1501 Susan Gale, a Philadelphia wife and mother and self-described "radical feminist witch not yet out of the broom closet" in her neighborhood: "There's a pain that's in young women even a decade after feminism. I was raised in a tough poor working-class neighbor- hood. My mother was a German Protestant, my father an Italian Catho- lic. I was raised as a very religious Presbyterian, but it didn't matter that I was the most brilliant student in my religion class - there wasn't a place for me as a minister. Deacons and ministers were men. And a lot of it rubbed me the wrong way: the anti-sexuality, anti-sensuality, the guilt and sin and punishment rather than joy. From the time I was a little kid, I couldn't accept redemptive suffer- ing. Why is the central metaphor of most religions the bloody violent death of a male? Why is it not birth?" Invoking the Spirit Starhawk signs her books"Blessed be." It is alsoher greeting and her Amen. In alarge room set up withflowers, crystals, trinkets and copies of her books, she presided recently at a women's ritual at the Univer- sity of Pennsylvania's Christian Association. "Where would you likethe altar?" asked a participantbefore the candles encased in glass were set on a brightly colored cloth in the center of the room. Two hundred womenof similarmind-sets - butvarying ages,religi- ons, occupations and sexual orientations - were ready to join Starhawk at the three-hour, $40 event. Another couple of hundred men and women arrived later that evening for Starhawk's lecture. People like GeelaRazael Raphael,a rabbinical studentwho wasone of the event's organizers. "Starhawk is a spiritual leader, a women's spirituality leader," says Raphael. "As a potential rabbi wanting to be a spiritual leader, I want to see as many role models as I can. Her form of non-hierarchical religion can be used in more traditional practice." In person, the 40ishpriestess looks not unlike theonetime tall Jewish girl from Los Angeles she used to be. But her soft-voiced, authoritative presence and staccato chanting and drumming command her sessions with surprising power. Women wear comfortable clothing: jeans, skirts, sweaters, tie-dye revisited. A majority tend to be of a certain size - the goddess religion rejoices in the female body. There are many embraces. Net- working materials are exchanged. Before casting the formal circle that so many women's rituals start out with, Starhawk encourages the youngest and strongest in the group to form an inner circle around the altar. Starhawk warms up the group with physical and vocal stretches. As participants form a larger ring around the inner one, she "casts" the ritual circle, theoretically making the space within it a special place. Candles representing the four directions and the Earth's center are lit. Earth, air, fire and water are invoked. Women stand and sway as she drums, urging them to find their centers, their connectedness, often against the background of a simple chant: "Rising, rising, the earth is rising. Turning turning, the tide is turning. Changing changing, she changes everything she touches. Changing, changing, and everything she touches changes." 1502 Like many women's ritualleaders, Starhawk uses such chantsas a kind of surrogate liturgy. Presented at different moments that morn- ing, the lilting song she teaches is used as a blessing, a uniting force, a backdrop to movement and dance. Starhawk leads the groupthrough a series ofactivities - somethat draw upon the circle as a whole, some small group discussions, guided visualizations. "What kind of a body are you in?" she asks. "Look at your body. How does it feel?" Some people writhe. Others beat time to the drums. Some stand awkwardly (earlier she assured them not to worry if they feel ill at ease). Some look dubious. Tofocus the visualization evenmore, Starhawk takesthe group to an imaginary crossroads in the sky. "Close your eyes," she says. "Reach out and feel and touch and smell these roads until you find one that feels like a road in the future. Go down the road. Know you can come back to this place of power because it is you. And remember there are many roads to the future. The road you chose is only one pos- sibility." The session endswith a grandfinale "spiral dance"- clockwiseto invoke, then counterclockwise to release. "Anything you want to do involves both," she says. A giftedspeaker with an easysense of humor, Starhawkis equally at home beating time in the center of a ritual or working the crowd at the podium of a lecture hall. She is also at home with what she calls the "W" word ("witch"). "Unless we understand it, we don't know why a powerful woman is so threatening and so frightening," she says. "There was a 400-year reign of terror particularly directed against women who were then burned alive," she says, likening the witch hunts to the African slave trade, the Holocaust. Starhawk became interested in witchcraft in her late teenswhen she and a friend did a student seminar on the subject at UCLA. Now she is at the forefront of a movement to reclaim the word for positive use. (Male witches also use the word rather than warlock, which means traitor.) For mostpeople, of course,the word "witch" conjuresup an image of a crinkled old woman you wouldn't want your children to talk to. But the picture of the craft that emerges within today's women's spirituality movement (and that is reinforced by Starhawk's Philadel- phia ritual) is a combination of group therapy, positive thinking, stretching exercises, guided visualization, song and dance - and even pot luck. Its goddess- and nature-orientedprecepts are similar tothe Old Religion of prehistoric times and societies that fell victim to the witch hunts and persecutions of medieval and renaissance Europe. It is earth-centered, individualistic and peace-loving. Starhawk spends about a third of her time teaching ritual and spreading the faith at college campuses and other forums around the country, and in Canada. She feels that people crave it. "Even people who live in cities - like most of us - are still connected to the cycles of nature," she says. "Doing ritual that helps you affirm that helps us not to feel cut off from the larger life around us, the actual life support systems that sustain our lives." 1503 Women's Rites Spring,with itsvivid reminders ofthe cycle ofbirth and death andrebirth, is a fertile time for the rituals of women's spirituality. Look at some recent manifestations in the Washington area: Last month, attracted by a flier heralding a celebration of the goddess ("dancing, singing, drumming, healing, creativity, inspira- tion, discovery, nurturing and goddess games"), 21 women gathered in a conference center in Potomac in honor of the spring equinox. "The day was designed for women who wanted to bring out the goddess within them," says organizer Nancy Smith, a seminar leader who specializes in stress management and massage therapy. 120 men, women and children turned up last month for a feminist Seder (for Holy Thursday as well as Passover) put on by the Silver Spring-based WATER. Now a place where Christian and Jewish women can come together for a feminist interpretation of religious rituals, WATER was created by Diann Neu and Mary Hunt, two Catholic theologian- s, in 1983. They send out 10,000 newsletters, stage workshops, con- ferences and lectures, hold ecumenical monthly breakfasts for women in ministry, publish books and act as an all-purpose feminist resource. On April 14, the new moon heralded the Jewish celebration of Rosh Hodosh. A group of women interested in finding or creating ritual specifically for Jewish women gathered in a Silver Spring home in honor of the occasion. Instead of going ahead with their scheduled topic - the redefinition of God in non-masculine terms - the group (representing a 30-year age span) shared its feelings and prayed (to the feminine aspect of god) about the recent death of a 42-year-old friend. Atthe All Souls Church in the District a smaller group of women is currently investigating women's religious history each Sunday after- noon through "Cakes for the Queen of Heaven," a 10-part correspondence course available through the Unitarian Universalist Church. Bev Tubby, who took the course last year, is one of the conveners this year. "In spite of everything that's been written about feminism and role differences, women really do bring a wonderfully strong view to this world," she says. "We do have a different perspective - it has to do with the human context and human relationships. If women are not cognizant of their spiritual history, they are missing out on a more complete identity that can help form our ideas of who we are and what we want to do in this world and how we're going to do it." And June 6, "Kestryl & Company," the first of six biweekly talk shows about contemporary witchcraft will air on Arlington Community Cable, Channel 33. Produced by Cheryl Ann Costa, a computer program- mer and third-degree Wicca high priestess, and moderated by Erica Angell (known as Kestryl), a housewife and second-degree high pries- tess, the show will feature high priests, magical tool makers, tarot experts and pagan bards. "Many people are looking for a way to plug into The Craft," says Costa. This is an easy way to do it. Havingcast their lotwith an enlargedview ofthe sacred, these women, like many others all over the country, are looking to the spiritual as a hope for the future. "It's life-giving for me to be a part of it, and tocreate it," says WATER's Neu. "What I keep coming back to is that there is a growing power within women. We are breaking all kinds of silences. Things are happening because there are more and more groups where women feel safe. My hope is that we'll keep creating these safe spaces where being together as men and women is possible." 1504 The 12 steps and Shamanism by Matrika co-sysop of PAN - the Psychic Awareness Network at 1-703-362-1139 copyright by PAN and Harvest ( a pagan newsletter at box 228 S. Framinham MA 01701 - $13. per year) Author's note - this article was first published by me under the name JUKNO in Harvest's Yule edition, 1989. Recently a local charecter in Alcoholics Anonymous here in the Wor- cester MA. area died. His name was "John the Indian" (he identified himself this way) and he was well-known as an AA speaker all over the world, although he lived near central Massechusetts. John had about thirty years of sobriety and was a great power of example to many people including Betty Ford who told him she had listened to tapes of his talks while she was in detox. John's story intrigued many people. An Indian who had been orphaned on the reservation when Tuberculosis wiped out his familly, he had ended up on skid row after serving in the Canadian army during World War II as a dishwasher. He came to AA in his mid-twenties, an il- literate wine. ( my note - this is NOT to imply that most alcoholics are on skid row. In fact most of them are people with nice famillies, a place to live, a car or even two, a job, etc. etc. etc. Less that 2% of the alcoholics in this country are on skid row) He ended up owning his own construction business after learning to read (from a elderly woman in AA who was a school teacher) and marrying a lady in AA with whom he raised a lovely familly. Because John had inspired me and so affected my life with his gift of simplicity, I was inspired to do a shamanic-style rite in his memory. I had always felt sorry for John because, in the process of his recovery, he seemed to have lost touch with the beauty of this herita- ge. Then it hit me; John WAS a shaman and anyone who truly worked a 12-step program was one too. In BIRTH OF A MODERN SHAMAN by Cynthia Bend and Tayja Wiger (Llewelyn Publication box 64383, St. Paul MN. 1988 ) it states " A shaman is hard to define. There are no two alike..... what happens, a shaman goes through a catastrophe or a string of catastrophes that enhance certain abilities within him ( or her! ) .....Most often theShaman has togo through a severetrauma, a severe illness or a severe psychosis and recover from it before he learns the recovery process that he can use." The authors are quoting Tsonkawa, Tayja's teacher on the Shamanic path. (a Native American Medicine person) Many other authors on Shamanism; Sunbear, Lynn Andrews, Amber Wolfe and Micheal Harner, to name a few: echo this truth. A shaman is a person who goes through great suffering, usually in the form of a mental or physical illness, and then goes on to heal himself or her- self. They are then able to use that same process to heal others. This is what happens in a twelve-step fellowship. Through the process of healing ourselves, we come to the point where we can help others hy "carrying the message" after having had a "spiritual awakening" as the result of taking the first eleven steps. 