LANDMARKS OF THE CRAFT

by “Eli”. Copyright 2000 The Drudic Craft of the Wise (www.thedcw.org).

 

A landmark is a prominent feature used to mark the boundaries of real estate. Therefore, these landmarks of the Craft ar prominent features of
the American Rite, or Druidic Craft of the Wise. Just as departing from the landmarks in real estate signifies that one has departed from that piece of land, so does departure from the landmarks of our Craft signify such a person or organization has departed from the correct defines of the
Craft. Other branches of the Craft sometimes call this their “Law”.

THE LANDMARKS

The landmarks were given to man by The Great God, Pan,
In the dim, dark ages of the past
For the rule and regulation of the wise,
To advise and help them in their troubles
And relations, one with the other,
That all might work and love together.

They are the Bill of Rights of each member,
And the code of operation of the Coven.
And are to be honored by all
Or else they become meaningless and of little use,
And departure therefrom by any person or Coven
Shall be a departure from the rest of the Covens
Which constitute the American Rite.

And they shall be disfellowshipped, they from the rest of us,
And no further communication shall be established
Concerning things of the Craft
With either He or They until
They shall return to the fold of the Craft
In love and cooperation.

For the Gods love the Wise, the Brethren of the Way,
And so should we return that love.
But this can only be done and made manifest by love expressed
In deeds for the Brethren of the Craft,
Not in pride, but in cooperation and sincerity.

THE FELLOWS OF THE CRAFT

Any person, be male or female, who is of good mind
And free to decide for himself in good faith,
Who shall learn of the Craft and its Tenets,
And shall desire to follow the Way,
Shall be permitted to do so,
And none may say him “Nay”.

And the Gods will love him and look after him,
And they shall bless him on all things,
And his needs shall always be satisfied,
As he shall show forth love and affection
For all the brethren and sisters of the Craft,
And he shall obey the Admonishments
Of the Craft as to secrecy and correct living.

And when he shall desire to join the Craft,
And to follow the Way to Perfection,
He shall make his desires known to any member
Of the Priesthood.
And they shall observe his readiness and sincerity,
And shall then administer the rites of
Secrecy, which is sacredness and brotherhood.

But a Priest shall accept the Sister,
And a Priestess the Brother,
As an eternal reminder of
The duality of the Universe.
And a new name and secret mark
Shall be given each new fellow.

By this name, and under this mark,
Shall they be known among the members
Of the Craft, in love and harmony,
And their old name and identity shall not be known
Even among the members of their own Coven,
And none shall inquire for his name or his house
And he shall inquire these of none.

But the Gods have decreed, that in joining the Rite,
Free Will and independence shall not be in jeopardy.
And he shall have the right to follow the Way.
Walking alone if he will it that way,
Or with a Coven of living brethren
If he so shall choose;

And he shall have the right
To withdraw from any coven at any time
Without the need to say why,
If he shall so choose.

And this either for the purpose of joining another
Or to become solitary for his own reasons,
And there will be none to censure;

And he shall have the right to remain
In a certain Coven, and none shall say him “Nay”,
Or to attempt to force him to leave and depart;
Except that should he lose harmony with them
Then they may so decide
And he shall depart.

But no man shall have the right
To speak for the Craft,
And leaving one Coven does not mean
Leaving the Craft, or
Leaving the Way
And each is free, then, or at any time later,
To remain solitary
Or to seek admission to another Coven.

But let him and each other fellow of the Craft
Keep a book, and this shall be of the colors of the Craft,
That it may be readily recognized,
And here he shall keep all the Laws and Landmarks,
And the tenets of the Craft,
That he might not forget,
And if he do forget, that his mind might be
Renewed.

And in this book, all things shall be the mark
Of his own hand, and in ink,
That it shall be long lived.

Let each of the brothers and sisters
Copy what they will from the book,
Providing that they are of sufficient worthiness,
To receive it, and are of sufficient rank,
Or that the writings are of sufficient nature
As pertain to their own rank.

Never suffer this book out of hand or possession,
And never borrow the writings of another
To keep, but merely to copy.
And each shall guard and keep these writings,
As his most sacred possession
And destroy them when danger threatens.

However, should one be of sufficient power,
To remember his past as a wise man,
This book and other Craft artifacts,
May be buried in a stone box
Prepared for them from time to time,
And this in view of immediate death,
And the desire to save them for a future life.

Otherwise, on notice of impending death,
This book should be destroyed by fire,
As well as other things of the Craft,
Which one may posses.

But the wise man will have nothing around
Which has only a Craft use or meaning,
But only things which can be used in daily affairs.

If there is no reason to own a sword,
Then do not own one;
The white wand is just as powerful,
And less distinctive in the minds of the infidels.

