
	 BOOK OF SHADOWS 
	


	VOLUME The FIRST

	pp. 1 - 452


	
	 RIDERS OF THE CRYSTAL WIND 

	 TABLE OF CONTENTS 
A Minster Speaks Out (J. gordon Melton) .........................975
A Plea For Initiation Standards (Ellen Cannon Reed) .............908
A Tale of Two Witches (Mike Nichols) ............................147
All Hallows Eve (Mike Nichols) ..................................137
Altar Dedication  (Durwydd) .....................................125
Amazing (Pagan?) Grace ..........................................959
Ancient Art, The ................................................551
Answers (Grove of the Unicorn) ..................................479
Asatru (Rathulvf Jamieson) ......................................952
Astral Projection (Monroe Technique) ............................783
Athame Dedication (Durwydd) .....................................125
Autarchic Creed .................................................562
Banes, Bindings, and Mirrors (Judy Harrow, Hugh Read) ...........628
Bare Bones 3rd Degree (Humor) ...................................463
Basic Beliefs of WICCA (C.O.G.) .................................947
Basic Love Spell ................................................958
Basic Spell Construction ........................................113
Basic Principles (American Council of Witches)...................310
Basic Ritual Outline (ED FITCH) ...................................6
Beltaine Ritual (Firestar Coven, 1986) ...........................36
Beltane Ritual (Seastrider) .....................................464
Beltane, Its Origins (Rowan Moonstone) ..........................126
Bible, Books not included .......................................652
Bibliography (annotated) ........................................929
Binding A Spell (Farrar & Farrar) ...............................157
Blood Sacrifice (Althea Whitebirch) .............................547
Burning Times, The (Marios) .....................................951
C.O.G. Pledge ...................................................309
Channeling (Jast) ...............................................969
"Condensed" Definition of Wicca (Lady Phoenix) ..................948
Candle Colors ...................................................982
Candle Magic ....................................................417
Candle Scents ...................................................988
Candlemas (Gwydion) .............................................537
Candlemas (Mike Nichols) ........................................168
Catharsis Circle (Judy Harrow).....................................8
Cauldrons (Elemental)............................................420
CELTIC NUMEROLOGY (Mike Nichols) ................................454
CELTIC BIBLIOGRAPHY (Rowan Moonstone) ...........................298
Chants w/ASCII Notation (L.A.Hussey) ...........................1081
Chaos Magic (Mark Chao) .........................................398
Charge of the Phone Goddess (Magenta Griffith) ..................759
Charge of the Goddess, The ......................................193
Charge of The Horned God, The ...................................936
Check List for A Well Working Group (Earthrite BBS) .............957
Church of All Worlds ............................................353
Christian "Cults" ..............................................1000
Circle Closing ..................................................540
Circle Casting (Avaloian)........................................541
Circle Purification for Asthmatics ..............................780
Circle Casting (after Valiente and Farrar) ......................130
Circles, why use them? (Mel White) ...............................65
Cleansing (Rowan Moonstone) .......................................2
Comparison of Wicca and Christianity.............................622
Computer Blessing (Zahai Stewart) ...............................757
Coven Offices ...................................................762
Coven Leadership ................................................543
Covenant of the Goddess .........................................305
Consciousness & Politics  (Carol Moore).........................
	 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) 
Craft Ethics (J. Crowley) .......................................751
Creation Story ..................................................619
Creed Of The People Of God (Catholic) ..........................1005
Crone Energies (Grey Cat) .......................................559
Crystals, their care and feeding (Matrika).......................413
Cult Danger Evaluation Frame (P.E.I.Bonewits) ...................343
CUUPS (C.O.G. Salt Lake City) ..................................1002
"Dark Night of the Soul".........................................286
DCW Landmarks ...................................................492
Degrees within Covens ...........................................623
Deity Engineering Worksheet .....................................607
Denver Area Wiccan Network ......................................200
Descent of The Goddess (Sewna Silvara) ..........................750
Dianic Wicca (Inanna Seastar) ...................................614
Divination (Bibliography) .......................................605
Divination (RMPJ) ...............................................603
Drawing Down the Moon ...........................................557
Dream Problem Solving ...........................................573
Dream Bibliography ..............................................576
Dream Life ......................................................571
Dream-News ......................................................567
Dreams Precognition .............................................575
Dying God (Ammond ShadowCraft)...................................685
Eclectic Circle Ceremony (Durwydd) ...............................40
EcoMagick .......................................................614
Eight Paths to Altered States (Carrie McMasters).................222
Elements, A Hermetic Summoning (Marios) .........................960
Elemental Correspondences (from Starhawk) .......................979
Elemental Correspondences .......................................560
Ethics and Morals (RMPJ) ........................................315
Ethics and Magick (Warren Stott) ................................415
Ethics and Love Magick (Mike Nichols) ...........................554
Ethics or Etiquette .............................................565
Etymology of "Wicca" ............................................356
Evolution of Wiccan Ritual (Paul Hume) ..........................946
Exorcism ........................................................613
Festivals .......................................................587
Film Guide '89 (Mike Nichols)....................................528
First Degree, What is it? .......................................351
FISH (Creative use of Christian Symbology) ......................611
Five Fold Kiss ..................................................744
Fool ............................................................590
Fortune, The (RMPJ) .............................................953
Full Deck Tarot Spread ..........................................625
Full Moon Ritual (Seastrider)....................................634
Fundamentals of Human Ecology ...................................616
Glossary (Rowan Moonstone & Durwydd MacTara) ....................206
Gnosticism.......................................................694
God/Goddess Balance (Adrienne)...................................223
Golden Dawn (Calif.).............................................689
Golden Dawn Training (outline)...................................691
Goodwife (Story by L.A. Hussey) .................................644
Great Rite, The (Symbolic) ......................................656
Greek Fire Initiation............................................982
Halloween, Origins of (Rowan Moonstone) ..........................26
Handfasting ......................................................68
Harvest Home (Mike Nichols) .....................................176
Harvest Thoughts (Gary Dumbauld) ................................630
Harvest Home - 1987 (Michael Fix) ................................13
	 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) 
Heal The Earth (a meditation) ...................................661
Healing (one method) ............................................655
Healing Myth (Nihasa) ...........................................165
Helpful Hints (Humor) ...........................................966
Heretic's Corner (RMPJ) .........................................869
Heyokah (RMPJ) ..................................................632
Hidden Codes in the Torah .......................................733
High Technology Meets The Ancient Wisdom ........................964
History (Weyland Smith) .........................................786
History of Witch Craft ..........................................791
Homeblessing (Selena Fox) .......................................663
Hypnosis 101 ....................................................667
Imbolc (Solitary Ritual) ........................................664
Initiation, Outdoor (adaptation) .................................72
Initiation (Brad Hicks) ..........................................50
Introductory Book List ..........................................926
INVOCATIONS
	Freyja (unknown) ............................................56
	Frigg (Russ Anderson) .......................................55
     Brigit (Russ Anderson) ......................................57
	Baldur (unknown) ............................................55
	Freyr (unknown) .............................................56
	Herne (unknown) .............................................57
	Thorr (unknown) .............................................58
Irish Myth Concordance (Mike Nichols) ...........................422
Ishtar ..........................................................740
Issian Circle (Matrika) ..........................................59
K.A.M. ..........................................................735
Kabballah (Colin Low)............................................236
Kali and Modern Physics .........................................730
Keltria (The Henge of) ..........................................739
Lady Day (Mike Nichols) .........................................171
Lammas (Mike Nichols) ...........................................174
"Landmarks" (D.C.W.) ............................................990
LBRP, an Essay (Tim Maroney) ....................................103
Learning Process ................................................962
Lilith (BBS Conversation) ......................................1083
LLEW, Death of (Mike Nichols) ...................................179
Lucid Dreaming (Omni Magazine) ..................................955
MABON Outline (anonymous) ........................................43
Magick, Physics, & Probability (Hurn) ...........................811
Magick (A. Crowley) .............................................817
Magick Vs. Prayer (Salgamma) ....................................684
Magickal Book List ..............................................923
Magick Course Outline (Amber K.).................................815
Magickal Ethics (Judy Harrow) ...................................502
Magickal History (Fra.: Apfelman) ...............................406
Magickal Definitions (RMPJ) .....................................814
Magickal Laws (after P.E.I. Bonewits) ...........................831
Magickal Musical Selection Guide ...............................1079
Magickal Pyramid, The (Durwydd MacTara).........................1096
Magickal Stones & Gems ..........................................912
Manhood Rituals (RMPJ) ..........................................760
Mantra Web technique ............................................288
Mayan Deities (777 Supplement) ..................................834
Mayday Celebration (Mike Nichols) ...............................837
MAYDAY Celebration (Mike Nichols) ................................79
Media Management (Windfire Coven) ...............................851
Maychants (4) (Tanscribed by SeaStrider).........................911
 	 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) 
Memory & Perception, a new Model (Paul Seymour).................1077
Midsummer (Mike Nichols) .........................................45
Mind Control Techniques (Dick Sutphen) ..........................512
Models of Magick (incomplete)....................................216
Modern Pagaism, Q&A .............................................920
Modern Pagan Persecution (Jonathan Hutchins) ....................942
Mothers Day Message ............................................1076
Monotheism vs. Polytheism (Dan Holdgriewe) ......................941
Mycenaen Mysteries (J. Teller)...................................365
Mystical Pentagram ..............................................110
Nature Spirit Magick (Larry Cornett) ............................357
Necromancy (reprint) ............................................841
Neo-Pagan Ritual (Brad Hicks) ....................................77
Neo-Paganism (J. Brad Hicks) ....................................329
NeoPagism (Eric S. Raymond) .....................................333
NLP- Applied Magic (Brandy Williams).............................459
NROOGD SAMHAIN - 1987 (l.a. Hussey) ..............................21
Occult Resurgence, A theory .....................................224
ODINISM, What is it? ............................................764
Open Circle Ethics (Brandy Williams) ............................377
Open Letter to A New Witch ......................................910
Open Letter to Selena Fox (Isaac Bonewits) .....................1089
Opening (ending) The Circle ......................................12
Origins of the Mandan (Madoc) ...................................949
Pantacle, The (Gary Dumbauld) ...................................392
Personal effects of Ritual (Nihasa) .............................868
Polarity and Single Sex Covens (Marios) .........................945
Pornography & Pagan Ideals ......................................972
Power Animals (RMPJ).............................................411
Psychic Self-Defense ............................................594
Psychic Attack ..................................................563
"Quantum" Kaballah...............................................282
Quantum Magick (Larry Cornett) ..................................857
Quilting and "Craft" (J.M. Cortese) ............................1103
Rainforest Ritual (Michael Harismedes, 1988) ....................212
Ritual Bath (Sewna Silvara) .....................................745
Runes, What are they? (Lokrien) .................................215
Runic Thorn Ritual (Faunus) ....................................1097
Sangreal Sodality, The (Alfgar Maharg) ..........................944
Samhain Notes (Farrar)...........................................143
Samhain Ritual (L. A. Hussey) ....................................19
Samhain Ritual (O.T.O.) .........................................145
Samhain (United Wiccan Church) ..................................141
Satanism vs. Wicca (Diane Vera)..................................194
Saxon Wicca (Matrika) ...........................................158
Scorpio Dragon (Sewna Silvara) ..................................749
Second Degree (Gary Dumbauld) .....................................3
Sex and Magick (Fra. Apfelmann)..................................231
Shamanic Binding (Gaffer Maccluiunn) ............................937
Shamanic Lifeways Fellowship (Michelle Haas) ....................384
Smudging (Michelle Haas) ........................................184
Solitary Moon Rite, Issian (Ellen Cannon Reed) .................1100
Sophia and Gnosticism (Terry J. McCombs) .......................1105
Spitual Emergence or Emergency (Paul Seymour) ...................939
Spring Equinox (Farrar and Farrar) ..............................182
Standing Stones Book Of Shadows (Scott Cunninham) ..............1010
Strings On The Winds (Bardic Fiction)............................778
"Super-Dimensionality" ..........................................289
Taleisin's thoughts .............................................676
 	 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) 
Tea Ritual (Sewna Silvara, Triskelion)...........................747
Technology and The Craft (Fun!) .................................132
The Postures of Ecstasy .........................................617
Tool List (Seastrider) ..........................................136
Tool Blessing Ritual ............................................122
Tool Consecration ................................................17
Traditional Wicca (K.A.M.) ......................................186
Trickster Energies ..............................................234
Twelve Exercises Nobody Needs ...................................619
Wartime (Michelle Haas, 1991) ...................................117
Watch Towers, Rethinking The (Mike Nichols) .....................344
What is WICCA? (Texas Pamphlet) .................................322
What is Shamanism? (Michelle Haas) ..............................354
What is Wicca? (Amber K.) .......................................340
Wicca, from My Point of View (Lady Phoenix) .....................149
Wiccan Information Network .....................................1087
Wiccan Way, The .................................................192
Wiccan Pentagram Ritual (Paul Hume) ..............................98
Wiccan Traditions, A comparison (Hurn, RMPJ) ....................154
Wiccan Path (Madoc)..............................................227
Wiccan Shamanism (Selena Fox) ...................................162
Wiccan Principles (American Council of Witches, 1974)............190
Wiccan Rede, An Exegesis (Judy Harrow) ..........................317
Witchcraft Q&A (Dr. Leo Martello) ...............................150
Witches Creed (Doreen Valiente_ .................................320
Women vs. Men (Michele Haas).....................................195
YULE (Mike Nichols) ..............................................84
Yule in Britain (Tana) ...........................................94
Yule Ritual (Starhawk) ...........................................88


	 CLEANSING 
	Rowan Moonstone 05-28-89  
 
	When I cleanse a dwelling place, first I burn a good cleansing incense, like frankincense or sandalwood in the home while I prepare for the rest of the ritual.  You should have  in addition to the incense, a candle, a bowl of salt water and a bowl of herbs.  I particularly like  to use rose buds for love, lavender for preservation, rosemary for protection, and any other sweet smelling ones that appeal to you personally.  If you can get them home grown, so much the better.  You should proceed around the house, widdershins( counter clock wise) and cleanse the area with the salt water.  Be sure to get each corner, window, door, drain, etc.  Simply sprinkle a little salt water on each and ask that any evil or disruptive influences leave the place.  When this is finished, proceed around the house deosil( clockwise) sprinkling the blessing herbs and invoke whatever deities or properties you wish on the home, such as peace 
prosperity, tranquility, etc.  In the past, I have used 3 candles on the central altar.  Blue, symbolizing tranquility, green for healing and prosperity, and purple for protection.  Others might be pink for love, or brown for hearth and home.  You and anyone who is to share the home with you should share food and drink, and don't forget to leave a little of the food and drink to take outside and return to the Earth that which has been given.  
Blessed Be. Rowan 
 --- DragonMail0.00 
  * Origin: Beagle Express - (405)848-2828 - *ISA* *IFNA* (1:147/4) 


	Second Degree Initiation

This is a ceremony we have used a couple of times (with variations to suit the candidate) for the second degree initiation.  You will note that it borrows from many sources: Masonic, Gardnerian, Celtic, and Flight of Fancy.  We've done it robed, sky clad, and some interesting combinations.  Seems to work ok either way.  If the candidate has done the work, the initiation ceremony is more of a public "rite of passage" or recognition of that fact... the real "initiation" is between the Gods and the candidate, and therefore cannot really be "conferred". 
...Gary Dumbauld, High Priest, Hernesgaard Circle 
 
 
                     A ceremony to recognize completion 
                             of the 2nd degree 
                              course of study 
 
 
The Circle is cast as usual.  All are properly prepared and purified.  High Priestess and High Priest perform the Ceremony in concert.  The candidate is brought into the circle by a friend and circled 3 times deosil, ending north of the altar, facing the Priest, who is standing south of the altar (where else?). 
 
PRIEST: 
"This is the time of Full Moon, a time for rekindling of light.  The struggle for higher light is: That we may see it, and seeing it, work and live by it.  We are about to embark upon a solemn ceremony to rekindle the light of Knowledge, the light of Will, the light of Compassion, the light of Steadfastness; we will combine these lights, and rekindle the light of Dedication in our Sister (Brother) here before us. 
_____ _________ , here have you been taught the ways of the Wise, that you might count yourself among those who serve the Gods, among the brothers and sisters of the Wicca, those who are called the shapers of the universe." 
 
PRIEST: 
"I now direct your attention to the two lights upon our altar, the one representing the Sun, the God, and the High Priest; the other representing the Moon, the Goddess, and the High Priestess.  The High Priest and Priestess, presiding over the coven, may be thought of as `One light to rule the day, one light to rule the night'.  Since these lights are both beneficent, each having honor in its place, the Craft of the Wise does not set day against night, God against Goddess, Priest against Priestess.  In the Craft, we do not define evil as a negative power, rather as the lack of light; where there is the light of Sun or Moon, God or Goddess, there can be no lack of light.  Choose one, or both; place light within yourself, and nurture it." 

"In times past, the Circle of Initiation was called a `Hermetic 
Circle', after Hermes, the ancient name for the planet Mercury." 
In astrology, the house of the Sun is in the zodiacal sign of the lion, which is the fifth house; the house of the Moon is in Cancer, the crab, and is in the fourth house; and the day house of the planet Mercury is in the Gemini, the Twins, and is the third house.  These numbers, three, four and five, were sacred to many ancient peoples, as the dimensions of the Pythagorean Triangle, in which the square of five, twenty five, is equal to the sum of the squares of four and three, or sixteen and nine.  Knowledge of this triangle was essential to builders; you are also a builder-you are building your character." 
 
PRIESTESS: 
 
"I now direct your attention to the several lights surrounding us, in the East, South, West, and North.  Let us now examine these lights, and see what we can discern within them of human character." 
 
"In the building of character, the Eastern light is denoted the Lamp of Beauty, and stands for accomplishments; for learning, skill in art, poetry, in song and instrumental music, in painting and sculpture.  It exemplifies the art of making one's self attractive to those about one.  It is an old saying that `Beauty is as Beauty does.'  It causes great distress to see these noble graces of character prostituted to ignoble ends.  Remember well the lesson of the Lamp of Beauty, and accept the blessing of the East." 
 
Initiate is censed with incense from the censer which has been 
previously placed in the East. 
 
PRIEST: 
 
"The light in the South is denoted the Lamp of Life, and stands for individuality, and for energy; for fervency, for zeal and vitality. It exemplifies passions, desires and appetites.  It means loves and hates, sympathies and abhorrences, and what is more than all the rest of these, it means heart and joy in the work of life.  Remember well the lesson of the Lamp of Life, and accept the blessing of the South." 
Initiate is circled three times with the brazier, previously placed in the South. 
 
PRIESTESS: 
 
"Look now to the West, and observe the Lamp of Compassion, which 
stands for `fellow-feeling'.  Every work in life demands a price. 
Labor, tears, self-denial, self-recrimination, the very blood of life is sometimes the price of a truly great work.  Look to your fellow travellers on the road; note with care what sacrifice they have made in their progress toward the truth; allow them their faults, commiserate with them in their failures, and rejoice with them when they succeed.  Remember well the lesson of the Lamp of Compassion, and accept the blessing of the West." 
 
Initiate is circled three times with water, and his/her hands washed in a laving bowl, previously placed in the West. 
 
PRIEST: 
 
"Look now to the North, and observe the lamp of obedience.  The laws of the Gods are inevitable, and the more we, as children of the Gods, understand and work in accordance with them, the greater is the sum of our happiness.  Obedience in character means order, the subjection to one's principles, the fear to do wrong, and the desire to learn and do right.  Many would rather give charity than do justice.  They swell with emotion, weep with sentiment, howl with the mob, so long as their own particular little tyranny or injustice is not touched.  The Lamp of Obedience exemplifies firm will and determination of character, in spite of difficulties, dangers and losses.  So also the Lamp of Obedience stands for self-control, for perseverance, and for prudence. In time of peace, prepare for war; when shines the sun, expect the cloud; and in darkness wait patiently for the coming light.  `When all the sky is draped in black and beaten by tempestuous gales, and the shuddering ship seems all awreck, calmly trim once more the tattered sail, repair the broken rudder, and set again for the old determined course.'  Remember well the lesson of the Lamp of Obedience, and accept now the blessing of the North." 
 
Initiate's hands are marked with damp earth from a bowl in the North. Initiate is then led back south of the altar. 
 
PRIESTESS: 
 
"Of the character thus illuminated and thus guided by the lights here on the altar, and by the Lamps of Beauty, Life, Compassion and Obedience, it may be said, `Though the world perish and fall away, he/she remains.' 
 
Initiate then takes the Oath/Obligation, kneeling. 
 
`In the names of Arianhrod and Bran; Diana and Appolyon; Heartha and Cernunnos; and by the powers of Earth, Air, Fire and Water, I, __________________ , pledge to love, worship and honor the Goddess in her many aspects; and her Consort, the Horned One, Lord of Death and Ruler of Chaos; to always be true to the Art and its secrets; to never abuse the Art or my own powers; and to keep this pledge always in my heart, in my mind, in my body and in my spirit.  This I pledge, by the Circle of Life, by Cerridwen's Sacred Cauldron, and by my own hopes of a future life.' 
 
Initiate stands.  High Priestess places a necklace over Initiate's head. 
 
PRIESTESS: 
 
"The Circle is a place between the worlds and outside time.  The 
Circle is also the Symbol of Life, Death, and Rebirth.  We wear the necklace as a token of the Sacred Circle and as a sign that we are part of all it symbolizes."       

High Priest strikes the bell three times. 
 
PRIEST: 
 
"Hear ye, Lady of Life and Lord of Death!  Hear ye, Ancient Guardians of the Powers of Air, Fire, Water and Earth!  In this place, by our hands and will, _____ ______________ , known to us as _______________, has been duly pledged and anointed a Priest/ess of the Second Degree!" 

                         Pagan Ritual for Basic Use 
                               (by Ed Fitch) 
 
A circle should be marked on the floor, surrounding those who will participate in the ceremony.  An altar is to be set up at the center of the circle.  At the center of the altar shall be placed an image of the Goddess, and an incense burner placed in front of it.  Behind the image should be a wand fashioned from a willow branch.  Candles should be set upon the altar ... a total of five, since on is to be set at each quarter and one will remain on the altar during the rite. 
 
     When all the people are prepared they shall assemble within the circle.  The woman acting as priestess shall direct the man who acts as priest to light the candles and incense.  She shall then say: 
 
         "The presence of the noble Goddess extends everywhere, 
          Throughout many strange, magical, 
          And beautiful worlds, 
          To all places of wilderness, enchantment, and freedom." 
 
     She then places a candle at the north and pauses to look outwards, saying: 
 
         "The Lady is awesome, 
          The Powers of death bow before Her." 
 
     The person closest to the east takes a candle from the altar and places it at that quarter, saying:  
 
         "Our Goddess is a Lady of Joy, 
          The winds are Her servants." 
 
     The person closest to the south takes a candle from the altar and places it at that quarter, saying: 
 
         "Our Goddess is a Goddess of Love. 
          At Her blessings and desire 
          The sun brings forth life anew." 
 
     The person closest to the west takes a candle from the altar and places it at that quarter, saying: 
 
         "The seas are the domain of our Serene Lady, 
          The mysteries of the depths are Hers alone." 
 
     The priest then takes the wand, and starting at the north, draws it along the entire circle clockwise back to the north point, saying: 
 
         "The circle is sealed, and all herein 
          Are totally and completely apart 
          From the outside world, 
          That we may glorify the Lady whom we adore. 
          Blessed Be!" 
 
     All repeat: "Blessed Be!" 
 
     The priest now holds the wand out in salute towards the north for a moment and then hands it to the priestess, who also holds it out in salute.  She motions to the group to repeat the following lines after her: 
 
         "As above, so below ... 
          As the universe, so the soul. 
          As without, so within. 
          Blessed and gracious one, 
          On this day do we consecrate to you 
          Our bodies, 
          Our minds, 
          And our spirits. 
          Blessed Be!" 
 
     Now is the time for discussion and teaching.  Wine and light  refreshments may be served.  When the meeting has ended, all will stand and silently meditate for a moment.  The priestess will then take the wand and tap each candle to put it out, starting at the north and going clockwise around the circle, while saying: 
 
         "Our rite draws to its end. 
          O lovely and gracious Goddess, 
          Be with each of us as we depart. 
          The circle is broken!" 


	 A CIRCLE FOR CATHARSIS 
 
Introduction: 
 
     One of my near and dear once spent an hour in a therapist's office kicking an innocent throw pillow around the room and screaming out rage at his abusive father. At the end of the hour, he had a broken foot -- and the first beginnings of a healed mind. 
 
     But we have learned that magic works through symbols. Calling an object by your abuser's name and then abusing that object is sympathetic magic used for the purpose of cursing. To throw a curse is to project one's worst feelings out into the world of form, and to invoke upon oneself the inevitable karmic 
feedback. 
 
     It is not our way to blast the crops and sour the milk. Wiccan tradition and plain common sense both tell us to avoid the practice of baneful magic. But, as usual, it's not quite as easy as just saying no. 
 
     Rape and child abuse, loved ones killed by muggers or drunk drivers, emotional manipulation and betrayal, economic exploitation and dishonest office politics - people hurt and victimize other people in many different ways every day. We are not immune. 
 
     At some point in our lives, probably every single one of us will feel violated by some other human being. Often our feelings will be based in fact.  Whether they are or not, however, we need and deserve a safe way to discharge them. 
 
     Symbolic baneful actions are also cathartic actions. They drain and clear our poisonous feelings and allow our own emotional healing to begin. If we deny ourselves this outlet, what happens to the grief and pain and rage? 
 
     If projection is bad for us, introjection is even worse. Unreleased bad feelings are a major source of stress. In a very real sense, stress cripples and kills. Ulcers, strokes, heart attacks and more are all heavily stress-related. A simple refusal to engage in baneful magic could easily amount to punishing a victim by adding serious illness to the original harm. 
 
     I am part of the All. "An it harm none" is about me too. Release of my feelings is my right. 
 
     At first it seems like an insoluble paradox. But the same understanding of magic that forbids projection of our bad feelings can open a safe channel for those feelings. Here's one possible form: 
 
 

Preparation: 
 
1) Understanding 
 
     Think about the Alcoholics Anonymous prayer. "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can change, and the wisdom to know the difference." People of any religion can recognize the wisdom in those words. This ritual is intended to ease emotional pressure. I believe that is a step towards granting all three of those things to ourselves. 
 
     If your hurt is ongoing, you must take steps to stop it - leave the abusive relationship, begin searching for a new job, begin organizing politically to stop your oppression. What good this Circle does you will be temporary at best if you are not acting on both the magical and material planes to change the things you can change. 
 
     But some of our pain comes from old, old injuries. And some of our feelings are not based on fact at all. The source of those hurts cannot be changed, but the pain can be. This particular working is to release any bad feelings, not to judge them. 
 
     Don't worry about justice. You may be mistaken about who has hurt you, but nobody will be hurt by what we do here. All energy will be contained within the Circle. The object of this working is healing, not justice. You deserve this healing simply because you hurt, and even if you are mistaken. 
 
     Prevention and healing are human tasks; to do them is to change the things we can change. Justice - the evening of karmic balances - is the business of the Gods, and may take place across a span of many lifetimes. Karmic balance is a thing we cannot change. 
 
2) Set Up 
 
     You have some decisions to make. The first one is whether you will work 
alone or ask one or more trusted friends to witness and facilitate your 
working. Some of us can only let our feelings go in strict privacy. For others, 
the presence of people who will make sure we don't hurt ourselves or our homes 
removes a source of inhibition. And sometimes simply being heard is part of the 
release process. 

     Next, exactly what kind of symbolic action will release your feelings?  Will kicking a throw pillow suffice, or do you need to actually make a poppet?  Or just screaming may be enough. If you want to work with a physical symbol, prepare it in advance, and be sure not to use anything you will want to keep after the rite or ever use again. 
 

     Figure out whether you can either cast a Circle to include your bathroom, or leave a cast Circle for a period of time. This will depend on your particular training. If possible, have a warm scented tub waiting for you. If not, a basin of warm scented water and a washcloth within easy reach just outside of your Circle will suffice. Also, a ritual meal should be prepared and 
waiting outside of Circle, and this should include something green and growing - I favor sprouts - and something sweet. 
 