1505 Here are some books that can help any Pagan, Shaman, Druid, Witch, Practitioner of Feminist Spirituality, or other Magickal folk as they walk the steps in the process of recovering, while retaining their own unique spiritual path. TRUTH OR DARE by Starhawk (San Francisco, Harper and Row, 1987) This contains many references to the 12-step programs, especially Alcohol- ics Anonymous and Adult Children of Alcoholics, in a work on Wicca by a well-known priestess of the Craft who is also a psychotherapist. CRYSTAL CLEAR by Connie Church (Bew York, Willard books 1987) It contains a good section on how to use quartz crystals to help in relieving yourself of bad habits, compulsions, and obsessions, specif- ically for use with the various twelve-step programs. (note - amethyst is traditionally said to help in all these areas) BIRTH OF A MODERN SHAMAN, mentioned above, tells the story of a blind Native American woman who was a survivor of Child abuse and had been Psycotic as well as Alcoholic. This is the story of her complete recovery, including her eyesight, (documented by doctors) and the discovery of her Psychic gifts with her Native roots. Her healing occured through a process that began for her in Alcoholics Anonymous. THE TWELVE STEPS FOR EVERYONE published by Compcare (Minneapolis MN.) this is a non-sexist book on the steps by a grateful recovering member of Emotional Health Anonymous written in non-sexist language. The author draws heavily on the Eastern traditions of spirituality as well as the traditional Western monotheistic ones. EVERYDAY A NEW BEGINNING Published by Hazelden corp. (Also in Min- neapolis, MN. I believe) This is a daily meditation guide BY women in Anonymous fellowships and FOR women in these same self-help groups. Unlike the TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY book (published by the same company and widely used in AA) it doesn't use quotes from the Bible. Instead it uses quotes from various women authors. Many men also claim to have benefitted from it due to it's non-religious approach. PAGANS IN RECOVERY a networking newsletter for Magickal folk, Shamans, Druids, Feminist Priestesses, Witches, Pagans, Pantheists, etc. who are in recovery via a 12-step fellowship of any type. It has con- tacts, reviews, articles, recovery techniques and more. It is a great source of support and inspiration to any Pagan in any of the Anonymous support groups. It is $8.00 a year and the address is P.I.R. c/o Bekki 6500 S.R. 356 New Marshfield, OHIO 45766 1506 ADDITION TO READING LIST REFLECTIONS IN THE LIGHT by Shakti Gawain, published by New World Library, San Rafael, California 1978. While not ONLY for the 12-step programs this book does go into the problems of addictions in light of the New-Age, Psychic Awareness as well as many other subjects. It provides a inspirational message and/or a creative visualization exercise with a non-sectarian affirmation for each day. The book is neither sexist nor sectarian and is truly a beautiful aid to anyone seeking to work the program of recovery. It is also a great way to share what you are doing with friends who share your spirituality but not your program, as it makes no direct references to the 12-step groups at all. It is very useful to those of us who prefer a daily meditation to the "prayer" people in the monotheistic Churches and Synagogues tend to use in their application of the program to their lives. 1507 Divine Circle of The Sacred Grove ***SCAM** Office of the Preceptor P.O. Box 66311, Seattle, WA, U.S.A. 98166 THE FOLLOWING IS FOR PUBLICATION; To the Pagan Community: In July of 1991, ADF sent out a Druid Alert about an organization called the Divine Circle of the Sacred Grove. ADF began investigating this group because they were using ADF letterhead, membership forms, advertising copy, and other materials with their names substituted for ours. Prior to raising any public issues, ADF's Preceptor, Domi O'Brien called the group and talked to their Scribe, Kal Mannis. Mr. Mannis told her that if she had questions, she could come to a public meeting on July 2nd, 1991, in Seattle, and ask them there. Domi, Bwca, Erynn and members of 4 other Traditions and organizations attended their talk. We noted with increasing amazement their claims and their views of the interrelationship of Druidism and Wicca, and after they mentioned Isaac Bonewits, Domi challenged some of their staements, as the ADF Preceptor. The DCSG literature going back to 1988 was examined, along with other staements which have been made to us or others. Janette Laverna Garcia a/k/a Gordon a/k/a Copeland, born 2/9/1942, Houston TX,; Richard Norman Ian Garcia a/k/a Gordon a/k/a Copeland, born 8/12/1940, Prescott, AZ; Jerry Eugene Everett Wayne Reamer a/k/a Prophet, born 8/12/1948, Pottstown, PA; Kalman Mannis, Nancy Brown, Brenda Matarazzo, David Trippey, Donovan Cotton; Dr. Jay Tibbles, Mary Ernst, and others affiliated with their group were examined for legitamate mundane and magickal credentials. The only person whose credentials we were able to verify was Dr. Jay Tibbles. Janette's claims, as given in her various peices of literature, and as made to us, or to persons whose credentials we were able to verify, include: Hereditary Witch and Druid; Pipe Carrier for the Lumbee, the Sioux, the Cherokee, and the Chumash; member of the MotherGrove and Board of Directors of the ADF, as well as group marriage to the entire ADF Board of Directors; membership and 3rd Circle status in the British Circle of the Universal Bond; training by Ross Nichols, 3rd Degree Celtic and Egyptian Priestess; 3rd Degree Alexandrian Priestess, New York, 1973; 3rd Degree Gardinarian Priestess, New York, 1965; incorporation of her organization in 14 states; training by Rhuddlwm Gawr, and training by Grandmaster Eli (Barney Taylor, of the Druidic Craft of the Wise), marriage to Eli, as well as being both Eli's daughter and graddaughter. She has also claimed to be a registereed nurse, a cosmetologist; a paralegal; a professional writer of romance novels, and a Vietnam Veteran. Ms. Copeland (?) claims that she has 10,000 people on her mailing list, groves all over the United States, and that she was born in London during the Blitz, although she has alos claimed that she was born in Houston TX. Ms Garcia (?) claims that her father, a U.S. Army Major on Eisenhower's staff during WW II (not, by the way, Grandmaster Eli), and her mother, a nurse now resident in Atlanta, were both members of the Circle of the Universal Bond. She claims that she was raised by a Cherokee grandfather. She claims to have been teaching Wicca, which she says is a simplified version of Druidism for the masses, since 1954, when she was 12 years old. 1508 Ms Gordon(?) took Lady Sabrin's course from Our Lady of Enchanment in 1987 and 1988, giving totally different information about herself then she gives now. According to Lady Sabrina, Janette has been selling Sabrina's courses as her own ever since. We have examined lessons from Janette's and Sabrina's courses, and they are indeed substantially identical, except that Sabrina can spell. Janette joined ADF in 1987, giving yet another set of data about herself, claiming no leadership positions, newsletters, or other affiliations. A check of the material on her application shows it to be substantially false. In checking Janette's claims, we contacted the Secretary of state, and Board of Nursing Registrations in the 14 states in which she claimed incorporation. Her organization is incorporated only in Washington and California. She is not listed as a registered nurse anywhere we checked. She and her group were offering BA's, MA's, and PhD's in Washington State until directed to cease and desist by the Higher Education Coordinating Board. They later obtained a religious exemption by saying that they were offering degrees only in Divinity and Theology. Former mebers of their organization state that most of their claims in their catalog as to available courses and faculty credentials are false. In examining their other claims we contacted over two hundred persons and groups in this country and abroad in an effort to authenticate their initiations and organizational affiliations. No one we contacted verified any of the DCSG's claims. All stated that they had never trained or initiated any known officers or members of the DCSG. Most had never even heard of them. Furthur, former members of her organization have mentioned paying thousands of dollars for courses, and additional thousands paid out on "tithes" -- 10% of their annual income to support the work of the Order of Melchizadek (demanded in the middle of their initiation or elevation rituals). We have also been contacted by Social Serrvices, Education, Law Enforcement and other authorities for other information about DCSG, and/or its members. ADF and some other Pagan groups and organziations are cooperating fully with these investigations, and have made it clear to the investigators that we do not regard these people as legitamate members of the Pagan community, since none of their alleged training and initiations can be verified, and may have been directly disproven. As Pagans, whatever our path, we can ill-afford to remain silent while groups knowingly steal and sell courses written by others, claiming training ties to the most senior and respected members of our community that they do not have, and engage in questionable behaviour presenting themselves as our kin, elders, and representatives to the world at large. Domi O'Brien T. Bwca Erynn Darkstar DTG Priestess Elder, NECTW Greenleaf Coven CWO Priestess Inis Glas Preceptor/Vice ArchDruid, ADF 1509 By: Domi O To: Lewis Stead Re: Details, please. Lady Sabrina was initiated by Bob Moshier and Dorothy Trion in Tuscon Arizona in 1978, according to what she says. She was in Danville, California for a while, near San Franscisco; and was in COG (I have not checked this); she then studied with Gavin and Yvonne in New Bern for 1 and a half years; then moved to Billerica, Mass; then to Hudson, NH; then Nashua, NH. I was in Epping, NH when a Gardnerian friend and fellow NH College administrator, Gerry Reilly, introduced me to Sabrina. Since I am Daughters of the Triple Goddess and Celtic Wiccan Order trained, Gerry's brand of witchcraft and Sabrina's struck me equally weird. I talked to Gavin and Yvonne last week; they feel Sabrina has borrowed heavily from them but they don't have an issue with it and they don't consider their organisation and hers to be connected. In 1987 Geraldine Gumm aka Gerri Garcia aka Queen Druid aka Laura Copeland aka Janette Gordon aka Janette Copeland aka Laverna Gordon aka Laverna Copeland aka Gerry Garcia aka Gerri Gunn aka Gerri Teah Garcia aka Jerry Leah Garcia took Sabrina's course; in winter of 1989 she began advertising a coorespondence course in Wicca, which according to Sabrina is Sabrina's. I've looked at them; they are very much alike. The Frosts and Sabrina both teach non-mainstream Wicca and charged for Craft when no one was doing that. I have heard far more negative things about some far more mainstream figures; both the Frosts and Sabrina are very public and really seem to have nothing to hide. What they teach isn't my Craft, but I will defend their right to practice their version and teach it as they see fit. Or did you mean something else ? Domi of ADF By: Domi O To: Corwynt Re: ADF letter Indeed it is from us. Since then, we have gotten "Janette's" arrest and conviction records from New Mexico and word from a usually reliable source that her real name may be Geraldine Gumm, and real date of birth may be 2-9-40. I am also informed by a law enforcement source that she has other records in several states. These range from child neglect to unlawful touching of dead bodies to kidnapping. Her group was investigated in 1975 in Arizona for dead bodies and missing persons, moved a bit over a hundred miles as the crow flies, and she and her husband were arrested in New Mexico in 1978. The children involved were returned to their parents, two being kept in social service custody while it was determined to whom they belonged, and two members of the group were "deprogramed" by Ted Patrick. She was calling herself "Queen Druid" then and initiating folks as "WI" or "witch one". I have a lovely pile of court papers and newspaper clippings I will gladly share with anyone who'd like to send me $4 for photocopying and postage... Domi O'Brien Box 66311 Seattle, WA 98166 1510 The Rede of the Wicca (Being known as the Counsel of the Wise Ones:) Bide the Wiccan laws ye must in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust Live and let live Freely take and freely give Cast the circle thrice about To keep all evil spirits out To bind the spell every time Let the spell be spake in rhyme Soft of eye and light of touch Speak little, listen much Deosil go by the waxing moon Sing and dance the Wiccan rune Widdershins go when the moon doth wane And the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane When the Lady's moon is new Kiss thy hand to her times two When the moon rides at her peak Then your heart's desire seek Heed the northwind's mighty gale Lock the door and drop the sail When the wind comes from the south Love will kiss thee on the mouth When the wind blows from the east Expect the new and set the feast When the west wind blows o'er thee Departed spirits restless be Nine woods in the cauldron go Burn them fast and burn them slow Elder be ye Lady's tree Burn it not or cursed ye'll be When the wheel begins to turn Let the Beltain fires burn When the wheel has turned to Yule Light the log and let Pan rule Heed ye flower, bush and tree By the Lady, Blessed be Where the rippling waters go Cast a stone and truth ye'll know 1511 The Rede of the Wicca (Being known as the Counsel of the Wise Ones:) (continued from previous page) When ye have a need Hearken not to others' greed With the fool no season spend Nor be counted as his friend Merry meet and merry part Bright the cheeks and warm the heart Mind the Threefold Law ye should Three times bad and three times good When misfortune is enow Wear the blue star on thy brow True in love ever be Unless thy lover's false to thee Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill An' it harm none, do what ye will 1512 "Dryghten" Blessing Prayer (Gardnerian) By: David Piper The only published copy of the Blessing Prayer that I know of is in the book "Witch Blood! The Diary Of A Witch High Priestess!" by Patricia Crowther in chapter four (paperback edition 1974, House Of Collectibles, Inc.). "In the name of Dryghtyn, the Ancient Providence, Who was from the beginning and is for eternity, Male and Female, the Original Source of all things; all-knowing, all-pervading, all-powerful; changeless, eternal. "In the name of the Lady of the Moon, and the Lord of Death and Resurrection. "In the name of the Mighty Ones of the Four Quarters, the Kings of the Elements. "Blessed be this place, and this time, and they who are now with us." Life, Light, Love! Blessed Be! Dianis Lucien ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (120) Tue 17 Nov 92 21:12 By: Airmid To: David Piper Re: Monism/monotheism St: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @INTL 93:9500/0 93:9500/0 DP> When you examine the "Blessing Prayer" of English Trad Wicca however, the Dryghtyn is obviously more than just a unifying essence since It is called: "the original source of all things; all-knowing, all-pervading, all-powerful; changeless, eternal." It describes the Ultimate, the Absolute, the Godhead of which the God and the Goddess are at one and the same time, both Its Polarities and also Its first Manifestations. Dryghtyn is also the name used for JHVH in some old English bibles. I think that was where the term actually originated. I think I saw a passing reference to it in some boxed comparative translated text in "In Search of the Indo-Europeans." 1513 =================================== BASIC MEDITATION TECHNIQUES by Bill Witt =================================== The course is devided into three sections. Section one deals with what meditation is and how it plays a part in the lives of those who use it. Section two will go into the techniques and tools of medita- tion. Section three gives suggestions on how to use what you've learned, in everyday life. A list of books for further reading on the subject, will be given at the end of section three. Webster defines meditation as "The act of meditating; close or con- tinued thought; the revolving of a subject in the mind." To meditate is to focusmentally on one thought, idea, orconcept. It may also mean, to revolve an idea in your mind so as to change the way in which you think of that idea. Meditation is therefore, a tool with which you may manipulate thought in an organized manner. Many people view meditationas a very difficult thing tolearn. In reality though, we do it often without even knowing it. When you daydream or find your mind fixed on one thought, that is a form of meditation. Have you ever watched a bird in flight, or stared up at the clouds in the sky, or maybe even found yourself watching a stream of water flow by? If you have and at that moment the rest of the world around you has seemed removed, then you were in a state of meditation. The real key to this practice, is to be able to exercise control over your thoughts and awareness of the world around you. There are manygroups of people for whom meditationis an everyday ritual. Others use it at special times as a means of relaxation and "mental house cleaning." It allows the individual a freedom unlike no other freedom. The freedom to look inside oneself and learn just who you are. Some use it as a way of being closer to nature or God. No matter how you wish to use it, you will find it a healthy and very rewarding experience. Most all religions practice meditation in one way or another. Eastern philosophies such as Yoga, and Buddism are not the only ones to view meditation as a way of looking for the Truth found in one's own consciousness. Even in Christianity meditation finds a place of value. The Bible itself mentions the value of meditation. In writing to the Phillippians, the Apostle Paul tells them this. "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Phil. 4.8) So you ask,what can it do for me. Well, beyond just being a good way to really relax, which we can all use in this hectic world, it can be a doorway to the Truth inside yourself. It is a way of gaining wisdom. Knowledge has always been fairly easy to come by. Wisdom on the other hand, is a bit harder to grasp onto. 1514 In "The Task" by William Cowper, the following line is found. "Knowledge dwells in heads replete with thoughts of other men: Wisdom, in minds attentive to their own." For me, meditaion becomesa way of "grounding" myself,of reaching a place of peace and stability, where I can find how I fit into the universe. Inmany philosophies, meditaion isviewed as anecessary skill. All those who are students of these philosophies must learn the ways of meditaion early in their training. Although the techniques may vary from one group to another, the most basic concepts remain the same. The ability to be able to focus on one thought and selectively block out all others is the foundation upon which many more advanced skills will be built. These skills may range from telepathy to the ability to move objects with only the mind. It is well known that Yogi adepts can lower their breathing and heart rates to near death levels. This is something you should not try as it takes years of practice to learn and can be quite dangerous. Still, these yogis are proof of the type of power the mind can exer- cise over the body through meditation. In some cultures, the use of drugs to achieve a meditative state is encouraged. The american indians for example, used drugs derived from various plants to put themselves into an altered state of concious- ness. This was usually done as a religious practice and as an event marking the change from one state of life to another. A good example would be the ceremony marking the coming into manhood of a young boy. Today there are still many, who advocate the use of drugs to achieve these altered states. It is my opinion that such measures are neither necessary nor good. You can reach an altered state of conciousness without the use of drug induced "highs". It takes practice, but it can be done. In New Age philosophy, theart of meditaion is highlyvalued. We also find another well developed skill which is called "creative visualization". This is the idea of visualising what you want to the point of it becoming reality. A good example would be a salesman visualizing himself as successful and prosperous. The concept is simple, if you can visualize a personal reality, you can change or bring that reality into being. "Positive Thinking" is a very similar idea. The technique of creative visualization goes beyond positive thinking however. It deals with the premise that we all create our own reality and therefore have the power to change many aspects of that reality. The idea of "personal reality" is a lengthy one and we do not have enough room to cover it in this course. So far we have lookedbriefly at what meditation is and how it is used. By no means have we touched on all the aspects of this practice. There are many books on the subject which cover it in much more detail. My purpose is to give you an overview of the many facets of meditation in the hope that you will wish to learn more. 1515 BASIC MEDITATION TECHNIQUES =================================== This is the second part of a three part online course in Basic Meditation Techniques Thecourse is devided into three sections. Section one deals with what meditation is and how it plays a part in the lives of those who use it. Section two will go into the techniques and tools of medita- tion. Section three gives suggestions on how to use what you've learned, in everyday life. A list of books for further reading on the subject, will be given at the end of section three. In thissecond section ofthe "Basic MeditationTechniques" course, we will discuss various relaxation procedures and how they will aid you in entering a trance or meditative state. You will also be given some ideas about types of music and other "tools" which can help you achieve these relaxed states of mind. Let's begin. First, let's set thestage for our meditation practice.You should pick a place which is as private and safe as possible. An altered state of mind, as in meditation, lessens your awareness of the outside world. For this reason, it is not advisable to practice these techni- ques in a public place where there is a chance of being mugged, robbed, or molested. If you are at home, with other family members or friends present, ask that you not be disturbed and that all other noise in the house be kept to a minimum. When you have found a place suitable for meditation, you may begin. "The seekers of new mind states-the mind control devotees, the encounter group enthusiasts, the drug takers, the psychics, the meditators - all are on a journey into the interior universe trying to burst the limits of the socially conditioned mind. Weither acceptable or unacceptable, moral or immoral, wise or foolish, the mind of man is stirring toward a new evolution." Dr. Barbara Brown (1) As Isaid in section one,trance or meditaive states,alter the way your mind deals with the realities it accepts as normal. Things which are experienced in a trance state are often not easily expressed in everyday language. You will at some level, experience a heightened state of awareness. Colors, smells, and sounds may seem amplified from what they normally are. People who can acheivevery deep statesof trance often leavetheir bodies in astral projection, or have psychic experiences. I highly recommend, that if you wish to enter deep states of meditation, you do so under the guidance and teaching of someone who is well trained in the practice of such techniques. The key thing to remember is that it's not what level your working on as much as what you are learning. There is alot to be gained in wisdom and knowledge at all levels of trance. Now let's learn some simple and usefull relaxation exercises. 