What are good beginner spells to start with?
There aren’t really “beginner” spells. You should learn Your basics first, tools , meditation , grounding , casting circle ( depends on tradition / system ), crystals , herbology, est. Than you may want to start with protection and self improving spells, such as, increasing spiritual awareness est. Join some coven if you aren’t a member already and consult your priest.
What is Wicca
Wicca is a nature-based religion that believes in multiple deities. Most Wiccans worship both a God and a Goddess aspect of the One Deity. There are different aspects of the God and the Goddess as well, so many pantheons are worshipped in Wicca. Wiccans work to bring back the ancient pagan religions, mostly of European origin. There are hundreds of Traditions of Wicca, such as Celtic, Egyptian, Greek, Italian, Norse, Welsh, and Dianic. Wiccans either work in groups (called covens) or they work alone (solitary). This is all dependant on the witch. There is no centralized authority in Wicca, such as a governing church. Witches are left to themselves to maintain their ethics and morals.
Wiccan Ethics
1. Harm none through your actions, words, or decisions (including yourself).
2. Do not cast magick to harm another. Do not cast magick on another without their consent.
3. Heal the Earth, for she is our mother.
4. Whatever energy you send out returns to you threefold. Therefore, attempt to always do positive things or your actions will cause you great problems.
5. Celebrate the Sabbats in the Wheel of the Year and the Esbats at the New and Full moon to honor the gods.
6. Never berate another’s religion, for it is not our place to question how a deity may show itself to another.
7. Never reveal who is a witch without their permission.
8. Do not take Wicca lightly. To “dabble” is to show dishonor to the beliefs of Wicca and to show the public that the religion is worthless.
9. Honor the Elders of the Craft, for they possess knowledge far beyond yours.
10. Treat knowledge as a sacred gift. Look for it in all things, both good and bad. Learn from mistakes as well as successes.
11. Keep within your Book of Shadows your magickal learnings.
12. Never speak ill of those who are witches, for they are your brethren at all times.
13. Work magick where you will be undisturbed by others who do not know of it. Do not teach magick to those who would not treat it respectfully.
Finding My Way To Wicca
Author: Elle Sea
Like most kids, I grew up Christian. Even as a child, religion was a big part of my life. I went to church on Sundays and went to an additional church group (Awanas) each Thursday night after dance class. I knew that all the “bad guys” went to Hell and that the “good guys” went to Heaven to live with God and His angels. I wanted to study the bible and be a good girl, so I could go live with God and the angels too.
I became the model student in Awana. I always remembered verses from the bible that no one else could remember. The preacher was very kind to me and he was like a father to me, in a way (I never knew and still don’t know my father, so it was a big deal to me) . He told me all about Heaven and that I was going to go live with the angels and God too. He said that all Christians would be saved, that God loved them and he would forgive all their sins. But, he never said one word about anyone in the other religions. At the time, this didn’t trouble me. He is a good man, and I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by not talking about the other religions. The point is that I didn’t think of them either. Some part of me, deep inside, didn’t care, because my family would all be going to Heaven, as they are mostly Christian (I don’t know any that aren’t, excluding myself and my mother) .
I, of course, believed every word he said. A relative worked in Awanas too, because he lived near the church. I loved talking to him. I also loved being able to go and see kids my age. They were all nice and we would hang out and mess around before we had to go in church and study. We became close friends.
Eventually, I started to lose faith in what the preacher said. I no longer craved his approval, as I had when I was young. Although I didn’t realize it the time, I stopped believing in God and worrying about going to Hell.
Then, one night, my mother gave me an article about Wicca. I’ve always loved learning about religions and mythology. She knew someone that was Pagan and thought I’d think it was cool. She never really meant for me to learn (and, not in the least, to start believing) it. Things about Wicca just simply drew me in. I’d never been so curious in my life, not that I could remember, anyway.
So I began to learn more about Wicca. I was young then, too, but I was at the stage where I went to the computer when I wanted to learn something. I went to a couple websites and became even more intrigued. My mom then bought me a few books about Wicca. I devoured the first one faster than when I’d read Harry Potter, one of my favorites, so this was saying something.
The more I learned of Wicca, the more interested I became. Of course, this was the same with some of the other religions I’ve studied. I want to know as much as possible. But, still, there seemed to be something different. Something that made me want to know everything that I could, and then some more. It didn’t seem strange to me. It still doesn’t, it felt natural to me.
Automatically, I felt a deep connection to the Goddess. Maybe it was just that she was a woman, someone I could relate to. Or maybe it was because that I could more easily picture a mother than a father, as I don’t know what one is like. Whatever it was, I knew that She was special. So one night, I sent a prayer to her.
It wasn’t really a prayer, exactly. I just spoke to her like I would to a normal person. Like I would to my mother, with whom I share a very close relationship. I’d like to say that I felt a spiritual awakening or something, but I didn’t. It wasn’t any different than talking to someone who wasn’t really there. I eventually lost hope that She was even real.
Then, more than a week later, I was pushed to talk to her again. Somewhere, deep inside, I knew She was there. The first time hadn’t been like that. It had been something I wanted to experiment with. This time, I knew that She would listen. I felt it, knew it. From what I learned, I thought the best place would be outside, in nature, surrounded my earth.
So I spoke quietly to her. As time went on, I became more confident that She would listen. It was different than the first time. It was like talking to someone, just to get it off your chest, but still knowing that they sincerely wanted to hear you out, to know what you had to say. That may be a bad way to explain it, but that’s the only way I can think of.
Time flew by and I studied for a year and a day. Then, I did a horrible self-initiation. When I’d thought I’d messed it all up and was about to forget it, I changed my mind. I decided it didn’t matter whether I had a big ceremony or whatever; it was just that I believed in the Goddess and God enough to try. So I finished my ridiculous initiation with some strips of pride still intact.
I think that, more than anything, made me feel better. I have been studying Wicca ever since, and still am. Wicca has helped me feel more in tune with nature. Plus, I feel more confident within myself. I care less about what people think and more about how I feel about myself. Altogether, Wicca did some really good things for me. I know that whatever I do, the Lord and Lady will be there beside me to guide me through it. To me, this is a comforting thought.
Blessed be. ) O (
Altars
Creating A Magickal Circle
Your Spiritual Space
A magik circle is a space where a Witch will conduct rituals and ceremonies. It is the gateway between worlds, spirutal and physical realms come together and allow you to communicate with spirit, conduct spiritual work, rituals, ceremonies and castings.
As with everything in the spiritual essence of the world, even a circle has a few guidelines that need to be followed. The circle is not to be broken by someone stepping into this space unless a gateway has been prepared for them to enter. Nor should a Witch step outside the cirlce during a ritual unless a door way has been prepared.
A circle is used to draw a visionary broundry that protects a Witch from outside forces while conducting spiritual work. Many witches use visions of blue flames or divine white protection to create this boundry.
Others choose to create this circle in the physical sense as well. Either by drawing a circle on the floor in a permanent means, or by using a nine-foot cord made from natural fibers that can be easily placed and removed as needed. Sand, salt or herbs can also be used to draw the circle.
When you have selected the area to place your circle, you should Clear and Cleanse the energies before you draw the circle. Many Witches will place a broom at the doorway of the circle as a tool that designates the entry point of the witch or someone else who will be called into this space for work. The broom is also a symbol of a spiritual barrier to keep out unwanted energies from entering your sacred space.
To draw a doorway, a Witch should use a wand or athame to cut a “hole” in the energy field. Many Witches will use incense to close the doorway, using the smoke to symbolize the divine energy field.
