Tag: Wicca

Witches Ballard

Witches Ballard

Oh, I have been beyond the town,
Where nightshade black and mandrake grow,
And I have heard and I have seen
What righteous folk would fear to know!
For I have heard, at still midnight,
Upon the hilltop far, forlorn,
With note that echoed through the dark,
The winding of the heathen horn.
And I have seen the fire aglow,
And glinting from the magic sword,
And with the inner eye beheld
The Hornéd One, the Sabbat’s lord,
We drank the wine, and broke the bread
And ate it in the Old One’s name.
We linked our hands to make the ring,
And laughed and leaped the Sabbat game.

Oh, little do the townsfolk reck,
When dull they lie within their bed!
Beyond the streets, beneath the stars,
A merry round the witches tread!
And round and round the circle spun,
Until the gates swung wide ajar,
That bar the boundaries of earth
From faery realms that shine afar.

Oh, I have been and I have seen
In magic worlds of Otherwhere.
For all this world may praise or blame,
For ban or blessing naught I care.
For I have been beyond the town,
Where meadowsweet and roses grow,
And there such music did I hear
As worldly-righteous never know.

Doreen Valient

Original Post By Natural Wytch

The Power of Chanting

The Power of Chanting
By: Christopher Penczak


Sound, tone, voice, and music are powerful forms of magick and celebration.
Before I became a witch, the part of traditional religious services I loved
the most was the music; using song as celebration. When I got involved in
Wicca, the traditions I first learned were very stoic and formal. There was
no real song or chant involved in our Moon and Sun celebrations. I missed it
a lot, but felt there was no place for music in my new practice. At the time
I was a professional musician, completing my degree in music, but our
training in music history only delved into the sacred music of the Christian
era. Not much time was devoted to ancient civilizations or tribal lore. I
knew music was a part of the pagan world, but was not exposed to it.

When I explored other traditions of witchcraft – as well as mystical
traditions in yoga and Eastern religions – I found mystics using sound,
chant, and rhythm to do magick and create ritual. The more shamanic, primal
traditions would use chant and simple dance to raise energy and connect with
the spirit of the ritual. Simple repeated rhythms and melodies could induce
altered states and focus the will. I was so excited to find a religous
outlet for my musical _expression.

Later in my practice, I found myself the celebrant (or officiating high
priest) for a public pagan group that celebrated at Unicorn Books in
Arlington, Massachusetts. I had originally replaced a priestess who was no
longer able to commit to the group, and due to this shift, the group only
included around five participants at any time. Soon we formed an identity
and theme together, and the group began to grow. The rituals went from
intimate groups of five to ten people to larger and larger gatherings. Soon
we filled the room’s forty person capacity. Everyone was great, but coming
from different backgrounds they lacked a cohesive sense of tradition or
ceremony. We loved being eclectic, but needed to have some focus to bring
our group together. I needed to find a way to let everyone contribute to the
ritual and create a sacred space. After many fumbled attempts with a variety
of ritual techniques and tools, I relied on music as a common denominator.
Chant became the key!

As part of each of the eight Wheel of the Year celebrations in our little
loft space, I wrote a short chant with a simple melody, which we used to
raise energy. Those chants became the basis of the chants recorded on The
Outer Temple of Witchcraft CD Companion. We sang about the gods and
goddesses relating to each of the holidays. The chants focused our attention
raised energy, and helped get us into the moment as we passed the chalice
or anointing oil. The songs also helped teach newcomers the basic meaning of
the holiday, quickly relaying powerful themes and key words with the melody.

The use of music in our rituals totally transformed them, and is one of the
most popular parts of our celebrations. Because of my experience, I started
to encourage the use of more and more music in my smaller celebrations and
private coven rituals. I even use chants when I am doing rituals and spells
all alone. I highly suggest adding some music to your own rituals, no matter
the size.

Here are some tips in using music in your own circles:

* Find traditional chants and more recently composed ones that you can use.
Metaphysical stores often have a section of pagan music, song and chants.

* If you visit larger pagan festivals, you may be taught some of the
traditional chants if you don’t know them and can’t find a recording. Many
are passed along through the oral tradition of pagan gatherings. Take notes
and write down lyrics so you won’t forget.

* Use simple melodies with a limited vocal range so everybody can sing them
without straining their voices.

* Try setting pagan poetry to familiar melodies, such as well-known holiday
songs. Sometimes they sound silly, but they can be a great way to focus
everybody on a melody they already know sung with different words.

* Use simple beats and rhythms to keep the group focused – or use a drum to
help induce an altered state. Beats that fall on even numbers (based on
groups of two or four beats) are more direct and dynamic. Some consider them
more masculine. Beats based in 3, like the familiar waltz pattern, are
considered more feminine and have a connection to the triple goddess.

* Feel the music as you perform it. Let the vibration fill your body, heart,
and mind. Let it move you. When you are open to sound, you can make the
experience very healing or energizing.

* Don’t be afraid to be loud or to make a mistake. Sing with feeling and
worry about the technicalities later. If everyone is into the chant, that’s
more important than sounding perfect. Don’t make anyone feel bad if they
don’t have a perfect voice. Remember the circle is about Perfect Love,
Perfect Trust, and celebration. Keep the spirit alive when you chant and
when you pass the cakes. Each is an opportunity for love, compassion, and
transformation.

Original Post by Natural Wytch

Full Moon Ritual

Inspired by Rituals and Practices with the Motherpeace Tarot, by Vicki Noble (Inner Traditions, 2003).

Tonight is the night of full moon, a time of beauty and magic. Ever since people began to notice the waxing and waning of that silver orb in the night sky, they honored its connection to women, with their monthly cycles. Full Moon Night is a favorite night for women to reconnect with their ancient birthright of mystery, remembering a time when women were sacred embodiments of a life-giving goddess.

This simple ritual is meant to be performed on the night of the full moon, but you can do it any time you need a reminder of your ancient nature (and men can do it, too). Read the ritual here:

If you like, you can prepare for this ritual by taking a special candlelit bath and dressing in clothing that feel especially beautiful to you.

1. Find a time when you will not be disturbed. Turn out the lights where you are. Notice the light entering the room from the moon, if it is visible. Take a moment to remember a time when the full moon made night travel easier, so people gathered on this night to celebrate community and to honor the great healing Mystery.

2. Stand or sit in front of a mirror. Can you see your face? Allow yourself to pause in your busy life as you gaze. Take a moment to listen to the sounds where you are. What do you hear? Now bring your conscious attention down from the place behind your eyes, down through your throat, down into your heart. Let your attention pause there. As you allow yourself to become aware of your heart, keep looking in the mirror. Allow your gaze to soften and become more loving. See yourself with the eyes of love. Ask yourself, “Who am I?”

3. Now bring your attention down from your heart to your solar plexus, your will center. See yourself with the eyes of courage and will. Ask yourself, “Who am I?”

4. Now bring your attention down into your belly, the place of gut-knowing. See yourself with the ancient eyes of the deep self. Ask yourself, “Who am I?”

5. Give some time to imagining the self you might have been in another time, in the mists of time, in the beginnings of time. Imagine the beauty and majesty of the full moon reflected in your eyes. See yourself with the eyes of the glorious, magical full moon. Ask yourself, “Who am I?”

6. Now gently bring your awareness back up through your solar plexus, back through your heart, back through your throat, back into the place behind your eyes. See yourself with new eyes. Say to yourself, “I am I.” Bring yourself gently back into ordinary reality with gratitude for what you have seen and learned.

Morning Ritual for Learning Acceptance and Tolerance

Morning Ritual for Learning Acceptance and Tolerance

 
This ritual works well for granting you acceptance of matters that you cannot change, and for increasing your tolerance of others’ beliefs and opinions. It is also effective against racist attitudes.
 
Upon rising each morning, light a white candle. Sit down in a comfortable position facing the candle and focus on the flame. Say:

Gracious Lady, hear my plea,

Grant me tolerance that I might see
The need for diversity on the Earth
And see its value and its worth.
Help me find the harmony
In accepting what is meant to be,
And replace my negative attitude
With perfect love and fortitude.
Gracious Lady, Hear my plea.
As I will, so mote it be!
 