1516 You want to besure that the timeyou pick to practice yourmedita- tion is a time when you are least likely to be disturbed. You should not be overly tired or have just finished eating as both of those conditions may cause you to fall asleep. Even though you wish to acheive an altered state of consciousness, you do want to remain conscious to some degree. If you fall asleep when you are meditating, no harm is done and you will awaken quite refreshed and rested. Unfortunately though, you may not be able to recall all the things you experienced while in trance. If you are lying down, be sure your back and neck are properly supported so as not to fatigue the body. If you are sitting, be sure that both feet are flat on the floor and that you are sitting as erect as possible without being too stiff or strained. You should have your arms resting comfortably in your lap with palms up. In eithercase, it is important thatyour body not become strained or fatigued for at least thirty minutes. This is a good length of time to begin with as it should put neither a physical or mental strain on your being. Next, visualize a yourself in a cocoon of whitelight. You should surround yourself completely. See the light as bright and warm. You may play with this sphere of light making it bigger or smaller until it "feels" right for you. Say to yourself, "I am protected by the pure white light of all that is good and truthfull. I am surrounded by the pure light which keeps out all unwanted and evil influences." Thisis a good ideato do for several reasons.There are those, and I am one of them, who believe that each of generates an aura which protects us from outside influences when we are in trance. This aura may be strengthened by visualizing the light as growing brighter at our command. Even if you do not accept this idea, the practice lends a feeling of safety and security to you. Nothing which is outside of you may enter or touch you without your permission. Learning tocontrol and pay attentionto your breathing isthe next step. You should start by taking a deep breath in through your nose, hold it for the mental count of 4 and then let it all out slowly through your mouth. Repeat this until you begin to feel at rest and relaxed. Allow your breathing to settle into a steady, rythmic rate. Just this simple technique can relax and refresh you at any time. When you are only doing the breathing exercise, it is not necessary to go through the white light sphere visualization. Some people use a muffled metronome or recording of some other rythmic sound, such as ocean waves, to aid them in setting the pace of their breathing. A good source of recorded sounds which can help you in meditation is a series of records and tapes which have been produced under the title "ENVIRONMENTS". Now, as you are breathing,see yourself lying in the warmlight of the sun. The light is warm and pleasant to be in. Starting with the tips of your toes, feel the light warming all of your body, slowly moving up into your legs, your trunk, and then into your arms and fingers. As you feel this warming become more and more relaxed, going deeper and deeper into a calm and quiet place. 1517 Whenyou fell totally relaxed andat peace, bring a single thought into your mind. It should be of a pleasant experience or of an idea such as love, joy, peace, or compassion. Focus on this one thought and if some other thought should try to intrude, picture it as being written on a clear board between you and your focal thought. Then picture it being erased from that board as it might be from a piece of paper. Deal with any thought, other than your focal thought, quickly. Try to maintain concentration on your focal thought for at least five minutes. Picture it as being real and experience it as if it were. When you are able to do this and can exclude all other thoughts as they attempt to enter your mind, you will have learned the single most important technique of meditation. It isnow time to begincoming back tonormal consciousness. slowly let the thought fade from your mind and again become aware of the warm light of the sun. As you fell the light bathing you in its' warmth, start to reconnect your mind with the physical sensations of your body. Become aware of your breathing and the room around you. Do this slowly and calmly. When you are fully aware of your surroundings, open your eyes slowly. Enjoy the sense of calm and peace. If you succeeded in doing this exercise, you should feel more relaxed and calm than normal. It is important to remember that you are comparing it to normal for you, not to what you think others would or should feel. If you do not feel you succeeded try again in a day or two. Between meditaion sessions, practice your deep breathing exercises. If you keep trying, you will soon reach a calm and meditative state. Do not attempt to meditate when you are ill, tired, or hungry. Those feelings only serve to make your efforts more difficult. A very important part to remember is that you can not force yourself into a meditative state. You must flow into it and surrender to it calmly. Some things which are found to be helpfull in meditation follow. Tryconcentrating on theflame of a candlewhen focusing. You could also use a crystal ball. The later is rather exspensive but small crystal window ornaments or pyramids also work well and cost much less. Music is also anaid to some. The music shouldbe quiet and rhyth- mic. It should bring on feelings of peace and comfort. Such music may range from New Age recordings to classical. Anotherusefull device is to focus ona symbol which holds special meaning for you. It may be an well known symbol or one you design yourself. As long as it holds a special meaning or expresses a special concept, it is a usefull focusing tool. This brings section twoof this course toa close. In the nextpart I will give you some pratical ways in which to use what you have learned. 1518 The mostobvious use ofthe techniques you havelearned, is relaxa- tion. During the course of the day, many of us have moments when the pressure becomes almost to much. When this happens, we often can't deal with other people or projects the way we should. The breathing exercises you learned in section two can help at these times. It doesn't require alot of time or absolute quiet as does your meditation practice. All that is required is about five minutes and relative privacy. At these times, begin doing your rhythmic breathing and visualize a place which is calm and refreshing. This simple and quick exercise, can work wonders to help you regain control in a hectic situation. Another way in which meditation is used is in the development of psychic powers. There are several books on the subject, listed at the end of this section. Most of those who teach about the use and develo- pment of these abilities, agree that meditation is necessary to any such study. Again the reason for this is that meditation allows you to reach an altered state of conciousness. In this altered state your mind is more open to such phenomenon as telepathy. If you should decide to persue studies in this direction, please seek the help of someone trained in these areas. One final use I will suggest is visualization. Meditation can be used as a tool for problem solving. While in a meditative state of mind, you have the ability to take any situation and manipulate it. By that I mean you can mentally play the out the situation using several different solutions. Then, you can pick the one which seems to best solve the problem. While the use of meditation can help you deal with problem solving more effectively, it is not infallible. All it can do is allow you to think more clearly and concisely about the problem at hand. Well that concludes this study on meditation. I hope you have gained something usefull from this course. It has been by no means, a full explanation of the subject. There is much more to learn than could be covered in this short series and It is my hope that you will want to continue your studies into this fascinating and usefull skill. More studiesof this type willbe developed in thenear future. The New Atlantis BBS will continue to post these studies as an ongoing service to it's users. Please feel free to leave suggestions on the BBS about subjects you would like to see covered. 1519 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY: list of books for further reading will be included. References: (1) Dr. Barbara Brown "New Mind, New Body" New York, Bantam Books, 1975 Page 17 Miriam Simos (Starhawk) The Spiral Dance New York Harper & Row; 1979 W.E. Butler How To Read The Aura, Practice Psycometry, Telepathy and Clairvoyance New York Destiny Books; 1978 Melita Denning & Osborne Phillips The Development of Psychic Powers St. Paul, MN Llewellyn Publications; 1985 NEW ATLANTIS BBS 301-632-2671 Member of the ParaNet system End Of File ----------------------------------- Changes in format by the magician. 02/26/89 Crystal Cave 719-391-1092 1520 The following is from Magickal Blend Magazine, a bay-area periodical that publishes four editions a year. The magazine deals with many branches of the magickal world and can be useful to all aspiring magicians. Subscriptions cost $12 per year. They can be reached at: Magickal Blend P.O. Box 11303 San Francisco, Ca. 94101-7303 WHEN MAGIC DOESN'T WORK by Van Ault Every magician has occasions in which the magic he is directing does not seem to work. The desired result, whether internal or external, does not come into manifestation. These occasions are opportunities for greater developement in the magical arts, and by working through the disappointment and discouragement, he can reach greater self-knowledge and technical expertise in the art. I believe that magic always works. Magic is a tool, a reality shaper. Like any tool, however, its ability is limited to the operat- or's knowledge and skill. For an illustration, let's use the bow and arrow. Your intention is the arrow and your magical technique for directing that intention is the bow. You use the bow/technique to poise, balance and guide the intention/arrow with the strength of your arms and hands/ determination and will. What happens when thisall works together optimally? The will firmly grasps the clear intention, balances it upon the technique, you gather your emotional and mental force, and then fire the intention into the invisible world to be made manifest. In its own time and way, your wish materializes. Conversely,if you haven't got theskill to bring all of these efforts together, things can go askew. Your arrow can veer and stray, or it may travel a few feet before losing power. Your bow can break, or not be strong enough to propel the arrow. Or, you may find that you've got your bow and arrow ready to use, but you haven't got sufficient strength to manipulate it. I offer thefollowing meditationprocess for thosetimes whenit seems that your magic doesn't work. When you've tried all the techni- ques, when you've gotten no results, when you're wondering if any of this matters at all, the process in this meditation can produce miracles and create a sense of completion. You can read the script into a tape, or have a friend lead you through it. 1521 RIVER OF LIFE MEDITATION Find a comfortable placewhere you can relax andbe completely quiet...relax...allow your thought snow to just come and go...come and go...and take a deep breath in and hold it...