Once your work is complete, you must close the circle and ensure the energy has been properly shut down. Leaving an open gate is not only disrespectful to the forces that assisted you, but also dangerous for you and your home. Closing the circle is as simple as 1-2-3.
New Moon Esbats
New Moon Esbats
Empowerment Charm
So Mote It Be
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Ice Runes are most commonly used for questions about struggle, conflict, and achievement. Wunjo is the rune of Joy. Since joy is least frequently a solitary emotion, this rune often represents mutual or communal bliss. Wunjo is also seen as a rune of the gods and a rune of perfection, carrying with it the elation that blazes from the creation of a perfect work – perhaps this is the true joy of the gods, that they can create perfection. That aside, this rune does not focus on the struggle for perfection or on our inevitable imperfections, but rather on a job well done and the satisfaction that comes from it. |
Harm None and the Rede?
Author: Phoenix Sol
Please read the whole thing before you judge my above statement, I understand that some of you might disagree with the points I am about to make and I respect your different views and opinions even if I do not personally agree. You can feel free to think what you think but I have not heard my view put out there in the past so I feel that I must do it now.
‘Harm none.’ What do these two words imply? To harm nothing would be to not exist. To live is to cause harm and death so that the cycle of life can go around. There are microorganisms in the air that when you breathe you kill them. Every time you eat you are causing harm, if you eat meat then someone had to end the life of your meal and even if you don’t eat meat then you are still causing harm to the plant you are eating, for it too was a living organism.
Anything you say can harm another human, even if you tell your religion to a loved one who is against it then you are harming them in some way. If someone attacks you then you would you use what you could to survive or let him or her do what they will because you refuse to cause harm on them? The latter option is impractical, unsafe, and if you chose it you probably would not be mentally all right even if you did live through it.
I do not know why people can think that they truly follow this code in life when it is clearly out of the questions in some situations. However is it even a code?
People who claim to ‘harm none’ do so usually by following the rede thinking that this is what the rede says. However the rede I have found and follow says, ‘An ye harm none, do what ye will.’ The two words mentioned earlier are by no means the only part of the rede as it consists of all eight words. If the eight words were there then it would stand to reason that all of them would share an equal importance.
As mentioned above, I have a very hard time excepting that the only two words in the rede that are important is ‘harm none’ because then the rest of the rede would not be there at all. This is not a short story either where words just get thrown in even if they have little to no meaning within the context of the larger story. This is one sentence that every word has to be perfectly chosen and placed in order to make the meaning get across in such a short amount of space.
In modern language this translates into, ‘if you harm none then you may do as you will.’
Note again it does not say only ‘harm none.’ The ‘if you, ’ or ‘an ye, ’ implies the choice. Such as if a mother said to their child, ‘if you eat your dinner then you may have your chocolate cake.’ If you do something then you will get a sort of reward in return. I know that this is not the basis of Wicca, or Paganism in general, but it is the best example I can come up with for trying to get across my point. So now that we have established what the first four words mean lets move on to the next four.
‘Do what ye will.’ Now this part I feel is much more straightforward than the first four words. It is well known that in Paganism there is no dogma that you MUST follow and there are no rules that direct your behavior. We do not condemn as some monotheistic religions do, threatening with hell fires and the like. However as this alone would make sense, the Pagan paths to not look for this type of behavior as you have to have some structure (what that structure is depends on the particular path that you choose to follow) . But you should also realize that this is also not quite what the rede is telling us. The last part is that we have to take the two parts discussed so far and add them together.
Now there is another common misunderstanding of what it says at this point. I would like you to realize now that if the rede meant to say that you could do whatever you want as long as what you do doesn’t do harm then it would have been worded much differently. It would read, ‘Do what ye will, if ye harm none.’ Think again of the parent and child, this situation would say something along the lines of ‘you can only play in the park if you don’t use the sandbox.’ And yet again this is not how the rede is read.
What it is saying, however, is that if what you are doing causes no harm then you can do it freely. It is not commending the action of causing harm but implying that you may not do harm lightly, with no purpose. Harm is inevitable and the rede I lives by tells me that a logical reason, such as surviving or happiness or well being, is necessary if one decides that they need to cause harm. Harm should not be done without reason however it is inevitable.
This is the rede I live by, ‘An ye harm none, do what ye will.’
Now again this is just how I view the rede and it may be interpreted differently. I will respect other views on it but I would like to say that some things are plain impossible for humans to accomplish.
The seasons change, people change, and the earth is always changing. Flowers grow and bloom and then die, and so do we. It is impossible to resist change.
But I still do resist. When things are exactly where I want them, I never want anything to change, but I know this is futile and sooner or later I will have to change, as well.
Lately, I have been stuck in a rut and only seem to be getting worse. I haven’t done anything Wicca-like in quite some time, because whenever I tried to I felt this dark presence or something telling me not to, as if the gods have turned away from me.
So I backed off for a while. I changed rooms in my house, and got a new desk that I placed directly under my window. So far, this alone has helped me; I have a direct view of my backyard, so I can watch birds hop everywhere and see plants and flowers grow. Sometimes coyotes pass and ravens will circle overhead. When the sun rises, I am the first to see it, and this has made me think of Eos, goddess of dawn. She is the sister of Selene, whom I have always felt drawn to.
A little after my eighteenth birthday, my friend gave me some presents. He drew me a picture of a pentagram with a sword and a chalice going through it, and a sun near the sword and a moon near the chalice. He also drew a few rune symbols on it and lent me his book of runes so that I can learn and decipher them.
He also made me a necklace, which is a chunk of amethyst wrapped in a gold chord that also has runes twisted into it. And last, but by no means least, he gave me a hand-carved athame.
It used to be a knife sharpener, but he sharpened it himself and then carved several rune messages into it. I don’t remember all of them, but I know that one of them that surround the handle is “blessed be” and the one going down the blade is my real name. It was specifically made to work with my energy, and I get this tingling up my right arm whenever I hold it. If I close my eyes I only have to concentrate a little bit to feel the forest where the wooden handle came from and hear the sound of the blade being sharpened.
I once read long ago that you should wait for the right athame to come to you, and I have waited for four years now. During that time, I used an Irish dagger as a stand-in, although the energy about it has been feeling wrong lately. I know that my birthday athame was the one I have been waiting to use, and on the next full moon I will consecrate, cleanse, and empower it, along with my necklace.
I visited my local Wiccan store recently, just because I haven’t in so long. There, I found a rune bag that I was instantly drawn to, behind the stand of statues for Hinduism and Buddhism. I have only used them once, and it was to ask if it is time to part ways with my current boyfriend.
I know I am supposed to use them for magickal purposes, but this has been bothering me for some time now. We have been together for over a year now, and during a recent weekend a few weeks ago, I was happy with him but still wondered if it would last. We are the kind of couple that gets into a fight and goes through a rough area every other week, and usually my depression is the cause of it. I love him, but I’m wondering if it’s time to move on and possibly try again in the future. One of my fellow employees gave me hope; he and his college sweetheart decided to part ways, and nine years later they found each other again and married.
The way things go with me, I tend to tell myself that if things aren’t working out then the universe doesn’t want them to work out, and perhaps sees a better alternative for me. This is a very difficult decision for me, however, because I want to hold on tight to him and never let go. The same employee asked if I was being selfish, to which I grudgingly agreed. But I know my boyfriend desperately wants to hold on, too. It’s like we’re at a harbor, clinging to each other because a storm (change) is threatening to separate us. Instead of throwing ourselves into the storm, we hold on as hard as we can.
Resisting change is futile, and giving in to it will only make things easier.