Procedure: 
 
1) Waning moon is a good time for this Circle, and the Dark of the Moon is even better. Cast the Circle and invoke the Watchers in your usual manner. Call on the Crone, on She who weeds and prunes and disposes of the obstructive and unnecessary. 
 
2) Just inside the Circle, like the membrane in an eggshell, cast a grounding shield. One possible image for this shield would be a black absorptive chain link fence, supported at regular intervals by fence posts that are lightning rods. Whatever happens within this space will be contained and grounded. 
 
3) Make clear to yourself what wound you seek to drain. Say it out loud, even if you are alone. Recall what happened to you in detail and let the feelings grow strong. 
 
4) Now, let go of your feelings. Do whatever will help you release what is in you. Beat on a pillow or rip up a doll. Scream till you cry. Don't stop till you are emptied. Then fling the thing you used as a symbol out of your Circle. 
 
5) When you are sure you are all done, all drained, contract the shield into a tight ball in the center of the Circle. As it contracts, it will gather all the negative energy from the Circle. Ground it. Affirm that you are sending this energy to the fire at the heart of the Earth - to Jarnsaxe or to Pele - to be 
purified in that blast furnace and cycled to wherever strong energy is needed.  Know that what you now let go is gone. Affirm this out loud. 
 
6) Wash or bathe in a ritual manner, feeling the last traces of your bad feelings dissolve away. If others are present, allow them to wash and serve you. 
 
7) Rest a few minutes. Feel the peace of emptiness. 
 
8) Then invoke the Maiden's energy for new beginnings. Have your ritual feast, and otherwise indulge your senses. Gentle and joyful music would be effective, and you may want to switch to a sweeter smelling incense. This is a time to dream dreams and plan plans. You have removed an energy drain from your life, now you will be able to ... ? 
 
9) Thank and dismiss whatever Beings you have called on, throughout the whole ritual. Close your Circle as usual. Do not do any other kinds of working or worship within this particular Circle. 
 
 

Follow Through: 

     The final part of any effective magical working is "acting in accordance" on the material plane. By doing this, we give the magic a channel through which to manifest. For this working, there are three forms of follow through, and all are important. 
 
 
1) Remember that painful feelings are partly habitual. Acting in accordance with magic to banish such feelings requires you to stop feeding the habit. Don't talk about the pain with anybody until at least the second full moon after the working. This gives the habit a chance to fade out. As much as you can, eliminate the topic from your internal dialogue as well. When you notice yourself dwelling on the old pain, gently and firmly change the subject. 
 
        Thinking about action to change your life in the here and now is perfectly OK. The problem is reiteration of old feelings of frustration and helplessness that actually impede change. 
 
2) If the hurtful situation is current and ongoing, continue with any steps you were taking to change the things you can change. In fact, you will probably find you have more energy than you did before to devote to your projects. 
 
3) Be sure to use some of your newly freed emotional energy to reward yourself. Take time for friendship, love, and pleasure. The object of the exercise is to clear space for the enjoyment of life, so start right now. 
 
 
                                    Judy Harrow 
                                    HPs, Proteus Coven 

	OPENING (Ending) THE CIRCLE 
  
The High Priestess goes to each of the four directions in turn,  
and draws a Banishing Pentacle, saying, 
 
 
	Guardians of the East (South, West, North), Powers of Air  
(Fire, Water, Earth), we thank you 
	For joining in our circle 
	And we ask for your blessing 
	As you depart 
	May there be peace between us 
	Now and forever.  Blessed be. 
 
 
She raises her athame to the sky and touches it to the earth, then opens her arms and says, 
 
	The circle is open, but unbroken, 
	May the peace of the Goddess 
	Go in your hearts, 
	Mercy meet, and merry part. 
	And merry meet again.  Blessed be. 

                              Harvest Home Ritual
                                     1987 
                                By Michael Fix 
 
                                Circle Casting 
                               (High Priestess) 
       (Spoken while harvesting imaginary grain in perimeter of circle) 
 
Birds circle hungrily overhead 
As through harvested fields we tread. 
The smokehouse fires and burning leaves 
Their scents do spiral and interweave. 
Ripples circle in our wake 
As rice we harvest from a lake. 
The dusty Earth now shorn of locks 
Swirls as pass our fattened flocks. 
Much bounty may our harvest see 
As we cast, so mote it be! 
 
Responsorial:  So mote it be! 
 
                              Quarter Invocations 
                                 (High Priest) 
 
Facing East:  Guardians of the watchtower of the east, we do summon, stir, and call thee up to protect us in our rite. Come to us now on the cool breath of Autumn's sigh which heralds the advent of Winter and the close of harvest time.  Breathe into us the spirit of the pure joy of life.  So mote it be! 
 
Responsorial:  So mote it be! 
 
Facing South:  Guardians of the watchtower of the south, we do summon, stir, and call thee up to protect us in our rite.  Come forth from the cook fires and smokehouses where food is being made ready for the coming cold months.  Kindle within us the flame of spiritual awakening.  So mote it be! 
 
Responsorial:  So mote it be! 
 
Facing West:  Guardians of the watchtower of the west, we do summon, stir, and call thee up to protect us in our rite.  Come forth from the rainbow hued morning dew that covers the fields, and is soon to be frost.  Asperge us with your diadems and water our deepest roots that we may find peace of mind.  So mote it be!  
Responsorial:  So mote it be! 
 
Facing North:  Guardians of the watchtower of the north, we do summon, stir, and call thee up to protect us in our rite.  Come forth from the fertile bosom of our Blessed Mother Earth, and nourish us so that our hopes may grow to fruition.  So mote it be! 
 
Responsorial:  So mote it be! 

	Blessing, Consecration, and Procession of the Elements 
 
  (Four members of the coven who have been chosen beforehand now approach the  Priestess.  Each holds one of the following: an  incense burner, a candle, a vessel of water, and a vessel of salt.  Each in turn approaches the Priestess,  recites their piece, receives her blessing, and then processes deosil around 
the perimeter of the circle while stopping to bow at each of the quarters.) 
 
(Celebrant with the incense burner symbolizing the element of air) :
 
"I am everywhere.  I fill the fleshy pouches of your lungs, I stir all things from the smallest blade of grass to the tallest tree. I cool you with my breezes and destroy you with my storms.  Without me you would die.  Am I not holy and worthy of praise? "
 
(Celebrant with the candle symbolizing the element of fire): 
 
"I live in the guarded embers of campfires and the pilot lights of stoves, I spring from the lightning and the hands of men, I warm you and I destroy you. Without me you would die.  Am I not holy and worthy of praise? "
 
(Celebrant with the water vessel symbolizing the element of water):
 
"I rise from the moist crevices of the Earth, I beat on the shores of Her body, I fall from the skies in silver sheets. Without me you would die. Am I not holy and worthy of praise? " (Celebrant asperges the circle with water) 
 
(Celebrant with the salt vessel symbolizing the element of earth): 
 
"I am your Mother.  From me come the fruit and grain and animals which feed you. I am your support, and my pull on your bodies keeps you held firmly to me.  Without me you would die.  Am I not holy and worthy of praise? "
 
                           Invocation of the Goddess 
                                 (High Priest) 
 
"Come to us Moist Mother Earth.  Come to us and take your ease.  You have labored long and hard to bring forth your bounty, so that we your children may survive.  Come and relax, for well have you earned your rest.  Eat and drink your fill, sing, dance, and be merry, for  you have done well, and there is plenty for all.  And, if it pleases you to ask for the favors of one of us as 
well, may you find satisfaction there too.  We shout your praises, for you are the essence of fulfillment, love, and joy.  You are the most beautiful, and beyond measure is your grandeur and greatness.  May we never forget that we are a part of your Sacred Body, and may we work to preserve it in all of its myriad forms.  All hail the Great Mother!"
 
Responsorial:  All hail the Great Mother! 
 
                             Invocation of the God 
                               (High Priestess) 
 
"Come to us Lord of the Hunt, Sacred Herdsman, and Divine Smith.  Put by your horn, lay aside your crook, stow your hammer, and quit your forge for now.  Wipe your brow, and come find your leisure in the midst of our good company.  Have a seat, put up your feet, and pour yourself a cold draught.  By the virtue of your work have you earned a rest, for well have your cared for the wild beasts and domesticated flocks.  And many a time has your forge burned long into the night with you hard at work creating lightning bolts of such exquisite beauty and terrible power as we have ever beheld.  Join us Great Lord, and indulge yourself to the fullest.  May you know no want in our presence, for thanks to you and the Goddess, we know no want.  We raise our glasses high and toast your greatness. All hail the God of the Wild Magicks."
 
Responsorial:  All hail the God of the Wild Magicks. 
 
                          Guided Meditation by Priest 
 
             (Meditation will be about our own spiritual harvest.              This will conclude with a personal empowerment              chant) 
 
                               Empowerment Chant 
 
 (Holding hands, the coven members repeat the  following chant until the high    priestess decides that enough energy has been raised, and upon her signal  everyone will direct a portion of the energy into themselves to help them to develop the inner strength to attain personal spiritual goals.) 
 
Ripen fruit, ripen seed 
Harken to my inner need 
 
                                   Communion 
 
(Fruit and Wine, songs, and a good time.  Also, each member of the coven will be asked to describe something that they have done in the last liturgical year that has "borne fruit.") 
 



                              Quarter Banishings 
                                 (High Priest) 
 
Facing East:  

"Guardians of the watchtower of the east, return now to the brisk Autumn breezes which are brimming with the excitement of the year's climax.  Take with you our blessings and thanks. Hail and farewell! 
 
Responsorial:  Hail and farewell! 

Facing South:  

"Guardians of the watchtower of the south, return now to the 
dying fires of Autumn's heat soon to give way to Winter's chill. Take with you our blessings and thanks.  Hail and farewell! 
 
Responsorial:  Hail and farewell 
 
Facing West:  

"Guardians of the watchtower of the west, return now to the 
Autumn rains which cool the Earth's fevered brow baked in the heat of Summer afternoons. Take with you our blessings and thanks.  Hail and farewell! 
 
Responsorial:  Hail and farewell! 
 
Facing North:  Guardians of the watchtowers of the north, return now to the Earth where worms burrow deeper and seeds nestle awaiting the long sleep of Winter.  Take with you our blessings and thanks.  Hail and farewell! 
 
Responsorial:  Hail and farewell! 
 
                               Circle Banishing 
                               (High Priestess) 
 
Equal night and equal day 
Soon the light will fade away 
Equal day and equal night 
This circle fades as does the light 
Thus the magick we invoke 
Fades anon like wisps of smoke 
Until we next decide to play 

	SO MOTE IT BE!


	  CONSECRATION OF CHALICE, ATHAME OR OTHER TOOL: 
 
Before these assembled spirits I bring (name type of tool) to be dedicated to the service of the Lady and Lord. 
 
(Pass tool three times through smoke of the incense.) 
 
By the power of air, be thou purified.  Be thou dedicated to purity of thought and to harmlessness that all intentions for which thou art used may harm none and be for the good of all. 
 
(Pass tool three times through or over the flame of the fire candle.) 
 
By the power of fire, be thou purified.  Be thou dedicated to purity of desire, and to harmlessness that all goals which thou art doest help achieve may harm none and be for the good of all. 
 
(Take a few drops of water and sprinkle or dab on instrument.) 
 
By the power of water, be thou purified.  Be thou dedicated to purity of emotion, and to harmlessness that all that thou shalt be used in a spirit of harmony, harming none and for the good of all. 
 
(Touch instrument to the stone or salt in north quarter) 
 
By the power of earth, be thou purified.  Be thou dedicated to steadfastness and purity of purpose, that my will be achieved without wavering, with harm to none and for the good of all. 
 
(If this is a chalice, present it first to the Lady, then to the Lord, if athame, reverse order.  All other instruments use personal preference, but it is courtesy to present them to Her first.) 
 
PRESENTATION FOR CHALICE: 
 
Lady Freya, Keeper of Femininity, bless this chalice.  Let it be as Thy cauldron, a vessel of productivity that it may be worThy to dispense Thy bounty.  Let it be used in Thy service and in the service of humanity.  Let it be so bound that no harm may come of it to any being, but let it rather be an instrument of good-will and understanding; of loving harmony.  To Thy sacred self I dedicate this vessel, (name of vessel), that it and I may long be of service to Thee. 
 
Lord Thor, companion to the Lady, champion of the Gods, bless this chalice and keep watch over it.  Guard the works which come forth from it, that they ever be in the service of Thee and Thy Lady, that they be of service to humankind, and that they abide by the laws of harmony.  To Thee I vow I shall use it for Her sacred purposes, and for no other.  
	So mote it be. 
 
PRESENTATION FOR ATHAME: 
 
Lord Thor, thunderer & hammer wielder, bless this athame.  Let it be as the spring rains which fall upon the earth to cause Her to bring forth Her bounty. 

Let it quicken my hopes and dreams, yet keep them from causing harm.  Let it guide them in the harmony of the seasons, bringing forth only good for all. 
Lord Thor, bless this athame, (name of athame), that it be used ever in the worship and honor of the Gods. 
 
Lady Freya, companion to the Thunderer, lover of the Gods, bless this athame that it shall bring forth joy, and shall cause no pain nor disharmony to any. 
I dedicate this athame (name athame), symbol of the Defender and Rain Maker, to Thy service.  May it ever bring Thee joy and pride. 
	So mote it be. 
 
(This ritual, with suitable changes, may be used to dedicate other tools as well as these.) 

	 SAMHAIN RITUAL FOR SMALL CIRCLE  
 
[older woman to older man]: 
                One-eye, Wanderer, God of wisdom, 
                Hunt-lord, hail, who leads the hosting! 
                Nine nights hanging, knowledge gaining, 
                Cloaked at crossroads, council hidden. 
                Now the night, your time, is near us -- 
                Right roads send us on, Rune-winner. 
 
[older man to older woman]: 
                Every age your eye has witnessed; 
                Cauldron-Keeper, hail wise Crone! 
                Rede in riddles is your ration -- 
                Wyrd-weaving at the World-tree's root. 
                Eldest ancient, all-knowing one, 
                Speak secrets to us, send us vision. 
 
[younger woman to younger man]: 
                Lord of Life, hail Land-Master! 
                God of grain that grows and dies 
                And rises reborn, full of richness; 
                Fallow fields shall yet be fertile -- 
                Spring sap runs as stirs your phallus 
                Bless barren earth, let it bear again! 
 
[younger man to younger woman]: 
                Snow-shoes striding, hail swift Huntress! 
                Wild one, free and willful Goddess 
                Bow and blade you bear beside you, 
                Finding food to fend off hunger -- 
                Winter will not leave us wanting; 
                Give good hunting, grant us skill. 
 
        USHERING IN THE NEW YEAR: 
 
                Welcome winter, waning season, 
                Now with night the new year comes; 
                Hail the horse's head with blessings -- 
                Blessings be on those who bide here 
                And indeed on all the world! 
 
        SCRYING: 
 
                Wide are the worldgates, 
                Sights to be sent us; 
                Ready for rede-gifts, 
                We wait for your wisdom. 
 






        OFFERINGS/THANKSGIVING: 
 
        Grateful, we give now, gifts of our own 
        Heart-work and hand-work the hearth shall grace; 
        Happiness, harmony,  health in the new year, 
        Send to the world and we in it, we wish you. 
 
        DISMISSAL/OPENING: 
 
        To watching winds we wish fair travelling; 
        To sleepless dead sweet rest we send; 
        Gods and Goddesses, go with praises -- 
        See: the circle is severed thus. [cut with sword at east] 
 
 
I wrote that ritual for David, myself, and two friends who are older than we.  It was the first ritual that I wrote not based on NROOGD material in any way, but on entirely original structure and material.  The horse's skull is a primitive form of the Mari Lwyd (Grey Mare/Mary), a Welsh folk traditional hobby horse that goes from house to house at the calendar New Year, but she's such a bizarre and macabre beast that she was almost certainly a Samhain leftover.  There's interesting material about her in 
Trefor Owen's WELSH FOLK CUSTOMS (which is probably out of print, but I could provide photocopies for interested parties who provide copying costs...) 
Happy Samhain! 
Leigh Ann 
	ThelemaNet of Berkeley * (415)548-0163 (161/93) 
	(L.a. Hussey   20 Nov 86  12:05:56)


	NROOGD SAMHAIN, 1987 
A Cymro-Norse ritual 
 
TOOLS:  Drinking Horn 
        Hammer (Mjollnir) 
        Sword 
        Pentacle/Stone 
        Bowl of Salt 
        Water 
        Censer & Incense 
 
CELEBRANTS: 
        White Priestess (Skadi) 
        Gold Priest     (Freyr) 
        Red Priestess   (Freyja) 
        Red Priest      (Heimdallr) 
        Black Priestess (Vala) 
        Black Priest    (Odin) 
 
Procession, consisting of Soulers (any small number) and White Mare.  
 
Skadi takes the sword around the circle with these words: 
 
        SHARP BRIGHT STEEL THE CIRCLE SCRIBES; 
        CARVING, CLEAVING WORLD FROM WORLD. 
 
Freyja banishes the circle with the hammer and these words: 
 
        MANKIND'S FRIEND, BY MJOLLNIR'S MIGHT 
        BANISH BEINGS THAT BODE US ILL! 
 
She stands in the center and to each quarter and above and below she makes the Hammer-Sign, saying, 
 
        HOLY HAMMER, HALLOW AND HOLD US. 
 
Vala seals the circle, carrying pentacle and bowl of salt, saying, 
 
        STOUT STONE SHIELD US, SHUT THE CIRCLE. 
 
Skadi asperses the circle (Vala follows with censer) with these words: 
 
        BE ALL BLESS'D WHO BIDE HEREIN, 
        BY STONE AND SEA, BY STORM AND SUN. 
 



Now Heimdallr takes the sword and calls the quarters as follows: 
 
        WISDOM'S WAIN,  EAST WIND I CALL THEE! 
        THOUGHTS THY THANES  THAT THRIVE IN NEWNESS. 
        BREATHE AND BLESS,  BLOW ALL CLEAN; 
        WATCH AND WARD,  O WIND OF MIND. 
 
        SUMMER'S SAVOUR,  SOUTH WIND COME NOW! 
        BRIGHT THE BLESSINGS  YOU BEAR WITH YOU. 
        STRONG OF SPIRIT,  SUN-LIKE FIRE; 
        WATCH AND WARD,  O WIND OF SOUL. 
 
        WILD AND WET,  WEST WIND I SUMMON! 
        SEA-SPRAY BEARING,  SINGING, SHOUTING; 
        BEATS THE EARTH'S BLOOD  IN THY BREAST; 
        WATCH AND WARD,  O WIND OF HEART. 
 
        WHITE WITH WINTER,  NORTH WIND, WAKEN! 
        STONE'S STRENGTH BRINGING,  SNOW-CLOAKED WIND. 
        FROM THE FROST-REALMS,  FRESH AND CHILL, 
        WATCH AND WARD,  O WIND OF FORM. 
 
The Priestesses and Priests stand opposite each other, and each one of the pair invokes the other, as follows: 
 
Skadi (to Freyr) 
        LORD OF LIFE, HAIL LAND-MASTER! 
        GOD OF GRAIN THAT GROWS AND DIES 
        AND RISES REBORN, FULL OF RICHNESS; 
        FALLOW FIELDS SHALL YET BE FERTILE -- 
        SPRING SAP RUNS AS STIRS YOUR PHALLUS -- 
        BLESS BARREN EARTH, LET IT BEAR AGAIN! 
 
Freyr (to Skadi) 
        SHOW-SHOES STRIDING, HAIL SWIFT HUNTRESS! 
        WILD ONE, FREE AND WILLFUL GODDESS, 
        BOW AND BLADE YOU BEAR BESIDE YOU, 
        FINDING FOOD TO FEND OFF HUNGER. 
        WINTER WILL NOT LEAVE US WANTING; 
        GIVE GOOD HUNTING, GRANT US SKILL! 
 
Freyja (to Heimdallr) 
        STANDING STEADFAST, HAIL FAR-SEER! 
        WATCHFUL ONE, ON RAINBOW WAITING, 
        HORN AT HAND TO ROUSE THE HEROES, 
        NEWS YOU KNOW FROM NINE WORLDS OVER. 
        PEOPLE'S PARENT AND OUR PATRON, 
        OPEN OUR EYES TO ALTERED SIGHT. 
 






Heimdallr (to Freyja) 
        VANIR BRIDE, HAIL VISION-GIVER! 
        CAPPED IN CAT-FUR, CLOAKED IN FEATHERS, 
        DRUMMING FOR THE DANCE OF DREAMS, 
        YOU HASTE TO HUNT OUT HIDDEN THINGS. 
        SCANT NOW THE SCREEN THAT HINDERS SIGHT; 
        LET US LEARN THE LORE OF TRANCE-WORK. 
 
Vala (to Odin) 
        ONE-EYE, WANDERER, GOD OF WISDOM, 
        HUNT-LORD, HAIL, WHO LEADS THE HOSTING! 
        NINE NIGHTS HANGING, KNOWLEDGE GAINING, 
        CLOAKED AT CROSSROADS, COUNCIL HIDDEN. 
        NOW THE NIGHT, YOUR TIME IS NEAR US -- 
        RIGHT ROADS SEND US ON, RUNE-WINNER. 
 
Odin (to Vala) 
        EVERY AGE YOUR EYE HAS WITNESSED, 
        CAULDRON-KEEPER; HAIL, WISE CRONE! 
        REDE IN RIDDLES IS YOUR RATION -- 
        WYRD-WEAVING AT THE WORLD-TREE'S ROOT. 
        ELDEST ANCIENT, ALL-KNOWING ONE, 
        SPEAK SECRETS TO US, SEND US KENNING. 
 
Odin reminds everyone what the festival is about, as follows: 
 
Odin:   SO COMES THE SOULS'-DAY.  SUMMON FOR FEASTING 
        ANCESTORS, ANCIENTS, HONOURED AND BLESSED; 
        LET IN BELOVED ONES, LEND THEM YOUR BODIES -- 
        WHOM DO YOU HALLOW?  HAIL THEM BY NAME! 
 
Allow a few minutes for everybody to name the ancestor they want to welcome.  Then Vala gives this admonition: 
 
Vala:   AS ANCIENT ELDERS YOU LEARN FROM AND HONOUR, 
        LET NOT THE LIVING ONES MOULDER ALONE. 
        NEAR IS THEIR KNOWLEDGE  NEARER THAN SPIRITS', 
        SEEN WITHOUT CEREMONY, SIMPLY FOR ASKING. 
 
Both:   GRANDMOTHERS, GRANDFATHERS, GREAT BE THEIR BLESSINGS 
        PAST ONES AND PRESENT  WE DANCE THEM ALL POWER! 
 
All the Celebrants but Heimdallr form a circle facing outward; Heimdallr goes to the West, and all say: 
 
        WIDE ARE THE WORLDGATES; NOW THE WIGHTS WANDER. 
        WELCOME WITHIN ARE THE DEAD WHO WERE OURS; 
        REST FROM RIDING HERE, REVEL AND FEAST HERE; 
        COME IN, OLD KINSFOLK, KEEPERS OF WISDOM! 

 
Heimdallr cuts the Soulers' Procession into the Circle on "Come in", and moves to stand with the other Celebrants while the Soulers dance slowly around singing: 
 
        WELCOME WINTER, WANING SEASON, 
        NOW WITH NIGHT THE NEW YEAR COMES; 
        ALL WHO HONOUR ELDER KINSFOLK 
        DANCE THE DEAD TO EARTHLY DRUMS. 
        SOULS RESPECTED SAFEGUARD LIVING 
        HOUSE WE'LL HOLD, AND HALLOW HEARTH; 
        BLESSINGS BE ON THOSE WHO BIDE HERE, 
        AND INDEED ON ALL THE EARTH! 
 
The Celebrants begin also to circle, dancing in character, starting widdershins then spiralling in and out to end deosil, as in the meeting dance, while the Soulers encourage the outer circle to dance also.  The intent should be for luck in the new year, and better connection with our Ancestors (as well as better treatment of our Elders!).  WE ARE THE OLD PEOPLE, and BLOOD OF THE ANCIENTS are appropriate and may be sung in polyphony... 
 
As the providers of food, FREYR and SKADI bring forward the feast.  Some food should be laid out for the ancestors, and people should be encouraged to let the ancestors use their senses for a while to enjoy the food with them.  The Soulers in particular should receive Soul Cakes.  A strong magical gesture would be for people to bring forward canned and other non- 
perishable food (which can be later given to a food bank or similar organization). 
 
Freyr speaks as follows: 
        CAKES TO US CARRY, CORN FROM THE STOREHOUSE; 
        WINE DEFIES WINTER, WARM WITH CAUGHT RIPENESS; 
        MILK MADE TO CHEESES, MEAT DRIED AND SALTED; 
        LAST OF THE LAND'S FRUITS ERE THE LONG SLEEP. 
 
Skadi speaks as follows: 
        GOOD NUTS AND GAME-FOOD ARE HUNTERS' GUERDON; 
        SLEEPING EARTH'S SECRETS YIELD TO THE SEEKER 
        TRUE BURIED TREASURE: ONIONS, POTATOES 
        FOREST SHALL FEED US WHILE THE FIELDS REST. 
 
Both say (if there is to be food donation): 
        ALL WHO HAVE AUGHT TO OFFER, NOW BRING IT; 
        WIGHTS, BEAR YE WITNESS  WORK WITH THE GIVERS. 
        FEEDING OUR FELLOWS, LET US BE FED SO, 
        SOPS FOR THE SPIRIT OR SUP FOR THE FLESH. 
 
[If there is to be scrying and divination, it should be done now in a quiet space marked off as separate from the feasting-place.  FREYJA and HEIMDALLR lead the scrying and VALA and ODIN lead rune-work, with the following optional speeches: 
 
Heimdallr: 
        LET THE LOTS TUMBLE, LOOSING THEIR LEARNING; 
        WORD-WOOD AND WIT-STONES, WON THROUGH ORDEAL. 
        COME UP AND CAST THEM, WHILE WORD IS CLEAREST 
        AUGERS MAY ANSWER   AUGHT THE YEAR HOLDS. 
 
Freyja: WIDE ARE THE WORLDGATES, WINDOWS ARE OPEN; 
        SIGHTS MAY BE SEEN NOW, ELSETIMES BUT SCARCELY. 
        CRYSTAL AND CAULDRON   CAPTURE THE VISION; 
        MYSTERY'S MEANING   SPEAKS TO THE MINDFUL.] 
 
Note: it is entirely appropriate for partying to go on inside the sacred circle (people can get up and move around), so that the Dead have the opportunity to enjoy their day before we bid them farewell; the circle should be cast large, with this in mind.  The only constraint is to open in sufficient time to clean up the hall before the rental time runs out. The circle is opened as follows: 
 
Heimdallr: 
        TO WATCHING WINDS, WE WISH FAIR WANDERING; 
        FAN US SWEET FRAGRANCE; HAIL, FAREWELL! 
 
ALL:    TO SLEEPLESS SOULS, WE WISH SWEET RESTING; 
        FRIENDS WILL KEEP FAITH; FAREWELL NOW! 
 
        GODS AND GODDESSES, GO WITH PRAISES! 
        FINISHED OUR FESTIVAL; HAIL, FAREWELL! 
 
Celebrants ground with this formula: 
        AS FROM THE EARTH OUR ENERGY COMES, 
        INTO THE EARTH THE EXCESS FLOWS; 
        EARTH AND ALL EMPOWERED ALIKE 
        BE IT SO! 
 
Skadi:  SEE: THE CIRCLE IS SEVERED THUS [she cuts] 
        MERRY MEET, MERRY PART, MERRY MEET AGAIN! 
 
 
B*B 
Leigh Ann 
ThelemaNet - Hail Eris! * (415) 548-0163 (Opus 1:161/93) 


                      THE ORIGINS OF HALLOWEEN
                 (c) copyright 1989, Rowan Moonstone

In recent years,  there have been a number of  pamphlets and books put
out  be various  Christian organizations  dealing with  the origins of
modern- day Halloween customs.