If a white wand is too distinctive,
Then any old wand will do for the purpose
Of the ceremonies.

Have no names written and signs drawn
On anything permanently,
When necessary these can be written
In charcoal or chalk
And erased immediately without the telling of tales.

Let the knife have the shape of,
And be stored with the kitchen knives;
Let the cord be seen around the house,
And be used for a vulgar purpose,
In order to fool the infidels.

Never boast, never threaten, never brag
Of your powers; not even to the Craft,
Above all, never harbor ill thoughts toward another
For the power may make it happen for harm;
And never wish ill to anyone.
As it will Occur.

If anyone speaks of the Craft, to down it,
Remember: the Craft needs no defense,
For it has the Father and
All things will be as He wishes
In the end.

THE COVEN

And it shall be that any Fellow of the Craft,
Finding himself in a place where he knows of no Coven,
Or other Fellow of the Craft
Shall have the right, nay, even the duty,
To seek out such a Coven,
Or other Fellow of the Craft
Without censure.

Provided that he shall not reveal secrets to jeopardize
His former Coven or the members of it,
Or the Craft itself.

And two or three Fellows shall have the right
To meet and discuss subjects of Craft interest,
And to help each other along
On the Way to Perfection,
Except that Craft ceremonies
Must be done by the Priesthood.

Any five fellows who shall desire
To form a Coven may do so,
And they shall apply for a charter
To any High Priest or Priestess,
And they shall then select and choose
A man and a woman to lead them.

And their elected leaders shall be ordained by their High Priest,
And they shall choose two more,
A woman to be the deputy; to learn to be a priestess,
And a Scribe for their Coven.

But these shall not be ordained to the Priesthood,
Unless also qualified for another reason.

And this Coven shall belong to the High Priest,
And shall be answerable to him in all their doings,
Because they did owe their Priesthood to him,
And he shall act at all times in their interest
As their Spiritual Father in the Craft
So that he may lead them as they walk
The way to perfection.

But the newly appointed Priesthood,
Should it be lacking in the knowledge and wisdom needed,
For the positions to which they have been set apart
Then it shall be his responsibility as their High Priest,
To lead and instruct them,
Or cause it to be done by another.

But should the new Coven refuse to follow
The teachings and instructions of their Spiritual Father,
Then he may, at his discretion and Judgement,
Recall their charter, and their right to work as a Coven.
For that which one can give he may also retrieve,
And they shall not again meet,
Unless they can find another High Priest,
Who will assume responsibility over them.

It is the bounden duty of the High Priest to preside,
For all things must be presided over by the High Priesthood;

And should any Coven desire to change,
Their allegiance from one High Priest to another,
For any reason, even the loss of harmony,
Or if, in their considered opinion, their Spiritual Father
Is no longer spiritual, or serving the Father
Then they shall be reordained in the Priesthood
By the New High Priest, and this shall then
Have superceded the original ordinations,
And there shall be for them

A new Spiritual Father.

And if any Priest or Priestess, or other member of the Priesthood,
Find themselves in a place wherein there is no Coven for them to lead,
Then it is their bounden duly to try to the extent of their Power
To find Fellows of the Craft
And organize them into a Coven.

And should they find that there are no other Fellows of the Craft,
In that place, but there are some of the same good bend of mind,
It is then their duty to teach them by word and deed,
Until there be sufficient to form a Coven,
And this shall be done under the supervision,
And with the knowledge of their High Priest,
Through which they received their ordination
And their Powers.

And they shall obligate, teach and initiate all the members of their Coven,
And they shall be theirs and they shall be to them
As elder brothers and sisters,
And shall care for them in all their affairs,
And not just at meetings,
For it is in this that the Craft differs
From all man-made institutions.

Should any member be absent, and love of the Priestess is such
That she shall continue to contact them in any manner
And by any method possible,
To tender them her loving care
At all times of sickness or stress.

And should any member move to a far city
The Priestess will continue to care for them
In love, by whatever method is available,
Until such time as they shall,
Of their own free will,
Obligate themselves to another Priestess.

And the Priestess shall at all times remember
That she is the direct representative of the Goddess to her Coven,
And the Priest is the direct representative of
The unknown God, the Father,
And both must act as such at all times.

Yet the Priestess shall have whomever she shall choose
As her Priest, be he of that rank, or qualified to be,
Or else another Fellow, who shall be called
her Magister.

And she must remember at all times that the man provides the power,
For the woman to direct, and so it is,
That the Priest resigns all his power over to her,
Yet it is not his power, nor hers to keep,
It is the power of God to use in the performance
Of the Work.
The Power of God is only lent to be used,
Wisely and Justly.