(pause)...now gather up the tension in your body, and release it as you exhale...take another deep breath, and as you exhale, let go of anybody else's energy or thoughts you may be carrying....and breathe in new energy...breathe in new possibilities...and allow your body to fill with lightness...feel it becoming lighter and lighter as you relax more and more...relaxing deeply...going deeper...feeling very light now...so light you could almost float away.......... And asyou relax,imagine abeautiful coloredmist is swirlingup around you, billowing up around you into a cushiony, soft, cloud of energy...and you are resting completely upon this cloud...and you are safe...as you breathe in and out, let your thoughts just come and go...relaxing more and more...and the cloud of energy now lifts you up into the air and carries your down into your own inner world...down between the boundaries of time and space...to a place of timeless beauty and infinite possibilites...floating down now, going deeper and deeper,leaving the outer world and its concerns far behind, as you drift and float on this beautiful cloud....going further and further- ...down below you is a rock, a giant rock...and the cloud gently and effortlessly lands upon the rock and you step off it, as the cloud swirls back into a mist and disappears for now... Stand upon thisrock now, andfeel the strengthof it underyour feet...and as you turn around, you look out upon a great river...flo- wing as far as you can see...seeming to come from some infinite place...and disappearing into an infinite place,,,a flowing,endless river of energy...this is the river of all life waters...all of life draws upon the lifeforce that moves through its steaming currents... look closely at the water...what color is it? it may look like liquid light to you...look deeply into it, and sense the power and depth of the river...what sound does it make as it courses through its chan- nels?...as you stand securely upon your rock, notice and fragrance ...and bend down and cup your hands in the living water,and splash some of it on your face...feel the life giving force on your skin... take a sip of the water...allow the river of life to nourish you.... Now relaxa moment upon therock...and bring into yourmind the magical intention that never seemed to go anywhere...what were you trying to accomplish?...what was the basic intention you had?...what was the emotion behind the intention?...feel the energy of that emotion moving onto the palms of your hands now...feel the energy glowing...pulsating...breathe and allow your intention that you're still clinging to externalize...the energy of it is now shimmering, glowing...swirling into a sphere...allow all of your desire to flow into this sphere...and allow this sphere to appear to you however it appears...and just observe what you see...you may see pictures or symbols emerging within the sphere...whatever you see is fine... 1522 When your sphere is completely filled with the last of your desire,emotion,and intention, hold it aloft...feel the power of it in you hands,a globe of power that you can now release...and look out into the river of life...watch as its currents of possibility flow for ever and ever,as far as you can see...and whenever you're ready,with as much and as little force as you need, throw the pulsating sphere into the river...and give this intention to the life force of this great river...watch as the sphere touches the water...and gradually disappears into the current... Take a deepbreath... as the spheredisappears the last ofyour intention and emotion and desire merges with the source of all life, from which it orriginally came...and leaves you... Nowcomplete any business herethat you needto finish...take a few moments to enjoy the flowing river of life,and know that the possibilities it nourishes can bring miracles into you life too... Takeanother deep breath, and notice tha colored mist is once again swirling around you...billowing up underneath you to form a beautiful cloud of cushiony energy, which is lifted up into the air, with you upon it...relaxing into the cloud you are returning the way you came...lifting up up through time and space, coming back from the inner world...coming up... further and further...floating and drifting back...coming back...bringing you all the way back into your body now, into this room...brining your attention completely back into this time and place...take a deep breath and begin to re-orient yourself to the outer world...and when you're ready, count to three..., and on the count of three open your eyes,and return feeling relaxed,alert and at peace. * * * As always, change any of the wording or images in this meditation if it suits your purpose better. The important part is just to finally and completely let go of your intention, so that the energy can be recycled in whatever form the creative force and your own consciousness will allow. Out of this release, new lives, new opportunities, and new magical opportunities are born! MONISM, One Wiccan Perspective Copyright 11/24/92 Durwydd MacTara "Henotheism n. Belief in one god without denying the existence of others." (American Heritage Second College Dictionary) "Monism n. philos. A metaphysical system in which reality is conceived as a unified whole." (American Heritage Second College Dictionary) "Monotheism n. The belief or doctrine that there is only one God." (Amer- ican Heritage Second College Dictionary) "Pantheism n. 1. The doctrine identifying the Deity with the various forces and workings of nature. 2. Belief in and worship of all gods." (American Heritage Second College Dictionary) "Polytheism n. The worship of or belief in more than one god." (American Heritage Second College Dictionary) "To witches, deities manifest in different ways and can be worshipped and contacted through any form suitable to local conditions and personal needs. Wicca does not believe, as do the patriarchal monotheisms, that there is only one correct version of God and that all other God forms are false: the Gods of Wicca are not jealous Gods. We there- fore worship the personification of the male and female principles, the God and the Goddess, recognizing that Gods are aspects of the One God and all Goddesses are different aspects of the one Goddess, and that ultimately these two are reconciled in the one divine essence." (Vivianne Crowley, WICCA: The Old Religion in The New Age,- pp. 11-12) Vivianne Crowley, a very capable spokesperson for British Traditional Wicca, identifies the core belief of Wicca (at least BTW) as Monism in the piece quoted above. However, she also opens the door to defining Wicca as duotheistic in principle with the subdivision of the monist reality into the praxis of worshiping both Lord and Lady. However, there is yet a THIRD level of obscurity in Wiccan Praxis! Most Wiccans worship a threefold Goddess (Maid, Mother, and Crone) and many also worship at least a twofold God. So, are the Wicca REALLY polytheists or perhaps pantheists or even modified Henotheists as some have claimed? Or, perhaps, a new category altogether needs to be invented to accurately describe Wiccan belief and practice. 1524 One suggestion has been made to add a word to our Thea/Theo-logical lexicon, perhaps "Cthonotheism" (provided we MUST have a "Theism") to describe "Theistic Wicca". One advantage is that it makes the assumption of worshipping that which was there to be found and worshipped, NOT a Deity or deities invented in 1939! (More on this later.) The following is the only published copy of the (Gardnerian) Blessing Prayer that I know of. "In the name of Dryghtyn, the Ancient Providence, Who was from the beginning and is for eternity, Male and Female, the Original Source of all things; all-knowing, all-pervading, all-powerful; changeless, eternal. "In the name of the Lady of the Moon, and the Lord of Death and Resurrection. "In the name of the Mighty Ones of the Four Quarters, the Kings of the Elements. "Blessed be this place, and this time, and they who are now with us." ("Witch Blood! The Diary Of A Witch High Priestess!" by Patricia Crowther in chapter four (paperback edition 1974, House Of Col- lectibles, Inc.).) Courtesy of David Piper Airmid (aka Erynn Darkstar), a contemporary craft scholar and researcher says of this new (to most of us) name of Ultimate Deity: "Dryghtyn is also the name used for JHVH in some old English bibles. I think that was where the term ac- tually originated. I think I saw a passing reference to it in some boxed comparative translated text in "In Search of the Indo-Europeans." Grendel, an Asatruar from Seattle suggests the "Dryghtyn" may be an alternative spelling of the Teutonic "Drighten" meaning "Lord". I admit this is interesting, to me, as the closeness of the linguistic link between the Old English and Old German languages has been a scholarly "fact" widely known for many years. As a side issue, this might be some evidence that runs contrary to the thesis put forth by Aidan Kelly that Gerald Gardner "manufactured" Wicca in 1939. From personal experience, I have found that one unique distinction of the non BTW strains of Witchcraft (some times called "FamTrads" of Family Traditions) is the incorporation of old Christian Imagery, often including ArchAngels for the four directions or elements. Though this instance does not include Archangels, it DOES include archaic (and rel- atively unknown) Christian terminology. If Gardner did discover a remnant of the Old Religion upon which he based his modern reconstruction effort, it is this sort of linguistic "artifact" which would have survived. Perhaps a more scholarly investigation than mr. Kelly's will "turn up" more evidence? 1525 Jim Taylor, an Eastern Orthodox Theologian, also makes two (to me) il- luminating statements, concerning "The Dryghtyn Prayer": 1. "'In the name of Dryghtyn, the Ancient Providence, Who was from the beginning and is for eternity, Male and Female, the Original Source of all things; all-knowing, all-pervading, all-powerful; changeless, eternal.' This would be, entirely, an acceptable way of describing God, both for most Jews and for most Christians." AND 2. "'In the name of the Lady of the Moon, and the Lord of Death and Resurrection.' The Lord of Death and Resurrection would seem, to any Christian to refer to Jesus Christ." This evidence of a possible mixing of an older (unrecorded) Christian Prayer may lend further credence to Gardners' claims of building on an older, hidden, traditional remnant. I, personally, also agree with Mr. Taylors' statement that "the idea of Wicca being 'manufactured' in 1939 is far too pat, and ignores a great deal which ought not to be ignored. At the very least, some degree of recog- nition should be accorded to the obvious fact that most Wiccan practices and attitudes predate Wicca by considerable periods of time--possibly even millennia". The existence of Monism, Duotheism, and Polytheism simultaneously in the belief structure of Wicca is one good example of one of the Five Mysteries of Wicca, that of Union. Wicca is a mystery religion, a PARTICIPATORY religion, and much of its symbology must be lived and practiced to have meaning because much of the real (some say hidden meaning is based on the knowledge of experience and not the intellectual knowledge of mere logic and conscious thought processes. I am an eclectic Wiccan with strong ties in my beliefs and practice to British Traditional Wicca. I am a Monist, yet I have had strong direct experience with Brigid, Danu, and the Morrigan as well as the Earth Mother and the Horned Lord of the Forests. So my personal answer to the question of "What kind of Theism fits Theistic Wicca?" is "several, or none; it is not really a valid question in those limited terms"! But perhaps the concept of "Chthonotheism" would give a better label to this concept when attempting to discuss the idea of the peculiar theism unique to Wicca? Blessed Be, Durwydd MacTara 1526 Wedding Ceremony The Bard THE ORDER OF SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGE (GENERAL) The Altar shall be dressed with a white cloth, with a Cup, and an un- sheathed Sword. A small lectern should be provided to the Minister, that he may hold the Sword and read the ceremony. One candle shall be unlit upon the altar, and two lit candles shall be provided, to either side. Smaller candles shall be provided to at least the wedding party, and to the whole congregation, if possible. % Ministers take Altar % Groom and attendants take altar % Processional music starts % Bridesmaids process % Bride and father process % Bride and father take altar MINISTER: Dearly beloved, today you are surrounded by your family, your friends, and your loved ones, all of whom have gathered here today in the sight of the ONE to share your joy and witness your marriage. Who gives this woman to be wed? FATHER: I do. % (the Bride's father shall give the Bride's hand to the Groom, and then take his seat) MINISTER 2: This most sacred of bonds is not to be entered into lightly, but soberly and advisedly, with openness and honesty. I require and charge you both now, upon your honors, to disclose any reason or impediment why you may not be lawfully joined this day. BRIDE/GROOM: By our honors, there are none. % (The Minister shall turn to the congregation and say:) MINISTER: Likewise, I charge all of you now, upon your honors, that if any know a reason that these two may not be lawfully joined this day, to speak now or forever hold your peace. % (There shall be a short pause for any response) MINISTER: (N) and (N), life has no singular meaning so much as it is made up of many meaningful events, some of which may be specified and planned for. One of these is Marriage. As you know, no minister, no priest, no rabbi, no public official can marry you; you can only marry yourselves. By a mutual commitment to love each other and to create an atmosphere of considera- tion and respect, you can make your marriage come to life. 1527 MINISTER 2: On this, the day of your marriage, you stand somewhat apart from all other human beings. You stand within the charmed Circle