Being a Witch myself, and a student  of the ancient Celts from whom we
get this holiday, I have found these pamphlets woefully inaccurate and
poorly researched. A typical example  of this information is contained
in the following  quote from the pamphlet entitled  "What's Wrong with
Halloween?" by Russell K. Tardo.  "The Druids believed that on October
31st, the  last day of  the year by  the ancient Celtic  calendar, the
lord of  death gathered together  the souls of  the dead who  had been
made to  enter bodies of animals,  and decided what forms  they should
take the following year. Cats were held sacred because it was believed
that they were once human beings ...  We see that this holiday has its
origin, basis and root in the  occultic Druid celebration of the dead.
Only they  called it 'Samhain',  who was the  lord of the  dead (a big
demon)".1  When these  books and  pamphlets cite  sources at all, they
usually  list the  Encyclopedia Britannica,  Encyclopedia Americana,
and  the World  Book Encyclopedia.  The Britannica  and the Americana
make no  mention of cats, but  do, indeed list Samhain  as the Lord of
Death, contrary to Celtic scholars,  and list no references. The World
Book mentions the cats, and calls Samhain the Lord of Death, and lists
as  its  sources  several  children's  books  (hardly  what  one could
consider  scholarly  texts,  and,  of  course,  themselves  citing  no
references).

In an  effort to correct  some of this  erroneous information, I  have
researched the  religious life of  the ancient Celtic  peoples and the
survivals  of that  religious life  in modern  times. Listed below are
some of the  most commonly asked questions concerning  the origins and
customs   of  Halloween.   Following  the   questions  is   a  lengthy
bibliography where the curious reader can  go to learn more about this
holiday than space in this small pamphlet permits.


1.      Where does Halloween come from?

        Our  modern celebration  of Halloween  is a  descendent of the
        ancient  Celtic   festival  called  "Samhain".   The  word  is
        pronounced "sow-in", with "sow" rhyming with "cow".  
  
2.      What does "Samhain" mean? 

        The  Irish-English  Dictionary  published  by  the Irish Texts         Society defines the word as follows: "Samhain, All Hallowtide,         the feast of the dead  in Pagan and Christian times, signaling         the close of harvest and  the initiation of the winter season,         lasting till May, during  which troops were quartered. Fairies         were imagined as particularly active  at this season. From it,         the half-year is reckoned.  Also called Feile Moingfinne (Snow         Goddess).2  The  Scottish  Gaelic  Dictionary  defines  it  as         "Hallowtide.  The Feast  of All  Souls. Sam  + Fuin  = end  of         summer."3  Contrary  to  the  information  published  by  many         organizations, there is no archaeological or literary evidence         to indicate that Samhain was a deity. Eliade's Encyclopedia of         Religion states as  follows: "The Eve and day  of Samhain were         characterized as  a time when  the barriers between  the human         and supernatural worlds were broken... Not a festival honoring         any particular  Celtic deity, Samhain  acknowledged the entire         spectrum of nonhuman forces that  roamed the earth during that         period."4 The Celtic  Gods of the dead were  Gwynn ap Nudd for         the British and Arawn for the  Welsh. The Irish did not have a         "lord of death" as such. 

3.      Why was the end of summer of significance to the Celts?        
 The Celts were a pastoral people as opposed to an agricultural         people. The end  of summer was significant to  them because it         meant  the time  of year   when the  structure of  their lives         changed  radically.  The  cattle  were  brought  down from the         summer pastures in the hills and the people were gathered into         the houses  for the long  winter nights of  story- telling and         handicrafts . 

4. What does it have to do with a festival of the dead?         

The Celts believed that when people  died, they went to a land         of eternal youth and happiness called Tir nan Og. They did not         have the concept of heaven  and hell that the Christian church         later brought into the land.  The dead were sometimes believed         to be dwelling with the Fairy  Folk, who lived in the numerous         mounds, or sidhe, (pronounced "shee" or "sh-thee") that dotted         the Irish  and Scottish countryside. Samhain  was the new year         to  the Celts.  In the  Celtic belief  system, turning points,         such as the time between one  day and the next, the meeting of         sea and shore,  or the turning of one year  into the next were         seen as magickal  times. The turning of the  year was the most         potent  of  these  times.  This  was  the  time when the "veil         between the worlds" was at  its thinnest, and the living could         communicate with their beloved dead in Tir nan Og.     

5. What about  the aspects of "evil'  that we  associate with the         night today?

The  Celts did  not have   demons and  devils in  their belief         system.  The fairies,  however, were  often considered hostile         and  dangerous  to  humans  because  they  were  seen as being         resentful of man  taking over their land. On  this night, they         would sometimes  trick humans into becoming  lost in the fairy         mounds, where they would be  trapped forever. After the coming         of the Christians to the Celtic lands, certain of the folk saw         the fairies as those angels who  had sided neither with God or         with Lucifer in their dispute, and thus were condemned to walk         the earth until judgment day.5  In addition  to the fairies,  many humans were  abroad on this night, causing mischief. Since  this night belonged neither to one  year  or  the  other,  Celtic  folk  believed  that chaos reigned,  and  the  people  would  engage  in  "horseplay  and practical jokes".6 This also served as a final outlet for high     spirits before the gloom of winter set in. 


6. What about "trick or treat"?         

During the course  of these hijinks, many of  the people would         imitate  the fairies  and go  from house  to house begging for         treats. Failure  to supply the treats  would usually result in         practical jokes being visited on the owner of the house. Since         the fairies were abroad on this  night, an offering of food or         milk was frequently  left for them on the  steps of the house,         so the  homeowner could gain  the blessing of  the "good folk"         for the coming  year. Many of the households  would also leave         out  a "dumb  supper" for  the spirits  of the  departed.9 The         folks who were abroad in the night imitating the fairies would         sometimes carry turnips carved to represent faces. This is the         origin of our modern Jack-o-lantern. 

7. Was there any special significance of cats to the Celts?

According to Katherine Briggs in Nine Lives:  Cats  in         Folklore,, the Celts associated cats with the Cailleach Bheur,        or Blue Hag  of Winter. "She was a nature goddess, who herded         the  deer as  her cattle.  The touch  of her  staff drove  the        leaves off the trees and brought snow and harsh weather."7  Dr. Anne Ross addresses the use  of divine animals in her book Pagan Celtic Britain  and has this to day  about cats."Cats do not play a large role in Celtic mythology ... the evidence for the cat as an important  cult animal  in Celtic mythology is slight"8 She cites as supporting  evidence,  the  lack  of archaeological artifacts and literary references in surviving works of mythology.    
 
8. Was this also a religious festival?         

Yes. Celtic religion was very closely tied to the Earth. Their         great  legends are  concerned with  momentous happenings which         took  place around  the time   of Samhain.  Many of  the great         battles and legends of kings  and heroes center on this night.         Many of the legends concern  the promotion of fertility of the         earth and the insurance of the continuance of the lives of the         people through the dark winter season. 


9.      How was the religious festival observed?        

Unfortunately,   we  know   very  little   about  that.   W.G.        Wood-Martin,  in  his  book,  Traces  of  the  Elder Faiths of        Ireland, states,  "There is comparatively little  trace of the        religion of the Druids now  discoverable, save in the folklore        of the peasantry, and the references relative to it that occur        in  ancient and  authentic Irish  manuscripts are,  as far  as        present  appearances go,  meager and  insufficient to  support        anything  like  a  sound  theory  for  full development of the        ancient religion."10  The Druids were the priests of the Celtic peoples. They passed on  their teachings  by oral  tradition instead  of committing them  to  writing,  so  when  they  perished,  most  of  their religious teachings  were lost. We do  know that this festival   was characterized as one of the four great "Fire Festivals" of         the Celts. Legends tell us that  on this night, all the hearth         fires in  Ireland were extinguished, and  then re-lit from the         central  fire of  the Druids  at Tlachtga,  12 miles  from the         royal  hill of  Tara. This  fire was  kindled from "need fire"         which had been generated by the friction of rubbing two sticks         together, as opposed to more conventional methods (such as the         flint-   and-steel  method)   common  in   those  days.11  The         extinguishing of  the fires symbolized the  "dark half" of the         year, and the re-kindling from  the Druidic fires was symbolic         of the returning life hoped for, and brought about through the         ministrations of the priesthood. 

10.     What about sacrifices?         

Animals were certainly  killed at this time of  year. This was         the time to "cull" from the herds those animals which were not         desired  for  breeding  purposes   for  the  next  year.  Most         certainly,  some of  these would  have been  done in  a ritual         manner for the use of the priesthood.    


11.     Were humans sacrificed?         

Scholars are sharply divided on  this account, with about half         believing that  it took place and  half doubting its veracity.         Caesar  and   Tacitus  certainly  tell  tales   of  the  human         sacrifices of the  Celts, but Nora Chadwick points  out in her         book  The Celts  that "it   is not  without interest  that the         Romans  themselves  had  abolished  human  sacrifice  not long         before  Caesar's time,  and references  to the  practice among         various   barbarian   peoples   have   certain   overtones  of         self-righteousness.  There  is  little  direct  archaeological         evidence  relevant to  Celtic sacrifice."12  Indeed, there  is         little reference  to this practice  in Celtic literature.  The         only surviving story echoes the  tale of the Minotaur in Greek         legend: the Fomorians,  a race of evil giants  said to inhabit         portions of Ireland before the  coming of the Tuatha de Danaan         (or "people  of the Goddess Danu"),  demanded the sacrifice of         2/3  of the  corn, milk,  and first  born children  of the Fir         Bolg,  or human  inhabitants of  Ireland. The  de Danaan ended         this  practice  in  the  second  battle  of  Moy  Tura,  which         incidentally,  took  place  on  Samhain.  It  should be noted,         however,  that  this  story  appears  in  only one (relatively         modern) manuscript from Irish literature, and that manuscript,         the  "Dinnsenchus", is  known to  be a  collection of  fables.         According to  P.W. Joyce in  Vol. 2 of  his Social History  of         Ancient  Ireland,  "Scattered  everywhere  through our ancient         literature, both secular and  ecclesiastical, we find abundant         descriptions and details of the rites and superstitions of the         pagan Irish; and in no place - with this single exception - do         we find  a word or hint  pointing to human sacrifice  to pagan         gods or idols."13 

12. What other practices were associated with this season?         
Folk   tradition  tells   us  of   many  divination  practices         associated   with  Samhain.   Among  the   most  common   were         divinations  dealing with  marriage, weather,  and the  coming         fortunes for  the year. These were  performed via such methods         as ducking  for apples and  apple peeling. Ducking  for apples         was a marriage  divination. The first person to  bite an apple         would be the first to marry  in the coming year. Apple peeling         was  a divination  to see  how long  your life  would be.  The         longer  the  unbroken  apple  peel,  the  longer your life was         destined to  be.14 In Scotland,  people would place  stones in         the ashes of the hearth  before retiring for the night. Anyone         whose stone had been disturbed during the night was said to be         destined to die during the coming year.    

13. How did these ancient Celtic practices come to America?         
When the potato crop in Ireland failed, many of the Irish people,  modern  descendants  of   the  Celts,  immigrated  to America, bringing  with them their folk  practices, which were remnants of the Celtic festival observances. 

14. We in America view this as a harvest festival.  Did the  Celts         also view it as such? 

Yes. The Celts had 3 harvests. Aug 1, or Lammas, was the first         harvest,  when the  first fruits  were offered  to the Gods in         thanks. The Fall  equinox was the true harvest.  This was when         the bulk  of the crops  would be brought  in. Samhain was  the         final harvest  of the year. Anything  left on the vines  or in         the  fields  after  this  date  was  considered blasted by the         fairies ("pu'ka") and unfit for human consumption. 

15. Does anyone today celebrate Samhain as a religious observance?

Yes.  many  followers  of  various  pagan  religions,  such as         Druidism and Wicca, observe this  day as a religious festival.         They  view it  as a  memorial day  for their  dead friends and         family,  much  as  the  world  does  the national Memorial Day         holiday in May. It is still  a night to practice various forms         of divination concerning future  events. It is also considered         a time to wrap up old  projects, take stock of one's life, and         initiate  new  projects  for  the  coming  year. As the winter         season is  approaching, it is  a good time  to do studying  on         research  projects, and  also a  good time  to begin hand work         such as  sewing, leather working, woodworking,  etc., for Yule         gifts later in the year.  And while "satanists" are using this         holiday as their  own, this is certainly not  the only example         of a holiday (or even religious symbols) being "borrowed" from         an older religion by a newer one. 

16.     Does this involve human or animal sacrifice?

Absolutely NOT! Hollywood to  the contrary, blood sacrifice is         not practiced by modern followers  of Wicca or Druidism. There         may  be some  people who  THINK they  are practicing  Wicca by         performing  blood sacrificing,  but  this  is NOT  condoned by         reputable practitioners of today's neo-Pagan religions.    

	FOOTNOTES: 
1       Tardo, Russell K., What's Wrong with Halloween?, Faithful Word         Publishers, (Arabi, LA, undated), p. 2 

2       Rev.  Patrick Dinneen,  An Irish  English Dictionary, (Dublin,         1927), p. 937 

3       Malcolm MacLennan,  A Pronouncing and  Etymological Dictionary         of the Gaelic Language, (Aberdeen, 1979), p. 279 

4       The Encyclopedia  of Religion, ed.  Mircea Eliade, "Halloween"         by Primiano, (New York, 1987) pp. 176-177 

5       Katherine Briggs, Nine Lives: Cats in Folklore, (London,1980),         p.5 

6       Dr. Anne Ross, Pagan Celtic Britain, (London,1967), p. 301-302 
7       W.G. Wood-Martin, Traces of the  Elder Faiths of Ireland, Vol.         II, (Port Washington, NY, 1902), p. 5 

8       Kevin Danaher, The Year in Ireland, (Cork, 1972), p. 214 

9       Alwyn & Brinley Rees, Celtic Heritage, (New York, 1961), p. 90 

10      Wood-Martin, op. cit., p. 249 

11      Rees & Rees, op. cit., p. 90 

12      Nora Chadwick, The Celts, (Harmondsworth, 1982), p. 151 

13      P.W. Joyce,  A Social History of  Ancient Ireland, Vol.2, (New         York, 1968), pp. 282-283 

14      Madeleine Pelner Cosman, Medieval Holidays and Festivals, (New         York, 1981), p. 81   

	BIBLIOGRAPHY:

 *Bord,  Janet &  Colin, The  Secret Country,  (London: Paladin    Books,1978)

 *Briggs, Katherine, Nine Lives, Cats in Folklore, (London: Routledge   & Kegan Paul, 1980)

 *Chadwick, Nora, The  Celts, (Harmondsworth,  England: Penguin Books,    1982)

 *Coglan, Ronan, A Dictionary of Irish Myth and Legend, (Dublin: 1979) 
 *Cosman, Madeleine Pelner, Medieval Holidays and Festivals, (New   York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1981)

 *Danaher, Kevin, The Year in  Ireland, (Cork, Ireland: The  Mercier    Press, 1972)

 *Dinneen, Rev. Patrick S., M.A., An Irish-English Dictionary,   (Dublin: The Irish Texts Society, 1927)

 *Joyce, P.W., A Social History of Ancient Ireland, (New York:   Benjamin Blom, 1968)

 *MacCana, Proinsias, Celtic Mythology,  (London: The Hamlyn   Publishing Group Limited, 1970)

 *MacLennan, Malcolm, A pronouncing  and Etymological Dictionary of   the Gaelic Language, (Aberdeen: Acair and  Aberdeen University         Press, 1979)

 *MacNeill, Maire', The Festival of Lughnasa, (Dublin: Comhairle        Bhealoideas Eireann, 1982)

 *Powell, T.G.E., The Celts, (New York: Thames & Hudson, 1980) 
 *Primiano, Leonard Norman, "Halloween" from The Encyclopedia of        Religion, ed. Mircea  Eliade, (New  York, McMillan Publiching          Co., 1987)

 *Rees, Alwyn and Brinley, Celtic Heritage, Ancient Tradition in        Ireland and Wales, (New York: Thames & Hudson, 1961)


 *Ross, Dr. Anne, Pagan Celtic  Britain, (London: Routledge  and Kegan    Paul, 1967)

 *Sharkey, John, Celtic Mysteries, (New York: Thames & Hudson, 1975) 
 *Spence, Lewis, British Fairy Origins, (Wellingborough:  Aquarian     Press, 1946)

 *Squire, Charles, Celtic Myth & Legend, Poetry &  Romance, (New York:    Newcastle Publishing Co., Inc., 1975)

 *Toulson, Shirley, The  Winter Solstice, (London: Jill Norman &   Hobhouse, Ltd., 1981)

 *Wood-Martin, W.G., Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland, Vols. I &   II, (Port Washington, NY: Kennikat Press, 1902) 

Published by CultWatch Response, Inc., P O Box 1842, Colorado Springs, CO  80901-1842.  This  article  may  be  reprinted  only  if it is not excerpted  or  abridged  in  any   way  except  for  review  purposes. Permission to republish  must be requested in writing  from the author at the above address. Price:  $1.00 each,  10/$8.00,  over  100/$0.65 ea.,  other quantities available. All prices are postpaid.   

	FIRESTAR BELTAINE 1986
  
Note: there is NO meeting dance before the ritual because the spiral 
dance occurs inside it. 
  
BARD                    PRIESTESS               GODDESS 
FIREMAKER               PRIEST                  GOD 
  
  
BARD:(harp accompaniment) 
  
This is the air, oh people; these are the creatures: 
Far-flying Goose; far-seeing Hawk; 
Owl who knows; Raven who talks; 
Crane who dances; Thrush who sings; 
Quail the humble; Wren the king; 
Lark who revels; Loon who weeps; 
Jay who scatters; Buzzard reaps. 
This is the air I conjure, and this is the birth of the world. 
  
This is the fire, oh people; these are the creatures: 
Drake who hoards; Kirin who gives; 
Angel heals; Chimera reaves; 
Coal the slow; lightning the quick; 
Salamander, power's wick; 
Soul who praises; Gryphon scorns; 
Phoenix dies and is reborn. 
This is the fire I conjure, and this is the birth of the world. 
  
This is the sea, oh people; these are the creatures: 
Whale who chants; Dolphin who speaks; 
Clam content; Salmon who seeks; 
Pike who rages; Shark who mourns; 
Walrus steadies; Carp transforms; 
Seal who gathers; Crab the lone; 
Otter wave-borne; Eel in stone; 
This is the sea I conjure, and this is the birth of the world. 
  
This is the earth, oh people; these are the creatures: 
Deer who worries; Boar who schemes; 
Cat who conjures; Sheep who dreams; 
Hare the playful; Brock the stern; 
Mouse who teaches; Horse who learns; 
Wolf who wanders; Bear who stays; 
Stag who guards; Puma who preys. 
This is the earth I conjure, and this is the birth of the world. 

  
Now is the darkness.  Now is the pain.  Now is the fear. 
Now is the danger.  Now is the hate.  Now are the tears. 
Call on our mother!  She is the one!  Hers is the way! 
She will bring comfort.  She will bring life.  She will bring day. 
  
  
PRIEST: 
  
Earth Mother, Birth Mother, Birch Mother, 
Sea Mother, Stone Mother, Star Mother! 
Queen of night and death and birth, 
Womb of deep and fertile earth, 
Dame of heaven's silver wheel, 
Lady of the greening field, 
Keeper of the apple grove, 
Mistress of the arts of love, 
Shine out in the fearsome dark -- 
Teach us how to strike the spark. 
People, we can feel Her near! 
She is coming!  She is here! 
  
  
GODDESS:(emerging from hiding -- should be in green, with amber & copper) 
  
Now the veils of worlds are thin; 
To move out you must move in. 
Let the Balefires now be made, 
Mine the spark within them laid. 
This My gift: that people meet 
In peace and plenty made complete. 
This I give: the Sacred Way, 
The strength, the soul, the sight, the say. 
Move beyond the fiery screen 
Between the seen and the unseen; 
Shed your anger and your fear, 
Live anew in a new year! 
  

  
FIREMAKER:(at each tree name, holds up twig, then binds all together 
into a torch) 
  
The Nine I sing, the Nine blessed trees 
Which were empowered of old: 
Oak, thou druid's door, open the way for us. 
Apple, thou knowledge-giver, break our circle of blindness. 
Ash, thou world-supporter, drive away ill powers. 
Birch, thou tree-mother, help in our healing. 
Hawthorn, thou branch of May, give us light and hope. 
Willow, thou soul-leader, grant us safe passage. 
Holly, thou forest king, be our safe refuge. 
Hazel, thou wise-one's branch, give us true vision. 
Alder, thou river's love, let us flow outward. 
In peace let us flow outward; in power let us flow outward; in beauty 
let us flow outward. 
  
(The Goddess lights the torch, the Firemaker lights the two fires, 
which have been saturated with some flammable material, ie charcoal 
starter.  White Sage and Cedar chips may be thrown thereon.) 
  
  
FIRE-PASSING CHANT:(drum) 
  
Dark to light, night to day, 
Through the fires lies the way; 
Old to new, death to birth, 
Between the worlds to our rebirth. 
  
  
(Once all have passed between the fires) 
PRIESTESS: 
  
Sky's Father, Wise Father, Wine Father, 
Sun Father, Sap Father, Song Father! 
Lord of forest, field and beast, 
Lord of harvest, hunt and feast, 
King of heaven's golden fire, 
Dancer of the soul's desire, 
Master of the drum and flute, 
Keeper of the vineyard's fruit, 
Shine on us and warm our souls -- 
Teach us how to make us whole! 
People, we can feel Him near! 
He is coming!  He is here! 
  
  
GOD:(emerging from hiding, dressed in green, with leaves & horns) 
  
Let the light of living blaze! 
Dance within the spiral maze; 
Cry of pipe and thump of drum; 
Out you go and in you come! 
Mine the living pole of May -- 
Outside loving starts today! 
This My gift: that lovers join 
Touching at the lip and loin. 
This I give: the Joyous Dance, 
Music, song, the vine, the chance! 
Now do fear and anger cease: 
Dance the healing and release! 
  
  
(A fairly simple triple spiral should be traced on the ground in lime or flour, to give the people guidelines for dancing.  The dance should go on until satiation or until the circle forms again; there is no one human focal point -- the intent should be for peace, understanding, 
tolerance, etc.) 
  
SPIRAL-DANCING CHANT:(drum) 
  
Joy, health and peace be in the world 
That spins into the May-o, 
For summer is a-comin' in 
And winter's gone away-o. 
  
BLESSING THE FOOD: 
  
God: Mine is the ripening sun. 
Goddess: Mine is the nurturing soil. 
God: Mine is the fruit of the vine. 
Goddess: Mine is the chalice of life. 
Both: We are the blessing of wine!  And the wine blesses us. 
  
God: Mine is the planted seed. 
Goddess: Mine is the fertile earth. 
God: Mine is the mower's blade. 
Goddess: Mine is the oven of making. 
Both: We are the blessing of bread!  And the bread blesses us. 
  
Feasting, dancing, singing, party, etc.  Some kind of grounding afterwards. 

	AN ECLECTIC CIRCLE CEREMONY
	Durwydd, 1989-90

	Preliminaries

WATER :
 
	Blessings upon thee, O creature of water, I cast out from thee all impurities and uncleanness of the spirits  of phantasm, confusion, or any other influence not for the free will of all. 

SALT :
 
	Blessings be upon this creature of salt; let all malignity and hindrance be cast forth thencefrom, and let all good enter therein.  Wherefore I bless thee and invoke thee, that thou mayest aid me. 

MIXING : 

	I take this salt of the Earth, Blessed with the will of 
	Fire; I take this water of spirit,Exorcised with mind of merit; 
 
	I mix them with words of power, Dedicated to every Tower. 
 
	By the power of moon and sun,	 
	By the power of Spirit,earth and sea, 
	God and Goddess are part of One, 
	As I Will, so mote it be! 
 
	CASTING OF THE CIRCLE
 
	I conjure thee, O circle of power, 
	As thou encircle every Tower. 
	That thou beest a place of Truth, Joy and love, 
	Encircling Flight of Eagle, Hawk and Dove.  
 	Mighty Aegis of the Lady and Lord, 
	Rampart of thought, action and word. 
	To work in Peace, Powerful and Free, 
	Who walk between two worlds conjure thee; 
	A boundary to Protect, Concentrate and Contain, 
	That Power raised here be not in vain. 
	 
Wherefore do I bless thee and consecrate thee, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia. 


	SEALING OF THE CIRCLE

(seal with water/salt mixture) 
 
With potion of earth and water, I seal the sacred circle, 
Linking air and fire! 
With potion of earth and air, I seal the sacred circle, 
Linking fire with water! 
With potion of earth,air,and fire, I seal the sacred circle, 
Linking water with the Earth! 
 
As the four directions are brought to merge, 
Let influence of the mighty ones converge! 
 
(Seal with Censer) 
 
	With Incense and air of Mind, 
	East to South,I do Bind! 
 
	With Incense and air of mind, 
	South to West, I do Bind! 
 
	With Incense and air of Mind, 
	West to North, I do Bind! 
 
	With Incense and air of Mind, 
	North to East Completion Find! 
 
(Seal with Candle) 
 
	With the Fire of emotion and will 
	East to South, our dedication fulfill! 
 
	With the Fire of veneration and Will, 
	South to West, our allegiance fulfill! 
 
	With the Fire of Devotion and Will, 
	West to North, our consecration  fulfill! 
	 
	With the Fire of Commitment and will, 
	From  North to East, This inscription fulfill! 
 
	Within the circle All wills be free, 
	The circle is sealed, So Mote it Be! 

 
	SETTING THE WATCHTOWERS
	Ye Lords of the Eastern Tower, 
	Airy Lords of Spirit; 
	Let your influence of Power, 
	Aid our minds with merit! 
I do summon, stir and call you up, to witness these rites and to guard the circle. 
 
	Ye Lords of Southern Power 
	Fiery Lords of Will. 
	Pray do grace your Tower, 
	Your Powers to fulfill! 
I do summon, stir and call you up, to witness these rites and to guard the circle. 
 
	Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West,  
	Watery Lords of Death and Initiation;  
I do summon, stir and call you up, to witness these rites and to guard the Circle. 
 
	Ye Northern Lords of the Earth, 
	Though we be yet but Mortals; 
	Bless our work with worth, 
	Boreas, guardian of Northern portals. 
I do summon, stir and call you up, to witness these rites and to guard the Circle. 
 
	Goddess and God, I would know, 
	As 'tis above, so 'tis below 
	Blessings on this work, please bestow! 
 
	This be my will, true and free, 
	I do so will, so mote it be 
 
	INVOCATION OF THE ELEMENTS
	Air, Fire, Water, Earth, 
	Elements of astral birth, 
	I call you now; attend to me! 
	In the Circle, rightly cast, 
	Safe from curse or blast, 
	I call you now, attend to me! 
 
	From cave and desert,sea and hill, 
	By wand, blade,and pentacle, 
	I call you now, attend to me! 
 	This Is my will, so mote it be!

 
                    A MABON OUTLINE: 
 
 (soon to be a major Mabon Ritual, at a terminal near you.) 
 
General Mabon info to start with, set the mood, ect... : 
 
	What is Mabon? 

Mabon, sometimes known as the  Harvest/Thanksgiving  Ritual  of the Autumn Equinox, is one of the Spokes of the Wheel of the Year.  In the many Earth of Pagan Religions, a  special  kinship with the passing of the seasons is felt... this is usually  due to the history of the said Tradition, most of which stem from agrarian  culture, where the season marked the way  of  life.   From  planting  to  reaping  to  winter to summer... the seasons were of great  importance to our ancestors, for their very existence depended upon good harvests, mild winters, enough rainfall, and the like. 
 
So... having shown the importance of the seasons, we shall turn to Mabon itself.  Autumn.. Harvest  time..  the  reaping of what was sown and cared thru during the year.  A time of Thankfulness and Rejoicing. So, of course, someone, at some  point  in time must have said... "Now that the work is over... LET'S PARTY !!!" 
 
This is the essence of Mabon.   Rejoicing  in a bountiful harvest, thanking the Gods for being so  kind  during the year, and, hopefully, helping in winning over the Gods' favor for the coming year. 
 
