 1987 by Sourdough Jackson
The Lizard King-"I am the Lizard King; I can do
anything."(1:104/45.5)
1873
{file "ELEGY: James Douglas Morrison (Sourdough Jackson)" "bos389.htm"}
ELEGY: JAMES DOUGLAS MORRISON
Deirdre and Eogan and Conchobar
Ride the King's Road in an open car.
Deirdre stands proud as the car scrapes the walls.
The clearance is low; the bright lady falls.
Swept to the road, she's gone for a ghost,
Gone in the night on the Golden Coast.
Who, now, shall mourn for Usna's dead?
Who will drink poteen o'er Deirdre's fair head?
Her sorrow is spent, her howling is done,
For Alan and Arden and Naoise are gone.
Swept as if mines, they're gone for a ghost,
Gone in the night on the Golden Coast.
A spirit in frenzy arises from flames,
A poet out seeking the elder gods' names.
A swan in a duck-nest, a bow strung and drawn,
A druid a-singing to greet the pale dawn.
Swept by a vision, he chases a ghost
To exile, out on the Golden Coast.
Shaman and singer, he screams to the skies
His pain and his vision. An arrow, he flies
Attended by Serpents, by Lizards, by Pan--
Fair Deirdre's returned in the guise of a man.
Swept by her spirit, possessed by a ghost,
He leads the fey young of the Golden Coast.
In Eogan and Conchobar's car they now go,
He stands proud, defiant, where clearance is low.
The arrow has fallen, the sorrow has burned.
Who, now, will mourn the grave howler returned?
Swept by her darkness, he's gone for a ghost.
The Druid, the Changer, the Poteen-mad Host
Is gone in the night on the Golden Coast.
--Copyright (c) 1988 by Sourdough Jackson
1874
{file "Another One For Jim Morrison (Sourdough Jackson)" "bos390.htm"}
ANOTHER ONE FOR JIM MORRISON
Where did he go, that vision-mad soul?
What did he see on his quest?
Who did he meet at the end of his night?
Why did he fail the test?
The shaman is old, a new must be found,
Take the young ones to a height.
Those who would be a shaman must jump.
The one who survives will be right.
He jumped--the serpent-strength filled his soul.
He jumped--the new lizard king.
He jumped--to the Lady he feared would be there.
He jumped--but rose not to take wing.
And I would now follow that worthy's descent,
I would dare Medicine's dive.
For I love the path he blazed for us all,
But I, unlike him, shall survive.
I jump--the snakes I feared buoy my soul.
I jump--my spirit now sings.
I jump--to the Lady I know will be there.
I jump--can it be I've grown wings?
--Copyright (c) 1988 by Sourdough Jackson
The Lizard King-"I am the Lizard King; I can do
anything."(1:104/45.5)
1875
{file "Beneath The Full Moon (Sourdough Jackson)" "bos391.htm"}
BENEATH THE FULL MOON
Come, I will sing it in your ear:
Your dancing days are come.
All the feeling you hold dear
Will lift your spirit some;
Dance until the rosey dawn
All in a gay, glad rag.
I carry the Sun in a golden cup,
The Moon in a silver bag.
And I will sing you merrily
Into my ring of dooms,
And I will twine into your hair
A wreath of maiden blooms.
You'll turn, when dancing days wane low
To Crone, but not to Hag.
I carry the Sun in a golden cup,
The Moon in a silver bag.
As Maiden grows to Mother,
And Mother into Crone,
Dance, My darling daughter,
Beneath My rounded Moon.
Dance in argent splendor
Until your spirits flag.
I carry the Sun in a golden cup,
The Moon in a silver bag.
--Copyright (c) 1988 by Sourdough Jackson
The Lizard King-"I am the Lizard King; I can do
anything."(1:104/45.5)
1876
{file "Computer Blessing (Zahai Stuart)" "bos392.htm"}
Computer Blessing
Blessings on this fine machine,
May its data all be clean.
Let the files stay where they're put,
Away from disk drives keep all soot.
From its screen shall come no whines,
Let in no spikes on power lines.
As oaks were sacred to the Druids,
Let not the keyboard suffer fluids.
Disk Full shall be nor more than rarity,
The memory shall not miss its parity.
From the modem shall come wonders,
Without line noise making blunders.
May it never catch a virus,
And all its software stay desirous.
Oh let the printer never jam,
And turn my output into spam.
I ask of Eris, noble queen,
Keep Murphy far from this machine.
1988 Zhahai Stewart
Adelante - 300 meters above Boulder, CO (Opus 1:104/93)
1877
{file "Quarters Chant (Damon)" "bos393.htm"}
Quarters Chant
<chorus>
Chant the quarters
one by one
chant the quarters round
Chant the quarters
one by one
and set the circle sound
.
Incense burn and
spirits lift
Chant the quarters round
Air comes to guard the east
to set the circle sound
.
<Chorus>
Flames ignite and
spirits fly
Chant the Quarters round
Fire comes to guard the south
to set the circle sound
.
<Chorus>
Moisture comes and
spirits fill
Chant the quarters round
Water comes to guard the west
to set the circle sound
.
<guess what? Chorus...>
Life comes forth and
spirits soar
Chant the quarters round
Earth comes to guard the north
to set the circle sound
.
<one last time for the chorus...>
Quarters called one
by one
chant the quarters round
Circle raised as on
my friend
and sets the circle sound.
.
Damon
The Masterwork Opus * Aurora, CO (303) 341-6614 * (1:104/55)
1878
{file "The River (Hugh Read)" "bos394.htm"}
THE RIVER
In the midst of death and violence
A light kindling in my heart
Is beginning to warm my soul
With new life.
I look back at the white water boiling behind me
With a shuddering anger at the treacherous, roiling white light.
I look ahead at the broad, black expanse
Smooth, yet turbulent and rich with wonderful power.
Deep moments of peace are the essence of what is coming
Deep pools of bliss are the essence of what is coming
Troubles are the food that nourishes a peaceful life
Troubles gently feed bliss with subtle flavours of delight
I bow to all the Deities who are bringing me wealth unmeasured
And I thank the Lord, and I thank the Lady, and I thank my Self.
Hugh Read , 02-15-89 12:17
The Terraboard, Minneapolis, MN (Opus 1:282/341)
1879
{file "Snow (Steve Earl)" "bos395.htm"}
SNOW
Goddess is beautiful dressed in white
The tiny white crystals that fall through the night
They fall so gentle, don't make a sound
As they drift to Earth and lay on the ground
Looking up, snow melts on my face
as I leave behind the hectic pace
I'm in another world, one of love
communing with the Goddess above
Drawing the power from all around me
one with Her, I truely wish to be
This is the quest for which I strive
It is my reason for being alive
Standing alone, staring at the sky
I feel a tear coming to my eye
The feeling of peace is awesome you see
I feel the Goddess surrounding me
(C) 1989 - Steve Earl
Excelsior AIBBS - Monroe CT 203-268-1222 (1:141/222)
1880
{file "The Shaman's Call (Shadow Hawk)" "bos396.htm"}
The Shaman's Call
The Night Bird's call draws evening near,
Stars and planets in the Darkening Sky appear,
People of the day to their beds retire,
Except for some Old Souls about a fire.
Sounds begin to rule the night,
As the Sun's bright rays fade from sight.
Evening noises begin to grow,
Cricket, Owl, and Wolf's lone howl.
Deeper into the Night we go,
The landscape lit by the fire's glow,
One old man begins to sway,
And one lone drum begins to play.
Boom goes the drumbeat soft and slow,
Tapping out the Heartbeat of the World Below,
Boom echoes the drumbeat's call to go,
To begin the ride to the World Below.
The flames leap high into the night,
And the World around us takes to flight,
Senses shift in the darking light,
And the Darkest Cave draws our sight.
Enter the Cavern, down we speed,
Into the Underworld the Drumbeat leads.
Faster than Dragon, than Hawk, than Snake,
Down the path the Shaman's feet race.
Deeper and deeper into the Womb of the Night,
Till up ahead appears the Light.
Boom thunders the drum, and the walls seem to shake,
And out of the Cavern I stop by a lake.
I look around and I see Land so bright,
That I know mortal eyes have never beheld this sight.
In the Sky wheels Gods and Dragons in Flight,
While bathing in the Lake is the Goddess of the Night.
Her eyes see me clearly and I'm pierced by their Sight,
There is no hiding in the Night of Her Light.
The Animals come to Her call as she sings,
And drumbeat from above gives me wings.
Into the Sky my form changes still,
On Hawk wings I ascend from the hill.
Higher and higher into the Magical Sky,
I soar on Wings lit in Magical Fire.
This Bond, this chain, this freedom sublime,
The Shaman's gift, boon, bane, the Drumbeat Divine.
The Dream that brings Visions into the Night,
The Night that is brighter than any Daylight.
The sight of a Tree draws me near,
The Great World Tree has brought me here.
The Tree of All Knowledge grows out of sight,
Even Hawk eyes are dimmed by it's light.
Form changes swiftly, Snake am I now,
Across the World Tree I wander uncowed.
The Tree of Life, of Knowledge, of Power and Death,
The Tree that for Shaman will give Shaman Breath.
The Drum fills my body,
My brain is on fire,
Visions of Forces dance in the Light,
And the drumbeat caresses me, somewhere in the Night.
The Tree fades from view,
My Soul takes to flight,
And into the World, Dragon Stalks the Night.
Back to the Cavern the worm passes nigh.
Drumbeat calls, caresses, commands,
Back to the Waking World the drumbeat demands.
Up through the cave I ascend in the Night,
Form shifts so slightly in my bemused sight.
Dragon claws to Human feet,
And to the fire where the Shaman meet.
Around the fire slowly the Drummer keeps beat,
Drawing home the Voyagers to the fire's night heat.
Glazed expressions look into the night,
But in Shaman's eye is still the Light.
Slack faced expressions for others to see,
But in Shaman's eye, is the Fire that Frees.
Shaman stares into the fire,
Then quietly into the night he retires.
Off to his rest he fades from sight,
Until the Drum calls once more to Night's Light.
Shadow Hawk
Baker Street Irregular * Ft Walton Beach FL (1:366/222)
1881
{file "Storm (Shadow Hawk)" "bos397.htm"}
Storm
Lightning flashing, wind howls through trees,
Storm is rising, Mortals flee.
Like armies marching, clouds parade by,
Thunder shaking, rain hides the sky.
Earth trembles under Titan's fist,
As Elementals meet in their violent tryst.
Jagged bolts from Heaven descend
and Tree their goal to rend.
Fierce are the powers of the storm,
Chaos rules and dissolves Reality's form.
Fear walks the Earth in the Lightning's stark Kiss,
While rain hides the Shadows in Unholy mists.
But like all things this to must pass,
And after a time, storm ceases to harass,
The wind abates and the thunder mutes,
And Lightning ends it's violent pursuit.
Sun peeks shyly from behind Thunderhead,
And a faint rainbow across the sky does thread.
One lone frog begins to sing,
And a few bright birds take to wing.
Slowly the mortal creatures crawl forth,
To bask in the Sun's strengthening warmth,
But even as the light returns to day,
Elsewhere Storm will enter the fray.
Storm into peace, night into day,
This is the circle, the Divine at play.
First one then the Other is the cycle of Life,
No stagnation, no quiet, just unending strife.
The Circle of Life is the Game we play,
While upon this Earth our bodies decay,
And when our storm of Life goes by,
Into the Light we must all die.
Life into death, dark into light,
This is the Circle, the Divine delight,
To experience death, and be reborn from the night,
To once again behold Divine Starlight.
Circling endlessly Eons fly past,
But even this too in the end won't last,
When the last sparrow falls and night draws to a close,
The last to die is one final rose.
Storm (cont.)
When all is merged in Divine Bliss,
And nothing is left the Divine to kiss,
Then up from the wells of Chaos will flow,
New Life, new forms the Divine to know.
Cycle upon cycle, Life upon death,
The Eternal cycle, Brahman's breath,
Form into Chaos, Chaos into form,
This is the Rule to which Life will conform.
One rule for life, one rule alone,
That nothing is Changeless, and Chaos follows form,
One Rule for Day and One rule for Night,
That Nothing is Eternal in the Eternal's sight.
Shadow Hawk , 03-12-89 14:19
1882
{file "A Victim of Ideologies (Jeff Bordeaux)" "bos398.htm"}
A VICTIM OF IDEOLOGIES
PLACE was just a place.
without form or future,
barren of inhabitants.
-
Then RAIN appeared - and gave PLACE moisture.
And SUN lent PLACE light.
And EARTH molded PLACE into form.
And WIND and BREEZE breathed
sweet airs into PLACE.
-
And CLOUD smiled and MOON shone.
And STAR brought forth beauty,
wonder, magic.
-
And PLACE awakened.
And grew trees, and grass.
Animals appeared.
And PLACE was graced with
lakes, and ponds,
and light, and shadow.
-
'Thank you!', cried PLACE.
'I am alive. Thank you.'
-
And the elements conferred
among themselves,
And preened, and swelled, and gloated.
'See!', cried SUN. 'We are all powerful-'
'we have a RIGHT to be proud!'
-
'Ah!', said RAIN. 'But I was the first!'
'And without me', said EARTH,
'PLACE would be shapeless!'
-
And the elements fought, and argued, and battled
RAIN and WIND changed to STORM,
killing, ripping trees asunder.
EARTH shook, imposing vast destruction.
CLOUD, MOON and STAR retreated,
while SUN flared, burning all to ruin.
-
And angered, with bruised pride,
the elements departed.
Only BREEZE remained upon this barren,
blackened desert that was PLACE.
-
'Oh cruel brethren! What have we done?'
and BREEZE tried to resurrect PLACE,
but it's power was too weak.
-
And so dead PLACE remains
the mournful cry of BREEZE
it's only voice.
1883
{file "Shadowhawk" "bos399.htm"}
Shadow Hawk
Deep in Shadow, hidden from sight,
Wandering by, like a thief in the night.
Slipping through cracks in Reality's wall,
Flying alone through Chaos' Hall.
Alone in the world, away from the Light,
Except for the company of the Goddess of the Night.
Deep is the Well of Humanity's Soul,
And deeper still the place I must go.
Hawk on the Wing, silent in flight,
Hunter unseen, hidden by night.
Lost in the Shadow, beyond mortal sight,
Ascending beyond the Gods' lofty height.
Wings of Fire carry me free,
Far from this place I will be.
Left behind the ones I knew,
Fellow travellers there are but few.
Chaos spins by unblinking eyes,
Reality splits and reason flys,
None can follow me in this Place,
Lost to the world without a trace.
Realities come and Realities fall,
Yet onward I fly heeding the Unknown call.
Farther and faster the message I heed,
Flying alone, spurred on by need.
None may go where Chaos hold court,
But there my mind seems to cavort.
Alone and silent I scream in the dark,
While visions and sunbursts tear me apart.
Realities flow with plastic speed,
Angels and Demons from me do feed.
The world whirls wildly around the Tree,
But soon, I know, I will be free.
{file "Magical Reveries (Hugh M. Read)" "bos400.htm"}
Magickal Reveries
Dedicated to Bill Heidrick
...who opened the door...
I am as the Moon
Our Light is ever changing
Healing, gathering
copyright, Hugh Read, 1987 Permission is herby given for
noncommercial reproduction of this copyrighted work, so long as
it is reproduced in full and this notice is included.
As Capricorn begins the year darkly
From the depths of light
As the distant Sun
Begins Her Northward Path
Saturn begins her leaden rainbow dance
Giving form to time
The Gates to Formlessness
Make way for new forms
To emerge out of Saturnian Black
Gates of Formlessness
Are now used by wise souls
Seeking Endlessness
As new forms dance in, wise souls may dance out
To Eternity
To explore timeless states
And spaceless being
Saturn planet of time and timelessness
Space and spacelessness
Of limits and freedom
Is our leaden key
To the golden place of immortality
The Bliss of Saturn
Is sweet, rich bliss, indeed
In dark Capricorn
Agape is subtle wine, holy...pure
While Chubby Eros
Is a belching beer
Good old, sad old lust
Is Thelema will with desire charged
Is Thelema greed
Drunk on yeasty-rich lust
Rapine in her heart
Or is Thelema subtle will, divine
Heaven's Spirit scent
Beyond sight, will or mind
Like good Christian Faith
As Capricorn begins the year darkly
From the depths of light
As the distant Sun
Begins Her Northward Path
Saturn begins her leaden rainbow dance
Giving form to time
The Gates to Formlessness
Make way for new forms
To emerge out of Saturnian Black
Gates of Formlessness
Are now used by wise souls
Seeking Endlessness
As new forms dance in, wise souls may dance out
To Eternity
To explore timeless states
And spaceless being
Saturn planet of time and timelessness
Space and spacelessness
Of limits and freedom
Is our leaden key
To the golden place of immortality
The Bliss of Saturn
Is sweet, rich bliss, indeed
In dark Capricorn
Isis spread your loving wings over me
Enfold me within
Protect me, Mother,
In my loneliness
Isis spread your loving wings over me
Enfold me within
Lead me to earthly love
Lead me to my Self
Isis spread your loving wings over me
Enfold me within
Surround me with lovers
Who heal me with love
Isis spread your loving wings over me
Enfold me within
Allow me loving friends
Who heal me with love
Isis spread your loving wings over me
Enfold me within
Lead me to earthly love
Lead me to my Self
When bright spark was struck at dark equinox
Hard clarity came
As Sun struck Saturn
In His Earthy home
The Astral Year begins in Saturn's house
In chill mystery
The leaden wheel begins
Her twelve month circle
From Earth to Air to Water to Fire
Then again begin
Spinning wheel of magick
Through time and through space
Twelve stations of the Elemental Cross
Break the calender
Wear tattered calender
Like torn beggar's rags
Twelve mundane months slip over Heaven's Year
Solstice to solstice
Tearing the paper year
With ancient power
Now the dark solstice has come and has gone
Year is born anew
New Year's day ahead
Surly overlay
Vying with our more ancient starry year
The New Roman Year
Trys hard to hide the Gods
Nor can it hide them
For their power is born ever anew
Through the twelve stations
And deep in each month
Their Life births Magick
As Virgo dies the dark Crone encroaches
Hard with Grey Power
Harsh-shrivelled with Wisdom
Of a long chaste life
What seems to be ugly, mean grows in strength
Like a walnut shell
Wrinkled shell, wrinkled nut
Wrinkled wise, old brain
Cruel Death mercifully releases Beauty
Libra roses rise
Gentle Autumn breezes
Pink, red, soft petals
From peak to craggy peak the Horn'd One leaps
Fire in his eyes
Hard shouldered...white-hot chest
Antlered man on high
Blue lightening flashes from his bright-hot thighs
Swift knees crash through trees
In the ancient forest
Of my ancient mind
From those depths my ancient powers rise
Fire in my eyes
Soft heart hardens. Wisdom
Surges in my thighs
Knees and ankles loosen, muscles tighten
I am the Horn'd One!
I am He! I am Free!
Ancient One in me!
Affirmation: I am Pan! I am Cernunnos! I am the Horn'd One. I am
Shiva! I am He! I am Atman! I am Free!
Is Peace possible on Battlefield Earth
No. Not now, Kali
Your Yuga demands War
War is our teacher
Only through War can we learn to escape
Your prison of Time
The only Peace there is
Is hidden within
Each individual heart. Turn within
Make that your War
Exploit the Battlefield
By turning away
That is War enough in Kali's prison
Of Time and of Space
Learn to reverse the Field
And find your own Peace
1885
{file "When Saturn Ruled Aquarius" "bos401.htm"}
WHEN SATURN RULED AQUARIUS
The Kiss of Saturn is hot, black, fierce, deep
A hint of Wild Ass
In her blue-black hair
Breasts soft as black Lead
Moulten hips steaming with empowerment
Belly bold with Lust
That heals...and heals...and heals
Uranus! She cries.
"Wild Ass!" I reply. "I am set on you!"
My Wild Ass prances
"For I am Set, my Nepthys
My sweet Wild Ass
I come to claim your dark powers tonight
In Binah tonight
For we are in Binah
Deep set in Binah
Saturn am I! Shivah am I! I AM!
I am Atman! THAT!
I claim you Dark Nepthys
THAT we may be ONE!"
In Atman hide the Secrets of Maya
Terrible Maya
(When we are in Her Claws)
Is kind in Atman
There is a reversal in Atman
Of subtle beauty
Maya becomes God's Will
And I am as God
In Atman. I am as God, Will Supreme
Soft as a Feather
Strong, gentle, wise and firm,
Free! I am Atman!
I am Atman. I am Free. I am He.
In Atman, I AM
As God in Atman.
Free! I am Atman!
1886
{file "Scarabeus (unknown)" "bos402.htm"}
SCARABEUS
Golden Fire in my Heart, Immortal!
Dark Sacred Beetle
Flaming in my breast!
Immortality
Hidden in the dung of my existence!
That filthy dung
I roll across my Sky
For all to distain
Hides The Stone of the Wise from prying eyes
And the Mid-night Sun
Hidden by dung-like Earth
Yet lighting the Moon
Hides behind my life lighting up my Soul
As I roll my dung
Making Soul immortal
As I roll my Stone
1887
{file "Minerva (Unknown)" "bos403.htm"}
Minerva
I met Minerva just now near her tree
Resting from battle
Her helmet on her knee
Hair tumbled on breasts
Parted by brass, surrounded by steel plate
Dark nipples glistened
With dew-like sweat of war
Pale arms quivering
Eager for battle's harsh life-death embrace
Yes! She said to me.
Hell yes! she said. Get laid!
Enter the battle.
My Virgins serve me well, my son! Get laid!
Let your juices flow!
(She spit an olive pit)
Get in there and fight!
She gathered her pale skirts around her hips
Stood, covering strong thighs
Took her shield, sword, helmet
With war shriek was gone
1888
{file "Love Is The Law (Unknown)" "bos404.htm"}
LOVE IS THE LAW
Do what thou wilt is the Whole of the Law
The time of The Will
Bursts forth Now, in the Spring
Implacable bud!
Let your Love burst forth and blossom freely
Thunder of roses
Unfettered by harsh will
Love willed to be Free
To soar with on Her Wings into New Heavens
Over pure New Earths
Love is Will purified
Love is Her own Law!
Sun is born again in primitive Light
With Arian Force
In the Spring House of Mars
New Life Exploding
From cold Winter's Icy dark Womb
Gives force to our Wills
Time of re-SOL-ution
We are born again
Juices of Spring wash us from Winter Womb
As Spring buds push out
We drop from Her belly
Like damp, new born colts
This is the time to re-SOL-ve our new lives
With Nature's Forces
Supporting and healing
As Old Winter dies
1889
{file "May Eve (Doreen Valiente)" "bos405.htm"}
MAY EVE
Walpurgis Night, the time is right,
The ancient powers awake.
So dance and sing, around the ring,
And Beltane magic make.
Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
Upon the eve of May,
We'll merry meet, and summer greet,
For ever and a day.
New life we see, in flower and tree,
And summer comes again.
Be free and fair, like earth and air,
The sunshine and the rain.
Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
Upon the eve of May,
We'll merry meet, and summer greet,
For ever and a day.
As magic fire be our desire
To tread the pagan way,
And our true will find and fulfil,
As dawns a brighter day.
Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
Upon the eve of May,
We'll merry meet, and summer greet,
For ever and a day.
The pagan powers this night be ours,
Let all the world be free,
And sorrows cast into the past,
And future blessed be!
Walpurgis Night, Walpurgis Night,
Upon the eve of May,
We'll merry meet, and summer greet,
For ever and a day.
Doreen Valiente
"Witchcraft For Tomorrow", pp. 192-193
1890
{file "Invocation of the Horned God (Doreen Valiente)" "bos406.htm"}
INVOCATION OF THE HORNED GOD
By the flame that burneth bright,
O Horned One!
We call thy name into the night,
O Ancient One!
Thee we invoke, by moon-led sea,
By the standing stone and the twisted tree.
The we invoke, where gather thine own,
By the nameless shrine forgotten and alone.
Come where the round of the dance is trod,
Horn and hoof of the goatfoot god!
By moonlit meadow on dusky hill,
When the haunted wood is hushed and still,
Come to the charm of the chanted prayer,
As the moon bewitches the midnight air.
Evoke thy powers, that potent bide
In shining stream and the secret tide,
In fiery flame by starlight pale,
In shadowy host that rides the gale,
And by the fern-brakes fairy haunted
Of forests wild and woods enchanted.
Come! O come!
To the heart-beat's drum!
Come to us who gather below
When the broad white moon is climbing slow
Through the stars to the heaven;s height.
We hear thy hoofs on the wind of night!
As black tree-branches shake and sigh,
By joy and terror we know thee nigh.
We speak the spell thy power unlocks
At solstice, Sabbat, and equinox,
Word of virtue the veil to rend,
From primal dawn to the wide world's end,
Since time began--
The blessing of Pan!
Blessed be all in hearth and hold,
Blessed in all worth more than gold.
Blessed be in strength and love,
Blessed be wher'er we rove.
Vision fade not from our eyes
Of the pagan paradise
Past the gates of death and birth,
Our inheritance of the earth.
From our soul the song of spring
Fade not in our wandering.
Our life with all life is one,
By blackest night or noonday sun.
Eldest of gods, on thee we call,
Blessing be on thy creatures all.
Doreen Valiente
"Witchcraft For Tomorrow" pp. 190-191
1891
{file "Invocation of the Moon Goddess (Doreen Valiente)" "bos407.htm"}
INVOCATION OF THE MOON GODDESS
Diana, queen of night,
In all your beauty bright,
Shine on us here,
And with your silver beam
Unlock the gate of dream;
Rise bright and clear.
On earth and sky and sea,
Your magic mystery
Its spell shall cast,
Wherever leaf may grow,
Wherever tide may flow,
Till all be past.
O secret queen of power,
At this enchanted hour
We ask your boon.
May fortune's favor fall
Upon true witches all,
O Lady Moon!
Doreen Valiente
"Witcraft For Tomorrow" pp. 189-190
1892
{file "The Spell of the Cord (Doreen Valiente)" "bos408.htm"}
THE SPELL OF THE CORD
By the knot of one
The spell's begun.
By the knot of two
It cometh true.
By the knot of three
Thus shall it be.
By the knot of four
'Tis strengthened more.
By the knot of five
So may it thrive.
By the knot of six
The spell we fix.
By the knot of seven
The Stars of Heaven.
By the knot of eight
The hand of fate.
Byt the knot of nine
The thing is mine.
Doreen Valiente
"Wichcraft For Tomorrow" pp. 188-189
1893
{file "Coven Spell (Doreen Valiente)" "bos409.htm"}
THE COVEN SPELL
O ancient ones of heaven, earth and sea,
We chant the coven spell, thus shall it be!
To music of the night-wind blowing free,
We chant the coven spell, thus shall it be!
The owl hoots within the hollow tree,
The black cat runs by night silently,
The toad beneath the stone dwells secretly,
We chant the coven spell, thus shall it be!
To moon that draws the tides of air and sea,
We chant the coven spell, thus shall it be!
To god that bides beneath the greenwood tree,
We chant the coven spell, thus shall it be!
By witches' garter bound about the knee,
By staff and cauldron and all powers that be,
We will the thing in our minds we see,
We chant the coven spell, thus shall it be!
(Pause..........)
The Spell is flowing like the sea,
The spell is growing like the tree,
Like flame that burns and blazes free.
We chant the spell, thus shall it be!
We chant the spell, thus shall it be!
We chant the spell, thus shall it be!
IT IS!
Doreen Valiente
"Witchcraft For Tomorrow" pp. 181-182
1894
{file "Invocation (Doreen Valiente)" "bos410.htm"}
INVOCATION
(traditionally used after the Communion of the five senses)
Diana of the Rounded Moon,
The queen of all enchantments here,
The wind is crying through the trees,
As we invoke thee to appear.
The cares of day departed are,
The realm of night belongs to thee;
And we in love and kinship join
With all things that are wild and free.
As powers of magic round us move,
Now let time's self dissolve and fade.
Here in place between the worlds
May we be one with nature made.
Thy consort is the Horned One,
Whose sevenfold pipes make music sweet.
Old Gods of life and love and light
Be here as merrily we meet!
For ye circle's round we tread,
And unto ye the wine we pour;
The sacred Old Ones of this land,
Ye we invoke by ancient lore --
By magic moon and pagan spell,
By all the secrets of the night,
Dreams and desires and mystery,
Borne on the moonbeam's silver light.
Now may we hear, or may we see,
Or may we know within the heart,
A token of true magic made,
Ere from this circle we depart.
(Pause...........)
O goddess-queen of night,
O Horn'ed One of might,
In earth and sky and sea
May peace and blessing be!
Doreen Valiente
"Witchcraft For Tomorrow" pp. 168-169
1895
{file "The Pentagran (Similodon)" "bos411.htm"}
The Pentagram
I invoke Ancient Powers of The Star
The Powers of Five
The Spiral Powers
The Powers of Earth
I invoke the Ancient Powers of Life
Star in the Circle
In the Iron Circle
Quaint, ancient symbol
So ancient, primordial and timeless
Dark symbol of life
On planets bearing life
Deep in DNA
Deeply branded in the Heart of our Earth
Touchstone of Wisdom
Of Ancient Knowledge, NOW,
Living in the stars
I call out through the Circled Iron Star
For my Star Power
Out through the Galaxies
Claiming Dark Powers
Similodon
1896
{file "BLOOD (Similodon)" "bos412.htm"}
Blood
Is that you that I hear?
Your footsteps on the ground above my head.
Your hands apon the headstone that bears my name.
You are a dweller in the night! Beware I bite!
On cloak as black as sin, I float, I fly.
In hunger burning bright, seaking prey.
Life is flowing deep within.
I send it bubbling fourth.
and then I drink it in again.
Another night, never day.
Away away, into the dark I flee!
where I might hide.
waiting for another night.
Did you hear?
Did you see?
Do you flee?
Or is that your hand I find near mine?
In the dark! Dwellers in the night!
Beware we bite!
Similodon
1897
{file "Pandemonium (Sonia Brock)" "bos413.htm"}
PANDEMONIUM
Hi, ho, it's Spring again,
Out of my eye's corner
I thought I saw the Horned Man, the Green Man
Charging down the glen,
It was not Pan,
I did not get that freezing in the bone,
Half fear, half ecstacy.
Perhaps I was mistook,
And only wished I saw,
And maybe Pan is playing in a rock band,
Traveling in a wave of liquorous riot,
George 'something' and the Destroyers
Sonia Brock
1898
{file "New Words and Old (Kihe Blackeagle)" "bos414.htm"}
New Words & Old
In the autumn of the lightnings, in the mighty-voic`ed throng
In the twilight were the offerings, with both chants and full-throat song:
These the People, born to silence
These the Seekers, born to sight
These the Wanderers, born to roaming
These frail Humans, born to night...
In the winter's swirling blizzard, in the quaking of great trees In the
night-black child of charring, in the wavering, fitful breeze:
These the Wicca, seeking knowledge
These the Shamen, knowing care
These the Students, always reading
These the Hopeful, who despair...
In the spring-tide's joyous growing, in the flower and the leaf In the summer's
dearth and plenty, saving up to stoke Belief:
Hear the Mother, gentle-voicings
Hear the Father, rumbled whisper
Hear the Children, gay and laughing
Hear the Many -- sing your vesper...
Now the Bard and Druid gather
Now the Priestess calls afar
Now the Time to Watch and Listen
Now the Time to practice more!
+*+*+
Kihe Blackeagle
1899
{file "Spring/Summer Poem (Shadowhawk)" "bos415.htm"}
SPRING/SUMMER POEM
By: Shadow Hawk
Falling
Circling skyward on wings of fire,
Drawn aloft by heart's desire,
Endless expanses of starry night,
In Endless freedom he finds his delight.
Down below whispers rise to his ear,
The green earth lays calling, calliing him near,
Circling skyward he hears the sweet call,
And folding his wings, begins the great fall.
Wind whispers then sings then a great roar,
From the high heavens his body he tore.
Faster than Eagle he falls to the ground,
Till even the sky's call was lost in the sound.
Below lays the Earth, she holds out her arms,
Enfolding her Lover with her Endless charms,
Deeper he plummets into that fair place,
Blinded and bewildered by her loving grace.
Mountians and hills, river and sea,
Summon him near, and answer his need,
Stretching her arms, she gathers him nigh,
As stonelike he falls, a mote from God's eye.
Hurry, oh hurry, she beckons him come,
As mountains surround him, blocking the sun,
His breath is fire, igniting her love,
Her lover returns, from Sun far above.
Deep in her body he plunges his fire,
Passion to passion, fire strikes desire,
Shudderingly, shakingly, he rises above,
Surrounded by the warmth of his Lady's love.
Sinking once more, she pulls him near,
Gathering him close the stars reappear,
Deep in her body, awaiting the day,
Till once more, skyward, He rises to play.
1900
{file "A Healing Spell (unknown)" "bos416.htm"}
A Healing Spell
Wrap thee in cotton
Bind thee with love
Protection from pain
Surrounds like a glove.
May the brightest of blessings
Surround thee this night.
For thou art cared for,
Healing thoughts sent in flight...
1901
{file "Banishing The Circle (Devin Storm)" "bos417.htm"}
Banishing The Circle
By: Devin Storm
The Circle is open
But not forgotten
The Circle is unbroken
Nothing is forgotten
The Circle is free
Nothing is EVER forgotten
Blessed Be!
by Devin Storm
1902
{file "The Fool (Stormy Gael)" "bos418.htm"}
The Fool
By: Stormy Gael
Fool! Fool! Fool!
Where is thy strength now oh mighty warrior?
In the hands of another?
Oh trusting fool that thou art,
Have you no experience to teach you better?
Thou hast lived many years.
Where is thy wisdom?
Even the youths know better.
Keep your own counsel, old one,
And be safe; share it and die.
Stand alone against the world
And increase your strength a hundredfold.
Build you thine own armor and fight;
Forge thine own sword with the blood of life
And none can touch thee.
But you, you fool,
You have put your trust in another,
A veritable stranger in your own camp.
Who is the wiser? I ask,
The giver or the taker?
Methinks you tread a dangerous road.
Walk easy, old one; pay heed to your steps.
Perhpas there is hope, yet.
Survival may still be yours,
But at what price?
A price I willingly pay.
Enough said, young counselor.
1903
{file "Hymn to Artemis (Frater U.' D.')" "bos419.htm"}
HYMN TO ARTEMIS
by
FRATER U.'.D.'.
Artemis, my sibyl sibling
huntress of the earthy skies,
wayfaress in silver rippling -
in your hands my power lies ...
lies my dream and all my making
muted might in liquid pose,
lies my giving and my taking,
caressing friends and smiting foes
in your light and metal sheen,
waxing, waning, touched, unseen,
ever-moving curv.d bow
ever-whirring arrow's flow
to the core of mine own heart
hitting mark, a gentle dart
strikes my body, strikes my soul,
fondles part and fondles whole
towards my ever-pulsing spell:
give me heaven, give me hell
take from me what makes me sink
with your sleight of hand and wink -
Goddess of the nightly sweep,
through the starlit mires seep,
never solemn, yet possessed,
by your mastery expressed,
all your vision's harvest keeps ...
all your vision's harvest keeps ...
1904
{file "Today The Moon is There (Hugh Read)" "bos420.htm"}
Today the Moon is There
Hugh Read
In that mighty, non-human Power Place
Of mind that Is Not
Lord of the Galaxy
Can you hear my cry
For fulfilment of my broken being
Faulted, cracked, torn
From that first painfilled day
Of savage, late birth
Send to me streamers of healing power
That will make me new
Of more eternal stuff
Than this failed human
Being is moulded from...fill in the sad cracks
Seal the aweful breaks
Smooth and fill the fissures
With eternity
That I may serve humanity wisely
With pleasure and joy
Being more than human
Helping others grow
Into the same places of dark power
That are full of light
That I hunger to touch
And to feed upon
Touch me now, this day
Lord of the Galaxy
Put me on thy Way
Lord of the Galaxy
Put me on my Way
1905
{file "The Witches Ballad" "bos421.htm"}
the witches ballad
Oh, I have been beyond the town, Where nightshade black and mandrake grow, and I
have been and I have seen What righteous folk would fear to know!
For I have heard, at still midnight, Upon the hilltop far, forlorn, With note that
echoed through the dark, The winding of the heathe horn.
And I have seen the fire aglow, And glinting from the magic sword, And with the
inner eye beheld The Horned One, the Sabbat's lord.
We drank the wine, and broke the bread, And ate it in the Old One's name. We linked
our hands to make the ring, And laughed and leaped the Sabbat game.
Oh, little do the townsfolk reck, When dull they lie within their bed! Beyond the
streets, beneath the stars, A merry round the witches tread!
And round and round the circle spun, Until the gates swung wide ajar, That bar the
boundaries of the earth, From faery realms that shine afar.
Oh, I have been and I have seen In magic worlds of Otherwhere. For all this world
may praise or blame, For ban or blessing nought I care.
For I have been beyond the town, Where meadowsweet and roses grow, And there such
music did I hear As worldly-righteous never know.
Enjoy!!!!!!!
Blessed Be
1906
{file "Inquisition" "bos422.htm"}
Inquisition
Again the burning came,
She felt the heat, the searing pain
a cry lanced through her heart
"Why, My Lady, Why"
She lay quietly, remembering
lost within the labrynth of the past
and the future
she did not feel the bite of the cruel blade.
Bleeding, moaning, she saw the man
his face, and heart masked with black
she knew his choices and his pain
Oh, to cause pain, to accept his own
if only she could Touch him, Heal him.
"I love you" she whispered
dark eyes calm, yet full of pain
"Don't " cried the man "I want to see you die"
"I love you and forgive you" she said
tears rolled freely down her cheeks
Again, and again the searing pain
As the man applied the red hot blade
"Do you still love me, and forgive me" he screamed?
Despite the pain she answered strongly
"I do", She smiled
"Blessed be" she whispered.
A wave of pain sent her among the stars.
"My Lady" she cried "I'm frightened"
Strong arms held her close
"You have done well my child, rest now"
The man watched as the blade grew cold
As the young body before him cooled
tears streamed down his face
and he whispered
"Forgive me"
1907
{file "Two Ritual Prayers (Anahita Gula)" "bos423.htm"}
2 Ritual Prayers
Copyright 1991 Anahita-Gula (pseud.). May be reproduced with acknowledgment.
We clean this night our altar and our room
To build our Temple. Here then, we have spread
The pentacle, athame and the broom,
With God and Goddess candles at the head.
So dress we now our Priestess in her Crown:
The Circle's cut in perfect Trust and Love.
So call the Quarters, dance the Witches' Round
And beckon down the Moon from high above.
Sept. 1987.
Another sample: this one is sung to the "Witches' Rune":
(Introduction is spoken, as an Invocation)
"Indeed, they occupy the throne room together.
In the divine chamber, the dwelling place of joy,
Before them their gods take their places.
To their utterances their attention is turned."
From the Akkadian Hymn to Ishtar.
Lord of Sun and Lady Moon,
Dark at night and bright at noon,
See my off'ring, hear my call:
Lord and Lady, guard us all.
Sky-God An, Earth-Goddess Ki,
All do honour unto thee.
Spread your seed upon the ground,
Bring forth life fecund and round.
Holy Queen of living things,
She whose bloom the summer brings,
Bless us, Lady, give us cheer
As we wander through the year.
Royal Shepherd, Mountain King
Lofty Bull of whom we sing,
Fill our bowls with waters sweet,
Spread the seeds of corn and wheat.
Bless our lips and bless our breast,
Guide us gently to our rest.
Bless our sheep and bless our corn,
Ease our grief when we must mourn.
Sing the song and join the rite,
Praise the day and bless the night.
Thank the Gods for what They bear:
Earth and Water, Fire and Air.
November 1983.
I may be reached at P.O. Box 732, Station B., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
1908
{file "Rainbows (Jennifer Holding)" "bos424.htm"}
"Rainbows"
Jennifer Holding
Where dwelleth my Lady in this land of Night?
She dwelleth in stars and satin moonlight.
She veileth her visage 'neath clouds spun of silk,
And the Night-Sky's a river of my sweet Mother's milk.
Where dwelleth my good Lord on this Summer's day?
He dwelleth in birdsong and fragrance of hay.
He sleeps by the river with pipes in his hand,
And he sends his love smiling through the fruit of the land.
Where dwelleth my Lady at Morning's first light?
And where is my Lord on the eve of the Night?
At Luna's last shining, or Sun's final ray,
Their passion paints Rainbows 'tween the Night and the Day!
1909
{file "Elements (r.m.p.j.)" "bos425.htm"}
ELEMENTS
Fire on Fire
Light and Power,
Warmth and Energy
They did generate.
Earth joined them then
To Life She gave Birth
And solid Foundations built.
Along came Water
Some Channels to carve
Through which all Energies flow.
Around them All
The Air did blow
Winds of Thought and Deed
intertwined.
Power raised, Power spread
Thus It Was
So Mote It Be. .....Alernon
........from RMPJ Oct. '86
This article is excerpted from the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal.
Each issue of the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal is published by
High Plains Arts and Sciences; P.O. Box 620604, Littleton Co.,
80123, a Colorado Non-Profit Corporation, under a Public Domain
Copyright, which entitles any person or group of persons to
reproduce, in any form whatsoever, any material contained therein
without restriction, so long as articles are not condensed or
abbreviated in any fashion, and credit is given the original
author.!
1910
{file "Battle Hymn of the Eristocracy (Filk)" "bos426.htm"}
BATTLE HYMN OF THE ERISTOCRACY
(Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic)
1. Mine brain has meditated on the spinning of The Chao;
It is hovering o'er the table where the Chiefs of Staff are now
Gathered in discussion of the dropping of The Bomb;
Her Apple Corps is strong!
Chorus:
Grand (and gory) Old Discordia!
Grand (and gory) Old Discordia!
Grand (and gory) Old Discordia!
Her Apple Corps is strong!
2. She was not invited to the party held on Olympic;
So she threw a Golden Apple, 'stead of turned the other cheek!
Oh, it cracked the Holy Punchbowl and it made the nectar leak;
Her Apple Corps is strong!
3. For the Apple Hera offered Paris all the wealth she could;
Athena promised that his enemies bodies would be strewed;
But Aphrodite offered Helen - and EVERYONE got screwed!
Her Apple Corps is strong!
1911
{file "The Prettiest One (Filk)" "bos427.htm"}
THE PRETTIEST ONE
(Tune: To God Be The Glory)
by Talespinner
1. To Goddess be glory, we all will have fun!
And warm is our love of "the prettiest one",
But warmer and glowing and deadly will be
The planet Earth after they start World War III.
Chorus:
Hail Eris! Hail Eris! Let the Goddess be praised!
Hail Eris! Hail Eris! Let your glasses be raised!
Reality comes from the mouth of a gun,
But all can be changed by "the prettiest one."
2. To Goddess be glory, we've hardly begun
To alter our minds for "the prettiest one."
To the Ultimate Mindfuck our allegiance we pledge;
We'll push all the greyfaces over the edge!
1912
{file "The Lady's Brothel (filk)" "bos428.htm"}
The Lady's Brothel
(to the tune "Nonesuch" also used for the "Lady"s Braisle")
For She will bring the bugs in the Spring
And laugh when She's deflowered.
When She's in heat, She'll give you a treat,
But you'll get disemboweled.
She rots the grain and spreads ptomaine,
When fruits of fall displease Her.
The moons and suns all turn their buns
In joint attempts to freeze Her.
- by Steven Posch-Coward (1980)
1913
{file "Cauldron Chant (Ammond Shadowcraft)" "bos429.htm"}
The Cauldron Chant
by Ammond ShadowCraft
We form the Circle,
The Circle most round.
We form the Chalice,
The Chalice now found.
We call the Goddess,
to meet the great need.
We call the God,
To plant His fertile seed.
We call the quarters,
which we call four.
We summon the powers,
that contain the force.
We stir the Cauldron,
from which we were born.
We call the Gods,
from whom we were torn.
We say the words,
which lead us round.
We pass the kiss,
with our lovers found.
We face our dreams,
in nights psychic flight.
We face our hopes,
in bright moon of the night.
We face our fears,
on the Dark Lords Horn.
We face our failure,
in the Mothers new planted corn.
We live our lives,
druming and dancing on the meadow.
We confront our Death,
in the dancing moon light shadow.
Our paths run quickly,
on fleet foot and wing.
Our Circle is joyous,
with our Queens and our Kings.
Let our little Circle be happy,
with Bell, Bowl or Bow.
And form now this Circle,
with gracious Love, Joy and Hope.
BLESSED BE
1914
{file "Celtic Circle Dance (Joe Bethancourt)" "bos430.htm"}
CELTIC CIRCLE DANCE
copyright 1984 W. J. Bethancourt III
recorded: CELTIC CIRCLE DANCE
WTP-0002
tune: Same Old Man/Leatherwing Bat
Hi said the Norn, sittin in the sand
once I talked to a great Grey Man
spun three times and said with a sigh
"Hadn't been for the Runes had his other eye!"
Chorus: hi diddle i diddle i day
hi diddle i diddle i diddle ay
hi di diddle i diddle i day
fol the dink a dum diddle do di day
Hi said the Lady, dressed in green
prettiest thing I've ever seen
she went down underneath the hill
and came back out of her own free will
Brian Boru, on Irish ground
walked three times the Island round
Norsemen came lookin for a fight
just another Irish Saturday night!
Hi said Lugh on the banquest night
a poet and a player and a good wheelwright
a harper and a warrior and none the least:
a Druid and he got in to the Feast!
Harold Haardrada's face was red!
Came to Britain and he wound up dead
Stamford Bridge is where he's found
got six feet of English ground
The Legion with it's Eagles bright
marched into the Pictish night
met them there upon the sand
gave em up to the Wicker Man!
Eight-legged steed and hound of Hel
the one-eyed Man, he loves ya well
fire burn and fire spark
are you then feared of the dark?
The Circle forms, the Circle flows
the Circle goes where no man knows
Hail to the Lady, one in three:
Present is Past and Past is Me!
Rhiannon's Birds are still in flight
all thru the Day all thru the Night
Hail to the Lady, one in Three
Present is Past and Past is Thee!
1922
{file "Descent of The Goddess (D. Mac Tara)" "bos431.htm"}
Descent Of The Goddess
Copyright 1993 Durwydd Mac Tara
(With special thanks to G. B. Gardner, Freydis Vasa,
Julia Phillips, and Pyrocanthus Basileus)
In ancient times, our Lord,the Horned One, was (as hestill is)
the
Controller, the Comforter. But men know him as the dread Lord of
Shadows, lonely, stern, and just.
But our Lady the Goddess oft grieved deeply for the fate of her
creations as they aged and died. She would solve all mysteries, even
the
mystery of death, and so journeyed to the underworld.
The Guardian of the Portals challenged her: 'Strip off thy
garments,
lay aside thy jewels; for naught may you bring with you into this
our land, for it is written that your True Self is the only fitting
adornment for those in the realms of Death.'
So she laid down her garments and her jewels, andwas bound, as
all
living must be who seek to enter the realms of Death, the Mighty One.
Such was herbeauty that Death himself knelt,and laid his sword
and
crown at her feet, and kissed her feet, saying: 'Blessed be thy feet
that have brought thee in these ways. Abide with me; but let me place
my cold hand on thy heart.'
And she replied: 'Why do you cause all things that I love, and
take delight in, to fade and die?'
'Lady,' replied Death, 'it is age and fate, against which I am
helpless. Age causes all things to wither; but when men die at the
end
of time, I give them rest and peace and strength, so that they may
return. But you, you are lovely. Return not, abide with me.'
And she replied, 'Nay, I love theenot and I am needed in the
world
of the living.'
Again Death knelt, and kissed her knees, saying: 'Blessed be thy
knees that kneel before the Altar. Abide with me; let me place my
cold
hand on thy heart.'
And she replied, 'Nay, I love thee not and I am needed inthe
world
of the living.'
Death (still kneeling), kissed her on the womb, saying:
'Blessed be thy organs of generation, without which none of us would
be.
Abide with me; let me place my cold hand on thy heart.'
And she replied, 'Nay though I feel the beginnings of love for
1923
thee, I must return to those I fully love in the world of creation.'
Deaththen stood, and kissedher on thebreast, saying: Blessed
be
thy breast, formed in strength and beauty. Abide with me; let me
place
my cold hand on thy heart.'
And she replied, 'Nay though I feel love for thee, I must not
abandon those I am responsible for, in the world of creation. I cannot
do this thing, better you would return with me.'
'Lady,' replied Death, It cannot be so. If I were to leave my
realm, and abandon those who seek their comfort and rest with me, then
the Wheel would no longer turn. Age and weakness would overtake those
whom you love, and they would have nowhere to find rest, and peace,
and
reunion with those who have gone before. As age and debility overtook
your creations, there would quickly be no room for the new, only the
withered, the tired, and the stagnant.' He then kissed her lips,
saying:
'Blessed be thy lips, which shall utter the Holy Names. Abide with
me;
let me place my cold hand on thy heart.'
And shereplied, Let us BOTHlay our hands, eachunto the heart
of
the other, thereby claiming and uniting each unto the other. In this
way may I rule my kingdom of birth, creation, and life; yet share with
you your kingdom of death, rejuvenation, and rest. United in Perfect
Love and Perfect Trust, that the Universe may be whole and the Wheel
turn smoothly.
Death replied, 'This is indeed WISDOM, So Mote it Be!' They
embraced, thus pledging their eternal love.
And he taught her all his mysteries, and gave her the necklace
which
is the circle of rebirth. And she taught him her mystery of the
sacred
cup which is the cauldron of rebirth.
They loved, and were one; for there be three greatmysteries in
the
life of mankind, and magic controls them all. To fulfil love, you
must
return again at the same time and at the same place as the loved ones;
and you must meet, and know, and remember, and love them again.
But to be reborn, you must die, and be made ready for a new body.
And to die, you must be born; and without love, you may not be born.
And our Goddess is ever inclined to love,and mirth, and happi-
ness;
and guards and cherishes her hidden children in life, and in death
she teaches the way to her communion; and even in this world she
teaches them the mystery of the Magic Circle, which is placed between
the worlds of men and of the Gods.
And thus we are taught of the beginnings of the wheel of the year
1924
wherein the Lord and the Lady share their rulership of the year, each
offering and sharing a balance to the other, and the basis of that
sharing.
1925
{file "Charge of the God, The (Kyri Comyn)" "bos432.htm"}
The Charge of The God
(c) 1986, Kyri Comyn
"I am the strength of the rock at thy back, the roots of the
tree that anchor the Earth and deepest of tides in the black
depths of the ocean. I am the Hunter and the Sacred Prey, the
warmth of the sun in the swelling grapes and the call of the road
that leads over the hill.
I give you, my creatures, the fire of love, the power of the
wind on your face, shelter from the darkest storm. You are dear
to me, and I instill in you my power...the power of peace hard
earned, the power of vision and magical sight, and the spark of
elemental fire, which is the primal light in the darkness.
By the powers of running stag and glorious sun, I charge
thee; by the darkest depth of night and the lingering tendrils
of dreams, I charge thee; and by the beauty of your own creation,
I charge thee;
Follow your heart and your instinct, wherever they lead
you. The wealth of the heart will guide you where the
cold edge of logic cannot take you.
Take joy in the powers of your bodies. The form your
body takes is unique in the universe and is chief among
your tools.
Lastly, always remember the path you have left behind
you. Learn to take your power from the foolish things
you have wrought as well as the good you have done for
others and for your world. You can never usurp
another's power, and yours is the well upon which you
must rely.
I am with you always, just over your shoulder, running with
you through the tall grasses and forests that surround you. I
possess you and I am your Sacred Prey. I am the Lord of Death,
and when you have come to the end of your life on this world, I
will be there; to take you between the worlds, to offer you peace
and rest. Look upon my face; know me. I am the spirit of the
wild things, but you too, are wild in your souls and we are
forever intertwined."
1926
{file "Charge of the Goddess, The (Kyri Comyn)" "bos433.htm"}
The Charge of the Goddess
(c) 1986, Kyri Comyn
"I am the quickening of the seed in Springtime, the glory of
ripe fields in Summer, and the peace of the quiet woods as the
snow calms the Earth in Winter. I am the lilt of the maidens'
melody in the morning, the patient hand of the Mother and the
deep river of the mysteries taught by moonlight.
I give the creatures of the earth the gifts of song rising
from the heart, the joy of autumn sunset, the cool touch of the
renewing waters, and the compelling call of the drum in the
dance. To you I give the joy of creation and the companion of
beauty to light your days.
By the powers of the steadfast Earth and the wheeling stars
I charge thee; by the darkness of death and the white light of
birth I charge thee; and by the terrible strength of your human
spirits, I charge thee:
Strive always for the growth of your eternal soul,
never intentionally diminish your strength, your
compassion, your ties to the earth or your knowledge.
Challenge your mind, never accept complacently that
which has been the standard merely for the reason that
it is the standard by which the majority judges itself.
Thirdly, I charge thee, act always for the betterment
of your brothers and sisters. To strengthen them is to
forge the true chain of humanity, and a chain is only
as strong as its weakest link.
You are my children, my brothers and sisters and my
companions. You are known in great part by the company you keep,
and you are strong and wise and full of the powers of life. It
is yours to use them in my service, and I also, am known by the
company I keep.
Go forth in joy and the light of my love, turning to me
without fear when the darkness threatens to overcome you, and
turning also to me to share your triumphs and your achievements,
and know in your heart of hearts that we are together in blood
and spirit 'til the last star darkens in the sky and winter comes
to the universe."
1927
{file "Charge of the Horned God [Rhyming] (V. West)" "bos434.htm"}
Charge of The Horned God
V. West
Hark unto me: for I am He who has existed throughout all time. I was
there from the beginning; it was my potency that charged the fertility
of the Great Mother and created life from her empty womb.
Myself itis inthewinds thatsweep theworlds;myself itis
in the flames that give warmth and light to all beings. I am he who
provides: the Green Man of field and forest fruitfulness; the lust of
the bull that engenders life upon the cow; the strength of the boar
that engenders life upon the sacred sow of Ceriddwen; the speed of the
stag running free in the forest that no hunter can bring down save he
who speaks the sacred words to call unto the spirit of the fleeing
stag.
I am Lord of theDance; he who swirls throughthe starry
universe with the world at his heels. I am he who dances on mountain
and plain and hearth, and he who captures all things in his dance.
AndI amalso KernnuntheDark Hunter;he withvisage asdark
as void and armour bright with flame. My name is Lord of the Hunt; my
prey those souls who needs must die and descend into the dark, chthon-
ic depths of my bowel. For I bring life but death also; I am he at the
gateway of the worlds, and to me shalt thou come in the end, thou who
art my child and my prey.
.
(written November 1989)
1928
{file "Charge of the Goddess [Rhyming] (Kalioppe)" "bos435.htm"}
======RHYMING CHARGE OF THE GODDESS======
I am the harmonious tune of the songbird
And the laughter of a gleeful child.
I am the bubbling sound of the running brook
And the scent of the flowers wild.
I am the floating leaf upon the breeze
And the dancing fire in the forest glade.
I am the sweet smell of rains upon the soil.
And the rapture of passion when love is made.
I am the germination of seed in the Spring
And the ripening of wheat in the Sun.
I am the peaceful depth of the twilight
That soothes the soul when day is done.
I am found in the twinkling of an aged eye...
And found in the birth of a newborn pup...
Yes...Birth and Growth and Death, am I
I am the gracious Earth, on whom you sup.
I am your sister, your mother, the wise one.
I wrap you gently in the warmth of my love.
That which your seek you shall find within:
Not without...not below...not above!
Remember always, my children, be reverent.
Be gentle, loving and kind to each other
And hold sacred the Earth and its creatures:
For I am the Lady: Creatrix and Mother!
-Kalioppe-
1929
{file "Second Ritual for Bast" "bos439.htm"}
Second Ritual For Bast
Chris Olmstead
Gwen called me up to tell me that her nineteen-year old Siamese cat
Coco, who raised her from a small child and taught her innumerable
wisdoms, had just come out of surgery and was not doing well. She
talked about how her sister Lisa went to the vet every day to sit with
him, talk to him, and give him her love. Gwen said she was burning a
blue candle next to his picture in order to promote his healing, and
was that O.K.? To answer her I mentioned as a gentle aside that I had
heard that green was also good for healing. We talked cats for a
while. She cried. I remembered Buttons, fought tears, and then I
understood what pain she faced here. She kept talking until I offered
that I too might do a healing spell on his behalf. She jumped on my
words with an eager "Oh! Would you?!" and I suddenly understood the
real question behind this phone-call.
I explained that a cat who has seen nineteen summers has really had
the best of it already, and that a spell which holds him to a body
which is obviously failing him might be no kindness. She agreed. I
explained that he might just be ready to go, now...since she has been
raised, and even her little sister Lisa--with whom Coco lived--had
just graduated college. I agreed to do a spell which sent him energy
to do with as he chose, either to heal or to move on. She made a
hopeful sound that with healing, he might choose to stay, then she
hung up.
I went quiet, thinking how best to do this. I mentally reviewed past
spells that have worked, and why. Spells of "recovery" (whether they
have been for illness, or finding Buttons when he was lost in a
strange and distant city, or simply gaining the return of stolen
things) have worked best when I look at the web as it was before the
undesired event, compare it to the web as it is after, and (if the
difference is not too great) then shape the web with my mind until it
resembles what has been and consequently have the item in question pop
back into my reality like a watermelon seed squeezed between thumb and
forefinger.
Here I sought to couch this knowledge within the Wiccan framework I am
studying. I understand how the use of a ritual (or a language, an
image, a habit, anything) taps into all those who have ever used the
same thing, and knits their gifts together on the time-line. More
mundanely, I understand how my own establishment of the habit of
ritual will build powerful cues in my mind which make spell-work more
efficient. Out of respect for what my teachers have been showing me,
I determined to do it perfectly...while no one was around for me to
feel awkward before.
How might my Priestess teacher compose her Altar? What things, and
what Deity shall be the focus? Well, obviously Bast...and such things
as Bast might like. I thought back to the ritual I wanted to do with
Bast for healing Le-oh. I plundered the memory of it for useful
items. I remembered: Bast likes golden necklaces and other shiny
things, images of cats, soft lights that don't damage night vision,
and suddenly, I laughed aloud as I was inspired to offer Her cat-nip.
It just felt right. So I laid these all out (along with the "usual"
things): My first piece of jewelry--a golden cat pin, inscribed "Save
a Cat" from the Save a Cat League of New York, my finest gold chain,
two teak cats from the orient, my golden ankh, scarab necklace, and
the spread-winged Horus-falcon I got when I visited the exhibition of
Ramses II. I placed a bud-vase next to the water cup and went out
1934
into the night to gather a perfect sprig of fresh cat-nip.
A deep breath, and I began by lighting the tiny oil lamps on Her
Altar...
Standing before Her altar I closed my eyes and reached for the images
of the web when Coco was well and compared how it is now. Images
slipped and swam. The differences were great. I pictured Gwen, her
candles and photographs, and knitted us all into the circle with a
breath. Then the images left. I opened my eyes and spoke softly but
aloud. (I'm trying to cultivate that ability.) Before me, my cat
images glimmered. I remembered the scene where Thomasina visits Bast.
I went there too. I breathed energy into myself, and held it in my
belly, as my Sensei taught me. Then I said:
"Oh Bast--I'm here on behalf of your charge Coco, and his human, my
friend Gwen. Coco is old, and it may be that his time has come. It's
true he has lived long, but some cats do live longer. If this is
still something about which there is uncertainty and choice, let him
use this energy to heal. If it is really time for him to go, then I
don't wish to stop him. Let him use this energy to go on into what
ever comes next for him, and have an optimum and right... 'coming
forth into the day'."
(I wanted to say 'death and re-birth,' but suddenly that wasn't
accurate
here...) I then continued, asking:
"Oh Bast, how hard is it to just let things be as they have been, for
just a little longer? He is old, but old-age isn't a crime..."
and suddenly a voice broke in just behind my right ear, and in
perfectly lucid English She answered softly:
"...and Death is no punishment."
It shook me a moment. As soon as She said it I recognized She was
right-- (hence--right side? Or R/L Brain?) It humbled me to realize I
had thought that death WAS punishment. I knew that She was gone as
soon as She had spoken, and there would be no point to turning to
look. I felt the energy go out of me toward Coco, and I knew the
spell had worked but that I hadn't gotten the answer Gwen wanted.
That saddened me, even knowing what She said. I thanked Bast, thanked
and dismissed the watch-towers, and went to bed to think about it all.
Early the next morning Gwen called to thank me for talking to her, and
to tell me there was no need to make the spell for Coco. He had died
in his sleep during the night...now at least he wouldn't have to face
another surgery.
I told her I had already done the spell, and it was my feeling that
Coco was o.k. I mentioned that I thought he had taken the energy for
use in his next reality. I said everything I could think of to help
her feel better. I don't recall whether I told her what Bast said to
me or not.
When I went to the altar to take it all down, I noticed the water
level on the cat-nip had dropped below the stem and it had withered.
Somehow that was fitting. It meant many sad and happy things all at
once. It meant that She had accepted the gift by taking the essential
freshness of the offering; It meant that things die, and that's
natural; It meant that when the vitality is gone, the flesh can not
stay. So it is with what I know of death.
1935
{file "Beltane Ritual (Lynna Landstreet, W.C.C.)" "bos440.htm"}
WCC BELTANE RITUAL
By Lynna Landstreet
Personnel required:
Several drummers and other musicians if possible. A priest and
priestess who will represent the God & Goddess (and should be
garbed
appropriately), referred to herein as P & PS, plus a priest or
priestess who will read the meditation and "stage-manage" the
ritual
(referred to herein as "N" for Narrator)
Tools/Supplies required:
Very few. Thereshould be afire in the centreof the circle,and
a chalice of wine and a bowl of Nine Holy Herbs spray or other
concentrated alcohol (we ended up using Jamaican overproof rum,
which worked very well -- flared up about six feet high!).
Bring in the people and have them sit. Have the musicians sit together
in an inner semi-circle, behind the Narrator. One drummer should be
playing a slow, hypnotic heartbeat during the first party of the
ritual. The priest and priestess who will represent the God and
Goddess should be hiding near the circle, and approach when the part
about them drawing near begins.
N: "Beltane means many things. It is a celebration of spring coming
into full flower, of the return of the Goddess from the underworld,
the
mating time of the animals, the return of the sun, and many other
things. Above all, it is a celebration of life. But for us, here in
this community, it is also the time when we leave the confines of our
building and return to the temple of the forest.
"Wicca is a nature religion, but too often we worship in concrete
cages, cut off from that nature, and from our own natures. And as we
have now returned to nature in our choice of ritual site, I ask you
tonight to return to nature in your hearts and minds as well, for the
ways of the world within walls are not necessarily the same as the
ways of the world outside.
"We meet in a small fragment of forest, within acity park. But
now, I ask you to forget the city that surrounds us. In your mind's
eye, let the city fade away and the forest extend on and on, covering
the land that only moments ago was buried under concrete. For once
this land was wild, and covered with trees, not buildings. Once the
rivers and streams ran free, and the air was fresh and fragrant with
the scent of cedar and sweet fern, not fouled by car exhaust and
factory smoke. And it may be that one day, it will be so again, we
have no way of knowing.
"But for now, picture the forest extending on and on,as far as
you
can imagine, in all directions. The great wild forest surrounds and
embraces us, and we are the people of the forest.
"Herein the greatwild forest, we haveno need ofa sword to cast
1936
the circle, for we have each other, our hands, our minds, our bodies.
Join hands, and breathe in deeply, and breathe out, as one. Feel the
circle being formed now by our touch, the energy leaping from hand to
hand, deosil, around the circle. Feel it forming, a place set apart
from the trials of daily life, a sacred, wild place...
"Here in the great wild forest, we have no need of a besom to
cleanse our circle, for we meet in the wilderness, which is already
clean and pure, and by its touch are we made clean and pure ourselves.
Feel all fears, doubts and negativities ebbing away from you, as the
forest absorbs them and transforms them to good...
"Here in the great wild forest, we have no need of incense to
purify
our circle, for we have the arching sky above our grove, and the
rushing
wind that ruffles our hair and caresses our skin. Breathe deeply, and
take the wind and the sky into yourself. The spirits of the air are
here
always, it is we who have come to their place. Greet them, now,
silently, in your own way...
"Here in the great wild forest, we have no need of a candle to
purify our circle, for we have the balefire in the centre of our
circle, and the stars above. See the leaping flames now, hear their
crackle, and see them reflected in the tiny fires in the sky above us.
Feel their warmth, and take them into yourself. The spirits of the
fire are here always, it is we who have come to their place. Greet
them, now, silently, in your own way...
"Here in the great wild forest, we have no need of a water bowl to
purify our circle, for we have the rushing stream in the valley beside
us, and the dew that moistens the grass. Hear the water's call, now,
feel the rising dampness in the air, and take it into yourself. The
spirits of the water are here always, it is we who have come to their
place. Greet them, now, silently, in your own way...
"Herein the great wildforest, we have no needof salt to purify
our circle, for we have the earth itself, beneath us, and the firmness
of our own flesh and bones. Feel the solidity, the vastness, of the
earth, and take it into yourself. The spirits of the earth are here
always, it is we who have come to their place. Greet them, now,
silently, in your own way...
"Open yourself, now, to the pulseof life all around you. It is
there, if you can free your spirit enough to sense it. Feel the life
straining to be born in every sprouting seed, the exhilaration of the
blossoms bursting from their buds on the trees, the joy of the very
grass itself, of every bush and shrub and piece of moss, greening
again as the earth is warmed by the sun, as the life-giving rains fall
from the sky, and all of nature is borne into the ecstatic dance of
life's return. And feel, in the midst of it all, the presence of the
Lord and Lady, who are the soul of all nature, the consciousness of
the wild, the beauty of the green earth, the sun and moon and stars,
and the mystery of the waters. Feel them approaching! Even now, they
near our circle, drawn by our love and our joy in their creation. Feel
their power, their nearness... they approach... they come... THEY ARE
HERE!"
Narrator throws the Nine Holy Herbs into the fire. Asit flares
up,
the drummersbegin todrum, and thepriest and priestessrepresen
ting the God and Goddess runinto the circle and beginto dance
wildly around the fire. After a couple ofrounds, they each pull
someone in from the circle to dancewith them a few rounds, then
each of the four pull other people in, and so on, until the whole
1937
circle is up and dancing (in high school they called this a snowball
dance, remember?).
As the dance reaches its peak, the priest and priestess take the
chalice,and hold it up above theheads of the dancers to charge
it
(this ismade easier if yourcircle site is surroundedby park
benches likeours is). If theenergy is really happening,a formal
wineblessing shouldn't be necessary, butone may be performed
anyway if desired. When the wine has beencharged, the narrator
calls "Down!" and people fall to the ground.
1938
N "Feel the energy swirling up and up above us, forming a fiery
cone.
See it explode in a shower of fireworks, the energy spiraling down to
the earth like shooting stars, adding power to the transformation that
is already underway, blending with the energy of every leaf and bud
and
blossom to aid in the greening of the earth. (Pause) Now rise, and
join
hands once again."
Priest and priestess take chalice around circle, and kiss each
person before giving it to them, while people sing:
"Powers of the Earth
Powers taking form
Rising to rebirth,
Rising to be born."
When chalice returns, pour libation into the fire.
N "We need not bid farewell to our Gods, nor to the spirits that
surround us, the wind, the fire, the stream, or the earth, for they
are
always here. It is we who shall take our leave of them, later on, and
when we do, each of us shall say our own farewell, in our own words.
But for now -- LET THE CELEBRATION BEGIN!!!"
People feast, dance, make merry, etc.
1939
{file "Yule Carols (Green Egg, Yule '92)" "bos441.htm"}
Yule Carols courtesy of Green Egg (Yule '92 issue)
Ye Children All of Mother Earth
(It came upon a midnight clear...)
Ye children all of Mother Earth
join hands and circle around
To celebrate the Solstice night
When our lost Lord is found.
Rejoice, the year has begun again
The Sun blesses skies up above
So share the season together now
In everlasting Love!
=======================================
Gloria
Snow lies deep upon the Earth
Still our voices warmly sing
Heralding the glorious birth
Of the Child, the Winter King
Glo -- ria!
In excelsis Deo!
Glo -- ria!
In excelsis Dea!
Our triumphant voices claim
Joy and hope and love renewed
And our Lady's glad refrain
Answer Winter's solitude
Glo -- ria!(etc.)
In Her arms a holy Child
Promises a glowing Light
Through the winter wind so wild
He proclaims the growing Light.
Glo -- ria! (etc..)
Now the turning of the year
Of the greater Turning sings
Passing age of cold and fear
Soon our golden summer brings.
Glo -- ria! (etc..)
1940
===============================
Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful!
Oh, come all ye faithful
Gather round the Yule Fire
Oh, come ye, oh, come ye,
To call the Sun!
Fires within us
Call the Fire above us
O, come, let us invoke Him!
O, come, let us invoke Him!
O, come, let us invoke Him!
Our Lord, the Sun!
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee!
Born again at Yuletide!
Yule fires and candle flames
Are lighted for You!
Come to thy children
Calling for thy blessing!
O, come let us invoke Him (x3)
Our Lord, the Sun!
=========================
Silent Night
Silent night, Solstice Night
All is calm, all is bright
Nature slumbers in forest and glen
Till in Springtime She wakens again
Sleeping spirits grow strong!
Sleeping spirits grow strong!
Silent night, Solstice night
Silver moon shining bright
Snowfall blankets the slumbering Earth
Yule fireswelcome the Sun's rebirth
Hark, the Light is reborn!
Hark, the Light is reborn!
Silent night, Solstice night
Quiet rest till the Light
Turning ever the rolling Wheel
Brings the Winter to comfort and heal
Rest your spirit in peace!
Rest your spirit in peace!
1941
========================================
Glory to the New Born King
Brothers, sisters, come to sing
Glory to the new-born King!
Gardens peaceful, forests wild
Celebrate the Winter Child!
Now the time of glowing starts!
Joyful hands and joyful hearts!
Cheer the Yule log as it burns!
For once again the Sun returns!
Brothers, sisters, come and sing!
Glory to the new-born King!
Brothers, sisters, singing come
Glory to the newborn Sun
Through the wind and dark of night
Celebrate the coming light.
Suns glad rays through fear's cold burns
Life through death the Wheel now turns
Gather round the Yule log and tree
Celebrate Life's mystery
Brothers, sisters, singing come
Glory to the new-born Sun.
1942
{file "Lammas Ritual , "The Corn Play" (Julia Phillips)" "bos442.htm"}
The Corn Play (Lammas Ritual)
Coven of the Morning Star and Stella Maris Coven
Requirements:
Lammas Lord Crown (Wheat, Rye, Corn, fruit and flowers)
Corn Queen Crown (Wheat, Rye, Corn etc)
Fresh-baked bread
Honey
Red Wine
Cords to bind the Lammas Lord
Green cloth to cover him
Lammas Cup and cloth to polish
"John Barleycorn" music
Ritual Begins:
Priestess and Priest cast circle and invoke quarters
(Lammas Lord and Corn Queen remain outside circle).
A gateway is cut, and everyone calls to the Corn Queen to
enter the circle:
Queen of the Corn, Queen of the Fertile Earth; come to us now,
for we have need of you & etc.
The Queen enters, and then leads the call for the Lammas Lord
to enter the circle.
God of the Meadow, God of the Hill, God of the Corn and of our
True Will, come to us now, for we adore you & etc.
The Lammas Lord stands in the centre of the Circle, and is
washed by the women (each Priestess takes the aspergillus in
turn, and asperges the Lammas Lord - Corn Queen first).
Then each one polishes the Lammas Cup, which is returned to
the altar, and filled with red wine. (Corn Queen takes cup and
cloth to each person).
Then the Queen stands before the Lammas Lord and says:
To kill the King
(Coven: For what purpose kill?)
To feed the land
(Coven: What feeds the land?)
The blood of the King
The honour of the King
The life of the King
Two priests step forward, and bind the Lord's hands behind his
back, and tie his ankles together. NB: do not knot the cords,
as the Lammas Lord must be able to extricate himself from the
bindings.
1943
The men all turn and face outwards from the circle. The Corn
Queen takes her athame, and the cup of wine, and "cuts the
throat" of the Lammas Lord, catching his blood in the chalice.
The women help the Lammas Lord to the ground, and cover him
with the green cloth. His crown is placed upon the bread, on
the altar. A female Elder stands at the head of the Lammas
Lord, and a Maiden stands at his feet. They are his mourners.
The men turn back into the circle, and the Corn Queen leads
the weaving dance to "John Barleycorn". When the music
finishes, all stand facing outwards (including Elder and
Maiden). The Lammas Lord removes his binds and cover, and
silently makes his way to the altar. He takes up the bread and
wine, and leaves his crown on the altar. He returns and stands
centre. The Corn Queen acknowledges the mystery of the re-born
grain:
"Behold the Mystery! The grain, the crop, the food."
As she speaks, everyone turns and faces in once more.
The Queen steps forward, and kneels before the re-born grain
saying again, "behold the mystery". She rises, and drinks from
the cup. The "Lammas Lord" breaks a piece of bread for her,
which he gives to her as she hands back the cup. She walks to
the altar, and dips the bread in the honey. Then the next
person steps forward, and repeats her actions. Then each in
turn until all have knelt to the re-born grain, and had some
wine, bread and honey. It is important that the Lammas Lord
does not speak throughout the ritual.
The circle is closed, and the feast begins.
This ritual is freely adapted from a traditional ritual
practised in the north of England.
1944
{file "Food For Thought (Some notes for Coven Leaders--Amber K?)" "bos443.htm"}
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
----------------------------------------------------------------------
SYSOP'S NOTE: This excellent food-for-thought was downloaded
from EarthRite BBS, 415-651-9496. - Talespinner, Sysop, WeirdBase
NOTE: This document appears to be adapted from the work of
Amber K in "Covencraft : Witchcraft for Three or More", 1998
Llewellyn Publications.
----------------------------------------------------------------
LOOKING AT YOURSELF
before you go a step further, take a good long look at your
desires, motivation and skills. What role do you see yourself
playing in this new group? "Ordinary" member? Democratic
facilitator? High Priestess? And if the last -- why do you
want the job?
The title of High Priestess and Priestess are seductive,
conjuring up exotic images of yourself in embroidered robes, a
silver crescent (or horned helm) on your brow, adoring
celebrants hanging on every word which drops from your lips...
Reality check. The robes will be stained with wine and candle
wax soon enough, and not every word you speak is worth
remembering. A coven leader's job is mostly hard work between
rituals and behind the scene. It is not always a good place to
act out your fantasies, because the lives and well-being of
others are involved, and what is flattering or enjoyable to you
man not be in their best interest. So consider carefully.
If your prime motive is establishing a coven is to gain status
and ego gratification, other people will quickly sense that. If
they are intelligent, independent individuals, they will refuse
to play Adoring Disciple to your Witch Queen impressions. They
will disappear, and that vanishing act will be the last magick
they do with you.
And if you do attract a group ready to be subservient Spear
Carriers in your fantasy drama -- well, do you really want to
associate with that kind of personality? What are you going to
do when you want someone strong around to help you or teach you,
and next New Moon you look out upon a handful of Henry
Milquetoasts and Frieda Handmaidens? If a person is willing to
serve you, the they will also become dependent on you, drain
your energy, and become disillusioned if you ever let down the
Infallible Witch Queen mask for even a moment.
Some other not-so-great reasons for starting a coven: a) because
it seems glamorous, exotic, and a little wicked; b) because it
will shock your mother, or c) because you can endure your
boring, flunkie job more easily if you get to go home and play
Witch at night.
Some better reasons for setting up a coven, and even nomination
yourself as High Priest/ess, include: a) you feel that you will
be performing a useful job for yourself and others; b) you have
enjoyed leadership roles in the past, and proven yourself
capable; or c) you look forward to learning and growing in the
role.
Even with the best motives in the world, you will still need to
have -- or quickly develop -- a whole range of skills in order
to handle a leadership role. If you are to be a facillitatir of
1945
a study group, group process insights and skills are important.
These include:
1) Gatekeeping, or guiding discussion in such a way that
everyony has an opportunity to express ideas and
opinions;
2) Summarizing and clarifying;
3) Conflict resolution, or helping participants understand
points of disagreement and find potential solutions which
respect everyone's interests;
4) Moving the discussion toward consensus, or at any rate
decision, by identifying diversions and refocussing
attention on goals and priorities; and
5) Achieving closure smoothly when the essential work is
compleated, or an appropriate stopping place is reached.
In addition to group process skills, four other competencies
necessary to the functioning of a coven are: ritual leadership,
administration, teaching, and counseling. In a study group the
last one may not be considered a necessary function, and the
other three may be shared among all participants. But in a coven
the leaders are expected to be fairly capable in all these
areas, even if responsibilities are frequently shared or
delegated. Let us look briefly at each.
Ritual leadership involves much more that reading invocations by
candlelight. Leaders must understand the powers they intend to
manipulate: how they are raised, channeled and grounded. They
must be adept at designing rituals which involve all the sensory
modes. They should have a repertoire of songs and chants, dances
and gestures or mudras, incense and oils, invocations and
spells, visual effects and symbols, meditations and postures; and
the skill to combine these in a powerful, focused pattern. They
must have clarity of purpose and firm ethics. And they must
understand timing: both where a given ritual fits in the cycles
of the Moon, the Wheel of the Year, and the dance of the
spheres, and how to pace the ritual once started, so that energy
peaks and is channeled at the perfect moment. And they must
understand the Laws of Magick, and the correspondences, and when
ritual is appropriate and when it is not.
By administration, we refer to basic management practices
necessary to any organization. These include apportioning work
fairly, and following up on its progress; locating resources and
obtaining them (information, money, supplies); fostering
communications (by telephone, printed schedules, newsletters
etc.); and keeping records (minutes, accounts, Witch Book
entries, or ritual logbook). Someone or several someones has to
collect the dues if any, buy the candles, chill the wine, and so
forth.
Teaching is crucial to both covens and study groups. If only one
person has any formal training or experience in magick, s/he
should transmit that knowledge in a way which respects the
intuitions, re-emerging past life skills, and creativity of the
1946
others. If several participants have some knowledge in differing
areas, they can all share the teaching role. If no one in the
group has training and you are uncertain where to begin, they
you may need to call on outside resources: informed and ethical
priest/esses who can act as visiting faculity, or who are
willing to offer guidance by telephone or correspondence. Much
can be gleaned from books, or course -- assuming you know which
books are trustworthy and at the appropriate level -- but there
is no substitute for personal instruction for some things.
Magick can be harmful if misused, and an experienced practitioner
can help you avoid pitfalls as well as offering hints and
techniques not found in the literature.
Counseling is a special role of the High Priest/ess. It is
assumed that all members of a coven share concern for each
other's physical, mental, emotional and spiritual welfare, and
are willing to help each other out in practical ways. However,
coven leaders are expected to have a special ability to help
coverners explore the roots of teir personal problems and choose
strategies and tactics to overcome them. This is not to suggest
that one must be a trained psychoanalyst; but at the least, good
listening skills, clear thinking and some insight into human
nature are helpful. Often, magickal skills such as guided
visualization, Tarot counseling and radiesthesia (pendulum work)
are valuable tools as well.
Think carefully about your skills in these areas, as you have
demonstrated them in other organizations. Ask acquaintances or
co-workers, who can be trusted to give you a candid opinion, how
they see you in some of these roles. Meditate, and decide what
you really want for yourself in organizing the new group. Will
you be content with being a catalyst and contact person --
simply bringing people with a common interest together, then
letting the group guide its destiny from that point on? Would
you rather be a facilitatir, either for the first fonths or
permanently: a low-key discussion leader who enables the group
to move forward with a minimum of misunderstanding and wasted
energy? Or do you really want to be High Priestess -- whatever
that means to you -- and serve as the guiding spirit and
acknowledged leader of a coven? And if you do want that job,
exactly how much authority and work do you envision as part of
it? Some coven leaders want a great deal of power and control;
others simply take an extra share of responsibility for setting
up the rituals (whether or not they actually conduct the rites),
and act as "magickal advisor" to less experienced members. Thus
the High Priest/ess can be the center around which the life of
the coven revolves, or primarily an honorary title, or anything
in between.
That is one area which you will need to have crystal-clear in
your own mind before the first meeting (of if you are flexible,
at least be very clear that you are). You must also be clear as
to your personal needs on other points: program emphasis, size,
meeting schedule, finances, degree of secrecy, and affiliation
with a tradition or network. You owe it to prospective members
and to yourself to make your minimum requirements known from the
outset: it can be disastrous to a group to discover that members
have major disagreements on these points after you have been
meeting for six months.
1947
{file "Heirophant, The (Khaled Quicksilver)" "bos444.htm"}
The Heirophant
"An official expounder ofsacred mysteries or religious cere-
monies,esp. in ancient Greece; an initiating or presiding priest" -
OED. I generally use it in the "initiating priest/ess" context (CM
heritage,that). Those who hold the power *and authority* to initiate
others into our particular Trad, are hierophants when they actually
exercise that power.
Most of usare explicitlyoathbound to ensurethat thecandidate
is a worthy person, properly prepared to receive what we are about to
confer,and that the rite of adoption/initiation is correctly done
according to Trad standards. Those Trads who've dispensed with oaths
still, implicitly,expect something rather similar.
When I consider acandidate for initiation,I first look tosee
whether I have a 'proper person' according the expectations of my Art.
Next I look to see whether the Lady's Initiation rests upon them.
Lastly, I look to see that s/he understands what s/he is about to
promise, and has the skills necessary to carry it out (the gumption to
stand by his/her oath is part of 'proper person', IMO). While the
marks ARE plain to see,speculation by the uninitiated notwithstanding
<g>, all three ARE judgement calls on my part. Then again, ANY
situation touching upon my Oath requires a judgement call on my part.
At1st Degree,Alexandriantradition permitsme toextend benefit
of the doubt in cases where the marks are recent enough that they
shine but dimly (or where the candidate's history leads one to suspect
s/he may not feel bound to stand by what s/he swears to). Gardnerian
tradition does not. Then again, H'Alexandrian tradition requires that
no benefit of the doubt be granted at 2nd Degree, whereas Gardnerian
tradition again contradicts. In either case, a 2nd of either Trad has
been put to the test and found fully appropriate to the Trad in the
judgement of his/her heirophant, we simply do it at different degrees.
(That's the theory,anyway, and why we come down so hard on those who
f*ck-initiate.)
1948
{file "[Removed]" "bos445.htm"}
This article has been removed at the request of the author.
You can visit his website at
www.stregheria.com
[external site].
{file "Egyptian Metaphysics (Michael Poe)" "bos446.htm"}
MICHAEL POE
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN METAPHYSICS
Many requests for me to do some teaching (largely from a book
that I am now writing on ancient Egyptian Metaphysics and Personal
Worship) about metaphysics, worship and the ancient Egyptian trad-
itions. To start off, I want to briefly quote some ancient Egyptian
philosophers to give you the gist of ancient Egyptian philosophy and
Metaphysics. The next note I enter will be on general comments on
ancient Egyptian metaphysics. The material I will use is NOT from
Masonic or Rosecrucian but from authentic Egyptian sources. In many
cases I can quote the exact sources, most are translations of papyrus,
temples, tombs, etc. Having studied the subject for 33 years, gotten a
degree on the subject, and working on the book for 10 years, I will
pass on some of what I have learned. All of the translations are from
Egyptologists and Archaeologists. To quote an old Egyptian philosopher
(found written on his tomb), Ptah hotep :
"To give a few words of Truth,
And what you make of Them will be your Test."
From the College of Priests House of the Temple of Horus at Edfu:
"The Lamp of Wisdom burns steadily,
If the soil that feeds it be reality.
If the oil that feeds the lamp be Love,
The beloved will meet the Lord or Lady
and be blessed.
(Lord or Lady means personal God or Goddess, ed.)
If the air that feeds the Flame be Truth,
The Breath of He who breathes will inhale Wisdom.
If the Spirit enters the Flame,
The Fire will be as bright as a Star."
Next little lesson; what is a hymn when I mention one or quote
one (which I will from time to time)?
The hymns of Egypt tell of the nature and workings of the God/-
dess they glorify. They mention his /her name and his/her ties to a
locality, allude to the myths and describe his/her appearance and
powers and attributes.
A occult tradition is like a journey. Before one ventures onto
any unknown journey it is best to have an idea of the dangers and
preventive protection. Ancient Egypt had 14 traditions. I will, in
these notes, outline them all.
To share another "wisdom texts" as the ancient Egyptian philos-
ophy is called: This one is from Kagemni, whose tomb can be visited at
Sakkara, as is known as one of the wisest men around.
This text is for a student in order for him to select the right
metaphysical teacher.
2035
"He who is a Priest of the Living,
whom a Neter* favors
Like the Bennu on the Obelisk,"
Performs Right Actions without seeking a reward for them.
Such a Teacher lives a life of true piety.
He seeks no gain from any good deed he does,
But sets his Heart only on the Neter's service.
He has compassion upon all Living creatures.
He holds fast to the Neter's name and inspires
others to meditate on it.*
He accepts joy and sorrow with an equal mind.
He is always happy and never set apart from his Neter.
To him gold and dross are as one;
Nectar and poison are as one
The King and the beggar are as one."
* 1. Neter - Neter is the ancient Egyptian word, that we would
equate with God or Goddess. But Neter's exact translation is "Abstract
Principle" or "Divine Principle" and is not a male or female word.
* 2. Bennu on the Obelisk - the Bennu bird is the Egyptian
Phoenix, which lives in Arabia, and comes every 500 years to built a
nest on an obelisk where it lays an egg, and when the egg starts
hatching, it dies in its own flames, and is reborn from the egg. The
obelisk is the Egyptian symbol of the first ray of sun light striking
the earth, and when built, is usually covered in gold or electrum. The
top of the obelisk is like a pyramid and is called the Pyramidion; and
the pyramids are all representations of the suns first light on the
Newly Born Earth.
* 3. "He holds fast to the Neter's name and inspires others to
meditate on it." - In addition to the common name of any god, like
Heru for Horus, they also have a hidden name, a name of power, that
the priest/esses use in ritual and meditation.
----------
PRIESTS AND PRIESTESSES
How did a person become a priest/ess in ancient Egypt?
Well, each family had their own family worship area, the size of
which is wholly dependent upon the size of the house they lived in.
More about this when we get into the path of the Aait-Shesheta.
Therefore, in each family, someone had to act as the family priest/-
ess. If the father or mother was a priest/ess, then he or she was the
family religious leader, in charge of the family rituals. If the
parents were not initiated priest/esses, then usually the Elder Son
acted as the religious leader. However, in some nomes (or states),
matrilineal descent (through the female) was a tradition so the Eldest
Daughter was the religious leader.
2036
The only schools, including most crafts, were taught in the
temple colleges. A child would be sent to a college to learn a craft
between the ages of 6-10. If the family had a tradition of priest/-
esses then usually the children would go to the temple college to be
interviewed and tested for the priesthood. Exactly how the priest/-
esses at the college tested the would be initiate is not well known
yet, but we do know that usually the following priests would be
involved:
1. A Divine Scribe (reader and writer initiate)
2. A Prophet (who uses divination of some sort and inner visions)
3. A Purification Priest
4. A Priest of Anubis (or some other sort related to traveling in
Egyptian heavens (astral plane directly related to Egyptian
heavens).
Every Egyptian temple had 2 types of staff, a magical one and a
working one (working meaning the scribes, bakers and people who run
the every day part).
If the would be initiate was found wanting in the magical staff
(called People of the Circle, which we will get to when we talk about
temple organization), the person may be sent back, or taught a craft,
or go into the working temple staff.
One of the first things that any initiate is taught is Egyptian
Philosophy, which is really less like Voltaire, and more like Ethics
and Conscious. The would be priest needs to come up with his own
ethics or philosophy before embarking on to magical training.
Therefore ethics and morals was the beginning of the training. If
one had to make a "Readers Digest Condensed" version of all of the
Egyptian ethics and philosophy teachings it would be; as one Egyptian
Philosopher put it (but not quite as well).
Do anything you want, but only in moderation, and while doing so,
do not harm anyone physically or psychology.
Almost exactly like the Wiccan motto : Do what they wilt, but
harm none.
But to the ancient Egyptian, theirs also says, "don't harm
yourself, and don't go overboard on anything: Moderation.
----------
DIVINATION OF BES, BAST, OR HATHOR
(from Leyden Papyrus)
Use a divining bowl of pottery. Use green or some vegetable based
ink. Preferable to use hieroglyphics, but try it a few times without
them and use english (but if you can, do as the Egyptians do) Write
your request or formula in base and inner sides of bowl using the
vegetable ink. Also write in either Bes, Bast, or Hathor's name three
2037
times while meditating on the goddess and your request. (pick one
goddess, not all three)
Pour consecrated water in it to dissolve the writing.
Swallow water
Go to sleep
(If you can sleep in a temple, sacred area, so much the better,
otherwise at home, and record your dreams when you wake up.)
A divination bowl, in Egypt, was specially made for the purpose;
however, if you're not a potter, pottering around, find one out of
pottery, usable (no lead based paint or in the clay), about the size
of rice bowl. Consecrate and bless it, and viola, a divining bowl.
Back in those days, green paint was either a vegetable dye or
green ochre. They didn't use the ochre, but a vegetable dye would
work. Although I know of people who specifically prepare a vegetable
ink (macerated herbs in a small bowl of water), a food coloring would
be okey, but I would still suggest using a mortar and pestle and
grinding some herbs you specially selected, and putting it into the
food colored water and let it seep for a bit, and then use that. It
would definitely be closer to the spirit of the occasion. I know, next
you are going to ask, what herbs?
Well, the ancient Egyptians had comfrey and you can heal thyself
at the same time. Lettuce was considered an aphrodisiac, sacred to Min
(so if your request or question is along that line, add that); they
also used mint a lot.
----------
A BRIEF HISTORY OF EGYPT
Egypt wasn't always a thin ribbon of life surrounded by desert.
From 200,000 to 10,000 bce most of what is now known as the Sahara
desert used to be verdant grasslands and plains with many trees and
several rivers. There was an accumulation of different cultures down
to 5,000 bce.
From 6,000-4,000 bce different belief structures, and both
matrilineal and patrilineal societies existed along the Nile, for by
then the Sahara was rapidly turning to desert and the cultures went to
the only remaining source of water, the Life Giving Nile. Agriculture
was already developed, and irrigation systems in use. There was
already predominant Goddess and God worship in these societies.
From 4,000-3,100 bce, Egypt now evolved into states, between
36-44 of them, called Nomes. From time to time, Egypt became united
into two kingdoms, the Upper Kingdom, from about Aswan down to Cairo,
with its capital at Nekhen, whose chief god was a goddess, Nekhebit,
the Vulture Goddess; and Lower Egypt in the Delta with it's capital at
Uatchet, whose chief god was also a goddess, Uatchet.
2038
Nekhebit, the Vulture Goddess was an Earth Mother, and considered
very maternal (the type of vultures in Egypt are very maternal birds).
She also symbolized regeneration of life, from Death comes Life, as
the vulture is one of the few animals that can survive and mainly
subsists on bodies of animals that would poison others.
Uatchet, the Snake Goddess, was also venerated as protection from
snakes, and of fertility (snakes lay many eggs).
The two goddess, Nekhebit and Uatchet, Vulture and Snake goddess
became the part of the crown over the third eye, look at the two on
most crowns of egypt. Later, the snake goddess became associated with
the Serpent Fire of the Egyptian equivalent of the Kundalini, and it's
power came out at the third eye, instead of the top of the head (which
became associated with another god).
The worship of Hathor, Amon, Thoth, Horus, Bast, Sekhmet and a
few others have already been well established. Isis is yet to be found
or mentioned.
The first three Dynasties: I
The 1st king, Narmer, united the kingdoms forever (after a brief
unification prior), and on the famous palette of Narmer is found not
only the Nome standards (our equivalents of flags), but the 1st known
name of Hathor.
The 2nd king of the 1st Dynasty established the right of women to
rule Egypt.
It was during the 1st Dynasty that a woman ruled Egypt, to take
that into perspective, if the US followed that, we would have a woman
president well before the Civil War. She was one of
the 11 women to rule one of the greatest civilizations in the world.
And it, like most of the others, was peaceful.
Rights of women were established. they could marry and divorce;
there was no community property; women could establish their own
businesses without a man's consent or cosignature; they could conduct
them before, during and after marriage. Married couples were con-
sidered co-partners and co-equals. Pregnant women, by law, had to be
taken care of by the husband or the police came and beat him up!
----------
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ASTRAL HEAVEN(S)
Ancient Egypt had more than one heaven, and most of their heavens
were subdivided into sections or parts akin to, and probably best
equated with the astral plane.
As the astral plane has many different levels, the lowest next to
the earthly plane, and highest sections up to and pass most of earth's
religions concept of heaven, the astral plane is like a onion with the
material world in the center, and the layers going outward (or inward,
2039
or higher, or whatever). As most religions heavens are manifested in
the astral plane, they are also separate from each other.
This is also true in Egyptian heavens of the astral plane. The
Book of the Dead (a misnomer as the egyptians never called it that),
lists the sections of the Heaven of Osiris. As you read the book, you
also see that there is a specific way to get to the heaven and through
it.
There is an ancient Egyptian writing from a scribe that says, in
effect: "If you don't use the specific directions to get to a par-
ticular heaven, you won't get there but to a false heaven."
As most of us are aware, the astral plane is composed and made up
of the thoughtforms of mankind and of the gods, hence, there is an
Egyptian heaven that was formed by the thousands of people who have
conceptualized it since the beginning of the 1800's, made stronger
through the Rosecrucians and Blavatsky's, and into the modern metaphy-
sical movement. But it is NOT the ancient Egyptian heaven. Hence, you
can't simply just astrally project in order to get to a real Egyptian
heaven.
You have to follow the directions by the ancient Egyptians in
order to make it to one of their specific heavens.
You may even have to change your astral form to conform to a
certain type in order to enter. For example, one of the ways to get to
the Horus heaven is to have project to the Nile, and do certain things
in order for a boat with a hawk on it to come over to the bank and
pick you up to take you to the Horus Heaven.
One of the things you have to do, and not the only thing, in
order to get into the Heaven of Isis is to change your astral body
into the shape of a bird, a Swallow!
So if someone, no matter how much you respect them, tells you
that they dreamed or astrally projected to astral Egypt, they are
wrong, unless they know the specific ways to do it. The Egyptians
then, have a sort of astral lock on the proverbial doors to the
entrance of their heavens, and you can't just blindingly end up there
without the right keys to get there. I can probably safely say that no
more than a couple of dozen people in the last century have been able
to enter these heavens, and no one who has written a book about
Egyptian metaphysics has (including Eliz. Hatch who wrote Initiation;
who knows nothing about Ptahhotep).
The teachers are still pretty much in the Egyptian heavens,
waiting to teach the student who is able to get there.
Although the ancient Egyptians had the wherewithal to go into
drug induced states (they had mandrake and poppies for medicine), I
have yet to find one example of them using them for magic or astral
projection.
2040
Astral sight was taught before astral projection, using tech-
niques that we still use today.
Several techniques that are used today in astral projection today
were also used in astral projection then, but usually, a priest led
the student in the first several experiences in order for the student
to get used to the experience and feelings associated with projection
to a particular heaven.
Therefore the guided trips were first used. Usually the first
trips were done in the temples (easier to do with all of the power
already resident in the temples). Some, like the priests of Horus were
also done by the Nile's edge, the student going into a sleep, the
priest astrally projecting and drawing the students astral body and
consciousness out doing what is necessary for the Horus boat to arrive
on the astral Nile, then going on the trip through the Horus heaven.
Sometimes it was done out in the desert.
Once when I was in Egypt, after finding a Eye of Horus between
the pillars of the temple of the ka of Ptahhotep, I went into the
Serapeum (desert underground chambers for the burials of the Serapis
bulls; talk about sensory deprivation! Light wouldn't go farther than
20' and normal talking didn't extend past 30-40'.) and in the Serap-
eum, while sitting down next to the stone coffin of one of the bulls I
instantaneously, and lack of trying on my part, astrally projected. I
found myself several hundred feet over the desert at Sakkara and flew
to the Nile and commenced on a trip to an Egyptian heaven.
When a teacher died, such as Imhotep, he went to the appropriate
heaven and taught from there (according to the ancient Egyptians, who
said that at that point their teachers on earth would astrally project
to the heaven to be taught by him). At that point, all priest/esses
called him Master, or another appropriate remark. Since apparently
there was much connections between the two worlds, the priest/esses
knew when Imhotep finally left the astral heaven to ascend beyond and
into the world of the god/desses. At that point Imhotep on earth was
called a God (this process is found in a papyrus fragment translated
courtesy of the French Institute of Archeology of Cairo).
Hence, if you know when Imhotep or some other lived, and know
that after death he was called a master, then the earliest time that
he, or she, started being called a God was the time he moved out of
the astral plane.
Some other traditions use the symbology of ladders as an analogy
of the ascent to their astral plane. Each rung represents a god or
goddess to invoke, the ladder is always held by two gods, which
symbolize the type of path being used. In some other traditions, there
was a way to ascend through the astral plane and into the spiritual
realm, reserved for the higher priests who have passed the Guardian of
the Threshold. These traditions can be found when you go to Egypt for
in some of the temples the staircase to the roof will have a god/dess
for each step, symbolizing those that you will need to ascend to the
spiritual plane.
2041
Certain god/desses and spiritual beings can assist or deter you
from your astral trip.
THE HELPERS: Anubis is one of the best. Hathor is also great, for
she gives you magical power during your astral projection. The god Seb
supplies all a person needs to astrally travel in many places. The god
Seb, Shu, the goddesses Nut and Tefnut defend people during their
journeys.
There was also the Souls of the West, Souls of the East; Lady of
the Evening, Calf of the Goddess (Morning Star), Souls of several
different cities for their special heavens; The Catcher of Gods, the
Divine Being who Examines Gods for Men, the God who Binds Gods.
THOSE THAT YOU WANT TO AVOID: The Unmentionable Terrible Serpent
(with Lovecraftian powers and would be great in his novels, like
Chuthulu or Hastor the Unspeakable, occasionally used in Black Magic,
which apparently was very uncommon in Egypt) I won't give you his
name.
There is of course, Apep, Apophis, and a few specific to each of
the heavens, but are usually particular to the Osirian heaven (Reading
the Book of the Dead will give you a great idea about them).
A zoomorphic projection is when you astrally project then change
your astral body into a zoomorphic figure in order to get to specific
egyptian astral heavens. An example is turning your astral body into a
swallow to get to Isis's heaven, or into a hawk to get to one of
Horus's heavens.
Following the Eastern Tradition of the astral plane, the Egyp-
tians have an almost exact duplicate of the concept. Basically it says
that there is a plane of existence between the realm of the high gods
and earth, called the astral plane, which has layers like an onion.
The astral plane is made up of the mind stuff of heaven and earth
dwellers alike and is as real as both. To the Eastern people, all the
heavens of all the religions are there. To both Egyptian and Easter-
ners, to get there you astrally project or out of body experience.
Although the Egyptians had a more elaborate version.
The Egyptians, therefore, which had several religious traditions,
of which Isis plays in a couple) had several heavens. These were
usually conceived of in layers or parts, corresponding to the layers
of the astral plane. In Heliopolis there were 12 layers or planes to
their heaven.
Each tradition had a different heaven and a different way of
getting there. The temples trained the people how to do it at home, at
the temple, or elsewhere.
Sometimes more than just the astral body took the trip, there was
also a spiritual body, the soul, the spirit and other forms.
2042
According to ancient Egyptian practices, you can project your
astral body, soul, spirit, or spiritual body. However, there is no
ritual to do all at once, probably because it would kill the person.
Of course the sa is considered the spiritual power of a person and the
animating force of the body. As long as you have the sa and one of the
three (soul, spirit or spiritual body) you're body can still live
during the projections.
The Egyptians are the only ones that I am aware of (other than a
very few Native American tribes) that even project the spirit or the
spiritual body or the soul.
Altered state of consciousness was used in Egypt, usually by NOT
using drugs, although they did have mandrake, poppies and hemp (used
in medicine as an anaesthetic). What was taught differed by tradition,
and what kind of altered state differed also. For example: A scribe of
Anubis: Does he want to become a doctor/priest, a mummification
priest, or a priest/guide to the astral plane? If the latter, then he
is taught the basics of the Egyptian astral planes and how each one
differs, and how each tradition of Egypt has a different path to their
own. He is taught how to astrally project, and then his teacher will
project and take him on a guided tour. Eventually he will astrally
project to the Anubis temple in the astral plane and receive higher
knowledge from their teachers. Eventually he will teach others to
project, and lead them on journeys. No one except probably about 15
people know how to astrally project to an ancient Egyptian astral
plane. The form you take, the route you take, what you see determines
if you will get there, and if you don't know these things, according
to the Egyptians you will not reach the plane. Instead you will end up
on an astral plane of Egypt created by people who lived from the 1700-
1800's on, such as Golden Dawn people, Rosecrucians, Wicca people. Is
there an astral plane? It's up to you. I have my own opinion. My
opinions are almost always based on experts in their own fields.
----------
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN INITIATIONS
The mysteries and initiations varied from temple to temple. In
the Lesser Mysteries of Isis there is preparatory instruction, medi-
tation within the temple and introduction to the sanctuary for par-
ticipation in a performance of drama of death and resurrection.
In today's society, there are many groups that give initiations,
but the initiation usually fails, and usually for the following
reasons;
1. The group doing the initiation does not know enough to do one
successfully (usually through lack of full knowledge of their trad-
ition).
2. Incomplete preparation of the Initiate.
3. Incomplete preparation of the group.
4. Incomplete Initiatory Ceremonies or process.
5. Initiation Rituals becomes a bad play at best.
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6. The people directing the Initiations weren't properly prepared
or initiated in their own initiation.
In Egypt, they allowed for self-initiation (but only for some
levels). All cognition, after all, comes from the inside. We
are therefore initiated only by ourselves, the master or teacher gives
us the Key.
In some Egyptian initiations the goal is the receive the Sa, the
innate virtue or power of the gods as a sort of fluid (or magnetic
fluid or aura). It is transmitted by the God's (I will sometimes say
God, but take it as either God or Goddess) hands through touch or
passes on the neck or spine of the individual. This operation is
called the Satapu-sa.
"The Summit is the Apex of the Mountains height, but there are
both Summit and Valley, hence, something exists which causes both.
Equally there is within you that which wants to lift itself despite
the animal instincts, and also that which wants to remain earthly.
Summit and Valley, are 2 powers manifested. If there were not these
two there would be only one. Since there are two
there are also all the others which sprang from these, the other
Neters or Gods/desses."
"One should pass through complexity in order to exhaust the
various possibilities until the awakening of the consciousness which
leads towards simplicity; it is on intermediate phase between dream
and reality."
"If the essence and perfection of all good are comprehended in
the god/desses, and if you adhere to a more excellent nature, you will
obtain a union with them, the contemplation of truth, and the posses-
sion of intellect. A knowledge of the gods is accompanied with a
conversion to and knowledge of ourselves."
I'll let you contemplate that one for awhile. Written on the
college walls of the Temple of Horus at Edfu.
The Egyptian path can be considered (as defined by Frankfort) as;
1. Evolution = Ignorance
2 Destruction = Knowledge
3 Dissolution = Experience
4 Reintegration = Understanding
5 Integration = Wisdom
FROM: JANA HOLLINGSWORTH
Dear Michael, Not only was this the usual excellent note on Egypt, but
I was most impressed by your concise description of failed initi-
ations. You have touched on a topic only a few Pagans are willing to
think about. Too often initiation in Wiccan and other Pagan groups has
become a spiritually meaningless ritual, and the worst part is that
people don't even know the difference. Then there are all these
novices with no qualifications "self-initiating" themselves. I was
once initiated as a Dianic Witch, but it didn't "take." I never refer
2044
to myself as a Witch or a Wiccan. I am a Pagan, and I don't need to be
initiated for that.
So many who use the name Wiccan
Could use, in the pants, a good kickin'.
A Pagan I am!
I'd give each dam
Self-proclaimed Wiccan a lickin'.
Jana, Pagan and Proud!
FROM: MICHAEL POE
Except for those very few hereditary witches, most of Wicca is
new (1940s and later) and as such, much of it is from books and people
who taught themselves from books and then taught others. All of the
spiritual exercises and goals that need to be done to be truly init-
iated are usually missing (unless you are lucky enough to be one of
the few who was disciplined enough to intuitively done all the right
things first. I have been to many Wiccan initiations and while a few
have been magical, none have been fully effective, and most have been
more like a Catholic mass, all pomp and circumstance and no magic.
That's also essentially true of white people learning shamanism, they
don't get the teachers that really know.
Ancient Egypt had 14 traditions in which the majority of them
were magical ones. After more than 30 years of studying ancient Egypt,
even I can't tell you about the proper initiations of several of the
traditions; but at least I now have the spiritual exercises and whole
initiations for some of the them and in the group that I am involved,
we have done a couple of them.
Most wicca systems that I am aware of need to spend more time on
the spiritual and magical development of the individual. Some ancient
Egyptian systems took a minimum of a year to two years of spiritual
exercises before the person cast their first
spell. The priests had the ability to make people astrally project at
will, for example.
It's also a mistake being too eclectic. For example, Mercury is
equated with Thoth by the Greeks and Romans, but while they did share
some powers and attributes, they were not the same. 8 track tapes and
regular cassettes both play music, but try putting a 8 track tape into
a cassette
player!
Isis, for example, is never invoked as a Great Mother Goddess
unless she is holding baby Horus. NEVER! I have seen many wiccan
ceremonies where they use the wrong Egyptian god/desses in their
rituals, or the wrong god/desses forms for the powers they are invok-
ing. Remember, that despite some current thinking that it's only the
association in your mind that counts, and if you want to invoke
Sekhmet with a knife (for example) as a gentle mother goddess, she
will appear as that; it just isn't so. This is coming from people who
have never been properly initiated.
the prevailing thought up to 10 years ago is that if a form and
function of a god/dess has been worshipped for thousands of years by
2045
hundreds of thousands of individuals, including those properly in-
itiated, then that form and function will always override what one
individual or group over a few years may invoke. The thoughtform was
constructed in the Astral plane and is extremely strong, and a few
people who have decided that (usually through ignorance) he/she had a
different form or function, will never be able to compete with the
stronger form. Which is probably why many eclectic wiccan magic
doesn't work or work well. They don't know what they are drawing from,
and instead of trying to get the vast astral power out there to work
for them, it works against them, or else their own little power will
be the only power they will be able to tap into. Michael
----------
FROM: BRENDA RYAN I was wondering about those temples that have been
moved, do they still retain the power. Is it in the temple building
itself or in the ground upon which the temple stands? As you know, the
temple at Abu Simbel had been moved during the building of the Aswan
Dam but I think you mentioned it one time as a power spot. Also, I was
more impressed with the temples and tombs in Upper Egypt than in the
pyramids and the Sphinx. In fact, the Great Pyramid was musty smelling
and claustrophobic so I didn't go all the way up. My friend thought I
was missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime, but I just wasn't
impressed. I didn't "feel" anything there. The tombs in the Valley of
the Kings were another matter. I felt completely comfortable going all
the way down in the tombs that were open and was much more in awe of
the whole area.
FROM: MICHAEL POE To make a short answer long, let me
respond by this: Back in pre-dynastic times, the priest/-
esses had no stone temples, they worked outside (or later,
in mud and dabble temples) and cast circles; hence their
name; "People of the Circle". Eventually they had temples of
sun dried brick, but still retained the name.
During the Dynastic period they were building temples
out of stone. Now the stone temples, if you have seen them,
are covered with figures of the gods and goddesses and
religious texts and invocations. The walls became the
psychic circle of protection and were imbued with their own
power. Despite the fact that the magical group no longer
needed to cast circles for protection from without or raise
power within (as the temples walls did that), they were
still called the "People of the Circle". Some traditions
just won't die! So, yes, the temples themselves, despite
having been moved, are still full of power as the walls
themselves is the stone circle of power. Now you might ask,
well, that makes sense, magic being used in them for thou-
sands of years, but what about the power spot it was orig-
inally built over, if any? Well, of course, the temple,
being built over the power spot and with all the magic
working in it for hundreds or thousands of years, the power
from the spot would seep into the temples walls. That power
would still be there if the temple was rebuilt. Remember
that the ancient Egyptians would sometimes take an older
temple apart and incorporate the stones into the walls of
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another temple far away. That is the method of getting
stones already imbued with power and "precharging" the new
temple with power. So yes, any temple that has been moved
still retains it's power. Michael
Imagine if you will, a temple 2/3 of a mile long and 1/4 mile
wide, 6 stories tall. The courtyard, big enough for over 4 football
fields surrounded by a high, 2 story wall. You enter through 20 foot
high doors encased in gold into the courtyard at night. The courtyard
is done in highly polished black granite, so well polished that it
reflects the milky way. It is like walking in space! In the middle of
the courtyard is a full size tree, made with trunk and branches of
blue lapis lazuli, and leaves of turquoise. A dream you say? No, for
it was the Temple of Ra at Heliopolis, built around 1800-1900 bc, and
shown to Greeks during 500-200 bc. And if you think that was a truly
magical and awe inspiring courtyard, imagine what was inside the huge
covered temple that took up over 1/2 of the area! Complete with it's
secret corridors and chambers, etc.
Also, you are familiar with Egyptian temples in Egypt, but did
you know that Egyptian temples also existed in Lebanon, Syria, Greece,
Delos, Crete, Italy, Spain, France, Britain and Germany?
The ancient Egyptians in addition to doctors, also had special-
ized surgeons, psychologists, OBGYN's, midwives, vets,
brain surgeons (with 80% success rate in trepanning, dentists, herb-
alists, in addition to their botanists and ethnographers.
The Temple is the House of God. The Body of Man is the House of
God, therefore the Temple is the Body of Man.
(from temple of Amon).
In nature, everything is linked with everything else, and you are
a part of nature. Observe outside, observe inside, you begin to see
the relations between things.
The ancient Egyptians didn't worship animals. They had sacred
animals, but what they worship was the Divine Principle made manifest
in that animal. Hence, the Serapis bull symbolized the Divine Prin-
ciple of Strength. The Baboon of Thoth for two things: Society (bab-
oons have, among the animals, one of the most complex societies), and
of Contemplation (Baboons will sit and watch the Sun rise, among other
things). Horus with the Hawk, one who sees or watches the earth from
above, and sees it extremely well (hawks and birds of prey have a
binocular vision of about 7x
power); Hence the celestial Horus eyes were the Sun and the Moon. The
attributes of Bast and of the Cat is very close.
And so, to the Egyptian, while man is an example of ALL the
powers of all the god/desses; certain animals manifest specific
powers, and manifest them more than man. Hence they worship the power
behind the animals. Observe outside, observe inside, you begin to see
the relations between things.
2047
An animal does not reason, it experiences directly. Man is
deceived by the incomplete testimony of his senses and his reason and
has allowed the instinctive consciousness to atrophy without having
learned to use his intuitive faculties which to the Egyptians, is the
wisdom of the heart. Therefore there are ancient rituals to strengthen
the heart.
Raise your eyes to know what relates to the laws of the heavens,
Look around you to study the principles of nature,
Look inside you to determine your attributes, to integrate your
personality, and identify it with the heavens and nature,
One can cast your heart ahead on the Chosen Way,
then go and retrieve it, and let your steps loyally follow its voice.
The Egyptian Way of Life is of Harmony;
Within the All-Inclusive Unity of God/desses,
Nature and Society;
Man can move with Dignity, Safety and Happiness.
The Egyptian essential Unity in the conviction that man can find
immortality and peace by becoming part, or as one, with the perennial
cyclic rhythms of Nature, a recurring movement, part of the estab-
lished and unchanging Order of the Universe.
With the occasional exception, I will start posting notes on the
different traditions; The Ceremonial Tradition, the Philosophical, The
Arts and Crafts, the Hermetic like, the Wiccan like, the Alchemical,
etc.
Stuck in between will be the occasional hymn to a god/dess,
observations on astronomical god/desses; parts of man, temple struc-
ture, etc. Make any comments or questions that you want that are
related. Michael Ankh em Maat
----------
THE PATH OF THE CRAFTSMEN IN ANCIENT EGYPT
One of the traditions in ancient Egypt was that of the artists
and craftsmen. All of the best artists and craftsmen were trained in
one place, the Temple of Ptah in Memphis (presently 20 min south of
Cairo). all other artists and craftsmen were usually trained at the
Temple or by people who were trained there.
These artists and craftsmen include: Architects, draftsmen, stone
workers (large stones and small), jewelers, painters, eventually glass
workers, dyers, (but not weavers, who studied at the Temple of Neith
in the Delta). All the architects and draftsmen who produced all of
the pyramids, temples, palaces, royal tombs, and even forts were
trained here.
Have you noticed how all the men and women in paintings and
statues have a similar body? Unlike the Greeks, who wanted to show how
a persons body really looked like, the Egyptian were interested in
showing the "inner essence" of the person. Therefore only in the
background, the workers, and not the central family, are people shown
2048
as they really were, crippled people, occasional starvation, over
weight persons, etc. Therefore the Egyptians were interested in the
"inner man (or woman)".
Look at a book on Egyptian art and check out what the god/desses
are holding or wearing. That is important to see what powers and
attributes are being portrayed. For example, if Bes is holding a
knife, she/he becomes a protector and avenger; if holding a sistrum,
he/she (it's hard sometimes to tell which sex Bes is), becomes the
God/desses of joy, pleasure, music, dance, and another kind of protec-
tor; if holding other objects or wearing other outfits, she/he becomes
a Protector of Women and of the Family, of Mothers. The same holds
true with all of the other gods and goddesses. Hence, Isis can be a
Mother Goddess or a Goddess of Women, or of the Visible World depen-
ding on what she is wearing or carrying. All of this is taught by the
temple of Ptah to the artists.
The similar thing occurs with amulets and talismans. Some amulets
and talismans are always shown in a certain color or always made of
certain material. The Buckle of Isis is almost always of red carnelian
or garnets. The Ankh is almost never down in silver (because the ankh
is associated with the Sun, and gold is the metal of the Sun).
The temple of Amon at Luxor is patterned after a human body; in
fact, in the sanctuary part, if you observe the stones in the floor,
you see that two different stones were used. If you had an archaeolog-
ical map of the temple with the floor stones shown, and color in the
darker stones, you end up with a huge side profile of a face! So the
Temple of God reflected the Temple of Man!
Ptah had other powers and attributes than just artists and
craftsmen (he was one of the Great Creator Gods), and was married to
Sekhmet (who was into other traditions including healing). Ptah is
also associated with the Science and Art of Alchemy. Their offspring
is Nefertum, the God of perfumes and aromatherapy, and of the Lotus.
As you will see in future discussions, more than one god/dess is
associated with a tradition. Ptah is one of the few gods who ever
since predynastic periods, was always portrayed as a human.
Remember that most of the popular literature is from material of
the New Kingdom and later periods. By then Horus was associated in the
popular ancient Egyptian mind as the son of Isis, and especially
popular as that during the Greco-Roman period.
----------
RITUALS and RITUAL ELEMENTS
How many times do you get into a Book of Shadows and look at the
rituals? How many of these rituals are complete from opening or
drawing the circle, invocation of the four directions, blessings,
consecrations, invocation, and closing? And how many are incomplete;
in other words, missing some of the elements to the rituals, but maybe
referring to use a certain 4 direction invocation or closing rite? Or
2049
missing complete elements; such as a hymn or invocation to a Goddess
but no rituals around it?
To the major ancient Egyptian temple colleges, the elements of
ritual were emphasized. A magician, priest/ess, magic worker
at home would end up with several invocations to the four quarters,
several closings, etc.
To the Egyptian; The Way of the Ritual; it's chief god/dess to be
invoked and the way the ritual is to be directed (weather magic for
example) will determine which other ritual elements are used.
Also remember that the Egyptians had generic ritual elements,
usually blessings, consecrations and hymns. A generic hymn to a
goddesses will have spaces in which the goddesses name, titles and
some of her powers would be included.
There were more than one set of god/desses for the four
directions; and even the direction that you started your ritual
changes with the orientation of the ritual.
For example; if you wanted to do a ritual for fertility of the
land, you start off facing south (the Life Giving Nile), then West (to
appease the desert), then North (symbol of fertility), then the East
(rising sun, cosmic fertility), then back to South. Naturally if you
are solar oriented using gods like Amon, Ra, Horus, and goddesses like
Sekhmet or Bast, you started with the east and work your way around
(clockwise).
If you are invoking a goddess in your ritual you DO NOT invoke
the four sons of Horus, UNLESS it is Isis or Nepthys that you are
invoking. There are 2 sets of goddesses of the four directions, and
one of the sets would do better.
There are at least three different sets of gods for the four
directions, more, since Thoth has his own set, as does some cities.
I have a hand written 35 page list of powers and the god/desses
associated with them. It probably corresponds to a book listed in the
Library of the Temple of Horus called "The Book of God and Goddesses
and their Powers".
So a magician at home would have more of a recipe collection of
ritual elements rather than a book of Shadows of complete rituals, and
would have the know how of how to put them together. I have about
3,000 such recipes, from Astral projection to Zoomorphic projections,
including blessings, opening and closing rites, spells, divination,
consecration, initiation, weather, tantric, etc. The Pyramid Texts
contain about 700 more, and the Coffin Texts, over 1,200 more. Orig-
inal, not new.
----------
2050
BAST
The only fully developed cult of the cat existed in Egypt and it
lasted for over 3,000 years. No one knows when the cat was first
sanctified in Egypt.
Bast wasn't associated with Isis until the New Kingdom, about
1600 bce and later. When associated with Isis it came to be recognized
as the incarnation of deity, and it was the daughter of Isis and her
husband, the sun-god Osiris (Osiris was also a Moon-god) (Isis was
also a Sun/Moon/Earth Goddess by then).
The worship of Bast overlapped that of Isis, Hathor, Mut and
others depending on the district in Egypt.
Bast had a solar son, Nefer-tum (He is associated with unguents,
perfumes, aromatherapy, alchemy, Lotus) by the Sun God Amen-Ra, and
Khensu, the Moon God, by Ptah.
Bast or Bastet, was originally a lion headed goddess, associated
in powers and attributes with Sekhmet and Tefnut, and as such, Bastet
has powers of ferocity and rapacity.
It is her later cat-headed form that Bastet became so immensely
popular, although she never ceased to be worshiped as a lion headed
goddess.
The earliest known portrait of Bastet was found in a temple of
the 5th dynasty, a lion-headed goddess who was known a "Bastet, lady
of Ankh-taui." One of the earliest forms of her as a cat headed
goddess is in a papyrus of the 21st dynasty.
Bast cult center was at Bubastis, situated east of the Nile
delta, and hence, Bast became known as the "Lady of the East" (also
because of her association with the sun).
She then, is almost without exception, invoked while facing the
East, and is one of the Goddesses of the Four Directions.
In the XII dynasty, Middle Kingdom, she had her own temple at
Bubastis. In the 22nd dynasty, about 950 bce, she was known as the
Lady of Bubastis and became an immense power in Egypt, due to the
Pharaohs embracing her as a national goddess.
The temple of Bastet has been vividly described by the historian
Heroditus, who travelled in Egypt about 450 bce. It stood in the
center of the city of Bubastis and was virtually on an island, since
it was surrounded (except at its entrance) by canals from the Nile,
which were a hundred feet wide and overhung with trees. While the
houses were gradually raised, the temple remained on its original
level so that the whole city commanded a view down into it.
The temple was a building in the form of a square, and was made
of red granite. Stone walls carved with figures surrounded the sacred
enclosure, which consisted of a grove of very tall trees within which
2051
was hidden a shrine. In the center of the shrine was a statue of Bast.
Note: this is the only temple in Egypt known to have had a sacred
grove of trees in the center of it, and a shrine in the center. There
are other sacred groves, some with shrines; but instead of being
inside of temples, these are all out in the open.
Cats were found within the sacred temple area and were ritually
fed. Temple maidens carried cats or kittens in baskets. April and May
were the chief festivals and rituals for Bast.
All cats were revered in the Temple of Bast. Now the question is,
what kind of cats did the Egyptians have?
Orange cats
Orange stripped cats
A Tabby Type
Black Cats
Gray cats
And an Abyssinian (I used to do well in spelling!) type.
Of course, Bast is also associated with Lioness, so small cubs and
adult lionesses were also sacred to her.
Of the principal Egyptian festivals, that of Bast was one of the
most popular. Herodotus describes how, in April and May, thousands of
men and women set off on the pilgrimage in parties which crowded into
numerous boats. The voyage was gay if not positively orgiastic. Men
played the flute, women a type of cymbal called crotala, and all
joined in singing and hand-clapping. As they passed towns, the boats
drew near to the banks and the women shouted bawdy jokes, often
flinging their clothes up over their heads.
Eventually they arrived at Bubastis, sacrificing many animals,
and consuming vast quantities of wine.
Cats were portrayed in every conceivable activity, sculptured
every material from gold to mud, and in every size from colossal to
minute size.
A orange brown cat is depicted on tomb walls, and so is a ginger
cat, and grey tabbies.
During the Bubastite period (XXII dynasty), cat cemeteries became
popular, and a huge profusion of cat amulets were being made.
During the entire time of Egypt, household cats were treated with
the greatest respect. Many of them were bejewelled, and they were
allowed to eat from the same dishes as their owners. Sick cats were
tended with solicitude, and stray cats were fed with bread soaked in
milk and with fish caught in the Nile and chopped up for them.
Cats love basking in patches of sunlight, and Bast was first
worshipped as a form of the sun, the source and sustainer of life and
light. Some of the Egyptians believed that when the Sun went down, a
combat of cosmic proportions took place in the underworld. One of the
2052
legends had a persea tree with a cat with a knife leaping on a spotted
serpent and cutting off its head. During solar eclipses people would
gather in the streets and shake knives and rattle sistrums in an
effort to spur on the celestial cat and to terrify the threatening
serpent in their struggle beside the Tree of Life.
From the cat's identification with the sun arisen the "cat's
cradle", a name given to certain string-games. The cats cradle was
used to control the movement of the Sun through sympathetic magic.
Sekhmet was combined with Bast and Ra for a triparte goddess
combining the attributes and powers of all three. It was a combination
made for ceremonial magic only, as there is no public worship of
Sekhmet-Bast-Ra at an individual level.
Are you soaking this all in with no questions?
Remember the story about the cat and the Persea
tree that I just related? You should have asked
about the Persea tree and if this Egyptian Tree of
Life is or can be grown in the U.S. and if we know
it by another name. Come on, ask, come on,
come, after all, its the Cat's Meow!
There are two sacred trees in ancient Egypt. I
mean SACRED! One is the acacia (which varieties
grows all over the US.
The other is the Persea. There are only 2 variet-
ies of Persea in the entire world. One is the
Egyptian persea, which I have no idea if it bears
fruit. The other variety of Persea (which by
Egyptian thought would be just as sacred) bears
fruit. The other varieties common name is AVOCADO!
That's right, the avocado is a sacred tree of the
ancient Egyptians. So the next time that you are
preparing to eat guacamole, remember that you are
eating a sacred dip! The green avocado would
probably also be sacred to Osiris and any other
god/dess of vegetation. The ancient Egyptians
usually made their wands out of acacia or persea,
so if you have any of these trees, you can make
yourself an Egyptian wand. Also remember that if
you trim your tree, use the branches in the firep-
lace for a sacred fire!
----------
To relate a story, true: When I was married my
wife and I brought home a tabby, and a very young
boy, about 5 came up and wanted to pet the cat. He
asked me what was her name, and I replied that we
haven't named it yet, what would he suggest? He
said Abaton. I replied that I would consider it,
thinking that it was a strange name for a kid to
come up with ("out of the mouths of babes...).
About 3 days later, I was going over a book of
cities and towns in ancient Egypt, and on a whim
2053
(which I have a lot of), looked up Abaton. LO AND
BEHOLD, there was an Abaton in the Delta part of
Egypt. AND IT WAS KNOWN AS THE CITY OF THE CATS
WITH "TON" MEANING CITY, AND "ABA" MEANING CAT; OR
"CAT CITY" to us folk.
So our Tabby became known as Abaton, or Aba for
short. A year later she became pregnant and we
decided that in honor of the Egyptian intercalary
days (those 5 remaining days of the ancient Egyp-
tian calendar of 365 days, divided into 12 months
of 30 days with 5 intercalary days left over,
sacred to certain god/desses); as the kitties
would pop out (so to speak), we would start naming
them for the 5 god/desses.
Well, eventually here they came, Isis, Nepthys,
Osiris, Horus, and the last, a black kitty, Set.
Set died that night, the only one that didn't live
to a ripe old age. Horus grew up (a male cat by
the way, we named them regardless of sex; when the
first popped out, it became Isis; luckily sexually
matched their names) to be a hunting cat, who
would bring home live rabbits bigger than he was.
Nepthys, a black female, was a loveable, loving
cat who went to an excellent Wiccan friend, along
with Isis, who was occasionally disruptive, usu-
ally loveable. Osiris stayed with us and even
disappeared for a little over 2 months (close to
the 72 day mummification process) until we thought
that he was dead, but he came back and lived out
his life playing big daddy, master of his domain,
and approving the field mice and rabbits that
brother Horus would bring back for his approval.
They are all gone none, but never forgotten. I now
have 2 cats, a blue eyed, long white furry female
originally called "Popcorn" (forgive her previous
owners, Lord and Lady, they do not know better),
but now called Sheba (although, to be truthful,
she answers to any name). The other is a Calico,
previously named Nikita (little one in Russian,
and she is a little cat); now called Spook (she
spooks easily, still hasn't figured out shadows
yet, and doesn't come to any name called to her).
Sheba, by the way, will willingly join you in
the bathtub if you're taking a bath! In ritual she
just lays there looking bored, but Spook, ah
Spook; stays inside the circle and even watches
the entities!
A LIMERICK FROM JANA HOLLINGSWORTH
The five cats of Michael were named
For five Gods of Egypt far-famed.
Each suited its title
In character vital.
A five-year-old boy can be blamed.
2054
----------
FROM LDE BLACK Cat Fancy March 1993 pg 13, at bottom.
.
A French scientist has found evidence confirming that the domestic cat
existed 4,000 years ago. During excavations of ancient Egyptian burial
chambers, Alain Pierre Zivie, an Egyptologist, found a network of
tombs that contained stacks and stacks of cat mummies. "Some histor-
ians believe the first house cats were wild with long coats," Zivie
said, "but these cat mummies have short hair and look much like modern
cats." Zivie made his discovery in Sakkara, 20 miles south of Cairo.
----------
FROM BRENDA RYAN I have a set of hieroglyphic stamps put out by the
Metropolitan Museum of Art. Have you seen these? Are they useful at
all for actual writing, are they accurate translations, or are they
toys?
FROM MICHAEL POE The hieroglyphic stamps are very
useful, extremely accurate of the hieroglyph. If
using them in magic, be sure to bless and con-
secrate them first, along with the ink. You can
use henna as an ink. Michael
FROM ANDY BALESTRACCI Did Hieroglyphics play a
similar role in the Temple philosophy(ies) as seed
syllables, i.e., that symbolized and embodied the
first levels of creation(for lack of a better
word) such as the Sanskrit alphabet of Hinduism (&
maybe others)?
FROM MICHAEL POE Hieroglyphics did play a part
in the Temple teachings, as symbols of the god/-
desses, of power objects, of inter-relations. They
themselves had power within them and the mere act
of writing them down (or using a rubber stamp in
today's world) would give the spell more power. As
for being seed syllables, I'm not sure; you will
have to give a few more examples, but there are
hieroglyphics that do stand for and embodied the
levels of creation, but not all of them were
syllables or letters. Remember that while a
number of hieroglyphics stood for letters, and
some syllables, most of them stood for showing
what the letter/syllable was for; so that if two
objects were spelled the same, another hiero-
glyphic of the object would be inserted. Example:
Aunt and ant. In Egyptian Aunt would have a female
human figure next to it, and in Ant, an ant would
be next to it.
FROM: ELLEN GUSTAFSON I was just wondering if you
ever checked out the Stele of Revealing and stud-
2055
ied It in relation to Its time frame, etc. Crow-
ley's intent never was to reproduce the ancient
Egyptian religion, as you know. In fact, the
A:.A:. has as a guideline, that all cultural
references are incidental, not to be taken liter-
ally. The Aeon of Horus is a new aeon, and not
meant to return to the beliefs of ancient Egypt. I
guess that's the difference in perspective. The
Stele of Revealing is a funerary monument to
Ank-f-n-Khonsu, a Theban priest of Month,or Mentu,
who flourished, according to modern scholarship,
725 B.C.E. in Egypt's 25th dynasty. I copied this
from notes in The Holy Books of Thelema. There is
much about the Stele there. It is interesting that
in the Bolouq (sp?) Museum, the Stele was clas-
sified as #666! LVX, Ellen
FROM: MICHAEL POE That's cute, and very appro-
priate about the 666. Such stelaes of that period
were for protection primarily, invoking various
gods, including lesser spirits and beings, includ-
ing many that weren't in existence prior to about
1,000 bce.I have read Crowley's work, and unfor-
tunately, he doesn't know ancient Egyptian, and
the Golden Dawn, and A.A. knows very little; when
they do use original material, it is always Greco-
-Roman Egyptian, a usually decadent form of Egyp-
tian magic. Their interpretation of god/desses
forms from ancient Egypt doesn't always jive with
ancient Egypt's. That is probably because of the
both the Greco-Roman later period information and
their efforts to try to peg Egyptian god forms
into Cabbala Sepheroah. Crowley is NOT ancient
Egyptian magic. Even he acknowledges that his
ritual that he did in Egypt didn't work out right.
It's always potentially dangerous to try to fit
square pegs into round holes! Or for that matter,
try and change a religious tradition that was used
for over 4,000 years by over a hundred million
people (based on population estimate of 5-10,000,-
000 people at any one time, life span of 40 years,
or 15-30,000,000 per 100 years X 4,000 years.
----------
MOON LORE
Isis is also Goddess of the Sun as well as the Moon, so don't
invoke her unless you know what you are doing (what symbols she should
hold, what items should be on her head, etc.). Usually she is
invoked as both Goddess of the Sun and Moon at the same time, rarely
as Moon by itself.
----------
2056
IMPORTANT METAPHYSICAL SPOTS IN EGYPT TODAY
Since the Great Pyramid was built by the ancient Egyptians for a
king, Khufu, that is not an important metaphysical spot. Before we get
into an argument about that let me point out that the Great Pyramid
has tombs around it by the workers who built it and mention it's
building and its use as a burial place. There are also ancient Egyp-
tian records of the Keeper Priests who lived
there providing food to Khufu. There is absolutely no mention of it as
an initiation place, and beside the stone coffin, Khufu's viscera was
found there! However, Europeans are impressed by what is large and
commanding (it embarrassed the ancient Egyptians) and put greater
stock in the Great Pyramid than the Egyptians. Also what with the vast
number of people in the occult who have visited there, it now has it's
own aura added to it, and most people today can't tell the difference.
So let's list the truly sacred.
The Temple of Bast at Bubastis; Delta area. Although not much
remains there, it still exudes a feeling of serenity and peace there.
Center to the Bast cat tradition.
Memphis: Temple of Ptah: also not well preserved, but serene with
the ponds of water within the temple enclosure.
Sakkara: The tombs of Ptahhotep and Kaegemni are extremely mag-
ical, housing at one time two of the greatest teachers of Egypt.
the Labyrinth, near the Fayyum; Herodutus described it as having
3,000 rooms; 1,500 above, and 1,500 below ground that was so sacred,
no one but high priests could enter the underground rooms. Extremely
magical, and what is better, almost no tourists, even at the height of
the tourist season! Initiations took place here.
Temple of Hathor at Denderah. Magical place with secret chambers
and passageways, Initiation center of Hathor. The Zodiac ceiling was
found in the Temple of Hathor at Denerah (original in British Museum,
replica in temple).
Osirieon at Abydos: Center of the highest initiations of Osiris
(his tomb is located nearby but has not yet been discovered). You can
visit the once underground chambers where the initiations took place,
surrounded by a pond, with a secret passageway (now underwater) sup-
posedly going to Osiris's tombs.
The Ramesseum: west bank of Thebes; Luxor. Sit on the stone
throne of Rameses, feel the power, or go find the initiation chamber
there (the only one that utilizes a coffin). Highly magical.
The Temple of Hatshepsut, same general area.
Temples of Amon and Mut at Karnak and Luxor; if size impresses,
this will! The courtyard itself can easily hold Notre Dame! Too bad so
many tourists, but seek out the small temple of Sekhmet (but beware of
doing rituals there, Sekhmet is unforgiving).
2057
Temple of Horus, Edfu: Most complete temple in modern Egypt, lots
of subtle power waiting to be reawakened, doing a gentle chant in the
sanctuary can be heard over the entire temple!
Temple of Isis, Philae; despite being moved from the original
island; still very magical, especially because of the surroundings.
Temple of Shahabu: The Egyptian equivalent of Tantric magic, it's
place is unknown, and even to the ancient Priests, it's location was
kept a secret!
Oracle of Amon; Siwa Oasis, where Alexander the Great went and
never spoke of his prophecy!
----------
HORUS
The great god Horus was one of the most popular gods of ancient
Egypt.
At least a 1,000 years before Egypt was unified a new group of
people entered Egypt called the Followers of Horus. Whether from
southern Africa, the Sahara are from the Red Sea area we don't know,
but they settled in Upper Egypt and opposed the Followers of Set in
the Delta. Eventually the Followers of Horus united Egypt and their
king, Narmer or Menes became the first
king of Dynastic Egypt, and the Horus name of the king started being
used.
Who was Horus the Hawk or Falcon God? We are especially blessed
since the Temple of Horus at Edfu is the best preserved temple in
ancient Egypt, and on its walls contains such things as the different
forms and powers of Horus, the names of the books in the Temple lib-
rary, many rituals, hymns, and parts of the types of initiations.
First and foremost, perhaps, Horus was a sky god, whose right eye
was the Sun and whose left eye was the Moon, and where we came up with
the concept of the right side being solar, the left, lunar. Associated
with the hawk soaring over the land, and his eyes being the Sun and
Moon, came his attributes as "All-Seeing, All-Knowing", yet not inter-
fering unless he chooses to, or is summoned (like a Master of Falcons
summons his Hawk or Falcon).
Probably associated with the idea of a Falconer being protected
by his birds, Horus is one of the most popular gods of Protection.
Now remember that we have to speak in generalities, for Horus had
over 24 different forms with associated aspects, so invoking one form
would not necessarily get you another one of his powers (now you can
understand why I am writing a book explaining all of this fully!).
Horus was also the patron god of martial arts, and a couple of
his temples, and their colleges taught military warfare, strategy,
2058
tactics, and all sorts of fighting, the officer corps or military west
point of ancient Egypt. this is one of Egypt's tradition.
Another tradition in which Horus figures prominently is Alchemy.
Ptah, Horus, and Thoth were the leaders in the Egyptian school of
Alchemy.
Although Horus, during the New Kingdom and later was especially
popular as the Son of Isis, remember that that designation is only one
of his many forms.
His real consort was Hathor. and Hathor means House of Horus.
During one festival, the statue of Horus was removed from his sanc-
tuary and sailed down the Nile in all the pomp and circumstance re-
quired and was put into Hathor's temple at Denderah for a connubial
visit.
One of the most powerful forms of Protection Rituals in Ancient
Egypt was invoking the four Sons of Horus as the four directions, and
Horus as the Protector (and/or as the Avenger). In fact, the most
common form of invocation of the four directions was the 4 sons of
Horus; For women however, there are 2-3 sets of goddesses of the four
directions.
While the four sons are associated with various parts of the
human body, stomach, liver, etc., Horus himself is associated with the
Eyes (it figures, doesn't it?), but not the third eye (which is one or
both goddesses, Uatchet and Nekhibet). Sometimes used for astral
sight, there are actually two ways to get to his heaven, by turning
your astral body into a hawk, or a boat with a hawk on it.
----------
INTERESTING QUOTES
Note that I will use the term god in place of neter, but if you
are goddess oriented, you can use that instead.
Early Egyptian saying:
Put not thy faith in length of years,
For the Gods regard a lifetime as but an hour;
A man remains over after reaching the haven of Death.
His deeds are laid beside him for all treasure.
He who has reached it without wrongdoing,
Shall continue yonder like a god,
Stepping forward like a Lord of Eternity.
God does not confine his favor to the prosperous and the
powerful.
He bestows it also upon the poor.
His will is that they be fed and clothed, and exempted from tasks
beyond their strength.
2059
That they may not be oppressed, and unnecessary tears be
spared them.
From Rameses II:
The mortal person is a manifestation on earth of His Divine
Spirit.
Splendid actions and great deeds are worthy and precious to the
gods. but the tasks the Gods alone see- they surpass all.
The Ways to God are as many as the breaths in the bodies of men.
Quote from the entrance to the College of Priests, Temple of Horus at
Edfu, Egypt:
"Knowledge is the Way to Life;
The Way to Life leads to the Way to God.
The Way to God leads to Inner Knowledge.
Inner Knowledge leads to Wisdom.
Wisdom becomes Life."
The Egyptian word "Neter" is neutral and literally translates as
"Abstract Principle" or "Divine Principle."
Ancient Egypt had no conception of the Ultimate as being either
male or female, for to them, the Ultimate Deity combined both sexes.
It's only when the "Divine Principle" starts descending down through
the planes that male and female deities begin.
Ancient Egypt, for those who don't know, may have had a god, or a
goddess as a national deity (worshipped during national holidays,
etc), and a god or a goddess has head of a city or nome (state); such
as Bast, head of Bubastis; but to the Egyptians, god and goddess were
CO-PARTNERS, were in reality none was above the other (exceptions
might be during certain festivals, or the Sun goddess rules during the
day, the Moon God during the night; that's right, many male moon gods
and many female solar goddesses!).
ps. Although that inscription was found at the College of the Temple
of Horus, it did not directly refer to Horus, or Heru by name, there-
fore, "Divine Principle" is the logical translation since they did use
the word "neter" in the saying.
----------
EGYPTIAN RITUAL MUSIC
They used a 5 note scale, and had such instruments as lutes,
pipes and flutes, drums, zills, tambourine, and sistra. The sistra or
sistrum was the most magical instrument used, based on three hori-
zontal metal bars with round metal clappers sliding on them.
) (
2060
I-I-I-I clappers
I I
I-I-I-I clappers
I I
-------
I handle
I
These were used by women only, and only during ceremonies and
ceremonial singing. We have made several reproductions, most don't
sound very well. But I was able to "rattle" an original and it sounded
wonderful. Something of a cross between a babbling brook and wind
chimes. Developed by the Egyptians to help bring on trance states and
whatever other emotional responses prior to and during ritual, it may
very well have worked, especially with half a dozen or more going at
once.
----------
THE METAPHYSICAL PARTS OF MAN
The material body: the spirits of the heart is called Hati. Of hear-
ing, Setem; of sight, Maa; of taste, Hu; of touch, Saa; of the mat-
erial body, Khat.
The astral or Inner Self: Setem, compassion, the ability to feel
rightly. Maa, justice, the ability to perceive rightly. Hu, command,
divine utterance. Saa, perception, knowledge, understanding. Heka,
magic. Ab, the seat of life, source of will and intentions. Ka, the
astral body; principle of the body and protective genius. Khu, the
intellect; low form Khu, highest intellect.
Then we have the Khaibit, or Dweller; the Shadow, the part before, at
and after the Dweller of the Threshold.
Higher up, the Ba, soul, sublime, and multi-leveled.
Next comes the Sahu, part of the spiritual self and is the spiritual
body otherwise called the spiritual body.
There is also the sekem; lower force; the power of forms, names, and
life.
There is also the Sa, the higher force, essential energy of all.
To give you an idea of the complexity of it all:
Touch: Saa (Sia) god of feeling, knowledge, understanding, intel-
ligence. Personification of perception, to feel, to understand (comes
from Memphis and the Ptah/Sekhmet/Nefertum triad).
As Saau-ur "The Great Intelligence: the cognitive reception of a
situation, object or idea. Saau-ur is mentioned as early as the Vth
dynasty.
As Saa Amenti-Ra "The Intelligence of the Amenti of Ra" god of
conscience and character.
2061
Sa is a god of protection within his functions and is associated
with Hu, taste. Oddly enough Sa is associated also with the heart. Hu
and Saa together are the Eyes of Horus. More importantly they are the
tongue and heart of Ptah; as such it is thur the heart that men relate
their lives to moral precepts, and to be craftsmen.
----------
EGYPTIANS AND THE TAROT
The first Tarot cards known were found in Italy. A reproduction
of them has been done and is usable. I believe that they were nailed
to something. Perhaps someone can fill in where it was found and the
time period they were made.
Bernard Bromage, in his book, which I can't recall the exact
title of (it was years ago), but is something like The Secret Wisdom
of the Egyptians (I'll look it up). Basically the book is fairly
uninteresting as it relates to how ancient Egyptian traditions really
worked. But there was, in one paragraph, something that struck my eye.
In discussing, I believe, the Tarot he says (and despite not remember-
ing the title, I do remember the sentence) "The Tarot, of course,
originated from the Temple of Serapis in Naples, Italy." Well, here is
something specific. Now to find a picture or reference from another
source on a Temple of Serapis in Naples. Ancient Egypt did expand
their temples outside of Egypt, and had temples and sanctuaries in
Greece, Italy, France, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, and other plac-
es. To make a long story longer, it took about five years before I
finally found a reference to the Temple of Serapis in Italy. The
reference referred to the excavation report done early in this cen-
tury; that the temple is now pretty much at water level, that the
illustrations on the wall were destroyed by WWII. That means that if
the Tarot came from a chance find, it would be in the excavation
report, if it came from illustrations on the walls, it would still be
in the report. A friend of mine was in Naples and took a picture of
the temple, and indeed, it was awash with water and the illustrations
were definitely not there. Was Bromage right? Did there exist a pre-
tarot illustrations in either wall form or chance papyrus? If true,
did it include the minor arcana as well? If only the major arcana,
what was it supposed to portray at that period of time? Perhaps the
path of the initiate as supposed today? And whose initiate; a Roman/-
Egyptian one or an Egyptian one? Where indeed is the excavation rep-
ort? It was printed in Italian, but is there illustrations or photos
of the illustrations? Is there a reference to cards or a papyrus or
manuscript? Are there English translations? How did the Tarot get from
a 3-5th century ad temple to 13-14th century cards? We know that the
Italians were interested in retrieving Greek and Roman statues and
works during that period; was that why and when the transition was
made? All of these things depended on finding the excavation report.
And if the report confirmed it, then did it mean that an even earlier
version existed in Egypt? Lo and behold this could take forever (like
this note is). But finally, voila! The French Institute of Archaeology
in Cairo found the report for me and sent me a translation of the
illustrations found on the wall. The report consisted of, among other
things not particularly germane here, of descriptions of the illustra-
2062
tions, and a statue standing in the entrance. There are 20 illustra-
tions that were on the wall prior to their destruction during WWII.
Assuming for a moment that Major Arcana card number 0, which is
the fool and generally interpreted as the initiate starting out on his
journey, it would follow that, given the sequence of illustrations on
the temple's walls, that indeed the ) card would be the initiate of
Serapis.
Card One: Magician:
Found at the entrance to the temple, just inside, was a partially
damaged statue of the god Khnemu, and in front of him, an altar. The
god Khnemu is the only god in ancient Egypt that is shown (and even at
that, rarely), and applies in this case, with one hand pointed towards
the sky, the other towards the earth. Khnemu is the god of the Nile,
and since in the major arcana, water in the cards represents the flow
of consciousness, it follows that the flow starts from Khnemu, the
Nile (at least for Egyptians it would). The ritual equipment would
have been placed on the altar.
Card II: High Priestess:
The first illustrations, the first one on the left side is of
Veiled Isis (also one of only two Egyptian goddesses ever shown veil-
ed). The illustration was between two pillars, the lotus and a papyrus
pillar, and in the illustration Isis is seated, holding a lotus. Crown
of sun and crescent moon.
Card III: Empress:
The second illustration again shows Isis, this time holding and
suckling the baby Horus. Crown of Isis, the throne, symbol of the
maternal power behind the throne, etc.
Card IV: Emperor:
The third illustration is of a Roman emperor in Egyptian garb,
holding the was and flail.
Card V: Hierophant:
The next illustration is of an Egyptian priest, dressed in the
leopards garb, making offerings to an altar.
Card VI: Lovers:
The next one is of the unification of Northern and Southern
Egypt. The intertwining of the lotus and sedge plant, two Hapi gods
(Showing both male and female traits). The Egyptian meaning is very
similar to the card.
Card VII: Chariot:
2063
Shrine procession, with two sphinxes in front of the shrine,
being dragged by 4 anubian priests and 4 Horus priests (in a Temple of
Serapis in Egypt, it actually is a chariot scene).
Card VIII: Strength:
The illustration is of the goddess Sekhmet, the Lioness goddess,
who is the Egyptian symbol of strength. The scene also has a priestess
offering a symbol of her heart to her (which is done after the bal-
ance, weighting of the heart).
Card IX: Hermit or Sage:
The next illustration on the temple wall is of Imhotep, the prime
example of the perfect man or Sage/Priest, with a scroll in hand.
Card X: Wheel:
The illustration is of the 7 Hathors, long regarded as the 7
fates in ancient Egypt and part of the concept of time as regarding
man.
Card XI: Justice:
This illustration is a quite common one in ancient Egypt, the
Judgement scene, where the initiate or deceased is judged of his heart
(actions, etc.) against truth.
Card XII: Hanged Man:
This illustration in the temple walls, although badly damaged,
does show Osiris, who you may remember, was martyred, cut into bits,
put back together, etc., and who symbolizes resurrection.
Card XIII: Death or the Reaper:
This scene, also badly damaged, clearly shows the god Set (Lord
of Chaos and Disorder) with what looks like Anubis before him (the
Guardian of your soul, the Guide of the Initiate). The interpretation
works in well with our interpretation of the 13th card.
Card XIV: Temperance or Alchemist:
The illustration in the temple, damaged up to the waist of the
individuals, shows Horus and Set, which would mean in its broadest
sense, the tempering of one's bad traits with the good, the unifica-
tion from within.
Card XV: Devil or Black Magician:
2064
This illustration is a classic Egyptian one of the solar god Ra
fighting Apophis, with a lesser scene of priests offering. In Egyptian
initiations, this is the part of the Dweller of the Threshold, and the
attempted crossing.
Card XVI: Tower or Lightning:
The illustration is of two obelisks. Obelisks, you may remember,
always stood in front of the temple. Obelisks represented the first
ray of light striking the earth. It would symbolize here the initiate
passing the Dweller and now ready to enter the temple for final in-
itiation for the first time, like the light hitting the earth for the
first time, the transition is almost complete.
Card XVII: Star:
The goddess Seshat and a libation scene. Priestess with two
bowls, one of water, the other of earth in front of Seshat, a Bennu
bird in the water. Seshat has many attributes, but she has a star as a
crown, the only one that does, and she is a consort of Thoth (god of
Ceremonial Magic) as well as being the goddess of Libraries and Sacred
Knowledge. The initiate is about to, or is receiving his sacred know-
ledge about the world, himself, and of magic.
Card XVIII: Moon:
Top part of illustration only, of Khonsi, God of the Moon, and
possibly of Thoth, also a God of the Moon.
Card XIX: Sun:
Clear painting/carving of the sun god Ra. flanked by hawks (also
solar deities, Horus) and the sign of eternity. Perhaps at this point
the initiate, now at dawn, is led out (or the doors are opened to
reveal the morning sun) with the initiate now in the light (symbolic-
ally and realistically).
Card XX: Judgement:
Illustration scene of initiate, hand in hand with the god Thoth,
being led away from the Weighing of the Heart scene. His heart has
been found true and just, in balance.
Card XXI: World:
The last illustration is somewhat damaged but clear enough to
show the famous Nut, Geb, Shu scene. This scene is of the goddess of
the Heavens, Nut, over the god of earth, Geb, with the god of space,
Shu, in between. This is the classic Egyptian motif of all the world,
heaven, earth and everything in between. The initiate is now one with
ALL.
Now, although all of the above scenes are for initiates, this
could mean two things:
2065
1. This is a "storyboard" set of illustrations of one, albeit,
long and very involved type of initiation.
2. This is a "storyboard" set of illustrations of a series of
steps and initiations of any initiate of Serapis and could conceivably
take a lifetime to achieve.
It is important to note that this room does not have one illust-
ration of Serapis himself in it! He shows up on the outside of the
temple in illustrations! The excavation report concluded that this
room was either a special place of initiations or a special place of
worship. During the 10th-16th centuries, when the Europeans were
rediscovering Greek and Roman statues, books, etc., this temple could
very well have been recovered and uncovered. In fact the illustrations
were partially still open to view before the excavation! I have traced
several temples of Serapis, and have been trying to get notes on their
illustrations as well. Two temples of Serapis in Egypt, one during the
Greek/Ptolemaic period, and one of the 19th dynasty also show like
illustrations, getting more and more Egyptian as the temples got
older.
Did the Egyptians actually have tarot cards of the major arcana?
Not likely, as papyrus would be pretty much impossible to shuffle!!
But here is the initial result of my study, it took years to find this
material. Did the Temple of Serapis inspire the Italians to make the
Major Arcana of the Tarot? It certainly contained the elements and the
interpretation! Perhaps Bromage, who is rarely right, was right about
this one. Further studies on Serapis temples that I did seem to keep
the illustrations in order, but we do have a big gap between the
temple and the first known cards!
The tradition of Serapis starts from an early age, from the 1st
dynasty of about 3,100 bce with Seken-ka as the first master of the
tradition. In the XVIII dynasty Amenhotep enhanced the tradition, as
did XIX dynastic Khawmwese, XXVI dynastic Amen-em-apt, XXXth dynastic
Nectanebus, the last native king of Egypt, who ordered the spread of
Egyptian temples throughout the known world.
During the Roman period, Psoiphis and Chaeremon were leaders in
the tradition.
We have possible other sources of the ancient origin of Tarot
including the ancient book, "78 Phases of Ra," the Book of Gates (it
has 21 gates).
There are temples of Serapis at Alexandria, Naples, Rome, Mem-
phis. The nome state of Ament's capital was sacred to Serapis, called
Apis, from the pre-Serapis tradition of Apis, from which Serapis is
derived. There is a temple of Serapis in northern Amant called He-t
sekha-hera.
There is a temple of Serapis at Pithom (the Bible mentions the
city); a cult center at Mendes, one at north Meteliles.
2066
Now, is the word Tarot actually Egyptian or a derivation of an
ancient Egyptian word or words? It very well could be. Ta and ro or
rot are two Egyptian sounds.
Ta = the following words:
thou bread, cake to give
staff (wand) this moment/time
land/earth TO JOURNEY THOTH
earth god time forms/likeness/image
essence of a god glory the
You also have the possibilities: tara: (long a) meaning time or
season; teru: meaning a god of light.
Ra, ro, or rot (no Egyptian vowels):
man chapter of a book a covered court
mouth, entrance, opening, door, gate
entrance to a path or road
sun, day sun god words, acts
storehouse or chamber
Chapters of Coming Forth by Day
" " Divine Rites
" " Mysteries
" " Praisings
So you see, if Egyptian, it could mean "journey of the road" or
"journey of time" or any number of things! It could mean "the glorious
road." Or it all could be just a coincidence!!!! It's up to you.
A LATER RELATED NOTE: To give you an example of the differences,
take the Strength card. That normally is depicted as a woman holding
open the jaws of a male lion, quiet strength in check. In the temples
of Serapis that corresponds to the illustration of the goddess Sekh-
met. Sekhmet is a lioness goddess, but is usually depicted with a
small mane! Hence, in Egypt, the female and male are combined into the
Sekhmet form. The Isis Veiled card is almost the same in the two
illustrations. Isis is shown veiled (one of two goddesses ever shown
that way), sitting, holding stalks of wheat and a container of water
in the Roman Serapis temples.
ANOTHER LATER RELATED NOTE: So far, there hasn't been found any
evidence of wood, stone, papyrus, or any other form of the major
arcana for use in divination. Note that many of the arcana of the
Temple of Serapis are common motifs, and as such, can be found in
clay, stone, papyrus, etc.; but never has been found in a group,
incomplete set or not. Perhaps to the Egyptians, the Major Arcana was
not a form of divination but the initiate's initiation or life cycle.
Divination was used in ancient Egypt, by both priests and people
alike. I have various types of divination by bowls, by oracles, by
dreams, by ceremonies. There is even divination by casting stones into
a certain type of decorated bowl of water. There is divination by
using a particular set of the popular Senet game. But, alas, none yet
by Tarot.
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----------
there is a lot of information out there about divination and
ceremonies, but much of it, like I said before, is in German, French,
Arabic, and part in english.
for example, there is a two volume work on Senet, including the
divination part, but alas, it is in German.
See if you can get a book by Serge Saureon, called, the "Priests
of Ancient Egypt." although it is mainly during the greek period of
ancient Egypt, much has not changed.
if you look at the translations of the Pyramid Texts, the Coffin
Texts and the Book of the Dead (Papyrus of Ani, translated by Faulk-
ner), you would find that it is a lot of disjointed rituals put toget-
her. Most was not originally written for the dead, it was just sligh-
tly revised.
In the Pyramid texts and Coffin Texts, for example, you have texts
on astral projection, blessing tools, consecration, initiation, hymns,
etc. If you can find an english copy of the Harris Papyrus (good luck,
long out of print, very expensive), it is THE magical texts and divin-
ation.
----------
RESOURCES
I am familiar with the Church of Light organization in Los An-
geles. They are no help in assistance, as all of their information is
of Greek/Roman period and doesn't go any further back, and I already
have the Greco/Roman period down. It's true that Iamblichus did write
about Egyptian initiation, but the translations of his work do not
include any descriptions of Tarot-like illustrations. Unlike what the
Church of Light says, the translations are readily available. One must
remember that initiations done in the 4th century do not and will not
accurately reflect the initiations that took place in ancient Egypt.
Egypt took a profound change in the late dynastic period prior to the
Greeks, and even more during the Greek and Roman periods. Much of the
magic, mysteries were lost and new ones invented or gaps were sub-
stituted by current thought. It was a decaying period for Egypt,
adopting to Greek ways and then to Roman ones. The mysteries and
initiations became an echo of what they once were.
The Church of the Eternal Source, also in Los Angeles, on the
other hand, is a very Egyptian mystery oriented organization, but
centers around the Old, Middle and New Kingdom, using the original
papyrus and temple inscriptions for their mysteries and initiations.
But still, in both cases, their knowledge is limited by what has been
published and available. The translations and the original documents
about such things are either not published, or published in limited
editions and not available in most libraries. The French Institute of
Archaeology in Cairo has the most complete library of all published
and unpublished material related to ancient Egypt. I use them exten-
sively.
The Church of Light, on the other hand, uses adapted to modern
symbolism, not ancient ones. The Tower card would never have been done
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in ancient Egypt like the Church of Light did it. In essence the
Church made up a Neo-Egyptian religion incorporating ancient symbols
and modern thought, when they just could have used the ancient symbols
as is. In other words, they tried, without much research, to make a
modern Tarot deck using ancient symbols out of place, rather than
making an ancient tarot deck using ancient symbols in place. Then they
think that this is going to get you in touch with ancient Egypt.
Wrong! It may get you in touch with modern man's (since the time of
Blavatsky) metaphysical idea of what ancient Egypt was, but to get in
touch with ancient Egypt, you need to use ancient Egyptian methods.
Kind of like getting a model airplane and putting it together without
a picture to go by or the guide to do it right.
----------
THE INHERENT DIFFICULTY OF STUDYING
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN RELIGION
Throughout its 4,000 odd year old history there is no systematic
account of the doctrines used. Different men living at different times
do not think alike; and no college of priests had formulated a system
of beliefs that was received by all clergy and laity alike. 42 nomes;
42 religions in 4,000 years! Changes were extent, differences, even in
the same periods, were great. But all had one thing in common, Organic
Totality.
Organic Totality: the physical environment, human organizations,
conscience, language and ultimate goals, all make up Egypt's totality.
Egypt did not have a central dogma or sacred book. But the one thing
that prevented them from losing their individuality and from coa-
lescing into a common unit is the belief in more than one set of gods.
The Egyptian religions were both personal and nationalistic. It was
personal to each individual or family; private, interwoven with a
sense of personal right and wrong, with a personal shrine or "niche"
in every house to their personal gods/desses. It was nationalistic
because usually the place of the national seat of government deter-
mined, for the most part, the overall thought of the period, the
morality of the period. The Egyptian religion offers a variety of
paths to the ultimate source by individual contact and tailoring
information and guidance according to an individual's needs and level
of development.
Three aspects of the Egyptian religion and culture.
1. Polytheism; all gods and goddesses are emanations or forces from
one source (although in each state, the one source may have a dif-
ferent name).
2. Actualization of the Individual; the development of the potential
of the individual was important to the Egyptian colleges.
3. Direct communication/relationship of an individual's surroundings.
The kings of Egypt had from three to five "great names" and Lee
mentioned only one, the Horus name. There is also the "nebti" name.
This name is from the Two Ladies, Nekhebet and Uatchet, and Pharaoh
becomes the force uniting the dual monarchy. This name goes back to
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the 1st dynasty and is based on the two capitals of pre-dynastic
Egypt, Neken and Buto, seats of the two goddesses. The third name is
the "bee" name. "He who belongs to the sedge plant and the bee," the
"nesu-list" name, symbolizing the union of Upper and Lower Egypt.
Predynastic: According to Manetho, a race of people came into Egypt
and some became the founders and rulers of This and Memphis. The
system of solar theology arrived in Lower Egypt (Delta) as early as
5,000 bce in the form of the "Shensu Heru" or Followers of Horus. They
made their way to upper Egypt before the 1st dynasty. In predynastic
times there were two distinct kingdoms, Upper and Lower Egypt, with
their capitals at Neken (slightly north of Thebes) and Buto (in the
Delta). We have names of at least 12 kings of these two areas, al-
though the Book of Sothis lists 86 kings, and the "Old Chronicles"
lists 84.
There are several approaches taken by metaphysically minded
people of today about ancient Egypt. There are those who see only what
Edgar Cayce or something like Urantia has to say about Egypt, and
don't take the time to discover Egypt for themselves, or to see if
what they learned was actually true. There are those who have worked
beyond Cayce, and find a "pull" towards Egypt and read many books
about the subject. Unfortunately, Budge, the most predominant writer,
gives an unrealistic view of ancient Egypt, and many things are not
mentioned, such as personal worship, initiations, changes of con-
sciousness; therefore the reader is forced to rely on another source,
who may not know anything at all about Egypt, but a lot about meta-
physics and give you bum information. Elizabeth Haitch's (?) book,
"Initiation," supposedly an Egyptian initiation, bears no relation to
an actual Egyptian initiation and should be treated as fantasy. Then
there are those in metaphysics that like to practice the ancient
religions. Their approach is usually through another tradition, i.e.
Golden Dawn, or Wicca. Both of these traditions (Wicca having many
traditions and only some incorporate Egyptian into them) do not draw
upon real Egyptian traditions. The Golden Dawn uses Greco-Roman Egyp-
tian Tradition, acknowledged by Egyptologists as the period when most
of the Egyptian traditions have been radically changed by outside
influences, much already lost, and even hieroglyphic writing being
incomprehensible. The Wicca traditions take god/desses wholesale, give
them new attributes, new powers that they never had, have the rituals
in English, etc.
No one studies the Egyptian traditions from the texts, temples,
or tombs in order to find out how it works. Except me. Perhaps that is
because I believe in finding out about a tradition by getting it from
the original sources. And a major part of the problem is that although
there are a lot of books, they are for the most part, too general. To
find out what the Egyptians practiced, how, why, when and by whom
requires years of searching obscure journals, papers, translations of
texts, excavation reports (which have illustrations, translations of
what was excavated) of tombs, houses, temples, and how many people
have the time, money, experience to do that? Almost no one. So every-
one else makes it up or speculates about it. I am going to try to make
up for this loss by publishing a series of books on the ancient Egyp-
tian personal worship, and the Temple Priesthood. What was taught, how
was it taught, who did they teach it to, who were the teachers, how
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were they qualified, where was it taught, what differences are there
between personal worship at home and temple worship, etc.?
----------
There was a note about religions borrowing elements from others
and that it happened for millennia. Such is definitely not the case.
Granted it is easy to find a few that did, Christianity, Islam, Roman.
And granted it is easy to find more that borrowed SOME of its trad-
ition, but let's look at a couple of those.
There is no evidence that the Ancient Egyptian religion came out
from somewhere else. From pre-dynastic to the Middle Kingdom there
were only one or two examples where borrowing took place, but in each
and every case, they adopted THE ENTIRE SYSTEM. In fact in almost
every case of a pagan religion part of another system, they almost
invariably adopted the priesthood with it, or had the priesthood teach
them, Or made it a part but separate from the main religion. This is
totally different from today's pagans. Instead of being taught from
the priesthood of the other religion or adopting the entire priest-
hood, they take bits and snatches that they don't understand and adopt
it.
Now it is agreed by both Egyptologists, The Church of the Eternal
Source (see Drawing Down the Moon), and many Hermeticists that in the
Late Period of ancient Egypt, the priesthood not only started forget-
ting the important esoteric side of their own religion, but started
adopting others bits and pieces, without the total integration that
they practiced earlier. It resulted in a almost total breakdown of
usefulness in practicing magic, mumbling now meaningless phrases, and
effectiveness in their magic and rituals.
One can count numberless examples of just how much one can be
effective when you only know a small part of the whole (kind of like
driving a car for the first time when the only thing you know about is
the trunk).
Also in ancient Egyptian, Hindu, Buddhism, and many American
Indian religions (and paganism in the 1950-1970's) there was a belief
that a symbol, if believed in by a large number of people over a large
span of time, is far more effective than a symbol that is used by a
small group over a short period of time. Does it not hold true that a
magical object is imbued with more magic every time it is used?
Thus, then how effective can a system be if it is 20-30 years old,
practiced by 500 people, using symbols that are either brand new or
misunderstood? (Like using a red pentagram for bring forth the earth
element; how less effective is it as opposed to a green one which has
been used by millions of people for thousands of years?)
Occult philosophy by these groups and many others maintain that
the more powerful an object is based on the formula: # of people using
it + # of years in use + the ability of the individual to use it + the
correctness in its use. The astral plane is exclusively made up by
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just this principle, and it's this plane where much of the magic is
done.
The effectiveness of the individual to practice his magic or
religion is also directly proportional to the abilities and effective-
ness of his/her teacher, and the degree of success in achieving the
goals in his/her training.
FROM MARK REYBURN On borrowing, syncretism is and was
common among many religions, including Egyptians, as you
note. It tends to occur most frequently in cultures with
regular contact with different practices. One of the Sun
Dances, I think it's the Cherokee, is supposed to be syn-
cretic. Who they got it from escapes me, my anthro classes
are practically history themselves by now! Selective borrow-
ings are, as you note, tricky things. But, we would be
poorer without it. And ceremonial magic aside, symbol use is
more free-form than most of us would prefer. Not quite,
words mean what I want them to mean, but symbols are much
more personal than the "Official" correspondences. The
"well-worn path" of symbol meaning is certainly helpful IN
SOME TRADITIONS, but is completely irrelevant to someone who
is using symbols on a personal level. Although less potent
magickally, religiously personal symbolism is much more
potent than time-worn symbols. Besides, how else do new
religions develop symbolism?
FROM DOMI O'BRIEN In ADF ritual we specifically note that
the more-- and the more of us-- that call upon the old gods
the more they respond to our need-- one is reminded of "the
old gods only sleep, you know, although betrayed and slan-
dered; they guarded us from every woe, and blessed each crop
and fine herd..." and, oddly enough, Tinker Bell-- if you
believe in fairies-- read DDW-- we focus belief, and will...
FROM GARY OHLEMILLER This is an interesting dichotomy I
haven't heard much about before. One group seems to prefer
the Bonewits/Parapsychological approach which holds that the
power of a symbol comes from the strength of association it
holds in the individual's unconscious. Mr. Poe seems to
advocate a Jungian approach in which the archetype exists
"objectively" and is waiting there to be used. Does anyone
out there have enough practical experience to tell us which
is more efficacious? I sure don't.
FROM MICHAEL POE In reference to what is more (?) effec-
tive or powerful, actually both together would be the most
powerful of all.
My little experience, such as it is, has been working in the
area for 20 years, bring apprenticed to an Havasupi shaman,
personal knowledge from four other systems, watching and
working with 3 other shamans, and personal tours to sacred
2072
sites around the world. Go to a sacred site and see just how
powerful it still is, like a huge untapped battery.
Feel a talisman that was made and used 4,000 years ago, yet
still has as much or more power than anything you have
touched by a modern worker of almost any system.
I gave a 4,500 year old scarab that hasn't been used since
to a friend of mine who put it in a box. 2 months later,
when he opened the box to use it he found the box has been
burned from the inside out. (although admittedly that scarab
is an exception).
I have found that both ways can work, but an old cultural symbol
(in Jungian terms) is more in our subconscious as a type of
universal symbol, and will be more powerful and last longer than
a personal one.
Get the most magically powerful person you know, have him/her do
a circle ritual in a square area, and go back a month later and
see if you can find it by feeling for it. Go to a ancient sacred
spot that hasn't been used for hundreds or thousands of years and
feel its power. Which is greater? My bet goes to the ancient
one. More use over more time.
----------
ALCHEMY
There are some definite misconceptions expressed here on Alchemy.
Alchemy is not about transmuting lead into gold (that was, at the
most, a test on your elixir), it does not involve using electricity,
it is not part of tantric.
One of the problems involved is that people get a tradition that
they don't understand and misuse the term until it loses almost all of
its original meaning.
Alchemy is a spiritual experience that is a combination of two
things, the transmutation of the workers spirit with the transmutation
of physical substances (which creates the Elixir of Life).
while in the broad sense that Alchemy is a transmutation, it has
no part in Tantric.
The physical and metaphysical process has always been described
in allegories, hence the confusion of work with metals.
In order to practice alchemy today, you need to read only about 2
or 3 good books on the subject
"Gold of a Thousand Mornings" is a non-fiction book describing
alchemy by a man/wife team in France. It dwells on both the spiritual
and physical aspects and describes the work that they did.
"An Alchemists Handbook" has a brief description of the meaning
and the "Great Work" (as it is called), and gives you in great detail
how to do the physical work.
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In order for alchemy to work, you need to do both at the same time
as you need self transformation to work in order for the physical
transformation to work.
the chemical side of work delves mainly into herbs, and if you use
herbs in your regular work, then you will have real use with alchemy.
In the chemical aspect, the herb's essence is extracted (the gold
from the dross), as well as yourself (your essence is purified). To do
so, you usually need chemical glassware such as a condenser, or
soylent extractor. This is a typical operation when making perfume
from flowers or making an herbal extraction. The main difference is
that the extraction takes place with a magical bent to it. rituals are
done during the extraction process, timing is essential (astrological,
lunar, and solar, and seasonal timing) .
So, since you may already be familiar with blessing and con-
secration of magical tools, and putting power into them, a very
similar thing is done to yourself (an human vessel) and your herbal
product during the alchemical process.
also, there are two existing alchemical schools, one in France,
one in Utah (of all places!)
If you already use herbs in your other work, following this
process will net you much more powerful herbal concoctions as well as
a more powerful and spiritual self.
I myself use the process. One of the aspects in alchemy is that
one gathers certain herbs, minerals to produce an elixir that will
extend life (as one of it's benefits). but before ingesting it, an
alchemist would sometimes test it by adding a pinch of it to lead, and
if it turned into gold, then your elixir is finished and can be used.
However, turning lead into gold was never the end product for the
work, but merely a test. You can make other useful herbal/concoctions
without achieving the 'Elixir of Life.' Since alchemy is non-denom-
inational, it can be used with practically any tradition.
The source of the word Alchemy has had a lot of discussion among
alchemical writers and alchemists. Although chemy did eventually
become chemistry, the origin of the word did not.
The most agreed upon definition of the term Alchemy is this: Al
(arab word meaning THE) Khemia; meaning Egypt, which comes from the
ancient Egyptian word for Egypt meaning "black land" thus: The
Black Land
since Alchemy does originate in Egypt, it makes sense.
The first alchemical work is called the Emerald Tablet, written by
Thoth, or Hermes Trismigistos.
the father of alchemy is Zoismos, an Egyptian.
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the mother of alchemy is Marie, the Egyptian, who describes in her
works the actual equipment used. (the only person who does!!!!).
----------
ISIS
The Fellowship of Isis is the only group that I am aware of that
worships only Isis and is not a Wiccan group. Their headquarters is on
the British Isles but has many members in the US. They do, however,
use almost exclusively late Dynastic and Greco-Roman Isis rituals,
which many people believe are disbased and not well understood (true
of most of the Egyptian traditions at that time).
The Church of the Eternal Source uses rituals from the Old to New
Kingdom ( I-XXIst. Dynasty) and includes Isis. It is a federation of
Egyptian temples, so there are Priests of Horus, Thoth, Ptah, Pries-
tesses of Bast, Sekhmet/Bast, Hathor and Isis. And, oh yes, a priest
and priestess of Osiris. They are currently looking at an initiation
plan based on ancient Egyptian sources to possibly adopt as their own.
If there is a group by the name that the person mentioned, it may
be either a new Egyptian traditions group, or an eclectic Wiccan
group.
Isis was never worshiped by Wiccans prior to the 1950's and should
best be worshipped by people acquainted with the ancient Egyptian
Traditions related to her. Isis went through many changes, adding more
powers and attributes as time went on. She wasn't even called a Mother
Goddess for the first 2,000 years of her worship.
Most people who don't know ancient egyptian traditions don't get
the response from Isis that they expect (or a totally different
response). Isis is very powerful, but exacting. It's always best to
know what power relates to which of her forms in order to invoke her.
One thing to remember. Isis belongs to several ancient Egyptian
traditions. As such, you won't be aware of her powers and attributes
unless you are familiar with the Egyptian traditions.
For example, as an Enchantress, she is invoked with a special form
in mind (holding specific objects, in specific positions, wearing
specific clothes). Not to have that form in mind, according to ancient
Egyptian tradition, is to negate your entire ritual, or to degrade it
(it won't have the effect as much as if you did it the right way), or
to have an effect entirely different.
Isis, for one, has many powers and attributes, and many forms.
Just invoking her in a different direction invokes a power you may not
be aware of. As such she can appear to be both benign or terrible (she
is one of the Dweller of the Door, or Threshold goddesses).
Even during the Egyptian period, 4,000 bce (predynastic) to 641 ad
(the closing of her last temple) she went through many modifications
and changes. She wasn't even known as a mother goddess for at least
1,500 years!
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It's too bad that people borrow god/desses from traditions that
they know little about, to use in ritual. If they knew the tradition
better, their ritual would be better.
There is also an Isis heaven to astral project to, but again, in
Egyptian tradition, you must know the way, the form to use to get
there, otherwise you go to a false one.
She also appears as an astral guide, but again, only assumes a
specific form.
Unfortunately there is little written about how to actually prac-
tice Egyptian ritual (although the Church of the Eternal Source
knows). That is a gap that I hope to fill one day, having spent over
30 years studying ancient Egypt, worked there for several years in the
tombs and temples, and have the best resources available to me in the
term of published and unpublished material. I am currently working on
what could be
several volumes on the Theory and Practice of the Ancient Egyptian
Traditions (good title!)
----------
INFORMATION ON BAST
from ancient Egyptian sources
Powers and Attributes of Bast:
Lady of the East (IVth Dynasty on)
Female Personification of Fire
the Light Bearer
Female power of Light, Heat, Sun, Fire, Mild Heat of the
day and Year
Power of germination of seeds
Power of early Summer
Goddess of the Birth Chamber
Goddess of Full Moon
Goddess of Cats
Protection
Bast festivals occur in April and May in her temple at Bubastis,
facing east.
The Greeks associated her with Diana.
Bast was also used to learn words of power to vanquish the powers of
darkness (IVth Dynasty).
Bast attributes are also related to cats.
Bast had at least four different forms (and no breastplate related by
another, more contemporary book)
FROM BRANDY WILLIAMS Ref.: THE BOOK OF GODDESS &
HEROINES by Patricia Monaghan. "She originated in
the Nile delta, but by 930 B.C., the power of Bast
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was acknowledged by all Egyptians. At first she
was a lion-goddess of sunset, symbolizing the
fertilizing force of the sun's rays. Later her
image grew tamer: she became a cat carrying the
sun, or a cat-headed woman who bore on her breast-
plate the lion of her former self." Bast ruled
pleasure and dancing, music and joy. At Bubastis
("House of Bast"), the center of her worship,
great celebrations were held. Boatloads of wor-
shipers - hundreds of thousands of them, Herodotus
said - were greeted by pleasant flute melodies as
they debarked for a worship service combined with
a vast trade fair. Bast's followers believed that
in return for this reverent celebration Bast
bestowed both mental and physical health.
As a cat goddess of the moon she lit up the night, throwing light
on things which would otherwise be concealed. Moon lights up a world
hidden in darkness, and the cat gives us insight with her light of the
under, or inner world. The Moon is the searcher, a seeker of Truth.
Bast is known as the Lady of Truth. Beams of the moon point the way
and a narrow path called a cat walk, usually called in Egyptian as the
Middle Way or Path.
When a cat curls up with its head touching its tail, it forms a
circle, symbol of eternity.
Bast also symbolizes sensuality, grace, coordination of movement.
Bubastis (town of Bast) also called Per-Bast, Pa-Bast, Pibeseth,
Tell-Basta
Location: lower Egypt, northern kingdom and capital of the 18th
nome or state, Am-Khent.
time Period of Bubastis: IInd Dynasty to at least 640 ad.
IInd Dynasty: "in the reign of the 1st king, a chasm opened up
and many people perished."
IV: Khufu (builder of the Great Pyramid) built here.
XXII: Libyans ruled Egypt here
640 ad: Bubastis still alive and worshipping cats here.
Temple of Bast on an island with only an entranceway bridging it.
There is also a Temple to Thoth, and a shrine to Temit. Minor gods:
Temit: Lady of the Two Lands and Osiris: the thigh of Osiris is in a
hidden chest at Netert.
Triad at Bubastis: Bast, Osiris, Heru-hekennu, and to a lesser
extent: Nefer-tem.
Invoke the cat Bast to learn words of power to vanquish the powers of
darkness (IVth dynasty on)
Bast attributes related to cats;
refusal to take things overseriously
science of relaxation, never waste energy
accepts the nature of things, superb indifference to opinion,
refusal to be at beck and call
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insistence of complete freedom of expression
when a cat curls up with its head touching its tail, it
forms a circle, symbol of eternity
luxuriating sensuality, grace, coordination of movement
Egyptian cats are typically orange-brown, ginger and a gray tabby.
As a lioness, (her earliest forms), painted green, she personifies the
Sun. As a cat, she has connections with the moon.
Mother of lion god Ari-hes of Aphroditopolis, Mother of Sekhem, of
Denderah
Bast is also considered to be the Soul of Isis.
Forms usually seen:
1. Upright cat, holding a sistrum and aegis, surrounded by four
protector cats.
2. woman's body, head of lion or cat, holding sistrum and either a
basket or a aegis (can hold uatchet)
3. Aegis of Bast sometimes has a head of a cat crowned with solar
disk and uraeus, emblems of Sekhmet.
4. Lion headed woman, oldest form of Bast. In 5th Dynasty temple
called, "Bastet, Lady of Ankh-Taui."
Also associated with:
Mut-Bast: personification of the moon in Thebes, she is a woman
wearing horns on her head with a sun's disk between them. Mut-Bast is
the counterpart of Amen-Ra-Temu-Khepera-Heru-Khuti
Sekhmet, as a counter-part
Assessor Thenemi (he who goes backwards) and who comes forth from
Bast.
Assessor Basti
A good description of the Festival of Bast, called the Festival
of Lights, has been described by various Greek and Roman writers.
The temple of Bast in Bubastis, while on a island, is lower than
the rest of the city, and therefore, is the only temple that the
people can see into the courtyard. Also there is a sacred grove of
trees in the courtyard (the only one known of all temples in Egypt).
At the festival of Lights, all light in the city is extinguished. then
a new fire is made in the temple and the priests come out to light the
torches of the people who then parade throughout the city to relight
all the home fires. by the Greek/Roman period there was also a kind of
sexual license at the time at the festival. Food and drink for all
(which is typical of the temple festivals).
Speaking of cats! I had a request from Jennifer about Wadjet,
the rearing cobra, sometimes lioness. Good observation, most people
don't know that Wadjet is VERY occasionally depicted as a Cat. Here is
the answer.
Wadjet, the cobra depicts two things: the real snake (in the prov-
erbial papyrus grass) with it's dangerous forms and powers. And 2, the
Kundalini, or Serpent Fire of the human body coming out of the third
eye! That's why the serpent is always on the crown or is the crown
2078
over the third eye. It's also symbolic of the sun. I know, you think
that the Kundalini comes out of the top of your head, as Hindus would
have you believe. Could be true, but in Egypt, when one works with
Wadjet's fire, you direct the route to the third eye (the burning,
purifying fire), while redirecting a lesser (gentle growing heat of
the sun) to the top of your head (hence, the Lotus depicted on top of
the head).
So, yes, different aspects of her nature. As depicted as Wadjet
the cat, here is a dichotomy! Cats protect humans from snakes, so
Wadjet is also invoked to protect humans from her very own physical
manifestation, the deadly cobra.
As depicted as a cat, it shows her protection from her very real
counterpart, the asp. Asp and you shall receive! (g)
Now as to relationships with Bast/Sekhmet/Mut.
Think of fire and think of sun/moon. Think of opposing sections of
the same thing (burning fire, gentle heat; light of day, dark of
night) and you have some basic differences between Bast/Sekhmet. Have
you seen the National Geographic special on cats: our pets and how
they relate to the big cats. think of the attributes of the big cats
and think of Sekhmet; think of the attributes of the domesticated cats
(really, cats domesticate people) and think of Bast. The shared at-
tributes of Bast And Sekhmet are the same as the shared attributes of
big vs. little cats. Mut is a maternal cat, big or small.
Sekhmet destroys, but she is also a healer
Bast is playful, but also protective
When the Christians decided to kill all the cats in Egypt in the
700's ad, they did so. Two years later, the Black Death came out of
Egypt and devastated Christian europe.
Was this revenge by Sekhmet and Bast onto the Christian
population for destroying their physical symbols, the little kitties?
Or was it because the amount of cats kept down the rat population
enough that the Black Death (a rat flea borne disease) didn't come out
until the decline of the cats? Or both?
----------
A BLESSING FOR THE DEAD
(TO BAST)
Having worked with the High Priestess of Sekhmet-Bast-Ra (and
taught most everything she knows), and member of the Egyptian temple
federation, Church of the Eternal Source, I have the information you
need.
Since you don't practice Egyptian traditions, instead of giving
you a whole ritual, I will give you a hymn/prayer to Bast that is a
Blessing for the Dead, that you can incorporate into your ritual, plus
hints.
2079
Bast is a goddess for the Sun and the Moon, but for the dead
Sunset is the best time; Night comes second, sunrise third, and
daylight comes in fourth for ritual for this.
Face the West, setting sun (or if not at sunset, either the moon
or the sun depending on you doing it in the day or night time.
If you have an oil lamp lit it; if not use white candles, and a
little votive candle. Bless the two white ones to Bast, the votive to
the dead cat.
Meditate upon the cats attributes; able to see at night, intel-
ligent, quick, independent, very maternal, luxury minded and sensual.
(if you have a cat, invite her in your circle).
Bast nefer dy ankh
Beautiful Bast giving Life,
A Bast, shu asenu
Hail Bast, in visible form, casting light into the darkness
sesept em kekui,
I have come before you, the path is opened,
the earth is at peace.
i kua ser-ten, uat sesh-tha, ta em hetep.
(Egyptian pronunciation is optional, but in ancient Egypt
was imperative to speak the language to create the sounds to
get the response.)
O Great goddess, Bast,
Soul of Isis,
Heart of the Sun-hear my call.
Enter now this consecrated shrine (or circle)
Make Thy presence known to me.
(envision the dead cat)
Aid thy servant in reaching the source of all things,
Guide thy servant's steps on the true path
Answer your physical manifestation's soul's desire for Thou.
Blessed be Bast,
Who gathers her children into life everlasting.
Blessed be Bast,
The Beloved of Bast has gone to the Horizon,
Your physical manifestation lives now only in the sunset.
May it's ka endure and it's shadow seek the light.
The power of Bast protects her,
Shut en Bast sau.
----------
2080
FROM PETE STAPLETON Michael Poe, I knew if I posted here i would
find someone who could help me resolve some of problems regarding the
failure of certain historical astrological techniques. The Egyptian
calendar I was referring to was the 30 day lunar calendar - the one
introduced to the Romans. To my knowledge there has never been an
Egyptian Solar Calendar. I'm sure I must have misunderstood your post
- or you may have confused my reference. So we will both relate to the
same calendar - I refer to the 360 day lunar Calendar composed of
twelve 30 day lunar months and with the extra five days added on each
year. This was the calendar discussed at the meeting called to discuss
what to do with the extra five days of the year - which resulted in
the Decree of Canopious - I think if was first published about 250 BC
or thereabouts - hope this helps. I am impressed with your EZ cosmos
program which shows the sky 4,117 BC to 10,000 AD - how delightful for
you. I wonder if you could tell me how such a program handled the
calculation past 500 BC - to my knowledge even Ptolemy's eclipse
tables only go back to about 580 BC - which suggests some problems
with calculations beyond that date - but I'm certain you must have
taken this factor into account - so could you help me understand what
they are? Certainly the meeting to account for the extra five days of
the year at that time must have been the reason why there is not any
contiguous record extant in the entire world past 580 BC. I would
appreciate your help here. Then next area where you have set me stra-
ight is the day starting with sunrise at that time. I know the marking
stars and the water clocks of that era all showed the day starting
with Sun set - but certainly you have a better grip of the details and
can explain why all the WATCHERS began their vigil and day at sunset.
I do think the evidence points very definitely toward the source of
the constellational names being that of river based culture where
there was a great inundation once a year - but since you make the
point that the Egyptians at that time didn't have the present names,
then what did they have - or what other river based culture was there
where there was a flood of the dimensions of the Nile river within the
Nile valley. The zodiac at one time on the ceiling of the Temple of
Dendrah has to have been painted about 100 ad and the constellational
names as we use them today were in existence much before that time. I
am also a little confused about your reference to Sign as being dis-
tinct from Constellations. There never was a zodiac of Signs prior to
the 8th century AD. All previous reference were to the star spangled
constellations - each precisely 30 degrees in length - each measured
by a precise 30-day lunation - again I refer you to the problem of
what to do with the extra five days of the year meeting. It is my
understanding that the Kings list and the dynasty lists are in com-
plete disarray - so how do you know these astronomical texts you
mention relate to the 18th dynasty. Also, I do believe the Pleides
were referred to as the seven sisters in ancient Egypt - but of course
I will bow to superior knowledge - I wonder if you could cite the
reference. As far as being the goddess of Fate and Fortune - the
influence of this particular pattern was then and is now considered
quit negative - bad luck.
FROM MICHAEL POE You are partially out of my league except
for the Egyptian lunar calendar, which was not made up of 30
days months, but 28 day months. Of course since the Egyp-
2081
tians was made up of 42 states, 2 kingdoms, and at least
13-14 traditions, there was more than one calendar. there
was one based on the Sothic year (when Sirius sets just
before the sun rises, which is a 365 day solar calendar; a
Lunar calendar of 28 day months (which eventually coincided
with the solar during the "Sothic" cycle), a 260 day calen-
dar not based on any aspect of the sky, a solar 360 day
calendar with 5 "intercalerary" days. Their lunar calendar
was made up of 7 day weeks, while the solar had 10 day
weeks. Oddly enough (or perhaps not so oddly), the solar
calendar was the civil calendar for working, the lunar
calendar was for the farmers.
My EZ Cosmos program, which shows the sky from anywhere
on earth from 4,117 bce to 10,000 ad, can give me the
beginning Sothic year during ancient Egypt. It gave me the
date of the 1st day of the 1st use of the Sothic calendar
(which also coincided with the lunar calendar that year). A
friend of mine did an astrology chart that showed a most
intriguing configuration for that time.
In case you're wondering, the year always starts on
sunup, so the date was sun up at Memphis, Egypt at a certain
day in July, in a certain year. Of course the Egyptians
didn't, at the time, have the same zodiac names, although
they recognized the constellations. The first zodiac of the
common signs (or today's signs) in Egypt were done in the
temple of Denderah (temple of Hathor), a beautiful work on
the ceiling. Astronomy played a big part in ancient Egypt,
notice the astronomical texts of the 18th dynasty.
In case you are interested, Pleides was called the
seven Hathors in ancient Egypt, and were considered the
goddesses of fate and fortune.
----------
THE TEMPLE OF RA AT HELIOPOLIS
The Temple of Ra in Heliopolis as described by Herodutus.
Probably the largest temple in the world, it was about 2/3 of a
mile long, and a 1/4 of a mile in width.
The courtyard was described as made with polished black basalt
stones, so polished that it reflected the stars above and made it look
like one was walking among the stars. In the middle of the courtyard
was a full size tree, its trunk and branches made with Lapis Lazuli,
its leaves made with Turquoise! No doubt a most impressive court-
yard!
The entire temple is now under the suburb of Heliopolis, a suburb
of Cairo.
A small portion was uncovered 3 years ago, and showed the black
basaltic paving stones of the courtyard.
TAROT SYMBOLISM
2082
FROM: MICHAEL POE Since the tarot is not related to any Hindu
philosophy, I don't, and neither do the earlier tarot references,
refer to their philosophy to the symbolism, which is generally Her-
metic (Hermetic is derived from Hebrew, Christian, Greek, and Egyp-
tian). In hermeticism the eye is also symbolic of the Eye of Horus,
the Egyptian Hawk god, who soars over the earth seeing everything that
happens.
White, red and black also refer to Egyptian garments worn by Initiates
at least as early as the Greco-roman period and represents something
completely different than the Hindu. White is the undergarment because
it symbolizes the purified; the first garment put on after the
initiate bathes in the sacred lake. The red lining is for the Inunda-
tion of the Nile, or potential life giving. and Black is symbolic of
the black earth of Egypt, the life, manifested.
In the Waite deck, the dog also represents God, which it is if
spelled backward, nipping the initiate along the path, but in
ancient Egypt it is Anubis, the Guide and Guardian of the Initiate.
Right hand and left hand have always in Hermeticism been
associated with the Sun (right) and Moon (left), with the symbolism
and meanings associated with both (and corresponds to what was prev-
iously noted)
Actually, all of the early Tarot decks, from the very first found
in Italy up to the 1970's, reflect Hermeticism, and probably should be
interpreted that way.
However, currently there are so many different types of variations
that interpretations of elements may need to be referenced to a
particular deck. Hence, although, taking the Waite deck in view, the
Hindu interpretation of the clothes changes the meaning from the
original meaning of the card.
Symbolism of the tarot is not universal. For example, black
represents death (as a color) in Hermeticism, the tarot, and western
civilization; but in eastern civilization black represent life, and
white represents death. clearly a problem there!
Skeletons generally represent death or afterlife to western
civilization, but to some native american tribes and other people, it
represents power and not death! Hence, not every symbol in the Tarot
is universal or has a universal meaning. The tarot cards in general,
like Jungian's archetypes, are universal, but the individual symbols
are not.
Another example: the lightning hitting the pyramid and the person
falling off has no meaning with civilizations that don't have pyra-
mids, and little to most that do. However, did you know that the
pyramid in ancient Egypt represented the obelisk, which symbolizes the
first ray of light (lightening) striking Earth? And that the pyramid,
represents the top of the obelisk. that the obelisk were lightning
rods? Pyramid in ancient Egyptian language means "Place to Ascend",
whereas the card shows the person falling off after being struck by
the first ray of light!
2083
Now, as to the left/right hand depictions. Of course in the
earlier decks the Magician does not hold all four elements, but are
located on the table.
The Ace of cups, representing water, is not feminine in ancient
Egypt; it is either masculine or both. Wands are neuter (the word for
wand is neither male or female), earth can be either male or female,
and air is male (while heaven is female). In fact the variety of male,
female, neutral of the elements vary greatly in shamanistic religions
of the Native Americans. But it is Hermeticism, which combines the
Hebrew, Christian (more accurately Gnostic/Coptic), Egyptian and
Greek, than assigns our present meanings to the four elements and
suits.
Since the earliest deck is Italian of the 14-15th century, the
major influence would have been Hermeticism, not Hindu or other
eastern religion. Bernard Bromage builds a decent case for Egyptian
origin, which I explored in previous notes (did you see it, the
symbols were so close that there had to be an influence). One may
expect some Arab/Islamic influence (the Crusades were over), but the
interest in Greek/Roman art and writers were great at that time.
MIXED PANTHEONS, ETC.
Pan is not Bacchus, or the great horned god of Europe.
Despite the eclectic mind of today's Wiccan, that is of associat-
ing all male gods with each other and all female gods with each other,
is a disservice to both the god/dess and to the tradition.
Ancient Egyptian traditions (of which there were a dozen or more)
taught that you don't mix gods and goddesses indiscriminately, even if
they do share SOME attributes or powers. Their "High Concept" was that
even any one god/dess has several powers and to invoke specific powers
required the knowledge of what sacred symbols are associated with that
power, even if he/she (the god/dess) should be sitting down or stand-
ing up, the ritual done in daylight or nighttime. Many shamastic
religions don't mix and match their god/desses, don't do sun god/des-
ses at night and vice versa. The thoughts or reasons behind it is that
mixing and matching causes:
a. The ritual will not be as effective.
b. The ritual may not be effective.
c. The ritual or the residue afterward will have powers that weren't
intentioned by the person, but was part and parcel to the god/dess
invoked.
d. The ritual will backfire.
e. The ritual will have residue that will be uncomfortable.
f. It's warps the lines of power (more shamanistic thinking than
Egyptian, who says that it warps the Sa, which translates as spiritual
power).
Many shamanistic religions do not ground their power after the
ritual (after all, it usually is being held at a sacred spot). They
feel that either because the power will be contained at the power
spot, or the powers you invoked were clear enough not to leave a side
effect. Still, I am not proposing to not ground yourself afterward.
2084
So, what I do propose is to not try to associate one god/dess
with another. None of them will have the exact same attributes or
powers. And invoking Pan and Bacchus at an Egyptian temple, or Pan at
Stonehenge is just as bad as invoking Gabriel at the Great Pyramid!
It won't work, you won't get the power from the spot you want, only
your own, or negative power.
Isis, for instance is considered by most Wiccan's as one of the
Great Mother Goddesses. yet in ancient Egypt, out of her 3,000 year
history, most of the time she was not known as a Mother Goddesses.
At the Church of the Eternal Source (federation of Egyptian
temples) Isis Priest/esses rarely held out for very long. All kind of
terrible things generally happened to them. The main reason is that
all of them used part of Isis's powers, and would not work, or refused
to recognize her other powers. Eventually though, they seeped in
anyway and to their detriment. Had they recognized all of her powers
in the first place, things might have been different.
Perhaps your basic misconception is that all goddesses represent
the same forces; they don't; and neither do the gods.
Yes, basically there is one great force that encompasses both
male and female powers. This basic force, as it filters down, dif-
ferentiates into different types of forces, and these forces are the
god/desses that we know.
Isis doesn't have the same powers as Sekhmet or Hathor or Bast.
they may share some of the powers, but they have powers unique to
them.
Kind of like Leonardo De Vinci knowing a lot about everything, but
Cellini was an excellent goldsmith, Van Gogh a painter, Perot a
businessman.
Hence, not all goddesses are the same, nor do they have the same
powers.
You might consider it like rivers and oceans in reverse. The ocean
has all the attributes, and it drains it attributes into separate
rivers (some swift, some calm, some wide, some narrow, some short,
some long.
In Egypt the ultimate deity was called "Neter", which translates
as "Divine Principle" and the work is neuter, having both male and
female principles within. The next in order is a male neter and a
neteriat, a god and a goddess. Below that comes numerous god/desses
which more specific powers and attributes.
Now the question is, where these receptacles of specific powers
invented by mankind or higher powers? In the long run, it doesn't
matter as long as they work.
2085
Patheonists generally believe that there was a highest deity,
followed by two (male and female), followed by others down to the
spirits of earth, air, fire and water.
If you want to make use of a specific power, you should go to a
specific spirit or god/dess who has that power. You may not have a
great success with one who only has some of it, or is so undefined or
has so many other powers that it may get a little lost.
If you want spicy food, don't go with a mole sauce, go for a
Jalapeno sauce.
Also it seems that the further away from the highest deity to get,
the closer and more responsive it is to you.
You may find that you get a better response with a fire ritual
when using a fire elemental than of Sekhmet, and even less than using
Amon (a solar god).
----------
THE ANKH
Unfortunately the entry for "Ankh" in Barbara Walker's "Women's
Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets" got just about everything wrong.
The ankh is not evolved from an ancient symbol of the Goddess in
Libya and Phoenicia; the narrow triangle surmounted by a crossbar and
a round or oval head in both Libya and Phoenic evolved long after the
standard Egyptian ankh was made. In fact, it wasn't until after the
ancient Egyptians either conquered or did extensive trading with both
areas did their symbols evolve.
Well, maybe the book didn't get it all wrong. It is a symbol for
life (although not universal, for universal means that it was used
universally or all over the world, and it isn't). It is true that both
gods and goddesses in ancient Egypt held it, but they never presented
it to kings and the people, the scenes show the god/dess holding it to
the person's lips or head (which means bestowing life, and was not a
present). the part about the Christians is true, and it's true that
the ankh is the hieroglyph for the word "life", and is used in a
common saying "Life, Health, Strength."
But the ancient Egyptians never said that the ankh represented
the union of male and female sexual symbols (which were quite dif-
ferent symbols and bore no relation to the ankh, or resemblance to
it). It was not the "Key of the Nile" (except maybe it was mentioned
by the Greeks, who got most everything wrong about Egypt), nor is
there any sacred marriage between God and Goddess taking place at the
source of the Nile before the flood. In fact, in all of the Egyptian
mythologies there is not one mention of any God and Goddess being
married at the source of the Nile.
the copts and the Gnostics both used the Ankh or Crux Ansate
(Coptic word) before the 5th century ad, and both are Christian (well,
an argument can be made about the Gnostics being Christians).
2086
The question is then: what did the ancient Egyptians consider the
ankh representation? There are two ancient Egyptian references to the
ankh representation, and both agree.
The round oval or loop represented the Sun rising above, but not
yet above the horizon; in the desert that makes the Sun elongate next
to the horizon, making a loop like affair.
The crossbar represents the horizon.
The vertical section below the crossbar is the "Path of the Sun",
which would be the light casting a path across the Nile.
Hence, the Ankh represents Life because it represents the Path
across the Nile (life blood of Egypt, but oddly enough the Nile is
either male or hermaphrodite) past the horizon to the Sun (which,
depending on the traditions of Egypt can be either male or female, but
usually male).
The most ancient ankhs cross bar was actually the symbol of the
two mountains of sunrise and sunset (life and death, east and west),
and also consisted of papyrus (or some other plant tied together).
Taken as the two mountains, then the ankh represents the path of
birth, life, and death. It never had male or female attributes, but as
the path of birth, life and death, represents both.
----------
CO-PARTNERSHIP IN ANCIENT EGYPT
The goddess dominated group seem to be the most outspoken in the
*p* BBS, and it's a good thing that this particular subject was
broached, as all the co-partner groups have come out (and alleviated
the possible false impression that Wicca was just goddess oriented to
those who are new).
Horned gods in Egypt include Amon, Menthu, Serapis, Sokar.
Since at the inception of ancient egypt, 42 different societies
were involved in the consolidation of the kingdom (later to become
nomes or states), and these societies were patrilineal or matrilineal,
accommodation had to be made for both, so laws were passed making male
and females equal. It was the 2nd King of the 1st Dynasty (around
3,070 bce) that passed a law that women could rule Egypt.
Here they are, with the dynasties that they belonged.
1. Ist Dyn. Merneith
2. " Horneith
3. IV " Henutsen
4. V " Inty
5. VI " Ankhsenmerira
6. " Nitrokris (Noblest and Loveliest)
7. VII queen, name unknown
8. VII queen, name unknown
9. XII Sebek-neferu-Ra
10. XIII Aufna
11. XVIII Hatshepsut
12. Ptolemiac Period Cleopatra II
13. " " Cleopatra III
14. " " Cleopatra VII (the famous one)
2087
In the high magic section of ancient Egypt (the temples and their
staff), in the temples to Gods the male priesthood predominated.
Conversely in the temples to the Goddesses the female priesthood
predominated (yet you still find male and females in both). Since many
of the groups of gods in the cities were triads (male, female, off-
spring), there were rituals to each separately, and rituals for both.
Many times the god was worshipped in the day, the goddess at night,
but of course, in Egypt, where many traditions did their own thing,
sometimes it was reversed. In others, such as the city of Memphis, the
female was the Sun, the male god was the moon or something else.
Now as to magic and worship within the family and village. this is
the part that is closest in tone to Wicca, so those of you into Wicca
may find this interesting (especially as this is a little explored
area even within Egyptology!). All families had a family shrine. Who
presided over the shrine was usually determined by whether any in the
family was an initiated priest/priestess. If none were, the eldest son
usually presided (but again, there were many exceptions, in states
where goddesses predominated, it was the eldest daughter). The orien-
tation of the family life (farmer, sailor, trader, etc) determined the
chief god/dess. A farmer's family usually had Osiris and Isis and
co-partners; a healers, Sekhmet and Thoth.
In villages, where there were no temples, then there were groups of
interested people who belonged to a group, more formal than the family
group, less formal than a temple, and was headed by an initiated
priest/ess. Hence, in a village where there may be four initiated
people, there usually would be four groups. For example, in a suburb
of Hermopolis state there was a male healer of Thoth, a female healer
of Sekhmet, a priest of Thoth, and a Priestess of Isis. Hence, there
was a healing group, a female oriented (emphasis on midwife types)
group, a divination group, and a family group (Isis). Some people
belonged to several groups. All groups also worshiped other god/dess
besides the chief one, and even in Isis, Osiris, during part of the
year, had more emphasis than Isis. The Isis group did their magical
thing in a sacred grove (another similarity, as sacred groves were
important).
Many families had dual shrines, with eldest son leading the god
rituals, and eldest daughter leading the goddess, and neither predom-
inated. In fact, god AND goddess were considered essential, each
predominate in their powers, but always complementing each other.
In the big temples, there was a lot of god/dess images going on
visits to their spouses, and once a year, all of the god/desses
journeyed down the Nile to the main temple.
There is a book called "Mythological Papyrus" that has exact
copies of the initiations of both priests and priestesses of various
god/desses of the 21st Dynasty. All involved astral journeys of some
sort according to their traditions.
For those who are really into goddess worship you will be pleased
to know that the last operating temple of Egypt was the Temple of Isis
2088
at Philae before it was closed by the Christians in the late 5th/early
6th century, however people continued coming for 100 years later,
despite the Islamic conquest over the Christians in Egypt during that
century.
----------
OSIRIS
Hatshepsut is well known because the next Pharaoh became famous
and his monuments (and those of hers that he defaced) are still in
existence.
In case you, or anyone else is interested, and especially if you
are planning on a trip to Egypt in the future, Queen Henutsen, also
called Isis, Mistress of the Pyramids and wife of Khufu (or Cheops) is
sometimes seen in a white robe flittering (if that is a correct term)
around the Great Pyramids and the other pyramids. The Egyptians raised
Henutsen to the status of a Goddess and shrines were built for her. if
you visit the pyramids, give an offering or a prayer to her, for she
is the Mistress of the Pyramids and Guardian thereof. In ancient
Egypt, to say the name of a person who is deceased is to make them
live forever in heaven.
by the way, other ruling queens were later elevated to Goddes-
shood, Nitrokris, Merneith, Hatshepsut.
If one looks carefully at the legends (also the sources and time
periods of each legend) concerning Isis, one is led to the conclusion
that there were indeed, two Isis's. There was Isis, the Goddess
worshipped in the Predynastic period, and there was Isis, the Queen,
who eventually merged with the goddess to our presently known Isis.
the early stories of Isis's, shows a definite mythology of Isis
the goddess, and a historical treatment of Isis the queen. Can it be,
you ask? Yes. Predynastic and early Dynastic rulers had very short
names, many of them named after their local gods. There was a predyna-
stic king of Upper Egypt called Aher, named after Anher, the God of
War. There are other examples,and everyone knows that later kings
still incorporated God/desses names into their own names.
Perhaps then the Contendings of Horus and Set, which is a tale of
Osiris the King and Isis the Queen battling their brother Set, between
the two kingdoms is actually a revised version of 2 brothers vying to
unite the kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt in predynastic times, with
the names of the King and Queen of Upper Egypt being Osiris and Isis
(or a close version thereof), versus Set of Lower Egypt (or a version
thereof). It is interesting to note that up until the 7th Dynasty, the
Egyptians reported to have known exactly where the tomb of King Osiris
was in Abydos, and regularly put offerings there. during the 2nd
Intermediate period (civil wars abounded), this knowledge was lost,
and another tomb was misidentified as the tomb of Osiris.
2089
Therefore, if indeed, as the ancient Egyptians insist, that there
was indeed a real Osiris, then it follows that there was an Isis that
lived and breathed.
The canonization of people in ancient Egypt into a form of saints
or even gods are as old as predynastic times and existed all the way
through to Cleopatra VII, last ruler of Egypt. There are famous women
who were not rulers who were thus canonized.
If you want to read more about Osiris, I suggest you read:
Henri Frankfort: Ancient Egyptian Philosophy
E. Wallis Budge: Osiris (not great, but comprehensive)
W. Faulkner: The Egyptian Book of the Dead
Rundle: Ancient Egyptian Religion
Sigmund Morenz: Ancient Egyptian Religion
Klaus Baier: Osiris, His Tomb in Abydos (article in the
French Institute of Archaeology of Cairo, if you read French).
----------
Have you gotten a newsletter in May? The CES is currently
undergoing a restructuring, there should be 4 newsletters and 1 to 2
Khepera (journals) per year. I will be contributing to both. In past
newsletters I have contributed some spells, rituals, and many hymns
that have been translated from temple walls or papyri or osteraca. I
will be doing more extensive articles for the magazine, like one that
will be on the metaphysical parts of man in ancient Egypt. Much of the
material are extracts from my Magnum Opus. 90% of it is on paper as
notes, and 1st drafts. Only 10% currently on computer, and that is
where the future time will go. As putting it on computer, the notes
will become 1st drafts; the 1st drafts will become more finished and
polished to the 2nd draft stage (with additional notes added in; isn't
computers a wonderful tool; insert note between sentences or add a
paragraph without having to retype the entire page!). The 3rd and
probable final draft will be adding last notes, final polishing,
footnotes, indexing, and grammar and sentence checking.
the Rituals, hymns, spells, blessings, consecrations, 4 direct-
ional rituals, initiations are complete on paper, with about 10% of
that on computer. Basically all of this is going into a data base, so
cross referencing can be done.
Although it may not be needed (but you may want to think about doing
it) in Wicca, in Egyptian it is essential because of the traditions
and large time frame involved.
Example:
Type: Blessing, Consecration, astral projection, mantras (yes,
even mantras in Egypt).
Main God/dess or Goddess: Main goddess invoked, plus any others,
also there are some generic rites.
Traditions: identifies the different traditions this particular
ritual comes from.
Source: Where did I acquire this? Much is from translations from
published books (like Excavations at Abydos by Petrie (translations of
hymns on temple walls), or from the French Institute of Archaeology in
Cairo.
2090
Time Period: important occasionally because the god/dess powers
and attributes changed over time.
Form: what does the god/dess look like, stand/sit, hold during
this spell/ritual. Visualizing one form of Isis that naturally invokes
one set of specific powers, but using a ritual that invokes another
set of powers creates conflict, and at best, won't be effective, and
at worst, down right dangerous.
Corresponding Codes: Since most Egyptian rituals are composed (as
are wicca) of elements, such as drawing the circle, consecration,
blessing, hymns, etc.; in Egypt they were given to the individual in
parts. the individual was already trained on how to put the parts
together. Hence, he or she may have 5-6 ways to invoke the 4 direc-
tions, using three sets of god/desses. He/she may also have 10 bles-
sings, 20 hymns, etc to different gods/goddesses. He has to know (like
a alchemist) how to successfully match the parts together to make a
successful whole.
----------
Recommendations on books on ancient Egypt and it's practices:
Priests of Ancient Egypt: Serge Sauron (last word is probably
misspelled.)
Egyptian Religion: by Morenz
Ancient Egyptian Thought and Culture: Henri Frankfort
Egyptian Temples: by Margaret Murray
Isis in the Greco-Roman World: probably by Michael Hoffman.
----------
MICHAEL POE'S EGYPTIAN READING LIST
Compiled by Lady Lyn DenElder Black
Ancient Egypt Thought & Culture, Henri Frankfort
Ancient Egyptian Literature, Miriam Lichtheim 3 vol. set
Ancient Egyptians, A. Rosalie David
Egyptian Astronomical Texts, 3 vol. Neugebauer & Richard
Parker..astrology/astronomy
Egyptian Hieroglyphics, Mercer, SAB vocabulary & exercises
Egyptian Hieroglyphic Dictionary, Faulkner
Egyptian Reading, deBuck, Middle Egypt texts, exercises
Egyptian Religion, Sigmund Morenz
Egyptian Temples, Serge Sauneron
Egyptian Temples, Margaret Murray
Isis in the Greco-Roman World, ? Michael Hoffman ?
Origins of the Zodiac, Rupert Gleadow, astronomy/astrology
Priests of Ancient Egypt, Serge Sauneron
Rise & Fall of the Middle Kingdom, H.E.Winlock
anything by Henri Frankfort
NO - BUDGE!!!
There are some more specific books out, one on Thoth, one on Hathor,
one on Imhotep, and a couple of others. The most interesting ones not
on the list are also long out of print; The Coffin Texts (XI-XII
Dynasty) of about 1,200 rituals and spells. The Pyramid Texts (IV-VI
2091
Dynasties) of about 700 rituals and spells, The Harris Magic al
Papyrus, whose English edition runs around $ 1,700 or more, assuming
you can find one. I finally found a German and perhaps a French
translation and have a friend whose roommate reads both. The Harris
Magical Papyrus is considered THE MOST IMPORTANT magical papyrus EVER
found. I believe that Michael Grant is the author of Isis in the
Greco-Roman world, but will check up on that.
2092
{file "Beltane. 90" "bos447.htm"}
This is the transcript of the Online Beltane CON held on May 2,
1990 in Section 8 (New Age/Pagan/Occult) of the Religion Forum.
(8-6,Gwynndon) This is a special night...
relax, and the extra energy of it...
will flow into you...
we are a part of the Earth...
dig your toes down into the soil, like the trees...
and pull up the energy of the Mother...
Breathe in with your heartbeat...
also a lifeforce of the Earth...
circulate the energy, and see the Earth as it is at night...
visualize a bubble of blue light...
forming to the East...
spreading North...
around to the West....
through the South, and connecting east again...
and know that this circle is purified of the mundane.
Facing the East ...
Hail, Guardians of the Watchtower of the East...
We do summon, stir and call ye...
to join us, witness this rite, and Guard our Circle!
Hail and Welcome!
Facing the South...
Hail, Guardians of the Watchtower of the South...
We do summon, stir and call ye...
to join us, witness this rite, and Guard our Circle!
Facing West...
Hail, Guardians of the Watchtower of the West...
We do summon, stir, and call ye...
to join us, witness this rite, and Guard our Circle!
Facing North...
Hail, Guardians of the Watchtower of the North...
We do summon, stir, and call ye...
to join us, witness this rite, and guard our Circle!
Inspiration and air from the East...
Fire and passion from the South...
Water and Compassion from the West...
Earth and stability from the North...
All meet in the center, and form a web of life and power!
So mote it be!
(8-1,S.H.) So mote it be
(8-5,Ian) So mote it be!
(8-2,Jehana) so mote it be!
(8-4,Peri) so mote it be!
(8-6,Gwynndon) On this night at the beginning of the Warmtimes...
2093
let us remember the Belfire, and how it came to be...
The Moon and the Sun, Goddess and God...
are great lovers, the model for us all...
and like human lovers, they have had quarrels.
This particular quarrel developed because of the god...
He built himself a beautiful garden...
though he would not let his lady in to see it...
a minor point became overblown...
as it usually happens...
and they stopped speaking for a while...
Of course once forbidden...
the lady wanted to see it all the more...
and so the Moon Goddess wrapped herself in a cloak of
Night...
and by stealth got into this Garden...
Well, the God was no fool...
and he laid a trap for her...
and so once inside, she could not leave again without
alerting him...
So the Goddess hid herself and began waiting...
and since her patience far outshone that of the God...
he began looking for her; he tired of waiting
As soon as he left his post at the entrance of the garden...
she sprang again into the air, getting free!
So began a great chase through the Heavens...
though the God could not catch his lady against her will...
the people on Earth meanwhile were very worried...
with all of the comings and goings of the Sun and Moon...
and their priests bid them build great bonfires...
on all of the hills to get the attention of the God and
Goddess...
Well, they eventually tired of the chase...
and the Goddess let the God catch her...
and being too tired to go back to that lovely garden...
they forgave each other right in the middle of the sky...
and so the eclipse was born...
though it only looks like one from the Earth...
it is really that cloak of the Goddess...
covering their rites of Love!
So we commemorate this beginning of warmtimes with the
Belfire to this day.
(8-2,Jehana) So mote it be.
(8-5,Ian) As it was, so shall it be.
(8-4,Peri) so mote it be!
(8-1,S.H.) So mote it be!
(8-6,Gwynndon) Green-eyed Lady, laughing lady!
Brown-eyed Lady, sensuous lady!
Blue-eyed Lady, Lady of Steel...
Join our Circle... Be Wellcome!!
Please honor the Goddess as you choose...
in all of Her Forms, be Welcome!
2094
(8-2,Jehana) Be welcome!
(8-5,Ian) Ceud Mile Fialte, Lady!
(8-6,Gwynndon) Lady of Flame, Lady of Night, Blessed Be!
(8-1,S.H.) With Adoration, I implore you.
(8-1,S.H.) Blessed Be!
(8-6,Gwynndon) Lord of Stream and Field...
Lord of Mountain and King of Beasts...
Wild Man of Nature, Be WellCome!
Behold, the God has come to his Lady!
Please honor the God in your own way...
(8-1,S.H.) Hail Bounding One, Lord of Life and Death!
(8-2,Jehana) Hail Hunter!
(8-5,Ian) Ceud Mile Fialte, Lord!
(8-6,Gwynndon) Great trickster, yet faithful master, Blessed Be!
(8-1,S.H.) Blessed Be!
(8-6,Gwynndon) Help me build the Bel-fire, so that the Lord and
Lady be honored...
As the flames jump higher and higher...
So grows the cone of power...
As we circle round the fire...
in imitation of the Great Chase of the God and Goddess...
so the energy builds and builds...
envision that which you wish...
and that which you wish to lose...
and in this night of joy and celebration...
cast it into the fire!
That which we wish SO MOTE IT BE!!
(8-1,S.H.) So mote it be!
(8-4,Peri) so mote it be!
(8-2,Jehana) So mote it be!
(8-5,Ian) So mote it be!
(8-6,Gwynndon) Allow the flames of the Belfire to calm down
slowly...
and as they lower, know that the energy is not gone...
just transmuted...
as the love of Goddess and God ever changes...
yet always endures...
<any specific problems can be mentioned here...>
(8-6,Gwynndon) May the energy help me with my finals next week...
and those papers <g>
(8-2,Jehana) May the energy keep a one I know healthy.
Thru the surgery he will have to undergo.
(8-1,S.H.) May the problems of my past year and stay in last
year.
(8-5,Ian) I wish for the physical and spiritual strength to
continue my physical rehabilitation and integration of my person
again.
2095
(8-6,Gwynndon) Together we are greater than alone...
and the Goddess and God are here to guide our energy
onward...
So let's leave them to finish their lovemaking in private...
and thank them for attending!!
(8-2,Jehana) Thank you, oh, yes!
(8-6,Gwynndon) Great God... thank you for your help and
attendance...
and may we meet again!... Hail and Farewell, though not
Goodbye!
(8-1,S.H.) Oh My Lady, thou art the breath in my life...
Oh my Lord, thou art the blood in my veins...
As Life goes on, I shall never forget not forsake you.
(8-5,Ian) Great Lord & Noble Lady, thank you for attending this
circle!
(8-1,S.H.) Blessed Be, and Merry Meet!
(8-4,Peri) Hail and Farewell!
(8-6,Gwynndon) and let us not keep the lady from her lover...
Merry met, merry do we part, and merry shall we meet again!
(8-1,Ian) So mote it be! Blessed Be!
(8-6,Gwynndon) Guardians of the Watchtowers, without your
balanced elements...
(8-1,S.H.) Thank you Lord and Lady, and thank you Gwynndon,
Blessed Be and Merry Meet!
(8-6,Gwynndon) the world would not be.... thank you for attending
our Circle!
(8-2,Jehana) Hail & Farewell!
(8-6,Gwynndon) The circle is open, but the Magic lingers...
(8-1,S.H.) Hail and Fare thee well, oh Guardians of the Towers of
the Universe.
(8-6,Gwynndon) Thank you all!<g>
(8-2,Jehana) And, thank you, Gwynndon!!
(8-1,S.H.) (pouring wine for Gwynndon)
(8-2,Jehana) (g)
(8-6,Gwynndon) takes a sip...<g>..good wine!
(8-5,Ian) (passing buttered Scones!)
(8-2,Jehana) Nice vintage!
(8-2,Jehana) <trying scones> Yum.
(8-1,S.H.) nothing but the best for this crew...
2096
{file "Imbolc.90" "bos448.htm"}
CompuServe on-line Imbolc Ritual, 1990
(Ladyhawk)
This is Imbolc...or Candlemas...or Brigit's day
This is the feast of the waxing light.
What was born at the Winter Solstice begins to manifest
The Lady, midwife to the infant year,
now sees the Child Sun grow strong
as the days grow visibly longer.
It is a time of beginnings,
when we select the seed we will later plant,
nurture, and eventually harvest.
After I do each invocation, I will pause and let each of you say
a FEW words no more than 2 lines, please...to your particular
deity
Right now, I'd like everyone to ground and center themselves...
in the way that is best for you.
As you do, see yourself bathed in a white light, cleansing you
and your area.
Now, mentally turn to the East:
Powers of the East
We bid you come
To witness our rite
And protect us!
Now mentally turn to the South:
Powers of the South
We bid you come
To witness our rite
And protect us!
<Now mentally turn to the West:>
Powers of the West
We bid you come
To witness our rite
And protect us!
<Now mentally turn to the North:>
Powers of the North
We bid you come
To witness our rite
And protect us!
<Back once more to the East and in your own way, salute the East
again>
Now, let us all link together
Feel the earth energy welling up from the bowels of the Earth,
our Mother
Feel it rise to our feet and up through our bodies
White light energy
Feel it flow through us and link us,
2097
one with the other
So finally we feel and see the circle of energy,
the circle of power
binding us together and setting us apart
In a space not of this time, but of all times
Not of these places, but all places!
Blessed Be!
Sun King!
Horned One of animals and wild places
Joyously we ask you come!
All the land is wrapped in the chill of winter
The trees are bare and
the air is cold.
Yet still our hearts are glad
For we know you have been reborn
And nurtured in your early days
By the gracious Mother Goddess,
Lady of all fertility.
We bid you welcome
And rejoice in your growing strength!
Hail Great God!
Hail and Welcome! <ga>
(Jehana) Hail & Welcome!
(Ocean Mist) u!/u
(Shadow Hawk) Hail Mother, from you the Sun once more does grow!
(Gwynndon) Hail and Welcome!
(Shadowstar) Welcome, Lord of the Sun!
(Jehana) Brigid, Arianhrod, Cerridwyn, Herne... Welcome!
(Larne) Welcome Lord! Share with us your warmth and light!
(Ocean Mist) Hail and welcome in your new light!
(Ladyhawk)
Great Goddess, Noble Lady!
Known to the Celts as Brigit, Bride, Cerridwen, and more
Goddess of Light
Keeper of the sacred wells!
We gather tonite to honor your
who has nurtured the Sun King.
As the spring lambs are born
and the ewes come to milk,
as we sense spring itself
so close
We bid you welcome as we
Clear out the old and make way for the new
Welcome Lady
2098
Welcome and all Hail!
(Gwynndon) Bride is come! Bride is Welcome!
(Jehana) Welcome, bright lady, spark of inspiration!
(Rita) Welcome, Great Mother. Welcome and grow strong, Young
Lord.
(Shadowstar) Welcome, Lady of Light!
(Larne) Welcome Lady! Nurture and help us as we grow!
(Shadow Hawk) Mother smile upon us and bring us Life, Son shine
down upon us and bring us Light!
(Ocean Mist) Welcome goddess of light!
(Ladyhawk)
Now, let us each concentrate on that which we need to "sweep out"
of our lives
Picture it as, with a new, clean broom,
you sweep it away
and it vanishes in the air.
And now, with ourselves cleansed,
let us meditate on that we might wish
to plant for this year...
the "seed" we will plant in the spring.
For, this is the time of chosing the seed
and preparing for the planting.
Gracious Lady! Help us chose wisely the seed!
and now, with our seed selected and held dearly in our hearts,
it is time to thank the Lady and the Lord.
O Sun King, Horned One!
We thank thee for thy presence
Surely we feel your growing strength
In our heart of hearts
and find joy in knowing
that as the sun grows,
so do you!
We thank thee for teaching us that
even in the depths of winter
Life grows!
Farewell, Lord, if you must go.
Though, gladly would we have you stay and
rejoice with us.
Hail, Sun King!
Gracious Lady,
We thank thee for thy guidance
in selecting our seed.
Truly will we hold it in our hearts
2099
Till the time of planting.
We thank thee also
For teaching us the wisdom
of cleansing and letting go
of that which is no longer useful to us.
Thus do we heal of past hurts
and grow in strength, even as does our Lord.
We thank thee
and bid you farewell if you must go,
but gladly would we have you stay
and rejoice with us!
Hail, Gracious Lady!
And now, we will let our circle sink back into the Earth once
again.
For all that comes of the Earth, must surely return to Her.
But even as the circle departs,
know that we are still bound
By our love of the Gods
and the Love between us.
Blessed Be!
(Shadow Hawk) Blessed Be
(Rita) Blessed Be!
(Ocean Mist) Blessed Be!
(Shadowstar) Blessed Be!
(Larne) Farewell Lord and Lady. Depart our circle, but be always
with us.
Blessed Be!
(Jehana) Blessed Be! So Mote it Be!
(Gwynndon) Blessed Be!
(Vkai) Blessed Be!
(Ladyhawk)
<Now turn in your mind's eye once again to the East>
Farewell, Powers of the East
We thank you for
Your attendence
and protection
Peace ever between thee and we!
<Face South>
Farewell Powers of the South
We thank you for your attendence
and protection
Peace ever between thee and we!
<face West>
2100
Farewell Powers of the West
We thank you for your attendence
and protection
Peace ever between thee and we!
<face North>
Farewell Powers of the North
We thank you for your attendence
and protection
Peace ever between thee and we!
<once more face East and mentally salute once again>
The circle is open, but unbroken
Merry meet and merry part
and merry meet again!
(Shadow Hawk) Merry Meet and Merry Part, and Merry Meet Again!
(Ladyhawk) <The Rite is ended>
(Shadow Hawk) (passing food)
(Jehana) (Passing drink)
(Larne) I'll have some of those cakes!
2101
{file "Lammas.91" "bos449.htm"}
July 31, 1991
10:30 EDT
This file contain a transcript of the 1991 Lammas ritual held online
in the
CompuServe RELIGION forum Section 8. The participants were:
User User ID Name
---- ------------- -------------------
1 72065,425 Cygnus
2 72730,2603 gaius
3 71600,621 Jehana
4 73715,1552 Larne
7 76304,3712 HAWK
8 71640,3711 SilverHawk
10 75325,1441 Shadow Hawk
12 71510,73 Peggy
This evenings ritual was designed and led by Shadow Hawk.
*********************************************************************-
*********************************************************************
\{ \} denotes an edit.
Text in \{\} has been changed, moved or editied in some fashion AFTER
the ritual was complete.
( ) denotes action.
If you see (text) in parentheses, it indicates something you should
do.
" " denotes something to say verbally.
If you see "text" in quotes, it is something for you to repeat.
If you see text by itself, read and follow along, ok?
*********************************************************************-
*********************************************************************
Ok, you all will need bread, charcoal, a cauldron/braiser of some
kind...
that you can ignite the charcoal in.
Does everyone know what Lammas is all about?
Ok, Lammas is a ritual dedicated to the Sun God, or the Corn God
Or a variety of other Gods that are known as sacrificial gods
called because the ancients believed that the sun at it's highest
point (middle of summer) died, and that the essense went into the
food to sustain life during the long cold winter ahead. This is the
time of the Corn King, as was said, the first of the Harvest times
when the first crops were brought in.
ok, then, we begin...
LAMMAS
2102
* (Visualize a cloud of incense falling across
the world, cleansing and purifying, and saying,)
"By the Spirits of Air and Fire I cleanse thee."
(Visualize a rain of water and the strength of
the Earth rising up and say,)
"By the Creatures of Water and Earth I cleanse thee."
* (Everyone visualize and connect with the south,
the element of Fire.)
Ye Guardians of the Watchtowers of the South,
ye Powers of Fire; Spirits of Illumination and
Desire, I do summon, stir, and call you up, to
witness our rites and to guard the Circle.
(Connect with the West and the spirit of Water, )
Ye Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West,
ye Powers of Water; Spirits of Death and
Initiation, I do Summon, stir, and call upon
you to Witness our Rites and to guard the
Circle.
(Connect with the North and the spirit of Earth,)
Ye Guardians of the Watchtower of the North,
ye Powers of Earth, Keepers of the Northern
Portals, Spirits of Mountain and Plains, I do
summon, stir, and call upon you to witness our
Rites and to Guard the Circle.
(Connect with the East and the spirit of Air, )
Ye Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East,
ye Powers of Air; Spirits of Clear Will and
Knowledge, I do summon, stir, and call you up,
to witness our rites and to guard the Circle.
(Visualize the Earth Herself illuminated in
a Circle of silver Light. )
2103
The Circle is cast, we are between the
worlds, beyond the boundaries of time, where
Night and Day Birth and Death, Joy and Sorrow,
meet as one.
* Listen to the words of the Great Mother, she
whom of old was also called among men Artemis,
Astarte, Athena, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite,
Cerridwen, Dana, Arianrhod, Isis, Brid, and by
many other names.
Whenever you have need of any thing, once in
the month, and better it be when the Moon is
full, then shall ye assemble in some secret
place and adore the spirit of Her, who is
Queen of all witches. There shall ye
assemble, ye who are fain to learn all
sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets,
to these will She teach things that are yet
unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery,
and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall
be naked in your rites, and ye shall dance,
sing, feast, make music and love, all in Her
praise. For Her's is the secret door that
opens upon the Land of Youth, and Her's is the
cup of the wine of life, and the Cauldron of
Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of
Immortality. She is the Gracious Goddess, who
gives the gift of Joy unto the hearts of Man.
Upon Earth, She gives knowledge of the spirit
eternal, and beyond death, She gives peace,
and freedom, and reunion with those who have
gone before. Nor does She demand sacrifice,
for behold, She is the Mother of all living,
and her Love is poured out upon the Earth.
Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess, she in
the dust of whose feet are the hosts of
Heaven, and whose body encircles the
Universe.
She who is the beauty of the green Earth, and
the white Moon among the stars, and the
mystery of the waters, and the desire of the
hearts of man, calls unto thy soul. Arise,
and come unto Her. For She is the soul of
Nature, who gives life to the universe. From
Her all things proceed, and unto Her all
things must return, and before Her face,
beloved of Gods and of men, let thine
innermost divine self be enfolded in the
rapture of the infinite. Let Her worship be
within the heart that rejoiceth, for behold,
all act of love and pleasure are Her rituals.
And therefore let there be beauty and
2104
strength, power and compassion, honor and
humility, mirth and reverence within you. And
thou who thinkest to seek for Her, know thy
seeking and yearning shall avail thee not,
unless thou knowest the mystery, that if what
thou seekest thou findest not within thee,
then thou shalt never find it without thee.
For behold, She has been with thee from the
beginning, and She is that which is attained
at the end of desire.
* (Light charcoal and Take piece of bread in hand. )
now is the time to light your charcoal, and take the bread in hand.
This is the time of Lugh, the Shining One, the
Bright One, the Golden One, the Sacrificed
One. He was conceived in the depths of
Winter, was Born in the Spring, Danced and
Loved in the Summer, and now, He Dies in the
Harvest so that we may Live through the long
Winter's Night.
Corn King, Sun King, Die and Be Reborn!
(Feel the death in the bread, the grains that
grew under the Sun, feeling the wind and the
rain on their husks, the sything of the grain
so that the bread may be made, the sacrifice
of Life so that Life could live. )
(Feel the Life in the bread, that which has
given up life, yet is filled with life, with
the sustanence that it provides, contemplate
hunger, and then the filling of that need.
See enough bread to feed the world., for the
God\{dess\} is not stingy, but looks after all
Her Children. )
(Holding the Bread in your hand, offer it up
for Blessings. )
"Oh Mighty Mother of us all, bringer of all
fruitfulness, give us fruit and grain, flocks
and herds, and children to the tribe, that we
may mighty. By the Rose of thy love, do thou
descend upon the body of thy children."
"Behold, the Holly King is dead, he who is
also the Corn King. He has embraced the Great
Mother, and died of his love, so has it been,
year by year, since time began. But if the
2105
Holly King is dead, he who is the God of the
Waning Year, all is dead; all that sleeps in
Her womb of Earth would sleep forever. What
shall we do therefore, that the Holly King may
live again?"
"We Shall eat of the bread of Life. Then
shall sleep lead on to rebirth."
(Tear off part of the Bread and offer it to the
Flame. As it ignites and smokes, see the
spark of life that will be reborne in the womb
of the Earth Mother in the Winter.)
As the bread smokes, see life and death in the smoke, one lives on
the
other...
and without both, we would not be.
"Come back to us, Holly King, that the land may
be fruitful."
I am the battle-waging spear;
I am a salmon in the pool;
I am a hill of poetry;
I am a ruthless boar;
I am a threatening noise of the sea;
I am a wave of the sea;
Who but I knows the secrets of the unhewn
dolmen?
(Feel the Essense of the God, His Birth, His
Life, and His Death, Gentle tongue, endless
passion, strength of His arms, the Warmth of
His Touch, and know that Thou art God as well.)
(Eat the Bread, and feel the essense of the God
on your tongue, and filling your body with
strenth for the trials of the Harvest and
Winter.)
* \{(Connect with the East and feel the Air dying
down.)
Ye Powers of the East, thanks be yours for
attending our Rites, and ere ye depart to your
Sacred realms, we bid you Hail and farewell.\}
(Connect with the North and feel the Earth
sinking down)
Ye Powers of the North, thanks be yours for
2106
attending our Rites, and ere ye depart to your
Sacred realms, we bid you Hail and farewell.
(Connect with the West and feel the ocean
retreating.)
Ye Powers of the West, thanks be yours for
attending our Rites, and ere ye depart to your
Sacred realms, we bid you Hail and farewell.
(Connect with the South and feel the fire
subsiding.)
Ye Powers of the South, thanks be yours for
attending our Rites, and ere ye depart to your
Sacred realms, we bid you Hail and farewell.
(Visualize the Circle expanding, beyond the
earth and out into space, bringing health and
good harvest throughout the world.)
"The Circle is Open, but never Broken, Merry
Meet, and Merry Part, and Merry Meet again!"
*********************************************************************
THIS IS THE END OF THE 1991 LAMMAS ONLINE RITUAL.
Thanks to Shadow Hawk for leading us this evening and thank you all
for
attending (past or present) and I hope you will be able to join us in
person
for our next gathering.
If you have any questions or comments, you can contact:
75325,1441 - Shadow Hawk
71600,621 - Jehana
71640,3711 - SilverHawk
On the CompuServe RELIGION forum in Section 8 (NewAge/Pagan/Occult).
Peace and prosperity to you and yours.
SilverHawk
\*/
S
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{file "Lammas.90" "bos450.htm"}
CompuServe On-Line Lammas Ritual, 1990
<< Shadow Hawk has asked us for our locations to aid in >> <<
plotting the circle. >>
(8-4,Jehana) Danbury Conn
(8-12,NC) New York
(8-1,Ladyhawk) LA county, California
(8-9,SilverHawk) Elk Grove Village, IL
(8-11,Larne) New Haven, CT.
(8-13,Dale) Long Island New York
(8-16,Shadowstar) Houston, Texas
(8-3,gnat) Chicagaw, Illinoise
(8-7,Rilla) Grand Rapids, Michigan
(8-5,Gwynndon) Baton Rouge, La
(8-17,Caitlin) LeLeesburg, VA
<< An explanation of the ritual has been requested >>
(8-8,SH) Lammas is the time where the fields are ready for
harvesting, and it is too late to worry if you have done enough
for the oncoming winter. It is a Corn God, (Lugh) oriented
festival. It is a celibration and rememberance for the life that
dies... so that life may live.
<< --------------------- STARTING ------------------->>
(8-8,SH) beginning....
As you sit, begin slow deep breaths...
relax, center, feel the earth beneath your feet
feel the life coursing in your veins
feel the breath flowing in your lungs
feel the feel of being alive
savor that, be that, experience that aliveness,
for winter is coming.
(8-8,SH) We draw the Circle, beginning in the south.
In your mind's eye, see the Circle of Fire as it stretches
in an arc from Texas, upward, sweeping curve, to California.
As the circle passes the West, the Fire becomes Water,
and a line of liquid blue sweeps upward and across the
country to the north, far North, into the home of Earth.
The Circle of liquid Blue now becomes dark, dark as the
fertile earth, and the arc proceeds to the East, to the home
of Air, where the Circle becomes yellow.
The Arc continues on to the South, to the home of Fire, and
the Circle is Cast, We are in the place Between the Worlds,
outside the Space of Time, where Life and Death have no
meaning. We have come home.
(8-8,SH) Shadowstar, from the South, will you please invoke the
Watchtower of the South, as is your right?
Ladyhawk, from the West, will you invoke the Watchtower of
the West...
when Shadowstar is finished?
2108
(8-16,Shadowstar) Hail, Watcher of the South, Power of Fire! Join
us here this night and be welcome!
(8-8,SH) Blessed BE
(8-1,Ladyhawk) Hail, Watcher of the West, Lord of the oceans,
rain and lakes...
I bid you come, join us in this rite and lend your
protection...
Be welcome! Blessed Be!
(8-8,SH) Blessed BE!
(8-8,SH) Jehana, will you invoke the Watchtower of the North?
(8-4,Jehana) Hail, Watcher of the North...
Earth; the bones of the continents beneath our feet...
Hail and welcome
(8-8,SH) Caitlin, will you proceed?
(8-17,Caitlin) Hail, great spirit and watcher of the East....
spirit of Air, which nourishes all that lives....
come now to our circle; cleanse us and help us to travel...
freely in your world, aided by your force. Blessed be!
(8-8,SH) Blessed Be!
(8-8,SH) Hail Lady, Bright Mother, Dark Mother...
We call to you, from your home in the Stars,
From your home beneath our feet, your children call to you.
Come, be with us, guide us tonight in your Rites.
Hail Sun God, Hail Corn God, we call you you.
From your Fiery Chariot, we bid you come...
From the Fertile Fields, we bid you come...
Be with us, guide us, in your Rite tonight.
Now is the time of the death of the Sun God,
as we walk into the dark of night.
Breath deep of the light of the Golden One,
Lugh, the Sun King, for the long nights are coming.
Now is the time of the death of the Corn King,
who dies as the fields are reaped.
We stand in the time of waiting,
for the fall of winter is upon us,
and the ground shall lie lifeless
under the hand of the Reaper.
Look at the fields of your life.
Have you sown well?
Have you tended your fields with care?
What do you fear?
(8-8,SH) Now, take your candle, and light it.
Now, take a piece of bread in your hand,
a small piece, and hold it
2109
think about your fears that haunt you in the night...
focus them into the bread,
and chant the name of your fear into
the piece of bread.
when you have focused your fear into the bread,
hold the charged bread to the flame,
and chant your fear BEGONE!
As the bread smokes and blackens, your fears are burned away
all fears are burned away
Take these fears and feed them to the Fire,
free yourself from fear.
Give your fears to the fire, and let them go,
you do not need them.
(8-8,SH) In this fire, may it pass from me,
May it pass, May it pass,
May it pass on the outflowing tide
And burn with the red sun
As the year dies
And fade
As everything fades,
As everything passes,
All fades away,
As everything passes,
All fades away.
What do you hope to harvest?
Think about your Harvest, what will you reap?
(8-8,SH) take the rest of the bread, and hold it in your hand,
Chant what you desire, what is your harvest,
what are your hopes?
(8-8,SH) In this night hope manifests
May it come, may it come,
May it come on rising tide,
And grow by the red sun
As the year dies
And light fades
As hope rises
As hope soars
As hope remains
As hope soars
As hope remains
Hope is a Star, burning bright in the night
(8-8,SH) Feel the hope
charge the bread of Life
tear the bread in half
(8-8,SH) Behold the Corn King, eat of the Bread of Life,
that dies to be reborn. Eat of the Bread of Life,
that you might live through the long winter's Night.
For it is written that Life must die so that Life can live.
All is in the hands of the Mother,
from Birth, until Death, and to Birth again.
2110
Farewell Golden One, Fairwell Corn King, Fairwell Sun King.
You will be reborn through the Mother, Creatrix and
Destructress. We shall await your return.
Corn King, Life King, Death King,
your death will bring us life.
(8-8,SH) Hail Corn King Golden One,
Waving Gently in the Sun,
Brought to rest by scythe's sharp kiss
Sleep in Her arms.
(8-8,SH) Take of the Bread of Life, the Corn King, and eat,
that you may live through the long nights ahead.
Eat the Bread of Life, and remember,
life dies so that Life lives.
the bread that is left, offer to Her,
so that Her creatures may live
though the long nights ahead too.
later tonight, place the bread outside
with a prayer and your thanks
for the gift of Life.
Breath deep, feel the Life within
Feel the veins throb with life
Feel the bread of Life recharging your life force.
Meditate on this,
that Life comes from Death, and Death from Life.
The cycle goes around, and we are a part of it,
as surely as the Corn King himself.
(8-8,SH) Caitlen, will you dismiss the Watchtower of the East
please?
(8-17,Caitlin) Blessed be, you spirits of the air;
depart in the peace of the Lady....
thank you for attending on our call.
Stay with us as we pass through this earth.
Blessed be
(8-8,SH) Blessed Be
(8-8,SH) Jehana, will you dismiss the Watchtowers of the North,
please?
(8-4,Jehana) Blessed be, Creatures and Watchers of the North...
Of the land beneath our feet....
Thank you for attending to our call, ....
Hail, and Farewell!!
(8-8,SH) Blessed Be
(8-8,SH) Ladyhawk, will you dismiss the Watchtower of the West?
(8-1,Ladyhawk) Hail Watchers of the West, Lords of Water...
Thank you for attending our call,
2111
Hail and Farewell!!
(8-8,SH) Blessed Be
(8-8,SH) Shadowstar, will you dismiss the Watchtower of the
South, please?
(8-16,Shadowstar) Hail Watcher of the South, Power of Fire!
Our thanks for attending our call.
Hail and Farewell!!
(8-8,SH) Blessed Be
(8-8,SH) Hail Lady Faire,
thank you for attending our Rite tonight...
for the Blessings you have given us, the gift of Life.
Hail Sun King, Corn King
for the gift that you have given us...
the gift of Life.
Lady and Lord, we thank you for your attendance
to this your Rite...
And may we walk with the knowledge of you in our thoughts...
and the Love of you in our hearts.
Farewell Lady, Farewell Lord, and Thank you.
Blessed Be
(8-8,SH) Now see the Circle around us sinking down,
down into the Earth...
Carrying Life itself into the ground,
fertilizing and charging the Earth for the coming night.
Gradually, the Circle disappears from sight,
slowly dissolving, starting in the East,
moving back, retracing it's path to the north,
and from there to the west.
From the west back to the South, ending
at the beginning.
And we are returned to this world.
The Circle is open, but never broken
(8-8,SH) Merry Meet, and Merry Part
And Merry Meet again!
<< This marks the end of tonight's Rite. The Rite is over but >>
<< the revelry has just begun !! >>
2112
{file "Imbolc.93" "bos451.htm"}
CompuServe on-line Imbolc Ritual, 1993
(8-8,Jehana) You are sitting in your room, the computer before
you...
You feel your own power and energy building, growing...
A pale blue light surrounds you...
It expands out and away from you, forming into blue flame...
Growing, growing, reaching ever outwards...
Boston...
Boston blue flame ... energy grid... moving outward...
Connecticut... Shelton....
Brookfield...
blue flame.... energy grid.. moving outward...
New York City....
blue flame, speeding southwards...
Jersey City....
Blue flame , spreading southwards...
Baton Rouge...
Westwards....
Northwards...
Blue flame, energy, powergrid, connecting...
Detroit....
Blue flame, racing back towards east...
Connecting Boston.
The Circle is Cast...
The Circle is fluid; those who seek to gate in late may
well expand this circle.
The Circle Is Cast.
(8-18,Tapestry) Guardians of the East. We welcome you.
Your breath of fresh air.
Your spring breezes.
Your new beginnings;
and their promise of infinite potential.
Be here now!
Guardians of the South. We welcome you.
That spark of life that smolders within
the slumbering seed and the pregnant ewe
and the forsythia buds.
Your promise of Summer's heat.
The urgency of love's passion.
Be here now!
Guardians of the West. We welcome you.
The melting ice, dripping from the eaves.
The spring rain that mistily drapes us with love.
The healing sound of water burbling from a spring.
Be here Now!
Guardians of the North. We welcome you.
The rocks beneath the winter snow.
The roots of trees seeking earth's warmth downward.
The swell of the hills, the thrust of the great mountains,
The tracks of the wolf in the new-fallen snow.
Be here now!
(8-8,Jehana) We call upon Brighid, patron Goddess of
2113
the Fires of the Forge;
the Fires of Inspiration.
We call upon Brighid, patron Goddess of
the waters that give life
Giving life, transforming seeds
buried deep below the frost
into the amazing gift of Growth and Possibility and
Potential.
We call upon Brighid and become like
the Sword, forged by fire, and tempered by water.
Hail, and Greetings!
(Here, any and all are welcome to mention their own
personal invocations) <ga>
(8-13,Babs) Hail Lady of the Forge.
(8-22,Lynne) I call white and golden light to the Earth for her
healing
I ask Bridget to send a blessing onto the Earth
(8-13,Babs) Make it so.
(8-18,Tapestry) Hold a seed in your hand. Project yourself
beyond the hard seed covering.
To the soft kernel inside.
At one end of the kernel is a tiny, sharp point.
The kernel can split in half and the sharp point
becomes a tiny germinal plant.
Imagine the seed planted in the soft soil of the garden.
The snow covering the ground insulates the seed from
the cold winter winds as it sleeps.
The tiny germ feels the gentle warming of the sun and
the moisture of the melting snow as it slowly wakens.
This wakening of the tiny, hidden embryo of the plant is
Imbolc - the first stirrings of Spring. The time when
the tiny seedling thrusts roots into the soil, and prepares
leaves to capture the sun's future nourishment and warmth.
When the ground is soft, the snow gone, and the sun smiling
upon the land it will be ready.
Imbolc is the time when the pregnant mares develop bulging
udders for their foals, and about two weeks before they
deliver, the oozing colostrum dries into a waxy covering
on the teats. When this happens, the farmer knows that
her time is near. Spring will arrive soon, and both
the mare and the farmer will be ready.
This is Imb-olc. The name comes from the "Oim" (ewe's) -
"olc" (milk). The ewe's udder, like the mare's,
swells and prepares for the birth of twin lambs - usually
in late February or early March. This sign was very
important for herdsmen in the north because ewes
usually look for a secluded place to give birth, and
if her time was near with a bitter cold snap or late
winter storm brewing, the results could be disastrous.
This is also a day one-third through the Celtic Lunar
2114
Month of Luis; the Rowan tree. The celebration of
Brighid's (Breed) Day, or Candlemas, one of the 4 Great
Fire Festivals of the Celtic Year. The others are:
Beltane, Lammas, and Samhain. For each, a balefire,
bonefire, or candle was lit to mark the spiritual
beginning of the season. It was seen as the rebirth
of spirit, the spiralling out again from darkness.
Let us go to sleep tonight thinking about these new
beginnings. These new births, and the beginning of
our new selves. To concentrate on our own beginnings
within the womb of the Mother. How we begin anew with
the understanding, compassion, and love conceived within
her fertility.
Let us concentrate on maintaining a groundedness within
Her. Concentrate on learning to focus ourselves to the
tasks at hand and complete them with the calmness of
knowing that She guides our every move and thought.
In so doing, we will become more caring and competent,
loving and assured.
(8-8,Jehana) (Pause to reflect and meditate on this)
Thank you, Brighid.
We accept Your gifts and Your blessings.
Hail and Farewell !
(8-8,Jehana) Guardians of the East, we thank you.
For your breath of fresh air,
for your spring breezes,
for the new beginnings you bring us,
we thank you!
Hail and Farewell!
Guardians of the South, we thank you.
Reminding us of the spark of life that smolders within
the slumbering seed, the pregnant ewe, the forsythia buds.
For your promise of Summer's heat,
for the urgency of love's passion,
we thank you!
Hail and Farewell!
Guardians of the West, we thank you.
The melting ice, dripping from the eaves.
The spring rain that drapes us with love.
For the healing sound of water burbling from a spring,
we thank you!
Hail and Farewell!
Guardians of the North, we thank you.
For the rocks beneath the winter snow.
For the roots of trees seeking earth's warmth downward;
the swell of the hills, the thrust of the great mountains,
The tracks of the wolf in the new-fallen snow.
we thank you!
Hail and Farewell!
2115
(8-8,Jehana) The energy that surrounds us, contains us;
the blue flame...
See it...
Visualize the blue flames that surround this our Circle
See them flame brightly.
And now, widdershins, the blue flame starts to fade.
Fire seal the Circle round,
Let it fade beneath the ground
Let all things be as they were
Since the Beginning of Time.
2116
{file "MoonAPR.93" "bos452.htm"}
Full Moon Ritual April 1993
(1-2,High Priestess) Children of the Lady, Gather you around this
night,
(1-2,High Priestess) For as in days of olde, we are commanded to
reverence Her,
(1-2,High Priestess) She who is the Life of Life, the Love of Love and
the Kiss
(1-2,High Priestess) of Passion.
(1-2,High Priestess) Children of the Lady, Gather you around this
night,
(1-2,High Priestess) For as in days of olde, we are commanded to come
before
(1-2,High Priestess) Her, She who is the Queen of Heaven and the Queen
of Hel,
(1-2,High Priestess) and she who is the Queen of Everwhen.
(1-2,High Priestess) Tonight is the night, the magical night, when the
Powers
(1-2,High Priestess) once more walk the Land. Children of the Lady,
come forth,
(1-2,High Priestess) Gather you around as is your right.
(1-2,High Priestess) I call upon you spirits of the Earth, spirits of
Air,
(1-2,High Priestess) spirits of Fire, and spirits of Water. COME,
Gather you
(1-2,High Priestess) around this night. For as in days of olde, We
call you to
(1-2,High Priestess) come and worship Her, She who is Queen of all
that is, was
(1-2,High Priestess) and will be.
(1-2,High Priest) I walk the circle Round and Round, I
(1-2,High Priest) cast the Circle on the Ground. I
(1-2,High Priest) walk the Circle round and round, I
(1-2,High Priest) cast the Circle on the ground.
(1-2,High Priest) Willow, will you call the directions, beginning in
the
(1-2,High Priest) North?
---lost transmission for North, East---
(1-3,Willow) Spirits of the South, the (creatures lost)
(1-3,Willow) bring your flame of life and love to your children to
dance in
until the Winter rules again. Be with us now.
(1-3,Willow) Spirits of the West, the dolphin, the dragonfly,
(1-3,Willow) bring us your peace and healing love.
(1-3,Willow) Let the warm waters wash us clean and purify us in this
sacred
rite.
(1-3,Willow) Let the waters of the mother be with us now.So mote it
be.
(1-2,High Priest) So mote it be!
(1-2,High Priest) We are in the place that is not a Place, in a time
that
2117
(1-2,High Priest) is not a Time, and in a space that is not a Space.
Let
(1-2,High Priest) none disturb that which the Gods have decreed.
(1-2,High Priestess) This is the time of the Full Moon, the high tide
of
(1-2,High Priestess) power. As we are bid to assemble, at least once
in the
(1-2,High Priestess) month to seek Her blessings, so we are here
tonight.
(1-2,High Priest) Maiden, Mother, Crone as One, Triple Faced Goddess,
we
(1-2,High Priest) call upon you. Your Children have come as in the
olde
(1-2,High Priest) days, with joy in our eyes and Love in our hearts.
We
(1-2,High Priest) walk the old paths, we sing the old songs, we chant
the
(1-2,High Priest) old chants and we call the old calls.
(1-2,High Priest) Goddess of the Spring, we call upon you, Queen of
the
(1-2,High Priest) great woods, Diana, we open our hearts to you.
(1-2,High Priestess) Child of Vine and Child of field, we call upon
you,
(1-2,High Priestess) Dionysus, Shining One, Mother's Son, Lover in
the
(1-2,High Priestess) Fields, we open our hearts to you.
(1-2,Diana) Children of the Night, Thrice blessed are you who walk
(1-2,Diana) My Path, for Mine is the Path of New Beginnings. None
(1-2,Diana) shall wither and grow stagnant who pulls on the Bow of
(1-2,Diana) Life, and launches themselves into the Stars upon my
(1-2,Diana) Arrow.
(1-2,Dionysus) Children of the Day, Thrice blessed are you who walk My
(1-2,Dionysus) Path, for Mine is the Path of New Beginnings. None
(1-2,Dionysus) shall Die who knows the secret of my seed.
(1-2,Diana) Listen to me, Oh my Children, and walk with me in the
(1-2,Diana) Woods.
(1-2,Diana) Around you I weave my spell and might. The trees grow
(1-2,Diana) thicker and strong. Off in the distance you hear the
(1-2,Diana) sound of a large animal crashing through the brush, and
(1-2,Diana) close you hear the chirping of birds. The gentle hum
(1-2,Diana) of sacred bees about their labor of collecting pollen
(1-2,Diana) for Me, for I am their Queen too.
(1-2,Diana) The Wind swirls around us, and the scent of life fills
(1-2,Diana) the air. Tangy pine, sharp ceder, far off apple trees
(1-2,Diana) all cast their call upon the air.
(1-2,Diana) The sound in the brush gets closer and closer, till a
(1-2,Diana) great Stag bursts forth from the brush. Head thrown
(1-2,Diana) back he bellows his cry. Then with a twist he is off,
(1-2,Diana) quicker than the thunder rolling down from the hills,
(1-2,Diana) he speeds. But, I am faster.
(1-2,Diana) Bow twangs, arrow flies, and with the muted sound of an
(1-2,Diana) earthquake, he dies.
(1-2,Diana) Look at me, my Children. I am the Goddess of
(1-2,Diana) Swiftness, with a look I can bring death. And bending
(1-2,Diana) down, I touch the Stag, and with a start he bounds
2118
(1-2,Diana) away. I am the Goddess of Swiftness, with a touch I
(1-2,Diana) can bring life. I am Life Eternal, and I am Death
(1-2,Diana) Eternal.
(1-2,Dionysus) Her hand is the Blade, her Eye the Arrow, Her touch the
(1-2,Dionysus) Kiss of Life and Death. And I love her.
(1-2,Dionysus) Mine is the secret of the Cycle, the Secret of the
(1-2,Dionysus) Doorway betwixt Life and Death is Mine.
(1-2,Dionysus) Behold, I give you this seed. In this seed is the
(1-2,Dionysus) coming Year. Charge it well with your wishes tonight,
(1-2,Dionysus) that Her Blessings will grow with you through the year.
(1-2,Dionysus) I am the Seed of New Beginnings, and Her's is the Water
(1-2,Dionysus) of Life.
(1-2,Diana) Children of the Night, bring forth your Seed, that I
(1-2,Diana) may touch them and bring you the gifts that are mine to
(1-2,Diana) share.
(1-2,High Priestess) (everyone plant at least one desire in their
Virtual
(1-2,High Priestess) Seed and hold it in your hands. Visualize a
white
(1-2,High Priestess) light coming from the Center of the Circle and
all the
(1-2,High Priestess) seeds take on it's light.)
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) I place within my seed the desire for finances to
meet my
needs.
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) I placw within my seed the desire for good fortune
for my
children,
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) both natural and stepchild.
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Willow, do you have a desire?
(1-10,Dave) merry meet everyone!
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Merry Meet Dave, Take a seed from the hand of the
God,
and...
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) place your desire for the coming year in it.
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Many Blue Sparks, please do the same within the
Circle
(1-10,Dave) Aye, that I will do...
(1-3,Willow) I place within my seed the desire to fill our new home
with
love and the promise of a marriage filled with beauty and wonder.
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) So mote it be Willow!
(1-3,Willow) So mote it be!
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) many Blue Sparks?
(1-1,Many Blue Sparks) I place within my seed the desire for a path
that
leads from darkness.
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) So mote it be!
(1-1,Many Blue Sparks) So mote it be!
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Then we continue
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) OP/name High Priestess
(1-2,High Priestess) (everyone chant verbally with me while holding
their
seed)
(1-2,High Priestess) (all chant with me verbally)
2119
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Azarak,
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Zomelak,
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Cernunnos,
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Aradia!
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Azarak,
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Zomelak,
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Cernunnos,
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Aradia!
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Azarak,
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Zomelak,
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Cernunnos,
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Aradia!
(1-2,High Priestess) Darksome Night and shining Moon,
(1-2,High Priestess) East, then South, then West, then North,
(1-2,High Priestess) Hearken to the Witch's Run,
(1-2,High Priestess) Here we come to call thee forth!
(1-2,High Priestess) Earth and water, air and fire,
(1-2,High Priestess) Wand and pentacle and sword,
(1-2,High Priestess) Work ye unto our desire,
(1-2,High Priestess) Hearken ye unto our work!
(1-2,High Priestess) Cords and censer, scourge and knife,
(1-2,High Priestess) Powers of the witch's blade,
(1-2,High Priestess) Waken all ye unto life,
(1-2,High Priestess) Come ye as the charm is made!
(1-2,High Priestess) Queen of heaven, Queen of Hel,
(1-2,High Priestess) Horned Hunter of the night,
(1-2,High Priestess) Lend your power unto the spell,
(1-2,High Priestess) And work our will by magic rite!
(1-2,High Priestess) In the earth and air and sea,
(1-2,High Priestess) By the light of Moon or Sun,
(1-2,High Priestess) As we do will, so mote it be.
(1-2,High Priestess) Chant the spell and be it done!
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Azarak,
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Zomelak,
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Cernunnos,
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Aradia!
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Azarak,
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Zomelak,
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Cernunnos,
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Aradia!
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Azarak,
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Zomelak,
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Cernunnos,
(1-2,High Priestess) Eko, Eko, Aradia!
(1-2,High Priestess) so mote it be!
(1-2,Diana) Now Children, Take your seed and plant it in my Forest,
(1-2,Diana) that it will grow strong throughout the year.
(1-2,Diana) Dionysus, Come to Me, for it is time. Take up your
(1-2,Diana) lance and Fill my Grail. I, your Queen, command it.
(1-2,Diana) As the Lance is to the God
(1-2,Diana) So the Chalice is to the Goddess
(1-2,Diana) And when the Two are One
(1-2,Diana) The Greatest Magic is begun.
(1-2,Dionysus) Brothers and Sisters, come, for now it is time to drink
(1-2,Dionysus) and eat.
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(1-2,Dionysus) (passing wine and cakes)
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Drink from your chalice and eat of your bread,
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) saving some for offering after the ritual to the
Lady.
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) This is the place where we sit and relax in the
presense
of the Gods....
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Welcome to the first Full Moon of Spring!
(1-3,Willow) Blessed be, friends!
(1-1,Many Blue Sparks) Blessed be!
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Blessed Be Willow, (toasting Willow's new home and
honey)
(1-10,Dave) Blessed Be, everyone!
(1-3,Willow) I would like to, while in this sacred space,
(1-3,Willow) thank the divine intervention of Aphrodite!
(1-3,Willow) She introduced Craig and I
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Willow, do you know her verse in that great pagan
classic,
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Gimme that Old Time Religion?
(1-3,Willow) and, thankfully, my life will never be the same! (toast
to
Aprodite!)
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) (raising chalice to Aphrodite)
(1-3,Willow) Can you hum a few bars?
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Hmmmmmmmmmm....
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) We will worship Aphrodite,
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Tho she seems a little flighty
(1-3,Willow) oh, no
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Coming naked in her Nightie,
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) And that's Good enough for me! (grin)
(1-3,Willow) Oh, Gods!
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Yes Goddess?
(1-1,Many Blue Sparks) Hee!
(1-10,Dave) Tiss a nice ryme there shadow Hawk.
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) (pouring more Wine for everyone)
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Dave, there are about 200 or so verses...
(1-3,Willow) Hey, this may be a Spring ritual, but I'm engaged!
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) my favorite is the one that goes...
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) We will worship like the Druids
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Drinking strange fermented fluids
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Running Naked through the woods
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) and that's good enough for me!
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) (Gimme that old time religion....) (g)
(1-3,Willow) MY favorite goes...
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Willow, engaged in what?
(1-3,Willow) Here's to the god of discord,
(1-3,Willow) while this may not rhyme
(1-10,Dave) Don't worry Willow, so are we (my Lady and I that is)!
(1-3,Willow) or even make any sense,
(1-3,Willow) it's good enough for me1
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) heh heh heh
(1-1,Many Blue Sparks) :)
(1-3,Willow) Right now?!?
(1-10,Dave) now what?
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Of course! (g)
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(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Hmmm....
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) We will worship mighty Thor,
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Tho he leaves the maidens sore
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) They keep coming back for more,
(1-3,Willow) not agin...
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) and that's good enough for me!
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Not again? That brings us to....
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Oh the Christians are a hummin,
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) cause they say their God's a comming
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Our God Came and keeps on Commin
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) And that's good enough for me!
(1-1,Many Blue Sparks) <ROFL>
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) (gotta love them Spring Fertility rituals! (g)
(1-10,Dave) Everyone, sorry for the tardiness, but will rejoin at
another
time...
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Blessed Be Dave (cutting a doorway out)
(1-10,Dave) b.b.
(1-1,Many Blue Sparks) BB, D!
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Ok, guess it is time to wrap it up.
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) (standing up in V.R. Circle
(1-3,Willow) Before wewe're all drunk with Dionysis' wine, we should
wrap.
(1-1,Many Blue Sparks) Rap, nah I only chanted.
(1-2,Diana) Children of the Night, it is time to return to your
(1-2,Diana) world. Blessed be thy Feet that have brought you on
(1-2,Diana) this path. Blessed be thy knees that have kneeled at
(1-2,Diana) the Sacred Altar. Blessed be thy Belly, without which
(1-2,Diana) thy kind would not be. Blessed be thy Breast, formed
(1-2,Diana) in Strength and Beauty. Blessed be thy Mouth, that
(1-2,Diana) shall speak the Sacred words of Love.
(1-2,High Priest) Great Goddess, Huntress of the Night, we thank you
for
(1-2,High Priest) your works here tonight. Go if you must, Stay if
you
(1-2,High Priest) will, for we are your adoring Children.
(1-2,High Priestess) Great Dionysus, thank you for your laughter and
light
(1-2,High Priestess) tonight. Blessed be thy Seed, which shall grow
over
(1-2,High Priestess) the coming year and clothe the face of the Mother
in
(1-2,High Priestess) Life. Go if you must, Stay if you will, for we
are
(1-2,High Priestess) your brothers and sisters.
(1-2,High Priestess) Willow, will you dismiss the directions, starting
in
the West?
(1-3,Willow) Spirits of the west, we thank you for your help
(1-3,Willow) and attendence here tonight.
(1-3,Willow) Return to the waters of the Mother.
(1-3,Willow) Stay if you will, go if you must. We thank you.
(1-3,Willow) Spirits of the South, we thank you for your help and
attendence
her tonight.
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(1-3,Willow) Return to the fires of creation.
(1-3,Willow) Stay if you will, go if you must. We thank you.
(1-3,Willow) Spirits of the East, we thank you for your help and
attendence
here tonight.
(1-3,Willow) Return to the warm breezes of new beginnings.
(1-3,Willow) Stay if you will, go if you must. We thank you
(1-3,Willow) Spirits of the North, we thank you for your help and
attendenct
here tonight.
(1-3,Willow) Return to the cool caves of the Earth.
(1-3,Willow) Stay if you will, go if you must, We thank you.
(1-3,Willow) So mote it be.
(1-2,High Priestess) SO mote it be!
(1-2,High Priest) I move to the North, and walking widdershins, the
Circle
of Fire subsides
(1-2,High Priest) behind me.
(1-2,High Priest) Down down into the ground, never more to be found...
(1-2,High Priest) down down into the ground, out to the edge of the
covenspace.
(1-2,High Priest) Returning to the north, I face the Circle...
(1-2,High Priest) The Circle is Open, but Unbroken, Merry Meet, Merry
Part,
and Merry Meet again!
(1-2,High Priest) Blessed Be!
(1-3,Willow) Blessed Be!
(1-1,Many Blue Sparks) Blessed Be!
(1-2,Shadow Hawk) Blessed Be Willow and Many Blue Sparks!
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{file "MoonAUG.92" "bos453.htm"}
CompuServe Full Moon Ritual Aug 1992
HPS- Jehana
HP - Shadow Hawk
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) Lady Jehana, wilt thou call the sacred rite to
order?
(1-5,Jehana) Lord Shadow Hawk, we are ready to begin.
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) All, please take a moment to draw some deep
breaths...
(1-5,Jehana) I assume all have their glass of beverage, and piece
of bread/crackers.
Take a moment to relax, using regular, patterned breaths...
Feel all parts of your body, from toes to head, gradually
relax...
a blue glowing field surrounds you...
the blue glowing field slowly grows to surround your
room...
the blue glowing field slowly grows to encompass the
town/city you live in...
the blue glowing field slowly grows to encompase the
landscape...
the blue glowing field slowly grows to encompass North
America...
and each of you connect in with the fields of all the
others...
the blue glowing fields of all the others here within
Circle...
Feel its energies spinning from East...
to South...
to West...
to North...
and re-connecting with East again.
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) in your minds, please face the East....
Robin's egg blue, pure and clean
Hail, oh denizens of the East!
Of Air; of incense smoke
Winged Ones, riding the wind
Join us, if you will
Sharp discernment
Tool of our Mind..
Hail; and Welcome!
(1-5,Jehana) In your minds, please face the South...
Fire-bright red, rich with power
Hail, oh denizens of the South!
Of Fire; of flickering matches;
of salamanders that rage and burn and sear
Join us, if you will
Passion and Will
Tools of our hand...
Hail; and Welcome!
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) In your minds, please turn and face the West...
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Aquamarine Green, bursting with power
Hail, oh denizens of the West!
of Water; of Cauldron deep;
Of Undines that ride the waves
Join us, if you will
Emotions and feelings
Tools of our Heart..
Hail; and Welcome!
(1-5,Jehana) In your minds, please turn and face the North...
Dirt brown, rich with humus
Hail, oh denizens of the North!
of earth; of rock and leaf and root;
of gnomes that burrow industriously below
Join us, if you will
Centered and firm
Heart of our roots...
Hail; and Welcome!
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) Blessed Goddess, Queen of Heaven and Earth,
You with the Stars in your eyes, and love in your heart...
Descend to this our Circle on your Night of Power.
(1-5,Jehana) I am the Lady of the starry heavens
I am she who is the Mother of all living things
I have worked the landscape into mountains
lay the waters into their ocean beds,
and set the winds in their course.
Every snowflake, every speck of soil or sand
Bears my imprint.
My countenance appears in the faintest flicker,
and the largest star;
The Universe is My handiwork.
I am She who consoles the sorrowful,
and I am She who tends to the sick.
I bring solace to those in life,
and peace and understanding in death.
I am the changing Goddess --
Maiden, Mother, and Crone --
The Hag hidden deep within...
I have been to the Underworld,
and I have Returned.
Let there be beauty and strength,
Power and compassion,
Honor and humility,
Mirth and reverence within you.
And you who seek to know Me,
To feel My spirit
Come before Me with a sincere heart,
burn incense upon my altar
Listen and be still:
Know that your seeking and your yearning
will avail you not,
Unless you know the Mystery:
For if that which you seek,
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you find not within yourself,
You will never find it without.
For Behold:
I have been with you from the beginning,
and I am that which is attained at the end of
desire.
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) Blessed Be!
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) By the Flame that burneth bright O' Horned One!
We call thy name into the night, O' Ancient One!
Thee we invoke, by the moon-lit sea,
by the standing stone and the twisted tree.
Thee we invoke, where gather thine own,
by the nameless shrine forgotten and alone.
Come where the round of the dance is Trod.
Horn and Hoof of the Goatfoot God!
By moon-lit meadows on dusky hill,
when the haunted wood is hushed and still.
Come to the charm of the chanted prayer.
As the moon bewitches the midnight air,
evoke thy powers, that potent bide.
In shining stream and the secret tide,
in fiery flame by starlight pale,
in Shadowy host that rides the gale,
and by the fern-brakes fairy-haunted
of forest wild and woods enchanted.
Come! O' Come!
To the heart-beat's drum!
When the broad white moon is climbing slow.
Through the stars to the heaven's height.
We hear thy hoofs on the wind of night!
As black tree-branches shake and sigh,
By Joy and terror we know thee nigh,
We speak the spell thy power unlocks,
At Solstice, Sabbat, and Equinox.
Word of Virtue the veil to rend,
From Primal Dawn to the wide World's end,
Since time began, the blessings of Pan
Blessed be in strength and love,
Blessed be, wher'ere we rove,
Vision fade not from our eyes
Of the Pagan Paradise.
Past the gates of Death and Birth,
Our inheritance of Earth.
From our soul the song of Spring
Fade not in our wandering, Our life is one,
By blackest night or the noonday Sun.
Eldest of Gods on thee we call,
Blessing be on thy Creatures all.
I call upon thee, O' Ancient Horned One Who art the
Comforter and the Consoler of Men I call upon thee, O' Great
God of the Witches.
Ruler of the Sabbat, Lord of the Wild Woods, I call upon
thee in the Name of your Lady, Come out of the North upon
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the back of the Winds.
And join the Lady Cerridwin at this Holy Sabbat/Esbat.
I call thee by thy most ancient name Cernunnos.
(1-5,Jehana) This is Fullmoon August...
This is the season of Abundance...
and out of Wisdom in accessing that Abundance...
Knowing the difference between what we Want...
And what we Need...
Bearing this in mind..
each of us will have a chance...
to mention something or several somethings we need...
Please feel free to speak...
(1-6,Al) I ask that I learn patience, to accept others for what
they are and to hear their thoughts and learn their wisdom.
(1-5,Jehana) I ask for continued self-growth and self-acceptance
(1-1,Helen) I ask for freedom from fear of abundance.
(1-5,Jehana) I ask for a cure for AIDS, and for ongoing
treatments for those who are in need.
I ask for an understanding of environmental issues which
face this planet.
(1-5,Jehana) Hold the image of the things, concepts, ...
and ideas you need; .... and that
your friends in Circle need...
Feel the energy grow and flow...
feel the power flow and grow...
feel yourselvs enveloped by a tree...
by a hazel tree...
Turn towards the Lord and Lady...
and ask...
in Perfect Love and in Perfect trust we stand before
Thee...
Feel the energy and Power grow...
each root and trunk and limb...
of that hazel tree...
Raise your hands, gradually...
with the energy...
Prepare to send...
One...
Two...
THREE!!!!
And, note, what you send out returns to you.
(1-5,Jehana) Now...
Visualize before you an onion fresh from the harvest...
Visualize your athame slicing it horizontally...
See before you the white disc of the Full Moon...
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) Visualize before you a second onion fresh from
the harvest...
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Visualize your knife slicing it vertically...
See before you the East and West facing crescents of the
Waxing and Waning Moon.
(1-5,Jehana) Now, take your glass of chosen beverage:
(for blessing of that beverage)...
In balance we stand
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) Night and Light
(1-5,Jehana) In balance we stand
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) Chalice and Blade
(1-5,Jehana) In balance we stand
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) Cerridwyn and Herne
(1-5,Jehana) Drink ye of the Waters of Darkness
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) Drink ye the Waters of LIFE!
(1-5,Jehana) (pause to take a sip)
(1-5,Jehana) Now, take your plate of bread:
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) As the Wheel turns
(1-5,Jehana) My crops appear
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) As the Wheel turns
(1-5,Jehana) My crops grow high
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) As the Wheel turns
(1-5,Jehana) My harvest comes through
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) Feast ye on the grains of My Endeavors
(1-5,Jehana) Feast ye on the Wheel of Life!
(1-5,Jehana) (Pause to eat of the bread)
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) Oh Horned One,
May ever your call ring across the hills, fields and
woods deep
Calling again to her Children to Dance by her Light!
Now we thank you for your aid,
And bid thee safe journey to your Sacred Glades...
Blessed Be
(1-5,Jehana) Bright Lady; Maid, Mother Crone...
Lady Cerridwyn...
We thank thee for your aid;
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we thank thee for your abounding love and compassion
we thank thee for your Wisdom...
we bid thee safe journey to your Sacred Glades....
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) Please turn and face the East in your minds...
Winged Ones...
Intellect Bright..
Tool of our mind
Eastern Air, we thank and acknowledge you.
(1-5,Jehana) Please turn and face the South in your minds...
Salamanders...
Passion and Will...
Tools of our hands...
Southern Fire, we thank and acknowledge you.
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) Please turn and face West in your Minds...
Undines, Emotion and Drive..
Tools of our Hearts..
Western water, we thank and acknowledge you.
(1-5,Jehana) Please turn and face North in your minds...
Gnomes...
Centered and Firm...
Heart of our roots...
Northern Earth, we thank and acknowledge you.
(1-5,Jehana) Around you now, sense the blue glowing field...
the blue glowing field that connects all of you together...
across North America...
Feel its energies spinning...
from East...
to North...
to West...
to South...
to East...
Feel the energies unwinding....
Sense your bodies re-absorbing the Energies of the Circle...
spiralling in...
into your room...
The blue glowing field...
a part of your body...
Take it in...
Let all return to as it has been.
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) Fire Seal the Circle Round, Let it fade beneath
the ground...
let all things be as they were since the Beginning of Time.
(1-5,Jehana) Merry meet...
and merry part...
and merry meet again!
(1-8,Shadow Hawk) Merry meet!
Blessed Be, Jehana.
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{file "MoonFEB.93" "bos454.htm"}
COMPUSERVE NEWAGE FORUM - ONLINE FULL MOON RITUAL - FEBRUARY 1993
(Jehana) Sit calmly, breath with relaxation..
Let the cares and stresses of the day wear off...
let the cares and stresses flow away from you..
Feel yourself surrounded by a warm and gentle orb...
of blue-white light...
Gentle, restful, protective...
Feel it expand... Feel it connect with your friends and
companions within Circle...
Feel it Circle around you; around all of us...
East, to South, to West, to North... To East again.
(visualize: face to the east): Hail, powers of Air!!
We invite you to our Circle
A breath of air
A morning's gentle breeze --
Forethought and knowledge,
Hail & Welcome!
(Rilla) (Face to the South): Oh spirits of the South...
Ancient ones of Fire...
I call you to attend this Circle...
Charge this by your powers...
Hail and Welcome!
(Jehana) (Face to the West): Hail, powers of Water!!
We invite you to our Circle
A drop of dew
The evening's tidal sweep --
Hail & Welcome!!
(Rilla)(face to the North): Hail, oh powers of the Earth...
Ancient ones of Gaia born...
I call upon you to attend this Circle...
Charge this by your powers, Old Ones...
Hail! and Welcome!
(Jehana) Invoke into your heart and into this our Circle
The bright Lady of New Beginnings.
The Maiden who sings the joys of Spring to come
The Mother who brings nurturance, love and guidance.
Hail, bright Lady; we welcome thee!!!
Invoke into your heard and into this our Circle
The Oak King
Growing as a sapling
Growing strong.
A child at heart, learning, searching, in true Discovery.
Hail, bright Lord; we welcome thee!!
According to Sun Bear, this Moon is the Moon of Rest and
Cleansing, following upon the Moon of Earth Renewal. The
animal is the Otter, and the plant, the Quaking Aspen.
Its mineral is silver.
In the Celtic tree calendar, as reported by Graves, this
full Moon falls in the month of Luis, signified by the Rowan
tree, and by the Tourmaline. Its attribute is Quickening.
Those who follow astrology know this is the month of
Aquarius, the Water Bearer; the fixed sign of Air.
According to Z Budapest, the Full Moon aspect of February is
the red and cleansing wild Moon. Life quickens now. It is
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a time of purification, of growth, of the stimulation of all
living things.
It is a healing time. It brings in the wind of the New.
Its flower: the primose and the violet. Its animal: the
duck and the otter. Its stone: the amethyst.
It is appropriate at this time to do workings; workings for
things we may wish to see in our lives, and in the world in
general. It is a time for healing. It is a time for
growth.
I ask each of you to think of those things you wish to work
on,-- you may speak or keep them silent, as you will...
Speak first of new beginnings and things of growth for the
world at large. Then, speak of those new beginnings and
things of growth and healing for people or events closer to
home. And, yes, speak of those beginnings and things of
growth for you yourself. After we finish mentioning all of
our workings, we will repeat a phrase -- visualize the
energy, through the hand of the Goddess, flowing into the
things we seek, imbuing them with constructive energy.
(Please note that most Witches consider it unethical to work
healings or other magic for specific people without first
asking their permission).
(When I start doing the chant (which begins with "We all
come from the Goddess"), others may copy me, or jump ahead
if they are familiar with it...
I will tell you when to visualize the energy peaking.)
-- mention things in your mind or in print that you wish to
allow to grow/heal:
(Rilla) I wish for a healing ...
of the youth of this country...
that they may find the peace that they need...
to learn to live in harmony...
and to be the "future" of this world...
and for myself the patience...
to wait for direction...
in my life path...
and a healthy mind and body..
for the coming year.
(Jehana) I wish for the earth's healing...
the pain in the environment to be turned around...
an understanding of the nature of this planet upon which we
live.
I wish to know and be known by love and compassion.
(Ardelia) I wish for this world.....
the ability to be calm...
as we learn to work with each other.....
the earth.....
and ourselves.
(Jehana) We all come from the Goddess
And to her we shall return
Like a drop of rain
Flowing to the ocean.
(Rilla) We all come from the Goddess..
and to her we shall return...
Like a drop of rain...
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Flowing to the ocean.
(Jehana) We all come from the Goddess
And to her we shall return
Like a drop of rain
Flowing to the ocean.
(Rilla) We all come from the Goddess...
and the her we shall return...
Like a drop of rain...
Flowing to the ocean.
(Jehana) Feel the energy; rising up; rising up; rising up!
Drink in the energy...
Take your glass of water, know that it is energized,
and drink!
Take a quiet moment to pause and reflect.
Oak King, Sapling growing strong...
Playful lord, in the growing time of your cycle...
Thank you for your presence here...
Hail, and Farewell!
Bright Maiden, singing your songs of Spring nearly afoot...
Gracious Mother, You of love and nurturance and guidance..
We thank you for your presence here..
We thank you for your blessings...
Hail, and Farewell!!
Powers of Air!
We thank you for your fresh breath!
Hail, and Farewell!
(Rilla) Powers of Fire!
We thank you for you strength!
Hail and Farewell!
(Jehana) Powers of Water!
We thank you for your healing compassion!
Hail, and farewell!
(Rilla) Powers of the Earth!
We thank you for your sustenance and nurturance!
Hail and farewell!
(Jehana) The blue-white glow that surronds us all...
begins to retract...
slowly, slowly...
Fire seal the Circle round
Let it fade beneath the ground
Let all things be as they were
Since the beginning of time.
Merry Meet, Merry Part, and Merry Meet Again!
(Rilla) Blessed Be!
(Jehana) (The Ritual has concluded; Bright Blessings; Blessed
Be!)
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{file "MoonJul.92" "bos455.htm"}
CompuServe Full Moon Ritual of July 13, 1992
(1-4,Shadow Hawk) We are gathered together in this Ritual of the
Full Moon, where we join and pay homage to the Divine
Mother, Mother of us all. From the corners of the Country, I
send my Will, starting in the North I cast a line of Fire
around the country, moving Eastward, then South, Then West,
and Back to the North. We are encompassed in a circle of
Fire that protects our Sacred Space.
(1-4,Shadow Hawk) Let us gather and call the Spirits of the 4
directions to come and join us in this our Rite.
(1-4,Shadow Hawk) Please face your thoughts to the West.
Hail to the Lord of the West, Poseiden, Scaled God of
Water, Ruler of the Deep, Master of Wave and Fin, I bid
thee come to our Circle and worship at the feet of the
Lady. Be Here Now!
(1-4,Shadow Hawk) Now, turn your thoughts to the North...
Hail to the Lord of the North, Cernunnos, Horned God of
Earth, Ruler of Life, Master of Leaf and Earthbound
creature, I bid thee come to our Circle and worship at the
feet of the Lady. Be Here Now!
(1-4,Shadow Hawk) Please turn your thoughts to the East...
Hail to the Lord of the East, Quetzalcoatl, Feathered God
of Air, Ruler of Wisdom, Master of Wind and Winged, I bid
thee come to our circle and worship at the feet of the Lady.
Be here Now!
(1-4,Shadow Hawk) Now, turn your thoughts to the South...
Hail to the Lord of the South, Apollo, Brilliant God of
Fire, Ruler of Inspiration, Master of Light and Spirit, I
bid thee come to our circle and worship at the feet of the
Lady. Be Here Now!
(1-4,Shadow Hawk) The Circle is cast, we are in the space
between the worlds, where Time and Space cease to exist.
Let none disturb the boundaries without dire cause.
(1-4,Shadow Hawk) Now we turn out thoughts to the Divine
Consort, the Horned God.
Hail to the God as one, Consort, Father, Son. I bid thee
come to the Circle of Life, and worship at the feet of Our
Lady. Be Here Now!
(1-4,Cernunnos) Now join me as I call my Love, she in who's light
we are here...
Hail to Our Lady, in whose eyes the stars do shine forth and
upon whose brow the Moon doth ride. Lady, your children
call to you from within your Sacred Space. We bid you come
and let us Feel your touch. You who will deny your children
naught. We are at your feet in Wonder and Awe. Welcome to
this your Circle.
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(1-4,Cernunnos) We are in the Place between the Worlds, Beyond
Time and Space, and in the presence of the Goddesses and
Gods. Let none leave this space without grave cause.
(1-4,Cernunnos) Welcome the Divine Lady, Gracious Goddess and
Mother of us all.
I call upon thee, Mighty Mother of us all, bringer of all
fruitfulness; by seed and root, by stem and bud, by leaf and
flower and fruit, by life and love do I invoke thee to
descend upon the body of this thy Circle and thy
Priestesses.
(1-4,Cernunnos) Hail Aradia! From the Almathean horn Pour
forth thy store of love; I lowly bend before thee, I adore
thee to the end, with loving sacrifice thy shrine adorn.
Thy foot is to my lip, my prayer upborne upon the rising
incense smoke; then spend thine ancient love, O Mighty One,
descend to Aid me, who without thee am forlorn.
(1-4,Cernunnos) Thou art the Mother Darksome and Divine, Yours
the scourge and yours the Kiss, the Five-point star of love
and bliss, bless us with your sign.
(1-4,Cernunnos) Listen to the words of the Great Mother, she whom
of old was also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Athena,
Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Dana, Arianrhod,
Isis, Brid, and by many other names.
(1-4,Cernunnos) "Whenever you have need of any thing, once in
the month, and better it be when the Moon is full, then
shall ye assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit
of Her, who is Queen of all witches.
There shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn all
sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets, to these will
She teach things that are yet unknown. And ye shall be free
from slavery, and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall
be naked in your rites, and ye shall dance, sing, feast,
make music and love, all in Her praise. For Hers is the
secret door that opens upon the Land of Youth, and Hers is
the cup of the wine of life, and the Cauldron of Cerridwen,
which is the Holy Grail of Immortality. She is the Gracious
Goddess, who gives the gift of Joy unto the hearts of Man.
Upon Earth, She gives knowledge of the spirit eternal, and
beyond death, She gives peace, and freedom, and reunion with
those who have gone before. Nor does She demand sacrifice,
for behold, She is the Mother of all living, and her Love is
poured out upon the Earth."
(1-4,Cernunnos) Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess, she in
the dust of whose feet are the hosts of Heaven, and whose body
encircles the Universe.
(1-4,Cernunnos) "She who is the beauty of the green Earth, and
the white Moon among the stars, and the mystery of the
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waters, and the desire of the hearts of man, calls unto thy
soul. Arise, and come unto Her.
For She is the soul of Nature, who gives life to the
universe. From Her all things proceed, and unto Her all
things must return, and before Her face, beloved of Gods and
of men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the
rapture of the infinite. Let Her worship be within the
heart that rejoiceth, for behold, all acts of love and
pleasure are Her rituals. And therefore let there be beauty
and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility,
mirth and reverence within you. And thou who thinkest to
seek for Her, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee
not, unless thou knowest the mystery, that if what thou
seekest thou findest not within thee, then thou shalt never
find it without thee. For behold, She has been with thee
from the beginning, and She is that which is attained at the
end of desire."
Absorb Her Blessings and her words. Feel them resonate in
your core.
(1-4,S.H.) If there are any here that have a petition to bring
before the Lady, please do so now.
If there are any objects to be charged, please bring them
forth now.
<At this point, petitions and objects were presented to the Lady
and the Circle for blessings--this section is deleted due to
mention of names of non-participants>
(1-3,S.H.) Now is the time for the Great Rite. Please take your
knife in one hand...and your chalice in the other.
Place the tip of the knife in the chalice and say,
"As the chalice is to the Woman
So the Athame is to the Man
And when the two become one,
The greatest magic is begun!"
Now dip your atheme into the chalice to energize the
lifeforce within it.
Blessed Be, So mote it be!
(1-3,S.H.) Now, take the Atheme (knife) over the bread/cake..
(1-3,S.H.) Lady, we come before you with love in our heart and
awe in our eyes, asking you to give us your blessings and
pour your blessings on the fruit of the vine and the field,
that we may be filled with your blessings.
So mote it be, Blessed be!
(1-3,S.H.) Draw a pentagram on the bread with the knife.
Now, eat of the bread and drink of the wine, saving some
portion for offering to the creatures of the Lady later.
(1-3,S.H.) Now it's time to bid farewell to the Lady and the
Lord.
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(1-3,S.H.) Hail Mother of us all, we thank you for attending this
our Rite, and for your blessings and love that you have
poured forth upon us your children. Blessed be thy Name.
(1-3.S.H.) Hail Lord of the Dance, we thank you for attending
this our Rite, and for your presence and love that you have
poured forth upon us your children. Blessed be thy Name.
(1-3,S.H.) Now we turn our attention to the South
Hail Lord of the South, Lord of Fire, we thank you for your
presence and the Light and warmth that you shed upon us.
Farewell and Blessed Be.
(1-3,S.H.) Now we turn our attention to the East....
Hail Lord of the East, Lord of Air, we thank you for your
presence and the Air that you bring to us that life may be
sustained. Farewell and Blessed Be.
(1-3,S.H.) Now we turn our attention to the North....
Hail Lord of the North, Lord of Earth, we thank you for your
presence and the harvest from your fields that feed and
shelter us. Farewell and Blessed Be.
(1-3,S.H.) Now we turn our attention to the West....
Hail Lord of the West, Lord of Water, we thank you for your
presence and the blood of your body to slake our thirst and
the thirst of the fields. Farewell and Blessed Be.
(1-3,S.H.) Now I send my Will to the North, and I walk the
circle...
Circle of Fire, I quench your thirst...
Down down into the ground...
Nevermore to be found...
Spread your life throughout the land...
That all may feel your blessing.
So Mote it Be!
Blessed Be!
The Circle is Open, Merry Meet, Merry Part, and Merry Meet
again!
(1-3,S.H.) Blessed Be all!
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{file "MoonJUN.92" "bos456.htm"}
CompuServe Full Moon Ritual of Monday, June 15, 1992
(1-3,S.H.) My Lady Otterkin, wilt thou begin the Lady's Rite?
(1-4,Otterkin) This is the time of fullness,
the flood tide of power,
when the Lady in full circle of brightness
rides across the night sky.
This is the time of the bearing of fruits,
of changes realized.
The Great Mother,
Nurturer of the world which is Herself,
pours out her love and her gifts in Abundance.
The Hunter draws near to the Brilliant One,
She who awakens yearning in the heart
and is the end of desire.
We who look on her Shining face are filled with love.
Merry Meet.
(1-3,S.H.) By the Spirits of Air and Fire I do cleanse this
space.
(1-6,Otterkin) By the Creatures of Water and Earth I do cleanse
this space.
(1-3,S.H.) (visualize a circle filled with incense smoke...
(while Otter and I walk the circle with lit incense,
sprinkling water and salt to purify the area)
Will the Caller of the North, Call forth!
(1-7,Jeff) Hail, of the mountains, of the North, far above the
earth...
Whose core yet reaches the center...
we ask you, guardians, to attend our Circle...
Lend us your steadfastness...
Hail! And well Met!
(1-3,S.H.) Hail and Well Met!
(1-6,Otterkin) Hail and Well Met!
(1-3,S.H.) Will the Caller of the East, Call Forth!
(1-7,Jehana) Hail, spirits of the Air, wisps and eddies of
wind...
Sweeping the world with freshness...
thought, contemplation, and wisdom...
we ask you, guardians, to attend our Circle...
Lend us your airy wisdom...
Hail! And well Met!
(1-3,S.H.) Hail! And well Met!
(1-6,Otterkin) Hail and Well Met!
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(1-3,S.H.) Will the Caller of the South, Call forth!
(1-3,Shadow Hawk) Hail Spirits of Fire, Noonday Sun...
Lion of Summer, Heating and Lighting us against
the Cold of Death
We call upon you, of Fiery ones to attend our Circle...
Lend us your Fiery Passion...
Hail! And Well Met!
(1-3,S.H.) Hail! And Well Met!
(1-6,Otterkin) Hail! And Well Met!
(1-3,S.H.) Will the Caller of the West, Call Forth!
(1-1,Papa Tom) Spirits of the West, heed our call.
Spirits of the West, Spirits of water, attend our Circle.
Cleanse us, as rain upon the ocean.
Give us guidance and wisdom as we go between the worlds.
Guardians in the West, attend our Circle.
Hail! And well Met!
(1-3,S.H.) Hail! And Well Met!
(1-6,Otterkin) Hail! And Well Met!
(1-6,Otterkin) I conjure and cast thee, Circle of Power,
that this may be a time that is not a time,
in a place that is not a place,
on a day that is not a day,
We are safe between the worlds where Night and Day,
Birth and Death, Joy and Sorrow, meet as one.
(1-3,S.H.)I invoke thee and call upon thee,
Lady and Mother of us all,
bringer of all fruitfullness.
By seed and root, by bud and stem,
by leaf and flower and fruit,
by life and love do I invoke thee
to descend upon the body of this thy servant and priestess.
Hail Aradia! From the Amalthean Horn
pour forth thy store of love.
I lowly bend before thee,
I adore thee to the End.
Thy foot is to my Lip,
my prayer upborne upon the rising incense smoke.
Send Thine ancient love, oh Mighty One,
descend to aid us, who without thee are forlorn.
(1-6,Otterkin) Of the Mother Darksome and Devine,
Mine the scourge, and mine the Kiss,
the five-point star of Love and Bliss,
so I charge you with this sign.
(Visualize a pentagram drawn in cool flame before you.)
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(1-3,S.H.) Listen to the words of the Great Mother,
She who is also called among men
Astarte, Dana, Arianrhod, Isis,
Demeter, Mary, Aradia, and by many other names.