Watch the candle flame for ten minutes while concentrating on your desire to become more accepting then snuff the flame.
 
Perform this ritual every morning for seven consecutive days.

A Ritual for Peace & Serenity

A Ritual for Peace & Serenity

 
In a quiet place, free of distractions, sit comfortably, allowing yourself to feel present and at ease. Into the glow of the candle, contribute your intention to realize your desire. May your intentions bring peace and harmony to all beings. Focus your intention and verbally affrim its truth.

When your ritual is completed, release the outcome from your grasp. Relax. Allow the Universe to manifest your desires. Your intention will generate its own power.The Invocation

 

I am fully present
in the place of the Mystery
wherein desire and destiny
become one.
Into this clearing of pure energy,
I release my fear
and awaken to my experience
of true peace and serenity.
I embrace the sweetness of life,
without reservation or limitation.
This, or something better,
is manifesting for me now.
And so it is.

How Do We Include Kids in Ritual Without Making Adults Run Screaming?

How Do We Include Kids in Ritual Without Making Adults Run Screaming?

by L. Lisa Harris

Ask a group of ritual facilitators what their philosophy on children in ritual is, and at best you’ll get as many different opinions as there are people in the room. At worst, you will have pushed a hot button that operates an opener attached to a huge can of worms. This topic is near the top of my “ways to start an argument at a pagan gathering” list. I’ve seen this issue turn a harmless candle-making party and ritual planning session into a virtual war zone, and don’t even get me started on what it can do to an e-mail list.

Groups that put on large public rituals, those who work in small family coven structures and every sized group in between all eventually face this issue. Public ritual comes to most people’s minds first when they think about controversy over kids in circle. But even in small covens, where all of the members consider themselves a family and parents or “aunties and uncles” to the children of other circle members, disagreements as to if and when children should be in circle do crop up.

One of the many issues that parents who want to include their children in ritual can run into is what circle members wear (or don’t wear). Bob, a member of a “medium-sized traditional coven” is concerned about the legal ramifications involved in having children present in a group that works skyclad.

“There are certain considerations when allowing children in ritual,” he said. “For instance, being skyclad in front of a child can get a person charged with sexual abuse in many states.” Just because a child is taught that nudity is perfectly normal and not necessarily sexual, it doesn’t mean that society as a whole and the judicial system will see it that way. If a small child casually mentions seeing “Uncle John’s wee-wee” to a teacher or member of the medical profession, the parents are likely to receive a visit from Child Protective Services.

A greater danger arises when the parents of a child are separated or divorced. Even if there is no ritual nudity, a parent who wants full custody can claim that what goes on in ritual is damaging to the child. Seeing someone hold a blade to Mommy’s throat and issue a challenge to her when she enters a circle, or even witnessing a light ritual scourging, can not only be frightening to a child, these things are also not going to look good if a complaint is filed by an ex-spouse with an axe to grind.

Some small groups prefer that ritual be a place for adults only. “Circle is a place for women to relax and take a break from their daily parenting responsibilities and nurture themselves,” said Luna, who facilitates a women’s circle. She doesn’t want new mothers to be left out of circle but has very clear rules regarding the presence of children. “Babies at the breast are welcome in our women’s circle, but once a child is old enough to be left with family or a sitter, we expect that mothers will come alone. They need to be able to bond with other women and to have time that is theirs alone.”

Sage, a father of two, feels strongly that children should be included in circle. “It is vital that we teach our traditions to our children, or they will be left open to conversion by more aggressive religions and there will be no one to carry on after us.” His partner Oana agrees: “We have a responsibility to provide for the spiritual education of our children. Christian churches have Sunday school, so why is it wrong for us to teach our religion to our kids?”

When it comes to public ritual, not everyone has or understands children, and many people have very different ideas as to what is appropriate behavior and how much parental discipline is called for. Stardancer, a mother of three, feels “watching children joyfully play in a circle is a beautiful sight. We don’t want to suppress their natural energy, it can be quite infectious.” Kim, who is married and “childless by choice” does not agree. “Poorly supervised kids in ritual distract everyone else, and they don’t learn or experience anything. Don’t get me wrong, I like kids, but ritual should be a sacred space that is not filled with running around and yelling.” She doesn’t place the blame for disruptive behavior on the kids. “It’s ludicrous to expect a 3-year-old to stand quietly in a circle or to understand what’s going on.”

Some groups don’t allow anyone under the age of 18 at any event. “Our circles can get a little wild and crazy sometimes, and the owner of the place where we meet doesn’t want to worry about having minors around,” said Wolfehawk, a member of a small group that hosts open events. Other groups restrict the age of the children to middle-school-age or older and specify which events are appropriate for kids. Freya, a Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans member, said, “We let older kids par-ticipate in most of our rituals, with the excep-tion of Samhain, as it tends to be a bit too intense. Although middle school seems to be a good cut-off point, it’s not always that easy. Reaching a chronological age or grade in school is not always a good indicator as to how a child will behave in circle. I’ve seen very young children pay attention and be respectful, while older kids in middle school have behaved atrociously. It’s really all about the individual level of maturity and how the child has been allowed to behave in public by their parents.”

A few groups have experimented with various forms of paid and shared childcare. “The problem with the concept of co-op child care is that one or two parents get stuck with all the kids all the time while the parents that tend to have the most badly behaved kids just dump them off and go have fun,” advised Morgan, a solitary witch and mother of two. “Sooner or later, you get tired of doing all the work and missing out on the festivities and ritual workings.”

Some groups that have considered hiring a babysitter to provide paid childcare have run into liability concerns. They are afraid that if a child gets hurt when childcare is being paid for at an event they sponsor that the group members will get sued. Anne, an attorney, advised, “The fear of lawsuits for an injury or allegation of abuse is very real, particularly if someone is providing care without a license. People will sue over anything, and you never know what a jury will do. Liability releases aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.” Another problem with paid childcare is the policy that most pagan groups have of not turning anyone away due to inability to pay. Either you give some people free childcare and not others, or you allow some parents to bypass childcare. Either way, someone is going to feel that it’s unfair.

Yet another possible solution is making all kids under a certain age check into childcare and requiring all parents to work a shift. This concept did not go over well with me at all when one local group suggested it about a year and a half ago. My daughter, 11 years old at the time, was still in elementary school and would have been required to check in as a kid. I have trained her as a witch, taught her circle etiquette and even given her small roles in ritual at the Unitarian Universalist Association of Tacoma (UUAT). She generally behaves better than many adults in circle, and I most certainly was not going to “reward” her hard work and good behavior by allowing her to be labeled and treated as a “child.” My rule is that if a young person has continually behaved like a responsible adult in circle, then he or she deserves to be treated as such. In addition to my objection to what I considered an insult to the maturity of my daughter, an older, well-behaved young woman, I didn’t feel that I should be required to baby-sit the children of parents who couldn’t be bothered to teach their children manners or to supervise them.

Several local groups have had great success with separate rituals specially designed for kids. I was at a Mabon event earlier this year where just such a ritual was put on. The quarters were marked with colorful balloons, and the adult leaders led the children in a merry dance to lively music. I overheard several adults say, “I wish I was a kid, so that I could be in that ritual.” In this case, the children’s ritual, along with other kid’s activities, was held before the adult ritual, which still left the issue of what to do with the kids during the adult ritual.

One of the major obstacles to successfully including children in ritual with adults is the lack of a standard of behavior. What one adult interprets as children freely expressing themselves is often viewed by other adults as a lack of parenting. “I have to ask myself, do these parents let their children behave like this in school, restaurants or in other peoples’ homes?” said Laura, a mother of a 7-year-old daughter whom she is raising in a goddess tradition.

David, whose children are grown, has had negative experiences at public festivals where children were not supervised by their parents. He said, “I was at one outdoor festival where a very expensive drum was ruined by kids whose parents were nowhere in sight. There was a band of unsupervised kids running around all over the place banging on the drums and playing with things on the altars. It was like their parents just walked off and figured that the community would take care of their kids for them.”

