Zealous or Thorough…What Kind of a Magickal Person Are You? (Part 1)

Zealous or Thorough…What Kind of a Magickal Person Are You? (Part 1)

Author: Kestryl Angell

When seeking our own personal balance, both as human beings and as practitioners of a variety of magickal paths, it is always wise to ask ourselves several questions about the nature of what we seek to become by their working. For instance, do we wish to be zealous? Passionate almost to the point of losing ourselves entirely in the belief or practice!

Or do we wish to be thorough? Paying all attention in the world to every minutest detail of a rite or practice and being completely bound by its structure, nearly without individual thought or expansion being allowed or accepted.

Do we wish to lean toward revelry or reverence? What are we truly seeking to accomplish by using magick for the task before us? Could the goal be accomplished another way that might not include magickal “pushes” from us or do we need to do the working to illustrate the act of creation for ourselves? Let’s look even a bit more closely at the first of those ever-telling questions above.

For the first, do we wish to be Zealous or Thorough?

We’ve all met our friendly neighborhood Zealot. He’s the one that bashes you over the head with his bible in trying to get you to “share the word of God” or “hear his Testimony!” She’s the one that shoves endless volumes of empirical evidence up your nose to the contrary of what you are trying to share with her in discussions of faith vs. science rather than seeing that, to those that look more closely, science is only the proving of magickal theories that have been called “magick” for so long due to our ignorance that is now being disproved to find so much of what is called “supernatural” is actually just a part of the “natural” we hadn’t seen before.

He is the one that believes only in numbers when it comes to business and not in expanding a “vision” of an overall company outlook. She is the one that staunchly stands on long-disproved “facts of life” as being “correct” because it is all she’s ever been taught and she’s afraid to see anything past her own truncated viewpoint.

He is the one that feverishly swears that “this new product will remove those unwanted pounds in DAYS instead of weeks, months or years, without the need for invasive surgical procedures!” when he knows its really just a vitamin supplement with trace minerals that often help relieve common ailments and inflammations with “miraculous” ease.

They are the Salesmen and women of Hype.

Regardless of whether it is on a magickal path or simply on a path of learning, whether it is about personal moral and ethical belief structures and practices or whether or not science supports or refutes the supernatural as truly “existing” within our sphere of understanding, you will know a zealot by the uncanny fire (see crazy swirls spinning madly in the glistening wideness of their eyes, revealing a depth of passion with little spin on the fullness of what reality might be) in their eyes and their unswerving devotion to their own viewpoint.

You may say to yourself, “but pagans are loving, wonderful, non-judgmental people that would NEVER do to them what others have done against their beliefs after suffering so much difficulty at the hands and beliefs of others!

Oh yes, boys and girls, there ARE most definitely pagan zealots-haven’t you had any visit your local gatherings lately? -Look for some of your wilder nudist types that insist that to wear robes in circle is “sacrilege” or those who staunchly feel “EVERY pagan should stand up in this modern day and age, regardless of personal risk to life, family structure, livelihood, etc. and speak up for the practice of their faith ’til someone acknowledges their RIGHT to practice it publicly without ridicule!”-There are other examples, and this is by no means a “slam” to those that choose to have those beliefs strongly for their personal practice. However, your right to do as you feel is correct is just as important as mine is to me.

Guess what? The time when all people simply have the smarts and compassion to just let one another BE what they are without judgment or ridicule will be a wonderful day-and those guilty of DEMANDING their RIGHT to be heard when they already HAVE these things not only by national law, but by Constitutional Right-in fact, they are exercising them in the very moment they are ranting about someone else’s repression of their beliefs or practices-they are just as guilty of judgment of another’s beliefs and their right to state them freely as those they are rally-crying against for supposedly repressing them.

The general idea of balance in the face of an overly zealous person, regardless of their personal belief structure or practice, is to not necessarily practice yourself what they believe or practice, but simply to ALLOW them to do so. You don’t have to agree. Tolerance is not about supporting some one else’s beliefs or practices by doing it ourselves. Tolerance is about allowing them the God/dess given right to do, be, feel, think and say what they feel is correct or incorrect about the running of the world around them-just as it is ours.

However, in an effort to study balanced practice, which is what we started out to do, we must also look to the other polarity of common practice. Those, that rather than choosing to be purely zealous about their practices, beliefs and such, choose to be thorough in how they study it and use it in daily life. These folk are often studious, sometimes to the point of being reclusive. They often have huge libraries that they have read repeatedly, usually cataloging in extreme detail all along the way so that all their references may be at a moment’s touch.

They are the ones that are drawn to proving what is and isn’t “historical fact” and what is simply the growing mythology of a collective set of belief structures caught under the mutual “umbrella” called “Paganism.” They are what in my old days in the Society for Creative Anachronism were called, the “period police.”

They are the ones that look for just the right number of folds in that Tudor crinoline collar and make certain that you hand pressed every single one of those 50, 000 petticoats before stepping into your period appropriate undergarments and all the other properly stitched and beaded layers that you wish to sit uncomfortably beautiful in for the next 3 ½ hours of court that await your already aching ears.

Now I do not wish to appear here to be saying that an attention to detail is not important. When studying the various paths of magick, I am the first to advocate those that choose to do so with the greatest of possible detail.

However, just as pure zealous response can lead to an opposite response to what we are seeking, so too does too studious an approach lose our purpose, at times, in the seeking to line up all the appropriate signs, sigils, times of day, week, month and year, the appropriate herbs, incense, oils, candles, sabbat oil, blessing oils, and more to the point where the original reason and the passion for it is lost in the expectation of perfection in the tools being used to accomplish the goal.

Magick should always, regardless of the tools available at the time, come from within the worker of it, for it will never come from the tools they use it if did not first come from them…nor will the magick return to them, but to the tools.

For some workings, having all portends correct and every type of power available aligned just so is not only appropriate, but completely necessary to the working’s success.

However, as with the difference between needing a picnic lunch and a full seven course dinner, there is a skill to learning what is what and what to use when…and when you’re just going for complete and total overkill in the details department. Keep in mind, you can ruin the best soup with just one too many spices. The same is true for magick.

Simple is good for many things. Use “complicated” when you must. Don’t use magick at all, if it can be accomplished in another way.

Now I can already hear those out there who are of paths that consider personal gain to be an “awesome and totally acceptable reason to use magick whenever possible!” starting to kvetch and gripe that they “don’t believe in the three fold law so it doesn’t effect them!” and I say if you haven’t seen karma as a Universal Rule on your own, you aren’t looking closely or clearly enough.

It doesn’t have to read in your mind or book of shadows as “the Three-fold Law” or the biblical ten-fold references. But the simple Universal Law of Averages and of “what goes around comes around” are concepts so obvious to enlightened human beings that if all you’re arguing over is the numbers or the particular path stated (i.e. you’re “not a WICCAN, I’M a (enter your chosen path emphatically here—and don’t forget the “!!!” at the end!!!)

In this case, you’re being too detail oriented and not seeing the Universal Brickbat for what it is. That is just one of the lovely ways the Gods find to tell us every time we stumble in our oh-so-human way…”Nope, you don’t have it yet, pup. Keep trying though, you’re very amusing!”

The Key we’re truly trying to discuss here, however, is the balance between being Zealous and being Thorough in our practice and, one hopes, in our overall response to the world at large. So, first and foremost remember, “moderation in all things… including moderation.”

This means pick the appropriate tools or lack thereof for the job. Don’t overdo. Give reverence to the past for bringing us to where we are now in terms of our knowledge and our powerbase in connecting with Deity. But do not be so bound to the past and its rules-which were made for another time, place and set of people’s lives than those we live now-that you cannot take what is beautiful, good and strong from the past and make it into something even deeper and more meaningful to you and to your future generations.

Part of the beauty of our faiths-in my humble opinion-is that they are, generally speaking, growing and living faiths. They are growing from a past that is deep and vast, regardless of whether we carry on family traditions that have been passed down through the eons…or whether our path just became a recognized belief structure 15, 20, 50 or 100 years ago.

Whether they have been passed from blue blood witch to blue blood witch for generations or whether it was practice by our grandfathers and grandmothers, whether it was brought to us by an anthropologist or was channeled in sweat lodge, whether it existed when cavemen painted their sacred images on the walls of their sacred places or whether it was woven together only within your own lifetime of experiences-no one has the right to tell you that your practice is any more or less “Valid” than any other.

That is not their call, nor is it their right.

That particular “mystery” is between you…and Deity.

It is not a viewpoint’s age that makes it valid. Nor is a viewpoint all there is to beliefs of faith. But in matters of faith and religion it is our belief that, for us, how we see things being organized and connected to is the way things are for us that matter.

We’ll look at the other questions in Part 2!