(1-4,ARADIA) Whenever you have need of any thing,
once in the month,
and better it be when the Moon is full,
then shall ye assemble
in some secret place and adore the spirit of me,
who am Queen of all witches.
There shall ye assemble,
ye who are fain to learn all sorcery,
yet have not won its deepest secrets,
to these will I teach things that are yet unknown.
And ye shall be free from slavery,
and as a sign that ye be really free,
ye shall be naked in your rites,
and ye shall dance, sing, feast,
make music and love, all in my praise.
For mine is the secret door
which opens upon the Land of Youth,
and mine is the cup of the wine of life,
and the Cauldron of Cerridwen,
which is the Holy Grail of Immortality.
I am the Gracious Goddess,
who gives the gift of Joy unto the hearts of Man.
Upon Earth, I give knowledge
of the spirit eternal, and beyond death,
I give peace, and freedom,
and reunion with those who have gone before.
Nor do I demand sacrifice,
for behold, I am the Mother of all living,
and my Love is poured out upon the Earth."
(1-3,S.H.) Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess,
She in the dust of whose feet
are the hosts of Heaven,
and whose body encircles the Universe.
(1-4,CERRIDWEN) I who am the beauty of the green Earth,
and the white Moon among the stars,
and the mystery of the waters,
and the desire of the hearts of man,
call unto thy soul.
Arise, and come unto me.
For I am the soul of Nature,
who gives life to the universe.
From me all things proceed,
and unto me all things must return,
and before my face,
beloved of Gods and of men.
Let thine innermost divine self be enfolded
in the rapture of the infinite.
Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth.
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For behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.
And therefore let there be beauty and strength,
power and compassion, honour and humility,
mirth and reverence within you.
And thou who thinkest to seek for me,
know thy seeking and yearning
shall avail thee not, unless thou knowest the mystery,
that if that which thou seekest
thou findest not within thee,
then thou shalt never find it without thee.
For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning,
and I am that which is attained at the end of desire."
(1-3,S.H.) (Take this time to meditate on the Fullness of the
Mother...
And also on what is said in the Charge we have just been
given, for truely...
You will never find it without thee, but only within thee.)
(1-3,S.H.) Now we come to the time of power, for the Moon is Full
and we are gathered
here in Her Circle, so we shall raise the Cone of Power...
Visualize a fire in the night and we are together
around the fire. The Drums begin a rhythm, subtle but
insistant. You begin to sway and move with the full
sensual beat, dancing as only spirit can. Around and
around the fire you go while the drumming grows faster
and louder. You can FEEL the energies gathering, until
your hair is flying wild, and your skin crawls with an
energy like electricity. You are alive with power!
Join hands and chant with us:
"Circle 'round the fire,
to raise a cone of power,
to bring what we desire,
So mote it be!
Circle 'round the fire,
to raise a cone of power,
to bring what we desire,
So mote it be!
now SHOUT!
Circle 'round the fire,
to raise a cone of power,
to bring what we desire,
So mote it be!"
(1-4,Otterkin) I take this energy and with it I consecrate this
Ritual Space, that it shall always be a safe haven for
Her Children! I take this energy and offer it to those that
need healing.
Those that have need, take from it, for I AM She that
gives Life and Bounty, I AM the Mother of All!
I take this energy, and I return it to the
Universe, that there will be fruitfulness throughout
the Worlds and all my Children shall benefit."
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(1-6,Otterkin) (Place your knife in front of you and take your
chalice in hand)
As I raise the chalice, you do likewise.
I raise this chalice, symbol of my Eternal Womb,
source of All That was and All That will be.
(Take your knife, and hold it over the chalice, point down)
(1-3,S.H.) I take this Athame, symbol of my Quickening essense,
Life Fire that lights the Chalice within, and with it
I Quicken thy fertile womb, O Mother of us all.
(1-6,Otterkin) As the Chalice is to the Goddess, Awaiting the
Spark
(1-3,S.H.) And the Athame is to the God, so I enter into your
hidden Dark.
(1-6,Otterkin) And when Two becomes one
(Dip the tip into the chalice)
(1-3,S.H.) The Greatest magic is begun!
(1-6,Otterkin) Drink from my depths and meditate on them, oh ye
who would know of the full Circle of Birth and Death.
(Accept our kiss, and taste the wine, saving a
small portion for offering later.)
I take these cakes, fruit of my fields, and I
Bless them and give them to you.
Eat, that you may never hunger and think upon my Bounty.
(Kiss, and eat the cake, saving a small portion
for offering later.)
I charge you to remember that some part of this bounty be
returned to the Earth, that the cycle will continue.
When you return to the World, give of the Bread
and Water of Life to my Earth.
(1-3,S.H.) Lady, thank you for attending this your Rite, Blessed
Be your Name.
(1-6,Otterkin) Will the caller of the West please thank and
dismiss the Guardians?
(1-1,Papa Tom) Spirit of the West, Spirit of Water.
We thank you for your guidance.
Your love.
Your patience.
We thank you for attending our circle.
We part in love, until we meet again.
(1-6,Otterkin) Will the caller of the South please thank and
dismiss the Guardians?
(1-3,Shadow Hawk) Guardians of the South, Spirits of Fire, we
thank you for the Illumination
that you have brought to this the Lady's
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Circle. As we part, we bid you
to hold us safe throughout the day, that we may
have light to guide our feet.
We bid you farewell until the next time we meet,
Hail and Farewell!
(1-6,Otterkin) Hail and Farewell!
(1-6,Otterkin) Will the caller of the East please thank and
dismiss the Guardians?
(1-7,Jehana) Guardians of the East; Spirits of the Air
We thank you for your contemplation
We thank you for your gentle cleansing breezes
We bring thanks to you for attending our Circle.
We part in love, until we meet again.
(1-6,Otterkin) Hail and Farewell!
(1-3,Shadow Hawk) Hail and Farewell
(1-6,Otterkin) Will the caller of the North please thank and
dismiss the Guardians?
(1-7,Jeff) To you who are of the mountains
Deep roots; and clear vision
we thank you for attending our Circle
and lending us your steadfastness
we part in love; until we meet again
Hail & farewell!!
(1-6,Otterkin) Hail and Farewell!
(1-3,Shadow Hawk) Hail and Farewell!
(1-6,Otterkin) Now I drive the Circle down, down, down (through
the wiring) into the ground, and Out to the boundaries
of the Universe.
The Circle is Open, but never broken. Merry meet,
merry part, and merry meet again!
(1-3,Shadow Hawk) Merry meet again!
(1-7,Jeff) Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again!!!
(1-3,Shadow Hawk) Blessed Be all!
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{file "MoonMAR.93" "bos457.htm"}
Compuserve on-line Full Moon Mar. '93
(Shadow Hawk) Ok, we begin....
(Shadow Hawk) see the darkness of the night settling in around you....
(Shadow Hawk) and gradually as your eyes adjust you find yourself in
(Shadow Hawk) the woods, and the sound of the night creatures begin to
(Shadow Hawk) be heard.
(Shadow Hawk) Ahead you see the glow of a fire deep in the woods. it
is
(Shadow Hawk) a small fire, that you might easily miss, but it pulls
you
(Shadow Hawk) to it like a compass to the magnet.
(Shadow Hawk) As you enter a small clearing, you see around you
shadowy figures
(Shadow Hawk) robed and moving in the flickering candle light. You
feel the
(Shadow Hawk) powers of the night begin to stir.
(Shadow Hawk) On the horizon, you see the full moon breaking in
through the trees...
(Shadow Hawk) and you hear the sounds of a small bell. You stand
within the circle..
(Shadow Hawk) and one figure breaks away and begins to call to the
four directions...
(Marc Tripp) Walking to the East of the cirlce and raising my athame.
(Marc Tripp) I summon the Guardian of the Gate of Air!
(Marc Tripp) King of the Poweres of the East
(Marc Tripp) The Sacred Space is thine for this Night!
(Marc Tripp) Open for me the Way-Without-Time.
(Marc Tripp) Air of Earth, We are One with Thee!
(Marc Tripp) Then turning and walking to the south of the circle
(Marc Tripp) I raise my Athame.
(Marc Tripp) I summon the Guardian of the Gate of Earth!
(Marc Tripp) King of the Powers of the South!
(Marc Tripp) The Sacred Space is thine for this Night!
(Marc Tripp) Open for us the Way-Without-Time
(Marc Tripp) Earth of Earth, We are one with thee!
(Marc Tripp) Walking to the West..I raise my athame.
(Marc Tripp) I Summon the Guardian of the Gate of Water!
(Marc Tripp) King of the Powers of the West!
(Marc Tripp) The Sacred space is thine for this Night!
(Marc Tripp) Open for us the Way-Without-Time.
(Marc Tripp) Water of Earch, We are One with Thee!
(Marc Tripp) Walking to the North. I raise my athame.
(Marc Tripp) I Summon the Guardian of the Gate of fire!
(Marc Tripp) King of the Powers of the North!
(Marc Tripp) The Sacred Space is thine for this Night!
(Marc Tripp) Open For me the Way-Without-Time.
(Marc Tripp) Fire of Earth, I we are One with Thee!
(Marc Tripp) I then return to my place in the circle.
(Shadow Hawk) Two figures break forth and gather the earth/water and
fire/air
(Shadow Hawk) from the altar where they rest....
(Shadow Hawk) I cleanse and purify this place with the spirits of
Earth and Water...
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(Shadow Hawk) I cleanse and purify this place with the creatures of
Air and Fire!
(Shadow Hawk) I take the Sword of Knowledge and walking to the North,
I point
(Shadow Hawk) it down do the ground. Cascading rivers of fire flow
from it
(Shadow Hawk) and I walk the circle in a clockwise fashion...
(Shadow Hawk) and as I walk a curtain of fire flairs up behind me,
around the
(Shadow Hawk) circle I walk.
(Shadow Hawk) The Circle is cast, we are in the space between the
worlds
(Shadow Hawk) in a place that is not a place, in a time that is not a
time,
(Shadow Hawk) in a space that is not a space. We are in the Sacred
Circle.
(Shadow Hawk) So Mote it be!
(Shadow Hawk) Two figures walk to the altar, and the power surrounds
them.
(Shadow Hawk) with wure hands they take up the tools of Power, and
begin to speak...
(Priestess) This is the time of the fulness of the symbol of our Lady
,
(Priestess) the Moon. All things wax and wane, and on this evening the
(Priestess) powers of life, of magic, and of creation are at their
(Priestess) highest. This is the time of building, of doing. it is a
(Priestess) time when the veil between the mundane world and the
strange
(Priestess) and beautiful realms of elfhame becomes thin indeed. On
(Priestess) this night may one transcend the boundaries of the worlds
(Priestess) with ease, and know beauty and enchantment.
(Priest) There is a magnificence to this time. The ancients knew well
(Priest) of the mysteries of this night, and used them well to build
(Priest) and to strengthen themselves.. and to partake of elvish
(Priest) adventures of which we can have but little inkling.
(Priest) Sensuous , mysterious, magical...beauty in human form, in
(Priest) dramatic costume, in solid, soaring architecture, the lithe
(Priest) suppleness of our animal brethren, the arrogant magnificence
(Priest) of a spectacular landscape. And more.....much more.
(Priest) This is a time for weaving of the inchoate into being, of
(Priest) spinning the strands of space and of time to bring forth
(Priest) Creation. For all does rotate, and turn about upon itself;
(Priest) this is a fundamental principle of the universe, and a
(Priest) mystery of the greatest magnitude. The Gods know of it and
(Priest) we shall also. Weave a spell of Moonlight and fashion with
(Priest) it a fabric of pure magical substance.
(Priest) There is a challenge and a joy to building, and creating.
(Priest) The joyous strife of a just battle, of the cascading passion
(Priest) of lovemaking, and even to the birth-pangs in creating a new
(Priest) life. there is the peace of Aphrodite that follows such as
(Priest) these, a thoroughly fulfilling quietude. And it is easy,
(Priest) really. very easy and the most natural of things.
(Priestess) This is a time of travelling unseen in the full moonlight,
a
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(Priestess) time for hearing of elfin music not made by humankind. It
is
(Priestess) a time for oneness with the forest, with the mountains,
with
(Priestess) the eternal and life-giving sea, with the warm rains and
the
(Priestess) bolt of lightning that creates the very spark of life. It
(Priestess) is a time for pilgrimage to the holy of holies, to stand
at
(Priestess) last before the cauldron of our Lady and to see form, and
(Priestess) substance, and being created anew once more.
(Priestess) Hear the sound of the Circle Bell...
(Priestess) (Repeat after Priestess)
(Priestess) All hail, O goddess of the silver-rimmed cauldron.
(Rilla) All hail, o goddess of the silver-rimmed cauldron.
(Marc Tripp) All hail, O goddess of the silver-rimmed cauldron.
(Jim Stay) All hail O Goddess of the silver-rimmed cauldron
(Priestess) All hail, thou from whom all does come.
(Kammy) all hail, o goddess of the silver-rimmed cauldron.
(Many Blue Sparks) All hail, o goddess of the silver rimmed cauldron
(Rilla) All hail, thou from whom all does come.
(Kammy) all hail, thou from whom all does come.
(Jim Stay) All Hail thou from whom all does come
(Marc Tripp) All Hail, Thou from whom all does come.
(Priestess) On this night do we give salutation to the magic of
creation
(Priestess) And to the ecstasy of the Gods.
(Many Blue Sparks) All hail, thou from whom all does come.
(Kammy) on this night doe we give salutation to the magic of creation
(I.D.) All hail thou from whom all do3s come
(Kammy) and to the ecstasy of the Gods.
(Rilla) On this night do we give salutation to the magic of creation
(Marc Tripp) On this night do we give salutation to the magic of
creation and to the
(Marc Tripp) ecstasy of the Gods
(Rilla) and to the ecstasy of the Gods!
(Priestess) (Smell the rising incense smoke and hear the circle bell)
(Many Blue Sparks) On this night doe we give salutation to the magick
of creation
(Many Blue Sparks) and to the ecstasy of the Gods.
(Priestess) O gracious and beautiful goddess, Teach us to weave magic,
(Priestess) Show us thy ancient art to bring forth from chaos and from
(Priestess) nothingness that which is Being itself teach us to draw
from
(Priestess) the Moon, to spin and to fashion fabric magical and pure;
(Priestess) Insubstantial as dew, yet with the strength of iron.
(Priest) O most excellent Lady, teach us of love, and of beauty, and
(Priest) of sensuousness.
(Priest) Teach us of daring, and of adventure. Show us of the
(Priest) building of spells of the spinning and shaping of moonlight.
(Priest) Lead our feet in the magical dances of power. Show to us the
(Priest) paths between the worlds, To realms strange, and beautiful.
(Priest) Lead us through mist and moonlight to places of crystalline
(Priest) rainbow light. Groves of enchantment, thy hollow hills of
(Priest) magic, and pools and lakes of mystery.
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(Priest) (hear the sounds of the bell)
(Priestess) Teach us, O Lady of radiance To speak the language of the
(Priestess) wilds, To fly with the freedom of the bird, To live with
the
(Priestess) power and grace of the feline, To know the ease, the
(Priestess) beautiful ease of creating. And to know ecstasy and joy.
To
(Priestess) stir t he very heights of our being.
(Priestess) BLESSED BE !
(Priestess) Prepare for Meditation.
(Priestess) We are all seated comfortably on cushions near a large
(Priestess) mirror. It is night, and the moon is full. We stand up
(Priestess) where we are, and stepping out of our bodies, leave them
(Priestess) resting comfortably behind. We go to the mirror and look
(Priestess) through; we can see through to the other side and make out
a
(Priestess) moonlit grassy hill beyond, rising before us, We step
(Priestess) through and fins ourselves in a warm moonlit night. a path
(Priestess) stretches off to the right across a broad grassy meadow.
We
(Priestess) look back briefly and see the portal of our mirror, with
the
(Priestess) candle lights on the other side; it will be here open and
(Priestess) waiting for us on our return. We start up the path in the
(Priestess) bright, full moonlight...
(Priestess) In the distance ahead of us we see forest covered hills,
the
(Priestess) sky is bright with many stars. the wind moans softly in
the
(Priestess) tall grasses, there is the smell of pine on the air, on
(Priestess) either side the mist lies low upon the ground, we continue
(Priestess) across the meadow turning until the forest lies off to one
(Priestess) side, ahead of us now we see scattered fruit trees,
through
(Priestess) which we walk. the grass underfoot is wet with dew, our
(Priestess) robes drift in the gentle breeze, the ground begins to
rise
(Priestess) before us and the air is full of the sounds of night birds
(Priestess) and crickets. we move tirelessly up the slight incline,
(Priestess) seeming to barely touch the ground, fireflies flicker
(Priestess) briefly in the distance as we move through the shadows
(Priestess) beneath the trees, our movements almost soundless, patches
(Priestess) of moonlight cast our shadows, rainbow rimmed on the wet
(Priestess) grass.
(Priestess) We glance back and, far behind we can see the rolling
hills
(Priestess) and on the horizon, what seem to be the flickering of a
(Priestess) distant thunderstorm, the clouds far away, above us the
sky
(Priestess) is clear, the moonlight bright. Mist drifts in patches
over
(Priestess) the meadow, w e pass on through it. there is the heady
(Priestess) perfume of flowers, the smell of grass and trees, small
(Priestess) animals rustle near us. we move quickly and silently on,
(Priestess) passing through the trees like moonbeams, haloes about our
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(Priestess) shadows. almost as if there were others with us.. but we
(Priestess) cannot make them out. The forest closes in as we progress,
(Priestess) ahead we make out the what seems to be the entrance to a
(Priestess) cave, with a soft multicoloured glow within.
(Priestess) As we approach we see what appear to be glistening miner-
als
(Priestess) encrusting the rock about the entrance to the cave. We
hear
(Priestess) sounds of soft music from within, rainbow colours flash
(Priestess) colouring the wisps of mist which drift before it. We step
(Priestess) inside...
(Priestess) We seem to be wrapped in soft misty light. We notice the
(Priestess) aroma of sweet flowers. Ahead is a pool of crystal clear
(Priestess) water, catching all the colours, shimmering rainbow mists
(Priestess) rise from it. next to the pool a path leads to the right
and
(Priestess) we follow it. There are other pools in small chambers
about
(Priestess) the cave, they appear as mirrors to other worlds and other
(Priestess) times, the sound of soft music fills the air. Jewel-like
(Priestess) minerals are everywhere, the path leads upwards through
the
(Priestess) rock, to a chamber where we see a great cauldron, mist
rises
(Priestess) from it encrusting the rim with glistening beads, soft
(Priestess) whispering can now be heard. We stop and hold up our
hands
(Priestess) before the cauldron, fine sparkles of light fly from our
(Priestess) fingers, and as we weave patterns with our hands we see,
for
(Priestess) a moment, a pattern of light of our creation take form,
then
(Priestess) dissolve to be reality elsewhere. the mist rises thickly
(Priestess) from the cauldron and we step forward and peer into it, as
(Priestess) through gazing into a mirror we see images of ourselves,
an
(Priestess) d as we gaze these images appear to change, we become
better
(Priestess) healthier, more perfect, with fiery glowing auras, our-
selves
(Priestess) improving within and without.
(Priestess) We step back and throw a kiss toward the cauldron, spar-
kles
(Priestess) of light explode in the air, we look and listen for a
while,
(Priestess) then turn and begin to retrace our steps....
(Priestess) Once again we pass through the chamber of the pools, with
(Priestess) its glistening jewels an d soft music, out into the bright
(Priestess) moonlight the forested hillside about us, behind us the
(Priestess) cave entrance, down through the trees we pass across the
(Priestess) meadow, with its whispering grasses and gleaming fire-
flies,
(Priestess) our robes floating gossamer upon the air, silently we
move.
(Priestess) Ahead on the horizon the storm flashes, small creatures
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(Priestess) rustle in the grasses, our shadows move with us haloed in
(Priestess) moonlight, we move rapidly through the trees and across
the
(Priestess) meadow, ahead we see the faint glimmer of our own portal,
(Priestess) growing larger, brighter as we approach. we stop before it
(Priestess) and look around, one last look at the moonlit meadow, the
(Priestess) forest, the hills , the fireflies, the mist. Then we step
(Priestess) through. We are in the circle again. We go to our bodies
(Priestess) and settle comfortably down within them. We have retur-
ned.
(Priestess) I call Rilla
(Priestess) Rilla, enter into the Center of the Circle!
(Rilla) I enter into the center of the circle
(Priestess) Children of the night, send forth your power to this our
(Priestess) Sister, that she feel the relief of our touch.
(Priestess) (visualize healing fire flowing from your hands to Rilla)
(Priestess) (and that any aches and pains are melted away and flow
(Priestess) into the ground for transmutation)
(Priestess) Rilla, when you feel full of power, earth the extra
part...
(Rilla) <I send the spiral of the breath into the earth.....>
(Priestess) and return to your place in the Circle.
(Rilla) <and with it flows all pain and burden>...
(Rilla) <and breathe the spirit of the earth back to my heart>
(Rilla) <and out again to my brothers and sisters>....
(Rilla) I thank you...
(Rilla) Blessed Be...
(Rilla) <returning to place in the circle>
(Priestess) Blessed Be!
(Priestess) Is there any others that have a boon to ask tonight in
this
(Priestess) Night of Power?
(Rilla) I ask a boon.
(Rilla) To send the healing power we have gathered here...
(Rilla) to our brother, Otter...
(Rilla) so that he may feel our love and healing touch.
(Priestess) We concentrate on the center of the Circle...
(Priestess) and a shadowy figure forms. The shape of Otter
(Priestess) takes form, and once again, the Healing Fire reaches
(Priestess) out to touch and caress.
(Priest) The figure waves it's thanks, and gradually fades away,
leaving
(Priest) behind the echoes of it's Blessed Be!
(Priest) Are there any other boons or wishes?
(Rilla) Healing for those not with us?
(Rilla) Berrywine, our sister...
(Rilla) and Alexandra too.
(Priest) Heh, We are deep enough for that too.
(Priest) We spread the circle, and many shapes and forms
(Priest) begin to appear. Brothers and Sisters that cannot
(Priest) be here in the Now, but that are always with us.
(Priest) And once more, with a rumbling from deep in the earth...
(Priest) the Healing Fire once more flows forth, and lightning
(Priest) cracks across the sky in response, power to power...
(Priest) and the shadowy figures straighten up, lose their pain,
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(Priest) and smiling, slowly fade away. Blessed Be.
(Priestess) Any others?
(Priestess) Any items to be charged? We accept Goddess Charge and
Lady Visa (grin)
(I.D.) for Brad...
(Shadow Hawk) I have a request, I have a wand that I picked up in the
Isle of Man
(Shadow Hawk) a wand of Ash from a mountain that our brothers and
sisters died on
(Shadow Hawk) during the Burning Times. I would like to charge it
with the energy
(Shadow Hawk) of the night. I place it on the altar in the center of
the Circle...
(Priest) Visualize the Fire flowing once more, not healing, but
bonding
(Priest) with power, sealing the Wand to do the Lady's Will.
(Priest) So mote it be!
(Priestess) Any others?
(Rilla) Ingrid mentioned Brad....
(Rick B) Charge his monitor! <g>
(Priestess) Then we continue, please take your chalice and bread.
(Rilla) who is not with us except in his heart <g>...and would be if
he could!
(Priestess) (lift your chalice)
(I.D.) Who needs peace!!
(Priestess) O Goddess of beauty, and of Magnificence, O God of laugh-
ter
(Priestess) and joyous strength.
(Priestess) Cast now thy blessings on this feast of sacrament. That we
(Priestess) may honour thee, and learn of thy mysteries of life, of
(Priestess) magic of creating. Blessed Be !
(Priest) Eat now of the gifts of the earth. ever new, ever fresh,
(Priest) ever excellent, know well that the power of life to come
(Priest) forth is beyond bounds in time and space.
(Priest) Eat now of the bread before you. of the grain that forms a
(Priest) link with the most ancient of living things And with the
(Priest) grain that shall sprout and grow for countless eons to come.
(Priest) Know well that to abide, life must draw vitality and power
(Priest) from the earth.
(Priest) Eat, and know of creation enduring.
(Priest) Drink now of the sweet wine before you, symbol of the light
(Priest) and beautiful magic, which opens the portals to the realms
(Priest) of enchantment. Know that music, and the lure of the
(Priest) mysterious is the sweetness and most intoxicating of all
(Priest) human experience.
(Priest) Drink, and know of elvish magic.
(Priestess) I bid you now, finish that which ye have, and meditate
upon
(Priestess) the significance of that which has been said.
(Shadow Hawk) Gracious Goddess, thank you for being here tonight...
(Shadow Hawk) thank you for your Love and your touch and the light
(Shadow Hawk) you send to show us the Path in the Dark. Blessed Be!
(Shadow Hawk) Mighty God, thank you for being here tonight...
(Shadow Hawk) Thank you for you Love and your strength and the power
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(Shadow Hawk) to find the strength to walk this Path in the Dark.
Blessed Be!
(Marc Tripp) <Standing and moving to the East>
(Marc Tripp) Powers of Air,
(Marc Tripp) Place of Dawn,
(Marc Tripp) Guardian of the Gate I pledge my Air to Thine!
(Marc Tripp) Depart in peace to whence ye came
(Marc Tripp) Until we meet Again
(Marc Tripp) <Moving to the South>
(Marc Tripp) Powers of Earth
(Marc Tripp) Place of deepest Night,
(Marc Tripp) Guardian of the Gate, I pledge my Earth to thine!
(Marc Tripp) Depart in peace to whence ye came.
(Marc Tripp) Until We meet again.
(Marc Tripp) <Moving to the West>
(Marc Tripp) Powers of Water
(Marc Tripp) Place of the Setting Sun,
(Marc Tripp) Guardian of the Gate, I pledge my Water to thine.
(Marc Tripp) Depart in peace to whence ye came.
(Marc Tripp) Until we meet again!
(Marc Tripp) <Moving to the North>
(Marc Tripp) Powers of Fire,
(Marc Tripp) Place of the Highest Sun,
(Marc Tripp) Guardian of the Gate, I pledge my Fire to thine!
(Marc Tripp) Depart in peace to whence ye came.
(Marc Tripp) Until we meet again.
(Marc Tripp) <Moving back to my place in the circle.
(Shadow Hawk) I take the Sword of Opening, and I move to the North
(Shadow Hawk) Moving counterclockwise, I walk the Circle one more
time...
(Shadow Hawk) and the fire gutters out and sinks into the Earth...
(Shadow Hawk) I walk the Circle Round and Round.
(Shadow Hawk) I walk the Circle into the Ground.
(Shadow Hawk) I walk the Circle round and Round.
(Shadow Hawk) Out to the edge of the Covenstead.
(Shadow Hawk) Returning to the north, I raise the sword high...
(Shadow Hawk) The Circle is Open, but unbroken...
(Shadow Hawk) Merry Meet, Merry Part, and Merry meet again!
(Shadow Hawk) So mote it be!
(Rilla) So mote it be!
(Marc Tripp) So Mote it be!
(Jim Stay) So Mote it be
(2-1,Rick B) So Mote It Be!
(I.D.) So mote it be!
(Kammy) So mote it be!
(Many Blue Sparks) So Mote it be!
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{file "MoonMay.93" "bos458.htm"}
COMPUSERVE ON-LINE FULL MOON RITUAL
MAY 1993
*********** New Age+ Forum 04-May-93 20:17
HP | MBS, will you call the Guardians of the South?
Many Blue Sparks: Spirits of Fire who live in the summer sun...
| and winter fires, Guardians of the south....
| that warm this our home... we ask you to
| watch this circle and join our celebration.
HP | So mote it be!
Otterkin| So mote it be!
HP | Guardians of the watchtowers of the West...
| Setting Sun, Home of Bear, Waters of the Abyss...
| I do Summon you Here to this Rite...
| Serpent power, flowing power, I call to you...
| Come, attend this our Circle as we gather to do...
| the Lady's Will!
| So mote it be!
Otterkin| So mote it be!
HP | I pick up the old hollowed rock that lays
| upon the altar...
| in it was water collected from sacred streams.
| Holding the Water to the West, I offer it up...
| Creature of Water, be thou purified and cleansed to do
| the Lady's Will.
| Picking up Salt I offer it to the North for Blessings.
| Creature of Earth, be thou purified and cleansed to do
| the Lady's Will.
| Mixing the Salt and water together, I stride the
| circle in a clockwise manner,
| splashing salted water around the Circle.
| By the Creatures of Water and Earth do I cleanse
| and purify this Circle!
| and I place the salted water back on the altar.
| Picking up the incense, I offer it to the East
| Spirit of East and Air, be thou purified and cleansed
| to do the Lady's Will!
Babs | Persephone from the East receives your offering.
| Xaipe!!!
HP | Then, holding the Censor to the South...
| Spirit of Fire, be thou purified and cleansed to do
| the Lady's Will!
| And I add the incense to the fire,
| and walk the circle...
| wafting the sweet smoke. Creatures of Air and Fire...
| Cleanse and purify this Circle
| that we might Do the Lady's Will!
| And I place the censor back on the altar.
| So mote it be!
Otterkin| So mote it be!
HP | Then, I take up the Staff...
HP | In my Hands is the Staff of the Gods
| Fire flowing from it's Tip.
| From North to East to South
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| I Cast the Circle round the Earth
| returning to the North.
| At Circle's Center,
| I plant the Rod Deep in the Earth.
| Like a Pillar, the Staff reaches up from the
| Center of the Circle.
| Turning, I bow to my Lady.
Otterkin| We are in the Space between the worlds,
| In a place that is not a place,
| In a time that is not a time,
| In a space that is not a Space.
| Welcome, and Blessed Be!
HP | Blessed Be!
HP | Oh Lady, on this most Sacred Night,
| As your Face waxes Full and Bright,
| I bid thee grant my Heart's Delight.
| Oh Mother, Lover, Crone as One,
| Gracious Goddess, Queen of All,
| I call to you to Come,
| Join us here as we sound the Bell,
| Your Ritual has begun.
| Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
| Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
| Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
Selene | Horned One, Lover, Sun and Son,
| Leaper in the Corn
| Join me in my Moonlit Rite,
| Weave with this Spell tonight!
| God of Wood and God of Field,
| Dancing by my Light,
| Come you now, an' as you Will,
| Share with Us Delight!
| God of Forest, God of Life
| Come I call you here tonight.
| Lover dead by Winter's hand,
| Join with Me to Bless the Land!
| send 6 Yours!
Pan | Tonight is the Night of the Full Moon,
| and tomorrow is Beltaine by the Old reckoning.
| The time of Beltaine (Lady's Day) is the time
| of celebrating the coming fertility of the Earth
| In days past there were many ways to celebrate.
| A bonfire was lit, and people would dance around
| and leap over it for luck in the coming year
| usualy with a specific endeavor in mind such
| as finding one's true love, fertility in marriage,
| or safety in traveling. Cattle were driven
| through it's ashes to ensure good milk yield.
| It was also a time when the High Priest and
| High Priestess would share in the Great Rite, Blessing
| the fields and flocks with the Power raised to ensure
| fertility and bounty. Couples drifted from the Circle
| to make love in the fields to add to and share in
| the Blessings.
| This year we are doubly blessed. We have a Full
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| Moon coinciding with Beltaine, so it will be
| extra strong for "fertilizing" the coming
| year and our work here tonight.
Selene | Speaking of work, my beloved Lord,
| I am eager to begin.
| Tonight we raise the Cone of Power in a
| different way, so please gather round.
| Upon the altar there are ribbons,
| Colors of all kinds,
| White for gifts of the Spirit
| Pink for love or romance,
| Green for healing power,
| Blue for for truth and wisdom,
| Red the Blessings of the Fertile Field,
| Gold for wealth,
| Silver for security...
| Choose the ribbon right for you,
| the colors all run true.
| All the colors in between,
| shades and hues of each are seen.
| Tonight's a night of Magic True
| And magic follows Form.
| In your Hand, catch one end and
| the let other reach for
| the Staff of the Gods.
| The Magic draws the Ribbons, and
| They fasten themselves upon the Staff.
| And brightly flutter there,
| Dancing in Her Light,
| Wrapped around the God's Pole,
Pan | Hear the sound of drumbeat slow,
Selene | Straight and Hard in the Night.
Pan | The Heartbeat of the Land.
Selene | nd
Pan | Hear the sound of drumbeat slow,
Selene | [B
Pan | The Heartbeat of the Land.
| Dance around the Maypole fair,
| Weave your ribbons bright and tight,
| Wrap the Staff of God.
| Wrap your ribbons bright and tight,
| Weave your Heart's delight.
| Drumbeat sounds louder still,
| as faster it becomes,
| Joyous cries from throats do leap,
| Hearken to the Sound.
| Faster still the beat does sound,
| The Circle spins around and round,
| Wrap the God's Pole with your Dreams,
Babs | ) ) ) ) ) ) O ( ( ( ( ( (
Pan | That Fertile be your Life.
| Wrap the Pole up nice and tight,
| Sealing your desire.
| Wrap the pole up nice and tight,
| The Ribbons now are short.
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| Bind them when you reach the Base
| And listen for His Call!
| (hear the sound of far off hunting horns)
Selene | (Lighting fire)
| Tonight we charge by Fire Bright.
| and Jump the Beltaine Fire.
| Fire Spirit, Fire Spirit, Dancing in the Night,
| Fire Spirit, Fire Spirit, Come and join our Rite!
Pan | Come My Lady, and Jump the Fire with me!
| (joining hands we jump the fire)
| (let all who wish, visualize the fire
| and jump along with us.
Selene | Are you going to ask them to share their
| wishes?
Pan | Will you share your wishes with us here tonight?
Selene | Silver and pink ribbons for me...
H.P. | I wish for Contentment in the coming year!
| (jumping the fire)
Selene | The child that I would like to adopt should be born in
| the coming year!
Griffin | A wish to see the Community of the Old Religions
| banding together as never before,
| putting aside differences in Perfect
| Love and Perfect Trust (Jumping the fire...)
Many Blue Sparks: A green ribbon for me...
Pan | Blessed Be!
Many Blue Sparks: healing of mind and body to become the highest
| I can... jumping the fire.
Pan | So mote it be!
Babs | Goddess & God bring me blue - letting go
| & red - passion. (Jump)
Selene | Blessed BE!
Selene | Blessed Be!
Pan | Then we continue...
Pan | Lay your hands upon my Staff, feel the power within,
| Take of It I will to you, Life and Heart and Soul,
| Take the Power within yourself,
| Centered and Empowered,
| Plant it deep within your Heart, feel Desire filled.
| Deeper works the Magic still,
| The Greatest Rite is nigh,
| Open now the Circle cast,
| and slip you out by ones and twos,
| into the woods, both Fair and dark,
| and feel Me all about.
| The Oldest Magic fills the Air,
| Desire fills the loins,
| Lovemaking, the Ancient Magick
| brings life to Heart's desire,
| And fertilizes the Earth.
| (visualize you and a loved one
| going out into the woods)
| Blessed are the hearth and Field,
| upon your love does lay.
| Make your loving long and deep,
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| share your loving sweet.
| Come back to Circle when you are done,
| This Night's the Night of Love,
| Come back to Circle when you are done,
| While our Mother is Above.
| Milady, will you help me erect the Oldest Altar?
Selene | Willingly and with Love, My Lord.
Pan | (in the center of the circle a mist does rise)
| And I carry you within,
| hidden from eyes of the World...
| and only the sounds of Lovemaking fill the air.
| Around the Circle, the Coveners each make their way
| to the fields, with their loved ones and make love,
| each in their own way, to share the joy of Love, Lust
| and the regeneration of Life itself.
| Drink the Wine that is the fruit of my loins...
| And eat the bread that is the grain of my body...
| That I will live in you and you will live in me.
Selene | Now this Rite is drawn to close,
| The Fire is dying down,
| The pole is wrapped for the coming Year,
| And Magic fills your life.
| Thank you Horned One, young and Strong,
| For being here tonight,
| Thank you horned One, Dark and Fierce,
| For Dancing in Her Light.
HP | Goddess Fair and Goddess Bright,
| Within you lies the Seed,
| Goddess Fair and Goddess Bright,
| We thank you for your Rite.
H.P. | Moving to the West....
| Keepers of the Watchtowers of the West, I thank you
| for attending this our Lady's Rite,
| and as you depart to your Watery realm, I ask
| that there always be Peace,
| peace between you and the Children of the Lady!
| So mote it be!
Otterkin| So mote it b!
H.P. | Now South please.
| MBS, please thank the south for us?
Many Blue Sparks: Keepers of the Tower of the East, thank you
| for attending our Lady's rite
| and as you return to Spheres of Fire, I ask that
| you bring us Light,
| Light for the Children of the Lady!
Otterkin| So mote it be!
H.P. | So mote it be!
| Babs, Wilt thou thank the Guardian of the East?
Babs | Hail wise Persephone. Thank you for your gracious
| attendance. Bless our dreams. Xaipe!!!
H.P. | Blessed Be!
Otterkin| Blessed Be!
Griffin | Guardians of the Watchtowers of the North,
| Lords of the Earth,
| we thank you for your presence. Stay if you will,
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| part if you must...
| and if depart you will,
| then we bid you Hail and Farewell...
| So mote it be!
Otterkin| So mote it be!
H.P. | So mote it be!
HP | With my athame I walk to the north,
| the point is at the ground, I walk the
| Circle round and round, from North to West
| to South then East, the Circle sinks into the
| ground. I turn to face my Lady Fair, across
| the sacred Ground.
| The Circle is Open, but never broken.
| Merry Meet, Merry Part, and Merry Meet again!
Shadow Hawk: Blessed be all!
Otterkin| Blessed be!
ID | Blessed be!!
Many Blue Sparks: Blessed be!
Griffin | Blessed Be!
2156
{file "MoonOCT.92" "bos459.htm"}
FULL MOON RITUAL
October 12, 1992
Led by Baba Yaga (Grandmother Owl) with Shadow Hawk and Rilla
(1-3,Baba Yaga) I also wanted to remind everyone that if you are
someone who feels
...
(1-3,Baba Yaga) that Columbus isn't your A#1 hero, we can put in a
polite bow to the
(1-3,Baba Yaga) residents of Turtle Island were here to greet him.
(1-3,Baba Yaga) The strange words you'll see in the ritual are Chero-
kee for the
Spirit
(1-3,Baba Yaga) guardians of the Quarters, the God, Goddess and
Ancestors/Community/Totems.
(1-1,S.H.) striking chime once
(1-1,S.H.) Relax your bodies, feel the tension flow out of them....
(1-1,S.H.) send your awareness down, down, into your feet...
(1-1,S.H.) and from your feet, feel the connection to the earth
pulling at you
(1-1,S.H.) slowly, begin to breath deep...
(1-1,S.H.) and with each breath you take, fill your body with en-
ergy...
(1-1,S.H.) and with each exhale, push it down through your feet into
the earth...
(1-1,S.H.) the connection grows stronger, and the barriers break down
(1-1,S.H.) breath by breath, wall by wall, and the earth becomes alive
(1-1,S.H.) beneath you.
(1-1,S.H.) Now, as you inhale, let the energy flow completely through
you into the
earth...
(1-1,S.H.) and as you exhale, begin to pull energy from the earth up
into your
body...
(1-1,S.H.) you are awash in the energies of Father Sky and Mother
Earth, they
(1-1,S.H.) are cleansing and balancing your body with each breath you
take.
(1-1,S.H.) Air and Earth, you are balancing, you are grounding, you
are
(1-1,S.H.) attaining peace and harmony with our Mother and our Father-
...
(1-1,S.H.) Breath gently, and be at one.
(1-3,Baba Yaga) (moving to the east and raising my athame high)
(1-3,Baba Yaga) This athame is the symbol of Air, the element of the
East.
(1-3,Baba Yaga) I summon the powers of the East, the winds of thought
and
intelligence,...
(1-3,Baba Yaga) the storms of inspiration and learning. Here arises
Awahili, the
2157
Eagle,...
(1-3,Baba Yaga) where the sun does ever shine. Give to us the wisdom
of the east.
...
(1-3,Baba Yaga) We invite these spirits to this our celebration of
their powers.
(1-3,Baba Yaga) (Walking around circle drawing it with the Athame)
(1-3,Baba Yaga) (lighting candle)
(1-1,S.H.) (moving to the South)
(1-1,S.H.) (taking breath, and raising Wand high)
(1-1,S.H.) This Wand is the symbol of Fire, the Element of the South.
I
(1-1,S.H.) summon the powers of the South, the fires of directed will,
of
(1-1,S.H.) energy and spirit. Here dwells Tsistu, the Rabbit, the
Trickster
(1-1,S.H.) in the direction we are always facing. Grant us the
ability to
(1-1,S.H.) attune ourselves to the energy of the South. We invite
these
(1-1,S.H.) Spirits to lend us their aid in our work tonight.
(1-1,S.H.) (walking Circle, sending fire though the wand, outlining
the circle of
Fire
(1-3,BYaga) (Moving to the West. Picking Up small bowl of clear water
...
(1-3,BYaga) Holding water over head facing west)
(1-3,BYaga) This water is the essence of Water, the Element of the
West. ...
(1-3,BYaga) I summon the powers of emotion and love, understanding and
caring.
(1-3,BYaga) Here dwells Yanu, the Bear, where the sun lies down and
dies ...
(1-3,BYaga) It is the home of the thunders: the source of knowledge of
our inner
(1-3,BYaga) beings. Grant us thy inner peace and understanding. ...
(1-3,BYaga) We invite these spirits to permeate all that we do here.
(1-3,BYaga) (Walking around circle sprinkling water, drawing circle
with stream of
water)
(1-3,BYaga) (lighting candle)
(1-1,S.H.) ~(I move to the North and raise a container of Salt high)
(1-1,S.H.) This Salt is the symbol of Earth, the Element of the
North. We
(1-1,S.H.) summon the strength and protection of the rocks and the
trees, the
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(1-1,S.H.) stability of the stones which are the bones of the People.
Here
(1-1,S.H.) dwells Yunsu, the Buffalo, in the home of the white giant
from
(1-1,S.H.) whose mouth streams the cleansing wind. Grant to us thy
strength,
(1-1,S.H.) ancient wisdom, cleansing and stability. We invite these
Spirits
(1-1,S.H.) to give reality to all that we do here.
(1-1,S.H.) (walking the Circle, outlining the Circle with Salt)
(1-1,S.H.) (moving towards the Altar)
(1-3,BYaga) (moving towards altar)
(1-8,Rilla) <standing at altar>
(1-1,S.H.) (joining Rilla at the Altar)
(1-8,Rilla) Great Goddess, Maiden, Mother, Crone...
(1-8,Rilla) spread wide your wings of silver moonlight over us...
(1-8,Rilla) Give thy blessing to us and to these rites we do...
(1-8,Rilla) in your name. Grandmother Earth, Agisagua, Grant us
thy...
(1-8,Rilla) peace and thy blessing...
(1-8,Rilla) <lighting Goddess Candle>
(1-1,S.H.) Mighty God of the Golden Sun, the Winter's cold, bring your
(1-1,S.H.) beaming face to our circle. Galunlati, Father Sky, Great
(1-1,S.H.) Mysterious of the cosmos; give thy blessing to these rites
we do in your
name.
(1-1,S.H.) (lights God Candle)
(1-1,S.H.) (lighting Yellow Candle)
(1-3,BYaga) Like the radiating cords of the spider's web...
(1-3,BYaga) All paths lead to the center. and like the circling
threads, ...
(1-3,BYaga) each one of us is linked, one to all others. Spirits
dwelling here,
(1-3,BYaga) old ones, ancestors, Agayunli, Nunahe, be welcome ...
(1-3,BYaga) here we are all one. We are the Stone Peoples...
(1-3,BYaga) the community of the religions of the Mother Earth and the
Father Sky.
(1-3,BYaga) (Lighting red Candle)
(1-3,BYaga) (Picking up silver cup filled with clear spring water...
(1-3,BYaga) holding the cup up towards the full moon)
(1-8,Rilla) Silver Lady, Mother of Dreams, Night Sister...
(1-8,Rilla) Lift your sacred circle---see your reflection here.
(1-8,Rilla) <looking up at the moon>
(1-1,S.H.) In Shadow do we search.
(1-1,S.H.) To the Darkness you bring welcome light!
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(1-3,BYaga) (looking at the Moon)
(1-1,S.H.) (looking up at the moon)
(1-3,BYaga) Lady Moon, your silver face reflects upon this water. ...
(1-3,BYaga) Reach down and give your face unto this mirror here. ...
(1-3,BYaga) Come to us Lady: come. We, your children ask you. ...
(1-3,BYaga) Moon Web, Silver Thread....
(1-3,BYaga) Spin to us.
(1-8,Rilla) Moon Web, Silver Thread, Spin to us.
(1-3,BYaga) Moon Web, Silver Thread....
(1-1,S.H.) moon Web, Silver Thread, spin to Us.
(1-3,BYaga) Spin to us.
(1-1,S.H.) Moon Web, Silver Thread, Spin to us.
(1-8,Rilla) Moon Web, Silver Thread, Spin to us.
(1-3,BYaga) (bringing cup down to level with my heart)
(1-3,BYaga) (staring into water there)
(1-1,S.H.) Moon Web, Silver Thread, Spin to US!
(1-3,BYaga) Moon I name You, Moon you be
(1-8,Rilla) Moon, I name you. Moon you be.
(1-1,S.H.) MOON WEB, SLIVER THREAD, SPIN TO US!
(1-1,S.H.) MOON, I name you, Moon you be.
(1-3,BYaga) (Drinking from cup of moonlight)
(1-3,BYaga) (Passing cup to Shadow Hawk)
(1-3,BYaga) Drink Deep of Moonsilver ...
(1-3,BYaga) Be one with Moonlight.
(1-1,S.H.) (taking draught)
(1-1,S.H.) (passing chalice to Rilla)
(1-8,Rilla) <drinking>
(1-3,BYaga) Drink Rilla, Drink Deep of Moonsilver ...
(1-3,BYaga) Be one with Moonlight.
(1-1,S.H.) Rilla, Drink, drink deep of Moonsilver. Be one with the
Moonlight.
(1-8,Rilla) <passing chalice to Helen>
(1-3,BYaga) Helen, Drink Deep of Moonsilver ...
(1-5,Helen Larkin) <drinking.. passing chalice>
(1-3,BYaga) Be one with Moonlight.
(1-5,Helen Larkin) <to Ray>
<drinking>
<passing chalice>
(1-3,BYaga) Ray Drink Deep of Moonsilver ...
(1-3,BYaga) Be one with Moonlight.
<to babayaga>
2160
(1-3,BYaga) Taking chalice and picking up sprig of lemon balm
(1-3,BYaga) (Dipping lemon balm leaf in...
(1-3,BYaga) the cup, shaking drops of moon water over Shadow Hawk)
(1-3,BYaga) Moon Washed, Love and light...
(1-3,BYaga) She brings.
(1-3,BYaga) (Dipping lemon balm leaf in...
(1-3,BYaga) the cup, shaking drops of moon water over Rilla ...
(1-3,BYaga) and sending with it healing power from our ritual)
(1-3,BYaga) Moon Washed, Love and light...
(1-3,BYaga) She brings.
(1-3,BYaga) (Dipping lemon balm leaf in...
(1-3,BYaga) the cup, shaking drops of moon water and protection over
Helen)
(1-3,BYaga) Moon Washed, Love and light...
(1-3,BYaga) She brings.
(1-3,BYaga) (Dipping lemon balm leaf in...
(1-3,BYaga) the cup, shaking moon water over Ray)
(1-3,BYaga) Moon Washed, Love and light...
(1-3,BYaga) She brings.
(1-3,BYaga) (Dipping lemon balm leaf in...
(1-3,BYaga) the cup, shaking moon water over myself, making face)
(1-3,BYaga) Moon Washed, Love and light...
(1-3,BYaga) She brings.
(1-3,BYaga) (pouring a drop of the moon water on the ground(floor))
(1-3,BYaga) (touching floor with foot)
(1-1,S.H.) ~(touching ground)
(1-8,Rilla) <touching ground> <placing symbols on the earth>
(1-3,BYaga) As we take power to keep, We return power to its source...
(1-3,BYaga) So Mote it Be
(1-8,Rilla) So Mote it Be!
(1-1,S.H.) As we take Power to keep
(1-1,S.H.) We return Power to its source
(1-1,S.H.) So mote it be.
(1-3,BYaga) So Mote it Be
(1-1,S.H.) So mote it be!
(1-3,BYaga) (motioning to the directions as they are named)
(1-3,BYaga) Air, Fire, Water, and Earth
(1-3,BYaga) (motioning above and below)
(1-3,BYaga) Power of Moon and Sun. ...
2161
(1-3,BYaga) Be within us always. As we leave this place between the
worlds. ...
(1-3,BYaga) As we walk again upon the ordinary ground. What we did
here is ever part
of us ...
(1-3,BYaga) We are power, we are change; our circle is opened...
(1-3,BYaga) Blessed Be
(1-3,BYaga) (opening arms wide to take in the whole circle)
(1-8,Rilla) Blessed Be!!
(1-1,S.H.) Blessed Be!
Blessed be
(1-3,BYaga) (hugging Rilla, Hugging Shadow Hawk, Hugging Ray, Hugging
Helen)
(1-1,S.H.) (hugging hug junkies)
<hugging>
(1-8,Rilla Hugging all....beautiful ritual, Baba!
____________________________________________
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Awahili is Cherokee for Eagle, the spirit keeper of the East. This is
the messenger
to the powers and the bird of the chieftain.
Sistu is Cherokee for Rabbit. the spirit keeper of the South for the
Eastern
Woodland Indians. Western Indians use the Coyote her. In any case it
represents
teaching through humor or by showing how NOT to do things. Think of
the B'rer Rabbit
stories: "Please
don thro me in dat briar patch!"
2162
Yanu is Cherokee for Bear, the spirit keeper of the West. Yanu is the
healer, she
who gave the sweat lodge to the people and the bear is the chief of
the council of
the four-leggeds. The thunders are 'chancy' powers, sometimes good and
sometimes
evil.
Yunsu is Cherokee for Buffalo, the spirit keeper of the North. Yes,
buffalo once
roamed a lot of the East! The buffalo provides for our mundane needs
with food,
clothing, shelter and, in the planes, fuel. For the Sioux (Lakota) the
buffalo also
gives the sacred pipe to the people, their communication with the
powers.
Agisegua is the Great female or Great Doe of the Cherokee. There are
other female
power figures which might have been used including the Corn Mother.
Galunlati is 'him above' in Cherokee and is one of many possible names
for deity
above.
Agayunli means "old" and refers to 'ancestors'; the grandmothers and
grandfathers
who are the wise ones. 'Grandmother' and/or 'Grandfather' were used as
respectful
address to persons considered wise without regard to actual kinship.
Nunahi are the spirits and totems which surround us. It might be
translated as the
'immortals'.
2163
{file "MoonSEP.92" "bos460.htm"}
Full Moon Ritual Sept 10, 1992
HPS-Nanette
HP -Ted
(1-6,HPS) [ HPS take besom (broom) and circles the area clockwise
while
(1-6,HPS) sweeping and saying]
(1-6,HPS) Sweep Ye Circle
(1-6,HPS) Sweep it well
(1-6,HPS) Sweep out evil
(1-6,HPS) Sweep out ill
(1-6,HPS) Sweep out ye Lady's beautiful Earth
(1-6,HPS) And fill this site with Joy and Mirth!
(1-6,HPS) [HPS rings a pleasant bell three times]
(1-6,HPS) Ring!
(1-6,HPS) Ring!
(1-6,HPS) Ring!
(1-6,HP) I will now light the Lords candle on the Alter...
(1-6,HP) My lord, be with us in strength and love to see this circle
through
(1-6,HP) As the light shines through, Our love is with you!
(1-6,HPS) I will now light the Lady's candle on the altar...
(1-6,HPS) May the Lady's light guide us. So mote it be!
(1-6,HPS) My lord, will you please summon the Elementals?
(1-6,HP) By your wish, my love!
(1-6,HP) [I move to the East with Athame in hand and draw a Large
invoking
(1-6,HP) pentagram in the air]
(1-6,HP) Powers of the East, entities of air, I call and summon thee
here and
(1-6,HP) now. With the Love of the Lady and the Strength of the Lord I
invoke
(1-6,HP) Thee; Be present at our circle; Protect those within; Guide
us in...
(1-6,HP) our rites.
(1-6,HP) Oh, great element of air, as thou flows within us all, I ask
(1-6,HP) of thee to join all here together with thine invisible bonds
of
(1-6,HP) thought and knowledge. So Mote it Be!
(1-6,HP) [I move to the South, again drawing an invoking pentagram in
(1-6,HP) the air]
(1-6,HP) Powers of the South, entities of fire, I call and summon thee
here
(1-6,HP) and now. With love of the Lady and Strength of the Lord I
invoke...
(1-6,HP) thee; Be present at our circle; Protect those within; and
Guide us
(1-6,HP) in our rites. Oh great elements of fire, warm our hearts and
souls
(1-6,HP) so that all within our circle tonight can WILL that perfect
love
2164
(1-6,HP) away and thus receive all that which returns thrice fold.
(1-6,HP) So mote it be!
(1-6,HPS) So Mote It Be!
(1-6,HP) [I move to the West. I draw a large invoking pentagram in
the air]
(1-6,HP) Powers of the West, entities of water, I call and summon thee
with
(1-6,HP) the love of the Lady and strength of the Lord. I invoke
Thee; Be
(1-6,HP) present at our circle; Protect those within; and guide us in
our...
(1-6,HP) rites.
(1-6,HP) Oh great element of water, help us dare to flow as easily as
thou...
(1-6,HP) within and without our physical selves so that all within our
circle...
(1-6,HP) may join on the astral. Moisten our lips so our kiss be
soft; Flow...
(1-6,HP) fromfrom our eyes as tears of joy; Unite us in the realms of
the...
(1-6,HP) Gods. So mote it be!
(1-6,HPS) So Mote It Be!
(1-6,HP) [Circling to the north I draw another large invoking Pen-
tagram]
(1-6,HP) Lady of the North, Mother Earth, sweet beauty and gift of the
Gods,...
(1-6,HP) join us here in our circle of love. With the Lord and the
Lady...
(1-6,HP) within us all, we send for thee with Perfect Love and Perfect
Trust...
(1-6,HP) so that thou may be healed, renewed, and loved. Powers of the
North,...
(1-6,HP) entities of the Earth, be present at our circle; Protect
those...
(1-6,HP) within; and Guide us in our rites. With the love of the Lady
and...
(1-6,HP) the strength of the Lord, I call thee here now!
(1-6,HP) So mote it be!
(1-6,HPS) So Mote It Be!
(1-6,HP) [Back to the East again, Athame raised high]
(1-6,HP) So Mote It Be! The elements are here!
(1-6,HP) [speaking now to the HPS]
(1-6,HP) My Lady, the elements are present as per your wish. With
love and...
(1-6,HP) trust they have been summoned as all here now have been.
(1-6,HPS) So Mote It Be!
(1-6,HPS) [HPS goes to the alter and draws a pentagram in a bowl of
salt]
(1-6,HPS) I bless thee salt, element of Earth, in the names of the
Lady &...
(1-6,HPS) Lord. [HPS now draws a pentagram in a bowl of water]
2165
(1-6,HPS) I bless thee, element of water, in the names of the Lord and
Lady.
(1-6,HPS) [HPS Places three Athame-fulls <g> of salt in the water]
(1-6,HPS) I ask that the combining of these elements purify our
circle, and...
(1-6,HPS) those who shall enter this sacred place of worship for the
Lady and...
(1-6,HPS) Lord.
(1-6,HP) [HP draws a pentagram in a small dish of incense]
(1-6,HP) Incense of Oil. Incense of Herb. I bless and consecrate thee
to be...
(1-6,HP) pure and good. With this blessing I do charge thee to keep
from this...
(1-6,HP) circle all ill and bring forth the security of Perfect Love
and...
(1-6,HP) Perfect Trust to all within our magical bounds.
(1-6,HP) So Mote It Be!
(1-6,HP) [Now I draw a pentagram in over the fire (a small charcoal)]
(1-6,HP) Creature of fire, I consecrate and bless thee so that thou
are...
(1-6,HP) purest in form, love, and trust. Powers within, grow and
strengthen...
(1-6,HP) so that thou may protect and aid all within our circle,
uniting us...
(1-6,HP) within, even over vast distances. I charge thee to hinder us
not,...
(1-6,HP) protect us from that which we do not desire, and warm our
hearts...
(1-6,HP) with thoughts of Love and Trust.
(1-6,HP) So Mote It Be!
(1-6,HP) [I now place a bit of incense on the coal]
(1-6,HP) Incense burn in the fires light and the elements shall unite.
May...
(1-6,HP) the sweetness upon the air aid our united thoughts and bring
forth...
(1-6,HP) all which is good and pure. For that which is not good and
pure...
(1-6,HP) shall find the sweetness sour and repugnant. Incense and
fire now...
(1-6,HP) seal our way on the path of the Lady and Lord!
(1-6,HP) So Mote It Be!
(1-6,HP) [HP will take censor in hand and the HPS will take the salted
water,...
(1-6,HP) we then sprinkle and cense the circle border as well as
ourselves...
(1-6,HP) within... ]
(1-6,HP) <Spinkle>
(1-6,HP) <Sprinkle>
2166
(1-6,HPS) [I will now conjure the circle, please visualize a bright
blue...
(1-6,HPS) perimeter]
(1-6,HPS) I conjure thee oh circle of love and light. May our perfect
love and...
(1-6,HPS) trust shine bright. With this light of blue,
(1-6,HPS) We ask that no harm come through.
(1-6,HPS) Circle in, Circle out,
(1-6,HPS) Only the pure of heart may come about.
(1-6,HP & HPS) So Mote It Be!
(1-6,HP) [With a big ole kiss I bring all the Ladies out there into
our...
(1-6,HP) circle]
(1-6,HPS) [With a kiss I bring all the Lords into our circle]
(1-6,HPS) <Kiss Kiss>
(1-6,HP) Well, we're all in circle and have a ritual for the moon to
boot.
(1-6,HP) Anyone have any input they would like some group thought on?
We
(1-6,HP) have a bit of collective thought to do later, also.
(1-5,Shadow Hawk) I would like to thank the Lady for the fact...
(1-5,Shadow Hawk) that so little life was lost due to Hurricane
Andrew.
(1-6,Ted & Nanette) Blessed Be!
(1-5,Shadow Hawk) Greg, Lars, Count, anything to add?
(1-9,Lars) I would like to say thank you for a beautiful experience..
(1-4,Greg) I would like to ask if we coulld raise dome energy to
(1-6,Ted & Nanette) OK, shall we go into our ritual? Also, what is
the transmission...
(1-4,Greg) send to my mother in the hospital
(1-6,Ted & Nanette) delay? should I wait longer for responses?
(1-5,Shadow Hawk) Yes wait about a minute longer
(1-4,Greg) I can't type fast
(1-6,HP) Why is your mom in the hospital?
(1-4,Greg) Cancer
(1-6,HP) Let's do a bit of healing with our collective thoughts, when
the...
(1-6,HP) magic time is ready. Is that OK? Where is she?
(1-4,Greg) Dobbs Ferry, New York... that sounds fine
(1-6,HP) Any one else, or shall the ritual begin?
(1-6,HP) Whom might have a whit candle available, and whom is visual-
izing...
(1-6,HP) tonight?
(1-9,Lars) I'm just 20 minutes north of where the worst of Andrew
hit--Please .... a though
(1-4,Greg) I have a white candle
(1-5,Shadow Hawk) I have a Zen Candle
(1-6,HPS) Figures!
(1-6,HP) OK let us do what we came here to do!
(1-6,HP) Tonight is the full moon. We are at our peak in magic, love,
and...
2167
(1-6,HP) fulfillment in all matters. Tonight we celebrate the climax
of our...
(1-6,HP) Lady's cycle. Tonight we are all one!
(1-6,HPS) The culmination of our work, our love, and the Lord, rest in
the...
(1-6,HPS) Lady tonight.
(1-6,HP) Would anyone else like to comment on what the full moon is to
them?
(1-9,Lars) High Tide for me...!
(1-6,HP) So be it.
(1-6,HPS) The Godess is Alive and Magic is afoot!
(1-5,Shadow Hawk) The Full moon is the face of my Lover.
(1-6,HP) Blessed be! The Goddess is Alive and Magic is afoot!
(1-6,HP) [HP now take white candle in hand, (mouth actually, hands are
busy)]
(1-6,HP) May this candle be as the moon, as the Goddess. Shining
bright with...
(1-6,HP) the warmth of love.
(1-6,HP) [I hand the candle to the HPS]
(1-6,HPS) [HPS carves a pentagram in the candle and says]
(1-6,HPS) With love and trust I charge this candle to burn bright and
long. It...
(1-6,HPS) is to represent the Lady, the moon, and of course the Lord.
In peace...
(1-6,HPS) and harmony this candle is love.
(1-6,HP) Blessed Be!
(1-6,HPS) Blessed Be!
(1-6,HPS) So Mote It Be!
(1-6,HPS) [HPS now lights the candle and places it on the altar,
saying]
(1-6,HPS) Now, with all of us across the distances, if you have a
candle,...
(1-6,HPS) please do as I did. We shall wait...
(1-5,Shadow Hawk) blessed be
(1-6,HP) Shall we continue?
(1-3,Count Cagliostro) yes
(1-5,Shadow Hawk) aye
(1-9,Lars) yes
(1-4,Greg) Blessed Be!
(1-6,HPS) So be it! Those that have candles please follow along;
those...
(1-6,HPS) without should visualize one and procede along also. The
physical...
(1-6,HPS) world NEVER INHIBITS the realm we are in now.
(1-6,HPS) I want everyone to look into the flame of your candle. Our
computer...
(1-6,HPS) desk is serving as an altar tonight, to make it a bit less
hectic....
(1-6,HPS) <g>. Anyhow, look into the flame and see the moon. So
bright and...
(1-6,HPS) full, this is the moon in your heart.
(1-6,HP) Now look again into the flame of your candle, and see your-
self in...
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(1-6,HP) that flame. See your life energy as it really is. The moon
is your...
(1-6,HP) heart, the flame, and you life energy. It is one!
(1-6,HPS) Let us pause for a moment and let yourself be one with the
flame,...
(1-6,HPS) the moon, and the Goddess. Feel the warmth. Feel the love.
(1-6,HPS) Know the Goddess.
(1-6,HPS) As the candle burns, remember not what was said, but remem-
ber what
(1-6,HPS) was done and felt. You and the Goddess are one.
(1-6,HP) For those with candles, let them burn till gone. For those
without,...
(1-6,HP) let them burn in your mind till dawn. For to snuff a flame
before...
(1-6,HP) it's time really pisses-off the fire faeries!
(1-6,HP) Blessed Be!
(1-6,HPS) So Mote It Be!
(1-6,HP) [Speaking to the HPS]
(1-6,HP) My Lady. My Love. Does thou wish at this time to become one
with...
(1-6,HP) the Goddess?
(1-6,HPS) Yes, I do.
(1-6,HP) So Be It!
(1-6,HP) [I raise my athame and point it towards the HPS while saying]
(1-6,HP) My Lady, Tis I, once again, calling upon thee with the
request for...
(1-6,HP) thou to join us now in this, thy high priestess. Lady of
many...
(1-6,HP) names, Isis, Diana, Astarte, Aradia, Be with us! Lady of
many ages,
(1-6,HP) maiden, mother, crone, Be with us! With perfect love and
perfect...
(1-6,HP) trust I call upon thee, oh most beautiful mother of us all.
Join...
(1-6,HP) with us now! Our hearts are open to thee. Our circle is
open to...
(1-6,HP) thee. Our trust resides in thee. JOIN US NOW!
(1-6,HP) [Now for the online tricky part, I'll invoke the HPS and then
type...
(1-6,HP) her response, maybe it'll work <g>]
(1-6,HPS) [Breathing deepens]
(1-6,HPS) She weeps... for the destruction and the pain, for she
knows it is...
(1-6,HPS) great. <sigh> But all is how it should be. Know that from
death...
(1-6,HPS) comes rebirth... And although much time is passing, we will
be...
(1-6,HPS) whole again. A large green ball... Greg... See a large
green ball...
(1-4,Greg) OK
(1-6,HPS) in front of you... <shaking head> Greener, brighter...
Not...
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(1-6,HPS) Put your love inside and through me it shall go to your
mother......
(1-6,HPS) Your energies will double...
(1-6,HPS) <Deep breath>
(1-6,HPS) Good color greg...
(1-6,HPS) <Long deep breathing>
(1-6,HPS) It is done. It has been sent.
(1-6,HPS) <We're back! Pardon us for a second while we do a good
grounding...
(1-6,HPS) hug>
(1-6,HP) Well, ... Wow.
(1-6,HP) Let's do a quick cakes and wine (or Ale), OK?
(1-4,Greg) Sounds wonderful
(1-9,Lars) ook...
(1-5,Shadow Hawk) sounds good to me!
(1-4,Greg) I have doughnuts and Ale
(1-6,HPS & HP) Just got ours too! Let's do it!
(1-6,HPS & HP) [HP and HPS face each other (OK Nan, get on the desk)]
(1-6,HPS & HP) [HPS hold the chalace, and HP pours the (oops) already
poured ale...
(1-6,HPS & HP) into the chalace, and says]
(1-6,HP) Let me fill your cup, as you my lady have filled my heart.
(1-9,Lars) I want to thank you for this experience...A toast!
(1-6,HPS) Like the cup and the wine, we are one wet seperate.
(1-6,HPS) [HPS picks up the athame, dips it in the chalace]
(1-6,HPS) Blessed be my lord!
(1-6,HPS) [HPS sprinkles the cakes with the Ale from her Athame and
says]
(1-6,HPS) Blessings be upon these grains of life, sacred to the
Goddess.
(1-6,HPS) [She offers a piece to me (HP), and now I give her one.]
(1-6,HPS) [HP now quaffs a bit of ale and passes it to the HPS]
(1-6,HPS) Shadow Hawk, have some and pass it on!
(1-5,Shadow Hawk) (raising chalace)
(1-5,Shadow Hawk) (drinking a sip, with eyes raised to the moon
(1-5,Shadow Hawk) passing it on)
(1-5,Shadow Hawk) Jehana, will you chare the Chalice of Life with me?
(1-7,Jehana Silverwing) Yes, I shall, shadow Hawk. <takes chalice>
(1-7,Jehana Silverwing) <drinks a sip; libates a portion>
(1-6,HP) Now that the celebration is almost through,
(1-7,Jehana Silverwing) passes to Greg.
(1-6,HP) And I would like to request of you,
(1-4,Greg) <taking chalice>
(1-4,Greg) Brightest Blessings to all of us and eryone who was unable
to join us tonight.
(1-6,HP) Oops... Sorry to butt in on the party, Pass that chalace,
we are...
(1-6,HP) still in celebration mode, yes?
(1-4,Greg) <taking sip, and passing to Lars>
(1-9,Lars) Thankful for the love shared here (dizzy)...!
(1-6,HP) Pass that on to granny O.
(1-9,Lars) Big Gulp!!!
(1-3,Annina) Greetings all, sorry I'm late.
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(1-9,Lars) <passing chalice to Annina>
(1-3,Annina) <taking a sip>
(1-3,Annina) <smiles all around>
(1-6,HP) Blessed be Annina!
(1-3,Annina) Blessed be to all!
(1-6,HP) OK, can we continue, still a bit to do before we close...
(1-4,Greg) Has everyone had cakes and wine?
(1-7,Jehana Silverwing) yes.
(1-3,Annina) <taking a bite of cake> Yes, thanks. :-)
(1-6,Ted & Nanette) yes.
(1-4,Greg) Lets continue
(1-6,HP) Now the celebration is almost through,
(1-6,HP) And I would like to request of you,
(1-6,HP) Work with me to make the sky blue.
(1-6,HPS) The earth is our mother
(1-6,HPS) From the start she has been there for us
(1-6,HPS) And at the end she will remain
(1-6,HP) As we care for each other in this physical world
(1-6,HP) So must we care for our mother earth
(1-6,HP) For now is a time with smoky air
(1-6,HP) now is a time with oceans of oil
(1-6,HP) now is a time with soil of garbage
(1-6,HPS) Magic is in me. Magic is in you.
(1-6,HPS) Let us spend just a minute and think
(1-6,HPS) For collective thoughts is the magic for all
(1-6,HPS) Think and create. For in our power lies enough to change
(1-6,HPS) that which others deem a lost cause.
(1-6,HPS) Think now, one and all, about the beautiful mother. Healthy
and...
(1-6,HPS) happy and free from the diseases we have previously given
her....
(1-6,HPS) Let's make the magic happen. See the mountains in the
crystal clear...
(1-6,HPS) sky. See the clean oceans sparkling blue. See her beauty
under the...
(1-6,HPS) full moon light. Think...
(1-6,HP) So Mote It Be!
(1-6,HP) Greg, it was a bit unusual to see magic for you mom appearing
in the...
(1-6,HP) drawing down. I've been under the belief that once magic is
done is...
(1-6,HP) should be left alone. For any doubt will destroy the res-
ults....
(1-6,HP) Should we work more magic for her now, or should we call it
done?...
(1-6,HP) It's your call.
(1-4,Greg) What we've worked felt pretty powerful...
(1-4,Greg) I think it will do, my mother doesn't exactly know I asked
for this.
(1-6,HP) Well then, Thought of her will remain clear in all of us.
Thoughts...
(1-6,HP) of her happy and healthy. It is done.
(1-4,Greg) Blessed Be!
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(1-6,HP) Does anyone want any other collective magic to be done, now
is the...
(1-6,HP) time.
(1-3,Annina) I'd like you all to remember my husband's and my busin-
ess. We are starting
(1-3,Annina) it this week on a virtual shoestring as our venture
capital deal fell through.
(1-3,Annina) Your thoughts and meditations in your rituals would be
very much appreciated.
(1-6,HP) What is the business and where? What are your goals? I
learned...
(1-6,HP) long ago not to ask for vague things, they sneak up and bite
you in...
(1-6,HP) the butt. That's an experience Loki taught me.
(1-3,Annina) The business is a point of sales computer systems com-
pany. We're in
(1-3,Annina) Pensacola, Florida (on the Gulf Coast near Mobile, Ala.)
(1-3,Annina) Our goals are to make 8 sales per month for the first 90
days.
(1-6,HP) Not too bad.
(1-3,Annina) That will give us the capital to get things underway with
an office and
(1-3,Annina) a demo system.
(1-6,HP) Everyone here please visualize Annina's company selling 30
sales by...
(1-3,Annina) We're running it out of our home at the moment. It's
scary, but we KNOW
(1-3,Annina) the business is there and we've done our homework and
made the connections.
(1-6,HP) the end of 90 days. Envision happiness and of course wealth
for...
(1-6,HP) Annina and her husband. From this thought in your heart turn
it to...
(1-6,HP) a color and send it to her now.
(1-6,HP) Well Annina, I hope I didn't zap you. In my vision I saw you
so...
(1-6,HP) busy after 60 days that you needed to hire help to handle all
the...
(1-3,Annina) WOW!! Green and pink and purple! Mostly green though. :-)
(1-6,HP) work. You will be successful. As long as you remember that
which...
(1-6,HP) you want.
(1-6,HPS) Great!
(1-3,Annina) I definitely felt your strength!! Many thanks to all!
(1-6,HP) Can we close or does anyone have naything else to add?
(1-4,Greg) Best of blessings to you, Aninna, and your Husband
(1-3,Annina) Thank you, Greg, and brightest blessings to you and your
mother.
(1-4,Greg) Many thanx!
(1-6,HP) So be it! Let us close this circle!
(1-5,Shadow Hawk) Blessed Be!
(1-4,Greg) BB to ALL!!!
(1-3,Annina) Blessed Be!
(1-9,Lars) Blessed Be!!
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(1-6,HPS) [I will close this online circle, Starting in the East and
working...
(1-6,HPS) counter-clockwise with athame pointed to the circle border,
I say]
(1-6,HPS) Circle in, Circle out,
(1-6,HPS) Bless all those who came about.
(1-6,HPS) As our blue light becomes a dim hue,
(1-6,HPS) We have been protected, no harm due.
(1-6,HPS) I release thee oh circel of love and light,
(1-6,HPS) May perfect love and trust always shine bright.
(1-6,HPS) [I end in the east from whence I started]
(1-6,HPS) So Mote It Be!
(1-6,HP) So Mote It Be!
(1-6,HP) [Now, I must dismiss the elements]
(1-6,HP) [I move to the East, and draw a banishing pentagram high in
the...
(1-6,HP) air]
(1-6,HP) Powers of air, thank you for attending our rites. As the sun
rises,...
(1-6,HP) know that we are but one. Good night my friends!
(1-6,HP) So mote it be!
(1-6,HP) [Moving to the north, I draw another banishing Pentagram]
(1-4,Greg) God and Goddess Bless!
(1-6,HP) Powers of the Earth, thank you for attending our rites. As
the cool...
(1-6,HP) wind blows, the silence of truth will fill our minds. Good
night my...
(1-6,HP) friends! So mote it be!
(1-6,HP) [And to the West, another banishing pentagram]
(1-4,Greg) God and Goddess Bless!
(1-6,HP) Powers of water, thank you for attending our rites. As we
dare to...
(1-6,HP) be ourselves, we must learn to let it flow from within.
Goodnight...
(1-6,HP) my friends! So mote it be!
(1-4,Greg) God and Goddess Bless!
(1-6,HP) [To the South, banishing pentagram again]
(1-6,HP) Powers of fire, thank you for attending our rites. As we
will is as...
(1-6,HP) we are. Good night my friends! So mote it be!
(1-4,Greg) God and Goddess Bless!
(1-6,HP) [Back to the East, Athame held high]
(1-6,HP) And so we have come full circle. One final farewell. Powers
of the...
(1-6,HP) East, the North, the West, and the South, I thank thee for
being...
(1-6,HP) with us as one. AAnd one we always shall be.
(1-6,HPS) So Mote It Be!
(1-5,Shadow Hawk) So mote it be!
(1-4,Greg) So Mote It Be!
(1-6,HP) So mote it be!
(1-6,Ted & Nanette) So mote it be!
(1-9,Lars) So mote it be!
(1-3,Annina) So mote it be!
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{file "SAMHAIN.91" "bos461.htm"}
SAMHAIN RITUAL
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30th, 1991
On-Line Ritual Facilitators:
Keymaster -- Priest
Otterkin -- Priestess
(8-13,Shadow Hawk) Hello all, Blessing Be among Thou.
(8-3,John & Karen) Hi.
(8-5,keymaster) Ok we are ready now.
(8-10,Jehana & Jeff) ready here.
(8-4,Tapestry) Ready.
(8-3,John & Karen) ready
(8-12,Frodo) I'm here, dunno for how long.
(8-6,Grey Owel) ready
(8-5,keymaster) Tonight we celebrate the Sabbat Samhain,
the eve of the New Year.
This is the time when the Goddess in her aspect as Crone
veils Her face and the
Horned One takes His throne.
It is a time to reap the good
and to banish the bad.
To this end, we folded paper with that
which we would banish written upon it.
With the old year dying
and the new year yet to be born,
it is also the time when the dead
may be invited to leave Caer Arianrhod
and join us in the ritual and
the feasting afterward.
During the feast, the Lord of Misrule
reigns and is free to inflict his
Puckish like humor on us all.
Welcome all, and let us begin.
(8-5,keymaster) Take a deep breath.....
and let it out slowly...
Relax,
and visualize the link between us...
Scattered to the winds are we,
but we are here together....
(8-8,Otterkin) We enter a grove amidst tall oaks, lit by a
waning moon and a circle of torches. It is a
warm indian summer night with little wind, and an
aura of expectancy flickers like the flames. Our
altar stands at the North, decorated with apples
and pomegranates, nuts and corn. There is an
empty plate and a hand-thrown earthenware bowl
filled with fresh water. A chalice holds the
wine. The cakes are slices of pumpkin bread with
raisins, and oatmeal cookies. The small cauldron
of cleansing is of old polished brass with a
2174
handle for carrying.
A large, black iron dutch-oven stands on its
three legs in the center of the circle. Wisps of
smoke rise upward and tongues of flame reach
beyond it's rim. Four unlit torches lay near it.
Here the callers of the Guardians will light
their torches, to place them in empty sconces
planted in the earth at the North, East, South,
and West. There are small buckets of water
beside each sconce.
Because we are modern pagans, the Priestess has
brought a boom-box with appropriate music.
Listen inside yourself and you will hear it.
Focus on the water in the chalice.
a symbol of cleansing and rebirth.
I add a dagger-tip of salt to represent
the aspects of the earth.
Great Mother, bless this cup that we
may be cleansed.
(The chalice is passed clockwise, with each
of us sprinkling ourselves.)
(When this is done, I return the chalice
to the altar.)
(8-5,keymaster) The incense we have chosen for this night is
juniper and myrrh.
It burns with the charcoal in the small brass cauldron.
Breathe it in, and think of fire and air together.
Let the strength and joy they represent
become a part of you.
Great Father, bless this fire and air
that we may be purified as it passes over and through us.
(Cauldron is passed clockwise around the circle, by its
handle)
(When all have breathed it, the Priest returns it to the
altar.)
(8-7,Otterkin) The ground beneath us has been sprinkled
with ginger and swept to remove all negativity
from this space. Let us join together
and in the names of Danu the Great Mother
and Arianrhod the White Lady,
and of Cernunnos the Hunter,
I cast and consecrate this Circle.
(I draw the invoking Pentagram in the air
with one hand and then, with a long stick
from a hazel tree, draw the circle deosil,
North to North.)
(8-5,keymaster) Let the caller of the Guardian of the East, step
forward.
(8-4,Tapestry) Lords of the East, Masters of inspiration,
intelligence, new beginnings, and the wind rattling my
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windows this night, Hail and Welcome. (Light Torch & place
in sconce)
(8-5,keymaster) Let the Caller of the Guardian of the South, step
forward.
(8-10,Jehana & Jeff) Lords of the South, may your fires burn
hearty during the coming darknesses,
May your Will be strong upon us; with us.
Hail & Welcome (Light torch & place in sconce.)
(8-5,keymaster) Let the Caller of the Guardian of the West, step
forward.
(8-3,John & Karen) Lords of the West,
guardians of the dark ocean and the lands beyond
be with us now in this time between the worlds.
Hail and welcome. (light torch and place in sconce)
(8-5,keymaster) Let the Caller of the Guardian of the North, step
forward.
(8-11,wanda) Lords of the North, Masters of the Earth,
the hills, the valley, and forests --
join us now in this time of great joy
(light torch and place in sconce)
(8-7,Otterkin) (Facing the center) The Circle is bound.
This is a time that is not a time,
in a place that is not a place,
on a day which is not a day,
and we are safe between the worlds.
So mote it be.
(8-5,keymaster) So mote it be!
(8-12,Frodo) So mote it be!
(8-3,John & Karen) so mote it be!
(8-11,wanda) So mote it be!
(8-10,Jehana & Jeff) So Mote It Be
(8-4,Tapestry) So mote it be!
(8-5,keymaster) (Picking up a pomegranate, I pierce the skin
of the fruit with my athame and remove several seeds,
placing them on the plate on the altar.)
On this night of Samhain, we mark your passing
O Sun King,
through the sunset into the land of the young.
We mark also
the passing of all who have gone before us,
and all who will go after.
O gracious Goddess,
Eternal Mother,
You who gives birth,
and life to the fallen,
teach us to know
2176
that in the time of greatest darkness
there is the greatest light.
(I now take one of the seeds, and burst it with my teeth,
savoring the bittersweet flavor.
I then take the plate to the first covener in the East,
who takes a seed, places it in his mouth,
and then passes the plate around the circle.)
(I take the plate back to the altar.
and then move to the cauldron.)
Wise one of the Waning Moon,
Lady of the Starry Night,
let the fire within your cauldron
burn up the dross of the year that is past.
To free us from the burdens that are plagueing us.
May the energies be reversed:
From darkness, light;
from bane, good;
from death, birth!
(I then place my piece of paper into the fire)
I banish the pain of past relationships,
(8-7,Otterkin) (I step to the fire in the cauldron.)
(8-5,keymaster) of my bitterness,
(8-7,Otterkin) I banish the pain in my childhood memories,
but not the memories themselves.
(I throw my paper into the flames.)
(Each in turn comes to the fire to throw
in their paper, saying aloud their banishment
or not as they choose.)
(8-12,Frodo) I banish the tensions and uncertainties that have
been plaguing my life as of late. <toss>
(8-10,Jehana & Jeff) (We have banished) (toss)
(8-3,John & Karen) We have banished! (toss)
(8-4,Tapestry) I banish depression and anger from past
relationships <toss>
(8-11,wanda) (stepping to the fire) I banish my insecurities..my
deep sorrow from loves past...and embarrassment
from words spoken too hastily. (toss)
(8-6,Grey Owel) I banish the quickness of temper (toss)
(8-5,keymaster) (I go to the altar, and lift my hands above the
cakes and wine)
All life is your own
All fruits of the Earth
Are fruits of your womb
Your union,
Your dance.
2177
Lord and Lady,
We thank thee
for blessings and abundance.
Join with us,
Feast with us,
enjoy with us!
Blessed be!
(8-7,Otterkin) Blessed be!
(8-11,wanda) Blessed be!
(8-12,Frodo) Blessed be!
(8-4,Tapestry) Blessed Be!
(8-3,John & Karen) Blessed be!
(8-10,Jehana & Jeff) Blessed be!
(8-6,Grey Owel) Blessed be!
(8-5,keymaster) (I now pass the wine clockwise around the circle)
(Everyone takes a drink)
(8-12,Frodo) ->gulp!<-
(8-10,Jehana & Jeff) Good vintage.
(8-4,Tapestry) (libate) (sip)
(8-11,wanda) (sip)
(8-3,John & Karen) (sip)
(8-7,Otterkin) (small sip)
(8-6,Grey Owel) (sip)
(8-5,keymaster) (sip)
(8-5,keymaster) (Placing the chalice back on the altar)
(Taking the cakes, I pass them around the circle, clockwise)
(8-5,keymaster) Everyone, take, and eat.
(8-12,Frodo) >munch.<
(8-10,Jehana & Jeff) Breaking off a piece; libating; (nibble)
(8-4,Tapestry) (take piece, crumble a bit onto the ground and eat
the rest.)
(8-11,wanda) (breaking off a small piece and savoring it)
(8-3,John & Karen) Breaking off a piece, sharing it, nibbling
(8-7,Otterkin) My cat has cut her own door into the Circle, and I
share my bit of cake with her.
(8-6,Grey Owel) (consume heartily)
(8-5,keymaster) (breaking off a piece, eating it, grokking its
fullness)
(I replace what is left of the cakes and the wine,
near the altar,
for the Sidhe to enjoy)
Will the Caller of the Guardian of the East, step forward
and release the Guardian.
(8-4,Tapestry) Lords of the East, thank you for your assistance.
Hail and Farewell.
(take torch and plunge it into bucket of water.)
(8-5,keymaster) Will the Caller of the Guardian of the South,
2178
step forward.
(8-10,Jehana & Jeff) Lords of the South; of Fire and of Will, we
thank you for your assistance -- Hail and farewell!!
(Plunge torch into bucket of water.)
(8-5,keymaster) Will the Caller of the Guardian of the West, step
forward.
(8-3,John & Karen) Lords of the West, we thank you for your
assistance. Hail and farewell!
(Plunge torch into bucket of water.)
(8-5,keymaster) Will the Caller of the Guardian of the North,
step forward.
(8-11,wanda) Lords of the North, Masters of the Earth..we thank
you for your assistance and joining us this eve --
farewell! (grasping torch and placing it into the bucket)
(8-7,Otterkin) (I draw the banishing Pentagram in the air.)
Merry meet and merry part,
and merry meet again!
Let the Circle be open but never broken.
(8-5,keymaster) I hereby name............
Frodo............
Lord of Misrule.........
Let the Feasting Begin!!
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{file "SAMHAIN.92" "bos462.htm"}
*********** The Religion Forum 10/28/92 22:50:38
HPS | Relax... Let your body and mind be at ease... Breathe
| gently; regularly...
| This is the time of Inward turning, of saying goodbye to
| our Dead.
| We have descended into the night, and the veil between the
| worlds is at it's thinnest.
| The Sun King has become the Lord of Shadows, sailing West:
| We follow Him into the dark.
| Life declines; the season of barrenness is on us, yet we
| give thanks for that which we have reaped and gathered.
| We meet to turn the Wheel and weave the cord of life
| that will sustain us through the dark.
| I take these Creatures of Earth and Water, and do Cleanse
| and consecrate them to bring into this Circle,
| to do the Lady's Will.
| I purify this sacred space in the Lady's Name.
HP | I take these creatures of Air and Fire and do Cleanse and
| consecrate them to bring into this Circle to do the Lady's
| Will. I do cleanse and consecrate this Circle in our
| Lady's Name, to do the Lady's Will!
HPS | I cast this Circle...
| a glowing blue orb...
| glowing, growing...
| surrounding all of us...
| surrounding us in protective blue-white light...
| expanding to touch all of us...
| connect us into the web...
| a place that is not a place, a place which is all
| places...
| a time which is not a time, a time which is all times...
| connect us into the web .
| The Circle is Cast.
HP | (facing the West, feeling the essense of Water rush
through me)
| (hearing the sound in the blood of my veins)
| Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the West, Spirits of
| Water...
| I call upon you to come this night
| and attend this our Lady's Rite...
| Guard us and Guide us in this request
| that we might tonight...
| Do the work by Her great Light.
| (lighting candle, passing taper to Gail)
Gail: The North: Power of Earth...
| Join our ritual circle
| Send your protection to us as we perform this sacred
| ritual tonight
| You, the force from which all life springs,
| Hold us in your heart through the winter
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| That we may be re-born with you at Beltaine
| Empty us of fears so that we may be strong
| Strong in the Goddess' light to do her work
nise nekheba: facing the east I call upon the powers of the
| air, the winds to join our
| sacred circle. Come obatala, Olofi, and chango, ancient
| orishas of the east
| come and bless us
| uplift us
| caress us with your powerful, forceful breeze
| and guard us through the Spring.
| go ahead south
Frodo: Spirits of the South Remember.
| Spirits of the South, hear my call...
| Spirits of the South, Remember.
| Spirits of the South, you are here.
| South.
| Red. Fire.
| The heat of summer.
| The passion of adolescence.
| Feel the South.
HP | (turning to HPS)
| Blessed Be thy feet, that walk in the Way of the Wise
| Blessed Be thy knees, that kneel at the sacred altar
| Blessed Be thy Womb, without which we would not be
| Blessed be thy Breasts, formed in Beauty
| Blessed be thy Lips that shall speak the Sacred words
| Blessed be thy Eyes, that they shall see the truth
| and Blessed be thy Mind, that it shall know and
| understand.
| Gracious Goddess, Holy Maiden, Mother, and now, Crone...
| Descend upon this thy Priestess, we do humbly beg...
| Join us tonight in your circle as we assemble to once
| more...
| Spin the Wheel of Life and Death. Great Goddess, mother
| of us all, you have brought us to life, and you walk with
| us to Death's Door and beyond.
| Goddess of Life and Goddess of Death, Cerridwyn, I call
| you Home!
| (kneeling)
Cerridwyn: (greets HP, looks upon him)
| By the Flame that burneth bright O' Horned One!
| We call thy name into the night, O' Ancient One!
| Thee we invoke, by the moon-lit sea, by the standing stone
| and the twisted tree.
| Thee we invoke, where gather thine own, by the nameless
| shrine forgotten and alone.
| Come where the round of tdance is Trod.
| Horn and Hoof of the Goatfoot God!
| By moon-lit meadows on dusky hill, when the haunted wood
| is hushed and still.
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| Come to the charm of the chanted prayer.
| As the moon bewitches the midnight air, evoke thy powers,
| that potent bide.
| In shining stream and the secret tide, in fiery flame by
| starlight pale, in Shadowy host that rides the gale, and
| by the fern-brakes fairy-haunted of forest wild and woods
| enchanted.
| Come! O' Come!
| To the heart-beat's drum!
| When the broad white moon is climbing slow.
| Through the stars to the heaven's height.
| We hear thy hoofs on the wind of night!
| As black tree-branches shake and sigh,
| By Joy and terror we know thee nigh,
| We speak the spell thy power unlocks,
| At Solstice, Sabbat, and Equinox.
| Word of Virtue the veil to rend,
| From Primal Dawn to the wide World's end,
| Since time began, the blessings of Pan
| Blessed be in strength and love,
| Blessed be, wher'ere we rove,
| Vision fade not from our eyes
| Of the Pagan Paradise.
| Past the gates of Death and Birth,
| Our inheritance of Earth.
| From our soul the song of Spring
| Fade not in our wandering,
| Our life is one,
| By blackest night or the noonday Sun.
| Eldest of Gods on thee we call,
| Blessing be on thy Creatures all.
| I call upon thee, O' Ancient Horned One
| Who art the Comforter and the Consoler of Men
| I call upon thee, O' Great God of the Witches.
| Ruler of the Sabbat, Lord of the Wild Woods,
| I call upon thee, for I am thy Lady.
| Come out of the North upon the back of the Winds.
| And join the Lady Cerridwin at this Holy Sabbat/Esbat.
| I call thee by thy most ancient name Cernunnos.
| Descend upon this thy Circle NOW!
| We welcome thee Home!
| We welcome thee, Cernunnos!
Cernunnos: I am here.
| My Children call, from woods and from stream
| from fields fair and snow crested mountains.
| Once more the Wheel of Life has turned, the Gods of Spring
| and Summer are gone. Now's the time of the long night...
| and my white cloak spreads forth upon the land.
| Breath shoots steaming into the night, moonlight glints
| off shining horn.
| Strength answers strength as I bugle my challenge...
| Calling you to me I bring you nigh
| Walk with me a while,
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| and dance the dance of Life awhile.
Cerridwyn: It is Samhain...
| It is the year's ending.
| The crops have all been gathered in,
| those few remaining on the vines and stalks allowed to
| seed next year's crops.
| It is Samhain.
| It is the year's ending.
| It is time to take new stock of ourselves
| It is time to allow our roots to grow quietly,
| deep and strong.
| The year's ending.
| The new year's beginning
| signified in that ending.
| Silence.
| Visualize a shadowy triangle of your fellow coveners
| around you,
| with point facing West, and the ties of the past year
| about your hands.
| It is the great cold of the night, it is the dark.
Cernunnos: The Woman Lives, she passes, she dies.
Cerridwyn: It is the great cold of the night, it is the dark.
Cernunnos: Fear Lives, it passes, Fear dies.
Cerridwyn: It is the great cold of the night, it is the dark.
Cernunnos: Laughter lives, Laughter passes, Laughter dies.
Cerridwyn: It is the great cold of the night, it is the dark.
Cernunnos: Hope Lives, Hope passes, Hope dies.
Cerridwyn: It is the great cold of the night, it is the dark.
Cernunnos: We Live, We pass, We die.
| Look around you, see the threads of Life and Death that
| connect you with the world.
Cerridwyn: "Weaving the silver ship's thread
| We cross the darkening night
| Sailing across the Sunless sea
| Enter the Dark Lord's sight.
| Weaving the silver ship's thread
| We cross the darkening night
| Sailing across the Sunless sea
| Enter the Dark Lord's sight.
| Pearl-Grey warrior, ghostly quest;
| Prince of Twilight, Sailing West.
| Pearl-Grey warrior, ghostly quest;
| Prince of Twilight, Sailing West."
| Please light your fires, incenses.
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| Visualize your ties breaking with the flame.
| Gently but firmly breaking away.
Dark Lord: You are in sight of the far shore.
| See the light on the waves, a shroud,
| A track to follow.
| Step into the surf, step ashore.
| Cast off your bonds, and be free!"
| For here there is no binding.
| Cast off the veils that cloud your sight!"
| For here all eyes are opened!
| You Warriors- Here your battles are over.
| You workers- Here your tasks are done!
| You who have been hurt, here find healing!
| You who are weary, here find rest.
| You who are old, here grow young again!
| For this is the land of Youth,
| The Shining Land, the Isle of Apples.
| Here woods never fail;
| Here there is a tree, the Heart of Light,
| And a well of silence.
| Gaze into the Fire, my Children
| Let your mind soar,
| Follow me, for I am here
| The Comforter, the Consoler,
| Heart's Ease, and Sorrow's End
| I AM the Guide:
| the Gate is open.
| I AM the guide:
| the way is clear.
| I AM the Guide:
| Death is no barrier
| For I AM Lord of the Dance of Shadows
| King in the realm of dreams.
Cerridwyn: Give to me your fears, that they may die
| and be reborn...
| Speak to me Fear's name.
Shadow Hawk: I fear isolation
Cerridwyn: Each of you, as you wish, type aloud the thing of fear
| you release.
Gail | I fear pain
Shadow Hawk: (burning paper in incense fire)
Asondrea| I fear loneliness
Frodo | I fear failure
nise nekheba: I fear love
Cerridwyn: I fear hurt.
| I fear making wrong choices.
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Gail | I fear the boredom of loneliness
| I fear the cold that brings sickness
nise nekheba: I fear pain (burning paper)
Cerridwyn: Burn the paper
| Release
| continue on to form a Circle
| around the Altar in the Center
Gail: Let my fears dissipate in the fire <burning paper>
HPS | HP & HPS stand in the center, by the altar.
| Envision a pomegranet before you...
| whole and green...
| take it, and envision it as you slice it open...
| spilling its red pulpy seeds before you:
| Behold the Fruit of Life
| Which is death. <taste the pomegranet>
| Envision an apple before you...
| whole and red...
| take it, and envision it as you slice it open through its
| equator...
| see the pentacle formed in the apple before you:
| Behold the fruit of Death
| Bestowing Life!
| Look about you and see the Circle here!
Dark Lord: (kneeling)
Cerridwyn: This is the circle of rebirth.
| "This the circle of Rebirth.
| Through you all passes out of
| Life,
| but through Me all may be born again. Everything passes,
| changes.
| Seed becomes fruit; fruit becomes seed.
| In birth, we die; on death, we feed.
| Know Me, and be free of all fear. For My womb
| is the Cauldron of Rebirth,
| in Me, the Circle is ever Turning."
Dark Lord: Blessed Be!
| (kissing HPS hand)
| (standing up)
Cerridwyn: Now go forth into the world
| Death and Rebirth have transformed you
| Life begins again!
Dark Lord: Gracious Guardian of the West, Spirit of Water
| Thank you for attending this our rite of Samhain
Shadow Hawk: And as you depart to your watery realm, we bid you
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| fair journey
| until we meet again. Blessed Be!
| (blowing out candle)
| (turning to SOuth)
Frodo: Spirits of the South
| We thank you for attending our Circle,
| and for your firey gifts.
| As you return to your lovely realms, we bid you Hail and
| Farewell!
| <to east>
nise nekheba: Oh African spirits of the East
| oh chango, obatala, and others
| we thank you for attending our sacred Circle and for your
| graceful, peaceful
| breeze. We bid you farewell. (blowing out candle)
Gail: Spirit of the gentle earth and fertile soil
| Thank you for your blessings
| Sleep deep into the night
| Keep us safe within your heart
| Blessed be to all that have shared your gifts
| <blowing out candle>
Cernunnos: (turning to My Lady)
| My Lady, it's the time when we walk the land again
| Our children call us, and the fields and forests grow
| barren as the leaves dance their way to death. Now
| it's time for us to leave this space and walk the Circle
| of Life and Death again. Gracious Goddess, you who
| the Stars shine for, You who I dance and Live for...
| you who Bring us Life and Death and Life again...
| I thank you for your presense here tonight...
| so that once more we could dance together..
| As you depart this space, we will always remember
| you, and the love that you have for us.
Cerridwyn: Hunter, you who trod the paths of the Wild and
| untamed, I thank you for your presence here tonight.
| Cernunnos, ancient one, your song of the Earth itself,
| In love and in change, we will always hold you dear.
| Farewell.
HPS | The Circle which surrounds us, glowing blue and white...
| fades gently counterclockwise
| spirals inward,
| Gently, gently.
| ...
| Fire seal the circle round
| Let it fade beneath the ground
| let all things be as they have been
| since the beginning of time.
| Merry Meet, Merry Part & Merry Meet again!!
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{file "YULE.90" "bos463.htm"}
CompuServe online Yule Ritual, 1990
(8-2,DragonHart) Relax....let the worries of the day dissolve
into the earth under your feet. Breath deeply. This is a
journey, sacred and magical. Prepare yourself for that
journey.
*
Yule is a time of change. Death and rebirth are the
themes that this holiday brings to us. We enter this sacred
time anxious for the birth and growth of the Sun God. We
naturally go through many changes during this time. We make
resolutions to do better, to give up things that keep us
from growing.
*
In our mind's eye we draw a circle of Power. Our blade
travels at astounding speeds, dividing us from the rest of
the natural world. We are set apart, between worlds.
*
Taking the chalice of water, we sprinkle the circle,
feeling the cool liquid on our fingers. We begin to feel
the cleansing power of our Mother's blood. The sprinkling
finished, we return the chalice to the altar.
*
The smoke from the censor curls playfully around your
fingers as you reach to pick it up. Breath deep of the
sweet Frankincense and Myrhh as you walk the boundries of
the circle with it. Let the scent drive away all negativity
in you. When you have finished your sacred task, place the
censor in it's place on the altar.
*
Pause a moment to notice the unlit altar candle.
*
<Facing the East>
<Raising hand in salutation> "Spirits of Air, hear our
call. Attend our Rite and afford us your knowledge and
protection. So be it!" <GA>
(8-4,DANIEL) Hail Spirits of Air
(8-13,Felix & Anne) So mote It BE!
(8-1,Jehana) Welcome sacred Wisps of thought and Wisdom!
(8-8,Ladyhawk) Hail Sword Hallow!
(8-5,Larne) Airy Spirits, Welcome! Join us, and help us to KNOW
and understand!
(8-3,NC) Ave Raphael
(8-2,DragonHart) <Facing the South>
<Raising hand in salutation> "Spirits of Fire, hear
our call. Attend our Rite and afford us your love and
protection. So be it!" <GA>
(8-13,Felix & Anne) So Mote It Be!
(8-4,DANIEL) Hail spirit of Fire
(8-1,Jehana) Welcome Sacred coils of energy and flame!
(8-8,Ladyhawk) Hail Spear Hallow!
(8-5,Larne) Bright spirits of Fire, Welcome! Join us, and help
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us in making our wills manifest!
(8-3,NC) Ave Michael! Hail Djinn, great elemental king.
(8-2,DragonHart) <Facing the West>
<Raising hand in salutation> "Spirits of Water, hear
our call. Attend our Rite and afford us your cleansing and
protection. So be it!" <GA>
(8-13,Felix & Anne) So Mote It Be!
(8-4,DANIEL) Hail Spirits of Water
(8-1,Jehana) Welcome, sacred wells of healing and intuition!
(8-8,Ladyhawk) Hail Grail Hallow!
(8-5,Larne) Deep blue water spirits, welcome! Join us, and help
us know of our own depths!
(8-3,NC) Ave Gabriel. Niksa, great elemental king, hail!
(8-2,DragonHart) <Facing the North>
<Raising hand in salutation> "Spirits of Earth, hear
our call. Attend our Rite and afford us your strength and
protection. So be it!" <GA>
(8-13,Felix & Anne) So Mote It Be!
(8-4,DANIEL) Hail Oh Great Spirit of Earth
(8-1,Jehana) Welcome, sacred bones of our root-mother!
(8-8,Ladyhawk) Hail Stone Hallow!
(8-5,Larne) Earth Spirits, welcome! Help us to find the solid
core within us!
(8-3,NC) Ave Uriel. Cob, great elemental king, hail.
(8-2,DragonHart) <Facing Center>
"Mother Goddess, we ask that you join us in our Rite and
share with us the wonder of the rebirth of your son and
lover. You give us much and in return we offer you perfect
love. So be it!" <GA>
(8-13,Felix & Anne) So Mote It Be!
(8-4,DANIEL) Perfect Love and Perfect trust
(8-1,Jehana) Bright Lady, welcome, in our Love!
(8-8,Ladyhawk) So Mote It Be!
(8-5,Larne) Welcome Bright Lady, let us share your joy and love
on this night!
(8-2,DragonHart) "Lord, God, King, Father, we ask that you join
us in our Rite and share with us your death and rebirth.
Come and show us the devine beauty of life, love, death and
rebirth. So be it!" <GA>
(8-13,Felix & Anne) So Mote It Be!
(8-4,DANIEL) So Mote it Be
(8-1,Jehana) Welcome, Hunter, we bid you among us!
(8-8,Ladyhawk) So Mote It Be!
(8-5,Larne) Lord, we your children who wept at your passing now
rejoice in your return! Welcome!
(8-2,DragonHart) Like anxious relatives, we await the birth of
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the Child of Light. The Mother's womb, dark like the night,
has grown to encompass half of the earth. Now the birth is
at hand. The water breaks and covers the land with snow.
Last years Child has grown and become King. He is now old
and venerable, waiting to pass his solar flame onto his own
Son that he might be born anew. He lovingly holds the hand
of the Lady who must endure his death and birth all in the
same moment.
*
<lighting alter candle>
<chanting>
Queen of the stars,
Queen of the moon,
Queen of the horns
and queen of fire!
Lord of life,
seed of light,
flame that warms the coldest night!
CHILD OF LIGHT COME TO US!!!!!!!!
<GA with invocation of Sun God Child>
(8-1,Jehana) Child of new-light, we bid ye welcome!
(8-8,Ladyhawk) Welcome, Mabon...
Lost one, Found again! Blessed Be!
(8-13,Felix & Anne) Behold! HORUS! Child of Fire! Child of Joy,
come ease the days of the Mother. Welcome and Blessed be!
(8-4,DANIEL) Hail and welcome child of light.
(8-5,Larne) Welcome young Lord of warmth and light!
(8-13,Felix & Anne) Praise Be Unto the Crowned and Conquering
CHILD!
(8-2,DragonHart) Now is a time to greet the Child of Promise and
give him an offering of words that will help him grow
strong.
*
Child, Lord of Light, Hail and Welcome! I give to you
an offering of peace on earth. As you shine on us empower
us with compassion and wisdom. <GA>
(8-13,Felix & Anne) Endow us with the Fierceness of TRUTH!
(8-4,DANIEL) show us the joys of Love
(8-8,Ladyhawk) Mabon, we offer you music and joy and love!
(8-13,Felix & Anne) Thy Birth is a Power and Honor within us...
(8-13,Felix & Anne) We Pledge to Honor and Nurture THEE!
(8-5,Larne) Welcome! I give you an offering of Music! Grant
light and energy to our creative endeavours!
(8-2,DragonHart) Now it is time for us to go our seperate ways.
As we do, let us think on the things that we must let pass
away in our own lives, and those things that should live
anew.
*
Lord and Lady, Thank you for sharing with us this time
so sacred. Be ever with us. Bless us and guide us. So
mote it be.
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*
<facing east>
Powers of Air, all knowing ones, thank you for attending
our celebration.
Hail and farewell.
<facing south>
Powers of Fire, inspiring ones, thank you for attending
our celebration.
Hail and farewell.
*
<facing north>
Powers of Earth, Wise ones, thank you for attending our
celebration.
Hail and farewell.
*
The Circle is open, but never broken.
Merry meet, merry part, and Merry meet again!!!!
Blessed Be!!!!
(8-9,DragonHart) *The Rite is ended*
(8-1,Jehana) Merry meet again!!!
(8-13,Felix & Anne) Blessed BE!!!
(8-8,Ladyhawk) Merry meet again!
(8-13,Felix & Anne) Hugs!!!
(8-5,Larne) Blessed be!
(8-4,DANIEL) Blessed Be
(8-7,PEN) Merry Meet Again!
(8-9,DragonHart) blessed be!
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{file "Spring Equinox.92" "bos464.htm"}
SPRING EQUINOX 1992
Compuserve On-Line Ritual
User User ID Nod Area Name
---- ------------- --- -------- -------------------
1 73715,1552 NWH Rm 8 Larne
3 70401,523 NOM Rm 8 Felix Culpa
4 75166,706 LOU Rm 8 Peri
5 72740,634 BPC Rm 8 Tapestry
6 71600,621 DNC Rm 8 Jehana
8 71361,2705 LSM Rm 8 >>Nan<<
9 70007,1546 VFL Rm 8 LABHRIUNN MACIAN
13 73117,2012 GRT Rm 8 Paul P.
(8-1,Larne) OK all, standard procedure, a number of places after I say <ga>
you're invited to add your own thoughts, in order of user number.
If you don't want to add anything just say ga or something, so the
next person knows when to start.
Today we meet to celebrate the spring equinox, which is also
the first day of spring. The time when day are night are equal,
and the day continues to grow. The weather is starting to get
warmer, the days longer. The Earth is starting to awaken, buds
and blooms and shoots of all sorts are starting to appear. And
there's that unmistakable sense of spring in the air; not quite
a smell, more like a feeling, vague and indistinct, but definitely
there.
...
Take a few deep breaths, in and out in and out...
let all those worries and scheduals and plans that dominate
most of our time turn to liquid and drip away, down into the
ground. Feel yourself freed from the constraints of time
and space. Become awake, alert, yet simultaneously relaxed
and comfortable.
...
Now, visualize a point of bright blue light to the east.
Let it move in an arc towards the south, leaving a trail
of cool blue fire behind it, seperating Where We Were
from Where We Will Be.
Continue the arc to the south,
then to the west
then to the north
then back to to the east.
...
We have now isolated ourselves from the rest of the
everyday world, but in doing so we have all come together,
here Between the Worlds, joined by the joyfull dance of
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electrons and other, subtler, forces. Take a moment to
visualise us all together, and say a mental 'hi!' to everyone
else.
...
Turn your mind's eye to the east, and visualize incense smoke.
Within that smoke are vague forms that, although they have no
firm shape, give off a distinct sense of great knowledge.
...
Eastern spirits of the Air! We ask you to join us in our
celebration and to share with us your gifts of undertsanding
and insight. Welcome!
<ga>
(8-3, Felix Culpa) IHVH (Tracing pentagram) ga
(8-5,Tapestry) Welcome. ga
(8-6,Jehana) Hail and welcome, refreshing breezes! ga
(8-8,>>Nan<<) march winds that shake the walls of my house tonight...Welcome!
<ga>
(8-1,Larne) Now turn to the south, and visualize dancing flames. See
the indistinct forms there, and feel their strength. These
are obviously entities who can accomplish anything they
strive for!
...
Southern spirits of Fire! We ask you to join our celebration,
to help us manifest our own Wills into the world. Welcome!
<ga>
(8-3, Felix Culpa) ADONAI (tracing pentagram)
(8-5,Tapestry) Welcome, spirits of passion. ga
(8-6,Jehana) Hail & welcome, passionate spirits of fiery will! ga
(8-8,>>Nan<<) welcome to our celebration dear warriors of the heart. <ga>
(8-1,Larne) Turn now to the west, and think of a large body of water. Within
its depths move other forms, beings whose emotions and capacity
for empathy are as deep as the waters they move in.
...
Western spirits of Water! We ask you to join us in our
celebration, and to help us touch our own deep emotional cores.
Welcome!
<ga>
(8-3, Felix Culpa) EHEIEH (tracing pentagram) ga
(8-5,Tapestry) Welcome, spirits (sprites) of LOVE! ga
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(8-6,Jehana) Hail & Welcome, waters of Intuition! ga
(8-8,>>Nan<<) welcome wisdom of the deeps, join our celebration and cleanse
and heal us. <ga>
(8-1,Larne) Concentrate now on the north, and think of a patch of ground.
Under it other entities move, entities that, though they are
as without absolute shape as the others, are somehow extremely
solid at the same time.
...
Northern spirits of Earth! We ask you to join in our celebration,
and to remind us by your presence that each of us, also has a
solid center that is as firm and real as the Earth Herself.
<ga>
(8-3, Felix Culpa) AGLA (tracing pentagram) ga
(8-5,Tapestry) Wee, spirits of the earth, bring us your strength. ga
(8-6,Jehana) Hail & welcome, bones of the land herself! ga
(8-8,>>Nan<<) sweet earth ones welcome to our celebration. <ga>
(8-1,Larne) Finally, turn back to the east, and complete the circle.
Bright Mother, Goddess of the grass and trees, beautifull
Lady of the gentle rains that nurish the soil, please
join us! We meet today to honor You, and to share Your
joy in the life springing up around us. Welcome!
<ga>
(8-3, Felix Culpa) Before me:RAPHAEL
Behind me: GABRIEL
At my right hand: MICHAEL
At my left hand: AURIEL. ga
(8-5,Tapestry) Welcome, Great Lady! ga
(8-6,Jehana) Hail, gentle Lady, whose touch brings life's nurturance to the
land! ga
(8-8,>>Nan<<) hi mom <grin> ga
(8-1,Larne) Green Man, Herne, Radiant Sun that warms and lights us,
God of the woods where once again bright spring colors
are beginning to appear, we ask you to join us as well!
Come, wake us from the long winter sleep, into the
bright, green world!
<ga>
(8-3, Felix Culpa) Come forth, O HORUS
Ye Crowned and Conquering Child
Come Ye forth and partake of our celebration. ga
(8-5,Tapestry) Welcome, my Great Horned Lord! ga
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(8-6,Jehana) Hail & welcome, Hunter Herne! ga
(8-8,>>Nan<<) a thousand welcomes oh laughing one. <ga>
(8-1,Larne) The Lord and Lady take hands, and slowly begin to dance
across fields that have lain cold and hard all winter.
Grains, grasses, flowers, young animals, all come out
of their dark homes to see them and be nurished by their
love. We too need this nurishment as we come out into
the daylight. Both on a physical level, as well as to
feed those hopes and desires we keep within us. For myself,
I will gladly take some of this energy to help me as I
continue my efforts at musical composition. May the music
spring out of me as beutiful and vibrant as the flowers
from the ground!
...
Everyone, now take this energy within to feed those
seeds within you. Feel free to tell us what you are
growing, or don't if it is something special and
private you wish to keep to yourself.
<ga>
(8-3, Felix Culpa) Come unto me, O MUSES! ga
(8-5,Tapestry) I ask for self-confidence to grow and flourish.
(8-6,Jehana) May growth and creativity flourish within me.
May it spread to all those who wish to share with it. ga
(8-8,>>Nan<<) i breathe in the joy of spring to feed my creativity in my art
work and in my writing. and may i inhale the fertility of this
season so that i may breathe out and share it with ohters. ga
(8-1,Larne) Finally, as we rejoice in the lengthening days let
us take a moment to think of Kuwait and the surrounding
areas, where the thick foul smoke often prevents the sun
from getting through at all, and chokes both plants and
people. Let us direct some of this nurishment to an area
which has already suffered so much, and let us send
our best wishes to the people who undertake the difficult
and dangerous task of putting out all the burning oil wells.
May a day soon come when we no longer need such dangerous
and disgusting substances to provide our energy!
Bright Lady and Lord, we thank you for joining us in our
circle and sharing your love and joy with us. We shall
continue togrow in your presence! Although you leave
us now, you are always with us. Hail and farewell!
<ga>
(8-3, Felix Culpa) Hail and Farewell, O Ye Four Furies! ga
(8-6,Jehana) Hail & farewell, Gentle Lady and Hunter Herne! ga
2194
(8-5,Tapestry) Thank you for your love and sustenance. ga
(8-8,>>Nan<<) mahalo and aloha gentle dancers of the light. ga
(8-1,Larne) Focus yourselves again to the east.
Spirits of Air, we thank you for attending our rite
and stirring our minds. Hail and farewell!
<ga>
(8-3, Felix Culpa) IHVH (tracing pentagram) ga
(8-5,Tapestry) Hail and farewell on the winds. ga
(8-6,Jehana) Hail & farewell! ga
(8-8,>>Nan<<) thank you and farewell sweet sping winds. ga
(8-1,Larne) Now to the south.
Spirits of Fire, we thank you for attending our rite
and charging our wills. Hail and farewell!
<ga>
(8-3, Felix Culpa) ADONAI (tracing pentagram) ga
(8-5,Tapestry) Hail & farewell on the smoke. ga
(8-6,Jehana) hail & farewell! ga
(8-8,>>Nan<<) dear friends thanks you once again for joining our rite. ga
(8-1,Larne) To the west...
Spirits of Water, we thank you for attending our rite
and touching our hearts. Hail and farewell!
<ga>
(8-3, Felix Culpa) EHEIEH (tracing pentagram) ga
(8-5,Tapestry) Hail & farewell on the water. ga
(8-6,Jehana) Hail & Farewell! ga
(8-8,>>Nan<<) for your healing and your laughter we thank you watery ones. ga
(8-1,Larne) To the north...
Spirits of Earth, we thank you for attending our rite
and helping us feel our centers. Hail and farewell!
<ga>
(8-3, Felix Culpa) AGLA (tracing pentagram) ga
(8-5,Tapestry) Hail and farewell in the earth. ga
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(8-6,Jehana) hail & farewell! ga
(8-8,>>Nan<<) hail and farewell. ga
(8-1,Larne) Now unwind the circle, letting the arc collapse back into a point
taking it back from east
to north
to west
to south,
and back to the east,
where it again become a bright point, which
goes back into the Earth.
The circle is open, but never broken
merry meet,
merry part, and...
MERRY MEET AGAIN!
(8-3, Felix Culpa) SO MOTE IT BE!
(8-6,Jehana) MERRY MEET AGAIN!!!
B*B!!
(8-5,Tapestry) Hugs!
(8-8,>>Nan<<) B*B
hugrz too all
(8-1,Larne) Blessed be, all!
(8-6,Jehana) Hugs!
(8-3, Felix Culpa) (gang-hug)
2196
{file "Handfasting (Lady Ardane, Prodigy)" "bos466.htm"}
HANDFASTING RITUAL
FROM LADY ARDANE, ON PRODIGY
Our tradition (Fam. Trad.) uses a lovely ceremony I will post here. You may use
any or all of it that pleases you.
Our bride wears white with red Witches cord at waist, groom wears
red with white Witches cord.There is a procession led by the High
Priestess bearing the wand,and the High Priest carrying the
bells.The bride and groom are escorted by two pages. At altar the
Hps.lights candles (red & white) and Incense (Rose &
Frankincense). After charging the circle the Highpriestess who
officiates says: We gather here this Night (day) to bind together
this man and woman in a ritual of love. Let all who stand within
this circle be here of their own free will and accord in peace
and love.We charge this Circle to be filled with love. May this
sacred space be consecrated before the Gods and Goddesses and may
it be a Guardian and Protection for the work we do this night
(day). Let (name)and(name) stand here before us and in the
Presence of the Ancient Ones.
Hps goes to the East: Be with us here oh Spirits of the Air With
your breath of life, join the bonds between these two and tie
them tightly.
South: Be with us here oh Beings of Fire. Give their love and
passion your own all consuming ardor.
West: Be with us here of Beings of Water. Grant these two the
deepest of love richness of body, soul and spirit.
North: Be with us here, oh Spirits of Earth, Let your strength
and constancy be theirs for as long as they desire to be
together.
Blessed Godddess and Laughing God, look with joy on this Union of
this man and this woman. Grant them harmony and beauty in their
lives and let them be always mindful of their committment, one to
the other. Let them so live together that their joy of each
other will be a shining beacon for all to see. Give to these two
your love and protection. SMIB.
The Priest and Priestess each hold an end of the wand and place
the rings on it. The B&G each place their right hand over the
rings on the wand. The Hps says:Above you the Stars Below you the
stones,As time passes remember this; Like a stone your love
should be firm, Be close, yet not so close that you restrict one
another. Possess one another yet grant each other freedom to
grow. Be understanding and compassionate. Have patience with each
other, for storms may come, but they will quickly go.Be free in
giving warmth and affection, make love often and be sensuous to
one another. Fear not lest the ways or words of the unenlightened
give you unease, for the God and Goddess are with you now and
always. To the bride: Is it you wish to become one with this man?
To the groom, Is it your wish to become one with this woman? Take
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the charged rings from the wand and hand them to each in turn. As
they place the rings on each other they say: Let this circle of
Gold reflect the circle in which we stand to be a constant
reminder of the pledges exchanged. Let it remind us daily of the
wheel of life and the unbroken cycles of eternity. The B & G
drink out of the Chalice as the HPS says...As you share this cup
this night(day) so may you share your lives and fortunes. The B&G
remove their Witches cords and hand them to the HPs who asks the
B&G to face each other and hold hands. She then binds their hands
with the cords and says...As we bind together this man and this
woman with these cords let their fates and future be so bound.
May they hold fast to each other, even as they are now held
fast. Hps removes cords and hands them to the pages. Hps says: As
the God and Goddess and the Ancient Ones are witness to these
rites I now proclaim you to be wed, one to the other. SMIB. (Here
the B & G kiss).
The HPS goes to each of the four corners dismissing the elements
in turn by saying: We dismiss you now, Oh spirits of air
(earth,fire,water,) and ask you to return to your elemental home
harming none as you go and taking with you our thanks for your
attendance.
And then at altar,: Dear Lady, Mother of us all,Blessed Lord of
the Woodland.. We thank you for your Attendance in our Sacred
Circle and ask your blessings on this couple and on the work we
have performed here this night (day). We dismiss you now to your
areas of governance, harming none as you go and taking with you
our thanks and love.
As we unwind our circle we place before this newly bound couple
our offerings of flowers to bring beauty to their lives and as
they represent the God and Goddess this night (day) we ask their
blessings on each of us. Merry meet and merry part and merry meet
again. The circle unwinds from the North with each guest (circle
member) kneeling before the B & G and placing fresh flowers
before them.As they kneel the B & G touches each person on the
forehead. The guests leave the altar area after this followed by
the B & G, then the pages and finally the Hp & Hps.
I thought long and hard about posting this as a public message.
But since I wrote it, (and plagarized some of it from various
Pagan sources) and we have used it in our hand-fastings and have
found it to be appropriate and moving, I think it may be
something to be shared and enjoyed by others. Like all Pagan
rituals, use only what seems appropriate to you. Rearrange it,
re-write it or toss it out. It is, as I said, a Fam. Trad ritual.
Lady Ardane.
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{file "Maiden Story" "bos467.htm"}
Maiden Story
Excerpted from "The Bardic Mysteries: The Book of the Fool," by the Whyte
Bard:
The Maiden, being young and giddy, was watching the Men and Women as
they played and laughed in the Garden one morning. She turned to the Fool,
blinked her eyes, and said, "They are so fine and good, smiling all the time.
How will they ever learn and grow if they have no obstacles; if there is no
pain?"
And Trickster smiled a mad smile, and gave the Maiden a box. It was a
small box, of something that might have been wood, but wasn't, and it had no
lock on it. It did, however, have a small, neatly lettered sign on its lid.
Trickster pointed to the sign, and said, "That's called 'writing.' I
haven't invented it yet."
"Oh," said the Maiden, "But what's in the box?"
"Oh," said Trickster, "You don't want to know!"
"I don't?" said the Maiden, slightly miffed, "But I'm Deity!"
"I know that," Trickster grinned, "But you still don't want to know."
"Well....all right." And the Maiden flounced away, very much put out.
Trickster watched Her go, and grinned. He then put the box down where
the Maiden could see it whenever She looked in that direction, and sauntered
away, eating an apple.
The Maiden looked at the box for several days.
"I wonder what's in there...." She would think to Herself. "That
Person is always up to some trick."
Finally, Her curiosity got the best of Her, and She walked into the
Garden and picked up the box.
She sat down under the apple tree, and spread Her skirts about Her,
and placed the box on Her lap.
She looked at it for a long time, and then thought, "Well! A little
peek inside can't do any harm..." And She opened the box.
Immediately, the lid sprang off, and a cloud of tiny things flew out!
They were like flies, or mosquitoes, and they buzzed crazily about Her head
for a moment, and then flew off in all directions.
Trickster stepped out from behind the tree.
"Well, now You've done it," He said.
"Done what?" asked the Maiden.
"Let loose what was in the box. Pain, and Suffering, and Envy, and
Hatred, and Jealousy, and War, and Covetousness, and Sloth, and quite a lot
more."
Just then, the box gave a great heave, and a very tiny, very bright
little Something flew out.
Trickster smiled a warm smile, and said, ".....and Hope. I'm an
eternal optimist. Want an apple?"
"I guess so," said the Maiden. "What did it say on the lid, anyway?"
"The usual. You know, 'Do Not Open This Box.'"
"Oh. I guess I messed up, huh?"
He smiled at Her, and said, "Not really. We would have had to do it
anyway, and this makes a better story, though they might get it wrong."
They both looked at the Men and Women, who were now sitting around on
the grass arguing with each other. A couple of the Men were fighting, and a
group of the Women were talking in whispers about another group of Women.
Another Man had fenced off a section of the Garden, while another was
coughing a little with a bewildered expression on his face.
"Excuse me for a bit," said Trickster. "I guess I have to be the One
2202
to finish this, and get them started up the Path."
He walked briskly over to the Men and Women, changing His Aspect as
He went, until He appeared as a different sort of Being indeed.
"Time to leave," said the Angel to the Men and Women.
"Yes, we know," they answered, only half sadly, and the Men and the
Women started out from the Garden, out on the Path Of Being Human.
Trickster watched them go, out from the Gates.
"Good luck....." He murmured, and he sheathed the Flaming Sword and
closed the Gates of Innocence.
Thus it was, and so it is, and evermore shall be so!
---------------------------------------------------------------
2203
{file "The Sacred King" "bos468.htm"}
The Sacred King
The Men and Women were hungry. They would eat of those that walk in
Fur, Fin and Feather, and thank them for their sacrifice, but that was not
enough. They would eat of the wild fruits of the Earth, but that was not
enough, for all of these must be found, and hunted, and a home cannot be
built on this.
And the Sacred King saw, and thought upon it for a time, and His face
grew grave and sad.
And He spoke to the Lady, and said, "I must die."
And the Lady grieved for Her Lord, and He fell upon His Sword, and
died.
The Mother buried Him in the Earth, returning Him to Her Womb, and
mourned, and Winter wrapped the World in ice and snow.
She covered the face of the Sky with dark clouds, and Her Tears of
rain poured therefrom in cascades and torrents.
And the Tears of the Mother wetted the ground, and the Sun warmed the
ground, and a green shoot appeared, poking its head out from the Womb of the
Mother, and grew as the days grew, longer and taller, until the golden hair
of the Sacred King once more waved proudly in the wind; until the Grain of
the Fields stood, row upon row, as far as the eye could see; until the Bounty
of the Mother, the Sacred King Himself, stood upon the World, ready to be
harvested.
"That was well done," said the Mother, "But it pains me to see you
die."
"It is as it must be," He said, "And does it not show them that Death
is an illusion; is but another change in a MultiVerse of Change? It feeds
them, too, and this is a good thing."
"You are right," She sighed, "But I just wish it could have been done
in a kinder way."
"Maybe," He spoke, lowly, "But it is as it is nonetheless."
Thus it was, and so it is, and evermore shall be so!
2204
{file "The Gifts of The Fool" "bos469.htm"}
The Gifts Of The Fool
The Men and the Women were hungry. All about them was the Mother's
Bounty, the Gift of the Sacred King, and no way to harvest it.
The Fool came, and took of the Earth itself, and mixed it with water,
and shaped a Pot. And He took of the Grass, and shaped a Basket, and Nets,
and Clothing.
And He took wood from the Tree. A straight piece of wood, and he took
a stone, the very Bones of the Mother, and shaped it to a point, and fastened
it to the wood, and made a Spear.
With another stone He made a Hoe, and with another he crafted a
Knife, and gave them to the Men and Women.
And the Fool spoke, and said, "Look you here at Tools. They give you
claws and fangs, and extend your reach longer than any of the Brothers and
Sisters-in-Fur, even as high as the stars themselves. They will bring you
food, and clothing, and shelter. They are good servants, but poor masters,
for they can also be used in the service of War, and War will harm and kill
you, and destroy what you have. Learn from Earth, and be wise."
The Men and Women were cold, and the winds of Winter blew over them.
Ice and snow rushed around them, and they huddled together, fearing.
But the Fool came to them, with a new thing.
He took wood from the Tree, and the Bones of the Mother, and made a
small circle. And with the wood from the Tree He made Fire.
And the Men and Women gathered around the warmth, as planets gather
around suns, and were glad.
And the Fool said, "Look you here at Fire. It is warm and good; a
good servant, but a poor master indeed. Learn from this, that some things are
good when used correctly, and very bad indeed when used wrongly. For Fire
will warm your homes, and cook your food, and do many things for you, but it
can harm you, and kill you, and destroy what you have. You will find many
things like Fire. Learn from Fire, and be wise."
And the Fool took the clay pot, and filled it with Water, and placed
therein the meat of the hunt, and the fruits of the Earth. He placed the pot
upon the Fire, and the Water rolled and boiled, and the smell was savory to
the Men and Women.
And the Fool spoke, and said, "Look you here at Water, the Blood of
the Mother. It will refresh you, and cool you, and shall be your servant. But
mind you do not let it be your master, for it will drown you, and flood you,
and harm you and kill you, and destroy what you have. It is soft, but of all
things it will wear thru even the hardest object. You will find many things
like Water. Learn from Water, and be wise."
The Fool sat beside the Fire, and hummed to Himself, and as He hummed
He clapped his hands in time, and He made yet another new thing, and called it
Song. And the Men and Women took up the Song, and sang, and rejoiced.
And the Fool said, "Look you here at Air. Song is of the Air, of the
very Breath you take. Song will comfort you in sadness, and rejoice with you
in celebration. Song will weave Words into Magic, and can bend the edges of
Reality. Treat it with respect, and do not misuse it, for Song, and Words,
can twist and lie and turn you to a harmful way; take away your individuality
and turn you to a Mob, that knows not what it does."
2205
"You swim in the Air as a Fish swims in Water. Keep it pure, and
live. Foul it, and die. It is your choice. And beware of the Storms of the
Air, for this insubstantial Element can destroy what you have, and kill you.
You will find many things like Air. Learn from Air, and be wise."
And the Fool took of the Sacred King, and He winnowed it in the Air.
He ground it between the Bones of the Earth, and He made flour, and wetted it
with Water, and baked it in Fire, and made Bread, the Body of the Sacred
King.
"Know that I am always with you," sang the Fool. "I am He who Saves,
He who Teaches, He who brings Light to the World. I bring peace with one
hand, and a sword with the other, that you may not stagnate, but might learn
and grow, and attain the very stars in the Heavens."
"You will always kill me, in many ways. I have been chained to a
rock, and crucified, and burned, persecuted, and hated. I have been banished
and slain, but always, always I return to you, and I will not be silenced."
"My words will be twisted, and misunderstood, but with each
generation you will strive ever closer to That which you reach for, forever
striving, forever attaining, and forever changing."
"Sometimes I will come in quiet, slipping in and out again before you
have known my Presence, and at other times I will come with the sound of
trumpets and proclaimations."
"But always I will come, and I shall be with you, always, to the End
of Time."
And He gave the Bread to the Men and Women, and said "Remember!"
And one approached, and said, "You have told us of Earth, and my
husband was digging therein, and it fell upon him and he died. Therefore I
shall kill you."
And another approached, and said, "You have told us of Air, and a
great wind has blown my mother from a high place, wherefrom she died.
Therefore I shall kill you."
And another approached, and said, "You have given us Fire, and my
daughter has burned her hand therein. Therefore I shall kill you."
And another approached, and said, "You have told us of Water, and my
son has drowned therein. Therefore I shall kill you."
And they took the Spear, made from the wood of the Tree, pointed with
the Bones of the Mother, and thrust it into the body of the Fool, and the
Fool smiled sadly, and, for the first time of many, died.
"Will you always do this Teaching, O Fool?" said the Lady.
"Assuredly so," replied the Fool, with a smile, "For are they not Our
children?"
"That they are," said the Lord, "But for how long shall You teach
them, and be slain in return?"
"For always," said the Fool. And he smiled, and a single tear coursed
down His cheek.
Thus it was, and so it is, and evermore shall be so!
---------------------------------------------------------------
2206
{file "Death" "bos470.htm"}
Death
He was old. He felt old. His body did not work right anymore, and he
was always tired. His eyes were rheumy, and there were pains in his joints
that woke him in the cold night time.
One night, as he slept, a soft white light filled his hut. He looked
up, and saw the most beautiful Lady he had ever seen standing in the room.
"Who are you?" he whispered.
"Death," She answered, quietly.
"Death?" His reply was confused. "I never thought Death would be so
beautiful! We have always pictured you as some kind of spectre of fear."
The Lady smiled. "You only fear Death because you do not remember it.
Just as you fear Life, because you do not remember it. Come. Walk with me,
and be at peace."
He got out of the straw bed, and walked to Her. She took his hand,
and he looked back at the bed. He saw his body, laying there. Still and
unmoving. Dead.
"It's quite a shock, isn't it?" Her voice was calm.
"Am I .... dead?"
"Most assuredly so. Come."
They walked out of the cottage, hand in hand, and he noticed that
they were not walking thru the streets of the village where he had lived.
"Where are we?"
"You'll see in a moment. Wait."
"Am I bound for Hell?" he asked.
She stopped, and looked him in the eyes.
"There is no Hell. You have lived as most humans do, loving, hating,
being loved and being hated. You did the best you could with the Light you
had to see by. You have learned much, and earned much."
Her voice was low, but filled with a vibrancy that touched his very
soul.
They continued a little way down a hill, and then turned a corner, or
something very much like it, and he saw, and heard the laughter.
"Is it Heaven? What is it? It's beautiful!"
"This is the Summerland. Here you will rest a while, and play, and
perhaps meet old playmates again and discuss your Game, and ways to improve
It. It is time for you to remember all your lives."
She reached up, and softly touched him on the forehead.
"Now remember."
And he did.
---------------------------------------------------------------
2207
{file "Rebirth" "bos471.htm"}
Rebirth
"It is time for you to go now."
The Lady spoke to him in a sweet voice.
"So soon?" he answered, "It seems as if I just arrived."
"It always does," she smiled, "But it's time to move on to another
life and another body. You'll like this one."
"I hope so. Buchenwald was not pleasant...."
"No, it isn't. But, like you folks say, 'that's Life!'"
He laughed, and stood up on the so-green grass.
"Yeah, I guess it is. See you in a while, folks."
The Circle of friends waved at him, wishing him luck and good
fortune, and he and the Lady moved off into a misty area.
"Pretty foggy here," he remarked.
"It will clear up soon," she said, and she took his hand.
They walked for a long time, until he saw they were on a quiet
street in a small town. It looked like a nice place. Around the corner was a
park, and in it, two people, a man and a woman, were sitting on a bench,
holding hands. They were deeply in love, and that love shone around them to
those with eyes to see.
"These are your parents. They're nobody special, but they're nice
people and you'll like them," She said.
"They look like nice folks," he replied. "Anything I need to know
before I do this?"
"I'm afraid I can't tell you. Life is one of those things that you
just have to experience on your own."
"OK," he said, "I guess You're right, all things considered."
The Lady laughed, and touched him on the forehead.
"Now forget, for a time, until you return to Me."
And he did.
---------------------------------------------------------------
2208
{file "Creation" "bos472.htm"}
Creation Mystery
The Lord, and the Lady (and the Fool) were lonely. The All was not
complete; there was none to keep them company, and laugh with them. There
was none to know them, and none to be Their Children.
And the Lady said, "Let us go forth and make Life upon the many
worlds, that We may have Children, and a Family of Life within the
MultiVerse. And let Us make them in Our image, and love and be loved in
return."
And the Fool laughed, and asked, "Shall it be so?"
"No," said the Sacred King.
And the Fool asked a second time, and said, "Shall it be so?"
"Maybe," smiled the Youth.
And the Fool asked a third time, saying, "Shall it be so?"
"Yes!" said the Child.
And the Fool smiled, and said, "If we do this thing, it shall be a
wondrous thing indeed, for we shall make a Creature that shall have the Love
of the Lady, and the Strength of the Lord, and a Curiousity to match Myself.
It shall know Good and Evil, and Light and Darkness, and That which stands
between them, and shall be very near and dear to us. It shall be arrogant,
and willful, and cruel, but it shall also be kind, and gentle and loving. It
shall be all things, and nothing at all."
And the Fool laughed, and asked, "Shall it be so?"
"No," said Chaos.
And the Fool asked a second time, and said, "Shall it be so?"
"Maybe," smiled Trickster.
And the Fool asked a third time, saying, "Shall it be so?"
"Yes!" said Prometheus.
The Fool took up the stuff of stars, that whispers thru the
MultiVerse, and mixed it with the dry clay of earth, and mixed the substance
thereby made with the waters of the sea, and the tears of the Maiden, and the
birth-waters of the Mother, and the spittle of the Crone; wet it was with the
blood of the Sacred King, and the sweat of the Youth, and the milk on the
lips of the Child.
And the Fool laughed, and asked, "Shall it be so?"
"No," said the Crone.
And the Fool asked a second time, and said, "Shall it be so?"
"Maybe," smiled the Maiden.
And the Fool asked a third time, saying, "Shall it be so?"
"Yes!" said the Mother.
And the Fool smiled, and said, "Then let it be so, for I have asked
three times, and three times three, and thus it is and so it ever shall be!"
The Holy Fool bent, and sank to His knees, and She took the wet clay,
wet with the waters of the sea, and the tears of the Maiden, and the birth-
waters of the Mother, and the spittle of the Crone; wet with the blood of the
Sacred King, and the sweat of the Youth, and the milk on the lips of the
Child.
2209
And from that clay He made our Brothers and Sisters in Fur, Feather
and Scale, and all the growing things.
And one thing made of that clay was taken up by the Fool, and placed
aside.
And the Lady smiled upon Her Lord.
And the Fool turned, and It was Prometheus, and shaped the wet clay
thing further.
Side by side, He made them, that none should stand above the other,
but that all should walk as equals and partners, in joy and love.
And the Fool turned, and It was Trickster, who shaped us to be
curious, and to doubt, and from our doubt and curiousity, to learn, and to
laugh.
And the Fool turned, and She was Chaos, and placed a bit of Itself
within us, that we may change and grow.
And the Lord smiled upon His Lady.
Man and Woman Prometheus made, and the making and the shaping was as
years, and years upon years.
And the Fool began to dance.
And the Lady began to dance.
And the Lord began to dance.
They danced Life into the World, the Lady and the Lord, and the Fool.
They danced the moon, and stars, and Sun, and all that there is, they danced
into being.
And they danced Death into the World, for we must close the Circle of
our Being, and go forth unto newness.
They danced Life and Death, and still They dance, a never-ending,
ever-spinning Circle, endlessly spiraling upon itself, and uncoiling to start
anew; hand in hand They dance, to a Music They have made, endlessly creating,
and endlessly destroying.
Thus it was, and so it is, and evermore shall be so!
---------------------------------------------------------
2210
{file "The Triple Goddess (Kalioppe)" "bos473.htm"}
THE TRIPLE GODDESS
As the Maiden, I saw through your eyes as a child
Spring rains, green forests, and animals wild!
I saw you run freely on the Earth with bare feet!
I watched as you danced in the winds, blowing free!
I was there as you grew, getting stronger each day!
I brought you rainbows, chasing grey skies away!
I was there in your laughter - I was there in your tears!
I was the acceptance you gained from your peers!
I saw your first love and I felt your first blush,
As passion first stirred in the night's gentle hush!
I am there with you always in the fresh morning dew!
I bring you the crispness of beginnings anew.
As the Mother, I bore all the labor distress
Of birthing your child, and I felt the caress
Of your hand on the face of the new life so dear.
I heard its first cry, and I eased your fear!
I provided the milk which you fed from your breast
Till the baby grew strong, and with health it was blessed.
As she took her first step, I was there in your smile!
I was there while you nurtured your beautiful child!
On the first day of school, when the doors opened wide
I was there in your fear - I was there in your pride.
I am there with you always in the bright full of moon!
I bring you fertility - abundance in bloom.
As the Crone, I brought blessings of wisdom with age
[Wisdom not found by the turn of a page].
I was there as you taught the correct way to live:
To love and to trust - to take and to give!
I was there in the twinkle of your aged eye!
I was there in your thoughts of the years flying by!
I was there when you taught the Mysteries of old!
I was there in the fire warming you in the cold!
In the weariness of age, I was there with you, too...
I brought well-deserved rest and peace unto you!
I am there with you always in the darkness of night!
I complete your life cycle, guiding you toward the light.
Maid, Mother and Crone - We are all One -
Yet We are all separate, as each role is done.
We do not leave you - We're always there
As you walk through this life with your worries and cares;
As you dance in the spiral, We live inside -
Deep in your spirit - where nothing can hide!
No matter your path, no matter it's length -
We give you courage and We give you strength.
We are there to support you every hour of day
And deep in the night, when dreams take you away.
Our gifts We give freely, for you are our Child...
Yes, We are the Lady: Wise, Pure, and Mild!
-Kalioppe-
2211
{file "Dion Fortune & Gardnerian Wicca (C.S. Clifton in W.o.W.)" "bos474.htm"}
NOTE
Chas. S. Clifton is the copyright holder of this article.
His website is at
http://www.chasclifton.com.
This article originally appeared in GNOSIS #9, Fall 1988.
GNOSIS can be found at http://www.lumen.org.
- sacred texts editor.
A GODDESS ARRIVES
THE NOVELS OF DION FORTUNE
AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF
GARDNERIAN WITCHCRAFT
by CHAS S. CLIFTON
No one occultist of the 20th century worked more vehemently in ad-
vocating a "Western" - and within that, "Northern" - path of esoteric
spirituality than did the English ceremonial magician, Dion Fortune.
She founded an esoteric school that still persists, but beyond that
direct transmission, her ideas seeded themselves into modern Neopagan
religion to the point that they seem completely indigenous, their
origins invisible.
Certain of Fortune's key ideas, however, were not so much transmitted
through her mystical writings and articles in The Occult Review of the
1920s, as they were passed on through a unique series of novels, one
of which stands fifty years later as "the finest novel on real magic
ever written," in the words of Alan Richardson, her most adept biog-
rapher1. Primary among these key ideas was her raising up of a lunar,
feminine divine power - not that she was the first modern magician to
do it, but by taking the two paths of ritual and literature she gave
the power two ways to go.
The second idea was that of egalitarian magical working, something she
came to late in her life (she lived from 1890-1946). This was a fairly
radical idea in that all her associations with the Theosophical
Society, the Order of the Golden Dawn, and her own Fraternity (later
Society) of the Inner Light included the idea of hierarchies and
grades, going back in her own self-proclaimed reincarnational history
to lifetimes among the sacred priestly caste of legendary Atlantis.
Both of these ideas are found in the Anglo-American branches of modern
Witchcraft, which first made its presence known in Great Britain in
the early 1950s, having, I suspect, been developed and codified into
its modern form during the later 1930s and 1940s. While a demonstrable
personal connection between the modern witches and Dion Fortune cannot
be proven - unless one had her entire mailing list circa 1939 in hand
- I think a literary connection can be shown.
Her ideas about an earth-based Western tradition of esoteric, magical
religion, which exalted the feminine principle, fit so neatly with the
cosmology of those modern witches who came out of a similar esoteric
British milieu, that the connection is unmistakable. The reason it has
not been acknowledged until recently is that to do so would conflict
with the frequent assertion that Witchcraft was the "Old Religion"
brought forward unchanged in its essentials from centuries ago.
Unfortunately for that assertion, the historical records, such as they
are, showed little evidence for secret goddess religion persisting
until recent centuries in Northern Europe. The voluminous "witch
trial" documents of England, Scotland, and France, which the archaeol-
ogist and folklorist Margaret Murray used to buttress her argument for
the survival of a pre-Christian religion, do not mention goddess
worship.
2212
If one looks for other evidence of a goddess arriving in the mid-20th
century, the other suspect typically is Robert Graves, whose widely
influential book, The White Goddess, was written in 1944. Parallel and
contemporary with Graves is Gertrude Rachel Levy's The Gate of Horn,
which treats much of the same material Graves does, principally from
the viewpoint of art history.2
The thesis of The White Goddess, which has been enormously influential
among modern Pagan groups, is "that the language of poetic myth
anciently current in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe was a
magical language bound up with popular religious ceremonies in honour
of the Moon-Goddess, or Muse,some of them dating from the Old Stone
Age (Palaeolithic), and that this remains the language of true poe-
try." Graves believed that this language "was still taught...in the
Witchcovens of medieval Western Europe."3
I do not contend that Graves and Levy supplied the dual male and
female divinities of most modern Witchcraft covens. Their books were
both first published in 1948, after Fortune's works had been in print
for a decade or more. Before examining the influence of Fortune's
works, however, I will summarise the "coming out" of the British
covens.
THE RE-EMERGENCE OF BRITISH WITCHCRAFT
In 1951 the British Parliament repealed the Witchcraft Act of 1735 -
largely at the urging of Spiritualist churches, who objected to its
prohibition of mediumship. This statutory change unexpectedly led to
the emergence into public view of a religious tradition thought to be
extinct: Witchcraft.4 These British witches defied definitions of the
term common both in the vernacular and in anthropology textbooks. They
were of both sexes, all ages, and were not isolated practitioners of
maleficent magic; rather they claimed to be inheritors of the islands'
pre-Christian religions. Their religion was duotheistic: they wor-
shipped a male god, often called Cernnunos, Kernaya, or Herne; and a
goddess, sometimes called Aradia or Tana. Of the two, sometimes seen
as manifestations of a nonpersonal Godhead, the goddess had the
greater importance, and her earthly representatives, the coven's
priestess, had greater ritual authority.
Greatly condensed, this is a description of what came to be known as
"Gardnerian Witchcraft," after Gerald Gardner (1884-1964), who retired
from the British colonial customs service in Malaya in 1936, returned
to England and - as he described - was initiated into what he himself
thought was a dying religion in 1938.5 This was no overnight conver-
sion: Gardner was fascinated for many years with magical religion and
"practical mysticism". A recognised avocational archaeologist and
anthropologist in Malaya, during a visit to England in the 1920s, he
set out to investigate the claims of British Spiritualists, trance
mediums and the like.
As he wrote: "I have been interested in magic and kindred subjects all
my life and have made a collection of magical instruments and charms.
These studies led me to spiritualist and other societies..."6
Gardner wrote three books on Witchcraft, one novel, and two nonfiction
works. The novel was High Magic's Aid (1949), a stirring tale of late-
medieval English coveners dodging secular and clerical foes with
something of the feel of Walter Scott's Ivanhoe or Robert Louis
Stevenson's The Black Arrow to it. Interestingly enough, the "witch-
2213
craft" portrayed in High Magic's Aid differs from what was later
called "Gardnerian Witchcraft." In it the goddess is de-emphasised;
the rituals are more in line with the post-Renaissance traditions of
ceremonial magic.
Gardner's next two books, The Meaning of Witchcraft (1959) and Witch-
craft Today (1954), are more definitive of the tradition. All three of
the forenamed remain in print; an earlier novel, with the suggestive
title A Goddess Arrives, is long out of print, and I have not been
able to locate a copy. Gardner and his followers also produced a
"book" that was, until the early 1970s, passed on as handcopied
manuscripts: "The Book of Shadows." It is a collection of "laws" and
suggestions for running a clandestine coven, performing rituals,
resolving disputes between witches inside the group, and so forth.
Although it appears to be written in perhaps the English of the 17th
century, I have concluded that it was produced during and immediately
after World War II. Its atmosphere of secrecy and underground organ-
ising is not a product of the witch-trial era, but of the early years
of World War II when an invasion of southern England by the German
Army appeared quite likely, and patriotic Britons were planning how
they would organise a Resistance movement like those in France,
Norway, and elsewhere in Nazi-occupied Europe.
The woman often assumed to have birthed the idea of a Pagan under-
ground in Christian Western Europe was not Dion Fortune, but the
Egyptologist Margaret Murray of University College, London. Professor
Murray, better known as the time for her work with Sir Flinders Petrie
in Egypt, began researching Pagan carryovers while convalescing from
an illness in 1915. World War I had interrupted her work in Egypt, and
she wrote in her autobiography, My First Hundred Years:7
"I chose Glastonbury [to convalesce in]. One cannot stay in Glaston-
bury without becoming interested in Joseph of Arimathea and the Holy
Grail. As soon as I got back to London I did a careful piece of
research, which resulted in a paper on Egyptian elements in the Grail
Romance...
Someone, I forget who, had once told me that the Witches obviously had
a special form of religion, 'for they danced around a black goat.' As
ancient religion is my pet subject this seemed to be in my line and
during all the rest of the war I worked on Witches... I had started
with the usual idea that the Witches were all old women suffering from
illusions about the Devil and that their persecutors were wickedly
prejudiced and perjured. I worked only from contemporary records, and
when I suddenly realised that the so-called Devil was simply a dis-
guised man I was startled, almost alarmed, by the way the recorded
facts fell into place, and showed that the Witches were members of an
old and primitive form of religion, and that the records had been made
by members of a new and persecuting form."
Murray's researches into medieval and Renaissance witch-trial docu-
ments from Britain, Ireland, and the Continent (including those
relating to Joan of Arc and Gilles de Rais) led to her writing three
books, The Witch-Cult in Western Europe (1921), The God of the Witches
(1931), and The Divine King in England (1954). In them she described
her evidence for the survival of a pre-Christian religion centred on
the Horned God of fertility (later labelled "The Devil" by Christian
authorities) up until at least the 16th century in Britain.
2214
As the late historian of religion Mircea Eliade wrote, "Murray's
theory was criticised by archaeologists, historians and folklorists
alike."8 Pointing out some parallels between medieval witchcraft and
Indo-Tibetan magical religion, Eliade gives qualified approval to part
of Murray's conclusions.
"As a matter of fact, almost everything in her construction was wrong
except for one important assumption: that there existed a pre-Chris-
tian fertility cult and that specific survivals of this pagan cult
were stigmatised during the Middle Ages as witchcraft....recent
research seems to confirm at least some aspects of her thesis. The
Italian historian Carlo Ginsburg has proved that a popular fertility
cult, active in the province of Friule in the 16th and 17th centuries,
was progressively modified under pressure of the Inquisition and ended
by resembling the traditional notion of witchcraft. Moreover, recent
investigations of Romanian popular culture have brought to light a
number of pagan survivals which clearly indicate the existence of a
fertility cult and of what may be called a "white magic," comparable
to some aspects of Western medieval witchcraft."
One may thus argue that the existence of Murray's three works "paved
the way for Gardner's reformation", as J. Gordon Melton of the In-
stitute for the Study of American Religion put it.9 Gardner's "reform-
ation" of whatever British witchcraft existed prior to his initiation
into it had both theological and ritual aspects. The works he and his
associates produced give a style of worship, a new set of ritual texts
- and increasing emphasis on the goddess-aspect as the tradition grew
- all of them pre-figured not in Murray's works but in Dion Fortune's.
A PRACTICAL OCCULTIST
In my experience, there is hardly a British, Irish or American witch
of the revived, post-Gardnerian traditions who has not read something
by Dion Fortune, and the same probably holds true in Canada, Aust-
ralia, or New Zealand. Until 1985, however, biographies of her were
nonexistent, even while the American Books in Print reference volumes
listed twenty of her books in that year's volume - not bad for someone
considered at best an obscure genre writer by the literary establish-
ment of fifty years ago and of today.
Neither her book on psychology, The Machinery of the Mind, written in
the 1920s nor her works on occult philosophy, nor her five "occult"
novels and volume of short stories received much critical notice when
they came out. Such notice as was received was almost worse than none.
A 1934 (London) Times Literary Supplement review of her book Avalon of
the Heart begins, "The author tells us that she is the last of the
Avalonians - of those who were drawn to Glastonbury as 'a centre of
ever-renewed spiritual and artistic inspiration,' whatever that may
mean."
And clearly the reviewer was not interested in finding out! Alan Ri-
chardson's 1985 work, Dancers to the Gods, while primarily about two
members of Fortune's magical order, contained the first well-res-
earched material on her life.10 He followed it with a full biography,
Priestess, two years later, an affectionate and sensitive portrait of
this woman whose spiritual trajectory has yet to reach the horizon.11
Charles Fielding's and Carr Collins's The Story of Dion Fortune
contains more details of her and her associates' magical work, but is
2215
written in a wooden "true believer" style and marred by numerous edi-
torial blunders.12
To summarise greatly, she was born Violet Mary Firth in 1890 in Wales,
where her English father, together with his wife's relatives, operated
a seaside hotel and health spa catering to a well-to-do clientele.
When her grandfather's death led to a dissolving of the partnership,
her father moved the family to London where he could live comfortably
off his inheritance. Her spiritual quest as a young woman led her to
Christian Science (which her mother adopted when it came to England),
Freudian psychology, the "Eastern wisdom" of the Theosophical Society,
the Qabalistic magic of the Order of the Golden Dawn,
8and study with an Anglo-Irish occultist, T.W.C. Moriarty, the model
for "Dr Taverner" in her book of short stories, The Secrets of Dr
Taverner. She would have liked to have studied Freemasonry, but could
not, being a woman.
She studied psychology while in her twenties, before the outbreak of
World War I, and practiced as a psychoanalyst for a time, the field
not yet being closely controlled by the medical establishment. Fortune
was probably the first writer on ceremonial magic and hermetic ideas
to draw upon and acknowledge the work of Freud and later Jung. In her
novel The Goat-Foot God, published in 1936 and dealing with the
effects of both psychological repression and past lives, its central
character, Hugh Paston, asks a friend,
"Are the Old Gods synonymous with the Devil?"
"Christians think they are.
"What do you think they are?"
"I think they're the same thing as the Freudian subconscious."13
After Moriarty's death she headed the Christian Mystic Lodge of the
Theosophical Society. In 1927 she married Thomas Penry Evans, a Welsh
doctor practising in London, nicknamed "Merlin" or "Merl" for his own
magical interests. They were priest and priestess, but never father
and mother. The marriage, magically productive but contentious in the
mundane world, lasted until 1939 when Evans left her for another
woman. Fortune continued to head their group, which became the Society
of the Inner Light and maintained, for a time, both a large communal
house in London and another establishment in Glastonbury. The Society
continues to this day, but Dion Fortune herself died of leukemia in
1946.
Her penname derived from the motto she took as her magical name in the
Golden Dawn, "Deo Non Fortuna", or roughly, "by God, not by Chance."
Her involvement with the Golden Dawn lasted roughly from 1919 to about
1922, and while these were the sunset years of the Order, which had
been founded in 1888, they set for her a significant pattern of what
an esoteric order should be.
That Fortune also eventually was influenced by Jung is apparent in her
work, although she was an occultist first and a Jungian second. Since
her time there has been a great deal of discussion of the "gods and
goddesses" by such neo-Jungians as James Hillman and Charlotte Downin-
g. Surely Fortune's blending of
psychoanalytical ideas, Hermeticism, Qabalah, and Christian mysticism
in the two orders she headed prefigures Hillman's question, "Can the
atomism of our psychic paganism, that is, the individual symbol-
2216
formation now breaking out as the Christian cult fades, be contained
by a psychology of self-integration that echoes its expiring Christian
model?"14
I doubt that Dion Fortune would have answered as dogmatically as H-
illman did, "The danger is that a true revival of paganism as religion
is then possible, with all its accoutrements of popular soothsaying,
quack priesthoods, astrological divination, extravagant practices, and
the erosion of psychic differentiation through delusional enthus-
iasms."
Where she did agree with Jung is that Western methods are best for
Western people. Jung wrote: "Instead of learning the spiritual tec-
hniques of the East by heart and imitating them... it would be far
more to the point to find out whether there exists in the unconscious
an introverted tendency similar to that which has been developed in
spiritual principles in the East. We should then be in a position to
build on our own ground with our own methods."15
Compare Fortune's chapter "Eastern Methods and Western Bodies" in Sane
in which she stated:16
"The pagan faiths of the West developed the nature contacts. Modern
Western occultism, rising from this basis, seems to be taking for its
field the little-known powers of the mind. The Eastern tradition has a
very highly developed metaphysics.... Nevertheless, when it comes to
the practical application of those principles and especially the proc-
esses of occult training and initiation, it is best for a man to foll-
ow the line of his own racial evolution.... The reason for the in-
advisability of an alien initiation does not lie in racial antagonism,
nor in any failure to appreciate the beauty and profundity of the
Eastern systems, but for the same reason that Eastern methods of
agriculture are inapplicable to the West - because conditions are
different."
It is clear from Fortune's novels that a "true", that is psychologic-
ally informed, Paganism, was indeed what she sought in the late 1920s
and 1930s. Time after time she created plots that mixed the t-
herapeutic and the magical, drawing characters who combined psycho-
logical acumen with non-ordinary wisdom. She defined her ideal mixture
thus in Sane Occultism: A knowledge of [occult] philosophy can give a
clue to the researches of the scientist and balance the ecstasies of
the mystic; it may very well be that in the possibilities of ritual
magic we shall find an invaluable therapeutic agent for use in certain
forms of mental disease; psychoanalysis has demonstrated that these
have no physiological cause, but it can seldom effect a cure."17
I see her as someone who shared a significant degree of philosophical
accord with what would become "Neo-Pagan Witchcraft", but who in
practice followed a different path. I have said her contribution to
"the Craft" has not been sufficiently acknowledged; there is one
exception. The works of two English Witches, Janet and Stewart Farrar,
produced during the late 1970s and early 1980s, frequently refer their
readers to Dion Fortune. In a recent instance, having laid out a
ritual based on one in Fortune's novel The Sea Priestess and having
received permission from the current leadership of the Society of the
Inner Light to do so, they write:18
"In their letter of permission, the Society asked us to say 'that Dion
Fortune was not a Witch and did not have any connection with a coven,
2217
and that this Society is not in any way associated with the Craft of
Witches.' We accede to their request; and when this book is published,
we shall send them a copy with our compliments, in the hope that it
may give them second thoughts about whether Wiccan philosophy is as
alien to that of Dion Fortune (whom witches hold in great respect) as
they seem to imagine."
Despite the Society of the Inner Light's disavowal, a good circumsta-
ntial case can be made that Fortune's works, particularly her novels,
could have influenced Gerald Gardner and his initiates. This insight
was brought home to me while reading The Goat-Foot God, published two
years before Gardner's initiation into the Craft. Its plot is typical
of Fortune: a person down on his or her luck and near psychological
collapse is rescued by a powerful magician or priestess and re-inte-
grated socially and psychically.
Hugh Paston, quoted above, is a wealthy Londoner on the verge of a
nervous breakdown following the death of his wife and his friend -
revealed to be her lover - in a car wreck. Aimlessly walking the
streets, Paston finds a used-book shop run by a scholarly occultist
who becomes the catalyst of his psychological integration. This incl-
udes finishing some actions begun by a heretical medieval prior in an
English monastery who may have been an earlier incarnation of Paston's
or who otherwise overshadows him. What caught my attention was a
remark given to the character of Jelkes, the bookseller, who in
guiding Paston's reading on magic tells him, "Writers will put things
into a novel that they daren't put in sober prose, where you have to
dot the Is and cross the Ts.19
Fortune's literary output was divided between novels and "sober prose-
". Other "sober titles" included Practical Occultism in Daily Life,
The Cosmic Doctrine, Esoteric Philosophy of Love and Marriage and what
is often considered to be her masterpiece, The Mystical Qabalah.
Robert Galbreath, writing a bibliographic survey of modern occultism,
defined her message as "spiritual occultism."20
"Spiritual occultists state that it is possible to acquire personal,
empirical knowledge of that which can only be taken on faith in
religion or demonstrated through deductive reasoning in philosophy.
Further, this knowledge, arrived at in full consciousness through the
use of spiritual disciplines, is said to reveal man's place in the
spiritual plan of the universe and to reconcile the debilitating
conflict between science and religion. The goal of occultism, the-
refore, is the complete spiritualisation of man and the cosmos, and
the attainment of a condition of unity."
The novels, however, convey a parallel but somewhat different message.
They do it using a different vocabulary, a more consciously Pagan
vocabulary. While published statements of the Society of Inner Light
proclaimed it "established on the enlightened and informed Christian
ethic and morality," its founder's novels say repeatedly that
Christianity has had its day and a new Renaissance is dawning. After
his experience of inner integration Hugh Paston muses:21
"It is a curious fact that when men began to re-assemble the fragments
of Greek culture - the peerless statues of the gods and the ageless
wisdom of the sages - a Renaissance came to the civilisation that had
sat in intellectual darkness since the days when the gods had with-
drawn before the assaults of the Galileans. What is going to happen
2218
in our day, now that Freud has come along crying, "Great Pan is
risen!" - ? Hugh wondered whether his own problems were not part of a
universal problem, and his own awakening part of a much wider awakeni-
ng? He wondered how far the realisation of an idea by one man, even if
he spoke no word, might not inject that idea into the group-mind of
the race and set it working like a ferment?
Likewise, in The Winged Bull, set not long after World War I, Colonel
Brangwyn the magician tells his new student, one of his former junior
officers:22
"It [Christianity] had its place, Murchison, it had its place. It
sweetened life when paganism had become corrupt. We lack something if
we haven't got it. But we also lack something if we get too much of
it. It isn't true to life if we take it neat."
Later, during a ritual Brangwyn quotes Swinburne's poem "The Last
Oracle" in praise of Paganism past - it was this aspect of Swinburne
that G.K. Chesterton mockingly called "neo-Pagan" - making Murchison
remember "that great pagan, Julian the Apostate, striving to make head
against the set of the tide," and Murchison thinks to himself:23
"And the trouble with Christianity was that it was so darned lop-si-
ded. Good, and jolly good, as far as it went, but you couldn't stretch
it clean round the circle of experience because it just wouldn't go.
What it was originally, nobody knew, save that it must have been
something mighty potent. All we knew of it was what was left after th-
ose two crusty old bachelors, Paul and Augustine, had finished with
it.
And then came the heresy hunters and gave it a final curry-combing,
taking infinite pains to get rid of everything that it had inherited
from older faiths. And they had been like the modern miller, who
refines all the vitamins out of the bread and gives half the popul-
ation rickets. That was what was the matter with civilisation, it had
spiritual rickets because its spiritual food was too refined. Man
can't get on without a dash of paganism, and for the most part, he
doesn't try to."
The notion of injecting a key idea into the collective unconscious of
Western humanity appears over and over in Fortune's novels. It is not
surprising that the writer who had two favourite maxims - "A religion
without a goddess is halfway to atheism" and "All the gods are one god
and all the goddesses are one goddess and there is one initiator" -
should repeatedly call for attention to be paid to the Great Goddess.
In another of his soliloquies, Hugh Paston thinks, "Surely our of all
her richness and abundance the Great Mother of us all could meet his
need? Why do we forget the Mother in the worship of the Father? What
particular virtue is there in virgin begetting?"
DRAWING DOWN THE MOON
When the British witches went public in the early 1950s, the idea that
Christianity had had its day and furthermore was not always the right
path for Westerners was often heard. The major difference between
their religion and that portrayed in the witch-trial documents Mar-
garet Murray studied, however, was the reintroduction of worship of
the Great Goddess. She was seen both as Queen of Heaven and Earth/Sea
Mother, depending on the context. The best evidence for Fortune's inf-
2219
luence here lies in the construction of the key "Gardnerian" ritual
called "Drawing Down the Moon."25
In that ritual, developed and/or modified by Gardner and his contempo-
raries, the Goddess is invoked by the priest in the body of the
priestess. It is expected that a type of divine inspiration will res-
ult. Drawing down the Moon is a key part of every Gardnerian ritual c-
ircle - and its elements and purpose are easily discernible in Fort-
une's novel The Sea Priestess, which she was forced by publishers'
lack of interest to self-publish in 1938.26 Richardson, her biographe-
r, calls it and its sequel, Moon Magic, "the only novels on magic ever
written," considering the competition.
Although Gardner only hints at the workings of the ritual in his boo-
ks, his successors, the Farrars, explain it more fully in Eight Sabb-
ats for Witches.27 It comes after the drawing of the ritual circle - a
conscious creating and marking of sacred space, defined by the cardi-
nal directions and purified with the four magical elements, fire and
air (incense), water and earth (salt). While the priestess stands
before the altar (in a traditional Gardnerian circle she holds a wand
and a lightweight scourge in her crossed arms, like a figure of
Osiris), the priest kneels and blesses with a kiss her feet, knees,
womb, breast and lips. Then a shift occurs, both in language and
action. He ceases to address her as a woman and begins to address her
as the Mother Goddess, beginning with the words,"I invoke thee and
call upon thee, Mighty Mother of us all..."28
When the invocation is completed, the priestess is considered to be
speaking as the Goddess, not as herself. She may go on to deliver a
passage (authored by Doreen Valiente, whose role I deal with below)
that is based partly on material collected during the 1890s in Italy
by the American folklorist Charles Leland.29
I am the gracious Goddess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of
man. Upon earth, I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal; and bey-
ond death, I give peace, and freedom, and reunion with those who have
gone before. Nor do I demand sacrifice; for behold, I am the Mother of
all living, and my love is poured out upon the earth."
She may, of course, speak spontaneously; Janet Farrar comments that
"'she never knows how it will come out.' Sometimes the wording itself
is completely altered, with a spontaneous flow she listens to with a
detached part of her mind."30
Dion Fortune believed that a re-introduction of both ritual and ps-
ychological approaches to the Great Goddess would even the psychic
balance between men and women, a theme carried on today by a number of
feminist psychologists and writers, although with scant acknowled-
gment. She wished every marriage to take on an aspect of the hieros
gamos (divine marriage), and it is there that a parallel with Witch-
craft ritual lies, since many rituals turn on sexual polarity, both
symbolically and literally. Fortune foreshadowed this in The Sea
Priestess when she wrote:31
"In this sacrament the woman must take her ancient place as priestess
of the rite, calling down lightning from heaven; the initiator, not
the initiated.... She had to become the priestess of the Goddess, and
I [the male narrator], the kneeling worshipper, had to receive the
sacrament at her hands....When the body of a woman is made an altar
2220
for the worship of the Goddess who is all beauty and magnetic life...
then the Goddess enters the temple."
This is not just Fortune's description of the magical side of marri-
age, but a virtual schematic of the Drawing Down the Moon ceremony and
its concluding Great Rite, as Gardner called ritual intercourse at its
conclusion (something more frequently performed symbolically). As the
Farrars state, "The Great Rite specifically declares that the body of
the woman taking part is an altar, with her womb and generative organs
as its sacred focus, and reveres it as such."32
I would suggest that when the Farrars openly built a new ritual upon
the Sea Priestess, the "seashore ritual" mentioned earlier, which for-
ms Chapter X of The Witches' Way, they were openly admitting a debt to
Fortune which modern Witchcraft has always carried on its books.
To recapitulate, the circumstantial case for Fortune's influence on
the beginnings of modern Witchcraft fits the chronology. Gerald Gardn-
er's initiation took place in 1939 in Hampshire. In the late 1940s he
"received permission" to publish some things about Witchcraft in his
novel High Magic's Aid, which appeared in 1949 and had little of the
Goddess element in it. The Sea Priestess was written in the 1930s, but
only available in a private edition at first, while its sequel, Moon
Magic, was available in 1956.
The Great Goddess becomes more central in Gardner's works from the
1950s and is absolutely central to the Craft as it developed in that
decade. She did not, however, appear in Margaret Murray's works on the
alleged underground Paganism of the Middle Ages, which Murray wrote in
the 1920s. There may, however, be echoes of a Goddess religion in It-
aly, based on Leland's research there in the mid-1800s. Leland pr-
ovided another literary source for the Drawing Down the Moon ceremony.
The person who re-wrote that ceremony and gave Gardnerian- tradition
ritual much of its form is now known to be Doreen Valiente, who wrote
four books on the Craft as well. Her contributions to the texts are
discussed at length in The Witches' Way. Although not the only one of
Gardner's original coveners still living (i.e., after he moved away
from the coven that initiated him, most of whose members were elderly
in the 1930s), she has been the only one publicly involved in a
critical re-evaluation of the tradition's beginnings.
Although Gardner and Fortune were contemporaries, she does not know if
they ever met, she told me in a 1985 letter. She did, however, say
that she is "very fond of Dion Fortune's books, especially her novels
The Sea Priestess, The Goat-Foot God, and Moon Magic. It is notable
that her [Fortune's] outlook became more pagan as she grew older."
Whether this is a tacit admission that she drew upon Fortune's works,
I cannot say. Witches are known for oblique statements, and Valiente
walked a fine line between secrecy and disclosure.
Given England's size, its relatively interwoven cliques of occultists,
and the small number of novelists dealing with Pagan themes, it is
unlikely that Valiente and Gardner were not aware of Fortune's novels
at the time they were giving their religion its present form. As we h-
ave seen, Gardner was himself engaged in a conscious search for ma-
gical learning in the 1920s and 1930s, and it was in the 1930s that F-
ortune's novels began appearing, while the chapters of SaneOccultism
were published serially in The Occult Review , and influential British
journal it is unlikely he would have overlooked.
2221
Valiente, meanwhile, was initiated by Gardner as a priestess in 1953
and left his coven to form her own in 1957, the year after Moon Magic
came out. With such a coincidence of subject matter, place and dates,
it is difficult not to see Dion Fortune as a previously unadmitted but
significant influence on the development of Gardnerian Witchcraft.
Today the Goddess revival seems to have its "applied" and "theor-
etical" wings, with the Neo-Pagans in the first category and various
Jungians, writers on feminist spirituality and historians of religion
in the second. With her combined psychological and magical training,
Dion Fortune could be considered a foremother to each.
NOTES
1. Alan Richardson, Priestess: The Life and Magic of Dion Fortune.
(Wellingborough, Northants: The Aquarian Press, 1987), p.37.
2. G. Rachel Levy, The Gate of Horn: A Study of Religions Concep-
tions of the Stone Age and Their Influence upon European Thought.
(London: Faber and Faber, 1948).
3. Robert Graves, The White Goddess: A historical grammar of poetic
myth. (New York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 1966), p.12.
4. Raymond Buckland, Witchcraft from the Inside. (St Paul, MN:
Llewellyn Publications, 1971), p.55. The law was a successor to
the Witchcraft Act of King James I, passed in 1604 and repealed
in 1736.
5. J.L. Bracelin, Gerald Gardner: Witch. (London: Octagon Press
1960).
6. Gerald B. Gardner, Witchcraft Today. (London: Rider & Co., 1954),
p.18
7. Margaret Murray, My First Hundred Years. (London: William Kimber,
1963), p.104. The title was no exaggeration; she was born in 18-
63.
8. Mircea Eliade, Occultism, Witchcraft and Cultural Fashions: Essa-
ys in Comparative Religions. (Chicago: University of Chicago Pre-
ss, 1976), p.56
9. J. Gordon Melton, Magic, Witchcraft and Paganism in America: A
Bibliography. (New York: Garland Publishing Co., 1982), p.105
10. Alan Richardson, Dancers to the Gods. (Wellingborough, Northants:
The Aquarian Press, 1985).
11. ------, Priestess: The Life and Magic of Dion Fortune. (-
Wellingborough, Northants: The Aquarian Press, 1987).
12. Charles Fielding and Carr Collins, The Story of Dion Fortune. (-
Dallas, Texas: Star and Cross Publication, 1985).
13. Dion Fortune, The Goat-Foot God. (London: The Aquarian Press,
1971), p.89
2222
14. James Hillman, "Psychology: Monotheistic or Polytheistic."
Appendix to David L. Miller, The New Polytheism. (Dallas, Texas:
Spring Publications Inc., 1981), p.125
15. C.G. Jung, "Yoga and the West". In The Collected Works of C.G.
Jung. (London: Pantheon, 1958), Vol XI, p.534.
16. Dion Fortune, Sane Occultism. (Wellingborough, Northants: The
Aquarian Press, 1967), pp.161-2.
17. Ibid. pp. 25-6.
18. Janet and Stewart Farrar, The Witches' Way. (London: Robert Hale,
1984), pp. 95-6.
19. Goat-Foot God, p. 89.
20. Robert Galbreath, "The History of Modern Occultism: A Biblio-
graphic Survey." Journal of Popular Culture, V:3 (Winter 1971),
p. 728/100
21. Goat-Foot God, pp. 352-3
22. Dion Fortune, The Winged Bull: A Romance of Modern Magic. (Lo-
ndon: Williams and Norgate Ltd., 1935), p. 169. It is no coin-
cidence that the leading female character was named Ursula Bra-
ngwyn,a name used by D.H. Lawrence for a character in Women in
Love; Fortune was trying to re-state "the sex problem" on a "h-
igher plane" than Lawrence had.
23. Ibid. pp. 154-6.
24. Goat-Foot God, p. 349.
25. A term that deliberately or otherwise echoes Plato's description
in the Georgias of "the Thessalian witches who drawn down the
moon from heaven."
26. Dion Fortune, The Sea Priestess. (London: Wynham Publications Lt-
d., 1976).
27. Janet and Stewart Farrar, Eight Sabbats for Witches: and Rites
for Birth, Marriage and Death. (London: Robert Hale, 1981), p.
15.
28. The exact terminology may vary from coven to coven; the Farrar's
give Gardner's favourite.
29. Charles Godfrey Leland, Aradia: or the Gospel of the Witches. (L-
ondon: David Nutt, 1899). Leland may indeed have found some
fragments of a goddess religion. Gardner and Valiente expurgated
parts of it, such as the invocation of the Goddess as a poisoner
of great lords in their castles, and other homely arts.
30. The Witches' Way, p.68.
31. The Sea Priestess, pp. 160-1.
32. Eight Sabbats for Witches, p.49.
2223
{file "Temples, Covens, & Groves - Oh My! (Khaled Q.)" "bos475.htm"}
TEMPLES, COVENS AND GROVES - OH MY!
by KHALED
There appears to be a fair amount of ongoing confusion as to what each
of these is and what each of them should be doing, so let me stick my
oar into it, too. But first, let's play the definition game.
CIRCLE Three or more people who gather together to work ritual or
Craft. Some are ritual only, some worship only, but most do
both. The following are all special cases of a Circle:
GROVE Circle usually led by, and under the auspices of, a coven.
Frequently eclectic in practice, Groves are commonly used as
an introduction to the Craft as a whole but not necessarily
to any given Tradition. Groves usually don't initiate. May
also be called a study group.
COVEN Circle gathering at least once per month (with a majority
gathering twice) for worship and/or magic. Membership tends
to be stable with gradual personnel changes. Normally prac-
ticing within a single Tradition, Covens typically have
strong group rapport. Most train their members to whatever
standard they use. Rites of passage (the "I" word) are the
norm.
TEMPLE Two or more Circles, generally at least one Coven (the Inner
Circle) and a Grove (the Outer Circle), the latter being
open to the public. Serves the public as a place to worship
and/or learn about the Gods with advanced training for those
seekers who meet the Temple's standards. I'm on shakier
ground here, never having run a Temple, but I see a Circl-
e/Grove open to the general public as essential to the
definition, while the strong affiliation to one or more
covens is a matter of observation (as is the relationship b-
etween Groves and Covens cited earlier.)
A fair number of practitioners do not distinguish among these terms
(nor, for that matter, among Wicca, Paganism and New Age). Feel free
to take issue with any of these definitions, but they are what I have
in mind as I write this. Let's take a closer look at what each of
these is and how they tend to function within Neo-Paganism.
A Circle is a gathering of, preferably like-minded, individuals for p-
urposes of magic and/or worship. None of those gathered need be of the
same Tradition, nor even Initiate, though it makes for better results
if at least some of them are. All Groves, Covens and Temples are
therefore Circles. The reverse, however, isn't always the case since
many Circles do not also meet the criteria for a Grove, Coven or
Temple.
A Grove, or Study Group, is a Circle of students learning the basics
of Neo-Pagan (or Wiccan or any of the other subsets of Pagan) worship
and Circle techniques. While normally under the tutelage of one or
more Initiates, the members are not necessarily being trained towards
Initiation in any particular Tradition, nor need the tutors be of the
same Tradition(s) as the students (nor even of each other).
2224
Mystery religions, by their very nature, aren't for everyone, nor is
any given Mystery suitable for all Initiates. The Grove is a way for
potential Initiates to take a good look at one or more Traditions
while learning how to handle themselves in just about any basic
Circle. If this isn't for them, they can easily drop it. If it is,
they can focus on the specific Tradition (or family of Traditions)
which seems to speak most clearly to them (assuming they were exposed
to more than one). Similarly, the tutor(s) can teach general techniqu-
es to any serious Seeker without worrying about an implied commitment
to Initiate someone unsuited to their particular Tradition.
Groves do not normally do Initiations (they're done by the sponsoring
Coven, if any), and tend to be oriented more towards teaching and
worship than towards magical practice. They are also more likely to be
fairly open to new members or even the general public than is the case
with established Covens, while study groups, in my experience at
least, are more likely to be invitation-only. The most effective Gr-
oves (or study groups, of course) are under the helpful eye, if not
out-and-out sponsorship, of an established Coven or family of Covens.
A Coven, on the other hand, is a regularly meeting Circle, all of the
same Tradition, at least some of whom are Initiates (and at least one
of whom holds Initiatory power if the Coven is to survive or grow).
Such a group tends to become very close ("closer than kin") and is
bound by the rules and styles (deliberately non-existent in some c-
ases) of its Tradition, and by its own internal rules and customs. A
member of a Coven is normally provided training and, when deemed
ready, Initiation or Elevation by that Coven's Priesthood/Elders.
There are also magical considerations which go into the making of a
Coven which further differentiate it from a Grove/study group, but it
isn't my intention to go into them here. Suffice it to say that they
are connected to the closeness and tend to enhance it. Because the
bond is tight, and because a Coven generally intends to be around for
a few decades, they're kinda fussy about who joins. The wise Seeker is
equally fussy about which, if any, Coven s/he eventually joins. You're
not joining a social club here, you're adopting, and being adopted
into, an extended family. And this time round you have some control
over who your kin will be!
Neo-Pagan Temples are a fairly new phenomena combining many of the
characteristics of Covens and Groves. I think that the clearest
description of just what they're about comes from the (draft) Const-
itution of the proposed Victoria (B.C.) Temple:
a) To minister to the Pagan community by way of providing support,
education, and sponsoring religious celebrations;
b) to establish and maintain a religious sanctuary and place of wor-
ship accessible to all who would worship the Goddess and the God;
c) to provide a seminary for the training of Wiccan clergy;
d) to provide accredited ordination for Wiccan clergy;
e) to provide accurate information about Witchcraft to all who would
ask and to engage in dialogue with other religious groups with the
purpose of furthering understanding and friendship between us; and
2225
f) to do other charitable acts of goodwill as will benefit the comm-
unity at large.
As stated in my definition of Temple above, I consider the provision
of Neo-Pagan (not necessarily Wiccan) religious instruction and servi-
ces to the general public to be essential, and provision of community
services to the local Neo-Pagan population highly desirable. To be
taken seriously in the wider world, we need to have our clergy recog-
nised by our government(s), which in turn means that we need to be
visibly providing training and ordination which meets government
accreditation criteria (which can vary significantly from jurisdiction
to jurisdiction). Such accredited ordination is most easily adminis-
tered through Temples.
To address a diatribe current on the Nets (computer Network Bulletin
Boards: Ed.) so long as the governments we seek accreditation from
think in Christian terms, then we will have to use Christian terms,
carefully defined to earmark differences in usage, to describe our-
selves to them. Sure, there's some danger of picking up some ina-
ppropriate (to Wicca) ways of thinking along with those terms, but
we're more likely to import them with converts who were raised as C-
hristians. The solution to both problems is the same: clearly unde-
rstood (by the tutors above all!) religious instruction. And if a
Christian notion isn't inappropriate, and if it's truly useful, why
shouldn't we adopt it? Religious intolerance itself is inappropriate
to Wiccan thought, and I think we should be clearer in condemning it.
So how does it all tie together? I think that the Neo-Pagan community
needs a mix of solitaires, coveners and templers, along with sig-
nificant variety among their Traditions, to remain intellectually and
spiritually healthy. We also need umbrella organisations capable of
meeting the needs of each of them, not only for credibility with gov-
ernments and the general public, but to spread new (and not so new)
ideas around the very community they should exist to serve. I'll talk
more on what this umbrella organisation should look like in a bit. For
now, let's get back to roles of the different types of Circle.
One of the things that fascinates about the Craft is our teaching that
the Gods don't need a Priesthood to run interference between Them and
Their worshippers. Nor is this a new idea. Heroditus recorded with a
certain amazement that Persians must call on a Magus to perform every
little sacrifice, whereas among the Greeks of his time, anyone,
including housewives and slaves, could sacrifice at any time, assuming
they had the desire and the means. We have a Priesthood because some
people feel called to a deeper understanding and expression of
their faith than is the case for many. And while They don't need
Initiated Priesthoods, humans find them very useful both as a source
of thoughtful religious instruction and as a ready source of warm b-
odies to stick with the administrivia of organising group ritual.
Like sex, however, effective worship isn't something that just comes
naturally. It must be learnt, and practised. Groves, festivals and
Temples are all good places to learn the fundamentals, assuming you
weren't fortunate enough to learn them at home. They are also good
places to socialise with people who think much the way you do, a
deeply-seated human need we do well not to overlook. If your need runs
deeper, you will find Priesthood there to talk to. If your needs prove
more mystically oriented, they should be able to arrange contact with
2226
one or more Covens, who can in turn, if appropriate, Initiate you into
whichever flavour of the Mysteries they practise.
Different Circle structures serve different needs. None is superior to
the other except to the extent that it serves your needs better. For
those of us simply seeking to express our religious feelings in
sympathetic company, whichever form best serves that expression is all
we're likely to need. But those of us who feel called to serve the
greater community will need all of them to achieve the mandate we have
set ourselves.
To return to our model umbrella organisation, to serve a significant
majority of the community it will have to address as many of the r-
ather different needs of solitaires, Covens and Temples as is feasible
without stepping on the concerns of any of them. To be effective, it
has to have some standards, but it can't impose them from above witho-
ut violating the sovereignty that all three segments of the community
value rather highly.
One of the difficulties with any ideal is that it manifests imperfec-
tly, if indeed it can be brought to manifestation at all. Rather than
a discouragement, however, I find that a challenge: to bring about the
best fit possible between reality and our ideal. Here then are my
ideas on some of the attributes such an organisation can aim for. To
start from the top, I think the stated purpose of the organisation
should be to serve as a liaison between member clergy and the Es-
tablishment, whether government or public. Why clergy? Because we
don't need government approval simply to worship our Gods, especially
if we're doing so discreetly and on private property.
It's our institutions which need public recognition in order to be a-
ble to avail themselves of public resources available to other, alrea-
dy recognised, religions, not the worshippers themselves. And ins-
titutions effectively mean the clergy. Note I don't say Priesthood. I-
t's one of the earmarks of the Craft that all Initiates are clergy,
but in many of our Traditions, Priesthood requires a deeper underst-
anding of traditional lore and techniques.
The immediate needs such an organisation should attempt to fulfil are
essentially three:
1) Establishment of a Seminary to provide the training necessary for
government accreditation as a minister of religion for those who
need or seek said accreditation. To achieve this it will be
necessary to look into the minimal training expected by any
intended licensing bodies and ensure that those standards are
being met or exceeded by all graduates of said certification pro-
gram. This accreditation is to serve no other purpose within the
organisation: all of our members will be recognised by us as
clergy, whether or not they seek further accreditation.
2) To act as a public relations and information office on the Craft
to the general public. If we exist, we will be used as an infor-
mation source, so we might as well plan on it and do the job pr-
operly.
3) To act as a Craft contact and social network to facilitate Pagan
networking among members and non-members alike.
2227
To expand upon the seminary somewhat, any member should be able to sit
for an examination without taking the associated classes (a process
known in Ontario as "challenge for credit"). If s/he passes, s/he is
given the credit, if not, the associated courses must be taken before
s/he may sit for another examination on that subject. In this way we
can grant credit for existing knowledge without in any way comprom-
ising our standards. I think it would be a very bad idea to grant an
exemption from this procedure to anyone.
Because very few of us are likely to be able to drop everything for a
couple of years to travel to wherever we happen to establish the
campus, one should be able to complete the courses necessary for
certification by correspondence. Nor should the topics of instruction
be limited for those required for accreditation with government.
Let's also see to it that our ministers have a grounding in the phil-
osophy of religion, comparative religion (especially comparative Pagan
religion) and chaplaincy as well. Note too that I keep referring to
the document as a Certificate, not a college degree. A university
level of education, while great for the egos of graduates, is unneces-
sarily high to meet the needs of our Pagan laity - a Community College
is much more appropriate. The stages of learning in a guildcraft are
apprentice, journeyman and master, NOT baccalaureate, master and
doctor! Mind, I have no objection to our Seminary offering college
level courses, nor any other course or seminar it may choose to offer.
I merely object to the insistence in some quarters that since most
Christian ministers must hold graduate degrees, then by golly ours
must too! Horsefeathers!
Our Organisation then breaks down into a Seminary to provide internal
education, and accreditation, to Pagan religious tutors; a PR office
to provide external education, and referrals to the public; and one or
more Festivals, and no doubt a periodical (e.g. a newsletter), to p-
rovide for contacts and networking both internal and external.
Further, I see our Organisation as an ecclesia in the ancient Athenian
sense of the term, and assembly of all those having the right to vote
in our affairs. I don't feel the ecclesia should either set or attempt
to enforce any standards beyond those required for government ac-
creditation and a minimal ethical standard for membership. I feel that
membership should be restricted to ordained clergy within a Pagan
tradition, nor should the ecclesia itself set any standard as to what
does or does not constitute clergy (though I expect it may have to
define criteria for determining what is or isn't Pagan). All this
because any other approach compromises the essential sovereignty of
our Covens and Temples (for which purpose I see a solitary as a Coven
of 1).
Since our membership is composed of clergy, not Covens and Temples, I
favour one-person-one-vote. Certainly, groups with a large number of
ordained members will thereby gain a larger number of votes in the
ecclesia, why not? The ecclesia has no authority over individual
members nor the organisations they may represent. Its most extreme
power is to suspend the membership of persons found to be in violation
of the ethical code, which code is set and policed by the members
themselves. Or to appoint officers to manage the ecclesia's property
and affairs, which officers will be legally and constitutionally
answerable to the membership.
2228
On the topic of polity, I see the ecclesia/AGM as setting policy which
is then administered and interpreted by the officers. The officers
should have no power to set policy themselves. Our structure should be
absolutely minimalist to avoid unpleasant takeover bids later. Any
office or function which doesn't need to be there, shouldn't be there.
If someone has grounds for an ethics complaint, an ad hoc committee
should be assembled to look into it. If amends are made or the objec-
tionable behaviour corrected, then the case should be dropped (i.e.
the committee is focused on correcting unethical behaviour, not
punishing it).
On the subject of officers and their terms of office, I rather like
the notion of electing them in alternate years for two- year terms. A
one-year term is too hard on continuity. One possibility to avoid
little fiefdoms is to provide each function with two officers, one
senior and the other junior. Each year the senior officer retires, the
junior officer becomes the senior and a new junior officer is elected.
Continuity is preserved, and each officer gains an assistant who has a
year in which to learn the ropes. I think that barring the outgoing
senior from seeking re-election as a junior would be wasteful of
resources, myself, but it would certainly serve to break up fiefdoms
even further, should the ecclesia happen to be particularly paranoid
about them.
A not-so-little proposal, but the subject is an important one. This is
only somewhat-baked, and I see the need as both real and immediate, so
please give me some feedback on this.
2229
{file "Feminine Current in the G.D. (Peregrine, in WoW)" "bos476.htm"}
THE FEMININE CURRENT IN THE GOLDEN DAWN
by Peregrin
(A version of this article first appeared in SWEEPINGS).
Many Wiccans and Pagans, whilst declaring themselves "eclectic" seem
to avoid the Golden Dawn like the plague. This is quite understanda-
ble, since on the face of it the GD seems to be counter to most of the
Pagan philosophies. (The open hostilities and down putting directed at
Wiccans that pour out of some GD practitioners does not help the
matter either.)
The GD Is often viewed as inflexible, patriarchal, authoritarian and
stuck up its own behind. A few Wiccans do practise the GD, but most of
these, I feel do so with the belief that the two are watertight compa-
rtments - that is Wicca is a religion and the GD a "system". Most
(including myself), if they confide in you will admit that they view
the GD as more "powerful" - at least in the magical as opposed to the
religious sense.
It is my aim here to show that the essence of the GD is not inherently
patriarchal and opposed to Pagan ideology. This I believe can be r-
eadily observed if we remember that the Hermetic Order of the Golden
Dawn was a late 19th century outward manifestation of a spiritual
system aeons old. The essence of the system would therefore be con-
tained within, but not altered by, and outward form that reflected
late 19th century western occult ideology. (Remember also that the GD
first emerged via Masonic sources and thus the outer form was heavily
coloured by that system.) This essence can however be readily "tapped
into". This will then help the magician avoid being trapped into
"believing" the GD's outer form. The essence I speak of is, of course,
the Goddess.
On the face of it to say that the GD's essence is Goddess sounds
absurd. But please do not judge the GD book by its cover. Forget the
outer form, forget the Victorian pomposity, forget the props. Let's go
a little deeper.
First off, the original GD System relied heavily on its ceremonial in-
itiations. The process of initiation (even the mimicry of ritual
initiation) always involves a death and re-birth, which can only truly
occur via Goddess, since only the "female" force of the universe can
give birth. Thus straightaway we see that at the core of the GD is an
unrecognised Goddess force. To deny it is to say that either, a) the
GD initiations do not involve a re-birth; b) something other than Go-
ddess can give birth; or c) the GD initiations are not effective,
which anyone who has undergone them will heartily dispute.
Christopher S Hyatt, the main collaborator with the late Israel Regar-
die before his death, in a recent book - The Secrets of Western Tantra
- makes several hints which echo the views I express. Says Hyatt, when
tracing the link between the GD and the Tantric Goddess:
"...one attribute among many others which gives the whole show away is
the equality between male and female adepts." (p.69)
For a Masonically derived Order in Victorian England this was an unpr-
ecedented and daring move. Yet this had to, and did occur, since the
Order's essence is based firmly on Goddess and the co-equality of the
2230
sexes. Looking a little more closely at the formation of the Order
will also show many other clues regarding the hidden Goddess essence.
Firstly, the leading light of the Order, S L MacGregor Mathers, was an
ardent supporter of the equality of the sexes and the young feminist
movement. In his introduction to "The Kabbalah Unveiled" he sets the
record straight concerning the nature of divinity:
"...the translators of the Bible have crowded out and smoothed up eve-
ry reference to the fact that Divinity is both masculine and femini-
ne... now we hear much of the Father and the Son, but we hear nothing
of the Mother in the ordinary religions of the day."
Presuming the hidden Goddess essence and following the mythology of
the Order, it becomes apparent why the "Secret Chiefs" chose such a
person to lead the GD. If the Order's essence was patriarchal they
would surely have chosen a different man.
Continuing with the examination we find that the Outer Order rituals
are based upon a set of cipher manuscripts. In those manuscripts, as
published in "The Secret Inner Order Rituals of the Golden Dawn", we
find the candidate is often referred to as "she". In an age when women
were still calling themselves "brothers" and "chairmen", this is
significant.
Further, the Order was chartered and given authority (ie, symbolic
life) by a woman (Sr SDA). Now admittedly serious doubt has been cast
upon this history, but regardless of whether the events occurred in
shared space-time or Westcott's mind, the symbolism is important - it
is a symbolic birth performed by a Goddess figure.
This theme is further developed in the naming of the first true GD
temple in England (and the initial temple of many GD Orders worldwide)
as the Isis-Urania temple. Thus the Order is visibly dedicated to, and
under the influence of, the Goddess. Behind all things, even GD t-
emples, is the Mother.
Before having a quick flick through Regardie's "The Golden Dawn" to
see what Goddess essence we can find there, let's pay attention to
some of the more prominent proteges of the Order. Firstly Mathers
himself went on to utilise his GD adeptship to develop, along with his
wife Moina, the Rites of Isis in Paris (the couple nearly always
worked as a partnership in their occult work.) Secondly Aleister Cr-
owley, despite his male ego, misogyny and viciousness went on to pr-
oduce a sort of Nuit "cult", using GD based techniques. Crowley him-
self is an excellent example of my point that inner essences do not
necessarily reflect outer forms and vice versa. It is hard to imagine
that such a person as Crowley (the man) could act as medium to such
Goddess inspired beauty as the closing paragraphs of the first chapter
of Liber Al vel Legis. Yet Goddess came forth anyway. Crowley, like
the GD was outwardly patriarchal, but contained the essence of God-
dess. There is no more Goddess inspired thealogy than Crowley's maxim,
"Do what Thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law".
Dion Fortune, initiate of the Stella Matutina, also used GD based tec-
hniques to help formulate her Pagan workings, the focus of which was
the Goddess Isis.
2231
The most obvious evidence of Goddess in the GD is the Rose-Cross, the
symbol of the combined female and male forces. The GD's Inner Order,
the Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis claimed a Rosicrucian lineage, and
the links between the Rosicrucians and Goddess have been detailed
beautifully by Gareth Knight in his book, "The Rose Cross and the
Goddess".
We come then to the GD tarot, and find it restoring the court cards to
an equal sexual balance based upon the Tetragrammaton. The male knave
(page) of the exoteric packs of the era was correctly replaced by the
female princess, symbolic of the Earth Goddess.
In Qabalistic philosophy we find the spirit of the Divine often refe-
rred to as Shekinah, which is seen as having a female essence. This is
shown clearly by Mathers when he correctly translates a passage from
the Sepher Yetzirah:
"...AChTh RVCh ALHIM ChIIM: Achath (feminine, not Achad, masculine)
Ruach Elohim Chiim; One is She the Spirit of the Elohim of Life."
This thealogy is followed in the GD. Israel Regardie shows this in his
ritual for Spiritual Advancement, which is based firmly upon the Z
documents of the Inner Order. Here he implores the Mother of Goddesses
and Gods (Aima Elohim) to aid him in his quest. Regardie even uses a
cauldron as a symbol of the Great Mother. This, believe it or not, is
not a Wiccan ritual, but pure Golden Dawn.
The main weapon of the RR et AC adept, the Lotus Wand, has embodied
within it much Goddess essence. It is described as, "...a simple wand
surmounted by the lotus flower of Isis. It symbolises the development
of creation." (The Golden Dawn, 5th ed. p224.) This indicates that the
creation of the Spirit, the Heavens and the Earth comes from the Great
Mother Isis. The wand also represents the Kundalini - a feminine
Goddess force. This to me is a beautiful tool, alive with Goddess,
much more so than the Wiccan athame (which is objected to by some
feminist Witches as being aggressive and masculine).
Finally let us return to initiations. The two most important init-
iations of the GD/RR et AC system, the Neophyte and the Adeptus Minor
ceremonies, both contain the hidden Goddess essence.
The Neophyte ceremony is based on the myth of the Slain and Risen
Osiris, where the candidate acts as the Slain Osiris. This myth ho-
wever is a later patriarchal rendition of the Ishtar and earlier Inna-
na myth of Goddess descending into the Underworld. The Goddess is thus
present deep within the archetypal theme of the ceremony. Further, the
act that seals the initiation proper, the final consecration, is
conducted by Officers representing "the Goddesses of the Scale of the
Balance". And as the badge of the grade is placed upon the new init-
iate, "... it is as the two Great Goddesses Isis and Nepthys, stret-
ched forth their wings over Osiris (the initiate) to restore him again
to life." The candidate is thus re-born to a fuller life by the power
of Goddess.
The Adeptus Minor ceremony contains much Goddess essence quite openly.
The clearest example of this is the Vault of the Adepti, and obvious
symbol of the Womb of Goddess. As Regardie briefly points out in his
introduction to the Golden Dawn, the candidate is led through the Twin
Pillars which symbolise the vagina and into the womb itself. There she
returns to the Great Mother and is re-born and out through the vagina
2232
once more. The symbolism is so obvious, so beautiful and so potent,
and I am surprised some Wiccan/Pagan group hasn't adapted the ceremony
in their own workings.
From the foregoing it can easily be seen that Goddess is alive and
well within the GD - at least in its essence. Sadly not many GD adepts
are aware of this. Most GD magicians get too caught up in the outer
form and potency of the system to notice where the energy and beauty
originate. I am not claiming that the GD is, or should be, a religion.
It is not, and its essence is not. The essence is however Goddess and
Her continuing manifestation in this world. If we are to remember and
consciously perceive this it will transform our GD work. Then the GD
will no longer be "dry" and without life - the perceptions most
Wiccans and natural Goddess worshippers intuitively feel.
For 100 years the Golden Dawn has concealed Her, the Mother of Light,
Life and Love. But now in this time when She is being worshipped by so
many in so many different ways, the Golden Dawn will at last reveal
its secret. And just as the Stone that the Builders rejected shall
become the Cornerstone of the Temple, so too shall Goddess become the
key to the 21st century manifestations of what is now the Golden Dawn.
The new Golden Dawn shall one day become as important as the Wiccan
movement in the collective invocation of Goddess. This process is
already beginning, and we can all take part in and promote it if we
Will. But whether we chose to or not, now is the time to bury the
false split between ceremonial and Pagan magic, for both are born of
the Mother and both will lead us back to her.
2233
{file "Warriorship (Swein Runestaff W.o.W.)" "bos478.htm"}
WARRIORSHIP
by Swein Runestaff
There has been much written on warriorship in recent times and i-
nterest in the subject shows no sign of diminishing. As Pagans we must
come to understand our warrior ancestry and, more importantly, adapt
its principles to modern life. If we fail in this task, we face the
prospect of becoming either meek and herded sheep, or branded outlaws,
condemned as were our ancestors, for our heresy.
Although I have read widely on the historical evidence, my own u-
nderstanding comes mainly from my training in a living Norwegian
tradition and in the Rune-Gild. There are many academic theories and
conjectures about the role of the warrior in Pagan society but very
few academics who understand warriorship. We Pagans do not have the
luxury of theorising, no matter how clever those theories may seem. If
they are not of practical benefit to us in daily life, they amount to
nothing more than intellectual wankery.
Paganism is about freedom. Freedom from dogma, freedom from our ne-
gative conditioning, habits, and inhibitions, freedom from our self-
-limiting beliefs. We must not think that we can improve our situation
if we break the bonds of the Judeo-Christian chastity belt merely to
adopt fetters forged from the twisted scrap of a bygone age. Chri-
stianity became fossilised before it reached the wisdom and tolerance
of maturity, let us not make the same mistake.
Paganism has always had its strength in its diversity and fluidity,
constantly adapting according to time and location. The form is always
evolving but the essence remains. This fluidity is indeed part of the
essence, and differentiates us from the anachronists who seek only
relief from reality. To the Pagan, reality is not the tiresome mud of
everyday, but colourful clay to be moulded lovingly in our hands.
Paganism is our way and warriorship is our vehicle. Without warri-
orship, Paganism becomes quaint anachronism. In my tradition warrior-
ship is not about aggression, in fact a warrior has gone beyond the
need for aggression. Warriorship is actually magick, the art of ma-
nifesting the True Will. An aspect of this is illustrated in our
understanding of the Berserk.
The word "berserk" comes from two words, "bare" and "sark" (a shirt).
A berserk was originally one who fought without a shirt, bare from the
waist up. Not only did they scorn body armour, they even went without
the psychological advantage of a layer of clothing between their skin
and the enemy's sword.
In our tradition, the symbolism of removing the armour is of great
importance, but before it is safe to do so, one must be adept at doing
battle with the armour on. Whether on the battlefield or in the
marketplace we all wear some sort of armour against "the slings and a-
rrows of outrageous fortune", or more to the point, the barbs of our
fellow humans. In order to operate efficiently we must know our stre-
ngths and weaknesses, and become aware of the style and construction
of our armour.
As our movements become increasingly efficient, we find that we can
afford to shed some of our armour. We then find that our movements
become even more efficient with the resulting freedom. Eventually we
find ourselves totally open to the world. No longer encumbered with
2236
layers of protection we are free to be our true selves. Every act
becomes a spontaneous and joyous act of pure will. We become a vortex
of pure will force.
Paradoxically, while a novice stripped of armour would be instantly
slain, an adept becomes impervious to steel. The berserk ceases to be
a target by becoming as if devoid of gross substance. The Ynglinga
Saga describes the Berserks when inspired by Odin, "They cut down the
enemy, while neither fire nor iron could make an impression on them."
That which offers no resistance cannot be cut. That which is flexible
cannot be broken.
Anyone who has been in combat situations will realise that uncontr-
olled anger is rarely a friend in battle. Such emotion may well sti-
mulate enthusiasm and fearlessness, but at the cost of judgement and
precision. There is a Samurai saying- "The angry man will defeat
himself in battle as well as in life." The true berserk rage is
certainly not blind anger. An angry warrior may be frightening and
deadly but is unlikely to come out of a battle alive, let alone
unscathed.
The secret of the berserk's invulnerability is the ability to let the
True Will flow unimpeded. This requires the warrior to be totally calm
and centred while at the same time unleashing the destructive forces
of the Will. This is a form of meditation infinitely more difficult
than being calm and centred in a quiet room
(something most people find almost impossible anyway). The slightest
distracting thought can be fatal. By not letting thoughts interfere
with the flow of Will, the berserk is always in the right place at the
right time. Action flows, there is no rigidity or predictability,
there is nowhere a blade can strike.
The berserk acts without hesitation and is always in harmony with any
situation. Harmony in this case means being true to the self and inte-
racting with the situation in a way which is honest with the self. Th-
is can only be done when there is no barrier between the self and the
situation. One becomes a fluid part of the situation without losing
one's individuality, an indispensable and autonomous part of the
whole, every movement being a vital adjustment of one's position in
the universe.
It is only through warriorship that we will be able to practise our
varied traditions without fear of persecution, for this fear betrays a
lack of confidence in one's own magickal ability and in the power of
one's tradition. Like the berserk, those who truly practise warriors-
hip or magick will find themselves beyond the reach of any attack, and
extremely unlikely to be attacked in the first place.
Judeo-Christian culture has taught us that we are powerless as indi-
viduals, that we must follow the mob to be saved. Pagan culture has
always taught that we should accept responsibility for ourselves. Our
power or lack of it is our own choice. Freedom is ours, taking res-
ponsibility for ourselves is the price. Many are not ready to pay it,
let them join the sheep of a herd religion until they are ready, they
too have a valid place in the greater whole. This is why Paganism does
not seek to make converts.
Ultimately warriorship is a path of compassion. When we no longer fear
others, we are free to sense their real needs. This is not sympathy or
just being nice, sometimes a harsh lesson will be far more beneficial
in the long run. Only fearless openness allows one to see the best way
to interact. Without fear we can be more tolerant and less defensive,
less inclined to take things personally, or become offended when
others do things a little differently, or moralise and interfere with
others because we feel threatened by their strangeness. Only fear
prevents us from achieving our potential. Only warriorship will defeat
the fears which divide us.
(Swein Runestaff is Steward of the South Pacific Region of the Rune-
Guild)
2237
{file "Glenn Innes Standing Stones" "bos479.htm"}
GLENN INNES STANDING STONES: THE FIRST STANDING STONES OF MODERN TIMES
Glenn Innes in northern NSW is home to many people descended from
Scottish, Welsh, Cornish, Manx and Irish immigrants. The streets have
Gaelic street signs, and in a marvellous initiative, the local Council
have erected a stone circle "similar to those erected by Celtic People
throughout Europe centuries ago". Three stones - named Gaelic, Bry-
thonic and Australis - are the focal point of the circle; on the op-
posite side of the circle four stones form the Southern Cross, with a
Celtic stone acting as a pointer. Outside of the circle, stones at
each of the cardinal points form an Ionic Cross.
There are a total of 38 stones, with 24 being in the circle. Each one
stands approximately 12 feet above the ground, and weighs several ton.
Parts of the array of stones are intended to act as a calender, whilst
other parts have a religious significance. Calculations by the Royal
Australian Hydrographic Office were used to determine the position of
the Winter Solstice; the positions of the Summer Solstice sunrise and
sunset were observed on December 22nd 1990.
Also in NSW, another stone circle - with a difference! At Mt Annan
Botanical Gardens, 15 basalt crystal columns have been erected in a
circle to form a "sundial of human involvement". This analemmatic
sundial uses a movable marker to cast a shadow. And the moveable
marker? A human, with arms raised above their head! The circle is so
situated that it is possible to look out across the Blue Mountains, to
the Sydney skyline in the distance.
2238
{file "Beyond Reason (Aries, W.o.W.)" "bos480.htm"}
BEYOND REASON: A new look at an old Devil
by Aries
Inside my mind is a court room. It is dark and sombre, a few shafts of
light from high slit windows etch out sloping pillars of swirling
dust. In the public gallery are a representative sample of the great
unwashed; fighting, fornicating, eating, suckling piglets, and other
sub-Bosch activities that lend atmosphere to the Baroque wanderings of
my imagination. The judge is unhappy. Whatever happens, someone,
somewhere, will hate him for it. In the dock are the three grand-dames
from Shakespeare's "Scottish" play, and I am counsel for the defence.
The Advocatus Diaboli, I guess. In the witness stand is "Dance with
the Devil" by Audrey Harper and Harry Pugh, and grave are its accus-
ations. But first, let's have its story.
Audrey Harper; a familiar tale of degradation and final redemption t-
hrough our Saviour Jesu Christos; sent to a Dr Barnado's home by her
mother, she grew up with deprivation and social stigma. In time she
becomes a WRAF, falls in love, gets pregnant, boyfriend dies, she
turns to booze, gives up her baby and becomes homeless. Wandering to
Piccadilly Circus she meets some Flower Children with the killer weed,
and her descent into Hell is assured. By day she gets stoned and eats
junk food; by night she sleeps in squats and doorways. Along comes
Molly; the whore with a heart of gold who teaches Audrey the art of
streetwalking. She flirts with shoplifting, gets into pills, and then
gets talent spotted and invited to a Chelsea party, where wealth, pow-
er and tasteful decor are dangled as bait. At the next party she is
hooked by the "group", which meets "every month in Virginia Water".
She agrees to go to the next meeting which is to be held at Hallow-
e'en.
Inside the dark Temple lit by black candles and full of "A heady,
sickly sweet smell from burning incense", she is "initiated" by the "-
warlock", whose "face was deathly pale and skeletal... his eyes ... w-
ere dark and sunken" and whose "breath and body seemed to exude a
strange smell, a little like stale alcohol." She signs herself over to
Satan with her own blood on a parchment scroll, whereupon a baby is
produced, its throat cut, and the blood drank. Following this she gets
dumped on the "altar" and fucked as the "sacrifice of the White
Virgin". The meeting finishes with a little ritual cursing and she's
left to wander "home" in the dark.
Her life falls into a steady routine of meetings in Virginia Water,
getting screwed by the "warlock", drug abuse, petty crime, and recrui-
ting runaways for parties, where the drinks are spiked - "probably
LSD" - and candles injected with heroin release "stupefying fumes into
the air"; the object being sex kicks and pornography. She falls
pregnant again, gets committed to a psychiatric hospital, has the
baby, and gives it away convinced that the "warlock" would sacrifice
it.
Things then become a confusion of Church desecration, drug addiction,
ritual abuse, psychiatric hospital, and falling in with Christian folk
who try vainly to save her soul. For rather vague reasons the "coven"
decide to drop her from the team, and she dedicates herself to a true
junkie's lifestyle with a steady round of overdosing, jaundice, and
detoxification units. The "warlock" drops by to threaten her, and she
makes her way north via some psychiatric hospitals to a Christian
Rehabilitation farm. She gets married, has a child which she keeps,
2239
and becomes a regular churchgoer. But beneath the surface are recur-
ring nightmares, insane anger and murderous feelings towards her
brethren. At the Emmanual Pentecostal Church in Stourport she asks the
Minister, Roy Davies, for help. He prays, and God tells him that she
was involved with witchcraft. An exorcism has her born again, cleansed
of her sin. She gets baptised and has no more nightmares, becoming a
generally nicer person. She becomes the "occult expert" of the Reach-
out Trust and Evangelical Alliance, and makes a career out of telling
an edited version of her tale.
Geoffrey Dickens MP persuades her to tell all on live TV; "Audrey, to
your knowledge is child sacrifice still going on?" To this she rep-
lies, "To my knowledge, yes." After this the whole thing rambles into
an untidy conclusion of self-congratulation, self-promotion, and self-
justification; and for a grand finale pulls out a list of horrendous
child abuse, which is shamelessly exploited in typically journalistic
fashion, and by the usual fallacious arguments which links it to
anything "occult"; help-lines, astro predictions in newspapers, and
even New Age festivals.
And so we are left with a horrifying vision of hordes of Satanists
swarming the country, buggering kids, sacrificing babies, and feeding
their own faeces to the flock. I would be tempted to consider this
story a modern parable; a Rakes Progress for the late 20th century,
were it not for the claim of truth and the accusations cast.
Throughout her tale Mrs Harper shows herself to be a clumsy diss-
embler; inconsistencies appear throughout, and the tone is shrill and
hysterical. "I know parts of my story are hard to believe. I realise
there are some sceptics who will not accept that such things can h-
appen." This is a perfect example of the fallacy known as "poisoning
the well", but what part might we find hard to believe? On page 79
with her bare face hanging out she tells us that, "I was, by now,
quite an accomplished young witch. I could levitate. I could bring
down the powers of darkness to move furniture about." Better a wilful
sceptic than having us believe in levitating junkies. But was she a
witch? When the Chelsea girl invites her along, "she never mentioned
witchcraft. But somehow, as she spoke, her words conjured up an eerie
atmosphere." And according to her testimony, nobody actually mentions
witchcraft prior to Roy Davies, who is tipped the wink by Lord God
Almighty.
Regardless of that, she still promiscuously mixes up the terms; wi-
tchcraft, Satanism and Paganism, playing free and easy with the rules
of evidence. However, it does appear that there is a thing called
Wicca or White Witches who "certainly do not set out to do evil", but
are still damned because "even if they don't do deliberate harm, their
activities are opposed to Christian teachings because they worship
false gods." Obviously possessed of the spirit of discernment, or as
Joseph Campbell said, "You can't fool around with Yahweh." 1
Okay, so where is the evidence? In Mrs Harper's reality tunnel the e-
vidence is everywhere, for the world is full of "evils that are the
work of Satan." Not for Mrs Harper the easy road of "hardfacts" when
she assures us that "There have been mounting suspicions over the
years that child sacrifices take place regularly. I believe that they
do. I have no evidence to support this belief." "It's my belief that
some of the hundreds of children and adults who go missing every year
end up being sacrificed." All that she offers us is her belief, but is
it a rational belief? Consider these words from another book, in a
2240
chapter called "Schizophrenia: The Demon in Control - "Let's say that
when you awake tomorrow, you find standing at your bedside a man with
purple scale skin...from Mars... visible and audible only to you...he
warns you not to reveal his presence; if you attempt to do so, he
threatens, he will kill you instantly... On the basis of what you can
so clearly see and hear, you accept the fact, astounding as it is,
that the stranger is what he says he is."2 Barbara O'Brien then goes
on to describe the schizophrenic trip and how she toured America in
Greyhound buses in an attempt to escape the "hook operators".
But, what if someone woke up to find Satan by their bed? Mrs Harper is
one of the sad minority to do just that. In hospital, after an over-
dose she returned to her bed to find on it "a miniature hooded figure-
... I was sure it was Satan manifesting himself to me." If we check
the diagnosis of schizophrenia we find that the schizophrenic "ceases
to experience his mental processes and his will as under his own
control; he may insist that thoughts are being put into his mind."3
And what does Mrs Harper tell us? She signed in blood a parchment
scroll which stated that, "I am no longer my own. Satan is my master."
As for arranging her social calendar, "I was rarely summoned... Some
inner compulsion told me when, and where, to go...Satan could direct
me to the coven by remote control." At other times there was "just the
telepathic message buzzing in my head... Satan was beckoning... There
was no resistance. I had to go." In fact most of the time "Satan was
at the helm of my thinking processes." This is not all, for we also r-
ead that the schizophrenic "hears voices telling him what to do."3
Three or four weeks after her "initiation", Mrs Harper experienced a
blinding headache. "Then a voice came to me, telling me to be at H-
ighgate Cemetery just before midnight." The voice went on to give her
some travel directions, which was very obliging. "In acute stages of
the illness other hallucinations and delusions of varied kinds may be
present."3 I think we can safely classify levitation and telekinesis
under the heading of hallucination and delusion, but what about babies
being killed? Or coven meetings even? "The paranoid schizophrenic has
'a persistent idea...that there is a conspiracy or concerted action
against him...a delusion of grandeur."3 Whenever she took an overdose,
"I knew who was behind it all - the coven. This was Satan attacking
me." Whenever things went wrong for Mrs Harper it was Satan, "making
me follow foolish impulses...causing me to behave in a stupid way."
Every time she got moving "Satan played another of his little tricks"
to stop her short. "Delusions of unworthiness occur in depressive
illnesses in association with misery and hopelessness." 3 Any comment
Mrs Harper? "I felt myself wishing that I could be good, like these
nurses, instead of a servant of the Devil." "...how inadequate I was
compared with the other churchgoers."
On her first TV programme she was asked, "How do you know you were not
just on a bad trip?", to which she replied, "A bad trip doesn't last
five years." But if this bad trip is schizophrenia, it could. As far
as backgrounds go, hers was ideal for inducing psychosis; harsh, cold
and alienating. Significantly she had nicknamed the matron of the home
"the witch", and after her escape attempts "It didn't take the police
long...they soon had me back under the spell
of the witch." A process of learned helplessness. Bob Wilson 4 disc-
usses the possible role of schizophrenia and self-medication in heroin
addiction, and certainly at the more stable periods of her life she s-
eems to have no problem giving up her drugs. Although this may not be
important, it is worth bearing in mind that Virginia Water is home to
the Royal Holloway Psychiatric Hospital, which, at the time of her t-
2241
ale, had a bustling schizophrenic population. Maybe this explains how
she ended up so often wandering around dazed in the dark. Of course
this is all speculation, but the mere possibility that an undiagnosed
schizophrenic with a medieval delusion is trying to drag us into her
fantasy, and to restrict the civil liberties of others has me worried.
Even more worrying was a "Despatches" documentary shown on Channel 4
TV on the 19th February 1992, portraying an alleged expose of Satanism
and ritual abuse. An array of "survivors" were brought before us; some
of whom were severely traumatised individuals and in need of much care
and help to re-build their lives. Others had me suspecting malice as a
motivating force. These "survivors" refuse to go to the police, just
like our Mrs Harper neglected to report a whole heap of crimes such
as; desecration, rape, child abuse, drug running, animal brutality,
murder, eating foetuses and stealing library books. When at long last
someone goes as far as pointing to where the bodies are buried, the
police do a lot of digging, but find nothing. Similarly, those cases
that come to trial are thrown out on the grounds of insufficient
evidence or doubts about the social workers' methods.
Therapists and social workers assure us that the physical reactions of
these people when under analysis are authentic, but this proves
little. The link between mind and body is profound; the body reacts to
the mind's content regardless of the authenticity of that content;
i.e., belief will evoke as great a response as actual recall. What do
these "carers" have to gain by their behaviour? I guess it's much
sexier to be on a special Satanic ritual abuse group, rather than just
another social worker in the child unit. After the "Operation Julie"
team split up, the majority of its members left the police rather than
return to normal duties - the power of being in a special elite sedu-
ces the best of us.
As is usual Uncle Aleister comes in for some ritual abuse; this evil
black magician (sic) on the "Bloody Sacrifice"; and "Dispatches"
quotes those infamous lines from page 219: "A male child of perfect
innocence and high intelligence is the most satisfactory and suitable
victim."5
But they neglected the all-important footnote: "It is the sacrifice of
oneself spiritually. And the intelligence and innocence of that male
child are the perfect understanding of the Magician, his one aim,
without lust of result. And male he must be, because what he sacr-
ifices is not the material blood, but his creative power."5 We can
surmise that either the "Dispatches" team are totally incompetent to
have missed that footnote, or deliberately dishonest. As far as I can
tell the only sin in what Uncle Aleister suggests is the Sin of Onan.
(See: Sacred Mushroom and the Cross by J M Allegro for a full ex-
planation of the link between sperm and sin.)
Finally, after teasing us overmuch with hints of a secret Satanic gro-
up that regularly murders babes in arms and worships Uncle Aleister in
a basement Temple in the East End of London, they were going to reveal
all. Well, actually not all: they stop short of naming names, due no
doubt to a sharp eye on this country's libel laws. Instead we get
shown clips of an arty video from The Temple ov Psychic Youth's
playroom; a video I thought was available by mail order, and some of
which was shown publicly as far back as 1987 at the 2nd Thelemic
Conference at Oxford. The offending content was a little low-level S&M
(low-level compared to what is currently available from Amsterdam),
and certainly not as visually gripping as some films by Dali or
2242
Kenneth Anger. What seemed to have been forgotten is that Sado-
masochistic behaviour is ritualistic, but that doesn't mean that rit-
ual is an incidence of intention of abuse.
It was confidently stated that claims of identical detail concerning
Satanic ritual abuse go back 700 years; but in all this time, those
tricky Satanists have evaded capture. "Dispatches" claimed that the
wily Satanists escape the net because their crimes are "beyond bel-
ief", and hence not believed. Personally I wonder whether the claims
themselves may well be beyond reason. Suppose these survivors claimed
to have been abducted by fairies, or the Evil Space Brothers; how wo-
uld we react? Evidence is coming through that suggests that Multiple
Personalities and UFO abductees show a tendency of abuse of some sort
as a child. Hypnotised subjects are able to construct a detailed and
realistic UFO kidnap scenario without having any UFO knowledge or ex-
perience.6 We are obviously talking about something that is coming up
from the deeper structures of the mind, possibly at the level of the
Archetypes, and I'm sure we can agree that the "Satanic Ritual" s-
cenario is well embedded in the group consciousness. We should bear in
mind two things; firstly, the mind is a much more complex entity than
our current models allow for. Also that memory is symbolic; it does
not run back like a film; rather it is reconstructed from elements
that "seem right", but the result is always partial, leaving room for
symbolism to dress the events in a ways that serves a deeper need. A
child being treated brutally by parents it believes should be loving,
could then "demonise" them, so that images of "satanic parents" will
slowly emerge in therapy as the real trauma is dealt with. The symbol-
ic nature of this recalled material allows it to be easily dealt with
by psychodrama such as exorcism. Maybe it's all true; many abusers use
ritual trappings to induce fear, so maybe there are Satanic abusers;
Lord knows there are more than enough Christian and non-Satanic
abusers about. But to politicise others' pain and suffering is to my
mind, both wrong-headed and dangerous.
The truth is that there are a lot of sick people out there, both
perpetrators and victims who are hurt and traumatised. They need all
the help we can give, not exploitation. We have seen the effect of
mass hysteria before; from the Pendle Witches and Jews up to the
Guildford Four and Orkney Twelve. The Witch Hunts died out because
wilful sceptics refused to believe on women flying about the country-
side on broomsticks, and tended to (rather unkindly) laugh at the peo-
ple who believed in such things. The UK is currently in its worse
recession this century, and we can confidently expect a rise in the
rates of suicide, child abuse and scape-goating. Right now we have a
greater need of wilful sceptics than we do of fanatics fresh from a
medieval reality tunnel. I rest my case.
FOOTNOTES:
1 Joseph Campbell: The Power of Myth
2 Barbara O'Brien: Operators and Things - The Inner Life of a S-
chizophrenic
3 Richard L Gregory (Ed.): The Oxford Companion to the Mind
4 Robert Anton Wilson: Sex and Drugs - A Journey Beyond Limits
5 Aleister Crowley: Magick
6 Hilary Evans: Visions, Apparitions, Alien Visitors
And not forgetting DANCE WITH THE DEVIL: A Young Woman's Struggle to
Escape the Coven's Curse, by Audrey Harper with Harry Pugh, published
by Kingsway Publications. (As an interesting postscript to this arti-
cle: readers may be interested to learn that it was Audrey Harper's
appearance on Australian TV, telling us all about the dangers of S-
atanic/Witchcraft ritual child abuse that prompted me to found the Pan
Pacific Pagan Alliance - Julia)
2243
{file "Pagan Unity Ritual (W.o.W. #5)" "bos481.htm"}
THE PAGAN UNITY RITUAL
For group workings: we have generally made this the first part of our
meeting, after the erection and consecration of our working space. The
music used for the working is "The Burning Times" by Charlie Murphy.
Love it or loath it, this song is undeniably the anthem of the Neo-Pa-
gan movement, and is played or sung at Pagan gatherings in Britain,
Europe, Scandinavia, the USA and Canada. By using it for this working,
we are making a very profound connection with the world's Pagan commu-
nity.
First form a cartwheel with your cords - loop them over each other,
and hold the loose ends. Then stand in a circle, with the cords f-
orming the spokes of the "cartwheel". Start the music, and as the dr-
umming begins, so everyone slowly moves deosil in time to its beat. As
you dance, you remember all the Pagans you have ever known, or worked
with. If you don't know many, then think about Pagans who have in-
fluenced or inspired you - writers, singers, poets, artists - it
doesn't matter which, as long as you remember them. Throughout the
song, continue to dance, and continue to remember: focus upon the
image of the cords as a web which joins all Pagans together.
In our groups, we generally end the dance after "The Burning Times" f-
inishes with an "Eko Eko..." chorus, and then drop the cords to the
ground to send the magic on its way. If you work alone, the ritual can
be adapted. Instead of forming a cartwheel, you can weave your cords
into a web-like pattern, or use knots - it doesn't matter which, as
long as you remember, and focus upon the concept of the links with ot-
her Pagans. If Australian readers have problems finding a copy of "The
Burning Times", write to us, and we'll try and put you in touch with a
supplier.
This ritual has now been performed a number of times with Pagans from
NSW, ACT, SA and the USA. It is also being worked in Britain, and a
number of events that have happened recently seem to confirm that a
very real current is being generated to strengthen Pagan Unity.
2244
{file "Blessing my New Home" "bos483.htm"}
Blessing my New Home
Touch the lintel and touch the wall,
Nothing but blessings here befall!
Bless the candle that stands by itself,
Bless the book on the mantle shelf,
Bless the pillow for the tired head,
Bless the hearth and the light shed.
Friends who tarry here, let them know
A three fold blessing before they go.
Sleep for weariness - peace for sorrow
Faith in yesterday and tomorrow.
Firends who go from here, let them bear
The blessing of hope, wherever they fare.
Lintel and windows, sill and wall,
Nothing but good, this place befall.
2246
{file "Bowhunter's Prayer to Dianna (Kalioppe)" "bos485.htm"}
A BOWHUNTER'S PRAYER TO DIANA
Oh Silvery Huntress of the Night!
Diana of the pale moonlight!
Oh Goddess of the Silver Bow
Smile on your humble child, below
Come now to me and be my guest,
And aid me in this hunt...my quest!
In this endeavor, grant success
Grant me patience - grant kindness
Watch over me and guide my steps -
As I walk into the forest's depths.
Protect me from all injury
And close beside me, always be.
Aid me as I track the deer
Through brush and thickets, far and near
When it comes time to draw my bow
Grant me accuracy, here below
Guide my arrows with speed and skill
Grant painless death and swiftest kill
Silvery Huntress, I am your child...
I hunt your forests, free and wild.
Bless this hunt, I ask of thee
Oh Great Diana, hear my plea
Goddess of Wild Ones and the Night!
Bless my table with food tonight!
Kalioppe
2248
{file "Spirituality" "bos486.htm"}
SPIRITUALITY
"What is `spirituality'? Does it matter much today?
And what is something `sacred'? Is it black and white...or grey?"
These were the queries of a youngster, and gave me pause for
thought;
And as I rummaged through my mind, I found the words I sought.
"Spirituality is a relationship 'twixt the Universe and you,
And how you behave will manifest, no matter what you do!
It's a friendship with creation - with stones and plants and
trees,
With birds and deer and butterflies...and even bumblebees;
It's knowing that the life you have, is found in them, as well;
It's awareness that creation is found in every realm,
And that all of it is sacred and all of it's divine!
That means it's very special - and will be for all time!
The answers to your questions are both black and white, and grey,
As spirituality and sacredness depends on you...each day!"
I pondered well his queries as he slipped out the door,
And wondered if I'd answered well - or if I should say more...
But looking out the window, I saw him smile at me,
And knew that I'd said plenty, as he reached out and hugged a
tree!
-Kalioppe-
2249
{file "Creation Mystery, Part II" "bos487.htm"}
Creation Mystery,Part II
By: The Whyte Bard
The Lord, and the Lady (and the Fool) were lonely. The All was
not
complete; there was none to keep them company, and laugh with them.
There
was none to know them, and none to be Their Children.
And the Lady said, "Let us go forth and make Life upon the
many
worlds, that We may have Children, and a Family of Life within the
MultiVerse. And let Us make them in Our image, and love and be loved
in
return."
And the Fool laughed, and asked, "Shall it be so?"
"No," said the Sacred King.
And the Fool asked a second time, and said, "Shall it be so?"
"Maybe," smiled the Youth.
And the Fool asked a third time, saying, "Shall it be so?"
"Yes!" said the Child.
And the Fool smiled, and said, "If we do this thing, it shall
be a
wondrous thing indeed, for we shall make a Creature that shall have
the Love
of the Lady, and the Strength of the Lord, and a Curiousity to match
Myself.
It shall know Good and Evil, and Light and Darkness, and That which
stands
between them, and shall be very near and dear to us. It shall be ar-
rogant,
and willful, and cruel, but it shall also be kind, and gentle and
loving. It
shall be all things, and nothing at all."
And the Fool laughed, and asked, "Shall it be so?"
"No," said Chaos.
And the Fool asked a second time, and said, "Shall it be so?"
"Maybe," smiled Trickster.
And the Fool asked a third time, saying, "Shall it be so?"
"Yes!" said Prometheus.
The Fool took up the stuff of stars, that whispers thru the
MultiVerse, and mixed it with the dry clay of earth, and mixed the
substance
thereby made with the waters of the sea, and the tears of the Maiden,
and the
birth-waters of the Mother, and the spittle of the Crone; wet it was
with the
blood of the Sacred King, and the sweat of the Youth, and the milk on
the
lips of the Child.
And the Fool laughed, and asked, "Shall it be so?"
"No," said the Crone.
And the Fool asked a second time, and said, "Shall it be so?"
"Maybe," smiled the Maiden.
And the Fool asked a third time, saying, "Shall it be so?"
"Yes!" said the Mother.
And the Fool smiled, and said, "Then let it be so, for I have
asked
three times, and three times three, and thus it is and so it ever
shall be!"
The Holy Fool bent, and sank to His knees, and She took the
wet clay,
wet with the waters of the sea, and the tears of the Maiden, and the
birth-
waters of the Mother, and the spittle of the Crone; wet with the blood
of the
Sacred King, and the sweat of the Youth, and the milk on the lips of
the
Child.
And from that clay He made our Brothers and Sisters in Fur,
Feather
and Scale, and all the growing things.
And one thing made of that clay was taken up by the Fool, and
placed
aside.
And the Lady smiled upon Her Lord.
And the Fool turned, and It was Prometheus, and shaped the wet
clay
thing further.
Side by side, He made them, that none should stand above the
other,
but that all should walk as equals and partners, in joy and love.
And the Fool turned, and It was Trickster, who shaped us to be
curious, and to doubt, and from our doubt and curiousity, to learn,
and to
laugh.
And the Fool turned, and She was Chaos, and placed a bit of
Itself
within us, that we may change and grow.
And the Lord smiled upon His Lady.
Man and Woman Prometheus made, and the making and the shaping
was as
years, and years upon years.
And the Fool began to dance.
And the Lady began to dance.
And the Lord began to dance.
They danced Life into the World, the Lady and the Lord, and
the Fool.
They danced the moon, and stars, and Sun, and all that there is, they
danced
into being.
And they danced Death into the World, for we must close the
Circle of
our Being, and go forth unto newness.
They danced Life and Death, and still They dance, a never-en-
ding,
ever-spinning Circle, endlessly spiraling upon itself, and uncoiling
to start
anew; hand in hand They dance, to a Music They have made, endlessly
creating,
and endlessly destroying.
Thus it was, and so it is, and evermore shall be so!
---------------------------------------------------------
2250
{file "Discoveries" "bos489.htm"}
DISCOVERIES
by
Katrina McNeal-Dezern
August 15, 1993
Walking down Life's road one day,
I spied a path along the way,
Small it was, and hard to see,
But I just knew it was for me.
I stepped on to that wondrous Way,
What drew me there I cannot say,
But there along that path I trod,
Akin to the Goddess, akin to the God.
Of course I did not know that then,
I merely felt the power within;
Sister to forests, plants, and trees,
A part of Nature's Magesties!
For many years I trod alone,
Thinking all this was my own,
For others did not seem to see,
What was so obvious to me.
Imagine, then my sheer surprise,
When right before my very eyes,
It was my fortune to discover,
Another traveller, my own true lover!
But still more wonders were in store,
For on our path we found yet more,
And now the way's no longer bare,
We know that others travel there.
Some to learn and some to teach,
Some the heights of wisdom reach;
Together we gather in trust and joy,
All our resources to employ.
To share the way we think and feel,
To help each other grow and heal;
How wondrous all this is to me,
To have found a Spiritual Family!
2252
{file "Song (Vivienne West)" "bos491.htm"}
SONG
by Vivienne West
(after Taliessin)
I am the sunshine on the verdant greensward.
I am the Salmon that swims in the stream.
I am of coal buried deep in the mountain.
I am the Eagle that sees from the sky.
I am the myth in the mind of the mystic.
I am the Crow at the foot of the warrior.
I am the shield and the spear of the fighter.
I am the corn and the flower of the field.
I am the fire that blazes at Beltane.
I am the woman that rocketh the cradle.
I am the egg that will hatch in fresh well-water.
I am the Lizard that dances in ashes.
I am the woman whose breasts are the hillocks.
I am the old man whose gaze is of sunlight.
I was with Isis when bodies were broken.
I was with Arianrhod in her sky-castle.
I was the Mare when Epona did gallop.
Who but me is the wonder of rivulets?
Who but me is the strength of the storm?
2254
{file "Pagan Churches (Julia Phillips)" "bos492.htm"}
PAGAN CHURCHES
Written by Julia Phillips December 13, 1992
(This article appeared in issue #67 of The Cauldron)
To be or not to be, that is the question. To be an accredited, main-
stream religion, with society's approval, or to be a mystery path on
the fringes of society; to be a formal religion of priesthood and
laity, or a path for those who seek their religious experience outside
of the mainstream.
This subject has recently been hotly debated by Pagans and occultists
from all over the world. Those in support (and they are vocal), insist
that Paganism must come of age; must provide ministers who can lead
society back to the Goddess, and who can serve the community as social
workers, counsellors and priesthood. Those against point out that most
Pagans seek the religion in the first place because it is a path of
individual spiritual growth, which does not demand that its
practitioners spend a large proportion of their time spoon-feeding a
congregation, or acting as unpaid social workers.
We appear to have reached a crossroads in the development of 20th (and
21st) century Paganism, and the decisions we make over the next decade
will have constitutional and far-reaching consequences. Society is no
longer in any doubt about our existence; it has not yet decided
whether we are a Good Thing, or a Bad Thing, but it certainly knows we
exist.
Let us consider the problems that we face if we wish to make Paganism
a mainstream religion. Firstly, most (all?) of you reading this live
in a nominally Christian society, which will usually accept (with bad
grace!) the other mainstream religions such as Muslim and Buddhist.
Pagans, if they are considered at all, will probably evoke a reaction
ranging from amused tolerance to outright condemnation for their
heresy. So, how do we convince society that we are neither foolish
(but basically harmless) eccentrics, nor are we dangerous heretics,
ever on the lookout for a tasty virgin, or plump little boy for our
altars?
We can of course present society with the image that we wish them to
see. Unfortunately, this must often be presented via the media, who,
as we know so well, are more concerned with increasing viewing or
circulation figures than being philanthropic about helping poor
defenceless Pagans improve their image. And how do you deal with the
ego-centric weirdos (sorry, no other word sounds half so effective!)
who launch themselves regularly at the world, scantily clad, demon-
ically masked, and twittering on about the shadow, cursing, cthonic
experiences and the dark path of the occult? The fact that you and I
both know that a genuine cthonic experience, or encounter with the
shadow, would have these types running home to Mummy pronto, is
neither here nor there; the public, who knows no better, is taken in a
treat. "Aha", they cry, "see, we were always told it was dangerous to
dabble in the occult, and look, it's true!". And of course it is, for
these dabblers will undoubtedly cause themselves, and their poor
followers, a fair bit of harm before they are through.
But how does all this help our cause to become a socially respectable
religion? Well of course it doesn't. Not one bit. And this is actually
why I am rather fond of these ego-centric types, for although they are
a superficial parody of the genuine occult path, they do serve as a
2255
reminder that the dark is ever-present, and that if we remain true to
our spiritual core, then we can never be a socially acceptable,
mainstream religion. Where these ego-centrics fail of course, is in
promoting the dark satanic image as the ONLY path. They do not know
any better, ignorance and stupidity being their main faults, and I
really cannot see the Pagan/Occult community ridding itself of them.
Instant fame is too strong a drug to withstand common sense and the
hard work which the genuine occult and Pagan paths demand.
But those who would present Paganism and the occult as all white-light
and fluffy bunnies are equally at fault. Not only is it untrue, we are
leaving ourselves open to accusations of whitewashing our practices
for public consumption. But, it is nigh on impossible to explain Pagan
philosophy in a TV studio, to an audience with a limited attention
span. The principles are simple, but need to be comprehended, and that
cannot happen in a TV or radio interview. The message has to be
restricted to, "we do not perform or condone sacrifices"; "we do not
hold rituals for the purpose of group sex"; "we are a sincere religion
which encourages each individual to take responsibility for his/her
spiritual development", and similar platitudes. Trying to present this
information without coming across as a mixture of Doris Day and
Lucille Ball is a skill few of us possess!
But to return to the issue of accreditation and social acceptance; it
never ceases to surprise me how many people reject one or more of
society's restrictions or pretensions, and then do their damnedest to
resurrect the same restriction or pretension as quickly as possible
elsewhere. Let us consider a mainstream religion; let us look at the
Anglican Church. A priest (or, gasp, a female priest!) ministers the
divine word of God to a receptive congregation. At times of hatch,
match and despatch, the priest not only administers the divine word,
but also functions as society's representative to ensure that all is
done in accordance with accepted ritual practice. The priest is
trained, accredited, ordained, maintained, and supervised, by his
Church. Let him mutter an unorthodox message, and see how quickly his
superiors bring him to task!
Contrast this with today's Pagan; no formal training, accreditation,
maintenance or supervision from outside. There is of course in many
traditions, an ordination, but these are not consistent throughout the
branches of the religion, and nor are the ordinations "accepted" by
most of society. In fact, many of them are not even "accepted" within
the religion itself. When you have been told as often as I have that
Aleister Crowley initiated your mother, or some mysterious group
initiated you as you were cycling home one night and got yanked off
your pedals, or "your family" has been secretly "in the Craft" for
generations, you get a bit cynical about accepting some of these
ordinations at face value!
And this brings to us to the matter of accreditation; I have heard it
mooted that now is time for Pagan priesthood to be formally ordained,
and accredited to accepted standards of knowledge, skill and exper-
ience. I would have more sympathy with this view if those who expound
it do not give the impression that they are, ipso facto, of that
standard already! Being of a pragmatic nature, I would also be inter-
ested to learn just who is to pay for the training colleges and
official priesthood that would necessarily result from such a prog-
ramme?
2256
And this brings me finally to ask if we really do wish to follow a
religious path which is constructed in the pattern of one which most
have us have rejected as unacceptable. Writing in Children of Sekhmet
Vol 3 No 1 about the creation of Pagan and Wiccan Councils, "Lucifer"
said: "Pagan Councils are forced to compromise the outlook of the
Pagan Community... My real concern is that behind the many calls for
Pagan unity is the genuine belief that Paganism can be socially
acceptable. The implication to this being that consensus Paganism is
moving towards an acceptable middle ground which society can cope
with; that the ecstatic vision of the Pagan Mysteries is slowly
abandoned for the coarse cloth of a ritual practice calculated not to
offend."
It might be unkind to suggest that those who are desperately seeking
official recognition have anything less than the purest of motives,
but one does wonder. Is it simply a case that in this field, they are
able to acquire titles and recognition which under other circumst-
ances, would not come their way? The "big fish/small pond" syndrome.
Or have they only superficially rejected the mainstream religious
path, and all that it stands for, seeking to re-establish it in
Paganism with themselves at the top of the pecking order?
I have made some contentious statements in this article in the hope
that it will encourage debate (and support!) from those other spirit-
ual anarchists out there who do not want to see their religion debased
into a formal structure of hierarchies, priesthood, and laity. I
believe there is a place for open Pagan gatherings, and that exper-
ienced Pagans are best placed to organise such gatherings. Where I
draw the line is in accepting that any "official" body may legislate
in matters of individual spiritual growth.
The Pagan movement has always been self-regulatory in practical terms.
This may not be obvious to those who are calling for "accredited
priesthood", but I can assure them that the Pagan grapevine is active
and effective throughout the world. We do not need framed certificates
over the fireplace ("This is to certify that Lady Anthrax can worship
to the satisfaction of the Convergence of Associated Deities" -
Peregrin, Web of Wyrd #6), to prove our spiritual worth.
B*B Julia
2257
{file "Searching (Carol Neist, W.O.W. #8)" "bos493.htm"}
The following article appeared in issue #8 of Web of Wyrd magazine.
Searching
by Carol Neist
It has always bothered me that there seems to be an abnormally large
lunatic fringe in Wicca; people who threaten others with curses from a
"Council of Witches"; people who claim qualifications they haven't
got; people who are so fundamentalist in outlook they put Fred Nile to
shame. For despite the comments of Hawkeye (WOW #6) and Khaled's
letter (WOW #5), there is, I believe, a strongly fundamentalist
element within Wicca. It seems to be found mainly amongst those who,
in Hawkeye's words, "believe in the objective reality of faery", and
those who see the Gardnerian Book of Shadows as Holy Writ. Now I have
no objection to people believing in anything they want to, but if they
try to tell me that my more psychological approach (to say nothing of
my cynicism regarding the aforementioned Holy Writ) is wrong, I
naturally question whether I want to be classed under the same banner.
Whilst I wholeheartedly concur with the premise that worship is a
private matter between the practitioner and his/her deity, in actual
practice it just ain't so, even in Wicca. "You have to do it our way,
or you aren't one of us", seems to be a common attitude. The argument
that formal teaching or a recognised clergy would destroy the right of
each individual to approach the divine in her/his own way therefore,
just doesn't hold water, since as things stand at present, a prac-
titioner who doesn't agree with the mainstream viewpoint will very
quickly find him/herself on the outer anyway. The "free form eclec-
tism" touted by Peregrin (WOW #6) just doesn't happen outside the
books, as far as I can tell.
I'm certainly not suggesting that we ought to rush out and set up
seminaries and parish councils, but I do think we have to accept the
fact that we do already have a de facto clergy, largely self-appoin-
ted, most of whom have no training in counselling or teaching. Like it
or not, if you are leading a group of any kind, no matter how informal
or unstructured, you are going to need both those skills. It's all
very well for Michelin (WOW #6) to compare coven leaders to parents
who "receive little or no training beyone that which they received
in the family in which they grew up". It's actually a sad fact of life
that we were all fucked up by our natural parents, thus creating the
need for us to clear away the shit through spiritual practice. I don't
want to be stuffed around by any more amateurs, thank you very much -
my family of origin did a pretty good job already!
It's obvious that hierarchic structures don't work, but what do we do
instead? What we've got at present isn't really working either, and in
many cases it is, in fact, very hierarchic anyway! It's a really hard
one, and I don't think there are any easy answers. But, sadly, we have
a situation where unsuspecting neophytes run the risk of being conned,
robbed, threatened or subjected to various power trips, and even those
of us who condemn such behaviour run the risk of being tarred with the
same brush in the eyes of the public.
2258
Whilst Pagan organisations (such as the Pagan Federation, Pagan
Alliance or Church of All Worlds) could be an excellent clearing house
for people seeking groups, and groups seeking members, who is to
decide which groups are "kosher"? Supposing a bright-eyed bushy-tailed
tyro from Upper Woop Woop approaches an organisation, and asks to be
put in touch with the nearest Wiccan coven. The organisation knows
damned well that the only coven within coo-ee of Upper Woop Woop is
run by a couple of dickheads who shouldn't be in charge of a street
stall, let alone the vulnerable psyches of others. What do they do? If
this particular pair of dickheads are paid up members of said organ-
isation, how can enquiries not be passed on to them? It really isn't
possible without some sort of formal screening system, to keep the
lunatic fringe out of an umbrella organisation, especially when some
of them are already well established in the Craft.
Of course many people don't see teaching as a relevant function of the
coven. But new members are going to look to the leaders for guidance,
even if only at an unconscious level. Everyone who starts a spritual
practice does so because they see life to be a mess, and they need to
know how to get out of that mess. Personally, I think teaching is very
important, and I will seek teaching on Love and Trust wherever it is
offered. Over the last couple of years, I have found it mainly within
Tibetan Buddhism. Similar to the Craft in many ways, the practice is
more structured and the teachers have all been practitioners for
twenty years or more. None of the teachers attempts to dominate the
students; in fact they go to a lot of trouble to discourage guru-trip-
ping. Teaching is offered by a variety of visiting teachers, so
students get a range of opinions and practices, and they can ask for
specific teaching as they need it. I've seen less power-tripping and
ego-flaunting in this movement than in any other; they really do go
along with the premise, "an it harm none do what you will". Their
methods, having been tested for over a thousand years of unbroken
lineage, really do work: I learnt more about magic from those guys in
a month than I learnt in five years with the Rosicrucians and some
twenty-odd years of private and group Craft-style practice. It isn't
surprising that Tibetan Buddhism is currently said to be the fastest
growing "new" religion in the west. Incidentally, I thought Hawkeye's
comments on Eastern religions a bit sweeping: I know little of Taoism,
but the Hindu and Buddhist faiths don't claim to be based on Absolute
Truth. Rather, they are based on the belief that there is an Absolute
Truth and that it is possible for the individual, without mediation
from Priest or Guru, to find it. Quite a different proposition.
All any teacher or group leader can do is point out ways and means;
it's up to the individual to find her/his own way to the Divine, call
it Goddess, Christ, Krishna, Bliss-Void or whatever. But finding
suitable friends is the first step along the path - you really can't
do it all by yourself. Whether you go in for counselling, therapy or
spiritual training, the idea is the same - find someone who's been
there already, and who knows how to give you a hand over the rocky
bits. It is this which lies at the basis of the guru/disciple relat-
ionship, not, as some would have it, a need to dominate or be domin-
ated. The system is, like any other, open to abuse, but we only have
to look around and see the same abuses and worse within the Craft,
despite its supposed "free form eclectism". (Good phrase that, thanks
Peregrin!)
I still believe that the Craft is a beautiful path in theory, and
could be so in practice, were it not for the large numbers of near-
sighted people presuming to lead the blind. However, perhaps I'm
expecting too much - maybe the Craft really is just a celbratory
religion which offers a U-beaut party eight times a year and a chance
to run around starkers once a month. Perhaps I am expecting too much
in asking that it provide tools, teaching and example for personal
growth as well? Nevertheless, this is what many people, including me,
seek in a spritual discipline. I would like to think that somewhere,
somehow, sometime, I might find it in Wicca.
2259
{file "Leave it Out, Leviticus (Aries, W.O.W. #8)" "bos496.htm"}
The following article appeared in Web of Wyrd #8.
Leave it out Leviticus
by Aries
You know, I'm not too sure that it's safe for me to be associating
with you guys all things considered: "We have allowed the legalising
of abominations like witchcraft, homosexuality and abortion." And to
think I was fooled into believing that you were mostly harmless except
for an interesting approach to sing-songs 'round the camp-fire and a
strong attachment to strange jewellry. But no, my immortal soul is
apparently in grave danger from "demonic powers behind the evils that
we have allowed into our land." Oh how could I have been so blind?
Woe, woe and thrice woe!
I paid a visit to my friendly neighbourhood xtian bookshop ("We give a
Bible message to everyone who comes into the shop") and came away with
a bunch of one page factsheets warning me about the dangers that dwell
in the world, and wait to entrap me in mind, body and spirit, and well
warned I am. For instance: "Hallowe'en is the night when the spirits
of the dead and demons visit the earth. That is why people dress up
as witches and other frightening things." If these leaflets are
typical of the modern xtian's world view, then there is much to be
afraid of. The first two quotes come from, "An Introduction to Inter-
cession and Spiritual Warfare", where the believer is exalted to,
"stand in all the armour of God and wrestle in prayer." It may be just
a coincidence but I kept thinking of Reichian Body Armour and the
joyless life its possession entails.
In "Hallowe'en" we are warned against Hallowe'en parties and encour-
aged, "to find a wholesome alternative and to warn others of the
demonic background of what is too often seen as just a harmless bit of
fun." Having been raised a Puritan, I'm well aware of the dangers in
harmless bits of fun, like Playing Cards. Were you aware that, "The
first deck of playing cards was invented in 1392 for King Charles of
France who incidentally was insane." Oh well, say no more; anything
done for a loony must be suspect. The Puritans called cards "The
Devil's Picture Book", and that's all that we need to know after being
told of "The Brothel Game", where people talk dirty with each other
using a secret code in the cards, and how the Holy Family are blasph-
emed in hideous jest; we are then asked if we could then "go on
playing with a sinful pack of cards?" But, I ask myself, how can 52
pieces of printed card be sinful? How do we measure sinfulness? What
does it look like? What's its weight? Colour? You get my drift?
2263
However, this is nit-picking in the face of faith, especially when,
"Witches and those closely associated with the occult use cards to
trick and delude men and women into vice, error, deceipt, and finally
into Hell." And that brings us back to Hallowe'en, doesn't it? By
convincing our kiddies that this blasphemous Pagan ritual is harmless
fun, you evil witches trick them into dressing up as witches and lure
them thuswise into sin and perdition: "dressing as a witch you could
open the way to being involved later with the real thing... Many young
people have already been deceived in this way to their cost." I must
admit that I'd always assumed that it was commercial exploitation by
the business world that has added Hallowe'en to the list of religious
festivals that are prostituted in the name of consumerism, and thus
enter the public realm. Maybe Satan is a businessman? Why not? It
seems imperative that the xtian sees the hand of Satan everywhere;
"The attraction in witchcraft is the power that it offers even though
this is from Satan." But how is this conclusion arrived at?
Well, we know for a start that, "A witch is something that is hateful
to God." and we know that God feels this way because He tells us so in
Leviticus 20:6. Now, applying the logic of "who isn't for me is
against me", we arrive at the situation where if God gets the hump
with someone, they are automatically against him. Remember, there is
no third way with Jahweh. By all accounts Satan is some else who's had
a falling out with God, and this means that, "Since a real Christian
is someone 'Born Again in the Spirit of God' (1 Peter 1:3-4, John
1:13), Satan is his enemy, and so are witches and all their activit-
ies." It boils down to saying, "All my enemies are ganging up on me in
a conspiracy", which may turn out to be an existential definition of
paranoid delusion.
You may, or may not, be pleased to know that witches are not alone in
being hateful to God. In fact, I ran out of money before God ran out
of people to hate. Spiritualism really rubs God up the wrong way, and
again we have this on the authority of Leviticus 20:6; but probably
worse in the eyes of the xtian is the possibility that "If there is no
judgement then what sort of God do we worship who would consign us to
have to live in the presence of tyrants and murderers like Hitler,
Stalin, Herod and the like on the other side?" The problem that we
have here is our belief in the mythic Just World, where goodness is
rewarded and badness punished. And if things don't work out that way,
if St Augustine has Vlad the Impaler as a next door neighbour in the
hereafter, then the rhetorical basis of xtianity would appear to
crumble. The argument that if you are good (ie, do as I tell you) you
will go to heaven, and if you are bad (ie, don't do as I tell you) you
will go to Hell, no longer has any validity. It could be argued that
this Just World belief underlies much of modern society which seems
to be coming increasingly under threat as the arbitrary nature of
reality becomes apparent.
Needless to say, Satan is behind all aspects of spiritualism. Satan,
the guy who "knows the Bible better than many Christians", and who
sees to it that, "we remain in spiritual darkness". Spiritualism is
hopelessly in error in its attempts to communicate with the dear
departed; such things are forbidden by God and yet again we can thank
Leviticus 20:6 for this information. As for those shades who are 'all
very happy here', "Demons can impersonate the dead". Why should they
bother? Simple, it's all, "to keep man as he is, and lure him into a
false sense of security before destroying him." And as for those
healings, "What of the healings that occur in Spiritualist meetings?
Those who have experienced them will admit that they do not always
2264
last." And to round it all up we have them "trapped by the spawn of
Satan's scam", those who have been deeply into Spiritualism have found
it almost impossible to leave, such is its hold. People trying to do
so have experienced attacks upon their lives."
The "Freemason" tract struck me as a master piece of subtlety. Satan
is not directly implicated in this underground cult, although the odd
dark hint is let slip when voicing concern that some xtians, "are
practising Masons, who do not seem to understand the true nature of
Freemasonry. Light cannot have fellowship with darkness." Masons are
roundly attacked for their secrecy, their lack of "total allegiance
and dependence" on Jesus, their vain presumption that they can achieve
anything worthwhile in this world without cutting God in on the
action. Worst of all is the hideous, blasphemous horror behind the
secret of the Great Architect of the Universe, JAHBULON; that sacril-
igious inversion of the Holy Trinity, where JAH=Jehovah, BUL=Baal, and
ON=Osiris. But I always thought that the guy lurking behind burning
shrubbery and bossing Moses about went by the name of Jehovah, the God
of the Hebrews?
Never mind that. With "The New Age of Aquarius" we are on firmer
ground, with no need for pussy-footing around. "Christians who know
their Bibles will recognise the New Age as only the old deception by
Satan, who tempted Adam and Eve... Adam and Eve disobeyed God and let
in a new age of evil in which Satan could invade their lives on
earth." Apparently the New Age of Aquarius was kept a secret until
1975 when it was formally announced. The Theosophical Society gets
implicated here, but exactly how is left a little vague. Clearly this
is because, "The New Age has no visible head or organisation (although
the Illuminati are probably behind it.) It is a network of Godless
ideas such as humanism, pacifism, interfaith religion, feminism,
abortion, holistic health, homeopathy, acupuncture, yoga and witch-
craft." Goddam! I just knew that foul Illuminati had to be behind
anything so Godless. (Ref my "The Aquarian Conspiracy Revealed",
Children of Sekhmet Vol 3 No 2). Having said all that, it's claimed
that the aim of the New Age is to unify the world under the Lord
Maitreya, and centralising world food stocks and finance, "in a credit
system, allocating a personal number to everyone." Those who know
their Bible (or who watched Omen III) will know that Revelation 13
tells of the Anti-Christ who gives his followers a mark (serial
number?) which entitles them alone to buy or sell, and coincidentally,
"New Agers consider the number 666 to be spiritually very powerful."
In case you haven't completely gotten the picture yet, we'll put it a
little more clearly: "The Bible description of the time of the An-
ti-Christ and his one world government is beginning to be realised in
our lifetime, and it fits the New Age closely." Whilst the good xtian
is born again through the power of Christ and with a little help from
a Priest, "New Agers are expected to be re-birthed and receive Lucif-
eric initiation, by their own efforts." In order to combat this
Satanic deception the good xtian is urged to be vigilant for New Age
terms like: networking; holistic; planetary vision; and finding one's
higher self.
But enough. I don't think I can take much more of this hate and
horror. When I entered that xtian bookshop I also deliberately entered
the xtian reality tunnel, and have ended up feeling like Marvin (the
Paranoid Android) who wonders how anyone can live in anything so
small. He was referring to Arthur Dent's brain; I refer to the xtian
2265
reality tunnel, which appears to me to be rather dark and narrow. To
be a good xtian I would have to see Satan everywhere; world peace,
inter-faith harmony, the good life; anything that threatens to bring
happiness is sinful. As a xtian I would be expected to suffer, to
sacrifice, to struggle constantly, to accept heavier and heavier
burdens, to accept calamities as a test of my faith, to give unthin-
king obedience, to never once rejoice in the world as it is, never
count my blessings, and always, always see myself as fallen and
sinful. And after all this, to accept that I may not get rewarded in
this life, but have to wait for a putative afterlife for the just
rewards for all that I have given up. As mentioned above, this belief
in a Just World is a core construct of Christianity, and apart from
all that suffering, the only other pleasure of the xtian is gloating
over the fact that their opponents will, "have to face God's judgement
in the hereafter." Spiritualism of course, "is a dangerous deception
from Satan, from which it is extremely difficult to escape. Its end is
destruction." As for the little deluded dupes of the New Age, all
their efforts are in vain, because, "Even if the New Age does achieve
a measure of success, its work will all be destroyed by fire at the
end of the world." As for the witches who get their power to harm
others direct from Satan on Hallowe'en, eventually they, "are them-
selves destroyed by the one who gives them this power." Everyone comes
to a sticky end, and the xtian caught in a web of guilt, fear and
passive sadism, gets a real kick out of knowing that.
Leviticus, who gets referred to as an authority on what God does and
doesn't like, is 27 chapters of commandments, and shows the basis of
many of our current social attitudes; women are of lower value than
men; bodily functions that describe women are unclean, ie, child-bear-
ing and menstruation, although to be fair, the emission of semen does
make a man unclean for the rest of the day. Coitus, according to God,
is for procreation only, in much the same way it is for the beasts of
the field. After all, coitus with a woman who is menstruating can only
be for the reason of enjoyment, which as far as procreation matters
are concerned is a waste of semen. Needless to say, our concept of
"sin" comes from the "crime" of wasting semen. Be that as it may, most
interesting of all is Leviticus 16, where description of the scapegoat
is given, and how "all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites
- all their sins" are put on the head of the goat, who is sent out
into the desert to die for their sins. Much like the later scapegoat,
Jesu Christos. Of all the curious details in Leviticus, the one that
the xtians took to their hearts is that of the scapegoat, and there
seems to be no sign of a let-up.
2266
{file "Being The Green Book Of Song" "bos498.htm"}
*--------------*---------------*
| |
| |
| BEING THE GREEN BOOK OF SONG |
| |
| |
*--------------*---------------*
*
a compilation of neo-Pagan songs
from any place I could get them.
*
*
I am always interested in more. Please send copies of
such to GREEN BOOK, c/o PO Box 35190, Phoenix AZ 85069.
Please include the author(s) name(s) and copyright information.
*
Be advised that not all the songs here were written by neo-Pagans,
so do not assume that a listed author is or is not a Pagan just by
the fact that they wrote a song with neo-Pagan content. Some of the
authors are just friendly to neo-Paganism. Some of the authors just
wrote the silly songs for the heck of it. Some songs have no author's
name attached. I do not know who wrote those, but would appreciate
finding out.
Many songs in here are under copyright. DO NOT record them without
the author(s)'permission! Many of the authors herein can be contacted
thru the address above, and, remember: when -I- turns ya into a newt,
you -stays- a newt!
*
the Whyte Bard
Rowanhold Bardic
Phoenix AZ USA
*
This songbook is not for sale. It is FREE.
If you sell it, my tame lawyer will turn you into a newt.
*
2282
{file "Wiccan Rede, The" "bos499.htm"}
*
THE WICCAN REDE
-Anonymous
(Tune: "Leatherwing Bat" aka "Celtic Circle Dance")
Bide the wiccan laws you must, When ye have and hold a need,
In perfect love and perfect trust: Harken not to others greed
Live you must and let to live, With a fool no season spend,
Fairly take and fairly give Or be counted as his friend
Form the circle thrice about When misfortune is enow,
To keep unwelcome spirits out Wear the star upon thy brow
To bind your spell will every time, True in love you ever be,
Let the spell be spake in rhyme Lest thy love be false to thee
Soft of eye and light of touch, Merry meet and merry part,
Speak you little, listen much Bright the cheeks and warm the heart.
Deosil go by the waxing moon, Mind the threefold law you should
Chanting out the baleful tune Three times bad and three times good
When the Lady's moon is new, Nine woods in the cauldron go,
Kiss your hand to her times two Burn them fast and burn them slow
When the moon rides at her peak, Elder be the Lady's tree,
Then your heart's desire seek Burn it not or cursed you'll be
Heed the north winds mighty gale, When the wheel begins to turn,
Lock the door and trim the sail Soon the Beltane fires will burn
When the wind comes from the south, When the wheel hath turned a Yule
Love will kiss thee on the mouth Light the log the Horned One rules
When the wind blows from the east, Heed you flower, bush and tree,
Expect the new and set the feast. By the Lady blessed be
When the wind blows from the west Where the rippling waters go,
Bardic words be at their best! Cast a stone, the truth you'll know
Bide the wiccan laws you must,
In perfect love and perfect trust:
These words the wiccan rede fulfill;
"An harm you none, do what you will."
*
2283
{file "Witch's Ballad, The" "bos500.htm"}
*
THE WITCH'S BALLAD
-Doreen Valente?
Oh, I have been beyond the town,
Where nightshade black and mandrake grow,
And I have heard and I have seen
What righteous folk would fear to know!
For I have heard, at still midnight,
Upon the hilltop far, forlorn,
With note that echoed through the dark,
The winding of the heathen horn.
And I have seen the fire aglow,
And glinting from the magic sword,
And with the inner eye beheld
The Horned One, the Sabbat's lord.
We drank the wine, and broke the bread,
And ate it in the Lady's name.
We linked our hands to make the ring,
And laughed and leaped the Sabbat game.
Oh, little do the townsfolk reck,
When dull they lie within their bed!
Beyond the streets, beneath the stars,
A merry round the witches tread!
And round and round the circle spun,
Until the gates swung wide ajar,
That bar the boundaries of earth
From faery realms that shine afar.
Oh, I have been and I have seen
In magic worlds of Otherwhere.
For all this world may praise or blame,
For ban or blessing nought I care.
For I have been beyond the town,
Where meadowsweet and roses grow,
And there such music did I hear
As worldly-rightous never know.
*
2284
{file "King Henry (Child #32)" "bos502.htm"}
KING HENRY (Child #32)
recorded by Steeleye Span "Below the Salt"
Let never a man a-wooing wend that lacketh thing-s three:
A store of gold, an open heart, and full of charity
And this was said of King Henry, as he lay quite alone
For he's taken him to a Haunted hall, seven miles from the town
He's chased the deer now him before, and the doe down by the glen
When the fattest buck in all the flock, King Henry he has slain
His huntsmen followed him to the Hall, to make them burly cheer
When loud the wind was heard to howl, and an earthquake rocked the floor
As darkness covered all the Hall where they sat at their meat
The grey dogs, yowling, left their food and crept to Henry's feet
And louder howled the rising wind, and burst the fastened door
When in there came a grisly ghost, stamping on the floor!
Her head hit the rooftree of the house, her middle you could not span
Each frightened Huntsman fled the hall, and left the King alone
Her teeth were like the tether-stakes, her nose like club or mall
And nothing less she seemed to be than a Fiend that comes from Hell!
Some meat, some meat, you King Henry, some meat you bring to me
Go kill your horse, you King Henry, and bring some meat to me!
And he has slain his berry-brown steed, it made his heart full sore
For she's eaten it up, both skin and bone, left nothing but hide and hair!
More meat, more meat, you King Henry, more meat you give to me!
Oh you must kill your good greyhounds, and bring some meat to me!
And he has slain his good greyhounds, it made his heart full sore
For she's eaten them up, both skin and bone, left nothing but hide and hair!
More meat, more meat, you King Henry, more meat you give to me!
Oh, you must slay your good goshawks, and bring some meat to me!
And he has slain his good goshawks, it made his heart full sore
For she's eaten them up, both skin and bone, left nothing but feathers bare!
Some drink, some drink, you King Henry, some drink you give to me
Oh you sew up your horse's hide, and bring some drink to me!
And he's sewn up the bloody hide, and a pipe of wine put in
And she's drank it up all in one drop, left never a drop therein!
A bed, a bed, now King Henry, a bed you'll make for me!
Oh you must pull the heather green, and make it soft for me!
And he has pulled the heather green, and made for her a bed
And taken has he his good mantle, and over it he has spread.
Take off your clothes, now King Henry, and lie down by my side!
Now swear, now swear, you King Henry, to take me as your Bride!
Oh God forbid, said King Henry, that ever the like betide;
That ever a Fiend that comes from Hell should stretch down by my side!
Then the night was gone, and the day was come and the sun did fill the Hall
The fairest Lady that ever was seen lay twixt him and the wall!
I've met with many a Gentle Knight that gave me such a fill,
But never before with a Perfect Knight, that gave me all my Will!
*
*
2286
{file "Lord Of The Dance" "bos503.htm"}
LORD OF THE DANCE
In response to many requests for information about the neo-pagan
version of Lord Of The Dance....
The words are credited to Aidan Kelly, C. Taliesin Edwards, and Ann
Cass; the tune (when it isn't "Simple Gifts") is credited to Jenny
Peckham-Vanzant, and may be an old shape-note hymn.
Aidan Kelly and C. Taliesin Edwards may be the same person.
According to the article in the filksong magazine "Filker Up #3," (a
reprint from _Kantele_ #12, Fall 1982, and written by Cathy Cook-
MacDonald), the first four verses were written by Kelly and Edwards,
four more by Ann Cass in 1975-6, and the four seasonal verses by Ann
Cass in 1976. Gwydion recorded the song, with variant lyrics, on his
_Songs Of The Old Religion_ tape (not the entire song, though).
A version of it can also be found on the tape _Celtic Circle Dance_,
by Joe Bethancourt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
She danced on the water, and the wind was Her horn
The Lady laughed, and everything was born
And when She lit the sun and its' light gave Him birth
The Lord of the Dance first appeared on the Earth
(Chorus): Dance, dance, where ever you may be
I am the Lord of the Dance, you see!
I live in you, and you live in Me
And I lead you all in the Dance, said He!
I danced in the morning when the World was begun
I danced in the Moon and the Stars and the Sun
I was called from the Darkness by the Song of the Earth
I joined in the Song, and She gave Me the Birth!
I dance in the Circle when the flames leap up high
I dance in the Fire, and I never, ever, die
I dance in the waves of the bright summer sea
For I am the Lord of the wave's mystery
I sleep in the kernel, and I dance in the rain
I dance in the wind, and thru the waving grain
And when you cut me down, I care nothing for the pain;
In the Spring I'm the Lord of the Dance once again!
I dance at the Sabbat when you dance out the Spell
I dance and sing that everyone be well
And when the dancing's over do not think that I am gone
To live is to Dance! So I dance on, and on!
I see the Maidens laughing as they dance in the Sun
And I count the fruits of the Harvest, one by one
I know the Storm is coming, but the Grain is all stored
So I sing of the Dance of the Lady, and Her Lord: (more)
Lord Of The Dance (Cont.)
2287
The Horn of the Lady cast its' sound 'cross the Plain
The birds took the notes, and gave them back again
Till the sound of Her music was a Song in the sky
And to that Song there is only one reply:
The moon in her phases, and the tides of the sea
The movement of the Earth, and the Seasons that will be
Are the rhythm for the dancing, and a promise thru the years
That the Dance goes on thru all our joy, and tears
We dance ever slower as the leaves fall and spin
And the sound of the Horn is the wailing of the wind
The Earth is wrapped in stillness, and we move in a trance,
But we hold on fast to our faith in the Dance!
The sun is in the southland and the days grow chill
And the sound of the horn is fading on the hill
'Tis the horn of the Hunter, as he rides across the plain
And the Lady sleeps 'til the Spring comes again
The Sun is in the Southland and the days lengthen fast
And soon we will sing for the Winter that is past
Now we light the candles and rejoice as they burn
And we dance the Dance of the Sun's return!
They danced in the darkness and they danced in the night
They danced on the Earth, and everything was light
They danced out the Darkness and they danced in the Dawn
And the Day of that Dancing is still going on!
I gaze on the Heavens and I gaze on the Earth
And I feel the pain of dying, and re-birth
And I lift my head in gladness, and in praise
For the Dance of the Lord, and His Lady gay
I dance in the stars as they whirl throughout space
And I dance in the pulse of the veins in your face
No dance is too great, no dance is too small,
You can look anywhere, for I dance in them all!
*
2288
{file "Celtic Circle Dance" "bos504.htm"}
CELTIC CIRCLE DANCE
(c) copyright 1984, 1992 W. J. Bethancourt III
recorded: CELTIC CIRCLE DANCE, WTP-0002
tune: "Same Old Man/Leatherwing Bat" (Trad. Appalachian)
Hi said the Norn, sittin in the sand
Once I talked to a great Grey Man
Spun three times and said with a sigh
Hadn't been for the Runes had His other eye!
Chorus: Hi diddle i diddle i day
Hi diddle i diddle i diddle ay
Hi di diddle i diddle i day
Fol the dink a dum diddle do di day
Hi said the Lady, dressed in green Came the Stag from oaken wood
Prettiest thing I've ever seen Saw the Lady where She stood
She went down underneath the hill By the fire burning bright
And came back out of Her own free will Came to know His heart's delight!
Brian Boru, on Irish ground Hail to the Lady, One in Three
Walked three times the Island round We welcome You and honour Thee
Norsemen came lookin for a fight As You light and guard the night
just another Irish Saturday night! Honour now our sacred rite!
Hi said Lugh on the banquet night Hi said the Lady dressed in white
A poet and a player and a good wheelwright Sang the Day and sang the Night
A harper and a warrior and none the least: Sang the Land and sang the Sea
A Druid and he got in to the Feast! Sang the Song, and then sang me!
Harold Haardrada's face was red! Hail to the Lord at the Lady's side
Came to Britain and he wound up dead Master of the Hunt, in the day You ride
Stamford Bridge is where he's found Fire burn and fire bright
Got six feet of English ground Honour now our sacred rite!
The Legion with its Eagles bright The Circle forms, the Circle flows
Marched into the Pictish night The Circle goes where no man knows
Met them there upon the sand Hail to the Lady, one in three:
Gave 'em up to the Wicker Man! Present is past and past is me!
Eight-legged steed and hound of Hel By Sword and Harp, and Irish Hound
The One-Eyed Man, he loves ya well Blessed Be: the Day I've found
Fire burn and fire spark Hail to the Lady, one in Three
Are you then feared of the dark? Present is Past and Past is WE
Rhiannon's Birds are still in flight Fire and Water, Air and Earth
all thru the day, all thru the night The Cauldron calls for our rebirth
Hail to the Lady, one in Three Hail to the Lady, three times three
Present is past and past is Thee! The Circle's cast; so mote it be!
Salt and oil and mirror bright From East and South and West and North
Fire and fleet and candlelight Call the Powers to come forth!
By fin and feather, leaf and tree, Hail to the Lady, three times three,
Fill the Cup and Blessed Be! The Circle's cast; so mote it be!
From the misty crystal sea By Oak and Ash and Holy Thorn
Came the Lady to the lea Blessed Be the day you're born!
Sword and Roses in Her Hand Fire burn and fire bright
Spread their seeds thruout the Land Walk in safety thru the night
2289
{file "Circles" "bos505.htm"}
*
CIRCLES
-Gwen Zak
(Tune: "Windmills")
In days gone by, when the world was much younger
Men wondered at spring, born of winter's gold knife
Wondered at the games of the moon and the sunlight,
They saw there the Lady and Lord of all life.
CHORUS: And around and around and around turns the good earth
All things must change as the seasons go by,
We are the children of the Lord and the Lady,
Whose mysteries we know but we'll never know why.
In all lands the people were tied with the good earth
Plowing and sowing as the seasons declared
Waiting to reap of the rich golden harvest
Knowing Her laugh in the joys that they shared.
Through Flanders and Wales and the green land of Ireland
In Kingdoms of England and Scotland and Spain
Circles grew up all along the wild coastline
And worked for the land with the sun and the rain.
Circles for healing and working the weather
Circles for knowing the moon and the sun
Circles for thanking the Lord and the Lady
Circles for dancing the dance never done
And we who reach for the stars in the heavens
Turning our eyes from the meadows and groves
Still live in the love of the Lord and the Lady
The greater the Circle the more the love grows
*
2290
{file "Spring Strathspey" "bos506.htm"}
*
SPRING STRATHSPEY
-Gwydion PenDerwyn
copyright probably to Nemeton
Myrddyn was playing his pipes in the wood,
And it sounded so good to my feeling.
Hiree, hiroo stirred the dance in the blood,
And my fresh maidenhood started reeling.
Sweetly it drew me, the song that went through me,
As if sure it knew me, a maiden-song, laughing long.
I'm sure that I hear it, Oh, let me draw near it,
I want to be merrily courted in spring.
Round us the trees formed a wheel in my mind,
As if all womankind were careering.
Softly he touched me, our hands intertwined,
And we gently reclined in the clearing.
Sweetly it drew me, the song that went through me,
As if sure it knew me, a maiden-song, laughing long.
I'm sure that I hear it, Oh, let me draw near it,
I want to be merrily courted in spring.
Dew-fall to star-fall he made love to me,
In a manner so free and revealing.
Swift-footed, light-footed, goat-footed, he
Played a sweet melody with such feeling.
Sweetly it drew me, the song that went through me,
As if sure it knew me, a maiden-song, laughing long.
I'm sure that I hear it, Oh, let me draw near it,
I want to be merrily courted in spring.
Daylight and I wake to spring's sweet bouquet
And a glorious day of beginning.
Myrddyn has gone on his magical way,
But the equinox day leaves me spinning.
Sweetly it drew me, the song that went through me,
As if sure it knew me, a maiden-song, laughing long.
I'm sure that I hear it, Oh, let me draw near it,
I want to be merrily courted in spring.
*
2291
{file "Bedlam Bells" "bos507.htm"}
*
BEDLAM BELLS
-Joe Bethancourt
(c) copyright 1992 W.J. Bethancourt III
(Tune: "Mad Maudlin" aka "Tom O'Bedlam")
Written as a theme song for the Bedlam Bells Morris dance troupe, and
originally improvised at WesterCon 45, Phoenix, AZ.
Tune guitar: DADGBD
Out upon the Borderlands
I've watched the stars a-falling
I've drunk deep from Mad River and
I've heard my soul a-calling
CHORUS: Still I sing bonny bells, bonny mad bells,
Bedlam Bells are bonny!
For we all go bare and we live by the air
And we want your drink and money!
I now repent that ever My staff hath murder'd giants
Myself was so disdain-ed My bells can call the thunder!
My wits are lost since me I cros't I stamp my feet and tread the dance
Which makes me go thus chain-ed And split the sky in sunder!
To find our wits in Bordertown, My horn is made of Elven-blades,
Ten thousand years we'll travel I stole it cross the Border!
And maudlin go on dancing toes, The rainbow there is this I wear
To save our shoes from gravel For my wits are out of order!
I crossed into fair Elfland I went to Digger's Kitchen
To find the soul I'd squandered To beg some food one morning
To hunt my sighs in children's eyes I got my dreams served piping hot
But still my soul had wandered And saw a city burning
I had an Elfin lady, I'll wander thru the Borderlands
And took her for to wife me With feathers in my hair-o
She sleeps the day, she sings the night With my true love close to my side
And hearkens to delight me! And back and sides go bare-o!
Both in and out of Bordertown I'll dance the day, I'll dance the night
I've drank Mad River's water And spend my time a-singing
And stood upon the Bridge O'Dread Dance out the old, ring in the new
And watched the sudden slaughter! With Bedlam Bells a-ringing!
Take a drink for Tom of Bedlam
Take a drink from the river's water!
And speak in sighs from darkened eyes
And court the River's daughter!
*
*
2292
{file "Burning Times/Chant" "bos508.htm"}
BURNING TIMES/CHANT
-Charles Murphy
In the cool of the evening, they used to gather, 'neath stars in
the meadow, circled near an old oak tree.
At the times appointed by the seasons of the Earth, and the phases
of the moon.
In the center of them stood a woman, equal with the others, and
respected for her worth.
One of the many we call the Witches, the teachers and the keepers
of the wisdom of the Earth
The people grew through the knowledge she gave them, herbs to heal
their bodies, spells to make their spirits whole.
Hear them chanting healing incantations, calling forth the Wise
Ones, celebrating in dance and song
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
There were those who came to power through domination, and they
bonded in the worship of a dead man on a cross.
They sought control of the common people by demanding allegiance
to the church of Rome.
And the Pope declared the Inquisition, it was a war against the
women whose power they feared.
In this Holocaust against the nature peoples, a million European
women died.
And the tales are told of those who, by the hundreds, holding
together, chose their deaths in the sea.
Chanting the praises of the Mother Goddess, a refusal of betrayal,
women were dying to be free.
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna
Now the Earth is a witch, and the men still burn her! Stripping
her down with mining and the poisons of their wars.
While to us the Earth is a healer, a teacher, a mother.
She's the weaver of the web of life that keeps us all alive.
She gives us the vision to see through the chaos.
She gives us the courage, it is our will to survive!
Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna....(repeat ad lib)
*
2293
{file "Yule Songes" "bos509.htm"}
YULE SONGS
*
HARK THE NEO-PAGANS SING
-"Sunblade"
(Tune: "Hark the Herald Angels Sing")
Hark the neo-Pagans sing,
Glory to the Holly King!
Peace on Earth and mercy mild,
God and Goddess reconciled,
Hear us now as we proclaim,
We have risen from the flames,
Our ancient Craft now we reclaim,
In the God and Goddess' names
Hark the neo-Pagans sing,
Glory to the Holly King!
Herne by highest love adored,
Herne the ever-reborn Lord,
At all times behold Him come,
Offspring of the Holy One,
Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see,
Hail Incarnate Deity!
Our ancient Craft now we reclaim,
in the God and Goddess' names
Hark the neo-Pagans sing,
Glory to the Holly King!
*
YE CHILDREN ALL OF MOTHER EARTH
-Ellen Reed
( Tune: "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear")
Ye children all of Mother Earth
join hands and circle around
To celebrate the Solstice night
When our lost Lord is found.
Rejoice, the year has begun again
The Sun blesses skies up above
So share the season together now
In everlasting Love!
*
GLORIA
-Ellen Reed
Snow lies deep upon the Earth
Still our voices warmly sing
Heralding the glorious birth
Of the Child, the Winter King
Glo -- ria!
In excelsis Deo!
Glo -- ria!
In excelsis Dea!
Gloria (cont.)
Our triumphant voices claim
Joy and hope and love renewed
And our Lady's glad refrain
Answer Winter's solitude
Glo -- ria!(etc.)
In Her arms a holy Child
Promises a glowing Light
Through the winter wind so wild
He proclaims the growing Light.
Glo -- ria! (etc..)
Now the turning of the year
Of the greater Turning sings
Passing age of cold and fear
Soon our golden summer brings.
Glo -- ria! (etc..)
*
OH, COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL!
-Ellen Reed
Oh, come all ye faithful
Gather round the Yule Fire
Oh, come ye, oh, come ye,
To call the Sun!
Fires within us
Call the Fire above us
O, come, let us invoke Him!
O, come, let us invoke Him!
O, come, let us invoke Him!
Our Lord, the Sun!
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee!
Born again at Yuletide!
Yule fires and candle flames
Are lighted for You!
Come to thy children
Calling for thy blessing!
O, come let us invoke Him (x3)
Our Lord, the Sun!
*
SILENT NIGHT
-Ellen Reed
Silent night, Solstice Night
All is calm, all is bright
Nature slumbers in forest and glen
Till in Springtime She wakens again
Sleeping spirits grow strong!
Sleeping spirits grow strong!
(more)
Silent Night, Solstice Night (cont.)
Silent night, Solstice night
Silver moon shining bright
Snowfall blankets the slumbering Earth
Yule fireswelcome the Sun's rebirth
Hark, the Light is reborn!
Hark, the Light is reborn!
Silent night, Solstice night
Quiet rest till the Light
Turning ever the rolling Wheel
Brings the Winter to comfort and heal
Rest your spirit in peace!
Rest your spirit in peace!
*
GLORY TO THE NEW BORN KING
-Ellen Reed (1st verse)
Brothers, sisters, come to sing
Glory to the new-born King!
Gardens peaceful, forests wild
Celebrate the Winter Child!
Now the time of glowing starts!
Joyful hands and joyful hearts!
Cheer the Yule log as it burns!
For once again the Sun returns!
Brothers, sisters, come and sing!
Glory to the new-born King!
Brothers, sisters, singing come
Glory to the newborn Sun
Through the wind and dark of night
Celebrate the coming light.
Suns glad rays through fear's cold burns
Life through death the Wheel now turns
Gather round the Yule log and tree
Celebrate Life's mystery
Brothers, sisters, singing come
Glory to the new-born Sun.
*
DANCING IN A WICCAN WONDERLAND
-"Alexander & Aarcher"
Pagans sing, are you listenin',
Altar's set,candles glisten,
It's a Magickal night, we're having tonight,
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland
Blades held high, censer smoking,
God and Goddess, we're invoking,
Through Elements Five, we celebrate life,
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland,
(more)
Wiccan Wonderland (cont.)
Queen of Heaven, is in Her place,
Triple Goddess, now the Crone Face,
Above and Below, She's the Goddess we know,
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland
Now the God, is the Provider,
Supplying game for our Fire,
Above and Below, He's the Horned One we Know,
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland
In a Circle we can light a Yule Fire,
And await the rising of the Sun,
It's the Great Wheel turning for the new year,
loaded with abundance and great fun.
Later on, by the fire,
Cone of Power, gettin' higher
It's a Magickal Night we're having tonight,
Dancing in a Wiccan Wonderland
*
SHARE THE LIGHT
(The First Noel)
CHORUS: Share the light, share the light!
Share the light, share the Light!
All paths are one on this holy night!
On this Winter holiday, let us stop and recall
That this season is holy to one and to all.
Unto some a Son is born, unto us comes a Sun,
And we know, if they don't that all paths are one.
Be it Chanukah or Yule,
Christmas time or Solstice night,
All celebrate the eternal light.
Lighted tree or burning log,
Or eight candle flames.
All gods are one god, whatever their names.
*
MOON OF SILVER
(We Three Kings)
CHORUS: Oh, Moon of Silver, Sun of Gold,
Gentle Lady, Lord so bold!
Guide us ever, failing never,
Lead us in ways of old.
Maiden, Mother, Ancient Crone,
Queen of Heaven on your throne,
Praise we sing Thee, Love we bring Thee,
For all that you have shown.
(more)
Moon Of Silver (cont.)
Lord of Darkness, Lord of Light,
Gentle Brother, King of Might,
Praise we sing thee, Love we bring Thee
On this Solstice night.
*
JOY TO THE WORLD
Joy to the world! The Lord is come!
Let Earth receive her king!
Let every heart prepare him room
And Heaven and Nature sing, etc.
Welcome our King who brings us life.
Our Lady gives him birth!
His living light returneth to warm the seeds within us
And wake the sleeping earth, etc.
Light we the fires to greet our Lord,
Our Light! Our Life! Our King!
Let every voice be lifted to sing his holy praises,
As Heaven and Nature sing, etc.
*
*
CHRISTMAS TIME IS PAGAN!
(Gloria in Excelsius Deo)
CHORUS:
Glorious!
Christmas time is pagan!
Glorious!
Christmas time is pagan!
Christmas time is here again,
Decorations everywhere.
Christmas carols ringing out,
Gentle pagans, we don't care.
Modern folks all celebrate
What they learned in Sunday School.
In December, they don't know
They are celebrating Yule!
Let them have their Christmas trees,
Decked in red and green and blue.
We rejoice at every one!
Christmas trees are pagan, too.
Bowls of bubbly Christmas cheer,
Fill your cup and quench your thirst.
They think the tradition's theirs.
Wassail bowls were pagan, first.
CHRISTMAS TIME IS PAGAN!
Every door and window bears
Wreaths of holly, wreaths of pine.
Circles represent the Sun.
Every wreath is yours and mine.
Christmas lights on Christmas trees,
Candle flames burn higher and higher,
Let us cheer along, my friends,
As they light their Yuletide fire.
There's a possibility
That this song is yours and mine
'Cause the tune was known to all
Back in A.D. one-two-nine.
*
*
GOD REST YE MERRY, PAGANFOLK
(God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen)
God rest ye merry, paganfolk,
Let nothing you dismay.
Remember that the Sun returns
Upon this Solstice day.
The growing dark is ending now
And Spring is on its way.
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy!
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy.
The Goddess rest ye merry, too,
And keep you safe from harm.
Remember that we live within
The circle of Her arms,
And may Her love give years to come
A very special charm.
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy!
Oh, tidings of comfort and joy!
*
2294
{file "Blessed Be Again!" "bos510.htm"}
*
BLESSED BE AGAIN!
-Joe Bethancourt
(c) copyright 1992 W.J. Bethancourt III
(Tune: "One Misty Moisty Morning" (Trad.)
Upon a dark and windy hill, As I walked out one May morning,
On Samhain's eldritch night T'was on the blooming heather
I saw the Crone with withered hands I saw a Maiden dancing there,
By balefire's burning light In fair and sunny weather
Her eyes were full of wisdom, The Beltane fires were burning high,
The threads of life she span The dancers round did spin
And sang "Blessed Be! And Blessed Be! They sang "Blessed Be! And Blessed Be!
And Blessed Be again!" And Blessed Be again!"
As I walked out on Yuletide, Upon Midsummer's heady day,
The winter winds blew cold I saw John Barleycorn
I saw the Winter King a-standing, Walking proud and tall there
Grey and grim and old In the sunny shining morn
His cloak was pulled around him, His beard was long and golden,
A Child was in his hand He looked at me and then
And he sang "Blessed Be! And Blessed Be! He sang "Blessed Be! And Blessed Be!
And Blessed Be again!" And Blessed Be again!"
Upon the morn of Brigit's Day, Upon a singing Summer day,
I saw a lovely sight At dawn on Lammastide
The Goddess standing by me, I saw the Craftsman smiling,
All crowned in starry light On sunbeams he did ride
The crescent Moon beneath her feet, He brings us light and knowledge,
The stars were in her hand To help our fellow men
She sang "Blessed Be! And Blessed Be! He sang "Blessed Be! And Blessed Be!
And Blessed Be again!" And Blessed Be again!"
Upon the first of April, Upon a chilly autumn day,
I saw the Holy Fool All sheltered from the storm
He was a merry prankster, I saw the Harvest safe at home,
The Lord of all Misrule! The families snug and warm
He looked at me, and winked an eye, They sat and gave their thanks,
And danced and sang and then And they laughed and smiled and then
He sang "Blessed Be! And Blessed Be! They sang "Blessed Be! And Blessed Be!
And Blessed Be again!" And Blessed Be again!"
Ostara came with blossoms, The Spiral Dance goes on and on,
Life flourished everywhere The King and Youth and Child
I saw the Mother smiling, The Gentle Mother, Aged Crone,
With flowers in Her hair And Maiden meek and mild
She stood among the growing fields, And so the Yearly Circle
In heather and in glen Turns in eternal spin
And sang "Blessed Be! And Blessed Be! So sing "Blessed Be! And Blessed Be!
And Blessed Be again!" And Blessed Be again!"
And "Merry Meet! And Merry Part!
And Merry Meet Again!"
*
2296
*
HARP SONG OF THE DANE WOMEN
-Rudyard Kipling
What is a woman that you forsake her?
and the hearth fire, and the home-acre?
to go with the old, grey Widow-Maker?
She has no house to lay a guest in
but one chill bed for all to rest in
that the pale suns and the stray bergs nest in
She has no strong white arms to fold you
but the ten times fingering weeds to hold you
out on the rocks where the tide has rolled you
Yet, when the signs of Summer thicken
and the ice breaks and the birch-buds quicken
yearly you turn from our side and sicken
Sicken again for the shouts and the slaughters
you steal away to the lapping waters
and look at your ship in her winter quarters
You forget our mirth, and talk at the tables
the kine in the shed and the horse in the stables
to pitch her sides and go over her cables...
Then you drive out where the storm clouds swallow
and the sound of your oar-blades, falling hollow
is all we have left through the months to follow
Ah...but what is a woman that you forsake her?
and the hearth fire, and the home-acre?
to go with the old, grey Widow-maker?
*
2299
{file "Stand Up, Stand Up For Odin" "bos511.htm"}
*
STAND UP, STAND UP FOR ODIN
-Robert Cook
(Tune: "Stand Up For Jesus")
Stand up! Stand up for Odin, you warriors of the beard!
lift high the Raven Banner that half the world has feared!
From Angleland to far Vinland shall sound the Warrior's Cry
Till every foe is vanquished, and Odin reigns most high!
March forth with steel flashing beneath the naked Sun
and never stand at rest again 'til all the World is won!
Let scarlet sword his symbol carve in every nation's sod
'Til every man still breathing stands up for OdinGod!
Let ships with prows of Dragons the mighty oceans cleave
and every land not Odin's our crimson gifts receive
let Raven Banners fill the sky where every man has trod
And all the soil beneath them belong to OdinGod!
Stand up! Stand up for Odin, you Warriors of the North!
With silver swords a-flashing to victory go forth!
From Angleland to far Vinland our joyous conquest lead
'Til every foe is vanquished, and Odin's Lord, indeed!
*
2302
{file "Nude" "bos512.htm"}
*
NUDE
-W.J.Bethancourt III
-Ed Hirt
copyright 1982 W.J.Bethancourt III and Ed Hirt
(Tune: "Men of Harlech")
What the use of wearing panties
Whalebone corsets of your Auntie's
Boxer shorts and other scanties
Best of all is nude
There's such fun in going bra-less
Now that it's no longer lawless
'Specially if your figure's flawless
Best of all is nude
Nude is what you're born in
Shirts are never torn in
Underwear and lacy flimsies, garter belts and other whimsies
Yards of itchy cloth to put your form in
Ducks all do it, maidens rue it
Even ancient Picts in Britain blue it
Going naked's how to do it
Best of all is nude!
If your garters aren't elastic
Tie them up in knots fantastic
(Panty hose is something drastic!)
Best of all is nude!
If you're tired of wearing clotheses
Shed your garment 'mongst the roses
Never mind the old bluenoses
Best of all is nude!
Nude is best for ducking!
Worst for horses bucking!
Moonlit nights will see such sights
that are very best for fooling round
.....and elbows!
Nudity is grand to see
A well-known antidote to virginity
Take your clothes off and you'll see:
Best of all is nude!
*
2303
{file "Fairies Love Song" "bos513.htm"}
*
FAIRIES LOVE SONG
-Anonymous
Why should I sit and sigh
Broo and bracken, broo and bracken
Why should I sit and sigh
All alone and weary
When I see the plover rising
Or the curlew wheeling
It's then I'll court my mortal lover
Back to me is stealing
When the moon begins her waning
I sit by the water
Where a man born of the sunlight
Loved the Faerie's daughter
Oh, but there is something wanting
O but I am weary
Coming blithe, now bonny treads he
O'er the knolls to cheer me
*
2304
{file "Bard's Song, The" "bos514.htm"}
*
THE BARD'S SONG
-W.J.Bethancourt III
(c) copyright 1990 W.J.Bethancourt III
(Tune: "Dublin City")
As I walked out one quiet evening
At the hour of twelve at night
Who should I meet but a fair young maiden
Combin' her hair by candle light;
Lassie, I have come a-courtin'
Your kind favours for to win
And if you'd heed my petition
I would be your Paladin...
(CHORUS) Gather roses in the Springtime
Gather roses while ye may,
Time is passing; roses wither;
Winter comes; we're here -today-.
Have you seen the dew a-formin'
On the grass at early morn?
Have you seen the forest quiet,
Or a stag that's barely born?
Have you seen the dawn a-breakin'
O'er the Western Ocean's tide?
Have you felt my heart a-beatin'
When it's held close to your side?
I can give no gold or silver,
I can give no fields of land,
I can give no servants brisk
To wait on you both foot and hand;
I can give you wide roads callin'
Wind and Rain, and Moon and Sun,
Songs to sing, and love and laughter,
Dresses made of plain home-spun.
Come dance with me upon the greensward
in the moonlight, in the Spring.
Dance with me within the forest
Dance with me within the ring!
Earth below us, stars above us,
Fire and water by our side,
Dance with me within the moonlight,
Dance with me, and be my Bride!