I am one who feels very strongly that we should include our children in our rituals when possible. I tried for almost three years to bill events at the UUAT as child-friendly and trust that parents would ensure reasonable behavior from their children. It became increasing apparent to me that this was not going to work. After several complaints from adults who felt that ritual was disrupted and after having to clean up several messes left by unsupervised kids, the Gaia’s Grove earth-spirituality group had to implement a set of rules for at UUAT events. The following statement is available at the check-in table, is posted on our Web site under the heading “parents please read” and is also addressed in pre-ritual discussion:

We love our children.

We want them to be part of our community and events.

We design our rituals to be child/family friendly.

Due to past damage to chairs, carpet and other UUAT property, and to ensure that all ritual guests get the most out of their experience, we must now abide by the following rules.

  • Children must physically be with a parent or adult guardian at all times.
  • Children must respect altars, drums and personal item as hands-off.
  • Children must not climb on stacked chairs.
  • Children must not walk on the furniture.
  • Children may not run nor roughhouse in the building.
  • Children in circle should participate in the circle, not play with other children and/or disrupt the person/people who are speaking.
  • Children may play in the nursery downstairs WITH ADULT SUPERVISION. The nursery must be picked up afterward.
  • The circle guardian will gladly cut parents with fussy kids in and out of the circle as necessary.

Even with the new rules in place, it seems that some parents are just not sure exactly where the line of “disrupting the ritual” gets crossed. I found that often the parents with the most disruptive children were oblivious and did not think their kids were a problem, while the parents with well-behaved kids, who weren’t quite perfect, stressed out trying to make them behave well. We decided to enlist the help of a circle guardian who gently and discreetly offers assistance to parents whose kids are pushing the limits of being disruptive. After Gaia’s Grove implemented the rule, a handful of people decided not to bring their kids anymore, which is too bad. The ones that still bring their kids are making a concerted effort to help them to respect the ritual and others in the circle.

The challenge to groups of any size is to balance the needs and desires of parents and communities to involve children in ritual with the needs of adults who don’t want their ritual experience disrupted. It is ultimately up to parents to decide if their children’s behavior is appropriate for the circle they are bringing them to, but it is also vital that ritual facilitators address this issue and make expectations and behavioral standards clear in a supportive, yet firm, manner.

Witches Rede of Chivalry

Witchy Comments

Witches Rede of Chivalry
By Ed Fitch

Magical Rites from the Crystal Well, Ed Fitch and Janine Renee, 1987, Llewellyn Publications.

Insofar as the Craft of the Wise is the most ancient and most honorable creed of humankind, it behooves all who are Witches to act in ways that give respect to the Old Gods, to their sisters and brothers of the Craft, and to themselves.

Therefore, be it noted that:

1. Chivalry is a high code of honor which is of most ancient Pagan origin, and must be lived by all who follow the old ways.

2. It must be kenned that thoughts and intent put forth on this Middle Earth will wax strong in other worlds beyond and return … bringing into creation, on this world, that which had been sent forth. Thus one should exercise discipline, for “as ye plant, so shall ye harvest.”

3. It is only by preparing our minds to be as Gods that we can ultimately attain godhead.

4. “This above all … to thine own self be true…”

5. A Witch’s word must have the validity of a signed and witnessed oath. Thus, give thy word sparingly, but adhere to it like iron.

6. Refrain from speaking ill of others, for not all truths of the matter may be known.

7. Pass not unverified words about another, for hearsay is, in large part, a thing of falsehoods.

8. Be thou honest with others, and have them know that honesty is likewise expected of them.

9. The fury of the moment plays folly with the truth; to keep one’s head is a virtue.

10. Contemplate always the consequences of thine acts upon others. Strive not to do harm.

11. Diverse covens may well have diverse views of love between members and with others. When a coven, clan, or grove is visited or joined, one should discern quietly their practices, and abide thereby.

12. Dignity, a gracious manner, and a good humor are much to be admired.

13. As a Witch, thou has power, and thy powers wax strongly as wisdom increases. Therefore, exercise discretion in the use thereof.

14. Courage and honor endure forever. Their echoes remain when the mountains have crumbled to dust.

15. Pledge friendship and fealty to those who so warrant. Strengthen others of the Brethren and they shall strengthen thee.

16. Thou shalt not reveal the secrets of another Witch or Coven. Others have labored long and hard for them, and cherish them as treasures.

17. Though there may be differences among those of the Old Ways, those who are once-born must see nothing, and must hear nothing.

18. Those who follow the mysteries should be above reproach in the eyes of the world.

19. The laws of the land should be obeyed whenever possible and within reason, for in the main they have been chosen with wisdom.

20. Have pride in thyself and seek perfection in body and in mind. For the Lady has said, “How canst thou honor another unless thou give honor to thyself first?”

21. Those who seek the Mysteries should consider themselves the select of the Gods, for it is they would lead the race of humankind to the highest of thrones and beyond the very stars.

    
~Magickal Graphics~

Druidic Wicca: A Deeper Exploration

Druidic Wicca: A Deeper Exploration

Author: Rev. OakLore

Human beings are drawn naturally toward the mystical. Perhaps it is the Divine seed within us that whispers to our spirits and beckons scholars and skeptics alike to contemplate the timeless message of the Druid tradition.

What would the world look like if seen through a Druid’s eyes? Nature would be elevated, once again, into a position of noble equality. It would be revered and protected as a sentient living and Divine presence. It would no longer be seen as something to simply dominate and exploit for wealth, entertainment or power. The mystery of nature would reemerge and we would suddenly be filled with wonder.

Within the wonder and mystery of nature is the flame of hope for mankind. Druids kindle and tend that flame with great care, full in the knowledge that what good is performed today, shall forever be felt in the years and generations to come. Humankind must not remain alienated from the very home of our spirit, but return to it, love it and celebrate that union, found in the gentle rhythms of the world of Druids.

Why The Druid Path?

Druids receive Divine inspiration or “Awen, ” which manifests itself in a variety of ways. Inwardly, the changes are subtle ones. Our conscious minds are opened to the greater possibilities of the world and awaken, thirsting for knowledge. Our subconscious minds are opened and the mystery within pours forth and awakens in us senses, long asleep, and we are suddenly aware of the unseen world. These gifts enable us to grow and continue our journey toward enlightenment, gathering in the knowledge and wisdom of those who journey with us now, and all those who have traveled this way before us. We together — past, present and future — shall converge in the center of all that is and find the source of Awen, which is Truth.

Druid spirituality is simplistic: Nature is Divine. There is nothing to divide you from your Gods, for They are manifest in everything! They speak in the soft whisper of wind stirring the trees. They sing with the water rushing in the streambed. They sprint through the forest, wing breathlessly skyward or remain as still as stone. Our hearts cannot escape Their gentle touch and neither shall They remain untouched by the love we give Them in return.

But Druid spirituality is also complex. We honor simplicity yet highly value the pursuit of knowledge and truth. The exploration and quest for truth becomes one of such intensity as to almost define a person’s soul. We explore the concept of reality and existence and its impact on the trinity of body, mind and spirit. We find ourselves provoked to deeper thought and further exploration and interpretation of life experiences. So too do we engage in conscious devotion to spiritual pursuits and the soulful exploration of our higher self. We seek the love, comfort and affirmation of communion with the Divine.

The term “spiritual progression” can probably best be defined as a labyrinth, in which we slowly, through the course of many lifetimes, achieve a greater understanding and awareness of our spiritual self, as well as the universe and the nature of all existences. This journey takes place on the plane of “Anwynn” or “place of rebirth.” It is here that our energy consummates its eternal longing for the Divine creator. This is the place of soul rest where healing and compassionate understanding is a sweet cup from which we drink. As we traverse the wheel time and again through the natural process of birth and death and rebirth, we attain spiritual progression. The purpose of spiritual progression is to bring the soul to a level that Buddhists might characterize as “total enlightenment.” This level of achievement is marked by a shift in awareness to embrace, with total understanding, the mysteries of the universe. Without further need to experience the mortal plane, the spirit moves away from the process of rebirth and goes to its ultimate reward, union with the Divine.