Both the members of the Priesthood shall remember their Spiritual Father,
At all times with gratitude, love, veneration and cooperation,
keeping constantly in contact, and acting with him in utmost harmony,
For they must always remember that the power
And wisdom which they use,
Comes to them through him.

In the days of old, ere the coming of Christendom,
The Craft was free and open in its ceremonies,
And entire states and nations worshipped the Gods
Freely and without restraint;

But in these unhappy days, we must remain secret,
And hold our rites and ceremonies in secret,
And there are those who will talk, even without torture,
Which loosens any tongue.

Then let it be ordained, heeded and supported by all
That no Coven shall know wherein
The next Coven shall abide, or who its members be,
Except only the Priestess, Magister and Deputy,
And even they shall not remember
Except for good and sufficient reason.

But, and if only, it should be safe, may the covens meet
In some safe place for festivals, and while there,
None may say whence they came, nor give their true names,
Or tell of where or when their meetings are, and
No secret things shall be spoken of
At these festivals for fear of Cowans and Eavesdroppers.

Let each Priestess govern her own Coven in justice and love,
Ever heeding the advice and instructions of her High Priest.
She will ever heed the complaints of the brethren
And strive to settle all differences between them with love.

But there are those who, in pride, will ever strive
To force their will upon others
But these are not necessarily evil
And will think that they do rightly.
Oft they have good ideas and such ideas
Should be discussed in council with their brethren.

But if they will not agree with their brethren,
Or if they say “I will not work under this Priestess”,
Then they shall have the right to withdraw from that Coven,
And work Solitary.
Or if five or more of them shall withdraw,
They shall have the right
To form another Coven under another
Priestess.

Even as it shall be the right of any five or more persons of a Coven
To withdraw, and form a new Coven, for any reason whatever,
But they shall then utterly avoid the old Coven
In all things, as it shall then have ceased to exist for them.

THE BOOK OF SHADOWS

Let every Coven of whatever rank
Keep a record in a book of black and silver,
And it shall contain, first, the Landmarks and Tenets,
Then a collection of Wisdom of the Craft,
The Rites and Ceremonies of the Coven
As well as the History of the Coven,
And its charter empowering it to work.

And a record of every meeting shall be written therein,
Together with a record of the doings of any member thereof
With the other side, or the Father, or
Any other thing which is for the teaching of all,
Even unto the listing of herbs and medicines
Spells and incantations and Rites
Which contain power for the use of man.

This book shall be kept by the Scribe,
And it shall be kept and approved by the Priesthood
And also the High Priesthood, when it shall come,
But no names or Craft secrets shall be written therein
That he Craft should not be betrayed
Should the book be taken by force,
Or slyness, by the infidels.

And when the coven shall disband,
It shall be the duty of the High Priesthood
To secure this book and make suitable disposition
That it might not endanger the Craft
Or any brother within it
As if the Coven were a person or Fellow
And the book were his book,
So let it be burned.

THE PRIESTHOOD

The Mother, The seven Elder Children, and all the worlds,
Draw their power from the Father.

But the children of the Father are like the sands of the sea,
And He has ordained and set apart certain of his older children,
To help and assist Him in caring for the younger children,
And has given them the Power and the Wisdom to do so,
And these children constitute the Priesthood.

The Father will bestow this power upon whom he will, and none may say him
“Nay”
Yet also may the Priesthood choose workers and helpers
And shall share their power with them,
And this is called ordination.

The Power of the Priesthood is that of the Father
And it is love unfeigned and sincere,
Compassion and gentleness and meekness,
Persuasion and long-suffering and kindness,
And there is no authority over the free will of men
Inherent in the Priesthood,
Nor to be assumed by the members of it.

And the Power of the Priesthood is the Power of God,
And the Power of God can never be wielded by an ungodly man,
Nor an evil man; nor the love of God by an unloving man;
And when the man becomes evil, the Power of God is withdrawn from him.

Nor can a member of the Priesthood be inactive,
For inactivity without cause is lack of love for the Father,
And this man’s priesthood shall depart from him
At the end of a year and a day,
For it is truth eternal,
That the thing which is unused will be taken away.

So if any Fellow of the Craft shall desire the Priesthood,
First let him learn to be a leader of men,
For a Priest with no following is no Priest,
And his Priesthood is in vain.

So therefore let the Fellow who would be a Priest
First learn the knowledge and wisdom he will need in the new appointment,
Then let him learn to lead men, and
When he shall either have been selected
As leader for his Coven,
Or when he shall have gathered up a Coven of his own,
Then let him apply for ordination.

And he shall apply to a High Priest, for it is written
That only the higher can ordain the lesser,
That there shall be an unbroken line
Of power and authority extending
Back through the line of ordination,
To the Father Himself.