I wanted to focus on self-love lately, as well. I have been told several times that you cannot accept love into your life if you do not love yourself. So I have been thinking that if I let my boyfriend go and focus on loving myself, maybe, when the time is right, we will meet up again. Or, I will end up happier and he will, too.
While I was at that store, I found a book, Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin. I collect books for beginners in the area of Wicca because everyone has his/her own approach to the religion and I am always curious to how I will feel about it. By reading other authors and beginner books, I have broadened my horizons, so that it is easier to choose my own path.
How are things changing in your lives? How are you approaching it?
The Fluffy Bunnie
Author: Anniekate
Having been told what the definition of “fluffy bunnie” is by the more supposed ‘learned’ in the Pagan/Wiccan community, I thought it was long overdue that I go on a quest and find out what a ‘fluffy bunnie’ really is. Researching it a bit has been an embarrassing as well as eye opening experience because of the abundance of incorrect information or just plain ‘opinions as facts’ that I have found in my search.
Rejected by a LiveJournal group as being ‘too new’ (This status apparently being one of the main fluffy bunnie indicators) , I had my ideas shot down because I was not as experienced as those who apparently have been practicing magic since popping out of the birth canal or have a long lineage of practicing magic folk in their ancestry. Hah!
One of the ideas often held by the fluffy bunnie is the idea one is automatically Pagan/Wiccan after reading one book. Nonsense. The Bible is a collection of more than one book — it is in reality 66 books — and reading the entire Bible does not make one a Christian. Becoming a Christian (for the ones who actually are) is a life changing experience, with the Bible being a guide in the mundane as well as spiritual life. Being raised Christian, going to church every Sunday, even attending a Christian college does not automatically make one a Christian. Same rules apply in Wicca.
Another part of the fluffy bunnie phenomena, I have heard, is the wearing of 50-million chains about the neck and dressing like Dracula. Unless you are a Goth, most Pagan/Wiccans look like everyone else. That does not mean however, that a true Wiccan/Pagan cannot wear what they want, even if it is a lot of jewelry, or black clothing.
There is no rule against being Goth and Pagan/Wiccan. Ask Raven Digitalis, or is he considered a fluffy bunnie because he can pull off both? Even if one is considered a fluffy bunnie like Silver Ravenwolf, is it not possible to learn from her anyway? Maybe on what NOT to do and maybe some of her thoughts and ideas can be beneficial? We study history to (hopefully) learn from the past. Not everything from the past has been a lesson in success and the best of human behavior. We can learn from our history on what is the worst in humankind as well.
People new to being Pagan/Wiccan are considered fluffy bunnies for no other reason than for being new. It is ridiculous and very shortsighted of people to think that they cannot learn something from another who may not be as old or as much of an expert on a subject than someone else. No matter what, there is always going to be an older and smarter individual than you are. If you do not think that is true, you live in a make believe world occupied by cute pink elephants, or your head is stuck in a dark place and we will not specify where.
There are teachers out there, or experts, who know full well they learn more from their students than another teacher. Children are more open-minded to things than adults are. They are like sponges soaking up information and knowledge like it was food. Children are ‘newbies’ to life, yet they have a lot to teach us if we in turn can be open-minded enough. Great ideas are created not just by the experts, but also by those who have a fresh view of the idea that the expert may not have even considered.
To be blunt, there are a lot of Pagan/Wiccans who believe that some of the hallmarks of fluffy bunnies are found in “those who refuse to learn, refuse to think, and refuse to consider the possibility that they could be wrong.” (Catherine Noble Beyer, 2002-2009)
Well, that could be true of many people, experienced or not. Wow. However there are people who do claim to be Pagan/Wiccan for shock value and think it is really neat to curse people, or become Pagan/Wiccan because it is the exact opposite of Christianity. These people are fluffy bunnies. They are not truly Pagan/Wiccan, but are looking for something else. Maybe some therapy is in order.
This is not to say that someone who has been raised Christian all his/her life cannot become Pagan/Wiccan. Some of us were raised in that environment, but have always known that they never fit in, or they never bought into the dogma that just what the ‘church’ says could be right or wrong. It is also untrue that someone who has been in a predominantly male religion/lifestyle cannot be Pagan/Wiccan, as discovering the Goddess for the first time is like a breath of fresh air, and/or like coming home. The teenage rebel might also become a true Pagan/Wiccan, as some of us have discovered that being Pagan/Wiccan can bring more peace and harmony to one’s life.
Fluffy Bunnies supposedly believe that there is light, love, harmony, and all those wonderful Tele Tubby type feelings, and no bad stuff. Really? Take a look at the Ying Yang symbol. There is duality in all things: light and dark, good and bad, male and female, etc. Some actually believe we cannot have good without evil, or light without dark. The fact is, everywhere you look there are opposites and they coexist with one another. Human beings are capable of the greatest feats of courage, goodness, and love, as well as capable of cowardice, evil, and hate. You only have to turn on the news, look on the Internet, and read a paper to know that this is a fact.
There was a discussion question up on an Internet group on the subject of lying. Some felt that since some in the animal kingdom use the art of deception, lying is really not that big of a deal. It is just a ‘rule’ that one can choose to follow or not. Some believe that lying is like throwing a rock into a body of water, and the ripples from it, spread ever wide. Others think it is okay to lie if it is a ‘white lie’ to protect a person, like saying your 300-pound friend looks lovely in an outfit that is not flattering to her.
A friend said this, “On the issue of lying, I don’t think there is an answer. Maybe the closest one was actually in a little book of anecdotes from the Buddha’s life that I skimmed through once, while loitering in a bookstore. In Buddhism, the gravest sin is lying. However, even the Buddha had to tell a lie once, out of compassion. Thus, sins must sometimes be subservient to virtues. And the highest virtue of Buddhism is compassion.”
Most people agree that telling your wife you are home late because of work when truthfully you instead were out cheating with her best friend are two different things. But maybe not. Depends if you buy into the idea that lying is a man-made rule and not a natural one. I might buy that if I was actually an animal and needed deception to catch my lunch or avoid being one. Hopefully, as human animals, are more evolved than that.
Everyone who is Wiccan or Pagan, Buddhist, and even Christian, has their own path to follow, one that another may not agree with. Your relationship to the Universe, God, Lord and Lady, or the Spaghetti Monster, IS going to be different than another person’s because we are all individuals. Each one’s path is as unique as the individual — otherwise it is not a spiritual path you are following, but a cookie recipe. And let’s face it; even though you use the same cookie recipe over and over again, you know that sometimes the cookies do not always turn out the same way each time. Maybe this is an oversimplification, but you get the general idea.
No human being on the planet is perfect, including Pagans/Wiccans. No one is going up for sainthood anytime soon. However, that does not mean that we cannot try and act like adults, even when we disagree with one another. That includes not lowering ourselves to name-calling.
Calling someone a “fluffy bunnie” because you do not like what he/she has to say or because he/she holds a differing opinion than you or your clan does, is childish and immature. And the reason why some of us know this is because we have been guilty of it ourselves.
No, we are not all going to get along. To believe that just because we are Pagan/Wiccan, and someone else is too, does not mean that they or we are going to act somehow better than anyone else because they and we both claim to be Pagan/Wiccan. There are bad and good people and so it stands to reason that there are going to be bad and good Pagans/Wiccans. To think that a person claiming to be Pagan/Wiccan cannot possibly be a bad person is another sign of the “fluffy bunnie syndrome”.