A Druid better understands these mysteries by mapping the soul’s journey through time. The Druid calendar is divided into an eight-fold year. Each holiday represents an event in time, the changing of seasons and celebration of the fertility and abundance of this our Earth Mother. There are four solar festivals, which celebrate the equinoxes and solstices dividing the year into four equal parts. There are four fire festivals that commemorate historical events as well as the passage of time.
Upon this wheel of the year we can plot the course of a human lifetime: birth, coming of age, young adulthood, middle age, elder years and finally death. This is a gentle and comforting wisdom that instills in us the natural cycle of our existence, which is in harmony with the cycle of all creation. We discover our own mortality and also the promise of immortality secure in the knowledge that the circle of life is indeed a circle.

We often find ourselves filled to brimming with the knowledge we gain as we traverse the wheel. We seek out means by which we can express and/or illustrate these events making them available to others. We reach into our own center to find wisdom and embrace the sacredness of life. Through artistic expression, esoteric knowledge, divination, natural philosophy and other means, we share what we have learned, as we walk the paths of the Bard, the Ovate and the Druid.

Contemporary Druids hold as truth that the mortal soul is not limited unto itself, but enjoys a greater communion with the energy of all living things and indeed the Divine source. When we come fully into this awareness there is within us a startling metamorphosis. We begin to see clearly our connection with all life and know that all life is sacred. That sacredness not only forms the foundation of all life, but is the root of Druid philosophy.

Chris Travers in his 1996 essay, Who were the Druids writes, “The picture that emerges of a druid is one of a thoughtful philosopher and magician, schooled in the lore of the traditions, and in charge of the education of the chieftains as well as those who sought esoteric knowledge. A druid is a knower of truth.”

So we see that from both historical and contemporary perspectives, Druid philosophy, though shrouded in mythological beginnings, has a poignant relevance in today’s world. Druidry is the wellspring from which human beings will begin to once again recognize and accept our role in the circle of life, rather than trying to dominate or change it. We will begin to honor and love all creation, for it is the embodiment of the Divine. We shall honor our ancestors and harken to their voices and their spirit. We will not be afraid of the wildness of our own spirit that beckons us to explore and renew our connection with the blessed land and with the Gods. We will walk with dignity these modern times, and live the Elder Ways not only for the betterment of self, but for the benefit of all.

The Harmony of Wicca and Druidry

“While the cunning folk (Witches) worked alone or in small groups, and were the local wise people and healers in rural communities, the Druids were an organized elite, exempt from warfare and paying taxes, and they acted as judges, teachers, philosophers and advisors to chieftains, kings and queens. They appear very different to the image that we hold of Witches, until we examine them in more detail.”

— Excerpt from Druidcraft: the Magic of Wicca and Druidry by Philip Carr-Gomm

From the writings of the earliest historians of the period, we have come to know that Druidry as an ancient practice was divided into three areas of specialization: Bard, Ovate and Druid. The Druids were priests, teachers, philosophers, and in many cases, as experts in the law, would preside as judges and mediators. The Bards were poets, musicians, storytellers, keepers of lore and myth; they were enchanters, as easily able to bewitch as to entertain. But of these specializations, it was the Ovates—the seers and diviners, healers and herbalists—that are most akin to what we would describe as “witches.”

With the coming of Christianity to Western Europe around the sixth century C.E., the Druids had been assimilated as part of the professional elite in the new social order. Their assimilation was both professional and religious; they were compelled to embrace the new faith and apply their expertise toward building a society ruled by the church. On the other hand, the Bardic profession continued to flourish, although its religious emphasis (being pre-Christian) became somewhat diminished. Bardic schools continued to exist in Ireland, Scotland and Wales even into the seventeenth century. The Ovates, however, seemed to disappear from all record.

What this suggests however is not that the Ovatic stream died off—much to the contrary in fact—rather that it went underground. The teachings though less formal than before, became passed from generation to generation in a largely oral tradition. Evidence suggests that over the generations that came after them, the Ovates eventually became known, in close-knit circles, as “cunning folk, ” or “Wicca, ” meaning “wise ones.” It is from this meaning that the modern term “Wicca” finds its place in contemporary Paganism.

In the same chapter of the book Druidcraft as is quoted above, author Philip Carr Gomm goes on to say, “When the two worlds of Witchcraft and Druidry are brought together, we find at the place of their meeting the figure of the ‘Ovate-Witch’ who presides over a knowledge of the mysteries of Life and Death, whose cauldron offers the wisdom that is known in Druidry as ‘Bright Knowledge.'”

It is easy to see then where the harmony between Wicca and Druidry lies; for indeed Wicca owes its origins to Druidry, and Druidry, in no small way owes its survival to the Wicca, who in generations before them were the Ovates of the ancient world. It was these “wise ones” who passed on their teachings through the generations, keeping their folk magick alive long enough to be re-discovered, revived and re-invented by scholars and visionaries like Gerald Gardner and Ross Nichols.

A modern embrace of Druidry and Wicca together as a way of life may involve a study of folk magick and metaphysics, respecting certain ceremonial rites and liturgies of worship, while also exploring the disciplines of philosophy, sciences and the arts, and culminate in an endless pursuit of knowledge, both spiritual and scientific. At the core of Celtic spirituality is the belief that all things are connected. It is a concept expressed in the earliest examples of Celtic art and literature, and remains a part of our spiritual heritage. And it is profoundly at the heart of what we mean by “the harmony of Wicca and Druidry;” that each tradition compliments the other, and can powerfully enrich the life of any Pagan.

In the Fellowship of Anamastia, we seek that enrichment through scholarship and well-founded liturgical expression that brings into our worship a marriage of the best aspects of both traditions. It is that which both illuminates the past and shapes our understanding of how to build a better future for the Earth and all the creatures that live upon Her. For more information visit us on the web at http://anamastia.webs.com.


Footnotes:
Nichols, Ross. The Book of Druidry. London: Thorsons, 1990.

Carr-Gomm, Philip, et. al. The Druid Renaissance: The Voice of Druidry Today. London: Thorsons, 1996.

Orr, Emma Restall. Principles of Druidry. London: Thorsons, 1999.

Rutherford, Ward. Celtic Lore: The History of the Druids and Their Timeless Traditions. London: Thorsons, 1993.

Carr-Gomm, Philip. Druidcraft: The Magic of Wicca and Druidry. London: Thorsons, 2002.

Buckland, Raymond. Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 1986.

Travers, Chris. Who Were the Druids?. accessnewage.com. 1996.

HELLO WORLD! It’s Terrific Thursday Again!

Days Of The Week Comments
Hello & Merry Meet, my dear friends! Hope you are having a great Thursday. One more day to the weekend, so hang in there, lol! Just a couple of things real quick, then I will get down to business. I want your opinion on one of these things, I am thinking about doing. At the top of the page, you know that is where all the featured Gods & Goddesses are. I have been thinking about changing this part of the blog. I would like to eventually have all the popular Gods & Goddesses their own page. As many popular Gods/Goddesses as there are, WordPress will not allow that much room at the top. The space there is limited. So I was thinking about moving all those pages to a section at the side entitled “Featured Gods/Goddesses.” Then at the top add links to certain part of the blog. Have some information at the top about who we are, what our mission is, link page and so on. So what do you think? Do you want the Gods and Goddesses to stay at the top? Remember there is limited space at the top. Or do you want them moved to a special section of their own? This special section would have a link at the top also. It is up to you. Remember this is just as much your blog as it is mine. So let me hear from you.  