Let's Talk Witch – Your Personal Code

Your Personal Code

Every magickal tradition, from the Druids to Wicca to Santeria, has its own code— principles that guide the practitioner, boundaries that he or she won’t cross, a core of beliefs that permeates everything he or she does. These core beliefs define the parameters of the magickal practice. In Wicca, the primary principle is to harm nothing and no one.

But individuals also develop their own personal codes. Have you defined yours As previously noted, cultural differences have a hand in sculpting a particular individual’s beliefs. In the end, however, each of us must refine our own code as we evolve from children raised in the belief systems of our parents to adults who decide for ourselves what we believe.

This is not to say that any of us is omnipotent, that any of us has all the answers or even a good chunk of them. We’re all seekers and we all have a need for some sort of belief system. Your belief system may include an adherence to an organized religion or to some other spiritual discipline, or it may not include any sort of spiritual ideas at all. But at the heart of any belief system lies a code by which you live your life, and it may not have any connection whatsoever to other people’s concepts of good and bad. After all, even thieves have codes.

Do you believe in an afterlife In a supreme being In good and evil Do you believe that reality is exactly as it appears, that what you see is what you get Do you believe people can’t be trusted, that all Dobermans are vicious, that it’s every man for himself, that you’re a victim and there’s nothing you can do about it Then your experiences will confirm those beliefs.

If, on the other hand, you believe that nothing is fated, that your free will and your innermost beliefs effect your reality, then your experiences will confirm that, too.

Because you have picked up a book on magick and spells, you probably already believe that you can shape your own destiny and are looking for practical information on how to do it more efficiently and pragmatically. Magick is one route. But there are hundreds of ways to get to where you want to be. The bottom line of any exploration is defining what you believe and what works for you.

The Only Book of Wiccan Spells You’ll Ever Need (The Only Book You’ll Ever Need) Singer, Marian; MacGregor, Trish (2012-08-18).

Always Remember

Gothic Comments

Always Remember

To KNOW: Know yourself, know your craft. Research your spells, apply all your knowledge

To WILL: Focus your mind, your power and inner being.

To DARE: Believe in your spells and all you do with Positive thought and intent. All this is energy you place in the universe.

To REMAIN SILENT: Speak not of your spells….for every thought placed into your magick, your magick is affected.

Indications of What Type of Magic You Should Practice

Indications of White Magic:

Your practice uses White Light energies.
There is a tendency for self-purification before and/or during a spell.
You have an affinity to cleanse your area, target, and self.

Indications of Black Magic:

Dark essences are being used, primarily.
You find power in the emotional negativity of yourself and others.

Indications of Magecraft:

Your primary concern is in social politics or what people think.
You are constantly trying to understand what people think and feel.

Indications of Nature Magic:

Your practice tends to beckon you to nature and the use of natural forces.
You can feel a higher presence in things that most would call inanimate.
Your magic is an extension of the natural world, not a conflict with it.
You feel a different kind of power in nature and feel prone to harness it.

Indications of Necromancy:

Your practice centres around degrading health and physical well-being.
You find power in the physical suffering of yourself or others.
You use servitors but totally control all of their actions at all times.
You can sense if a person will die or if they are becoming ill/diseased.

Indications of Healing:

You can feel your own internal energies.
You can realign your internal energies if injured.
You can feel the aura of others and can realign it as well.

Indications of Celestial Magic:

You put your situations in the hands of a higher being.
You believe in a god or gods and want to, or know how to, communicate with them.
Your mystic practices incorporate the use of higher intelligences.

Indications of Satanic Magic:

Your power comes from yourself.
You are not interested in ever letting power out of your own control.
Your methods often include blessing/enchanting yourself.

Indications of Elemental Magic:

You are primarily concerned with physical manifestations.
Your art works heavily with controlling the environment.
It seems natural to you if you change the weather through mystic exertion.

Indications of Enchanting:

You are interested in the mystic potential of items.
You can sense mana in items that have been handled by another magician.
You try to magnify or nullify the powers put into objects.
You have skill in imbuing normal things with special powers.

Indications of Summoning:

You do not want to use higher powers to control summoned spirits.
Your power focusses on calling out to spirits, but not gods.
You see or work with demons, yet do not feel afraid.
You want servitors but also want to let them think on their own.
You can talk to spirits of the dead by feeling their thoughts.

Indications of Divination:

You frequently experience Deja Vu.
You see hidden meanings in atypical events.
You can predict events spontaneously with a high degree of accuracy.

Indications of Wizardry:

You tend to see “the big picture” where everyone else is worried about trifles.
You have the ability to move outside your body.
You use magic to change small things which drastically effect larger things by “domino effect”.
Your can project yourself or thoughts of your own design to manifest on this level.
Your art seems like a “pure” sorcery.

Indications of Sorcery:

You tend to see even mundane things from a mystic standpoint.
Your practices are fervent and full of emotion.
You step into a dark plane to practice your most potent skills.
Your art seems like a “dark” wizardry, or some form of “shadow magic”.

INDICATIONS YOU DO NOT YET FIT INTO A SINGLE ART:

You rely on a variety of mystic abilities.
You do not have a desire to commit to one path.
You feel confined rather than empowered by using a single discipline.
You see no need for devotion to extreme mystic abilities.

Note: This is not necessarily a reason to panic. There are times when the practitioner is legitimately not prepared to take on the discipline strains of studying through a single caste. At first, in fact, it is recommended that things be taken slowly and that all paths are given a fair trial to ensure that there is no reminiscing or regret in the future. This is not a problem, nor a sign of weakness. It is a reality that many casters face. Using whatever seems appropriate for a situation and recording it in a journal (Book of Shadows) will eventually reveal trends in your casting that will allow you to see where your talent or need lies.

INDICATIONS YOU DO NOT NEED MAGIC AT ALL:

There is a physical solution to your problems.
You couldn’t be bothered to study if there’s no immediately achievable results.
You already know of a few normal solutions to a problem without resorting to the occult.

Luna’s Grimoire

Types of Magic Practitioners

White Magician Expert of Protective and Purifying Spells. Forwarded most notably by the New Age movement, it focusses on the use of the “White Light”, protection, protective auras, stasis, cleansing, suppression of discord, and working on the mystic level to sustain and strengthen ethereal structure.

Black Magician Master of Manipulating Entropy. Grounded in the application of the laws of thermodynamics, the nature of decay, radiation, the effect of emotion on the body, and civil engineering and/or anatomy.

Psi Mage Expert at Psychic and Mental Control. Studying recommendations include telepathy, telekinesis, magnetism, secular and occult empathy, general psychology, emotion, motivation, hypnotism, cognitive processing, consciousness, states of awareness, sleep deprivation, learning, decision making, group dynamics, “Zen” concept, and other aspects of psychological classification and analysis.

Nature Mage Master of Nature and Natural Forces. Stressing the relationship between sound and plant growth, holistic medicine, botany, ley lines, earth spirits, photosynthesis, and astrological, minerological, and magnetic influences on earth.

Enchanter Expert at Enhancing Objects, People, or Areas. Employs a working understanding of vibratory rates, radioactive decay, music, energy impressions, quantum and magnetic resonance, body conductivity, and Ayurvedic philosophy.

Elementalist Expert of Controlling the Four Elements, and Influencing Weather. Studies the nature of natural phenomenon (electricity, heat, cold, wind), biochemistry, composition philosophies (Heraclitus, Anaximenes, Thales, Empedocles, Xenobius, etc), body composition, thermodynamics, natural entropical disarray, and physical laws of attraction and repulsion.

Diviner Expert of Future and Fortune telling. Heavy study in the mathematics of randomization, probability, chance, psychology, deja vu, precognition, instinct, sixth sense, visions, dreams, self-fulfilling prophecy, chaos theory, game theory, sociology, group psychology, identification and interpretation of patterns, and free-energy theory.

Summoner Expert at Summoning Spirits or Entities. Academia for this art includes telemetry, attempts at long-distance telepathic communication, vibrational states, dimensional theory, multiple personalities, schizophrenia, possession, multiversal theory, the Ethereal realm,thought-forms, and the nature of the Mind. There are a great many ritual texts worth reading as well.

Life Mage Expert at Manipulating and Sustaining Life Force. Emphasis on anatomy, biology, kinesiology, alternative healing methods, herbology, theories of life force, chakras, meridians, acupressure, acupuncture, reiki, ethereal body, medicine, Breathism, and chi as vitality.

Necromancer Expert at Manipulating Death Essences. Focussing on dim mak, animal biology, study of chi, toxicology, viriology, bacteriology, immunology, the Kreb cycle, phosphorylation, free radicals, anatomy, psychological effects on the body, the nature of hallucination, auric poisoning, “miasma” concept, acupuncture theory, lou channels, chakras, life meridians, medical biochemistry, and death deities.