And no man can ordain his peers,
For the Lord’s House is not a house of confusion,
So let not the line be broken
For it is the cable tow by which
Men are drawn from the lower
Up to the greater;–
An impossibility without it.

And each must work within their line of ordination
In perfect love and perfect trust,
With perfect harmony in all things,
But should they find that they fall out of harmony
With their line of ordination,
Then let him seek another, to be ordained of him
To be their new spiritual Father.

Let the Priesthood be a leadership of fact; not of fancy,
For those who have no following to lead,
Why are they in the Priesthood?

And so it is that they who lose or give away their following,
Or they who through inactivity have lost their power,
Or they who are not in harmony and love with their Spiritual Father;
Shall be retired from a rank to which entitled
Other than by leadership of men.

But this can only be done by he who ordained them,
For only those who give can take away,
Yet each High Priest is responsible that this is done.

Should any Fellow fain the Priesthood, and use it wisely and well,
The Gods have decreed that those who serve them
Shall prosper and grow in this life,
And shall gain eternal perfection
To be freed from the Wheel of Life,
And to become like unto the angels
In that they should be perfect.

For perfection is to be gained by love,
And there is no greater love than to
Lay down one’s life for his brethren
In their service and for their sake,
And the Father will reward them for
Their labor of love, because
He is not unjust.

FINIS

Posted by Mistress of the Myst

Magical Implements

 

Certainly, you can acquire various magical implements as required, but the best of all would be provided with them beforehand. Here is the short list of necessary things. Colored candles. A pen or a thin brush for drawing of magical symbols. A pencil. A drawing paper and a cardboard. A scissors, needles and colored threads. Small plates and cups. Vessels with plugs for magical potions, herbs and granular substances. Sugar, salt, black pepper, herbs and essential oils. Bones of animals and feathers of birds. All these things must be purchased only on the waxing moon; it is desirable on Thursday or on Wednesday.

 

All magic implements must be cleared by fire and water. For that, hold a cleaning thing above a flame of a white candle so that warm streams of air take away all unnecessary energy and information belonging to this object. Then put it in running water — in a spring or brook, or simply place it under stream of cold water in a washbowl. What can be spoiled by water must be exposed longer fiery cleaning without water influence at all. Anyway, hold a cleaning thing above the flame highly enough so that fire could not spoil it.

 

Keep all your magical implements in one secret place and use them only in the magical purposes. Having made or bought once any magical implement, do not try to replace it constantly by other new thing — do it only when they have full used up or broken.

Posted by Mistress of the Myst

 

The Place of Magic

 

By ancient traditions, magic should be made at specific places such as a crossroads, an open country, a top of a hill, a ruinous church, an uninhabited house, or a bath-house. Many spells and rituals are made in a kitchen (near a fireplace or a stove), a cellar, or a garret room. Wherever you make magic, remember the following rules.

 

Beginning your magic, determine the place for a performance of a ritual. The main condition is a preservation of secrecy. Nobody must prevent you. Nobody must know about your magic. Certainly, other people can know that you have a magic practice, but they must not guess about your real actions.

 

For a designation of your magical space, create a magic circle. You can use for this purpose a long white rope, by which delimit the external world and the world of your magical transformations. Instead of the rope, you can draw a circle on a floor by chalk. Create in your mind an imagined circle — an energy wall that separates you from the external world. The magic circle is necessary for isolation and an increase of a saturation of the space with magical emanations. Inside the circle, laws of physics not always those to which we have got used. Here, the space and the time are subject to refraction — the future not always is a continuation of the past, and the present lives according to laws of the other world. The closer to circle centre, the stronger these anomalies. Therefore, your main magical place is an altar always should be in the middle of the magic circle.

 

As the altar you can use a small square table or a stool sheeted with a dark red or black fabric. The altar plays a role of the centre of a concentration of the influences necessary to your magic. Besides, it is considered as the reduced copy of the Universe where all forces and influences of world are collected.

 

On the altar are placed all magical tools and implements using by you during a ritual.

Circle and Circle Structure

 

A circle is a safe, sacred space that we create. It is “between” the worlds, the magickal and the mundane worlds. It marks a “place that is not a place, in a time that is not a time”. What we mean by this is that it is sort of a nexus, a place that can touch and reach all other places and people in time and space.

 

How does this happen? By intent and the will of the person or people who “cast” the circle. This vision is created so strongly on the astral plane that we can manifest it in the physical plane, and it creates a boundary past which energy will not pass, unless you send it out. The circle is used as a container, to hold the magickal energy that you raise (also called the “cone of power”) until you are ready to send it out for a purpose. Ceremonial magicians will also use a circle at times for protection, to keep unwanted energies or spirits out. I use a circle more for containment rather than protection, but the protective element is good to have there anyway.