The one thing that can work to counteract the whole fluffy bunnie thing is knowledge. However if a fluffy bunnie does not think that he/she needs to be educated beyond the one or two authors he/she has read, it is going to be an uphill battle. And there is no use in trying to fight with these people to change their minds, as you get sucked into the nonsense right along with them.
You can hope that they come to their senses, grow up a little, and realize that some of their preconceived ideas on what being Pagan/Wiccan was all about were not exactly accurate. At one time, all of us who claim to be Pagan/Wiccan were beginners. We all made mistakes. We held innocent and naive ideas on what Pagans/Wiccans were really all about. We were pigheaded enough to think that we were right — even though we were not – and we did all of the other things that newbies do and get called fluffy bunnies for.
To say that you never did this is being dishonest and you are doing the very thing actual fluffy bunnies do: refuse to learn. Being Pagan/Wiccan means learning those tough lessons and hopefully changing as a person by growing from the errors that we make.
Footnotes:
http://wicca.timerift.net/fluffy.shtml
http://www.soulrebels.com/beth/fluffy.html
http://www.radicalsapphoq.blogspot.com/2007/02/thoughts-on-bashing-fluffy-bunnies-by.html
Before You Call Yourself A Witch
Author: Alorer
“When can I call myself a Witch? What are the basics everyone is telling me to learn first?” In this essay I will try to provide you with some answers to these questions. Please note that this is by no means the “end-all, be-all” of such views; it’s simply my own answer to a seeker’s aforementioned questions. Take it with a grain of salt people; this is the Internet after all!
So, you found a path that seems to fit you and satiate your spiritual hunger. You have probably read a couple of books, skimmed through a couple of sites, talked with a couple of people and feel a genuine, honest and strong pull towards religious Witchcraft. Thus you proceed to call yourself a Witch. Right?
No!
Before you pause in disbelief and stare the screen calling me all sorts have… names (mehehehe) for my apparent “bigotry” stop and think. What does calling yourself a Witch entails? Is it just a name for this spirituality that anyone delving into can take up? Or does it mean something more, something deeper?
Well, I’d say the second. Why you ask? Because any name or title of any empirical, practical and knowledge-filled system has specific connotations and denotes an understanding and a form of capability in the name’s/title’s fields. For our own example, what does one profess, even unknowingly, when taking up the name of a Witch? Well, you’ll find that views differ on this (just as they do on any other subject) , so I’ll present my own view here.
I believe that by calling one’s self a Witch, that person professes a level of mastery, understanding and experience in a variety of fields. Specifically, it denotes a range of various experiences, a degree of mastery over various arts of Witchcraft, a developed and well-grounded spirituality and an effective relationship with deity. I doubt any newbie that starts studying or is at the first few months of their studies have attained or reached any of those things.
I’ll provide a list of requirements that one should meet before they can take the name Witch for their path.
1. Sabbats: One should have acquired an understanding and comprehension of what the Wheel of the Year and its Sabbats deal with as well as have observed it wholly (without having missed any of the sacred days) at least once (meaning, throughout at least a year) .
2. Seats: One should have acquired an understanding and comprehension of what an Esbat deals with as well as have observed any number of Esbats between 4-7 or more within a year.
3. Arts and Crafts: One should have acquired an understanding and comprehension of a number of arts of Witchcraft of their choice and preference as well as have attained a level of mastery in those.
4. Deities: One should have acquired an understanding and comprehension of the deities of their choice and preference or calling as well as have built a working relationship with them.
5. Organization and Structure: One should have formed and follow a standard, stabilized and concrete path, with regular observances, rites and practices.
Of course, those apply on a specific form of religious Witchcraft, one that is influenced heavily by outer court Wiccan material (known as Neo-Wicca or Dedicatory Religious Witchcraft) or has Celtic influences. If you find yourself drawn to another form of religious Witchcraft, simply replace the sacred days, the requirements etc with the appropriate ones. In addition, this is geared mostly towards solitaries and not people under training with a traditional coven. If you happen to fall under the latter, please consult with your uplines/High Priest/ess regarding the requirements that specific Tradition has set.
Why do I say all this? What does it matter whether you meet certain requirements or not? I say all this and it matters because to call yourself something you have not yet attained, have not yet fully understood and have not yet fully realized will cause issues.
First of all, it will deceive and trouble those that seek you out for help be it practical or spiritual. Second of all, it will confuse you since you’ll find yourself unable to neither meet the expectations of the community nor help those in need. You’ll say, “But I don’t intend doing so!” I know you probably don’t wish to deceive others or find yourself in a tough position.
I’ll give you an example: let’s say you have a medical issue and want to find what it is and how to treat it. What will you do? You’ll probably seek out a doctor. Now, think for a moment how you will feel if the person you found calls him/herself a doctor but in all actuality is still only a sophomore of medical school. Won’t it cause you problems? It’s something similar with calling one’s self a Witch.
After reading all this you’ll most probably feel confused, lost and wondering, “What the heck do I call myself then?” Call yourself a Seeker. Call yourself a Student. Or find another term that fits your case better. However, I ask that you do not mislead others and burden yourself by calling your path something it isn’t yet or something it might never be.
NOTE: Due to the fact people might overlook this part of the essay: this refers only to Wiccan-influenced paths. If your path is different, more power to you. I am not Wiccan-influenced either. I simply understand that the majority of people are indeed on such a path, at least while in their Pagan “infancy”. These are completely my own views of the “basics” of such a path. I am in no way an authority on a subject. My word is not law; it’s not written on stone.
A Wiccan’s Rant on “Wiccans”
Author: Sunbear
I’m a young, American, teenage Pagan raised Christian and brought up going to church every Sunday. When I was in 9th grade my parents found out (I was outed by a friend’s dad) . My dad almost cried and my mom wanted an exorcism performed. Over the years they’ve grown more used to the fact and my mom has pretty much adopted paganism too. Sound familiar?
Almost every Pagan I’ve met since I began my spiritual journey was raised Christian, but most of the Pagans I’ve met are teenagers as well. Converting from one religion to another is something I feel is important, because religion should be something you choose yourself and not something chosen for you. But, and I’m sure there are plenty of you who agree, there are quite a few teenagers who are converting (and I use the term loosely) for the wrong reasons.
Go to the mall, to the movies, the boardwalk, anywhere where there are lots of young people, and you’ll see them. Dark clothes, black eyeliner, maybe some bright hair colors, and it’s very likely that one or more will be wearing a pentacle without any grasp or knowledge of what the symbol, and the religion they are representing, means.
Now, let me make one thing very clear, because I’m sure that I just ticked a lot of people off. I’m not in any way shape or form putting down the gothic subculture. I’ve met many pagans who considered themselves goth and were very committed to the craft. There are many wonderful books on gothic Paganism, Gothcraft and Nocturnal Witchcraft, to name only two.
The only point I’m trying to make is that sometimes young teenagers will want to be rebellious and disappoint mommy and daddy for a laugh, or try to make themselves look cooler or more “hardcore”, so not only will they go to Hot Topic and outfit themselves with the latest goth clothing, they’ll strap on a pentacle and change their religion thing on MySpace to “Wiccan”.
I go to a technical school for Advertising Art and Design, and in the Cosmetology (makeup and hair) shop in my school, there’s a girl who will remain unnamed. She is in the middle of her own rebellious phase, and about a month or two ago, I looked on her MySpace and saw that she was supposedly a “Wiccan”. Surprised, I sent her a message and said I had never known before, I’d been practicing for a while and if she ever needed any help or advice to let me know.
When I got around to logging back in about a week later, she had replied my message and said this: “Well I actually don’t kno 2 much bout it i keep lookin stuf up bout it on the internet but all i get is stuff on witches! Lmao!”