 
	About THE MABON RITE itself: 
 
Now, this will be a very Discordian  Ritual in that each participant 
will be (more or less)  writing  his/her  own  part.   This outline is provided to sorta nudge (nudge,  nudge,  wink,  wink, say no more sir, say no more!) people into making  their  individual pieces able to fit into the whole thing...    ( I  feel  like the Green Ball outta "HEAVY METAL", the movie, something which ties things together). 
Back to the rite itself. 
Basically, 6 personages will be represented: 

A Caller or Watcher of the EAST 
                           SOUTH 
                           WEST 
                     and   NORTH. 
A High Priest, and  A High Priestess. 

 
Of course, since this  is  a  generic  Rite,  the  terms "Lord" and "Lady" will be used when referring  to  the Male and Female aspects of divinity/godhood/whatever... individuals may use which ever names they wish, for a Rose, by any other name, would still smell as sweet. 

	OUTLINE: 
 
A. Invocation...  once everybody has  arrived, a Circle shall be cast, more or less, and the 4  Watchers/Callers  each  get to do their thing invoking that which that direction  symbolizes  to come and attend the festivities.   After  which,  either  the  HPS  or  HP,  or both would consecrate the circle... in our case..  the circle will be around each person at their 'puter.. with a sense of being connected to each other via the others' 'puters.  So.. what we'll do is... after the circle is cast, and the 4 corners have done their  things, then the HP will call upon the Lord to attend, and the HPS shall call upon the Lady, (or, if we want to be different, we can have the HP call the Lady, and the HPS call the Lord... it's not as  traditional,  but  I know of some Ladies who are more likely to pay  attention  to some Young HP than some HPS, if you get my meaning [wink]). 
 
B. Once invoked... it's time for the thanksgiving part... 
  we all got things we're thankful for... now's the chance 
 
C. After the Thanks are over, a  customary  requesting of Blessing for the coming year is asked. 
 
D. That done with, it's time to  dismiss  the  summoned ones... first, around the circle..  each  corner  doing  it's  thing...the  dismissal consists of a Hail to the being  summoned,  a flattery (as I call it), and then a structured dismissal (eg.   "Air of the EAST... blah, blah, blah,.. Go if thou must, but stay if thou wilt"). 
  The HP and HPS dismiss the Lord and Lady last with similar words. 
 
E.  PARTY TIME!!!!  get out the Beer, munchies, what have you... 
celebrate.. you've earned it. 
 

 
	A MIDSUMMER CELEBRATION

	by Mike Nichols (a.k.a. Gwydion) 
 
 
    In addition to the four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic year, there are four lesser holidays as well:  the two solstices, and the two equinoxes.  In folklore, these are referred to as the four 'quarter-days' of the year, and modern Witches call them the four 'Lesser Sabbats', or the four 'Low Holidays'.  The Summer Solstice is one of them. 
 
    Technically, a solstice is an astronomical point and, due to the precession to the equinox, the date may vary by a few days depending on the year.  The summer solstice occurs when the sun reaches the Tropic of Cancer, and we experience the longest day and the shortest night of the year.  Astrologers know this as the date on which the sun enters the sign of Cancer.  This year it will occur at 10:57 pm CDT on June 21st. 
 
    However, since most European peasants were not accomplished at 
reading an ephemeris or did not live close enough to Salisbury Plain to trot over to Stonehenge and sight down it's main avenue, they celebrated the event on a fixed calendar date, June 24th.  The slight forward displacement of the traditional date is the result of multitudinous calendrical changes down through the ages.  It is 
analogous to the winter solstice celebration, which is astronomically 
on or about December 21st, but is celebrated on the traditional date of December 25th, Yule, later adopted by the Christians. 
 
    Again, it must be remembered that the Celts reckoned their days from sundown to sundown, so the June 24th festivities actually begin on the previous sundown (our June 23rd).  This was Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Eve.  Which brings up another point:  our modern calendars are quite misguided in suggesting that 'summer begins' on the solstice.  According to the old folk calendar, summer BEGINS 
on May Day and ends on Lammas (August 1st), with the summer solstice, midway between the two, marking MID-summer.  This makes more logical sense than suggesting that summer begins on the day when the sun's power begins to wane and the days grow shorter. 
 

    Although our Pagan ancestors probably preferred June 24th (and 
indeed most European folk festivals today use this date), the sensibility of modern Witches seems to prefer the actual solstice point, beginning the celebration at sunset.  Again, it gives modern Pagans a range of dates to choose from with, hopefully, a weekend embedded in it.  (And this year, the moon is waxing throughout.) 
 
    As the Pagan mid-winter celebration of Yule was adopted by Christians as Christmas (December 25th), so too the Pagan mid-summer 
celebration was adopted by them as the feast of John the Baptist (June 24th).  Occurring 180 degrees apart on the wheel of the year, the mid-winter celebration commemorates the birth of Jesus, while the mid-summer celebration commemorates the birth of John, the prophet who was born six months before Jesus in order to announce his arrival. 
 
    This last tidbit is extremely conspicuous, in that John is the ONLY saint in the entire Catholic hagiography whose feast day is a 
commemoration of his birth, rather than his death.  A generation ago, 
Catholic nuns were fond of explaining that a saint is commemorated on the anniversary of his or her death because it was really a 'birth' into the Kingdom of Heaven.  But John the Baptist, the sole exception, is emphatically commemorated on the anniversary of his birth into THIS world.  Although this makes no sense viewed from a Christian perspective, it makes perfect poetic sense from the viewpoint of Pagan symbolism. 
 
    In most Pagan cultures, the sun god is seen as split between two rival personalities: the god of light and his twin, his 'weird', his 'other self', the god of darkness.  They are Gawain and the Green Knight, Gwyn and Gwythyr, Llew and Goronwy, Lugh and Balor, Balan and Balin, the Holly King and the Oak King, etc.  Often they are depicted as fighting seasonal battles for the favor of their goddess/lover, 
such as Creiddylad or Blodeuwedd, who represents Nature. 
 
    The god of light is always born at the winter solstice, and his strength waxes with the lengthening days, until the moment of his greatest power, the summer solstice, the longest day.  
And, like a look in a mirror, his 'shadow self', the lord of darkness, is born at the summer solstice, and his strength waxes with the 
lengthening nights until the moment of his greatest power, the winter 
solstice, the longest night. 
 

    Indirect evidence supporting this mirror-birth pattern is strongest in the Christianized form of the Pagan myth.  Many writers, from Robert Graves to Stewart Farrar, have repeatedly pointed out that Jesus was identified with the Holly King, while John the Baptist was the Oak King.  That is why, 'of all the trees that are in the wood, the Holly tree bears the crown.'  If the birth of Jesus, the 'light of the world', is celebrated at mid-winter, Christian folk tradition insists that John the Oak King was born (rather than died) at mid-summer. 


    It is at this point that I must diverge from the opinion of Robert Graves and other writers who have followed him.  Graves believes that at midsummer, the Sun King is slain by his rival, the God of Darkness; just as the God of Darkness is, in turn, slain by the God of Light at 
midwinter.  And yet, in Christian folk tradition (derived from the older Pagan strain), it is births, not deaths, that are associated with the solstices.  For the feast of John the Baptist, this is all the more conspicuous, as it breaks the rules regarding all other saints. 
 
    So if births are associated with the solstices, when do the symbolic deaths occur?  When does Goronwy slay Llew and when does Llew, in his turn, slay Goronwy?  When does darkness conquer light or light conquer darkness?  Obviously (to me, at least), it must be at the two equinoxes.  At the autumnal equinox, the hours of light in the day are eclipsed by the hours of darkness.  At the vernal equinox, the process is reversed.  Also, the autumnal equinox, called 'Harvest Home', is already associated with sacrifice, principally that of the spirit of grain or vegetation.  In this case, the god of light would be identical. 
 
    In Welsh mythology in particular, there is a startling vindication of the seasonal placement of the sun god's death, the significance of which occurred to me in a recent dream, and which I haven't seen elsewhere.  Llew is the Welsh god of light, and his name means 'lion'.  (The lion is often the symbol of a sun god.)  He is betrayed by his 'virgin' wife Blodeuwedd, into standing with one foot on the rim of a cauldron and the other on the back of a goat.  It is only in this way that Llew can be killed, and Blodeuwedd's lover, Goronwy, Llew's dark self, is hiding nearby with a spear at the ready.  But as Llew is struck with it, he is not killed.  He is instead transformed into an eagle. 
 
    Putting this in the form of a Bardic riddle, it would go something like this:  Who can tell in what season the Lion (Llew), betrayed by 
the Virgin (Blodeuwedd), poised on the Balance, is transformed into an Eagle?  My readers who are astrologers are probably already gasping in recognition.  The sequence is astrological and in proper order:  Leo 
(lion), Virgo (virgin), Libra (balance), and Scorpio (for which the 
eagle is a well-known alternative symbol).  Also, the remaining icons, cauldron and goat, could arguably symbolize Cancer and Capricorn, representing summer and winter, the signs beginning with the two solstice points.  So Llew is balanced between cauldron and goat, between summer and winter, on the balance (Libra) point of the autumnal equinox. 

 
    This, of course, is the answer to a related Bardic riddle. Repeatedly, the 'Mabinogion' tells us that Llew must be standing with one foot on the cauldron and one foot on the goat's back in order to be killed.  But nowhere does it tell us why.  Why is this particular situation the ONLY one in which Llew can be overcome?  Because it represents the equinox point.  And the equinox is the only 
time of the entire year when light (Llew) can be overcome by darkness 
(Goronwy). 
 
    It should now come as no surprise that, when it is time for Llew to kill Goronwy in his turn, Llew insists that Goronwy stands where he once stood while he (Llew) casts the spear.  This is no mere vindictiveness on Llew's part.  For, although the 'Mabinogion' does not say so, it should by now be obvious that this is the only time 
when Goronwy can be overcome.  Light can overcome darkness only at the equinox -- this time the vernal equinox. 
 
    So Midsummer (to me, at least) is a celebration of the sun god at his zenith, a crowned king on his throne.  He is at the height of his strength and still 1/4 of a year away from his ritual death at the hands of his rival.  The spear and the cauldron have often been used as symbols for this holiday and it should now be easy to see why.  Sun gods are virtually always associated with spears (even Jesus is pierced by one), and the midsummer cauldron of Cancer is a symbol of the Goddess in her fullness.  It is an especially beautiful time of 
the year for an outdoor celebration.  May yours be magical! 

 
	CEREMONY OF INITIATION
AUTHOR'S NOTE: 
This ritual is a compilation of Gardnerian,  Fairy,  and traditional Wiccan sources,  and  is  intended to be used as an initiation for graduates of my training course in Basic Technologies of Witchcraft.  While the ritual is powerful enough as it stands,  I strongly recommend that it be reserved for people who have been prepared through training at least equivalent to  that which I give, or much of the impact may be lost.   
                                Blessed be! 
                        J. Brad (Talespinner) Hicks  

	Guided Meditation
 
(The following will be read to all participants in the form of a guided meditation, prior to the processional.  It helps if the first paragraph is read by a male voice and the second paragraph by a female voice.  NOTE: All are nude; the initiate is also blindfolded.)  
 
Hear the words of the Threefold Goddess, who of old was called Artemis, Astarte, Dianna, Aphrodite, Ceridwen, Isis, Arianrhod, Brigid, Aradia, and many other names:  
 
"Whenever  you have need of anything,  once in the month,  and better it be when the moon is full,  you shall assemble in some secret place  and  adore the spirit of Me who is Queen of all the Wise.  She who would learn all sorcery yet has not won its deepest secrets,  them I  will teach her, in truth, all things as yet unknown.  And you shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you be free you shall be naked in your rites.  Sing, feast, dance, make music and love in My presence,  for Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine also is joy on earth.  For My  law  is  love unto all beings.  Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for behold, I am the mother of all things and My love is poured out upon the earth."  
 
	Processional
 
The  Initiate  is  left  to meditate as the others rise and follow the High Priest/ess into the Circle area and three times around, chanting:  
 
        "We all come from the Goddess, 
         And to her we shall return 
         Like a drop of rain, 
         Flowing to the ocean." (repeat) 

 
	Raising of the Circle
 
HIGH PRIEST/ESS takes the Sword from the altar and traces a  circle  around the  coveners.  When he/she returns to the north, he/she kneels and salutes, saying, "Hail and well come, frosty Spirits of the North.  Lend to us your  power and protection this night,  that <initiate's born name> may be given a true initiation, to justly wield the power  of Earth.  So mote it be!"  
 
ALL:  (envisioning a wall of dark-green light springing up from the circle) "So mote it be!"  
 
HIGH PRIEST/ESS advances to the east, kneels and salutes, saying, "Hail and well come, bright Spirits of the East.  Lend to us your  power and protection that <initiate's born name> may be given a true initiation, to justly wield the power of Air.  So mote it be!"  
 
ALL:  (envisioning a wall of  lemon-yellow  light  springing  up  from  the circle, within the wall of green) "So mote it be!"  
 
HIGH PRIEST/ESS advances to the south,  kneels and salutes,  saying,  "Hail and well come, fiery Spirits of the South.  Lend to us your power and protection that <initiate's born name> may be given a true initiation, to justly wield the power of Fire.  So mote it be!"  
 
ALL:  (envisioning a wall of crimson light springing up  from  the  circle, within the walls of green and yellow) "So mote it be!"  
 
HIGH PRIEST/ESS advances to the west, kneels and salutes, saying, "Hail and well come, tireless Spirits of the West.  Lend to us your power and protection that <initiate's born name> may be given a true  initiation, to justly wield the power of Water.  So mote it be!"  
 
ALL:  (envisioning  a wall of dark blue light springing up from the circle, within the walls of green, yellow, and red) "So mote it be!"  
 
	Statement of Purpose
 
HIGH PRIEST/ESS:  "I call upon the Horned God; I call upon the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone; I call upon the Spirits of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water; I call upon the Hosts of the Mighty Dead; and I call every true Witch within this circle to witness that we are here to  consecrate <initiate's name> as Priest(ess) and Witch.  The circle is cast!"  

 
ALL:  (envisioning the walls of the circle bending together overhead and flowing together under the floor to form a hemisphere of  bright  white light) "So mote it be!"  
 
	The Warning
 
HIGH PRIEST/ESS  cuts a gate in the circle,  and roughly leads the Initiate to kneel at the edge before the gate, then balances the  sword-point over the Initiate's heart (the Initiate raises his or her hands to support the point).  "You stand at the edge of a place that is between the worlds, in the presence of the Gods and under the watchful eye of the Mighty Dead.  If you go any further, you embark  on a path that cannot be safely turned aside before your death.  Feel the sharpness of the blade at your breast, and know this in your heart - it would be better for you to throw yourself forward and spill out your life than to enter this circle with fear or falseness in your heart."  
 
INITIATE: "I come with perfect love and perfect trust."  
 
HIGH PRIEST/ESS lays down the sword, lifts the Initiate to his or her feet, and kisses him or her.  "Thus are all first brought into the Circle.", then leads the Initiate to the altar and taking up the sword, re-draws the circle over the gateway.   
 
	Administration of the Oaths
 
ALL  (except  the High Priest/ess and the Initiate) begin a quiet "Aum" and sustain it throughout the Five-fold Kiss and the Oaths of Initiation.   
 
HIGH PRIEST/ESS, administering the Five-fold Kiss:  "Blessed are your feet, that have brought you to this place.  Blessed are your knees,  that shall kneel at the altars of the Gods.  Blessed is  your  sex,  without which we could not be.  Blessed is your breast,  formed in strength and beauty.  Blessed are your lips,  which shall speak the Words of Truth.  Are you prepared to take the oath?"  
 
INITIATE:  "I am."  
 
HIGH PRIEST/ESS: "Then kneel." Takes the Initiate's Measure.  "You who have from birth been called <born name> but now seek to become <Craft  name> - do you willingly pledge yourself to the God and the Goddess?"  
INITIATE  places his or her left hand on the top of the head and right hand on the soles of the feet.  "All between my two hands belongs to  the Gods.  So mote it be."  
 
ALL others raise the volume of the "Aum" slightly.   
 
HIGH  PRIEST/ESS:  "And  do  you swear to keep silent all those things that must be kept silent, and to respect that which is taught to you?"  
INITIATE:  "I willingly swear to keep silent all that must be kept  silent, and to respect that which is taught to me.  So mote it be."  
 
ALL others raise the volume of the "Aum" a little more.   
 
HIGH PRIEST/ESS: "And by what surety do you swear all of these things?"  
 
INITIATE:  "All of these things I do swear, by my mother's womb and my hope of future lives, knowing well that my Measure has been taken in  the presence of the Mighty Ones.  Should I fail utterly in my oaths, may my powers desert me, and may my own tools turn against me.  So mote it be.  So mote it be.  So mote it be!   
 
ALL yell quickly: "SO MOTE IT BE!"  
 
                          Triggering of the Spell  
 
ALL  grab the Initiate quickly and hoist him or her completely into the air (if possible), chanting the Initiate's new name over and over again, as fast as possible, as they carry him or her three times quickly  around the  circle.  When  they return to the starting point,  they set him or her down face-down and  press  him  or  her  firmly  into  the  ground.   
    Gradually, the pressure relents to gentle massage.  Through all of this they  continue chanting the Initiate's new name,  falling off in volume and speed as the pressure relaxes.   
 
HIGH PRIEST/ESS:  "Know that the hands that have touched you are the  hands of love."  Removes the Initiate's blindfold and helps him or her up.   "In the Burning Times,  when each member of the Coven held the lives of the others in her hand, this would have been kept, and used against you should you endanger others.  But in these happier times, love and trust prevail, so take this (hands the Measure to the initiate),  keep it or burn it, and be free to go or stay as you please."  


	Follow-Through and Earthing of Power
 
HIGH PRIEST/ESS hands the sword to the Initiate,  and leads him or  her  to the East, where they both kneel.  The Initiate salutes, and the High Priest/ess announces, "Behold, restless Spirits of Water  -  I bring before you <new  name>, who has been consecrated as Priestess and Witch!" Repeats at the South, West, and finally North.   
 
ALL (including High Priest/ess and Initiate) join hands in the Circle.   
 
HIGH PRIEST/ESS: "Thank you Spirits of the Mighty Dead, Spirits of the Four Elements, and awesome Lord and Lady for hallowing our circle.  Go  or stay as you will - our circle is ended."  
 
ALL ground and center, then absorb the power of the Circle and return it to the Earth beneath their feet. 
 
HIGH PRIEST/ESS (after a suitable pause):  "Our lovely rite draws to  its end.  Merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.  Blessed Be!" 
 
ALL:  "BLESSED BE!" 

	INVOCATION TO FRIGG
	Russ Anderson

When this invocation was first used, each person in a healing  circle invoked a healer into (her/him)self.  This was my invocation.  The rest of the circle was asked to echo "Join us, Frigg" as I was saying "Join us. Frigg,". This was my first  attempt at writing an invocation, and it DID work. I hope that it also works for anyone else who wishes to use it, because it now feels like time to share it. 
	Blessed Be, Russ 
 
"Frigg, Daughter of Jord, Join us. 
 Frigg, Daughter of Fiorgyn, Join us. 
 Frigg, Wife of Odin, Join us. 
 Frigg, Sister of Thorr, Join us. 
 Frigg, Mother of Balder, Join us. 
 Frigg, Mother of Hodr, Join us. 
 Frigg, Mother of Hermod, Join us. 
 Frigg, Mother of the gods, Join us. 
 Frigg, Wise in all fates, Join us. 
 Frigg, Who will tell no fortunes, Join us. 
 Frigg, First among the Asynjur, Join us. 
 Frigg, Queen of Asgard, Join us. 
 Frigg, Mistress of home and hearth, Join us. 
 Frigg, Mistress of Eire, Join us. 
 Frigg, Mistress of healing, Join us. 
 Frigg, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!" 
 
	INVOCATION TO BALDUR
 
"Baldr, Son of Frigg, Join us. 
 Baldr, Son of Odin, Join us. 
 Baldr, Husband of Nanna, Join us. 
 Baldr, Brother of Hodr, Join us. 
 Baldr, Brother of Hermod, Join us. 
 Baldr, Father of Forsetti, Join us. 
 Baldr, Slain by blind Hodr, Join us. 
 Baldr, Master of Breidablik, Join us. 
 Baldr, Who is much loved, Join us. 
 Baldr, Who Thokk alone would not mourn, Join us. 
 Baldr, The Fairest of the Aesir, Join us. 
 Baldr, Whose Judgments stand unaltered, Join us. 
 Baldr, Whose Judgments stand unheeded, Join us. 
 Baldr, The Wisest of the Aesir, Join us. 
 Baldr, The Shining One, Join us. 
 Baldr, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!" 
 

	INVOCATION TO FREYJA
 
"Freyja, Of the many names, Join us. 
 Freyja, Of the golden tears, Join us. 
 Freyja, Daughter of Njord, Join us. 
 Freyja, Wife of Od, Join us. 
 Freyja, Sister of Freyr, Join us. 
 Freyja, Mother of Hnoss, Join us. 
 Freyja, Claimed by Thrym, Join us. 
 Freyja, Driver of cats, Join us. 
 Freyja, Goddess of Fertility, Join us. 
 Freyja, Who shares the slain with Odin, Join us. 
 Freyja, Who taught the Aesir Magick, Join us. 
 Freyja, Lender of Falcons' Flight, Join us. 
 Freyja, Mistress of Brisingamen, Join us. 
 Freyja, Mistress of Folkvang, Join us. 
 Freyja, Mistress of nature, Join us. 
 Freyja, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!" 

	INVOCATION TO FREYR

"Freyr, Son of Njrd, Join us. 
 Freyr, Husband of Gerdr, Join us. 
 Freyr, Brother of Freyja, Join us. 
 Freyr, Father of kings, Join us. 
 Freyr, Whose sword would fight for itself, Join us. 
 Freyr, Who gave his sword for Gerdr, Join us. 
 Freyr, Patron of married couples, Join us. 
 Freyr, Most beautiful of Gods, Join us. 
 Freyr, Whose tooth-gift was Alfheimr, Join us. 
 Freyr, Master of Gullinbursti, Join us. 
 Freyr, Owner of Skidbladnir, Join us. 
 Freyr, Slayer of Beli, Join us. 
 Freyr, Master of Frodi's Peace, Join us. 
 Freyr, Who directs Man's good fortune, Join us. 
 Freyr, Who brings fruitful seasons, Join us. 
 Freyr, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!" 

	INVOCATION TO BRIGIT

"Brigit, Wise One, 
 We, your children, call to you. 
 Lady, Smithy, 
 We, your children, invite you here. 
 Triple Goddess, 
 We, your children, ask your presence. 
 Brigit, Wise One, 
 We, your children, call to you. 
 Lady, Smithy, 
 We, your children, invite you here. 
 Triple Goddess, 
 We, your children, ask your presence. 
 Brigit, Wise One, 
 We, your children, call to you. 
 Lady, Smithy, 
 We, your children, invite you here. 
 Triple Goddess, 
 We, your children, ask your presence, NOW." 
 
 
	INVOCATION TO HERNE
 
"Herne, Winter Lord, 
 We, your children, call to you. 
 Horned One, Hunter, 
 We, your children, invite you here. 
 Woodland Spirit, 
 We, your children, ask your presence. 
 Herne, Winter Lord, 
 We, your children, call to you. 
 Horned One, Hunter, 
 We, your children, invite you here. 
 Woodland Spirit, 
 We, your children, ask your presence. 
 Herne, Winter Lord, 
 We, your children, call to you. 
 Horned One, Hunter, 
 We, your children, invite you here. 
 Woodland Spirit, 
 We, your children, ask your presence, NOW." 

	INVOCATION TO THORR

"Thorr, Red-beard, Join us. 
 Thorr, Son of Jord, Join us. 
 Thorr, Brother of Frigg, Join us. 
 Thorr, Father of Mdi, Join us. 
 Thorr, Father of Magni, Join us. 
 Thorr, Father of Thrdr, Join us. 
 Thorr, Husband of Sif, Join us. 
 Thorr, Jtunn bane, Join us. 
 Thorr, Foe of Irmungandr, Join us. 
 Thorr, Who bears Marriage Hallower, Join us. 
 Thorr, Who bears Death Hallower, Join us. 
 Thorr, Who wields Mjllnir, Join us. 
 Thorr, Defender of Asgard, Join us. 
 Thorr, Thunderer, Join us. 
 Thorr, Storm Lord, Join us. 
 Thorr, Your servant _______ calls you! Come to me NOW!" 
 
 

	AN ISSIAN CIRCLE CASTING

Circle casting adapted by Matrika of PAN - the ORIGINAL Psychic Awareness Network BBS at 1-703-362-1139 
 
ADAPTED from the Community of Isis Rites in Salem MA. 
for use by the Moonchildren Coven 
 
This requires the use of a duly consecrated wand, a chalice, an athame and a container for salt and water - NON - plastic PLEASE - on your altar as well as 2 candle sticks with candles in them and an incense burner for stick or hanging incense.  You should work robed or nude as you prefer. In the 4 directions you should have either air (as incense) or fire (as candle - lit, of course, and preferably red) in the east - according to your tradition.  The OTHER element - the one not used in the east - in the south, again according to your tradition.  ( i prefer air-east- wand, fire-south - athame, personally - but I realize there are differences in tradition.

THE HIGH PRIESTHOOD OF A CIRCLE IS THE FINAL SAY IN ANY RITE - 
SO ALWAYS FOLLOW THEIR TRADITIONS.

  A bowl - again NOT plastic - of water in the west and some rocks or a dish of salt in the North for earth. 
 
IF you wish you may lay a circle of salt on the floor, leaving a gate for the priest/ess to enter and leave for the temple purification or you may visualize the circle coming as electric blue light out of your athame point as you cast it.  after s/he returns from purifying the outer perimeter, the gate would be closed and the circle cast (after the directions are called) by pointing the athame (or the sword) at the salt and charging it instead of casting into the air.  The gate would be closed by completing the circle of salt. 
 
Okay, I am writing this as used by a person working alone, but the P or PS in parenthesis is how it would be done if done by a couple.  PS is the female and P is the male.  THis is the IDEAL form of the rite. 
 
(PS) picks up bowl of salt and bowl of water on alter.   (P) picks up athame and places it point down in the water and says "SALT is pure, let this salt be pure and let it purify our rites as we use it in the service of the Lady and the Lord? 

ALL- SO MOTE IT BE 

(PS) pours some of the salt into the water.  (P) stirs it with his athame and says: 
	"May this sacred salt purify this water so it may be used in this 	service of the Lord and Lady, throughout this rite, in any way 	and at any time we 
	may wish to use it."  

ALL- SO MOTE IT BE 
 
(PS) takes the salt-water and sprinkles it about the perimeter of the circle (outer) saying the following while walking WIDDERSHINS (to banish) or counter-clockwise:
	"Salt and water where I cast thee 
	No spell or unknown purpose be 
	Unless in full accord with me 
	and as I will SO MOTE IT BE" 
 
She returns to the circle.  The (P) then takes the incense burner - if a swinging one - or the burning stick of incense and goes around the circle deosil saying:
	 "ever as we walk in the ways may we feel the presence of the 	Lady and the Lord We know that in all we do they are ever with us 	They abide in us and we in them forever.  No disharmony or 	imbalance can be entertained for purity, harmony and balance are 	the dwellers within and without us:
	For good do we strive and 
	for good do we live 
	Love unto all things 
	SO be it forever 
	Love is the law and Love is the bond 
	Blessed be the Lady and the Lord" 

All - SO MOTE IT BE 
 
He returns to the circle.  He then picks up his wand and goes to the East, raising it high he invokes the element of air visualizing either the ruler of that element as he understands that being OR a yellow pentacle can be substituted.  I like to imagine a weeping willow tree budding in the spring being moved by the gentle breezes through the center of the pentacle - as if through the center of a window.  ( IF YOU USE FIRE IN THE EAST- SUBSTITUTE VISUALIZATION HERE WITH THE ONE I GIVE IN THE SOUTH AND CHANGE THE INVOCATION ACCORDINGLY) 
	"Hail to thee 
	Lord of the Watchtower of the EAST 
	element of air (fire?) 
	We invite your presence and your power in our circle and 
	our magick this night. 