 

There are many reasons to have a circle, but they pretty much boil down to one of three:

To work
To worship
To play

 

Work would be magick, healing, self inner work such as meditation, or whatever you are doing that has a specific purpose, and these circles would mainly be done at the times of the Full Moons, New Moons, or Dark Moons, and are called Esbats.

 

Worship can be done at Esbats as well, but is always done for the Sabbats which are the Wiccan Holidays, and there are eight: (see the Sabbats Menu for more detail on these) the four greater Sabbats and the four lesser Sabbats. We believe in our tradition that we should avoid doing magick for personal gain at the Sabbats, but that magick for greater spriritual growth, and growth in our lives, or for healing the earth is all right. On these eight days, we give back to the Gods thanks for the blessings that we receive.

 

And to play, well, those circles are mainly for fun, or learning, and can be done at any time. They are also called Esbats, and can be done anytime and anywhere you like. Wicca is a religion that allows for play, indeed ritual is mostly to have younger self come out and play and be active.

 

So now you may want to know how to actually cast a circle for yourself. Well, there are dozens of books on the subject, all giving you different directions for the four elements, and all giving you different words to say, etc. I have to tell you that the directions of the elements and the words used to cast the circle don’t really matter – what matters is what goes on inside of you!

 

What should be going on in YOUR head is a strong visualization of what you are doing, not worrying about if you have gotten the words correct or not. Words do not cast a circle, strong intent does!

 

Before I begin to give instructions on this, I have to emphasize that each group that I have circled with does things their own way. No one way is always right. I will be telling you what MY tradition follows, without giving away anything that I have vowed to keep secret, and offer you some ideas for words that you can use. Please do not email me to tell me that I am doing it wrong! Each tradition has it’s own way, and if there is another way that works better for you then by all means, use it. This way works beautifully for myself and the people that I work with, and I am simply sharing it with you. This is NOT written in STONE! Please use only what works for you.

 

You should always cleanse yourself and your ritual area before beginning any ritual. To cleanse yourself, take a ritual bath. To cleanse your ritual space, you will take a besom (or broom) and astrally “sweep” the space clean of any unwanted energy. This is especially important if you are using a room that is otherwise used by the family, such as your livingroom, or bedroom, or office. Start at the back of the room, and going widdershins (or counter-clockwise) and visualize and clouds or muddinesss in the atmosphere being swept away, take it all around the room, to the door, and sweep it all the way out the front doorway. If there is a lot of negative energy in the area you need to use, then go around first with sage, burning it strongly and smudging the area well prior to using the besom.

 

There is a chant that our group uses for doing this:

“Tout, tout, tout
Within and without
All negativity
Get out, out, out.”

 

Another verse I have heard used for this purpose is a bit longer:

“Besom, besom, long and lithe,
Made from ash and willow withe,
Tied with thongs of willow bark
In running stream at moonest dark,
With the pentagram indited as the ritual fire is lighted.
Sweep the circle deosil,
Sweep out evil, sweep out ill.
Make the round of the ground where we do the Lady’s will.”

 

“Besom, Besom, Witches broom,
Sweep out Spirits, sweep out doom.
Rid the Lady’s Hallowed ground of demons, imps, and hell’s red hounds.
Then stand thee down on her green earth,
By running stream, or Mistress’ hearth
Till called upon for Sabbat’s rite,
To cleanse once more the dancing site
To guard us all from evil might.”

 

I suggest using something simple, along the lines of the first one, for Esbats, and if you have others present, or are doing a more elaborate Sabbat ritual, you might want to use the first, or both, verses of the second invocation. (I do not know the author of the second set of verses, and if you do know I would appreciate an email so that I can give proper credit to the author. Please use the email link on the home page.)

 

Next you can set up your altar area, being sure to double check that you have everything you plan to use in the ritual. It interrupts the energy flow if you suddenly find you forgot something. Don’t worry, it won’t “ruin” it, it is simply better if you have everything at hand.

 

Think of ritual work as if you were cooking from a recipe. You read over the recipe first to see if it sounds good to you, then you check your cupboards to make sure you have all the ingredients before you start. Ritual is the same way! Read it over first to be sure it sounds good to you, then assemble all the “ingredients” so that you know you have everything the “recipe for ritual” calls for.