I had two very strong urges at the same time. The first was to laugh as hard as I could; the second was to drive over to her house and shake her. I’m sure you all know the feeling.
Then, about three weeks ago I was at Wal-Mart with my boyfriend. We were checking out when the clerk asked me if I was “into that gothic stuff”. I checked myself over. Blue jeans, green, flowered T-shirt, and a brown hoodie.
I guess I looked confused, because he pointed at my chest and said, “You’re wearing a pentagram. Aren’t gothic people normally into that type of thing?”
I quickly explained that it was called a pentacle, that it didn’t have anything to do with devil worship (I know he didn’t ask, but it just starts to slip out after a while, you know?) , and that it was a religious symbol and not a fashion statement.
These two incidents are not isolated. I’ve spoken to a lot of people who were wearing a pentacle necklace who clearly described themselves as either Pagan or Wiccan, who gave explanations of their spiritual path as things like “I don’t believe in God” or “I wanted to explore the darker side of religion”, and I can’t help but wonder where these people are getting their information!
I mean, I know that we all have a different view of our spirituality — that’s what modern Paganism/Wicca is — but it kind of offended me that someone said he/she was a Wiccan because he/she didn’t believe in God. That’s just furthering the stereotype that we are a godless religion that worships a satanic figure.
I hate to think that a Christian person could ask these people about Wicca or Paganism and get an answer like that! I know that sometimes when I’m asked about my spiritual path one of the first questions is “Why don’t you believe in God?”
When that kid told me he was a Wiccan because he didn’t believe in God, I asked, “Do you mean you don’t believe in the Christian God?”
To which he replied, “No, I don’t believe in any God.”
I asked him where he got his information on Wicca, and he said that somebody told him about it and he thought it sounded cool because he could do magick! I immediately told him that that person obviously didn’t know what they were talking about and I gave him a run-down on what Paganism/Wicca really is. And he said that the Einstein who gave him the information didn’t tell him anything at I had just said. After our conversation he was no longer interested in the religion at all.
There are so many misconceptions about us as a group already that it scares me a little bit that there are people who walk around with no idea what they’re talking about spewing false information into the world.
How the Internet Changed Paganism
Author: Vivienne
The Internet is a wonderful tool used by numerous people worldwide. Although some might not admit it, most people rely on the Internet for most things that they do. Now, how does this relate to Paganism, one might ask? Well it seems that the Internet has made information on Paganism and the various traditions that it encompasses (i.e. Druidism, Wicca, etc) more accessible to people now a days. There are many articles on Paganism available to read on the Internet (not all are good but there are many informative pieces out there) .
If it weren’t for the wonder that is the world wide Internet, I probably would not be on the spiritual path that I am today- I cannot say that for sure but it is improbable. To be honest, I can’t quite remember exactly how I ended up typing “Wicca” into the Google search engine on my laptop computer. However, what I do know is that for some reason I did and it led me to reading various articles on the religion, that I now call my own. It led me to discover that there is a spiritual path that seems to encompass basically everything that I believe- in terms of what the divine is. It felt to me like I finally had found the spiritual path that I was meant to be on. Many people will understand what I am saying by this; that something which had been missing was finally filled. In fact, Wicca helped me become a better person and Paganism in general, is something that I find myself feeling extremely passionate about.
Now, I am a very music oriented person and immediately after making my little “discovery”, if you will, I went to YouTube and listened to various Pagan chants. It was the reassurance that I needed to go out and buy a few books on Paganism in general and Wicca specifically. Now, my story may seem a bit off topic, but I assure you it is perfectly relevant. The point I am trying to make it that through the Internet I had found Paganism- without the Internet I probably wouldn’t have. I even learned much of what I know from Pagan Podcasts, which I listened to on iTunes.
I do not consider myself what some would refer to as a Techno Pagan, to be honest, however I do believe that technology heavily contributed to my finding my current spiritual path; and I do not doubt for one second that many others would have similar stories to mine. So this may be a bit repetitive, for I mentioned it in various forms throughout this article, but I am very grateful that the Internet helped lead me to my Pagan spiritual path.
Some people may argue that the Internet making information on Paganism more accessible to be a negative thing; that it is becoming too “mainstream” because of how easily people can learn about it through the Internet. However, I strongly disagree with the people who say that, sure it is their opinion and they have a right to it but it is something that I will argue with- because quite frankly I disagree with it.
For one thing, just because something is mainstream doesn’t necessarily make it a bad thing at all. Sure some people may find that Paganism being a bit mysterious adds to its appeal. However, it is my belief that it also leads to some of the problems that people who do not consider themselves Pagan have with the spiritual path that we choose to follow. It is fair to say that generally people are afraid of what they don’t understand or what they don’t know. For example, most people are afraid of death because there is no one can definitively say what the afterlife is like, furthermore if there is even an afterlife. Sure we have many guesses about what comes after death but we never will really know. Therefore many people are afraid of death.
My analogy can apply to Paganism as well; some may see it as something that is to be feared and that it is something evil when in truth it’s not. But when something is shrouded in mystery then it is easier for people to be ignorant about not just Paganism, but anything in general. So basically what I am trying to say is that information about Paganism becoming more accessible to anyone isn’t a bad thing at all and in fact it is probably a good thing. If people at least have an idea of what something truly is, then it is probable that people will not jump to ignorant assumptions so much.
So basically, I think the Internet’s impact on Paganism in general has potential to be quite positive. In fact, I think it actually already is quite positive. Not only does it give basic information on our beliefs it also can help unite the Pagan community. Think about it, the Internet’s principle purpose is communication.
Even this article that I am writing is a form of communication using the Internet. I am communicating to you, the readers, my opinion on the matter of the Internet’s impact on paganism. Not only does the Internet help unite the Pagan community through *Witchvox (for example) , but other websites are helpful in allowing us the ability to communicate with one another.
Sites such as forums help us get to know about other members of the Pagan community as well as allow us to discuss and debate different issues and the like within our community. As well as communication, the Internet makes life easier for those of us who choose to remain “in the broom closet” do so. The web allows us to purchase things such as books, music, and tools for ritual, etcetera through the Internet. It allows those people anonymity that they may not have if they had to go to a Witch shop. Speaking of which- not everyone has a Pagan store where they live which is another way in which the Internet positively affects Paganism.
Any tools and such that one may need who do not happen to have a Witch shop where they live, have the ability to purchase whatever they might need through the internet. So in conclusion, the Internet has enabled us as Pagans to do so much. Communication, anonymity, and access to information being only some of the positive impacts that the Internet has made on Paganism.
Sure, one could argue that there may be some negatives when it comes to Paganism and the Internet. However, I ask you to ask yourself, is the Internet really making more of a negative impact on the Pagan community than a positive one? I certainly think not.
Footnotes:
Inciting a Riot Podcast- Hosted by Firelyte
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Ice Runes are most commonly used for questions about struggle, conflict, and achievement. Ken is the rune of light and knowledge, driving away darkness and ignorance and revealing hidden truth. This rune also brings forth images of friendship and comfort. Ken is the light of inspiration, the light of imagination, and a beacon in the darkest hours. |
Pagan Values: Faith and Magic
Author: Morgan St. Knight
What is faith? That question creates a conundrum for Pagans. We identify ourselves as Pagans because our views differentiate us from other religious groups–specifically, our views about Deity/Deities. It’s how we relate to those Deities that brings up the question of faith.