Sorcerer Expert Manipulator of the Twilight Realm. Focussing on interpretational abstractions, geometry, Jewish “hell” concept (abyss), pre- and post-Christian “hell” concept (both Greek), the nature of emotion, multiversal theory, lucid dreaming, astral projection, the nature of physical interpretation (the five senses + sixth), Eastern “void” concept, dimensional theory, meditative trances, trance states, and physics related to holographic reality models.

Wizard Expert Manipulator of the Astral Planes. Focussing on non-Euclidian geometry, geometry, mathematics, multiversal theory, astral projection, astral forms, dimensional theory, the nature of perception, meditative trances, trance states, and physics.

Celestial Mage Calls on Deities to Intervene. Relevant studies include history of religion, cultural sociology, historical sociology, anthropology, history of religion, theology, High Magic, the bible, the koran, the Keys of Solomon, the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, John Dee’s Angel studies, Johannes Trithemius, shamanism, Intelligent Design theory (ID), and examinaton of other various holy writs and mythologies.

Satanic Magician Expert of Manipulating and Expressing Internal Forces. Pertains to LaVeyan “Satanic Magic”, Luciferianism, thought-forms, chaos theory, mind over matter, nature of perception, chakras, cause and effect principles in open systems, “crimson” magic as per CoS, self-fulfilling prophecy, and specific emphasis on microcosmic effect on macrocosms.

Luna’s Grimoire

Tips for the Solitary Practitioner

There are many more self-initiated Wiccans and Witches out there than practically any other variety of Pagan. While a valid and legitimate spiritual path, self-initiation and working solitary pose a few unique challenges to those who would follow this particular path to the Old Gods. By its very nature, the solitary path doesn’t have a lot of guidance available–usually you strike out on your own to discover it all for yourself.

So why self-initiate? Why be a solitary practitioner? These are questions you have to answer for yourself. No one has a monopoly upon wisdom, nor on the Mysteries–these are not things that you can own, only experience on your own terms, and even then they keep moving, changing and growing. Anyone who approaches the Gods with sincerity, respect, and integrity can and will discover their own way to commune with these essential forces of Nature. It means hard work, requires creativity, persistence and determination–it is a challenging path to take.

If you decide to pursue self-initiation and build your own version of spiritual practice based upon the Wiccan model, here are some tips to help make the process go a bit more smoothly:

1) Clarify your intent. Ask yourself “Why am I doing this?” Examine your motivations–pursuing any particular spiritual path is a serious commitment. Setting out to explore things on your own as a solitary practitioner is not something to do on a whim, nor is it a “fun” hobby. It’s work, and plenty of it. It can also be worth it.

2) Gather your resources. You need to establish a set of ground rules for what you want to do. This will require reading everything you can get. Try to read a variety of authors, and don’t read just about Witchcraft. You’re not going to learn very much from restricting your reading to pop-Wicca books that gleefully extol the virtues of playing at mediocre, misinterpreted folk traditions of dubious vintage. You’re setting out to acquire some wisdom, not superstitious twaddle and bogus hokum. Take classes and get calluses–go out and learn something, then put it to use in your life and the community around you. If it dies on the vine unused, it’s a waste.

3) If you find something that you like, adapt it; don’t just lift it out of its context. Once you have a basic framework within/upon which to work, rewrite everything to fit your emerging vision, after you’ve tried it out, tested it, and given it a chance to teach you what it has to reveal on its own terms.

4) Draft a statement of your core beliefs. Sign it, date it, and place it in your journal or Book of Shadows. Forget about it for a while and just work on doing it. Choose a time each year to re- examine it and amend it if desired. Sometimes this is a good thing to do during the winter months, perhaps Candlemas/Imbolc? You decide. When you do check it out, don’t beat yourself up if you’ve gone off in a completely other direction. Spend some time contemplating what you meant when you wrote that piece and look at what you’ve learned in the time since then. What would you change about it, or yourself, now that you know what you know now?

5) If you do happen to fall prey to the social disease of writing, please be sure to make every reasonable attempt to document your sources. Give credit where credit is due. You have nothing to gain by trying to pretend that you invented Gardner’s or Crowley’s books. Keep yourself honest. Given time, and effort, you will develop your own rites. When you do, you don’t want to dilute the meaningfulness of the moment by that nagging little voice that reminds you that you didn’t really do it. Respect your creativity, maintain personal integrity, and let things develop naturally.

6) Remember that within most established traditions of the Craft, the term ‘degree’ generally refers to experience, not rank. As a solitary you don’t have any rank to worry about. If you do, well, then I hope you’re enjoying yourself. As a solitary you get the opportunity to focus upon the personal experience and to drop the distractions. It’s similar to the monastic approach to mysticism, only less ascetic and more fun.

If you do wind up creating or adapting some sort of degree system for your personal Work be sure to take your time working through those degrees. Learn all you can and work with the Gods and Mighty Ones–as you progress, the doors of perception will open, the way will be found. Besides, if you’re going to pursue an experiential approach to an already experiential path, why deny yourself the benefit of having those very experiences that are part and parcel of the whole darn thing in the first place? It’s absolutely about quality, not quantity.

7) Do it for the right reasons. Why are you doing whatever you’re doing, and why alone? If you’re solitary because of some sort of insecurity or negative reaction to past happenstance…be prepared for circumstances to change as you grow and mature. If you’ve withdrawn to focus upon certain aspects of your personal spiritual development, don’t lose track of that, even if you do decide to take a break and go hang out with a group for a while. Your solitary practice should serve as a firm foundation for your day-to-day life. A viable, healthy spiritual practice will offer you a way to recharge your batteries, cope with stress, resolve crises and guide you as you grow. If your solitary path doesn’t offer you these things, what are you doing?

8) Solitary work can be ideal for self-transformation and personal healing. As you progress, as healing occurs, as changes take place, you will find your practice likewise changing. Consider this a form of sympathetic magick. As you become more fully integrated and whole, your rituals will become more balanced and holistic as well. The Craft is a healing path, so why not approach it as such?

9) Keep in mind that the only way to gauge progress is to challenge it in some manner. How you decide to challenge yourself is one thing. How the universe around you, let alone the Gods & Ancestors, will test your progress is another matter. There will come a point where your focus upon the self-chosen, self-directed things will be intruded upon. You are a human being, not an oyster. If you’re going to heal, then heal and get on with life. If you’re going to deal with something, deal with it and move on. Life is in motion. Whatever tries to remain static will encounter friction and eventually will be torn loose by the tides of change or the teeth of the trickster.

10) We all learn at different rates and in different styles. Working alone makes it possible to modify everything to suit your needs. Creativity and sincerity can guide you in making your Craft practice a viable and vital part of your life. Don’t waste time measuring your progress against other people. They do not approach things from your perspective or background, nor do they share your personal circumstances.

11) No matter what disabilities, hindrances, or restrictions you may have in your life, you can practice Wicca–if you honestly desire to do so. Indeed, the only thing holding anyone back from the Craft of the wise is their own sense of self. Sure, you may not be able to jump around a circle waving a letter-opener or perhaps you can’t mumble out a mournful dirge of dubious ecstasy like some of the other folks on the path. So what? As you will and you harm none. Get it?

12) Even solitaries aren’t alone anymore. With all of the resources available on the Internet–go check out http://www.witchvox.com or http://www.circle.org or http://www.avatarsearch.com or http://www.twpt.com or just do a search on Wiccan, Pagan or whatever your heart desires. There’s an incredible amount of information and opportunities to connect with a vast array of fellow seekers out there.

13) Consider sharing the fruits of your labors, but don’t be in a hurry to share the secrets of your success. Solitary work is very personal and what worked for you may not work for another. Respect the freedom of others to pursue their own path into the Silence as you yourself did. If you find that others come to you, or that you are asked to share more details, then you are being confronted by the task of becoming a teacher or guide or mentor.

Congratulations. Hopefully your time spent in solitary practice has garnered you some measure of wisdom that can help you to meet this new challenge with grace and dignity. Or at least with a good head start as you run away.

by James Garrison

Luna’s Grimoire

How to Practice as a Solitary Pagan

By Patti Wigington, About.com

In modern Paganism and Wicca, there are far more people who practice as solitaries than there are people who have joined covens or established traditions. Why is this? It’s partly because most people who want to learn about Paganism develop the interest long before they meet a coven or trad that they’re interested in joining. It’s also because even if you decide you want to be part of a coven or group, it’s not always easy to find one. Wiccan covens and Pagan groups don’t exactly have a listing in the Yellow Pages, so you may have five covens right up the street from you, and you’d never know it.

