3001

The priest had no legal right to perform that ceremony.

     By the way, in the Catholic Church, under certain special
conditions, anybody can baptize, including (are you ready for
this?) a non-Christian!  In cases of emergency.

Morning Glory:  Oh, for Last Rites and stuff!

Eldoreth Grey Squirrel:  Interestingly enough, in the house I
grew up in, the crucifix opened up, and it had all the
paraphernalia in it for Last Rites.

Mike Nichols:  Which raises some interesting questions for
Pagans.  You know, Whitley Streiber recently told that wonderful
story about how he was taken by this group of people to perform
some sort of "witchcraft" ceremony, and it turned out these
people were Fundamentalists in disguise who did something
horrible to a goat, sacrificed it or something, and went through
this whole thing...  Let's say, for some reason, that some Fundie
took it upon herself to portray the role of a Pagan priestess and
took somebody through a Pagan initiation.  Is it valid?  What if
they copied the rites exactly out of whoever, Starhawk, Adler,
Farrar, Gardner, whoever?

(unidentified):  "Valid but illegal".  (LAUGHTER)

Mike Nichols:  What if the person who undergoes the rite has a
wonderful experience?  Let me suggest to you how the Catholic
Church responded to that.  It is valid for the same reason that a
Baptism performed even by a non-Christian is valid because the
person who confers the effects of the rite is not the minister,
but God!  So in this case, we could say it is the Goddess, or
Whoever, who bestows that feeling on the initiate of having been
initiated.  And the minister's part was negligible.

     But that leads us into other problems, doesn't it?  That's
saying that the rite itself, not the minister performing the
rite, is what gets it done.  In the case of the Catholic Church,
this concept was legally defined by the Latin phrase "ex opere
operato", "by the work worked".  In other words, it is the rite
itself, the power was in the ritual, not in the person who
performed the ritual.  Yes, Otter?

Otter Zell:  Well, there's got to be criteria we're dealing with
here.  I mean, the fact that the Church decides what makes it
valid, that seems to be beside the point.  To me, the person who
has to decide is the person who experiences it.  I mean, if you
say "Okay, Domine Domine, you're all Catholics now" and somebody
says "Not me!", then they're *not*... aren't they?  (LAUGHTER)

(unidentified):  If it's the Middle Ages, they're *dead*. 
(LAUGHTER)

Otter Zell:  They used to do that.  The Church would come and
they would just march an entire village through the ford, you
know, and they would say "Now you're all Christians."  And the
people would say, "Wait a minute!  I'm not a Christian.  I'm
going to continue worshipping Thor or Odin or whatever" (because
3002

it was mostly Scandinavian countries they did this to).  How can
you say they're Christians anyway, in spite of the fact they
don't want to be?  I mean, aren't we missing something here?

Mike Nichols:  I think you're right.  And I think the whole focus
of this is to start people thinking on questions about validity,
and legality if it comes to that, in terms of Pagan rites.  I am
not for a moment suggesting we follow the Christian precedent in
these matters.  But they can indicate questions we need to think
about in terms of what *our* response to that, as Pagans, should
be.

     Here's another example.  If the rite *itself* is
effective...  I bet any of you have gone through this.  You have
a student and you're teaching the student to do a ritual, right? 
How to cast a Circle for the first time.  (Where's the sun? 
Okay...)  Start in the North, start with your Sword, and say
"Okay, student, now *do this*!  'Oh thou Circle, be thou a
meeting place--'  And you walk the thing out for them.  You come
back around to where you were and you say "Okay, did you see
that?  That's how you cast a Circle."  And then you go "Wait a
minute!  Did I just cast a Circle?"  We've all thought about
that.  Morning Glory?

Morning Glory:  Yes, but, yes, but when I have done this, or when
I do a demonstration at all, I don't put the power out.  You can
even say the words, or you can walk it out, but you don't put the
astral fire down.  You don't lay down the astral fire.  Unless
you're showing someone how to lay the astral fire down, in which
case...

Mike Nichols:  You're doing it.  (LAUGHTER)  Well, the same
question arose in the Catholic Church, and the answer is
remarkably similar.  It came up this way.  If a priest was
teaching a novice priest how to say Mass, how to perform the
Eucharist, and he actually pronounces the words of consecration,
and unbeknownst to him there is a small crumb of bread on the
table in front of him, is that now a holy crumb?  Because the
Catholic Church had by now decided, remember, that the power was
in the ritual itself rather than in the person.  So if the ritual
is done correctly, the proper words are said (and we'll get into
that in a minute, too: What are the proper words?  What are the
proper gestures?), that crumb now is "the body and blood of
Christ", isn't it?

     Again, this took a lot of quibbling, but before it was all
over the Catholic Church decided no, that crumb would NOT be the
body of Christ because of one little thing that was left out. 
One thing that the minister does have to supply:
"intentionality".  Intent!  The person performing the rite has to
have the intent to be performing this sacred, magical rite.  This
was also true, by the way, of that non-Christian who was
baptizing somebody.  If the non-Christian was doing it as a joke,
it would not be considered valid.  However, if a non-Christian
sincerely wanted to baptize somebody else as a Christian, and had
that intent, and did the rite with all of its elements properly,
that person was, in the eyes of the Catholic Church, baptized. 
Otter?
3003

Otter Zell:  Now, here's a question that concerns a lot of us
Pagans directly.  A lot of us, when we were newborn babies and
unable to speak in our own best interests, were baptized. 
(LAUGHTER)  So, now, theoretically, once you're baptized, you're
a Christian.  Well, uh...  How do you deal with that?  I know I'm
not a Christian.  I sure don't feel like a Christian.

Morning Glory:  It's like getting a tattoo removed, or something. 
(LAUGHTER)

Otter Zell:  Is there any way to get un-baptized?  I mean, what
do you do about that?

Dix:  Even if you go through, as I did, a free-choice baptism,
when you weren't screaming and protesting, then later on you
decide that this is all bullshit, it doesn't exist, I don't
believe in this stuff any more.  Now maybe you're still a
Christian in the eyes of the Church, but that doesn't matter any
difference, because I don't care about the Church.

(unidentified):  Right, I was just wondering, is there some way
the Church could recognize an way of un-baptizing yourself?  

(unidentified):  There is.  Sitting through their boring rituals. 
(LAUGHTER)

Otter Zell:  But if you're not a Christian anymore,...  I mean,
there has to be some way of dealing with that.

(unidentified):  Otter, in whose eyes are you not a Christian? 
In your eyes or their eyes?  And at what point do their eyes
start mattering to you?  Whatever they consider has no bearing on
you.

Otter Zell:  It's not a matter so much of whose eyes.  I'm just
kind of wondering, from the point of view of magical stuff, you
know, how one would interpret this.  I mean, I know I'm not a
Christian and I'll certainly be happy to argue the case with any
of you that might wish to do so.  But from a purely magical,
ritual perspective, if this magical ritual is done that has this
effect--  *Does* it have this effect?  Do all these people who
were baptized, does that make them Christian?  Or is it just
bullshit?

Eldoreth Grey Squirrel:  Look at it this way, Otter.  They stole
almost everything from us anyway, so what difference does it
make?  (LAUGHTER)

Mike Nichols:  (laughing)  What you are doing, and what we're all
doing here, is beginning to develop questions about Pagan
liturgical theology.  We are breaking new ground here, is what I
think.  Well, I hope the word structure, if it has to be used at
all, is used very advisedly.  I think Otter has already suggested
one possible Pagan response to this question, and that is that
the validity depends to some extent on the person upon whom the
rite is performed.  That's one possibility.  But what are all the
ramifications of this response, this theological stance?  Okay,
there was somebody over here, yes?
3004

(unidentified):  One point about what the Church was doing is
that they had no competition.  People were not given a choice,
and the Church had the military to back them up.  So that when
they said "This village is now Christian," they *knew* that that
village was not Christian.  But they knew that, with no
information and no rituals allowed or anything, that the great-
grandkids would probably be Christian.  Eventually they would be
assimilated into what they wanted, into the type of person they
wanted, because any radical would be killed.

(unidentified):  I think you could make an analogy between
becoming un-Christian and getting a divorce.  When I got my
divorce, I didn't have a special ritual for that, but I needed
that, that sense of closure, that sense of separation in a ritual
form.  And I think that could be developed very easily.  And I
think that also could apply to becoming un-baptized.

Mike Nichols:  Good.  This whole things raises a very important
question just from the psychological point of view for most
Pagans.  Do we *need* an un-Christening rite?

(unidentified):  From my viewpoint, when I was getting baptized,
for some reason I swear to God I thought he was going to drown
me, and I came up halfway through the "Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost" which he snarled at me later for.  So I sorta screwed up
mine whether I knew it or not.

(unidentified):  On the question of Baptism, in the Christian
church, in a metaphysical sense, Baptism is not all that's
required for salvation.  It must still be worked out within the
Christian faith.  If you do not work it out, then the Baptism is
a ritual that has not been fulfilled.  It's the fulfillment that
makes you a Christian or not.

Mike Nichols:  That's exactly right.  Good point.  Ellen?

Anahita:  I have two things to say.  One,
regarding my Baptism, I had the opposite experience.  I mean, I
took swimming lessons, and they'd all prepared us, and I was
ready to go under and hold my breath and come out transformed. 
And they did it so casually and so intellectually, it was like,
okay this is enough.  And the tip of my nose didn't go under! 
(laughing)  My Achilles heel is the tip of my nose!  So this is
where I got to be Pagan!  (LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)

     The other thing had to do with a Pagan ritual that we did
that might have some applications in this, where we just recently
formed a Circle from a Circle that had existed previously.  And
we did a ritual to very gently and caringly disband the other
Circle in the best possible light and bring all the good things
in.  I would hate to see a Pagan ritual that just cancelled
somebody's past, because however you come into Paganism is what
you were, in toto, including your Baptism.  And what many of us
are mentioning, our religious experiences contribute to our
ability to relate to the Goddess as a Pagan, because that's who
you are.  And if it was a fantastic Baptism, then so be it.  I
mean, I've had screaming, crying, evangelical services, and
that's how I learned about spiritual ecstacy.
3005

Eldoreth Grey Squirrel:  You know where they got that from.  They
stole it from Voudoun, historically.

Anahita:  They stole it from every place.  But it
was a real experience, you know, and that's your basis for
comparison.

Mike Nichols:  Let me comment on that point.  One of the big
educational experiences I've had recently--  One of my dear
friends here in Kansas City is someone you've all seen here in
the last few days, Rhiannon, the one who stood on the chair-- 
She's a High Priestess that I respect with all my heart and love
very much as a good friend, but we had never actually worked
together until relatively recently.  And I was astounded at the
difference in our approach.  She, coming from a very Protestant
background, encourages you at every point in the ritual to speak
from your heart, practically never do anything the same way
twice.  You know, you go to the Watchtower and invoke it using
words that come into your head at that moment, etc.  Me, with my
stolidly Roman Catholic background, doing the same rituals and
the same repetitive patterns almost mantra-like time after time
and expecting the same results.

     We'll get into, if we have time, the pros and cons of these
two approaches.  Obviously, both of them valid approaches, right? 
Both of them seem to work for each of us.  Vastly different.  And
obviously conditioned by our original religious upbringing.  Yes?

Morning Glory:  I want to bring up this question of validity
again.  If you were initiated by a particular Alexandrian couple
who shall remain nameless, as many friends of mine were, and this
Alexandrian couple have repudiated their Craft credentials and
have become born-again Christians, and they're going around on
the circuit with their story of "I was a Pagan"--  All of the
people that those people initiated--  It would be like the
priests who went out and killed someone and then--

Mike Nichols:  Or perhaps a better analogy, like the schismatic
bishops who split away from the Church and continue to ordain new
priests.  Are those valid priests?

Morning Glory:  Exactly.  Yes.  Well, that is an issue that we as
Pagans need to think about.

Mike Nichols:  You know, in all of this discussion,  I am working
from the premise that we are at too early a stage to formulate
answers.  But I think it's high time we started articulating the
questions.

Anahita:  Well, I can speak to that a little bit,
too.  I just went to the 20th anniversary ritual for NROOD.  And
I was amazed, because I had a lot of contact with them about 13
years ago when they were a seven year old religion.  And the
*changes* that they have gone through in 20 years, I'm here to
tell you, are just really amazing!  I mean, they were light and
free and it's so wonderful!  Now, it's like, a lot of dogma.  It
*was* a wonderful ritual and a wonderful time was had by all. 
But they had changed some things in a very valid way, something
3006

that didn't work and was probably better this way.  But 13 years
ago, it was "Oh, those!  Name it:  Alexandrians, Gardnerians,
Orthodox Druids, whatever!  You just have to have enough stars in
your hat to hang out with them."  Well, now, guess what?  You
have to have enough stars in your hat to hang out with NROOD! 
(LAUGHTER)  I mean, it's just really amazing.  So, we can ask
questions till we're blue in the face, but the answers are gonna
be different in five years.

Mike Nichols:  I hope that somebody chronicles those changes as
they go.  They're going to be fascinating.  Let me throw out
another important question of liturgical theology.  Is there a
way to *botch* a Pagan ritual so that it is non-valid or non-
effective, so that it doesn't work or *worse*, causes some kind
of magical boomerang effect that causes some sort of detriment?

     For example, what if you teach somebody how to invoke the
Watchtowers, and you only tell them about three of them?  What's
gonna happen in the Circle when they only invoke three?  Is
anything?  Does it matter?  Does anything matter?  (LAUGHTER)  I
mean, does it, are there certain things that have to be there? 
Are there certain elements?

     From the perspective of the Catholic Church, for example, a
Baptism had to have certain specific components to be valid.  A
certain set of materials had to be present: the water, the salt
to put on the baby's tongue, etc.; a certain set of words had to
be present; the minister who performed it had to be a valid
minister (which, in the case of Baptism, could be anyone), and so
forth.