 

Now on with the Magick……

 

Thursday

Magickal Intentions: Luck, Happiness, Health, Legal Matters, Male Fertility, Treasure and Wealth, Honor, Riches, Clothing Desires, Leadership, Public Activity, Power and Success

Incense: Cinnamon, Must, Nutmeg and Sage

Planet: Jupiter

Sign: Sagittarius and Pisces

Angel: Sachiel

Colors: Purple, Royal Blue and Indigot

Herbs/Plants: Cinnamon, Beech, Buttercup, Coltsfoot, Oak

Stones: Sugilite, Amethyst, Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli and Sapphire

Oil: (Jupiter) Clove, Lemon Balm, Oakmoss, Star Anise

Jupiter presides over Thursday. The vibrations of this day attune well to all matters involving material gain. Use them for working rituals that entail general success, accomplishment, honors and awards, or legal issues. These energies are also helpful in matters of luck, gambling, and prosperity.

 

Spellcrafting for Thursday

 

CHANT FOR GOOD LUCK AND WELL BEING

To the moon. To the sun.
To the skies. To the waters.
Stars, let your fire burn.
Winds let your strength grow.
Let us unite. Let me shine bright.

 

GOOD LUCK HERB JAR

To attract good fortune into your life or change a streak of bad luck to good, fill a small jar
(leaving a bit of space) with any combination of the following magical herbs: buckthorn bark,
chamomile, clover, dandelion, frankincense, heal – all, honeysuckle, huckleberry leaves, Irish moss, Job’s tears, John the Conqueror, khus -khus, lotus, lucky hand root, mistletoe, myrrh, nutmeg, rose hips, rosemary, sandalwood, spearmint, star anise, thyme, Tonka bean.

Seal your jar tightly and keep it in your kitchen on a shelf or a windowsill.
Place your hands upon the jar each morning upon rising, and say :

“To God and Goddess I do pray
Guide me through another day
Let good fortune come my way
Good luck hither now I say.”

After reciting the magical incantation, gently shake the jar a few times and then
kiss it before putting it back.

I suggest using the same jar for a maximum of 13 days, then return the herbs to
the Earth and repeat if necessary.

 

  Magickal Graphics

THE LAW OF THE POWER

Witchy Comments

THE LAW OF THE POWER

          
1.  The Power shall not be used to bring harm, to injure or control others.  But
if the need  rises, the Power shall be used to protect your life or the life of others.
2.  The Power is used only as need dictates.
3.  The Power can be used for your own gain, as long as by doing so you harm none.
4.  It is unwise to accept money for the use of the Power, for it quickly controls
its taker.  Be not as those of other religions.
5.  Use not the Power for prideful gain, for such cheapens the mysteries of the
Craft and magick.
6.  Ever remember that the Power is a sacred gift of the Goddess and God, and
should never be misused or abused.
And this is the Law of the Power.  

 

 ~Magickal Graphics~

THE ORDAINS (Witches Laws)

Witchy Comments
The Ordains(The Witches Laws) 

 

 1.   And ye harm none, do as ye will.
 2.   If you know the Rede is being broken, you must work strongly against it.
 3.   Watch, listen and withhold judgment; in debate you your silences be long,
       your thoughts clear and your words carefully chosen.
 4.   Never boast, or threaten, or speak evil of anyone.
 5.   Be truthful always, save when speaking would lead to a great harm.
 6.   Keep clean your body, your clothes, and your house.
 7.   Should you take a task upon yourself, work hard and well to accomplish it
       properly and in good time. Always do the best you can.
 8.   Do not haggle over the price of your ritual tools.
 9.   Witches know that there are no absolute truths.
10.  Witches understand that the universe consists of perfect balance; therefore,
       everything has an opposite.
11.  Witches realize that for every action there is a reaction. (The Law of 
       Three).
12.  Witches know that we are all one, we are all connected.
13.  Never lie to yourself for this is the ultimate act of deceit.
14.  Witches understand that the ultimate act of spirituality is the act of 
        positive creation through love.
15.  Witches realize that the energy created through worship and rituals
        manifests as a circular stream of positive energy.
16.  Witches should never close their minds to knowledge.
17.  Never practice a magickal system that you don’t fully understand.
18.  Do not set a price on your magickal work.
19.  A Witch uses the magickal circle as a physical and non-physical
       representation of a temple on the earth plane.
20. Witches use the energies around them to assist in raising power.
21.  Witches use common sense and do not share their mysteries with fools.
22.  A Witch who knowingly breaks the Law (Ordains) will not be permitted to
        incarnate on Earth again.

Wishing You A Very Beautiful & Blessed Wednesday!

Days Of The Week Comments
It is a beautiful day here. The sun is finally shining and I woke up again feeling like a human. Yahoo! I don’t know if I have mentioned it or not but here goes…..I don’t talk much about myself personally. My experiences and life tales, yes. But me, personally no. I have a reason for posting this late every day. I get up around 7:00 a.m. I always think, “yes, I am going to get on that computer and get everything done early, surprise them all.” Then I take my morning medication and it knocks me back out. You see I take a handful of medication every morning and it is for my back. I have a three level fusion in my back. In case you don’t know, a fusion is where they take all your remaining discs out and replace them with rods, screws, cages (all metal). Then they take a bone mixture and spread over the top of all that mess and make the fusion hold. I guess I was an experiment. When they did the three level fusion, they told me I had a 90% chance it wouldn’t hold. Thank the Goddess I was in the 10% that the fusion held. I had already had one back surgery and it was a total screw up. So the second was to repair the first. I was in surgery 14 hours, when I came out I looked like I had been in a car wreck. I got to come home in three days. I remember the pain from that surgery and it was indescribable. Pain I had never experienced before in my life. I remember crying out for pain to leave my body. I found the strength to get up and start moving. I called my neurologist and told him what kind of surgery I had done. He adjusted my medicine. The pain was leaving my body. After I got on my new medicine and with the fusion, I am now pain-free. I don’t tell you this because I want your pity or for you to think I am half a human. If you was to see me on the street, you could never tell I had anything wrong with me. Thanks to an excellent surgeon and a fabulous neurologist, I know feel like a human. So you see when I say, “I feel like a human, YES!” It is definitely a good thing, lol! 

 Before we get started today, I want to share something else with you. I don’t know how many of you read the post I made the other night. The one entitled “On a very serious note.” We have had some very weird crap going on around here. The familiars were acting very strange. The one that picks up on spirits and other worldly things that might appear, has been going absolutely nuts. I have had these super bad vibes and in the corner of my eye, I had seen something moving very quickly. This morning I was sitting in the floor and about half in and half out of a meditative state. I just happened to look up and I saw a swoosh of a very small ghostly image moving into the bedroom at the far end of the house. I got a good enough look at it that I knew exactly what it was, it was a small, evil, little demon. Yes, you heard right, a small demon. You see in the old group I use to have, I told you there was a mixture of all kinds of Practitioners. Some of them would send demons after others just for the fun of it. Some fun, huh! But there was a time, I had two members that did nothing but send one demon right after another after the other one. They were vicious in their demon choices. They never bothered me because they knew better. Now I have this little demon show up in my house (I admit with the Yule season, I have been lax on warding and blessing the way I should). The demon wasn’t an evil demon just a mischievous one. And needless to say, I believe it was a calling card from one of those old witches that called me friend. Ha, with friends like those who needs enemies. I would imagine this is her way of letting me know she has found me on the internet again and saying “hello, old friend!” Anyway, after seeing what room the demon went in, I went to the kitchen and grabbed what I could quickly. With my emergency supplies I went to the bedroom and started drawing my line across the doorway and then worked my way around the room. I wanted to contain the demon in the room. I didn’t want it escaping to another part of the house. Next step to banish him from the house, QUICKLY! I did banish him and in the process of banishing him, I also sent a message back to the sender. I was very anger, upset and down right pissed. The nerve of anyone invading my home, just for the fun of it. Now that a cooler head is prevailing, I probably sent the sender too strong of a message. But I don’t play with demons and I don’t want them around me. What even strikes me stranger is that all this happens after the post I had. Definitely makes me think it is one of my old “friends” from the group. I guess they think I have grown soft in my old age (remember I am not that old). Also in the group, I had a bunch of witches that protected me. Why I don’t know? I kept telling them it was totally unnecessary, I could take care of myself. And believe me you, I can. But do you see my point now about the Dark Arts, the hexes, and the curses. I don’t practice the Dark Arts. I was sitting at home minding my own business and out of the clear blue a demon appears. What do you think would have happened if I hadn’t studied the Dark Arts? What would have happened if I didn’t know how to defend myself? You see in the world of magick, you never know what is going to happen. NEVER!. So it is best to arm yourself with everything you can. Because believe me now, you never know what is going to happen.  