Certainly, practicing as a solitary can have its rewards. After all, you can make your own guidelines and follow your own set of ethics. Worship can be done at your convenience, rather than according to a schedule dictated by others. As a solitary, you’re really under no obligation to anyone but yourself and your gods. Many people spend their entire lives practicing as solitaries, and never feel a need to join a coven or group.

Occasionally, you may find some drawbacks to practicing as a solitary Pagan or Wiccan. You might sometimes feel alone, like you have no one to network with or share ideas with. You may at some point feel like you’ve stagnated — it’s hard to figure out what the next step is if you don’t have someone to compare notes. Sometimes, it’s nice to just get feedback from like-minded people — someone who can help you when you’re wondering about what to do.

If you’ve decided to practice as a solitary — either temporarily, or in the long-term — here are some tips on how to have a successful experience:

Try to establish a daily routine. It’s easy to let your studies go by the wayside if you’re all by yourself, so establishing a daily routine will help you keep on task. Whether your routine includes meditation, reading, ritual work, or whatever, try to do something each day that helps you work towards achieving your spiritual studies.

Write things down. Many people choose to keep a Book of Shadows, or BOS, to chronicle their magical studies. This is important for a variety of reasons. First, it allows you to document what you’ve tried and done, as well as what works and doesn’t work for you. Secondly, by writing down your rituals, prayers, or spellwork, you’re laying the foundation for your tradition. You can go back and repeat things that you find to be useful later one. Finally, it’s important to keep track of what you do magically and spiritually because as people, we evolve. The person you are now is not the same person you were ten years ago, and it’s healthy for us to be able to look back and see where we were, and how far we’ve come.

Get out and meet people. Just because you’ve chosen to practice as a solitary doesn’t mean you should never come into contact with other Pagans or Wiccans. Most metropolitan areas — and a lot of smaller communities — have informal Pagan groups that get together regularly. This offers solitaries a chance to network and chat with each other, without having to form specific organized groups. Take advantage of resources like Witchvox and Meetup to see what’s in your area. If there’s nothing around you, consider starting a study group of your own for like-minded folks.

Ask questions. Let’s face it, we all need to start somewhere. If your read or hear something and you want to know more about it, ask. If something isn’t clear, or contradicts something you’ve already read, ask. Don’t accept everything at face value, and remember that just because one person had a particular experience doesn’t mean that you’ll have an identical experience. Also, keep in mind that just because you read something in a book doesn’t necessarily mean it’s valid — learn to ask whether a resource is worth using or not. Don’t be afraid to be a skeptic sometimes.

Don’t ever stop learning. Ask other people in the Pagan community — either online, or in real life — for recommendations about books and other resources. If you read a book that you enjoy, check the back for a bibliography and see what other books that author suggests. Remember that learning can take place by reading, but it can also develop from personal experience, and from speaking with other people involved in Paganism.

Luna’s Grimoire

Learning Anything

LEARNING ANYTHING

One of the most important skills you will ever learn in your life is learning
which questions to ask and when to ask them.

You will never learn how to do much of anything in your life if you do not learn
how to ask questions, and not only that, but to question the answers you get in
return.

For instance, “I want to learn about wicca,” is not a question. It is a statement.

“Teach me about wicca,” is also not a question. It is a command, even if you add
the word please.

Think about what you really want to ask. “Can you teach me about wicca?”

Ok, you’re getting closer to the question you really want answered. “Will you teach me about wicca?”

Even closer, but the topic at hand is a large one.

Look for where you actually want to start learning.

Good questions to start working with are “What makes wicca different from other paths?” or perhaps, “What is the first thing I should learn to start my journey of learning about wicca?”

These last two questions are good questions because they are specific and and
give the person you are talking with an idea of what you are actually interested
in learning.

Here’s another example.

I want to learn how to bake bread.

First of all I find someone that knows how (the right person).

Then I wait until they have the time to help me and a place ready to show me how to bake bread.

I try to read up a little ahead of time if I can and show up well rested and
ready to learn hopefully without any preconceptions (the right time).

Now I could ask them what the chemical structure of bread is, or why it browns
when it bakes or what type of butter to use on it, but none of these are very
good questions to help me towards my goal of learning how to bake bread.

True it might be useful information, but I can always learn the answers to those
questions later once I have learned the basics.

So my first questions are, “What are the ingredients we use?” and “How do we
start?,” two specific and useful questions.

A good question asked at the right time to the right person helps the person answering it almost as much as it helps the person asking it.

If the person you are asking questions to has no idea of your level of knowledge of the subject or your specific area of interest at the moment they cannot help you nearly as well as they could if they knew these things.

Good questions are one way of helping a person understand what you want to know and what level of difficulty you want it explained at.

The Four Rules and The Law of White Witchcraft

**Notice**

This document may be distributed freely so long as it is not altered, edited, or changed in any way from its original form. A copy of this document in its true original form may be gotten from our home page.

In order to live a full and successful life as a ‘White Witch’, one must first understand what the rules of the game are. The principles which are put forth below are intended to be a very simple, basic way to remember the way of the White Craft.

The total idea may be visualized as a four legged stool. Each of the Rules can be seen as a leg and The Law may be seen as the seat. The Rules without The Law are uncomfortable and nigh on to useless in their function. The Law without the Rules gives you a comfortable place to be, but it is rather impractical and again, nearly useless. However, when all of these are brought together they make a highly stable, functional, and enjoyable life.

The Four Rules

Live – Live each day as if it were your last, for one day you will be right.

Love – Love yourself first and foremost. For when you truly love yourself, loving those around you will come as easily as breathing – and we all must breathe.

Learn – Learn your life’s lessons – each as it comes – for that is the reason we are here.

Enjoy – Enjoy your life, because if you do not most likely someone else will enjoy it for you… and then your time here will have been wasted.

The Law: Harm None.

Explanations

Live

The first Rule put forth sounds pretty straight forward at first. Then you actually try to live it! 🙂 Living each day as if it were your last means maximizing your potential for every moment that you have been given.

If you are let go from your job… that is an opportunity to face truth and see what you can do to make yourself more marketable and go get a BETTER job. Or, if you are highly motivated, dedicated, and a risk taker you can take that chance to start your own company.

When I first began to follow these principles, my business was not very successful, my marriage was only tolerable, and I often felt depressed about my situation as a whole. Then I began to live each moment.’Carpe Diem’ (Seize the day) became my motto. I began to maximize every moment and live in the moment, not for the moment.

This does not mean that in order to be a good witch that you have to work like a rabid squirrel on ‘speed’… but it does mean that you have to be honest with yourself to see what your situation really is and to make the most of it. I believe that if I can go to bed at night and think to myself that I had done the very best I could that day with the information I had at each moment of opportunity, then the day was a success. But if I go to bed thinking that I had let an opportunity slip away I do not beat myself up over it. I simply say to myself, “Gee Torin, that was one you missed. I’ll get it the next time it comes along.”

Love

What is life without love? Honestly, I can’t imagine what that would be like. Yet many people live their lives without the most important form of love there is – the love of the self. If you truly understand yourself and are willing to take responsibility for your own actions you will suddenly find a great love for yourself.

In order to give free and unconditional love to another person you must first have that kind of feeling for yourself. This is all this means.

Learn

One of the cornerstones of The Craft is the belief that our souls are here on this plane of existence at this point in time to learn lessons. Your lessons are different from (although probably quite similar to) my own. Learn what life teaches you. It is no more difficult than this.

Enjoy

The life of the witch does not require you to live your life in suffering nor poverty. There are no mandates for pain, unhappiness, or unpleasantness. We do not see suffering as the ‘key’ to getting into Heaven (or the Summerlands as some of us call it). Indeed, we see such things as exactly what they are… unpleasant! This does not mean that we never have unpleasant things happen to us, nor that we walk around in a constant state of denial.

We see suffering as either the result of an action we took (i.e. going to jail for robbing a bank) or the way that The Unknown (see “The Deities of Witches” by Torin W.) has chosen to teach us a lesson which we need to learn but have not done anything consciously to bring about the circumstances (i.e. the totally unexpected death of a close friend).

Witch Craft allows you to reap all of the happiness and prosperity from your life that you can muster… so long as you stay within the accepted boundaries. For instance, if you work hard at an honest job you like to do then there is nothing which says you should feel badly for being more successful than others. But if you rob a bank, you may be happy with the things that the money can buy for a short period of time, but eventually you will suffer far greater than if you had simply worked for it. (I know this may sound somewhat like a contradiction to what I said earlier, but I do not believe in keeping a job which does not give me enough pleasure, satisfaction, and money to make up for the difficulties I endure.)

The Law: Harm None

I have been asked to explain this statement more than all of the previous ideas combined. I often describe ‘Harm None’ as “the Law which must remain unbroken, but cannot remain whole at all times.” Think about it, you can’t do it as a human being.