     Let me give you a quick example.  It's been quite a few
years ago, but in my own Coven we were training somebody who was
new as a priestess.  She had actually been instructed correctly
in invoking all four of the Watchtowers but, as it happened, when
she took the four elements around, things were confused that
night.  It was her first ritual.  And, somehow, something got
left out.  And a little bit later, during the Circle, we were
doing some divinatory work, with a Ouija board.  And please!  In
my tradition, we use a Ouija board for divinatory work.  At any
rate, halfway through the ritual, there was some kind of
manifestation which at least a good portion of us saw.  It looked
like a kind of cloudy, dark hand had reached over the planchette. 
(I hate to be telling a bad Ouija board story because they're
maligned enough!)  (LAUGHTER)

     But this kind of cloudy-looking hand reached in over the
Ouija board.  And everybody sort of jumped back like they were
shocked.  And I think most people there were thinking, "What the
heck is that?"  But my first thought (again, maybe because of my
religious upbringing) was "How did that thing get into a
carefully warded Circle?"  There should not *be* any extra energy
or entity in here that we didn't call ourselves, or want!  And I
started going back over the procedure and realized that (in our
system, it is the incense that represents the element of Air)
this particular priestess had not taken the incense around the
Circle at the time of the consecration of the Circle.  So, from a
purely legalistic point or whatever, the Circle had not been
3007

consecrated by the element Air.  Which theoretically would allow
some sort of sylph or air-related entity to get through.  You
know, it wasn't properly warded by all four elements.

     Can you screw up a rite?  I mean, what things *have* to be
present in order for there to *be* a Circle?  And what things can
be left out?  What things can you change?  What things can you
*not* change?  Yes, Carolyn?

Carolyn Clark:  I have a story that relates to that.  One day a
long, long time ago, when I was very, very new to the Craft, I
knew a girl named Michelle who liked to dabble in Ceremonial
Magick.  And I knew a little bit about Ceremonial Magick. 
(Famous words:  "I knew a little bit about Ceremonial Magick.") 
(LAUGHTER)  So we did a Mars ritual.  We did it on the right day,
Tuesday night.  And it was a little bit out in the country
because Michelle was into cultivating certain controlled
substances.  And, in the middle of the ritual, there were red
lights flashing in all the windows, and I thought "Oh, shit! 
It's the fuzz!"  So we hurried up and finished the ritual,
banished the Circle, looked out the window and...  there weren't
any cops there.  There was nobody there.

Mike Nichols:  I think a very *common* experience of this sort,
which most of us probably have experienced in the course of our
magical training at one time or another, is how it feels to be
psychically kicked in the head when power is not correctly
grounded.  (EXCLAMATIONS OF AGREEMENT)  Right?  How many can
relate to that?  Otter?

Otter Zell:  One that I've encountered a number of times in
rituals I've gone to over the years, in particular with a group I
prefer not to mention because Ellen has already done that
(LAUGHTER) is this sort of arbitrary choice of directions. 
"Well, which way feels like East today?"  And I've actually
attended these things where with great pomp and ceremony someone
will face the south and invoke the East.  And then we'll maybe
turn to the west and invoke the South.  You never know where
they're gonna go.

Mike Nichols:  There are actually instructions like that in some
popular book on the Craft.  Is it the Farrars?  It actually says
in it that it doesn't matter where the directions are as long as
everyone agrees upon them.

Eldoreth Grey Squirrel:  They call that "consensus reality". 
(LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE)

Chris:  It also raises the question of basic styles, and various
traditions.  I've been in this situation where I was doing some
chakra work, and this person I was working with just didn't
understand the symbolism.  And I was in pain for days. 

Mike Nichols:  I think the best analogy here is "small child with
chemistry set".  (LAUGHTER)

Morning Glory:  "Talking Wicca Blues", I think, is the final word
on that.  (LAUGHTER)
3008

Mike Nichols:  Yes, yes!  Okay, but see, all of these questions
all bear on the same point:  What is really necessary for that
ritual to be done effectively (and *safely*, in many cases)? 
What things about a ritual can you change without hurting the
nature of that ritual?  What things can't you change?  Morwen? 
 
Morwen:  I've seen a lot of recipe books and I've seen a lot of
possible recipes for the same dish.  If you're going to be
attending a Circle where you invoke the four quarters, then you'd
better remember to do the correct things at each one, or you
could leave a gap.  Just like if you're baking a cake, you'd
better remember the baking soda, and remember to butter the pan. 
But if you're going to do a Circle where you're not going to do
the quarters, you could invoke the magic Circle without even
thinking about the four directions.  Because you're invoking a
magic Circle based on a different structure. 
 
Eldoreth Grey Squirrel:  There was a guy at Pagan Spirit
Gathering whose particular approach to Paganism was to get ideas
from the old Celtic traditions.  And he says he can't find
anything that justifies the invocation of quarters, the quarter
points.  He was convinced there was no such thing as quarter
points in the way the Celts practiced their religion. 
 
Mike Nichols:  I might argue with that, based on their stone
circles and such.  But on the other hand, I'd be willing to bet
that the way quarter points got into modern Wicca was through
ceremonial magick.  I don't think there's any doubt about that. 
 
Morning Glory:  But isn't it interesting that Native Americans
have the same thing in the Medicine Wheel?  It may be that
there's a certain universality in the four quarter points. 
 
Otter Zell:  It also connects with the natural world.  We're all
trained in levels of metaphor and the magic Circle itself is a
metaphor for so many different cycles.  It's a metaphor for any
cycle, and cycles can be broken up in different ways.  But
certainly the four-quarter system works awfully well on a planet
that rotates around its axis, which gives you four directions. 
 
Mike Nichols:  The basic question we're raising here is, can
somebody just create their own ritual system from scratch?  Or
does it have to link up to the real world around us? 
 
Otter Zell:  I've seen certain systems that are just made up out
of whole cloth, and they're presented as valid traditions by the
people who just make them up, and they're just somehow cuckoo. 
They don't feel right.  Remember, there was this anti-astrologer
guy running around, Owen Rachel, and he was anti-magic, and
anti-Pagan and everything else.  So then he came out with this
book of weird astrology, called "Sky Triangles" or something like
that, or "Sky Diamonds".  And it was supposed to be his
astrological system, and it was supposed to be more valid.  And
he just made up this weird bullshit, and none of it made any
sense, and none of it worked.  But he sold a lot of books. 
 
Anahita:  But sometimes you can make up a system
and it *does* work.  And I loved your answer, incidentally, Mike. 
3009

I didn't have to ask my question because you answered it.  The
way you were talking about it was, "In my tradition, it's
important to invoke the four quarters..."  And I thought, "Aha! 
But you can decide to have a Circle that doesn't use four
quarters." 
 
Eldoreth Grey Squirrel:  And even when you think you're making
something up from scratch, you find out later that somebody else
thought of it already.  I created a magical ritual based on the
"Silmarilion", which Mike and I actually performed.  And it had
six quarter points.  And I found out later on that some Native
Americans in Oregon and Washington have six.  It was exactly the
same thing that I did.  I had up and down in mine.  I had never
heard of that before.

Otter Zell:  If you understand the concept of how the energy
works, of how the elements of the thing work...  It's like, you
can make up a recipe yourself if you understand how to cook, if
you understand how to season, and so on.  You can get to where
you're making this stuff up and it'll work.  But if you don't
understand the patterns and the elements that well...

Morning Glory:  "Small child with chemistry set".

Eldoreth Grey Squirrel:  It gives a whole new meaning to "Magic
Chef".  (LAUGHTER)

Mike Nichols:  Let me bring this back to something here...  As
far as the final determination of the Catholic Church as to what
consists of a valid sacrament, they came up with these things. 
And it might be interesting to at least note them, to see what we
would have to say about them from a Pagan perspective.  But to be
a valid sacramental rite -- And again, this is magic in the views
of the Ca-- I mean, they don't call it magic, but a sacrament to
the Catholic Church is an "effective" ritual, meaning that it has
an actual objective effect.  Magic, in other words.

     So, a rite had to have what was called the proper "matter"
and "form", first of all.  "Matter" pertains to the materials
used, as well as the gestures used.  The "form" had to do with
the words that were spoken.  In magical contexts, you might think
of this as the incantation, that part of the spell which is
spoken.  It had to be performed by the proper minister.  Now,
this could vary depending on the particular rite.  Only a bishop
could ordain a priest, but anyone could perform a Baptism, even
non-Christians.  And finally, it had to have intentionality on
the part of the performing minister.  So, in the view of the
Catholic Church, it is impossible to accidentally, or
inadvertently, perform a sacramental rite.  That is not possible,
from the point of view of Canon law.

     Now, I'm not suggesting that Paganism take this same
approach.  I'm just suggesting that we in the Pagan movement
think about it.  Canon lawyers were then assigned the task of
codifying which things were needed for a particular rite.  Think
of the way rites were elaborated.  You know, a Baptismal rite, in
terms of Canon law, consisted of a very few things.  Actually, it
didn't even include the salt.  Just the pouring of the water, and
3010

the speaking of the words, "I baptize you in the name of the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."  That was sufficient for
the rite.  Now, if you've ever actually gone to a Church Baptism,
you know that it is elaborated endlessly.  This thing can be
carried out for hours if the minister wants to.  But the only
thing that's really *necessary*, the bare minimum requirements
for a valid right, are just those words, and those elements,
performed by the right minister, with proper intention.

     Interestingly enough, when the Catholic Church started doing
this, it led to a kind of minimalist approach in terms of
rituals.  The priests had been taught that the power of the rite
was in the rite itself.  It only needed to have A, B, and C in
order to be effective or valid.  Therefore, they only did A, B,
and C.  And it didn't matter what kind of state of grace the
minister was in.  So they started rushing them through pretty
quickly.  This is one of the main things that Martin Luther took
exception to, and it gave birth to the Protestant Reformation. 
Because priests had been performing these ceremonies almost by
rote, with the bare minimum standards in terms of Canon law as to
what was required for an effective or valid sacrament.

Morning Glory:  There was a lot of issue about that, especially
in regard to marriage, whether a marriage was valid or legal. 
And whether the children of that union were legitimate or
illegitimate depended upon how it was done, and whether there
were elements that were missing.  If somebody didn't say, or
refused to say, "I do", for instance.  Because lots and lots of
women were married against their will.  It's like in "The
Princess Bride":  "Did you say 'I do'?"  "No, I didn't."  "Well,
in that case, you weren't."  (LAUGHTER)

Dix:  What you were saying about elaborating a ritual...  That
brings up a question.  When you are doing a rite, and you are
adding more stuff, can you detract from it?  At what point do the
additions, the accretions that you keep adding on, where does it
begin to take away from the rite?

Mike Nichols:  I know that certainly it can diminish the
psychological dimension of a rite.  I've seen so many examples
where, say, you're doing an initiation tonight.  Now that means,
to me, the whole thing should focus on this person's initiation. 
It is *their* night.  But somebody else over here has another
spell they want to do, and somebody over here has something they
want to do, and by the time the whole thing is done, it's this
incredible mish-mash with no central focus whatsoever.  To me,
very bad in terms of liturgical design.

Morning Glory:  It's aesthetically piss-poor.  (LAUGHTER)

Mike Nichols:  Right.  I meant to conclude this whole workshop
(or whatever the heck it is) with a section on liturgical design
or aesthetics, which we're just beginning to touch on.  It's
obvious that we won't be able to get into that too much, but I
think it's good that we bring up at least some points about
aesthetics.  Yes?

(unidentified):  Yeah, but what if you have the proper elements
3011

of the ritual, and you do things in the right order, and you
intend for it to be a magical ceremony, and it's just dead.  No
one's excited, half the people can't remember their lines, or are
making them up on the spot without putting a lot of thought into
it.  There's no spirit there.

Morning Glory:  Their hearts are pure, but their theater is
lousy.  (LAUGHTER)

Mike Nichols:  Yes.  Good intentions is not a valid excuse for
poor ritual.  Absolutely.  To me, well, I've often used a
communications model for rituals.  To me, like language, rituals
have a certain grammar, a certain syntax that it needs to follow,
a certain order.  For example, let's say you're doing a Circle
and it's a high holiday, so you're doing a typical holiday
celebration but, as a part of that, you're also doing an
initiation.  When does the initiation come?  Well, to me, it
seems obvious that the initiation should come during the early
part of the evening ceremonies so that, once that person is
initiated, they may now participate fully in the seasonal
celebration.  Right?  Rather that leaving them out for it, and
doing their initiation at the end.

     So, it seems to me that there is sort of a logic of rituals,
a grammar, a syntax, for doing ritual.  Now, just because you
learn the rules of that grammar (and I suspect there are some
very definite rules that we could get into if I had the time),
but just because you know the rules of grammar doesn't make you a
great writer.

Morning Glory:  Persistence is nine-tenths of any art, not that
it helps to be nine-tenths of an artist.  (LAUGHTER)  There's
another part of this, which is the problem of the hodge-podge
ritual.  When you have conflicting elements.  When somebody wants
to do a ritual to heal the earth.  And someone else wants to do a
ritual to get prosperity for their Aunt Sadie.  And someone else
wants to do something to get a new house.  And some things are
really quite conflicting.  One group wants to do a ritual to heal
the earth, and so they want to put this mellow energy out.  But
someone else says, "Yeah, but we wanna stop those bulldozers that
are coming in, so we wanna get this martial energy to zap their
transmissions and make them fall out on the road!"  And so then
there's this conflict on how to approach things, and things can
get really out of hand.

Carolyn Clark:  Where we see that a lot is where somebody will
come to the Circle and say, "I really need to get in touch with
the Demetre part of me."  Or, I really need to get in touch with
such-and-such god-form.  And my response is, "Yes, you need to do
that.  Then, do it.  But not at this Circle."

Morning Glory:  It's like chocolate icecream and limburger
cheese.
  