We’re in a unique position, we Pagans. Those of us who follow traditions such as Wicca and similar systems believe in magic; we believe that we can alter our world in certain ways using ritual, creative visualization and projection, and the proper focus of will and intent. But where do we draw the line between trying to accomplish things with magic, and giving our trust to the Gods to help us find our way, even if the outcome isn’t what we’re expecting? Can we trust–can we really believe –that the outcome, whatever it is, will be the correct one if we turn things over to the Gods? More importantly, do we have the courage to step over the dividing line from the realms of magic into the realm of faith, or do we repeatedly fall back to the option that lets us try to manipulate outcomes to suit our will?
One of the reasons Wicca appeals to so many people is that it theoretically allows us an extra measure of control over our lives through magic. This aspect of the Craft seems, at times, to truly fulfill the definition of a glamour: an illusion that befuddles the mind, hiding the truth, sometimes to the gazer’s downfall.
It’s no blame to anyone who falls under that particular spell. The mantra “Change your life through Magic” is practically shouted from every corner of every New Age or occult bookstore I’ve been to over the past decade. If I didn’t have 30 years in the Craft to ground me, I might leave those bookstores either with armloads of books I couldn’t afford, or the nagging sensation that yes, I should change my life; surely with so many books offering so many solutions, I must have problems I never even knew about, problems I must change through (dramatic pause) … The Magic Power of Witchcraft.
Once upon a time there were stores that didn’t leave me feeling this way. Longer ago than I care to remember, there were little nooks in small arcades, and independent bookstores on out-of-the-way street corners, where I could find a treasure trove of magical tomes. Of course they also sold books of spells for accomplishing great and marvelous things (with prices that guaranteed the publisher, at least, would see great and marvelous profits) , but not every book in the place was about that. One of my most treasured books from those days is Syblil Leek’s The Complete Art of Witchcraft. It is not full of spells, but thoughtful chapters on what some Witches believe, and a chapter of prayers… yes, actual prayers, asking the Goddess for help, but not conjuring or demanding or binding or bargaining for any specific outcome.
Those who have read that book may not be particularly keen on Leek’s brand of Witchcraft, but at least give her credit for putting out a book that was intended to educate, inform, and guide both the general public and aspiring Witches with a good foundation in basic truths, rather than a quick do-it-yourself guide. True, Sybil wrote her share of books with spells as well, but still, they had a good bit of substance. They had background information on methods and ingredients for one, not just a quick “here’s a list of stuff, here’s a choreography routine, go make magic” approach.
I don’t want to come off as downing the magical aspects of Wicca and championing faith alone. Far from it. I have charms for safe travel in my car, amulets to ward my house, and I perform many spells to help others, from healing spells to protection rites to spells for success. Sometimes I perform the same spells for myself. I cast general spells for love for others, aimed at bringing the right person into their lives without binding a specific person. (I hesitate to do that particular magic for myself. I’m always afraid that if I conjure for “my true and perfect love” I’ll open the door and find a giant wheel of Brie waiting for me. Truth hurts.)
I do, however, try to maintain perspective. My first faith must be to the Goddess and the Gods. Belief in magic (and I do draw a distinction between “faith” and “belief”) must come second in my life. I’ve had more than enough experience to believe magic works. That’s not the issue. I can cast and conjure all I want, but if the results are against the laws of the universe and the will of the Lady, I won’t get anywhere.
Whether I’m working for myself or others, I always include the stipulation that any spell I work be correct and for the good of all; this does leave open the possibility that the spell won’t work, or won’t produce the planned results, because doing so would hurt me or someone else. However, if the alternative is to demand to get my way, period, then I could be in for some very unpleasant results. Better to let higher powers weigh in and make the judgement call. That’s one area where faith comes in.
As I’ve indicated, having faith in the Goddess doesn’t mean I just sit back and pray. From my perspective, magic is a tool we are given, and we have the right to use it. Sometimes, we even have an obligation to use it. There is no more fault in using magic than there is in using a more mundane tool such as a dishwasher. Granted, I generally don’t cast a circle and wear flowing black robes to do the dishes (unless the casserole dish is crusted with burnt tomato sauce–all bets are off then) , but there are notable similarities. The key to using both magic and dishwashers is to have reasonable expectations, and to be responsible about it. Just because you can use magic or a dishwasher, doesn’t mean you always should.
For example, I live alone. That means I usually have one bowl, a glass, and perhaps a plate from breakfast, a container or two for the lunch I bring to work, and another plate and glass from dinner, along with the attendant cutlery and a pan or two every day. Not counting the pans, the items would fill less than a quarter of the dishwasher. Can I run it every day with so few items? Sure. Should I run it every day? Just so there’s no question about my eco-responsibility, I don’t. Much of the time I find it’s less wasteful to just do those few daily dishes by hand. I end up using the dishwasher once a week, at most.
Similarly, I can go for a heavy-handed approach and use magic every time a tough situation arises, or I can use it as an aid while taking a more mundane approach.
Suppose I have to deal with an incompetent boob at work, whose messes I have to continually clean up. No problem! Let’s just pull out the poppets and dagydes (how’s that for old-school?) Maybe a little War Water and Hotfoot Powder to push them on their way–after all, I practice root work as well as Wicca. Might as well flex those muscles once in awhile.
If the twit at work is really getting my goat (such layers of meaning in that phrase for a Witch!) maybe I can try a little sortilege to boot. Sure, it’s time-consuming to engrave that lead disk with a lengthy incantation in Demotic Greek, bind the poppet to it with knotted thread, then find a grave to bury it in, but the results could be well worth it.
Or maybe I could just talk to my boss, bring my concerns to her, and if that doesn’t work I can take things up with Human Resources. In my company, dealing with HR is a lot like dealing with the Sidhe. Good luck cornering them, but if you do, you often get what you need. Like doing the dishes by hand, the simple approach can work wonders, and in this case it’s preferable to the risk of being caught sprinkling arcane substances around that obnoxious co-worker’s desk. Ever hear of harassment and creating a hostile workplace? You can bet your employer’s attorneys have heard of it, and they don’t find it amusing.
However, to boost my chances of successfully dealing with the situation, I can easily add a little magic to the mix. Before approaching my boss or HR, I can perform a ritual to ensure there are no blocked communications when I relay my concerns. I can light some blue candles for peace, a yellow candle for Mercury/Air to ensure clear communications, and burn an herb or two of Mercury as incense. I find cinquefoil or cinnamon work well. I can carry an aquamarine when I meet with the person in power, to ensure smooth communication as well as to generate an aura of pleasantness for the meeting. Certainly that will be a welcome aid, since I’m likely to present the case that my co-worker would be far more utilitarian as a harvest scarecrow (how about a little fire?) . In this case, the magical solution is meant to augment, not replace, the mundane solution, just as using dish detergent and a good brush are meant to make it easier to clean dishes by hand.
That scenario is a bit cut-and-dried. It’s a pretty good case of being part of the problem if you refuse to be part of the solution. But things aren’t always so black and white. Sometimes it’s hard to figure out if and when you should start relying more heavily on magic, or if you really do need to let go and let Goddess. It’s a tough one, isn’t it? If you start to give up on magic as a solution to a particular situation, you’re admitting defeat in a way. You’re admitting that your efforts aren’t succeeding… which is tantamount to saying that you aren’t succeeding. All those little goodies in those drawers under your altar–those crystals, herbs, candles, special wands–really do sing a siren song when you’re faced with a knotty situation. If you don’t learn when to let go, you could end up running for the Book of Shadows every time you hit a speed-bump in life. This is not a good thing.