In order to actually harm none you would have to be in total and complete harmony with all things int he Universe at exactly the same time. Your immune system would not kill bacteria and other infections (because that would be harming them). Nor would you allow the bacteria to infect you because that would cause harm to yourself. You would not eat meat, nor vegetables because it would cause the destruction of either. Neither would you not eat because that would harm you. Do you see how this is simply an impossibility?

What I teach my students is to take great pains to Harm None and to think out the results of any act as far as possible ahead of time. I also stress that whenever magics are being worked that the free will of any individual or group should never be infringed.

I have been asked specifically about the use of various types of drugs in witchcraft and their relationship to the ‘Harm None’ principle. I believe that The Bright Ones gave us a sober state of mind for a reason. They also gave our brains some of the most potent chemicals known to man for achieving altered states of consciousness. Therefore i see no reason to alter the chemistry of the brain in order to ‘gain enlightenment’. Ask any recovering drug addict… he/she will tell you that the drugs lie to you.

Because of part of the training I give, I require that no illegal drugs are used while under my tutelage. In fact, if a student becomes sick during training and requires a prescription strength pain reliever, the training schedule is reworked to allow for the purging of the body before training resumes.

One of my students used to do a good deal of psychotropic drugs (i.e. LSD, mushrooms, etc.). Then he and I began to work together. After a few months of training, we worked a circle to allow him to develope his psychic senses (i.e. clairaudience, clairvoyance, etc.) When he left the circle he related to me a feeling such as none he had ever known. His words were, “It was a hundred thousand times better then the best acid trip I had ever taken.”

In short, I personally feel that drugs can be a great hinderance and only cause damage to your soul. But I also recognize the free will of the individual. I can only tell you that in my own perception, drugs do cause harm to you.

Merry Part and Blessed Be

Torin W.

A Pledge to Pagan Spirituality

I am a Pagan and I dedicate myself to channeling the Spiritual Energy of my Inner Self to help and to heal myself and others. I know that I am part of the Whole of Nature. May I grow in understanding of the Unity of all Nature. May I always walk in Balance.

May I always be mindful of the diversity of Nature as well as its Unity and may I always be tolerant of those whose race, appearance, sex, sexual preference, culture, and other ways differ from my own.

May I use the Force (psychic power) wisely and never use it for aggression nor for malevolent purposes. May I never direct it to curtail the free will of another.

May I always be mindful that I create my own reality and that I have the power within me to create positively in my life.

May I always act in honorable ways: being honest with myself and others, keeping my word whenever I have given it, fulfilling all responsibilities and commitments I have taken on to the best of my ability.

May I always remember that whatever is sent out always returns magnified to the sender. May the Forces of Karma move swiftly to remind me of my spiritual commitments when I have begun to falter from them, and may I use this Karmic feedback to help myself grow and be more attuned to my Inner Pagan Spirit.

May I always remain strong and committed to my Spiritual ideals in the face of adversity and negativity. May the Force of my Inner Spirit ground out all malevolence directed my way and transform it into positively. May my Inner Light shine so strongly that malevolent forces cannot even approach my sphere of existence.

May I always grow in Inner Wisdom and Understanding. May I see every problem that I face as an opportunity to develop myself spiritually in solving it.

May I always act out of Love to all other beings on this Planet – to other humans, to plants, to animals, to minerals, to elementals, to spirits, and to other entities.

May I always be mindful that the Goddess and God in all their forms dwell within me and that this divinity is reflected through my own Inner self, my Pagan Spirit.

May I always channel Love and Light from my being. May my Inner Spirit, rather than my ego self, guide all my thoughts, feelings, and actions.

SO MOTE IT BE!

Your Year & A Day Studies Should Include….

Your Year & A Day Studies Should Include….

Know what magick is.
Know different ways to raise, direct and ground energy.
Know how to cast a magick circle.
Know how to open a circle.
Know the basic outline of a spell.
Know the Intent or Purpose
What is it you are trying to do? Heal an illness? Increase your concentration? Bring love into your life? Sell a house? Celebrate a Sabbat? Before you begin any magickal working, you should have a firm grasp on what outcome you are seeking.
Know the Best Time to Work the Spell
Do you know what type of magick should be worked during the waning moon and what type during the waxing moon?
What type of magick is best worked on the full moon? The new moon?
What days of the week are best for what types of magick?
Learn how the moon phases and days of the week affect magickal workings so you will know when to work your spell.
Know Correspondences
Learn which colors will bring what results.
Learn a little about herbalism, which herbs can be used for what magickal purposes.
Learn about image magick and how it works.
Learn about elemental magick, which elements can be used for what types of magick.

RITUAL MAGICK

Ritual Magick could be said to be the halfway point between Ceremonial and Natural Magickal workings. It uses astrological alignments, colour correspondences, as well as moon phases and elements to achieve desired results. Singing and dancing are often used to help raise the energies, as well as drumming and trance-like states. Visualisation and incantations are used by the practitioner much the same as the Natural Magick practitioner, though elemental and astrological influences are taken into consideration. It may be performed by either individuals, or groups… as it is not as elaborate as Ceremonial Magick, though more complicated than Natural Magick. Because of the lesser complexities, it is not used for enlightment, but may be used to achieve mundane and spiritual results much the same as Nat

ural Magick. This genre of Magick can be classed within the same specifications as Ceremonial Magick- both are considered ‘high’ Magick, it does seem to be a meeting of both Ceremonial and Natural Magick.

NATURAL (OR ‘LOW’) MAGICK

NATURAL (OR ‘LOW’) MAGICK

Once so called because it was the practise of those who worked and lived in the ‘lowlands’…people such as farmers who worked long hours during the day, and had little time to perform elaborate and complicated rituals and ceremonies. Nowadays, Natural Magick has its roots firmly placed in those days- using natural objects during the workings. This less formal genre of practise takes less time and does not need a magickal space or structure to achieve the desired results. Sometimes referred to as ‘folk’ magick, it seems to have a much more common sense approach to magickal workings. The practitioners of this use feathers, stones, gems,herbs, wood, the seasons of the year and moon phases, coupled with their own forces and energies to create and perform a spell. The desired results of such magickal workings can be mundane and simple as well as more spiritual and mental.

Any parts of animals used for the Magick are not procurred by sacrifice, but are things that can be found- such as feathers or bones that are visible on the surface of the ground. The pratise of Natural Magick perserveres to achieve harmony with nature, rather than connecting to the Divine, and is often called ‘the Magick of the Wiccans and Witches’. Visualisation and chanting (incantations or spells) is used in this form of Magick also.

CEREMONIAL (OR ‘HIGH’) MAGICK

High Magick was once called so because it was the practice of those who were ‘above’ farmers and labourers…those people whose station in life determined that they had much more time on their hands. However, it is generally more accepted in modern times to use the term ‘high’ or ‘ceremonial’ magick to describe the magickal workings that use specific rituals and guidlines. The rituals are intricate, and have to follow exact rules and definitions. The people involved in the ceremonies of High Magick call upon entities (and sometimes demons) to do their bidding and will. The guidelines of the ceremonies and rituals may not be deviated from nor changed, as this may cause severe problems. It may also be noted that this genre of Magickal workings requires a group of people, and is not practiced solitary. Magickal spaces are used to confine the Ceremonial Magick- such as the triple circle.

Many practitioners of this Magick use it to connect to the Divine, for enlightenment, and often use complex astrological and numerical charts… the rituals are elaborate and take much time to perform. It has been known for practitioners to use animal sacrifice within the boundaries of ceremonial Magick..but much less so in modern times. This is a very disciplined form of Magick

GREY MAGICK

Sometimes referred to as ‘middle’ or ‘middle path’ magick, it is basically the use of negative energy for good purpose. For instance…using a love or money spell to help another in dire need. Grey magick is performed with the hope for good intended results. Sometimes grey magick is the the use of both black and white magick- a practioner of the Craft who uses both aspects of magick (black and white) to achieve desired results. Some people within the Craft use grey Magick, as they personally believe that this balances the natural order of things…it balances Karma.