Mike Nichols:  I find the same problem in combining elements from
different traditions.  That's a problem for me.  Now,
theologically, I might agree that all the names of the Goddess
are merely different aspects of the same Goddess.  Fine.  But I
3012

still have a problem thinking, how is the goddess Demetre going
to get along with the goddess Arianrhod or Cerridwen?  (LAUGHTER) 
They're very different forms, and to me, well, another analogy I
sometimes use is, let's say you're in a new home and you want one
room of this home to be a library.  You know you want certain
things to be in that library, to make it a library.  You're gonna
want shelves for the books.  You're gonna want the books.  You're
gonna want a comfy chair to sit in and read.  You're gonna want a
reading lamp near it.  You're gonna want a library table,
perhaps, or a writing desk.  And so forth.

     But let's say you go out and you buy early American
bookshelves.  You buy an Edwardian writing desk.  You buy
Victorian chairs.  You buy modern chrome and glass lighting
fixtures.  What you have is a library, granted, because all of
the elements are there.  But nothing fits aesthetically.  It's
like a ritual smorgasbord.  To me, the elements have to fit
together aesthetically in order to work right.

(unidentified):  I've tried to walk a fine line between Feminist
and Traditional Wicca, because I like both.  But how does this
work for a solitary, or a person who has little access to a
Coven?  I've had a very hard time designing my own rituals.  I
found a little books that tells the elements on what goes in a
ritual, and I try to follow that.  Even though I may take a
little bit from Doreen Valiente, because I like the way she says
this one thing.  But then the Farrars have a lot.  And then I'll
stick in a little Starhawk.  But the thing is, they're all geared
more to Covens.  Now, does that make it invalid for a solitary? 
 
Mike Nichols:  I would-- Please!  Don't start asking me what's
valid!  (LAUGHTER)  See, there's a danger in even discussing this
because there's always a danger of falling into that trap. 
 
(unidentified):  Is there a way to get in touch with other
Solitaries? 
 
Morning Glory:  There is a Solitary convention. 
 
Chris:  Single rooms everywhere!  (LAUGHTER) 
 
Mike Nichols:  Scott Cunningham has a book coming out geared to
Solitary Craft work.  Let me answer the first part of your
question first.  I think it is possible to be eclectic and yet to
avoid eclecticism within one particular ritual.  Do tonight's
ritual as a Celtic ritual, and next month's ritual as an Egyptian
ritual if you want to, but don't mix Celtic and Egyptian in the
same ritual.  That's at least my point of view, my bias.  I'm not
saying that's some sort of dogma or rule about liturgics.  It's
my aesthetic, and I think aesthetics are important to ritual. 
 
Carolyn Clark:  When you're working on certain things, when
you're doing a very tight ritual--  For instance, if I'm doing a
ritual to get in touch with that part of the Mother and that part
of me which fructifies and causes creativity to flower, then I
would probably call on all the Goddess names, all the aspects of
the Goddess from all cultures, that do that one thing. 
 
3013

Mike Nichols:  Yes, I understand that completely.  As a matter of
fact, one of the forms I most love that I learned from the Roman
Catholic tradition is that called a litany, a reading of a long
list of petitions or names of Goddesses and Gods.  And that is so
effective in a Pagan ritual, especially if its done as a
responsorial.  That can build power like you just wouldn't
believe!  I use that quite a lot in my own rites. 
 
     Let me jump to another subject which was raised earlier: the
tension which exists between those things which are spontaneous
in a ritual, where you just think up something to say on the spur
of the moment, as the spirit moves you, as it were; or those
people who follow rites that are very patterned, very
repetitious, very rhythmic, if you will.  Now, I was certainly
brought up in that school of thought.  And one thing that I've
read recently, which I found to be a fascinating argument in
favor of that tradition -- not invalidating the other, but in
support of the repetitious tradition -- is that recent studies of
the left hemisphere / right hemisphere brain split have shown
something very interesting. 
 
     Language, as you know, is a very linear system.  And
typically, that is a left hemisphere brain function.  Anytime you
are composing a sentence -- what I'm doing up here right now --
is very left hemisphere.  Whenever someone is confronted with
making up the invocation at each Watchtower, they are virtually
working entirely left hemisphere.  Whenever you are working with
language, I was originally taught, you are working with left
hemisphere. 
 
     There is an interesting exception.  Those things that are
words that are commonly repetitious.  When you sing a Christmas
carol year after year after year, to the point you don't even
have to think about the words as you sing it, your right brain
hemisphere is operating just about on a par with the left,
according to studies. 
 
Carolyn Clark:  I do that with chanting.  While my left brain is
occupied with that, my right brain is free to do all kinds of
other things. 
 
Mike Nichols:  Right!  It's sort of like a mantra.  You know, for
people from Protestant backgrounds, it sometimes comes off like,
well, those Catholics just say their prayers by rote. 
"HailMaryfullofgracetheLordiswiththee."  They can toss those off
in no time at all.  There's no power in it, there's no feeling in
it, there's no spirit in it.  The other point of view, however,
is that the actual words themselves sort of take a back seat to
the meaning, which is superimposed on top of those.  And I can
tell you from doing rituals in my life in the highly repetitive
way, I feel like you, that it has freed my mind to go to perhaps
deeper levels than if I had to do it differently every time. 
 
     And by the way, notice how that's true in group rituals,
too.  If the High Priestess -- and I see a lot of this today --
she will not do the same ritual twice!  And consequently, the
entire Coven is sort of sitting back watching the High Priestess,
saying, "Okay, what's she gonna do *this* time?"  Never allowing
3014

them to really get into the ritual in a psychological way.  When
you're already familiar with something, like that Christmas
carol, it enables everybody to participate fully, because they
know what's going to happen, they know what to expect.  They're
not looking for changes in the script. 
 
     Another thing that's interesting about that kind of
repetitive work is that, when you do throw in a change, for a
particular seasonal variation or something, it stands out.  It
stands out in contrast to the way you've always done it before. 
At a Handfasting, when you invoke the blessing of the Lord and
Lady, instead of "onto ALL who stand before Thee", you say "onto
TWO who stand before Thee", the changing of the words immediately
focuses on the couple becoming handfasted.  You hear that change;
it registers.

Anahita:  But isn't that same thing true for an
aesthetic, well-worded, channelled experience, that a Priestess
may have?

Mike Nichols:  Yeah, but it sorta does put everyone else in the
position of spectator.  It becomes a spectator sport nine times
out of ten.  Or else, you are actively, consciously, left-
hemispherically being involved in the production of this dramatic
play.  You're not getting to relax and simply experience the
*known*, and the comfortable.  And that's what I think we need to
have more of.

     By the way, whenever you have repetition, you also have
rhythm.  And this brings in a whole different dimension.  The
drumming, the chanting, and everything else that goes with
repetition.  I think good ritual pacing has a rhythm of its own.

     Something else that we totally ignore these days in
liturgical design is the use of silence, which can be VERY
powerful.  You know how something happens which is really
meaningful and everyone's wowed by it, and somebody else just
goes right into the next thing.  Doesn't let you have the chance
to absorb that at all.  I'm not talking about that kind of deadly
silence where nothing is happening and no one knows what to do. 
No.  I'm talking about those quiet moments that really empower
what you've just experienced.  Yes, Eldoreth?

Eldoreth Grey Squirrel:  Well, as someone else who was "lowered"
Catholic (as opposed to "raised" Catholic), there is a problem
when you have something that is repetitious.  Unless the person
really wants to be empowered by this, what their mind is most
likely to do is to think about anything BUT the ritual.  At least
as a child, I found this true.  "Okay, time to daydream.  It's
the same old thing again."

Mike Nichols:  I think a great deal of the blame there has to do
with the fact that as children, you were indoctrinated into this
before the time you were ready to think about it.  You didn't
understand the rite.  Nobody had explained it to you.  You were
simply going through the motions.  To me, that's not magic,
that's superstition.  When you just go through the motions.  It's
just mumbo-jumbo.
3015

     I don't want to run overtime, and we already are a minute or
two.  Let me just conclude by saying that what I feel we've been
doing here is ground-breaking work.  I was *delighted* to have a
group of people already so involved and so experienced, to have
made such wonderful contributions.  I'd like to welcome you all
as being, I think, some of the first Pagan liturgical theologians
around.  (LAUGHTER)  And I hope you'll continue working on it. 
Thank you!  (APPLAUSE)

Eldoreth Grey Squirrel:  Mike, I have an alternate title for your
book.

Mike Nichols:  What's that?

Eldoreth Grey Squirrel:  "The Rite Stuff."  (LAUGHTER AND GROANS
OF APPRECIATION)
様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様
3016

                   Editorial: Web of Wyrd number 10 
                            Julia Phillips

During the Middle Ages, a great many men and women were put to death on
charges of heresy. Nearly all of them were innocent of any crime; nearly
all of them were guilty of no more than being a scapegoat for someone
else's accusations and projected fears.

Fortunately, today we have grown beyond such barbaric inhumanity - or
have we?  As a race, have we truly evolved, or is humanity still groping
around in a mire of discontent, seeking for victims on which to project
its fears and failures?  If we consider the way in which the medieval
witch was hunted, accused and held up to public condemnation, and then
compare this process with the way in which modern society deals with its
victims, then I would say that the human race has not evolved in the
slightest.

Consider: often for no reason other than he or she offended someone, a
man or woman living in medieval Europe could be taken as a heretic, and
with evidence (sic) being no more than hearsay, tried and found guilty
of charges of which they were mostly entirely innocent. Their accusers
were not interested in truth, but in judgement; and justice certainly
had no role in their scenario.  To absolve themselves of any blame in
this autocratic process, the accusers made sure that public opinion was
swayed against the victim. How? By publishing details of the "crime"-
(sic), which were then distributed to as wide an audience as possible.

Students of English Literature will know of the enormous influence which
the humble pamphlet cast on the population - which, despite high
illiteracy, had sufficient numbers able to read aloud to a gathering in
a town square. We all know how quickly rumour and innuendo spreads - any
grapevine in any social group is proof positive of just how quickly
information can passed along; and sadly, we all know that there need be
no shred of truth in that information for it to be spoken about,
considered, and accepted as fact.

The medium of the pamphlet proved to be so efficient and effective that
it developed, and in time became the newspaper, newsletter, and
ultimately, the magazine. In all cases, the emphasis is upon the
distribution of information to as large a number of people as possible.
In all cases, those reading (or hearing) the information have a
predilection to believe what they read to be the truth. Modern print is
often no more truthful than that of a 16th century pamphlet, which might
describe how a witch succumbed to the charms of the Devil, flew to the
Sabbat riding on a goat, where she devoured unbaptised infants, and took
part in many lewd and disgusting practices. Unfortunately though, having
"read about it in the paper/magazine/leaflet..." most people assume that
they are reading the truth, and are often willing to believe the worst.

There are numerous examples of this process at work in modern society:
in some countries, information is manipulated deliberately by politic-
ians and journalists. In other countries - and I would include all of
western civilisation in this - the manipulation is as pervasive, but
less obvious. As the saying goes:  "you can believe nothing you read in
the papers but the date, and they sometimes get that wrong".

Unfortunately though, people do believe what they read in the papers,
see on television, and hear on radio, just as our ancestors believed
3017

that the woman led screaming to her death was a concubine of the Devil,
a devourer of babies, and that she copulated regularly with her cat, or
other animals. We are quick to condemn the Christian Fundamentalist for
spreading lies and propaganda, but what about the lies and propaganda
spread by Pagans and occultists? It offends my intellect to read of
claims by self-professed witches of traditions handed down since time
immemorial, or of secret arcane traditions known only to an elect few,
but it offends my sensibility that these people, claiming to be
following a spiritual path,  have such contempt for Truth.

We are no less human or fallible than our non-Pagan neighbour, but we
are engaged in a continual search for Truth: both within and without. We
are not perfect, but we do seek for our highest ideal, and we do strive
ever towards it, no matter what our particular path. Therefore to me it
seems a particularly unpleasant kind of action for a writer knowingly to
misrepresent his or her background and/or experience, simply to acquire
some spurious prestige.

The editor of a Pagan/occult newsletter or magazine has an even greater
responsibility, for rarely is the publication subject to professional
editorial control, and yet it is generally fairly widely distributed,
and its readers tend to believe what they see. As an example, we can
look at the sad death of Scott Cunningham; within hours of his death
being announced, the rumours that he died of AIDS were widespread. The
fact that his family and his closest friends have stated any number of
times that he died of meningitis is neither here nor there: to a great
many people around the world, Scott Cunningham will have died of AIDS.
Why? Because it was reported in Pagan magazines, and they can't be wrong
- can they?

Not only can they be downright wrong, they can also be inaccurate or
misleading - sometimes deliberately so. I have seen newsletters recently
where a matter best dealt with quietly, between those concerned, has
been fought in the public arena using very much the same means as the
medieval inquisitor. Defamatory and highly emotional printed leaflets,
with scant attention to the truth, have been published and circulated
throughout the Pagan/occult communities in the USA, Britain and
Australia during the last year. Highly respected writers in Britain
have recently been subjected to threats, with accusations and counter-
accusations filling countless pages in pamphlets, newsletters, and
magazines.

What, you might wonder, has this to do with a personal quest for Truth?
Very little, in my opinion, hence my remarks above that the human race
appears to have made no progress at all in its essential characteristics
in hundreds of years. The only difference is that today, we have far
more efficient means of spreading the information to greater numbers of
people.

I have seen too many attempts at character assassination over the last
year or so to believe that it is an isolated incidence, perpetrated only
by one or two people. It has happened in Britain; in Australia; in the
USA. The modus operandi has been identical in every case: an untruthful
statement has been made about one or more individuals, sometimes
supported by evidence (sic) of a spurious nature; the accusations have
been published in print, or electronic media, and distributed to a wide
audience. Even where the statement is so absurd, that no-one knowing the
accused would believe it for a moment, those who do not know the accused
3018

are left wondering. This kind of trial by media is sick, and those who
perpetuate it - usually self-professed "Pagans" - are, quite frankly,
despicable.