ALL- SO MOTE IT BE 

(P) - Welcome and Blessed be 

ALL- BLESSED BE 
 
Go to the south and repeat this visualizing either your conception of the ruler of the watchtower for the south OR a red pentacle - I like to "see" a campfire through it's center, as if through a window. 
Repeat invocation with raised wand substituting  OF THE SOUTH 
and ELEMENT OF FIR#E 
 
Go to the WEST and repeat this visualizing either your conception of the ruler of the watchtower of the west OR a BLUE pentacle - I like to see a mountain stream or the ocean through the center of it, as if through a window.  Repeat invocation making suitable changes of direction and element in it. 
 
Go to the North and repeat the process visualizing either your conception of the ruler of that watchtower OR a Green pentacle - I like to see Mountains rising up in the distance through the middle of it, again as if through a window. 
 
He returns to the altar and replaces the wand. 

THE (PS) takes up hers and invokes the Deities:
"HAIL TO THEE LORD AND LADY" (Substitute aloud or silently the names you are using for the Goddess and the God here - with non-initiates, some prefer to use the generic "Lord and Lady" out loud, keeping the names by which the inner circle of initiates know Them a secret.  This is also a good idea to use when you have members of several traditions present who may not agree on what names are used for them) "We invite your presence and power in our circle and our magick this night". 
 
ALL - SO MOTE IT BE 

(PS) - WELCOME AND BLESSED BE 
ALL - Blessed be 
 
She then replaces her wand on the altar and picks up her athame or the coven sword and casts the circle - either straight out, visualizing blue light coming from it's point - or, if a circle of salt is used, straight DOWN at the salt, to charge it. 
 

THIS IS DONE DEOSIL, OF COURSE. (clock-wise - just like the censing of the circle was done earlier! the ONLY time widdershins is used is the 
salt-water banishing / cleansing to prepare for circle casting and in opening the circle) 
 
First casting - " I conjure this circle, a mighty Psychic rampart that turns back ANY excess positive or negative energy which may come to do us harm" 

ALL - SO MOTE IT BE 
 
Second casting - "I cast this circle, a place that is not a place, a time that is not a time, a sacred place between the worlds, a place to commune with eternity (or THE LADY AND THE LORD)" 
 
All - SO MOTE IT BE 
 
Third casting - "I charge this circle, a place of perfect love and of perfect trust where all may know peace profound" 

ALL- SO MOTE IT BE 
 
SHE RETURNS TO THE ALTAR.  If a bell is used (brass or silver ONLY please) she rings it and says "Now is the circle cast" 

All - SO MOTE IT BE 
 
The circle then perform the full-moon rite, raising the power and drawing down the energy into themselves by whatever rites they use and Magick is performed as is appropriate and necessary OR the ritual for one of the 8 sabbats is performed - a much lighter and informal occasion - according to the time and purpose of the circle. 
 
The cakes and ale/wine (I substitute APPLE juice or SPRING water, as I am allergic to alcohol) are consecrated by the athame in the chalice 
 
NOTE - the cakes should be as natural as possible, HAVE SOME RESPECT! Please no twinkies or oreos - I've seen some "people" do that! 
 

Circle closing

The (P) takes up his wand and goes to the 4 quarters, beginning at the north and going widdershins, where he raises his wand at each and dismisses the rulers of the elements thusly:

	" Farewell to thee 
	Lord of the watchtower of the (direction) 
	element of (name element) 
	We thank you for our presence and power 
	in our circle and our magick this night" 

ALL - SO MOTE IT BE 
(P) - MERRY PART AND BLESSED BE 

ALL - BLESSED BE 
 
As he does this, he visualizes whatever he visualized earlier and then "sees" it fading out. When he has done all 4 quarters he replaces his wand on the altar 

THE (PS) picks hers up and raises it high says "FAREWELL TO THE LORD AND LADY" (again names may be substituted silently or aloud) "WE thank you for your presence and your power in Our circle and our magick this night".

All - SO MOTE IT BE 
(PS) - GO IF YOU MUST, STAY IF YOU WILL and BLESSED BE 

ALL- BLESSED BE 
 
She then picks up her athame (or sword ) and pointing it either in the air or at the salt, whatever she did before, she walks widdershins and as she opens the circle she pictures in her mind's eye the electric blue light fading out or being reabsorbed by the tool she carries as she says:. 
	"THE CIRCLE IS OPEN, YET REMAINS UNBROKEN "

ALL - SO MOTE IT BE 

(PS) MERRY PART AND BLESSED BE 

ALL - BLESSED BE (they all hug each other in many circles here ) 
 
(candles are snuffed on altar here - never blow out candles) If bell is used, she rings it and says THE CIRCLE IS NOW OPEN 

Note - our circle in New England, which met only for the Sabbats except for it's leadership which did the full-moons themselves as it was a training coven, tended to use a lot of chanting and simple ritual drama to raise energy as we worked in a very confined space.  Other methods can be used. In full-moon work I like active deep-meditation or guided trance and chanting because of size of space available to me at this time.  However many covens also use the dance, the cords, the great rite - actual or symbolic, and other methods.  Always remember there is NO one right path. 
 
There is also no one right way of casting a circle.  Different traditions differ greatly.  The main body of this rite is that used by the community of Isis - but I have added invocations at the circle cleansing that I like which come from Al Manning (for the salt-water) and Ray Buckland (for the censing of the circle).   The blessing of the salt and water are also from Ray Buckland's teachings - I prefer his method, because of it's clarity of intent, to the one I learned here so I use it. 
 
Part of the circle closing was also adapted from Starhawk. Many people like to elaborate on the invocations at the quarters and present them in poetic formats, as they do with the invocation of the Lord and Lady.

	CIRCLES, WHY USE THEM?
	MEL WHITE

They say that the longest journey begins with a single step.  So, too, the exploration of Magickal studies begins with a single step.  Though the first step in a physical journey is often self-evident, the First Step on a Magickal journey is often not quite so clear.  While formally organized groups often have a path of lessons to instruct newcomers, the solitary or isolated student is often left standing in perplexity on this broad plain of knowledge, wondering just where in the heck to begin. And wondering, too, if it's "okay" to start just anywhere. 
 
While it's true that studies can begin in any direction that attracts you, the necessary first step must be learning to make psychic shields. There are "Things of the Dark" out there.  There are any number of explanations for what these things might be-- ghosts, demons, or simply uncontrolled urges of the subconscious mind. In truth, it doesn't matter what they are. What does matter is that their effect is very real and unless they are put under your control, they will drag you over the borders of sanity into psychosis. You are most vulnerable to them while you're in an "open" trance or meditative state. That's why the wise practitioner always begins by taking steps to define exactly what will be permitted through the portals of their "psychic shields"-- no matter how simple the ritual.  And this, in 
a nutshell, is what "protective magic" is about. 
 
There are a number of ways to do this.  The most common is to begin by drawing a circle (around a group or yourself) and invoking the one or more protective powers. Generally, this is done by candlelight, in front of an altar that holds certain magical objects. The circle may be further "secured" and "cleared" by using salt, salt water, rum, incense, or some other method.   You may be wearing a special robe and will have taken a bath ( or performed a cleansing ritual) earlier. The powers that protect you will be called on and THEN you will begin your ritual. 
 
Is it psychological?  Absolutely!  Is there a reason why protection rituals always take this form?  Positively!  Let's take a step back and see what you're actually doing and how the process works-- from a psychological standpoint-- and how to use this knowledge to help you refine your circles to enhance your rituals. 
 

Psychologists and psychics alike view the mind's structure as a three-part entity: The ego (that which you think of as yourself), the superego (the "higher self") and the Id (the child within).  The Id is, in a sense, a computer. Like most computers, it operates on the "garbage in-garbage out" principle. There's an old superstition "as you name something, so will it become." Tell yourself that you're very unlucky and your id will obligingly give you bad days by enhancing any negatives in your environment. Tell yourself that you are clumsy, and your id-computer will obligingly arrange for you to break a leg while stepping off the sidewalk.  The bad news is that the Id can't make a judgement as to whether or not this is a good idea.  It only knows that it's received these "instructions" and must carry them out.  The good news is that you can actually program/reprogram this portion of your mind. 
 
You begin programming this Internal Servant of yours by first drawing its attention to what you want done and then explaining what you need done in a simple and clear manner.   Repeating the instructions in a chant help fix the goals for the Id-- rhymed chants seem to be easier for it to process. Each time you perform the ritual and repeat the chant, the programming is strengthened.  Never mind that your ego and superego understand that you're going to program the child-like Id.  It works just the same. 
 
To direct the Id's attention to the process, you first have to impress it. Using special tools and clothing alert it that something unusual is going on and that it must pay attention.  Acquiring hard-to-obtain items, drawing symbols, performing a symbolic sacrifice (donating money, say, to a good cause) are all ways of reinforcing the Id's impression that this ceremony is very special and that the result will be very powerful.  Organized, meaningful symbols, speak to your subconscious mind in ways it understands, reinforcing the goals you have set. 
 
Drawing the circle itself establishes boundaries within your environment ("The rest of the world can do what it likes Out There.  All within this circle is in MY control!"). Purifying the circle and consecrating it (sprinkling water which has been blessed and salt added) further enforce your territory, defining the borders where you are "safe".  Nothing can enter this area except what you invite inside.  You further tighten these borders by calling on certain Powers. 
 

You can call on any powers you like.  Some use traditional Christian images. Others call up deities from the religion they are most comfortable with. And many people use the thought/image of a beam of light that represents either God/Goddess (whichever one they like) OR The power of light and life and goodness in the Universe. 

The number of powers called as guardians varies.  You may choose to invoke one powerful being to protect your circle. Or you might call on the Universal Being/Light AND four guardians (one for each quarter of the compass). A third approach is to use a guardian for the four quarters of the compass and no higher being.  There is no "absolutely correct" system; the correct system is the one that YOU are comfortable with. 
 
Take time to choose the guardians of your circle carefully.  You should select guardians (gods or animals or some form of life) which have a deeper meaning to you and whose qualities are in harmony with your goals. For the new student, it's best to have all your Powers and Guardians from the same belief system/religion/mythic universe so that the symbols will be consistent and not confuse the Id. 
 
You CAN use people-- saints, movie actors, figures from favorite books as guardians. DO, however, pick someone who's dead or non-existent. The dead can't argue with your interpretation of them, whereas the living may be highly offended to be approached as gods/ guardians). 
 
As your studies continue, you will find that your totems or guardians change.  This is to be expected; as you explore new realms in your studies, you may find you need guardians who deal with very specific areas to strengthen and guide you in these new fields. 
 
But don't make the mistake of assuming that you'll become so powerful that you will never need the protection of the psychic shielding circle in some form.  And don't assume that you will not need a circle for "positive" magicks such as healing.  Open is open-- and open is vulnerable.  And circles strengthen and protect you by defining what psychological influences will be allowed to work with you. 

	HANDFASTING (WEDDING)
	Ryan Hunter

[The following wedding ceremony was written to provide for Pagans  
who  must of necessity be wed in the presence of the  uninitiated  
who  are  not  pagan and are perhaps unaware that the  bride  and  
groom are pagan. Replace the words Bride and Groom below with the  
names of the happy couple. This ceremony was used by both my wife  
and  myself and by my sister and her husband.  They modified  the  
text  at the point below where it says "loving each other  wholly  
and completely" to add the phrase "forsaking all others" as  they  
are into monogamy.  Either version works beautifully, I recommend  
the participants rewrite where necessary to form a legal contract  
that  they  can  and  will keep.  It is easy to  avoid  being  an  
oathbreaker  if  you only swear to that you  will  keep  and  
avoid swearing to something just because the other party wants it  
or because it might be "expected" by the family. Notice: parts of  
this ritual were cribbed from the writings of others. I apologize  
in  advance  for  failure  to reference  sources  but  after  the  
fifteenth rewrite we had forgotten where we got the text and what  
was and what was not original to us.  I doubt if there are quotes  
from  other sources longer than paragraph length and thus  should  
not  be a copyright problem.  If you see something that is yours,  
please send me mail and I will reference you in the  future.  Our  
thanks to those who paved the way. --Ryan Hunter] 
 
[PRIEST] We have come together here in celebration of the joining  
together of ____bride______ and ____groom______.  There are  many  
things to say about marriage. Much wisdom  concerning the joining  
together  of  two  souls,has come our way through  all  paths  of  
belief,  and from many cultures.  With each union, more knowledge  
is gained and more wisdom gathered.  Though we are unable to give  
all this knowledge to these two, who stand before us, we can hope  
to  leave  with them the knowledge of love and its strengths  and   
the anticipation of the wisdom that comes with time.   The law of  
life  is love unto all beings.    Without love,  life is nothing,  
without love,  death has no redemption.  Love is anterior to Life,  
posterior  to  Death,   initial of Creation and the  exponent  of  
Earth.   If we learn no more in life, let it be this.   
 
Marriage  is  a bond to be entered into only  after  considerable  
thought  and reflection.  As with any aspect of life,  it has its  
cycles, its ups and its downs, its trials and its triumphs.  With  
full understanding of this,  Groom and Bride have come here today  
to be joined as one in marriage.  

Others would ask,  at this time, who gives the bride in marriage,  
but,  as a woman is not property to be bought and sold, given and  
taken,  I ask simply if she comes of her own will and if she  has  
her family's blessing.  
 
Bride,   is   it  true that you come of your own free  will   and  
accord? 
 
[BRIDE] Yes, it is true. 
 
[PRIEST] With whom do you come and whose blessings accompany you. 
 
[FATHER] She comes with me, her father, and is accompanied by all  
of her family's blessings. 
 
[PRIEST] Please join hands with your betrothed and listen to that  
which I am about to say. 
 
Above you are the stars,  below you are the stones,  as time doth  
pass, remember... 
 
Like  a  stone should your love be firm like a star  should  your  
love be constant. Let the powers of the mind and of the intellect  
guide you in your marriage,  let the strength of your wills  bind  
you  together,  let the power of love and desire make you  happy,  
and  the  strength of your dedication make  you  inseparable.  Be  
close,   but  not  too  close.    Possess  one  another,  yet  be  
understanding.   Have patience with one another,  for storms will  
come, but they will pass quickly. 
 
Be free in giving affection and warmth.  Have no fear and let not  
the  ways of the unenlightened give you unease,  for God is  with  
you always. 
 
Groom,  I have not the right to bind thee to Bride, only you have   
this right.   If it be your wish,  say so at this time  and place  
your ring in her hand.  
 
[GROOM] It is my wish. 
 

[PRIEST]  Bride,   if  it be your wish for Groom to be bound   to   
you,  place the ring on his finger.  (places ring on Groom's left  
ring finger) 
 
Bride  I  have not the right to bind thee to Groom only you  have   
this right.   If it be your wish,  say so at this time  and place  
your ring in his hand. 
[BRIDE] It is my wish. 
[PRIEST] Groom,  if it be your wish for Bride to be bound to you,  
place   the   ring on her finger.(places ring on   Bride's   left  
ring finger) 
 
(to Groom) Repeat after me: 
 
I,   (grooms full name),   in the name of the spirit of God  that  
resides  within us all,  by the life that courses within my blood  
and  the love that resides within my heart,   take thee  (bride's  
full  name) to my hand,   my heart,   and my spirit,   to be   my  
chosen  one.  To desire thee and be desired by thee,  to  possess  
thee,  and be possessed by thee, without sin or shame, for naught  
can  exist in the purity of my love for thee.   I promise to love  
thee wholly and completely without restraint,  in sickness and in  
health,  in plenty and in poverty,  in life and beyond,  where we  
shall meet, remember, and love again.  I shall not seek to change  
thee in any way.   I shall respect thee, thy beliefs, thy people,  
and thy ways as I respect myself. 
 
(to Bride) 
I  (bride's full name),   in the name of the spirit  of  God that   
resides  within  us  all,   by the life that courses  within   my  
blood,  and  the  love that resides within my heart,  take  thee,  
(Groom's full name) to my hand,   my heart,   and my spirit to be  
my  chosen one.   To desire and be desired by  thee,  to  possess  
thee,  and be possessed by thee, without sin or shame, for naught  
can  exist in the purity of my love for thee.   I promise to love  
thee wholly and completely without restraint,  in sickness and in  
health,  in plenty and in poverty,  in life and beyond,  where we  
shall meet, remember, and love again.  I shall not seek to change  
thee in any way.   I shall respect thee, thy beliefs, thy people,  
and thy ways as I respect myself. 
 

[PRIEST] 
(hands  chalice to the groom,  saying:) May you drink  your  fill  
from the cup of love. 
 
(Groom  holds  chalice to bride while she sips then  bride  takes  
chalice and holds it to groom while he sips.  The chalice is then  
handed  back to the Priest who sets it on the  table.   Next  the  
Priest  takes the plate of bread,  giving it to the groom.   Same  
procedure  repeated  with bread,  groom feeding bride  and  bride  
feeding groom.) 
 
By the power vested in me by God and the State of Alabama,  I now  
pronounce you husband and wife.  May your love so endure that its  
flame remains a guiding light unto you. 

	INITIATION INTO THE COVEN  OUTDOOR VERSION

	Candidates for initiation should be in good mental and physical health. They should also be of legal age and sought out the Craft of their own free will. 

	Before being accepted into the Coven (s)he should spend sometime learning about the Craft and magic and such. (S)he should know about practices that most people get uptight about. She should be told that initiations are perfectly safe and voluntary. Also, if at any time prior to taking the oath she wants to back out, she can do so with out fear or other recriminations.

	The candidate must chose a Craft name. This name should not be a common American name and must have personal meaning to the candidate.

	Traditionally the apprenticeship lasted for a year and a day. This is a good idea if it can be done. Before (s)he can be initiated, the Coven must vote. A single no is sufficient to not allow the candidate to be initiated into that particular Coven.

	This ritual is written for use in the woods. There has to be a path leading from the staging area to a clearing where afire can be lit. To save time, the fire should be setup but not lighted.

	The bathtub should be set up along the path and filled with warm water and the other ingredients. The water will also have to be consecrated. 

	The candidate should be brought to the staging area by their sponsor. She should be wearing clothing that can be cutaway easily by a sword without undoing buttons or stepping out of pants legs.  The candidate should be lead down the path by the sponsor.After a little ways a member of the Coven, the Challenger,should step onto the path. They might want to wear a mask. They take the sword that they carry and say:

	"Who comes to the gate?"


The candidate, coached before hand, answers:

	"It is I, (new Craft name), child of earth and starry heaven."

Challenger:

	"Who speaks for you?"

Sponsor:

	"It is I, ________ , who vouches for her."

The Challenger holds the point of the sword up to the candidates heart, and says:
	"You are about to enter a vortex of power, a place beyond	
         imagining, where birth and death, dark and light, joy and pain,
         meet and make one. You are about to step between the worlds,
         beyond time, outside the realm of your human life.
         You who stands on the threshold of the dread Mighty Ones,
	 have you the courage to make the essay? 
         For know it is	 better to fall on my blade and perish than 
         to make the attempt with fear in thy heart!"

The apprentice answers:

	"I tread the path with perfect love and perfect trust."

The Challenger replies:

	"Prepare for death and rebirth."

And the Challenger takes the sword and cuts off the apprentices clothing till she is standing naked. The Challenger grounds their sword to the Earth. The Challenger should then blindfold the candidate and tie a cord around their wrists and one ankle while saying:

	"And She was bound as all living things must be,
         who would enter the Kingdom of Death. And Her feet were neither bound nor free."


The candidate is led to the tub and bathed, while still blindfolded, by the rest of the Coven. While being bathed, she must remain quiet. She is helped from the tub and dried off.The candidate is then carried to the Circle. Everyone in the Coven, starting with the High Priest (Priestess in the case of a man), kisses her and says:

	"Thus are all first brought into the world,
         and thus are all first brought into the Coven."

The High Priest (Priestess in case of a man) now leads the candidate to each of the four corners and introduces her to the Guardians, of course going deosil. 

	"Hail Guardians of the Watchtowers of the East and all the Mighty Ones of the Craft. Behold _________(new name), who	will now be made Priestess and Witch."

The candidate is brought back to the altar. The High Priest kneels and gives her the Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet, both knees, womb, both breasts, and the lips,starting with the right of each pair. He says, as he does this:

	"Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways.
	Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar.
        Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.
	Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty.
	Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names."

For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length-to-length, with their feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips.The candidate is then measured with the other piece of cord,from head to toe. The cord is cut. She is then measured around the head and chest and knots are tied to mark these lengths.The High Priestess rolls up the cord, and asks the candidate:

	"Are you willing to swear the oath?"

The candidate answers: 	"I am."

The High Priestess asks:

	"Are you willing to suffer to learn?"

The candidate answers: 	"Yes."


The High Priestess takes the apprentice's hand, and with a needle properly purified by fire and water, pricks her finger,squeezing a few drops out onto the measure. The candidate then kneels, and places one hand on her head and the other beneath her heel and she repeats what is read to her. The High Priest says:

		"This is the Charge of the Coven:
		That I will keep secret what I am asked to keep	secret, 		and never divulge the names or dwelling places of our people 		unless by their consent.
		That I will learn and try to master the Art Magical;
         	but ever remember the rune: "What good be the tools without 		the inner light? What good be magic without wisdom sight?"
		That in due course I will strive to find a worthy pupil in 
          magic, to whom in future years I can hand down the knowledge 		I acquire.
		That I will never use the Art Magical merely to impress 		foolish persons, nor for any wrongful end.
		That I will help the Craft of the Wise, and hold it's honor 		as I would my own.
		That I consider these vows taken before the Elder Gods;
          and that if I betray this Charge I accept as my just reward
          that retribution of destiny which overtakes those who basely           betray the trust and confidence that others have placed in 		them.  Know that none can escape the fate, be it curse or 		blessing, which they make for themselves,	either in this 		life or in another life.

The High Priestess says:
	"Repeat after me: 'I, ________, do of my own free will most solemnly swear to protect, help and defend my sisters and brothers of the Art and to keep the Coven's Charge.
	I always keep secret all that must not be revealed.
	This do I swear on my mother's womb and my hopes of future lives,      mindful that my measure has been taken, and in the presence of      the Mighty Ones.'
	All between my two hands belongs to the Goddess."

The candidate repeats the oath. The Coven shouts:

	"So mote it be!"

The High Priest says:

	"Arise and be anointed"


The High Priest then makes an X mark on the initiates forehead,breast and genitals while saying:

	"May your mind be free. May your heart be free. May your body be free.
         I give you the Craft name of ______"

The rest of the Coven members grab her suddenly, lift her if possible and carry her three times around the Circle, laughing and shrieking. They then lay her face down before the altar and press her into the ground. Gradually the pressure changes to stroking. They chant her new name, raising a Cone of Power over her. The blind fold is removed and she is told:

	"Know that the hands that have touched you are the hands of love. Thus are all first brought into the world, and thus are all first brought into the Coven."

The Charge of the Goddess is spoken and any other myths, mysteries, and secrets are revealed. She is also told the Coven names of all the members. The High Priestess returns the measure, saying:

	"In the Burning Times, when each member of the Coven held the lives of the others in their hands, this would have been kept and be used against you should you endanger the	others. But in these more fortunate times, love and trust prevail, so take this, keep it or burn it, and be free to	go or to stay as your heart leads you."

The service goes on as usual, be it New or Full Moon or Sabbat.Before the Circle is opened, the new initiate is taken to the four corners again and introduced to the Guardians again.

Starhawk; "The Spiral Dance: Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of	the Goddess"; HarperRow 1979
Valiente, Doreen; "Witchcraft for Tomorrow"; Phoenix Publishing 1985

Transcribed to computer file by Seastrider

	NEO-PAGAN RITUAL

#1619  05 Aug 85  22:48:33 (RECV'D) 
From: Curly Howard  To: Da Sysop 
See also msg # 17  
Subject: NEO-PAGANISM 
Alright, I don't want to sound dumb, but I have no idea what these rituals entail. What goes on during these, and what is their purpose ?                                   Curly Howard 
 
#1719  06 Aug 85  11:59:57 (RECV'D) 
From: Brad Hicks  REPLY To: Curly Howard 
Reply to msg # 16    See also msg # 18  
Subject: NEOPAGAN RITUAL 
 
   Boy, you don't ask the easy ones.  Dr. Regardie takes 12 volumes to  answer this one; Aleister Crowley, 13 or so; Isaac Bonewits, two (and  that's only introductory).   
  
   I'll try to summarize, but if you're really interested, track down  Starhawk's THE SPIRAL DANCE for further details.  Most scholars divide  ritual into two classes:  1) theurgic, and 2) thaumaturgic.  In fancy  words, this means that either you are praying to make your self "a better person" or "closer to God/ess" or "to be saved from your sins", or you are praying for the God/ess to intervene in the world around you - prayers for peace, for money, for health, etc.   
  
   Neopagan ritual partakes of both aspects, to some extent.  In a typical ritual, various techniques (as old as humanity) are used to "raise the  power," then the power is focused via magickal symbols to contact the God(s) and/or Goddess(es) who are being called upon.  He/She/They take that magickal energy, augment it, and return it to the circle.  The High Priest/ess then focuses that energy on the target - the object or person to be affected, if any - then any energies that remain (or the total energy, if there is no magickal target) are returned to the Gods, via a processes called "grounding."  
  


   To paraphrase Uncle Isaac's wonderful book on the subject, you have the wind-up, the pitch, and the follow-through.   
  
   The windup uses any ritual techniques that are appropriate to a) the setting, b) the purpose of the ritual, c) the deities being contacted, and d) the skills of the participants.  The universals are chanting, dance, and "ritual theatre."  There are, of course, others.    
   The "pitch" uses beautiful, poetic imagery in guided meditations and ritual movement.  Occasionally (if possible), this uses music and dance.  Once the gods are contacted and the energy flows, it is concentrated in an object - usually cakes and wine, but occasionally by other means - and distributed, symbolically to all the participants.  Having partaken of the energy thus raised, the guided meditations direct the people in focusing their energy on the purpose at hand.   
  
   Finally, the High Priest or Priestess goes through a "follow-through", which involves dissolving the "group mind", reassuring people that what we have worked is done and was effective, and then "grounding" any loose energies, so that when the group leaves the ritual circle, they are back in their normal minds.   
  
   As I write, it occurs to me that the real answer to your question lies in that last sentence - "back in their normal minds."  Neopagan ritual is a collection of tools and techniques for altering your consciousness, temporarily, to a place where the Gods and Goddesses are real and near, where we as their children and lovers and friends can worship them, and where the magick we work can come true.  Having convinced ourselves of this, we act on it, then return to our daily lives refreshed.   
  
   (Gods, what a bunch of gibberish!  You would have been better off  reading the books!)  
  
   Anyway, I tried.  Anyone else (esp. Black Dragon if he shows up again, as he's worked at least as much ritual as I) please feel free to add or comment.  Was this the kind of answer you wanted, Curly?   
  
                   - Reverend Talespinner, O.S.C. 
                     Clan Destiny Chapel of Eris & Dionysus 
                     (aka, Brad Hicks) 

	A Celebration of  M A Y   D A Y 
    
                   --by Gwydion Cinhil Kirontin 
    
                 *     *     *     *     *     * 
                "Perhaps its just as well that you 
              won't be here...to be offended by the 
               sight of our May Day celebrations." 
                 --Lord Summerisle to Sgt. Howie 
                      from "The Wicker Man" 
                 *     *     *     *     *     * 
    
    There are four great festivals of the Pagan Celtic year and  
the modern Witch's calendar, as well.  The two greatest of these  
are Halloween (the beginning of winter) and May Day (the  
beginning of summer).  Being opposite each other on the wheel of  
the year, they separate the year into halves.  Halloween (also  
called Samhain) is the Celtic New Year and is generally  
considered the more important of the two, though May Day runs a  
close second.  Indeed, in some areas -notably Wales - it is  
considered the great holiday.   
    
    May Day ushers in the fifth month of the modern calendar  
year, the month of May.  This month is named in honor of the  
goddess Maia, originally a Greek mountain nymph, later identified  
as the most beautiful of the Seven Sisters, the Pleiades.  By  
Zeus, she is also the mother of Hermes, god of magic.  Maia's  
parents were Atlas and Pleione, a sea nymph.   
    
    The old Celtic name for May Day is Beltane (in its most  
popular Anglicized form), which is derived from the Irish Gaelic  
"Bealtaine" or the Scottish Gaelic "Bealtuinn", meaning "Bel- 
fire", the fire of the Celtic god of light (Bel, Beli or  
Belinus).  He, in turn, may be traced to the Middle Eastern god  
Baal.   
    