 

One other note here, the steps above are not necessarily done in that order. For example, often I will get the altar and all the tools ready first. Then I will take my ritual bath, then cleanse and besom the area. Sometimes I assemble the tools, then cleanse the area with my besom, then to relax and get in a completely magickal frame of mind, I will take my bath last. The order, in other words, doesn’t matter. Do it however it feels right. If you use the same room over and over again for ritual, and it rarely gets used for any other purpose (like a spare bedroom), then you can forgo doing the besoming every time. The room will remain cleansed and charged from all the rituals done in it. You may want to besom the room again after someone else has been in the room, though. If you show it to friends, or if you do end up having to use it for when company sleeps over. Take a moment to stop and FEEL what the space feels like. You can tell if it needs to be cleansed or if it is fine. Use your own judgement – that is how you will develop your knowledge of these things. If it feels fine to you, then it probably is. If you are unsure, then besom it anyway.

 

Now you are ready to begin.

 

The circle is usually cast three times, once with the staff or the athame, then again with the salt and water, then a third time around with incense in the censor. Start in the east and walk slowly, deosil (clockwise or sunwise) around the circle, and say something like:

 

“I cast this circle in power and strength
To be a place between the worlds
For all who worship the Old Gods.”

 

Then next you will go around with the salt and water, completely around the circle and you can say the same thing again, or something different, like:

 

“I cast this circle with water and salt,
That it shall be cleansed and purified.”

 

Then lastly you will go around with the incense in the censor (you CAN use a potholder if this thing gets hot – just consecrate the potholder also!) and say something like:

 

“I cast this circle with air and fire,
That it shall be cleansed and purified.”

 

While you are doing this, it is most important for you to SEE in your mind’s eye the power or energy flowing out from your staff or your athame, and creating a blue or blue-white “flame” or barrier, which is the boundary of the circle. You will see this boundary being created each time you go around and cast the circle. And remember, that this circle is not a flat two-dimensional circle on the floor, but a complete globe that encircles the entire room, both below your feet and also over your head. Make sure that your visualization is complete in that respect. And remember, practice makes perfect.

 

Casting the circle is the beginning of the ritual, and so by definition has more power the more often you do it the same way. If you are working alone, this is no problem, you just find a way that you like to do it, and memorize that way. Do it the same way every time, and soon you will feel the words and the power flowing out without any trouble at all. When you decide to work with a group, however, you will all need to be casting the same way, so that all can participate in your “vision” and help create sacred space. So, whatever way you decide to do this as a solitary practitioner, don’t get so “set” in your ways that you can’t change or adapt later if you happen to find a group you want to work with.

 

Now that you have cast the circle, you will want to purify yourself. The space has been purified by your actions, (and you may have swept the space astrally beforehand with your besom or broom as well.) Some groups do this after they call the elements, some do it before. Either way, it is done BEFORE you would invite in the Lord and Lady.

 

To bless and purify yourself and the other participants, you can use oil mixed with salt water, and mark a pentagram on your forehead and ask:

“May the blessings of the Lord and Lady be upon you.”

 

Or you can say other words that are appropriate to the rite you plan to do. Either way, this is a simple blessing, which is sealed with a kiss, say “Blessed Be” and hug. Our group does a much more formal and head to toe blessing in which we annoint each other starting at the head, and bless each part of the body for the purpose it was created, and then also end with a “Blessed Be” and a hug. In most groups with both sexes, the men bless the women and vice versa. If this isn’t possible, it’s ok to have the same sexes bless each other. The power and magick in Wicca is traditionally passed on from one sex to the other and uses the power of the sexual tension thereby created, however, as in everything else, different groups will have their own way of doing things, and this is also fine.

 

After the Ablutions (the blessing of the participants), then you can call in the elements, or rather, we call in the Guardians of the elements. You see, the elements, or elementals, in their natural state, can be difficult to control by a novice, or even a long time initiate at times. So for our own safety, we call upon the Guardians of the Watchtowers of each direction to which we have assigned an element in our tradition. So, for example, we would call (starting in the east) the “Guardian of the Watchtower of the East, the power of Water.” (Our tradition differs with many published books regarding the placement of the elements in the directions, but there is no ONE right way to do this!) We will also list some of the attributes we wish to share, or say a few words regarding the rite or the magick we are about to do. We ask that they come at our command, and we end with “So mote it be”, a phrase which means “so it must be.”

 

Go around to each of the directions in the circle, the east, south, west and lastly north, and call upon the Guardian of the element you have assigned to that direction, according to the system you have decided to use. When you have finished, return to the center of the circle, or to the place where you have set up your altar.

 

Calling for the presence of the Lord and Lady is different than the elements. We “command” the elements to come, but we invite the Lady and the Lord, or the Goddess and God. They are actually always with us, within us, and so we are actually evoking from inside of ourselves their presence so that we can feel them manifesting in the circle. This can be a very powerful and strong feeling, and the more strongly you can evoke these energies, I believe the faster your spiritual growth can progress. To invite the Gods and Goddesses, we will sometimes use poetry, sometimes read something beautiful and reverent or just close our eyes and say the words from our hearts. The last method is the one I prefer for private worship and for my group’s inner circles, but for Sabbats I will often use poetry or read something. That way all who attend can participate and call upon the Lord and Lady also in their own ways, privately.