If we, as a community, are to come of age, then we must rid ourselves of
these contemptible troublemakers. We can't stop them publishing their
pamphlets, or typing out their lies, but we can ignore them, and stop
giving credence to their venomous pens. As with the victims of the
Middle Ages, the victims within our own community are being used as
scapegoats for someone else's fears and guilt; the only way to fight
this particular plague is to ignore it. Deprived of an attentive
audience, the pamphlet bandits will soon give up and go away.
様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様
3019

                               PR Flyer 
                               By Raven

This may answer some of the questions being asked about Wicca on
PODSNet. If you print it up nice, it may also help in answering
questions OFF PODSNet.

Mind you, it is only ONE possible rendition; opinions are GUARANTEED to
vary.

About three years ago, I did a little PR flyer to hand out when Wiccans
were doing public events (for instance, Beltane Maypole dancing in the
local park) and curious passersby would ask just what the heck was going
on.  If you like the idea, use it -- and feel free to adapt it as
needed, for your own group.

Written 1991 by Raven.  NO COPYRIGHT.  This is placed into the public
domain.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
               What You Wanted to Know about Witches *

                    * (but were afraid to ask)

Q.  Do you worship the Devil (Satan)?

A.  No, for three reasons.

    First, we don't venerate evil in any form:  our chosen religion is
    a celebration and affirmation of life and living things, as opposed
    to their destruction or harm.  As we believe that good or evil done
    will return upon the doer, this does not encourage doing evil.

    Second, Satan is a figure in Judeo-Christian beliefs -- originally
    not even an opponent of Yahweh, but more like his prosecuting
    attorney (as in the Book of Job).  Those who do worship Satan
    actually accept the later Christian theology, with Satan as
    Yahweh's opponent, but choose to support Satan's side of the
    battle.  We are not Christians or Satanists, and do not accept
    their theology or worldview, so we would no more worship Satan
    than, for instance, Christians would worship the Aztec God
    Quetzalcoatl; he simply has no place in our beliefs.  (We prefer
    the figure of Pan, who does have horns but is a much nicer fellow.)

    Third, we think history shows that, if you invest belief and
    emotion in any idea or thought-form, you give it strength and power
    in your own life -- it becomes more real TO YOU.  We have no wish
    to invite hostile entities into our lives and give them such power
    over us, which is why we don't venerate any form we consider evil.
    That's also why we're shocked to see how much energy some
    Christians invest in Satan.

Q.  Then why do I hear those things about you?

A.  "Devil-worship", baby-killing, cannibalism and all that?  These
    are typical accusations made by one religion against another.
    The Syrians accused the Jews of ritual murders long before Christ;
    then the Romans accused the Christians (who at least claimed to be
    eating someone's body and blood every week); then the Christians
3020

    accused the Jews and Muslims and every other religion; today
    different Christian denominations even accuse each other.  Making
    wild accusations not only sells newspapers, and books, and movies;
    it helps drum up support for the Religion Of Your Choice.  This is
    a cynical use of hate, fear, and ignorance, but as long as it works,
    it will be used. (And there will always be psychotics willing to
    live up to the image -- then claim "the Devil made me do it.")


Q.  If not Christian theology, what do you believe in?

A.  Life.  We see the entire Universe, all matter and energy, as
    bursting with life, loving its own living parts -- including us --
    and gathered in one eternal dance.  We try to catch the tune and
    dance to the beat.

    Sometimes we call the leading dancers Light and Dark, or Sun and
    Moon, or the Lord and the Lady, Cernunnos and Ceridwen, Pan and
    Diana, or by other names.  These represent the duality in all
    things -- male and female, yang and yin -- neither side of which
    can be denied or ignored, even within ourselves.

    (We hope this helps us avoid the error that some worshippers of a
    single deity have made, such as thinking that "since God is all
    good and God is male, therefore anything female or feminine is
    evil.")

    Our feeling about the Gods is that they are teachers, family
    members, and fellow dancers:  not some untouchable abstraction
    infinitely distant, but an intimate part of our own lives.  Our
    feeling about other religions is that they, too, are part of the
    universal dance: not enemies, but fellow strugglers seeking as we
    do, to live and learn to keep time with the music.


Q.  What is this ceremony you're doing?

A.  It depends on the moment.  You may be watching a circle dance, or a
Maypole dance, or a feast of "cakes and ale", or just a group hug.
(We like to have fun.)  Possibly, since you were handed this, you're
watching us "cast a circle".  That's one of our basic religious
ceremonies.

When we "cast a circle", we mark off a space as dedicated and protected
for our use, rather like Christians consecrating a church.  (The
difference is, we don't need a building, and we let the space go back to
normal after we've used it.)  Within this circle, we ask for the
protection of guardians -- call them the four elements of Air, Earth,
Fire, and Water, or the four archangels Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, and
Uriel -- again, the names may vary.  Then we invite the Lord and the
Lady to be with us for a time.  We have a nice visit, a little snack of
cookies and wine (or fruit juice), and then everyone goes home.  It's
very friendly.

Along the way, sometimes we ask for help with our problems, such as
healing an injury or illness; if you believe in the power of prayer,
it's the same sort of thing -- but we try to put our own energies into
the task, rather than asking someone else to do all the work.
3021

Q.  How will what you are doing affect me?

A.  If you're not participating, then probably no more than any other
religious service you watch from outside.  If you're shocked by other
religions, you might choose to be shocked by ours.  (Ours is just out
where you can see it, instead of hidden by walls.)  Or you might choose
to accept our part of the universal dance as valid if different from
your own.  You might even choose to participate -- and people of good
will are generally welcome among us.

Even if you do participate, there's no reason to take any effect from
our services that you don't choose to accept.  Since -- for our own
sakes -- we ask for nice things to happen, the biggest possible results
involve no danger.  If we ask for more harmony in the world, and your
life becomes more harmonious, then you benefit from the same general
effect as if a church's prayer for world peace had worked. (After that,
if you don't like harmony, you could always work to make your own life
more discordant; whatever suits you.)


Q.  Do all Witches practice the same way you do?

A.  There are about as many "denominations" of Witches as there are of
Christians, and since no-one is forced to keep One True Orthodox Way,
even a single group may do things differently from time to time.  The
two mottoes that apply here are "If it works, use it" -- and "AN IT HARM
NONE, do as you will."


Q.  How can I find out more about you?

A.  Ask one of us.  We're easy to talk with.  Or read some books.  Good
books include Vivianne Crowley's WICCA: the Old Religion in the New Age,
Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon, Starhawk's The Spiral Dance, and
Raymond Buckland's Complete Guide to Witchcraft.

There's also a lot of shocking nonsense and pulp fiction out there
-- notably in movies, paperback thrillers, and the sort of newspapers
sold at supermarket cash registers; we can only ask you to take anything
you find there with a skeptical pinch of salt.



    (This was written in May 1991 as a general information handout for
    the use of the CUUPS group of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
    Please feel free to copy and adapt this for use by your own group.)

様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様
3022

                               The Coven 
                          By: Julia Phillips
                          Wed 20 Apr 94 19:03

This article was written by me several years ago, but I thought it might
be of interest here, as it discusses several issues relevant to modern
Witches. Any thought or feedback most welcome! Please remember, that
although the historical stuff is pretty general, the other parts of the
article are my own ideas, and not necessarily applicable outside of my
own tradition :)

Covens and Witches

In 1662, Isobel Gowdie of Auldearne made four separate confessions of
being a Witch, and in the process, gave the word "Coven" to the world.
Although there is no other historical evidence for this word, it has
proven to be one of the most lasting facets of Witchcraft - ask anyone
today what Witches do, and the answer will almost certainly include the
fact that they meet in groups, called "Covens".

So given that a number of modern Witches do, in fact, either run, or
belong to, a Coven - just what is its purpose in 20th (and 21st) century
Western Civilisation? Why has this word of such dubious historical
veracity survived over three hundred years? Is there a place in our
modern world for a social group which, as far as we know, occurred only
in 17th century Scotland?

The very fact of its survival for over three hundred years argues that
there is a place for such a group. In my own case, I have been a member
of, and run, Covens of Witches for a number of years, and it is a social
model which fits extremely well within modern society.

The structure of a coven varies, but generally has one or two leaders,
and a number of members of varying levels of experience. In a sense, the
modern Coven has replaced the tribal family, and its members often
fulfill familial roles, which are no longer available to them in the
family in which they were born.

Some researchers have commented that many modern Witches come from a
background which was disrupted; i.e., did not provide a safe family
environment during their formative years. As I know a great many Witches
for whom this was not the case, I think this is only a partial reason,
and only for some people.

Humanity itself seems to be inherently tribal; any common bond between
people will generally result in the creation cults or sub-cultures,
where those of a like-mind will bond together. They will evolve their
own social order (generally hierarchical), have their own common
language, and often are identifiable by their demeanour and appearance.

Witches gather together in Covens for very much the same sorts of
reasons; we are apart from general society by virtue of our beliefs and
practices. Meeting with others who think and feel similarly to ourselves
gives us the opportunity to share ideas and skills, as well as being
able to practise our Craft.

A modern Coven provides a family-style environment, where the "Elders"
can, by virtue of their experience, give encouragement, support, and
3023

advice to those seek to learn about Witchcraft. As with all families,
Covens have very unique and individual ways of approaching this. Just as
no two families are the same, neither are any two Covens.

Some Covens are run by people with an academic bent, and as would be the
case in any family, this characterises the way in which their "children"
are brought up. Other groups are oriented towards a more simple
approach, and the oral traditions play an important role in the way in
which the Coven is structured.  Some combine the these two approaches,
and the variations upon the basic themes are endless.

For any "family" to exist harmoniously, everyone within the group must
feel a part of the group, and wish to learn and grow within that group
environment.  With a path such as Witchcraft, with its emphasis upon
personal growth and development, it is likely that individuals who may
at one time have been happy within their family group, will change, and
wish to move away. This is a perfectly natural process, and the wise
coven leaders will send those people off with their love and blessing.
Trying to keep them would be like trying to keep your sons and daughters
tied to your apron strings forever!

Ultimately, and despite the popularity of the word "coven", I do believe
that most Witches are solitary in nature, and will generally spend at
least part of their lives without being a member of, or running, a
coven. I think the inward exploration during these periods is vital to
self-development, just as we believe it is important to encourage
social-awareness in children. However, I also believe that at some stage
it is important to learn the practices of Witchcraft from another
person; to be an apprentice, if you will; because the act of passing
knowledge from one person to another cannot be replicated by books,
correspondence courses, or be self-taught. This may seem an almost
impossible task to some people, but as all the magical traditions teach:
when the student is ready, the teacher will appear! What's more, it's
true!

B*B Julia
様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様様
3024

              The Public Contents of the Book of Shadows 

There is really no such thing as the text of the Book of Shadows,
because Gardner never bothered to word things the same way twice;
whenever he copied something, he simultaneously rewrote it.  But this,
of course, is the way that an author treats his own original material;
it is not how anyone treats authoritative texts preserved from an
earlier generation. I have grouped the documents according to the dates
when they were written; these dates are accurate to within a year or so,
and the point to providing them, of course, is to emphasize that these
documents are modern creations, NOT anything preserved from ancient or
medieval tradition.  Material or comments added to these documents later
on I have enclosed in square brackets [these things].

A.1. Casting the Circle (1949)

It is most convenient to mark the circle with chalk, paint or otherwise,
to show where it is; but marks on the carpet may be utilized.  Furniture
may be placed to indicate the bounds.  The only circle that matters is
the one drawn before every ceremony with either a duly consecrated Magic
Sword or an Athame.  The circle is usually nine feet in diameter, unless
made for some very special purpose.  There are two outer circles, each
six inches apart, so the third circle has a diameter of eleven feet.

[1] Having chosen a place proper, take the sickle or scimitar of Art or
a Witch's Athame, if thou mayest obtain it, and stick it into the
center, then take a cord, and 'twere well to use the Cable Tow for this,
and loop it over the Instrument, four and one half feet, and so trace
out the circumference of the circle, which must be traced either with
the Sword, or the knife with the black hilt, or it be of little avail,
but ever leave open a door towards the North.  Make in all 3 circles,
one within the other , and write names of power between these.

[2] First draw circle with Magic Sword or Athame.

[3] Consecrate Salt and Water: Touch water with Athame, saying, "I
exorcise thee, O creature of Water, that thou cast out from Thee all the
impurities and uncleannesses of the Spirits of the World of Phantasm, so
they may harm me not, in the names of Aradia and Cernunnos."

[4] Touching Salt with Athame, say, "The Blessings of Aradia and
Cernunnos be upon this creature of Salt, and let all malignity and
hindrance be cast forth hencefrom, and let all good enter herein, for
without Thee man cannot live, wherefore I bless thee and invoke thee,
that thou mayest aid me."

[5] Then put the Salt into the water.

[6] Sprinkle with exorcised water.

[7] Light candles; say, "I exorcise thee, O Creature of Fire, that every
kind of Phantasm may retire from thee, and be unable to harm or deceive
in any way, in the names of Aradia and Cernunnos."

[8] Caution initiate (if any); warn companions; enter circle and close
doors with 3 pentagrams.

[9] Proclaim object of working
3025

[10] Circumambulate 3 times or more before commencing work.

[11] Summon: "I summon, stir, and Call thee up, thou Mighty Ones of the
East, South, West, and North."  Salute and draw pentacle with Magic
Sword or Athame, the first stroke being from the top down to the left.

A.2. Drawing Down the Moon (1949)

High Priestess stands in front of Altar, assumes Goddess position (arms
crossed). Magus, kneeling in front of her, draws pentacle on her body
with Phallus-headed Wand, invokes, "I Invoke and beseech Thee, O mighty
Mother of all life and fertility.  By seed and root, by stem and bud, by
leaf and flower and fruit, by Life and Love, do I invoke Thee to descend
into the body of thy servant and High Priestess [name]." The Moon having
been drawn down, i.e., link established, Magus and other men give
Fivefold Kiss:

(kissing feet) "Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these
ways";

(kissing knees) "Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred
altar";

(kissing womb) "Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be";

(kissing breasts) "Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty and in
strength";

(kissing lips) "Blessed be thy lips, that shall speak the sacred names."