Now on to the Magick…….  

 

Wednesday

Magickal Intentions: Communication, Divination, Writing, Knowledge, Business Transactions, Debt, Fear,Loss, Travel and Money Matters

Incense: Jasmine, Lavender, Sweet Pea

Planet: Mercury and Chiron (though this is a moon of Pluto)

Sign: Virgo

Angel: Raphael

Colors: Orange, Light Blue, Grey, Yellow and Violet

Herbs/Plants: Fern, Lavendar, Hazel, Cherry, Periwinkle

Stones: Aventurine, Bloodstone, Hematite, Moss Agate and Sodalite

Oil: (Mercury) Benzoin, Clary Sage, Eucalytus, Lavender

This day is governed by Mercury. Wednesday’s vibration adds power to rituals involving inspiration, communications, writers, poets, the written and spoken word, and all matters of study, learning, and teaching. This day also provides a good time to begin efforts involving self-improvement or understanding.

 

Spellcrafting of the Day

 

BANISHING AND CLEANSING RITUAL

 

Point your Athame at the sky, and then at the earth. Then pointing Athame horizontally
either spin 360 or walk around the perimeter with the Athame held out in a threatening manner.

“Spirits of evil, Unfriendly beings
Unwanted guests, Be gone!
Leave us leave this place, leave this Circle,
that the Goddess and the God may enter.
Go, or be cast into the outer darkness!
Go, or be drowned in the watery abyss!
Go, or be burned in the flames!
Go, of be torn by the whirlwind!
By the power of the Mother and the Horned One
We banish you! We banish you! We banish you!”

 

Sprinkle the perimeter with salt and water.

 
Magickal Graphics

Roads Not Travelled

Roads Not Travelled

Author: Lawmage

I hate roads. Once upon a time, I thought of roads as something full of promise. They seemed to offer the opportunity to go anywhere and with that opportunity to go anywhere, they seemed to offer the opportunity to do anything once you had arrived. As I got a little older and more experienced, I learned to appreciate the road for itself…to appreciate the journey rather than the destination.

Lately however, I have lost that appreciation. In its place sprouted a seed of distrust. It grew before long into dislike and then, in the course of things, into full-blown hate. So, here I am.

I absolutely hate the roads.

I am a Soldier deployed to Iraq. It was perhaps the experience here that has served to water the seeds of hatred. The roads in Iraq do not offer an opportunity to go anywhere—at least not anywhere most of us are anxious to go. They do not offer an opportunity to do anything. Instead, they offer an opportunity to cease doing anything…ever again.

Anyone who has watched the news is familiar with the roadside bombs we call IEDs. It is hardly surprising such experiences with the roads would engender disaffection.

The truth is those experiences in and of themselves are not responsible for my hatred of the road. They merely set the stage. They got me thinking about roads in general. They got me thinking about the deceptiveness of roads and their siren song. They got me thinking about the false promises of freedom and opportunity roads make to the unwary.

They got me thinking about how the roads offer only an illusion, like the proverbial gilded cage. They offer to take you anywhere you want to go but in truth, they can only take you to the place they go.

They pretend to offer you a choice of paths to follow. You can select which turning in the road to take.

Is that really a choice though?

Rather than allowing you to go wherever you would like, they reduce your choices to those on offer by the road itself. You can go left or right or continue straight ahead. What if you wish to go in some other direction?

Well, then you must leave the road.

What does any of this have to do with Paganism? More than you might think.

As I spent more time thinking about roads, I began to think not just about the literal road on which we travel but also about those figurative roads upon which we travel through life.

How many of us in the Pagan community have described our religious experience in terms of following a particular Path? I daresay it is quite a few of us, even most of us.

Are these figurative roads any less deceptive than the literal roads that channel us in one direction or another? Do these figurative roads offer us any greater choice of destinations than do the roads of the real world?

Why have we become so enamored of our spiritual Paths? What do they offer in order to entice us?

I suspect many modern Pagans and neo-Pagans were drawn toward paganism because it embraces individuality to an extent conventional or mainstream religion does not. So, why do we give up the allure of that individuality in favor of placing ourselves on a particular Path?

I think perhaps a look at the mundane world might by illustrative.

Why do we travel on roads and paths in our everyday lives? The answer is they are easy. It is far easier to follow a path or a road than it is to blaze our own trail across unfamiliar country. We look at the world around us and we want to see it, to experience it. We look around and determine where it is we want to be or what it is we want to obtain and then we look for a route to reach that destination or goal.

We look for a road. In so doing, we miss out on all those things that are not on or alongside the road. We keep our focus on our objective and in so doing we ignore those things around us.

Similarly, in our spiritual lives we decide where we want to go and then we seek a road or Path to take us there. In so doing, we miss out on all that the world has to show and teach us. Rather than focus on experience, we focus on movement, on progression. We strive to reach the next circle or the next order or the next rank. Some even “magically” transport themselves to their destination and claim for themselves the title High Priest or High Priestess or Grand Poobah.

Yet, this focus often leaves us feeling unfulfilled. We reach our destination only to discover that it is not the place for which we were looking. We are left with an eternal search for our real destination.

That destination does not lie at the end of any road. No road leads to our destination. The roads are a lie. They promise us something they can never deliver. We can travel our entire lives and not reach that elusive destination because there is no destination. Instead, there is only the journey.

Yet, all roads lead somewhere.

If we elect to follow a road or a path, it will inevitably take us someplace. We should strive to avoid this “arrival” at all costs because any arrival is a lie. There is no destination and anything that offers or promises to take us there is engaged in a deceit. This is why I have grown to hate roads. To avoid the lie we must avoid the liar.

We must avoid the road.

It is no surprise our early animistic and shamanistic ancestors placed such great importance on things like vision quests or other experiences that sent the seeker out into the wilderness in search of spiritual awakening and enlightenment. The wilderness by definition lacks roads. Roads are the chains with which civilization binds the wild parts of the world and inexorably reduces them to slavery in service of the artificial construct we call society.

On these vision quests, our ancestors were not seeking a destination. They were seeking an experience. Where they went was immaterial. What mattered was what they experienced.

Roads served no useful purpose on these journeys. Indeed, one could well argue roads would have prevented the journey because they would have deprived the seeker of the experiences necessary to achieve the spiritual awakening being sought.

All this brings me back to the real question. Why do we elect to follow so-called spiritual Paths in our lives? Is it because we are unconsciously adverse to the amount of work it would take to blaze our own trail through the wilderness?

Is it because we have fallen prey to the deceptively sweet siren songs these roads sing to us? Are we afraid to loose ourselves in the spiritual wilderness?

I cannot speak for anyone else but I am unwilling to indulge the lies. I refuse to be led astray by the illusion of freedom that roads offer.

I hate roads.

Purification Ritual for New Magical Tools

Purification Ritual for New Magical Tools
by Jame Kambos

Whenever you buy a new tool for magical workings it is important that the tool is purified. This is a simple purification ritual that I use to cleanse my new magical tools:

Ingredients:
caldron or any heat-proof dish
dandelion leaf
wormwood
sage

Ignite the herbs and let them smolder awhile. As the smoke curls about you pass your tool through the smoke and say:

“Smoke rise,
Let me be wise.
This (name of tool) is cleansed.
I will use it only for good.”

The item is now ready to use!