Back to dishwashers, maybe you’ve heard that you can use yours to cook dinner. Yep. Just wrap the food up well in foil and run it through. There are recipes on the internet for cooking everything from salmon to lasagna in your dishwasher. Some even say you can wash your already-dirty dishes along with your meal if it’s wrapped tightly enough. Yum.
Would you want to eat something cooked in a dishwasher with yesterday’s dishes, seasoned with a nice helping of Cascade, just because it was easier than turning on the oven and cleaning up another pan? And really, do you want to spend all of your time at your altar demanding that things go your way, instead of accepting that maybe, just maybe, if you let things go, they’ll work out? That if you just stop waving the wand for a minute and let the universe unfold as it wants to, maybe real magic will happen?
The dishwasher and the wand are waiting. Go ahead and use them for non-reasonable purposes if you’re of a mind, but I predict that either way you’ll have a bad taste in your mouth at some point.
That said, there are times when you not only can, but should use every means at your disposal for a certain end. These are desperate times, times when you or someone you know is in a terrible situation, maybe even imminent danger. Who can forget that scene in the book Mists of Avalon where Igraine dares to perform a magic she doesn’t know well, to send her spirit to Uther to warn him of Gorlois’ pending attack? She pays a heavy price for it, but in the end succeeds.
Romanticism aside, there are sadly far too many situations where innocents are endangered by domestic violence. Spouses and children are killed or injured by domestic violence every day. The numbers are staggering.
If you or someone you know is in this situation, it is perfectly acceptable to pull out all the stops and work magic, so long as you take every practical action as well to get the person at risk out of harm’s way. That mean’s packing, leaving, and seeking shelter as soon as possible. It means being willing to go to the police, swear out complaints, show up in court, and to tell the truth about what happened. It may mean moving to another city or even another state. You must be willing to do it. This is one time where faith alone will not be enough; the Goddess will help you if you make the sincere effort to help yourself and defend your self-worth. But you cannot expect her to ride in like the Morrigan, waving a fiery sword to defend you and whisk you to safety. You must do the real work yourself.
Far be it from me to say you shouldn’t use magic as well, and call upon Hecate and Kali to come to the aid of you or the one at risk, to do whatever is needed to keep the attacker from causing further harm. This could easily be a case where the thin line between a magical working and an act of prayer vanishes entirely. Make your case to She Who Devours, as strongly as you can. If there isn’t time for a formal ritual, if you have only a short time to act while the tormentor is at the store or passed out from their latest binge, then make your plea while you gather what you need and GO! Remember, will and intent are key components of magic, and a prayer born of primal need certainly focuses both will and intent.
In my view there must be no equivocation in these circumstances. While I typically ask that my spells be for the good of all and harm none, I might eschew that in this instance. If domestic abuse is involved, you cannot water down the invocation to Hecate by saying “But please don’t hurt him”. I would counsel against specifically demanding that harm come to the attacker, even though it might well be deserved, but under no circumstances would I want to set limitations on the Powers I invoked to deal with the criminal in question.
For those of us fortunate enough to be in good domestic circumstances, perhaps an act of faith is warranted. When you get up in the morning, do you ever pray to a Deity just to pray? Do you give thanks for all of your blessings, including the blessing of another day in this beautiful world?
I make it a daily morning ritual to give thanks as I’m preparing my morning meal, and again when I step outside to meet the day. As I mentioned above, I do root work, which is based in the traditions of the African Diaspora. Here is a simple prayer I’ll share with you, based on the practice of mojuba, or praise-song, from some African countries. I say this prayer the moment I walk outside my house, rain or shine, for the first time of the day:
“Owner of this day, thank you for the beauty of this day; Owner of this world, thank you for the beauty of this world; Giver of Life, thank you for the gift of Life and the beauty of Life. May all my senses always be open to the gifts You have given us, and may I always have gratitude in my heart for Your blessings.”
If you don’t already do it, I’d like to invite you to join me each morning in spending a little time just giving thanks, and taking time with whatever Deity or Deities you honor. Add that quiet time to the evening hours as well, if you can. You don’t have to talk much, just open your heart. The Gods aren’t always much for talking either, although if you learn to listen you’ll find They’re always communicating in other ways.
The next time you run into a tough (but not dangerous, as outlined above) situation, try bringing it to one of these sessions, and making a conscious act of focusing on it, defining it, then letting it go. Don’t let that stop you from taking mundane action to solve the problem, if that’s an option. But rather than whipping out the athame and casting a circle, try instead to cast your problem to Universe and see what happens.
I predict that if you do this several times, you’ll find solutions come up even though you aren’t specifically performing a ritual to make it happen. They will–yes, as if by magic–appear to you in unexpected ways. Do this, and soon you’ll find that you can ease your case-load of spell-casting. You probably won’t get rid of it entirely; I know I certainly don’t intend to give up the old summon-stir-and-conjure routine. But I’ve found my spell-casting and healing efforts are much more focused and successful when I let some situations resolve themselves. I have more energy to do work that’s really important for myself and others.
Most wonderfully of all, I’ve gotten to the point where I feel the Universe is my friend, and I don’t have to work magic day in and day out just to get by. I can save my energy for the times it’s really needed. Give it an honest try, and I’m sure you’ll find stress easing out of your life, and good energy pouring in.
I have faith in it.
The Mysteries and Esoteric Witchcraft
Author: Rhys Chisnall
“The most beautiful and profound emotion we can experience is the sensation of the mystical. He to whom the emotion is a stranger: whom no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. To know that what is impenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their primitive forms- this knowledge, this feeling, is at the centre of true religion.” – Albert Einstein
One of the hardest aspects of the esoteric initiatory Witchcraft to write about, or even communicate, is its strong mystery aspect. Yet, in my opinion, it is one of the most important things that distinguish it from New Age and Popular Wicca/Witchcraft. By its very nature the mystical aspects of Witchcraft are a thoroughly subjective experience and as such any cursory and brief exploration such as this article or any other in print are going to be subjective and inadequate.
“Second hand mysticism has generally an unsatisfactory experience, since if these notions are not the driving force of our life, are not the pulse beat of our heart or are not personally integrated into our whole, then they are empty gestures. Then they are devoid of meaning similar to reading a literary criticism rather than reading the poem itself. The mystical experience is immediate not vicarious or deputed” (Armstrong 1999)
The mysteries need to be experienced, and they cannot be explained in everyday language, hence the need for the metaphors of myth and the communication of the experiences through the metaphors of symbols and ritual. The religious commentator, theologian and mystic Karen Armstrong said that.
“There is a linguistic connection between the three words, myth, mysticism and mystery. All derive from the Greek verb musterion: to close the eyes or the mouth”. (Armstrong 1999)
There are many roads to the mysteries and the mystical experience. As Prof Joseph Campbell (the late expert in comparative mythology) quotes from the Rig Veda, “Truth is one, but the sages speak of it by many names.” He also tells the story of an interfaith conference set up between Shinto and Catholicism. He was struck at how the priests of Catholicism and Shinto found it difficult to find a commonality or a common religious language to communicate with each other, but the monks and nuns of each religion could. This was because the priests were concerned with holding up their metaphors, their myths, symbols and rituals as ends in themselves, whereas the monks and nuns had moved beyond the metaphors to the experience of the sacred and the divine itself. They were not stuck with believing that the metaphors were the reality and the end goal. They had gone past the virgin birth, the resurrection, and even God, to find a community in the mysteries and mystical experience that were shared by their Shinto counterparts. As Campbell said, “Religion is misinterpreted myth”
The Armenian-Greek esoteric philosopher and practitioner G. I. Gurdjieff suggested that there were four paths to the mysteries. The first three, the way of the fakir, the way of the yogi (nothing to do with picnic baskets) and the way of the monk are mostly eastern ways to experience the mysteries and represent the three disciplines of the mind, the body and contemplation. These three paths are typical of the Eastern Mystery tradition in that they all involve a withdrawal from society and the world.