    Other names for May Day include: Cetsamhain ("opposite  
Samhain"), Walpurgisnacht (in Germany), and Roodmas (the medieval  
Church's name).  This last came from Church Fathers who were  
hoping to shift the common people's allegiance from the Maypole  
(Pagan lingam - symbol of life) to the Holy Rood (the Cross -  
Roman instrument of death).   

    
    Incidentally, there is no historical justification for  
calling May 1st "Lady Day".  For hundreds of years, that title  
has been proper to the Vernal Equinox (approx. March 21st),  
another holiday sacred to the Great Goddess.  The nontraditional  
use of "Lady Day" for May 1st is quite recent (within the last 15  
years), and seems to be confined to America, where it has gained  
widespread acceptance among certain segments of the Craft  
population.  This rather startling departure from tradition would  
seem to indicate an unfamiliarity with European calendar customs,  
as well as a lax attitude toward scholarship among too many  
Pagans.  A simple glance at a dictionary ("Webster's 3rd" or  
O.E.D.), encyclopedia ("Benet's"), or standard mythology  
reference (Jobe's "Dictionary of Mythology, Folklore & Symbols")  
would confirm the correct date for Lady Day as the Vernal  
Equinox.   
    
    By Celtic reckoning, the actual Beltane celebration begins on  
sundown of the preceding day, April 30, because the Celts always  
figured their days from sundown to sundown.  And sundown was the  
proper time for Druids to kindle the great Bel-fires on the tops  
of the nearest beacon hill (such as Tara Hill, Co. Meath, in  
Ireland).  These "need-fires" had healing properties, and sky- 
clad Witches would jump through the flames to ensure protection.   
    
                 *     *     *     *     *     *  
                 Sgt. Howie (shocked):  "But they  
                 are naked!" 
                 Lord Summerisle:  "Naturally.   
                 It's much too dangerous to jump  
                 through the fire with your  
                 clothes on!" 
                 *     *     *     *     *     * 
    
    Frequently, cattle would be driven between two such bon-fires  
(oak wood was the favorite fuel for them) and, on the morrow,  
they would be taken to their summer pastures.   
    
    Other May Day customs include: processions of chimney-sweeps  
and milk maids, archery tournaments, morris dances, sword dances,  
feasting, music, drinking, and maidens bathing their faces in the  
dew of May morning to retain their youthful beauty.   

    
    In the words of Witchcraft writers Janet and Stewart Farrar,  
the Beltane celebration was principly a time of "...unashamed  
human sexuality and fertility."  Such associations include the  
obvious phallic symbolism of the Maypole and riding the hobby  
horse.  Even a seemingly innocent children's nursery rhyme, "Ride  
a cock horse to Banburry Cross..." retain such memories.  And the  
next line "...to see a fine Lady on a white horse" is a reference  
to the annual ride of "Lady Godiva" though Coventry.  Every year  
for nearly three centuries, a sky-clad village maiden (elected  
Queen of the May) enacted this Pagan rite, until the Puritans put  
an end to the custom.   
    
    The Puritans, in fact, reacted with pious horror to most of  
the May Day rites, even making Maypoles illegal in 1644.  They  
especially attempted to suppress the "greenwood marriages" of  
young men and women who spent the entire night in the forest,  
staying out to greet the May sunrise, and bringing back boughs of  
flowers and garlands to decorate the village the next morning.   
One angry Puritan wrote that men "doe use commonly to runne into  
woodes in the night time, amongst maidens, to set bowes, in so  
muche, as I have hearde of tenne maidens whiche went to set May,  
and nine of them came home with childe."  And another Puritan  
complained that, of the girls who go into the woods, "not the  
least one of them comes home again a virgin."  
    
    Long after the Christian form of marriage (with its  
insistence on sexual monogamy) had replaced the older Pagan  
handfasting, the rules of strict fidelity were always relaxed for  
the May Eve rites.  Names such as Robin Hood, Maid Marion, and  
Little John played an important part in May Day folklore, often  
used as titles for the dramatis personae of the celebrations.   
And modern surnames such as Robinson, Hodson, Johnson, and Godkin  
may attest to some distant May Eve spent in the woods.   
    
    These wildwood antics have inspired writers such as Kipling:  
              Oh, do not tell the Priest our plight, 
                  Or he would call it a sin; 
              But we have been out in the woods all night, 
                  A-conjuring Summer in! 
    

And Lerner and Lowe: 
                 It's May!  It's May! 
                 The lusty month of May!... 
                 Those dreary vows that ev'ryone takes, 
                 Ev'ryone breaks. 
                 Ev'ryone makes divine mistakes! 
                 The lusty month of May! 
    
    It is certainly no accident that Queen Guinevere's  
"abduction" by Meliagrance occurs on May 1st when she and the  
court have gone a-Maying, or that the usually efficient Queen's  
guard, on this occasion, rode unarmed.   
    
    Some of these customs seem virtually identical to the old  
Roman feast of flowers, the Floriala, three days of unrestrained  
sexuality which began at sundown April 28th and reached a  
crescendo on May 1st.   
    
    By the way, due to various calendrical changes down through  
the centuries, the traditional date of Beltane is not the same as  
its astrological date.  This date, like all astronomically  
determined dates, may vary by a day or two depending on the year.   
However, it may be calculated easily enough by determining the  
date on which the sun is at 15 degrees Taurus.  British Witches  
often refer to this date as Old Beltane, and folklorists call it  
Beltane O.S. ("Old Style").  Some Covens prefer to celebrate on  
the old date and, at the very least, it gives one options.  If a  
Coven is operating on "Pagan Standard Time" and misses May 1st  
altogether, it can still throw a viable Beltane bash as long as  
it's before this date.  This may also be a consideration for  
Covens that need to organize activities around the week-end.   
    

    This date has long been considered a "power point" of the  
Zodiac, and is symbolized by the Bull, one of the four  
"tetramorph" figures featured on the Tarot cards the World and  
the Wheel of Fortune.  (The other three are the Lion, the Eagle,  
and the Spirit.) Astrologers know these four figures as the  
symbols of the four "fixed" signs of the Zodiac (Taurus, Leo,  
Scorpio, and Aquarius, respectively), and these naturally align  
with the four Great Sabbats of Witchcraft.  Christians have  
adopted the same iconography to represent the four gospel- 
writers.   
    
    But for most, it is May 1st that is the great holiday of  
flowers, Maypoles, and greenwood frivolity.  It is no wonder  
that, as recently as 1977, Ian Anderson could pen the following  
lyrics for Jethro Tull:  
    
            For the May Day is the great day, 
            Sung along the old straight track. 
            And those who ancient lines did ley 
            Will heed this song that calls them back. 
                              THE END 

	MIDWINTER NIGHT'S EVE:   Y U L E 
	================================ 
	by Mike Nichols
 
 
    Our Christian friends are often quite surprised at how enthusiastically we Pagans celebrate the 'Christmas' season.  Even though we prefer to use the word 'Yule', and our celebrations may peak a few days BEFORE the 25th, we nonetheless follow many of the traditional customs of the season:  decorated trees, carolling, presents, Yule logs, and mistletoe.  We might even go so far as putting up a 'Nativity set', though for us the three central characters are likely to be interpreted as Mother Nature, 
Father Time, and the Baby Sun-God.  None of this will come as a surprise to anyone who knows the true history of the holiday, of course. 
 
    In fact, if truth be known, the holiday of Christmas has always been more Pagan than Christian, with it's associations of Nordic divination, Celtic fertility rites, and Roman Mithraism.  That is why both Martin Luther and John Calvin abhorred it, why the Puritans refused to acknowledge it, much less celebrate it (to them, no day of the year could be more holy than the Sabbath), and why it was even made ILLEGAL in Boston!  The holiday was already too closely associated with the birth of older Pagan gods and heroes.  And many of them (like Oedipus, Theseus, Hercules, Perseus, Jason, Dionysus, Apollo, Mithra, Horus and even Arthur) possessed a narrative of birth, death, and resurrection that was uncomfortably close to that of Jesus.  And to make matters worse, many of them pre-dated the Christian Savior. 
 
    Ultimately, of course, the holiday is rooted deeply in the cycle of the year.  It is the Winter Solstice that is being celebrated, seed-time of the year, the longest night and shortest day.  It is the birthday of the new Sun King, the Son of God -- by whatever name you choose to call him.  On this darkest of nights, the Goddess becomes the Great Mother and once again gives birth.  And it makes perfect poetic sense that on the longest night of the winter, 'the dark night of our souls', there springs the new spark of hope, the Sacred Fire, 
the Light of the World, the Coel Coeth. 
 

    That is why Pagans have as much right to claim this holiday as 
Christians.  Perhaps even more so, as the Christians were rather late in laying claim to it, and tried more than once to reject it.  There had been a tradition in the West that Mary bore the child Jesus on the twenty-fifth day, but no one could seem to decide on the month.  Finally, in 320 C.E., the Catholic Fathers in Rome decided to make it December, in an effort to co-opt the Mithraic celebration of the Romans and the Yule celebrations of the Celts and Saxons. 
 
    There was never much pretense that the date they finally chose was historically accurate.  Shepherds just don't 'tend their flocks by night' in the high pastures in the dead of winter!  But if one wishes to use the New Testament as historical evidence, this reference may point to sometime in the spring as the time of Jesus's birth.  This is because the lambing season occurs in the spring and that is the only time when shepherds are likely to 'watch their flocks by night' -- to make sure the lambing goes well.  Knowing this, the Eastern half of the Church continued to reject December 25, preferring a 'movable date' fixed by their astrologers according to the moon. 
 
    Thus, despite its shaky start (for over three centuries, no one knew when Jesus was supposed to have been born!), December 25 finally began to catch on.  By 529, it was a civic holiday, and all work or public business (except that of cooks, bakers, or any that contributed to the delight of the holiday) was prohibited by the Emperor Justinian.  In 563, the Council of Braga forbade fasting on Christmas Day, and four years later the Council of Tours proclaimed the twelve days from December 25 to Epiphany as a sacred, festive season.  This last point is perhaps the hardest to impress upon the modern reader, who is lucky to get a single day off work.  Christmas, in the Middle Ages, was not a SINGLE day, but rather a period of TWELVE days, from December 25 to January 6.  The Twelve Days of Christmas, in fact.  It is certainly lamentable that the modern world has abandoned this approach, along with the popular Twelfth Night celebrations. 
 

    Of course, the Christian version of the holiday spread to many 
countries no faster than Christianity itself, which means that 'Christmas' wasn't celebrated in Ireland until the late fifth century; in England, Switzerland, and Austria until the seventh; in Germany until the eighth; and in the Slavic lands until the ninth and tenth.  Not that these countries lacked their own mid-winter celebrations of Yuletide.  Long before the world had heard of Jesus, Pagans had been observing the season by bringing in the Yule log, wishing on it, and lighting it from the remains of last year's log.  Riddles were 
posed and answered, magic and rituals were practiced, wild boars were 
sacrificed and consumed along with large quantities of liquor, corn 
dollies were carried from house to house while carolling, fertility rites were practiced (girls standing under a sprig of mistletoe were subject to a bit more than a kiss), and divinations were cast for the coming Spring.  Many of these Pagan customs, in an appropriately watered-down form, have entered the mainstream of Christian celebration, though most celebrants do not realize (or do not mention it, if they do) their origins. 

    For modern Witches, Yule (from the Anglo-Saxon 'Yula', meaning 'wheel' of the year) is usually celebrated on the actual Winter Solstice, which may vary by a few days, though it usually occurs on or around December 21st.  It is a Lesser Sabbat or Lower Holiday in 
the modern Pagan calendar, one of the four quarter-days of the year, but a very important one.  This year (1988) it occurs on December 21st at 9:28 am CST.  Pagan customs are still enthusiastically followed.  Once, the Yule log had been the center of the celebration.  It was lighted on the eve of the solstice (it should light on the first try) and must be kept burning for twelve hours, for good luck.  It should be made of ash.  Later, the Yule log was replaced by the Yule tree but, instead of burning it, burning candles were placed on it.  In Christianity, Protestants might claim that Martin Luther invented the 
custom, and Catholics might grant St. Boniface the honor, but the custom can demonstrably be traced back through the Roman Saturnalia all the way to ancient Egypt.  Needless to say, such a tree should be cut down rather than purchased, and should be disposed of by burning, the proper way to dispatch any sacred object. 
 

    Along with the evergreen, the holly and the ivy and the mistletoe 
were important plants of the season, all symbolizing fertility and 
everlasting life.  Mistletoe was especially venerated by the Celtic 
Druids, who cut it with a golden sickle on the sixth night of the moon, and believed it to be an aphrodisiac.  (Magically -- not medicinally!  It's highly toxic!)  But aphrodisiacs must have been the smallest part of the Yuletide menu in ancient times, as contemporary reports indicate that the tables fairly creaked under the strain of every type of good food.  And drink!  The most popular of which was 
the 'wassail cup' deriving its name from the Anglo-Saxon term 'waes hael' (be whole or hale). 
 
    Medieval Christmas folklore seems endless:  that animals will all kneel down as the Holy Night arrives, that bees hum the '100th psalm' on Christmas Eve, that a windy Christmas will bring good luck, that a person born on Christmas Day can see the Little People, that a cricket on the hearth brings good luck, that if one opens all the doors of the house at midnight all the evil spirits will depart, that you will have one lucky month for each Christmas pudding you sample, that the tree must be taken down by Twelfth Night or bad luck is sure to follow, that 'if Christmas on a Sunday be, a windy winter we shall see', that 'hours of sun on Christmas Day, so many frosts in the month of May', that one can use the Twelve Days of Christmas to predict the weather 
for each of the twelve months of the coming year, and so on. 
 
    Remembering that most Christmas customs are ultimately based upon 
older Pagan customs, it only remains for modern Pagans to reclaim their lost traditions.  In doing so, we can share many common customs with our Christian friends, albeit with a slightly different interpretation.  And thus we all share in the beauty of this most magical of seasons, when the Mother Goddess once again gives birth 
to the baby Sun-God and sets the wheel in motion again.  To conclude with a long-overdue paraphrase, 'Goddess bless us, every one!' 
 
 

	WINTER SOLSTICE OR YULE
 
	The High Priestess says: 
 
	"This is the night of the solstice, the longest night of the year. Now darkness triumphs; and yet, gives way and changes into light. The breath of nature is suspended: all waits while within the Cauldron, the Dark King is transformed into the Infant Light. We watch for the coming of dawn, when the Great Mother again gives birth to the Divine Child Sun, who is bringer of hope and the promise of summer. This is the stillness behind motion, when time itself stops; the center is also the circumference of all. We are awake in the night. We turn the Wheel to bring the light. We call the sun from the womb of night. Blessed Be!" 
 
	Purify, cast the circle, but do not light the candles.Invoke the Goddess and God. All sit down, and begin an antiphonal chant. All: 
 
	"To die and be reborn, 
	The Wheel is turning, 
	What must you lose to the  night? (repeat)" 
 
Covener:  "Fear." 
 
All: 
	"Fear is lost to the night. 
	Fear is lost to the night. 
	To die and be reborn, 
	The Wheel is turning, 
	What must you lose to the night?" 
 
	Continue interjecting lines and echoing each other, until the energy dies away. Stand up and link hands. The High Priest stands before the altar, holding and animal skull filled with salt. The High Priestess leads a slow, spiral procession, that first snakes outward so that each member is brought to face the High Priest. They are chanting: 
 
	"The light was born,     
	And the light has died." (repeat) 
 
Another Priestess whispers, 
 
	"Everything passes,  
	All fades away.      (repeat) 


The High Priest places a pinch of salt on each member's tongue,and says: 
 
	"My body is salt, 
	Taste the breath of death." 
 
	The High Priestess leads the spiral inward, until the members are huddled together. She leads an improvised trance induction, slowly suggesting that they crumble to the Earth and sleep. As all lie down, they are sent into a deeper trance with a multivoiced induction. As it fades out, they are told, 
 
	"You are entering a space of perfect freedom." 
 
	Time is allowed for trance in the state of suspension before birth. 
 
	The High Priestess approaches one of the coveners, stands by her head with her legs apart, and pulls her through,symbolically giving her birth. She becomes part of the birth canal; they continue the process with the other coveners, the birth canal growing longer. The men of the coven take the newborns one by one and lay them back down to sleep, telling them: 
 
	"Sleep the sleep of the newborn." 
 
	As all sink back into trance, they are guided into a visualization of their hopes for their new life to come.Priestess smear honey on their tongues, one by one, saying: 
 
	"Taste the sweetness of life." 

 
	A new chant begins softly, builds in power as it gradually wakes the sleepers, who join in on repeating lines: 
 
	"Set sail, set sail, 
	Follow the twilight to the West, 
	Where you may rest. 
 
	Set sail, set sail, 
	Turn your face where the sun grows dim, 
	Beyond the rim, beyond the rim. 
 
	Set sail, set sail, 
	One thing becomes another, 
	In the Mother, in the Mother. 
 
	Set sail, set sail, 
	Make of your heart a burning fire, 
	Build it higher, Build it higher. 
 
	Set sail, set sail, 
	Pass in an instant through the open gate, 
	It will not wait, it will not wait. 
 
	Set sail, set sail, 
	Over the dark of the sunless sea, 
	You are free, you are free. 
 
	Set sail, set sail, 
	Guiding the ship of the rising sun, 
        You are the one, you are the one. 
 
	Set sail, set sail, 
	Into the raging wind and storm, 
	To be reborn, to be reborn. 
 
	Set sail, set sail, 
	Over the waves where the spray blows white, 
	To bring the light, to bring the light. 
 
All: 
	We are awake in the night! 
	We turn the Wheel, to bring the light! 
	We call the sun from the womb of night!" 

 
The High Priestess says: 
 
	"He sets his face to the West, but in the East arises!" 
 
All: "Who is that?" 
 
P:	"Who goes down in darkness?" 
 
All: "Who is that?" 
 
P:	"Who sails?" 
 
All: "Who is that?" 
 
P:	"The Renewer." 
 
All: "Who is that?" 
 
P:	"Who brings the golden fruit." 
 
All: "Who is that?" 
 
P:	"Unstained." 
 
All: "Who is that?" 
 
P:	"Whose hands are open?" 
 
All: "Who is that?" 
 
P:	"Whose eyes are bright?" 
 
ll: "Who is that?" 
 
P:	"Whose face is shining?" 
 
All: "Who is that?" 
 
P:	"Mornings hope." 
 
All: "Who is that?" 
 
P:	"Who passes the gate?" 
 
All: "Who is that?" 
 
P:	"Who returns in light?" 
 
All: "Who is that?" 
 
P:	"A glow between twin pillars." 
 
All: "Who is that?" 
 
P:	"A cry between thighs." 
 
All: "Io! Evohe! Io! Evohe!" 
 
High Priestess: (leading, repeated by all) 
 
	"Queen of the sun! 
	Queen of the Moon! 
	Queen of the horns! 
	Queen of the fires! 
	Bring to us the Child of Promise! 
 
	It is the Great Mother 
	Who gives birth to Him, 
	It is the Lord of Life, 
	Who is born again! 
	Darkness and tears 
	Are set aside, 
	When the sun comes up again! 
 
	Golden sun, 
	Of hill and field, 
	Light the earth! 
	Light the skies! 
	Light the waters! 
	Light the fires! 
 
All: Io! Evohe! Io! Evohe!" 
 
The High Priest lights the fire and point candles, and all begin chanting: 
	"I who have died am alive again today, 
	And this is the sun's birthday! (repeat) 
 
	This is the birthday of life and love and wings, 
	And the gay great happening illimitably earth. 
 
	We are born again, we shall live again! (repeat). 
	The Sun Child, the Winterborn King!" 
 
Build a Power Chant, focused on reawakening life. Share feasting and friendship, ideally until dawn. Before ending, the High Priestess says: 
 
	"The Dark God has passed the Gate, 
	He has been reborn through the Mother, 
	With Him we are each reborn!" 
 
All: 
	"The tide has turned! 
	The light will come again! 
	In a new dawn, in a new day, 
	The sun is rising! 
	Io! Evohe! Blessed Be!" 
 
Open the Circle. 
  
Starhawk; "The Spiral Dance: Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of	the Goddess"; HarperRow 1979 
 

	YULE IN BRITAIN
Copyright 1987, Tana Culain 
 
Midwinter has long been a traditional time for celebration and 
merrymaking in Britain. All of the activities at midwinter were 
meant to ensure that the season would renew itself and the days 
would begin to grow longer again. Greenery was brought into 
decorate the house: evergreen to symbolize the promise of life to 
come even in the darkest winter; the mistletoe, believed to hold 
the life of the host tree even when the tree itself appeared to 
be dead in winter; and the holly and ivy, symbols of male and 
female, both of course necessary for new life. Carols, some of 
which survive to this day, such as the Gower Wassail, were sung. 
The earliest carols consisted of taking hands and singing while 
dancing in a ring or around a bush, May tree, or even an apple 
tree (as in the case of the Apple Tree Wassail, sung in hopes of 
a good crop of cider the following year).  
  
The Wassail Carols in particular date back to the Viking 
invasions of England, about 700 A.D. , when the greeting was Ves 
heill. By Anglo-Saxon times, the greeting had evolved into Waes 
thu hal, meaning "be whole" or "good health". The response was 
"drink  hail" , meaning "I drink and good luck be to you". People 
would travel from house to house in the village bringing good 
wishes and carrying an empty bowl. The master of the house being 
wassailed was expected to fill the bowl with a hot spicy ale and 
then it would be passed around to the carolers. 
 
Midwinter was also a time for exchanging gifts and for feasting. 
Turkey only dates to the 1500's. Much more common were boar, 
geese, capons, swans, and pheasants. Minced pies were originally 
made with meat, and with the coming of spices to England during 
the Crusades, plum pudding became quite the traditional dish. 
Plum pudding makes a great dish for cakes and wine in the Yule 
circle, especially if you pour warmed brandy over it and set it 
afire before the blessing. 
 

While I am writing about midwinter customs in Britain because our 
heritage in .K.A.M. is largely Celtic in origin, the Isles do not 
have a monopoly on Yule. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia for 
seven days around the Solstice, and it was a time to look ahead 
and rejoice in the longer days to come. Slaves and masters 
switched places at table, and presents were exchanged. The 
Persian Mithraists held December 25th as sacred to the birth of 
their Sun God, Mithras, and celebrated it as a victory of light 
over darkness. And in Sweden, December 13th was sacred to the 
Goddess Lucina, Shining One, and was a celebration of the return 
of the light. On Yule itself, around the 21st, bonfires were lit 
to honor Odin and Thor. 
 
Midwinter has always been a Pagan holiday, so much so that during 
the 1600's the Christian Christmas was recognized as a 
celebration based on Pagan customs and was outlawed in England 
and many of the colonies in America. 
 
(Text version of the Journal has "Gower Wassail" here) 
 
A Monthly Rune (Traditional) 
 
January   By this fire I warm my hands 
February  And with my spade I delve my lands 
March     Here I set my seeds to spring 
April     And here I hear the birds to sing 
May       I am as light as bird in the treetop 
June      And I take pains to weed my crop 
July      With my scythe my mead I mow 
August    And here I shear my corn full low 
September With my flail I earn my bread 
October   And here I sow my wheat so red (Winter wheat) 
November  At Martinmas I kill my swine * 
December  And at Yule I drink red wine 
 
* Martinmas, November 11, is a christianization of the Pagan 
Celtic Hallows when the herds were culled 
 
 

Recipe for Wassail for 8 
 
3 red apples 
3 oz brown sugar 
2 pints brown ale, apple cider, or hard cider 
1/2 pint dry sherry or dry white wine 
1/4 tsp cinnamon 
1/4 teaspoon ginger 
strips of lemon peel 
 
Core and heat apples with brown sugar and some of the ale or 
cider in an oven for 30 minutes.  Put in large pan and add rest 
of spices and lemon peel, simmer on stove top of 5 minutes. Add 
most of the alcohol at the last minute so it heats up but does 
not evaporate. Burgundy and brandy  can be substituted to the ale 
and sherry. White sugar and halved oranges may also be added to 
taste. 


Plum Pudding 
 
1/4 lb. flour 
1/4 lb. currants 
1 tsp. salt 
1/4 lb. sultanas (small raisins) 
1 tsp. allspice 
2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped 
1 tsp. ginger 
1 ounce cut mixed (citrus) peel 
1 tsp. cinnamon 
2 oz. shredded almonds 
pinch fresh grated nutmeg 
Juice and grated rind of 1 orange and 1 lemon 
1/4 lb. fresh breadcrumbs 
1/4 lb. molasses (treacle) 
1/2 lb. shredded suet 
4 large eggs 
1/4 lb. brown sugar 
2 tbsp. brandy 
1/4 lb. dried chopped apricots 
1/4 lb. prunes 
1/4 lb dates 
 
 
Sift flour, salt and spices into a large bowl. Stir in 
breadcrumbs, suet and sugar. Add fruits, peel and rind. Beat 
lemon and orange juice, molasses and eggs together and add to 
other ingredients.  Steam for 6 hours -- a coffee tin filled with 
the mixture and placed in a steamer in a covered pan does well.  
A little vinegar and lemon juice in the water will prevent the 
pan from discoloration.  After steaming cover in a cool place and 
let age as long as possible -- usually about 5 weeks.  To serve, 
re-steam for another 3 hours.  Remove from tin, douse with warm 
brandy and set it ablaze! 
 
If you haven't got six weeks before Yule to prepare a proper 
pudding (I never do) a tinned one from Crosse & Blackwell will do 
fine. Just be sure to always heat the pudding first, no matter 
who made it, or all the warmed brandy in the world won't help. 
And don't forget the hard sauce! 

	WITCHES LESSER BANISHING RITUAL OF THE PENTAGRAM
	by Paul Hume

The following text was an addendum to some Wiccan friends of  mine 
written in 1986.  It followed a fairly standard instruction  in the 
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, with which they  were not 
familiar.  We were feeling out some linking techniques  leading to a 
proposed joint ritual involving several Wiccans and  two ceremonial 
qabalists (one Thelemite - ie. myself, and  another).  While events 
conspired to torpedo this project, some  interesting ideas came along 
on both sides.  The goal was a set of  brief rituals meaningful to both traditions which we could  practice individually, thus building up a group current prior to  the date of the proposed rite (Samhain of that year).   Herewith my notes on "The Wiccan Pentagram" ritual which  evolved during this project.  My primary source of God Forms  was Paul Huson's MASTERING WITCHCRAFT which was my main source of information on Wicca at the time  (I've done considerable study elsewhere since).   
 
                         NON-SOLAR SYMBOLISM  
 
 
A ritual can be modified in many ways, to refit it for a different  set of symbols, for example.  I have taken the liberty of doing  some 
research into alternate symbols for the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram since I know that you work a lunar-feminine current  (Wicca) whereas I use more solar-masculine symbols in my  current (Thelemite).  The 
Qabalistic Cross This might be used as is, though you could use the 
English if you  don't feel that the Hebrew is relevant.  I am sure you recognize  the words as being similar to the end of the Lord's Prayer in the  King James Version:  'Unto thee, the Kingdom and the Power and  the Glory, forever!  Amen.'  I would point out that this formula  was around a long time before Christ, much less the translators  of the 
Standard Revised Version of the Bible.  If you dislike such a 
specifically Christian form, it may be  replaced with the words KETHER (KEH-THER), MALKUTH,  GEBURAH, GEDULAH (or Crown, Kingdom, Power, 
Mercy), the  spheres of occult energy that you are invoking with the 
Q-Cross. The mental images remain the same.  You could even avoid these Hebrew symbols entirely, using  Names and formulae more suitable to raising the cone of power,  which is what you are doing here in Wiccan terms.  See the  'Wiccan Cross,' below.   
 


The principle is:  
     1)  Invoke strongly the presence of the Supreme Creative  
	Principle as you conceive it (or in your case, Her) to be.  
	Your  Name for the Goddess as Creatrix would be most suitable.   
     2)  Draw down power from this Godhead and project it through  	your body into the Earth.  Invoke strongly the Supreme symbol  of 	Creation in your Tradition:  maybe the God - as Son of the  	Goddess and Lord of the Trees, and as John Barleycorn, the ever- 	born and dying One.   
     3)  Establish on your right side the Active Principle - Yang - 	the Projective Energy of the Universe.  A God image, I should 	think.   
     4) Establish on your left side the Passive Principle - Yin - the  	Receiving Energy of the Universe.  A Goddess force I feel.   
     5) Strongly visualize yourself at the center of these axes  
	between the Infinities.  This centers you at the middle of the  	Sacred Space to be created - the still point at the center of the  	universe.   
  