of your love, and this is as it should be, b u t love is not meant to be the possession of two people alone. Rather it should serve as a source of common energy, a form in which you can find the strength to live your lives w i t h courage. From this day onward, you must come closer together than ever before, yet your love should give you the strength to stand apart; to seek out your own unique des tinies, and to make your own special contribution to that which is always a part of us, and more than us. MINISTER: A marriage that lasts is one which is continually develop ing, in which each person is continually developing while growing in understanding of the other. Deep knowledge of another is not something that can be achieved in a short time. Real understanding can only develop fully with years of in- timacy. This wonderful knowledge of another grows out of really caring for the other so much, that one wants to understand as completely as possible the intricacies of the other. MINISTER 2: May you be blessed with this deep knowledge of each other through all the days of your lives. Would you now give your vows? BRIDE/GROOM: We will. MINISTER: What tokens do you give that you will keep these vows? BRIDE/GROOM: We give these rings. % (The rings shall be given to the Minister, who shall take them in hand.) MINISTER 2: The ring is used in this ceremony because the Circle is our symbol for Spirit; that which was in the Beginning, is now, and ever shall Be, Love, without end. In this ceremony, it is that love which is deathless and eternal. % (Both Ministers shall join hands, holding the Rings, and shall say:) MINISTER: We ask now the Blessing of the One upon these rings. They are bands of silver with the Tree of Life cast in relief upon their surfaces. Let the bands represent eternity, love without end, and let the trees represent the nurturement you will share in that Love, now and always. BOTH: And so it is. % (The Rings shall be taken by the second Minister.) % (And if it is a Swordfasting, then the Minister shall take up the Sword, and flourish it aloft, and then place it point-down in front of him.) 1528 % (The Bride and Groom shall face each other, and place their % hands upon the Sword's pommel, with both Ministers placing % their hands over the Bride and Groom's.) % (the Minister #2 shall turn to the Groom, and say:) MINISTER 2: (N), repeat after me: (N), I take you as my wife. I pledge to share my life openly with you To speak the truth to you in love And to honor and cherish you all the days of our lives. I promise to love and tenderly care for you For better and for worse For richer and for poorer In sickness and in health In all storms and fair days we may weather together For as long as we both shall live. I promise to respect your needs, To support you in your endeavors And encourage you as an individual Through all the changes of our lives. With these words, I pledge my love. % (The Groom shall take the Ring) And with this ring I seal my vows Now and forever. % (The Groom shall place the Ring upon the Bride's finger.) % (The Minister shall then turn to the Bride, and say:) MINISTER: (N), repeat after me: (N), I take you as my husband. I pledge to share my life openly with you To speak the truth to you in love And to honor and cherish you all the days of our lives. I promise to love and tenderly care for you For better and for worse For richer and for poorer In sickness and in health In all storms and fair days we may weather together For as long as we both shall live. I promise to respect your needs, To support you in your endeavors And encourage you as an individual Through all the changes of our lives. With these words, I pledge my love. % (The Bride shall take the Ring) And with this ring I seal my vows Now and forever. % (The Bride shall place the Ring upon the Groom's finger.) 1529 % (Both Ministers shall then say:) MINISTER: May you never hunger. MINISTER #2: May you never thirst. % (Here there may be an interlude of music) MINISTER 2: At this time, I would like to speak of some of the things that many of us wish for you. First,wewish foryou aLove thatmakes youboth better people, That continues always to give you joy And a zest for living, Andprovidesyouwith theenergytoface theresponsibili ties of life. Wewish foryoua Home,notaplace ofstoneor wood,butan island of serenity and sanity. Wehopethat thisHome isnot justaplace ofprivate joy and retreat, But rather serves as a Castle wherein the values of your life and family are generated and upheld. We hope your home stands as a symbol of humans living together in Love and peace, Seeking Truth and nurturement through each other. We hope that it has within it the elements of Simplicity, Exuberance,Beauty,Silence,Colorandaconcordancewith the Rhythms of Life. We wishforyou aHomewith Books,Poetryand Music,Fora home with all the things that represent the highest striv ings Of men and women. Finally, we wish that your lives be blessed with Spiritual Abundance, and that your spiritual involvement be enhanced through This marriage. % (The Minister shall turn to the congregation, and shall say:) MINISTER: Let us all stand together for the closing benediction, and the passing of the Light. % (The congregation shall stand. The Bride and Groom shall go % to the Altar and light the single candle from their candles, % and then shall light their attendant's candles, and shall % light the candles of the first person in each row of the % congregation. They shall then return to the altar, and % extinguish their candles, placing them on the altar, and % return to their place before the Ministers.) MINISTER 2: May we all recognize that the Presence of the One has already blessed you with the presence of each other. Keep in your rememberance the sacredness of this trust and the love that knows no end. May that Peace, which passes all human understanding abide with you now, and for always. BOTH: And so it is. 1530 MINISTER 2: And forasmuch as (N) and (N) have expressed their desire to be husband and wife, showing their love and affection by joining hands, and have made promises of faith and devotion, each to the other, and have sealed these promises by giving a n d receiving of rings: MINISTER: In the presence of this company of witnesses, by virtue of my sacred stewardship and the power vested in me by the State of Arizona, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may kiss the Bride. % (The Bride and Groom shall then recess from the altar, % followed by their attendants. The congregation shall be % released by rows.) % (Here ends the Order Of Solemnization Of Marriage (General) 1531 Weasel Wicca: a Toon Trad by fara Shimbo, Diane Darling and the European Land Otters (Green Egg, Issue 95, Yule '91, p. 21.) The Great Mothers of this tradition are Galanthus, who was turned into a weasel for lying to Juno; and Eris, both Goddess and Ferret incarnate, who are IN CHARGE. This is the Holy Sacred Oath of the Weasel Tradition: "I don'tbelieve anythingunless Iwant to.Mymind issubject to change within reason and without notification at any time. We will always have Paris. (But not paris of sox.) I can do without my socks. Other than that there are absolutely no absolutes." Sacred Objects of the Weasel tradition include: * A Floppy Witch Hat (double sided, single density) * The nearest operational refrigirator * Dirty Socks * Tubes made of cardboard or plastic * Rubber erasers and squeaky toys * Loud plastic bag and ping pong balls * The Golden Apple of Eris * Silk Top hat. In order tobe initiated into the WeaselTradition, a new ber- serker must: * Co-habit with a Ferret; at least one. *Acquireyourtoolsin asomewhatless-than-entirely-scrupul- ous manner- stopping short of Genuine Theft. Use your imagination. *Sacrifice aSock toGalanthus. Itmust bea goodSock, one you wouldn't otherwise throw away, and you must have the other one in your possession. * Bake some holyFhood, with Weasel Help,which includes raisins and chocolate chips. *Write aritual containingat leastthree thingswhich are obviously or blatantly lifted, word for word, from somewhere else. Anywhere else. * Let a weasel lick your lips while you sing: The Weasel Help Song: Everyone needs Weasel help, Weasel Help, Weasel Help Everyone needs Weasel help, to get them through the day! I don't need no Weasel Help, Weasel Help, Weasel Help, I don't need no Weasel Help, no matter what you say! The Sacred Holidays of the Weasel tradition are any holidays which have even the slightest thing to do with Fhood. 1532 A Weasel Wiccan Witual ====================== Participants infloppy witch hatsenter, bearing theHoly Fhood and Drinkh. Arrange tastefuly around altar area. Prominent should be the Golden Apple of Eris, which is set upon the altar by itself. Call Watchtowers, lighting quarter candles at each. Suggestion invocations: EAST,being Air,signifies mediaand masscommunications. Invite the Marx brothers, Firesign Theatre, Douglas Adams, and Robert Anton Wilson, and, of course, the Illuminati, as representatives of Chaos. (Squeeze squeaky toys) SOUTH, for Fire, signifies fidelityto ideals. I suggest John Lennon and our witch ancestors, whose bravery in defense of the Sacred Right To Be Strange led to the ultimate sacrifice. May we be as brave, but luckier. (Hide the Matches.) WEST,for Water, signifies herethe Waters ofLife, ie: Bhooze. Invite W.C. Fields along with Dionysius and Osiris (inventors of wine and beer, respectively.) (Slug some eggnog.) NORTH, for Earth, signifies the Ultimate Mystery: Life, the Universe and Everything. Toast the Mystery itself and invite it to relax, take off its cloak and join us for awhile. (Hide a cookie.) And to provide a fifth point: SKY, for Eris, Our Mother,Lady Luck Herself, Lady of Chaos and Dealer of the Inside Straight. Hold up the Golden Apple, hail Her enthusiastically and invite Her to the party. Close theCircle, whichis,of course,semi-permiable toweasel-- kind. Lightaltarcandle; assume*ahem* seriousdemeanor. Whoeveris to read, don silk hat and drape a sock for a priest's vestement. Proceed: "For unto us is born a Saviour, who is Coyote, Pan, loki, Raven, Dionysius, and Robin Hood; to save us all from Santa's power when we have come to play, o tiding of chocolate and toys. And Io, neither is his Mother a Virgin, for She believeth in a good time. And when He came forth, She wrapped him in a National Enquirer and cradled him in her top hat, which holdeth all the stars of all the skies plus 500 foolproof card tricks; and the Wise came to Marvel (and to DC) because indeed and forsooth, they knew trouble when they beheld it." And Eris, the Great and Terrible, said to her son: "Kid, this is a special occasion; how should we celebrate?" And the TinyOne spoke, surprising all butthe Mother of the Unexpected: "let's have lots of Fhood, and create the most chaotic and demented animal of all to play with. And since I have a feeling that this party will be repeated many, many times, let's make that a rule: anyone celebrating My birthday should do the same. For I am the Glitch and the Song and the Gambler's Luck, and I love Surprises--which will never be lacking with Them around. Let them do this in honor of Me." 1533 And Eris was pleased and created The Weasel (hold one up). "This is the SacredWeasel, beloved little monster, honored pest, dearest of Holy Terrors and Agent of Entropy Everywhere. May it always remind us that Eris and the Kid love Surprises." (Holdup plateof cookies:)"This isthe HolyFhood; weshare it in Their names, and with the wish that we should always keep Life as interesting and strange as possible." (Hold upHoly Bhooze:)"This isthe HolySpikedEggnog; weshare in with the understanding that reality can always use a little bend- ing." Share all,generalhailing,toasts,silliness,woozlesnoozling, tricks and demonstration of weasel arranging. Guard honored guests of all species from overindulging in and/or diving into eggnog. Songs excellent idea. Open circle whenever you feel like it. ================================================================= Fara Shimbo, an ethologist living outside Boulder, Colorado with her husband Robert, ferret, Ruby, Siamese cat, mong, and Thoroughbred Hunter, Oficial Dude (AKA Chewie). She is main honcho of _Ferret unity and Registration Organization (FURO)_, a weasle warrior of reknown and author of "The Ferret Book" (see review GE83) and, with Bill Phillips, of _Ferrets and the New Inquisition_, published by the California Domestic Ferret Association (Box 1861, healdsburg, CA 95448. She is editor-in-chief of _The Weasle Help Monthly_, (wonderful!) newsmagazi- ne of FURO, available by joining FURO, PO Box 18193, greensboro, NC 27419. 