BLACK MAGICK

Sometimes referred to as ‘left hand magick’, is using energies to create a situation to benefit the practitioner This includes bending another persons will, causing confusion in others. Black Magick is usually self-concerning- in other words it is used by the individual, FOR the individual- for personal gain, whether that be emotional or physical gain- it is said to be used selfishly.It can be said that Black Magick works against the natural order of the universe- it bends the forces and energies against the natural way- forcing choas and misunderstanding. All Magickal workings have consequences other than the desired results…there are side effects to consider. Whereas the usage of white magick has naturally beneficial side effects, the opposite can be said for black Magick, and side effects may be dire indeed. Whether a beginner or a seasoned practitioner, it should be always considered that Magick can be dangerous either way

WHITE MAGICK

Sometimes referred to as ‘right hand magick’, white magick is catergorised (in general) as magickal workings used for the benefit of others. It is non-manipulative, and is not performed without the permission of whomever is involved. Healing and working towards finding the good within is all white magick, as is helping others with no dangerous or harmful side effects. White magick is concerned with peace and love, good luck and happiness- though not manipulating others to achieve the desired results. It does well to note here that White Magick is not often used for personal gain- it is used to benefit others; either individuals or groups- it is said to be magick used unselfishly. Consideration on the effects are taken very seriously.

Magick Itself

Magick itself isn’t black, white, or grey. Magick is simply what it is. It is the intent of the person using the magick that molds it into becoming effectual as ‘good’ or ‘bad’, etc.

Categorising each magickal use as being white or black (or somewhere in between) is difficult. Some magickal practises can go awry, bad things may happen to one person due to not enough forethought…does this make the magick ‘black’? Good intent, nomatter how strong, may not make up for causing harm to another. The way in which you practise is entirely up to the individual- it is what you think you can accept morally and judgementally for yourself. As with all witchcraft, there is no right or wrong- it is whatever makes you most comfortable.

The Laws of Magic

The Laws of Magic
[Excerpted from _Authentic_Thaumaturgy_ by P.E.I Bonewits]

The Laws of Magic are not legislative laws, but, like those of
physics or musical harmony, are actually fairly practical
observations that have been accumulated over thousands of years.
These laws describe the way magic seems to behave. Most of these
laws will make sense to you (I hope), and even the more obscure
ones should make some sense to you, but if they don’t, ignore
them, or send me some e-mail, and I will try to explain.

The LAW OF KNOWLEDGE: This is probably the most widely used law,
and probably encompasses all the others in some way. The basis of
this law is that understanding brings control. The more that is
known about a subject, the easier it is to excercise control over
it. Knowledge is power.

The LAW OF SELF-KNOWLEDGE: An obvious derivative of the LAW OF
KNOWLEDGE, this law carries additional connotations, as a mage who
does not have knowledge of himself does not have knowledge (and
therefore control) of his own magic. This law is one of the
reason’s “evil” mages are very rare – a dedication to “evil for
evil’s sake” is usually do to a lack of introspection and
awareness of oneself. It is difficult to do harm to others when
you understand fully what that kind of harm would do to you. Know
thyself.

The LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT: A simple scientific understanding –
if exactly the same actions are done under exactly the same
conditions, they will be associated with exactly the same results.
Magicians have at least as much belief in cause and effect as
modern physicists do, they just realize that a good ritual, like a
good theatrical performance or a good bread recipe, isn’t always
predictable. In truth, a spell involves so many variables, that
controlling or even understanding them all is impossible. The key
to magical success is learning which variables are the most
important, and how to keep them constant. Control over the
variables is icing on the cake.

The LAW OF SYNCHRONICITY: Two or more events happening at the same
time are likely to have more in common than the merely temporal.
Very few events ever happen in isolation from other events. There
is no such thing as a mere coincidence.

The LAW OF ASSOCIATION: If any two pattern have elements in
common, the patterns interact “through” those common elements, and
control of one pattern facilitates control of the other(s)
depending (among other factors) upon the number of ccommon
elements involved. This is a very important law, up there with
the LAW OF KNOWLEDGE.

The LAW OF SIMILARITY: Having an accurate physical or mental
representation of something facilitates control over it. This one
is fairly obvious in it’s usage – having a model, picture, or
other representation of your target (like a voodoo doll) gives you
power to effect the target. Look alikes are alike.

The LAW OF CONTAGION: Objects or beings in physical contact with
each other continue to interact after separation. Everyone you
have ever touched has a magical link with you, though it is
probably pretty weak unless the contact was intense and/or
prolonged or repeated frequently. Magical power is contagious.
Naturally, having a part of someone’s body (nails, hair, spit,
etc.) gives the best contagion link.

The LAW OF NAMES: Knowing the complete and TRUE name of an object,
being, or process gives one complete control over it. This works
because a name is a definition (yes, even “Harold”, “Marie”,
“Kunte”, and “Jasmine” were at one time) as well as a contagion
link, and an association (if you call something the same name over
and over, that name becomes associated with the thing). This also
works, because knowing the complete and true name of something or
someone means that you have achieved a complete understanding of
it’s or their nature. This is why, in most pre-industrial
cultures, people are given “secret names”, as well as “public
names”, and why the sharing of a secret name is such an act of
trust – because the secret name is considered to be very close to,
if not identical with, the person’s true name.

The LAW OF WORDS OF POWER: There exist certain words that are able
to alter the internal and external realities of those uttering
them, and the power may rest in the very sounds of the words as
much as their meanings. Many of such words are names, though the
meanings may have been lost or forgotten. Very many magical tools
require words to be inscribed upon them and/or said over them
during their construction and/or use.

The LAW OF PERSONIFICATION: Any phenomenon may be considered to be
alive and to have a personality – that is, to “be” an entity or
being. Anything can be a person. Most weather mages personify
the winds and the clouds, for example, and thus find focussing
their magic on the atmosphere much easier to do.

The LAW OF INVOCATION: It is possible to establish internal
communication with entities from either inside or outside oneself,
said entities seeming to be inside of oneself during the
communication process.

The LAW OF EVOCATION: It is possible to establish external
communication with entities from either inside or outside oneself,
said entities seeming to be outside oneself during the
communication process.

The LAW OF IDENTIFICATION: It is possible through maximum
association between elements of oneself and those of another being
to actually become that being, to the point of sharing it’s
knowledge and wielding it’s power. This is the law that controls
most lengthy or permanent possession phenomena.

The LAW OF PERSONAL UNIVERSES: Every sentient being lives in and
quite possibly creates a unique universe which can never be 100%
identical to that lived in by another. So called “reality” is in
fact a matter of consensus opinions. This law is nowhere near as
obvious as the other laws in it’s applications, but if you can
figure some out, you can use it.

The LAW OF INFINITE UNIVERSES: The total number of universes into
which all possible combinations of existing phenomena could be
organized is infinite. Anything is possible, though some things
are more probable than others. You might consider this to refer
to the “alternate probability worlds” of science fiction, but it
also has a much wider application.

The LAW OF PRAGMATISM: If a pattern of belief or behavior enables
a being to survive and to accomplish chosen goals, then that
belief or behavior is “true” or “real” or “sensible”. If it
works, it’s true. Another rather obscure law, but it does have
some very useful applications.

The LAW OF TRUE FALSEHOODS: It is possible for a concept or act to
violate the truth patterns of a given personal universe and still
be “true”, provided that it “works” in a specific situation. If
it’s a paradox, it’s still probably true. This law is basically
useless, except to justify use of the above three laws without
screwing things up in your version of the real world.

The LAW OF SYNTHESIS: The synthesis of two or more “opposing”
patterns of data will produce a new pattern that will be truer
than either of the first two were. That is, it will be applicable
to more levels of reality, and this new pattern may not be a
compromise, but may be something rather new indeed.

The LAW OF POLARITY: Any pattern of data can be split into (at
least) two “opposing” characteristics, and each will contain the
essence of the other within itself.

The LAW OF OPPOSITES: A sub-law of POLARITY. The “opposite” of a
pattern contains information about that pattern, by providing
information on what the pattern is not. Thus, control over a
pattern’s opposite (or close to it’s opposite) facilitates control
over the pattern itself. (Note that this one I alone take the
blame for, as it is my own extension of POLARITY and SIMILARITY)

The LAW OF DYNAMIC BALANCE: To survive, let alone to become
powerful, one must keep every aspect of one’s universe in a state
of dynamic balance with every other aspect. Extremism is
dangerous, as the extreme being becomes so associated with the
extreme aspect, that they lose the ability to avoid that aspect at
all. This is another reason “evil” mages are rare, as continuous
association with pain or death will cause a mage pain or death,
ending the mage’s ability to continue actively with “evil”. This
is also why “good” mages, especially healers, tend to live a long
time.

The LAW OF PERVERSITY: Sometimes known as Murphy’s Law. If
anything can go wrong, it will, and in the most annoying manner
possible. Magical associations sometimes operate in the reverse
of what was desired, and meaningful coincidences are just as
likely to be unpleasant as pleasant. Even if nothing can go
wrong, some element of the universe may change so that things will
go wrong anyway. Whether we like it or not, the gods (or fates,
or what have you) do have a sense of humor. Emotionally healthy
mages have less problems with this law than others do, as the
mages own subconscious mind is probably a major perpetrator of
this law.