 

Now that the God and Goddess are present, this is the time that you would do the work, or the purpose for which the circle was intended. Magick, healing, psychic readings, private meditations, inner work with the Goddess, creating something, channeling poetry or songs; whatever your purpose for the circle will be done at this time. You are only limited by your own imagination!

 

After the work is finished, you will need to ground and center, to start to bring yourself out of the “altered state” of the circle and back into the mundane state of regular day to day living. This is best accomplished by sharing what is commonly called “Cakes and Ale” or “Cakes and Wine”. This is where you will bless and consecrate the wine (or beverage) and the cakes (or food) that you are going to eat and share with all the participants. Before you eat, however, many use this time to perform the Great Rite symbolically.

 

The Great Rite is the union of female and male that is sacred to all life, and is the basis for all life. This is done symbolically in the circle by using the symbols of the athame to represent the male, and the chalice to represent the female. Wine (or some beverage) is poured into the chalice, then both are held up for all to see, with the two people preforming this rite (usually the High Priestess and the High Priest) facing each other in front of the altar. The athame is plunged into the chalice, but gently, and this symbolizes the sacred union. There are many, many different words that can be said at this point, and most will be along these lines:

 

“As the athame is to the male
So the chalice is to the female
And joined together, they are one
For the greatest magick is Love.”

 

After this is done, the cakes are also blessed, and the wine and cakes are passed out to all participants. Many people will say as they pass them out “May you never hunger” or “May you never thirst” which comes from the book by Robert Heinlein called “Stranger in a Strange Land”. These are used by many groups, and are wonderful for the message they convey. Other groups may simply say “Blessed Be”. Use what you prefer, or create your own special blessing. This is also a time for sharing, and bonding, for telling stories, for laughter, and for answering any questions that might arise. Don’t be fooled into cutting this time short, this is an important part of the ritual too, and should be enjoyed to the fullest.

 

Now that the work is finished, you are properly on your way to being grounded, it is time to thank the Lord and Lady and give them leave to depart. This is done respectfully, and often with a wish that they aid us and guide us in the work we are doing, or in the coming season.

 

Remember we don’t command them, we simply invite them.

 

To dismiss the Watchtowers is next before the circle can be opened and completed, and this is done in the same manner as they were previously called. Some groups will start in the North and go widdershins (counterclockwise) to do this, and some groups will still start in the east and end in the east as they did for casting the circle. Use either way, whatever feels right and comfortable for you. Please do be sure, however, to thank the elements and to send them safely on their way. Failure to do that can sometimes result in “accidents” happening for a few days around the house, depending on how well you called them in. Our group also adds a “harm ye none on your way” to the end of our dismissal, and end this with “So Mote it Be”.

 

To dissipate the energy of the circle, to take it down, or open it, is to visualize the energy that you put down, either being expanded out and into the earth to be absorbed and used by the earth, or as being taken back into your tool (staff or athame) and being absorbed or stored there. Both are valid, and are used by different groups. We send the energy out to the outer edge of our “covenstead” to protect our members as they drive home, and then to dissipate naturally into the earth from whence we called it forth.

 

At this point, you have started in the east and ended in the east and taken up or opened the circle, and the rite is ended. Many people will use the traditional:

 

“The circle is open, but never broken,
Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again!”

 

Which is also followed by a lot of hugging, and saying “Blessed Be” to each other, and in general making sure that everyone gets hugged. It’s also customary after Sabbats and sometimes Esbats to feast. This is because you should eat very lightly before a circle where you plan to do magickal working, or even fast for a time (not long, consult your doctor if you have any health concerns). And magick is hard work! Raising energy and sending off that cone of power is a lot of work, and a hearty appetite is usually to be expected after a long circle, so feast is pot-luck and self-serve most often.

 

Circle etiquitte is pretty elementary, and usually just plain common sense and consideration. Unfortunately, some people leave that at the door when they come to circle, or so it would seem. So here are a few do’s and don’t’s:

 

DO bring something to every circle you are invited to, such as a dish for feast, or some wine, or soda. Or ask the hostess what she would like you to bring.

 

DO stay and help clean up afterwards! Your host or hostess are not your servants, and they were kind enough to invite you into their home, be kind enough not to leave it messy. Pick up, and wash if necessary, dishes, or glassware you have used. If you borrowed a robe or a tool (such as a chalice or athame) make sure it gets properly put away where it belongs.