1534 This is the story of Rabbit. A long time ago- No one knows how long ago it was-- rabbit was a brave and fearless warrior. Rabbit was befriended by Eye Walker, a witch. The witch and Rabbit spent much time together sharing and talking. One day EyeWalker and rabbitwere walking alongand thesat down on the trail to rest. Rabbit said "I'm thirsty." Eye Walker picked up a leaf and blew on it... it turned into a gourd of water... he handed it to Rabbit. Rabbit drank the water and didn't say any- thing. Than he said "I am hungry" Eyewalker pickedup astone andblew onit... itturned intoa turnip. She gave the turnip to Rappit... He tasted it and than ate the turnip with relish... but didn't say anything. Thetwo continued along thetrail, which ledinto the moun- tains. Near the top, rabbit tripped and fell and rolled almost to the bottom. Rabbit was in very sad condition when Eye Walker got to him. She used a magick salve on Rabbit to heal his great pain and mend his broken bones. Rabbit didn't say anything. Several days laterEye Walkerwent searchingfor herfriend. She searched high and love but Rabbit was nowhere to be found. Finally Eye Walkergave up.She met Rabbitquite byaccident one day. "Rabbit, why are you hiding and avoiding me?" the witch asked. "becauseI amafriad ofyou. I amafraid ofmagick," Answered Rabbit, cowering in fear. "Leave me alone!" "I see." SaidEye Walker. "I haveused my magical powerson your behalf and now you turn on me and refuse my friendship." "I wantnothing more to dowith you oryour powers," Rabbit countered. He did not even see the tears his words were bringing to Eye Walkers eye's. "I hope we never meet and that I never see you again." Rabbit continued. "Rabbit" Eye walker said. "We oncewere great friends and companions, but no more. It is within my power to destroy you, but because of the past and the medicines we have shared together I will not do this. But from this day on I lay a curse on you and your tribe. From now on, you will call fears and your fears will come to you. Be on your way, for the sweet medicines that bound us together as friends are now broken." 1535 Modern Wiccan Concepts based in Literary Satanism By: Diane Vera As I pointed out to Warren Grant in the PAGAN echo recently, Charles G. Leland mentions Michelet in the Appendix to _Aradia:_ _Gospel_of_the_Witches_: "Now be it observed, that every leading point which forms the plot or centre of this _Vangel_ [...] had been told or written out for me in fragments by Maddalena (not to mention other authorities), even as it had been chronicled by Horst or Michelet" (pp.101-102, 1974 Weiser paperback edition). . In _A_History_of_Witchcraft_, Jeffrey B. Russell writes: "Michelet's argument that witchcraft was a form of social protest was adapted later by Marxists; his argument that it was based on a fertility cult was adopted by anthropologists at the turn of the century, influenig Sir James Frazer's _Golden_Bough_, Jessie Weston's _From_Ritual_to_Romance_, Magaret Murray's _Witch- Cult_in_Western_Europe_, and indirectly T.S. Eliot's _The_Waste_Land_" (_A_History_of_Witchcraft_, p.133). . Russell states further: "Neopagan witchcraft has roots in the tradition of Michelet, who argued that European witchcraft was the survival of an ancient religion. This idea influenced Sir James Frazer and a number of other anthropologists and writers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The publication of Charles Leland's _Aradia_ in 1899 was an important step in the evolution of the new religion of witchcraft. [...] The doctrines and practices of the witches as reported by Leland are a melange of sorcery, medieval heresy, witch-craze concepts, and political radicalism, and Leland reports ingenuously that this is just what he expected, since it fitted with what he had read in Michelet" (Russell, p.148). . As far as I know, it's possible that Michelet's influence on Gardner was only indirect, via the other above-named writers. This would not invalidate my point, which is that Michelet played a key role in the development of the ideas in question. . Michelet has had a more direct influence on feminist Goddess religion than on Wicca proper. Michelet's _La_Sorciere_ (_Satanism_and_Witchcraft_) is listed in the bibliography of _Woman,_Church,_and_State_ by Matilda Gage (19th-century Women's Suffrage leader and the founder of pre-Wiccan feminist Goddess religion) and, more recently, in _Witches,_Midwives,_and_Nurses:_ _A_History_of_Women_Healers_ by Barbara Ehrenreich and Dierdre English (1973). . In my opinion, Michelet's most important contribution to both Wicca and feminist Goddess religion was that, as far as I know, he was the first well-known writer (in recent centuries, anyway) to use the word "Witch" (capital W) with its present-day positive connotations of healing and opposition to tyranny. 1536 Intro to Satanism By: Diane Vera As promised in the PAGAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES echo, here's my brief introductory essay on Satanism (though Corwynt won't be seeing it, alas). I'll confine myself to discussing _serious_occultists_ who identify as Satanists. I have no interest in the teen-age glue- sniffing "Satin rulz" crowd, who are into "Satanism" as a way to shock the grown-ups, and who usually (as far as I know) outgrow it. Nor am I interested in criminals who say the Devil made them do it (often, I suspect, as a way to get themselves declared insane). . Since I don't know how much you don't know, perhaps I should start with the usual elementary disclaimers: . (a) Most Satanists do not think of themselves as "worshipping evil". Satan is associated with a variety of human traits and magic(k)al energies which Christianity traditionally considers "evil", but which the Satanists themselves do not consider "evil" -- though some Satanists may describe themselves as "evil" in an ironic sense. . (b) In what there is of a Satanist subculture (for serious occultists), nobody advocates sacrificing animals or babies, sexually abusing children, or other horrific activities described in fundamentalist propaganda. As Anton LaVey explains in _The_Satanic_Bible_, such activities serve no useful magic(k)al purpose. . (c) Although Satan is, obviously, a figure from Christian mythology (derived from Judaism and Zoroastrianism), Satanism is not just "reverse Christianity". I have yet to meet even one Satanist who believed in Christian theology, or a simple reversal thereof. (I've heard that such Satanists do exist, but they don't seem to be part of the organized Satanist scene.) All Satanists I've ever encountered have some alternative explanation of who/what Satan is. . There are many alternative explanations and, correspondingly, many different kinds of Satanism. Following is a list of _some_ of the many different possible interpretations of who/what Satan is: . (1) Satan is the Christian-era guise of some pre-Christian deity, e.g. Set or Pan. . (2) Satan is not a real entity at all, but just a symbol of human individuality, pride, thinking for oneself, sensuality, etc. . (3) Satan is an actual discarnate intelligence, and is the bringer of wisdom in a form of Gnosticism with the Christian "God" cast as the Demiurge. This idea is based on a form of Gnosticism that actually existed in the early centuries C.E., which venerated the serpent of the Garden of Eden myth. . (4) Satan is not an actual discarnate, sentient being, but is more than just a symbol. Satan is, at the very least, today's most powerful magic(k)al egregore. "Satan" is present-day society's number-one magic(k)al Name of Power. 1537 (5) Satan is an impersonal "Dark Force in Nature". . (6) Satan is one of many gods, all of whom are in some sense real. There is no one all-powerful "God" like the Christian idea of "God". There are many gods who are powerful, but not all-powerful. . Of the above possiblities, my own personal beliefs lean toward a combination of interpretations #4, 5, and 6. The Church of Satan, founded in 1966 C.E. by Anton LaVey, usually espouses interpretation #2 and sometimes #5. The Temple of Set is into _something_like_ (but not quite) a combination of #1 and #3. La> If you haven't been around other satanists, how do you know La> what is being practiced, is what you would do? I could call La> myself a Dianic Wiccan, but what I might practice is not what La> is generally practiced...and there is no way for me to really La> learn "right way" from "wrong way". . It doesn't matter. Satanism isn't really just one religion, but a category of religions, some of which are radically different from each other. (See my message to Deborah Kest on "Satanism 101".) Since most forms of Satanism do celebrate individuality, the lack of standardization is just fine, in my opinion. The only "right way" or "wrong way" has to do with _what_works_, and this will vary from one individual to another. . La> The reason you are being "punished" I think ostracized is La> a better word, is that most Satanists, and people who follow La> left-handed Magick/spirituality (folks I know it is not a fair La> term, but it works for this arguement) are considered by many La> of us the true enemies of Spiritualism that we would practice. . The term "Left-Hand Path" is OK. We use it too. You and I would probably define it very differently, however. What's your definition? . La> Even more than Christaniaty folks who follow your system of La> believes are very differnt than we. Pagan and Christanity, La> have very similar ideas and ethics, and while not at all La> tolerant of each other (generally) can live and let live. La> Satanists et.all on the other hand, have such a different view La> of life, love and the pursuit of the Divine, it is hard for us La> to accept you into our midsts. . Could you please be more specific? _What_ do you see as the similarities between neo-Paganism and Christianity? . I too see some profound differences between Satanism and neo- Paganism. And I too see enough similarities between neo-Paganism and Christianity that one can meaningfully use a term like "Right- Hand Path", which includes both Christianity and neo-Paganism but not Satanism. 1538 But I _also_ see some profound similarities between Satanism and neo-Paganism (especially Wicca) as well, which set them both apart from Christianity. For example, Satanism and Wicca-based Paganism are both much more tolerant toward sexual variety than Christianity traditionally is. (To be more exact, Wicca is _now_ tolerant toward sexual variety, though there was a time when it was quite homophobic.) And in general, Satanism and Wicca-based Paganism both emphasize individuality in ways that Christianity doesn't. . Also, as I've discussed at length both here and in the PAGAN and PAGAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES echoes, Satanism and most forms of neo- Paganism (especially Wicca) are both part of the family of modern Western magic(k)al religions, with many common roots and many basic magic(k)al concepts in common. We have natural reasons to be part of the same magic(k)al community (e.g. occult bookstores and this computer network). It would be much more pleasant for everyone concerned if neo-Pagans could get used to Satanists, because you are going to keep running into more and more of us whether you like it or not. 1539 Satanism, A Personal Definition By Delphine Please keep in mind that Satanism is a *very* individualistic religion, and if you asked 50 Satanists what Satanism is, you'd probably get 60 different responses. As a solitaire Satanist, I'll have a go at this.. but I'm pretty bad at trying to summarize what I believe, so please feel free to ask me questions. For me, these are the most important things I believe as a Satanist: *I believe in Satan as a literal entity. Many other Satanists do not, esp. those from the LaVey school of thought. *Satan is NOT a fallen angel, or a lesser created being, but instead a deity with as much power (for lack of a better word) as any other. He is the Shadow, a Destroying Deity.. and by such destruction,he purif- ies, for death of anything leads the way for rebirth. He is a symbol of rebellion, of pride, and of righteous anger. He brings freedom, in many different ways. * My first care is to myself, for if I am unable to serve myself, I have no basis by which to judge the actions of others. I strive for excellence, in a sense, very close to what Setians call "Xeper". *I