Women all bow.

If there be an initiation, then at this time the Magus and the High
Priestess in Goddess position (Arms Crossed) says the Charge while the
Initiate stands outside the circle.

A.3. "Lift Up the Veil"

[The Charge] (1949) Magus: "Listen to the words of the Great mother, who
of old was also called among men Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine,
Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Diana, Arianrhod, Bride, and by many other names."

High Priestess: "At mine Altars the youth of Lacedaemon in Sparta made
due sacrifice. Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month,
and better it be when the moon is full, ye shall assemble in some secret
place and adore the spirit of Me who am Queen of all Witcheries and
magics. There ye shall assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery,
yet  have not won its deepest secrets.  To these will I teach things
that are yet unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery, and as a sign
that ye be really free, ye shall be naked in your rites, both men and
women, and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music, and love, all in my
praise. There is a Secret Door that I have made to establish the way to
taste even on earth the elixir of immortality.  Say, `Let ecstasy be
mine, and joy on earth even to me, To Me,'  For I am a gracious Goddess.
I give unimaginable joys on earth, certainty, not faith, while in life!
And upon death, peace unutterable, rest, and ecstasy, nor do I demand
aught in sacrifice."

3026

Magus: "Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess."

High Priestess: "I love you: I yearn for you: pale or purple, veiled or
voluptuous. I who am all pleasure, and purple and drunkenness of the
innermost senses, desire you.  Put on the wings, arouse the coiled
splendor within you. Come unto me, for I am the flame that burns in the
heart of every man, and the core of every Star. Let it be your inmost
divine self who art lost in the constant rapture of infinite joy. Let
the rituals be rightly performed with joy and beauty.  Remember that all
acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.  So let there be beauty and
strength, leaping laughter, force and fire by within you. And if thou
sayest, `I have journeyed unto thee, and it availed me not,' rather
shalt thou say, `I called upon thee, and I waited patiently, and Lo,
thou wast with me from the beginning,' for they that ever desired me
shall ever attain me, even to the end of all desire.

This much of the rites must ever be performed to prepare for any
initiation, whether of one degree or of all three.

A.4. The Initiation (1949)

[First Degree]

Magus leaves circle by the doorway, goes to Postulant, and says, "Since
there is no other brother here, I must be thy sponsor, as well as
priest.  I am about to give you a warning.  If you are still of the same
mind, answer it with these words: `Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.'"
Placing the point of the sword to the Postulant's breast, he says, "O
thou who standeth on the threshold between the pleasant world of men and
the domains of the Dread Lords of the Outer Spaces, hast thou the
courage to make the Assay?  For I tell thee verily, it were better to
rush on my weapon and perish miserably than to make the attempt with
fear in thy heart." Postulant: "I have two Passwords: Perfect Love and
Perfect Trust." Magus drops the sword point, saying, "All who approach
with perfect love and perfect trust are doubly welcome." Going around
behind her, he blindfolds her, then putting his left arm around her
waist and his right arm around her neck, he pulls her head back, says,
"I give you the 3rd password, a Kiss to pass through this dread Door,"
and pushes her forward with his body, through the doorway and into the
circle.  Once inside, he releases her saying, "This is the way all are
first brought into the circle." Magus closes the doorway by drawing the
point of the sword across it three times, joining all three circles,
saying, "Agla, Azoth, Adonai," then drawing three pentacles to seal it.
Magus guides Postulant to south of altar, and whispers, "Now there is
the Ordeal." Taking a short piece of cord from the altar, he ties it
around her right ankle, saying, "Feet neither bound nor free."  Taking
a
longer cord, he ties her hands together behind her back, then pulls them
up, so that the arms form a triangle, and ties the cord around her neck,
leaving the end dangling down in front as a Cable Tow. With the Cable
Tow in his left hand and the sword in his right hand, the Magus leads
her sunwise around the circle to the east, where he salutes with the
sword and proclaims, "Take heed, O Lords of the Watchtowers of the East,
(name), properly prepared, will be made a Priestess and a Witch." Magus
leads her similarly to the south, west, and north, making the
proclamation at each quarter. Next, clasping Postulant around the waist
with his left arm, and holding the sword erect in his right hand, he
makes her circumambulate three times around the circle with a
3027

half-running, half-dancing step. He halts her at the south of the altar,
and strikes eleven knells on the bell.  He then kneels at her feet,
saying, "In other religions the postulant kneels, as the Priests claim
supreme power, but in the Art Magical, we are taught to be humble, so we
kneel to welcome them and say:

"Blessed be thy feet that have brought thee in these ways." (He kisses
her feet.)

"Blessed be thy knees that shall kneel at the sacred altar." (He kisses
her knees.)

"Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be." (He kisses her
Organ of Generation.)

"Blessed by thy breasts, formed in beauty and in strength." (He kisses
her breasts.)

"Blessed be thy lips, which shall utter the sacred names." (He kisses
her lips.)

Take measure thus: height, around forehead, across the heart, and across
the genitals. Magus says, "Be pleased to kneel," and helps her kneel
before the altar.  He ties the end of the Cable Tow to a ring in the
altar, so that the postulant is bent sharply forward, with her head
almost touching the floor.  He also ties her feet together with the
short cord. Magus strikes three knells on the bell and says, "Art ready
to swear that thou wilt always be true to the Art?"

Witch: "I am."

Magus strikes seven knells on the bell and says, "Before ye are sworn,
art willing to pass the ordeal and be purified?"

Witch: "I am."

Magus strikes eleven knells on the bell, takes the scourge from the
altar, and gives a series of three, seven, nine, and 21 strokes with the
scourge across the postulant's buttocks. Magus says, "Ye have bravely
passed the test.  Art always ready to help, protect, and defend thy
Brothers and Sisters of the Art?"

Witch: "I am."

Magus: "Art armed?"

Witch: "With a knife in my hair."

Magus: "Then on that knife wilt thou swear absolute secrecy?"

Witch: "I will."

Magus: "Then say after me. `I, (name), in the presence of the Mighty
Ones, do of my own will and accord, most solemnly swear that I will ever
keep secret and never reveal the secrets of the Art, except it be to a
proper person, properly prepared, within a circle such as I am now in.
All this I swear by my hopes of a future life, mindful that my measure
has been taken, and may my weapons turn against me if I break this my
3028

solemn oath.'"

Magus now unbinds her feet, unties the Cable Tow from the altar, removes
the blindfold, and helps her up to her feet.

Magus says, "I hereby sign thee with the triple sign.

"I consecrate thee with oil."  (He anoints her with oil on the womb, the
right breast, the left breast, and the womb again.)

"I consecrate thee with wine." (He anoints her with wine in the same
pattern.)

"I consecrate thee with my lips" (he kisses her in the same pattern),
"Priestess and Witch."

Magus now unbinds her hands and removes the last cord, saying,  "Now I
Present to thee the Working Tools of a Witch. "First the Magic Sword.
With this, as with the Athame, thou canst form all Magic Circles,
dominate, subdue, and punish all rebellious Spirits and Demons, and even
persuade the Angels and Geniuses.  With this in your hand you are the
ruler of the Circle. [Here "kiss" means that the initiate kisses the
tool, and the Magus then kisses the Witch being initiated.]

"Next I present the Athame.  This is the true Witch's weapon and has all
the powers of the Magic Sword [kiss].

"Next I present the White-Handled Knife. Its use is to form all
instruments used in the Art.  It can only be properly used within a
Magic Circle [Kiss].

"Next I present the Wand. Its use is to call up and control certain
Angels and geniuses, to whom it would not be mete to use the Magic Sword
[Kiss].

"Next I present the pentacles.  These are for the purpose of calling up
appropriate Spirits [Kiss].

"Next I present the Censer of Incense. This is used to encourage and
welcome Good Spirits and to banish Evil Spirits.[kiss]

"Next I present the scourge. This is a sign of power and domination. It
is also to cause suffering and purification, for it is written, to learn
you must suffer and be purified. Art willing to suffer to learn?"

Witch: "I am."[Kiss]

Magus: "Next, and lastly I present the Cords.  They are of use to bind
the sigils in the Art, the material basis, and to enforce thy will. Also
they are necessary in the oath.  I Salute thee in the name of Aradia and
Cernunnos, Newly made Priestess and Witch." Magus strikes seven knells
on the bell and kisses Witch again, then circumambulates with her,
proclaiming to the four quarters, "Hear, ye Mighty Ones, (name) hath
been consecrated Priestess and Witch of the Gods." (Note, if ceremony
ends here, close circle with "I thank ye for attending, and I dismiss ye
to your pleasant abodes.  Hail and farewell." If not, go to next
degree.)

3029

[Second Degree]

Magus binds Witch as before, but does not blindfold her, and
circumambulates with her, proclaims to the four quarters, "Hear, ye
Mighty Ones, (name), a duly consecrated Priestess and Witch, is now
properly prepared to be made a High Priestess and Witch Queen." Magus
now leads her thrice around the circle with the half-running,
half-dancing step, halts south of the altar, has the Witch kneel, and
ties her down to the altar as before.

Magus: "To attain this sublime degree, it is necessary to suffer and be
purified.  Art ready to suffer to Learn?"

Priestess Witch: "I am."

Magus: "I prepare thee to take the great oath." 

He strikes three knells on the bell, and again gives the series of
three, seven, nine, and 21 strokes with the scourge as before.

Magus: "I now give thee a new name: _______. [kiss]

Magus: "Repeat thy new name after me, <saying> I, (name), swear upon my
mother's womb and by mine Honor among men and among my brothers and
sisters of the Art, that I will never reveal to any at all any of the
secrets of the Art, except it be to a worthy person, properly prepared,
in the center of a Magic Circle, such as I am now in.  This I swear by
my hopes of Salvation, my past lives, and my hopes of future ones to
come, and I devote myself to utter destruction if I break this my solemn
oath."

Magus kneels, placing left hand under her knees and right hand on her
head, thus forming magic link.

Magus: "I hereby will all my power into you." Wills.

Magus now unties her feet, unties the Cable Tow from the altar, and
helps the Witch to her feet.

Magus: "I hereby sign and consecrate you with the great Magic Sign.
Remember how it is formed and you will always recognize it. 

"I consecrate thee with oil." (He anoints her with oil on her womb,
right breast, left hip, right hip, left breast, and womb again, thus
tracing a point-down pentacle.)

"I consecrate thee with wine." (He anoints her with wine in the same
pattern.)

"I consecrate thee with my lips" (he kisses her in the same pattern),
"High Priestess and Witch Queen."

Magus now unbinds Witch's hands and removes the cord, saying, "Newly
made High Priestess and Witch Queen" [kiss] "you will now use the
working tools in turn.

First, the Magic Sword; with it you will scribe the Magic Circle [kiss]

3030

"Secondly, the Athame" (Form Circle) [kiss]

"Thirdly, the White Handled Knife" (use) [kiss]

"Fourthly, the Wand" (Wave to 4 Quarters) [kiss]

"Fifthly, the Pentacle" (Show to 4 Quarters) [kiss]

"Sixthly, the Censer of Incense" (Circle, cense) [kiss]

"Seventhly, the cords; bind me as I bound you." Witch binds Magus and
ties him to Altar.

Magus: "Learn, in Witchcraft, thou must ever return triple.  As I
scourged thee, so thou must scourge me, but triple. So where you
received 3, return 9; where you received 7, return 21; where you
received 9, return 27; where you received 21, return 63." Witch scourges
Magus as instructed, 120 strokes total.

Magus: "Thou hast obeyed the Law.  But mark well, when thou receivest
good, so equally art bound to return good threefold."

Witch now unbinds Magus and helps him to his feet. Magus, taking the new
Initiate by the hand and holding the Athame in the other, passes once
round the Circle, proclaiming at the Four Quarters, "Hear, Ye Mighty
Ones, (name) hath been duly consecrated High Priestess and Witch Queen."
(Note, if ceremony ends here, close circle with "Hail and farewell." If
not go to next degree.)

[Third Degree]

Magus: "Ere we proceed with this sublime degree, I must beg
purification at thy hands."

High Priestess binds Magus and ties him down to the altar.  She
circumambulates three times, and scourges Magus with three, seven, nine,
and 21 strokes.  She then unbinds him and helps him to his feet. Magus
now binds the High Priestess and ties her down to the altar. He
circumambulates, proclaiming to the four quarters, "Hear, ye mighty
Ones, the twice consecrate and Holy (name), High Priestess and Witch
Queen, is properly prepared and will now proceed to erect the Sacred
Altar." Magus scourges High Priestess with three, seven, nine, and 21
strokes. Cakes and wine may now be taken [see section A.5].

Magus: "Now I must reveal to you a great Mystery." [kiss].

Note: if High Priestess has performed this rite before, omit these
words. High Priestess assumes Osiris position.

Magus: "Assist me to erect the Ancient Altar, at which in days past all
worshipped, the Great Altar of all things.  For in the old times a woman
was the Altar.  Thus was the altar made and so placed [Priestess lies
down in such a way that her vagina is approximately at the center of the
circle], and the sacred place was the point within the center of the
circle, as we of old times have been taught, that the point within the
center is the origin of all things.  Therefore should we adore it."
[kiss]

3031

"Therefore, whom we adore, we also invoke, by the power of the lifted
lance." Invokes. "O circle of stars [kiss], whereof our Father is but
the younger brother [kiss], "Marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite
space, before whom time is ashamed, the mind bewildered and
understanding dark, not unto thee may we attain unless thine image be of
love [kiss].