*
2305
{file "All Thru The Night" "bos515.htm"}
*
ALL THRU THE NIGHT
-Traditional
While the Moon her watch is keeping
all thru the night
While the weary world is sleeping
all thru the night
O'er thy spirit gently stealing,
Visions of delight revealing
Breathes a pure and holy feeling
all thru the night
Though this Bard must roam full lonely
My true harp shall sing praise only
Love's soft dream, alas, is over
Yet my strains of love shall hover
Near the Presence of my Lover
Hark! A solemn bell is ringing
Thou, my King are heavenward winging
Earthly dust from off Thee shaken
Soul immortal shalt thou waken
With thy last, dim journey taken
Neath this Stone my King is sleeping
Stars around Him softly sweeping
Once and Future King preserving
Britain's Saviour there reserving
All around him Stars observing
all thru the night
Holl am ran-tire sehr thuh wed-ont
ahr heed ah nos
Dum-ar forth ee vro go-gawn-yont
ahr heed ah nos
Gol-i ar-all you tuh wull ooch
ee are thang os gweer bred vairtch-ooch
tie-leer nave oith m'yoon thu-wail-ooch
ahr heed ah nos
note: The last verse is phonetic Welsh.
"ll" is pronounced by putting the tip of your
tongue to the roof of your mouth, and saying "h"
and "l" at the same time...sort of.
"ch" is pronounced as German.
*
2306
{file "Two Magicians" "bos516.htm"}
*
TWO MAGICIANS
(Child #44)
recorded by Steeleye Span "Below the Salt"
She looked out of the window, as white as any milk
He looked in at the window, as black as any silk
(Chorus): Hello, hello, hello, hello you coal black smith
You have done me no harm!
You never shall have my maidenhead
That I have kept so long!
I'd rather die a maid, aye, and then she said,
And be buried all in my grave,
Than to have such a nasty,
husky, dusky, fusty, musty coal black smith!
A maiden I will die!
She became a duck, a duck all in the stream
And he became a waterdog, and fetched her back again
She became a star, a star all in the night
And he became a thundercloud and muffled her out of sight
She became a rose, a rose all in the wood
And he became a bumblebee and kissed her where she stood
She became a nun, a nun all dressed in white
And he became a chantry priest to pray for her by night
She became a trout, a trout all in the brook
And he became a feathered fly, and catched her with his hook
She became a quilt, a quilt all on her bed
And he became a coverlet, and gained her maidenhead!
note: This has MANY variants. See Robert Graves' "The White Goddess" pg. 401!
*
2307
{file "John Barleycorn" "bos517.htm"}
*
JOHN BARLEYCORN
There were three men come out of the West
Their fortunes for to try,
And these three men made a solemn vow:
John Barleycorn should die!
John Barleycorn should die!
(nb: 4th line of each verse is sung twice)
They plowed, they sowed, they harrowed him in,
Threw clods upon his head,
And these three men made a solemn vow:
John Barleycorn was dead!
CHORUS: Fa la la la, it's a lovely day!
Sing fa la la lay oh!
Fa la la la, it's a lovely day!
Sing fa la la lay oh!
They let him lie for a very long time
'Til the rain from Heaven did fall,
Then Little Sir John sprung up his head,
And so amazed them all!
They let him stand 'til Midsummer tide,
'Til he grew both pale and wan,
Then Little Sir John he grew a long beard,
And so became a man!
They hired men with the sythes so sharp
To cut him off at the knee
They rolled him and tied him about the waist,
And used him barbarously!
They hired men with the sharp pitchforks
To pierce him to the heart,
And the loader he served him worse than that,
For he tied him in a cart!
They wheeled him around and around the field,
'Til they came to a barn,
And there they made a solemn mow
Of poor John Barleycorn,
They hired men with the crab-tree sticks
To strip him skin from bone
And the Miller he served him worse than that:
For he ground him between two stones!
They have wheeled him here and wheeled him there
And wheeled him to a barn,
And they have served him worse than that
They have bunged him in a vat!
(more)
John Barleycorn (cont.)
They have worked their will on John Barleycorn
But he lived to tell the tale;
For they pour him out of an old brown jug,
And they call him home-brewed ale!
Here's Little Sir John in a nut-brown bowl,
And brandy in a glass!
And Little Sir John in the nut-brown bowl
Proved the stronger man at last!
For the huntsman he can't hunt the fox
Nor loudly blow his horn,
And the tinker can't mend kettles nor pots
Without John Barleycorn!
(Note: sing the chorus after every other verse or so. Encourage the group
to join the song)
*
2308
{file "False Knight Upon The Road, The (Child #3)" "bos518.htm"}
*
THE FALSE KNIGHT UPON THE ROAD (Child #3)
-recorded by Steeleye Span
"Oh where are you going to?"
said the False Knight upon the road
"Oh I'm going to my school."
said the wee boy and still he stood
"What is that upon your back?"
said the False Knight upon the road
"Ah weel, it is my books!"
said the wee boy and still he stood
Oh, what have you got there? I wish you was on the sands.
I have got my bread and cheese! Yes, and a good staff in my hands!
Oh won't you give me some? I wish you was on the sea.
No, ne'r a bite or crumb! And a good ship under me!
And the ship to sink.
An inch away from shore!
I think I hear a bell.
And it rings you straight to Hell!
*
2309
{file "Nottamun Town" "bos519.htm"}
*
NOTTAMUN TOWN
-Traditional
In Nottamun Town, in Nottamun Town
Not a soul would look up not a soul would look down
Not a soul would look up, not a soul would look down
To show me the way to fair Nottamun Town
I bought me a horse t'was called a grey mare
Grey mane and grey tail and green stripe on her back
Grey mane and grey tail and green stripe on her back
Weren't a hair upon her that was not coal black
She stood so still threw me to the dirt
She tore at my hide, she bruised my shirt
From saddle to stirrup I mounted again
and on my ten toes I rode over the plain
When I got there no one did I see
they all stood around me just looking at me
i called for a cup to drive gladness away
And stifle the dust for it rained the whole day
And the King and the Queen and the company more
Came a riding behind and a walking before
Come a stark naked drummer beating a drum
With his hands in his bosom came marching along
Sat down on a hard hot cold frozen stone
Ten thousand stood round me but I was alone
Took my heart in my hand to keep myself warm
Ten thousand was drowned that never was born
*
2310
{file "Cambrian Dream" "bos520.htm"}
*
CAMBRIAN DREAM
-Gwydion PenDerwyn
copyright probably to Nemeton
In the mountains of Cambria, by Rhymney's bright stream
I have oft slept in heather, and dreamed a bright Dream
No mortal could wake me, nor see what I've seen
No landscape could ever compare.
'Twas the Land of my Fathers, unfettered, and free
Ere the time that the Saxon swept over the Sea
When mistletoe grew 'neath the shining Oak Tree
No landscape could ever compare!
(Chorus): Dreaming of Prydein, asleep on a hill
When I awaken, will you be there still?
Oh, Island of Poets, my dreams you can fill
But never the long waking hours.
Mighty Poets and Warriors traversed every road
Leaving stories and legends wherever they strode
Their pasts are recalled in the humblest abode
In tales of the sunnier days.
(Chorus)
Now my story is ended, my song is all gone
I have slept thru the evening, and into the dawn
Yet still, I remember your Face, Albion,
And your older, and much wiser ways!
(Chorus)
*
2311
{file "She Moved Thru The Faire" "bos521.htm"}
*
SHE MOVED THRU THE FAIRE
-Padraic Colum
recorded by Theodore Bikel
My young love said to me: My mother won't mind
And my father won't slight you for your lack of kind
She put her arms 'round me; these words she did say:
It will not be long, love, 'til our wedding day!
Then she stepped away from me, and she moved thru the Faire
And so fondly I watched her move here and move there
At last she turned homeward, with one star awake
As the Swan in the evening moves over the lake.
Last night she came to me, my dead love came in
And so soft did she move that her feet made no din
She put her arms 'round me; these words she did say:
It will not be long, love, 'til our wedding day!
*
2312
{file "Song Of Wandering Aengus, The" "bos523.htm"}
*
THE SONG OF WANDERING AENGUS
-Wm. Butler Yeats
recorded by Judy Collins
I went out to the hazel - wood
Because a fire was in my head
Cut and peeled a hazel - wand
Tied a berry to a thread
And when white moths were on the wing
And moth - white stars were flickering out
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout..........
I had but laid it on the bank
And gone to blow the fire a-flame
Something rustled in the air
Something called me by my name!
It had become a glimmering Girl
With apple - blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name, and ran
And vanished in the brightening air........
Though I am old, with wandering
Thru hilly lands, and hollow lands;
I'll find out where she has gone
To seek her lips, to take her hands-
And walk thru long green dappled grass;
To pluck 'til Time, and times are done:
The Silver Apples of the Moon;
The Golden Apples of the Sun...............
*
2314
{file "Childish Edda, The" "bos524.htm"}
*
THE CHILDISH EDDA
-Poul Anderson
-Ron Ellik
(Tune: "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp")
Yggdrasil, where Nine Worlds clash, is a noble piece of ash
That shelters Norns and Gods and all that crew
There, a Dragon gnaws the base of an Eagle's resting place,
And four Harts, a Goat and Squirrel are there too!
Frigga took a year or so, and, except for mistletoe
Got from everything an Oath for Balder's good
Evil Loki wished him harm, so he hired Hodr's arm,
And the staff the Blind God threw was kissing-wood!
Tyr vowed Fenris-Wolf his hand if he couldn't break the Band
That All-Father's wisdom made both light and hefty...
Lupine muscles strained away, but the magic held its' sway -
And from then on, till The Time, they called Tyr "Lefty!"
When Thor went out to fish, he quickly got his wish,
and he hauled a Jormangandr from the Bay.
But Hymr cut the cable, and Thor was only able
To brag about the "one that got away..."
When Thor called upon the Giants, they didn't show defiance,
But they soon got rid of him, and of his Hammer!
For the sea he could not swallow, and old Grandmaw beat him hollow,
And the House-Pet caused an awful katzenjammer!
Asa-Thor became a "her" for to repossess Mjollnir,
And unto a frosty brute his troth did plight;
But the vittles that he ate would an army more than sate,
And the chefs at Utgard always rued that night!
Each God's Apple every day, kept the doctor far away
'Til a Giant captured Ydun from their Halls...
Loki fetched home Bragi's Bride, with Her health-food store beside,
Plus a char-broiled eagle underneath the Walls!
Odin said to Mim: "I think I would sort of like a drink."
Answered Mim: "That will cost you your left eye!
For you've come up very late to the Well at Wisdom's Gate
And the set-up prices, after hours, are high!"
Oh, the Giants brought their War up to Bifrost's very Door
And the battling wrecked Asgards perfect clime-
Jormungandr, Hel and Fenris dealt out Death in doses generous
And, in fighting, did the Aesir pass The Time!
*
2315
{file "Valkyrie Song, The" "bos525.htm"}
*
THE VALKYRIE SONG
(Tune: Wagner's "Flight of the Valkyries")
We fly through the night skies
Flashing our fat thighs,
Picking up dead guys;
You call this a job?
You take the blond guy,
I'll take the redhead!
Wait, he's not dead yet;
Let him go . . . splat!
Chorus: Woo-oop! Woo-oop!
Woo-oop! Woo-oop!
Woo-oop! Woo-oop!
Woo-oop! Woo-oop!
Oh-h-h-h-h-h!
We're hunting the Wabbit!
We're hunting the Wabbit!
We're hunting the Wabbit!
We're hunting the Wabbit!
*
2316
{file "God Is Alive, Magic Is Afoot" "bos526.htm"}
*
GOD IS ALIVE, MAGIC IS AFOOT
-Leonard Cohen (c) 1966
God is alive.....Magic is afoot...God is alive....magic is afoot...
God is afoot.....Magic is alive...Alive is afoot..magic never died!
God never sickened. Many poor men lied. Many sick men lied.
Magic never weakened. Magic never hid. Magic always ruled. God is afoot.
God never died!
God was Ruler, though his funeral lengthened.
Though His mourners thickened, magic never fled.
Though His shrouds were hoisted the naked God did live;
Though His words were twisted the naked magic thrived;
Though His death was published round and round the world
The heart did not believe.
Many hurt men wondered. Many struck men bled.
Magic never faltered. Magic always led.
Many stones were rolled, but God would not lie down!
Many wild men lied.
Many fat men listened.
Though they offered stones, magic still was fed!
Though they locked their coffers, God was always served.
Magic is afoot....God is alive....
Alive is afoot....Alive is in command.
Many weak men hungered.
Many strong men thrived.
Though they boasted solitude, God was at their side.
Nor the dreamer in his cell, nor the captain on the hill:
Magic is alive!
Though His death was pardoned 'round and 'round the world,
The heart would not believe!
Though laws were carved in marble they could not shelter men;
Though altars built in Parliaments, they could not order men;
Police arrested magic and magic went with them, ah!
For magic loves the hungry....
But magic would not tarry, it moves from arm to arm,
It would not stay with them; it cannot come to harm:
Magic is afoot! It cannot come to harm.
It rests in an empty palm. It spawns in an empty mind.
But magic is no instrument: magic is the End!
Many men drove magic, but magic stayed behind; Many strong men lied.
They only passed thru magic and out the other side!
Many weak men lied.
They came to God in secret and though they left Him nourished,
They would not tell Who healed;
Though mountains danced before them, they said that God was dead!
Though His shrouds were hoisted, the naked God did live!
(more)
2317
God Is Alive; Magic Is Afoot (cont.)
God is alive! Magic is afoot...God is alive... God is alive...
Magic is afoot...
This I mean to whisper to my mind:
This I mean to laugh with in my mind:
This I mean my mind to serve
'Til service is but magic, moving thru the world
And mind itself is magic, coursing thru the flesh
And flesh itself is magic, dancing on a clock,
And Time itself, the magic length of God!
God is alive...Magic is afoot...Magic is afoot...God is alive..
Magic is alive...God is afoot...Alive is afoot...God never died.
Many strong men lied.
They only passed thru magic and out the other side!
This I mean to whisper to my mind:
This I mean to laugh with in my mind:
This I mean my mind to serve
'Til service is but magic, moving thru the world
And mind itself is magic, coursing thru the flesh
And flesh itself is magic, dancing on a clock,
And Time itself, the magic length of God!
2318
{file "Real Old Time Religion, That" "bos527.htm"}
*
***************************
THAT REAL OLD TIME RELIGION
***************************
THE ENTIRELY ARBITRARY CATEGORIES OF THE VERSES
ASATRU AND ODINISM:..................................Pg.2317
BRUJA:...............................................Pg.2317
BUDDHISM:............................................Pg.2318
CARGO CULT:..........................................Pg.2318
CHRISTIAN:...........................................Pg.2318
CLASSICAL PAGANISM:..................................Pg.2319
CONFUCIANISM.........................................Pg.2321
CTHULHU: (a fictional deity, but well-known).........Pg.2321
(THE ALMIGHTY) DOLLAR................................Pg.2322
DISCORDIANISM:.......................................Pg.2321
DRUIDS:..............................................Pg.2322
EGYPTIAN:............................................Pg.2322
FICTIONAL GODS, DEMONS AMD HEROES:...................Pg.2323
HINDU:...............................................Pg.2323
ISLAMIC:.............................................Pg.2323
JEWISH:..............................................Pg.2324
KAHBAHLA:............................................Pg.2324
KRISHNA:.............................................Pg.2324
MIDDLE EASTERN PAGAN:................................Pg.2324
MITHRAISM:...........................................Pg.2325
MOONIES:.............................................Pg.2325
NEW AGE:.............................................Pg.2325
NEW WORLD PAGAN:.....................................Pg.2325
SCIENTOLOGY:.........................................Pg.2326
SHINTO:..............................................Pg.2326
THELEMA:.............................................Pg.2326
VOODOO:..............................................Pg.2326
WICCA AND GENERAL NEO-PAGAN:.........................Pg.2327
ZARATHUSTRIAN:.......................................Pg.2328
UNCLASSIFIABLE VERSES AND UNKNOWN GHODS..............Pg.2328
NEW VERSES NOT YET CLASSIFIED:.......................Pg.2328
2319
*
THE REAL OLD TIME RELIGION
tune: "Old Time Religion"
(Chorus): Give me that real old time religion (3X)
It's good enough for me!
ASATRU AND ODINISM:
I hear Valkyries a-comin One-eyed Odin we will follow
In the air their song is comin And in fighting we will wallow
They forgot the words! They're hummin! Till we wind up in Valhallow
But they're good enough for me! Which is good enough for me!
We will drive up to Valhalla It was good enough for Odin
Riding Beetles, not Impalas Though the tremblin' got forbodin'
Singing "Deutschland Uber Alles" Then the giants finally strode in,
And that's good enough for me! But it's good enough for me!
It was good enough for Loki Shall we sing a verse for Thor,
It was good enough for Loki Though he leaves the maidens sore?
He thinks Thor's a little hokey They always come back for more,
And that's good enough for me! So he's good enough for me!
Shall we sing in praise of Loki, It was good for Thor and Odin
Though he left poor Midgard smokey? It was good for Thor and Odin
Oh, his sense of humor's hokey, Grab an axe and get your woad on!
But he's good enough for me! and it's good enough for me!
All the Gods tore into Loki We will worship now with vigor
Saying Deicide is hokey! The goddess known as Frigga
And they threw him in the pokey! Tho there are some who don't dig her
And that's good enough for me! She is good enough for me!
Good old Thor's the god of thunder If you wanna worship Odin
Really helps us get our plunder You don't have to have a coat on
Tho his head's still truly dunder Grab a sword and slap some woad on
He is good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
In the halls of Frey and Freyja We will sing a verse for Loki
All the priestesses will lay ya He's the old Norse god of Chaos
If you're good enough, they'll pay ya! Which is why this verse don't
And that's good enough for me! rhyme or scan or nothin'
But it's good enough for me...
BRUJA:
Let us sing for Brujaria
Though the blood's a lot less cleaner;
It's not Christian Santaria
So it's good enough for me!
2320
BUDDHISM:
We will all go to Nirvana Oh we all will follow Buddah
So be sure to mind your manners Oh we all will follow Buddah
Make a left turn at Savannah And we'll eat no food but Gouda
And we'll see the Promised Land! Which is Gouda-nuff for me!
It was good enough for Buddha, We will go and sing "Hosanna"
As a god he's kinda cute-a, To our good ol' pal, Gautama,
And he comes in brass or pewta' He will never flim or flam ya',
So he's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
No one wrote a verse for Buddah We will all go to Nirvana
Tho I think they really coulda We will all go to Nirvana
And I really think they shoulda Make a left turn at Urbana
'Cause he's good enough for me! And you'll see the Promised Land!
CARGO CULT & PACIFIC ISLANDS:
To the tune of Handel's "Largo" If you get too tired
We will hymn the gods of Cargo And you need to get up higher
'Til they slap on an embargo Just have Pele light your fire!
And that's good enough for me! From her island in the sea!
You can keep your saints with halos,
Your hosannas or dayenus:
Let's throw virgins in volcanos!
And that's good enough for me!
CHRISTIAN:
We will worship with the Fundies There are those who worship Satan
With their itchy hair-shirt undies And are just anticipatin'
If they don't bring "Mrs. Grundy," Armageddon's conflagratin'
Then it's good enough for me! That ain't good enough for me!
It was good for old Jehovah Let's all listen up to Jesus
He had a son who was a nova! He says rich folks like old Croesus
Hey there, Mithras! Move on ova'! Will be damned until Hell freezes
Another resurrection Day! And that don't sound good to me!
Jerry Falwell thinks he's sav-ed Oh we'll all be Fundamental
In a lamb's blood he's been lav-ed And be Holy Testamental
And HE thinks that I'M deprav-ed And never Trancendental
But that's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
That Bob Larson shrieks and hollers We will finally pray to Jesus
Fighting demons in his callers From our sins we hope he frees us
Save his program: SEND YOUR DOLLARS! Eternal life he guarantees us
And that's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
Tho J.C.'s into fish, too, Anytime that I start hearin'
He's an avatar of Vishnu "Jesus loves you" I start leerin'
So he is welcome here, too, Maybe so, but not like Brian *
And that's good enough for me! Which is good enough for me!
2321
Brother Jerry is a cretin Brother Oral's in his tower,
But with all the cash he's gettin' Trusting in the Lord's power
Lotsa folks'll be forgettin Getting richer by the hour,
It's the "Land of the Free!" Now he's got the ransom fee!
Brother Robert's church is Crystal Brother Earnest is a healer
But all the Bible that he's missed'll And not QUITE a wheeler-dealer --
Make you "hotter than a pistol" More a jumper and a squealer
But he's good enough for me! So he's good enough for me!
Brother Jim and Sister Tammy Then there's good ol' Brother Billy
Had a show that was a whammy Bringing souls in willy-nilly.
But now they are in Miami All his trips are kinda silly,
Tryin' t'get back on TV! But he's good enough for me!
Whether Low Church or it's High Church And the Romans said of Jesus
Or it's Pie-Up-In-The-Sky Church "Lets kill him, he don't please us"
Come on down and visit my Church "But the Atheists will tease us"
'Cause it's good enough for me! And thats good enough for me
You could join Jehovah's Witness And let's not forget Pelagius
Running door to door for fitness Though some call him outrageous
Well if you've been blessed with quickness, He is pious and courageous
Then thats good enough for me And he's good enough for me!
CLASSICAL PAGANISM:
We will go to worship Zeus You can dance and wave the thyrsos
Though his morals are quite loose And sing lots of rowdy verses
He gave Leda quite a goose Till the neighbors holler curses,
And he's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
We will pray to Father Zeus We will sing for great Diana
In his temple we'll hang loose Who will teach of love and honor
Eating roast beef au jus, But you really gotta wanna!
And that's good enough for me! 'Cause she's tough enough for me!
Shall we sing a verse for Venus, We went off to worship Venus
Of the Gods she is the meanest, By the Gods! You should have seen us!
Cause she bit me on my...elbow! Now the Clinic has to screen us...
And it's good enough for me! But that's good enough for me!
We will venerate old Bacchus It was good enough for Sappho
Drinking beer and eating tacos With her lady on her lap-o
Til you've tried it please don't knock us She put Lesbos on the map-o
'Cause it's good enough for me! With her pagan poetry!
Let us raise a toast to Bacchus, When we worship Bacchus
We will raise a royal ruckus, The ethanol will sock us
Then we'll lay us down and f**k us We'll all get good and raucous
That's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
Diana is a little spikey We'll sing praises to Apollo;
And she is a little dyke-ey Where the Sun God leads we'll follow
You don't have to be a Psych-e ('Though his head's a little hollow)
To know that's right for me! He's good enough for me!
2322
We will worship with Poseidon Don't neglect that shrine of Zeus'
We will meet him when the tide's in Tho he's lost his vital juices
All the maidens he will ride in The old boy still has his uses
Then he'll give 'em all to me! And he's good enough for me!
All the hunters start convergin' We will all bow to Hephaestus
When Diana is emergin' As a blacksmith he will test us
It's too bad she's still a virgin 'Cause his balls are pure asbestos
But there's still hope left for me! So he's good enough for me!
And what about this Bacchus, There is room enough in Hades
Who lives just to raise a ruckus? For lots of criminals and shadies
Loosens women so they'll f**k us, And disreputable ladies,
Well, that's good enough for me! And they're good enough for me!
We will all see Aphrodite And to help things get real racous
Though she's pretty wild and flighty The priests of Pan and Bacchus
She will meet us in her nightie Will hold a f***ing contest!
And she's good enough for me! And that's all right with me!
Oh we will go and worship Pan,
'cause he just don't give a damn!
Grab a woman or a man,
And that's good enough for me!
Was a time, so I've heard tell, a We all worshipped Dionysus
Fine and promising young fella 'Till we ran into a crisis:
Gave his all to serve Cybele The bar had raised its prices;
But that's damn well not for me! That's not good enough for me!
We'll sing praises to Apollo There's that lusty old Priapus
Where the Sun-God leads, I'll follow He's just itching to unwrap us.
From Ionia to Gaul-o (He'd do more to us than tap us
And that's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!)
We will have a mighty Party Pan's pipes got plugged last summer
In the honor of Astarte And it really was a bummer
Grab your chiton - don't be tardy Finally had to call a plumber!
'Cause she's good enough for me! But he's good enough for me!
In his dancing Pan will lead them Now Danae was sweet as flowers,
When his pipes call we will heed them She was into golden showers;
In truth tho, he don't need them And that showed her Zeus' power
He's more than enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
It was good enough for Venus We will sing our staves to Venus
She'd have sighed if she'd of seen us We will sing our staves to Venus
Letting morals come between us Tho I think this rhyme is henious
And she's good enough for me! But it's good enough for me!
There's one thing that I do know Let us dance with Dionysus
Zeus' favorite is Juno And get drunk on wine and spices
She's the best at doing...you know! The Christians call them "vices"
And that's good enough for me! But they're good enough for me!
It was good enough for Cupid We will venerate old Hermes
It was good enough for Cupid With his staff entwined with wormies
His wings look kind of stupid Warding off the nasty germies
But that's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
2323
Let's all drink to Dionysus We will all bow down to Venus
Wine and women beyond prices! As we dance upon Mt. Zenos
He made a Maenad out of my Sis! We will worship with our....voice
And that's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
There are those who, when they've got e-
Normous problems that are knotty
They just take them to Hecate We all worship Aphrodite,
And that's good enough for me! And Her sister bold Astarte,
They both throw a lovely party,
In the church of Aphrodite And that's just fine with me!
She's a mighty righteous sightie,
The Priestess wears a see through nightie
And she's good enough for me
CONFUCIANISM
Let us read works of Confucius We used to study old Confucius
As we walk thru Massachusetts As we sat there on our tushes
In white robes that freeze our tushes We're learning but don't push us
But it's good enough for me! And thats good enough for me
CTHULHU:
We will worship mighty Cthulhu We will worship Great Cthulhu,
H. P. Lovecraft's big old hoodoo We will worship Great Cthulhu,
(1930's fiction voodoo....) And we'll feed him Mr. Sulu
But that's good enough for me! 'Cause that's good enough for me!
Let us sing to Lord Cthuhlu We will sacrifice to Yuggoth
Don't let Lovecraft try to fool you We will sacrifice to Yuggoth
Or the Elder Gods WILL rule you Burn a candle for Yog-Soggoth
And that's good enough for me! And the Goat With a Thousand Young
Of the Old Ones, none is vaster Well it's good enough for *
Even Cthulhu's not his master He's a mighty kinky master
I refer to the unspeakable * When you pray he goes much faster
and that's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
And for those who follow Cthulhu Let's go worship Great Cthulhu,
We have really got a lulu: And run naked like a Zulu,
Drop a bomb on Honolulu! You and me and Mr. Sulu,
'Cause that's good enough for you! And that's good enough for me!
* - well, do YOU want to say it?
DISCORDIANISM:
Let us sing to old Discordia Of Great Murphy much is spoken
Cause it's sure she's never bored ya For his Law shall not be broken
And if she's good enough for ya It's not pretty when he's woken
Then she's good enough for me! Things go wrong for you and me!
If your rising sign is Aries If your god of choice is Squat
You'll be taken by the Fairies Well then trendy, man, you're not!
Meet the Buddah in Benares But you'll get a parking spot!
where he'll hit you with a pie! And that's good enough for me!
2324
We will sing a verse for Eris Let us do our thing for Eris
(Golden apples for the fairest!) Goddess of the discord there is
Though she sometimes likes to scare us Apple's golden, it's not ferrous
But she's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
Let us praise the Holy Fool
For he's breaking all the rules
Holds you up to ridicule,
And that's good enough for me!
(THE ALMIGHTY) DOLLAR
Oh, the dollar is our Saviour There are those who scream and holler
If we spend Her or we save Her And get hot under the collar
She controls all our behaviour For their god, Almighty Dollar,
There's not enough for me! Who is good enough for me!
Call Him God, or call him Allah
The priest will take your dollah
Easy living from -your- follah-
-wers, but sorry, -not- from me!
DRUIDS:
We will worship like the Druids, In Pwyll's hall you will be welcome
Drinking strange fermented fluids, But he's not at home too often
Running naked through the woo-ids, Spends all his time in Annwyfn
Coz that's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
I'll go get my golden sickle
And I'll wear it where it tickles
It ain't used for cuttin' pickles!
And it's good enough for me!
EGYPTIAN:
Let us sing the praise of Horus When we all bowed down to Nuit
As our fathers did before us There was really nothin' to it
We're the New Egyptian Chorus (Alex Sanders made me do it...)
And we sing in harmony! But that's good enough for me!
We will venerate Bubastis We will pray with those Egyptians
We will venerate Bubastis Build pyramids to put our crypts in
If you want in, then just ast us! Cover subways with inscriptions,
'cause that's good enough for me! which is good enough for me.....!
Let us all now worship Ra We will all do praise to Horus
And take care of our Ka In an old Egyptian chorus
We'll all sit round and go "Ah-h-h!" If there's something in it for us
Which is good enough for me! Then it's good enough for me!
Here's an invitation for us We will venerate Bubastis
All to go and worship Horus Cause my cat walked up and ast us
Doff your clothes and join the chorus (Now the cat box is DISASTROUS!)
And that's good enough for me! But it's good enough for me!
2325
FICTIONAL GODS, DEMONS AMD HEROES:
Here's to those who copy Conan We will sing of Foul the Render,
Here's to those who copy Conan Who's got Drool Rockworm on a bender
They're just Followers of Onan In his cave in Kiril Threndor--
And that's good enough for me! They're both too much for me!
There are followers of Conan. Of Lord Shardik you must beware;
And you'll never hear 'em groanin' To please him you must swear;
Followed Crom up to his throne(in) 'Cause enraged he's a real Bear,
And it's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
Azahoth is in his Chaos We will sing of Iluvatur,
Azahoth is in his Chaos Who sent the Valar 'cross the water
Now if only he don't sway us To lead Morgoth to the slaughter
That is good enough for me! And that's just fine with me!
We will worship Holy Ford We will sing the Jug of Issek,
Beta, Delta, Gamma, Lord And of Fafhrd his chief mystic,
But the Alphas might get bored Though to thieving Mouser will stick,
A Brave New World for you and me! And that's good enough for me!
Let us note the might of Ils We'll invoke the blessed Camber
With a thousand or more quills And the Unicorn of Amber
By the light that from him spills And the wizard Deliamber
He is good enough for me! They're good enough for me!
The late return of the Prophet Zarquon It was good enough for Cthulhu
Caused his followers to hearken Who'd eat me and who'd eat you, too;
As the Universe went dark on If it's good enough for Cthulhu
All of you and me! Then it's good enough for me
HINDU:
There are some that call it folly We will go to worship Kali
When we worship Mother Kali. She will help us in our folly
She may not be very jolly She'd be quite an armful, golly!
But she's good enough for me! And she's good enough for me!
As the goddess Kali dances I will wait till four-armed Kali
With her worshippers in trances Drags me thru that lonesome valley
You can learn some Hindu stances She's disgusting act-u-all-y
And that's good enough for me! But She's good enough for me!
ISLAMIC:
We will all bow down to Allah Warriors for Allah
For he gave his loyal follow Are sure to have a gala
Ers the mighty petro-dollah Time in old Valhalla
And that's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
2326
JEWISH:
If you think that you'll be sav-ed Some guys have a circumcision
If you think that you'll be sav-ed On account of their religion,
If you follow Mogen David An embarrassing incision
Then that's good enough for me! Cut just ENOUGH from me!
Let us worship old Jehovah Let us celebrate Jehovah
All you other gods move ovah Who created us "ab ova"
Cause the one God's takin' over He'll be on tonight on "Nova"
And it's good enough for me! 'cause he's good enough for me!
KAHBAHLA:
We will read from the Kabahlah We will read from the Cabala.
We will read from the Kabahlah Quote the Tree of Life mandala
It won't get us to Valhalla It won't get you in Valhalla,
But it's good enough for me! Yet it's good enough for me!
KRISHNA:
We will all sing Hare Krishna Hare Krishna gets a laugh on
We will all sing Hare Krishna When he sees me dressed in saffron
It's not mentioned in the Mishna With my hair that's only half on
But it's good enough for me! But that's good enough for me!
I was singing Hari Rama
With my friend the Dalai Lama
'Til they dumped us in the slammer
But that's good enough for me!
MIDDLE EASTERN PAGAN:
I'll sing some songs to Lilith, We will have a mighty orgy
Not so young, and not so girlish, in the honour of Astarte
and She's always PMS-ish, it'll be a mighty party
but She's good enough for me! and it's good enough for me!
Lilith wears a lacy nightie We will sing to Lady Isis
And She is a little flighty She'll stand by us in a crisis
She will get you all excite-y And She hasn't raised Her prices
She's wet-dream enough for me! And She's good enough for me!
We will all bow down to Dagon We will all bow down to Enlil
We will all bow down to Dagon We will all bow down to Enlil
He still votes for Ronald Reagan Pass your Cup and get a refill!
And that's good enough for me! With bold Gilgamesh the Brave!
Let us worship sweet Eninni Oh the ancient goddess Nerthus
Let us worship sweet Eninni From herself the Earth did birth us
In a skimpy string bikini And I wonder: are we worth us?
And that's good enough for me! But she's good enough for me!
We will go to worship Lillith Well Dimuzi's on vacation
Grab your cup, step up and fill it He'll be back when spring awakens
Tho 'ware she don't make you spill it! There will be such recreation
And that's good enough for me! There will be enough for me!
2327
Oh the Phillistines abound
Oh the Phillistines abound
They had the biggest Baals around
And that's good enough for me!
MITHRAISM:
We will sing a song of Mithras We will all be saved by Mithras
Let us sing a song of Mithras We will all be saved by Mithras
But there is no rhyme for Mithras! Slay the Bull and play the zithras
Still he's good enough for me! On that Resurrection Day!
MOONIES
We will worship Sun Myung Moonie
Though we know he is a goonie
All our money he'll have soonly
And that's good enough for me!
NEW AGE:
Oh, our Spirits will awaken Well I'm tired of Ronald Reagan,
Oh, our Spirits will awaken He's too square to be a pagan,
Watch the Universe a-quakin' Let's all vote for Carl Sagan!
Which is Gurdijeff to me! He's good enough for me!
Timmy Leary we will sing to I'll arise at early mornin'
And the things that he was into When the Sun gives me the warnin'
(Well, at least it wasn't Shinto) That the Solar Age is dawnin'
And that's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
In the sky I hear a hummin' Just like Carlos Castenada
It's the UFO's a-comin' Just like Carlos Castenada
That's not banjos that they're strummin It'll get you sooner or later
But it's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
NEW WORLD PAGAN:
Thanks to great Quetzacoatl Some folks pray to the Great Spirit
And his sacred axolotl Most folks just cannot get near it
And his gift of chocolatl So they hate it and they fear it
And please pass some down to me! But it's good enough for me!
Praise to Popacatapetl Some folks worship the Kachinas
Just a tiny cigarette'll Some folks worship the Kachinas
Put him in terrific fettle They look like "deus ex machinas"
So he's good enough for me! But they're good enough for me!
Now watch out for the Maya's, Montezuma liked to start out
They might really try to fry ya, Rites by carrying a part out
Sacrifice people, not papaya's, That would really tear your heart out,
Just as long as its not me! But it's good enough for me!
Quetzacoatl's flyin' And when old Quetzacoatl
With the Toltec and the Mayan Found a virgin he could throttle
And the mushrooms he's been buyin' And put her heart into a bottle
Are good enough for me! It was good enough for me.
2328
We will worship Xochipilli We will worship Xipe-Totec
Though it might be a bit silly Tho it is a little lo-tek *
Running naked makes me chilly It is not a bit ero-tek (erotic)
But it's good enough for me! But it's good enough for me!
* "low - tech(nology)
Oh, there's none like Huizlipochtli The Kachinas of the Hopi
For destroyin' people tot'ly Dance about and some act dopey
Best to worship -him- remotely! They don't leave you feelin' mopey
But he's good enough for me! So they're good enough for me!
I have gotten in the way-o
Walkin' with the Monster Slayer
He is worthy of a prayer
And he's good enough for me!
SCIENTOLOGY
L. Ron Hubbard liked precision In matters Dianetic
And he founded a religion You need not get frenetic
That has caught a lot of pigeons Make your Engrams copacetic
And it's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
SHINTO:
There are some who practice Shinto I don't really go for Shinto
There are some who practice Shinto It's just something I'm not into
There's no telling what WE'RE into! Tho I guess I could begin to
but that's good enough for me! 'Cause it's good enough for me!
In Japan they thought it neato
When they worshipped Hirohito
But that didn't sit with SEATO
So it never more will be!
THELEMA:
Uncle Crowley was a dreamer When the clouds they are a'rumbling
At the Abbey of Thelemer And the thunder is a'grumbling
But his magic is a screamer, Then it's Crowley that you're mumbling
So it's good enough for me! And it's good enough for me!
There are those who follow Crowley Let us call an Elemental
Tho the stuff that he held holy For a temporary rental
Turn your your brain to guacamole Just as long as it is gentle
But he's good enough for me! It is good enough for me!
It was good enough for Crowley
With his sacraments unholy
Who smoked pot and ate some moly
And it's good enough for me!
VOODOO:
There are people into voodoo There are people into Voodoo
Africa has raised a hoodoo There are people into Voodoo
Just one little doll will do you I know I do, I hope you do!
And it's good enough for me! And it's good enough for me!
2329
If you're really into dancing
And you wanna try some trancing
Then the Voodoo gods are prancing
And that's good enough for me!
WICCA AND GENERAL NEO-PAGAN:
Well, she raised an awful flurry When old Gerald got it goin'
When she made the scholars worry When old Gerald got it goin'
Thank the Gods for Margaret Murray! All that hidin' turned to showin'
She is good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
It was good enough for Granny It's not good enough for Reagan
She could throw a double-whammy It's not good enough for Reagan
That would knock you on your fanny He's too square to be a Pagan!
And she's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
With the aid of my athame Meeting at the Witching Hour
I can throw a "double-whammy" By the Bud, and Branch and Flower
(And can slice and dice salami!) Folks are raising up the Power
So it's good enough for me! And that's where I want to be!
There will be a lot of lovin' We will worship with the witches
When we're meetin in our Coven 'Cause we're rowdy sons-of-bitches
Quit yer pushin and yer shovin' And they scratch us where it itches
So there's room enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
Well the Christians all are humming We will gather at our saunas
Cause they say their God is coming, When the spirit comes upon us
Our God came three times this evening To perform the Rites of Faunus
And that's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
Some folks worship all of Nature
Tho they love to taunt and bait-cher
They're just funnin', they don't hate-cher
And they're good enough for me!
ZARATHUSTRIAN:
We will pray to Zarathustra It could be that you're a Parsi
And we'll pray just like we usta It could be that you're a Parsi
I'm a Zarathustra boosta! Don't need a ticket; you get in free
And that's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
I pray to Ahura-Mazda I can't rhyme Ahura Mazda,
He's one god who sure won't pause ta I'll praise the man who tries ta
Pound some heads when given cause ta Then I'll wait for Barak Raz ta
Which is good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
UNCLASSIFIABLE VERSES AND UNKNOWN GHODS:
We will go down to the temple There are those who worship no gods
Sit on mats woven of hemp-le For they think that there are low odds
Try to set a good "exemple" That the god-seers aren't drunk sods
And that's good enough for me! But they're good enough for me!
Let us watch Ka-ka-pa-ull Where's the gong gone? I can't find it
Frolic in her swimming pool I think Northwoods is behind it!
Subjecting chaos to her rule For they've always been cymbal-minded
And that's all right with me! And they're good enough for me!
2330
They revered ancient ENIAC Some folks pray to the Orishas
And sacrificed to UNIVAC Tho their humor can be vishas
Now we sing our chants on VAX pack When they grant your stupid wishas
And that's good enough for me! But they're good enough for me!
When you worship Rusto There are those who worship science
Treat your friends with lust-o And some would send 'em to the lions
Pursue your faith with gusto! Without 'em we'd have no appliance
And that's good enough for me! So they're good enough for me
We will all bow down to Gozer
Priestess did it with that Joser
Cross the streams, and there she goes, sir
And that's good enough for me!
We will worship Christian Jesus Drink to FUFLUNS he's just fine
And do just like John Paul pleases The Etruscan god of wine
That we will... when Hades freezes! This verse doesn't really rhyme
And that's good enough for me! But it's good enough for me!
I have got a strange religion John, Paul, George and Ringo
I will worship Walter Pidgeon We will worship playing Bingo
Is he sacred? Just a smidgen! We will listen to them sing-o
But it's good enough for me! And that's good enough for me!
THE OBLIGATORY LAST VERSE
It's the opera written for us!
We will all join in the chorus!
It's the opera about Boris,
Which is Godunov for me!
----------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
I suppose that this last song has turned you into a newt by now.
You may not realize that it happened, 'cause that's just how that
sort of thing seems to work. You need to put a carrot on your nose
and find a duck, and weigh it. Then you'll be OK again.
*
2331
{file "High Holiday Song, The" "bos528.htm"}
THE HIGH HOLIDAY SONG
-Melusine
(Tune "The Serving-Girl's Holiday")
I've waited longing for today
Spin the bobbin and spool away!
In joy and bliss I'm off to play
Upon this high holiday!
CHORUS: And spin the bobbin and spool away!
Oh joy that it's a holiday!
This night of (name) now we greet
Hail my friends, and merry meet!
Strike the harp; the drum we'll beat
Upon this high holiday!
The wine and cakes we've bought and made
Found a spot in a moon-lit glade
Our love and trust will never fade
Especially on this holiday!
In forst glade we've built a fire
Symbol of our heart's desire
Within Her Love we'll never tire
Wit thee well this holiday!
Cast the Circle, we're within
Let the Spiral Dance begin!
Invite the Lord and Lady in
Upon this high holiday!
Dancing, spinning to the tune
The Piper plays beneath the moon
We chant as one the Witches' Rune
Upon this high holiday!
*
2332
{file "Labeling Wiccans (Lucie)" "bos529.htm"}
By: Lucie
Re: Labelling Wiccans
Hello. I'm the academic that Khaled mentioned. sigh... I've
read the
thread on definitions and I can see the trouble you have gotten into:
prescriptive definition versus descriptive definition. Let me explain:
I am currently working in the Dept of Religious Studies of the Univer-
sity of Ottawa as a graduate student studying contemporary religious
movements in Canada, especially women centered or women defined. This,
by definition,includes Wicca/Witchcraft/Neo-Witchcraft/Neo-Pagan-
ism/Women's Spirituality/Women's Urban(Neo) Shamanism...etc... I'm not
the only one there involved in this research (we have an actual
"Centre for Research in Women and Religion"). We also have a number of
women (and one man) researching collateral aspects of the above
mentioned religious phenomena. We have had to come to some working
definitions so that we can talk to each other and to other religion-
ists.
Personally, I have also had to come up with some minimal
definition of Wicca/Witchcraft that I can use as a representative of
said phenomena (yes, I am using the plural form) when I am asked to
present/explain/ explicate said phenomena to forums such as the
Canadian Council of Churches or the Canadian Association for Pastoral
Education (CAPE). It is as a result of this need, that I have devel-
oped a minimal inclusive descriptive definition that can be used to
differentiate Wicca/Witchcraft from other religious phenomena.
What is a minimal inclusive descriptive definition you ask?
Ok. Minimal = smallest number of characteristics Inclusive = includes
rather than excludes Descriptive = what is actually there rather than
what should be there (prescriptive) Definition = what can be used to
define, ie. to draw a line around, to know relative to what is left
undefined/unknown
I'm using a technique common in Anthropology: componential
analysis, ie. the identification of discreet analytical features
(components) that can be seen as occuring or not. A set of these which
minimally defines something is seen as its descriptive paradigm. A
descriptive paradigm is unique in that it can only be used to define
the phenomenon it describes and no other. Ok? Just so you know what
kind of language I'm using.
Yes, I consider myself 'Wiccan'. No, I am not a member/init-
iate/follower of any specific 'tradition'. I'm too much of an anar-
chist at heart for that, and anyways, how can I swear secrecy if my
only stock in trade as an anthropologist is the knowledge I have
gained by
experience? Sort of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?
Ok. So here goes....Relative to any other faith system,Wic-
ca/Witchcraft (I won't seperate them yet) can be minimaly defined as
consisting of these five necessary components:
1) faith system is nature based
2) divinity is conceived as inherent
3) divinity is apprehended as gendered and as minimaly female
4) the locus of decision is the individual
5) the locus of action is the individual in the present
2333
What does this mean? Remember, this is to distinguish this
faith group relative to any other type of faith group. It does NOT
include variations, only COMMONALITIES.
1) nature based: as far as I can tell, all forms of Wicca/Witchcraft
(WW for short?) are based on humans being part of and in nature rather
than apart from. Also, seasonality and elements (air, earth, water,
fire) are central to the human apprehension and interaction with
nature.
2) divinity is inherent: divinity has manifested in all that is, all
that is is an aspect of divinity, we are all manifestations of divin-
ity.....
3) divinity gendered and female: divinity in one of its most apprehen-
dable forms knows itself in the specificity of gender and that gender
is at least female "The Goddess". All groups, whether they acknowledge
the God or not,know divinity in its female form.
4) locus of decision: morality is a personal, individual thing and
responsibility for choices is also a personal, individual thing. No
one can (successfully) impose a set morality on any one else. Ost-
racism seems to be the only -effective- means of moral cohersion used
by adherents to this faith. Its the other side of "Do what thou wilt,
An it harm none" and the Law of Karma. If a person acts contrary to
the community norm, this person will be shunned, ostracized, severely
criticized, and may as a result,leave the community. No matter the
behaviour which the community wishes to refuse to accept, the in-
dividual will not be 'punished' or told that they may not continue to
behave in their chosen way. Again, even community norms (and community
may be read as 'tradition') cannot be imposed or dictated. Even in
oath bound traditions, oaths are taken freely and as freely adhered to
or broken.
5) locus of action: nothing is differed to the 'ever after', nor is
the past
fully responsible for what occurs in the present. This is it, this is
all there is for anyone, make the most of it. Again, no predestin-
ation, no fatalism, no 'heaven' or 'hell', this is not a prelude.
Secondly, no congregation, no group, no church, no polity has
any more importance and certainly far less immediacy than the in-
dividual as the believer and the definer of what is believe. Faith is
lived within the individual, as an individual.
Ok. Remember, this describes ONLY what all forms of WW share,
NOT what deferentiates them from each other or what is defined within
a tradition as what constitutes the whole of THEIR tradition. It is a
minimal, inclusive, descriptive definition..... (part 2 follows)
2334
Whew....So what use is this type of definition? It allows me
to compare WW to other faiths such as Christianity, Shinto, Islam,
etc. It allows me to talk about beliefs and practices without getting
mired in the specificity of traditions. It also allows me to speak of
Gardenarians and Dianics in the same breath. They have more in common
relative to other faiths than they have different relative to each
other...
I was asked what defined WW relative to other Pagans and to
nature based faiths such as Shinto. It took some thinking but I think
I've been able to do it:
WW is
1) focused on the human (rather than nature or divinity)
2) divinity always takes a human form (at least)
3) WW works according to principles (fundamental underlying realities
which inform behaviour)
4) WW is law driven (there is a 'right' or 'proper' way...) 5) bel
ievers need to rationalize and to make scientific their faith (just
think of tables or correspondences and our explanations of 'why it
works')
I was also asked what distinction I made between Pagan, Wicca
and Witchcraft. I do make a difference.
Pagan: from paganus (latin) for of the country side as opposed to
"civitas" of the city
Neo-Pagan: post 196o's revival of country cum nature based spiritual-
ity -seen in opposition to Christian/Mainstream church -logical
spiritual outcome of the 'back to the land' and 'experiential
experimentation/mystical quest' of this same era
Witchcraft (revival): British phenomenon dating from the 1950's. Wicca
is used in Gardenarian texts but not used as a lable of the faith
group or practice. Wiccan NOT used.
Wicca/Wiccan: preferred terms adopted by many North American developed
Traditions of WW to differentiate themselves from British Traditions
(Gardenarian, Alexandrian)
Witch/Dianic: terms of self definition used by many North American
women to acknowledge their mythopoethic/political reclaiming of woman
centered / woman defined spirituality. Often expressed as: Women were
burned as witches in the Middle Ages, well, I'm a witch and you're NOT
going to burn me! May or may not express the adherence to a specific
tradition (Reclaiming, Dianic (Z. Budapest), etc) but is always an
indicator of woman centered / woman defined experience and self
definition.
Neo-Witchcraft: all forms of contemporary Anglo (ie of English lan-
guage,not an ethnic or nationalistic lable) witchcraft to distinguish
from Ancient, Middle Eastern, Midieval, or non-European forms
Wicca versus Witchcraft: as it seems to be used by most people today.
Wicca is a type of religion and witchcraft is a technology (ie spell
crafting,craft of the wise, nature magic....)
2335
{file "Judeopagan Menopause Ritual (Randronoth)" "bos530.htm"}
By: Randronoth
Re: JudeoPagans 1
***
Iyyar: A Menopause Ritual
Penina Adelman
A time to keep and a time to cast away
This month's ritual has been designed with an awareness of our moth-
ers, grandmother, and great-grandmothers who were earlier inhibited---
even in the community of Jewish women--from marking the cessation of
menstruation, of derech nashim (the way of younger women as in Genesis
31:35) and the release from the physical tasks of childbearing and
childrearing. Now wholly freed, our female ancestors would have been
ready "to give birth" to their personal creativity, to dip into
Miriam's Well without the distractions and responsibilities of family.
We hope to convey a positive tenor to this life cycle event which has
been feared and misunderstood by so many men and women in the past.
Once a woman has reached the age beyond which pregnancy ceases, her
gender identity is often blurred by society. She is in a transitional
state, experienced by those interacting with her as being full of
power and danger. During the tumulous fourteenth century when the
Black Death struck in Europe,those women who managed to survive the
disease and live to old age were thought to be witches.
In interviewing post-menopausal woman to arrive at an appropriate
ritual marking their "change of life", I found unanimous reactions.
All indicated they would forgo any ritual ceremony that emphasized
menopause, fearing a societal backlash which might discriminate
against them as they advanced in age. Most said they did not feel very
different physically after menopause. The aging process itself was
their emphasis; the gradual body changes. These were linked not only
to menopause, but to the entire process of aging. Whether these same
feelings and attitudes will persist when contemporary young women
reach their menopause is now being speculated.
Some women may choose to mark the end of menopause with a "mature age
bat mitzvah" if they have never had one as an adolescent. Setting a
goal such as learning to read and speak Hebrew, to read Torah, to lead
a prayer service, teaching a Jewish text within the forum of a bat
mitzvah, at an age well beyond 12 or 13, is the way many older women
are choosing to reenter the tradition after years of alienation from,
or passive appreciation of, Jewish ritual. Others may wish to invite
friends who experience menopause already or are presently undergoing
it. My own mother has said that she could not imagine participating in
a menopause ritual, but would have liked to get together with her
friends to share experiences of those important years of change.
Hithbagut
Bring: The book of Ruth (several copies); a group for the mithbogeret.
(As preparation, read the Book of Ruth.) Setting: Home of the mith-
bogeret, the menopausal or post-menopausal woman, here named Tamar. We
are in a sitting room. Have pictures of the woman as a baby, young
girl, young woman, bride, mother, grandmother. Flowers and greens of
the season decorate the room. Attending are all the female relatives
of the mithbogeret who can be present--sisters, daughters, mother,
aunts--as well as her good friends, including members of the Rosh
Hodesh group.
2336
Themes of Iyyar
Keeper: Iyyar is a transitional month which falls between two major
holidays--Pesach, in the month of Nisan, and Shavuot, in Sivan. From
the second night of Pesach, we count forty-nine days (seven weeks)
until Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks. This period is called the Omer.
When the Temple still stood in Jerusalem, each family would count a
sheaf offering of grain to bring to the Temple on the pilgrimage
festival of Shavuot. The purpose of this may have been partly a way of
blessing the Spring harvest which would also be celebrated on Shavuot.
In the act of counting, the Rabbis saw an opportunity to keep
track of inner harvest of spiritual qualities. Every week of the Omer
was to emphasize a particular attribute of God. Each day of the week
then represented a different permutation of the divine attributes.
In the context of this Rosh Hodesh Iyyar marking Tamar's
hithbagrut, one may think of the counting of years and deeds and
events which make up a woman's life. given are seven distinct stages
of life corresponding to the seven weeks of Omer: conception, pregnan-
cy, birth, childhood, womanhood, motherhood, and maturity.
In the seven-week counting of the Omer, we find the sugges-
tion of seven ritual activities which may be performed during the Rosh
Hodesh celebration for any given month. We take as our impetus the
Rabbis' notion of seven divine attributes to be explored and emulated
for the purpose of healing the ills of the universe. We have desig-
nated these activities:
meditation, ritual immersion, (mikveh), singing, prayer, storytelling
(midrash), text study (talmud torah). eating and drinking.
Omer as Period of Mourning
Keeper of Iyyar: The period of the Omer which includes the entire
month of
Iyyar is considered by observant Jews to be a time of mourning.
Wedding
ceremonies, hair cutting, and playing music are prohibited. The
reasons for this are unclear, ranging from a plague said to have
killed the disciples of Rabbi Akiba in the early centuries of the
Common Era, to the influence of a Roman superstition which held that
during this time of year, the souls of the dead wander into the land
of the living. We do not view menopause as a time to mourn the "end of
fertility", as have many in the past. Our purpose in coming together
today is, rather, to understand and recognize the meaning of menopause
for women who have experienced it or will soon enter its phases. Today
we have an opportunity to think of new ways for women to mark this
time in future years.
Sign of Iyyar
Keeper of Iyyar: The astrological sign of the month is the Bull,
Shor. Nisan is the month during which seeds are planted. The bull
ploughs the earth, bending its broad neck to the ground, dragging a
heavy load. The bull tends the change from the new Spring growth of
Nisan to the first Spring harvest of Sivan. The rhythms of the earth
reverberate throughtout the strong body of the bull.
Kavannah
Keeper of Iyyar: In some cultures, once a woman has passed the
age of childbearing, she is known as the "Wise Woman" of the com-
munity. In her reside the knowledge and values of her people which she
transmits to the young. Hers is the status of a venerated elder. This
contrasts sharply with the devalued status of the aging female in our
own culture. Today we intend to question this and to learn about the
experience all have had during menopause in order to instill new and
2337
positive expectations in our children and grandchildren. One of the
major misconceptions we need to address has to do with sex and the
older woman. In Judaism, sex has never been linked only to procrea-
tion. On the contrary, in addition to procreation, sex exists for the
sake of pleasure, wellbeing, and harmony in a marriage. Therefore,
when a woman has passed the age of childbearing and even earlier, she
is encouraged by Jewish law to enjoy sex with her partner. Are there
any other kavannot? Each woman voices her own intention for the
ritual.
Woman: To mark the passing of physical fertility and to rededicate
ourselves to a greater focus on spiritual, intellectual, and artistic
creativity and fertility.
Woman: To say good-bye to the womb, rechem, the center of childbear-
ing.
Woman: To praise and give thanks for the cycles of life which pulsate
through our bodies.
Woman: To say good-bye and good riddance to tampoons and sanitary
napkins and pads and foams and jellies and diaphragms and pills and
anything else I've left out--forever!
Tamar, the Mithbogeret: I would like this to be a ritual of transmit-
ting wisdom, hokhmah.
In Greek, the word for "wisdom", sophia, was identified with a female
figure. In Hebrew hokhmah is a word of the feminine gender. The
connection between wisdom of Tekoa and Abel in 11 Samuel 14 and 11
Samuel 20, respectively, are examples of what seemed to be a conven-
tion in Isreal at that time--a woman of the community who knew how to
choose her words wisely and communicate the desired message. She was
perhaps a female counterpart to the Hebrew prophet, God's instrument
of communication with the people of Isreal. More examples are found in
Proverbs 14:1 and in poem recited to the woman of the household on
Sabbath evening, "A Woman of Valor." One of the last lines speaks of
her mouth, which "opens with wisdom."
In fairy tales, the woman with special powers, with the knowledge
of creation and destruction, is either an evil witch or a good fairy
godmother. Both are frequently characterized as older women. In this
hithbagrut ritual, we teach and lead a discussion based on two stories
of mother and daughter figures where the mother passes on her life's
wisdom to her daughter. they are stories of Naomi and Ruth in the
Bible and Demeter and Persephone from Greek mythology.
Storytelling
All should have a copy of he story of Ruth and Naomi, or should
have read the story in preparation. Tamar, the mithbogeret, then tells
the Greek myth in her own words.
Demeter and Persephone
Once there lived a goddess who ruled over the earth. She had power
over agriculture, causing aboundant growth of cereals and grains. In
this way she echoed Naomi and Ruth, women of the land. Demeter had one
lovely daughter, Persephone, as fair as the first flower of Spring.
One day Persephone wandered far from her mother to pick flowers which
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beckoned. Steeped in the fragrance of those blooms, she was startled
by Hades, the dark god of the Underworld. He seized her and pulled her
down to his cold, damp kingdom beneath the earth.
Demeter sank into despair when her beloved daughter did not return.
She entered into mourning, forgetting to bring new buds into being.
She grieved for her daughter, even refusing to eat or sleep. Thus, the
earth was allowed to wither.
When at last she sought aid from the gods to find her daughter, she
was told that if Persephone had not eaten food in the Underworld, she
could return unharmed to this world. Though Persephone had not been
tempted by food, Hades was able to break her resolve with a single
ruby seed of a pomegranite. Knowing that if he could induce her to
nourish herself in his domain, he could have her as his wife, he
strove to make her taste food. Because of that one seed, she would now
have to divide her time equally between Hades and Demeter, between the
land of darkness and death and the land of light and life.
That is why the Greeks say that the earth blooms half the year and
withers during the other half. When Persephone descends to her hus-
band,
Hades, Demeter forgets to bring the buds into being.
Tamar describes the link between these stories in which an older woamn
passes down special knowledge to a younger woman, and the onset of
menopause in which the transmission of wisdom amoung the members of a
women's community is crucial. She tells of her own experience of
menopause and asks other women to share theirs. The younger women who
are present share their fears and fantasies of menopause and ask
questions of the older women.
Meditation and Movement
Woman: Since menopause involves a new relationship with one's
body, we now meditate on ending that segment of our live characterized
by an active womb.
This meditation begins with a movement excercise called "Aura-
Brushing." The "aura" is the psychic field arond an individual. This
aura may be affected by fatigue, illness, depression, isolation. The
purpose of "brushing the aura" is to symbolize making a fresh start by
discarding the cobwebs which drain one of energy.
We start by forming groups of threes, one woman standing in the
middle, one on each side of her. Now the woman in the middle should
close her eyes. the other two will begin to whisk the air upward from
her feet as they whisper her name repeatedly. They whisk from her
feet, her legs, her trunk, up to her neck and head, whispering all the
while.
Each woman in the group takes turns standing in the middle while the
other two brush her "aura".
Woman: I composed this meditation especially with you in mind. Tamar,
as you and I have been working together, I know the kind of imagery
you might use for yourself.
It is important to note here that the process just mentioned is a
crucial one for the Rosh Hodesh ritual. As pioneers in new ritual, we
continu to scrutinize our conceptions to create meaningful ceremonies.
2339
In this case, Tamar asked for help in saying good-bye to her once-act-
ive womb. another woman might require a different image journey.
Woman: While we composed the following for Tamar, all may participate,
even those not yet at menopause. But do not feel you must participate.
You may wish to close your eyes sending healing energy to Tamar. Or,
you may wish to start with this visualization and then let your own
imagination take over. Some of you may want to leave the room. How you
decide to participate is your own choice.
Now, begin by finding a comfortable position. Close your eyes and
focus on your breathing deeply in and out...
See yourself carrying your womb in a crystal jar. Look at it care-
fully. take the jar with you to Jerusalem. Carry it carefully up to
the Mount of Olives. Find a spot on the Mount of Olives and begin
digging a hole with your hands.
Dig deeply, and when the hole is deep enough, place the jar containing
your womb deep into the Jerusalem earth. Cover the jar carefully. Know
that your womb is buried safely, forever. Before leaving the spot
where your womb is buried, thank your womb for all that it has given
you. Thank the earth for protecting and housing your womb.
Cover the spot with a smooth, white Jerusalem stone. Walk to a nearby
waterfall. Stand beneath it and feel yourself cleased from within and
without. Retuen home knowing that you will continue to be creative
and productive. Feel yourself strong and in perfect health.
When you are ready open your eyes.
When the mediatation is over, some of the women share what they felt.
Others remain silent, choosing to listen. Tamar is very peaceful,
talking about what this ritual evening has meant to her.
Gift the women present Tamar, the mithbogeret, with a gift, one they
have made or bought. The Keeper of Iyyar invites all to partake of the
food and drink on the table.
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{file "Asatru Blot (Lewis Stead)" "bos531.htm"}
The Blot
Copyright (C) 1991, 1992 Lewis Stead
The Blot is the most common ritual within Asatru. In its simplest form
a blot is making a sacrifice to the Gods. In the old days this was
done by feasting on an animal consecrated to the Gods and then
slaughtered. (The word blot itself is related to the Norse words for
"blood" and "sacrifice.") As we are no longer farmers and our needs
are simpler today, the most common blot is an offering of mead or
other alchoholic beverage to the deities.
Many modern folk will be suspicious of a ritual such as this. Rituals
such as the blot have been falsely interpreted by post-Pagan sources
in order to denegrate the ritual or trivialize it. The most common
myth about ritual sacrifice is that one is buying off a deity e.g. one
throws a virgin into the Volcano so it won't erupt. Nothing could be
further from the truth. In Asatru it is believed that we are not only
the worshippers of the Gods but that we are physically related to
them. The Eddas tell of a God, Rig, who went to various farmsteads
and fathered the human race so we are physically kin to the Gods. On
a more esoteric level, humankind is gifted with "ond" or the gift of
ecstasy. Ond is a force that is of the Gods. It is everything that
makes humans different from the other creatures of the world. As
creatures with this gift, we are immediately connected to the Gods,
we are part of their tribe, their kin. Thus we are not simply buying
off the Gods by offering them something that they want, but we are
sharing with the Gods something that we all take joy in. Sharing and
gift giving was an incredibly important part of Norse cultur (and of
most ancient cultures) and had magical significance. Giving a gift
was a sign of friendship, kinship, and connection. By sharing a blot
with the Gods we reaffirm our connection to them and thus reawaken
their powers within us and their watchfullness over our world.
A blot can be a simple affair where a horn of mead is consecrated to
the Gods and then poured as a libation, or it can be a part of a
larger ritual. A good comparison is the Catholic Mass which may be
part of a regular service or special event such as a wedding or
funeral, or it may be done as a purely magical-religious practice
without any sermon, hymns, or other trappings.
The blot consists of three parts, the hallowing or consecrating of the
offering, the sharing of the offering, and the libation. Each of
these is equally important. The only tools required are mead, beer or
juice, a horn or chalice, a sprig of evergreen used to sprinkle the
mead, and a ceremonial bowl known as a Hlautbowl into which the
initial libation will be made.
The blot begins with the consecration of the offering. The Gothi
(Priest) or Gythia (Priestess) officiating at the blot invokes the
God or Goddess being honored. This is usually accomplished by a
spoken declaration with ones arms being held above ones head in a Y
shape, in imitation of the rune elhaz. This posture is used for most
invocations and prayers throughout Asatru. After the spoken invoc-
ation an appropriate rune or other symbol of the God or Goddess may be
drawn in the air with the finger or with the staff. Once the God is
invoked, the Gothi takes up the horn. His assistant pours mead from
the bottle into the horn. The Gothi then traces the hammer sign (an
upside down T) over the horn as a blessing and holds it above his
head offering it to the Gods. He then speaks a request that the God
or Goddess bless the offering and accept it as a sacrifice. At the
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least one will feel the presence of the deity; at best one will be
able to feel in some inner way the God taking of the mead and drinking
it.
The mead is now not only blessed with divine power but has passed the
lips of the God or Goddess. The Gothi then takes a drink of the horn
and it is passed around the gathered folk. Although it sounds like a
very simple thing, it can be a very powerful experience. At this point
the mead is no longer simply a drink but is imbued with the blessing
and power of the God or Goddess being honored. When one drinks, one
is taking that power into onesself. After the horn has made the
rounds once, the Gothi again drinks from the horn and then empties the
remainder into the hlautbowl. The Gothi then takes up the evergreen
sprig and his assistant the hlautbowl and the Gothi sprinkles the
mead around the circle or temple or onto the altar. If there are a
great number of the folk gathered, one may wish to drop the drinking
and merely sprinkle the various folk with the mead as a way of
sharing it. In a small group one might merely drink as the blessing.
When this is done the Hlautbowl is taken by the Gothi and poured out
onto the ground. This is done as an offering not only to the God
invoked at the blot, but it is also traditional to remember the Earth
Mother at this time, since it is being poured onto her ground. Many
invocations mention the God, Goddess, or spirit being sacrificed to,
and then Mother Earth, as in the Sigrdrifa Prayer "Hail to the Gods
and to the Goddesses as well; Hail Earth that gives to all men."
(Sigrdrifumal 3) With this action, the blot is ended.
Obviously this is a very sparse ritual and if performed alone could be
completed in only a few minutes. This is as it should be, for blots
are often poured not because it is a time of gathering or festivity
for the folk, but because the blot must be poured in honor or petition
of a God or Goddess on their holiday or some other important occasion.
For example, a father tending his sick child might pour a blot to Eir
the Goddess of healing. Obviously he doesn't have time to waste on
the "trappings" of ritual. The intent is to make an offering to the
Goddess as quickly as possible. At some times a full celebration might
not be made of a holiday because of a persons hectic schedule, but at
the least a blot should be made to mark the occasion. However, in most
cases a blot will at least be accompanied by a statement of intent at
the beginning and some sort of conclusion at the end. It might also
be interspersed with or done at the conclusion of ritual theater or
magic. Our kindred, for example, begins the ritual with a chant of
"Odin, Vili, Ve" which connects us to the Gods of creation. Between
the invocation of the God or Goddess and the actual Blot we usually
add a meditation or something else which acts as a focus of the
ritual. Once, for example, we made mead in the middle of a ritual to
Aegir. As part of our blot we also pass the horn three times. The
first time around is a taking in of the power of the charged mead and
all offer a toast to the God(s) of the occasion. The second and third
rounds are open to toasts to other Gods, toasts to the kindred, the
hosts, to pledges, boasting and anything else on wishes to say. It is
essentially a "mini sumble" in the middle of our blot. Always of
course, we remember the purpose of our ritual. We would never toast
one of the Jotnar during a ritual to Thor for example. We have also
added a few steps at the end which are a private affirmation of our
groups kinship with each other and with the Gods.
Basic Outline of the Blot Ritual:
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I. Sanctify space with the Hammer rite
II. Invocation of the Deity
III. Secondary Activities supporting the blot: meditation etc.
IV. Load mead by offering it to the God
V. Pass mead for blessing or sprinkle on folk
VI. Other activities, prayers, etc
VII. Thank the deity
VIII. Pour the libation to the Earth
THE NECKLACE OF A THOUSAND STRANDS
In the beginning that ever was and ever shall be, there was only
Night. She lay sleeping. In Her sleeping, She dreamed. In Her
dreaming, She sighed. In Her sighing, She turned and in Her
turning, She awakened. In Her awakening, She saw naught but
Herself, and found Herself beautiful.
Long did She delight in Her beauty, Her perfection. Her softly
rounded limbs, full body and flowing hair were so magnificent
that She wished to adorn Herself.
She captured Her thoughts, each a brilliantly colored speck of
light, and strung them together to form a Necklace of a Thousand
Strands. This She donned and was pleased.
Each speck sparkled with its own hue and brilliance, creating
spectacular scenes of Night in Her many attitudes and postures.
When Night moved, so did the Necklace of a Thousand Strands.
This created a living, moving mosaic of Night - each image acting
and reacting with other images of Herself.
Though this was beautiful and pleasing to Night, it created in
Her a loneliness. Loneliness to have companionship, loneliness
to have another admire Her great beauty, loneliness to experience
love outside Herself.
Not know how to create this Other that She longed for, She sought
to amuse Herself through movement. She began a stately dance,
slow and measured. As She turned in the figures of the Dance,
wind was created in Her passing, and in it She visualized a
partner, a counterpart.
She sent all Her love and longing into the whirlwind She had
created, and a shadowy form began to take shape. She turned and
spun ever faster, thinking more upon the shape of Her desire.
The form became more solid. It began to take on substance and
reality. It was like, yet unlike, Night. She felt drawn to it
and it was impelled toward Her.
She gloried in Her creation of the form, and it adored Her great
beauty. The Two danced together. The longer They danced, the
stronger and brighter did the fierce spirit of longs and love
grow between Them, Night and Her Shadow.
Her Shadow became all that Night was not, out of Her longing to
be fulfilled, and She was called Day.
Day and Night danced furiously together, and finally, no longer
able to keep apart, made love to one another. In Their wild,
2343
passionate turnings, the Necklace of a Thousand Strands began to
break, a strand at a time. The specks of light went flying off
to become the Stars, to swim about the divine couple, in
beautiful precise patterns, as if to remain a part of Love's
Dance. Thus began the Ages of Loving.
All but one strand broke, and it remains together to this day.
It is seen in the sky, brilliant, breath-taking and
awe-inspiring. We call it the Milky Way.
Dawn and Dusk are the sacred times and places where Night and Day
merge in love's ecstasy. Keep them holy.
- ZS-1-SB -
HOW THE WORLDS AND PEOPLES CAME TO BE
Night and Day danced lovingly and long, through the spectacular,
blazing bits of thought that had flown away by the breaking of
the Necklace. Not long can such love exist with creating of
Itself images that reflect this Great Love.
Many of the bits of brilliance grew heavier and more solid
throughout of passing of the Ages of Loving. These bits were
called Worlds, or Planets.
The Lady and the Lord, Her Consort, looked upon their Worlds,
delighting in each one, and decreed that there should be life
upon them. Life that re-created the Love and Harmony that They
and the Universe shared.
So, They began to form upon these Worlds, rivers and streams and
bodies of water to quench the thirst of the plants and animals
that would henceforth live upon the nurturing breasts of these
Worlds.
These Worlds They called "Little Mothers," for from their soil
would spring all manner of life and it would be sustained by the
"Little Mothers."
Near each of the "Little Mothers" there was always placed a
particularly bright thought-speck, called the "little Fathers."
For Night and Day knew, as we do, that Life must have warmth and
light to truly grow and reproduce.
All Worlds They did not make the same, for diversity and
combination serve to further the Great Love of Themselves.
Having then seen to the Planets and Suns, and too, to the seeding
of the Worlds with all manner of vegetable and animal life, the
Divine Ones rested.
But the Great Goddess was not content. She felt the work was yet
unfinished. She spoke to Her Consort and told Him of a plan. He
agreed, knowing that the Lady knew what was best for Her
Creations - for was She not the Progenitor of All?
Thus, they began to make and mold a people for a World. They
made them in twos, male and female, to reflect the images of
Themselves, and so that the re-enactment of Their Great Love
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might take place.
Now we know what people transpired upon this World, but we, as
yet, know not what people were designed to populate other Worlds,
or which Stars they are under by which they flourish by the Lady.
Though we would wish in our hearts to be the only objects of
reflection of their Love, we must never think to believe that
Their Infinite Love, burgeoning across all the Universe, had
created none but Ourselves. Nor that the Divine Ones are so
limited that They have not created many peoples on many Worlds,
though unbeknownst to us. And they - these people of other
Planets, like us, are perfect reflections of that immense, Divine
Never-ending Love.
LIGHT OF THE WOMB
In the warm Womb of Her Mother, She rested and dreamed. She felt
through the membrane all that had passed, did pass, and would
pass with Her Mother. She knew that Her Mother was reckoned to
be beautiful, kind and giving; yet too, She know that those Her
Mother would succor had no thought of her Gifts, and would not
repay kindness with kindness, but rather with rapine and
disregard.
Light-of-the-Womb knew that She had been seeing future dreams;
that the ugliness and cruelty of Her Mother's foster-children was
yet to come. And so, She resolved in Her heart to become
beautiful but uncaring to those who would grasp at her beauty -
unreachable, yet so desirable that Her Mother's foster-children
would ache in their hearts for desire of Her.
The day of Her birthing came, and as Her Mother shuddered in the
agonies of labor, Light-of-the-Womb cared not for Her own pains,
nor for those of Her Mother - but thought only of Her imminent
freedom that would at last allow Her revenge on
those-yet-to-come.
With a heaving surge, She tore free from Her Mother's thrashing
body, and screamed in triumph at Her escape.
Now even as the Daughter knew of all that passed with the Mother,
so did the Mother know of that which passed within the heart and
mind of the Daughter; and She set up a great travail. The waters
of Her Womb crashed and hissed in torment; Her bones creaked and
trembled; Her flesh rent apart in pain and suffering.
Yet in Her great Agony, the Mother cried out to Her Child, "Oh,
Daughter! Light-of-My-Womb! Why do you betray your Heritage?"
And in coldness, did the Daughter answer, "I would not be as You,
Mother, to be ravaged by the uncaring; to be ignored by the
lesser who have no sense of what they do; who see not beauty in
its truest form!"
And She placed Herself a distance from Her Mother; away from the
warmth of Her embrace - yet within the reach of Her low, gentle
voice.
Long ages passed, and the uncaring Child danced Her empty dance
about the abode of Her Mother, growing more delighted with Her
2345
own frozen beauty; more strongly determined to exact revenge upon
those who would bring pain and sorrow and disgrace upon Her
Mother. Her light of beauty shone silvery and pristine upon Her
Mother's sleeping form.
When the fosterlings came, at first they were reverent, and gave
back to the Mother tokens of esteem and praise - all that they
could with their limited abilities. Though Light-of-the-Womb saw
this, She waited - unforgiving of the future grief She knew they
would bring.
Always did the fosterlings worship Light-of-the-Womb, and She fed
upon this worship as Her due, but did not soften towards them.
Some of Her coldness touched the fosterlings and made them, too,
a bit cold. But She cared not.
In truth, She became more cold and disdainful, at times even
bringing madness to those who cared too deeply for Her. It was
right and correct that they should worship Her beautiful Self,
for was She not delicate and gracious in Her gift of Silver Light
as Her Mother slept? Did not She cause Her mother's Love for Her
to control the planting and growing of the food they ate? She,
did She not, caused Her Mother's blood, Her salty Womb to pulse
in rhythm to Her turning dance.
She ignored Her Father's brilliance, though She privately
admitted that it was from Him She had inherited her gentle glow.
At time, His anger flared at Her, then would Her gentle Mother
intercede, coming between the Two, as if to protect the Daughter
from His furious gaze. At these times, a bitter cold came upon
Light-of-the-Womb, and Her cruel humor turned to dark despair.
As soon as Her Father's wrath had cooled, Her mother would move
gently away, exposing Light-of-the-Womb slowly to Her Father's
gaze, so that He might remember the beauty of His Daughter.
Light-of-the-Womb began after a time to feel shame, and regularly
turned Her face from Her Parents - so that at times only a sliver
of Her shining countenance could be seen. Though She suffered
shame at her disdainful ways, She found She could not change.
For all heat in Her had died over the long ages, and no more was
there the white hot rushing of blood in her veins. She had
become stone - trapped by her own frozen vanity.
So now, as She looks upon those fosterlings that tear at Her
Mother's pride and beauty, She cannot aid Her in any way, save to
soothe Her Mother with Her silvery light, and to cause desire in
the fosterlings' hearts. Her beauty and unapproachability tugs
at their hearts, causing their bodies' water to flow in Her
timeless rhythms - making them turn a portion of their desire for
Her upon their fellow fosterlings. Lovers, too, pray to Her and
are heard. The mad are sacred to Her, known as Moon-calves.
Upon Her full face can be seen a look of surprised sadness, for
She cannot partake of Her Mother's Fate, save to watch - and know
that She, too, will be ravaged. But since She never gave of
warmth and substance, there will never be regret in the stripping
of Her bones. And only a cold, frozen thought is lodged in Her
heart, remembering what love was.
No tears fall from Her eyes, for Her waters are wasted, and Her
2346
blood is dried up; but a little remains of Her liquids; enough to
warn the wise when rain will come. At these times She dons a
halo of opalescent light to show the only She can, that She is
still the daughter of Her Parents and that though She cannot feel
love or give love, She can inspire that emotion in Her Mother's
fosterlings when they gaze up at Her and call Her - Moon.
HOW THE SEASONS CAME TO BE
In the beginning of the green World, the Lady Night did dance
upon the Earth's breast. She delighted in all the Earth - the
growing herbs, the animals, the insects, the birds of the air,
the creatures of the waters, and all that made up this pleasant
abode.
She exulted in the warmth of the sunny days and cool nights. She
ruled this world with Her companion and counterpart, the Bright
King, whom She had fashioned out of Her longing for love. His
name was Day; the brightness of the Sun shone from His visage.
Great was their joy in one another, and in the green fertile
World about Them.
The Earth became more and more full of Her creations - crowding
happily in on one another, until there was little room to Dance
or move about, and the Earth groaned under Life's weight.
Mother Earth complained to Father sun, the They consulted with
each other on how they might best serve the Great Goddess, and at
the same time relieve the burden that rested so heavily on
Earth's weary body.
After much talking, they could not decide what they must do, and
Father Sun told Mother Earth that since her's was the pain, so
must Her's be the solution. And He turned away His Face and
shrouded Himself in robes of seething clouds.
Coldness fell upon the Earth, and many things cried out in loss
an pain. For was not the Sun needful to them for Life? Many
things began to wilt and shrivel close to the Little Mother's
bosom, looking for solace. Many things burrowed deep, sleeping
until a more favorable time.
Then Mother Earth devised a plan - let there be two halves to the
year - the bright and warm, and the dark and cold. Thus would
the burden lighten somewhat, when the things shriveled for a
while.
Father Sun once again looked upon Mother Earth, and agreed that
Her plan might work well. "But who would rule the dark time?" He
asked.
"Let the Lord be the Master of the cold season, " She replied.
"Then can the Lady renew and replenish all things after His
Reign."
Father Sun felt it would not be wise to leave the Lady
companionless. Why could there not be two - one to rule the
bright and one to rule the dark. He wished that the Bright Lord
should remain in the warm time; for He was straight of limb,
bright of visage, and merry of heart. Too, Father Sun thought
2347
the Lady would wish a companion to compliment Her beauty, be
light-hearted in all ways, thus making the task of renewing all
the more joyous.
Mother Earth thought long on this, and at last sent a choice of
her own. The man was strong and dark of countenance. He had not
the great beauty of Father Sun's choice, nor were His ways
light-hearted and merry. He was much given to thinking, planning
and building. He was much given to practicalities, and could be
counted upon to the clearing away of the extra weight that so
burdened Mother Earth.
On a day designated by Sun and Earth, the two Lords met in a
glade where the Lady sat twining ropes of flowers in her tresses,
and draping them about Her body. As She surveyed the two Lords,
She felt chill from the Dark One. He seemed so stern and
forbidding! The Bright One caused Her heart to dance. She ran
gaily off, holding the hand of the Bright Lord, singing and
laughing.
The Dark One said nothing. He went far to the North, where the
sun's rays were weaker, and the vegetation sparser. He built
Himself a fortress, and hunted for foods, preparing them in
strange ways so that they would last a long while. These, He
stored, and then set about making furniture and pots of fired
clay in which to cook. After a time, He had made a snug and
comfortable home for Himself, with room enough for guests.
The Lady and Bright Lord payed Him no mind, gaily Dancing and
playing and loving. They planted seeds, tended them lovingly,
and then at the fruits of Their Harvest.
On the day the Sun stood still in His journey, the frolicking
Lady and Lord felt a sudden chill. There, in the meadow, where
first the Three had met, stood the Dark One. He held out His
hand to invite the Maiden Lady to come with Him.
The Bright Lord sheltered the Maiden in His arms, refusing to let
her go, clinging with all the love of Life that was His nature.
The Lady held close to the Bright King, refusing to look upon the
Other.
"Then," said that Dark Other. "We fight!" They took up arms
against One Another, and it seemed as if the Bright King was
winning for a time. The Maiden Lady clapped Her hands in glee.
The Sun and Earth watched this battle passively; it seemed to go
on forever. But the sun must not stay His course in the Sky,and
as sunset approached, the strength of the Bright King waned. The
Dark Lord, He of the Earth's devising, seemed neither to lose or
gain strength, but remained constant. He struck a great blow
against the Bright King, who fell down, dying. The golden grain
drooped heavy heads, and the fruits of the trees fell to the
ground in sorrow. The flowers began to wither, though new ones
sprang up, blood red from the Life fluids of the dying God.
The Lady gave out a sorrowful cry, and the tree leaves changed
their colors - some golden in honor of the Bright King's hair,
some as red as His blood, and others the color of the Earth that
was to receive Him into Her bosom.
2348
The Lady heaped flowers upon the still form of the Bright King,
and mourned Him in a sorrowful song; a song that raced through
the branches of the trees, who added their own mournful tones.
Though the blood of the Bright King cried out for revenge, the
Dark Lord ignored it, and grasping the Lady firmly by the hand,
took Her off to His home in the North.
The fallen fruits and flowers dissolved in sorrow, into the Earth
Mother's breast. The seeds of their yearning for Life lay
dreaming of the long summer they had known; remembering the
shining love that the Lady and Her Consort had shared with all
that was.
Now Father sun was angry that Mother Earth's choice should win
over His Bright King in battle, and took Himself off a ways from
Her. The World became colder. Without the love of the Maiden,
the Brightness of the youth, and the warmth of Father Sun, Earth
began to sleep under a blanket of white. So, too, slept all but
the most hardy of plants, trees, and animals.
Though the Maiden resisted Him at first, She soon came to love
the Dark One for His differences, and She learned much from Him,
and He from Her.
Then one day, the Sun stood quite still, viewing the Earth,
thinking how still and pale She looked - and how it was not Her
fault that her Champion had won. He sent a pale ray of light
down into the Caven Fortress where the Dark One ruled as Lord,
the Lady by His side. And lo, a son was born to Them. His
visage was bright and shining, as He laughed and played in His
cradle.
For a time, the Dark One was jealous of the Child, for He knew it
was the Bright One, returned. Then, as the Child grew to
manhood, the Dark King sent Him away.
The Lady, refreshed from Her confinement, followed the Youth.
Again, Spring came to the World.
Now, this story is many times repeated. Neither the Bright King
or the Dark One ever own the Maiden-Lady for all time, but must
share Her. This must be, so the World be a true World, that the
Four Seasons go apace to turn the wheel of the Year, and that all
may learn that Life and Death and Life are but a cycle, and that
Hope is always near.
THE REASON FOR DEATH
A time after the Lady began Her yearly trip through the Seasons,
sharing Her reign first with the Bright King, then the Dark King,
She began to notice that when She returned to the Upper World,
many of the things She loved had perished. She spent much time
replenishing the Earth with new plants and animals. This work
was joyous - as the creation of New Life is always joyous - but
She puzzled over it.
She inquired of her Companion, the Bright King, but He had no
knowledge of what was happening to those things that had
perished. He slyly suggested that when next She traveled to the
2349
Dark Lands to rule with the Dark King, to ask Him - the Dark One
and Rival to the Bright King - the question that haunted Her so.
"Perhaps," said the Bright One, "It is some mischief that He, the
Dark One, has gotten up to. Then you shall have an answer."
Thus, during Her next time with the Dark Lord, She inquired into
the matter. He answered, saying, "Yes, 'tis I." Angered, She
demanded to know why all the things She loved must wither and
perish away at His command - for was not the growing and care of
all things Her own right?
He told Her that Death was the rest and release for all things.
That all things must wither and pass away for a time, to make
room for new things - New Life. He explained that mortals and
animals and plants,not being of the fine, high, spiritual stuff
as Themselves, were unable to sustain the fullness of Life for a
long while - that they grew weary and longed for peace.
She became anguished at the thought of the pains of her
creations, and wished to know for Herself how they fared in their
short lives. The Dark King bade her go into a mortal body for
its normal span to learn of sorrow, pain, age,and the longing for
release.
So She did go into the mortal body of a woman-seed in the womb of
one of Her people. she was born in great travail, suffered all
the pangs of growing up, and then She began to age. The mortal
years passed through Her as days, and yet it was hard and
wearisome. Pains beset her, her joints grew stiff, Her eyes dim,
and Her mind uncertain. The many wisdoms She had gained, She
spun as tales for little children sprawled by the hearth-fire on
bitter Winter days. she knew that though they listened now, they
would forget all She had told,and have to learn and re-learn it
all in their own time. Sadness fell upon the Goddess.
At last, troubled greatly by Her body's infirmities, She begged
the Lord's release from the body that encompassed her spirit.
The Dark Lord, Ruler of Death, closed Her eyes with a gentle,
loving hand, and lifted Her forth. Her bright, shining presence
was once again strong and beautiful.
The Lady's tears fell golden to the ground, capturing an insect,
a flower - and froze there, in the cold light of Her
understanding. These tears are found by mortals even today, and
prized as gems. Not all have forgotten the beauty of the meaning
of those golden teardrops.
She turned to the Dark Lord, smiling. She said, "I knew not that
I knew not, but You have shown Me that peace, and rest and
renewal are the rewards Death gives at the end of a hard and
treacherous life. How sad it is that these mortals know nothing
of Our Glory, save at the end of physical existence." He
replied, "Lady, it is Law; whatever You have brought into
existence never truly ceases to exist, but merely is changed into
something new."
She pondered long on this, and then turned to the Dark Lord and
said, "Therefore, let Us give them the ecstasy of Love for one
another, that they may touch upon this great beauty while on
Earth. Let it be the hope that spurs them on, though life seems
2350
hard at times. And let them remember and love one another again,
when they have returned to physical form." "So be it," said He.
The Lady gathered up Her frozen tears, and strung them together
with pieces of jet, taken from the Dark Lord's Hall. this
necklace was to remind Her always of the intervals of Life and
Death of all things.
The Lord kissed her hand twice, and watched Her walk away to
green the Earth once more, resplendent in Her new understanding
of Life, Love and Death.
KARMA: THE WHEEL AND THE SPIRAL
The Lady of the Wheel of the Year, having learned that Death was
a necessary part of Life, returned to her Bright King, and
together they Danced with great joy, greening the Earth - so that
all was again covered in blossoming, bursting Life. From time to
time, She would see one of Her People in sorrow and travail, and
She would remember that existence. She felt a pang of sorrow,
recalling the despair at pain and trouble that mortals felt all
through their lives.
Only in the midst of Love or at the end of physical existence did
they know bliss. Too often, even the bliss of Love was forgotten
in the throes of hardship and misery. Too, She realized, that
though there was rest and succor at the end of physical
existence, the mortals knew no hope for betterment, other than
peace at Life's end.
At first, She did not speak of this to either the Bright Kin or
the Dark Lord. She pondered privately upon the cycle of Life,
Death, and Rebirth; the Seasons of the wheel of the year, and at
last made a decision. Conferring first with One then the Other,
the Lady persuaded her two Lords to consider a plan to help Her
people. That They might more readily accept Her plan, She
presented it as a game.
This game, She called Karma: it was an elaborate system of
debits and credits by which the players could judge the progress
of the playing pieces - the pieces being the People. Now, the
actual living on Earth was only part of the game - the first
stage - to be clever enough to survive danger, disease,hunger and
other pieces maneuvering for the same. the second stage was how
well the pieces maneuvered for the prizes - and how honorable
they went about achieving their goals (a credit), and how
dishonorably they chose to act (a debit).
Adding a further twist to the game, She insisted that when a
piece had achieved the full round of the twelve-spoked wheel -
having experienced and mastered the lessons of each spoke and
returned a final time to the hub (known as the Summerland), that
a third level be added. this third level, being on of the
Spirit, gave the pieces a chance to grasp from a Higher Existence
than that of merely bettering the Physical Self.
To expedite the counting up of credits and debits for each piece,
She created a body of beings known as the Lords of Karma. She
set before Them the cosmic Laws of Order and Existence, and gave
into Their keeping the Akashic Records - the golden, flowing
2351
source of all that is, was, and ever shall be.
Then She instructed the Two Lords in the Game, that They might
watch with interest and understanding. Too, that They might
cheer on or aid a piece that caught Their fancy or touch Their
hearts with its struggles. They, nor the Lords of Karma were
judged - for it is only by the Cosmic Laws of Order and Existence
in the Providence of the Divine One to judge the Creations.
As the Game advanced, much to the enjoyment of the observers,
there seemed to be a missing element. the Dark Lord too the Lady
aside and said, "Never meaning criticism, My Dearest Lady of
Life, but is it not pointless if Your piece do not know they can
strive toward better lives and higher aims?" The Lady thought
upon this, and told the Lord that He was correct, and that She,
herself, must resolve this flaw in the pattern.
She gave a banquet and invited all those of the Greater and
Lessor Pantheons, explaining to them the Game, and the reason She
must prepare for a Journey - Journey which would take Her once
again into the World of Mortals.
All the Beings of Light were grieved, for They love the Lady
fully, and did not like her to be absent from Them. but She
promised Them that though She must journey far, as long as Love
was, there was She, also. She then departed on Her Journey to
the Plane of Mortal Existence and was not seen again for a Tim in
the Halls of Light and Love.
THE CRAFT OF THE WISE
Now the Lady made Her journey to the Plane of Mortal Existence,
and on the way, She passed through many other realms: Those of
spirits and phantasms, and those of the elements. She dwelt a
time in each realm, gathering the essences of each one about Her,
layer upon layer, to clothe Herself. These essences were
necessary, for the Plane of Mortal Existence is made up of all of
these elements, seen and unseen.
Too, She spent time with Light-of-the-Womb, experiencing Her
quiet pain, her self-imposed penance. The Great Goddess reminded
her Little Sister, Moon, that all things work together in
Harmony, and that one day, Her great sacrifice would be repaid in
Great Glory.
Then coming at last to her destination, the Goddess once again
clothed herself in Human Flesh. She clothed Herself in all the
pain and sorrow, and the joy that is the Fate of Humankind. Back
She went - back to the sensations of the five senses. Back to
the heavy physical vehicle that Human souls use to transport
themselves about. Back to a coarse and humble life; one from
which She could study her people more fully, and teach them that
which they must know.
She chose not to go back into the body of a strong warrior, nor
yet on of great physical feminine beauty - but rather as a plain,
slender young woman. Her eyes were brown as the Earth in which
She dug for roots; Her hair was as brown as the bark; Her skin
weathered a bit by the elements. though She dressed as drabbly
as any other mortal girl, there was still a spark, an intensity
2352
that could not be denied. this, the Goddess Herself, could not
change, for otherwise, She would not be present.
The sparkle of Divinity that shone from Her eyes drew others to
Her in a warm bond. they listened to Her teach the secrets of
planting and growing things, the ways of animals and fish and
fowl; the flying birds and insects; secrets of water, wind and
dire.
Too, She instructed them in the Way. She taught them of the
Spiral Dance of the Universe, that same spiral that is found in
the very cells of their bodies. She instructed them in the
Mysteries - those of Birth, and Death, and Rebirth; and in doing
so, explained the Game of Karma.
When She taught them all they could learn, She told them that She
must go once again to her Halls of Love and Light, but that they
might call upon Her in times of need, and She would hear and
answer. She told them that the phases of the Moon would show the
Way.
Among them She left One whom She had taken as a Consort and
Helper. He was a Forest Lord, Protector of the Wilds; He would
as as Her Regent upon the Earth while She was away.
The people wept bitterly, for they could not bear to be without
their beloved Goddess. But the Lord comforted them, saying,
"Does She not love you enough to come amongst you? To provide a
Regent for your comfort - to promise you an Eternal Life in Her
Love at the end of the Spiral Dance?"
And they built many temples and places of worship. Sacred were
the many Springs where She had drunk. Sacred, too, were the many
Groves where She had slept. And too, those places of power where
She had wrought the Magicks of the Spiral Dance for the
edification and delight of Her children.
Those She taught well became Her Priests and Priestesses - and
they continue to instruct Her People in Her Ways.
2353
{file "Celtic Deities/Origins (Lorax)" "bos532.htm"}
Celtic Deities?
Here is the promised beginning discussion of "The Gods" in
Celtic religion. The majority of this post is brought to you by
Lorax, Small Furry Tree-Creature of the Gods <g>
****Extra-Long Posts Warning****
I shall throw out the first hot caber by suggesting that use of the
term
"Gods" within a Pagan Celtic context is totally useless, mislead-
ing,and an example of the sloppy scholarship that Deartha'ir Isaac
bemoans.
This notion has been long in coming for me, but was triggered this
week when an ADF member noted the use of the word "God" [singular]
several hundred times in a suggested reference work on pre-Christian
Greek religion. It made her somewhat nervous as it seemed to not be
the best possible term in a polytheistic culture, given that a multi-
tude of things, from entities to abstract concepts had been subsumed
as "God".
This, combined with my very recent reading of the Dunnaire Finn, the
Book of Invasions, and the Tain has led me to be more discriminating.
As my Priestess colleage, Brandy Williams, has often said, there are 2
kinds of people: Splitters, and people who deny the existence of
splitters. <g>
So, let us take it from the very top, the creation of the world. At
least, according to one translation of one version of the Book of
Invasions.
The first inhabitants of Ireland were Cesair, daughter of Bith, son of
Noe (Noah), and their 3 men + 50 women. <Happy happy, joy joy!>
These people all drowned, and are therefore unimportant to this story,
save that Fintan survived to recount tales of the beforetime.
Partholan was the second discoverer, the chief of his people. Par-
tholan
brought with him the people that were first in many arts--brewing,
cauldron making-first combat, farming, and a host of other things.
Patholan chose a fertile place, cleared 4 plains, and homesteaded
there.
His wife slept with his retainer, which caused problems. This resul-
ted in the giving of the First Verdict, that of Delgnat. Boan, Brea,
Ban, Aine and 6 others were the "pure daughters" of Partholan, imply-
ing perhaps that he had more, following the customs of the times.
The generation of Partholan was the one responsible for first naming
of
places in Ireland. Partholan's generation was also long-lived, and no
plants grew old in their time. His generation largely died out after
a plague.
Both of these first generations are referred to as men and women, not
deities. People of Arts [Aes Da'na] maybe yes, but not deithe [deit-
ies]. This, at least, according to the Christians who recorded the
tales.
2354
The third generation is that of Neimhedh (Nemed). He came from
Scythia.
Neimhedh had 4 chiefs with him. Nemhed fought and won three battles
over the Fomhoire. Fo-mhor (over the sea, or something like that).
Despite this, the Fomorians seemed to be quite good at opressing the
Nemedians, by demanding 2/3 of their agricultural output at Samhain,
delivered to Magh Cetne. The Nemedians went to Greece and collected
an army, some drui and ban-drui, wolves and venemous animals. A
proper challenge was delivered, and the battles were engaged. The
Fomorians were defeated at last. Only 30 Nemedians survived.
The next group of invaders are the somewhat mysterious Fir Bolg, or
Bagmen. The Fir Bolg had 5 chiefs (one more than all of the previous
invaders) as did the De Dannan. The Fir Bolg divided Ireland into 5
parts. Previous invasions had separated Ireland into 4 parts. Much
is made of the poetic, noise-shakin skill of the Fir Bolg. They were
some jammin' magickal folk, alright. The Fir Bolg have the distinc-
tion of the first "riogh" (king) in Ireland. So we have division into
5 parts, kingship, and the use of iron.
Now, the Sons of Nemed had not been sitting still all of this time.
They had been off in Greece, learning draidheacht, cleverness, nice-
ness, and Spiffy Things In General (slight gloss from bad 19th century
Victorian english). These folks were called "Tuatha De" " ... that
is, they considered their men of learning to be gods, and their
husbandmen non-gods, so much was their power in every art and every
druidic occultism besides. Thence came the name, which is Tuathe De,
to them."
Now, please note that their ancestors are PEOPLE. The TdD became so
by
virtue of their skills. This is a process that would not be unfam-
iliar to a good citizen of Republican (not Imperial) Rome. One can
become deific by proper actions, family and/or national devotion, and
other things. The TdD had been instructed in 4 cities in the North.
One has to infer that these cities are in Greece, where they are
instructed in these arts. Now, not all translations say this, exact-
ly. Greece and Spain are frequently glosses for the Otherworld, but
not always. The 4 Treasures were brought from Greece. As we have
discussed the Treasures before, we shall pass in silence on them here.
The TdD fought battles with the Athenians as their allies, and thru
druidic demonry reanimated dead bodies that then rose up and fought as
if they were living. It is here that we learn that hazel or rowan
twigs thru the neck do in reanimated corpses. <Occult Factiod #912
collect em all.)
The TdD arrive in Ireland on a Monday, in the Calends of May, where
they
burn their ships on the shore so they cannot return, or the Fomorians
use the ships.
The TdD fought with the Fir Bolg (it is, after all Ireland we are
talking about...), won, lost, won again, lost again, were healed,
hurt, etc. Nuada gets his silver arm and loses kingship in this
process. The TdD slew all but a few of the Fir Bolg, who then fled to
the outermost isles of the seas. Compare this with the more archaic
traditions of the Hebrides and Northern Islands of Ireland...
2355
The genealogies up to this point are enough to make a kinship special-
ist
whimper, cringe, and fall to sleep the final sleep, so we will ignore
them, but to say that aside from Cessair, everyone is related (or
sleeping with someone who is) to everyone else. Biblical begatting is
easier, trust me.
The TdD are referred to as goblins in the text. So much for the great
contrast between the demonic Fomorians and Deific TdD. If you care to
argue that to a medieval monk all deities are one deity and all are
demonic, then there is even less reason to consider the Fomor demonic.
2356
That said, the text has Eochaid triumph, "without enchantment of
idols,
shaped the distinction of good verses but as for knowledge of the
warrior bands of whom we speak although we enumerate them we do not
worship them."
The picture is far more confused than ANY simple model, folks. I have
not even begun to discuss the "giant" stories. If I were to do so,
then Finn and his buddies are giants, not unlike Jotuns. But wait!
So is Cu! And, if they are giants, then what are their parents? Finn
is descended from Baiscne, and Cu is descended (or a reincarnation) of
Lugh. So the Aes Dana=Giants?@(#*#*(@#_@
If we get to the local spirits, worshipped well into the 18th century,
and maybe later, (or the 20th, as Erynn thinks), any meaningful use of
the term "God" has to be tossed out with the burnt brac after dinner.
We have people, descended from the Trojans/Greeks learning heavy juju
and becoming like Gods. They fight, live, die, get reincarnated,
stretch their influence far beyond a single generation, and are
immortalized in song. Remember, the Cauldron of Poesy, the only
available text on the training of a fili (one who sees) reminds us
that we are all more than our birth, at least potentially.
As Patrick Ford has suggested, the written tales/sagas are probably
just a sequencing of shorter oral bits, there is no real problem with
dying on page 23, and having hot sweaty sex on page 25.
They are also said to be immortal in the Otherworld. Many of the
later
tales have all of these survivors gathering in the Otherworld (some-
where near Miami or Desert Springs, I suspect) and only sometimes
coming out to see us mere mortals.
Also note (this flash of awen just in) that most of the folks that
wander into faery are Aes Dana! Reverend Kirk, Thomas the Rhymer, Tam
Lin and many others.
The Path to Faery must be (therefore) paved with Excellence.
Now, the above analysis depends strictly on my reading of the texts.
I am quoting from the handiest text, the one that unfortunately has no
bibliographic data in it, but is well-reasoned, erudite, and foot-
noted to death. This is a facing-page xlation, btw.
I am NOT saying that some of these beings are not worthy of devotion.
I am saying that it is not ness. true that all of them were viewed as
"Gods" at all times in history, particularly not in the omnipotent,
omniscient Xian meaning of the word, nor in the usage common to
Bullfinch.
It may be best to regard the Aes Dana as Shterpersavs, or "Short-Term-
Personal-Saviors", in Dobbspeak.
<Rant Modes Off>
Thanks.
Lorax & Erynn
2357
{file "Walking With My Friends (Masochistic Maiden)" "bos533.htm"}
Walking with my Friends
Masochistic Maiden
The beach glistened under the sun, still wet from the
ebbing tide. My friends and I walked along leaving
tracks in the sand. We stopped at a tide pool and
discovered a bunch of sand dollars. The mark of a star
etched in each of the skeletal remains made us think of
the star at the center of the pentagram necklace I wore.
One gently held the necklace in his hand as we talked
about the meaning of each of the points. Earth, Air,
Fire, and Water, and then spirit. We talked how each of
these is a gift from Mother then we walked on.
He ran ahead and found a broken sand dollar with a tiny
mollusk, barely bigger than the head of a pin, inside.
We were amazed that anything so tiny could be alive. It
made us more aware of all the living things we often
overlook. Beneath our feet the ghost shrimp rested in
their tunnels, ocassionally blowing water back from the
many holes that dotted the beach. The larval forms of
life that clung to shells, stones, and settled in the
masses of seaweed thrown up by the surf, each caught our
attention before it was stolen by the gulls and crows
begging for scraps of bread.
Soaring overhead, the wings of the gulls whipped tiny
eddies of air that stirred the whisps of hair that had
escaped my ponytail and lifted the front few strands of
his hair. His eyes reflected the shine of the ocean on
the sand, and his quick voice and ready laughter made me
feel fleet of foot and full or the joy of youth.
After walking the beach we climbed a nature trail
through the woods. We stopped to look at the flowers,
delicate white stars with pink stripes. Again we thought
of the pentagram. We also imagined the Goddess of Spring
with feathers and flowers braided into her hair. A
little further we found a deep puddle with a surface as
smooth as glass. The sky and the trees were reflected
back at us in such precision and perfection that we
talked for a while of what that perfect world beyond the
puddle might be like. We wondered how we could make our
side of the mirror so peaceful and clean looking.
We walked further and came to a tall ancient tree and
wondered what stories it could have told, if we could
but understand. For a moment we could almost see the
native americans stalking deer and gathering herbs. The
tree, covered with a mass of moss as thick as carpeting
neither denied or confirmed our thoughts. Suddenly, with
a smile I thought of the ledgends of Gnomes that live
beneath the trees. This old trees roots held deep dark
holes and the forest litter was not creeping in to cover
them. The arching root looked so much like a roof over
an entry way and the size of the root system above the
ground indicated that a large family of Gnomes could
easily escape human eyes. Just a wink of time and they
could scamper out of sight beneath the undergrowth. We
could hear, if we stopped to listen, the soft sounds of
the wet undergrowth being disturbed. Was it the hurried
movement of little men in peaked caps? Gnomes, weren't
they the creatures of the Elemental Earth? We could
smell the damp earth all about us. This was certainly a
good place for them.
After forest's close embrace, the clearing was sunshine
and sparkles. We saw dandilions growing on the green
hillside. We recognized them as one of springs first
splashes of color and representations of the sun shining
down on us. Carefully gathering several of the golden
heads we carried them to the mouth of the nearby stream
as it lead to the ocean. We threw them into the water,
watching them float down to the sea. With each flower we
sent a wish....no more oil slicks....less
polution...save some of the natural rain forests...each
of us remember to carry away a bit of trash every time
we go for a walk...no more whales beaching...no more
drift nets dragging sea mammals to their deaths...a bit
of nature for every child...and healing for Earth mother
where she has been strip mined. Then we turn to leave,
neither of us really wanting to go.
James isn't three yet, and Scott is only five, but they
were my friends as we walked and they gave me a chance
to share the wonder and beauty of the beach and the
woods. Take time with the young. There is much they can
teach us and give us when we take the time to share
their world.
2358
{file "Firefawn (Masochistic Maiden)" "bos534.htm"}
Firefawn: A tale by Masochistic Maiden
Silently the fawn stepped into the clearing. It's
fur dappled with white blended well with the filtered
light coming through the aspens. Here, high in the
Cascades, the fawn had greeted spring at its birth only
a few weeks ago. Now, its legs were strong and its
attitude cautious but playful. It stopped for a few
seconds and sniffed the mountain air. Mother.. her
scent on the breeze... was just across the clearing.
There were other scents too......fresh shoots of grass,
tempting and new... the deep wet smell of the earth...a
sharp scent that he was not familiar with lay almost
hidden among the other odors. He hesitated, but wanted
so much to run to his Mother and drink deeply of her
life giving milk. She had been away for a big part of
the early morning grazing in a lower clearing. Now that
she was returning he could almost taste the warm rich
milk. He remianed cautious and took a second step.
His mother steped into the clearing oposite him.The
sun shined tawny and golden on her back and the early
grasses hid her tiny feet in a carpet of lushious green.
Her head held high she advanced with prancing steps
across the clearing. The wind at her back ruffled the
hair along her spine. She advanced across the clearing
and the fawn began to almost tremble with anticipation.
No longer cautious he leaped into the air and landed
with his hooves bunched together then sprang upward
again. Switching ends in the air he landed facing away
2359
from his mother then quickly pivoted on his hind legs to
get her back into his sight. She seemed to take forever
to cross that clearing.
The wind again brought her scent to him, along with
the scent of that pungent but unknown thing. Somehow the
scent felt wrong but the fawn had no experience to give
him any indication how that scent figured into his
world.
His mother was nearly to him now and he frisked
across the few steps between them and burried his nose
beneath her flank. At that moment his mother caught the
faintest hint of the pungent smell that the fawn had
noticed. Her large eyes suddenly seemed to be even more
alert and her nostrils flared as she turned her head to
try and detect the message the scent brought. She had
not smelled this smell for a long time but she knew it
brought danger. She searched her distant memories... it
was not a man smell exactly, but somehow she associated
it with man. Pungent and sharp but not strong enough for
her to fix. Then the recognition flashed into her...
FIRE. The smell was smoke. She and her young fawn were
standing knee deep in the dead growth from last years
grass. Fire could sweep the understory of shrubs and
grasses with terrifying speed. She nudged her fawn and
began to move hurridly away from the smell. Upward...
the slopes of the mountains called her.
She began a slow trot toward the upper slopes,
angling toward the river. The scent of smoke grew and
soon it was not only a scent, but whisps of gray swirled
among the trees in the lower canopy when she looked over
her shoulder. Other animals had joined into the retreat
as she had traveled. Rabbits now dived between her feet.
Other deer, elk and a moose with a calf ran full out
past her. She picked up her pace to as much as the fawn
could handle. Leaping great distances a buck raced past
her. Behind them a raging forest fire was growing. It
threatened to overtake the sea of life desperately
running for the river.
Near the river a lone figure was aware of the
coming fire. He had been alerted by the passage of the
first few animals and had spotted the smoke high in the
air long ago. As he loaded his pack animal and prepared
to ford the river he saw that one doe and fawn lagged
far behind the other creatures who were preceding the
curtain of flames.
The doe reached a point between the tall trees that
had been blocked by a downed evergreen. Its trunk
stretched far and the upper branches reached as far the
other direction. This was not impossible for the doe,
she could easily jump the downfall. The fawn however
might not make the distance. There was no time left. The
doe flew over the barrier and hit the ground at a dead
run. The fawn, tired already, leaped but failed to reach
the top of the massive trunk. it ran left, then right,
but there was no way around. It leaped again and again.
The smoke of the fire began to fill the space between
the tree tops and darken the world where the fawn was
trapped between a wall of fire and a wall of unyeilding
trunk.
2360
The doe fled when the smoke and heat became too
great. She reached the river and plunged to the other
side. A cascade of various creatures flowed over the
banks and to safety across the river.
The lone man also crossed the river and was filled
with sorrow when he did not see the fawn alongside the
doe as she pulled herself from the water. There was no
way he could return to the flames to rescue the fawn.
The evergreens were fully ignited and their heat was
easily felt even across the wide river. Running Buck
lead his horse and pack pony away from the heat. He'd be
a few days late getting back from his hunting trip due
to the fire, but it would save him miles to wait for it
to cool some and cut through the burnout to his village
to the west. He hoped the fire had not disturbed the
village or made the tribe move to a new site.
During the night a hard rain began to fall. It ran
down the roof of Running Buck's leanto in heavy rivers,
but it would put out the raging fire and begin to cool
the ground. Maybe Running Buck would not be so late.
Early in the morning a stand of blackened giants
and chared earth was all that greated Running Buck as he
reforded the river and began his journey homeward. The
trail he was following lead about 30 yards from the
downfall that had stopped the fawn. Remembering its
panicked eyes, Running Buck was again touched by
sadness. He turned his pony toward the last spot he saw
the fawn and decided to ride to the spot to say goodby
and ease its spirit into summerland and maybe collect
its pelt for a pair of mocossins for his daughter.
He rode along the massive trunk, once, twice, and
did not see the fawn. Just as he was about to turn away
he noticed a hollow under a part of the log. He
dismounted and carefully approached the hollow. When he
peered into the darkness beneath the massive trunk, a
tiny hoof was about all he could make out. Figuring the
frightened animal had forced itself under the trunk
moments before dying of smoke and heat, Running Buck
grabbed the hoof to draw the animal out. The pelt should
be a good one without any charing.
Suddenly the tiny hoof gave a jerk. The fawn was
still alive but trapped beneath the log. it had rammed
itself so far into the interior that it could not back
out on its own. Running Buck pulled hard on the kicking
hoof until a smoke streaked, terrified body came into
view. He slipped a length of leather cord around the
fawn's neck before he freed it from the hollow.
Once out from under the massive trunk the fawn
tried to spring away from Running Buck, but the leather
around its neck held it fast. Soon it stood meekly,
breathing hard but resigned to being held. Its tongue
hung from the corner of its lips and a light foam
followed the upper curve of its mouth. Running Buck
decided that any animal who survived the fire must be
blessed by the spirits and that he would not use this
animals pelt, but instead would take it back to the
village and give it to his daughter as a pet.
He lashed the fawn to the packframe on his pack
pony and rode off toward his village. The fire had left
a ugly scar across the foothills, but fortunately had
2361
not reached as far as the quiet valley where his
tribe were camped.
Arriving in the village, Running Buck went first to
his family's site and entered the teepee. The lifting of
the flap let golden sunshine spill into the interior.
His daughter and wife looked up. Little dove, his
daughter jumped up suddenly to greet him and sent a bowl
of colored beads scattering at her feet from the beading
she had been working on. Running Buck swept her into his
arms with quick loving hands and told her about the
great fire...he told her about the fawn not being able
to leap the high tree trunk and being left by its
mother. Tears of sorrow came to Little Doves eyes as he
described the scene. He turned and carried Little Dove
out to the waiting ponies and showed her the fawn who
was still alive.
Little Does looked at the tiny body with its
spotted fur, and the big brown eyes and pink tongue and
thought it was the most beautiful animal she had ever
seen. Running Buck lifted the fawn down and tied it to
the side of the teepee. He left Little Dove to get
aquainted with her new friend and went to prepare an
animal bladder as a nursing bag for the fawn. The tribe
had several ponies giving milk for their foals. Perhaps
the fawn could be raised on their milk. He filled the
bladder with warm mare's milk and carried it back to
Little Dove.
She sat on the ground with the fawn gathered into
her lap like a puppy stroking its tiny ears and
scratching the fur between its eyes. Already the fawn
was becomming accoustomed to her gentle touch. She took
the bladder full of milk and stuck the end of the
protruding spout between her fingers so that the fawn
could suck on her fingers and draw milk from the
bladder. At first it turned away from the strange scent
of the mare's milk, but finally thirst overcame its fear
and it began to suck.
"Well," said Running Buck,"It looks like your young
friend may make it. Perhaps you should name it now."
"I already have." responded Little Dove. "I will
call it Firefawn, because he came from the fire."
Firefawn grew into a strong young buck during the
summer he spent with the tribe and made so many friends
among the tribe that they kept him with the ponies over
the winter.
When spring came again and it was time to let
Firefawn return to the wild. Running Buck made him a
bright red collar of leather so that none of the tribe
would accidently shoot him as he grazed among the trees.
For many years the deer with the red collar was seen by
members of the tribe and whenever they saw him they knew
their hunt would be successful. Firefawn became the lead
buck of a large herd of deer.
Running Buck and Little Dove's kindness returned to
help feed the tribe for many winters.
So in life, all that we do returns to us. Good for
good and bad for bad. Let good be what returns to your life.
2362
{file "A Dragon Tale (Kalioppe)" "bos535.htm"}
A DRAGON TALE
by Kalioppe
====================================================
The Bardess of Caer Sidhe, am I, dropping in to tell you the tale of
the last living Dragon on Earth - you know - the one who lived over
the vale. The battle was great 'twixt the Wizard and she. The Last
Dragon met her demise. When the smoke had all settled, the Wizard
looked 'round; an object caught his sharp eyes...
"Lo! What is that?" sayeth the Wizard. "Good Goddess! I think it's
an egg!" He scooped it up and sped to the castle, as quick as he
could on old legs. Now the townsfolk were thrilled that the Dragon
was gone. They applauded the Wizard as great...he told not of the egg
that he cared for so well, as he feared the babe's possible fate.
The egg hatched and the Dragon was healthy. The Wizard loved him so
well! But one night as the Wizard lay sleeping, he awoke by the
tinkling of bells. "Twas the Ancients who came a calling, to tell him
his time was near. He thought, with a jolt, "Who will care for this
babe...the one who has grown so dear?"
Sadly, he called the Council and told of the callers in the night. He
told them of the Dragon and then explained his plight. He told them
that the Dragon was the symbol of the strong. He persuaded them to
care for him... then began his journey long.
All wanted to care for the baby...but then the touble broke out!
There were too many squires and not enough peasants...a cauldron of
trouble, no doubt!! "I want to feed it!" "I want to school it!" "I
do!" "No, me! Not you!" They set up rules so lofty, the work was
done by only a few...
Jealousy brewed more turmoil, and then the bragging began: "I gave up
MY food for the baby...yes, I am a WONDERFUL man!" "That's NOTHING!"
said one woman. "I gave him my ONLY shawl!" Egos rose and swelled so
great, they encompassed one and all. Sadly enough, it got to the
point with themselves they were duly impressed. They never saw to the
Dragon...they were too busy with egos, at best.
The baby died of hunger. The baby died alone. The baby died of
ill-attention, too weak to even moan. When the folk returned to the
castle and found their charge quite dead, they looked at each other
and pointed their fingers, then looked at the sky overhead. The
clouds were dark, but from their depths, many voices spake as one:
"The first law is love," spake the Goddess, "The second is 'ye harm
none!'" Emptiness welled up inside as their tears began to stream.
For they had killed the Last Dragon, and their one and only dream...
That is the story I traversed to tell, and to it, I beg, pay great
heed. Always take time to help one another - the time to do a good
deed. Everyone is different, though the same at times, it seems.
Accept your neighbors differences, and cultivate their dreams.
2363
{file "The Goddess Movement (Denver Post)" "bos536.htm"}
Sep-15-93 20:54:00
From: White Raven
To: All
Subject: The Goddess Movement
I was sitting in the breakroom at work this morning (you know, the
place where bible quotations greet us in the mornings :) and I dis-
covered the following article in the 'Colorado Living' section of "The
Denver Post." Enjoy
"The Goddess Movement: Woman-based Spirituality gains followers"
by Leslie Petrovski
In mid-September in a sparsely furnished Washington Park home, about
12 women, mostly in their 30s and 40s, will gather to celebrate Mabon
-- or fall equinox (sept 23). After a vegetarian potluck dinner, the
group will sit in a circle around a basket filled with apples, tiny
pumpkins and acorns -- fruits from the harvest.
One woman, who started this feminist spirituality group two years
ago, will start the ceremony by casting the circle -- creating sacred
space by invoking the elements (eart, fire, water and air) and Goddes-
ses associated with each element. During the ritual, the women will
ask for individual healing, then pass around a globe while asking for
planetary healing. One might request the universe to heal the suffer-
ing of the world's women; another will seek healing of the oceans; yet
another asks for healing in Bosnia. More and more, all over the
country, women (and some men) are gathering together to practice a
woman-based spirituality. They give themselves many names, and their
rituals vary from group to group.
"Feminist spirituality combines different movements," explains
Starhawk, author of "The Spiral Dance," an introductory text to
witchcraft. "Some are working within Jewish and Christian traditions
to ressurrect female images; others are outside any organized tradit-
ional; others participate in the Wicca tradition. There is a lot of
diversity in the movement. What feminist spirituality does is put our
experience, as individuals and as woman, at the center of our spirit-
uality."
There are no estimates of the number of people worshipping this way,
although journalist Margo Adler, in her book "Drawing Down the Moon,"
estimates there are 100,000 American pagans, people who call themsel-
ves witches, Druids or Goddess worshippers -- people who "look to the
old pre-Christian nature religions of Europe."
There are many clues of the prevalence of the Goddess. A young
scholar completing her Ph.D. at the University of Colorado said, "I
know a number of women who are big into the Goddess." Bookstores are
filled with books dedicated to women's spirituality. Even driving the
highway, you'll notice discreet bumper-stickers like "Goddess Bless."
In Goddess spirituality, the cycles of nature are worshipped and
celebrated -- winter, spring, summer and autumn -- and are viewed as
metaphors for birth, growth, fading and death. Attributes tradition-
ally viewed as femine (i.e., intuition and nurturing) are revered.
Defining the Goddess religion, however, is about as easy as catching
fish with bare hands. But there is a rich and ancient history as-
sociated with it. Old Europe, with its woman-focused religions, was
2364
settled prior to 4000 B.C. Similar earth-based, female cultures
existed in Crete, Greece, Catal Huyuk and elsewhere.
"A lot of this occurred in rural centers," exlains University of
Denver a art Historian M.E. Warlick. "In agrarian societies, they
think of the earth as the mother and typically the earth is a God-
dess." Eventually, the Goddess-based religions were displaced by
warrior gods like Zeus and Yahweh. Some scholars suggest that Goddess
worshippers went underground, and that the religion survive in secret.
In the '60s, that began to change. The feminist movement, which
brought a new ethic of control to women, also allowed women (and men)
to look toward feminine images for religious sustenance. Women and
men began to practice openly in the Wiccan traditions or create their
own feminist spirituality.
To oversimplify the Goddess: There are no rules, except freedom; there
is no bible, no major doctrine; what has survived of ancient Goddess
religions has come down in fragments. Most Goddess worshippers do
share the goal of living in harmony with nature.
"As a witch," explains Elisa Robyn, a Denver-based spiritual coun-
selor, "I have an intimate relationship with the deity, that is the
Goddess and the God. I believe in reincarnation. And I believe in
karma -- whatever I create inside of me are the energies the world
hands back to me." "A couple of years ago, I was at Sunday school at
the church we were attending," she remembers. "We were talking about
virgin birth. I raised my hand, trambling, and I said, 'I think I'm
not a Christian anymore. I don't think Jesus intended us to worship
him.'"
Confused and troubled by this realization, Rebecca held a birthday
party for herself, inviting all of her female friends to talk about
God. Not satisfied with this intellectual approach, Rebecca, 43, began
organizing rituals in accordance with the eight Sabbats of the Wiccan
year: Yule to acknowledge the winter solstice; Brigid, or Candlemas,
dedicated to the Goddess of fire and inspiration; the Ecostar Ritual
to celebrate the spring equinox; Beltane, or May Eve; Litha, or the
summer solstice; Lughnasad to mourn the dying Sun King; Mabon, or the
fall equinox; Samhain, or Halloween, that marks the end and the
beginning of a new year. Due to Rebecca's urgings, a small group of
women has evolved to conduct rituals and tentatively celebrate the
seasons. Rebecca's mailing list is now up to 30 women.
The Goddess movement is "attracting a wide range of people," explains
Starhawk, who was raised Jewish, "from a middle-aged women who have
lived very conventional lives to young, punk anarchists."
Lois Yackley, 49, a Denver elementary-school teacher and member of
Rebecca's Goddess group, sees her involvement as an outgrowth of her
mental health. Like many women who are seeking a woman-based spirit-
uality, Lois, a former Catholic, always felt the absence of women in
the church. As she grew in therapy, women's issues became increas-
ingly important to her. "The next step in the feminist movement," Lois
says, "is spiritual. Some feminists are saying that there will be nore
mor progress (in the movement) unless it's spiritual."
2365
Lois became involved in Rebecca's group through a growing friendship
with Darcie, the mother of a child in Lois' class. As their friend-
ship matured, they shared books on feminist spirituality and attended
Rebecca's rituals and parties. "Women are getting together to see how
we feel about things. We validate out feelings and thoughts. This
feels right."
Darcie, 43, is an artist and homemaker, who struggles with her
conflicting feelings for her church (she is a Methodist and a church
trustee) and her blossoming interest in feminist spirituality. "I no
longer have a strong belief (in Christianity), but I'm interested in
the structure of my family," she explains. "It's a difficult situat-
ion for me, emotionally and psychologically. I feel very strongly
about the family worshipping together, so I'm not ready to give (the
church) up until I have something to replace it with."
Rebecca's group gives Darcie a place to explore her new ideas about
spirituality with women who feel the same way. "I'm trying to move
toward believing not in one power over all, but a multiple power
within," Darcie explains.
"This matches the political climates of the times," explains Robyn.
"Women are looking for something about themselves that's special. So
the Goddess is becoming more prevalent." Robyn, who also was raised
Jewish and now practices in the Wiccan tradition, adds that, "Women
are looking for their power. This is right in line with the ecology
movement, the women's movement, the personal growth movement."
"When women get into witchcraft, it is a blossoming experience. There
are role models -- women of power, Goddesses -- it's a totally dif-
ferent energy and perception."
... "Never did Nature say one thing and Wisdom say another." -- Burke
2366
{file "Funeral Rites (Oz Caliburn)" "bos537.htm"}
Funeral rites
Oz Caliburn
A long while ago, I said I would post the funeral service that I had
put together for my sister. Having at long last got my act together,
here it is. The sources for the rite were "Magical Rites from the
Crystal Well" by Fitch, and "The Book of the Prophet" by Gibran. A
couple of the poems were written by my other sister, and by my father.
The final poem is unsourced, but I first saw it in a copy of "The
Wiccan", which was an AustPagan newsletter.
As a bit of background, my sister Vicki was spastic and mentally
retarded. She died at the age of 35, after renal failure. My wife
and I were at her deathbed, and actually took her across - no easy
task, as her mind was very hard to "grip". Vicki, although severely
retarded (mentally she was about 3-4, could not read etc) had grasped
the fact that she wasn't going to get better from her last illness,
and had in fact asked me to "help her die".
I hope that this rite, my last gift to my sister (even if I have taken
it from various sources), may help inspire some of you who find
yourself in similar circumstances. It is non-denominational, focusses
on no particular deity, and served it's pupose admirably at the time.
******************************
Part 1
We have for a while lost one who is dear to us, And we all feel the
loss. But it is only for a time, and we will lose our sorrow.
There is a reason for being here, and a reason for going. The Other
Side, the Places Beyond, Are warm, pleasing and beautiful with all
ills gone, and youth anew.
There is a reason for leaving, when the purpose of this life is done.
We must all journey beyond to pause, to rest, and to wait for those
who are loved, In a place far from the cares of this world, with
happiness and strength renewed. For dying is only a mode of forget-
ting, a way of rest, a way of returning to the Eternal Source, however
we may see It.
It is said in ancient lore -
"Arrayed in some new fleshly disguise,
Another mother gives birth.
With sturdier limbs and brighter brain,
The old soul takes the road again".
(At this point, my other sister read this poem - I believe she wrote
it herself, but from where she drew her inspiration, I can only
wonder)
You came and touched so many hearts
In so many different ways.
You gave so much, and asked very little in return.
There is an emptiness as if a part of me is missing,
But I am sure with time you will show me how to be whole again.
I know you are safe now, and nothing can harm you.
Remember, although we're apart,
We will always be together.
Part 2
Life and death are one, as the river and the sea are one. For what is
it to die but to stand naked in the wind, And to melt in the sun?
What is it to cease breathing, but to free the breath from it's
restless tides That it may rise, and expand, and seek it's Gods
unencumbered?
Only when you drink from the river of silence
Shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountaintop,
Then shall you begin to climb.
And when the Earth has claimed your limbs, then shall you truly
dance.
2367
(The following poem was written by my father - he says now that it is
crude doggerel, but it speaks from his heart)
Vicki, Fate was most unkind,
Gave adult's body, but child's mind.
Yet from you so much love was spread
Everywhere you were seen to tread.
We'd like to think where'er you roam
In the new world you'll call your home,
There'll be no more pain, no more ills,
No more of this life's bitter pills.
Forgive us if today we're sad,
For we loved you so much - Mum and Dad.
Part 3
(This was read as the coffin was taken from the room used for the
service to the crematorium)
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle Autumn's rain.
When you wake in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there, I did not die.
********************
Those who were at the service, Pagan, Christian, and agnostic alike,
all felt that these words expressed the "right" things at the death of
a much-loved person.
Blessed be
O C
... But to be born again, you must die
2368
{file "To Wiccen Or Not To Wiccen...... (article by Vivienne West)" "bos539.htm"}
TO WICCEN OR NOT TO WICCEN......
by Vivienne West
Christians "christen" a child shortly after it comes into the
world. Surely, then, it would make sense for Wiccans to "wiccen" a
child at the same age - or even earlier.
I have an objection to the christening ceremony based on my funda-
mental belief in the right of the individual to make their own free
choice. The christening ceremony, usually if not always performed
on a person who is far too small to speak for themselves, condemns
the child to at least nominal Christianity all their life. Their
parents are sworn to raise the child as a Christian no matter how
obviously unhappy that makes their offspring, and statements are
made in ritual about the actual belief-system of the child. This is
abhorrent to me: no one should ever make binding magical promises
(and all rituals, even Christian ones, are magical) about someone
who cannot speak for themselves and whose preferences are not
known.
Now, I have read short articles in various Pagan magazines in the
past (one in particular I remember, but Murphy has got to my mind,
so I can remember neither the title nor the authors' names) in
which people have laid out ritual events ar scripts that do exactly
the same thing, only in Wiccan terms instead of Christian ones.
This, too, even as a Wiccan, I find distasteful. Once again, a
person (even if they think of themself as a concerned, caring
parent) is forcing their own belief-system and value-judgements on
someone who is too young and helpless to speak for themself.
I do believe in celebrating the event of birth. Birth is a huge
step: it is a statement about the individual's choice of
environment and associates for up to the next hundred years or so.
It marks the beginning of a period known as life, in which the
individual is offered chances to grow and develop, as well as to
experience pleasures and pain. Birth should be celebrated, and it
is fitting to celebrate it in front of the Gods.
But even as a part of such celebration, do I have any right to
insist that my infant child is going to grow up into being Wiccan?
Obviously, as a Wiccan whose every aspect of life is influenced by
my belief-system, I am going to teach my child about the Craft and
try to instill a love of the Gods that I know and love. I am going
to try to teach a love of the magical way of looking at the world,
as opposed to the boring old way everyone else looks at things. Yet
if my offspring, while knowing all they can about the Craft, decide
it is not for them and some other path (or no path at all) is the
only right and fitting way to live their life, then that is their
decision. I have no right, even at this early stage, to condemn
them to a lifetime of Wicca, no matter what.
On the other hand, though, as a caring parent I have every right
and every emotional need to do whatever I can to protect and bless
my child. I will definitely do a working when this infant I am
carrying is born. This will be along the lines of an introduction
or presentation of my child to the Old Ones, and an asking of their
blessing and protection on him/her. It will not, however, be an
ceremony formally inducting the child into Wicca. That can wait
until such time as he/she expresses an interest in initiation.
2388
{file "Tools, etc. (Phoenix Whitebirch)" "bos541.htm"}
To: All
Re: Re: Tools Etc.
This was originally a post by Song Bird in the Herbalism echo. I
thought it was interesting enough to cross-post it to some of the
magical echos.
Note to all: I appologize for the exceedingly lengthy nature of this
post. My thought was that unless you, dear reader, have been following
the posts on this topic, an edited response would be really obscure.
And thank you, Song Bird, for this post to which I am responding. Gave
me pause for thought, for sure! Bless you!
SB>> SH> It is much easier for the student to concentrate on
SB>> SH> their true value if they already know that they can work
SB>> SH> the magic without the tools.
SB>>
SB>PW> I approve! Bravo! I tend to agree with the folks I know
SB>PW> who insist that you're not much of a magician if you depend on
SB>PW> something outside of yourself for your magic. Not that tools aren't
SB>PW> useful! I tend to feel that learning energy movement through your
own
SB>PW> mind and body is the foremost important thing in beginning.
SB>Hallo. I'm aware that this conversation is mostly directed towards
Wiccan
SB>workings (correct me if I'm wrong), but if I may I'd like to insert a
though
SB>into it.
Wiccan, ceremonial magic and generic Neo-pagan, yes...
SB>Being that there are many forms of magic, and some of them religious,
SB>how do you respond when challenged that there are some forms of magic
SB>that are integral to ritual. Without the ritual and it's working
SB>tools of power, the end result of the magic is less well worked.
I suppose I would say that theoretically any magic that can be worked
with ritual and/or tools can also be done without. The caveat with this
is that most of us (self included) don't have the skills, knowledge
and/or power to do without the ritual/tools for certain complicated
powerful working, IMHO. Though perhaps if we worked without tools or
ritual more often we'd get better at it... ;) Seriously, though, I'm
not advocating dropping the tools or ritual --- they're useful. And I
think it's better to do what's useful than to work until you're ninety
before you finally get good at it!
SB>Tools sometimes mean much more than just a focus, more than just a
SB>way to get to where you are going. Ofttimes the tools themselves are
SB>invested of the very life necessary to work the magic.
You're speaking here of tools which carry energy or intelligence, I
assume? I was refering to tools which are made by the worker or by
another worker for the purpose of someone else using them. In my
understanding tools are more useful if they carry energy or
intelligence. If they do, it's because the worker put it there. I
differentiate these from tools which acquire energy or intelligence
through a process other than human intervention.
2391
SB>Shamanistic paths use tools in this way, as an example of one. There
>is soul invested in the very wood and in the nature of the stones, and
>in the casting of the light, and in the movement of shadow, and in the
>rippling shudder of sing-song rhythm. Without these, with only a
>wo/man alone and reft of surroundings, how much are we depriving
>ourselves of?
It sounds to me like in that circumstance we are depriving ourselves of
the opportunity to work with another intelligence. When you use the word
"soul" I presume you mean "entity" as well, to which I attribute some
level of intelligence.
SB>Any tradition that believes in the vesting of power down through the
SB>centuries, in the passing of knowledge, known or unknown, unto it's
heirs,
SB>fits into your definition of the use of tools to enhance personal power.
Not tools. The vesting of power and passing of knowledge is through (as
I comprehend it currently) the partnership of human and deity. As I see
it, the process of initiation (which many workers use, including all of
the shamanistic paths that I know anything about) does several things:
1) charters the individual with membership in the group with all the
rights and responsibilities involved thereof. 2) Passes power or
knowledge from the initiator to the initiate (sometimes the power or
knowledge is seen as coming from elsewhere, such as a deity). 3)
Formally introduces the initiate to the energy and/or deities of the
tradition. 4) Creates a new personality for the initiate which
sometimes supplants the old one. I'm sure there are points I've missed
and not all initiations do all these things.
SB>What is this personal power you use? Certainly that power is from
SB>within, utilizing nothing from without, if you deny the use of tools.
Not necessarily or entirely; I don't consider the ambient power of the
universe a "tool" per se. I differentiate between energy and a tool.
SB>What, precisely, is a tool?
Good question! Does this fall into the same kind of discussion as "what
is a witch", perhaps? :) IMHO a tool must be an object, either
physical or an astral representation of a physical object. If it's not
an object, if it's an entity, energy, intelligence, spirit, or whatever,
it's not a tool, it's a partner (or servant in some circles).
SB>What, precisely, is personal power?
I think of personal power as the ability to exercise one's abilities.
To whatever degree you have the energy, skill and knowledge to do so,
you have personal power. This includes the energy, skill and knowledge
to draw on power from outside your physical/astral/whatever being.
SB>Are the gods a tool, or power, and can we cast without them?
The gods I deal with are real entities with minds, thoughts, feelings,
histories and agendas of their own. They aren't psychological
constructs, or sheer power, or tools. If by "cast" you mean what I mean
by "work", I say yes.
2392
SB>Is inherented knowledge passed through the centuries personal power, or
a
SB>tool, and can we cast without it?
I think of power as energy, but perhaps the power passed by initiation
is both information and energy (thus including knowledge). I conceive
of the power of an inititiatory line (of whatever flavor) as a stream, a
line of connection to which all members of that line, living and dead,
connect. We can draw on the knowledge and energy of the line, or we can
work without it. I don't think of it as exactly personal, as it belongs
to everyone in the line.
SB>Are the spirits that surrounds us a part of us and a power to be used,
or
SB>some seperate entity and a tool to be cast aside?
Spirits are entities, as near as I can figure, and that makes them
neither powers nor tools. There's a difference, for example, between
drawing on the energy of the moon and making a connection with the
spirit of the moon.
SB>At times, the definitions of tools and power become too intermixed
SB>to seperate. Perhaps, we are nothing without our tools. Perhaps,
SB>there really are no tools. Perhaps, we are the tool. I challenge
SB>that what we are comes from without and that there is nothing that
SB>we do today or any other that will increase or refine our power one
SB>wit *unless* we reach outwards. What we become will pass to the
SB>generations. What has been is within and a tool as surely as any
SB>other.
I have real difficulty accepting that all I am comes from without.
That makes me too much defined by that which surrounds me, and binds me
to be what the outside (parents, friends, society) says I am. I don't
believe I am a tool, even of my deities. I do agree that without input
from that which surrounds us, we don't have any opportunity for growth
and development. That is where connections are so important, and why it
is so important for us to connect with that which nourishes us,
rather than that which stunts or devours us. What we pass to the
generations depends on the quality of our lives and works.
SB>And when an oak is dead or felled to earth
SB>By one to whom a tree is but a tree,
SB>Where is this treasury of loveliness?
SB>I think it passes to another birth.
SB>The rugged pine that overlooks the sea
SB>May know the charm the desert palms confess.
SB>--Grace Brown
This was too gorgeous to omit. :) --- Phoenix
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{file "Solitary Neophyte Ritual (C.M.)" "bos542.htm"}
Solitary Neophyte Ritual from Usenet
This is from the alt.magick group on Usenet. It was posted in the middle of
the last year.
Hello,
Due to an overwhelming email response, I've decided to post my solitary
G.D. Neophyte (0=0) ritual. It's still in the experimental stages, so I'd
appreciate comments.
A few caveats. First of all, compared to the 'official' ritual (which
I included in outline form after my own), it is SHORT. Much detail has
been omitted. This is primarily to aid memorization, but the central
working or 'purpose' of the ritual can be expanded in many ways (I give 2
examples). Because of this flexibility and brevity, it may not stand
up to 'official' standards -- I probably don't mention enough god-forms,
stations, or sephiroth (yet) -- but I still think it's a valuable tool.
In addition, please forgive the somewhat stilted prose in the descrip-
tions. It was written with the old grade rituals in mind. Also, some parts
are completely of my own design (such as the oath and the eucharist at the
end), but I think they mesh well with the 0=0 'current'.
Oh yes, and: The following is copyrighted, 1992, by Steven R. Cranmer.
___________________________________________________________________________
* * * * * * * THE ENTERER OF THE THRESHOLD * * * * * * *
(0) Precede the ritual with a general purification of the body.
OPENING:
(1) Dim the Temple lights. Lay out thy circle in a clockwise direction,
starting in the East. Set up a veiled Light in the East.
(2) Stand in the center of the circle, light thy lamp in the left hand,
and give the Cry of the Watcher Within:
"Hekas! Hekas! Este Bebeloi!"
(3) Perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, to banish all
unwanted energy from the circle. Precede and follow with the
Qabalistic Cross.
(4) At the center, keep still and listen to the voice of thy Undying
and Secret Soul. Say:
"Let me enter the Path of Darkness and, peradventure, there
shall I find the Light. I am the only Being in an Abyss of
Darkness; from an Abyss of Darkness came I forth ere my
birth, from the Silence of a Primal Sleep."
(5) Purify and consecrate thyself:
Extend thy arms in the form of a great cross, and say:
2394
"In the name of the Lord of the Universe,"
Make three small crosses on thy forehead with the LEFT middle finger
(Stolistes purifies with water), and say:
"Who works in silence,"
Make three small crosses on thy forehead with the RIGHT little finger
(Dadouchos consecrates with fire), and say:
"And whom naught but silence can express...."
(6) The Oath:
Kneel on both knees. Raise thy head towards the heavens, and say:
"I am _______, and I seek the Light."
Lower thy head to the earth, and say (slowly and methodically):
"I am _______, and I do this day bind myself to Know, to Dare,
to Will, and to Keep Silence."
Raise thy head slightly, halfway between earth and heaven, and say:
"I am _______, and I am a child of earth and starry heaven."
INVOCATION:
(7) Mystic Circumambulation in the Path of Darkness:
Rise, approach the North, and face East. Circumambulate one and a
half
cycles with the sun, and pause -- barred in the South. Take a deep
breath before continuing, contemplating the uselessness of fear
uncontrolled, then say upon passing the Hierus in the West:
"Darkness is thy Name,
thou Great One of the Paths of Shades."
Circumambulate one and a quarter cycles with the sun, and pause --
barred in the North. Take a deep breath before continuing, con-
templating
the need for balance (the Middle Pillar), then say upon passing the
Hierophant in the East:
"Light dawning in Darkness is thy Name,
the Light of a Golden Day!"
From the East, turn and face the West.
(8) Close thine eyes, and hear the Hierophant say, as you step forward
four times to the West,
"I come in the Power of the Light.
I come in the Light of Wisdom.
I come in the Mercy of the Light.
The Light hath Healing in its Wings."
2395
(9) Turn and face the East. Open thine eyes and invoke the Lord of the
Universe as you step four times back towards the East.
"Holy art Thou, Lord of the Universe!
Holy art Thou, whom Nature hath not Formed!
Holy art Thou, the Vast and the Mighty One!
Lord of the Light and of the Darkness!"
Simultaneously, make the active invoking pentagram of spirit with thy
right index finger, and the passive invoking pentagram of spirit with
thy left index finger.
(10) Touch the Light in the East with thy right hand, and say:
"Inheritor of a Dying World,
We call thee to the Living Beauty."
Touch the Light with thy left hand, and say:
"Wanderer in the Wild Darkness,
(light the Light)
We call thee to the Gentle Light."
Touch the Light with both hands, and say:
"Long hast thou dwelt in Darkness,
Quit the Night and seek the Day!"
Knock with the right foot with each pulse of the Battery, and take
small steps (9) backwards, extending the Light...
KHABS AM PEKHT !
KONX OM PAX !
LIGHT IN EXTENSION !
Bask in the power and glory of the Light, and imagine the god-form of
Horus surrounding thee.
(11) At this point in the ritual, many things can be done. Two reflective
practices, however, are obvious:
(a) DIVINATION: Sit in the center of the circle, face the
Light, and perform thy castings. Begin with
the sign of Horus, and end with the sign of
Harpocrates.
(b) RECITATION OF THE TREE OF LIFE:
Step forward, starting with the right foot, and trace out
the Tree of Life, rising on the upward Lightning Flash.
Vibrate each sephiroth-name as it is passed.
Arriving at Kether in the East, bask in the power and glory
of the Light. Vibrate each Hebrew letter name, starting
with Aleph, and meditate on its meaning, position in the
Tree, and Tarot image.
Turn to the West and formulate the Middle Pillar, beginning
2396
with the sign of Horus and ending with the sign of
Harpocrates.
CLOSING:
(12) Mystic Reverse Circumambulation in the Pathway of Light:
Rise, and approach the East. Face towards the East and make the
signs of Horus and Harpocrates. Circumambulate with the sun three
times (making the above 0=0 signs upon each passage to the East --
three more times). Stop and turn to the West.
(13) Go to the center and face West. Purify and consecrate thyself:
Extend thy arms in the form of a great cross, and say:
"In the name of the Lord of the Universe,"
Make three small crosses on thy forehead with the LEFT middle finger
(Stolistes purifies with water), and say:
"Who works in silence,"
Make three small crosses on thy forehead with the RIGHT little finger
(Dadouchos consecrates with fire), and say:
"And whom naught but silence can express,"
Extend thy arms once again in the form of a great cross, and say:
"I declare that the Sun has arisen and the shadows flee away!"
(14) Face the East, and take thy eucharist:
(NOTE: The following is ancient Egyptian, from the Book of the
Dead. Roughly translates as "I live in MAAT, I nourish
my heart on MAAT")
Sipping the wine, say: "Onkh-ya, em-maot."
Eating the bread, say: "Som-ya, em-maot."
Swallowing both, say: "Ab-ya."
(15) Contemplate the achievement of the Light:
"Be my mind open to the Higher.
Be my heart a centre of the Light.
Be my body a Temple of the Rosy Cross."
(16) Final banishment: (precede and follow with the Qabalistic Cross).
Make a rose-cross in the east. First, make the vertical line, from
top to bottom, saying:
"In the name of Yeheshuah the redeemer,"
Make the horizontal line, from left to right, saying:
"I do now suffer all spirits bound by this ceremony
to depart in peace unto their places."
Make the circle, starting at the rightmost point and going clockwise,
saying:
"May the blessing of Yeheshuah Yehovashah be with you
now and forever more, and let there be peace between
me and you."
(17) Stand in the center of the circle, light thy lamp in the left hand,
and give the Cry of the Watcher Within:
"Tetelestai!"
(18) Douse the unveiled Light. Take up thy circle in a counter-clockwise
direction, starting in the East. Raise the Temple lights.
___________________________________________________________________________
An outline of the full Neophyte ceremony follows.
The letters in column 1 refer to the breakdown of the ritual
in the Z.2 'formulae of light.'
___________________________________________________________________________
* * * THE ENTERER OF THE THRESHOLD * * *
A East
A ---------------------------------
A | IM CN PH PR |
A | HP ______ |
A | \east/ |
A |-------------------------------|
A | (B) HG (J) |
A | |
A North | ------- | South
A |ST | + | DA|
A | | /_\ | |
A | ------- |
A | ______ KX |
A | \west/ HS |
A ---------------------------------
A West SN
B HP = Hierophant
C IM = Imperator (Gevurah)
C CN = Cancellarius (Chesed)
C PR = Praemonstrator (Tiphareth)
C PH = Past Hierophant
C HS = Hierus
C HG = Hegemon
C KX = Kerux
C ST = Stolistes
C DA = Dadouchos
C SN = Sentinel
D The Candidate, in black. Head covered with hood-wink, rope tied
D thrice around waist.
E THE OPENING OF THE 0=0 GRADE
E
E 01. HP / (/ is symbol for knock)
E 02. KX gives call: `Hekas! Hekas! Este Bebeloi!'
E 03. HP supervises the opening....
E - KX and SN knock to check that the Hall is guarded.
E - HS accepts Neophyte signs from all to assure secrecy.
E 04. Naming of chief officers of this grade (HP,HS,HG).
E Naming of lesser officers. (by NAMING, Invisible stations awake)
E Explanation of stations and duties of all officers.
E 05. Purification and Consecration (of the Hall) with water and fire.
E 06. 1st Mystical Circumambulation (in the Pathway of Light;
E Rashith ha-Gilgalim - the swirlings of the Primum Mobile).
E 07. All rise, adoration: `Holy art thou, Lord of the Universe....'
E 08. KX declares the Hall opened.
E 09. Battery of the 0=0 grade: HP /, HS /, HG / : KHABS AM PEKHT
E HS /, HG /, HP / : KONX OM PAX
E HG /, HP /, HS / : LIGHT IN EXTENSION
E 10. All sit. KX removes rose, cup, paten, and lamp from altar.
F 11. HP announces dispensation from 2nd Order Chiefs to admit Candidate.
F 12. HG goes out to prepare candidate. Knocks for entry.
G 13. HG LEADS IN CANDIDATE.
G 14. Speeches by HG, ST, DA, HP, KX : unpurified; barred from entering.
G 15. 1st purification and consecration (of Candidate).
H 16. HP asks Candidate why he has come. HG replies for Candidate.
I 17. HP asks Candidate if he/she is prepared for the Oath, and explains
I its ramifications and limits.
J 18. Candidate kneels. All 6 officers form a hexagram around him/her.
J 19. The OATH is repeated.
J 20. Candidate rises.
K 21. HG takes Candidate to NORTH of Hall (greatest symbolical darkness).
L 22. Mystical Circumambulation - all pass HP twice, then KX bars the
L Candidate's passage to the WEST.
L 23. 2nd purification and consecration.
M 24. Procession proceeds to HS. HS promps HG for his name.
M 25. Hood-wink momentarily lifted as HG answers.
N 26. Circumambulation continues. All pass HP and HS again, then KX bars
N Candidate's passage to the EAST.
N 27. 3rd purification and consecration.
O 28. Procession proceeds to HP. HP promps HG for his name.
O 29. Hood-wink momentarily lifted as HG answers.
P 30. Circumambulation leads to Altar (Candidate on WEST side). All
P officers, in hexagram pattern, but HP kneel.
P 31. HP invokes the Lord of the Universe.
Q 32. All rise. HG, HS, HP speeches to the effect of: `Long hast thou
Q dwelt in Darkness - Quit the Night and seek the Day!'
Q 33. The Candidate is received into the Light:
Q HP /, HS /, HG / : KHABS AM PEKHT
Q HS /, HG /, HP / : KONX OM PAX
Q HG /, HP /, HS / : LIGHT IN EXTENSION
R 34. Candidate led to EAST side of Altar. Receives signs, tokens, and
R words from HS.
R 35. 4th purification and consecration (between the Pillars).
S 36. Rope of darkness removed. Badge of 0=0 received.
S 37. Final Mystical Circumambulation. All pass HP thrice.
T 38. HP explains rope, hood-wink, Altar (with cross, triangle, and 4
T elements), the mystical words, the pillars, lamps, and officers'
T stations and meanings.
T 39. KX declares that NEOPHYTE has been initiated into 0=0.
U 40. HS addresses Neophyte on secrecy, study, and humility.
V 41. HP addresses Neophyte on detail of grade progression.
W 42. KX performs mixing of clear & bloody fluids. Explains the
W importance of the Oath taken.
X THE CLOSING OF THE 0=0 GRADE
X
X 43. HP /
X 44. KX gives call: `Hekas! Hekas! Este Bebeloi!'
X 45. HP supervises the closing....
X - KX and SN (& HS,HG) knock to check that the Hall is guarded.
X - HS accepts Neophyte signs from all to assure secrecy.
X 46. Final Purification and Consecration (of the Hall).
X 47. Mystical REVERSE Circumambulation.
X 48. All rise, adoration: `Holy art thou, Lord of the Universe....'
X 49. Mystic Repast (eucharist of 4 elements). All partake.
X 50. KX declares `It is finished!' (inverts cup), TETELESTAI!
X 51. HP /, HS /, HG / : KHABS AM PEKHT
X HS /, HG /, HP / : KONX OM PAX
X HG /, HP /, HS / : LIGHT IN EXTENSION
X 52. Final QUINTESSENCE speech of HP. Neophyte led out by KX.
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{file "Lady's Prayer, The" "bos543.htm"}
The Lady's Prayer
Our Mother
Who art here present,
Honored be thy name.
Thy time is come
We shall be One
On Earth, which is our heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And love us in our imperfections
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
For thine is the spirit of the great
transformation
Forever and ever.
Amen.
2398
{file "GAEA Hypothesis (Green Egg)" "bos544.htm"}
The Gaea Thesis
IN order the understand the nature of the All-Mother, we must first
understand our own origins. Each of began our individual life as a single,
fertilized cell or zygote. In the processs of its innumerable divisions
and multiplications, that cell kept dividing up and redistributing the very
same protoplasm. That protoplasm which now courses through all of the
several trillion cells of your adult body is the very same substance which
once coursed through the bosy of that original zygote. For when a cell
reproduces, the mother cell does not remain intact, but actually becomes
the two new daughter cells. ANd this is why, no matter how many times a
cell fissions in the process of embryological development, all the daughter
cells collectively continue to compprise but one single organism.
We may imagine that, should our cells have consciousness akin to our own,
they may very well fancy themselves to be independent entities living and
dying in a world that to them would seem to be merely an inanimate environ-
ment. But we know them to be in fact minute components of the far vaster
living beings that we ourselves are.
Over four billion years ago, life on Earth bega, as do we all, with a
single living cell containing a replicating molecule of DNA. From that
point on that original cell, the first to develop the awesome capacity for
reproduction, divided and redividied and subdivided its protoplasm into the
myriads of plants and animals, including ourselvs, which now inhabit this
third planet from the Sun.
But no matter how many times a cell fissions in the process of embryolog-
ical development, all the daughter cells collectively continue to comprise
but one single organism. ALl life on Earth comprises the body of single
vast living being -- Mother Earth Herself. The Moon is Her radiant heart,
and in the tides beat the pulse of Her blood. That protoplasm which
coursed through the body of that first primeval ancestral cell is the very
protoplasm which now courses through every cell of every living organism,
plant or animal,of our planet. And the soul of our planetary biosphere is
She whom we call Goddess/
"First life on my sources
First drifted and swam
Out of me are the forces
Which save it or damn
Out of man and woman
and wild-beast and bird
BOOK OF SHADOWS
VOLUME The SIXTH
pp. 2400 -2856
RIDERS OF THE CRYSTAL WIND
.............................................................................
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{file "A Greek System of Chakras" "bos545.htm"}
The Parts of the Soul
A Greek System of Chakras
(first draft)
by John Opsopaus
Introduction
This essay resulted from an attempt to find a Greek system of "energy
centers" corresponding to the chakras of Eastern philosophy. Such a
correspondence would help illuminate Greek mysticism and reveal some of
the foundations of the Western Magical Tradition. This goal might seem
to be a shallow exercise in analogies, but there are reasons to expect
a
substantial correspondence. First, the Eastern and Greek systems evolved
out of a common Indo-European culture, so one would expect genetic
correspondences; these connections were likely maintained over the
millennia, since we know the Middle East mediated continual cultural
transfer with both the West and East. Second, there is a certain degree
of objectivity in the system of chakras, as reflected in the physical
body, which would lead to correspondences even in the absence of
cultural contact. The consequence of these two factors is a significant
uniformity in ideas about the Spirit and its connection to the Body
across the Eurasian continent, and even beyond, as documented, for
example, in Onians's _Origins of European Thought_.
How would we know a Greek system of chakras if we saw it? The standard
I have used is that (1) they should be approximately seven energy
centers; (2) they should be approximately located where the chakras are
located; (3) they should have approximately the same "functions" as the
chakras.
It's worth keeping in mind that the chakra system best known in the
West, with seven chakras, is not the only system; some have more than
fourteen (Eliade, 243-5; Murphy, 156). Therefore, we should not expect
an exact correspondence of number, since certain energy centers might or
might not be counted depending on their strength or the "kind" of energy
they concentrate. Furthermore, different systems differ in their exact
placement of the chakras, so likewise we should not expect an exact
correspondence in a Greek system. Nevertheless, it will be apparent that
the Greek system corresponds closely to the system of seven chakras.
My principal source has been Onians, especially Part I and Part II (chh.
1-7), but the overall structure is described in Plato's account of the
"Parts of the Soul" in the Timaeus (69c-73d), which probably embodies
Pythagorean doctrine. In the following I've numbered the energy centers
from the top down with Roman numerals, since this accords better with
Platonic doctrine; however, the chakras are conventionally numbered from
the bottom up, for which I've (appropriately) used Hindu numbers
(so-called Arabic numbers).
I
The Crown of the head (Gk. koruphe, Lat. vertex). Plato said the humans
stand upright because of the connection between the Heavens and the Soul
in their brains. People with especially great power in their heads were
2401
represented with a nimbus, a halo of flames, around their head (attested
as early as the 3rd cent. BCE in Greece). This center corresponds to
Chakra 7 (at the crown of the head), called Sahasrara, which means
"thousand (-petaled)," an appropriate description of a nimbus.
II
The Brain (Gk. enkephalos, Lat. cerebrum), which contains the psuche
(Gk.) or genios (Lat.). (I use the old Latin spelling "genios" to avoid
confusion with the English "genius." The genios is sometimes called the
anima.) In Homeric times the psuche was taken to be the "Vital Spirit"
or Life Principal (the mind or consciousness was placed in IV, the
chest), corresponding to Skt. asu. The later view, which is found in
Plato and corresponds better to the Eastern system (cf. Skt. atman), is
that the brain is the center of rational thought, the Intellectual
center. In both Homer and Plato the psuche is considered the immortal
part of the Soul. The physical substance corresponding to psuche was
marrow (medulla), especially the cerebrospinal fluid of the brain and
spine, but also in other parts of the body (see below). For this reason
departed souls were thought to appear as snakes, which are all brain and
spine. Scalp and facial hair were considered physical emanations of the
psuche, and so the hair, scalp and chin were considered sacred (hence
the dedication of locks and the touching of the chin or beard in
supplication). This center corresponds to Chakra 6 (at the brow),
called Ajna, which means "authority or command," an appropriate name for
the rational faculty, which Plato said "controls and restrains" the
lower faculties; Onians calls it the Executive function.
III
The Neck (Gk. trachelos, dere; Lat. collum), which Plato called the
"isthmus or boundary" between the Superior, Divine or Immortal Soul and
the Inferior or Mortal Soul. He said that it allows communication
between the two, but prevents the Lower Soul from "polluting" the
Higher. This center corresponds to Chakra 5 (in the throat), called
Visuddha, which means "purgation or purity," that is, "the purging of
the merely animal, physical system" (Campbell, 165).
IV
The Heart and Lungs (Gk. phrenes, Lat. cor), which contain the thumos
(Grk.) or animus (Lat.), which is the Higher part of the Mortal Soul.
In Homeric times the thumos was the Conscious Spirit, the vehicle of
Thought and Feeling (cf. Skt. manas). Later, it was restricted to
feeling, emotion, passion and especially spirit, courage and anger - the
Affective function. This center corresponds to Chakra 4 (at the heart),
called Anahata, which means "not hit" (referring to the mystical sound).
This chakra is associated with prana (Skt.) - vital breath, vital spirit
(Campbell, 164), as are the phrenes with pneuma (Gk.) or spiritus
(Lat.) - breath, spirit. Campbell (164-5) says, "This is the
aspiration, then, of spiritual striving," and "the birth of the
spiritual as opposed to the merely physical life," and likewise the
phrenes are associated with spirit, as opposed to the lower parts, which
are associated with physical needs and desires.
The "little foyer" (the Red Lotus of Eight Petals with the Kalpa Tree)
2402
below the Heart Chakra corresponds to the diaphragm, which Plato called
the "midriff partition" separating the two parts of the Mortal Soul
(associated with Spirit and Desire, respectively).
V
The Belly (Gk. gaster, Lat. abdomen), between the diaphragm and navel,
is the site of the Lower Part of the Mortal Soul, which is the
Appetitive Soul, which we share with the lower animals and plants; its
function is nutrition and it is the source of Desire (both Nutritional
and, by most accounts, Sexual). This center corresponds to Chakra 3 (at
the navel), called Manipura, which means "city of the shining jewel,"
and its function is "aggressive: to conquer, to consume, to turn
everything into oneself" (Campbell, 159-60), which is a good description
of the Appetitive Soul.
VI
The Gonads (Gk. gonades, Lat. genitalia), representing the Procreative
function. The "marrow," the stuff of which psuche or genios was made,
was the Life Essence; Plato says that in it is made "the bonds of life
which unite the Soul with the Body." This marrow or sap is passed down
the spine, concentrated in the gonads, and is the source of the life of
the offspring. In particular, semen was considered a kind of
cerebrospinal sap. This center corresponds to Chakra 2, called
Svadhisthana, which means "her favorite resort," an apt name for "the
cakra of sexuality" (Campbell, 144).
VII
The Sacrum or Holy Bone (Gk. hieron osteon, Lat. os sacrum), that is,
the base of the spine. Because this was a center of concentration of
the Life Force, Middle Eastern people believed that the entire body
could be regenerated from this bone, and Onians (p. 208) conjectures
that its potency may account for "kiss of shame" (osculum infame) of the
Witches and Templars (and perhaps the Cathars and Waldenses). This
center corresponds to Chakra 1, called Muladhara, which means "root
base," which Campbell (p. 144) associates with "hanging on to life" and
a "reactive psyche," so in both cases we have the grossest form of the
Life Force.
Similarly, the Spine was called the Holy Tube (hiera surinx), which
recalls the Sushumna (Spine), which is likewise considered a channel
(nadi). Likewise the Egyptian Ded Pillar, which represents the spine,
was a symbol of Life. I have not, however, found Greeks correspondents
to the Ida and Pingala nadis.
VIII
The above are the "central" energy concentrations of Greek philosophy,
and it is apparent that they correspond closely to the familiar seven
chakras. The Greeks also recognized "peripheral" energy concentrations
in the hands, thighs and knees (which have a large concentration of
"marrow"). This explains the sacrifice of thigh bones, the use of the
hand (especially the right hand) to exercise executive power, and
clasping the knees when beseeching. (The knee - Gk. gonu, Lat. genu -
was especially associated with the Life Force - genios - and with
procreation or "generation"; cf. genital, genetic, gonad, etc.) So far
2403
as I know, corresponding chakras are not recognized in Eastern thought.
As a general rule of thumb, Spirit, of one sort or another, is most
concentrated where the flesh is thinnest (Timaeus 75a), thus, in the
head, chest, sacrum, knees and hands.
Summary
No. English Greek Latin Function Chakra No.
_______________________________________________________________________
I Crown Koruphe Vertex Illumination Sahasrara 7
II Brain Enkephalos Cerebrum Intellection Ajna 6
III Neck Trachelos Collum Purification Visuddha 5
IV Heart/Lungs Phrenes Cor Affection Anahata 4
V Belly Gaster Abdomen Appetition Manipura 3
VI Gonads Gonades Genitalia Procreation Svadhisthana 2
VII Sacrum Hieron Osteon Os Sacrum Basic Life Muladhara 1
References
Campbell, Joseph. (1990). Transformations of Myth Through Time. New
York: Harper & Row.
Eliade, Mircea. (1969). Yoga: Immortality and Freedom, tr. Willard R.
Trask. Bollingen Series LVI. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Mead, G. R. S. (1967). The Doctrine of the Subtle Body in Western
Tradition. Theosophical Publishing House.
Murphy, Michael. (1992). The Future of the Body: Explorations Into
the Further Evolution of Human Nature. New York: Jeremy
Tarcher/Putnam.
Onians, Richard Broxton. (1951). The Origins of European Thought About
the Body, the Mind, the Soul, the World, Time, and Fate. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Poortman, J. J. (1978). Vehicles of Consciousness: The Concept of
Hylic Pluralism. Vols. 1-4. Theosophical Publishing House.
finis
................................................................................
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{file "GREEK LBRP" "bos546.htm"}
RITUS OLYMPICUS PENTAGRAMMOU MINOR AD EXPELLENDUM
(c) 1993, John Opsopaus
Preface
The following is an adaptation of the Lesser Banishing Ritual
of the Pentagram to the Graeco-Roman Tradition, and so it is
called the "Olympic Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram."
Such a "translation" is possible because the LBRP is an
enactment in a Qabalistic framework of certain shamanic
practices that are nearly universal. Once the underlying
shamanic cosmology has been identified, it's relatively
straight-forward to reexpress the ritual in the terms of
another cosmology, such as the Graeco-Roman.
I would welcome criticism of the result, especially from
Qabalists and Ceremonial Magicians. Criticism/correction of
my Latin and Greek composition will also be appreciated.
Finally, I beg readers to forgive the Early Modern English,
which I've used to add dignity to the text.
The Ritual follows in summary form; a separate posting will
contain a fully annotated text. This information should make
clear which aspects of the ritual follow from Ancient
Tradition, which come from more recent Magical Traditions, and
which are a result of my speculation or arbitrary choice; such
information is all too often missing from Neopagan recon-
structions. If anyone knows of a similar adaptation, please
let me know.
Gratias vobis ago,
John Opsopaus
72747.154@compuserve.com
----------------------------------------------------------
Ritus Olympicus
Pentagrammou Minor
ad Expellendum
The Olympic Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
which is
The Traditional Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
Adapted to the Graeco-Roman Tradition
(c)1993, John Opsopaus
I. The Opening Tau Cross
i. Close thine eyes, and by thy breath fan thou the Fire,
which awakeneth the Serpent and the Eagle. Allow thyself to
grow beyond all bounds of space, until the Universe is
2405
within thee. Be thou as a God; be thou as a Goddess.
ij. Draw thou down the Fire of Heaven into thy Heart, and
say:
"From Celestial Fire"
"Ab Igne Caelesti"
"Apo tou Ouraniou Puros"
[)Apo\ tou= )Oura/niou Puros/]
[Suggested gestures for the preceding step: Raise your arms
into a horizontal, cross position, with palms up (in Celestial
Invocation). Bring them together above your head, palm to
palm, and then draw the Celestial Fire down to your heart,
while saying "From Celestial Fire."]
[The words to be spoken by the practitioner are given in
English, Latin and Greek. In an attempt to combine
readability and accuracy, I've given the Greek text two ways,
in a simple but approximate Roman transcription, and in "Beta
code," a standard ASCII representation of Greek including all
the accents, breathings, etc. Beta code transcriptions are
enclosed in square brackets. The Beta code transcriptions
should be reasonably comprehensible with the following
information: ")" and "(" represent smooth and rough
breathing, respectively; "/", "\" and "=" represent acute,
grave and circumflex accents, respectively; "|" is iota
subscript.]
iij. Guide thou the bright Beam downward, until it stirreth
the Subterranean Waters of the Abyss and bringeth Them to
life; and while so doing, say thou:
"To Watery Abyss"
"Ad Aquosum Profundum"
"Eis ten Hudroessan Abusson"
[)Ei\s th\n (Udro/essan )/Abusson]
[Suggested gesture: Keep the palms together and move them
down in front of the groin. Then separate the hands and hold
them to the sides and slightly forward, with palms down (in
Chthonic Invocation).]
iv. Direct thou the beam from thy heart through thy left
shoulder, until it stretcheth to the Moon, and say:
"By Way of Earth"
"Via Terrena"
"Kat' Hodon Chthonion"
[Kat' (Odo\n Xqo/nion]
[Suggested gesture: Raise the left hand up to your chest;
then extend your arm into horizontal position, with the palm
forward.]
v. Direct thou the beam from thy heart through thy right
shoulder, until it stretcheth to the Sun, and say:
"By Way of Air"
"Via Aeria"
"Kat' Hodon Aitherion"
[Kat' (Odo\n )Aiqe/rion]
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[Suggested gesture: Raise the right arm to the chest and then
into a horizontal position, with forward palm.]
vi. Feel thou the Sacred Tau Cross that blazeth inside
thee. Now cross thy arms over thy Heart, and say:
"Abiding always in the Center. So be it!"
"Semper in Medio manens. Esto!" or "Fiat!"
"En Omphaloi aei menon" (masc.) or "menousa" (fem.). "Esto!"
[)En )Omfalw=| a)ei\ me/nwn] (masc.) or [me/nousa] (fem.).
[)/Estw!]
[Suggested gesture: Bring your arms together and cross them
over your chest.]
vij. As thou makest this gesture the Moon and Sun will
stand together above thy head, nor will they ever move from
there. Moon over Sun and Sun over Tau Cross; thou art the
Holy Caduceus. Thou hast become the Center of the World,
for the Cosmic Axis runneth through thy spine; on thy left
standeth the Path of the Moon, and on thy right the Path of
the Sun, above thee shineth the Cosmic Pole, below thee
lieth the Abyss.
viij. Thou standest upon the Sacred Mountain, the World
Navel, under which hideth the Watery Abyss. At thy back
groweth the Tree of Life, which stretcheth over thy head,
the Navel Cord, for the Mountain and Tree are the Cosmic
Pillar, which supporteth the four Quarters of the Heavens.
From Calypso's Cave between the Tree's roots, which
penetrate the Abyss, are the four springs, which flow to the
four Quarters of the World, and they run with water, honey,
milk and wine. Around the World Tree's trunk coileth thrice
and half again the Serpent. In the Cosmic Tree's leaves
percheth the Eagle of Zeus, guarding the Horn of Amalthea,
from which Nectar floweth into the Libation Bowl, the
Bountiful Breast, which overfloweth, raining Nectar on the
World. Ambrosia floweth up the trunk of the Tree from the
Deep. Illumination cometh from Above and Growth cometh from
Below. The World Tree is the Tree of Destiny and Its leaves
are the Book of Fate, for as they fall, so fall to earth the
winged souls of the folk, ever singing in its foliage.
ix. Divine Helen, Leto's Daughter, with large breasts,
liveth in the Bountiful Cosmic Tree, for she is Its Spirit;
and Her Brothers, the Dioskouroi, Sons of Zeus [Dios Kouroi]
the All-Shining [Pamphaes], the Heavenly Twins of Leto,
command the Sacred Paths on either side. For Castor, who
resideth underground, knoweth the Lunar Discipline and
controlleth the Way of Descent, and Polydeuces, who liveth
above, is Master of the Solar Discipline and controlleth the
Way of Ascent.
x. For learn thou this about the Way of Ascent. It is
under the jurisdiction of Zeus, the Sky Shaker, who giveth
fertilizing rain and nourishing sunlight. He holdeth the
Lightning Bolt of Illumination, and His lightning descendeth
from the Sky. The Way of Ascent is to climb Scylla's
Mountain, which riseth into the clouds, nor can its peak
2407
ever be seen. Prometheus or Apollo will show thee the Way.
Thy Helper in this journey is the Horse Pegasos, but also
the Soaring Eagle, Dove and Goose. Then wilt thou break
through the Vault of the Heaven, and going through the
Celestial Pole thou wilt ascend the Heavens. For this is
the Way of Light, the Path by Day, the Sun's Way, the Path
of the Sage.
xi. And learn thou this about the Way of Descent. It is
under the jurisdiction of Poseidon, the Earth Shaker, who
giveth fresh water from springs, but also floods and
earthquakes. He holdeth the Trident of Ecstasy and His
lightning leapeth up from the Earth. The Way of Descent is
by the precipice opposite Scylla's cliff, which is the lower
of the two, and from it groweth the Sacred Fig Tree. Climb
thou down from this Tree to Charybdis, by which thou wilt be
drawn into the Watery Abyss. Circe or Herakles will show
thee the Way past the Dog and Gatekeeper. Thy Helper in
this journey is the Serpent Python, but also the Raging Lion
and Bull. Then wilt thou break through the Vault of the
Abyss and, going down the Well, thou wilt descend through
its levels. For this is the Way of Darkness, the Path by
Night, the Moon's Way, the Path of the Mage.
xij. But the Wise know that the Way Up and the Way Down are
the same, for they are both on the Cosmic Pillar, and
sometimes our task demandeth that we go up it, and sometimes
it demandeth that we go down it. When Duty calleth, we
travel by Day or Night as is the need. Ask thou Hermes for
guidance, for he frequenteth the Navel.
II. Pentagrams of the Quarters
xiij. This is the way thou wilt draw the Shining Pentagrams
that wardeth each Quarter. The first ray goeth from the
lower left to the top, and each ray continueth from the
last. And as thou makest each ray, sing a letter of the
Name of the Pentagram.
xiv(a). In Greek the Pentagram hath the Name HUGIEIA
[U(GI/EIA], which meaneth Soundness or Wholeness, so sing
thou the sounds:
"Huuuuuuu, Gggggggg, Iiiiiiih, Aaaaaay, Aaaaaaah."
xiv(b). In Latin the Pentagram hath the Name SALUS, which
meaneth Soundness or Welfare, so sing thou the sounds:
"Ssssssss, Aaaaaaah, Llllllll, Uuuuuuuu, Ssssssss."
xiv(c). Though in English we label the Pentagram WHOLE or
SOUND, its spoken Name is WHOLENESS, so sing thou the
sounds:
"Hooooooo, Llllllll, Nnnnnnnn, Eeeeeeeh, Ssssssss."
xv. Now go thou to the East and make the Pentagram. As
thou callest:
"Jupiter" or "Zeus"
"Iuppiter"
"Zeus" [Zeu/s]
2408
hurl thou His Thunderbolt through the center of the
Pentagram, and see it fly away to Infinity.
[Iuno / Hera [(/Hra] might also be appropriate for the East
(She is not an Earth Goddess), in which case you should throw
Her Cuckoo-bearing Sceptre, which represents the Celestial
Spirit nesting on the top of the World Tree. (Zeus first came
to Hera in the form of a Cuckoo.)]
xvi. Now with thy Staff forge thou the Fiery Ring, drawing
it from the center of the Eastern Pentagram and stretching
it to the South, where thou wilt make another Pentagram, but
call:
"Vesta" or "Hestia"
"Vesta" [pron. "Westa"]
"Hestia" [(Esti/a]
and throw thou Her Burning Circle.
xvij. Then to the West:
"Neptune" or "Poseidon"
"Neptunus"
"Poseidon" [Poseidw/n]
Hurl thou His Trident.
xviij. Then to the North:
"Ceres" or "Demeter"
"Ceres" [pron. "Keres"]
"Demeter" [Dhmh/thr]
Throw thou Her Torch.
[Pluto / Hades [(/Aidhs] would also be appropriate for the
North, in which case his Helmet of Invisibility should be
projected through the Pentagram. Hades' name may mean "the
Unseen" ["(/Aidhs" < "a) idh/s"].]
xix. Then draw thou the Fiery Ring back to its beginning,
so it burneth on every side. Then will the Barrier expand
above and below until thou art surrounded by the Glowing
Sphere.
[When projecting the Four Weapons through the Pentagrams, the
practitioner might find it helpful to make an appropriate
gesture: as though throwing a dart for Zeus's Keraunos, as
though throwing a frisbee for Hestia's Burning Ring, as though
throwing a javelin for Poseidon's Trident, as though throwing
a knife for Demeter's Torch.]
III. Wards of the Quarters
xx. Now raise again thy arms so thou art the Sacred Tau and,
focusing thine attention before thee (Eastward), say:
"Before, Apollo"
"Ante, Apollo"
"Prosthen, Apollon"
[Pro/sqen, )Apo/llwn]
Apollo will appear before thee in all His Glory, Bow in hand,
facing thee. Then will He turn His back to watch the Eastern
2409
Quarter.
[Mercurius/Hermes [(Ermh=s], with His Caduceus, would also be
appropriate for the East.]
xxi. West: Focusing thine attention behind thee, say:
"Behind, Diana/Artemis"
"Post, Diana"
"Opisthen, Artemis"
[)/Opisqen, )/Artemis]
Artemis will appear with Her Bow. Then will She turn away to
watch the West.
[Venus/Aphrodite [)Afrodi/th], arising from the waves and
holding Her Zona (Girdle), would also be appropriate for the
West.]
xxij. South: Focusing thine attention to thy right, say:
"On the right, Minerva/Athena"
"Dextra, Minerva"
"Epidexia, Athena."
[)Epide/cia, )Aqhna=]
Athena will appear with Her Aegis and Spear, and turn to
watch the South.
[Mars / Ares [)/Arhs] (with Shield and Sword) or Volcanus /
Hephaistos [(/Hfaistos] (with Hammer and Tongs) would also be
appropriate for the South; Mars was also an Italic vegetation
God, and so might be evoked in the North.]
xxiij. North: Focusing thine attention to thy left, say:
"On the left, Bacchus/Dionysos"
"Sinistra, Bacchus"
"Ep' aristera, Dionusos"
[)Ep' a)ristera/, Dio/nusos]
Dionysus will appear with His Thyrsus, and then turn to
watch the North.
[Pan [Pa/n], with His Pipes, would also be appropriate for the
North. Pan may seem an unlikely Ward, but when Athens honored
Him and asked Him to help defend them from the Persians, he
did so (Herodt. VI.105.2-3).]
xxiv. In thy mind, thank all the Wards of the Quarters for
Their protection.
IV. The Macrocosm in the Microcosm
xxv. Spread thy feet apart and assume thou the form of the
Sacred Pentagram, which Pythagoras hath called Hugieia
(Salus, Whole/Sound). When the Pentagram flameth around
thee, say:
"For around flameth the Pentagram."
"Nam circa flagrat Pentagrammon."
"Peri men gar phlegei to Pentagrammon"
[Peri\ me\n ga\r fle/gei to\ Penta/grammon]
2410
[If you prefer "For around flame the Pentagrams," then use:
"Nam circa flagrant Pentagramma"
"Peri men gar phlegousi ta Pentagramma"
[Peri\ me\n ga\r fle/gousi ta\ Penta/gramma]
xxvi. When the Sacred Hexagram shineth within thee, say:
"And within shineth the Six-rayed Star."
"Atque intra lucet Stella Sexradiata."
"Entos de lampei ho Hexaktinotos Aster."
[)Ento\s de\ la/mpei o( E(caktinwto\s )Asth/r.]
[If you prefer your Hexagram shining above rather than within,
then say "super" instead of "intra," or "Huper" [(Upe/r]
instead of "Entos." However, I think it's better to have it
within (see the notes for the reason).]
xxvij. The Pentagram signifieth the Microcosm, and the
Hexagram signifieth the Macrocosm. Thus the Macrocosm
shineth within the Illuminated Microcosm.
V. The Closing Tau Cross
xxviij. Repeat thou the Tau Cross as it was at the beginning.
[The following alternative gestures incorporate the relation
of the elements embodied in the Hexagram: As you recite the
text of the Tau Cross, (1) begin with arms crossed, right over
left, on your chest; (2) raise your right arm to the Celestial
Fire, (3) lower your left arm to the Watery Abyss, (4) let the
Fire draw up the Water to yield Earth, by moving your left arm
up to your chest and out to the left, the Way of Earth; (5)
let the Water draw down the Fire to yield Air, by moving your
right arm down to your chest and out to your right, the Way of
Air; (6) cross your arms over your chest, indicating the
Reconciliation, Union and Balance of the Oppositions (Bivium),
Worlds (Trivium) and Elemental Quarters (Quadrivium). I must
admit, however, that these gestures seem somewhat awkward.]
xxix. Thou hast made for thyself a Sacred Space at the
World's Navel. Ascending on thy Right is the Light Path and
descending on thy Left is the Dark Path, but remember thou
that the Wise One knoweth that the Way Up and the Way Down are
the same and that together they make the one Path of Wisdom.
So must it be.
finis
................................................................................
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{file "The Farmer And The Goddess - A Modern Story Of Rebirth (Kalioppe)" "bos547.htm"}
THE FARMER AND THE GODDESS - A MODERN STORY OF REBIRTH
The night was quiet and peaceful, with only the occasional call of
a whippoorwill to break the tranquil silence. The Moon was an
iridescent ball of silver perched high in the heavens, illuminating
the Earth below. The sky, a lovely shade of midnight blue, was
sparsely speckled with the twinkle of stars. I peered out my
window, enchanted by the beauty of the night. As my eyes wandered,
they came to rest upon the corn field - the corn field that had
broken my very heart.
In the beginning, I had worked patiently and diligently tending the
soil. I tilled it - turning it over and over, so that the new
could surface and the old could rest. I carefully pulled away the
weeds and the remnants of the old crop to make the field ready for
new planting. I fertilized and nurtured it, smoothed and moistened
it. Day after day, I toiled to make it ready. Finally, I plowed
it into even rows and lovingly planted it.
Every day, I tended the seed and watched for new sprouts.
Tenaciously, I ripped the weeds from Earth that would rob the seeds
of the nutrients necessary for their growth. And then one day, I
saw it - a single, solitary sprout that had pushed its way through
the soil! Within the week, the entire field was covered with a
very thin mesh of green, and I felt a joy in my heart that words
cannot describe! The hard work, the aching muscles, and the tender
care with which I had nurtured the field was not in vain - the
Earth which I loved had given birth, and was alive in the greening
of the seed I had sown.
Daily, I worked in the field, delighting in the growth of the corn
- revelling in its freshness - exulting in the part I had played in
its birth. The rains came down, drenching the earth and the roots
grew deep. The sun shone brightly on the young plants and they
grew tall, reaching for the sky. Ears began to form on the stalks,
and all was well with the crop.
But then the drought arrived, and the rains came no more. The sun
still beamed brightly, and the roots moved deeper and deeper into
the Earth in their desperate quest to find water. Alas, there was
not a single drop left with which they could quench their thirst.
The once luxuriant green leaves began to yellow and wither. The
stalks which had stood so proudly against the sky began to shrivel
and crack, and the tender ears, so newly born, dried up in death.
Yes, the corn which I had helped to birth - that which I had loved
so dearly - was gone. Dried up. Dead.
A tear fell from my eye as I stood looking at the field that night,
remembering. A gentle breeze rustled through the old and withered
stalks as I wiped away the tear. And then...I saw something! Or
was it someone? Slowly and silently I crept toward the corn field
to take a better look. I felt my heart beating faster and faster,
as panic began to consume me. After all, it was nearly midnight
and too late for visitors! Whomever was in the field was obviously
up to no good, and I wanted them to leave immediately! My legs
moved faster and faster - more quickly than I had dreamed they were
capable - until I was, indeed, on a dead run! When I reached the
old oak tree that shaded the northern edge of the field, I opened
2412
my mouth to shout my displeasure at the trespasser; however, I fell
silent as my eyes focused on the sight, and my mouth gaped wide.
For there, in the center of the corn field, was a young woman in
white - her hair as gold as the maize - glowing in the shimmering
iridescence of the moonlight!
Questions ravaged my tired brain, as I tried to assess the
situation and size up the intruder. Who was She? What was She
doing there? Surely She knew She was trespassing - and most
certainly She knew that it was illegal! As much as I wished to
call out to Her, I was mesmerized by Her very presence and found
that I could say nothing. Helplessly, I watched as She moved
through the rows of death. She stopped to caress a dry and
withered leaf, and then smiling, held it to her cheek. Gently, She
reached out and wrapped Her arms about the cracked, brown stalk,
hugging it closely to Her breast. She released the stalk and bent
down to look at one of the ears - perfectly formed, but shriveled
in its deathly demise. Quickly, She snapped the ear from its
stalk, tugged away its husk and swiftly moved toward the outside
perimeter of the field.
Holding the ear of corn high above Her golden head, She began to
dance upon the barren Earth. As if in slow motion, She twirled
about the outside edges of the field, as she softly hummed an
unfamiliar tune. Round and round the field She danced, picking up
momentum as She worked Her way toward the center. Louder and
louder She sang, the volume increasing as Her feet flew faster and
continued to spiral toward the center. Within the matter of a few
seconds, She had become a whirling dervish - dancing with such wild
abandon that the kernels of corn were loosed from their cob, flying
helter-skelter across the field! She glistened in the moonlight as
droplets of perspiration formed upon Her body, and in the frenzy of
Her dance, they too, were flung upon the Earth. Her feet and voice
reached the ultimate crescendo at the center of the corn field, and
She fell upon the ground in total exhaustion.
All was silent. The sounds of the nocturnal creatures had been
stilled. All was enveloped in an unnatural hush - as if time
itself, had stopped. She lay on the Earth, unbreathing, unmoving,
immobile - as still as Death, itself! I stared at Her in horror,
the panic which I had forgotten, rushing back into my brain with
full force. Was She alright? Good Heavens! Was She dead??
Finally, I gathered my wits about me, found my feet and rushed
toward the center of the corn field, where She had fallen in
collapse. My heart beating wildly, I reached out to Her - but She
was gone! She had disappeared into the very ether! All that was
left in Her place was a single corn cob, void of its kernels - the
kernels which had flung from their resting place in the midst of
the Lady's spiral dance.
The sun was shining hotly on my face as I rubbed my sleepy eyes
into total alertness. Where was I? This didn't feel like my bed!
What was causing this blinding light? I was soaked to the bone!
Just what the hell was happening here? Cautiously, I opened my
eyes and surveyed my surroundings. To my dismay, I was lying
smack-dab in the middle of the corn field and my head was resting
in a rather large mud puddle. Clenched tightly in my fist, like
some precious jewel in need of protection, was a solitary corn cob.
I scrambled to my feet and tried in desperation to collect my
thoughts. What was I doing here? Had I lost my mind?
And then...I remembered! I remembered the cornfield in the
moonlight - the Lady and the dance. I also remembered how Her
drops of perspiration had dropped to the ground in the frenzy of
Her movements. I looked at my feet and the Earth beneath them.
Joy and wonder rose in my heart. It had rained! Merciful Heavens!
It had rained - the Earth was soaked with moisture - the drought
was over!
Gleefully, I ran through the cornfield, feeling my bare toes dig
into the wet Earth - the same Earth which had been so cracked and
dry and barren just yesterday. I ran in joy. I ran in ecstasy. I
ran in sheer celebration of the soil's return to richness - and
then, I stopped dead in my tracks. Something was amiss. Something
had changed. Something was quite unlike it had been before.
Scanning the field, I realized that it was once again covered with
delicate green mesh of newly sprouting corn! In awe, I reached
down to cradle a newly-formed sprout and as my fingers touched the
verdant green leaf, a feminine voice began to speak:
"You were born of me! You are my child and at death you shall
return to me. Fear not of death, dear one, for within its
realm I shall bring you new life! Just as the corn lives again
- so shall it be with you! For all that falls shall rise
again, and that which dies shall be blessed with the gift of
rebirth - the gift of My love!"
-Kalioppe-
2413
{file "Keeper of Wisdom, The (Kalioppe)" "bos549.htm"}
AUDIENCE WITH THE KEEPER OF WISDOM
I sat on the cobblestone bridge, listening to the ancient song of
the rushing waters in the brook below and contemplating the day's
events. I had awakened this morning with the strange anticipation and
wariness that generally accompanies the prediction of important
occurrences in one's life. All day, I had gone about my usual routine,
waiting and watching for something out of the ordinary - but to no
avail. There had been nothing of signifance...just another normal day
filled with the dull mundanity of household chores, grocery shopping and
bill paying. Nothing more.
I let out a heavy sigh, and turned my attention to the sheep
grazing in the lush meadow. I pondered their lives and wondered if they
2417
ever felt the same anticipation I had experienced this morning. I
smiled at the foolishness of my thoughts, knowing full well that the
creatures of the field were content enough in the simpleness which life
had to offer - ample food and water was all they required. No, the
peaceful flock below couldn't be bothered with such nonsense. Maybe I
should follow their lead and just turn my thoughts to the more mundane
side of life.
Looking down at my feet as they dangled over the rushing water, I
became aware of the myriad of color that was reflected from the setting
sun. Mesmerized by the beauty of the kaleidoscopic dance, I watched
intently as the oranges, reds and purples whirled and twirled with each
other on the surface of the brook. The rich shades of the sunset
gradually faded into pastels and then, the irridescence of shimmering
silver. An owl hooted nearby, jolting me fully back into reality.
Good Goddess! Night had fallen! How long had I been there, lost in the
absurdity of human thought? Obviously much too long, from the looks of
things.
I hurriedly scrambled to my feet, shivering as I gathered my shawl
about my shoulders. The night had turned cool and damp, and the misty
veil of fog was rolling into the valley at a rapid pace. The delicate
breeze of early day had been replaced a heavy west wind, and my hair was
whipping about my face and shoulders. Great! There was going to be a
storm, and here I was - in the middle of nowhere - likely to be caught
in it!
As I neared the end of the bridge, I realized that it was too
late. The fog had settled into a mist so dense and heavy, that I
couldn't see my hand in front of my face. There was no use in searching
for cover, as the visibility factor was nil. Aside from that, it was
quite dangerous to wander blindly through the valley mists - even folks
who knew the valley territory very well knew better than to try it.
Several years earlier, one of the area residents had been caught in the
steamy vapors while in search of a missing lamb, and had been found
hours later - miles from the valley - still wandering about looking for
his home. I cursed under my breath as I settled back onto the bridge to
wait out the fog.
No sooner than I'd gotten situated, the fog began to dissipate
nearly as quickly as it had descended. The wind was still blowing in
fierce gusts, but at least now, I reasoned, I should be able to find my
way home. Without another thought, I hurried across the bridge and onto
the path below. From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the
silvery moonlight reflected on the water. Suddenly, I realized that
something was wrong - genuinely wrong! The brook had ceased to run!
Disbelieving, I rubbed my eyes and looked again. No, I wasn't seeing
things! Despite the heavy winds and the decline of its course, the
surface of the brook hadn't so much as a ripple. Goddess! The surface
was as smooth as glass! Shock! That was it - I must be in shock! I
began to conjure all sorts of excuses as to why my eyes were playing
tricks on me.
But then...it happened! The winds began to blow from all four
directions at once, their forces concentrated at the center of the still
and lifeless brook. A bit of mist was caught up in the forces of the
gale - twirling this way and that, becoming larger in size and stronger
in density - until all at once, the winds were hushed in deathly
2418
silence. There She stood - a beautiful and terrible visage - atop the
glassy water. Robed and Hooded. Dark and black. Faceless. It was
She! The Devourer of Souls. The Keeper of Wisdom. She Who stirred the
Cauldron of Rebirth. The Shapeshifter. I shivered in fear and
anticipation.
From beneath the hood, She gazed upon me with the invisible eyes
that saw all. Silently, She fixed Her eyes on mine and bade me not to
turn away. Deeper and deeper into Her eyes I went. Deeper. Deeper
still. A myriad of jewel-tone colors began to swirl in my very being -
faster, darker, brighter - until I was the color and it was me! I began
to feel ill. I knew I should turn away, but Her strength was such that
I seemed incapable of the slightest movement. Just when I thought I
would faint from terror, there was a tumultuous clap of thunder and I
realized that it was too late. Goddess! My entire being had been
consumed by Hers!
The world began to change around me, and I found myself suddenly
back in time. I witnessed firsthand the Tale of the Taliesin - which
heretofore I had always thought a mere fairytale - and watched in horror
as the Three Drops of Wisdom flew from the Cauldron and spilled onto
Gwion Bach, imbuing him with infinite knowledge. I was taken on the
frenzied chase between Cerridwen and Gwion, and felt my mortal body
contort and twist with every shape that was shifted. As the greyhound,
I tracked the hare who was Gwion. My muscles flexed again, and I dove
into the water as the otter, chasing the salmon who just moments before,
had been the hare. Gwion then took to the sky as a sparrow, and in
flight, I swiftly pursued him as the hawk. I watched knowingly as
Gwion, thinking himself quite safe, smugly turned himself into a single
grain of wheat. And it was I, who in sorrow and pleasure, shifted into
the black hen and supped upon that grain. I felt the swell of pregnancy
and the pains of labor as I delivered the new-born babe. For the very
first time, I began to understand...*really* understand!
Suddenly, I was once again caught up in the rapid whirl of color.
There was a blinding streak of blue-black lightning and after a moment
of excruciating pain, I was hurled forcefully from the essence of the
Goddess and back into my own! So frightening and traumatic was this
experience, I wasn't really sure whether I was alive or dead! I drew a
long breath, blinked my eyes and gingerly flexed my toes. Apparently,
I was allright and everything seemed to be working okay! I quickly
dusted myself off and got to my feet.
We stood looking at each other - I from the bank, and She from her
realm atop the water. Unexpectedly, She opened Her hand and held it out
to me. Inside were three drops of liquid, sparkling like diamonds in
the night. She tossed Her hand to the North, and one of the drops
splashed into the water, forming a very large circle - the Circle of
Causes and Necessity. I drank of its earthy waters and tasted the
poignant flavor of lessons learned, as pieces of my life flashed before
my eyes.
She cast a second drop to the West, and a smaller circle appeared:
The Circle of Blessedness. As I carefully sipped of its waters, my
spirit left my body and for a split second, stood on the water facing
the Wisdom Keeper before re-entering its physical realm.
The third drop, She flung cautiously to the East. From it, too,
2419
a circle materialized - though much smaller than the rest: The Circle of
the Infinite. As I bent to partake of its knowledge, She stopped me
with Her upraised hand. I understood. Gently, I dipped my finger into
the waters, and for a moment saw all the knowlege that is and ever will
be!
At that very moment, She raised Her hands skyward and Her form
shifted into that of a great red dragon. Opening Her arms, She moved
to the South and lovingly gathered all three circles to Her breast. The
winds gusted from all four directions again, their forces centered
toward the spot where She stood. I watched as She twirled furiously in
the wind and in a matter of seconds, She was gone. The winds died
quickly to a gentle breeze. The brook which had been so deathly still,
quickly burst forth with new life. All was as it had been.
It was just after daybreak, and the promise of a new beginning was
well underway. I sat on the cobblestone bridge to contemplate with awe
and wonder the night's events. I felt exhilarated, happy and humbled
all at once! I had been visited by the She, The Stirrer of the
Cauldron. I had been devoured and rebirthed again from Her body! I was
newly alive with the mysteries she had unfolded to me! I finally
understood! I jumped up from my seat and blew a kiss to the Triple
Goddess in thanksgiving, then happily skipped across the bridge.
As I neared the path toward home, the sheep were being let into
the meadow for their morning repast. One of them had strayed from the
flock and seemed to be coming in my direction. I walked toward him in
an effort to herd him back to the others, and as I grew near, he raised
his head and looked at me. Stroking him gently, I looked into his eyes
and saw a strange look - an odd look - a look of anticipation and
wariness.
-Kalioppe-
................................................................................
2420
{file "Imbolg Ritual (Kalioppe)" "bos550.htm"}
IMBOLG RITUAL
Two women are selected to represent the Maiden and the Crone.
the Priestess will represent the Mother.
The members of the group should bring with them the candles which
they will use for the year for blessing.
The altar is at the Northeast and is covered with a white cloth.
Evergreens are used as decoration. A basket filled with tiny
bundles of straw or wheat rests on the altar [there should be one
bundle for every person participating in the ritual], as well as
two (2) white candles. A black ribbon at least twelve (12)
inches in length is placed in the basket. A single white flower
tied with a white ribbon (to symbolize Bride) and the wand rest
together in front of the altar. Four (4) white candles stand
between the quarter candles. The cauldron is placed at the
South, and a white candle is situated inside. A dark colored
scarf or shawl (for the Crone) and a bouquet of flowers (for the
Maiden) are on the altar, as well as a single white taper (for
the Mother).
Full Circle is cast.
The two women prepare "Bride's Bed." The MAIDEN and the CRONE
pick up the flower and the wand respectively, and take them to
the center of the Circle. They place the flower and the wand
side by side in the center of the Circle, with the heads toward
the altar. They place the altar candles on either side of the
"bed" and light the candles.
The two women and the Priestess stand around the bed and say
together three times:
The Maiden comes to bring us light!
The Winter dies, and all is bright!
The frozen ground shall disappear -
And all shall sprout, for Spring is near!
The Priestess now summons the two women, and the three of them
stand in front of the altar, assuming their Triple-Goddess roles.
The MAIDEN kisses the Priestess (MOTHER) on both cheeks and hands
her a white candle. The CRONE lights the MOTHER's taper. The
CRONE stands to her left. The MAIDEN drapes the shawl over the
CRONE'S head and shoulders. The MAID stands to the MOTHER'S
right and picks up the bouquet of flowers. The PRIESTESS says:
Behold the three-fold Goddess;
Maiden, Mother, and Crone;
She is one - yet She is three
Together and Alone
Summer comes not - without Spring
Without Summer, comes no Winter chill;
Without the Winter, Spring isn't born
The Three, life's cycles, fulfill!
The Charge of the Goddess is then recited. After the recitation
2421
is finished the Priestess says:
Now let us celebrate Imbolc!
The MAIDEN picks up the besom and makes her way SLOWLY deosil
around the inside edges Circle, ritually sweeping it clear of all
that which is old, useless and unnecessary. MOTHER and CRONE
walk behind her in stately procession. While sweeping, the MAID
says:
With this besom filled with power
Sweep away the old and sour
Sweep away the chill of death
As Winter draws its last cold breath
Round, round, round about
Sweep the old and useless out!
The Maiden replaces the besom and the women resume their places
in front of the altar. The MAIDEN picks up the basket of straw
bundles and presents each member of the group with one. The
CRONE goes to the South, kneels before the cauldron and lights
the candle inside. She explains to the group that the bundles of
straw which they have been given are symbolic of Winter and
Death, but also that any negativity with which they are charged
will be burned along with it. A few moments of silence are
allowed so that each person may charge their bundle with their
own negative thoughts, habits and shortcomings. The CRONE then
collects the bundles, walking widdershins. She then ties the
bundles together with the black ribbon, lights the "community
straw man" and places him in the cauldron to burn, saying:
Thus we melt the Winter!
And warm the breath of Spring!
We bid adieu to what is dead,
And greet each living thing.
Thus we banish Winter!
Thus we welcome Spring!
The Rite of Cakes and Wine is appropriate at this time. All
members have libation, sit and relax and visit amongst
themselves.
When libation is finished, the MAIDEN collects candles from the
coveners to be blessed for use during the coming year, placing
them in a basket. The basket is placed on the altar. The
PRIESTESS says:
I bless thee creatures of wax and light
Casting out all negativity
Serve your purpose, flaming bright
Infused with magic, you shall be
Instruments of light and strength
Wick and wax though you may be
I give you life of needed length
To aid in creativity!
In the Names of the Lord and Lady, so mote it be!
2422
The candles are then redistributed to the coven members. The
Priestess says:
As we close this celebration of Imbolg, let each of us find joy
in the power of the returning Sun! As each new day dawns and the
light of day becomes brighter and stronger, remember that your
inner light should burn as brightly. Feel the changes in the
earth around you, as the chill of Winter recedes and all sprouts
in the greeness of fresh, new life. Remember the wonder you felt
as you awakened from Maidenhood to Womanhood - from Boyhood to
Manhood. Relive the joy of that awakening and heal any emotional
scars you may have! Breathe deeply of the harmony of the Earth's
new life and and rejoice in your own!
Dearest Bride, Maiden of all that is fresh and new, we warmly
thank you for attending our Rite of Imbolc. As this Circle is
dissolved, we ask that you guide us in our new beginnings and
inspire us with the fresh creativity that you bring to all life.
Routine dissolution.
Outdoor libation to the Lord and Lady.
-Kalioppe-
812 Courtney
Sikeston, MO 63801
................................................................................
2423
{file "Samhain Ritual (Kalioppe)" "bos551.htm"}
This ritual was written at a time when I did not have a
qualified Priest in my group. However, it may easily be adapted
for those groups in which the Priestess and Priest work
together. It may be just as easily adapted to solitary work.
SAMHAIN RITUAL
Place an apple and pomegranate upon the altar. There should
also be a "planted" pot of earth for each participant - these
may be arranged on the altar as well, if there is ample space.
Instruments of divination may be placed within the Circle
perimeter for use during the ritual if you wish. Arrange the
altar as usual and decorate with Autumn leaves, pumpkins, etc.
The Circle is cast and purified the Circle in the usual manner.
Dancing around the Circle in a shuffle step (deosil), all chant
three times:
The Moon is bright, the Crone is old
The body lifeless - the bones so cold
We all live and pay our dues
To die in ones and threes and twos.
Death, dance and play the harp
Piercing silence in the dark
The Woman's old with withered limbs
Death beckons Her to dance with Him
As She accepts the Dance of Death
The Earth is cooled by ghostly breath
To lie in dormancy once more
To have Her strength and life restored
Go to the Western Quarter and draw an invoking pentagram with
the athame to open the gate. Then evoke the dead by saying:
All ye spirits who walk this night -
Hearken! Hearken to my call!
I bid you in our Circle join!
Enter! Enter - one and all!
Come ye, spirits of the dead:
Be ye spirit of plant or pet
Or human being who still roams!
Into this Circle you are let!
Speak to us of things unknown!
Lend your energies to this rite!
To speed your journey, we have joined
On this sacred Samhain night!
All ye spirits who walk this night -
Hearken! Hearken to my call!
I bid you in our Circle join!
Enter! Enter - one and all!
................................................................................
2424
Bestow blessings upon the dead, saying:
Oh Mighty Pan of the Summerlands:
Guardian of the beloved dead
We pour forth love on those you keep
Safely, in your peaceful stead
We bless those who have walked the path
That someday, we as well, shall rove
We offer peace unto their souls
While resting in your arms, below
Now is the time for divination (Ouija Board, pendulum, cards,
etc.) and communication with those who have gone on before us.
Allow plenty of time for this. [Note: I have found that it is
helpful to have a tape recorder handy within the Circle for
recording any communications that may be "channeled" during this
time. Some people disagree with this suggestion, saying that
the metal of this electronic device causes scattered energies in
the Circle; however, if the recorder has been cleansed and
purified as the rest of the ritual tools, the problem seems to
be resolved.]
When the divinatory processes are completed, the Priestess goes
to the Western Quarter and draw the banishing pentagram, saying:
Blessings be upon thee, oh wondrous Spirits of the
Summerlands. We humbly thank thee for your presence in our
Circle and honor you in celebration this sacred night. We
beseech thee, oh Pan, keeper of the sacred dead, embrace
once again those souls within your keep and hold tightly
to your breast those which have been lost and wandering.
Grant them safe passage to the Summerland, where they may
rest peacefully in your strength until they are refreshed
and reborn again in perfect love. We bid thee all a fond
farewell. So mote it be!
The gate is now closed.
The Priestess goes to the altar and hold up the pomegranate,
saying:
Behold the pomegranate, fruit of Life ...
The athame is plunged into the pomegranate, splitting it open to
display the seeds. She says:
Whose seeds lie in the dormancy of Death!
The Priestess eats one of the seeds, saying:
I Taste the seeds of Death.
The pomegranate is then passed hand to hand through the
participants of the ritual, each eating a seed and saying to the
next person, "Taste the seeds of Death."
The Priestess then holds up the apple, saying:
2425
Behold the apple: fruit of wisdom, fruit of Death...
She then cuts the apple crosswise, saying:
Whose symbolism rewards us with life eternal!
She holds up the apple, displaying the inner pentagram, and
says:
Behold the five-fold star - the promise of rebirth!
Consecrate the fruit and wine. Each person then tastes of the
apple and sips the wine, saying to the next person:
Taste the fruit of rebirth and sip from the cup
of wine of Life.
After libation, the Priestess presents each member of the group
with a small pot of earth, planted with three seeds [preferably
rue or lavendar]. She briefly explains to the group that this
is the season of the seed - it is a time of dormancy, but also a
time of re-generation for growth. Further, as the seed rests in
the earth, they should also take time to rest and re-evaluate
their lives, metaphorically planting only those values which
will enrich and enhance the growth within the Divine Self. She
then instructs them to name the seeds within their pots with
three values they wish to incorporate into their lives, knowing
that as the seeds sprout with new life, their lives will be new,
as well.
After the presentation, all join hands and hold them skyward.
PRIESTESS Thus is the Circle of Rebirth.
All pass from this life through the great god, Pan
But through My love you are all reborn
In the cycles of nature - through the Cosmic Plan.
In living we die - in dying we live
The fruit is first seed, yet seed comes from the
fruit
In the mystery of life and death and rebirth
The Circle turns ever, and I am its root.
ALL RESPOND The Sun conceived in Darkness, cold
In the Shadow of Death, a Life unfolds
A shred of Light begins to burn
From Death comes Life - the Circle turns.
Dismiss Quarters and Dissolve Circle.
PRIESTESS The rite is ended.
ALL Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again!
Outdoor libation to the Lord and Lady, and the spirits of the
dead.
-Kalioppe-
................................................................................
2426
{file "Neo-Pagan Theology (Cyprian)" "bos552.htm"}
A BRIEF ASSESSMENT OF NEOPAGAN THEOLOGY
(As offered by Cyprian at the Pan-Pagan Festival August, 1980
CREATION...
Physicists currently interpret physical creation, that is, the
universe as we know it, as having occurred within a time span o
about three minutes...the "Big Bang." Our physical universe is
thought to have been created with the explosion of a hyper-dense
particle which contained every bit of matter and energy that now
exists in the universe, including the matter which forms our
living bodies as we meet here today. This hyper-dense super
molecule also is thought to have been quite small. Dr. Leon
Friedman, director of the FermiLab near Chicago, has indicated it
may have ben no larger than a basket ball. Into this "ball" was
jammed all matter and all energy in our universe. It remained
there until some creative force, some creative urge, disrupted
the status of this primal "egg" and set into being the universe
as we know it. this event occurred with the so-called "Big
Bang," echoes of which have been detected by scientific
instruments.
Our interpretation of the nature of this creative force or
creative urge is opposed to that of Judeo-Christianity in that we
perceive it as feminine...they see it as masculine. We hold that
pre-creation was feminine and this divergence in concept of first
Things, creation, forever separates our Neopagan world-view from
the Judeo-Christians. Briefly consider this, and you may want to
dwell upon it later, our Goddess, of Her own will, receives Her
consort, the God whom she created, and from Their union our
creation is ever revived and sustained. The Christian reviver
and sustainer, on the other hand, was conceived in a most
singular manner. The omnipotent God sent a neuter third party
messenger, and angel, to announce to a virgin that she was
pregnant with the child, Jesus. So there. Zap! What a
put-down! What revival and sustenance can we find in such a
sterile and asexual concept? Even masculine old Zeus copulated
with human females so at least somebody got some fun out of the
process! What we Neopagans find difficult to understand is why
Judeo-Christianity so vehemently turned its back on sex and not
just sex as a physical act but also sex as a gender,
specifically, sex as a feminine gender.
When we seek to deal with Creation we also must situate our place
as human beings within the totality of Creation. The orthodox
Judeo-Christian view gives humans a special place within
Creation; that is, that we are not part of general creation but a
special creation..."Man was created in the image of God"...and
the rest of creation is our plaything..."Yours is the earth and
everything on it." There is no need to expound upon our
rejection of these two fundamental points: of course we are not
created in any special way, any more than is a rock or a tree or
a raccoon or a galaxy, nor do we have dominion over anything. We
are a part of general creation along with every other particle of
matter in the universe.
I hope you grasp the vast difference this makes; it forever
separates us from the Judeo-Christian heritage and it s a gulf
2427
that cannot be bridged. They must forever consider themselves
special and we must forever consider ourselves general and one
with creation. And it is given to us to look at a grain of sand
and in that grain see the sum total of creation and to see
ourselves as part of it and to gibe thanks for the creative force
of the Goddess and Her consort that sustains this creation.
CHAOS...
With Chaos, as with so many other concepts, we must think on at
least two levels, the physical and the mythical, to come to any
sort of understanding of ourselves and what we really believe
about our place in creation. And it is this belief, this
understanding that is the ultimate determination of how we live
as human beings upon this beautiful Earth. That is what we
Neopagans are trying to do right now: learn to think differently
that Western man has thought in nearly two-thousand years in
order that we may live in a renewed relationship with creation.
It is an exciting adventure.
Before there was form, there was Chaos. We may well suppose
Chaos represents the disordered formlessness of matter and energy
in that initial "Big Bang" of the primordial egg in those first
three minutes when creation began. Mythologically, we see this
formlessness as before the Earth and Sky were separated, as
before the four elements, actually the four states of matter, had
coalesced into their separate forms. The myths speak darkly of
this time, of the births of the Titans, Cyclops and 100-handed
monsters, of a father who devours his own young...what better way
to represent Chaos!
We may assume, too, we have our own dark and personal counterpart
to this primal Chaos. Is it that black win that whips at the
raveled edge o sanity? I believe our ancestors felt far more
keenly than we can understand in this present age a constant fear
that what order they had managed to being to their lives, indeed,
what order they could see in creation around them, would suddenly
collapse and they would be plunged into chaos and madness. Greek
myths are redolent with stories of madness and possession. Even
great Heracles fell victim. It is no wonder, then, the gods of
chaos are said to have been chained beneath the Earth, castrated,
even devoured. But they still live, they still can escape.
Brrr!
And to some degree, escape they have from time to time. How else
can we account for the chaos of war, of a Hitler, a Napoleon, a
Viet Nam?
Modern psychology recognizes the chaotic madness that dwells in
all of us, ever ready to pounce and destroy. We may think of it
as a chained and raging primal demi-god, that psychologists
probably use more scientific language but when that chain snaps,
the result is the same; concentration camps, starvation, and on
and on. History is too full of such dismal lists. There is no
need to go on with a recitation or horrors.
But that does turn us at once to the next topic...the
consideration of evil.
2428
EVIL...
Every religion, great and small, has had to wrestle with the
problem of evil because evil poses a fundamental question: how
can an all-omnipotent god who is all good permit evil to
exist?...and this is whether you interpret evil as some dark
malevolent Satan or whether you see it as death camps, war,
starvation or whatever.
Judeo-Christian theologians have wrestled with the problem of
evil since the very beginnings of the Judeo-Christian faith.
When boiled down, all the more reasonable answers go something
like this: The all-powerful God permits evil to exist so that
man, who is created in God's image, may have a choice between
good and evil. Ultimately, in the Last Days, evil will be
defeated and woe betide those who made the wrong choice! At
first glance this seems satisfactory but we Neopagans cannot
accept it because it sets man apart, as being different from the
rest of creation. This is absolutely contrary to what we
believe. We hold that man is VERY MUCH a natural part of
creation and we have no special place in it. We have no more
choice between good and evil than the stars or a bumblebee.
To the non-Pagan, then, who asks us to explain the existence of
evil we must give a two-fold reply: one, we are not special
creatures so we cannot truly know what evil is or if it even
exists; that which we perceive with our limited faculties as evil
may not be evil at all within the creative scheme. Two, our
three-fold Goddess is possessed of a dark visage, the Hag, which
we no more understand than we do the Lusting Nymph or the Loving
Mother-Creator. The Hag, the Old Woman who lays us out and
prepares our remains for the journey to the Land behind the North
Wind, is no "Satan" but an integral part of the creative process,
which we see as our three-fold Goddess.
If we are pressed hard enough, at the end we must say a Hitler, a
Vietnam war, a starving child are all part of the creative
process although we cannot pretend to know exactly how or why.
We must confess, too, that a statement we simply don't know and
cannot know the nature of evil is easily interpreted as a
cop-out. This is not rue in our case, though, because we do not
believe in special creation, that is, man is not a special
creature molded in the image of the Creator and sharing the
Creator's mind. No, man is simply a part of the overall creative
urge and therefore it is not given to us to know good and evil
anymore than it is to my two cat friends, Buzz and Fang.
But the problem of what we think of as evil is not resolved by
casting it aside with a simplistic explanation we are not given
to know what it is...although we Neo-Pagans, I think, pretty
generally agree this is a true statement. But just because it is
true does not put the question to rest. There is another
approach, however, and this approach to the problem makes a lot
of ultimate sense for us Neo-Pagans.
As stated earlier, the astro-physicists and we agree on the
probable pre-creation existence of a super-molecule or, in
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mythical terms, a "world egg." This egg exploded to create the
universe, Creation, as we know it. If we accept this cosmology,
and it makes sense with our mythos, then we must also accept the
fact there is only a finite amount of matter and energy in
creation. There can be no "new" matter or energy, only matter
and energy that have been recycled. And were not only matter and
energy re-cycled and interchanged then we would run out of matter
and energy and creation would reach a state of status wherein
matter and energy were forever locked in cold sterility. Don't
we, in fact represent this constant play-interplay of matter and
energy as the reviving and renewing union of the Goddess and Her
consort?
Even more germane to our problem of evil; may that which we
perceive so dimly as evil actually be an essential part of this
re-cycling of matter/energy? If so, then we have the key example
of our Wiccan/Neopagan belief in BALANCE. That is, creative
forces must be balanced by destructive forces in order to
preserve the interplay between matter and energy...and we
represent this by the copulation of the Goddess and Her consort.
Perhaps we shouldn't fear our Goddess as Hag nor run in fear when
Pan tosses his horns and roars. Perhaps dimly we can understand
life and death, construction and destruction, the coming together
and the tearing apart, are necessary to sustain Creation.
SIN...
The true nature of sin generally is misunderstood in Western
society and has been for many centuries...one is tempted to
suspect, by design. Sin does not involve right and wrong or good
and bad; these are moral and ethical concepts. Sin concerns
itself with man's deliberate and willful separation from God and
man's disobedience of the Law. The Law is that agreement
established between man and God: "I'll do this if you'll do
that." Although all the major religions and even the so-called
primitive religions deal with concepts which my be equated with
sin, only Christianity has developed sin to a fine art...indeed,
it may be the single pivotal idea which not only separates
Christianity from our Paganism but also from the rest of the
religious world. Obviously, the "sin and guilt" trip has paid
pretty good dividends within the Judeo-Christian heritage. But
these dividends have been garnered at a terrible, terrible price.
We Wiccans and Neopagans may be almost alone in rejecting the
concept of sin. Yet, we must reject it if we are to follow
logically our view of creation and our place in it. Put it
together this way; can a tree sin? no, it can only be a tree; can
your cat sin? no, he can only be a cat; can a human sin? no, he
can only be a human. In other words, none of us can be wither
more or less than our creation. Now, remember what we said about
general creation. If we accept this idea of general creation,
that we are no different from the other life around us, then we
are just as incapable of true sin as the tree or the cat, we can
only be what we are...human. To accept the idea of sin means you
must also accept the idea of special creation, that our human
race is somehow special and god-like and therefore is capable of
sin, and if you think so then you are in the wrong pew.
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It seems almost blasphemous to me to think our Goddess would in
some way create us flawed and imperfect...creatures somehow able
to deny our own creation...did She create the tree imperfect, or
your cat? Then why should we be??? We are created as humans to
be humans and we should find joy in that fact, not sin.
This is the great freedom of Wicca and Neopaganism; that we are
free of sin and its guilt trip...that we are left with the
admonition that all joy, all mirth, all pleasure are our Goddess'
rites.
Fully stated, our Rede declares, "An' it harm none, do what thou
wilt shall be the whole of the Law."
Law, in this usage and as we've mentioned, refers to the
relationship between Man and god and this Rede, then, is in total
keeping with our contention that man is not special creation but
has just the same relationship to divinity as does any other part
of creation.
If you have trouble dealing with this, then you are confusing sin
and ethics. And ethics is our next topic.
ETHICS...
Unlike sin, which is a religious concept and which may be
considered as a constant from one age to another...that is,
willful separation from God must be the same for any time and
place...ethics involve a moral choice between what is deemed
right and wrong and with this we come to the realization that
which is right in one time and one society, is wrong in another.
Thus, the moral and ethical standards of, say, 18th century
England and 20th century America hardly are congruent despite a
common heritage.
But it is at exactly this point that we Wiccan/Neopagans have
introduced a novel idea: a moral and ethical constant:
"Eight words the wiccan Rede fulfill; An' it harm none, do what
ye will."
Now, you and I are fully aware that outsiders first learning of
our Rede smirk behind their hands and conjure in their minds all
sorts of images or orgies and such. Well, I've been a Crafter
for thirty years and more, and I've yet to attend a Craft orgy.
so, if any of you are planning on throwing one, I wish you'd
invite me, and do hurry before I get too old to enjoy it!
All of which is by way of saying the Rede is widely
misunderstood. It simply sounds too much like an unbridled
license for hedonism. Of course it is not. But to seek its true
meaning we must first go back a few centuries.
the earliest known literary reference to our Rede, "Do what ye
will," appears in that marvelous Renaissance satire, Gargantua,
written by the French doctor-monk, Francios Rabelais, in 1534.
In Book I, a certain monk is very helpful to Gargantua in winning
a battle and Gargantua offers him several rich abbeys as reward
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but the monk rebukes Gargantua, saying, "For how shall I be able
to rule over others that have not full power and command over
myself?" The monk then asks Gargantua to found an abbey like no
other and thus is established the Abbaye de Theleme and the rule
of the order is, "Fay ce que voudras"...Do what thou wilt. And
this is no libertine license but it is an essential and
straightforward clue to our understanding of the Rede.
The second clue to our Rede occurred during the summer of 1918
when Aleister Crowley painted on the Hudson River cliffs south of
Kingston, New York, this slogan:
EVERY MAN AND WOMAN IS A STAR!
DO WHAT THOU WILT
SHALL BE THE WHOLE OF THE LAW
Crowley, a man of great scholarship and magick, had recognized
the truth expressed in Rabelais and taken it a step further,
which Rabelais could not have dared. (Rabelais' printer was
burned at the stake for heresy.)
Now, keep in min the Law refers to the relationship established
between man and his creation/divinity. All religions have this
relationship spelled out as their Law and this Law usually is
employed to establish the ethical/moral relationship relationship
between men because it is also the ethical/moral relationship
between man and God. One, then, is used to justify the other.
Thus, there was the attempt to trap Jesus between the religious
Law and the moral law but he very handily fielded the question by
answering:
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy
soul, and all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it; thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the
Prophets."
And as Jesus recognized a new Law so Crowley saw in Rabelais'
"Fay ce que voudras" a further interpretation of the Law and he
expressed it in red paint on the Hudson River cliffs.
At this point is is possible, even tempting, to go off on some
very fine semantic nit-picking but that is not our purpose and it
would be counter-productive because we are simplistic
religionists and such goings on would be like trying to determine
how many elementals can dance on the point of an athame and it
would only serve to muddy some already confused thinking.
Instead, let me offer two very broad brush strokes based on the
clues already offered. If these are helpful, then I am more than
rewarded; if they are useful thinking tools, then I am twice
blessed! So here goes:
When Gargantua's helpful monk refused the offer of rich abbeys,
saying, "For how shall I be able to rule over others that have
not full power and command over myself?" he established the first
part of our understanding of the Rede. Unless and until such
time as you are able to exert your own will over yourself, "full
power and command," then our Rede, "Do as ye will," has very
2432
little meaning because you can't truly will anything, and you are
no more than a plaything for every wind that blows. Hardly could
you have rule over others. Thus, the first part of the monk's
statement, "For how shall I be able to rule over others," has
within it the implicit meaning of the first part of our Rede,
"An' it harm none." what the monk is saying here is, "How can I
be responsible for someone else until I can be responsible for
myself?" It would be interesting to further press this
declaration because it stands in contradiction to some classical
Judeo-Christian concepts concerning man's responsibility to God.
And that, no doubt, is the reason Rabelais did not do it.
Remember what happened to his printer!
However, Crowley did press the issue another step. If
self-responsibility is the Law, then Man is responsible for
himself and God is responsible for Himself. So, the interplay
between God and Man suddenly is changed; god must be God and man
must be Man. And now we are back to where we said we were in our
brief discussion of sin...Man can only be man, he can be nothing
else. But he is responsible for that.
I hope all of us see in some way the very deep and even mystical
and certainly always constant ethical demands placed upon us by
our Rede. The Rede is demanding but it yields freedom from the
chronic guilt of the past twenty centuries. And it does not
leave us the luxury of a cop-out, be it God, Satan, Karma, Fate
or a white mule beside a red barn (the mule counts two points).
WORLD VIEW...
In this topic I use the term "World View" to mean how we, as
Neopagans, see the material creation around us. I know I already
have intimated a great deal about this in previous topics but
there is such a fundamental difference between us and the rest of
Western society that I believe we must deal with it more
directly. To do this, we will work from two premises:
1. That Christianity has taught, objectively and subjectively,
material creation somehow is "bad, sinful, evil and corruptive"
as opposed to the so-called pure spiritual creation. that the
Earth, a material creation, is only a way-station toward some
higher spiritual creation, be it heaven or hell, and that this
earthly creation eventually will be destroyed come the
Millenia/Last Judgement as it must be because it is "sinful" and
corruptive of spiritual man.
2. That Neopaganism teaches there is no division between
material and spiritual creation and neither can be considered
inherently good or bad, pure or corruptive. that the Earth is
our home, our only home, and is not some battle ground designed
to determine our future existence in a spiritual heaven or hell.
There are deep-rooted implications behind these two differing
points of view. In the first case, because the material creation
in which we live and are "tested" is somehow inferior and sinful
and is only a way-station en route to a "higher" spiritual
creation then we are free to despise and abuse this material
creation as we see fit. "Yours is the Earth and everything in
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it." Love Canal, then, has a perfectly sound and reasonable
Judeo-Christian premise. However, in the second case, if we, as
part of general creation, abuse our Earth, we are abusing
ourselves, exactly as Love Canal had demonstrated. And we must
at the end finally admit the ecological frustration and fury of
this age is because the whimpering ecologists and the Sierra Club
have no theology to guide them...only guilt. The Judeo-Christian
trip all over again. I'm sure we stand in a much better
position.
But don't make the mistake of thinking planetary plunder is an
invention of the 20th Century and its technology...far from it.
Man has abused his Earth since pre-historic times. Primitive
farming and herding practices are among the most destructive
ecological force know. The stripping of the Mediterranean Basin
is ample proof. So is the collapse of the one great Mayan
civilization and the fact that once heavily forested Scotland was
forced to import timber for the Baltic as early as the Middle
Ages. Indeed, we might well argue the concept of a "sinful"
material creation with its implicit license to ravage had to be
invented to excuse the earthly pillage that had been going on for
several thousand years.
REINCARNATION...
I sometimes refer to reincarnation as "the secret belief" because
any number of Christians have admitted to me they believe in
reincarnation as opposed to orthodox Christian teaching or had
had experiences which can only be interpreted as a reincarnitave
experience. whether these people actually understand what
reincarnation really is may be open to question.
At the outset, then, let's establish the very essential
difference between reincarnation and resurrection, as taught in
Christian doctrine. Resurrection means at some future time, the
Millenia, the Last Judgement, etc. you will be pulled from the
grave intact in your present body and you will be in full
awareness of yourself and your previous earthly life; that is,
you will retain your personal identity. thus, with your present
body and personal identity you may be meaningfully rewarded in
Heaven or amply punished in Hell. Heaven and Hell have no
meaning and no promise or threat unless these conditions of body
and identity are met. What good would it be to punish or reward
a disembodied spirit with no knowledge of what it was being
praised or punished for?
Our concept of reincarnation does not meet either of these
criteria. Reincarnation, unlike resurrection, does not
automatically imply ultimate survival of the physical body and
retention of personal identity. So, any discussion of a Pagan
heaven or hell is simply meaningless.
What reincarnation says is survival of life-energy and
life-energy has no one body and no one identity. One of the best
examples to illustrate this concept of reincarnation is the later
stage of the Osiris-Horus myth. In this myth, Osiris is killed
by Seth but he is reincarnated as the child Horus and, in various
forms, the myth repeats. There is no indication Horus ever
2434
remembers himself as Osiris. thus it is with us, sometimes we
have a sort of "leakage" across this reincarnation insulator and,
with some exceptions, the best we ever get are only
picture-postcard glimpses of our previous life-energies.
ESCHATOLOGY...
Eschatology is only a fancy word for the study of "last
things"...that is, death, the Last Judgement, and so forth. For
us, eschatology must have an entirely different meaning because
we really have no "last things." We are involved in cycles, not
beginnings and endings. As Pagans we must view the entire
continuum of matter, energy, life force and even time itself as
circular. We do not see these things as a piece of string with a
beginning and an ending but as that same piece of string tied
together to form a circle...our Circle...a repeating cyclical
process.
Although definitive physical proof still is lacking, there is a
growing belief among some astronomers and astro-physicists that
the expanding galaxies of our creation will one day stop their
head-long flight and by mutual gravitation slowly and then faster
and faster plunge back together again to form a new primal
super-molecule world egg. From there, it is only reasonable to
assume the creative urge of our Goddess once more will explode
this primordial egg to begin a fresh creation.
And, thus, we have come full circle.
................................................................................
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{file "Pagan Musings (Tony Kelly, Selene Community, Wales,1970)" "bos553.htm"}
PAGAN MUSINGS
[Tony Kelly of the Selene Community in Wales wrote this
piece in l970. It was published in l97l in the British
edition of The Waxing Moon under the title "Pagan Movement."
Under the title "Pagan Musings" it has passed from hand to
hand and group to group all over the United States. Tony
Kelly was one of the founders of the Pagan Movement in the
British Isles, which, with the Pagan Way in the United
States, began as a single group of researchers into ancient
goddess cults. They later divided, agreeing that each
country required a different approach in bringing back
Paganism.]
We're of the old religion, sired of Time, and born of our
beloved Earth Mother. For too long the people have trodden
a stony path that goes only onward beneath a sky that goes
only upwards. The Horned God plays in a lonely glade for
the people are scattered in this barren age and the winds
carry his plaintive notes over deserted heaths and reedy
moors and into the lonely grasses. who know now the ancient
tongue of the Moon? And who speaks still with the Goddess?
The magic of the land of Lirien and the old pagan gods have
withered in the dragons breath; the old ways of magic have
slipped into the well of the past, and only the rocks now
remember what the moon told us long ago, and what we learned
from the trees, and the voices of grasses and the scents of
flowers.
We're pagans and we worship the pagan gods, and among the
people there are witches yet who speak with the moon and
dance with the Horned One. But a witch is a rare pagan in
these days, deep and inscrutable, recognizable only by her
own kind, by the light in her eyes and the love in her
breast, by the magic in her hands and the lilt of her tongue
and by her knowledge of the real. But the wiccan way is one
way. There are many; there are pagans the world over who
worship the Earth Mother and the Sky Father, the Rain God
and the Rainbow Goddess, the Dark One and the Hag on the
mountain, the Moon Goddess and the Little People in the
mists on the other side of the veil. A pagan is one who
worships the goddesses and gods of nature, whether by
observation or by study, whether by love or admiration, or
whether in their sacred rites with the Moon, or the great
festivals of the Sun.
Many suns ago, as the pale dawn of reason crept across the
pagan sky, man grew out of believing in the gods. He has
yet to grow out disbelieving in them. He who splits the
Goddess on an existence-nonexistence dichotomy will earn
himself only paradoxes, for the gods are not so divided and
nor the magic lands of the Brother of Time. Does a mind
exist? Ask her and she will tell you yes, but seek her out,
and she'll elude you. She in in every place, and in no
place, and you'll see her works in all places, but herself
in none. Existence was the second-born from the Mother's
womb and contains neither the first-born, nor the unborn.
Show us your mind, and we'll show you the gods! No matter
2436
that you can't, for we can't show you the gods. But come
with us and the Goddess herself will be our love and the God
will call the tune. But a brass penny for your reason; for
logic is a closed ring, and the child doesn't validate the
Mother, nor the dream the dreamer. And what matter the wars
of opposites to she who has fallen in love with a whirlwind
or to the lover of the arching rainbow.
But tell us of your Goddess as you love her, and the gods
that guide your works, and we'll listen with wonder, for to
do less would be arrogant. but we'll do more, for the heart
of man is aching for memories only half forgotten, and the
Old Ones only half unseen. We'll write the old myths as
they were always written and we'll read them on the rocks
and in the caves and in the deep of the greenwood's shade,
and we'll hear them in the rippling mountain streams and in
the rustling of the leaves, and we'll see them in the storm
clouds, and in the evening mists. We've no wish to create a
new religion for our religion is as old as the hills and
older, and we've no wish to bring differences together.
Differences are like different flowers in a meadow, and we
are all one in the Mother.
What need is there for a pagan movement since our religion
has no teachings and we hear it in the wind and feel it in
the stones and the Moon will dance with us as she will?
There is a need. For long the Divider has been among our
people and the tribes of man are no more. The sons of the
Sky Father have all but conquered nature, but they have
poisoned her breast and the Mother is sad for the
butterflies are dying and the night draws on. A curse on
the conqueror! But not of us, for they curse themselves for
they are nature too. They have stolen our magic and sold it
to the mindbenders and the mindbenders tramp a maze that has
no outlet for they fear the real for the One who guards the
path.
Where are the pagan shrines? And where do the people
gather? Where is the magic made? And where are the Goddess
and the Old Ones? Our shrines are in the fields and on the
mountains, in the stars and in the wind, deep in the
greenwood and on the algal rocks where two streams meet.
but the shrines are deserted, and if we gathered in the arms
of the Moon for our ancient rites to be with our gods as we
were of old, we would be stopped by the dead who now rule
the Mother's land and claim rights of ownership on the
Mother's breast, and make laws of division and frustration
for us. We can no longer gather with our gods in a public
place and the old rites of communion have been driven from
the towns and cities ever deeper into the heath where barely
a handful of heathens have remained to guard the old secrets
and enact the old rites. there is magic in the heath far
from the cold grey society, and there are islands of magic
hidden in the entrails of the metropoles behind closed
doors, but the people are few, and the barriers between us
are formidable. The old religion has become a dark way,
obscure, and hidden in the protective bosom of the night.
Thin fingers turn the pages of a book of shadows while the
2437
sunshine seeks in vain his worshippers in his leafy glades.
Here, then, is the basic reason for a Pagan Movement; we
must create a pagan society wherein everyone shall be free
to worship the goddesses and gods of nature, and the
relationship between a worshipper and her gods shall be
sacred and inviolable, provided only that in her love of her
own gods, she doesn't curse the names of the gods of others.
It's not yet our business to press the law-makers with
undivided endeavour to unmake the laws of repression and,
with the Mother's love, it may never become our business for
the stifling tides of dogmatism are at last already in ebb.
Our first work, and our greatest wish, is to come together,
to be with each other in our tribes for we haven't yet grown
from the Mother's breast to the stature of the gods. We're
of the earth, and sibs to all the children of wild nature,
born long ago in the warm mud of the ocean floor; we were
together then, and we were together in the rain forests long
before that dark day when, beguiled by the pride of the Sky
Father, and forgetful of the Mother's love, we killed her
earlier-born children and impoverished the old genetic pool.
The Red child lives yet in America; the Black Child has not
forsaken the gods; the old Australians are still with their
nature gods; the Old Ones still live deep in the heart of
Mother India, and the White Child has still a foot on the
old wiccan way, but Neanderthaler is no more and her magic
faded as the Lli and the Archan burst their banks and the
ocean flowed in to divide the Isle of Erin from the land of
the White Goddess.
Man looked with one eye on a two-faced god when he reached
for the heavens and scorned the Earth which alone is our
life and our provider and the bosom to which we have ever
returned since the dawn of Time. He who looks only to
reason to plum the unfathomable is a fool, for logic is an
echo already implicit i the question, and it has no voice of
its own; but he is no greater fool than he who scorns logic
or derides its impotence from afar, but fears to engage in
fair combat when he stands on his opponent's threshold.
don't turn your back on Reason, for his thrust is deadly;
but confound him and he'll yield for his code of combat is
honorable. so here is more of the work of the Pagan
Movement. Our lore has become encrusted over the ages with
occult trivia and the empty vapourings of the lost. The
occult arts are in a state of extreme decadence, astrology
is in a state of disrepute and fears to confront the
statistician's sword; alien creeds oust our native arts and,
being as little understood as our own forgotten arts, are
just as futile for their lack of understanding, and more so
for their unfamiliarity. Misunderstanding is rife.
Disbelief is black on every horizon, and vampires abound on
the blood of the credulous. Our work is to reject the
trivial, the irrelevant and the erroneous, and to bring the
lost children of the Earth Mother again into the court of
the Sky Father where reason alone will avail. Belief is the
deceit of the credulous; it has no place in the heart of a
pagan.
2438
But while we are sad for those who are bemused by Reason, we
are deadened by those who see no further than his syllogisms
as he turns the eternal wheel of the Great Tautology. We
were not fashioned in the mathematician's computations, and
we were old when the first alchemist was a child. We have
walked in the magic forest, bewitched in the old Green
Thinks; we have seen the cauldron and the one become many
and the many in the one; we know the Silver Maid of the
moonlight and the sounds of the cloven feet. We have heard
the pipes on the twilight ferns, and we've seen the spells
of the enchantress, and Time be stilled. We've been into
eternal darkness where the Night Mare rides and rode her to
the edge of the Abyss, and beyond, and we know the dark face
of the Rising Sun. spin a spell or words and make a magic
knot; spin it on the magic loom and spin it with the gods.
Say it in the old chant and say it to the Goddess, and in
her name. Say it to a dark well and breathe it on a stone.
There are no signposts on the untrod way, but we'll make our
rituals together and bring them as our gifts to the Goddess
and her God in the great rites. Here, then, is our work in
the Pagan Movement; to make magic in the name of our gods,
to share our magic where the gods would wish it, and to come
together in our ancient festivals of birth, and life, of
death and of change in the old rhythm. We'll print the
rituals that can be shared in the written work; we'll do
all in our power to bring the people together, to teach
those who would learn, and to learn from those who can
teach. We will initiate groups, bring people to groups, and
groups to other groups in our common devotion to the goddess
and gods of nature. We will not storm the secrets of any
coven, nor profane the tools, the magic, and still less, the
gods of another.
We'll collect the myths of the ages, of our people and of
the pagans of other lands, and we'll study the books of the
wise and we'll talk to the very young. And whatever the
pagan needs in her study, or her worship, then it is our
concern, and the Movement's business to do everything
possible to help each other in our worship of the gods we
love.
We are committed with the lone pagan on the seashore, with
he who worships in the fastness of a mountain range or she
who sings the old chant in a lost valley far from the
metalloid road. We are committed with the wanderer, and
equally with the prisoner, disinherited from the Mother's
milk in the darkness of the industrial webs. We are
committed too with the coven, with the circular dance in the
light of the full moon, with the great festivals of the sun,
and with the gatherings of the people. We are committed to
build our temples in the towns and in the wilderness, to buy
the lands and the streams from the landowners and give them
to the Goddess for her children's use, and we'll replant the
greenwood as it was of old for love of the dryad stillness,
and for love of our children's children.
When the streams flow clear and the winds blow pure, and the
sun never more rises unrenowned nor the moon ride in the
2439
skies unloved; when the stones tell of the Horned God and
the greenwood grows deep to call back her own ones, then our
work will be ended and the Pagan Movement will return to the
beloved womb of our old religion, to the nature goddesses
and gods of paganism.
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{file "The Story of The Pit" "bos554.htm"}
---------------------------------------------------------------
The Pit
The Lord looked askance at the Fool, who was busy making faces
behind the Lady's back.
"So, which of your Aspects have you enjoyed the most?" he said.
The Fool looked up, wiggling his ears.
"Stop that!" grinned the Lord, "I'd really like to know!"
"Well.....I suppose that it would be a toss-up between Dionysus,
Tyl Eulenspiegel, and Krishna, I guess. Tyl had a whopping good time,
Dionysus got to be pretty much drunk, mostly, and Krishna had those
sweet little milk-maids......THAT was a good time! But Coyote gets to do
most everything. I guess I like Him the best."
The Lord sat back against a tree, folded His hands, and smiled.
"Yeah, ol' Coyote gets to do everything all right...except catch
the Roadrunner," he said.
"Well," said the Fool, with a lopsided grin, "I guess I'm the
only One of Us that perpetually chases Myself!"
The Lady turned, and, Aspecting the Nymph, dropped a large
grasshopper down the Fool's back. She giggled, and ran off over the
fields of Summerland.
The Lord laughed, pounding His fists on the ground as the Fool
jumped and twisted, trying to reach the insect.
Between whoops of laughter, He said, "Did you ever figure out
what 'Updoc' was?"
"Shaddup!" said the Fool.
---------------------------------------------------------------
The Fool leaned back against the brick wall of the alley and
said, "I'd like to tell you a story. It seems that a man fell into a
deep pit, and couldn't get himself out. He was in a world of hurt, and
pretty unhappy. Pretty soon, a Subjectivist type of person came along
and said, 'I feel for you down there,' but did nothing."
"An Objectivist wandered by next, and said, 'It's logical that
someone would fall down there.' But he just stood around looking too."
"A Pharisee said, 'Only bad people fall into a pit,' and put his
nose in the air and kept walking."
The Fool took a drag from his cigarette and then flipped it
expertly into a nearby puddle. Somewhere in the distance of the city a
siren wailed.
"Then, a mathematician calculated how he fell into the pit. But
all he did was calculate."
"A news reporter wanted the exclusive story on his pit, but was
too busy interviewing everyone in sight to help."
"A fanatic fundamentalist shouted, 'You deserve your pit!'"
"Then a government tax-man asked if he was paying taxes on the
pit."
"A self-pitying person then whined, 'You haven't seen anything
until you've seen MY pit!'"
"Then a Christian Scientist came by, and said, 'Just believe
that you're not in a pit.' But that didn't seem to help." He paused, and
brushed His hair back from His eyes. After looking around that those who
were listening, He continued.
"An optimist said, 'Things could be worse!' But the pessimist
disagreed, and said, 'Things -will- get worse!' "
"A Wiccan said, 'MURPHY! You &*$%^#@,' while a New Ager jumped
into the pit to share the experience." A couple of people laughed at
this, a bit nervously.
"A Baha'i looked over the edge of the pit and said, 'See the pit
2441
as a Spiritual Experience!' while a Moslem murmured that it was God's
Will that he was in the pit."
"A Satanist just laughed at the man in the pit and kept
walking."
"A conspiracist rubbed his hands together in glee, and said,
'-They- threw you into the pit! I -knew- it!'"
"A Jew said, 'Why are we -always- in a pit?' "
"A Communist shouted 'Why are you in the People's Pit without
permission?'"
"An Alcoholic muttered to himself, 'It's not -my- fault you're
in the pit.....' "
"A Liberal said, 'Those Conservatives must have dug this pit!'"
"A Conservative said, 'See where Liberalism has gotten you?' "
"A TV Evangelist came by and promptly took up a collection from
the bystanders."
" Then, several well-meaning people came by, and wanted to help,
but they were too busy arguing whether to throw him a ladder, or a
shovel, or to hire a helicopter with a rope ladder, or to call the fire
department or police to manage to get anything done."
"A well-known radio cult hunter said, between requests for money,
'See! Satan threw you into the pit!'"
"A doper looked blearily at him, and said, a bit incoherently,
'Far out! Got any more pit?'"
"A Hindu said that the man's karma had put him into the pit, and
a television news commentator shouted, 'Man in a pit! Why is the
government responsible?'"
But then, a Good Samaritan came along, looked at the man in the
pit and at all the others standing around pursuing their own agendas,
and said, quietly, 'Here are two shovels. Let's get you out of the
pit.'"
The Fool looked around at His listeners, grinned, and said, "He
that hath ears to hear with, let him hear."
He shoved His hands into his jacket, and walked away thru the
puddles, idly kicking at an empty beer can.
"Pretty good!" said the Lady.
"Maybe," said the Fool, "But not up to the Sermon On The Mount."
"That one -was- one of Your best," She agreed.
"Yeah," He said, "But even then, they ignored most of it. Oh
well. Some of it caught on, at least."
"It takes a while," said the Lord, "But they -are- learning."
"Yes, they are," said the Fool, "But they have a long way to go
yet."
The Lady smiled warmly, and said, "They'll get there."
Thus it was, and so it is, and evermore shall be so!
---------------------------------------------------------------
2442
{file "The Jesus Story" "bos555.htm"}
The Jesus Story
---------------------------------------------------------------
The Lord and the Lady (and the Fool, of course) looked at the
Men and Women, and were not pleased.
"Look at that! They saw Your Sacrifice, and went and elaborated
it into some kind of magic." The Lady spoke disgustedly. "Cutting out
human hearts. Sacrificial Kings. Ritual burnings. Ritual torture. Blood
sacrifices. Cannibalism. Blood, killing and more blood! What -do- they
think they're doing?"
"I agree it's pretty grim," said the Sacred King, "But it does
work, though in a very limited way. So....what can we do about it?"
"I know what We can do, but it will take all of Us," said the
Fool, unsmiling. "Listen up...."
As he began to explain, the faces of all Three grew grimmer and
grimmer, and sad beyond words.
The Fool incarnated as a Child within a Woman, who was the
Mother and the Maiden. He was born in poverty, and laid in a straw bed.
He grew up in a small village in a backwater nation on the edges of a
great Empire. Some, a very few, knew Him and honored Him, seeing Him as
the Child, truly the Child of Promise, but most simply went on with
their lives, unknowing. When He was of age, He turned, and from Child
became Transformer, and He began to teach.
As Transformer, He went out on the dusty roads of the small,
conquered nation, and taught the Way of Love. Love for -all,- not just
some. He taught of the Brotherhood of Man, and of the Fatherhood of the
Lord.
He taught of the Way of Salvation: to love. To love the Diety,
and to love your neighbor, whoever he might be.
He brought a message of hope to the poor, and a warning to the
opressor.
Around Him, He assembled a small band of men and women, and
taught them His Mystery. But one was given a role to play, and the role
was Betrayer.
A man asked, "Teacher, what shall we do when those that hate us
strike us?"
And He answered, "Turn the other cheek, and let them strike you
again. Give them love in return for hate. If you must take up the sword,
then do it in great reluctance, and only after you have stepped aside
time and time again. Remember that I bring you not peace, but a sword,
for this Path will separate you from your families and friends, and your
enemies will persecute you in their ignorance."
"And forgive your enemies, and those who wrong you, that you may
put away your anger and live in love."
Another asked, "Sensei, what of the poor?"
And He answered, "The poor you shall always have with you, but
give them the tools to lift themselves out of their poverty. Clothe and
feed them, but give them the means of independence also."
"But what of the rich, then?" said a wealthy man.
"Give what you have to the poor. give them of clothing, and
food, and, more importantly, of learning, for if you feed a man, then
you have only given him one meal, but if you teach him to feed himself,
then he may eat for a lifetime, and move from the cycle of poverty and
ignorance," He said. "Lay not treasures up for yourself on earth, save
that you give of that treasure to those in need, but rather lay up
treasure in heaven, for it would be easier for a camel to pass thru a
needle's eye than for an avaricious man to leave his earthly treasure
for heaven."
A Doctor asked Him, "Healer, what of the sick?"
"Verily, let them be healed by the knowledge of man, and by
prayer," He answered, "For whatsoever you ask in prayer, if you have
faith even as small as the tiniest grain of mustard seed, what you need
will be granted you. But be wary of what you ask for, for you will get
what you need, and not always what you want."
A woman asked, "Rabbi, what of those that follow other Teach-
ers?"
And He answered, smiling, "There are many rooms in your Father's
2443
house, and many fields in Heaven. And I come again, and yet again, and
as there are many languages of mankind, so are there many Names for
Deity. Rejoice in it, and be glad of the diversity of Deity, and do not
hate those that call the Diety by other names, but rather weigh them by
their deeds."
And one asked of Him, "How should we pray?"
And He answered, saying, "Pray in your own fashion, as you will,
for all prayer is good. But if you wish, pray thusly:"
"Our Father, who is in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom
come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread, and forgive us our errors, as we forgive the errors of
others. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
"And if you feel this prayer should be given to the Mother, then
let it be so."
And a Priest shouted, angrily, "Shall God be then female?"
And He answered, "The Deity is what It will be, not what you
make It into. You see the Diety in your own image; if you are vengeful,
then your God is vengeful. If you are full of hate, then your God is
hateful. But if you have love, then you shall know the Deity's love.
Listen, and be wise."
A child asked, "Father, how shall we know what is right, and
what is wrong?"
And He replied, "Weigh it by it's fruits. If it gives a bad
fruit, then it is wrong, but if the fruit is good, then eat of it and be
happy."
"But Brother, what of a fruit that seems to be good, yet will
poison us slowly?" asked another.
And He answered, "If a man die of it, then it is an evil fruit.
Look you to the past, see the mistakes therein, and learn therefrom. And
beware those who would lead you into error thru their own need of power
over you; leave them to the trap of their own making."
One of the Priests came to Him, a man enmeshed in legalism, and,
thinking to trap Him said, "Teacher, What is the Law?"
And He looked at the Priest and said, "Love God. Love thy
neighbor. All else is commentary, and the Law of Man. Study the holy
books of all faiths, weigh the good and the bad in each, and learn."
And the Priest went away abashed.
And a person came to Him and said, "What of magic?"
"Know that your will is that of a human, and you are not
omniscient. You cannot see all the results of your actions. Therefore
ask 'Not my will, but Thine be done' and leave the ordering of the
MultiVerse to Deity, not to human will," He replied. "Order yourself,
not the MultiVerse."
And two came to Him, and asked, "O Mahatma, We are of the same
sex, and love each other. What shall we do?"
And He looked upon them, and said, "An it harm none, do as you
will. You are all the Children of the Deity, and the Deities' Love for
you is greater than you can imagine."
A policeman asked of Him, "But what of the Laws of Man? If these
Laws of Man conflict with the Law of the Diety, what shall we do then,
Padre?"
And Transformer answered, "Listen and hear. Obey the Laws of
Man, for these Laws have power over your body. But if there is a
man-made law that is not good, then strive to change it, in peace. But
if you cannot change it, then obey it. And, if you must disobey it to
change it, then accept the judgements of Man's Law in good grace until
it is changed. But put not your trust in Rulers, and Kings and Princes,
nor in those that would lead you, be they Priest, Priestess, or any 45
2444
other Office and Position, but weigh their words carefully, that their
words match their deeds, and no hypocrisy enters into them, for as your
leaders you have given them power over you. And always remember that
Man's Law is made for humanity, and not humanity for Man's Law."
And with the policeman was a woman, who had violated the Law of
Man, and had been taken for her crime. She said, "But what of me, Lord?
I am to be stoned by the crowd."
And He picked up a stone from the ground, looked at her, and
said, simply, "Let he who is without mistakes cast the first stone at
you." And He dropped His stone from His hand.
And there was a silence from the crowd, and those with stones in
their hands dropped them guiltily to the ground.
And He said to her, "Learn from your error, go in peace, and
make error no more."
And he said to those that had dropped their stones, and who were
burdened by their guilt, "Be not guilty, for guilt is but a warning from
your conscience. Be you delivered from your hell. Learn from your error,
put it from you, and err no more."
"And equally, if the tree that gives a bad fruit can be taught
to give a good fruit, then do so. But if it persist in giving bad
fruits, then leave it."
And He walked to a nearby hill, and turned to the people, and
spoke thusly:
"Blessed be those who are poor in spirit, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven."
"Blessed be those that mourn, for they shall be comforted."
"Blessed be the meek, for they shall live to inherit the earth,
long after the strong, and the proud, and the warlike have killed each
other in their pride."
"Blessed be those that hunger and thirst after the Truth, for
they shall know it."
"Blessed be the merciful, for they shall have mercy shown unto
them."
"Blessed be the pure in heart, for they shall see the Deity all
the days of their lives and after."
"Blessed be those that make peace among men, for they shall be
called the Children of the Diety."
"Blessed be those that are persecuted for the sake of the Truth,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Blessed be you, when men shall persecute you, and perjure
themselves against you, and lie about you, and say all manner of evil
against you falsely, for your reward is great indeed."
"Let your Light so shine before all humanity, that they may know
the Truth of you, and learn to live in love."
................................................................................
2445
And he placed His hand upon the head of a dog, and said, "Your
Brothers and Sisters in fur are your Brothers and Sisters in truth. They
are in your care, and in your hands. Treat them with kindness, and that
kindness will be returned to you a thousandfold. To those that give
themselves to be eaten by you offer thanks, and be grateful to them for
your sustenance."
"Treat your Mother the earth likewise with kindness, and all the
growing things thereon will sing your praises to the Highest, and you
shall eat and drink of Her fruits, and live in joy and gladness all the
days of your lives. Little children, love one another!"
In truth, there was much more that He taught, and much of it is
written for our study and learning, and the study of His teachings is a
good and worthy thing. But the following of His teachings is a better
thing, for He was who He said He was, and that is also a Great Mystery.
And the Betrayer spoke to Him, and said, "Renounce this Path. It
only leads to destruction. Give over to me, and I will give you
rulership of all the kingdoms of Earth."
And He gazed upon the Betrayer, and spoke, and said, "Get thee
hence, foolish one, for I have no need of earthly treasure, nor earthly
power, for all such is false, and an illusion."
And on the night that He was betrayed, during a Festival that
celebrated the conquered people's deliverance from tyranny, (and to
choose such a time and place is also a Great Mystery and a great lesson)
He took of the Sacred King, the Bread of Life, blessed and broke it, and
gave it to His followers, and said, "This is My body. Do this in
remembrance of Me."
And then he took wine, fruit of the Mother, and blessed it, and
gave it to them also, and said, "This is My blood. Do this in remembr-
ance of Me."
And Transformer was betrayed by the Betrayer, betrayed to the
legalists and the soldiers of the occupying army, accused of sedition
and taken by the Law of Man, and sentenced to die.
And they fastened Him to an instrument of torture, to kill Him
like a common criminal, with cruel jokes.
And He was hung from a Tree.
And, watching, was the Mother, and the Maiden, and the Crone,
and They all three mourned Him.
He turned, and was the Sacred King, and simultaneously the Fool
(and that is a Great Mystery indeed) and, as He died, he said, "It is
finished." And His Blood ran out upon the Earth, and worked a great
magic.
His body was buried in a tomb of rock, and the soldiers of the
occupying army guarded it.
But after three days and three nights, a greater magic was done,
and He took His body again, sitting with the Lord and the Lady, and
showed Himself to His followers, to show them that Death is not to be
feared.
And He said, "You have been bought, and redeemed, and nevermore
shall you make sacrifice of blood, for this is the Final Sacrifice for
all time, for all places, and for all those there are and were, and will
be."
"And fear not Death, for it it but a change in a MultiVerse of
changes; another turning of the wheel on a road all must travel."
And He shall come again, as He has throughout all history,
teaching the Great Truth: that we shall love the Deity, and love our
neighbor, for Love is the heart of the Law, and that Law is Love.
For He is always with us and in us all.
"I don't -ever- want to go through that again!"
The Fool spoke vehemently, thru tears.
"I don't think you'll have to go quite -that- far the next
time," said the Lady. "They'll still play their stupid games with blood,
but not for very much longer."
"I hope not," said the Sacred King, "But do We have to put up
with that Paul fella? He's a bit of a nut-case."
"If you want it to work out right, yes," said the Lady. "He may
be a nut-case, but he'll spread the Word quickly, and, after a time,
they'll get the idea. And from that will come the seed of My future
believers."
"Sorry about that," said the Fool. "I did my best, but in such
a patriarchal society as that one was, I just couldn't make much headway
about You."
"No problem," She said. "They can deny Me all they want to, but
I'm still here."
Thus it was, and so it is, and evermore shall be so!
2446
{file "Sybillyne Tradition of Wicca" "bos556.htm"}
---------------------------------------------------------------
THE SYBILLYNE TRADITION OF WICCA
by Virginia Stewart, M. Ed., TP.
Our tradition is a moderate branch of Dianic Wicca, with
an emphasis on equality, ecology and wo/men's mysteries. The
tradition is open to women and men, over the age of 18, who
have previously identified Wicca as their path. Someone
under legal age must be accompanied by a parent and will not
be initiated until they are of legal age.
(Yes, there is a catch: few people under 21 will have
studied other religions enough to have narrowed it down this
much; therefore, a person without this study must spend at
least a year pursuing comparative religions before they will
be accepted for training.)
The subject matter that each student must master prior
to initiation is wide-ranging and intended to strengthen
knowledge and interest in a number of areas, as well as
increase the student's desire to "get involved" in the
ecological/political issues which are important to them as
individuals. This is not an exclusive tradition; one can be
an initiate of other traditions and still participate. We
have closed rituals only when the participating members
desire it. Our initiation is open to initiates of other
traditions (who would be asked to assist, no one gets to
stand around.)
Sybillynes do not have degrees, unlike Gardnerians; we
have three stages. The Novice (or WIT, coined by one student
-- it means "Witch in Training") is one who is actively
studying, but has not yet been initiated. A Sister or
Brother has been initiated and holds the title of Priestess
or Priest (there is no High Priestess or High Priest.) The
Chronicler is the one in the Coven or Circle who assumes the
responsibility for making phone calls and keeping the Book of
Shadows, but the position carries no authority.
All decisions are reached by consensus, and the rituals
are written and performed by various members of the group on
a voluntary basis (it works, it really does). After a long
period of study, in which one might specialize in a
2447
particular area, one is Ordained as a Priestess or Priest in
that area; for example, one might be a Teaching Priest/ess,
or a Healing Priest/ess.
To become a Novice, one must ask to be taught, then show
a sincere interest in the Craft and a willingness to study
and learn about the various areas presented. One must also
exhibit a willingness to do independent study in areas of
personal interest.
The Course of study is presented in two parts. The
first is lecture/discussion/reading -- after which the novice
must demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the following
areas:
I. Feminism and politics of Dianic craft
A. Gaia and green magic
B. balance of Male/female energies
C. power over vs. power from within
II. Feminist herstory/facts and theory
A. Origins of the Goddess
1. prehistoric evidence
2. early myth (China, Sumer, Ur, India,
Mesopotania, Egypt, Crete)
3. The patriarchal shift --
a. Theories on how it happened
b. How to read around it
i. Greek Myth
ii. Mesopotamia/Sumer
iii. Egypt
c. Modern Approaches -- overcoming
patriarchal repression
d. The God in Dianic Wicca
i. prehistory evidence/belief
ii. Modern approaches
III. Feminist interpretations on the origins of people
A. creation Myths -- world samples
B. "star" myth
C. birth/genetic engineering myth
D. the principles of myth writing
IV. Goddess and Gods in Every Person
A. Manifesting the God/dess in Everyday Life -- theory
B. Archetypal Theory and how it relates to everyday
life
V. Magic and Physics -- Why Everything is Related To
Everything
A. Holographic Universe
B. Gaia as a Living Being
VI. The Goddess and Sexuality
A. Living in our bodies is healthy
B. how patriarchy/Christianity perverted sex
C. healing the wounds of sexual oppression
D. exercises
VII. Beginning Meditation
A. purpose
B. some eventual goals
C. visualization
D. exercises
IX. Psychic gifts
A. How they have been suppressed
B. What they are
2448
C. How to develop them
D. Exercises
X. Festivals
A. The wheel of the Year
B. Women's festivals/men's festivals
C. Creating celebration for everyday life
XI. Ritual tools and aspects
A. Tools
B. Symbols
XII. Creating Ritual
A. The Structure of a ritual
B. Creating Sacred space -- theory
C. Elements of ritual -- possibilities
XIII. Drawing a circle -- demonstration & practice
A. How to form a circle
B. What to do if something goes wrong
C. Group dynamics
Our actual reading list is two double-columned pages,
and takes about a year to get through. This is the short
list, with which one must show a working knowledge.
The Spiral Dance
Dreaming the Dark
Truth or Dare / Starhawk
Holy Book of Women's Mysteries / Z. Budapest
The Holographic Universe / Michael Talbot
The New Inquisition / Robert Anton Wilson
Real Magic / Issac Bonewits
When God Was A Woman
Ancient Mirrors of Womanhood / Merlin Stone
Priestesses / Norma Goodrich
Women's Encyclopedia of Sacred Symbols and
Objects / Barbara Walker
Drawing Down the Moon / Margot Adler
Iron John / Robert Bly
The Hero with A Thousand Faces / Joseph Campbell
The second part of training focuses on ritual and
practice, as no one will be initiated until s/he can write,
perform and understand ritual; work with energy in a SAFE
way, and guide meditations for the others. The following are
the requirements for this level of training, in which one
must demonstrate proficiency.
1. Circle Drawing
2. Healing (different types)
3. Energy Work
4. Journey to Lower World (working with totems)
5. Astral Realms (working with place of power and spirit
guides)
6. 9 Inner Planes
7. Past Life Regression
8. Elements, Tools, and Aspects
2449
9. Women's Mysteries/Men's Mysteries (5 Mysteries)
10. Blessing of Tools
11. Personal Belief Systems
12. Spells and Spellwork
13. Full Ritual (writing and performing without assistance)
Written assignments
1. A 4-10 page paper explaining and analyzing the Wiccan Rede
and how it applies to one's personal life (Ethics are vital)
2. A 5-10 page paper explaining one's personal belief system
(it does not conform to any particular standard, but an
initiate must have one; this is a spiritual tradition).
3. A 5-10 page paper explaining and analyzing the 5 Mysteries
of Wicca with particular attention paid to Wo/man's
mysteries, Chalice and the Descent.
4. A 2-5 page paper explaining the Three-Fold Goddess and Her
Relationship to the Three-Fold God.
5. A 5-10 page paper describing one's personal ethics
6. A Book of Shadows (to be reviewed by Teaching Priestess)
that includes major rituals, meditations, observations and
results of spell work and energy work.
The final requirement for initiation includes the
demonstration of Ritual functions of Maiden/Mother/Crone or
Priest without written assistance; the demonstration of
ritual writing and participation in/ directing the energy in
a circle. Finally, the demonstration through daily life of a
sincere commitment to the Way of the God/dess.
The training period lasts anywhere from twenty-six weeks
to over a year and is dependent on the completion of
requirements, not number of months in training.
A Novice (WIT) will be told that they may request
Initiation when they have completed all requirements to the
satisfaction of the Teaching Priestess. They will be told
once, after that they must ask. Sybillynes do NOT recruit
members.
After Initiation, a Priest/ess may form a Circle (a
loosely organized group that performs ritual together) or a
Coven (a close-knit group with bonds of perfect love and
trust). It is suggested that Circles be formed and allowed
to evolve into Covens.
All Initiates are encouraged to become politically/
ecologically active to whatever degree that they are able.
Each group exists as an independent organization -- the job
of a Teaching Priestess is to make herself unnecessary.
Those who desire control over a coven or absolute authority
within a coven are discouraged from attempting it within this
tradition -- the labrys, our symbol, is sharp for a reason...
We are also interested in tradition sharing, and can be
found in the Hunter's Moon camp at CMA. Inquires can be made
by leaving a message at Celebration! in Austin, or at the
Magic Cauldron in Houston, for Virginia Stewart or Howard
2450
Gerber (sysop of THE WHEEL BBS in Houston).
Merry Meet and Bright Blessings.
---
................................................................................
2451
{file "UEA '93 Main Ritual (Rowan Moonstone)" "bos557.htm"}
MAIN RITUAL, UEA 20TH ANNIVERSARY
This ritual came together in strange ways. We are indebted to
Tony Kelly of Celene Community in Wales who wrote the body of it
in a piece called "Pagan Musings" in 1973, Kenny and Tzipora for
the Wine Blessing, and Thomas Palmer of Denver for the Cakes
Blessing. The Quarters calling and dismissals were written by
Rowan Moonstone and revised by Bristlecone Glen. Devin Storm,
Harper to Bristlecone wrote the God and Goddess Invocations, the
Circle Closing, and the Crone's speech. We learned this
particular version of "We All Come From the Goddess/Hoof and
Horn" with the God verse from the Old Timers from United Earth
Assembly and the Witches' Version of " Amazing Grace" was taught
to us by Margot Adler at the America the Beautiful celebration in
Colorado Springs in July of 1993. All these various parts came
together into one of the most powerful rituals we have ever seen.
We give it back to the community now with love and thanks. It is
our heritage and our future. We give back to the Earth that
which we have been given.
- Bristlecone Glen
Cast:
High Priestess
High Priest
Harper
Grey Man
Crone
Quarters Callers
Props:
Cauldron
Cakes & Wine
Dry Ice
Glow Sticks
Chalice
Basket
Flash Paper
Quarters candles should be set up and lit before Circle. Altar
Candles lit. A cauldron sits in the north. In the cauldron
should be glow sticks to light it from within, a pan of dry ice,
a candle, and the chalice. The Crone sits, cloaked and hooded,
by the Cauldron. The Harper sits in the east, an empty stool
sits beside the Harper.
Cast Circle and purify sacred space as is the custom of your
circle.
Spirits of the East!
Air, Breath of our ancestors
Be with us in this Circle
That we may KNOW we are the children of the Gods.
Spirits of the South!
Fire, Will of our ancestors,
2452
Be with us in this Circle
That we may have the WILL to claim our heritage.
Spirits of the West!
Water, Blood of our ancestors,
Be with us in this Circle
That we may DARE to do the work of the Gods.
Spirits of the North!
Earth, Bones of our ancestors,
Be with us in this Circle
That we may NO LONGER BE SILENT, but may meet as one in love to
do the work of the Old Ones.
HP: Maiden bring Your Flowers
Mother, Bring Your Child
Old One bring your Wisdom
Bright Lady, Cerridwen
We welcome Thee to this Circle in Herne's name.
For we are the blush of Thy silken cheek.
We are the children You hold to Your breast.
We are the Carriers of Your ancient way.
Bright Lady, Cerridwen, Welcome!
HPS: Hunter, bring Your prowess
Warrior, bring your skill.
Father, bring your guidance.
Ancient One, Horned Crown
We welcome Thee to this Circle in Thy Lady's name.
For we are the flight of the arrow from Thy bow.
We are the edge of the sword of Thy honor.
We are the sparks of the flame of Thy love.
Ancient One, Horned Crowned, Welcome!
HPS: We're of the old religion, sired of Time, and born of
our beloved Earth Mother. For too long the people have
trodden a stony path that goes only onward beneath a
sky that goes only upwards.
HP: The Horned God plays in a lonely glade for the people
are scattered in this barren age and the winds carry
his plaintive notes over deserted heaths and reedy
moors and into the lonely grasses.
(Grey Man raps staff on ground comes into center of Circle
unobserved by the HP/S. When he speaks, HP/S should be
startled.)
Grey Man: Who know now the ancient tongue of the Moon? And who
speaks still with the Goddess? The magic of the land
of Lirien and the old pagan gods have withered in the
dragons breath; the old ways of magic have slipped into
the well of the past, and only the rocks now remember
what the moon told us long ago, and what we learned
from the trees, and the voices of grasses and the
scents of flowers.
2453
(HP/S begin to spiral into the center of the Circle to meet the
Grey Man.)
HP: We're pagans and we worship the pagan gods, and among
the people there are witches yet who speak with the
moon and dance with the Horned One.
HPS: But a witch is a rare pagan in these days, deep and
inscrutable, recognizable only by their own kind, by
the light in their eyes and the love in their breasts,
by the magic in their hands and the lilt of their
tongue and by their knowledge of the real.
HP: But the wiccan way is one way. There are many; there
are pagans the world over who worship the Earth Mother
and the Sky Father, the Rain God and the Rainbow
Goddess, the Dark One and the Hag on the mountain, the
Moon Goddess and the little People in the mists on the
other side of the veil.
HPS: A pagan is one who worships the goddesses and gods of
nature, whether by observation or by study, whether by
love or admiration, or whether in their sacred rites
with the Moon, or the great festivals of the Sun.
Grey Man: Many suns ago, as the pale dawn of reason crept across
the pagan sky, man grew out of believing in THE GODS.
Harper: He has yet to grow out of disbelieving in them.
Grey Man: He who splits the Goddess on an existence-nonexistence
dichotomy will earn himself only paradoxes, for the
gods are not so divided and nor the magic lands of the
Brother of Time.
Harper: Does a mind exist?
Grey Man: Ask her and she will tell you yes, but seek her out,
and she'll elude you. She is in every place, and in no
place, and you'll see her works in all places, but
herself in none. Existence was the second-born from
the Mother's womb and contains neither the first-born,
nor the unborn. Show us your mind, and we'll show you
the gods!
Harper: No matter that you can't, for we can't show you the
gods. But come with us and the Goddess herself will
be our love and the God will call the tune.
Grey Man: But a brass penny for your reason; for logic is a
closed ring, and the child doesn't validate the Mother,
nor the dream the dreamer. (Grey Man turns to face the
seated Crone. Speaks almost as if talking to himself)
And what matter the wars of opposites to she who has
fallen in love with a whirlwind or to the lover of the
2454
arching rainbow.
Harper: (To HP/S) But tell us of your Goddess as you love her,
and the gods that guide your works, and we'll listen
with wonder, for to do less would be arrogant. but
we'll do more, for the heart of man is aching for
memories only half forgotten, and the Old Ones only
half unseen.
HP: We'll write the old myths as they were always written
and we'll read them on the rocks and in the caves and
in the deep of the greenwood's shade, and we'll hear
them in the rippling mountain streams and in the
rustling of the leaves, and we'll see them in the storm
clouds, and in the evening mists. We've no wish to
create a new religion for our religion is as old as the
hills and older, and we've no wish to bring differences
together.
Harper: Differences are like different flowers in a meadow, and
we are all one in the Mother.
HPS: What need is there for a pagan movement since our
religion has no teachings and we hear it in the wind
and feel it in the stones and the Moon will dance with
us as she will?
Harper: There is a need. For long the Divider has been among
our people and the tribes of man are no more. The sons
of the Sky Father have all but conquered nature, but
they have poisoned her breast and the Mother is sad for
the butterflies are dying and the night draws on.
Grey Man: A curse on the conqueror!
HP/S: But not of us!
Harper: For they curse themselves for they are nature too.
Grey Man: They have stolen our magic and sold it to the
mindbenders and the mindbenders tramp a maze that has
no outlet for they fear the real for the One who guards
the path. Where are the pagan shrines? And where do
the people gather? Where is the magic made? And where
are the Goddess and the Old Ones?
HP: Our shrines are in the fields and on the mountains, in
the stars and in the wind, deep in the greenwood and on
the algal rocks where two streams meet. But the
shrines are deserted, and if we gathered in the arms of
the Moon for our ancient rites to be with our gods as
we were of old, we would be stopped by the dead who now
rule the Mother's land and claim rights of ownership on
the Mother's breast, and make laws of division and
frustration for us.
2455
HPS: We can no longer gather with our gods in a public place
and the old rites of communion have been driven from
the towns and cities ever deeper into the heath where
barely a handful of heathens have remained to guard the
old secrets and enact the old rites. There is magic in
the heath far from the cold grey society, and there are
islands of magic hidden in the entrails of the
metropolis behind closed doors, but the people are few,
and the barriers between us are formidable.
HP: The old religion has become a dark way, obscure, and
hidden in the protective bosom of the night. Thin
fingers turn the pages of a book of shadows while the
sunshine seeks in vain his worshippers in his leafy
glades.
Harper: Here, then, is the basic reason for a Pagan Movement;
we must create a pagan society wherein everyone shall
be free to worship the goddesses and gods of nature,
and the relationship between a worshipper and their
gods shall be sacred and inviolable, provided only that
in their love of their own gods, they doesn't curse the
names of the gods of others.
HPS: It's not yet our business to press the law-makers with
undivided endeavor to unmake the laws of repression
and, with the Mother's love, it may never become our
business for the stifling tides of dogmatism are at
last already in ebb. Our first work, and our greatest
wish, is to come together, to be with each other in our
tribes for we haven't yet grown from the Mother's
breast to the stature of the gods.
HP: We're of the earth, and sibs to all the children of
wild nature, born long ago in the warm mud of the ocean
floor; we were together then, and we were together in
the rain forests long before that dark day when,
beguiled by the pride of the Sky Father, and forgetful
of the Mother's love, we killed her earlier-born
children and impoverished the old genetic pool.
Grey Man: The Red child lives yet in America; the Black Child has
not forsaken the gods; the old Australians are still
with their nature gods; the Old Ones still live deep in
the heart of Mother India, and the White Child has
still a foot on the old wiccan way, but Neanderthaler
is no more and her magic faded as the Lli and the
Archan burst their banks and the ocean flowed in to
divide the Isle of Erin from the land of the White
Goddess. Man looked with one eye on a two-faced god
when he reached for the heavens and scorned the Earth
which alone is our life and our provider and the bosom
to which we have ever returned since the dawn of Time.
2456
Harper: He who looks only to reason to plum the unfathomable is
a fool, for logic is an echo already implicit in the
question, and it has no voice of its own; but he is no
greater fool than he who scorns logic or derides its
impotence from afar, but fears to engage in fair combat
when he stands on his opponent's threshold. Don't turn
your back on Reason, for his thrust is deadly; but
confound him and he'll yield for his code of combat is
honorable. So here is more of the work of the Pagan
Movement.
HPS: Our lore has become encrusted over the ages with occult
trivia and the empty vapourings of the lost. The
occult arts are in a state of extreme decadence,
astrology is in a state of disrepute and fears to
confront the statistician's sword; alien creeds oust
our native arts and, being as little understood as our
own forgotten arts, are just as futile for their lack
of understanding, and more so for their unfamiliarity.
HP: Misunderstanding is rife. Disbelief is black on every
horizon, and vampires abound on the blood of the
credulous. Our work is to reject the trivial, the
irrelevant and the erroneous, and to bring the lost
children of the Earth Mother again into the court of
the Sky Father where reason alone will avail.
Harper: Belief is the deceit of the credulous; it has no place
in the heart of a pagan.
Grey Man: But while we are sad for those who are bemused by
Reason, we are deadened by those who see no further
than his syllogisms as he turns the eternal wheel of
the Great Tautology.
HP: We were not fashioned in the mathematician's
computations, and we were old when the first alchemist
was a child.
HPS: We have walked in the magic forest, bewitched in the
old Green Things; we have seen the cauldron and the one
become many and the many in the one; we know the Silver
Maid of the moonlight and the sounds of the cloven
feet. We have heard the pipes on the twilight ferns,
and we've seen the spells of the enchantress, and Time
be stilled. We've been into eternal darkness where
the Night Mare rides and rode her to the edge of the
Abyss, and beyond, and we know the dark face of the
Rising Sun.
Harper: Spin a spell or words and make a magic knot; spin it on
the magic loom and spin it with the gods. Say it in
the old chant and say it to the Goddess, and in her
name. Say it to a dark well and breathe it on a
2457
stone.
HP: There are no signposts on the untrod way,
HPS: but we'll make our rituals together and bring them as
our gifts to the Goddess and her God in the great
rites.
(HP/S turn to Circle)
HP: Here, then, is our work in the Pagan Movement; to make
magic in the name of our gods, to share our magic where
the gods would wish it, and to come together in our
ancient festivals of birth, and life, of death and of
change in the old rhythm.
HPS: We'll print the rituals that can be shared in the
written work;
HP: We'll do all in our power to bring the people together,
to teach those who would learn, and to learn from those
who can teach.
HPS: We will initiate groups, bring people to groups, and
groups to other groups in our common devotion to the
goddesses and gods of nature.
HP: We will not storm the secrets of any coven, nor profane
the tools, the magic, and still less, the gods of
another.
HPS: We'll collect the myths of the ages, of our people and
of the pagans of other lands, and we'll study the books
of the wise and we'll talk to the very young.
HP: And whatever the pagan needs in their study, or their
worship, then it is our concern, and the Movement's
business to do everything possible to help each other
in our worship of the gods we love.
HPS: We are committed with the lone pagan on the seashore,
with he who worships in the fastness of a mountain
range or she who sings the old chant in a lost valley
far from the metalloid road.
HP: We are committed with the wanderer, and equally with
the prisoner, disinherited from the Mother's milk in
the darkness of the industrial webs.
HPS: We are committed too with the coven, with the circular
dance in the light of the full moon, with the great
festivals of the sun, and with the gatherings of the
people.
HP: We are committed to build our temples in the towns and
2458
in the wilderness, to buy the lands and the streams
from the landowners and give them to the Goddess for
her children's use, and we'll replant the greenwood as
it was of old for love of the dryad stillness, and for
love of our children's children.
HP/S: This we will do. What will you? (At this point, HP/S
should walk around the Circle and "gather" the pledges
from those in Circle who wish to give them.
Participants should think carefully about what they
wish to pledge before the Gods in this ritual. When
all pledges are gathered, HP/S takes them to the Grey
Man)
HPS: When the streams flow clear and the winds blow pure,
and the sun never more rises unrenowned nor the moon
ride in the skies unloved;
HP: when the stones tell of the Horned God and the
greenwood grows deep to call back her own ones, then
our work will be ended
HP/S: and the Pagan Movement will return to the beloved womb
of our old religion, to the nature goddesses and gods
of paganism. (Grey Man nods, receives the pledges and
palms flash powder unobtrusively. Conducts HP/S to the
Crone. Grey Man opens hands and lets paper fall on
candle. Crone pours hot water on dry ice, stands up,
throws back hood of cape)
Crone: I have heard your call across the mountains. I have
heard your cries within the web of life and I have come
once more. Single is the race, single of men and Gods.
From a single source we both draw breath, but a
difference of power in everything keeps us apart. You
are the children of my heart - the light of my Soul.
And I bring with me the seeds of your ancestors that I
have kept safe for you. Like the cycle of the
seasons, I give them again that you may plant yet
again. Sow the seeds for yourselves , for your
children, and your children's children.
(Crone hands basket of seeds to HP/S. Reaches into the well
again and draws out chalice from cauldron.)
The chalice contains the blood of those who have died
for the crime of being different, the sweat of those
who toiled that the path of the Old Ones might survive,
and the tears of those who thought themselves alone.
The cauldron of the Gods is that of change - of turning
evil to good, death to life. Through the power of the
Cauldron, turn the blood of death to the water of life,
turn the crime of being different to the strength of
being whole. Turn the sweat of toil to the joy of work
well done. Turn the tears of those alone to the tears
2459
of family reunited. The present is the balance between
the past and the future. The power lies within your
heart, within your hands. Do you have the courage?
The choice is his, the choice is hers, the choice is
yours. Can you make a difference? WILL you make a
difference?
(Crone hands chalice to HP/S and wraps cloak around her, sitting
down once more.)
HP/S spiral back out to the Circle.
Chalice blessing:
HP: Be it known that a man is not greater than a woman
HPS: Nor is woman greater than man
HP: For what one lacks
HPS: The other can provide
HP: As the athame is to the male
HPS: So is the cup to the female
HP/S: And when conjoined, they become one in truth. For
there is no greater magick in all the world than that
of love.
Cakes Blessing:
HPS: Be it known that death is not the end of life ...
HP: But the beginning of the cycle of rebirth.
HPS: As grain is touched by death's scythe ...
HP: And passes through fire to be reborn as bread ...
HPS: So are we reborn, passing through death into the next
life.
(High Priest draws Invoking Pentagram over cakes with Athame,
while both say:
HP/S: As the Earth gives its life to strengthen us, so shall
we, in death, strengthen the Earth, for life and death
together are the cycle of rebirth.
HP/S take of cakes and wine and pass the basket and chalice to
quarters callers to take to the Circle.
We all come from the Goddess
And to Her we shall return
Like a drop or rain
Flowing to the ocean
We all come from the Horned One
And to Him we shall return
Like a flash of flame
Ascending to the heavens.
Hoof and Horn
Hoof and Horn
All that dies shall be reborn
Vine and Grain
Vine and Grain
2460
All that falls shall rise again.
(The chant may evolve into others such as the Isis Astarte and
corresponding God chants. Go with the flow. When all in the
Circle have partaken of cakes and wine, the chalice comes back to
the HP and HPS, who take it to the Harper. Harper eats and
drinks, takes cakes and wine to Grey Man. Grey Man eats and
drinks, takes cakes and wine to Crone, who eats, drinks, and
receives seeds and chalice again. Replaces chalice in Cauldron,
covers seeds with cloak. When HPS feels energy has built to a
peak, she calls a halt to it by raising her arms and dropping
them to her sides.)
HP/S: Remember this night. Take the energy that has been
raised here by your sisters and brothers and put it
into your pledges. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
HPS: Hunter, for Your prowess
Warrior, for Your skill
Father for Your Guidance
Ancient One, Horned Crowned,
We thank you and bid you Hail and Farewell!
HP: Maiden, for Your flowers.
Mother, for Your child.
Old One, for Your Wisdom.
Bright Lady, Cerridwen, we thank You
And bid you Hail and Farewell!
Spirits of the North!
Earth, Body of our ancestors.
Go with us from this place
United as heirs of our ancestors.
Spirits of the West!
Water, Blood of our ancestors.
We have the courage to dare to do the work.
Go with us from this place
United as heirs of our ancestors.
Spirits of the South,
Fire, will of our ancestors.
We have the will to do that which we promised
Go with us from this place
United as heirs of our ancestors.
Spirits of the East
Air, breath of our ancestors.
We KNOW that we are the children of the Gods and all one family.
Go with us from this place
United as heirs of our ancestors.
HP draws power back up into the blade of the sword/athame and
earths the power. HP, HPS, Harper, Grey Man and Crone move into
a circle. The next five lines should be shot from person to
person, to form a pentagram:
HPS: The Circle is Open
HP: But not forgotten!
Harper: The Circle is unbroken.
Grey Man: Nothing is forgotten
Crone: The Circle is Free
All: Nothing is ever forgotten
HPS, HP, Harper, Grey Man, and Crone join the larger Circle. HPS
or Harper calls out lines of Amazing Grace to the Circle as all
sing.
Amazing Grace! How sweet the Earth
That formed a Witch like me
I once was burned, now I survive
Was hanged, but now I sing.
Twas grace that drew down the moon
And grace that raised the sea
The magick of the people's will
Will set our Mother free!
Amazing Grace! How sweet the Earth
That formed a Witch like me
I once was burned, but now I thrive
Was hanged but now I sing.
HPS: Blessed Be!
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{file "Covenant of the Goddess, History (Michael Thorn)" "bos558.htm"}
C.O.G. History
By: Michael Thorn
20 Nov 93 12:09
The Covenant of the Goddess is one of the largest and oldest
Wiccan religious organizations with members in North America, Europe and
Australia. Wicca, or Witchcraft is the most popular expression of the
religious movement known as Neo+Paganism, which, according to the
Institute for the Study of American Religion, is the fastest growing
religion in the United States. It practitioners are reviving ancient
Pagan practices and beliefs of pre-Christian Europe and adapting them to
contemporary life. The result is a religion that is both old and new,
both +traditional+ and creative.
Witchcraft is a life-affirming, earth+ and nature-oriented
religion which sees all of life as sacred and interconnected, honors the
natural world as the embodiment of divinity, immanent as well as
transcendent, and experiences the divine as feminine and often as
masculine, as well. Like the spiritual world view and practices of
Native Americans and Taoists, Wiccan spiritual practices are intended to
attune humanity to the natural rhythms and cycles of the universe as a
means of personally experiencing divinity. Rituals, therefore, coincide
with the phases of the moon, the change of the seasons, solstices and
equinoxes and days which fall in between these such as May Day and
Halloween. This calendar of celebrations is referred to as the Wheel of
the Year. Most Witches consider their practice a priest/esshood, akin to
the mystery schools of classical Greece and Rome, involving years of
training and passage through life-transforming initiatory rituals.
All Witches agree on an ethical code known as the Wiccan Rede,
"An it harm none, do what ye will," which honors the freedom of each
2462
individual to do what she or he believes is right, but also recognizes
the profound responsibility that none may be harmed by one+s actions.
In the 1970+s there was a marked rise of interest in Witchcraft
not only in the United States, but throughout the world, reflecting a
growing feminist awareness and global concern for the environment. In
the Spring of 1975, a number of Wiccan elders from diverse traditions,
all sharing the idea of forming a religious organization for all
practitioners of Witchcraft, gathered to draft a "covenant" among
themselves. These representatives also drafted bylaws to administer this
new organization now known as the Covenant of the Goddess. At the 1975
Summer Solstice, the bylaws were ratified by thirteen member congreg-
ations (or covens). The Covenant of the Goddess was incorporated
as a nonprofit religious organization on October 31st, 1975.
The Covenant is an umbrella organization of cooperating
autonomous Witchcraft congregations with the power to confer credentials
on its qualified clergy. It fosters cooperation and mutual support among
Witches and secures for them the legal protections enjoyed by members of
other religions. The Covenant is non+hierarchical and governed by
consensus. Two-thirds of its clergy are women.
The Covenant is coordinated by a national board of directors.
Many of its activities are conducted at the regional level by local
councils. The Covenant holds an annual national conference open to the
Wiccan community, as well as regional conferences, and publishes a
newsletter. In recent years, the Covenant has taken part in spiritual
and educational conferences, interfaith outreach, large public rituals,
environmental activism, community projects and social action, as well as
efforts to correct negative stereotypes and promote accurate media
portrayals. Its clergy perform legal marriages (handfastings), preside
at funerals and other rituals of life-transition, and provide counseling
to Witches including those in the military and in prisons.
The Covenant also provides for the need of it members and their
families with disaster relief, health insurance, Scouting awards,
sponsorship of college and university student groups, and legal
assistance in instances of discrimination. The Covenant+s participation
in the 1993 Parliament of the World+s Religions continues its efforts to
restore the respect due to a legitimate and deeply-rooted religion,
protect and preserve the earth through its public dissemination of its
wisdom and traditions, and participate in dialogue as a contributing
member of the world+s community of faiths.
2463
{file "A Christian Speaks (J.C. Taylor)" "bos559.htm"}
A CHRISTIAN SPEAKS ON THE FAITH AND PATH OF WICCA
by James Clement Taylor
I am a Christian and not a Wiccan. A Christian is one who has been
baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and who has
made a personal, free-will decision to commit himself and all his or her
life to our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Both of these things
are true of me. I am a member of St. Mary's Eastern Orthodox Church,
Calhan, Colorado. In this paper, I am not speaking as agent for any
church, but I am, entirely on my own responsibility, speaking the truth
in love, as we Christians are supposed to do.
A Situation of Strife and Shame:
There are many Christians today who believe that anyone who is not a
Christian is doomed to an eternity of suffering in hell. Any decent
person, believing this, would be compelled to try to save as many people
from this fate as possible. But is this belief correct? Jesus Christ,
having noted the faith and righteousness of a Roman centurion, a Pagan,
proclaimed:
"Assuredly I say to you, I have not found such great faith,
not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come
from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the king-
dom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 8:10-12)
If we accept these words as true, and surely we should, then it is clear
that heaven will contain many who are not Christians, and hell will
contain many who are! Clearly, throughout the Gospels, Jesus Christ
sets forth the criteria for entrance into the kingdom of heaven, and
those criteria include love, kindness, forgiveness, and a refusal to
judge others:
"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly
Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive
men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive
your trespasses." (Matthew 6:14-15)
"For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and
with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to
you." (Matthew 7:2)
"But go and learn what this means: `I desire mercy and not
sacrifice.'" (Matthew 9:13)
"Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and
you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be for-
given." (Luke 6:36-38)
Is it not clear? Anyone who fails in these things, will calling himself
a Christian save him? Anyone who obeys God in these things, will being
unbaptized condemn him? Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me,
`Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the
will of My Father in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)
Yet it is not by good works that we earn our way into heaven, because
there is no way we can earn the free gift of God's mercy and grace,
which alone can save us. But it is clear that it is not by faith, in
the sense of sharing the Christian faith, that we are saved, either.
The faith which saves us is not faith in the goodness of our works, nor
faith that we have the right theology and/or belong to the right church.
Rather, it is faith in God, and in His mercy:
"So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs,
but of God who has mercy." (Romans 9:16)
But the Wiccans, you will say, do not have faith in God. Yet by their
own theology, they certainly do. Those who call them Satan-worshippers
are entirely wrong. They do not worship Satan, or even believe that
2464
Satan exists. Instead, they worship a Goddess and a God whom they
understand as manifestations of a higher and unknown Deity.
Now if you are a Christian, this will sound familiar to you, and it
should. In the Bible we find the following:
"Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said,
`Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are
very religious; for as I was passing through and con-
sidering the objects of your worship, I even found an
altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.
Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing,
Him I proclaim to you" (Acts 17:22-23)
The Wiccans worship the Unknown God, as manifested to them in the form
of a Goddess and a God. Therefore, our Bible tells us they worship the
same God we do; and if they do not know this, we should know it!
For those of us who are unable to simply stand on God's Word, and must
prove to themselves the truth of what it proclaims the holy Apostle John
has given us the method for doing this. You have only to attend any
public Wiccan ceremony, and test the spirits which are there, to see
"whether they are of God" (1 John 4:1). You will find that, while the
power manifested there may be less than what you have experienced as a
Christian, that power is clearly the power of God.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, these people of Wicca have been
terribly slandered by us. They have lost jobs, and homes, and places of
business because we have assured others that they worship Satan, which
they do not. We have persecuted them, and God will hold us accountable
for this, you may be sure, for He has said, "Assuredly I say to you,
inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did
it to Me." (Matthew 25:40)
Let us, from this point onward, repent of our misdeeds and declare that
henceforth we shall obey Christ our God, and not judge others or condemn
them, so that He will not have to judge and condemn us for our sins.
2465
{file "Kill A Tree (Humorous Song)" "bos560.htm"}
KILL A TREE From: Ali Katz
to the tune of "Jingle Bells":
Dashing to the mall in a fleet of rented trucks,
a million hairless apes are out to spend some plastic bucks.
It's Christmas time again -- or maybe World War Three --
and to keep their spirits happy now, they've got to kill a tree.
Oh, kill a tree, kill a tree, kill a tree for Christ.
(Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, accept this sacrifice.)
Kill a tree, kill a tree, kill a tree for Christ,
not sure what we're doing, but it seems to work out nice.
We know we each deserve a ton or two of crap,
but to keep the goodies coming now, we've got to spill some sap,
and string electric lights, and raise the ritual star,
and bribe our friends and families to forget what jerks we are.
And kill a tree ... (etc.)
We always kill a tree. That's always been enough
for videos and GI Joes and all that kiddy stuff.
But Mommy wants a Harley, and Daddy wants a boat;
that's prob'ly gonna cost at least a chicken and a goat.
But kill a tree ... (etc.)
To enhance everyone's holiday cheer, I highly recommend singing this one
at the mall. But depending on where you live, you may want to make sure
you've got a good bail bondsman's number first.
................................................................................
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{file "Lord of The Ants ("filk" by Karl Lembke" "bos561.htm"}
Lord of the Ants
By: Karl Lembke
(tune: "Lord of the Dance")
Well we cleansed with sugar 'cause the salt was gone,
And the color was right though the substance might be wrong,
And when the water dried, it was sticky, my oh me,
It attracted all of the ants, you see,
(chorus)
Ants, ants, all over they shall be,
I am the lord of the ants, you see.
I'll crawl on you, and you'll itch from me,
And you'll dance with ants in your pants, said he.
We have ants in the carpets and we've ants in the drapes,
We have ants in the kitchen dancing galliards on the grapes,
We have ants in the bedroom and what may be more fun,
We have ants in our circles now from sun to sun.
(chorus)
'What to do' cried the priestess, 'what to do' cried the priest,
'All the baits and the sprays haven't helped us in the least,
'The buggers eat it up and it only makes us sick,
'All in all I'd say it is no pic-nic!'
(chorus)
We stood round the fire while the flames lept up high,
With the sound of the sirens wailing up to the sky,
Though the bug bombs exploded it could still have been worse,
At least now we're free of the ant lord's curse!
<scratch, scratch> (spoken: "Oh hell!")
(chorus)
...........Karl
................................................................................
2467
{file "Circles (song, "Anon")" "bos562.htm"}
It's from a Pagan version of the song CIRCLES. I'm not sure who wrote
it - I want to say a group of women in Lansing, Mich. Unfortunately, my
copy says "ANON".
-----------------------------------
I have recieved the following communication about the
authorship of this song (June 2001):
This song was written by Gwendolyn Lee Zak (aka Gwendolyn Zak Moore at
the time) and Ann Cass (verse 5 only). The tune "Windmills" is by Alan
Bell.
Gwen does not object to the nonprofit reprinting of her lyrics,
especially within the pagan community. But we ask that you please add a
copyright notice after this fashion:
Verses 1-4 and Chorus (c) 1979 by Gwendolyn Lee Zak. Used by
permission.
Best wishes,
Michael P. Kube-McDowell
Author of THE QUIET POOLS and STAR WARS: THE BLACK FLEET
-----------------------------------
CIRCLES TUNE: WINDMILLS
(1) In days gone by, when the world was much younger,
Men wondered at Spring, born of Winter's cold knife,
Wondering at the games of the moon and the sunlight,
They saw there the Lady and Lord of all life.
CHORUS: Around and around, and around turns the good Earth,
All things must change as the seasons go by,
we are the children of the Lord and the Lady,
Whose mysteries we know, but will never know why.
(2) In all lands the people were tied to the good Earth,
Plowing and sowing, as the seasons declared,
Waiting to reap of the rich golden harvest,
Knowing her laughter in the joys that we shared.
Chorus.
(3) Through Flanders and Wales and the green lands of Ireland,
in the kingdoms of England and Csotland and Spain,
Circles grew up all along the wild coastlines,
And worked for the land, with the Sun and the rain.
Chorus
(4) Circles for healing, and working the weather,
Circles for knowing the Moon and the Sun,
Circles for thanking the Lord and the Lady,
Circles for dancing the dance never done.
Chorus
(5) And we who reach for the stars in the heavens,
Turning our eyes from the meadows and groves,
Still live in the love of the Lord and the Lady,
The greater the circle, the more the love grows.
Chorus twice.
Blessed be, and keep dancing.
Keipa
................................................................................
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{file "Great Rite (Vivienne West)" "bos563.htm"}
GREAT RITE
by Vivienne West
(For J.M., commemorating Full Moon 30/1/91)
Still is the night, and the clock silent.
Water from somewhere drips,
A breeze moves amongst your hairs.
The Bird, her beak poised, watches
As I caress you, child,
With an absent movement of my hands,
My mind elsewhere.
She of the Silver Wheel
Wheeling in darkness her silver overhead
Watches more than passively
As in Her name I take you and bless you;
And the Dark Hunter,
Jewels in His belt,
Takes you for His own,
Takes me in your flesh
His magical scabbard at His side,
Sword outraised, unutterably distant
Yet manifest here in you...
And I, primal woman and primal queen,
Feel Her powerful darkness stirring
And shouldering me aside within my own flesh
As I call Her forth, She of the sky-castle
Spinning dizzily overhead seen unseen;
And I stand by and watch as the Hunter fills your body
(you, no doubt, standing by and watching)
As the Dark Lady fills my body and clothed in our flesh
They mate
(...but I did not tell you, nor did you ask
that this is the time of my greatest fertility...)
................................................................................
2469
{file "Ishtar, Inanna, & Ancient Astrology (Valkyrie)" "bos564.htm"}
Ishtar, Inanna, & Ancient Astrology
By Valkyrie
Many might be interested in some information that I came across awhile
back that might shed some light on this for you. Some may have seen
part of this already. Someone in a shamanic echo was asking about how
scorpions and spiders were related to each other in dreams, and what
meaning the scorpion had, especially in regards to an earth goddess. I
ran across a reference in one of those 'feminist revisionists'" books
<G> and the statement was made that the Scorpion was found nearly world
wide associated with an old Mother Goddess and the constellation
Scorpio. I think it might provide some of the connections you are
looking for.