believe in free will, with the understanding that "with freedom comes responsibility". I do not accept the threefold law, or any specific prohibitions like "harm none". In relating to others, I use the rule "do unto others AS they do unto you". If I am harmed or treated with dishonor, I will not continue to treat such persons in a way that is more than they deserve. Revenge, at the proper time and in a fitting manner, is acceptable behavior. If there are consequences to such revenge, I will accept them responsibly. *I will endeavor to be honorable about my own actions, and I will expect the same behavior from others. *I see Satan in Nature, in the floods, hurricanes, volcanoes, and tidal waves. I see fundamental laws in Nature, that death is as necessary as life. I am humbled and empowered by this, for though it blindly destroys, it is yet a part of me, as deity is immanent and transcendant to me. Satan the transcendant is that excellence that I strive for, Satan the immanent is the spark in me that strives. * I am polytheistic. The divine, to me, is like a jewel with many facets, each a part of us, each with something to teach us. No such lesson, to me , is greater or lesser than any other; but are instead more or less appropriate for a person at a given time. There is a great deal more I could say, and in greater detail, but this covers a large part of Satanism to me. Of course, I'm sure that Diane Vera, Sheryl, Balanone, and others will have different beliefs than I do. It seems that individualism and personal pride seem to be the link between most serious Satanists. -Qapla' Delphine 1540 The Wiccan Rede (WCC) Bide ye Wiccan laws ye must, in perfect love and perfect trust Live ye must and let to live, fairly take and fairly give Form the circle thrice about, to keep unwelcome spirits out To bind the spell well every time, let the spell be spake in rhyme Soft of eye and light of touch, speak ye little, listen much Deosil go by the waxing moon, sing and dance the Wiccan rune Widdershins go by the waning moon, chanting out the baleful tune When the Lady's moon is new, kiss the hand to her times two When the moon rides at Her peak, then the heart's desire seek Heed the north wind's mighty gale, lock the door and trim the sail When the wind comes from the south, love will kiss kiss thee on the mouth When the wind blows from the west, departed souls will have no rest When the wind blows from the east, expect the new and set the feast Nine woods in the cauldron go, burn them quick and burn them slow Elder be the Lady's tree, burn it not or cursed you'll be When the wheel begins to turn, soon the Beltain fires will burn When the wheel has turned to Yule, light the log the Horned One rules Heed ye flower, bush and tree, by the Lady blessed be Where the rippling waters flow, cast a stone and the truth you'll know When you have and hold a need, hearken not to others' greed With a fool no season spend, nor be counted as his friend Merry meet and merry part, bright the cheeks and warm the heart Mind the threefold law ye should, three times bad and three times good When misfortune is anow, wear the star upon thy brow True in love you must ever be, lest thy love be false to thee These eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill, An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will 1541 Orphic invocations of Goddess & God Bright Blessings to all... Here are invocations to the Goddess and God that I have used quite successfully in ritual. They are from the Orphic Hymns, for those who like historical accuracy, but have been updated just a tad, for those who like ritual with modern applications. Hope you enjoy them. Invocation to the Goddess Divine are Your honors, Oh Mother of the Gods and Nurturer of All. Yoke your swift chariot drawn by bull-slaying lions and, O Mighty Goddess who brings things to pass, join our prayers. Many named and reverend, You are the Queen of the Sky. In the cosmos, Your throne is above all others, for You are Queen of the Earth, and You give gentle nourishment to mortals. Goddesses, Gods, and mortals were born of You, And You hold sway over the rivers and all of the sea. Hestia, Gaia, Demeter, Inanna, Isis, Astarte, Ishtar, Persephone, Diana, Giver of prosperity who bestows upon mortals all manner of gifts, Come to this Rite, Queen whom the drum delights. Honored and loving Nurturer of Life, Joyfully and graciously visit our deeds of piety. Blessed Be. Invocation to the God Hear Our Prayer, O best and Many-Named God. Fine-haired, solitary, and full of lovely song; Many shaped and noble nurturer of all, Maiden and yout in one, unwithering bloom, O Adonis You vanish and grow again in the fair seasons' turn. Kurnunnos, Pan, Myrddhn, two horned Spirit of growth and blooming; Much loved and wept for are you, O Fair and Youthful Hunter of the luxuriant mane. Desire is in Your mind and You come to the Goddess in reverence and respect, in sensuous joy is your desire fulfilled You are the seed planted in the depths of the Underworld That springs forth, the Green God, that we may sustain our lives. You sacrifice Yourself in gentleness when you are grown. Come Kind-Hearted One, Come Blesseed God, and bring much joy to all. Blessed Be. Hope you find these beneficial... Briget Bless...Phaedra. 1542 EAST (INVOCATION) Facing East: Guardians of the watchtower of the east, we do summon, stir, and call thee up to protect us in our rite. Come to us now on the cool breath of Autumn's sigh which heralds the advent of Winter and the close of harvest time. Breathe into us the spirit of the pure joy of life. So mote it be! Responsorial: So mote it be! AIR (invocation) (Celebrant with the incense burner symbolizing the element of air) : "I am everywhere. I fill the fleshy pouches of your lungs, I stir all things from the smallest blade of grass to the tallest tree. I cool you with my breezes and destroy you with my storms. Without me you would die. Am I not holy and worthy of praise? " EAST (BANISHMENT) Facing East: "Guardians of the watchtower of the east, return now to the brisk Autumn breezes which are brimming with the excitement of the year's climax. Take with you our blessings and thanks. Hail and farewell! Responsorial: Hail and farewell! 1543 SOUTH (invocation) Facing South: Guardians of the watchtower of the south, we do summon, stir, and call thee up to protect us in our rite. Come forth from the cook fires and smokehouses where food is being made ready for the coming cold months. Kindle within us the flame of spiritual awakening. So mote it be! Responsorial: So Mote it Be! FIRE (invocation) (Celebrant with the candle symbolizing the element of fire): "I live in the guarded embers of campfires and the pilot lights of stoves, I spring from the lightning and the hands of men, I warm you and I destroy you. Without me you would die. Am I not holy and worthy of praise? " SOUTH (banishing) Facing South: "Guardians of the watchtower of the south, return now to the dying fires of Autumn's heat soon to give way to Winter's chill. Take with you our blessings and thanks. Hail and farewell! Responsorial: Hail and farewell 1544 WEST (invoking) Facing West: Guardians of the watchtower of the west, we do summon, stir, and call thee up to protect us in our rite. Come forth from the rainbow hued morning dew that covers the fields, and is soon to be frost. Asperge us with your diadems and water our deepest roots that we may find peace of mind. So mote it be! Responsorial: So mote it be! WATER (invocation) (Celebrant with the water vessel symbolizing the element of water): "I rise from the moist crevices of the Earth, I beat on the shores of Her body, I fall from the skies in silver sheets. Without me you would die. Am I not holy and worthy of praise? " (Celebrant asperges the circle with water) WEST (banishing) Facing West: "Guardians of the watchtower of the west, return now to the Autumn rains which cool the Earth's fevered brow baked in the heat of Summer afternoons. Take with you our blessings and thanks. Hail and farewell! Responsorial: Hail and farewell! 1545 NORTH (invoking) Facing North: Guardians of the watchtower of the north, we do summon, stir, and call thee up to protect us in our rite. Come forth from the fertile bosom of our Blessed Mother Earth, and nourish us so that our hopes may grow to fruition. So mote it be! Responsorial: So mote it be! EARTH (invocation) (Celebrant with the salt vessel symbolizing the element of earth): "I am your Mother. From me come the fruit and grain and animals which feed you. I am your support, and my pull on your bodies keeps you held firmly to me. Without me you would die. Am I not holy and worthy of praise? " NORTH (banishing) Facing North: Guardians of the watchtowers of the north, return now to the Earth where worms burrow deeper and seeds nestle awaiting the long sleep of Winter. Take with you our blessings and thanks. Hail and farewell! Responsorial: Hail and farewell! 1546 Wiccan History Wicca is a relatively modern attempt (approximately 50 years old) at reviving and reconstructing the old pre-Christian religions of Europe. In a mythopoetic sense it is many centuries old. However, the Witch of 200 years ago would not recognize what is called "witch- craft" today. Modern Wicca may have some of its roots in some of the local folk-magic and "family witchcraft" of mid 20th Century England. It does have traceable roots in the Golden Dawn magical society of late 19th century England, some of Aleister Crowley's magickal work and some Ceremonial Magic dating back to Elizabethan times. For a modern history of English Wicca, the reader can most profitably consult the works of Janet and Stuart Farrar and Doreen Valiente. PREHISTORY Up until recently, the earliest known remnants of human society that give us any clues to the spiritual dimension of prehistoric man are those belonging to the Gravettian-Aurignacian cultures of 2500- 1500 B.C.E. This is called the Upper Paleolithic Period. Though most of the sites so far discovered have been found in Europe, a very important site in Anatolia (modern Turkey) has also been found and is the (so far) the first or oldest City of Catal Huyuk (pronounced chatal Hoo-Yook),they form a conjectural foundation for the religion of the goddess as it emerged in the later Neolithic Age of the Near East. There have been numerous studies of these Paleolithic cul- tures, including extensive explorations of the sites occupied by these peoples, including the apparent rites connected with the disposal of their dead. The earliest remains of ancient civilization indicating some form of Goddess worship were in the caves in Lascaux, France. Here, the first and earliest non-anthropomorphic divine figures were symbolized by the horse for female Divinity and the Bison as the male divine influence. This portion of the cave was painted in approximately 17,000 B.C.E. and sealed approximately 10,000 B.C.E. The anthropo- morphic Goddess figures appear sometime approximately 7,000 B.C.E. The earliest remains in Catal Huyuk have been reliably carbon dated to 6,500 B.C. and show some interesting parallels in that the horse was replaced with an anthropomorphic goddess and the Bison (an ice age animal) has been replaced with the aurochs bull, ancestor of modern cattle. The anthropomorphic Goddess is an Earth Mother and the nearby volcanoes (then active) were considered her breasts.1 One major conjecture has been that the concept of the creator of all human life may have been formulated by the clan's image of women. The reasoning behind this conjecture lies in the observations in this century of the few remaining Paleolithic type cultures. These Paleo- lithic cultures tend to be woman centered since it is from the women that babies come and the women are absolutely essential for the continuation of the tribe or clan. Current information also indicates that it is also probable that the mother was regarded as the sole (or at least primary) parent of children in this culture, and that there was a definite pattern of ancestor worship. It is also very probable that ancestry was matrilineal. 1547 The most tangible evidence that these very ancient cultures and their predecessors worshipped a goddess is the numerous sculptures of women found throughout most of Europe and the Near east. Some of these sculptures date as far back as 25,000 B.C.E.! Small female figurines, made of stone, bone and clay (most seemingly pregnant) have been found throughout the widespread Gravettian-Aurignacian sites as far apart as Spain, Franc