                            The Pentagrams 
 
     Again, the pentagram should be used.  This symbol is universal  to many, many systems of magick, including Wicca, as you know.   The 
five-pointed star has supreme power over the Elements:  Spirit, Fire, Water, Air, and Earth.  It drives off negative  influences and attracts positive ones.  It is an essential part of  the rite and there is no symbol that can take its place as  effectively.    
 
                              The Names  
 
     I prefer using the Hebrew God-Names as is.  In this connection  
they express formulae that govern the Elements and are no  more 
religious than E=MC squared.  However, there are  equivalent Wiccan 
God-Names, which I describe in the next  section, as substitutes for 
the Archangels.  The use of the same  Names to activate the stars and to invoke the Elemental force is  quite in keeping with the Wiccan 
tradition, which does not use  the same hierarchical system of 
God-Name, Archangel, Angel,  Ruler, Spirit, etc. that Qabalism does.   


                      The Archangelic Invocation  
 
     Instead of the Hebrew Archangels I described, you could use  
Wiccan Deities to invoke the 'pure' form of the Elements. 
     
AIR-EAST:  The Air image in Wicca seems to be masculine and  
	relates to Herne, the Black Man, the messenger of the Gods, or  	the Sky Gods:  Odin, or Lug as the rising Sun God.  The God can  	be imagined as riding through the night sky, at the head of the  	Wild Hunt, or rising above the branches of the world-ash.  	Instead of the Sword given to Raphael, the God might carry a  	staff, or spear, or wand, which is attributed to Air in most  	Wiccan traditions.   
     
FIRE-SOUTH:  The Fire image is definitely masculine and relates  
	to the Horned God:  Cernunnos, Lucifer, call Him what you will.   	He stands in the hot light of the noonday sun, radiating fiery  	energy.  He would bear an Athame or sword, which is the  weapon 	of Fire in most Wiccan styles.   
     
WATER-WEST:  The Water image is the Maiden, the mistress of  the 
	Moon and the Tides:  Aradia, Artemis, Venus rising from the  	waves.  Her image is lit by the silver light of the moon, upon a  	tranquil reach of water or the foaming sea. She might hold the 	chalice, symbol of water (alternatively, the  cauldron might be 	envisioned).  
     
EARTH-NORTH:  The Goddess in Her aspect as Earth Mother is  here:  
	Hertha, Habondia, Demeter.  She stands beneath the  golden, 	life-giving sun surrounded by the fruits of the Earth.   Before 	her, a platter flows with good things of the Earth, for the  	disk/shield/platter is the pentacle, magick instrument of Earth.  	These are only bare sketches of the magickal images that a witch  	might use to replace the Qabalistic images of the traditional  	pentagram ritual.  I offer them for what they are worth.   
     


A few points to note:   
          1)  the phases of the sun used in the Archangelic images  
(East:Dawn; South:Noon; West:Sunset; North:Midnight) are not the  same, nor are they as important to Wicca.  Instead, the poles of  day and night are established:  Night for the East-West axis and  Day for the North-South axis.   
          2)  the male-female poles are established with the masculine  images (Herne and Cernunnos) attributed to the active Elements  (Air 
and Fire) and the feminine images (Aradia and Habondia) to  the passive Elements (Water and Earth).  Note that one figure of  each gender stands in light, and one in darkness.  This male- 
female/positive-negative/active-passive polarity is central to  
virtually all systems of magick, eg. the yin/yang symbol in  oriental systems.  I may be betraying solar-phallic tendencies by  these 
assignments, and you may want to use different  attributions:  The 
Maiden can be Air and the Mother switch to  Water, with the Hunter 
moving into Earth, for example.   Heck, the dual God Forms should 
perhaps be invoked in each  quarter.  eg. Venus/Adonis imagery in East or South,  Hertha/Herne in West, etc.    
 
                          The Star Of David  
 
     The last line of the Invocation refers to a 'six-rayed star' and the  mental work calls for imagining a Star of David.  This is not a  specifically Jewish symbol in this context.  The six-pointed star,  or hexagram, is the Qabalistic symbol par excellence of initiation  and 
spiritual illumination.  The upward-pointing triangle  represents the aspiration of the magician to the Gods, and the  downward-pointing 
triangle represents the divine power,  flowing down to the world.  
These meet at the moment of  magick and the interlaced triangles 
forming the hexagram  symbolize the power of this meeting.  Should you prefer not to use the Star of David, you can replace  the mental image with any symbol showing the meeting of your  soul and the power of the Goddess.  This can even be a private  symbol, one that is meaningful 
only to you.  Alternatively, you  can just envision the sphere of white light from the Q-Cross, as a  symbol of divine power.  Replace the words about the 'six-rayed star' with some  descriptive form: 'the seal of the Goddess,' or 'the sign of my  Awakening,' or simply 'the light Divine.'   

                        WICCAN PENTAGRAM RITUAL 
 
     Rubric  [This is a form of the rite incorporating the changes in  symbolism discussed above]    
     WICCAN CROSS  Face East.  Touch forehead.  Say  IO EVOE HERTHA 
('Blessed be Hertha,' or  other Name by which you worship the Goddess as Creatrix)  Touch solar plexus or genitals.  Say IO EVOE CERNUNNOS  ('Blessed be Cernunnos,' or other name by which you worship  the Horned God as the Earth)  Touch right shoulder.  Say EKO EKO AZARAK ('Hail, hail force of  fire')  Touch left shoulder.  Say EKO EKO AMELAK ('Hail, hail to the  glory')  Extend arms in form of a cross.  Say IO EVOE ('Blessed be.')  Clasp hands upon breast and say 'So mote it be.'    
     CIRCLE OF PROTECTION  Trace pentagram in East.  Say HERNE. Trace circle of protection until facing South. Trace pentagram in South.  Say CERNUNNOS. Trace circle of protection until facing West. Trace 
pentagram in West.  Say ARADIA. Trace circle of protection until facing North. Trace pentagram in North.  Say HABONDIA. Finish tracing circle, closing it in the East.    
 
     INVOCATION OF THE GREAT GODS  Return to center of circle and face East.  Extend arms in form of a  cross.  Chant:    
          Before me HERNE The Huntsman             
          Behind me ARADIA The Maiden              
          On my right hand CERNUNNOS, the Horned God           
          On my left hand HABONDIA, the Great Mother           
          About me flame the pentagrams           
          And above me shines the light of the Goddess.    

Repeat the Wiccan Cross.  Rather than performing this in the rather 
measured cadences of  Qabalistic Ritual, a form of dancing and chanting more pleasing  to the God-forms of Wicca might profitably be  devised.

	On the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram
	 by Tim Maroney  
  
	The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram is one of the chief rituals of Western Magick.  It has been with us at least since the Golden Dawn of the nineteenth century, and it has penetrated into all the many Golden Dawn spinoffs, including Neo-Paganism.  Yet there is still no widely available, clear instruction.  The directions of the magical orders are mere mnemonics for those who are assumed to have personal instructors.  To formulate my personal approach to the ritual, to aid any others who may be considering practicing the LBR, and to satisfy the idle curiosity of any gawking onlookers, I have put together this short discussion of the ritual and its symbolism and performance.  
  
 A.  Intent of the Ritual  
  
 The real action of a magick ritual takes place in the mind.  Ritual is a form of moving meditation.  The effect is also primarily psychological.*  The LBR is a tool to facilitate meditation.  
  
[*Not all players would agree with this statement.  Many would say that the effect of the LBR is a fortified and cleansed area on the astral plane, which they think is as real as Hoboken, if not more so.  It doesn't really matter in practice.]  
  
 The experience of a proper LBR is pleasurable and soothing, yet energizing and empowering.  One is made at home in the mystical realm, protected from lurkers and phantasms by strongly imagined wards.  This solace from mundane experience is a precondition for more serious works of meditation or ritual, but it can also form a healthy part of the life of the mind by itself.  
  
 B. The Ritual  
  
 I'll just reprint the description of the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram from Liber O, a publication of the occult order A.'. A.'.  
  

 i. Touching the forehead say Ateh (Unto Thee), ii. Touching the breast say Malkuth (The Kingdom), iii. Touching the right shoulder, say ve-Geburah (and the Power), iv. Touching the left shoulder, say ve-Gedulah (and the Glory), v. Clasping the hands upon the breast, say le-Olahm, Amen (To the Ages, Amen).  
 vi. Turning to the East, make a pentagram (that of Earth) with the  
proper weapon (usually the Wand).  Say (i.e. vibrate) IHVH.  
vii. Turning to the South, the same, but say ADNI. viii. Turning to  he West, the same, but say AHIH. ix. Turning to the North, the same,  but say AGLA.  [Pronounce: Ye-ho-wau*, Adonai, Eheieh, Agla.]  
  
 x. Extending the arms in the form of a cross say, xi. Before me Raphael; 
 xii. Behind me Gabriel; xiii. On my right hand Michael; xiv. On my left hand Auriel;
 xv. For about me flames the Pentagram, xvi. And in the Column stands 
the six-rayed Star.  
 xvii-xxi. Repeat (i) to (v), the "Qabalistic Cross."  
  
[* Modern scholarship has a different take on the pronunciation of the Big   Guy's name.  I use "Yahweh" rather than the "Ye-ho-wau" of Liber O because that's what the Catholic priests of my youth taught me to say, and I've never been able to shake it off.  Use whatever pronunciation you prefer, or a different name altogether.]  
  
 C. Politics of the Ritual  
  
 With practice, you will no doubt come up with your own style of performance, and your own different symbolism for ritual acts.  Different people do rituals as differently as actors play parts, even though the lines and motions may be fundamentally the same.  (The alternative is an authoritarian, dogmatic horror which is alien to the deep occult understanding of religion, but is still common in magical groups.)  Slavish imitation will get you nowhere in Magick  
-- except, perhaps, to some high spiritual degree!  
  
 The Christianity -- or at least angelic monotheism -- of the ritual 
symbolism may give a start to some.  Many of us involved in occultism have strongly negative feelings about Christianity.  These are perhaps justified, but there are a few saving graces here.  
  

 First, as with any ritual, you should feel free to make it yours, to mess around with it.  If you don't start to at least play with the styles of a ritual after a while, you are probably not doing it very well.  It is perfectly legitimate to substitute cognate symbols at any time.  However, the saying in the martial arts is that one first learns another's style, and after mastering it, moves on to create one's own.  For a beginner, it will be easiest simply to use an existing ritual form in order to explore the meaning of a banishing ritual.  
  
 Given that experience, which transcends any mere set of symbols, one may devise a form more in keeping with the emergence of one's personal style. For instance, Neo-Pagans use a highly reified form of the same basic ritual in many of their traditions, but with non-Christian deities, spirits, and heros at the quarters.  Aleister Crowley wrote a new version which made the performance more dancelike, and used the names of Thelemic deities and officers rather than monotheist gods and angels.  My private version, called  "Opening the Threshold", is entirely atheistic and philosophical.  
  
 In any case, of those people who so abhor Christianity, how many have looked at some of the practices of historical pagans in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas?  No religion should ever be "accepted" by an occultist. When using any religion's symbolism, the adept should cut to its sacred poetical core, and discard the political dross.  By this standard, Christianity looks 
about as good as any other religion.  Without this standard, and by factoring in historical excesses and power plays, almost all known religions look just about as bad as Christianity.  
  
 In other words, someone who will happily use Norse gods, Arthurian heroes, Taoist immortals, Voudoun loas, or what have you in rituals, but will never touch a Christian angel, is guilty of the same narrowness he or she probably imparts to the Christians.  
  

	The Vibration of God-Names  
	--------------------------  
  
 In the LBR, the vibration of the god-names "charges" or "enlivens" the pentagrams in the air.  This is difficult to describe, but easy to recognize. There is a feeling of presence in one of these charged warding images -- though not necessarily a feeling of true externality or separate intelligence.  
  
 We are told to "vibrate" the names.  The description and illustration of the "vibration" given in Liber O have been known to mislead people into hilarious  postures.  What the picture most resembles is the skulking monster from the movie The Mummy.  To the modern eye, it is remarkable how truly unclear a photograph can be.  
  
 I didn't learn how to vibrate a god-name until I signed up with yet another occult order and was taught it in person.  I wouldn't wish the ensuing experience on anyone, so here is a description which I hope will be adequate in print.  
  


        Vibration phase i -- The Sign of the Enterer (1-4)  
        --------------------------------------------------  
  
 1. Stand upright.  Blow all the air out of your lungs.  Hold your arms straight out at your sides.  
  
 2a. Close your eyes and inhale nasally, imagining that the breath is the name. The exact nature of this imagination differs from person to person.  Thus, you imagine yourself inhaling the name into your lungs.  
  
 2b. As you inhale, sweep your forearms smoothly and deliberately up so that your fists rest on your temples.  
  
 3. Imagine the breath moving down through your torso slowly, and through your pelvis, your legs, and finally to the soles of your feet.  (Don't do this so slowly that you are hurting for air when the name reaches your feet!) 
  
 4a. The instant the inhaled vibrational name hits the soles of your feet, imagine it rushing back up and out.  
  
 4b. Simultaneously, throw yourself forward, thrusting your left foot forward about twelve inches (or thirty centimeters) and catching yourself on it.  Your hands shoot forward, together, like a diver.  You bend forward at the waist so that your torso winds up parallel to the floor.  
  
 4c. The air in your lungs should be blown out through your nose at the same time, but imagine the name shooting out straight ahead.  
  
 Steps 3-4 are known as the Sign of the Enterer, or of Horus.  This 
symbolizes powerful active energy.  The Enterer should be something of a "rush".  The vibrational name is projected outwards into more tangible manifestation -- in this case, in the pentagrams of the LBR, which are charged by the force of the projected god-names.  
  
 It is highly inadvisable to omit the portion of step (4b) which reads "catching yourself on it."  But again, I have no desire to infringe on your freedom of choice.  
  


        Vibration phase ii -- The Sign of Silence (5)  
        ---------------------------------------------  
  
 5. Finally, withdraw into a standing position, left arm hanging at your side, right forefinger on lips, left foot pointing ninety degrees out from the body.  
  
 Step 5 is called the Sign of Silence, or of Harpocrates.  This Egyptian god was mistakenly believed (at the turn of the century) to pertain to silence, because his finger or thumb was touching his lips.  This gesture is now believed to be a symbol of childhood; this correction appears in the World card of Crowley's "Book of Thoth" Tarot deck.  Harpocrates was the god of the Sun at dawn, and so symbolizes wonder, beauty, potential, growth. So, step 5 may be done in this academically corrected light instead.  
  
 However, the "hush" gesture of the Golden Dawn Sign of Silence is adequate for the modern occultist, even if deprived of A Divine Identification.  It is a common gesture, at least in the European culture, meaning silence. Silence perhaps balances the ultra-active Sign of the Enterer better than does the more scholarly positive/active "Sign of Harpocrates the Rising Sun", and silence is surely no alien concept to mystics.  
  
	The Invocation  
	--------------  
  
 The pentagrams are given form by the drawing, life by the vibration, identity by the four-part prayer of steps (x) to (xiv).  Some people do very elaborate visualizations of angelic guardians on each of (xi) to (xiv).  Because of my tragic personal deficiencies, I am content with strong feelings of presence, identity, and divinity in each of the four directions.  
  
 A horizontal cross is built up step by step as you say, "Before me Raphael", etc, with you at the center; and the position of your arms forms a vertical cross, a renewal of the Qabalistic Cross from the start of the ritual. You may feel a quite peculiar rising and expansion when both of these crosses are formulated.  One has become the center of the geometry of the space, and it is like a little world in itself, cut adrift from the mundane currents of everyday experience.  
  

 Steps (xv) and (xvi) are when the real banishing takes place, during "For about me flames the pentagram, and in the column stands the six-rayed star." A great pulse of force is emitted during these steps, imposing the personal will on the space and clearing it of all hostile influences.  
  
 After this is done, the invoked "archangels" maintain the banishing effect, guarding in all four directions.  Of course this talk of angels is all bullshit -- the importance lies in the psychological effect.  Whether there  "really is" an archangel standing there keeping out inimical spirits is not important.  The "feeling of cleanliness" is what matters.  
  
	Concluding Cross  
	----------------  
  
 The final Qabalistic Cross is an affirmation of the completeness and symmetry of the ritual, and also a new self-consecration.  This is more efficacious than the previous Cross because it is done in a banished environment.  
  
 One is now ready to do a formal invocation, an evocation, a meditation, or whatever the overall purpose may be.  The LBR is a preliminary ceremony, although it has a beneficial effect in itself.  It can profitably be done as a stand-alone ritual, but you should move on.  The LBR should keep away the horrible ickies that turn so many novices away from Magick.  Its mastery is a first step to adeptship.  
  

	Mystical Pentagram
	Brightstarr, Kathexis 
 
   The Mystical Pentagram is a technique which will enhance psychic self- awareness. Practiced on a daily basis it will produce surprising individual results. One of the features of this technique is that it encourages personal development by allowing each entity to discover a personal mantra which corresponds to the five elements. 

     To begin, you will need a table of correspondences such as "777" by Aleister Crowley. Look up the names of the gods and goddesses which correspond to the air element. Pick a name which when chanted 'feels' right for you. For example, Nu is the Egyptian lord of the firmament and corresponds to air. If I were inclined towards egyptian deities, I would chant the name Nu for several minutes to see what effect transpired. If I felt relaxed, comfortable, and generally positive I would inwardly know that this name would be in tune with my inner self. Proceed to find correspondences for fire, water, and earth in 
the same manner and finally for spirit since it is the aggregate of the four common elements. 

     Once you have found a personal mantra or a chant consisting of five names, vowel sounds, etc. You are ready to proceed with the practical application of the Mystical Pentagram. 

     Assume your favorite meditation position, relax and begin to breathe in a rhythmic pattern; ie. inhale count one, two, three, four, exhale count one, two, three, four and so on. Continue to breathe in such a manner for about five minutes so that a definite rhythm is firmly established. 

     Visualize the five psychic centers. Memorize their positions so that you become familiar with the positions. 

     Next visualize a brilliant white light forming a circle above your head in the spirit center. Mentally draw a white light pentagram within the circle of light. This should be an invoking pentagram. 

     If your mind should begin to wander, gently bring it back and vocally vibrate the mantra you have chosen for the spirit center. Let your mind dwell on this center and intone your mantra several times for at least five minutes. 


     Next see a shaft of white light radiate down through your skull stopping at your throat near the adam's apple. See a circle of white light begin to form and pulsate. Mentally draw an invoking pentagram within the circle of light and vocally vibrate your chosen mantra for the air center. Continue to stimulate this center for at least five minutes. 
     Now see a shaft of white light radiate down through your torso stopping at your fire center. This is located just above the navel. See a brilliant white light begin to pulsate at this center and draw an invoking pentagram within the circle of light. As your mind begins to wander gently guide it back to he image of the glowing white pentagram. Here vibrate your chosen fire mantra. Once this center is stimulated the sensation is unmistakable. A mild tingling or vibration of the solar-plexus area is physically experienced. Continue to dwell on this center for at least five minutes. 

     See the shaft of white light push down tot the water center which is located in the groin area. Here, too, a brilliant circle of white light should be visualized. Again draw an invoking pentagram within the circle of light. Intone the mantra for the water center and repeat the sound several times for the next five minutes. 

     Having arrived thus far, see the shaft of white light radiate down through your legs stopping at the bottom of your feet which is the earth center. Form a brilliant, white, pulsating circle of light and draw an invoking pentagram within the circle. Intone your earth mantra and vocally vibrate the sound several times during the next five minutes. 

     When all of the energy centers have been stimulated, direct the light energy from the spirit center to the earth center. As you exhale see the light travel from the top of your head down through your body to the bottom of your feet. As you inhale see the energy travel from your feet up through your body up to the top of your head, the spirit center. These circulations should be persisted for at least seven complete circuits. See the energy cleanse and vitalize every part of your being and expand your awareness to cosmic consciousness. As you continue to repeat this technique each day you will begin to see and feel a change in your psychic awareness and a marked improvement in your health. 


     Don't become discouraged if you don't achieve results immediately. This technique produces very positive effects but they are cumulative in nature. Be gentle with your inner self however you must also be persistent and keep the communication open. It is also a good idea to perform this exercise at the same time each day in order to allow your body cycles incorporate the energy flow in a natural order. 
	Suggested reading: 
The Art of True Healing-Israel Regardie 
Energy Ecstasy-Bernard Gunther                                   

                     BASIC SPELL CONSTRUCTION 

 
 
 
Because of the very nature of Magick, each working should be highly  
individualized and personal.  Even if following a traditional spell, 
it should be tailored to your specific needs to be most effective  
for you.  Understanding the basics of Spell Construction will enable 
you to formulate your own specific, effective spells for any purpose 
you desire. 
 
Preliminary planning is necessary.  The very first step is to decide 
precisely what your desired end result is to be.  Before you can  
start, you must decide where you are going.  You must be very  
explicit. 
 
It is important, also, that you choose your time carefully.  You  
should take into consideration all Astrological implications, energy 
currents and Moon phases. 
 
The Moon is the astronomical body closest to us and, therefore, has  
a profound influence upon us, it is very important to choose a time  
when the Moon is in an astrological sign which is appropriate for  
your working.  For example:  Aries/Action - Enthusiasm, Taurus/ 
Renewal - Sensuality, Gemini/Communication - Curiosity, Cancer/ 
Emotion - Nurturing, Leo/Vitality - Determined, Virgo/Organizing -  
Studious, Libra/Balance - Cooperation, Scorpio/Sexual -  
Philosophical, Capricorn/Authority - Ambitious, Aquarius/Innovation  
- Social, Pisces/Sensitivity - Idealistic. 
 
Bear in mind that magickal workings for gain, increase or bringing  
things to you, should be initiated when the Moon is Waxing (from  
Dark to Full);  when the Moon is Waning (from Full to Dark), it is  
time for magickal workings of decrease or sending away.   
 
The highest energy occurs at the Full Moon and, therefore, this is  
the most powerful time for magickal workings.  The New Moon is the  
next most powerful time for Magick. 
 
Whenever possible, follow Nature's natural Energy Currents.  There  
is a natural time for starting things (a planting time), for  
maturing things (a growing time), for reaping things ( a harvest  
time) and, of course, a time for rest and planning. 
 
Flowing with these currents will make your magickal work much easier.  


Remember to plan your project for a time of uninterrupted privacy.   
It is important that you have no distractions.  Generally speaking, 
it is best to work as late at night as possible.  A time when there  
is less frantic energy is most appropriate.  You might consider  
Midnight or later.  
 
In choosing a place to do your magickal working pay particular  
attention to your needs, for you must be comfortable.  Your place  
should be private, quiet and secure.  If at all possible, set aside  
a special place for this purpose only.  An unused room, a special  
corner of your bedroom, a quiet, secluded spot in your garden.  A  
place that is yours.  A place that you can come to whenever need  
arises and that is as free from intrusion of others as possible. 
 
Prior to the night of your magickal working, gather together the  
things that you will need.  All of the things used are tools.  They  
have no inherent magick.  They are to help you create a mood.  If  
correctly made and used, they will trigger primitive responses from 
deep within you.  They should be chosen with care. 
Consider the purpose of your ritual and choose your tools  
accordingly.  If your magick is to be sexual, your candles, oils,  
incenses and so forth, should bring forth a sexual response.  If the 
desired result of your Magick is Tranquillity, then the tools should 
make you feel calm, peaceful and serene.  Any candles you might use  
should not have commercially added fragrances as these may not be  
appropriate for your working. 
 
Prior to your ritual, prepare yourself and your equipment by any  
means necessary to clean and purify.  Historically, people have  
fasted, followed meticulous and detailed bathing practices,  
practiced chastity and used many other methods. 
 

Most often a Ritual Bath is the preferred method.  A bath frequently 
utilizing candlelight, fragrant herbs, bath salts or sensuous oils.  
A sumptuous hot bath, special bathing preparations and appropriate  
lighting, combined, can create the soothing effect which will help  
in the very important step of relaxing and clearing the mind completely 
of all mundane thoughts and experiences of the day.  Your ritual  
Bath should, also, begin to set the specific vibrations conducive to 
your purpose into motion.  You must not only cleanse and purify but  
must, also, begin to create the type of energy necessary. 
Once your purification process has been accomplished, you are now  
ready to begin.  Proceed to the special place you have previously  
chosen in which to perform your magick.  If at all possible, you  
should make use of the primitive responses set into motion by a well 
chosen piece of music.  Your music should start slowly and build to  
a rousing climax.  
 
As you use your oils, light your candle or incense (or utilize any  
other tool you have chosen), you should begin to further intensify  
the energy that you have set into motion around you.  A high degree  
of intensity is vitally important. 
 
The Altered State of Consciousness that you must reach is not a  
meditative state.  Anything that interferes with your ability to  
concentrate upon, reach and control the high energy state necessary  
to perform magick should be avoided.  Such as, screaming children, a 
sink full of dirty dishes, use of alcohol or drugs, etc. 
 
Do not scatter your energy by attempting to do more than one  
magickal working at a time. 
 
Remember that Magick is the manipulation of energy, a thought is a  
form of energy and a visualization is an even stronger form of  
energy.  Your visualization can be a method used to intensify  
further and direct your will.  Your visualization can be the method  
by which you control the magickal energy you have produced.   
You must know what you want.  You must see it.  You must feel the  
high energy flow.  You must direct it. 
 
One of the most important elements in the practice of any form of  
Magick is the Universal Law of Cause and Effect.  This means that  
whatever you do (or don't do) you cause something to happen. 
 
The most important consideration is the Universal Law of  
Retribution. This means that no matter what you do, it comes back  
to you in like kind. 
 
It is the nature of things that as you send something out it gains  
momentum, so that, by the time it comes back to you, it is three  
times stronger.  If you do something nice for someone, someone will  
do something nicer for you. 
 
"As you weave and  
	spin your spell, 
Three fold return 
	the tale will tell." 
 

	A CEREMONY FOR THE TROOPS IN THE GULF FOR SAFETY AND VICTORY

To be performed at the next Full Moon after Jan. 15th, or when war breaks out

Introduction: This is not a ceremony for peace. Unfortunately, it seems that peace isn't a viable option, and our warriors and the warriors that are allied with us will go on the war path to engage the enemy. In days of old, the Chiricahua Teneh invoked the energies of White Painted Woman before going into battle. White Painted Woman was not only the Maiden aspect of the Goddess, but also the one who taught First Man and First Woman, Her children, the skills of battle. It is She who will be addressed the most in this ceremony.

Preparations: Set up the shields (or candles: Black in the East, White in the South, Yellow in the West and Royal Blue in the North) at the four cardinal points, with the aid of a compass if possible. The Altar is set up a little to the West of the center, for the sake of the spirits of the warriors that have gone before. The altar cloth should be Desert Camo, to bring to mind the uniforms of the warriors now poised for battle. Two tan candles and a brown Maiden candle should be burning on the altar, but there should be no other adornments save for the usual tools. This is a solemn occasion. If robes are worn, they should be desert tan or Desert Camo. If you can get hold of them, the traditional Kaffiyeh scarves can be worn around the neck or as a belt for your athames.  (for circles with both a High Priestess and a High Priest, the "F" in parentheses refers to what should be spoken by the HPS, the "M" in parentheses means that which should be spoken by the HP.)

	HERE BEGINS THE CEREMONY
	~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~~~~
	PART ONE: ESTABLISHING THE SACRED GROUNDS

OFFICIANT (F): To all present, I bid you Ho'n'dah (welcome). Welcome to the sacred ground, the place where the world is made one...the special place, the place where we can remember ourselves.

PARTICIPANTS: Ho'n'dah! Welcome!  