So I found a book that wasn't cross-referenced by that author, which is
recognized in its field (astronomical history) and was surprised to find
that it wasn't an exageration.
Richard Hinckley Allen, _Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning_, Dover
Publications, Inc., New York:1963. The book was originally published by
G.E. Stechert in 1899, under the former title: _Star-Names and Their
Meanings_. I consider this a reliable source to balance a perhaps more
"revisionist" view since it was written during a period by an expert who
probably never questioned it theologically and reported facts as facts.
Bear with me, the first part becomes significant as you go along.
pg 360-365.
SCORPIO, or SCORPIUS, the SCORPION,
was the reputed slayer of the Giant, exalted to the skies and now rising
from the horizon as Orion, still in fear of the Scorpion, sinks below
it; although the latter itself was in danger, --Sackville writing in his
Induction to the _Mirror of Magistrates_, in 1565.
Whiles Scorpio, dreading Sagittarius' dart
Whose bow prest bent in flight the string had slipped
Down slid into the ocean flood apart.
Classical authors saw in it the monster that caused the disastrous
runaway of the steeds of Phoebus Apollow when in the inexperienced hands
of Phaethon.
For some centuries before the Christian era it was the largest of the
zodiac figures, forming with the [Greek name] it's Claws, --the
_prosectae chelae_ of Cicero, now our Libra,--a double constellation, as
Ovid wrote:
Porrigit in spatium signorum membra duorum;
and this figuring has been adduced as the strongest proof of Scorpio's
great antiquity, from the belief that only six constellations made up on
the earliest zodiac, of which this extended sign was one.
With the Greeks it universally was [Greek]; Aratos, singularly making
but slight allusion to it, added [Greek]; while another very appropriate
term with Aratos was [Greek], the Great Sign. This reported magnitude
perhaps was due to the mytholgical necessity of greater size for the
slayer of great Orion, in reference to which that author characterized
2470
it as [Greek] 'appearing huger still.'
The Latins occasionally wrote the word _Scorpios_, but usually
_Scorpius_, or Scorpio; while Cicero, Ennius, Manilius, and perhaps
Columella gave the kindred African title Nepa, or Nepas, the first of
which the Alfonsine Tables copy, as did Manilus the Greek adjective,
[G], Walking Backward. Astronomical writers and commentators, down to
comparatively modern times, occasionally mentioned its two division
under the combined title Sorpius cum Chelis; while some representations
even showed the Scales in the creature's Claws.
Grotius said that the Barbarians called the Claws Graffias, and the
Latins, according to Pliny, Forficulae.
In early China it was an important part of the figure of the mighty but
genial Azure Dragon of the EAst and of spring, in later days the
residence of the heavenly Blue Emperor; but in the time of Confucius it
was Ta Who, the Great Fire, a primeval name for its star Antares; and
Shing Kung, a Divine Temple, was applied to the stars of the tail. As
a
member of the early zodiac it was the _Hare_, for which, in the 16th
century, was substituted, from Jesuit teaching, _Tien He_, the Celestial
Scorpion.
Sir William Drummond asserted that in the zodiac which the partriarch
Abraham knew it was an Eagle; and some commentators have located here
the biblical Chambers of the South, Scorpio being directly opposite the
Pleiades on the sphere, both thought to be mentioned in the same passage
of the _Book of Job_ with two other opposed constellations, the Bear and
Orion; but the original usually is considered a reference to the
southern heavens in general. Aben Ezra identified Sorpio, or Antares,
with the K'sil of the Hebrews; although that people generally considered
those stars as a Scorpion, their Akrabh, and, it is claimed, inscribed
it on the banners of Dan as the emblem of the tribe whose founder was 'a
serpent by the way." When thus shown it was as a _crowned Snake_ or
_Basilisk_. A similar figure appeared for it at one period of Egyptian
astronomy; indeed it is thus met with in moder times, for Chatterton,
that precocious poet of the last centruy, plainly worte of the Scorpion
in his line, " The slimy serpent swelters in his course;" and long
before him Spenser had, in the _Faeirie Queen_, " and now in Ocean deepe
Orion flying fast from hissing snake, His flaming head did hasten for to
steepe.
But the Denderah zodiac shows the typical form.
Kircher called the whole constellation [Gk] _Statio Isidis_, the bright
Antares having been at one time a symbol of Isis.
The Arabians knew it as Al Akrab, the Scorpion, from which have
degenerated Alacrab, Alatrab, Alatrap, Hacrab, --Riccioli's Askrab and
Hacerab; and similarly it was the syrians' Akreva. Riccioli gave us
Acrobo _Chaldaeis_, which may be true, but in this Latin word he
probably had reference to the astrologers.
The Persians ahd a Scorpion in their Gherzdum or Kdum, and the Turks, in
their Koirughi, Tailed, and Uzun Koirughi, Long tailed.
The Akkadians called it Girtab, the Seizer, or Stinger, and the Place
2471
where One Bows Down, titles indicative of the creature's dangerous
character, although some early translators of the cuneiform text
rendered it the _Double Sword_. With later dwellers on the Euphrates it
was the symbol of darkness, showing the decline of the sun's power after
the autumnal equinox, then located in it. Always prominent in that
astronomy. Jensen thinks that it was formed there 5000 B.C., and
pictured much as it now is; perhaps also in the semi-human form of two
Scorpion-men, the early circular Altar or Lamp being shown grasped in
the Claws, as the Scales were in illustatoins of the 15th century. In
Babylonia this calendar sign was identified with the eigth month, Arakh
Savna, our October-November.
Early India knew it as Ali, Vicrika, or Vrouchicam, --in Tamil,
Vrishman; but later on Varah Mihira siad Kaurpya, and Al Biruni, Kaurba,
both from the Greek Scorpios. On the Cingalese zodiac it was Ussika.
Dante designated it as Un Secchione, "Formed like a bucket that is all
ablaze; and in the _Purgatorio_ as Il Friddo Animal of our motto, not a
mistaken reference to the creature's nature, but to its rising in the
cold hours of the dawn when he was gazing upon it. Dante's translator
Longfellow has something similar in his own _Poet's Calendar_ for
October: On the frigid Scorpion I ride.
Chaucer wrote of it, in the _Hous of Fame_ as the Scorpioun; his
Anglo-Norman predecessors, Escopiun; and the Anglo-Saxons, Throwend.
Caesisu mistakenly considered it one of the Scorpions of Rehobam; but
Novidius said that it was "the scorpion or serpent whereby Pharaoh, King
of Egypt, was enforced to let the children of Israel depart out of his
country;" of which Hood said "there is no such thing in history." Other
Christians of their day changed its figure to that of the Apostle
Bartholmew; and Weigel, to a Cardinal's Hat.
In some popular books of the present day it is the Kite, which it
resembles as much as a Scorpion.
Its symbol is now given as [Astrological symbol], but in earlier times
the sting of the creature was added, perhaps so showing the feet, tail
and dart; but the similarity in their symbols may indicate that there
has been some intimate connection, now forgotten, between Scorpio and
the formerly adjacent Virgo.
Ampelius assigned to it the care of Africus, the Southwest Wind, a duty
which, he said, Aries and Sagittarius shared; and the weather-wise of
antiquity thought that its setting exerted a malignant influence, and
was accompanied by storms; but the alchemists held it in high regard,
for only when the sun was in this sign could the transmutation of iron
into gold be performed. Astrologers, on the other hand, although they
considered it a fruitful sign, "active and eminent," knew it as the
accursed constellation, the baleful source of war and discord, the
birthplace of the planet mars, and so the House of Mars, the Martis
Sidus of Manilus. But this was located in the sting and tail; the
claws, as [Gk] Jugum, or the Yoke of the Balance, being devoted to
Venus, because this goddess united persons under the yoke of matrimony.
It was supposed to govern the region of the groin in the human body and
to reign over Judaea, Mauritania, Catalonia, Norway, West Silesia, Upper
Batavia, Barbary, Morocco, Valencia, and Messina; the early Manilius
claiming it as the tutelary sign of Carthage, Libya, Egypt, Sardinia,
and other island of the Italian coast. Brown was its assigned color,
2472
and Pliny asserted that the appearance of a comet hre portended a plague
of reptiles and insects, especially of locusts.
Although nominally in the zodiac, the sun actually occupies but nine
days in passing through the two portions that project upwards into
Orhiuchus, so far south of the ecliptic is it; indeed, except for these
projections, it could not be claimed as a member of the zodiac.
Scorpon is famous as the region of the sky where have appeared many of
the brilliant temporary stars, chief among them, perhaps, that of 134
BC., the first in astronmical annals, and the occasion, Pliny siad of
the catalogue of Hipparchos, about 125 BC. The Chinese She Ke confirmed
this appearance by its record of the "strange star" in June of that
year, in the sieu Fang, marked by [.....] and others in Scorpio.
Serviss thinks it conceivable that the strange outburst of these novae
in and near Scorpio may have had some effect in causing this
constellation to be regarded by the ancients as malign in its influence.
But this character may, with at least equal probablity, have come from
the fiery color of its _lucida_, as well as from the history of the
constellation in connection with Orion, and the poisonous attributes of
its earthly namesake.
In southern latitudes Scorpio is magnificently seen in its entirety,
nearly 45 degrees,--Gould catolguing in it 184 naked-eye stars.
Along its northern border, perhaps in Orphiuchus, there was, in very
early days, a constellation, the Fox, taken from the Egyptian sphere of
Petosiris, but we know nothing as to its details.
"Antares" The Ariabians Kalb al Akrab, the Scorpion's Heart, which
probably preceded the [Gk] and Cor Scorpii of Greece and Rome
respectively.
-=*=-
In Buffie Johnson's _Lady of the Beasts_ (Harper, San Francisco, 1981)
pgs 332-335, there are illustrations and photos of statuatary and
pottery which show the representation of the Scorpion Goddess, as
Selket, a woman with the lower torso taking the shape of a scorpion wiht
a raised tail. On her head is the "horned" headdress with the disk
between the horns,the horns and sun disk of Isis. (New Kingdom 1570-332
bce). A Stamp seal showing two scorpions protecting the rosette of the
goddess Inanna, from Sumer, ca 3300 bce, and a statue of Selket wearing
a scorpion on her head, as well as a drawing from Ur, ca 2400 bce
showing the goddess giving birth guarded by scorpions.
In the _Book of the Dead_ seven scorpions accompany Isis, when her son
Horus was bitten by one scorpion of the most deadly species, her
scorpion friends saved her son out of love for her...and bit the son of
a woman who had refused to help, then with her magic, Isis then saved
the bitten boy. (A classic shamanism motif(. Selket is shown as
beneficial when associated with Isis, and it is possible that the
"other" woman is Isis's dark aspect.
Selket symbolizes resurrection into a new life beyond earthly existence.
"Gathering the setting sun into her outstretched arms she becomes the
link between the living and the dead and helps the dead accomodate
themselves to their new land. In another aspect, Selket isunited with
2473
Sirius, as a consequence the star if placed in her crown." (ibid. p.
334) Johnson also compares Chamunda, the scorpion deity of the central
Indian tradition with the other scorpion goddess with the endowment of
poison which indicates her connection with death and rebirth.
"The Scorpion expresses the vital spirit in humans which, transformed,
becomes the divine pneuma. One of its symbols is the scorpion which
stings itself to death (E. A. Wallis Budge, _The Gods of the Egyptians_
vol. 2 (New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1969), 377-78.
"The association between serpent and scorpion, both sudden and dangerous
stingers, appears in the Babylonina and Greek astrological sign of
Scorpio, which corresponds to the Ctyptian sign of the autumn equinox,
the serpent. In esoteric traditions, the scorpion is recognized as a
spiritual insect rhough its gift of self-immolation and rebirth. The
venom of the scorpion is said to contain its own antidote."
the Scorpion as the dual Mother, the one who gave birth to and then
"swallowed" the divine son (sun) is found in Egyptian myth as the
Scorpion which killed Horus, sending him to his midwinter death and
resurrection as his Mother Isis gave him rebirth. Spirits of the four
points of the year were called Sons of Horus and placed as small images
on the pharoah's tombs...a man, bull, lion and scorpion or
serpent...which seem to have become the four angels of the Apocalypse.
Istar, Babylonian, "Star" was the Great Goddess who appears as
Ashtoreth, Anath, Asherah. She was refered to as the Great Whore, and
described in Revelation 17:5 as Babylon the Great, the Mother of
Harlots. Another of her titles was the Goddess Har, who called herself
the compassionate prostitute.
Interestingly enough, in the Voluspa there is mention of the Hall of
Har, where Gullveig was mentioned as being, who was "held up by spears"
and who supposedly started the war between the Vanir and the Aesir by
being attacked in the hall of Har...which is usually translated as
Odin. <G> There might be a better explanation, now that I think of
it... I wonder how I missed that before.
Anyway, Ishtar was also called in Bablyonian prayers: The Light of the
World, Leader of Hosts, Opener of the Womb, Righteous Judge, Lawgiver,
Goddess of Goddesses (Vanadis?), Bestower of Strength, Framer of all
Decrees, Lady of Victory, Forgiver of Sins, among many other 'kennings'.
Other sources suggest Ishtar was the same Great Goddess as Dea Syria,
Astarte, Cybelle, Aphrodite, Kore, Mari, Mari-Ana and others.
Preceding her though were supposedly the Sumerian Goddess Inanna, who
rescued and/or gave birth to Dumuzi her sacred son/lover just as Ishtar
did with Tammuz. Correlating to both was the Egyptian goddess Isis, who
was the "Oldest of the Old," and the "Goddess from whom all becoming
Arose," and her title was the same as the Queen Mother of Egypt's.
Apuleius, a Roman philosopher, poet and Isis-worshipper, addressed her
under several goddess names: For the Phrygians that are the first of
all men call me the Mother of the gods of Pessinus; the Athenians, which
are sprung from their own soil, Cecropian Minerva; the Cyprians, which
are girt about by the sea, Pahphian Venus; the Cretans, which bear
arrows, Dictynian Diana; the Sicilians, which speak three tongues,
infernal Proserpine; the Eleusinians, their ancient goddess Ceres; some
Juno, others Bellona, others Hecate, others Ramnusie...the Egyptians,
2474
skilled in ancient lore, worship me with proper ceremonies and call me
by my true name, Queen Isis. (Richard Knight, _the Symbolical Language
of Ancient Art and Mythology_. New YOrk: J.W. Bouton, 1892.)
Isis/Nephthys was, or were, the Egyptian version of the
creating-and-destroying Goddess, who were also typified as "weeping
goddesses." And with other goddesses of this type were known as
Guardians and Keepers of the Dead, and with the power over life and
death, and healing. They can be found in shamanic traditions the world
over as the Underworld deity and as the Lady of the Beasts.
[Gk] _Statio Isidis_, the bright Antares having been at one time a
symbol of Isis.
This part becomes particularly interesting to me, since the Isidis is
very similar to a term used for a particular group of ladies, comparable
to the Disir of the Norse tradition, the OHG 'itis' or OE "ides" meaning
applied to earthly women, but also used in kennings as 'goddess.' As a
term for 'woman' it also has the meaning of 'virgin'.
The worship of the Disir occured during the winter nights. And
interesting correlation that could be made is that the Celtic and the
Norse "winter" rites both involve some of the same archtypes and
ceremonies, especially the duality of life and death and the door being
open and "unguarded" at that time. The Wild Hunt Motif would be a
defining factor here, including both the Dark Mother and the Lord of
Death. The disir had two appearances, bright (swans feathers) and black
(raven or crow feathers)...they were psychopomps, and hardly
distinguishable from valkyrie at times. In the Wild Hunt they were
accompanied by various Gods, Herne, Woden and others in various
traditions and countries.
2475
{file "Mazes in Myth (Valkyrie)" "bos565.htm"}
Mazes in Myth
Valkyrie
I've been working with the labyrinth myths and stories myself. And there
is another version or way of viewing the Maiden at the center of the
labyrinth that I thought you might be interested in. The maze/labyrinth
theme is central not only to the Celtic legends, but the Norse and
others besides European. In some of the turf/snow games still played
with the 'classical' unicursal labyrinth the Maiden at the center is
guarded or held by a troll.
In the symbolic analysis of the hero rescuing the maiden from the
labyrinth there is the concept of the hero going through a rebirth
process and recapturing the feminine, intuitive side of his nature
(according to folks who like to do this sort of thing). In many of the
later Grail stories, the hero soon abandons the feminine, rejecting it.
Those that don't are the ones who remained with the old faith, with the
"abandoning" ones the ones who rejected the feminine and went with the
male dominant religion of Christianity.
The maze can be interchangeable with a dragon or serpent in the same
sort of stories as meaning basically the same thing, since the labyrinth
is a symbol of a descent and ascent of death and rebirth through the
Earth Mother. Old Anglo-Saxon castles were guarded by mounds of earth
with basically the same name as dragon. At the center of the Underworld
maze is also found the castle and the Cauldron of Regeneration or
Plenty.
Women undergoing the traditional challenge and initiation comprable to
the Underground journey, were "given" to the trolls. The trolls, being
the underground guardians (and not the nasty demons Tolkein and other
Christians made them out to be...just ask any Swede) taught the girl
secrets as she "served" in the Underworld, in many legends for Frau
Holle, who has many well-known counterparts, including Hel, Annwyn,
Hecate and others. This is a fairly well known theme in fairy tales
also, but not as well recognized as being an initiatory story as the
Heroic journeys are.
In many Northern folktales, a girl is "given" to the trolls, or
abandoned in the woods. In some stories she with her brother, in others
she is alone, and the hunter is told to kill her. This journey into the
wilderness is the beginning of her wandering through the maze. Or in
some of the stories she is taken to a castle and beset with tasks that
she must accomplish in order to "marry" the king or prince. She spins
straw into gold with the help of the trolls, dwarfs or gnomes, all names
for the Underworld beings who guard the fertility of the Upperworld.
The spinning of straw into gold is the power of insuring the crops come
to fruitful harvest as the grass winds through the season to gold. She
is usually set three tasks by either the King who will marry her, or the
Queen Mother of the Prince.
When she accomplishes the tasks set for her, she "claims" the masculine
side of herself and "marries" or becomes united with her masculine side.
The story is told in different ways, but the journey to the center of
the labyrinth/maze is form of the Spiral Dance of life and death. One
of the themes that is found in conjunction with these stories are the
ones that have the "poison" apple in them. The apple was a symbol of
life and rebirth for many ancient cultures. Apples were associated with
the Roman/Etruscan goddess Pomona, the Greek Hera, Demeter, Morgan in
her Crone form in Celtic legends, and Holle or Hel in Norse and Germanic
legends. Idunn was the Maiden form of Holle or Hel, who kept the apples
of immortality in a basket. In the Volsung Saga it tells of the belief
that a man could be perserved in death by the apples given to him by his
wife. In other legends children are conceived after eating a magical
apple. When the Bible was translated, the apple of life and death was
found in the Garden of Idunn.
The Apple, Rose and Hawthorn are all members of the same family. The
Hawthorne, especially as a hedge or protective enclosure is found with
the maze, either protecting it, or actually forming the walls. They are
sacred trees/plants, the first to begin blooming in the spring. The
Hawthorn is especially sacred because it can have blossoms, ripe fruit
and ripening fruit on it at all times, as well as protective thorns.
I'm posting from the Seattle, Washington area of the United States.
Blessings
V
................................................................................
2476
{file "NeoPlatonism (Deborah Kest)" "bos566.htm"}
By: Deborah Kest
To: Rose Dawn
Re: PAGAN SEMANTICS
RD> OK, having some more thoughts about this. If there is/are one/two
RD> original 'creators,' the system would still be polytheistic if the
RD> original(s) created a bunch of gods/demi-gods and cut 'em loose so
RD> to speak--not assigning them roles in the grand scheme of the
RD> original(s)? If so, what would be a counter-example--something like
RD> Yahweh & Son and the angelic hosts? I think I'm following you, it's
RD> just a bitch to put into words, LOL!
It's hard to imagine an original creator with a grand scheme who would
"cut 'em loose."
"Well, yes, I have this plan, you see. And things are going pretty
well according to plan. But this demi-god was supposed to be in charge
of the dinosaurs, and he really doesn't do his job very well. So I'm
afraid I'm going to have to fire him, and let him shift for himself."
Just an extra force in the universe, which doesn't really play any role
at all in the "grand scheme?" This would be rather contradictory if
the Grand Poo-Ba were omnipotent and omniscient, for if he wanted
things to work according to plan, he would always have the power to
make them work.
But, much to my distress, I taught Neoplatonism in my sections this
week. One of my students, (the only one who has displayed a mystical
bent), has been to section every single time, and I was relying on him
to defend the Neoplatonists. Figures this would be the only time he
oversleeps.
The reason the Neoplatonists bother me so much is that they do have the
different levels of reality schtick, with The One, aka "The Good" at
the top of the ladder. Because the cause is greater than the effect,
(the first premise which I don't accept), The One emanates from itself
the next level of reality, Intellect. (I still don't understand how
something which is in no way differentiated, entirely uniform, could
cause anything. After all, isn't causation a process involving some
sort of differentiation?) But, anyway, like the sun emanates the
halos around it without diminishing itself, or without being anything
other than what it is, so too does The One have great fecundity and
emanates Intellect. Intellect is still unified, as a mind thinking
upon itself. But insofar as it can have thoughts, it has
differentiation within its unity. Intellect is the act of unifying.
All of the things it thinks on are Platonic Forms, like Beauty, which
unify all of the particular instances (of beauty) in our world, (and
all other worlds which the World-Soul spins). But Intellect doesn't
think of the particular, it thinks only of true Beauty, true Justice,
etc. It is not separate from all of these forms, so the way it thinks
is from the perspective of each form onto all of the other forms. So
from Beauty it contemplates Justice and Equality, and from Justice it
contemplates Beauty, etc.
Well, somehow in all of this pure thinking on itself, it too emanates
another less perfect level of reality, which is Soul, explained as the
higher Soul, or World-Soul, and the lower Soul, or our souls. The
World-Soul is less fertile than the level before, so it can't manage
2477
to produce real babies, but "less real" babies, imitations of the Forms
in the mind of Intellect. So it spins all of the myriads of combina
tions of Forms, aka our world.
This process of causality, where the effect is always inferior to that
which causes it, continues down to the point where no causality is
possible any more. This point is Prime Matter, which has no form left
at all. As something approaches Prime Matter, it is less and less
formed, less and less intelligible. Something is ugly not because it
partakes in a form of ugliness, but because it does not partake in the
form of beauty at all. This breakdown of order is responsible for what
we call evil. According to Plotinus Prime Matter *is* Evil.
This would suggest that either The Good is responsible for Evil, or
there is more than one principle in the universe, which would deny the
premise on which The One is based. The way they try to weasel out of
this problem is by saying that Prime Matter is the least real of all,
or that it isn't real. That doesn't mean that evil doesn't exist, but
it exists because of holes, which are in themselves nothing-ness. It's
like Swiss cheese. Swiss cheese has holes, but the holes are in
themselves not anything. You wouldn't say that Swiss cheese is made
up of cheese and holes, but that there are places in the cheese which
simply lack cheese. Holes can't make up anything. So too Prime Matter
can't cause anything.
Well, anyway, the reason I laid the skeleton of the system out is
because Neoplatonism would seem to be a system whose first cause was
The One, and who followed necessarily according to a single principle,
to produce a manifold which is, in a sense, independent of its
"creator." But though there is order, there isn't a divine plan, in
that The One can't have any goals. It just emanates from itself, from
which all else is derived. The manifold is independent of The One
because it isn't itself The One. While there are unifying principles
which can only be derived from Unity itself, because they are not
perfectly uniform, they are not part of The One. The One can't have
parts!!!
So, are they monotheists, (The One), duo-theists, (The One and Prime
Matter), polytheists, (all of the levels of the hierarchy of reality,
which includes levels of spirits which I didn't spell out), or all of
the above? One could argue for all of the options, since The One is
responsible for all, (but then where does matter, the building stuff
of our world, come from, if by itself it is evil), and since the
efficient causes of every phenomenon we experience comes from the
lower deities, not The One itself.
If I *had* to accept such a system, (which I don't feel myself obliged
to accept at all, since the arguments which Plotinus and Proclus give
are terribly flawed), I would be inclined to favor polytheism, since
even though The One is the first principle, not everything is
incorporated into The One. In fact nothing is, since that would
violate its Unity. So, The One is sort of off by itself, just
emanating, while the efficient cause of our world is the World Soul,
and all of the levels of spirits can have their hand in our pie. It's
my understanding that the Neoplatonic hierarchy of spirits is what much
of magic is still based on today. Their nature isn't determined by The
One, except insofar as they are caused by The One and this process of
diminishing causation, which makes them worse than that which caused
2478
them. They have more unity than we do, being higher up the chain, but
less than The One. So while they couldn't do terribly disunified
things, they can still do somewhat disunified things, and thus aren't
determined. If they aren't determined by The One, then they are powers
unto themselves, and the ones which actually do stuff which matters to
us.
> Well, the "specific group" would be neo-pagans, of course. But then
> the argument is circular, and I'm not surprised that you would be
> confused. I think there is such a thing as neo-pagans. They are
> defined, more or less, by a few distinguishing traits: polytheism,
> feminist spirituality, environmental spirituality, and belief in/use
of
> magic. (This would be my starting list). (Again, none of the
traits
> are either necessary or sufficient, except *maybe* polytheism, as
> sufficient, but not necessary.) So, if we start with the foundation
of
> neo-pagans, then their reclamation would be of religions which
resemble
> that which they seek.
RD>
RD> OK. It still sounds a little tautological to me! I definitely also
RD> think there is such a thing as neo-pagans, but the major identifier
RD> for me personally is that they define their religion *as* neo-pag-
an,
RD> which is also tautological... oh hell, my head hurts. Reminds me of
a
RD> local GLAAD meeting a while back; roundtable discussion, topic:
What
RD> Is A Lesbian? (After much discussion, the answer everyone agreed on
RD> was 'Anyone who says she is.')
I think the way to get out of the tautology is to differentiate between
the questions "what are they" and "how are they identified." My
foundation was that there *is* such a thing as a Neopagan, and I gave
a
rough description/definition. Your challenge was that *is* is
dependant on *what we know to be the case*. If our knowledge is
dependant on their self-identification as a Neopagan, we are back in
the circle again. I'd like to break the circle by claiming that *is*
is not dependant on what we know to be the case. There are Neopagans,
separate from the issue of identification of Neopagans. The issue of
identification is important for different purposes, but not to the
purpose of whether there are Neopagans.
If we break the circle, and give rough starting definitions, then the
reclamations would be of those religions which have traits which would
fit those starting definitions. This means that if just anyone found
something appealing from ancient times, and worked to reclaim it, it
wouldn't automatically get the label "Pagan." The "just anyone" would
have to fit the rough starting definition, or convince the rest of us
to include them in a revised definition, before they would count as
Neopagans, and their reclamation count as "Pagan." Furthermore, if a
Neopagan wanted to reclaim something which had nothing to do with
religion, that wouldn't count as Pagan either.
RD> Hmm, I don't think I was looking at it in terms of counting them as
RD> pagans. I seem to recall you'd questioned whether Hinduism had
RD> features that neo-pagans would find desireable,
Yes, but I had made the argument that the fact that they wouldn't apply
the word to themselves wasn't sufficient to prove that we shouldn't
apply the word to them, if they had the features which we thought of
as Pagan. Since the purpose of our discussion is to better understand
our own word, we are concerned with whether, as we use it, it fits
them, whether they use it or not.
RD> and I was pointing out
RD> the beliefs/practices of different denominations that might be
RD> attractive to various neo-Pagan religions. But yes, I'd say the
RD> argument against counting them as Pagans is pretty much spot-on.
RD> If not originally a neo-Pagan word, it definitely *was* a western
RD> word, no? As to the second, I hadn't even considered it & it's an
RD> interesting point. I wouldn't say it was an argument in favor of
RD> counting them as Pagan, but there's a lot of truth in it!
Why isn't it an argument in favor of counting them as Pagan? If the
major things which we use to define Paganism we share with them, and
if their sects are closer to some of our "sects" than the sects of each
respective religion (understood loosely) are to each other, why not?
2479
{file "Rune Poem, A linguistic Analysis by Steph Parker" "bos567.htm"}
The Anglo - Saxon Rune Poem
By: Steph Parker
Anyway, here is the Anglo-Saxon Rune poem. The OE version is in West
Saxon though the spelling hasn't been regulised (though I'm using the
standard 'ae' for 'ash' and 'th' for 'thorn' and 'eth'). The transla-
tion will be Anthony E. Farnham's from A Sourcebook in the History of
English as it's much too late for me to bother doing my own and I'll be
too busy over the next few days.
Where the number '7' appears that is the Old English equivalent of the
ampersand (&) and should be read as 'and' or 'ond'.
One last point - the poem here has not been proofread so there is a
chance that there are errors in the transcription (particularly with
ommission of the letter 'e' as there is a slight problem with my
keyboard).
Feoh byth frofur fira gehwylcum -
sceal theah manna gehwylc miclun hyt daelan
gif he wile for drihtne domes hleotan.
(Wealth is a joy to every man -
but every man must share it well
if he wish to gain glory in the sight of the Lord.)
Ur byth anmod 7 oferhyrned,
felafrecne deor, feohteth mid hornum,
maere morstapa: thaet is modiy wuht!
(Aurochs is fierce, with gigantic horns,
a very savage animal, it fights with horns,
a well-known moor-stepper: it is a creature of courage!)
2480
THorn byth thearle scearp, thegna gehwylcum
anfeng ys yfyl, ungemetun rethe
manna gehwylcun the him mid resteth.
(Thorn is very sharp, harmful to every man
who seizes it, unsuitably severe
to every man who rests on it.)
Os byth ordfruma aelcre spraece,
wisdomes wrathu and witena frofur
and eorla gehwam eadnys and tohiht.
(Os is the creator of all speech,
a supporter of wisdom and comfort of wise men,
and a blessing aand hope to every man.)
Rad byth on recyde rinca gehwylcum
sefte, and swithhwaet tham the sitteth onufan
meare maegenheardum ofer milpathas.
(Journey is to every warrior in the hall
pleasant, and bitingly tough to him who sits
on a might steed over the mile-paths.)
Cen byth cwicera gehwam cuth on fyre,
blac and beorhtlic, byrneth oftust
thaer hi aethelingas inne restath.
(Torch is to every living thing known by its fire;
bright and brilliant, it burns most often
where the princes take their rest within.)
Gyfu gumena byth gleng and herenys,
wrathu 7 wyrthscype, 7 wraecna gehwam
ar and aetwist the byth othra leas.
(Generosity of men is an ornament and praise,
support and dignity, magnificence and existence
to every suffering man, who is otherwise destitute.)
Wenne bruceth the can weana lyt,
sares and sorge, and him sylfa haefth
blaed 7 blysse and eac byrga geniht.
(Joy he possesses who knows few woes,
pain and sorrow, and has for himself
prosperity and bliss, and also the abundance found in the fortified
dwellings of men.)
Haegl byth hwitust corna, hwyrft hit of heofones lyfte,
wealcath hit windes scura, weortheth hit to waetere syththan.
(Hail is the whitest of seeds, it comes down from the air of heaven,
the gusts of wind toss it about, afterward it turns to water.)
Nyd byth nearu on breostan: weortheth hi theah oft nitha bearnum
to helpe and to haele gehwaethre, gif hi his hlystath aeror.
2481
(Necessity is oppressive to the heart: yet it often becomes for the
children of men a help and salvation for each, if they have hearkened
unto it.)
Is byth oferceald, ungemetum slidor,
glisnath glaeshluttur gimmum gelicust,
flor forste geworuht, faeger ansyne.
(Ice is extremely cold, excessively slippery,
it glistens glass-clear, most like to gems,
it is a floor wrought by frost, fair of sight.)
Ger byth gumena hiht, thon God laeteth,
halig heofones cyning, hrusan syllan
beorhte bleda beornum and thearfum.
(Year (the growing season) is the hope of men, when God,
holy king of heaven, causes the earth to give forth
shining fruits to wealthy and to needy.)
Eoh byth utan unsmethe treow,
heard hrusan faest, hyrde fyres,
wyrtrumun underwrethyd, wynn on ethle.
(Yew is a tree with unsmooth bark,
hard and fast in the earth, keeper of fire,
supported by roots, a joy in the land.)
Peorth byth symble plega and hlehter
wlancum [and wisum], thar wigan sittath
on beorsele blithe aetsomne.
(Peorth is always sport and laughter
to the noble [and the wise], where men sit
together in merriment in the mead-hall.)
Eolhx secg eard haefth oftust on fenne,
wexeth on wature, wundath grimme,
blode breneth beorna gehwylcne
the him aenigne onfeng gedeth.
(Eolhx-sedge has its home most often in the marsh,
it grows in the water, wounds cruelly,
darkens with blood every man
who touches it in any way.)
Sigel semannum symble bith on hihte,
thonn hi hine feriath ofer fisces beth,
oth hi brimhengest bringeth to lande.
(Sun is always a hope to seamen,
when they guide the sea-steed over the fish's bath
until it carries them to land.)
Tir bith tacna sum: healdeth trywa wel
with aethelingas, a bith on faerylde
ofer nihta genipu, naefre swiceth.
2482
(Tir is a sign to remember: it holds faith well
with princes, is always on course
above the mists of the nights, it never wanders or deceives.)
Beorc byth bleda leas, bereth efne swa theah
tanas butan tudder, bith on telgum wlitig,
heah on helme hrysted faegere,
geloden leafum, lyfte getenge.
(Birch (referring to the poplar?) is seedless, yet without fruit it
nevertheless
puts forth sprouts; it is beautiful with its branches,
lofty in its crown, fairly adorned,
sprung from shoots, pressing aloft.)
Eh byth for eorlum aethelinga wyn,
hors hofum wlanc, thar him haelethe ymb
welege on wicgum wrixlath spraece,
7 bith unstyllum aefre frofur.
(Horse in the presence of warriors is a joy to princes,
a steed proud of its hoofs, where mounted men
and wealthy exchange speech about him,
and is ever a joy to the restless.)
Man byth on myrgthe his magan leof -
sceal theah anra gehwylc othrum swican;
fortham Dryhten wyle dome sine
thaet earme flaesc eorthan betaecan.
(Man in merriment is beloved of his fellow -
yet shall every one betray the other;
for this reason God wills by his decree
that the unhappy flesh be committed to the earth.)
Lagu byth leodum langsum gethuht,
gif hi sculun nethan on nacan tealtum
7hi saeytha swythe bregath
and se brimhengest bridles ne gymeth.
(Sea is to men a thing which seems everlasting,
if they must dare to venture on the unsteady and untrustorthy ship
and the sea-waves greatly terrify them
and the sea-steed cares not for its bridle.)
Ing waes aerest mid Eastdenum
gesewen secgun, oth he siththan est
ofer waeg gewat; waen aefter ran.
THus Heardingas thone haele nemdun.
(Ing was first among the East-Danes
visible to men, until he later eastward
departed over the sea; his chariot followed him.
Thus did the Heardings invoke that hero.)
AEthel byth oferleof aeghwylcum men,
gif he mot thaer rigtes and gerysena on
brucan on bolde bleadum oftast.
2483
(Homeland is most precious to every man,
if he may therein enjoy justice and courtesies
in his house, in frequent and abundant prosperity.)
Daeg byth Drihtnes sond, deore mannum,
maere Metodes leoht, myrgth and tohiht
eadgum and earmum, eallum brice.
(Day is the envoy of the Lord, dear to men,
the great light of God, happiness and hope
to blessed and to miserable, an enjoyment for all.)
Ac byth on eorthan elda bearnum
flaesces fodor, fereth gelome
ofer ganotes baeth: garsecg fandath
hwaether ac haebbe aethele treowe.
(Oak is for the children of men on earth
a provider of meat (acorns are food for swine); it journeys
continually
over the bath of the gannet: Neptune the spearman proves
if the oak keep faith in honorable fashion.)
AEsc bith oferheah, eldum dyre,
stith on stathule, stede rihte hylt
theah him feohtan on firas monige.
(Ash (used for spears) is very tall, precious to men,
stubborn in standing, holds its place well
even though many men attack it.)
Yr byth aethelinga 7 eorla gehwaes
wyn and wyrthmynd, byth on wicge faeger,
faestlic on faerelde, fyrdgeatewa sum.
(Yr is for every prince and noble
a joy and an hononr, it is fair on a horse,
dependable on an expedition, a fine piece of military equipage.)
Ior byth eafixa, and theah a bruceth
fodres on foldan; hafath faegerne eard,
waetre beworpen, thaer he wynnum leofath.
(Ior is of the river-fish, and yet always partakes
of food on land; it has a fair home,
surrounded by water, where it dwells in joy.)
Ear byth egle eorla gehwylcun
thonn faestlice flaesc onginneth
hraw colian, hrusan ceosan
blac to gebeddan: bleda gedreosath,
wynna gewitath, wera geswicath.
(Earth is loathsome to every man
when relentlessly the flesh, the carrion body,
begins to cool, lividly to accept marriage
to its fellow dust: blossoms fall,
joys pass away, friendships fail.)
2484
Wyrd wes eower weard.
Steph.
................................................................................
2485
{file "An Australian Aboriginal Myth (WoW #10)" "bos568.htm"}
Traditional Aboriginal myth, which was printed in Web of Wyrd #10
Back in the Dreamtime, Gidja the Moon lived by the river with the
Bullanji people. They made fun of him, because he was round and fat,
with little stringy legs and arms. Gidja loved Yalma, the Evening Star,
but she laughed at him too. So Gidja made a magic circle of stones, and
at dusk every night, sat in his circle and sang of his love for Yalma.
He made so many songs! So, Yalma agreed to marry him and the Bullanji
people held corroboree for them. Now Yalma had a baby daughter - Lilga,
the Morning Star. Lilga would go hunting with her father, Gidja. One
day, while gathering honey, a limb fell off a tree and crushed Lilga, so
she died. This was the first time that anyone had ever died. Poor Gidja
mourned his daughter, but the Bullanji people were afraid, and blamed
Gidja for bringing death to the world. When Gidja carried his little
Morning Star in her coffin over the river, some men cut the ropes
holding the bridge, and he fell into the river. The coffin drifted out
to sea, and today, you can still see little Morning Star shining out at
sea. Gidja climed out of the river, and made a fire. He carried a
bright burning brand from the fire, and walked through the forest. The
people saw him and were afraid. The they saw it was Gidja, and were
angry. They tried to kill him, but couldn't, so they picked him up and
threw him up into the sky. As he rose up, he cursed the people, and said
they would all die, and remain dead. But he, and the grass, would die,
and would come back to new life. And so it is. Gidja grows fatter and
fatter, and then fades away like a little old man. Lilga though, shines
brightly. Just like he said, Gidja comes back to life. At dusk on the
third day after he dies, you can see him again, floating like a baby's
cradle, waiting to start again.
Christmas Customs
by Rick Hayward
Now that Christmas is fast approaching and the year has once
more come full circle, most of us will soon be busy adorning the
house with brightly coloured decorations, a Christmas tree and
all the other paraphernalia that goes to create a festive atmosphere.
Holly and mistletoe will almost certainly be included in our
decorations as evergreens have been used in the winter festivities
from very ancient times and definitely long before Christianity
appeared on the scene.
What Christians celebrate as the birthday of Christ is really
something that was superimposed on to a much earlier pagan
festival--that which celebrated the Winter Solstice or the time when
the Sun reaches its lowest point south and is reborn at the
beginning of a new cycle of seasons.
In Northern Europe and Scandinavia it was noted by the early
Christian scholar, Bede, that the heathens began the year on
December 25th which they called Mother's Night in honour of the
great Earth Mother. Their celebrations were held in order to
ensure fertility and abundance during the coming year, and these
included much feasting, burning of lamps, lighting of great fires (the
Yule fires) and exchanges of gifts.
The Romans, too, held their great celebrations--Saturnalia--
from December 17th to 25th and it was the latter date which they
2486
honoured as the birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The Saturnalia
was characterised by much merry-making, sometimes going to
riotous extremes, with masters and slaves temporarily exchanging
roles. The use of evergreens to decorate the streets and houses
was also very much in evidence at this great winter festival.
That we now celebrate the birth of Christ at the same time is largely
due to the early Church Fathers who found it was much easier to
win converts to the faith by makng Christ's birthday coincide with an
already long established pagan festival. In fact, it wasn't until the
4th century that Pope Julius I finally established the 25th as the
official birthday of Christ; earlier Christians differed widely as to
this date-- some choosing September 29th, while others held that January
6th or March 29th were the correct dates.
As we have seen, the pagan element in Christmas lives on in the
festival at the Winter Solstice. But these elements are also very much
alive in our use of evergreens as decorations at this time of year.
Like most evergreens, the holly and mistletoe have long been held
to symbolise eternal life, regeneration and rebirth.
Holly, with its bright red berries and dark spiky foliage, has been
revered from ancient times as a symbol of life everlasting. It was
associated with strength and masculinity and was considered
useful in the treatment of various ailments which were seen to lower
the vital spirits.
In old England, a decoction of holly leaves was considered a cure
for worms; but most of all this prickly evergreen was looked upon
as a luck bringer--particularly in rural areas where a bunch of holly
hung in the cow shed or stable was thought to favour the animals if
placed there on Christmas Eve. Many people used to take a piece of
holly from the church decorations at Christmas as a charm against bad
luck in the coming year. Holly was also considered a very protective
tree which, if planted outside the house, was believed to avert
lightning, fire and the evil spells of witches.
An old holly spell describes how to know one's future spouse. At
midnight on a Friday, nine holly leaves must be plucked and tied
with nine knots in a three-cornered cloth. This is then placed under the
pillow and, provided silence is observed from the time of plucking
until dawn the next day, your future spouse will come to you in your
dreams.
In certain areas of Wales, it was thought extremely unlucky to bring
holly into the house before December 24th and if you did so
there would be family quarrels and domestic upheavals. You would
also be inviting disaster if you burned green holly or squashed the
red berries.
Turning now to mistletoe, it seems that this is by far the most
mystical of the plants associated with Christmas and has, from very
ancient times, been treated as magical or sacred. It is often
included in modern Christmas decorations simply for the fun of
kissing beneath it and, though this seems to be a peculiarly English
custom, it probably harks back to the mistletoe's association with
fertility.
2487
The real reason why mistletoe is now associated with Christmas is
very much a carry-over from ancient practices, when it was
considered as somehow belonging to the gods. The Roman historian,
Pliny, gives an early account of how the Druids would hold a very
solemn ceremony at the Winter Solstice when the mistletoe had to
be gathered, for the Druids looked upon this unusual plant, which has
no roots in the earth, as being of divine origin or produced by
lightning. Mistletoe which grew on the oak was considered especially
potent in magical virtues, for it was the oak that the Druids held as
sacred to the gods.
At the Winter Solstice, the Druids would lead a procession into
the forest and, on finding the sacred plant growing on an oak, the
chief priest, dressed all in white, would climb the tree and cut the
mistletoe with a knife or sickle made of gold. The mistletoe was
not allowed to touch the ground and was therefore caught in a white
linen cloth.
On securing the sacred mistletoe, the Druids would then carry it to
their temple where it would be laid beneath the altar stone for three
days. Early on the fourth day, which would correspond to our
Christmas Day, it was taken out, chopped into pieces and handed
out among the worshippers. The berries were used by the priests to
heal various diseases.
Mistletoe was considered something of a universal panacea, as can
be gleaned from the ancient celtic word for it--uile, which literally
translated means 'all-healer'. A widespread belief was that
mistletoe could cure anything from headaches to epilepsy; and indeed
modern research has shown that the drug guipsine which is used in
the treatment of nervous illnesses and high blood pressure is con-
tained in mistletoe.
Until quite recently the rural folk of Sweden and Switzerland
believed that the mistletoe could only be picked at certain times and
in a special way if its full potency as healer and protector was to be
secured. The Sun must be in Sagittarius (close to the Winter
Solstice) and the Moon must be on the wane and, following ancient
practices, the mistletoe must not be just picked but shot or knocked
down and caught before reaching the ground.
Not only was mistletoe looked upon as a healer of all ills, but if
hung around the house was believed to protect the home
against fire and other hazards. As the mistletoe was supposed to have
been produced by lightning, it had the power to protect the home
against thunder bolts by a kind of sympathetic magic.
Of great importance, however, was the power of mistletoe to protect
against witchcraft and sorcery. This is evident in an old superstition
which holds that a sprig of mistletoe placed beneath the pillow will
avert nightmares (once considered to be the product of evil demons).
In the north of England, it used to be the practice of farmers to give
mistletoe to the first cow that calved after New Year's Day. This was
believed to ensure health to the stock and a good milk yield
throughout the year. Underlying this old belief is the fear of witches
or mischievous fairy folk who could play havoc with dairy produce, so
2488
here mistletoe was used as a counter magic against such evil
influences. In Sweden, too, a bunch of this magical plant hung
from the living room ceiling or in the stable or cow-shed was thought
to render trolls powerless to work mischief.
................................................................................
With such a tremendous array of myth, magic and folklore associated with
it, reaching far back into the pagan past, it is understandable that
even today this favourite Christmas plant is forbidden in many
churches. Yet even the holly and the ivy, much celebrated in a popular
carol of that title, were once revered as sacred and magical by our
pre-Christian ancestors.
In view of what has been said, one could speculate that even if
Christianity had never emerged it is more than likely that we would
still be getting ready for the late-December festivities, putting up
decorations, including holly and mistletoe, in order to celebrate the
rebirth of the Sun, the great giver and sustainer of all earthly life.
2489
{file "Bylaws" "bos569.htm"}
BYLAWS OF THE CHURCH OF ALL WORLDS, INC.
As amended by General Meeting August 9, 1992 PREAMBLE Section 1:
Recognizing the necessity for the affirmation of life in a world choked
by the worship of death, we, the Priesthood and Councils of the Church
of All Worlds do re-establish and re-ordain on this fair planet a vital
new Pagan religion, dedicated to the celebration of Life, the maximal
actualization of Human potential, and the realization of ultimate
individual freedom and personal responsibility in harmonious eco-psychic
relationship with the total Biosphere of Holy Mother Earth. To which end
we do hereby adopt and enact the following Articles:
ARTICLE I Name
Section 1:
The name of the corporation shall be the Church of All Worlds, Inc., and
is a non-profit religious organization, incorporated under the laws of
the States of Missouri and California.
ARTICLE II Purpose
Section 1:
The purpose of this Corporation shall be as outlined in the Articles of
Incorporation; and specifically the following:
A. To present an alternative to war, hatred, violence, frustra-
tion, insecurity, fear, ignorance, jealousy, brutality, dishonesty,
apathy, misery, loneliness, guilt, anxiety, alienation, paranoia,
dominance, killing, force, hypocrisy, envy, malevolence, irrespon-
sibility, intolerance, prejudice, persecution, greed, addiction,
authoritarianism, and presently established religions and institutions,
and to aid and support individuals in their rejection of these;
B. To provide mutual help and encouragement in the search for
meaning and identity through association with similarly oriented fellows
in a context of acceptance and love;
C. To aid individuals and groups in the maximal actualization of
Human potential and the realization of ultimate individual freedom and
personal responsibility: to help people become what they potentially
are;
D. To furnish a central headquarters and branch offices (called
Churches, Nests, Centers, or Temples) through which seekers may locate
and communicate with each other, and to buy, sell, own, hold, mortgage,
or otherwise encumber, lease, or otherwise hold and dispose of real and
personal property necessary to properly establish, fit up, and maintain
such places;
E. To encourage reading, study and growth on the part of members
and friends, and to make available literature in various relevant
fields;
2499
F. To publish newsletters, papers, magazines, pamphlets, books,
directories and other materials deemed appropriate to the purposes of
the Church by the Board of Directors or their delegated authority;
................................................................................
2500
G. To work, associate, and affiliate with other similarly oriented
individuals, churches, agencies and groups promoting peace, love, joy,
freedom, brotherhood, conservation, personal awareness and development,
celebration of life and the eco-psychic recovery of Natural Wilderness,
and to aid and support such people in such efforts as shall be found not
to be in conflict with the purposes and principles of this Church;
H. To establish and maintain Wilderness sanctuaries, retreats,
camps, and communities in various regions;
I. To establish and maintain schools, colleges, libraries and
research facilities based on the principles of the Church;
J. To receive money, property, and values of every kind heretofore
donated, contributed, collected, and held, and to receive, and hold
money, property and values of every kind that might be donated,
contributed, collected and held, for the benefit of this religious
organization;
K. To engage in and promote any functions, services and activities
deemed appropriate, necessary or expedient for the purposes of the
Church by the Board of Directors , their delegated authority, or the
directors of the various subsidiary groups;
L. To do all in our power to increase the total degree of
consciousness, individually, collectively, and synergically, at all
levels of Being, in the unfolding course of emergent evolution;
M. To provide all possible means for recycling the bodies of
deceased members consistent with eco-psychic awareness and personal
will;
N. To make provision to establish and ordain various sacraments of
the Church of All Worlds.
ARTICLE I Membership
Section l:
Membership shall consist of those who understand the principles of the
Church, who have made written application, paid the annual dues, and
have been accepted by the Board of Directors or their delegated
authority. The form of application shall be that approved by the Board
of Directors or their delegated authority.
Section 2:
Members whose annual dues are current shall be referred to as active
members, with full voting privileges and discounts at paid functions.
Those whose dues are in arrears shall be regarded as inactive members,
and their voting privileges and discounts at paid functions shall be
suspended until such time as they renew their memberships with a payment
of the annual dues.
Section 3:
Membership shall be organized in degrees of ranking, as follows:
A. Three Rings of three Circles each, to be known (from outer to
inner) respectively as Seekers, Scions, and Priests/Priestesses, or
Clergy.
B. Members may be referred to by designation of a Circle, one
through nine.
ARTICLE IV Seekers
Section 1:
The First Ring shall consist of Seekers, to be identified by the color
green, as used on membership cards, newsletters and in ceremonial
vestments. They shall be grouped in the following three Circles, by
2501
qualifications to be determined by combined Councils of all Rings;
A. First Circle (identified with the planet Pluto and its symbols.)
B. Second circle (identified with the planet Neptune and its
symbols.)
C. Third Circle (identified with the planet Uranus and its
symbols.)
ARTICLE V Scions
Section l:
The second Ring shall consist of Scions, to be identified by the color
red, as used on membership cards, newsletters, and in ceremonial
vestments. They shall be grouped into the following three Circles by
qualifications to be determined and amended by the Board of Directors:
A. Fourth circle (identified with the planet Saturn and its
symbols.)
B. Fifth circle (identified with the planet Jupiter and its
symbols.)
C. Sixth circle (identified with the planet Mars and its symbols.)
Section 2: Duties of Scions shall include management of various
Church programs, functions, and activities, as well as studies directed
toward qualification for the Clergy, determination of qualifications for
advancement through First and Second Rings, and any other such duties as
may be determined by the Board of Directors.
Section 3: In the event no Priest or Priestess is available to
serve an established Nest, the Scion who takes on major responsibility
for coordinating that Nest shall be designated High Scion by consensual
agreement of the members of said Nest. The High Scion shall assume the
administrative and organizational functions normally assigned to Clergy,
until such time as said High Scion or any other member of said Nest
shall become ordained. If members of the Nest desire, the position of
High Scion may rotate among qualified members of the Nest.
Section 4: In areas where no Nest exists, Scions may, with the
approval of the Board of directors, establish proto-nests of the Church
of All Worlds, Inc.; such proto-nests shall conduct meetings in
accordance with the Bylaws and principles of the Church of All Worlds
and shall forward monthly reports of activities to the Board of
Directors via the Membership Officer.
Section 5: In special cases the Church may license a Scion of 6th
Circle as a Minister and iissue Ministerial Credentials, which shall
consist of a Ministerial Certificate and wallet-sized ID card. Licensed
CAW MInisters shall function as the equivalent of Chaplains, and be
authorized to perform such sacraments as authorized by the Council of
the Third Ring. In order to qualify for this special status, the Scion
must present a Ministerial Proposal to the Board of Directors indicating
the nature of the Scion's intended Ministry and his/he qualifications to
fulfill it. Examples of such Ministries shall include (but not be
limited to): Prison Ministries, Hospital Ministries, Armed Services
Ministries.
ARTICLE VI Clergy
Section 1:
The Third Ring shall consist of Priests and Priestesses, to be iden-
tified by the color purple, as used on membership cards, in newsletters,
and in ceremonial vestments. They shall be grouped into the following
three Circles, by qualifications to be determined and amended by the
Board of Directors.
A. Seventh Circle (identified with the planet Earth and its
2502
symbols.)
B. Eighth Circle (identified with the planet Venus and its
symbols.)
C. Ninth Circle (identified with the planet Mercury and its
symbols.)
Section 2:
Duties of the Clergy shall include hosting and officiating at various
ceremonies and services, administering the sacraments, writing and
preparing rituals, arranging meetings and councils, supervising the
training of Seekers and Scions, sponsoring and aiding postulants to the
Clergy, voting for and serving as members of the Board of Directors,
maintaining communications with other Nests, and any other such duties
as may be determined by Councils of the Third Ring or the Board of
Directors.
Section 3:
The Priest and/or Priestess establishing a Nest or assuming respon-
sibility for an established Nest shall be known as High Priest or High
Priestess of that Nest. The duties of High Priest or HIgh Priestess
include primary responsibility for all Church activities in that Nest,
including reports to the Board of Directors, and any other such
functions as they themselves shall determine, subject to approval by the
board of Directors. The term of office for High Priests and High
Priestesses shall customarily be for a period of not more than seven
years, during which time it shall be the duty of such persons to select
and train their successors. Any High Priest or High Priestess who does
not step down before this seven year period is up may, at any time after
the seven years, be summarily eliminated at the consensual agreement of
the rest of the Nest.
Section 4:
Ordination into the Priesthood may be bestowed upon Scions who have
completed all the currently stated qualifications of the Sixth Circle
and have been recommended for the Seventh by any sponsoring member of
the Clergy, provided the candidate has first been approved unanimously
by the Board of Directors through the submission of such data as the
Board may choose to require.
ARTICLE VII Primate
Section 1:
The primary authoritative and not authoritarian spokesperson for the
Church of All Worlds shall be known as the Primate, and shall hold this
position for as long as he or she can adequately demonstrate his or her
capability to perform its duties and functions, or until successfully
challenged for the position by a would-be successor, or for life, or for
as long as he or she desires to hold the position. Any of the foregoing
conditions may serve to limit the term of office of the Primate.
Section 2:
Duties of the Primacy shall include all appropriate duties of a general
spokesperson, coordination and integration of programs, activities,
information and input included in the Church gestalt, and coordination
of relationships with other groups within the larger Pagan and Neo-Pagan
community. It shall be the responsibility of the Primate to keep well
informed enough on all phases of both the Church of All Worlds and
Paganism/Neo-Paganism as a whole that such duties may always be
competently and effectively performed.
Section 3:
As the Primate is largely an honorific position awarded by the member-
ship in respect for a person's years of service to the Church of All
2503
Worlds, a successor may or may not be chosen upon the discontinuation of
one Primate's term of office. Should it be desired, a successor shall
be chosen by the same method as any other elected official.
................................................................................
2504
ARTICLE VIII Directors
Section 1:
Management of the Corporation shall be vested in a Board of Directors,
consisting of not less than three nor more than thirteen persons,
consisting of a representative of each chartered subsidiary and the
following officers: President, Vice-President in charge of Membership,
Treasurer, and Secretary. A minimum of one-third of the Board of
Directors shall be members of the Clergy. The Board can approve the
calling of qualified persons among the membership to the positions of
Secretary and Treasurer by unanimous decision. An individual may hold
the position of an officer and a representative of a subsidiary group,
if necessary. Decision-making shall be by consensus, but if agreement
cannot be reached, decisions will be made by two-thirds majority vote.
In such a case, the votes of all members of the Board of Directors are
equal, regardless of the Ring status of the person voting.
Section 2:
At the first annual meeting of the Board of Directors, the Board shall
elect from its own number, a President, one or more Vice-Presidents, a
Secretary and a Treasurer, who shall serve as officers both for the
Board of Directors and for the Corporation. At the discretion of the
Directors, the same person may serve in more than one office. The
President and Vice-President in charge of Membership must be members of
the Clergy.
Section 3:
The powers of the Board of Directors shall be those usually assigned to
such Directors. They are subject to limitation or specification at any
meeting of the Board or the Third Ring. They shall specifically include
the following powers:
A. To call regular or special meetings of the Directors, the
Councils, or of the membership, on initiative of the President, or by
mutual agreement of two or more of the Directors.
B. To make rules and regulations not inconsistent with the laws of
the State of California or the Bylaws of this Corporation, for the
guidance of officers, Directors, and members.
C. To make rules and regulations for the use and management of all
Church property, whether real or personal, and to change such rules and
regulations at such time and in such manner as to said Board of
Directors, or Directors of subsidiary groups, shall seem right and
proper.
D. To accept, review, and approve or reject applications for
Priesthood, and to issue certificates of ordination to those applicants
who shall have fulfilled their qualifications and shall have complied
with the requirements of the rules, Bylaws, and Articles of Incorporat-
ion, and who are recommended by their High Priests or High Priestesses,
to serve as Clergy or for other special purposes recognized by act of
the Board of Directors.
E. To issue certificates of Charter to members in other areas when
they wish to establish a local Nest, or to establish Subsidiary
Organizations, upon conditions to be determined by the Board.
F. To determine what shall be due and reasonable compensation to be
paid any member of the Corporation for services rendered to or for the
Corporation, affecting one or more of its purposes.
G. To maintain, at the Central Nest, confidential files on all
members, active and inactive, and such other records as may be deemed
necessary adequately to carry out the purposes of the Corporation. Section 4:
The Board of Directors shall have full power and authority to borrow
money on behalf of the Corporation, including the power and authority to
2505
borrow money from any of the members, Directors, or officers of the
Corporation, and to otherwise incur indebtedness on behalf of the
Corporation, and to authorize the execution of promissory notes, or
other evidences of indebtedness of the Corporation, and to agree to pay
interest thereon to sell, convey, alienate, transfer, assign, exchange,
lease, and otherwise dispose of, mortgage, pledge, hypothecate, and
otherwise encumber the property, real or personal, and the franchises of
the Corporation to purchase, lease, and otherwise acquire property, real
and personal, on behalf of the Corporation; and generally to do and
perform, or cause to be done and performed, every act which the
Corporation may lawfully do and perform.
Section 5:
The Board of Directors shall have summary power by vote of a two-thirds
majority of its members to suspend, or to expel and terminate the
membership of any member of the Church, including the Priesthood and the
Board of Directors, for conduct which in its opinion disturbs the order,
dignity, business or harmony, or impairs the good name, popularity or
prosperity of the organization, or which is likely in its opinion, to
endanger the welfare, interest or character of the organization, or for
any conduct in violation of these Bylaws or of the rules and regulations
of the Corporation, which may be made from time to time.Such action by
the Board of Directors may be taken at any meeting of such Board upon
the initiative of any member or members thereof. The proceedings of the
Board of Directors in such matter shall be final and conclusive, unless
overruled by majority vote of the Council of the Third Ring, acting as
a Board of Appeal. It is expected that any Clergy serving on such a
Board will absent themselves if s/he is unable to be impartial, or is
affected personally by the decsions of such a Board.
Section 6:
The Board of Directors shall constitute a nominating committee for
Directors to serve on the Board. Their recommendations shall be
presented by the Secretary to the Council of the Third Ring at any
regular meeting. Other nominations may be made by any member present at
the said meeting.
ARTICLE IX Officers
Section 1:
The officers of the Corporation shall be a President, a Vice-President
in charge of Membership, a Secretary, and Treasurer. Other officers may
be created by resolution of the Board, not to exceed thirteen. Doubling
of roles is permissible with the agreement of the Board.
Section 2:
The term of all offices shall be one year.
Section 3:
The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation,
and shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors. S/he shall
have general charge of the business of the Corporation, and shall
execute, with the Secretary, in the name of the Corporation, all deeds,
bonds, contracts, and other obligations and instruments authorized by
the Board of Directors. The President shall also have such other powers
and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Board of
Directors.
Section 4:
Unless the Board of Directors shall specify otherwise, the Vice-Preside-
nt shall be the regularly designated authority to act on applications
for membership and ordination, and may head a committee which performs
this task. It shall be the responsibility of the Vice-President to keep
addresses and other information relating to membership up-to-date. The
2506
Vice-President shall be vested with all the powers and shall perform
all the duties of the President, in case of the absence or disability of
the President. The Vice-President shall also have such other powers and
shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Board of
Directors.
Section 5:
The Secretary shall keep records of all regular and special meetings of
the Board of Directors, and forward these records to the members of the
Board and the Third Ring. The Secretary shall also mail notification to
members of the Third Ring and the Board of the time, place, and planned
agenda of the regular Board meetings. Subsidiary representatives are
asked to send the secretary a record of the quarterly business of each
subsidiary three weeks prior to the regular meeting, for inclusion in
the quarterly meeting notes. Notices should be sent at least two weeks
prior to each regular meeting, and as early as possible before a special
meeting. The Secretary also serves as the correspondent of the Corpora-
tion with persons representing the State of California, and files
whatever reports and forms may be required by the State on an annual or
ongoing basis.
A. In case of the absence or disability of the Secretary, or
refusal or neglect to act, notices may be given and served by the
President, or by the Vice-President, or by any person authorized by the
President or the Vice-President, or by the board of Directors. Section
6: The Treasurer shall receive and safely keep all funds of the
Corporation and deposit same in such bank or banks as may be designated
by the Board of Directors. Such funds shall be paid out only on the
cheque of the Corporation signed as directed by the Board of Directors.
The Treasurer shall also control the keeping of the books and accounts
of the Corporation, and is responsible for the filing and payment of any
monies required by the State of California. Subsidiary representaives
are responsible for the forwarding of quarterly financial records of
each subsidiary to the Treasurer in advance of each quarterly Board of
Directors meeting.
ARTICLE X Councils
Section 1: Seekers of the First through Third Circles shall be
the general laity, and shall relate peripherally to the Inner Circles,
members serving on committees, participating in open meetings, and
fulfilling any other such functions as shall be designated by members of
the Second and Third Rings.
Section 2:
Scions shall constitute the Council of the Second Ring, or the Scion
Council, which shall function in the interest of the Corporation in such
matters as cannot conveniently be brought before a regular or special
meeting of the First Ring. This council shall have one representative
sit on each meeting of the First Ring as Chairman. This Council shall
fulfill any other particular functions as shall be designated by members
of the Third Ring, and may hold such regular or special meetings as
shall be found necessary adequately to carry out the purposes of the
Corporation.
Section 3:
Clergy of the Seventh through Ninth Circles shall constitute the Council
of the Third Ring, or the Clergy Council, which shall function in the
interests of the Corporation in such matters as cannot conveniently be
brought before a regular or special meeting of the First or Second
Rings. This Council shall have one representative sit on each meeting of
the Second Ring as Chairperson. This Council shall fulfill any other
such functions as shall be designated by the Board of Directors, and may
2507
hold such regular or special meetings as shall be found necessary to
adequately carry out the purposes of the Corporation.
Section 4:
The officers of the Board of Directors shall constitute the Executive
Council, which shall function in the interest of the Corporation in such
matters as cannot conveniently be brought before a regular or special
meeting of the Board of Directors or of the Ring councils. This Council
may hold such regular or special meetings as shall be found necessary
adequately to carry out the purposes of the Corporation.
Section 5:
Each Nest shall establish a Nest Council, which shall function in the
interest of that Nest in such matters as cannot appropriately or
conveniently be brought before meetings of any of the other aforemen-
tioned Councils or the Board of Directors.The Nest Councils shall deal
with all those matters which are the exclusive concern of the particular
individual Nests, rather than of concern to the Church or Corporation as
a whole. Such Nest Councils shall consist only of Second and Third Ring
members of such Nests, in number not to exceed thirteen. Application for
membership on a Nest Council must be made in person before the assembled
body of the Council, during which the applicant should be questioned on
his or her reasons for wanting to serve on the Council and his or her
understanding of the principles and purposes of the Nest and the Church.
Acceptance to the council must be by unanimous vote or consensus of the
current Nest Council membership. Candidates for Priesthood must first
have served at least six months on a Nest Council, and that Council must
unanimously approve the candidate's application for ordination before it
can be submitted to the Board. The advancement and training of members
of each Nest through the Second Ring shall be under the supervision of
the Priesthood of that Nest, who may consult the Nest Council if such
consultation shall be found useful or necessary. Second Ring members who
are not affiliated with a particular Nest shall be trained under the
supervision of the Priesthood of the Central Nest. At meetings of the
Nest Councils, the High Priest, High Priestess, or High Scion shall be
Chairperson, and shall be familiar with the rudiments of parliamentary
or consensus procedure.
Section 6:
Any of the aforementioned Councils are authorized to appoint such
committees as shall be found useful in the conduct of the activities of
the Corporation.
Section 7:
Each of the aforementioned Councils and Committees shall elect or
appoint, for any term necessary, such officers as may be found necessary
to the conduct of the Councils. Such offices shall include a Secretary,
whereby minutes shall be taken and notices of meetings disseminated. Section 8:
General membership shall have the prerogative of vetoing any action
taken by the Board of Directors, which it finds objectionable. Such veto
to be taken by two-thirds majority at the Annual meeting.
ARTICLE XI Nests
Section 1:
The basic local organizational/congregational unit of the Church of All
Worlds shall be the nest. A nest is a group of Church members, with at
least one member 4th Circle or above, organized in a local area to learn
about, discuss, and creatively practice the purposes of the Church.
Nests shall be largely autonomous units which have agreed to adopt and
practice the values and purposes of the Church and have, after applying
to the Board, been granted a charter by the Board of Directors pursuant
2508
to a recommendation of the Nest Co-ordinating Council.
Section 2:
In order to form a nest, a group of at least three Church members of at
least 2nd Circle must apply to the Nest Co-ordinating Council for a
charter as a proto-nest, or Chapter. Chapter charters are issued a the
discretion of the Nest Co-ordinating Council. In order to be granted a
full Nest Charter, a group must function for at least a year and a day
and have at least one member who has reached the level of Scion (4th
Circle). Granting of a Nest Charter will be by vote of the Board of
Directors.
Section 3:
Nests chartered by the Board of Directors shall be legal subsidiaries of
the Church of All Worlds as incorporated under the laws of the States of
Missouri and California. Nest shall not have the power to incur debt in
the name of the Church of All Worlds.
Section 4:
The Board and Clergy of the Church of All Worlds do not wish to impose
any doctrinal restraints upon local nests beyond the requirement that
their activities be in accord with the purpose of the Corporation as
stated in Article II of these bylaws. The board and Clergy in fact
encourage creativity and innovation on the part of all local nests and
groups in the lawful pursuit of the goals of the Church of All Worlds.
Section 5:
The Board of Directors does, however, reserve the right to revoke either
a Chapter or Nest Charter on the recommendation of either the Council of
the Third Ring or the Nest Co-ordinating Council for one of the
following reasons:
A. The conduct at its meetings and public functions or in its
public statements is found to be incompatible with the purposes of the
Corporation as stated in Article II of these Bylaws, or contrary to the
laws of the United States or the State of residence of the Nest or
Chapter;
B. The conduct or statements of the Nest or Chapter in its
meetings and public functions or in its public statements, in the
judgement of the Board of Directors, reflects unacceptable discredit on
the Church of All Worlds, its purposes, members and Clergy;
C. The Board of Directors has reason to believe -- on recommenda-
tion from either the Council of the Third Ring or the Nest Co-ordinating
Council -- that the chartered group is not truly functioning as a Nest
or Chapter in that the contact person of that Nest or Chapter does not
respond to queries, show evidence of membership or the holding of
regular meetings or other evidence that the Chartered Nest or Chapter
is, indeed, functioning as a viable organizational unit of the Church of
All Worlds.
ARTICLE XII Meetings
Section l:
General meetings of the Corporation shall be held in conjunction with
the first yearly meeting of the Board of Directors. Regular meetings of
the Board of Directors shall be held quarterly, approximately three
weeks before cross-quarter Sabbats. The first annual meeting shall
propose the meeting dates for the remaining quarters of the year.
Special meetings may be held whenever deemed necessary.
Section 2:
Notice of the Annual Meetings of the General Membership shall be made
each year at least one month in advance of the date of the meeting by a
special mailing to all registered members of the Church of at least 2nd
Circle. Notices of regular meetings of the Board of Directors, together
2509
with quarterly subsidiary reports and proposed agenda items, shall be
sent to members of the Board two weeks prior to such meetings by the
Church Secretary. Notice of special Board meetings shall be made as
early as possible. Notice of regular meetings of other councils shall be
sent to relevant members two weeks in advance by the appropriate council
secretary, and notices of special meetings, as early as possible.
Meetings of Nest Councils shall be held at least quarterly, the
frequency and dates to be determined by said councils.
Section 3:
The privelege of decision-making at any meeting shall be limited to
those present who are actual active members both of the Church and of
the particular Council or Ring convening the meeting. If the number
present is thirteen or less than thirteen, all decisions must be made by
consensus, and if consensus cannot be reached, by a twothirds majority.
If the number present is greater than thirteen, all decisions must be by
a two-thirds majority vote. In meetings where more than thirteen voting
members are present, the number of votes carried by each member shall be
equal to the ring (1,2, or 3) that member has attained. Section 4: A
quorum to conduct business shall consist of a number of voting members
equal to two-thirds majority plus one of the members of that particular
council.
Section 5: The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be from
January l to December 31, inclusive.
ARTICLE XIII Subsidiary Operations
Section 1:
The Corporation, acting through the Board of Directors or their
delegated authority, may organize, charter, establish, and operate such
subsidiary operations, agencies, groups, and institutions as may be
found necessary or expedient adequately to carry out the purposes of the
Corporation.
Section 2:
Each subsidiary shall send a representative to serve on the Board of
Directors. The subsidiary representatives shall be responsible for
reporting the activities of the Subsidiary to the Board, and for
relaying information from the Board to each subsidiary. In addition, the
subsidiary representatives shall submit reports to the Secretary and the
Treasurer detailing the activities of each subsidiary.
Section 3:
Chartering and serving as Directors of subsidiary organizations is open
only to active members of the Church with Scion or Clergy status. Under
exceptional circumstances, and by special dispensation of the Board of
Directors, a project or provisional subsidiary may be approved for
inception by a Church member of only 3rd Circle status, conditional upon
that person's attainment of 4th Circle within a year from the date of
approval, or the appointment within that time as a Director of the
aforesaid subsidiary of another active Churcdh member of at least 4th
Circle. Subsidiaries should begin as projects or provisional sub-
sidiaries and be considered for full subsidiary status if they have been
active for two years and two days. Provisional subsidiaries should send
a contact person to the Board of Directors' meetings.
Section 4:
The governance of subsidiaries shall be by Directors and Councils, the
combined total number of which must always be an odd number, from one to
seven, of whom one to three shall be designated Directors. Should the
subsidiary be authorized to open a bank or checking account, there shall
be three approved signatories on the account, at least one of which must
be a Scion or Clergy. Directors of subsidiaries must be Scions or
2510
Clergy, but other members of the subsidiary councils may be any active
members of the Church that the subsidiary Directors wish to delegate.
Section 5:
Decision-making in subsidiary councils should follow the procedures
outlined in Article XI, Section 3 above.
ARTICLE IV Amendments
Section 1:
Amendments or changes in these Bylaws may be made by recommendation of
the Board of Directors at the Annual meeting, by unanimous vote or
consensus of voting members present.
................................................................................
2511
{file "A Pagan Sacrament of Holy Communion (Morning Glory Zell)" "bos570.htm"}
A Pagan Sacrament of Holy Communion
(as performed in the Church of All Worlds)
by Morning Glory Zell
The Priestess, Priest and Congregation sit in a circle, with the
Priestess to the right of the Priest, on the ground outside or the
carpet indoors.
An altar is set in the center, with Bread and Water and either fresh
flowers and greenery (when outdoors) or a potted plant (indoors).
When everyone is settled and silent, the Priestess begins the blessing:
P'ess: Blessed be this Bread, the body of our Lord,
And Blessed be this Water, the blood of our Lady.
As our bodies are nourished by Their divine energy,
So let Them ever nurture our spirits.
We are the conscious product of Their eternal passion,
And so do we give Them our gratitude in celebration of Life.
The Priest takes the Bread from the altar and raises it aloft in
consecration:
Priest: Seed fallen on the wet Spring table,
embryos bedding in the night.
The Sun is joy on the Earth in the morning,
And the wheat reaches up for the food that is Light.
He holds his child to the Sun and would free him to the wind.
Then we take them both, Father and Son, both still young.
We fold them into tight brown loaves, Rocks of Sun for the tables of the
People.
The Priest takes a piece of the Bread and places it into the mouth of
the person on his left with the words: "May you always have sufficien-
cy". He then passes the plate on to that person, who does the same
actions and gives the same blessing to the next person to the left, and
so on round the circle. When the loaf comes around to the Priestess
sitting on the Priest's right, she gives him his share while taking a
small piece and crumbling it onto the Earth , if outdoors, or into the
potted plant if indoors, saying:
"Mother Divine, take back what is Thine."
The Priestess then takes the chalice of Water from the altar and holds
it aloft in consecration:
P'ess: Ice in the North will melt into the Earth.
She will soften and breathe again.
Water, sweetened by the lungs of the Earth, our Mother, runs
South To the houses of the people, and the clouds give birth and
die.
They tremble on beds of air giving birth.
Their trembling rocks the Earth with thunder; all their life is
gone.
Their last breath is in our cup,
Let us drink the rain.
The Priestess then holds the chalice to the lips of the Priest on her
left, who drinks as she says:
"Water shared is Life shared."
He then holds the cup and repeats the phrase for the person on his left,
and so it goes, clockwise, around the circle. Other phrases may be
spoken, such as "May you never thirst", or "Drink deeply". As the
chalice passes from each person, they link hands with those who already
shared the water, until, as the chalice completes its round, all hands
are joined. Finally the person to the right of the Priestess gives her
back the chalice and the blessing, whereupon she pours out the remainder
of the water onto the ground or the plant as a libation to the Earth,
speaking again the words:
"Mother Divine,take back what is Thine."
She places the chalice back onto the altar, then returns to her place to
link hands and complete the circle. Then may follow a silent medita-
tion, a chant or song, a breathing exercise to raise energy,
or whatever is desired. When the exercise or meditation has reached its
conclusion, the Priest pronounces the Benediction:
Priest: O Gracious Lady and Laughing Lord,
We would ever have Thee here with us.
Now the time is come to break the circle and return to the
world.
May Thy love be ever with us and Thy wisdom guide our steps.
Blessed Be.
Everyone repeats the words "Blessed Be" simultaneously dropping the
hands they are holding, thereby breaking the link and ending the Rite.
2512
{file ""Earthmom"" "bos571.htm"}
"Earthmom"
"Well, for instance, who is this All-Mother you're always talking
about?"
"Why, you are, Edward. . . The All-Mother. You're the All-Mother,
I'm the All-Mother, that little bird singing out there, it's the
All-Mother. The All-Mother is everything. The All-Mother is life..."
The primal and supreme deity of the ancient world, the oldest and
most universally worshipped, was the Great Mother, Mother Earth. Images
of Her date back to Aurignacian Cro-Magnon peoples, from 27,000 years
ago, and are found all over the Eurasian continent from Spain to
Siberia. For thousands of years before there were any male gods, there
was The Goddess, and Her worship continued unabated clear up until its
violent suppression by Iron Age patrism. When and where worship of the
Mother prevailed women and Nature were held in esteem. The Chinese
called Her Kwan Yin; the Egyptians knew Her as Isis; the Navajo call Her
Changing Woman. To the Greeks She was Gaia, and to many black peoples
She is Yemanja. She is Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, and She says:
"All acts of love and pleasure are my rituals." She is also the ancient
Crone Hecate,who gives us both wisdom and death. The Goddess is
diversity. She represents both darkness and Light and Her worship is
the reconciliation of opposites. There can be no such thing as a "Good
Goddess" or an "Evil Goddess". Death is part of the natural cycle as
night follows day and we accept it with grace as Her final gift. The
search for Balance is the goal of Her people, and it is achieved by the
acceptance of multiple paths and truths. Dion Fortune once commented
that all goddesses are manifestations of the One Great Goddess whose
identity is as the universal feminine spirit of Nature.
The eldest and greatest aspect of the Goddess is as Great Mother
2513
Nature, the all-encompassing energy of Universal Life. Her womb is the
Quasar, the white hole through which all energy pours into creation, and
Her all-devouring mouth is the Black hole itself through which all
matter is consumed to be reborn once again as between Her thighs the
universe is squeezed from spirit. Her energy then coalesces into
Matter-Mater:the Mother of all forms. She ignites, becoming the Star
Goddess Nuit, whose galactic breast is our Milky way. Of Her are born
star systems and planets including, of course, our very own Earth
Mother, Gaia.
Because of the diversity of the Goddess, She is seen as manifesting
in many different aspects. She is often called The Triple Goddess,
which refers to Her link in the fertility cycle where She appears as
Maiden, Mother and Crone. Some ancient cultures personified this
Triplicity as the waxing, full, and waning Moon, and other three-faced
Goddess aspects are familiar to us as the Fates, the Graces, the Furies,
the Muses, or even as Faith, Hope and Charity. Another familiar
division of Her aspects is into Mother and Daughter (Demeter and
Persephone), or as Sisters/Lovers (Fauna and Flora). Such polarities
are also important in Her worship. Sometimes the polarity can exist
with two different aspects of the Goddess representing both poles, but
more commonly it is the great gender polarity, for the Goddess is a
deity of sexual loving.
She is Ishtar or Aphrodite, the eternal Lover who awaits with eager
arms the mortal man brave enough to risk Her immortal favor. Many men
have worshipped Her as a lover, but she may never be possessed, for She
belongs only to Herself. She is Parthenos, the eternal Virgin (in the
prepatriarchal meaning "of her own household"). She represents the
Strong Woman : not dominant, but independent. Her lovers are not truly
human but divine. She has been the Beloved of many gods, and though
jealous male gods eventually suppressed Her worship, She shared the
co-rulership of Heaven and Earth for thousands of years of marital
bliss. She is the inescapable Yin necessary for the cosmic balance of
Yang/Yin. Symbols associated with Her (the Tree of Life, the Sacred
Serpent, the Labryrinth) are found in all parts of the globe, at the
heart of all the Mysteries, and underlying all the later accretions of
successive religions. The search for Her is the search for our deepest
ancestral roots.I am the star that rises from the twilight sea.I bring
men dreams to rule their destiny.I am the eternal Woman; I am She!The
tides of all souls belong to me-Touch of my hand confers polarity-These
are the moontides, these belong to me.
Honor Thy Mother
In all the cultures where She is still worshipped, there is no
confusion over Her identity : She is Nature, and She is the Earth. She
is not an atavistic abstraction, not a mystical metaphor, not a
construct of consciousness. Her body is of substance as material as our
own, and we tread upon Her breast and are formed of Her flesh. "Walk
lightly on the bosom of the Earth Mother," says Sun Bear, and tradition-
al Native Americans agree. Cherokee shaman Rolling Thunder emphasizes
that "It's very important for people to realize this: the Earth is a
living organism, the body of a higher individual who has a will and
wants to be well, who is at times less healthy or more healthy,
physically and mentally."3 Frank Waters, author of Masked Gods and Book
of the Hopi, makes the same point::. . . To Indians the Earth is not
inanimate. It is a living entity, the mother of all life, our Mother
Earth. All Her children, everything in nature, is alive: the living
2514
stone, the great breathing mountains, trees and plants, as well as birds
and animals and man. All are united in one harmonious whole.4 Renowned historian Arnold Toynbee, writing on "The Religious Background
of the Present Environmental Crisis," also observed that:For pre-monoth-
eistic man, nature was not just a treasure-trove of "natural resources".
Nature was, for him, a goddess, "Mother Earth," and the vegetation that
sprang from the Earth, the animals that roamed, like man himself, over
the Earth's surface, and the minerals hiding in the Earth's bowels, all
partook of Nature's divinity.5 Before ever land was, before ever the
sea, Or soft hair of the grass, or fair limbs of the tree, Or flesh-
coloured fruit of my branches, I was : And thy soul was in me.
The Gaia Thesis
In order to understand the nature of the Earth Mother, we must
first understand our own origins. Biologically, unisexual organisms are
always considered to be female, since only the female brings forth life
from her own body; in the act of reproduction single cells are referred
to as mothers and their offspring as daughters. Each of us began our
individual life as a single fertilized cell, or zygote. In the process
of its innumerable divisions and multiplications, that cell kept
dividing up and redistributing the very same protoplasm. That
protoplasm which now courses through all of the several trillion cells
of your adult body is the very same substance which once coursed through
the body of that original zygote. For when a cell reproduces, the
mother cell does not remain intact, but actually becomes the two new
daughter cells. And this is why, no matter how many times a cell
fissions in the process of embryological development, all the daughter
cells collectively continue to comprise but one single organism. We
may imagine that, should our cells have consciousness akin to our own,
they may very well fancy themselves to be independent entities living
and dying in a world that to them would seem to be merely an inanimate
environment. Blood cells race along our arterial highways, but we know
them to be in fact minute components of the far vaster living beings
that we ourselves are. Over three billion years ago, life on Earth
began, as do we all, with a single living cell containing a replicating
molecule of DNA. From that point on, that original cell, the first to
develop the awesome capacity for reproduction, divided and redivided and
subdivided its protoplasm into the myriads of plants and animals,
including ourselves, which now inhabit this third planet from the
Sun. But no matter how many times a cell fissions in the process of
embryological development, all the daughter cells collectively continue
to comprise but one single organism. All life on Earth comprises the
body of a single vast living being:Mother Earth Herself. The Moon is
Her radiant heart, and in the tides beats the pulse of Her blood. The
protoplasm which coursed through the body of that first primeval
ancestral cell is the very protoplasm which now courses through every
cell of every living organism, plant or animal, of our planet. And as
in our own bodies, Earthly life was biologically female for the first 3
billion years, before sexual reproduction, complete with males, evolved
around 600 million years ago. In evolutionary theory we say "ontogeny
recapitulates phylogeny" (the development of the individual repeats the
development of the ancestry); ancient people anticipated such scien-
tific ideas when they intuitively conceptualized our planetary Divinity,
like that first single cell, as feminine: our Mother Earth.
The soul of our planetary biosphere is She whom we call Goddess.
First life on my sources first drifted and swam. Out of me are the
forces which save it or damn.
2515
Out of me man and woman, and wild-beast and bird. Before God was, I
am.6". . . Be the terror and the dread of all the wild beasts and all
the birds of heaven, of everything that crawls on the ground and all the
fish of the sea: they are handed over to you." (Gen. 9:2-3)
Since the time of the Exodus, 3,500 years ago, Western Civilization
has been pursuing a course that has taken it farther and fhree great
monotheistic religions of the West, Judaism, Christianity and Islam,
have from their beginning activity suppressed the worship of the
Goddess, and have tortured and brutally murdered millions of Her people.
Today, she is all but forgotten in the hearts of Her children, and Her
body lies raped and ravished in the wake of human progress. The Goddess
is the concept of feminine divinity incarnate. The denial of feminine
divinity results in the oppression of all women, including Mother
Nature. As Toybee says:The thesis of the present essay is that some of
the major maladies of the present-day world:for instance the recklessly
extravagant consumption of nature's irreplaceable treasures, and the
pollution of those of them that man has not already devoured:can be
traced back in the last analysis to a religious cause, and that this
cause is the rise of monotheism. 5
This is not to say that all non-monotheistic religions have a
perfect track record for the treatment of women in those societies.
Certainly Hindu cultures revere various goddesses and yet are among the
more sexist and female-suppressive societies in the modern world.
Nevertheless, there is abundant archeological evidence to indicate that
things were not always as they are now, especially in truly ancient
societies like India. Before the Aryan Indo-European invasion around
1,500 BCE many Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures, including the Harrapan
culture of the Indus Valley and the Minoan people of Crete, had
societies that appeared remarkably egalitarian. These societies were
universally characterized by the worship of a powerful Great Mother whom
the Hindu people still call Maha Devi Ma. She was later broken into a
multiplicity of minor goddesses which were demoted to the position of
wives or concubines of the gods. By the time sacred writings were
codified in the Vedas, the Primal Goddess Maha Devi in India had been
divided into a triplicity of goddesses characterized as Creator,
Preserver and Destroyer: Saraswati, Laksmi and Kali; respectively the
consorts of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. In Greece, a similar process led
to Kore, Demeter and Persephone (or Hecate) created from the original
Cretan Rhea. Once the Great Mother had been married off She became
easier to control and the way was paved for Her dowry of natural wealth
to be handed over to the financial control of Her divine consorts.
Whether this new mythical development was a simple mirror of the social
diminishment of women's rights or whether it preceded it and was invoked
as a justification is really a moot point. But the land, formerly tied
to matrilineal territorial clans, passed into the hands of patriarchal
kings and princes who began to treat it as their private property and to
lay waste to the forests in order to build vast temples and palaces to
house their harems and other slaves. The Goddess of Nature went from
the position of being the body and soul of all that lives to that of a
wife, mother and household servant. Many traditions have given lip
service to the so-called "Female Principle," either in the form of a
divided identity like the Hindu Shakti or as a semi-divine emanation.
But the power of the Goddess of Nature has gradually lost its ability to
inspire the necessary respect and reverence once accorded to the Source
and Bearer of Life.
2516
Where are You, then, Mother, whose strength was before All
other powers? Your name is the only freedom.8 Pantheism is the view
that everything in Nature is alive, and that all living is Divine. In
that context, then, the simplest explanation of Divinity is as "an
energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, it
penetrates us, it binds the galaxy together." (Star Wars: "The Force")
Thus a pantheistic theology of Immanent Divinity ("Thou Art God/dess")
contrasts sharply with the theology of Transcendent Divinity ("God is
Out There") presented by most of "The World's Great Religions." Unlike
the God worshipped by Christians, Moslems and Jews, the Goddess is not
an all-powerful, indestructible, non-physical being who created the
world and exists apart from it. Though Mother Nature is Life on the
universal scale, Gaia, the Earth Mother is the very soul of this living
planet, and she lives or dies as all life on this planet lives or dies.
. . Mother, not maker; born, and not made. Though her children forsake
her, allured or afraid, Praying prayers to the God of their fashion, She stirs not for all who have prayed.O my children, too dutiful
towards Gods not of me, Was not I enough beautiful? Was it hard to be
free? For, behold, I am with you, am in you, and of you: Look forth
now and see!6 "Earth Mother, Your Children Are Here!" Current environ-
mental crises are legion. Chlorofluorocarbon chemicals are destroying
the ozone layer in the atmosphere; industrial pollution is creating the
greenhouse effect which will melt the polar icecaps, drowning the
coastal regions; and the destruction of the rainforests and the
pollution of phytoplankton in the seas is causing worldwide droughts.
The problems are so vast and the politics of greed and corruption are so
complex that it will truly take a miracle to reverse such global
destruction. The only thing that can save us is a total and electrify-
ing change of consciousness. Nothing short of a worldwide realization
of our planetary awareness will bring home the desperation of our
plight. We must activate our Gaian identification so that we regain our
shattered empathy with the Spirit of Nature. We must become one with
the Earth Mother in order to feel Her pain/our pain and make it stop
before the cancer we have become reaches the terminal phase.
The word religion derives from the Latin re-ligio; "relinking."
The very purpose of true religion, then, is to heal the rifts and
alienations which have caused us to become separated from the divine
Source of Being: the rifts between humanity and Nature; between matter
and spirit; between mind and body; between man and woman; between our
own egos and the Soul of Nature. Recent books analyzing the trends of
our wayward world have, with increasing frequency, been calling for a
return to the worship of the Mother. So many wistful comments made by
writers such as Merlin Stone, Mary Daly, James Lovelock, Judy Chicago,
Dolores LaChapelle, Rene Dubos, Daniela Gioseffi, Paolo Soleri,
Elizabeth Gould Davis, Arnold Toynbee, Joseph Campbell, Marija Gimbutas
and Riane Eisler reflect a craving for such a religious revival. The
truth is that such a revival has been going on for some time now:since
the early 1960's:in the form of what we call the Neo-Pagan movement
(from Latin paganus:"peasant" or country dweller:Paganism now refers
to all nature religions). To the several hundred thousand Neo-Pagans
who have been actively practicing and publishing for more than a quarter
of a century, the greatest mystery of this religion is its continuing
obscurity and invisibility to those such as the above-named writers, who
continue to publish books advocating such a movement as this, while
remaining ignorant that it is already in effect. The new Paganism
encompasses many Nature-oriented groups such as Feraferia, Church of All
2517
Worlds, Madrakara, Bear Tribe, Venusian Church, Pagan Way, Church of the
Eternal Source, Odinic Fellowship, Reformed Druids, Earth Church of
Amargi and Children of the Earth Mother. The largest contingent of
modern Goddess-worshippers, however, is found in Witchcraft, or Wicca.
Wicca is a pre-Christian European Pagan magical tradition; European
Shamanism. The violent suppression to the point of eradication of the
followers of Wicca by the Inquisition can only be compared to the Jewish
Holocaust of Nazi Germany (estimates of the number of martyrs run as
high as nine million!), but today the Craft is making a powerful
comeback on the wings of the re-emergent Goddess.
The Neo-Pagan movement, and especially Feminist Witchcraft, has
recently been joined by increasing numbers from the Women's Spirituality
movement and lately also by many thinkers from the Deep Ecology movement
and even such radical environmental activists as Earth First!. These
are some of the forces which form the core of the movement to restore
the Earth Goddess to Her rightful place; a movement which has its roots
in the combined studies of feminism and ecology and is the logical
spiritual application of such studies. If Witches can be priestesses of
feminism, then Neo-Pagans are the chaplains of the ecology movement. The
overall movement, though variously called Eco-feminism and Ecosophy, is
truly an attempt at expressing Gaian Spirituality. These three
streams of spirituality:Deep Ecology, Goddess Spirituality, and
Neo-Paganism:have met and mingled with Native American, Hindu,
Tibetan, Hawaiian and other ancient spiritual teachings and fused
somewhat with the more nebulous New Age Movement. What is struggling to
be born from this blending of pathways is a truly planetary religious
metaphor that will transcend all the tradition-specific patterns in the
same way the idea of Neo-Paganism absorbed and united a multiplicity of
wildly differing but basically polytheistic religious groups in the
1970's. Perhaps what we are looking for could be called Gaean
religion, because at the heart of our Unity is our identity as children
of the same Mother:Gaia Herself; Mother Earth. It is said that it's a
wise child who knows its own Mother! A brief digression on
etymology here: Who is Gaia, that we would name a movement after Her?
The name Gaia is the Greek name for the Earth Mother Goddess, She who
was created by Light and by Love from the primal cosmic chaos. Pierced
by the arrows of Eros, Gaia gave birth to all the plants, animals, gods
and goddesses and of course the human race. So Gaia is the Mother of us
all according to ancient Greek mythology.
From the moment that the people of Earth achieved the ability to
observe the image of our planet spinning in all Her radiant blue-and-
white splendor through the black velvet night, we have been impelled
towards planetary identification. We must inevitably begin to think of
ourselves as one planet, one people, one organism. The power of that
image alone unites us, not to mention the concept that the past
three-and-a-half billion years of terrestrial evolution resembles one
vast embryogenesis. Something is developing, hatching, unfolding as a
self-reflexive mind capable of contemplating its own existence. Gaia
developed increasingly complex eyes and extensions of Her eyes/our eyes
in order to contemplate Her own image. And now, having seen Herself
through our satellite eyes, She is awakening to consciousness. She has
a face, an identity and now even a name, and so we inevitably come to
identify ourselves through Her as Gaian.
A Gaian movement would be deeply committed to communication and
education. Many tribal people and many of the old nature-based folk
religions such as native Australians, Hawaiians, Siberians, Tibetans and
Americans have come to the brink of extinction rather than to allow the
mysteries of their sacred rites to pass outside their tribes. Others
have realized the need to become more eclectic if they are to survive.
The Gaian movement is presently small and largely unrecognized,
since it is anarchic and not evangelical, but it has tremendous
potential in having no single head and presenting a genuine answer to so
many of the world's problems. Its vision is, in fact, an idea whose
time has come. Yet there are still many obstacles, and revolutions in
consciousness rarely happen overnight. The greatest forces operating
against a new Gaian renaissance are inertia and apathy. the watchwords
of the .70s and .80s. But winds of change are blowing, and by the time
the century turns we will see that once again Goddess is Alive and
Magick is Afoot!And you who think to seek for me -Know that your seeking
and yearning will avail you naughtUnless you know the Mystery:That if
that which you seek you find not within you,You shall never find it
without.For behold: I have been with you from the beginning,And I am
that which is attained at the end of desire.9
Footnotes:
1. Mack Reynolds, Of Godlike Power, 1966, pp. 146-1472.
2. Dion Fortune, "Charge of the Moon Goddess"
3. Doug Boyd, Rolling Thunder, 1974, p. 51
4. Frank Waters, "Lessons From the Indian Soul," Psychology Today, May
1973
5. Arnold Toynbee, "The Religious Background of the Present Environmen
tal Crisis," International Journal of Environmental Studies, 1972,
Vol. III
6. Algernon Charles Swinburne, "Hertha"
7. Tim Zell, "The Gods of Nature; The Nature of Gods," Gnostica #15,
1973
8. Ramprasad Sen, Grace and Mercy in Her Wild Hair; 18th Century Bengal
9. Doreen Valiente, "Charge of the Star Goddess"
(This article was first written in 1978; revised and updated in 1990.)
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{file "The Church of All Worlds, a Brief History" "bos572.htm"}
The Church of All Worlds, a Brief History
It all began on April 7, 1962, when, after reading Stranger in a
Strange Land, Tim Zell and Lance Christie shared water and formed a
water-brotherhood called "Atl" at Westminster College at Fulton,
Missouri. During the mid-1960s the group was centered on the University
of Oklahoma campus at Norman under the name Atlan Foundation. A
periodical, The Atlan Torch (later The Atlan Annals), was published from
1962-1968. Following a move to St. Louis, Missouri, in 1968 the Church
of All Worlds was legally incorporated. In March of that year, the first
issue of Green Egg appeared and over the years made Tim Zell, its
editor, a major force in Neo-Paganism, a term which Zell coined. CAW was
the first Neo-Pagan/Earth Religion to obtain full federal recognition,
although it was initially refused recognition by the Missouri Department
of Revenue on the basis of its lack of primary concern about the
hereafter, God, the destiny of souls, heaven, hell, sin and its
punishment, and other supernatural matters. The ruling was overturned as
unconstitutional in 1971. The Church of All Worlds took much
inspiration from the science fiction classic, Stranger in a Strange Land
by Robert Heinlein. In the novel, Valentine Michael Smith was a human
being born on Mars and raised by Martians. Upon being brought to Earth,
2519
he established the Church of All Worlds, built around "nests", a
combination of a congregations and an intentional communities. A basic
concept was "grokking", i.e., the ability to be fully empathic.
Heinlein's CAW emphasized non-possessive love and joyous expression of
sexuality as divine union. Their greeting was "Thou art God" or "Thou
art Goddess", a recognition of immanent divinity in each person. The basic theology of the CAW is a pantheism focused on immanent rather
than transcendent divinity, which is worshiped in female as well as a
male form.
The most important thealogical statement came in revelatory
writings by Zell in 1970-73, on a theory which later came to be known as
the Gaia Thesis, a biological validation of the ancient intuition that
the planet is a single living organism, Mother Earth. Pantheists
hold as divine the living spirit of Nature. Thus the CAW recognizes
Mother Earth, the Horned God, the Green Man and other spirits of
animistic totemism as the Divine Pantheon. Church of All Worlds was an
early forerunner of the Deep Ecology movement. Through its focus on
Mother Nature as Goddess and its recognition and ordination of women as
Priestesses, CAW can also rightly be held to be the first Eco-Feminist
Church. Its only creed states: "The Church of All Worlds is dedicated to
the celebration of life, the maximal actualization of human potential
and the realization of ultimate individual freedom and personal
responsibility in harmonious eco-psychic relationship with the total
Biosphere of Holy Mother Earth."
In 1974, CAW reported nests in Missouri, California, Illinois,
Kansas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Wyoming, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Tennessee,
New Jersey, New York, and Ohio. It was then publishing two periodicals,
Green Egg and The Pagan. Two years later Zell moved to Oregon with his
new wife, Morning Glory, an ordained Priestess, for a rural life of
writing, research and the practice of the religion he had developed.
They left the administration of the CAW and the publication of the Green
Egg in the hands of other Church leaders. After only a few more issues,
the magazine ceased publication. Subsequently many Church Nests
dissolved due to internal conflicts.
By the mid-1980s CAW survived only in California, focused around
the sanctuary land bequeathed to the Church by its Bard, Gwydion
Pendderwen. On and around this rural retreat, a Pagan homesteading
community grew which included the Zells (Tim Zell had changed his first
name to Otter in 1979 following a vision quest) and other long-time
Church members who had moved to California, as well as many new people.
Two new clergy were ordained during that time, Orion Stormcrow (a Church
member since 1969) and Anodea Judith. (In 1991, Deborah Hamouris was
ordained, bringing the present number of active clergy to six.) In the
late 1980s, following Otter and Morning Glory's emergence from eight
years of living in the wilderness, the Church of All Worlds began
reorganizing under the leadership of Anodea Judith. The membership
program was radically upgraded to include a Progressive Involvement
Program (PIP), intensive training courses and a new members newsletter,
The Scarlet Flame. Activities and membership increased dramatically
during this period as CAW emerged from its slumber. The first issue
of Green Egg (The Next Generation!) appeared in May, 1988, the 20th
anniversary of its original publication. It has risen to a position of
prominence among Pagan periodicals. Diane Darling, who joined the Church
in the mid-'80s, is its editrix, Otter its publisher and designer. In
1991, with 52 pages and a four-color glossy cover, Green Egg won the
2520
Silver Award from the Wiccan/Pagan Press Alliance (WPPA) for "Most
Professionally Formatted Pagan Publication". In 1992 Green Egg won the
WPPA Gold Award for "Readers' Choice" as well as the Dragonfest Awards
for "Most Attractive Format" and "Best Graphics". Diane won the Pentacle
Award for "Favorite Pagan Editrix", and Otter for "Favorite Pagan
Writer".
The non-fictional Church of All Worlds has grown far beyond
Heinlein's dream. There are nine concentric circles of member involve-
ment, named after the planets and grouped into three rings. Each
circle's activity includes study, writings, magical training, sen-
sitivity and encounter-group experience, as well as active participation
in the life of the Church. The First Ring, Circles 1, 2, and 3, is for
Seekers, those who are only participants. Second Ring, Circles 4 through
6, is made up of Scions, members who help run the church. The clergy,
Council of the Third Ring, consists of legally ordained priests and
priestesses; longtime members who have worked through the other circles,
undergone personal and leadership development, religious training, and
completed the Church's ordination requirements. There are two
governing bodies in addition to the Clergy: the Board of Directors,
which determines policy and business matters, and the Fun Committee,
which implements the activities and functions of the Church. The Fun
Committee is made up of a Board member, a clergy member, and one
representative from each of the church functions, such as Rites and
Festivals, Publications, Membership, Communications and each subsidiary.
There is an annual General Meeting to elect officers and make changes in
the Church's ever-evolving Bylaws. Worship involves attending weekly or
monthly Nest meetings usually held in the homes of Nest members.
Autonomous nests are composed of at least three members of 2nd Circle
meeting monthly or more often. The basic liturgical form is based on a
circle where a chalice of water is shared around as part of the ritual
part of the Nest meeting. Longer events are celebrated at the Church
sanctuary, Annwfn, a 55-acres of land in northern California. Annwfn has
a two-story temple, cabins, garden, orchard and a small pond. It is
maintained by a small community of resident caretakers. In addition to
the eight Celtic seasonal festivals, the Church holds handfastings
(marriages), vision quests, initiations, workshops, retreats, work
parties and meetings on the land. As of 1993, the Church has ten
chartered nests in California, with others in Florida, Illinois,
Arizona, Maryland, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Australia (where CAW has
become the first legally-incorporated Pagan church in that country). A
number of proto-Nests are in the process of forming. Current President
is priest Tom Williams (a member since 1968). Otter is presently
engaged in the formation of the Universal Federation of Pagans (UFP), a
worldwide association with which he hopes to unify the global Pagan
community. 1992 was the 30th anniversary of the Church. A Grand
Convocation was held in August, with an attendance of nearly 300.
Membership at the end of 1993 was around 600.
The Mission Statement of the Church of All Worlds is as follows:
The mission of the Church of All Worlds is to evolve a network of
information, mythology, and experience that provides a context and
stimulus for reawakening Gaea, and reuniting Her children through tribal
community dedicated to responsible stewardship and the general evolution
of consciousness. Over the years, the Church of All Worlds has
chartered a number of subsidiary branches through which it practices and
teaches its religion:
2521
* Forever Forests : Box 212, Redwood Valley, CA 95470. Founded in
1977 by Gwydion Pendderwen; the ecology branch. Sponsors tree-planting
events and rituals.
* Lifeways : 2140 Shattuck #2093, Berkeley, CA 94704. Founded in
1983 by Anodea Judith; the teaching branch. Offers workshops, classes,
healing rituals, recovery programs, wilderness excursions, and training
for the priesthood. Handles the Progressive Involvement Program.
* Nemeton : Box 610, Laytonville, CA 95454. Founded in 1972 by
Gwydion Pennderwen and Alison Harlow; the marketing branch. Tapes and
CDs, songbooks, T-shirts, philosophical tracts and books. Catalog
available.
* Ecosophical Research Assn. (ERA) : Box 982, Ukiah, CA 95482.
Founded in 1977 by Morning Glory Zell; devoted to research and explora-
tion in the fields of history, mythology and natural sciences. Produced
the Living Unicorn, the New Guinea Mermaid expedition and a Peruvian
Pilgrimage.
* Holy Order of Mother Earth (HOME) : Box 212, Redwood Valley, CA
95470 Founded in 1977 by the Zells and Alison Harlow; magical and
shamanic branch open only to trained initiates. Creates and conducts the
Church's rituals and ceremonies.* Peaceful Order of the Earth Mother
(POEM) : Box 5227, Clearlake, CA 95422. Founded in 1988 by Willowoak
Istarwood; dedicated to children and child nurturing. Provides
enriching activities for children at gatherings, summer camps and a
quarterly magazine for Pagan youth, How About Magic? (HAM) :$7 per year.
* Green Egg : Box 1542, Ukiah, CA 95482. Award-winning quarterly
journal of the New Paganism and the Gaian Renaissance, founded in 1968
by Otter Zell. Sample $6; subscription $15/yr US bulk mail; $21/yr
US/Canada 1st class/envelope; $27/yr trans-Atlantic; $30/yr trans-Pacif-
ic.
* Annwfn : Box 48, Calpella, CA 95418. CAW's 55-acre land sanctuary
and retreat in the Misty Mountains of Mendonesia. Write for Visitor's
Policy.
* CAW Membership and General Correspondence :
(Australian Headquaters) PO Box 408, Woden, ACT 2606.
References:
Further information on the Church of All Worlds may be found in the
following books:
Adler, Margot, Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-
Worshipers and other Pagans in America Today, Beacon Press, 1979;
revised and updated 1987. (essential!)
Ellwood, Robert, Religious and Spiritual Groups in Modern America, 1973.
Gottleib, Annie, Do You Believe in Magic? The Second Coming of the
Sixties Generation, Times Books, 1987
Guiley, Rosemary, Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft, Facts on File,
1989; (extensive!)
2522
The Perennial Encyclopedia of Mystical and Psychic Experience, 1990.
Jade, To Know, Delphi Press, 1991.
Martello, Leo Louis, Witchcraft, the Old Religion, University Books,
1973.
Melton, J. Gordon, The Encyclopedia of American Religions, from the
Institute for the Study of American Religions, POB 90709, Santa Barbara,
CA 93190 1979 ( 3rd edition, 1988); The Essential New Age, 1990.
Wilson, Robert Anton, Coincidance, Falcon Press, 1988
................................................................................
2523
{file "Neo-Paganism: An Old Religion for a New Age (Otter G'Zell)" "bos573.htm"}
Neo-Paganism: An Old Religion for a New Age
by Otter G'ZellFounder, Church of All Worlds
As founder and priest of a Neo-Pagan church, I have often been
asked to explain exactly what we mean by the term "Pagan". We find
ourselves in the peculiar position of having a public image that was
created not by ourselves, but by our persecutors. It is much as if the
Nazis had succeeded in eradicating Judaism to the extent that, genera-
tions later, the common opinion of what the Jewish faith was all about
was derived solely from the anti-Semitic propaganda of the Third Reich.
In Europe alone, from tens of thousands to millions (the figures
are still in dispute) of Pagans were martyred by the Christian churches
during the Inquisition and Witch trials. Those figures do not even
count the millions of other Pagan peoples in North and South America,
Africa, Polynesia, Melanesia and Asia who fell before the advancing
plague of Western Christendom.
Today, the conception most people have of Paganism is the lurid one
drawn by the Christian church to justify its own reign of terror, and
bears about as much relation to reality as the similar propaganda
Christianity once fostered about Jews. In the 13th century the Church
opened its long-drawn-out conflict with Paganism in Europe by declaring
Witchcraft to be a 'sect' and heretical. It was not til the 14th
century that the two religions came to grips.
All through the 16th and 17th centuries the battle raged. The
Pagans fought a gallant, though losing, fight against a remorseless and
unscrupulous enemy; every inch of the field was disputed. At first
victory occasionally inclined to the Pagans, but the Christian policy of
obtaining influence over the rulers and law-givers was irresistible.
Vae victis was also the policy of the Christians, and we see the priests
of the Papacy gloating over the thousands whom they had consigned to the
flames while the ministers of the Reformed Churches hounded on the
administrators of the law to condemn the 'devil worshipers'.
What can have been the feelings with which those unhappy victims
regarded the vaunted God of Love, the Prince of Peace, whose votaries
condemned them to torture and death? What wonder that they clung to
their old faith, and died in agony unspeakable rather than deny their
God. (Margaret Murray, The God of the Witches, 1931, Oxford GB 332, pp.
21-22)
'Pagan' does not mean "irreligious" or "barbarian". It is the
correct anthropological term to describe indigenous folk religions,
being derived from the Latin paganus, "peasant," which derives in turn
from pagus, "village". The Latin comes from the Greek pagos, "standing
stone," and paga, "sacred spring," representing, respectively, the male
and female generative powers. Paganism is basically Nature worship.
'Pagan' is a proper noun or adjective denoting the name of a religion,
and as such, is properly always capitalized, as is 'Jewish' or 'Hin-
du'.
Religions can be roughly divided into two distinct categories: the
naturally evolving, indigenous "folk" religions of particular regions
and peoples (the Pagan religions), and on the other hand the "revealed"
religions: those religions owing their existence to a "revelation"
taught by some great "prophet" and formulated in various creeds and
2524
dogmas. The latter category, of course, includes most of the "Great
Religions of Mankind:" Judeo-Christian-Islamic, Buddhist, Confucian,
etc. Though articulated by a great teacher, Lao-tsu, Taoism is
essentially Pagan in philosophy and attitude, while Hinduism and Shinto
are Pagan in origin and essence even though they have become institu-
tionalized as State religions.
Pagan religions are characterized by being "natural," both in
origin and mode of expression, as opposed to the artificiality of
constructed revealed religions. Paganism emerges out of the processes
of Life and Nature, and continues to evolve as a living, growing,
organic entity.
Revealed religions are like buildings: an architect (prophet) get
an inspiration (revelation) and lays down his vision in blueprints
(prophecy; scriptures). Then contractors, carpenters, masons, etc.
(disciples and followers) build the structure more or less according to
his specifications. It is made of non-living materials, and does not
grow naturally; it is assembled. When it is finished, it cannot grow
further, and begins to deteriorate, until it is eventually so outmoded
and rundown it is demolished to make way for new buildings. A world of
revealed religions is like unto a city, with all the problems (hunger,
war, hatreds, crime, pollution, dis-ease) of a city, and for much the
same reason: alienation from the life-flow.
A Pagan religion, on the other hand, is like a tree: it emerges
alive from the Earth, grows, changes (both cyclically through the
seasons, and continually in upward and outward growth), bears flowers
and fruit, and shares its life with other living beings. It is not made
or designed according to any blueprint other than genetic. And when,
after many thousands of years, perhaps, it should come to the end of its
time, it does not pass from the world entirely, for its own progeny
have, in the interval, begun to spring up all around, again from the
Earth, and again, similar yet each unique. A world of Pagan religions
is like a forest.
Paganism includes Animism, Pantheism, Shamanism and Totemism.
(Witchcraft is the survival or reconstruction of European Shamanism;
i.e., the magical arts of tribal peoples.) Pagan are the native
religions of the American Indians, the Africans, the various Island
peoples, many peasants in the mountains of Asia, the Aborigines of
Australia, and, at one time, the Gauls, Teutons, Norse, Celts and
Faeries (as the invading Saxons called the pygmy neolithic race they
encountered in the British Isles). Long before they encountered
Christianity, the Faeries (known to archaeologists as Pretani, or Picts)
had been forced by the Saxons onto the inhospitable Heaths of Britain,
later to be called "Heathens" by the Church. By 1500 CE, they had been
virtually exterminated, save for those who managed to intermarry or
exchange their infants for those of the invaders ("changelings").
Moreover, as it was later to do in the case of the Witches, who
inherited much of the Faery lore and religion, the Church began a
campaign to convince the world and future generations that these people
had never existed in the first place, but were merely imaginary! The old
Pagan religions were never "created". They had no founding prophets and
no saviors. They grew up with their people, and their origins are lost
in the mists at the dawn of humanity. What little we can trace
indicates a descent from paleolithic and neolithic "fertility cults,"
hence the common symbols of the Earth Mother Goddess, the Green Man and
2525
the Horned God.the fecund embodiments of living Nature. We find them
therefore unanimous in their veneration of Nature and their sensual
celebration of life, birth, sex and death as expressed in the seasonal
Festivals of the Sacred Year. All these Great Festivals of Paganism,
wherever they may be found, correspond in common with the Solstices,
Equinoxes, and other natural annual cycles of life (animal mating and
birth seasons, planting, harvest).
Most of these remain with us today in more-or-less disguised form
as the so-called "Christian" holidays of Christmas (Yule), Easter
(Ostara), May Day (Beltane), Thanksgiving (Mabon or Harvest Home),
Halloween (Samhain) and even Groundhog's Day (Oimelc). In addition to
these six, there are two others, Litha (Midsummer) and Lughnasadh,
comprising a total of eight Festivals (or Sabbats, as they are known,
sometimes under different names, in Witchcraft). Thus it is obvious
that the rich heritage of Paganism forms a solid foundation for the
spontaneous emergence of a Neo-Pagan revival today. In the midst of our
current spiritual and ecological crisis, it is highly appropriate that
natural religions are once again finding a place among the children of
Earth.
Modern Neo-Paganism, however, is somewhat distinct from the Old
Religion, in that it is to a large measure a relatively new phenomenon.
Neo-Pagan religions are many and diverse. They range from the sublimely
artistic Paradisal vision and reconstruction of old Pagan Mysteries of
Feraferia to the astrological divination and ancient Egyptian religion
of the Church of the Eternal Source, and from the Wiccan-oriented myth
and ritual of the Pagan Way to the transpersonal psychology, science-
fiction mythology and deep ecology of the Church of All Worlds. All of the dozens of Neo-Pagan religions now in existence, and most of
the countless sects of Witchcraft, however, do hold certain values in
common, and it is these values which relate them to Paganism in the
older sense.
One of the key values of Neo-Paganism is its insistence on personal
responsibility. The Church of All Worlds expresses this in the phrase,
"Thou art God/dess," implying total personal freedom and individual
responsibility on the part of every one of us. Paganism has no concept
of "original sin," and hence has no need of saviors. Neo-Pagans do not
expect Divine retribution for breaking social taboos. Rather, concepts
of "sin" and "atonement" are restated in the framework of ecological
awareness and karma. If our actions are discordant and in opposition to
the evolutionary flow of Life, we suffer the ecological consequences, in
much the same way, and for exactly the same reason, as diseased cells in
the body are attacked by the antibodies and other natural defenses.
Whatever energy we put out returns to us multiplied threefold. Love
returns love; hate returns hate. Robert Ingersoll observed: "In Nature
there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are consequences". The
total responsibility (and hence the total freedom) rests in our
hands.
As in the Old Religion, Neo-Pagans conceptualize Divinity as
manifest in the processes of Nature. Indeed, in a very literal sense,
Mother Nature, Mother Earth, is "Goddess," and She has been recognized
as such since time immemorial. Thus ecology is seen as the supreme
religious study: "Nature is Divinity made manifest...It is creativit-
y, continuity, balance, beauty and truth of life. "Everything we
encounter in the Biosphere is a part of Nature, and ecology reveals the
2526
pattern of that is-ness, the natural relationships among all these
things and the Organic Unity of all of them as a Biospheric Whole. Thus
ecology shows the pattern of man's proper and creative involvement with
Nature, that Nature which encompasses his own life and on proper
relation to which his survival and development depend: Of all man's
secular studies, ecology comes closest to bringing him to the threshold
of religious relationship to his world. Ecology not only confirms the
wonders of form and function that other secular studies have revealed,
but it brings these into organic union with each other as one dynamic,
living Whole; and it points out the conditions for the wellbeing of both
this overall Unity and the parts that comprise it.
An intensive realization of these conditions, and of one's own
immediate role in their sustainment and development, brings one to the
threshold of religious awe. To worship Nature, therefore, is to
venerate and commune with Divinity as the dynamically organic perfection
of the whole. (Council of Themis, from Green Egg #43)
Neo-Paganism is a recent mutation of the Old Religion which had its
earliest emergence during the European Renaissance with the rediscovery
of the ancient Greek philosophers via Arabian texts brought by traveler-
s. However, this was also the time of the Burnings, and the budding
Neo-Pagan emergence was suppressed until the late 1700's, when it found
expression in the Romantic Period of art, music and literature,
especially in Germany.
This Romantic flowering of Neo-Paganism, especially the element
known as the Bavarian Illuminati (whose mottoes were "eternal flower
power" and "eternal serpent power"), greatly appealed to a visiting
American named Benjamin Franklin, and upon his return to the colonies,
it became a major spiritual force in the post-Revolutionary America of
the 1780s, where its influence continued to shape the new nation through
the presidencies of the Adams family. It was Monroe and the War of 1812
that managed to suppress this movement for a time, but it re-emerged 60
years later in the form of the Transcendentalist Movement, exemplified
in the poetry and writings of Whitman, Thoreau and Emerson, and the
overnight mushrooming of the commune movement in the 1840's. The Civil
War, Reconstruction, the conquest of the West and the Gold Rush drained
the Nature-oriented spiritual energy from the people of America for
another 60 years, but it blossomed again through the Art Nouveau
movement in the 1900's. Then came the World Wars, the Depression,
McCarthyism...60 more years had to pass before the gathering impact of
Eastern religious philosophy, especially Zen, and Existentialism gave
birth to the "hip" "underground" counter-culture of the Beatniks, whose
experimentation with drugs, sexuality, music, poetry, communal living
and alternate lifestyles paved the way for the Hippie phenomenon of the
1960's (which spontaneously resurrected the old Illuminati motto of
"flower power").
The seeds of Neo-Paganism which had again lain dormant for three
generations took root in such fertile soil, and emerged once more into
the light, to be joined in the '70s by the heirs of Wicca, the last
vestiges of the Old Religion of Europe. The New Religion is still very
much Paganism, for its inspiration and orientation today is based, as
was that of its predecessors, upon an understanding and relationship of
Humanity within the larger perspective of Life, Nature and the Universe.
Fred Adams of Feraferia coined the term "eco-psychic" to describe the
type of awareness that permeates the New Religion.
2527
Revealed religions, especially of the monotheistic variety, tend to
see man as a special creation, exalted above all Nature, and the epitome
of God's handiwork. Thus the Biblical injunction to Man to "have
dominion over all the Earth" is not seen by Judeo-Christians as
outrageously presumptuous; nor is God's destruction of all life on Earth
in the legend of the Deluge seen as insanely immoral ecocide. Both God
and Man are considered to have a "divine right" to desecrate the Earth
at their pleasure. This is in direct opposition to the view of
Paganism, which sees humanity's duty not to conquer Nature, but to live
in harmony and stewardship with Her. Every revealed religion claims
to have its own direct pipeline to the Divinity, and its own essential
precepts from direct, unassailable revelation. Neo-Pagans, on the other
hand, have outgrown egotistical and temperamental gods, and expect no
intervention from some Big Daddy in the Sky to solve the problems of our
times. Instead, we look to Nature (through the clear glass of ecology)
for inspiration and direction, and to ourselves as the instrumentality
for all that needs to be done.
Thou art God/dess!
Otter G'Zell, 1970 (revised Jan. 8, 1991)
................................................................................
2528
{file "Neo-Pagan Witchcraft vs. Satanism" "bos574.htm"}
Neo-Pagan Witchcraft vs. Satanism:Confusions and Distinctions
by Otter and Morning Glory Zell
It seems to be necessary to preface every discussion of Witchcraft
with an explanation that, no, Neo-Pagan Witches aren't Satanists. The
Christian anti-God, Satan, has no place in Pagan pantheons, either
mythologically or theologically. Plainly and simply, Satanism is the
dark side of Christianity, and Satan is nothing other than the collec-
tive Id of Christendom.
Even today, Witchcraft is frequently misrepresented by being
confused with Satanism. Often the word Witchcraft is used to represent
two wholly opposite phenomena: the survival of ancient Paganism in one
instance, and the inversion of Christianity in another. Let us make it
clear: a Satanist is a renegade Christian, who, in his rebellion
against the authority of the church, worships Satan rather than Christ.
Such people are at times called witches and warlocks in popular books
and movies but they have little to do with Pagan Witches. Satanists,
for one thing, accept the Christian duality between good and evil;
Pagans do not. Satanists may choose to worship evil rather than good:
but they have utterly bought the Christian world view".1
The word Pagan derives from the Latin paganus, meaning "peasant" or
"country dweller". It is correctly applied to indigenous (native)
pantheistic folk religions and peoples. The term "Neo-Paganism" is
applied to the current revival of ancient Pagan religious values,
including the sacredness of all Life and the worship of Nature. Modern
Witchcraft has been a major component of the Neo-Pagan resurgence since
England repealed its anti-Witchcraft laws in 1951.The Goddess and the
God of Witchcraft The many traditions of Neo-Pagan Witchcraft have few
universal theological precepts, but one of them is certainly the
veneration of the Moon Goddess, known most commonly by her Roman name,
Diana. She is perceived as manifesting in triple form: as Maiden,
Mother and Crone. These triple aspects are identified respectively with
the waxing, full, and waning moons. Witches gather at esbats every full
moon, to sing and dance in Her moonlight, share cakes and wine, and work
magic to heal each other, their friends, and the Earth. Many modern
Witches expand the concept of the Goddess considerably, and see Her also
as Mother Earth and Mother Nature.
Most traditions of Neo-Pagan Witchcraft also honor the Consort of
the Goddess in the form of the Horned God, who is seen as Lord of
Animals as well as seasonal ruler of the Underworld. The most familiar
version of the Horned God is the Greek Pan, goat-horned and goat-hooved,
playing His panpipes, guzzling wine from His freely-flowing wineskin,
and seducing nymphs in the woods. He is regarded as lusty and jovial,
epitomizing masculine attributes of ideal father, brother or lover. As
the Goddess of Witchcraft is closely identified with the Moon, so the
God is identified with the Sun. In this way He may be seen mythologi-
cally as the lover both of the Moon and of the Earth. Another of His
many epithets is "Lord of Light". Every light casts its shadows, and
the Lord of Shadows is the other face of the Lord of Light. Lord of the
Underworld is the title of the God in Winter when He goes underground
with the animals to hibernate. Some traditions had Him alternate with
His brother as husband to the eternal Goddess. Others, as in the Greek
Hades, had a year-round God of the Underworld, "The Devil."
It is essential to clarify the historic relationship of Pan and the
2529
Devil, as Christianity has tended to confuse the two, giving rise to the
accusation that Pagans are Devil-worshipers because some Pagan gods have
horns. Once and for all, the Christian Devil is not the God of the
Witches! The genesis of the Devil comes from a merging of two concepts:
Satan and Lucifer. The original meaning of the word satan is "adve-
rsary", and his inclusion in the Bible represents an attempt by later
apologists of the Old Testament to justify the more negative actions of
a benevolent God (such as the persecution of Job) by attributing the
actual dirty work to a testing spirit; the original "devil's advocate".
This entity was not considered evil until after the Persian conquest
introduced the Hebrews to the Zoroastrian dualism of Ahura-Mazda (the
good God) vs. Ahriman (the evil God). This later manifested in Chris-
tianity as Manichean dualism. The Manichean equation was brutally
simple: God=Good; Devil=Evil. But it was not until the year 447 CE
that the Council of Toledo declared the legal existence of the Devil as
an actual entity, though he was still not thought of as necessarily
manifesting in human form.
The Lucifer story is a mish-mashed retelling of the Canaanite myth
about the overthrow of Baal by Mot and the usurpation of Baal's throne
by Athar, the god of the morning star. The original Hebrew name for
Lucifer was helel ben shahar meaning "son of the day star" (the planet
Venus). The name Lucifer ("light bearer"), a Romano-Etruscan title of
the Sun God, was erroneously used when the Bible was first translated
into Latin.2
Various shadow gods or divine adversaries contributed to the
creation of the Devil, including the Canaanite Moloch or Mot, the
Egyptian Set or Suteck and the Roman Saturn.
Judeo-Christian theologians placed all Pagan gods and goddesses in an
adversary position to Yahweh, the god of Israel, who, as a monotheistic
deity, cannot share a pantheon. This is a profound cultural difference
from Pagan pantheons and polytheistic peoples who co-existed together,
whether or not in harmony. Also since unbridled sexuality, especially
for females, was defined by Judeo-Christianity as evil, Pagan gods and
goddesses who were especially sexual or sensual garnered the new sect's
particular hatred. Pan (who instills panic) and Dionysus were neither
evil nor adversary deities, but because of their riotous celebrations
the Devil acquired Pan's horns and hooves and Dionysus' ambiguously mad
and bibulous nature. This final equation of the Pagan Horned God with
Satan was not established, however, until the year 1486, when the
Dominicans Kramer and Sprenger published the Malleus Malificarum, or
"Hammer of the Witches", wherein they gave the first physical descrip-
tion of the Devil as he is commonly depicted today, declaring that this
was the god worshiped by those they wanted to call "witches", thereby
justifying the centuries of terrible persecution inflicted upon those
who clung faithfully to their worship of the elder gods.
Witchcraft and Shamanism Witches were the shamans, or medicine men
and women, of the tribal Celtic peoples of Europe, and they functioned
in the same fashion as shamans of any other tribal culture, be it
American Indians, Africans, or Australian Aborigines. In fact, and in
time-honored tradition, shamans are still commonly referred to as "Witch
Doctors".
Shamans are specialists in herbal lore, and the Witches of Pagan
Europe were no exception. Usually, but not exclusively, women, they
practiced herbal medicine, midwifery, augury, spellcasting, and
2530
counseling. Often dwelling alone out in the woods, Witches lived close
to Nature, and attuned to Her cycles. Their gardens grew not only food,
but also many kinds of herbs, including those valued for their medic-
inal, anesthetic and hallucinogenic properties. In a period of time
when good Christian folk maintained only those domestic animals that
could be considered "livestock" (i.e., useful to humans), Witches
frequently kept wild animal pets: foxes, ferrets, owls, ravens and of
course, the ubiquitous cats. Such became known, appropriately enough, as
familiars. When Witches came to be persecuted, so did these familiar
animals, and the brutal capture, torture and burning of millions of cats
that accompanied the Witch burnings begat the horrible Black Plague that
devastated Europe in the 14th century, for the cats had kept the rat
populations under control, and it was rat fleas that were the carrier of
the bubonic plague bacillus."The Burning Times"
It is sadly ironic that, though the practitioners of Witchcraft
have historically suffered real abuse and persecution, the Witch has
somehow continued to be misrepresented as the villain. Christianity did
not become the world's dominant religion by peaceful conversion, but by
the sword and stake. As the legions of Caesar had forged the Roman
Empire over the dead bodies of countless tribal peoples of Europe, so
did its heir, the Holy Roman Empire, continue the tradition. Declaring
them "heresies", agents of the Holy Inquisition hunted out and ruth-
lessly exterminated every religion, sect or tradition that would not
convert to "The One True Right And Only Way". Witches, however, lived
outside of any organized religious structure and were largely ignored
until the 13th century, when the Church had finally gained enough power
to deal with grass-roots Paganism. "In the 13th century the Church
opened its long-drawn-out conflict with Paganism in Europe by declaring
"Witchcraft' to be a "sect' and heretical. It was not til the 14th
century that the two religions came to grips. . . In 1324 the bishop of
Ossory tried Dame Alice Kyteler in his ecclesiastical court for the
crime of worshiping a deity other than the Christian God. . .
"The 15th century marks the first great victories of the Church.
Beginning with the trials in Lorraine in 1408, the Church moved
triumphantly against Joan of Arc and her followers in 1431, against
Gilles de Rais and his coven in 1440, and against the Witches of Brescia
in 1457. Towards the end of the century the Christian power was so
well-established that the Church felt the time had come for an organized
attack, and in 1484 Pope Innocent VIII published his Bull against
"Witches.' All through the 16th and 17th centuries the battle raged.
The Pagans fought a gallant, though losing, fight against a remorseless
and unscrupulous enemy; every inch of the field was disputed, but the
Christian policy of obtaining influence over the rulers and law-givers
was irresistible. Vae victis ["woe to the conquered"] was also the
policy of the Christians, and we see the priests of the Papacy gloating
over the thousands they had consigned to the flames while the ministers
of the Reformed Churches hounded on the administrators of the law to
condemn the "devil worshipers.' What could have been the feelings with
which those unhappy victims regarded the vaunted God of Love, the Prince
of Peace, whose votaries condemned them to torture and death? What
wonder that they clung to their old faith, and died in agony unspeakable
rather than deny their God".3 It should also be pointed out that the
court recorders at the Witch trials were specifically instructed that,
whatever gods or goddesses the accused actually claimed to worship, what
went into the record was "Satan" or "The Devil". And what wonder if
some of those who had come to believe the Biblical history taught them
2531
by the missionaries, monks and priests of the conquering faith,
concluded that the story must have gotten it wrong somehow? That if
there had indeed been a rebellion in heaven, it was clearly evident that
the winner had not been the God of love and peace, as his propagandists
claimed, but rather a God of cruelty and evil; of war and violence,
wrath and jealousy. (This had, in fact, been an old Gnostic tradition.)
The clear implication was that the defeated Lucifer must have been
the good guy, and surely many must have swarmed to his allegiance in
this belief. While true adherents of the Old Religions certainly knew
better, and continued their faith entirely distinct from Christianity,
there were surely, then as now, many ignorant people who were simply too
unsophisticated or too illiterate to question the Christian paradigm
once it became established. And thus did Satanism as a belief and a
practice come into being, spawned by the Church, and forever to be
locked together with it in a fatal embrace of mutual antagonism.
Whether or not the persecuted peasantry who came to side with Satan
against their oppressors thought of themselves as "Witches", the Church
and the authorities of the Holy Inquisition certainly identified them as
such: "The heart and centre of the persecution of Witches was that
they were Satanists, that they had rejected the rightful God and given
their allegiance to his arch-opponent, and that in their "sabbaths' or
meetings they worshiped the ruler of evil, carnality and filth. Some of
those accused as Witches do seem to have taken the Devil for their god,
worshiping him as an equal opponent of the Christian God, over whom he
would eventually triumph. They looked to Satan for power and pleasure
in this world and for a happy future in the next, and they vilified
Christ as a traitor and a cheat, who had made promises which he did not
keep, and who had gone away to live in heaven while Satan remained with
his faithful on earth".4 "The Witches and sorcerers of early times were
a widely spread class who had retained the beliefs and traditions of
heathenism with all its license and romance and charm of the forbidden.
. . in their ranks every one who was oppressed or injured either by the
nobility or the church. They were treated with indescribable cruelty,
in most cases worse than beasts of burden, for they were outraged in all
their feelings, not at intervals for punishment, but habitually by
custom, and they revenged themselves by secret orgies and fancied
devil-worship, and occult ties, and stupendous sins, or what they
fancied were such. I can seriously conceive: what no writer seems to
have considered: that there must have been an immense satisfaction in
selling or giving one's self to the devil, or to any power which was at
war with their oppressors. So they went by night, at the full moon, and
sacrificed to Diana, or "later on' to Satan, and they danced and
rebelled. It is very well worth noting that we have all our accounts of
sorcerers and heretics from Catholic priests, who had every earthly
reason for misrepresenting them, and did so. In the vast amount of
ancient Witchcraft still surviving in Italy, there is not much anti-
Christianity, but a great deal of early heathenism. Diana, not Satan,
is still the real head of the Witches".5
Since Witchcraft is still little understood by the general public,
whose images are shaped mostly by the popular media, Witches continue to
be easy targets for persecution. It must be remembered that, in the
previous episodes of Witchcraft persecution hysteria, it was the Witches
who were the victims, not the Christians. Witches, and those con-
veniently accused of being Witches, died by the millions during the
terrible centuries of the holocaust they remember as "The Burning
2532
Times". They do not wish to repeat that experience today.6
Notes and References:
1. Jong, Erica, Witches (New American Library, New York,1981) p. 52
2. Zell, Morning Glory, "The Lord of Light", Green Egg, Vol. XXI, No.
82; Aug. 1, 1988 (POB 1542, Ukiah, CA 95482) p. 12
3. Murray, Margaret, The God of the Witches (Oxford Univ. Press, NY,
1931) pp. 21-22
4. Cavendish, Richard, "Satanism", Encyclopedia of Man, Myth and
Magic, Vol. 18 (Marshall Cavendish, NY, 1970) p. 2479
5. Leland, Charles Godfrey, Legends of Florence, (David Nutt, London,
1896)
6. Guiley, Rosemary, Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft (Facts on
File, NY, 1989)
................................................................................
2533
{file "Where The Hell Is The Church Of All Worlds (CAW, Australia)" "bos575.htm"}
WHERE THE HELL IS THE CHURCH OF ALL WORLDS
WHERE WE'RE AT:
The Church of All Worlds offers a religious position uniquely suited to
the enlightened, inquiring modern mind. In harmony with the principles
and conclusions of science, receptive to the values and wisdom of the
ancients and the great religions of humanity, sensitive to the deep
psychological and spiritual needs of all people, the Church of All
Worlds aspires to be the kind of free, growing and unifying religion
that today's and tomorrow's world so urgently needs.
The Church of All Worlds is Neo-Pagan : a modern Earth Religion - an
orientation chosen because of its traditional associations with Life and
the processes of Nature, which we consider an appropriate religious
orientation for the emerging Aquarian Age. As Western civilisation has
been to a great degree the product of the past two thousand years of
Piscean Age Chrisianity, so do we envision a new whole-Earth culture of
transformative religious ecology to become the product of the next epoch
of Aquarian Age Neo-Paganism. In common with many other Neo-Pagan
religions, CAW presents a life-affirming religious philosophy for the
joyous unification of eros, ethos and ecos; of cult, culture and
cultivation.
We consider the Church of All Worlds to be radically evolutionary in
concept, rather than revolutionary. We see the evolution of Life on
Earth as moving towards a point of actualisation whereby the entire
planet will come to share a single vast global consciousness. We see
humanity being instrumental in the course of that evolution. As humans
seem to be the only creatures on the planet capable of disrupting entire
ecosystems, it becomes our manifest responsibility through our unique
freedom of choice to prevent such systems from being disrupted. We are
not anti-technology or science, for we recognise that certain scientific
and technological advances, such as ecology, geology, astronomy,
psychology, archaeology, cybernetics, astrophysics, communications
and the technology of the bio-renaissance can be positively evolutionary
and in harmony with the accelerating advance of planetary consciousness.
What we oppose is the senseless use of industrial technology to wreak
havok with the planetary ecosystem, often in the name of the Biblical
injunction that Man is to have "dominion over the Earth." We percieve
our not as dominion, but as responsible stewardship.
Applying evolutionary concepts to each individual, we agree with Erich
Fromm that the purpose of life is "to become what we potentially are."
We identify strongly with the concepts of human self-actualisation
identified by Abraham Maslow and found in transpersonal psychology and
ethics. Rejecting utterly concepts of predestination and inherent sin,
we affirm the ultimate freedom and responsibility appropriate to
conscious entities, which we express in the phrase "Thou Art God/dess,"
derived from Robert Heinlein's novel, 'Stranger in a Strange Land.' This
implies that each one of us must define our own specific purpose. There
is no excuse; no shelter from the awesome responsibility of total
freedom.
Recognising that all Life on Earth comprises a single vast living
Entity, which has been intuitively conceptualised as a feminine from
time immemorial, we are in harmony with our Pagan ancestors who
worshipped The Goddess: Mother Earth, Mother Nature. Thus we also affirm
2534
mystically and mythically the pantheistic conceptualisation of immanent
divinity inherent in all living entities, as synergic living Nature, for
we define divinity as the highest level of aware consciousness acces-
sible to each living being, manifesting itself in the self-actualisation
of that being. Hence, "Thou Art God/dess" applies equally to a person,
a tree, a grasshopper or a planet.
As Neo-Pagans, we are concerned, not with life after death, but with
life after birth. We have no dogmas of immortality, considering that
whatever one believes about an afterlife, may very well be what one
gets. We view death as an evolutionary prerequisite for the emergence of
new life, and so we return the dead to the Earth, from which the
elements of their energy and matter will eventually be recycled and
reconstituted into the energy and matter of other life forms. Other than
our ecological responsibility of returning to the Earth that which we
have taken from Her, we are not concerned with dying, but with living.
We are deeply concerned with improving the quality of that life, to
which end we agree with population ecologists that its quantity (in
sheer numbers of people) must be drastically reduced. Thus we are
strongly supportive of the various measures of birth control advocated
by such agencies as Planned Parenthood, including full legalisation of
abortion. We greatly fear that if humanity does not choose to limit its
numbers by reducing births, Nature will do it for us by increasing
deaths.
WHERE WE'RE GOING:
The word 'Religion' means "re-linking." The basic committment of the
Church of All Worlds is to the re-integration of people with themselves,
their fellow humans, and with the whole of living Nature. In company
with all other Pagan peoples, we create no artificial demarkations
between the sacred and the secular, for we recognise that religion must
ultimately be an entire way of life, not merely some ritual acts
performed once a week. We are committed to developing an organic,
vitalistic philosophy of life and its expression in an organic culture.
................................................................................
2535
To this end, then, the Church of All Worlds devotes itself to those who
need or want the help and understanding through the processes of
unlearning and learning. It is our aim to offer assistance through any
personal expansion programs found to be effective. Furthermore, we
intend to remain openminded and receptive to new ideas, interests and
goals, and learn to live responsibly and responsively with each other.
We advocate envolvement with every conceivable aspect of the emerging
Gaian culture, from religious service and mythology to family relations
and child rearing; from education to ecology; from psychic development
to space travel; from the sensual to the sexual; from intentional
communities to planetary government and world peace. "Nothing short of
everything will ever really do." We are engaged in the eclectic
reconstruction of ancient Nature religions, combining archetypes of many
cultures with other mystic and spiritual disciplines. But we are not
just trying to re-create a Paradise Lost; we are actively working to
actualise a visionary future. With roots deep in the Earth and branches
reaching towards the stars, we evoke and create myths not only of a
Golden Age long past, but also of one yet to come...
Since we are concerned with the emergent evolution of a total new
culture and lifestyle, and since we perceive no distinction between the
sacred and the secular, we consider every activity to be essentially a
religious activity. For us, taking our cans and bottles to the
recycling centre is as much a religious duty as prayer and meditation.
And so are composting our garbage, growing organicl vegetables,
practicing birth control, using bio-degradable products, boycotting
tuna, training and study, protecting animals and celebration of the
seasons. We recognise that the essence of a religion is in the living of
it.
WHERE WE CAME FROM:
The Church of All Worlds traces its history back to 1962, when a "water
brotherhood" called "Atl" was formed by Tim Zell and Lance Christie at
Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. During the mid 60's the group
was centered on the University of Oklahoma campus at Norman and operated
under the name "Atlan Foundation". A periodical "The Atlan Torch" (later
"The Atlan Annals") was published from 1962-1968. In 1968, following a
move to St. Louis, the Church of All Worlds was incorporated, becoming
the first of the Neo-Pagan/Earth Religions to obtain full federal
recognition. In March of that year, the Green Egg appeared. From its
inauspicious beginnings as a one page ditto sheet, it grew over 80
issues into a 60 page journal, evolving into the most significant
periodical in the Pagan movement during the 1970's. After a 10 year
hiatus while the original staff moved to northern California to
experience a life of homesteading in the mountain wilderness, the Green
Egg resumed publication in 1988 with its 81st edition.
The Church of All Worlds took much inspiration from the 1961 science
fiction classic, 'Stranger in a Strange Land' by Robert Heinlein. In the
novel, the stranger, Michael Valentine Smith, was an earthman born on
Mars and raised by Martians. Among his other adventures upon being
brought to earth was the formation of the "Church of All Worlds". The
"Church" was built around "Nests," a combination of congregation and
expanded family. A basic concept was "grokking" i.e. the ability to be
fully empathic. It also emphasised the experience of co-equal love
2536
between sexes. The common greeting was "thou Art God;" as recognition of
the immanent divinity in each person.
The basic theology of the real-life Church of All Worlds is a form of
pantheism which focusses on immanent rather than transcendant divinity.
The most important theological statement came in the form of revelatory
writings by Tim (now Otter) Zell in 1970-1973, on the theory which later
became known as the "Gaia Thesis". This concept is a biological
validation of an ancient intuition: that the planet is a single living
organism; Mother Earth (Gaia). Pantheists hold as divine the living
spirit of Nature. Thus to CAW recognises Gaia, Pan and other nature
spirits as the Divine Pantheon. In this manner, the Church of All Worlds
became a forerunner of the Deep Ecology movement.
Though the Church maintains an egalitarian rather than matriarchal
social structure, nevertheless, through its focus on Mother Nature as
Goddess, its recognition and ordination of women to the priesthood, and
the important central policy making positions held by women in the
Church, CAW can rightly be held to be the first Eco-Feminist Church. We
are not a secret or members only organisation, and we welcome partici-
pation by all who are sincerely interested in our path regardless of
race, sex, national or cultural origins or sexual preference. We support
unity through diversity. Our only creed states: "The Church of All
Worlds is dedicated to the celebration of life, the maximum actualisa-
tion of human potential and the realisation of ultimate individual
freedom and personal responsibility in harmonious eco-psychic relation-
ship with the total Biosphere of Holy Mother Earth"
Worship in the Church involves weekly or monthly meeting which are held
usually in the homes of nest members on a rotational basis. The basic
liturgical form is a Circle where members take turns in sharing their
creativity. A chalice of water is always shared around the Circle either
as the opening or closing of the ceremony. Other events are celebrated
at the Church retreat sanctuary, a 55 acre parcel of land called
"Annwfn" in Northern California. It is maintained by a small residential
community of caretakers. In addition to various campfire and ritual
areas, the land has several hand-built buildings including a two-storey
temple, plus a garden, an orchard and a small pond. It has limited solar
electricity, propane hot water and a radio telephone, but no TV. In
addition to the eight Celtic seasonal festivals, we hold handfastings,
vision quests, rites of passage, workshops, retreats, work parties,
summer camps and staff meetings on the land.
As in "Stranger in a Strange Land", congregations of the Church of All
Workds are called nests, and quite a few are currently in existance
around the world. See the latest issue of Green Egg for listings to
find the nest nearest you.
Over the years, the Church has founded a number of subsidiary branch
orders through which we practice and teach our religion. These include:
NEMETON - Founded in 1972 by Gwydion Pendderwen and Alison Harlow, this
is the publishing arm. Tapes, records, songbooks, T-shirts,
figurines, jewelery and philosophical tracts. Catalog $US 1.
FOREVER FORESTS - Founded in 1977 by Gwydion Pendderwen, this is the
Churches ecology branch. Sponsors tree planting rituals and
environmental actions. Has stewardship of Annwfn, the Church
land.
ECOSOPHICAL RESEARCH ASSN - Founded in 1977 by Morning Glory Zell, the
ERA is devoted to research and exploration in the fields of
history, mythology, and natural sciences.
LIFEWAYS - Founded in 1983 by Anodea Judith, this is the teaching
order. Offers workshops, classes, healing rituals and
training for the priesthood.
PEACEFUL ORDER OF MOTHER EARTH - Founded 1n 1988 by Willowoak, POEM is
dedicated to children and child nurturing. Provides enriching
activities for children at gatherings, summer camps,and a quarterly childrens magazine, 'How About Magic?'
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Director of Australian Operations,
PO Box 408,
Woden, ACT, 2606,
AUSTRALIA.
FAX (06) 299 4100
PHONE (06) 299 2432
2537
{file "What is Myth? (Web of Wyrd, #10)" "bos576.htm"}
What is Myth?
This article appeared in Web of Wyrd #10, and is by Anna from Canberra.
Mythology can be approached from various perspectives, such as anthropo-
logical, sociological, folk-lorist, psychological and metaphysical. Our
understanding of what myth is depends on the perspective we use. The
folk-lorist is interested in the variety of myths and their spread with
migrations of peoples. The anthropologists study myth as part of a
peoples' culture. The sociologist is interested in how it helps society
to function. The psychologist studies its effects on peoples' perspec-
tives, and how it helps them cope with the world in which they live. The
occultist and mystic regard it as a tool to help them achieve their
aims, whether that be union with the divine, or a greater understanding
of themselves and the divine within. Myth occurs in the history of
most, if not all, human traditions and communities, and is a basic
constituent of human culture. It occurs both with and without associated
rites (though not all rites have myths associated with them). This paper
discusses the purpose of myth, and how we may use myth more effectively
in the magical context.
Some definitions of myth:
"Myth is the secret opening through which the
inexhaustible energy of the cosmos pour through into human
cultural manifestation."
(Campbell: The Masks of God - Primitive Mythology)
"Myth is a psychic phenomenon that reveals the nature of
the soul."
Jung: The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious)
"Myths are accounts about how the world came to be the
2538
way it is, about a super-ordinary realm of events before (or
behind) the natural world."
(Keesing: Cultural Anthropology - a Contemporary
Perspective)
"A myth is a statement about society and man's place in
it and the surrounding universe."
(Middleton: Myth and Cosmos)
"Myth is a collective term used for one kind of symbolic
communication and specifically indicates one basic form of
religious symbolism, as distinguished from symbolic behaviour
(cult, ritual) and symbolic places or objects (such as temples
and icons). Myths are specific accounts concerning gods or
superhuman beings and extraordinary events or circumstances at
a time that is altogether different from that of ordinary
human experience."
(Encyclopaedia Britannica)
From these definitions it can be seen that myth has two functions,
esoteric and exoteric. The exoteric function is to: "...bind the
individual to his family's system of historically-conditioned senti-
ments, as a functioning member of a sociological organism." (Campbell:
ibid)
In this role myth is exploratory and narrative. An example is the North
American tale: Old man saw a circle of cottontail rabbits singing and
making medicine; they would lie in the ashes of a hot fire and sing
while one of their number covered them up; it was lots of fun. Old Man
asked to be shown how to do this, and was covered in the coals and ashes
and was not burnt. Then he wanted to be the one to cover up the others,
and all the rabbits jumped into the fire. Only one got out, who was
about to have babies; Old Man let her go so that there would continue to
be rabbits. She went off with a dark place on her back where she got
singed, which all rabbits since have had. The others he roasted and laid
on red willow brush to cool. The grease soaked into the branches and
even today, if you hold red willow over a fire, you will see the grease
on the bark. This myth is explanatory; it explains two observed
features of the natural world.
Another myth explains not the natural world, but the use man puts it to.
This is an Ojibway myth explaining the origin of maize and man's use of
it. To summarise this myth: a young man went to the forest to fast for
seven days and search for his spirit guide or guardian. During this
period he was visited by a richly-dressed handsome young man, sent by
the Great Spirit, whom he had to wrestle, despite his weakness from his
fast. Before the last time the visitor told him he would prevail this
time, and gave him instructions: how to prepare the ground, how to bury
his body, how to care for the ground after, and how to harvest the maize
that would grow. This he did, so his people now have maize. This myth
not only explains the origin of maize, but also gives instructions for
planting, care and harvesting, thus ensuring that all the tribe know how
to grow it, as well as learn where it came from. Other myths are
justifying and validating, answering questions about the nature and
foundation of ritual and cultic customs.
An example is the Blackfoot myth about the origin of the Buffalo Dance.
The Blackfeet hunt buffalo by chasing them over a cliff, but at one time
they could not induce the animals to the fall, and the people were
starving. A young woman, seeing a herd of buffalo near the edge of the
fall said, "if you will only jump into the canal, I shall marry one of
2539
you." The buffalo did so, and a big bull came and carried her off. Her
father came looking for her, but was trampled to pieces by the buffalo.
The woman got a piece of his backbone and sang over it until his body
was restored and he was alive again. The buffalo allowed the woman and
her father to go, on condition that they learn the dance and song of the
buffalo, and not forget them. For these would be the magical means by
which the buffalo killed by the people for their food should be restored
to life, just as the man killed by the buffalo was restored. This myth
tells the people why they do the dance, and the consequences if they
don't. It is also a piece of sympathetic magic designed to increase the
fertility of the buffalo herds when the dance is performed. As such it
gives them a sense of control over some of the important factors of
their environment and indicates appropriate action if the buffalo do
decline.
Myths also have a descriptive function, explaining facts beyond normal
reason and observation. Creation myths are an example. The Norse
creation myth describes Niffleheim forming out of the Abyss, with ice to
the north and fire to the south.
From the melting ice where these two realms met formed a giant, Ymir,
and a cow, Audmulla, who became the wet-nurse of the gods. From Ymir
came the frost giants, and Audmulla's licking of the ice freed the
progenitors of the gods, Odin, Vile and Ve. And so the myth goes on,
describing the creation of the world, the gods and mankind. This myth
does not describe or explain the world as it is, but how it came about
in the first place. It is an explanation of something that man couldn't
see or comprehend, that is beyond his knowledge and experience.
One purpose of myth is to help tie a community together. When
myth is expressed in ritual, it builds the community, or
specific segments of it, together. An example is the
Aborigines' use of myth in boys' initiation rites. Myths are
revealed to the boys as part of their initiation to manhood;
since the women and children do not know these mysteries, they
serve to bind the men together, and important factor for a
group that needs to hunt together.
Myth gives a community a common framework, a common view of
the world. The whole community has the same understanding of
why the world is the way that it is. It also tells them how to
behave in certain circumstances and why they should do so; why
their society is structured the way that it is, and what will
happen if they break cultural taboos.
An example in our cultural context is the myth of David and
Goliath. This myth tells us how to behave in a situation where
we are faced with overwhelming odds. It teaches us courage
rather than running away, and suggests an approach that can be
used to cope with the situation.
Myth provides the moral values of the culture. Many of our
moral values, for example, come from the Christian myths. The
story of David and Goliath is one reason why we revere
courage. Murder and theft are regarded as wrong, evil, as the
myth of Moses teaches us. The myth of Noah and the Ark tells
us of the consequences of evil and righteousness. To summarise
then, myth provides a guide for the individual throughout his
2540
life; one that aids him to live in health, strength, and
harmony in the particular society in which he was born.
Myth also has an esoteric function, which is almost the opposite of the
exoteric function. Myth transforms the individual, detatching him from
his local historical and cultural condition, and leading him to some
kind of ineffable experience. It provides a bridge between an in-
dividual's local consciousness and universal consciousness. Myth and
rites constitute a mesocosm, a mediating middle cosmos through which
the microcosm of the individual is brought into relation with the
macrocosm of the all, the universe. Myth, "... fosters the centering and
unfolding of the universe in integrity with himself (microcosm), his
culture (mesocosm), the universe (macrocosm) and finally with the
ultimate creative mystery that is both beyond and within himself and all
things." (Houston: The Search for the Beloved)
Myth bridges the gap between ourselves and godhead, providing a path
that we may use to become aware of the cosmos, the godhead. In this
context, R J Stewart describes creation myths not as explorations but
as, "... resonant re-creations that echo the original creation... an
organic timeless flow of images and narrative within which such
questions [of the nature of the world] were by-passed altogether, for
the 'answers' of such mythology come from deep levels of
consciousness, in which universal patterns or intimations are
apprehended." (Stewart: The Elements of Creation Myth)
When we imagine a creation myth, irrespective of our belief or
disbelief in the myth, we re-create or re-balance ourselves. Another
function of myth is to act as a filter. The full, unadulterated
experience of the universal consciousness is more than our minds are
capable of holding, and there are those who went too far and fell into
psychosis and other imbalances as a result. Myth provides a way of
experiencing universal consciousness or godhead without it overwhelming
us to the point where we cannot return to ourselves.
There is an alternative way of looking at the esoteric levels of myth.
C G Jung considers mythological processes to be, "symbolic expressions
of the inner unconscious drama of the psyche which becomes accessible to
man's consciousness by way of projection." (Jung: ibid.) He views the
unconscious as having two levels; personal and collective. The personal
unconscious contains experiences that have been forgotten, whereas the
collective unconscious has contents and modes of behaviour that have
never been through consciousness, and are more or less the same
everywhere and in everyone. The contents of the collective unconscious
are called archetypes.They are expressed in myth and fairy-tale in a
specific form, but can also be experienced by the individual in a more
naive and less understandable form as dreams and visions.
An archetype is a memory deposit, derived from endless repetition of a
typical situation in life. It is the psychic expression of an anatomi-
cally physiologically determined natural tendency. Archetypes are
normally referred to as figures; the wise old man, the mother, the
trickster. However, they also include experiences, of which an example
is the birth experience. Everyone goes through this experience, so it
has made a strong imprint on the collective unconscious. As a result,
rebirth experiences are a very powerful mythic image, and form the core
of initiation rites and the process of becoming a shaman.
2541
For example, as part of his initiation into manhood, and Arandan boy,
after the trauma of circumcision (which mirrors the birth trauma),
stands in the smoke of a fire, a repetition of the smoking he underwent
as soon as he was born. Similarly, many shamans, ind escribing the
experience that made them a shaman, report being swallowed or eaten by
an animal or spirit person, then being reborn. Taking on a new name at
initiation is an outward symbol of the rebirth that has occurred.
Archetypes have given rise to the eternal images in myth and religion.
These are meant to attract, convince, fascinate, overpower. They give
man an experience of the divine, while at the same time protecting him
from being completely overwhelmed. In this sense, archetypes and mythic
images are the same; they are both the gateway for this experience of
the divine. They are an image or a reflection of a god or goddess,
but are not the divine itself.
In the Greek creation myth Gaea is the archetype of the earth mother,
the image of that aspect of godhead; the image that allows us to reach
out and touch that aspect of godhead.
However the mythic image of Gaea, the archetype image from the myth, is
not actually godhead itself. Both are filters, not the actuality.
Jung sees archetypes as having psychological as well as metaphysical
significance. In our daily lives our attention is focused outwards to
deal with the world, and we lose contact with our inner world, powers in
our psyche such as creativity. Myth is a means to bring us back in touch
with these inward forces. When archetypes are activated in our lives we
have two choices: either let the archetype have its way irrespective of
other factors, or block it, producing a conflict that leads to neurosis.
Jung sees the symbols of modern psychology analogous to those of myth,
and considers that we have replaced myth by psychology. We have done so
as a result of a growing impoverishment of symbols; as our culture has
become more scientific and rational, we have analysed our cultural
mythic symbols until they have appeared to die, leaving us with a
culture that seems superficial to many.
Some individuals have coped with this by turning to the myths of other
cultures, leading to the popularity of eastern philosophy in western
culture. Others haven't coped at all, hence the increased violence,
crime, despair, suicide, and so on, of our culture. Some are developing
new modern myths, imspired by visions such as the blue-green jewel of
the earth seen from space.
Because myth is a means of regeneration for both the individual and the
group, this turning to old myths, to myths of other cultures and to new
myths coming out of our culture is seen by people such as Campbell as
the beginning of a new age, a rebirth of mankind. Whether this is so
remains to be seen.
What does this teach us about the use of myth in magic? What we often do
in Wicca is to take an old myth and apply it or adapt it in some way for
our use in ritual. Understanding the distinction between the two levels
of myth, exoteric and esoteric, aids in this adaptation. To modify a
myth for use in ritual, those aspects of the myth relating only to the
exoteric, ie the explanatory and justifying aspects, can be excluded
with impunity. However, those aspects relating to the esoteric function
(some, of course, may relate to both) cannot be excluded or modified
2542
without changing or destroying the myth's ability to take us beyond
ourselves and towards the universal consciousness.
Another aspect to consider is how this journey to universal conscious-
ness is achieved. To experience myth fully requires the willing
suspension of disbelief. Logic is set aside, imagination comes into
play, and the masks used change from the symbolic to the actuality.
Enactment of the myth becomes, not people masked and dressed up, but
reality itself. Children do this easily; to a child playing, a piece of
wood is a person or a horse, to the extent that the child can become
terrified of a piece of wood that at the beginning of the game he or she
pretended was a monster. To the adult westerner with his developed
rational mind this is more difficult, and much of western occult
training is aimed at attaining this child-like state of experiencing the
world and myth again.
Meditation stills the active mind. Visualisation and imagination create
the symbols, the game, the mythic images. Ritual gives the images life,
enacting the myth so that it might impact upon the individual. Con-
centration maintains the images long enough that the desired effect is
attained. The result: contact with, and experience of, universal
consciousness.
Finally, the fate of our cultural myths warns us of a danger that lies
in wait with the myths we use. The mind is a powerful tool that is very
useful in magic; eg, it can prevent us from falling into the trap of
self-delusion. However, abuse of the mind in relation to myths can be
destructive. Myths are experiential. If we analyse and explain away the
myths we use in the same way our culture has recently done with its own
myths, we run the risk of devaluing them to the extent that they no
longer have an impact on us and can no longer be used effectively to
touch godhead.
References
Campbell J: "The Masks of God: Primitive Mythology"
(Penguin Books, New York, 1969)
"Myths to Live By" (Bantam Books, New York, 1972)
Encycopaedia Britannica, vol 12, macropaedia, 15th edition,1978
Houston J: "The Search for the Beloved. Journeys in Mythology and
Sacred Psychology" (Jeremy P Tarcher Inc., Los
Angeles, 1987)
Jung C G: "The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious" (Bollingen
Series XX, Princeton University Press, New York,1969)
Keesing RM: "Cultural Anthropology: a Contemporary Perspective"(Halt,
Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1976)
Middleton J: "Myth and Cosmos: Readings in Mythology and Symbolism"
(University of Texas Press, London, 1967)
Stewart RJ: "The Elements of Creation Myth" (Element Books Ltd, Longmead, 1989)
"Magical Tales: the Story-telling Tradition" (Aquarian
Press, London, 1990)
................................................................................
2543
{file "Generic Pagan Funeral for a Elder Woman (She-Wolf)" "bos577.htm"}
Generic Pagan Funeral for a Elder Woman
By: She-Wolf
(as written, to be conducted by a group of Priestess, Priest, chief
mourner and possibly other coven members as attendants, i.e. ushers.)
The room (perhaps of a funeral home) is decorated with evergreen boughs
and roses. This supposes there is a casket, but may be adapted if there
is a picture only of the deceased.
Before anyone comes into the room, the priest and priestess may cast a
circle, summon the quarters and invoke the Lady and Lord.
As the mourners enter, they will be greeted at the door (and portal to
the circle) by the Priest and Priestess. When all are seated, the
priestess begins.
PRIESTESS: (adapted from the "Decent of the Goddess," in the Farrars'
Witches Bible Complete )
There are three great events in the life of a person: love, death and
resurrection to a new life. Of these love is the most important. For
by love and in fulfillment of it, we may again be joined with our
families and friends, remembering and loving them again. Death cannot
take away love or our loved ones.
Without love there is no birth, without birth no death, without death no
rebirth. This is the miracle of love.
PRIEST:
-------(name of Chief mourner, here a son), loving son, all here feel
your sorrow and with you honor --------(name of deceased).
Nearest relative or chief mourner tells about the persons life and
accomplishments. Others may speak also. When this is finished, the
priest continues.
PRIEST:(adapted from memorial service of "Magical rites from the Crystal
Well")
For a while we have lost one who is dear to us, but it is only for a
time and we should not be sorrowful. There is a reason to be here and
a reason to go when we have fulfilled the tasks of a life's work. Dying
is only a way of forgetting, of resting, of returning to the eternal
source to be renewed and made strong.
PRIESTESS:(adapted from the rite of the Three-Fold-Goddess in the
Witches Bible)
Behold a woman who has been three women. First a girl full of dreams
and hope. Then a mother who brought forth life and gave love. Finally
an elder, rich in knowledge and experience. Her journey is ended and a
new one begun. Let us bid her farewell and entreat all her loved ones
who have gone before her to greet and guide her on her way.
The priest may then instruct the mourners to bid a personal farewell if
they desire, then proceed to the foyer or otherwise outside the room.
This is the traditional time to play the departed loved one's favorite
song or hymn. Again, some attendant should be at the portal to see all
out of the circle. The priest, priestess and perhaps the chief mourner
may then thank the Gods, release the quarters and open the circle.
Some refreshment in the outer area might be available to help the people
ground a bit. The pall bearers may then return and carry the casket to
the conveyance.
At the grave side, salt or ashes, water and wine, and aromatic oil may
have been poured to bless the site.
"We wish you all love and happiness. Do not forget us. We will not
forget you. We find our peace and hope in the sure and certain
knowledge that we shall meet again and at that time we will celebrate in
perfect love."
After the casket is lowered, the chief mourner throws earth upon the
grave.
This is again a traditional time for all to eat together. This helps in
grounding.
2544
{file "Christmas Past (Eric Maple, via Julia Phillips)" "bos580.htm"}
Ghosts of Christmas Past
by Eric Maple
Every December 25th the normally phlegmatic British let down their hair
and plunge into an orgy of fun which one would normally associate with
the people of more exuberant nations.
Complete strangers wish one another a Happy Christmas as a parting
greeting and the public houses are filled with revellers strenuously
keeping up the spirit of the season of goodwill.
Few of these light-hearted souls will be aware that the celebration
of Christmas had its origins in the pagan worship of the Sun or, for
that matter, that the funny hats, the evergreens and the festive board
have nothing whatsoever to do with Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace,
but rather with the older gods worshipped by our ancestors in the
twilight world of pre-Christmas Europe.
It is strange to consider that the presence of pork on the Christmas
table and the custom of carrying in the boar's head was once associated
with the sacrifice of a sacred Boar to the Sun god. At the festival of
Frey, the dispenser of rain and sunshine in the mythology of
Northern Europe, a boar was a good luck offering for the New Year and
its head, with an apple in its mouth, was borne into the banqueting-hall
amid singing and the sound of welcoming trumpets. Later in history,
the boar's head gave way to the goose and the turkey. But where this
custom survives, it should be seen as one of the many curious ghosts of
Christmas past.
Consider the evergreens and their modern counterparts: the paper-
-chains which festoon the house at Christmastide. The evergreen was
once the symbol of immortality, declared sacred to the Teutonic nations,
and given pride of place in celebrations associated with the Winter Sol-
stice from which our modern Christmas is descended.
As a symbol, the evergreen means constancy and eternity, and even in
the Orient we find that it expresses a similar idea, for the Japanese
believe the evergreen needle brings longevity and prosperity. The holly,
especially, brings happiness and friendship, but if kept in the house
after New Year's Day misfortune is ordained. Generally speaking,
however, all evergreens must be taken down by Twelfth Night-- then all
will be well.
When we look around the room that has been decked with the regalia
of the Christmas party our eyes inevitably settle on one of the focal
points, the mistletoe. In pagan times, it was customary to celebrate
the death of the old year and the birth of the new by kissing under the
mistletoe's berries. Old enemies were then expected to forget their
quarrels and take a ceremonial kiss, promising to live in amity from
that time forth.
It is not generally known that the mistletoe became a powerful
life symbol because it grew' berries in winter when other plant life
seemed dead. Once known as All Heal, it was employed as an ingredient
in many folk medicines. It was the golden bough of the ancient Druids
and, because of its association with sacrificial ceremonies, was
outlawed by the Church as an emblem of paganism.
2550
Oddly enough, the sole exception was York Minster where a sprig of
mistletoe was placed on the altar each Christmas. A general pardon for
crimes remained in force throughout that city for as long as it remained
there.
The central symbol of the Christmas scene, the evergreen
Christmas tree, had its origins in Germany where St Boniface cut
down a sacred oak which was worshipped by the pagans and, to placate
them, offered a fir tree in its place. However, later research
indicates that traces of a similar custom existed in other lands,
notably Greece and Rome, where trees were decorated at the time of year
later dedicated to Christmas. There is also reason for believing that
the same or a similar custom was known in ancient Egypt.
The mystical heritage of Christmas is very strongly represented in
one of the principal characters in the celebrations, Santa Claus, the
embodiment of the spirit of goodwill. The name Santa Claus is in fact a
corruption of the fifth century St Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra, who was
honoured with special ceremonies by the Greeks and Romans on December
6th, later changed to December 25th.
This distinctly un- ghostlike genus of happiness was a 'reincar-
nation' of Odin, God of the Scandinavians who, on the conversion of
Northern Europe to Christianity, was transformed first into St Nicholas
and later into the modern Father Christmas.
Christmas has no equal as a religious feast; it is the most
important as well as the most enjoyable festival of the entire year. Yet
even the good things spread out on the table have their religious
aspects, particularly the mince-pies which were originally fashioned in
the shape of small cribs in honour of the Christ Child.
Among the superstitions associated with mince-pies is one which
demands that the Christmas reveller makes a pilgrimage among his
neighbours and friends demanding the gift of a mince-pie wherever he
calls. For each one eaten, so goes the tradition, the visitor may expect
a month's good health for the ensuing year.
Originally, mince-pies contained a far more potent filling than
mere mincemeat. They were stuffed with flesh of game hashed together
with pickled mushrooms. One should always make a wish when taking the
first bite of the first mince-pie of the season.
The Christmas pudding qualifies as a magical ritual in its own
own right, for it is surrounded by the most curious ceremonies.
Prior to the 18th century the pudding was known as Plum Porage and was
a concoction of plums, spices, wines, meat broth and breadcrumbs. It was
eaten in a semi-liquid state and only later in its history were the
plums replaced by raisins.
To preserve good luck, the pudding should be stirred deasil or
clockwise: a ceremony known to most psychic cooks. Lucky charms and
silver coins have to be incorporated in the mix to bring good fortune to
the eater, usually a silver coin, a silver thimble and a ring, with the
following meanings: the silver coin brings good luck; the ring promises
a happy marriage to the girl who finds it; while the thimble hints that
she is likely to remain a spinster.
2551
The most interesting feature of Christmas pudding lore is the custom
of setting fire to the brandy, so that the pudding can be brought to the
table all aflame. This is a curious reminder that in ancient times
special fires were lit at the midwinter feast to honour the Sun god.
One ghost which has been finally exorcised from the Christmas
scene is the Dumb Cake which in times past was prepared by single girls
for consumption on Christmas Eve. Its ingredients were salt, wheatmeal
and barley, and it had to be baked in complete silence. It was
carefully placed in the oven and the front door opened precisely at
midnight. The spectre of the girl's future husband was expected to
enter the house at that time and march into the kitchen to turn the
cake. In some areas the cook would prick her initials on the cake and
in due course her future husband would materialise to add his
initials to hers. Alas, this custom seems to have vanished for ever.
The modern Christmas cake is still with us. It is supposed to have
originated with a cake presented by the people of ancient Rome to their
senators. A custom among Scots demanded that the cook should rise in the
early hours of Christmas Day and bake sowen (oatmeal) cakes. These
were distributed to the family at Hogmanay. If a cake happened to
break, bad luck followed, but if it remained unbroken the eater
could look forward to a Happy New Year.
Although there is no clear-cut tradition that Christmas Day was ever
associated with the giving of presents prior to modern times, it is
known that a similar custom was observed by the Romans on New Year's
Day. The Roman gift would have been a goodwill symbol only, consisting
of branches of evergreen, but in time the presents became more lavish.
Many of the enjoyable rituals which involve our lives at Christmas
time are but the shadow survivals or 'ghosts' of very ancient customs
performed around the close of the old year and the birth of the new, and
the feast of fire celebrated at the time of the Winter Solstice to
honour the Sun god.
But the season of fire and light, as it is sometimes called, would
be nothing without the Yule-log,for Christmas is also known as Yule,
which was the Scandinavian feast of the Winter Solstice.
In the days of old, an oak log was cut down on Yule Eve, and borne
with much ceremony into the house and rolled onto the huge fire that was
to burn during the days of the Nativity, especially Christmas Day.
Little did the pious Christians of the medieval world realise that
originally it had been burned in honour of the god Thor and represented
the sacred element: fire.
No doubt it was due to this association with the old gods that the
hearth fire at Christmas assumed the important role which it retained
until the advent of artificial forms of heating. The hearth was the
centre for the telling of Christmas ghost stories and for those curious
superstitions relating to the mysteries of fire.
Throughout Northern Europe there were traditions that the family
ghosts returned at Christmas time to share the festival with their
living relatives. In Brittany there was the custom of leaving food for
the ghosts while the family attended church. In Scandinavia, stories
were told of trolls (who were ogres not ghosts) returning at this
season to rattle the window-panes. In the British Isles there were
contradictory beliefs, some people thought, erroneously, that no ghost
had power to haunt during the Christmas season.
It is when the light is extinguished save for the glowing embers
that the ghost-story teller comes into his own and, surrounded by the
family, describes some ancient haunting which is calculated to chill the
blood of his listeners. Traditional hauntings include the posthumous
adventures of Anne Boleyn who haunts her old homes during the Christmas
season. Her ghost has been reported at Rochford Hall in Essex and Hever
Castle in Kent, wandering headless during the 12 days of the festival.
There are a number of cheerless proverbs which surface at the season
of goodwill, as when someone observes, 'A green Christmas brings a full
church-yard,' possibly to counteract any excessive exuberance among the
party.
However, the children turn to less ghostly rituals, including
divination to discover the future. Each of them cuts an apple and
counts the pips. The one whose apple has the most pips can look forward
to the most happiness in the 12 months ahead.
And so young and old join in quiet communion with Christmas-
es past, present and future, united in quaint ceremonies whose
origins are lost in history - a celebration presided over by ancestral
spirits who have been lured into the home from outer darkness by the
glow of the pagan fire.
2552
{file "A Yule Mythos" "bos581.htm"}
A Yule Mythos
The Bard
Thu 23 Dec 93
From "The Mystery of the Bards: The Book of the Fool"
---------------------------------------------------------------
"Hey! Wake up there!"
The Fool opened His eyes, stretched, and rolled over on the soft
grass of the Summerland.
"I suppose you're talking to me?" he murmured.
"I certainly am!" The Lady, shimmering in Her Aspect as the
Goddess of Love, smiled at Him. Had He been human, that smile would have
sent Him into a transport of happiness. As it was, He felt a little
shiver of joy run on catfeet down his spine.
"What's up?" He got to His feet, brushing back his hair.
"What's up? WHAT'S UP?" The Lady looked at Him in disbelief.
"Dummy! It's almost Your birthday!"
The Fool looked puzzled for a moment. "My birthday? I thought We
have been....for always. We don't -have- birthdays, do we?"
The Lady grinned, shifting into the Nymph for a delightful
moment. "No, we don't, but Humanity likes to give Us birthday parties,
and yours is probably the biggest.....so you need to get moving!"
"So I do! And this Aspect is probably one of my favorites!" The
Fool jumped in the air, landing on His hands in a perfect handstand with
a jingling of bells. Then he took His hands off the ground, and hung
suspended, upside down, in mid-air. One leg was folded at the knee.
"Can You stand on Your head?" He grinned.
"Not with -this- dress on!" She laughed.
2553
Humming a tuneless melody. the Fool strode thru Summerland, and
thru the cloudy space between the Worlds of the MultiVerse, finally
ending up on a small, very green-and-blue planet that the natives called
"the Earth."
"It's My Birthday a-comin'!" He shouted, and there was a
stirring, and a movement. The Life that was locked in the grip of Winter
remembered that Spring would come, as it always will, and the half of
the world that was in Summer gave a little quiver of happiness.
He went to a Place, and put on the suit, and the Aspect to fit
it. He hitched the nine animals to His sleigh, grooming them with loving
hands. Then He loaded it with gifts for all the people of the Earth. He
was helped by quite a lot of the smaller elves, who found the game most
enjoyable. Most of these gifts were toys, but many of them were
practical, useful things. Some, like Love, and Peace, and Happiness,
were quite insubstantial....but they were His Gifts nonetheless.
He laughed. No longer slim, but chunky (if not fat), and dressed
in a red suit lined with white fur, His laughter was a "Ho! Ho! Ho!" of
gladness that rolled over the Earth.
He spent the next instant of Time ("And what a clever concept
Time is," He thought in self-congratulation) delivering His gifts,
riding the sleigh to the music of tiny bells thru the Night.
"Good Yule! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukka! Io Saturnalia! Hail
Mithras! Welcome Cernunnos!" He shouted.
"And a Happy Birthday to Me," He added under His breath, with a
grin.
He landed the sleigh, and unhitched His animals. Each one was
Named, and each one nuzzled Him as an old friend. The last was younger
then the rest, and full of energy, bounding across the Place like a
puppy in a warm kitchen. The red light from his nose reflected on the
snow, and gave a joyful light that lit the sky in a glowing aurora.
The Fool laughed at the sight, and hung up His suit, and took
off the Aspect, and returned to the Summerland over the paths He knew so
well.
"Well," She said, "Did everything go all right?"
The Fool leaned back against a tree and watched a butterfly land
on His nose. "Yep. Got all My presents delivered. Did the usual
sleigh-and-reindeer thing with the red suit and all.....great fun! I
sure like to see the children happy."
"Well, You sure are bass-ackwards sometimes!" The Lady shook Her
finger at Him in mock anger.
"Huh? Whattya mean?" The Fool was puzzled.
"Well....everybody else -gets- presents for their birthdays. You
gotta reverse it and give presents away!"
The Fool giggled, and said, "That's my Nature, dearest. By the
way, your fly's open."
The Lady looked down and reached to zip up Her fly, and then did
a perfect double-take.
"But....I don't -have- a fly!"
And the Fool leaned back against the World Tree and laughed and
laughed and laughed.
Thus it was, and so it is, and evermore shall be so!
---------------------------------------------------------------
................................................................................
2554
The following is from The Mysts of Annwfn Book of Shadows, and
appeared in NightScapes Vol. 1, No. 5 (a journal of Magick,
Paganism and the Occult). Subscriptions are $13.00 a year/six
issues, sample copy $3.00. Write to: NightScapes, P.O. Box
4559, Mesa, AZ 85211-4559. Phone: (602) 898-3551.
Information about The Mysts of Annwfn (who publishes
NightScapes), can also be obtained by contacting the above
information.
................................................................................
2555
{file "The Legend Of The Maiden" "bos582.htm"}
THE LEGEND OF THE MAIDEN
The Mysts of Annwfn
Book of Shadows
In Ages long past, the lovely Lady Brighid came to Hibernia
to dwell in that land among her people. She brought to them many
special treasures from the Outer Realms to enrich their lives.
She gave them the art of Smithcraft, Poetry, and Inspiration.
Brighid also shared a sacred Cauldron that overflowed with
inspiration and love. She was adept at the healing arts, and in
the Magick of Medicine. Her people loved her deeply, and kindled
a fire in her honor which was constantly attended by nineteen
maidens, and was never allowed to go out.
The Lady Brighid eventually became a mother, and her people
rejoiced, knowing their lands would be fruitful just as their
Goddess was fertile. However, Brighid also knew the misery of
loss. When one of her beloved sons was killed, the whole land
wept. She lamented so deeply that she invented "keening," the
mournful song of the bereaved women of Erin. Her Flame burned so
brightly, however, that happiness soon returned to the land. She
bestowed upon her people, yet, another gift: The Art of
Whistling.
However, in the fullness of time, the beloved Lady could no
longer dwell openly with her people, and she made her home in the
Sidhe. There, she would dwell close to her people and her land,
and they could call upon her name at the appointed times, and
keep her Flame burning within their hearts.
The Eternal Flame continues to burn!
................................................................................
2556
The following ritual derives from The Mysts of Annwfn Book of
Shadows, and was publicly conducted by Goddess Moon Rising Coven
in San Diego, Ca. on Imbolg, 1988, and by The Mysts of Annwfn
Coven in Mesa, Az. at Pagan Arizona Network's Imbolg celebration
in 1993.
This ritual appeared in NightScapes, Vol. 1, No. 5 (a journal of
Magick, Paganism and the Occult). Subscriptions are $13.00 a
year/six issues, sample copy $3.00. Write to: NightScapes, P.O.
Box 4559, Mesa, Az 85211-4559. Phone (602) 898-3551.
Information on The Mysts of Annwfn (who publishes NightScapes),
may also be obtained by contacting the above information.
................................................................................
2557
{file "Candlemas Ritual" "bos583.htm"}
CANDLEMAS RITUAL
Mysts of Annwfn
Book of Shadows
The following ritual calls for the participation of eight
people, and is best performed at a large gathering. The
participants include: The Maiden Goddess, the Young Lord, the
High Priestess, the High Priest, and the four Watchtowers.
Specific items needed for this ritual are: a Crystal Ball,
a cross of rushes, a mat, a basket, a phallic wand, a sprig of
evergreen, pieces of paper, cakes, wine, and basic Altar and
ritual equipment. All participants shall write upon the paper
things and qualities they wish to gain during the coming season,
and then place them in the basket prior to ritual.
Candlemas is the festival of the Flame, and is best
performed at night. This is Brighid's celebration. Winter is
bade farewell, and as Spring approaches, it's a time to think of
love.
* * * * *
All members of the ritual enter the Circle except for the
Maiden. She should be wearing white, and is adorned with a
garland of flowers in her hair. She stands out of sight,
awaiting her cue. All attendants of the ritual should line the
outer ring of the Circle, leaving a walkway into it. The Young
Lord is to position himself among the attendants.
The High Priest starts the ritual by saying:
The young Sun King now begins to feel the first stirring of
desire for the Lady. The Goddess patiently awaits her future
lover. The Rites of Spring are near, and the year is in its
waxing phase. The Sun's presence is ever-more increasing and the
darkness runs and hides.
The Invocation of the Four Quarters comes next, starting
with the East:
We welcome the Guardians of the East. Your breath of life
is sacred, and greetings to the lovely Fand, the Pearl of Beauty,
and gracious Olwen, the White Lady of the Day. Your presence is
most welcome at this Festival of Imbolc!
South:
We welcome the Lords of the South. Your warmth flows
through us all, and greetings to the Honored Lady Brighid, and to
beautiful Branwen, the White Bossomed One. Your presence is most
welcome at this Festival of Oemlic!
West:
We welcome the Holy Ones of the West. Your moisture is
2558
refreshing and precious to life, and greetings to our Queen
Arianrhod of The Silver Wheel, and sweet Aine of the Wisps. Your
presence is most welcome at this Festival of Lights!
North:
We welcome the Watchers of the North. Your power and wisdom
is ours, and greetings to the Wise Cerridwen of Lake Tegid, and
to the desirable Rhiannon of the Netherworld. Your presence is
most welcome at this Festival of Candlemas!
The High Priest continues:
From now to Beltane, is the pathway less dark. Thus, shall
the journey be made through to Beltane, renewed in strength and
happy in love.
The High Priestess now turns slowly, addressing those assembled.
As she speaks, the Maiden walks slowly into view down the
processional towards the Circle, until she stands at the Northern
Gateway. She is holding the Cross of Rushes. The High Priestess
says:
Long Winter is now passing away and the buds will soon swell
on the Apple tree bough. The Earth gladly receives the plow in
preparation for the celebration of life. For the Queen and the
King will begin to wear the garden's green and will speak in a
single voice!
The High Priest acknowledges the physical presence of the
Maiden, and exclaims:
Behold!!! Brighid has come! Brighid is welcome!
The Maiden enters the Circle and lays the Cross on a mat
situated just South of the Altar. She says:
Greetings to you, not only from myself, but from the Mother
and the Crone as well. All seasons of the Earth are important
and must have their course.....but now, I weary of Winter, and I
long for the greenness of Spring, and all that it encompasses. I
strongly desire the companionship of my Lover-to be!
She searches the Circle of people and draws him out. She
kneels before him and invokes the God Lugh:
Lord of Death, Resurrection, Life, and the Giver of Life!
Lord who is within us, whose name is Mystery of Mysteries!
Descend we pray thee, upon thy servant and Priest!
Lugh, after indwelling the Priest, now moves over to the
Altar, picks up the Phallic Wand, and places it on Brighid's Bed
(the mat). The Maiden addresses the God:
I grow weary of the darkness. Let's join to hurry Winter
along its way so we can enjoy the pleasures that await us! (She
motions to the mat).
2559
The God starts the Balefire in the South, and while doing
this, the Maiden sweeps the Circle three times while everyone
chants:
Return, return, return, return
The earth, the water, the fire, and the air.
At an appropriate time, the singing comes to an end and the
God says:
The Key to unlocking Winter's hold is to erase its memories!
He now holds up a sprig of evergreen and hands it to the
Maiden Goddess. She tosses it into the Balefire. She then picks
up a basket full of everyone's desires and wishes for the coming
season, and says:
Behold! In my hands I carry Hopes and Wishes for the coming
seasons. I place them in this fire and as quickly as the
memories of Winter fade, let the Hopes and Wishes just as quickly
take root!
She tosses them into the Balefire, and Lugh now says:
My dear Lady and Lover-to-be, do us great honor by gazing
into the Crystal and give your people words they can hold as
their own!
Brighid picks up the Crystal Ball and holds it between her
hands. She gazes into it momentarily before saying:
All the gods are one God, and the goddesses, one Goddess,
and there is but one Initiator. And to every man, his own Truth,
and the God within.
Upon hearing this, he smiles and says:
Come! Let's feast and make merry on this great occasion!
The High Priestess steps in front of the altar and raises
the water and Wine. She faces North and says:
In celebration of Brighid's Day, we open the Moongate and
let the Westwind blow! We bring Water, life's elixir, to refresh
ourselves. We bring the Fruit of the Vine, the drink of the
gods! Let us sip and enjoy. Hail to fair Brighid!
The High Priestess now picks up the plate of cakes and says:
Upon this plate are gifts from Erin! Farrels for us to
enjoy! Let us eat and remember the Gods. These are holy Sabbat
Cakes. They bring us sustenance and fill the hunger. Blessed Be
Brighid's Feast! Let us dance in joy and mirth!
The High Priestess now raises the honey as all say:
Here is the Sweet Nectar! Sacred to the Gods!
2560
All now partake of the Cakes and Wine. Sing songs, dance,
and do anything else that feels appropriate. (Brighid's Day is a
traditional time for initiations). When the celebration is
winding down, the God, taking the Maiden Goddess into his arms,
declares:
Now that we all have feasted and made merry, come with me
now, our bed of Love awaits us!
The Maiden, protesting lightly, responds:
Oh! How I've longed for you through the Dark days of
Winter! But My Love, though our bed is ready, we still must wait
a short while. Our time of Union is not yet upon us, but the
Rites of Spring, and of Beltane, are not far off!
The Sun King looks slightly disappointed, but smiles
lovingly at her. They embrace and kiss passionately, while
everyone starts to sing, "Lady Weave Your Circle Tight." While
the song continues, she slowly leaves his arms and exits the
Circle. He follows her, not wanting her to leave, but stops at
the Circle's edge. She turns and says to him:
My Heart is with you, and Destiny will bring us back
together soon! As the Cup is to the Knife, so am I to you!
She now disappears out of sight, and the singing shall die
down. The High Priest now says:
Even though the Maiden has departed, her presence continues
to increase! Light chases away the Darkness, and soon, the
Maiden shall reign Supreme! The Winter grows short, and the
leaves shall return to the trees! New Life shall spring forth,
and New Love along with it! The Wheel turns, and the Young Lord
and his Lady shall meet to consummate their Love. So ends this
prelude to Spring! May the coming season bring you much joy and
happiness!
The Watchtowers are now given their release:
Farewell to the Watchtowers of the North, and to Rhiannon
and Cerridwen. May we depart in love and peace until we gather
again.
West:
Farewell to the Holy Ones of the West, and to Queen
Arianrhod and Aine. May we depart in love and peace until me
gather again.
South:
Farewell to the Lords of the South, and to Branwen and the
Maiden Brighid. May we depart in love and peace until we gather
again.
East:
2561
Farewell to the Guardians of the East, and to Olwen and
Fand. May we depart in love and peace until we gather again.
Everyone:
Merry meet, and merry part, and merry meet again!
References for inspiration:
Gwydion Pendderwen
Dion Fortune
Janet & Stewart Farrar
Marion Zimmer Bradley
................................................................................
2562
{file "Herbal "Quick Reference"" "bos584.htm"}
Herbs & their Magickal Properties
A
Acacia : Protection, Psychic Powers, Money and Love Spells
Adam & Eve Roots : Love, Happiness
Adders Tongue : Healing
African Violet : Spirituality, Protection
Agaric : Fertility
Agrimony : Protection, Sleep
Ague Root : Protection
Alfalfa : Prosperity, Anti-Hunger, Money
Alkanet : Purification, Prosperity
Allspice : Money, Luck, Healing
Almond : Money, Prosperity, Wisdom
Aloe : Protection, Luck
Aloes, Wood : Love, Spirituality
Althea : Protection, Psychic Powers
Alyssum : Protection, Moderating Anger
Amaranth : Healing Heartbreak, Protection, Invisibility,
Anemone : Health, Protection, Healing
Angelica : Exorcism, Protection, Healing, Visions
Anise : Protection, Purification, Youth
Apple : Love, Healing, Garden Magic, Immortality
Apricot : Love
Arabic Gum : Spirituality, Purify Negativity and Evil
Arbutus : Exorcism, Protection
Asafoetida : Exorcism, Purification, Protection
Ash : Protection, Prosperity, Sea Rituals, Health
Aspen : Eloquence, Anti-Theft
Aster : Love
Avens : Exorcism, Purification, Love
Avocado : Love, Lust, Beauty
B
Bachelor's Buttons : Love
Balm, Lemon : Love, Success, Healing
Balm of Gilead : Love, Manifestations, Protection, Healing
Bamboo : Protection, Luck, Hex-Breaking, Wishes
Banana : Fertility, Potency, Prosperity
Banyan : Luck. Happiness
Barley : Love, Healing, Protection
Basil : Love, Exorcism, Wealth, Flying, Protection
Bay : Protection, Psychic Powers, Healing, Purification, Strength
Bean : Protection, Exorcism, Wart Charming,
Reconciliation, Potency, Love
Bedstraw, Fragrant : Love
Beech : Wishes
Beet : love
Belladonna : Astral Projection, Visions **TOXIC**
Benzoin : Purification, Prosperity
Bergamot, Orange : Money, Success
Be-Still : Luck
Betony, Wood : Protection, Purification, Love
Birch : Protection, Exorcism, Purification and Cleansing
Bistort : Psychic Powers, Fertility
Bittersweet : Protection, Healing
Blackberry : Healing, Money, Protection
Bladderwrack : Protection, Sea Spells, Wind Spells,
Money, Psychic Powers
Bleeding Heart : Love
Bloodroot : Love, Protection, Purification
Bluebell : Luck, Truth
Blueberry : Protection
Blue Flag : Money
Bodhi : Fertility, Protection, Wisdom, Meditation
Boneset : Protection, Exorcism
Borage : Courage, Psychic Powers
Bracken : Healing, Rune Magic, Prophetic Dreams
Brazil Nut : Love
Briony : Image Magic, Money, Protection
Bromeliad : Protection, Money
Broom : Purification, Protection, Wind Spells, Divination
Buchu : Psychic Powers, Prophetic Dreams
Buckthorn : Protection, Exorcism, Wishes, Legal Matters
Buckwheat : Money, Protection
Burdock : Protection, Healing
C
Cabbage : Luck
Cactus : Protection, Chastity
Calamus : Luck, Healing, Money, Protection
Camellia -Riches
Camphor : Chastity, Health, Divination
Caper : Potency, Lust, Luck
Carawy : Protection, Lust, Health, Anti-Theft, Mental Powers
Cardamon : Lust, Love
Carnation : Protection, Strength, Healing
Carob : Protection, Health
Carrot : Fertility, Lust
Cascara Sagrada : Legal Matters, Money, Protection,
Cashew : Money
Castor : Protection
Catnip : Cat Magic, Love, Beauty, Happiness
Cat Tail : Lust
Cedar : Healing, Purification, Money, Protection
Celandine : Protection, Escape, Happiness, Legal Matters
Celery : Mental Powers, Lust, Psychic Powers
Centaury : Snake Removing
Chamomile : Money, Sleep, Love, Purification
Cherry : Love, Divination
Chestnut : Love
Chickweed : Fertility, Love
Chicory : Removing Obstacles, Invisibility, favors, Frigidity
Chili pepper : Fidelity, Hex Breaking, Love
China Berry : Luck, Change
Chrysanthemum : Protection
Cinchona : Luck, Protection
Cinnamon : Spirituality, Success, Healing, Power,
Psychic Powers, Lust, Protection, Love
Cinquefoil : Money, Protection, Prophetic Dreams, Sleep
Citron : Psychic Powers, Healing
Cloth of Gold : Understand Animal Languages
Clove : Protection, Exorcism, Love, Money
Clover : Protection, Money, Love, Fidelity, Exorcism, Success, Luck
Club Moss : Protection, Power
Coconut : Purification, Protection, Chastity
Cohosh, Black : Love, Courage, Protection, Potency
Coltsfoot : Love, Visions
Columbine : Courage, Love
Comfrey : Safety During Travel, Money
Copal : Love, Purification
Coriander : Love, Health, Healing
Corn : Protection, Luck, Divination
Cornflower : psychism
Cotton : Luck, Healing, Protection, Rain, Fishing Magic
Cowslip : Healing, Youth, Treasure Finding
Crocus : Love, Visions
Cubeb : Love
Cuckoo-flower : Fertility, Lover
Cucumber : Chastity, Healing, Fertility
Cumin : Protection, Fidelity, Exorcism
Curry : Protection
Cyclamen : Fertility, Protection, Happiness, Lust
Cypress : Longevity, Healing, Comfort, Protection
D
Daffodil : Love, Fertility, Luck
Daisy : Lust, Luck
Damiana : Lust, Love, Visions
Dandelion : Divination, Wishes, Calling Spirits
Datura : Hex Breaking, Sleep, Protection
Deerstongue : Lust, Psychic Powers
Devils Bit : Exorcism, Love, Protection, Lust
Devils Shoestring : Protection, Gambling, Luck, Power, Employment
Dill : Protection, Money, Lust, Luck
Dittany of Crete : Manifestations, Astral Projection
Dock : Healing, Fertility, Money
Dodder : Love, Divination, Knot Magic
Dogbane : Love
Dogwood : Wishes, Protection
Dragons Blood : Love, Protection, Exorcism, Potency
Dulse : Lust, Harmony
Dutchmans Breeches : Love
E
Ebony : Protection, Power
Echinacea : Strengthening Spells
Edelweiss : Invisibility, Bullet-Proofing
Elder : Exorcism, Protection, Healing, Prosperity, Sleep
Elecampane : Love, Protection, Psychic Powers
Elm : Love
Endive : Lust, Love
Eryngo : Travelers Luck, Peace, Lust, Love
Eucalyptus : Healing, Protection
Euphorbia : Purification, Protection
Eyebright : Mental Powers, Psychic Power
F
Fennel : Protection, Healing, Purification
Fenugreek : Money
Fern : Rain Making, Protection, Luck, Riches,
Eternal Youth, Health, Exorcism
Feverfew : Protection
Fig : Divination, Fertility, Love
Figwort : Health, Protection
Flax : Money, Protection, Beauty, Psychic Powers, Healing
Fleabane : Exorcism, Protection, Chastity
Foxglove : Protection
Frankincense : Protection, Exorcism, Spirituality
Fumitory : Money, Exorcism
Fuzzy Weed : Love, Hunting
G
Galangal : Protection, Lust, Health, Money,
Psychic Powers, Hex-Breaking
Gardenia : Love, Peace, Healing, Spirituality
Garlic : Protection, Healing, Exorcism, Lust, Anti-Theft
Gentian : Love, Power
Geranium : Fertility, Health, Love, Protection
Ginger : Love, Money, Success, Power
Ginseng : Love, Wishes, Healing, Beauty, Protection, Lust
Goats Rue : Healing, Health
Goldenrod : Money, Divination
Golden Seal : Healing, Money
Gorse : Protection, Money
Gotu Kola : Meditation
Gourd : Protection
Grain : Protection
Grains of Paradise : Lust, Luck, Love, Money, Wishes
Grape : Fertility, Garden Magic, Mental Powers, Money
Grass : Psychic Powers, Protection
Ground Ivy : Divination
Groundsel : Health, Healing
H
Hawthorn : Fertility, Chastity, Fishing Magic, Happiness
Hazel : Luck, Fertility, Anti-Lightning, Protection, Wishes
Heather : Protection, Rain Making, Luck
Heliotrope : Exorcism, Prophetic Dreams, Healing,
Wealth, Invisibility
Hellebore, Black : Protection ****TOXIC***
Hemlock : Destroy Sexual Drive ***TOXIC***
Hemp : Healing, Love, Vision, Meditation
Henbane : Love Attraction ***TOXIC***
Henna : Healing
Hibiscus : Lust, Love, Divination
Hickory : Legal Matters
High John the Conqueror : Money, Love, Success, Happiness
Holly : Protection, Anti-Lightning, Luck, Dream Magic, Balance
Honesty : Money, Repelling Monsters
Honeysuckle : Money, Psychic Powers, Protection
Hops : Healing, Sleep
Horehound : Protection, Mental Powers, Exorcism, Healing
Horse Chestnut : Money, Healing
Horseradish : Purification, Exorcism
Horsetail : Snake Charming, Fertility
Houndstongue : Tying Dog's Tongues
Houseleek : Luck, Protection, Love
Huckleberry : Luck, Protection, Dream Magic, Hex Breaking
Hyacinth : Love, Protection, Happiness
Hydrangea : Hex Breaking
Hyssop : Purification, Protection
I
Indian Paint Brush : Love
Iris : Purification, Wisdom
Irish Moss : Money, Luck, Protection
Ivy : Protection, Healing
J
Jasmine : Love, Money, Prophetic Dreams
Jobs Tears : Healing, Wishes, Luck
Joe-Pye Weed : Love, Respect
Juniper : Protection, Anti-Theft, Love, Exorcism, Health
K
Kava-Kave : Visions, Protection, Luck
Knotweed : Binding, Health
L
Ladys mantle : Love
Ladys slipper : Protection
Larch : Protection, Anti-Theft
Larkspur : Health, Protection
Lavender : Love, Protection, Sleep, Chastity,
Longevity, Purification, Happiness, Peace
Leek : Love, Protection, Exorcism
Lemon : Longevity, Purification, Love, Friendship
Lemongrass : Repel snakes, Lust, Psychic Powers
Lemon Verbena : Purification, Love
Lettuce : Chastity, Protection, Love, Divination, Sleep
Licorice : Love, Lust, Fidelity
Life Everlasting : Longevity, Health, Healing
Lilac : Exorcism, Protection, Beauty
Lily : Protection, Breaking Love spells
Lily of the Valley : Mental Powers, Happiness
Lime : Healing, Love, Protection
Linden : Protection, Immortality, Luck, Love, Sleep
Liquidamber : Protection
Liverwort : Protection
Liverwort : Love
Looestrife : Peace, Protection
Lotus : Protection, Lock-Opening
Lovage : Love
Love Seed : Love, Friendship
Lucky Hand : Employment, Luck, Protection, Money, Travel
M
Mace : Psychic Powers, Mental Powers
Maguey : Lust
Magnolia : Fidelity
Mahogany, Mountain : Anti-Lightning
Maidenhair : Beauty, Love
Male Fern : Luck, Love
Mallow : Love, Protection, Exorcism
Mandrake : Protection, Love, Money, Fertility, Health
Maple : Love, Longevity, Money
Marigold : Protection, Prophetic Dreams,
Business and Legal Matters, Psychic Powers
Marjoram : Protection, Love, Happiness, Health, Money, Healing
Master Wort : Strength, Courage, Protection
Mastic : Psychic Powers, Manifestations, Lust
May Apple : Money
Meadow Rue : Divination
Meadowsweet : Love, Divination, Peace, Happiness
Mesquite : Healing
Mimosa : Protection, Love, Prophetic Dreams, Purification
Mint : Money, Love, Luck, Healing, Exorcism, Travel, Protection
Mistletoe : Protection, Love, Hunting, Fertility, Health, Exorcism
Molukka : Protection
Moonwort : Money, Love
Moss : Luck, Money
Mugwort : Strength, Psychic Powers, Protection,
Prophetic Dreams, Healing, Astral Projection
Mulberry : Protection, Strength
Mullein : Courage, Protection, Health, Love, Divination, Exorcism
Mustard : Fertility, Protection, Mental Powers
Myrrh : Protection, Exorcism, Healing, Spirituality
Myrtle : Love, Fertility, Youth, Peace, Money
N
Nettle : Exorcism, Protection, Healing, Lust
Norfolk Island Pine : Protection, anti hunger
Nuts : Fertility, Prosperity, Love, Luck
O
Oak : Protection, Health, Money, Healing, Potency, Fertility, Luck
Oats : Money
Olive : Healing, Peace, Fertility, Potency, Protection, Lust
Onion : Protection, Exorcism, Healing, Money,
Prophetic Dreams, Lust
Orange : Love, Divination, Luck, Money
Orchid : Love
Oregon Grape : Money, Prosperity
Orris Root : Love, Protection, Divination
P
Palm, Date : Fertility, Potency
Pansy : Love, Rain Magic, Love, Divination
Papaya : Love, Protection
Papyrus : Protection
Parosela : Hunting
Parsley : Love, Protection, Purification
Passion Flower : Peace, Sleep, Friendship
Patchouly : Money, Fertility, Lust
Pea : Money, Love
Peach : Love, Exorcism, Longevity, Fertility, Wishes
Pear : Lust, Love
Pecan : Money, Employment
Pennyroyal : Strength, Protection, Peace
Peony : Protection, Exorcism
Pepper : Protection, Exorcism
Peppermint : Purification, Sleep, Love, Healing, Psychic Powers
Pepper Tree : Purification, Healing, Protection
Periwinkle : Love, Lust, Mental Powers, Money, Protection
Persimmon : Changing Sex, Healing, Luck
Plot Weed : Protection
Pimento : Love
Pimpernel : Protection, Health
Pine : Healing, Fertility, Protection, Exorcism, Money
Pineapple : Luck, Money, Chastity
Pipsissewa : Money, Spirit Calling
Pistachio : Breaking Love Spells
Plantain : Healing, Protection, Strength, Snake Repelling
Plum : Healing
Plumeria : Love
Poke : Courage, Hex Breaking
Pomegranate : Divination, Luck, Wishes, Wealth, Fertility
Poplar : Money, Flying
Poppy : Fertility, Love, Sleep, Money, Luck, Invisibility
Potato : Image Magic, Healing
Prickly Ash : Love
Primrose : Protection, Love
Purslane : Sleep, Love, Luck, Protection, Happiness
Q
Quassia : Love
Quince : Protection, Love, Happiness
R
Radish : Protection, Lust
Ragweed : Courage
Ragwort : Protection
Raspberry : Protection, Love
Rattlesnake Root : Protection, Money
Rhubarb : Protection, Fidelity
Rice : Protection, Rain, Fertility, Money
Roots : Protection, Power, Divination
Rose : Love, Psychic Powers, Healing, Love, Divination, Luck, Protection
Rosemary : Protection, Love, Lust, Mental Powers,
Exorcism, Purification, Healing, Sleep, Youth
Rowan : Psychic Powers, Healing, Protection, Power, Success
Rue : Healing, Health, Mental Powers, Exorcism, Love
Rye : Love, Fidelity
S
Saffron : Love, Healing, Happiness, Wind Raising,
Lust, Strength, Psychic Powers.
Sage : Immortality, Longevity, Wisdom, Protection, Wishes
Sagebrush : Purification, Exorcism
St.Johns Wort : Health, Power, Protection, Strength,
Love, Divination, Happiness
Sandalwood : Protection, Healing, Exorcism, Spirituality
Sarsaparilla : Love, Money
Sassafras : Health, Money
Savory, Summer : Mental Powers
Scullcap : Love, Fidelity, Peace
Senna : Love
Sesame : Money. Lust
Shallot : Purification
Skunk Cabbage : Legal Matters
Slippery Elm : Halts Gossip
Sloe : Exorcism, Protection
Snakeroot : Luck Money
Snakeroot/black : Love, Lust, Money
Snapdragon : Protection
Solomons Seal : Protection, Exorcism
Sorrel Wood : Healing, Health
Southern Wood : Love, Lust, Protection
Spanish Moss : Protection
Spearmint : Healing, Love, Mental Powers
SpiderWort : Love
Spikenard : Love
Squill : Money, Protection, Hex Breaking
Star, Anise : Psychic Powers, Luck
Stillengia : Psychic Powers
Straw : Luck, Image Magic
Strawberry : Love, Luck
Sugar Cane : Love, Lust
Sumbul : Love, Luck, Health, Psychic Powers
Sunflower : Fertility, Wishes, Health, Wisdom
Sweetgrass : Calling Spirits
Sweetpea : Friendship, Chastity, Courage, Strength
T
Tamarind : Love
Tamarisk : Exorcism, Protection
Tansy : Health, Longevity
Tea : Riches, Courage, Strength
Thistle : Strength, Protection, Hex Breaking, Healing
Thistle, Holy : Purification, Hex Breaking
Thistle, Milk : Snake Enraging
Thyme : Health, Healing, Sleep, Psychic Powers,
Love, Purification, Courage
Ti : Protection, Healing
Toadflax : Protection, Hex Breaking
Toadstool : Rain Making
Tobacco : Healing, Purification
Turmeric : Purification
Turnip : Protection, Ending Relationships
U
Urva Ursa : Psychic Workings
V
Valerian : Love, Sleep, Purification, Protection
Vanilla : Love, Lust, Mental Powers
Venus Flytrap : Protection, Love
Vervain : Love, Protection, Purification, Peace,
Money, Youth, Chastity, Sleep, Healing
Vetch, Giant : Fidelity
Vetivert : Love, Hex Breaking, Luck, Money, Anti-Theft
Violet : Protection, Luck, Love, Lust, Wishes, Peace, Healing
W
Wahoo : Hex-breaking, Courage, Success
Walnut : Health, Mental Powers, Infertility, Wishes
Wax Plant : Protection
Wheat : Fertility, Money
Willow : Love, Divination, Protection, Healing
Wintergreen : Protection, Healing, Hex Breaking
Winters Bark : Success
Witch Grass : Happiness, Lust, love, Exorcism
Witch Hazel : Protection, Chastity
Wolfs Bane : Protection, Invisibility
Wood Rose : Luck
Woodruff : Victory, Protection, Money
Wormwood : Psychic Powers, Protection, Love, Calling Spirits
XYZ
Yarrow : Courage, Love, Psychic Powers, Exorcism
Yellow Evening Primrose : Hunting
Yerba Mate : Fidelity, Love, Lust
Yerba Santa : Beauty, Healing, Psychic Powers, Protection
Yew : Raising the Dead
Yohimbe : Love, Lust
Yucca : Transmutation, Protection, Purification
{file "House Blessing (She Wolf)" "bos585.htm"}
HOUSE BLESSING
Assemble:
1. Salt & Water
2. Incense (fire and air)
3. Milk & Honey
4. Oil (for anointing)
5. Wine (for offering)
6. Bells, Pots, Pans, Whistles, etc.
Cast a circle in the main room (livingroom) and after casting, visualize
the circle expanding to include the entire house. Call upon the spirits
and energies living in the house (or apartment). Invite those who will
be harmonious with the new household and its energies to remain.
Invite/ask those who will be happier elsewhere to depart. Release all
"energies" not compatible with the new household. (This may be
expressed as a "release" in order to unbind anything that may be stuck.)
Then call upon, greet, and invite ancestors, patron deities, and all
harmonious spirits and energies to dwell in the house as they please.
Gather up the pots, pans, and all the noise-makers. Go to each door and
window, not forgetting the fire-place and dog-door, making as much
racket as humanly possible--to shoo out anything unwanted. (This is
hysterical fun, and also raises lots of energy for the next important
step.) Go again throughout the house and at each portal (door, window,
etc.) sprinkle salt-water and cense, saying: "By the Elements I purify
and charge this portal." Then anoint the portal with milk and honey,
saying: "By Milk and Honey I ensure prosperity and peace within this
place." Finally, anoint the portal with oil, saying: "With Oil I seal
this portal and protect all within." At the front door a special prayer
is said, asking the guardian deities (God & Goddess) to freely grant
entry to all frien ds and loved ones, and to prevent passage (turn
aside) to any who would do harm." Then, if it's a house--pour wine
across the width of the threshold; if it's an apartment anoint the
threshold with light touches of wine.
The house-holders then each take a sip of wine, leaving some as an
offering to the Gods, and the Circle should be closed. The remaining
wine, milk, and honey should be offered to the Gods. (In our case to
the fruit tree and the oak tree in our yard.)
Addenda: This is very effective if done as part of a house-warming
party, followed by much feasting. It has also been done very
effectively by two people. It only takes about 30 minutes to do a large
house. You _can_ take the time.
Do make certain to "ground" afterward, by closing the circle and by
eating. This ritual can "stir" up everybody and make the house feel
full of "buzzy" energy.
2567
{file "House Blessing notes (Scott Cunningham)" "bos586.htm"}
By: Pirate Jenny
To: All
Re: Re: House Blessing notes
In the spirit of house blessings, and because I'm basically a kitchen
witch at heart, and like little projects over serious ritual, I offer
some selections gleaned from Cunningham's The Magical Household. I'm
typing these without permission but with the hope that they'll
inspire you to pick up the Cunningham book, because it's wonderful
stuph... :>
For the doorway:
o Suspend over the door a fresh sprig of dill, tied with a blue cord (or
red, if you prefer), to prevent those who mean you harm from entering.
o Cross two needles, and stick into or tie onto a corner of your
doormat, to prevent evil from entering.
o Grind Dragon's Blood herb into a powder and sprinkle it on door and
window sills, to protect your house from harm.
"Witch Bottles"
o Powder some more Dragon's Blood herb with a small quantity of sugar
and salt, and place in a small corked or screw-lidded bottle. Shake
and seal with red wax, then place it where it won't be found (or at
least not easily seen). This will ensure harmony and peace within
the house.
o Place three new needles, three new pins, and three new nails in a
glass jar. Fill with salt and shake vigorously nine times. Seal with
white wax and place in kitchen cupboard where it will not be seen.
This protects your food from contamination.
o Gather rosemary, along with several needles and pins, into a small
glass jar with a tight-fitting lid or cork. When full, pour in red
wine and shake. Seal with black or red wax, and place in an
inconspicuous place in the apartment. If you own your own house,
bury this at the furthestmost corner of your property. The book
also adds this:
As you're filling the jar, say these words...
"Pins, needles, rosemary, wine,
In this witch's bottle of mine;
Guard against harm and enmity;
This is my will; so Mote it Be!"
Personally, I'm not hip on anything but, "Hey, Gods? It's me again",
but I know, I'm CONSIDERABLY less formal than most!
2568
An Anti-Theft Sachet
o Mix caraway, rosemary, juniper berries, and elder leaves or mistletoe,
and place into white square of cloth. Tie with white yarn and hang
prominently. I'd assume either at the place you think thieves are most
likely to enter--this being an anti-theft sachet--or at every entrance
and doorway. This will require more cloth and more herbs, but most of
the above are fairly inexpensive.
Finally, on Moving Day itself:
o Bring two things into the house first: a small amount of salt, half
to be scattered upon crossing the threshhold, and a small loaf of bread.
Break the bread into as many pieces as you have people moving in, with
one extra piece for the gods' portion. Sprinkle a dash of salt on each
piece; share, when you have a moment. (I'd say have water on hand as
well--at the very least, to clear the salt!) Next, bring in an apple and
do the same thing--Cunningham recommends a fruit and cheese basket--I'd
stick with just the apple and maybe a few slices of cheddar, or
something. Lastly, bring in a sturdy chair and place it either near the
apple and bread bits, or facing the door. This ensures that you will
never know poverty, for there is bread and salt, hunger, for there is
fruit (and cheese), and instability (for there's your stable chair
guarding the door. After that, heave and lift until you're moved in!
-------
A Note: I think ritual is very important, and I do admire rituals I've
picked up here and those I've found on my own. In the long run, though,
I know myself well enough to think that if I have to wait for a certain
day and have a certain robe on, or need a special tool or altar lay-out,
it'll never happen. But I can put my hands on needles, pins, wine and
spices at virtually any time, and can easily make up witch's bottles for
the shelves and cupboards, sachets for the windows, and incenses for
household protection and cleansing. These simple items can have just as
much power as just about any major ritual, and are sometimes easier to
"whip up" for the busy pagan... :>
-------
Cleansing Incense
2 parts Dragon's Blood
1 part Valerian Root
1 part Sulphur
1 part Asafoetida
In conjunction with any banishing ritual this WILL remove ANY psychic or
magical impression from your home. Then you can start fresh filling it
with the energies you want.
It may sound strange but it works! (Though it WILL GAG a Maggot!)
................................................................................
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{file "Warriors" "bos587.htm"}
WARRIORS
** Gwydyon Masengale, P.O.Box 4, Tolleson, Az 85353**
A Warrior is born with Three Things,
A Body, A Mind, and A Spirit...
With these three things a Warrior is to build a Life,
A Life of Balance, A Life of Peace, A Life of Will.
A Warrior is born with Three Things,
A Body...
Speed, Dexterity, and Reflexes, these are the gifts of the Gods to
A Warrior. Skills can be learned, but the gifts are rare, and are
to be honed to the sharpest of edges and used to build...
A Life of Balance.
A physical battle is quite simply an exercise, in which A Warrior
is given the opritunity to use the gifts of the Gods, and test the
skills learned on this plane. It will at times be necessary to use
the gifts and the skills knowen to A Warrior to build...
A Life of Peace.
Through training, the development of the gifts and skills combined can
become a formidable weapon. Perfect Balance, Peace of Mind, and An
Indomitable Spirit are necessary for A Warrior to build...
A Life of Will...
A Warrior is born with Three Things,
A Mind...
Intellect, Creativity, and Common Sence, these are the compasses and
maps given A Warrior to help in navigating this existance. In life
A Warrior will make mistakes. The way these mistakes are handled
will set the tone of countless lives determining the measure of
A Warrior's steel. A Warrior will accept responsibility for the
actions taken, learn from them, and use the experiance to build...
A Life of Balance.
A Warrior must constantly endeavor to learn all that is to be learned
of the path ahead, always drawing inspiration from the path which
lies behind. For strength is the knowledge drawn from the past, and
discretion is the wisdom of the future which empowers the Warrior
to build...
A Life of Peace.
A Warriors mind is to be constantly sharpened, for the mind alone
IS the most formidable weapon the Warrior will ever posses.
The balance of knowledge and wisdom is the temporing of the steel
that makes A Warrior, lending the strength necessary to build...
A Life of Will.
A Warrior is Born With Three Things,
A Spirit...
A Warrior will carry a shield of Honor. The strength of which
is in perfect balance with the Honor of the Warrior.
The Warrior will carry a sword of Truth. With an edge that mirrors the
inner peace and honesty of the Warrior.
A Warrior will wear a helmet of Integrity. With power matched only
by the will of the Warrior.
While battles can be fought and won with the well trained body.
While wars can be waged and won with the tempored and sharpened mind.
The most perilous test A Warrior will face is the test of the Spirit.
Here the Gods give no gifts. A Warrior will have only the strengths
of the spiritthat have been developed in the short life on the physical
plane.
A Warrior is born with Three Things,
A Body, A Mind, and A Spirit...
With these Three Things A Warrior must build a Life,
A Life Eternal...
My Name is Nite Hawk,
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{file "Dedication Pledge (Judy Harrow)" "bos588.htm"}
A pledge
By: Judy Harrow
The ceremony originated with Judy Harrow and one of her coveners who
co-wrote the dedication ritual. During the ritual, the dedicant is
asked several questions and is expected to respond in whatever way s/he
feels appropriate.
I will include all the questions here for completeness sake:
1. Do you understand that Witchcraft is the Priesthood of the Old Gods
and Old Ways of Nature, and that every Witch is a Priestess or Priest?
2. Do you understand that initiation into that Priesthood will change
your life forever, in ways that you cannot now forsee?
3. Do you understand what priesthood requires: that, if you become a
Witch, you serve the Lady and the Lord by serving Their People, to the
fullest of your ability?
4. Knowing these things, do you want to study Witchcraft and its
related arts until you know enough to decide whether this is truly your
Path?
5. Do you understand that Witchcraft is one of many means to serve the
Old Gods and awaken the Old Ways, and that even if this is not your way
after all, you may learn and grow while you are here? Can you accept
that the decision may be, "No?"
6. Teaching what I love is a great joy. But I can only teach in joy if
I know that what I love will be used and shared with care and honor.
Before I am willing to teach you, there are three things and a fourth
that you must promise me:
Will you respect and protect the confidence of all who you meet
2571
in this Circle and all who seek our aid, revealing their identities to
no one except by their explicit permission?
7. Will you practice and teach the Craft for love alone, using this
knowledge or teaching it only as a free gift, as I give it now to you,
never accepting payment for it in money or goods or labor?
8. Will you promise never to use what I teach you to affect another
person, avoiding not only baneful magic but all well-intentioned
meddling, unless you have that person's explicit permission?
9. And if time brings fullness, as all here hope and expect it will,
when you teach new students of your own, will you require these three
pledges of them, along with their pledge to similarly bind their own
students, so that all that spring from this line may be so pledged?
................................................................................
2572
{file "Mead, Brew of The Gods! (Lewis Stead)" "bos589.htm"}
MEAD: THE BREW OF THE GODS!
Lewis Stead
Mead is the oldest alcoholic drink known to mankind. More recently it
has been taken up in the Pagan and other .alternative. communities
such as the SCA as a favorite for years. It's a form of wine made
with a honey instead of grape juice. Mead is most often associated
with the Vikings and in the Pagan community with modern day Norse
Paganism or Asatru.
Mead is an important part of the Asatru religion and has a place in
both of the major Norse rituals: the blot and the sumble. The sumble
is a drinking ritual where stories, oaths, and poetry are shared and
mead.s function here is obvious. In this day and age mead is even
more important to the blot or sacrifice ritual. The blot is actually
quite simple. A God or Goddess is called upon and a sacrifice is
poured in their honor. In ancient times this was most often an
animal sacrifice and blood was poured out onto the ground or altar.
Today an alcoholic beverage of some kind is the usual sacrifice. This
is not only an adjustment to modern feelings about animal sacrifice,
but is appropriate from an esoteric point of view as well. In ancient
times the Norsemen were primarily farmers and an animal would
have been a product that they had raised. Also, sacrifices were not a
wasting of the animal, merely given to the Gods and left to rot, but
were usually feasts where the Gods got their portion and the humans
their own. Today mead making has been a frenzied activity among
Norse Pagans, and it is most appropriate that something be
sacrificed to the Gods which has been made by your own hands in a
sacred manner. Mead fits the bill. It has the immediate links to our
farming ancestors, but it can be easily made from household items
in even a small apartment.
While we really don.t know a great deal about how the ancients
viewed mead, other than as an intoxicant, we do have a few clues.
One interesting item to start with is that mead was apparently
sometimes strained through rye, which contains the hallucinogenic
chemical ergot. This may offer some insights into Seidhr, a Nordic
shamanic practice, and the frenzy of the berserkers. Another
interesting item is that Frey, a God of farming and harvest, was said
to have two close companions, Bygvir and Beyla. Bygvir was the
spirit of the barley and Beyla of the honey . both important Gods to
brewers and appropriate companions for the God of fertility.
Finally, we have a few myths involving mead directly. Mead was
known as Kvasir.s blood and it.s primary association was with
wisdom. Kvasir was a being who was the wisest in all the universe,
but he was killed and a mead created out of his blood that when
drank brought the drinker wisdom. Aegir, a God of the Sea, was held
to be the patron of brewing and the finest of mead and ale for the
Gods to drink in Valhalla. Odin is said to never eat, but to exist
purely on mead, just as the Greek Gods had their nectar.
Even if it were not for any mythological importance, mead is of
interest to the modern brewer because it is easy to produce and
delicious. One merely introduces a yeast to the sugary liquid, and the
yeast converts the natural sugars into alcohol. After all the sugar is
converted, the yeast dies off and the wine can be bottled. However,
this is not always as easy as it sounds.
2573
The largest problem in brewing is keeping inappropriate yeasts out
of the drink. While the correct wine (or beer) yeasts eat sugar and
excrete alcohol, other yeasts produce vinegar instead. Because of
this it is absolutely vital to keep all brewing equipment absolutely
sterile. This is the most important thing you can do in brewing. All
the great equipment purchased as your wine making shop and the
finest ingredients cannot beat a glass jar filled with welfare honey
if the former is contaminated and the latter sterile. There are two
major ways to sterilize your materials, one is a commercial
"sanitizer" found in wine making shops. Follow label directions and
you.re all set. The other is to make a solution of 25% bleach and
rinse very thoroughly.
Let.s make some cheap and easy mead. You.ll need a large pot, a one
gallon vinegar or cider bottle, a 4' or 5' length of plastic tubing (try
.airline. tubing from a pet shop), a balloon or non-lubricated
condom, a package of wine yeast (not bread yeast), wine bottles,
corks, a corking device, and 2 1/2 pounds of honey.
First you need to prepare the mixture that will be fermented. Take
your pot and add the honey and enough water to finish filling up the
one gallon bottle. Bring these to a boil slowly. If you don.t want
scum in your mead and it forms on the top, skim it off. You don.t
need to boil it for any length of time, you just need to bring it up to
this temperature. Boiling for a while will release a lot of scum and
additives which you can get rid of right now and it will also allow
the mead to age more quickly. However, some of this .scum. as I.ve
called it is made up of those very things which can create flavor
nuances. I don.t boil mine. When you decide it.s done, let it cool long
enough so it won.t melt the plastic tubing, then siphon the mead into
the gallon jug , cap and let cool overnight. The gallon jug is your
primary fermenter.
Did you sterilize the pot? the bottle? the cap? the plastic tubing?
No! Pour it out and start again . yes I am serious.
Once the mixture is cooled to room temperature you will need to
pitch the yeast. Get a small cup half full with warm, but not hot,
water and add the yeast. Let it sit for about ten minutes and absorb
water and liven up, then pour it into your gallon jug and mix it in.
................................................................................
2574
As of now your honey and water mixture is now being converted into
mead. However, this will take about two weeks, perhaps more, to
complete. During this time the mead mixture will bubble and foam,
and this is what the balloon is for. Cover the top of the bottle with
the balloon and about an hour later, when the balloon has started to
inflate but has not become too stretched, poke a few holes in it with
a pin. (I understand this may make you wince if you are using a
condom.) This balloon takes the place of a fermentation lock and
allows the gas to escape while not allowing air in, thus keeping the
fermentation bottle sterile. The holes may become clogged with
foam and you may need to poke a few more. Just remember the
purpose of this and use your common sense. I.ve accomplished this
with plastic wrap and a rubber band, but I wouldn.t advise others to
try unless you.re fond of unmet expectations.
About two weeks from this point the balloon will cease to be greatly
inflated and will eventually go limp. When it has been completely
limp for a few days and the mead is clear rather than cloudy,
fermentation is over. At this point sanitize your wine bottles and
plastic tubing and bottle the mead. Be careful not to get the yeast
into the bottles as it.s not exactly tasty stuff. I stop about an inch
before the bottom of the primary fermenter and we siphon off the
last inch into cups and toast the new mead. My mead has been very
tasty at this point, other people describe theirs as tasting like paint
thinner. In any case, you may not mind a little yeast in your cup now,
but don.t inflict it on yourself in the future by bottling it.
Wait two to six months and then enjoy. Since the above recipe has no
additives which would hasten aging, it may take a while for it to
become truly fine mead, perhaps years. There are a lot of chemical
additives that one can use to improve the flavor and process. The
most common and important addition is a teaspoon of yeast
energizer or yeast nutrient. Others include grape tannin (1/4
teaspoon), malic acid (2 or 3 teaspoons), tartaric acid (1 to 2
teaspoons). I recommend all of these chemical additives in your first
batch, but if you can.t find them you can make do with natural
ingredients or nothing at all.
One can also add slices of fruit, raisins, or berries for flavor and in
place of grape tannin. One recipe I know of adds some apple jelly. A
few lemon peels will substitute for malic acid and a spoonful of
strong tea will do replace tartaric acid. Hops are a common additive
and will give the mead a bit of a bitterness to offset the sweetness
of the honey. The more bizarre ingredient I have heard of was
Szechuan peppers, use your imagination.
All of the above additives should be made to the honey and water mix
when it is boiled. Depending on the ingredient, some, such as fruit,
may have to be boiled in this mixture for a while to break them
down. Obviously hunks of fruit should be strained out after the
boiling. Also, all the above ingredients are based on 1 gallon of
mead, adjust appropriately with the exception of the yeast itself,
one package of which will do for anywhere between 1 and 5 gallons.
................................................................................
2575
Another semi-useful item is sulfite tablets which can be added to
the mead mixture a day before bottling. This will kill all remaining
yeast and will assure that you are not contaminated by vinegar yeast
after bottling or worse that the fermentation process does not
continue in the bottle, causing it to explode or pop its cork. I don.t
use sulfite and I.ve heard negative comments about a sulfurous
aftertaste. It.s probably the better part of valor to simply wait a
while longer and make sure the fermentation process is truly ended.
The above instructions also assume you are not interested in
spending a great deal of money on equipment. The only things you
really must obtain from a wine making store are the yeast, the
corks, and the corker.
If you are willing to spend $50 to $100 more you can improve your
chances of making a good mead by purchasing equipment made for
the purpose. A balloon works, but it is a poor substitute for a proper
fermentation lock that is custom fit to a vat built for the purpose.
Likewise there are many other devices which will useful.
................................................................................
2576
{file "In Defense of Excellence (Adrienne, Quicksilver, Ottawa)" "bos590.htm"}
In Defense of Excellence
Adrienne
I've noticed a trend, particularly in paganism, toward "elite" becoming
a derogatory term. "Elitist" has very unpleasant connotations. In the
mad scramble toward equality and egalitarianism, perhaps the trend has
gone too far.
I am all in favour of equality of opportunity. I believe in Martin
Luther King's dream, "I have a dream that someday my children will be
judged, not upon the colour of their skin, but on the content of their
character."
Yet, I am deeply disturbed by structures and titles meant to reward
excellence downgraded and dismissed as being elitist and hierarchical.
It the Wicca, this is most strongly epitomised by the continuing
attempts to do away with degree systems on the basis of being elitists
and hierarchical.
So I ask, what is wrong with elites? Elites exist as an informal (and
often highly formal) network of persons who, by virtue of
personal qualities, or power, or money, or birth status, are capable of
shaping and changing the structure of society. Some elites are based on
nothing more than bank balances or parentage. Others are firmly based
on intelligence, wisdom, commitment and ethical stance of their members.
I have no problem with the concept of elites. Not everyone has the
desire or capability to belong to every group. The problem lies with
the qualification for membership, not with the concept.
Hierarchy has an even nastier reputation. Yet in all societies,
regardless of size, structure of purpose, have a hierarchy. Leadership
roles exists and will be filled by those who can fill them. Leaders are
necessary to achieve the goals of the group, regardless of how that
leadership manifests. It is only when a hierarchy becomes closed and
fixed that the structure becomes abusive.
The concerns of those who dislike the concept of hierarchy due to
experience of its abuses are valid. It is very easy to fall into a
system where power rests, not on those who are qualified, but upon
other,less desirable criteria, such as birth status, or wealth, or
loudness of voice. However, doing away with the formal structure of
hierarchy does not solve the problem. Non hierarchical groups often
fall into leadership by peer pressure. Those that are thick skinned and
dominant will lead de facto, especially if there is no de jure leader.
Hierarchies exist. They exist because, like physics, nature abhors a
vaccuum. A power vaccuum will be filled regardless of the good
intentions on all sides. The solution is to have structures where all
persons have the opportunity to become leaders, to participate in the
decision making process, based only upon ability and desire to do so.
Equal opportunity,equal access.
The degree system within the Craft is not perfect. Like any other
system,it has its abuses. However, if properly used, it has rewards far
greater than having no such system.
First, there is the reward for excellence. Those who have personal
2577
qualities such as commitment, talent, study, intelligence and open
mindedness, should be rewarded for their abilities. The reward is not
just a fancy title, but a recognition of that excellence, and membership
in an elite.
Second, there is a benchmark for others to judge by. If I know what
degree a person holds, mundane or Craft, I have some idea of their
abilities and can assume a certain level of understanding.
Third, there is the recognition of self. A standard of excellence is
required and achieving a degree is a feedback upon the levels achieved.
There are other aspects dealing with the magic rite itself, but even if
there were not, the hierarchy of degrees and the elite groups formed by
having them are a mark of excellence for those who belong. Within my
tradition and, according to my faith, within the Wicca itself, there are
no barriers of opportunity to the system. Therefore, I see no reason to
abandon it. I do not say that the system cannot be improved or that
another system cannot provide the same benefits, but I haven't seen one
that provides a reward for excellence while avoiding the pitfalls.
Without active encouragement of excellence, whether in Craft or in the
mundane world, entropy says that we will end up with mediocrity and
least common denominator. And a world where mediocrity rules is not a
world I wish to live in.
(This article previously appeared in "The Messenger")
................................................................................
2578
{file "Badgers" "bos591.htm"}
BADGERS
I looked through all my information, but as far as the Seminoles go
I couldn't find any reference to the Badger. I'm not saying that it
doesn't exist, I just couldn't find any. Here is something from one of
my books that I thought you might find interesting:
"Badgers are 2-3 feet long and are about 12 inches high. Family
members mark each other with scent for recognition since their sight
is poor. Their senses of smell and hearing, however, are excellent.
Their diet includes a wide variety of roots, herbs, plant, and many
small animals. They dig with remarkable speed to catch burrowing prey
and when they need to get underground quickly. Badgers live in simple
but extremely clean, well kept dens. They pay close attention to
details within their home environments. They change their bedding
often, backing carefully into their dens with straw, so as not to make
a mess in the process.
Badgers bring us gifts of tidiness and organization. They are
fastidious about their surroundings and will correct any disorder
quickly. If Badger has come to you in some way, it may be saying that
you need to concentrate on maintaining an orderly environment to better
facilitate your day to day living. Badger can also be helpful to call
upon for aid in managing your time. This can be useful for those of us
who are trying to satisfy our need to devote time to ceremonies and the
spirit realm and still work a job.
Badger will fight to the death if cornered. While this may be a
useful trait in the wild, men used this quality of Badger to exploit it
in the so-called sport of Badger-baiting. Captured Badgers were put
into small enclosed areas with a dog or dogs, and bets were placed on
the outcome of the fight. Are you stuck in a pattern that served you
well once, but is now damaging? Badger could be warning you that a
change of behavior is in order if you don't want to be cornered or
used."
[From _Animal Energies_ by Gary Buffalo Horn Man and Sherry
Firedancer - Dancing Otter Publishing]
Here's something I think you might find interesting.
It's from a book on Zuni fetishes. (Author: Hal Zina Bennett)
BADGER (Guardian of the South)
Zuni name: Black Mark face
Wide, bulky, compact body, spread out along the ground, legs and tail
barely suggested. Narrow, blunt face, prominent nose.
(Describing the fetish itself)
AS TALISMAN:
This fetish helps you focus your attention and deepen your passion.
It is an antidote to passivity and 'victimized' feelings. It helps you
become more tenacious and grounded, for achieving any goal.
PERSONALITY TYPE:
If you are a Badger person, you are aggressive, highly goal oriented,
able to concentrate on a single task or mission for long periods; and a
good provider.
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{file "Imbolc at the Covenstead (Erin)" "bos592.htm"}
Imbolc for the Covenstead
Erin
First, the cleansing. We do covenstead cleansing on this day, partl
because of the (somewhat) purificatory nature of Imbolc, and partly
because it coincides with the date a Japanese custom called yokubrai, if
memory serves correctly, is carried out. Yokubarai means the same as
exorcism, and is done with beans! More about that in a minute.
I give as many parts to the cleansing as there are people to perform
them. The last house cleansing we did had about 10 people take part and
I found something for each of them to do. But that wasnt easy. Lessee,
I think the most necessary elements for me to go around with are salt
water, incense and beans. But Ive also had people waving away negative
energy with brooms and wands. Ive had them sprinkle with salt water,
and with water in which basil had been soaking for awhile. Ive had
people carry around bells, incense and candles (not quite bell, book and
candle, but close enough <g>). I live in a loft apartment, so we start
in the closet up there, partly because its in the heart of the house,
partly because I like the humorous aspect of coming out of the closet to
do the blessing. Anyway, we banish in a counterclockwise
diretion, single file, sprinkling, censing, or chanting into each corner
each mirror, light fixture, appliance or outlet, as well as the walls
themselves.
In other words, we banish negative energy from all things giving
ingress or egress from the house, as well as walls and mirrors.
Sometimes we just take in everything in one room at once if its small,
or everything along one wall--saves time. I usually come at the end of
the line throwing beans at things (I find beans for MONTHS afterward)
and chanting in Japanese: Funiki ga ire; oni ga soto! (Good luck, come
in; devils, begone!) Then someone follows me making a banishing
pentagram with an athame. We circle around the house in a counter-cloc-
kwise spiral till were back where we started--downstairs by that time.
Then we go back upstairs for the blessing part. For the mos part, this
uses the same tools, but no beans this time, and we go clockwise. We
bless the corners, walls, outlets, appliances, and mirror, doors and
windows. We concentrate on blessing and on making a seal that cannot be
broken on the windows and doors especially. I usually come last and
seal everything with a pentagram drawn by my atham. Then I draw a large
permanent circle around the house, call in the elements, and ask the
Lord and Lady to guard and bless the house for another year.
Consecrating the dirt is simpler. I usually buy potting soil and
place it in the center of the circle. All the ritual is done around it.
We usually consecrate it just before we do cakes and wine by placin our
hands on it and channeling energy into it. Then everyone takes some
home.
................................................................................
The last thing we do is to make up Bridgets bed. We take some long
grass, or herbs and fold them into the shape of a doll about a foot long
We dress her up and name her Bridget. Then we make her a soft bedof
some grasses (all on a sheet of newspaper, of course, so the Virgo HPS
doesnt get her nose, or her carpet, bent out of shape), lay her down and
put a phallic image in the bed with her. We use a large dried seed pod
with a rounded head for this. Then we place some of the consecrated
dirt on a sheet of newspaper beside her. She was put by the hearth in
days of yore, but, alas, I have no fireplace! In the mornng, if there
are prints in the dirt (ashes), it foretold a favorableyear. When we
did it last year, I swear there was the image of the phallic figure in
the dirt, though no one had moved him! And it was a very good year for
the coven, all in all.
Hope you can use some of this.
Blessings, Erin
2580
{file "Invocation of Lord and Lady (Ritual)" "bos593.htm"}
Invocation of Lord and Lady (Ritual)
Dan Holdgreiwe
The following is the text of a ritual titled Invocation of the Lord and
Lady which was presented by the Fellowship of the Sacred Grove at a
local gathering in November of 1993. Prayers and invocations are not
included in the text as these are delivered spontaneously by the Priest
and Priestess.
PART ONE: THE PREPARATIONS
[Priest, Priestess, Bard and Quarters begin standing in circle just
outside the circle that will be consecrated for the ritual. Other
participants begin outside of circle and will later enter through South
gate. Customarily, East and North are male, South and West female.]
1. The Warning
[The Bard moves to center of circle and addresses all.]
"We gather tonight to open the veil between the worlds.
This is not safe -- To pass beyond that threshold we must leave behind
the protections of the mundane world. We must remove the veils which
disguise us and lay aside the jewels which dazzle our eyes. We must
take the risk of Seeing, and of being Seen.
For our protection we rely upon the Lord and the Lady, whose Children we
are. Any who are not ready to approach Them in reverence, love and trust
should leave now.
[Pause]
Those of you who have chosen to walk this path, prepare yourselves to
meet God and Goddess.
[Bard remains in center.]
2.Claiming the Circle
[East takes one step forward into the circle and speaks, facing inward.]
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"In the name of the Lady of Light, and in my own name,
I claim this circle as a place of Men.
Let all who enter be bound to speak, and hear, the Truth.
So mote it be."
[West takes one step forward into the circle and speaks, facing inward.]
"In the name of the Sacred King, and in my own name,
I claim this circle as a place of Women.
Let all who enter be bound to Perfect Love and Trust.
So mote it be."
[South takes one step forward into the circle and speaks, facing
inward.]
"In the name of the Lord of the Greenwood, and in my own name,
I claim this circle as a place of Nature
Let all who enter be bound to the sacred web of life.
So mote it be."
[North takes one step forward into the circle and speaks, facing
inward.]
"In the name of the Queen of Heaven, and in my own name,
I claim this circle as Sacred Space.
Let all who enter be opened to the presence of God and Goddess.
So mote it be."
3. Marking the Circle
[All sing Listen to the Lord and Lady while Priest and Priest mark
circle. When finished Priest and Priestess stand before alter in North,
facing South.]
4. The Challenges
[East and West move to South gate and form Arch with athames. North
crosses to South gate. Participants enter through South gate one at a
time and are challenged at knife point by North and South, then shown to
places by Bard.]
Who seeks to join this fellowship?
Will you support and defend your companions on this quest?
Do you swear to use that which you learn in this circle only in service
of the light?
Are you ready to meet the Mother and Father of All life?
Then enter and be welcome.
[Comment: This took several minutes, but the effect of the delay was
positive rather than negative. The lengthy challenge process acted to
center and focus the entire circle.]
................................................................................
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5.Sealing the Circle
[Bard speaks from center.]
We have stepped beyond time, to a place not of earth. In the presence of
the Lord and Lady, we join together and are one.
[Bard crosses to take place in circle, then takes hand of next person
deosil and says We are one. Each participant takes the hand of the next
repeating We are one until the whole circle is joined. When the circle
is complete, the Bard announces again We are one!]
PART TWO: THE MYSTERY
1. Pathworking
[Priest moves to center and leads all in pathworking. After preliminary
relaxation and centering, the working takes the participant first to
four symbols -- a living tree, a sword, a cup, and a standing stone --
each of which holds a message for the visitor. Then the participants
journey to an ancient clearing around a weathered stone alter where, in
times long past, their ancestors honored the Lord and Lady. In that
holy place, the participants call the Guardians of the Quarters, then
prepare to invoke the Lord and Lady.]
[Comment: The actual invocation of the Lord and Lady follows without
transition, inviting the participants to continue to experience it in
the ancient clearing.]
2. Calling the Lord and Lady
[Priestess joins Priest in center. Priestess invokes the Lord. Other
celebrants
invoke Lord and/or Lady as they feel inspired. Priest closes invocations
by invoking the Lady. All invocations end with Come join with us. which
is repeated by all.]
3. Chant:
Priestess begins chant alone, all join in after first time through.
Participants should stand, clap and dance as they feel moved.]
Isis, Osiris, Woden and Freya; Lord and Lady, Brigid and Lugh
[Chant builds in power to be cut off at peak by Bard striking staff on
the ground.]
4. Readings
[During chant East and West have stepped outside circle and deliver
readings from opposite sides of circle. Bard is at center. Bard speaks.]
Hear now the words of the Great Mother who is called Isis, and Freya,
and Brigid, and many other names.
[West speaks.]
Think not that I am far from you, for you can see my visage in the moon,
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and hear my voice upon the wind.
I am the silence of the sea, and the secret of the standing stones.
I am the beauty of the green earth, and the mystery of the stars.
I am the Mother of all things, and the soul of nature, who gives life to
the universe.
I am the source of your beginning, and I am the fulfillment of your
desire.
[Bard speaks.]
Hear the words of the All Father who is called Osiris, and Woden, and
Lugh, and other names beyond counting.
[East speaks.]
You know me not, but I am with you. My face is the sun, and my voice the
thunder.
I am the strength of the forest, and the keenness of the sword.
I am the rune giver; the patient teacher; the revealer of secrets.
I am the warrior, the defender of the weak and the companion of heroes.
I am the Horned One. I am the gateway to the Mysteries, and I am Mystery
itself.
[West speaks.]
Arise and come unto us, for mine in the womb that bore thee and the
breast that nursed thee. Your joy is our joy, and your sorrow, our
sorrow. We would teach you the ways of healing, and the joys of love,
for our law is love unto all beings. We give the knowledge of the
eternal spirit, and beyond death we give peace and reunion with those
who have gone before. We would lead you to love and to freedom. Call on
us, and we will show you the hidden paths.
[East speaks.]
Follow my white stag into the deep forest. There is mystery in the wild
places, and a path that leads between the worlds.
The path is not easy, for it leads to that which cannot be given by
another.
Those who would share our freedom must create it anew within their own
hearts.
But no one who walks that path walks alone. Fear not to call on us, for
we have not forgotten our Children.
5. Great Rite
[Priest and Priestess take positions in center of circle, Priest
kneeling with chalice, Priestess standing with athame. Priest makes
spontaneous prayer to Lord and Lady. Priestess prays and/or responds on
behalf of Lord and Lady, customarily ending with So mote it be as she
lowers the athame.
[Comment: a common theme here is to invite the Lord and Lady to join
with us as they join with each other, but sensitivity to the inspiration
of the moment is the prime concern.]
6. Blessing
[All sing We all come from the Goddess as Priest and Priestess circle
group, touching and offering a blessing to each in turn. When all have
received a blessing, Priest and Priestess return to circle and all join
hands. Priest and Priestess signal end to song by returning to center.]
PART THREE CLOSING
1. Thanking the Lord and Lady
[Priest thanks Lady, Priestess thanks Lord.]
2. Return to Mundane Consciousness
[Priestess return to circle. Priest resumes pathworking in ancient
clearing, thanks quarters and draws participants back into normal
consciousness. Priest returns to circle.]
3. Opening the Circle
[Bard moves to center and addresses all.]
The rite is ended, the circle is open, may the blessing of the Lord and
Lady be with you all. So mote it be. (All respond.)
END
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{file "Yule Ritual (Georgian)" "bos594.htm"}
Yule Ritual
YULE DIVINE PLAY - by Lady Allusha, Coven Tara, publiched in the
Georgian Newsletter, December 1983
Characters: Narrator, Earth Goddess, Handmaidens, Sun God
Props: Yule Fire
Narrator: It has been a long cold winter. Here, where the trees are
all barren and the snow covers the ground the nights are dark and long.
Earth Goddess enters, followed by her Handmaidens. They all move slowly
around towards the birthing spot.
Narrator: We see shadowy figures in the distance, moving slowly. The
delicate footprints lead into the deepest realms of the forest. It is
the Earth Goddess, pregnant with Life, followed by her Handmaidens.
Earth Goddess stops. Handmaidens gather before her and kneel. Earth
Goddess starts to make soft birthing sounds.
Narrator: Listen! The Earth Goddess is about to give birth. In the
midst of deepest darkness, light shall be reborn. Lend her your aid!
Handmaidens start swaying gently, joining in the birthing sounds.
Narrator encourages all present to join in the birthing sounds. The
sounds get louder and louder until ...
Narrator: The Sun is Born!
Sun God jumps out from hiding into the center. He appears small and
weak.
Earth Goddess: Go, my faithful Handmaidens, and build up the Yule fire.
That the weak Sun God shall grow in warmth and strength by its flames.
She collapses with a sigh. Handmaidens build up the fire. The Sun God
slowly grows as the fire grows, until he stands tall with his arms
outstretched. He says, " I have returned" Then he dances a little jig.
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{file "Yule Ritual (She Wolf)" "bos595.htm"}
YULE RITUAL
The celebrants gather in a room apart from the ritual area.
It is best if the ritual can be held in a room without lights
and with no heat. Priest and Priestess may choose to cast
the circle before hand and allow all to enter through a
portal, or cast after the candle lighting. At the time for
the ritual to begin, the warden and maiden lead all into the
ritual area with only one dim candle to light the way which
circles to the Southern tower and stays there. As all shiver
in the darkness, the priest and priestess, at the Southern
tower begin, alternating:
It is winter.
It is night.
We await the Sun.
We await the light.
In this darkness
In this night,
We await the warmth.
We await the light.
(Together:) And slowly it comes.
(As they have moved around the cirle saying these things, the
Priestess Widdershins and the Priest Deosil, they light
candles which completely surround the circle. By the time
they have finished, the room should be very bright.)
Circle is cast if not already. Salt and water. Fire and air.
Quarters summoned in manner appropriate to the season.
God Invocation
Priestess:
Horned God, Winter God, Father of the Sun, with frost upon
your beard and the blazing of Yule fires in your eyes, you
bless us with your presence. We greet you.
Goddess Invocation
The Winter God (lighting the appropriate candles, which are
held by women appropriately dressed):
White is for the Maiden, divine and joyous child. Fresh as
the snow is her taper. I give greetings, Blessed One.
Red is for the Mother, warm embracing creation queen.
Scarlet as the winter sunset is her taper. I give greetings,
Regal One.
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Black is for the Crone, keeper of magical mysteries. Ebon as
the stormy night is her taper. I give greetings, Wise One.
Queens of winter, Sister, Mother, Grandmother, I greet you
and ask your blessings upon your people gathered here.
The three Goddesses, dividing the parts appropriately, invoke
the Sun (the Maiden then crowns the God with a crown of
candles or other appropriate crown, the Mother gives him a
staff with a pine cone tip and the Crone gives him a kiss):
Return, oh, return! God of the sun, god of the light,
return! Darkness has fled -- Thou hast no enemies. O lovely
helper, return, return!
Return to thy sister, thy spouse, thy mother who loveth thee!
We shall not be put asunder. O my brother, my consort, my
son, return, return! When I see thee not my heart grieveth
for thee, mine eyes seek for thee, my feet roam the earth in
search of thee! Gods and men weep for thee together. God of
the sun, god of the light, return! Return to thy sister, thy
spouse, thy mother, who loveth thee! Return! Return!
Return!
The God raps three times on the altar with his wand
Sun King:
Newly born, am I. What wisdom says the watcher of the east
to aid me and those gathered here with me?
East:
This is a time for entering wilderness and seeking its
magical strengths. A time for standing alone and godlike,
and seeing all things clearly. It is a season of joy!
Sun King:
What wisdom says the watcher of the south?
South:
This is a time of active seeking, both without in nature and
within oneself. Eagerness and resolution shall concern
mysteries and create results. It is a season of courage!
Sun King:
What wisdom says the watcher of the west?
West:
This is a time for devotion to the way of the wild places and
seeking the calmness of solitary locales. A time for finding
understanding, and confiding only in trusted friends. It is
a season of meditation!
Sun King:
What wisdom says the watcher of the north?
North:
This is a time to know the endurance of the hills, and to so
grow in one's own inner firmness. A time for scrupulousness
and thoroughness and considering all things. It is a season
of confidence!
The Winter God:
Rich are these gifts of knowledge. Soon I will give way to
my Son, but until that time mine is the feast and the season
of joy. (The God blesses the feast as is customary for the
group.)
Each Deity and Watchers is thanked and bid farewell as they
were invoked.
The circle is released as is appropriate to the group.
Notes:
If anyone is crowned with a crown of candles, a veil helps
with the dripping wax. Holly can be pretty uncomfortable,
too, so ditto.
Portions of this are liberally stolen from the Magical Rites
from the Crystal Well by Ed Fitch. It's great stuff and you
may want to use it outright, rather than my mutilated
version.
If you have enough people and candles, everybody may be naked
by the end of this.
It's great to use your oldest male as Winter and your
youngest male for the Sun (kids are great suns). Same for
the Goddesses.
Obviously, this is just an outline that can be spindled,
folded and mutilated any way you like. The opening part with
the candles we have used for more than one Yule and it's
really great.
We have also done a guided meditation into Herne's Grove,
rather than a Winter God invocation. It involves a treck
through the winter forest, trudging through snow until you
find the lone pine tree in the clearing in the heart of the
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{file "Wine Blessing, All Female (Lynna Landstreet, WCC)" "bos596.htm"}
Female Wine Blessing
The Goddess calls originate from an all-female version I wrote of the
Dedication ritual of the Odyssian tradition. The original was written by
Richard and Tamarra James. This version follows the structure of the
original fairly closely, and maintains some of the original lines, so if
you like it, send your compliments to Richard as well as to me.
Ditto for the Wine Blessing, as it is a modified version of the Odyssian
standard WB.
One priestess represents the Moon Goddess (the conventionally feminine
role), and the other the Sun Goddess (the conventionally mascualine
role).
We half-jokingly called this the butch-femme wine blessing...
Goddess Calls:
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SG: I am She who shone forth from the Dark of Night,
When time was begun.
Lady of the Sea, join Me,
And let all things be formed of Our union.
Thou who art called Artemis, Hecate, Cerridwen, Isis.
Giver of love, protection, and the joy of life,
Goddess of the Earth, Moon and Sea,
Ruler of the Night,
Mistress of Magic, Keeper of the Mysteries.
Ascend to Me on bright and silvered wing.
For lo, I receive these gifts of Thee:
Life, and love, and gifts from the Sea.
I am the Sun, the Sun that calleth Thee.
I am the arching Sky that covers Thee.
Come unto Me, my Lady, come unto Me,
And be welcome.
Hail, and blessed be.
MG: I am She who rose from the depths of the Sea,
When time was begun.
Lady of the Bright Sky, join Me,
And let all things be formed of Our union.
Thou who art called Athena, Bast, Sekhmet, Amaterasu.
Giver of strength, guidance, and the will of life,
Goddess of the Sun, Sky, and Winds,
Ruler of the Day,
Bringer of Justice and Voice of Truth.
Descend to Me on bright and golden wing.
For lo, I receive these gifts of Thee:
Life, and strength, and fullest ecstasy.
I am the Sea, the Sea that calleth Thee.
I am the waiting Earth that welcomes Thee.
Come unto Me, my Lady, come unto Me,
And be welcome.
Hail, and blessed be.
Wine Blessing:
MG anoints SG and hands her the athame.
MG: Bright Lady, thou art the Sun.
Thy heat is radiant.
Warrior Maiden, Giver of the Law,
Here is the athame,
The Air and Fire are contained within it,
As are their powers.
SG anoints MG and hands her the chalice.
SG: Dark Lady, thou art the Moon,
Giver of dreams and visions.
Wise One, Teacher of the Mysteries,
Here is the chalice,
The Earth and the Sea are contained within it,
As are their powers.
SG: I am the spark of life,
The well of flame wherein dwells all power and potential.
MG: And I am the primal matter,
The core of earth that gives shape and form to that power.
Both: Neither one can work without the other.
One without the other is incomplete.
SG: Mine are wisdom and knowledge, passion and pride.
MG: And mine are love and dreams, silence and mystery.
Both: To learn you must suffer,
To live you must be born,
To be born you must die.
The beginning, continuation and the end,
Over and over.
SG: The Sun brings forth light,
MG: And the Moon holds it in darkness.
SG: As above,
MG: So below.
SG: (Raises athame) And as the athame is one half of our divine
nature,
MG: So the chalice is the other.
Both: (Athame into chalice) And conjoined they be one in truth,
For it is in the Dance that Life is born,
In the balance that truth is found,
And there is no greater power in all the world
Than that of Love.
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{file "Altars, Misc Thoughts (Chris Olmstead)" "bos597.htm"}
Altars (misc. Thoughts)
Chris Olmstead
As for Altar set ups...
1. I once read Crowley's remarks on how he contrived his stuff while he
was out wandering the world or climbing mountains. He found ways to
just use the simple things from his kit...cook knife became Athame, tin
cup became the Cup...etc.
This sort of 'kitchen witch' working is accepted by lots of folks. You
can set an altar up and take it down as fast as you can set a table.
2. I also have noted the "Porto-Pagan" set-ups at some of the Pagan
Fests I've attended. Carry the stuff in a cardboard box that can be
up-ended for an altar, or even placed on it's side for a rain-proof
'shrine'. Close and carry off at the end of the visit with a minimum of
re-wrapping to protect the fragiles.
Some just contrive one with the natural objects at hand...a rock, a
stick, a lantern or candle, etc.
3. Some folks (including myself) have a small duffle into which I've
placed a second set of "traveling" working tools. I have the great
good-fortune of having friends who give me cool things. The coolest
stay on my Altar, the second-coolest hang out in the sac, and sometimes
I shift the goodies around.
4. I have a buncha books that offer arrangements I find a bit Over-
whelming, but I can certainly post them, if you really need them. If
you want me to fetch out Official Altar diagrams from some of the slick
commercial works I have on the shelf, RSVP.
5. For "public" Altar, in my home, I 'clutter' a shelf, a mantle, or a
small window sill. It sounds to me as though, since all your stuff is
packed andyour space is totally compressed, that the "window sill" Altar
is a good solution for you. I put a little origami pinwheel up on an
Eastern sill, a small shell on a Western one, a tiny oil lamp on a
Southern one, and a pretty rock on a Northern one. The whole House is
the Altar "Table".
To clear my space I have been known to light a stick of incense, scaling
it upward in my mind until I am swinging a huge flaming brand before the
various Darks I'm dispelling, and run through the house screaming and
raving aloud until they back off. A joss stick lasts about 20 minutes.
I can almost guarantee that if you summon your Ki and Incant over a
flaming brand for 15 minutes, most Shadows _will_ go elsewhere. I
haven't had to do it in THIS house more than twice in 3 years.
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{file "What is Shamanism (Eliade)" "bos598.htm"}
What Is Shamanism?
Since the term "shamanism" has been used in a number of ways during the
discussions here I thought it might be helpful to present some basic
information on shamanism as the inter-disicplinary subject that it has
become since Mircea Eliade wrote _Shamanism_.
The following is from the Foreward, which explains the approach that
Eliade took to study Shamanism as a magico-religious phenomena, and
which has been the foundation that shamanism as a spiritual tradition,
as well as explaining how other academic disciplines approach the
subject.
---------------------------------------
Mircea Eliade
_Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy_
Princeton University, Bollingen Series LXXVI 1964
Originally published in French as _Le Chamanisme et les techniques
archaiques de l'extase_, Librairie Payot, Paris, 1951. Revised and
enlarged for the Bollinger edition.
ISBN 0-691-01779-4 pbk 0-691-09827-1 hdbk
To the best of our knowledge the present book is the first to cover
the entire phenomenon of shamanism and at the same time to situate it
in the general history of religions. To say this is to imply its
liability to imperfection and approximation and the risks that it
takes. Today the student has at his disposition a considerable
quantity of documents for the various shamanisms--Siberian, North
American, South American, Indonesian, Oceanian, and so on. Then too,
a number of works, important in their several ways have broken ground
2591
for the ethnological, sociological, and psychological study of
shamanism (or rather, of a particular type of shamanism). But with
a
few notable exceptions--we refer especially to the studies of Altaic
shamanism by Holmberg (Harva)--the immense shamanic bibliography has
neglected to interpret this extremely complex phenomenon in the
framework of the history of religion. It is as a historian of
religions that we, in our turn, have attempted to approach,
understand, and present shamanism. Far be it from us to think of
belittling the admirable studies undertaken from the viewpoints of
psychology, sociology, or ethnology; we consider them indispensable
to understanding the various aspects of shamanism. But we believe
that there is room for another approach--that which we have sought to
implement in the following pages.
The writer who approaches shamanism as a psychologist will be led to
regard it as primarily the manifestation of a psyche in crisis or
even in retrogression; he will not fail to compare it with certain
aberrant psychic behavior patterns or to class it among mental
diseases of the hysteroid or epileptoid type.
We shall explain why we consider it inacceptable to assimilate
shamanism to any kind of mental disease. But one point remains (and
it is an important one), to which the psychologist will always be
justified in drawing attention: like any other religious vocation,
the shamanic vocation is manifested by a crisis, a temporary
derangement of the future shaman's spiritual equilibrium. All the
observations and analyses that have been made on this point are
particularly valuable They show us, in actual process as it were,
the repercussions, within th epsyche, of what we have called the
"dialectic of hierophanies"--the radical separation between profane
and sacred and the resulting splitting of the world. To say this is
to indicate all the importance that we attribute to such studies in
religious psychology.
The sociologist, for his part, is concerned with the social function
of the shaman, the priest, the magician. He will study prestige
originating from magical powers, its role in the structure of
society, the relations between religious and political leaders and so
on. A sociological analysis of the myths of the First Shaman will
elicit revealing indications concerning the exceptional position of
the earliest shamans in certain archaic societies. The sociology of
shamnism remains to be written, and it will be among the most
important chapters in general sociology of religion. The historian
of religions must take all these studies and their conclusions into
account. Added to the psychological conditions brought out by the
psychologist, the social ocnditions, in the broadest sense of the
term, reinforce the element of human and historical concreteness in
the documents that he is called upon to handle.
The concreteness will be accented by the studies of the ehtnologist.
It will be the task of ethnological monographs to situate the shaman
in his cultural milieu. There is danger of misunderstanding the true
personality of a Chukchee shaman, for example, if one reads of his
exploits without knowing anything about the life and traditions of
the Chukchee. Again, it will be for the ehtnologist to make
exhaustive studies of the shaman's costume and drum, to describe the
seances, to record texts and melodies, and so on. By undertaking to
2592
establish the "history" of one or another constituent element of
shamanism (the drum, for example, or the use of narcotics during
seances), the ethnologist--joined when circumstances demand it, by a
comparatist and historian--will suceed in showing the circulation of
the particular motif in time and space; so far as possible, he will
define its center of expansion and the stages and the chronology of
its dissemination. In short, the ethnolgist will also become a
"historian," whether or not he adopts the Graebner-Schmidt-Koppers
method of cultural cycles. In any case, in addition to an admirable
purely descriptive ethnographical literature, there are now available
numerous works of historical ethnology: in the overwelming "gray
mass" of cultural data stemming from the so-called "ahistorical"
peoples, we now begin to see certain lines of force appearing; we
begin to distinguish "history" where we were in the habit of finding
only "Naturvolker," "primitives," or "savages."
It is unnecessary to dwell here on the great services that historical
ethnology has already rendered to the histroy of religions. But we
do not believe that it can take the place of the history of
religions. The latter's mission is to integrate the results of
ethnology, psychology, and sociology. Yet in doing so, it will not
renounce its own method of investigation or the viewpoint that
specifically defines it. Cultural ethnology may have demonstrated
the relation of shamanism to certain cultural cycles, for example, or
the dissemination of one or another shamanic complex; yet its object
is not to reveal the deeper meaning of all these religious phenomena,
to illuminate their symbolism, and to place them in the general
history of religions. In the last analysis, it is for the historian
of religions to synthesize all the studies of particular aspects of
shamanism and to present a comprehensive view which shall be at once
a morphology and a history of this complex religious phenomena.
pg. xi-xiii
Chapter One, General considerations. REcruiting Methods. Shamanism
and Mystical Vocation.
Since the beginning of the century, ehtnologists have fallen into
the habit of using the terms, "shaman," "medicine man," "sorcer,"
and "magician" interchangeably to designate certain individuals
possessing magico-religious powers and found in all "primitive"
societies. By extension, the smae terminology has been applied in
studying the religious history of "civilized" peoples, and there
have been discussions, for example, of an Indian, an Iranian, a
Germanic, a Chinese, and even a Babylonian "shamanism" with
reference to the "primitive" elements attested in the corresponding
religions. For many reasons this confusion can only militate
against any understanding of the shamanic phenomenon. If the word
"shaman" is taken to mean any magician, sorcerer, medicine man, or
ecstatic found throughout the history of religions and religious
ethnology, we arrive at a notion at once extremely complex and
extremely vague; it seems, furthermore, to serve no purpose, for we
already have the terms "magician" or "sorcerer" to express notions
as unlike and as ill-defined as "primitive magic" or "primitive
mysticism."
We consider it advantageous to restrict the use of the words
2593
"shaman" and "shamanism" precisely to avoid misunderstandings and
to
cast a clearer light on the history of "magic" and "sorcery." For
of course, the shaman is also a magician and medicine man; he is
believed to cure, like all doctors, and to perform miracles of the
fakir type, like all magicians, whether primitive or modern. But
beyond this, he is a psychopmp, and he may also be preist, mystic
and powet. In the dim, "confusionistic" mass of the religious life
of archaic socieites considered as a whole, shamanism--taken in its
strict and exact sense--already shows a structure of its own and
implies a "history" that there is every reason to clarify.
Shamanism in the strict sense is pre-eminently a religious
phenomenon of Siberia and Central Asia. The word comes to us,
through the Russian, from the Tungusic _saman_. In the other
languages of Centeral and North Asia the corresponding terms are
Yakut _ojuna_ (_oyuna_), Mongolian _buga_, _boga_ (_buge_, _bu_) and
_udagan_ (cf. also Buryat _udayan_, Yukut _udoyan_: "shamaness")_,
Turko-Tartar _kam_ (Altaic _kam_, _gam_, Mongolian _kami_, etc.) It
has been sought to explain the Tungusic term by the Pali _samana_,
and we shall return to this possible etymology (which is part of the
great problem of Indian influences on Siberian religions) in the
last chapter of this book. Throughout the immense area comprising
Central and North Asia, the magico-religious life of society centers
on teh shaman. This, of course, does not mean that he is the one
and only manipulator of the sacred, nor that religious activity is
completely usurped by him. IN many tribes the sacrificing priest
coexists with the shaman, not to mention the fact that every head of
a family is also the head of the domestic cult. Nevertheless the
shaman remains the dominating figure; for throught the whole region
in which the ecstatic experience is considered the religious
experience par excellence, the shaman, and he alone, is the great
master of ecstasy. A first definition of this complex phenomenon,
and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = _technique of
ecstasy_.
pgs 3-4
Yet one observation must be made at the outset: the presence of a
shamanistic complex in one region or another does not necessarily
mean that the magico-religious life of the corresponding poeple is
crystallized around shamanism. This can ocur (as, for example, in
certain parts of Indonesia), but it is not the most usual state of
affairs. Generally shamanism coexixsts with other forms of magic
and religion.
It is here that we see all the advantage of emplying the term
"shamanism" in its strict and proper sense. For, if we take the
trouble to differentiate the shaman from other magicians and
medicine men of primitive societies, the identification of shamanic
complexes in one or another region immediately acquires definite
significance. Magic and magicians are to be foudn more or less all
over the world, where as shamaism exhibits a particular magical
specialty, on which we shall dwell at legth: "master over fire,"
"magical flight," and so on. By virtue of this fact, though the
shaman is, among other things, a magician, not every magician can
properly be termed a shaman. The same distinction must be applied
in regard to shamanic healing; ever medicine man is a healer, but
the shaman employs a method that is his and his alone. AS for the
shamanic techniques of ecstasy, they do not exhaust all the
varieties of ecstatic experience documented in the history of
religions an dreligious ethnolgoy. Hence any ecstatic cannot be
considered a shaman; the shaman specializes in a trance during which
his sould is believed to leave his body and ascend to the sky or
descend to the underworld.
A similar distinction is also necessary to define the shaman's
relation to "spirits." All through the primitive and modern worlds
we find individuals who profess to maintain relations with
"spirits," whether they are "possessed" by them or control them.
SSEveral volumes would be needed for an adequate study of all the
problems that arise in connection with the mere idea of "spirits"
and of their possible relations with human beings; for a "spirit"
can equally well be the sould of a dead person, a "nature spirit,"
a
mythical animal, and so on. But the study of shamanism does not
require going into all this; we need only define the shaman's
relation to his helping spirits. It will easily be seen wehrein a
shaman differs from a "possessed" person, for example; the shaman
controls his "spirits," in the sense that he, a human being, is able
to communicate with the dead, "demons," and "nature spirits,"
without thereby becoming their insturment. To be sure, shamans are
sometimes found to be "possessed," but these are exceptional cases
for which there is a particular explanation.
These few preliminary observations already indicate the course that
we propose to follow in odrder to reach an adequate understanding of
shamanism. In view of the fact that this magico-religious
phenomenon has had its most complete manifestation in North and
Central Asia, we shall take the shaman of these regions as our
typical example. We are not unaware, and we shall endeavor to show,
that Central and North Asian shamanism, at least in its present
form, is not a primordial phenomenon that has a long "history." But
this Central Asian and Siberian shamanism has the advantage of
presenting a structure in which elements that exist independently
elsewhere in the world--i.e., special relations with "spirits,"
ecstatic capacities permitting of magical flight, ascents to the
sky, descents to the underworld, mastery over fire, etc.--are here
already found integrated with a particular ideology and validating
specific techniques.
pgs. 5-6
-------------------------
2594
{file "Traveling Chant (Julia Phillips)" "bos599.htm"}
By: JULIA PHILLIPS
Re: Travelling Chant
Some time ago I promised to post some of the BoS material I have which
(allegedly) pre-dates Gardner. No guarantees <g>, but I was told that
this chant dates from the 1920s:
Let's ride, let's ride, to the sabbat tonight,
we'll ride over hill, over dale.
We'll ride to the feasting and ride to the dance,
and ride to the October ale.
Let's dance, let's dance at the sabbat tonight,
We'll sing with a heart full and glad.
We'll sing and we'll love through the chill autumn night,
and remember the loves we have had.
Let's ride, let's ride when the sabbat is done,
let's ride back to hearth and to home.
Let's ride back together all under the stars,
and wait for the next sabbat to come.
I think it's rather a nice chant, whenever it was written.
B*B Julia
2595
{file "Bridal Blessing (Julia Phillips)" "bos600.htm"}
Bridal Blessing Song
This is one of a collection which I have been told dates from the 18th
century. As with the previous one, no guarantees <g>!
Blessing Song for a Bridal
Bless the furrow, bless the plough
and bless the seed that springs.
Bless the fruit and bless the corn
the blossoms on the bough.
Bless the man and bless the maid
and bless the bed they share.
Bless the babe that's got this night
and in the Lady's care.
B*B Julia
2596
{file "Child Blessings" "bos601.htm"}
---- A WICCANING PART 4 ---
THE DIVULGENCE OF THE NAMES (explained to the Witnesses):
ANCIENT EUROPEAN PEOPLES BELIEVED THAT YOU MUST HAVE TWO
NAMES, ONE PUBLIC AND ONE A SECRET NAME THAT ONLY THOSE
PRESENT AT THE BLESSING CEREMONY KNEW. THIS SECOND NAME
IS FOR USE AFTER PUBERTY, WHEN THE SOUL CHANGES INTO ITS
FIRST ADULT SELF, WHEN IT CAN BE UTTERED ONCE MORE, AND
MADE PUBLIC. THE PURPOSE OF THE FIRST PUBLIC NAME WAS TO
DIVERT THE EVIL EYE, TO GAIN FAVOR WITH THE FATES, TO
KEEP AWAY SICKNESS, AND TO HELP THE CHILD REACH ADULTHOOD.
Priestess:
"Great Spirit of Nature, protect and guide these young souls
among us. May the Blessings of the wise and joyous Father of the Gods
far-seeing and far-knowing be upon thee. May the blessings of the Triple
Goddess, of Maiden, of Mother, of Crone, and all their power
be upon thee."
The following blessings/invocations were spoken and followed by
the child being immersed in the ocean water of the beach where
the ritual was held:
ELIZABETH'S DUNKING:
Anna Perenna
Great Goddess, Mother of All
Envelope this daughter of yours
in the waters of Your womb
Grant her protection from wrong-doing
Wash away the memories of her pain
Shower her with Your blessings
in a life everlasting
Bless Elizabeth Mae Luzerne.
So Mote it Be!
PATRICK'S DUNKING:
Great Goddess, Nurturer and Bearer of all Men, great and small
Without whose womb they would not be
Mother of Gods, of Sacrificial Kings,
Presidents, Emperors, and beggars
Welcome this son of Yours into Your Light
and as you have taught us, let him find
"Beauty and strength, power and compassion,
mirth and reverence, honor and humility"
within his heart.
Wash his fears away with your caress!
Bless Patrick Howard Lloyd!
Blessed Be!
MORGAINNE'S DUNKING:
Hail, o gracious and most magnificent Lady
whose slender hand turns the vast wheel of the sky.
whose triple aspect does see
the beginning, the life, and the end of all things.
whose wells of mystery do give
inspiration and rebirth thoughout eternity,
receive here this small daughter of yours with blessings
and with love.
Bless Morgainne Ellayne!
So mote it be!
2597
{file "Santa (Tane Jackson)" "bos602.htm"}
Santa
TANE JACKSON
Christmas has two distinct themes running through it, as study of any
collection of Christmas cards shows. One is the religious aspect,
involving Wise Men, angels, the Star and shepherds, and refers to
the Gospel story of the birth of Christ. The other theme seems totally
unrelated and depicts reindeer, stockings, a sleigh and, of course,
Santa Claus.
The two main Christmas personalities are Jesus and Santa, as most people
will agree. Everyone brought up in a Christian country knows the
significance of Jesus at this time but just who is Father Christmas and
why should he become part of a religious festival?
We must first look back at history and see why December became such
an important month in the religious calendar in the first place. The
reason is, of course, the Winter Solstice, December 21st, when the
Sun appears to stop in the sky prior to beginning its journey back
across the heavens.
After the Solstice the days gradually get longer and the peoples
of old considered this to be almost the birthday of the Sun. The peoples
of the northern hemisphere were fond of having a festival in mid-winter,
perhaps because they needed something to take their minds off the long,
cold, dark days.
In ancient Rome the feast of Saturnalia was held between December
17th and 23rd and gifts were exchanged. The Romans also held the
feast of Brumalia on the Solstice day itself and considered this to be
the birthday of Mithra the unconquered Sun god. The Norsemen celebrated
Yule at this time, to herald the return of the Sun.
It is interesting to note that Christ is often known as the Light of
the World, a title that continues this theme of darkness in retreat in
the face of good.
The Solstice has long been associated with the idea of people giving
each other presents. Apart from giving gifts at Saturnalia the Romans
also exchanged presents on the feast of the Kalends, which we call New
Year's Day. These customs prevailed all over the Roman Empire when
Christianity was still a new religion.
When Christianity spread to the northern lands they found the
Norsemen worshipping Odin--who rode his chariot through the night sky at
the time of the Winter Solstice, handing out gifts.
Because the exchange of gifts was so linked in the pagan mind with
these old festivals devout Christians were not supposed to exchange
gifts at this time. However, gift-exchange never died out on the
European scene and finally the Church fathers had to do something about
it. They did not want to let people keep on believing that Odin or any
other pagan deity had anything to do with gift-bringing so they looked
around for an acceptable Christian figure to bring them instead. The
person they chose was St Nicholas, the former Bishop of Myra in the
4th century AD.
Not much is actually known about St Nicholas, though many legends
grew up around his kind ly figure. One thing that qualified him for the
role of gift-bringer was his feast day being December 6th, a date
sufficiently close to the Solstice for the two to be connected in the
mass mind.
St Nicholas was a useful saint and could even be described as
all-purpose. His responsibilities included the welfare of pawn-
brokers, boatmen, parish clerks, dockers and barrel-makers among
others. He was the patron saint of both Russia and Aberdeen. The
best-known story about him tells of his leaving three bags of gold on
a poor man's windowsill as dowries for his three daughters. One version
of this tale states that the gold was thrown through the window and
landed in a stocking that had been hung up to dry, which perhaps
explains our custom of the Christmas stocking.
................................................................................
2598
{file "Halloween, A Witches Thoughts (Cecylina Brightsword)" "bos603.htm"}
********************
A Witch's Thoughts on Halloween
Most people celebrate Halloween as a children's holiday of candy
and costumes. However, I will be celebrating tonight as Samhain
("Sow-wen"), the Celtic New Year, the night for remembering loved ones
past and looking toward the future. For I am a Neo-pagan, a follower of
the Old Religion, a Wiccan. I am a Witch.
There are probably as many definitions of Wicca as there are prac-
titioners of the Craft--one of the joys of this path is that there is no
"one, true way"; intuition is as valuable as teaching. This then is my
personal definition of what Wicca is to me.
First, what Wicca is not is devil-worship. Wiccans don't believe
in an entity of all-evil. (I personally don't believe in evil per se;
all evil is simply a perversion or excess of something that is good when
present in a proper balance.)
Wicca is a religion based on experience of Deity as male and
female. It is pantheistic--seeing all things as part of God/dess, and
seeing the Earth Herself as a living organism of whom we are part. It
is also a religion of immanence--seeing God/dess present in each of us
and in the world around us, not "out there somewhere" but part of daily
life.
Wiccans celebrate eight major holidays, or sabbats--the beginning
and midpoint of each season. We also celebrate the phases of the moon:
some only celebrate the full moon while others celebrate full, waxing,
and new moons. Each of these rituals helps keep us in touch with
Nature. These celebrations are in small groups usually called circles,
covens, or groves and are usually led by a Priestess, and often a
Priest. Some groups share duties and avoid titles.
Wicca is also a "Craft". We practice magic through chants,
visualizations and spells, all to focus our will on something we want to
happen. We believe that everything we do, good or ill, comes back to us
tripled, which is why we don't "hex" or "curse" anyone. We also believe
that many psychic talents are real and simply haven't been studied
enough by science to be catalogued as such.
Wiccans for the most part accept reincarnation, not as dogma to be
believed, but as fact based on personal experience. Many of us remember
past lives. As one who has studied science, I know that every atom of
my body once was part of something else, and I am continually losing
atoms that become part of others. Knowing this, it makes sense that my
soul also is "recycled".
Wicca is a positive philosophy. The only "law" is 'An it harm
none, do as ye will": Enjoy life to its fullest, and remember to help
everyone else enjoy it as well. Wiccans don't preach; Wiccans don't
evangelize. Everyone has to find his/her own path, and we welcome the
diversity this brings.
So tonight, when you dress up as a "wicked witch", know that there
are "good witches" celebrating as well. Know that I and thousands like
me throughout the world are celebrating the cycles of life through the
dance of the Lord and the Lady, trying to make this world we all share
a little brighter through our cauldron fires in the darkness. Know we
are not out to convert you; know we mean you no harm. All we ask for
is understanding, tolerance, and the freedom to practice as we choose.
Blessed Be,
Cecylyna Brightsword
High Priestess, Thalia Clan
P.O. Box 681092 . Indianapolis, IN 46268-1092 . (317) 579-3083
................................................................................
2599
{file "Money Tree Spell (Rowan Moonstone)" "bos604.htm"}
The Money Tree Spell
Rowan Moonstone
YOu wil need:
Green candle annointed w/ pine oil.
Sweet basil (1tbsp of basil in r hand.)
Pine incense
(Pass the basil over the altar candles and the green candle and incense
3 times and sprinkle basil around the green candle.
Green silk pouch
White altar candles annointed w/ sandalwood oil
5 pennies, 4 old, 1 new.
Salt
Water
orange candle annointed w/ basil oil
parchment
O Altar Candle O Altar Candle
O Green Candle
_____________
| |
| Parchment |
--------------
O orange candle O salt
O pennies
O pine incense O water
On a waxing moon, set the altar in the east of yoru circle. This will
need to be left up for a full waxing cycle. You will need easy access
to a door.
Take a new penny in your hand, Circle the altar deosil and say
"Bring to me what I see By thy power, Hecate,"
Spin rapidly deosil and go outside and toss the new penny in the air.
Wherever it lands, bury all 5 pennies, saying:
"I give thee money - Hecate
Return to me prosperity.
I give thee five
REturn by three
As I will
So mote it be."
Return to your altar and snuff out the candles.
Next week, at the same day and time, return to your altar with your
talisman bag and the parchment. Light the orange candle. Visualize
money flowing onto the altar. Unearth the coins and bring them to the
altar. Wash them in the chalice water to purify them. Pass them
through the incense smoke and the fire from the orange candle. Place
each coin in the talisman pouch, old coins first. Add nine pieces of
rock salt, close the mouth of the talisman pouch and face east and say:
"Bring to me
what I see
By thy power
Hecate.
Altar power
Must it be
Earth and Air
Fire and Sea
Bring to me
What I see
By thy power
Hecate."
Place the bag inside your cloting and wear it every day for 7 days.
Leave it on your altar every night visualizing prosperity. On the 7th
day, hide it in the eastern portion of your house.
There it is. It's a complicated spell, but it does work.
BB
Rowan
2600
{file "Spell for contacting a friend (Rowan Moonstone)" "bos605.htm"}
Spell for contacting a friend
Rowan Moonstone
This spell should be used to cause someone with whom you have lost
contact to contact you. It is not manipulation so much as an astral
call for contact when you have no other way to reach them that you know
of.
You will need:
White candle annointed w/ sandalwood oil
Sandalwood incense
photo of the person
small glass of water.
salt
Light the white candle and the incense. Place the picture of the person
on your altar. Put 2 heaping tablespoons of salt in the palm of your
right hand. Let a small amount of salt trickle into the glass while
making the sign of the equal armed cross of the elements. Make this
cross 3 times. Say " Call me" three times as yo do this. Then set the
glass on the altar and say "Get in touch with me, please." They
should contact you by the time the water has evaporated from the glass.
................................................................................
2601
{file "Coming of Age ritual (notes by Malakus)" "bos606.htm"}
Coming of Age Ritual Notes
Malakus
Over the past weekend during an emotional upheaval I "Birthed" the
concept for the ritual. I thought I would pass the concept on to you
and see what you think. I have the ability to visualize a ritual from
beginning to end, sometime with brief snatches of dialogue. It's like
watching a play from the catwalks.
This is how I see this ritual unfolding. The boy who is entering
into Manhood will be abducted from the encampment where he is staying.
The women of his Mother Grove will try to fight the men off from
abducting the boy. When this skirmish is over and the boy is being
taken off by the men the women will mourn the loss of the child. The
boy will be stripped of his clothing and dressed in a deerhide loin
cloth. He will then be blindfolded and his journey will begin. Where
this ritual is being held there is approximately 5 miles of paths which
the boy will journey over. He will be led by his Father who will carry
a lamp to light his and his son's way. At the first prescribed stop the
boy will be addressed by Herne. Herne, will speak to the boy of his
wild nature, what it is like to be the hunter and the hunted. He will
charge the boy with the responsibilities of becoming a man through Him.
He will then tell the boy that He will meet him at the appointed place
in the appointed hour. Never revealing when and where that is. Herne
will withdraw into the woods as the Father and son begin to journey
again.
At the second stop the Father and boy will meet the Green Man. He
represents the boy's earthy nature. He is the boy sexual responsibility
as a carrier of sacred seed which is necessary to begin life. That he
must act intelligently when it comes to the act of procreation. The
Green Man as well will tell the boy that they will meet in the appointed
placed at the appointed hour. The Green Man will stand in silence as
the Father and boy leave.
At the third stop the Father and boy will meet Loki\Rainbow Dancer.
When I visualized the archetype I saw a myriad number of colours and
flashed of refracted light. Loki will speak to the boy of his dreams,
wishes and hope He will inform the boy that these are necessary even as
a man. That he should not give them up but allow them to mature as he
matures. Loki will also tell the boy that they will meet at the
appointed place in the appointed hour.
The Father and son will continue there journey until they reach the
last stop on their journey. Here they will meet the Magus who is robed
in black and you are unable to see his face. The Magus will speak to
the boy of his inner true self, his highest ideals, his magical self.
He symbolizes Divine Wisdom. When he is finished speaking he will also
tell the boy of meeting in the appointed place in the appointed hour.
All the archetype will be wearing masks that will be indicative of
them. Herne with horns, Green Man with a mask made of leaves, Loki with
the face of the fox, and the Magus with a black mask which entirely
covers his face. All the other masks will not cover the mouth area. My
Spirit Brother in Akron, OH is creating the masks and the staves for the
four archetypes. After the journey has been completed he will be
brought to the gateway of the ritual are Prior to the ritual itself the
boy will be asked to select something that symbolizes his childhood and
that he should bring it with him. When the boy is abducted those who
abduct him must be sure to acquire this childhood symbol to be given to
the father to take on the journey. At the gateway the father will stop
the boy and inform him that he must now give up this childhood symbol in
order to enter into the world of men. The boy must surrender the symbol
before the rite can continue. The symbol will be left at the gateway.
2602
I didn see a traditional circle being cast, rather a ring of men hand in
hand passing energy to form the circle. I keep hearing "a hand to a
hand, to feed a hand" or a "brother to a brother". The circle will open
to admit the father and boy The boy is still blindfold and will be place
before the balefire facing the gateway through which he just entered.
I see four men at various stage of the lives serving as Priests. One is
just past puberty, the next has himself just become a father, the next
being around 40-50 years (the age of the God at the
time of his decline in power) and the last being the Grandfather. The
four will each evoke one of the four achetypes that spoke to the boy
during his journey. The Priest just past puberty will evoke Loki, the
new father will evoke the Green Man, the 40-50 year old will evoke
Herne, and Grandfather will evoke the Magus. Each will be evoked
separately and when each has been evoked will enter the circle from
where they have been waiting out of sight of the circle itself. Each
will speak further to the boy of his mystery and present the boy with a
"gift" which will enable the boy to commune with the archetype
in times of trial in his life as a man. The last to speak will be
Herne. Just as he is is finishing what he has to say he will be
interrupted by the final archetype. This is the Great Mother. She will
speak to the boy of his union with her and to truly become a man he must
understand her magics as well. Herne and the Great Mother will argue
(choice of words, maybe not the best) over who this boy/man belong. The
Great Mother informs Herne that the boy/man belongs to Her. Herne
informs Her that She was there at his conception and birth and that She
will have him in death but now the boy/man belongs to Him. My Spirit
Brother has a staff with a deer hoof end which I see being placed on the
boy's heart while Herne claims him as his. During the claiming the
boy's blindfold will be removed and the boy/man will see Herne for the
first time with his hoof on his chest over his heart. After the
claiming is finished the boy will be approached by the four Priests for
the anointing.
I have an anointing already written for this part of the rite.
While the anointing is being done the four persons who are taking the
roles of the archetypes will leave and return dressed as they wish. The
boy will be taken to his father who will first greet the boy/man now as
a fellow man and a guardian of the male mystery. The father will then
take the newly made man to the North quarter where the Great Mother will
speak to the newly made man bestowing Her gift to him. When the Great
Mother speaks She will be heard only and not seen as if Her voice were
being carried on the wind.
The the newly made man will be taken to each man in turn in the
circle who will give the newly made man a gift. I see the gift being
wisdom something that they have learned of life and that they wish to
pass on to help the newly made man's journey through life. As each man
has an occupation which requires particular tools so does life require
its tools.
When all have granted their gift the newly made man will be asked
to bestow his blessing upon a horn of ale which symbolized the cup of
brotherhood of all peoples. The cup will be shared with all in the
circle and will symbolized the universality of men.
This is where I see the ritual ending. I see a simple feast being
held where the ritual has been. More cups will be filled, stories share
in the spirit of brotherhood. As the night wears on towards dawn the
newly made made will be left to himself, the balefire and the night. He
will return to the campsite from which he was abducted no longer as a
child but as a man with all the responsibilities of a man.
................................................................................
2603
{file "LUPERCALIA (She Wolf)" "bos607.htm"}
Lupercalia
She-Wolf
Lupercalia ia a Roman ritual of purification and fertility dating from
such an ancient time that even the Romans of the first century B.C.E.
had forgotten its origin and to which Gods it was dedicated and even the
meaning of some of its symbolism. (Contrary to Z Budapest's statements,
it was not known whether it was to Faunus and in fact I think it may
have been sacred to the more ancient founding Goddess, Rumina, the
She-Wolf of Rome.) Central to the ritual is the lustration (light
flogging) with a goat skin scourge (see, Gardner didn't
invent it). This was often accompanied by much rowdiness and horse-pla-
y. The purpose was the purification of the people from curses, bad luck
and infertility. The ritual is performed on February 15. The name of
the month comes from the februa, anything used in purifying including
wool (used for cleaning), brooms, pine boughs (which make the air sweet
and pure), etc.
The rite began in the cave of the She-Wolf in the city of Rome where
legend had it that the founders of the city, Romulus and Remus, had been
suckled by the wolf before they were found by a shepherd. The sacred
fig tree grew in front of the cave. Vestals brought to the site of the
sacrifice the sacred cakes made from the first ears of the last years
grain harvest. Two naked young men presided over the sacrifice of a dog
and a goat. With the bloody knife, their foreheads were smeared with
blood, then wiped clean with wool dipped in milk. The young men laughed
and girded themselves in the skin of the sacrificed goat. Much
feasting followed. Finally, using strips of the goat skin, the young
men ran, each leading a group of priests, around the base of the hills
of Rome, around the ancient sacred boundary of the old city called the
pomarium. During this run, the women of the city would vie for the
opportunity to be scourged by the young men as they ran by, some baring
their flesh to get the best results of the fertility blessing (you can
see why the Christian church tried so hard to get this ritual banned,
but it was so popular that it continued for quite some time under the
new regime.)
Except for the intrusion of foreign cults, this was the only Roman
ritual where a goat was sacrificed. Dogs were only offered to Robigus
(a guardian associated with crops), the Lares Praestites (the guardians
of community), and Mana Genata (ancestral guardians).
Because of the cave, the fig tree, the milk, and such, I suspect the
very oldest forms of this rite honored a Goddess. Unlike some of the
other Roman rites like the October Horse sacrifice, there is no other
Indo-European equivalent in Vedic, Scandinavian, Irish, or Indo-Iranian
traditions.
With modifications, the Temple of Pomona performed Lupercalias and has
a great time.
................................................................................
2604
{file "Stones, A Short Catalog" "bos608.htm"}
Stones, A Short Catalog
Tandika Star
BLOODSTONE
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Bloodstone is a member of the Chalcedony
family.It is a variety of quartz (silicon dioxide) often with some iron
and aluminum. The chemistry is SiO2. It is dark, bright green spotted
with red inclusions. The streak is white. This is considered a microcry-
stalline variety of quartz and is not found in crystal form.
ENVIRONMENT: Chalcedony is formed in several environments, generally
near the surface of the earth where temperatures and pressures are
relatively low. It commonly forms in the zone of alteration of lode and
massive hydrothermal replacement deposits and as bodies of chert in
chemical sedimentary rocks.
OCCURENCE: India, Germany.
NAME: This stone is also referred to as "heliotrope," which is derived
from two Greek words which signify "sun-turning". It was given this name
because of a notion that when immersed in water it would turn the sun
red. Chalcedony is derived from Chalcedon, an ancient Greek city of Asia
Minor.
LEGEND and LORE: This is one of the birthstones for March.
"Who in this world of ours, her eyes
In March first opens, shall be wise.
In days of peril, firm and brave,
And wear a Bloodstone to her grave." (5)
Ancient warriors often carried an amulet of bloodstone which was
intended to stop bleeding when applied to a wound.
MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Because it is green, it can be used for "money
spells". It is also considered a "lucky" stone for atheletes because it
imparts courage and stamina.
HEALING: Heliotrope is used today in conjunction with anything having to
do with blood.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:I consider the ancient uses of bloodstone in line
with what I use it for today. In addition, I consider it a "cholesterol
buster", and wouldn't hesitate to apply it to any with this type of
problem. Generally I would use it at the Heart Chakra. I've also used it
successfully in situations where I needed "courage" to accomplish
something. I will just carry a piece of it in my pocket for this
purpose.
NOTE: Chrysoprase, carnelian, jasper and agate are all forms of
Chalcedony.
-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurance and Name are from (or paraphrased
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and
Minerals".
2605
2. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's En-
cyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.
3. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner.
4. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.
5. Birthstone poem from "The Occult and Curative Powers of Precious
Stones" by William T. Fernie, M.D.
an interesting experiment (BLOODSTONE cont.)
.......................................................................-
This is more about bloodstone, but I didn't want to include it in the
main text. Read on, and you'll see why...
A few years ago, I had a discussion with my daughter (who was about 13
at the time) about the "spiritual essence" of plants and stones. I
explained to her that different people "see" this spiritual essence in
various forms. Somehow, this led to a discussion of "devas", which she
interpreted as "people, but without a body that we can see with mundane
eyes."
A few days later, I was reading a novel, reposed on the sofa in my
livingroom. She was sitting on the floor by the coffee table, drawing
in her sketchbook with her pastels.
On the coffee table were several stones in a dish. One was an amethyst,
one a bloodstone, one was some yellow/green crystal that someone had
loaned to me because they wanted my "impressions" ...and there were some
others that I don't remember now.
I glanced over at my daughter, and she was holding one of the stones in
her hands, with her eyes closed. She apparently had achieved some form
of "altered state" because her little eyeballs were just wigglin' away
(REM).
A while later, I glanced over, and she was drawing a portrait. After she
seemed finished and satisfied with what she was doing, I questioned her
about it. She said she was drawing the "spirit/deva" of the stones in
the dish.
The one for bloodstone was an elf-like, male person. He had dark/black
hair, green, slanted eyes, "Spock" eyebrows, and pointed ears. Because
of the expression on his face, I asked her what she thought of him. Her
comments were:
"He is very fierce. I'm kind of afraid of him, because it seems like he
is pretty strong and could get mad. He uses weapons...and can fight."
My daughter didn't know anything about the "lore" connected with the
stones. In addition, I found that "bloodstone" was very different from
any of the other "stone portraits" that she did...The rest were much
more "human"...
................................................................................
2606
BROWN (PICTURE) JASPER
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Brown Jasper, sometimes called "picture" Jasper
because of the beautiful variations in coloring, is a type of Chal-
cedony. It is closely related to Quartz, with the chemistry of SiO2. The
color variations are from trace amounts of other minerals, usually iron
and aluminum. The hardness is 7.
ENVIRONMENT: Chalcedony is formed in several environments, generally
near the surface of the earth where temperatures and pressures are
relatively low. It commonly forms in the zone of alteration of lode and
massive hydrothermal replacement deposits and as bodies of chert in
chemical sedimentary rocks.
OCCURENCE: Montana, Utah and Wyoming are prolific locations for Brown
Jasper in the U.S. In addition, fine specimens have come from Brazil,
Uruguay and Egypt. Other colors and forms of Jasper are abundant in
California, Texas and Arkansas.
NAME: The name Chalcedony is from Chalcedon, an ancient Greek city of
Asia Minor.
LEGEND and LORE: Beautiful Jasper, with light and dark brown markings
was referred to as "Egyptian Marble". Various Native American tribes
used Jasper as a rubbing stone and some called it "the rain bringer".
MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Brown Jasper is balancing and grounding. This stone,
carved into an arrowhead, is worn to attract luck. It is a good stone to
use after completing a ritual to help you regain your center and become
grounded.
HEALING: Jasper is stabilizing. It will help to reduce insecurity, fear
and guilt.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: I use a piece of Montana Picture Jasper, which is
mostly brown and tan with a slight bit of sky or navy blue as a strong
grounding stone for those who have an excess of energy at the Splenic
Chakra.I've also used the stone as a basis for a "journey"...The stone
looks like a scene of the Rocky Mountains. Finally, I've used Picture
Jasper as a psychological tool:I will ask someone who is "looking for an
answer" to gaze into the stone and describe all the symbols they see.
Then I work with the client to form the "symbols" into some sort of
answer.
NOTES: Agate, Jasper, Flint, Sardonyx, and onyx are all forms of
Chalcedony. In addition, particular colors of Chalcedony have specific
names, such as Heliotrope, Bloodstone, Chrysophrase and Moss Agate.
-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and
Minerals".
2. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's En-
cyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.
3. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner.
................................................................................
2607
CARNELIAN
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION:Carnelian is the clear red to brownish red member
of the Chalcedony family. It is a microcrystalline variety of Quartz(Si-
licone Dioxide) and may contain small amounts of iron oxides. The
hardness is 7, and the streak is white.
ENVIRONMENT: Chalcedony is formed in several environments, generally
near the surface of the earth where temperatures and pressures are
relatively low. It commonly forms in the zone of alteration of lode and
massive hydrothermal replacement deposits and as bodies of chert in
chemical sedimentary rocks.