"Therefore, by seed and root, and stem and bud and leaf and flower and
fruit do we invoke thee, O, Queen of space, O dew of light, O continuous
one of the Heavens [kiss]. "Let it be ever thus, that men speak not of
Thee as one, but as none, and let them not speak of thee at all, since
thou art continuous, for thou art the point within the circle [kiss],
which we adore [kiss], the fount of life without which we would not be
[kiss]. "And in this way truly are erected the Holy Twin Pillars Boaz
and Jachin [kisses breasts].  In beauty and strength were they erected,
to the wonder and glory of all men."

(Eightfold Kiss: 3 points, Lips, 2 Breasts and back to lips; 5 points)

"O Secrets of secrets that art hidden in the being of all lives.  Not
thee do we adore, for that which adoreth is also thou.  Thou art that
and That am I [kiss].

"I am the flame that
burns in every man, and in the core of every star [kiss].

"I am Life and
the giver of Life, yet therefore is the knowledge of me the Knowledge of
Death [kiss].

"I am alone, the Lord within ourselves whose name is
Mystery of Mysteries [kiss].

"Make open the path of intelligence between us.  For these truly are the
5 points of fellowship [on the right appears an illuminated diagram of
the point-up triangle above the pentacle, the symbol for the third
degree], feet to feet, knee to knee, groin to groin, breast to breast,
arms around back, lips to lips, by the Great and Holy Names Abracadabra,
Aradia, and Cernunnos. Magus and High

Priestess: "Encourage our hearts, Let thy Light crystallize itself in
our blood, fulfilling us of Resurrection, for there is no part of us
that is not of the Gods."

(Exchange Names.)

Closing the Circle High Priestess Circumambulates, proclaiming, "The
twice consecrate High Priestess greets ye Mighty Ones, and dismisseth ye
to your pleasant abodes. Hail and Farewell."

She draws the banishing pentacle at each quarter.

A.5. Cakes and Wine (1949)

Magus kneels, fills Cup, offers to Witch [she is seated on the altar,
holding her athame; Priest kneels before her, holding up the cup].

Witch, holding Athame between palms, places point in cup.
3032

Magus: "As the Athame is the Male, so the Cup is the female; so,
conjoined, they bring blessedness."

Witch lays aside Athame, takes Cup in both hands, drinks and gives
drink. Magus Holds Paten to Witch, who blesses with Athame, then eats
and gives to Eat. It is said that in olden days ale or mead was often
used instead of wine. It is said that spirits or anything can be used so
long as it has life.

A.6. The Sabbat Rituals (1949)

November Eve Walk or slow dance, Magus leading High Priestess, both
carrying Phallic wand or broom, people with torches or candles.

Witch chant or song:
  
  "Eko, eko, Azarak Eko, eko, Zomelak Bazabi lacha bachabe Lamac cahi
  achababe Karrellyos  Lamac lamac Bachalyas cabahagy sabalyos Baryolos
  Lagoz atha cabyolas Samahac atha famolas Hurrahya!"

Form circle.

High Priestess assumes Goddess position.

Magus gives her Fivefold Kiss and is scourged.

All are purified [that is, bound and scourged with forty strokes, as in
the initiation rituals].

Magus assumes God position.

High Priestess invokes with Athame:  "Dread Lord of the shadows, god of
life and the giver of life. Yet is the knowledge of thee the knowledge
of death. Open wide, I pray thee, thy gates through which all must pass.
Let our dear ones who have gone before, return this night to make merry
with us.  And when our time comes, as it must, O thou the comforter, the
consoler, the giver of peace and rest, we will enter thy realms gladly
and unafraid, for we know that when rested and refreshed among our dear
ones, w e shall be born again by thy grace and the grace of the Great
Mother.  Let it be in the same place and the same time as our beloved
ones, and may we meet and know, and love them again.  Descend, we pray
thee, upon thy servant and Priest (name)."

High Priestess gives Fivefold Kiss to Magus.

Initiations if any; all others are purified.

(Note: Couples may purify each other if they will.)

Cakes and Wine.

The Great Rite if possible, either in token or truly.

Dismiss [the guardians, and close down the magic circle; the people then
stay to] feast and dance.

February Eve

3033

After usual opening, all are doubly purified [that is, with eighty
strokes].

Dance round outside circle, High Priestess with sword girded on and
drawn, Phallic wand in left hand.

Enter circle.

Magus assumes God position.

High Priestess gives Fivefold Kiss, invokes: "Dread Lord of death and
Resurrection, life and the giver of life, Lord within ourselves, whose
name is Mystery of Mysteries, encourage our hearts. Let the light
crystalize in our blood, fulfilling us of resurrection, for there is no
part of us that is not of the gods. Descend, we pray thee, upon this thy
servant and Priest (name)."

All should be purified in sacrifice before him.  He then purifies the
High Priestess with his own hands, and others if he will.

Cakes and wine.

Great Rite if possible, in token or real.

Games and dance as the people will.

Dismiss [the guardians, and close down the magic circle; the people then
stay to] feast and dance.

May Eve

If possible ride poles, brooms, etc. High Priestess leading, quick dance
step, singing

"O do not tell the priests of our arts.For they would call it sin, For
we will be in the woods all nightA conjuring summer in.

And we bring you good news by word of mouth. For women, cattle, and
corn: The sun is coming up from the south,With oak and ash, and thorn."

Meeting dance if possible.

Form circle as usual, and purify.

High Priestess assumes Goddess position; officers all give her the
fivefold kiss. 

She purifies all.

High Priestess again assumes Goddess position.

Magus invokes, draws down moon, "I invoke thee and call upon thee, O
mighty Mother of us all, bringer of all fruitfulness, By seed and root,
by stem and bud, by leaf and flower and fruit, by life and love, do we
invoke thee, to descend upon the body of thy servant and Priestess
here." 

Magus gives Fivefold Kiss to High Priestess.
3034

All should be purified in sacrifice before her, and she should purify
Magus and some others with her own hands.

Cakes and wine.

Games.

Great Rite if possible, in token or truly.

Dismiss [the guardians, and close down the magic circle; the people then
stay to] feast and dance.

August Eve

If possible, ride poles, broomsticks, etc.

Meeting Dance if possible [the double-spiral dance described in
Witchcraft Today, p. 167].

Form circle.

Purify.

High Priestess stands in pentacle position.

Magus invokes her: "O mighty Mother of us all, Mother of all
fruitfulness, give us fruit and grain, flocks and herds and children to
the tribe that we be mighty, by thy rosy love, do thou descend upon thy
servant and Priestess (name) here." 

Magus gives Fivefold Kiss to High Priestess.

Candle game:  Seated, the men form a circle, passing a lighted candle
from hand to hand "deosil".  The women form circle outside, trying to
blow it out over their shoulders.  Whoever's hand it is in when it is
blown out is 3 times purified by whoever blew it out, giving fivefold
Kiss in return.  This game may go on as long as the people like.

Cakes and wine, and any other games you like.

Dismiss [the guardians, and close down the magic circle; the people then
stay to] feast and dance.

 B.1. On Chants (1953)

Of old there were many chants and songs used especially in the Dances.
Many of these have been forgotten by us here, but we know that they used
cries of IAU which seems muchly like the cries EVO or EVOHE of the
ancients.  Much dependeth on the pronunciation if this be so.  In my
youth, when I heard IAU it seemed to be AEIOU, or rather, AAAEEIOOOOUU.
This may be but the natural way to prolong it to make it fit for a call,
but it suggests that these be possibly the initials of an invocation as
Agla is said to be, and of sooth 'tis said that the whole Hebrew
alphabet is said to be such, and for this reason is recited as a most
powerful charm, but at least this is certain, these cries during the
dances do have profound effect, as I myself have seen.

Other calls are IEHOUA and EHEIE; also Ho Ho Ho Ise Ise Ise.
3035

IEO VEO VEO VEO VEOV OROV OV OVOVO may be a spell but is more likely to
be a call.  'Tis like the EVOE EVOE of the Greeks and the "Heave ho!" of
sailors.  "Emen hetan" and "Ab hur, ab hus" seem calls; as "Horse and
hattock, horse and go, horse and Pellatis, ho, ho, ho!"

"Thout, tout a tout tout, throughout and about" and "Rentum tormentum"
are probably mispronounced attempts at a forgotten formula, though they
may have been invented by some unfortunate being tortured, to evade
telling the real formula.

 B.2. To Help the Sick (1953)

[1] Ever remember the promise of the goddess,  "For ecstasy is mine and
joy on earth" so let there ever be joy in your heart.  Greet people with
joy, be glad to see them.  If times be hard, think, "It might have been
worse.  I at least have known the joys of the Sabbath, and I will know
them again."  Think of the grandeur, beauty, and Poetry of the rites, of
the loved ones you meet through them.  If you dwell on this inner joy,
your health will be better.  You must try to banish all fear,  for it
will reall y touch you.  It may hurt your body,  but your soul is beyond
it all.

[2] And ever remember, that if you help others it makes you forget your
own woes.  And if another be in pain, do what you may to distract his
attention from it.  Do not say "You have no pain," but if you may,
administer the drugs which sooth as well as those that cure.  But ever
strive to make them believe they are getting better.  Install into them
happy thoughts.  If you can only get this into his inner mind so that it
be always believed.

[3] To this end it is not wrong to let people think that we of the cult
have more power than we have.  For the truth is that if they believe we
have more power than we really possess, we do really possess these
powers, insomuch we can do good to them.

[4] You must try to find out about people.  If you tell a slightly sick
man, "You are looking better.  You will soon be well," he will feel
better, but if he is really ill, or in pain, his Knowledge that he is in
pain will cause him to doubt your words in future.  But if you give him
one of the drugs and then say, "The pain is growing less.  Soon it will
be gone," because the pain goes, the next time you say, "The pain is
going," he will believe you and the pain will really get less.  But you
must ever say so with conviction, and this conviction must come from
your believing it yourself, because you yourself know that if you can
fix his mind so that he believes you, it is true.

[5] 'Tis often better to look exactly between their eyes, looking as if
your eyes pierced their heads, opening your eyes as wide as you may and
never blink.  This continued gazing oft causes the patient to grow
sleepy.  If they show signs of this, say "You are growing sleepy.  You
will sleep, you are tired.  Sleep.  Your eyes grow tired.  Sleep."  If
they close their eyes, say "Your eyes close, you are tired, you cannot
open your eyes."  If they cannot, say "Your arms are tired, you cannot
raise them."  If they cannot, say "I am master of your mind.  You must
ever believe what I tell you.  When I look like this into your eyes you
will sleep and be subject to my will," then tell them they will sleep
and wake up refreshed, feeling better.  Continue this with soothing and
healing drugs, and try to infuse into them the feeling of ecstasy that
3036

you feel at the Sabbath.  They cannot feel it in full, but you can
command them to feel what is in your own mind, and try to concentrate on
this ecstasy.  I f you may safely tell that you are of the Cult, your
task may be easier.  And it were well to command them to know it only
with their sleeping mind, and forget it, or to be at least unable to
tell anyone about it when awake. A good way is to command them that, if
they are ever questioned about Witchcraft or Witches, to immediately
fall asleep.

[6] Ever remember if tempted to admit or boast of belonging to the cult
you be endangering your brothers, for though now the fires of
persecution may have died down, who knows when they may be revived?
Many priests have knowledge of our secrets, and they well know that,
though much religious bigotry has calmed down, many people would wish to
join our cult.  And if the truth were known of its joys, the Churches
would lose power, so if we take many recruits, we may loose the fires of
persecution against us a gain.  So ever keep the secrets.

[7] Think joy, think love, try to help others and bring joy into their
lives.  Children are naturally easier to influence than grown people.
Ever strive to work through people's existing beliefs. For instance,
more than half of the world believe in amulets.  An ordinary stone is
not an amulet but if it hath a natural hole in it, it must be something
unusual, so if the patient hath this belief give him one.  But first
carry it next your skin for a few days, forcing your will into it, to
cure pain, to feel s afe, or against their particular fear, and this
amulet may keep imposing your will when you are absent.  The masters of
talismans knew this full well when they say they must be made in a
circle, to avoid distraction, by someone whose mind is on the subject of
the work.

[8] But keep your own mind happy.  Remember the Words of the Goddess: "I
give unimaginable joys on Earth, certainty, not faith, while in life,
and upon death, peace unutterable, rest, and ecstasy, and the promise
that you will return again."  In the old days many of us went to the
flames laughing and singing, and so we may again. We may have joy in
life and beauty, and peace and Death and the promise of return.

[9] The Bible speaks sooth, "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine
but a broken spirit breaketh the bones."  But you may not have a merry
heart.  Perchance you were born under an evil star.  I think that the
effects of the stars are overestimated, but you cannot make a merry
heart to order, you say.  But you can, in the Cult; there be secret
processes by which your will and imagination may be influenced.  This
process also affects the body, and brings it to joy.  Your body is
happy, so your mind is happy .  You are well because you are happy, and
you are happy because you are well.

[10] Prayer may be used with good result if the patient believes it can
and will work.  Many believe it can, but do not believe their God or
saint will help.  Prayers to the Goddess help, especially the Amalthean
Horn Prayer, as it causes stimulation to the body as well as to the
mind.

 B.3. The Scourge and the Kiss. (1953)

[1] Invocation

3037

(Feet, knees, and wrists should be tightly bound to retard blood.)
Scourge 40 or more, to make skin tingle, then say, invoking Goddess,

Hail, Aradia, from the Amalthean horn
     Pour forth thy store of Love.  I lowly bend
 Before Thee!  I invoke thee at the end
     When other Gods are fallen and put to scorn.
Thy foot is to my lips!  My sighs inborn
     Rise, touch, curl about thy heart.  Then spend,
     Pitiful Love, loveliest Pity, descend
 And bring me luck who am lonely and forlorn.