Dark Goddess Invocation

Dark Goddess Invocation

I am the Darkness behind and beneath the shadows.
I am the absence of air that awaits at the bottom of every breath.
I am the Ending before Life begins again,
the Decay that fertilizes the Living.
I am the Bottomless Pit,
the never-ending struggle to reclaim that which is denied.
I am the Key that unlocks every Door.
I am the Glory of Discovery,
for I am that which is hidden, secluded and forbidden.
Come to me at the Dark Moon and see that which can not be seen,
face the terror that is yours alone.
Swim to me through the blackest oceans
to the center of your greatest fears–
the Dark God and I will keep you safe.
Scream to us in terror, and yours will be the Power to Forbear.
Think of me when you feel pleasure, and I will intensify it,
until the time when I may have the greatest pleasure
of meeting you at the Crossroads Between the Worlds.

RELEASING THE CIRCLE

RELEASING THE CIRCLE

Once the rite is ended, face North, hold aloft the wand and say:

Farewell, Spirit of the North Stone.
I give thanks for your presence here.
Go in power.

Repeat this same formula to the East, South and West, substituting the proper
direction in the words. Then return to the North and hold the wand aloft for a
few moments.
Lay the wand on the altar. Take up the athame. Standing in the North, pierce
the circle’s wall with the blade at waist level. Move clockwise around the
circle, visualizing it’s power being sucked back into the athame. Literally pull
it back into the blade and handle. Sense the circle dissolving, shrinking; the
outside world slowly regaining its dominance in the area. When you arrive at
the North again, the circle is no more.

How To Design a Nature Ritual

How To Design a Nature Ritual

Adapted from Connecting with Nature, by John R. Stowe (Findhorn Press, 2003).These four guidelines can help you to design simple, personal rituals that honor your own connection with the living world of nature.

The benefits of intentional connection are threefold. First, it helps to antidote the alienation that comes from believing in separation. Second, by focusing your attention–and your creative energy–on your positive relationships with the living world, you make them stronger. Finally, through your practice, you feed the living world around you. If your practice fills you with gratitude, appreciation, respect, and beauty, you and all of life are so much richer.

Find out how to create your own satisfying rituals of connection with nature:

1. Set your intention. To begin, choose a simple action to indicate that you intend o focus your full attention on whatever follows. It could be a short prayer–especially if you follow a religious tradition–or annunciation to the energies of Spirit to join you. It might be a simple gesture like reaching down to touch the Earth, turning to each of the four cardinal directions, or taking three slow, deep breaths. You could light a candle, sing, ring a small bell, touch your heart, or whatever else feels right to you.

Setting your intention establishes the tone for the whole ritual. It reminds you that you’re creating a space that is special, outside the flow of normal activity. You’ll find that the more you repeat a certain opening gesture, the more comforting and familiar it becomes. In time, just repeating it will help you calm your mind and focus your attention quickly and easily.

2. Communicate. When you’ve opened your ritual, how you proceed depends on your intention. What are you here to honor? What would you like to express? The possibilities are endless–and entirely up to you. Some people make a ritual to honor the sunset, or the full moon. Others may want to honor a specific natural event (the first snowfall, thunderstorms, moonrise) or a particular animal.

Give your imagination free rein. Ask yourself what you’d like your ritual to communicate, which connection with the living world you’d like to honor, which of your companions you’d like to thank. Then, ask yourself how to make a statement as simply and eloquently as possible. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to come up with simple, enjoyable rituals. Start simply, focus on one thing at a time, and let your experience lead you onward.

3. Completion. Just as you opened the ritual with a gesture, mark its closing in the same way. These two gestures–even if they’re as simple as a focused breath–reinforce your intention that everything between them be special. Your closing gesture could be a repeat of the opening one or something different–whatever feels appropriate. Choose one that helps you to honor your intention and then let yourself return to normal awareness.

4. Action. Using the outline you just created, find a time to perform your ritual. Choose an appropriate setting. Take your time. Proceed with intention and as much clarity as you can. When you complete your ritual of intentional connection, take a few moments to notice how you feel. What was your experience? What have you learned? If you were to perform this practice again, is there anything you’d change? How else might you like to observe your connections with Nature?

Ritual for Letting Go and Taking Stock

Ritual for Letting Go and Taking Stock  
By Cait Johnson, author of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air (SkyLight Paths, 2003).Early autumn is the traditional time for taking stock: what do we need to release so we won’t feel burdened in the months ahead? What do we keep in our spiritual larders to sustain us? We can take a gentle lesson from nature as we witness the trees and their graceful letting-go, and the busyness of squirrels as they gather the stores of food that will ensure a secure winter.Here is a simple ritual designed to help you free yourself from the burdens of the past, and to help you identify the skills, strengths, and gifts that will be your wise companions this winter. Read it here:

1. Take a little time where you will not be disturbed. Sit comfortably with a small pad of paper and a pen or pencil and close your eyes. Take a moment to feel how gravity keeps you firmly here on this planet. Take comfort in your weight. Now take note of all the places where your body is touching something solid: the chair, the floor. Feel how you are cradled by these places. Take a moment to feel grateful for your life.

2. Now gently bring into your awareness anything you carry that makes you feel weighed-down, heavy, sad, or angry. Perhaps a relationship issue or a negative pattern of thinking. Perhaps worries about not having enough of something. With compassion for yourself, write these things down on your paper.

3. Now, still keeping your eyes closed, turn over a new leaf in your pad. Give yourself a few moments to think of any important lessons you learned from these burdens–any skills you gained from having carried them. (For example, if a relationship did not work out as you had wished, you may have learned to be more self-reliant and independent.) If you release the sadness or anger associated with each burden, what are the gifts that remain? Write these gifts down on the fresh piece of paper.

4. Now give some thought to your personal talents, skills, and qualities of character. These are things that nothing can take away; they are part of the great gift to the world that you are. Write down as many as you can think of on the same piece of paper.

5. When you are ready, open your eyes. Take the list of burdens and, without looking at it, tear it into small pieces. These may be burned, buried, or released into the air or water. (One friend took a chair outdoors, stood on it, and released her paper bits like autumn leaves, enjoying the sight of their gentle drifting-down.) Now read the list of gifts. Fold the paper and put it in a safe place. Whenever you need a reminder, take it out and reread it.

The Way We Were vs The Way We Are

The Way We Were vs The Way We Are

Author: Ryan Hatcher

If we are to look back to the inception of modern paganism and the people who were the force behind it and were to observe how they practiced, worshipped and worked magic and compared it to how we practice, worship and work magic in modern times, while there is guaranteed to be a great deal of difference, the basic, core values should have remained the same.

I was in Norwich yesterday, a city with a strong pagan undercurrent of its own, for a brief look around the shops to pass some time while my partner enjoyed a 2-hour birthday massage, because of which my wallet had experienced a mass weight loss. So window-shopping it was. On my journey around the city I ventured into a Waterstones bookshop to have a look at their MBS section and had a skim through some of the material. Now, 90% of these books were paganism 101, which is fair enough for a standard mainstream bookshop, but reading through some of these 101 books — some of them recently published — it got me to reflecting: what is taught and considered western paganism now is much different than what it would have been considered to be 60-70 years ago.

What do I mean by this? Well, much of my personal pagan practice is inspired by these ‘old school’ methods with a touch of the modern for flavor (I’m talking about Doreen Valiente and Kevin Cochrane for the older styles, particularly Valiente; the Farrars (Stewart and Janet) represent an in-between period. Kate West and Christopher Penczack add the modern flare.) as I feel their values and ideas resonate with me. Now, keeping Valiente and Cochrane’s ideals in mind (again, more Valiente than Cochrane) , compare them to a lot of Penczack’s work and the work of similar contemporary styles and you’ll see what I’m trying to get at.

The styles and traditions of Valiente and Cochrane (hereon called the ‘older styles’) focus more on the earth-based worship side of paganism: seeing their Gods as personified manifestations of the forces of Life, Love, Death and Rebirth as well as the forces of nature in all it’s guises (be this as the four elements or simply as the grass in your lawn) . I also feel that animism in a subtler form was still there, if only felt and respected rather than overtly expressed.