The LAW OF UNITY: Every phenomena in existance is linked directly
or indirectly to every other one, past, present, or future.
Perceived seperations between phenomena are based on incomplete
sensing and/or understanding.

THE OLD LAW – PUBLISHED VERSION

THE OLD LAW – PUBLISHED VERSION
——————————-

1. The Law was made and ordained of old.
2. The Law was made for the Wicca, to advise and help in their
troubles.
3. The Wicca should give due worship to the gods and obey their will,
which they ordain, for it was made for the good of Wicca as the
worship of the Wicca is good for the gods. For the gods love the
brethren of Wicca.
4. As a man loveth a woman by mastering her,
5. So should the Wicca love the gods by being mastered by them.
6. And it is necessary that the Circle which is the temple of the gods,
should be truly cast and purified. And that it may be a fit place
for the gods to enter.
7. And the Wicca shall be properly prepared and purified to enter into
the presence of the gods.
8. With love and worship in their hearts, they shall raise power from
their bodies to give power to the gods.
9. As has been taught of old.
10.For in this way only may men have communion with the gods, for the gods
cannot help man without the help of man.

HPS & HP
11.And the High Priestess shall rule her coven as the representative
of the Goddess.
12.And the High Priest shall support her as the representative of the
God.
13.And the High Priestess shall choose whom she will, be he of
sufficient rank, to be her High Priest.
14.For, as the God Himself kissed Her feet in the five-fold salute,
laying His power at the feet of the Goddess because of Her youth and
beauty, Her sweetness and kindness, Her wisdom and justice, Her
humility and generosity,
15.So He resigned all His power to Her.
16.But the High Priestess should ever mind that the power comes from
Him.
17.It is only lent, to be used wisely and justly.
18.And the greatest virtue of a High Priestess be that she recognize that
youth is necessary to the representative of the Goddess.
19.So she will gracefully retire in favour of a younger woman should
the Coven so decide in council.
20.For a true High Priestess realizes that gracefully surrendering
pride of place is one of the greatest virtues.
21.And that thereby she will return to that pride of place in another
life, with greater power and beauty.

SECURITY
22.In the old days, when witchdom extended far, we were free and
worshipped in all the greater temples.
23.But in these unhappy times we must celebrate our sacred mysteries
in secret.
24.So be it ordained that none but the Wicca may see our mysteries, for
our enemies are many and torture loosens the tongue of man.
25.So be it ordained that no Coven shall know where the next Coven bide.
26.Or who its members be, save only the Priest and Priestess and messenger.
27.And there shall be no communication between them, save by the messenger
of the gods, or the summoner.
28.And only if it be safe may the Covens meet in some safe place for
the great festivals.
29.And while there, none shall say whence they came nor give their true
names.
30.To this end, that if any be tortured, in their agony, they may not tell
if they do not know.
31.So be it ordained that no one shall tell anyone not of the craft who be
of the Wicca, nor give any names or where they bide, or in any way tell
anything which can betray any of us to our foes.
32.Nor may he tell where the Covendom be.
33.Or the Covenstead.
34.Or where the meetings be.
35.And if any break these Laws, even under torture, THE CURSE OF THE
GODDESS SHALL BE UPON THEM, so they may never be reborn on earth and
may remain where they belong, in the hell of the Christians.

DISPUTES
36.Let each High Priestess govern her Coven with justice and love, with
the help and advice of the High Priest and the Elders, always
heeding the advice of the Messenger of the Gods if he cometh.
37.She will heed all complaints of all Brothers and strive to settle
all differences among them.
38.But it must be recognized that there will always be people who will
ever strive to force others to do as they will.
39.These are not necessarily evil.
40.And they oft have good ideas and such ideas should be talked over in
council.
41.But if they will not agree with their Brothers, or if they say,
42.”I will not work under this High Priestess,”
43.It hath ever been the Old Law to be convenient to the Brethren and
to avoid disputes.

NEW COVENS
44.Any of the third may claim to found a new Coven because they live over
a league away from the Covenstead or are about to do so.
45.Anyone living within the Covendom and wishing to form a new Coven,
shall tell the Elders of their intention, and on the instant avoid
their dwelling and remove to the new Covendom.
46.Members of the old Coven may join the new one when it is formed.
But if they do, they must utterly avoid the old Coven.
47.The Elders of the new and old Covens should meet in peace and
brotherly love to decide the new boundaries.
48.Those of the craft who dwell outside both Covendoms may join either but
not both.
49.Though all may, if the Elders agree, meet for the great festivals if
it be truly in peace and brotherly love,
50.But splitting the Coven oft means strife, so for this reason these
Laws were made of old and may the CURSE OF THE GODDESS BE ON ANY WHO
DISREGARD THEM. So be it ordained.

GRIMOIRE
51.If you would keep a book, let it be in your own hand of write. Let
brothers and sisters copy what they will, but never let the book out
of your hands, and never keep the writings of another.
52.For if it be found in their hand of write, they may be taken and arraigned.
53.Let each guard his own writings and destroy them whenever danger threatens.
54.Learn as much as you may by heart and, when danger is past,
rewrite your book, an it be safe.
55.For this reason, if any die, destroy their book an they have not
been able to.
56.For, an it be found, ’tis clear proof against them.
57.And our oppressors know well “Ye may not be a witch alone”.
58.So all their kin and friends be in danger of torture,
59.So destroy everything not necessary.
60.If your book be found on you, ’tis clear proof against you alone,
you may be arraigned.

PERSECUTION
61.Keep all thoughts of the craft from your mind.
62.If the torture be too great to bear, say “I will confess. I cannot
bear this torture. What do you want me to say?”
63.If they try to make you speak of the Brotherhood, do not.
64.But if they try to make you speak of impossibilities such as flying through
the air, consorting with a Christian devil or sacrificing children, or
eating men’s flesh,
65.To obtain relief from torture say “I had an evil dream, I was beside
myself, I was crazed.”
66.Not all magistrates are bad, if there be an excuse, they may show
mercy.
67.If you have confessed aught, deny it afterwards, say you babbled
under torture, say you knew not what you said.
68.If you are condemned, fear not.
69.The Brotherhood is powerful and will help you to escape if you stand
steadfast, but if you betray aught there is no hope for you in this life
or in that to come.
70.Be sure, if steadfast you go to the pyre, drugs will reach you, you will
feel naught. You go to death and what lies beyond, the ecstasy of the
goddess.

TOOLS
71.To avoid discovery, let the working tools be as ordinary things
that any may have in their houses.
72.Let the pentacles be of wax so that they may be broken at once or
melted.
73.Have no sword unless your rank allows it.
74.Have no names or signs on anything.
75.Write the names and signs on them in ink before consecrating them
and wash it off immediately afterwards.
76.Let the colours of the hilts tell which is which.
77.Do not engrave them lest they cause discovery.

CONDUCT
78.Ever remember ye are the hidden children of the Goddess so never do
anything to disgrace them or Her.
79.Never boast, never threaten, never say you would wish ill of anyone.
80.If any person not in the Circle, speak of the craft, say, “Speak not
to me of such, it frightens me, ’tis evil luck to speak of it.”
81.For this reason, the Christians have their spies everywhere. These speak
as if they were well affected to us, as if they would come to our meetings,
saying, “My mother used to worship the Old Ones. I would I could go myself.”
82.To such as these, ever deny all knowledge.
83.But to others, ever say, “‘Tis foolish men talk of witches flying through
the air. To do so they must be as light as thistledown. And men say that
witches all be blear-eyed old crones, so what pleasure can there be at a
witch meeting such as folks talk on ?”
84.And say, “Many wise men now say there be no such creatures.”
85.Ever make it jest) and in some future time perhaps, the
persecution may die and we may worship our gods in safety again.
86.Let us all pray for that happy day.
87.May the blessings of the Goddess and God be on all who keep these
Laws which are ordained.

VALUABLES
88.If the craft hath any appanage, let all guard it and help to keep it
clear and good for the craft.
89.And let all justly guard all monies of the craft.
90.And if any Brother truly wrought it, ’tis right they have their pay,
an it be just. An this be not taking money for the art, but for
good and honest work.
91.And even the Christians say, “The labourer is worthy of his hire,”
but if any Brother work willingly for the good of the craft without
pay, ’tis but to their greater honour. So be it ordained.

QUARRELS
92.   If there be any dispute or quarrel among the Brethren, the High
Priestess shall straightly convene the Elders and inquire into the
matter, and they shall hear both sides, first alone and then
together.
93.   And they shall decide justly, not favouring one side or the other.
94.   Ever recognising there be people who can never agree to work under
others.
95.   But at the same time, there be some people who cannot rule justly.
96.   To those who must ever be chief, there is one answer.
97.   “‘Void the Coven or seek another one, or make a Coven of your own,
taking with you those who will go.”
98.   To those who cannot rule justly, the answer be, “Those who cannot
bear your rule will leave you.”
99.   For none may come to meetings with those with whom they are at
variance.
100. So, an either cannot agree, get hence, for the craft must ever
survive. So be it ordained.