Ask the Goddess to help you to obtain your desires, then Scourge again
to bind the spell. This be powerful in ill luck and for sickness.  It
must be said in a Circle, and you must be properly prepared and well
purified, both before and after saying, to bind the spell. Before
starting you must make a very clear picture in your mind of what you
wish.  Make yourself see the wish obtained.  Be sure in your own mind
exactly what it is and how it is to be fulfilled. This spell is the one
that was taught to me long ago and I have found it works, but I don't
think there is any special virtue in these words.  Any others can be
substituted provided they ask the goddess's (or gods') help, and say
clearly what you wish and you form the clear mental image; and if it
doesn't work at first, keep on trying till it works.  Your helper, who
wields the scourge, must know what you wish, and also form the mental
image.  And at first at any rate, it will be better for you to work the
spell, then for the girl to take your place and work it also; you
scourge her.  Don't try anything difficult at first, and do it at least
once a week till it works.  You have to get into sympathy with each
other, before anything happens, and regular working helps this. Of
spells, the exact words matter little if the intent be clear and you
raise the true power, and sufficient thereof.  Always in rhyme they are.
There is something queer about rhyme.  I have tried, and the same seem
to lose their power if you miss the rhyme.  Also in rhyme, the words
seem to say themselves.  You do not have to pause and think: "What comes
next?"  Doing this takes away much of your intent.

[2] Order and discipline must be kept.  A High Priest or Priestess may
 and should punish all faults to this end, and all of the Cult must
 accept such corrections willingly.  All are brothers and sisters, for
 this reason: that even the High Priestess must submit to the scourge.
 Each fault should be corrected separately.  The Priest or Priestess
 must be properly prepared and call the culprit to trial.  They must be
 prepared as for initiation and kneel, be told their fault and sentence
 pronounced.  Punishment should be the scourge, followed by a forfeit
 such as several fivefold kisses or something of this nature.  The
 culprit must acknowledge the justice of the punishment by kissing hands
 and scourge on receiving sentence and again when thanking for
 punishment received.*

[3] The scourgings are 3, 7, 9 (thrice three), and 21 (thrice seven) 40
in all.  It is not meet to make offerings [scourgings] of less than two
score to the Goddess, for here be a mystery.  The fortunate numbers be:
3 and 5.  For three added to two (the Perfect Couple) be five.  And
three and five be eight; eight and five be thirteen; thirteen and eight
be twenty-one. The Fivefold Kiss is called 5, but there are 8 kisses,
for there be 2 feet and 2 knees and genitals and 2 breasts and the lips.
And 5 times 8 be two score.  Also, fortunate numbers be 3, 7, 8, and 21,
3038

which total 40, or two score.  For each man and woman hath ten fingers
and ten toes, so each totals a score.  And a perfect couple be two
score. So a lesser number would not be perfect prayer. If more are
required make it a perfect number, as four score or six score. Also
there be Eight Elemental Weapons.

[4] To make the anointing ointment, take some glazed pans filled half
full with grease or olive oil.  Put in one sweet mint, marjoram in
another, ground thyme in a 3rd, and it you may have it, patchouli, dried
leaves pounded.  Place pans in hot water bath.  Stir and cook for
several hours, then pout into linen bags, and squeeze grease through
into pans again, and fill up with fresh leaves.  After doing this
several times, the grease will be highly perfumed.  Then mix all
together and store in a well-corked jar. Anoint behind ears, throat,
armpits, breasts, and womb.  Also, for all ceremonies where the feet are
kissed, they should also be anointed.

 B.4. The Priestess and the Sword (1953)

It is said, "When a woman takes the main part in worship of the Male
God, she must be girt with a sword." Note.  This hath been explained as
meaning that a man should be Magus representing the God, but if no one
of sufficient rank and knowledge be present, a woman armed as a man may
take his place.  The sheath should be worn in a belt.  She should carry
the sword in hand, but if she has to use her hands, she should sheath
the sword.  Any other woman in the circle while this worship is
performed shall be sword in hand.  Those outside the circle only have
the athame. A woman may impersonate either the God or the Goddess, but
a
man may only impersonate the God.

 B.5. The Warning (1953)

Keep this book in your own hand of write.  Let brothers and Sisters copy
what they will, but never let this book out of your hands, and never
keep the writings of another, for if it be found in their hand of write,
they may well be taken and tortured.  Each should guard his own writings
and destroy them whenever danger threatens. Learn as much as you may by
heart, and when the danger is past, rewrite your book.  For this reason,
if any die, destroy their book if they have not been able to, for, if it
be fou nd, 'tis clear proof against them.  "Ye may not be a Witch
alone";  so all their friends be in danger of the torture.  So destroy
everything not necessary. If your book be found on you, 'tis clear proof
against you.  You may be tortured.  Keep all thought of the cult from
your mind.  Say you had bad dreams, that a Devil caused you to write
this without your knowledge. Think to yourself,  "I Know Nothing.  I
Remember nothing. I have forgotten all."  Drive this into your mind. If
the torture be too great to bear, say, "I will confess.  I cannot bear
this torment.  What do you want me to say?  Tell me and I will say it."
If they try to make you talk of the broth erhood, do not, but if they
try to make you speak of impossibilities, such as flying through the
air, consorting with the Devis, sacrificing children, or eating men's
flesh, say, "I had an evil dream.  I was not myself.  I was crazed." Not
all Magistrates are bad.  If there be an excuse, they may show you
mercy.  If you have confessed aught, deny it afterwards.  Say you
babbled under the torture; you knew not what you did or said.  If you be
condemned, fear not.  The Brotherhood is powerful.  They may help you to
escape if you are steadfast.  If you betray aught, there is no hope for
3039

you, in this life, or in that which is to come. But, 'tis sure, that if
steadfast you go to the pyre, drugs will reach you.  You will feel
naught, and you go but to Death and what lies beyond, the ecstasy of the
Goddess. The same with the working Tools.  Let them be as ordinary
things that anyone may have in their homes.  The Pentacles shall be of
wax that they may be melted or broken at once.  Have no sword unless
your rank allows you one.  Have no names or signs on anything.  Write
them on in ink before consecrating them and wash it off at once when
finished. Never boast, never threaten, never say you wish ill to anyone.
If any speak of the craft, say, "Speak not to me of such, it frightens
me, 'tis evil luck to speak of it."

 B.6. Of the Ordeal of the Art Magical (1953)

Learn of the spirit that goeth with burdens that have not honour, for
'tis the spirit that stoopeth the shoulders and not the weight.  Armour
is heavy, yet it is a proud burden and a man standeth upright in it.
Limiting and constraining any of the senses serves to increase the
concentration of another.  Shutting the eyes aids the hearing.  So the
binding of the initiate's hands increases the mental perception, while
the scourge increaseth the inner vision.  So the initiate goeth through
it proudly, like a princess, knowing it but serves to increase her
glory. But this can only be done by the aid of another intelligence and
in a circle, to prevent the power thus generated being lost.  Priests
attempt to do the same with their scourgings and mortifications of the
flesh.  But lacking the aid of bonds and their attention being
distracted by their scourging themselves and what little power they do
produce being dissipated, as they do not usually work within a circle,
it is little wonder that they oft fail.  Monks and hermits do better, as
they are apt to work in tiny cells and coves, which in some way act as
circles.  The Knights of the Temple, who used mutually to scourge each
other in an octagon, did better still; but they apparently did not know
the virtue of bonds and did evil, man to man. But perhaps some did know?
What of the Church's charge that they wore girdles or cords?

 B.7.  The Eightfold Way. (1953)

Eightfold Path or Ways to the Centre.

1 Meditation or Concentration.  This in practice means forming a mental
image of what is desired, and forcing yourself to see that it is
fulfilled, with the fierce belief and knowledge that it can and will be
fulfilled, and that you will go on willing till you force it to be
fulfilled.  Called for short, "Intent"

2 Trance, projection of the Astral.

3 Rites, Chants, Spells, Runes, Charms, etc.

4 Incense, Drugs, Wine, etc., whatever is used to release the Spirit.
(Note. One must be very careful about this.  Incense is usually
harmless, but you must be careful.  If it has bad aftereffects, reduce
the amount used, or the duration of the time it is inhaled.  Drugs are
very dangerous if taken to excess, but it must be remembered that there
are drugs that are absolutely harmless, though people talk of them with
bated breath, but Hemp is especially dangerous, because it unlocks the
inner eye swiftly an d easily, so one is tempted to use it more and
more.  If it is used at all, it must be with the strictest precautions,
3040

to see that the person who uses it has no control over the supply.  This
should be doled out by some responsible person, and the supply strictly
limited.)

5 The Dance, and kindred practices.

6 Blood control (the Cords), Breath Control, and kindred practices.

7 The Scourge.

8 The Great Rite.

These are all the ways.  You may combine many of them into the one
experiment, the more the better.  

The Five Essentials:

1. The most important is "Intention": you must know that you can and
will succeed; it is essential in every operation.

2. Preparation. (You must be properly prepared according to the rules of
the Art; otherwise you will never succeed.)

3. The Circle must be properly formed and purified.

4. You all must be properly purified, several times if necessary, and
this purification should be repeated several times during the rite.

5. You must have properly consecrated tools.

These five essentials and Eight Paths or Ways cannot all be combined in
one rite.  Meditation and dancing do not combine well, but forming the
mental image and the dance may be well combined with Chants.  Spells,
etc., combined with scourging and No. 6, followed by No. 8, form a
splendid combination.  Meditation, following scourging, combined with
Nos. 3 and 4 and 5, are also very Good. For short cuts concentration,
Nos. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are excellent.

 B.8. To Gain the Sight (1953)

[1] This cometh to different people in diverse ways. 'Tis seldom it
cometh naturally, but it can be induced in many ways.  Deep and
prolonged meditation may do it, but only if you be a natural, and
usually prolonged fasting was also necessary.  Of old monks and nuns
obtained visions by long vigils, combined with fasting, flagellation
till the blood came, and other mortifications of the flesh, and so
undoubtedly had visions.  In the East it is tried with various tortures,
at the same time sitting in cramped postures, which retard the flow of
blood, and these torments, long and continued, give good results.  But
in the Art we are taught an easier way to intensify the imagination, at
the same time controlling the blood supply, and this may best be done by
using the ritual.

[2] Incense is also good to propitiate the Spirits, but also to induce
 relaxation and to help to build up the atmosphere which is neces-sary
 to suggestibility. (For our human eyes are so blind to what really is,
 that it is often necessary to suggest that it is there, before we may
 see it, as we may point out to another something at a distance before
3041

 they may see it themselves.  Gum mastic, aromatic rush roots, cinnamon
 bark, musk, juniper, sandalwood, and ambergris in combination are all
 good, but patchouli is best of all.  And if you may have hemp, 'tis
 better still, but be very careful of this.

[3] The circle being formed, all properly prepared, and the Rites done,
and all purified, the aspirant should warlock and take his tutor round
the circle, saluting the Mighty Ones, and invoke them to aid the
operation.  Then both dance round till giddy, invoking or using chants.
Scourge.  Then the Tutor should warlock very tightly, but not so to
cause discomfort, but enough to retard the blood slightly.  Again they
should dance round, chanting, then scourge with light, steady,
monotonous, slow strokes.  lt is very good that the pupil may see them
coming (this may be arranged from position, or if a big mirror is
available, this can be used with excellent effect) as this has the
effect of passes, and helps greatly to stimulate the imagination, and it
is important that they be not hard, the object being not to do more than
draw the blood to that part and so away from the brain.  This with the
tight warlocking, which should be warricked, slows down the circulation
of the blood, and t he passes soon induce a drowsi ness and a stupor.
The tutor should watch for this.  As soon as the aspirant sleeps, the
scourging should cease.  The tutor should also watch that the pupil
become not cold, and if they struggle or become distressed, they should
be at once awakened.  (Note: if it cannot be arranged for the pupil to
see, the wand may be used, for a time, then return to scourging.)

[4] Do not be discouraged if no results come after two or three
attempts.  It will come, when both are in the right state.  When you get
some result, then results will come more quickly.  Soon some of the
ritual may be shortened, but never neglect to invoke the Goddess, and
the Mighty Ones, or to form the Circle and do everything rightly.  And
for good and clear results, it is ever better to do too much ritual than
too little.

[5] It hath been found that this practice doth often cause a fondness
between aspirant and tutor, and 'tis a cause of better results if this
be so.  If for any reason it is undesirable that there be any great
fondness between aspirant and tutor, this may be easily avoided, by both
parties from the onset firmly resolving in their minds that if any doth
ensue, it shall be that of brother and sister or parent and child.  And
it is for this reason that a man may only be taught by a woman and a
woman by a man, a nd that man and man, and woman and woman, should never
attempt these practices together. And may all the Curses of the Mighty
Ones be on any who make the attempt.*

[6] Remember, the Circle, properly constructed, is ever necessary to
prevent the power released from being dissipated.  It is also a barrier
against any disturbances of mischievous forces, for to obtain good
results you must be free from all disturbances.  Remember that darkness,
points of light gleaming amid the surrounding dark, incense, and the
steady passes by a white arm are not stage effects. They are the
mechanical implements which start the suggestions, which later unlocks
the knowledge that it is p ossible to obtain the divine ecstasy, and so
attain knowledge and communion with the Divine Goddess.  When once you
have attained this, Ritual is not needed, as you may attain the state of
ecstasy at will, but till then, or if you having attained this yourself,
and wish to bring a companion to this state of joy, ritual is best.