The crafting of magic seems to have been simpler, as was the training (which doesn’t mean it was by any means easier than today; I’m inclined to say it was harder) . Metaphysical ideas such as energy centres, auras and layers of existence appear to have been acknowledged but were not the priority. The same for ‘the mysteries’ of the craft such as hypnosis, astral projection/trance journeying and psychism in all its forms. The works of the older styles show that they were an important part of their practice along with magic, but they were not the primary focus. I feel they were considered tools and techniques that developed along with the witch as he or she progressed down the spiritual path and was able to understand themselves and their developing abilities better and learn to control, focus and use them.

In contrast, the works of Penczack and his contemporaries (hereon called the ‘newer styles’) seem to focus more on the metaphysical ideas of paganism (energy centres, auras and layers of existence) , ‘the mysteries’ of the craft and magic as being of primary importance and therefore many chapters are devoted to these concepts. Now, I’m not saying this is strictly a bad thing; it may well suit many a new student to paganism, but when it comes to the core values about the spiritual and worship side of paganism, we start to enter the world of ‘love, light and blessed be’.

The realm of the FB, and those big furry ears seem to be cropping up more frequently in pagan literature. The spirituality of the newer styles appears to see the Old Gods as playmates: happy, fun, smiley and They do anything their precious ‘hidden children’ ask for. And unfortunately kids, you just have to look at the global history of paganism and myths of the world to now that is definitely not true. The honouring of nature and the earth extends as far as litter picking and recycling, which are very, very good ideas, and more is being suggested such as planting new trees, getting involved with wildlife protection trusts etc. Unfortunately, I feel many of the witches of the older styles, though some did get involved in these things, chose not to, possibly considering ritual devotion to be sufficient.

Ritual then is the moot point of both the old and new styles. As we are all aware, spiritual practice is a subjective thing, especially when it comes to ritual. Both new and old styles of witchcraft and paganism have placed varying levels of focus on ritual, and all have varying styles and methods in ritual that meets with their needs and the ideals of their respective traditions. However (there had to be a however) , and this goes for both old and new styles of paganism, whatever happened to just going out there and communing with nature face-to-face? No pomp and ceremony, no matter how elaborate or simple, just getting out there and being in the presence of the forces that we as pagans honour and worship.

I say, if you’re in a situation where celebrating a sabbat or an esbat with formal ritual isn’t an option, but you are within distance of a beautiful woodland, then screw it! Go for a walk in the woodland, sit under a tree and meditate! Commune with the spirits of the natural world around you and feel the power of the Old Gods, the powers of life, love, death and rebirth and pour your heart out in gratitude for all you have and for all that it means to be alive.

Wrapping it up: to me, the older styles and the newer styles and those of the styles in-between all have their good points and their bad points. The older styles are more grounded, simple and earthly. The newer styles are more flighty, ‘new-age’, hippy-esque and spiritual (in the modern concept of the word) . I’m sure you can see we have a Yin-Yang situation. And like the Yin and Yang, symbols of the older and newer styles do have parts of the other within them, but what we need to achieve is a balance between the two.

Paganism is a living and growing spiritual path and naturally changes with time, but it shouldn’t lose its heart. If we can bring together old and new, Yin and Yang, then we might be able to evolve paganism further, making it stronger, more refined and give us a definitive direction for us to aim for.

I hope that this essay will encourage pagans, both old hands and new, to review their beliefs, practices and crafts… to look back at the old, and freely explore the new and therein decide what is the best way forward in their spiritual path.


Footnotes:
Witchcraft for Tomorrow – Doreen Valiente

Witchcraft a Tradition Renewed – Evan John Jones with Doreen Valiente

The Witches’ Bible – Janet and Stuart Farrar

The Real Witches’ Handbook – Kate West

Gay Witchcraft – Christopher Penczack

Instant Magick – Christopher Penczack

The Path of an American Traditionalist

The Path of an American Traditionalist

Author: Heather Douglas

I write a blog on blogspot.com called “Path of an American Traditionalist”. I decided to call my blog this for one reason. It all starts with Scott Cunningham and “Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner”, which was the first Wicca book I was ever introduced to at the age of fourteen. As common as this sounds my mother saw an A and E special on “witches and Wicca” and became instantly enamored with the idea. She went out and purchased none other than a Scott Cunningham book. As I have previously written in another article this would ultimately lead me down the magical path I am still on today. I consider myself very much a follower of Scott Cunningham.

Scott Cunningham has been a very important, influential and inspirational part of not only my craft, but my spiritual self, as well. A man gone too soon, he never had time to fully develop the exact recipe to create a true American Wicca tradition of witchcraft, but he was well down the path before his passing. What most of us witches heavily rely on today all stems from belief systems of other cultures that are not uniquely American. Most tradition of magic that are popularly practiced today have roots in Europe, Asia, as well as various other countries, but only the branch of paganism that could claim some ownership are the Native Americans.

What most witches don’t understand or appreciate (in my opinion) about Scott Cunningham was the message that took the forefront in all of his books. Wicca does not require a system of clergy, standards, rules or authority. The authority comes only from the Goddess and God. Even most of the Native American traditions had an informal hierarchy. Scott’s message has always been a break from, well, tradition!

Having said that, his books are richly steeped in a “tradition” created solely on his own experience with spell work. That is not to say that he does not solely rely on the work of people like Gardner, Crowley and Leek, but what he does is take his personal interpretations of their work and applies the knowledge to further his own. Furthermore the knowledge he applies to his “encyclopedia” type books are well researched, well-written and informative for any witch! In 2009 “Scott Cunningham’s Book of Shadows”, was published by Llewellyn. For obvious reasons, because of his passing in 1993, a new Scott Cunningham book had not been in circulation for a very long time.

It is mentioned in the forward of the book that Scott’s intentions were to create a system of witchcraft/magic that was uniquely American and without constraint. Scott was taking the knowledge, experience and wisdom he had gained from the many years he spent practicing magic and applying the craft to create a non-uniform system of magical practice that’s roots would be American. The author of the forward states that he is uncomfortable with the world “traditionalist”, applied to the work and legacy of Scott Cunningham. He says this because he believes Scott Cunningham was anything but a Traditionalist. I believe the author misunderstands the word and its usage.

While the word “tradition” does normally conjure up thoughts of rules and guide lines within a community, I believe what Scott was trying to convey was a sense of “Tradition” that would be become the basis for a new way of practicing Wicca without the constraints of the “old ways”. His Tradition would be that of religious freedom inside of paganism and Wicca. By using this word he was not trying to start a new religion, but rather build upon and create something that was uniquely American and create something that was American in taste and flair. He was pulling together a system of practicing a sort of “free-base” magical system that relied on coming up with your own spells, chants, recipes, etc…by applying knowledge taken from other authors, witches and most importantly your own spell work. His “Tradition” would be one heavily influenced by the idea of religious freedom in Wicca, which is the basis for America itself. Which could be interpreted as a play on Aleister Crowley’s infamous quote “Do what thou Wilt shall be the whole of the Law”.

I’m not sure what Scott would have continued, finished or accomplished if he was still here today, but I know it would have been amazing! From all of the research, reading and studying I have done on him, I am confident in saying that he was NOT comfortable with a lot of the “traditions” of witchcraft that preach uniformity in the sense that you have to have this particular book, this candle or this oil, in order to properly perform magic. Even though he revered and respected his pagan friends that choose to go the coven route, Scott himself never felt comfortable in any formal setting of ritual work. In a book by David Harrington entitled “Whispers of the Moon: The Life and Work of Scott Cunningham”, it is often stated that Scott joined several covens and formal magical paths, but always ended up going back to being a solitary practitioner. Scott said to his friends that he always felt more at home being a solitary witch. He was a rebel of sorts in that he took Wicca out of the living room and back to where it belongs, in nature.

My blog is a tiny corner of the world where I can express myself, my craft and my ideas that have all been heavily influenced by Scott Cunningham’s life and work. If Scott Cunningham did create a tradition, even by accident, I am following it by being a living product of his message. You don’t have to have fancy ritual items, or a high-priestess degree to worship the Goddess and perform magic. You don’t have to know and memorize every tiny aspect of the Wiccan religion to be a follower of the Goddess. As Scott believed and always wrote, all you need to contact the divine is an open heart, an open mind and the will that lies within.