OCCURENCE: Fine carnelian comes from India and South America.
GEMSTONE INFORMATION:Carnelian is used as an alternate birthstone for
the month of May.It is normally cut into cabochons, engraved, or made
into seal stones or rounded, polished, and pierced for necklaces and
other items of jewelry.
NAME: The name means "flesh-colored", from [caro], meaning "genitive"
and [carnis], meaning "flesh".
LEGEND and LORE: Carnelian has long been associated with courage and
cleansing of the blood. It was beleived that the stone would improve
one's outlook, making the individual cheerful and expelling fears.
MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Katrina Raphaell says that Carnelian can be used to
"see into the past". The "Crystal Oracle" says that Carnelian referrs to
the Self, and Current Conditions. It is a grounding stone, and associ-
ated with the Earth. As such, it is considered practical, sensible and
balanced. Cunningham associates the stone with the element of Fire. He
suggests it as a talisman against Telepathic invasion.
HEALING: It is recommended for infertility or impotency. In addition it
is used for purification of the blood. It has also been suggested that
this stone will stop nosebleeding.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: I call this the "sexy" stone...since I beleive it
stimulates sexual appetites. I use it in the lower Chakras for infer-
tility and impotency for men(I use Coral as the feminine counterpart.)
I always get a good chuckle when I notice a man wearing a LARGE
Cornelian belt buckle. In addition, I would use this stone for relief of
pain from arthritis in men.
-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and
Minerals".
2. Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from
"Gemstones" by E. H. Rutland.
3. Other Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from
"Gem Cutting", sec. ed., by John Sinkankas.
2608
4. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.
5. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner.
6. Some of the healing information may come from "A Journey Through the
Chakras" by Joy Gardner.
...................................................................
CORAL
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: CaCo3, or calcium carbonate in the form of
calcite, is the main constituent of calcareous corals; minor con-
stituents are MgCo3, or magnesium carbonate and proteinaceous organic
substances, which act as binding agents. At 2.5 to 4, the hardness is
slightly higher than that of calcite. The skeletons of corals vary in
color: from bright to dark red, slightly orange-red, pink and white.
ENVIRONMENT: In all cases, coral consists of the branching skeletons of
animals which live in colonies planted on the seabed at depths varying
from tens to hundreds of meters. They are typical of warmish to very
warm seas.
OCCURENCE: The most famous of these organisms is Corallium rubrum, which
lives in the waters of the Mediterranean and, despite its name,provides
not only red, but orange, pink, and white coral. Similar to this are
Corallium elatius, C. japonicum, and C. secundum, which maily live off
the coasts of Japan, China, Indochina, the Philippines, and other
archipelagos of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Coral colonies occupy
large areas especially in the Pacific, but also near the coast of South
Africa, in the Red Sea, and to the east of Australia. These latter
colonies, however, consist of madrepore, which has little in common with
the corals used as ornaments.
GEMSTONE INFORMATION: Most of the coral used since antiquity as an
ornamental material comes from the calcareous skeletons of colonies of
marine organisms of the phylum Cnidaria, order Corgonacea, genus
Corallium. Corals take a good polish. They also have a certain degree of
elasticity and can be heated and bent into bangles. Thin brancehes were
and still are polished, pierced, and threaded, unaltered, into neck-
laces. Larger pieces are cut into spherical or faceted necklace beads,
pear shapes for pendant jewelry, or cabochons. It is also used for
carved pieces and small figurines, in both oriental and western
art styles. The most highly prized varities of coral are those that are
a uniform, strong bright red.
NAME: The name is derived from the Latin [corallium,] related to the
Greek [korallion].
LEGEND and LORE: The oldest known findings of red coral date from the
Mesopotamian civilization, i.e. from about 3000 BC. For centuries, this
was the coral par excellence, and at the time of Pliny the Elder it was
apparently much appreciated in India, even more than in Europe.Red coral
has traditionally been used as a protection from the "evil eye" and as
a cure for sterility. One of the Greek names for Coral was Gorgeia,
from the tradition that blood dripped from the Head of Medea, which
Perseus had deposited on some branches near the sea-shore; which blood,
2609
becoming hard, was taken by the Sea Nymps, and planted in the sea. (8)
MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Coral is associated with Venus, Isis and Water. It
has been used as a form of protective magic for children for hundreds of
years. Cunningham recommends it as a luck-attractor for living
areas.Sailors use it as a protection from bad weather while at sea.
Red-orange coral is one of the four element gemstones of the Pueblo
Indians. It is one of the four colors used for the directions in the
Hopi/Zuni Road of Life. Coral is considered a representative of the warm
energy of the Sun, and the southern direction.
HEALING: Coral's healing properties are mostly associated with Women,
young children and the elderly. For women it is said to increase
fertility and regulate menstration. For young children, it is recom-
mended to ease teething and to prevent epilepsy. For the elderly, it is
used as a cure for arthritis.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: I use coral at the lower Chakras for "Women's
Healing." In particular, I will use it for disorders relating to female
reproductive organs. I also use it magically, to represent female
fertility.I have used it with some success for arthritis, but only for
women. This is one of the stones that I "reserve" for female/feminine
use. (I use Carnelian as the "male" counterpart.) I have not had an
opportunity to try it for a young child.
-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased
from) "Simon & Schuster's Guide to Gems and Precious Stones".
2. Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from
"Gemstones" by E. H. Rutland.
3. Other Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from
"Gem Cutting", sec. ed., by John Sinkankas.
4. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's En-
cyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.
5. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner.
6. Some of the healing information may come from "A Journey Through the
Chakras" by Joy Gardner.
7. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.
8. Some occult lore is from "The Occult and Curative Powers of Precious
Stones" by William T. Fernie, M.D.
................................................................................
2610
EMERALD
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION:Emerald is a type of Beryl, Beryllium aluminum
silicate, frequently with some sodium, lithium and cesium.It's chemistry
is Be3Al2Si6O18. Beryls range in color from Bright green (emerald),
blue, greenish blue (aquamarine), yellow (golden beryl), red, pink
(morganite) to white. The streak is colorless. It's hardness is 7-1/2 to
8. The crystals are Hexagonal and they are common. Fine emeralds have
velvety body appearance; their value lies in their even distribution of
color. Inclusions are common in emerald, but other stones of this group
are usually most valuable when free of flaws.
ENVIRONMENT: Beryl develops in pegmatites and certain metamorphic rocks.
It occurs with quartz, microcline, and muscovite in pegmatites, and with
quartz, muscovite, and almandine in schist of regional metamorphic
rocks.
OCCURENCE: Best emerald comes from Colombia.(NOTE: it is not necessary
to spend thousands of dollars for a tiny chip of emerald to add to your
healing/ magical collection. If you look around in rock shops, you may
be able to come across some "less than perfect" stones that aren't
faceted. I've found 4 of them, slightly larger than my fingernail and
they were about $3.00 each.)
NAME: The name is from the Greek [beryllos] indicating any green
gemstone.
LEGEND and LORE: Emerald is considered a birthstone for the month of
May.
"Who first beholds the light of day,
In spring's sweet flowery month of May,
And wears an Emerald all her life,
Shall be a loved, and happy wife." (5)
MAGICAL PROPERTIES: "If you wish to bring a love into your life, buy an
emerald and charge it with your magical need through your visualization,
perhaps while placing it near a green candle. After this ritual, wear or
carry the emerald somewhere near your heart. Do this in such a way that
it cannot be seen by others. When you meet a future love, you'll know it
wasn't the visible jewel that attracted him or her." (3) The Greeks
associated this stone with the Goddess Venus. It has come to represent,
for many people, the security of love. Emerald, like allmost all of the
green stones, is also advantageous for business/money ventures.
HEALING: Emerald is said to aid perception and inner clarity. Because of
this, they are also associated with healing diseases of the eye, and
problems affecting eyesight. It was believed that emeralds could
counteract poisons and cure disentary.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:I sometimes use Emeralds in a stone layout. I will
use them for their psychological/spiritual values of clarity and
perception. If I am using them for this purpose, I use them in the area
of the Heart Chakra, in conjunction with Rose Quartz, or Rhodochrosite
for balanced energy. I've also used them for prosperity consciousness.
................................................................................
2611
-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurance and Name are from (or paraphrased
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and
Minerals".
2. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's En-
cyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.
3. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner. Other sources may be "Stone
Power" by Dorothee L. Mella.
4. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.
5. Birthstone poem from "The Occult and Curative Powers of Precious
Stones" by William T. Fernie, M.D.
---
GARNET (PYROPE)
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Pyrope Garnets are from a group of very closely
related aluminum silicates. The Chemistry for the Pyrope variety is
Mg3Al2Si3O12. These Garnets range in color from deep red to reddish
black and on rare occasions from purple and rose to pale purplish red
(sometimes called [rhodolite].) The hardness ranges between 6-1/2 and
7-1/2.
ENVIRONMENT: Pyrope occurs with olivine and hypersthene in peridotite of
plutonic rocks.
OCCURENCE: Pyrope Garnets occur in peridotite in Kentucky, Arkansas,
Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. In the latter half of the nineteenth
century, most Pyrope came from Bohemia, where it is still found today.
The main sources nowadays, however, are South Africa, Zimbabwe,
Tanzania, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Australia.
GEMSTONE INFORMATION: The garnet species with red or purple varieties,
including Pyrope are considered gemstones. Usually bright red, Pyrope
can be a much less attractive brick or dark red. It can be perfectly
transparent, but this feature is less visible in dark specimens. It is
either made into fairly convex cabochons, or faceted, with an oval or
round mixed cut or, more rarely, a step cut. The faceted gems have good
luster, rather less obvious in cabochons. The most valuable types are,
of course, the transparent ones with the brightest red color. Pyrope is
relatively common, although less so than almandine. Very large stones,
up to several hundred carats have been found; but these are rare and are
found in museums and famous collections.
NAME: The name comes from the Greek [pyropos,] meaning "fiery." The name
"Garnet" comes from the Latin [granatus,] meaning "seed-like".
LEGEND and LORE: Pyrope Garnet has long been associated with love,
passion, sensuality and sexuality. Some Asiatic tribes used red garnets
as bullets for sling bows because they pierced their victims quickly,
and could not be seen well in the body when they mingled with the blood.
2612
Throughout the ages, Pyrope has been used as a curative for all types of
ailments dealing with blood.
MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Pyrope is directly linked with the Will. As such, it
is a strong stone for the Magician and Shaman. It is associated with
Fire and Mars, Strength and Protection. It will help the practitioner
tap into extra energy for ritualistic purposes.
HEALING: While all Garnets are associated with the Root Chakra, Pyrope
is particularly symbolic. It is used for healing when the subject
involved has "lost the will to live", since it is directly related to
the desire to live and achieve in this lifetime. This stone warms and
aids blood circulation, rouses sexuality and heals the reproductive
system and the heart.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: If you are already a strong willed individual or
have a fiery temper that you need to learn to control, I suggest that
you work with the Alamandine Garnets, rather than the Pyropes. This is
a good stone to use for treating depression. Very often, when I've
"worked" on an individual who has suffered a heart attack, I find that
the individual is rather severely depressed (which I think is a side
effect of the medication) and has lost the will to continue in this
lifetime. I've found that fiery red Pyrope Garnets are a great help in
this situation.
ADDITIONAL NOTES: The Latin name [carbunculus,] (small coal or ember),
is attributed to all red transparent stones. It is more often applied to
Pyropes when they are formed into cabochons than any other stone.
-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased
from) "The Audubon Society field Guide to North American Rocks and
Minerals".
2. Other scientific information may be from "Simon & Schuester's Guide
to Gems and Precious Stones".
3. Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from
"Gemstones" by E. H. Rutland.
4. Other precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from
"Gem Cutting", sec. ed., by John Sinkankas.
5. Basic Legends, Lore and Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.
6. Other Magical and Healing information may come from "\crystal Wisdom,
Spiritual Properties of Crystals and Gemstones" by Dolfyn.
7. More legends and lore may come from "Stone Power" by Dorothee L.
Mella.
8. Healing information is from "The Women's Book of Healing", by Diane
Stein.
9. Additional healing information may be from "The Occult and Curative
Powers of Precious Stones" by William T. Fernie, M.D.
---------------------------------------------------------------
GARNET (ALMANDINE)
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Almandine Garnets are from a group of very
closely related aluminum silicates. The Chemistry for the Almandine
variety is Fe2/3+Al2Si3O12. These Garnets range in color from deep red
to brown and brownish black. The hardness ranges between 6-1/2 and
7-1/2.
2613
ENVIRONMENT: Almandine occurs in diorite of plutonic rocks, and with
andalusite, hornblende, and biotite in hornfels and schist of contact
and regional metamorphic rocks.
OCCURENCE: Well-formed crystals of Almandine have come from Wrangell, SE
Alaska; from Emerald Creek, Benewah Co., Idaho; and from Michigamme,
Michigan. Gemstone quality material is obtained in large quantities
from Sri Lanka and India, where it is also cut; other sources are Burma,
Brazil, Madagascar, Tanzania, and Australia.
GEMSTONE INFORMATION: Most red garnets come under the name Almandine,
even when their composition is midway between that of Pyrope and
Almandine and similar, in many cases, to that of Rhodolite. The reason
for this is the similarity in their color and absorption spectrum
characteristics. Almandine has a brilliant luster, but its transparency
is frequently marred, even in very clear stones, by excessive depth of
color. The cabochon cut is widely used, often being given a strongly
convex shape and sometimes a concave base, in an effort to lighten
the color by reducing the thickness. Rose cuts have also been used,
particularly in the past. Nowdays, when the material is quite transpare-
nt, faceted cuts are used as well, and sometimes square or rectangular
step cuts. Gems of several carats are not uncommon. Faceted or even
barely rounded pieces of Almandine, pierced as necklace beads, were very
common in the recent past, but are now considered old-fashioned.
NAME: The name Almandine comes from [carbunculus alabandicus,] after the
city of Alabanda in Asia Minor, where gems were traded at the time of
Pliny theElder.
LEGEND and LORE: All red Garnet has long been associated with love,
passion, sensuality and sexuality. Garnet is considered a birthstone for
those born in January:
"By her in January born
No gem save Garnets should be worn;
They will ensure her constancy,
True friendship, and fidelity."
MAGICAL PROPERTIES: The darker Garnets are associated with the Will and
the Source of Life Incarnate. This is who and what we are in this
lifetime. This stone is worn for protective purposes, and is thought to
drive off demons and phantoms.
HEALING: Almandine Garnets are used to heal skin conditions associated
with poor circulation. They improve vigor, strength and endurance.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: Almandine Garnets are particularly effective when
healing "traumas" that are carried over from a past life and deal with
sexuality and heart/love problems.
-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased
from) "The Audubon Society field Guide to North American Rocks and
Minerals".
2. Other scientific information may be from "Simon & Schuester's Guide
to Gems and Precious Stones".
3. Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from
"Gemstones" by E. H. Rutland.
2614
4. Other precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from
"Gem Cutting", sec. ed., by John Sinkankas.
5. Basic Legends, Lore and Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.
6. Other Magical and Healing information may come from "\crystal Wisdom,
Spiritual Properties of Crystals and Gemstones" by Dolfyn.
7. More legends and lore may come from "Stone Power" by Dorothee L.
Mella.
8. Healing information is from "The Women's Book of Healing", by Diane
Stein.
9. Additional healing information may be from "The Occult and Curative
Powers of Precious Stones" by William T. Fernie, M.D.
10. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.
GARNET (SPESSARTINE)
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Spessartine Garnets are from a group of very
closely related aluminum silicates. The Chemistry for the Spessartine
variety is Mn3Al2Si3O12. These Garnets range in color from brownish red
to hyacinth-red. The hardness ranges between 6-1/2 and 7-1/2.
ENVIRONMENT: Spessartine occurs with albite and muscovite in granite
pegmatites and with quartz and riebeckite in blue schist or regional
metamorphic rocks..
OCCURENCE: Large corroded crystals of Spessartine have come from the
Rutherford No. 2 Mine, Amelia, Amelia Co., Virginia; crystals up to 1"
in diameter have been found in several pegmatites in the Ramona
District, San Diego Co., California; sharp, dark-red, well-formed
crystals occur in cavities in rhyolite near Ely, White Pine C., Nevada;
and brilliant crystals of Spessartine have been found with topaz at Ruby
Mt., near Nathrop, Chaffee Co., Colorado. Gem material comes from the
gem gravels of Sri Lanka and Burma. It is also found in Brazil and
Madagascar.
GEMSTONE INFORMATION: The gem variety of Spessartine Garnet is uncommon.
It tends to be midway between spessartine and almandine in composition.
The "aurora red", orange-red or orange-pink color is typical. It has
good transparency and considerable luster. It is normally given a mixed,
round, or oval cut. The weight does not normally exceed a few carats.
Gems of about 10 carats are extremely rare and usually of an atypical,
rather dark, unattactive color.
NAME: Spessartine is named after an occurrence in the spessart district,
Bavaria, Germany.
LEGEND and LORE: In the 13th century garnets were thought to repel
insect stings. A magical treatise, "The Book of Wings", dating from the
thirteenth century says "The well-formed image of a lion, if engraved on
a garnet, will protect and preserve honors and health, cures the wearer
of all diseases, brings him honors, and guards him from all perils in
traveling."
MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Spessartine is normally considered to be red-orange
to orange-pink. Thus it links the "will" with the "desire". It is a good
stone to use when casting a spell for your "heart's desire", especially
if it is of the orange-pink" variety.
2615
HEALING: The orange garnets are linked to the root and the belly chakra.
They are beneficial in instances of infertility, dealing with reproduc-
tive organs. Mentally, it inspires confidence in personal creativity and
self-worth.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: Spessartine is not as effective as Carnelian for
instances of infertility. But it DOES help the mental attitude of the
individual experiencing the difficulty. It is a warming stone, and works
well for increasing circulation in the lower part of the body.
-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased
from) "The Audubon Society field Guide to North American Rocks and
Minerals".
2. Other scientific information may be from "Simon & Schuester's Guide
to Gems and Precious Stones".
3. Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from
"Gemstones" by E. H. Rutland.
4. Other precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from
"Gem Cutting", sec. ed., by John Sinkankas.
5. Basic Legends, Lore and Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.
6. Other Magical and Healing information may come from "\crystal Wisdom,
Spiritual Properties of Crystals and Gemstones" by Dolfyn.
7. More legends and lore may come from "Stone Power" by Dorothee L.
Mella.
8. Healing information is from "The Women's Book of Healing", by Diane
Stein.
9. Additional healing information may be from "The Occult and Curative
Powers of Precious Stones" by William T. Fernie, M.D.
10. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.
---
GARNET (GROSSULAR)
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Grossular Garnets are from a group of very
closely related calcium silicates. The Chemistry for the Grossular
variety is Ca3Al2Si3O12. These Garnets range in color from yellow, pink
and brown through white and colorless. The hardness ranges between 6-1/2
and 7-1/2.
ENVIRONMENT: Grossular occurs with wollastonite, calcite, and vesuviani-
te in hornfels of contact metamorphic rocks.
OCCURENCE: Being the commonest of all garnets, it is found in a variety
of locations. Fine colorless crystals up to 1/2" across occur in
Gatineau and Magantic Cos., Quebec, fine lusterous pale brown crystals
2616
up to 3" across were found near Minot, Androscoggin Co., Main, and
beautiful white and pick crystals up to 4" across have been found near
Xalostoc, Morelos, Mexico.
GEMSTONE INFORMATION: Grossular also has the typical crystal form of
garnets, occuring in isolated crystals which are often complete, in the
shape of a rhombic dodecahedron, sometimes combined with a trapezo-
hedron. They vary from transparent to semiopaque. The typical color is
light (gooseberry) yellowish green; but they can be a strong to bluish
green, honey yellow or pinkish yellow, or even colorless. When transpar-
ent, the crystals have good luster. Like other garnets, they have no
cleavage. The greenish to yellowish varieties are used as gems.
Grossular is not a rare mineral. The types used as gems mainly come from
the gem gravels of Sri Lanka (honey yellow variety); the the United
States, Canada, Mexico, Madagascar, Kenya. The green variety of
grossular garnet, discovered a few decades ago and found mainly in
Kenya, near the Tsavo National Park, is also known as Tsavorite (or
Tsavolite) It is a light, verdant, or dark green, similar to the color
of the better green tourmalines and sometimes, it is said, even
comparable to African emerald. It has good luster. These gems, which are
usually given a round or pear-shaped mixed cut, or occasionally a
brilliant cut, are generally small, rarely exceeding one carat and never
more than a few carats.
NAME: Grossular is from the New Latin [grosssularia,] "gooseberry,"
because some Grossular crystals are pale green like the fruit.
LEGEND and LORE: I do not find anything referring specifically to yellow
or green garnets in my sources.
MAGICAL PROPERTIES: While deep red garnets focus on "Will" and orange--
red garnets focus on "Desire", yellow garnets are focused on Personal
Power and Personality. In addition they are (because of their color)
associated with athletic prowess and Oriental philosophies.
HEALING: Being linked to the Solar Plexus Chakra, yellow garnets are
energizing. They can be used for the digestive organs, the diaphram (and
the breath) and eyesight. Green garnets center their healing on the
Heart Chakra.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: It is difficult to find a green stone that works
well for the lower chakras and the lower half of the body. When I do
total layouts for individuals with Aids, I use all green stones,
whenever possible. The Green garnets work well for this. Since Garnet is
the stone of the Root Chakra, the Will, and green is the color of the
Heart Chakra, love, circulation, general healing, this stone works
exceptionally well. I find that the yellow garnets work better for
magical purposes than healing. For healing, there are several
yellow stones that seem to work better for me.
NOTES: Garnets are used in industry as an abrasive.
-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased
from) "The Audubon Society field Guide to North American Rocks and
Minerals".
2617
2. Other scientific information may be from "Simon & Schuester's Guide
to Gems and Precious Stones".
3. Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from
"Gemstones" by E. H. Rutland.
4. Other precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from
"Gem Cutting", sec. ed., by John Sinkankas.
5. Basic Legends, Lore and Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.
6. Other Magical and Healing information may come from "\crystal Wisdom,
Spiritual Properties of Crystals and Gemstones" by Dolfyn.
7. More legends and lore may come from "Stone Power" by Dorothee L.
Mella.
8. Healing information is from "The Women's Book of Healing", by Diane
Stein.
9. Additional healing information may be from "The Occult and Curative
Powers
of Precious Stones" by William T. Fernie, M.D.
10. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and
notebooks,
by <grin> Tandika Star.
-----------------------------------------------------
LAZURITE (LAPIS LAZULI)
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Lazurite is a silicate of sodium calcium and
aluminum, with some sulfur. It is a member of the sodalite group. It's
chemistry is (Na, Ca)8(Al,Si)12O24(S,SO)4. The color ranges in shades of
blue from violet blue and azure blue thru greenish-blue. Lazurite is
distinguished from sodalite by its deeper color and fine grain. It is
also softer and lighter in weight than lazulite. It is dull to greasy
and the streak is pale blue. The hardness ranges between 5 and 5-1/2.
ENVIRONMENT: Crystals are rare. It is usually granular, compact,
massive. It forms in association with pyrite, calcite, and diopside in
hornfels of contact metamorphic rocks. The opaque, vivid blue, light
blue, greenish-blue, or violet-blue stone, consisting largely of
lazurite but with appreciable amounts of calcite, diopside, and pyrite,
is a rock called [lapis lazuli.] The stone is usually veined or spotted.
Its value depends largely upon excellence and uniformity of color and
absence of pyrite, although some purchasers prefer lapis with pyrite.
OCCURRENCE: Lazurite is a rare mineral in North America, but it does
occur on Italian Mt. in the Sawatch Mts. of Colorado; on Ontario Peak in
the San Gabriel Mts., Los Angeles Co., and in Cascade Canyon in the San
Bernardino Mts., San Bernardino Co., California. The finest lapis lazuli
has come from Badakshan in Afghanistan, and less valuable material has
come from Russia and Chile.
NAME: The name is from the Arabic [lazaward], "heaven," which was also
applied to sky-blue lapis lazuli.
2618
LEGEND and LORE: Lapis Lazuli was a favorite stone of the ancient
Egyptians. In the past Lazurite has been burned and ground to form the
pigment "ultramarine." It was consider an aid to childbirth, and has
long been associated with altered states of consciousness and trance
work. Lapis is sometimes designated as a birthstone for December,
although turquoise is most common.
MAGICAL PROPERTIES: To quote Cunningham: "This stone is used in rituals
designed to attract spiritual love. Take an untumbled piece of lapis
with a sharp edge. Empower the stone and a pink candle with your need
for love. Then, using the lapis lazuli, carve a heart onto the candle.
Place the stone near the candleholder and burn the candle while
visualizing a love coming into your life." Actually, the most important
magical aspect of lapis is it's ability to strengthen psychic awareness.
Cunningham says "Despite its somewhat high price, lapis lazuli is one
stone every stone magician should own and utilize."(2)
HEALING: This stone is used at the Ajina, the Brow Chakra. It's related
gland is the pituitary. The pituitary gland is also referred to as the
"master gland" because it regulates all of the others. This location is
also the center for the eyes, ears, nose and brain.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: I don't often use Lapis for physical healing,
unless I feel that there is a "link" between what is manifested as
disease, and some conflict of the "higher self". I have used it for
brain disorders (tumors, inflammation, etc.) More often, I use it in
layouts where the client is trying to achieve an altered state of
consciousness.
-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurrence and Name are from (or paraphrased
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and
Minerals".
2. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's En-
cyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.
3. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner.
4. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.
--------------------------------------------------
LEPIDOLITE
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Lepidolite a potassium, lithium, aluminum
fluorsilicate mica. Its chemistry is complex: K(Li,Al)3(Si,Al)4O10-
(F,OH)2. It is pink, lilac, yellowish, grayish white or a combination of
all of these. The streak is colorless. It is one of the softer stones,
with a hardness of 2-1/2 to 3.
ENVIRONMENT: Lepidolite is confined to granite pegmatites, where it
occurs either as fine-granular masses near the core of the pegmatite or
as stubby or tabular crystals in cavities. It is commonly associated
with microcline, quartz, and tourmaline.
2619
OCCURENCE: Large fine masses of lepidolite have been mined at the
Stewart Pegmatite at Pala, and superb sharp crystals have been obtained
from the Little Three Pegmatite near Ramona, both in San Diego Co.,
California. It has also been mined in substantial amounts in several New
England states and in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
NAME: The name comes from the Greek [lepidos], meaning 'scale', in
allusion to the scaly aggregates in which the mineral commonly occurs.
................................................................................
2620
LEGEND and LORE: Lepidolite is a stone that could certainly be con-
sidered "new age" in the sense that it is just now coming into recogni-
tion by healers and magicians. There is no "past lore" on this stone, to
the best of my knowledge. Part of this may be due to the fact, that it
is native to the United States.
MAGICAL PROPERTIES: "This stone soothes anger, hatred or any other
negative emotion. To quiet the entire house, place lepidolite stones in
a circle around a pink candle." (2)
HEALING: Lepidolite is also know as the "Dream Stone". It will protect
the individual from nightmares, especially those caused by stress or an
upset in personal relationships. It can be used in the same types of
circumstances as Kunzite, namely for manic depression or schizophrenia.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: This is one of the most soothing and relaxing
stones I've ever held. It is a beauty to look at, and calms the mind
enabling it to concentrate on the TRUE source of a problem...instead of
running around in frantic circles accomplishing nothing. The more
rubellite in the stone, the better it will help the heart and mind work
together.
NOTES: Lepidolite has been used as a source of lithium. The above
description of the appearance of this stone may be deceiving, as I found
Cunningham's to be, also. All of the specimens of this stone that I have
seen so far have been grey to a pale lavendar grey with "sparkles" of
the lithium mica embedded in it. The heart-shaped cabuchon that I have
also has very distinctive crystals of rubellite (pink tourmaline) and
veins of white running through it. I was originally looking for a MUCH
brighter lavendar stone. It is unusual, also, to find specimens that are
cut and polished. Usually the stone is too "crumbly" to take a good
polish. However, it is equally handsome in rough form.
-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and
Minerals".
2. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's En-
cyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.
3. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.
------------------------------------------------------
MALACHITE
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Malachite is a basic copper carbonate. It's
chemistry is Cu2CO3(OH)2. It ranges in color from emerald green thru
grass green to shades of silky pale green. The streak is light green.
It's hardness is 3-1/2 to 4. Crystals are rare. Most gem specimens
display distinctive concentric colorbanding; (alternating dark green and
light green bands.)
ENVIRONMENT: Malachite is a secondary copper mineral and develops in the
zone of alteration in massive, lode, and disseminated hydrothermal
replacement deposits. Associated minerals are azurite, limonite, and
2621
chalcopyrite.
OCCURENCE: The copper mines at Bisbee, Chochise Co., Arizona, are famous
for their fine specimens of massive malachite and pseudomorphs of
malachite after azurite. Mines at Morenci in Greenlee Co., and at Globe
in Gila Co., Arizona, have yielded beautiful malachite specimens, of
which some consist of alternating layers of green malachite and blue
azurite. Fine malachite has also come from copper mines in California,
Nevada, Utah, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
NAME: The name is from the Greek [moloche], "mallow," an illusion to the
mineral's leaf-green color. Malachite is used as an ore of copper and as
a gemstone.
LEGEND and LORE: It is said that if malachite is worn, it will break
into pieces to warn the wearer of danger.
MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Used to direct power towards magical goals.
Protective, especially towards children. According to Cunningham, "Small
pieces of malachite placed in each corner of a business building or a
small piece placed in the cash register draws customers. Worn during
business meetings or trade shows, it increases your ability to obtain
good deals and sales. It is the salesperson's stone." (2)
HEALING: If the malachite is of the blue-green variety, it can be
associated with the Sacral Center, or Splenic Chakra (Svadisthana).
Here, it's energy branches to the left, to the spleen. (It is intended
in this position for those who are celebate.) In addition, if it is
grass-green, it can be used at the Lumbar/Solar Plexis Center. "When the
malachite is placed at the solar plexus and a piece of green jade is
placed at the heart center and a double-terminated quartz crystal is
placed between them, people may remember events that have been blocked
for years. They may cry or scream. As these buried emotions are brought
to the surface and released, a great weight is lifted and they soon feel
renewed." (3)
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: I am very careful about using Malachite. It has
been my experience that the emotions that it releases can be very
powerful, to the point of overwhelming some people. On the other hand,
if the individual is ready to deal with them (in a "growth" period) it
may work out just fine. You could "balance" the emotional content with
a pink stone (such as rose quartz) to cut down some on the intensity.
A few years ago, I broke my arm. To do so, I damaged the muscles and
nerves in my wrist. I was in a lot of pain, and was searching for what
I could do to help the situation. During a journey, I saw malachite, so
I found a malachite heart which I held in the palm of the broken arm
while meditating. I got a lot of relief from it. Now, if the wrist acts
up, I use the heart, taped over the wrist area when I go to bed at
night. It seems to help quite a bit. I now recommend malachite for
nerve/muscle damage with some success. (4)
-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurance and Name are from (or paraphrased
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and
Minerals".
2622
2. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's En-
cyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.
3. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner.
4. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.
--------------------------------------------------
MOONSTONE
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Moonstone is one variation of Orthoclase. It
owes its beautiful silvery to bluish sheen ('adularescence' or 'schil-
ler') to its composition of extremely thin plates of orthoclase and
albite. The thinner these plates are, the bluer is the sheen. There are
also moonstones consisting mainly of albite. These are less translucent,
but they can occur in a variety of colours: grey, blue, green, brown,
yellow and white. There are also moonstone cat's-eyes. The chemical
composition is KAlSi3O8 and the hardness is 7. The streak is white.
ENVIRONMENT: The potash feldspars are important rock-forming minerals in
plutonic, volcanic, and metamorphic rocks. Adularia and sanidine are
found usually in volcanic rocks.
OCCURENCE: The main countries of origin are Ceylon, southern India (the
district near Kangayam), Tanzia and Malagasy which, together with Burma,
produces some of the finest stones with a deep blue schiller. White
adularia crystals up to 2.5 cm (1") across have been found in gold-bear-
ing quartz veins at Bodie, Mono Co., California, and in the silver mines
of the Silver City district, Owhyee Co., Idaho.
GEMSTONE INFORMATION: Moonstone is always cut into cabochons, to display
the cat's-eye, or schiller.
NAME: Adularia (another name for Moonstone) comes from the locality in
Switzerland, the Adula Mts.
LEGEND and LORE: This stone has always been revered because of its lunar
attraction. It was believed that the shiller in the stone would follow
the cycles of the moon. (Becoming greatest when the moon was full.) In
addition, it has always been considered a "feminine, or Goddess" stone.
MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Meditation with moonstone calls into consciousness
the three-form moon phase goddesses, Diana/Selene/Hecate, the waxing,
Full and waning Moon. These are woman as goddess in her ages and
contradictions, Maiden/Mother/Crone. Cunningham favors this stone for
spells involving love. In addition he has a longish essay on using it
for a "diet" stone.
HEALING: Because of it's feminine nature, Moonstone has long been
considered a "womans healing stone". It is used traditionally for
healing/balancing of female organs and hormones.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: I use Moonstone at the Transpersonal Point, for
connection to the Goddess and Universal Feminine Energy. This is the
connection to dreams and dreaming, feminine "intuition", and "cycles".
There are cycles of time, seasons, the moon, stars, etc. I also use/give
2623
this stone for those clients who are having difficulty being in tune
with the feminine side of their nature. (Everyone has a masculine and
a feminine side.)
NOTES: In the past, this stone has also been called "Cylon Opal".
-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and
Minerals".
2. Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from
"Gemstones" by E. H. Rutland.
3. Other Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from
"Gem Cutting", sec. ed., by John Sinkankas.
4. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's En-
cyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.
5. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner.
6. Some of the healing information may come from "A Journey Through the
Chakras" by Joy Gardner.
7. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.
8. Birthstone poem from "The Occult and Curative Powers of Precious
Stones" by William T. Fernie, M.D.
-----------------------------------------------
OBSIDIAN
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Obsidian occurs as volcanic lava flows that are
thick and of limited area. Its black, glassy, lustrous, and often
flow-banded appearance makes it rather easy to distinguish from the
other volcanic rocks with which it is commonly associated. This mineral
forms when a silica-rich magma of granitic composition flows onto the
earth's surface, where it solidifies before minerals can develop and
crystallize. It is, therefore, an amorphous solid or glass rather than
an aggregate of minerals. The hardness of Obsidian is between 6 and 7;
it will scratch window glass. Although generally black, it is more or
less smoky along translucent to transparent edges; other colors are
gray, reddish brown, mahogany and dark green. When it has small white
"flower" designs in it, it is called Snowflake Obsidian. It is also
possible to find pieces with a sheen, or chatoyance. This is often
called Rainbow Obsidian.
ENVIRONMENT: Obsidian is an environment for very few minerals. Lithophy-
sae and spherulites may contain small but beautiful crystals of
feldspar, tridymite, and cristobalite.
OCCURENCE: Some locations of Obsidian bodies are California (Inyo,
Imperial, and Modoc Cos.), Oregon (Crater Lake), Wyoming (Yellowstone
Park), and Mexico (near Pachuca.)
2624
NAME: The name is dervied from the latin name for the mineral, [obsio.]
LEGEND and LORE: Polished pieces of black Obsidian have been used for
Scrying. Primitive peoples once valued obsidian highly, chipping and
flaking it into knives, spearheads, and many other implements with
razor-sharp edges resulting from the intersecting conchoidal fractures.
MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Obsidian is a very protective stone. It is also
associated with the inner mysteries of the Goddess, symbolizing entrance
to the labyrinth, the womb or the subconscious self.
HEALING: Because of its protective qualities, Obsidian is a good stone
for those who are soft-hearted and gentle. It will help to guard them
against abuse. This stone cleanses toxins from the liver, so it is also
good for people who are exposed to environmental pollutants.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: This is the "balance" stone for Clear Quartz
Crystals. We jokingly refer to it around here as a "dark sucker"...mean-
ing it will absorb all sorts of negative things. It is also a grounding
stone, and I use it at the Base Chakra (below the feet) at the beginning
of a layout to keep my client "grounded". In India, the women wear
obsidian toe rings for the same purpose. I use Black Obsidian in
conjunction with Quartz. If I'm not using Clear Quartz, I use Snowflake
Obsidian. I also have a piece of Rainbow Obsidian, but it is relatively
new and I haven't finished "conversing" with it, so I have no advice
as to how to use it...at the moment.
-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and
Minerals".
2. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's En-
cyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.
3. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner.
4. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.
----------------------------------------------
OPAL
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Opal is hydrous silica, often with some iron and
aluminum. Its chemistry is SiO2.nH2O; amount of water varies up to 10
percent. It ranges in color from White, yellow, red, pink, brown to
gray, blue and even colorless. It is most easily recognized by its rich
internal play of colors (opalescence). Its hardness ranges from 5-1/2 to
6-1/2. It is vitreous and pearly. The streak is white. It is not found
in crystal form, rather is is usually massive, botryoidal, reniform,
stalactitic, and/or earthy.
ENVIRONMENT: Opal is a low-temperature mineral and usually develops in
a wide variety of rocks as cavity and fracture fillings. It requently
develops as amygdules in basalt and rhyolite of volcanic rock and
replaces the cells in wood and the shells of clams.
2625
OCCURENCE: Common opal is widespread and can be readily obtained at many
places, but localities for precious opal are rare and seem to localized
in W United States and Mexico. Magnificent examples of opalized wood can
be found in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, and lively
green fluorescing opal (hyalite) occurs in seams in pegmatites in New
England and North Carolina and in cavities in basalt near Klamath Falls,
Oregon. Beautiful precious opal, as a replacement in wood, has been
obtained in Virgin Valley, Humboldt Co., Nevada. Excellent fire and
precious opal occur in laval flows in N Mexico. Nevada, Australia, and
Honduras are sources for black opal; Australia and Czechoslovakia
for white opal; Mexico and SW United States for fire opal.
GEMSTONE INFORMATION: Black, dark blue, dark green opal with dark gray
body color and fine play of colors is called [black opal;] opal with
white or light body color and fine play of color is called [white opal;]
and transparent to translucent opal with body color ranging from
orange-yellow to red and a play of colors is called [fire opal.] Play of
colors depends upon interference of light and is not dependent upon body
color. Black opal is the most highly prized, and fire opal is the most
valued of the orange and red varieties. Most opal is fashioned into
cabochons, but some fire opals are faceted.
NAME: The word is from the Sanskrit [upala,] meaning "precious stone."
LEGEND and LORE: Opal is a birthstone for October.
"October's child is born for woe,
And life's vicissitudes must know;
But lay an Opal on her breast,
And hope will lull those foes to rest." (5)
Opals have traditionally been considered "lucky" stones...but only for
those born in the month of October. It has been considered bad luck to
wear them if you were born in any other month.
MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Opal is considered to be able to confer the gift of
invisibility on its wearer. To accomplish this, Cunningham says "The gem
was wrapped in a fresh bay leaf and carried for this purpose." He also
says, "Opals are also worn to bring out inner beauty. A beauty spell:
Place a round mirror on the altar or behind it so that you can see your
face within it while kneeling. Place two green candles on eithe side of
the mirror. Light the candles. Empower an opal with your need for beauty
-- while holding the stone, gaze into your reflection. With the scalpel
of your visualization, mold and form your face (and your body) to the
form you desire. Then, carry or wear the opal and dedicate
yourself to improving your appearance." (2)
HEALING: Opals contain all the colors of the other stones, thus, it
could be used in place of any of them. (They are akin to quartz
crystals, in this aspect.) Generally speaking, Opal is used more
frequently for healing the spirit, rather than the physical body.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: Opals are probably my favorite stone. This may be
partially due to the fact that they are my birthstone, and I have been
surrounded by them all of my life. For me, they are protective and
invigorating. I normally use them during Journeying, and when doing
"readings" for other...anything where I am using altered states of
consciousness. I find that they help me to understand the symbols of my
2626
visions in a way that makes them meaningful for others.
-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurance and Name are from (or paraphrased
from) "The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and
Minerals".
2. Legends and Lore, Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's En-
cyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.
3. Some of the healing information may come from "Color and Crystals, A
Journey Through the Chakras" by Joy Gardner.
4. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.
5. Birthday poem from "The Occult and Curative Powers of Precious
Stones" by William T. Fernie, M.D.
-----------------------------------------------------
VESUVIANITE (IDOCRASE)
SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION: Vesuvianite is composed of calcium, magnesium
and aluminum silicate, often with some beryllium and fluorine. The
chemistry is Ca10Mg2Al4(SiO4)5(Si2)7)2(OH)4. Specimens range from brown
and green to a rare yellow or blue. The hardness is 6-1/2.
ENVIRONMENT: Vesuvianite forms by igneous and metamorphic processes. It
commonly is metamorphic and occurs with grossular, wollastonite, and
calcite in hornfels of contact metamorphic rocks; with chromite and
magnetite in serpentinite of hydrothermal metamorphic rocks; and with
wollastonite, andradite, and diopside in carbonatites.
OCCURENCE: Gem-quality Vesuvianite has been obtained from a pegmatite in
marble near Sixteen Island Lake, Laurel, Argenteuil Co., Quebec, and
beautiful micromount cyrstals of purplish-pink color occur in massive
Vesuvianite at the Montral chrome pit at Black Lake, Megantic Co.,
Quebec. The blue variety called [cyprine] has been obtained at Franklin,
Sussex Co., New Jersey. Fine crystals up to 1-1/2 inches across occur in
pale-blue calcite at Scratch Gravel, near Helena, Lewis and Clark Co.,
Montana, and spectacular material of similar nature occurs at quarries
near Riverside, California. Beautiful pale-green massive Vesuvianite
([californite]) occurs in California at Pulga, Butte Co.,
and near Happy Camp, Siskiyou Co., and crude yellow prismatic crystals
occur with grossular at Xalostoc, Morelos, and Lake Jaco, Chihuahua,
Mexico.
GEMSTONE INFORMATION: Translucent gray to green or nearly colorless
Vesuvianite with green streaks is called [californite], and is often
sold as "California Jade." Californite is fashioned into cabochons.
Principal sources are the USSR, Italy, Canada and California.
NAME: The name "Vesuvianite" is from the original locality at Mt.
Vesuvius, Italy. The alternate name, "idocrase," comes from the Greek
[eidos,] "form", and [krasis,] "mixture," because Vesuvianite may appear
to combine the crystal forms of several other minerals.
2627
LEGEND and LORE: None found.
MAGICAL PROPERTIES: Dolfyn associates this stone with Passion, enthus-
iasm, warmth and devotion.
HEALING: No specific information found, other than what Dolfyn states.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: None. I do not have a specimen of Vesuvianite.
-------bibliography-------
1. Scientific, Environment, Occurence and Name are from (or paraphrased
from)"The Audubon Society field Guide to North American Rocks and
Minerals".
2. Other scientific information may be from "Simon & Schuester's Guide
to Gems and Precious Stones".
3. Precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from
"Gemstones" by E. H. Rutland.
4. Other precious and semi-precious gemstone information may come from
"Gem Cutting", sec. ed., by John Sinkankas.
5. Basic Legends, Lore and Magical Properties are from "Cunningham's
Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic", by Scott Cunningham.
6. Some magical and healing information from "Crystal Wisdom, Spiritual
Properties of Crystals and Gemstones" by Dolfyn.
7. More legends and lore may come from "Stone Power" by Dorothee L.
Mella.
8. Healing information is from "The Women's Book of Healing", by Diane
Stein.
9. Additional healing information may be from "The Occult and Curative
Powers of Precious Stones" by William T. Fernie, M.D.
10. Personal Experience is from MY personal experience, journals and
notebooks, by <grin> Tandika Star.
................................................................................
2628
{file "The Three-Fold Goddess (Eileen Turner)" "bos610.htm"}
The Threefold Goddess
I
To understand the concept of Goddess requires more than the
ability to visualize God as a woman. The Goddess concept is built
around the myth and mystery of the relationship between God and
Goddess, and beneath that, and part of it, Her Threefold Aspect ...
Maiden, Mother and Crone.
One of the oldest recognized Goddess forms is the first Greek
Goddess - Gaia, the Earth Mother; the Universal Womb; Mother of All.
The most ancient Goddesses were most often Earth and Mother Goddesses.
The were worshipped and revered as bearers of life ... fat, healthy,
pregnant and fruitful. As the Goddess concept developed, then came the
Harvest Goddesses, who were also Earth Goddesses. Understand that
this was a time when people did not even understand the basic
mechanics of procreation. Life was very sacred and mystical indeed!
Gradually, myth and mystery developed and revealed themselves,
creating the legend which we honor in the modern Wiccan Craft.
We recognize the Goddess as the mother of all, including her
Mighty Consort, the God. To Her he is Lover and Son, and together
they form the Ultimate, the Omniverse, the Dragon, the Mystery.
Now that is a pretty tough concept all things considered.
Especially in our society as it sounds rather incestuous. From a
mundane perspective, it gets worse as the Wheel of the Year Turns, and
the Oak and Holly Kings battle ... eternal rivals and
sacrificial mates.
In the pages that follow, we will explore the Goddess foundation
concepts and try to reach an understanding of the basis of the
Mystery.
I don't want to get off into all the names of all the Goddesses
in all the mythology in all of history. While that is certainly a
noble endeavor, it is not the objective here. What I do want to do is
look at the Goddess, in whole and in part, and see just who and what
she is.
First and foremost, the Goddess is the symbol of the Cycle of
Everlasting. She is constant, ever present, ever changing, and yet
always the same. She could be compared in that respect to the oceans.
As a part of that, she is that from which we have come, and to
which we will return. She is the Universal Mother, the Cosmic Womb.
While those are largely symbolic images, as opposed to literal ones,
they are important to bear in mind about any aspect of the Goddess.
She never harms, she is Mother.
One of the most difficult throwback mentalities to dispell in a
student is the difference between "dark and light" and "bad and good".
Societally, and often religiously, we are trained to see bad and dark
and evil as being the same. Hence, we are also taught to hate and
fear our own mortality. All too often I see practicing Wiccans, who
ought to *know* better, fall back on these concepts when trying to
2677
explain or understand a concept.
The Goddess is dark, she is light, she is birth, she is death,
and she rejoices in all things. With death comes joy, for with death
comes renewal. With life comes joy, for with life comes promise.
With growth comes joy for with growth comes wisdom. Sorrow and fear
are not a part of her, not the way we feel those emotions. She is
incapable of sorrow without joy, she fears nothing, because fear is
not real. It is a creation of the mind.
Whether you see the Goddess as a Warrior Queen, or like the Good
Witch of the North in the Wizard of Oz, she is the Goddess. And she
has many parts and facets which defy comprehension as "One". She
simply IS, and in that, can be whatever you need her to be in order to
establish a relationship with her. But none of that changes what she
IS.
"I greet thee in the many names of the Threefold Goddess and her
Mighty Consort. Athe, malkuth, ve-guburah, ve-gedulah, le-olam, Amen.
Blessed Be."
So here, at the Circle Door, greeted by the High Priest or
Priestess we first see mentioned the Threefold Goddess. Full-sized
covens have three priestesses who take the specific roles of Maiden,
Mother and Crone, the High Priestess being Mother.
The Threefold Goddess however is NOT three entities, she is one.
Her aspects represent Enchantment, Ripeness and Wisdom.
Taking first things first is usually best, so we shall start
with a look at one side of the Maiden.
Quoting "The Myth of the Goddess" as found in Gardenarian Wicca
(Gerald B. Gardner, The Meaning of Witchcraft, Aquarian Press, London,
1959.):
Now Aradia had never loved, but she would solve all the
Mysteries, even the Mystery of Death; and so she journeyed to the
Nether Lands.
The Guardians of the Portals challenged her, "Strip off thy
garments, lay aside thy jewels; for naught may ye bring with ye into
this our land."
So she laid down her garments and her jewels and was bound, as
were all who enter the Realms of Death the Mighty One. Such was her
beauty that Death himself knelt and kissed her feet, saying, "Blessed by
thy feet that have brought thee in these ways. Abide with me, let me
place my cold hand on thy heart." She replied "I love thee not.
Why dost thou cause all things that I love and take delight in to fade
and die?"
"Lady," replied Death, "it is Age and Fate, against which I am
helpless. Age causes all things to wither, but when men die at the
end of time I give them rest and peace, and strength so that they may
return. But thou, thou art lovely. Return not; abide with me."
But she answered, "I love thee not."
2678
Then said Death, "An' thou receive not my hand on thy heart
thou must receive Death's scourge."
"It is Fate; better so", she said, and she knelt, and Death
scourged her and she cried "I feel the pangs of love."
And Death said, "Blessed be" and gave her the Fivefold Kiss,
saying "Thus only may ye attain joy and knowledge."
And he taught her all the Mysteries. And they loved and were
one, and he taught her all the Magicks.
For there are three great events in the life of Man: Love,
Death and Resurrection in a new body, and Magick controls them all.
For to fulfill love you must return again at the same time and place
as the loved one, and you must remember and love them again. But to
be reborn you must die, and be ready for a new body; and to die you
must be born; and without love you may not be born. And these be all
the Magicks.
So there in the Gardnerian Myth of the Goddess we have her
Maiden aspect, seeking, searching and opening herself to the
mysteries. But it is well to remember that the Goddess herself is a
mystery, and the primary gift of the Goddess is intuitive Wisdom.
Beltaine (Bealtain) is the only Sabbat where the Goddess is
entirely devoted to the Maiden. Here, she revels in the enchantment,
in the joy of coming into fullness and mating with the God. Here, she
is maiden bride and we can most easily understand that facet of the
Maiden aspect. I should probably note here that some see this
festival as maiden turning into mother, with the maiden being in full at
Candlemas, but I do not agree with that.
Youth, newness, innocence and beauty are fundamental facets of
the Maiden aspect. But beneath those are seeking, and love, and love of
seeking. There is more to understand of the Maiden though.
Enchantment does not end with maidenhood, it is simply the beginning
of the Mystery of Life, for that, above all, is what the Goddess
stands for.
In Circle, in the Balanced Universe, the Maiden takes her place
in the East. In examining this most comfortable quarter, you learn
more about the Maiden Aspect. East (Air) rules the free mind and
intellect. It is the place to seek the ability to learn and to open
spiritually, to open your mind and find answers. It is a masculine
quarter, ruled by intellect, and analytical logic, but she brings to
it an intuition which is required to use these to best advantage.
"The river is flowing, flowing and growing, the river is flowing
back to the sea. Mother carry me, a child I will always be. Mother
carry me, back to the sea."
This Circle chant, sung in joy, sung in sorrow, is a cry to the
Mother Aspect for comfort and warmth, a power chant calling upon the
steady power and fullness of the Mother and a plea for guidance.
While the Earth Mother, and the fully aspected Goddess are placed
North in the Earth quarter, the Mother aspect alone belongs in the
west.
2679
Comfort and love rule here. Emotions, sorrow, joy, tears, these
belong to the ripeness of the Mother. Caring and loving for all her
children, watching in pain and pride as they struggle to gain their
own, knowing full well she could reach out and do it for them, but
being both bound and desirous to let them do it for themselves.
There is a considerable difference, as you might have interpreted
from the above, between the Earth Mother and the Mother Aspect of the
Goddess. That is why we've started with her quarter, because it
reveals the limitations of the Aspect.
The Mother aspect is ripeness, the ancient bearing of fruit,
child and grain. She represents emotion and sexuality. The Goddess
in that aspect is most of the altar (as discussed in the Great Rite
lesson.) It is interesting to note the practice in numerous ancient
cultures of lovemaking or outright sex magick in cornfields to help
make the corn grow.
The Dark Mother should also be placed here, although culturally, I
have a tendancy to think of the Dark Mother as more in keeping the
Crone Aspect. It is a bit of work to see the Dark Mother in the West,
to separate Dark Mother from Crone, but it is worthwile. If you have
any background with the tarot I would suggest you take it in that
context, it is beyond the scope of this text.
Our exploration of the Goddess and her Aspects brings us now to
the Crone. For me, the Crone is the most fascinating of the Aspects
of the Goddess. Partly I suppose because she is the most mysterious
and paradoxical.
"Blessed Goddess, old and wise, open mine, thy child's, eyes.
Speak to me in whispered tones that I may know the rune of Crones."
With life and growth comes age and wisdom, and the Crone is this
in part. She holds fire and power, which wisely used can be of great
benefit, but hold great danger for the unaware. Hers are the secrets of
death and of life, and the mystery beyond the mystery.
Part of the pleasure in knowing the Crone aspect is that while,
unlike the fully aspected Goddess, she is not also Maiden and Mother,
she does retain the experiences of both those Aspects in order to be
Crone. The Crone, wizened though she is, must still be able to reach
into herself and recall the innocent joys and high passions of the
Maiden and the love and warmth of the Mother. To be Crone and to not
have forgotten, to still be able to experience Maiden and Mother is,
to me, very appealing. More importantly, to be comfortable in that
Aspect, where you have truth and knowledge but have left youth and
physical beauty behind, and to still _feel_ youth and beauty without
being desirous of them is an admirable quality.
Crone is the least paralleled Aspect of the Goddess to our human
society. We discard our old and wise, not understanding their value
as teachers and models, and fearing their appearance as a reminder of
our own mortality.
Knowing Crone is a door we much each open for ourselves for to know
and love her is to cast aside a great many of our cultural and societal
malteachings.
2680
While the individual Aspects of Threefold Goddess are certainly
valid concepts and paths to knowing Goddess, I should caution that most
mythological Goddess figures are composite Goddesses. Earth Mother
Goddess figures are fully aspected Goddess by definition because they
represent the full cycle of the Wheel. Most other Goddess figures can
be classified as having a dominant (or operative) aspect and recessive
(promised, or in some cases past) aspect. Future and past should not be
taken literally, mythological Goddess figures are always whatever they
are eternally, they do not tend to change (ie age).
Maiden Goddesses possessing their operative in the Huntress or
Warrior aspects most often have a promise of Crone. Maiden Goddesses
expressing their dominance in beauty and/or love usually have their
recessive aspect as Mother. For example, Athena is a Maiden Goddess
with Crone attributes (the combination produces many Mother-type
qualities, and this results in the Crone aspected Maiden being the
most complete of the Mythological Goddesses, with the exception of
Earth Mother Goddesses.) Aphrodite is of course a Maiden Goddess with
Mother attributes.
Similarly, Dark Mother Goddess figures mostly find their promise in
Crone and Light Mother figures their recessive in Maiden. Crone
recessives work the same way, although sometimes it takes a bit of
close examination to find the "hidden" aspect.
One should note that this is not a formula, rather a tool to
assist in examining and understanding Goddess figures and creating
one's own personal spiritual link with Goddess. It is also a useful
consideration when invoking a specific Goddess with purpose in ritual.
The purpose of this course has been to open avenues of approach
in discovering and developing a relationship with Goddess. For me
personally, I do not "believe" in the reality of mythological Goddess
figures as they were presented, but I do believe they are a valid way to
establish communication with Goddess. I also believe Goddess will
appear in whatever form we are most ready to accept. The real
Goddess, by my belief (and this is personal, not trad) is an entity
beyond my comprehension, perhaps composed of light (could 5000 sci-fi
films be wrong?), most assuredly unlike anything I could ever imagine in
true form. However, I do find mythological Goddess figures highly
useful for ritual, and of some help in my personal relationship with
Goddess. I hope you will too.
Blessed Be
Eileen
................................................................................
2681
{file "Being A Witch in Britain Today (James Pengelly, WOW #10)" "bos611.htm"}
Being A Witch in Britain Today
by James Pengelly
Written for the Newcastle University Conference; Encounters of
Religion
I am regional co-ordinator for the Pagan Federation (PF) for
Humberside, North Yorkshire and the counties that form the
northeast of England up to the Scottish Borders. The PF was
founded in 1971 by a group of Gardnerian Witches, the object of
it being to counter what was perceived as being popular
misconceptions about Witchcraft.
The main reason for the existence of the PF remains largely
unchanged, as the last few years have seen what can only be
described as an onslaught by various fundamentalist Christian
organisations who have latched on to the unfortunate and sad
matter of child abuse to which they have added the word "Satanic'
as a means by which they can attack and defame the occult in
general, and Witchcraft in particular.
I will return to this matter elsewhere in this lecture, but I
mention it now to illustrate the importance of our
anti-defamation work. In addition, the Pagan Federation acts as
a networking organisation to put people who share views on
religious and spiritual matters in touch with one another, to
enable them to get together, discuss and learn, and experience
further.
The third important aspect to our work is to increase awareness
of the spiritual and cultural heritage of this country. Given
that many, if not most, of our customs and traditions have their
roots set deep in our Pagan past and that our countryside is rich
in the physical remains of this we feel that a positive promotion
of this inheritance is vital to a fuller understanding of who we
are.
The topic of this lecture is Being A Witch In Britain Today. Now
I think that when one mentions the word, "Witch" to the average
member of the public, the image that is immediately conjured up
is one of a wizened old hag boiling up an extremely noxious brew
in some bubbling cauldron, probably on a windswept moor
somewhere. This is of course Shakespearian in its perception, but
unfortunately, whatever his intentions were at the time he wrote
Macbeth, William Shakespeare did Witchcraft a considerable
disservice, because this image has stuck. In addition, the public
is very much subject to conditioning laid down in the Middle Ages
by the Church, through historical accounts of Witch trials, which
were heavily biased. Consequently it is hardly surprising that
the image the general public has is of nasty, evil, thoroughly
bad people riding around on broomsticks at dead of night creating
havoc all over the place, poisoning people right left and centre,
doing unspeakable things with goats, not to mention chickens,
frogs, toads, cats, and sundry other animals. All in all not very
nice people!
It is interesting to note that even in this day and age, many
people are still very superstitious when it comes to magic, the
occult, Witchcraft and so on. In addition to the historical
2682
misconceptions about Witches and Witchcraft, I would go as far
as saying that people still have a deeply rooted superstitious
attitude, and that while some may automatically dismiss out of
hand Witches having any sort of magical power, deep down, the
majority of people still harbour deep rooted fears about this
sort of thing being possible.
At a time when mankind has seemingly achieved so much in the
field of science, when there is so little mystery left in life
because everything has been rationalised and explained, and
developed beyond that which our ancestors were able to
comprehend, the fact that people do still harbour superstitions
and worries about Witchcraft and the occult in general does not
altogether surprise me. If one removes the mystery from life, one
has nothing left with which to replace it, and one has to look
to that which one cannot explain. The problem being that man has
for countless generations been frightened by that which he cannot
explain. And this is why we are now living in the scientific age,
because man has purposely set out to explain that of which he is
afraid. The thing being that there is very little left that man
cannot explain. And one of the areas that he cannot explain is,
of course, magic, Witchcraft and the occult.
Let us for a moment, examine the term, "occult". Occult simply
means 'that which is hidden'. The term has been used for
centuries to explain the general workings of the universe. The
creation of fire would have, at some point in time, been regarded
as magic. Why things moved when they were subject to certain
power sources such as steam would have been deemed magic before
the principles were understood. Illnesses were originally
considered to be occult based. You could impose an illness on
a neighbour or friend if you had the magical power to do it. But
of course, none of these things were actually magical in any
sense. The magic lay in the fact that a lot of people didn't
understand what was going on. Those who did have an understanding
of what was going on were perceived as having some sort of power.
The biblical phrase, "Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to live", is
in this context quite revealing because in its original format,
the word, "Witch", did not actually translate as Witch, it
translated as "poisoner". And there is no doubt that the original
village Witch would have in her own way been a doctor of sorts,
in that she or he would have understood the uses of various herbs
for good purposes and for bad purposes. And could quite probably
been paid to use that knowledge to achieve the results for which
she was being paid, to either kill or cure. Consequently, the
village Witch, was someone to be feared, and respected.
As the Christian Church took hold, the older Pagan ways were
perceived as something to be got rid of. I do not think this was
particularly a spiritual battle. It was a power battle. It was
simply a matter of one religious-political system wishing to gain
control over another. And as Christianity grew in strength,
largely through fear and oppression, the old ways were presented
as being evil and wicked, and not to be tolerated.
................................................................................
2683
This situation remained largely extant until 1951, when the last
laws remaining on the English statute book against Witchcraft
were repealed, and what is now commonly referred to as the
British Revivalist Craft came to light. The fact that it had, in
some form or another, managed to survive over countless
generations was, in itself, quite a surprising thing. But we now
know that what are often referred to as the Hereditary Craft and
the Traditional Craft were to a certain extent passed down from
generation to generation either within specific families or
small, invariably farming, communities. It was this that the late
Dr Gerald Gardener is thought to have discovered, and built up
into what is today known as the Revivalist Craft. His work was
later developed by others such as Alex Sanders who founded the
Alexandrian Craft and, more recently, by Janet and Stewart
Farrar. Their works are very well known, popular, and easily
available, and they have created what is sometimes jokingly
referred to as the Farrarian Craft; a hybrid mixture of
Gardenerian, Alexandrian and their own methods of working.
Being a Witch today in this country is not necessarily a hard
thing, but nor is necessarily an easy thing. There is still a
great deal of superstitious prejudice and nonsense held against
Witches. And this is fermented, and that is the only word I can
think of, to a large extent by certain areas of our national
media, in particular the more lurid tabloid press, and of course
Christian fundamentalist groups, who have over the last few years
started to expand at a rather alarming, and for many
non-Christians, a rather frightening rate. The phenomena of
Christian fundamentalism is something which has largely been
imported to this country from America, where it has been a
populist Christian movement for many, many years. One only has
to look at the news over the last few years concerning some
American fundamentalist leaders to realise that basically, they
are like so many of us human beings, subject to all the little
foibles that human beings are generally subject to, that they are
just as easily led astray as any of us can be. The rising issue
of fundamentalism is, as I say, quite a frightening thing because
it seeks to impose a set of standards, a set of behaviour, and
a set of religious beliefs, on everyone, which no-one is
permitted to question. This is one reason why we find so many
people are now turning to Paganism in its broadest sense, and to
Wicca in particular. (Wicca being the commonly used modern term
for Witchcraft.) They turn to us because they are disillusioned
with the level of dogma and the level of imposition they find
within established Christian traditions, be they Church of
England, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, or some of the more
extreme fundamentalist sects.
People seem now to be dividing into groups. There are those who
are 'the led' and they search for leaders. And when they find a
leader who is prepared to tell them what to do, when to do it,
how to think, how not to think and so on, they latch onto that
and they go on quite happy in their own way because they want to
be told. On the other hand there are an increasing number of
people who are prepared to listen to what others have to say but
then like to go away and make their own minds up about things,
and work things out for themselves. And we are finding more and
more that this is what Paganism in general and Wicca in
2684
particular is providing. It is providing people with the means
by which they can form deeply personal relationships with their
own particular perceptions of deity. They can work with that
perception. They can utilise it within a framework that is,
generally speaking, of a very high moral and ethical standard.
And the idea that Witches are evil, nasty, wicked people who go
around sticking pins in little lumps of wax shaped into the form
of a person containing lumps of fingernail and pieces of hair and
other sundry bodily parts, is being increasingly recognised as
grossly untrue. We have to bear in mind that a lot of the popular
perceptions of the Witch are, as I have already said, largely
determined by historical records. Historical records written by
people in whose interest it was to defame the Witch, and to
register her, or him, as an evil person, but even these are now
being challenged by more and more people.
So, as I've said, being a Witch in this country today is not
always an easy thing. On the one hand, you can meet with extreme
prejudice, on the other hand you can equally meet with extreme
derision. A number of perfectly normal, sane, rational people
that I know of think that the fact that I am a Witch is a huge
joke. I am very used to people asking me "When can I come round
to your house and take all my clothes off?." My usual response
to which is "Any time you like providing I'm not having my tea
at the time, or watching Coronation Street, but believe me pal,
you're on your own." I personally find that this is the best way
to approach this sort of thing. If you can turn the question into
a joke aimed at yourself, people are happy with that and feel
comfortable with that, and will go away thinking that basically
you're a pretty decent sort of person with just some very strange
ideas. If, on the other hand, you become intensely defensive, the
opposite can be true because they will assume that you have
something to hide, something which you don't wish to talk about.
And we all know that faced with that sort of situation the human
mind is capable of conjuring up all sorts of unpleasant images.
So I stand before you today proclaiming myself to be a Witch. I
do not particularly like using the term, but it is a term with
which most people are familiar, so within the context of this
lecture, I am happy to use it. And I stand before you here, not
a wizened old crone, dressed in rags and tatters with a big wart
on the end of her nose, but, I hope, a fairly presentable man in
his early middle age, who has a very respectable job. I have a
house, a mortgage, a small daughter, I am like many people of my
generation, separated from my wife, for purely personal reasons.
I am, to all intents and purposes an ordinary person. And yet I
stand before you here, and tell you I am a Witch.
What does this mean for me personally? Basically, like most
Witches, I am a Pagan. I believe in the Old Religion. The
religion that was worldwide before Christianity or Hinduism, or
Islam took a hold on large areas of the world. Once upon a time,
whether people like to admit it or not, the whole world was
Pagan. Paganism then was vastly different from Paganism today.
There are those who go round saying that they are practising
pre-Christian Paganism. I would say, that while they are not
necessarily deluding themselves, they are mis-leading themselves.
What we are practising today is the spirit of ancient Paganism.
We cannot possibly practise ancient Paganism, because if we were
2685
doing so, we would be indulging in such things as blood
sacrifice, and so on and so forth, which forms no part of modern
Pagan tradition.
Witchcraft is a sub-system of broad Paganism. Most Witches regard
it as the mystery aspect of Paganism. The mystery aspect being
that one searches for the spark of the ultimate divine source,
which is inherent in each one of us, in the hope that one can
find it, come to terms with it, and accept it as part of
ourselves.
Most Pagans believe in an ultimate creative source. Christians
call it God. We believe that there exists, somewhere out there
in the wider universe, the source of all creation. We do not
give it a name, we do not give it a form. It is, to our way of
thinking, entirely neutral. It is all things in one thing. It is
all things and it is nothing. It is largely beyond our reach.
Some people aspire to attain union with the ultimate, very, very
few people ever reach it. Consequently, most Pagans will choose
to leave it alone.
It is unreachable. And it is unaware of our existence, because
it is neutral in form. What we do is we aspect it; we split it
into the various components which form it. The ultimate split is
gender, male and female. If the ultimate creative source is all
things, then it must have male and female aspects. So the
ultimate male aspect is 'The God', the ultimate female aspect is
'The Goddess'. Below this one can continue splitting into various
other aspects as one chooses, until one gets down to a level of
elementals, nature spirits, and so on and so forth. The idea
being, that all natural things coming from the ultimate creative
source contain a spark of that creative source, and consequently
all things are inherently sacred. We reject entirely the
Christian concept that man is born sinful, and has to spend the
whole of his life begging forgiveness for sins real and
imaginary. We believe that it is because of this attitude that
mankind does a lot of the things he does. If you bring somebody
up and condition them to believe that they are inherently bad,
they are going to react in that way.
Pagans and Witches believe that man is born inherently sacred,
and it is what he himself does with his life that makes him bad
or good. It is nothing to do with God, the Gods, the Goddesses
or anything else. Consequently, Paganism and Witchcraft are
extremely responsible forms of religious practice in that they
teach that we are responsible for what we do and the effect that
it has for those around us, both immediately and out in the wider
world. We believe in what is commonly referred to as 'the ripple
effect'. Drop a stone in a pond, and it will create ripples which
will go on and on until they reach the bank and are forced to
stop. If you regard the universe as a very large ocean, everytime
one of us does something, we create a ripple effect. The ripples,
on a universal scale, may be imperceptible, but they are there
none the less. And if we regard life in that way, we need to
immediately take stock of that which we do and act upon it.
Now obviously it is not possible to take this sort of philosophy
to an extreme, otherwise, one would literally do nothing. If one
flushes the toilet one is potentially adding to sea pollution.
2686
If one turns an electric light on, one is potentially adding to
air pollution. Whatever one does, somewhere along the line is
likely to have a detrimental effect on someone.
The Witch or Pagan will judge what he or she is doing with his
or her life and will try and determine the least harmful way of
living. It requires a great deal of thought, it requires a great
deal of honesty and self analysis and not a small amount of
self-sacrifice. it forces one to look at how one relates to
oneself, and life around us, because we believe that all natural
things on this world are sacred, and therefore to be treated with
respect.
So, what then, is our relationship with our perception of
divinity? As 1 have already mentioned, we personalise aspects of
the ultimate creative source. These personalisations can be drawn
from one or another of the existing Pagan pantheons, such as
Norse, Greek, Roman or Egyptian, or they can be done on a much
more personal level where the individual will somehow personalise
whatever aspect of divinity they wish to work with in that moment
in time. Most Witches have the Great Goddess, and the Horned God.
(The horns, incidentally have absolutely nothing to do with the
concept of the devil having horns. And are usually, in this
country, personified as being deer's antlers being simply symbols
of power and strength.) The Great Goddess is seen as being the
Mother of all things, the Horned God, her consort who is also
frequently linked with the Sun as the All Father.
Below that, we have the Triple Goddess, whose symbol is the Moon,
the Maid, the Mother, and the Crone. And then there are any
number of other personifications largely based on the individual
preference of the person or group, doing whatever it is they're
doing. This may seem to be an immensely complicated system, and
indeed it sometimes takes a great deal of understanding. But you
have to relate it to the natural seasonal cycle, or festivals,
that most Pagans, whatever their traditions, will follow.
The seasonal cycle basically follows the agricultural and solar
cycle of the year. We have eight major festivals.
The first, and possibly the most important, is Samhain, spelled
S-A-M-H-A-I-N, commonly known as Hallowe'en, and is thought to
have been the time when the ancient Celts celebrated the new
year. It was the end of one agricultural year and the beginning
of the next. It was the final onset of Winter. It was, as it is
commonly regarded today, also a festival of the dead. The modern
concept today of ghosts and ghoulies and long-leggedy beasties
and things that go bump in the night, stemmed directly from the
Celtic feast of the dead. This is not some necrophiliac intention
of summoning up spirits for evil purposes, it was/is simply a
time when one reflects on the memories of lost loved ones, lost
friends, and hopes to gain some insight into one's own life from
the lessons that we can learn from those who have gone before us.
It is interesting to note that, even in its christianised form,
Halloween, or All Hallows Eve is still a festival of the dead.
The mid-Winter Solstice is, of course, Yule, an Anglo-Saxon word
so old its meaning is now completely forgotten. It has been
suggested that that it could mean 'wheel', and within a Pagan or
2687
a Wiccan context the year is often referred to as "the wheel of
the year", in that it turns on, and on. Yule celebrates the
re-birth of the Sun. It is indeed interesting that Christians
should have taken this festival to mark the birth of Christ, when
what historical evidence we have seems to suggest that Christ was
actually either born in March or September.
From then we move on to Imbolc, christianised as Candlemas, which
represents the first stirring of Spring and the gradual return
of light. We then have the Spring Equinox, which when the earth
comes back fully to life, and has become largely associated with
Easter. Many people today do not realise that Easter is a
moveable feast because the date of Easter is set on the first
Sunday after the first full Moon after the Spring Equinox. And
if that isn't a Pagan concept, I really don't know what is. In
fact, the very name "Easter" comes from the Anglo-Saxon fertility
Goddess "Eostre" and many of the items traditionally associated
with Easter such as eggs and rabbits are directly derived from
Pagan ideas and symbols.
Then follows Beltane, which is interesting in that it is the only
Pagan holiday which does not have a Christian counterpoint. This
is probably because of its overtly sexual nature. It is
interesting that children conceived at Beltane were invariably
born on or around Imbolc, which is lambing time in the sheep
farmers year. Ewe's milk would have been important in the past
to strengthen children for the last part of Winter and to give
them strength to grow through the Spring and Summer.
After Beltane we have of course the Summer Solstice, mid-Summer,
which represents the Sun at its height. Solstices and Equinoxes
all being solar festivals. The union of Sun and Earth to produce
the harvest that is to come. Lugnassadh, commonly referred to as
Lammas, which literally means loaf-mass from the Anglo-Saxon, is
the start of the harvest. It is the time when we prepare to cut
down that which the union of the Sun and the Earth Mother has
provided for us. The Autumn equinox is the harvest festival. A
time to rest and relax after the harvest has been collected. And
then we come back again to Samhain, or Halloween.
So as you can see, we follow a very natural cycle. Rituals and
ceremonies can vary immensely from group to group, or individual
to individual. But each one, whenever it is done, will consist
of some sort of symbolic, what I can only describe as 'drama',
that reflects what we see going on in the world around us, and
how we perceive the Gods and Goddesses of Paganism or Witchcraft
as playing a part in that. There is a lot of talk about the use
of spirit powers and so on and so forth, and many Christians
perceive this as being inherently very, very dangerous.
Spiritualism, as it is commonly perceived, plays very little part
in Wicca. It is not something that we believe should be played
around with. We will invoke on one another the spirit of a
particular God or a particular Goddess dependent on what we are
doing at the time. But all we are asking that particular God or
Goddess to do is imbibe us with something of their power,
something of their insight. It is basically an intensely
psychological thing. Because, as we all know, if one stands in
front of a mirror saying "every day and every way, I am getting
2688
better and better", then one is likely to grow in
self-confidence. The concept is pretty much the same.
So, as we can see, Witches are not horrible evil people, but
generally, quite ordinary nice decent people who have chosen to
try and relate more to the natural things around us than some far
distant imperceptible god-form. But what of magic? Witchcraft
is obviously very closely associated with the use of magic. So
what is magic?
Magic was once described as 'the art of causing change in
conformity with will'. Put more basically, this simply means mind
over matter. Causing something to happen simply by the strength
of your own mind. This is perhaps a bit too far fetched for a
great many people to accept, but when one considers the nature
of prayer, one has a concept which is easier to understand. For
most Witches, an act of magic is simply a form of prayer. You
will seek the attention of a particular God or a particular
Goddess, and you will ask her or him to assist you in something
that you want done. Surely, this is no different from anyone
going into a church or synagogue, kneeling down, and saying,
"please God, help me".
It is true that Witches will dress that up in some way and use
items of equipment and paraphernalia which are alien to a church,
mosque, or synagogue. These are primarily nothing more than
psychological props, means by which the individual can focus
their attention on something. Using the appropriate equipment at
the appropriate time aided by appropriate colours and scents are
all means by which one can focus one's mind onto a specific
point. Like anything, our acts of magic do not necessarily always
produce the desired result. But we choose to believe that if it
does not happen, it is because it is not meant to happen, rather
than we are not worthy of it happening.
Many people talk of white and black magic. This is an entirely
Christian concept; we do not accept the terms white or black
magic. Magic is a neutral force which is used by the individual
and it is what the individual does with it that makes it white
or black. But most Witches, in using the powers that they have
available to them will consider the implications of what they are
doing, and will think very seriously about undertaking any act
of magic which could prove detrimental to any-one or anything
which cannot be justified morally and spiritually.
If the Craft has any "laws" as such they apply to the use of
magic in a more obvious way than any-where else, and there are
basically two such "laws".
The first is more of an ethic - "An it harm none-do what thou
will". On the face of it this seems to offer carte-blanche to do
what you want as long as no-one gets hurt but if regarded within
the context of the "ripple effect" mentioned earlier the
relevance and importance of it becomes clearer.
In addition to this, most Wiccans subscribe to what is usually
referred to as the "Law of Threefold Return" which basically
means that the result of an act will reflect on the instigator
times three. As you will possibly appreciate, this is worth
2689
serious consideration if what one is undertaking is potentially
or deliberately harmful.
Between the clearly "white" or "black" areas of magic however
lies the "grey" area. This is hard to define as it depends
largely on the conscience of the individual but whatever the
shade, a Witch will never undertake any act of magic without
serious consideration of all the matters and questions
surrounding it.
To go back to the matter of Satanic child-abuse, the suggestion
that there exists some sort of organised conspiracy of Satanic
based child abuse is nonsense. It is a myth created entirely by
so-called Christian extremists whose intention is to ferment a
modern Witchhunt in exactly the same way as the Nazis fermented
action against the Jews. There is no question of that. Whilst I
would not deny that there may be some sick, criminal perverts,
who utilise the cover of the occult in general and Witchcraft in
particular, to abuse children, these people are not Witches, they
are sick and evil perverts who deserve the full weight of the law
to fall upon them.
To specifically identify Wicca with child abuse is criminally
irresponsible as it brands a huge number of totally innocent
people as potential child abusers, and given that it is an
intensely emotive issue, there is a real risk of a lynch mob
mentality being provoked, with all the horror that it implies.
If we are to judge a whole belief system on the strength of the
activities of a few perverts, one could equally point the finger
at the Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic Church, both of
whom have suffered from the publicity of members of their own
clergies being caught for this very crime.
Recently, in this country alone, there have been several
instances of Church of England and Roman Catholic clergy abusing
children, and there is evidence to suggest that it is rife within
the Roman Catholic church in America. I pass no judgement on the
churches for that. This is down to individuals, and again, we
come back to the concept of individual responsibility for one's
own actions.
For a Witch to abuse a child is total anathema. It is contrary
to everything that we hold close to our hearts. Our children are
our future. If we abuse them, we run the risk of turning them
into abusers. Apart from the fact that in abusing them, we abuse
that which is part of the sacred, the ultimate divine source.
Children born in love and unity are sacred and to be treated as
such. There is no evidence, other than in the minds of those that
make the allegations, that so-called Satanic abuse exists.
As to the future, and what we would like; basically all we seek
is the acceptance of society to be what we are, and to practise
what we choose to practise. We do not seek to impose ourselves
on anybody, or anything. We wish more than anything else, to
exist in harmony with members of other religions, who have the
perfect right to believe what they choose to believe. All we ask
is that they afford us that same right. Nobody has the right to
impose their values on any other person, other than in a purely
secular sociological situation where rules and regulations are
2690
necessary to avoid total anarchy.
On the spiritual level, the individual has the right to choose
what form of religion he or she will follow, and how he or she
will perceive his/her own God. When one looks around the world
today, one can see that many of the conflicts going on in places
like Yugoslavia, and Northern Ireland have a religious basis.
They are based on one group of people trying to impose its
religious form on another. This, we feel, is entirely wrong.
Since the onset of Christianity, it has been the fact that one
religion has tried to impose itself on another. Millions of
people have died in modern times for this very reason. And so
much harm, and so much suffering, and so much pain could have
been avoided if mankind only accepted that one person has no
right to impose his religious will on another. We do not ask for
converts. We do not actively seek converts. All we ask is that
we be left alone in peace, to do that which we feel is right. We
would dearly love to work in harmony with members of other
religions, towards a greater good. Surely, although we walk along
different paths, our ultimate aim should be the same - to achieve
a world that can live in peace with itself.
We believe that our way is one way to achieve that. We do not say
that it is the only way, we say that it is one way. Our paths may
not meet, they may certainly not cross, but they run in parallel,
and if we can hold hands across the divides that exist between
us, surely, the world will be a better place. We have a great
deal in common. Each religion professes a love of humanity. Each
religion professes a love of the world that surrounds us, and yet
so few of those religions that profess those beliefs, do very
much about it. We do not say, as I have already said, that ours
is the only way, the one way, the true way. There is no one true
way. The Arabs I think have a saying, and I may have this wrong,
that there are a million ways to God, and it is for each one of
us to find his or her own way. This, we feel, is a fundamental
truth. We believe passionately, that the world could be a better
place if half the people in it stopped trying to impose their
will on the other half. We have no desire to do this. We wish to
move forward with others who may or may not share our beliefs to
a better world.
This paper may be freely copied or re-published providing it is
copied or re-published in its entirety without changes, and
authorship credited to James Pengelly, Pagan Federation.
James Pengelly
The Pagan Federation,
BM Box 7097,
London WCIN 3XX.
................................................................................
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{file "Ritual Theory and Technique (Colin Low)" "bos612.htm"}
RITUAL THEORY AND TECHNIQUE
Copyright Colin Low 1990
(cal@hplb.hpl.hp.com)
1. Introduction
2. Magical Consciousness
3. Limitation
4. Essential Steps
5. Maps & Correspondences
6. Conclusion
1. Introduction
These notes attempt to say something useful about magical
ritual. This is difficult, because ritual is invented, and any
sequence of actions can be ritualised and used to symbolise
anything; but then something similar can be said about words and
language, and that doesn't prevent us from trying to communicate,
so I will make the attempt to say something useful about ritual,
and try to steer a path between the Scylla of anthropology and
sweeping generalisations, and the Charybdis of cultish
parochialism. My motivation for writing this is my belief that
while any behaviour can be ritualised, and it is impossible to
state "magical ritual consists of this" or "magical ritual
consists of that", some magical rituals are better than others.
This raises questions of what I mean by "goodness" or "badness",
"effectiveness" or "ineffectiveness" in the context of magical
work, and I intend to duck this with a pragmatic reply. A magical
ritual is "good" if it achieves its intention without undesired
side effects, and it is "bad" if the roof falls on your head.
Underlying this definition is another belief: that magical ritual
taps a raw and potentially dangerous (and certainly amoral)
psychic force which has to be channelled and directed;
traditional forms of magical ritual do that and are not so
arbitrary as they appear to be.
An outline of ceremonial magical ritual (in the basic form
in which it has been handed down in Europe over the centuries) is
that the magician works within a circle and uses consecrated
tools and the magical names of various entities to evoke or
invoke Powers. It seems to work. Or at least it works for some
people some of the time. How *well* does it work? That's a fair
question, and not an easy one to answer, as there is too much ego
at stake in admitting that one's rituals don't always work out.
My rituals don't always work - sometimes nothing appears to
happen, sometimes I get unexpected side effects. The same is true
of those magicians I know personally, and I suspect the same is
true of most people. Even at the mundane level, if you've ever
tried to recreate a "magical moment" in a relationship, you will
know that it is hard to stand in the same river twice - there is
an elusive and wandering spark which all too often just wanders.
In summary, I like to know why some rituals work better than
others, and why some, even when that elusive spark is present, go
sour and call up all the wrong things - these notes contain some
of my conclusions. As I have tried to lift the rug and look
underneath the surface, the approach is abstract in places; I
2692
prefer to be practical rather than theoretical, but if magic is
to be anything other than a superstitious handing-down of mumbo-
jumbo, we need a model of what is happening, a causality of magic
against which it is possible to make value judgements about what
is good and bad in ritual. Traditional models of angels, spirits,
gods and goddesses, ancestral spirits and so on are useful up to
a point, but these are not the end of the story, and in
penetrating beyond these "intermediaries" the magician is forced
to confront the nature of consciousness itself and become
something of a mystic.
The idea that the physical universe is the end product of a
"process of consciousness" is virtually a first principle of
Eastern esoteric philosophy, it is at the root of the Kabbalistic
doctrine of emanation and the sephiroth, and it has been adopted
by many twentieth century magicians as a useful complement to
whatever traditional model of magic they were weaned on - once
one has accepted that it is possible to create "thought-forms"
and "artificial elementals" and "telesmic images", it is a small
step to admitting that the gods, goddesses, angels, and spirits
of traditonal magic may have no reality outside of the
consciousness which creates and sustains them. This is what I
believe personally on alternate days of the week. On the
remaining days I am happy to believe in the reality of gods,
goddesses, archangels, elementals, ancestral spirits etc. - in
common with many magicians I sit on the fence in an interesting
way. There is a belief among some magicians that while gods,
goddesses etc may be the creations of consciousness, on a par
with money and the Bill of Rights, such things take on a life of
their own and can be treated as if they were real, so while I
take the view that magic is ultimately the manipulation of
consciousness, you will find me out there calling on the Powers
with as much gusto as anyone else.
2. Magical Consciousness
The principle function of magical ritual is to cause well-defined
changes in consciousness. There are other (non-magical) kinds of
ritual and ceremony - social, superstitious, celebratory etc -
carried out for a variety of reasons, but magical ritual can be
distinguished by its emphasis on causing shifts in consciousness
to states not normally attainable, with a consequence of causing
effects which would be considered impossible or improbable by
most people in this day and age.
The realisation that the content of magical ritual is a
means to an end, the end being the deliberate manipulation of
consciousness, is an watershed in magical technique. Many people,
particularly the non-practicing general public, believe there is
something inherently magical about ritual, that it can be done,
like cooking, from a recipe book; that prayers, names of powers,
fancy candles, crystals, five-pointed stars and the like have an
intrinsic power which works by itself, and it is only necessary
to be initiated into all the details and hey presto! - you can do
it. I believe this is (mostly) wrong. Symbols do have magical
power, but not in the crude sense implied above; magical power
comes from the conjunction of a symbol and a person who can bring
that symbol to life, by directing and limiting their
2693
consciousness through the symbol, in the manner of icing through
an icing gun. Magical power comes from the person (or people),
not from the superficial trappings of ritual. The key to ritual
is the manipulation and shifting of consciousness, and without
that shift it is empty posturing.
So let us concentrate on magical consciousness, and how it
differs from the state of mind in which we normally carry out our
business in the world. Firstly, there isn't a sudden quantum jump
into an unusual state of mind called magical consciousness. All
consciousness is equally magical, and what we call magical
depends entirely on what we consider to be normal and take for
granted. There is a continuum of consciousness spreading away
from the spot where we normally hang our hat, and the potential
for magic depends more on the appropriateness of our state for
what we are trying to achieve than it does on peculiar trance
states. When I want to boil an egg I don't spend three days
fasting and praying to God; I just boil an egg. One of the
characteristics of my "normal" state of consciousness is that I
understand how to boil an egg, but from many alternative states
of consciousness it is a magical act of the first order. So what
I call magical consciousness differs from normal consciousness
only in so far as it is a state less appropriate for boiling
eggs, and more appropriate for doing other things.
Secondly, there isn't one simple flavour of magical
consciousness; the space of potential consciousness spreads out
along several different axes, like moving in a space with several
different dimensions, and that means the magician can enter a
large number of distinct states, all of which can be considered
different aspects of magical consciousness.
Lastly, it is normal to shift our consciousness around in
this space during our everyday lives, so there is nothing unusual
in shifting consciousness to another place. This makes magical
consciousness hard to define, because it isn't something so
extraordinary after all. Nevertheless, there is a difference
between walking across the road and walking around the world, and
there are differences between what I call normal and magical
consciousness, even though they are arbitrary markers in a
continuum. There is a difference in magnitude, and there is a
difference in the "magnitude of intent", that is, will. Magic
takes us beyond the normal; it disrupts cosy certainties; it
explores new territory. Like new technology, once it becomes part
of everyday life it stops being "magical" and becomes "normal".
We learn the "magic of normal living" at an early age and forget
the magic of it; normal living affects us in ways which the
magician recognises as magical, but so "normal" that it is
difficult to realise what is going on. From the point of view of
magical consciousness, "normal life" is seen to be a complex
magical balancing act, like a man who keeps a hundred plates
spinning on canes at the same time and is always on the point of
losing one. Magical consciousness is not the extraordinary state:
normal life is. The man on the stage is so busy spinning his
plates he can spend no time doing anything else.
................................................................................
2694
A characteristic of magical consciousness which
distinguishes it from normal consciousness is that in most
magical work the magician moves outside the "normally accessible"
region of consciousness. Most "normal people" will resist an
attempt to shift their consciousness outside the circle of
normality, and if too much pressure is applied they panic, throw-
up, become ill, have hysterics, call the police or a priest or a
psychiatrist, or end up permanently traumatised. Sometimes they
experience a blinding but one-sided illumination and become
fanatics for a one-sided point of view. Real, detectable shifts
in consciousness outside the "normal circle" are to be entered
into warily, and the determined ritualist treads a thin line
between success, and physical and psychical illness. A neophyte
in Tibet swears that he or she is prepared to risk madness,
disease and death, and in my personal experience this is not
melodramatic - the risks are real enough. It depends on
temperament and constitution - some people wander all over the
planes of consciousness with impunity, some find it extremely
stressful, and some claim it never did them any harm (when they
are clearly as cracked as the Portland Vase). The grosser forms
of magic are hard to do because body and mind fight any attempt
to move into those regions of consciousness where it is possible
to transcend the "normal" and create new kinds of normality.
The switch into magical consciousness is often accompanied
by a feeling of "energy" or "power". Reality becomes a fluid, and
the will is like a wind blowing it this way and that. Far out.
There are several traditional methods for reaching abnormal
states of consciousness: dance, drumming, hallucinogenic and
narcotic substances, fasting and other forms of privation, sex,
meditation, dreaming, and ritual, used singly and in combination.
These notes deal only with ritual. Magical ritual has evolved
organically out of the desire to reach normally inaccessible
regions of consciousness and still continue living sanely in the
world afterwards, and once that is understood, its profundity
from a psychological point of view can be appreciated.
3. Limitation
The concept of limitation is so important in the way magical
ritual has developed that it is worth taking a look at what it
means before going on to look at the basics of ritual.
We are limited beings: our lives are limited to some tens of
years, our bodies are limited in their physical abilities, and
compared to all the different kinds of life on this planet we are
clearly very specialised compared with the potential of what we
could be, if we had the choice of being anything we wanted. Even
as human beings we are limited, in that we are all quite distinct
from oneanother, and guard that individuality and uniqueness as
an inalienable right. We limit ourselves to a few skills because
of the effort and talent required to acquire them, and only in
exceptional cases do we find people who are expert in a large
number of different skills - most people are happy if they are
acknowledged as being an expert in one thing, and it is a fact
that as the sum total of knowledge increases, so people
(particularly those with technical skills) are forced to become
2695
more and more specialised.
This idea of limitation and specialisation has found its way
into magical ritual because of the magical (or mystical)
perception that, although all consciousness in the universe is
One, and that Oneness can be perceived directly, it has become
limited. There is a process of limitation in which the One (God,
if you like) becomes progressively structured and constrained
until it reaches the level of thee and me. The details of this
process (sometimes called "The Fall") lies well outside a set of
notes on ritual technique, and being theosophical, is the sort of
thing people like to have long-winded arguments about, so I am
not going to say much about it. What I *will* say is that
magicians and mystics the world over are relatively unanimous in
insisting that the normal everyday consciousness of most human
beings is a severe *limitation* on the potential of
consciousness, and it is possible, through various disciplines,
to extend consciousness into new regions; this harks back to the
"circle of normality" I mentioned in the previous section. From a
magical point of view the personality, the ego, the continuing
sense of individual "me-ness", is a magical creation with highly
specialised abilities, an artificial elemental or thoughtform
which consumes all our magical power in exchange for the kind of
limitation necessary to survive, and in order to work magic it is
necessary to divert energy away from this obsession with personal
identity and self-importance.
Now, consider the following problem: you have been
imprisoned inside a large inflated plastic bag. You have been
given a sledghammer and a scalpel. Which tool will get you out
faster? The answer I am looking for is the scalpel: a way of
getting out of large, inflated, plastic bags is to apply as much
force as possible to as sharp a point as possible. Magicians
agree on this principle - the key to successful ritual work is a
"single-pointed will". A mystic may try to expand consciousness
in all directions simultaneously, to encompass more and more of
the One, to embrace the One, perhaps even to transcend the One,
but this is hard, and most people aren't up to it in practise.
Rather than expand in all directions simultaneously, it is much
easier to *limit* an excursion of consciousness in one direction,
and the more precise and well-defined that limitation to a
specific direction, the easier it is to get out of the bag.
Limitation of consciousness is the trick we use to cope with the
complexity of life in modern society, and as long as we are
forced to live under this yoke we can make a virtue out of a
necessity, and use our carefully cultivated ability to
focus attention on minutiae to burst out of the bag.
What limitation means in practise is that magical ritual is
designed to produce specific and highly *limited* changes in
consciousness, and this is done by using a specific map of
consciousness, and there are symbolic correspondences within the
map which can be used in the construction of a ritual - I discuss
this later. The principle of limitation is a key to understanding
the structure of magical ritual, and a key to successful
practice.
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To summarise the last two sections, I would say the
characteristics of a "good" ritual are:
1. Entry into magical consciousness and the release of
"magical energy".
2. A limitation of consciousness to channel that energy in
the correct direction, with minimal "splatter".
Without the energy there is nothing to channel. Without the
limitation, energy splatters in all directions and takes the path
of minimal psychic resistance to earth. A magical ritual is the
calculated shifting and limitation of consciousness.
4. Essential Steps
There is never going to be agreement about what is essential
in a ritual and what is not, any more than there will ever be
agreement about what makes a good novel. That doesn't mean there
is nothing worth discussing. The steps I have enumerated below
are suggestions which were handed down to me, and a lot of
insight (not mine) has gone into them; they conform to a Western
magical tradition which has not changed in its essentials for
thousands of years, and I hand them on to you in the same spirit
as I received them.
These are the steps:
1. Open the Circle
2. Open the Gates
3. Invocation to the Powers
4. Statement of Intention and Sacrifice
5. Main Ritual
6. Dismissal of Powers
7. Close the Gates
8. Close the Circle
4.1 Open the Circle
The Circle is the place where magical work is carried out.
It might literally be circle on the ground, or it could be a
church, or a stone ring, or a temple, or it might be an imagined
circle inscribed in the aethyr, or it could be any spot hallowed
by tradition. In some cases the Circle is created specifically
for one piece of work and then closed, while in other cases (e.g.
a church) the building is consecrated and all the space within
the building is treated as if it is an open circle for long
periods of time. I don't want to deal too much in generalities,
so I will deal with the common case where a circle is created
specifically for one piece of work, for a period of time
typically less than one day.
The Circle is the first important magical limit: it creates
an area within which the magical work takes place. The magician
tries to control everything which takes place within the Circle
(limitation), and so a circle half-a-mile across is impractical.
The Circle marks the boundary between the rest of the world
(going on its way as normal), and a magical space where things
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are most definitely not going on as normal (otherwise there
wouldn't be any point in carrying out a ritual in the first
place). There is a dislocation: the region inside the circle is
separated from the rest of space and is free to go its own way.
There are some types of magical work where it may not be sensible
to have a circle (e.g. working with the natural elements in the
world at large) but unless you are working with a Power already
present in the environment in its normal state, it is useful to
work within a circle.
The Circle may be a mark on the ground, or something more
intangible still; my own preference is an imagined line of blue
fire drawn in the air. It is in the nature of consciousness that
anything taken as real and treated as real will eventually be
accepted as Real - and if you want to start a good argument,
state that money doesn't exist and isn't Real. From a ritual
point of view the Circle is a real boundary, and if its
usefulness is to be maintained it should be treated with the same
respect as an electrified fence. Pets, children and casual
onlookers should be kept out of it. Whatever procedures take
place within the Circle should only take place within the Circle
and in no other place, and conversely, your normal life should
not intrude on the Circle unless it is part of your intention
that it should. Basically, if you don't want a circle, don't have
one, but if you do have one, decide what it means and stick to
it. There is a school of thought which believes a circle is a
"container for power", and another which believes a circle "keeps
out the nasties". I subscribe to both and neither of these points
of view. From a symbolic point of view, the Circle marks a new
"circle of normality", a circle different from my usual "circle
of normality", making it possible to keep the two "regions of
consciousness" distinct and separate. The magician leaves
everyday life behind when the Circle is opened, and returns to it
when the Circle is closed, and for the duration adopts a
discipline of thought and deed which is specific to the type of
magical work being undertaken; this procedure is not so different
from that in many kinds of laboratory where people work with
hazardous materials. The circle is both a barrier and a
container. This is a kind of psychic sanitation, and in magic
"sanity" and "sanitary" have more in common than spelling.
Opening a Circle usually involves drawing a circle in the
air or on the ground, accompanied by an invocation to guardian
spirits, or the elemental powers of the four quarters, or the
four watchtowers, or the archangels, or whatever. The details
aren't so important as practicing it until you can do it in your
sleep, and you should carry it out with the same attitude as a
soldier on formal guard duty outside a public building. You are
establishing a perimeter under the watchful "eyes" of whatever
guardians you have requested to keep an eye on things, and a
martial attitude and sense of discipline creates the right
psychological mood.
................................................................................
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4.2 Opening the Gates
The Gates in question are the boundary between normal and
magical consciousness. Just as opening the Circle limits the
ritual in space, so opening the Gates limits the ritual in time.
Not everyone opens the Gates as a separate activity; opening a
Circle can be considered a de-facto opening of Gates, but there
are good reasons for keeping the two activities separate.
Firstly, it is convenient to be able to open a Circle without
going into magical consciousness; despite what I said about not
bringing normal consciousness into the Circle, rules are made to
be broken, and there are times when something unpleasant and
unwanted intrudes on normal consciousness, and a Circle can be
used to keep it out - like pulling blankets over your head at
night. Secondly, opening the Gates as a separate activity means
they can be tailored to the specific type of magical
consciousness you are trying to enter. Thirdly, just as bank
vaults and ICBMs have two keys, so it is prudent to make the
entry into magical consciousness something you are not likely to
do on a whim, and the more distinct steps there are, the more
conscious effort is required. Lastly - and it is an important
point - I open the circle with a martial attitude, and it is
useful to have a breathing space to switch out of that mood and
into the mood needed for the invocation. Opening the Gates
provides an opportunity to make that switch.
4.3 Invocation to the Powers
The invocation to the Powers is often an occasion for some
of the most laboured, leaden, pompous, grandiose and turgid prose
ever written or recited. Tutorial books on magic are full of this
stuff. "Oh glorious moon, wreathed in aetherial light...". You
know the stuff. If you are invoking Saturn during a waxing moon
you might be justified in going on like Brezhnev addressing the
Praesidium of the Soviet Communist Party, but as in every other
aspect of magic, the trick isn't what you do, but how you do it,
and interminable invocations aren't the answer. On a practical
level, reading a lengthy invocation from a sheet of paper in dim
candlelight requires so much conscious effort that it is hard to
"let go", so I like keep things simple and to the point, and
practice until I can do an invocation without having to think
about it too much, and that leaves room for the more important
"consciousness changing" aspect of the invocation.
An invocation is like a ticket for a train, and if you can't
find the train there isn't much point in having the ticket.
Opening the Gates gets you to the doorstep of magical
consciousness, but it is the invocation which gets you onto the
train and propels you to the right place, and that isn't
something which "just happens" unless you have a natural aptitude
for the aspect of consciousness you are invoking. However, it
does happen; people tend to begin their magical work with those
areas of consciousness where they feel most at home, so they may
well have some initial success. Violent, evil people do violent
and evil conjurations; loving people invoke love - most people
begin their magical work with "a free ticket" to some altered
state of consciousness, but in general, invoking a specific
aspect of consciousness takes practice and I don't expect
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immediate results when I invoke something new. If interminable
tracts of deathless prose work for you, then fine, but I find it
hard to keep a straight face when piety and pomposity combine to
produce the sort of invocations to be found in print. I name no
names.
I can't give a prescription for entering magical
consciousness. Well devised rituals, practised often, have a way
of shifting consciousness which is surprising and unexpected. I
don't know why this happens; it just does. I suspect the peculiar
character of ritual, the way it involves the senses and occupies
mind and body simultaneously, its numinous and exotic symbolism,
the intensity of preparation and execution, involve dormant parts
of the mind, or at least engage the normal parts in an unusual
way. Using ritual to cause shifts in consciousness is not
exceptionally difficult; getting the results you want, and
avoiding unexpected and undesired side-effects is harder. Ritual
is not a rational procedure. The symbolism of magic is intuitive
and bubbles out of a very deep well; the whole process of ritual
effectively bypasses the rational mind, so expecting the outcome
of a ritual to obey the dictates of reason is completely
irrational. The image of a horse is appropriate: anyone can get
on the back of a wild mustang, but reaching the point where horse
and rider go in the same direction at the same time takes
practice. The process of limitation described in these notes
can't influence the natural waywardness of the animal, but at
least it is a method for ensuring that the horse gets a clear
message.
4.4 Statement of Intention and Sacrifice
If magical ritual is not to be regarded as a form of
bizarre entertainment carried out for its own sake, then there
has to be a reason for doing it - healing, divination, personal
development, initiation, and the like. If it is healing, then it
is usually healing for one specific person, and then again, it is
probably not just healing in general, but healing for some
specific complaint, within some period of time. The statement of
intention is the culmination of a process of limitation which
begins when the Circle is opened, and to return to the analogy of
the plastic bag, the statement of intention is like the blade on
the scalpel - the more precise the intention, the more the energy
of the ritual is concentrated to a single point.
The observation that rituals work better if their energy is
focussed by intention is in accord with experience in everyday
life: any change involving other people, no matter how small or
insignificant, tends to meet with opposition. If you want to
change the brand of coffee in the coffee machine, or if you want
to rearrange the furniture in the office, someone will object. If
you want to drive a new road through the countryside, local
people object. If you want to raise taxes, everyone objects. The
more people you involve in a change, the more opposition you
encounter, and in magic the same principle holds, because from a
magical point of view the whole fabric of the universe is held in
place by an act of collective intention involving everything from
God downwards. When you perform a ritual you are setting yourself
up against a collective will to keep most things the way they
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are, and your ritual will succeed only if certain things are
true:
1. you are a being of awesome will.
2. you have allies. The universe is changing, there is
always a potential for change, and if your intention
coincides with an existing will to bring about that change,
your ritual can act as a catalyst.
3. you limit your intention to minimise opposition; the
analogy is the diamond cutter who exploits natural lines of
cleavage to split a diamond.
Suppose you want to bring peace to the world. This is an
admirable intention, but the average person would have no more
effect (with or without magic) on the peacefulness of the world
than they would if they attempted to smash Mount Everest with a
rubber hammer. Rather than worry about the peacefulness of the
whole world, why not use your ritual to create a better
relationship with your spouse, or your boss, or someone who
really annoys you? And why not work on the specific issues which
are the main source of friction. And try to improve things within
a specified period of time. And do it in a way which respects the
other person's right to continue being a pain in the arse if they
so wish? This is the idea behind focussing or limiting an
intention. Having said all this, there are a lot of people in the
world who would appreciate some peace, and perhaps your grand
intention to bring peace might catch a wave and help a few, so
don't let me put you off, but as a general principle it is
sensible to avoid unnecessary opposition by making the intention
as precise as possible. Think about sources of opposition, and
about ways of circumventing that opposition - there may be a
simple way which avoids making waves, and that is when magic
works best. Minimising opposition also reduces the amount of
backlash you can expect - quite often the simplest path to earth
for any intention is through the magician, and if there is a lot
of opposition that is what happens. [The very act of invoking
power creates a resonance and a natural channel through the
magician.]
I try to analyse the possible outcomes and consequences of
my intentions. There is a popular view that "if it harms none, do
what you will". I can think of many worse moral principles, and
it is better than most, but it is still naive. It pretends that
it is theoretically possible to live without treading on another
person's toes, it leaves me to make unilateral decisions about
what is or is not harmful to others, and it is so wildly
unrealistic, even in the context of everyday life, that it only
seems to make sense if I intend to live in seclusion in a
wilderness living off naturally occuring nuts and berries (having
asked the squirrels for permission). If it is used as a moral
principle in magic, then it draws an artificial distinction
between magical work and the "push me, push you/if it moves,
shoot it, if it doesn't, cut it down" style of contemporary life.
It completely emasculates free-will. I prefer to believe that
just about anything I do is going to have an impact on someone or
something, and there are no cute moral guidelines; there are
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actions and there are outcomes. The aim is not to live according
to guidelines, but to understand as fully as possible the
consequences of the things we do, and to decide, in the light of
our understanding (which has hopefully kept pace with our power),
whether we are prepared to live with the outcomes.
And so to sacrifice. There is a problem here. The problem arises
from the perception that in magic you don't get something for
nothing, and if you want to bring about change through magic you
have to pay for it in some way. So far so good. The question is:
what can you give in return? There is a widespread belief that
you can sacrifice a living creature, and while most magicians
(self included) abhor the idea, the perpetuation of this idea is
still being used as a stick to beat the magical and pagan
community about the head. The issue is further complicated by the
fact that if one looks at surviving shamanistic practices
worldwide, or looks at the origins of most religions, ritual
animal sacrifice is endemic. That doesn't make it right, and I
have an unshakeable prejudice that it isn't an acceptable thing
to do, but I am only too aware of my hypocrisy when I order a
chicken curry, so I'm not going to stand on a soapbox and rant on
about it.
What I prefer to do is to examine what the notion of
sacrifice means. What can one legitimately sacrifice? You can't
legitimately sacrifice anything which is not yours to give, and
so the answer to the question "what can I sacrifice" lies in the
answer to the question "what am I, and what have I got to give?".
You certainly aren't any other living being, and if you don't
make the mistake of identifying yourself with your possessions
you will see that the only sacrifice you can make is yourself,
because that is all you have to give. Every ritual intention
requires that you sacrifice some part of yourself, and if you
don't make the sacrifice willingly then either the ritual will
fail, or the price will be exacted anyway. I don't have a
rational justification for this statement, and it certainly isn't
based on "karma" or a paranoid feeling that accountants are
everywhere; the belief was handed on to me as part of my magical
training, and having observed the way in which "magical energy"
is utilised to carry out intentions, it makes sense. Each person
has a certain amount of what I will call "life energy" at their
disposal - some people call it "personal power", and you can
sacrifice some of that energy to power the ritual. Sacrifice does
not mean turning the knife on yourself (and there are plenty of
people who do that). What it means in ordinary down-to-earth
terms is that you promise to do something in return for your
intention, and you link the sacrifice to the intention in such a
way that the sacrifice focuses energy along the direction of your
intention. For example, my cat was ill and hadn't eaten for three
weeks, so, as a last resort, fearing she was about to die of
starvation, I carried out a ritual to restore her appetite, and
as a sacrifice I ate nothing for 24 hours. I used my (real)
hunger to drive the intention, and she began eating the following
day.
Any personal sacrifice which hurts enough engages a deep
impulse to make the hurt go away, and the magician can use that
impulse to bring about magical change by linking the removal of
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the pain to the accomplishment of the intention. And I don't mean
magical masochism. We are (subject to all caveats on
generalisations) creatures of habit who find comfort and security
by living our lives in a particular way, and a change to that
habit and routine causes some discomfort and an opposing desire
to return to the original state: that desire can be used. Just as
a ritual intends to change the world in some way, so a sacrifice
forces us to change ourselves in some way, and that liberates
magical energy. If you want to heal someone, don't just do a
ritual and leave it at that; become involved in caring for them
in some way, and that *active* caring can act as a channel for
whatever power you have invoked. If you want to use magic to help
someone out of a mess, provide them with active, material help as
well; conversely, if you can't be bothered to provide material
help, your ritual will be infected with that same inertia and
apathy - true will, will out, and in many cases our true will is
to flatter the ego and do nothing substantive. I speak from
experience.
From a magical perspective each one of us is a magical being
with a vast potential of power, but that is denied to us by an
innate, fanatical, and unbelievably deep-rooted desire to keep
the world in a regular orbit serving our own needs. Self-
sacrifice disturbs this equilibrium and lets out some of that
energy, and that is why egoless devotion and self-sacrifice has a
reputation for working miracles.
4.5 The Main Ritual
After invoking the Powers and having stated the intention
and sacrifice, there would seem to be nothing more to do, but
most people like to prolong the contact with the Powers and carry
out some kind of symbolic ritual for a period of time varying
from minutes to days. Ritual as I have described it so far may
seem like a cut-and-dried exercise, but it isn't; it is more of
an art than a science, and once the Circle and Gates are opened,
and the Powers are "in attendance", whatever science there is in
ritual gives way to art. Magicians operate in a world where
ordinary things have complex symbolic meanings or
correspondences, and they use a selection of consecrated
implements or "power objects" in their work. The magician can use
this palette of symbols within a ritual to paint of picture which
signifies an intention in a non-verbal, non-rational way, and it
is this ability to communicate an intention through every sense
of the body, through every level of the mind, which gives ritual
its power. I can't say any more about this because it is personal
and unique to every magician, and each one develops a style which
works best for them.
4.6 Dismissal of Powers
Once the ritual is complete the Powers are thanked and
dismissed. This begins the withdrawal of consciousness back to
its pre-ritual state.
4.7 Close Gates/Close Circle
The final steps are closing the Gates (thus sealing off the
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altered state of consciousness) and closing the Circle (thus
returning to the everyday world). The Circle should not be closed
if there is any suspicion that the withdrawal from the altered
state has not been completed fully. I like to carry out a sanity
check between closing the Gates and closing the Circle. It
sometimes happens that although the magician goes through the
steps of closing down, the attention is not engaged, and the
magician remains in the altered state. This is not a good idea.
The energy of that state will continue to manifest in every
intention in everyday life, and all sorts of unplanned things
will start to happen. A related problem is that every magician
will find sooner or later an altered state which compensates for
some of their perceived inadequacies (in the way that many people
like to get drunk at parties), and they will not want to let go
of it because it makes them feel good, so they come out of the
ritual in an altered state without realising they have failed to
close down correctly. This is called obsession, and it is one of
the interesting difficulties of magical work.
Closing down correctly is important if you don't want to end
up like a badly cracked pot. If you don't feel happy that the
Powers have been completely dismissed and the Gates closed
correctly, go back and repeat the steps again.
5. Maps & Correspondences
If consciousness is imagined as a space we can move around in,
then it is a space of several dimensions. An indespensible tool
for any magician is a method for describing this space and its
dimensions, a method to specify the "the coordinates of
consciousness", like giving a map reference. The magician uses
such a descriptive method to say "this is where I want to get
to", and you can imagine a ritual as a vehicle which transports
him or her to the destination and back again.
A descriptive method of this type is one of the most obvious
and characteristic features of a particular magical technique,
because states of consciousness are usually described using a
dense mesh of symbolism and metaphor, and if a magical tradition
has been around for any length of time it becomes identified by
the details of this symbolism. Given the tendency for maps to be
confused with territory, there is a tendency for symbolism to
take on a life of its own and become completely detached from
authentic magical technique. People confuse magical symbolism
with magic; its use as a coordinate system is lost, vast tomes of
drivel are written, and every manner of absurdity follows.
I am a Kabbalist by training and use a map of consciousness
called "The Tree of Life". This map has been coloured in using a
thousand years of symbolism, and the result is called "the
Correspondences", and it is a system which allows me to navigate
around the dimensions of consciousness with some precision. There
are many other maps, some well worn by history, some not, and my
choice is a matter of personal preference. It works for me
because of the kind of person I am, but it is only a map and I
wouldn't pretend that there was anything intrinsically special
about it.
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Many magicians operate within a religious framework. The
Christian Mass is a magical ritual par excellence, and there are
several other magical rituals associated with Christianity. Some
magicians work within a pantheon - Graeco-Roman, Egyptian,
Scandinavian, Aztec or whatever. Some (e.g. Crowley) invent their
own religion. A characteristic of all these systems is that they
provide a complex mesh of symbol and metaphor, a map for the
magician to work within. For any pantheon it is usually
straightforward (with some bending, stretching and hitting with
a hammer) to identify a personification for the following aspects
of consciousness:
heaviness, old-age, stagnation, limitation, inertia
creativity, inspiration, vision, leadership
violence, force, destructiveness
harmony, integrity, balance, wholeness
love, hate, passion, sensual beauty, aesthetics, emotional
power, nurture
reason, abstraction, communication, conceptualisation, logic
imagination, instinct, the unconscious
practicality, pragmatism, stolidity, materialism
And once we have gods and goddesses (or saints) to personify
these qualities, a weave of metaphors and associations elaborates
the picture; the Moon is instinct, fire is both destructive and
energetic, death is a sythe, air and mercury are "the same", and
so on. The meaning of a symbol is personal - white means "death"
to some and "purity" to others. What matters is that the magician
should have a clear map, and with it the ability to invoke
different aspects of consciousness by using the symbolism of
gods, goddesses, archangels, demons or whatever. It does not
matter whether the magician believes in the literal reality of
the territory or not, as long as he or she treats the map with
respect and does not muddy the water by dabbling with too many
different maps. There are two principal ways in which maps become
muddled, and as the main theme of these notes is the precise use
of limitation in conjuction with magical consciousness, I think
it is worth mentioning what I see as potential pitfalls. The
first pitfall is mixing systems; the second is working with other
people.
There is a tendency nowadays to muddle different systems of
correspondences together, to add Egyptian gods to a Kabbalistic
ritual, to say that Tanith is really the same as Artemis, or that
Cybele and Astarte and Demeter are "just" different names for the
Mother Goddess, to find parallels between Thor and Mars, between
Kali and Hecate, between the Virgin Mary and Isis, until, like
different colours of paint mixed together, everything ends up in
shades of muddy brown. This unifying force is everywhere as
people find universal themes and try to make links between groups
and systems.
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It is (in my opinion) a bad idea to mix systems together in
a spirit of ecumenical fervour. Correspondences are like
intentions: the sharper and more clearly defined they are, the
better they work. Despite a few similarities, the Virgin Mary is
nothing like Isis, and Demeter has very little in common with
Astarte. Syncretism usually takes place slowly over the
centuries, so that for most people there is no distinction
between the classical Greek and Roman pantheons and Mercury is a
synonym for Hermes, but to do it in real-time in your own head is
a recipe for muddle-headedness.
Symbols can be diffused when people work together in a
group. It is a mistake to believe that "power" is raised in
direct proportion to the number of people taking part in a
ritual. Unless people have been trained together and have similar
"maps", then the ritual will have a different effect on each
person, and although more power may be raised, it will be
unfocussed and will probably earth itself through unexpected
channels. When people begin working together there will be a
period of time when their work together will probably be less
effective than any one of them working alone, but after a time
their "maps" begin to converge and things start to improve
dramatically. There is nothing magical about this - it is a
phenomenon of teams of people in general. I don't like "spectator
rituals" for this reason; you are either in it or your are out,
and if you are out, you are out the door.
Does it matter what map, what system of correspendences a
person uses? Is there a "best" set? This is an impossible
question to answer. What can be said is that working within any
magical framework incurs a cost. The more effective a magical
system is at limiting, engaging and mobilising the creative power
of consciousness, the more effective it is at ensnaring
consciousness within its own assumptions and limitations. If a
person works within a belief system where the ultimate nature of
God is pure, unbounded love, joy and bliss, then that closes off
other possibilities.
Without sitting in judgement of any set of beliefs, I would
say that the best belief system and the best system of
correspondences is one which allows consciousness to roam over
the greatest range of possibilities, and permits it the free-will
to choose its own limitations. And that is a belief in itself.
6. Conclusion
The gist of these notes is that ritual is a technique for
focussing magical power through the deliberate use of limitation.
Limitation comes from the belief system of the magician, and the
set of correspondences used to create symbolism within the
ritual. Further limitation comes from the structure of the ritual
itself, and ultimately from the statement of intention. With
practise these elements add up to a single-mindedness which can
shift consciousness out of its normal orbit.
................................................................................
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{file "Shamanism (Internet FAQ)" "bos613.htm"}
Shamanism (Internet)
Overview-Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Summary: This FAQ contains a general overview on shamanism.
It should be read by anyone interested in understanding the what
is meant by shamanism and what differentiates shamanism form
other forms of ecstatic experience
Keywords: shaman, anthropology, ethnography, consciousness, spirit,
oobe
Organization: La Casa del Paese Lontano
Date: Wed, 9 Mar 1994 02:37:55 GMT
Lines: 227
Archive-name: shamanism/overview
Last-modified: 8 March 1994
Version: 1.1
NOTE: The following general overview of shamanism is not intended to
be the last word or the definitive work on this subject. Rather it is,
as its title implies, intended to provide the participant or reader with
a set of guidelines that will familiarize them with the general use of
the terms shamanism, shaman and shamanic in the trends, study and
practice of historic, traditional and contemporary shamanic experience.
The word 'shaman comes to English from the Tungus language via Russian.
Among the Tungus of Siberia it is both a noun and a verb. While the
Tungus have no word for shamanism, it has come into usage by anthropolo-
gists, historians of religion and others in contemporary society to
designate the experience and the practices of the shaman. Its usage has
grown to include similar experiences and practices in cultures outside
of the original Siberian cultures from which the term shaman originated.
Thus shamanism is not the name of a religion or group of religions.
Particular attention should be paid to the use of qualifying words
such as "may" or "usually". They indicate examples or tendencies and
are not, in any way, intended to represent rigid standards
Please send comments to deane@netcom.com (Dean Edwards).
Shamanism-General Overview-Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
(c November, 1993 by Dean Edwards)
This FAQ shall be posted monthly and is maintained by Dean Edwards
(deane@netcom.com). It is intended for the private non-commercial use
of Usenet users. It may not be sold without the permission of the
author.
Table of Contents:
1. Terms used in this FAQ
2. What is shamanism?
3. What is Shamanic Ecstasy?
4. Becoming a shaman
5. The role of trauma in the development of a shaman
6. The relationship between shamanic traditions and culture
7. The role of Shamanic Ecstasy
8. The origin of the term "shamanism"
9. Roles of the shaman
10. Reasons for this FAQ
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1. Why were the terms used in this FAQ selected and do they have special
meanings. There is an extensive literature about shamanism that has been
compiled since the late Eighteenth Century. Like any field of study and
religious practice, shamanism has developed a specialized vocabulary.
Please note that some of the words used in the material that follows are
drawn from scholars who have a solid background in shamanic studies and
may have meanings that are specific and less general than is often the
case in popular usage. Consulting a good dictionary should clear up any
points of confusion.
2. What is Shamanism?
Shamanism is classified by anthropologists as an archaic
magico-religious phenomenon in which the shaman is the great master
of ecstasy. Shamanism itself, was defined by the late Mircea Eliade
as a technique of ecstasy. A shaman may exhibit a particular magical
specialty (such as control over fire, wind or magical flight). When a
specialization is present the most common is as a healer. The
distinguishing characteristic of shamanism is its focus on an
ecstatic trance state in which the soul of the shaman is believed to
leave the body and ascend to the sky (heavens) or descend into the
earth (underworld). The shaman makes use of spirit helpers, which
he or she communicates with, all the while retaining control over
his or her own consciousness. (Examples of possession occur, but
are the exception, rather than the rule.) It is also important to
note that while most shamans in traditional societies are men,
either women or men may and have become shamans.
3. What is Shamanic Ecstasy and how does it compare with other
forms of ecstasy?
From the Greek 'ekstasis', ecstasy literally means to be placed
outside, or to be placed.This is a state of exaltation in which a
person stands outside of or transcends his or herself. Ecstasy may
range from the seizure of the body by a spirit or the seizure of a
person by the divine, from the magical transformation or flight of
consciousness to psychiatric remedies of distress.
Three types of Ecstasy are specified in the literature on the subject:
1. Shamanic Ecstasy
2. Prophetic Ecstasy
3. Mystical Ecstasy
Shamanic ecstasy is provoked by the ascension of the soul of the
shaman into the heavens or its descent into the underworld. These
states of ecstatic exaltation are usually achieved after great and
strenuous training and initiation, often under distressing
circumstances. The resulting contact by the shaman with the
higher or lower regions and their inhabitants, and also with
nature spirits enables him or her to accomplish such tasks as
accompanying the soul of a deceased into its proper place in the
next world, affect the well-being of the sick and to convey the
story of their inner travels upon their return to the mundane
awareness.
The utterances of the shaman are in contrast with those of prophetic
and mystical ecstasy. The prophet literally speaks for God, while the
mystic reports an overwhelming divine presence. In mysticism, the
direct knowledge or experience of the divine ultimate reality, which is
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perceptible in two ways, emotional and intuitive. While these three
varieties of ecstatic experience are useful for the purposes of
analysis and discussion, it is not unusual for more than one form of
ecstasy to be present in an individual's experience.
However, it can be argued that, generally speaking, there are three
perceptive levels of ecstasy.
1) The physiological response, in which the mind becomes absorbed in
and focused on a dominant idea, the attention is withdrawn and the
nervous system itself is in part cut off from physical sensory input.
The body exhibits reflex inertia, involuntary nervous responses, frenzy.
2) Emotional perception of ecstasy refers to overwhelming feelings of
awe, anxiety, joy, sadness, fear, astonishment, passion, etc.
3) Intuitive perception communicates a direct experience and
understanding of the transpersonal experience of expanded states of
awareness or consciousness.
While the physiological response is always present, the emotional
response may or may not be significant when intuition is the principal
means of ecstatic perception. Some have argued that beyond the intuitive
state there is a fourth condition in which the holistic perception
exceeds mental and emotional limitations and understanding.
The ecstatic experience of the shaman goes beyond a feeling or percep-
tion of the sacred, the demonic or of natural spirits. It involves the
shaman directly and actively in transcendent realities or lower realms
of being.
4. How does one become a shaman?
Some have wondered if the experience of shamanic ecstasy or flight
makes a person a shaman. Generally speaking, most would say no.
A shaman is more than someone with an experience. First, he or she
is a trained initiate. Usually years of trenculturalization and
under a mentor precede becoming a functioning shaman. Second, a
shaman is not just an initiate who has received inner and outer
training, but is a master of shamanic journeying and techniques
(shamanic ecstasy). This is not a casual acquaintance with such
abilities, there is some degree of mastery of them. Finally, a
shaman is a link or bridge between this world and the next. This
is a sacred trust and a service to the community. Sometimes a
community that a shaman serves in is rather small. In other
instances it may be an entire nation. A lot of that depends on
social and cultural factors.
One becomes a shaman by one of three methods:
a) Hereditary transmission;
b) Spontaneous selection or "call" or "election";
c) personal choice and quest. (This latter method is less frequent
and traditionally such a shaman is considered less powerful than one
selected by one of the two preceding methods.) The shaman is not
recognized as legitimate without having undergone two types of
training:
1) Ecstatic (dreams, trances, etc.)
2) Traditional ("shamanic techniques, names and functions of
spirits,mythology and genealogy of the clan, secret language, etc.) The
two-fold course of instruction, given by the spirits and the old master
shamans is equivalent to an initiation." (Mircea Eliade, The Encyclo-
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pedia of Religion, v. 13 , p. 202; Mcmillian, N.Y., 1987.) It is also
possible for the entire process to take place in the dream state or in
ecstaticexperience. Thus, there is more to becoming a shaman than a
single experience. It requires training, perseverance and service.
5. What is the role of personal trauma or crisis in the selection or
development of a shaman?
A common experience of the call to shamanism is a psychic or spiritual
crisis, which often accompanies a physical or even a medical crisis, and
is cured by the shaman him or herself. This is a common occurrence for
all three types of shamanic candidates described above. The shaman is
often marked by eccentric behavior such as periods of melancholy,
solitude, visions, singing in his or her sleep, etc. The inability of
the traditional remedies to cure the condition of the shamanic candidate
and the eventual self cure by the new shaman is a significant episode in
development of the shaman. The underlying significant aspect of this
experience, when it is present,is the ability of the shaman to manage
and resolve periods of distress.
6. Does the presence of an active shamanic tradition necessarily mean
that the society itself should be deemed "shamanic"?
No, not at all. The presence of shamanism in a nation or a community
does not mean that shamanism is central to the spiritual or religious
life of the community or region. Shamanism often exists alongside and
even in cooperation with the religious or healing practices of the
community.
7. What is meant by shamanic ecstasy and what role does it actually play
in shamanism?
The ecstatic technique of shamanism does not involve itself in the broad
range of ecstasy reported in the history of religion. It is specifically
focused on the transpersonal movement of the consciousness of the
shaman into higher or lower realms of consciousness and existence.
Another aspect of shamanism is that compared to other spiritual
traditions, it is a path that the individual walks alone. While much of
the focus of shamanic studies has been on the shamanic complexes of
north and central Asia, shamanism is a universal phenomenon, not
confined to any particular region or culture.
8. What is the origin of the word "shaman"?
Shaman comes from the language of the Tungus of North-Central Asia. It
came into use in English via Russian.
9. What are the usual roles of a shaman?
In contemporary, historical or traditional shamanic practice the shaman
may at times fill the role of priest, magician, metaphysician or healer.
Personal experience is the prime determinant of the status of a shaman.
Knowledge of other realms of being and consciousness and the cosmology
of those regions is the basis of the shamanic perspective and power.
With this knowledge, the shaman is able to serve as a bridge between the
mundane and the higher and lower states The shaman lives at the edge of
reality as most people would recognize it and most commonly at the edge
of society itself. Few indeed have the stamina to adventure into these
realms and endure the outer hardships and personal crises that have been
reported by or observed of many shamans.
10. Why was this FAQ written?
This FAQ was originally written to support a new Usenet
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newsgroup, 'soc.religion.shamanism'. The purpose of this
newsgroup is to provide a forum for discussion and exchange of ideas,
views and information about historic,traditional, tribal and
contemporary shamanism. This FAQ is intended to provide a useful general
overview of what 'shamanism' actually means and what it is in practice.
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{file "Rite of Passage, Modern Female (Lady Shyra)" "bos615.htm"}
Modern Female Rite Of Passage
Lady Shyra, 1994
Note: East - Air; South - Fire, West - Water, North - Earth
EARLY PREPERATIONS
Candles for the ritual will be made that day. Celebrant will make two
white candles. Candles will be herbal and scented, and enscribed
appropriately. Celebrant and mother will also bring something that
symbolically (to them) symbolizes the rite of passage.
Ritual baths will be taken prior to ceremony, with Celebrant's bath
being drawn for her. Salt, herbs and scents appropriate to the occasion
will be added to the bath, and it will be blessed prior to use. Mother
will help Celebrant to the bath, where she will light a candle and
incense, give words of love and comfort and instruction to the Celeb-
rant, and then withdraw to assist in Circle Preparation.
CIRCLE PREPARATION
Circle area will be cleansed and Circle constructed and consecrated in
the usual manner. Altar will sit just West of Center of Circle to
symbolize both the emotional aspects of the ritual, as well as the
death/ rebirth aspects.
Added to altar arrangement will be the Celebrant's two white candles.
Also on the altar will be a mirror sitting behind and between the two
white candles. Symbolic gifts will be placed beside the altar -- the
mother's to the North symbolizing steadfastness, grounding, caution,
and wisdom of the elder. The Celebrant's will be to the South of the
altar, symboling the fire, passion and impetuosity of youth.
INVOCATIONS
Guardian of the East
Hail to thee, Ancient ones of Air!
Blow soft around us this night
That the restrictions and pains of childhood
Will be but memories in the mind of the adult.
Guardian of the South
Hail to thee, Ancient ones of Fire!
Lend to us this night your passion and strength
Envelope us in your warmth,
That the fires of youth may be tempered within thee.
Guardian of the West
Hail to thee, Ancient ones of Water!
Wash over us with thy loving embrace
That the sorrows of days long past
Can give way to new understanding.
Guardians of the North
Hail to thee, Ancient ones of Earth!
Stand firm with us in our purpose this night,
That from the youth shall grow the adult
Full of purpose and wisdom.
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Invocation to the Lady
Blessed Lady of a Thousand Names,
You who art Maiden, Mother and Crone.
Grant that this night the bindings of childhood will be broken
And the bond between mother and daughter be strengthened.
For the two, as so reflected throughout all creation,
Are but images of thee in thy divine Trinity.
Blessed Be.
In honor of thee do I pour this toast, and drink this wine.
Invocation to the Lord
Great Lord, Ancient one of the fields and Consort to our Lady,
We ask that thou wouldst give
a measure of your love and protection
to she who will soon join the battles of this life.
Fill her with the knowledge of thee as sancutary
And grant that peace may follow her always.
In honor of thee do I pour this toast, and drink this wine.
Chalice is then passed to each of the coveners to share in the toast.
Drawing Down the Moon
Priestess/Mother stands facing the moon with hands upraised and palms
turned upwards, cupwise. Drinking in the Lady's essence, she says,
Come to me and fill me with thy light
Enter me, shine in me your fullness
That I may use your power for my good,
And for the good of All.
When appropriate, she blesses all within the Circle, and the rite that
is about to be performed. Then, nodding to the Father of the Celebrant,
says:
Bring forth your daughter,
that she might, this night,
cross the threshold of adulthood.
Father brings the Celebrant to the Eastern Gate.
Mthr: Is this the daughter I bore so many years before?
Nay, it cannot be, for she was but a child when last I held her.
Dtr: Mother, I am your child. Now grown and ready to throw away
the things of childhood. Years it has been since my moonflow
began and I became a woman. Now it is time that this is recog
nized.
Mthr: Very well, lead the child into the center of the Circle. There to
have her sit in silence.
Father leads Celebrant to the center of the Circle, while mother
re-closes the Circle. She then joins her daughter in the Circle's
center, saying:
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Mthr: You sit now in the Center of the Circle; that which is known
as the Cauldron of Hecate; the point of transformation; the
mother's womb, where beginnings end and endings re-begin.
I have heard your words, and weep for them; Tears of both joy
and sorrow.
It was my body that cried out in pain and joy as you were born.
It was my mind that went in circles to provide for us.
It was my heart that broke when that which you wanted I could
not give you.
But always did you have my love... and always shall you carry
that love with you.
Behold in me the Three-Fold Goddess
She who is One in Three - Maid, Mother, and Crone
One in Three, as she is in you and all women,
And as you and they are in her.
Look upon her and know her,
That you, too, may be whole.
So I ask thee truly, art thou ready to face the woman within thee?
To see within thee the light and dark, and fear no more the dark?
To accept that which you are, and strive for that which you can
become?
To leave behind the things of childhood,
But to continue to love and nurture the child which lives in
all adults?
\{Celebrant has answered accordingly to each of the questions, at which
time the Mother now exhorts the Celebrant to stand and face the altar.\}
Mthr: Daughter, I ask you now to look deep within the mirror. See
yourself reflected there. Look into your eyes and know
yourself. Repeat after me:"I come to commune with my Soul."
Dtr: I come to commune with my Soul.
Mthr: Look into the reflection of your eyes, and name one thing about
yourself that you love.
\{Celebrant and Mother will continue this, alternating between what
the Celebrant thinks is both good and bad within her... \}
After the last question, the Mother then says:
Mthr: Daughter, within thee is both light and dark. Know always your
shadow side. If something is there which offends thee horrible,
give it up. For others to love you as an adult, you must love
yourself first. And loving yourself means giving up any self-
hatred you've carried over from young years. Now is the time
to cut these things from thy life. They are the bonds of
childhood which have held you limited. Free yourself from them,
and know that thy spirit flies free.
Now look again into the mirror. Look at yourself with love.
See the Goddess shining within thee. She is strong; no man
has dominion over her. She knows herself and loves herself.
She will give herself to those who are worthy of her affections,
2722
and turn from those who try to debase her. Let the Goddess
within thee shine through thee, that the nobility and strength
of woman is clear for all to see.
Now, come with me.
Mother embraces daughter and leads her to each of the four quarters.
After each challenge, the Celebrant must answer as she sees fit, and
asks the Guardian's Blessing. The Covener at each gate will then bless
the Celebrant, and offer a gift for adulthood, such as strength,
courage, etc... or a physical gift pertinent to the rite and Gate.
Covener at Eastern Gate:
Hold! I am the wild wind and fury of the storm!
That which buffets thee without shelter.
How will you survive?
Covener at Southern Gate
Hold! I am fire and passion
That which will consume thee with lust.
How will you survive?
Covener at Western Gate
Hold! I am floods and weeping and gnashing of teeth.
I am lonliness and frustration.
How will thee survive?
Covener at Northern Gate
Hold! I am chaos and turmoil
Plans gone wrong and dreams that die.
How will thee survive?
Mother faces daughter (Priestess mode ON here)...
I am the Lady, thy Mother...
I shall be with thee no matter how far thou shalt roam.
And when lonliness besets thee,
Thou needs only gaze upon the moon,
To see my face and my love reflected there to you.
Father approaches daugher and turns her to face him...
I am he who is father to thee now.
I shall stand behind and beside thee always.
And when lonliness besets thee,
Thou needs only to step out into sunlight
To feel my warmth and love within thee.
Mother takes daughter by hand and returns to the altar. Daughter picks
up her gift of childhood and presents it to the mother, saying ...
This I do give you as a symbol of childhood now behind me.
Hold it and cherish it as you remember me.
Mother picks up her gift of adulthood and presents it the Celebrant,
saying...
This I do give you as a symbol of your adulthood,
2723
and my recognition of it.
Hold it and cherish it as you remember me.
Draw a pentegram above the celebrant, with an affirmation at each of the
five points:
Point one: In the name of Inanna, Queen of Heaven
Point two: In the name of Athena, warrior Goddess, but also of Peace
Point three: In the name of Astarte, warrior Goddess, and protector of
young females
Point four: In the name of Diana, she of the bow and arrow, Goddess
of Light
Point five: Do I bless thee, and call thee "Woman".
May their strenth and independence, their love and virtue, be thine all
the days of thy life.
I recognize the child no more, but she the child who lives in all of us.
Mother stands with a space between her and her daughter and presents
the new adult to the coven.
Feasting (and in our case, a birthday celebration) follow.
Quarter Guardians are thanked, and blessings are asked of the
Lord and Lady upon the group, as well as the Celebrant.
Blessed Be * Lady Shyra *
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{file "Temple Of Set (Lillith Aquino)" "bos618.htm"}
The Temple of Set, Is it Satanic?
By: Lilith Aquino
I can't answer this in 25 words or less, so bear with me! If you
consider Satanism to be anti-Christian Devil worship, the answer is no.
The Temple of Set practices a completely non-Christianized, positive
"high Satanism". To understand what we mean by this, a bit of history of
the Temple is needed:
While the TOS as an organization was formally incorporated and recog-
nized by both state and federal governments in 1975 CE, its magical and
philosophical roots are prehistoric, originating in mankind's first
apprehension that there is "something different" about the human race -
a sense of SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS - that places humanity apart from all
other known forms of life. Ancient religions - of which those of Egypt
are generally acknowledged the eldest - either exalted or feared this
self-consciousness. Those which exalted it took the position that the
human psyche is capable of opposition to and domination
of the forces of nature.
The psyche-worshipping, reasoning religions - or schools of initiatory
philosophy - attained levels of abstract knowledge that made them
mysterious to the masses. In a few socities, such as Egypt and Greece,
such groups were respected and admired. More often, however, their
exclusive elitism and "supernatural" activities made them objects of
resentment and persecution.
While all philosophical schools embraced the psychecentric consciousness
to some degree, there were a very few which made it avowedly and
explicitly the focus of their attention. The divine personifications
("gods") of such schools have come down to us as symbols of what most
Western religions, worshippers of non-consciousness, consider the
supreme "evil": the Prince of Darkness in his many forms. Of these the
most ancient is Set, whose Priesthood can be traced to predynastic
times.
Originally a circumpolar/stellar deity portrayed as a cyclical counter-
part to the Solar Horus, Set was later recast as an evil principle by
the cults of Osiris and Isis. When the Hebrews emigrated from Egypt
during the XIX Dynasty, they took with them a caricature of Set: "Satan"
(from the hieroglyphic _Set-Hen_, one of the god's formal titles).
Originally a sort of "prosecuting angel for YHVH", the Hebrew Satan was
changed by Christianity into a personification of everything God was not
- and since God was "good", Satan was necessarily "bad". Alluring or
mysterious deities from religions competing with early Christianity -
such as the hellenic/Roman Mysteries and Persian Mithraic faith - were
also "bad". Non-Christian gods generally were redefined as Christian
"demons" and given a place in the Christian Hell (another name stolen
and perverted from Norse mythology). Christian propaganda nonwithstan-
ding, the present day "Satan" is wholly their invention.
Which brings us to the present time: The Satanic religion proposes to
raise the individual to personal godhood, free from enslavement to any
other "God" (or gods). However this is a question not just of power, but
also of ethics, morality, and psychological maturity. The parameters of
philosophy and metaphysics extend far beyond the conceptual and symbolic
limits of the Judaic/Chrisitian tradition. The Temple of Set explores
the "human equation" and the metaphysical and psychological roots of the
great Satanic/psyche-centered philosophies of history. The appeal of
2735
occultism is much the same as that of conventional religion: Logical
positivism and scientific materialism, though they have made great
strides towards explaining the "how" of existence, have failed entirely
to explain the why.
Conventional religions, with their colorful mythologies analyzed in
terms of
the underlying philosophical principles, represent simply the primitive
longing of man to feel "at one" with the Universal harmony he perceives
about him. The Black Magician rejects both the desirability of union
with the Universe and any self-deceptive actions designed to create such
an illusion. He/she has considered the existence of the individual
psyche - the "core you" of your conscious intelligence - and has taken
satisfaction from its existence as something unlike anything else. The
Black Magician desires this psyche to live, to experience, to continue.
He/she does not wish to die - or to lose consciousness and identity in
a larger, Universal consciousness (assuming that such exists). He/she
wants to BE. This decision in favor of individual existence is the first
premise of the Temple of Set.
The second premise of the Temple is that the psychecentric consciousness
can evolve towards its own divinity through deliberate exercise of the
intelligence and Will, a process of BECOMING or COMING INTO BEING
(XEPER), whose roots may be found in the dialectic method expounded by
Plato and the conscious exaltation of the Will proposed by Nietzsche.
The "worship" of Set is thus the "worship" of individualism. In the
Church of Satan this was taken to mean indulgence in all (legal) desires
of the body and ego. Since many such desires are impulsive and destruc-
tive, the COS found itself in an awkward position, which accelerated its
eventual crisis and demise in 1975. The Temple of Set determined to
preserve the principle of individualism, but to add to it the evolution-
ary "higher self" aspirations of Aleister Crowley's pre-OTO philosophy
of Thelema. Glorification of the ego is not enough; it is the COMPLETE
psyche, the entire Self or soul, which must be recognized, appreciated,
and actualized. Dogma, - to include fixed ideology in any form - is
repugnant to Setians. We strive rather towards an atmosphere of "best
possible premises", which are always subject to constructive, intel-
ligent examination and criticism. Foolish, pretentious, or destructive
egotism under the guise of exploration is neither respected nor endured.
Regretfully there still exist some individuals whose idea of "Satanism"
is largely a simple-minded synthesis of Christian propaganda and
Hollywood horror movies. The Temple of Set enjoys the colorful legacy of
the Black Arts, and we use many forms of historical Satanic imagery for
our artistic stimulation and pleasure. But we have not found that any
interest or activity which an enlightened, mature intellect would regard
as undignified, sadistic, criminal, or depraved is desirable, much less
essential to our work. The Temple of Set is an evolutinary product of
human experience. Such experience includes the magical and philosophical
work of many occult individuals which have preceded us. In examining the
secret and suppressed corners of history for valuable and useful
material, the Temple insists upon ehtical presentation and use of such
discoveries. All Setians are expected to display a high measure of
maturity and common sense in this area. We reject absolutely wanton
cruelty and harm to others, and are particularly adamant about this with
regard to animals.
2736
The Temple of Set evaluates conventional religions as erroneous in
principle, and feels no need to concern itself with their activities
unless they intrude upon our affairs.
Any further questions or comments are welcome.
................................................................................
2737
{file "Descent Into Confusion (Robert Hughes, WOW)" "bos619.htm"}
Descent Into Confusion
by Robert Hughes
One of the celebrated "mysteries" of revivalist Wicca is the
'ritual play' known as the Legend of the Descent of the
Goddess. In my Gardnerian Book of Shadows, dating from the
sixties, the Legend is to be enacted separately at "a meeting
for preparation for Third Degree". Only third degree witches
may attend this meeting with the initiate who is to take
second degree.
The Legend is enacted in front of the initiate by four of the
third degree witches. Two take the role of Narrator and
Guardian of the Portal (of the underworld), while the High
Priest and High Priestess or Maiden take the roles of God and
Goddess. The term Guardian of the Portal may have been
borrowed from the rituals of the Golden Dawn.
In this enactment, the ruler of the underworld and Lord of
Death is the Horned One. The Legend begins with the statement:
'...Our Lady, the Goddess, would solve all mysteries - even
the mystery of death. And so she journeyed to the Netherworld
where the Guardian of the Portal challenged her.' The Guardian
orders her to strip off her garments and jewels and she is
bound with cords and brought into the presence of the Lord of
Death.
The God is so overcome by her beauty that he falls and kisses
her feet and begs her to stay with him in the underworld. The
Goddess replies that she does not love him, and she asks why
he causes all the things she loves and delights in to fade and
die.
The God replies that the cause is 'age and fate' and he says
he is helpless to stop it, although he can give the dead 'rest
and peace and strength, so that they may return.' A second
time he asks the Goddess to stay with him. When she again says
she does not love him, Death replies she must suffer a
scourging at his hands.
Following this scourging, and the five fold kiss, the Goddess
says: 'I know the pain of love'. It is then that the God
'taught her all the mysteries'. He also gives her a special
necklace which is 'a symbol of the Circle of Rebirth'. In
return, our Lady teaches him the 'sacred mystery of the
cauldron'. The Legend ends with an affirmation of the reality
of reincarnation among the Hidden Children of the Goddess and
'the mystery of magick which is placed between the worlds'.
The initiate is then invited to ask questions about the
meaning of the Legend.
Even anyone with only a slight knowledge of understanding of
mythology will recognise the contradictions and confusions
which exist within the structure and symbolism of the Legend.
The first point of controversy is when, where, and by whom,
this ritual originated. Some (unconfirmed) sources claim it is
of 19th century origin. It is said to be a product of the
famous "Cambridge" coven of academics who revived the
2738
classical Mysteries in the early 1800s. More reliable evidence
exists to prove that Gerald Gardner sent a draft of the Legend
to Aleister Crowley for correction in the 1940s.
Kelly (Crafting the Art of Magic, Llewellyn, 1991) claims that
the Legend does not appear in the pre-1949 second degree
initiation in the famous (infamous?) Ye Bok of Ye Art Magical
and says: "The content of this document probably dates to 1953
or earlier..." (p.128). Gardner quotes from the Legend in his
book, Witchcraft Today as if he had received it from the New
Forest coven. In fact he describes it as 'the central part of
one of their rituals. It is a sort of primitive
spiritualism.'. He goes on to compare its importance in the
Craft to the Christian myth of the crucifixion and
resurrection. (1970, pp 44-46). Gardner goes on to say the
Legend 'upon which its members base their action is the
central idea of the cult.' He compares it with the story of
Istar (sic) descending into hell and the myth of the Hindu god
Siva (Shiva) as Lord of Death and destruction. Gardner then
says he believes the Legend may be of Celtic origin. To
support this fanciful statement, he says that: 'In Celtic
legends the Lords of the Underworld did prepare you for death
and many living people are said to have entered their regions,
formed alliances with them, and returned safely, but it needed
great courage; only a hero or a demi-god dared to risk it.'
(p.46). One presumes that here Gardner is making an allusion
to the realm of Faerie and the widespread folk belief that
faeries were the spirits of the dead.
This is classic Gardner at his most confusing and, perhaps,
deliberately misleading and mischievous. The version of the
Legend as presented by Gardner is both patriarchal and
mythologically inaccurate. It seems to be based on a hybrid
combination of the Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone, and
the Middle Eastern myth of Inanna-Ishtar. Gardner does not
mention the Demeter-Persephone myth in his speculations,
instead sidetracking the reader into the realms of Celtic
myth, although he does devote a chapter of his book to the
Greek Mysteries - basically as a means of justifying the
practice of scourging.
In the Middle Eastern myth, Inanna is the Goddess of the Moon
and Venus. She was probably, 'one of the three great goddesses
of the Bronze Age' (Baring & Cashford, 1991). Inanna was known
by the title Queen of Heaven and Earth and her myth is an
archetypal form of the eternal story of the mourning
widow/mother goddess and the saviour god, who is her
son/lover, dies, descends to the underworld and is reborn.
This myth is found in most Mediterranean cultures and in
northern Europe, and it formed the 'pagan' basis for the new
religion of Christianity.
The Demeter-Persephone myth is a post-patriarchal variant on
this ancient legend with the daughter (Persephone) being
kidnapped and held prisoner by Pluto, the Lord of Death and
the ruler of Hades. In recent years some feminist
mythographers have re-written this classic story and produced
alternative versions without any patriarchal overtones (see
2739
Spretnak, 1978).
Gardner was correct to refer to visits to the underworld by
heroes and demi-gods (sic). However, in the majority of the
extant legends and myths, such as the descent of Arthur to
Annwn to capture the Cauldron of the Goddess, and Baldur's
ritual death and descent into the realm of Hel, it is a male
mortal or god who is involved in the descent and is "reborn".
It is the Goddess, in her 'dark aspect, who rules over the
realm of the dead, controls the power of fate and grants the
hero/god the supreme initiation of transformation and rebirth.
In the Gardnerian Legend of the Descent we are led to believe
that the Goddess, who is represented in The Charge as an
all-powerful deity offering her worshippers 'upon death, peace
unutterable, rest and the ecstasy of the Goddess', and is
described by Gardner himself as 'the Great Mother, the giver
of life' (1970, p.45), visits the underworld knowing nothing
about the mysteries of life and death. She allegedly knows
nothing about the natural process that makes 'all the things
that I love, and take delight in, fade and die' until she is
taught these mysteries by the God. In fact in response to her
question the God replies 'tis age and fate'. Significantly
these are both concepts associated with the Dark Goddess of
the Underworld, who has no role in Gardner's version of the
Craft.
It is not difficult to see the Legend of the Descent of the
Goddess in terms of 'a theologising of the scourging' (Kelly,
1991), which was such an important aspect of the rituals in
Gardner's time. Taking this argument a step forward, as Kelly
does (1991, pp 28-29), it could appear that the content of the
Legend was based on Gardner's sexual fantasies and his
personal concept of the Goddess. He imagined the Goddess as 'a
sweet, lovely woman', while in the more traditional branches
of the Craft she is a darker deity ruling fate, death and the
underworld as well as sexuality. This alternative archetypal
image of the witch goddess has largely been ignored by
revivalist Wicca. It will continue to do so while Gardner's
confused and mythologically incorrect Legend of the Descent of
the Goddess remains the 'central idea' of the modern Craft.
References and further reading:
Witchcraft Today G B Gardner (Arrow paperback edition 1970)
The Witches' Way J & S Farrar (Robert Hale 1984)
Crafting the Art of Magic: Book I
A Kelly (Llewellyn 1991)
Lost Goddesses of Early Greece
C Spretnak (Moon Books 1978)
The Myth of the Goddess
Baring & Cashford (Penguin 1991)
The Mysteries of Eleusis
G D'Alviella (Aquarian Press 1981)
................................................................................
2740
{file ""WITCH" (Doreen Valiente, in WoW)" "bos620.htm"}
The Derivation of the word Witch
by Doreen Valiente
Strangely enough, the derivation of the word witch is a subject on which
scarcely any two authorities can be found to agree. The most frequent
explanation is that it is akin to the word wise, and that witchcraft
therefore means The Craft of the Wise.
It is widely believed that Gerald Gardner originated this derivation.
However, this is incorrect, as it appears in Hugh Ross Williamson's
book, The Arrow and the Sword, first published in 1947, before any of
Gerald Gardner's books on witchcraft. But is this the right derivation?
Not according to Professor Jeffrey Russell, who gives an appendix on
this subject in his book A History of Witchcraft (Thames & Hudson,
London, 1980). Professor Russell rejects any connection with the Old
English word witan, meaning to know, as he also does with the Old
English wican, to bend. In his opinion, the real origin comes from the
Indo-European word weik, which has a general connection with religion
and magic. From this very ancient root-word came in turn, among other
things, a word wikk, meaning magic and sorcery, and this eventually
produced the Old English wicca, a male witch, wicce, a female witch,
and the verb wiccian, to bewitch or work witchcraft.
It will be seen from the above that "Wicca" does not mean "witchcraft"
and never did, in spite of its widespread modern use. So how did this
usage originate? In his biography, Gerald Gardner: Witch, it describes
his initiation in "Old Dorothy's" house, and says, 'It was half way
through when the word Wica was first mentioned: "and I then knew that
that which I had thought burnt out hundreds of years ago still sur-
vived."' It will be seen that at this time Gerald didn't even know how
to spell the word. Its correct spelling is as above. Nor, unfortunately,
does this account state in what context the word was used. It might have
been that Old Dorothy's coven was simply proclaiming Gerald a male
witch, in which case this would have been an accurate use of the word.
So where did Gerald get the idea that "Wicca" meant witchcraft? I would
like to advance a theory of my own. I must emphasise that this is just
a theory, and I may be wrong. But I believe that this idea originated
from his reading of a book which I know that he possessed, namely
An Encyclopaedia of Occultism by Lewis Spence. This very valuable work
of reference first appeared in 1920, according to the mention of it
in the bibliography at the end of Gerald's book, Witchcraft Today.
It has recently been re-issued by Bracken Books under the title of
The Encyclopaedia of the Occult. The entry referring to witchcraft
begins: "Witchcraft: (from Saxon Wicca, a contraction of witega, a
prophet or sorcerer)." This could have been read and misunderstood
to mean that "Wicca" meant witchcraft, and this misconception has
been carried on through the ranks of modern witches ever since.
It has to be said, of course, that the word Wicca has its uses to
define the present-day revival, especially in the USA, where a number
of associations using this word have gained legal recognition as
religious bodies. Personally, however, I prefer the term The
Old Religion, which is the English equivalent of the Italian term
used by the followers of Aradia, namely La Vecchia Religione.
(See Charles Godfrey Leland's book, Aradia: or the Gospel of the
Witches, first published in 1899.)
2741
(Incidentally, there is a legend in witchcraft circles to the effect
that the reason why the original edition of this book is so rare is
that old Gerald bought up all the copies he could find and destroyed
them. Whether there is any truth in this or not, I cannot say.)
In spite of Professor Russell's opinion, as quoted above, there is an
older derivation of the word witch that may perhaps be worthy of
consideration. This may be found in A Concise Etymological Dictionary
of the English Language by the Rev. Walter W Skeat (Clarendon Press,
Oxford, 1901). This book discusses the above-mentioned derivations
from wicca, wicce, etc., and then in turn connects these old words
with the Norwegian vikja, which means firstly 'to turn aside' and
secondly 'to conjure away'. Thus, speculates the Rev. Skeat, the word
witch possibly meant 'averter'.
He also mentions that the Anglo-Saxon word witega, a prophet or seer,
comes from the Anglo-Saxon witan, to observe, which he says is 'cognate
with witan, to know.'. We have seen that Lewis Spence regarded witega as
the origin of wicca. So who is right? In spite of all claims, it seems
to me that it remains a matter of opinion. One thing we do know is that
the word came to Britain with the Saxons, who at the time of their
arrival on these shores were pagans. I believe that to them, the word
witch (or whichever of its forerunners they used), did not necessarily
have any derogatory meaning. A witch was a seer, a knower, an averter of
evil. The word only took on a negative meaning with the coming of
Christianity, which taught that all the gods of the heathen were devils.
So anyone who clung o the old ways and the Old Religion was a devil
worshipper. And annually, around Halloween, we still see the same old
charges being made in the same old spirit of bigotry. Isn't it sad that
these good folk haven't learnt anything since the Dark Ages?
................................................................................
2742
{file "Wicca vs. Paganism (David Piper)" "bos621.htm"}
Wicca vs. Paganism?
By: David Piper
Firstly, Paganism is a collective term for many different faiths and
Wicca is one specific Pagan faith; however, specifics of Wicca IMHO:
Duotheistic monism *or* duotheistic monotheism (the One transcending
the Two while the Two still have independent self-existence)
The Lady is the Mother of all Life and Giver of Rebirth: Her Womb is
also the Tomb - "that which enters the Cauldron living, dies
but that which is placed in it dead, comes forth living"
The Lord is the Father of all life, Son and Lover of the Goddess: He
is born of Her, returns His Seed unto Her, returns to Her in
death, and is reborn of Her
All initiated members are of the Priesthood: as Priest(ess) unto the
self, if not to a group
The essential equality of all members, together with the respect for
those of more experience and learning: Elders, HP, and HPS
Wiccans practice a somewhat "formal" liturgy - if only in terms of a
regular "opening" and "closing" ritual, within which freedom
and spontaneity can be expressed as the Spirit moves them
A common resemblance of working methods and practice, within a broad
but nevertheless limited range of acceptable variation
The concept of "Drawing Down" - that the Deities can and do manifest
Themselves "unto visible appearance" to Their worshippers
A reverence for sexuality as both natural and good, and as sacrament
of the creative Union of the Lady and the Lord
The Great Rite - as the "Sacred Marriage," in which Goddess and God,
human and Divine, are brought to Unity, or Unity perceived
Respect for the "Gifts of the Goddess" (to borrow a Farrarian term),
as the true means by which humans can come to directly know,
and experience, the Divine - reason and logic fail; emotions
and intuition and the "psychic" are the channels of contact,
and experiential "Knowledge"
The concept of "Naked in Her Sight" as expressive of freedom, and of
obedience to Her, and of equality with Brothers and Sisters;
whether by literal, "skyclad" ritual nudity, or by symbolic,
"Naught is hidden from Your Sight" ritual robes
********************************************************************
Now, some of the ideas mentioned beg for more definition and further
discussion, but there's my offering for now...
B*B
David
................................................................................
2743
{file "Raven Kindred Ritual (Asatru)" "bos623.htm"}
The Raven Kindred Ritual Book By Lewis Stead and The Raven Kindreds,
Northern & Southern Hearths
The Raven Kindred Ritual Book is Copyright(c)1991,1992,1993 by Lewis
Stead, All Rights Reserved. Copies of this book are available from
the Raven Kindred; 11160 Veirs Mill Rd L15-175 at a cost of $5/booklet
or may be downloaded free of charge from the Moonrise BBS at (301)
593-9609 or obtained by sending e-mail to lstead@access.digex.net.
Non-commercial free of charge electronic distribution of this document
is permitted provided that the document remains whole and contains the
above copyright statement.
Introduction
Less than a thousand years ago the elders of Iceland made a fateful
decision. Under political pressure from Christian Europe and faced
with the need for trade, the Allthing or national assembly declared
Iceland to be an officially Christian country. Within a few centuries
the last remnants of Nordic Paganism, which once stretched through all
of Northern Europe were thought dead. However, Iceland was a tolerant
country and the myths, stories, and legends of Pagan times were left
unburnt to kindle the fires of belief in later generations. In 1972
Iceland once again recognized Nordic Paganism as a legitimate and
legal religion.
Iceland and Sweden were the last two bastions of the Pagan religion
originally practiced by the people of the various Germanic tribes.
Today Nordic Paganism also known as Odinism, Heathenism, Northern
Tradition, or Asatru (an Old-Norse term meaning .loyalty to the Gods.)
is practiced in virtually all the countries where it originally
flourished as well as America and Australia. It is one of a body of
religions calling themselves Neo-Paganism which include Druidism, the
revival of ancient Celtic Paganism, and Wicca or Witchcraft. However
Asatru remains largely unknown even within the community of Neo-Pagan
believers.
This book is intended as a basic manual to the beliefs and practices
of the Raven Kindred of Asatru. We do not pretend to be experts and
won.t act as if we were. Rather we are simply believers in the Old
Gods seeking to share our practice and research with others who are
true to the Aesir. Our aim is to present a simple guide which will
allow easy understanding of the principles behind Asatru and to give
hints for further study and exploration.
While we attempt to be historically accurate to our religion's roots,
it.s important to note that there are many things that we simply don.t
know or which aren.t written in stone. While we occasionally need to
flesh out our systems where we don.t have direct evidence of our
ancestors ways, we are not likely to simply make up things. It is
very important to us to stay as true to the ways of the old Pagans as
is possible. In those places where the various myths, legends, and
folklore are not clear we have tried to indicate this. We do not
present our way as the .true. Asatru, but we do feel that all Asatru
should be solidly connected to its roots in ancient Norse practice.
Where we do not know the certain answer to a quesation, there is room
for exploration, but not for simply making something up out of whole
cloth. While inspiration from the Gods is an important part of our
movement, this is not make believe and any additions to the historical
2833
system should be made with respect to our ancient roots.
The most important thing for modern people to remember about Asatru is
that it is a religion. It is not a system of magick or spirituality
or .New Age Practice. which can be grafted onto something else or onto
which other .systems. can be grafted wholesale. Asatru is a word
derived from .As. a God of the Aesir family and .tru. meaning troth.
To be Asatru is to be bound by loyalty and troth to the Old Gods of
the North. While we may believe in the deities of other religions and
peoples, and even respect them, these are not our Gods. While we may
take part in rituals dedicated to other Gods at ecumenical Pagan
festivals or gatherings which encompass many other religions, we must
not forget that Asatru is our religion and our primary concern. One
simply does not collect membership in Asatru (or any other religion)
as if one were collecting stamps. Our Gods are real and worthy of our
respect.
Today many people .practice. a number of different religions feeling
that this is the best way to avoid intolerance, we have a completely
different view of the world. Asatru is not a universal religion. We
do not see ourselves as a path for everyone. We are true polytheists
and see the world as encompassing many religions which worship many
Gods. While we do not deny the beliefs of others, we also do not
confuse them with our own. The idea that .it is all one. is anathema
to the true Heathen. To claim that Odin is the same God as Zeus is
madness. Would one claim that green and red are the same merely
because they are both colors? If one disagrees with this perspective
or finds it limiting so be it. Our belief is also that Asatru is not
a path for everyone and it is better to find ones own way rather than
bend the religions of others to fit ourselves.
In accordance with this non-universalist conception, as much as we
have been able to, we have not adopted the practices of other Pagan
religions or magickal systems. Those familiar with Wicca will note
that most modern Neo-Pagan systems are derived from it. This is not
the case with Asatru. Our religion began with reconstruction based on
written sources dating from the Pagan period. This has been followed
by 20 years of innovation and practice within the Heathen community.
While we make no pretensions that this has resulted in a system that
is identical with that of our spiritual ancestors, it is at least a
system that is our own.
In saying this I would reiterate that we do not put down any religion
for it.s beliefs. We merely ask for the integrity of our own. We are
not rejecting other systems because they are wrong or because we think
ill of them, we are rather choosing Asatru because of our love and
devotion to it.
The Rituals of Asatru
The Blot
The Blot is the most common ritual within Asatru. In its simplest
form a blot is making a sacrifice to the Gods. In the old days this
was done by feasting on an animal consecrated to the Gods and then
slaughtered. As we are no longer farmers and our needs are simpler
today, the most common blot is an offering of mead or other alcoholic
beverage to the deities.
2834
Many modern folk will be suspicious of a ritual such as this. Rituals
which are deemed sacrifices, such as the blot, have been falsely
interpreted by post-Pagan sources in order to denigrate the ritual or
trivialize them. The most common myth about ritual sacrifice is that
one is buying off a deity e.g. one throws a virgin into the Volcano
so it won.t erupt. Nothing could be further from the truth. In
Asatru it is believed that we are not only the worshippers of the Gods
but that we are physically related to them. The Eddas tell of a God,
Rig, who went to various farmsteads and fathered the human race so we
are physically kin to the Gods. On a more esoteric level, humankind
is gifted with .ond. or the gift of ecstasy. Ond is a force that is
of the Gods. It is everything that makes humans different from the
other creatures of the world. As creatures with this gift, we are
immediately connected to the Gods, we are part of their tribe, their
kin. Thus we are not simply buying off the Gods by offering them
something that they want, but we are sharing with the Gods something
that we all take joy in. Sharing and gift giving was an important
part of most ancient cultures and had magical significance. Giving a
gift was a sign of friendship, kinship, and connection. By sharing a
blot with the Gods we reaffirm our connection to them and thus
reawaken their powers within us and their watchfulness over our world.
A blot can be a simple affair where a horn of mead is consecrated to
the Gods and then poured as a libation, or it can be a part of a
larger ritual. A good comparison is the Catholic Mass which may be
part of a regular service or special event such as a wedding or
funeral, or it may be done as a purely magical-religious practice
without any sermon, hymns, or other trappings.
The blot consists of three parts, the hallowing or consecrating of the
offering, the sharing of the offering, and the libation. Each of
these is equally important. The only tools required are mead, beer or
juice, a horn or chalice, a sprig of evergreen used to sprinkle the
mead, and a ceremonial bowl known as a Hlautbowl into which the
initial libation will be made.
The blot begins with the consecration of the offering. The Gothi
(Priest) or Gythia (Priestess) officiating at the blot invokes the God
or Goddess being honored. This is usually accomplished by a spoken
declaration with ones arms being held above ones head in a Y shape, in
imitation of the rune elhaz. This posture is used for most
invocations and prayers throughout Asatru. After the spoken
invocation an appropriate rune or other symbol of the God or Goddess
may be drawn in the air with the finger or with the staff. Once the
God is invoked, the Gothi takes up the horn. His assistant pours mead
from the bottle into the horn. The Gothi then traces the hammer sign
(an upside down T) over the horn as a blessing and holds it above his
head offering it to the Gods. He then speaks a request that the God
or Goddess bless the offering and accept it as a sacrifice. At the
least one will feel the presence of the deity; at best one will be
able to feel in some inner way the God taking of the mead and drinking
it.
The mead is now not only blessed with divine power but has passed the
lips of the God or Goddess. The Gothi then takes a drink of the horn
and it is passed around the gathered folk. Although it sounds like a
very simple thing, it can be a very powerful experience. At this
point the mead is no longer simply a drink but is imbued with the
2835
blessing and power of the God or Goddess being honored. When one
drinks, one is taking that power into oneself. This is the essence of
the rune Gebo. After the horn has made the rounds once, the Gothi
again drinks from the horn and then empties the remainder into the
hlautbowl. The Gothi then takes up the evergreen sprig and his
assistant the Hlautbowl and the Gothi sprinkles the mead around the
circle or temple or onto the altar. If there are a great number of
the folk gathered, one may wish to drop the drinking and merely
sprinkle the various folk with the mead as a way of sharing it. In a
small group one might merely drink as the blessing.
When this is done the Hlautbowl is taken by the Gothi and poured out
onto the ground. This is done as an offering not only to the God
invoked at the blot, but it is also traditional to remember the Earth
Mother at this time, since it is being poured onto her ground. Many
invocations mention the God, Goddess, or spirit being sacrificed to,
and then Mother Earth, as in the Sigrdrifa Prayer .Hail to the Gods
and to the Goddesses as well; Hail Earth that gives to all men..
(Sigrdrifumal 3) With this action, the blot is ended.
Obviously this is a very sparse ritual and if performed alone could be
completed in only a few minutes. This is as it should be, for blots
are often poured not because it is a time of gathering or festivity
for the folk, but because the blot must be poured in honor or petition
of a God or Goddess on their holiday or some other important occasion.
For example, a father tending his sick child might pour a blot to Eir
the Goddess of healing. Obviously he doesn.t have time to waste on
the .trappings. of ritual. The intent is to make an offering to the
Goddess as quickly as possible. At some times a full celebration
might not be made of a holiday because of a persons hectic schedule,
but at the least a blot should be made to mark the occasion. However,
in most cases a blot will at least be accompanied by a statement of
intent at the beginning and some sort of conclusion at the end. It
might also be interspersed with or done at the conclusion of ritual
theater or magic.
The Sumbel
One of the most common celebrations noted in tales of our ancestors is
the Sumbel or ritual drinking celebration. This was a more mundane
and social sort of ritual than the blot, but of no less importance.
When Beowulf came to Hrothgar, the first thing they did was to drink
at a ritual sumbel. This was a way of establishing Beowulf.s identity
and what his intent was, and doing so in a sacred and traditional
manner. At the sumbel toasts are drunk to the Gods, as well as to a
persons ancestors or personal heroes. Rather than a toast, a person
might also offer a brag or some story, song, or poem that has
significance. The importance is that at the end of the toast, story,
or whatever, the person offering it drinks from the horn, and in doing
so .drinks in. what he spoke.
The sumbel is also an important time for the folk to get to know each
other in a more intimate way than most people are willing to share.
Modern society is at two extremes. At one end are the emotionless
beings who have been robbed of their soul by modern industrial secular
culture. On the other side are those pathetic .sensitive New-Age
guys. who spend their lives consciously attempting to stir their
emotions and who force an unnatural level of intimacy between
2836
themselves and others. There are some levels of emotional intimacy
which are not meant to be openly shared with strangers. Doing so
reduces their meaning to the mundane. At sumbel, barriers can be
lowered in a place which is sacred to the Gods and the Folk. Thoughts
can be shared among companions and friends without embarrassment or
forced intimacy.
One format for the sumbel with a history in tradition is to drink
three rounds. The first is dedicated to the Gods, the second to great
heroes of the folk such as historical figures or heroes from the
sagas, and the third to personal ancestors, heroes, or friends which
have passed from this world.
Another theme for a sumbel is past, present, and future. This type of
sumbel is more of a magical ritual than one of celebration. The idea
is to make toasts which bring up some aspect of your past, and present
situation, and a third toast or brag which represents your wishes for
the future. One might make a toast to the first Asatru ritual one
attended as the past, a second to the companions and kindred then
gathered, and for his third toast might state that he intends to be
initiated as a Gothi in the coming year. The purpose would be to link
the coming event of his initiation with the two already accomplished
events of pledging Asatru and finding a kindred . two other important
rites of passage. In this case initiation as a Gothi then becomes
something which is linked to a chain of events that have already
occurred, rather than an isolated action which might occur. Thus
magically, this moves the person towards his initiation.
A third and everpopular type of sumbel is a free-for-all where stories
are told, toasts are made, and bragging is done until all the gathered
Odinists are under the table. Perhaps this is not quite so esoteric
or purposeful as the previous ideas, but it.s certainly in keeping
with the examples of our Gods and ancestors! Joy is better than guilt!
These are only ideas. The sumbel is a very open ended type of thing
and the framework is very simple to adapt.
One thing important to note about any Asatru ritual is that ours is a
holistic religion. We do not limit our Gods or spirituality to a
certain time and place. While the sacrament of the blot is usually
poured as part of a ceremony, the feast afterwards, singing of sacred
songs, reciting of poetry, Morris Dancing, etc are all part of our
religion. A truly traditional celebration might begin with a rather
informal greeting of the dawn, involve May Dancing and .mystery
plays,. then move on to a more structured Blot, and finally to a feast
capped by a sumbel. On the other side of things, there.s no reason
why at a family feast one might not simply pour a bottle of beer or
mead as an offering without the other trappings of a blot.
Profession
Profession is one of the most important ceremonies in Asatru. To
Profess one.s belief in and kinship to the Gods should be an important
turning point in ones life and the beginning of a new understanding of
the self. Profession is, however, a very simple and rather short
ceremony. In our kindred we usually profess people after beginning
the ritual, but before we offer the formal blot.
2837
Profession is not an occult or initiatory ceremony. It is nothing
less than it.s name: one professes (declares, affirms) his wish to
become one of the Asafolk. This oath is usually taken by the
Kindred-Gothi on the oath ring or some other Holy object as follows:
The Gothi stands in front of the altar and says .Will [insert name
here] please come forward.. After he or she does so .Are you here of
your own free will? Is it your intention to solemnly swear allegiance
and kinship to the Gods of Asgard, the Aesir and Vanir?. If the answer
to both these questions is in the affirmative the Gothi takes up the
oath ring and holds it out to the person professing and says .Repeat
after me. I swear to ever uphold the Raven Banner of Asgard, to
follow the way of the North, to always act with honor and bravery, and
to be ever true to the Aesir and Vanir and to Asatru. By the Gods I
so swear. By my honor I so swear. On this Holy Ring I do swear.
Hail the Gods.. The kindred then replies .Hail the Gods!. and the
Gothi finishes .Then be welcome to the service of Asgard and the Folk
of the Asatru..
There may be other celebrations connected to a Profession, just as
other religions hold Bar Mitzvah or Confirmation parties. When
someone joins our kindred, we hold a Sumbel of nine rounds, each
dedicated to one of the values of Asatru (see below) and toast those
values to the new kinsman.
The Holidays
The ancient Norse knew four major holidays the Spring and Autumn
Equinoxes which we call Summer and Winter Finding, and the two
solstices which we call Midsummer and Yule. However, there were many
other minor festivals and modern Asatru have added even more. A
calendar of our kindred.s rituals is provided in an appendix and I
also encourage anyone to find as many as one is willing to meet for.
We meet monthly, but some groups meet 8 times a year and also
celebrate the cross-quarter days of May Day/Walpurgis,
Halloween/Samhain, February eve or The Charming of the Plow, and
Lammastide or Freyfaxi,
Most of our rituals also honor only one or a few Gods or Goddesses at
any one time. However, there is no reason why the entire pantheon
should not be offered prayers and thanks at any occasion. This would
be particularly appropriate at the major holidays. Unlike most other
groups in the Neo-Pagan movement, we do not necessarily honor Gods in
male/female pairs. The boy/girl notion is one taken from the Pagan
fertility religion of Wicca and isn.t necessarily appropriate to our
Gods, who often represent things other than fertility. So while a
Spring ritual held in honor of Freya and Frey as fertility deities
might wish to honor them together, there is no reason to include Frigg
in a ritual dedicated to Odin as the God of War.
Yule
Yule is the most important holiday of the year. Everyone is familiar
with the shortness of the deep winter days, but in the Scandinavian
countries this is of even greater importance. At the Yuletide there
is almost no sunlight at all, and the climate would have people bound
in their homes waiting for the return of Spring.
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Yule is a long festival, traditionally held to be 12 days or more.
After Yule the days began to get longer and the festival represented
the breaking of the heart of winter and the beginning of the new year.
Yule was the holiday of either Thor or Frey, although there is no
reason not to honor both Gods in modern practice. Frey is the God of
fertility and farming and was honored at Yule in the hopes that his
time would soon return. Thor was the sworn enemy of the Frost Giants
and Jotunn who ruled the winter months, and as such was honored as the
God who.s actions fought off these creatures and brought back the
spring. Sunna, the Goddess of the Sun, should also be honored at
Yule, although she is held at more important during the summer months
when she is at her strongest.
The most important symbols of Yule are still with us today. Most of
the supposedly secular customs of Christmas are actually Pagan in
origin. Evergreen trees and holly which remained green throughout the
long nights and cold were a promise that spring would once again
return to the land. These symbols may also have been a connection to
the nature spirits who have sway over the return of the warm days.
The modern conception of Santa Claus as an elf, for whom offerings of
milk and cookies are left, is probably a modern continuation of
leaving offerings for the Alvar and other nature spirits. The idea of
children staying up all night in the hopes of catching a glimpse of
Santa Claus may be a remnant of people staying awake to mark the long
night and remind the sun to return. (In the latter case it.s
considered an adequate substitution to leave a candle going all night
to light the way for the returning sun.)
Yule is a weeks long festival, not just a single holiday. The Yule
season begins on the solstice, which is the Mother Night of Yule, and
ends with Twelfth Night on January sixth. As a point of interest,
January seventh is St. Distaff.s day, which Nigel Pennic has
suggested may have been a day sacred to Frigg, whose symbol is the
distaff.
While one might expect a rather dour theme to a holiday held in the
darkness and cold, Yule is a time of feasting and gladness.
In various places different Gods were held to be the most important at
Yule. Thor was honored because it is he who fights and kills the
Jotunn, who surely are the ones responsible for the loss of warmth in
the world. Yule was when Thor broke the back of winter and allowed
the warmth to slowly return to the world. Frey was also honored
because it was he who married Gerd and warmed her heart, returning
fertility to the world.
There are simply so many different Yule customs, both ancient and
modern, that one has almost limitless possibilities even when staying
within Scandanavian and Germanic customs. In modern practice one
might honor Sunna on the Mother Night, then hold a blot a few days
later to Thor, a feast for New Years day which is shared with the
house and land spirits, and then finish on Twelfth Night with a ritual
to Frey, whose time is then officially beginning.
Summer Finding
Summer Finding is also known to many groups as Ostara, the holiday
sacred to the Goddess for whom the modern Easter is named. She is a
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fertility Goddess and her symbols are the hare and the egg. She was
an important Goddess of spring to the ancient Saxons, but we know
little else of her other than this. Some have suggested that Ostara
is merely an alternate name for Frigg or Freya, but neither of these
Goddesses seem to have quite the same fertility function as Ostara
does. Frigg seems too high class to be associated with such an earthy
festival and Freya.s form of fertility is more based on eroticism than
reproduction.
The obvious folk tradition at this time of year involves eggs. These
were colored as they are today, but then they were buried, or more
appropriately, planted in the earth. Some have suggested that the act
was purely magical, the fertility of the eggs would then be
transferred from the animal realm to the plant realm and would
increase the prosperity of the harvest. It.s also possible that they
were left as an offering to the alvar and the spirits of the plants.
In any case a blot should be prepared to the Goddess of Spring,
however one wishes to honor her, and also to the spirits of the land.
Midsummer Day
The summer solstice was second only to Yule in importance to the
ancient Northmen. Some groups mark this day as sacred to Balder, but
we disagree with this. While Balder can be seen as a dying and
resurrected Sun God, in the mythology we are most familiar with, he
does not return to life until Ragnarok and it seems like .bad karma.
to symbolically kill the sun when you know he doesn.t come back until
the end of the world. Instead, we mark this day as sacred to the
Goddess Sunna, who is literally the sun.
One idea for midsummer is to remain awake all night and mark the
shortest night of the year, then at sunrise to perform a .Greeting of
Sunna. and a blot to her.
Another midsummer custom is the rolling of a flaming wagon wheel down
a hill to mark the turning of the wheel of the year. If fire would
otherwise be a hazard, one could parade a wheel covered with candles
for similar effect. It is also a time for general merriment and in
the Scandinavian countries many of what we know as the traditional May
Day rituals such as May Poles and Morris Dances were instead
celebrated at Midsummer.
Winter Finding
I have not come across a great deal of traditional lore about the
Autumn Equinox which we know as Winter Finding. It seems to have been
overshadowed to some extent by the Winter Nights which we celebrate at
the equinox rather than at the more traditional time of mid-November.
If one wishes not to do this, the Winter Finding would be a festival
of harvest. One should hold a Blot to whichever Gods of fertility
seem most appropriate and then hold a large feast, concerntrating on
vegetables that are currently in season.
Winter Nights
The Winter Nights are the traditional festival honoring the Disir or
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family spirits. It is a time to remember your family, the dead, and
your ancestors. (For more information on the Disir see the chapter
.Elves and other Spirits..)
A Freyablot may be performed at this time as Freya is known as the
Vanadis (i.e. the Dis of the Vanir) or the Great Dis, and she seems
to be the Goddess of the Disir themselves. This is probably connected
to Freya.s position as recipient of half the battle-slain. One might
also simply want to honor the Disir as a whole, or attempt to summon
and pour offering to your own family.s Dis. A sumbel which toasts
ones ancestors and passed on friends would also be in order. If a
feast is held, it should be quiet and respectful of the character of
the season. Another idea is a silent .mum feast,. a custom which is
found the world over.
The various Halloween customs such as dressing in costume or
celebrating this time as a time where the worlds of the living and the
dead connect are more Celtic in origin than Nordic and probably should
not be part of an Asatru celebration.
The Gods of Asgard
The Old Norse reckoned that there were three races of Gods: the Aesir,
the Vanir, and the Jotunn. The Aesir are those beings most often
referred to in the ancient literature simply as .the Gods.. They are
the Gods of society, representing things such as Kingship, Craft, etc.
The Vanir are more closely connected to the earth and represent the
fecundity of the land and the natural forces which help mankind. Once
there was a great war between the Aesir and the Vanir, but this was
eventually settled and Frey, Freya, and Njord came to live with the
Aesir to seal the peace. The Jotunn are a third race of Gods and at
constant war with the Aesir, but there is and never will be peace in
this battle. The Jotunn are never called Gods, but rather referred to
as giants. They represent the natural forces of chaos and destruction
as the Aesir represent forces of order and society. Just as fire and
ice mix to form the world, this creative interaction of chaos and
order maintains the balance of the world. In the end the two sides
will meet in the great battle of Ragnarok and the world will be
destroyed, only to be reborn.
The Norse Gods were not held to be all powerful or immortal. Their
youth was maintained very precariously by the magickal apples of the
Goddess Idunna. More importantly at the end of the world a good
number of the Gods will die in battle. The Northern view of the world
was a practical one with little assurance for the future and little
perfection and the Gods are no exception.
The Gods in the Temple: Odin, Thor, and Frey
The three most important Gods were held to be Odin, Thor, and Frey.
These were the deities whose statutes stood at the altar of the temple
at Upsalla. They are considered the most important because of what
they represent. Mythologer Georges Dumezil has linked these three
deities with the three classes of Indo-European culture: the Kings,
the Warriors, and the Farmers. Although the fit is not an exact one,
it is probably true that these three deities most concretely
symbolized the various aspects of life and culture and most people
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would have found a God who represented their life-experience in one of
these three deities.
Odin is the Allfather, remembered today best as a God of war and of
the berserk rage of the Vikings. However, he has other aspects which
are just as strong or stronger. In the Eddas, he is the King of the
Gods, but this is a position which most of the Germanic peoples
attributed to Tyr. It.s likely that Odin only became King during the
Viking Age. Being the Allfather, his original position of leadership
was probably familial rather than legislative. Most importantly he is
a God of transcendent wisdom and in relation to that a God of magick.
He is the God of the Runes, the magical alphabet which holds the
mysteries of the universe within it. In most of the non-Viking
countries, Odin.s warrior aspect was played down. In England, where
he is known as Woden, he is a gray cloaked wanderer (the inspiration
for Tolkien.s Gandalf) who travels the country, usually alone,
surveying his land. Here again we see him in the position of a father
figure, a warder of the land but not necessarily a King. Odin is also
a God of the dead. Half of the slain in battles go to him to prepare
for the Ragnarok. (The remaining half go to Freya.) He also has
associations with the dead as a practitioner of Seidhr, a form of
shamanic magick which he learned from Freya and used on various
occasions to travel to Hel and seek the knowledge of those who have
passed from this world. It.s difficult to classify Odin simply
because he was such a popular God during the last stages of Norse
Paganism and thus absorbed many traits of other Gods.
Thor is probably the best known of the Norse Gods. He is a simple
God, the patron of farmers and other folk who are .wise, but not too
wise. as the Eddas advise us to be. Thor is best known for wandering
the world in search of adventure; usually found in the form of giants
or other monsters to kill. He possesses tremendous strength and the
hammer Mjolnir, which was made for him by the Dwarfs. Mjolnir is
considered to be the Gods greatest treasure because it is sure
protection from the forces of chaos. Using Mjolnir, Thor is a warrior
figure, but he is less a professional warrior than a common man called
upon to defend his land. He loves battle not for itself as do the
berserkers of Odin, nor does he have a strong code of honor such as
that of Tyr.in fact he chronically breaks with honor and kills giants
whether they have the protection of .hospitality. or not. Thor is
associated with thunder, and is also the God of rain and storms, but
it.s important to note that he is not the God of destructive storms.
Thor is nature as a benefit to man. The Jotunn are held to be the
source of the destruction found in nature. Thor was the God of
.everyman.. He was simple in purpose, strong, and free. He was most
beloved of the freemen farmers who populated the Germanic lands.
Frey is a God of peace and fertility. If Thor is the God of the
farmer, then Frey is the God of the crops themselves. His symbol is
the priapus and his blessings were sought at planting and other
important agricultural festivals. The word .frey. means .Lord. and
it.s unsure if this is the Gods name or his title. He is also known
as Ing. We do not known a great deal more about Frey as few myths
have survived which give us any insight into his character. As much
as he is a God of fertility, he is also a God of peace and Ing was
said to have brought a Golden Age of peace and prosperity to old
Denmark. Horses are held to be sacred to Frey, probably because of
fertility connections.
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Goddesses
In general we know much less about how our ancestors worshipped the
Goddesses than the Gods. Later Norse culture was very bound up with
the vikings and it is likely that the Goddesses were deemphasized at
this point. More importantly, virtually all the mythology we have
today was recorded during the Christian period and Christian culture
had little respect for women, least of all independent and strong
women like those of Nordic society.
Freya is the most important of the Goddesses or at least that Goddess
about which we known the most. She was the sister of Frey and along
with him was sent to live with the Aesir in order to seal a peace
agreement. Freya is a Goddess with two distinct sides to her. First,
she is the Goddess of love and beauty and second a Goddess of war who
shares the battle-slain with Odin. Unlike our modern culture, the
ancients saw no contradiction in this. She was also a sorceress who
practiced the shamanic magick known as Seidhr, which she taught to
Odin. Freya is the Goddess most often invoked by independent women.
While she is a Goddess of beauty, she is not dependent on men as is
the stereotype of so many love Goddesses, but is strong and fiercely
independent. She is also known as the Great Dis and probably has
connections to the family spirits known as the Disir. In many ways
she is like Odin in that she is a Goddess of many functions which are
not always obviously related. In modern Asatru, many groups have
replaced Frey with Freya to stand with Odin and Thor on the altar.
Frigg is a most misunderstood Goddess. She is the wife of Odin and
many people are too willing to let her be known simply as that.
However, the old Norse had a much different idea of the place of women
and of marriage in general. While marriages for love were certainly
known, marriage was also a business and social arrangement and there
were important duties for a wife. These were symbolized by a set of
keys which hung at the belt of all .goodwives.. This symbolized that
the home was under the control of the woman of the house, who was
equal to her husband. Today we think these duties as very minor, but
a thousand years ago they were far from trivial. Up until this
century most of Europe lived in extended families. A house,
especially a hall of a warrior, was not merely a small building with a
nuclear family, but an entire settlement with outbuildings, servants,
slaves, and an entire clan. The wife of the house was in charge of
stores and trading with other clans. It was she that saw to the
upkeep of the farm, the balancing of the books, and even to the
farming itself if her husband was away trading or making war. It was
as much a job of managing a business as it was being a .wife.. For
these reasons Frigg is still very important and can easily be invoked
beyond the home. She would, for example, be a natural patron for
someone who owned a business. Frigg also shares a lot of
characteristics with her husband. She is the only other God who is
allowed to sit in Odin.s seat from which can be seen all that goes on
in the nine worlds. It is said that she knows the future, but remains
silent, which is entirely in keeping with the way women of the time
exercised their power: namely indirectly. While in a better world
this might not be necessary, it is still an important tool for women
who must exist in a world where men are sometimes threatened by them.
While Freya is a Goddess who acts independent of .traditional. roles,
Frigg is a Goddess who works within those roles, but still maintains
her power and independence.
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Other Gods
There are of course many other Gods and Goddesses. Some of these have
important places in the myths, while some others are mentioned only
once along with their function.
Loki
The most perplexing God of Asgard is Loki. He was probably originally
a fire God, but he is best known as the troublemaker of Asgard. In
various minor scrapes Loki arranges to get the Gods into trouble,
usually by giving away their treasures and then arranging to return
them. This is very much in the traditional role of a trickster, who
keeps things interesting by causing trouble. However, it.s sometimes
difficult to see Loki merely as a trickster because his actions are
sometimes simply too evil to be ignored. Balder was the most
beautiful and beloved of the Gods and a pledge was extracted from all
the things in the world that they would not harm him. The sole
exception to this was the mistletoe which was deemed too tiny to be a
threat. Amused by his invulnerability, the Gods took turns throwing
objects at Balder, which of course had no effect on him. Loki took
the blind God Hod and put a spring of mistletoe in his hands and
guided him to throw it. The dart pierced Balder.s breast and he died.
Later a deal was arranged wherein Balder would be allowed to return to
life if all the creatures of the world would weep for him. Only one
refused, an ogress who said she cared not a whit for Balder when he
was alive and thought him just as well off dead. The ogress is
believed to have been Loki in disguise. For these actions Loki was
chained beneath the earth and it was arranged that venom would drip
upon him in punishment that would last until the end of the world.
With the death of Balder, Loki goes beyond the level of trickster and
becomes a truly evil figure. It is known that when Ragnarok comes,
Loki will lead the legions of chaos against the Aesir and bring about
the end of the world.
Indeed Loki.s actions certainly do seem harsh, but they are entirely
in keeping with the Norse way of looking at things. One of the
functions of a trickster God is to keep things going. The trickster
causes trouble so that people may evolve, for nothing brings about
ingenuity like need. The Norse did not believe anything was eternal.
The Gods were mortal and only maintained their youth through the
magick of Idunna.s apples. In the end they would die in the battle of
Ragnarok which would destroy the world. Balder.s invulnerability was
not natural. As the Edda says .Cattle die, and men die, and you too
shall die.... It was deemed much more wise and valiant by the Norse to
live up to one.s fate than to try to avoid it. Likewise to return
from the dead would be equally wrong. It.s against nature for
something to be impervious to harm or for the dead to return to life.
Loki was merely acting as the agent of nature to return things to
their normal and correct course. It was not an act of evil, but an
intervention to stop an evil against the natural order. Likewise
Ragnarok must come. It is in the nature of the world to be destroyed
and then be reborn. Loki is merely acting as an agent of fate:
exactly the function which a trickster is supposed to perform.
On the other hand, as far as we know Loki was not worshipped, at least
not in the same way as the other Gods were. Recognition of his action
and his place in the universe is essential, but Gods of this type are
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seldom welcome. It is .fashionable. today to laugh at trickster Gods
and see them as a sort of jester figure, but we must not forget that
their nature is much darker than this even when it does serve a
purpose. Change is important, but nothing changes the world faster
and more thoroughly than war.
Tyr
While seldom reckoned today among the most popular of the Gods, Tyr is
extremely important. He is the God of battle, of justice, and
(secondary to Odin) of Kingship. The most important myth concerning
Tyr shows both his bravery and honor. He gave his hand as surety to
the Fenris Wolf that no trickery was involved in the Gods binding of
him. When the fetter in fact did bind the wolf, Tyr lost his hand.
The honor and reliance on ones word is often overlooked in this myth
in favor of an interpretation of self sacrifice. However, throughout
the myths various deals are made and the Aesir easily get out of them.
It.s likely that Tyr could have escaped his fate as well, but one.s
word is one.s word and thus Tyr lost his hand. Tyr was held to be the
God of the Thing or assembly. While the ancient Norse were not truly
democratic and in fact held slaves, within the noble class all were
reckoned to be roughly equal. The Thing was a place where the
landholders would meet for trade and to iron out disputes among them,
in the hope of avoiding feuds. Tyr was originally the chieftain of
the Aesir and the God of Kingship, but he has been gradually
supplanted by Odin, especially during the Viking Age. It is likely
this was because of Tyr.s strong sense of honor and justice. For
raiding and pillaging, Odin, the God of the berserker rage, was a much
better patron than Tyr, the God of honorable battle. This is an
important thing to note about Northern religion: it is extremely
adaptable. There are not hard and fast rules about who is what and
while the nature of the Gods cannot be changed they are more than
happy to have the aspects most important to their worshippers
emphasized. Just as a person uses different skills and .becomes a
different person. when they move or change jobs, so the Gods too have
adapted to new climates and needs.
Baldr
While we only know the myth of Balder.s death, it is clear that he was
a God of some importance. Unfortunately, modern writers, coming from
a Christian background, have tried to turn Balder into a Christ
figure. Balder was a God of beauty and goodness, but his name also
translates as .warrior.. It is a mistake to turn him into a .Norse
Jesus.. The mere fact that he died and will return after Ragnarok is
not enough for this equation. Another interpretation of Balder is
that of the dying and resurrected God of the Sun. This also seems a
mistake, as Balder does not return from the land of death. It makes a
poor symbol to honor Balder on solar holidays, lest the sun not
return! The remaining major interpretation of Balder is as a God of
mystic initiation. While this fits to some extent, we unfortunately
no longer know. The equation with Christ has wiped out a great deal
of lore about Balder and we are left to rediscover his place in our
modern practice.
Minor Gods
Of the other important Gods, Heimdall is the guardian of Asgard. He,
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as Rig, is also one of the Gods who fathered mankind. Njord is the
God of sailing and sailors. Unless one travels on the sea, he is
probably of little importance to you, but if one does sail, he is your
natural patron. If Njord is the God of sailing and of man.s use of
the sea, then Aegir is the God of the sea itself. He is married to
Ran who takes drowned sailors to her home after their death. Aegir is
considered to be the greatest of brewers, and our kindred honors him
in a special holiday due to the importance of mead in our modern
religion. Bragi is a much overlooked God who is the patron of
taletellers and bards. Other Gods more or less overlooked in the
myths include Forseti, who renders the best judgments, Ull, a God of
hunting who is the male counter to Skadi, Vithar, the son of Thor who
is as strong as his father, Vali, Odin.s son who will avenge his
fathers death at Ragnarok, and Hod, the blind God who was led to slay
Balder.
While we might say that certain Gods are more important than others,
this is in many ways not accurate. We would be better served to say
that some are more popular. The Norse concept of the relationship
between men and Gods was one of friendship. A man would honor all the
Gods as worthy and existent, but would usually find one as his special
patron. It is not surprising, considering this, that Thor is the most
popular of Gods. If the average person was searching for a God very
much like himself, Thor would be the obvious choice. Likewise, a God
such as Njord would have been extremely important to sailors and
fishermen, but would have been almost completely unimportant as a
patron to inlanders. The less well known Gods are just as powerful as
their more well known contemporaries, they merely have power over a
less well known aspect of life.
There are also many Goddesses other than Frigg and Freya, but we know
very little of them. Eir was said to be the greatest of healers, and
is for this reason very important. There is no healer God as the
ancients held that medicine was a craft for women and not for men, but
modern male healers should certainly invoke her. While Skadi has a
very small part in the myths, many modern Asafolk find her a
compelling figure. She is the snow-shoe Goddess, who travels in the
isolated mountains hunting with her bow. She is married to Njord, but
they are separated as Njord can.t abide the mountains, and Skadi can.t
sleep in Njord.s hall where she is kept awake by the pounding of the
sea. She is an excellent role model for women who work alone and who
are independently minded. Oaths are sworn to the Goddess Var, but
little else is known of her. Lofn might some day be of importance to
you, she is known to bring together lovers who are kept apart by
circumstance.
I have merely touched upon the Gods here. It is important for
everyone who would practice the religion of the North to get to know
the myths and the Gods. An appendix is included which outlines
various sources for more information.
Elves & Other Spirits
The world of ancient Paganism was hardly limited to the worship of the
Gods. There are various other beings who were honored, and .Elf
worship. was often the hardest part of Paganism for Christians to
destroy. It was easy enough to substitute one God for another, but it
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was quite another to tell the common people that the elves which
brought fertility to the land were not real!
In the various folktales and sagas we find very little which would
lead us to a concrete system of what spirit was responsible for
exactly what. We are sure of the place of the Valkyries, who were
responsible for bringing the slain to Valhalla, and also for choosing
who in battle would die. They seem, judging by their actions, to be
supernatural beings of some type. However, Valkyries appear in
various places as very human figures and their exact nature is
difficult to determine. Sigrdrifa was a Valkyrie who was cursed by
Odin because she refused to bring victory in battle to those whom he
had chosen. Her punishment was to be married to a mortal, and the
implication is clear that this would end her days as a Valkyrie. It.s
equally clear that she has great knowledge of the runes as she tutors
Sigurd after he awakens her. In most respects she seems to be a
normal human woman, although a very wise and independent one with
great powers. Elsewhere, Voland and his brothers are said to have
found three Valkyries sunning themselves without their swan-coats.
When the brothers steal their feather-coats and hide them, the
Valkyries again appear as otherwise normal women. This does not seem
entirely in keeping with a supernatural origin, and it.s possible that
some kind of magickal order of Priestesses has become confused over
time with the supernatural beings we know as Valkyries. The swan-coat
seems very similar in description to Freya.s falcon-coat and the
entire issue may be something related to the practice of seidhr. As
far as we know, the Valkyrie were not worshipped as such, but were
considered more the messengers of Odin. They also serve the mead at
Valhalla, and because of this whoever pours the mead into the Horn at
Blot or Sumbel is today known as .the Valkyrie..
The other spirits whose place seems fairly clear are the Disir. These
are spirits who are intimately linked with a family. There is also
some indication that they are linked with the land, but this would be
in keeping with the old ways. We forget sometimes that many
landowners in Europe have been living in the same place since before
this continent was discovered. The land becomes an intimate part of
the family and its identity, so it is natural that family spirits
would also oversee the family land. Disir inevitably are seen as
women who appear at times of great trouble or change. They are
somehow linked to the family bloodline, and seem most closely linked
to the clanchief. There is one scene in one saga where a spirit,
apparently a Dis, is passed on from one person to another who are not
blood relations. However, these two friends are closer than brothers,
so while the link is apparently not genetic, it is definitely
familial. We know the family Disir were honored with blots at the
Winter Nights and that they have great power to aid their family. As
far as their origin, it.s possible that they are ancestral in origin.
They may be ancestors whose power was so great that they were able to
continue to see to their clan. Or it.s possible that the Disir are
the collective spirit of the family ancestors. Freya is called the
great Dis and there may be some linkage here to her position as a
seidhrwoman. We know from the sagas that Seidhr was involved with
talking to various spirits (including the dead) and its possible that
this is the source of Freya.s name. It is also possible that she
performed much the same function as a Dis to her tribe the Vanir.
Closely linked to the idea of the Disir is the Fylgia. These spirits
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are attached to an individual person in much the same way that the
Disir are associated with a family. Fylgia usually appear either as
animals or as beautiful women. They correspond to the .fetch,.
.totem,. or .power-animal. in other cultures. Most of the time the
fylgia remains hidden and absent, it is only with truly great or
powerful persons that the fylgia becomes known. They may have
something to do with Seidhr as well, because many sagas offer evidence
of spirit travel in the shape of animals. This corresponds exactly to
notions of shamanism found in other cultures.
The remaining spirits include Alvar or elves, Dokkalvar or dark elves
or Dwarfs, kobolds, and landvaettir. While some have defined one
being as doing one thing and another serving a different function, I.m
not inclined to draw very sharp distinctions between these various
creatures. They all seem .elfish. in origin, and there seems to me to
be no pattern of associating one name with a specific function. We
know that various landvaettir or land spirits were honored with blots.
We also know that Frey is the lord of Alfheim, one of the nine worlds
where the alvar are said to live.
Of all the remaining spirits, the dwarfs are the most consistent in
description. We know that the dwarfs are cunning and misanthropic in
character and incredible smiths, capable of creating magickal objects
so valuable they are considered the greatest treasures of Asgard.
Thor.s hammer Mjolnir, Freya.s necklace Brisingamen, and Sif.s golden
hair are all creations of the dwarfs. They live beneath the earth and
have little to do with mankind or the Gods unless one seeks them out.
What place they had in the religion we no longer know. It would seem
wise to invoke them as spirits of the forge, but I can think of little
other reason to disturb them.
Elves are the most difficult magickal race to pin down. Mythological
sources tell us that the Alvar or light elves live in Alfheim where
Frey is their Lord. However, we also have the enduring belief in
folklore of the elves as faery-folk: beings associated with the
natural world. These two conceptions of elves might still be linked,
however, as Alfheim is known to be a place of incredible natural
beauty, and Frey, their leader, is an agricultural deity. To further
confuse this issue, Norse folklore has a strong belief in the
Landvaettir, or land spirits who may fit into either or both of these
categories. I.m inclined to lump them all together as similar beings
that we simply don.t know enough about to tell apart. What is
important is that Asatru, like all Pagan religions, honors the natural
world and the earth very deeply. Whether one calls the spirits of the
land as the elves, the faeries, or the landvaettir, or uses all of
these terms interchangably, respect is all important. Asatru is known
for being one of the most politically .conservative. of the modern
Pagan religions, but you.ll find few of us who aren.t staunch
environmentalists.
One of the most important spirits to honor is the house-spirit.
Folklore is also filled with stories of various spirits variously
called faeries, elves, kobolds, brownies, tom-tin, etc who inhabit a
house and see to its proper conduct. In the usual form of the tale,
they offer to perform some housekeeping functions, but eventually turn
on the owners of the house when they are insulted by overpayment. We
don.t have any concrete evidence for how our ancestors honored these
beings, but this is not surprising because such a thing would not be a
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public observance and it.s unlikely it would be recorded in the sagas
or Eddas. Folklore indicates that such beings should be honored with
a simple bowl of milk or perhaps beer, but no more.
In general folklore does not paint the various elves and spirits as
particularly benevolent figures. With the exception of house spirits,
who as spirits of a manmade object are bound to us on some level, they
seem most interested in staying out of the dealings of mankind. There
are numerous stories of people who spy upon elf women and force them
to become their brides. Inevitably the women are unhappy and
eventually escape, leaving their husbands devastated. There are also
numerous stories of spirits who haunt the woods and who will drag
wayward travelers into rivers to drown or to some other untimely
death. When people do have dealings with the elves these beings seem
to operate on an entirely different set of expectations than we do.
Most of us would be gratified by the gift of a .bonus. from our
employer, yet time and time again in folklore this is the easiest way
to anger a house spirit. We know that elves were honored with blots,
but it.s just as possible that these ceremonies were made in
propitiation to them rather than in kinship as are our blots made with
the Gods. We suggest caution in dealing with beings with a set of
values so foreign from our own. They should be approached in the same
way one would approach a person from a country whose ways are very
different.
In general, we.re also very reticent to make decisions about
classifying the various .other peoples.. It would be very easy to draw
lines and place certain spirits into little boxes which label their
function, but that seems overly mechanical and of little utility.
Elves and other .wights. are not human, and it might be too much to
try to classify them in other than subjective terms. It.s probably
best to simply make your intent clear, experiment, and use the terms
which work for you, remembering only to be true to the sources.
Demi-Gods
There are a whole classification of Gods which are not truly part of
the Aesir, Vanir, or even the Jotunn. Wayland the Smith is the best
example of this that we can offer. Wayland, called Volund in the
Norse version, is the greatest of smiths, but it.s clear in the
mythology that he was more or less a human man. The myth tells of how
he lost his wife and was enslaved by a human King. While his powers
allow him to outwit and take vengeance on the king, it.s clear
throughout that he.s not on the level of a Thor or an Odin. What one
does about these demi-Gods or local Gods is a good question. I see
nothing wrong with pouring a blot in their honor and dealing with them
as you would any other God or Goddess. On the other hand, they are
not part of the Aesir and I think it might be disrespectful to honor
them with the Aesir or as part of a ceremony dedicated to the Aesir as
they seem of a different nature.
Ancestor Worship:
Honoring ones ancestors was one of the most sacred duties of the
Norsemen. One of the most important parts of greeting new people was
the exchanging of personal lineages at sumbel. The worship of the
Disir is closely linked to ancestor worship. However, it is difficult
for modern day Pagans to seriously engage in ancestor worship. We are
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for the most part without a strong connection to our heritage, and
even if we feel motivated we would probably need to skip at least a
thousand years back to find ancestors who would not have been appalled
by our Heathen beliefs. One substitution for ancestor worship in the
modern Asatru movement has been the veneration of heros from the Sagas
and legends of our people.
The manner of how we honor ancestors is also somewhat troubling. I
reserve the blot ritual to Gods and other powers, and I.m not sure if
it.s appropriate to pour a blot to an ancestor, no matter how
important he was. It.s touchy when you are honoring someone that you
knew was a mortal. I think the most important part of ancestor
worship is remembering, and the sumbel seems the most important part
of that.
While we discuss ancestry, I must mention that some modern Asatru
groups, in part because of holdovers from 19th century cultural
movements, have placed a great deal of emphasis on ancestry in terms
of race. Many have held that Asatru was a religion for whites or
Northern Europeans only. In my not particularly humble opinion, this
is pure idiocy. The basic argument for this is that people of other
cultures do not share the same background and values. This is
certainly true, but the key word in my opinion is culture, and all
Americans by definition share a culture. Also, while I admit I would
think it doubtful that people from outside of our own cultural
heritage would be attracted greatly to Asatru, if they are it is for a
reason and they should be welcomed and not shunned. It proves the
worth of our religion and way of life that it is so strong that one
would leave his own cultural path behind to take up ours.
As far as culture is concerned, the ancestry of the ancient North is
alive and well in modern America. A thousand years ago settlers
sailed to Iceland to avoid the growing influence of powerful kings and
centralized government. This centralization of power was one of the
things which Roman Christianity brought with it. Two hundred years
ago we in America rebelled against our king for much the same reasons.
Our culture is much more profoundly influenced by the Vikings than
most would care to admit. Our law is based on English common law,
which in turn has roots in Norman and Saxon law. (Both the Saxons and
Normans were descended from Germanic tribes.) Our culture is based on
many of the same ideas which the Northmen held dear: the importance of
the individual and the belief that individual rights outweighed
collective rights. Thus, it is my assertion that we are all
descended, at least in part, spiritually from the ancient Norse.
The Jotunn
The Jotunn or giants are the sworn enemies of the Gods. While the
Aesir represent order and the Vanir represent the supportive powers of
nature, the Jotunn represent chaos and the power of nature to destroy
man and act independent of humankind. In the end, it is the Jotunn
who will fight the Gods at Ragnarok and bring about the destruction of
the world.
In essence despite being called Giants or Ogres, the Jotunn are Gods
just as much as the Aesir or Vanir. In many cases they correspond
very closely to the Fomoire in Celtic mythology. Most simply put, the
Jotunn are the Gods of all those things which man has no control over.
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The Vanir are the Gods of the growing crops, the Jotunn are the Gods
of the river which floods and washes away those crops or the tornado
which destroys your entire farm. This is why they are frightening and
this is why we hold them to be evil.
The Jotunn are not worshipped in modern Asatru, but there is some
evidence that sacrifices were made to them in olden times. In this
case, sacrifices were probably made .to them. rather than shared .with
them. as was the case with the Vanir and Aesir. It would be
inappropriate to embrace them as friends and brothers in the way we
embrace our Gods. One doesn.t embrace the hurricane or the wildfire;
it is insanity to do so. However, we must also remember that fact
that we see their actions as bad, they are not inherently evil. The
storm destroys the crops, but it also brings cleansing and renewal.
We humans are only one species on this planet and in the end we are
both expendable and irrelevant to nature. This is the manner in which
the Jotunn act, and it is not surprising that we see this as evil.
However, one must also take into account the premonitions of Ragnarok
recorded in the eddas. If the Jotunn are merely amoral, why are they
the sworn enemy of the Aesir and why will they bring about the end of
the world? It.s possible that Jotunn was more of a catch-all term for
dangerous Gods rather than a reference to a specific family. (It is
the case in many languages that there is one word for people that
speak the language, usually translating as .people,. and another term
for those persons of other cultures and tribes.) The dangerous forces
of nature are .Jotunn. because we cannot control them, but there are
other forces, principally those of chaos, that are considered .Jotunn.
as well.
There is abundant evidence for this in the Eddas. Various Jotunn are
seen to marry into the Aesir without a great deal of trouble from the
Gods, but at other times the mere sight of one throws Thor into a
rage. The obvious conclusion is that they are more than one specific
race of deities. The destructive powers of nature were tolerated to
some extent, and often married into the Aesir bringing them more under
control. However, other .outlander. Gods were completely destructive
to the Aesir (and thus mankind) and the Gods only thought for them was
death.
The Religious Structure of Asatru
The ancients, for the most part, did not have an organized system of
Temples or churches in the way that our society does today. Religion
was a very personal affair, mostly between the Gods and their
worshippers. If there was a formalized temple or perhaps a grove that
was dedicated to the Gods and tended as a temple it was most likely
built by a wealthy landowner and dedicated to his or her patron God.
Such a person would then, usually, become the Gothi (Priest) or Gythia
(Priestess) of the temple. Such temples were generally maintained by
the family after the builders death, the title being more or less
inherited by whomever was lord over the land.
Today most Asatru groups are similarly unstructured. This has been a
problem because there is little in the way of religious education
other than in books such as this one and personal research. While
this sort of learning is fine, there are always some things left out
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and I.m sure that mine will be no exception. There are a few groups
who are attempting to initiate training programs and present sets of
standards for people who would declare themselves to be Gothi or
Gythia, but these groups have unfortunately been somewhat inflexible
and dogmatic, seeming more interested in creating hierarchies than
with service to the Folk or Gods.
Gothi is a honorary title only. It does not mark any administrative
power or rank within Asatru. One would probably not call oneself
Gothi unless one had some experience of deity and had led many
rituals, but as it entails power over no one and it is up to no one to
comment on ones qualifications or abilities. Similarly there is no
need for someone to be a Gothi or to have access to one in order to
practice our faith. While the more experienced might get more things
.right. in the ritual, this is purely subjective and if your heart is
true to the Gods this is enough.
Most persons who were given the title Gothi in the old days were
dedicated to a single God. The title most often formed their last
name: Thorolf Thorsgothi for example. This dedication to a God or
Goddess was usually part of one.s family heritage and was passed down
to your children. While there is no compelling reason why one cannot
act as Priest to the entire community of Gods and Goddesses, it is
most common for one to be dedicated to a single deity. A kindred may
have persons who are each dedicated to a different deity, or it may
orient itself towards a single deity as did families in the Sagas.
The most basic unit of Asatru religious worship is the hearth or
homestead. This is nothing more than it sounds like: a household of
Asafolk who worship the old Gods and Goddesses. Several individuals
or hearths may group themselves into a .kindred,. which is a term that
has many meanings to many different groups. Some kindreds have many
members and function like mainstream churches, others are more
familylike and attempt to hold to their privacy. The place of a
kindred is more or less analogous to a clan or small tribal group. A
kindred is made up of people you are familiar with and with whom you
meet in person and in it.s best sense it.s an organic grouping,
however it.s not the same sort of bonding that one would find in a
single family or even in an extremely close knit group of friends. In
a true Pagan society, the kindred would be found on the level of a
farmstead or small village.
The ritual blots are most commonly done on the level of the kindred,
or in meetings where more than one kindred comes together. The
rituals of a Hearth might be less formalized and more .homey. in
atmosphere. The blot ritual is based on a religious observance that
was part of the official public aspect of ancient Asatru, and its
likely that there were many other private rituals that would not
necessarily be appropriate for a kindred to take part in together.
For example, a kindred might not honor the individual family Dis or
the house-spirits unless all members of the kindred lived together or
were tied by blood as well as companionship.
Most persons will want to join or found a kindred in their area,
however, before one runs out and begins to solicit people, you should
think about what you are doing. The very name of our groupings,
.kindred,. implies a great deal more than does membership in a church.
Today we are accustomed to religious institutions that are more or
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less anonymous and sterile. A kindred should not be this way. While
we must be open to all, we need not act as if we were a public
facility with no more intimacy than a department store. It is best to
start small and gather people as they come to you. Once you are
established, get involved in the local Pagan community if you are not
already. Attend a few events of the local Leif Erikson society or the
Sons of Norway. Open one of your blots to the public and take note of
people who are attracted to Asatru. A kindred is something which
should form organically and cannot be pushed. On the other hand,
Asatru is not a secret religion or one open only to .initiates. as
many Neo-Pagan faiths are. We must be open to outsiders who are truly
interested. I am just cautioning against throwing people into a
kindred because they are available or it is the only group around or
they are too polite to say no. A roommate of mine related to me a
conversation he had with another person at an Asatru gathering. The
person remarked that .this is all very nice, but when do you think Joe
will get tired of this stuff.. My roommate being a seriously committed
Heathen straightened him out. The person in question was just a
friend of Joe.s who went to Pagan events because of Joe.s interest.
He assumed that the rest of the group was .humoring Joe. just as he
was. The moral of this story is that if people are not interested,
there.s nothing you can do about it. We.re not the Christians who
want anybody and everybody to join our faith, and we should pay just
as much attention to dissuading the dabblers and the kooks as we do to
attracting those who truly do have the love of the Old Gods in their
hearts.
As to what makes one a Gothi, the requirements would vary from group
to group. Some might have written criteria, while others might leave
it up to the persons heart. Certainly a Gothi is one who has a long
term relationship with the Gods and Goddesses. One does not, for
example, simply read this book and then proclaim oneself Gothi! (I am
writing this book and don.t consider myself to be a Gothi.) A
competent Gothi should have studied the Eddas and Sagas and know the
history of our religion. He or she should also know a bit about the
runes, and the other mysteries of our tradition. One should also note
that this is a public office and the Gothi of old had responsibilities
as leaders of the community. Most importantly one must be sincerely
dedicated. There.s no push to move to a .higher. level of the
Priesthood as there are in religions or magickal orders with .degree
systems. and if you do not feel compelled to take on the
responsibilities of being a Gothi or Gythia, there is no need for you
to and much to say that you should not.
The Values of Asatru
One of the basic functions of a religion is to offer a set of values
on which mankind is to base it's actions. This, sadly, is one area
where Paganism has often failed. The cult of anti-values has held
sway, taking moral relativism to extremes perhaps even farther from
common sense than fundamentalist moral legalism, even to the point
where I have heard rape, murder, and genocide defended on the basis of
"cultural differences."
However, values remain important. All one needs to do is look at the
morning paper to see the results of a society that has in many ways
embraced the cult of anti-values. Thievery, murder, and plunder exist
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in our cities to extents which would have appalled our ancestors.no
matter how many times they went a' Viking. While this is hardly what
the Pagans who have embraced the cult of anti-values had in mind, it
is to my belief a natural outgrowth of the same basic philosophical
concept. The chaos in our country is the dark shadow of the modern
rejection of moral legalism. What should have been an evolution from
a legalistic moral/religious culture to one of flexible honor based
values and self-responsibility has instead become a morass of chaos
and immorality. The lesson we should all learn is that while there is
no definitive list of sins; right and wrong still exist.
As usual Asatru offers a sensible solution. Our faith deals not in
legalisms and rules nor in unchecked chaos and relativism. We instead
acknowledge the existence of right and wrong, good and evil, but we
deal with actions according to basic philosophical concepts that are
applied by the keen intellect of Odin, the simple common sense of
Thor, and the solid honor of Tyr.the gifts of the Gods to us.
Asatru posits that the basic place of moral judgment is within the
human heart and mind. We as human beings with the gift of
intelligence are sensible and responsible enough to determine right
from wrong and act accordingly. The Gods teach us through the
examples of their lives, as chronicled in the Eddas, and through
various pieces such as the Havamal which directly offer us advice. In
the modern history of our faith, various Asatru organizations have
outlined simple sets of values which they hold up as simple guidelines
on how to live ones life.
The Odinic Rite (the major Asatru group in England) has one of the
most cohesive and sensible of all those we've seen and this set has
been adopted by the Raven Kindred as an "official" statement of our
beliefs. We do this not only as a moral guide for our members, but
also to say to the world what it is that we stand for.our good name in
the community being important to us. Finally, this list is used when
someone formally joins the Raven Kindred and we hold a sumble and
toast the 9 virtues to the new member in the hope that they will apply
them to their life.
The Odinic Rite lists the 9 Noble Virtues as Courage, Truth, Honor,
Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Industriousness, Self-Reliance, and
Perseverance.
It would be hard to get much argument on any of these values from
anyone. They simply and briefly encapsulate the broad wisdom of our
Gods and ancestors.
Courage
In virtually every statement of values applied to Asatru, Courage is
listed first. As Stephen McNallen has said, courage and bravery are
perhaps the values which the Vikings are best known for. However,
despite our history, few of us face such turmoil as a literal battle
for ones life. In fact, I believe it might be easier to manifest
courage in such a situation than to do so in the many smaller day to
day occurrences in which courage is called for.
The most common of these occurrences for modern Pagans, is the courage
to acknowledge and live ones beliefs. It is also, sadly, the one that
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we most often fail at. While we may often be full of the type of
courage that would lead us to face a shield wall, many of us quake at
the thought of the topic of religion coming up at the office or a
friend asking what church we attend. We won't offer easy answers, but
we ask this: if you toast the courage of your ancestors to fight and
die for what they believed in, can you trade away your religious
identity for a higher salary or social acceptance?
In an essay on values there is also the question of moral courage.
The way of Tyr is difficult.to lose ones hand for ones beliefs.but,
Tyr thought the price worth paying. In a million ways modern society
challenges our values, not just as Asatruar who are estranged from
mainstream religious practice, but for religious people in an
increasingly not just secular, but anti-religious culture. Values are
also not in favor in modern society. Breaking or getting around the
rules is encouraged to get ahead. Living honorably is simply too
inconvenient. I think most people, Asatru or otherwise, find this
repugnant, but the only way to change it is to have the courage to
refuse to take part in it.
Truth
The second virtue, that of Truth, is the one that most led our kindred
to embrace the Odinic Rite's statement of values as our own. Early in
our discussions, we decided that no matter what values we chose to
hold out as our own, truth must be among them. It is a word that
holds so much in its definition, and includes such a wide variety of
moral and philosophical beliefs that we were all drawn to it as a
simple statement of what we stood for.
At least one of the reasons we wanted to adopt it was the simple issue
of honesty. As Bill Dwinnels said at a recent sumbel while toasting
truth and honesty: if you don't want people to know about something,
don't do it. Truth, in the sense of honesty, is essential to personal
honor and also to any system or morality that is not based on rigid
legalism. If one is to uphold an honor code, one must be brutally
honest with oneself and with others.
Truth is also the Truth that comes with a capital T.the kind of Truth
that one talks about in terms of religion or morality. It's common to
talk of different peoples having different "truths," but it's equally
important to remember that while we acknowledge that each person or
people has their own belief as to what Truth is or where to find it,
there finally is a single Truth. This is not the Truth as we believe
it, but ultimate Truth. While we may respect other people's .truths.
and seek our own, we must never forget our search for The Truth. Like
the Holy Grail of Christian legend, it may never be ours to reach, but
when we cease to search we perish.
Honor
Honor is the basis for the entire Asatru moral rationale. If anything
comes out in the Eddas and Sagas it is that without honor we are
nothing. We remember two types of peoples from ancient times: those
whose honor was so clean that they shine as examples to us and those
who were so without honor that their names are cursed a thousand years
after they lived. Good Asatruar should always strive to be among the
former.
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However, honor is not mere reputation. Honor is an internal force
whose outward manifestation is reputation. Internal honor is the
sacred moral compass that each Asatruar and God should hold dear. It
is the inner dwelling at peace which comes from living in accordance
with ones beliefs and with ones knowledge of the Truth of what one is
doing. It is something deeply personal and heartfelt, almost akin to
an emotion. It's a .knowing. that what one is doing is right and
decent and correct.
In many ways while the most important of all the virtues it is also
the most ephemeral in terms of description. It is all the other
virtues rolled together and then still more. The best way I have
found to describe honor is that if you are truly living with honor,
you will have no regrets about what you have done with your life.
Fidelity
Fidelity is a word that is far too often defined by it's narrow use in
terms of marital fidelity. By the dictionary it simply means being
faithful to someone or something. In marriage this means being true
to ones vows and partner, and this has been narrowly defined as
limiting ones sexual experience to ones spouse. While I have found
this to be great practical advice, many treat fidelity as if there
were no other ways in which one could be faithful or unfaithful.
For we Asatruar fidelity is most important in terms of our faith and
troth to the Gods. We must remain true to the Aesir and Vanir and to
our kinsmen. Like marriage, Profession (the rite in which one enters
the Asatru faith, similar to Christian confirmation or Wiccan
initiation) is a sacred bond between two parties; in this case an
Asatruar and the Gods. In order for such a relationship to work, both
must be honest and faithful to each other.
Asatru, although currently being reborn, is at its roots a folk
religion and we also uphold the value of fidelity to the ways of our
ancestors. This is why historical research is so important to the
Asatru-folk: it is the rediscovering of our ancient ways and our
readoption of them.
Discipline
In any discussion of the values of Asatru, discipline is best
described as self-discipline. It is the exercise of personal will
that upholds honor and the other virtues and translates impulse into
action. If one is to be able to reject moral legalism for a system of
internal honor, one must be willing to exercise the self-discipline
necessary to make it work. Going back to my earlier criticism of
society, if one rejects legalism, one must be willing to control ones
own actions. Without self-discipline, we have the mess we currently
see in our culture.
Looking at discipline in terms of fidelity, we see a close connection.
Many Pagans go from faith to faith, system to system, path to path.
Asatruar are much less likely to do this. The discipline of keeping
faith with our Gods and the ways of our ancestors is part of our
modern practice. In this way, we limit ourselves in some ways, but we
gain much more in others.
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Hospitality
Hospitality is simply one of the strongest core values at the heart of
virtually every ancient human civilization. In a community/folk
religion such as our own, it is the virtue that upholds our social
fabric. In ancient times it was essential that when a traveler went
into the world he could find some sort of shelter and welcome for the
night. In modern times it is just as essential that a traveler find
friendship and safety.
In our modern Asatru community, we need to treat each other with
respect and act together for the good of our community as a whole.
This functions most solidly on the level of the kindred or hearth
where nonfamilial members become extremely close and look out for
each other. It can mean hospitality in the old sense of taking in
people, which we've done, but in modern times it's more likely to mean
loaning someone a car or a bit of money when they need it (that's
need, not want).
Part of hospitality is treating other people with respect and dignity.
Many of our Gods are known to wander the world and stop in at people's
houses, testing their hospitality and generosity. The virtue of
hospitality means seeing people as if they were all individuals with
self-respect and importance. Or perhaps from time to time, they are
literally the Gods in human form. This has profound implications for
social action in our religion. Our response to societal problems such
as poverty (that's poverty folks, not laziness) is in many ways our
modern reaction to this ancient virtue.
In terms of our modern community as a whole, I see hospitality in
terms of frontier "barn raisings" where a whole community would come
together and pool their resources. This doesn't mean we have to
forget differences, but we must put them aside for those who are of
our Folk, and work for our common good.
Industriousness
Modern Asatruar must be industrious in their actions. We need to work
hard if we are going to achieve our goals. There is so much for us to
do. We've set ourselves the task of restoring Asatru to it's former
place as a mainstream faith and by doing so reinvigorating our society
and culture. We can't do this by sitting on our virtues, we need to
make them an active part of our behavior. Industry also refers to
simple hard work in our daily vocations, done with care and pride.
Here's a few concrete examples. If you are reading this and don't
have a kindred, why not? Stop reading now. Go and place ads in the
appropriate local stores, get your name on the Ring of Troth, Wyrd
Network, or Asatru Alliance networking lists, and with other Pagan
groups. Put on a workshop. Ok, now you're back to reading and you
don't agree with what I'm saying here? Well, be industrious! Write
your own articles and arguments. Write a letter to the editor and
suggest this material be banned.better that than passivity. Get the
blood moving and go out and do it. That's how it gets done. The Gods
do not favor the lazy.
The same holds true for our non-religious lives. As Asatruar we
should offer a good example as industrious people who add to whatever
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we're involved in rather than take from it. We should be the ones the
business we work in can't do without and the ones who always seem to
be able to get things done. When people think of Asatru, they should
think of people who are competent and who offer something to the
world.
This doesn.t just apply to vocational work, but to the entire way we
live our lives. It is just as much a mentality. The Vikings were
vital people. They lived each day to its fullest and didn.t wring
their hands in doubt or hesitation. We should put the same attitude
forward in all that we do whether it is our usual vocation, devotion
to the Gods, or leisure time.
Self Reliance
Industry brings us directly to the virtue of Self-Reliance, which is
important both in practical and traditional terms. Going back to the
general notion of this article, we are dealing with a form of morality
that is largely self-imposed and thus requires self-reliance. We rely
on ourselves to administer our own morality.
Traditionally, our folkways have always honored the ability of a man
or woman to make their own way in the world and not to lean on others
for their physical needs. This is one of the ways in which several
virtues reinforce and support each other. Hospitality cannot function
if people are not responsible enough to exercise discipline and take
care of themselves. It's for those that strive and fail or need
assistance that hospitality is intended, not for the idle who simply
won't take care of themselves.
In terms of our relationships with the Gods, self-reliance is also
very important. If we wish the Gods to offer us their blessings and
gifts, we must make ourselves worthy of them.and the Gods are most
pleased with someone who stands on their own two feet. This is one of
the reasons for the Asatru .rule. that we do not kneel to the Gods
during our ceremonies. By standing we acknowledge our relationship as
striving and fulfilled people looking for comradeship and a
relationship, rather than acting as scraelings looking for a handout
from on high. It takes very little for a God to attract a follower,
if worship simply means getting on the gravy train. We, as Asatruar,
are people who can make our own way in the world, but who choose to
seek a relationship with the Gods.
In mundane terms being self-reliant is a simple way to allow ourselves
the ability to live as we wish to. In simple economic terms, if one
has enough money in the bank one doesn't need to worry as much about
being fired due to religious discrimination. We can look a bigot in
the face and tell him just where he can put it. It's also nice to
have something in the bank to lay down as a retainer on a good lawyer
so we can take appropriate action.
On the other side of this is self-reliance in the sense of Henry David
Thoreau, who advocated a simple lifestyle that freed one from the
temptations of materialism. Again, here we are able to live as we
wish with those things that are truly important. Religious people
from all faiths have found that adjusting ones material desires to
match one's ability to meet them leaves one open for a closer
relationship with deity and a more fulfilling life. While our
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ancestors were great collectors of gold goodies, they didn.t lust for
possessions in and of themselves, but for what they stood for and
could do for them. In fact, the greatest thing that could be said of
a Lord was that he was a good .Ring Giver..
Being self-reliant also means taking responsibility for ones life.
It's not just about refusing a welfare check or not lobbying for a tax
exemption, but also refusing to blame ones failures on religious
intolerance, the patriarchy, or an unfair system. The system may, in
fact, be unfair, but it's our own responsibility to deal with it.
In societal terms, we have become much too dependent on other people
for our own good. As individuals we look to the government or to
others to solve our problems and as a society we borrow billions from
our descendants to pay for today's excesses. Most problems in this
world could be solved if people just paid their own way as they went.
Perseverance
The final virtue is Perseverance which I think most appropriate
because it is the one that we most need to keep in mind in our living
of the other values. Our religion teaches us that the world is an
imperfect place, and nothing comes easy. We need to continue to seek
after that which we desire. In this imperfect world there are no free
lunches or easy accomplishments.especially in the subjects we have set
before ourselves. If we truly wish to build an Asatru community that
people will hold up as an example of what committed people can do,
then we must persevere through the hardships that building our
religion is going to entail. We must be willing to continue on when
we are pushed back. If one loses a job for ones religion, the answer
is not to go back and hide, but to continue until one finds a vocation
where one can more forward and live as an Asatruar should.
Finally we must persevere when we simply fail. If one's kindred falls
apart because of internal strife, one should go back and start over.
Pick up the pieces and continue on. If nobody had done this after the
disintegration of the Asatru Free Assembly, this would probably never
have been written. We must be willing to continue in the hard work of
making our religion strong.not just when it is convenient and easy to
do so, but when it gets hard, inconvenient, or just plain boring. To
accomplish without striving is to do little, but to persevere and
finally accomplish a hard fought goal brings great honor.
Appendices:
Essays, Raven Kindred Information, Sample Rituals & Networking
Information
Hailing the Sun: A Sample Blot to honor Sunna at the Summer Solstice
This ritual would be ideally performed at sunrise on the day of the
summer Solstice. If possible the folk should gather while it is still
dark or even better, remain awake throughout the night in vigil. A
secondary time would be at noon on the Solstice. This ritual should
not be performed at night.
At any point in this ritual, within the realm of logic and dramatic
flow, the parts marked as Gothi and Gythia may be shared among the
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folk. In addition, the parts are not necessarily sex specific, but
the terminology is used as a convenience.
Set Up: An altar should be placed in the center and the folk should
form a circle around it, leaving space in the center for the .action.
to take place. For this ritual you will need some sort of mead or
beer, a horn or chalice, an offering bowl, a hammer for consecrations,
and a wheel of some sort, preferably a wagon wheel to symbolize the
turning of the wheel of the year. Any reasonable tools may be
substituted. The Wheel is placed on the ground near the altar or on
the altar with candles around the rim (unlit).
Consecration of space
The Gothi goes to the center of the folk and forms the invocational
position of the elhaz rune, both hands in the air at a rough 45.
angle.
Gothi: We gather here to honor our sacred lady Sunna, who on this
Solstice Morning, reaches her height of power. All hail Sunna!
All: Hail Sunna!
The Gythia takes the hammer and walks to each of the four corners and
consecrates the space.
Gythia: Hammer, hallow and hold this holy stead, that it will be a
fitting place for our worship of our sacred lady Sunna! Hammar, Helga
ve thetta ok hindra alla illska!
Gythia returns hammer to altar and faces the altar.
Gythia: I consecrate and hallow this altar to the work of our sacred
lady Sunna! Here on this Solstice morning may the might of the Gods be
brought to our holy stead. May the warm light of Sunna heat our
hearts and hold our spirits.
Gothi: Our holy lady watches and waits for the blot in her honor.
Hail Sunna!
All: Hail Sunna!
(At this point it would be most appropriate for a song or reading to
be performed. It should obviously be about Sunna or the sun or
something appropriate to the day.)
Invocation
Gythia: Our lady Sunna is the light of knowledge, the warmth of love,
and the heat of our passion. Let us spend a moment in silence,
contemplating those things which she brings us.
Leave a few moments for silent prayers and meditation.
Gothi: Holy Sunna. Lady of the Sun. Light of the heavens. Ever
pursued and ever free. We gather to greet and welcome you and offer
you gifts on this day. We offer to you our prayers and love, our
devotion and strength, our kinship and honor.
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All face the sun and form the elhaz posture.
All: Hail to thee Sunna, light of Har newly risen. She whose holy
light shone upon our ancestors of old and she who.s light will shine
upon our children. We give you hail and welcome. Fill our hearts on
this Solstice morning with your warm rays that your fires may burn in
our hearts throughout the year. Hail Sunna!
A few moments of silence are appropriate here.
Blot
Gothi: Now it is time to offer sacrifice to our holy lady.
Gythia takes horn and Gothi fills it with mead. Gythia holds horn
above her head, in the direction of the sun.
Gythia: Here is our sacrifice, the essence of our love and spirit. We
offer it to you as a token of our kinship and our love. As you drink
of it, may your power fill this holy hlaut and feed our spirits.
Gythia drinks from the horn and it is then passed around the folk,
each taking a drink, with the horn returning to the Gythia.
Gythia: Hail to thee Sunna!
Gythia pours remainder of horn into the offering bowl. Gythia and
Gothi take the bowl and evergreen sprig and walk around the folk,
sprinkling the mead to the four corners and on the folk. Finally they
return to the center and sprinkle the wheel.
Gothi: Hail the sacred wheel of the sun. Now it is the longest day of
the year and the sun is triumphant, but all changes and the wheel
turns.
Gythia lights candles on the wheel and members of the folk take it up
and parade it around the grounds. A song or chant would be
appropriate at this time. .The sun burns, the wheel turns!. for
example. Once the procession is done (this decision should be based
on the subjective feelings of those involved and not planned out) the
wheel should be returned to the altar.
Gothi & Gythia assume the invocation position
Gothi: Sacred Lady Sunna, Summer Sun now strongest. We thank you for
your blessings of warmth and light. May you reign long.
All: Hail Sunna! Hail Sunna! Hail Sunna!
Libation
Gothi takes up the hlaut bowl.
Gothi: Now our rite is ended and the sacrifice is made. The wheel
turns. To Sunna, to the Gods, to the Goddesses, and to Earth, mother
of us all, we offer this holy mead, from the Gods to the Earth To us.
From ourselves to the Earth to the Gods. Hail!
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Gothi pours contents of the hlaut bowl on the ground, possibly in the
center of the wheel. If this ritual is done indoors, the libation
should be poured outside afterwards. We usually trek outside
immediately even if the ritual is an apartment. The physical action
of pouring the libation is an important psychological trigger to both
Gods and men that the ritual is over.
What Is The Raven Kindred?
The Raven Kindred is a non-incorporated religious organization
dedicated to the worship and veneration of the ancient Nordic Gods and
Goddesses and to the religion of Asatru. We are centered around the
Worcester county area of Massachusetts and Southern Maryland/suburban
D.C. areas, but have members in Western Massachusetts, the Boston
area, and Connecticut. We welcome members from other areas, including
contacts through correspondence.
The focus of the Raven Kindred is specifically the religion of Asatru.
While we honor our Pagan relations in the Wiccan community, we are
following a much different tradition. Our rituals are the blot or
offering and the sumble. Also while we are primarily involved as a
kindred in exoteric forms of worship, we have members who are
interested in seidhr, rune magic, and other esoteric pursuits within
the Nordic Tradition.
We practice a fairly conservative version of Asatru trying to keep
close to our roots in the Asatru Free Assembly and Asatru Alliance
including a tribalist sense of who we are as a Folk. However, we are
also much more progressive in our social beliefs and politics and we
welcome all persons regardless of ethnic origin, sexual preference, or
political view. We hope to be a link between the Old and the New,
holding to our dear values of Faith, Folk, and Family while discarding
the prejudices that have held our religion back.
Our goals for the future are quite far-reaching. We support the
movement to bring Asatru out of the shadows and to spread the Troth of
the Gods to all who are their natural children. More immediately we
intend to network with existing Asatru organizations, both local and
national, while also setting up other chapters of the Raven Kindred
and doing some networking on our own behalf.
Attendence at Raven Kindred rituals is essentially open, although we
reserve the right to eject anyone who is disruptive as well as the
right to hold observances that are open only to Professed Asatru or to
Kindred Members. Full membership is available only to those who have
Professed Asatru and place their membership in the Raven Kindred above
other religious commitments. Decisions about the Raven Kindred are
made by a majority vote by Full Members.
Currently the Raven Kindred holds a Blot on the first Saturday of each
month in Sturbridge Massachusetts and Wheaton Maryland. We also
gather at other seasonally appropriate times for Blots and other
activities.
For more information on the Raven Kindred, Asatru, or our services
please contact us at the following addresses:
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Raven Kindred Maryland/DC; 11160 Veirs Mill Rd L15-175; Wheaton MD
20902 Raven Kindred Massachusetts; P.O. Box 1137; Sturbridge MA
01566 Electronic mail may be sent via the internet to
lstead@access.digex.net
Raven Kindred Ritual Outline
The Raven Kindred has developed a slightly different form of the Blot
ritual which we use. This has come to pass because of a desire for
more personal involvement as well as a smaller group of people than
would be appropriate for a major blot.
The major change, outside of a few cosmetic differences, is that we
have added a .mini sumbel. to the blot ritual in place of the
sprinkling in which we offer three rounds of toasts: the first
dedicated to the God or Goddess being honored and the remaining two to
anything the participants deem appropriate which is not inimical to
the purpose of the blot. (i.e. don.t toast the Jotnar during a
ritual to Thor.)
Setting the mood: Chant to Odin, Vili, Ve
To begin each ritual we offer a three round chant of .Odin, Vili, Ve..
This serves two purposes. First we are linking ourselves to the Gods
of creation and thus to the connections between Midgard and the Gods.
Second and perhaps more appropriately it allows people to get
themselves mentally prepared for the service.
Hammer Rite
We offer an invocation to Fire and Ice which are the central elements
of the creation of the world. We ask that the place we are meeting be
blessed and Holy for the coming of the Gods.
Statement of purpose
We far too often ignore this, but it.s a good idea to have the Gothi
or Gythia who is presiding greet the participants and state something
general about the purpose of the ritual. It need not be complicated
.We gather together today to celebrate the Winter Nights as our
ancestors did. To honor our ancestors, the Disir, and Freya the Great
Dis and to renew our bonds as a family [kindred]..
General Prayer
At this point one of our members usually offers up a prayer to the
Aesir and Vanir collectively to thank them for their bounty since the
last time we met and to ask their blessings upon the kindred and its
members.
Personal invocations
We reserve a time between the opening of the ritual and the blot
ceremony for people to offer any prayers or other invocations they
feel necessary. This is the time when we Profess new members of
Asatru. Other activities done at this time have included a kindred
member thanking Saga, the Goddess of wisdom, for her recent graduation
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from college.
Invoke deity of occasion
At this point we make a point to specifically invoke and honor the
deity that we are bloting. We attempt to list as many names and or
functions of the God as possible and this serves a dual purpose in
reminding the attendees of who the God is and why we are honoring Him.
This is, however, separate from the offering.
Meditation
At this point we like to remind ourselves why we are here and what the
Gods mean to us. We sit and someone either offers a spoken meditation
or more often reads a story from the mythology. While most of us
enjoy the poetic edda, we usually use a modern prose version of the
myth as it is easier to follow.
Offer/sanctify mead
The Gothi takes up the horn and his assistant (often called .The
Valkyrie. by Asafolk) fills it with mead. The Gothi then steps to the
altar and holds the horn aloft and asks the God to partake of it and
charge it with his power.
Toast to the deity of occasion
This is when we begin to deviate substantially from the standard
Asatru blot ritual. Beginning with the Gothi the horn is raised and a
toast drunk to the God. The horn is then passed around to the Folk
and a personal toast repeated. The only rule here is that the round
is dedicated to the God invoked. Many times the toasts are personal
thanksgiving or requests for aid or wisdom.
At the end of the round the remains of the horn (and there should be
some) are poured into the blotbowl.
Remaining toasts
We then take two more rounds to toast whatever Gods, ancestors, and
beings each person wishes. There is not necessarily any continuity
from one person to the next. Brags or oaths are also appropriate at
this time. Professions, other major oaths, and major works of
thanksgiving or praise are usually done before the blot. The second
and third toasts are usually reserved for small things.
Thank deity
Finally we always remember to thank the deity and ask for his
continued blessings on the Folk present.
Oath Ring ceremony
Our kindred has a ceremony that affirms our dedication to each other,
to the kindred, and to the Gods. Each full Professed and accepted
Kindred member comes forward and takes hold of the oath ring. (We are
blessed in having a 6. diameter brass oath ring made for us by a
kindred member.) One person then recites a rede concerning itself with
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the symbol of a ring and something which connects us to the Gods, the
Earth, and to each other.
I should repeat, only kindred Members participate in this. If you
haven.t sworn on the oath ring, you don.t take part in the ceremony.
We have enlarged this at public events to all Professed persons, but
change the rede to remove references to the kindred.
Pour libation
Finally we leave the Hof and pour a libation on the physical earth,
adjourning outside to do so if we are indoors. The blot hitting the
ground signals that the ritual is truly over. When we are working
indoors in a living room or other non-dedicated space I always make
sure I am the first to return and extinguish candles, turn on electric
lights, etc. This provides a good hint to people.s minds that the
ritual is, in fact, over. If we had a dedicated space, the procession
outside to pour the blot would also empty the Hof and we would adjourn
to the feast rather than returning to the temple.
Raven Kindred Calendar
The Raven Kindred meets on the first weekend of each month and for the
four major Norse holidays: Summer and Winter Finding (Spring & Fall
Equinox), Summer Solstice, and Yule. Traditional festivals which have
been moved to fit our monthly schedule have their traditional date in
parenthesis. Festivals marked with a .*. are particular to the Raven
Kindred. There are other holidays which our kindred does not meet to
celebrate, but which are recognized by Asatru and celebrated on an
individual or family basis.
Snowmoon/January
1st weekend . Frig.s Distaff . Celebration of Frigga and the home
(Trad.1/2)
Horning/February
1st weekend . Disting . Celebration of Freya and the Disir (Trad.
2/14 )
Lenting/March
1st weekend . Founding of the World. Celebration of Odin, Vili, and
Ve*
3/21 . Summer Finding - Celebration of the Goddess Ostara. Also a
celebration of the Raven Kindred.s founding, Spring Equinox 1991.
Ostara/April
1st weekend . Alfarblot. Sacrifice to the elves and nature spirits
(traditionally celebrated as part of Disting)
Merry-Moon/May
1st weekend . May Day/Walpurgis. Celebration of spring which we
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dedicate to Njord and Nerthus. (Trad. 5/1)
Fallow/June
1st weekend . Festival of Mead dedicated to Aegir and also to Bygvir
and Beyla*
3/21 Summer Solstice . Dedicated to Sunna, Goddess of the Sun
Haymoon/July
1st weekend . Blot in honor of Baldr*
Harvest/August
1st weekend . Freyfaxi, first harvest and celebration of Frey and his
horse (Trad. 8/1)
Shedding/September
1st weekend . Discovery of the Runes, celebration of Odin as the God
of Wisdom (Odinic Rite holiday celebrated 8/25)
9/21 Winter Finding . Disirblot (Disirblot traditionally 10/13-10/15)
Hunting/October
1st weekend . Tyrblot, celebration of Justice and Honor. (Supreme
Court session begins 1st Monday in October)*
Fogmoon/November
1st weekend . Einjerhar, celebration of war-dead and Ragnarok
Dedicated to Odin and Freya (Trad. 11/11 . Armistice Day)
Wolfmoon/December
1st weekend . Winterblot, dedicated to Skadi and/or Ullr*
12/21 . Yule, multiday festival dedicated to Thor et al (Traditionally
a festival lasting from the Mother Night 12/21 to New Years Day)
The Bylaws of The Raven Kindred of Asatru
I. Purpose
The Raven Kindred of Asatru is an unincorporated non-profit religious
association dedicated to the worship of the Old Norse and Germanic
Gods and the practice of the ancestral religion of Asatru.
II. Membership
A. Associate Membership in the Raven Kindred is open to all
practitioners of Asatru. No benefits are implied or guaranteed by
Associate Membership.
B. Full Membership (aka Voting Membership) is obtained by a
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majority vote of the current full members then present. Each member
may vote yes, no, or to table the motion for 3 months. Candidates for
Full Membership shall have fulfilled the following qualifications
before being considered: 1) The candidate must have pledged troth to
the Aesir and Vanir. 2) The candidate must be willing to place
priority on his loyalties to Asatru and the Raven Kindred over other
spiritual commitments. 3) The Candidate must be willing to swear an
oath of membership to the Raven Kindred.
C. Membership of any type will not be denied on the basis of
race, sex, or sexual preference.
D. Full or Associate Membership may be revoked by a vote of two
thirds of the Full Members then present.
E. Membership in the Raven Kindred of Asatru, either Associate or
Full, may be resigned by serving verbal notice at any function of the
Kindred or by written notice.
III Governance
A. Governance shall be by majority vote. Each Full Member shall
have one vote. Only Full Members shall vote, but any interested
parties shall be given reasonable access to address the Kindred. Full
Members may hold proxy for other Full Members.
B. Such officers as needed shall be appointed for whatever terms
and functions the Kindred deems necessary.
C. Meetings, during which the Kindred may conduct business, may
be scheduled by the Kindred as needed, but the Kindred shall meet not
less than once every six months. Any time that 50% of the Kindred.s
Full Members are met together, either physically or through other
interactive means, a meeting may be declared for the purpose of
conducting business.
IV Alliances
Subject to the restrictions in section V, the Raven Kindred of Asatru
shall seek out alliances with other groups of similar nature and
purpose for the betterment of our faith as a whole.
V Independence
The Raven Kindred of Asatru shall not sign any treaty or affiliate
with any group that would deny its independence as an entity or
control its internal affairs. In any alliances, affiliations, or
treaties, these By-Laws shall have precedence over any other
instruments signed by the Kindred.
VI. Amendments
These by-laws may be amended by a vote of 2/3 of all Full Members.
Any proposed amendments must be circulated to all Full Members in
writing 30 days before such amendments may be voted on.
Sources and Resources for Asatru
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Please note: This resource list is provided as is and is intended to
be comprehensive. The Raven Kindred doesn.t necessarily endorse any of
the following organizations, publications, etc.
Organizations:
The Ring of Troth P.O. Box 25637; Tempe, AZ 85285-5637 The Ring of
Troth was founded by Edred Thorsson. He resigned in Spring of 2242
(Runic Reckoning . 1992 C.E.) and has been replaced by Prudence
Priest, most well known as the editor of Yggdrasil.
The Ring is governed by an appointed High Rede of 9 persons who guide
the national affairs of the Ring. They offer a number of programs
include an Elder training program for prospective clergy, The Rune
Ring for study of the magical properties of the Runes from within a
Germanic Pagan context, and recognition for local Kindreds.
The Ring of Troth requires that .its members affiliate for cultural
and religious reasons rather than for racial and political reasons.
The use of the Ring of Troth as a platform for any type of political
or racial propoganda will not be tolerated.
The Troth provides a quarterly magazine and a networking list. There
are also regional gatherings put on by individual Kindreds. Work is
currently underway on a book of rituals.
Dues are $24 and include a subscription to Idunna. If one does not
wish to join, Friends of the Troth may receive Idunna for $24 as well.
The Asatru Alliance of Independent Kindreds P.O. Box 961; Payson AZ
85547
The Alliance is the linear descendent of the Asatru Free Assembly.
They are a democratically run national confederation of independent
kindreds who meet once a year in an Allthing to conduct business. It
is essentially conservative and libertarian. .The Alliance is based
upon the ancient model of tribal democracy known as the Thing, and
member kindreds support a code of laws we feel necessary to preserve
and protect Asatru from those who would dilute, subvert, or in any way
harm our religion. Membership in the Alliance is encouraged for those
who actively promote and believe in the Aesir and Vanir and our
collective Heathen Heritage. Anyone interested in joining the Alliance
should contact the kindred of choice for acceptance. There is no
membership in the Alliance except through a kindred. Applicants must
subscribe to the membership requirements of the kindred of choice and
uphold the bylaws of the Asatru Alliance.. This group has recently
adopted a declaration stating that Asatru is an ethnic religion, so
membership now seems to be limited on the basis of race.
The Odinic Rite BM Edda; London, WCN 3XX
The Odinic Rite BM Runic: London WCN 3XX
These two organizations are each claiming to be the .true. Odinic
Rite. The BM Runic address is the older one, but the BM Edda address
seems to be producing more publications. I.d suggest writing to both
and figuring it out on your own. The Odinic Rite is an organization
for the revival of Odinism in England. If one sends a few postal reply
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coupons I believe each will send you information. Both publish
magazines.
Eagles Reaches P.O. Box 382; Deer Park TX 77536-0382
Eagles Reaches is now doing national organizing and correspondence
connections.
The Raven Kindred 11160 Veirs Mill Rd L15-175; Wheaton MD 20902
The Raven Kindred offers correspondence connections, regional
coordination, booklets and pamphlets. They also operate the Wyrd
Network, a correspondence network for Wiccans to discuss the
compability with and conversion to Asatru.
Magazines:
Vor Tru . $12/year. The Journal of the Asatru Alliance (see above
address). Concentrates on community issues within the Alliance, news
of kindreds, letters, etc. Sometimes contains racist material.
Idunna . $24/year. The journal of the Ring of Troth. Idunna
concentrates on fairly heavy academic subjects, runelore, translations
etc within a religious framework.
Mountain Thunder . $18/year, 1630 30th St #266; Boulder CO 80301.
Glossy covered and well put together. Usually excellent articles on
relgious issues of Heathenry, scholarly stuff, reviews, and opinion.
Has devoted a lot of commentary to the Asatru community and where it.s
going.
Uncle Thorr.s Newsletter . $12/year, P.O. Box 080437; Staten Island NY
10308-0005. Simple newsletter with ranting and raving from Uncle Thorr
and company, news from NY, and articles on lifestyle, runes, and other
topics.
Ask & Embla . $12/year; P.O. Box 271; Carrollton OH 44615. Small
amateur production with commentary on Asatru and nothern lore.
Raven.s Cry . Write for rates & sample; 11160 Veirs Mill Rd L15-175;
Wheaton MD 20902. Small iregular kindred newsletter
Wyrd Network Newsletter . Write for rates & sample; 11160 Veirs Mill
Rd L15-175; Wheaton MD 20902. Newsletter/letter exchange for Wiccans
interested in Asatru.
The Runestone . $10/year; P.O. Box 445; Nevada City CA 95959.
Published by Stephen McNallen & Maddy Hutter, this is the
reincarnation of the AFA.s seminal journal on Asatru. Interesting
commentary, interested in heroic viking past.
On Wings of Eagles .$25/year; Eagles Reaches; P.O. Box 382; Deer Park,
TX 77536-0382
Odinism Today . .8.50 (overseas) BM Edda; London; WC1N 3XX;
England/United Kingdom. A nice little quarterly with articles on
mythology, reviews, etc.
2869
ORBriefing . $20 (overseas) BM Runic; London; WC1N 3XX; England/UK. A
small newsletter of happenings and opinion.
Kindreds:
American Church of Teutonic Life; 107 Court St, Suite 131; Watertown
NY 13601 Arizona Kindred; P.O. Box 961; Payson AZ 85547 (Asatru
Alliance) Asatru Fellowship; P.O. Box 271; Carrollton OH 44615 Asatru
Fellowship; 858 W Armitage Ste. 139; Chicago, IL 60614 Barnstokker
Hearth; P.O. Box 1972; Seattle WA 98111-1972 Bond of the Grae Wolf;
119 Waipapa Rd; Hataitai; Wellington 3, New Zealand Crow.s Nest
Kindred; P.O. Box 3392; Galveston, TX 77552 Eagle Kindred; P.O. Box
1942; McCall, ID 83638 Eagles Reaches; P.O. Box 382; Deer Park TX
77536 (Ring of Troth) Freya.s Folk; 537 Jones St #165; San Francisco,
CA 94102 Gering Hall; 720 Huntington St; Watertown, NY 13601 Hammer
Oak Kindred; 2626 35th Ave; Oakland, CA 94619 Hammerstead Kindred;
P.O. Box 22379; Lexington, KY 40522-2379 Helga Ve Kindred; P.O Box
531; Bouse, AZ 85325 Heritage and Tradition; CP 244, Succ. P.A.T.;
Montreal Quevec, H1B 5K3 Canada Hlidhskjalf Kindred; 1513 Thurlow St;
Orleans, Ontario K4A-1D8; Canada Hrafnaheimr; 7162 Melrose Ave; Los
Angeles, CA 90046 Irmunsul Hearth; P.O. Box 18812; Auston, TX 78760
(Ring of Troth) Midgard Kindred; P.O. Box 4071; Toledo, OH 43609
Mountain Moot; P.O. Box 328; Elizabeth CO 80107 Nerthus Heart; 27 Gap
Rd; Black Hawk CO 80422 Niumd Baqra Kindred; P.O. Box 4371; Sunland,
CA 91041 North Carolina Kindred; Rt 3 Box 113; Laqwndale, NC 28090
Northern California Kindred; P.O. Box 445; Nevada City CA 95959 N.
Ancestral Runic Fellowship; P.O. Box 199045; Indianapolis, IN 46219
Norvegr Kindred; 219 Lewis St; Wash Court House OH 43160 Ocean
Kindred; P.O. Box 09007; Staten Island, NY 10309 Raven Kindred North;
P.O. Box 1137; Sturbridge MA 01566 Raven Kindred South; 11160 Veirs
Mill Rd L15-175; Wheaton, MD 20902 Saehrimner Kindred; 1861 County Rd
1114; Cullman, AL 35055 Skelland Kindred; P.O. Box 7608; Clearwater FL
34618 Thorr.s Hammer Kindred; 9461 Bella Vista Rd; Apple Valley CA
92308 Torwald Kindred; 1630 30th St #266; Boulder CO 80301 Ullsbekk
Kindred; P.O. Box 1156; Denver, CO 80201 Vinland Kindred; P.O. Box
15431 PSS; Stamford CT 06901 (Asatru Alliance) Vlissinger Hearth; 3016
154th St; Flushing, NY 11354 Wotan Kindred; 8117 NE 32nd St;
Vancouver, WA 948662 Wulfing Kindred; P.O. Box 18237; Chicago IL 60618
(Asatru Alliance) Yggdrasil Kindred; 1709 West Midvale Village Dr;
Tucson AZ 85476
Recommended Books:
The Poetic Edda, Lee Hollander translation (basic mythology in an
excellently translated poetic version.)
The Prose Edda, Jean Young translation (basic mythology)
The Norse Myths, Kevin Crossley Holland (basic mythology in modern
language and retelling, excellent for readings or meditation)
A Book of Troth by Edred Thorsson (Not my favorite author and not a
book without many imperfections, but the only mass market book of the
basic rituals of Asatru)
Teutonic Religion by Kveldulfr Gundarsson (basic text on modern
Germanic Paganism. I also recommend his book on runes Teutonic Magic.)
2870
The Raven Kindred Ritual Book (basic text on Asatru ritual and
beliefs, $5 from the Raven Kindred South, checks made out to Lewis
Stead, available for free download from online services or the
Moonrise BBS at (301).5939609 or by e-mail from
lstead@access.digex.net
The AFA Rituals, three volumes available from World Tree Books ($18
from World Tree) The original ritual volumes from the Asatru Free
Assembly.
Introduction to Ritual and Invocation Tape ($7 from World Tree Books)
A basic cassette tape that goes through a ritual step by step, the
other side is a variety of invocations and prayers.
The last two are from World Tree Publications; P.O. Box 961; Payson AZ
85547 (checks payable to the O.F. of Arizona). World Tree is a service
of the Asatru Alliance and carries a number of tapes and booklets as
well as Thor.s Hammers and statuary.
Computer Network Resources:
There is a Runes & Asatru conference on the Pagan/Occult Distribution
System (PODSnet). This network has nodes around the world and BBSes
drop in and out of the network. The following are long term stable
boards: The Mountain Oracle, Colorado: 719-380-7886, Baphonet, New
York: 718-499-0513, Mysteria, California: 818-353-8891, Sacred Grove,
Washington State: 206-634-1980, Moonrise, Maryland/DC: 301-593-9609,
Pandora.s Box, Ottawa Canada: 613-829-1209, PODS, Sydney Australia:
61-2-833-1848, PODS Melbourne Australia: 61-3-796-2180
The Troth Line is an internet mailing list for Asatru and The Ring of
Troth. For subscription information send an E-Mail message to
mimir@u.washington.edu. The list itself is at
troth-l@seanews.akita.com. The internet is accessable through America
Online, CompuServe, Delphi, and tens of thousands of other locations.
Please send additions and corrections to Lewis Stead; 11160 Veirs Mill
Rd L15-175; Wheaton MD 20902 or through e-mail to
lstead@access.digex.net.
................................................................................
2871
{file "Bulb Planting Earth Chant (Eileen)" "bos624.htm"}
Bulb Planting Earth Chant
By: Eileen
breath of the stone is strange to me
i know it lives as i can't see
force of the earth is strong and free
sustenance and beauty be
born of the stars and sprang from the ground
Mother, Goddess all around
Wheel must turn as the seasons show
what lies dead shall surely grow
2872
{file "Reclaiming The God (Women's Ritual)" "bos625.htm"}
RITUAL FOR WOMEN RECLAIMING THE GOD
The session begins with everyone telling how the figure of the
God had been "spoiled" for them -- ie, by patriarchal and/or
sexually repressive religions, by the destructive aspects of male
energy (war, domination), etc.
The altar is decorated with symbols of the God -- ours had
antlers, a crystal phallus, grain & grapes, a plastic goat from a
Celebrato Doppelbock beer bottle, an abstract figure of Baron Samedi (a
T shape made of dowels and dressed in a black frock coat with a top hat,
a red scarf, and a cane), a couple of statues of Chinese sages or bod-
hisattvas.
I. Quarters: E - Myrddin, S - Weyland, W - Taliesin, N - Freyr
(sorry this is so sketchy; I just improvised them on the spot.
Check out their respective mythologies for ideas on how to invoke them)
II. Guided Meditation
GROUND AND CENTER. SINK INTO THE EARTH. ALL AROUND YOU, THE
BREATHING OF SISTERS BECOMES THE BREATHING OF THE WORLDS' WINDS. THE
HEAT OF OTHER BODIES BECOMES THE FIRE OF ALL LIFE. THE RUSH OF BLOOD
IN YOUR EARS BECOMES THE MURMURING OF THE SEA. THE FLOOR BECOMES A
RICH, LOAMY FIELD, FRESH PLOUGHED.
FEEL THE SOIL. RUB IT BETWEEN YOUR FINGERS. SEE IT AND SMELL
IT. IT IS DARK, ALMOST BLACK. IT SMELLS OF COMPOST,SOMEHOW SMOKY. IT
IS SMOOTH, CRUMBLY, FREE OF ROCKS, FIRM TO SUPPORT ROOTS BUT LOOSE TO
LET THEM SPREAD. THIS IS MOTHER. LIE DOWN UPON HER BODY AND EMBRACE
HER; FEEL HER WARMTH, WARMTH FROM THE SUN, SEEPING INTO YOU, COMFORTING
YOU.
RISE UP. AT YOUR SIDE, HANGING FROM YOUR SHOULDER, IS A BAG.
WHEN YOU REACH INTO IT, YOUR HAND COMES OUT FULL OF SEEDS. WALK BACK
AND FORTH IN THE FIELD, SCATTERING THE SEEDS. FEEL THE SOIL GIVE UNDER
YOUR FEET. FEEL THE SUN OVERHEAD; IT IS HOT, AND YOU ARE GETTING
TIRED. KEEP ON, RHYTHMICALLY REACHING INTO THE BAG AND CASTING THE
SEEDS ABROAD. YOUR SWEAT RUNS OFF YOU INTO THE FURROWS, SOAKING INTO
THE SOIL. NOW THE WHOLE FIELD IS PLANTED. NOW YOU CAN SIT AT THE
FIELD'S EDGE AND REST.
YOU ARE TIRED. YOU FEEL AS THOUGH YOU COULD REST FOR DAYS. YOU
SIT EASY, BALANCED, ROOTED LIKE A STONE. YOU ARE A STONE. YOU ARE THE
GUARDIAN STONE OF THIS FIELD. YOU WATCH, AS DAYS PASS. SLOWLY,
SLOWLY, THE SUN ROLLS OVERHEAD, CLOUDS FILL THE SKY AND EMPTY OVER THE
FIELD WITH THUNDER AND LIGHTNING. SLOWLY, SLOWLY, THE FIELD TURNS FROM
BROWN TO GREEN, AS THE FIRST SPROUTS FORCE THEIR WAY FROM THE SOIL.
DAYS PASS. WEEKS PASS. THE SPROUTS LOOK FIRST LIKE GRASS, THEN STALKS
APPEAR AND GROW EVER LONGER. AT THE TOP OF EACH STALK, SWELLINGS
BECOME NEW SEEDS. THE CLUSTERS OF SEEDS GROW, BLANKETED IN THEIR
CHAFF, THE HEADS OF GRAIN GROW BRUSHY, BEARDED. THE GRAIN TURNS GOLD
FROM GREEN; THE HEADS BOW DOWN UNDER THE WEIGHT OF THEIR SEED.
AND NOW YOU SEE PEOPLE COMING INTO THE FIELD, WOMEN WITH SICKLES
IN THEIR HANDS. THEY ARE SINGING A DIRGE, A MOURNING SONG. THEY COME
INTO THE FIELD AND CUT THE STALKS, KILLING THE PLANTS! YOU ARE A
STONE, BUT YOU FEEL YOUR HEART BREAK WITH GRIEF FOR THIS KILLING.
SOON, ONLY STUBBLE IS LEFT; THE WOMEN HAVE TAKEN THE GRAIN AWAY.
BEFORE LONG, MORE WOMEN COME, AND SET FIRE TO THE STUBBLE. YOU FEEL
THE HEAT OF IT WARMING YOUR STONE BODY. YOU FEEL CRACKS OPEN INSIDE
YOU. SOON, THE FIRE BURNS OUT, AND THE FIELD IS LEFT BLACK AS IT
BEGAN. THE WOMEN RETURN WITH SEEDS, PLANTING AS BEFORE. THE WEATHER
TURNS COLD, AND YOUR STONE-SELF CRACKS APART; PIECES OF YOU FALL ONTO
THE FIELD.
YOUR AWARENESS IS IN THE FIELD NOW, IN THE SEEDS. SLEEPING IN
THE EARTH, UNDER THE SNOW. WITH SPRING, YOU FEEL THE EARTH WARMING, AND
YOU KNOW WITHOUT KNOWING HOW THAT THE SUN IS ABOVE YOU. YOU PUSH
UPWARD, TOWARD THE UNSEEN SUN. YOU SEND DOWN A TAP ROOT TO HELP PUSH
YOU UP AND TO FEED YOU, AND IN THE OTHER DIRECTION YOU SEND A SHOOT
WITH TWO LEAF BUDS. BEFORE LONG, YOU BURST OUT INTO THE SUNLIGHT. ALL
AROUND YOU ARE OTHER PLANTS. AS THE DAYS PASS, YOU GROW WITH THEM.
WHEN THE THUNDERSTORMS COME, YOU FEEL THAT THIS RAIN IS RICHER, AND YOU
FEEL BLESSED. SEEDS DRINK RAIN AND EAT SUNLIGHT AND GROW HEAVY UPON
YOU. YOU CANNOT HOLD THEM UP; THEY PULL YOU DOWN. YOU ARE OPPRESSED,
AND AT A STANDSTILL. YOU SENSE MOVEMENT IN THE FIELD, AND THEN THERE
IS A SHARP PAIN! YOU ARE CUT OFF FROM YOUR ROOT! YOUR POWER TO
TRANSFORM SUNLIGHT SLIPS AWAY FROM YOU LIKE BLOOD! YOU ARE DYING! YOU
ARE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOUR MOTHER FIELD AND THROWN ON A HARD FLOOR. YOU
ARE BEATEN, BROKEN APART, SCATTERED. YOU ARE DEAD.
BUT SOME AWARENESS REMAINS WITH YOU. YOU FEEL THE PIECES OF
YOURSELF GATHERED UP IN HUMAN HANDS, AND THEN SCATTERED AGAIN, THIS TIME
ON SOFTNESS. IT IS MOTHER! THEY HAVE RETURNED YOU TO MOTHER! AND NOW
YOU ARE MORE THAN YOU WERE BEFORE; BEFORE YOU WERE A SINGLE PLANT -- NOW
YOU ARE A DOZEN PLANTS. THE CYCLE IS REPEATED, ALL OF YOUR SELVES ARE
KILLED AND THROWN ABOUT, AND NOW YOU ARE HUNDREDS OF SELVES! YOU DIE,
YOU ARE TORN APART, YOU ARE REGATHERED, AND REBORN. YOUR HUNDREDS OF
SELVES SPEAK IN THIS VOICE: EVEN THIS AM I, AND I AM GOD.
COME BACK TO YOUR ONE SELF NOW, YOUR ONE HUMAN SELF. YOU ARE
SITTING BESIDE THE FIELD, WHERE YOU SAT DOWN, WITH THE EMPTY SEED BAG AT
YOUR SIDE. YOU LEAVE IT THERE, YOU RISE UP, AND TURN AWAY FROM THE
FIELD, TO THE WOODS AT THE BACK OF THE FIELD. YOU FEEL LEAF MOULD AND
TWIGS UNDERFOOT. ALL AROUND YOU YOU SEE LIFE SPRINGING UP OUT OF DEATH.
WHERE TREES HAVE FALLEN, NEW PLANTS ARE GROWING UP THROUGH THE ROTTING
TRUNKS. WHERE ANIMALS HAVE DIED, THEIR BODIES HAVE DECAYED TO PROVIDE
FOOD FOR THE PLANTS ALL AROUND. ALL AROUND YOU, LIFE IS LIVING OFF OF
DEATH; THIS IS THE NATURE OF LIFE, ITS HORROR AND ITS WONDER. YOU HEAR
A NOISE NEARBY AND TURN TO LOOK; THERE IS A MAGNIFICENT STAG JUST ON THE
OTHER SIDE OF A BUSH; YOU BLINK, AND IT IS GONE. WAS IT ONLY BRANCHES?
2873
EVERYWHERE AROUND YOU, GREEN THINGS ARE FULL OF THE FIRE OF
LIFE, AS ARE YOU. YOU FEEL LIFE THRILLING THROUGH YOU, LIKE ELECTRIC-
ITY. SOMETHING ELSE IS EXCITING YOU -- WHAT IS IT? YOU CANNOT QUITE
TELL. IS IT A SCENT, A SOUND, A SENSE? SOMETHING, THERE ON THE EDGE OF
YOUR HEARING, SOMETHING YOU CAN ALMOST TOUCH, A FAINT SCENT YOU
HALF-REMEMBER. WHAT IS IT? YOU ARE AROUSED AND DETERMINED TO TRACK
DOWN THE SOURCE.
EVERYWHERE YOU TURN, YOU SEE GLIMPSES, HALF-SEEN, OF SOMETHING.
SOMETHING FLITTING THROUGH THE TREES. IS IT A DEER? A WILD BOAR? A
FERAL GOAT? A BEAR? ON THE BUSHES YOU FIND TUFTS OF HAIR. BEFORE YOU
YOU SEE TRACKS -- CLOVEN HOOVED, TOED, CLAWED. WHAT ARE YOU FOLLOWING?
DO YOU DARE GO ON? ALL AROUND YOU IS THE PULSING OF ELEMENTAL FORCES:
THE FIRE OF LIFE, THE WIND OF BREATH, THE WATER OF BLOOD, THE EARTH,
THE EARTH, THE EARTH, POWERFUL AND DARK AND UNKNOWABLE.
ABOVE YOU, THE SKY DARKENS, THE WIND RISES. YOU HEAR THUNDER
AND THE BAYING OF HOUNDS, CRYING FOR BLOOD AND DEATH. YOU TREMBLE WITH
FEAR AND EXCITEMENT; WHITE HOUNDS WITH RED EARS BURST OUT OF THE BUSHES,
SURROUNDING YOU. THEY GROWL -- BUT THEY ARE WAGGING THEIR TAILS. ARE
YOU THEIR PREY, OR THEIR MASTER? YOU FEEL ANTLERS ON YOUR OWN BROW; ARE
YOU THE STAG THEY HUNT, OR THE HUNTER WHO CARES FOR THEM? NOW THERE ARE
PEOPLE WITH THE DOGS, AND YOU FEEL THE LOVE OF THE PEOPLE, THE RESPECT.
YOUR DEATH WILL FEED THEM, GIVE THEM THEIR NEEDS, AND THEY ARE GIVING
YOU THEIR LOVE. YOU KNOW THEIR HUNGER, AND YOU FEEL GREAT COMPASSION
FOR THEM. YOU LIE DOWN AND LEAVE YOUR BODY TO THEM; THEY SING WITH JOY
AS YOUR SELF FLIES UP OVERHEAD, OUTWARD, SPREADING, INTO THE TREES AND
PLANTS AND ANIMALS AND EVERYTHING.
YOU ARE SUDDENLY OVERWHELMED BY THE FEELING THAT YOU ARE BEING
CAUGHT UP IN THE COSMOS; YOU ARE EVERYTHING AND NOTHING; YOU ARE NOT
YOURSELF; YOU HAVE NO SELF; YOU FEEL A SUDDEN, UNREASONING TERROR; YOU
ARE STILL; YOU ARE ALL.
SLOWLY, SOMETHING BREAKS INTO YOUR FEAR. YOU HEAR A SWEET, LOW,
BREATHY PIPING. THE PIPING CALMS YOU, AND YOU KNOW NOW IN YOUR HEART
THAT YOU ARE ALWAYS A PART OF EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IS WITHIN YOU.
YOU ARE STILL; YOU ARE ALL; YOU ARE LIFE AND DEATH AND REBIRTH; WITHIN
YOUR OWN HUMAN BODY IS THE MICROCOSM OF ALL THAT IS. THE GREEKS NAME
THIS ALL "PAN".
YOU STAND BACK IN THE WOOD, HEARING THE MUSIC, SMELLING THE
SMELLS OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS, FEELING THAT PULSE OF POWER FILLING YOU,
INFORMING YOU, EMPOWERING YOU. YOU ARE ECSTATIC! YOU TAKE TO YOUR
TOES AND DANCE WITH JOY! AROUND YOU, ANIMALS COME OUT OF THE FOREST TO
DANCE WITH YOU, REJOICING IN LIFE!
YOU SEE THE LIGHT OF THE SUN FILTERING DOWN THROUGH LEAVES, AND
THE LIGHT SEEMS TO TAKE A SHAPE. WHAT IS THAT SHAPE? WHO DO YOU SEE?
THE GOD STANDS, SMILING, WELCOMING, BEFORE YOU. WHO IS HE? HE IS ALL
THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE; WHAT IS HE TO YOU? HIS EYES ARE SAD AND WARY AS
A DEER'S. HOW WILL YOU DEAL WITH HIM? HE REACHES OUT TO YOU; YOU HAVE
BEEN AS HE, YOU HAVE DIED AND RISEN, YOU HAVE BEEN THE LIFE OF WILDNESS,
YOU KNOW THAT HE HAS BEEN WITHIN YOU AS YOU; WILL YOU WELCOME HIM BACK
AS HE, THE GOD?
YOU DO TOUCH HIM, AND WELCOME HIM. HE THROWS BACK HIS HEAD TO
LAUGH FOR JOY! AND NOW YOU DANCE TOGETHER, AS ONE, FOR YOU ARE ONE.
SIT UP. FEEL YOUR BODY! TOUCH YOUR BODY AND FEEL YOUR FLESH, FEEL THE
HEAT OF LIFE UNDER YOUR FLESH. BREATHE AND FEEL THE WIND WITHIN YOU.
MOVE, AND FEEL THE JOY OF THE DANCE! RISE UP, AND DANCE THIS INVOCA-
TION!
HE IS THE STORM THAT SCOURS THE LAND
HE IS THE GUIDE OF HIDDEN WAYS
HE IS THE HOLLY AND THE OAK
HE IS THE HUNTER AND THE PREY
HE IS THE LORD OF STAG AND BEAR
HE IS THE SLAYER AND THE SLAIN
HE IS THE BLADE OF SACRIFICE
HE IS THE BLOOD THAT HEALS ALL PAIN
HE IS THE WORD THAT MADE THE WORLDS
HE IS THE SONG IN EVERY THROAT
HE IS THE IVY AND THE GRAPE
HE IS THE LORD OF RAM AND GOAT
HE IS THE HEAT IN LIMB AND LOIN
HE IS THE RAPTURE AND THE FRIGHT
HE IS THE FIRST LORD OF THE DANCE
HE IS THE FLAME UPON THE HEIGHT
HE IS THE SOWER AND THE SEED
HE IS THE STONE BESIDE THE TRACK
HE IS THE BEARDED HEADS OF GRAIN
HE IS THE LEAF AND BRANCH AND BARK
HE IS THE LORD OF HORSE AND BOAR
HE IS THE BLACKTHORN ON THE MOUND
HE IS THE PULSE OF WOODLAND'S HEART
HE IS THE HOME AND HOLY GROUND
HE IS THE SALMON IN THE POOL
HE IS THE WINNER OF THE MEAD
HE IS THE HAZEL AND THE ASH
HE IS THE SECRET IN THE REED
HE IS THE SPEAKER OF THE RUNE
HE IS THE CORACLE ON SEA
HE IS THE SWALLOWED AND REBORN
HE IS THE RIDER OF THE TREE
When all have danced to satiation, bring the dancing to a close,
then say:
LOOK AROUND AND SEE THE ALL IN YOUR SISTERS! REACH OUT AND
EMBRACE THE GOD YOU SEE THERE!
Feel the presence of the God
What/how do you feel now?
2874
{file "T.O.P.Y. Is" "bos626.htm"}
T.O.P.Y is.....
No matter how often we stress that thee Temple seeks to create a sense
ov fierce individuality, that it is for each Individual to redefine and
redesign TOPY within themselves to meet their own needs, thee questions
still arise: What is TOPY? What is thee Psychick Cross? What is thee
significance ov 23? It seems that there is still a need, or at least a
belief that such things should be cast in black and white, for a clear,
concise description ov exactly how TOPY should be viewed, ov how its
signs and symbols should be interpreted. Not that such questions can be
answered, certainly not in a way that would remain specific enough to
satisfy thee enquiring, yet broad enough to remain true to thee
multitude ov Individuals who make up thee Temple. As we have said
before, and no doubt will say again, TOPY exists to promote a system ov
functional, demystified magick, utilising both pagan and modern
techniques.
It is a process ov individual and collective experimentation and
research with no finite answers, dogmas or unchallengeable truths. It is
for each to discover his or her own understanding ov thee questions that
suggest themselves, and through that voyage ov discovery to find their
personal and true identity, thee True Will. To set down on paper
pre-packaged responses would be to deny thee opportunity for self-expre-
ssion, to defeat thee purpose for which we are all striving. Worse than
this, it would take away thee fun, thee simple joy ov finding things out
for ourselves.
Thee following texts are drawn from a variety ov sources, but all deal
with thee most common questions that are asked. Some are written by
Individuals with considerable experience ov TOPY methods, others by
those who are new to thee Temple. Some are taken from letters clarifying
ideas or criticising TOPY, others from more general places. We have
taken much from thee many responses we have had to thee Skills Access
form all Temple Individuals are asked to complete. Thee views expressed
are entirely those ov thee individual authors. They have been edited to
fit into thee structure ov this booklet, but in all cases we have taken
care not to distort what has been said, or to interpret what we as
individuals may find unclear. This is thee Temple talking to thee Temple
- a communion and communication ov Individuals to Individuals.
Before we go further, it should be remembered that people are attracted
to TOPY for many different reasons, that there is nothing consistent,
nothing to categorise. There are those who claim to know nothing, and
those who presume to know it all. This changes in time, as thee Temple
draws out strengths and eliminates weaknesses.
Everyone, without exception, who gets in touch with thee Temple is urged
to demonstrate their interest by setting out their own thoughts and
ideas, a first step in showing a commitment to what thee Temple stands
for. We are pleased that those who think they know little are at least
as able to respond as those with greater experience. There is no "right
response", and no shame in honesty. We thank all those who have
contributed to thee publication ov this booklet, and urge everyone who
reads it to follow their lead. As information flows in, so we will
ensure that it flows out. That is thee meaning ov Feedback, a continuity
ov expression flowing both in and out, creating a new understanding, a
new sound, a new dimension.
2875
T.O.P.Y. is action against dissatisfaction in a society that is passive
not peaceful (aiming for the throat)
From the Institute Of Positive Pagan Nihilism
to the passionate process that enfolds
(but does not control)
there is hope through energy.
Energies directed and multiplied,
energies conformed then deformed
energies facilitating psychick enemas.
To purge and purify,
to pain and putrefy.
To communicate is to cure.
-----------------------------------------
Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth is a collective body ov Individuals, all
working together towards a common goal. It is about thinking deeply
about oneself, questioning one's role in a so-called free society.
Man is essentially a robot: he has set programmes imposed on his life,
even before he is born. Whatever Man does he should do with passion. He
should rise above thee imposed trappings ov society. Involvement with
thee Temple is purely active and positive, thee bottom line being: "I
don't want to lead a pointless existence, following and accepting thee
indoctrination ov a worthless society.
With Man's progress, our self-destructive nature drives us all further
from our true selves. In thee Temple we are a group ov people trying to
halt this process by turning into ourselves and helping others to
accomplish thee same. From birth, a person is conditioned to conform to
thee accepted laws and morals ov thee society in which they find
themselves - each institution and aspect ov our culture is intertwined
with guilt and fears in order to push us on to thee acceptable path.
Society is thus so easily capable ov moulding one into a flat, one-dime-
nsional person (thee socially acceptable yet controlled person). TOPY
goes to thee root ov thee problem, challenging us to honestly reveal our
innermost needs, expectations and desires, ov bringing them to con-
sciousness in the hope ov breaking society's Chain ov Control.
Involvement with TOPY can stem from an interest in investigating thee
potentialities ov thee brain: knowledge that has been massively
suppressed by those in Power. It includes making known information on
both a political/conspiracy level, and on thee level ov an Individual's
control over their own life. We have been taught to view thee State as
a crutch to lean on, to fill our heads with pre-packaged ideologies that
avoid thee need for us to think for ourselves and which create a society
ov dead, bored, apathetic people. TOPY counters this by fighting
conditioning and by allowing thee individual's true selves to come
through - at thee same time there is action/research to demonstrate how
all pervasive thee "spectacular" society is. By working together we can
pool research, theories and actions: this way forward avoids needless
2876
duplication and, where necessary, provides allies and support for
action. Much ov thee control mechanism ov society is based on guilt
about/around sex, it being easier to control a sexually repressed
person who thus always has a weak spot for thee Servants ov Power to
press. For this reason, thee Temple strives to destroy thee conditioning
ov guilt that lies deep in thee mind and which chains it to a mundane
existence. Through thee process ov freed (and free) love/sexuality thee
mind can be focused and channelled against all ov Power's conditioning
mechanisms.
Thee tools ov thee Temple are first and foremost those which lay us open
to thee reality ov life in permanent flux. Many techniques can be used:
trance inducing music, chanting, dancing - these can all help strip down
our outer mundane shell, exposing our inner core to thee free play ov
creative forces. Thee method most favoured by thee Temple (because it
is surrounded by thee most imposed guilt, fear and limitation) is thee
unashamed exploration ov sexuality. Fundamental to thee workings ov thee
Temple is thee belief that great psychic force/energy is released at
thee point ov orgasm and that this, if channelled, can effectively "make
those things happen" which will bring you closer to your ideal self.
This technique, and many more, can be found within thee many and varied
spiritual/magickal traditions ov thee world. It is thee aim ov thee
Temple, through practical experimentation, to extract thee core ov truth
running through all, and thus demystified to present a working formula
for any Individual courageous and compassionate enough to strike against
dogma, habit, guilt, fear and all that weighs on thee spirit; to strike
against flat monotony under all its titles, and to step into a magickal
perception ov thee world.
TOPY is a lifeline ov magickal people aiming to change society for thee
better through thee magickal transformation ov Individuals, and by
helping people to understand thee power and potency ov their sexuality.
A common mistake people make is that they think that TOPY is just
another fanatical religious organisation. They hear thee name "Thee
Temple Ov Psyckick Youth" and automatically assume its philosophy will
be an unquestioning dogma for thee masses. (Proving ov course that thee
society-controlled mass mind simply projects its crippled reality on to
those who seek to challenge thee orthodoxy ov thee moment.) However,
thee difference between TOPY and other groups is that we create an
environment in which Individuals have no choice but to find their own
answers in order to improve themselves. Thee emphasis is very much on
individual exploration. TOPY gives people hints and pointers, and
whereas other organisations may make it easy for people seeking to find
"answers", TOPY stresses that it is up to thee Individual's personal
efforts for anything to be gained. And it is a two-way process: as thee
Individual learns things from involvement with thee Temple, so thee
Temple as a wider body learns from thee Individual.
There are elements ov truth in all schools ov thought, but not one
single school can be thee "most correct" (no monopoly on knowledge!).
What is needed is to take thee parts from all - those aspects that seem
thee most logical and honest - and to discard that which perhaps reeks
ov theatricals; understanding thee use ov rituals, as did thee so-called
"ignorant" Indians ov America before thee evil Christian soiled their
pure mind (pure in that they understood thee deeper reality that is thee
essence ov magick). Many races and cultures ov thee world have stumbled
across truths in their religions. We should make use ov these and 2877
2877
develop our own minds in all possible ways.
Ov every organisation, TOPY comes closer than any to thee ideal ov
freedom. All areas ov life, especially those most taken for granted as
being correct and right, are called into question. Questions open up
possibilities ov thought and action, all in thee pursuit ov a sublime
happiness. Not only does this intense questioning stimulate life, but it
helps us affirm or reaffirm ideas and behaviours. TOPY allows people
more confidence and comfort - hence more pleasure with themselves - in
their own environment. Comfort is not laziness. TOPY further guarantees
freedom (something that no other social arrangement can do, except that
which evolves between very close friends) by not only tolerating
differences in thoughts and actions, but by encouraging natural,
intrinsic differences; that is, TOPY recognises thee inate potential
godliness ov being; and its methods, its Psychick Cross, its 23, its Ov,
can all help foster thee beauty ov each Being.
Thee Temple is a creative organisation, a place to share and learn.
Creativity needs to be freed. Time waits for no-one. We live once, so we
take the opportunity: Participation.
Is thee Temple Ov Psychick Youth a cult?
Yes, a non-existent one in that it exists as a cult only for those who
are uninformed and uninvolved. Thee Temple gives those involved positive
ammunition in thee war to relcaim ourselves, our world, our time, our
love, thee truth. To disconnect thee cables ov control.
Thee Temple az a non-organisation recognises thee reality ov Individ-ua-
ls. Thee power ov Individuals focused by choice to some common points.
We, as multi-dimensional peoples live yes and no; colours, not black and
white/either-or. There are more than two choices! Religion, history,
psychology, magick: integrated for individual use. Sucksessors? To thee
Surrealists and thee Hippies? Radical interest in political and
spiritual.
Sexuality as focus. Ov Power. Subconscious guns. Thee orgazm as divine
messenger. No denial ov sense-based vision. We are free! Let us stand up
to see it through thee veil ov control.
Many people ov small mind and spirit try to deny thee Temple its right
ov existence. They are so completely disillusioned and hopeless that
they demand we all be as miserable as they are. They call us crazy,
power hungry, ego-maniacs, perverse, money-hungry, non-sensical freaks.
O.K. Crazy? To change thee world we live in, yes. Power hungry? For
power over our own lives and destiny. Ego-maniacs? Yes, if as usual
their definition ov an ego-maniac is someone who wants to achieve, grow,
change and progress. Yes - WE DO THINGS! Perverse? Yes, and proud. Thee
rational ov thee world is no rationale. Sense? Right? Normal?
Whose sense? Whose right? Whose normal? No sense makes sense. Our
sexuality is our own. If you don't like it, leave it.
Money hungry? Sure. Money is but a way to get things done. Not thee only
way, but a way. Freaks? Oh yes! No, we do not fit in, we never fit in,
and we choose it that way, thank you. Fashion, morals, duty: they are
yours not ours. YOU keep them. A freak is someone with individual
motivation, separate from thee dictates ov past, present and future.
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Thee Temple is not for all. In this time/space or ever.
WE WERE. WE ARE. WE WILL BE. WE ARE AZ WE ARE. AZ WE ARE. WE ARE
AZ WE AZ ARE WE. WE AZ ARE. WE AZ WE. WE AZ WE ARE. WE ARE AZ WE
ARE. AN ETERNAL L-OV-E IN
TOPY is a collaboration ov Individuals. We fight all forms ov restric-
tion to realise thee potential ov thee human brain through a system ov
pagan Magick. It exists devoid ov dogma, be it political or religious.
Information is shared amongst those involved, not in order to be treated
as instruction but rather as a means to promote participation, dis-
cipline and contribution to an ideal as opposed to self-ambition. Thee
recognition that only truth counts. Rituals (sigils) are employed as a
means ov discovering one's true psyche, desires (and their realisation),
integrating thee conscious and subconscious as a way to produce a
spiritually whole person as opposed to a fragmented shell.
TOPY attempts to wake people up to thee fact that they are controlled,
socially programmed to suit those with an interest in control, and that
guilt and fear are weapons employed to suppress natural advancement.
Preconceptions must be swept aside and a de-programming occur until
fearless and guiltless sexuality is mastered. Thee Temple embraces
suitable forms ov technology to support its aims for collective
advancement. Methods ov information access include PTV recordings,
booklists, video deprogramming transmissions. These are all designed to
surprise, even shock, but with a view to expansion, thee removal ov
limitation.
***********************
It is difficult to understand the infinite and the inexpressible
contained, albeit hidden controlled and repressed, in much ov the grey
parade that is called life, even within one's own mind; but to commun-
icate an idea that is beyond your own ego to another ego is almost
impossible. The closest things to transmitting such ideas are Zen
Parables, or Koans, such as what is the sound of one hand clapping, or
what is enlightened Buddha being answered by being hit over the head
with a brick. The Temple represents colour, but colour has to be seen,
not intellectually analysed.
I justify my involvement with the Temple by saying, just as the present
world needs the Temple (love being such a rare bird) I feel the need to
help and be part ov something that represents evolution and a better
future. I personally have lost "friends" because ov their inability to
perceive what the Temple means (people conditioned by shit... who see in
their little egos the wearing ov a PTV badge as evidence ov a
brainwashed moonie-type cult. How can I be in a cult when I know only
one individual even slightly connected with the Temple?; yet people
whose only knowledge ov the Temple - love, the future, colour, magick as
sublime poetry - is gleaned from those who wish to climb up the
intestines ov the machine ov Babylon by slagging the Temple off, presume
to know better). Magick defends itself, but at times the gentleness I
see in the Temple makes it a sitting duck for the projection ov
complexes ov the cynical, bitter and controlled. The Temple's crusade to
free the individual from control so s/he can grow focuses on sexuality
because it's the only thing everybody is involved with at some
point in their passage from birth to death, in whatever form. This is
what scares the repressed, the puritanical who seem intent on punishing
2879
a new generation for the brief but vital progress that took place in the
60s. There is no Temple sexuality: its sexuality is mine, yours, or that
ov any other individual involved. There is fuck all wrong with sex
despite the macho-men and unbelievable creations ov the media and the
flags ov restriction put up by both the political left and the right
(all nasty oppressive illusions, not only are all cliches true, but all
paradox).
The methods ov the Temple are vital because ov the appreciation ov the
functional uses ov technology, the Magick ov the 1980s is filed on
computer, photographed and taped, rather like the tools ov control. As
Peter the Great ov Russia said: "our enemies will teach us how to beat
them." The Cross is a symbol. Like all symbols it helps communicate an
idea quickly and focuses the will. It is potent and harmless and very
powerful. The nuber 23 is a bit ov a situationist prank as nothing
freaks out the flat people as this mystic number.
The Temple = psychedelic + discipline
Individuals controlling their own minds themselves, by opening up.
***********************
TOPY WITHOUT TEARS
Most people, when they come into contact with TOPY, will do so via
Psychic TV. Whilst being a useful expression of and filter for TOPY,
this has been the cause of misunderstanding of what TOPY is about, why
it has to be here.
Firstly, it's important to say that TOPY is emphatically not a fan club
for PTV
- not a spin-off. While PTV are there for everyone to see, access
without thought, as it were, TOPY is something else - it "gives" to the
amount you "push". It lies behind, but is not contained by, PTV.
This much should be obvious. It is easier to say what TOPY isn't than to
say what it is.
Basically, TOPY as a "system" is an expression of the ideas and methods
of all the individuals involved. But TOPY "in itself" is harder to
define - it is the idealised Hidden Instrument of Evolution - the
"organum occultus". The hidden instrument is magickal- a synergetic
interaction of certain powers of the brain. It has no "direction". Its
centre is everywhere. Thus it cannot be "possessed". The hidden instru-
ment is the means by which inner potential "happens".
TOPY is about setting change into motion NOW. It's about questioning
authority NOW. It's about releasing the social function of subjectivity
from the doghouse. Letting the dog roam free.
All this is now. TOPY has arrived as an urgent force to overcome the
endless deferral of all this - the realisation of our dreams.
Our resource - our sincerity.
It is a synchronistic vector - the "dis-ease" being the dream of social
2880
and individual transformatin - of which we continually remind ourselves,
and struggle to realise, in our rituals, our work.
TOPY is an expanding system of caring and action - communication without
limit - MUTUALITY. We are aware that language alone does not suffice.
Too many systems expand in direct proportion to their insistence on the
dogma of their WORD. TOPY's method is to cut up the word, cut up
behaviour - to find meaning beyond the parameters of Control. To
re-connect at the source - our "spirit".
Therefore, it is not a religion, not a cult. We have no use for gods,
devils, "instruction". We have nothing to fall back on but that which is
in us. Everything we see is ourselves. TOPY is, in the best sense of
the word, a movement. The movement, the process, being continual and at
various levels simultaneously - spotting the lies, the disjunction
between socialised "givens" and our dreams, our real potential -
deciding to commit oneself to re-connecting with one's potential - and
doing. We have many "people" within each one of us - we want them all.
This is expressed in our ritual and all our manifestations. Our network
- our mutual experience and searching of TOPY.
The maturity of man/woman - that means to have reacquired the
seriousness that one had as a child at play. (Nietzsche)
Vide infra (SSOTBME)
As explained at some length in the Grey Book, the Temple's initial and
root method is the recognition and utilisation of our true sexuality -
the invocation of primal sexual energies latent in the subconscious. The
concept of "sexual energy" is, for the Temple, interchangeable with
"psychic energy". Sex is the medium for magick - the frequency of
truth. The sigil is its practice, the keystone.
...the significance of sexuality must be extended to embrace Reality, or
that which endures after all else fades... (Kenneth Grant)
In a very real way our sexuality is interactive with our behaviour as a
whole. With the Temple Method we cut up traditional sexual behaviour in
order to release the New Sexuality - new because it is everchanging,
ever regenerating. Thus liberating our real sexuality (everybody - every
man and woman is a man and woman), we liberate our behaviour away from
Control. We seek to deprogramme ourselves from harmful internalised
alienating stereotypes. "Control begins with sexuality" (TOPY). We seek
to reacquire the seriousness and curiosity that we had as children, to
observe and act without guilt/fear. If there is one simple description
of TOPY, it is that every involved Individual recognises the need to
overcome GUILT and FEAR of DARING TO BE. We "see below" in order to
"rise up".
New sexuality - ever youthful.
***********************
Jung saw symbols as "libido analogues", capable of transforming energy.
A representation channels libido (psychic/sexual energy) into new form
-invokes ever renewed potential. Symbols in themselves represent NO
SEPARATION. That is, the Psychic cross is a total synthesis of all we
2881
think of and mean by the Temple. For express purposes, and certain
time-zones, some of its components can be isolated, but ultimately there
is no separation. It exists of itself: the characteristic of all living
symbols.
Because the Psychick Cross has many "personalities", a multiplicity of
explanations, it is an ideal symbol for TOPY. Various significances have
been pointed our: the single vertical line as the Individual, bottom
horizontal as Past, middle horizontal as Present, top as Future. The
Cross of Jesus and the inverted Cross of Satan combined. A television
aerial. The alchemical symbol "very poisonous".
"We didn't choose it so much as the symbol chose us." A symbol of
disenchantment, uncertainty and challenge/change.