3042

 B.9.  Power (1953)

Power is latent in the body and may be drawn out and used in various
ways by the skilled.  But unless confined in a circle it will be swiftly
dissipated.  Hence the importance of a properly constructed circle.
Power seems to exude from the body via the skin and possibly from the
orifices of the body; hence you should be properly prepared.  The
slightest dirt spoils everything, which shows the importance of thorough
cleanliness. The attitude of mind has great effect, so only work with a
spirit of reverence.  A little wine taken and repeated during the
ceremony, if necessary, helps to produce power.  Other strong drinks or
drugs may be used, but it is necessary to be very moderate, for if you
are confused, even slightly, you cannot control the power you evoke. The
simplest way is by dancing and singing monotonous chants, slowly at
first and gradually quickening the tempo until giddiness ensues.  Then
the calls may be used, or even wild and meaningless shrieking produces
power.  But this method inflames the mind and renders it difficult to
control the power, though control may be gained through practice.  The
scourge is a far better way, for it stimulates and excites both body and
soul, yet one e asily retains control. The Great Rite is far the best.
It releases enormous power, but the conditions and circumstances make it
difficult for the mind to maintain control at first.  It is again a
matter of practice and the natural strength of the operator's will and,
in a lesser degree, of those of his assistants.  If, as of old, there
were many trained assistants present and all wills properly attuned,
wonders occurred. Sorcerors chiefly used the blood sacrifice; and while
we hold this to be evil, we cannot deny that this method is very
efficient.  Power flashes forth from newly shed blood, instead of
exuding slowly as by our method.  The victim's terror and anguish add
keenness, and even quite a small animal can yield enormous power.  The
great difficulty is in the human mind controlling the power of the lower
animal mind.  But sorcerers claim they have methods for effecting this
and that the difficulty disappears the hig her the animal used, and when
the victim is human disappears entirely.  (The practice is an
abomination but it is so.) Priests know this well; and by their
auto-da-fs, with the victims' pain and terror (the fires acting much the
same as circles), obtained much power. Of old the Flagellants certainly
evoked power, but through not being confined in a circle much was lost.
The amount of power raised was so great and continuous that anyone with
knowledge could direct and use it; and it is most probable that the
classical and heathen sacrifices were used in the same way.  There are
whispers that when the human victim was a willing sacrifice, with his
mind directed on the Great Work and with highly skilled assistants,
wonders ensued  bu t of this I would not speak.

 B.10. Properly Prepared. (1953)

Naked, but sandals (not shoes) may be worn.  For initiation, tie hands
behind back, pull up to small of back, and tie ends in front of throat,
leaving a cable-tow to lead by, hanging down in front.  (Arms thus form
a triangle at back.)  When initiate is kneeling at altar, the cable-tow
is tied to a ring in the altar.  A short cord is tied like a garter
round the initiate's left leg above the knee, with ends tucked in.
Another is tied round right ankle and ends tucked in so as to be out of
the way while mov ing about.  These cords are used to tie feet together
while initiate is kneeling at the altar and must be long enough to do
this firmly.  Knees must also be firmly tied.  This must be carefully
done.  If the aspirant complains of pain, the bonds must be loosened
3043

slightly; always remember the object is to retard the blood flow enough
to induce a trance state.  This involves slight discomfort, but great
discomfort prevents the trance state; so it is best to spend some little
time loosening a nd tightening the bonds until they are just right.  The
aspirant alone can tell you when this is so.  This, of course, does not
apply to the initiation, as then no trance is desired; but for the
purpose of ritual it is good that the initiates be bound firmly enough
to feel they are absolutely helpless but without discomfort.

B.11.  The Meeting Dance. (1953)

The Maiden should lead.  A man should place both hands on her waist,
standing behind her, and alternate men and women should do the same, the
Maiden leading and they dance following her.  She at last leads them
into a right-hand spiral.  When the center is reached (and this had
better be marked by a stone), she suddenly turns and dances back,
kissing each man as she comes to him.  All men and women turn likewise
and dance back, men kissing girls and girls kissing men.  All in time to
music, it is a merry ga me, but must be practices to be done well.
Note, the musicians should watch the dancers and make the music fast or
slow as is best.  For the beginners it should be slow, or there will be
confusion.  It is most excellent to get people to know each other at big
gatherings.

 B.12. To Leave the Body. (1953)

 'Tis not wise to strive to get out of your body until you have
 thoroughly gained the Sight.  The same ritual as to gain the Sight may
 be used, but have a comfortable couch.  Kneel so that you have your
 thigh, belly, and chest well supported, the arms strained forward and
 bound one on each side, so that there is a decided feeling of being
 pulled forward.  As the trance is induced, you should feel a striving
 to push yourself out of the top of your head.  The scourge should be
 given a dragging action, as if to drive or drag you out.  Both wills
 should be thoroughly in tune, keeping a constant and equal strain.
 When trance comes, your tutor may help you by softly calling your name.
 You will probably feel yourself drawn out of your body as if through a
 narrow opening, and find yourself standing beside your tutor, looking
 at the body on the couch.  Strive to communicate with your tutor first;
 if they have the Sight they will probably see you.  Go not far afield
 at first, and 'ti s better to have one who is used to leaving the body
 with you. A note: When, having succeeded in leaving the body, you
 desire to return, in order to cause the spirit body and the material
 body to coincide, THINK OF YOUR FEET.  This will cause the return to
 take place.

 B.13. The Working Tools (1953)

 There are no magical supply shops, so unless you are lucky enough to be
 given or sold tools, a poor witch must extemporize.  But when made you
 should be able to borrow or obtain an Athame.  So having made your
 circle, erect an altar.  Any small table or chest will do.  There must
 be fire on it (a candle will suffice) and your book.  For good results
 incense is best if you can get it, but coals in a chafing dish burning
 sweet-smelling herbs will do.  A cup if you would have cakes and wine,
 and a platter with the signs drawn into the same in ink, showing a
 pentacle.  A scourge is easily made (note, the scourge has eight tails
 and five knots in each tail).  Get a white-hilted knife and a wand (a
3044

 sword is not necessary).  Cut the marks with Athame.  Purify
 everything, then consecrate your tools in proper form and ever be
 properly prepared.  But ever remember, magical operations are useless
 unless the mind can be brought to the proper attitude, keyed to the
 utmost pitch. Affirmations must be made clearly, and the mind should be
 inflamed with desire.  With this frenzy of will, you may do as much
 with simple tools as with the most complete set.  But good and
 especially ancient tools have their own aura.  They do help to bring
 about that reverential spirit, the desire to learn and develop your
 powers.  For this reason witches ever try to obtain tools from
 sorcerers, who, being skilled men, make good tools and consecrate them
 well, giving them mighty power.  But a great witch's tools also gain
 much power; and you should ever strive to make any tools you
 manufacture of the finest materials you can obtain, to the end that
 they may absorb your power the more easily.  And of course if you may
 inherit or obtain another witch's tools, power will flow from them. It
 is an old belief that the best substances for making tools are those
 that have once had life in them, as opposed to artificial substances.
 Thus wood or ivory is better for a wand than metal, which is more
 appropriate for knives or swords.  Virgin parchment is better than
 manufactured paper for talismans, etc.  And things which have been made
 by hand are good, because there is life in them.

 B.14. Skyclad (1953)

 It is important to work naked from the start, so it becometh as second
nature, and no thought of "I have no clothes" shall ever intrude and
take your attention from the work.  Also, your skin being so accustomed
to unconfinement, when power is given off the flow is more easy and
regular.  Also, when dancing you are free and unconfined. . . . And the
greatest of all, the touch of the body of your beloved thrills your
inmost soul, and so your body gives out its utmost power; and then it is
most important of all that there is not the slightest thing to divert
the attention, for then the mind must seize and mold the power
generated, and redirect it to the desired end with all the force and
frenzy of the imagination. It has been said that no real knowledge may
be gained our way, that our practices are such that they can only lead
to lust; but this is not really so.  Our aim is to gain the inner sight,
and we do it the most natural and easy way.  Our opponents' aim is ever
to prevent man and woman from loving, thinking that everything that
helps or even permits them to love is wicked and vile.  To us it is
natural, and if it aids the Great Work it is good. 'Tis true that a
couple burning with a frenzy for knowledge may go straight to their
goal, but the average couple have not this fire.  We show them the way,
our system of props and aids (i.e., magic ritual).  A couple working
with nothing but lust will never attain in any case; but a couple who
love each other dearly should already be sleeping together, and the
first frenzy of love will have passed, and their souls will already be
in sympathy.  If the first time or two they do stay a while to worship
Aphrod ite, 'tis only a day or two lost, and the intense pleasure they
obtain only leads them again to the mysteries of Hermes, their souls
more attuned to the great search.  Once they have pierced the veil they
will not look back. This rite may be used as the greatest of magics if
it be done with both partners firmly fixing their minds on the object
and not thinking of sex at all.  That is, you must so firmly fix your
mind on your object that sex and all else are naught.  You inflame your
will to such an extent that you may create a strain on the astral such
that events happen.
3045

 C.1.  A Revision of the Casting Procedure (1957)

ALL ARE PURIFIED

[1] Magus consecrates salt and water.

[2] High Priestess kneels at Altar, takes up Sword, says, "I conjure
thee, O Sword of Steel, to serve me as a defence in all Magical
Operations.  Guard me at all times against mine enemies, both visible
and invisible.  Grant that I may obtain what I desire in all things
wherein I may use Thee, Wherefore do I bless Thee and invoke Thee in the
names of Aradia and Cernunnos."  Gives Sword to Magus.

[3] Magus kneeling hands her vessel of consecrated Water and
Aspergillum.  He Casts the Circle, three circles, on the lines marked
out, starting at the East and returning to the East.  High Priestess
follows, Asperging Circle (sprinkling it to purify it) and all present
and finally herself.  Then she goes round again censing it.  (Everyone
in the circle must be sprinkled and censed.)  She returns vessel, etc.,
to Magus, who places them on altar, or convenient place, and hands her
Sword [handwritten].

[4] She walks slowly round Circle, saying, "I conjure Thee, O Circle of
Space, that thou be a Boundary and a Protection and a meeting place
between the world of Men and that of the Dread Lords of the OUTER
SPACES, that Thou be cleansed, Purified, and strengthened to be a
Guardian and a Protection that shall preserve and contain THAT POWER
which we so earnestly desire to raise within thy bounds this night,
wherefore do I bless thee and entreat thee to aid me in the endeavor, in
the names of Aradia and Cernun nos." Hands sword to Magus [handwritten].

[5] Magus then summons the Mighty Ones as usual.

[6] High Priestess stands in front of Altar (which may be pushed back
for this).  High Priestess assumes Goddess position (arms crossed).
Magus kneeling in front of her, draws pentacle on her body with
Phallus-headed Wand, Invokes (Drawing down the Moon), "I Invoke and
beseech Thee, O mighty MOTHER of all life and fertility.  `By seed and
root, by stem and bud, by leaf and flower and fruit, by Life and Love,
do I invoke Thee' to descend into the body of thy servant and High
Priestess (name)." (The Moon hav ing been drawn down, i.e., link
established, Magus and all male officers give fivefold kiss; all others
bow.)

[7] High Priestess in Goddess position says, arms crossed,

"Mother, Darksome and Divine,Mine the Scourge and Mine the Kiss,The
Five-point Star of Love and Bliss; Here I charge ye in this Sign. (Opens
out Arms to pentacle position)

Bow before my Spirit bright                     (All bow)
Aphrodite, Arianrhod,Lover of the Horned God,
Queen of Witchery and Night.

Diana, Brigid, Melusine,
     Am I named of old by men,
     Artemis and Cerridwen,
Hell's dark mistress, Heaven's Queen.
3046

Ye who ask of me a boon,
     Meet ye in some hidden shade,
     Lead my dance in greenwood glade
By the light of the full moon.

Dance about mine altar stone,
     Work my holy magistry,
     Ye who are fain of sorcery,
I bring ye secrets yet unknown.

No more shall ye know slavery
     who tread my round the Sabbat night.
     Come ye all naked to the rite
In sign that ye are truly free.

Keep ye my mysteries in mirth,
     Heart joined to heart and lip to lip.
     Five are the points of fellowship
That bring ye ecstasy on Earth.

No other law but love I know;
     By naught but love may I be known,
     And all that liveth is my own:
From me they come, to me they go.

 C.2.  The Prose Charge (1957)

THE CHARGE, to be read while the initiate stands, properly prepared
before the Circle.

[Magus]: Listen to the words of the Great mother, who was of old also
called among men, Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite,
Cerridwen, Diana, Arianrhod, Bride, and by many other names.

[High Priestess]: "At mine Altars the youth of Lacedaemon in Sparta made
due sacrifice. Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month, and
better it be when the moon is full. Then ye shall assemble in some
secret place and adore the spirit of Me who am Queen of all Witcheries.
There ye shall assemble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet who
have not won its deepest secrets.  To these will I teach things that are
yet unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that ye be
really fre e, ye shall be naked in your rites, and ye shall dance, sing,
feast, make music, and love, all in my praise.' "For mine is the ecstasy
of the Spirit, and mine is also joy on earth.  For my Law is Love unto
all beings. "Keep pure your highest ideals.  Strive ever towards it.
Let naught stop you or turn you aside. "For mine is the secret which
opens upon the door of youth; and mine is the cup of the Wine of Life:
and the Cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of Immortality.
"I am the Gracious Goddess who gives the gift of Joy unto the heart of
Man. "Upon Earth I give the knowledge of the Spirit Eternal, and beyond
death I give peace and freedom, and reunion with those who have gone
before.  Nor do I demand aught in sacrifice, for behold, I am the Mother
of all things, and my love is poured out upon earth."

[Magus]: Hear ye the words of the Star Goddess, She in the dust of whose
feet are the hosts of Heaven, whose body encircleth the universe.

[High Priestess]: "I who am the beauty of the green earth; and the White
3047

Moon amongst the Stars; and the mystery of the Waters; and the desire of
the heart of man. I call unto thy soul: arise and come unto me. "For I
am the Soul of nature who giveth life to the Universe; `From me all
things proceed; and unto me, all things must return.'  Beloved of the
Gods and men, thine inmost divine self shall be enfolded in the raptures
of the infinite. "Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth, for
behold: all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals;  and therefore let
there be Beauty and Strength, Power and Compassion, Honour and Humility,
Mirth and reverence within you. "And thou who thinkest to seek me, know
that thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless thou know the
mystery, that if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee,
thou wilt never find it without