CURSES
101.In the olden days when we had power, we could use the art against any
who ill-treated the Brotherhood. But in these evil days we must not
do so. For our enemies have devised a burning pit of everlasting fire
into which they say their god casteth all the people who worship him,
except it be the very few who are released by their priest’s spells
and masses. And this be chiefly by giving monies and rich gifts to
receive his favour for their great god is ever in need of money.
102.But as our gods need our aid to make fertility for man and crops, so
is the god of the Christians ever in need of man’s help to search out
and destroy us. Their priests ever tell them that any who get our help
are damned to this hell forever, so men be mad with the terror of it.
103.But they make men believe that they may escape this hell if they give
victims to the tormentors. So for this reason all be forever spying,
thinking, “An I can catch but one of these Wicca, I will escape from
this fiery pit.”
104.So for this reason we have our hidels, and men searching long and not
finding, say, “There be none, or if there be, they be in a far country.”
105.But when one of our oppressors die, or even be sick, ever is the cry,
“This be witches’ malice”, and the hunt is up again. And though they slay
ten of their own to one of ours, still they care not. They have countless
thousands.
106.While we are few indeed. So be it ordained.
107.That none shall use the art in any way to do ill to any.
108.However much they may injure us, harm none. And nowtimes many believe
we exist not.
109.That this Law shall ever continue to help us in our plight, no one,
however great an injury or injustice they receive, may use
the art in any way to do ill, or harm any. But they may, after
great consultations with all, use the art to restrain Christians from
harming us Brothers, but only to constrain them and never to punish.
110.To this end men will say, “Such a one is a mighty searcher out, and a
persecutor of old women whom they deemeth to be witches, and none hath
done him harm, so it be proof that they cannot or more truly there be
none.”
111.For all know full well that so many folk have died because someone had
a grudge against them, or were persecuted because they had money or goods
to sieze, or because they had none to bribe the searchers. And many have
died because they were scolding old women. So much that men now say that
only old women are witches.
112.And this be to our advantage and turns suspicion away from us.
113.In England and Scotland ’tis now many a year since a witch hath died the
death. But any misuse of the power might raise the persecution again.
114.So never break this Law, however much you are tempted, and never
consent to its being broken in the least.
115.If you know it is being broken, you must work strongly against it.
116.And any High Priestess or High Priest who consents to its breach
must immediately be deposed for ’tis the blood of the Brethren they
endanger.
117.Do good, an it be safe, and only if it be safe.
118.And keep strictly to the Old Law.

PAYMENT
119.Never accept money for the use of the art, for money ever smeareth
the taker. ‘Tis sorcerors and conjurers and the priests of the
Christians who ever accept money for the use of their arts.
And they sell pardons to let men ascape from their sins.
120.Be not as these. If you accept no money, you will be free from
temptation to use the art for evil causes.
121.All may use the art for their own advantage or for the advantage of
the craft only if you are sure you harm none.
122.But ever let the Coven debate this at length. Only if all are
satisfied that none may be harmed, may the art be used.
123.If it is not possible to achieve your ends one way, perchance the
aim may be achieved by acting in a different way so as to harm
none. MAY THE CURSE OF THE GODDESS BE ON ANY WHO BREAKETH THIS
LAW. So be it ordained.
124.’Tis judged lawful if ever any of the craft need a house or land and
none will sell, to incline the owner’s mind so as to be willing to
sell, provided it harmeth him not in any way and the full price is
paid without haggling.
125.Never bargain or cheapen anything whilst you buy by the art. So be
it ordained.

LAW OF THE LAND
126.”Tis the Old Law and the most important of all laws, that no one may
do anything which will endanger any of the craft, or bring them into
contact with the law of the land or any persecutors.
127.In any dispute between Brethren, no one may invoke any laws but
those of the craft.
128.Or any tribunal but that of the Priestess, Priest and Elders.

DISCUSSION OF WITCHCRAFT
129.It is not forbidden to say as Christians do, “There be witchcraft in
the land,” because our oppressors of old make it a heresy not to
believe in witchcraft and so a crime to deny it which thereby puts you
under suspicion.
130.But ever say, “I know not of it here, perchance there may be but afar
off, I know not where.”
131.But ever speak of them as old crones, consorting with the devil and
riding through the air.
132.And ever say, “But how may many ride the air if they be not as light
as thistledown.”
133.But the curse of the Goddess be on any who cast suspicion on any of
the Brotherhood.
134.Or who speak of any real meeting-place or where they bide.

WORTCUNNING
135.Let the craft keep books with the names of all herbs which are good,
and all cures so all may learn.
136.But keep another book with all the Bales and Apies and let only the
Elders and other trustworthy people have this knowledge. So be it ordained.
137.And may the blessings of the gods be on all who keep these Laws, and
the curses of both the God and the Goddess be on all who break them.

USE OF THE ART
138.Remember the art is the secret of the gods and may only be used in
earnest and never for show or vainglory.
139.Magicians and Christians may taunt us saying, “You have no power,
show us your power. Do magic before our eyes, then only will we believe,”
seeking to cause us to betray the art before them.
140.Heed them not, for the art is holy and may only be used in need,
and the curse of the gods be on any who break this Law.

RESIGNATIONS
141.It ever be the way with women and with men also, that they ever seek
new love.
142.Nor should we reprove them for this.
143.But it may be found a disadvantage to the craft.
144.And so many a time it has happened that a High Priest or a High
Priestess, impelled by love, hath departed with their love. That
is, they left the Coven.
145.Now if the High Priestess wishes to resign, she may do so in full
Coven.
146.And this resignation is valid.
147.But if they should run off without resigning, who may know if they
may not return in a few months?
148.So the Law is, if a High Priestess leaves her Coven, she be taken
back and all be as before.
149.Meanwhile, if she has a deputy, that deputy shall act as High
Priestess for as long as the High Priestess is away.
50.If she returns not at the end of a year and a day, then shall the
Coven elect a new High Priestess,
151.Unless there is a good reason to the contrary.
152.The person who has done the work should reap the benefit of the
reward. If somebody else is elected, the deputy is made maiden
and deputy of the High Priestess.

TRAINING
153.It has been found that practicing the art doth cause a fondness
between aspirant and tutor, and it is the cause of better results if
this be so.
154.And if for any reason this be undesireable, it can easily be avoided
by both persons from the outset firmly resolving in their minds
to be as brother and sister or parent and child.
155.And it is for this reason that a man may be taught only by a woman
and a woman by a man, and women and women should not attempt these
practices together. So be it ordained.

PUNISHMENT
156.Order and discipline must be kept.
157.A High Priestess or a High Priest may, and should, punish all
faults.
158.To this end all the craft must receive correction willingly.
159.All properly prepared, the culprit kneeling should be told his fault
and his sentence pronounced.
160.Punishment should be followed by something amusing.
161.The culprit must acknowledge the justice of the punishment by
kissing the hand on receiving sentence and again thanking for
punishment received. So be it ordained.

—–
-These Laws appear to have become part of the GBG BOS shortly after Doreen
Valiente left his Coven (in 1957); they existed at the time that she left.
(They were an innovation at that time, and were one of the things that
the people who hived at that time refused to accept, though not themselves
a reason for hiving.) See Doreen Valiente’s “The Rebirth of Witchcraft”.
-Some of this material was already in the GBG BOS at the time. See the
Farrars’ “The Witches’ Way”.
-They also seem to be present throughout the Alexandrain stream.
(See the Farrars’ “The Witches Way”, and June Johns’ “King of the
Witches”.)
-The list I give here is drawn from several published sources:
June Johns,”King of the Witches”
Lady Sheba,”The Grimoire of Lady Sheba”
Janet and Stewart Farrar,”The Witches’ Way”
I used Johns as my primary source, as Sheba is generally full of copyist
errors, and the Farrars don’t give the full text.
I couldn’t find the section headings in any published source, but I included
them anyway because they make the text easier to follow.
-Sheba *may* be a more accurate source than Johns for the GBG version.
(Some of what I took to be typos may well have been GBG-ism’s.)
Johns is probably a better source for Alex Sanders’ own version.
Covens in either lineage have probably cross referenced and ‘corrected’
what they took to be errors. (For example, in Law 60, I use the word
‘arraigned’. Sheba gives ‘engained’, which makes no sense (that we know
of). However, ‘engined’ (meaning tortured) makes more sense in context
than ‘arraigned’. Did Alex Sanders mis-correct the ‘engained’ error ?

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