The point of all this is that, like a true Individual, it cannot be
pinned down.
Neither - Neither.
The Psychick Cross also incorporates the 23 mythology. The number 23 is
total neither-neither territory (Austin Osman Spare's mindfuck technique
- comparing opposites separate, together, then absent).
(But of course it isn't. It is just a number like any other, 22 before
it, 24 after, surely?) Except that 23, for us, seems to behave very
strangely. It has become a snake in the grass of reason. Thus the
exception; for the Temple always the exception. The Individual. Every
man and woman is a 23.
"A presence, neither good luck or bad luck, it seemed to have some sort
of control over its appearance." Like the Psychick Cross, 23 has been
isolated to symbolise certain concepts, random chance, Crowley's GET
OUT, Burroughs' total cut-up, Robert Anton Wilson's total paranoia
symbol. Its "common" (!) significance is its provocativeness, its
individuality, however one wishes to depict it. So, OK, you have your
cynicism, you may remain unconvinced, may not recognise TOPY, you see
everywhere human weakness and self-interest - but the next step is to
realise that cynicism is not a total answer, that the facade/shell of
ego/"cool"/style can, and must be, discarded before we grow once more
and enter a new "time zone" of evolution. Drop your shield, be vul-
nerable, thee wound is the reminder, you cannot remain untouched, so
touch yourself.
Enter the Combat Zone. The Temple has declared war. It does not do so
lightly.
T.O.P.Y. is an energy, fuelled with fiery Individuals who want change.
Change. People are too hung up with sex, with getting things done, so
they mess up. No-one cares anymore. To become rewarded is to give. And
to give is contagious, to create synergism.
The Self is who I am after, yet I cannot find her until I give her away,
and watch her without from within; then I can go. Egos are selfish and
jealous - to reverse the Ego is to open the mind; to be curious; to
recognise, to understand, to commit. Without altering the Ego one cannot
undergo the process. E to 3.
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I am curious. Curious and willing to learn. Tell me what I could do for
the group that would help me. Not really help, but INlighten. For we are
all out for INlightenment, for each one of us, ourselves, and for the
whole. First know to be yourself, then to help the group, then to know
you ARE your self.
For me I cannot "When in doubt - BE EXTREME"
Right now it's "When in doubt - Do Nothing"
I am curious Right Now.
CROSS!
Life is mediated by symbols. Symbols that steal. Numerical symbols that
steal our intelligence. Word symbols that steal our voice. Pornographic
symbols that steal our sexuality. Magical symbols that steal our will.
A death on your symbols. Let each kill themselves.
The Psychick Cross is a symbol that represents the idea of "without
Symbols". It is the first entry in a dictionary of the future Meta-symb-
olical language, a language of no-thought.
T.O.P.Y. is directed anger (which in itself is only Love). A foundation
set up to compile this "dictionary" which all WEs will need in order to
survive. A clearing house of symbols.
When ever you dis-cover stamp on a Psychick Cross. This release it for
our use.
---------------------------------------------
The Temple Ov Psychick Youth is an organisation that has been created to
further the ideas and feelings of those who feel that they have
something to contribute to the running of society. The Temple involves
a large scope of feelings and images that are connected to each other by
the potency of their own desires.
Firstly, the Temple as an organisation is created for those who feel and
believe that they can increase their own potential in body and mind by
pushing themselves to the limit of their durability, and do so in such
a way that they can find the limitations of their own body as well as
finding how far they can really go in producing a perfect understanding
of themselves. Unlike other creations, the Temple does not try to
coerce of push an Individual into doing what "it" wants them to do - the
contrary is true, the Temple encourages the individual to think and act
for themselves, perhaps offering gentle instruction as an aid to
success. The Temple remains as a haven for help where friends are
guaranteed. A spiritual as well as physical father. By involving oneself
with the Temple you find that the trappings of an autocratic society are
handcuffs to the spirit, holding you in place, disabling a mind,
disallowing it to think and act for itself - laying down rigid rules
that must be adhered to. The Temple, conversely, encourages us that
we need no regimented rules to survive, all we need is to expend a
minimal amount of consideration for our fellow people, to accept
differences in colour, ideas, sexuality, etc. Falling (sic), the rules
of our wonderful and enlightened society has led to nothing but war, man
killing man; religion playing a large part in the reasons for war.
Religion is another point that the Temple puts across. It shows us the
trivialities in religion be it Christian or Hindu. The idea of believing
2883
in a spiritual god - how abhorrent. It insults the intelligence to have
god and jesus rammed down our throats - Crass put my feelings very well
when they said Jesus died for his own sins, no mine. Religion is an
easy way for a frightened people to hide behind the eventuality of their
own death - it's okay, we will be going to a better life - what a joke.
The only temple/god we should worship is our own bodies - any sacrament
to be given should be exercise of the mind and body. Prayer should be an
introspective look into your own feelings.
The Psychick Cross is a symbol that is easily recognisable - and
therefore a medium through which publicity can be shown. Unlike the
"cross" the psychick cross is a very strong image of ideals, and shows
a firm belief in what we feel the Temple stands for; I know that when
people see the cross on my clothes - be it badges, t-shirts - and they
ask what it stands for, they will always associate it with the Temple as
well as Psychic TV. The strength of its images remains in the
subconscious, therefore leading to easy recognition.
The Temple roots its beliefs in magic where sexuality and mental
strength have always played an important role. This world is inhibited
by its narrow-mindedness of sexuality. The Temple shows us that we
should not be embarrassed by it, nor inhibited by it. This does not
necessarily mean infidelity, or polygamous behaviour. Free Love can be
practised between two individuals involved in a close relationship
because the restraints of society are prevalent in marriage etc. It
encourages us to be free - the most important aim for all humans - to be
rid of a repressive society and to develop together with no feelings of
materialism.
Although society is against us, too many people are unable to stand up
for themselves, they allow themselves to be carried along without
stating how they wish things should be done. If we work hard enough
though, perhaps one day we will have a world where at least the ideas of
the Temple are practised, even if they are disconnected from the actual
force and developer of those ideas.
---------------------------------------------
The Temple is a group of people who together, and individually, work to
combat any form of personal restriction. Quite simply we want to make
our dreams, and those of everyone else, come true.
We work on three levels, or ratios. On the first level we examine our
real selves, discovering our dreams, our potential, our REAL selves. We
then try to live our lives, realising our dreams and making the most of
what we have to offer (skills, abilities, etc...), thus following (to
use a rather archaic term) our destiny. Once an initiate begins to work
on this ratio, he/she has a chance to take joint control of the helm.
The Temple is constantly evolving: each initiate has the chance to help
dictate the direction of that evolution. In the 3rd ratio we work to try
and improve the world in which we live. At this level we try to act as
an evolutionary goad, pushing mankind back on course.
We realise that the only way of achieving anything is to help one
another. So whenever we can we donate time, money, ideas and skills to
T.O.P.Y. We receive no reward for this: no medals, no "I raised $100"
selling t-shirts. The reward is the knowledge that we have helped
someone else to realise their dreams.
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We are an international group, with bases in the UK, Holland, Germany,
Sweden, Canada and America.
As is obvious ("Temple" & "Psychick") we are metaphysically minded. Many
of our methods could be considered magickal. Magick is merely a
technique for helping us negate the effects of restriction and control;
and live (again that rather naff word) destiny. We are constantly
developing and refining our own magick. We do not believe in any great
powerhouse in the sky, any gods, angels, demons, etc. We have realised
that the human brain is capable of much more than it is used for. Our
magick operates within the human nervous system - and works!
Our magickal techniques are a little too "technical" to go in to.
Suffice it to say that one of our main sources of energy is sexuality
and orgasms. Sex plays a very important role in our philosophy as the
energy obtained from it is tremendous. As was said earlier, we try to
"touch our real selves". Our first stepping stone to this is the removal
of restriction placed on our sexuality by society. Once a month, or
more, an initiate performs a simple magickal exercise which is designed
to bring him/her closer to his or her real sexuality - as experienced in
sexual fantasies. There should be no holds on sex, one should be able to
enjoy sex in whatever way one, and one's partner(s), want to.
Our symbol, logo, emblem or whatever - the Psychick Cross - contains a
great deal of symbolism. The most obvious facets are: 1, it is the
reverse of the Papal Cross, thus making it an anti-papal cross; 2, it is
an "E" for Ego, backed with a reversed "E", thus representing the
negation of the Ego's role over the human mind.
In many systems of magick numbers are said to have meanings. 23 has
many meanings all of which are applicable to the Temple: Initiation;
Union of Fire and Water (symbols of male and female) - sex; Integration
of all levels of consciousness.
I first heard of T.O.P.Y. through the drunken ramblings of someone I now
find it impossible to describe. At the time "Godstar" boomed from his
room almost constantly. After this, a friend lent me "Dreams Less
Sweet". I bought a few records, sent off for some literature.
Previously, I had dabbled with THELEMA, which seemed to ask the right
questions, but gave the wrong answers. T.O.P.Y. seemed to ask equally
pertinent questions (and sometimes more so), and answered them with
nothing but Hagbard Celine's "Think for yourself Schmuck". As time went
on I became increasingly interested in, and in agreement with, the
Temple's ideas.
At last a decent magickal system. No more silly Kabbalistic rituals.
Simple, straightforward, and functional. A chance to help, however
little, however much. Perhaps even to meet people who've got better
things on their mind than taking the piss.
---------------------------------------------
The Temple is an international group of people who want to improve the
quality of not only their own lives, but of everybody. We have realised
that the life of the average person lacks direction and meaning. Human
beings are persuaded, by various methods, to do what they are told,
however subtly, rather than what they really want. Some realise this and
2885
"drop out", hiding the world behind a beer can or a line of coke; others
try to change the world. We are in the latter group. We try to do
nothing unless we really want to. We try to differentiate between
"pretend" desires programmed into us by society, and our true wishes. We
then try to live these true desires. That is what real freedom is. Our
method is, I believe, the most powerful. We use magick; not card tricks
or turning princes into frogs; but real magick (that's what the "k" on
the end signifies), which is a method of programming your own mind to do
what you want it to do. We use sex as a tool for elevating the mind in
much of our magick. Sex is one of our basic needs. It is also the most
powerful force we have access to.
---------------------------------------------
What attracted you to T.O.P.Y.?
The systematic use ov will power to make dreams become real. The
undogmatic appreciation ov the inherent potentials ov thee Individual
who wants to see and is not afraid to invest energy in finding their
true self, their true desires, and to act accordingly. Furthermore, the
new approach to Magick: a demystified system ov practical techniques to
extend the perception and skill ov acting consciously according to one's
own nature without guilt.
In what ways has T.O.P.Y. failed to live up to your expectations so far?
I see T.O.P.Y. as an active forum/expression/output ov thee assembled
energy ov its members. I consider myself taking part in thee process and
don't feel that thee organ has failed to live up to my expectations as
they are identical with thee expectations I have for myself in life. I
apply T.O.P.Y. in my life according to my own interpretation and accept
no dogmaa, and as long as I feel that my intentions coincide with
T.O.P.Y. and that its structure is based on mutual appreciation/trust/-
respect/challenge/communication then I invest energy in this forum. I am
curious/open-minded by nature. In thee course ov time and involvement
much is explained. I have no fear.
Explain T.O.P.Y.
Through education, school, inherited dogmatic value systems, TV, radio,
written/spoken propaganda people are continously deprived ov their self
respect as unique manifold human Individuals. We are systematically
discouraged by thee keepers ov addicts to Control from exploring our
real physical and mental needs and potentials. We are exposed to
constant programming, its main aim being streamlining ov thought into
unquestioned acceptance ov illusory satisfaction, leaving an unlocated
feeling ov frustration behind. Fear is the Key to Control/Manipulation.
Thee fear ov change/thee unknown/thee unsecure/thee unfamiliar - all
these block thee Individual longing for development/experience and make
him/her accept thee vast offer ov surrogates and substitutes in today's
world system. Those who are not contented with this pseudo-reality seek
other ways for deeper knowledge/realisation ov dreams, and create their
own forum/access point for mutual encouragement/support/challenge ov
individuality and will.
We are history, thee sum ov our ancestors. If we ignore our own history
and its impact on our lives, we are inclined to repeat thee pitfalls and
disasters ov previous generations. We dig our own graves as culture.
2886
Christianity has monopolised thee European thought system and thee use
ov ancient methods/rituals as a means ov recollecting force, and has
deformed its intentions to thee point where they lose every form ov
potence and sense while being refunctioned to "evil/dangerous mys-
ticism/occultism".
Ritual as Access Point to thee inner regions ov thee mind and focus ov
will into conscious action. . .thee threat to status quo in thee present
socio-political and cultural world-system. A society deprived ov its
history/past is a society deprived ov its future and identity.
Sex is thee primal key to thee mental system ov a person. It is thee
nucleus ov their own past, present, and future. In thee moment ov orgasm
thee brain is for a short period ov time thrown out ov/disconnected from
its subconsciously socialised/adapted thought-system. In this moment ov
disconnection thee brain is highly susceptible to new information.
Orgasm is thee Access Point ov de- and re-programming ov thee mind.
Storage ov subconscious information - thee seed to conscious action.
Attack on subconsciousness determines thee overflow to consciousness
latently transformed into concrete action.
Education/indoctrination has trimmed our minds in thee course ov a life-
time to fit thee demands/needs ov thee control units in society. We see
continuous re-education as a necessity in order to develop. Ritual
strengthens our determination to find and do our true selves and to
cross new borders ov knowledge and understanding, to avoid thee
obstacles to thee realisation ov our dreams. Through self-decided
"indoctrination/dedoctrination" ov thee subconscious mind we avoid daily
pitfalls in mental laziness and cowardice/compromise. Free sexuality
without guilt liberates our mind from inherent blocking mechanisms
between consciousness. Free flow ov information between thee brain
hemispheres brightens our eyes, makes us clear, strong and real.
23: Number ov "Coincidence" - thee genes in thee human being consist ov
23 chromosomes, blood needs 23 seconds to cross thee human body. A sign
ov life and death, its correlation and its unknown dimensions. Death/-
mortality - thee ultimate reference point for each human being. To live
fully without regrets or not. We are mortal. Here and Now.
Christians have their Cross - fetish ov guilt and shame. Christ on thee
Cross - symbol ov martyrdom/sacrifice for thee sinfulness ov thee human
race. Unworthy, godless slaves.
We repudiate - have our own fetish/symbol for thee immense possibilities
and dimensions ov thee human mind and vessel in life. Thee Psychick
Cross - an alchemical symbol for (magickally) dangerous material/know-
ledge. Thee Temple Ov Psychick Youth is "danger" to dogmatic/streamlined
thought, that is to thee stability/status quo in present society/cul-
ture: thee seed to a new science/way ov living.
Magick: a system ov Will Made Flesh. We focus our will in collective
ritual across thee world on thee 23rd ov each month, and programme/-
tune-in our mutual wavelengths/sexual desires in thee moment ov orgasm.
Our will-power programmed in thee genes and assembled in thee liquids ov
semen/lubricant/blood/spit, and hair.
Thee features ov thee embryo is decided/determined through thee thoughts
ov sexual partners during coitus. Thought made Flesh. Will made Real.
2887
T.O.P.Y. Made Real.
---------------------------------------------
In answer to a cynical journalist:
Most people can't stomach the "missionary zeal", so to speak, so any
mention of a "Great Crusade to save The World" is right out of the
window. The Temple is there for those who want it - it isn't another
banal ideology, but a network of Individual interests where information
is relayed to one another on the basis of practical experience. You've
heard of synergy: the working together of two or more elements to create
an effect greater that the sum of the individual elements' output. Well
that's us! We support one another by our own efforts - like a latter-day
tribe.
What impels a person to work within the Temple? A dissatisfaction with
current societal values, perhaps. An awareness of possibilities within
ourselves that most recognised institutions of society, religious or
otherwise, either flatly deny or appear reluctant to expand upon. (As
social beings we have an inner need to express ourselves amongst friends
- interpreting "friends" as those people who can relate to you!) All
such answers seem a bit "rhetorical" to me, so we might gain a better
understanding of the "attraction" of T.O.P.Y. by taking a brief look at
the ideas and methods it collectively presents.
We take a very broad view - limitlessly so - of the means at our
disposal towards self-development. Jung called it individuation.
Aleister Crowley called it the realisation of the True Will. You may
call it simply "Maturity". From the lore of Magic (a much scoffed at
notion, superficially, in our high-tech rationalistic era; but isn't our
science the highest magic to a so-called primitive? And what arrogance
you have to deny the function of something you know nothing about,
despite its overwhelming history of practice?!), to music, to martial
art; if the perceptive individual thinks there is something worth
picking up on, we will attempt to pluck it out of the mire and use it!
That is why T.O.P.Y. is often seen in the "public eye" to "wallow
morbidly" in social taboos; or however else they choose to put it.
Life's too short and wonderful to run away from and/or wrap up in
unnecessary prohibitions/superstitions. So, cut out the crap! The Temple
brings together people who aren't afraid to try a little. The luxuries
of Western "civilisation" (loud laughter) also bring greater excuses for
us to get very lazy.
(The notion of forced commitment, street-corner proselytizing, I find
repulsive. We emphasise, more than anything else, the power and
cretiveness of the individual will; how that feeling can be shared
through communication and care. To force others to "join in" would
defeat the purpose of the network. How can I force you to be yourself?
[eg. forcing another to emulate my thoughts & feelings is no freedom for
the other person.] What the fucks the point? We can only provide
inspiration - no greedy Gurus infest this House.)
Why do I think T.O.P.Y. is important? Could answer that in several ways
I suppose. The workings of the Temple are not always to my liking, but
then, as a network with some degree of structuring/organisation, what
else do you expect? Humanity has yet to invent a machine that is 100%
efficient. And involvement with T.O.P.Y. does NOT mean you go along with
2888
every suggestion that's put forward. In terms of energy, feedback and so
on, you reap what you sow; just as with any human relationship (I use
that analogy quite intentionally). Anyway, I feel it is important
because - in an age of much insincerity - T.O.P.Y. is rooted in what I
ultimately recognise as COMMON SENSE. We seek to embrace the earthly
human condition, warts and all. We look at ourselves and recognise the
need to strive for personal goals; expand our often blinkered definition
of "self" by trying to utilise the new and the strange; experiment,
instead of wallowing in the "fear of the unknown"; reject dogma, reject
guilt, reject anything that leads to unnecessary anxiety - not by
pushing things to the side, but by confrontation. (The quickest route
between two points is a straight line.) Such ideas, although expressed
a little dogmatically here for the sake of brevity, outline a healthy,
strong approach to living. And it feels very refreshing to be amongst
friends who won't try to fob you off with more alienating politics or
mystical pap.
No, my involvement with T.O.P.Y. has not equipped me with easy panaceas
for the problem of Government, etc. We live in a complex environment -
I am the first to admit it. T.O.P.Y. has no manifesto up its collective
sleeve. Rather, we consider the situation from the perspective of "To
change the World you must first change yourself." It is no use disban-
ding the police-force tomorrow if they are all going to continue acting
in the same way to the people they picked on before!
(To amuse myself, I might describe involvement in the Temple as a course
in psychic self-defense for the outsider! But then you'd probably take
that the wrong way. The Temple is NOT a cheap sort of psychotherapy; no
psychic prescriptions from Doc P-Orridge, or anybody ridiculous like
that. Nobody involved in the network wishes to suffer fools gladly, and
the only people "assessed" are ourselves - BY OURSELVES. A little
eccentricity leads to a progression of ideas - stupidity does not! And
you must ultimately deal with your own problems, if you wish to reclaim
personal responsibility at all - a belief that is central to T.O.P.Y.
philosophy.)
Why the big profile on Sex in T.O.P.Y.? The fact that you feel our "high
profile" needs to be mentioned may provide part of the answer! As I have
already tried to indicate, the Temple strives to eliminate our (often
culturally inherited) feelings of guilt. We consider sexual energy to be
of great importance - its free expression is our very birthright, in
whatever way our nature inclines. The neuroses and psychosomatic
ailments resulting from high levels of sexual repression have been
catalogued well enough by now, without me having to re-iterate the
point. And guilt about one's personal sexual activities can be used as
a potent weapon in the hands of your adversaries - just look at the
gutter press. Sexuality is just that - whether it be expressed in
"fetishism", "homosexual" activity (a horrible, clinical expression if
ever I heard one), and so on. It's nobody's business but your own.
Having said that, it is obvious that many people - particularly the
younger - pursue an active sex life without recourse to massive guilt!
So why all the hypocrisy about its public expression? Why the hassle?
Evidently, the mass media does not reflect an accurate - honest -
picture of our feelings. The Sunday Sport continues to make sex and
sexuality an absurdity - something to sneer at. We wonder why.
T.O.P.Y. wishes to take sexuality a step further by investigating the
2889
powers we consider to be generated by sexual activity, so that they can
be used for the benifit of the individual. Every Individual. Orgasm has
a powerful effect on one's perception, body chemistry, bio-electric
field, etc., if only for a few moments. And we feel that the state of
being created can be put to use, in combination with intense desire.
Again, we are entering the arena of "magick" and ritual (all sex is
ritual); we are considering the so-called dark side of nature, and to a
TV generation brought up on Dennis Wheatley films, such ideas seem very
taboo. We wish to break down those superstitions - we have little room
for fear in such speculative areas - but we have no vested interest in
people agreeing with our aims and methods. (We are not out to harm
anybody, so please remain sensible and leave us be if you are scep-
tical/unimpressed.)
Of course you can't discuss sex without mentioning AIDS nowadays. To
counter popular misconceptions let it be stressed that the Temple does
NOT encourage orgiastic or promiscuous behaviour - forced promiscuity to
prove one's "liberation" is just a stupid and damaging as exaggerated
pruder; if it goes against your natural inclinations. I suggest you use
your common-sense and exercise responsibility. But, to give an example:
should someone attracted to their own sex no longer feel attracted
because circumstances dictate a certain degree of caution with the
choice of partners? We think not. Circumstances and the means of your
natural indulgence may vary quite a bit, but the right to "be and feel"
whatever you are does not. This must be kept in mind, as the puritans
cry out for "conformity" yet again. . .
---------------------------------------------
Thee Temple Ov Psychick Youth, we are united, united in the differences
that constitute our individuality. At one stage or another all ov us had
reached the same crossroad. The roads were clearly marked - conformity,
control, suburbia, soap and no hope. The general flat planes that lead
to a hollow, wasted death. Instead, we deliberately leave the roads to
travel cross-country - to aim for the high mountains on the horizon.
There are no clearly visible signposts, no neatly maintained roads and
no resting points. The undergrowth can be extremely dense, the in-
habitants hostile and the speed of travel tiresomely slow. But etched on
the horizon, amongst the loftiest of mountains is a Psychick Cross. We
move onwards and upwards. This is the way of T.O.P.Y.
To travel with T.O.P.Y. is to map out your own route, to cross virgin
territory, often alone. You discover you pace, your own dreams of the
goal. Discovering your own philosophy of life, but instead of preaching
it you live it, and live it to the full. We may travel alone, but we
obtain strength that elsewhere in the wilderness others are planning and
travelling their own routes to the same goal. We may rendezvous, by
chance or by desire. We can then share, relate our travels and exchange
maps for we know that to fulfill our life we must help fulfill others:
open their eyes, let them help us open ours. Share our results and
tactics and help to change the maps of old. To lay new paths and roads
and satisfy the discontentments of society and its expectations and
limitations of an individual.
It is every person's basic right and task to be as they will, as they
truly will. The study is long and hard to find this will. Total
self-honesty is needed. The ability to touch oneself, no less. T.O.P.Y.
will encourage, suggest ways of touching at all levels and of all
2890
aspects, by using rituals and intuitive magickal methods specifically
aimed at getting closer to oneself. To integrate all the different
levels and aspects to develop a total, free individual.
T.O.P.Y. realises that every man and woman has their own potential to
achieve and live by. This can vary greatly within individuals but this
is the key because each individual's achievements are relative to only
that one person's potential. There is no competitive hierarchy as that
would serve only to stifle development. Each individual must ultimately
justify their every motive, action and belief to themselves. If they
achieve this then they are allowing T.O.P.Y. to achieve itself. It
cannot work in reverse. It can be hard. To start to truly look at
yourself can hurt. Strength, honesty and commitment are needed to move
towards T.O.P.Y. Sexuality is a key as within sexuality the restrictions
and constrictions of society and its controls can bite the hardest. To
liberate and understand one's own sexuality is to liberate and under-
stand T.O.P.Y. An individual who has learnt to express themselves
sexually can then use the lessons learnt here to inspire freedom
and development in other aspects of their person. Your sex and sexuality
belong to yourself. The energies it generates all come from within your
psyche. At the peak of sex the doors open, the barriers collapse and
there is no separation. The interchange between conscious and "sub"-con-
scious is complete. Using controlled focusing at this magickal time,
T.O.P.Y. individuals can make a conscious desire to move to the higher
levels of their own consciousness where it can take effect and help the
dreams become real. By truly understanding this process and tailoring it
to an individual's methods, breakthrough can be reached and you have
given yourself back to yourself.
These methods of sexual focusing provide the basis of T.O.P.Y. workings.
The results achieved here by the individual filter down through all
levels, all actions, all motives. All comes from within the individual.
T.O.P.Y. has a psychick symbol and a psychick number. Both of these are
woven deeply into the sub-structure. Both act as a focus, as a synthesis
of beliefs and actions; as a trigger. The Psychick Cross with its
horizontal arms in the ratio of 2 to 3 can be interpreted on many
levels: to signify the individual (the vertical line) with his/her past
(bottom line), present (middle) and future (top); a symbol of integ-
ration between opposing functions within an individual of T.O.P.Y. (3
E). The arms flow outwards from the Cross to symbolise growth and
discovery whilst at the same time they all draw inwards to focus and
synthesize this growth within the individual. A cross to sacrifice the
self upon; a uniform symbol to identify with, but like T.O.P.Y. itself
to be interpreted in different ways by different individuals.
The magickal number 23 is interwoven throughout T.O.P.Y. It is the point
of focus, to integrate, to dissolve. A time, a time for work, a date to
complete a task 23 times is to see it move deep within the conscious-
ness. A number that's history is proven and potent, one that occurs
internationally,irrationally and totally naturally. Like the Psychick
Cross, indeed like T.O.P.Y., 23 is the gateway, the crossover point to
internal focus and development and external flowering.
When there is no other way.
T.O.P.Y.
2891
~ Thoughts on The Temple ~
The Temple Ov Psychick Youth is a body of like-minded, ageless souls all
striving in an individual manner towards a collective goal: a guiltless
state of self-awareness.
The exploration of our innermost desires by the release of the sexual
spirit, and thus the freeing of our emotions of dogma and external
control, is fundamental to the process by which the Temple achieves its
collective identity. The process is a deeply personal voyage of
discovery (the very fact of the emphasis of the individual testifies to
this), one in which the Temple acts as a guiding light, a processor of
information and its re-direction.
"No Man is an Island", and for this reason the Temple is both needed for
support in our battle, and as a focus for the support we ourselves can
offer. Its sum being greater than the parts, the Temple serves as a
sounding board for ideas, provoking thought which may under other
circumstances never have been given the right "culture" in which to form
and grow. Thus the Temple is a growing, living organism whose form is a
result of the collection of "cells" within it, as in any biological
organism. The analogy with the natural world is of direct significance.
All life operates within a set environment or eco-system, but its very
presence is an integral part of that system. If any one species grows it
is at the cost of another, and if any "external force" is introduced the
balance can be forever altered with the possibility of collapse (eg:
Rainforests). The Temple is such a force, one which could ultimately
over-turn the preconceived ideas of our Western society. This may seem
to many to be a fanciful argument, but to those who mock I would say,
"how small is a virus or cancer cell that can cause the collapse of an
organism."
We may be small, but we are growing to attack like a cancer from within!
We must stand together, we must fight!
~ On criticism of the Temple ~
How can you criticize an organisation which makes statements such as ".
. .
we support your individuality", "we offer no dogma", and talks of "de-
programming". These are some of the most important statements mady by
T.O.P.Y., and show the principal aims of the Temple: the realisation of
YOURSELF, which results in SELFLESSNESS in the most positive way - no
greed, no sex barriers, no age barriers, no race barriers. . . .etc.
The ultimate goal of LOVE and escape from the prison of 20th Century
(especially western) ideas and values. DON'T WE ALL FEEL THE SAME? Thee
Temple gives no orders, it gives a method through books, records, states
of mind to a form of enlightenment. "You must understand 'til it hurts.
The mind must be stretched to include emotions, thoughts and points of
view entirely foreign to the narrow limits of our present life." (quote
from "Zen" by Christmas Humphreys) To me, the Temple is about THINKING
and trying to spread this FREEDOM.
SEXUALITY: This I am only myself realising at the moment - NO GUILT. We
see it on T.V. every day: twisted sex values - TURN IT OFF! I can't find
2892
the right words to use about my sigil experiences but I feel re-charged,
focused, powerful, aware.
THEE PSYCHICK CROSS: This to me forms a kind of focus (not in a fearful,
religious sense) and is a common ground and understandable sign to those
involved within T.O.P.Y.
23: This to me is Kammerer's Law of Seriality. The natural rhythms,
patterns, harmonies in all the universe. It is an expression of this
belief of the unexplored forces that act upon us.
---------------------------------------------
I can relate to what the Temple Ov Psychick Youth is trying to do
because we are all living in a world where chaos reigns. The Western
World has been under the dogma of religion, Catholic and Protestant, for
the last five hundred years. And its teachings, far removed from the
original message, have beenused to control the masses and to shape
humanity's moral codes.
So today we have people wanting to have spiritual freedom, but who
because of the age-old brain washing of God and the Devil, and good and
evil, find it hard. Even worse, most people in our society have to
unlearn and begin at thee beginning about their relationship with life,
the universe and everything in it; and they generally start looking
within themselves for their answers. I personally think that Chris-
tianity is on its last legs, as its churches are full of middle-aged and
old people, but not young people. So there are many who are searching
for spiritual freedom, and a truer relationship with life. The Temple Ov
Psychick Youth provides a means and a way for people to break free and
rise above the lie of society. Because magick, witchcraft are keys that
unlock many of life's closed doors, and enable individuals to explore
and develop themselves on all planes of life, from spiritual to
physical.
Nothing in life is easy, and magick is not an escape. As with all life
you have to give of yourself to receive, and giving of yourself means a
sacrifice of time and effort which is a hard lesson for many an aspiring
occultist. So through contact with open groups like T.O.P.Y.,
individuals can meet other people with similar ideals in life.
Obviously people will have to face moral principles such as sexual
Magick (tantric yoga) and other methods used in ritual magick to raise
the power, but this is something they learn naturally and not unnatur-
ally as the rest of society still thinks and believes. They have to
learn that they themselves create or destroy what life presents before
them, not God or the Devil, and thus having learnt go forth into a new
world of gods. After all, evil is essentially misplaced energy (un-
natural). So things like sex, and all pleasurable activity so long as it
be done with free will, are healthy for us in life.
This last point is another reason why I agree with T.O.P.Y.'s ideals:
because they encourage people to be free within themselves, and to
discover their own true wills.
As A/C puts it: Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law.
Love Is The Law, Love Under Will.
2893
My interpretation of T.O.P.Y. is that of the propagation of unlimited
expression and potential. Also, that of the freeing of world technology
and communication from the restraints of generally restrictive,
authoritarian value-systems. The Temple, to me, has the potential to
both examine and free the latency of both physical and psychical
potential.
I would like to take part in a world-deprogramming task, and experience
the worthiness of my own full powers, in all their comparitive spheres.
These thoughts encompass my attitudes towards sexuality (in both its
drive and visionary factors) and also my movement towards a cooperative
methodology.
---------------------------------------------
What is Thee Temple Ov Psychick Youth?
To me, ultimately a special state ov mind - the place where all dreams
meet. The place you know exists but are afraid to admit it. A secret
place, timeless, sexual, a magick place open to all. Have you never felt
so alive, happy, sexual that you want to live forever? Or are you lost,
scared or just too pissed off to care. T.O.P.Y. can help you find your
real self and you can help T.O.P.Y. in the process. By helping and
caring and coummitment to T.O.P.Y. the same energy is given back. Love
is not a dirty word, helping people is not wrong. For society to change,
people must change. People must see what is happening all around them.
People must be given information about sigils, dreamachines, magick.
People must be pro-sexual, have respect and caring for everybody.
What is wrong with being happy, alive, caring? So reject money - I'm on
16K a year, smart mate but who's interested. I'm a Man City fan - You're
dead. (Fighting for a football team, strange.) This jumper cost $60.
(Very smart, but does it make you really feel better inside.)
In these times ov one-upmanship why not join the ultimate game and play
for your life and make history as well.
---------------------------------------------
Thee Temple Ov Psychick Youth acts as a focal point, a sigil to thee
Will. It can provide thee FORM about which thee FUNCTION ov Thee SELF
can be wrapped. Thee act ov focusing releases tremendous energy which
Thee Temple, as a concourse, forms into a flow ov energy. As a concept
it sparks off Individual activity and through thee Image ov Thee SIGIL
it channels that energy into a creative outburst.
As a free form with a continuous flow ov unrestricted and unlimited
ideas it allows any Individual to develop a language to express what can
not be explained. Magick in its modern context is largely a question ov
interpreting a subjective reality in purely personal terms. This
requires a personal subjective language. Yet if society is to continue
- have any meaning - then it is precisely this that must be communi-
cated. A subjective reality can not be expressed in terms ov common
language, but only as a personal experience. Thus thee only channel ov
communication open to us is to place our personal view within a common
framework. This in essence is what all communication is about. But most
ov our present belief is based on distortion. Our culture simply has not
got thee necessary tools to cope with thee present situation. Our
2894
cultural language is still based on thee rational universal world ov
thee past aeon. This will have to be swept aside before people can talk
to each other again.
The magickal number 23 is interwoven throughout T.O.P.Y. It is the point
of focus, to integrate, to dissolve. A time, a time for work, a date to
complete a task 23 times is to see it move deep within the conscious-
ness. A number that's history is proven and potent, one that occurs
internationally, irrationally and totally naturally. Like the Psychick
Cross, indeed like T.O.P.Y., 23 is the gateway, the crossover point to
internal focus and development and external flowering.
When there is no other way.
T.O.P.Y.
---------------------------------------------
~ Thoughts on The Temple ~
The Temple Ov Psychick Youth is a body of like-minded, ageless souls all
striving in an individual manner towards a collective goal: a guiltless
state of self-awareness.
The exploration of our innermost desires by the release of the sexual
spirit, and thus the freeing of our emotions of dogma and external
control, is fundamental to the process by which the Temple achieves its
collective identity. The process is a deeply personal voyage of
discovery (the very fact of the emphasis of the individual testifies to
this), one in which the Temple acts as a guiding light, a processor of
information and its re-direction.
"No Man is an Island", and for this reason the Temple is both needed for
support in our battle, and as a focus for the support we ourselves can
offer. Its sum being greater than the parts, the Temple serves as a
sounding board for ideas, provoking thought which may under other
circumstances never have been given the right "culture" in which to form
and grow. Thus the Temple is a growing, living organism whose form is a
result of the collection of "cells" within it, as in any biological
organism. The analogy with the natural world is of direct significance.
All life operates within a set environment or eco-system, but its very
presence is an integral part of that system. If any one species grows it
is at the cost of another, and if any "external force" is introduced the
balance can be forever altered with the possibility of collapse (eg:
Rainforests). The Temple is such a force, one which could ultimately
over-turn the preconceived ideas of our Western society. This may seem
to many to be a fanciful argument, but to those who mock I would say,
"how small is a virus or cancer cell that can cause the collapse of
an organism."
We may be small, but we are growing to attack like a cancer from within!
We must stand together, we must fight!
~ On criticism of the Temple ~
How can you criticize an organisation which makes statements such as ".
. . we support your individuality", "we offer no dogma", and talks of
2895
"de-programming". These are some of the most important statements mady
by T.O.P.Y., and show the principal aims of the Temple: the realisation
of YOURSELF, which results in SELFLESSNESS in the most positive way - no
greed, no sex barriers, no age barriers, no race barriers. . . .etc.
The ultimate goal of LOVE and escape from the prison of 20th Century
(especially western) ideas and values. DON'T WE ALL FEEL THE SAME? Thee
Temple gives no orders, it gives a method through books, records, states
of mind to a form of enlightenment. "You must understand 'til it hurts.
The mind must be stretched to include emotions, thoughts and points of
view entirely foreign to the narrow limits of our present life." (quote
from "Zen" by Christmas Humphreys) To me, the Temple is about THINKING
and trying to spread this FREEDOM.
SEXUALITY: This I am only myself realising at the moment - NO GUILT. We
see it on T.V. every day: twisted sex values - TURN IT OFF! I can't find
the right words to use about my sigil experiences but I feel re-charged,
focused, powerful, aware.
THEE PSYCHICK CROSS: This to me forms a kind of focus (not in a fearful,
religious sense) and is a common ground and understandable sign to those
involved within T.O.P.Y.
23: This to me is Kammerer's Law of Seriality. The natural rhythms,
patterns, harmonies in all the universe. It is an expression of this
belief of the unexplored forces that act upon us.
---------------------------------------------
I can relate to what the Temple Ov Psychick Youth is trying to do
because we are all living in a world where chaos reigns. The Western
World has been under the dogma of religion, Catholic and Protestant, for
the last five hundred years. And its teachings, far removed from the
original message, have beenused to control the masses and to shape
humanity's moral codes.
So today we have people wanting to have spiritual freedom, but who
because of the age-old brain washing of God and the Devil, and good and
evil, find it hard. Even worse, most people in our society have to
unlearn and begin at thee beginning about their relationship with life,
the universe and everything in it; and they generally start looking
within themselves for their answers. I personally think that Chris-
tianity is on its last legs, as its churches are full of middle-aged and
old people, but not young people. So there are many who are searching
for spiritual freedom, and a truer relationship with life. The Temple Ov
Psychick Youth provides a means and a way for people to break free and
rise above the lie of society. Because magick, witchcraft are keys that
unlock many of life's closed doors, and enable individuals to explore
and develop themselves on all planes of life, from spiritual to
physical.
Nothing in life is easy, and magick is not an escape. As with all life
you have to give of yourself to receive, and giving of yourself means a
sacrifice of time and effort which is a hard lesson for many an aspiring
occultist. So through contact with open groups like T.O.P.Y.,
individuals can meet other people with similar ideals in life.
Obviously people will have to face moral principles such as sexual
2896
Magick (tantric yoga) and other methods used in ritual magick to raise
the power, but this is something they learn naturally and not unnatur-
ally as the rest of society still thinks and believes. They have to
learn that they themselves create or destroy what life presents before
them, not God or the Devil, and thus having learnt go forth into a new
world of gods. After all, evil is essentially misplaced energy (un-
natural). So things like sex, and all pleasurable activity so long as it
be done with free will, are healthy for us in life.
This last point is another reason why I agree with T.O.P.Y.'s ideals:
because they encourage people to be free within themselves, and to
discover their own true wills.
As A/C puts it: Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law.
Love Is The Law, Love Under Will.
---------------------------------------------
My interpretation of T.O.P.Y. is that of the propagation of unlimited
expression and potential. Also, that of the freeing of world technology
and communication from the restraints of generally restrictive,
authoritarian value-systems. The Temple, to me, has the potential to
both examine and free the latency of both physical and psychical
potential.
I would like to take part in a world-deprogramming task, and experience
the worthiness of my own full powers, in all their comparitive spheres.
These thoughts encompass my attitudes towards sexuality (in both its
drive and visionary factors) and also my movement towards a cooperative
methodology.
---------------------------------------------
What is Thee Temple Ov Psychick Youth?
To me, ultimately a special state ov mind - the place where all dreams
meet.
The place you know exists but are afraid to admit it. A secret place,
timeless, sexual, a magick place open to all. Have you never felt so
alive, happy, sexual that you want to live forever? Or are you lost,
scared or just too pissed off to care. T.O.P.Y. can help you find your
real self and you can help T.O.P.Y. in the process. By helping and
caring and coummitment to T.O.P.Y. the same energy is given back. Love
is not a dirty word, helping people is not wrong. For society to change,
people must change. People must see what is happening all around them.
People must be given information about sigils, dreamachines, magick.
People must be pro-sexual, have respect and caring for everybody.
What is wrong with being happy, alive, caring? So reject money - I'm on
16K a year, smart mate but who's interested. I'm a Man City fan - You're
dead. (Fighting for a football team, strange.) This jumper cost $60.
(Very smart, but does it make you really feel better inside.)
In these times ov one-upmanship why not join the ultimate game and play
for your life and make history as well.
---------------------------------------------
2897
Thee Temple Ov Psychick Youth acts as a focal point, a sigil to thee
Will. It can provide thee FORM about which thee FUNCTION ov Thee SELF
can be wrapped. Thee act ov focusing releases tremendous energy which
Thee Temple, as a concourse, forms into a flow ov energy. As a concept
it sparks off Individual activity and through thee Image ov Thee SIGIL
it channels that energy into a creative outburst.
As a free form with a continuous flow ov unrestricted and unlimited
ideas it allows any Individual to develop a language to express what can
not be explained. Magick in its modern context is largely a question ov
interpreting a subjective reality in purely personal terms. This
requires a personal subjective language. Yet if society is to continue
- have any meaning - then it is precisely this that must be communi-
cated. A subjective reality can not be expressed in terms ov common
language, but only as a personal experience. Thus thee only channel ov
communication open to us is to place our personal view within a common
framework. This in essence is what all communication is about. But most
ov our present belief is based on distortion. Our culture simply has not
got thee necessary tools to cope with thee present situation. Our
cultural language is still based on thee rational universal world ov
thee past aeon. This will have to be swept aside before people can talk
to each other again.
Thee Temple as a focal point without a fixed system ov values begins
Thee Process. It provides a channel through which thee Individual can
view his/her circumstances from their own perspective. It sweeps past
thee outmoded views ov mass philosophy. Most importantly, by mutual
encouragement, Thee Temple Ov Psychick Youth gives me thee courage to
accept and trust my own view.
---------------------------------------------
Its aims on human freedom and independence
To inspiration individuality
Freedom in any dreams, in any wisches
Sexuality with no limitations so long as it is yours
sexuality to make you free of any restrictions
sexuality & Love the most successful drivepower for any dream & wisch
Love the power of all powers.
Methods of magic and philosophy from many individuals Psycho-levels of
the brain to help you in higher atomosphere's Methods from magic to
create your perfect atmosphere and to get closer to that one self
Methods look sometimes bizzare but are the ones who understand there are
no limitations, when you wanne reach exstacy-freedom OV 23 - That
moment, that day, that dream, that wisch, that freedom It all can come
true, OV 23 is one of those methods Lots of thoughts are feelings which
are not easy to explain May be when I have to represent a year later it
might be totally different, I learn every day more and more, it will
take lives.
-----------------------------------
Thee Temple Ov Psychick Youth is important because it is ACTIVE and
CARING. It intends to nudge people into an understanding of themselves,
into RESPECT for themselves. To Love themselves and their lives. It
intends to spur people into doing coumthing with their lives, being
2898
ACTIVE. It gives people back to themselves along with the realisation
that they CAN get what they really deeply want and need. Their desires
can be made real. All it takes is effort and discipline.
For a few years now I have felt a deep hunger and frustration. There has
been a large gap in my life. It took me awhile to realise what this gap
was. A deep spiritual lack. There has never been any talk ov or
involvment with anything remotely spiritual during the whole of my
twenty years of existence. During Primary School it was required of the
whole class to stand up in thee mornings and say thee Lords Prayer. I
never ever believed in it. It seemed totally absurd to me even then, I
don't really know why, but I never believed in "God". For seven years I
stood up and mouthed thee words of thee prayer. When I left at the age
of 12, if anyone asked me to recite thee words ov thee Lords Prayer I
couldn't do it! Seriously. I had never learned it and had wilfully
blocked it out. I objected out loud of course, oh no, that would result
in the belt. Little boys who don't say their prayers get pain as a
reward. It wasn't until I was about 19 that I found what I thought/think
might be thee answers. I have always been interested in thee unusual. In
everything. People. Books. Music. Art. Thee "Chaos ov thee Normal", thee
"Moronic Inferno". Fashion has never interested me. During childhood I
read mostly science fiction. Then came a period ov flux, ov
wandering, where I no longer was deeply "into" Sci-fi as before, but
couldn't find anything else. That was when I decided to buy "A William
Burroughs Reader" having heard him mentioned in numerous articles in
thee muzak press. Pages of wonderous images, surreal images, new ideas,
new methods. This replenished my lust for thee innovative.
I used to go to an "Adult Training Centre" at night to help out at a
kind of social gathering of handicapped people. There was a small record
player, and a box of records. Sidney Devine, Elvis, Nana Mouscouri,
country and western, thee muzak ov my nightmares! Tucked neatly in
between two of these wreckords was an unimposing little single. It was
Just Drifting and was by Psychic TV. I asked if I could have it as I
wondered what they were like, having read reviews in thee press. As one
of our records had disappeared they said "Yes". That was how I dis-
covered PTV. It was a few years before I made enquiries into thee
Temple. This was made at thee same time as I found a possible solution
to my problem. I read a book called "Mysteries" by Colin Wilson. It was
thee most amazing book I had ever read. A whole new universe ov
possibilities opened up to me. I immediately developed a deep hunger for
knowledge. Not everyday knowledge. Knowledge ov this strange new world.
I went to thee library and read every occult book I could find. A Whole
new worlds of meaning opened up.
Thee Temple seemed like an honest organisation. Not a brainwashing cult.
An "anti-cult". I didn't know (and still don't) just how much knowledge
it possessed. To make "the occult" a part of everyone's everyday lives,
now that was an interesting idea. A very good idea. An essential idea.
Ideas into action. Kick start evolution again.
To destroy tyranny and oppression. To bring joy back to living once
more. Love. Responsibility for actions. Interaction between Individuals
again, instead ov this total isolation that is becoming a hallmark ov
thee twentieth century.
Sex. To free sex from all fetters. To throw off guilt and all restric-
tions to pleasure. To make sex pure again. Between two Individuals. Not
2899
thee ignorant sexist, totally damaging view of a man fucking a woman.
Sex involves two people. Two active people (who may be active in their
passivity). To reclaim sexuality as our own. To be shared with who we
choose, however we choose. Thee magick ov sex. Thee new sexuality. To
choose ourSelves.
Thee Psychick Cross. Thee cross is thee union of opposites (0=2). Thee
top half has thee Christian Cross, thee bottom half has thee anti-Chris-
tian or Satanic Cross. Thee middle branch ties them together. Thee top
half mirrors thee bottom. As above so below. It is thee anti-Papal Cross
since thee middle branch is shorter than thee outer two, thee opposite
of thee Papal. It is a television aerial. It receives and transmits
information from and to every area ov life. Thee centre of thee
Information War. It is a focus for knowledge and understanding. It is
also thee face of thee Temple. Thee central line ov thee face along
which is arranged thee line of thee eyes at top, nose middle, and mouth
bottom. Thee three branches are mind, body, and spirit. There are three
crosses in thee Psychick Cross, not two.
23, in Crowley's system, is Water. Thee essential element ov life. Thee
great sea ov thee subconscious. Thee element that is always in flux,
forever changing. Change is stability. Water has three states (branches
on thee cross?). Water is the body and the mind. Just as the moon
affects the sea so does it affect mind and body. The brain is something
like 80% water after all. 23 is a mystery. It's just a number. It's
just the number ov rays from Sirius, The Sun behind the Sun. Thee star
of thee Dogon, those marvellous people. Thee symbol of Sirius is pretty
close to thee cross.
23 is synchronicity and recognition:
2+3=5 2x3 = 6 2/3 = .666
---------------------------------------------
Trying to explain my reason for my involvement with T.O.P.Y. is hard,
but to say I am searching for my inner strengths and weaknesses is as
good a one as any. To me T.O.P.Y. is doing more for thee couming
together ov people than any thing I know. They encourage thee sharing ov
ideas which to me is an important factor in knocking down life's walls.
To ask me thee meaning behind their aims, ideas, sexuality, methods,
thee meaning ov thee Psychick Cross, ov 23 would be an injustice to
T.O.P.Y. Their aim I believe to be more wakefulness in society, for
people to open up their eyes and see for themselves. Their ideas revolve
around Pagan philosophy and thee arts ov Magick which in a way takes on
all aspects ov Life. Methods are thee same in all new conceptions and
must be used to get thee message across. Sexuality is a beautiful thing
and should be treated in thee same way, free love must be forever in our
souls. Thee Psychick Cross is a symbol to symbolise all aspects ov
T.O.P.Y. ideals, they must be put up everywhere. Ov 23 I am stuck with
no true conclusion as to thee proper idea/ideas behind it, but to me it
stands out and crops up in thee weirdest ov situations and it is a JOY
to see it anywhere.
T.O.P.Y. is an inner door, a device for breaking down mental walls.
T.O.P.Y. can be pleasure with thee pain, thee garden ov eden and you are
Adam or Eve. Open thee eye to T.O.P.Y. and experience everything before
2900
it is too late.
---------------------------------------------
I feel no need to justify my interest or my sympathy. Those who reject
T.O.P.Y. reject themselves - and few want to face the truth. Each
individual must decide their own course, and as no-one is the same, so
no course is the same. Everyone responds and rejects or accepts
according to their own thoughts and feelings.
T.O.P.Y. offers an alternative to mass control, depersonalisation and
guilt. Those who choose this path will never find it easy - prejudice
and jealousy will see to that, as very few people have the courage to be
themselves and those that do are often hated for it. For not conforming.
For not being "one of us".
T.O.P.Y. aims to make each individual free of the mental shackles and
spiritual bonds placed on us since birth. To question the unquestioning
mind and to heal the wound of separation withing us. For no-one is whole
when psyche, mind and body work in discord. The Psychick Cross is a
symbol of this unity - a tangible representation of 23 - two threes back
to back, joined, whole, a perfect harmony visually and psychically, to
be used as a focal point for energy, a comforter emotionally and a
reminder of the potential within us. A potential T.O.P.Y. can help us to
achieve.
The thing I can give most readily is my love. My love of Life and its
unifying energy and of all living things. My love of humanity and all
that these destructive creatures have produced that is creative. My love
of my ideal that I have cherished and nurtured all my life - that
finally humankind will see and feel all that is within me is within all
life and therefore that all life is within me.
---------------------------------------------
The nation, the world is in a trap. The poor are getting poorer, and the
rich, richer. Our environment is collapsing in upon ourselves because of
what we are doing. An example: it is legal to corrode the ozone layer
(by use of aerosols, etc.) and thereby harm everyone, yet illegal to
smoke marijuana, and harm no-one. We need change, revolution - and
T.O.P.Y. is that. The ideas of it being an insane death cult are a
misconception. We are help, perhaps the only help and friend, not an
enemy. So open your eyes.
2901
Once upon a time. . . .
. . . . I first spurred interest in T.O.P.Y. with the listening of
Dreams Less Sweet. After I proceeded to lose that tape to a young lady,
I decided to find out more about the sound and reasons of T.O.P.Y. I
purchased the live records series, which has proven to be a source of
great enjoyment. And I try to forward the ideas of T.O.P.Y. with
messages on the dorm door, and I try to play a few songs when I dj at
the campus radio station.
What I rather liked about T.O.P.Y. was that there was no forcing of
ideals on myself the listener. There are, I will not hold back, a few
ideals I do not in self practice, because they do not appeal to me, but
I will not condescend because someone else may. For the book, I do not
experiment with drugs, have sex, or denounce strongly non-pagan
religions. Persons may say that I have not lived, but that is someone
else's idea of living. If and when I wish to try something, I shall, but
until then I am content with myself. I guess the point is that it is a
choice, and one must not necessarily make certain choices to be involved
with T.O.P.Y.
The problem, well wait. Let us stay with that prior thought, about
choices, just for a minute. You may have noticed I don't spell certain
words the way T.O.P.Y. does; again I do not feel that is important for
me to reflect that thought to be considered involved with T.O.P.Y.
Anyway, as I was writing, the problem is I am afraid that I may not be
able to be as active as I wish in T.O.P.Y. with my schooling, because
education is very important to me. So, what I guess I am getting at, is
that I will do my best to do what I can. I can only hope that does not
sound too "wishy-washy". So, I am, will, try to do my most.
How would I explain T.O.P.Y. to a stranger? Simply, a group, tribe of
persons who are looking ahead, with little recourse to beliefs or
principles that have been embedded, sometimes unwillingly, into society.
An aim of reversal, getting people to quit taking for granted what
surrounds them, and having them realize they have control of their life,
and to use themselves to their potential.
Why do I feel T.O.P.Y. is important? Because it serves as a meeting
center for those persons who already know what they feel to get stronger
centralisation and organisation, and make themselves and their ideas
more available to others. It's got a lot to do with the concept of
awareness.
I guess aims and ideas have been taken care of. Sexuality, again, is an
awareness, realizing how present it is, and how it can be made into
something more wonderful than expected or known.
The Psychick Cross has so much behind it that it is rather hard to sum
up its meaning, besides representing a receptor for thought processes.
Also, I just rather thought that it could also be seen as a christian
cross overlapped by a satanic (inverted christian) cross, and a bar in
the middle to cancel the two out, which would go along with the theory
of bowing to no god.
23 is something I cannot comment too intelligently on, since I have not
the amount of information necessary. I have heard, however, that it is
the number of confusion, and actually, I myself have not much more of a
2902
view on it. . .yet.
Other resources of my self-determination, defining ideas clearly,
patience, art skills (with both pen and words), and desire to communi-
cate.
---------------------------------------------
Explanation of T.O.P.Y. to a Stranger:
I found this question difficult to answer as I do not know enough about
T.O.P.Y. People have asked me what it is, so I told them that it is an
information network and to contact T.O.P.Y. if interested. However, when
pressured I inform them of as much as I can, expanding on the ideas that
I know, and state that thee network runs all over thee country and that
depending on an individuals involvement information is available to
them; that it is up to thee individual, if they want, to becoum involved
and that one is not pressured into it.
To justify my involvement I would say that T.O.P.Y. has thee same or
similar beliefs to those I have always held, but from which I had
switched off as it was not "right" in thee conditioned world.
---------------------------------------------
On T.O.P.Y.
I have played PTV &/or T.O.P.Y. material for many friends, so I am often
asked about T.O.P.Y.
I tailor the answer to the questioner, telling no more than I think they
can follow at the time. Sometimes I describe PTV as a loose aggregate of
people working with music and video. I may explain that they are part of
a larger organisation which seeks to support people whose aims and
interests are outside the mainstream.
To people I trust I explain more. That T.O.P.Y. is a network of people
with some similarities and some differences, held together by a desire
to understand and short-circuit control. To explore ways to make what
they want to happen, happen. That T.O.P.Y. encourages people to find out
their true natures, not a shallow and generic, dictated and advertised
"identity".
One method is to exploit the cut-up, both on other material and
behaviourally as well. We constantly run on habit, and it is good to
break this up. Do you see friend X because you really want to? Or
because it's what you always do on Thursday night? A simple but
pertinent example.
Burroughs has been quoted as saying there was nothing special about 23,
just that it was something he noticed and then kept noticing. I see it
partly as a symbol of focus. That there is so much around that we screen
out daily, if we pick something not to screen out it will seem om-
nipresent. I also like the idea of it as a sort of mischievous number,
popping up with a will of its own where it has no statistical right. And
each time it pops up itself it reminds me of my psychic heritage that I
am reclaiming for myself.
2903
I see no particular sexual style that is representative of T.O.P.Y. It
is more an aspect of sex itself, that of the power (indeed - OV Power)
it contains. A power that can be frustrated by a denial of desire;
dissipated by investing it in removed, marketed images; or directed by
self-understanding and a ritual method. Since the sex drive is so basic,
and since social repression functions here as much or more than anywhere
else, sexual magick is a most powerful and empowering technique.
The particular interpretations of 23 and the Psychick Cross are not as
interesting or important to me as the fact that there are many
interpretations.
If a cynic - journalist or otherwise - is asking me about T.O.P.Y., I
believe it is important not to try too much to defend or to try to
convince the person that there's nothing horrid about us. I will,
however, try to dispel any basic misconceptions. I have found that so
much of what I take for granted is alien to many people that I cannot
explain parts of it. As I've noted, it took me a while to understand so
many foreign thoughts at once. If pressed by anyone who is obviously
hostile to and/or threatened by the ideas, I say "Well, I'm convinced of
it, it works for me, and I'm happy." I do not try to "convert"
them. If they are unaccepting of it, I give them some things to read,
and T.O.P.Y.'s address.
---------------------------------------------
T.O.P.Y. is an international network system, a kind of organisation that
brings in touch people who share ideas and feel free to do whatever they
like, as strange as it may be. That's the reason why T.O.P.Y. is
important. In times of loneliness, T.O.P.Y. tries to bring people in
touch, tries to bring back the lost innocence, the correspondence among
people. T.O.P.Y. hates everything and everyone who tries to limit its
freedom. T.O.P.Y. offers a method of living to better survive as a True
Being, and as an Individual, and not as part of the maze. Individuality
is expressed as Spirit and Will. "Love Under Will" is the meaning. To
manage it, T.O.P.Y. edits books, records, video tapes. T.O.P.Y. requires
belief in Magick and modern Paganism, and recognises the power of the
human brain.
The Psychick Cross means to me: Brain (upper bar); Heart (middle bar);
Prick - as the home of souls (lower bar). It means the Individual
itself, with its three psychic powers: Brain = dreams, fantasy,
cleverness; Heart = L.OV.E.; Prick = soul = the power that motivates all
the above.
The meaning of 23 is a mystic one, and people can only understand it
after long thought about T.O.P.Y.
---------------------------------------------
T.O.P.Y. is very important to thee continued growth of psychic awareness
in thee world. We have progressed physically as far as we can. Thee next
stage is mental.
T.O.P.Y. offers a series of mental training exercises: awareness
(especially ov yourself) is thee goal.
There is no obligation, as thee Temple is you. Thee aims are immense.
2904
Education, realisation, principally. Thee Temple can be anything you
need from it. 23 is thee pure number, completely random, a prime
number. Thee Cross: a reflection of thee ego, a place to focus energy
and a simple, comfortable symbol representing a new strength in thee
world.
---------------------------------------------
Thee Justification ov T.O.P.Y.
Last night me and some members ov T.O.P.Y.S.T.E.E.L engaged thee "JESUS
ARMY" in verbal confrontation. It was in some ways an awakening
experience. It was also an experience which demonstrates thee necessity
for T.O.P.Y., PaganLink, O.T.O., etc.
To be confronted with thee organised inculcation of GUILT, FEAR and
LOATHING in militaristic form demonstrated the need for L.O.V.E.
organisations to provide the keys to self-(de)-programming.
To be confronted with INTOLERANCE and PSYCHIC VAMPIRISM showed the
horrible fate awaiting us if our society/thee earth is taken over by
thee forces of PERSONAL LIMITATION.
T.O.P.Y. provides a decentralised set of forums for individuals who wish
to escape our conditioned guilt and fear responses. It provides outline
methods for individuals who wish to acquire self expression, self love,
self discipline.
T.O.P.Y. is a will/energy focus. It's LOVE transmitting on all frequen-
cies. True sexuality is a timeless moment of orgone mutation, thee
event where thee subconscious becomes all thee planes, thee times, where
it becomes an identity with thee conscious worlds. Liberation is only a
heartbeat away.
Thee Psychick Cross = pagan Cross. Sexual unions. Tree of Life,
qabballahs. Thee planes, all in one. Thee sigil of Temple workings,
immanent in this cross, every working ever done before or in thee
future, happening now. Thee sigil ov no name, thee blank sheet for our
experiences and desires to write upon.
23: No-one has ever satisfactorily explained to me how or why a computer
works. But I use one almost every day, and computers always touch my
life. Similarly, 23 has not been totally explained to me, even in
numerological terms. Not fully anyway. Thee fact remains that 23 seems
to have some kind ov recurrent activity, in my experience. That does not
mean it will necessarilty be a feature of your experienced universe...
23 attaches itself in its various guises (32, 223, 123, 0-23, etc.) to
things I j- and many other YOUTH - are involved with. 23 seems to be a
sign of recurrent activity in thee universe, ov unifying themes.
---------------------------------------------
Justification of T.O.P.Y. to a cynical interviewer:
As rationality has failed to create a new mankind there are other
methods to be found of changing minds. The will must come from in-
dividuals, who, to reach their aims, gather in a group.
2905
Through the moral conditioning in childhood, school, military and the
general influence of language, media and moral systems, men are totally
controlled. They control each other, oftenj without even knowing it.
The wishes, dreams of the body and subconsciousness are ignored and the
subject, so long as there is one, is conditioned to ignore it too. Only
functionality is important.
Life is shortened to operational functions to serve society. It is
degraded to a servant. As I feel unsatisfied by this, I need to escape
from this control and want to destroy it. I like to experiment with
other aspects of life. In this case, sexuality is an important factor
because it gives the individual a total conscience of its own existence.
It may help to find the inner self and break pre-formations. I like
sexuality. In orgasm, you cross the border. In orgasm you die. Your
coming back from another cone of reality after it. The coming to climax
is a way to ego-destruction.
---------------------------------------------
People are suppressed and conditioned by the socialisation processes of
our "society" - education, media, and the family - to believe in certain
attitudes and to behave in certain ways.
What has happened to individuality and the personality?
People should be taught to develop their own-selves and their own
personalities - To learn about instinct, nature, consciousness and
further heights of awareness, WHICH HAVE NEVER BEEN PUSHED FROM OUR
MINDS.
The human mind is suppressed not to generate its "unacceptable" powers.
Meditation, creative visualisation, and MAGICK are important tools which
may be used to help bring out our true selves.
Sexuality is condemned from an early age. Society as a whole condemns
sexuality.
It is a beautiful experience - and can prove to be a very powerful and
magickal act - generating immense emotion and feeling.
The idea of PLEASURE AND PAIN is fundamental to the understanding and
experiences of people. Sex can exist within both concepts.
People should learn not to be ashamed of their sexuality, and sexually,
to share experiences with other individuals.
UNDERSTANDING, DEVELOPMENT, AND COMMUNICATION.
OUR AIM IS WAKEFULNESS.
OUR ENEMY IS DREAMLESS SLEEP
---------------------------------------------
Involvement with T.O.P.Y. means that I have broken away from the social
graces forced upon me by society. I am finding out what I really enjoy
to do, with my mental/physical attributes. I am learning to reach
further than before, to grasp the things that were previously beyond my
2906
reach.
T.O.P.Y. is a collective of individuals who, in a way, do not want to be
part of any group/social type. This is not as hypocritical as it sounds,
because each individual within T.O.P.Y. is going his/her own way, each
with differing goals, concepts of life.
T.O.P.Y. is important because it gives the individuals within a
confidence that others are trying to struggle against society. T.O.P.Y.
members feel as though they are not the only ones with a different point
of view. It gives the individual strength to succeed.
T.O.P.Y.'s aim is to help individuals attain their highest dreams, and
to help them accomplish their works and wishes in life.
---------------------------------------------
T.O.P.Y. allows thee individual a chance to know him/her self. I am not
sure if I would be able to explain T.O.P.Y. to a stranger. Recently I
was talking to a friend who told me she no longer wanted to be my friend
because I was involving myself with T.O.P.Y. She does not believe in
anything. Her point is that I would no longer be me and that I didn't
need T.O.P.Y.'s ideas to help me with my problems, that in time
everything works out in itself.
I disagreed with her argument, trying to explain that T.O.P.Y. would
help me with the goals that I want to obtain in my life, and that in the
past not all my problems have worked out by themself.
T.O.P.Y. asks for the individual to be clear in admitting their real
desires by discarding all irrelevancies and by asking yourself what do
you really want out ov life. The argument with my friend allowed me to
see that we were no longer friends and perhaps we never really were. How
could we have been friends when she would not allow me to be anymore
than I already was nor anything else that I could be.
T.O.P.Y. is not there to be occult. But a lot ov people have that
misunderstanding. People will always condemn the thoughts and actions ov
another.
There is someone who I am deeply interested in, who spoke ov tribal
living and the ideas ov T.O.P.Y. At that time I had no idea what he was
talking about and the shyness that we both have makes it almost
impossible to talk to each other. We are barely able to smile and say
hello, and I believe thru the Psychick process we will be able to speak
again. I will overcome the shyness that keeps me within myself and keeps
me from having what I really want from life.
T.O.P.Y.'s ideas are for everyone who wants to wake up fromthe dreamless
world that we are living in. It's for the individual who asks themself
what they want from life, and the rituals are there to make those
thoughts happen.
"Awareness ov your own energy is the awareness that flesh and spirit are
one, that thou art goddess, eternally linked, connected, at one with the
moving spirit ov all" (Starhawk 138)
T.O.P.Y. is there for thee individual who makes the coumitment to become
2907
aware ov thee energy that is inside us all. . .
---------------------------------------------
Magic has interested me from an early age - but I didn't have the best
informed beginning. I used to try telekinesis, telepathy, astral
projection,even levitation, all with varying degree of complete failure.
I had no concentration or confidence, and a very impatient streak. The
things I tried to do were very nice "tricks" but many of them are no
longer goals of mine. I see no reason now to attempt things for which I
had little aptitude, solely to impress others and build up my own social
standing. People are so cynical now, and maybe some of it has rubbed off
on me.
The Temple has shown me a practical side to magick which makes no
pretensions, I don't expect to be able to force the hand of chance with
minimum effort and concentration and nothing to inform me but a
half-read Aquarian Press book. In my future sigil work I shall aim to
overcome some of my less attractive tendencies, and build on my natural
talents and abilities. My ideal target will be a perfect self and not a
material manipulator. Maybe people should expect miracles because I
think if you believe in something enough then you are halfway to having
it, just as long as it's within and not without yourself.
I don't feel that I need to justify my involvement with anything, to
anyone. People have an instant dislike and fear of things they don't
understand, but worse than this, an aversion to information which could
disrupt their secure, boring, featureless lives. To me, many of these
people are lost causes, I would prefer that they knew nothing of what I
choose to do with my life - which is too precious to spend arguing with
people who will never see sense for the simple reason that they don't
want to. This may seem a selfish attitude, but the example of Susan
Bishop is enough to put me off talking to journalists, and Christians,
for life. Let them remain ignorant and happy, they will never change.
---------------------------------------------
People like to control you. They want power and they achieve it. These
thieves are smart and they work off people's insecurities. CONTROL means
dictating how others should live and how to think. If you are afraid of
making these decisions for yourself (because of fear of failure, lack of
self-confidence, fear of death, and definitely laziness) then it is easy
to associate yourself with, and follow someone strong enough to make
decisions for you. You are no longer responsible for yourself and no
longer have the burden or that responsibility. It is easier to identify
oneself with an already developed personality (hero/heroine) than go
through the never ending struggle of self-discovery. The insecure
robbers who feed off our weaknesses are the ones most people tend to
trust: our rabbis and priests who control through strict regulations and
traditions, our school teachers who take advantage of
the innocence and naivety of young children by presenting themselves and
their ideas as manifestations of god, and our media which depicts THE
acceptable lifestyle through slanted manipulations. These thieves are
aware of your trust and innocence, and intend on using those weaknesses
to control you.
The Temple Ov Psychick Youth is an organisation aimed at DE-control.
They do not wish to control you; they wish to liberate themselves. They
2908
offer suggestions on how you COULD liberate yourself, not how you SHOULD
liberate yourself. The process of liberation consists of many types of
research, such as the music group PTV. Members of the Temple feel that
there is no reason why life should not be "lived to the fullest" where
all one's NEEDS and DESIRES are fulfilled. Because there are so many
distractions to divert one's attention from one's goals, symbols are
invented to be worn, to be drawn, etc., to constantly remind, if not the
conscious, then the unconscious, of these goals. Ideally, through this
process laziness is combatted and the goals will more likely be achieved
since those goals are constantly on the person's mind. Because there are
so many distractions and limitations posed by the "controllers",
sometimes our deepest wants do not seem earthly possible, and we repress
them in our subconscious (a step towards neurosis) trying to dismiss
them. The Temple does not believe in repressing our needs and desires
(submitting to those "controllers"), because our personal needs are what
make us human and individual.
The Psychick Cross is the symbol of the "whole" person, uncovering one's
unconsciously hidden desires and obtaining them. The unconscious speaks
most loudly in our dreams and our fantasies. When we fantasize, our
desires usually take place in Utopian settings, and represent these
goals by creating collages including parts of our physical body to
personalise the symbol of our goal even more. This symbol reminds us
over and over again that this is thee want, this is thee self. Temple
members using this process end up understanding their needs and desires
better, are more able to satisfy themselves and succeed in life.
I personally enjoy making decisions and discoveries on my own. I will
not allow anyone to take that joy away from me. I enjoy my intelligence,
my talents, and discovering myself using the symbolic rituals suggested
by the Temple Ov Psychick Youth. T.O.P.Y. is an important organisation
because: 1) it shows people they are not alone in the struggle, and 2)
it allows people to exchange views, ideas, and solutions to better these
processes to liberate and satiate the individual self.
................................................................................
2909
{file "What is Paganism (Bay Area Pagan Alliance)" "bos627.htm"}
"What is Paganism"
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The following is the text from a brochure that
BAPA (Bay Area Pagan Assemblies) puts out called
"What is Paganism".
Written by the founding directors and members of
Bay Area Pagan Assemblies (BAPA).
Their website is at http://bapa.net.
NOTE: the Bay Area referred to here is the San Francisco Bay Area,
California.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"WHAT IS PAGANISM?
"History of Paganism
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The term Pagan has numerous common definitions. Many dictionaries
define a Pagan as anyone not of the Judeo-Islamic-Christian religions.
Some people consider anyone who does not share their religion to be a
Pagan. Still others believe that a Pagan is a person who is
anti-religion. None of these "definitions" manage to capture the true
meaning of the term.
"To discover the core meaning of Pagan, we look back to ancient times
when the word Pagan referred to a person of the country, or a peasant.
\{deletia... in summary, several paragraphs relating the history of the
Catholic Church and the poor peasants' inability to relate. Brief
description of the "glory of the Goddess and God in each starry night"
and note of the inconsistancies of the original Pagan beliefs with the
Catholic church. Also, several paragraphs detailing the development of
of the Church's campaign to expunge Paganism, some of the methods
employed and the subsequent Witch Hunts. Finally, an overall summary of
the persecution. If interested, let me know and I'll post it
separately.\}
"Paganism in Modern Times
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Today, little is known about the Pagans who survived what is now often
called "The Burning Times." Paganism, as it exists today, is best
described as the practice of any of a number of nature-based religions,
traditions that find their roots all over the world. \{Liana- sound
familiar?\} Many modern Pagans call themselves "Neo-Pagans" to declare
their religion as a revival of the old beliefs.
\{more deletia... in summary, two paragraphs comparing contemporary
Pagans to the peasants of old, extolling our intelligence and
involvement in technology. Also a paragraph defusing the Satanism
comparison. Again, if interested, let me know and I'll post it.\}
"What do Modern Pagans Believe?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Paganism is actually a large umbrella containing a number of
nature-based religions beneath it, from the European-originated Wicca
and Druidism, to African Yoruba traditions and Hawaiian Huna. As a
result of this diversity, it is impossible to make statements about the
beliefs of Pagans that will apply to *all* \{italics\} Pagans. However,
some statements can be made that will, in general, apply to a vast
number of Pagans.
2910
"Many Pagans tend to:
"* Be polytheists, believing in more than one deity or more than
one aspect of a single deity.
"* Be pantheists, seeing the God/Goddess force represented in everything
around them.
"* Recognize the divinity of the feminine as well as the masculine, not
seeing masculinity as a superior force.
"* Believe that the life force is sacred, and that nature, as a vital
representation of that force, is divine.
"* Believe that all life forms are equal, sharing an equal claim to the
earth as a home.
"* Believe that each individual is solely responsible for his or her
actions.
"* Believe that the forces of nature can be shaped in ways commonly
called "magical."
"* Believe that magical acts designed to bend one to another's will are
manipulative, and not encouraged.
"* Believe that whatever actions a person takes, magical or mundane,
good or bad, come back to him/her, sometimes threefold.
"* Believe that there is no single path to spiritual fulfillment, and
that the individual must determine the spiritual expression most
appropriate to him or her.
"* Believe in reincarnation, or some form of life after death.
"How do Pagans Practice Their Religion?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Many Pagans find spiritual expression through the practice of ritual,
or religious ceremony. These rituals, often held at significant points
in lunar or solar cycles, offer an opportunity for Pagans to commune
with the godeesses and Gods, to celebrate the passages of life, and to
work magic.
\{deletia... in summary, paragraphs relating techniques to "raise power"
explaining that we don't espouse "power over" (my words). Also outlines
goals that many pagans have in mine when raising of power. Outlines the
sabbats, and relates the pattern of the seasons. Briefly describes
Beltane and Samhain. Once again, let me know if you would like to see
this text.\}
"Each Pagan religion has its own special way of recognizing the passing
of the seasons and personal life passages. Ritual offers a way to imbue
these moments with magic and reverence.
\{deletia... last paragraph giving information on how the reader can
learn more about Paganism, specifically in the Bay Area, and relating
the goal that BAPA has in mind.\}
................................................................................
2911
{file "Principia Discordia" "bos628.htm"}
PRINCIPIA DISCORDIA
* or *
How I Found Goddess
And What I Did To Her
When I Found Her
THE MAGNUM OPIATE OF MALACLYPSE THE YOUNGER
Wherein Is Explained
Absolutely Everything Worth Knowing
About Absolutely Anything
Published By:
LOOMPANICS UNLIMITED
PO BOX 1197
Port Townsend, WA 98368
$5.00(cheap)
Catalogs:$2.00
Transcribed to 1's and 0's by Druel the Chaotic, WPI Discordian Society
Cabal of the Unemployed
mpython@gnu.ai.mit.edu
\{calendar entered by /AHM/THX \}
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
INTRODUCTION
You hold in your hands one the Great Books of our century fnord.
Some Great Books are recognized at once with a fusilade of
critical huzzahs and gonfolons, like Joyce's ULYSSES. Others appear
almost furtively and are only discovered 50 years later, like MOBY DICK
or Mendel's great essay on genetics. The PRINCIPIA DISCORDIA entered our
space-time continuum almost as unobtrusively as a cat-burglar creeping
over a windowsill.
In 1968, virtually nobody had heard of this wonderful book. In
1970,hundreds of people coast to coast were talking about it and asking
the identity of the mysterious author, Malaclypse the Younger. Rumors
swept across the continent, from New York to Los Angeles, from Seattle
to St. Joe. Malaclypse was actually Alan Watts, one heard. No,said
another legend -- the PRINCIPIA was actually the work of the Sufi Order.
A third, very intriguing myth held that Malaclypse was a pen-name for
Richard M. Nixon, who had allegedly composed the PRINCIPIA during a few
moments of lucidity. I enjoyed each of these yarns and did my part to
help spread them. I was also careful never to contradict the occasional
rumors that I had actually written the whole thing myself during an acid
trip.
The legendry, the mystery, the cult grew slowly. By the
mid-1970's, thousands of people, some as far off as Hong Kong and
Australia, were talking about the PRINCIPIA, and since the original was
out of print by then, xerox copies were beginning to circulate here and
there.
................................................................................
2912
When the ILLUMINATUS trilogy appeared in 1975, my co-author, Bob
Shea, and I both received hundreds of letters from people intrigued by
the quotes from the PRINCIPIA with which we had decorated the heads of
several chapters. Many, who had already heard of the PRINCIPIA or seen
copies, asked if Shea and I had written it, or if we had copies
available. Others wrote to ask if it were real, or just something we had
invented the way H.P. Lovecraft invented the NECRONOMICON. We answered
according to our moods, sometimes telling the truth, sometimes spreading
the most Godawful lies and myths we could devise fnord.
Why not? We felt that this book was a true Classic (literatus
immortalis) and, since the alleged intelligentsia had not yet
discovered it, the best way to keep its legend alive was to encourage
the mythology and the controversy about it. Increasingly, people wrote
to ask me if Timothy Leary had written it, and I almost always told
them he had, except on Fridays whem I am more whimsical, in which case
I told them it had been transmitted by a canine intellgence --
vast,cool,and unsympathic -- from the Dog Star, Sirius.
Now, at last, the truth can be told.
Actually, the PRINCIPIA is the work of a time-travelling
anthropologist from the 23rd Century. He is currently passing among us
as a computer specialist, bon vivant and philosopher named Gregory
Hill. He has also translated several volumes of Etruscan erotic
poetry, under another pen-name, and in the 18th Century was the
mysterious Man in Black who gave Jefferson the design for the Great
Seal of the United States.
I have it on good authority that he is one of the most
accomplished time-travelers in the galaxy and has visited Earth many
times in the past,using such cover-identities as Zeno of Elias,
Emperor Norton, Count Cagliostro, Guilliame of Aquaitaine, etc.
Whenever I question him about this, he grows very evasive and attempts
to persuade me that he is actually just another 20th Century Earthman
and that all my ideas about his extraterrrestrial and extratemporal
origin and delusions. Hah! I am not that easily deceived. After all, a
time-travelling anthropologist would say just that, so that he could
observe us without his presense causing cultureshock.
I understand that he has consented to write an Afterward to this
edition. He'll probably contradict everything I've told you, but don't
believe a word he says fnord. He is a master of the deadpan put-on, the
plausible satire, the philosophical leg-pull and all the branches of
guerilla ontology.
For full benefit to the Head, this book should be read in conjunc-
tion with THE ILLUMINOIDS by Neal Wilgus (Sun Press, Albuquerque, NM)
and ZEN WITHOUT ZEN MASTERS by Camden Benares (And/Or Press, Berkeley,
California). "We are operating on many levels here", as Ken Kesey used
to say.
In conclusion, there is no conclusion. Things go on as they always
have, getting weirder all the time.
Hail Eris. All hail Discordia. Fnord?
-Robert Anton Wilson
International Arms and Hashish Inc.
2913
Darra Bazar, Kohat
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A jug of wine,
A leg of lamb
And thou!
Beside me,
Whistling in
the darkness.
Be Ye Not Lost Among Precepts of Order...
- The Book of Uterus 1;5
Some excerpts from an interview with Malaclypse the Younger by THE
GREATER METROPOLITAN YORBA LINDA HERALD-NEWS-SUN-TRIBUNE-JOURNAL-DISPAT-
CH-POST AND SAN FRANCISCO DISCORDIAN SOCIETY CABAL BULLETIN AND INTER-
GALACTIC REPORT & POPE POOP.
GREATER POOP:Are you really serious or what?
MAL-2: Sometimes I take humor seriously. Sometimes I take seriousness
humorously. Either way it is irrelevant.
GP: Maybe you are just crazy.
M2: Indeed! But do not reject these teaching as false because I am
crazy. The reason that I am crazy is because they are true.
GP: Is Eris true?
M2: Everything is true.
GP: Even false things?
M2: Even false things are true.
GP: How can that be?
M2: I don't know man, I didn't do it.
GP: Why do you deal with so many negatives?
M2: To dissolve them.
GP: Will you develop that point?
M2: No.
GP: Is there an essential meaning behind POEE?
M2: There is a Zen Story about a student who asked a Master to explain
the
meaning of Buddhism. The Master's reply was "Three pounds of flax."
GP: Is that the answer to my question?
M2: No, of course not. That is just illustrative. The answer to your
question
is FIVE TONS OF FLAX!
................................................................................
2914
SUSPENDED ANNIHILATION
ODD# II/2,xii;68Chs3136
Principia Discordia
or
How I Found Goddess & What I Did To Her
When I found Her
being a Beginning Introduction to
The Erisian Mysterees
Which is Most Interesting
-><-
as Divinely Revealed to
My High Reverence MALACLYPSE THE YOUNGER, KSC
Omnibenevolent Polyfather of Virginity in Gold
and HIGH PRIEST of
THE PARATHEO-ANAMETAMYSTIKHOOD OF ERIS ESOTERIC (POEE)
HAIL ERIS! -><- KALLISTI -><- ALL HAIL DISCORDIA!
Dedicated to The Prettiest One
The Upstart of one hand clapping
- JOSHUA NORTON CABAL -
Surrealists, Harlequinists, Absurdists and Zonked Artists Melee
POEE
is one manifestation of
THE DISCORDIAN SOCIETY
about which
you will learn more
and understand
less
We
are a tribe
of philosophers, theologians,
magicians, scientists,
artists, clowns,
and similar maniacs
who are intrigued
with
ERIS
GODDESS OF CONFUSION
and with
Her
Doings
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2915
I Tell You: One must
still have chaos in one
to give birth to a
dancing star!
-Nietzsche
THE FIVE COMMANDMENTS (THE PENTABARF)
The PENTABARF was discovered by the hermit Apostle Zarathud in the Fifth
Year of The Caterpillar. He found them carved in gilded stone, while
building a sun deck for his cave, but their import was lost for they
were written in a mysterious cypher. However, after 10 weeks & 11 hours
of intensive scrutiny he discerned that the message could be read by
standing on his head and viewing it upside down.
KNOW YE THIS O MAN OF FAITH!
I - There is no Goddess but Goddess and She is Your Goddess. There is no
Erisian Movement but The Erisian Movement and it is The Erisian
Movement. And every Golden Apple Corps is the beloved home of a Golden
Worm.
II - A Discordian Shall Always use the Official Discordian Document
Numbering System.
III - A Discordian is Required during his early Illumination to Go Off
Alone & Partake Joyously of a Hot Dog on a Friday; this Devotive
Ceremony to Remonstrate against the popular Paganisms of the Day: of
Catholic Christendom (no meat on Friday), of Judaism (no meat of Pork),
of Hindic Peoples (no meat of Beef), of Buddhists (no meat of animal),
and of Discordians (no Hot Dog Buns).
IV - A Discordian shall Partake of No Hot Dog Buns, for Such was the
Solace of Our Goddess when She was Confronted with The Original Snub.
V - A Discordian is Prohibited of Believing What he reads.
IT IS SO WRITTEN! SO BE IT. HAIL DISCORDIA! PROSECUTORS WILL BE
TRANSGRESSICUTED.
Test Question from Topanga Cabal The Twelve Famous Buddha Minds School:
If they are our brothers, how come we can't eat them?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A ZEN STORY
by Camden Benares, The Count of Five
Headmaster, Camp Meeker Cabal
A serious young man found the conflicts of mid 20th Century America
confusing. He went to many people seeking a way of resolving within
himself the discords that troubled him, but he remained troubled. One
night in a coffee house, a self-ordained Zen Master said to him, "go to
the dilapidated mansion you will find at this address which I have
written down for you. Do not speak to those who live there; you must
remain silent until the moon rises tomorrow night. Go to the large room
on the right of the main hallway, sit in the lotus position on top of
2916
the rubble in the northeast corner, face the corner, and meditate."
He did just as the Zen Master instructed. His meditation was fre-
quently interrupted by worries. He worried whether or not the rest of
the plumbing fixtures would fall from the second floor bathroom to join
the pipes and other trash he was sitting on. He worried how would he
know when the moon rose on the next night. He worried about what the
people who walked through the room said about him.
His worrying and meditation were disturbed when, as if in a test of
his faith, ordure fell from the second floor onto him. At that time two
people walked into the room. The first asked the second who the man
was sitting there was. The second replied "Some say he is a holy man.
Others say he is a shithead."
Hearing this, the man was enlightened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Western Union Telegram
To: Jehova Yahweh
Care: Celestial Hotel (Suite #666)
Presidential Tier, Paradise
Dear God;
This is to inform you that your current position as diety is herewith
terminated due to gross incompetence STOP Your check will be mailed
STOP
Please do not use me for a reference
Respectfully,
Malaclypse the Younger/Omnibenevolent Polyfather
POEE High Priest
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
10. The Earth quakes and the heavens rattle; the beasts of nature flock
together and the nations of men flock apart; volcanoes usher up heat
while
elsewhere water becomes ice and melts; and then on other days it just
rains.
11. Indeed do many things come to pass.
HBT; The Book of Predictions, Chap. 19
- THE BIRTH OF THE ERISIAN MOVEMENT -
THE REVELATION
Just prior to the decade of the nineteen-sixties, when Sputnik
was alone and new, and about the time that Ken Kesey took his first acid
trip as a medical volunteer; before underground newspapers, Viet Nam,
and talk of a second American Revolution; in the comparative quiet of
the late nineteen-fifties, just before the idea of RENAISSANCE became
relevant....
Two young Californians, known later as Omar Ravenhurst and
Malaclypse the Younger, were indulging in their habit of sipping coffee
at an allnight bowling alley and generally solving the world's problems.
This particular evening the main subject of discussion was discord and
2917
they were complaining to each other of the personal confusion they felt
in their respective lives. "Solve the problem of discord," said one,
"and all other problems will vanish." "Indeed," said the other, "chaos
and strife are the roots of all confusion."
FIRST I MUST SPRINKLE YOU
WITH FAIRY DUST
Suddenly the place became devoid of light. Then an utter silence
enveloped them, and a great stillness was felt. Then came a blinding
flash of intense light, as though their very psyches had gone nova. Then
vision returned.
The two were dazed and neither moved nor spoke for several
minutes. They looked around and saw that the bowlers were frozen like
statues in a variety of comic positions, and that a bowling ball was
steadfastly anchored to the floor only inches from the pins that it had
been sent to scatter. The two looked at each other, totally unable to
account for the phenomenon. The condition was one of suspension, and one
noticed that the clock had stopped.
There walked into the room a chimpanzee, shaggy and grey about the
muzzle, yet upright to his full five feet, and poised with natural
majesty. He carried a scroll and walked to the young men.
"Gentlemen," he said, "why does Pickering's Moon go about in reverse
orbit? Gentlemen, there are nipples on your chests; do you give milk?
And what, pray tell, Gentlemen, is to be done about Heisenberg's Law?"
He paused. "SOMEBODY HAD TO PUT ALL OF THIS CONFUSION HERE!"
And with that he revealed his scroll. It was a diagram, like a yin-yang
with a pentagon on one side and an apple on the other. And then he
exploded and the two lost consciousness.
ERIS - GODDESS OF CHAOS, DISCORD & CONFUSION
They awoke to the sound of pins clattering, and found the
bowlers engaged in their game and the waitress busy with making coffee.
It was apparant that their experience had been private.
They discussed their strange encounter and reconstructed from
memory the chimpanzee's diagram. Over the next five days they searched
libraries to find the significance of it, but were disappointed to
uncover only references to Taoism, the Korean flag, and Technocracy. It
was not until they traced the Greek writing on the apple that they
discovered the ancient Goddess known to the Greeks as ERIS and to the
Romans as DISCORDIA. This was on the fifth night, and when they slept
that night each had a vivid dream of a splendid woman whose eyes were as
soft as feather and as deep as eternity itself, and whose body was the
spectacular dance of atoms and universes. Pyrotechnics of pure energy
formed her flowing hair, and rainbows manifested and dissolved as she
spoke in a warm and gentle voice:
I have come to tell you that you are free. Many ages ago, My conscious-
ness left man, that he might develop himself. I return to find this
development approaching completion, but hindered by fear and by
2918
misunderstanding. You have built for yourselves psychic suits of armor,
and clad in them, your vision is restricted, your movements are clumsy
and painful, your skin is bruised, and your spirit is broiled in the
sun. I am chaos. I am the substance from which your artists and
scientists build rhythms. I am the spirit with which your children and
clowns laugh in happy anarchy. I am chaos. I am alive, and I tell you
that you are free.
During the next months they studied philosophies and theologies,
and learned that ERIS or DISCORDIA was primarily feared by the ancients
as being disruptive. Indeed, the very concept of chaos was still
considered equivalent to strife and treated as a negative. "No wonder
things are all screwed up," they concluded, "they have got it all
backwards." They found that the principle of disorder was every much as
significant as the principle of order.
With this in mind, they studied the strange yin-yang. During a
meditation one afternoon, a voice came to them:
It is called THE SACRED CHAO. I appoint you Keepers of It. Therein you
will find anything you like. Speak of Me as DISCORD, to show contrast to
the pentagon. Tell constricted mankind that there are no rules, unless
they choose to invent rules. Keep close the words of Syadasti: 'TIS AN
ILL WIND THAT BLOWS NO MINDS. And remember that there is no tyranny in
the State of Confusion. For further information, consult your pineal
gland.
"What is this?" mumbled one to the other, "A religion based on
The Goddess of Confusion? It is utter madness!"
And with those words, each looked at the other in absolute awe.
Omar began to giggle. Mal began to laugh. Omar began to jump up and
down. Mal was hooting and hollering to beat all hell. And amid squeals
of mirth and with tears on their cheeks, each appointed the other to be
high priest of his own madness, and together they declared themselves to
be a society of Discordia, for what ever that may turn out to be.
"There are trivial truths & there are great truths. The opposite of a
trivial truth is plainly false. The opposite of a great truth is also
true."
-Neils Bohr
"Did you know that there is a million bucks hidden in the house next
door?"
"But there is no house next door."
"No? Then let's go build one!"
-MARX
Fnord Fnord, Fnord, Fnord, Fnord, Fnord, Fnord, Fnord, Fnord, Fnord,
Fnord, Fnord, Fnord, Fnord, Fnord, Fnord, Fnord, Fnord, Fnord, Fnord,
Fnord, Fnord
Momomoto, Famous Japanese, can swallow his nose.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2919
St. Trinian's
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL POLICE
Sewing Circle
THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE ERISTOCRACY
by Lord Omar
VERSE
Mine brain has meditated on the spinning of The Chao;
It is hovering o'er the table where the Chiefs of Staff are now
Gathered in discussion of the dropping of The Bomb;
Her Apple Corps is strong!
CHORUS
Grand (and gory) Old Discordja!
Grand (and gory) Old Discordja!
Grand (and gory) Old Discordja!
Her Apple Corps is strong!
VERSE
She was not invited to the party that they held on Limbo Peak;*
So She threw a Golden Apple, 'sted of turn'd t'other cheek!
O it cracked the Holy Punchbowl and it made the nectar leak;
Her Apple Corps is strong!
* "Limbo Peak" refers to Old Limbo Peak, commonly called by the Greeks
"Ol' Limb' Peak."
If a quixotic socrates studied zen under Zorba...?
"The tide is turning... the enemy is suffering terrible losses"
-Gen. Geo. A. Custer
People in a Position to
Know, Inc.
ON PRAYER
Mal-2 was once asked by one of his Disciples if he often prayed to Eris.
He replied with these words:
No, we Erisians seldom pray, it is much too dangerous. Charles Fort has
listed many factual incidences of ignorant people confronted with, say,
a drought, and then praying fervently -- and then getting the entire
village wiped out in a torrential flood.
"Of course I'm crazy, but that doesn't mean I'm wrong. I'm mad but not
ill"
(Werewolf Bridge, Robert Anton Wison)
2920
14. Wipe thine ass with what is written and grin like a ninny at what is
Spoken. Take thine refuge with thine wine in the Nothing behind
Everything, as you hurry along the Path.
THE PURPLE SAGE
HBT; The Book of Predictions, Chap. 19
Heaven is down. Hell is up.
This is proven by the fact
that the planets and stars
are orderly in their
movements, IGNOTUM PER IGNOTIUS
while down on earth The meaning of this is unknown
we come close to the
primal chaos.
There are four other
proofs,
but I forget them.
-Josh the Dill
King Kong Kabal
IT IS MY FIRM BELIEF THAT IT IS A MISTAKE TO HOLD FIRM BELIEFS.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Classical Greeks were not influenced by the Classical Greeks.
DO NOT CIRCULATE!
What We Know About ERIS (not much)
The Romans left a likeness of Her for posterity-- She was shown as a
grotesque woman with a pale and ghastly look, Her eyes afire, Her
garment ripped and torn, and women look pale and ghastly when concealing
a chilly dagger in their bosoms.
Her geneology is from the Greeks and is utterly confused. Either She was
the twin of Ares and the daughter of Zeus and Hera; or She was the
daughter of Nyx, goddess of night (who was either the daughter or wife
of Chaos, or both), and Nyx's brother, Erebus, and whose brothers and
sisters include Death, Doom, Mockery, and Friendship. And that She begat
Forgetfullness, Quarrels, Lies, and a bunch of gods and goddesses like
that.
One day Mal-2 consulted his Pineal Gland* and asked Eris if She really
created all of those terrible things. She told him that She had always
liked the Old Greeks, but that they cannot be trusted with historic mat-
ters. "They were," She added, "victims of indigestion, you know."
Suffice it to say that Eris is not hateful or malicious. But She is
mischievous, and does get a little bitchy at times.
*THE PINEAL GLAND is where each and every one of us can talk to Eris. If
youhave trouble activating your Pineal, then try the appendix which does
almost as well. Reference: DOGMA I, METAPHYSICS #3, "The Indoctrine of
2921
the Pineal Gland"
DIRUIT AEDIFICAT MUTAT QUADRATA ROTUNDUS
-Horace
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
................................................................................
2922
THE INSIDE STORY!
The Law of Fives
the Law of Fives is one of the oldest Erisian Mysterees. It was
first revealed to Good Lord Omar and is one of the great contributions
to come from The Hidden Temple of The Happy Jesus.
POEE subscribes to the Law of Fives of Omar's sect. And POEE also
recognizes the holy 23 (2+3=5) that is incorporated by Episkopos Dr.
Mordecai Malignatus, KNS, into his Discordian sect, The Ancient Il-
luminated Seers of Bavaria.
The Law of Fives states simply that: ALL THINGS HAPPEN IN FIVES, OR
ARE DIVISIBLE BY OR ARE MULTIPLES OF FIVE, OR ARE SOMEHOW DIRECTLY OR
INDIRECTLY APPROPRIATE TO 5.
The Law of Fives is never wrong.
In the Erisian Archives is an old memo from Omar to Mal-2: "I find
the Law of Fives to be more and more manifest the harder I look."
Please do not use this document as toilet tissue
The Nagas of Upper Burma say that the sun
shines by day because, being a woman, it
is afraid to venture out at night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"You will find that the State is the kind of ORGANIZATION which, though
it does big things badly, does small things badly too."
- John Kenneth Galbraith
THE MYTH OF THE APPLE OF DISCORD
It seems that Zeus was preparing a wedding banquet for Peleus and
Thetis and did not want to invite Eris because of Her reputation as a
trouble maker.*
This made Eris angry, and so She fashioned an apple of pure gold**
and inscribed upon it KALLISTI ("To The Prettiest One") and on the day
of the fete She rolled it into the banquet hall and then left to be
alone and joyously partake of a hot dog.
Now, three of the invited goddesses,*** Athena, Hera, and Aphro-
dite, each immediately claimed it to belong to herself because of the
inscription. And they started fighting, and they started throwing punch
all over the place and everything.
Finally Zeus calmed things down and declared that an arbitrator
must be selected, which was a reasonable suggestion, and all agreed. He
sent them to a shepherd of Troy, whose name was Paris because his mother
had had a lot of gaul and had married a Frenchman; but each of the
sneaky goddesses tried to outwit the others by going early and offering
a bribe to Paris.
Athena offered him Heroic War Victories, Hera offered him Great
Wealth, and Aphrodite offered him the Most Beautiful Woman on Earth.
Being a healthy young Trojan lad, Paris promptly accepted Aphrodite's
bribe and she got the apple and he got screwed.
2923
As she had promised, she maneuvered earthly happenings so that
Pariscould have Helen (The Helen) then living with her husband Mene-
laus,King of Sparta. Anyway, everyone knows that the Trojan War followed
when Sparta demanded their Queen back and that the Trojan War is said to
be The First War among men.
And so we suffer because of the Original Snub. And so a Discordian
is to partake of No Hot Dog Buns. Do you believe that?
-------------------------------------
* This is called THE DOCTRINE OF THE ORIGINAL SNUB
** There is historic disagreement concerning whether this apple was of
metalic gold or acapulco.
*** Actually there were five goddesses, but the Greeks did not know the
Law of Fives.
REMEMBER:
KING
KONG
DIED FOR
YOUR SINS
Ho Chi Zen
is
King Cong
5. An Age of Confusion, or an Ancient Age, is one in which History As We
Know It begins to unfold, in which Whatever Is Coming emerges in
Corporal Form, more or less, and such times are Ages of Balanced
Unbalance, or Unbalanced Balance.
6. An Age of Bureaucracy is an Imperial Age in which Things Mature, in
which Confusion becomes entrenched and during which Balanced Balance,or
Stagnation, is attained.
7. An Age of Disorder or an Aftermath is an Apocalyptic Period of
Transition back to Chaos through the Screen of Oblivion into which the
Age passeth, finally. These are Ages of Unbalanced Unbalance.
HBT; The Book of Uterus, Chap. 3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do You Remember?
1. Polite children will always remember that a church is the ______ of
_____.
................................................................................
2924
An Erisian Hymn
by Rev. Dr. Mungojerry Grindlebone, KOB
Episkopos, THE RAYVILLE APPLE PANTHERS
Onwards Christian Soldiers,
Onwards Buddhist Priests.
Onward, Fruits of Islam,
Fight till you're deceased.
Fight your little battles.
Join in thickest fray;
For the Greater Glory,
of Dis-cord-i-a.
Yah, yah, yah,
Yah, yah, yah, yah.
Blfffffffffffft!
Mr. Momomoto, famous Japanese who can swallow his nose,has been
exposed. It was recently revealed that it was Mr. Momomoto's brother who
has been doing all this nose swallowing.
Heute Die Welt
Morgens das Sonnensystem!
Abbey of the Barbarous Relic
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Official Proclamation -- ODD# III(b)/4,i;18Aft3135
--------------------------------------------------
POEE DISORGANIZATIONAL MATRIX
V) The House of Apostle of ERIS
For the Eristocracy and the Cabalablia
A. The Five Apostles of ERIS
B. The Golden Apple Corps (KSC)
C. Episkoposes of The Discordian Society
D. POEE Cabal Priests
E. Saints, Erisian Avatars, and Like Personages
IV) The House of the Rising Podge
for the Disciples of Discordia
A. Office of My High Reverence, The Polyfather
B. Council of POEE Priests
C. The LEGION OF DYNAMIC DISCORD
D. Eristic Avatars
E. Aneristic Avatars
III) The House of the Rising Hodge
For the Bureaucracy
A. the Bureau of Erisian Archives
B. the Bureau of The POEE Epistolary, and The Division of Dogmas
C. The Bureau of Symbols,Emblems, Certificates and Such
D. The Bureau of Eristic Affairs, and The Administry for The
Unenlightened Eristic Horde
2925
E. The Bureau of Aneristic Affairs, and the Administry for the Orders
of Discordia
II) The House of the Rising Collapse
For the Encouragement of Liberation of Freedom, and/or the Dis-
couragement of the Immanentizing of the Eschaton
A. The Breeze of Wisdom and/or The Wind of Insanity
B. The Breeze of Integrity and/or The Wind of Arrogance
C. The Breeze of Beauty and/or The Wind of Outrages
D. The Breeze of Love and/or The Wind of Bombast
E. The Breeze of Laughter and/or The Wind of Bullshit
I) The Out House
For what is left over
A. Miscellaneous Avatars
B. The Fifth Column
C. POEE =POPES= everywhere
D. Drawer "O" for OUT OF FILE
E. Lost Documents and Forgotten Truths
-><- OFFICIAL - POEE
Head Temple, San Francisco
HOUSE OF THE RISING PODGE
Bureau of The POEE Epistolary
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
= THE FIVE FINGERED HAND OF ERIS =
The official symbol of POEE is here illustrated. It may be this, or any
similar device to represent TWO OPPOSING ARROWS CONVERGING INTO A COMMON
POINT. It may be vertical, horizontal, or else such, and it may be
elaborated or simplified as desired.
The esoteric name for this symbol is THE FIVE FINGERED HAND OF ERIS,
commonly shortened to THE HAND.
\ /
-----><-----
/ \
NOTE: In the lore of western magic, the \/ is taken to symbolize horns,
especially the horns of Satan or of diabolical beasties. The Five
Fingered Hand of Eris, however, is not intended to be taken as satanic,
for the "horns" are supported by another set, of inverted "horns". Or
maybe it is walrus tusks. I don't know what it is, to tell the truth.
"Surrealism aims at the total transformation of the mind
and all that resembles it"
-Breton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-><- POEE -><-
POEE (pronounced "POEE") is an acronym for The PARATHEO-ANAMETAMYSTIKHO-
OD OF ERIS ESOTERIC. The first part can be taken to mean "equivalent
deity,reversity beyond-mystique." We are not really esoteric, it's just
that nobody pays much attention to us.
2926
MY HIGH REVERENCE MALACLYPSE THE YOUNGER, AB, DD, KSC, is the High
Priest of POEE, and POEE is grounded in his episkopotic revelations of
The Goddess. He is called [The Omnibenevolent Polyfather of Virginity in
Gold].
The POEE HEAD TEMPLE is the Joshua Norton Cabal of The Discordian
Society, which is located in Mal-2's pineal gland and can be found by
temporally and spacially locating the rest of Mal-2.
POEE has no treasury, no by-laws, no articles, no guides save Mal-2's
pineal gland, and has only one scruple-- which Mal-2 keeps on his key
chain.
POEE has not registered,incorporated, or otherwise chartered with the
State, and so the State does not recognize POEE or POEE Ordinations,
which is only fair, because POEE does not recognize the State.
POEE has 5 DEGREES:
There is the neophyte, or LEGIONNAIRE DISCIPLE.
The LEGIONNAIRE DEACON, who is catching on.
An Ordained POEE PRIEST/PRIESTESS or a CHAPLIN.
The HIGH PRIEST, the Polyfather.
And POEE =POPE=.
POEE LEGIONNAIRE DISCIPLES are authorized to initiate others as
Discordian Society Legionnaires. PRIESTS appoint their own DEACONS. The
POLYFATHER ordains priests. I don't know about the =POPES=.
" This book is a mirror. When a monkey looks in, no apostle looks out."
-Lichtenberg
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Application For Membership
In the Erisian movement of the DISCORDIA SOCIETY
1. Today's date Yesterday's Date
2. Purpose of this application: --membership in : a. Legion of Dynamic
Discord
b. POEE c. Bavarian Illuminati d. All of the Above e. None of the
Above
f. Other-- BE SPECIFIC!
3. Name_________________________ Holy Name_____________
Address_____________________________________________________________
(If temporary, also give an address from which mail can be
forwarded)
4. Description: Born: []Yes []No Eyes:[]2 []other Height:
..... fl. oz. Last time you had a haircut: Reason:
Race: []horse []human I.Q.: 150-200 200-250 250-300 over 300
5. History: Education - highest grade completed 1 2 3 4 5 6 over 6th
Professional: On another ream of paper list every job since 1937 from
2927
which you have been fired. Medical: On a separate sheet labeled
"confidential" list all major psychic psychotic episodes experienced
within the last 24 hours
6. Sneaky Questions to establish personality traits
I would rather a. live in an outhouse b. play in a rock group c. eat
caterpillars. I wear obscene tattoos because ..........
I have ceased raping little children []yes []no -- reason ..........
7. Self Portrait
Rev. Mungo
For Office Use Only -- acc. rej. burned
LICK HERE!!!
*
(You may be one
of the lucky 25)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-><-
POEE & It's Priests
If you like Erisianism as it is presented according to Mal-2, then you
may wish to form your own POEE CABAL as a POEE PRIEST and you can go do
a bunch of POEE Priestly Things. A "POEE Cabal" is exactly what you
think it is.
The High Priest makes no demands on his Priests, though he does rather
expect good will of them. The Office of The Polyfather is point, not to
teach. Once in a while, he even listens.
Should you find that your own revelations of The Goddess become
substantially different that the revelations of Mal-2, then perhaps the
Goddess has plans for you as an Episkopos, and you might consider
creating your own sect from scratch, unhindered. Episkoposes are not
competing with each other, and they are all POEE priests anyway (as soon
as I locate them). The point is that Episkoposes are developing separate
paths to the Erisian mountain top. See the section "Discordian Society"
ORDINATION AS A POEE PRIEST
There are no particular qualifications for Ordination because if you
want to be a POEE Priest then you must undoubtedly qualify. Who could
possibly know better than you whether or not you should be Ordained?
An ORDAINED POEE PRIEST or PRIESTESS is defined as "one who holds an
Ordination Certificate from the Office of the Polyfather."
2928
Seek into the Chao if thou wouldst be wise
And find ye delight in Her Great Surprise!
Look into the Chao if thou wantest to know
What's in a Chao and why it ain't so!
(HBT; The Book of Advise, 1:1)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
World Council of Churches Boutique
Note to POEE Priests:
The Polyfather wishes to remind all Erisians the POEE was conceived not
as a commercial enterprise, and that you are requested to keep your cool
when seeking funds for POEE Cabals or when spreading the POEE Word via
the market place.
The Hidden stone ripens fast,
then laid bare like a turnip
can easily be cut out at last
but even then the danger isn't past.
That man lives best who's fain
to live half mad, half sane.
-Flemish Poet Jan Van
Stijevoort, 1524.
The Erisian Affirmation
BEFORE THE GODDESS ERIS, I (name or holyname), do herewith declare
myself a POEE BROTHER of THE LEGION OF DYNAMIC DISCORD.
HAIL HAIL HAIL HAIL HAIL ERIS ERIS ERIS ERIS ERIS ALL HAIL DISCORDIA!
the presiding POEE Official (if any) responds:
ALL HAIL DISCORDIA!
find the goddess Eris To Diverse Gods
Within your Pineal Gland Do Mortals bow;
POEE Holy Cow, and
Wholly Chao
-Rev. Dr. Grindlebone
Monroe Cabal
"common sense is what tells you that the world is flat."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is St. Gulik. He is the Messenger of the Goddess. A different age
from ours called him Hermes. Many people called him by many names. He is
a Roach.
________________________________________________________________________
2929
Legion of Dynamic Discord
HARK
RECOGNIZE that the -- DISCORDIAN SOCIETY -- doth hereby certify
As a Legionnaire
Glory to We Children of
ERIS
Presented under the
auspices
of our Lady of
Discord, ERIS
by the House of the
Apostles
of ERIS.
-><-
________________________________________________________________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOW TO START A POEE CABAL
WITHOUT MESSING AROUND WITH THE POLYFATHER
If you can't find the Polyfather, or having found him, don't want
anything to do with him, you are still authorized to form your own POEE
CABAL and do Priestly Things, using the Principia Discordia as a guide.
Your Official Rank will be POEE CHAPLIN for the LEGION OF DYNAMIC
DISCORD, which is exactly the same as a POEE PRIEST except that you
don't have an Ordination Certificate. The words you are now reading are
your ordination.
HOW TO BECOME A POEE CHAPLIN
1. Write the ERISIAN AFFIRMATION in five copies.
2. Sign and nose-print each copy.
3. Send one to the President of the United States.
4. Send one to
The California State Bureau of Furniture and Bedding
1021 'D' Street, Sacramento CA 94814
5. Nail one to a telephone pole. Hide one. And burn the other.
Then consult your pineal gland.
General License was Sgt. Pepper's Commander
~~ OLD POEE SLOGAN ~~
When in Doubt, Fuck it.
When not in Doubt... get in Doubt!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Trip 5!
2930
= The POEE Baptismal Rite =
This Mysteree Rite is not required for initiation, but it is offered by
many POEE Priests to proselytes who desire a formal ceremony.
1) The Priests and four Brothers are arranged in a pentagon with the
Initiate in the center facing the Priests. If possible, the Brothers on
the immediate right and left of the Priest should be Deacons. The
Initiate must be totally naked, to demonstrate that he is truly a human
being and not something else in disguise like a cabbage or something.
2) All persons in the audience and the pentagon, excepting the Priest,
assume a squatting position and return to a standing position. This is
repeated four more times. This dance is symbolic of the humility of we
Erisians.
3) The Priest begins:
I, (complete Holy Name, with Mystical Titles, and degrees, designa-
tions, offices, &tc.), Ordained Priest of the Paratheo-anametamystikhood
of Eris Esoteric, with the Authority invested at me by the High Priest
of It, Office of the Polyfather, The House of the Rising Podge, POEE
Head Temple; Do herewith Require of Ye:
1) ARE YE A HUMAN BEING AND NOT A CABBAGE OR SOMETHING? The
Initiate answers YES.
2) THAT'S TOO BAD. DO YE WISH TO BETTER THYSELF? The Initiate
answers YES.
3) HOW STUPID. ARE YE WILLING TO BECOME PHILOSOPHICALLY
ILLUMINIZED? He answers YES.
4) VERY FUNNY. WILL YE DEDICATE YESELF TO THE HOLEY ERISIAN
MOVEMENT? The Initiate answers PROBABLY.
5) THEN SWEAR YE THE FOLLOWING AFTER ME:
(The Priest here leads the Initiate in a recital of THE ERISIAN
AFFIRMATION.)
The Priest continues: THEN I DO HERE PROCLAIM YE POEE DISCIPLE (name),
LEGIONNAIRE OF THE LEGION OF DYNAMIC DISCORD. HAIL ERIS! HAIL HAIL! HAIL
YES!
4) All present rejoice grandly. The new Brother opens a large jug of
wine and offers it to all who are present.
5) The Ceremony generally degenerates.
Mord says that Omar says that we are all unicorns anyway.
DO NOT PULL ON YELLOW TIP
3. And though Omar did bid of the Collector of Garbage, in words that
were both sweet and bitter, to surrender back the cigar box containing
the cards designated by the Angel as The Honest Book of Truth, the
Collector was to him as one who might be smitten deaf, saying only:
'Gainst the rules, y' know.
................................................................................
2931
HBT; The Book of Explanations, Chap 2
Answers:
1. Harry Houdini
2. Swing Music
3. Pretzels
4. 8 months
5. Testy Culbert
6. It protrudes.
7. No vocal cords
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE POEE MYSTEREE OATH G3400
50
The Initiate swears the following: DMTS
19
FLYING BABY SHIT!!!!!
(Brothers of the Ancient Illuminated Seers of Bavaria sect may wish to
substitute the German:
FLIEGENDE KINDERSCHEISSE!
or perhaps
WIECZNY KWIAT WTADZA!!!!!
which is Ewige Blumenkraft in Polish.)
THE RECENT EXPOSE THAT MR. MOMOMOTO, FAMOUS JAPANESE WHO CAN SWALLOW HIS
NOSE, CANNOT SWALLOW HIS NOSE BUT HIS BROTHER CAN, HAS BEEN EXPOSED! IT
IS MR. MOMOMOTO WHO CAN SWALLOW HIS NOSE. HE SWALLOWED HIS BROTHER IN
THE SUMMER OF '44.
Corrections to last week's copy: Johnny Sample is offensive cornerback
for the New York Jets, not fullback as stated. Bobby Tolan's name is not
Randy, but mud. All power to the people, and ban the fucking bomb.
"This statement is false"
(courtesy of POEE)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NO TWO EQUALS ARE THE SAME!
THE DISCORDIAN SOCIETY
The Discordian Society has no definition.
I sometimes think of it as a disorganization of Eris Freaks. It has been
called a guerrilla mind theatre. Episkopos Randomfactor, Director of
Purges of Our People's Underworld Movement sect in Larchmont, prefers
"The World's Greatest Association of What-ever-it-is-that-we-are." Lady
Mal thinks of it as a RENAISSANCE THINK TANK. Fang the Unwashed, WKC,
won't say. You can think of it any way you like.
AN EPISKOPOS OF THE DISCORDIAN SOCIETY
is one who prefers total autonomy, and creates his own Discordian sect
as The Goddess directs him. He speaks for himself and for those that say
that they like what he says.
2932
THE LEGION OF DYNAMIC DISCORD:
A Discordian Society Legionnaire is one who prefers not to create his
own sect.
If you want in on the Discordian Society then declare yourself what you
wish do what you like and tell us about it or if you prefer don't.
There are no rules anywhere. Some Episkoposes
The Goddess Prevails. have a one-man cabal.
Some work together.
Some never do explain.
When I get to the bottom I go back to the top
of the slide where I stop and I turn and I go
for a ride, then I get to the bottom and I see
you again! Helter Skelter!
-John Lennon
"Everybody I know who is right always agrees with ME" -Rev Lady Mal
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE GOLDEN APPLE CORPS
The Golden Apple Corps* is an honorary position for the Keepers of The
Sacred Chao, so that they can put "KSC" after their names.
It says little,
does less,
means
nothing.
* Not to be confused with The Apple Corps Ltd. of those four singers. We
thought of it first.
- The Numeral V sign -
Used by Old Roman Discordians, Illuminatus Churchill, and innocent
Hippies everywhere.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PERPETUAL DATE CONVERTER FROM GREGORIAN TO POEE CALENDAR
Seasons
1) Chaos - Patron Apostle Hung Mung
2) Discord - Patron Apostle Dr. Van Van Mojo
3) Confusion - Patron Apostle Sri Syadasti
4) Bureaucracy - Patron Apostle Zarathud
5) The Aftermath - Patron Apostle The Elder Malaclypse
Days of the Week* * The DAYS OF THE WEEK
1) Sweetmorn are named from the five Basic
Elements:
2) Boomtime SWEET, BOOM, PUNGENT, PRICKLE, and ORANGE
3) Pungenday
4) Prickle-Prickle
5) Setting Orange
2933
HOLYDAYS
A) APOSTLE HOLYDAYS B) SEASON HOLYDAYS
1) Mungday 1) Chaoflux
2) Mojoday 2) Discoflux
3) Syaday 3) Confuflux
4) Zaraday 4) Bureflux
5) Maladay 5) Afflux
Each occurs on the 5th Each occurs on the 50th
day of the Season day of each Season
C) ST. TIB'S DAY - occurs once every 4 years (1+4=5) and is inserted
between the 59th and 60th days of the Season of Chaos
SM BT PD PP SO SM BT PD PP SO
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Jan 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Chs Jul 5 6 7 8 9 40 41 42 43 44
Cfn
6 7 8 9 10 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 12 13 14 45 46 47 48 49
11 12 13 14 15 11 12 13 14 15 15 16 17 18 19 50 51 52 53 54
16 17 18 19 20 16 17 18 19 20 20 21 22 23 24 55 56 57 58 59
21 22 23 24 25 21 22 23 24 25 25 26 27 28 29 60 61 62 63 64
26 27 28 29 30 26 27 28 29 30 30 31 1 2 3 65 66 67 68 69
31 1 2 3 4 31 32 33 34 35 Aug 4 5 6 7 8 70 71 72 73 1
Bcy
Feb 5 6 7 8 9 36 37 38 39 40 9 10 11 12 13 2 3 4 5 6
10 11 12 13 14 41 42 43 44 45 14 15 16 17 18 7 8 9 10 11
15 16 17 18 19 46 47 48 49 50 19 20 21 22 23 12 13 14 15 16
20 21 22 23 24 51 52 53 54 55 24 25 26 27 28 17 18 19 20 21
25 26 27 28* 1 56 57 58 59 60 29 30 31 1 2 22 23 24 25 26
Mar 2 3 4 5 6 61 62 63 64 65 Sep 3 4 5 6 7 27 28 29 30 31
7 8 9 10 11 66 67 68 69 70 8 9 10 11 12 32 33 34 35 36
12 13 14 15 16 71 72 73 1 2 Dsc 13 14 15 16 17 37 38 39 40 41
17 18 19 20 21 3 4 5 6 7 18 19 20 21 22 42 43 44 45 46
22 23 24 25 26 8 9 10 11 12 23 24 25 26 27 47 48 49 50 51
27 28 29 30 31 13 14 15 16 17 28 29 30 1 2 52 53 54 55 56
................................................................................
2934
Apr 1 2 3 4 5 18 19 20 21 22 Oct 3 4 5 6 7 57 58 59 60 61
6 7 8 9 10 23 24 25 26 27 8 9 10 11 12 62 63 64 65 66
11 12 13 14 15 28 29 30 31 32 13 14 15 16 17 67 68 69 70 71
16 17 18 19 20 33 34 35 36 37 18 19 20 21 22 72 73 1 2 3
Afm
21 22 23 24 25 38 39 40 41 42 23 24 25 26 27 4 5 6 7 8
26 27 28 29 30 43 44 45 46 47 28 29 30 31 1 9 10 11 12 13
May 1 2 3 4 5 48 49 50 51 52 Nov 2 3 4 5 6 14 15 16 17 18
6 7 8 9 10 53 54 55 56 57 7 8 9 10 11 19 20 21 22 23
11 12 13 14 15 58 59 60 61 62 12 13 14 15 16 24 25 26 27 28
16 17 18 19 20 63 64 65 66 67 17 18 19 20 21 29 30 31 32 33
21 22 23 24 25 68 69 70 71 72 22 23 24 25 26 34 35 36 37 38
26 27 28 29 30 73 1 2 3 4 Cfn 27 28 29 30 1 39 40 41 42 43
31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Dec 2 3 4 5 6 44 45 46 47 48
Jun 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 7 8 9 10 11 49 50 51 52 53
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 12 13 14 15 16 54 55 56 57 58
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 17 18 19 20 21 59 60 61 62 63
20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 22 23 24 25 26 64 65 66 67 68
25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 27 28 29 30 31 69 70 71 72 73
30 1 2 3 4 35 36 37 38 39 [1991 = 3157][Next St. Tibs Day in
3158]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOLY NAMES
Discordians have a tradition of assuming HOLY NAMES. This is not
unique to Erisianism, of course. I suppose that Pope Paul is the son
of Mr. and Mrs. VI?
Will whoever stole Brother Reverend Magoun's pornography please return
it.
................................................................................
2935
THE BEARER OF THIS CARD
IS A GENUINE AND AUTHORIZED
~ POPE ~
So please Treat Him Right
GOOD FOREVER
Genuine and authorized by The House of Apostles of ERIS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Every man, woman and child on this Earth is a genuine and authorized
Pope Reproduce and distribute these cards freely- POEE Head Temple, San
Francisco
A =POPE= is someone who is not under the authority of the authorities.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For Your Enlightenment
THE PARABLE OF THE BITTER TEA
by
Rev. Dr. Hypocrates Magoun, P.P.
POEE PRIEST, Okinawa Cabal
When Hypoc was through meditating with St. Gulik, he went there
into the kitchen where he busied himself with preparing the feast and in
his endeavor, he found that there was some old tea in a pan left
standing from the night before, when he had in his weakness forgot about
its making and had let it sit steeping for 24 hours. It was dark and
murky and it was Hypoc's intention to use this old tea by diluting it
with water. And again in his weakness, chose without further considera-
tion and plunged into the physical labor of the preparations. It was
then when deeply immersed in the pleasure of that trip, he had a sudden
loud clear voice in his head saying "it is bitter tea that involves you
so." Hypoc heard the voice, but the struggle inside intensified, and the
pattern, previously established with the physical laboring and the
muscle messages coordinated and unified or perhaps coded, continued to
exert their influence and Hypoc succummed to the pressure and he denied
the voice.
And again he plunged into the physical orgy and completed the
task, and Lo as the voice had predicted, the tea was bitter.
"The Five Laws have root in awareness."
--Che Fung (Ezra Pound, Canto
85)
The Hell Law says that Hell is reserved exclusively for them that
believe in it. Further, the lowest Rung in Hell is reserved for them
that believe in it on the supposition that they'll go there if they
don't.
HBT; The Gospel According to Fred, 3:1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A SERMON ON ETHICS AND LOVE
One day Mal-2 asked the messenger spirit Saint Gulik to approach
the Goddess and request Her presence for some desperate advice. Shortly
afterwards the radio came on by itself, and an ethereal female Voice
said YES?
2936
"O! Eris! Blessed Mother of Man! Queen of Chaos! Daughter of
Discord! Concubine of Confusion! O! Exquisite Lady, I beseech You to
lift a heavy burden from my heart!"
WHAT BOTHERS YOU, MAL? YOU DON'T SOUND WELL.
"I am filled with fear and tormented with terrible visions of
pain. Everywhere people are hurting one another, the planet is rampant
with injustices, whole societies plunder groups of their own people,
mothers imprison sons, children perish while brothers war. O, woe."
WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH THAT, IF IT IS WHAT YOU WANT TO DO?
"But nobody Wants it! Everybody hates it."
OH. WELL, THEN STOP.
At which moment She turned herself into an aspirin commercial
and left The Polyfather stranded alone with his species.
SINISTER DEXTER HAS A BROKEN SPIROMETER.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CHAPTER 5: THE PIONEERS
=THE FIVE APOSTLES OF ERIS & WHO THEY BE =
1. HUNG MUNG
A Sage of Ancient China and Official Discordian Missionary to the
Heathen Chinee. He who originally devised THE SACRED CHAO. Patron of the
Season of Chaos. Holyday: Jan 5.
2. DR. VAN VAN MOJO
A Head Doctor of Deep Africa and Maker of Fine Dolls. D.H.V., Doctor of
Hoodoo and Vexes, from The Greater Metropolitan Yorba Linda Jesus Will
Save Your Bod Home Study Bible School; and F.I.H.G.W.P., Fellow of the
Intergalactic Haitian Guerrillas for World Peace. Patron of The Season
of Discord. Holyday: Mar 19.
[NOTE: Erisians of The Laughing Christ sect are of the silly contention
that Dr. Mojo is an imposter and that PATAMUNZO LINGANANDA is the True
Second Apostle. Lord Omar claims that Dr. Mojo heaps hatred upon
Patamunzo, who sends only Love Vibrations in return. But we of the POEE
sect know that Patamunzo is the Real Imposter, and that those vibrations
of his are actually an attempt to subvert Dr. Mojo's rightful apostilic
authority by shaking him out of his wits.
3. SRI SYADASTI SYADAVAKTAVYA SYADASTI SYANNASTI SYADASTI CAVAKTAVYASCA
SYADASTI SYANNASTI SYADAVATAVYASCA SYADASTI SYANNASTI SYADAVAKTAVYASCA
commonly called just SRI SYADASTI
His name is Sanskrit, and means: All affirmations are true in some
sense, false in some sense, meaningless in some sense, true and false in
some sense, true and meaningless in some sense, false and meaningless in
some sense, and true and false and meaningless in some sense.
He is an Indian Pundit and Prince, born of the Peyotl Tribe, son of
Gentle Chief Sun Flower Seed and the squaw Merry Jane. Patron to
psychedelic type Discordians. Patron of the Season of Confusion.
Holyday: May 31. NOTE: Sri Syadasti should not be confused with BLESSED
ST. GULIK THE STONED, who is not the same person but is the same
2937
Apostle.
4. ZARATHUD THE INCORRIGIBLE, sometimes called ZARATHUD THE STAUNCH
A hard nosed Hermit of Medieval Europe and Chaosphe Bible Banger. Dubbed
"Offender of The Faith." Discovered the Five Commandments. Patron of the
Season of Bureaucracy. Holyday: Aug. 12
5. THE ELDER MALACLYPSE
A wandering Wiseman of Ancient Mediterrania ("Med-Terra" or middle
earth), who followed a 5-pointed Star through the alleys of Rome,
Damascus, Baghdad, Jerusalem, Mecca and Cairo, bearing a sign that
seemed to read "DOOM". (This is a misunderstanding. The sign actually
read "DUMB". Mal-1 is a Non-Prophet.) Patron and namesake of Mal-2.
Patron on The Season of The Aftermath. Holyday: Oct 24.
All statements are true in some sense, false in some sense, meaningless
in some sense, true and false in some sense, true and meaningless in
some sense, false and meaningless in some sense, and true and false and
meaningless in some sense. A public service clarification by the Sri
Syadasti School of Spiritual Wisdom, Wilmette.
The teachings of the Sri Syadasti School of Spiritual School of
Spiritual Wisdom are true in some sense, false in some sense, meaning-
less in some sense, true and false in some sense, true and meaningless
in some sense, false and meaningless in some sense, and true and false
and meaningless in some sense.
Patamunzo Lingananda School of Higher Spiritual Wisdom, Skokie.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey Man...Great! I feel goofy, the way my old man looks when he's drunk.
THE HONEST BOOK OF TRUTH
being a BIBLE of The Erisian Movement
and How it was Revealed to
Episkopos LORD OMAR KHAYYAM RAVENHURST, KSC; Bull Goose
of Limbo; and Master Pastor of the Church Invisible of
the Laughing Christ, Hidden Temple of The Happy Jesus,
Laughing Buddha Jesus [LBJ] Ranch
From the Honest Book of Truth
THE BOOK OF EXPLANATIONS, Chapter 1
1. There came one day to Lord Omar, Bull Goose of Limbo, a Messenger
of Our Lady who told him of a Sacred Mound wherein was buried an
Honest Book.
2. And the Angel of Eris bade of the Lord: Go ye hence and dig the
Truth, that ye may come to know it and, knowing it, spread it and,
spreading it, wallow in it and, wallowing in it, lie in it and ,lying
in the Truth, become a Poet of the Word and a Sayer of Sayings -- an
Inspiration to all men and a Scribe to the Gods.
3. So Omar went forth to the Sacred Mound, which was to the East of
Mullah, and thereupon he worked digging in the sand for five days and
2938
five nights, but found no book.
4. At the end of five days and five nights of digging, it came to pass
that Omar was exhausted. So he put his shovel to one side and bedded
himself down on the sand, using as a pillow a Golden Chest he had
uncovered on the first day of his labors.
5. Omar slept.
6. On the fifth day of his sleeping, Lord Omar fell into a Trance, and
there came to him in the Trance a Dream, and there came to him in the
Dream a Messenger of Our Lady who told him of a Sacred Grove wherein
was hidden a Golden Chest.
7. And the Angel of Eris bade of the Lord: Go ye hence and lift the
Stash, that ye may come to own it and, owning it, share it and,
sharing it, love in it and, loving in it, dwell in it and, dwelling in
the Stash, become a Poet of the Word and a Sayer of Sayings - an
Inspiration to all men and a Scribe to the Gods.
8. But Omar lamented, saying unto the Angel: What is this shit,man?
What care I for the Word and Sayings? What care I for the Inspiration
of all men? Wherein does it profit a man to be a Scribe to the Gods
when the Scribes of the Governments do nothing, yet are paid better
wages?
9. And, lo, the Angel waxed in anger and Omar was stricken to the Ground
by an Invisible Hand and did not arise for five days and five nights.
10. And it came to pass that on the fifth night he dreampt, and in his
Dream he had a Vision, and in this Vision there came unto him a
Messenger of Our Lady who entrusted to him a Rigoletto cigar box
containing many filing cards, some of them in packs with rubber bands
around, and upon these cards were sometimes written verses, while upon
others nothing was written.
11. Thereupon the Angel Commanded to Lord: Take ye this Honest Book of
Truth to thine bosom and cherish it. Carry it forth into The Land and
Lay it before Kings of Nations and Collectors of Garbage. Preach from
it unto the Righteous, that they may renounce their ways and repent.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CONVENTIONAL CHAOS
GREYFACE
In the year 1166 B.C., a malcontented hunchbrain by the name of
Greyface, got it into his head that the universe was as humorless as
he, and he began to teach that play was sinful because it contradicted
the ways of Serious Order. "Look at all the order around you," he
said. And from that, he deluded honest men to believe that reality was
a straightjacket affair and not the happy romance as men had known it.
It is not presently understood why men were so gullible at that
particular time, for absolutely no one thought to observe all the
disorder around them and conclude just the opposite. But anyway,
Greyface and his followers took the game of playing at life more
2939
seriously than they took life itself and were known even to destroy
other living beings whose ways of life differed from their own.
The unfortunate result of this is that mankind has since been
suffering from a psychological and spiritual imbalance. Imbalance causes
frustration, and frustration causes fear. And fear makes for a bad trip.
Man has been on a bad trip for a long time now.
It is called THE CURSE OF GREYFACE.
Bullshit makes the flowers
grow & that's beautiful.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Climb into the Chao with a friend or two
And follow the Way it carries you,
Adrift like a Lunatic Lifeboat Crew
Over the Waves in whatever you do.
(HBT; The Book of Advise, 1:3)
[graphic deleted... if you wanna see it, READ THE BOOK]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, at the Chinese laundromat...
DOGMA I - METAPHYSICS #2, "COSMOLOGY"*
THE BOOK OF UTERUS
from the Honest Book of Truth
revealed to Lord Omar
1. Before the beginning was the Nonexistent Chao, balanced in Oblivion
by the Perfect Counterpushpull of the Hodge and the Podge.
2. Whereupon, by an Act of Happenstance, the Hodge began gradually to
overpower the Podge -- and the Primal Chaos thereby came to be.
3. So in the beginning was the Primal Chaos, balanced on the Edge of
Oblivion by the Perfect Counterpullpush of the Podge and the Hodge.
4. Whereupon, by the Law of Negative Reversal,** the Podge swiftly
underpowered the Hodge and Everything broke loose.
5. And therein emerged the Active Force of Discord, the Subtle Manifes-
tation of the Nonexistent Chao, to guide Everything along the Path back
to Oblivion - that it might not become lost among Precepts of Order in
the Region of Thud.
6. Forasmuch as it was Active, the Force of Discord entered the State of
Confusion, wherein It copulated with the Queen and begat ERIS, Our Lady
of Discord and Gross Manifestation of the Nonexistent Chao.
7. And under Eris Confusion became established, and was hence called
Bureaucracy; while over Bureaucracy Eris became established, and was
2940
hence called Discordia.
8. By the by it came to pass that the Establishment of Bureaucracy
perished in a paper shortage.
9. Thus it was, in accord with the Law of Laws.
10. During and after the Fall of the Establishment of Bureaucracy was
the Aftermath, an Age of Disorder in which calculation, computations,
and reckonings were put away by the Children of Eris in Acceptance and
Preparation for the Return to Oblivion to be followed by a Repetition of
the Universal Absurdity. Moreover, of Itself the Coming of Aftermath
waseth a Resurrection of the Freedom-flowing Chaos. HAIL ERIS!
11. Herein was set into motion the Eristic Pattern, which would Repeat
Itself Five Times Over Seventy-three Times, after which nothing would
happen.
____________________________
* This doctrine should not be confused with DOGMA III - HISTORY #6,
"HISTORIC CYCLES," which states that social progress occurs in five
cycles, the first three ("The Tricycle") of which are THESIS, ANTITHESIS
and PARENTHESIS; and the last two ("the Bicycle") of which are CONSTER-
NATION and MORAL WARPTITUDE.
** The LAW OF NEGATIVE REVERSAL states that if something does not happen
then the exact opposite will happen, only in exactly the opposite manner
from that in which it did not happen.
Dull but Sincere Filler
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And, behold, thusly was the Law formulated: Imposition of Order =
escalation of Disorder!"
[H.B.T. ; The Gospel According to Fred, 1:6]
THE FIVE ORDERS OF DISCORDIA ("THEM")
Gen. Pandaemonium, Commanding
The seeds of the ORDERS OF DISCORDIA were planted by Greyface into his
early disciples. They form the skeleton of the Aneristic Movement, which
over emphasizes the Principle of Order and is antagonistic to the
necessary compliment, the Principle of Disorder. The Orders are composed
of persons all hung up on authority, security and control; i.e., they
are blinded by the Aneristic Illusion. They do not know that they belong
to Orders of Discordia. But we know.
1. The Military Order of THE KNIGHTS OF THE FIVE SIDED TEMPLE. This is
for all the soldiers and bureaucrats of the world.
2. The Political Order of THE PARTY FOR WAR ON EVIL. This is reserved
for lawmakers, censors, and like ilk.
3. The Academic Order of THE HEMLOCK FELLOWSHIP. They commonly inhabit
schools and universities, and dominate many of them.
4. The Social Order of THE CITIZENS COMMITTEE FOR CONCERNED CITIZENS.
This is mostly a grass-roots version of the more professional military,
political, academic and sacred Orders.
2941
5. The Sacred Order of THE DEFAMATION LEAGUE. Not much is known about
the D.L., but they are very ancient and quite possibly were founded by
Greyface himself. It is known that they now have absolute domination
over all organized churches in the world. It is also believed that they
have been costuming cabbages and passing them off as human beings.
A person belonging to one or more Order is just as likely to carry a
flag of the counter-establishment as the flag of the establishment--
just as long as it is a flag.
Don't let THEM immanentize the Eschaton.
HIP-2-3-4, HIP-2-3-4
Go To Your Left-Right....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE FOLLOWING IS QUOTED FROM BERGAN EVANS
ON NORBERT WEINER, NUCLEAR PHYSICIST
The second concept Wiener has to establish is that of entropy.
Probability is a mathematical concept, coming from statistics. Entropy
comes from physics. It is the assertion-- established logically and
experimentally-- that the universe, by its nature, is "running down",
moving toward a state of inert uniformity devoid of form, matter,
hierarchy or differentiation.
That is, in any given situation, less organization, more chaos,
is overwhelmingly more probable than tighter organization or more order.
The tendency for entropy to increase in isolated systems is
expressed in the second law of thermodynamics-- perhaps the most
pessimistic and amoral formulation in all human thought.
It applies however, to a closed system, to something that is an
isolated whole, not just a part. Within such systems there may be parts,
which draw their energy from the whole, that are moving at least
temporarily, in the opposite direction; in them order is increasing and
chaos is diminishing.
The whirlpools that swirl in a direction opposed to the main
current are called "enclaves". And one of them is life, especially human
life, which in a universe moving inexorably towards chaos moves towards
increased order.
IF THE TELEPHONE RINGS TODAY..... WATER IT!
-Rev. Thomas, Gnostic
N.Y.C. Cabal
Personal
PLANETARY Pi, which I discovered, is 61. It's a Time-Energy relationship
existing between sun and inner plants and I use it in arriving at many
facts unknown to science. For example, multiply nude earth's circum-
ference 24,902.20656 by 61 and you get the distance of moon's orbit
around the earth. This is slightly less than the actual distance
because we have not yet considered earth's atmosphere. So be it.
2942
Christopher Garth, Evanston
"I should have been a plumber."
--Albert Einstein
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Grasshopper always wrong in argument with chicken"
-Book of Chan compiled by O.P.U. sect
= ZARATHUD'S ENLIGHTENMENT =
Before he became a hermit, Zarathud was a young Priest, and took
great delight in making fools of his opponents in front of his fol-
lowers.
One day Zarathud took his students to a pleasant pasture and
there he confronted The Sacred Chao while She was contentedly grazing.
"Tell me, you dumb beast." demanded the Priest in his commanding
voice, "why don't you do something worthwhile. What is your Purpose in
Life, anyway?"
Munching the tasty grass, The Sacred Chao replied "MU".*
Upon hearing this, absolutely nobody was enlightened. Primarily
because nobody could understand Chinese.
* "MU" is the Chinese ideogram for NO-THING
TAO FA TSU-DAN FIND PEACE WITH A
CONTENTED CHAO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE SACRED CHAO
THE SACRED CHAO is the key to illumination. Devised by the Apostle Hung
Mung in ancient China, it was modified and popularized by the Taoists
and is sometimes called the YIN-YANG. The Sacred Chao is not the
Yin-Yang of the Taoists. It is the HODGE-PODGE of the Erisians. And,
instead of a Podge spot on the Hodge side, it has a PENTAGON which
symbolizes the ANERISTIC PRINCIPLE, and instead of a Hodge spot on the
Podge side, it depicts the GOLDEN APPLE OF DISCORDIA to symbolize the
ERISTIC PRINCIPLE.
The Sacred Chao symbolizes absolutely everything anyone need ever know
about absolutely anything, and more! It even symbolizes everything not
worth knowing, depicted by the empty space surrounding the Hodge-Podge.
HERE FOLLOWS SOME PSYCHO-METAPHYSICS.
If you are not hot for philosophy, best just to skip it.
The Aneristic Principle is that of APPARENT ORDER; the Eristic
Principle is that of APPARENT DISORDER. Both order and disorder are man
made concepts and are artificial divisions of PURE CHAOS, which is a
level deeper that is the level of distinction making.
2943
With our concept making apparatus called "mind" we look at
reality through the ideas-about-reality which our cultures give us. The
ideas-about-reality are mistakenly labeled "reality" and unenlightened
people are forever perplexed by the fact that other people, especially
other cultures, see "reality" differently. It is only the ideas-about-
-reality which differ. Real (capital-T True) reality is a level deeper
that is the level of concept.
We look at the world through windows on which have been drawn
grids (concepts). Different philosophies use different grids. A culture
is a group of people with rather similar grids. Through a window we view
chaos, and relate it to the points on our grid, and thereby understand
it. The ORDER is in the GRID. That is the Aneristic Principle.
Western philosophy is traditionally concerned with contrasting
one grid with another grid, and amending grids in hopes of finding a
perfect one that will account for all reality and will, hence, (say
unenlightened westerners) be True. This is illusory; it is what we
Erisians call the ANERISTIC ILLUSION. Some grids can be more useful than
others, some more beautiful than others, some more pleasant than others,
etc., but none can be more True than any other.
DISORDER is simply unrelated information viewed through some
particular grid. But, like "relation", no-relation is a concept. Male,
like female, is an idea about sex. To say that male-ness is "absence of
female-ness", or vice versa, is a matter of definition and metaphysical-
ly arbitrary. The artificial concept of no-relation is the ERISTIC
PRINCIPLE.
The belief that "order is true" and disorder is false or somehow
wrong, is the Aneristic Illusion. To say the same of disorder, is the
ERISTIC ILLUSION.
The point is that (little-t) truth is a matter of definition
relative to the grid one is using at the moment, and that (capital-T)
Truth, metaphysical reality, is irrelevant to grids entirely. Pick a
grid, and through it some chaos appears ordered and some appears
disordered. Pick another grid, and the same chaos will appear dif-
ferently ordered and disordered.
Reality is the original Rorschach.
Verily! So much for all that.
The words of the Foolish and those of the Wise
Are not far apart in Discordian Eyes.
(HBT; The Book of Advise, 2:1)
The PODGE of the Sacred Chao is symbolized as The Golden Apple of
Discordia, which represents the Eristic Principle of Disorder. The
writing on it, "KALLISTI" is Greek for "TO THE PRETTIEST ONE" and refers
to an old myth about The Goddess. But the Greeks had only a limited
understanding of Disorder, and thought it to be a negative principle.
The Pentagon represents the Aneristic Principle of Order and symbolizes
the HODGE. The Pentagon has several references; for one,, it can be
taken to represent geometry, one of the earliest studies of formal order
to reach elaborate development;* for another, it specifically accords
2944
with THE LAW OF FIVES.
THE TRUTH IS FIVE BUT MEN HAVE ONLY ONE NAME FOR IT.
-Patamunzo Lingananda
It is also the shape of the United States Military Headquarters, the
Pentagon Building, a most pregnant manifestation of straightjacket order
resting on a firm foundation of chaos and constantly erupting into
dazzling disorder; and this building is one of our more cherished
Erisian Shrines. Also it so happens that in times of medieval magic, the
pentagon was the generic symbol for werewolves, but this reference is
not particularly intended and it should be noted that the Erisian
Movement does not discriminate against werewolves-- our membership
roster is open to persons of all races, national origins and
hobbies.
____________________________________
* The Greek geometrician PYTHAGORAS, however, was not a typical
aneristic personality. He was what we call an EXPLODED ANERISTIC and an
AVATAR. We call him Archangle Pythagoras.
[diagram of HODGE/PODGE TRANSFORMER deleted... DtC]
5. Hung Mung slapped his buttocks, hopped about, and shook his head,
saying "I do not know! I do not know!"
HBT; The Book of Gooks, Chap. 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BRUNSWICK SHRINE
In the Los Angeles suburb of Whittier there lives a bowling alley, and
within this very place, in the Year of Our Lady of Discord 3125 (1959*),
Eris revealed Herself to The Golden Apple Corps for the first time.
In honor of this Incredible Event, this Holy Place is revered as a
Shrine by all Erisians. Once every five years, the Golden Apple Corps
plans a Pilgrimage to Brunswick Shrine as an act of Devotion, and
therein to partake of No Hot Dog Buns, and ruminate a bit about It All.
It is written that when The Corps returns to The Shrine for the fifth
time five times over, than shall the world come to an end:
IMPENDING DOOM
HAS ARRIVED
And Five Days Prior to This Occasion The Apostle The Elder
Malaclypse Shall Walk the Streets of Whittier Bearing a Sign
for All Literates to Read thereof: "DOOM", as a Warning of
Forthcoming Doom to All Men Impending. And He Shall Signal
This Event by Seeking the Poor and Distributing to Them Precious
MAO BUTTONS and Whittier Shall be Known as The Region of Thud
for These Five Days.
As a public service to all mankind and civilization in general, and to
us in particular, the Golden Apple Corps has concluded that planning
such a Pilgrimage is sufficient and that it is prudent to never get
around to actually going.
___________________________________
* Or maybe it was 1958, I forget.
2945
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
STARBUCK'S PEBBLES Which
Is
Real?
*
* *
* *
Do these 5 pebbles [note: they were pebbles,originally..try doing
ASCII pebbles -DtC] REALLY form a pentagon?
Those biased by the Aneristic Illusion would say yes.
Those biased by the Eristic Illusion would say no. Criss-cross them and
it is a star.
An Illuminated Mind can see all of these, yet he does not insist that
any one is really true, or that none at all is true. Stars, and
pentagons, and disorder are all his creations and he may do with them as
he wishes. Indeed, even so the concept of number 5.
The real reality is there, but everything you KNOW about "it" is in your
mind and yours to do with as you like. Conceptualization is art, and YOU
ARE THE ARTIST.
Convictions cause convicts.
Can you chart the COURSE
to Captain Valentine's SWEETHEART?
Hemlock? I never touch the stuff!
When I was 8 or 9 years old, I acquired
a split beaver magazine. You can imagine
my disappointment when,upon examination
of the photos with a microscope, I found
that all I could see was dots.
7. Never write in pencil unless you are on a train or sick in bed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
................................................................................
2946
ERIS CONTEMPLATES FOR 3125 YEARS
------------------------------------Pun-jab is Sikh, Sikh, Sikh!--------
THE PARATHEO-ANAMETAMYSTIKHOOD OF ERIS ESOTERIC (POEE)
A Non-prophet Irreligious Disorganization
MALACLYPSE THE YOUNGER, KSC
Omnibenevolent Polyfather of Virginity in Gold
HIGH PRIEST
THE ERISIAN MOVEMENT HOUSE OF APOSTLES
OF ERIS
(X) Official Business ( )Surreptitious Business page 1 of
1 pages
Official Discordian Document Number (if applicable): n/a
( ) the Golden Apple Corps (X)House of Disciples of Discordia
The Bureaucracy, Bureau of: DOGMAS
( ) Council of Episkoposes: Office of High Priesthood, Sect of the POEE
( ) Drawer o
________________________________________________________________________
Today's DATE: day of the Carrot yesterday's DATE: Yes
-><-
Originating Cabal: Joshua Norton Cabal - San Francisco
TO: REV. RAMPANT PANCREAS, tRRoCR(a)pttM; Colorado Encrustation
Brother Ram,
Your acute observation that ERIS spelled backwards is SIRE, and your
inference to the effect that there is sexual symbolism here, have
brought me to some observations of my own,
ERIS spelled fore-part-aft-wards is RISE. And spelled inside out is
REIS, which is a unit of money, albeit Portugese-Brazilian and no longer
in use. >From this it may be concluded that Eris has usurped Eros (god
of erotic love) in the eyes of those who read backwards; which obviously
made Eros sorE. Then She apparently embezzeled the Olympian Treasury and
went to Brazil; whereupon She opened a chain of whorehouses (which
certainly would get a rise from the male population). I figure it to be
this in particular because MADAM reads the same forwards and backwards.
And further, it is a term of great respect, similar to SIRE.
And so thank you for your insight, it may well be the clue to the
mystery of just where Eris has been fucking around for 3125.
FIVE TONS OF FLAX!
-><- Mal-2
Not for Circulation!
KALLISTI HAIL ERIS ALL HAIL DISCORDIA
safeguard this letter, it may be an important document
Form No.: O.D.D. IIb/ii.1-37D.VVM:3134
2947
DOGMA III - HISTORY #2, "COSMOGONY"
which is not the same as DOGMA I - METAPHYSICS #2, "COSMOLOGY" (Book of
Uterus)
In the beginning there was VOID, who had two daughters; one (the
smaller) was that of BEING, named ERIS, and one (the larger) was of
NON-BEING, named ANERIS. (To this day, the fundamental truth that Aneris
is the larger is apparent to all who compare the great number of things
that do not exist with the comparatively small number of things that do
exist.)
Eris had been born pregnant, and after 55 years (Goddesses have
an unusually long gestation period-- longer even than elephants), Her
pregnancy bore the fruits of many things. These things were composed of
the Five Basic Elements, SWEET, BOOM, PUNGENT, PRICKLE, and ORANGE.
Aneris, however, had been created sterile. When she saw Eris enjoying
Herself so greatly with all of the existent things She had borne, Aneris
became jealous and finally one day she stole some existent things and
changed them into non-existent things and claimed them as her own
children. This deeply hurt Eris, who felt that Her sister was unjust
(being so much larger anyway) to deny Her her small joy. And so She made
herself swell again to bear more things. And She swore that no matter
how many of her begotten that Aneris would steal, She would beget more.
And, in return, Aneris swore that no matter how many existent things
Eris brought forth, she would eventually find them and turn them into
non-existent things for her own. (And to this day, things appear and
disappear in this very manner.)
At first, the things brought forth by Eris were in a state of
chaos and went in every which way, but by the by She began playing with
them andordered some of them just to see what would happen. Some pretty
things arosefrom this play and for the next five zillion years She
amused Herself bycreating order. And so She grouped some things with
others and some groups with others, and big groups with little groups,
and all combinations until She had many grand schemes which delighted
Her.
Engrossed in establishing order, She finally one day noticed
disorder (previously not apparent because everything was chaos). There
were many ways in which chaos was ordered and many ways in which it was
not.
"Hah," She thought, "Here shall be a new game."
And She taught order and disorder to play with each other in
contest games, and to take turns amusing each other. She named the side
of disorder after Herself, "ERISTIC" because Being is anarchic. And
then, in a mood of sympathy for Her lonely sister, She named the other
side "ANERISTIC" which flattered Aneris and smoothed the friction a
little that was between them.
Now all of this time, Void was somewhat disturbed. He felt
unsatisfied for he had created only physical existence and physical
non-existence, and had neglected the spiritual. As he contemplated this,
a great Quiet was caused and he went into a state of Deep Sleep which
lasted for 5 eras. At the end of this ordeal, he begat a brother to Eris
and Aneris, that of SPIRITUALITY, who had no name at all.
2948
When the sisters heard this, they both confronted Void and
pleaded that he not forget them, his First Born. And so Void decreed
thus:
That this brother, having no form, was to reside with Aneris in
Non-Being and then to leave her and, so that he might play with order
and disorder, reside with Eris in Being. But Eris became filled with
sorrow when She heard this and then began to weep.
"Why are you despondent?" demanded Void, "Your new brother will
have his share with you." "But Father, Aneris and I have been arguing,
and she will take him from me when she discovers him, and cause him to
return to Non-Being." "I see,"replied Void, "Then I decree the follow-
ing:
"When your brother leaves the residence of Being, he shall not
reside again in Non-Being, but shall return to Me, Void, from whence he
came. You girls may bicker as you wish, but My son is your Brother and
We are all of Myself."
And so it is that we, as men, do not exist until we do; and then it is
that we play with our world of existent things, and order and disorder
them, and so it shall be that non-existence shall take us back from
existence and that nameless spirituality shall return to Void, like a
tired child home from a very wild circus.
"Everything is true - Everything is permissible!"
-><-
-Hassan i Sabbah
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is serenity in Chaos.
Seek ye the Eye of the Hurricane.
A POEE MYSTEREE RITE - THE SRI SYADASTIAN CHANT
Written, in some sense, by Mal-2
Unlike a song, chants are not sung but chanted. This particular one is
much enhanced by the use of a Leader to chant the Sanskrit alone, with
all participants chanting the English. it also behooves one to be in a
quiet frame of mind and to be sitting in a still position, perhaps The
Buttercup Position. It also helps if one is absolutely zonked out of his
gourd.
RUB-A-DUB-DUB
O! Hail Eris. Blessed St. Hung Mung.
SYA-DASTI
O! Hail Eris. Blessed St. Mo-jo.
SYA-DAVAK-TAVYA
O! Hail Eris. Blessed St. Zara-thud.
SYA-DASTI SYA-NASTI
O! Hail Eris. Blessed St. Elder Mal.
SYA-DASTI KAVAK-TAV-YASKA
O! Hail Eris. Blessed St. Gu-lik.
SYA-DASTI, SYA-NASTI, SYA-DAVAK-TAV-YASKA
O! Hail Eris. All Hail Dis-cord-ia.
RUB-A-DUB-DUB
2949
It is then repeated indefinitely, or for the first two thousand miles,
which ever comes first.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Classification of Saints
1. SAINT SECOND CLASS
To be reserved for all human beings deserving of Sainthood. Example:
St.Norton the First, Emperor of the United States and Protector of
Mexico (his grave near San Francisco is an official POEE shrine.)
THE FOLLOWING FOUR CATAGORIES ARE RESERVED FOR FICTIONAL BEINGS WHO, NOT
BEING ACTUAL, ARE MORE CAPABLE OF PERFECTION.
2. LANCE SAINT
Good Saint material and definitely inspiring.
Example: St. Yossarian (Catch 22, Heller)
3. LIEUTENANT SAINT
Excellent Goddess-Saturated Saint.
Example: St. Quixote (Don Quixote, Cervantes)
4. BRIGADIER SAINT
Comparable to Lt/Saint but has an established following (fictional or
factual). Example: St. Bokonon (Cat's Cradle, Vonnegut)
5. FIVE STAR SAINT
The Five Apostles of Eris.
Note: It is an Old Erisian Tradition to never agree with each other
about Saints.
Everybody understands Mickey Mouse. Few understand Herman Hesse. Only a
hand full understood Albert Einstein. And nobody understood Emperor
Norton.
-Slogan of NORTON CABAL - S.F.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TESTS BY DOCTORS PROVE IT POSSIBLE TO SHRINK
=ON OCCULTISM=
Magicians, especially since the Gnostic and the Quabala influences, have
sought higher consciousness through assimilation and control of
universal opposites-- good/evil, positive/negative, male/female, etc.
But due to the steadfast pomposity of ritualism inherited from the
ancient methods of the shaman, occultists have been blinded to what is
perhaps the two most important pairs of apparent or earth-plane
opposites: ORDER/DISORDER and SERIOUS/HUMOROUS.
Magicians, and progeny the scientists, have always taken themselves and
their subject in an orderly and sober manner, thereby disregarding an
2950
essential metaphysical balance. when magicians learn to approach
philosophy as a malleable art instead of an immutable Truth, and learn
to appreciate the absurdity of man's endeavours, then they will be able
to pursue their art with a lighter heart, and perhaps gain a clearer
understanding of it, and therefore gain more effective magic. CHAOS IS
ENERGY.
This is an essential challenge to the basic concepts of all western
occult thought, and POEE is humbly pleased to offer the first break-
through in occultism since Solomon.
"Study Demonology with an Enemy This Sunday"
sez Thom,Gnos
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
POEE ASTROLOGICAL SYSTEM
1) Om your next birthday, return to the place of your birth and, at
precisely midnight, noting your birth time and date of observation,
count all visible stars.
2) When you have done this, write to me and I'll tell you what to do
next.
The Eminent 16th Century Mathemetician Cardan so detested Luther that he
altered Luther's birthdate to give him an unfavorable horoscope.
The theorem to be proved is that if any even number of people take seats
at random around a circular table bearing place cards with their names,
it is always possible to rotate the table until at least two people are
opposite their cards. Assume the contrary. Let N be the even number of
persons, and let their names be replaced by the integers 0 to N-1 "in
such a way that the place cards are numbered in sequence around the
table. If a delegate D originally sits down to a place card P, then the
table must be rotated R steps before he is correctly seated, where
R=P-D, unless this is negative, in which case R=P-D+N. The collection of
values of D (and of P) for all delegates is clearly the integers 0 to
N-1,each taken once, but so also is the collection of values of R, or
else two delegates would be correctly seated at the same time. Summing
the above equations, one for each delegate, gives S-S+NK, where K is an
integer and S=N(N-1)/2, the sum of the integers from 0 to N-1. It
follows that N=2K+1, an odd number." This contradicts the original
assumption.
"I actually solved this problem some years ago," Rybicki writes,
"for a different but completely equivalent problem, a generalization of
the nonattacking 'eight queens' problem for a cylindrical chessboard
where diagonal attack is restricted to diagonals slanting in one
direction only.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE CURSE OF GREYFACE AND THE
INTRODUCTION OF NEGATIVISM
To choose order over disorder, or disorder over order, is to
accept a trip composed of both the creative and the destructive. But to
choose the creative over the destructive is an all-creative trip
composed of both order and disorder. To accomplish this, one need only
2951
accept creative disorder along with, and equal to, creative order, and
also willing to reject destructive order as an undesirable equal to
destructive disorder.
The Curse of Greyface included the division of life into
order/disorder as the essential positive/negative polarity, instead of
building a game foundation with creative/destructive as the essential
positive/negative. He has thereby caused man to endure the destructive
aspects of order and has prevented man from effectively participating in
the creative uses of disorder. Civilization reflects this unfortunate
division.
POEE proclaims that the other division is preferable, and we
work toward the proposition that creative disorder, like creative order,
is possible and desirable; and that destructive order, like destructive
disorder, is unnecessary and undesirable.
Seek the Sacred Chao - therein you will find the foolishness of
all ORDER/DISORDER. They are the same!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ERISIAN MAGIC RITUAL - THE TURKEY CURSE
Revealed by the Apostle Dr. Van Van Mojo as a specific counter to the
evil Curse of Greyface, THE TURKEY CURSE is here passed on to Erisians
everywhere for their just protection.
The Turkey Curse works. It is firmly grounded on the fact that Greyface
and his followers absolutely require an aneristic setting to function
and that a timely introduction of eristic vibrations will neutralize
their foundation. The Turkey Curse is designed solely to counteract
negative aneristic vibes and if introduced into a neutral or positive
aneristic setting (like a poet working out word rhythms) it will prove
harmless, or at worst, simply annoying. It is not designed for use
against negative eristic vibes, although it can be used as an eristic
vehicle to introduce positive vibes into a misguided eristic setting. In
this instance, it would be the responsibility of the Erisian Magician to
manufacture the positive vibrations if results are to be achieved.
CAUTION- all magic is powerful and requires courage and integrity on the
part of the magician. This ritual, if misused, can backfire. Positive
motivation is essential for self-protection.
TO PERFORM THE TURKEY CURSE:
Take a foot stance as if you were John L. Sullivan preparing for fis-
ticuffs. Face the particular greyfaced you wish to short-circuit, or
towards the direction of the negative aneristic vibration that you wish
to neutralize. Begin waving your arms in any elaborate manner and make
motions with your hands as though you were Mandrake feeling up a sexy
giantess. Chant, loudly and clearly:
GOBBLE, GOBBLE, GOBBLE, GOBBLE, GOBBLE!
The results will be instantly apparent.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2952
A PRIMER FOR ERISIAN EVANGELISTS by Lord Omar
The SOCRATIC APPROACH is most successful when confronting the
ignorant. The "socratic approach" is what you call starting an argument
by asking questions. You approach the innocent and simply ask "Did you
know that God's name is ERIS, and that He is a girl?" If he should
answer "Yes." then he probably is a fellow Erisian and so you can forget
it. If he says "No." then quickly proceed to:
THE BLIND ASSERTION and say "Well, He Is a girl, and His name is
ERIS!" Shrewedly observe if the subject is convinced. If he is, swear
him into the Legion of Dynamic Discord before he changes his mind. If he
does not appear convinced, then proceed to:
THE FAITH BIT: "But you must have Faith! All is lost without
Faith! I sure feel sorry for you if you don't have Faith." And then add:
THE ARGUMENT BY FEAR and in an ominous voice ask "Do you know
what happens to those who deny Goddess?" If he hesitates, don't tell him
that he will surely be reincarnated as a precious Mao Button and
distributed to the poor in the Region of Thud (which would be a mean
thing to say), just shake your head sadly and, while wiping a tear from
your eye, go to:
THE FIRST CLAUSE PLOY wherein you point to all of the discord
and confusion in the world and exclaim "Well who the hell do you think
did all of this, wise guy?" If he says, "Nobody, just impersonal
forces." then quickly respond with:
THE ARGUMENT BY SEMANTICAL GYMNASTICS and say that he is
absolutely right, and that those impersonal forces are female and that
Her name is ERIS. If he, wonder of wonders, still remains obstinate,
then finally resort to:
THE FIGURATIVE SYMBOLISM DODGE and confide that sophisticated
people like himself recognize that Eris is a Figurative Symbol for an
Ineffable Metaphysical Reality and that The Erisian Movement is really
more like a poem than like a science and that he is liable to be turned
into a Precious Mao Button and Distributed to The Poor in The Region of
Thud if he does not get hip. Then put him on your mailing list.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SINK
A GAME
by Ala Hera, E.L., N.S.; RAYVILLE APPLE PANTHERS
SINK is played by Discordians and people of much ilk.
PURPOSE: To sink object or an object or a thing...
in water or mud or anything you; can sink something in.
RULES: Sinking is allowd in any manner. To date, ten pound chunks of mud
were used to sink a tobacco can. It is preferable to have a pit of water
or a hole to drop things in. But rivers - bays - gulfs - I dare say even
oceans can be used.
TURNS are taken thusly: who somever gets the junk up and in the air
first.
DUTY: It shall be the duty of all persons playing "SINK" to help find
more objects to sink, once; one object is sunk.
2953
UPON SINKING: The sinked shall yell "I sank it!" or something equally as
thoughtful.
NAMING OF OBJECTS is some times desirable. The object is named by the
finder of such object and whoever sinks it can say for instance, "I sunk
Columbus, Ohio!"
"In a way, we're a kind of Peace Corps."
- Maj. A. Lincoln German, Training Director of the
Green Beret Special Warfare School, Ft. Bragg, N.C.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Joint Effort of the Discordian Society
POST OFFICE LIBERATION FRONT
Export License Not Required
THIS IS A CHAIN LETTER.
WITHIN THE NEXT FIFTY-FIVE DAYS YOU WILL RECEIVE THIRTY-ELEVEN HUNDRED
POUNDS OF CHAINS!
In the meantime - plant your seeds.
If a lot of people who receive this letter plant a few seeds and a lot
of people receive this letter, then a lot of seeds will get planted.
Plant your seeds.
In parks. On lots. Public flower beds. In remote places. At City Hall.
Wherever. Whenever. Or start a plantation in your closet (but read up on
it first for that). For casual planting, its best to soak them in water
for a day and plant in a bunch of about 5, about half an inch deep.
Don't worry much about the weather, they know when the weather is wrong
and will try to wait for nature. Don't soak them if its wintertime.
Seeds are a very hearty life form and strongly desire to grow and
flourish. But some of them need people's help to get started. Plant your
seeds.
Make a few copies of this letter (5 would be nice) and send them to
friends of yours. Try to mail to different cities and states, even
different countries. If you would rather not, then please pass this
copy on to someone and perhaps they would like to.
THERE IS NO TRUTH to the legend that if you throw away a chain letter
then all sorts of catastrophic, abominable, and outrageous disasters
will happen. Except, of course, from your seed's point of view.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q. "How come a woodpecker doesn't bash its brains out?" A. Nobody has
ever explained that.
Mary Jane says "Plant Your Seeds. Keep Prices Down."
"And God said, behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which
is upon the face of the earth... to you it shall be for meat."
-Genesis 1:29
2954
Questions
Have a friendly class talk. Permit each child to tell any part of the
unit on "Courtesy in the Corridors and on the Stairs" that he enjoyed.
Name some causes of disturbance in your school.
Chapter 1, THE EPISTLE TO THE PARANOIDS
--Lord Omar
1. Ye have locked yerselves up in cages of fear--and, behold, do ye now
complain that ye lack FREEDOM!
2. Ye have cast out yer brothers for devils and now complain ye,
lamenting, that ye've been left to fight alone.
3. All Chaos was once yer kingdom; verily, held ye dominion over the
entire Pentaverse, but today ye was sore afraid in dark corners, nooks,
and sink holes.
4. O how the darknesses do crowd up, one against the other, in ye
hearts! What fear ye more that what ye have wroughten?
5. Verily, verily I say unto you, not all the Sinister Ministers of the
Bavarian Illuminati, working together in multitudes, could so entwine
the land with tribulation as have yer baseless warnings.
DESPITE strong evidence to the contrary, persistant rumor has it that it
was Mr. Momomoto's brother who swallowed Mr. Momomoto in the summer of
'44.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
................................................................................
2955
BAVARIAN ILLUMINATI
Founded by Hassan i Sabbah, 1090 A.D. (5090 A.L., 4850 A.M.)
Reformed by Adam Weishaupt, 1776 A.D. (5776 A.L., 5536 A.M.)
THE ANCIENT ILLUMINATED SEERS OF BAVARIA
invite YOU to join
The World's Oldest and Most Successful Conspiracy
Have you ever SECRETLY WONDERED WHY IS there an ESOTERIC ALLEGORY con-
The GREAT PYRAMID has FIVE sides cealed in the apparently innocent
(counting the bottom)? legend of Snow White and The Seven
Dwarfs?
WHAT IS the TRUE secret SINISTER WHY do scholarly anthropologists
REALITY lying behind the ANCIENT TURN PALE with terror at the
Aztec Legend of QUETZLCOATL? very MENTION of the FORBIDDEN
name YOG-SOTHOTH?
WHO IS the MAN in ZURICH WHAT REALLY DID HAPPEN
that some SWEAR is LEE TO AMBROSE BIERCE?
HARVEY OSWALD?
If your I.Q. is over 150, and you have $3,125.00 (plus handling), you might
be eligible for a trial membership in the A.I.S.B. If you think you qualify,
put the money in a cigar box and bury it in your backyard. One of our
Underground Agents will contact you shortly.
I DARE YOU!
TELL NO ONE! ACCIDENTS HAVE A STRANGE WAY OF HAPPENING TO PEOPLE WHO TALK TOO
MUCH ABOUT THE BAVARIAN ILLUMINATI
May we warn you against imitations! Ours is the original and genuine
"Nothing is true. Everything is Permissible"
- Hassan i Sabbah
NIL
CARBORUNDUM
ILLEGITIMO
_________________________________________________________________________
"Illuminate the Opposition!"
-- Adam Weishaupt,
Grand Primus Illuminatus
Official
Bavarian Illuminati
"Ewige Blumenkraft!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
................................................................................
2956
INTER-OFFICE WIRE SENT
THE ANCIENT ILLUMINATED SEERS OF BAVARIA - VIGILANCE LODGE
Mad Malik, Hauptscheissmeister; Resident for Norton Cabal
DISCORDIAN SOCIETY SUPER SECRET CRYPTOGRAPHIC CYPHER CODE
Of possible interest to all Discordians, this information is herewith
released
from the vaults of A.I.S.B., under the auspices of Episkopos Dr. Mordecai
Malignatius, KNS.
SAMPLE MESSAGE: ("HAIL ERIS")
CONVERSATION:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
STEP 1. Write out the message (HAIL ERIS) and put all the vowels at the end
(HLRSAIEI)
STEP 2. Reverse order (IEIASRLH)
STEP 3. Convert to numbers (9-5-9-1-19-18-12-8)
STEP 4. Put into numerical order (1-5-8-9-9-12-18-19)
STEP 5. Convert back to letters (AEHIILRS)
This cryptographic cypher code is GUARANTEED TO BE 100% UNBREAKABLE.
BEWARE! THE PARANOIDS ARE WATCHING YOU!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is a letter from A.I.S.B. to POEE:
________________________________________________________________________
The World's Oldest And Most Successful Conspiracy
BAVARIAN ILLUMINATI
Founded by Hassan i Sabbah, 1090 A.D. (5090 A.L., 4850 A.M.)
Reformed by Adam Weishaupt, 1776 A.D. (5776 A.L., 5536 A.M.)
( )Official Business (X) Surreptitious Business
From: MAD MALIK Hauptscheissmeister
Dear Brother Mal-2,
In response to your request for unclassified agitprop to be inserted
in the new edition of PRINCIPIA, hope the following will be of use. And
please
stop bothering us with your incessant letters!
Episkopos Mordecai, Keeper of the Notary Sojac, informs me that you
are welcome to reveal that our oldest extant records show us to have been
fully established in Atlantis, circa 18,000 B.C., under Kull, the galley
slave who ascended to the Throne of Valusia. Revived by Pelias of Koth, circa
10,000 B.C. Possibly it was he who taught the inner-teachings to Conan of
Cimmeria after Conan became King of Aquilonia. First brought to the western
hemisphere by Conan and taught to Mayan priesthood (Conan is Quetzlcoatl).
That was 4 Ahua, 8 Cumhu, Mayan date. Revived by Abdul Alhazred in his
infamous Al Azif, circa 800 A.D. (Al Azif translated into Latin by Olaus
2957
Wormius, 1132 A.D., as The Necronomicon.) In 1090 A.D. was the founding of
The Ismaelian Sect (Hashishim) by Hassan i Sabbah, with secret teachings
based on Alhazred, Pelias and Kull. Founding of the Illuminated Ones of
Bavaria, by Adam Weishaupt, on May 1, 1776. He based it on the others.
Weishaupt brought it to the United States during the period that he was
impersonating George Washington; and it was he who was the Man in Black who
gave the design for The Great Seal to Jefferson in the garden that night. The
Illuminated tradition is now, of course, in the hands of The Ancient
Illuminated Seers of Bavaria (A.I.S.B.), headquartered here in the United
States.
Our teachings are not, need I remind you, available for publication.
No harm, though, in admitting that some of them can be found disguised in
Joyce's Finnegan's Wake, Burroughs Nova Express, the King James translation
of the Holy Bible (though not the Latin or Hebrew), and The Blue Book. Not to
speak of Ben Franklin's private papers (!), but we are still suppressing
those.
Considering current developments--you know the ones I speak of--it
has been decided to reveal a few more of our front organizations. Your
publication is timely, so mention that in addition to the old fronts like the
Masons, the Rothchild Banks, and the Federal Reserve System, we now have
significant control of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (since Hoover died
last year, but that is still secret), the Students for a Democratic Society,
the Communist Party USA, the American Anarchist Assn., the Junior Chamber of
Commerce, the Black Lotus Society, the Republican Party, the John Dillinger
Die For You Society, and the Camp Fire Girls. It is still useful to continue
the sham of the Birchers that we are seeking world domination; so do not
reveal that political and economic control was generally complete several
generations ago and that we are just playing with the world for a while until
civilization advances sufficiently for phase five.
In fact you might still push Vennard's The Federal Reserve Hoax:
"Since the Babylonian Captivity there has existed a determined,
behind-the-scenes under-the-table, atheistic, satanic, anti-Christian
force--worshipers of Mamon--whose undying purpose is world control through
the control of Money. July 1, 1776 (correct that to May 1st, Vennard can't
get anything right) the Serpent raised its head in the under-ground secret
society known as the Illuminati, founded by Adam Weishaupt. There is con-
siderable documentary evidence to prove all revolutions, wars, depressions,
strikes and chaos stem from this source." Etc., etc., you know the stuff.
The general location of our US HQ, incidentally, has been nearly
exposed; and so we will be moving for the first time this century (what a
drag!). If you want, you can reveal that it is located deep in the labyrinth
of sewers beneath Dealy Plaza in Dallas, and is presided over by The Dealy
Lama. Inclosed are some plans for several new potential locations. Please
review and add any comments you feel pertinent, especially regarding the
Eristic propensity of the Pentagon site.
Oh, and we have some good news for you, Brother Mal! You know that
Zambian cybernetics genius who joined us? Well, he has secretly co-ordinated
the FBI computers with the Zurich System and our theoriticians are in ecstasy
over the new information coming out. Look, if you people out there can keep
from blowing yourselves up for only two more generations, then we will
finally
have it. After 20,000 years, Kull's dream will be realized! We can hardly
believe it. But the outcome is certain, given the time. Our grandchildren,
2958
Mal! If civilization makes it through this crises, our grandchildren will
live in a world of authentic freedom and authentic harmony and authentic
satisfaction. I hope I'm alive to see it, Mal, success is in our grasp.
Twenty thousand years....!
Ah, I get spaced just thinking about it. Good luck on the Principia.
Ewige Blumenkraft! HAIL ERIS.
Love,
MAD MALIK
PS: PRIVATE - Not for publication in The Principia.
We are returning to the two Zwack Cyphers for classified communications.
Herewith your copy. DO NOT DIVULGE THIS INFORMATION - SECURITY E-5.
[note: Graphic Cypher deleted DtC]
________________________________________________________________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part Five The Golden Secret
NONSENSE AS SALVATION
The human race will begin solving it's problems on the day that it ceases
taking itself so seriously.
To that end, POEE proposes the countergame of NONSENSE AS SALVATION.
Salvation from an ugly and barbarous existence that is the result of taking
order so seriously and so seriously fearing contrary orders and disorder,
that GAMES are taken as more important than LIFE; rather than taking LIFE AS
THE ART OF PLAYING GAMES.
To this end, we propose that man develop his innate love for disorder, and
play with The Goddess Eris. And know that it is a joyful play, and that
thereby CAN BE REVOKED THE CURSE OF GREYFACE.
If you can master nonsense as well as you have already learned to master
sense, then each will expose the other for what it is: absurdity. From that
moment of illumination, a man begins to be free regardless of his
surroundings. He becomes free to play order games and change them at will. He
becomes free to play disorder games just for the hell of it. He becomes free
to play neither or both. And as the master of his own games, he plays without
fear, and therefore without frustration, and therefore with good will in his
soul and love in his being.
And when men become free then mankind will be free.
May you be free of The Curse of Greyface.
May the Goddess put twinkles in your eyes.
May you have the knowledge of a sage,
and the wisdom of a child.
Hail Eris.
2959
T'AI
___ ___
___ ___
___ ___
_________
_________
_________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THUS ENDS PRINCIPIA DISCORDIA
This being the 4th Edition, March 1970, San Francisco; a revision of
the 3rd Edition of 500 copies, whomped together in Tampa 1969; which revised
the 2nd Edition of 100 copies from Los Angeles 1969; which was a revision of
"PRINCIPIA DISCORDIA or HOW THE WEST WAS LOST" published in New Orleans in
1965 in five copies, which were mostly lost.
If you think the PRINCIPIA is just a ha-ha, then go read it again.
(K) ALL RIGHTS REVERSED - Reprint what you like
Published by POEE Head Temple - San Francisco
" On The Future Site of Beautiful
San Andreas Canyon"
Office of My High Reverence
Malaclypse the Younger KSC
OPOVIG HIGH PRIEST POEE
KALLISTI
THE LAST WORD
The foregoing document was revealed to Mal-2 by the Goddess Herself through
many consultations with Her within his Pineal Gland. It is guaranteed to be
the Word of Goddess. However, it is only fair to state that Goddess doesn't
always say the same thing to each listener, and that other Episkoposes are
sometimes told quite different things in their Revelations, which are also
the Word of Goddess. Consequently, if you prefer a Discordian Sect other than
POEE, then none of these Truths are binding, and it is a rotten shame that
you have read all the way down to the very last word.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DISCORDIAN SOCIETY
Dedicated to an Advanced
Understanding of the Paraphysical
Manifestations of Everyday Chaos
DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A LOPSIDED PINEAL GLAND?
Well, probably you do have one, and it's unfortunate because lopsided Pineal
Glands have perverted the Free Spirit of Man, and subverted Life into a
frustrating, unhappy and hopeless mess.
Fortunately, you have before you a handbook that will show you how to
discover
your salvation through ERIS, THE GODDESS OF CONFUSION.
It will advise you how to balance your Pineal Gland and reach spiritual
Illumination. And it will teach you how to turn your miserable mess into a
2960
beautiful, joyful, and splendid one.
POEE is a bridge from
PISCES to AQUARIUS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
the Words of the Illuminated Rated X... NATURALLY
Why are we Here ? SUPPRESSED KNOWLEDGE
Have you ever secretly HYGIENE
wondered why the Great The Lord promised: "Therefore,
Pyramid has five sides? - behold, I will bring evil upon
counting the bottom? the house of Jeroboam and will
cut off from Jeroboam him that
GRAND OPERA pisseth against the wall..."
"Wherefore my bowels shall sound -I Kings 14:10 (This
like a harp for Moab, and mine unsanitary practice caused
inner parts for Kirharesh." serious erosion of the mud
-Isaiah 16:11 walls)
Face to fact with the mighty forces and elements of nature, the thoughtful
man fearlessly contemplates his place in the great cosmic scheme.
-><- POEE -><-
YES, I'd like to know the Five Simple Actions that will turn Me into a
"Mental Wizard" in a Single Weekend.
Warning!
Prolonged use in a darkened room may induce hallucinations or trigger
undesired side effects. Should not be used in the presence of persons subject
to epilepsy.
THIS MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT GUIDE IN YOUR LIFE!
-THE GODDESS ERIS PREVAILS-
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SPECIAL AFTERWORD
to the Loompanics Edition of PRINCIPIA DISCORDIA
G.H. Hill, San Francisco, 1979
All Rites Reversed (K) Reprint What You Like
................................................................................
2961
INTERVIEW WITH NORTON CABAL
by Gypsie Skripto, Special Correspondent
It has been ten years since I net the mysterious Malaclypse the
Younger. I was free lancing for the underground papers and went to POEE Hear
Temple at 555 Battery Street to try for an interview.
I found him in the Temple PO Box busy wrapping up the new Fourth
Edition of PRINCIPIA. He seemed impatient with me, insisting that he didn't
have the time or inclination for foolish questions from reporters. Undaunted,
I burst out with questions like whether he preferred Panama Red or Acapulco
Gold and how the fuck did we manage to fit inside of a tiny post office box
and other things apropos a naive young semiliterate dropout hippy writer. He
asked me if I wanted to drop mescaline and fuck all night and said he knew
how to turn himself into a unicorn and there might be room for a tiny
interview on the cover of the PRINCIPIA if I wanted to work for the GREATER
POOP so I said sure, OK, I've never dropped mescaline in a post office box
before.
It turned out I was among the last to see Malaclypse. As subsequent
issues of GREATER POOP revealed, he was to disappear and POEE business was to
be assumed by his students at Norton Cabal. Professor Ignotum P. Ignotius,
Department of Comparative Realities, was assigned the Trust of the POEE
Scruple and Rev. Dr. Occupant became Keeper of the Box. The newly published
copies of PRINCIPIA were distributed by Mad Malik, Block Disorganizer, who
had distribution contacts with the Aluminum Bavariati. Practical relations
remained in the hands of concept artist G. Hill.
When the 1000 PRINCIPIAS were gone the GREATER POOP stopped
publishing, Head Temple closed down and the Cabal just seemed to evaporate.
Finally even the box was closed. But over the years I noticed that copies
were still circulating, and that independent Discordian Cabal would oc-
casionally pop out of nowhere (and still do ). And I would wonder what ever
happened to Malaclypse.
When I read the ILLUMINATUS trilogy I resolved to again find and
interview the denizens of Joshua Norton Cabal of the Discordian Society.
* * *
As I cabled over Nob to San Francisco's Station 'O' Post Office I
couldn't help but wonder at Goddess' hand in assigning street addresses to
Her outposts. Mal2 had told me that Good Lord Omar always filed everything
under "O" for OUT OF FILE.
"Maya is marvelous" I was thinking when I rapped on the little metal
door and was greeted warmly by a huge beard who introduced himself as
Professor Ignotius. He ushered me into a spacious wood paneled and tapestry
hung parlor where three others were laughing and passing around a wine jug.
The sunny one in a tunic was the Reverend Doctor Occupant, the trim khaki and
jeans was Mad Malik and the wine jug claimed to be Hill. I got the recorder
on....
GYPSIE SKRIPTO [in response to a question]: ...1969 but only briefly. I guess
I missed you guys.
MAD MALIK: No wonder, he was pretty much a one man show then. We were just
2962
his students and were usually off on errands. You worked for the POOP?
Gypsie: Well, for one night anyway. The interview is in the PRINCIPIA.
REV. DR. OCCUPANT: Malik was the only one he would ever let write for the
POOP or get on the letterhead.
Gypsie: Did you [Malik] have higher authority than the others?
Malik: No, [but I was allowed to speak in the POOP] because [Malaclypse the
Younger] hated politics. He was infuriated with Johnson and nixon over Viet
Nam because it was turning the renaissance into a political revolution and
was stealing his sacred thunder. So he trained me in Zenarchy, which he
learned from Omar, and I was the official anarcho-pacifist for the Cabal.
Also I was liaison to The Ancient Illuminated Seers of Bavaria, the Chicago
Discordians. Later Omar activated the Hung Mung Cong Tong and ELF, on
zenarchist principles, and also Operation Mindfuck. I was also into those.
Though at the time I was masquerading in GREATER POOP as a created cabbage to
throw off the FBI.
Gypsie [to Hill]: Since you wrote it, I take it you are an anarchist?
G.H. Hill: Since then I have given up anarchy. Too many rules-- hating the
government and all that stuff.
IGNOTUM PER IGNOTIUS: It's like hating your own fantasies.
Malik: [Anarchy] is also standing up and proceeding forward, fantasy rule or
not. The condition is the same.
Occupant: Brother needs some wine!
Malik: We have had this argument before, Reverend Doctor Brother. But wine
before platitudes, fill it up.
Gypsie [to Hill]: And pacifism?
Hill: I'm not sure I ever was one. Mal2 was not, Malik was. Personally I
accepted self defense yet I could never reconcile that with the ideal. I
finally gave up on that one too. Actually I just gave up on idealism.
Ignotius: Idealism lives with rules. Realism lives with rocks.
Hill: Yeah. I get along better with rocks.
Malik: Mal2 once told me that pacifism was a dilemma. If everybody was a
pacifist then everything would be perfect. But nobody is going to be a
pacifist unless I am first. But if I am and somebody else is not, then I get
screwed. He said that there were five choices under that circumstance. The
first was napalming farmers and the second was executing your parents. The
third was hypocrisy, the fourth was cowardice, and the fifth was to swallow
the dilemma. Zenarchists are trained in dilemma swallowing.
Occupant: So are other Erisians, like POEE.
Ignotius: That is characteristic of the Discordian perspective.
Hill: But of course training contradicts Discordian principles.
2963
Malik: Oh so what. Contradictions are nothing to Discordians.
Occupant: Dilemma, Schilmemma. [to Gypsie]: What do you think of this, pretty
ma'am? We don't get to hear your thoughts.
Gypsie: I'm reporting now, you talk.
Occupant: Later then?
Gypsie: Perhaps. Later.
Occupant: You are smiling.
Gypsie: Hey, guy, later. [to Hill]: Doesn't this leave you a little schizy?
Hill: It's OK, I'm half Gemini.
Gypsie: What's the other half?
Hill: Taurus. That makes me a stubborn schizy.
Ignotius: I'm a Whale.
Occupant: I choose Satyr.
Malik: Spirits don't have signs.
Hill: A character can have a sign if I want it so.
Occupant: Well I can have a sign if I want to and screw both of you.
Malik: Come on Greg, you just think that we are your characters....
Occupant: You were inhabited by Malaclypse the Younger. He caused you to
create roles and those roles are being performed by us spirits.
Ignotius: A perfectly normal pagan relationship.
Hill: Well you can look at it like that if you want to, but I created Mal2 to
my specifications just as I conceived all the rest of you.
Occupant: You didn't invent Eris. She caused you to think you created the
spirit of Malaclypse.
Hill: Oh bull! Besides, I changed her so much the Greeks would never
recognize her.
Occupant: That's what She wanted!
Ignotius: Deities change things around all the time.
Malik: What you don't realize is that a spirit has a self identity.
Hill: Nope. A spirit is a product of definition and the one who is doing the
defining around here is me. Your identity is what I say it is. Just to prove
it, I'm going to change your name.
SINISTER DEXTER: It's OK with me. Fate is fate. I never much liked "Mad
2964
Malik" anyway.
Ignotius: Besides people confused him with Joe Malik in ILLUMINATUS.
Dexter: I sort of enjoyed the confusion part.
Occupant: Doesn't prove anything anyway.
Gypsie: That name sounds familiar. Where is it from?
Hill: Its a name I came up with in the old days and never used it much. Its
on page 38 of the PRINCIPIA referring to Vice President Spiro Agnew. I always
thought I invented it but now it sounds like a Stan Freberg name now that I
think about it. It may have stuck in my preconscious memory from early TV.
Gypsie: Can you use it without his permission?
Hill: If it is his? I don't know. I hope so. it means "left right" in Latin
and is a perfect name for a libertarian anarchist. Actually in my kind of art
the question of what can I use freely and what can I not is a very tricky
problem.
Gypsie: How do you mean?
Hill: Well, take a collage for example. Like the early one on page 36 of the
PRINCIPIA. Each little piece was extracted from some larger work created by
some other artist and published and maybe copyrighted. I find them in
newspapers and magazines mostly. Often from ads. With a collage you select
and extract from your environment and then assemble into an original
relationship.
The PRINCIPIA itself is a collage. A conceptual collage. All of it happens
simultaneously. But visually it is a montage, passing through time, like a
book does.
There is a lot of pirated stuff in the PRINCIPIA, especially in the margins.
But also I sympathize with artists who must own and sell their works to earn
a living. Art, like knowledge, should be free fodder for everyone. But it
isn't It is perplexing.
Gypsie: Where did all the things in PRINCIPIA come from?
Hill: Well, a full answer would take another book in itself. Most of the
writing credited to a name is a true person and almost always a different
name means a different person. Most of the non-credited, you know, Malaclyps-
e, text is mine although some things credited to either Mal2 or Omar were
actually co-written and passed back and forth and rewritten by each of us.
The marginalia, dingbats, and pasted in titles and heads and things came from
wherever I found them--some of which is original but uncredited Discordian
output, like the page head on 12 and other pages which is from a series of
satiric memo pads from Our Peoples Underworld Cabal. All page layout is mine
and some whole graphics like the Sacred Chao and the Hodge Podge Transformer
are mine but mostly I just found stuff and integrated it. Mostly I did
concept, say 50% of the writing, 10% of the graphics, all of the layout.
Gypsie: Specifically, what are some of the sources?
Hill: Weel, the poem on the front cover is by Walt Kelly and was spoken by
2965
one of his characters in Pogo. The government seals starting from page 1 are
from a book of sample seals from the U.S. Government Printing Office. Western
Union on page 6 got into the act because I used to be a teletype operator and
had access to blank forms. Rubber stamps came from all over the place and
some, like the apple on page 27, I carved myself. A few I ordered to my
specification, like on page 1. The quote on the top of page 8 might be from
Barnum, I'm not sure. The jumping man on page 12 is from an advertisement. I
recognize the style--a popular commercial artist-- but I don't know his name.
The Chinese on the page is a grocery ad, I think. The Norton money on page 14
is historic,plus my little additions. The apple on page 17,as well as the
triangle on 23 and the Sacred Chao on 50 are, believe it or not, pasteups of
mimeographs, from Seattle Cabal. That group produced the best damn mimeog-
raphy I've ever seen. The Lick Here Box on page 23 is one of many tidbits
making the rounds in alternative/underground newspapers in those days. Trip
5 page header on 29 was a chapter title in one of Tim Leary's books. The
Knight on the bull with the TV antenna on his helmet on page 46 came from a
very artistic magazine called Horseshit and put out by two brothers from Long
Beach. I don't remember their names. Wonderful magazine.
Occupant: Eris told Mal2 what to use and where to find it.
Hill: Yeah, in a way that is right. That is why my name does not appear
anywhere on the PRINCIPIA and why it was published with a broken
copyright--Reprint What You Like. I knew I was taking liberties and didn't
want my intentions to be misunderstood. It was an experiment and was intended
to be an underground work and that involves a different set of ethics than
commercial work.
Gypsie: There are no real names at all?
Hall: Oh, some. Camden Benares is a real name because he legally changed his
original name to his Holy Name. Also, instead of using Mordecai Malignatus I
used Bob Wilson's real name on page 12 because Werewolf Bridge was a work
before Discordianism. And of course real people like Neils Bohr crop up in
quotes.
Gypsie: What do you think about the PRINCIPIA now? Would you want to change
it?
Hill: I consider it a successful work and I wouldn't want to change it. In
some ways it is immature and I am not the same person I was 10 years ago, but
it accomplished the objectives I set for myself and it has the effect I
wanted it to have. There are a few errors though.
Gypsie: Like what?
Hill: Oh, I changed a quote from Tom Gnostic on page 61 and I don't think he
ever did forgive me for it. He's right. Starbuck's Pebbles should have been
preceded by the Myth of Starbuck which was being saved for something else and
never got used. I should have used it when I had the chance. And then Eris
did a neat little trick on me by having IBM make the Greek selectric
typewriter element not coincide with all the characters on their keyboard. So
the little "kallisti" that appears on the title page and lastly on the back
cover came out "kallixti" and I was too dumb to know the difference.
Gypsie: Will there ever be a Fifth Edition?
Hill: There already is a Fifth Edition, by Mal2. It is a one page telegram
2966
that reduces everything to an infinite aum. I found it at Western Union where
a machine got stuck and kicked out hundreds of pages of nothing but m's. He
made it the Fifth Edition and then left.
Principia/Malaclypse was a very personal work for me and actually took 10
years to culminate. it was one single statement that included my adolescence
in the 50's and my young adulthood in the 60's. When I finally had the
paste-ups done I knew that I had finished it. That is why, quote, Malaclypse
left. I knew it was finished. I didn't know exactly what it was, but it was
done.
Occupant: See?
Gypsie: Earlier you said that you met your objectives. Just what were those
objectives?
Hill: Well, that's hard to answer because it kept refining itself over the
years. In 1969 I mainly though of myself as a cosmic clown and I set out to
prove, by demonstration, that a deity can be anything at all.
In other words, people invent gods and not the other way around. Later I
decided that I was doing some kind of conceptual art.
In the 50's my culture taught me that I was created by and for a deity, a
specific male deity, and that all other deities are FALSE. Yet my growing
experience showed me that any deity is true in some sense and false in some
other sense. So I set out to do what my society told me is impossible--make
a real religion from a patently absurd deity.
In the 50's a female deity was blasphemy. In the 70's a humorous deity is
still considered impossible, ridiculous, and blasphemous. As far as I'm
concerned, I have proven my point. Eris is a real deity and even though I
don't promote Erisianism as a serious religion....
Occupant: I do!
Dexter: You speak for yourself.
Ignotius: Here, here.
Hill: ...I do point out that it makes just as much sense from its own
perspective as all the others do from each of their own perspectives.
Occupant: I think paganism is a valid spiritual path. I encourage Erisianism
because it makes fun of itself. i think this is healthy.
Ignotius: If you can live rewardingly with Goddess Eris you can live with any
deity, including none at all.
Dexter: I don't much go for the worship business but I argee with Occupant
about the spirit of the thing. We live in a time of turmoil, the whole planet
is in a state of change. If we, as a species, cower from the confusion then
we die with the dying. This is revolution.
Ignotius: I am an athiest myself. There is no Greg Hill.
[laughter]
2967
Gypsie [to Hill] : What do you think of ILLUMINATUS?
Hill: Oh, I love it. I was finishing PRINCIPIA when Shea and Wilson were
working on ILLUMINATUS. It took Dell five years to publish it...maybe that is
significant. The 1969 Discordian Society was a mail network between
independent writers of various kinds. Norton Cabal was just me and my
characters and I used the other Cabals as sort of a laboratory. In return
other Discordians would bounce their stuff off of me. We would toss in ideas
and anybody could take anything out. It was a concept stew. The exchanging of
ideas and techniques broadened and encouraged all of us.
I like ILLUMINATUS for the surrealism. A very effective method of writing.
Ignotius: I got misquoted. Worse, I wasn't even in that scene and if I had
been then I would have said something else.
Dexter [to Ignotius]: That was me in that scene.
Ignotius: Oh, is that what that was?
Dexter: He got our names mixed up.
Hill: He got mixed up about me too, in COSMIC TRIGGER. Bob says that when
Oswald was buying the assassination rifle, my girlfriend was printing the
first edition of PRINCIPIA on Jim Garrison's Xerox. It wasn't my girlfriend,
it was Kerry's; it wasn't the FIRST ED PRINCIPIA, it was some earlier
Discordian thought; it wasn't Garrison's Xerox, it was his mimeograph; and it
wasn't just before Kennedy was shot but a couple of years before that.*
The FIRST ED PRINCIPIA, by the way, was reproduced at Xerox Corp when
xerography was a new technology Gypsie. Which was my second New Orleans trip
in 1965. I worked for a guy on Bourbon Street who was a Xerox salesman by
day.
Dexter: I think that George Dorn took too much guff from Hagbard. If someone
pulls a weapon on me, I'm more inclined to either leave or kill the
sonofabitch.
Occupant: You are supposed to be a pacifist.
Dexter: I'm speaking figuratively of course. I'll tell you more tomorrow.
Gypsie [to Hill]: Did you really translate erotic Etruscan poetry?
Hill: Sure, but I used a pen name. I signed it "Robert Anton Wilson".
[A quick rap is heard on the door]
Gypsie: I have only one question left...
Dexter: I'll get it.
Gypsie: ...what I really want to know is how can we all fit inside of a tiny
little post office box?
Dexter[to Gypsie]:It's a telegram for you, from Mal2.
Gypsie: To me?
2968
[Paper tearing]
Gypsie [reading]: "If I told everybody how they could live inside of a post
office box then everybody would stop paying landlords and go live inside
their post office boxes. It would collapse the building! Can you imagine,
post offices collapsing all over the country, the hemisphere, the PLANET! The
whole world's communication system would be destroyed. No,no, I must not say.
I dare not!
-------------
* I checked this further with Mr. Thornley. He says that the woman in
question was not his girlfriend, she was just a friend, and it wasn't a
couple of years before Kennedy was shot but had to be a couple of years after
(but before Garrison investigated Thornley). --GS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
................................................................................
2969
{file "Handfasting (CAW)" "bos629.htm"}
RITE OF HANDFASTING
Joy and Tom Williams
April 16, 1994 ce
MUSIC :
Beltane Wedding Dance by Gwidion. -- While Circle forms, those entering
are smudged by ASSISTANTS standing on both sides of SOUTH side of circle.
HP and/or HPS:
explain for non-Pagans the idea of Handfasting, why a circle
instead of pews, etc.
CIRCLE CASTING (HPS casts circle followed by FLOWER MAIDEN strewing
petals):
We cast the circle of ancient lore;
Waves upon a timeless shore.
With no begninning, nor an end;
It always knows a foe from friend.
Oroboros, of legends old;
Rings of power, forged in gold.
Circle of Life, ring of stones;
Cycle of creation, birth to bones.
A ring around the silv'ry Moon;
We cast you now, o ancient rune!
QUARTERS:
(CRYSTAL BEARER takes crystal from altar and gives it to the EAST quarter
caller. Caller invokes power holding up CRYSTAL. When done, the caller
hands CRYSTAL back to bearer who takes it to the next quarter. After
NORTH, bearer places CRYSTAL back on altar.)
EAST:
I call the Eastern powers of air,
You whose breath of life we share,
Bring understanding, kindness, care,
And loving words, both clear and fair,
Come bless this day our rite of love,
As below then so above.
SOUTH:
I call the Southern powers of fire,
Whose light doth stir the poet's lyre,
With love's bright spark our hearts inspire,
Bring passion's flame, bring sweet desire,
Come bless this day our rite of love,
As below then so above.
WEST:
Oh powers of the Western sea,
Oh water's flowing unity,
Bring feeling, warmth and empathy,
That all our lives may blessed be,
Come bless this day our rite of love,
As below then so above.
2970
NORTH:
Oh Northern powers of living Earth,
Charge our souls from death to birth,
On solid ground of rock and loam,
Bring forth our food and build our home,
Come bless this day our rite of love,
As below then so above.
GODDESS INVOCATION (HP)
Laughter-loving Aphrodite!
Venus Amathusia!
Come to me with laughing breast,
Come on waves with golden crest,
Come with doves and golden light,
Drawn by swans and sparrows bright.
Alight! Alight!
I am thy man, I am thy mate!
Receive me til our storm abate!
Thy green glades echo with my calls,
Come to me from emerald halls,
Flanked by maidens winding there,
Rose and mytle in thy golden hair,
Come to me! to me! to me!
And mate with me upon the grass,
Laughing, lusty, oh ravishing lass!
Our bodies arch and strain and twine,
I am thine and thou art mine!
Come from heavens of azure hue,
Ocean born and ever new,
Pulsing, laughing, yearning straining,
Pleasure, lust, all life containing,
Race with me through glades of green,
Exalting, loving, oh rapturous queen!
To me! to me!
Oh come to me!
And enter, merge, enfold, unite!
Suffuse desire with golden light!
Never sated in eons of time,
I am thine and thou art mine!
GOD INVOCATION (HPS)
Oh horned one, goat-foot,
Great God Pan!
Come to me with eyes of fire,
And with thy pipes awake desire,
Come with wild and lustful grin,
Herald of your flame within,
Io Pan! Io Pan!
Io Pan, Pan, Pan!
Shout to me from scented wood,
The call of all that's wild and good,
Come to me with shaggy thighs,
And let the hills return our cries,
Come with satyrs bearing wine,
I am thine and thou art mine!
Come with joyous lusty laugh,
Come with swollen ruddy staff,
Race with me thorugh halls of green,
Thou art my God and I your Queen,
2971
And spend with me a tender hour,
Making love within my bower,
To me! To me!
Oh come to me!
And come oh God of stream and wood,
Oh God of life and all that's good,
Never sated in eons of time,
I am thine and thou art mine!
HPS:
And by your rites of sacred marriage I inoke ye:
Shiva and Parvati
Jove and Juno
Dagda and Boyne
Odin and Freya
HP:
And by your sacred rites of marriage I invoke ye:
Persephone and Hades
Nuit and Geb
Rhiannon and Pwyll
Ishtar and Tammuz
HP & HPS: Blessed Be!
ALL: Blessed Be
HP:
Our work today is a happy one. We are gathered in the presence of
the deities of the fruitful trees, the flowing waters, the warming sun
and the
siging air, and in the sight of the Goddes of our Blessed Earth to celebrate
the joining of our two dear friends Joy and Tom, in union by the fasting of
their hands by ancient rite.
HPS (holding up CORD):
This is the cord of handfasting. It will tie Tom and Joy together with
bonds of love. For such bonds to be strong they need support -- the
support of the lovers themselves, the support of the Gods and the support
of a community of family and friends. we ask now that each of you give
your support, letting it flow as loving strength into the cord as it is
passed around the circle.
ALL SING:
Love is a River (as CORD is passed around circle)
HPs (to assistants):
Now open the circle, cut wide the gate, for two are coming who would be
made one!
ASSISTANTS:
(Open gate at SOUTH and stand at each side as couple enters..They then
take BROOM from altar and lay it across the gate, remaining there with
the circle joined together again.)
(HP: Rings bell three times. Processional, Spring Strathsprey by Gwydion,
vocal)
(Couple walk hand-in-hand deosil around the inside of the circle. After a
2972
full turn around the circle, GROOM stops in the WEST while BRIDE
continues
on around to the EAST, at which point they both approach the altar from
opposite directions.)
(Music ends when all are in place, or the song is ended.)
HPS:
Brothers and sisters, the Bride comes from the heart of the dawn, and
the Bridegroom from the sunset. There is a wedding in the valley; a day
too
vast for recording! There is magic to be done here; the magic of Love!
HP:
You have come together in this sacred grove to stand in the presence
of our Lady of Love and our Lord of Lust, that they may bestow upon you
their bountiful blessings of everlasting love and devotion through the
sacred
rite of handfasting. This is a bond not to be entered into lightly, but
with
seriousness, reverence, and joy.
HPS:
Is it your intention, Tom, to be wed to Joy in the sight of the gods and
of these people? to be tied to her in giving, in dreams, and in
intentions, and
to vow to her your love and commitment?
GROOM: (answers)
HPS:
Have you considered the gavity of your commitment?
GROOM: (answers)
HPs:
Have you considered the levity of your commitment?
GROOM: (answers)
HP:
Is it your intention, Joy, to be wed to Tom in the sight of the Gods
and of these people? to be tied to him in giving, in dreams, and in
intentions, and to vow to her your love and commitment?
BRIDE: (answers)
HP:
Have you considered the gavity of your commitment?
BRIDE: (answers)
HP:
Have you considered the levity of your commitment?
BRIDE: (answers)
................................................................................
2973
HPS (facing BRIDE and holding up PENTACLE):
Joy,
Thou shalt be the star that rises from the twilight sea
Thou shalt bring a man dreams to rule his destiny
Thou shalt bring the moon-tides to the soul of a man
The tides that flow and ebb, and flow again,
The magic that moves in the moon and the sea;
These are thy secret, and they belong to thee.
Thou art the Eternal Woman, thou art She,
The tides of all men's souls belong to thee.
Danu in heaven, on Earth, Persephone,
Diana of the Moon and Hecate,
Veiled Isis, Aphrodite from the sea,
All these thou art, and they are seen in thee.
HP (facing GROOM and holding WAND):
Tom,
All wild creatures hear thy call upon the haunted wind.
Within thy soul the Horned One returns to Earth again.
Together you shall manifest the magick of the man
And falcons soar from out the sky to perch upon thy hand.
The serpent's wisdom thou shalt learn from tip of forked tongue.
The fleetness of the white stag's flight in starlight or in sun.
Lord of Light and Lord of Shadow; keeper of the key
Which unlocks the door of dreams, whereby men come to thee.
Cernunnos, Tammuz, Horus, Pan; by name we set thee free!
0, Shepherd of the wild woodland, may thou be one with he!
(HP turns to HPS holding WAND. HPS picks up CHALICE and ATHAME;
anoints with water, touches to flower petals; censes; then places over
WAND. The HP & HPS hold WAND aloft between them.)
HPS:
Above you are the stars, below you are the stones.
As time passes, remember...
Like a star should your love be constant,
Like the earth should your love be firm.
Possess one another, yet be understanding.
Have patience each with the other,
For storms will come, but they will go quickly.
Be free in giving of affection and of warmth;
Make love often, and be sensuous to one another.
Have no fear, and let not the ways or words of the unenlightened give
you unease.
For the old gods are with you,
Now and always!
HP (holding wand):
Is it your wish, Joy, to become one with this man?
BRIDE: (answers)
HP:
Then give him your vow.
................................................................................
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BRIDE:
I, Joy wed you, Tom and pledge to build with you a place of
love, nourishment and happiness within our hearts and within our home.
I pledge you love, honor and trust. love, both soft and tender
and love suffused with passion and playfulness; love which will honor your
inner deity, endure hardship and nurture honesty, trust and devotion.
I pledge to support and cherish your growth in the human
adventure; to explore with you the wonders of life; to hold you in my love
when you are ill or sad and to nurture your healing, growth, development and
actualization. As you evolve so shall I for we are as one and reflect one
another.
I promise to create a home with you that shall be a haven for us
both, a place of welcome for family, friends and lovers and a place of
comfort in times of sorrow. I promise to love, honor, protect and nourish
you as long as we both shall live
HPS:
Is it your wish, Tom, to become one with this woman?
GROOM: (answers)
HPS:
Then give her your vow.
GROOM
: I, Tom wed you, Joy and pledge to build with you a place of
love, nourishment and happiness within our hearts and within our home.
I pledge you love, honor and trust. love, both soft and tender
and
love suffused with passion and playfulness; love which will honor your inner
deity, endure hardship and nurture honesty, trust and devotion.
I pledge to support and cherish your growth in the human
adventure;
to explore with you the wonders of life; to hold you in my love when you
are ill or sad and to nurture your healing, growth, development and
actualization. As you evolve so shall I for we are as one and reflect one
another.
I promise to create a home with you that shall be a haven for us
both,
a place of welcome for family, friends and lovers, and a place of comfort in
times of
sorrow. I promise to love, honor, protect and nourish you as long as we
both shall live.
HP:
Does any say nay?
GROOM:
Then we are happy, but we would yet ask the blessing of the
May Queen on our union.
BRIDE:
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Oh Queen of the May, we ask your blessing on our union and
on our connection with this land which is our home upon the Earth.
MAY QUEEN:
As you marry, take my blessing and the blessing of our Mother Earth that
you may live long within Her breast and flourish in Her abundance.
(Takes cord from the altar and hands it to HP and HPS) I bid you bind
them in love with my blessing,
HP & HPS (tying the hands of bride and groom together with the cord):
This day you marry your friend, the one you love, laugh with, live for,
dream with.
HP (handing ATHAME to GROOM):
This knife is for the troubles that lie ahead.
HPS (handing CHALICE to BRIDE):
This cup is for the love that conquers them.
GROOM (holding up ATHAME):
I bring the energy of yang, active, bright, logical and hard. I bid you
blend these energies with yours to make us whole and keep this token on
the altar of our love.
BRIDE (holding up CHALICE):
I bring the energy of yin, dark, intuitive, flowing and soft. I bid you
blend these energies with yours and make us whole and keep this token on
the altar of our love.
(GROOM dips ATHAME into CHALICE)
HP:
Yin and yang, male and female, light and dark. neither may stand
alone, but out of their eternal interplay the universe is born. So it is
above
and so it is here below.
HP:
Now share you the water of life, the blood of the sacred Goddess our
Mother Earth, water that binds us and all living things to her body.
(BRIDE and GROOM share water and kiss)
HP:
Out of the billions of the Earth, these two have come, have looked
into each other's eyes, and are now made one. Their ways have converged
and shall now be together. In our deepest being we hope that their path
may
be pleasant and the sky fair where they reside. But if trouble comes, as
it
can surely come to all, may the pressure of the trial only bring them
more
closely together. With clasped hands and united hearts, may they bear
life's
sorrows together and share life's joys together.
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(BRIDE pours libation and speaks however she is moved, then hands
CHALICE to GROOM, who sips, libates and passes cup to HPS, who sips,
libates and passes CHALICE to HP. COUPLE then moves around the circle
deosil greeting guests while chant is sung: I am the Heart and the Soul
of
Creation, then return to altar.)
HPS (gives Navajo Wedding Blessing):
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be the shelter to the other.
Now you will feel no cold, for each of you shall be the warmth to the other.
Now there is no more loneliness for you.
Now there is no more loneliness.
Now you are two bodies, but there is only one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your togetherness.
And may your days be good and long upon this Earth.
(GROOM thanks guests and invites them to the feast.)
(ASSISTANTS open the gate in SOUTH where the BROOM has been lying and
hold the broom a LITTLE off the ground. HP and HPS: lead the chant: JUMP
THE BROOM! as COUPLE runs around the circle and jumps the BROOM on the
way out.)
HP & HPS (Stand on opposite sides of altar, raising arms):
We thank you Gods and Goddesses of the Sacred Marriage for
attending and blessing this, our rite of life and love. We bid you now,
Hail
and Farewell!
ALL: Hail and Farewell!
HP:
Oh mighty Lord of life and death, whose hooves dance upon the altrar
of Time and whose pipes play the song of Never-Ending, we thank You for
Your blessing and bid You now Hail and Farewell!
ALL: Hail and Farewell!
HPS:
Oh gracious Goddess, Queen of love and birth whose body is the
green and flowering Earth and the dust at whose feet are the stars of
heaven, we thank You for Your blessing and bid You now Hail and Farewell!
QUARTER CALLERS:
We thank you now, oh powers of Earth (Water, Fire, Air)
HPS:
All from air into air, let the misty curtain part.
All is ended, all is done
What has been must now be gone!
What is done by ancient art
Must merry meet and merry part!
AND MERRY MEET AGAIN!
Well, there it is. It was beautiful. And so smooth. Hope you all
enjoyed it. Tom wrote the invocation to Pan and Aphrodite. If you want
2977
to use it though would expect people to ask permission to use it, since
it is copyright protected in the Green Egg.
Anyway, this is a guide, and it is OUR h-fasting. People can use it as a
guide, but it is much more magickal if you create your own.
Thou art Goddess!
Joy Williams
--
................................................................................
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{file "Beltane Ritual (ADF)" "bos630.htm"}
SHADOW WEAVER GROVE ADF
BELTANE RITUAL 5/5/1990
This is a transcription of the original planned ritual for Beltane forthe
Shadow Weaver Grove, transcribed with permission by Joseph Tellerof the
Wonderland BBS 508-663-6220 WWIVNet Node 5803 for distributionto the Pagan
Community at large. Shadow Weaver Grove can also bewritten to via Surface
mail at : PO Box 5451, Billerica MA 01821.Distribution for non-commercial use
of this document is granted, solong as the wording and information contained
herein remains unchangedin the process of distribution.
___________________________________________________________________________
I. Starting the Ritual
A) Processional : (starting Chant \{Ku-Wa-Te\})
To enter the circle each person must pass through four "gates"
representing each of the Three Worlds (Land, Sea & Sky) and Fire. Each person
steps to the first Gate Keeper and is asked: "What do you ask of the Gate of
Earth (Sea) (Air)?" AN answer is given or left unspoken, and the person is
marked by the Guardian (with mud, water and brush of a feather) and proceeds
to the next Gate and is questioned again. The Guardian of the last Gate,
Fire, smudges the person before they enter the circle. When everyone is in
the circle, the chant continues ("Ku-Wa-Te") as the Gatekeepers come into the
circle and prepare themselves.
B) Statement of Purpose :
We are here tonight to honor the Goddess Danu, called the Earth-mother
and to honor the God Belemos, Called the Sun King. We honor them and ask them
to bless us and rekindle the warmth of the world.
C) Centering Meditation:
Group meditation and collective consciousness: All present are brought
together with a group meditation, to form a "group-mind"; to help everyone
center and bring themselves together to work in accord.
D) Earth Mother Invocation :
Oh Earth-Mother
We praise thee
That seed springeth
That flower openeth
That grass groweth
We praise thee
For winds that whisper
Through the shining Birch
Through the lively Pines
Through the mighty Oak
We praise thee
For all things
Oh Earth-Mother who gives lifeII.
The Active Ritual
Invocation of Ogma the Gate Keeper or Mannanon in English:
(Visualization is a triangle shaped iris opening)
Gate Keeper of Fire:
O Ogma, Lord of the Gates, Lord of Knowledge, open the ways for us
O Mannanon, master of the realm beyond the seas, grant us passage to your
kingdom.
O great God of knowledge, we wish to walk your roads.
Reveal to us your teachings, reveal to us the safe path.
Come wash the nighttime clean;
Come Close the gap of darkness in between.
We praise you for the brightness of your power.
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We praise you for the gift of knowledge.
Guide us to the place we seek.
Walk with us Ogma!
Walk with us Mannanon!
CHANT: We invoke thee Ogma, opener of every Gate
We invoke Mannanon, opener of every Gate.
You shall reach us, You shall teach us and reveal our fate.
You shall reach us, You shall teach us and reveal our fate.
B) Consecration of the Waters:
[After each cup is consecrated it is passed around the members of
the circle so that each may drink from it. When the cup returns to the start
the remaining liquid is spilled unto the Earth or into the fire. Contents may
be spring water, or an alcholic brew if alcohol it is preferred to have been
brewed by a member of the Grove.]
Druid of the Gate of Land:
Spirits of nature, of the trees and rocks, of the animals and Earth,
give us your favor and your companionship, share with us the bond of spirit
and of life on Earth. Remember us and speak to us in our hearts. Give us your
teachings and laughter, become one amoung us here tonight, Consecrate these
waters. Behold the Waters of Life!
\{All Chant "Fur and Feather"\}
Druid of the Gate of Sea:
Ancestors of Long ago, be with us, give us your favor and your
wisdom, share with us the bond of kinship and of life upon Earth.
Remember us and speak to us in our hearts. Give us your knowledge and your
blessing, become one with us here tonight; Consecrate these waters.
Behold The Waters of Life! \{All Chant "Blood of the Ancients")
Druid of the Gate of Sky:
Gods and Goddesses, be with us, give us your favor and blessings,
share with us the bonding essance and our existence upon your sphere of life.
Remember us and speak to us in our hearts. give us your strength and your
peace, become one amoung us here tonight. Consecrate these waters.
Behold the Waters of Life! \{All Chant "Mother I feel you"\}
C) Individual Offerings and prayers:
At this point, all present that wish to may make an offering or
offer prayers. If anyone has an offering or a prayer they would like to make
they step forward and do so, individual offerings to particular patrons or
spirit helpers are done at this time.
D) Sacrifice with the Willow Branch:
Gate keeper of fire makes a final offering of a willow branch, to send
the energy to the deities of the occasion. It is sacrificed into the central
bonfire.
Gate Keeper of Fire:
Our praise goes up with thee on the wings of eagles; our voices are
carried up to thee on the shoulders of the wonds. hear now O Belemos, O Danu,
we pray thee, as we offer up this sacrifice of life. Accept it we pray thee,
and cleanse our hearts, giving to us of your peace and life.
E) Divination :
A scrying is done with crystal/flame, to find if the gods have
accepted our prayers and will be with us. If the omen is bad, offerings are
made again. If they are rejected thrice, the circle is broken immediately and
the ritual ended.
F) The Fourth Consecration:
Here the wards are set to protect us during the magic working.
2980
Druid #1 (Fire):
We greet you, Brother Wabun, Golden Eagle of the East. We ask that you
watch over us this night, and share with us your wisdom, Let your keen vision
guide us over the obstacles before us. We greet you, Brother Shawnodese,
Guardian of the South, great Coyote. We ask that you walk with us this night,
and guide us as we walk this path of learning. We greet you, Waboose, White
Buffalo Woman of the North, Grace us with your company, and walk with us
night as we seek the wisdom that surrounds us. We greet you, brother
Mudjekeewis, Great Bear of the West. Walk with us this night and aid us in
our journey to wisdom. At this time, would each of you please meditate on
your personal needs and desires.
G) Induction of Receptivity : (Litany of the Waters)
[D1 can be Guardian of Fire, D2 can be the Group response. If the group
doesn't know the responses one of the other guardians should lead them into
them]
D1: Of what does the Earth-Mother give, that we may know of the
continual flow and renewal of life?
D2: The waters of Life.
D1: From whence do these waters flow?
D2: From the bosom of the Earth-Mother,the ever changing All-Mother
D1: And how do we honor this gift that causes life?
D2: By partaking of the waters of life.
D1: Has the Earth-Mother given forth her bounty?
D2: She has
D1: Then give me the waters!
Final consecration and sharing: A fourth cup is consecrated.
O Belemos, O Danu, hear us and answer us! Hallow these waters! We
your children have praised you, and now we ask from you healing, blessing,
power and inspiration...Behold the waters of life!
\{Passing chant: "Ku-Wa-Te"\}
III. The Work of The Circle
A) The Magic Working:
Tonight we pray for the prosperity of all those here. May our fortunes
increase, may the Goddess and God smail on our endeavors and bring us good
luck in all that we do.
We ask that you bless these small tokens of our wishes, and grant us the
success that we ask for. \{Here a small basket with a crystal and appropriate
symbols of general prosperity were passed around so that all might add
energy to it\}
B) Affirmation of Success:
D1: Belemos and Danu have Blessed us!
D2: Every time we invoke them, they become stronger and more
alert to the needs of their people.
D1: With joy in our hearts let us return to the realm of mortals to do
the will of the Gods and our own.
D2: Yet, before we leave, we must give thanks to those whome we have
invited here today.
IV. Closing:
A) Thanking and closing of the Quaters:
We thank you, Brother Wabun, Golden Eagle of the East. You have watched
over us this night, and shared with us your wisdom, Your keen vision has
shown us the ostacles before us. We ask you, go in peace, as you came in
peace. So we may walk together again. We thank you, Brother Shawnodese,
Guardian of the South, great Coyote. Once again your lessons have helped us,
and shown us the truth in ourselves. We ask you, go in peace, as you came in
2981
peace, So we may walk together again. We thank you, Waboose, White Buffalo of
the North. You have graced us with your company, and walked with us this
night. You have helped us see the wisdom that surrounds us. We ask you, go
in peace, as you came in peace. So we may walk together again. We thank
you Brother Mudjekeewis, Great Bear of the West. You have shown us your power
and kept us safe in our journey to wisdom. We ask you, go in peace, as you
came in peace, so we may walk together again.
B) Thanking of the Gods and Goddess:
Gods and Goddesses of the old times, spirits of the old times and
of this place, people of the old times and of our ancestors, our kindred we
thank you.
C) Closing the Gate:
Gate Keeper of Fire :
O Ogma, Lord of the Gates, Lord of KNowledge, we thank you. O Mhannon,
we thank you. Now let the Gates between the Worlds be closed!
D) Return from the group-mind, grounding and centering.
Reverse the Tree Meditation.
Relaxing of the Grove's Wards.
Libation:
D1: To thee we retrun this portion of thy bounty, O Danu our Mother,
even as we must someday return unto thee.
D2: We have finished this ceremony.
D1: So be it!
ALL: Biodh se!
___________________________________________________________________________
CHANTS USED DURING RITUAL:
\{Ku-Wa-Te\}
Ku-Wa-Te Lay-no Lay-no Ma-ho-teHi-ano, Hi-ano, Hi-anoKu-Wa-Te Lay-no
Ma-ho-teHi-ano, Hi-ano, Hi-ano We are one with the infinite sun Forever,
Forever, ForeverWe are one with the Infinite Sun Forever, Forever, Forever.
\{Mother Nature Waits\}
Mother Earth provides Mother Earth Provides Mother Earth Provides all for us
to surviveMother Earth Provides Mother Nature Waits Mother Nature Waits Beca-
use life never ends, she always begins again Mother Nature waits.
\{Hoof and Horn\}
Hoof and horn, Hoof and hornAll that dies shall be reborn.Corn and Grain,
corn and grainAll that falls shall rise again.
\{Blood of the Ancients\}
It's the blood of the AncientsThat runs through our veinsAnd the forms
pass,But the Circle of life remains.
\{Fur and Feather\}
Fur and Feather and scale and skin
Different without but the same within
Great of body but one of soul
Through all creatures are the Gods made Whole
\{Mother I feel You\}
Mother I feel you under my feet
Mother I feel your heart beat
Mother I feel your heart beat
Father I see you where the eagle flies
Spirit gonna carry me higher and higher
Spirit gonna carry me higher and higher
________________________________________________________________________
................................................................................
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{file "Brigit of the Celts (Unknown)" "bos631.htm"}
BRIGIT OF THE CELTS
-------------------
Brigit was one of the great Triple Goddesses of the Celtic people.
She appeared as Brigit to the Irish, Brigantia in Northern England,
Bride in Scotland, and Brigandu in Brittany. Many legends are told
about Brigit. Some say that there are three Brigits : one sister in
charge of poetry and inspiration who invented the Ogham alphabet,
one in charge of healing and midwifery, and the third in charge of the
hearth fire, smithies and other crafts. This catually indicates the
seperate aspects of her Threefold nature and is a neat division of
labor for a hard-working goddess.
Brigit was probably originally a Sun Goddess, and a charming story
of her birth is that she was born at sunrise and a tower of flame
burst from the forehead of the new born Goddess that reached from
Earth to Heaven. It was likely She who inspired the line in the famous
Song of Amergin: "I am a fire in the head." Her penchant for smithcraft
led to her association by the Romans with Minerva/Athena. As a warrior
Goddess, She favored the use of the spear or the arrow. Indeed, various
interpetations of her name exist including, "Bright Arrow," "The Bright
One," "the Powerful One" and "The High One," depending upon the region
and the dialect.
As a Goddess of herbalism, midwifery and healing She was in charge
of Water as well as Fire. I don't beleive that anyone has ever
counted all teh vast number of sacred wells and springs named after
or dedicated to this Goddess. A story is told of how two lepers came
to one of her sacred springs for healing and She instructed one Leper
to wash the other. The skin of the freshly bathed man was cleansed
of the disease and Brigit told the man who was healed to wash the man
who had bathed him so that both men would be whole. The man who was
healed was now too disgusted to touch the other Leper and would have
left him, but Brigit herself washed the leper and struck down the
other arrogant fellow with leperousy once more before he could leave.
Offerings to the watery Brigit were cast into the well in the form
of coins or, even more ancient, brass or gold rings. Other sacrifices
were offered where three streams came together. Her cauldron of
Inspiration connected her watery healing aspect with her fiery poetic
aspect.
Brigit is clearly the best example of the survival of a Goddess
into Christian times. She was cannonized by the Catholic church as
St. Brigit and various origins are given to this saint. The most
popular folktale is that She was midwife to the Virgin Mary, and thus
was always inviked by women in labor. The more official story was
that She was a Druid's daughter who predicted the coming of
Christianity and then was baptised by St. Patrick. She became a nun
and later an abbess who founded the Abbey at Kildare. The Christian
Brigit was said to have had the power to appoint the bishops of her
area, a strange role for an abbess, made stranger by her requirement
that her bishops also be practicing goldsmiths.
Actually, the Goddess Brigit had always kept a shrine at Kildare,
Ireland, with a perpetual flame tended by nineteen virgin priestesses
called Daughters of the Flame. No male was ever allowed to come near
it; nor did those women ever consort with men. Even their food and
other supplies were brought to them by women of the nearby village.
When Catholicism took over in Ireland, the shrine became a convent
and the priestesses became nuns but the same traditions were held
and the eternal flame was kept burning. Their tradition was that
each day a different priestess/nun was in charge of the sacred fire
and on the 20th day of each cycle, teh fire was miraculously tended
2983
by Brigit Herself. There into the 18th century, the ancient song
was sung to her : "Brigit, excellant woman, sudden flame, may the
bright fiery sun take us to the lasting kingdom."
For over a thousand years, the sacred flame was tended by nuns,
and no one knows how long before that it had been tended by the
priestesses. In 1220 CE, a Bishop became angered by the no-males
policy of the Abbey of St. Brigit of Kildare. He insisted that nuns
were subordinate to priests and therefore must open their abbey
and submit themselves to inspection by a priest. When they refused
and asked for another Abbess or other female official to perform
any inspections, the Bishop was incensed. He admonished them to
obediance and then decreed that teh keeping of the eternal flame
was a Pagan custom and 6rdered the sacred flame to be extinguished.
Even then, She remained the most poular Irish saint along with
Patrick. In the 1960's, under Vatican II modernization, it was
declared that there was insufficient proof of Brigit's sanctity
or even of her historical existance, and so teh Church's gradual
pogrom against Brigit was successful at last and She was thus
decanonized. It is very difficult to obtain images or even holy
cards of ST. Brigit outside of Ireland anymore.
Her festival is held on Febuary 1st or 2nd. It corresponds to
the ancient Celtic fire festival of Imbolc or Oimelc which
celebrated the birthing and freshening of sheep and goats (it really
is a Feast of Milk). This festival was Christianized as Candlemas
or Lady Day and Her Feast day, La Feill Bhride, was attended by
tremendous local celebration and elaborate rituals. Her festival
is also called Brigit. Brigit (the Goddess and the Festival)
represents the stirring of life again after the dead months of the
winter, and her special blessings are called forth at this time.
Since She was booted out of teh Church for being Pagan, it is
incumbant upon us Pagans to restore Her worship to its former glory
especially those of us of Celtic ancestory. Here is an ancient rite
to invite Brigit into your home at the time of her Holiday:
Clean your hearth thoroughly in teh morning and lay a fire
without kindling it, then make yourself a "Bed for Brigid" and
place it near the hearth. The bed can be a small basket with covers
and tiny pillow added as plain or fancy as you like. If you have no
hearth, you can use the stove and put the bed behind it. Then at
sundown light a candle rubbed with rosemary oil and invite Brigit
into your home and into er bed; use the candle to kindle your
hearthfire if possible. Make your own poem to invite Her or use
the ancient song mentioned earlier. Let the candle burn at least
all night in a safe place. You might even want to begin the custom
of keeping the eternal flame; it is a popular custom in some
magickal and Wiccan traditions. AFter all, it's up to us now to
keep the spirit of Brigit alive and well for the next thousand
years at least!!!
Brigid is not really a Celtic Mother Goddess. She is generally
considered a Goddess of fire/smithcraft, of poetry and of healing. One
of her roles is as midwife, but although she has a son, she is not
usually seen as a mother.
I don't know any books that deal specifically with Brighidh, but please
look for a book called "Celtic Mythology" by Proinsias MacCana and for
"Gods and Heroes of the Celts" by Marie Lousie Sjoestadt for more
information about Celtic deities. They are both VERY good sources.
2984
Brighidh is a Goddess of healing, smithcraft and poetry, brewer of mead
and ale, a lawgiver, a midwife, supposedly daughter of the Daghda,
mother of the poet Cairbre, and of the Gods Brian, Iuchar and Iucharba.
She was transformed into a Christian Saint and became the foster mother
of Christ. Some sources say that the healer/smith/poet were embodied in
one Goddess, other sources claim that she was three sisters, all named
Brighidh.
Her holy day falls (on our calendar) on February 2nd (I wonder if She
likes groundhogs...) called Imbolc, Oimelc or Lady Day. Candles are
blessed that day in the Catholic churches.
By: Ido
To: Teakan
Re: Somethnig about Brighid:
Brigit/Brigid/Bride was the daughter of Dagda. She was the proctector of the
poets, the forge and the healing persons. Her son Ruadan, which she had with
Bres, was killed by Goibnui. For her died son she sounds the first kenning of
Eireland. She also was put into the cult and the person of Brigit from
Kildare, which made the first female parish after Christianity falls into
Eireland. The convent of Kildare has had a neverending fire, which was
protected by the sisters of the parish. The saint Brigit is the second patron
saint of Eireland. within the scottish tradition Brigit belongs together
with the time of the year "Season of the lambs" and the comming of spring.
Brigit overcomes the control of the Cailleach Bheur.
................................................................................
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{file "Finer Points of Ritual (Mike Nichols)" "bos632.htm"}
THE FINER POINTS OF RITUAL:
A Comparative Approach to
Liturgical History, Theology and Design
=======================================
A Heartland Pagan Festival Keynote Address
by Mike Nichols
Participants: Morning Glory Zell
Otter Zell
Rhiannon Bennett
Carolyn Clark
Eldoreth Grey Squirrel
Anahita
Morwen
Chris
Dix
other audience members not identified
[NOTE: This transcription was made from an audio tape dub of a
videorecording of the event. The microphone placement made some
of the comments from the audience unintelligible, and those
sections were omitted. In some cases, the comments were picked
up but it was impossible to identify the speaker. Because of the
lack of visual cues, it is also possible that some of the
speakers are incorrectly identified. To improve readability,
some very minor editing was done.]
Rhiannon: I'd like to introduce someone whom we are really proud
to have in our community. He has been involved in Witchcraft --
in teaching free Witchcraft classes -- for over eighteen years
now. He is also a teacher of parapsychology at the University of
Missouri at Kansas City. He owns the Magick Lantern, which is
our occult bookstore here in town -- the ONLY occult bookstore we
actually have here in town. He's very instrumental in
introducing people to Wicca through his classes -- over 6,000
people! Granted all of them didn't decide to stay with us, which
is fine. But think how many myths that helped shatter, and
helped to make us a valid religion in some people's eyes. And a
lot of times, that's what we need. Every time I say something
about a particular speaker, people say "Well, what has he
written? What has she written?" Books are really wonderful but,
as I'm sure you've read, there are some good books, and there are
some mediocre books, and there are some that are pure trash out
there. Just because they say they're a Pagan writer doesn't mean
a thing. Sort through and pick out the good stuff. People like
Mike help us go through and figure out what's real and what's not
real. And then help you decide, even out of what's real, what's
real for you. So I'm really proud to have him in our community,
and I'd like to welcome him.
(APPLAUSE)
Mike Nichols: I hope you don't mind if I do this sitting down.
I want to present it more like a workshop than a standard
lecture. First of all, I want to start out with a few thank
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you's. I just want to say a personal thank you to Rhiannon who
has acted as liaison between the Heartland Spiritual Alliance and
the Magick Lantern, which was sometimes a difficult and thankless
task, but she's done it well. When I saw her stand on the chair
in the hall last night and scream "TWO pieces of chicken! ONLY
two!", I thought I've never seen anyone look so much in their
element. (LAUGHTER) So thank you so much. And not only to
Rhiannon, but to the organizers of the Heartland Pagan Festival
all together. I think they've done a wonderful job. Let's give
them a hand.
(APPLAUSE)
What we're going to be doing in here is kind of an advanced
class on ritual design, what we sometimes like to call liturgics.
Before this is all over, we're going to be into such areas as
liturgical theology, liturgical history, and liturgical
aesthetics. For those of you who are local and who have taken my
class, or seen me do speeches at psychic fairs and such, you will
be happy to note that this is not recycled material. This is the
very first time I am presenting any of this material anywhere.
So I hope you enjoy it.
I'm starting from the premise that most people here are
already fairly well advanced in Paganism and have gotten to the
point where they already know about ritual and realize why it's
there, why there is a need for it, and are beginning to ask
other questions about ritual. What does it take to make a "good"
ritual? What kind of elements do you need to have, what kind of
order, what kind of structure does a ritual have to have to work?
Are there certain things a ritual needs to work? How can you
tell if a ritual has worked? And questions like that start
happening only after you've been into it a little while.
If you are new to this whole area, and really are not that
conversant with why ritual is used anyway, let me just gloss that
point by saying there are a couple of really good books that I
think give you a good understanding of that. One is "The Spiral
Dance" by Starhawk. Another is "Drawing Down the Moon" by Margot
Adler. I think either one of those would inform you as to why
Witches use ritual in the first place.
The need for ritual is sometimes one of the most difficult
things for newcomers in this area to understand because quite
often, if they've been brought up in a religious tradition that
downplays ritual, for example, (and many Protestant religious
traditions say that ritual is only so much gobbledy-gook, etc.,
that there's nothing to it), it's a real stumbling block for
people to understand why the ritual is there. I've noticed that
people with Roman Catholic backgrounds or a background in Judaism
seem to have a better grasp on what ritual is there for and what
it accomplishes.
When we get into this kind of work, let me just say that
much of my talk here today is going to be highly speculative,
highly theoretical, and please do not take it as a final position
paper on anything. It is at best a preliminary report on work in
progress. We're going to do a lot of comparative liturgics as a
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way of understanding our own ritual development.
When it comes to ritual or liturgy -- whichever word you
want to use, and I'm going to be using them interchangeably -- it
has always seemed to me that liturgical theology should be on the
cutting edge of theological concerns in Paganism. There are many
religious writers who believe that religions basically have three
dimensions -- any religion. First of all, it's theology: what
are it's beliefs? Secondly, it's social structure: how does this
religion impact on the world around it? And thirdly, it's
ritual: what do the people do to express their religious values?
It has always seemed to me that within Paganism in general, and
Witchcraft certainly in particular, it is the liturgical
dimension that is the most often in focus.
Theology I think has been rather slow. It is developing,
Pagan theological concerns, but it's developing late. If you
read Starhawk and Adler and people like that, you're beginning to
see the beginnings of Pagan theology.
As far as the social dimension, there was a time of course
when Paganism had a social dimension, when most people were
Pagan. But for the last couple of thousand years we have been a
minority religion -- a very small minority in some cases. And I
think because of that we don't yet have a very strong
sociological impact. But that too may be changing, through
festivals like this, when Pagans start gathering in big enough
numbers to start talking about such things as social change. For
example, at one of the workshops we had the other day, somebody
suggested that one of the things Pagans could do to increase
their visibility and positive image in the community is to take
on community projects like answering telephones for the local
public TV telethons. Yes, this is our local Coven on the phone
lines! (LAUGHTER) Or this is the local Coven who have all
decided to go down and do a park clean-up on a particular day.
When we get enough people doing stuff like that, then Witchcraft
will have its social dimension.
In the meantime, the strongest dimension I think for most of
us is the ritual, is the liturgy. When you tell somebody you're
a Witch, the first thing they ask you is "What do you do?" -- not
"What do you believe?" or "What is your impact on society?" --
but "What do you do?" They want to hear about your rituals. I
think that's exactly why Stewart Farrar titled his first book on
Witchcraft "What Witches Do".
So we've got to start looking at what we do, in terms of
ritual and how ritual has developed. However, when it comes to
trying to study liturgy in modern Paganism, you are immediately
arrested by the fact that there is no coherent study of it. Yes,
there are books of rituals. Sure, you can buy a spellbook here,
a grimoire there. Marion Weinstein has published a Book of
Shadows. The last half of Doreen Valiente's book is a Book of
Shadows. Scott Cunningham's got books of spells, etc. But is
there any systematic study of all this stuff put together? No.
Not so far.
I think the reason is because development has been so rapid.
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All of this stuff has come along so fast that people have not had
a chance to assess it and evaluate it, and ask significant
questions about it. Consequently, both the scholar and the lay
person really don't have very many places to go when it comes to
this.
There are a few things though that you can say about
religious ritual. First of all, religious ritual is a human
experience, a very universal human experience. It is as real as
fear, and as important as love. It has a meaning of its own. It
is not some sort of aberration or distortion of reality. It is
an injection of new meaning into the reality around you. There
is hardly a culture in the world that has not developed its
religious rituals. And sometimes by looking at religious rituals
of other cultures, we can begin understanding our own better.
That's one of things I'm gonna try to do here.
There's a strange continuity, a sameness when you start
looking at different rituals, that pervades all of them. We find
that rituals, for example, are transpersonal and transcultural.
People seem to experience the same types of things no matter
where you look all over the world.
In looking at liturgical theology, I have been doing an
awful lot of work in terms of comparative study. Because the
only group of people who have systematically writing about
liturgical theology for any length of time are the Christians.
Does this have anything to say to us as Pagans? Perhaps it does.
Reason: I think most Pagans are by now well aware of the fact
that the Christians have borrowed a heck of a lot from the old
Pagan religions. For example, it's commonly known that the old
Pagan holidays served as models for Christian holidays, so that
the modern Christian liturgical calendar is to a great extent
based on older Pagan themes. And ironically, sometimes you can
look at what Christians have written about these to find out
still more about the Pagan themes that underlie it.
A second area where this is true is what we call
hagiography, the study of saints. So many of the saints in the
rites of the Roman Catholic Church are in fact simply
Christianized forms of old Pagan gods and goddesses. So we read
about the legends of these saints, and we learn a little bit more
about the gods and goddesses underlying those legends. I think
Pagans generally realize both of these points. What Pagans do
not generally realize is that it is the same as far as liturgical
ceremonies go, too. When you get right down to it, Christianity
-- especially the way the Roman Catholic Church developed in the
early years of Christianity -- borrowed most of its liturgical
traditions from the Pagans.
I mean, if you ever stopped and thought about it... For
example, within the Roman Catholic Church, there are certain
rituals known as "sacraments", right? Do you realize that is a
Pagan word? Sacrament comes from the Latin "sacramentum" and was
an oath given by a Roman soldier to his gods. It was a ritual
setting. We might be well advised once again to reclaim the word
sacrament and use it as our own.
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According the Catholic Church, a sacrament is an "effective"
ritual, which means that it produces an objective effect. This
is not just a symbolic commemoration of something. This is
something that actually produces a change in reality. This
beginning to sound familiar?
Other things which we have long considered primarily
Christian -- Again, I'm going to be drawing this almost
exclusively from the background of Roman Catholic liturgics,
which is one of the ones that is most developed. The High
Anglican would be another good source if you wanted to look into
this. The practice of "genuflection", of bowing on one knee,
originally a Pagan practice. The practice of kissing ritual
tools. If you were in a Catholic church, did you ever see a
priest pick up a Missal at Mass and kiss it, put it on the altar?
The same way a priestess will sometimes kiss her athame after
she's used it for an invocation? Yet another custom borrowed by
the Christians from the Pagans. So it seems real obvious to me
that we could look at the whole question of sacramental rites,
and ask what have the various Christian writers had to say about
them in terms of how they work, in order to find out what Pagans
probably also originally believed about rites and rituals.
Although at a later time the Catholic Church would limit the
number of official sacraments to be only seven in number, at an
earlier time this was not true. Anything could be seen as a
sacrament. A blessing was a sacrament. A holiday, a sacred
object, all of these things could be considered sacramental in
what they did. As a matter of fact, the first use of the word
"sacrament" within a Christian context was not until 210 C.E. and
it was by the Church writer Tertulian. He was the first one to
use that word in a Christian context, and when he did so,
ironically, he accused the Greek mystery religions of having
stolen that word from the Christians. Obviously, it was
precisely the other way around.
Although today the word sacrament refers primarily to only
seven ecclesial rituals within the Catholic Church, all of which
-- or at least six of which -- have parallels in Paganism, the
word "sacrament" is still used in comparative theology in a much
broader sense. Basically, it refers to any hidden reality, any
sign or symbol of a hidden reality that is mysterious and sacred.
I could be a person, a place, or a thing. Any of these things
could be considered sacramental.
From the point of view of Pagan theology, by the way, with
its strong emphasis on the theological perspective called
"immanence", the in-dwelling quality of the divine force in all
of nature, for a Pagan practically anything can become a
sacrament. Every rock, every tree, everything is alive with
magical and sacred powers which a Pagan can get in touch with and
from there connect with the entire universe. That's what a
sacrament is.
There have been, historically, at least two ways of viewing
rituals and sacraments. The first is the way as practiced by
social anthropologists. For example, one of the most famous of
these was proposed by Arnold van Gennep, who was the first to
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come up with the idea of rituals being, as he called them, "rites
of passage". He would point to something like a marriage rite,
and we can find rites like that in practically every society.
And he would say that the reason this ritual was important for
this society is that it marked a transition for one member of the
society from one social role to another. From the status of
being unmarried to the status of being married. In many
societies, kids when they hit the age of puberty go through a
rite of passage. This is an official recognition by the society
as a whole that this person, who was once considered a child, is
now considered an adult and has adult responsibilities.
Van Gennep originally thought that practically all religious
rituals were rites of passage. Later social anthropologists have
pointed out there's at least one other major class or rituals.
And this is not a rite of passage but what we call a "rite of
celebration". Very distinct from a rite of passage. In a rite
of passage, we talk about a person's transition from one social
role to another. In a rite of celebration -- let's take for an
example a wedding anniversary -- nothing is changing here. We
are simply looking at something which has a permanent value and
belief structure, and we are celebrating it. We are focusing on
it. We are saying this is important to us. And we're going to
have this ritual to let everybody know how important it is to us.
A rite of passage is a rite of transition, but a rite of
celebration is a rite of intensification. It intensifies the
values and beliefs that are already present.
That was one of two ways of classifying religious rituals.
The other is the psychological approach. And probably the best
writer in this field is Mircea Eliade. He called sacramental
rituals -- he had a wonderful phrase for it -- he called them
"doors to the sacred". Every sacramental ritual, he said, is an
invitation to a religious or sacred experience. An invitation,
which you may accept or not. You can either let yourself become
a part of a ritual or not. You can make up your mind to distance
yourself from it. But its basic design, the basic reason for a
sacramental ritual is to give you an invitation to have an
experience of the sacred. Which Eliade calls a "hierophany", an
experience of the sacred.
Practically all of these experiences involve altered states
of perception, in terms of an altered sense of time and an
altered sense of space. And we all have these understandings.
For example, to most of us a tree is a tree. But what about the
tree that you had your treehouse in when you were a little kid?
That tree is special. There is no other tree like that tree
anywhere else in the world. It is sacred. A funeral home -- you
see them on every other street corner; they're just a building.
Except the funeral home that you attended your grandfather's
funeral in. You walk into that funeral home and space seems
different. It is charged with a meaning that normal space -- a
normal other funeral home -- does not have.
Time is the same way; the sense of time can change.
Anniversaries, celebrations of New Year's, celebrations like that
take us back to a time that's kind of outside of time, if you
will. And once again, charges that time with a special meaning.
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Time may even seem to pass differently. I think for me the best
expression of this has always been in fairy tales. When somebody
goes into the next world, the world of faery, and experiences the
passage of time differently.
So all of these -- what Mircea Eliade calls "hierophanies"
-- all of them have to do with altered states of perception,
which include both time and space. This is remarkably similar,
by the way, to Dion Fortune's famous definition of magick, the
"ability to alter consciousness at will". We're obviously
talking about the same kind of thing here.
Most hierophanies, the great majority of them, are
individual. They are personal. Whether it's watching a sunset,
visiting a sacred place, walking up to Stonehenge and standing in
the center of it (and having the same feeling you had as you
stood in your last magic Circle), this is sacred space. This is
an individual and personal experience. But these religious
experiences can also be shared. It happens when we sing the
national anthem. It happens when we sing the old school song.
It happens when a group of us gets together to go see a dramatic
or theatrical presentation. In this case, we open ourselves
collectively to an experience of the sacred. Which again is what
a sacramental rite is all about.
One other interesting thing about these experiences is that
it is almost universally experienced that the high charge of
meaning that is found in the rite is experienced as "discovered"
or "encountered". It sort of dawns upon you. "Oh wow! That's
what this is all about! Yeah, I get it now!" It's not something
that is artificially enforced on the ritual from the outside. It
should grow organically from the ritual.
It's interesting to note that in Judeo-Christian tradition,
this sacredness is quite often found in history. In the
historical development of a God that interacts with a "chosen
people" throughout a period of history. Whereas in Pagan
theology, sacredness is most usually found not in history but in
nature. That every tree, every rock, everything is alive, that
you can get in touch with it, that it has a magical and sacred
essence and you can interact with that, and get in touch with the
Cosmos as a whole through that.
It's interesting to note, too, that because of this the
Judeo-Christian tradition places a very strong emphasis on sacred
writings, or scripture. Whereas many of the old Pagan religions
-- taking the old Druid religion as a fine example -- made it
forbidden to write down sacred material. Druids teach it, bards
sing it, dancers dance it -- but you don't write it. They
realized it was too sacred for that. So we have these very
definite distinctions in terms of how we've approached these
sorts of things.
Another way of looking at a ritual is this: Most of us are
familiar with the way a myth takes the values and beliefs of a
religion and embodies them in story form. A ritual takes the
values and beliefs of a religion and embodies them in actions.
That's why quite often a ritual is a myth enacted. Ritual drama,
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for example.
As I said at the beginning, I think many Pagans are aware of
how Christians have borrowed from us in terms of calendar
customs, and how they've borrowed our gods to use as their
saints. But we've seldom examined how the Christian religion has
borrowed our sacred rites. They have. The Catholic Church now
recognizes seven official sacraments. And virtually all of them
-- or at least six of them -- have Pagan origins.
First of all, the rite called "Baptism". That's the first
ecclesial ritual in the Roman Catholic Church. Or "Christening",
as it's sometimes called. It turns out once again that
practically every "primitive" culture has similar rites of
blessing of a child. In ancient, pre-Christian, Pagan Celtic
society, there was a similar rite. It had to do with sprinkling
a child with water, passing the child through the smoke of a
fire, passing it through a hole in a stone or else touching it to
the earth (getting in all the elements here), and quite often
passing the child around a circle, handing the baby around so
that each person in the circle gets to hold it for a short time.
If you want descriptions of this taken from people who seem to
remember these pre-Christian ceremonies, look at the work of
folklorist Alexander Carmichael in the six-volume set, the
"Carmina Gaedelica". Some of these rites had been Christianized,
of course, even at the time Carmichael was taking them down. But
a lot of their Pagan origins are still very clear.
In Pagan Celtic society, by the way, this rite was called a
"seining". Which I would like to propose as a much better term
for this kind of rite in Paganism than the more recently coined
word "Wiccaning". I oppose that terminology for two reasons.
One, it's obviously a word that was coined recently to be a
counterpart to the term "Christening". So the word itself is not
historically attested. Secondly, think of what it implies! When
you "Christen" a child, you are introducing it into the body of
Christ, the Church. You are making it a Christian. I don't
think that any Witch thinks that "Wiccaning" a child is making
that child a Witch! I've never heard any Pagan put it that way.
At the very most, you are blessing the child, asking the gods'
protection for this child "so that no harm comes to the child, or
to anyone else through the child" (as it is commonly expressed)
until such a time as that child is able to choose its own
religion. We do not attempt to make that choice for the child.
It is simply a rite of blessing and protection. Strangely
enough, that is exactly what the word "seining" means. And
therefore I think it's much better than the alternative
"Wiccaning".
The Christian religion also has a sacrament called the
"Eucharist". By the way, if ever anybody challenges you that the
Christian religion doesn't employ magic, take a look at what the
Catholic Church has to say about the sacrament of the Eucharist,
or what they call "the blessed sacrament" -- THE blessed
sacrament. The official term for what happens is
"transubstantiation" -- that the priest actually has the power to
turn common bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus! If
that isn't a magical act, I don't know what one is! Although the
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Church would be loath to use the word "magic" in this context.
But we certainly understand what it's all about.
The idea of blessing food and drink, however, once again
seems to be one of those universal rites. When people sit down
to a shared dinner, a common meal, it is a rite of inclusion.
Even in the early Christian Church, you were not allowed to
partake in the Eucharistic meal unless you were already a member
of that church. So the fact that in the Wiccan tradition you
share "cakes and ale" would imply an inclusion in the membership
of that group. And of course, there are all the symbolic
associations of food as sustenance.
We also have the sacrament of Confirmation in the Catholic
Church. Which always sounded strange to me when I was growing
up. You know, you're twelve years old now, and it's time for you
to be "confirmed". It's almost like up until then you were only
"tentative". (LAUGHTER) But now you're confirmed. What it
really meant, though, was the person was supposedly old enough by
now to make a free choice (cough) of which religion they wanted
to belong to. And the bishop -- You'll notice here, by the way,
that the proper minister for this rite is the bishop, not the
priest. Although it is possible for a bishop to delegate the
power to a priest. But the bishop comes and confirms you into
this religion. Again, we have so many rites from so many Pagan
systems that this seems to based on that are usually referred to
as "initiation" ceremonies, or rites of passage, rites of
adulthood. When finally the child is brought fully into the
religious and social (in most primitive societies, they are the
same) structure of the society and is now seen to be a full
adult. So any first degree initiation could serve as a model for
what the Catholic Church came to call Confirmation.
Ordination. This is a right that ONLY a bishop can perform,
in the Catholic Church. Only a bishop can make a priest. You'll
notice that when we look at how initiation rites are
traditionally done in Wicca, any priest or priestess can make
another priest or priestess. And quite often, it looks like in
the oldest rites, it also involved a kind of "laying on of
hands". There was an imposition of hands that occurred in the
Catholic tradition, as well. And until that time, a novice
priest was actually told that it would be wrong or DANGEROUS for
him to perform some of the priestly functions unless he had been
made a priest!
And there were all sorts of stories in the old days that
only a priest could touch the consecrated elements. Only a
priest's hands -- only consecrated hands -- could touch the
vessels that held the consecrated elements: the chalice, the
monstrance, the ciborium, and so forth. This almost implies to
me, though it's never quite stated in this way, but it almost
seems like there is some sort of real, tangible, psychic energy
that is present.
I remember being regaled with stories when I was a little
kid going to a Catholic school where the nuns would tell these
wonderful stories about how some poor person was kneeling at the
altar rail waiting to receive Communion, and the priest comes
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along to administer Communion, and drops the Host. And the poor
person reaches out to try to catch it, and at the first touch of
this consecrated object, there is a tremendous flash of
lightning, and the person is now a little pile of ashes on the
altar carpet. (LAUGHTER)
I don't think it's quite like that. But what it may be
saying is that some of these powers, even within magical
traditions or Pagan traditions, are tangible and do carry some
sort of psychic clout. I don't think lightning is going to flash
out of the sky and reduce you to cinders. But what we're saying
is a metaphor, really, that there may be some kind of psychic
backlash if you attempt to wield these magical energies before
your training has been finished, before you're ready to handle
them, before you understand what you're doing. In the same way
that a good psychotherapy session, if it uncovers too much
garbage from your subconscious, can throw you backward if you're
not ready to deal with the stuff that's dredged up.
For those of you who believe there is some sort of validity
to the concept of "apostolic succession", the imposition of
hands, it also may imply that, when one priest or priestess makes
another priest or priestess, she is passing on a kind of MAGICAL
SHIELDING as well. A protection, so that you will be able to
handle these magical powers without any ill effect. For those of
you who believe that the initiation tradition is valid. Again,
if you want to see Pagan examples of that, look at some of the
work done by Alexander Carmichael. There is a rite called a
"shielding" where one person kneels, while a second person puts
one hand under their knees and the other hand over their head and
says "Everything that is between my two hands is protected and
seined by the Mother". The Goddess has control of everything in
this sphere. It's a passing on of this shielding, that until you
have, it might be dangerous for you to experiment with these
powers. IF you believe that's a valid idea. (We'll get into
questions of validity in just a minute.)
The Christian tradition of marriage, of course... Well, in
every society that we know of, we have rituals that talk about
people getting together. However, ever since the Judeo-Christian
system has come along, we've been firmly locked into only one way
of viewing marriage -- a monogamous way of viewing marriage, for
one thing -- with very little latitude in terms of variability.
If you look at the Pagan idea of Handfasting, if you go back to
the Irish pre-Christian brehon laws, you will find that they talk
about at least ten different forms of what we today call
marriage. These forms include such things as marriage between
two people of the same gender, marriage of more than two people
(what today we would call a "group marriage"), marriages that
only last for a "year and a day" or some other specified time
(what today we might call a "trial marriage"), marriages that did
not demand sexual exclusivity (what today we would call "open
marriage"), "contract marriage", the woman keeping her own name,
pre-nuptial and post-nuptial property arrangements. (If you've
ever read about the great pillow-talk argument between Queen
Maeve and King Aillil about who had the most property, you know
what I'm talking about!)
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You know, it's fascinating to think that all of the
so-called marriage innovations that occurred in the 1960's, that
we thought were so mind-bogglingly new... nope! They were all
there in the old Pagan form of this rite. They were *standard*,
until the Christian form of marriage with its single theme, its
monogamous monotheistic vision, it's vision of the one right and
only way to do something, came along and knocked the older one
aside. But again, the Pagan origins are obvious.
The ecclesial sacrament called "Last Rites"... We have all
sorts of what we call "death blessings" in the Gaelic Pagan
traditions, to send the spirit on its way. For each person who
dies, there is one particular person assigned to be the leader of
these rites who from that time on is known as the dead person's
"soul friend". This is the one who will carry out the rituals,
remember them when Samhain comes around, set out the extra places
at the table, etc. We perhaps have less historical data on the
Last Rite theme than we have for certain other themes that we're
talking about here. But it is still there. And again a
reference to some of the early folklorists.
The one modern Christian sacrament that I cannot really find
an exact parallel for in terms of a pre-Christian precursor in
Paganism is the sacrament the Roman Catholic Church calls
"Penance", or "Confession". Isn't that interesting? The whole
sacrament has to do with confessing your sins to a priest, who
then absolves you of the sins. It is a whole thing of guilt, and
release from guilt. Yes?
Morning Glory: There were blood guilt rituals, because if you
caused an accidental or even on-purpose death, you had to pay a
wyrguild to the family. In the New World, the Aztecs had a thing
where if you caused the death of someone, you became a surrogate
for that person. So there were things like that.
Mike Nichols: Okay, good point. I can think of an Irish example
of that, now that you mention it. The Chucullain legend is a
good example. Chucullain, who was originally Setanta,
accidentally on purpose kills this very ferocious dog, and walks
up to the gate-keeper and says, "I've killed your dog and I would
like to replace him." And the gate-keeper says "Fine, there go
some cats. Get busy." (LAUGHTER) I think that's where that
joke started.
Morning Glory: Samhain was also a time -- and Walpurgisnacht,
especially Walpurgisnacht -- was a time when you took stuff from
that year and purged it in the fire. And you would have to then
go and get it straight with any other people inside the Circle
that you shared.
Mike Nichols: I noticed that in a lot of the Pagan traditions,
the purging of one's "guilt" (and I think we're very misguided to
use the term "guilt" here)...
Morning Glory: Responsibility.
Mike Nichols: Responsibility, right -- is a matter of making
recompense to the person or persons who were wronged. It's not a
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matter of carrying around a guilt trip until somebody says "Okay,
if you'll go through this ritual, you will be absolved."
(unidentified): A couple of things I've run into recently, one
was in a work of fiction. These three young girls rob this woman
who later turns out to be a Witch. It's on this psychic journey
where they have the bodies of these 12th century people. And one
ends up a peasant. And he couldn't help but notice these weird
little Pagan things that kept cropping up that these people had
kept for centuries. And one of the things was that on the first
day of Spring, the village priest preached a sermon that "dancing
leads to damnation". Apparently, on the first day of Spring, all
the peasants would go out and dance everything out. And that
would really help them out. It got rid of all the pains of the
Winter, someone had been murdered, and a baby had died of
starvation.
Otter Zell: There was a common form that I can't identify
specifically, but it's a theme I've come across in a lot of
anthropological studies. But it's the basis of what we call, not
a "trial" really, but more like "mediation". If there's a
conflict between parties about something or if someone feels
they've been wronged by someone, then the parties would be
brought together within the community of people, and everybody
would have to tell their stories. Then they would ask them "What
do you think would be a fair settlement? What do you think would
be fair?" And this was just talked out in the context of the
community of people, until everything was worked out to
everyone's satisfaction. And we've used this ourselves in our
Circle under such situations, and it's been incredibly effective,
very powerful.
And the ultimate, if this could not be worked out, there
were several ways of dealing with it. The heaviest one was
generally banishment, where the person would simply be sent away.
And the next heaviest one would probably be ostracism, where the
person would not be spoken to. He would be ignored, they'd
pretend he didn't exist for a period of time. Highly effective.
Of course, the more simple and basic ones would be working out
appropriate compensation that everyone would be satisfied with.
So there were these procedures, but it wasn't the same thing as
"guilt". The concept of "sin" and "guilt", and the idea that you
could go to a priest instead of the person you'd wronged, and
that the priest could absolve your soul of guilt. And we still
have that today, where you go to a trial, and the judge finds you
"guilty" and he fines you or sends you to jail, but the person
who's been fucked over is still fucked over. (LAUGHTER)
Morning Glory: They don't get their money back that you stole.
It goes to the State, for some odd reason.
Mike Nichols: Exactly. These are things that I think we all
ought to think about. What I'm trying to do in the first part of
this presentation is to focus your attention on how we might be
able to look at Christian liturgical rites to find information
about their predecessors as to how they might have been done in
Pagan societies. Because all of these things we've talked about,
the so-called "seven sacraments of the Catholic Church -- if you
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look for data that Jesus himself instituted these things, you
look practically in vain. Where in the world did the Church come
up with these things?
A great example of this, by the way (and it's an example I
use in my class quite often) is this. For a long time, after I
decided that I was going to be Pagan, I quit going to the
Catholic Church because it didn't interest me. It might have
been a mistake. One year while I was at college, I was home for
Spring break (it was Easter) and my mother dragged me along to a
service that happens on the Saturday night right before Easter,
"Holy Saturday" -- which has to be one of the most liturgically
rich occasions of the Church calendar. (If you want to see it
even richer, take a look at the Orthodox traditions, the Greek
and Russian Orthodox. They *really* know liturgics.) At any
rate...
I had forgotten how the Catholic Church blesses the holy
water that it's going to be using in the coming liturgical year.
But what happens, roughly, is this. The holy water font, which
is usually in the porch or vestibule of the church, is brought up
into the sanctuary and placed near the altar. And at one point
in this particular Mass, the priest walks over to this large
candle which is called the Pascal Candle. It is in place
throughout the Easter season. It has little herbs stuck in it
and so forth. He takes this candle out of its holder, walks over
to the holy water or Baptismal font (which looks, from my point
of view, remarkably like a large cauldron), and holds the candle
over the font, and starts doing *this* with it. (demonstrates by
plunging the vertical candle in and out of the holy water font)
(GASPS OF RECOGNITION AND LAUGHTER)
(unidentified): You're kidding!
Mike Nichols: I'm NOT kidding. And after having studied
Paganism, and I saw that, it was like I was seeing it for the
first time. And I looked to the right and to the left to see if
anybody else, you know, realized what was going on. I mean, I
thought "Aren't there any *Freudians* in the audience?!?!"
(LAUGHTER) There was not one flicker of recognition, not one
flutter of an eyelid! I could not believe it!
And I knew there and then that obviously the Catholic Church
had not picked this up from Jesus. Where had the Catholic Church
learned to bless water? From us. And where had the Catholic
Church learned to do a lot of other stuff? From us. So, I think
it is richly rewarding for us to take a look at what they have
done in terms of liturgics.
Eldoreth Grey Squirrel: "Pagans take back the rite!" (LAUGHTER)
Mike Nichols: Exactly!! Exactly. I like that! That'll be the
title of my new book! (LAUGHTER)
Morning Glory: There's another aspect of that, too, with the
Host, the idea of consuming the body of the God. Sacred
cannibalism was certainly a factor that this came from. The
eating of the pressed grains of Dammuzi or Tammuz, the Green Man,
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the vegetation god, and the eating of the body of the god, that's
definitely ours. Jesus was pretty much captured into the Tammuz
cycle, and much that we're working with is still in there.
Mike Nichols: I absolutely agree. And you'll notice that in all
this discussion we've only covered the seven basic ecclesial
rites of the Church. We're not even talking yet about all the
little incidental things the Church calls "sacramentals", like
the blessing of holy objects, the consecration of a church altar,
the consecration of the church building. Where did the
blueprint, where did the pattern for a lot of these rites come
from?
Morning Glory: Oh, on that note! The pattern of the church
building itself. The idea of having a temple where you did your
worshipping on the ground floor, and the basement is where you
bury your dead, that is a universal ancient custom. And it's the
same whether it's Chartres Cathedral or the so-called "palace of
Knosis", which is a necropolis, actually.
Otter Zell: You know, another thing that appears to me to be a
sacrament is the concept of purification. And somewhere during
the course of what you're saying, I was reminded of a custom of
the purification of people who had returned from a war in ancient
Pagan cultures. They basically had to pass through the holy
women who, by making love with them, would purify and renew them
and "take the war out of them". There have been some articles on
this recently.
Morning Glory: There is a great book out now called "The Woman
Who Slept with Men and Took the War Out of Them". It's by some
famous feminist that you've all heard of, and I can't remember
her name right now.
Mike Nichols: Sounds good! Okay, let's move on into the area of
liturgical theology. What we've been talking about so far is
liturgical history, the development of liturgical rites, and how
I believe we must focus more attention on that historical
development. But now let's take a look at liturgical theology,
where we can start splitting theological hairs -- which is always
so much fun!
There are so many questions that have plagued Pagans for a
long time, and I was *delighted* to find that some of these same
questions had plagued the Christians down through the years. And
it was fascinating to see what they had to say about it. Some of
the greatest minds of the Catholic Church from St. Augustan to
Thomas Aquinas, whatever other horrible things they may have done
along the way, had some fascinating things to say about these
issues.
For example, why are some rituals done only once, like a
seining, whereas other rituals are repeated over and over again?
Take the Magic Circle itself, there doesn't seem to be any limit
on how many times you can do it. Let's look at one possible
answer. (But again, I'm gonna throw out more questions than
answers here.) But one possible answer is that certain rituals,
if properly done (whatever *that* means, and we'll get to that in
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a minute), have a *permanent* effect on the person who undergoes
them. A permanent effect, an "indelible mark" as the old
catechism says, that cannot be erased.
Now, the question of how a ritual is to be done. How do you
know if a ritual has been done properly? For example, does a
ritual have an effect if there are no outwardly observable signs?
Any of you who have ever performed an initiation rite, I think
this has occurred to you. What happens if the initiation is all
done, and the person sits there saying "I don't feel any
different. Am I supposed to? Has anything happened to me?" And
you will occasionally find people who have been High Priests and
High Priestesses for quite a few years, who will perhaps talk
more freely about it than others, and among themselves they will
talk about whether an initiation "took". Did it "take"? Some of
them will say that after an initiation has been completed, the
rite was performed, the energies are set in motion, but it may
not "take" until after another month, and so forth. That it may
eventually take, but not right when the initiation was done. But
the energies are there.
Would you believe the same questions have been wrestled with
by the Catholic Church? Especially in the early days of
Christianity when the rite of Baptism was an adult rite, and it
meant that the person was supposed to entirely change their
outward behavior, totally give up certain things, and start
believing certain things. What if a person went through a
Baptism, which is supposedly a magical rite-- In those days,
Baptism and Confirmation were virtually the same rite, and could
only be done once because it was supposed to be effective the
first time. Remember the whole question of the "heresy" of the
Re-Baptists was on this precise point. If a person was baptized,
that supposedly made them a Christian, which would supposedly end
their career of "sin", in the eyes of the Catholic Church. But
what if they went out and sinned again? What if they murdered
someone? Should they get re-baptized?
The Catholic Church said no, they should not be re-baptized
because one Baptism is sufficient. The energies are already in
place, but it didn't "take". But only one per customer for the
rite itself. Now, it may be that the person was not "spiritually
disposed" to receive the energies generated by the sacramental
rite. There was some blockage, something stopping them from
being receptive. We don't know what this is. That is perhaps
one of the reasons the ritual of Penance developed the way it
did. Because what do you do with a person who has sinned and yet
wants to come back into the body of the Church? (By the way,
certain people like the Donatists thought once they've sinned,
they're *out*. We *don't* allow them back in.)
(unidentified): My background was Fundamentalist, so I was
baptized in the river at about 12. And every time I would leave
and come back for a visit, all these people would want me to re-
dedicate myself, come up and be re-baptized. Now, is that just a
variation of the tradition? I'm trying to figure this out.
Mike Nichols: Yes, it is a variation. When the Protestant
Reformation occurred, one of the things that was most held up to
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scrutiny, in fact, was the way the Catholic Church approached the
whole question of sacramental rites. One of the chief questions
(which we'll get to in a minute) is whether or not the
"worthiness" of the minister is an effective variable in the rite
itself. Does a priest in a state of sin-- What if a priest has
gone out and murdered somebody? He is in a state of mortal sin,
supposedly cut off from God and the Church. What if he then
baptizes somebody? Is that Baptism sacred? Is it valid? Or, as
a Pagan may put it, is the power in the person doing the ritual,
or is the power in the ritual? I think all of us have wondered
this, right?
I'll be talking about what some of the various Church
Councils have ruled on matters of liturgical theology in a
minute. But in this particular instance, the Catholic Church
decided that the power was in the rite, in the ritual itself. It
didn't matter whether or not the person conducting the ritual was
in a state of grace or a state of sin. This is one of the things
that Martin Luther took exception to. He felt that the spiritual
"health", if you will, of the person performing the ceremony was
a variable in how effective the ceremony was. And I'll show you
in a minute why the Catholic position disagreed with that.
Morning Glory: The thing about the Fundamentalist attitude about
Baptism, it's not a one per customer attitude. And a lot of that
has to do with the concept that's called "Baptism of the Holy
Ghost", which is an ecstatic experience that is repeatedly craved
and repeatedly done. It's like raising the power. So their
attitude about Baptism is not that this is a sacralizing agent as
much as it is an anointing for the purpose of raising power.
Mike Nichols: Let me ask you a question based on that. If a
person undergoes a rite of Baptism and doesn't experience this
influx of whatever, Holy Spirit, then is it assumed that they
were not baptized?
Morning Glory: Not by the Holy Ghost. If you don't speak in
tongues, then you didn't get the Holy Ghost. And that's the sign
of it. And they'll keep at it until you get it.
Mike Nichols: Ah! Okay, very good. The reason this ran into
problems in the Catholic Church was because of the many priests
who were declared to be heretical, in the Albigensens movement,
the Cathari movement, etc. What happens if a priest, an
*excommunicant* priest, performs a Baptism? Is that Baptism
valid?
The Catholic Church said yes, for a number of reasons.
First of all, they developed two concepts: validity as opposed to
legality. The sacrament, or the rite itself, was considered
VALID in that it produced the desired effect on the person. Even
if a person came from a heretical sect into the Church, they were
not re-baptized. The Baptism only needed to occur once. It left
an indelible mark on that person's spirit or soul. It didn't
have to be re-done, right? However, that Baptism was ILLEGAL
from the point of view of Canon Law. The Canon lawyers, the
people who codified the ritual structure of the Catholic Church,
would say that this was a VALID but ILLEGAL (or illicit) rite.
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The priest had no legal right to perform that ceremony.
By the way, in the Catholic Church, under certain special
conditions, anybody can baptize, including (are you ready for
this?) a non-Christian! In cases of emergency.
Morning Glory: Oh, for Last Rites and stuff!
Eldoreth Grey Squirrel: Interestingly enough, in the house I
grew up in, the crucifix opened up, and it had all the
paraphernalia in it for Last Rites.
Mike Nichols: Which raises some interesting questions for
Pagans. You know, Whitley Streiber recently told that wonderful
story about how he was taken by this group of people to perform
some sort of "witchcraft" ceremony, and it turned out these
people were Fundamentalists in disguise who did something
horrible to a goat, sacrificed it or something, and went through
this whole thing... Let's say, for some reason, that some Fundie
took it upon herself to portray the role of a Pagan priestess and
took somebody through a Pagan initiation. Is it valid? What if
they copied the rites exactly out of whoever, Starhawk, Adler,
Farrar, Gardner, whoever?
(unidentified): "Valid but illegal". (LAUGHTER)
Mike Nichols: What if the person who undergoes the rite has a
wonderful experience? Let me suggest to you how the Catholic
Church responded to that. It is valid for the same reason that a
Baptism performed even by a non-Christian is valid because the
person who confers the effects of the rite is not the minister,
but God! So in this case, we could say it is the Goddess, or
Whoever, who bestows that feeling on the initiate of having been
initiated. And the minister's part was negligible.
But that leads us into other problems, doesn't it? That's
saying that the rite itself, not the minister performing the
rite, is what gets it done. In the case of the Catholic Church,
this concept was legally defined by the Latin phrase "ex opere
operato", "by the work worked". In other words, it is the rite
itself, the power was in the ritual, not in the person who
performed the ritual. Yes, Otter?
Otter Zell: Well, there's got to be criteria we're dealing with
here. I mean, the fact that the Church decides what makes it
valid, that seems to be beside the point. To me, the person who
has to decide is the person who experiences it. I mean, if you
say "Okay, Domine Domine, you're all Catholics now" and somebody
says "Not me!", then they're *not*... aren't they? (LAUGHTER)
(unidentified): If it's the Middle Ages, they're *dead*.
(LAUGHTER)
Otter Zell: They used to do that. The Church would come and
they would just march an entire village through the ford, you
know, and they would say "Now you're all Christians." And the
people would say, "Wait a minute! I'm not a Christian. I'm
going to continue worshipping Thor or Odin or whatever" (because
3002
it was mostly Scandinavian countries they did this to). How can
you say they're Christians anyway, in spite of the fact they
don't want to be? I mean, aren't we missing something here?
Mike Nichols: I think you're right. And I think the whole focus
of this is to start people thinking on questions about validity,
and legality if it comes to that, in terms of Pagan rites. I am
not for a moment suggesting we follow the Christian precedent in
these matters. But they can indicate questions we need to think
about in terms of what *our* response to that, as Pagans, should
be.
Here's another example. If the rite *itself* is
effective... I bet any of you have gone through this. You have
a student and you're teaching the student to do a ritual, right?
How to cast a Circle for the first time. (Where's the sun?
Okay...) Start in the North, start with your Sword, and say
"Okay, student, now *do this*! 'Oh thou Circle, be thou a
meeting place--' And you walk the thing out for them. You come
back around to where you were and you say "Okay, did you see
that? That's how you cast a Circle." And then you go "Wait a
minute! Did I just cast a Circle?" We've all thought about
that. Morning Glory?
Morning Glory: Yes, but, yes, but when I have done this, or when
I do a demonstration at all, I don't put the power out. You can
even say the words, or you can walk it out, but you don't put the
astral fire down. You don't lay down the astral fire. Unless
you're showing someone how to lay the astral fire down, in which
case...
Mike Nichols: You're doing it. (LAUGHTER) Well, the same
question arose in the Catholic Church, and the answer is
remarkably similar. It came up this way. If a priest was
teaching a novice priest how to say Mass, how to perform the
Eucharist, and he actually pronounces the words of consecration,
and unbeknownst to him there is a small crumb of bread on the
table in front of him, is that now a holy crumb? Because the
Catholic Church had by now decided, remember, that the power was
in the ritual itself rather than in the person. So if the ritual
is done correctly, the proper words are said (and we'll get into
that in a minute, too: What are the proper words? What are the
proper gestures?), that crumb now is "the body and blood of
Christ", isn't it?
Again, this took a lot of quibbling, but before it was all
over the Catholic Church decided no, that crumb would NOT be the
body of Christ because of one little thing that was left out.
One thing that the minister does have to supply:
"intentionality". Intent! The person performing the rite has to
have the intent to be performing this sacred, magical rite. This
was also true, by the way, of that non-Christian who was
baptizing somebody. If the non-Christian was doing it as a joke,
it would not be considered valid. However, if a non-Christian
sincerely wanted to baptize somebody else as a Christian, and had
that intent, and did the rite with all of its elements properly,
that person was, in the eyes of the Catholic Church, baptized.
Otter?
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Otter Zell: Now, here's a question that concerns a lot of us
Pagans directly. A lot of us, when we were newborn babies and
unable to speak in our own best interests, were baptized.
(LAUGHTER) So, now, theoretically, once you're baptized, you're
a Christian. Well, uh... How do you deal with that? I know I'm
not a Christian. I sure don't feel like a Christian.
Morning Glory: It's like getting a tattoo removed, or something.
(LAUGHTER)
Otter Zell: Is there any way to get un-baptized? I mean, what
do you do about that?
Dix: Even if you go through, as I did, a free-choice baptism,
when you weren't screaming and protesting, then later on you
decide that this is all bullshit, it doesn't exist, I don't
believe in this stuff any more. Now maybe you're still a
Christian in the eyes of the Church, but that doesn't matter any
difference, because I don't care about the Church.
(unidentified): Right, I was just wondering, is there some way
the Church could recognize an way of un-baptizing yourself?
(unidentified): There is. Sitting through their boring rituals.
(LAUGHTER)
Otter Zell: But if you're not a Christian anymore,... I mean,
there has to be some way of dealing with that.
(unidentified): Otter, in whose eyes are you not a Christian?
In your eyes or their eyes? And at what point do their eyes
start mattering to you? Whatever they consider has no bearing on
you.
Otter Zell: It's not a matter so much of whose eyes. I'm just
kind of wondering, from the point of view of magical stuff, you
know, how one would interpret this. I mean, I know I'm not a
Christian and I'll certainly be happy to argue the case with any
of you that might wish to do so. But from a purely magical,
ritual perspective, if this magical ritual is done that has this
effect-- *Does* it have this effect? Do all these people who
were baptized, does that make them Christian? Or is it just
bullshit?
Eldoreth Grey Squirrel: Look at it this way, Otter. They stole
almost everything from us anyway, so what difference does it
make? (LAUGHTER)
Mike Nichols: (laughing) What you are doing, and what we're all
doing here, is beginning to develop questions about Pagan
liturgical theology. We are breaking new ground here, is what I
think. Well, I hope the word structure, if it has to be used at
all, is used very advisedly. I think Otter has already suggested
one possible Pagan response to this question, and that is that
the validity depends to some extent on the person upon whom the
rite is performed. That's one possibility. But what are all the
ramifications of this response, this theological stance? Okay,
there was somebody over here, yes?
3004
(unidentified): One point about what the Church was doing is
that they had no competition. People were not given a choice,
and the Church had the military to back them up. So that when
they said "This village is now Christian," they *knew* that that
village was not Christian. But they knew that, with no
information and no rituals allowed or anything, that the great-
grandkids would probably be Christian. Eventually they would be
assimilated into what they wanted, into the type of person they
wanted, because any radical would be killed.
(unidentified): I think you could make an analogy between
becoming un-Christian and getting a divorce. When I got my
divorce, I didn't have a special ritual for that, but I needed
that, that sense of closure, that sense of separation in a ritual
form. And I think that could be developed very easily. And I
think that also could apply to becoming un-baptized.
Mike Nichols: Good. This whole things raises a very important
question just from the psychological point of view for most
Pagans. Do we *need* an un-Christening rite?
(unidentified): From my viewpoint, when I was getting baptized,
for some reason I swear to God I thought he was going to drown
me, and I came up halfway through the "Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost" which he snarled at me later for. So I sorta screwed up
mine whether I knew it or not.
(unidentified): On the question of Baptism, in the Christian
church, in a metaphysical sense, Baptism is not all that's
required for salvation. It must still be worked out within the
Christian faith. If you do not work it out, then the Baptism is
a ritual that has not been fulfilled. It's the fulfillment that
makes you a Christian or not.
Mike Nichols: That's exactly right. Good point. Ellen?
Anahita: I have two things to say. One,
regarding my Baptism, I had the opposite experience. I mean, I
took swimming lessons, and they'd all prepared us, and I was
ready to go under and hold my breath and come out transformed.
And they did it so casually and so intellectually, it was like,
okay this is enough. And the tip of my nose didn't go under!
(laughing) My Achilles heel is the tip of my nose! So this is
where I got to be Pagan! (LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)
The other thing had to do with a Pagan ritual that we did
that might have some applications in this, where we just recently
formed a Circle from a Circle that had existed previously. And
we did a ritual to very gently and caringly disband the other
Circle in the best possible light and bring all the good things
in. I would hate to see a Pagan ritual that just cancelled
somebody's past, because however you come into Paganism is what
you were, in toto, including your Baptism. And what many of us
are mentioning, our religious experiences contribute to our
ability to relate to the Goddess as a Pagan, because that's who
you are. And if it was a fantastic Baptism, then so be it. I
mean, I've had screaming, crying, evangelical services, and
that's how I learned about spiritual ecstacy.
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Eldoreth Grey Squirrel: You know where they got that from. They
stole it from Voudoun, historically.
Anahita: They stole it from every place. But it
was a real experience, you know, and that's your basis for
comparison.
Mike Nichols: Let me comment on that point. One of the big
educational experiences I've had recently-- One of my dear
friends here in Kansas City is someone you've all seen here in
the last few days, Rhiannon, the one who stood on the chair--
She's a High Priestess that I respect with all my heart and love
very much as a good friend, but we had never actually worked
together until relatively recently. And I was astounded at the
difference in our approach. She, coming from a very Protestant
background, encourages you at every point in the ritual to speak
from your heart, practically never do anything the same way
twice. You know, you go to the Watchtower and invoke it using
words that come into your head at that moment, etc. Me, with my
stolidly Roman Catholic background, doing the same rituals and
the same repetitive patterns almost mantra-like time after time
and expecting the same results.
We'll get into, if we have time, the pros and cons of these
two approaches. Obviously, both of them valid approaches, right?
Both of them seem to work for each of us. Vastly different. And
obviously conditioned by our original religious upbringing. Yes?
Morning Glory: I want to bring up this question of validity
again. If you were initiated by a particular Alexandrian couple
who shall remain nameless, as many friends of mine were, and this
Alexandrian couple have repudiated their Craft credentials and
have become born-again Christians, and they're going around on
the circuit with their story of "I was a Pagan"-- All of the
people that those people initiated-- It would be like the
priests who went out and killed someone and then--
Mike Nichols: Or perhaps a better analogy, like the schismatic
bishops who split away from the Church and continue to ordain new
priests. Are those valid priests?
Morning Glory: Exactly. Yes. Well, that is an issue that we as
Pagans need to think about.
Mike Nichols: You know, in all of this discussion, I am working
from the premise that we are at too early a stage to formulate
answers. But I think it's high time we started articulating the
questions.
Anahita: Well, I can speak to that a little bit,
too. I just went to the 20th anniversary ritual for NROOD. And
I was amazed, because I had a lot of contact with them about 13
years ago when they were a seven year old religion. And the
*changes* that they have gone through in 20 years, I'm here to
tell you, are just really amazing! I mean, they were light and
free and it's so wonderful! Now, it's like, a lot of dogma. It
*was* a wonderful ritual and a wonderful time was had by all.
But they had changed some things in a very valid way, something
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that didn't work and was probably better this way. But 13 years
ago, it was "Oh, those! Name it: Alexandrians, Gardnerians,
Orthodox Druids, whatever! You just have to have enough stars in
your hat to hang out with them." Well, now, guess what? You
have to have enough stars in your hat to hang out with NROOD!
(LAUGHTER) I mean, it's just really amazing. So, we can ask
questions till we're blue in the face, but the answers are gonna
be different in five years.
Mike Nichols: I hope that somebody chronicles those changes as
they go. They're going to be fascinating. Let me throw out
another important question of liturgical theology. Is there a
way to *botch* a Pagan ritual so that it is non-valid or non-
effective, so that it doesn't work or *worse*, causes some kind
of magical boomerang effect that causes some sort of detriment?
For example, what if you teach somebody how to invoke the
Watchtowers, and you only tell them about three of them? What's
gonna happen in the Circle when they only invoke three? Is
anything? Does it matter? Does anything matter? (LAUGHTER) I
mean, does it, are there certain things that have to be there?
Are there certain elements?
From the perspective of the Catholic Church, for example, a
Baptism had to have certain specific components to be valid. A
certain set of materials had to be present: the water, the salt
to put on the baby's tongue, etc.; a certain set of words had to
be present; the minister who performed it had to be a valid
minister (which, in the case of Baptism, could be anyone), and so
forth.
Let me give you a quick example. It's been quite a few
years ago, but in my own Coven we were training somebody who was
new as a priestess. She had actually been instructed correctly
in invoking all four of the Watchtowers but, as it happened, when
she took the four elements around, things were confused that
night. It was her first ritual. And, somehow, something got
left out. And a little bit later, during the Circle, we were
doing some divinatory work, with a Ouija board. And please! In
my tradition, we use a Ouija board for divinatory work. At any
rate, halfway through the ritual, there was some kind of
manifestation which at least a good portion of us saw. It looked
like a kind of cloudy, dark hand had reached over the planchette.
(I hate to be telling a bad Ouija board story because they're
maligned enough!) (LAUGHTER)
But this kind of cloudy-looking hand reached in over the
Ouija board. And everybody sort of jumped back like they were
shocked. And I think most people there were thinking, "What the
heck is that?" But my first thought (again, maybe because of my
religious upbringing) was "How did that thing get into a
carefully warded Circle?" There should not *be* any extra energy
or entity in here that we didn't call ourselves, or want! And I
started going back over the procedure and realized that (in our
system, it is the incense that represents the element of Air)
this particular priestess had not taken the incense around the
Circle at the time of the consecration of the Circle. So, from a
purely legalistic point or whatever, the Circle had not been
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consecrated by the element Air. Which theoretically would allow
some sort of sylph or air-related entity to get through. You
know, it wasn't properly warded by all four elements.
Can you screw up a rite? I mean, what things *have* to be
present in order for there to *be* a Circle? And what things can
be left out? What things can you change? What things can you
*not* change? Yes, Carolyn?
Carolyn Clark: I have a story that relates to that. One day a
long, long time ago, when I was very, very new to the Craft, I
knew a girl named Michelle who liked to dabble in Ceremonial
Magick. And I knew a little bit about Ceremonial Magick.
(Famous words: "I knew a little bit about Ceremonial Magick.")
(LAUGHTER) So we did a Mars ritual. We did it on the right day,
Tuesday night. And it was a little bit out in the country
because Michelle was into cultivating certain controlled
substances. And, in the middle of the ritual, there were red
lights flashing in all the windows, and I thought "Oh, shit!
It's the fuzz!" So we hurried up and finished the ritual,
banished the Circle, looked out the window and... there weren't
any cops there. There was nobody there.
Mike Nichols: I think a very *common* experience of this sort,
which most of us probably have experienced in the course of our
magical training at one time or another, is how it feels to be
psychically kicked in the head when power is not correctly
grounded. (EXCLAMATIONS OF AGREEMENT) Right? How many can
relate to that? Otter?
Otter Zell: One that I've encountered a number of times in
rituals I've gone to over the years, in particular with a group I
prefer not to mention because Ellen has already done that
(LAUGHTER) is this sort of arbitrary choice of directions.
"Well, which way feels like East today?" And I've actually
attended these things where with great pomp and ceremony someone
will face the south and invoke the East. And then we'll maybe
turn to the west and invoke the South. You never know where
they're gonna go.
Mike Nichols: There are actually instructions like that in some
popular book on the Craft. Is it the Farrars? It actually says
in it that it doesn't matter where the directions are as long as
everyone agrees upon them.
Eldoreth Grey Squirrel: They call that "consensus reality".
(LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)
Chris: It also raises the question of basic styles, and various
traditions. I've been in this situation where I was doing some
chakra work, and this person I was working with just didn't
understand the symbolism. And I was in pain for days.
Mike Nichols: I think the best analogy here is "small child with
chemistry set". (LAUGHTER)
Morning Glory: "Talking Wicca Blues", I think, is the final word
on that. (LAUGHTER)
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Mike Nichols: Yes, yes! Okay, but see, all of these questions
all bear on the same point: What is really necessary for that
ritual to be done effectively (and *safely*, in many cases)?
What things about a ritual can you change without hurting the
nature of that ritual? What things can't you change? Morwen?
Morwen: I've seen a lot of recipe books and I've seen a lot of
possible recipes for the same dish. If you're going to be
attending a Circle where you invoke the four quarters, then you'd
better remember to do the correct things at each one, or you
could leave a gap. Just like if you're baking a cake, you'd
better remember the baking soda, and remember to butter the pan.
But if you're going to do a Circle where you're not going to do
the quarters, you could invoke the magic Circle without even
thinking about the four directions. Because you're invoking a
magic Circle based on a different structure.
Eldoreth Grey Squirrel: There was a guy at Pagan Spirit
Gathering whose particular approach to Paganism was to get ideas
from the old Celtic traditions. And he says he can't find
anything that justifies the invocation of quarters, the quarter
points. He was convinced there was no such thing as quarter
points in the way the Celts practiced their religion.
Mike Nichols: I might argue with that, based on their stone
circles and such. But on the other hand, I'd be willing to bet
that the way quarter points got into modern Wicca was through
ceremonial magick. I don't think there's any doubt about that.
Morning Glory: But isn't it interesting that Native Americans
have the same thing in the Medicine Wheel? It may be that
there's a certain universality in the four quarter points.
Otter Zell: It also connects with the natural world. We're all
trained in levels of metaphor and the magic Circle itself is a
metaphor for so many different cycles. It's a metaphor for any
cycle, and cycles can be broken up in different ways. But
certainly the four-quarter system works awfully well on a planet
that rotates around its axis, which gives you four directions.
Mike Nichols: The basic question we're raising here is, can
somebody just create their own ritual system from scratch? Or
does it have to link up to the real world around us?
Otter Zell: I've seen certain systems that are just made up out
of whole cloth, and they're presented as valid traditions by the
people who just make them up, and they're just somehow cuckoo.
They don't feel right. Remember, there was this anti-astrologer
guy running around, Owen Rachel, and he was anti-magic, and
anti-Pagan and everything else. So then he came out with this
book of weird astrology, called "Sky Triangles" or something like
that, or "Sky Diamonds". And it was supposed to be his
astrological system, and it was supposed to be more valid. And
he just made up this weird bullshit, and none of it made any
sense, and none of it worked. But he sold a lot of books.
Anahita: But sometimes you can make up a system
and it *does* work. And I loved your answer, incidentally, Mike.
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I didn't have to ask my question because you answered it. The
way you were talking about it was, "In my tradition, it's
important to invoke the four quarters..." And I thought, "Aha!
But you can decide to have a Circle that doesn't use four
quarters."
Eldoreth Grey Squirrel: And even when you think you're making
something up from scratch, you find out later that somebody else
thought of it already. I created a magical ritual based on the
"Silmarilion", which Mike and I actually performed. And it had
six quarter points. And I found out later on that some Native
Americans in Oregon and Washington have six. It was exactly the
same thing that I did. I had up and down in mine. I had never
heard of that before.
Otter Zell: If you understand the concept of how the energy
works, of how the elements of the thing work... It's like, you
can make up a recipe yourself if you understand how to cook, if
you understand how to season, and so on. You can get to where
you're making this stuff up and it'll work. But if you don't
understand the patterns and the elements that well...
Morning Glory: "Small child with chemistry set".
Eldoreth Grey Squirrel: It gives a whole new meaning to "Magic
Chef". (LAUGHTER)
Mike Nichols: Let me bring this back to something here... As
far as the final determination of the Catholic Church as to what
consists of a valid sacrament, they came up with these things.
And it might be interesting to at least note them, to see what we
would have to say about them from a Pagan perspective. But to be
a valid sacramental rite -- And again, this is magic in the views
of the Ca-- I mean, they don't call it magic, but a sacrament to
the Catholic Church is an "effective" ritual, meaning that it has
an actual objective effect. Magic, in other words.
So, a rite had to have what was called the proper "matter"
and "form", first of all. "Matter" pertains to the materials
used, as well as the gestures used. The "form" had to do with
the words that were spoken. In magical contexts, you might think
of this as the incantation, that part of the spell which is
spoken. It had to be performed by the proper minister. Now,
this could vary depending on the particular rite. Only a bishop
could ordain a priest, but anyone could perform a Baptism, even
non-Christians. And finally, it had to have intentionality on
the part of the performing minister. So, in the view of the
Catholic Church, it is impossible to accidentally, or
inadvertently, perform a sacramental rite. That is not possible,
from the point of view of Canon law.
Now, I'm not suggesting that Paganism take this same
approach. I'm just suggesting that we in the Pagan movement
think about it. Canon lawyers were then assigned the task of
codifying which things were needed for a particular rite. Think
of the way rites were elaborated. You know, a Baptismal rite, in
terms of Canon law, consisted of a very few things. Actually, it
didn't even include the salt. Just the pouring of the water, and
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the speaking of the words, "I baptize you in the name of the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." That was sufficient for
the rite. Now, if you've ever actually gone to a Church Baptism,
you know that it is elaborated endlessly. This thing can be
carried out for hours if the minister wants to. But the only
thing that's really *necessary*, the bare minimum requirements
for a valid right, are just those words, and those elements,
performed by the right minister, with proper intention.
Interestingly enough, when the Catholic Church started doing
this, it led to a kind of minimalist approach in terms of
rituals. The priests had been taught that the power of the rite
was in the rite itself. It only needed to have A, B, and C in
order to be effective or valid. Therefore, they only did A, B,
and C. And it didn't matter what kind of state of grace the
minister was in. So they started rushing them through pretty
quickly. This is one of the main things that Martin Luther took
exception to, and it gave birth to the Protestant Reformation.
Because priests had been performing these ceremonies almost by
rote, with the bare minimum standards in terms of Canon law as to
what was required for an effective or valid sacrament.
Morning Glory: There was a lot of issue about that, especially
in regard to marriage, whether a marriage was valid or legal.
And whether the children of that union were legitimate or
illegitimate depended upon how it was done, and whether there
were elements that were missing. If somebody didn't say, or
refused to say, "I do", for instance. Because lots and lots of
women were married against their will. It's like in "The
Princess Bride": "Did you say 'I do'?" "No, I didn't." "Well,
in that case, you weren't." (LAUGHTER)
Dix: What you were saying about elaborating a ritual... That
brings up a question. When you are doing a rite, and you are
adding more stuff, can you detract from it? At what point do the
additions, the accretions that you keep adding on, where does it
begin to take away from the rite?
Mike Nichols: I know that certainly it can diminish the
psychological dimension of a rite. I've seen so many examples
where, say, you're doing an initiation tonight. Now that means,
to me, the whole thing should focus on this person's initiation.
It is *their* night. But somebody else over here has another
spell they want to do, and somebody over here has something they
want to do, and by the time the whole thing is done, it's this
incredible mish-mash with no central focus whatsoever. To me,
very bad in terms of liturgical design.
Morning Glory: It's aesthetically piss-poor. (LAUGHTER)
Mike Nichols: Right. I meant to conclude this whole workshop
(or whatever the heck it is) with a section on liturgical design
or aesthetics, which we're just beginning to touch on. It's
obvious that we won't be able to get into that too much, but I
think it's good that we bring up at least some points about
aesthetics. Yes?
(unidentified): Yeah, but what if you have the proper elements
3011
of the ritual, and you do things in the right order, and you
intend for it to be a magical ceremony, and it's just dead. No
one's excited, half the people can't remember their lines, or are
making them up on the spot without putting a lot of thought into
it. There's no spirit there.
Morning Glory: Their hearts are pure, but their theater is
lousy. (LAUGHTER)
Mike Nichols: Yes. Good intentions is not a valid excuse for
poor ritual. Absolutely. To me, well, I've often used a
communications model for rituals. To me, like language, rituals
have a certain grammar, a certain syntax that it needs to follow,
a certain order. For example, let's say you're doing a Circle
and it's a high holiday, so you're doing a typical holiday
celebration but, as a part of that, you're also doing an
initiation. When does the initiation come? Well, to me, it
seems obvious that the initiation should come during the early
part of the evening ceremonies so that, once that person is
initiated, they may now participate fully in the seasonal
celebration. Right? Rather that leaving them out for it, and
doing their initiation at the end.
So, it seems to me that there is sort of a logic of rituals,
a grammar, a syntax, for doing ritual. Now, just because you
learn the rules of that grammar (and I suspect there are some
very definite rules that we could get into if I had the time),
but just because you know the rules of grammar doesn't make you a
great writer.