 

Show proper respect for other people’s belongings, especially their altars and tools. Touch nothing without permission.

 

DONT be late! If you are running late and it’s unavoidable, at least call to let them know you are late and just how late you think you will be. Many times I have waited rituals for people who had decided at the last minute they weren’t going to attend. If you do find that you can’t come and you had commited to coming, the courtesy of a phone call is always appreciated.

 

DONT bring guests without permission!

 

DONT put anything on the altar unless you ask first!

 

DO make sure you say Thank You to your hosts!

 

A word now about children… they are our future, and they should certainly be invited to attend outer court Esbats and Sabbats, when they are old enough to know what is going on and to behave accordingly! If you do bring your children to circles, please do not expect everyone else to keep an eye on them. They are your responsibility, and your problem. Before anyone gets put off by my attitude, please be aware that I am a mother, and a grandmother, and my children have always attended any circles that they were allowed and asked to attend. AND they behaved themselves. Children can either be the most wonderful addition to a circle, or the most disruptive. You as the parent have the obligation to see that they know what is going on beforehand and will be comfortable with it. If they are disruptive, and won’t behave, and are bothering other people, then please ask for a door to be cut in the circle and take them out, and go with them to supervise them. If the circle is not appropriate for children, and they are old enough to be left to their own devices for the time, maybe they could watch a movie that would be appropriate for them, or have some kind of activity planned for them.

 

Some groups with lots of young children take turns in supervising activities for them that are Wiccan related, while the other adults have their circle. I have also done circles exclusively for the children, and they have been some of the most fun too! In one we “pretended” we were each of the elements in turn and acted as we thought that element might act. In another, each child had a percussion type instrument, like maracas, cymbols, drums, etc, and we had our own “cone of power” through chanting nursery rhymes and drumming. These directed activities will be more meaningful for your child than a ritual aimed at adults, and are a wonderful way to introduce the “sacred circle” to them, before you expect them to be able to sit or stand still for any length of time. These work for very young children as well as for older ones.

 

In closing, I would just like to emphasize again, that these are the practices that our coven chooses, and in no way mean that you can’t do/see/feel something very different! The strength of Wicca, in my opinion, lies in it’s diversity, and in the ability of the practitioners to adapt to whatever circumstances they need and abilities they have. So use this information in whatever way is useful to you, and don’t use whatever doesn’t feel right to you. Most importantly to me, though, is that you ENJOY

Witch’s Charge

Hear now the words of the witches,
The secrets we hid in the night,
When dark was our destiny’s pathway,
That now we bring forth into the light.

Mysterious Water and Fire,
The Earth and the far-reaching Air,
By hidden quintessence we know them,
And will keep silent and dare.
The birth and rebirth of all nature,
The passing of winter and spring,
We share with the life universal,
Rejoice in the magcial ring.

Four times in the year the Great Sabbat
Returns, and the witches are seen
At Lammas and Candlemas dancing,
On May Eve and old Hallowe’en.
And when day time and night time are equal,
When sun is at greatest and least,
The four lesser Sabbats are summoned,
Again witches gather in feast.

Thirteen silver moons in a year are,
Thirteen is the coven’s array.
Thirteen times at Esbat make merry,
For each golden year and a day.

The power was passed down the ages,
Each time between woman and man,
Each century unto the other,
Ere time and ages began.
When drawn is the magical circle,
By sword or athame of power,
It’s compass between the two worlds lies
In the land of shades that hour.
This world has no right to know it,
And the world beyond will tell naught.
The oldest of gods are invoked there,
The Great Work of Magic is wrought.

For two are the mystical pillars,
That stand at the gate of the shrine,
And two are the power of nature,
The forms and the forces of the divine.
The dark and the light in succession,
The opposites each unto each,
Shown forth as a God and a Goddess:
This did our ancestors teach.

By night he’s the wild wind’s rider,
The Horned One, the Lord of the Shades.
By day he’s the King of the Woodland,
The dweller in green forest glades.

The bright silver lady of midnight,
The crone who weaves spells in the dark.
She is youthful or old as she pleases,
She sails the torn clouds in her barque,

The master and mistress of magic,
They dwell in the deeps of the mind,
Immortal and ever renewing,
With power to free or to bind.

So drink the good wine to the Old Gods,
And dance and make love in their praise,
Till the Summerland shall receive us
In peace at the end of our days.
And Do What Thou Wilt
Shall be the challenge,
So be it in love that harms none,
For this is the only commandment,
By magic of old, be it done!

Eight words the Witches Creed fulfull:
It if Harms None, Do What Thou Will!

 

 

distrubuted in the public domain via the Internet by Seastrider