The fourth way is ‘the way of the hearth’. It is the way of the Western Mystery Tradition of which esoteric initiatory Witchcraft along with Hermeticism, Qabbalah, mystical Christianity and Sufism are parts. It is the way of being fully integrated with the world, identifying with the universe and with life and not attempting to escape from it (with the notable exception of Gnosticism) . It is seeing no separation between humanity, nature and the divine.
To my mind esoteric initiatory Witchcraft liturgy and ritual are full of mystical language, myth and metaphor. For example within Gardnerian and Alexandrian Witchcraft there are phrases such as, “there is no part of us that is not of the god.” And of course the classic mysteries phrase of the Charge of the Goddess, “If that which thou seeketh, thou findest not within thee, you will never find it without thee.” These and other parts of Witchcraft ritual (not to mention many of the techniques used in ritual to help induce these kinds of states of mind) , strongly suggest the mysteries and mystical experience. The myths of esoteric initiatory Witchcraft point to the internal experience of the mysteries within the individual Witch, relating them to the cosmos, designed to take us beyond mere religion to the direct experience of numinous, divinity and the sacred. The systems, techniques and processes of esoteric Craft, to my mind, seem designed to take us beyond ourselves, and the sum of the parts of the tradition itself, into personal transformation and a new awareness.
So what are mysticism and the mysteries? According to the psychologist Lawrence Le Shan, “Mysticism from a historical and psychological viewpoint, is the search for and experience of the relationship of the individual himself (herself) and the totality that makes up the universe.” (LeShan 1974)
Karen Armstrong agrees when she writes, “Mystics have long claimed that he [God] is a subjective experience, mysteriously experienced in the ‘Ground of Being’…………..they claim that he did not really exist and it is better to call him No-thing”. (Armstrong 1999)
As such the mysteries go way beyond the dogmas, metaphors and systems that have been inspired by them. The techniques and participating within the metaphors of myth, relating it to the self and personal transformation give the practitioner a direct and vivid experience of a unity with a ‘different order of reality’, or perhaps, an expanded order of reality of which they are a part- unified with. They experience eternity within a second, being and non-being, beauty and horror but with no contradiction, no duality, no difference between sacred and profane. In essence the experience is indescribable expect through the language of metaphor, which sadly is mistaken for reality and an end in itself. The effect of these experiences is an inner alchemy, personal transformation- life and indeed you are never the same again.
Campbell hints at this when he says, “But the ultimate mystical goal is to be united with one’s god. With that the duality is transcended and forms disappear. There is nobody there, no god, no you. Your mind, going past all concepts, has dissolved in identification with the ground of your being”. (Campbell 1988)
Now sadly for the bit that people don’t like. The path to the mysteries is not an easy one. Rather it is one that requires hard work, commitment and dedication; it is not for people looking for instant results or an escape from reality. The starting point on the road to the mysteries and esoteric Witchcraft has got to be that of a coping adult, as Joanne Pearson reports in her essay Assumed Affinities (the difference between Initiatory Wicca- specifically Gardnerian and Alexandrian- and New Age spiritualities) .
“In the questionnaire, mentioned at the start of this chapter, none of the hundred (Gardnerian/Alexandrian) Wiccans who responded indicated that they had become involved in Wicca because ‘their life was not working’, and supplementary fieldwork does not indicate that these Wiccans assume there lives or the lives of other Wiccans are, or were Dysfunctional.” (Pearson 1998)
The Witch Dr. Dave Bracey confirms the difficulties and hard work of pursuing the mysteries when he says, “The mysteries are not easy to apprehend. It requires long training, usually with a spiritual guide or facilitator, and a considerable investment of time. This is not something that has much appeal to many in our present day society, conditioned as it is with fast cars, fast food, fast solutions and instant gratification and speedy communication. The mysteries do not arrive ready made and pre-packaged. They cannot be experienced as quickly as the instant high of the new age. But neither does the (esoteric initiatory) Witch’s ‘awareness’ wane, as does the let-down that so often eventuates when the newness of the ‘reborn’ convert fades to be left with the forms and structures of religion which so often become ends in themselves.” (Bracey 2001)
Like much else in life things that are of value are often thing that require a lot of hard work. Saying that though, there are circumstances where mystical experience arises quite spontaneously in some people. This may be down to horrific or beautiful situations, which invoke tremendously strong emotions within individuals that lead them to having an experience of the mysteries.
I am sure that there are many, many people who are perfectly happy practising their religion of non-initiatory exoteric Wicca and Witchcraft and good luck to them, each to their own. I am sure that people get a great deal of spiritual fulfillment from them. So just to reiterate so there is no confusion, esoteric initiatory Witchcraft is not better than New Age and Popular Wicca. It is just different, with different aims, philosophies and purposes and practices. So if the mysteries are not for you, then please feel free to ignore this article, remember that this is only one way and there are many others.
I shall finish with another quote from Dr. Bracey as he talks about the relationship between the mysteries and Craft. “So the mysteries are not for all, but is the way of (esoteric initiatory) Witches. We who ride beyond the ordinary, rejecting the supernatural in favour of the supra-natural, and who are aware of the relationship of the part to the whole.” (Bracey 2001)
Footnotes:
Campbell, J, (1988) , ‘The Power of Myth’, Doubleday
Campbell, J, (1959) , ‘The Mask of God (Primitive mythology, Oriental Mythology, Occidental Mythology and Creative Mythology) ’, Condor
Campbell, J, (1949) , ‘The Hero with a Thousand faces’, Princetown University Press
Campbell, J, (2001) , ‘Thou art that, transforming religious metaphors’, Joseph Cambell Foundation
Campbell, J, (2004) , ‘Pathways to Bliss, Mythology and Personal Transformation’, Joseph Campbell Foundation
Crowley, V, (1989) , ’ Wicca the old Religion in the New Age’, Aquarian Press
Armstrong, K, (1999) , ’ A History of God’, Vintage
Armstrong, K, (2005) , ‘A Short History of Myth’, Cannongate
Pearosn, J, Roberts, R, Samuel, G, (1998) , ‘Nature Religion Today’, Edinburgh University Press
Pearson, J, (2007) , ‘Wicca and the Christian Heritage (Ritual, Sex and magic) , Routledge
Fortune, D, (1935) , ‘The Mystical Qabalah’, Aquarian
Hutton, R, (2003) , ‘Witches, Druids, and King Arthur, Oxford University Press
Heselton, P, (1995) , ‘Secret Places of the Goddess’, Capal Ban
Underhill, E, (1993) , ‘Mysticism’, Oneworld
Lamond, F, (1997) , ‘Religion without Beliefs’, Janus
Lamond, F, (2004) , ‘Fifty Years of Wicca’, Green magic
LeShan, L, (1974) , ‘How to Meditate’, Turnstone
Bracey, D, (2001) , ‘A Personal View of God’, TNW
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Jade Runes are most commonly used for questions about love, friendship, and relationships. Eoh refers to the Yew tree. The Yew does not go dormant and therefore represents endurance. Even the wood of the tree is strong, resilient, and pliable – the Yew bends, but does not break. The evergreen nature of the Yew is present even in the rune itself, as it cannot be changed even by reversal. This rune is historically symbolic of death, but, as in the Tarot and as suggested by the nature of the Yew tree itself, death is seen only as a transmutation of something eternal and unchanging – the spirit. |
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