Morning Glory: Persistence is nine-tenths of any art, not that
it helps to be nine-tenths of an artist. (LAUGHTER) There's
another part of this, which is the problem of the hodge-podge
ritual. When you have conflicting elements. When somebody wants
to do a ritual to heal the earth. And someone else wants to do a
ritual to get prosperity for their Aunt Sadie. And someone else
wants to do something to get a new house. And some things are
really quite conflicting. One group wants to do a ritual to heal
the earth, and so they want to put this mellow energy out. But
someone else says, "Yeah, but we wanna stop those bulldozers that
are coming in, so we wanna get this martial energy to zap their
transmissions and make them fall out on the road!" And so then
there's this conflict on how to approach things, and things can
get really out of hand.
Carolyn Clark: Where we see that a lot is where somebody will
come to the Circle and say, "I really need to get in touch with
the Demetre part of me." Or, I really need to get in touch with
such-and-such god-form. And my response is, "Yes, you need to do
that. Then, do it. But not at this Circle."
Morning Glory: It's like chocolate icecream and limburger
cheese.
Mike Nichols: I find the same problem in combining elements from
different traditions. That's a problem for me. Now,
theologically, I might agree that all the names of the Goddess
are merely different aspects of the same Goddess. Fine. But I
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still have a problem thinking, how is the goddess Demetre going
to get along with the goddess Arianrhod or Cerridwen? (LAUGHTER)
They're very different forms, and to me, well, another analogy I
sometimes use is, let's say you're in a new home and you want one
room of this home to be a library. You know you want certain
things to be in that library, to make it a library. You're gonna
want shelves for the books. You're gonna want the books. You're
gonna want a comfy chair to sit in and read. You're gonna want a
reading lamp near it. You're gonna want a library table,
perhaps, or a writing desk. And so forth.
But let's say you go out and you buy early American
bookshelves. You buy an Edwardian writing desk. You buy
Victorian chairs. You buy modern chrome and glass lighting
fixtures. What you have is a library, granted, because all of
the elements are there. But nothing fits aesthetically. It's
like a ritual smorgasbord. To me, the elements have to fit
together aesthetically in order to work right.
(unidentified): I've tried to walk a fine line between Feminist
and Traditional Wicca, because I like both. But how does this
work for a solitary, or a person who has little access to a
Coven? I've had a very hard time designing my own rituals. I
found a little books that tells the elements on what goes in a
ritual, and I try to follow that. Even though I may take a
little bit from Doreen Valiente, because I like the way she says
this one thing. But then the Farrars have a lot. And then I'll
stick in a little Starhawk. But the thing is, they're all geared
more to Covens. Now, does that make it invalid for a solitary?
Mike Nichols: I would-- Please! Don't start asking me what's
valid! (LAUGHTER) See, there's a danger in even discussing this
because there's always a danger of falling into that trap.
(unidentified): Is there a way to get in touch with other
Solitaries?
Morning Glory: There is a Solitary convention.
Chris: Single rooms everywhere! (LAUGHTER)
Mike Nichols: Scott Cunningham has a book coming out geared to
Solitary Craft work. Let me answer the first part of your
question first. I think it is possible to be eclectic and yet to
avoid eclecticism within one particular ritual. Do tonight's
ritual as a Celtic ritual, and next month's ritual as an Egyptian
ritual if you want to, but don't mix Celtic and Egyptian in the
same ritual. That's at least my point of view, my bias. I'm not
saying that's some sort of dogma or rule about liturgics. It's
my aesthetic, and I think aesthetics are important to ritual.
Carolyn Clark: When you're working on certain things, when
you're doing a very tight ritual-- For instance, if I'm doing a
ritual to get in touch with that part of the Mother and that part
of me which fructifies and causes creativity to flower, then I
would probably call on all the Goddess names, all the aspects of
the Goddess from all cultures, that do that one thing.
3013
Mike Nichols: Yes, I understand that completely. As a matter of
fact, one of the forms I most love that I learned from the Roman
Catholic tradition is that called a litany, a reading of a long
list of petitions or names of Goddesses and Gods. And that is so
effective in a Pagan ritual, especially if its done as a
responsorial. That can build power like you just wouldn't
believe! I use that quite a lot in my own rites.
Let me jump to another subject which was raised earlier: the
tension which exists between those things which are spontaneous
in a ritual, where you just think up something to say on the spur
of the moment, as the spirit moves you, as it were; or those
people who follow rites that are very patterned, very
repetitious, very rhythmic, if you will. Now, I was certainly
brought up in that school of thought. And one thing that I've
read recently, which I found to be a fascinating argument in
favor of that tradition -- not invalidating the other, but in
support of the repetitious tradition -- is that recent studies of
the left hemisphere / right hemisphere brain split have shown
something very interesting.
Language, as you know, is a very linear system. And
typically, that is a left hemisphere brain function. Anytime you
are composing a sentence -- what I'm doing up here right now --
is very left hemisphere. Whenever someone is confronted with
making up the invocation at each Watchtower, they are virtually
working entirely left hemisphere. Whenever you are working with
language, I was originally taught, you are working with left
hemisphere.
There is an interesting exception. Those things that are
words that are commonly repetitious. When you sing a Christmas
carol year after year after year, to the point you don't even
have to think about the words as you sing it, your right brain
hemisphere is operating just about on a par with the left,
according to studies.
Carolyn Clark: I do that with chanting. While my left brain is
occupied with that, my right brain is free to do all kinds of
other things.
Mike Nichols: Right! It's sort of like a mantra. You know, for
people from Protestant backgrounds, it sometimes comes off like,
well, those Catholics just say their prayers by rote.
"HailMaryfullofgracetheLordiswiththee." They can toss those off
in no time at all. There's no power in it, there's no feeling in
it, there's no spirit in it. The other point of view, however,
is that the actual words themselves sort of take a back seat to
the meaning, which is superimposed on top of those. And I can
tell you from doing rituals in my life in the highly repetitive
way, I feel like you, that it has freed my mind to go to perhaps
deeper levels than if I had to do it differently every time.
And by the way, notice how that's true in group rituals,
too. If the High Priestess -- and I see a lot of this today --
she will not do the same ritual twice! And consequently, the
entire Coven is sort of sitting back watching the High Priestess,
saying, "Okay, what's she gonna do *this* time?" Never allowing
3014
them to really get into the ritual in a psychological way. When
you're already familiar with something, like that Christmas
carol, it enables everybody to participate fully, because they
know what's going to happen, they know what to expect. They're
not looking for changes in the script.
Another thing that's interesting about that kind of
repetitive work is that, when you do throw in a change, for a
particular seasonal variation or something, it stands out. It
stands out in contrast to the way you've always done it before.
At a Handfasting, when you invoke the blessing of the Lord and
Lady, instead of "onto ALL who stand before Thee", you say "onto
TWO who stand before Thee", the changing of the words immediately
focuses on the couple becoming handfasted. You hear that change;
it registers.
Anahita: But isn't that same thing true for an
aesthetic, well-worded, channelled experience, that a Priestess
may have?
Mike Nichols: Yeah, but it sorta does put everyone else in the
position of spectator. It becomes a spectator sport nine times
out of ten. Or else, you are actively, consciously, left-
hemispherically being involved in the production of this dramatic
play. You're not getting to relax and simply experience the
*known*, and the comfortable. And that's what I think we need to
have more of.
By the way, whenever you have repetition, you also have
rhythm. And this brings in a whole different dimension. The
drumming, the chanting, and everything else that goes with
repetition. I think good ritual pacing has a rhythm of its own.
Something else that we totally ignore these days in
liturgical design is the use of silence, which can be VERY
powerful. You know how something happens which is really
meaningful and everyone's wowed by it, and somebody else just
goes right into the next thing. Doesn't let you have the chance
to absorb that at all. I'm not talking about that kind of deadly
silence where nothing is happening and no one knows what to do.
No. I'm talking about those quiet moments that really empower
what you've just experienced. Yes, Eldoreth?
Eldoreth Grey Squirrel: Well, as someone else who was "lowered"
Catholic (as opposed to "raised" Catholic), there is a problem
when you have something that is repetitious. Unless the person
really wants to be empowered by this, what their mind is most
likely to do is to think about anything BUT the ritual. At least
as a child, I found this true. "Okay, time to daydream. It's
the same old thing again."
Mike Nichols: I think a great deal of the blame there has to do
with the fact that as children, you were indoctrinated into this
before the time you were ready to think about it. You didn't
understand the rite. Nobody had explained it to you. You were
simply going through the motions. To me, that's not magic,
that's superstition. When you just go through the motions. It's
just mumbo-jumbo.
3015
I don't want to run overtime, and we already are a minute or
two. Let me just conclude by saying that what I feel we've been
doing here is ground-breaking work. I was *delighted* to have a
group of people already so involved and so experienced, to have
made such wonderful contributions. I'd like to welcome you all
as being, I think, some of the first Pagan liturgical theologians
around. (LAUGHTER) And I hope you'll continue working on it.
Thank you! (APPLAUSE)
Eldoreth Grey Squirrel: Mike, I have an alternate title for your
book.
Mike Nichols: What's that?
Eldoreth Grey Squirrel: "The Rite Stuff." (LAUGHTER AND GROANS
OF APPRECIATION)
................................................................................
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{file "Editorial, Web of Wyrd #10 (Julia Phillips)" "bos633.htm"}
Editorial: Web of Wyrd number 10
Julia Phillips
During the Middle Ages, a great many men and women were put to death on
charges of heresy. Nearly all of them were innocent of any crime; nearly
all of them were guilty of no more than being a scapegoat for someone
else's accusations and projected fears.
Fortunately, today we have grown beyond such barbaric inhumanity - or
have we? As a race, have we truly evolved, or is humanity still groping
around in a mire of discontent, seeking for victims on which to project
its fears and failures? If we consider the way in which the medieval
witch was hunted, accused and held up to public condemnation, and then
compare this process with the way in which modern society deals with its
victims, then I would say that the human race has not evolved in the
slightest.
Consider: often for no reason other than he or she offended someone, a
man or woman living in medieval Europe could be taken as a heretic, and
with evidence (sic) being no more than hearsay, tried and found guilty
of charges of which they were mostly entirely innocent. Their accusers
were not interested in truth, but in judgement; and justice certainly
had no role in their scenario. To absolve themselves of any blame in
this autocratic process, the accusers made sure that public opinion was
swayed against the victim. How? By publishing details of the "crime"-
(sic), which were then distributed to as wide an audience as possible.
Students of English Literature will know of the enormous influence which
the humble pamphlet cast on the population - which, despite high
illiteracy, had sufficient numbers able to read aloud to a gathering in
a town square. We all know how quickly rumour and innuendo spreads - any
grapevine in any social group is proof positive of just how quickly
information can passed along; and sadly, we all know that there need be
no shred of truth in that information for it to be spoken about,
considered, and accepted as fact.
The medium of the pamphlet proved to be so efficient and effective that
it developed, and in time became the newspaper, newsletter, and
ultimately, the magazine. In all cases, the emphasis is upon the
distribution of information to as large a number of people as possible.
In all cases, those reading (or hearing) the information have a
predilection to believe what they read to be the truth. Modern print is
often no more truthful than that of a 16th century pamphlet, which might
describe how a witch succumbed to the charms of the Devil, flew to the
Sabbat riding on a goat, where she devoured unbaptised infants, and took
part in many lewd and disgusting practices. Unfortunately though, having
"read about it in the paper/magazine/leaflet..." most people assume that
they are reading the truth, and are often willing to believe the worst.
There are numerous examples of this process at work in modern society:
in some countries, information is manipulated deliberately by politic-
ians and journalists. In other countries - and I would include all of
western civilisation in this - the manipulation is as pervasive, but
less obvious. As the saying goes: "you can believe nothing you read in
the papers but the date, and they sometimes get that wrong".
Unfortunately though, people do believe what they read in the papers,
see on television, and hear on radio, just as our ancestors believed
3017
that the woman led screaming to her death was a concubine of the Devil,
a devourer of babies, and that she copulated regularly with her cat, or
other animals. We are quick to condemn the Christian Fundamentalist for
spreading lies and propaganda, but what about the lies and propaganda
spread by Pagans and occultists? It offends my intellect to read of
claims by self-professed witches of traditions handed down since time
immemorial, or of secret arcane traditions known only to an elect few,
but it offends my sensibility that these people, claiming to be
following a spiritual path, have such contempt for Truth.
We are no less human or fallible than our non-Pagan neighbour, but we
are engaged in a continual search for Truth: both within and without. We
are not perfect, but we do seek for our highest ideal, and we do strive
ever towards it, no matter what our particular path. Therefore to me it
seems a particularly unpleasant kind of action for a writer knowingly to
misrepresent his or her background and/or experience, simply to acquire
some spurious prestige.
The editor of a Pagan/occult newsletter or magazine has an even greater
responsibility, for rarely is the publication subject to professional
editorial control, and yet it is generally fairly widely distributed,
and its readers tend to believe what they see. As an example, we can
look at the sad death of Scott Cunningham; within hours of his death
being announced, the rumours that he died of AIDS were widespread. The
fact that his family and his closest friends have stated any number of
times that he died of meningitis is neither here nor there: to a great
many people around the world, Scott Cunningham will have died of AIDS.
Why? Because it was reported in Pagan magazines, and they can't be wrong
- can they?
Not only can they be downright wrong, they can also be inaccurate or
misleading - sometimes deliberately so. I have seen newsletters recently
where a matter best dealt with quietly, between those concerned, has
been fought in the public arena using very much the same means as the
medieval inquisitor. Defamatory and highly emotional printed leaflets,
with scant attention to the truth, have been published and circulated
throughout the Pagan/occult communities in the USA, Britain and
Australia during the last year. Highly respected writers in Britain
have recently been subjected to threats, with accusations and counter-
accusations filling countless pages in pamphlets, newsletters, and
magazines.
What, you might wonder, has this to do with a personal quest for Truth?
Very little, in my opinion, hence my remarks above that the human race
appears to have made no progress at all in its essential characteristics
in hundreds of years. The only difference is that today, we have far
more efficient means of spreading the information to greater numbers of
people.
I have seen too many attempts at character assassination over the last
year or so to believe that it is an isolated incidence, perpetrated only
by one or two people. It has happened in Britain; in Australia; in the
USA. The modus operandi has been identical in every case: an untruthful
statement has been made about one or more individuals, sometimes
supported by evidence (sic) of a spurious nature; the accusations have
been published in print, or electronic media, and distributed to a wide
audience. Even where the statement is so absurd, that no-one knowing the
accused would believe it for a moment, those who do not know the accused
3018
are left wondering. This kind of trial by media is sick, and those who
perpetuate it - usually self-professed "Pagans" - are, quite frankly,
despicable.
If we, as a community, are to come of age, then we must rid ourselves of
these contemptible troublemakers. We can't stop them publishing their
pamphlets, or typing out their lies, but we can ignore them, and stop
giving credence to their venomous pens. As with the victims of the
Middle Ages, the victims within our own community are being used as
scapegoats for someone else's fears and guilt; the only way to fight
this particular plague is to ignore it. Deprived of an attentive
audience, the pamphlet bandits will soon give up and go away.
................................................................................
3019
{file "PR Flyer (Raven, Milwaukee CUUPS)" "bos634.htm"}
PR Flyer
By Raven
This may answer some of the questions being asked about Wicca on
PODSNet. If you print it up nice, it may also help in answering
questions OFF PODSNet.
Mind you, it is only ONE possible rendition; opinions are GUARANTEED to
vary.
About three years ago, I did a little PR flyer to hand out when Wiccans
were doing public events (for instance, Beltane Maypole dancing in the
local park) and curious passersby would ask just what the heck was going
on. If you like the idea, use it -- and feel free to adapt it as
needed, for your own group.
Written 1991 by Raven. NO COPYRIGHT. This is placed into the public
domain.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
What You Wanted to Know about Witches *
* (but were afraid to ask)
Q. Do you worship the Devil (Satan)?
A. No, for three reasons.
First, we don't venerate evil in any form: our chosen religion is
a celebration and affirmation of life and living things, as opposed
to their destruction or harm. As we believe that good or evil done
will return upon the doer, this does not encourage doing evil.
Second, Satan is a figure in Judeo-Christian beliefs -- originally
not even an opponent of Yahweh, but more like his prosecuting
attorney (as in the Book of Job). Those who do worship Satan
actually accept the later Christian theology, with Satan as
Yahweh's opponent, but choose to support Satan's side of the
battle. We are not Christians or Satanists, and do not accept
their theology or worldview, so we would no more worship Satan
than, for instance, Christians would worship the Aztec God
Quetzalcoatl; he simply has no place in our beliefs. (We prefer
the figure of Pan, who does have horns but is a much nicer fellow.)
Third, we think history shows that, if you invest belief and
emotion in any idea or thought-form, you give it strength and power
in your own life -- it becomes more real TO YOU. We have no wish
to invite hostile entities into our lives and give them such power
over us, which is why we don't venerate any form we consider evil.
That's also why we're shocked to see how much energy some
Christians invest in Satan.
Q. Then why do I hear those things about you?
A. "Devil-worship", baby-killing, cannibalism and all that? These
are typical accusations made by one religion against another.
The Syrians accused the Jews of ritual murders long before Christ;
then the Romans accused the Christians (who at least claimed to be
eating someone's body and blood every week); then the Christians
3020
accused the Jews and Muslims and every other religion; today
different Christian denominations even accuse each other. Making
wild accusations not only sells newspapers, and books, and movies;
it helps drum up support for the Religion Of Your Choice. This is
a cynical use of hate, fear, and ignorance, but as long as it works,
it will be used. (And there will always be psychotics willing to
live up to the image -- then claim "the Devil made me do it.")
Q. If not Christian theology, what do you believe in?
A. Life. We see the entire Universe, all matter and energy, as
bursting with life, loving its own living parts -- including us --
and gathered in one eternal dance. We try to catch the tune and
dance to the beat.
Sometimes we call the leading dancers Light and Dark, or Sun and
Moon, or the Lord and the Lady, Cernunnos and Ceridwen, Pan and
Diana, or by other names. These represent the duality in all
things -- male and female, yang and yin -- neither side of which
can be denied or ignored, even within ourselves.
(We hope this helps us avoid the error that some worshippers of a
single deity have made, such as thinking that "since God is all
good and God is male, therefore anything female or feminine is
evil.")
Our feeling about the Gods is that they are teachers, family
members, and fellow dancers: not some untouchable abstraction
infinitely distant, but an intimate part of our own lives. Our
feeling about other religions is that they, too, are part of the
universal dance: not enemies, but fellow strugglers seeking as we
do, to live and learn to keep time with the music.
Q. What is this ceremony you're doing?
A. It depends on the moment. You may be watching a circle dance, or a
Maypole dance, or a feast of "cakes and ale", or just a group hug.
(We like to have fun.) Possibly, since you were handed this, you're
watching us "cast a circle". That's one of our basic religious
ceremonies.
When we "cast a circle", we mark off a space as dedicated and protected
for our use, rather like Christians consecrating a church. (The
difference is, we don't need a building, and we let the space go back to
normal after we've used it.) Within this circle, we ask for the
protection of guardians -- call them the four elements of Air, Earth,
Fire, and Water, or the four archangels Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, and
Uriel -- again, the names may vary. Then we invite the Lord and the
Lady to be with us for a time. We have a nice visit, a little snack of
cookies and wine (or fruit juice), and then everyone goes home. It's
very friendly.
Along the way, sometimes we ask for help with our problems, such as
healing an injury or illness; if you believe in the power of prayer,
it's the same sort of thing -- but we try to put our own energies into
the task, rather than asking someone else to do all the work.
3021
Q. How will what you are doing affect me?
A. If you're not participating, then probably no more than any other
religious service you watch from outside. If you're shocked by other
religions, you might choose to be shocked by ours. (Ours is just out
where you can see it, instead of hidden by walls.) Or you might choose
to accept our part of the universal dance as valid if different from
your own. You might even choose to participate -- and people of good
will are generally welcome among us.
Even if you do participate, there's no reason to take any effect from
our services that you don't choose to accept. Since -- for our own
sakes -- we ask for nice things to happen, the biggest possible results
involve no danger. If we ask for more harmony in the world, and your
life becomes more harmonious, then you benefit from the same general
effect as if a church's prayer for world peace had worked. (After that,
if you don't like harmony, you could always work to make your own life
more discordant; whatever suits you.)
Q. Do all Witches practice the same way you do?
A. There are about as many "denominations" of Witches as there are of
Christians, and since no-one is forced to keep One True Orthodox Way,
even a single group may do things differently from time to time. The
two mottoes that apply here are "If it works, use it" -- and "AN IT HARM
NONE, do as you will."
Q. How can I find out more about you?
A. Ask one of us. We're easy to talk with. Or read some books. Good
books include Vivianne Crowley's WICCA: the Old Religion in the New Age,
Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon, Starhawk's The Spiral Dance, and
Raymond Buckland's Complete Guide to Witchcraft.
There's also a lot of shocking nonsense and pulp fiction out there
-- notably in movies, paperback thrillers, and the sort of newspapers
sold at supermarket cash registers; we can only ask you to take anything
you find there with a skeptical pinch of salt.
(This was written in May 1991 as a general information handout for
the use of the CUUPS group of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Please feel free to copy and adapt this for use by your own group.)
................................................................................
3022
{file "Coven, The (Julia Phillips)" "bos635.htm"}
The Coven
By: Julia Phillips
Wed 20 Apr 94 19:03
This article was written by me several years ago, but I thought it might
be of interest here, as it discusses several issues relevant to modern
Witches. Any thought or feedback most welcome! Please remember, that
although the historical stuff is pretty general, the other parts of the
article are my own ideas, and not necessarily applicable outside of my
own tradition :)
Covens and Witches
In 1662, Isobel Gowdie of Auldearne made four separate confessions of
being a Witch, and in the process, gave the word "Coven" to the world.
Although there is no other historical evidence for this word, it has
proven to be one of the most lasting facets of Witchcraft - ask anyone
today what Witches do, and the answer will almost certainly include the
fact that they meet in groups, called "Covens".
So given that a number of modern Witches do, in fact, either run, or
belong to, a Coven - just what is its purpose in 20th (and 21st) century
Western Civilisation? Why has this word of such dubious historical
veracity survived over three hundred years? Is there a place in our
modern world for a social group which, as far as we know, occurred only
in 17th century Scotland?
The very fact of its survival for over three hundred years argues that
there is a place for such a group. In my own case, I have been a member
of, and run, Covens of Witches for a number of years, and it is a social
model which fits extremely well within modern society.
The structure of a coven varies, but generally has one or two leaders,
and a number of members of varying levels of experience. In a sense, the
modern Coven has replaced the tribal family, and its members often
fulfill familial roles, which are no longer available to them in the
family in which they were born.
Some researchers have commented that many modern Witches come from a
background which was disrupted; i.e., did not provide a safe family
environment during their formative years. As I know a great many Witches
for whom this was not the case, I think this is only a partial reason,
and only for some people.
Humanity itself seems to be inherently tribal; any common bond between
people will generally result in the creation cults or sub-cultures,
where those of a like-mind will bond together. They will evolve their
own social order (generally hierarchical), have their own common
language, and often are identifiable by their demeanour and appearance.
Witches gather together in Covens for very much the same sorts of
reasons; we are apart from general society by virtue of our beliefs and
practices. Meeting with others who think and feel similarly to ourselves
gives us the opportunity to share ideas and skills, as well as being
able to practise our Craft.
A modern Coven provides a family-style environment, where the "Elders"
can, by virtue of their experience, give encouragement, support, and
3023
advice to those seek to learn about Witchcraft. As with all families,
Covens have very unique and individual ways of approaching this. Just as
no two families are the same, neither are any two Covens.
Some Covens are run by people with an academic bent, and as would be the
case in any family, this characterises the way in which their "children"
are brought up. Other groups are oriented towards a more simple
approach, and the oral traditions play an important role in the way in
which the Coven is structured. Some combine the these two approaches,
and the variations upon the basic themes are endless.
For any "family" to exist harmoniously, everyone within the group must
feel a part of the group, and wish to learn and grow within that group
environment. With a path such as Witchcraft, with its emphasis upon
personal growth and development, it is likely that individuals who may
at one time have been happy within their family group, will change, and
wish to move away. This is a perfectly natural process, and the wise
coven leaders will send those people off with their love and blessing.
Trying to keep them would be like trying to keep your sons and daughters
tied to your apron strings forever!
Ultimately, and despite the popularity of the word "coven", I do believe
that most Witches are solitary in nature, and will generally spend at
least part of their lives without being a member of, or running, a
coven. I think the inward exploration during these periods is vital to
self-development, just as we believe it is important to encourage
social-awareness in children. However, I also believe that at some stage
it is important to learn the practices of Witchcraft from another
person; to be an apprentice, if you will; because the act of passing
knowledge from one person to another cannot be replicated by books,
correspondence courses, or be self-taught. This may seem an almost
impossible task to some people, but as all the magical traditions teach:
when the student is ready, the teacher will appear! What's more, it's
true!
B*B Julia
................................................................................
3024
{file "TOS Symbology" "bos637.htm"}
Classification: IT.IV.C.2.e
Title: Symbolism
Author: Grand Master of the Order of Shuti
Temple of Set
Date: December, XXIV
Published: Dialogues I.3
(The section on "Neters" was published in
issue I.4)
Subject: Symbolism
Reading List: 2L, 2V
[copyright 1989, Temple of Set. Permission for electronic
distribution by echo and on PODS has been given by the author.
No not copy or distribute further without permission of the
author or the Temple of Set.]
The first session of the year-XXIV Order of Shuti Workshop
discussed symbolism.
While the study of symbolism itself is not a primary concern of the
Order of Shuti, several of the Order's activities do involve
working with forms of symbolism, or are discussed using various
symbols.
The symbols of the twin lion gods, Shu and Tefnut, who together are
Shuti, are obviously of importance in understanding the activities
of the Order. The topic of symbolism was therefore chosen for the
introductory session of the workshop.
Application
In discussing this session and what would be discussed, the Grand
Master stressed that symbolism wasn't to be discussed simply as an
intellectual exercise, but that all participants should try to
apply the Setian yardstick of "application" to this discussion.
Each and every topic of this session (and all sessions in the
workshop) should be measured by the questions of a) Can it be
applied? b) Is it useful? c) Does it work?
What is symbolism?
One answer suggested by workshop participants is that symbolism is
a language of the unconscious.
It is a dynamic language in which one image, a single symbol, can
conjure up archetypical impressions, complex or complete concepts
and/or meanings, rather than being a structured language in which
many words and/or several sentences are needed to put together an
equivalent concept or meaning.
Another purpose of symbolism offered by the participants is to
serve as a metalanguage which has two levels or multiple levels of
meaning.
Each symbol or set of symbols can have one meaning to the
initiated, and another meaning to the uninitiated. That symbol or
3070
set of symbols could also have /different/ meanings to the
initiated, depending upon how the symbols are communicated, and how
they are mixed with other symbols. A statement in a symbolic
language could even have multiple meanings communicated at the same
time to the same person.
A lot of the symbols Setians use in our writings are like that.
When we read through the _Scroll of Set_ or the jewelled Tablets,
those of us who have been using the language of the Temple of Set
for a while will see certain words, and will know just from the way
the words are used that the author is writing symbolically as well
as grammatically, and he therefore means "this type of thing".
This symbolic use of language lets us add meaning to an article
without adding substantially to the size of that article.
Those who haven't been in the Temple of Set long enough to pick up
on that symbolic use of language will miss almost all of that
meaning on their first reading.
This is one of the reasons why we all find it useful to reread past
issues of the _Scroll_ and to reread Tablet articles. It enables
us to read meaning in an article that we may have missed on an
earlier reading.
It sometimes happens that "unintended" meaning is found in an
article during such a rereading.
Even though the author may not have consciously intended to convey
a certain meaning, that author's Higher Self may have influenced
the writing in such a way as to symbolically give a specific
message in the writing. These messages remain hidden except for
those who can perceive and understand them.
On the other side of the scale, if our writings are read by someone
totally unfamiliar with occult symbolism, then the message can be
totally lost, and the reader may never see it.
Symbolism can be visual (examples are the Pentagram of Set,
pictures of the Egyptian Neters, etc), and verbal (the closing we
use on our letters, "Xeper and Remanifest", is a statement and
reminder of our dedication to this Formula, a way of developing and
keeping the habit of Xeper and Remanifestation going strong).
Each Word itself is a symbol (Xeper, Indulgence, Thelema, etc.),
as is each Neter (Shu, Tefnut, Sekhmet, Bast). A lot of principles
can be used as symbols which have more meaning to the initiated
than they do to those who just read about them in a dictionary.
Visual and verbal/written symbols involve just one of our senses
(sight). If you include verbal/spoken symbols, we then involve a
second sense (hearing). We then asked the question, "Are there
symbols which are perceived and communicated through each of our
other senses?"
The first examples offered by workshop participants were incense
and music: Incense can bring about different emotions and responses
through the sense of smell. Music can bring about different
3071
responses through the sense of hearing, in ways totally different
than the verbal symbols do (the difference between right brained
behavior and left brained behavior).
Where does symbolism come from?
When dealing with incense and music, we are leaving the mental
processes and intellectual reactions that visual symbols will
evoke, and going instead to the more reactive, bodily, reactions.
We react to the smell of bodily feces with distaste because of the
body's reaction to that sort of an input. We find the fragrance
of a rose very pleasing.
One of the reasons we use fragrant incenses during a ritual is to
bring about bodily reactions which enhance a ceremony because of
the smells and our reactions to the smells.
The discussion of one question leads to another. We learn the
reactions / interpretations / meanings of visual and verbal symbols
(at least those discussed above). Do we also learn reactions to
incenses and music, or are those reactions more innate?
The first response was that our reactions and interpretations, even
our likes and dislikes of music are learned.
The example given was classical music, which strikes some people
as very soothing and relaxing, and which is likely to put these
people to sleep. But others who are aware of the intelligent
dynamics and many other ingredients of classical music will find
the same music very stimulating.
(We believe that the workshop participant was thinking about the
lighter classical pieces, such as "Tales from the Vienna Woods,"
and not the more active pieces such as "Night on Bald Mountain.")
The second response disagreed with the first, pointing out that
regardless of whether they are used in classical, modern, or any
other form of music, harps and strings tend to evoke emotional
(peaceful) moods, while drums are more primal and physical, evoking
more active responses.
The next example we discussed referred to the sense of smell. To
a farmer, feces and fertilizer are pleasing and filled with
promise, a smell of promised growth and life, a totally different
reaction than most people will have (especially after scraping a
dog's refuse off the bottom of one's shoe).
Similarly, an inlander's first pleasant reaction to sea gulls on
wing, grace in motion, can be compared to the reaction of those who
live on the beach and have to live with the noise and the mess and
the droppings left behind by those very same sea gulls.
These examples tend to support the theory that we learn our
interpretations of the sounds and smells around us.
It seems from these examples that our reactions to inputs are
learned, or at least they arise from our experiences. The question
3072
then becomes, can symbols have innate visceral responses, or is the
response to a symbol necessarily a learned one?
To look at innate responses, the original responses to stimuli, we
necessarily looked at children.
For instance, children generally have no innate response to feces,
and will often eat them until they learn not to. They later learn
to either react with disgust to feces, or to view them as
fertilizer and the source of life.
The first example of a possibly innate response brought to the
discussion was that of the ephemeral beauty of a butterfly on the
wing. None of the participants could envision any child's reaction
other than awe and delight at such beauty (or at least none would
admit to any other vision).
This brought forth remarks concerning innate childish "awe", where
almost everything is new and wonderful.
Children as they begin to distinguish between the multiple events
and objects in their world are simply delighted at the beauty and
diversity they find around them. There is no "evil" during this
time -- only the beauty of nature.
Few of us have any reason to unlearn this initial response to the
butterfly. These reactions can therefore be considered innate,
stemming from the earliest days of our consciousness. Other
reactions, unpleasant reactions and also more complex reactions,
seem to be learned over time.
Therefore, there's some of both types of reactions. People will
have initial reactions to many meaningful symbols and inputs, but
their reactions can be modified by their experience and training.
This discussion raised yet more questions, for which no answers
were attempted during this workshop. The questions were, how much
of our symbolism is learned, and how much of our symbolism is
innate? And if some form of consciousness or memory can survive
from one life to another, then how much might be remembered from
past lives?
Symbols may or may not come to one's attention. An extremely
visually-oriented person may not notice or respond to other types
of symbols, such as a room's smell, or a background level of music,
while those who are oriented towards those senses will respond to
those inputs, but perhaps not to others.
Symbolism may have personal and/or experiential meaning (such as
the manure used to plant your garden or that you step in), or
symbolism may be abstract (learned and used in writing, teaching,
or jewelry, but not something that's impacted upon you in the
past). This is the difference between a) the visceral response,
which may be innate and may also be a learned response, modified
through experience or training, and b) the mental response which
must always be learned or developed.
The Grand Master wishes to note that the discussion at this point
3073
had unintentionally left the strict topic of symbolism, and was
dealing instead with experience and reaction to stimuli, on the
unspoken assumption that these reactions applied to our use of
symbolism.
We feel this to be a valid assumption, since the pleasant reaction
we have to a butterfly or to a unicorn extends to and impacts our
use of those images as symbols. Those with differing reactions to
sea gulls as described above would similarly have different
reactions to Johnathon Livingston Seagull's story.
Also, by concentrating on experience and reaction rather than
symbolism, we temporarily lost sight of the most important measure
of symbolism -- that of meaning.
Yes, music has impact, but that music is symbol only if its impact
includes meaning, such as the sense of freedom and power that
accompanies the visual image of the "Flight of the Valkyries" and
similar images of meaning those who are familiar with the movie
will get from various pieces in the sound track from 2001.
Likewise incense is symbol only if its impact includes meaning.
That meaning may be supplied by the smell, or that meaning may be
supplied by knowledge of the ingredients within the incense.
Meaning may also be supplied by the words used during the censing
of the chambre. Without some meaning, incense is not symbol, but
only smell.
Closely related to the sense of smell is the sense of taste, and
it's fairly easy to see that certain tastes can have meaning as
well.
During Passover Seder, a ritual meal of thanksgiving and freedom
(celebrating the Exodus), Jews will dip greens into salt water and
eat the salty greens, to remind them of tears shed by the Jews in
bondage. They will eat bitter herbs to remind them of the
bitterness of slavery.
Likewise, there can be kinesthetic symbols as well.
We feel different when we hold a sword in ritual as opposed to when
we hold a dagger. We feel different when we are standing up than
we feel when we are sitting down, and different still when we are
kneeling or laying down. We feel different in charged rooms, dry
rooms, wet rooms, hot rooms, cold rooms, still rooms, breezy rooms.
Uncontrolled, these latter experiences are just stimuli.
Controlled and used meaningfully, these latter experiences can be
symbols, manipulated and understood as such.
How should symbolism be used?
The first obvious use of symbolism is in the communication of
ideas, whether written, spoken, or communicated through one or more
other senses.
Based on the idea that a single symbol can have a whole galaxy of
meaning, a useful communications skill is the ability to use
3074
symbols in the proper places, in the proper ways, to communicate
more meaning in a smaller package (with fewer words).
Perhaps of greatest importance within the Temple of Set are the
magical aeonic Words: Xeper, Remanifestation, and Xem, and the
preceding Words of Indulgence and Thelema. By using these Words
in writing or other forms of communication, we communicate the
meanings associated with those Words.
If I say the word "Xeper" to an initiate, it means something
totally different than it would mean to someone off the street, and
it means something totally different to a Setian than it would mean
to an Egyptologist who /thinks/ he knows the Egyptian god Xepera.
Our use of the Word is quite different and the symbol carries so
much more meaning than just the word "Xeper" would carry in a
modern Egyptian dictionary.
This use of symbolism doesn't apply just to magical Words or
Formulae, but applies to symbols of many different kinds, in many
different uses.
You'll sometimes find certain words capitalized in text, as are
"Words" and "Formulae" above. When not overly used, this is a
clear indication that the author wishes you to view these words
with their symbolic meanings, rather than their normal meanings.
During group ritual, certain words will be spoken more
flamboyantly, perhaps louder, perhaps longer, and often with more
gesturing. These words are then generally being used symbolically,
with special meaning at least to the speaker, if not to other
participants.
Symbolism can also be used in Lesser Black Magic, as tools to
influence certain people (singular or multiple) in certain ways.
The magician (or politician or religious leader or arts director
or other manipulator) will use lighting, music, fragrance, and
other symbols in ways particular to their audience's response to
the symbols.
Symbolism can be used upon ourselves in a similar manner, to bring
out responses from us that we want to bring out, as in ritual or
as an aid to Xeper.
Words which have become symbols to us can be used as a means of
increased concentration, as a visual mantra or as a sensual mantra.
Such mantras can be used in ritual, in nonritual meditation, or
whenever we choose to remind ourselves of the principles carried
within that symbol.
Over time, some symbols can become richer and can carry more and
more meaning to those people who work with the symbol.
These symbols can become "magnetic", in that each use of the symbol
brings forth yet another repetition of the symbol. Each reference
brings forth a constellation of meaning, with one meaning and use
leading to another. Each use of the symbol sparks, or attracts,
another use of the symbol.
3075
In these cases the symbols will often be repeated over and over
throughout a conversation or other communication, each time
exercising one or more of those meanings, and through the course
of the communication this symbol can almost hold or reflect an
entire world view. This is the way the people influenced by the
symbol see their world.
At a political rally the symbol might be "America", "Democracy",
or "the Party" (citizens of other countries may substitute those
symbols meaningful in your domain). To some, the symbol might be
"the Environment".
The symbol "Xeper" has a similar impact within the Setian culture.
Group consensus is important for communication through symbols.
Different groups can have differing uses of symbols, and attempts
to communicate between these groups using the symbols particular
to one group (or those symbols which are viewed differently by
different groups) can result in confusion or worse.
Because Setians come from such diverse backgrounds, we have various
communication problems related to these diverse backgrounds.
Members from the O.T.O. may know all of the Qabalic
correspondences, while members from the Wiccan background couldn't
care less about the Qabalic attributions, and have correspondences
which are totally different. Numerologists apply different
meanings to their numbers than do the Qabalists. And all of these
symbolic systems work.
But very, very few of them work for all Setians.
Qabalists within the Temple of Set who write articles and/or
letters steeped in Qabalic symbolism find that very few others care
enough about their symbols to wade through the text. Those from
other backgrounds with intensive use of symbols similarly find
difficulty communicating within the Temple of Set, since our
symbolic vocabulary is so much less cohesive.
This lack of similarity in symbolism affects not only written
communication, but also ritual activity.
Each pylon seems to develop its own pattern of symbolism, and
inter-pylon rituals can at times be very difficult. Fitting many
diverse magicians with their diverse backgrounds into one
meaningful ceremony can be a challenge, a challenge faced at each
Conclave, and at each activity like the Order of Shuti Workshop.
Language of the Unconscious?\{fn 1\}
The first question asked by the Grand Master was, "What is
symbolism?" The first answer received was, "A language of the
unconscious."
Parts of the workshop's discussion might seem to support this
definition, while others contradict it. So let the Grand Master
speak:
3076
Symbols have many attributes. Among the more important of these
attributes is their ability to cause reaction in their audience,
visceral if not innate reactions, as discussed above.
Elizabeth S. Helfman, in her book _Signs and Symbols around the
World_, defines symbol as being: "anything that stands for
something else."
Look in your dictionary. Mine includes several definitions of
symbol and symbolism, including:
>> Symbol: 2: something that stands for or suggests something
else by reason of relationship, association, convention, or accidental
resemblance. 5: an act, sound, or object having cultural significance
and the capacity to excite or objectify a response.
>> Symbolism: 1: the art or practice of using symols esp. by investing
things with a symbolic meaning or by expressing the invisible or
intangible by means of visible or sensuous representations; as a: the
use of conventional or traditional signs in the representation of divine
beings and spirits, b: artistic imitation or invention that is a method
of revealing or suggesting immaterial, ideal, or otherwise intangible
truth or states. 2: a system of symbols or representations.
Symbolism is an art, a practice, something which is done. It is used to
communicate meaning. It is a language.
Our visceral responses to symbolism may be unconscious, but if
that's all there is, then have we received and/or responded to
meaning?
The transmission and communication of *Meaning* requires some
form of consciousness.
Let's use the word /Awake/ to mean the highest form of consciousness.
Remember -- the capital letter indicates I'm using a symbol; Setian use
of this specific symbol (Awake) most often refers to Ouspenski's
heightened state of consciousness and awareness, a state of being
totally awake.
For simplicity, let's assign a whole range of various levels of
conscious awareness to the name "conscious". This name can apply to
heightened states of consciousness which those we would call Awake,
those that barely miss being Awake, down to the almost somnabulent
states in which most of mankind spends their day.
Finally, I would call the preconscious state one of consciousness in
this case, a state in which meaning can be received, interpreted, and
acted upon, without the individual being "consiously" aware that this
has happened. But if the individual's attention is brought to the
subject, then the symbol and its meaning can be recalled and the process
repeated without any difficulty.
If symbols are generated and communicated, if they are transmitted
and received, in one of these three states, then I believe we can
correctly talk about symbolism, about language.
However, if the generation and/or reception of the symbol is uncon
3077
scious, and/or totally unintended, then I propose that that instance is
not an example of symbolism, not language or communication, but rather
the accidental generation of and/or visceral response to sensory input.
[Now let us return to the discussion as it took place in the
workshop...]
Planetary Symbol System?
We know there are differences in the meanings of many symbols.
"Patriotism" can be exceedingly important to a Republican and
also to a Libertarian, but the meanings that this symbol will have can
be quite different in many ways.
This leads us to ask the question of whether there might perhaps be a
"planetary symbol system" in which some symbols at least can be found
commonly used in many or all cultures.
The cross, square, circle, and most or all simple symbols have been
found in use all over the earth. We therefore can ask whether their
meanings are similar, or are the symbols used simply because they are
simple geometric figures, but with meanings arbitrarily assigned by the
individual cultures?
One participant brought forth Ouspenski's example that "Table" has a
function, an innate form or essence, which can be perceived beyond
words, and beyond a learned experience.
"Table" provokes an image, feeling, or essence that is evoked through a
willed perception that extends beyond the actual set of tables that a
person may have ever experienced.
Ouspenski claims that at a certain state of consciousness the Aware
individual can see this deeper meaning or essence, and that this deeper
meaning or essence can be commonly perceived by all who reach this level
of consciousness.
Similar ideas were offered by Plato, and the concept of Platonic Forms
is very prevalent throughout the Setian use of symbolism. We often
speak of the Egyptian Neters as being Forms, the original or specific
essence of an Ideal.
This is certainly an area that needs deeper investigation. The workshop
session discussion however left the topic of abstract Forms, and instead
investigated the historic use of symbols in various cultures.
Looking first at the more complex god forms, it seems each major
culture has a "trickster" god: Coyote fills this niche in several
Amerindian cultures, Loki in the Norse mythos, and Thoth (Hermes
and Mercury) in the Egyptian (Greek and Roman) mythologies.
The Trickster is that Spirit who makes you Think. He is the Spirit
who is unpredictable in his actions or reactions, who gets himself
and everyone else into trouble. In the process of doing so -- most
often after everyone is already in trouble -- he makes people
Think, and in the end he generally gets everyone out of trouble by
thinking.
3078
To represent the Trickster, each culture used that type of symbol
or god form which for them was most appropriate for that type of
character.
The coyote is a fairly independent and hard to track animal in
America, requiring more than the usual amount of intelligence and
stealth to catch. Monkeys similarly were appreciated for their
seeming intelligence and playfulness, and so Egyptians assigned the
Trickster attribute and the monkey's form to Thoth.
The question becomes ... is this type of being, this symbol,
something which is universal, cross-cultural, or is it something
which happens in just a few cases, and many other societies never
had any use for it?
Jung was exploring this area. He defined specific symbols which
he felt were common to many or all cultures. They were fairly
common within his culture and Jung did manage to validate them with
some cross-cultural study.
We still need to ask how complete his studies were, how extensive
and wide spread.
Given people in extremely different environments, such as the
Eskimo, Hawaiian, Indian, Tibetan, etc., cultures where the people
have many different experiences, totally different social and
physical environments, it can be expected that these people would
have very different reactions to the symbols that Jung thought he
had commonality on.
Jung's _Man and his Symbol_ was recommended by one participant as
containing documentation on his cross-cultural studies in this
area.
Not having access to any resource materials that would answer our
questions at the time, the workshop session then proceeded into the
topic of Egyptian Neters and the use of Neters in symbolism.
Neters
The Workshop discussion of Egyptian Neters started with a brief
discussion of the Egyptian languages.
The ancient Egyptians used three different written languages, the
hieroglyphic, hieratic, and demotic.
The demotic language was a mostly alphabetic language used for
common communications among those who could read and write. Its
primary uses were for social and business reasons.
The hieratic language was a pictographic language related to the
hieroglyphic, but in which the pictographs were abbreviated and
simplified to speed writing. It was used for important state
documents and many later religious texts.
The hieroglyphic language was the most ornate of the three
languages, the most ancient of the three languages, and the most
symbolic. It was used for the most important religious and
3079
philosophical statements, and for the most important state
declarations.
Many of the symbols used to form the hieroglyphic language had
assigned sounds, and many others did not. In addition to the
sounds and symbols used to form words, the Egyptians used
determinatives, signs added to specifically identify each word.
Through the use of the determinative, it was impossible to mistake
one written word for another, even if verbal sounds were the same,
even if the letters used were the same.
This use of a purely symbolic, picture-oriented language encouraged
the ability in the learned ancient Egyptians to think with right
brained methods while doing the left brain activity of reading.
It also encouraged these educated and intelligent Egyptians to work
with symbols as they worked with language. They were able to
communicate ideas and ideals in a language particularly well suited
to this purpose.
Setians use the ancient Egyptian neters as symbols, representing
aspects of the world, or aspects of the individual. We feel this
is very close to the way the higher initiates of the ancient
Egyptian Temples, the priests of the Temples, and the smarter
pharaohs used and viewed their neters. The neters were concepts
that could be communicated to and shared among the initiated,
rather than being actual gods and goddesses.
The common man may very well have believed in the literal existence
of his many gods and goddesses, but we believe the elite of the
Egyptian society understood that these neters were purely symbols.
When the Egyptian elite paid homage to the neters, they paid homage
to the aspects of the universe or of the self represented by those
neters.
One neter of obvious importance is Set. In dealing with this
symbol, we try to identify the original meaning of the symbol, and
try to eliminate the corruptions of the symbol imposed by the later
rule of Osirian religion.
Rather than take space here to discuss the corruptions and
distortions that were applied to the symbol of the neter Set
through the Osirian culture, we'll simply refer the interested
student to appropriate books in the reading list: 2A, 2E, 2G, 2W,
and 2AA.
It is rather clear that the use and peripheral meanings of the
neter Set changed over time. The study of Set must therefore
include the careful consideration of the source of whatever
writings are being studied. Fortunately most other Egyptian
symbols/god forms did not change significantly over time, and such
care need not be used in studying and working with them.
The neters were used and viewed as symbols. But the Egyptian
temples _were_ temples, and were recognized as religions, not
simply as centers of enlightened philosophy. This brings up the
question: Do/did the Egyptian Neters actually exist? Were these
religions founded to worship or work with beings that actually
3080
existed? Or were they simply the creations of the ancient Egyptian
priesthoods?
Rather than tackle immediately the question of whether the Neters
actually existed, workshop participants first chose to examine ...
Egyptian Priesthoods
The first statement made about these priesthoods was that each
temple in Egypt taught a different area of philosophy or knowledge.
Those temples dedicated to a major neter or god taught that their
primal Form was the First Cause. These were the major temples of
the land, and an initiate who studied at temple after temple would
be presented with the opposing claims that each god was the god,
The Creator.
We noted in our discussion that the priesthoods of several of the
"minor" neters did not make any such claims. Thoth as a single
neter never seemed to be treated as the creator god; nor was Geb.
However, many of the major neters were treated as creator gods, and
many gods were intentionally combined into units (such as
Amon-Thoth-Ra) in order to form a god which would be powerful
enough to qualify as The creator god.
Neters as Symbols
We returned to discussing the neters as ways of viewing possibility
and potentiality, and ways of viewing different aspects of the
universe and of the individual.
For example, Ra, the sun god, was a most pervasive and powerful
being, since every single day, there he is in the sky. Ra was
consistent, reliable, and therefore powerful.
Similarly each force in nature was given a personality, because
each force in nature has a personality (or seems to, to those who
humanize such things). This is the basic principle behind most
spirits of most animistic religions.
These personalities are generally reliable. A rain cloud is going
to rain; it isn't going to add to the day's heat. The Nile was not
going to dry up -- it was going to overflow once a year, and
deposit good, rich, fertile earth upon the ground. Each force of
nature, each personality, was given a name, a face, and a story.
The most powerful stories, faces, and names are those that belong
to the creator gods. There are so many creator gods, that it's
really difficult to pin down an actual order of precedence.
This brings up the fact that there are many apparently conflicting
stories within the Egyptian mythology.
The Grand Master pointed out that in several Egyptian myths, Shu
and Tefnut are self-created. In others they were created by tears
of the master creator god (whoever he happened to be according to
the story teller). In yet others they were created by the master
god's masturbation.
3081
Shu and Tefnut by definition are the first male and female. The
master god's masturbation in these latter stories was always male
masturbation, but Shu is the first male. Shu and Tefnut begat Geb
and Nut, but Nut was the all-pervasive universal sky that preceded
the first god...
This confusion is the result of centuries of Egyptian story
telling, and while some of it appears to be contraditory, most of
it is useful. We certainly must hesitate to consider this
mythology as one consistent symbolism, and must be careful if we
wish to communicate consistent meanings using these symbols, but
we have found value in this mythology.
Each story is a different way of looking at the world, a different
way of looking at the first cause, and of looking at the symbols.
By using these symbols, we can then indicate not only a symbol, but
also which way we are looking at the world.
Hence, if in ritual or other communication we call upon
Ptah-Geb-Nu, we are calling upon the creator of the earth and sky,
the god who created the physical universe. If instead we call upon
the Neter Ra-Ptah-ankh, we are calling upon the god who brought
light and life to this planet.
Having discussed these differing views of the world as expressed
by the many symbolic neters, we felt that this was a good point
from which to launch into a discussion of one of the ways in which
we look at Neters.
Set, the prime source of intelligence and the ageless intelligence
himself, is a wee bit complex for someone a mere 20 or even 200
years old to understand, regardless of whether we look at Set as
an actually existing being or instead as a master symbol.
So rather than try to encompass all of Set, intellectually or
emotionally, rather than try to understand all of Set, we can work
with neters which are facets of Set's being, facets of Set's
symbolism. Each neter can be thought of as a specific element of
Set.
As examples, Shu is one set of symbolism, one set of ideas, that
an initiate can work with to "get somewhere" with, to accomplish
certain initiatory goals. Tefnut is another set of ideas, as is
Geb, Isis, etc.
Rather than trying to encompass and work with the entire universe
simultaneously, grab whatever you can hold onto, work with that
handful, study that symbol or symbols, and see what it leads to.
We had originally intended to discuss whether or not the Neters
might or might not exist in their own right. Having discussed the
above, it seemed somewhat unimportant as to whether the Neters
actually exist. That topic will be left for a later discussion.
Bibliography
While the following books and papers were not necessarily discussed
3082
nor referenced during the workshop discussion (or in completing
this article), the initiate interested in studying symbolism as a
subject on its own would be well advised to begin with this
bibliography. Additions to this bibliography are welcome, and
should be sent to the Grand Master. (_RT_ entries are from _The
Ruby Tablet of Set_.)
Barrett, Ronald K., "Book of Opening the Way (Key #4)". _RT_
IT.II.A.5.b.(1).(d).
Barrett, Ronald K., "Stele of Xem". _RT_ IT.II.A.4.a.(3).
Cavendish, Richard, _The Black Arts_. 4C (TS-3).
Crowley, Aleister, _The Book of Thoth_. 9L (TS-4).
De Lubicz, Isha Schwaller, _Her-Bak_. 2L (TS-1).
De Lubicz, Isha Schwaller, _Symbol and the Symbolique_. 2V (TS-4).
Fisher, Leonard Everett, _Symbol Art: Thirteen Squares, Circles,
and Triangles from Around the World_. NY: Four Winds Press,
MacMillan Publishing Company, 1985.
Helfman, Elizabeth S., _Signs and Symbols Around the World_. NY:
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co., 1967.
Jung, Carl G., _Man and his Symbols_. Garden City: Doubleday &
Co., 1964, 1968. Also NY: Dell Publishing Co., 1968, and London:
Aldus Books, 1964.
Menschel, Robert, "Remanifestation: A Symbolic Syntheses", _RT_
IT.II.B.3.e.(2).
Menschel, Robert, "Tarot Primer", _RT_ IT.II.B.3.e.(3).
Norton, Lynn, "Golden Section Tarot Working", "Atu XV: The Devil",
and "The Dialogue". _RT_ IT.II.A.3.k.(1), 4.h.(1), and 4.h.(2).
Regardie, Israel, _777 and Other Qabalistic Writings of Aleister
Crowley_. 9M (TS-4).
Schaefer, Heinrich, _Principles of Egyptian Art_. 2R (TS-4).
=========
Footnote:
=========
1. The Grand Master wishes to digress temporarily from the workshop's
discussion, and to comment at this time on one of the first statements
offered during this discussion.
................................................................................
3083
{file "SET" "bos638.htm"}
The God Set
by Setnakt
The best English study of Set is Te Velde's _Set, God of
Confusion_ Brill 1977. If this particular text is unavailable through
your library, I recommend a a short cheap and very reliable book by
George Hart: _A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses_, Routledge &
Kegan Paul, 1986. This very ambiguous god was alternately deified
and demonized depending on the cultural/political currents running
through Egypt. Allow me to present here a brief history of Set.
Predynastically: Set was an important deity appearing in the art of the
Hamitic peoples living in the Ombos and Naquada regions. Interestingly,
his was the only god-figure not composed of parts from recognizable
Earth animals.
(The Hamitic speakers donated most of the terms to religious philosophy
to the Egyptian langauge that seperate it from other Semitic languages
including ba, ka, neter, etc. If somebody really wants to find the roots
of the Egyptian religion, they should go up the Nile and do some serious
anthropology among Hamitic speaking native cultures-- the roots of the
Nile may hold keys to Egyptian thought that mute stones do not).
Archaic Egypt: Set generally occupies a secondary role to his enemy
Horus, champion of the people of the North (except in the 2nd dynasty
when one pharaoh took a "Set" name rather than a Horus name.) Set is
intimately connected with teaching astronomy,the methods of agriculture,
medicine, and above all magic. He is said to have opened the mouth of
the other gods, and is the patron of the sem ritual. His cult titles
include "Great of Magic" and "Eternal". There is indeed evidence that
Set is set apart from other gods to die (Bonnet's commentaries on the
Pyramid texts).
The astronomical cult, which placed the afterlife in the region of the
Northern heavens -- particularly in and around the constellation of the
Great Bear was replaced in the Fourth dynasty by a growing sun cult
centering on Re and Horus. The great stellar monument that Imhotep
designed were replaced by the solar pyramids of the Fourth and Fifth
dynasty's. (Notably Cheops took no chances in the great Pyramid's
design -- although outwardly a solar monument he had a hole bored
through the stones aligned with the position of Alpha Draconis (a star
in the Great Bear called Thuban = "the Subtle One" a Set cult
title?) just in case that was where his ka was heading.
During the next few dynasties (4 - 17), Set is generally
ignored. His functions are absorbed into other gods. Thoth picks up the
attributes of magic, Osiris picks up the attributes of Mysterious time
_djet_ as opposed to exoteric time _neheh_. Set keeps his attributes a
storm and stellar god, and gradually comes to be associated with all
night fears -- nightmares, desert fiends, and bad animals such as the
hippo and the jaguar of the South. He is mentioned in a famous 12th
dynasty writing called _The Discourse of a man with his ba_ in which his
solar aspect IAA is referred to. Bikka Reed has a great translations of
this text.
In the 18th dynasty a remarkable Pharoah Hatshepsut reintroduced the
worship of Set by building a Temple dedicated to him and Horus the Elder
at Ombos. This marked a strong interest in Set's eternal nature, for
3084
example in Hatshepsut is the prophecy (which she had placed in her tomb
at Der el-Medina) that "She will not only enjoy the days of Horus, but
the days of Set will be added to her span."
She was also interested in the antinomian nature of the Set cult -- in
fact she preformed one of the most scandalous acts available to a woman
-- she acted as a man. This early feminist clearly found Set, a great
archetype to Work with. Set was popular among her family until the
Kingship of Akhenaton (may he be reborn forever drowning in the jaws of
Sobek the crocodile god).
The very militaristic pharaohs of the Nineteenth dynasty, who were
probably descended form a family of Set priests at Tanis, delighted in
Set both in his militaristic role and as God of Foreign places. Ramses
II for example called himself the Son of Set. The Set cult too was very
popular with foreigners coming to live in Egypt. His worship has always
been connected with the outsider.
The Twentieth Dynasty began by looking very favorably on this god, as is
shown in the name of its founder Setnakt, "Set is Mighty." There is also
considerable evidence that the set cult was favored among artisans of
the time (see Romer's _Ancient Lives_, Henry Holt, 1984, and if you've
got as copy of Stephen Quirk's _Ancient Egyptian Religion_ check out the
beautiful Stella of Aapehty -- probably the most beautiful surviving
example of Setian art).
By the end of the Twentieth Dynasty, as the funerary cult of Osiris
became the dominate force in popular Egyptian religion,more and more,
Set as the murderer of Osiris became the Evil One. In fact by the Twenty
Sixth dynasty it was a common practice to disfigure any representations
of Set. He became --for all practical purposes the Christian devil. Some
scholars have even derived the name Satan from Set-Hen, a cult title
meaning the Majesty of Set, but I am dubious of this particular
derivation.
However Set was not down for the count. During the Ptolemaic period Set,
merged with the Greek titan Typhon, became the figure for the _goes_ or
sorcerer to use. After Hermes the most often invoked god in the Magical
papyri is Set-Typhon. This entity was used to bring spirit helpers (
bird would fly down and announce that the magician was now under the
protection of a god -- a popular Typhonic practice outside of Egypt as
well see Morton Smith's _Jesus the Magician_). Set was also the god to
invoke to send dreams, perform healings on the head or spinal column,
and to cause enmity between enemies.
There seems to be a few common threads running through the Set cult: the
quest for immortality, antinomianism, and the practice of magic. Perhaps
this is why Michael Aquino's current Temple of Set finds this figure so
appealing as an archetype for the Left Hand Path. Like Hatshepsut before
Aquino has Opened the Mouth of this ancient god, and the articulation of
the Principle of Isolate Intelligence is available to us today.
................................................................................
3085
{file "Asatru Resources" "bos639.htm"}
Sources and Resources for Asatru
Organizations:
The Asatru Alliance of Independent Kindreds P.O. Box 961; Payson AZ
85547
The Alliance is the linear descendent of the Asatru Free Assembly. They
are a democratically run national confederation of independent kindreds
who meet once a year in an Allthing to conduct business. It is
essentially conservative and libertarian. "The Alliance is based upon
the ancient model of tribal democracy known as the Thing, and member
kindreds support a code of laws we feel necessary to preserve and
protect Asatru from those who would dilute, subvert, or in any way harm
our religion. Membership in the Alliance is encouraged for those who
actively promote and believe in the Aesir and Vanir and our collective
Heathen Heritage. Anyone interested in joining the Alliance should
contact the kindred of choice for acceptance. There is no membership in
the Alliance except through a kindred. Applicants must subscribe to the
membership requirements of the kindred of choice and uphold the bylaws
of the Asatru Alliance."
The Ring of Troth P.O. Box 18812; Austin TX 78760 The Ring of Troth was
founded by Edred Thorsson. He resigned in Spring of 2242 (Runic
Reckoning - 1992 C.E.) and has been replaced by Prudence Priest, most
well known as the editor of Yggdrasil. Due to the resignation of
Thorsson and several other members of the High Rede (i.e. Board of
Directors) the Ring is currently in reorganization, and it appears that
it will emerge much stronger than before.
The Ring is governed by an appointed High Rede of 9 persons who guide
the national affairs of the Ring. They offer a number of programs
include an Elder training program for prospective clergy, The Rune Ring
for study of the magickal properties of the Runes from within a Germanic
Pagan context, and recognition for local Kindreds.
The Ring of Troth requires that "its members affiliate for cultural and
religious reasons rather than for racial and political reasons. The use
of the Ring of Troth as a platform for any type of political or racial
propoganda will not be tolerated"
Dues are $24 and include a subscription to Idunna. If one does not wish
to join, Friends of the Troth may receive Idunna for $24 as well.
Magazines:
Vor Tru - $12/year. The Journal of the Asatru Alliance (see above
address). Concentrates on community issues within the Alliance, news
of kindreds, letters, etc.
Idunna - $24/year. The journal of the Ring of Troth. Idunna concentrates
on fairly heavy academic subjects, runelore, etc.
Mountain Thunder - $15/year, 1630 30th St #266; Boulder CO 80301. Glossy
covered and well put together. Usually excellent articles on relgious
issues of Heathenry, scholarly stuff, reviews, and opinion.
Uncle Thorr's Newsletter - $12/year, P.O. Box 080437; Staten Island NY
3086
10308-0005. Simple newsletter with ranting and raving from Uncle Thorr
and company, news from NY, and articles on lifestyle, runes, and other
topics.
Kindreds:
American Church of Theodish; 107 Court St, Suite 131; Watertown NY 13601
(Anglo Saxon Theodism)
Am Church of Theodish West; 9353 Otto St; Downey CA 90241
Arizona Kindred; P.O. Box 961; Payson AZ 85547 (Asatru Alliance)
Barnstokker Hearth; P.O. Box 1972; Seattle WA 98111-1972
Eagles Reaches; P.O. Box 382; Deer Park TX 77536 (Ring of Troth)
Mountain Moot; P.O. Box 328; Elizabeth CO 80107
Nerthus Heart; 27 Gap Rd; Black Hawk CO 80422
Northern California Kindred; P.O. Box 445; Nevada City CA 95959
Norvegr Kindred; 219 Lewis St; Wash Court House OH 43160
Oak Rune Kindred; P.O. Box 3392; Galveston TX 77552
Raven Kindred; P.O. Box 970; Amherst MA 01004-0970
Skelland Kindred; P.O. Box 7608; Clearwater FL 34618
Thorr's Hammer Kindred; 9461 Bella Vista Rd; Apple Valley CA 92308
Torwald Kindred; 1630 30th St #266; Boulder CO 80301
Vinland Kindred; P.O. Box 15431 PSS; Stamford CT 06901
Wulfing Kindred; P.O. Box 18237; Chicago IL 60618 (Asatru Alliance)
Yggdrasil Kindred; 1709 West Midvale Village Dr; Tucson AZ 85476
Recommended Books:
The Poetic Edda, Lee Hollander translation (basic mythology in an
excellently translated poetic version.)
The Prose Edda, Jean Young translation (basic mythology)
The Norse Myths, Kevin Crossley Holland (basic mythology in modern
language and retelling, excellent for readings or meditation)
A Book of Troth by Edred Thorsson (Not my favorite author and not a book
without many imperfections, but the only mass market book of the basic
rituals of Asatru)
The AFA Rituals, three volumes available from World Tree Books ($18 from
World Tree) The original ritual volumes from the Asatru Free Assembly.
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Introduction to Ritual and Invocation Tape ($7 from World Tree Books) A
basic cassette tape that goes through a ritual step by step, the other
side is a variety of invocations and prayers.
The last two are from World Tree Publications; P.O. Box 961; Payson AZ
85547 (checks payable to the O.F. of Arizona). World Tree is a service
of the Asatru Alliance and carries a number of tapes and booklets as
well as Thor's Hammers and statuary.
................................................................................
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{file "ADF Ritual #1" "bos640.htm"}
ADF BASIC RITUAL NUMBER ONE
by P.E.I. Bonewits, Sally Eaton and others
Procession, lead by D1 and D2:
D1: Ta muid anseo leis na Deithe a adhradh.
D2: We are here to honor the Gods.
D1: A Dheithe, an Airde, a Thabharthoiri ar Bheatha - eistigi
agus freagairt orainn!
D2: O Gods, High Ones, Givers of Life - hear and answer us!
Processional song:
We come from the mountains,
Living in the mountains,
Turn the world around.
We come from the oceans,
Living in the oceans,
Turn the world around.
We come from the fire,
Living in the fire,
Turn the world around.
We come from the breezes,
Living in the breezes,
Turn the world around.
Settling song:
She changes everything she touches,
And everything she touches changes.
Tree Meditation:
When e'er we stand in a sacred place
Beneath the Sun's or Moon's bright face,
In a circle's rim or shady grove,
Our spirits go to the Gods we love.
Let all our minds go clear and free,
and form the image of a treee,
A youthful sapling of the glade,
Whose budding branches cast no shade.
Around this tender, supple youth,
Are seen its sturdy forbearers growth,
Those forest Elders strong and wise,
Who nurture those of lesser size.
So close your eyes, and in your mind
Become one of the spirit kind.
Cast off your cares and disbelief,
and enter tree from root to leaf.
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Relax and breathe and center will,
Then let the peace within you swell
Until it is a thing profound.
Now send it deep in the ground.
In every little tender root
Feel water flow, and and then transmute;
The sap will flow through ever vein,
Our links to our ancestors regain.
Now let the sap rise in a flood,
And race to every branch and bud;
Each branch extend into the air,
Each leaf unfold in green so fair.
The gentle zephers toss each bough,
And to you calming breaths endow,
While rays of golden summer light
Give warmth and lend their power's might.
Let water rise and fire descend,
And lively air the branches bend;
Thus firmly planted in the Earth,
The elements give us rebirth.
Now let the green entwine,
And form our sacred grove devine.
With branch and root our circle form,
And magic from mundane transform.
We all are rooted just the same,
We feel the same supernal flame,
We drink the water free to all,
We hear the gentle airy call.
Now let us feel our spirits surge,
And into one great spirit merge
To let the Lord and Lady know
That we are ready below.
And let us all link hand to hand,
Before all of the gods we stand,
And in this hallowed space we start
To show all that is in our heart.
................................................................................
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Specifacation of ritiual:
Invocation of Ogma the Gate Keeper, or Mannanon in English and Irish:
(English by Sally Eaton, Irish by James Duran)
(visualization is a triangle shaped iris opening)
D1: A Oghma, a thiarna na nGeatai, a thiarna an Fheasa, oscail
na geatai duinn. Ta muid ag siul i do lorg, ta' muid ag siul ar
do bhealach. Scaoil duinn do theagasc taispeain duinn cen chaol
a siul faidh muid slan. Molann muid thu mar gheall ar do
chumhacht. Siuil linn a Oghma!
or
D1: A Mhanannon, a thiarna na nGeatai, a thiarna an Fheasa,
oscail na geatai duinn. Ta muid ag siul i do lorg, ta' muid ag
siul ar do bhealach. Scaoil duinn do theagasc taispeain duinn
cen chaol a siul faidh muid slan. Molann muid thu mar gheall ar
do chumhacht. Siuil linn a Mhanannon!
D2: O Ogma, Lord of the Gates, Lord of Knowledge, open the ways
for us. We walk in your footsteps, we walk your roads. Reveal to
us your teaching, reveal to us the way to walk in safety. We
praise you for the brightness of your power. Walk with us, Ogma!
or
D2: O Manannon, Lord of the Gates, Lord of Knowledge, open the
ways for us. We walk in your footsteps, we walk your roads.
Reveal to us your teaching, reveal to us the way to walk in
safety. We praise you for the brightness of your power. Walk
with us, Manannon!
D1: Siuil linn a Oghma...
D2: ...walk with us Ogma!
D1: Siuil linn a Oghma...
D2: ...walk with us Ogma!
D1: Siuil linn a Oghma...
D2: ...walk with us Ogma!
or
D1: Siuil linn a Mhanannon...
D2: ...walk with us Manannon!
D1: Siuil linn a Mhanannon...
D2: ...walk with us Manannon!
D1: Siuil linn a Mhanannon...
D2: ...walk with us Manannon!
................................................................................
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Chant:
We invoke thee Ogma, Opener of every Gate
We invoke thee Ogma, Opener of every Gate.
You shall reach us, You shall teach us and reveal our fate.
You shall reach us, You shall teach us and reveal our fate.
(repeat nine times)
or
We invoke Manannon, Opener of every Gate
We invoke Manannon, Opener of every Gate.
You shall reach us, You shall teach us and reveal our fate.
You shall reach us, You shall teach us and reveal our fate.
(repeat nine times)
Invoke Matron of Bards (Bridget nominally)
O Bridget, our heart, Our brightest Queen;
Cast your blessings unto us.
We are your children, You are our mother;
So harken unto us.
You are the Cauldron now in our grove;
Earth-Mother inspire us.
O fire of love, O fire of life;
Please Bridget, come to us!
Triad invocations and consecrating of the waters:
Nature: Fill main chalice with whiskey and secondary chalice with water.
Hold them up and say:
D2: O spirits of the old times and of this place, our
companions, our teachers, hallow these waters. Share with us the
renewal of the Earth. Share with us comfort, knowledge, and
blessing. Speak to our hearts, that we may become one with you
all...Behold the waters of life.
D1: A sprideanna na seanaimsire, agus na haite seo, a
chomhghuaillithe,a mhuinteori, beannaigi na h-uisci seo duinn.
Roinnigi orainn athbheochan na Talun. Roinnigi orainn
suaimhneas, eolas, agus beannacht. Labhraigi linn inar gcroi, le
go mbeadh muid in aon bhall libhse...Seo iad uisci na beatha!
Sip from each chalice and passes to D2 then to sunwise (left), saying:
Behold the waters of life.
Asperging song/chant (Fur and Feathers) for while waters being passed.
Fur and feather and scale and skin,
Different without, the same within.
Many of body but one of soul,
Through all creatures, the Gods made whole.
(repeat nine times)
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Ancestors:
D2: O people of the old times, our ancestors, our kindred,
hallow these waters. Share with us the bond of life upon the
Earth. Share with us comfort, knowledge, and blessing. Speak to
our hearts, that we may become one with you all ... Behold the
waters of life!
D1: A sheana, a shinseara, a mhuintir, beannaigi n h-uisci seo
duinn. Roinnigi orainn ceangal na beatha ar Talamh. Roinnigi
orainn suaimhneas, eolas, agus beannacht. Labhraigi linn inar
gcroi, le go mbeadh muid in aon bhall libhse .... Seo iad uisci
na beatha!
Asperging song/chant:
It's the blood of the ancients,
That runs through our veins.
And the forms pass,
But the Circle of Life remains.
Gods as a whole:
D2: O Gods of the old times, our mothers, our fathers, hallow
these waters. Share with us your power to regenerate the Earth.
Share with us comfort, knowledge, and blessing. Speak to our
hearts, that we may become one with you all ... Behold the
waters of life!
D1: A Dheithe na seanaimsire, a mhaithreacha, a aithreacha,
beannaigi na h-uisci seo duinn. Roinnigi orainn bhur gcumhacht
le go nginfeadh muid an Domhan. Roinnigi orainn suaimhneas,
eolas, agus beannacht. Labhraigi linn inar gcroi, le go mbeadh
muid in aon bhall libhse ... Seo iad uisci na beatha!
Asperging song/chant:
Mother I feel You under my feet. Mother I hear your heart beat.
Mother I feel You under my feet. Mother I hear your heart beat.
Father I see You where the eagle flies. Spirit going to take me
higher.
Father I see You where the eagle flies. Spirit going to take me
higher.
Praise offerings and major power raising:
The sacrifice: (see FESTNAME.TXT for diety names of holidays)
D2: Our praise goes up with thee on the wings of eagles; our
voices are carried up to thee on the shoulders of the winds.
Hear now, o Name, o Name, we pray thee, as we offer up this
sacrifice of life. Accept it we pray thee, and cleanse our
hearts, giving to us of your peace and life.
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D1: Teann ar moladh suas chugat ar sciathain iolar; beitear ar
nglortha suas chugat ar ghuailne na gaoithe. Eistigi anois,
a..., an ..., mas e bhur dtoil e, agus sinn ag ofrail na
h-iobairte seo ar son na beatha. Glacaigi lei, mas e bhur dtoil
e, agus glanaigi ar gcroithe, ag roinnt arainn do chuid siochana
is do bheatha.
The Omen:
D2: Have you accepted our sacrifice of life and human effort?
D1: Give unto us an omen!
Possible repitition of Praise offerings and Omen seeking, if needed.
D1: Rejoice! The NAME and NAME have accepted our sacrifices!
Meditation on personal needs:
Repetition on group needs: done by D1 & D2
Induction of Receptivity:
D1: Of what does the Earth-Mother give, that we may know of the
continual flow and renewal of life?
D2: The waters of life.
D1: From whence do these waters flow?
D2: From the bosom of the Earth-Mother, the ever changing All-Mot-
her.
D1: And how do we honor this gift that causes life?
D2: By partaking of the waters of life.
D1: Has the Earth Mother given forth of Her bounty?
D2: She has.
D1: Then give me the waters!
Final consecration and sharing:
D1: A NAME, an NAME, Eistigi agus freagairt orainn! Bean- naigi
na h-uisci seo duinn. Muide do chlann, a mhol thu, agus anois
iarrann muid ort leigheas, beannachtai, cumhacht agus
tinfeadh... Seo iad uisci na beatha!
D2: O NAME, O NAME, hear us and answer us! Hallow these waters!
We your children have praised you, and now we ask from you
healing, blessing, power and inspiration .... Behold the waters
of life!
Passing song/chant:
Burn bright, flame within me,
Kindled of eternal fire.
Of the people I do be,
And the people part of me,
All one in many parts,
A single fire of flaming hearts!
Meditation on reception of blessings and reinforcement of group bonds:
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Affirmation of success:
D1: NAME and NAME have Blessed us!
D2:Every time we invoke them, they become stronger and more alert
to the needs of their people.
D1: With joy in our hearts, let us return to the realm of mortals,
to do the will of the Gods and our own.
D2: Yet, before we leave, we must give thanks to those whom we
invited here today.
Thanking of the Entities involved:
D2: O NAME and NAME,
D1: A NAME, an NAME,
D2: We thank you!
D1: Go raibh maith agaibh!
All: Go raibh maith agaibh!
D2: O Gods and Goddesses of the old times,
D1: A Dheithe na seanaimsiri -
All: Go raibh maith agaibh!
D2: O people of the old times, our ancestors, our kindred,
D1: A sheana, a shinseara, a mhuntir -
All: Go raibh maith agaibh!
D2: O spirits of the old times, and of this place,
D1: A sprideanna na seanaimsire, agus na haite seo -
All: Go raibh maith agaibh!
D2: O Bridget, Fire of Life and Fire of Love, Mother of Bards
and Goddess of inspiration, we thank you.
D1: A Bhrid, a Thine Bheatha agus a Thine Ghra, a Mhathair na
Bardai agus Bheandia na Thinfeadh, go raith maith agat!
Closing of the Gates:
D2: O Ogma, Lord of the Gates, Lord of Knowledge, we thank you.
Now let the Gates Between the Worlds be closed!
D1: A Oghma, a Thairna na nGeatai, a Thairna an Fheasa, go raith
maith agat. Anois biodh na geatai idir na saolta a druidte!
or
D2: O Mhannon, we thank you. Now let the Gates Between the Worlds be
closed!
D1: A Mannonon go raith maith agat. Anois biodh na geatai idir na
saolta a druidte!
3095
Reversing the Tree meditation:
Our sacred grove the Gods do love,
The Earth beneath, the sky above,
But now this ritual must end,
Toward our home and hearthstone fend.
Again we cleat our mind and heart;
The branches shrink and pull apart.
The roots untie and backward turn,
And spirit fire less brightly burns.
Let water sink, let fire go,
Let gentle zephers homeward flow,
And as if in a cleansing rain
Become a single tree again.
Then from this solitary tree
Your soul breaks loose, a being free.
Your body calls, your spirit flies,
Returns, you slowly open your eyes.
Libation:
D1: To thee we return this portion of thy bounty, o NAME our
Mother, even as we must someday return unto thee.
Final Benediction:
D1: Let us go out into the world, secure in the knowledge that
our sacrifices have pleased the Gods and Goddesses, and that we
go forth upon the Earth under their protection.
D2: We have finished this ceremony!
D1: So be it!
All: Biodh se!
Recessional song/chant: Walk with Wisdom
Walk with wisdom
from this hallowed place.
Walk not in sorrow,
our roots shall ere embrace.
May Strength be your brother,
and Honor be your friend.
and Luck be your lover until we meet again.
***********************************************************************-
From:THE DRUIDS PROGRESS, Report #6. The DRUIDS PROGRESS is published
semiannually (Gods Willing) and is sent primarily to the subscribing
members of ADF. For Further information write: ADF, PO Box 1022, Nyack,
NY USA 10960-1022 (include a SASE). All Items accredited to "the
Archdruid" have been written by and are (C) 1990 by P.E.I. Bonewits. All
items created by other parties are (C) 1990 by them. All opinions
expressed, save those specifically attributed to the Board of Trustees,
are the opinions of the individuals expressing them and are Not official
3096
ADF policy. Reprint Procedure: Neopagan, Druidic, Medievalist and all
cultural publications may reprint any material written by P.E.I.
Bonewits, but his copyright notice must appear in full. If more than 250
words are excerpted, one cent per word should be donated to ADF.
************************************************************************
................................................................................
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{file "Pagan Manners (Grey Cat)" "bos641.htm"}
PAGAN MANNERS OR
Are There Any Dead Animals in The Soup?
by Grey Cat, Members Advocate
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I can hear the outraged screams already. there are people out there who
believe that the very idea of "Pagan Manners" is a conflict in terms;
that "manners" are outdated, dishonest and hypocritical. Well,think
again. Manners constitute the only successful technique ever discovered
by humankind to enable groups and individuals, holding moderately
disparate views, customs or beliefs, to get along together. There are
things more important than manners; but, without manners,its unlikely
that a discussion will ever go to them. Pagan manners are fairly
simple and have nothing to do with which fork you use or how to word an
invitation. They have to do with respect for others' feelings and
beliefs. They most specifically have to do with recognition of the fact
that you should "judge not the path of your brother or sister for their
path is sacred." Manners are also the only way of attempting to grant
everyone the personal space which each of us needs. There have been a
number of attempts to write down a list of "thou shalts" and "thou shalt
nots" which will cover Pagan life. Here are several tries made by four
different people:
MY OWN OPINIONS 1. Never assume that you are invited to a ritual or
a non public gathering just because your friend is invited. Have your
friend call the group doing the event and ASK! (or call yourself). 2.
When participating in a ritual led by a group of which you are nota
member, ask ahead of time what will be done. SHould there be something
in the explanation, or in the set-up of the ritual area which bothers
you, just quietly don't participate in the ritual. 3. Ask the person(s)
officiating at a ritual before you place anything in the ritual area;
wear clothing or tools which might be considered unusual; or add private
energy workings to the ritual being done. 4. Never just walk out of a
cast ritual circle. Ask someone in the group sponsoring the ritual to
cit you a door if your really and truly absolutely have to leave. 5.
Don't make comments on the ritual, its leaders or the amount or quality
of the energy raised during the ritual unless such opinions are asked
for by the leaders. Save it for your friends, privately,after the ritual
is over. 6. Vegetarians, Vegans, Strict Carnivores, Diabetics, and any
others with very strong food preferences: no one minds your asking
quietly and politely "Which dishes have meat (sugar, spices, hot pepper,
etc.)in them?" When planning a meal for mixed Pagan/Wiccan groups, it is
strongly suggested that at least some of the dishes be vegetarian, sug-
ar-free, relatively non-spicy etc. At all times, within and without the
ritual context, always provide an alternative to alcoholic beverages. 7.
While many people have become far less secretive about their membership
in a Pagan group, it is never, EVER, permissible to "blow someones
cover". Do not ever call a friend or acquaintance by their Pagan name
or mention their membership in a mundane situation. It is also bad
manners - and a symptom of social climbing - to call an individual by
his/her mundane name in a Pagan situation. It always reminds me of an
extra calling John Wayne "The Duke" at a local bar. 8. Whether you
drink, take drugs or indulge in other similar behavior is completely
your own business. It is always wrong to urge such behavior on any other
individual. The majority of serious Pagan groups absolutely do NOT allow
anyone under the influence of drugs or alcohol to participate in ritual.
Do not be offended of you are turned away for this reason. If you are
taking a psycho-active drug for a medical reason it is very wise to
check with the ritual leader(s) so they will understand and can advise
3098
you if they feel the ritual might be harmful to you. 9. Just because
most Pagans/Wiccans are under 40 and in reasonably good physical
condition, never assume that everyone is. Rituals and gatherings should
be planned so that those with physical problems aren't barred totally
from participation. Particularly in ritual, be aware that many more
people than you might think are "mobility disabled." Group ritual should
take place in an accessible area and some thought should be given to
designating a safe place for those not taking part in dancing to stand
or sit. Please be alert to anyone to whom help would be welcome. Help
them to find a campsite which minimizes walking - to the ritual area, to
the privies, to the eating area - whatever. Help them pitch their camp.
Don't make them feel unwelcome - most handicapped people have worked
extra hard on their magickal skills and may be able to add a great deal
to the power in ritual and to the success of the gathering. 10. When at
any sort of gathering, please be thoughtful. Particularly please observe
true quiet after midnight. No one minds if you and others want to stay
up all night talking or whatever. Everyone else minds a great deal if
you stay up talking and laughing loudly and/or drumming. Those hosting
a gathering should take the responsibility of keeping the noise level
very low in at least some of the sleeping areas - and designating it as
a quiet area. 11. Do not allow yourself to get the idea that you know
the One True,Right and Only Path! Even if you really do have the
conviction that what someone else is doing is "wrong", "incorrect",
"Left-hand path"or whatever, just don't talk about it. It is perfectly
permissible to refrain from participating in the activities of those
with whom you cannot feel comfortable. It is not acceptable to express
the idea that they "shouldn't" be doing it. This is not to say that if
you know of criminal behavior on the part of a so-called Pagan/Wiccan
group you should not report it. We must also be responsible for cleaning
up our own act. Paganism is glorified by its diversity. Please do not
allow yourself to express judgement by categories. Whether or not you
like or dislike blacks, Indians, Homosexuals, women, men, or whatever,
keep it to yourself! If you really and truly cannot feel comfortable
taking part in a ritual which isn't conducted according to the tradition
you follow or if you cannot be pleasant in company mixed with groups you
disapprove of, please just stay home.
PAGAN/CRAFT ETIQUETTE by Soapbox Sam
Listed below are not hard and fast rules, but some helpful guidelines
for those who would function smoothly in a craft/Pagan environment. 1.
Should you write to someone for information, always enclose an SASE
(Self-addressed, Stamped Envelope). Many of us receive several inquiries
a day. Sometimes just answering them, much less having to pay the
postage and buy envelopes, is a time-consuming, expensive task! 2.
Should your inquiry be about Pagan/Craft folks in your area, tell about
yourself, and how you came to have our names and wrote to is -after all
the Inquisition is alive and sick here in the heart of the Bible Belt.
Do not expect names and addresses unless they are already"public". Most
of us, even the "public" Pagan/Craft folks prefer to meet people slowly
and carefully over a cup of coffee in a public place, before we start
introducing you to our groups and our friends.Why should we risk when
you have risked nothing? ((Sometimes I get mail that simply has a name
and address on it and demand that I send the latest copy of my newslet-
ter or the names and addresses/phone numbers of all Craft people in the
writer's areas. One man sent me a letter raising hell because he has
(according to him) sent me $0.33 in the mail and was waiting on the copy
of my newsletter "I owed him"!Sadly, this type of letter is more common
than not... his letter and 33 cents, is ever sent, was never received.
3099
Do I really have to explain to grown mature adults about sending money
through the mails???)) 3. If you are invited to a gathering or festival,
whether by written or oral invitation, before you invite others, get
permission. Because of space, or other considerations, the number of
people that can be accommodated might be limited, or certain individuals
or groups may not be welcome because of personality conflicts and
resulting disharmony. Also, if a weekend gathering is scheduled and you
can only arrive for the ritual and then must leave, ask if that is
OK...sometimes the ritual is the climax of the entire gathering, rather
than an event in itself; in that case to show up only for the ritual not
having been part of the entire event is to 'take-away' from the meaning
of the whole for those who were there! 4. Always inquire what you should
bring to any gathering. If you have received an official invitation, you
should have been told. But,assume nothing! Ask if you need to bring
food, robes, candles, drinks,eating utensils (forks, cups, plates, etc).
It is unreasonable and rude to assume that an invitation to a gathering
means that people just like yourselves, will expect you to come and eat
their food, use their utensils and leave a mess for them to clean up
after you have gone. If you cannot take food, then at least offer the
gatherings sponsors a cash donation to help defray their cost. If you
can't stay to help clean up afterwards, at least be considerate enough
to get your own refuse to a garbage container. 5. To be invited to
participate in another's ritual is NOT your right, but rather a
privilege and an honor. If you are unfamiliar with their tradition,
common courtesy demands that you at least inquire about enough informa-
tion to participate in a positive fashion, and most certainly, make no
assumptions about adding anything to the circle or placing your
"special' crystals, totems, whatever in the circle or at a specific
place within the circle without getting permission. Also, do not remove
anything from a circle even should you feel it doesn't belong, without
explaining why and getting permission. 6. It should not have to be said,
but then neither should any of the above: If these Pagan/Craft rituals
have no meaning in your life, and if you have just come for the fellow-
ship, then enjoy the fellowship and please do not attend the ritual. The
circle is a significant part of our entire way of life, not a reenact-
ment of some past event just for the sake of the pageantry. When we can,
we are pleased to share it with you, and we do so in Love and Light with
Peace and Laughter.
IDEAS FROM MERLIN THE ENCHANTER 1. Be Yourself... if you worry
about what others think, then you won't think for yourself... and if you
don't think for yourself, you may as well be dead! 2. Allow all others
to be themselves... just because Joe Blow from kokomo has blue candles
on his altar and you use only white ones, that doesn't mean he is the
son of Satan. We must each one be allowed our own Pagan path in freedom,
for if we cannot do that, then we have no freedom! 3. Let's stop all the
silliness of who is and is not a Witch, and what one must do to be a
witch. 4. Don't ask for someone's opinions unless you really want it!
More Witch wars are started because someone asked for another's views
and didn't like the answer they got! 5. Add a dose of good humor (the
worst Witches are the ones that take everything so S-E-R-I-O-U-S-L-Y!)
IDEAS FROM BEKET ASER EDITHSDATTERIt is necessary that we learn to
be just plain adult about working together - or even, just existing on
the same planet. 1. If you can't tolerate any slightest deviation from
your own tradition, do not take part in public or cross-cultural rituals
or gatherings. 2. If you have ideas of what should be in the ritual; or
what should not - go to the planning meeting and express your opinions.
3. If you delegate a task to someone else - you have made it their job.
The only thing you have to say is "Thank you". When and how they do it
3100
is their business so long as it is done at the moment it is required. 4.
Appoint somebody to keep notes of the planning meetings - as things are
said, not afterwards, or, inevitably, there will be disagreements about
the ground rules. 5. Gossip : There are a few situations wherein it is
legitimate to pass on "gossip". the following suggestions are not all
inclusive but may serve to give guidelines for judging: a. When a
major life change definitely is occurring to someone with whom you and
the person to whom you pass on the information - frequently work. b.
When you are acting as resource to help someone decrease a situation of
disagreement. c. When you really plan to take positive action to
alleviate the situation the gossip refers to. d. (This situation
really does not occur all that often.) When warning someone about an
individual whose practices are definitely undesirable for a reason
other than that you don't like them. e. When you have truly accurate
information to counteract damaging and inaccurate rumor. 6. When
examining a situation to decide whether or not you, yourself,are under
psychic attack, be sure to ask yourself if it couldn't be because being
under attack makes you feel important. 7. Within the group or group
structure, the High Priest and or High Priestess are generally entitled
to your respect and a certain amount of deference. If they really,
really don't know as much as you do, perhaps it is time that you take a
fond and friendly leave of them/him/her and begin a group of your own.
Obviously, group or group affairs are appropriate subjects for
discussion among all the members, and the HP/S definitely should be
willing to listen to reasonable suggestions. However, you joined the
group in order to learn from its leaders; a year or two of study prob-
ably doesn't qualify you to suddenly object to all their teachings,
methods, and beliefs. Above all, it is inappropriate to try to stir up
the whole group and "take over" the group. The leaders have put a good
deal of time, patience, thought and teaching into building the group and
giving it a good name - if you want to be Witch Queen of the Universe,
start your own group from scratch and try to become good enough to earn
status yourself. The goal is not big groups, it is the best possible
groups. For group leaders: They need to be grown-up enough to know that
everydisagreement isn't necessarily a personal attack. They need to
developleadership skills to avoid confrontation and inflexibility. They
needto know how to lead without dominating and they need an inten-
seinterest in the health of the group. The HP/S needs to listen to
theideas of the members and to use their ideas whenever posssible.
Theyshould be able to explain rationally why certain ideas cannot be
used. #30#
3101
{file "Planetary Hours (Andrew Kettle)" "bos642.htm"}
Study of the Planetary Hours System
-----------------------------------
by Andrew Kettle.
1994
Introduction. Neo-pagan witchcraft has no central leaders, so
one of the questions that echos across the valleys
of the traditions is; "Are there to many cooks spoiling
the broth?" As most witches are fervent independants, and
self-assertively so, each will have a differnt approach
and opinion to such a simple observation.
Underneath the whole landscape of debate however, are
truths and basic historical facts being forgotten or
distorted? In certain instances it would be deemed
unavoidable in the present atmosphere of information
scavenging, where medium communications reveal past lives
and the knowledge from them to broaden the bookshelves of
the many esoteric book shops.
Be that as it may, studying the large expanse of
existing wisdom, at times similiar to looking through
water-glass, will relinquish many difficulties and
contradictions. To some this would increase the mysticism,
however when it is a matter of legitimacy where do we
stand?
Sample Text:
from "What witches do", Stewart Farrar,1989, Phoenix
Pub.,Wash. p.174.
"
Appendix 3. Planetary Hours.
These are the traditionally accepted hours for operating spells
which have planetary correspondences. Each day has a ruling
planet; our days of the week in English are mostly named after
the Teutonic forms of the planet-gods concerned. They are:
Sunday, the Sun; Monday, the Moon; Tuesday, Mars (Tiw);
Wednesday, Mercury (Woden); Thursday, Jupiter (Thor); Friday,
Venus (Freya); Saturday, Saturn. The First hour after sunrise
is ruled by the day's own planet, after which each hour is
ruled by one of the other planets in the order Sun, Venus,
Mercury, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, and so on in rotation.
Thus Monday's second daylight hour is ruled by Saturn, Tuesda's
second by the Sun, etc. At sunset a new sequence starts with
the fifth down the list from the day's planet: thus Monday's
first hour from sunset is ruled by Venus, etc. The full list
is as follows: "
Disclaimer: I have it as a strong intention, to point out that this
acticle is not to be taken as a personal attack of the above
author or the publisher, or any other connecting party.
I have used Stewart Farrar's text only as a example of the
commonly published, and accepted, planetary hour concept.
Example:
Winter Solstice Timetable of Planetary Arrival and Departures for
=================================================================
3102
Eastern Australia (Brisbane area only) on the 22nd of June, 1994.
=================================================================
Wednesday
Time Planet Statis Planetary Hours
---- ------ ------ --------- -----
2.30am Jupiter Set. Mars
3.40am Mars Rise. Sun
3.50am Pluto Set. Sun
4.54am Moon Set. Venus
5.14am Twilight start
6.37am Sun Rise.
6.55am Mercury Rise.
8.14am Neptune Set. Moon
8.25am Uranus Set. Moon
9.12am Venus Rise. Saturn
11.06am Saturn Set. Mars
1.32pm Jupiter Rise. Venus
2.29pm Mars Set. Mercury
3.21pm Pluto Rise. Moon
3.53pm Moon Rise. Moon
5.02pm Sun Set.
5.31pm Mercury Set. Jupiter
6.25pm Twilight End
6.35pm Neptune Rise. Sun
6.46pm Uranus Rise. Sun
7.44pm Venus Set. Venus
10.23pm Saturn Rise. Saturn
Hypothesis: My hypothesis is that the 'Planetary Hours' concept
is a timetable, based primarily on simplicity, that
was developed in a age when astronomic technology
was largely unavailable, so resulting in such a
system; that in our modern technological society, as
a result of astronomic calculations being easily
accessable, that a new system of 'Planetary hours'
should be constructed upon 'Hours of Right Ascension/
Planets on the Meridian' where applicable or the highest point
of ascension, when the planet is not true to the horizon.
Conflict: As it can be deduced from the above table, certain
planetary hours occur when the planet in question is not
within the horizon. For example, the sun's planetary hours of
3am and 6pm are outside of 'daytime'; Mar's 2am is outside of
'Marstime'; the moon's 8am is external to 'Moontime'.
As a principle, I would remark that it would be of
assistance in rituals that the planet is in appearance and
that the optimum time would be when the planet is directly
above, the hour of Right Ascension/ Planet on the Meridan,
or highest point of path through the hemispheres. If the
'worshipper' was to have a difficulty with the domineering
effect of the planet being above them / on top of them, then a
principle of welcoming the planet at rise and farewelling the
planet at set are equally as valid.
Continuing, this would establish only one planetary hour in
each day, raising the question of practicality, though a rather
3103
erroneous matter, giving the examples hours of:
Mars (9.04am) 9am planetary hour,
Sun (11.49am) 11am planetary hour,
Mercury (12.13pm) 12pm planetary hour,
Venus (2.26pm) 2pm planetary hour, etc.
To this end, computer programs and/or annual publications
would easily create the availablity of the timetable, a future
project for any publishing house or any number of the pagan/
witchcraft magazine to have as a regular cloumn, thus giving
the practitioner the simplicity, not resorting to ill-advised
system as an alternative.
However, at this point it should be mentioned that, in
accordance with general perception, the physical planet
plays a symbolic role, that the planet is not the vehicle of
magical properties, but a icon, much as the moon is not Aradia
in person, but a mirror of her essence.
Furthermore, it is an accepted belief that the full-moon is
the time of 'Esbat', though in comparison the remaining
planets are given an inaccurate timetable; a perplexing
situation.
Toward, the modernising approach in witchcraft it should be
important to establish 'correct' instruction to ritual, upon
the understanding that it would be a great disservice to
entertain anything else but actuality; as the turmoil of the
word 'wicca' has caused in the movement, now accepted by most
as a redefined word, though all the same established upon
false impressions, an unfortunate situation historically
speaking.
An accurate approach to the craft, that is slowly being
supported as our cultures' resources and developing knowledge
widely spreading with discussions and publications, will
result in a detailed sweep and clean of the old
misconceptions in the traditions and a polish to reflect the
light of modern education.
Conclusion: As with the modern approach of Planetary Hours, it should
be every members directions in tune with open-minded, clear
thinking not to accept a practice that is incorrect and to
strive establishing a strengthed tradition on the foundations
of accurate discovery of the originals of comprehension.
Such an approach would wash out the '14th century mass
illiterate' influence that customs have continued. Though
it must be seen that without this assistance there would
possible be no present existance of witchcraft, but a
rectification of this knowledge is by no means an attack.
Furthermore, it is suggested that a choice should always be
based on truth and not mislead by mistaken presuption.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
................................................................................
3104
{file "Initiation (D. Valiente)" "bos643.htm"}
By: Alex Rigel
Source: "An ABC of Witchcraft", Doreen Valiente, 1973, Phoenix
publishing inc., Wash. pp.203-4.
"Initiations.
When witchcraft became an underground organisation, the Craft of
the Wise, it shared a characteristic common to all secret societies.
Admission to it was by initiation.
Such initiation required the newly admitted member to swear a
solemn oath of loyalty. When witchcraft was punishable by torture and
death, such an oath was a serious metter. Today, when witchcraft has
become like Freemasonry, not a secret society but a society with
secrets, the idea of initiationj still remains.
Initiations into witch circles nowadays take varying forms, as they
probably always did. However, the old idea that initiation must pass
from the male to the female, and from the female to the male, still
persists. A male with must be initiated by a woman, and a female witch
by a man. This belief may be found in other forms, in traditional
folklore. For instance, the words of healing charms are often required
to be passed on from a man to a woman, or from a woman to a man.
Otherwise, the charm will have no potency.
There is also an old and deep-seated belief, both in Britian and in
Italy, that witches cannot die until they have passed on thier power to
someone else. This belief in itself shows that witchcraft has been for
centuries an initiatory organisation, in which a tradition was handed on
from one person to another.
The exception to the rule that a person must be initiated by one of
the opposite sex, occurs in the case of a witch's own children. A mother
may initiate her daughter, or a father his son.
In general, for their own protection, covens have made a rule that
they will not accept anyone as a member under the age of 21. Witches'
children are presented as babies to the Old Gods, and then not admitted
to coven membership until they have reached their majority.
This rule became general in the terms of persecution. Secrecy upon
which people's lives depended was too great a burden for children's
shoulders to bear. It is evident, from the stories of witch
persecutions, that witch-hunters realised how witchcraft was handed down
in families. Any blood relative of a convicted witch was suspect.
The witch-hunting friar, Francesco-Maria Guazzo, in his 'Compendium
Maleficarum' (Milan, 1608, 1626; English translation edited Montague
Summers, London, 1929), tells us that "it is one among many sure and
certain indications against those accused of witchcraft, if one of their
parents were founded guilty of this crime". When the infamous Matthew
Hopkins started his career as Witch-Finder General, the first victim he
seized upon was an old woman whose mother had been hanged as a witch.
There are a number of fragmentary accounts of old-time witch
initiations, and from these a composite picture can be built up. The
whole-hearted acceptance of the witch religion, and the oath of loyalty,
were the main features. There was also the giving of a new name, or
nick-name, by which the novice was henceforth to be known in the novice
was given a certain amount of instruction, and, if the initiation took
place at a Sabbat, as it often did, they were permitted to join in the
feast and dancing that followed.
In some cases, in the days of really fierce persecuation, a
candidate was also required to make a formal renunciation of the
official faith of the Christian Church, and to fortify this by some
ritual act, such as trampling on a cross. This was to ensure that the
postulant was no hypocritical spy; because such a one would not dare to
3105
commit an act which he or she would believe to be a mortal sin. Once the
postulant had formally done such an act, they had in the eyes of the
Church damned themselves, and abandoned themselves to hellfire; so it
was a real test of sincerity, and an effective deterrent to those who
wanted to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. Such acts are not,
however, to my knowledge, required of witches today.
One of the ritual acts recorded as being part of a witch initiation
is that described by Sir George Mackenzie, writing in 1699 about
witchcraft in Scotland, in his book 'Laws and Customs of Scotland"
(Edinburgh, 1699): "The Slemnity confest by our Witches, is the putting
one hand to the crown of the Head, and another to the sole of the Foot,
renouncing thier Baptism in that posture." Joseph Glanvill's book
'Sadducismus Triumphatus' (London, 1726), had a frontispiece of pictures
illustrating various stories of mysterious happenings, and one of these
old woodcuts shows a witch in the act of doing this.
Her initiation is taking place out of doors, in some lonely spot
between two big trees. With her are three other women, one of whom seems
to be presenting her to the devil, who appears as the conventional
figure of a horned and winged demon. In practice, however, the devil of
the coven was a man dressed in black, who was sometimes called the Man
in Black, for this reason. The "grand array" of the horned mask, etc,
was only assumed upon special occasions.
A variant of this ritual was for the Man in Black to lay his hand
upon the new witch's head, and bid her to "give over all to him that
was under his hand". This, too, is recorded from Scotland, in 1661.
Information about the initiation of men into witchcraft is much
less than that referring to women. However, here is an account from
the record of the trial of William Barton at Edinburgh, about 1655,
evidently partly in his words and partly in those of his accusers, which
tells how a young woman witch took a fancy to him, and initiated him:
One day, says he, going from my own house in Kirkliston, to the
Queens Ferry, I overtook in Dalmeny Muire, a young Gentlewoman,
as to appearance beautiful and comely. I drew near to her, but she
shunned my company, and when I insisted, she became angry and
very nyce. Said I, we are both going one way, be pleased to accept
of a convoy. At last after much entreaty she grew better natured,
and at length came to that Familiarity, that she suffered me to
embrace her, and to do that which Christian ears ought not to hear
of. At this time I parted with her very joyful. The next night,
she appeared to him in that very same place, and after that which
should not be named, he became sensible, that it was the devil.
Here he renounced his baptism, and gave up himself to her service,
and she called him her beloved and gave him this new name of John
Baptist, and recieved the Mark.
The Devil's amke was made much of by professional witch-hunters,
being supposed to be an indelible make given by the devil in person to
each witch, upon his or her initiation. However, it would surely have
been very foolish of the devil to have marked his followers in this way,
and thus indicated a means by which they mightalways be known. From the
confused descriptions given at various times and places, it seems
evident that the witch-hunters knew there was some ceremony of marking,
but did not know what it was.
In witchcraft ceremonies today, the new initiate is marked with
oil, wine, or some pigment, such as charcoil. However, as Margaret
Murray has pointed out, there is a possibility, judging by the many old
3106
accounts of small red or blue markings being given, the infliction of
which was painful but healed after a while, that this may have been a
tattoo mark. Ritual tattooing is a very old practice; and some relics of
this survive today, in the fact that people have themselves tattooed
with various designs 'for luck'. However, when persecution became very
severe, it would have been unwise to continue this form of marking.
The most up-to-date instance I have heard, of the marking of new
initiates, is the practice of a certain coven in Britian today, which
uses eyeshadow for this purpose; because it is available in pleasing
colours, is easily washed off, and does no harm to the skin. One wonders
what old-time witches would think of it!
................................................................................
3107
{file "Initiation (Crowther)" "bos644.htm"}
By: Alex Rigel
Source: "Lid Off The Cauldron. A wicca Handbook", Patrica Crowther,
1992, Samuel Weiser inc., Maine. pp.34-
Initiation.
To become a witch you must have a natural inclination to worship the
Old Gods. It must be a feeling which springs from the heart and carries
you on towards your goal, in exactly the same way it happened to the
first witches thousands of years ago.
The approach must be in this manner. Any other attitude, such as
vulgar curiosity, a desire for power over others, or the selfish
intention of using magic to gain material ends, will only end in failure
and disillusion.
The Old Gods are ancient archetypal images of the divine powers behind
all Nature. They are the oldest gods known to man. Pictures of them are
painted all over Europe and show the great influence they had, even at
the Dawn of Time.
Just because they are so old, is no reason to believe they are in any
way 'out of date'. Our ancesstors were no fools: their way of life and
their culture is gaining more and more respect as the years go by.
Continuous discoveries about their skills and beliefs growing admiration
and amazement.
Their deities were a Mother Goddess and a Horned God, representing the
twin forces of life: male and female, light and dark, positive and
negative, Sun and Moon, etc. These complimentary aspects in nature are
'fact' and cannot be disputed. And, because the Gods are true
representations of the divine powers behind all manifestation, they have
endured through millennia, and will always endure.
Unlike many other religions, where contact with divinity is sought
through prayer and meditation, witchcraft teaches development of the
soul through the Eight Paths of the Witches' Wheel. These ways are part
of the Western Mystery Tradition. The West and the East are two very
different places. Eastern religions teach their followers to look
'within' for enlightenment, and although the West uses this method in
meditation, it is only 'one' of the Eight Paths. The Western mind looks
'outward' and seeks spiritual grace by helping others. Thus, the witches
use their powers to help those in sickness or trouble.
The Awakening can begin as an urge which rises from the depths of the
soul. A state of boredom or despiration, which every human being comes
to at some point of incarnation, can become as a beacon to the spirit.
It is born to the struggling soul and to the complacent alike. Many
lives may be endured before it is realized that the true self must
take the initiative and begin to fight its own way out of the Cycles of
Incarnation, which, without the control of the Higher Self, may continue
indefinitely. Once the realization is born, and the quest begun, the
soul is on its way from manhood to godhood.
Regarding the Craft, it is wise to seek initiation from a 'genuine'
coven. This is not as easy as it sounds, as genuine adherents do not
seek converts, and therefore do not advertise for members. they believe
that if a person is sincere and determined enough in their desire to
belong to the Craft, they will, sooner or later, make contact.
There are, however, various ways of speeding things up a little, such
as contributing to one of the privately printed occult magazines, which
are usually run by people 'in the know'. Or even placing a small advert
in one of these papers. You can also write to the author of a book on
the subject, and send the letter via the publishers. It might then be
forwarded to a coven in your area, although I must add here that even if
3108
this happens, and you are invited to meet someone from a coven, it would
not be indicative of entry.
There are certain conditions which have to be fulfilled, such as
blending in with the personalities of the members, having read widely on
the subject, a willingness to submit to a waiting period, usually a year
and a day, among others. Yet these conditions are valid ones; you cannot
expect to be accepted quickly, but you will know that the witches you
meet have undergone similar obstacles themselves.
The ways of the witches are those of caution, especially where
strangers are concerned. After all, who would admit a stranger to their
home without an introduction, let alone to a temple of the Mysteries.
Care must be taken, too, in finding a coven which is in close
'rapport' with your own life-style, culture and character. But, once
contact is made, there is hope in finding a group where conditions, on
both sides, can be fulfilled.
Although some covens wear robes, the traditional way of working in the
Circle, is to be sky-clad, or naked. When you are brought into the
Craft, yoou enter as you were born, without clothes or ties of any kind.
The first initiation is virtually an introduction to a new way of life.
You are made a 'Child of the Goddess'; you are shown the tools of the
Craft; told the ways of working magic, and made to swear an oath to keep
the secrets of the Art. This is called the First Degree.
The Second Degree is the initiation proper. Thsis involves the concept
of symbolic death and symbolic resurrection, when you are re-born with
the new magical personality. A new name (of your own choice) is given to
you which represents the transformation, and by which, henceforth, you
will be known when in the Circle.
The drama of this mystery play implants its ideas firmly in the
subconscious mind of the adherent, and the mystery, which is enacted
on the material plane, sets the seal on the future.
It is not to be supposed that by initiation and teaching you will
automatically be 're-born'. A way will be shown, and knowledge
imparted, yet the journey is always 'alone' and the true 'will' tested
to the very brink of breaking point.
In a sense, when initiation takes place it is very much like daring
Fate to do its worst. One has taken a stand: "I announce to all creation
that I will endure to progress."
In witchcraft the soul develops a deeper understanding of 'being'.
This entails practice, which is why the Craft has grades of advancement.
The highest grade is the consummation of the mysteries, where ritual
yields to what is termed, 'The Secret of the Silver Wheel'.
There is also the imparting of certain 'secret' words, which, in
themselves, convey very little, but their secret intention 'is'
important and gently 'nudges' the aspirant onward.
................................................................................
3109
{file "Altered States and Ritual (Web of Wyrd #7)" "bos645.htm"}
ASC's And Ritual
This article by Anna appeared in Web of Wyrd, issue number 7.
***begins
Altered States of Consciousness (ASCs) are an integral part of ritual.
They can be defined as any mental state recognised by the individual as
different from his or her normal waking consciousness. As such, the act
of separating yourself from the mundane world, having a ritual bath or
shower and preparing the ritual space, is enough to induce some sort of
ASC in most people. Taking on a magical persona involves an ASC, as does
invocation of godhead, dancing or chanting to raise power, meditation,
scrying, and going through a guided visualisation or pathworking.
The use of ASCs in magic and ritual has many benefits. By means of a
guided visualisation or pathworking you can have experiences that would
harm you or be impossible in the mundane world. For example, in a
visualisation relating to fire you can stand in the midst of a roaring
fire or become the flame itself; experiences which might deepen your
understanding of the element fire. Another experience reached through
ASCs is that of the god or goddess being called down upon you, something
that enriches and enlivens your magical life.
Entering an ASC is normally part of the process of stepping onto the
astral plane, reaching the Otherworld, tapping racial memory or the
collective unconscious, contacting inner guides or obtaining information
from your own unconscious. To raise power, many enter an ASC by dancing,
chanting or using breathing techniques. It's then much easier to focus
your concentration, draw on energy, and let it flow through you and into
the object of the spell.
Simple ASCs shouldn't be forgotten. Being able to relax the first time
you cast a circle in front of everyone might help you remember the
words, and will certainly help you focus the power you need. Meditation
is another fundamental skill in magical arts, one that is used at all
stages.
Some ASCs can help you find out more about yourself. By doing so, you
can understand and remove the beliefs and blocks that prevent you from
developing, from using your magical abilities to their full extent.
These blocks are erected as part of the process of growing up. As an
example, if you're told often enough as a child that the fairies that
you see at the bottom of the garden don't exist, eventually you come to
believe it. Understanding and getting rid of this belief twenty years
later so that you can see the fairies again can be a long process, one
which can be speeded up by techniques using certain ASCs.
Like many things, ASCs are tools, often valuable, but also dangerous.
One danger is not coming out properly at the end of a ritual. Being in
an ASC can feel wonderful and it can be tempting to stay there. You see
it happening at some of the New Age workshops, where people get a nice
emotional spaced-out high from a session, and hang on to that feeling as
long as they can - "workshop junkie". The problem is that in an ASC you
do not always have full access to those parts of yourself needed to
perform mundane tasks like driving a car, or doing your job satisfac-
torily. Remaining in an ASC can be quite destructive if you need to
function in the "normal" world.
3110
Occasionally an ASC can trigger what is known as an abreaction in
someone. Entering the ASC removes the barrier the person has put
between their conscious mind and a traumatic experience they've had. As
a result the person suddenly goes through the experience again, bursting
into tears, yelling with anger, shivering with fear, and so on. This
sort of reaction needs to be dealt with therapeutically; telling the
person to forget it only makes the experience and any problems it has
caused, worse for them. Not only does the person controlling a group ASC
experience need to be able to handle such abreactions, but he or she
also needs to be able, when putting a new group into ASCs, to recognise
individuals with borderline psychoses. The reason is that putting such
people into an ASC, especially trance states, can push them over into a
full-blown psychosis. For example, putting an epileptic into trance can
trigger epileptic seizures.
Control is an important aspect of ASCs. In a ritual, at least one person
should remain in control, able to take over and bring the group out if
anything goes wrong. That person makes sure that no-one is taken over by
an entity which remains after the circle, and that no inappropriate
suggestions are made. (In ASCs, especially trance states, you are much
more suggestible, and might inadvertently pick up someone else's comment
as a suggestion - after all, this is the principle upon which TV
advertising is based.) They also make sure that everyone comes out and
grounds properly at the end of the ritual.
Another area where control is important is where an ASC is entered from
another ASC. Pathworking, visualisation and scrying is often more
intense, more meaningful, if done in circle. This is because when you
start to do the pathworking or whatever from a mild ASC instead of your
own normal waking state, you tend to go further or deeper, and thus gain
more from the exercise. However, using drugs to enter an ASC before
performing ritual is a completely different matter. Drugs leave you with
no control over the first ASC you enter, so the outcome of entering a
second one can be quite different from what you expected. The harder the
drug, the bigger the problem is likely to be. A drug might, on a rare
occasion, have a place in ritual, but only when the effect of the drug
on the person taking it is known, there is a very good reason for its
use, and someone else is available to deal with any problems that might
arise. Drugs also sap the magical will and discipline by preventing you
from learning how to achieve the results you desire by yourself, and
encouraging you to be lazy. In the end your ritual work suffers.
ASCs are a fundamental part of magical ritual. The basic arts -
meditation, concentration and visualisation - all involve ASCs in some
form. It is easy to get caught up with the glamour of something
different, something that feels good, that is outside our normal
experience and upbringing, and forget that, like most things, there is
a negative side to ASCs. They are a tool; useful once you master them,
but dangerous if misused. For many, ASCs have become the basis of their
path to spiritual development.
***ends
B*B Julia
................................................................................
3111
{file "Berserkir (Mike Howard, W o W #7)" "bos647.htm"}
The Berserkir
This letter appeared in Web of Wyrd number 7:
With reference to the ongoing discussion of the berserkir or "bear
shirts" Viking warrior clan. P G Foote and D M Wilson state in their
book, "The Viking Achievement" (Sidgwick & Jackson UK 1970) that the
berserkers worked themselves up into a frenzy which gave them super-
normal strength and made them indifferent to blows. It was generally
believed that they had magical powers, although they were regarded as
inferior to the great heroes of the Viking sagas. The berserkir howled
savagely as they went into battle, and Foote and Wilson speculate that
these battle frenzies were the result of excessive alcoholic intake.
According to Icelandic Law (Christian version) anyone who fell into a
berserk frenzy was considered highly dangerous and could be classed as
an outlaw from society. The following verse from the epic poem "Atlamal"
circa 11th century CE is believed to contain a reference to the
berserkir and their method of fighting, as well as to another warrior
clan who wore wolf skins, and may be connected with lycanthropy!
Full they were of fighters
and flashing bucklers,
western war lances
and wound-blades Frankish;
cried then the bear-pelted,
carnage they had thoughts of,
wailed then the wolf-coated
and weapons brandished.
It would seem the berserkir wore tunics of bearskin because the animal
was their totem and they believed they could magically attain its
strength. Their unorthodox fighting methods - akin to the "battle spasm"
of Celtic warriors possessed by the god/desses of war - and the modern
meaning of the term "to go berserk" suggest they were less than
self-controlled but in fact fought, quite literally, like men possessed.
Mike Howard
................................................................................
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{file "Karma & Quantum Mechanics" "bos648.htm"}
QUANTUM MECHANICS
AND SOME
SURPRISES OF CREATION
Cross posted from I_UFO, by Glenda Stocks, again By Bill Moore
Scanned from the CONTACT, June 14,1994, with permission.
SYNTHESIS OF SCIENCE AND RELIGION
[...]
... we will define this writing as simply an interesting look
into quantum-statistical methods of simulating energy-informational
processes.
... Boris Iskakov who was born in Magnitogorsk on November 14, 1934.
He is a graduate of the Institute of Physical Engineering in Moscow.
... In this work he endeavors to synthesize elements of science
and religion. Dr. Iskakov has recently been interrogated and we
would share the interview with you.
... The interview comes from Russian documents so we will meander
through the translations as best we can and at least you will be
introduced to such as "leptons", etc.
[...]
[QUOTING]
MATHEMATICAL TRANSFORMATIONS
The equations of Schrodinger and Dirac, well known in quantum
physics, describe the laws of the conservation of probability for
fluxes of matter at the level of elementary particles of the
microworld. By means of certain mathematical transformations I
(Dr. Iskakov) obtained equivalent equations of a much broader
applicability. They describe the laws of the conservation of
probability for fluxes of matter, energy, and information. The
equations have a deep philasophical meaning, which extends far
beyond the interpretation of the Schrodinger and Dirac equations. An
appropriate name for them is, in my view, suggested by a doctrine
of Oriental philosophy--karma. In a narrow sense, it claims that
every deed or thought, good or bad, receives due reward or
retribution. In a broader sense, it denotes the principle of unity,
integrity, and inter-conditionality and causality in the Universe.
That is how I construe the term "equations of karma", which
describe any cause-and-effect relationship.
WHAT IS THE "EQUATION OF KARMA"?
The study of psychic phenomena dictated the need to define the
concept of the information-energy field. Its material medium,
according to contemporary notions, may be a global lepton gas,
consisting of extremely light particles, microleptons, with a mass
of 10^-40 - 10^-30 g. Microleptons are much lighter than electrons
and are capable af freely penetrating any body in the Universe. The
gaps between atomic nuclei are for them just as spacious as are the
holes in a fishing net for molecules of air.
3114
The idea of a microlepton gas appears to echo the 19th-century
notion of the universal ether, but is scientifically much more
complex and profound. What we are talking about in this case is no
longer an ideal space-pervading fluid, but a quantum-granular
structure of the space-time continuum, filled with whirling streams
of polarized microleptons (including some virtually vacuum-born).
Such an approach enables us to use the mathematical apparatus of
quantum mechanics to describe the information-energy field.
Moreover, relationships of a higher level of generalization are
derived than the classical equations of Schrodinger. The new
equations describe not only the movements of matter, but also the
development of the totality of interconnections, signals, events,
and processes. The special term introduced for such relationships
is "equations of karma". As for karma, it is understood to mean a
broad philosophical category of universal inter-conditionality,
causality, and dependence in combination with the principle of the
unity and integrity of the Universe. There are two equations of
karma--the direct and the complex-conjugated:
GS> (NOTE: I have substituted regular letters for the Dr.'s
GS> symbols)
AY=0; A'Y'=0;
where the operators have the form
A=2h^2V + i2h o/o t-9;
A'=2h^2V - i2h o/o t-9.
Here Y denotes the probability density wave (the wave function);
V, the Laplace operator; 9, the potential energy density, and h,
Planck's constant.
These equations may be solved in the form of karma waves and
anti-waves with quantization of probability waves. Connected with
them are perturbations of the information-energy field, i.e., wave
signals. In principle, such signals may propagate faster than light.
The equations of karma make it possible to draw certain
philosophical conclusions of fundamental significance. It follows
from them that diffraction takes place not only in space but also in
time. Any event is, so to speak, split in space-time. The
propagation of a solitary signal is preceded by a series of pre-
signals and followed by post-signals, both fading with distance.
Perceptive analysts are able to use the first intimations of
pre-signals to give a precise picture of a coming event. This is
called scientific foresight. But there is also intuitive prevision.
Centuries ago clairvoyants described events that are happening in
our time.
Pre-signals provide an explanation of relative proscopy--when a
sensitive person learns about an event before others do. Such a
person detects faint pre-signals that most people do not perceive.
For instance, an explosion on the Sun may produce solar prominences
extending for millions of kilometers. Two or three days later the
"solar wind" reaches the Earth, causing powerful geomagnetic
3115
storms that affect everything living. During such periods, disease
and mortality rates increase in all countries.
This dependence of everything living upon solar catastrophes was
proved several decades ago by Alexander Chizhevsky. Can we learn of
the approaching "solar winds" in advance? It appears that we can.
The solar wind has presignals: swift streams of solar photons an
neutrinos, which reach the Earth in eight minutes. By detecting them
it is possible to warn the medical services of all countries of an
imminent geomagnetic storm two or three days in advance, ample
time to take the necessary measures.
From the theoretical standpoint the works of the eminent Russian
researcher Anatoly Okhatrin are of definite interest. They confirm
the idea of an ether or universal lepton gas, which contains full
information about the material world. Clusters of the lightest par-
ticles--microleptons--carry people's thoughts and feelings; these
microleptons are capable of travelling in space and time at
tremendous speeds.
The speed of light is a limiting factor only for a continuous stream
of speeds, the so-called continuum. However, greater speed levels,
in excess of the speed of light, are possible for extremely weak
signals.
Okhatrin's experiments and calculations show that people's thoughts
are carried by the lightest microleptons. And the equations of karma
prove that they can travel much faster than light. This justifies
the conclusion that humanity's potential in getting to understarnd
the Universe is practically boundless.
Up to now it was considered that our potential in the conquest of
outer space is limited by what is known as the pessimistic radius
of Poincare-Einstein. If we multiply the speed of light by the
human life span, we arrive at the limit that even the most sophis-
ticated spaceships cannot surpass. No generation of spacemen can
explore the Universe beyond that radius [it says].
But from the equations of karma it follows that at the level of
extremely weak signals we can reach out far beyond the Poincare-
Einstein sphere. Material thought can travel to distant regions of
the Universe at a speed greater than that of light. Man can obtain
information about what is happening at any distance from him. This
is a fundamental philosophical conclusion that allows humanity to
look to the future with optimism.
I arrived at this conclusion by considering the equations of karma.
But then, many scientists before me have reflected on the
synthesis of science and religion, among them the founders of
quantum physics. What are termed the conjugated equations of
Schrodinger and Dirac point to the possibility of the existence of
anti-particles. Similarly, the conjugated equation of karma suggests
that there can be anti-signals as well as anti-particles. More-
over, this equation makes it possible to describe the spectrum of
properties that these anti-signals possess. While ordinary signals
travel along the river of time from the past via the present into
the future, anti-signals travel in the opposite direction. They
originate in the future and pass through the present into the past.
3116
This property of anti-signals stuns our imagination: certain
particularly sensitive people and instruments can, it turns out,
receive signals from the future.
Previsions, predictions, and prophesies come under the scientific
heading of absolute proscopy, which implies the acquisition of
information about events that have not yet taken place. They have
yet to occur, but sensitives already know about them.
The problem is merely one of the threshold of sensitivity and the
balance of signals and noise. Anti-signals come from the future at
a faint and very faint level. Very few people can detect them.
There is no violation here of the principle of causality. Rather,
its interpretation becomes more sophisticated and more refined
dialectically. According to the equations of karma, time in the
microworld can reverse its direction, turning, as it were, into
"anti time". From a single point it is possible to see both the past
and the future of microparticles at the same time.
We can receive information about the future only at the
probability level. Only the strategic parameters of a human fate are
pre-determined. But freedom of choice too is preserved: a person is
free to take any decisions and bears full responsibility for them.
A person shapes his or her destiny and pays for the consequences of
those decisions. Thus, there is a predetermined part of the future,
which a person cannot change, and there is a probable or variable
part, for which he is responsible.
Solving stationary equations can yield curious results. Waves
emitted and absorbed by hundreds of biologically active points are
superimposed on one another and form a series of standing waves,
which surround the human body. The body turns out to be nothing more
than a dense nucleus shrouded on all sides by a number of
energy-information holograms. The shape of the first hologram
follows that of the human body, but is enlarged and rounded,
remotely resembling a spacesuit. Actually, this hologram contains
all the information about the body and is carried by microleptons
orbiting along the quantum shell, the boundary of the first
hologram. The second hologram and its shell are larger and carry
weakened information, which is more difficult to decipher. The
same may be said of the third and subsequent shells. The more remote
shells are more rounded in shape, changing from a spacesuit to an
egg and then to a sphere. Our atomic-molecular body is "clad" in
microlepton holograms, each of which carries complete but weakened
information about the person, including his or her innermost
thoughts and feelings, his or her mind and conscience. It may be
said that the sum-total of these holograms is nothing short of a
person's lepton soul.
Ordinarily, people do not see the energy-information shells that
surround them. But in certain conditions it is possible to make the
first hologram glow, especially the part of it surrounding a
person's head. The fact is that upper chakras, the most
power-intensive, operate at the highest frequencies. Some people
have a first quantum shell that can become visible.
Estimates show that the energy of the first shell amounts to
3117
fractions of an electron-volt. This is quite enough for a faint glow
in the optical range of the spectrum. But for the glow to become a
reality a great deal of energy has to be pumped into the upper
chakras. This means a person has to adopt a definite mode of life:
overcome base passions, and make his or her thoughts, feelings,
and deeds pure, lofty and inspired. It is in that case that the
energy of the upper chakras causes the excitation of the first shell
by fractions of an electron-volt, and a halo visible to other people
appears around the head of such a person (for example, a saint).
In Christian art, only part of the hologram around the head is
usually portrayed as glowing. But in Buddhist temples, there are
pictures showing the whole spacesuit-shaped hologram aglow.
The most ancient Buddhist manuscripts speak of a person's seven
bodies: one dense and six subtle. The first hologram is called the
ethereal body; the second, the astral body; the third, the mental
body, and so forth. The lepton hypothesis allows a larger number of
holograms.
Judging from the equations of karma, we humans are infinitely
"larger" and our lives are infinitely longer than we are accustomed
to think. This means that each person is a factor of Cosmic
significance.
Moreover, analysis reveals that inanimate objects as well as Homo
Sapiens and other living beings have holograms of this kind.
Consider the implications of this. If each body is present, at the
information level, throughout the Cosmos, then in every small region
of space-time there must be, if only super-weak, information about
the entire Universe.
Gautama Buddha's famous dictum states "everything is in
everything" and, hence, "everything is in the small." In an expanded
form this may be taken to mean that every point of space-time
"knows" everything about all the other points.
But if every zone of space "knows" everything, it is a most
complete encyclopaedia, in infinite storage of knowledge about the
Universe . All that is needed is to learn how to plug into this
source of information, which can tell a person about anything and
everything in the world.
It follows from the lepton hypothesis that the soul is real and
material. A human being, in the customary sense of the term, is
nothing but a dense nucleus around which streams of leptons
circulate. The totality of lepton shells is a cold bioplasma,
which contains complete information about the nucleus. Thus, it
can be termed a person's lepton soul. This notion has a quite
precise materialistic content.
According to the lepton concept, thoughts and feelings are material.
They are carried by superweak pulses of electromagnetic and
microlepton fields. Visual, audible, and other images, and all
thoughts and feelings, exist in the form of clusters of superlight
elementary particles. This brings to mind Plato's inspired guess
that all eidoses, i.e., ideas or thoughts, exist autonomously,
3118
"float in the air" and recognize no boundaries.
Plato intuitively arrived at that conclusion over two thousand years
ago. Today we can put this into the language of mathematical
formulae. We can measure the mass of a single human thought. Its
weight varies from 10^-30 to 10^-40 g. To be sure, the opinion of
sensitives and Okhatrin's experiments cannot serve as proof. Similar
investigations have to be carried out at other laboratories. This
will furnish the statistical data for reliable conclusions. If they
confirm Okhatrin's findings, he will become the author of the
greatest discovery of the latter half of the 20th century.
Thoughts and feelings generated by human beings begin their
independent existence in space and time. Both theory and experi-
ments show that these eidoses are capable of exchanging information.
What is most important of all is that one person's thoughts can
occur to other people. Eidoses are like small living beings, but at
the lepton level of matter. Thoughts and feelings are our offspring,
who communicate with one another and with us in a language of
super-weak signals.
Estimates show that during a lifetime a person generates millions
and even billions of eidoses. This makes it clear that we bear an
enormous responsibility before the whole of humankind and before
ourselves for what our offspring, i.e., our thoughts and feelings,
will be like.
When our offspring are noble eidoses of kindness, love, mercy,
mutual assistance, truth, beauty, and harmony, we contribute to the
health of humanity's leptonosphere. But when we beget malformed
eidoses, i.e., evil, envious, cowardly, vain, and arrogant thoughts
and feelings, we thereby pollute the leptonosphere we inhabit.
Should the negative eidoses exceed a certain critical mass,
humankind will be doomed. At present our survival depends to a great
extent on the ecology of the spirit.
Here we also come up against a legal problem. Mere criminal intent
is not yet a crime at the atomic-molecular level, but when a person
conceives, say, a murder, he or she spawns criminal eidoses, which
contaminate humankind's leptonosphere.
That is why when someone steers a nation or country onto a road
leading to disaster, that person commits the gravest offence above
all against the whole of humanity. Although economic and
political catastrophe is still many years off, it has already
taken place at the lepton level, in the public mind. The collapse of
a vast State can contaminate humanity's leptonosphere to such a
degree that humanity's very existence becomes threatened. And no
clan, no state, nor coalition that conceived such a crime against
other nations can survive.
The lepton hypothesis can provide a scientific explanation of the
essence of God. When congregations gather in their temples, they
create eidoses of prayer, which assemble into a collective
egregor-eidos of a deity. When millions of people worship it, the
material deity eidos acquires tremendous energy at the lepton level
of matter. There arises feedback: a believer not only supplies the
deity with energy, but receives genuine assistance from it upon
3119
supplication. There exist eidoses of Christ, Buddha, and Allah, and
they actually interact with their Worshippers when the latter tune
into the proper frequencies. This is something like a deposit in a
savings bank--it helps the client at at a time of need. The
microlepton "savings bank" is not responsible for other banks'
clients: there is no resonance correspondence between them. Alien
gods hold no power over a flock--only their own God has such powers.
Gods, thus, actually exist at the lepton level of matter. In fact,
the world religions describe different aspects of one and the same
Supreme Rational Being. All the people of the Earth worship a single
God, but in His multiple manifestations.
After the death of a person's atomic-molecular nucleus, his or her
lepton holograms may take different courses. Some of them may
likewise disintegrate. But this happens only to the holograms that
are made up of the heavier microleptons. Estimates show that the
relatively heavy holograms have a natural half-life of seven to nine
days; their ninety-nine percent decay takes about forty days.
Thus, the meaning of the funeral repast on the 9th and the 40th day
(in accordarnce with the Orthodox faith) is that the living emit
eidoses that recharge the dead person's soul with energy and
information to help it undergo the necessary changes in the lepton
world. Thanks to these rites, relatively heavy lepton holograms can
survive much longer. A reliable supply of living people's thoughts
and feelings can extend the life span of the heavy fractions of a
dead person's soul from forty days to several millennia. As long as
a person is remembered and his or her days of birth and death are
observed, that person's soul is preserved almost intact, just as it
was when the person was alive. One can communicate with it by means
of special techniques known to mystics.
The soul also has medium and light fractions. We cannot yet
verify this experimentally, but there is reason to think that
their half-lives and total decay periods are much longer than those
of the heavy fractions. It is even quite possible that the lightest
fractions live eternally--the soul is immortal according to all the
world religions. So far science cannot confirm or deny this in
strict terms. This problem remains unsolved and requires an
experimental solution.
[END OF QUOTING]
(Hatonn's comments)
The next most logical question might well be , "Isn't there any way
to measure this lepton energy or aura?" Yes indeed and again the
only ALLOWED presentation comes silently from Russia. There are two
scientists--the engineer and inventor Uri Kravchenko and the
physician Nikolai Kalashchenko--who have developed an original
instrument: the phase aurometer. This is a highly sensitive instru-
ment for the remote measurement of the electromagnetic radiation
of any object, biological included. The instrument and the method
are protected by a Certificate of Authorship issued in 1990. This
is an easy-to-prove concept and because of this implication I will
not introduce much about it other than generalities about which
3120
much has been shared. This is something which Dr. Young has already
devised though he doesn't recognize it as this and I would think
would remind our own "tinkerers" that this is nothing more than a
measuring device or a production device for electro-magnetic
fields MEASURED IN HERTZ.
The particular phase aurometer in point is only for measurement or
recordimhg a "patient's" own radiation by a contact-free method and
has no impact whatever on the environment. BUT, LISTEN UP: THE
APPLICATIONS OF THE PHASE AUROMETER CAN BE CONSIDERABLY EXPANDED
FURTHER INTO, FOR EXAMPLE, DOWSING, TESTING FOLK HEALERS AND
SENSITIVES AND SUCH SEEMINGLY DISTANT FIELDS AS AGRICULTURAL
SELECTION OR CONSTRUCTION AND PERFORMANCE SUPERVISION.
I am not going to publish this information in general format as
above. However, I do ask that several of the attached "tinkerers" be
supplied with the documentation. We need to introduce frequency
upgrading into seed for crops, etc. This is easily done but someone
has to do it and I cannot spend time educating those at random
distance. So, please make sure that Dr. Young, Dr. Hoffman, Dr.
James and Dr. Trelle are made privy to the document in point. Thank
you. It will seem quite primitive to you ones--but sometimes
simplicity is where we must RE-begin in order to conceptually change
directions. I salute you for your patience.
Origin: CRYSTAL CAVE "DAS MAGICAL TREFTPUNKT" 719-391-1092 (93:9900/0)
................................................................................
3121
{file ""The Knots of Death"" "bos649.htm"}
This article appeared in Web of Wyrd number 7
THE KNOTS OF DEATH
by Alby Stone
A number of Viking monuments feature a curious design known as the
valknut, the "knot of the slain" or, more loosely, "the knot of death".
On an 8th century CE picture stone from Hammers in Larbro, Gotland, it
consists of three interlocking triangles. This stone, now in Stockholm's
National Historical Museum, is divided into several panels; one of the
central panels, in which the valknut occurs, depicts several motifs that
suggest some sort of connection with the cult of Odin - an eagle, a
flying figure - possibly a valkyrie - holding a ring, a man being hanged
from a tree and a group of three warriors - with shields and upraised
swords - led by a fourth man who seems to be holding a large bird of
some kind. The valknut is adjacent to the eagle and below it are two
men, one with a spear, who appear to be engaged in placing a corpse
inside what looks like a burial mound. Between them and the hanged man
is what appears to be another, smaller, valknut of the same design. This
type can also be seen on a rather splendid golden ring discovered near
Peterborough, Cambs, and currently on display at the British Museum in
a cabinet labelled as containing Anglo-Saxon "secular" metalwork.
Another picture stone from Gotland (Tangelgarda also in Larbro) has a
panel showing a rider being welcomed by a woman holding a drinking horn
with four men who are holding rings. The woman may be a valkyrie, a
"chooser of the slain", one of whose functions was to serve ale to the
Warriors in Valhalla, another pointer to the cult of Odin. The rider has
a valknut behind his head and there are two more among his horse's legs.
On this stone, which can also be seen at the Swedish Museum, the valknut
is made up of a single line, interlaced to make three triangles.
Similar to the Tangelgarda design, but slightly more rounded, is that
carved onto one of several "hogback" monuments at Brompton, Yorkshire,
and probably dating from the 10th century CE. The end-beasts of this
particular hogback - these monuments are based on Viking Age houses
(although to this eye they have more than a passing resemblance to long
barrows) and the end-beasts are situated at what would be the gable ends
- are easily identifiable as bears, again suggesting the cult of Odin,
who was patron of the Warriors known as berserkr or "bear-shirts". The
purpose of the hogbacks is uncertain; no graves have been found with
them so they were certainly not tombstones. Hogbacks with undecorated
ends at Lythe in Yorkshire exactly match the shafts of crosses found at
the same site, indicating that the hogback formed a composite monument
with a cross at each end. In this case the hogback is certainly a
religious monument and it seems fair to suppose that the Brompton
hogback and its fellows, and similarly ended hogbacks elsewhere, are
also religious structures, albeit of a different faith.
The Brompton hogback has five valknuts in a row. The Brompton style
valknut also occurs on each of the four arms of the Gosworth Cross
(Cumbria), on both faces. The shaft of the cross strangely enough has
scenes from heathen myth, and the only remotely Christian looking scene,
which has been rather desperately identified as the Crucifixion, seems
to owe more to the rune-winning ordeal of Odin described in the heathen
poem "Havamal" than it does to the New Testament. The same type of
valknut appears on the shafts of crosses at Sockburn (Co Durham),
Lastingham, Hawsker and Brompton (all North Yorks). On the last, three
3122
of these valknuts are arranged in a triangular pattern.
A fourth type of valknut, rather different from those described so far,
occurs on a stone cross from Andreas on the Isle of Man and is now in
the Manx Museum, Douglas. This version is basically a simple knot "tied"
in such a way as to retain the basic tripartite structure of the
versions mentioned above. Unlike the others it is not a closed structure
but its identity as a valknut, while mildly contentious, is not really
in doubt. The scene in which it appears shows a man, evidently Odin,
holding a spear pointing downward as he is devoured by a great wolf. An
eagle perches on the man's shoulder and the valknut is at his side. The
same design appears elsewhere, on a stone discovered in 1822 at Gosforth
and now incorporated into the structure of the local church. It is
between the back legs of a horse. On a picture stone from Alskog, in
Gotland, it occurs twice among the eight legs of Odin's horse, Sleipnir.
Despite this seeming wealth of examples and the diversity of styles the
valknut itself has remained enigmatic. It seems to be associated with
horses, particularly with the steed of Odin, and the cult of Odin in
general. Motifs associated with the symbol include the hanged man,
valkyries, bears, and the scene from Ragnarok on the Manx Cross, all
indicating some connection with Odin. According to HR Ellis Davidson,
the valknut also appears on the funeral ship excavated at Oseberg,
Norway in 1904, and on the tapestry found in that vessel, indicating
some sort of funerary association.
The origin and meaning of the symbol are extremely difficult to discern,
as is its association with Odin. Obviously it has a decorative value as
distinct from its symbolic meaning. The valknut has been used as a motif
by Scandinavian weavers since the Viking Age. Indeed, it is recognised
as a traditional design in that part of the world quite apart from its
alleged occurrence on the Oseberg tapestry. Davidson opines that it is
related to the Celtic triskele, the three-legged symbol most familiar as
the emblem of the Isle of Man and linked with the Irish God of the sea,
Manannan. The triskele is essentially a variety of the swastika, a
common enough cosmological symbol, but neither can be said to possess
the characteristic interweaving of the valknut. While it may be unwise
to dismiss a possible relationship between triskele and valknut, it
must be said that any resemblance is purely superficial, lying solely in
their tripartite structures. Structurally the valknut has more in common
with the Celtic triple spiral motif which is also found on Old English
and Pictish artifacts and much older objects. Unfortunately there is a
dearth of hard evidence for the mythological or religious significance
of the triple spiral, which tends to occur within wholly abstract or
symbolic designs, but it occurs within funerary contexts and has been
linked with the female principle by various scholars. The various types
of valknut, their contexts aside, share two important characteristics:
they are tripartite and they are constructed by
interweaving or interlinking.
Davidson also postulates a link with the bindings that occur in Norse
tradition. The best known examples of this are probably the binding of
Loki following his betrayal of Baldr; the binding of Baldr himself, a
theme that found itself into Scandinavian and Old English interpre-
tations of the Crucifixion; the binding of the wolf Fenrir; the ritual
binding of sacrificial victims, as partly confirmed by the discovery of
bound corpses in the peat bogs of northern Europe; and the Herjoturr or
"war fetter", a kind of paralysis that Odin and the valkyries were said
to be able to inflict upon unfavoured warriors in the heat of battle. To
3123
these we might add the hangman's noose characteristic of the double
sacrifice - simultaneous hanging and stabbing - known to have been used
in the cult of Odin and a method of ritual killing that accords with
the condition of a number of bog corpses. One bog discovery, the severed
head of a man discovered at Osterby in Denmark, is very interesting; the
hair on the right side of the head is gathered into an elaborate knot
that looks very much like a valknut.
Tacitus, writing at about the time the Osterby man is believed to have
met his end, about the 1st century CE, tells us that the warriors of the
Suebi (a generic name for the Germanic tribes inhabiting the region now
occupied roughly by north western Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands)
tied their hair in such a knot, and a number of Roman monuments depict
Germanic warriors with the same hairstyle. It would be reasonable to
suppose that this hair-knot marked a warrior as a follower of an early
form of Odin in his role of war god. (See the author's article on
"Heretical Hairdos" in Talking Stick magazine Spring 1992 for a further
discussion of pagan hairstyles and the symbolic significance.)
The noose found around the neck of the Lindow Man unearthed from a peat
bog in Cheshire a few years ago consists of a sliding knot in a cord
knotted at each end, making a triple knot. A similar noose was found on
a body in a peat bog at Borremose, Denmark but the noose found on
another Danish corpse, from Tollund, is much simpler. Dr Anne Ross and
Dr Don Robins, along with the Danish archaeologist Professor P V Glob,
believe that these nooses are related to the Celtic torc, and note that
a number of torcs seem to be designed to look like garrottes. They
suggest that the corpses from Tollund and Borremose were sacrifices to
Nerthus, a goddess mentioned by Tacitus, and that the torc was an
attribute of that goddess. Tacitus also tells us that certain warriors
of the Chatti wore iron collars that would not be removed until they had
killed their first enemy, although many chose to wear them until they
died. In their case the collar probably indicated they were dedicated to
a god of war as opposed to a goddess of peace and plenty like Nerthus.
It would be rash to state unequivocally that the collar and torc
represent stylised versions of the noose or garrotte - but it is an
attractive proposition. However, torcs and collars are not valknuts, and
only the nooses found on Lindow Man and his Danish counterpart can
possibly be construed as being such.
It seems fairly certain that the valknut has a cultic or religious
significance and a particular association with death, as it name alone
indicates. The Andreas Cross shows the death of Odin, himself the Lord
of the Dead Warriors of Valhalla, and on the Alskog stone the valknut
appears by the feet of Sleipnir, the steed on which Odin, and also
Heimdall, rode to the land of Hel. It is seen by the hanged man and in
the funerary scene on the stone from Hammars and on the Tangalgarda
stone the rider seems to be receiving a welcome to the realm of
the dead. The scenes often include female figures who appear to be
valkyries or maybe even the death goddess Hel herself. The presence of
the valknut on Viking Age crosses in England and on the Brompton hogback
hints at a retention of this element of heathen iconography among the
adherents of the new cult.
The valknut is certainly part of the iconography associated with Odin
but that fact alone brings us no nearer to its meaning. Representations
of Odin and scenes from myths pertaining to him are common enough and
their components are usually readily identifiable. If the valknut does
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stem from the cult or mythology of Odin, then it must represent
something that cannot be given a pictorial rendering, either because of
a taboo or simply because it just cannot be pictured in anything but an
abstract form.
The form is tripartite and interwoven; the context is mortuary, Odinic
and Otherworldly and it has both equine and feminine associations. This
set of conditions is peculiar to the mythology of the World Tree and can
be related to certain beings associated with it. The World Tree is
Yggdrasill or "The Steed of the Fearful One", which makes it a doublet
of Sleipnir. It has three roots which link the worlds together.
According to Snorri Sturlson, each root leads to a well or spring;
Hvergemir in Niflheim; Mimisbrunnr "in the direction of the frost
ogres", and Urdabrunnr "in the sky", the Well at which the three
Nornir gather to decide the fates of humans and gods alike.
Now it is clear from a number of references that these three wells are
in fact only one under three different names. A consideration of their
locations clinches the argument. Hvergelmir is the primordial well,
situated in the north, according to Snorri's account of the creation of
the cosmos. The nature of the "frost ogres" means that they can also be
located in the cold north, and the central point of the revolving sky is
also in the north, at the Pole Star. The Nornir derive their collective
name from an archaic word meaning "north" which also denotes "that which
is below" (compare English nether, be-neath). The name of the goddess
Nerthus (a goddess of the earth) reported by Tacitus may also be so
derived.
While the Nornir each have individual names in England, they go by the
name allocated to the eldest in Norse Tradition. The elder of the three
is called Urdr by the Norse, which is cognate with the Old English
"wyrd", hence the three "weird sisters" of Shakespeare. Thus they are a
three-in-one being in the same way as the Irish war goddesses known as
the Morrigna. Like the other, inevitably triadic, Indo European fates,
the Nornir spin and weave destinies. One of them is also named as a
valkyrie.
This brings us back to Odin, himself a shaper of destinies. In the
"Gylfaginnning" section of Snorri's "Edda" he appears in a triadic guise
and is credited with having taken a drink from the well at the centre of
the world, one source of his wisdom. Odin acquired the wisdom of the
runes while hanging on the World Tree and could obtain information from
the dead. The latter - apart from those worthy fighters chosen to
carouse in Valhalla until Ragnarok (the Twilight of the Gods) and those
who ended up in the paradisal Odainsakr, or abode of the righteous dead,
the hall Gimle - resided with the dread goddess Hel in the underground
realm variously known as Niflhel, Niflheim or simply as Hel located in
the far north. This goddess of the dead was said to be Loki's offspring,
conceived and born while he was in the form of a mare following a
dangerously mischievous escapade.
Actually she can be traced back to proto-Indo-European times and her
original name has been reconstructed as Kolyo, "the coverer". As Bruce
Lincoln puts it in his book, "Death, War and Sacrifice" (1991), "Her
domain is underground and she physically conveys her victims thence by
fixing a snare or noose on their bodies and dragging them down. Her
bonds regularly fall upon the foot or neck of the victim, the same
places where domestic animals are fettered. The deceased are thus led
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away like animals by Death, in whose bonds they may struggle, but which
they cannot escape, caught in her snares and dragged under."
Lincoln presents an impressive body of evidence to support this summary,
from Ancient Greece, Rome, Scandinavia, India and Iran. The theme has
altered from place to place and from one age to another but the essence
has remained. He also notes that the Middle High German term for a noose
was "helsing", which he translates as "Hel's Sling". He argues that
German sacrifice by hanging, generally related to Odin or Woden, was
actually a ritual enactment of the seizing of the victim by the goddess
of death. Given the mutual concerns of Odin, Hel and the Nornir, it
seems to make little difference either way.
In Old English texts the term "wyrd" is, despite its other connotations,
frequently used to denote death rather than a structured and unfolding
future that is suggested by the functions of the Nornir and their Greek
and Roman counterparts. There is of course an intimate relationship
between the two concepts and death is after all the fate of every being.
Scandinavian myth makes it clear that there are only two things which
the gods cannot avert; fate and death. In Norse myth the name of the
senior Norn is Urdr, a word in Old Icelandic that can also denote a
burial mound or cairn. "Beowulf" and other texts characterise wyrd as a
weaving of webs but the word usually means nothing less than the moment
of death, or at least the events leading up to death.
The "Beowulf" motif is revealing, however; it has already been noted
that the fates tend to be spinners or weavers and in this instance there
is also the idea of a snare, which can refer back to the Indo-European
goddess of death as described by Lincoln. Like Hel, the Nornir reside in
the far north, at or near the celestial axis and like her they reside
"below ground", where the World Tree has its roots. The Nornir determine
life, span and the time of death, while Hel takes the dead to her cold
bosom. All these characteristics are shared to some extent with Odin, as
is their femininity, apparently adopted by Odin in order to engage in
seidr - the natural magic of womankind.
At the very least, Hel and the Nornir are closely related, perhaps even
deriving from the same proto Indo-European goddess, and Odin has
acquired some of their characteristics by virtue of his association with
the cosmic centre, the structure of which reflects their own nature. If
the valknut symbolises anything then, it is probably either wyrd, death,
or perhaps even the Nornir themselves, who are more or less the same as
wyrd anyway. Exactly when the valknut would have come to represent these
is difficult to estimate. Certainly the examples here all date from the
Viking Age and appear to range in time from about the 7th to the 10th
centuries CE. I am not aware of any valknuts of a significantly earlier
date. It is interesting that in England the use of the valknut seems to
have died out with the establishment of Christianity and the consequent
decline of heathenism. The Nornir are not represented pictorially
anywhere in the Germanic world, which is rather surprising. A panel of
the Franks Casket shows three hooded figures who might be intended as a
likeness of that fateful trinity, but it is by no means certain. Until
any conclusive artifacts come to light the truth of the matter must
remain as uncertain as the workings of the Fates themselves.
................................................................................
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{file "Memorial Day Ritual (HPF, She-Wolf)" "bos650.htm"}
Memorial Day Ritual
This is a copy of the script written for a Memorial Day and
Warrior's Honor Ceremony performed at the Heartland Pagan
Festival in 1992. It was written during the festival by She-Wolf
and Gary Stanfield, and is the latest of a few editions.
This ceremony was intended for participation by any persons who
can accept the Wiccan ceremonial format and who have been
or are likely to become touched deeply by war. Realistic acceptance,
loving reconciliation, and emotional catharsis are the major themes.
Fears, regrets, sympathies, feelings of caring, and grievings are dealt
with intensely. Adventure, patriotism, the joy of battle, etc.
are ignored.
The setting is outdoors in mid-morning light in a clearing among trees.
There is a fire in the center of the temple space and an altar at
the northernmost point of the circle.
MARTIAL HONOR CEREMONY
1. Defining of the Temple Space and Time.
All participants form into a circle as a drum beats slowly and
steadily (about one beat per second). When the time comes to
start, the HPS breaks from the circle and begins to define its
outer limits with a sword. After she has just begun, the priest
raises an old, rust-marked sword into the air -- this cues the first
speakers. Alternating male and female voices call out (one from
each quarter as the HPS passes):
"Thermopylae!"
"Gettysburg!"
"Desert Storm!"
"Uncounted thousands of battles! Uncounted thousands of wars!
Over uncounted thousands of years!"
Then the HP puts down his sword as the HPS rejoins the circle.
2. Calling of the Quarters.
The priestess, taking one step forward from
her position next to the altar says:
"Guardians of the East, Spirits of Air
Breath of life, lost to those who have died
attend our rite and protect this circle."
"Guardians of the South, spirits of fire
Heat of battle, warmth of living flesh
attend out rite and protect our circle."
"Guardians of the West, spirits of water
Sweat of our bodies, blood that was spilled
Attend our rite and protect our circle."
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"Guardians of the North, spirits of Earth
Symbolized by salt, once the soldier's pay
Earth to which we all return
Attend our rite and protect our circle."
HPS then asks attendees to sign themselves, sealing their auras.
[This can be done with a pentagram, hammer sign, or other sigil]. She
returns to her place by the altar.
3. Interdenominational Invocation of a War Deity.
HP takes one step forward from his position next to the altar and says:
"As we must accept the parts of our psyches associated with our
pasts in war, we must honor deities of war in our pantheons.
We honor you -- Athena, Indra, Woden, Mars, Morrigu, and
many others. Please come to us now."
Someone costumed and equipped to portray a war deity emerges
from the circle to near the center of the temple space and says:
"Now also honor those humans who were honorably involved in warfare:
Those who were your enemies and those who were your friends;
Those who volunteered and those who were pushed by circumstances;
Those who were heroes and those who were just in it;
Those who fought and those who only stood ready;
Those who survived war and those who did not;
Those uncounted millions of your times and of times past --
They have no need to be ashamed."
"Do not admire mindless rape, plunder, nor terrorizing. Do not admire
raids upon the defenseless -- although in war some predation is
necessary."
"And since there is no shame in being a victim of a mighty tide,
you shall extend compassion to refugees and other civilian and
military victims."
"Raise your right fists into the air to salute honorable warriors
and to civilian heroes and heroines." (War deity raises his/her
right fist as this order is given. After the deity drops the salute,
the others drop it also).
"Give the salute of embrace to signify compassion for refugees and other
victims." (War deity crosses his/her arms over his/her chest to signal
the start of the salute of embrace and everyone else does as the war
deity does. The war deity signals the end of the salute by dropping
it).
War deity returns to circle.
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5. Closing.
HP: "We thank the war deities for their attendance."
HPS: "Let us be mindful that sometimes the warrior is the victim also."
"Spirits of air, we thank you for your attendance. Receive in peace
the spirits of those who were raised on funeral platforms. We bid
you hail and farewell."
"Spirits of fire, we thank you for your attendance. Receive in
peace those whose funeral pyres burned brightly. We bid you hail
and farewell."
"Spirits of water, we thank you for your attendance, Receive in
peace those lost or buried at sea. We bid you hail and farewell."
"Spirits of Earth, we thank you for your attendance. Receive in peace
those buried in the earth. Mother earth, return to us again in new
forms, if it be their will, the spirits of those who have fallen."
"For those who have fallen!" (She pours wine on the fire in the
center of the temple space).
"And the bread of compassion for the victims of war." (She
crumbles bread and drops it onto the ground).
HP: "By this ceremony may each of us be strengthened --
deity, spirit, and living human alike."
"Nor this circle is open, but not broken."
"Please ground, and you may hug."
................................................................................
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{file "Celtic Workshop (from Internet)" "bos651.htm"}
CELTIC WORKSHOP (Internet)
This is an Upload of the first Celtic Workshop on Druids, Oghams and
Divination. Each student was supposed to have already downloaded the
Library 16 files Oghamd.txt (A table of Ogham correspondences),
Fionnw.GIF ( A symbollic representation of Oghams in Circles.) and
Ogham.GIF (A picture showing exactly how each tree Ogham symbol looked.)
In additional to these files, messages were posted in the Section 15
message board for Ogham correspondence tables by Nigel Pennick, D.J.
Conway, John Matthews, Murray Hope, Douglas Monroe and Edric Thorsson.
A lot of information is contained in these files and messages and
is essential for fully understanding the workshop and discussion. I
recommend reading "The Celts" by Nora Chadwick for historical background
on the Celts as a people. I recommend John Matthews book "Celtic
Shamanism" and also Nigel Pennick's book "Magical Alphabets". More
complete discussions of many of these topics are found in those works.
Due to time constraints, All the prepared material did not get
presented during the Workshop. I have included it here in it's entireity
at the request of the participants and in the interest of completeness.
Before starting the Workshop, we engaged in informal conversation with
the first topic being the book "Life of a Druid Prince". Jehana asked
if I had read this book.
<Start of Workshop>
O'Dubh : Never read the book
Jehana : It's basically an archeological/anthropological study of...
one of those sacrificed humans they pulled out of a peat bog.
SUZAN : hello Jehana!
Jehana : with some interesting speculations as well.
Hello suzan.
Hail!
O'Dubh : I saw an article on it with pictures in Scientific American I
think.
Merry Meet Again Maiden!
Jehana : yes, i think they covered it there, too.
O'Dubh : looks like UFOs are the talk of the town tonight.
Jehana : And The Crone greets the Maiden!
SUZAN : there was a great TLC special on an archeological find like
that
Jehana : suzan is still here.
suzan?
SUZAN : geesh! there are 27 people in that room!
O'Dubh : yes it's a mad house over there
SUZAN : oh just lurking around a bit sorry :)
O'Dubh : I didn't get any advertising here.
Jehana : too busy to stay there. <g>
O'Dubh : had to do it all myself.
Jehana : rilla mentioned it to me when i logged in tonight.
O'Dubh : everytime I log on here I'm bombarded with announcements
but no Celtic Workshop!:(
Hi Susan W!!
Jehana : hey, celtic workshop!!
Susan W.: Hi, just nosey, what's going on?
Jehana : hello susan...
odubh is about to do a celtic ../.
druidic workshop.
3130
O'Dubh : We're gonna be talking about Celts, Druids and the like
Jehana : is it workshop or discussion or both?
Susan W.: Maybe I'll listen in for awhile, already been on over anhour.
O'Dubh : I know how expen$ive it is!<G>
Jehana : same here.
O'Dubh : Well I guess I'm gonna start
Susan W.: What can I learn here?
O'Dubh : You can learn Magick, Shamanism, Oghams, Divination
But it won't happen overnight.
Also Druid type stuff.
There's a lot to cover.
Jehana : (But it doesn't all require connect time) <g>
O'Dubh : that's right
A lot of the files are in the library or message boards
any way Maybe I should start.
Jehana : ga
O'Dubh : I'm going to upload the announcement first so you can see what
we'll cover.
Susan W.: great
O'Dubh : Dia dhuit, a Kheltoi is ni Kheltoi!
(Hello to all Celts and Non-Celts!)
We are going to be having on-going Work Shops regarding Celtic
Topics of Interest here in the NewAge Forum. I hope to draw
you Celts and NonCelts alike out of the Groves and into the
CO's!<G> Time to share some of that Knowledge we've been
hiding!
I plan to touch on the following topics of interest:
CLASS #1
Druids, Oghams, Divinations
CLASS #2
Deities, Shamanism, Magick
CLASS #3
History, Warriors, Geneologies (maybe your family name!)
CLASS #4
Languages (Gaeilge, Gaelic, Welsh, Manx,Breton),
Poetry, Prose
I will basically upload files to the library, prior to the
class, to provide a focal point for the discussions and a
framework for building a Celtic Book of Shadows. We will
flesh these frameworks out through discussions online. I,
by no means, have all the answers on matters Celtic.
But I truly believe that ALL of us, working together, can
approach advance our knowledge and rediscover the True Celtic
Way.
Druids are especially welcome to attend so that our Celtic
Knowledge may be "Illuminated"!<G>
I also hope that The Welsh Bards will grace us with the Songs
of Taliesin.
Other topics will be included based upon the desires and
direction of the students and other participants.
I see the way that the workshops will be conducted as:
Susan W.: ?
3131
O'Dubh : Opening Remarks by Me.
Presentation by a Speaker (not necessarily me).
Questions and Answers.
Group Open Discussion and Discovery.
Summation and Assignments.
The classes start this Monday night in Work Shop 1 of the
NewAge
Forum at 10 PM EST! See you there!<G>
Beannacht leat,
(Blessed be)
O'Dubh
Susan W> ga
Susan W.: Oh, sorry, thought my screen was stuck there. GA
O'Dubh : OK That was the announcement and sorry if it was wrapping on
your screens!<G>
Jehana : sorry, i do have to go; i will put this workshop on
next monday's calendar.
O'Dubh : I'll continue with the presentation
Ce'ad Mi'le Failte! (100,000 Welcomes)
Welcome to the Celtic Workshop!
We will be investigating and sharing our knowledge
of matters Celtic here.
It is my hope that the researches and references
I have will add to or compliment your own.
I am, by no means, the final authority on
these matters.
Discussion and interaction, coupled with a
shamanistic journey or two should fill in
the gaps and illuminate us all.
all
Dean : hello
O'Dubh : Tonight I hope to lay down a firm framework
for our knowledge of Druids through a
discussion of their Magickal writing,
called Ogham, after Ogma - Sun Face,
and through a discussion of their divination
techniques.
It is commonly thought that the Druids left
no written records of their work.
I disagree.
Many references exist that contain the
poems of Druids, stories about their Magicks,
tales of their strategies, their secret lore,
their Oghams, their invocations, their victories
and their defeats.
The major problems with using this information
is that it is the product of a long
(tho reliable) oral tradition that was finally
written down by their antecedents the Culdean
Monks of the Celtic Church.
(Probably Druids in hiding).
Some of the Irish manuscripts
used as references on Druids are:
The Book of Armaugh
The Book of Ballymote
(A primary source for Oghams)
The Tain Bo Cuailgne
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The Book of the Dun Cow
The Book of Invasions
The Book of Leinster
Many references to what Druids did
are contained within the above books.
Much of what Celts wrote was symbollic
of deeper meanings. Each work can
be interpreted on many levels.
In modern times, Druidry is being studied
by several major groups, ADF and OBVD to
name just two.
If we have any Druids present tonight,
Please come forth and identify yourselves now.
(well, since only us chickens are here!<g>)
Susan W.: .
O'Dubh : I'll identify myself as a student of Wicca, Druids and Celts
Susan W>Whatis your interest or area?
Susan W.: I have no knowledge in this area . .
I have been told a little bit by a friend.
The extent . . .
is that I understand this Wicca, Druid beliefs,
are very old and are based on the powers of the earth?
ga
O'Dubh : yes the knowledge of Druids/Wiccans is based upon the Earth
and
it's power.
The knowledge of the Oghams is tree knowledge applied as
symbols
in the use of Magick and Divination.
I'll upload some info on each symbol
or group of 5 symbols and show what their
meanings are.
The Druids were the shamans of the Celtic
Clans. They carried the history, the culture
and the geneologies of the Clan in their memories.
To aid in remembering this information,
Oghams were used, each Ogham being
associated by its beginning sounds
with the item to be remembered. This
is similar to alliteration in today's
writings.This led to an entire series of
different types of Oghams.
Tonight we will discuss tree oghams and Fionn's Wheel.
Ogham BTW is pronounced "O Wam".
It's one of those strange Gaelic things!<G>
I have listed the Oghams for
those of you that haven't
downloaded the Ogham GIF's
or the Ogham Divination files
in Library 16 yet.
Each Ogham is listed by its
ancient Gaelic name, then its
modern Irish name and then its
Welsh counterpart.
The first group of 5 is from the
North on Fionn's Wheel.
(it is from the Book of Ballymote)
7th century Irish manuscript.
3133
Susan W.: .
O'Dubh : Beth Beith Bedw Birch - The White Tree of Purification
Protection against harm, physical and spiritual.
Deal with/clear away the bad things of life.
A new begining. Peasant. 24 December-20 January. White.
Luis Caorthann Criafol Rowan - Tree of Life
Protection against psychic attack.
Develop powers of protection and foretelling.
Used in Metal dowsing.
Planted around stone circles. Peasant
21 January-17 February. Liath (grey).
(also luisne or "red glare").
Fearn Fearno'g Gwernen Alder - "The Red Man"
(pranksters, also help one escape the Otherworld)
Used in fires to make swords.
Frees the Earth from water. Used in Building
Foundations because of this fire aspect.
Protection in conflicts.
Freedom from binding Magicks. 18 March-14April.
Crimson or blood red.
Saille Saileach Helgen White Willow or Sally Tree -
The growth of lunar power and water.
Linking and harmonizing. It's power is greatest
at night unless the Moon is visable during the day.
Susan W.: ? O'D
O'Dubh : Tied to the Moon phases.
Protection against diseases. Peasant. 15 April-12 May.
Sodaith (Bright or fine).
Nuin Fuinnseog Onnen The Black Ash - The Tree of Rebirth
Links the World of Spirit to the physical.
The passage way between the inner world and the outer realms.
The keys to the future but only in time.
First Chieftan Tree. 18 February-17 March
Necht or clear in color.
Yes Susan W? (I actually heard Susan W and responded at this
point but have included the other uploaded information here
for completeness).
Huath Sceach gheal Ysbyddaden -
The Hawthorn or Whitethorn
The May Tree. The name means "Terrible"
referring to the Destroyer aspect of the Goddess.
Unlucky (especially to cut it except in May).
(Bringing the blossoms in the house is also unlucky).
Rags are tied to its branches as offerings.
Protection against all ills Magickally.
Peasant. 13 May-9 June. Purple (For the Hag/Underworld).
Duir Dair Derwen Oak - The King of Trees
The Oak King. Magickal strength.
The doorway to inner knowledge.
The ability to see the invisible or be invisible.
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The ability to bar or open the ways.
10 JUne-7 July. Black. Chieftan.
Planted in Sacred Groves by the Druids.
Tinne Cuileann Celyn Holly - "Fire"
The Holly King. Balanced Strength and Power.
Unification, Fatherhood, Rebirth.
Fire, strength, boldness.
Peasant. Temen (grey-green).
Coll Coll Collen Hazel -
"By the Power of Three Times Three"
Discovery, Druidic Herald wands "Word Wisdom".
Used as A Magick Shield in warfare (Fionn's Shield).
Water Witching forked rods.
Nut-Brown.
Quert Aball Afall Crab Apple - Tree of Eternal Life
Isle of Avalon. Five seeds/blossom petals.
Apple-green or Mouse-Brown.
Muin Muine Vine - "The Vernal Equinox"
"The First Harvest".
Chieftain, 2 September- 29 September.
Mbracht (variegated).
The Magickal ability to roam widely and to gather.
Assimilation leading to inner development.
Gort Eadhne'an Eiddew Ivy - "The Second Harvest"
30 September - 27 October. Gorm (blue).
scarcity in unfavorable situations.
Changes necessary for growth.
All things are tied to the Earth.
Transformation by being rooted in the Earth.
Ngetal Giolcach Cawnen Reed - "The Tree of Scribes"
Used to make pens and Welsh plagawd (paper).
28 October - 24 November.
Thatching, mats, baskets.
Insulation, Enclosure, Covering.
Preserver of Knowledge, Maintainer of Order.
Nglas (glass green or yellowish-green).
Straif Drai'on Draenenwen Blackthorn -
"Tree of Punishment and Strife"
Peasant. Staves of Magickal Power.
Draoi (Wizard), Drai' (Druid).
Power in Visible and Invisible Worlds.
Use to overcome resistance to One's will.
Sorcha (bright colored) or purple-black.
Ruis Trom Ysgaw Elder -
"Tree of the Cailleach (Hag)"
ru'isce (a violent attack, a blow, a throw).
Irish Witches rode Elder sticks instead of brooms.
Three fold aspects of Time, Existence, Goddess.
Ogham of Timelessness or unity of all time.
Balance in threes. Rocnat (roebuck red).
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Susan W.: How would you use this information, for example . . .
the Native Americans use prayers for certain rituals, such as
blessing your surroundings.
How would you use that infor.?
Ga
O'Dubh : The information would be used
in divinations and in casting spells.
It would also be used to mark pathways for Spiritual journeys
into the Celtic Otherworld.
The first use of Oghams was on Birch, for instance,
and it was interpreted by the Irish God Lugh to mean
that a Magickal attack was going to be made
upon his wife.
Freepowder: hi all
O'Dubh : He took precautions.
Hi Freepowder !! we are underway with our workshop.
Freepowder: I didn;t miss it?
O'Dubh : I'm just telling Susan how Ogham information was used.
It's happening right now.
Anything missed will be in the library.
Freepowder: out standing, but I can't stay long<sigh>
O'Dubh : Susan>Does that answer your question?
Freepowder: GA
Susan W.: So, he called upon the spirit of the Birch tree to protect
him???
O'Dubh : He used the Magick of the Birch symbol to protect him and
his wife. Birch was used to surround them and protect them
from Magickal attack. Lugh's wife was in danger of being
spirited away to the Underworld.
Freepowder: (sorry) who are we talking about?
Susan W.: Gottcha. :) Difference in interpretation. GA
O'Dubh : The Celts were also shamanistic just like the Native Americans
Ok
Susan W.: ?
O'Dubh : FP>We are talking about the use and meaning of Oghams and
symbols of Magick.
FP>GA
Freepowder: in general?
O'Dubh : Well I'm presenting the meaning for each Ogham as based upon
the information handed down by the Irish Druidic Bards.
Misty : Can you tell us a little about the shamanistic part of the
Celts?
Freepowder: ah!
O'Dubh : Misty>I will cover that more fully next week but....
the Celts lived close to nature as did most peoples
O'Dubh : in the past. They observed that they had to interact with
it on a more personal basis than we do today.
I am introducing symbols and diagrams to be
O'Dubh : used in Magickal journeying.
Misty : Ok, sounds good!!
Freepowder: O'd> the Celts focused mainly on Trees & shrubs, while the
NAIndians,
Freepowder: focused more on animals , right?
O'Dubh : FP>The Celts tied Oghams to everything...
Birds, animals, shields, flowers you name it!<G>
Freepowder: !
O'Dubh : They even had a secret Hand Language<G>!
GA
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Misty : I've heard of that...how was that used?
Freepowder: <aside> sounds like modern gang!>...
Ogham was used like runes or tarot?
ga
O'Dubh : FP>one of the messages I posted has a direct correllation for
Oghams and TArot!
Susan W.: ?
Freepowder: I missed it, been a heavy wkend<abashed> GA
O'Dubh : It's in Section 15.
Susan >GA
Susan W.: I had someone give me a shamanistic (N.Amer.) style
drumming experience. ..
in which I saw the trunk of a very large tree . .
with a section that you could walk into . . .
like the old forest located S. of Yosemite . . . what are
those
called again. ? Anyway GA
Any meaning to that vision? O'D?
Sequoia . that's it.
O'D> GA
SUZAN : O'D is having some trouble with his connection.......
he will be right back.....
Susan W.: ok
I'm probably gonna split in a few . . . been on almost 2hrs.
SUZAN : thanks for being patient
Susan W.: What are your interests again Suzan?
SUZAN : i am an astrologer
Freepowder: Suzan> by the look of it we have just got started w/ this,
right?
Susan W.: Hi O'D
Freepowder: welcome back O'D
O'Dubh : Sorry about the line going down!<G>
Thanks guys!
Freepowder: Mercury is retarded<G>
O'Dubh : So where were we?
Freepowder: Sequoyah in vision
Susan W.: Did you get I saw trees in a vision?
O'Dubh : FP!>LOL probably what the prob is!<G>
Freepowder: GA<G>
O'Dubh : Susan>Yes
Susan W.: Any importance?
O'Dubh : I was telling how Celts/Druids
saw all of life interconnected like the Oak limbs
I believe your vision is telling you
to look within yourself to see how
you connect to the life around you
perhaps you should go on a shamanistic journey.
Freepowder: ?
O'Dubh : Discover your inner truths.
FP> ga
Freepowder: Shamanistic Journey?...
you mean like a vision quest?
Misty : Did we lose him again?
O'Dubh : Yes FP but along definate paths
Susan W.: O'D> celtic style?
O'Dubh : let me continue and I'll show you the map.
Freepowder: GA
O'Dubh : Susan>Definately Celtic style if that is what you feel closest
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to.
Susan W.: Actually more N.Amer. style :)
O'Dubh : Native American style is nice but I am a Celt.
Susan W.: Tell me your way.
O'Dubh : Watch and see !!
they (the ways) may be closer than you know!:)
Freepowder: <watching><G>
O'Dubh : Ok I'm going to skip the Ogham meanings and go straight to the
Wheel of the journeys.
This is Fionn's wheel and is a GIF in Lib 16.
<now uploading path names>
Fionn's Wheel is a diagram found in the Book of Ballymote.
It shows all 25 Oghams arranged around a series of concentric
circles (in library 16 as fionnw.gif). This diagram can be
used to divine paths necessary for "Pathworking", a very
powerful shamanistic technique. I have identified the meanings
of each Ogham on the paths (using the correspondences from
Nigel Pennick mostly). Each Ogham's meaning can require at
least a workshop of it's own to fully cover. I offer these here to show what can be done with Oghams:
An Roth de an Bealach
(The Wheel of the Ways)
___________________________________
Each path will be identified with it's Gaeilge/English name
and the elements along the Ways.
The Northern Path is first.
(from outside to inside)
___________________________________
An Cosa'n do Sla'n
(The Way of Protection)
The White Tree of Purity
The Tree of Life
The Red Man
The Moon
The Keys to the Future
___________________________________
This is the first path on Fionn's wheel
0jim : hellod
O'Dubh : It contains the first 5 Oghams B L F S N
jim : hello
O'Dubh : This path is first because it teaches the new
student how to protect him/herself from Magickal harm.
HELLO jIM
Please standby
jim : ok
O'Dubh : this is a formal Workshop
But join in !!!
Any way, the first step was Purification,
followed by gaining an ally in "the Red MAn",
a being kind of like Coyote in Native American workings.
The tree of life is there as well
(this could be what Susan saw in her dream)
The Moon represents the protection of the Goddess
When the inner level is reached
the student gains the keys of knowledge
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but not the wisdom to use them.
Another journey must be made.
That is the next path.
___________________________________
O'Dubh : This Path contains the Ogham EBA:
An Roth de an Bealach
(The Wheel of the Ways)
___________________________________
An Cosa'n de Fe'ile
(The Way of Ritual)
The Sacred Grove (Imbolc)
___________________________________
This path requires an understanding of
the major Religious festivals of the
Celtic year begining with Imbolc,
The new beginings
The festival of Brigit.
Susan W.: !
O'Dubh : It also requires one to perform such a ritual
Susan>ga
Susan W.: O'D & all> sorry, but I gotta go. Thanks for the info.
jim : !
O'Dubh : Susan> ok I'll continue and upload all this into the library.
B*B
jim>ga
Susan W.: THanks, I'll check into it. Bye.
jim : Thanks for the insight to PAGANISM. Get out of this stuff!
Freepowder: ?
O'Dubh : jim>not sure what you mean?
jim : !
O'Dubh : jim>ga
jim : you know! Druids, Pagans, Witches, stuff like that
Misty : Get out???
jim : !
Scott : uh oh.
O'Dubh : JiM>We are Druids, Pagans, Witches and stuff like that.
jim : !
O'Dubh : You are well to listen in to the workshop.
Jim>standby just a second.
FP has a question
FP>ga
Freepowder: I thought Samhain was the beginning of the Celtic year?
ga
O'Dubh : FP>It's the begining of the Celtic year but not necessarily
the begining of the study of Celtic religions.
ga
Freepowder: ?
O'Dubh : FP>ga
Freepowder: Imbolc...
is the start of this path of wisdom?...
or study on fionn wheel, right?
O'Dubh : FP>The study of all the major festivals is the second path
The symbol is actually the Grove.
The most powerful Magick in the Druid rites
Freepowder: ah!
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O'Dubh : was The victory of life over death,
the renewal of the wheel of the year,
the marriage of the Crone to the Oak King or Cernnunos.
That would not be an appropriate start point for begining
the study of Druidic Magicks. (Before a student can begin
Magickal work, the ability to shield and protect oneself
must first be developed. This is why the first way studied is
the way of protection. The next step to performing or learning
occult wisdom would be in a protected environment, such as rituals or Circles. What better ritual for a fresh start than
Imbolc which is symbollic of New Beginings and the Quickening
of Life? Samhain is actually the end point of the year and
represents the culmination of the Druidic Mysteries.
Jim>I believe you had a question?ga
jim : not really
O'Dubh : ok
jim : just watching and laughing
O'Dubh : any other questions?
Scott : ?
Misty : So are you saying that Winter Solstice is the beginning of
the wheel?
O'Dubh : Jim>I suggest that you watch your behavior
since the forum has some strict rules about
jim : ?
O'Dubh : putting down what others believe.
Jim>ga
jim : i'm not putting you down, just enjoying the show
O'Dubh : Jim>Are you done?
or do you have a question?
jim : 1!
?
O'Dubh : Jim>ga
jim : soo sorry if i offended anyone, didn'y mean to
got to go
O'Dubh : Goodbye jim
now to continue
Freepowder: Slan leat J
Scott : ?
O'Dubh : the next path to aid us in becomming more enlightened is the
Eastern path on the wheel.
Misty : What about my question? Or did someone beat me to it?
******** Answer inserted by O'Dubh ****************
(I completely missed Missy's question in all the confusion.
The answer to Missy's question is that Samhain is the begining
and the ending of the Celtic year. It is the time when the God
of the Underworld marries the Crone aspect of the Goddess. The
new God or the Sun is not yet reborn until the Winter Solstice. The Celts began their days at sundown. It is not surprising that they began their new year with the end of the last harvest. The period between Samhain and Imbolc is the dark part of the year and is therefore like the night before the day. During this period preparations were made for the onset
of winter and the coming spring planting.)
******************************************************************
Michael : Whats up tonight?
jim : \exit
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O'Dubh : Scott>ga
jim : \exit
O'Dubh : Jim> try /exit
jim : thanks
Scott : O'D did you say you were going to upload this lecture? I
would really like to D/L it, but have to go to bed...
O'Dubh : Scott>Yes I will and will add notes as I go !<G>
Slan leat!
Blessings
Scott : Any idea what the file name will be? <G>
O'Dubh : It'll be celtws1.txt
Freepowder: byer
Scott : thanks for your time, Blessed Be.
O'Dubh : Pressing on here and watching the clock.
<g>
O'Dubh : This Path contains the next 5 Oghams H D T C Q:
An Roth de an Bealach
(The Wheel of the Ways)
___________________________________
An Cosa'n do Fios
(The Way of Wisdom)
The Cailleach
The Oak King
The Holly King
The Three Times Three
The Tree of Eternity
___________________________________
O'Dubh : This Path contains the Ogham OI:
An Cosa'n do Gra'
(The Way of Love)
The Spindle of the Wheel (Beltaine)
___________________________________
******** Additional Data inserted by O'Dubh **************
O'Dubh : This Path contains the next 5 Oghams M G NG STR R:
An Cosa'n de Deis
(The Way of Balance)
The First Gathering
The Second Harvest
The Tree of Scribes
The Tree of Punishment
The Triple Goddess
___________________________________
O'Dubh : This Path contains the Ogham UI:
An Cosa'n de an Fhi'rinne
(The Way of Truth)
The Ancient Knowledge (Lugnasadh)
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The Inner Mysteries
___________________________________
O'Dubh : This Path contains the next 5 Oghams A O U E I:
An Cosa'n de an Saol
(The Way of Life)
The Tree of Regeneration
The Tree of Continuous Fertility
The Morning Dew
The Preventer of Death
The Tree of Life and Death
___________________________________
O'Dubh : This Path contains the Ogham AE:
The Way between the Worlds
The Sea (Samhain)
**********End of inserted data ***************
I will cover all of these and their meanings in the next
Workshop, next Monday.
Freepowder: ?
O'Dubh : I'm putting them here to give everyone a chance to read and
study them.
FP>ga
Freepowder: A bit off the Subj...
if you find the time could you help with...
Gaelic Pronounciation?
<G>
O'Dubh : FP>Sure will and I'll put notes in the upload as well.
Freepowder: thanks!
Rilla/Sysop: Hi all!
O'Dubh : I'm going to type the rest of the paths in now to speed things
up.
Hi Rilla!
Freepowder: Hi rilla, Dai dhuit
Rilla/Sysop: Dai dhuit!
Did you learn what that meant ???
O'Dubh : Rilla>It means Hello.
Rilla/Sysop: Just stopping bye to tell y'all goodnight!
and hugs!
O'Dubh : Gang I see that we will have to continue next week
It's late and we still have about 2 hours to cover.
Freepowder: ?
Misty : I hate that.
O'Dubh : I will post the rest of my lecture on the section 15 message
board.
FP>ga
Freepowder: what time does this start?...
and will it be in the Co notices?
O'Dubh : It starts at 10 PM Est.
Yes it should be.
I have to get Rilla to do it.
Freepowder: 7 PST<scratching head>
O'Dubh : I was surprised it wasn't.
3142
FP>that's right
7PM PST.
Freepowder: numbers hate me<G>
O'Dubh : I know
I appreciate everyone being here.
Misty : No prob..
O'Dubh : Next time we''ll cover how to make a shamanistic journey using
the Oghams and Fionn's Wheel.
Misty : See ya next time or probably sometime during the weekend.
Freepowder: O'D, I appreciate you taking the time to put this on!
O'Dubh : Beannacht leat!<blessed be!>
Thanks everyone!
Hugs!
Slan
Freepowder: Sl'n leat!
Misty : Night....*B*B*
Freepowder: well, who's left?
................................................................................
3143
What follows is the rest of My presentation concerning divination:
O"Dubh : Western (read Druidic) meditation was usually done
for divination and foretelling the future.
This was called by the names: Tenm Laida, Dichetal
Do Chennaib and Imbas Forosna.
Tenm Laida (Illumination by Song) is an altered state
usually achieved by chanting or singing of a repetitive
pattern. This can also include drumming and dancing.
These activities synchronize the body and mind to
an external rhythm allowing us to cast off the chains
of normal existence.
This allows one to float at peace within the song
(dance, beat, mantra, etc.) This is a strictly Druidic
or Shamanistic practice even though it may look like TM.
Dichetal Do Chennaib (Cracking open the Nuts of Wisdom)
is a state achieved by relaxation and clearing the mind
in a Ritual environment. It usually involved using some
Magickal implement such as a knife, a sword or a staff
to touch a subject (usually upon the head) or involved
the handling an item so that the diviner could discover
what secret knowledge was contained within it.
This information could be events from a person's past life,
a detailed history of who and what had happened to an object
or how and why the subject was being hexed or spelled.
I know this sounds like ESP but it was enhanced through
Ritual and relaxation techniques. I believe that Dichetal
Do Chennaib is the proper state for performing Ogham
divinations as well. More on this later.
Imbas Forosna (Illumination) was a form of altered state
used by seers and bards to create or see visions.
The Druid would be totally isolated from all sensory inputs,
sounds, lights and feelings. This was usually a very
dark room or a covering of hides. The Druid would attempt
to float and relax. When in the proper state he/she would
signal for the hides to be removed or he/she would open
the door out of the Darkness. The sudden, instantaneous
transition from Darkness to Light would cause him/her to see
visions or to spontaneously utter poems, prophecies or to
achieve a total Awareness of the secret Knowledge of
their Surroundings. This sensory deprivation forced oneness upon
them and caused them to become centered and to float. It was
their Ultimate Meditation technique.
The Druids also used music, colors, trees and numbers to alter
their consciousness. They were familiar with the Pythagorean
Mysteries and may have actually been the source of them!<G>
Druids shared IndoEuropean roots with the Indian Brahmans but
I don't have any hard data to support any similarities in their practices.
3144
O'Dubh : To perform an Ogham divination , one must be clear about the
purpose or object of the divination before begining. Focus this
purpose in your mind before starting meditation and/or Circle
casting. I find that working within a Magickal Circle tends to
prevent outside psychic influences but don't believe it's
absolutely necessary to use a Circle. The form of divination
is Dichetal Do Chennaib.
What we will be doing is casting sticks or "fews" upon a casting
cloth. The sticks are about finger length and size and carved
with Oghams for each of the 25 symbols. (I prefer to work with
woods that are the actual symbols used for each Ogham where
possible.
Obviously, some "Crane Bag" symbols are not trees and will have
to be carved on some neutral wood or other substance, shells or
rocks for instance. I use Ash or Oak for any substitutions.)
The casting cloth is a representation of Fionn's Wheel and can
be multicolored (as in the GIF), plain (Black and White) or just
drawn on the floor or ground. I like to make the largest Circle
about my height (in my case 6'2" but use what is suited to you).
I orient the Wheel with the "B" Ogham to the North. I stand on
the South side of the Wheel facing North about 3 feet back from
the "M" Ogham. Place the Oghams in a bag and then randomly
select 7 of them. Close your eyes, spin around three times while
blanking your mind from everything but your purpose. At the end
of the third spin toss the 7 "fews" into the air about 3 feet
above your head and towards the center of the Wheel. Once they
have settled out immediately read the arrangement of the sticks
as a general impression only. Write this down. Also record the
relative orientations and postions of the "fews" upon the Wheel.
Pick up the cast sticks and return them to the bag. Repeat this
process twice more so that a total of three readings is
available.
O'Dubh :You should now have three Wheel/Ogham Divination charts that
have the relative positions of 21 Oghams on them. Interpret the
Oghams based upon the correspondences I referenced previously.
(This came from Nigel Pennick's Book "Magical Alphabets" with
the actual meanings for the Oghams being from the Bardic/Druidic
traditions as passed dowm by the Clan Bards of the O'Flahertys).
I use the correspondences that "feel" right to me. You should
do the same. No one set of correspondences is the absolutely
right one to use. The above correspondences just hang together
better in my own mind. The basic technique to reading the tale
of the sticks is to read then deosil (clockwise) and from the
outside to the inside. The "fews" towards the center represent
the future and those towards the outside the past. Any sticks
not on the Wheel are ignored. Crossed sticks conflict. Parallel
sticks compliment or enhance. Sticks laying on Oghams of the
Wheel have combined effects. The interpretation is not hard and
fast. I read the symbols as a "story" that is dynamic. I take
all three divinations together. If they have no correllation at
all, I ignore the results and try again. Sometimes A divination
is not possible. I'll try at least three times to get results.
The relative agreement of each of the Three Wheel/Ogham charts
determines the degree of confidence one can have in the
readings, from utter certainty to total confusion! (reminds me of Sex
for some reason but that's another story!<G> I guess the point is that
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such Powers and their use are not instantaneous or easy to realize
at times. Sometimes its easy and other times impossible no matter
how much you try!<G>) This entire process of interpretation is very
similar to: Palmistry, Tarot, Astrology or Runes. They are all basically
taking seemingly random or (at least) uniquely individualized instances
from a person's life and attempting to give meaning to such events based
upon how they relate to Magickal symbols and patterns. What is actually
occurring is that the left brain is gathering facts from the cast
patterns that configure the mind and Spirit to allow the right brain to
make the "Salmon leap" to intuitive insight or Illumination. This is
Dichetal Do Chennaib or "cracking open the nuts of Wisdom" at its
finest.
After the divination is finished, dismiss your Circle and fold
or erase your casting Wheel or cloth. Store them separately and away
from normal life until they are to be used again. I recommend a wooden
or cedar chest. Use whatever represents peace, quiet and solitude for
you.
O'Dubh : So what have we found from this discussion of Druids, Oghams
and divination? We found that Information exists concerning Druid Oghams
in the ancient 7th and 8th century writings of Irish monks-Druids. We
disovered that Fionn's Wheel can be used as a divination casting cloth
and as a "map" for "Pathworking". We suggested that the Ogham correspon-
dences can identify unique ways to Magickal knowledge and insight. Most
of this information came from oral Druid histories that were finally
written down in the first millenia by the Druid remnant or Culdean
Monks. I admit that some of my presentation has been colored by my
interests in other forms of MAgick that have more readily available
information, such as Runes, Tarot and Astrology. I have also made every
effort to go to an ancient textural source or, at the very least, to a
modern writer basing their work upon ancient verified Druidic works. In
our future investigations into Druidic practices and Magick, I hope to
continue using the same techniques to discover or rediscover the
Mysteries of the inner Druidic Knowledge.
******************************************************************
Key words to look up and understand for this Workshop and the next:
Shamanism, Pathworking, Magick, Oghams, Druids, Culdee,
Celt, Fionn, Archetypes, Jung, Vision Quests, divination,
meditation, Bards, Invocation, Circles, spirit guides.
During the discussion of Fionn's wheel we will primarily address
archetypes, symbols, Magick and Shamanism as well as Pathworking.
CELTIC WORKSHOP (Internet)
This is the second Celtic Workshop. We covered Pathworking using Fionn's
Wheel and how Druids did Magick. (O'Dubhain - 28 Feb 1994)
*SYSTEM* | Switching to Workshop/Seminar 1
Freepowder | heloooooo
O'Dubhain | Hi!
| Looks like just you and me!<G>
Freepowder | how many are we?
O'Dubhain | Hi Tammy!
3146
Tammy | Hi!!!
| I got my old man to give me 15 minutes.
How generous!
Freepowder | BRB, Hi tammy! Jee-ah guitch <heheheh>
O'Dubhain | What a nice guy!<G>
| Ban jeeah Gwitch!
Tammy | Sorry I won't be able to stay for the
whole thing.
O'Dubhain | heheheheeh!
| That's ok you can download it later
Nan | 'lo everyone
O'Dubhain | Lo Nan!
Sue Thornburg | Hello!!!!!!!!!
Falcon | Hi All
Freepowder | it's obvious that the Celts had a sense of
humor, look at their spelling<G> HI nan, Hi falc
Sue Thornburg | FP> HAHAHAHA
O'Dubhain | Hi Falcon! Hugs Sue
Sue Thornburg | Will this be a formal CO, Odie?
Falcon | Hi O'D
O'Dubhain | Sue>It's semiformal!<G>
Freepowder | hi sue, the word for the day is *maismic*
Wren | Hi, guys
O'Dubhain | It's a workshop!
Freepowder | hi wren
Nan | maismic?
Falcon | <lost>
Sue Thornburg | Oooh, good, I'm wearing half of my tux.
<g>
O'Dubhain | Hi wren
Falcon | Hi Wren
O'Dubhain | Lo Eric Let's get cranking folks
Eric | LO OD
Falcon | What is a workshop?? <otl>
Freepowder | I'll be good, O'd, promise
O'Dubhain | A Workshop is another word for a CO But
since its a WOrkshop it's supposed to be hardere!<G>
Eric | and maismic??
O'Dubhain | ANYway
Falcon | *maismic*
O'Dubhain | The way this works to date is I talk about
some subjects and we discuss them
| then we maybe come up with some new ideas
Sue Thornburg | Sounds terrific. :)
O'Dubhain | It runs like a formal CO to begin Just put
in a ? or a !
Fred McCandless | so toss out an idea
O'Dubhain | If you have a comment or a question
| OK
| First last week
| We talked about Druids Oghams and Divination.
Fred McCandless | ?
O'Dubhain | I placed a bunch of files in the library
16 to be used in the workshop. ok Fred>GA
Fred McCandless | si
O'Dubhain | Fred> Got a question?
Wren | He's gone, O'd
O'Dubhain | anyway the way it works is just like
3147
that!<G> ok The files give you background on what we discuss. So the
first question I would ask is....
Jehana Silverwing | hi odubh.
| ust
O'Dubhain | Why are we studying these subjects?
| Hi Jehana!
| I mean what are we going to get out of this
| study?
Nan | cause we like to waste $$ on CI$? <GGG>
O'Dubhain | ANyone want to volunteer an opinion?
Falcon | !
O'Dubhain | Falcon>ga
Falcon | I study things because they are there and
I feel I should learn as much as I can
Nan | !
O'Dubhain | Me too Falcon!<G>
| Nan>ga
Nan | on a more serious note....I'm interested
in learning about them because they are part of my heritage and the
heritage of those around me
O'Dubhain | That's a reason I study them too Nan. When
I asked myself these questions I came up with some answers. Why study
Oghams? The answer was because the Druids used them in Magick.
David Pfeiffer | To add more to that Nan, being new here,
I'd like to learn more about the history of the natural beliefs because
they may be the only saving grace of this planet.
O'Dubhain | They are symbols of Magick. David> That's
a good one too.
David Pfeiffer | Sorry to interrupt. <g>
O'Dubhain | The reason I study Magick is just that
that's ok I study Magick of the Earth and of people and of the SPirit to
find the keys to who I am How we relate to each other and to the Planet
Jehana | i agree with david.
O'Dubhain | This is a time that we are all coming
together to save ourselves and our Planet The ancient Wisdom shows us a
Way to do this Jehana
O'Dubhain | We must look within for the Power of
self-awareness For growth and harmony. The Oghams are the roadsigns on
the Ways to this Wisdom
David Pfeiffer | But the whole idea is not for ourselves.
We are just as important as individuals as a leaf is to a tree. One
leaf only holds so the tree may live.
O'Dubhain | One map of this inner journey is Fionn's
Wheel. Right again David. But we must start with ourselves. To have
a tree one must have leaves. and branches and a trunk and roots as well
as Life. It's all got to work together. The purpose of this workshop
tonight is to determine the way that Fionn's Wheel shows us how to
"Pathwork" to knowledge of ourselves.
Nan | ?
O'Dubhain | To show how Druids did this Yes Nan
Nan | i think i know what you mean by "pathwork"
but could you please give a brief definition so that i know we're
thinking the same
O'Dubhain | OK. Pathworking is basically an inner
journey to discover Truths within ourselves
Falcon | ?
Nan | thanks
O'Dubhain | It allows us to tap a "Higher" wisdom To
3148
know our totems and our Spirit guides. Yes Falcon ga.
Falcon | What is Finion's Wheel?
O'Dubhain | Fionn's Wheel is a representation of the
Oghams laid out in Circles around a center. Like a Native American
Medicine Wheel. It is pretty much the same thing for shamanistic
purposes I uploaded a GIF of it into Lib 16 as FIONNW.GIF
Falcon | thanks
O'Dubhain | On it are the Ogham symbols for our
journey.
Wren | ?
O'Dubhain | Each symbol represents an ability or a
knowledge to be gained or understood, Wren ga
Wren | Is there a book with the diagram? I can't
see GIF's
O'Dubhain | It's in the following books: "The Book of
Ogham" by Edred Thorsson, "The Celtic Shaman" by John Matthews
Jehana | will capture the gif.
O'Dubhain | "The Book of Ballymote" by a 7th century
Culddean Druid<G>, Jehana also in Religion lib.
Jehana | okay, odubh.
Beth Campbell | send 2 what's Palyne? Is this a formal co?
O'Dubhain | yes Beth? The way Druids worked Magick
was by "becoming" or by actually changing reality A classic example of
this is The Song of Amergin the Druid who aided the Gaels in defeating
the Tuatha de Danaans. I quote from his song:
| "I am the wind which breathes upon the sea.
| I am the wave of the ocean.
| I am the murmur of the billows.
| I am the ox of the seven combats.
| I am the vulture upon the rocks.
| I am a beam of the Sun.
| I am the fairest of plants.
| I am a wild boar in valour.
| I am a salmon in the water.
| I am a lake in the plain.
| I am a word of science.
| I am a point of a lance in battle.
| I am the God who created in the head the fire.
| Who is it who throws light into the meeting
| in the mountain?
| Who announces the ages of the Moon?
| Who teaches the place where couches the Sun?
| If not I?
Jehana | I think this song is a teaching ballad.
O'Dubhain | I invoke the land of Ireland!"
Jehana | by the way, whose translation is this?
O'Dubhain | Yes it teaches and it invokes the power of
the Land. This was the translation by Douglas Hyde.
Jehana | okay, just simply because it is slightly
different than the one i remembr.
O'Dubhain | This Spell was used by the Druid to
overcome the winds raised by the de Danaans in their battle for the
Land. It is an example of the way a Druid would work. There are other
tales of shamanistic workings by Druids
Freepowder | ?
O'Dubhain | Among these is "How the Tain was Recover-
ed" Yes FP?
Freepowder | you spoke of becoming, is Amergin actualy
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becoming... those things or, has he been in the past?
Nan | or is it a metaphor?
O'Dubhain | He is actually synchronizing himself with
the spirit that controls these items. It is a series of symbols. It can
be viewed metaphorically. But the fact is it got results. The wind
died and the Gaels landed on Ireland.
Freepowder | ok GA
O'Dubhain | Present day shamans do the same thing.
The story of the Tain was lost and had to be recovered. It had been
written in Oghams on sticks and sent to Italy. None of the bards had a
memory of the entire story, so they sent two men to recover the Oghams,
Senchan and Muirgen. No one knew where to look for these Ogham sticks.
So Muirgen decided to ask Fergus mac Roich (only one problem---Fergus
was dead) So Muirgen slept on his grave and invoked the ghost of Fergus
to reveal the entire story. The Spirit of Fergus appeared in a cloud
and for three days recited the entire epic. Muirgen was able to go back
to the Bards and tell the entire tale. This tale was written down and
we have it today. This is an example of dream traveling to discover
hidden knowledge
Artemisia | ?
O'Dubhain | yes Artemisia?
Artemisia | sorry...computer fart
O'Dubhain | hahahaha! ok
Jehana | <rofl>
Sue Thornburg | <snork>
Freepowder | <LTB>
O'Dubhain | mine was getting constipated!<G>
Freepowder | *maismic*
Jehana | LTB? lettuce, tomato and bacon?
O'Dubhain | haha!
Nan | lol
O'Dubhain | gotta be! <wiping eyes> Anyway the point
is Druids did Magick in a lot of ways that has to be discovered again
from studying these tales. Native Americans pass this kind of know-
ledge down from teacher to student. We are not so lucky. We have to dig
it out of books and figure out the symbolisms!
Sue Thornburg | Unless we have an O'Dubh and a computer.
:)
Artemisia | :-)
O'Dubhain | <taking a bow> But not for speed typing!-
<G> or typos!:(To take a Journey on Fionn's Wheel, I suggest One study
the Paths as outlined in Workshop #1 in Library 16 here as CLTWS1.TXT.
Beth Campbell | <g> Does this mean ... those who don't
respect the past are doomed to repeat it?
Jehana | only if it was a "bad" past <g>.
Freepowder | *maismic*
Sue Thornburg | <chortle>
O'Dubhain | I think we all get our turn in the
"barrel"!<G>
Jehana | sorry.
O'Dubhain | The first Path according to my inner
vision
Beth Campbell | wrong choice of words (sorry) (must be
mercury) going to repeat it
O'Dubhain | and as based upon the Oghams in Nigel
Pennicks "Magical Alphabets" is the Way of Protection. This Way has the
Oghams B L F S N on it from the outside to the center. Each Ogham on
this Path teaches us a Magickal ability. The first Ogham B stands for
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the tree Birch--The White Tree of Purity and Purification.
Jehana | B is birch in the norse runes, too.
O'Dubhain | It is used to protect and Purify us before
we start our journey within. It was the first Ogham ever used. It
warned Lugh that his wife was going to be abducted to the Underworld and
it will serve to show us that we are protected. Life springs anew. To
make such a journey one should meditate and cleanse oneself of all
unclean and impure thoughts.
Beth Campbell | (sounds like Eve and the Apple)
O'Dubhain | Native Americans might do this in a "sweat
lodge". more of a putting away of the mundane bagage of life. baggage
that is !<G> Make an Out of Body (OOBE) type of Journey to a White tree
shining against a totally Black Darkness. Use its image to purge your
mind of distracting thoughts and go to the next level ---The Tree of
Life. Upon this tree one learns to shield unwanted psychic energies and
Magicks. This Ogham is "L" for Rowan. When one is floating in an OOBE
one needs such shielding to travel safely.
Freepowder | ?
O'Dubhain | The next symbol in our journey is --"The
Red Man". FP ga
Freepowder | sould it be too long to cover their
protection in a bit more detail?
O'Dubhain | It would take an entire workshop.
Freepowder | thought so, <G> GA
Artemisia | :-)
O'Dubhain | I'll cover this with a post on the Section
15 message board.
Nan | 15 or 16?
O'Dubhain | The Red Man or the Fear Dearg is a
Supernatural being
Jehana | how about a library file?
O'Dubhain | that is a fire entity. That too Jehana!<G>
He sometimes will rescue us from the Other forces of the Underworld.
His Ogham is the Alder Tree. Fp ga
Freepowder | the whistle tree!<G>
O'Dubhain | Ah! Perhaps the whistle will lead us from
the Underworld!?<G>
Fea'dog | it does me!
O'Dubhain | Red is the color of life and frees us from
conflicts and shields us in our lives. Once we are pure and can shield
and have no inner conflicts, it is time to learn of Magick itself! The
next step or Ogham is The Moon. It is the letter "S" for the White
Willow. This is a form of the Goddess and leads us in Divinations to
guide our future travels on the Wheel. The last or inner Ogham on this
path is "N". It represents the Keys to inner Knowledge that we have
gained. It is the Black Ash.
Rachel | hello
O'Dubhain | It also gives us the insight "as Above so
Below".
Jehana | hello.
Rachel | what is the subject?
O'Dubhain | All our previous insights will aid us in
the physical and the astral worlds. Rachel, this is a Workshop on
Celtic Magick. These keys and knowledge must grow like seeds within us.
In the future, they allow us to work our Power, the Earth's Power and
the Power of the Spirit. This completes the Way of Protection. I
suggest that each of you try such a journey on your own, in a Circle or
Safe quiet place. Learn the symbols for the Oghams from the tables in
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the library (there are about 7 there I think). Shamanistic journeys are
very individualized. Use symbols that have meaning to You. To complete
the journey around Fionns Wheel would cover the entire year and the
Major festivals.
Nan | is that the next workshop, the festivals?
<g>
O'Dubhain | Really project yourselves into the Wheel
and you will find your own inner guide and Truth.
Beth Campbell | (sorry)
O'Dubhain | Nan>I think that'd be a good one The Major
festivals are Imbolc Beltane Lughnasadh Samhain The Solstices and the
Equinoxes Each of these can be found on the Wheel. I hope that I wasn't
too sketchy on this!<G>
Nan | this medium is a bit slow and time
consuming to cover this kind of stuff
O'Dubhain | I know my typing can stand improvement.
Artemisia | You were very good...<sigh> but I don't
think I'm ever going to get this.
O'Dubhain | John Matthews covers shamanism fully in
his Book
Nan | can you pre-type any and use cut and
paste, that might help
O'Dubhain | "Celtic Shamanism". I could but then we
lose spontaneity and dialogue.
Nan | we could still be spontaneous in the
discussion, but the information portion we're all being quiet anyway
O'Dubhain | Hey! Ok! Next time lends itself to
uploading on the festivals. <g> I would like you each to consider
making a shamanistic journey and messaging me about it.
Pietra | ?
O'Dubhain | You might be surprised about what you
find. Pietra ga
Rachel | I have a ?
Pietra | Is this in part where the Masonic orders
"get their symbolism? I noticed a lot of simularities
O'Dubhain | Not sure. Not a Mason, but I wouldn't be
surprised. I'll ask around. <that's my homework>
Falcon | ?
O'Dubhain | Rachel ga ok Falcon ga
Falcon | What is a Mason?
O'Dubhain | Any answers from the group?
Artemisia | I know a little
Pietra | !
O'Dubhain | fire away
Artemisia | My papa was a shriner, very similar They
seem to be exclusive mens orders
Maire | H'lo, O'Dub, et all. Just peeking in to
see the conversation.
Artemisia | the women are part of the outer circle
Pietra | Freemansonry dates itself to the time of
the pharohs
O'Dubhain | Maire>just about done here
Artemisia | The masons did a consecration of a
washington d.c. monunment
Beth Campbell | The masons were the brick layers
Artemisia | and used the earth-air-fire-water symbols
as part of consecrating the cornerstone
Maire | O'Dub> thx. Still monitoring tho. Might
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see something interesting <g>
Nan | isn't there a Masonic forum or section
somewhere, maybe in religion?
Pietra | and even before According to them the
square and compass (symbols of Freemansonry) stand for the masons who
built the pyramids
O'Dubhain | Haven't seen one. George Washington was a
Mason.
Nan | are we finished for the night, it's past
my bedtime <g>
O'Dubhain | And the Pyramid with the Eye on it on the
Great Seal of the US is a Masonic Symbol.
Pietra | They are a one God belief but have lots
of cabalistic degrees
Artemisia | rilly?
O'Dubhain | I declare the Workshop over for the
night!<G>
Beth Campbell | The Masons erected a monument to GW in
Alexandria VA
Nan | look for it on the dollar bill artemisia
O'Dubhain | Let the games begin!<G>
Artemisia | I know it's there...just didn't know it
was masonic
Nan | thanks O'D' i didn't wanna leave and miss
anything :) bye all, see ya next week
Artemisia | night, nan
O'Dubhain | It'll be in the library 16 as CLTWS2.TXT
Mark A. Foster | Did I just miss a conference?
Artemisia | hehehehe
O'Dubhain | Just finished Mark.
Falcon | Night Nan
Mark A. Foster | On what?
Maire | G'night, Nan
O'Dubhain | But we're doing another next week at 10 PM
EST
Pietra | They have associated groups for women and
adolescents.
O'Dubhain | It was on Druid Magick.
Mark A. Foster | What subject?
Beth Campbell | Folks are old if more than twice your age.
Mark A. Foster | Druid magic. Sounds interesting.
Pietra | Falcom>> Are you confused Yet?
O'Dubhain | I think so!<g>
Mark A. Foster | I didn't see an announcement.
Artemisia | <G>, beth
O'Dubhain | It's in the Flash! check it out.
Mark A. Foster | Oh, ok. Where is that?
O'Dubhain | We'll be here everyweek on Mondays at 10PM
Mark A. Foster | Under "special"?
Falcon | Pietra>I will always be confused
Artemisia | gosh...I can feel my visa floating away!
<G>
O'Dubhain | MArk>Are you running WinCim?
Mark A. Foster | 10pm Eastern? DOSCIM
O'Dubhain | yep EST look under Special and Notices
Mark A. Foster | Okay.
Pietra | O'dubh>. yes is forum group -- but the
info you get there
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O'Dubhain | Should be a news Flash there
Pietra | will not tell you about "secret work"
which is the real purpose of FreeMansonry
Mark A. Foster | I just saw it. Never knew that was there.
Thanks.
O'Dubhain | Ta failte romhat!
Mark A. Foster | Nite, y'all.
O'Dubhain | Nite Mark Slan leat!
Artemisia | Yes, and membership is very exclusive...-
even used to be limited by color and financial status
Falcon | Bye Mark
O'Dubhain | Pietra>I plan to find out
Falcon | bye all
O'Dubhain | I have my ways you see!<G>
Pietra | Still is
O'Dubhain | Bye Falcon!! Thanks for coming!
Artemisia | yeah, i figured...just didn't wanna specu-
late
O'Dubhain | Artemisia>How did the healing go?
Pietra | am Member of Eastern Star and Dad is 33rd
degree (the highest)
Artemisia | great! very powerful
O'Dubhain | Great!!!
Artemisia | Thanks for all the encouragement!
O'Dubhain | I was pumping the energy your way!
Artemisia | Thanks! I knew I could feel a little
ooomph!<G>
O'Dubhain | Pietra>Show your dad the tables and get
his thoughts please!:) Artemisia> Glad I could ooomph ya! <G>
Artemisia | hehehehehe
Pietra | I would if we were on speaking terms
however I have the book
O'Dubhain | Pietra>Good enough. Maybe some Druids
hiding in there!?
Artemisia | I wouldn't doubt it!
Pietra | They would say so
Artemisia | it seems like they take from several
traditions
O'Dubhain | Some of these societies formed about the
same time as a rebirth of interest in the occult and Druids.
Pietra | It is interesting that along with some of
the rest of us the inquisistion tortured and put to death all Masons
they could find.
O'Dubhain | Might have members in both paths.
Artemisia | hmmmm
Pietra | they certainly do --I am one
O'Dubhain | Sounds like they were intent on eliminat-
ing anyone that thought for themselves. Might have to talk to my uncles
about this. They are Masons. But those guys are very secretive ! Just
like Druids!<G>
Pietra | Oh good
Artemisia | Yes, they are <G>
O'Dubhain | Anyway, Thanks to all!
Artemisia | Thanks to YOU!
O'Dubhain | Gotta sleep and catch a plane!<G>
Pietra | bye y'all
O'Dubhain | See you all tommorrow! Hugs all around!
Artemisia | tomorrow?
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O'Dubhain | bye sure!
Beth Campbell | Nite O'Dubh!
O'Dubhain | just for chitchat!
Artemisia | Oh.
O'Dubhain | nite Beth Hugs
Artemisia | night, O'D night, everyone
Maire | Night, O'Dub. Happy landings, and hope
your stewardess brings you lots of complimentary drinks<g>
O'Dubhain | <G> Thanks bye all!
CELTIC WORKSHOP 3 - CELTIC FESTIVALS
This an edited transcript of the Third Celtic Workshop presented by
Searles O'Dubhain. The topic for the evening was scheduled to be
the Major Celtic yearly festivals and their hidden meanings. Oghams
were used to attempt to discovery the magick and Mystery within each
festival.
(2-1,Freepowder) Dia duit
(2-11,O'Dubhain) Dia Dhuit!
(2-1,Freepowder) Hi KEN
(2-11,O'Dubhain) Welcome Kenneth 23!!
(2-1,Freepowder) Hi Nan!
(2-11,O'Dubhain) Hiya Nan!
(2-1,Freepowder) Hi bianca
(2-9,Bianca) O'Dub, Wren will join us later
(2-11,O'Dubhain) Tonight we are going to do a Workshop.
(2-29,Nan) 'lo all :)
(2-26,Wren) Hi, guys
(2-2,STUART NICHOLSON) Hi, are you there bianca
(2-11,O'Dubhain) Dia dhuit Wren!
Yo Stuart!
(2-1,Freepowder) too bad CIM doesn't have macro's F10=HI <G>
(2-9,Bianca) hi stuart
(2-17,Kenneth 23)Freepowder> An bhfuil Gaelige agat?
(2-17,Kenneth 23)Hi all!
(2-1,Freepowder) K> no, I think, <G>
(2-11,O'Dubhain) Ta', beaga'inin!
(2-29,Nan) what's the topic tonight?
(2-11,O'Dubhain) Tonight we are going to discuss the major Celtic
festivals
(2-1,Freepowder) ever try to learn gaelic in Las Vegas? craps yes, but
gaelic?
(2-17,Kenneth 23):)
(2-2,STUART NICHOLSON) Bianca are you still there?
(2-17,Kenneth 23)What? You mean there's a "Luxor," and "Aladdin,"
but no "Tara"?!?
(2-11,O'Dubhain) Anyaway I'm the presenter here and everone should
listen up
while I do my pitch!<g>
We are going into formal CO mode.
What will follow is a discussion of Celtic Festivals and
their meanings.
(At this point I lost my telephone connection and had to
log back in.)
(2-29,Nan) must've gotten dumped
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Sorry got knocked off line!<G>
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(2-1,Freepowder)He falls off occasionally, whiskey I think <G>
(2-17,Kenneth 23)O'Dubhain...I thought a renegade god ate you.
(2-7,O'Dubhain) hahahaha!
(2-2,STUART NICHOLSON) hello...
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Nope a phone call from a damsel in distress!<G>
(2-26,Wren) He's baaaack!
(2-7,O'Dubhain) hahahaha ken!<G>
(2-17,Kenneth 23):) Well a worthy cause, at least
(2-1,Freepowder)too much of the creatur?
(2-7,O'Dubhain) I'm back and let's get going before Mercury goes RX
(2-29,Nan) can/did you turn off your call waiting O'D?
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Now as I was saying I'll present then we discuss
use a ? or a ! to ask a question or request
time to make a remark.
(2-30,Jehana Silverwing) hiya, can't stay for long.
(2-30,Jehana Silverwing) but bianca said hi, so here I am *g*.
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Hi Jehana
here we go:
(2-30,Jehana Silverwing) hello odubh...
(2-9,Bianca) hi pietra
(2-9,Bianca) hi jehana
(2-7,O'Dubhain) The Celts celebrated 8 major festivals during the year.
Four of these festivals are associated with the Sun and four are tied to
the phases of the Moon.
I will briefly discuss the Lunar or Fire Festivals first.
The Celtic year is divided into halves marked by the two great fire
festivals of Samhain and Beltane. The period from Samhain to Beltain
is(2-9,Bianca) sid and mindy called "an Ghrian beag" or the "lessor
Sun". The period from Beltain to Samhain is called "an Ghrian mor" or
the "greater Sun". The year is further subdivided by the other two
yearly fire festivals of Imbolc and Lughnesadh.All of the fire festivals
are celebrated at night and are held during the Full Moon. They are
primarily concerned with agriculture, nature, pasturing and livestock.
(2-1,Freepowder)?
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Samhain is the begining of the Celtic year and marks the
time of the Cailleach and the begining of Winter. The doors of the Sidhe
are opened on this night and the veil between the Worlds is thinnest.
This is the night that Druids offered sacrifices (usually the excess
cattle that would form the basis of the Winter's meat stores). This is
the time that the Ancestors walk the Earth once more and cross the thin
veil to visit with the living. Samhain is associated with the province
of Munster and the fortress of Tlachtga.
Beltane marks the begining of Summer and is dedicated to the "Shining
One:" or Bel. Two large bonfires were ignited and cattle were driven
between the fires and into the fields for Summer pasturing. This was
also done to purify them from their long Winter confinement. Men and
women were known to leap through the flames for purification at these
fire festivals. Usually the men first then the women (and after the
flames had diminished!<g>). This night is the time when the Sidhe walk
the land and mortals must overcome their Otherworldly enchantments and
temptations. Beltane was the time when divorces were granted in
Ireland as well as a night of release from the Winter. This festival was
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associated with the province of Connacht and the fortress of Uisneach.
In ancient Ireland an additional two fire festivals were celebrated:
Lughnasadh and the feast of Tara (celebrated every 3 years).
Lughnasadh was the time of the first harvest and a time of games and
competitions. It is associated with the Goddess of Sovereignty. The God
Lugh held this festival to celibrate the efforts of his fostermother
Tailtiu to clear the fields of Ireland for planting. It was also the
time when couples could enter into a "trial marriage" known as a Brehon
wedding. The couple would clasp hands and thrust them through a circular
opening in a special stone, while announcing to the Brehons (judges and
lawyers) that they intended to live together for a one year trial
period. Either party could break the marriage by a public announcement
during the feast of Beltane. This festival lasted for a month! The feast
of Tara was held every three years to distribute laws and gather
records.
An additional festival was added later. This is Imbolc and was held in
Leinster to celebrate the Goddess Brigit. This festival marks the ending
of Winter's grip and the passing of the influence of the Crone or
Cailleach to the Maiden of Spring. It is the time of the first lambs and
of new beginings. Brigit's sacred flame was tended in Leinster in a
sacred center for female Druids. This festival was usually one of the
home and the hearth and was usually presided over by the female head of
the house.
The Sun festivals are MidWinter and MidSummer Solstices as well as the
Spring and Vernal Equinoxes. These festivals mark periods of greatest
imbalance between the Sun and the Moon as well as the periods of
greatest balance. Not much is known about how these Sun festivals were
celebrated by the Celts, if at all. One source I've read claims they
are evidence of Anglo-Saxon influences on later Celtic life and
practice. Most authors state that only the lunar festivals were publicly
celebrated (at least by the Irish). Perhaps the Druids used the Solar
days for Magick and Divination. I am still researching these celebrat-
ions and am not prepared to discuss them in detail this evening.
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Perhaps we should discuss the previous presentation
before we get to the Magickal meaning of the Lunar festivals?
FP>ga
(2-1,Freepowder)you answered it <G>
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Ok I know this was a long spiel but now we can discuss
it.
The following pieces are much shorter with more room for discussion
(2-1,Freepowder)?
(2-7,O'Dubhain) FP>ga
(2-29,Nan) ?
(2-1,Freepowder)the festivals I have herard of samhain etc. are solar?
(2-1,Freepowder)but not agreed upon?
(2-7,O'Dubhain) The Solar festivals are not really ancient Celtic
public festivals.
(2-1,Freepowder)GA
(2-3,Pietra) !
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Samhain is a lunar festival. But More research must be
done on the Solar festivals. ga FP
(2-17,Kenneth 23)Are the Solar festivals mentioned at all in Greek or
3157
Roman chronicles as Celtic festival days?
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Kenneth >Will get to that question in a minute.
Fp>done?
(2-1,Freepowder)GA
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Nan>ga
(2-29,Nan) two questions, how are the lunar holidays determined
(dates) and what is the connection of
(2-29,Nan) the Sidhe with Beltane?
(2-29,Nan) ga
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Nan>I'll answer those in the following presentation.
Pietra>ga ok
(2-3,Pietra) didn't the people also jump the bonfires?
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Pietra>Yes they did. And sometimes they were sacrificed
in them But that was very long ago. The Human sacrifice was replaced by
animal and agricultural sacrifices.
Kenneth>The Romans influenced the Britains and also the Vikings and
Anglo-Saxons This is where the Sun festivals come from although they
could have been Druid ceremonies closed to the public.
Kenneth>ga
(2-17,Kenneth 23)Hmmm...I see. So as far as readily evident public
festival information goes,
(2-17,Kenneth 23)the Solar festivals are recent -- at least in the sense
of "post-Roman?"
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Kenneth>Yes I believe so. These festivals are part of
the Wiccan year. Because Wicca embraces soo many diff backgrounds and
deities. anyway I'm going to talk a little about the Magickal sig-
nificance of these holidays and festivals now. We will use the Oghams
from Fionn's Wheel to get an inkling of what was really going on during
these festivals. Any other questions before I start?
ok From the "Crane Bag" of Mannanan mac Lyr The Festival of Imbolc
(First Full Moon in Aquarius) The Feast of the Goddess Brigit.
Ogham Symbol "EA":
Koad or Eadha the Sacred Grove
Death (Tarot).
Unity of the Eight Festivals of the Year.
The Wheel of the Year.
forty shades of green.
Interpretation and Meanings:
This is the festival of new beginings. This is the time when most
new life came forth (first shoots of spring, lambs and the childern that
were sired at Beltain). A celebration of the Triple Goddess, showing
the passage of winter and the advent of summer. The Time of the Maiden
who bridges the gap from the Dark Queen of the UnderWorld to the Red
Mother of Life and Plenty. The Mystery here is the unity of Death and
Life through the Promise of the rebirth of the Green World as represen-
ted by Brigit, the Maiden of the hearth, the home, poets and the forge.
Imbolc is the time of divination, augury and seeking of new directions
for the year. I believe that Imbolc is a carry over from an earlier
Goddess religion in Ireland.
Discussion or questions anyone?
(2-1,Freepowder)?
(2-7,O'Dubhain) FP>ga
(2-1,Freepowder)Brigit did poets, who did musicians? <G>
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(2-1,Freepowder)GA
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Well the Dagdha played a mean harp. And Lugh was
multi-talented.
(2-1,Freepowder)LOL
(2-1,Freepowder)no "patron saint" of musicians?
(2-1,Freepowder)GA
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Well Taliesin was the king of Bards And was the greatest
of musicians as well. So he would be your God of Musicians.
(2-1,Freepowder)he was welsh! Amergin maybe? <G>
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Amergin was also a great bard. He seems to be Talies-
in's counterpart. Ok on to Betaine!
From the "Crane Bag" of Mannanan mac Lyr The Festival of Beltain
(First Full Moon after the Hawthorne's bloom) The Feast of Bel and the
twin bonfires.
Ogham Symbol "OI":
Oir Spi'ona'n Eirinen Fair.
Childbirth.
The Spindle of the Wheel.
White or Red.
Interpretation and Meanings:
This is the festival of life. On this day, the sacred fires were lit on
the hill of Tara. Fires were lit on hills across Ireland when the signal
fire was observed until the land was surrounded in a circle of fire.
Beltain marks the begining of summer when the land is filled with
plenty. This a time when the ways between the worlds are open and the
Sidhe are most likely to grant gifts to those who seek them early in the
morning. It is also a time that is central to the entire cycle of
agriculture. It is now when the promise of spring is fulfilled. The
Maypole symbolises the fertility rites of this festival. Strange that
the red and white streamers of the Maypole should remind us of the DNA
Helix of Life. Life is the Spindle and Love is the weave. In Ireland
the people dance around a burning bush in a "serpent" dance. Beltaine is
the time of our maturity and the fulfillment of desires.
Questions or should I go on?
(2-1,Freepowder)?
(2-7,O'Dubhain) FP>ga
(2-1,Freepowder)Bel was the god of the dead?...
(2-1,Freepowder)and this was a festival of life? GA
(2-1,Freepowder)<G> Ok
(2-7,O'Dubhain) There is controversy over whether Belenus is really the
God for whom this festival is named. But Belenus, Bael, Bile and Beil
are all names associted with this festival. Some of theses are Sun Gods
eg "Shining Ones" Irish sources say this that Beltaine really means
Great Fires!<G>
(2-29,Nan) ? Nan>ga
(2-5,JUAN) HELLO EVERYBODY
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Juan Standby please Co in progress
(2-29,Nan) what if there's no Hawthorn around? how do you know when
this festival is?
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Nan>It's commonly called May Day in Western Europe.
That's May 1 or the closet Full Moon to May 1.
(2-29,Nan) ok
(2-7,O'Dubhain) That's the first full moon in Taurus.
(2-17,Kenneth 23)?
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(2-7,O'Dubhain) Kenneth>ga
(2-17,Kenneth 23)Beltane seems to be characterized by masculine symbols
-- was it a special day for men, such as entrance to manhood festivals,
or such?
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Kenneth>It was a day of festivities for both men and
women It's also associated with the first Battle of Moytura. Women and
men both fought in that battle.
(2-17,Kenneth 23)<nod> Was there any particular ascent to adulthood
ritual in Celtic festivities?
(2-17,Kenneth 23)I see...
(2-7,O'Dubhain) All the festivals were used as rites of initiation since
this was a time of gathering of the clans. many times a boy would be
initiated by graduating from warrior training or bardic training he
could then demonstrate his prowess.
(2-17,Kenneth 23)Ah...I see. So anything involving community could be
done on those days (including Bhar Mitzvas :D)?
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Something like that! and also lots of games and
competitions.
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Pressing on here From the "Crane Bag" of Mannanan mac
Lyr
The Festival of Lughnasadh
(First Full Moon in Leo)
The Feast of the God Lugh.
Ogham Symbol "UI":
Uinllean Fea' Ffawyddean Beech or Phagos.
Chieftain.
Magickal Hardness and Resistance.
Ancient Wisdom as a foundation.
Tawny or light roebuck.
Interpretation and Meanings:
This festival is linked to many ancient practices in Ireland. Contracts,
marriages and other binding agreements were made on this day. This is
the day of the Marriage of Lugh. It is also the day when the performance
of the clan chiefs was evaluated and perhaps a new chief was chosen.
This is the time of the great horse fair and fittingly enough the
marriage of the King to the land. This could sometimes involve a ritual
whereby the new king was symbollically mated with a horse, Symbolizing
the Goddess of Sovereignty. The first harvest had already been reaped.
Ogham Symbol "IO":
Pethbol Guelder Rose
The step into the Inner Mysteries.
Pink or Pale.
The dance of life.
The Crane Dance.
Interpretation and Meanings:
Since this festival is linked to the young god Lugh that replaces the
older god Nuada, it is also linked to the mysteries as Lugh is "Samil-
danach" or "multi-talented". It is very possible that a series of
examinations was given to Druidic students on this day, corresponding to
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the series of tests that Lugh had to pass in competitions with the other
Gods before he was admitted to their company. One such contest is in the
throwing of stones or chariot wheels that occurred during the weeks of
this fair. Another is the playing of board games at this time such as
"fidchell", a game played with wooden pieces (possibly Oghams) and
similar we are told to chess. My own opinion is that it was a kind of
divination. The point here being that just as Lugh proved himself worthy
to join the company of the Gods by being "Samildanach", so I interpret
this symbol to imply that new Druids were admitted to the inner
mysteries and Circles by passing their tests during this festival.
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Questions?
(2-17,Kenneth 23)?
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Kenneth!>ga
(2-17,Kenneth 23)Sorry...just one little thing I've always wondered --
Fidchell, and games like it in other celtic groups, are mentioned
frequently in literature and legend. Are there any surviving fidchell
sets? How is information known about the game?
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Kenneth>Not much is known about the game. No sets
survive but it must have been something! Everyone was playing it!<G>
more? ga
(2-17,Kenneth 23)No...that's all, thanks!
(2-1,Freepowder)O'D? GA
(2-7,O'Dubhain) ok
From the "Crane Bag" of Mannanan mac Lyr
The Festival of Samhain
(First Full Moon in Scorpio)
Ogham Symbol "AE":
Amancholl, Mor, Xi, Pe'ine, The Scotch Pine.
Shower of the Way.
Marker of the Ley Lines.
Bringer of Illumination.
The Container of Wisdom,
The Sacred Pine Cone, Buarci'n.
Spirit.
The Sea. Green or Black.
Interpretation and Meanings:
There are many meanings to this symbol. The first is the Sea represen-
ting the darkest depths and also the source of all life. The mystery
here is that as life ends, so it begins in the same place and from the
same source, the Sea (or Otherworld for which it is a symbol). This
celebration honored the Night of the Dead, when the ancestors walked the
Earth once more and the ancient knowledge could be re-acquired. It also
celebrated the mating of the Dagdha with the Morrigan, the Queen of
Death and Darkness, the Washer at the Ford. She gives the Dagdha the
advice to assemble the Aes Dana or skilled ones and to advance upon the
Fomorians at Maige Turedh. The Goddess of War then goes to kill the King
of the Fomorians (Indech mac De Domnann) in his tent at Scetne. The
Second Battle of Maige Turedh (Moytura) is won by the De Danaans on
Samhain. I interpret this story of the Dagdha (The All Father)with the
Goddess of Darkness (The Triple Morrigan) to mean that the will of the
One was united in the Power of Dark and Light to be used during this
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"gray time" of twilight. The Spiritual aspects overcome the Mental and
Physical aspects (the Fomorians and the Firbolgs, defeated in the first
Battle of Maige Turedh) to claim the Land and ALL that is. The victory
of the Spirit assures us that the Wheel will turn eternally and that the
three aspects of humanity are forged together through the two battles of
Maige Turedh. Please read Steve Blamires's excellent interpretations in
his work "The Irish Celtic Magical Tradition". This last marriage of the
Dagdha and Morrigan also represents the mystery of life from death.
I believe that to be the Ultimate Mystery of Druidism or any other
religion.
(2-7,O'Dubhain) questions?
(2-1,Freepowder)?
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Fp>ga
(2-1,Freepowder)did the Irish believe in reincarnation? GA
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Yes they did. They believed that when you were re-incar-
nated, it would hold true to the bloodlines. Like maybe you are your
great grandfather or grand mother re-incarnated!<G>
(2-1,Freepowder)not "karmic" then?
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Not a great deal of karma there. They did hold each
accountable for their life's actions.
(2-1,Freepowder)what about if you are adopted? <VBG>
(2-7,O'Dubhain) he Irish also believed in "fosterage" so that you became
"blood brothers". So I suppose you could re-incarnate in someone else
that way!<G>
(2-1,Freepowder)LOL
(2-7,O'Dubhain) yep.
More questions or What shall we discuss next time?
(2-1,Freepowder)?
(2-7,O'Dubhain) FP>ga you devil!<G>
(2-1,Freepowder)was the Morrigan just death and destruction ...
(2-1,Freepowder)or had she redeeming qualitys?
(2-2,Pietra) celtic Music (lol)
(2-7,O'Dubhain) HAhahaha! She might have played the bones perhaps!<G>
(2-1,Freepowder)ROFL!
(2-2,Pietra) !
(2-7,O'Dubhain) The Morrigan was also the patroness of Magick and
WItches!<G> Pietra>ga
(2-2,Pietra) got another Cd for you Great fire away I declare the
Workshop ended! Thanks for coming you diehards!<G>
(2-29,Nan) thanks O'D! great info see ya next week......if i can
rent a 'puter on the road, sigh
(2-1,Freepowder)good job, as usual! Next time?
(2-17,Kenneth 23)<clapping> Thanks for the presentation! I'm glad I had
the recording option on!
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Ta failte romhat!(you're welcome)
I will post it in the library in the next few days.
(2-29,Nan) what's next week's subject?
(2-2,Pietra) Amam by the Clannad produced by cbs records even has
(2-2,Pietra) the lyrics in Gaelic printed
(2-1,Freepowder)P> ever listen to planxty or de dannan?
(2-7,O'Dubhain) I might touch on Sun festivals and stone circles as well
as passage graves and the Underworld.
(2-17,Kenneth 23)Has human sacrifice been done as a workshop topic?
Esp. symbolic/actual sacrifice of rulers?
(2-29,Nan) bye all, see ya later
(2-2,Pietra) Free>no who does it?
(2-17,Kenneth 23)Bye Nan!
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(2-1,Freepowder)Slan leat Nan
(2-1,Freepowder)P> that's the name of the groups <G>
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Kenneth>Not yet. Slan Nan!
(2-2,Pietra) Free>oops
(2-17,Kenneth 23)That might be a fun topic. Well, fun for us, not for
whoever got sacrificed...
(2-1,Freepowder)P> older more traditional than Clannad...
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Kenneth>It'll take some research to dig out the details
like the Wicker man and other good stuff.
(2-2,Pietra) free> I'm nagging O'Dubh into buying Celtic Odyssey and
(2-2,Pietra) then he'll thank me
(2-1,Freepowder)Enya was IN clannad before she went solo, (useless
trivia)
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Kenneth>Like torturing a volunteer to death to do a
divination.
(2-2,Pietra) free> it's traditional too
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Pietra>I'm going for it just haven't found it yet.
(2-17,Kenneth 23)Enya is part of the Dunnan family, which is most of
Clannad.
(2-1,Freepowder)Music in magick & vice versa, do that O'D!
(2-7,O'Dubhain) FP>Great idea!!
(2-17,Kenneth 23)I was lucky enough to see Clannad in concert last year!
(2-7,O'Dubhain) <----needs to get his Pythagorian stuff from home.
(2-2,Pietra) O'Dubh bbi griosghrua garth 'aicr'
(2-1,Freepowder)P> try the chieftains too.
(2-2,Pietra) ok thanks free
(2-17,Kenneth 23)O'D> I would be more than willing to assist in research
regarding sacrifice, if possible.
(2-2,Pietra) Kenneth >yep says so right here! (in my phamplet)
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Kenneth>Thanks I'll try outlining wwhat i need in a post
to you.
(2-1,Freepowder)P> & the Bothy boys if you like acordian <G>... or was
that Boys of the Lough...hmmm
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Pietra>What is that something about being glad I'm so
sunny when you're near me?
(2-2,Pietra) kenneth > Enya is solo now
(2-17,Kenneth 23)There was a concert w/ the Chieftains and many famous
country/western singers, including Willie Nelsen, Alabama, and others,
which
(2-17,Kenneth 23)showed Country music's Celtic roots.
(2-17,Kenneth 23)p > I know, and I'm sick of waiting for her next album
to come out! (G)
(2-2,Pietra) Thanks I wondered what it meant O'Dubh
(2-17,Kenneth 23)it's been a couple years!
(2-7,O'Dubhain) <_----Thinking about hitting Clancy's in Manhatten.
(2-1,Freepowder)Clancy's are Waaaay Coool!
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Pietra>Are you sure about the spelling?
(2-2,Pietra) O'Dubh > I only tease the people I like Now you're
definitly
(2-2,Pietra) on the way to Clancy's
(2-1,Freepowder)been teaching my Boy Scouts their Irish drinking songs,
will get me in trouble one of these days!
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Pietra>I'll work out the translation later. FP>Yep Tom
Clancy owns the place. What are those scouts adrinkin FP?<G>
(2-2,Pietra) bhi griosghura garth' aicr' gus loinhir ina ciabh mar or
Can see good now I turned the light on
(2-1,Freepowder)O'D how do you find the wood u use in the US? same
trees? close?
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(2-7,O'Dubhain) FP>close to the same trees
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Kenneth>I need to upload a file on the similarities and
the locations. Also had a message about it as well.
(2-1,Freepowder)O'D > water but sometimes I wonder what their parents
think when they come home singing Whiskey you're the Divil!
(2-1,Freepowder)>or wild rover no more!<G>
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Just tell them uisce is Gaeilge for water and sounds
like WHiskey!<G>
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Pietra>will translate later.
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Folks>Gotta see a lady about some hugs!<G>
(2-17,Kenneth 23)Does anyone know of ritual use of intoxicants by the
Celts, aside from alcohol?
(2-1,Freepowder)I can't even find a gaelic to english dictionary here!
(2-2,Pietra) all> i like the music because it strikes a chord inside.
but I don't know the lingo at all
(2-7,O'Dubhain) See you in the Forum; same time next week.
(2-1,Freepowder)K> isn't alcohol enough?
(2-2,Pietra) I think this means we get the brush-off now
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Kenneth>Druids drank a lot of strange stuff.
(2-9,Blood Falcon) Hi all
(2-7,O'Dubhain) might post a few brews!<G>
(2-2,Pietra) S'lain o'Dub
(2-7,O'Dubhain) now now Pietra.
(2-1,Freepowder)thanks again O'D!
(2-1,Freepowder)Slan leat!
(2-17,Kenneth 23)I'd love to hear of 'em!
(2-17,Kenneth 23)Slan leat, O'D!
(2-7,O'Dubhain) I do have to do my gentlemanly duties you know!<G>
Slan Agat!
(2-9,Blood Falcon) Bye O'D
(2-7,O'Dubhain) Beannacht De' is Bande' leat!
(2-17,Kenneth 23)Slan abhaile!
CELTIC WORKSHOP #4 - CELTIC MUSIC
This an edited transcript of the fOURTH Celtic Workshop presented by
Searles O'Dubhain. The topic for the evening was scheduled to be
Celtic Music and Magick in general, the Role of Bards and Druids in
Celtic Music, the Music Ogham - Aradach Fionn, Tree tones and their
musical associations and some example folk songs and their interpreta-
tions.
(2-11,Nan) hi!
(2-8,O'Dubh) I see you found a laptop!<G>
(2-11,Nan) I've got to get used to translating to west coast times <g>
(2-8,O'Dubh) It's like 7 there right?
(2-11,Nan) actually i rented a IIsi (mac)
(2-11,Nan) yep
(2-11,Nan) i decided to go for the color <g>
(2-2,Rilla) Evening!
(2-8,O'Dubh) what sort of work are you doing?
(2-11,Nan) hi n huggs rilla
(2-8,O'Dubh) Hugs Rilla!
(2-2,Rilla) hugs!
(2-8,O'Dubh) Rilla.We are gathering up here.
(2-2,Rilla) mind if I lurk?
(2-8,O'Dubh) No prob
(2-11,Nan) work? well......I'm getting ready to move into my new house
3164
in June...
(2-8,O'Dubh) Hi LF!
(2-11,Nan) making decisions like carpet, paint etc.
(2-9,Rose) Rose?
(2-8,O'Dubh) Hi Rose!<G>
(2-11,Nan) sorta work sorta not
(2-9,Rose) Hi!
(2-4,Lord Falcon) <bow>Good evening all
(2-11,Nan) hi rose
(2-20,Freepowder) Dia duit all!
(2-11,Nan) hi falcom
(2-2,Rilla) Hi all!
(2-9,Rose) Yes, Hello!
(2-11,Nan) hi fp
(2-8,O'Dubh) Dia duit, a Fhreepowder!
(2-20,Freepowder) oh yeahm hang on
(2-20,O'Ba'n) There, that's better!
(2-8,O'Dubh) Everyone here knows we are gonna do a Workshop, right?
(2-20,O'Ba'n) Ta'
(2-8,O'Dubh) Slainte!
(2-8,O'Dubh) <=====Typing is getting worse instead of better.
(2-20,O'Ba'n) I have a dram o' the creatur right here too! Slainte"
(2-22,Wren) Hi, folks. Dia dhuit.
(2-2,Rilla) Dia dhuit, Wren!
(2-8,O'Dubh) Dia Dhuit, a Whren!<G>
(2-20,O'Ba'n) O'd how do you say hello to a bunch of folks, same way?
(2-22,Wren) Hey Rilla, brought some chocolate chips cookies .... <g>
(2-2,Rilla) ha!
(2-8,O'Dubh) FP>yep!
(2-2,Rilla) <swat!>
(2-2,Rilla) no fair!
(2-2,Rilla) I wont look!
(2-20,O'Ba'n) ok.
(2-8,O'Dubh) well boys and girls shall we start clearing our throats?
(2-22,Wren) ahem
(2-20,O'Ba'n) ARRRGGGHHH, hack hack!
(2-8,O'Dubh) <======listening to the hackers.<G>
(2-9,Rose) Hmmm.
(2-2,Rilla) hehe
(2-2,Rilla) ahem!
(2-2,Rilla) <how's that?>
(2-11,Nan) cough cough
(2-8,O'Dubh) Ok let's get started!
(2-11,Nan) <ptuie> 'scuse me <g>
(2-8,O'Dubh) Before I begin let me say a few words about how the
Workshop is conducted. We will first hear from a presenter, tonight
that is me. If you have a question type in a ? and I will acknowledge
you by tyoing "ga" at and appropriate time. When you have finished your
question type "ga" to let me know that I may respond. When
we are finished I will acknowledge the next questioner in a similar
manner. If you have a comment or additional information to provide
on a topic, please use the "!" to signal me. I will also cycle through
those with comments in a similar manner. If their are no questions at
this point I will begin tonight's presentation.
(2-5,Seanchai) ?
(2-8,O'Dubh) The topics I plan to cover tonight are:
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Music and Magick in general.
Role of Bards and Druids in Celtic Music.
Aradach Fionn, Tree tones and associations
Some example folk songs and interpretations.
(2-8,O'Dubh) Seanchai ga.
(2-5,Seanchai) Patience is a virtue I need to learn in a hurry.
(2-5,Seanchai) I was going to ask, what's tonight's topic.
(2-8,O'Dubh) ok !<G>
(2-5,Seanchai) Ga
(2-20,O'Ba'n) LOL!
(2-11,Nan) lol
(2-9,Rose) ditto
(2-8,O'Dubh) Anyone that has ever done Magick knows that it involves
resonances and associations. Magick has many color associations as well
as musical associations. We have all experienced the magick of music in
contemporary music. Sometimes this can be in the form of attending
a concert, othertimes it can be when we are alone and listening to our
favorites tunes. Modern day religious services take advantage of the
Magick inherit to music to enhance their worship services. This can be
in singing hymns or hearing organ and choral anthems. I'm sure that we
will all agree that music in such sitruarions alters our state of being.
We are uplifted and changed by the ritual music we experience. It
should be no surprise that the ancient Celts used music in a similar
manner. In Morgan Llwellyn's "Druids" we find an example of such a
Druidic use of music in Magick. The chief Druid of a village would
greet the Sun with song and lead the village each day in welcoming the
Sun back from the Underworld. When the Sun set, another farewell song
was enjoined. This practice is still followed by some in Celtic lands to
this day. Examples of such incantations and greetings to the Sun
may be found in the "Carmenica Gadetica" a vast resources of ancient and
rercent Celtic verse and song.
(2-8,O'Dubh) Please pardon the typos!<G> In many Magick systems, Words
of Power using the names of the Gods are used to create resonances
within the Magical Circle so that the Magicians may attain a higher
state of awareness. The use of these words also serves to open the
internal "Power Centers" or "Chakras" of the participants. These
godnames are constructed using the letters of the Magickal alphabets of
the respective Magickal systems as well as the natural tones and the
corresponding resonances that are associated with each letter or symbol.
For example:
YHVH Yud Heh Vahv He
(a Kaballistic godname)
(2-8,O'Dubh) An incantaion of a godname becomes a chant with its own
inherent melody and rhythm. Such sounds generated form an occult
alphabet are thought by Magicians to have inherit Power in their sounds
and to generate Magickal resonances within the Magician and the Circle.
It is my belief that the ancient Celts and Druids used music and sounds
from their secret Ogham alphabet to aid them in working Magick in a
similar manner.
(2-8,O'Dubh) Druidic Bards studied for 15 to 20 years to learn the
epics, chants, spells and histories of their peoples and clans. These
works were memorized exactly and were a requirement for advancement to
a higher or inner level of the Druidic ranks. The works had to be
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rendered with feeling so that the listener would be spell bound and
consequently could relive the event. The Irish Druids had the following
classes of Bards:
Class # of Epics
__________________________________________
Driseg 20 (the Beginner)
Foclaic 30 (Advanced beginner)
Cili 100 (Journeyman)
Anraid 175 (Master/Warrior)
Ollomh 175+ (Doctor/Judge)
(2-8,O'Dubh) Bards learned to play the pipes, the whistle, the harp, the
lyre, the flute, the sistrum and the bodrun among other instruments.
According to Murry Hope these instruments, were used based upon the mood
or tone that the particular Bardic work required. He gives a table of
the following correspondences:
The Flute - Air (later the Organ)
The Harp - Water
The Sistrum - Earth (The Bells or Bodrun)
The Lyre - Fire
Poets and Bards carried branches with bells and amulets attached to
them. A beginner's branch would be bronze, journeymen carried a silver
branch and the Master Bards carried a golden branch. The music of the
bells would announce the Bard's presence and an impending performance.
(2-8,O'Dubh) Nan ga
(2-11,Nan) what's a sistrum?
(2-11,Nan) ga
(2-8,O'Dubh) It's a stringed instrument that one beats I believe.
Anyone got an opinion?
(2-2,Rilla) Ray confirms that.
(2-20,O'Ba'n) ?
(2-2,Rilla) Precursor of the lute maybe?
(2-8,O'Dubh) perhaps.
(2-9,Rose) I understand that one shakes it like Isis does in the
pictures.
(2-22,Wren) Similar to a hammered dulcimer?
(2-8,O'Dubh) That's what I was thinking, Wren.
(2-11,Nan) or a tambourine?
(2-9,Rose) I have a picture of one...
(2-8,O'Dubh) Rose ga
(2-9,Rose) it looks like a tennis racket.
(2-9,Rose) with hooks.
(2-8,O'Dubh) And you beat it right?
(2-9,Rose) I think so.
(2-8,O'Dubh) ok Nan any further questions?
(2-11,Nan) got it, thanks
(2-9,Rose) shake it.
(2-20,O'Ba'n)an ancient metal frame with numerous metal rods that jingle
when shaken, websters.
(2-9,Rose) bravo.
(2-8,O'Dubh) great!
(2-20,O'Ba'n) ?
(2-11,Nan) no, ga
(2-8,O'Dubh) O'ba'n?
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(2-8,O'Dubh) ok let's roll!
(2-20,O'Ba'n) wait
(2-8,O'Dubh) O'ban ga!
(2-20,O'Ba'n) are the instruments dedicated to...
(2-20,O'Ba'n) their various areas based on the tonal range they cover
or...
(2-20,O'Ba'n) the quality of the sound?
(2-20,O'Ba'n) ga
(2-8,O'Dubh) It's the quality of the sound mostly. The same way they
would be scored in an orchestra for instance.
(2-20,O'Ba'n) ok.
(2-20,O'Ba'n) ga
(2-8,O'Dubh) ga
(2-20,O'Ba'n) no, you ga!
(2-20,O'Ba'n) <G>|
(2-8,O'Dubh) My own belief is that the Bards usually accompanied
themselves with the harp as they recited their repertorie. Just as
Oghams were used as keys to memory with verses being linked by assonance
and alliteration, I believe that each Ogham had a unique tone or note
associated with it on the harp. The tone or string was struck as the
Ogham sound was spoken or sung two notes per line. The begining and
ending notes serving to connect each line to the next line in a
continuing stream. In the world of my my imagination I can hear the
tones and words of the Bards echoing as they float upon a wave of melody
acroos the room. The sound reminds me of chanting monks or the
plainsong of worship (similar to modern Anglican or Roman Catholic
Plainsong).
(2-8,O'Dubh) Sean O'Boyle, a late Irish scholar, made an attempt to
interpret "Aradach Fionn" (Fionn's Ladder) as harp tabulature using
Oghams. He suggested that the Irish practice harp that has only 20
strings has a 1 to 1 correspondence to the first 20 Oghams. As far as I
know,no records survived to reach us verifying his theory. It seems to
make sense to me but I only speculate.
(2-8,O'Dubh) A modern work "Trees for Healing" by Chase and Pawlik,
reinforces this belief for me. This book is all about trees, their lore
and their spirits. It describes techniques for meditation to determine
the harmonic resonaces for a variety of trees. I believe that the
ancient Druids also detected certain harmonic tones for each tree and
used then in their Tree Ogham Alphabet. If we use the tones that have
been rediscovered by Chase and Pawlik and combine them with the ancient
chants, incantations and songs of Taliesin and Amergin, we may also be
able to work powerful Magicks. This Magick can take any form from
enchanting an audience to calling the winds. The Greek Bard Orpheus was
able to walk between the worlds in this manner and so can we. I list
the trees and the derived modern tonal correspondences below:
Ogham Old Irish English Musical Note
____________________________________________________
B Beith Birch F
L Luis Rowan C
F Fearn Alder E
S Saille Willow F
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N Nuin Ash G
____________________________________________________
H Huathe Hawthorn B
D Duir Oak F
T Tinne Holly G
C Coll Hazel D
Q Quert Apple. D#
____________________________________________________
M Muin Vine G
G Gort Ivy G
Ng Ngetal Reed F
St Straif Blackthorn B
R Ruis Elder A
____________________________________________________
A Ailim Silver Fir A
O Ohn Furze E
U Ur Heather B
E Eadha White Poplar E
I Ioho Yew F
____________________________________________________
Ch,Ea Koad Grove F
Oi,Th Oir Spindle C
Ui Uilleand Honeysuckle D
Ph Phagos Beech A
Xi Mor The Sea G
(2-8,O'Dubh) Some of these tones were derived by meditation and
resonance, some are based upon the colors associated with the Oghams. My
suggestion is to
(2-11,Nan) ?
(2-8,O'Dubh) find such a tree yourself and to meditate under it. play a
pipe, a whistle or a harp (even a guitar will do in a pinch!<G>) until
you find
(2-22,Wren) ?
(2-20,O'Ba'n)?
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the correct tone for the tree. Other tones will reflect
from the tree. The "soul tone" of the tree will be absorbed and you
will possibly feel a tingle of energy that is released by the Spirit of
the Tree. This experience is somewhat akin to the common belief in
Ireland (even today) that a particularily gifted musician, harper or
piper has been taught by the Sidhe (famed for their enchanted music).
Celts believe in harmony and rightness in all things and particularily
in Nature.
(2-8,O'Dubh) Nan ga
(2-11,Nan) I noticed that many different oghams had the same note...
are these the same notes or are they in differing octaves? ga
(2-8,O'Dubh) The table I presented is not cast in stone!<G>
(2-11,Nan) or even in wood? <G>
(2-8,O'Dubh) The first approach has each ogham on a different tone For
Fionn's ladder for instance. The second approach used meditation
techniques to determine the "soul tones" of the trees Some trees
evidently have a similar feel to them. I think that the table needs
some work myself. Perhaps one of the more musically gifted members
could undertake such a study!
(2-24,da Medic) ?
(2-8,O'Dubh) ?<G>
(2-8,O'Dubh) ga Nan
(2-8,O'Dubh) additional questions?
(2-8,O'Dubh) If not then Wren was next.
(2-20,O'Ba'n) !
(2-11,Nan) no, i think wren had some though
(2-8,O'Dubh) Wren ga
(2-22,Wren) Already answered, thanks. Gotta go, g'nite!
(2-8,O'Dubh) Sla'n Wren!
(2-11,Nan) g'night wren
(2-8,O'Dubh) O'ba'n ga
(2-20,O'Ba'n) need to have the transmogrification of what tree is which
out west for me to do it...
(2-20,O'Ba'n) but with that I'd love to do the tree/tone thing!
(2-8,O'Dubh) Ok I'll put a table in the library this week.
(2-20,O'Ba'n) GA
(2-24,da Medic) does this explain the prevalence of willow/oak in celtic
magicks? ga.
(2-20,O'Ba'n) Cool!
(2-8,O'Dubh) da Medic ga
(2-24,da Medic) sorry, saw the ga.
(2-8,O'Dubh) Yes it does to some extent. I have entire books on nothing
but healing properties of trees. I'm sure Druids knew much more.
(2-11,Nan) ?
(2-8,O'Dubh) Nan ga
(2-11,Nan) could you please post a bibliography of some of those
books??? (pretty please?)
(2-11,Nan) ga
(2-8,O'Dubh) Ok will do that as well this week!<G>
(2-20,O'Ba'n) yes! yes!
(2-8,O'Dubh) Now to continue...
Some of this Magick comes down to us today in the form of
folk songs still sung in the outer reaches of Ireland and the British
Isles. Such a song is the "Padstow May Song" from Padstow, Cornwall
(in part):
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"Unite and unite and let us unite
For summer is acome unto day
And whither we are going we will all unite
In the merry morning of May."
"I warn you young men everyone
To go into the greenwood and
fetch your May home."
"Arise up Mr. _______ and joy you betide
And bright is your bride that lies
by your side."
"Arise up Mrs. _______ and gold be your ring
And give to us a cup of ale the merrier
we shall sing."
"Arise up Miss ______ all in your gown of green
You are as fine a lady as wait upon the Queen."
"Now fare you well, and we bid you
all good cheer
We call once more unto your house
before another year."
(2-8,O'Dubh) I interpret this song to mean this:
This song is sung on Beltaine and is said to
charge the atmosphere of the festival. It
symbolizes the marriage of the youth with
the land. (Unite and unite and let us unite)
It also adresses 3 individuals: A man, a
woman and a Maiden in a green gown
(who represents Nature).
This song is sung around the May Pole or
May bonfires in the evening (and prior to
anyone escaping to the outer folds of
darkness for an evening of bliss <g>).
................................................................................
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(2-8,O'Dubh) Another ancient folk song that has hidden meanings of
Magick is the song "Green Grow the Rushes":
" One of them is all alone and
ever more shall be so.
Two of them are lily-white boys
all clothed all in green Oh!
Three of them are strangers o'er the
wide world they are rangers.
Four it is the Dilly Hour when
blooms the Gilly Flower.
Five it is the Dilly Bird that's
seldom seen but heard.
Six is the Ferryman in the boat that
o'er the river floats, Oh!
Seven are the Seven Stars in the Sky,
the Shining Stars be Seven, Oh!
Eight it is the Morning's break when
all the World's awake, Oh!
Nine it is the pale Moonshine,
the shining Moon is nine, Oh!
Ten Forgives all kinds of Sin,
from Ten begin again, Oh! "
(2-8,O'Dubh) This song can be interpreted to mean:
1. There is One Power.
2. The God has two aspects (Light and Dark).
3. The Celts are a wadering people with
the sacred number of "3".
4. The 4th Ogham is the Alder sacred to Bran
the Blessed and his sister Branwen "the
Gilly Flower".
5. The Wizard Merlin as well as the sacred
number of the Celtic Gods (not to mention
the number of points on a Pentagram).
6. Keridwen's Coracle that ferries us to
the Underworld.
7. The sacred number of sea gods and the stars
in the crown of Arianrhod.
8. The number of judgement or resurrection.
9. The Triple Moon Goddess Thrice emphasized
The number of Priestesses that guard the
Cauldron of Rebirth.
10.The necessity to find our "True Selves"
in order to understand the Inner Mysteries.
The endless cycle of death and rebirth.
(2-8,O'Dubh) Everone still awake?<G>
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(2-20,O'Ba'n) ?
(2-2,Rilla) <I am!>
(2-8,O'Dubh) O'Ba'n ga!
(2-20,O'Ba'n) this is your interpretation?
(2-20,O'Ba'n) GA
(2-8,O'Dubh) It is also Murry Hope's interpretation. I have seen a
different version of this song.
(2-20,O'Ba'n) <patting self on back> suits me! GA
(2-8,O'Dubh) that is used by OATh coven and had hoped that perhaps they
would be here tonight.
(2-24,da Medic) !
(2-8,O'Dubh) da Medic ga
(2-24,da Medic) Cunningham also had summat similar ga.
(2-8,O'Dubh) Which book?
ga
(2-24,da Medic) Not sure, will check & advise, methinks in Earth Air
Fire water ga
(2-8,O'Dubh) Ok I have that one here will check in a min. let's finish
up a bit first!
(2-8,O'Dubh) Perhaps some of you have some ancient or even modern Celtic
folk songs that you would like to share with us this evening? You could
enter them here and we could discuss them in detail or maybe just take
them to our hearts and embrace their inner messages (for Celtic Music is
a music of the Heart and Soul). I know that many of you are very into
Celtic Music. I'd like to have each of us contribute the names and
titles of our favorite performers and songss.
(2-8,O'Dubh) My favorite song is the "Rising Of the Moon" by the Clancy
Brothers and Tommy Liam.
(2-24,da Medic) !
(2-8,O'Dubh) da Medic ga
(2-24,da Medic) Joe doughterty's lament, black 47
(2-24,da Medic) ga
(2-8,O'Dubh) ok ! Others?
(2-20,O'Ba'n) <embarrased> all mine deal with young maidens getting
taken advantage of or with drinking, mostly poiti'n (e.g.Cruiscean lan)
(2-11,Nan) !
(2-8,O'Dubh) hahaha LOL O'Ba'n !!
(2-20,O'Ba'n) !
(2-8,O'Dubh) O'Ba'n ga
(2-26,Adam) ?
(2-11,Nan) there are sooooo many i can't chose a favorite, but one of
the more interesting is "the Tain" by Horselips ga
(2-8,O'Dubh) neat nan!
(2-20,O'Ba'n) Do you know Ben phagin? I have it but no translation, also
the well below the valley o!
(2-8,O'Dubh) Most Celtic songs I've heard always have a hidden meaning
(2-20,O'Ba'n) GA
(2-8,O'Dubh) un minuto OB!
(2-8,O'Dubh) Adam question? ga
(2-26,Adam) OD, I lost some of your send :P Which is your favorite
song?
(2-8,O'Dubh) Adam> My favorite song is the Rising of the Moon. by the
Clancy Brothers and Tommy Liam.
(2-24,da Medic) !
(2-20,O'Ba'n) O'flaherty's drake!
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(2-26,Adam) thanks :)
(2-8,O'Dubh) OB>Have that one as well.
(2-8,O'Dubh) OB ga
(2-24,da Medic) gotta go do the work thing-Blesed Be! ga
(2-20,O'Ba'n) that one is all about english occupation and resistance as
related to a duck <G>
(2-11,Nan) lol
(2-8,O'Dubh) OB>I know it well (it's about a goose I thought)
(2-20,O'Ba'n) how 'bout 5 (or 7) nights drunk!
(2-11,Nan) ?
(2-8,O'Dubh) But it's really about a man that was killed by the
English. They had to sing it in riddles to avoid being hanged.
(2-20,O'Ba'n) O'D> and how we has plenty of relatives to take up the
fight!
(2-8,O'Dubh) That's right. I am reading Trinity right now. about the
fight for home rule.
(2-8,O'Dubh) more favorites out there?
(2-4,Da Shad) OD, went to an Irish festival this weekend...
(2-2,Rilla) <great book!>
(2-4,Da Shad) and was really shocked at how strong a presense that the
IRA had there, several booths for signing petitions and sending money to
the IRA. Pledges even!
(2-20,O'Ba'n) "bad luck to the savage to grease his white cabbage that
wantonly murdered me beautiful drake" BTW Drakes are male ducks...
(2-20,O'Ba'n) Ganders are male geese <G>
(2-11,Nan) <---going to the Chieftans next w'end <VBG>
(2-20,O'Ba'n) <green>
(2-8,O'Dubh) Da Shad>They need to do something settle the issues up
there.
(2-8,O'Dubh) OB>Yer right yer scoundrel.
:P~
(2-8,O'Dubh) Nan>great!
(2-8,O'Dubh) Any ideas about next week's Workshop?
(2-4,Da Shad) If the IRA really wanted to get the brits out...
(2-8,O'Dubh) Hint hint hint!
(2-4,Da Shad) they just need to blow up the shipyards in Northern
Ireland.
(2-20,O'Ba'n) I spoke to an Irishman who was probably in the IRA
since he denied it...
(2-4,Da Shad) Once there is no more economic value in northern ireland-
...
(2-11,Nan) how about a workshop on stone circles etc.
(2-4,Da Shad) there owuld be no more need for the brits to keep troops
there.
(2-20,O'Ba'n) his theory was for the Brits to just pull out, I said
"bloodbath would follow", he said...
(2-8,O'Dubh) Nan> Great idea!!
(2-4,StonedAgain) Just call me stonie! (g)
(2-20,O'Ba'n) yes for 3-5 yrs then it would settle down and achieve
normalcy with the rest of Ireland
(2-11,Nan) is this wkshp officially over? (loggin on long distance
here)
(2-20,O'Ba'n) one would guess <G>
(2-8,O'Dubh) yes Nan we're done for the night.
(2-2,Rilla) Nice job, Odie!
(2-4,Shadow Hawk) Gee, didn't realize that there was a workshop going
on, sorry.
(2-2,Rilla) <impressed>
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(2-8,O'Dubh) Thanks Rilla!<G>
(2-11,Nan) thanks for another great one O'D', see y'all next week!
(2-8,O'Dubh) Sla'n Nan!
(2-11,Nan) bye
(2-8,O'Dubh) Ta failte romhat!
(2-2,Rilla) night Nan~!
(2-20,O'Ba'n) gabhaim buiochas, O'Dubh
(2-20,O'Ba'n) Slan nan!
(2-20,O'Ba'n) did I get that right O;d?
(2-8,O'Dubh) OB>A Gaeilge/Bearla dictionary is a dangerous thing to
have!
(2-20,O'Ba'n) ROFL! TOO RIGHT!
(2-20,O'Ba'n) do you know the tune well below the valley?
(2-2,Rilla) OB> are you a Bard?
(2-8,O'Dubh) OB> no
(2-20,O'Ba'n) R> wannabe
(2-2,Rilla) do you do music?
(2-20,O'Ba'n) I suspect that has all kinds of hidden meanings,
will send in msg so you can figger it out <G>
(2-26,Adam) OD, I enjoyed sitting in on the workshop :)
(2-26,Adam) it was my first in this forum.
(2-20,O'Ba'n) R> *I* play Feadog! (tinwhistle)
(2-8,O'Dubh) Adam>Thanks for coming!
Go raibh maith agat!<G>
(2-20,O'Ba'n) pleased to have you Adam!
(2-2,Rilla) oh!
(2-2,Rilla) neat!
(2-15,SCOTT ZAGER) M
(2-8,O'Dubh) OB> I bet rising Of the Moon Is great on the tin whistle.
My daughter plays it on her flute.
(2-20,O'Ba'n) R> AND it's a grand Irish voice I';m havin' <laughing
hysterically>
(2-8,O'Dubh) Rilla> Guess what?
(2-2,Rilla) I saw all kinds of cool stuff in the Lark in the Morning
catalog
(2-2,Rilla) tin whistles and ancient instruments...
(2-2,Rilla) they were really expensive though
(2-8,O'Dubh) At my daughter's Episcopal Church this weekend they are
going
to have a shamnistic dancer!<G>
(2-20,O'Ba'n) O'd, it's ok but fenian men is better
(2-2,Rilla) OB> voice??? I've never HEARD it...so I wouldnt know <G>
(2-8,O'Dubh) O'B>Methinks I like the Men of the West better.
(2-2,Rilla) OD> really?
(2-20,O'Ba'n) <singing> "the lark in the morning she whistles and she
sings
and she flys across the meadow with the dew all on her
wings"
(2-2,Rilla) cool!
(2-2,Rilla) <smile> very nice!
(2-2,Rilla) Now where's the TAPE?
(2-2,Rilla) or WAV file?
(2-2,Rilla) hehehe
(2-8,O'Dubh) Yep Rilla>She's gonna be raising a Christian Power Cone I
guess!<G>
(2-20,O'Ba'n) I have a tape, marty Burke, must make a copy & send it to
you O'd
(2-2,Rilla) OD> Power is Power <G>
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(2-2,Rilla) I learned all I know in High Mass <G>
(2-4,Shadow Hawk) Hmmm, OD, that's MUCH too phallic a symbol for
christians
to raise!
(2-4,Shadow Hawk) How high were you in mass, rilla?
(2-20,O'Ba'n) Bonewits has a lot on that, rituals VERY similar
(2-8,O'Dubh) I must be there to make sure they don't fry themselves!<G>
(2-2,Rilla) SH> heheheh
(2-4,Shadow Hawk) (snicker)
(2-2,Rilla) o/~ memories o/~
(2-2,Rilla) OD> make em ground!
(2-8,O'Dubh) "O the risin o the Moon
the risin o the Moon
Many a pike was a flashin"
(2-2,Rilla) what are we doing for Beltaine?
(2-8,O'Dubh) "by the Risin o the Moon!"
(2-26,Adam) y'all, I got to leave the room now...
(2-4,Shadow Hawk) Rilla, we be raisin a cone of power (g)
(2-2,Rilla) SH> did Sz tell you that I am definitely coming to Fla?
(2-26,Adam) I am talking with a very dear friend...
(2-8,O'Dubh) I'm heading to OATh for Beltaine if they'll have me.
(2-2,Rilla) SH> a raisin?
(2-2,Rilla) <G>
(2-2,Rilla) oh!
(2-4,Shadow Hawk) Bye Adam!
(2-2,Rilla) lucky you!
(2-26,Adam) thanks again :) MP
(2-4,Shadow Hawk) No she didn't Rilla
(2-8,O'Dubh) Sla'n Adam!! Next week and check library 16 out!
(2-26,Adam) I have been, OD :)
(2-2,Rilla) SH> thought we could all stay at the Hyatt..under the
waterfall!
(2-2,Rilla) <G>
(2-8,O'Dubh) Great!!
(2-2,Rilla) night Adam!
(2-8,O'Dubh) Beannacht leat!
(2-2,Rilla) nice to see you again!
(2-4,Shadow Hawk) Rilla, if you want, I can stay down all night....
(2-4,Shadow Hawk) I have my own scuba equipment (g)
(2-2,Rilla) hahahahahahah....an extra set??
(2-8,O'Dubh) OB>BTW what was that first thing in that post you sent me?
(2-4,Shadow Hawk) I would bring an octopus for you.
(2-2,Rilla) time for me to go too folks...
(2-8,O'Dubh) Sounded like "Quiet child"
(2-2,Rilla) Odie> thanks!!!
(2-2,Rilla) this was wonderful!
(2-4,Shadow Hawk) Nite Rilla
(2-8,O'Dubh) or listen up kiddies!
(2-8,O'Dubh) Rilla no prob. A labor of love!<G>
(2-2,Rilla) <G>
(2-2,Rilla) it shows
(2-8,O'Dubh) Hugs!
(2-20,O'Ba'n) "Come and tell me sean o'ferrel, tell me why you hurry
so..."
got me goin o'd, "is there a bathroom on this floor"
(2-8,O'Dubh) no not that one
(2-20,O'Ba'n) (had to go change a diaper, yuck)
(2-8,O'Dubh) the one where the arch Druid said
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(2-20,O'Ba'n) oh! hang on ...
(2-8,O'Dubh) The reply was "He is the Father".
(2-8,O'Dubh) "Hush me Buch all hush and listen and
his cheeks were all a glow!"
(2-20,O'Ba'n) Can't find it right now, was supposed to say "hush
children"
and "yes father"
(2-8,O'Dubh) "I bear orders from the captain, get you ready quick and
soon,
for the pikes must be together"
(2-20,O'Ba'n) "I bear orders for the captain get ye ready wuicka nd
soon...
(2-8,O'Dubh) "by the Risin o the Moon!"
(2-20,O'Ba'n) wuicka? a new religion? <G>
(2-4,Shadow Hawk) Wuicka-Wombat wicca (g)
(2-8,O'Dubh) OB>Great I thought it said "Quiet child and He is the
Father!"<G>
(2-20,O'Ba'n) O'd >LOL!< do you know the wearin' of the green? same
tune.
(2-8,O'Dubh) Yes!! "They're hangin men and women for the Wearin o the
Green!"
(2-20,O'Ba'n) a gaeilge/bearla dictionary is a dangerous thing. <G>
(2-8,O'Dubh) hahahahaha!
(2-20,O'Ba'n) BTW how do you say Andrew jacob in gaelic?
(2-20,O'Ba'n) my eldest <G>
(2-8,O'Dubh) <=====not a clue.
(2-8,O'Dubh) I'll ask in FLEFO!
(2-20,O'Ba'n) nuts.
(2-20,O'Ba'n) my middle is Michilene Og <G> (sp?)
(2-20,O'Ba'n) flefo?
(2-20,O'Ba'n) son that is
(2-8,O'Dubh) BTW
Conor mac Nessa from the Tain was Called Conor son of
Nessa
but Nessa was his Mother!<G>
(2-20,O'Ba'n) Really!
(2-8,O'Dubh) yeppers!<g>
(2-20,O'Ba'n) were they matrilineal?
(2-20,O'Ba'n) :0
(2-8,O'Dubh) They were bilineal!<G>
(2-8,O'Dubh) Mostly the fathers side though!
(2-20,O'Ba'n) LOL!
(2-8,O'Dubh) However they did marry the Picts
and made them agree to trace lineage on the Mother's
side!<G>
(2-20,O'Ba'n) I heard somewhere they were matrilineal, since they were
quite open sexualy
(2-20,O'Ba'n) <G>
(2-8,O'Dubh) The women had a lot of different partners.
and the men went both ways
if you can believe a lyin Roman that is!<G>
(2-20,O'Ba'n) yup, so how do you know WHO your father is? <VBG>
(2-8,O'Dubh) Simple!! Yer da's the one that wins the fights!<G>
(2-20,O'Ba'n) the Romans were...uh... a little...ethnocentric? <G> >LOL!
(2-20,O'Ba'n) have you got any music by planxty, or dedanan?
(2-8,O'Dubh) OB.No I wish I did though.
(2-20,O'Ba'n) Great stuff, traditional.
(2-20,O'Ba'n) or Shanachie records, mail order, HoHokus (?) NJ
3179
(2-20,O'Ba'n) they have an excellent Celtic catalog
(2-8,O'Dubh) that's Hoboken and it's close to me now!
(2-20,O'Ba'n) if you can't find them find a Ladysmith Black Mombasa
record and ck the pub, that's them
(2-8,O'Dubh) ok bro thanks!<G>
(2-20,O'Ba'n) those are the guys that backed up paul simon on graceland
(At this point we all retired to the VB&G for some shots o Uisce
Beatha!<g>)
................................................................................
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Celtic Worshop #5 - The Celtic Otherworld
This is the transcript of the fifth Celtic Workshop - The Celtic
Otherworld. We engaged in a brief period of socialization before and
after the conference. I include that here to give an idea of the spirit
and atmosphere with which everyone approaches the task at hand!<G>
......Searles
(2-2,Freepowder) Dia duit aNhan!
(2-2,Freepowder) Dia duit aShearles!
(2-5,Nan) huh? <g>
(2-2,Freepowder) hello, in Ir. Gaelic
(2-5,Nan) ahhhh, thanks
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Dia Dhuir, a Shean!
(2-5,Nan) hi O'D
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Hiya Nan!!
(2-5,Nan) i'm probably gonna be a pretty quiet participant
tonight, 'cause i'm watching the oscars at the same time <g>
(2-2,Freepowder) SEE! I am psychic!
(2-2,Freepowder) oh, did you get my translation <G>
(2-2,Freepowder) 'sok Nan, I'll fill in for you <G>
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Close but no cigars!:)
(2-3,Wren) Hi, guys. Who's singing?
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Hi Wren!!
(2-2,Freepowder) i figgered that <G>
(2-5,Nan) hi wren
(2-2,Freepowder) Dia duit aWhren!
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) FP will have to do the singin tonight.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) I am the Seanchai tonight!<G>
(2-2,Freepowder) "I left my haaaaaaart in knockaknorra"
(2-3,Wren) Ah, you're being serious.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) "Three things about the drink. "
(2-3,Wren) FP> Looovely
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) "To have it. To Hold it, and to p[ay for it!"<G>
(2-2,Freepowder) hahahah!
(2-2,Freepowder) My wee phrase book is not up to the task, I guess. <G>
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Good evening SUZAN!<G>\
(2-3,Wren) Alas, ald
(2-2,Freepowder) Dia duit aShuzan!
(2-14,SUZAN) hello all... OD!
(2-3,Wren) Alas, alad, that is
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) FP>Some of these sayings can't be literally translated.
(2-2,Freepowder) alad? thought that was alack?
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Tonight we talk Cosmology!<G>
(2-5,Nan) hi susan
(2-2,Freepowder) too right, uh....what do you call those?
(2-3,Wren) If you're going to have a lass, you should have a lad
(2-2,Freepowder) LOL! W
(2-2,Freepowder) is cosmo here?
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Yes!!! We have the Irish and Welsh Cosmos! Tonight
only!<G>
(2-2,Freepowder) LOL!
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) For the sake of $$$$ Shall we begin?
(2-2,Freepowder) ok
(2-3,Wren) <polite applause>
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) "Celtic Workshop #5 - The Otherworld"
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Before I begin let me say a few words about how the Workshop is
conducted. We will first hear from a presenter, tonight that is me. If
you have a question type in a ? and I will acknowledge you by typing
"ga" at and appropriate time. When you have finished your question type
"ga" to let me know that I may respond. When we are finished I will
acknowledge the next questioner in a similar manner. If you have a
comment or additional information to provide on a topic, please use the
"!" to signal me. I will also cycle through those with comments. If
their are no questions at this point I will begin tonight's presen-
tation.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) I would also like to apologize for not producing
the list of tree correspondences this week that I promised to provide.
Being on the road and away from home, I was not able to get to all my
references about trees, herbs and the like. I haven't forgotten the
promise however. I will post the list as soon as I return to Virginia
this weekend. This list can be used together with certain meditation
practices to determine the "soul tones" of the Tree Oghams. I did locate
the Ogham/musical tone table of correspondences that I had mentioned in
the Celtic Workshop #4. This table is by the Celtic scholar Dr. Sean
O'Boyle:
For the Treble Cleff (in descending order of tone):
Ogham Old Irish English Musical Note
____________________________________________________
B Beith Birch E
L Luis Rowan D
F Fearn Alder C
S Saille Willow B
N Nuin Ash A
H Huathe Hawthorn G
D Duir Oak F
T Tinne Holly E
C Coll Hazel D
Q Quert Apple. C#
For the Bass Cleff (in descending order of tone):
____________________________________________________
M Muin Vine B
G Gort Ivy A
Ng Ngetal Reed G#
St Straif Blackthorn F#
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R Ruis Elder F
A Ailim Silver Fir E
O Ohn Furze C
U Ur Heather B
E Eadha White Poplar A
I Ioho Yew G
____________________________________________________
(No corresponences were given for these Oghams).
Ch,Ea Koad Grove -
Th Oir Spindle -
Ui Uilleand Honeysuckle -
Ph Phagos Beech -
Xi Mor The Sea -
In addition to the above correspondences, The following
properties of our beings were associated with tone combinations:
The Body - Single tones
The Mind - Two tone intervals
The Spirit - Three tones at the same time
(chords)
For more information on this subject, I recommend
reading "The 21 Lessons of Merlin" by Douglas Adams (Llewellyn) or the
Original work by O'Boyle: "Ogham: The Poet's Secret" (1980, Gilbert &
Dalton Ltd., Dublin).
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) The beliefs of the Celts and their Magickal/Religious
practices cannot be fully understood without becoming more familiar with
their Cosmologies and Deities. In considering how to proceed with the
Workshop, a variety of topics came to mind:
The Otherworld
The Gods and Goddesses
The Objects of Power
The Guardians of the Circle
The "Place Names"
The "Totem Animals"
The Transmigration of the Soul
The "In Between Times and Places"
The "Need Fires" or Days of Imbalance.
The Portals, Dolmens, Stone Circles, Passage Graves
The Rite of Three Rays
The use of Herbs and Potions
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The Gift of Awen
The Act of "Becomming"
The Charm of "Summoning"
"Walking between the Worlds"
"Journeys on the Wheel"
The "Outer Darkness"
The "Dragon's Eye"
The "Many Speckled Rainment"
The Charm of "Making"
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) The Subject of tonight's Celtic Workshop is The Celtic
Otherworld.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) The topics I plan to cover tonight are:
The Otherworld
The Gods and Goddesses
The Objects of Power
The Guardians of the Circle
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) "The Celtic Cosmology"
The number three was sacred to the Celts and the Druids. It should come
as no surprise that the Celtic Cosmos is threefold: The Sky World, The
Earth World and the Underworld. Each of these realms is associated with
particular deities and Magickal acts or techniques.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) The Sky World was associated with the heavenly bodies:
the Sun, the Moon, the stars. This is the realm of the Gods and
Goddesses and is associated with the cycles and patterns of the Sky (and
perhaps also associated with The Megalithic Stone Circles). These
visible objects were used as a basis for performing Higher Magicks such
as: Prophecy and Astral travel. The cycles of the Sun and Moon also were
used to determine the appropriate times for doing particular types of
Magick. Festivals were held during Full Moons, Dark Moons, the 6th nite
of the New Moon, Sunrise, Sunset and the 4 days of the Solar extremes;
Mid Winter, Mid Summer and the Equinoxes. The heavenly bodies were not
themselves considered to be Deities, but were thought to reflect or
contain the types of Power associated with particular entities. The
Fires of the Sun were associated with the forge and with inspiration,
possibly making Brigid (An aspect of the Irish Celtic Triple Goddess)
also a Sun Goddess. Bel or Belenus was usually associated with the
powers of the Sun as well.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) The Underworld is the realm of the Ancestors, as well
as former humans and a number of Gods and Goddesses associated with the
mystery of life springing forth from death. This process could be as
simple and mysterious as the life cycle of a seed. From old life, new
life appears in a series of changes from planting and germination to
growth and harvesting. The passage graves and burial customs of the
Celts also reflect this expectation of rebirth and afterlife. Many tombs
and burial sites show that Celts were buried with objects that they
could take with them into the Underworld to be used in battle, in
hunting and/or for nourishment. This practice appears to be similar to
what was practiced by many ancient peoples, including the Egyptians.
Celts did not fear death, they expected to live on and eventually be
reborn in another life. The Underworld and the Sky world were linked in
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this Mystery, sharing many of the same Gods and Goddesses. The daily
rebirth of the Sun and the phases of the Moon are a good instance of
this link between the World above and the one below.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) The Earth World, occupied by we the living, also
contains reflections and influences of the Sky World and the Underworld.
These influences can be pictured as three zones (remember three is a
sacred number): the upper zone is associated with the weather, the
flight of birds, sky augeries and the elements and powers of Air, the
middle zone is further divided into the Four Directions or Quarters
(each with it's own Powers/Guardians of the Sacred Land), and the lower
zone containing the depths of the sea, caves, cairns, burial mounds,
"hollow hills" and sacred springs. This zone is the home of the Sidhe
and the spirits associated with the Portals to the Underworld itself.
The Celts in their life upon the Sacred Land expected to experience the
influences of the Sky and Underworld in their life upon the Land. This
attitude is demonstrated in the many dindsenchahs (stories of place
names) that are told in Ireland to this day. Many of these stories are
associated with a deity, an elemental, an Underworld portal or a combat
of the God/desses and/or Epic heroes and heroines.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) The following is a listing of the major Irish Gods and
Goddesses:
Danu, Dagdha, Nuada, Lugh, Angus Og, Len,
Midir, Lir, Manannan, Ogma, Anu, Brigid,
Morrighan, Aine, Sinend, Macha, Diancecht,
Gobnui, Medb, Scatach, the Cailleach.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) The following is a listing of the major Welsh Gods and
Goddesses:
The House of Don
Manogan, Beli, Don, Math, Mathonwy,
Gwydion, Arianrhod, Llew, Dylan, Nwyvre, Amaethon, Govannan(the smith), Nudd, Gwynn,
Penardun, Nynniaw.
The House of Llyr
Iweriadd, Llyr, Penardun, Euroswydd,
Bran, Branwen, Matholwch, Gwern, Mananwyddan,
Rhiannon, Nissyen, Evinissyen,
Pwyll, Pryderi, Kicva
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) These two groups seem to relate to one another but
sometimes the correspondences can get very confusing. I include the
deities that most closely resonate with my own Inner Being when working
with the Sky World and the Underworld. My pantheon of Gods and Goddesses
is both Welsh and Irish (as am I <G>). I include a more detailed
description of them here:
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Danu
The Red Mother of All,
Major Mother Goddess of Ireland,
Mother of the Gods and Patroness of
wizards, rivers, water, wells, prosperity
and plenty, Magick and wisdom.
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Dagdha
The All Father,
Eochaid Ollathair ( Father of All),
Ruadh Rofessa (The Red One, Lord of
Occult Knowledge),
Dagdha (the Good God)
Many talented and powerful,
Master of the harp and possessor
of a dread double ended club.
The Chief of the Tuatha de Dannan.
The Goddess of Sovereignty (Banbha, Fodla, Eriu)
The Land and the King were wed through
many ceremonies. Essentually the fate of the
King and the fate of the land were One and
vice versa. The Favor of the Goddess could
be granted by some heroic act or bu being
Magickally chosen (The Lia Fail could do
this, more later). Women who held the
Sovereignty of the land were often referred
to as the Goddess (Such as Medb, Boudicca
and Macha-Red Mane).
Nuada
The King and battle leader
of the Tuatha de Dannan,
Possessor of the Magick Sword of Findias,
Lost his sword hand in the First Battle of
Moytura, against the Fir Bolgs,
stepped down from the Kingship
(because the King could nave no blemish)
even though he was outfitted with a
Magickal hand of silver. He eventually
had his hand Magickally restored to lead
the Tuatha de Dannans against the Fomors
in the second Battle of Moy Tura. In this
battle he was physically killed so he
returned the Lands of the Sidhe.
Brigid
Breo saighead (Fiery Arrow or Power)
Often called the Triple Brigid or the
Triple Mother. Also Associated with
Danu at times. The daughter of the Dagdha.
Goddess of the Sacred Flame of Kildare.
Goddess of poets, feminine crafts, the
hearth, martial arts, healing and
inspiration. The White Maiden aspect of
the Triple Goddess. Her Feast is the
Major Celtic Festival of Imbolc. She
who gives hope and new beginnings. The
Celtic Church could not replace her, so
they absorbed her as the "foster-mother"
of Christ and as St. Brigit, the daughter
of the Druid Dougal the Brown. Brigid is
very like the Greek Goddess Athena.
Lugh
Sam ildanach (many skilled). This is the
Celtic Mercury. The grandson of Balor
(leader of the Fomorians and the son of
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Cian and Ethniu, a Sidhe princess. His
feast is Lughnasadh, a celebration of
the death of his "foster mother", Tailtiu.
He is the combination of the Tuatha de
Dannans and the Fomors. He replaces Nuada
as the King and battle leader of the Tuatha
de Dannan and leads them to ultimate victory
in the second Battle of Moytura. He is
sometimes called the "Shining One" and/or
Lugh Lamhfada (of the "long arm").
He also has attributes of a carpenter, mason,
poet,Druid, physician and a goldsmith. He
can be considered the Irish God of just about
everything. He was also the father of the
great Irish hero, Cuchulain.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) I see only the diehards are still with me!<G> (many
more Deities to come folks)!<G>
(2-2,Freepowder) wimps. leaving early!
(2-5,Nan) :)
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) hahahaha!
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Videotapers!
(2-5,Nan) <---multitasking (watching & reading & reading)
(2-2,Freepowder) LOL!
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) More to come!..... <G>
Mannan mac Lyr
Chief Irish God of the sea. Not a member
of the Tuatha de Dannan. A happy-go-lucky
gypsy type. Always carried "the Crane Bag",
` a kind of Magick "horn of plenty". He gave
the last 5 Oghams to the Druids (also called
the "Crane Bag"). He preferred to roam among
the people in disguise and aid their exploits.He
could change his shape at will. Despite his
antics, he was an extremely powerful God
and was usually associated with fertility,
rebirth, weather, sailing and Magick. He also
had a Magickal ship that moved without sails
and was directed by the mind. Linked to the
Isle of Man.
Gwynn ap Nudd
The Master of the Wild Hunt, The Welsh Guardian
of the Dark Portals of the Underworld. He rode
the Night in a flowing grey cloak upon a pale
horse following his Hounds called Cwn Annwn.
(very large, white with red tipped ears). They
would seek out and collect souls.
Arianrhod
"of the Silver Wheel", A star goddess of Wales,
Her palace was called Caer Arianrhod (Aurora
Borealis), Goddess of time and karma. Mother
aspect of the Triple Goddess in Wales. Goddess
of beauty, the Moon, fertility and reincarna-
tion. Also associated with the sea.
Cerridwen
Welsh Goddess of Nature, associated with the
Sacred Cauldron of Wisdom that allowed Taliesin
to become enlightened. When she discovered that
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Gwion had tasted of her cauldron, she chased him
through a variety of mutaual shape changes until
at last she caught and consummed him as a grain
of wheat. This caused her to give birth to
Taliesin.
Cernunnos
Known to all Celts as the "Horned God ". God of
nature, virility, fertility, animals, sex,
reincarnation and shamanism. Known to the Druids
as Hu Gadarn. God of the Underworld and Astral
Planes. The Consort of the Great Goddess.
Amergin/Taliesin
The two greatest Celtic Bards that ever lived.
Amergin was the Chief Bard of the Mileseans and
aided them in overcoming the Magicks of the Tuatha de Dannans to become the heirs to the
land ofIreland. Taliesin was the great Bard of
the Welsh, whose poetry and songs, Including the
Cad Goddieu, tell us most of what we know about
Druidry in Wales. He gained his knowledge from
the Cauldron of Cerridwen. They are both patrons
of Bards, music, Magick and poetry.
Morrighan
The Dark aspect of the Celtic Triple Goddess.
The "Washer at the Ford" (seem washing bloody
laundry prior to battle by those destined to
die). The Battle Goddess, also Queen of the
Witches and Goddess of Magick. Could appear as
a Raven, a beautiful Maiden or an ugly Hag.
Marries the Dagdha at Samhain. The Goddess of
Death.
Ogma
The "Sun Faced" One, so called because he was a
God of Wisdom and of speech. He invented the
Oghams and was also a great Warrior. Sometimes
associated with the Greek Herakles. Also Irish
God of music, spells, the arts and eloquence.
Scathach
"She Who Strikes Fear". The Irish/Scottish
Goddess of martial arts. The Destroyer aspect
of the Dark Goddess. A great sword warrior and
instructor. Native to the Isle of Skye. Teacher
of Cuchulain. Patroness of martial arts,
prophecy, blacksmiths and magic.
2-6,O'Dubhain ) "The Objects of Power"
The Tuatha de Dannans are the Children of the Mother Goddess Danu. They
are the Gods and Goddesses of Ireland. Some say they come from the sky,
others say the North. They were masters of Occult knowledge learned in
the four great Magickal cities of Findias, Gorias, Murias and Falias.
They were given a great treasure by the Chief Mages of each city
(Uiscias from Findias, Esras from Gorias, Semias from Murias and
Morfessa from Falias). These gifts are the four treasures of Ireland:
The Sword of Nuada, the Spear of Lugh, the Cauldron of Rebirth and the
Stone of Fal. We can use the Power of such gifts in our own Magick by
invoking the four Masters of the North. Once invoked, the Power of
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their gifts can once again be manifested in our very own Magickal
Talismans.
2-6,O'Dubhain ) "The Sword Of Nuada Argetla'm"
The first object of Power comes from Findias. It is the invincible sword
of Nuada "of the silver hand". It represents the forces of insight and
illumination. It is a representation of the terrible Powers of creative
energy. The drawing of such a sword is what gives us new and terrible
abilities (Atomic Power is an example of what such inspiration can
create). The wisdom to not use or to maintain control such powers is
what the use of this Sword is all about. Many times the wisest course of
action is to keep the Sword sheathed and to resolve our conflicts
peacefully.
Here is a description of this Magickal weapon's use in a modern day
ritual:
<I walk to the altar and pick up the Sword. Advancing to the
East, I raise the Sword and say:> "Here is the Sword of Nuada Argetla'm
in its deady scabbard.
Heed the Magicks of Findias!
Uiscias wrought this blade!
He of the Silver Hand lives again!
Who will dare to grasp it and define
the boundaries of our safety?"
<After the sword has been accepted by a member of the Circle,
the following is said while walking three times (deosil)
around the perimeter of the Circle :>
"Come forth Old One of the East!!!"
<After the completion of the three circles, I light the Red
Candle of Life that sits upon the Eastern Quarter and say:>
"Guard us well so that our lives may be our own.
Dia is Bandia linn!
(So Mote It Be!)"
2-6,O'Dubhain ) "The Spear of Lugh Lamhfadha"
The second object of Power comes from Findias. It is the iresistible
Spear of Lugh "of the Long Arm". This gift represents the ability to
act across a distance. It is represented by the Powers of fire that can
also act across a distance, leaping between burning buildings yet also
warming us from within the hearth fires. This flaming spear always finds
its target once thrown. It is no surprise that Lugh must defeat Balor
"of the Evil Eye" allowing the Tuatha de Dannans to conquer the Fomor.
Today the ability to act across a distance might be better characterised
by the telephone/communications networks. The free exchange of
information has fanned the flames of creativity in the modern world.
2-6,O'Dubhain ) Here is a description of this Magickal weapon's use in
the same modern day ritual as before:
<I walk to the altar and pick up the Spear.
Advancing to the South, I raise the Spear and say:>
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"In my Right hand I hold the Spear of Lugh Lamhfadha.
Brought from Gorias and given by Esras.
It contains the Wisdom of Many acting across the Ways.
No batle can be sustained against us while we possess it.
Who will wield this Power?"
2-6,O'Dubhain ) <After the spear has been accepted by a member of the
Circle, the following is said while walking three times (deosil) around
the perimeter of the Circle :>
"Come forth Old One of the South!!!"
<After the completion of the three circles, I light the White Candle of
Inspiration that is in the South and say:>
"Guard us well so that our ideas may burn
as does Thy eternal flame.
Dia is Bandia linn!
(So Mote It Be!)"
2-6,O'Dubhain ) "The Cauldron of Rebirth"
The third object of Power comes from Murias. It is the "Cauldron of
Rebirth". This gift has the Power to regenerate life and is usually
associated with the Dagdha or Bran the Blessed. It can also be linked
with portals to the Otherworld through which all life passes during the
death/life cycle. Mannanan mac Llyr who rules the sea and who is the
possessor of the "Crane Bag" (another symbol for the Cauldron) is
another deity associated with this Magickal device. The Welsh Goddess
Cerridwen is also a keeper of the Sacred Cauldron.The Spring of Life and
wisdom flows forth from the depths of the sea (another use for this
cauldron).
2-6,O'Dubhain ) Here is a description of this Magickal device's use in
our modern day rituals:
<I walk to the altar and pick up the Cauldron.
I place it upon the West Quarter and say:>
"This is the Cauldron of Rebirth,
by it's waters we are reborn.
Fashioned in the fires of Murias,
Forged by the will of Samias.
Life eternal is its gift.
We pass through Death with each use.
May the waters of rebirth ever flow forth!
Who will call us back
from the deepest meditation?
Who will summon us from the Shadows
of the Sea?"
<The Cauldron has sea salted water poured into
it by a member of the Circle, This water is sprinkled three times
(deosil) around the perimeter of the Circle while the following is
said:>
"Make thy Presence known Old One of the West!"
3190
<After the completion of the three circles, I light the Gray Candle of
Twilight that stands in the West and say:>
"Keep our Spirits safe within Your soft embrace.
Dia is Bandia linn!
So Mote It Be!"
2-6,O'Dubhain ) "The Lia Fail"
This is the Kingship stone of Ireland. It was brought from the Northern
city of Fal by the Tuatha de Dannan. This stone represents the Land and
it's Sovereignty. It also represents the Power of the Earth to Judge all
men. The other portals to the Underworld (caves and raths) are represen-
ted by this Magickal object. The dark reaches of the Underworld hide
the secret knowledge of Death and Life. It is into the earth that Celts
are buried to begin their journeys after death. Small wonder it is that
the Goddess guarding this object should be the dread Morrighan. She
represents the Wisdom that is gained via the Dark Pathways, yet she is
also the bringer of victory in battle as well as new life, where none
was expected. She represents the stark reality of Life and Death.
2-6,O'Dubhain ) Here is a description of this Magickal device's use in
our modern day rituals:
<I walk to the altar and pick up the Stone. I place it in front of the
North Quarter candle and say:>
"This is the Lia Fail, let all here be sobered by its True Judgement. This is the Stone of Judgement, Solemn sacred One of Falias,
grant our space your Sovereignty. Morfesa has worked the Earth's
Power within you. Judge of Kings, Center of Earth, Speak and we shall
listen! Do not let us fail to heed your warnings!"
<I turn to face the members of the Circle and ask:>
"Who will Stand with the Stone of Destiny?"
<The One that has accepted the challenge, steps upon the stone and crys
forth:>
"Manifest your Power Old One of the North!"
"Open Your Dark Pathways
Give us True Judgement!
Bring forth Thy Hidden Knowledge!"
<I step back to the altar and face to the North. I light the Black
Candle of Darkness and say to all those who are gathered:>
"May our souls know the Truth of Eternity.
Dia is Bandia linn!
So Mote it Be!"
<Starting at the East with arms open, I turn deosil around the Circle,
stopping when I have come back to the East and say:>
"My Brothers and Sisters in the One Power, Hear my Words! Our
Circle is complete! We have Perfectly Created a Sacred Space, a Place
out of Time. Let none seek to enter who would violate our Purpose. Our
will shall be done and none shall be harmed! May the Guardians of the
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Four Quarters keep Their Watch over this Circle and lend us Their Mighty
Aid!"
2-6,O'Dubhain ) That pretty much sums up the prepared presentation, any
questions?
(2-5,Nan) Whew!
(2-5,Nan) I'm still absorbing
(2-2,Freepowder) bet your fingers are cramped <G>
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) yep! Well there is a lot more I could say!<G>
(2-2,Freepowder) ok!
(2-2,Freepowder) <hehehehe>
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Like We could talk about just where those cities were?
The Sky or the North?
UFO's maybe?
(2-2,Freepowder) ok, first tho, was the stone of fal...
(2-2,Freepowder) the same as the stone of scone?
(2-2,Freepowder) ga
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) That was what the Scots and the Sassanach would have us
believe.
(2-2,Freepowder) you say?
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) But the Irish tradition is that it is still inside of
Tara.
(2-2,Freepowder) thought so. hrumph.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Why would we every give away one of the treasures of
the Land?
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Besides!<G>
(2-2,Freepowder) stolen?
(2-5,Nan) what's the stone of scone? (other than a very old tea
snack <g>)
(2-2,Freepowder) LOL
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) If it really was stolen then it sits in Westminister
Abbey! And hasn't cried out in over 400 years!<G>
(2-2,Freepowder) nahm, it's still in Tara, yup!
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Meaning.....that the Sassanach are not the rightful
kings of Ireland!!!!<GGGG>
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) The stone of Scone was the kingship stone of the Scots
(2-5,Nan) ahh, now i remember
(2-2,Freepowder) N> Scotland had a similar legend to that of the stone
of Fal, it was taken to westminister abbey when the
english took scotland
(2-2,Freepowder) And they niver give it back!
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Fp>That's right....thieving Sassanch!<G>
(2-2,Freepowder) rude!
(2-5,Nan) lol
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) <======Just finished "Trinity" and in a very
unforgiving mood.
(2-2,Freepowder) the 4 cities, which world were they in?
(2-2,Freepowder) LOL!
(2-2,Freepowder) grand book! read it a few years ago.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Yes it sure makes one think that they'll never resolve
the Problem of Northern Ireland.
(2-2,Freepowder) I met a fellow, prob IRA, said...
(2-2,Freepowder) the brits need to just pull out...
(2-2,Freepowder) I said ther'd be a blood bath....
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Fp>The Four Cities were in the North but in the
3192
Spirtual Plane.
(2-2,Freepowder) he said for a few years then it would come right.
(2-2,Freepowder) sky or earth or underworld?
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Fp>Sky types always associated with the Spirit and Big
Magick. But of course two of the gifts were associated
with the Underworld. The Stone and the Cauldron.
(2-2,Freepowder) sounds like a commercial, 'Big,Big Magick!' <G>
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Goes back to that dual nature of the Deities again.
John Matthews has a great picture in his book, "Celtic Shamanism" of a
World Tree that has roots in the Underworld and branches into the Sky
World. The two are connected by a Rainbow of colors , stars and
Totem animals!
(2-2,Freepowder) you have more books than I have money <G>
>sounds like Yggdrisll
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) The Rainbow "brige" exists outside of the Physical
World entirely.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Yes it does sound like Yggdrisll! I have a GIF of this
Cosmology at home and will upload it to Library 16 this weekend.
(2-2,Freepowder) now, where have I heard of the rainbow bridge....Jesse
Jackson? <G>
(2-5,Nan) well, i should be on my way.....thanks for another
great workshop O'D. Looking forward to more :)
(2-2,Freepowder) cool!
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Yes folks Jesse JAckson is the new Celtic Rainbow
God!<G>
(2-2,Freepowder) Rofl!
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Thanks for coming Nan!<G>
(2-5,Nan) see ya next week.....bye (poof)
(2-2,Freepowder) bye nan!
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Hey Fp>What do you think we should cover next time?
(2-2,Freepowder) I was heart broken, couldn't come up w/ ?s from last wk
<G>
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Think folks are just hanging back and uploading the
transcripts?
(2-2,Freepowder) the rest of the stuff at the top of this.<G>
(2-2,Freepowder) yeah, it might help if the right rom was listed in
notices
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Oscar night is a tough night to compete with the
Tube!:( I did mention that to the Sysops, but I guess they have their
hands full.
(2-2,Freepowder) as long as they are reading..'sok
(2-2,Freepowder) hey! I volunteered to get into sysopery <G>
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) <======would like to get some additional opinions
on some of this stuff.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) FP>You did? Great!
What was the response?
This workshop is closed! BTW!<G>
(2-2,Freepowder) well, maybe if you are in the right place at the right
time bla bla...
(2-2,Freepowder) I figured that out
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) LOL!
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) <======just wanted it in the transcript!<G>
<We next engaged in some generalized Celtic discussion that I thought
would be of interest to the offline class readers!<G> ...>
<Our discussion was joined by DRUID at this point>
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(2-13,DRUID) I'm a member of OBOD in southern England.
(2-2,Freepowder) OBOD?
(2-22,Grey Wolf) Gotta go, I've got School in the mornin, Be sure to
write though
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) GW>Bye!
(2-8,Pietra) bye GW
(2-2,Freepowder) Slan leat Gdub!
(2-13,DRUID) Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids.
(2-22,Grey Wolf) later
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Great Nice to have you here.
(2-2,Freepowder) Ah! heard of them! stop in next wk!
(2-13,DRUID) I am working on my Ovate Initiation at this time.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) DRUID>Do you recommend any books?
(2-2,Freepowder) we're gopnna re-create balor's eye! <G>
(2-13,DRUID) I am also a member of the F.O.I. located in south
eastern Ireland.
(2-2,Freepowder) FOI? sorry <G>
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) FP>yeah !!! Chunk another hot spear into that Fomorian
peeper!<G>
(2-13,DRUID) Fellowship of Isis. Olivia Robertson
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Dia dhuit, a DhRUID!
(2-2,Freepowder) there is one referenct to lugh using a rock I think <G>
(2-13,DRUID) as far as books, i have quite a few, would
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) The FOI sounds Thelemic to me.
(2-13,DRUID) not know what to recomend.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) I read the Book of Druidry by Ross Nichols
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Found it to be based upon the works of Davies and
Morganwig.
(2-13,DRUID) I saw that you were giving a workshop on Ogham.
(2-13,DRUID) I have seen some of the origional standing Ogham stones
in northern England.
(2-13,DRUID) They are standing in remote fields, not even marked
very well.
(2-2,Freepowder) Must be nice to live on the ground so to speak ,less
the economy, tho <G>
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) DRUID>It's my belief that the Oghams carved upon sticks
have long since disintergrated.
(2-13,DRUID) They are weather beaten, but you can still make them
out.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) BTW They did find some Standing stones in this country
with Oghams upon them!<G>
(2-13,DRUID) Yes i would agree, however these are stone,
tall about 4 feet.
(2-2,Freepowder) OD> really?! where?
(2-13,DRUID) I do not think so.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) <=====looking in reference right now
(2-13,DRUID) On an island in northern England, the name of the
island escapes me,
(2-2,Freepowder) and don't say L.A.!
(2-2,Freepowder) the ones in the US, Druid
(2-13,DRUID) but i could go look it up if you want. I also have
pictures of them.
(2-2,Freepowder) they have some in Ireland yet don't they?
(2-13,DRUID) say it is highly possible.
(2-2,Freepowder) where did the 'key' to the oghams come from, culdeans?
(2-13,DRUID) I have that information, i would need to refresh me
memory, but it was from the old Ogham alphabet, and religion.
(2-2,Freepowder) seems to me I read about some, in the south I think,
3194
no, ulster?
(2-13,DRUID) from the old Ogham alphabet, and religion.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Druid>the reference is "America BC" by Professor Barry
Fell
(2-13,DRUID) Does it actualy say there are stones in this country.?
(2-2,Freepowder) well, yes but how did the info survive, i.e. what was
the 'rosetta stone' for oghams
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) FP>The key came out of the Book of Ballymote
(2-2,Freepowder) OD, Culdeans? or other?
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) DRUID>I was looking at a reference to a reference.
FP>Culdeans.
(2-13,DRUID) Would you care to have me go and hunt up the info
(2-13,DRUID) on what island it was.?
(2-2,Freepowder) no not online Druid <G>
(2-2,Freepowder) and where are the ones in the US?
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Actual refernce was Celtic Gods Celtic Goddesses
by R. J. Stewart
(2-2,Freepowder) post a msg at your convience <G>
(2-13,DRUID) Ok i will try to join next week with the info at hand.
(2-2,Freepowder) cool!
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) great !!! Go raibh maith agat!
(2-13,DRUID) I spent a month in Ireland & England last year doing
(2-13,DRUID) a systematic search of the old Pagan & Druid Holy
sites.
(2-2,Freepowder) WOW!
(2-2,Freepowder) <turning green>
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) DRUID>Pick up any strange sensations or Power?
(2-13,DRUID) Got to join in a Autumn EQ. in the Catacombs of
(2-13,DRUID) Clonigal Castle with Oliva Robertson. It was
(2-13,DRUID) real intense.
(2-13,DRUID) That was where i joined the FOI.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) DRUID> Is the FOI based upon Crowley's work?
What is it based upon?
(2-13,DRUID) Is it too late in the course to join and still
benifit.?
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) We are only scartching the surface
We still have a lot of "Works" to cover.
(2-13,DRUID) No it is an open organization, all forms of religion
are welcome.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Like "Making:, and "Dragon's Eye" and The Three Rays
(2-2,Freepowder) BTW, have you seen a little book called 'Irish Earth
Folk' by Diarmuid Mac Manus, Devin Adair Co. 1959?
(2-13,DRUID) Good, is there a listing of dates in the LIB.?
(2-13,DRUID) I dont recall, however i went thru a lot of used book
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) DRUID>The Workshops have been uploaded into library 16
(2-13,DRUID) stores while i was over there.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) as CLTWS1.TXT TO CLTWS4.TXT
(2-13,DRUID) I will try and join in next week after i download the
List.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) CLTWS5.TXT should go in the nextfew days. In it we
mention additional topics of discussion.
(2-2,Freepowder) and the tree list <G>
(2-13,DRUID) Tree list?
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) The list is in CLTWS5.TXT
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Druid>I'm generatiog a tree cross reference between
(2-2,Freepowder) a correspondence between Irish trees and american trees
(2-13,DRUID) I run a Pagan Based BBS called Echo's of Enchantments.
European/American/Eastern/Westen types of trees.
3195
(2-2,Freepowder) where?
(2-13,DRUID) Its been up for about five years.
(2-13,DRUID) Here in southere Cal.
(2-2,Freepowder) Where in SoCal? <G>
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) DRUID>ever yack with the ADF types?
(2-13,DRUID) I also teach Wicca at a shop in LongBeach. O'Dubhain,
I was impressed with your list of credits in the who's who list.
Congrat's for all your effort.
(2-13,DRUID) Boy i need to type better.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) DRUID>Thanks!<VBG>
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) <======Thinks Magickal greats can't type!:)
(2-2,Freepowder) Druid> I'm going to play my whistle for some trees
and see what happens(probably get sucked into Faerey
and you'll never me again)
(2-13,DRUID) Well better go will grab the files and jump out.
(2-2,Freepowder) Boy, I must be *really* magickal!
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) FP>Better ground and center first<g>.
(2-13,DRUID) Thanks for the time. Blessed Be! to all. Bye..
(2-2,Freepowder) still trying to work that out! <G>
(2-2,Freepowder) Slan leat Druid!
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Or at least have a safety line!<G>
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) DRUID>Beannacht leat!
(2-2,Freepowder) now what is that?
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) hey hey hey!
(2-2,Freepowder) a safety line?
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) <======would like to conjure up a room full of DRUIDS!
(2-2,Freepowder) really!
(2-2,Freepowder) wonder where they all are?
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) didn't you say that you were gonna play your whistle
to the trees?
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Fairies like music.
(2-2,Freepowder) I did do a kind of minor healing thing the other night
on myself, worked!
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) and We Celts are a real pushover!<G>
(2-2,Freepowder) cold much better today
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) good
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) <======Hopes you took my advice to heart.
(2-2,Freepowder) yeah, that thought you had a while back really
intrigues me.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Which one?
(2-2,Freepowder) yes, got modern magick, celtic magick (conway)
>the one about playing ...
(2-2,Freepowder) music for trees to see what happens.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) I think you'll get a response.
(2-2,Freepowder) have a Modesto ash in the back yard, gotta be kin to
the irish ash, right?
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) right!!
And that's a great Faery tree.
(2-2,Freepowder) BTW how come I don't see mulberry trees anywhere
in those lists?<G>
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Faeries love Oak ASh and Thorn trees.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Shhhh!!!
(2-2,Freepowder) that book,Irish earth folk talks about those, and ...
(2-2,Freepowder) puca's
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Secret inner initiate stuff!:)
(2-2,Freepowder) yeah, right! lol
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) ROFL!
pucas!!!
3196
(2-2,Freepowder) will you be doing a full moon rit online the 27th?
(2-2,Freepowder) puca's, mostly dogs
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) <=====Thinks Sasquatch is a Puca!
(2-2,Freepowder) LOL! might could be!
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) We are doing a Spring Equinox thing in Religion on Wed
(2-2,Freepowder) open to the pub?
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Think about it....Pucas and Sasquatch got a lot in
common.
(2-2,Freepowder) <fishing for invitation>
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) FP>Sure is... the Cyber Coven HPS was here a while ago
advertising it!<G>
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Please come along with me
(2-2,Freepowder) yeah, but aren't pucas mostly horses and dogs
and 4 legged in general?
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) They can take any animal form.
(2-2,Freepowder) Super!
(2-2,Freepowder) what time?
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) It's at 10 PM EST in CO 8 over in the Religion Forum
On Wed Nite.
(2-2,Freepowder) ok!
<At this point DRUID rejoined us with some additional Information.>
(2-13,DRUID) The island in nothern England was IONA...
(2-2,Freepowder) yeah, but I've read Llewellen, and she's no McAvoy!
(2-13,DRUID) However the largest gathering of stones we saw
(2-2,Freepowder) that was one of the last outposts of the Druids
during the roman times,
(2-13,DRUID) were in fact in Ireland on the island on Valentia, in
(2-13,DRUID) northern ireland.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Did you write down the inscriptions?
(2-2,Freepowder) last retreat during the reign of Caradoc & Bodiciea
(2-13,DRUID) No,... it was hand to read, however i did make some
video, and stills
(2-13,DRUID) could look them over real well, or have them blown up.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) <====remembers the tale "How the Tain was Recovered"
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) <==== two young Druids found the stone over Fergus
MacRoy's grave "summoned" him and listened to his Shade
recite the TAin for 3 days!<G>
(2-13,DRUID) Next week will try and give a discription and direc-
tions to the stones.
(2-2,Freepowder) Slan leat aDhruid!
(2-13,DRUID) Later.
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) Slan!
(2-13,DRUID) bye..
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) I'm gonna bag it too FP!
(2-2,Freepowder) ok, Slan leat! and thanks!
(2-6,O'Dubhain ) TA failte romhat!<G>
"Celtic Workshop #6 - Dindsenchas, Totems and Transmigration"
This is a transcript of the sixth Celtic Workshop - Dindsenchas,Totems
and Transmigration. The purpose of this Workshop was to investigate the
Celtic Inner Spirit by looking at beliefs about the Land, the Family,
the Spirit and the Soul. The stories about name origins as well as the
practice of having totemic beasts seemed to be a good place to start. I
also hoped that such investigations would give added meaning to
understanding Druidic concepts of Being.
3197
Before I begin let me say a few words about how the Workshop is con-
ducted. We will first hear from a presenter, tonight that is me. If you
have a question type in a ? and I will acknowledge you by typing "ga" at
and appropriate time. When you have finished your question type "ga" to
let me know that I may respond. When we are finished I will ack-
nowledge the next questioner in a similar manner. If you have a comment
or additional information to provide on a topic, please use the "!" to
signal me. I will also cycle through those with comments in a similar
manner. If their are no questions at this point I will begin tonight's
presentation.
(2-21,O'Dubh) The Subject of tonight's Celtic Workshop
is:
Dindsenchas, Totemic Animals and
Transmigration of the Soul.
During the previous Workshop, we studied the Celtic Otherworld and their
God/desses. We saw how Existence was divided into a Higher, Middle and
Underworld reality. The Spirit of the Celt would be tied to and migrate
between these various worlds. A celt was very connected to the land as
well as having a strong belief in his "code of conduct'" and the
immortality of his Being. Tonight's Workshop will attempt to clarify how
A Celt arrived at these strong inner concepts of connection to his
family, his Land and his Eternal or Spirit life. In order to understand
the Celtic Spirit, one must know the Dinseanchas, the Totemic Animals
and the Druidic concept of Transmigration of the Soul.
(2-21,O'Dubh) The first topic to be covered will be the Dinseanchas.
................................................................................
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Dinseanchas or "Place Name Stories"
The Dinseanchas or "Place Name Stories" are among the earliest tales of
Ireland. This tract gives the etymology of the names of several of the
more well known places of Erinn. The first such "place name" that we
will discuss is the origin of the Names "Meath" and "Uisnech". These two
locations are tied into the history of the Kings of Ireland. Meath is
the "fifth" division of Ireland set aside for the Ard Reis to rule and
Uisnech is the hill that represents the Spiritual center of Ireland.
(2-21,O'Dubh) This is the story of Uisnech:
"After the Tuatha de Dannans had been conquered by the Sons of Milesius
(Mileseans), Midhe the son of Brath, son of Detha, was the first to
light a fire in all of Erinn. This fire burned upon his hilltop for
seven years and all the fires of the land were lighted using this fire.
Midhe and his clan were entitled to a sack of corn and a pig from every
house in Erinn each year in return for maintaining this fire. Naturally
the Druids were envious of this fact and they met together to conspire
against Midhe and his clan. Midhe discovered the plot and attacked the
Druid conclave, cutting out the tongues of the Druids so they could not
speak against him. He buried these tongues in the earth and sat upon the
spot while his mother exclaimed that it was "proudly" or "Uaisnech" you
sit up there this night! This then is the derivation of the name of the
hill, Uisnech and of the province of Meath "Midhe". BTW Uisnech is
pronounced "ISH nuk".
Uisnech is the site also of the "Well of Life" where twelve major
Magickal rivers flow forth from the Underworld. Could this be the Magick
of the Druids tongues?
(2-10,Adam) ?
(2-21,O'Dubh) Yes Adam? ga
(2-8,O'Ba'n) !
(2-8,O'Ba'n) I've never heard this story
(2-21,O'Dubh) Ok O'Ba'n a question?
(2-8,O'Ba'n) GA
(2-21,O'Dubh) This story is from the ancient Irish Writings. You can find it in "A Celtic Reader" by John Matthews It's source is
from Eugene O'Curry
(2-8,O'Ba'n) GA
(2-21,O'Dubh) ok
(2-21,O'Dubh) Here is a story of the origins of the name "Tara":
"Another significant hill is Tara. This hill had it's name changed five
times. It was first called Druim Descuin or "the Conspicuous Hill", next
it was Liath Druim after a Firbolg chieftain who was first to clear it
of woods. The third name for the hill was Druim Cain "the Beautiful
Hill", then Cathar Crofinn, and finally Teamair (Anglicized Tara) from
the name Te'a the wife of Eremon the son of Milesius."
This story gives us a mini history of Ireland, from the original names
of the hill through the names ascribed to various invading tribes until
we see the name that it retains to this day "Tara". BTW this name is
pronounced "CHOW irr" in Gaeilge.
(2-21,O'Dubh) Another Dindseanchas is the story of Lughaidh Delbaeth
"the fire-producer", a Dalcasian Druid. "Lugaid had a considerable
amount of land, while the husband of his daughter, Trad, though a king,
3199
had little land and a large family. Trad asked Lugaid for an oracle to
find out how he could gain more land. Lugaid consulted his oracles and
announced that if Trad would ask any man on that day to surrender his
lands, that man would be bound to comply. Trad then asked Lugaid to
surrender his lands which he did. Lugaid took his six sons with him
across the Shannon river where he started a fire by means of his Druid
Power. This fire had five streams issuing from it. Each of the eldest
five sons followed these flames to the site of their new lands. Lugaid
remained behind with his youngest son, Nos, and eventually dies and was
buried next to a lake, near to Carn Fiacha (now called Loch Lugh-phorta
or the Lake of Lugaid)."
(2-21,O'Dubh) This story is important for a few reasons:
1. It is an instance of the use of Druid Magick to
create fire.
2. It shows the the use of oracles to determine a course
of action.
3. It demonstrates the sanctity of one's word of honor.
4. It shows the derivation of several place names as
well as the family name of "Devlin" (from Dealbhna, derived from
Debaeth).
A story of this sort was used to establish place names, to derive family
traditions, to demonstrate morality, to show the worth of cunning and
integrity. It is also a good example of Druidic Powers. it was from a
large wealth and variety of such tales that our ancestors remembered
their past and learned their code of living.
(2-21,O'Dubh) This serves a similar function to the new book by
William Bennett.....can't recall the title. But I think it's on the
best seller list right now....anyone know the book? Something like the
Book of......?
(2-21,O'Dubh) O'Ba'n ? ah well continuing onward!<G>
(2-8,O'Ba'n) dunno <G>
(2-4,Nan) the book of o'ban????!!!! <vbg>
(2-21,O'Dubh) I'll find the name and insert it! Nan!!!!LOL!
(2-8,O'Ba'n) great writer ain't I?
(2-10,Adam) <g>
(2-21,O'Dubh) The next topic to be discussed will be the Totemic
Animals.
"Celtic Totem Animals"
Celts and Druids held the belief that each person and family had a
special relationship with animals and animal Spirit Beings that were
sacred to ech clan. This belief is what Patricia Kennealy is referring
to in her book "Strange Days, My Life With Jim Morrison". MS. Kennealy
is a member of an ancient clan of Irish "Wolf Shamans" whose tradition
states that they are the Magickal leaders of their people. This
association of Spirit Animals or "Totems" is based upon the ancient
Celtic belief that all life is related, the Land, the waters, the
spirits of a place, the trees, the flora and the animals that they lived
with side by side. Many ancient stories tell how the Druids could
"shapeshift" into animal form to escape or work Magick. To know your
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Inner Celtic Spirit, you must know your clan and your personal Spirit
Animal.
(2-25,Denise H) I am here at last :)
(2-21,O'Dubh) The following animals appear throughout Celtic tales
and Magick:
The Salmon (Brionnfhionn)
This is the fish of All Wisdom. It lives in the depths of the Sea from
which all life springs. It is said to acquire it's great knowledge from
eating the Nine Hazels of Wisdom that fall from the Tree of Knowledge.
This fish was said to be among the oldest of living creatures. The great
Hero and Druid Fionn mac Cumhail gained his wisdom by touching his thumb
to a salmon that he was cooking for the Druid Fintan.
The Deer or Stag (Abhach, Sailetheach)
The deer was said to be a fairy creature that could pass between the
world's. This was especially true for a white deer. Fionn's wife Sabha
became a deer when she went to the Otherworld. Beautiful women frequen-
tly became deer in many tales while fleeing from hunters. The Druid Tuan
mac Carill is the sole survivor of a group of early Partholanian Irish
settlers. He lives at first as a wildman of the woods eventually
becoming a stag, an eagle, a salmon and eventually is reincarnated as
himself at a much later date to give the ancient history of Ireland to
the more recent settlers.
The Horse (Cab-all)
The horse was one of the most important animals to the Celts. A mare
is ritually symbolically mated by the King in the Rite of Sovereignty.
White horses are also mystical beings. It is a pale horse that is ridden
by Gwynn ap Nudd the Master of the Wild Hunt in Wales while gathering
souls. A huge horse shape is sculpted into the hills of Wiltshire called
White Horse Hill. This animal is another guide to the Otherworld.
The Hawk (Seg or Aracos)
The most famous Hawk is the Hawk of Achill that can riddle and discuss
with the Druidic poet Fintan. This animal is also as old as time and
another storehouse of great knowledge.
The Blackbird (Druid-dhubh)
This is yet another animal that can freely pass into the Otherworld. It
is associated with the Druids and the Goddess Rhiannon. This bird has
mystical arts and can sing one into a trancelike state. It can give one
access to the Magick of the Otherworld and is an excellent familiar.
This is not the Crow or Raven but a songbird.
The Hound/the Dog (Abach)
This is an animal of the hunt and is frequently associated with
humanlike intelligence. The hounds of Fionn mac Cumhail, Bran and
Sgeolainn, are actually transformed humans, The Cwn Annwn, are the
Gabriel hounds that accompany Gwynn ap Nudd during the Wild Hunt as well
as guarding the gates to the Underworld or Annwn the kingdom of the God
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of the Dead, Arawn. Cuchulain the Champion of Ulster gets his name from
replacing the Hound of Cuchul that he kills. He is called the "Hound
of Ulster" from this event. The hound is also his totem animal.
(2-21,O'Dubh) <a slight pause>
There are many other Magickal totemic animals in Celtic Magick and
history: the Eagle (Iolair), Crow (Badb), Raven (Bran), Sow (Airc), Boar
(Bacrie), Cat (Caoit), Otter (Balgair), Bear (Arth), Badger (Breach) and
the Eel (As-chu).
The Dragon is another mighty Magical animal that appears in British and
Welsh stories. It is, of course, a creature of fire but is also related
to the Power of the Land. Another word for Ley Lines is Dragon Lines.
Another name for raising Power is to invoke the "Eye of the Dragon". The
whole Earth was viewed by the Druids as the body of the Dragon. Menhirs
and stone Circles were located at great Power nodes. The Celts called
Dragons "Fire Drakes".
(2-21,O'Dubh) The importance of these animals is in their use as
Spirit Guides in the Otherworld and their aid as a familiar in working
Magick. To find your totemic animal will require you to experience a
shamanistivc trance. This is usually accomplished by "drumming" and
meditation. (You'll need someone to drum or a "drumming tape" to allow
yourself a chance to really meditate). Open youself up to the God of the
Hunt as you meditate upon the Tree of Life. He will come to you while
you are in trance (usually after 10 to 40 minutes of drumming). Your
totem animal will apear running from the Great Forest. When the animal
appears, let its essence fill you. Become your totem. Dance its dance
and sing its song until you are one in the Spirit. You should repeat
this ritual as often as necessary to have a close rapport with your
Spirit Animal guide. Much of what you are told and given will be from
the perspective of the Animal and will be difficult to understand unless
you are truly One with it.
(2-4,Nan) does one usually only have a single totem animal or is
it possible to have more than one? ga
(2-21,O'Dubh) It's possible to have more than one. You might have a
clan totem as well as a personal totem animal.
(2-21,O'Dubh) Ok I have one more topic to cover "The Transmigration
of the Soul"
I would like to start this discussion by quoting an ancient Celtic
Culdean verse:
"Out of a Timeless World
Shadows fall upon time.
From a beauty older than earth
A ladder the soul may climb.
I climb by Fionn's Stair
To a whiteness older than time."
The above verse is referring to Aradach Fionn, a listing of the Oghams.
Each rung of the ladder or stair represents a lesson learned or a new
life of continuing perfection. Such a series of lessons and rebirths are
a manifestation of the Druidic concept of the Tramsmigration of the
Soul.
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A few quotes about Druids:
"The principal point of their teaching is that the soul does not perish,
and that after death it passes from one body into another." .....Julius
Caesar.
"Among them the doctrine of Pythagoras prevails, according to which the
souls of men are immortal, and after a fixed term recommence to live,
taking upon themselves a new body."....Diodorus
According to some sources, this transmigration of the soul was done in
an upward fashion, with each incarnation bringing the Being closer to
the True Spirit. According to others, we are reincarnated into future
lives of our progeny...thus Mongan is The Spirit of Fionn reincarnated
in the Seventh Century CE (Fionn himself was said to be Cumhail reincar-
nated). As we have seen previously, the Spirit of Tuan mac Carill is
reincarnated several times as a variety of animals until he is reborn
in the sixth century and relates his history of Ireland from the time of
Partholan forward, St. Finnen is the Irish monk to whom the story was
related. This story was eventually recorded in the Eleventh century
manuscript, "The Book of the Dun Cow". No record exists to indicate that
the Druids believed in "karma", duality (as seen in the concept of "good
and evil"), original sin (actually they believed man was inheritly
good), nor a heaven and hell afterlife.
Where did one's soul reside then ? Many stories were told and written of
the Otherworlds that awaited the Spirit between incarnations, These
stories are called immrama or "wonder voyages" and usually involve
taking ship to a Magickal Isle. The voyages of Bran and St. Brendan
generally fit into these catagories.
When one arrives at an Otherworldly island, time can pass extremely
slowly compared to the Physical world. Oisin the son of Fionn went to
such a faery world for a few days only. When he returned for a visit
upon one of those Magickal White Horses, he discovered that many
hundreds of years had passsed. Although he had been cautioned not to
dismount during his visit, he did so and was immediately transformed
into an extremely elderly man. St. Patrick was brought to him and heard
his many stories of the exploits of Fionn and the Fianna as well as the
lands of Tir na Og. Oisin was eventualy rescued by his Sidhe princess
and returned to the Land of Eternal Youth. Some of the other Lands are
called:
Tir fo Thuinn - Land under the Wave.
Tir na mBan - Land of Women.
Tir na mBeo - Land of Life.
These four Tirs or lands make up the Celtic Underworld where Souls
reside until reborn. There are also Plains above that are generally the
habitations of the Gods.
Thes are:
Sen Magh - Old Plain
Magh Argetal - Plain of Silver Clouds
Magh Mell - Plain of Delight
Magh Ionganaidh - Plain of Wonder
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The Irish Celts felt that the Being had the following attributes or
divisions:
Delph - The appearance or Outer form
Duile - The Body Elements
(flesh, bone, blood, etc)
Ana'l - The breath or anima
Menma - The Mind and the Will
Cuimhne - The Memory
Fein - The Self
Pu'ca - The shape-shifting Shadow
Enaid - The Soul.
I would like to finish my remarks on Reincarnation and Transmigration
with another ancient verse. This verse is from the Fifth Century CE and
is the translation by Kuno Meyer:
"I invoke the seven daughters of the sea
Who fashion the threads of the sons of
long life.
May three deaths be taken from me!
May seven waves of good fortune be dealt to me!
May no evil spirits harm me on my circuit!
In flashing corslet without hindrance!
May my fame not perish!
May old age come to me, may death not come
to me until I am old!"
"I invoke Senach of the seven periods of time,
Whom fairy women have reared on the breasts
of plenty.
May my seven candles not be extinguished!
I am an indestructable stronghold.
I am an unshaken rock.
I am a precious stone.
I am the luck of the week.
May I live a hundred times a hundred years.
Each hundred of them apart!
I summon their boons to me.
May the grace of the Holy Spirit be upon me!"
That's the Celtic view of life! To live but to have variety and
passion, while reincarnating over and over!<G>
Celtic Workshop #7
"In Between Times and Places", "Need Fires" or Days of Imbalance,
Portals, Dolmens, Passage Graves and Stone Circles"
Tonight the Magickal nature of "In Between Times and Places" will be
discussed and examples will be given for their use in Magickal "wor-
kings". The Druidic concept of "imbalance" in Magickal workings will be
introduced and discussed. The nature and use of the stone megalithic
sites will also be presented and discussed.
Tonight we undertake a journey to the lands that are between the worlds.
This is the same place where anything can happen that Rod Serling
referred to as the "Twilight Zone". The ancient Celts sought out this
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Magickal place to aid their Magickal Power and to seek the Otherworld.
Before we can undertake this journey of the Spirit as well as the Mind,
a brief review and synopsis of our previous discussions on the Celtic
Otherworld and Magick are in order.
"In Between Times and Places"
As we noted previously, the Celts believed that Reality actually
consisted of multiple worlds. As a minimum, they believed there was a
World of the Stars or Gods, a Middle World (the Earth) and an Under-
world. All these worlds were connected in some way, with events and
Magicks from one affecting events occuring in a different world.
The Celts believed that these Worlds were closer at certain times. These
are the "In Between Times" that we are going to speak about tonight. It
should also be no surprise that the Celts and Druids practiced their
most important Magicks during such times of transition as the sunrise,
sunset,the moonrise, moonset and the transitions of the seasons
(Beltaine and Samhain) and the extremes of the Sun (Mid-Winter and
Mid-Summer) or the great "Fire Festivals". Later during our discussions
of stone circles and passage graves we shall see one way that this
desire to do Magick at the optimal times was possibly implemented.
"The Magickal Laws of Druidic Power"
Celtic tales of Magick are filled with events that are linked to "in
between states". This could be a mysterious fog, a time of dusk or next
to the edge of water. All of these conditions have one state in common,
they represent imbalance. Any student of the physical sciences can tell
you, that all forces can be resolved into the sum total of the in-
dividual forces. One of the factors that must be overcome when moving
anything is inertia. During times of change, when imbalance occurs
naturally, is the time chosen by Druids for their Magicks. This is and
example of the Law of Magickal Association, the Law of Similarity and
the Law of Contagion as stated by Issac Bonewits in his book "Real
Magick". Here is a listing of those three laws of Magick:
Law of Association.
If two things have anything in common that thing can be used to control
both, and they have a mutual influence on each other, depending on the
size of the thing shared. The more they have in common, the more they
influence each other.
Law of Similarity.
This is the basis of "Sympathetic" magic and basically says that effects
resembles causes. "Lookalikes are alike".
Law of Contagion.
It states that once things come into contact, they continue to interact
after separation. "Power is contagious".
These three Laws of Magick basically say that if you want to do Magick
pick a time when Magick occurs that is similar to the kind of Magick
that you want to accomplish. There is a very similar belief held by
modern Wiccans. Wiccans normally do creative or "positive" magick when
the Moon is in its waxing phases. Banishing or "dark" Magick is done
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during the waning phases of the Moon. Druidic Magick took advantage of
the times when the Sun or Moon "touched" the Earth (Sun/Moon rise/set).
At such a time, some of the Power inherit to these heavenly deities
could be "borrowed". This is the Law of Contagion at work. At Sunrise
and Sunset is when the mists "Magickally" appear, making fog or mists a
time of Magickal workings. The area of transition between states of
matter such as the edge of a river or lake was also thought to be a
Magickal location. This could have been due to the belief that all
knowledge flowed forth from the Well of Segais or Conla's Well but I
believe it is more closely associated with the belief that where
different worlds met was also a place where entry to the Otherworld was
the easiest. This also explains why they favored divination by the edge
of water. Fire scrying is another example of this "Magick" in transition
states. Fire is the ultimate transitory state of matter and leads us to
the next topic of discussion, "Need Fires" and "Days of Imbalance".
"Days of Imbalance"
As you will recall, another time of greatest imbalance was when the
change of the seasons and the extremes of the Sun. This is, of course,
Beltaine, Samhain, Mid-Winter's and Mid-Summer's Solstices. Great fires
were kindled during these festivals for two reasons: To encourage and
enhance the energies of the Sun and to create conditions favorable to
Tramsmutation of Power.
These "need fires" were used to scry, to purify and to sacrifice as
well. Animals and other offerings were cast into the flames. As we have
seen in a previous Workshop, cattle were driven between the fires and
youths engaged in jumping through the flames. (It has been conjectured
that this practice of flame jumping had its origins in earlier practices
of human sacrifice. I personally have not seen a single valid
reference to Druidic human sacrifices.) The thought was also held that
"like attracts like", so that the Power of the flames would also attract
the Magickal Power of the Sun.
Being periods of imbalance, the Druids also took advantage of the flows
of power to perform divinations. These great fires also served to
signal the Power of the Druids to all people, as well as to unify their
control over the minds of the Celtic nations.
"The Otherworld, Portals and Domans"
Although the Celts did not build the megalithic structures found within
their lands, they were certainly aware of them. Without exception these
monuments were attributed to the God/dessess, heroes and/or to the
Tuatha de Dannan. The many dolmens were thought to be passage ways or
portals to the Otherworld. Many myths and tales surround trips made to
and from the realm of the Sidhe by passing through a dolmen archway when
the Moon was full. Modern archeology has determined that these dolmens
are actually neolithic burial sites.
"Bru'gh na Bo'inne (Newgrange)"
One of the oldest structures in the Western world is found in Ireland
upon the banks of the Boyne river. This is the Bru'gh na Bo'inne, the
burial place of Irish kings and the legendary palce of the Dagdha and
Angus mac Og. The area is also known, in English, as New Grange. This
structure was erected by the original inhabitants of the land around
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3500 BC, predating Stonehenge and being contemporary with the Sphinx and
the Pyramids of Egypt. The structure was covered with white stones in
ancient times and would "shine' in the Sun when seen from great
distances. This is very similar to the way the Great Pyramid was also
described when seen in the sunlight with it's reflective coating.
Many ancient Irish legends and tales are associated with this structure
and the passage of time. Most of these tales are about time standing
still or seeming to pass without notice. Their stories center around
Angus mac Og (the Young God), his birth in a day, his attaining the
ownership of the Bruig for "only a day and a night" (lasting forever in
endless cycles), and his arrangement of his foster father Midir's
marriage to Etain (who is the subject of many stories of shapeshifting
and transformation).
"Spirals, Symbols and Carvings"
This theme of timeless days and transformation is very important when
one considers that one possible use of this structure was the taking of
shamanistic journeys. (Angus himself was visited by an aisling or "dream
woman" who played for him upon a timpan and eventually they are
transformed into white birds of enchantment).
Martin Brennan, an Irish-American, was the first person to note the
relationship between the carvings at New Grange and the rays of the Sun.
Using the discoveries of Brennan and our previous information about
Celtic Shamanism, I am going to suggest that the interior chambers of
this structure were used for shamanistic ceremonies and journeys.
Let me describe the geometry of Bru'gh na Bo'inne that a Draoi' priest
might have encountered when appraoching the structure for religious/Mag-
ickal ceremonies. The first thing that would be noticed is a brillant
white bowl or hemisphere shining amidst a sea of green. This mound is
surrounded by 97 kerbstones and the entire structure is then encircled
by a ring of standing stones. At the entrance is a stone that one walks
around to enter the inner chambers. This stone is covered with spirals
that have been carved into the stone. The stone is divided by a line
that is aligned with the Mid-Winter Sunrise, the right hand spirals
being counter clockwise (tuathal or widdershins) and the left hand
spirals going clockwise (deosil). This is exactly the same type of path
through the sky that one would observe for the sun during the year. (In
fact, if you take a lens and focus the Sun's light on a board and leave
it in place for a year, a track will burned upon the board in the shape
of an interconnected double spiral. This experiment was done in the
early 1970's by American artist Charles Ross.) The entrace to the
interior chambers, beyond the entrance stone, is 70 meters in length.
One must pass beneath three large stones that are thought to be symbolic
of the Celtic Cosmology, the Sky World, the Middle World and the
Underworld. Once past this Otherworldly entrance, one encounters a large
chamber with four smaller side chambers that are oriented to the four
cardinal directions (North, South, East and West). The inner walls are
covered with spirals and symbols, among them is an eight-rayed sun
symbol (depicted within a circle). This symbol as well as the rest are
selectively illuminated by the Sun's entrance through a small hole in
the roof box that is oriented directly to the Mid-Winter sunrise. A
finger of light would shine within the chamber to illuminate the
carvings, shining in golden flecks upon the chamber walls. Within the
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main chamber were great stone bowls that were possibly filed with water
and arranged to further enhance the solar display within by acting as
mirrors. The seemingly hap-hazard arrangement of carvings upon the walls
are organized and transformed by the rays of the Sun.
"A Night with Angus mac Og"
Now that the stage is set, imagine yourself to be a seer of the fourth
millenia BC. You have fasted for days and have spent the long dark night
of Mid-Winter meditating within the inner chambers of Angus mac Og. You
have performed your rituals you have attained a trance-like state and
you await the rising of the Sun, the new God of Light to return to the
world. What far journeys or estatic visions will be triggered within
your Sacred Space by the new Sun's first rays? A sudden thin ray of
white light pierces the blackness of the inner chamber with an il-
luminating shower of images as the inner darkness explodes! Your mind
reflects the brilliance of the new born Sun as your inner consciousness
expands into infinity! Your brothers and sisters would follow the dark
shadow the standing stone to the carn's entrance to find you and the
inner chamber reborn within the rebirth of the Mid-Winter Sunrise! What
stories you could tell! What prophecies you could make! I sometimes
think that Bru'gh na Bo'inne is really the Hyperborean " ...temple of
the Sun..." mentioned by the ancient Greek writers, rather than
Stonehenge.
"The Land of the Hyperboreans"
Perhaps the British Isles are the Islands of the Hperboreans after all?
Where else is found such a system of large scale, megalithic structures
all centered around the Sun and the Otherworld? One has only to step
within any of these raths to be transported to another time or another
age. Bru'gh na Bo'inne is only one among many such locations. Three
great mounds exist in this area of the Boyne river, New Grange is the
most elaborate but the nearby mounds of Dowth and Knowth are also
fascinating. Dowth is oriented to receive the rays of the setting Sun
on Mid-Winter while Knowth has two passages and is oriented to receive
the rays of the Equinoxes. These chambered passages are not limited to
Ireland, but are found throughout the British Isles and even in
Brittany. Two noteable sites are located at Maes Howe in the Orkney
Islands and at Gavrinis in Brittany. The interaction of carvings and
site orientation is also wide spread and not limited to just the rays of
the Sun. Many sites also used the beams of the Moon to illuminate
passages and special formations. Although these sites could be called
observatories by those of a purely scientific viewpoint, that would be
in direct contradiction to the aims and worldviews of their creators. To
fully appreciate the beauty, majesty and wonder of these Magick sites,
requires us to use our entire mind. Perhaps we should now consider the
other great location that has equal claim to being the Hyperborean
Temple of the Sun? That location is called Stonehenge.
"Faery Rings"
Who has nor heard of the mysterious lights that are seen within faery
rings when the Sidhe dance within the Moon ways? Such lights have also
been observed within Magickal Circles constructed by Wiccans and modern
day Ceremonial Magicians. The crop circle phenomena has also been
associated with light displays and formations. All these phenomena have
been reported and seen by reliable witnesses (although , as with all
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such events, there have been cases of fraud as well). The fact is that
such circlular formations have all been associated with light displays
and other unexplained phenomena. It is no coincidence that all of the
previously mentioned Magickal phenomena are also associated with the
oldest such locations, the stone circles. Many hundreds of these sites
are found in Britain, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The two greatest of
these are Stonehenge and Avebury. I will discuss Stonehenge tonight. I
may discuss Avebury in the future if it is of sufficient interest to the
other members of the workshop.
"Stonehenge"
Has there ever been a place to fire the imagination such as Stonehenge?
What secrets does it hide as it sits amid the many other marvels to be
found upon the Salisbury Plains ? This question and thousands more like
it have passed through the minds of mortals for at least the last 3000
years. Why was it built? Who built it? How was it used? Can it be used
again? I'm sure you many have a few questions of your own!<G> Before we
get to the questions, let's go through a few of the details we know
about the site and some of the more recent discoveries that have been
made regarding its possible uses.
"Stonehenge I"
Stonehenge was built in three phases, starting with the construction of
Stonehenge I around the year 1900 BC. This is about a thousand years
after the Pyramids and the tombs of the Bru'ghna Bo'inne and a few
hundred years before the fall of ancient Troy and the Oddessy. The
first phase of construction was a great circular ditch with banks being
piled upon either side. The people building it were late Stone Age
people, Not much is known about them except that they were hunters. An
opening was left on the northeast side with four holes being left at the
entrance that may have contained wooden poles. Two other holes inside
the enclosure may have held upright stones. A third hole was dug that
still contains the "heel stone", over which the sunrise is observed. A
variety of other features are associated with this first phase of
construction. I shall refer you to "Stonehenge Decoded" by Gerald S.
Hawkins and John B. White for a more indepth discussion of these or
other Stonehenge details. The entire structure was about 320 feet in
diameter and about 6 feet high by 20 feet wide with the heel stone and
possibly two other standing stones being visible. The entire bank would
have been glaring white since most of the surrounding surface region is
composted mostly of chalk. The heel stone rises about 16 feet into the
air and is about 8 feet thick by 7 feet wide. Around the inside of the
bank was a series of 56 holes called "Aubrey" holes. These holes contain
the created remains of men and women from that period. Even in its first
phase, I'm sure you'll agree, it must have been an imposing structure.
"Stonehenge II"
Work upon the second phase of Stonehenge was begun about 1750 BC by
another race of people known as the "Beaker People". These people built
two concentric inner stone rings consisting of 82 bluestones on about a
70 foot diameter around the center of the mound. The entrance was
widened in the ditch bank by about 25 feet and a double row of 10
bluestones was placed in the entrance to the stone circles. This work
was done during about a hundred year period and was never finished due
to some unknown interruption. With their departure, the Stone age closes
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in Britain and awaits the coming of the Bronze Age.
"Stonehenge III"
The third and final phase in the construction of Stonehenge was
undertaken by the "Wessex People" in about the year 1650 BC. These
people were much more highly skilled than the "Beaker People" and
carried on commerce with the peoples of the Mediterranean area. So many
artifacts are found from these areas that some scientists have developed
the theory that Stonehenge was finished under the auspices of a "Master
Builder" from the Mediterranean. Since this is the only large megalithic
structure attributed to the Wessex People, they may well be correct. The
previous double ring of bluestones were removed and set aside for later
use. They were replaced by a single row of huge sarsen stones coming
from Marlborough Downs. A horseshoe shaped structure consisting of
"trilithons" was placed inside of the sarsens and aligned upon the
northeast opening and the center of the new stone ring. These "tri-
lithons" are not found in other stone circles and are further evidence
of the sophistication of the builders. The cross pieces are held in
place using a woodworking technique called "mortise and tenon" construc-
tion. All of these stone pieces were hand-worked. The uprights are very
close together (about a foot or less). The outer circle is 97 feet 4
inches in diameter. The outer stones are about 14 feet high by 7 feet
wide by 3 1/2 feet thick. The inner horseshoe is formed by stones
ranging from about 20 to 25 feet high. A temporary structure which was
oval shaped was constructed around the sarsen horseshoe that used the
previously removed bluestones. This oval was removed and the stones were
later used to form a horseshoe of bluestones inside of the sarsen
horseshoe. A number of holes was also dug outside the sarsen circles
called the "Y" and "Z" holes. These are in a pair of roughly circular
rings around the entire structure. One stone remains to be described
and that is called the "altar stone" though no hole has been found for
it and no use has been clearly defined. It is of a different material
from the sarsens or bluestones. It came from a quarry 30 miles away and
is of fine grained green sandstone with mica flakes. If clean, it would
glitter in the sunlight. Stonehenge III was completed about 1600 BC and
now we are left with the Mysteries of its construction and use.
"A Quick Word about Construction"
The construction techniques would take an entire Workshop to cover and
will not be discussed tonight. I refer you to "Stonehenge Decoded" for
details. An estimate was made of the effort required using the
conjectured techniques and and estimate of 1,500,000 man days was
determined to be the level of effort required to build Stonehenge. These
techniques were demonstrated using modern day men to determine how many
were actually required for each task. I believe the estimate to be
realistic and accurate. The question remains, "Why undertake such a
truly monumental effort ?" Although the "Hows" of Stonehenge are
fascinating, I am much more mystified by the "Whys"!
"A Quick Word about Uses"
I can classify the "Uses" into five categories:
1. It was used as a Calender to predict the seasons, the phases
of the Moon, and the times of the Sun Festivals.
2. It was used as a site for performing Ceremonies (everything
from sacrifices to Season fesitivals).
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3. It was used as a Computer to determine Solar and Lunar
eclipses. (The use as a celestial observatory also fits in here).
4. It was used as a place to work Magick, take shamanistic
journeys (similar to a Native American Medicine Wheel), and was used to
initiate new shamans or priests into the order.
5. It was used for some other purpose that is subject to
conjecture and awaits the revelations of our own "illuminations".
I will attempt to provide details about the site that have been
determined by computer analysis and let each of you decide for yoursel-
ves what you think, since tonight we are very limited timewise. We may
return to these topics for additional details in the future.
"The Computer Analysis"
How well did Stonehenge predict the Mid Summer/WInter sunrises and/or
moonrises? When the stone alignments were analyzed by Hawkins in 1961,
using a digital computer borrowed from Havard University. The analsis
showed a TOTAL correlation of all major Sun alignments and an almost
total correlation with alignments of the Moon as well. The accuracy of
these correlations was within 1.5 degrees. The calculations were based
upon the positions of the Sun and Moon circa 1500 BC. When the various
phases of Stonehenge were considered, it was found that Stonehenge I had
11 key positions that pointed to ten of the twelve extremes of the Sun
and the Moon and Stonehenge III pointed 8 times to 8 of the same key
positions! Needless to say, the position and day of the key Solar/Lunar
days could be easily determined using Stonehenge as a calendar. (I will
construct and upload GIFs showing these alignments to Library 16). The
computer was also used to determine a method where the 56 "Aubrey holes"
were used to predict eclipses. (BTW 56 is also the number of years that
the moon takes to complete its entire cycle through the skies). These
facts have been used to support the arguement that the priests using
Stonehenge could have reinforced their apparant "power" over the
elements by not only predicting the "dreaded" eclipses but also to
"miraculously" cause them to disappear. I personally couldn't say if
this speculation is valid. It seems rather cynical to me. Another very
interesting fact about the location of Stonehenge is that it is almost
EXACTLY at the right lattitude (51 degrees 17 to allow the Sun and Moon
azimuths to be separated by 90 degrees. It would seem that the site was
NOT chosen at random.
"Shamanistic Flights of Imagination"
Before starting, I'd like to quote the ancient Sicilian historian,
Diodorus about Britain in 50 BC:
"The Moon as viewed from this island appears to be but a little distance
from the Earth and to have on it prominences like those of the Earth,
which are visible to the eye. The account is also given that the god
visits the island every 19 years, the period in wish the stars to the
same place in the heavens is accomplished. ....There is also on this
island both a magnificient sacred precienct of Apollo and a notable
temple.... and the supervisors are called Boreadae, and succession to
these positions is always kept in their families."
(BTW the Moon rises farthest to the North every 18 to 19 years as seen
from the center of Stonehenge).
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I would like to speculate upon some of the possible Magickal aspects of
Stonehenge:
1. The site is situated in the midst of a lot of so called
"crop circle" activity. Could the energy of these verified phenomena
also be harnessed by Stonehenge? Could an outbreak of crop circle like
marks have sparked the neolithic people to have constructed their own
more permanent circles?
2. Is there an Earth power that is yet to be discovered by
modern science. Is this power related to "orgone" as postulated by
Wilhelm Reich from his work with "bions"? Reich said that this energy
could be seen spiralling into the air through tubes made from organic
matter. His "accumulators" were like batteries for orgone and were made
of alternating layers of organic and inorganic substances (like the
roofs of the great chambers at Bru'gh na Bo'inne). Guy Underwood was
also a proponent of what he caled "earth force" (also described as being
spiral in nature). Underwood used divining rods to locate pockets of
such energy within Stonehenge.
3. Is there a "Dragon" or "Serpent" power waiting to be
harnessed within the Earth? Many of the ancient tombs have such a mark
above their entrys. The Druids certainly believed it was so. Could
ancient kings have married the land here as suggested in Marion Zimmer
Bradley's "The Mists of Avalon"? I know the area is surrounded by the
burial mounds of many ancient kings. Is the "Dragon Power" awaiting a
new infusion of energy from a group of dedicated Magickal practitioners.
Does the Dragon sleep?
4. The many solar/lunar occurences at Stonehenge suggest it may
have been associated with shamanistic practices and initiations in a
manner similar to the areas of the Bru'gh na Bo'inne. Such a practice is
suggested in Douglas Monroe's "The 21 Lessons of Merlin". Is Stonehenge
a portal to the Otherworld?
"Ley Lines"
One cannot discuss "earth force", "orgone" or the Earth Power nodes such
as Stonehenge without discussing ley lines. These lines are geomet-
rically located by standing at a Power node and sighting towards other
power nodes. Using such techniques, "ley hunters" have determined that
most of southwestern England is criss crossed by such lines. Are ley
lines "power conduits" between "power nodes"? To answer this question I
read "Earth Memory" and "Shamanism and the Mystery Lines" by Paul
Devereaux, the editor of the "Ley Hunter" magazine and the Director of
the "Dragon Project". Devereaux has embraced, investigated, evaluated
and rejected more theories about the "ley lines" than anyone else (as
far as I know). He acknowledges that "death roads" do exist near many of
these sites but rejects them as being solely responsible for all ley
lines. (NOTE: death roads are straight roads leading to such ancient
centers for the express purpose of burials and funerary processions.
They are well documented and universal to mankind). His own personal
theory is that the ley lines are the result of shamanistic OOBE
conducted at the so called "power nodes". The ley lines are the result
of marking in this reality the patways that the shamans take in their
altered reality from one sacred site to another. He suggests that these
"traces" of the Earth's Spiritual Pathways are the means by which we can
become re-attuned to the Earth's Power and ancient knowledge.
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Well there we have it, a discussion of Druid Power and Power centers. I
know from my own experience that Magickal Power is stored within my own
Solitary home Circle. How much greater can the True Power be at a site
as special as Stonehenge or Bru'gh na Bo'inne?
Celtic Workshop #8 - The "Rite of 3 Rays" and the "Gift of Awen"
As usual, we gathered slowly, in fact I was late. After some brief
initial hellos, we got started. Freepowder was still trying to live down
an experience with Coyote (the Trickster) from early in the day!<G> I
discussed the book "The 21 Lessons of Merlin" by Douglas Monroe as an
example of a work produced by "Awen". I wanted to give the Workshop
members a perspective on the pluses and minuses involved with such
works. I also went over some formal and personal rituals and meditations
I do to receive "illumination". All in all, a very stimulating evening
of presentation and dialogue......Searles O'Dubhain
Tonight I would like to do things a little differently than I had
planned. Before we discuss the "Rite of 3 Rays" or the "Gift of Awen",
let's talk about one of the references that I have used and some of you
may have read, "The 21 Lessons of Merlin".
As we have previously discussed, not much was written down about the
Druids by the Druids. The best we can get is the ancient writings of the
Irish Celtic Culdean Monks who may have been Druids in disguise. Our
next best sources are oral traditions found in Celtic families, legends
and Bardic lore. Comparative analysis between the other ancient In-
do-European traditions of the Brammans, Greeks, Persians,Egyptians and
the Siberian Shamans may yield some of the hidden Druidic secrets. A lot
of the time we are making some educated guesses based upon how similar
peoples worked Magicks and conducted rituals. Sometimes we have biased
"eye-witnessed" accounts such as Caesar's or the other Roman historians.
When a gap exists in our knowledge of Druidic or Celtic practices we
must do what the ancients did......we must ask that we receive the "Gift
of Awen". I'll mention some ways that this can happen and what we can do
to aid our quests for "illumination" a little later in our discussion
tonight.
What does all this have to do with "the 21 Lessons of Merlin" you ask?
..... The answer is that this is precisely the approach that Douglas
Monroe seems to have taken in his book. He fills in the gaps with
concepts that have come to him as illuminations and also uses the
illuminations of the "Bardic Mysteries" of Wales (also arrived at by the
aforementioned methods). Since we are all humans, some mistakes can
occur when we interpret our "illuminated" thoughts and concepts. This is
precisely why ALL SOURCES should be viewed critically and questioned
(even as our very own Freepowder is prone to do!<G>). I know I constan-
tly question and compare. Monroe's book has some very good concepts in
it and some that I dispute. My primary dispute with him is over his
concepts regarding the sexual polarities and workings of Magick.
He states that Druids were segregated in their Magickal workings because
men and women cannot work together in a symbiotic manner Magickally. He
says that women receive Magick from men but do not return it when a
working is done. This is directly opposite my own experiences where I
have found the presence of women to Powerfully enhance the working of
Magicks. He also states that male Druids did not marry and were
celibate. That may be true in Wales, but the Irish Druids married and
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had many children. Abstaining from sex would have severely depleted the
Magickal "gene pool"! The Druids were not stupid! I doubt seriously if
they abstained from sex or procreation! Sex Magick is Big Magick! (As
I'm sure we will all agree!<G>). So Monroe does make mistakes....so do
it.<G> Time and experimentation are the two best tools to evaluate any
system and the systems of this book will be analyzed fully before we are
done in this series of Workshops.
Now I would like to briefly summarize what is in "The 21 Lessons of
Merlin":
1. The 3 Rites of Assumption
This lesson refers to the manner in which a student can
first develop the ability to tap Power and to receive inspirations from
the Higher Consciousness that exist around us. Monroe uses the "Song of
Amergin", "The Song of Taliesin" and the "Song of Blue Star" to
introduce us to Druidic imagery and visualization.
2. The Pelen Tan
In this lesson, Monroe says that the "Pelen Tan" or a
kind of glass globe with a candle or light inside of it was used to
create a lighted space under trees that literally caused the area to
glow with a "blue light" (used by male Druids). He also says that the
white robes of the Druids emphasized the "black light" effect of these
fire globes. He says that the female Witches of Avalon used "red lights'
when performing their ceremonies, giving rise to the association of "red
light" districts with prostitution in later ages.
3. The 4 Symbols of Mastery
This lesson is concerned with the development of Magickal
symbols, arch types and correspondences. The concept of "Mastery" over
the elements is introduced and the need to be creative and original in
all occult work is emphasized.
4. The Summoning
A complete rite of Magickal evocation is described here.
Monroe tells how to call the shades of the dead from their graves. He
introduces the use of herbs and incense into ritual. The specific shade
being evoked in this ceremony is that of Merlin.
5. The 4 Signs of Portal
This lesson shows how to form a Magickal Circle, to call
forth the Guardians of the 4 portals to the Otherworld. Symbols are
given for each Quarter (Air, Fire, Water and Earth) as well as the
symbols for the "Sign of Three Rays" that represents Spirit or Akasha
(similar to the Pentagram). The Old ones called are Uscias, Semias,
Esras and Morfessa of the Magickal cities of the North. The God in the
form of Herne is also invoked.
6. The 4 Sacraments of the Earth
The concepts of sacrifice to the elements upon a "Sun" day
is presented. (Not human sacrifice BTW).
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7. The 8 Grove Festivals
The eight major grove festivals of Samhain, Imbolc,
Beltaine, Lughnasadh as well as the Mid-Winter, Mid-Summer Solstices and
the Equinoxes are described. Some of the special items associated with
each festival are given.
8. The 16 Leeches of Diancecht
The use of herbs in Druidic ceremonies and practices is
introduced. A discussion of Reincarnation is given and a Magickal
journey is undertaken using these herbs.
9. The Rite of 3 Rays
A means of achieving protection is described. The rite is
likened to the Ceremonial Magick rite of the Banishing Rituals of the
Pentagram as practiced by the Golden Dawn.
10. The Battle of the Trees
The Oghams are discussed and the "Battle of the Trees" is
described. A battle between wizards occurs and the Magick of the trees
is used to defeat Merlin's adversary, just as the tree Magick was used
to defeat invaders during the Cad Goddeu (circa 400 BC). One of the nine
draughts of inspiration is described that will allow the Druid to
commune more thoroughly with the spirits of the trees.
................................................................................
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11. The 8 Songs of Cycle
The correspondences of the Oghams to music and the use of
music in Magickal acts is presented. The use of musical instruments is
described for the various elements and a tie between the Druids and
Atlantis is suggested.
12. The Herbs of Continence
This lesson centers around Monroe's belief that Druids
segregated by sexes for education, Magick and workings. He describes a
concept called "Duality". He uses a trip to the Sisterhood of Avalon
(Glastonbury) to present his case. He also advocates celibacy for male
Druids but not for the Sisters (beyond Maidenhood). Four herbal concoc-
tions are presented that enhance male sexual powers.
13. The Gateway Rite
A visit to Stonehenge is described. The history and lore
of the site is mentioned with references to Atlanteans, Hyberboreans and
even the Tuatha de Dannan. A method of merging with the consciousness of
inanimate objects is also described.
14. The Dragon's Eye
The act of creating Druid fire is mentioned during a visit
to the Isle of Wight. The ley lines and the Power of the Land are called
Dragon Power during this lesson. A rite that allows one to "call the
Dragon" is presented and the symbol for the "Dragons Eye" is drawn.
15. The Rite of Inspiration
The use of meditation and Magickal Circles is described to
allow one to receive enlightenment to the Awen (the inner spirit that is
illuminated). Two rituals are given and the connection between the Sun
and Awen is given.
16. The Wild Hunt
The use of the Mandragon herb is described during a
shamanic contest between the Druid and the forces of Nature (usually
done during Samhain). The gains and losses of such a competition are
mentioned.
17. The Life Board
A Magickal symbol for the Three Circles of Existence
(Ceugant, Gwyned and Abred) is given. Fionn's ladder is discussed. The
use of such an empowered Magickal Symbol for makings and pathworkings is
described.
18. The Rite of Libation
A variety of Druidic draughts is given.
(2-10,Trailstalker) RE #16: I thought that Druids were in alignment
with Nature. What are they contesting?
(2-22,O'Dubhain) This particular lesson is about being in the Woods
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during the Wild Hunt of Gwynn ap Nudd when the raw primal forces of
Nature heighten one's inner fears.
(2-22,O'Dubhain) It's a rite of Mastery whereby the young Druidic
Initiate masters himself and faces the power of Nature, the winds, the
Darkness, the lightnings and such. So it's really a test to see how in
tune you are with Nature.
19. The Threshold Rite
The use of herbs and incense to enhance a journey to the
Otherworld is given.
20. The Triscale Stones
Divination using stones is presented. A pathworked trip to
the Otherworldly city of Caer Idris is made to show the origins of the
technique. The suggestion is given to find one's personal "oracle tree"
under which divinations will be optimized.
21. The Rite of the Active Door
The secrets of color and the concepts of invisibility are
given along with a ritual that opens all occult knowledge to the Druid.
This Ritual is the rite of passage to the Inner Mysteries.
If you read this book, you'll see that the Druids are presented doing
Magicks that harm others at times. Some of the Druids even do battle!
This certainly violates the Wiccan Rede that states "Do what you will if
you harm none"> The fact is that Druids were not Witches and they
frequently did battle as well as aiding their clans and kings in war.
The great Druid Amergin aided the Mileseans in their battles with the
Tuatha de Dannan. Many other examples exist of Druids harming plenty,
least of all none. Druids were definitely not Wiccans. Monroe's book
follows this philosophy, so some may call it "unethical". He also
advocates the use of a variety of naturals drugs to aid in Magicks,
meditations and Illuminations. I personally think these practices are a
matter of individual judgement and neither recommend nor reject them. Do
what you will. The choice is yours.
"The Rite of Three Rays"
This Ritual is similar to the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the
Pentagram and the Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram performed during
Ceremonial Magick and Ritual by the Golden Dawn as outlined by Donald
Craig or Israel Regardie. Monroe gives his version of this ritual in his
book "the 21 Lessons of Merlin". I haven't found any historical support
for it in my Celtic references but it seems to be typical of what I
think a Druid might do. (The Ritual smacks of Egyptian/Thelemic Magickal
practice IMHO). Monroe likens the 3 Rays or gestures in this ritual to
the first 3 Rays of the Mid-Summer Sun over the horizon (the Celts
called this Awen as well).
This ritual is primarily used to generate Power within the Druid
for protection or receiving "illumination" according to Monroe. It uses
the vibratory energies of sound coupled with the physical act of deep
breathing and communing with the Sun to create an "altered state" within
the Druid.
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Here's the basic steps of the ritual:
1. Stand in direct sunlight (noon if you can do it).
2. Close your eyes and breathe deeply to relax and start
the path to a meditative state.
3. Once you are relaxed, exhale then breathe in deeply as
you raise your hands above your head.
4. Slowly lower your arms while intoning loudly,
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" or "I" (The name of Isis in CM or Golden Dawn, this is
the invocation of the Goddess Power). Bring your arms to your sides.
5. Repeat this step while intoning "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" or
"A" for Apophis the Destroyer. Monroe calls this the "Crystal Ray" or
Ray of Balance and Separation. He says this represents both Male and
Female energies and also neither (sounds a lot like the Book of the
Law).
6. Repeat again while intoning "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" or "O"
for the Male God Osiris. This invokes the God Power to your aid.
7. repeat the arm gestures a final time while intoning
"IAO" or "EEEEEEE-Ahhhhhhh-OOOOOOOO!" Then open your eyes.
At this point the energy has been raised and the work is to be
done. One could shield from Magickal attack or seek the "Gift of Awen"
or some other Magickal act. Monroe doesn't state this but I recommend
"grounding" afterwards and if possible. Do this by eating and drinking
a lite meal. (I never recommend doing any Magick on a full stomach).
Wiccans do similar rituals using athames, wands and swords to draw
Circles and/or Pentagrams for protection and Ritual. This ritual is nice
because the 3 movements are tied to the 3 Rays of Awen. (As with all
Magick, ritual is very personal, if it feels right do it!<G>). Monroe
says that one could reverse the direction of the arm movements and the
intonations to "banish" energies that are directed at you. He also says
that one could only do the "male", the "female" or the "crystal"
movements depending on what is needed or banished. He suggests
experimenting as do I. I'd next like to discuss some ways that I achieve
"illuminated states".
(2-24,Nan) how would you describe the basic differences/simila-
rities between Wicca and Druidry? (25 words or less <g>)
(2-22,O'Dubhain) The Druids use the Sun and the Moon. And the Druids
were more political back then. Nowadays I'd say that the Druids tend to
be more left brained than the Wiccans and they tend to be more bilateral
with their Deity worship.
(2-24,Nan) a point of clarification for me .......Wicca doesn't
use the sun?
(2-22,O'Dubhain) Most of the major Wiccan celebrations are done under
the Moon. The Sun is also used but does not play as great a role as in
Druidry.
(2-6,Heather & Michel) We have both Wiccans & Druid here, so perhaps we
can clarify...
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(2-22,O'Dubhain) good
(2-6,Heather & Michel)
Wicca uses the sun as much as Druidism. Moon is primarily for
esbats... Wiccans don't tend to be culturally specific with their
worship, while Druids go for mostly celtic stuff and only share 4 of...
Wicca's 8 festivals. (At least how we do it.) ... ga
(2-22,O'Dubhain) ok!! seems to be a diversity of opinions and
practices as usual! thanks
(2-10,Trailstalker) Where would "shamanism" fit in with all of this? We
do ceremony under the Sun, the Moon, the Stars,... in swamps, forests,
deserts, living rooms, ... you get the picture... and what's an
"esbats"?
(2-22,O'Dubhain) Shamanism comes in when you seek assistance from the
Spirit world or you seek to control the elements. Esbats are Full Moon
Wiccan Rituals held every month Sabbats are Major festivals like we
outlined previously
(2-10,Trailstalker) I've found that with shamanism if you are seriously
working the path, there comes a time when rather than you working it and
using medicine items, you more or less become a medicine item for a
Greater spirit power. And it works through you.
(2-17,Freepowder) I remember, Druids are left brain based on Bonewits?
or others too?
(2-22,O'Dubhain) Actually Druids are both sided. I think some Wiccans
tend to reject the left side approach at times Bonewits seems to be left
brain heavy!<G> IMHO!
(2-17,Freepowder) modern druids, as previously cited?
(2-22,O'Dubhain) yes.... Modern Druids.
The ancients were a lot more in tune with their entire minds They
didn't really draw a line as such. To receive the "Gift of Awen"
requires us to achieve heightened or altered states of consciousness.
First let's describe what an altered state is. An altered state of
consciousness is just that, a different state from that which we
normally experience. This can be anything from a heightened awareness of
our physical surrounding to a totally different way of perceiving
all of reality. I have basically recognized the following states in
myself:
1. Sensing the mood or spirit of the land around me,
the trees, the streams, animals, the wind, the soul of the Earth. This
state is achieved by quieting the spirit and/or the mind. Being at peace
allows the world around us to communicate and touch us. I do this by
relaxing and releasing my thoughts and emotions. I float and accept. I
observe what IS. Not what I expect to see. Reality is as it is and not
filtered by my conditioning.
2. Having access to the Akasha for inspiration and
divination. (Usually coming in flashes.) I blank my mind in a manner
similar to the above process but usually do this in a secluded room
without light and external distractions. I fix my purpose in my mind and
seek for an answer. I do not allow anything to distract me. When my
answer comes, I can immediately recognize it.
3. Being out of "time sync" with others. Being
slightly in the future of what's happening around me. This usually
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happens to me without trying and sometimes accompanies other heightened
states. It also happens when I've taken anything with codeine in it.
4. Seeing "visions", things that are happening in the
future or the past as if they are happening right now. This state comes
on me when I have a quest that requires me to see through a different
set of eyes or a different point of view. I actually let myself just
look into another world or time through the eyes of a native being
(sometimes me or a relative, sometimes an artificial construct.)
5. Sensing people from previous lives. I usually have
no control of this. It just happens and can be triggered by some
familiar gesture word or other similar event. I just feel very at ease
and comfortable (or hostile at times) with the person I've known before.
6. Reading minds. (This also just happens). This is
not in words. It is in images and feelings. I just know what someone is
thinking or feeling.
7. Going out of the body. I have to relax totally,
isolate all external distractions. I start at my extremities and work
inward. (Did I mention that I am lying down on a comfy surface?) I
release all the tension in my physical body first. I next calm my
emotions, then my thoughts. Once I only exist within my head, I start
releasing all external inputs. I shut down all my creative centers. I
turn off all the monitoring that goes on. I relax and float. If Thoughts
or emotions enter in, I sink them into the Earth away from me. I banish
them. I float. Once I am completely isolated and floating in total
darkness, I try to see behind me and in front of me at the same time.
This is not possible while embracing the normal physical existence. It
can only be done in our Spirit forms. This takes total concentration and
practice. Not force, just persistence and release. I liken this process
to what happens when one is born. A long persistent pushing through the
birth canal surrounding us. The physical barriers thin out before our
efforts and suddenly we are born anew on the Astral plane. I can then
see in all directions at the same time I am aware of all around me.
Physical barriers are only thought forms to be ignored at Will. I can go
anywhere I desire to go. (However I am only a child in this existence
and am also very aware of the far greater Powers around me). I exercise
extreme caution when traveling the Astral. It is very easy to be
"noticed" and to become the object of unwanted attentions. My conscious
mind distracts me continually as I maintain a hold on my physical
existence. When i return to me body, I actually have to struggle back
into it! Part of me wants to stay on the Astral. The barriers that
separate and protect us from Astral Intrusions are tough to penetrate
even when we hold the keys! Be careful and cautious and you can learn a
lot. Slip for a minute and you can be trapped, possessed or lost.
8. Communing with the God/esses.
I commune with the God/esses in several ways. I recognize that all
things have life and Power within them. I especially feel a closeness to
trees, plants, rivers and lakes. The ocean just overwhelms me with it's
Power. The clouds constantly change in their forms and interactions.
Celts believe that places have Spirits. I am a Celt ,by birth but also
because I feel this Oneness and connection to Nature. You can be a
Brother or Sister the same way. Birth is unimportant. Who we are in the
Spirit is very important. The first way to commune with the Spirits
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is through Nature. When in this state my physical senses are extremely
heightened.
The next way to commune with the God/desses is through Ritual. In Ritual
we open the Pathways within us to be filled with the One Power. We
invite It within and share Its Touch. Magick is nothing more than
specialized Ritual and is a focusing of the Power. We can actually
become the God or the Goddess or some Other at these times. They can
have a physical body through us. I have sat back at such times and been
amazed at the words pouring forth from my mouth from the Energy that
possesses me. This Power is benevolent and will vanish anytime we
reassert ourselves. I caution those who would try this to be CERTAIN
that they are within a Sacred Space and are Protected before opening up
to a Spirit Entity. All Spirits are not benevolent and some WILL try to
violate your presence and assume complete control of your body. It
happens all the time. Watch the news and see for yourself. When out of
the body and feeling no constraints, it is possible to experience the
touch of the God/desses. I have felt Their Wonderful Presences filling
me. I usually feel Their approach as a feeling of tremendous anticip-
ation. I sense that something monumental is going to occur. Something
coming to me. The space around my spirit begins sparkling in golden
crystals. Then I experience a thrill of Joy and Happiness. I am
completed and embraced by the Knowledge of the Ages and The Love of my
Fellow Spirit. It's beyond words but so very uplifting, comforting and
peaceful. I feel that I am where I should be. My sense of my life's
purpose and my need to finish my work on this plane pulls me back. I
also feel that I need to share myself with those on the physical plane
I love. I cannot yet abandon the world of form. I bid Them adieu in
Perfect Love and struggle back into my body. I carry Their Blessings and
Love within. I try to share this in my life with others.
9. Working with Power.
I always work within a Circle when using Power. This can be a Circle
surrounding my person in an emergency. I prefer to use traditional
methods to create Circles more formally. Circles tend to hold residuals
of the Spells of Protection that are cast for them. My Circle at home is
such a place. Anyone can enter it but only those that are invited may
work with Power there. Sleeping within this Circle is guaranteed to make
you travel and have the strangest of dreams!<G>
To use Power I merely open myself to it. No meditation is necessary,
though it helps me to be more sensitive to the nuances of Power. All I
really need is a Magickally isolated place, a Circle. Once I am open, I
reach for the Power of the Earth and the Sky. I let the Energy flow
through me. (It feels like it comes into my feet and out of my hands and
head! This is similar to the way lightning flows.) I leave the stream
open and charge myself as full as I can get. My hair usually stands up
a bit and I get all "goose pimply"! I keep in mind the goal of my
working and I release the Power I've stored. (At the same time the Power
leaves me, I see it going as a beam of energy. If the Working is large
or systemic, I tie the beam to the same source I've tapped. This permits
it to continue after I've released it. (I actually visualize the beam
remaining and pumping the energy out.) I leave the beam with a spell
that allows it to quit when the Work is done. I release the Power back
to the Earth and Sky and thank the God/dess for their help. It helps to
eat or drink or something equally grounded in Physical Reality after
such an effort.
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10. Dying.
This is the Ultimate altered state. I myself have never actually died in
this lifetime yet. I have been at the Portal many times. I have sensed
the Ways to Tir na Nog. Always when I am close I sense a peace and a
surrender within me to the call of the Guardian of the Door. I actually
laugh from happiness. I have been told to return to this life because my
Work is not yet done. I have spoken to members of my own family about
their near death experiences and they are remarkably similar. A
releasing and a faith in what will come. A sensing that all is right and
that the Ultimate Will Accomplishes Its Purpose. I have read many books
and accounts of the experiences of others who have gone through that
door and returned. My belief in the Afterlife is strengthened by their
revelations. The ancient Celts and Druids believed so strongly in such
an afterlife that they sometimes chose to voluntarily accompany their
loved ones through the Door. Druids would even borrow money to be repaid
in another life! Needless to say their strong beliefs in another Life
after this One caused the Celts to have no fear of Death!<G>
I have watched the Spirits of those I love leave their bodies and have
seen the Light that surrounds them in Happiness. I have seen their
smiles to have finished their Work and receive their New Lives. Death is
no End, Death is an Accomplishment and a Release.
How do we tell when these states occur? We don't have to!!! We are in
them! They happen to us and we react to them!! We can't mistake them!!
They are beyond all Time and Space!
Seriously, If you are in one of these states, you feel very "charged up"
and full of energy. You sense an Exaltation of the Spirit. You are
extremely "Alive"! You will know and You will enjoy!<G>
How do we induce altered states of consciousness? The answer to this is
that we "open" ourselves up to them. We release our grasp on the Normal
state of Consciousness. We expand ourselves to the limits that are
actually there and not the ones we are conditioned to accept. Seeing
things that can't exist in Normal Reality helps sometimes. It shakes us
out of our conditioning. This can be as simply as seeing a glorious
Sunset or as strange as seeing a UFO or a Demon. I have achieved altered
states through meditation, drugs, Circles, Rituals, Drumming, Singing,
Reading, Dreaming, Involuntary or accidental occurrences, sickness and
by being Possessed. I don't recommend narcotics or heavy drugs, sickness
or Possession. Incenses and herbal drinks are ok though. (We'll discuss
these next week).
"Practical Meditation for Awen"
I'll try to elaborate a little here on the practical side of meditation.
I usually meditate lying down with my head to the North and my body
relaxed. If I am in Ritual I can Meditate while standing or kneeling.
The most important aspect to remember is to relax each part of your body
and mind. I usually start at my extremities (feet and hands). I tell
myself, "Relax your right foot, relax your left foot, relax your.... and
so on. I release all the tension in each part and let it flow out. I do
this several times until I don't feel my body any longer. Next I start
on my breathing and my heartbeat until they are automatic and transpar-
ent. Then I quiet my thoughts until only Darkness persists. Next I try
to ignore the Darkness until I am floating. To go further requires
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additional techniques. At this point I am a blank tablet and can just
rest or I can receive "messages" from Others. It's very important to be
where you are absolutely secure from unwelcome intrusions of the Spirit
or the Physical at this time. Without such a safe place, you will always
be slightly on your guard. It helps if another Being you trust will
watch over you at this time. This can be anyone from an elemental, a
totemic animal, a Spirit Guide, a person to a God/dess. Just thinking
about how it feels to meditate and then writing this answer, makes me
meditate.<G> I guess that remembering how it felt to meditate makes it
easier to meditate the next time you try! Practice makes Perfect!<G>
"Druidic Meditation"
Some of this material was covered previously but I repeat it here for
clarity and the benefit of those that may no have seen that particular
Workshop yet!<G> Druidic meditation was usually done for divination and
foretelling the future. This was called by the names: Tenm Laida,
Dichetal Do Chennaib and Imbas Forosna.
Tenm Laida (Illumination by Song) is an altered state usually achieved
by chanting or singing of a repetitive pattern. This can also include
drumming and dancing. These activities synchronize the body and mind to
an external rhythm allowing us to cast off the chains of normal
existence. This allows you to float at peace within the song (dance,
beat, mantra, etc.) This is a strictly Druidic or Shamanistic practice
even though it may look like TM.
Dichetal Do Chennaib (Cracking open the Nuts of Wisdom) is a state
achieved by relaxation and clearing the mind in a Ritual environment. It
usually involved using some Magickal implement such as a knife, a sword
or a staff to touch a subject (usually upon the head) or by handling an
item to discover what secret knowledge was contained within it. This
information could be events from a person's past life, a detailed
history of who and what had happened to an object or how and why the
subject was being hexed or spelled. I know this sounds like ESP but it
was enhanced through Ritual and relaxation techniques.
Imbas Forosna (Illumination) was a form of altered state used by seers
and bards to create or see visions. The Druid would be totally isolated
from all sensory inputs, sounds, lights and feelings. This was usually
a very dark room or a covering of hides. The Druid would attempt to
float and relax. When in the proper state he would signal for the hides
to be removed or he would open the door out of the Darkness. The sudden,
instantaneous transition from Darkness to Light would cause them to see
visions or to spontaneously utter poems, prophecies or achieve a total
Awareness of the secret Knowledge of their Surroundings. This sensory
deprivation It was their Ultimate Meditation technique.
The Druids also used music, colors, trees and numbers to alter their
consciousness. They were familiar with the Pythagorean Mysteries and may
have actually been the source of them!<G>
Druids shared IndoEuropean roots with the Indian Brahmans but I don't
have any hard data to support any similarities in their practices.
"Drugs"
I have experienced Magickal states from drugs but I don't think the
3223
technique is sufficiently controllable or repeatable. It's like playing
your Steinway with a sledgehammer. Sure you can play a song but at what
cost to the instrument? Plus I find that the songs are usually more
sophisticated if I don't use the sledge!<G>
I would caution anyone using drugs to know their track records, side
effects and purity before starting. Then do them under gradually
increasing controlled and supervised conditions. Never experiment with
drugs.
There is always a documented lab record of their effects. Know your
suppliers and don't get the wrong ones! The best recommendation is don't
do drugs. Your Mind, Body and Spirit can achieve better and more lasting
results. (As I mentioned previously, some natural herbal drinks and
incenses seem to aid meditation and ritual. We'll discuss those next
week). Well there we have it! All the different ways to achieve
illumination to Awen!
(End of Celtic Workshop #8 - The "Rite of 3 Rays" and the "Gift of
Awen")
"Celtic Workshop #9 - The use of Herbs and Potions"
The role of herbs in healing, Magick, ceremonies and rituals as well as
in mind alteration were presented and discussed in detail. The effects
of the most popular Druidic herbs and potions were detailed and
discussed. Some reformatting was done on the transcript for clarity's
sake as well. A final note!!!! Please exercise caution around most of
these herbs!! Some of them are considered to be POISONS! The effects of
some of the others are very powerful in areas of "mind alteration". The
author of one of the texts, used as a reference, presents his suggested
methods for how the Druids used these herbs (they are ONLY used in a
greatly dilluted state!). Once again I urge caution and good judgement
before proceeding. All in all, the Workshop participants evidenced a
very thorough respect and understanding of the use and effects of these
herbs.
Entering Workshop/Seminar 1 room...
"Druidic Use of Herbs"
We must look at many sources to determine how the Druids used drugs and
herbs. Some of these sources are historical (such as the Greek and Roman
historians). Other sources are the traditions of the Bards and Seanchai.
Still others are the folk remedies and fables of the major Celtic areas
of the world (Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Britain). We can also look
to information that comes from the inspired "Awen" of others (such as
Llewellyn Sion of Glamorgan and Douglas Monroe). Archaelogical evidence
is also being found (the bodies of sacrificial or other burial victims
have been recently discovered). Each of these types of sources will be
matched against the others (where possible) to give us the best possible
idea of how Druids worked with drugs and herbs.
A quote from one the ancients, Pliny, a Roman, referring to the Druid
veneration of mistletoe:
"Seldom was the Mistletoe found growing upon the Oak, but on such
occasion, the Druids gathered it with due religious ceremony, (if
possible on the 6th day of the new Moon-when the influence of the orb
was waxing, and said to be at its height. Following an elaborate
3224
banquet, a white-clad priest cut the plant from the oak tree with a
golden sickle, while another Druid held out a white cloak for its
reception. They believed that the Mistletoe, immersed in water within a
cauldron, would impart fecundity to barren animals, and that it is the
antidote for all poisons - its name meaning 'all healing.'"
I recommend acquiring the following books to aid in your tree and herbal
work:
Scott Cunningham's "Encyclopedia of Magickal Herbs".
Llewellyn Publications. ISBN 0-87542-122-9.
Medicinal and Other Uses of North American Plants
by Charlotte Erichsen-Brown. Dover Publications,
ISBN 0-486-25951-X.
Peterson's Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants by
Lee Allen Peterson, Ho0ughton Mifflin Co.,
ISBN 0-395-31870-X.
The Book of Forrest and Thicket by John Eastman,
Stackpole Books, ISBN 0-8117-3046-8.
Trees for Healing by Pamela Louise Chase and
Jonathan Pawlik, Newcastle Publishing, ISBN
0-87877-157-3.
Many of the herbs can be had from your local health food store as well
or can be ordered from the
New Forest Gardens,
P.O. Box 491,
Westfield,NY 14787.
(This is Run by Douglas Monroe I believe.)
(2-1,Freepowder) there are 2 varietys of Mistletoe.... american and
european, the effects of them are almost opposite... european lowers BP,
american raises.... the *berries* of either are deadly poisonous. GA
(2-11,Rhianna) Foxglove is another example - Digitalis (which
comes from (foxglove) is a poison, yet it's used for treating heart
patients.
(2-28,cherokee) my gt grandma used mistle toe to bring prople out
of fevers and unconsciousness. aspirin bark is poisonous too. its all
in how you prepare it
"The 16 Leeches of Diancecht"
Diancecht was the physician of the Tuatha de Dannan. He healed their
wounded during and after their Battles with the Fomorai and the
Firbolgs. He is the God of Herbs and Medicines.
The following list contains herbs listed in "the 21 Lessons of Merlin"
and contains their correspondences to the four elements as well as their
applications. How to prepare a suitable "store" of these medicines is
also given. The recommended dossages are also given. Note: Some of
these herbs can be considered "POISONS"! I heartily recommend using
extreme caution with them. I have attempted to identify those that may
be considered harmful. Please proceed at your own risk. I must say that
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generally Monroe stays away fron poisonous herbs in topical or internal
medicines. He does use some very dangerous substances in some of his
recommended incenses. a long list will follow please bear with me!<G>
"The 16 Leeches of Diancecht"
Spirit
Mistletoe Uchelwydd or All-Heal vertigo, dizziness, headaches, hear-
t/problems/palpitations, high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, nervine.
Preparation
one ounce of dried herb, in a jar with twice it's volume of vodka. Leave
for two weeks, strain and place in labeled dropper bottles.
Dosages
1 drop for every 10 pounds of body weight every 3 hours.
Earth
Phu (Valerian) sedative, cramps, pain, coughs.
Hoodwort (Skullcap) nerves, fevers, coolant
Nerve Root(Lady Slipper) nervine, indigestion, headache
Absinthe(Wormwood) digestion, liver/gall bladder, worms, topically for:
insect bites,sprains, rheumatism, bruises.
Air
Golden Pipes(Chamomile family) stomach aches/digestion/gas, calamative
vs insomnia in children, eye wash and open sores, kidneys.
Holigold (Calendula) Marigold. topical application for sores, burns,
bleeding hemorrhoids & wounds, in oil for ear aches, vaginal infections.
Eerie (Yarrow) internal bleeding (especially lungs), gas, diarrhea,
fevers(measles, colds,flus). also antiseptic.
Brittanica (Vervain) colds, flus, coughs, upper respiratory inflam-
mations, stomatic, insomnia, pneumonia, asthma.
Water
Catwort (Catnip/Catmint) digestion/stomach ache or cramps, calmative,
fevers, headaches, bronchititis & diarrhea.
Beerflower (Hops) Sleep aid, liver/digestive/gas/cramps. externally for:
boils tumors swellings & skin inflammations, refrigerant.
Withe (Black Willow) pain, fevers, arthritis, kidney/bladder troubles,
antiseptic, gargle, tonsilitis, refrigerant.
Coneflower (Echinacea) antibiotic (immune system stimulant), tooth/body
abscesses, lymph node swellings, digestive aid.
Fire
Goldenruthe (goldenseal) Antibiotic, general purpose internal/external,
eye-wash, female infections, sores, skin conditions, colds/viruses/infe-
ctions
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Amber (St. John's Wort) nerves, bed-wetting, liver tonic, insomnia, mix
with olive oil: use externally for skin conditions, tumors, wounds,
ulcers, burns, swollen glands, bruises and muscle pains.
Sacred Bark (Buckthorne) Constipation/laxative, digestive stimulant,
gas, liver, gall bladder/ stones.
Quercus (White Oak) internal bleeding, vaginal infections, antiseptic
for all wounds/bites/skin conditions, poison ivy/oak, gum problems,
lymph node swellings, varicose veins.
To activate these drugs, the Druids would include a small amount of
Mistletoe preparation to each before use. Since it was considered "all
heal".
"Draughts of Inspiration" (Only one is given)
These drinks are thought to instill the correct state of mind required
for "Awen". According to Monroe, nine exist in total, though only one is
given in his book. Perhaps we can discover the others? I suggest that
the other tree barks that were used are from the red chestnut, white
chestnut, Elm, Beech, Larch, Oak and Fir trees. I would guess these
based upon Hints contained in "Practical Celtic Magick" by Murry Hope.
I also would guess that ivy was used in a draught based upon information
from Scott Cunningham's "Encyclopedia of Magickal Herbs".
5 tablespoons of spring water
1 pinch Evening Primrose Flowers
1 pinch Black Willow Bark
1 pinch Thyme
sit in Glass bottle (closed in the Sun) for 3 days strain/ add 1 tsp
apple cider vinegar before use add 1 tsp chlorophyll (alfalfa) take 3
drops subligually prior to Magickal Workings with trees/plants.
"Threshold Smoke"
These concotions are used to aid one in having an Otherworldly ex-
perience. They are cast upon the flames of a fire. Please note that some
of the ingredients are POISON! and that another one of them is con-
sidered "illegal". The use of these herbs are indicated to aid solitary
meditations in the deep woods. Be aware that they will induce "Dark
Visions" and reveal your inner fears. According to Monroe, the Druids
required one to master such fears to be in tune with Nature and to
achieve "Balance"..I recommend that none of them be tried when unsuper-
vised and I also recommend extreme caution.
To make the incense:
Blend and compound the following plants:
Neckweede (Hemp)
Nightshade (Belladonna) (poison)
Ghostflower (Datura)
Keep in a dark (light free) box.
Burn as an incense to facilitate "threshold"
and "traveling" works.
3227
"The Spirit of the Mandrake"
This incense is used to attain a state of altered consciousness for
resolving one's inner fears and becoming one with the Spirit of the Land
and its animal Nature. I caution anyone considering using it to be aware
that Mandrake is considered a POISON! This herb is used during the Night
of the Wild Hunt that we discussed last week.
Toss dried Mandrake (poison) root upon a bed of hot coals or embers and
let the smoke cause you to travel within the darkness of the night. May
apple, Peony; Ginseng or Briony roots may be substituted (also con-
sidered poisonous!).
"The Song of Bluestar"
Another herb used to achieve altered states was the Bluestar flower or
the Blue Morning Glory. This plant is considered poisonous! Do not eat
or drink anything made with it and handle it with care. Monroe suggests
drying the flowers and seeds to make an incense for a rite of assumption
or tapping into Powers. This might also be called "mind expansion".
(The same plants have been used to create LSD in recent times, so I am
not surprised that they are used here). I'm not advocating that anyone
of you try this incense, but Monroe says the Druids did. I'm not
surprised.
Here is the essence of the trip or rite of assumption:
"I will be as a Bluestar upon a field of Green, circling upward towards
a golden Sun."
.... translation by D.W.Nash
The Druids believed all life was interrelated from the lowest forms to
the highest. This quote from the ancient Welsh document, the Mathnawai,
shows their philosopy:
"I died as a mineral and became a plant,
I died as a plant and rose to an animal,
I died as an animal and I was a man.
Why should I fear?
When was I ever less dying?
Yet once more I shall die as a man,
to soar in the Blessed Realm;
but even from godhood
I must pass on...."
One further quote from "The Gorchan of Maeldrew": "Each atom an
evolving life, each blade of grass a potential soul."
"The Draughts of Oblivion"
I give here the "fast" (meaning quick to make) version of Celtic drinks
and libations from the "21 Lessons of Merlin" as well as the festivals
at which they are used:
May Mead for Beltaine
Add a half ounce of each of the following to 1 gallon of your favorite
white wines:
heather flowers, meodowsweet, woodruff
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leaves. Let sit for about 6 hours. Filter
and chill before serving.
Midsummer Ale
Add a half ounce of each of the following to 1 gallon of your favorite
red wines:
fresh oak leaves, chamomille, red rose
petals. Let sit for about 24 hours. Add
9 tablespoons of honey and 1 teaspoon of
vanilla. Filter and chill before serving.
Samhain Absinthe
Add a 2 teaspoons of each of the following to 2 pints of your favorite
port wines:
wormwood, dried apple/mint leaves, dried
pumpkin blossoms. Let sit for about 1
week. Filter through muslin and bottle.
Garnish with raisins and cloves before
serving.
Midwinter Mulsa
Add a half ounce of each of the following to 2 quarts of your favorite
dry white wines: crushed juniper berries, wintergreen,
Elder Flowers. let sit for about 6 hours.
Filter and chill before serving. Garnish
with a sprigg of green pine or hot with
a cinnamon stick
Now these are drinks I can get excited about! I think we can all see
that Druids used a variety of herbs in their work....from "visions" to
partying.
(2-24,Trailstalker) Before we break up for our "free-for-all" I wanted
to share a couple of addresses.
1) Natural Labs in Sedona, AZ.
They make great herbal tinctures. Pure and powerful. The man who runs
it is very knowledgeable about herbs and remedies. They can be reached
at:
602-284-9551.
45 Castlerock Road, Suite 2,
Sedona, AZ 86336.
(2-24,Trailstalker) The other is Winter Sun Trading Company in
Flagstaff, AZ. It is run by Phyllis Hogan who is the ... head herbalist
in AZ. She's at:
602-774-2884.
18 E. Santa Fe,
Flagstaff, AZ 86001.
(2-24,Trailstalker) BTW the man's name is Don Hall.
Celtic Workshop #10 - The Act of "Becoming" and The Charm of "Summoning"
How to actually influence your surroundings. How to perform Weather
Magick, to call animals to you, to improve your crops and to influence
the outcome of events. How to discover your past life, find your Inner
Teacher or Self and how to summon "Spirits" to your presence.
3229
Our Cyber Tuatha gathered upon the moors and among the raths once more.
This night was a night of Magick and the Power of the Moon Goddess in
her full glory. We engaged in some prelimenary greetings and then the
presentation begain .....
(2-8,O'Dubhain) Celtic Workshop #10 -
The Act of "Becoming" and The Charm of "Summoning"
Tonight's workshop is advertised to cover the following topics and I
intend to give them all my best efforts at explanation. Tonight's
topics are:
How to actually influence your surroundings.
How to perform Weather Magick, to call animals to you, to
improve your crops and to influence the outcome of events.
How to discover your past life, find your Inner Teacher or
Self.
How to summon "Spirits" to your presense.
I am being ambitious in talking about these topics!<G> I trust we can
cover them all tonight and I also hope to have many contributions by all
of you regarding your own personal experiences in these areas. We will
learn from our "Inner Druids"! <G>
The key words to remember tonight are "Becoming" and "Summoning". They
along with "Will" and "Authority" are the basis of most Druidic and
Celtic Magicks.
What do I mean by "Becoming"? What does this act have to do with Magick?
How did Druidsdo this? I asked myself all of these questions before
making this act a topic for tonight's workshop. The inspiration for the
act of "Becoming" is the "Song of Amergin" from the ancient Irish
manuscript the Leabhar Gabha'la (Book of Invasions). Hear now the words
of the Druid Amergin:
" The Mystery
I am the wind which breathes upon the sea.
I am the wave of the ocean.
I am the murmur of the billows.
I am the ox of the seven combats.
I am the vulture upon the rocks.
I am a beam of the Sun.
I am the fairest of plants.
I am a wild boar in valour.
I am a salmon in the water.
I am a lake in the plain.
I am a word of science.
I am a point of the lance in battle.
I am the God who created in the head the fire.
Who is it who throws light into the meeting
on the mountain?
Who announces the ages of the Moon?
Who teaches the place where couches the Sun?
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(If not I)"
This was the translation by Dr. Douglas Hyde from his work "Literary
History of Ireland". This poem was once as well known in the Celtic
world as the "Lord's Prayer" is in today's world. It is said to be the
first verse made by the Mileseans as they arrived in Ireland (circa 1000
BC). This is also an incantation by a mighty Druid and is a good
illustration of the act of "Becoming". Amergin is using the Magickal Law
of Identification that is given by Isaac Bonewits in his book "Real
Magick":
"The Law of Identification ...states that by maximum association between
your metapattern and that of another entity, you can actually "become"
that entity and wield its power."
Bonewits is a Neo Druid and the founder of the group A'r nDrai'ocht
Fe'in (ADF for short though it really means "Our Druidic Magick" in
Gaeilge). This act of "Becoming" is one that is not lightly undertaken.
The danger exists of being trapped within the other entity (whether
natural, human or spiritual). I suggest you not actually try this sort
of thing until you know your True Will (exactly who you really are
without self delusion). This was also true of the Greek and the
Egyptian Mysteries. Their first and major requirement was "Gnothi se
auton", literally "Know thyself"! The ability to control and return to
one's being is linked directly to one's knowledge of Self. Sometimes
this process goes the otherway as well, as when a Wiccan "Draws Down the
Moon". The threefold Goddess actually Manifests within the High
Priestess (HPS) in such a ceremony. She who has no Name is benevolent,
usually, so that this possession results in the HPS afterwards being
returned to control of her own body. "Becoming" is a two way street and
a matter of "Will".
Now that we know a little about the act of "Becoming", I think you can
appreciate just how great a Druid that Amergin was....he "became"
multiple entities at the same time in his Invocation of the Mystery. He
controlled all of these elemental powers and made them his own. This act
of Power allowed the Mileseans to land upon Eireann though they were
opposed by the Magicks of the Tuatha de Danaan. He also lived to do
other Magicks (though I must say that his invocation of Ireland is
rumored to have caused him to marry and join the de Danaan within the
spirit world of the Sidhe). We must remember that Amergin was a Druid
and so had studied his arts intensivly for anywhere from 12 to 20 years
as a minimum. He was able to return to hinself after such Magical
Working because he knew his True Self and Will. This strong connection
is the Way of Return for us all. I urge that you all exercise due
caution when "Becoming". Know yourself first.
Another saying worthy of note while discussing the act of "Becoming" is
a common saying of the ancient world that I quote from Doreen Valiente's
book "Natural Magic": "Ten measures of magic were given to the world.
Egypt took nine. The rest took one."
I include this saying here to establish one other connection....that of
the Druids to the Egyptians. The lineage of Amergin and the Gaels
includes his mother Scota (daughter of the Egyptian Pharoh) as well as
Mile and Niall "of the Languages" a Scythian prince from Syria. No small
wonder then that Pliny, a noted ancient scholar, says of the Druids in
his work "Natural History" that the Druids practiced Magick with such
elaborate ritual that it would almost appear that it was they "who had
3231
taught the Persians". These are none other than the Magi or "wise men"
from whom the word Magick is derived. Another ancient historian, Dio
Chrysostum groups the Druids together with the Persian, Hindu and
Egyptian priesthoods regarding their use of magical powers. While I'm
connecting Magical schools, I may as well say that Liber Al vel Legis
(The Book of the Law) is the channeled revelation of the Egyptian
dieties Nuit, Hadit and Ra-Hoor-Khuit (Otherwise known as Isis, Osiris
and Horus) Horus is two in one, Horus and Harpocrates or Set/Apophis).
We have already seen the use of these three godnames in the "Rite of
Three Rays" from a previous workshop. This was the intonation of the
sounds "IAO" used when invokiing the One Power. In Thelemic Magick the
Book of the Law is the basis for the revelation of a "New Aeon" or "New
Age". It was channeled in 1904 by Aleister Crowley 90 years ago this
month. "Do what thou wilt is the whole of the Law". "Love is the Law,
Love under Will". (caps are mine).
I have digressed quite a bit here but I think the time is well spent.
Celtic Magick is tied through the Druids to the Egyptians and the
Persians to a far older Magick arising out of Summeria and from there
beyond time. It is true and powerful Magick and I give the same caution
to you that I gave about herbs last workshop....think long and hard and
with great deliberation before undertaking this journey. Once the path
is taken, the journey must be completed.
Now I finally get to my first topic of the night! <G>:
"How to actually influence your surroundings"
The key to any act influencing the world around us is to be in tune and
in touch with it first. You must hear the tune before you can change the
music or even write your own song. I suggest a lot of meditation in
Nature. Find a spot that "speaks" to the Pagan within you. Be at Peace
and "feel" the pulse of Nature, the God and the Goddess. Once this
rapport has been established, one is ready to influence the surround-
ings. The Druids left us few writings concerning their spells and
Magicks. We must "rediscover" these Works by looking at the Magicks
that are done in the world today and by Using our "Druid filters" and
"Celtometers"!! <G> I have included examples of such "Natural Magics"
from my own experiences, the experiences of other Witches and Druids as
well as those that I found in the writings of Doreen Valiente, Bonewits
and Scott Cunningham.
"How to perform Weather Magick"
For weather Magickal examples I turned to our very own Thunder Being,
Shadow Hawk, shaman and wizard extraordinaire!<G> He obliged me with a
few examples:
The first example involves the control of weather fronts and rain.
Our favorite shaman uses the techniques of dancing and drumming to
attain a higher state. He invokes the Lightning beings and they join the
dance with him. By being so in tune with them he can ask that they do
his bidding. If he must act upon an existing weather front, he sends his
"power animal", Dragon into the clouds. Dragon is a manifestation of
this Shaman in the power planes. Dragon then interacts with the clouds
and controls the storms. When the work is done, he is recalled to his
shaman. The use of such a "power animal" or Magickal construct allows
the wise shaman to "become" one with the elements of the storm and
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influence them without "losing himself" in their wild natures. The
connection is retained with the Self (Shadow Hawk) back upon the ground
while the power animal (Dragon) works among the clouds. The use of such
Power has its price.... Shadow Hawk suffers sever headaches for three
days following these episodes.
The second example of how our Dark Shaman uses the weather for Magick is
in charging his Magickal tools: his sword, wand and athame. During a 200
MPH hurricane, he faced the Power of the storm, shouting out the
invocation of the Quarters, forming a Magickal Circle and calling the
storms Power into his sword, his wand and his athame. He also captured
the storm's rain in a cauldron for later magickal workings. Can't you
see him with the storm's winds lashing at his cloak? Sword upraised as
lightnings crash all around him, exploding in sparks and reflecting in
eerie blue lights off the steel of his blade and the aura of his
Magick!!! He has used these tools in many Powerful workings.
"How to call animals to you"
This is a matter of "becoming" the animal in your mind and "willing" it
to come to you. Actually the "Beastmaster" movie illustrated this
technique quite well. Most good hunters do this subconsciously and
naturally.
"How to improve your crops"
In this Working, invoke no other spirits than your own. Burn no fires
nor incenses. Carry four stones with you that have been blessed by you
in a previous ceremony. Set these stones to define the area that is to
be planted. Cast a Magickal Circle within this field. Sit upon the
ground and place both hands upon the earth at your sides. Feel the
earth, it's dampness, its fertility, its calm. Reflect upon your needs
and the crops you are about to plant. Next recite a suitable chant or
poem. I like this one:
"Go maith raibh agat, na mBande'.
Go maith raibh agat, na De'.
Go maith raibh agat, talamh me'ith.
Cuirim fad beannacht na greine thu.
Cuirim fad beannacht na gealai thu.
Cuirim fad beannacht mo chroi' thu.
Go me'adai Bhri'de do sto'r san
ba'isteach de earrach.
Go me'adai Danu do sto'r san
greine te de tsaamhradh.
Go me'adai Dagdha do sto'r
san gaoth ple'isiu'rtha fo'mhar."
As I sit and reflect upon the bounty that the Land has given me I give
back to the earth of my own personal Power. I remember the blessings it
has bestowed to me and my pleasure in its well being. After a suitable
amount of reflection and meditation, I arise to do my plowing and to
plant my seeds for another turn of the Wheel.
"How to influence the outcome of events"
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I try to create a feeling of Positive Magick within me. I banish all
negative thoughts. I surround myself with a glow of positive golden
energy. I tap the flows of the earth and the sky and "project" a
creative field all around me. I find that this works well in casinos and
just before having important meetings. It helps to strongly visualize
the outcome that is desired and to see the results occur and not the
actions that cause them. Let events sort themselves as they may. Let the
Magick work. Be patient and await the rewards.
"How to discover your past life"
Some people use tapes and hypnosis to do past life regressions. Perhaps
some of you have and can share those experiences with us tonight. I find
that what works best for me is to read about a time to understand the
events of that period and to set the stage for my Work. I then allow
myself to "daydream" and reflect about that time and to see myself
within it. What usually happens next is that no revelation comes to me
immediately. I maintain my focus over perhaps as long as three days
constantly checking to see if my "dream" search has produced any
results. When I least expect it, sudden revelation will show me a scene
from a past life and my part in it. It's like seeing a photograph from
an album for me.
"How to find your Inner Teacher or Self"
This is the start of all real Magick, finding your True Will. Many
techniques exist for doing this in a variety of books, everything from
"the 21 Lessons" to Donald Michael Kraig's "Modern Magic". I will relate
how it happened to me. I studied the works of Magick, Science and
Religions (as many as I could find). I sought for the Truth that was
external to me. I was a bulldog chasing down many paths and wrestling
with many concepts. The Truth eluded me, always constantly out of mu
grasp....the fox and the grapes. I was incredibly frustrated. One night
I gave it all up. As I lay in the Silence of my mind, I left all of the
mundane world behind and suddenly I was surrounded by Spirit in a place
not a place. It was not within me...I had ceased to exist I was the
student and the Spirit was the teacher. Since then, if I have need of an
answer, I create a sacred space for me to be silent and I await
enlightenment. I listen to my Inner Guide. Sometimes the lessons are
easy and othertimes I have to learn the hard way. (Frequently I get off
of My Path and am "guided back" with many "object" lessons kicking me in
the seat of the pants<G>)! I would be interested in hearing how anyone
else found their True Will. Mine search was long and hard and I still
stray in confusion at times!<G>
"How to summon 'Spirits'"
I will give an example of how to summon the Spirit of Merlin as found in
the book "The 21 Lessons of Merlin" by Douglas Monroe. Before we begin
there is a chant we must learn in old Welsh:
"Bedd Ann ap lleian ymnewais fynydd
lluagor llew Ymrais
Prif ddewin Merddin Embrais."
the meaning:
"The grave of the nun's son on
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Newais Mountain:
Lord of Battle, Llew Embrais,
Chief Magician, Myrddin Emrys."
the pronunciation:
"BETH AHN ahp T-Lay'in, eem-NEW-ais
FEEN-ith
T-loo-AH-gor T-loo EEM-rais
Preeve DEW-in MEER-thin EHM-rihs."
I find that using an unusual language in a chant helps me to free myself
from the chains of the mundane and allows me to focus upon the Working.
After memorizing the above chant one must search for a suitable
site....a grave yard or burial ground that is isolated from prying eyes
and situated upon a hill. This sounds hard but is not impossible to do.
I know of such a place where my great, great grandfather and grandmother
are buried upon a hill beneath a copse of trees in a farmers fields.
Many such spots exist... though work can find them (and hopefully also
permission to use them).
Pick a suitable night for the ritual, Samhain being the absolute best
night. Gather nine pumpkins that are carved with faces (though candle
holders will do...just not as spooky). Set the circle up the day before
the ritual as you don't want any distractions from your Work. Arrange
the pumpkins with candles around you in a circle (about arms width) with
the faces looking outward. Always light the candles from within the
circle. Pick a suitably soulful dirge (for meditation and mood setting)
from your favorite songbook (Monroe suggests his but you know what you
like better). Sing this song as you meditate and reflect upon the
Working. Place an iron cauldron within the circle upon a bed of coals.
Into this cauldron place a mixture of an herb, a flower and a tree
(Monroe suggests using 1 part wormwood, 2 parts Ghostflower (Datura) and
3 parts Yew (juniper or cypress) as an incense mixture. (Store bought
incenses work just as well and can be burned in an incense burner
instead of a cauldron). Start the entire ritual at 30 minutes before
Midnight. At precisely Midnight throw additional incense on the coals
and recite the above invocation nine times without stopping. "Become"
one with the chant! See into the Darkness! Expect the coming of Myrddin
Emrys! Sit quietly and await the coming of the shade of Merlin! You may
ask for the answers to three questions. Release the shade by extinguish-
ing the fire and incense completely, then extinguish the 9 circling
fires of the pumpkin heads. You can now pack up and leave. The key to
successfully working this Magick is setting the mood, performing the
meditations and reflections and reciting the invocation properly. The
ritual can be adapted to allow you to invoke other Spirits as well to
equal effect.
The ancient Gaels would do similar rituals to communicate with the dead.
They would usually lay and sleep upon the grave of the person to be
summoned while fasting, until the shade appeared. This process was not
lightly undertaken by them, as the dead could be quite dangerous to the
living, wanting to regain the pleasures of the flesh (hence the need for
the Magickal Circle of pumpkins and light). In a previous workshop I
told how the Ta'in Bo' Cuailnge was recovered by a young Druid sleeping
upon the grave of Feargus Mac Rioch. I'd like to caution you all once
more to do these rituals only when in dire need. That's why it's
important to do two things...
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1. Always work within a Circle.
2. Have someone there that can aid you if things
get out of hand. This means severingthe
connection and banishing the entity.
This is also why it's so important to know your True Will. When you have
that anchor you can come back from anywhere. I know... because I have
done it. It's like climbing a hill though...
(2-28,cherokee) Rhianna, I think as od said it's important to
remember that you are working with very powerful energies. You must be
pure and centered before doing the work. The indians believe it is not
possible for an animal to take over a human because the animals are here
as guides who keep us close to our source.
Celtic Workshop #11 - "Walking between the Worlds" and "Journeys on the
Wheel"
We met on Tuesday evening because the online Bealtaine Ritual was on
Monday. The topics of discussion were Out of Body Experiences (OOBE),
Astral Travel and Inner Journeys. An example of a "pathworking" on
Fionn's Wheel was given.
Tonight's workshop discusses Astral Travel and Inner Journeying.
Tonight's topics are:
Out of Body Experiences
Astral Travel
Example Inner Journey on Fionn's Wheel
Tonight we talk briefly about the subject of Out of Body Experiences
(OOBE). Thisexperience is the means by which one can effect or achieve
Magick. It is central to the methods behind the Magickal Law: "As Above,
So Below". A complete workshop will be offered here soon by another, so
I touch briefly on these techniques tonight.
Three excellent books on these subjects are:
Astral Projection by Denning and
Phillips.
Journeys Out of the Body by
Robert A. Monroe.
Traveling With Power by Ken
Eagle Feather.
I will present the results of an Inner Journey later, using Fionn's
Wheel as a guide to the Astral Archtypes within each of us.
The basic techniques of OOBE are these: "disassociation" and "release".
Another word for "disassociation" is "meditating". Meditating allows us
to break free from the conditioning forced upon our thoughts by the ever
so mundane, so-called "normal" world. It places our mind into a rhythm
that allows it to "vibrate" in resonance to other realities (some might
say other dimensions or even other worlds). I achieve this state by
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going through a process of literally forcing myself to "relax". I relax
my extremities first, then my legs, arms, trunk, head, breathing, heart
and lastly, my mind. The body is calmed by physically lifting, then
releasing a body part and "feeling" the waves of relaxation flow inward
and up the body. This is done in succession until only the mind is
active.
Once totally within the mind, relaxation of thought must occur. I
achieve mental quietness by visualizing a totally "Black" void into
which all thoughts, feelings and flickers of thoughts and feelings are
fed. This process continues until all is "black". I float before a sea
of Darkness. I see nothing, I feel nothing , I am nothing. Once this
state is achieved, one may proceed to "travel" or have an OOBE.
"Leaving the Body"
To leave the body requires an additional two steps: an increase in the
vibratory rate of the Spirit and a "pushing" out of the body. I am lucky
that I seem to have discovered these techniques while experimenting on
my own. The proper level of Spiritual vibration or "ecstasy" is achieved
by further relaxation and through belief or "Will". I totally believe
that my Spirit can leave my body and do anything. This focused and
concentrated belief through Will is the essense of all Magick. It is
absolutely necessary to achieve results. Some might call this process
"faith". It is the stuffby which mountains are moved and with which
entire worlds and even universes are created. It is also the basis of
Love and it is through Love that most of us discover the Power that we
all have to create and perform Magick.
Everyone from Ahura Mazda to Jesus to Crowley says the same thing about
this process. Love is Power. It is the fundamental requirement for
creative Work. Let us soar upon the wings of eagles and fly on the wings
of doves into the Astral. I "key" the process of leaving my body to
seeing in every direction at the same time. This is impossible for me to
visualize or to consider in my "normal" existence while contained within
the physical shell of my skull and the confines of my body.
The "Darkness" I have achieved by relaxation of the mind is seen as a
balloon. I see only one side of it. As my Magick squeezes this balloon,
it expands toward me and through me until I am surrounded by the
Darkness. While this process of transformation and metamorphesis occurs,
I maintain constant contact with all aspects of the Darkness that I
encounter when the passage is complete, I see the inside and the outside
of the Dark Bubble. I see in two directions! This is one step. I take
as many steps as are necessary, piling belief upon work and work upon
belief until no direction is unseen. I see myself from without and
myself from within. I float and I create. I "travel" and I do anything
I can conceive. My existence is a "waking dream". I am the master of
Reality. I am a new creation! This is the essence of OOBE. Where one
goes from here is for a more advanced workshop. I trust the New Age
forum OOBE Workshop will be just such an experience for all of us. I
plan to be a part of it and I trust you will all join me there.
"A Journey Through the Veil at Bealtaine"
In the spirit of this Bealtaine season and to Honor the Mother of Summer
and the Lord of the Greenwood, I took out a copy of Fionn's Wheel to use
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as a focus for my reflections and musings. I found a quiet spot with no
distractions and I gazed upon the Magickal Oghams of the Wheel. I sought
guidance about the world around us and clarity as to my purpose. As I
gazed upon the symbols, a mist began to form and I slowly began to
journey. The veil between the worlds is thinnest on the spindle of the
Wheel this night. What follows is the story of my journey upon the
pathways of the Wheel: (A voice within my mind spoke to me.)
"Tonight is a night of Magick. Come with me into the rath ..enter the
home of the Sidhe. Let us walk the moonways and take the path of the
journey within:"
"The Mists of Draiocht"
<The mists arise in the meadow and gather in whorls and spirals. The air
is filled with mystery. A strange call sounds...
can you hear it?...shivers and silvers..
bells?... or ... harp strings and laughter?
We are called...called are we....called...
we must go....we must go...we must go...
Wrapped in wraiths of shimmering silver..
flowing, ever flowing from without..
time is not here...reality dissolves...
consciousness journeys within.
Into the night i must go...on spirit wings,
leaving this world behind!! I must go!
Billowing fog and music calls to me!
I have no legs...the mist rises! ...
I ride the waves...no arms..none! The
Power flows within always within.....
within...always......always..........
within......I float I float I float..
Only me in the silence and the drums...
Only me...the spirit me survives!
And my heart lives on in echoes! It
calls to me across the void as I journey.
Hear the beat of my heart's drum...hear
the beat of life's blood...my thoughts
are a rhythm...a drumming, a rhythm of
life and thought across the shimmering
moonways....come within .....within..
Feel the energy in waves as it comes
...in waves and we float..we float as
the waves...the waves...the waves...
come to us ..... we are...not
we are not...we are not..we are not! Not!
It comes!! The darkness comes!
Darkness.
"The Point of Light"
One point of light...one point of life!!
Only that ...only that...and the drum...
the drum as we journey...mists of silver...
we are mist and we float to the light..
the Silver wheel turns on mists of...
mists of...silver and light...a moth...
drawn...the light beckons..to the wheel...
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swirling in light and darkness....how
can this be? Where can we be? How?
How? The Wheel turns and we turn as
we spiral....spirals of life within...
within....no drumming...the silence is
all...Nothing and ALL!! We are!!
Nothing.
The journey begins:
"The Hallway of Music"
(Who is it that speaks?)
"Come to me my children...come within!
It is time... your time..our time...all
of time...and no time...We are here!
We are! We rejoice!
Rejoice!!"
"Let us laugh and play the old songs!!
Let us sing and discover!! Dance the
dance and travel!"
<Arms surround me and sweep me across
a floor that was not there a moment
ago. Laughter fills the air. I am happy.
I smile with lips I do not have. I am
me but I am theirs as well!>
(How can this be?)
The colors are every color!! Multicolored
hues and rays abound!! They are many and
they are one !!! They are one and they are
many! The colors! The colors are all one!
The signs of mystery...abound...the Mystery
is in the signs ... The signs of Mystery!
All is Pefect ...all is Beauty...and...
I choose the first sign. ...."Huath"
<The flames engulf me!! I burn and I
am gone!! Into the Dark!! and the Light
beckons...Death and Life!! ....Love and
Sex!! I am steel!! I am a sword!!!
Goibhnui hammers upon his forge!! I was
steel and now I am a sword!! I am a tool!!
I am a use!! Knowledge is upon me!! Waves of
sex lap upon the shores of death!! I am the
Crane walking the waters edge. I am Life
and Death .... endlessly ... endlessly ...
until the Beginning. I must be shaped and
molded. I must burn the impurities! I must
sacrifice them to the Holy Fires! Purity!
Into the Twin Fires!!! Flames of Purity!!>
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Purity!
<I have been remade!>
"The Endless Sea"
<The fires are gone!! The world is a Sea!
Deep Waters! Holy Waters! Healing Waters!
Awash in cooling , soothing waters
of forgetting and solitude...I am not here.
I am a wave upon a sea of stillness....
I am the reflection of the moon in
pathways of silver!! I am an endless sea.
A sea that flows around a Great Tree....
A Shining Tree of Light! A Tree within
the Light...a Tree that has been and
is always. It is the way!! It is a doorway!
A doorway to purpose!! A purpose that endures!!
Enduring for all time!! A White Tree of many
branches...many branches of life! Each branch a
gathering of silver ... silver leaves in the
moonlight. Moonlight and songs of Magick!
The music begins!!! The music of the
leaves sing to me! Each note...a lifetime
of purpose...attempted and tried....
gained and lost....melodies of song...
life's song....the call of the wren...
each small note builds with the others!!
a symphony of souls...a multitude....
all the same...It is I!! They are me!!
I am them!!! I lust and I long for me!!
All of me....The sound gathers and the
music swells!! It is the call!! The call
is made and we/I/us/they/I gather to BE!>
The doorway is open yet the door itself
is closed! Pass within with me:
"The Oaken Door of the Greenwood"
<I pass through the Oaken timbers of the
door itself! I step into a vast room...
the Great Hall of the God...the Grove!!
It is the Green Man...It is He!!
The forest is alive and sings the song!
He sits in Giagantic Majesty...humanlike
in shape upon a living throne of evergreen
and Holly!! His flaming eyes gaze upon a
burning bush!!>
(Hear the words of the God:)
"Come sit at my fire!!! Look within and
SEE!! SEE!! SEE yourselves!!! See them all!
Your lives and your deaths!! See your travels!
See your loves!!! I am HE! I am Lord of the
Greenwood!! I am life reborn from the womb
of the Mother. and You are a seed...you are
a forest!! You are remade!! Be One!! Be
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a part of the All!! Live with me and my
children!! We are life...your life and
the forest...all souls in the green song.
We are verdent...green upon green...
upon green... Let us wed the Bride and be
ONE as we are always...you and I! We wed
the Land!!"
<I am a vine of flowers blooming upon
a canvas of green...painted against
a sky filled with grey...green birds
all flocking together...as one bird...
a giant creature of the Air... and I
soar through the beams and boughs of
the Holly King's Hall and into the Sky!>
Join me upon the wings of Air:
"The Flight of the Starling"
A lush green earth spreads in fields
below me as I soar upon the winds.
I journey through and above a garden.
Many blooms...many flowers...many scents.
The air is filled with sounds and scent
and I see Forever across the World of
the Living even unto the Hill in the
Center. The Center of all things. A great
stone temple arises within a grove of hazel
and is framed against a golden light. White
and grey stones surround a crystal well
that sparkles within the mote of the always
seeing eye! The Crystal Light shines forth!
It guides me to the spring!! The Waters
of Life!! The Wellspring of Knowledge!!
Crystal twinkles of light play music upon
my mind's eye and cascade in fountains of joy!
The Song of the Ages of Man and Woman ....
so Many and so Right...the temple is filled
by the Song and the Dance ...step and sing!
Brothers and Sisters! Are we all here? What
is this place? Am I here? Are you here?
We are within... I am AWARE.
"The Fountain and the Field"
<I approach the fountain within the temple.
The roof is open to the sky and many birds
can be seen...yet only two are with me..
and they stand within the waters. One is the
white Crane from the Dead Sea.. I am speared
upon the point of his eye. I am pierced!!
I am lifted to a ledge of stone that surrounds
the inner temple...Here ther are many artifacts.
The spoils of war...the fruits of labor...the
ancient Magicks and Alchemies!! Tools of
Magick!! Tools !!! >
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"Choose wisely....do not waste this spin upon
the spindle of life!! Now is the time of
change!! One choice only can you have!! Choose
wisely.... or be gone!"
<A rounded shield fashioned from hazelwood ....
gilded and bronzed with a covering of symbols
catches my eye...and I choose...wisely...
wisely...wisely I trust!!! Guide me!! I cry
out....Guide me my Guide!!! Aid me now!!>
This is the answer that appeared:
"The Fruit of the Tree"
<A small voice croons to me..the voice of the
querc....small and brown ...common....yet..
It is Beautiful!! and it sits in a tree of White.
White Blossoms above the Eternal Fountain.
Perfect Beauty and Promise!! I approach the
querc and the Tree.>
I ask,"What is this Tree that grows within
this Sacred Place oh small brown one? What
is this Tree and why am I here? Guide me!
Let your Spirit show me the way!"
<The bird hops along a branch to where a
fruit of greens and pinks swells forth in
its ripeness.>
"Take...eat...SEE...and know life!!!Here
are the five points of Eternity!!! Here
are the seeds of Life itself!! Eat only
if you are wise! Live only if you are pure!
Endure only if you are strong and return
to choose wisely once again!! Now is the
time of the Five Pointed Star!! You must
become a Star child and grow!!! Be a
Point of Light in the Darkness!! Be the
Darkness and the Light!"
<I reach up and take the fruit. I split
it into two halves...one more pink than
green ... the other more green than
pink. Within are the star shaped seed
chambers of life. The Star is born!!!
I bite into the Quert, the fruit of Life!!
I am BECOME!>
The World Beckoned to me once more:
"The Light in the Darkness"
The point of light recedes rapidly into
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the night, a shooting star across the skies.
I am alone once more looking at the wheel,
wondering about myself...Who am I? What
does this mean? What awaits me? What awaits
us all? We are alone and the Wheel turns.
Once more I gaze upon Fionn's wheel...
and know my journeys continue....It's
knowledge is my shield. I am a sword and
the fires of summer beckon to us all.
Such is the nature of an Inner Journey. I continue to see this journey
and to reflect upon its meanings to me and to who I am. I recommend that
each of you also undertake such journeys for yourselves. Go within to
your Inner Guide and travel the Wheel. Journey the pathways of Fionn to
Wisdom and Knowledge. Beannacht libh! That was my experience in an
Inner Journey.
................................................................................
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Celtic Workshop #12 - The "Outer Darkness", the "Dragon's Eye" and the
"Many Speckled Rainment"
This Workshop was presented and hosted by Searles O'Dubhain. We covered
the basis of Druid Magick or Drai'ocht. We discussed the "Dragon" or
"Serpent" Power that is inherit in the Land. We touched on the many
different areas of knowledge and discipline necessary to be a Druid. We
also discussed the Mysteries of "Death" and "Rebirth". Some preliminary
socializing soon gave way to the formal presentation and discussion:
Here is what I hope to cover tonight:
The Road to the Grove.
The Druidic concepts of Being.
The use of the Power of the Land
in the Rite of the "Dragon's Eye".
The "ley lines" and the "death roads".
The attainment of Druidic enlightenment
(Initiation to the Inner Mysteries)
Authority and the "Many Speckled Rainment"
"The Road to the Grove"
There are many paths to Magick though only One True Magick IMHO. The
Grove is a home to this Power as is the Circle and the Temple. How do we
attain the Power to do Magick for ourselves and for all of humanity? Let
us look to see what the Pathways were for others.
"The Ancient Druidic Orders"
I have discussed the Ancient orders or levels of Druids in a previous
workshop. I include them here for the sake of our current discussion.
Druidic Bards studied for 15 to 20 years to learn the epics, chants,
spells and histories of their peoples and clans. These works were
memorized exactly and were a requirement for advancement to a higher or
inner level of the Druidic ranks. The works had to be rendered with
feeling so that the listener would be spell bound and consequently could
relive the event. The Irish Druids had the following classes of Bards:
Class # of Epics
__________________________________________
Driseg 20 (the Beginner)
Foclaic 30 (Advanced beginner)
Cili 100 (Journeyman)
Anraid 175 (Master/Warrior)
Ollomh 175+ (Doctor/Judge)
It is to be expected that the lawyers, seers, scientists, judges, and
clergy of the Draoi underwent similarly lengthy training periods.
"The Cloak of Many Colors"
In the Christian Bible, Joseph was awarded a cloak of many colors by his
father because he was beloved among all of his brothers. Due to the
jealousy and greed of his brothers, Joseph was also sold into slavery in
Egypt and suffered a "death" to his old way of life. Because he was
open to wisdom and could perceive the meanings within signs and dreams,
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he became the chief counselor to the Pharaoh and rose above his death to
"new life". Just as the history of the Gaels is tied to Egypt, so the
rites of Druids are tied to this idea of "many colors" and rebirth.
Please recall that the Mileseans descend from the Pharaohs of Egypt and
that their Druids were said to be better Magi than the Persians. To be
as good a Druid as Joseph, one must learn the art of interpreting
dreams, divination and eloquence. This is a mighty job and worthy of us
all!
"My Own Personal Paths"
When I embarked upon the quest for my roots and for the nature of
Drai'ocht, I was immediately impressed by two things:
1. The Druids were acute and patient observers
of Nature.
2. The Druids were the scholars and scientists
of their day.
Using these two ideas, I created a color-coded series of educational
levels for myself in my quest into the secrets of the Draoi.
I believe there are five areas of knowledge in the Mysteries:
Knowledge of Self,
Knowledge of the World,
Knowledge of the Spirit,
Knowledge of Magick,
Knowledge of the ONE.
The entire process of learning and growing never stops. As a minimum I
have required myself to know the following:
Knowledge of Self (The Blue Level)
__________________________________________
The Student must be able to meditate until he/she can know their inner
voice. The Student must know truth and abstain from lying. The Student
must be able to love and be loved. The Student must know the limits of
self. The Student must identify their Sexuallity. The Student must
know their life goals. The Student must know their bodies and how to
maximize and maintain their health.
Knowledge of the World (The Green Level)
__________________________________________
The Student must know the physical world. The Student must know how the
laws of Nature work. The Student must be Holistic with Creation. The
Student must be able to shape the forces of Physics and Chemistry. The
Student must know the ways of Botany and Zoology. The Student must
study animals, plants, insects, birds,fish,trees and rocks. The Student
must hear the voice of the Waters and the Winds. The Student must SEE
within the Fires, The Student must be connected with the Earth. The
Student must know the history of civilization. The Student must know
the laws of man. The Student must learn Music. The Student must learn
Poetry and Writing.
................................................................................
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The Knowledge of the Spirit (The Yellow Level)
______________________________________________
The Student must know the Spirit within. The Student must study the
Religions of Humanity. The Student must make a Spiritual Journey. The
Student must leave the body and walk the Moon Ways. (OOBE) The Student
must see the origins and travels of the Spirit within. (PAST LIFE
REGRESSION) The Student must Know the Spirit in Music, Colors, Symbols
and Life. The Student must hear the Akasha.
The Knowledge of Magick (The Orange Level)
__________________________________________
The Student must read the Great Works (Cayce, Crowley, Enoch, Fortune,
Hermes, Jung, Ogham, Pythagorus, Qabalah, Science, Solomon, Thelema,
etc.) The Student must learn to "See." The Student must learn to
"Divine". The Student must learn to "Shield." The student shall learn
to "Speak." The student shall learn to "Heal." The student shall learn
to "Travel."
The Knowledge of the ONE (The Red Level)
__________________________________________
The Student must create and lead a Ritual. The Student must focus the
three Powers (Earth, Self, ONE). The Student must perform the Great
Rite. The Student must change Reality. The Student must perform the
rite of "Making." The Student must be reborn and become ONE.
After passing through all levels successfully, the Student then becomes
the Teacher and can wear the White, Multi-speckled or the Dark Robes of
their choice. This is my path to Drai'ocht. You alone can choose the
proper path to your Inner Light of Whiteness or Darkness. All colors are
one color. All Drai'ocht is ONE DRAI'OCHT!
"The Druidic concepts of Being"
-------------------------------
I would like to quickly touch on some Druidic concepts about states of
being. These states of being correspond to the previous cosmology that
we discussed in workshop 5. (Time does not permit me to make a complete
discussion of these topics tonight. I may add another workshop to cover
them more completely in the future.)
"Barddas and The Circles of Being"
----------------------------------
The Welsh Bardic work "Barddas" contains a description of the three
Circles of Being:
1. Abred or the Realm of Matter
(The physical world of form)
2. Gwynyd or the Realm of Blessedness
(The Magickal Astral world of Spirits)
3. Ceugant or the Realm of Infinities
(That which is the home of the
God/desses and the Blessed)
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These states of being are separated by three veils that must be passed:
1. Annwn or "Dark Forgetfulness"
(This is the gap or veil that must be passed to achieve birth and
rebirth in the Physical World.)
2. Cythraul or "the Ghost"
(This is the veil that must be passed to achieve enlightenment.)
3. Lyonesse or "the Isle of the Blest"
(This is the final veil that is passed when one has achieved
complete enlightenment and complete growth.)
"Awen" or "illumination" is like a lightning bolt that can come to us
across these veils and bring us knowledge and understanding.
The key to our Power and true wills is how well we are able to pass
between these states of being. I will discuss some of these techniques
next.
"Circles of Thought" or, "The Cyclatron of the Soul"
One of the marvels of modern science is the atom smasher or particle
accelerator. Another name for these powerful devices is a "cyclatron".
This is basically a phased arrray of electromagnetic devices that take
charged particles and accelerate them to tremendous speeds around a
circular field until they approximate the speed of light or at least
they approach relativistic velocities. The particles are then smashed
into a target and the history of the mutual destruction is observed and
recorded so that humanity may unlock the secrets of the Gods. I trust
that most of us here tonight have experienced this acceleration effect
within the vortex of our thoughts and Spirits. We strive mightily to
increase the relativistic mass of our thoughts so that we may observe
their behavor as they approach God-like reality in their manifestions.
Whirr and strive as we might, we are doomed to the universal restraints
of our own humanity in much the same manner as nuclear physicists are
limited by the unvirsal limits of "C" or light speeds (warp Factor 1,
Mr. Sulu!<G>). Such are the limits of thinking.
"The Salmon Leap and the Shaman's Death"
I have gone through the process of questing for ultimate meaning in life
many times. Most of this effort has been exhausting as well as futile.
Only through extraordinary efforts have I actually attained results.
These results came about through quantum leaps of the mind and spirit
across the "void". Since the salmon is the totem of knowledge, I call
this leap the "Salmon Leap". It is very approprite to name it thus since
the "void" is actually "death" and the salmon "leap" up the streams of
it's birth to spawn new life from it's own death struggle. The ancients
also refered to mighty feats as a "Salmon Leap". We must experience the
"Shaman's Death" in order to attain our new life and knowledge. The
"Salmon Leap" brings us to a New Reality and altered state of Being.
Included in the initiation rites to all of the Great Mystery Schools was
just such a rite of Death and Rebirth. Anyone care to reveal their
secrets now?<G> OTO'ers? GD'ers? Druids? Wiccans? AMORC? Freemasons?
Templars? Illumatti? Assassins? Channellers? Others? The floor is now
open. Let's hear the words of Life and the words of Death. Josey Wales
faces Ten Bears in the moment of Truth. The gauge is cast...the
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challenge is issued. The floor is open to all comers!
"Enlightenment"
Coming through the "dark night of the soul" or the "Shaman's Death"
purifies and releases us so that we can experience illumination and
enlightenment. Our "darkness' and ignorance are burned away in the
flames of the Phoenix as we are reborn into the Light! Such a wonder!
The Akasha and all knowledge are there to be received! Our training and
our quest are rewarded. We are a new creation!
"The Dragon's Eye"
The "Dragon's Eye" is another word for Earth Magick or the Power
inherent to the Land that is at the root of the Celtic Soul. This is the
power of Excalibur or Caliborn, the sword of Arthur. It is the "Dragon's
Breath" that Merlin works with to create a Magickal Mist while using the
charm of "Making". We have already seen the "Eye of the Dragon" in a
previous workshop ritual. I would like to now open the floor for a
further discussion by everyone here as to how we sense this Power in the
Land and particularly how we sense it at many sacred sites such as
"Stone Circles", Raths, Menhirs, Hills, "Ley Lines", "Stonehenge",
"Avebury" or any other site of your experience. The floor is now open
for Magickal discussion!
Anyone else have a good story for how they've sensed the Power of the
Land? How it just is laying there waiting for the call?
(2-10,Freepowder) Some time, when you can be alone for a while..
climb up into the moutains, my mountains are the Sierras get up high,
above treeline, and sit there, find a rock... where the wind blows all
the time and just sit. it may take a while maybe an hour, maybe a day...
but you will feel it.. strength more than power, but power just the same
coming up form the rocks... singing in the wind... when you have got it
right.. the animals will come you may not see them, the conys and the
birds but you will feel them too if you are lucky. they will talk to
you not in words but in thoughts. if you are ready your totem will make
itself known I have found that no great preparation is neccesary but for
an open heart and mind it happens for me everytime I go there which is
not nearly often enough oh! don't do this in a lightning storm <G>
(2-8,O'Dubhain) Beautiful Freepowder! A hymn to the Mother!
We can all sing the song of the Health of the Earth! She is beautiful
still in some places and will be again in others as we....and I do mean
we.... all get together to release the Power of the Dragon! THAT has
been safeguarded for us by our ancient Shamans within the Earth. I sense
that the keys for this Work are soon to be given to us all once more.
(2-15,Nan) Well, I can think of many times that I've felt
the Power of the Land but I'll offer just a simple recent example:
Last week I gave my ankle a nasty sprain, I knew that one thing it
needed for healing was to walk barefoot on the land, so that's what I
did <g> in general I find that going barefoot on almost any ground
allows me to feel the power of the land......I don't do it long in the
snow though <g>.
(2-8,O'Dubhain) I'll bet!!!<G> Many of the ancient sacred sites
are no longer in active use. I think that the day is rapidly approaching
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where the Land will call us to Work Magicks at such sites. We will
re-establish the "ley lines" of Power that are now just echoes of their
past. These lines and sites require a Human/Dragon magickal connection
to re-Power the grids that exist all across this planet. Many events
occur today that point to this Work.
(2-15,Nan) I just wanted to comment that a few years ago I
visited a more obscure stone circle and noticed by items left behind
that it had been recently used..... so not *all* the ancient sites are
inactive and I'm glad!
(2-8,O'Dubhain) That's true! I believe Shadow Hawk told about
feeling serpent lines of Power beneath Avebury's Circles during a visit
there as well, though Stonehenge seemed inert. He told me recently that
he sensed that it could come "alive" again for the right combination of
persons working there. If that happened, it would have to be tended on
a regular basis. Too much of the Dragon sleeps at that site. Myrdin
Emyrs sleeps nearby himself! Anyone else have a "Dragon" sense?
(2-17,cherokee/wwc1) Many of the american indians have the same
legends only we call it the serpent my great grandmother taught me to go
out at night and to feel the serpent move beneath my feet and to listen
to the song it made in the wind. We believe the time for the serpent to
rise is here [it is in the] spirit of the people and the land. I have
been a healer in my past lives we used the crystals to awaken the
serpent when it was time. That time is soon and I feel the serpent
singing to me.
(2-8,O'Dubhain) Thank you My Princess!<G> Some legends say that
crystals were used at Stonehenge as well. They were placed upon the tops
of the lentils there to provide a Power connection. Perhaps the crystal
skulls will provide an answer. I hope to see one in Miami next month.
(2-15,Nan) All this talk of serpents reminded me of
Australia, where the Aborigines have the story of the rainbow serpent (I
think it may be part of a creation myth) there they call the ley lines
songlines. Bruce Chatwin wrote a wonderful book by that name that covers
a lot about the Aborginal beliefs
(2-8,O'Dubhain) I want to check into that some more. Isn't it
also amazing that everyone connects the serpent to wisdom ....even the
Christians do it!<G> Though I must say they try to make out like it was
a bad thing to get smart!<G>
(2-17,cherokee/wwc1) All peoples have stories of serpents many of
them have head cult legends where the skulls were used as resonators to
focus energy and to sing to the serpent to wake it up the aborigines
believe this as did the mayans and the cherokees and other native
peoples
(2-17,cherokee/wwc1) ga
(2-8,O'Dubhain) Thanks!! ok Trailstalker M'lady ga!
(2-1,Trailstalker) Sorry... I'm coming in late on the conversa-
tion...
are we talking about snake/kundalini power?
ga
(2-8,O'Dubhain) we are talking about the power in the Land
ga
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(2-1,Trailstalker) ok I just needed a ref. pt. for the conversa-
tion.
(2-1,Trailstalker) ga
(2-8,O'Dubhain) ok Freepowder ga
(2-10,Freepowder) The serpents are everywhere, but watch out! some
of
them are snakes <G> couldn't resist, sorry <VBG>
"The Many Speckled Rainment" "The Song of Amergin"
This translation by Dr. Douglas Hyde from his work "Literary History of
Ireland" was as well known to the Druids as the "Lord's Prayer" is to
todays priests. It is a perfect example of the many different Magickal
skills used by the Druids. It is one of my personal favorites as
well!<G> I would like to use it to discuss the "many-speckled" rainbow
of Drai'ocht! Once again I give you the words of the Bard:
The Mystery
I am the wind which breathes upon the sea.
I am the wave of the ocean.
I am the murmur of the billows.
I am the ox of the seven combats.
I am the vulture upon the
I am a beam of the Sun.
I am the fairest of plants.
I am a wild boar in valour.
I am a salmon in the water.
I am a lake in the plain.
I am a word of science.
I am a point of the lance in battle.
I am the God who created in the head the fire.
Who is it who throws light into the meeting
on the mountain?
Who announces the ages of the Moon?
Who teaches the place where couches the Sun?
(If not I)"
Let's just go down the line and list the Druidic attributes used in this
one spell by lines and in order (I also assigned colors to each
attribute):
Attribute Color
_________________________________________
The Powers of: Wind, (Red)
Sea, (Grey)
Fire. (White)
Persistence. (all)
Death in battle. (Black)
The Power of the Sun. (Golden)
The Power of the Green World. (Green)
Courage in extremis. (Red)
Infinite Knowledge. (Yellow)
The resting place of the soul. (Purple)
The Knowledge of Science. (Yellow)
Focus through Discipline. (White)
The Gift of Awen. (Orange)
*Drai'ocht*. (White)
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I could write an entire page on each of these attributes but not
tonight!<G> "Fire in the Head" is the name of an excellent book by Tom
Cowan on the subject of Celtic Shamanism. "The 21 Lessons of Merlin" by
Douglas Monroe agrees with my assignments for most of the above colors.
A true Druid worn the Cloak of many Colors for festive occassions, White
or Black robes to conduct Magick and during ritual and a bull's hide
when in battle.
"Authority"
This the source or result of working with Magick for Druids. It is a
measure of their Power and the strength of their "True Wills". In the
"21 Lessons" Monroe states that the students of Drai'ocht were awarded
colored glass beads (called Gleini na Droedh) that were strung on
leather cords for necklaces. These multicolored necklaces were kept
secret by each Druid and produced only to demonstrate their Authority to
other Druids. Magick knowledge, discipline and practice determined the
level of Authority thus attained.
"Into the Light"
Fionn's Wheel can also be multicolored. I have made the one in the
library that way!<G> (Make it so Number One!<G>) Seriously, to become a
Master Druid, one must transcend the separation of colors and walk into
the Light. This involves knowing the many fold paths of the Wheel and
primarily the Inner Mystery of the relationship of Life and Death, White
and Black, Balance and Action, Being and Not being. The Initiations into
most of the Great Mysteries included this Dualism of Transcendancy. (An
excellent book on this topic is "The Great Initiates"by Edouard Schure,
translation by Gloria Rasberry.)
What does this mean?
What is this Initiation?
What is the Mystery?
What follows is what I envision COULD have happened during such an
initiation. Hear the words a modern day Druid might hear as he
achieves his full Knowledge:
<the Initiate will have been fasting and meditating within the total
darkness of a cave or a dark room for at least a night. Just before the
rising of the sun or the lighting of the fires he/she would hear a loud
female voice cry out!>
"I am Arianrhod, Queen of the Heavens! You who approach me must
now ask yourselves these questions:
How can you achieve the Inner Knowledge?
Where can you find the Signs that show you the Way?
Heed My Words!
I am Arianrhod, Queen of the Stars,
I am She of the Silver Wheel!
My crown spreads across the Vault of the Heavens!
Your dreams shall be filled with the Secret Ways of the Night!
It is I that will show you the Paths of Knowledge!
It is I that will fire your Spirit in sparkling crystals of
Wonder!
I am Arianrhod! Come to Me My children!
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Be filled with Expectancy for what is yet to come!"
<The chief Druid could follow these words with the following caution.>
"Hear the Words of the Ard Druis:"
"You who seek the Ways of Power must dare to approach the
Queen of the Stars!
You who seek the embrace of Wisdom must approach Her Presence
without fear!
You that seek for Love must first know your True Selves. What
is your Authority?
Are you truly Human? Speak now if you dare!"
<Then the Initiates should ask for entry to the Inner Mysteries.>
"Oh Arianrhod of the Silver Wheel!
Bless us in Your Mysteries!
Fill us with Your Spirit!
Let us place no limits upon Your exalted Being!
You are Infinite!
You are the Unknown! The Darkness!
Admit us into Thy arms!
Grant us Your Blessings!
Our speech is confounded!
Chaos is upon us!"
<Once again, the Ard Druis would charge the Initiates.>
"Now is the Great Re-awakening!
Now is the time of enlightenment!
Those who are untrue shall be cast out
into the depths!
Cleanse yourselves through trials of fire
and fasting! The way is long,
Only the strong shall attain Knowledge!"
<A flame or beam of sunlight should be produced to shine upon an open
doorway, admitting the Initiates into the Inner Sanctum.>
"Behold the Flaming Door!
Behold the Burning sword of Gorias!
Enter if you dare the halls of Lugh!!
Wear the many speckled cloak of Samildanach!"
"Hear the words of the Sun!"
<A male Druid dressed in Robes of Gold and bearing a torch should
address the Initiates.>
"I am Lugh Lamfadagh!!! I am Samildanach!
I am thy burning desire for Knowledge!
I am the Power that illumes the Heavens!
Life is my gift to you, even as your Death is the Mother of Life.
To know Me is to know yourself completely, even beyond Death!
Enter if you dare!
Approach the fires of Life!!!
Die and live again!"
"I, Lugh am the focus of the Power and you My Druid are its
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Manifestation!
Enter the Flaming Door!
Cead Mile Failte!
Maith an Drui!"
<At this point the Initiate should be robed in the multispeckled robe
and presented with a golden sickle and a staff fashioned from the wood
of the tree that is his "soul tone". Standing before the gathered
assembly,He should recite his geneology and the many achievements of his
necklace of Gleini na Droedh. The ceremony should then be completed by
the conducting of the Initiate's personal ritual (from his work on the
Red Level).>
Such is the end of a long journey.
An Fhi'rinne Roimh an Saol!
We must awaken the Dragon Power within us all!!
DRAI'OCHT LIVES AGAIN!
TA' ME' DRAI'OCHT!!
Celtic Workshop #13 - The "Charm of Making"
This Workshop was presented and hosted by Searles O'Dubhain. We covered
some concepts touching upon the beginings of all things. We also covered
how symbols are used to describe reality and Magick. We discussed the
necessity for *belief* in performing Magick. I led a discussion about a
ritual that was centered around the Charm of "Making". The arch[e]types
and the Quarters used in Celtic Magickal systems were also discussed.
Some preliminary socializing soon gave way to the formal presentation
and discussion:
Opening Remarks
Tonight I attempt to tie together the beliefs of the Celts in Cos-
mologies and Magick or Drai'ocht to what we know of the world and
reality through the study of modern science and more recent Magickal
systems and their resulting Cosmological models. It is my hope that all
of this discussion will clarify the history of the Celts and the
workings of the Druids. The highest form of Drai'ocht was the Charm of
"Making". This is the essence of creation by the use of the Will. It is
into the Cauldron of Primodial Creation that I plunge tonight as a
Midwife to Magick. Drai'ocht shall live again! The Dragon will once
again be reborn!
"Chaos"
In many mythologies and some philosophies, Chaos is the void that
existed in the begining of all things before even time existed and from
which all things have arisen.
"The notion that creation came from nothing (creatio ex nihilo) appears
in several accounts of creation. The biblical story of creation
contained in the Book of GENESIS begins with a formless, watery chaos
that God shapes into the ordered world. The hymn of creation from
India's epic Rig Veda (see VEDAS) describes the primordial situation as
one of neither existence nor nonexistence and further states that no
one, not even the gods, knows who produced the universe. In marked
contrast is an Egyptian myth attributing creation to the deity khepri.
In this myth Khepri states that when he came into being, being itself
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came into being; all other beings were then produced from his actions
and his body; but before him there was only nonbeing. Among the
Polynesians, creation myths emphasize the dimensions of void space and
the qualities of darkness as the primordial structures of creation. In
these myths, the initial state of darkness and void in which the deity
dwells is later transformed and the forms of the universe then emerge.
Creation is thus predicated on a void or a nothingness--a reality
totally different from any form or substance of the created order. In
addition, the deities who create from nothing or emerge from this void
are given a new and special kind of power; for though creators of the
world, they remain distinct from it in their originative form."
.......quoted from The Online Edition of GROLIER'S ACADEMIC AMERICAN
Encyclopedia, Copyright (c) 1993, Grolier Electronic Publishing.
Magick is the ability to cross the void of Chaos and to create order in
the universe that surrounds us. The primary way in which this creation
occurs is through the focus of our own Wills.
"The Void was without Form"
"Chaos theory, a modern development in mathematics and science, provides
a framework for understanding irregular or erratic fluctuations in
nature. Chaotic systems are found in many fields of science and
engineering. The study of their dynamics is an essential part of the
burgeoning science of complexity--the effort to understand the prin-
ciples of order that underlie the patterns of all real systems, from
ecosystems to social systems to the universe as a whole." ..quoted from
The Online Edition of GROLIER'S ACADEMIC AMERICAN Encyclopedia,
Copyright (c) 1993, Grolier Electronic Publishing.
The BIG BANG theory of the creation of the universe is widely accepted
by astronomers. "It holds that the universe began with the explosive
expansion of a single, extremely condensed state of matter. A further
development of this model, known as INFLATIONARY THEORY, describes the
original condensed matter as arising from virtually empty space. Whether
the universe will expand forever, slow to a halt, or contract again and
continue to oscillate indefinitely from one big bang to the next is the
subject of ongoing speculation....." Charles Long .......quoted from The
Online Edition of GROLIER'S ACADEMIC AMERICAN Encyclopedia, Copyright
(c) 1993, Grolier Electronic Publishing.
"Order"
Out of Nothingness was Reality formed. The diversity of Reality is due
to the two great forces of separation: projection and reception (the
male and the femine aspects of Power). From this duality of all things,
the rest of Creation is manifested. This manifestation can be described
and modeled in many ways. I have chosen to limit myself briefly to two
such descriptions during tonight's workshop. The first such model or
description is the science of "quantum mechanics". According to this
area of science, everything is composed of waves and the interaction
between wavefronts. With two primary and distinctly different sources of
waveforms, we get interference patterns. These lines of intersection
have their own "nature" and give rise to other "quantum effects" in
their own localized area of the space/time continuum. This ongoing
process of interaction and manifestation can create Infinite Combination
in Infinite Diversity (IDIC). I will discuss this concept later.
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The other way in which two differing states can create their own
"reality" is through the laws of Boolean Logic and Algebra. In digital
design and simulation techniques, this fact is well known. I work in
such areas and can reduce any system to a series of "min" and "max"
terms of inputs and "truth tables". This Boolean discipline of using
"min and max terms" has given birth to the CyberSpace that we currently
inhabit. I suggest that our present existence is no more than a
"real-time" simulation in a greater system and that our creative/destru-
ctive interactions are constantly birthing new realities and new
creations. We are each a "star" as some Magickal systems teach.
All Physical and Magickal systems have hidden controls that operate from
outside the program flow (another word for this flow might be called
"life"). This outside intervention might be what appears in the form of
"Magick" to an internal observer of that system. The operating system
for the host platform, such as DOS, determines the form of the relation-
ships between all programs, files and other processes. A magickal way of
stating this might be, "As Above, So Below". Tonight, I have discussed
only two ways that some realities are postulated and created. In the
wide variety of the Infinite Cosmos, Diversity is carried to the
extremes. Anything CAN and DOES happen!
"Symbols"
One way man has attempted to understand and quantify his universe is
through the use of symbols. The most often used symbols are numbers,
letters and sigils. The Jewish Kabbala, the Celtic Oghams and the other
Magickal alphabets are good examples of the use of such symbols to order
and understand most physical, spiritual and Magickal relationships. I
have talked about Oghams and Fionn's Wheel/Ladder in previous workshops.
I have also talked about the Celtic Cosmology. Tonight I will briefly
touch on numbers and math. Please refer to the previous Celtic Workshops
#1, 2, 3, 5 and the Online Wicca Kabbala Threads for more information in
those areas. Another kind of symbol that can describe our reality is a
relatively new form of mathematics called Fractals.
"Fractals"
"A modern mathematical theory that radically departs from traditional
EUCLIDEAN GEOMETRY, fractal geometry describes objects that are
self-similar, or scale symmetric. This means that when such objects are
magnified, their parts are seen to bear an exact resemblance to the
whole, the likeness continuing with the parts of the parts and so on to
infinity. Fractals, as these shapes are called, also must be devoid of
translational symmetry--that is, the smoothness associated with
Euclidean lines, planes, and spheres. Instead a rough, jagged quality
is maintained at every scale at which an object can be examined. The
nature of fractals is reflected in the word itself, coined by mathe-
matician Benoit B. Mandelbrot from the Latin verb frangere, "to break,"
and the related adjective fractus, "irregular and fragmented."
The science of fractals has been found to exist within many natural
formations . Fractals are found everywhere we look, from the shape of
coastlines to the geometry found in cellular divisions. Most dynamical
systems that change their behavior over time become CHAOTIC in nature
and can also be described using fractals. The reason I mention fractals
tonight is twofold. First, fractals show us mathematically how reality
and life are manifested. As I said earlier, fractal geometry and
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mathematics are a fairly recent discovery. One important type of Fractal
that is found in nature is called a Mandelbrot set. This particular set
of fractals becomes inheritly unstable as one looks closer at it's
component fractals. What is so interesting about this fact and study is
that FRACTALS in the FORM OF MANDELBROT SETS have been appearing as CROP
CIRCLES on the Salisbury Plains. This is the same area that is located
close by both Stonehenge and Avebury. What is the source of these
symbols? Where is this information coming from? Are these crop circles
some sort of Magickal alphabet or symbols? Are they communicated to us
across time and space from other Magicians or other Entities? If they
are such symbols, has this phenomena occurred before in the past? Did
the Druids observe, record and understand this type of information
during their times?
My second pointis that our knowledge of Magick is itself like a fractal.
With each piece of information we receive from our searches into the
nature of Magick, we discover more and more questions. This gives rise
to more and more associations and consequently more questions and
disorder. Our attempts to totally understand Magick by close inspection
consequently results in chaotic thinking. We see fractals everywhere
when we look at the world. This world seems to be a fractal. Everything
from shorelines, earthquakes, cell structure to computer graphics have
been found to obey the laws of fractals. Perhaps Magick and the heavenly
cosmologies are fractals of the Higher Will? Perhaps our True Will is a
fractal? Maybe fractals are the new Ogham, the new Wheel of Fionn?
"Transformations"
If an idea can be reduced to mathematical or Magickal symbols, then it
can also be manipulated or transformed. These relation-ships are called
"veils" or "pathworkings" in Magickal works. In mathematics, such
transformations occur frequently. What is complex in one domain is
simple in another. Engineers use such techniques as vector and
tensor analysis to handle complex systems all the time. Magicians use
the principle, "As Above , So Below" to aid their Magickal Workings.
Sometimes this Magickal work is also done while using symbollic logic to
aid in the act of manifesting or "making" a new creation. We will next
discuss how some of these Magickal transformations are done.
"Vibratory States"
The addition of external energy to a molecule or the introduction of
additional molecules into a solution causes its electron configuartion
to change. The electron "jumps" across an energy barrier to obtain a
different orbit or geometry. The Molecule changes its behavior,
sometimes with amazing results. This change in electrons through levels
or states of energy is directly analogous to the levels or states of
vibration that a Magician goes through to "resonate" with other
spiritual forces. These principles of resonance and vibration are the
keys to the techniques of OOBE and energy transfer in Magickal systems.
To discover how we as Magickal/Spiritual entities can go through these
types of transformed states, I looked at my own experiences, once again.
"Personal Experiences"
The keys to working Magick are BELIEF, DISCIPLINE and FOCUS. Focus is a
matter of personal ability and is sharpened through practice and effort.
Discipline is inherit to our very natures. Belief is absolutely
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necessary to any Magickal Work. I have had three types of personal
experiences that are the foundation of my BELIEF in MAGICK.
"The All from the None"
This experience I have discussed before. It is the first veil that must
be passed to obtain BELIEF in Magick and the resulting Powers. Briefly
stated, I was able to detach from the ordinary (while conscious) and
encounter Spirit and Magickal Beings. These experiences have reinforced
my ability to work Astrally and Magickally. The secrets to this
experience are meditation, inner quietness and the increased vibrational
level of the spirit or "ecstasy".
By going into the "void" of Nothingness, I was touched by the Power of
the Akasha! Anyone can do this, if they are willing to put in the time
and effort to meditate to achieve inner "quietness". The "Void" is the
place where the Will can focus to create and produce all Magick!
"The None From the All"
These are experiences I have had from "lucid dreaming". I have basically
been able to go anywhere and do anything in my dreams. I have had many
revelations and Super Normal experiences in these dreams. I guess the
most outrageous experience was experiencing "death". Some deaths were
just an abrupt end to one existence while manifesting into another body
and another existence. One particular "death" was at the center of an
exploding sun or bomb. I was literally blown into Nothingness and
Non-Existence. I "floated" there in endless time without thought or
being. I just was. Only my Will still existed and through the exertion
of my Will I was able to awaken into my body once more. This was not and
ordinary dream. In fact, I'm not really sure this is the Reality I
started out in! <GGG> A Powerful incentive to learn more about Magick
(to prevent such a thing from ever happening again)!!!!!
"IDIC"
IDIC is borrowed from the Vulcan, Mr. Spock. It stands for Infinite
Diversity in Infinite Combinations. This basically means the Universe
is filled with possibilities and that anything can (and will) happen.
This is all those strange events that can be dismissed if taken one at
a time but will stagger you if you keep a log of them. This includes
such things in my life as: Flying or "floating" in the air by myself,
reading minds, seeing the future, seeing creatures that are in another
plane, hearing the music of the Sidhe and incredible feats of strength
and speed (that could not possible have happened). All these many events
taken together point to a variety of techniques that people can do. The
secret is in remembering how we did it!!! Or maybe in finding a really
excellent teacher. I am the worst of students but I am very persis-
tent!<GGG>
"The Charm of Making"
The following is the merest sketch of an outline for performming the
Charm of Making, the very same chant that Merlin was heard to use in the
movie "Excalibur". Much of this ritual comes from the following works:
"The 21 Lessons of Merlin", "Celtic Magic', "Witta", "The Irish Celtic
Magical Tradition" and the "Sacred Cauldon". Some of it is changed to
suit my personal (*Irish*) preferences!<G>
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"Circles of Drai'ocht "
Druids' Circles are very similar to other Magickal Circles. Each
direction should have a candle and color associated with it. (I use Red
for East, White for South, Grey or Blue for West and Black for North).
I also have candles for the God and the Goddess. these are usually
Green and Red respectively. I light the candles as the Spirits are
invoked.
"The Guardians"
"Air"
The Guardian of the East Quarter is Esras associated with the Power of
Air. The sacred city of this Spiritual realm is Gorias. The Celtic
Deities usually associated with this Quarter are Nuada and Scathach. The
sacred treasure or weapon is the invincible sword. The Magickal Deity
for the elemental Powers or the wind singers and sprites is Paraldas,
ruler of the Sylphs, Zyphyrs and the Winged Sprites. This direction is
most often associated with ideas, thoughts, inspiration and psychic
powers. Ritual work for this direction is associated with dawn, sunrise,
Spring, harmony, travel and freedom. A suitable invocation of the
Guardians might be:
"Tugaim cuireadh do Garda de Soir!
Tugaim cuireadh do Duile de Gaoth!
Tugaim cuireadh do Esras de Gorias!"
Translation:
"I give invitation to the Guardian of the East!
I give invitation to the Element of the Winds!
I invite Esras, Master of Inspiration!"
Pronunciation:
"TUG-im KIR-oo gu GAAR-du gu SKULL!
TUG-im KIR-oo gu DOO-li gu GWA!
TUG-im KIR-oo gu ES-rah gu GOR-ah!
"Fire"
The Guardian of the South Quarter is Uscias associated with the Power of
Fire. The sacred city of this Spiritual realm is Findias. The Celtic
Deities usually associated with this Quarter are Lugh and Bridgit. The
sacred treasure or weapon is the flaming spear. The Magickal Deity for
its elemental Powers or Salamandes and Firedrakes is Djinas, ruler of
the Consciousness and flames. This direction is most often associated
with Action, Passion and Change. Ritual work for this direction is
associated with Summer, noon, sexuality and purification. A suitable
invocation of the Guardians might be:
"Tugaim cuireadh do Garda de O'Dheas!
Tugaim cuireadh do Duile de Tine!
Tugaim cuireadh do Uscias de Findias!"
Translation:
"I give invitation to the Guardian of the South!
I give invitation to the Elements of the Fire!
I invite Uscias, Master of Conscious Action"
Pronunciation:
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"TUG-im KIR-oo gu GAAR-du gu OWE-yass!
TUG-im KIR-oo gu DOO-li gu CHIN-e!
TUG-im KIR-oo gu ISH-kah gu FIN-jah!"
"Water"
The Guardian of the West Quarter is Semias associated with the Power of
Water or the Sea. The sacred city of this Spiritual realm is Murias. The
Celtic Deities usually associated with this Quarter are Mannanan and the
Cailleach. The sacred treasure or weapon is the cauldron. The Magickal
Deity for its elemental Powers or Nymphs and Undines is Niksas, ruler of
the depths of the Sea and the spirits of the waters. This direction is
most often associated with Emotions, healing and Marriage. Ritual work
for this direction is associated with Fall, sunset, plants, the
subconscious mind and dreams. A suitable invocation of the Guardians
might be:
"Tugaim cuireadh do Garda de Siar!
Tugaim cuireadh do Duile de Muir!
Tugaim cuireadh do Semias de Murias!"
................................................................................
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Translation:
"I give invitation to the Guardian of the West!
I give invitation to the Elements of the
Mystical Sea!
I invite Semias, Master of the Mind's Deep
Waters!"
Pronunciation:
"TUG-im KIR-oo gu GAAR-du gu SHEER!
TUG-im KIR-oo gu DOO-li gu MWIRR!
TUG-im KIR-oo gu SEM-ahs gu MUR-ahs!"
"Earth"
The Guardian of the North Quarter is Morfessa, associated with the Power
of Earth. The sacred city of this Spiritual realm is Falias. The Celtic
Deities usually associated with this Quarter are the Morrigan and the
Dagdha. The sacred treasure or weapon is the Stone of Fal. The Magickal
Deity for the elemental Powers or Gnomes and Dwarfs is Ghobas,ruler of
the inhabitants of the Earth and a crystal spirits. This direction is
most often associated with Destiny, Prosperity and Fate as well as
Magick. Ritual work for this direction is associated with Winter,
night, midnight, self will and treasures. A suitable invocation of the
Guardians might be:
"Tugaim cuireadh do Garda de O'Thuaigh!
Tugaim cuireadh do Duile de Talamh is Cloch!
Tugaim cuireadh do Morfessa de Falias!"
Translation:
"I give invitation to the Guardian of the North!
I give invitation to the Elements of Stone and
Earth!
I invite Morfessa, Master of Destiny and
Magick!"
Pronunciation:
"TUG-im KIR-oo gu GAAR-du gu owe HOO-ee!
TUG-im KIR-oo gu DOO-li gu TA-loo is KLOKH!
TUG-im KIR-oo gu MOR-fes-ah gu FAL-ah!
"Spirit"
The Center of the Circle is protected by the Power of the God and the
Goddess and the balance and diversity that They each manifest and
control. This is the province of the Goddess of Sovereignty, Macha, and
the Horned God or the Hunter, Samhan. The center is protected by the
combined Powers of the Quarters and their Masters. A suitable invo-
cation of the Spirit might be:
"Tugaim cuireadh do Ana'l Fein!
Tugaim cuireadh do Duile de Anam!
Tugaim cuireadh do Grian agus Geala!
Beannachtai' DE' agus mBANDE' againn!"
Translation:
"I give invitation to the Souls of our Ancestors!
I give invitation to the Element of All Spirits!
I give invitation to the Sun and the Moon!
The Blessings of the God and Goddess be upon us!"
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Pronunciation:
"TUG-im KIR-oo gu GAAR-du gu AN-aal FINN!
TUG-im KIR-oo gu DOO-li gu AN-um!
TUG-im KIR-oo gu GREE-un AG-us GYAL-a!
BAN-uck-ta JAY AG-us BAN-jay UG-een!"
"The Words of Power"
After the Guardians have been called, then the Words of Power Are Spoken
and the Rite or Sign of Three Rays is performed for each of the
Quarters.
"IAO"
This is the name of the God/dess of All and is intoned three times while
making the appropriate hand gestures,
"EEEEE-Ahhhhhh-OOOOO".
"EEEEE-Ahhhhhh-OOOOO".
"EEEEE-Ahhhhhh-OOOOO".
"Threshold Experiences"
If a portal to another plane or place is to be opened then the following
Charm of Making is to be said three times (this Charm uses the Power of
Sea and Stone):
"A ELFNTODD DWYR SINDDYN DUW
CERRIG YR FFERLLURUG NWYN;
OS SYRIAETH ECH SAFFAER TU
FEWR ECHLYN MOR, NECROMBOR LLUN"
"Dragon's Breath"
If something is to be caused to happen or prevented then the following
Charm of Making is intoned three times (this charm invokes the Powers of
Fire and Air):
"ANAIL NATHROCK
UTHVASS BETHUDD
DOCHIEL DIENVE"
At this point the Power has been raised. The Will of the Draoi' should
be directed and stated forcefully in the direction of greatest Power
using the sign for that Quarter. Once the work, is completed, the
God/desses and Guardians should be thanked and the Power Earthed by
lowering both hands to the ground while kneeling. The Circle is opened
in the reverse of its creation and the bounty of the Land and Tuatha
should be enjoined and enjoyed by all.
This is the end of the prepared presentation on the Charm of "Making".
This and "Pathworking" are the two most powerful abilities of a Druid.
Celtic Workshop #14 - "The Wheel of Elements or Seasons"
Forum member Freepowder noted similarities between the Plains Indian
Medicine Wheels and Fionn's Wheel from Celtics sources. His analysis and
presentation on these topics led into a discussion of other cross
3261
cultural similarities. I added some info from a study of the indigenous
peoples of the world as well as Celtic topics.
Tonight our man of many names, Freepowder, O'Ba'n,John White, Sir Freep,
etc. will give us his thoughts on the wheel and the directions as
compared between the Plains Indians and the Celts. It looks to be
good!<GGG> I may have a few comments of my own. I also have some info on
thses directions compiled by a noted anthropologist, Angeles Arriens,
for the indiginous peoples of the world. I hope we can discuss the use
and meanings of directions to all of us in our magical work.
"The Wheel of Elements or Seasons"
The world over, aboriginal religions have used the circle as a symbol of
the world, the cosmos and the spirit. Tonite I will attempt to draw
some parallels between the Celtic version, Fionn's wheel or window and
the Plains Indian version, the Medicine wheel. Both of these wheels are
pictured as a circle bisected by two lines, one vertical and one
horizontal. In Plains Indian (PI from here on) the circle represents the
cycles of the earth, of learning and of life.
The lines represent the 'roads' one must travel to achieve enlighten-
ment. The points at which the lines intersect the circle signify the
four directions, east to the right, south at the bottom, west to the
left, and north at the top. There are qualities and totems (animal
spirit guides) assigned to each direction. The totems and qualities
vary somewhat, tribe to tribe, and the following is an attempt to
combine several, mostly Lakota (Sioux) and Tsisistis (Cheyenne) .
East:
red, illunination, child, the sun, spring, the source of life,
eagle, hawk and birds generally
South:
yellow, innocence, youth, daylight, summer, fullness of life, snake,
lizard, mouse, horse, elk
West:
black or blue, introspection, maturity, sunset, autumn, waning of life,
thunder beings, Bear, buffalo
North:
white, wisdom, old age, night, winter, death, wolf, raven, buffalo
The PI speak of the guardians of the quarters as 'Grandfathers' or
'Grandmothers'. Animals in mundane life are refered to as 'Little
Brother or Sister.' At the center of the wheel is,in Lakota, 'Wakan
Tanka', the Great Mystery. The source of all life, of all that is.
Although Wakan Tanka is refered to as Grandfather, it has no sex, no
body, it is at once the creator and all of creation. Also at the center
is White Buffalo woman (or Sweet Medicine to the Cheyenne), the
personification of the earth, and the female aspect of Wakan Tanka.
The cycle of life as illustrated by the Medicine Wheel starts at the
east. The PI believe that as an infant a person knows all things, thus
the connection with enlightenment. As you grow into youth these things
are forgotten so you may learn, and grow, symbolised by the south and
innocence. When you are mature you move to the west and introspection.
3262
Here you take your vision quest. As you approach old age you achieve
wisdom in the north and, if you survive you return to the enlightenment
of the east.
On to the Celts!
The Celts use either a four spoked wheel, identical to the medicine
wheel in apearance or enhance the image with 'cross quarters' making an
eight spoked wheel. One differnce in the Celtic version of the Wheel, is
probaly due to the variation in weather patterns between the Britsh
Isles and the Great Plains. The Britsh Isles are around 1000 miles north
of the Plains causing several things to happen. The sun, even at
midsummer will rise far further to the north in Britain. Britain's
proximity to the trade winds cause the prevailing winds to come from
differnt directions. Therefore the Celts start their journey of life in
the north. The qualities of the quarters areremarkably similar if
somewhat skewed as to direction. (Note: the animals assigned to quarters
and cross quarters are approximate and individual impressions as to what
animal goes where are most important IMHO)
They are:
North:
black, winter, wisdom, clarity, death, earth, animals, minerals,
fallowness, darkness, winter solstice, salmon, wolf, the Morrigan,
East:
red, spring, inspiration, life, birth, renewal, air, birds, smell,
dryness, germination, spring equinox, otter, crow
South:
white, summer, spirit, humanity, change, power, fire, sun, light,
vegatables, summer solstice, bear, hawk,
West:
grey, autumn, creativity, ripeness, fertility, compassion, love,
emotions, hearing, water, moon, twilight, fish, autumn equinox, stag,
hound
The cross quarters mark the seasonal festivals, have associated animals
and are used to represent the ages of mankind:
Imbolc: 31 Jan, child, eagle
Beltaine: 30 Apr, youth, sow
Lughnasadh: 31 Jul, adult, horse
Samhain: 31 Oct, elder, heron
The Celts assign Gods and Goddesses to the quarters as well. The
following courtesy of O'Dubh, and subject to interpretation. God/esses
are directional <G> as follows:
North:
Master Morfessa of Falias, The Morrighan, Goibhniu, The Dagdha, Epona,
Eriu, Macha (The Land, the Lia Fal, Magick, Soveriegnty)
East:
Master Uscias of Findias Danu, Anu, Lir, Lugh, Bridget, Scathach, Ogma,
Nuada (The Invincible Sword, Wisdom, Strength, the Winds)
South:
3263
Master Esras from Gorias The Dagdha, Lugh, Bridget, Danu (The Flaming
Spear, Action, Fire, the Sun or Shining One)
West:
Master Semias from Murias, Manannan mac Lir, The Dagdha, The Cailleach,
Cerridwen, Danu, Dianecht, Arianrhod (Rebirth, the Undry, the Sacred
Cauldron, the Sea, Water)
Many of these God/desses are assigned to more than one direction because
they have more than one aspect (The Dagdha, Danu, Bridget, Lugh, the
Morrighan). The best way to associate them with a particular direction
is to base their direction upon their role in your Working or upon their
use of the magickal tool involved.
The Celts have this multi-faceted diversity in the nature and directions
of their God/desses due to their travels across Europe and their
incorporation of the local Deities into the Deities of their respective
clans. When they finally stopped their travels, these Deities were then
more fixed in their associated directions and attributes. As modern day
Celts, we have the use of all of these Archetypes to aid or worship and
to enrich our Magicks!
(2-21,cherokee) the cherokee say that all ancient cultures
descend through the plieades and that the druids and the cherokee have
origins in atlantis the cherokee calendar as are most medicine wheels
are based on the mayan system of time. The Dogon of W. Africa say the
same. which is very similar to the celtic most ancient cultures say
they got the wheel from the stars
Also some of the first sailors to come in contact with North American
Indians were Welsh and they could converse with some of the tribes!
Seemed the Indians were speaking Welsh!<G>
(2-21,cherokee) the cherokee also claim twelve tribes came out
of atlantis when it was destroyed and populated the areas of the earth
bringing this ancient wisdom to other cultures like the 12 tribes of
israel there are 12 clans in the cherokee matrilieage. There was
contact betwweeen the nordic vikings and the indians after contact with
the celts too.
(2-9,M&J) As to the NA Indians speaking Welsh, I attended
a Celtic League symposium a year or two back, and this was one of the
talks. I'll have to go back and review my notes, but as I recall this
is heavily debated. The accounts go back to a Welsh prince who
supposedly sailed to America. Whether or not this is true is highly
uncertain.
(2-8,Freepowder) The Welsh Prince was Madoc, and I believe...
he was supposed to have sailed in the 11th century.... there were
records of his sailing away.... but nothing on where he ended up....he
most certainly never returned to wales.... One possible explanation for
the 'Welsh' Indians is the occurance of grey eyes in some of the
southern tribes, notably... the Choctaw and Cherokee.... There are some
similarities in the languages, but it is possible.. that this is due to
some wandering Celt .... heading east from the orient. <G>
Ok Thanks FP!<G> There are many other similarities...notably the common
belief among both sets of peoples, the Cherokees and the Celts, that
3264
springs were doorways to the Underworlds and possessed their own
spirits. There are other similarities... The Irish have legends about
the first settlers coming from the west after a flood.
This was later Christianized to be the daughter of Noah Ceasir....but
it was first thought to be Atlantis. Also some of the alignments of the
stone circles are on the Pleides. In fact, The two major hubs of the
Celtic year are connected to when the Pleides first ascend into the
constellation of Taurus That is when Bealtaine and Samhain actually
occur.
As to use in your magickal workings, given the eclectic nature of most
American Mages, introduction of the Plains Indian version of the
attributes of the quarters is allowable. Perhaps even justified given
our geographical location. I personally use the Indian colors and
animals in conjunction with the Celtic God/esses. As they used to say in
the Toyota comercials, 'It just feels right.' <G>
Ok I have another set of values for directions. Then a brief discussion
of future topics. I know everyone is suffering from too much Holiday!!-
!<GGG>
Here's my blurb on directions: The "Four Fold Way" by Angeles Arrien
a survey of sacred directions and paths of the indigenous peoples of the
world gives the following characteristics to the directions:
North:
The Way of the Warrior, Direction of Power, Element is Air, winged
creatures, Standing Meditations, Right Actions, Dancing, instrumrnt is
the rattle and season is the Winter.
East:
The Way of the Visionary, Direction of Vision, Element is Fire, dessert
and no legged creatures, Walking meditations, Truth telling, Singing,
instrument is the bell and season is Summer.
South:
The Way of the Healer, Direction of Love, Element of Earth, All four
legged creatures, Meditating while laying down, Right Speech is the way
of living, Paying attention, Story telling, instrument is the drum and
the season is Spring.
West:
The Way of the Teacher, Direction of Wisdom, Element of Water, All Water
creatures,Sitting meditations,RightTiming in life's actions, Being Open
minded to outcomes, Silence is the best wisdom, instruments are sticks
and bones and season is Autumn.
................................................................................
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{file "How to use Magick with a straight face" "bos652.htm"}
"HOW TO USE MAGICK with a Straight Face"
(C) 1989 by Scot Rhoads, all rights reserved
MYSTIC MOON Metaphysical Books, NEW MOON RISING journal & BBS
8818 Troy St., Spring Vly, CA 91977 (619) 466-8064; BBS: 466-5403
"People that eat blowfish are stupid.
People that do not eat blowfish are also stupid."
--Japanese proverb
With the advent of the New Age, many people are airing great
new ways to change your life for the better. These ideas are
based on the premise that we have total control of our lives on
some level. All we need do is reach that level with our desires.
This is, of course, the big challenge. You can read millions of
words on that subject. Why is there so much information? Because
achieving this kind of control is a very individual thing. There
are so many different ways that each person could write his own
book. To succeed, each must find his own path. The reason there
are instructions at all, though, is because each can find
guidance in the successes of others. Magick is one of these many
guides.
This file is relatively short because it concentrates less on
the myriad details of magick and more on how to find your own
path. The task is never as easy as it sounds, but it is not
complex, either. With straight forward exercises (good, honest
work on your Self) you will achieve whatever you desire. We all
have this power. The way we use it is not by gaining a new
ability, but by getting out of the way of the ability we already
have. This book outlines the basic blocks and the kinds of things
to do about them. But, as with any advice, it is up to you to
honestly assess your own situation and discover what works best
for you. Remember, achieving your personal Power is everyone's
path in life. You will succeed, it is only a question of when.
This book is designed to bring that success more quickly and,
overall, more easily.
Many people these days still appeal to the "booga-booga"
aspect of magick: "We will grant you incredible powers to use on
whomever you please if you send us money." As we enter into the
New Age of understanding, people are learning that occult powers
are actually a natural part of everyone's life. It is our goal to
help this process along. We hope to teach newcomers what magick
is about. This book is written not only to inform, but also to
circumvent the psychological barriers set up by living in a
mechanistic society. The mechanistic paradigm (the idea that each
person and object is totally separate from the rest of the
universe except through physical interaction) precludes magick
(non-physically affecting one's environment). The magickal
paradigm states that your beliefs create your reality. This
choice is like contemplating eating blowfish-- when you analyze
it, you can conclude that adopting either paradigm is stupid.
Since you can't please everyone else, pick the one that you like
best. If (and only if) the magickal paradigm appeals to you, then
choose it. Then the trick is to get out of the mind-set that says
that magick is impossible. We hope that you will try some
exercises to prove to yourself that magick works. Once you have
3266
done so, then you are on the way to achieving anything you
desire.
POWER
Power can be a very misleading term. The way most people mean
it is in the sense of "power-over." People recognize power as the
ability to get others to do what you want, especially when these
others have different ideas. This is not Power (with a capital
'P') at all. When you rely on someone else to do something for
you, you give your Power to him. This is very different from
doing something *with* someone, then both parties gain. But, to
believe that you must force or trick another is to say that you
need this person to do something that you cannot. You may steal
their power (lower case) but you give away your Power.
Power is, among other things, the innate ability to bring
whatever you truly desire into your life. When you "make" others
manifest them for you, you create blocks in your own mind. These
blocks say "I cannot do this myself," which obstructs your Power.
This is "giving away your Power."
When you "take your Power," you accept responsibility for your
life. This is not guilt or martyrdom, it is honestly assessing
your life and recognizing your successes and failures. Give
yourself credit for even the smallest success and recognize that
you can overcome every obstacle. Then you allow your Power to
express itself. What you need comes to you; projects work for
you.
We often think of many obstacles as insurmountable. For
instance, many believe the lottery to be their only desperate
hope of escaping poverty. Such people give away their Power. And
why shouldn't they? Everything they've experienced tells them
this. Our whole society is rooted in the mechanistic paradigm
(all causes and effects have a physical link), which precludes a
belief in Power. How is one to know that this concept works? How
can this be real when it is so different from what we are used
to?
Our society has a concept of "Reality" as an objective
existence of which we are all a part. When two people have
different ideas of the nature of some detail, then at least one
is Wrong. We all have a fear of being Wrong. When we are Wrong we
miss out on things and people don't like us as much. Therefore we
desperately strive to be Right. It turns out that Right is what
ever those around you happen to feel that it should be. It's as
if they all took a vote when you were out of the room. But
"Right" changes all the time: from preservatives are harmless, to
preservatives cause cancer; from Stalin is a great leader, to
Stalin was a monster; from Ptolemy explains the forces of the
universe perfectly, to Newton explains the forces of the universe
perfectly, to Einstein explains the forces of the universe
perfectly. The philosophy of science this calls this evolving
better (or at least different) explanations. Yet, while these
ideas hold sway, people call them "Reality."
Just how reliable is Reality? We all live our lives using our
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individual concepts of Reality to get along. We update them as we
see fit. But few will fundamentally change their concepts. We are
sure that, although we may not have the details, we certainly
have a feel for the basics. Anyone who disagrees with the
mechanistic paradigm, for instance, must be missing at least a
few marbles. Such a person is irrational in a universe that we
know to be rational.
But is the universe truly rational? Science has pursued the
mechanistic paradigm down to the smallest scale, particle
physics; here it fails to explain the universe. The building
blocks of Reality do not behave rationally. If you drive a car
from one side of a mountain to the other and you have a choice of
two tunnels, you will drive through one of them. If a single
electron has a choice of two holes in a plate to pass through, it
will go through both. You can plot the speed and position of your
car to the limit of the accuracy of your instruments, but you
will never be able to do both to that electron.
When you observe this mythical car, it is a solid object. If
it were not, it would not be a car. If you drove it around, then
tested to see if the car were not solid and discovered that it
wasn't, what would you think? Around the turn of the century,
scientists figured out that light acts like a wave when you test
for a wave, and like a particle when you test for a particle. In the
regular world it must be one *or* the other. The two are as
mutually exclusive as a non-solid car that you can none the less
drive. Mysteriously, light was behaving like both. Eventually,
scientists concluded that light doesn't work like the universe we
are used to. The act of observing light defines its character.
This is called wave-particle duality. Later in the century,
scientists found that atomic particles, the building blocks of
all matter, behave this way, too.
Now imagine that you can find no evidence that this car
crosses the space between where you see it and where you saw it
last. Suppose the car isn't actually "there" when you're not
looking-- the act of looking brings it into "existence." What
would you think if noticed that your expectations seem to have an
effect on where it turns out to be? This is awfully strange, but
it is the kind of universe that particle physicists find.
"Looking at" a subatomic particle "brings it into existence."
Also, scientists are finding that whatever kind of particle they
expect to find in an experiment, tends to be there. This is
starting to look less like brilliant theory and more like an
effect of the observers. They are no longer separate from their
experiments. It turns out that the universe doesn't actually work
the way we've always assumed it does.
This is the nature of matter on the smallest scale, and it
doesn't make sense in every day life. This does not mean that we
should abandon our present ideas of how to live. Keep what works
("If it ain't broke, don't fix it"). Particle physics won't
affect how you drive through tunnels, for instance. But, if you
accept physics, the epitome of the mechanistic paradigm, this
means that our mechanistic ideas of how the universe works are
fundamentally incomplete. In other words, the mechanistic
paradigm is not the whole story.
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Big deal. What does this mean in a practical sense? The world
seems to work just the same as it did when the mechanistic
paradigm was unchallenged. But what if our preconceptions dictate
what we are aware of? It is a common trick to set up a group of
people for startling event and see how many will overlook a
strange inconsistency. In one instance, a teacher took a student
off into an adjoining room on a pretext. There was the sound of
an argument and a crash and the student ran out through the room.
One of the other students suspected a set up and she was the only
one who noticed that the teacher's accomplice was carrying a
bone. A much more dramatic example is the story of Magellan's ships.
When the explorer landed on a particular island, the natives, who
had never seen europeans before, recognized them as funny looking
men in funny looking little boats. But Magellan soon found that
the natives were unaware of the large ships that carried them
there, though they were impossible to overlook. The natives had
seen men and small boats before, but they had never seen a large
ship. Such a thing was outside of their experience and therefore
outside of their comprehension. Their eyes must have seen the
ships, but their brains did not. The natives gathered to try to
see them, staring intently at where they supposed to be anchored.
Soon the local shaman could discern the barest outline which he
described to the others. Eventually they could all perceive
ships.
Who can say what we make ourselves unaware of? It is only
after we've expanded our perception that we learn how limited it
was before. But we can't go around indiscriminately "expanding
our consciousness." What we choose to believe is based on our
desires. If you are happy with what you believe, the is no reason
to change. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Change is
challenging and even if you succeed, it may well be unpleasant.
But if you feel unable to overcome obstacles in your life (and
you *really* want to), then you have nothing to loose. Magick
will only expand possibilities. If it's all a crock, you've lost
nothing. If it's true, you can do anything you're willing to work
for. It is a draw-win situation. The only way you can lose is to
make your choice out of fear. Don't let the opinions of others
influence what you choose to believe. Don't give away your Power.
Everyone else is in the same situation you are, so when it comes
to your own life, there is no greater authority than yourself. If
you're interested in magick, try it and see for yourself if it
works for you.
................................................................................
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WHAT MAGICK IS
Magick is a way of using your Power. More technically, magick is
the process of non-physically affecting your environment through
messages consciously impressed on the subconscious with a system
of symbols. (This will become clear later.) This is the broadest
definition and it can include such things as prayer, meditation,
chanting, positive thinking, subliminal tapes, programming and
hypnotism.
Some think that magick is unnatural and evil. It is no more evil
than any tool. A knife, for instance, is "good" or "evil"
depending on its use. It can be invaluable in many beneficial
projects, yet it can also harm. Nothing is immune to misuse.
People even try to use prayer against others. Such potential is
not a reason for fear, but for respect. The idea that magick is
unnatural is a modern misconception. Magic has only recently come
to mean Hollywood special effects or pulling rabbits from hats.
It is often spelled magick in order to distinguish it from this
new meaning. For millennia magick has been a path to
enlightenment and self mastery or just plain getting what you
want. It is nothing supernatural. Magick uses natural powers and
the natural flow of the universe to bring about the changes you
desire. We are so immersed in magick that, like still air, we are
unaware of it. We all use this power without thought, like
breathing. Magick is using these powers with awareness.
Magick involves placing a message of your choosing into your
subconscious. This is all that is necessary to achieve any goal.
The power of the subconscious is awesome. When you unite it with
your conscious will, you can do anything you want. Remove the
internal barriers and the external barriers melt away. Oriental
philosophy would call this "following the Tao." Achieving this is
the challenge of magick.
HOW MAGICK WORKS
How can programming the subconscious affect the world around
us? What are the mechanisms involved? According to the occult
view, it works because that is the nature of the universe.
In the West, we use the mechanistic paradigm. A paradigm is a
pattern or model, in this case describing the way the universe
works. We use paradigms to function, usually without even
realizing it. The mechanistic paradigm is one of the most basic
that underlie our culture. This model states that there is an
objective reality in which objects interact solely through
physical contact. Science has updated this to include fields like
gravity and magnetism, but the principle is the same. The result
is a universe in which the individual is nearly powerless. You
can only make real change through physical action. Magick is the
act of making such changes non-physically, so it does not fit in
with the mechanistic paradigm.
Most westerners are unaware that the magickal paradigm
represents a majority view among the world's cultures. Basically,
it is the antithesis of the mechanistic view. It states that
there is no objective universe, only subjective universes. These
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universes are the perceptions of each individual. You couldn't
possibly do any experiment that would show your universe to be
either subjective or objective. You must be an objective observer
in order to tell the difference. You are automatically a
subjective observer because you are in the universe. That's life.
At this point, there is no practical difference between these
views. The universe looks the same either way. But the magickal
paradigm also states that the universe is an expression of your
perceptions and your perceptions are that part of yourself over
which you have control. When you change your own attitudes and
preconceptions, the universe will follow. This gives an
individual as much power over the universe as he has over
himself.
Metaphysics
We obviously don't exercise infinite power. There is more to
magick than merely having a desire or belief. That is because we
have many conflicting desires and beliefs on many levels. There
is a level called, among other things, the Little Self. This
roughly corresponds to the subconscious and the super ego. The
ego, the part of ourselves which we think of as "I," is called
the Middle Self. The Little Self is the gateway to the High Self,
our connection with godhead and the universe. Infinite power lies
with the High Self, but our access is through the Little Self
which has its own ideas. The Little Self is aware of and accepts
everything around it and everything you think, even when you are
not aware. These perceptions build up very strong ideas in the
Little Self. When these ideas are different from yours (those of
the Middle Self), your ideas loose. To succeed, you must unify
your will.
Of course, people rightfully complain that even if we do
create our universe, it's still tough to make changes. That is
because there is quite a bit of inertia to ideas that have been
strongly supported since childhood (or before, if you accept
past-lives). In an extreme example, the original "Peter Pan" had
to be changed to keep from harming children. In the original
version, the characters flew because "they believed." Many
children attempted to fly and discovered the hard way that their
Little Self did not agree. Things like a belief in gravity may be
possible to overcome, but no one will argue that it's commonly
done.
This example sounds silly because our experience of gravity is
so compelling that it seems ridiculous to consider it to be
"merely a thought construct." But another belief that is nearly
as widespread is that of poverty. This is a significantly less
daunting belief which many have overcome. As long as you believe
you are poor, you will be. This is often a very strong belief.
Many cannot even genuinely imagine themselves as being wealthy.
But, because it is not beyond reasonable comprehension, it is
possible to reprogram your Little Self-- much as it's possible
for left-handers to learn to be right-handed. Magick is an
effective way to do this.
If you are unconvinced, consider how many little messages you
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heard when growing up, which you now believe on some level.
Frequent messages, especially with children, usually become true.
If you have heard all your life that you are poor or dumb or
unsuccessful, eventually you believe it and eventually it's true.
You probably know many people with an unjustifiably poor self
image. This is an image which their Little Selves accepted,
probably during childhood when they couldn't protect themselves.
That is how messages to the Little Self work against you. And the
Little Self is aware of everything, even when you are asleep. It
also believes everything it hears. So the next time that you hear
that you're not good or that you need to buy a product that you
don't really want, consciously give your Little Self a different
message. Talk to it and tell it what you want to believe. This is
what makes your universe, so make it the way you want it. When
you have a particularly powerful belief to overcome, then you
must send a powerful message. That is the role of magick.
Religion
The religious rendition of magick is prayer. Although they are
different things, the principles are similar. Techniques that are
effective for one will work very well in the other. In fact, they
use many common symbols. One could say that magick is secular
prayer.
Prayer works when "God answers it." This is entirely in line
with the metaphysical explanation. You can say that the Higher
Self is God or your connection to God. This is simply a different
way of expressing the same ineffable principles. You can adapt
anything here to fit into your views. Don't let the way these
concepts are phrased put you off. Feel free to interpret this as
much as you like in order to make it acceptable and usable to
you.
Psychology
The explanations so far require new way of thinking about the
universe, but those entrenched in the mechanistic paradigm need
not miss out. Psychology has enough respect as a science to offer
hope. If you replace Little Self with subconscious, the principle
is the same. Although there is no longer a source of infinite
power or non-physical change. But influencing the subconscious is
the next best thing in a mechanistic world.
Psychologists would say that magick directs all your
unconscious efforts toward your goal. It also eliminates those
unconscious efforts keeping you from your goal. This may not
sound like much, but it is primarily these efforts that determine
success or failure. It is easy to overlook because, for the most
part, the conscious will is the same as the unconscious will.
Thus, we succeed at endeavors such as waking up, getting to work
on time and fixing dinner. This may seem silly, but when your
subconscious doesn't share a goal, even simple tasks are
exceptionally difficult. The power of the subconscious can either
fight you or help you. Where ever you succeed, it's almost
certainly helping. Where ever you fail, it's almost certainly
fighting.
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The subconscious represents everything the mind does that we
do not think about. This involves a most of what we do. When you
are driving on a familiar freeway in good conditions, you are
usually thinking about the music on the radio or salient
problems. At such times it is your subconscious driving. If you
notice something strange in the road, it was your subconscious
that brought it to your attention. This is very helpful, but that
isn't necessarily the case. The subconscious can throw up all
kinds of barriers, preventing even the simplest tasks. It can
make you late for work when it doesn't feel like going-- you can
wake up late, feel ill, misplace car keys or even have an
accident. This influence sometimes goes to the extremes. People
can even be paralyzed by hysteria, a condition that lies entirely
within the mind. Pathological fears are another example. An
agoraphobe, for instance, can have such an extreme reaction to
being outdoors that he cannot leave his house no matter how badly
he wants to.
The subtle action of the subconscious can be almost as
profound. Even when the influence of the subconscious is
indistinguishable from chance happenings, on larger scale the
effect is dramatic. Psychologists try to ensure that experiments
are "double blind" for this reason. They must set up an
experimental group and a control group. In the latter, there is
only the single element, the target of the experiment, that is
different.
In drug testing, experimenters use placebos on a control
group. The act of administering a substance can have a profound
mental effect, even when that substance is inert, a placebo. When
they expect effective drugs, people can have great results with a
placebo. But the "placebo effect" is purely psychological. If
either the experimenter or the subject think that they know which
is being administered, that is enough to throw off the results.
The subconscious of the subject reacts to what the subject
expects. If the experimenter knows what he is administering, then
the subject's subconscious reacts to cues from the experimenter's
subconscious. This is sometimes called the "Clever Hans effect"
after a horse which seemed to be able to do math. In reality,
clever Hans but was reacting to cues from the people around him.
When someone near him knew the answer, the horse could sense that
person's expectation. It was sometime before researchers even
considered these nearly invisible clues. Although such
subconscious actions are very subtle, they can dramatically
change the results of an experiment.
The subconscious similarly affects results in your life as
well. Magick programs the subconscious to work for you. This is
not as potent as the metaphysical concept, but it will make you
as effective as you can possibly be in a mechanistic world. A
unified will directs all your efforts, conscious and otherwise,
toward your goal. Since the subconscious can present
insurmountable barriers, working out these barriers is all it
takes to be on the road to success.
Some may be disturbed to think that magick may be
misrepresenting how it works, but that should not be a problem.
In one experiment, scientists gave placebos to a group of
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subjects. After the placebos "took effect," the scientists
explained what they were. Even when the scientists made it clear
to the subjects that the placebos had no biochemical action, many
subjects still wanted a prescription for them. (It would be
interesting to see how much more effective prescription placebos
are versus over the counter placebos.) Were these people stupid?
Or were they wise to stick with something that worked?
New Science
Those that cannot extricate themselves from old mechanistic
views need an excuse to allow the placebo effect to bring them
success. Ironically, the same discipline which made magick so
difficult can now provide this excuse. Scientists are exploring
some new ideas which depart from the founding mechanistic
paradigm. Ideas consonant with the magickal paradigm show up in
Jung's synchronicity, quantum physics, the Gaia hypothesis and
the morphogenetic field hypothesis (see Rupert Sheldrake's "A New
Science of Life"). When these views obviously challenge the
traditional mechanistic paradigm, they are a source of hostility
or amusement. When the challenge is more subtle, people ignore
it. Never the less, the West is gradually turning toward a view
more in tune with magick. With greater frequency, people are
willing to consider the idea that we affect our universe on more
than just a physical level.
Scientific evidence now supports the idea of non-physically
affecting your environment. Quantum physics suggests that an
experimenter's goals seem to create whatever particle he's
looking for. The morphogenetic field hypothesis suggests that
actions affect all other actions to the degree that the
circumstances are similar. This explains why it becomes easier to
grow a certain type of crystal over time and how new animal
behaviors "jump" from one isolated population to another. Science
is continually finding support for things that metaphysicians
have said for millennia.
If your respect for science is such that you cannot take
magick seriously, do some research into these areas. If you can
find an acceptable explanation, then you can respect magick. This
respect is essential for success. But don't look for "proofs."
The concept of magick is nebulous. It's designed to explain the
way things are. "Contrary evidence" only shows that you
misunderstand. Change your definition to include the new
evidence.
Magick can never be proven wrong because it can't be pinned
down. Since it explains a subjective reality, it can never be
proven right, either. The magickal paradigm will confirm any
preconceptions, so the mechanistic paradigm will look "true" if
that is what you expect. Since it also postulates so many
unknowns in the mind, this paradigm states that what you get is
what you expected. As with so many things, you will believe if
you want to and you won't if you don't want to. But when you're
on the fence, the right explanation can help you accept the
possibility. Only then you can honestly try magick. If you
experiment with a negative attitude, it is the nature of magick
to confirm this. Magick works best for those practical enough to
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be skeptical, but open minded enough to give it an honest try. If
a part of you is genuinely interested in magick, work to become
comfortable with it. Start with simple and harmless work. Leave
the embarrassing stuff for later, after you've seen it work and
you don't care so much if your friends find out.
Avoid getting too involved in the "explanations." If you need
one, pick whichever you like. It doesn't have to be any of those
here. Each has to build his own models. In any case, reality
transcends the understanding of waking-consciousness, so any
expressible explanation is "wrong" in the traditional sense,
anyway. For a good illustration, try to "understand" wave-
particle duality in any but a mathematical sense. It's as
impossible to picture as a four dimensional cube.
However the universe "actually is," always act in a manner
that is responsible in an objective universe. If this were not
essential, people would have abandoned the objective universe
long ago. Objective or subjective, there are many empirical rules
of behavior that we all know. Magick doesn't change these rules.
Don't drive crazily because you've done a protection spell. Don't
spend unwisely because you've done a prosperity spell. Don't jump
off a building because you've done a flight spell. Remain within
these rules and you loose nothing by acting as though the
universe is subjective. You should not be doing anything you
don't want to do in the first place, because such acts are
pointless in either universe. If the universe is objective, then
you have had some harmless fun. If the universe is subjective,
then you have the chance to get anything you want. If you
approach it properly, you can't lose.
THE EMPIRICAL RULES OF MAGICK
Karma, the golden rule
So far you have read a few possible explanations of how magick
works. This is to open your mind to the fact it *can* work. But
any explanation puts a limit on the possibilities. The
possibilities which a model rules out are much harder to achieve
while you use that model. Please don't limit yourself
unnecessarily. But remember, no matter how much you may try to
believe that you can fly, it's not likely you'll succeed. The
obvious lesson here is, be careful: test the waters of your
subconscious, act responsibly (but not over cautious). Don't jump
off a cliff after your first flight spell. Don't quit work after
your first job spell. Start slow and find out how your Little
Self works before you do any life changing work.
There is a hazard so universal that you should treat it as
fact: Karma. This is the old saw of, "what goes around, comes
around." You attract things of a similar nature to what you
concentrate on (similar to morphogenetic fields). And remember,
when you concentrate on something, your Little Self does so at
least as much. The mechanistic reason for this may be "the
subconscious mind directing subtle actions to bring about
circumstances in tune with its thoughts." Metaphysicians often
explain it as "like vibrations attracting like."
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Everything has a "vibration." This is similar to the vibration
of musical notes, though obviously not the same. As with musical
notes, one vibration can start a sympathetic vibration. One
vibrating piano string will start similar strings vibrating.
Karma is the word for this principle in magick. There is a
certain vibration associated with any act. If you hit someone,
the emotions and actions involved are of a certain vibration.
This will tend to attract things of a similar vibration,
primarily violent acts. You will tend to attract someone to hit
you. It turns out that everything you do to others you
essentially also do to yourself, and vice versa. It sounds trite,
but being nice to others and yourself truly makes the world a
better place for everyone.
It doesn't matter how you understand karma, or even if you
believe in it-- you are warned. Many people don't believe. The
action of karma, particularly on such people, is often too slow
to notice. It can easily take lifetimes for a soul to work
through karma. But the soul will, so avoid bad thoughts. This is
impossible, but you will get better with practice. Each
unpleasant thought has a negative effect on you and others. This
brings negative things into your life. This is pretty rotten, but
remember that each positive thought brings positive things-- that
can be pretty good. In any case, you needn't respect karma to
find yourself a happier person for trying to live this way.
If you are just learning about karma, you will probably find
that it is now a little more obvious in your life. But sometimes
it's difficult to figure. If you do a spell to heal someone, you
would expect to be attracting good things. But what if
immediately afterward you receive a transfer back home to live
near your scummy relatives? Hardly fair! Yet that's the kind of
result you can expect if you do anything to a person without
permission. People have enough difficulty with their own Little
Selves, it's nearly impossible to divine the desire of someone
else's. The most beneficent act could violate someone's will on
some level. If the person asks you, then you are free to act.
But, even if you are absolutely sure that the person would want
it, if he hasn't asked you, don't do it.
Another fantastic example is the love spell. Do a spell to
attract the kind of person you want, not a specific person.
Exercising your will on others without their consent is always
nasty-- doing so magickally has an even higher cost. Watch
yourself. Many people working with magick do so under a
"threefold law." This means that any karmic response is tripled.
This is to keep people particularly scrupulous when they are
fooling around with this stuff. Take it seriously.
Know Thyself
Karma is best described by the golden rule, "Do unto others as
you would have them do unto you." The other major rule of magick
is just as common place, "Know thyself." This is essential
because of the Little Self. Magick is the science of expressing
your will. Because there are many aspects to your will, it
follows that you must be aware of all these aspects to be an
effective magician.
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"Know thyself" means be aware of the thoughts and feelings of
your Little Self. Learn how it feels about the things you want.
Learn it's beliefs. You must know your starting point to
effectively change negative beliefs. To do this, you have to pay
attention to all the subconscious cues that your Little Self
gives you. Explore your feelings, keep track of your dreams, look
at your past. One of the best clues is your own life. If you
create everything on some level, then part of you "wants" each
thing in your life. You must not deny this, but work with it. The
goal is healing because destruction is at best temporary.
Different desires on other levels interfere with your
conscious desire. Your Little Self picks them up everywhere. You
must be aware of this so that you can counteract it. Every ideal
commonly in the mass media impresses itself strongly. When
Madison Avenue spreads the word that young and thin are the
ideal, your Little Self will accept this if you are not careful.
If you are not young and thin, this message undermines your sense
of self worth. The resultant sense of undeserving works against
your success. There is so much exposure to these messages that it
is a real battle to avoid them. Particularly in childhood, when
we can't protect ourselves, others deeply ingrain ideas that can
be with us for life. You must work hard to discover these
feelings and counter act them. If part of you feels undeserving,
genuine success seems impossible.
There are other aspects to this problem. Not only might you
feel undeserving, but you could even desire failure. There are
many reasons for this, usually based in childhood. Whatever the
cause, you must look at your failures to see if there might be
some reward. Many people are subject to chronic illness, for
instance, because of the attention they get or an unpleasant
situation they avoid. If you really want to succeed, you must
consciously release your desire for the rewards of failure.
You must also look at the fear of success. Many times we do
not consider the problems associated with what we are striving
for, but the Little Self does. It may be afraid of the
responsibility of a better job or a new spouse. Think through
your goals very carefully. What would life be like if you had
what you desire? You will have to address any new tasks and
responsibilities. You will have to be aware of any sacrifices.
Once you are sure that you want not only your goal, but the
sacrifices and responsibilities that go with it, then release
your fears. People fear change, because it is unknown. You must
be aware that you are taking a leap and welcome it. Have faith in
your Self. When you know your Little Self well enough, you will
be able to trust that it will bring you what you desire. When you
don't know it that well, work on that. If you fail, it's time to
work harder.
When you and your Little Self have the same goals, and you
have healed all the blocks to your success, you *know* that what
you want is coming. When you know, you do not feel desperate. If
you are feeling desperation, you are blocking. In that case, back
to work! When you have worked hard enough, then you are ready for
the easy part, the spell or ritual. When you enter ritual you
should know what you want and why you want it. You should have
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healed all feelings of failure and undeserving and you should
know that your spell will bring it. Work to cultivate this
feeling of calm expectation, it is an important key. When you do
a ritual, you will release all the power you have built to do its
work on the universe. You should not even have to think about it
again.
Once you achieve this, though, there is another caveat. Many
people have something unpleasant happen to them and later
realized that they had asked for it. "Be careful what you ask
for, you just might get it." Always think carefully about what
you want and how you ask for it. Once again, solid background
work is the key.
USING MAGICK
Magick is a field with many different disciplines. There is
sympathetic, Earth, Ceremonial, Enochian, Celtic, Egyptian and
Kabbalah magick just to begin. These are occasionally different
in their basic techniques, but mostly they differ in the symbols
they use to achieve their goals. The principles are the same,
however. Whichever form you prefer, it is how you observe these
principles that determines your success. Beyond that, it is only
personal preference.
Preference is very important, too. It is your Little Self that
you are addressing, and it is as individual as you. You must
learn what works best for you. The first clue is what appeals to
you most. Once you find the best methods for you, you build your
own personal magickal system. It is up to you to find these
methods, through research and experimentation. There is so much
information that it is impossible to give more than a sample
here. The information in this book is enough to get started. It
is your work that will complete it. If you are happy with what
you get on your own, you need never open another book. But you
must at least pay constant, careful attention to your work to
fine tune it. As with anything, the more work you put in, the
better your success.
The first principle is to take what you're doing very
seriously. This is not so easy when you're struggling with
society's negative attitudes. Ignore any intrusive thoughts you
might have. Concentrate on what you are doing. You must passively
avoid any distractions. Do not try to actively avoid them for
that usually becomes an even bigger distraction. As long as you
enter with the right attitude, the rest will come with practice.
Magickal ritual is a very special thing. You must set it apart
from your ordinary functions. When you do this, your Little Self
is aware that you have that an important message to give it. Not
only is the message less cluttered by stray thoughts, but it
proceeds more directly to the Little Self. The more special
things you have surrounding your ritual, the more effective it
is. (As long as you don't have so much that these things become a
distraction in themselves.)
Pick a time when you are relaxed and awake and not under the
influence of any drugs (e.g., alcohol or medication). Take the
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phone off the hook and see that you are not disturbed. Create a
"sacred space" that is only for ritual. If you can set up a
regular time or place which you use for nothing other than
ritual, this is ideal.
Before you begin, take a bath or at least wash your hands and
use this to symbolically wash away all other thoughts and
distractions in your mind. Relax your body and mind. Remove
watches and tight clothes. Make sure the time of the ritual is
clearly separated from your usual day. Use a symbolic act like
knocking three times to open and close the ritual. Anything that
you can add to the ambience will help: incense, special or no
clothing, candle light, silence or meditative music (or whatever
music is appropriate to the spell-- be careful of any lyrics!).
If you know a second language that you don't ordinarily speak,
such as hebrew or latin, you may want to use this. Alternatively,
you can use the Thee's and Thou's of archaic english.
During the ritual, concentrate on your goals. Make sure that
your ritual is not so long that you can't keep your mind focused!
It is better to repeat a ritual over days or weeks than to have
an enormously long one in which you spend most of your time
thinking about balancing your checkbook. Know what you will do
before you start. You may ad lib, but your purpose must be
completely clear before you start. Don't be surprised, however,
if a ritual goes differently from expected. You may, for
instance, gain an insight as you work that seems unrelated to
your goal. It is important to consider this! It may be the key to
what you are trying to achieve. It may also be a distraction, so
be aware.
The Attitude
Since magick is the science of controlling your Self, the
entire key is in attitude. Not only must you take it seriously,
but you must also cultivate the right feelings. You must want and
expect your goal.
Wanting seems easy, but this is deceptive. That is because the
many facets of a personality often want different things. You
must unify your desire just as you must unify your will. A person
who grew up abused may learn, on some level, to associate this
with love. That person's Little Self will seek out abuse as an
expression of love. It will want abuse even if the individual
does not. Changing the desire of the Little Self to that if the
individual is the challenge.
An even bigger challenge is that of expectation. According to
the magickal paradigm, you not only get what you want, but you
get it in the way that you expect it. Thus, if you do a spell for
money and you think "I'll never win the lottery," the money
cannot come that way. If the spell is to work, the money must
come from another source, such as finding a better job. Too often
we rule out all possibility. When you do a spell, you know that
has already worked. If you do not know this, it has not worked.
This is the ideal. It may well take some time before you work up
to this point.
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For these reasons it's usually best to start slow. Remember,
to be completely successful, you have to want and expect on every
level. Begin with a project easier than levitation! Work your way
up to something life changing only after you have proven
yourself. And don't look for dramatic results. Don't rule them
out, of course-- you can win the lottery or even have ET hand you
a suitcase of money. But remember, this is dealing in what you
believe, and people rarely believe that dramatic things can
happen to them.
Look at magick as an extra push-- something to make the random
events break your way. In addition to magickal means, strive for
your goals on the earthly level. Preliminary results usually tend
toward things like improved success in your ordinary pursuits:
business picking up, a bonus, getting that job interview. Also,
the energy you put into these mundane efforts also supports your
magickal work. Even if you concentrate on winning a lottery, you
must at least buy a ticket. All your efforts help to build
expectation and gives a very strong message to the Little Self.
Affirmation
The message you give to your Little Self is the most important
aspect of Magick. The whole process is communicating the right
message. Desire and expectancy are the two most important
messages. But often these do not get across. The Little Self has
the understanding of a child. There are certain messages that
work well and quite a few that work disastrously. You must learn
how to talk to your Little Self.
The Little Self understands images and feelings; it does not
understand negatives or time. When you say "I will not fail," the
image in your mind is that of failure. The message to another
person would be what you mean, because they understand the
negation, "not." The message to the subconscious is "I will
fail." Never, never, never use a negative when talking to your
Little Self.
If you change your message to, "I will succeed," you still
have a problem. Since the Little Self does not understand time as
we do, it will perpetually see success as being in the future.
Success will never arrive. The proper message would be, "I
succeed." This is not the way we are used to thinking, but it is
necessary for magickal work. Always formulate your goals this way
when you begin a ritual or spell. In addition, the more you think
in this way in everyday life, the more powerful will be the
positive messages to your Little Self.
Visualization
The images which you give your Little Self are even more
important. It is the images which your words conjure that
actually do the communicating. When you choose your goal, you
should try to choose one or more images to represent it. The
image must include you in it, either see yourself in a scene or
picture it as if looking out of your eyes. The scene should
represent to you exactly what you desire.
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The more you imagine in your scene, the better. Details,
smells, sounds and textures all help enormously. The scene is
most effective when it brings up all the emotions that you would
feel if you were actually there. A drawing or picture is a good
aid. Surround yourself with as many things you can find that make
you think of your goal. Imagine you have what you want and know
you have what you want. That is a successful ritual.
Symbols
Over the millennia, people have discovered symbols which speak
to the Little Selves of nearly everyone. Various sets of symbols
form the foundation of the many different schools of magick. They
are often culturally oriented. Because our culture is far removed
from its magickal symbols, each must discover his own. There are
myriads of occult books that offer as many different symbols as
you could want. If you are interested, research them. Look first
to your religion or ethnic background for your symbols. Mythology
and astrology are also good sources.
One kind of symbol is the magickal tool. This is a physical
object which you have consecrated for magickal work. If you have,
for instance, a cross or star which you want to use for
protection, you must empower the object for that purpose in a
ritual. You will direct you will, through statement and
visualization, into to object. From then on it is a constant
tangible reminder to you and your Little Self. Treat it with the
greatest respect.
When you want to use a symbol, first explore your feelings as
you look at it. If it conjures the feelings you want, then use
it. With symbols from a source, try do this before you read what
the "authentic" meaning is. Sometimes you can get new information
by not prejudicing yourself. Be careful if the meaning is very
different, though. If you are not entirely in tune with your
Little Self (and few beginners are), you may be missing something
that will affect your spell.
Chakra
To give you an idea of what to look for and a sample to try,
here is a simple set of symbols based on the Chakra. Chakrum
(singular) is Sanskrit for wheel, although vortex would be a
better word. Chakra refers to points in the body where certain
energies localize. These types of energies correspond to many
different things: herbs, stones, times, planets, moods, political
beliefs. It is possible to relate anything to a chakrum. This
chart gives points on the body, one of the many color schemes and
how one experiences these energies. This becomes useful when you
seek a reinforcing energy. You can use this chart to decide where
to apply a magickal oil or what color is best to use in a given
project.
RED ROOT Physical Health and Energy
ORANGE SPLEEN Sexual and Reserve Energy (Second Wind)
YELLOW SOLAR PLEXUS Mental and Emotional Energy
GREEN HEART Love, Prosperity, Fertility, Growth
BLUE THROAT Command, Creation, Will, Expression
INDIGO BROW Magick, Psychic Energy
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LAVENDER CROWN Spirituality
WHITE Positivity, all colors combined, the Universal Deity (God)
BLACK absorbs negativity
PINK Filial Love, "Agape" (look it up)
BROWN Earthiness, Grounding, Hearth & Home
GOLD Wealth
TEMPLES Thoughts, mind
The blue is a very light blue. Indigo is a very dark blue, like navy
blue. Lavender is a mixture of the colors and the energies of red,
indigo and white. It is a very light color which you might be able to
see at the edge of a gas flame. The root chakrum is at the base of the
spine. The spleen is a few inches higher and to your left or along
the spine (your choice). The Solar Plexus at the navel (there is a
major nerve nexus here). The Brow or Third Eye Chakrum is associated
with the pineal gland. On the skin, the point is on the brow between
the eyes. The crown is the top of the head, associated with the
fontanelle (soft spot). If you use something black (like obsidian) to
absorb negativity, be sure to wash it occasionally to get rid of the
negativity. When you burn a black candle, this creates a vacuum.
This may be filled by for negativity unless you also burn a white
candle to bring in positive energy.
EXERCISES
Magick is not just an occasional exercise to bring what you
want, it is a way of life. It requires a certain kind of
relationship with your Self. This does not preclude any kind of
life style or religion, it is entirely separate. It isn't what
you do but why and how you do it. Magick demands that you love
and respect your Self and that you accept your Power. This is the
goal. "Getting what you want" is a small bonus.
Building a magickal relationship with your Self is much like
building one with a best friend. You learn all you can about its
beliefs and feelings. You help heal it and it helps you. You
achieve this through communication and love. You love through
learning acceptance. You communicate by learning and listening to
the language of the Little Self.
Dreams
The Little Self expresses itself most clearly in dreams. You
should keep a regular dream diary. Have a journal handy by the
bed. As soon as you wake up in the morning, write down as many
details as you can. If you scribble down notes, transcribe them
into a clear, coherent text. If you remember no dreams, write
this down. You should have an entry for every day that you sleep.
It is best to record them in present participle (e.g., "I dream
that I am writing in my journal").
Once you have a dream recorded. Consider it and write down
your impressions. How does it make you feel? To what does it
pertain? What symbols are there? What does it tell you about
yourself and your life? After you have considered these things,
you may choose to look up the possible meaning in a dream
dictionary. It is best to do this afterward because someone
else's interpretation could prejudice your own. The advantage is
that many dreams are "contrary." Such dreams actually mean the
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opposite of what they seem to on the surface. A dictionary can
help jog your awareness. Once you've tried on your own, it's not
a bad idea. Remember, though, your impressions are the most
significant.
You can make great progress during your dreams as well. The
more control you have in your dreams, the more Power you have in
your life. Try to develop this control. Remind yourself each time
before you go to bed that you will remember your dreams and
exercise your will in them. The ideal is called a waking or vivid
dream. In this you are consciously aware that you are dreaming
and everything, especially color, is very clear. The most
important thing to remember in a dream is to defeat everything
that attacks you. Attackers represent those things afflicting you
during the day. Don't let them beat you in your dreams. If you
need help, call for it. When victorious, make the attacker give
you a gift. The gift is the benefit that you can gain from any
situation. Defeat your dream monsters and you gain power to face
your real monsters.
From your dreams you can learn what your Little Self desires
and fears. You can also gain powerful symbols for your work.
These are all highly personal and it is up to you to divine this
information. But, don't try to interpret too much. Much of what
you dream is reviewing the events of the day and other items of
no great insight. Look at all your dreams and discover which ones
hold meaning for you. Don't worry when you don't understand. Your
Little Self will keep trying when it has something important to
tell you. As long as you keep listening, you will progress.
Diary
You should also keep a daily diary. It too, is a line to your
Little Self. Use this to record the events of the day and your
thoughts and feelings. These will reflect what is going on inside
you. Use it also for introspection. You must do a lot of soul
searching to learn about your Little Self, this is most effective
when written.
It is even more important to track the progress of your
magickal work. Each time you do a spell or ritual record your
goal, your feelings before and after and your methods. Before you
get to this point, you should also have explored all your
feelings associated with it. Then pay careful attention to all
that happens to you (part of the reason for the daily diary).
Often, a spell will work and we will not even notice.
Since magick works with what we believe, things come to us in
the way we expect or allow. When you do a healing, it will tend
to look entirely natural, rather than miraculous. If you do a
prosperity spell, receiving a tax refund check the following
month could be the universe's response. Keep an eye out for any
hint of possible results. Even the weakest indication is very
positive. It may not be enough to satisfy, but it means that you
are being effective. If you keep working, you will be able to
improve until you achieve the result you desire. When you give
yourself credit for even the smallest success, you build the
relationship between you and your Little Self.
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Pendulums
Another good way of communicating with your Little Self is
through pendulum work. You can use any object on a string, but if
it holds significance for you, so much the better. Hold your arm
steady and think about the pendulum swinging forward and back. It
should eventually begin to do so without you *consciously* moving
your arm. Next change the movement to left and right by thinking
about it. Once you can do this with facility, assign "yes" to one
direction and "no" to the other. If you choose forward and back
as "yes," alternate thinking the direction and thinking the word.
Eventually, even when you start cold, the pendulum will swing
forward and back when you think "yes." Repeat with the word "no"
for the opposite direction. Now you have a way of talking with
your Little Self. You can ask it questions directly.
Eventually, you can even get your Little Self to spell words
by holding the pendulum over a semicircle with the alphabet on
it. The direction of swing will indicate each letter. Another
method is automatic writing. With this you hold a pen and relax
and let "it" do the writing. (This may sound like an Ouija board,
but it is not. Do not try to use one for this purpose or vice
versa.) Whatever method you use, be careful. Your Little Self
wants to please you. It will tend to give you the answer you
want. Make sure you want the truth and that your Little Self
understands this. Always be friendly, as you would with a child.
Praise success and don't berate failure. After all, it is only
trying to please. As usual, this requires regular work over time,
but eventually you can have such a good understanding that you
need no tools. You will simply "know" how your Little Self feels.
This is the ideal.
Meditation
Another way to achieve this awareness is through meditation.
This is a method of calming the conscious mind. There many
physical benefits from the stress reduction alone. It also allows
your inner thoughts and feelings to express themselves. All the
skills you learn in meditation are very useful in magick. Not
only is it a line of communication with the little self, but it
teaches you to quiet the conscious mind which is essential in
ritual. You would do well take instruction in a meditation
technique such as yoga or self-hypnosis.
If you are learning this on your own, observe these rules:
Relax your body consciously and completely. You must be in a
comfortable, calm environment to do this properly. Starting at
your feet, think about each part of your body and let it relax.
It may help to tighten the muscles first. Use a cue to tell your
mind to relax. This can be something like mentally going down
stairs or counting backwards. [Do not use a common cue. For
instance, "three, two, one" is something that you might encounter
on the radio while driving. This could be dangerous. It would be
better to use, "three, three, three, two, two, two, one, one,
one." This is less likely to cause a problem. It is dangerously
easy to get into a meditative state during automatic tasks like
driving. This you must avoid.] Once relaxed, you can use this
state to allow subconscious thoughts to float to the surface, or
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you can use it in ritual to give a powerful message to your
Little Self. This mental state is another key to magick.
You will find that it is very difficult to focus your
conscious mind at first. See how long you can hold one word or
picture in your head without any other thought. It is probably an
astoundingly brief time. Watch commercials to see how many
seconds they show one unchanging scene. This represents the
average attention span. This is one of the reasons that magick is
so difficult, you must remain focused for the entire ritual. Be
aware of you concentration span. While it is short, you should be
working short rituals. It is better to have three five-minute
rituals than one half-hour ritual if you spend twenty minutes of
the latter thinking of other things.
In order to improve your concentration, spend some time each
day trying to hold a word or picture as long as possible. Another
good exercise is to pick a word and try *not* to think of it for
a week. Count how many times you think the word in your head, if
you think it again when counting it, count that instance, too.
This is very difficult, but eventually you will even be able to
hear or see the word without thinking it.
These skills immediately become useful in communicating with
your Little Self. You will want to hold positive thoughts, such
as "I am a loveable, successful person." You will want to dispel
negative thoughts, as when the T.V. tells you, "I was very
unpopular until I started using Crealm Toothpaste!" When you are
trying to reprogram your Little Self, feel free to use aids such
as subliminal tapes. Another good one is colored cards. Place
your simple, direct message, such as "I succeed," on a colored
card where you will see it each day. Put small pieces of the same
color where you will encounter them throughout the day. Each time
a bit of card comes in your field of view, your Little Self will
notice and remember the message, even when you don't.
Symbolic acts are also very powerful. When you clean out your
house and get rid of everything that you don't *need,* you make
way for new things to come into your life. This is a good thing
to do in concert with a major change in your life, quitting
smoking or graduation, for instance. It helps to tell your Little
Self that your old life is over and your new one has begun. The
more you can eliminate the symbols of your old life, the more you
can shape your new life to your liking. Be aware of all that you
do, for you can use ordinary acts to give messages to your Little
Self. Your morning shower can be a ritual to "wash away" all your
stress or yesterday's mistakes. If you do this, however, you must
*make* it a ritual. Develop a routine and concentrate on the
purpose of the act throughout. This is true of all magickal
works.
Once you have begun this work to focus your conscious mind and
reprogram your Little Self for success, then you can begin some
small works of magick. You want to start small because most
people have difficulty accepting a great success on a deep level.
If start with a spell to win one million in the lottery and you
are not ready for this, your failure will set you back. If you do
prosperity spell and you get a small raise or win $10 in the
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lottery, that is a start that you can build on.
One of the better starting goals is manifesting an
insignificant object. Manifesting means bringing it into your
life. Things tend to manifest in unremarkable ways, so keep a
look out. The blue feather is a classic. Set up a ritual in which
you concentrate on a blue feather. See it, feel it, smell it,
want it, then let it go. Then pay attention for the following
week (and keep track in your journal). You may find a blue
feather on the side walk. You may notice one for the first time
on a billboard that you pass every day. You may see one on T.V.
All of these are successes.
It is best to start with insignificant, uncommon (but not
rare) objects. An uncommon object gives you a good indication of
success. A rare object is a challenge you can work up to. An
insignificant object is easier because you do not have
interfering desires or fears. You have to be relaxed and
confident and let go of your desire as you complete the ritual.
You should be able to manifest such an object before you proceed
to a greater challenge. It is valuable to repeat this exercise
every so often in any case.
Another good spell to start with is a spell to do good spells.
That is, you can use magic to help remove blocks and fears. For
instance, if you have discovered that you feel unworthy, this
will seriously impair your ability to manifest what you want.
But, you can use your desire for self worth to empower magickal
work toward feeling worthiness. You can also do a spell to
support your ability to concentrate on your goal. This is just an
extension of all the other methods of getting messages to your
Little Self.
When you discover blocks and fears, when thoughts intrude and
your mind wanders, or when you find yourself thinking exactly
what you're supposed to avoid, don't worry! This happens as you
learn to control your will. The idea is not to avoid these
problems, but to *learn* to avoid them. You can't do this by
trying to force yourself. There are no instructions on how to do
this, only exercises. Just do your stuff and the rest will
follow. When problem surfaces, recognize it and go on. Don't try
to stop it and don't dwell on it, just continue. You may know
that you have "spoiled" a ritual with a stray thought, but
complete it anyway-- it's a good exercise. Sometimes you can deal
with stray thoughts by *trying* to think about them. Concentrate
on these thoughts and let your mind tire of them, then go on with
your work.
Work steadily, but not overly hard, on these exercises and
make magick a part of your life. Unify your will. Take and prove
your Power. Only after you have done this are you ready to do
magick. When you feel you are ready, develop the messages and
visualization which will be the most powerful for you. Decide how
you are going to set up your ritual area and how you will
orchestrate your spell. Whatever you feel best with is what will
be the most powerful. If you need an idea of how to start,
consider the examples that follow.
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SPELLS
Once you have discovered and addressed your blocks, you are
ready to do a spell. This is only a little different from what
you have already been doing. In a spell you do nothing new, you
do it differently. A spell is a ritual, an act carefully planned
to have the greatest effect. You must do the planning, for only
you know what will be the most effective ritual. Plan carefully
and completely. You may want to use a script (it would be best to
memorize it). You can ad lib once you're more experienced. At
this point, you have enough information to develop more powerful
rituals than you are likely to encounter in any book. However,
since this is so different from what most of us are used to, here
are some samples to give you a starting point. Feel free to use
and change these rituals as you please. They are here to give you
an idea of how you may want to approach things.
The ritual starts in a special place. It could be out in the
woods or in a special room. Ideally, you would never use this
place for anything but ritual, but this may be impossible. If in
the home, choose a quiet time and unplug the phone. Make sure
that you are not disturbed.
Before the ritual, carefully clean and arrange the area and
take a bath or wash your hands. Think about washing away the days
thoughts and cares. You are now ritually purified. You should not
engage in any mundane activity until after the ritual. Enter your
ritual area and knock three times, to mark the beginning. From
this point all your thoughts are on the ritual. Don't do anything
automatically. No matter how familiar, think about every action
and what it means.
Light candles and incense (only if there is no danger of
fire!). Imagine the ritual area surrounded in a circle of white
light. You may physically trace this circle to reinforce it.
(Traditionally, all such movements are clockwise when invoking
and counterclockwise when dispelling.) Repeat an act of
purification. This is like the bath only more symbolic. You can
hold your hand in the incense smoke and touch water from a ritual
cup to your forehead, for instance. Next, relax and aum-- that is
chant the mantra "ohhmmm" (or whatever works for you) to bring
your mind to the proper state of alert relaxation, ready for
work.
At this point you will state your will. Tell your Self and the
Universe how you choose it to be. This is not merely
verbalization, during ritual your word is law. What you say, is.
Feel your statement with your entire being, with every sense. Use
all the techniques that you have found effective. Then, let the
feeling go. It is going out into the universe to do its work. End
your expression with a statement like, "According to free will
and for the good of all." This helps to avoid problems with
karma, as long as you mean it. Do not allow other thoughts to
intrude at this point, it is now time to close the ritual.
Imagine removing the white light circle (counterclockwise).
Knock three times to end the ritual. Put out the candles, clean
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each item and put it carefully away in a special place. The
ritual is only finished once you have completed all of these
steps. Only then can you resume thinking about what's on the T.V.
and how big a jerk your boss it. As a beginner, you should always
be prepared to go through this entire procedure before you start.
Even in an emergency, you should at least remove the white circle
and knock (very quickly, perhaps, but do at least this much when
possible). Nothing in a ritual is mundane, so it must be clearly
delineated from your mundane actions. Otherwise you will dilute
your spell and give the wrong messages to your Little Self. When
ritual is obviously separate, your Little Self will know when to
pay close attention.
Once finished, do not talk about your work. Silence is another
important key to magick. If you discuss it with anyone else, they
cannot help adding their thoughts. This is almost always
detrimental. It is fine to work with people, then your energies
multiply. But never talk about specific spells that you have
done.
Destroying Your Enemies
This is one aspect of magick that attracts many. It is a big
mistake! Karma will get you every time. Don't try to rationalize.
Though you may be able to put it off, you will not escape karma.
In the mundane world, you might justifiably do violence in order
to defend yourself or another from physical attack. In magick,
this justifies only defense, never attack. Don't imagine yourself
to be an agent of karma or a martyr saving others at your own
expense. Who ever has done you wrong will get his. It's
frustrating to wait and we all want to be there when it happens,
but it is never worth trying to make it happen.
When you have any kind of relationship, particularly a
magickal one, you develop a karmic tie. You will want to avoid
such ties with people you don't like. Even if you get the best of
such a person, he will still drag you down. It's difficult to
resist when you feel that the person owes you. If you have been
swindled and left with no legal recourse, it's tempting to use
magick to get your money back. Trying to get even will develop a
tie with this person and probably set you up for some bad karma.
Don't worry about the money, either. You can get that from
anywhere (see "Prosperity"), In seeing this swindler as your only
source you give your Power to him. If you are brave, you can
demand justice in such a situation. This incurs no karmic debt,
but you, too, can expect justice. Not very many people genuinely
want this. Most prefer mercy because we have all done plenty of
things that we would rather not have to pay for. If you want
mercy, you must extend it to others. When you ask for justice,
all your debts present themselves. If you survive, great, but it
won't be fun. There are much safer ways of dealing with nasty
people.
Protection
Psychic attack can be a real problem because it is so
prevalent. When you make someone angry, the person is attacking
you. Simply directing angry thoughts is a psychic attack. (This
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incurs bad karma, so learn to avoid this yourself!) We all have
natural defenses, so these attacks seldom have an effect. But if
someone has ability, or if he concentrates a lot of energy, you
are likely to suffer. Psychic attack usually comes in through the
neck and manifests as a headache. As you become a better
magician, you will be more sensitive to the energies around you.
You become more vulnerable to psychic attack. You also become
better able to defend yourself as long as you remain alert. This
work will also help protect you from physical threats. Keep in
mind that, though magic may help, you must still act responsibly!
Affirmations: I am now safe and secure. All negative influences
are reflected off me into the Earth to be healed. I allow only
the positive into my life.
Visualizations: See an egg of white light around you-- because
this keeps in negative energy, also see it filled with violet
light, which will turn the negative to positive. Another good
visualization is three concentric circles around you (or whatever
you wish to protect) of white (outside), blue (middle) and pink
(inside). Also, you can imagine a mirror at the back of the neck
or encasing the whole body, reflecting outward.
Other: Religious symbols are especially good for this work.
Purification
Remember that the things you have in your life are those that
you have drawn to you. When someone upsets you, he usually has a
lesson to teach you. If you can learn this lesson, you can escape
the situation. If you escape without learning your lesson, you'll
probably be in a similar situation soon. Sometimes people often
make us angry by reflecting a part of our personality that we are
unhappy with. Also, the negative vibrations we pick up during our
everyday lives attract negative things. The purpose of the ritual
bath is to remove such influences. It is also a good idea to do
an entire spell for purification. This is not only good to do on
yourself, but also your home and wherever else you spend much
personal time.
Affirmations: The white light cleanses me of all negative
thoughts and energies. Only positive feelings remain in me. I
release all negative vibrations into the Earth to be healed.
Visualizations: See yourself being washed clean by white or
violet light from above you (your High Self). Each time you
inhale, take in pure white light. When you exhale, release all
your negativity. See this negativity go down into the earth to be
healed.
Other: Place a piece of rock salt under your tongue. Use incense
smoke or water to cleanse yourself. Again, religious symbols are
very effective.
Love
You must take love spells very seriously, for they are quite
dangerous. Never, never, never do a love spell on an individual.
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This is often a great temptation, but don't even risk the
possibility of imposing your will on another. The karmic results
are severe. Even if you succeeded, you would still lack real
love, for you would have to continually renew the spell to keep
the person. What you want, among other things, is someone to help
express your love for yourself. As you will often hear, you must
love yourself first. This isn't a problem, for you already love
yourself-- that is the main reason you are alive. The problem is
when you block that love. Eliminating these blocks is the Soul's
goal. But don't despair, you needn't actually remove them to draw
love to you. Just beginning the work can attract that special
someone who will help.
Affirmations: I am a perfect manifestation of love and I draw
love to me. I now allow love to come into my life. I feel and
express perfect love and draw other loving people into my life.
Visualizations: Picture yourself as a magnet, feeling and drawing
love. Imagine yourself bathed in green or pink or orange light,
depending on your goals. Pink is for filial love (agape) and for
that of a lover. Orange is for the sexual aspect (spleen
chakrum). Green is for both (heart chakrum). But the distinctions
are somewhat blurred, for love is a combination of all of these.
Other: Friday is the day of Venus and the waxing to full Moon is
a time of increase, so these are good times for ritual. The
ubiquitous heart symbol can be useful.
Prosperity
Money is not all there is to prosperity. What do you want the
money for? What kind of life do you want to live? What do you
want to have? Keep these goals in mind. You may get them instead
of the money.
As you work though your blocks to prosperity, you will
probably find that one of the biggest is guilt. Our society
functions under the assumption that a person can only gain at the
expense of others. Don't try to get money by taking it from
others through force or fraud, magickally or otherwise. That is
giving your Power away. In the magickal paradigm, you create.
When you understand this, there is no greed because you can have
whatever you desire and without taking from others. It is not
money that is a root of evil, but the love of money. It doesn't
matter how much you get, but how you get it. When you do a
prosperity spell, it should be a joyful expression of the
infinite supply available to you. If you are begging or hopping
to be rescued, you have more background work to do.
Another aspect to remember is that money, like all other kinds
of energy, flows. In order to get it, you have to spend it. There
must be an outflux for there to be an influx. This is not an
excuse to be irresponsible! It is easy for the flow to be too
much in either direction (especially out!). Don't be miserly or
wasteful, remember the flow. Use each bill you pay to remind you
that you've drawn the money to pay it and that more money will
come to take its place.
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Affirmations: I allow prosperity to manifest itself in my life in
great abundance. I draw from the infinite source all the money I
need and more. In my life, I now express the infinite supply of
wealth around me.
Visualizations: Imagine yourself bathed in green light (heart
chakrum). This is a situation where visualization works
particularly well, because it's a tangible object. You can even
use a picture or model of the new home or car you want.
Other: Good times for a prosperity ritual are Thursday, the day
for increase, and during the waxing Moon. The $ (or approriate
regional symbol) has a great deal of power-- consider using it.
Health & Self Improvement
Your body is the most direct expression of your Little Self.
It is one of the most accessible, yet challenging things to
change. If you can find and address the root causes of health
problems, like heat disease, it is often relatively easy to do
something about them. But self image problems can be very
difficult because of the way our society approaches the subject.
Over weight is a good example of a self image problem. Madison
Avenue bombards us with an ideal of beauty. It is almost
impossible to escape. If you are over weight and unhappy about it
for other than health reasons, you are probably a victim of this.
It is dangerously easy to make self love or approval contingent
upon losing weight. Until you've lost it, you may feel
undeserving and thus fail. You may succeed, only to have old
habits or new crises can throw you back into old eating habits.
You have made no fundamental change, so the cycle reinforces
itself. So many different problems manifest this way.
You will certainly want to deal with eating habits and
exercise, but this is often insufficient. People have different
metabolic rates and different body types. Do not make liking
yourself contingent upon your having a different body type! If
you dislike your body, you dislike your Little Self. You must
love yourself unconditionally. This is the same transcendent
spirit expressed in wedding vows: for better or worse, richer or
poorer, in sickness and in health. Love yourself not regardless
of how you look, but because of how you look. Wanting to improve
doesn't mean that you must dislike yourself as you are. If you
were given $900, you wouldn't despise it because it wasn't $1000.
Rejoice in your Little Self's expression of being alive. Until
you do, this lesson will hang over your head. Ironically, you are
most able to change your looks when it matters to you least.
Remember to be responsible. Always get good health care. When
trying to lose weight, follow a sane plan under a doctor's care.
But in addition, work to love yourself unconditionally. Strive
constantly to fight the messages from the media and those around
you. You are a loving, loveable person and your looks reflect
this. Make yourself aware of that. When you succeed, you may
eventually look like your ideal, but even if you don't, you will
see the beauty in yourself. You will be more able to defend
yourself from those small minds unhappy enough to attack you for
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not conforming to their ideal. You will also draw those who can
see your beauty. As an extreme example, anorexics always feel
that they are too fat. They cannot lose more weight, for that
would kill them. The answer lies with truly seeing themselves.
Any time your goal is self improvement, the principle is the
same. In order to better yourself, you must first realize that
you are loveable, now and always. Never try to better yourself to
become loveable-- it doesn't work. The goal of magick is to heal
those things you do not like in yourself, not destroy them. You
better yourself by first bettering your self image. You change
your behavior by healing the hurts that cause you to do harmful
things. Recognize that all unhappy things are in response to
pain. Your Little Self can hurt you, much as a favorite pet may
bite you because it is in pain. Do not feel anger or misery but
love and healing.
Affirmations: I love myself completely as I am now. I surrender
to love. I know that I am a loving and loveable person. I heal
all hurts. I now express perfect health in my life. I bring
complete health into my life. My body is now a beautiful, healthy
expression of my Self.
Visualizations: Imagine yourself so close to the sun that you can
see nothing else. Visualize the area you want to heal bathed in
blue-green light. Listen to or imagine the note F#. Concentrate
on the heart and throat chakra (green and blue, respectively).
The root chakrum (red) is another good focus for physical well
being. When healing someone not present, put a photo next to a
candle. Put the name of the subject on the candle and use this to
focus your concentration.
Other: Rituals to increase energy and health are most effective
during the waxing moon and at high noon. Rituals for eliminating
disease or losing weight are best done during the waning moon.
The five pointed star (symbol of Man) might be a good symbol (if
you do not have any negative associations with it).
Good Luck!
At this point you are on your own. It takes forty days to make
or break a habit, so you should concentrate on daily exercise for
at least this long. Magick is not a quick, easy way of getting
what you want. It is a long, hard road. Though it's quite
possible to have instant success, visible results can take
months. Real rewards can take years. But we all must travel this
road some time. Be cautious of those promising an easier path.
Though it may appear slow, magick is one of the fastest ways of
taking your Power. The difficulty lies not in feats of physical
or mental prowess, but in steady diligence. Do not try too hard,
or you will not last long. If you are not happy with the way your
life is going now and you desire to take your power, then commit
to the life changes which magick demands. If your commitment is
genuine, then everything will fall into place over time. Above
all, be patient.
Best of luck and stay on the path.
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________________________________________
"HOW TO USE MAGICK with a Straight Face"
(C) 1989 by Scot Rhoads, all rights reserved
MYSTIC MOON Metaphysical Books, NEW MOON RISING journal & BBS
8818 Troy St., Spring Vly, CA 91977 (619) 466-8064; BBS: 466-5403
................................................................................
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{file "Nine Noble Virtues (Norse)" "bos653.htm"}
Nine Noble Virtues
(Written by Lewis Stead from the Raven Kindred's ritual book)
The Odinic Rite lists the 9 Noble Virtues as Courage, Truth, Honor,
Fidelity, Discipline, Hospitality, Industriousness, Self-Reliance, and
Perseverance.
It would be hard to get much argument on any of these values from
anyone. They simply and briefly encapsulate the broad wisdom of our
Gods and ancestors.
Courage
In virtually every statement of values applied to Asatru, Courage is
listed first. As Stephen McNallen has said, courage and bravery are
perhaps the values which the Vikings are best known for. However,
despite our history, few of us face such turmoil as a literal battle
for ones life. In fact, I believe it might be easier to manifest
courage in such a situation than to do so in the many smaller day to
day occurrences in which courage is called for.
The most common of these occurrences for modern Pagans, is the courage
to acknowledge and live ones beliefs. It is also, sadly, the one that
we most often fail at. While we may often be full of the type of
courage that would lead us to face a shield wall, many of us quake at
the thought of the topic of religion coming up at the office or a
friend asking what church we attend. We won't offer easy answers, but
we ask this: if you toast the courage of your ancestors to fight and
die for what they believed in, can you trade away your religious
identity for a higher salary or social acceptance?
In an essay on values there is also the question of moral courage.
The way of Tyr is difficultto lose ones hand for ones beliefsbut,
Tyr thought the price worth paying. In a million ways modern society
challenges our values, not just as Asatruar who are estranged from
mainstream religious practice, but for religious people in an
increasingly not just secular, but anti-religious culture. Values are
also not in favor in modern society. Breaking or getting around the
rules is encouraged to get ahead. Living honorably is simply too
inconvenient. I think most people, Asatru or otherwise, find this
repugnant, but the only way to change it is to have the courage to
refuse to take part in it.
Truth
The second virtue, that of Truth, is the one that most led our kindred
to embrace the Odinic Rite's statement of values as our own. Early in
our discussions, we decided that no matter what values we chose to
hold out as our own, truth must be among them. It is a word that
holds so much in its definition, and includes such a wide variety of
moral and philosophical beliefs that we were all drawn to it as a
simple statement of what we stood for.
At least one of the reasons we wanted to adopt it was the simple issue
of honesty. As Bill Dwinnels said at a recent sumbel while toasting
truth and honesty: if you don't want people to know about something,
don't do it. Truth, in the sense of honesty, is essential to personal
honor and also to any system or morality that is not based on rigid
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legalism. If one is to uphold an honor code, one must be brutally
honest with oneself and with others.
Truth is also the Truth that comes with a capital Tthe kind of Truth
that one talks about in terms of religion or morality. It's common to
talk of different peoples having different "truths," but it's equally
important to remember that while we acknowledge that each person or
people has their own belief as to what Truth is or where to find it,
there finally is a single Truth. This is not the Truth as we believe
it, but ultimate Truth. While we may respect other people's truths
and seek our own, we must never forget our search for The Truth. Like
the Holy Grail of Christian legend, it may never be ours to reach, but
when we cease to search we perish.
Honor
Honor is the basis for the entire Asatru moral rationale. If anything
comes out in the Eddas and Sagas it is that without honor we are
nothing. We remember two types of peoples from ancient times: those
whose honor was so clean that they shine as examples to us and those
who were so without honor that their names are cursed a thousand years
after they lived. Good Asatruar should always strive to be among the
former.
However, honor is not mere reputation. Honor is an internal force
whose outward manifestation is reputation. Internal honor is the
sacred moral compass that each Asatruar and God should hold dear. It
is the inner dwelling at peace which comes from living in accordance
with ones beliefs and with ones knowledge of the Truth of what one is
doing. It is something deeply personal and heartfelt, almost akin to
an emotion. It's a knowing that what one is doing is right and
decent and correct.
In many ways while the most important of all the virtues it is also
the most ephemeral in terms of description. It is all the other
virtues rolled together and then still more. The best way I have
found to describe honor is that if you are truly living with honor,
you will have no regrets about what you have done with your life.
Fidelity
Fidelity is a word that is far too often defined by it's narrow use in
terms of marital fidelity. By the dictionary it simply means being
faithful to someone or something. In marriage this means being true
to ones vows and partner, and this has been narrowly defined as
limiting ones sexual experience to ones spouse. While I have found
this to be great practical advice, many treat fidelity as if there
were no other ways in which one could be faithful or unfaithful.
For we Asatruar fidelity is most important in terms of our faith and
troth to the Gods. We must remain true to the Aesir and Vanir and to
our kinsmen. Like marriage, Profession (the rite in which one enters
the Asatru faith, similar to Christian confirmation or Wiccan
initiation) is a sacred bond between two parties; in this case an
Asatruar and the Gods. In order for such a relationship to work, both
must be honest and faithful to each other.
Asatru, although currently being reborn, is at its roots a folk
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religion and we also uphold the value of fidelity to the ways of our
ancestors. This is why historical research is so important to the
Asatru-folk: it is the rediscovering of our ancient ways and our
readoption of them.
Discipline
In any discussion of the values of Asatru, discipline is best
described as self-discipline. It is the exercise of personal will
that upholds honor and the other virtues and translates impulse into
action. If one is to be able to reject moral legalism for a system of
internal honor, one must be willing to exercise the self-discipline
necessary to make it work. Going back to my earlier criticism of
society, if one rejects legalism, one must be willing to control ones
own actions. Without self-discipline, we have the mess we currently
see in our culture.
Looking at discipline in terms of fidelity, we see a close connection.
Many Pagans go from faith to faith, system to system, path to path.
Asatruar are much less likely to do this. The discipline of keeping
faith with our Gods and the ways of our ancestors is part of our
modern practice. In this way, we limit ourselves in some ways, but we
gain much more in others.
Hospitality
Hospitality is simply one of the strongest core values at the heart of
virtually every ancient human civilization. In a community/folk
religion such as our own, it is the virtue that upholds our social
fabric. In ancient times it was essential that when a traveler went
into the world he could find some sort of shelter and welcome for the
night. In modern times it is just as essential that a traveler find
friendship and safety.
In our modern Asatru community, we need to treat each other with
respect and act together for the good of our community as a whole.
This functions most solidly on the level of the kindred or hearth
where nonfamilial members become extremely close and look out for
each other. It can mean hospitality in the old sense of taking in
people, which we've done, but in modern times it's more likely to mean
loaning someone a car or a bit of money when they need it (that's
need, not want).
Part of hospitality is treating other people with respect and dignity.
Many of our Gods are known to wander the world and stop in at people's
houses, testing their hospitality and generosity. The virtue of
hospitality means seeing people as if they were all individuals with
self-respect and importance. Or perhaps from time to time, they are
literally the Gods in human form. This has profound implications for
social action in our religion. Our response to societal problems such
as poverty (that's poverty folks, not laziness) is in many ways our
modern reaction to this ancient virtue.
In terms of our modern community as a whole, I see hospitality in
terms of frontier "barn raisings" where a whole community would come
together and pool their resources. This doesn't mean we have to
forget differences, but we must put them aside for those who are of
our Folk, and work for our common good.
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Industriousness
Modern Asatruar must be industrious in their actions. We need to work
hard if we are going to achieve our goals. There is so much for us to
do. We've set ourselves the task of restoring Asatru to it's former
place as a mainstream faith and by doing so reinvigorating our society
and culture. We can't do this by sitting on our virtues, we need to
make them an active part of our behavior. Industry also refers to
simple hard work in our daily vocations, done with care and pride.
Here's a few concrete examples. If you are reading this and don't
have a kindred, why not? Stop reading now. Go and place ads in the
appropriate local stores, get your name on the Ring of Troth, Wyrd
Network, or Asatru Alliance networking lists, and with other Pagan
groups. Put on a workshop. Ok, now you're back to reading and you
don't agree with what I'm saying here? Well, be industrious! Write
your own articles and arguments. Write a letter to the editor and
suggest this material be bannedbetter that than passivity. Get the
blood moving and go out and do it. That's how it gets done. The Gods
do not favor the lazy.
The same holds true for our non-religious lives. As Asatruar we
should offer a good example as industrious people who add to whatever
we're involved in rather than take from it. We should be the ones the
business we work in can't do without and the ones who always seem to
be able to get things done. When people think of Asatru, they should
think of people who are competent and who offer something to the
world.
This doesn't just apply to vocational work, but to the entire way we
live our lives. It is just as much a mentality. The Vikings were
vital people. They lived each day to its fullest and didn't wring
their hands in doubt or hesitation. We should put the same attitude
forward in all that we do whether it is our usual vocation, devotion
to the Gods, or leisure time.
Self Reliance
Industry brings us directly to the virtue of Self-Reliance, which is
important both in practical and traditional terms. Going back to the
general notion of this article, we are dealing with a form of morality
that is largely self-imposed and thus requires self-reliance. We rely
on ourselves to administer our own morality.
Traditionally, our folkways have always honored the ability of a man
or woman to make their own way in the world and not to lean on others
for their physical needs. This is one of the ways in which several
virtues reinforce and support each other. Hospitality cannot function
if people are not responsible enough to exercise discipline and take
care of themselves. It's for those that strive and fail or need
assistance that hospitality is intended, not for the idle who simply
won't take care of themselves.
In terms of our relationships with the Gods, self-reliance is also
very important. If we wish the Gods to offer us their blessings and
gifts, we must make ourselves worthy of themand the Gods are most
pleased with someone who stands on their own two feet. This is one of
the reasons for the Asatru rule that we do not kneel to the Gods
3297
during our ceremonies. By standing we acknowledge our relationship as
striving and fulfilled people looking for comradeship and a
relationship, rather than acting as scraelings looking for a handout
from on high. It takes very little for a God to attract a follower,
if worship simply means getting on the gravy train. We, as Asatruar,
are people who can make our own way in the world, but who choose to
seek a relationship with the Gods.
In mundane terms being self-reliant is a simple way to allow ourselves
the ability to live as we wish to. In simple economic terms, if one
has enough money in the bank one doesn't need to worry as much about
being fired due to religious discrimination. We can look a bigot in
the face and tell him just where he can put it. It's also nice to
have something in the bank to lay down as a retainer on a good lawyer
so we can take appropriate action.
On the other side of this is self-reliance in the sense of Henry David
Thoreau, who advocated a simple lifestyle that freed one from the
temptations of materialism. Again, here we are able to live as we
wish with those things that are truly important. Religious people
from all faiths have found that adjusting ones material desires to
match one's ability to meet them leaves one open for a closer
relationship with deity and a more fulfilling life. While our
ancestors were great collectors of gold goodies, they didn't lust for
possessions in and of themselves, but for what they stood for and
could do for them. In fact, the greatest thing that could be said of
a Lord was that he was a good Ring Giver.
Being self-reliant also means taking responsibility for ones life.
It's not just about refusing a welfare check or not lobbying for a tax
exemption, but also refusing to blame ones failures on religious
intolerance, the patriarchy, or an unfair system. The system may, in
fact, be unfair, but it's our own responsibility to deal with it.
In societal terms, we have become much too dependent on other people
for our own good. As individuals we look to the government or to
others to solve our problems and as a society we borrow billions from
our descendants to pay for today's excesses. Most problems in this
world could be solved if people just paid their own way as they went.
The final virtue is Perseverance which I think most appropriate
because it is the one that we most need to keep in mind in our living
of the other values. Our religion teaches us that the world is an
imperfect place, and nothing comes easy. We need to continue to seek
after that which we desire. In this imperfect world there are no free
lunches or easy accomplishmentsespecially in the subjects we have set
before ourselves. If we truly wish to build an Asatru community that
people will hold up as an example of what committed people can do,
then we must persevere through the hardships that building our
religion is going to entail. We must be willing to continue on when
we are pushed back. If one loses a job for ones religion, the answer
is not to go back and hide, but to continue until one finds a vocation
where one can more forward and live as an Asatruar should.
Finally we must persevere when we simply fail. If one's kindred falls
apart because of internal strife, one should go back and start over.
Pick up the pieces and continue on. If nobody had done this after the
disintegration of the Asatru Free Assembly, this would probably never
3298
have been written. We must be willing to continue in the hard work of
making our religion strongnot just when it is convenient and easy to
do so, but when it gets hard, inconvenient, or just plain boring. To
accomplish without striving is to do little, but to persevere and
finally accomplish a hard fought goal brings great honor.
................................................................................
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{file "Dark Moon Ritual" "bos654.htm"}
DARK MOON
by Magus and Ariel
Chanting before and while entering circle. Soft background music when
ritual starts.
Priest: We are gathered here in recognition of the dark, to celebrate
the dark mother, the crone of time, grandmother of us all!
All ears hear! The circle is about to be cast, let none be present
but of their own free will! Be it known that we are in the
presence of the dark Goddess.
Priestess: circles deosil with the salt, casts the first circle.
I cast the circle thus! With salt, deep from the womb of the mother!
From oceans deep and cold! I consecrate this space! So mote it be!
Priest: circling deosil with water.
I cast the circle thus! With water, ancient and old; with the
life blood of the world! I consecrate this space! So mote it be!
Priest: circling deosil with censor.
I cast the circle thus! With fire and air, clean and hot!
I consecrate this space! So mote it be!
Priest: And ever it was thus!
All: So mote it be!
Calling of the quarters:
Priestess: Ancient one of elemental Air! I call and summon thee by
name!
Raphael of the wide ranging air! Sylph of the endless skies! We
bid you come! Stand in our presence and guard this circle cast.
So mote it be!
All: So mote it be!
Priest: Ancient one of elemental Earth! I call and summon thee by name!
Oriel of the fertile plain! Gnome of forests deep! We bid you
come! Stand in our presence and guard this circle cast!
So mote it be!
All: So mote it be!
Priestess: Ancient one of elemental Fire! I call and summon thee by
name!
Michael of flickering flame! Salamander of scorching fire! We bid you
come!
Stand in our presence and guard this circle cast! So mote it be!
All: So mote it be!
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Priest: Ancient one of elemental Water! I call and summon thee by name!
Gabriel of oceans and streams! Undine of pools and ponds!
We bid you come! Stand in our presence and guard our circle cast!
So mote it be!
All: So mote it be!
Priest stands in the east, Priestess stands in the west.
Together with outstretched arms begin chant A U M !
<invoking Spirit pent>
All: So mote it be!
Priestess: And ever it was thus! From the beginnings of the world,
air and earth, fire and water weaved together with spirit and love!
All CHANT
We all come from the Goddess
And to her we shall return.
Like a drop of rain,
Flowing to the ocean.***
Isis, Astarte, Diana,Hecate,
Demeter, Kali, Inanna **
Priest: Dark Mother!! Crone of time!! We ask your presence and your
blessing! All things to you must go, though darkness and death
are your domain, you promise peace and rest! Thy gift is life!
Yours is the hand that turns the wheel and cuts the thread.
Be with us this magickal night! Give each of us your wisdom
and bless our rite! So mote it be!
All: So mote it be!
Priest and Priestess circle while chanting:
Hecate, Hecate of visage dower,
Dark Mother, Dark Mother come in power.
Hecate, Hecate of visage dower,
Dark Mother, Dark Mother crone of time.
While Priest and Priestess chant, everyone else can chant
also if the mood strikes.
Each person will take a sheet of parchment paper and write down
that which they have outgrown and want removed.
They will keep the paper with them until later when
this petition will be burned and tossed into cauldron.
Priest and Priestess:
And ever it was thus!
Priest: As God
Priestess: To Goddess
Together:
So woman to man
From the beginnings of the universe
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The energies joined and co-mingled
whereby we are sustained and carry on.
Priestess takes chalice:
Dark Lady, Mother of night, we thank you for your presence and
wisdom. (pouring liquid into libation bowl) as the fruit of the
vine was plucked and pressed, it came to know the touch of death
and thereby we are sustained and carry on!
Priest takes cakes:
Likewise as the grain of the field ripened and fell beneath the
scythe it came to know the touch of death, whereby we are
sustained and carry on!
While cakes and wine are passed around all will chant:
<in retrospect this works better if you've got the music.
Hebrew is hard>
Hine matov umanayim
Shevet akim gom yokad
(Happy are they that dwell
together as brother and sister)
Priestess: And ever it was thus!
All: Blessed be!
Priestess stand in the west with cauldron in front of her.
Priest kneels and silently draws down . While still kneeling
Priest says:
Dark Lady of the waning moon!
We thank you for your presence
and your blessing, and in silence we turn within
and willingly offer
to thy realm that which is old and outdated,
that which no longer has life and no longer grows.
We offer to thy Blade that which
we no longer need.
(Priest stands and lights cauldron)
Priestess draws invoking earth pentegram in front of Priest saying:
Of the Mother darksome and divine
Mine the scourge, and mine the kiss;
The five-point star of love and bliss -
Here I charge you, with this sign.
Priest: Here ye the words of the Dark Lady; we who of old was called
among men Hecate, Persephone, Kali, and many other names.
Priestess: Worship me as the Crone! Tender of the unbroken cycle of
death
and rebirth. I am the wheel, the shadow of the Moon.
I rule the tides of women and men and give release
and renewal to weary souls.
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Though the darkness of death is my domain,
the joy of birth is my gift.
Everyone in turn ignites their petition off the cauldron and
tosses it into the cauldron.
Priestess embraces each person as they go by.
Priestess: And ever it was thus! That which falls to the hand of the
crone finds regeneration and new life!
All circle and CHANT:
She changes everything she touches and
everything she touches changes!
Priestess: Grandmother! Blessed thou be! Depart to thy realms .
Thank you for the lessons learned this dark night! Blessed be!
All: Blessed be!
Priestess: Ancient one of elemental Air! Thank you for your vigil here!
Leave with us a renewed mind as clear as air! Blessed be!
All: Blessed be!
Priest: Ancient one of elemental Earth! Thank you for your vigil here!
Leave with us steadiness and patience! Blessed be!
All: Blessed be!
Priestess: Ancient one of elemental Fire! Thank you for your vigil
here!
Leave with us swiftness and action, a flaming soul to always do
what is right! Blessed be!
All: Blessed be!
Priest: Ancient one of elemental Water! Thank you for your vigil here!
As you depart leave with us the fluidity of water that we may
have compassion for our fellows as well as our selves!
Blessed be!
All: Blessed be!
Priestess: Let all ears hear! The circle is open but remains
unbroken!
Brothers and sisters, we are children of the Lord and Lady!
May they always dance within our hearts.
Merry did we meet, merry do we part, merry we meet again!
All: Merry did we meet, merry do we part, merry we meet again!
Blessed be!
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{file "Brigit, Two Prayers" "bos655.htm"}
Prayers to Brighid
These are some prayers to Brighid that I adapted from prayers to the
Irish Saint Brigid. Comments are welcome.
"KINDLING THE FIRE"
This morning, as I kindle the flame upon my hearth, I pray that the
flame of Brighid may burn in my soul, and the souls of all I meet today.
I pray that no envy and malice, no hatred or fear, may smother the
flame.
I pray that indifference and apathy, comtempt and pride, may not pour
like cold water on the flame.
Instead, may the spark of Brighid light the love in my soul, that it may
burn brightly through the day.
And may I warm those that are lonely, whose hearts are cold and
lifeless, so that all may know the comfort of Brighid's love.
"COVERING THE FIRE"
Brighid, preserve the fire, as You preserve us all.
Brighid, may its warmth remain in our midst, as You are always among us.
Brighid, may it rise to life in the morning, as You raise us to life.
................................................................................
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{file "House Cleansing Ritual (David Piper)" "bos656.htm"}
House Cleansing
By: David Piper
************************************************************************
_Banishing And Sealing Ritual For The Home_
To be performed during at the New Moon, but may be performed at any time
in need.
You will need a new white Candle (any size with holder), small bowls for
Water and Salt, and a large bowl of water as well, and the censer and an
appropriate incense. (Choose one that brings to your mind qualities you
wish to have in your home.)
Banishing Ritual:
Meditate for a few moments on the task ahead; then make a brief
invocation to the Goddess and the God, asking for Their Aid and Power in
the Work you will do.
Light the white candle in its holder, and charcoal in the censer (or an
incense stick may be used instead).
Consecrate Water and Salt in the usual way.
Consecrate the water in the bowl in the same manner, but do not add
Salt; place this bowl in the center of the room.
Take the consecrated Water, elevate it to North, and say,
"In the name of (Goddess) and (God)
I banish with Water and Earth."
Sprinkle the Water lightly widdershins around the perimeter of the room.
Bless the incense, then elevate the censer (or incense stick) to North,
and say,
"In the name of (Goddess) and (God)
I banish with Fire and Air."
Cense the perimeter of the room widdershins.
Take the Candle and cast a Banishing Earth Pentagram at North. (Draw
the Pentagram with the censer or incense stick, starting from the bottom
left point up to the top point, and so forth.) As you cast the
Pentagram say,
"With this Sign I banish ye, foul shades of the (Quarter)!
Let this home be freed of your baneful influences!"
Then go widdershins around the perimeter of the room, casting a
Banishing Pentagram at each Quarter beginning at the West and ending
back at North, repeating the above at each Quarter. (Do not repeat it
again at North.)
Now turn and face the center of the room, where the bowl of water sits.
With your hands, draw any negative energy or vibrations remaining, and
cast them into the water in the bowl by flicking or snapping your
fingers at it. Repeat this action until you are satisfied the room is
cleansed. Do not touch the water in the bowl, as it is being filled
with the negative forces you are eliminating.
Move the consecrated Water, the Salt, the Incense, the Candle, and
the bowl of water (being careful not to spill it) into each room in
your home and repeat this ritual.
After banishing every room in the home (including bathroom, closets,
pantry, etc.) you have finished. Empty the large bowl of water into
running water (a sink or toilet will do). Wash the bowl thoroughly
with cold water, scrubbing with some of the consecrated Salt.
Sealing Ritual:
Take all the Elemental substances used in the Banishing Ritual (Salt,
consecrated Water, wax drippings from the Candle, and ashes from the
Incense) and mix them into a paste.
Using your forefinger, use the mixture to draw an Invoking Fire
Pentagram at each opening leading outside the home (the doors and the
windows - and even the water pipes, if you should feel the need) while
concentrating on the Intention of protecting your home from outside
influences. (Draw the Pentagram from the top point to the bottom right,
and so forth. Form the Star so that it is point up, or point out, as
appropriate.) You may make two Stars at each opening if you wish - one
on the sill or threshold, and the other on the door or window itself.
Remember that Intent is the key to success in this, as in all magickal
operations; going through the motions without Will brings no results.
3305
{file "Celtic Centering Ritual" "bos657.htm"}
The Center Point (Celtic)
By: Airmid
The methods that I use involve putting oneself in the center of the
Three Realms, constructed as a triskele. The first is a movement
meditation that I call "The Center Point." It involves both movement and
a breathing pattern used to time the movement. Breathing is, ideally,
timed to the heartbeat. Three each beat is one count. Breathing pattern
is to inhale for 3, hold for 1, exhale for 3, hold for 1.
Movement is slow, rhythmic and deliberate. Each movement has its own
meaning.
Start standing erect, arms relaxed at your sides.
Close your eyes and relax. Clear your mind, concentrating on your
breathing, and listening to your heart beat. Breathe in and out in the
3-1-3-1 pattern three times as you allow yourself to relax.
As you breathe in the fourth time, raise your hands from your sides and
cover your heart with your palms, one over the other -- you are at the
center of the world.
Exhale, moving smoothly to one knee, placing your palms on the ground in
front of you -- you stand firmly upon the Land.
Inhale as you rise to your feet. As you stand, move your hands behind
you as far back as you can comfortably reach at waist or hip height.
Your hands should be cupped as though you are holding liquid.
Breathe out, moving your hands in an arc around you until they meet in
front of you at about the level of your navel -- the Sea always
surrounds you.
Breathing in, move your hands back to your sides, holding them slightly
away from your hips with your palms flat, facing forward and your
fingers spread open.
Exhale as you raise your arms above you in a smooth curve over your head
until the tips of your thumbs and index fingers touch --the Sky spreads
itself above you.
Inhale again, lowering your hands in front of you until they are once
again cupped over your heart -- you are at the center of the Three
Realms.
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{file "Candle Blessing (Coven of New Gwynedd)" "bos658.htm"}
CANDLE BLESSING
===============
Coven of New Gwynedd
Blessings be upon thee, O creature of light! Thrice blessed
little herb! Herb o' grease, with thy waxen stem and thy blossom
of flame! Thou art more potent against spells and terrors and the
invisible menace than fennel or dittany or rue. Hail! antidote to
the dealy nightshade! Blossoming in the darkness, thy virtues are
heartsease and quiet sleep. Sick people bless thee, and women in
travail, and people with haunted minds, and all children.
<to be spoken when a new candle is annointed with oil, or when
candles are being made -- when wax is being poured or the candle
dipped -- preferrably on Candlemas>
Blessed Be,
Gwydion
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{file "Covens and Witches (Julia Phillips)" "bos659.htm"}
The Coven
By: Julia Phillips
Greetings All!
This article was written by me several years ago, but I thought it might
be of interest here, as it discusses several issues relevant to modern
Witches. Any thought or feedback most welcome! Please remember, that
although the historical stuff is pretty general, the other parts of the
article are my own ideas, and not necessarily applicable outside of my
own tradition :)
Covens and Witches
In 1662, Isobel Gowdie of Auldearne made four separate confessions of
being a Witch, and in the process, gave the word "Coven" to the world.
Although there is no other historical evidence for this word, it has
proven to be one of the most lasting facets of Witchcraft - ask anyone
today what Witches do, and the answer will almost certainly include the
fact that they meet in groups, called "Covens".
So given that a number of modern Witches do, in fact, either run, or
belong to, a Coven - just what is its purpose in 20th (and 21st) century
Western Civilisation? Why has this word of such dubious historical
veracity survived over three hundred years? Is there a place in our
modern world for a social group which, as far as we know, occurred only
in 17th century Scotland?
The very fact of its survival for over three hundred years argues that
there is a place for such a group. In my own case, I have been a member
of, and run, Covens of Witches for a number of years, and it is a social
model which fits extremely well within modern society.
The structure of a coven varies, but generally has one or two leaders,
and a number of members of varying levels of experience. In a sense, the
modern Coven has replaced the tribal family, and its members often
fulfill familial roles, which are no longer available to them in the
family in which they were born.
Some researchers have commented that many modern Witches come from a
background which was disrupted; i.e., did not provide a safe family
environment during their formative years. As I know a great many Witches
for whom this was not the case, I think this is only a partial reason,
and only for some people.
Humanity itself seems to be inherently tribal; any common bond between
people will generally result in the creation cults or sub-cultures,
where those of a like-mind will bond together. They will evolve their
own social order (generally hierarchical), have their own common
language, and often are identifiable by their demeanour and appearance.
Witches gather together in Covens for very much the same sorts of
reasons; we are apart from general society by virtue of our beliefs and
practices. Meeting with others who think and feel similarly to ourselves
gives us the opportunity to share ideas and skills, as well as being
able to practise our Craft.
A modern Coven provides a family-style environment, where the "Elders"
can, by virtue of their experience, give encouragement, support, and
advice to those seek to learn about Witchcraft. As with all families,
Covens have very unique and individual ways of approaching this. Just as
no two families are the same, neither are any two Covens.
Some Covens are run by people with an academic bent, and as would be the
case in any family, this characterises the way in which their "children"
are brought up. Other groups are oriented towards a more simple
approach, and the oral traditions play an important role in the way in
which the Coven is structured. Some combine the these two approaches,
and the variations upon the basic themes are endless.
For any "family" to exist harmoniously, everyone within the group must
feel a part of the group, and wish to learn and grow within that group
environment. With a path such as Witchcraft, with its emphasis upon
personal growth and development, it is likely that individuals who may
at one time have been happy within their family group, will change, and
wish to move away. This is a perfectly natural process, and the wise
coven leaders will send those people off with their love and blessing.
Trying to keep them would be like trying to keep your sons and daughters
tied to your apron strings forever!
Ultimately, and despite the popularity of the word "coven", I do believe
that most Witches are solitary in nature, and will generally spend at
least part of their lives without being a member of, or running, a
coven. I think the inward exploration during these periods is vital to
self-development, just as we believe it is important to encourage
social-awareness in children. However, I also believe that at some stage
it is important to learn the practices of Witchcraft from another
person; to be an apprentice, if you will; because the act of passing
knowledge from one person to another cannot be replicated by books,
correspondence courses, or be self-taught. This may seem an almost
impossible task to some people, but as all the magical traditions teach:
when the student is ready, the teacher will appear! What's more, it's
true!
B*B Julia
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{file "Group Ethics Essay (Raven)" "bos660.htm"}
Group Ethics Rules: Opening Suggestions!
By: Raven
Too often I had seen the Craft used as a personal power-trip, or with a
disregard for the effects on others. This time it happened in my home.
I introduced two guests, acquaintances of mine, to each other. One was
interested in learning about the Craft; the other offered to teach him.
The would-be teacher went on about his skills, describing the would-be
student's aura and psychic shields; leaned back in his chair, said,
"I really shouldn't do this, I really shouldn't" -- then leaned forward
and, with no warning or other preliminary, SLICED the student's shields
"open" (as he said), leaving the student feeling naked and exposed.
To prove a point, I suppose, but what point I can't guess.
I was outraged. Guests in my home are not to be abused -- by anyone.
Even to a complete materialist, it would be clear that the student had
had his personal space invaded, his emotional consolation removed, with
no informed consent involved, and with no feeling of other protection.
I already knew the would-be teacher himself was taught by people of
no great concern for ethics. His was chiefly a fault of poor training,
added to which he had never stopped to think that "occult" dealings with
people might involve the same ethical issues as "mundane" dealings.
One of the several outcomes of that event was that I wrote the following
guidelines for those two specific people, and suggested (NOT ordered)
that they adopt these -- if they did still decide to work together.
After that, well, several other people did express an interest.
Note! This was written as a PROPOSAL; no-one has enacted it as a LAW.
The hope is for it to be used by, and among, those who like the ideas.
(Really, all it does is put the concept of "Harm ye none" in practice.)
RULES OF THE CIRCLE
THE RULES OF INFORMED CONSENT:
1. Tell everyone participating what to expect, before the circle is
closed or anything else begins.
2. Give everyone participating the chance to say NO and to withdraw,
before the circle is closed or anything else begins -- and then
respect that decision.
3. Be open, honest, and fair: spring no surprises, trip no traps;
NEVER use what you learn or do in circle to manipulate or compel
any other person, or diminish anyone's dignity and free will.
THE RULES OF PRIVACY:
4. Encourage people not to wander in and out of any session between
its beginning and ending, or cross the circle while it is closed.
5. Protect every session from interruption by (or intrusion on) any
outsiders -- by closed or locked doors, a fence, or some other
clear marking outside the circle.
6. While proceedings may not be secret, they ARE always private; keep
silent about who and what you see or hear in circle, unless you
have each other participant's specific consent.
THE RULES OF SHIELDING:
7. ALWAYS, ALWAYS close the circle and raise your wards before
beginning, or continuing after a break.
8. ALWAYS, ALWAYS dismiss your wards and open the circle after ending,
or to allow passage across the circle.
9. Conduct yourself with mutual respect and due courtesy, without
malice or ill will toward anyone, or else ask that the circle be
opened and that you be dismissed from the session.
COVENANT
THE TEACHER PROMISES THE STUDENT:
1. I will abide by the Rules of the Circle.
2. I will ask from you no more than you can give.
3. I will not expect you to read my mind.
4. I will not hide from you my limits or gaps in knowledge; if I just
don't know, I'll tell you so.
5. I will explain, to the best of my ability, not only what to do and
how, but also why.
6. I will not push you beyond your ability or willingness to proceed.
7. I realize that I may be tempted to become dominating, a "leader" --
and I will do my best to resist this temptation.
8. Because I received from others without payment, I will give to you
without payment.
9. As I can, I will learn from you in turn.
THE STUDENT PROMISES THE TEACHER:
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1. I will abide by the Rules of the Circle.
2. I will ask from you no more than you can give.
3. I will not expect you to read my mind.
4. If I have questions about what you show me, I will ask you.
5. If I fail to understand anything, I will mention it.
6. If I feel unready to proceed, I will tell you.
7. I realize that I may be tempted to become dependent, a "follower" --
and I will do my best to resist this temptation.
8. Because I receive from you without payment, I will give to others
without payment.
9. As I can, I will teach you in turn.
A CIRCLE IS NOT A LINE: IT HAS NO BEGINNING AND NO END.
A CIRCLE IS NOT A PYRAMID: IT HAS NO TOP AND NO BOTTOM.
A CIRCLE IS NOT AN ASTERISK: IT IS NOT RUN FROM JUST ONE POINT.
................................................................................
3310
{file "Wiccan Ethics & The Wiccan Rede (David Piper)" "bos661.htm"}
Wiccan Ethics And The Wiccan Rede
By: David Piper, Sat 21 May 94 12:16
Part I: What Sayeth The Rede?
=====================
The "archaically worded" construction "An it harm none, do what ye
will," rendered into modern English is literally, "if it doesn't harm
anyone, do what you want."
Many modern Wiccans "reverse" the construction, however, taking the
first part and putting it after the second to read: "Do what ye will an
it harm none," or in modern English "Do what you want if it doesn't harm
anyone."
Many people give the word "an" or "if" a value of "so long as" - which
is acceptable substitution, because it doesn't alter the meaning of the
Rede itself. However they then proceed to read "so long as" as "only
if," and that is *completely different*, because the Rede has ceased to
be a "wise counsel" [anyone checked the meaning of "rede" in the
dictionary lately?] and become an injunction: prohibitive commandment,
rather than permissive advice.
In other words, the original archaic construction actually says "if it
is not going to hurt anyone, it is ok to do" - this is *not* the same as
"if it hurts anyone it is *not* ok to do."
What is the significance of the change? A larger one than you might
see, at first glance.
The "actual construction Rede," or AC Rede, says it is ok to do
something that won't harm anyone, but it *does not say anything* about
those things which do cause harm, except to set an ethical standard of
harmlessness as the criteria to judge by.
The "modern reconstruction Rede" or MR Rede, explicitly says that any
and all actions that cause harm are forbidden.
The two constructions do *not* mean the same thing at all. And it
should be obvious that this has implications on our thinking, and
discussions of the possibility of "obeying" the Rede.
Most of you will have heard or read, as I have, people saying the Rede
is something to strive to live by, even though mundane reality makes it
very difficult, if not impossible, to do so to the letter. *This is
only true of the MR Rede, not the AC Rede!* As examples, they cite
situations such as self-defense; *this violates the MR Rede*. Period.
But it does *not* violate the AC Rede. Period.
Earlier, I stated that the AC Rede does not rule on actions that do
cause harm - and this is true. It only rules on those actions which do
not, by saying that they are acceptable. This is relevant to "victi-
mless crimes" for example - civil "crimes" may in fact be "ethical," by
the judgment of the AC Rede.
What the AC Rede *does* do, in terms of actions that cause harm, is
state an ethical value by which an individual must judge the results of
her/his actions before acting. In other words, by stating that a
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harmless action is ethical, the AC Rede sets harmlessness as the
criteria for evaluation. Acting to prevent greater harm - but in the
process causing lesser harm - may then be ethical, if there is no
harmless, or more harmless, method of preventing that greater harm -
because *not* acting to prevent harm is to *cause* it, by an act of
*omission* rather than *commission*.
In short the difference between the AC Rede, and the MR Rede, is that
the AC Rede is a perfectly-obeyable ethical standard, but the MR Rede is
not, as so many people have pointed out. Do we take as our ethical
standard a "counsel" which *can* be obeyed, or one which *necessitates
rationalizing in some instances*? Which is truer to the Wicca, and to
the *real* Rede?
"rede: n. [Middle English rede < Old English raed < base of
raedan, to interpret] [archaic] 1. counsel; advice 2. a plan; scheme
3. a story; tale 4. an interpretation"
(from Webster's New World Dictionary)
Part II: "Do good, an it be safe..." (from the Ordains)
===========================
The MR Rede is the most common interpretation in Wicca today; so much
so, that not only do many Wiccans not realize there's a difference in
the two constructions, but they *deny* it when it is pointed out to
them, holding firmly to the MR Rede as what the original has always
meant.
At first the change of language was only an attempt to bring the
language up from archaic, to modern English; but in doing so - especial-
ly with the public relations campaign, to convince people that Wiccans
are "not black magick/not devil worship/not evil nasty curse-casters"
the "harmlessness" aspect of the Rede was stressed, over the personal
responsibility aspect. And in essence Wiccans became the victims of
their own PR campaign.
An additional result is the injunction that one may never work magick
for others, even to heal, without their knowledge and consent. Of
course, we are allowed by this injunction to ask "Can I pray for you?"
as a means of obtaining the consent. From "a love spell aimed at one
particular person is unethical because it violates their will only to
serve our lust" we've moved to an extreme: to the prohibitive injunction
against ever doing any magick for another without permission, since it
violates their free will. Does anyone *really* believe the Gods will
judge them ill, for attempting to heal someone?
What of the case of an unconscious accident victim and family unavail-
able to ask - are we forbidden to work? No, of course we're not - but
we *do* have to accept the karmic consequences of such acts. Do you
really think that a neurotic who uses an illness as a crutch wouldn't be
better healed of that neurosis as well as the illness? Of course that
may call up some karma if the person isn't strong enough to give up that
crutch yet. Once again the real criteria is *personal responsibility*
and consideration of the consequences of one's actions *before* one acts
rather than the "thou shalt not" prohibitive commandment.
There is however another reason for the "prohibitive form" of these
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redes - one which has some validity. The teacher bears a karmic respon-
sibility for the student. There was a group whose teaching was, "No
magick may be done for another, even to heal, without their consent; any
exceptions may be decided only by the High Priestess and the High
Priest." The point of this is that a student is not yet experienced
enough, not yet wise enough (since wisdom is the harvest we reap of our
experience and knowledge), to have that kind of decision, and the
resulting karmic burden, left to rest fully upon her/his shoulders -
hence, some teachers and some Trads do not allow neophytes to have
responsibility for that kind of decision-making.
It is far better, however, to teach a student the essential importance
of personal responsibility, the need to look ahead for possible
consequences before they act, than to lay "thou shalt not's" upon them
despite Wicca's insistance that we have none.
I received a comment about the last sentence in part I, paragraph 3,
that said "Ack! Welcome to the One Wiccan Commandment! Any 'thou shalt
nots' lurking around?" Food for thought, my fellow Wiccans! Food for
thought!
................................................................................
3313
{file "Charge of the God 1 and 2 (Siobhan)" "bos662.htm"}
Charge of the God 1
By: Siobhan
Tue 12 Jul 94 10:33
Here's something I picked up recently. The writer felt that there should
be a Charge of the God to go with The Charge of the Goddess.
*****
Listen the the words of the Great Father, who of old was called
Osiris, Adonis, Zeus, Thor, Pan, Cernunnos, Herne, Lugh and by may other
names:
"My Law is Harmony with all things. Mine is the secret that opens
the gates of life and mine is the dish of salt of the earth that is the
body of Cernunnos that is the eternal circle of rebirth. I give the
knowledge of life everlasting, and beyond death I give the promise of
regeneration and renewal. I am the sacrifice, the father of all things,
and my protection blankets the earth."
Hear the words of the dancing God, the music of whose laughter
stirs the winds, whose voice calls the seasons:
"I who am the Lord of the Hunt and the Power of the Light, sun among
the clouds and the secret of the flame, I call upon your bodies to arise
and come unto me. For I am the flesh of the earth and all it's beings.
Thru me all things must die and with me are reborn. Let my worship be
in the body that sings, for behold all acts of willing sacrifice are my
rituals. Let there be desire and fear, anger and weakness, joy and
peace, awe and longing within you. For these too are part of the
mysteries found within yourself, within me, all beginnings have endings,
and all endings have beginnings."
So Mote It BE!
Charge of the God 2
By: Siobhan
Tue 12 Jul 94 10:33
This is the second Charge of the God I have.
****
THE CHARGE OF THE GOD
Listen to the words of the God, who is the son, brother, lover, and
consort of the Lady:
I am the fleet deer in the forest, I am the beach which receives the
waves, I am the sun which warms the earth. I am the Lord of the
Spiral Dance of Life, Death and Rebirth, the gentle reaper, the
Winter stag and the Spring fawn. All things are of me, for I am of
the Goddess, opposite, yet not opposing. I bring birth forth from the
womb that is a tomb, for I am the seed which fertilizes. I am
abundant Life, for I am the grain that grows and I am death, the
harvest in the Fall. And I am rebirth after darkness, for I am the
seed that springs forth anew.
I am fertility, the spreader of Life, and I am the Lord of Death,
which adds value to life.
I am the Guardian of the gate between Life and Death. I am King of
the Underworld, where no living being may venture, but I am also
the King of Rebirth, turning the tomb into a womb.
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I bring love and strength, peace and passion, hope and joy, for I am
the gentle lover in the night.
All that I am comes from the Great Mother, the Divine Star
Goddess, who is Mother of us all.
**********
Feel free to use this one as is, or to adapt it in whatever way feels
right to you.
Blessed Be!
-- PattiMom --
The Crazy Lady in the Wheelchair
(Pattimom and Ariadne wrote this one)
If you like it, snag it and use it. :-)
Blessed Be!
Siobhan
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{file "For A Few Myths More (WofW #7)" "bos663.htm"}
For a Few Myths More
by Aries
"...Aries shows us how modern images (albeit set in 19th century
America)..." Julia, Web of Wyrd No. 7.
For me, that "albeit" sounded like a gauntlet being slapped down. Can we
show the presence of myth in films other than Westerns? We don't plan to
go on in great detail, but we suspect that what we're trying to get
across is the suggestion that maybe "The Mythic" is not the stories or
rituals, but the substrate out of which our tales and trials grow.
When we talk about myths we are really referring to ancienct stories,
and not every ancient tale grew out of "The Mythic". More than enough
were for entertainment, propaganda, satire or pornography _ to see
everything that is old as also being venerable is to fall into the
Confuscian Heresy. In much the same way our modern literature/film
culture produces works serving as varying purposes as moral tales, epic
adventures, pulp and hardcore porn, but also produces work that grows
direct from "The Mythic".
In the rubric of science, "The Mythic" can be seen as being non-local;
it stands outside of space-time, being here, there and everywhere; now,
then, and everywhen. Our tales do not grow out of the ancient tales/myt-
hs, but draw afresh from the same wells as they did (do/will?).
In the printed media a good many SF novels are based on the inner/und-
erground journey; all that Phillip K Dick and Edmund Cooper wrote seemed
based on this theme, in the same way "Metropolis" is of the "descent"
type story. One of the great advantages of film is the way it can make
the sensations of the "descent" seem "real"; possibly by a species of
autohypnosis into a state that Robert Anton Wilson refers to as virtual
reality in his book, Cosmic Trigger 2. For us other examples of the
descent theme are Orson Welles' films; Touch of Evil and The Trial
(based on Kafka's book), giving a long shot of the journey.
The classic "Casablanca" we suggest is the story of the "descent" from
a viewpoint inside the underworld itself. That Casablanca is the place
of death is always suggested by the comment that Rick makes to Elsa when
she says that Victor Lazlo will die in Casablanca; "What of it? I'm
going to die in Casablanca. It's a good place for it." Full of refugees
(lost souls). Rick exists in his own emotional limbo awaiting the
descent of his own Inanna to set him free.
"Apocalypse Now" and the Conrad novel it is based on, "Heart of
Darkness", gives a great example of the same story set at both ends of
the century; the parallel of the inner and outer journey, especially as
Conrad went through his inner journey whilst writing the book, and
Francis Ford Copolla and crew went through theirs while making the film.
I would strongly suggest that "The Mythic" emerges into our lives first
and formost; through tales we make sense of the patterns, and warn those
who follow on from us.
Another great advantage of film is its ability to show us inside the
underworld in such a way that we may lose track of where the boundaries
lay, and become uncertain of what is real and what is illusion. If the
previous films can be seen as "descent" themes, the following, we
suggest, can be called "Chapel Perilous" themes. In "The Maltese Falcon"
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we have the characters chasing the elusive bird, crossing and double-cr-
ossing each other, unconcerned by anything but possession of the
miraculous object, which we discover at the very end is nothing but;
"The stuff that dreams are made of".
With "The House of Games" _ Mamet's six year-old cult movie _ we enter
the image of the labyrinthe, a subterranean night world of confidence
tricksters, who lead a lady psychiatrist along until she, and us (the
viewer) have problems distinguishing between what is real and what
isn't, until it all becomes part of the game.
That is the nature of "Chapel Perilous", its existence can be denied, we
can believe we're somewhere else (watching a movie?), but all the time
we're trapped in it, unable to discern what is really going on.
Another cult movie that gives a beautiful experience of Chapel Perilous
is Orson Welles' film "F for Fake", except this time we are the targets
of the con. A documentary film about two fakers, itself really a clever
montage of existing film clips put together to give the impression of a
series of interviews. At some point the film moves into the realm of
total fantasy, and the beauty of it is that we don't notice _ that is
the Chapel Perilous experience. From here it is logical to move onto the
ascent, or what could be called the "Promethean" theme. The film
"Frankenstein" is the classic promethean film, but is full of timid,
anti-Luciferan morality; i.e. to steal the "fire" from the gods
instantly incurrs punishment; as a myth, that is no longer useful to us.
All of the above examples are tales based in the twentieth century. For
a promethean theme we feel we should be looking forward; "2001 A Space
Odyssey" is wonderfully symbolic in that it is based in the first year
of the next millenium. There are four stages in the film: the first is
"The Dawn of Man", taking place in prehistoric Earth, where "the slab"
appears _ the promeathean gift, but what is the gift? fire? tool use?
weapon use? the ability to kill? We would suggest that it is the gift of
imagination; the apre man looks at the bone and "sees" a weapon; he has
the ability to manipulate images in his mind.
In the film the image cuts instantly to a space craft on its way to the
Moon. This journey between the worlds we feel signifies that we have
entered mythic space. In the next stage of the film, "The Moon", we meet
"the slab" again, where it dispenses its next gift, the awareness of
something beyond. In Qabbalistic terms we have moved from Malkuth to
Yesod; the following stage of the film, "Journey to Jupiter", has us
ascending the sephiroth to Chesed.
On the approach to Jupiter, Dave has to disconnect the higher functions
of the computer, Hal. We would suggest this can represent a distrust of
reason; a return to child-like ways, or a stepping away from the
constraints of language. As Hal closes down, it is language that
deteriorates; i.e. it is language that constructs the world we perceive.
So to go into the infinite beyond, to take the Next Step, we have to go
beyond language, hence all the descriptions of mystical experiences end
up sounding like gibberish.
For the final stage of the film, "Jupiter and beyond to Infinity", we
have the leap across the Abyss to the Supernals; Chokmah, Binah, Kether.
Because language fails us at this point, Kubrick relies solely on the
visual image; the sequence seems baffling, but we wonder if he is trying
to explain something that is also suggested by Ken Wilber in his book,
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"The Atman Project"; i.e., we evolve by changing how we translate the
incoming information of our senses. We go from looking through to
looking at each developmental stage. For most of us, we construct the
world by looking through a semantic framework or grid; when we transcend
this stage, we will be able to look at our semantic structure. Likewise
in the film, Dave sees the next stage from outside and then becomes it:
the outsider, the astronaut, the urbane man, the old man on the death
bed, and finally rebirth as the Star Child. Or as Crowley puts it in
"Magick" when describing the grade of Adeptus (Exemptus); "Completes in
perfection all these matters. He then either (a) becomes a Brother of
the Left Hand Path or, (b) is stripped of all his attainments and of
himself as well, even his Holy Guardian Angel, and becomes a Babe of the
Abyss, who having transcended the Reason, does nothing but grow in the
womb of its mother."
So we contend that "The Mythic" is everywhere, everywhen, and despite
our cultural estrangement from myths, "The Mythic" still emerges through
our media in many guises, which includes, but is not exclusive to,
Western movies.
................................................................................
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{file "Handfasting Ritual Notes" "bos664.htm"}
Handfast Ritual
This is adapted from "Magical Rites from the Crystal Well" by Ed Fitch
and is a combination of their handfast ritual and american indian
ceremonial prelude. I'll skip over the consecration as it is a standard
one and get straight to the ritual itself. We had a Priestess only, so
this was written with that in mind but could easily be adapted for a
Priest and Priestess.
At this time and in this place
Do we call upon the Spirits of the Land
As well as the Mighty Ones of the Skies.
We call upon the Gods of our own distant past
From lands far away.
We call upon the Gods of our spiritual brethren
Who once called this place
Their own.
Witness and rejoyce with us in this moment
As love is affirmed.
__Groom's name__ and __Bride's name__ step forward
Stand before the Gods and those who witness on Earth
__Groom's name__, if it is your wish to become one with this woman
Will you pledge your love through all that may come
As long as love shall last?
<Groom replies: I so pledge>
__Bride's name__, if it is your wish to become one with this man
Will you pledge your love through all that may come As long as love
shall last?
<Bride replies: I so pledge>
Does any say nay?
As the Gods and the Old Ones are witness
With those of us present now,
I now proclaim you man and wife1
Thus are thy hands fasted...
The Two are now One,
This work is done
And joy is yet begun!
There is also a portion for the rings using a wand that was left out of
ours but is normally placed immediately after the vows and is as
follows...
The rings are placed upon the wand before the ritual and the wand upon
the altar. (This is written for bot Priest and Priestess present)
The priest picks up the wand and holds one end before him in his
right hand, the priestess likewise holds the other end in her left hand.
Place your right hands
Over this wand...
And your rings...
His hand over hers.
Above you are the stars
Below you are the stones
As time passes, remember...
e a star should your love burn brightly,
Like the earth should your love be firm.
Be free in giving of affection and of warmth.
Have no fear, and let not the ways or words
Of the unenlightened give you unease.
For the Gods are with you,
Now and always!
The rings are exchanged during the vows.
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{file "Handfasting, Celtic" "bos665.htm"}
Handfasting (Celtic)
This is a copy of a Celtic handfasting I found in the book _Finn Mac
Cool_ by Morgan Llywelyn.
Bride and Groom repeat the following together:
You cannot possess me for I belong to myself. But while we both wish
it, I give you that which is mine to give. You cannot command me for I
am a free person. But I shall serve you in those ways you require and
the honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from my hand. I pledge to you
that yours will be the name I cry aloud in the night, and the eyes into
which I smile in the morning. I pledge to you the first bite from my
meat and the first drink from my cup. I pledge to you my living and my
dying, each equally in your care. I shall be a shield for your back,
and you for mine. I shall not slander you, nor you me. I shall honor
you above all others, and when we quarrel, we shall do so in private and
tell no strangers our grievances. This is my wedding vow to you. This
is the marriage of equals.
The Priest or Priestess says:
These promises you make by the sun and the moon, by fire and water, by
day and night, by land and sea. With these vows you swear, by the God
and Goddess, to be full partners, each to the other. If one drops the
load, the other will pick it up. If one is a discredit to the other,
his own honor will be forfeit, generation upon generation, until he
repairs that which was damaged and finds that which was lost. Should
you fail to keep the oath you pledge today, the elements themselves will
reach out and destroy you.