OFFICIANT (M): We come in a time of crisis, in a time when our brothers and sisters have taken up arms against the enemy. The Pagans of old have seen the war times again and again, and have when needful fought valiantly and victoriously. It is time again to ask the Lady of War, the One Who taught us the arts of battle in the first place, for Her protection and for the blessings of quick and decisive victory!
PARTICIPANTS: Enju! Let it be so!

OFFICIANT (F): Let us make the circle and make the ceremony.

Drummer starts a slow (60-70 bpm) beat.  The Officiant(s) and the(ir) Acolyte walk to the intended perimeter of the circle, just in front of the eastern shield. The Officiant (F) is given the Smudge Stick by the Acolyte. She smudges the Eastern Quarter, saying:

OFFICIANT (F): Harmful ones of the East, Gan'n of the Eastern Mountains, stay away from this sacred ground...leave and not return.
The process is repeated at the Southern quarter.


OFFICIANT (F): Harmful ones of the South, Gan'n of the Fiery Southern
Mountains, stay away from this sacred ground...leave and not return.
The process is repeated at the Western quarter.

OFFICIANT (F): Harmful ones of the West, Spirits of unquiet dead and those conjured by the sorcerers of the Enemy, Gan'n of the Western Mountains, stay away from this sacred ground...leave and not return.

The process is completed at the Northern quarter.

OFFICIANT (F): Harmful ones of the North, Thunder people of evil intent, Gan'n of the Northern Mountains, stay away from this sacred ground...leave and not return.

The Officiant (F) then passes the smudge stick back to the Acolyte (or Male Officiant) who smudges hi/rself then smudges all participants. S/he then takes the smudge stick back to the altar, placing it in its bowl. The Acolyte takes the pouch of sacred meal off the altar, to bring it to the Officiant

The Acolyte and Officiant(s) then walk to the Eastern Quarter. The 
Officiant(F) throws a pinch of corn meal in the direction of the East, then says:

OFFICIANT(F): Spirit keepers of the East, direction of the Sun's rebirth, kindly ones of Air, come, see, and join in the ceremony!

PARTICIPANTS: Blessed Be!

The process is repeated at the South.

OFFICIANT(F): Spirit keepers of the South, direction of the Sun's repose, kindly ones of Fire, come, see, and join in the ceremony!

The process is repeated at the West.

OFFICIANT(F): Spirit keepers of the West, direction of the Sun's setting, brave warriors who have fallen in battle, blessed, mighty, good and brave ancestors, kindly ones of Water, come, see and join in our ceremony!

The process is completed at the North.

OFFICIANT(F): Spirit keepers of the North, direction of the Sun's zenith, kindly ones of the Soil, come, see, and join in our ceremony!

The Officiant(s) then walk back to the East. The Acolyte joins them. The Officiant(F) unsheathes her athame, points it to the sky, and says:

OFFICIANT(F): Great Sky Father, Sun Father, Killer of Enemies, Lord of
Battle, Lord of the Hunt, Rain Lord, Eternal Hero, Father, Grandfather, we welcome you to the Circle of Light, on this night when we ask your blessing on the Warriors of our Nation. Come bless us, come comfort us, come strengthen us, come enlighten us, come, see, and join in the ceremony!

ALL: Hail, Sky Father! Hail, Lord of Battle! Come bless us, come comfort us, come strengthen us, come enlighten us, come, see, and join in the ceremony!  Ho'n'dah! Blessed Be!

(The male officiant unsheathes his athame, then) The Officiant(M) then says:

OFFICIANT(M): Great Mother, White Painted Woman, She Who taught the Pagans puissance at arms, She who gives victory to Her beloved People, Mother of Limitless Space, Mother of the Silver Moon, Corn Mother, Grandmother Wisdom, we your children welcome you to the Circle of Light, on this night when we ask your blessing on the Warriors of our Nation. Come bless us, come comfort us, come strengthen us, come enlighten us, come, see and join in the ceremony!

ALL: Hail, White Painted Woman! Hail, Bringer of Victory! Hail, Maiden of Battle, She of Unlimited Strength! Come bless us, come comfort us, come strengthen us, come enlighten us, come, see and join in the ceremony!  Ho'n'dah! Blessed Be!

(The Male Officiant then sheaths his athame then) The Officiant(s) and the Acolyte then walks the circle around four times Deosil, once for each of the four directions. The Officiant(f) traces the circle in the air with the athame three times, then scatters more corn meal on the next pass. The rounds begin and end in the Eastern Quarter. The Officiant(s) and the Acolyte complete the rounds, then stand at attention at the Eastern Quarter.

OFFICIANT(F): Four times the circle is drawn. It is good, and unbroken. It is the boundary between Ordinary and Non-ordinary, between sacred and more sacred still. I have done this! Enju!

ALL: ENJU! BLESSED BE! 

THE CIRCLE IS COMPLETED. NO-ONE IS TO LEAVE IT ABRUPTLY, BUT AT A SUITABLE LULL ONE WHO HAS NEED CAN CUT THEMSELVES OUT. CHILDREN AND ANIMALS ARE EXCLUDED FROM THESE REQUIREMENTS.

	THE CIRCLE IS BROKEN
	~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~ ~~~~~~
OFFICIANT(F): It is time to break the circle. We have joined here to lend our support to our Warriors, as Pagans have done in war times past. It is time to dismiss the Spirit Keepers, the great ones, who have kept guard over this sacred spot.

The Officiant(s) face East.

OFFICIANT(S): Spirit keepers of the East, from the direction of the Sun's rebirth, kindly ones of the Air, we bid you farewell. Blessed be.

The Officiant(s) face North.

OFFICIANT(S): Spirit keepers of the North, from the direction of the sun's Zenith, kindly ones of the Soil, we bid you farewell. Blessed be.

The Officiant(s) face West.

OFFICIANT(S): Spirit keepers of the West, from the direction of the sun's setting, blessed, mighty, good and brave ancestors, kindly ones of watet, we bid you farewell. Blessed be.


The Officiant(s) face South.

OFFICIANT(S): Spirit keepers of the South, from the direction of the sun's repose, kindly ones of fire, we bid you farewell. Blessed be.

The Officiant(s) return to face East.

Great Mother, Noble Father, Beautiful Lady, Mighty Lord, we thank you for your presence and blessings here. Go if you must, but stay if you can.  Blessed Be.

The circle is then "sunken" by all assembled into the soil, to give the energy released within to the Earth for healing if the ritual is done outdoors. If indoors, the circle is broken by the Officiant(s) walking the circle around four times Widdershins to disperse it.

THUS ENDS THE RITUAL.
Minerva Chihacou White Puma Pasekngavit 1/14/1991

	Tool Blessing Ritual

A purification of objects for ritual use and their transformation into
magical items.
[The area is prepared by placing a quantity of each element in the proper
quarter, as well as preparing the altar in the usual way. If available, a
cauldron (empty) is placed in the center of the circle.  Candles are placed
at each of the four corners and lit, progressing deosil from the east.  Salt and water are blessed, and the celebrants are purified with them. A magic circle is cast, and watchtowers summoned.  The god is then drawn down
as follows:
[The priest stands before the alter in the Osiris position, arms crossed
across chest and feet together.  The Priestess kneels before him with face and arms upraised.] 

PS:  Hephaestus, forger of magic,
     descend upon this the body of thy priest and servant,
     lend us the strength of your arms.
     Prometheus, shape of man,
     descend upon this the body of thy priest and servant,
     lend us your fire and foresight
     Morpheus, weaver of dreams,
     descend upon this the body of thy priest and servant,
     lend us your subtlety and vision
P:   I am he, the shape-god,
     forger, builder, artisan, smith.
     With strength and craft I form the world.
[The Priest helps the Priestess to rise, and she stands in the center of the circle in the god position, extending her arms outward and down, palms
facing forward.  The Priest kneels before her with head bowed.]
     Clotho, spinner of the strand of life
     Descend upon this the body of thy priestess and servant.
     Lend us your wheel of making.
     Hecate, caster of spells,
     Descend upon this the body of thy priestess and servant.
     Lend us the power of your magic.
     Aphrodite, goddess of love,
     Descend upon this the body of thy priestess and servant.
     Grant us eros, philos, aristos, agape.  
PS:  I am she, the weaver-goddess,
     Painter, poet, sculptor, witch.
     With art and love I form the world.
[The priestess extends her hands to the priest, and helps him rise. The
priest cups both hands and scoops from the cauldron, then offers to the priestess.]
P:   Drink now from the cauldron of Cerridwen, whose draughts bring
knowledge, peace, and life.
[The priestess sips from the cupped hands, after which the priest drinks. The objects to be blessed are taken from the altar by the priest and moved
widdershins to the west quarter, and immersed in the water there.]
P:   Spirits of the west, in water born
     In cool waters cleanse these tools
     And wash from them all hurt and harm
     This I ask, this charge I lay,
     By oak and ash and bitter thorn.
[The objects are moved by the priestess to the south quarter and moved
above the flames there.]

PS:  Spirits of the south, in fire born
     In shining flames purify these tools
     And burn from them all impurities
     This I ask, this charge I lay,
     By oak and ash and bitter thorn.
[The objects are moved to the east quarter by the priest and moved through
the incense smoke.]
P:   Spirits of the east, in sweet air born
     In swirling winds polish these tools
     And sweep from them all phantasm and illusion
     This I ask, this charge I lay,
     By oak and ash and bitter thorn.
[The objects are moved to the altar by the priestess, and placed upon the
pentacle.]
Ps:  Spirits of the north, in cool earth born
     In mother earth ground these tools
     And take from them all spirits dark
     This I ask, this charge I lay,
     By oak and ash and bitter thorn.
[The person consecrating the tools now offers an impromptu or prepared
charge to the items, stating their purpose and mode of use.  They are then
taken up by the priestess and moved to the east quarter.]
PS:  Spirits of the east, from the bright air come,
     Fill these tools with the swirling energies of the whirlwind
     Make them float like the breeze
     Spirits of air, hearken unto me,
     As I do will, so more it be.
[The tools are now taken up by the priest and moved to the south quarter.]
P:   Spirits of the south, from wild fire come,
     Fill these tools with the burning energies of the flames
     Make them glow with bright fire
     Spirits of fire, hearken unto me,
     As I do will, so more it be.
[The tools are now taken up by the priestess and moved to the west
quarter.]
P:   Spirits of the west, from soothing water come,
     Fill these tools with the calming energies of the warm rain
     Make them flow like the tide
     Spirits of water, hearken unto me,
     As I do will, so more it be.
[The tools are now taken up by the priestess and moved to the altar.]
PS:  Spirits of the north, from firm earth come,
     Fill these tools with the ordering energies of the growing crops
     Make them flourish like grapes on the vine
     Spirits of earth, hearken unto me,
     As I do will, so more it be.
[The priest takes the tools from the altar and steps backwards. The priestess stands at the altar facing south towards the priest. The priest extends his right arm in parallel to the ground, between he and the priestess, with the tools in his hand.]
P:   I am the god, ever desiring.  I am the stag in the woods,
     I am the sun in the noonday sky, I am the lover in the dark.
     I offer passion, strength, devotion, and the swiftness of the hunt.
[The priestess extends her right arm in like fashion, and places her hand
over that of the priest.]

PS:  I am the goddess, ever nurturing.
      I am the tempting beauty of the maid,
      I am the quiet strength of the mother,
      I am the infinite wisdom of the crone.
      I offer life, love, warmth, and the fruitfulness of the fields.
  
 
[Both step towards each other, and turn their hands and arms so the fingers
point upwards, and the palms facing their own chest, cupping the other's
palm between and holding the tools.  They clasp each other with their left
arms.]
P&PS: Male and female, yin and yang, light and dark, action and stillness.
      Apart we are forever incomplete, but together we form one.
      In our joining we are blessed.  In our union, the limitless energy
      of universe is released and captured here.
P:    As I do will
PS:   As I do will
P&PS: As we do will, so mote it be.
[The priest and priestess kiss, then release grasps.  If the number and size
of the tools precludes them being held in one hand simultaneously, the latter
charging section should be repeated for each.  The tools are replaced on the
altar.Cakes and wine are blessed and consumed, and a period of relaxation
and rest follows.  The watchtowers are then dismissed, and the circle
opened.]


	DEDICATION OF Altar And Athame
	Durwydd MacTara (1990)

     ALTAR

          This Altar in the circle's center,
          A focal point that only good may enter.

          Erected to God and Goddess in strength,
          Circular, it has neither breadth nor length.

          Focal point in A Circle of Power,
          A mighty lens for every Tower!

          Sacred to Lord, Maiden, Lady, and Crone,
          The foundation of many a powerful Cone!

          Resting Place of Magick and its implements,
          Let veneration and Love be our only sentiments!

          A tool of will, powerful and free,
          As it is willed, So Mote it Be!

     ATHAME

          Mighty Deities, Gracious Lady and Mighty Lord,
          As I perform this ritual, Pray hearken to my word.

          This tool, conceived in Mind of Air, (Point East)
          Forged and formed in Fire of the South, (Point South)
          Power tool for those who dare,
          I CLAIM thee with my mouth! (Kiss blade)

          Tempered with Water for Strength, (Point West)
          Also dedicated to the Earth,in Power. (Point North)
          Blessed be, entire in length, (Kiss Pommel)
          As it partakes of every Tower! 

          By the Power of Cosmos, As above, (Point Up)
          The Expression of Cosmos, is below. (Point Down)
          Upon this instrument of Will and Love,
          My Sacred Tie I bestow! (1 drop of blood on each side
                                   and hilt)

          This tool is dedicated to my service of Lady and Lord,
          Please find this work beneficial and good.
          Bound to thee by homage, decimation, effort and word,
          Bound to me by words, will, and blood.

          By the powers of earth, sky, star, and sea;
          Such is my will, So mote it be!

	BELTANE:Its History and Modern Celebration in Wicca in America
	by Rowan Moonstone

   The celebration of May 1st, or Beltane  as it is known in Wicca
Circles, is one of the most important festivals of our religious year.
I will attempt here to answer some of the most often asked questions
about this holiday. An extensive bibliography follows the article so that
the interested reader can do further research.

1. Where does the festival of Beltane originate?

   Beltane, as practiced by modern day Witches and Pagans, has its
origins among the Celtic peoples of Western Europe and the British
Isles, particularly Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

2. What does the word Beltane mean?

   Dr. Proinsias MacCana  defines the word as follows:  "... the
Irish name for May Day is Beltane, of which the second element, `tene', is
the word for fire, and the first, `bel', probably means `shining or
brilliant'."(1) The festival was known by other names in other Celtic
countries.  Beltaine in Ireland, Bealtunn in Scotland, Shenn do Boaldyn
on the Isle of Mann, and Galan Mae in Wales.(2)

3. What was the significance of this holiday to the ancients?

   To the ancient Celts, it symbolized the coming of spring. It
was the time of year when the crops began to sprout, the animals bore
their young, and the people could begin to get out of the houses where they
had been cooped up during the long dark cold winter months. Keep in mind
that the people in those days had no electric lights or heat, and that
the Celtic counties are at a much more northerly latitude than many of us
are used to. At that latitude, spring comes much later, and winter lasts
much longer than in most of the US. The coming of fair weather and longer
daylight hours would be most welcome after a long cold and dark winter.

4. How did the ancient Celts celebrate this festival?

   The most ancient way of observing  this day is with fire. Beltane,
along with Samhain (Nov.  1), Imbolc (Feb. 1), and Lughnassadh  (Aug. 1),
was one of the four great "fire festivals" which marked the turning
points of the Celtic year.  The most ancient records tell us that the
people would extinguish all the hearth fires in the country and then relight them from the "need fires" lit by the druids (who used friction as a means of ignition). In many areas, the cattle were driven between two great bonfires to protect them from disease during the coming year.  It is my personal belief, although I have no documentation to back up the
assumption, that certain herbs would have been burnt in the fires, thus
producing smoke which would help destroy parasites which might make cattle
and other livestock ill.


5. In what other ways was this festival celebrated?

   One of the most beautiful customs associated with this festival was
"bringing in the May." The young people of the villages and towns
would go out into the fields and forests at Midnight on April 30th
and gather flowers with which to bedeck themselves, their families, and
their homes. They would process back into the villages, stopping at each home to leave flowers, and to receive the best of food and drink that the
home had to offer. This custom is somewhat similar to "trick or treat" at
Samhain and was very significant to the ancients.  John Williamson, in his
study, The Oak King, the Holly King, and the Unicorn, writes, "These
revelers were messengers of the renewal of vegetation, and they assumed  the right to punish the niggardly, because avarice (as opposed to
generosity) was dangerous to the community's hope for the abundance of
nature. At an important time like the coming of summer, food, the substance of life must be ritually circulated generously within the community in order that the cosmic circuit of life's substance may be kept in motion (trees, flocks, harvests, etc.)."(3)  These revelers would bless the fields and flocks of those who were generous and wish ill harvests on those who
withheld their bounty.


6. What about maypoles?

   The maypole was an adjunct to the festival of bringing in the
May. It is a phallic symbol, and as such represented fertility to the
participants in the festival. In olden days, the revelers who went into
the woods would cut a tree and bring it into town, decking it with
flowers and greenery and dance around it, clockwise (also called deosil,
meaning "sun-wise", the direction of the sun's apparent travel across
the face  of the Earth) to bring fertility and good luck.  The ribbons
which we associate with the maypole today were a later addition.

7. Why was fertility important?

The people who originated this custom lived in close connection with the
land. If the flocks and fields were fertile, they were ableto eat; if
there was famine or drought, they went hungry. It is hard for us today to
relate to this concept, but to the ancients, it was literally a life and
death matter. The Celts were a very close tribal people, and fertility of
their women literally meant continuity of the tribe.

8. How is the maypole connected with fertility?

Many scholars see the maypole as a phallic symbol. In this aspect, it is
a very powerful symbol of the fertility of nature and spring.


9. How did these ancient customs come down to us ?

When Christianity came to the British Isles, many of the ancient holy
sites were taken over by the new religion and converted to Christian sites.
Many of the old Gods and Goddesses became Christian saints, and many of the
customs were appropriated. Charles Squire says," An ingenious theory was
invented after the introduction of Christianity, with the purpose of
allowing such ancient rites to continue with a changed meaning. The
passing of persons and cattle through flame or smoke was explained as
a practice which interposed a magic protection between them and the powers
of evil." (4) This is precisely what the original festival was intended to
do; only the definition of "evil" had  changed. These old customs
continued to be practiced in many areas for centuries. "In Scotland in 1282, John, the priest in Iverkething, led the young girls of his parish in a phallic dance of decidedly obscene character during Easter week. For this, penance was laid upon him, but his punishment was not severe, and he was allowed to retain his benefice."(5)

10. Were sacrifices practiced during this festival?

Scholars are divided in their opinions of this. There is no
surviving account of sacrifices in the legends and mythology which have come down to us.  As these were originally set down on paper by Christian
monks, one would think that if such a thing had been regularly practiced,
the good brothers would most certainly have recorded it, if for no other
reason than to make the pagans look more depraved. There are, however, some
surviving folk customs which point to a person representing the gloom and ill fortune of winter being ostracized and forced to jump through  the
fires.  Some scholars see this as a survival of ancient human sacrificial
practices. The notion that animals were sacrificed during this time doesn't
make sense from a practical standpoint. The animals which had been retained
a breeding stock through the winter would either be lean and hungry from
winter feed, or would be mothers nursing young, which could not be spared.

11. How do modern day pagans observe this day?

   Modern day pagan observances of Beltane include the maypole
dances, bringing in the May, and jumping the cauldron for fertility. Many
couples wishing to conceive children will jump the cauldron together at
this time. Fertility of imagination and other varieties of fertility are
invoked along with sexual fertility. In Wiccan and other Pagan circles,
this is a joyous day, full of laughter and good times.

12. What about Walpurgisnacht? Is this the same thing as Beltane?


Walpurgisnacht comes from an Eastern European background, and
has little in common with the Celtic practices. I have not studied the
folklore from that region and do not consider myself qualified to write about
it. As the vast majority of Wiccan traditions today stem from Celtic roots,
I have confined myself to research in those areas.



FOOTNOTES
(1)  MacCana, Proinsias, Celtic  Mythology, The Hamlyn
Publishing Group Limited, London, 1970, p.32.

(2) Squire, Charles, Celtic Myth and Legend, Poetry and Romance,
Newcastle Publishing Co., Van Nuys, CA, 1975, p.408.

(3) Williamson, John, The Oak King, the Holly King, and the
Unicorn, Harper & Row, NY, 1986, p.126.

(4) Squire, p.411.

(5) Hole,  Christina, Witchcraft In England,  Rowman & Littlefield,
Totowa, NJ, 1977, p.36.


BIBLIOGRAPHY Bord, Janet & Colin,  Earth Rites, Fertility Practices
in Pre-Industrial Britain, Granada, London, 1982.

Danaher, Kevin, The Year in Ireland, The Mercier Press, Cork, 1972.

Hole, Christina, Witchcraft in England, Rowman & Littlefield,
Totowa NJ,1977.

MacCana, Proinsias, Celtic Mythology, The Hamlyn Publishing
Group, Ltd., London, 1970.

MacCulloch, J.A. Religion of the Ancient Celts, Folcroft Library
Editions, London, 1977.

Powell, T.G.E. The Celts, Thames & Hudson, New York, 1980.

Sharkey, John, Celtic Mysteries, the Ancient Religion, Thames &
Hudson, New York, 1979.

Squire, Charles, Celtic Myth, Legend, Poetry, and Romance,
Newcastle Publishing Co., Van Nuys, CA, 1975.

Williamson, John, The  Oak King, The Holly King, and the Unicorn,
Harper & Row, New York, 1986.

Wood-Martin, W.G., Traces  of the Elder Faiths of Ireland,
Kennikat Press, Port Washington, NY, 1902.


			CASTING THE CIRCLE  ONE

Set up : place a candle in each of the four cardinal directions.Lay the rest of the tools on the altar cloth or near it. The altar can be on the 
ground, a table, a rock or a stump. The altar should be in the center 
or just north of center of the Circle. Light the six candles and the 
incense, start the musicand begin the ritual.

				THE RITUAL

	Facing North, the High Priest and Priestess kneel in front of the altar with him to her right. She puts the bowl of wateron the altar, places the point of her athame in it and says:

	"I exorcise thee, O Creature of Water, that thou cast out from thee all impurities and uncleanliness of the world of phantasm; in the names of 
Cernunnos and Aradia"

	She then puts down her athame and holds up the bowl of water in both hands. The High Priest puts the bowl of salt on the altar, puts his athame in the salt and says:

	"Blessings be upon this Creature of Salt; let all malignity and 
         hindrance be cast forth hence, and let all good enter herein; 
         wherefore so I bless thee, that thou mayest aid me, in the names          of Cernunnos and Aradia."

	He then puts down his athame and pours the salt into the bowl of water the High Priestess is holding. The High Priest then stands with the rest of the Coven outside the Circle. The High Priestess then draws the Circle with the sword, leaving a gap in the Northeast section. While drawing the Circle, she should visualize the power flowing into the Circle from off the end of the sword. She draws the Circle in a East to North or deosil or clockwise direction. She says:

	"I conjure thee, O Circle of Power, that thou beest a meeting place of 
         love and joy and truth; a shield against all wickedness and evil; 		a boundary between men and the realms of the Mighty Ones; a 		rampart and protection that shall preserve and contain the power 		that we shall raise within thee. Wherefore do I bless thee and 		consecrate thee, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia."

	The High Priestess lays down the sword and admits the High Priest with a kiss while spinning him deosil and whispers"Bless Be" . He then admits a women the same way. Alternate male female male. Then the High Priestess finishes closing the Circle with the sword. She then names three witches to help strengthen the Circle. The first witch carries the bowl of consecrated water from East to East going deosil, sprinkling the perimeter as she/he goes. They then sprinkle each member in turn. If the witch is male, he sprinkles the High Priestess last who then sprinkles him. If female she sprinkles the High Priest last, who then sprinkles her. The bowl is replaced on the altar. The second witch takes the incense burner around the perimeter and the third takes one of the altar candles. While going around the perimeter, each person says:


	"Black spirits and white,
	Red spirits and grey,
	Harken to the rune I say.
	Four points of the Circle, weave the spell,
	East, South, West, North, your tale tell.
	East is for break of day,
	South is white for the noontide hour,
	In the West is twilight grey,
	And North is black, for the place of power.
	Three times round the Circle's cast.
	Great ones, spirits from the past,
	Witness it and guard it fast."

	All the Coven pickup their athames and face the East with the High Priest and Priestess in front, him on her right. The High Priestess says:

	"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, ye Lords of Air;
	I do summon, stir, and call you up to witness our rites	and to      guard the Circle."

	As she speaks she draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air with her athame. The High Priest and the rest of the Coven copy her movements with their athames. The High Priestess turns and faces the South and repeats the summoning:

	"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, ye Lords of	Fire; I do 
         summon, stir and call you up, to witness our	rites and to guard          the Circle."

	She does the same pentagram and then faces West and says:

	"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, ye Lords of	Water, ye Lords          of Death and Initiation; I do summon,	stir, and call you up, to          witness our rites and to guard	the Circle."

	She faces North with rest of the Coven and says:

	"Ye Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, ye Lords of	Earth; Boreas, 
         thou gentle guardian of the Northern	Portals; thou powerful          God and gentle Goddess; we do 	summon, stir and call you up, to 	    witness our rites and to	guard the Circle."

	The Circle is completed and sealed. If anyone needs to leave, a gate must be made. Using the sword, draw out part of the Circle with a widdershins or counterclockwise stroke.Immediately reseal it and then repeat the opening and closing when the person returns.


Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert 	Hale 1983 and Valiente, Doreen; "Witchcraft for Tomorrow"; Phoenix Publishing 1985

	TECHNOLOGY AND THE CRAFT
                     Removing the Barriers to Spaceflight

Before the ritual begins, distribute paper and have an airplane-folding 
session.

TECHNO-LESSON #1:  Making Fire

He tries to light the fire with firesticks;  She then enters, lights the 
charcoal with the sacred Bic, and hands it to He, who lights the quarter 
candles with it and hands it back to She, who lights the altar candles.

                           Bless the Elements (She)

     By the oceans that fed our grandparents
     And the oceans that will house our grandchildren
     I bless and purify this being of water.

     By the Earth from which our grandparents rose
     And the Earth which our grandchildren will watch rise
     I bless and purify this being of earth.

     By the wood fires of our grandparents
     And the fusion fires of our grandchildren
     I bless and purify this being of fire.

     By the airy realms our grandparents studied
     And the airy realms our grandchildren will walk
     I bless and purify this being of air.

                             Cast the Circle (He)

     As the Moon cuts a Circle round the Earth
     As the Earth cuts a Circle round the Sun
     So I cut this Circle round us.

     As the rains wash the mountains
     As the oceans wash the beaches
     So I cleanse this Circle and we within it with Water and Salt.

     As the Moon charges the restless waters
     As the Sun charges all that is green and growing
     So I charge this Circle and we within it with Air and Fire.

                             Invoke Quarters (She)

     I invoke thee, Mighty Ones of the East;  bring us Your gifts of 	wisdom; watch over us in this Circle.  Come to us in the name of 	Athena WiseWeaver!  Hail and Welcome! 

     I invoke thee, Mighty Ones of the South;  bring us Your gifts of will;  
     watch over us in this Circle.  Come to us in the name of Brigid 
     SmithMistress!  Hail and Welcome!

     I invoke thee, Mighty Ones of the West;  bring us Your gifts of 
     understanding;  watch over us in this Circle.  Come to us in the name 	of Poseidon ShipMaster!  Hail and Welcome!


     I invoke thee, Mighty Ones of the North;  bring us Your gifts of 
     dedication;  watch over us in this Circle.  Come to us in the name of 
     Ptah CraftsMaster!  Hail and Welcome!

     We are now between the worlds.

                         ALL BREATH, GROUND AND CENTER

TECHNO-LESSON #2:  Overcoming Physical Shortcomings

Chant:  She Changes Everything She Touches

He & She begin the chant, She drumming.  Her shoulder starts acting up;  He gets out the Casio (tempo -2, any 4/4 rhythm).  For the chant, mix verses as is pleasing.

     She changes everything She touches and
     Everything She touches, changes.
     She changes everything She touches and
     Everything She touches, changes.

     We are the changers
     Everything we touch can change.
     Change us, touch us;
     Touch us, change us.

     Everything that dies is born again
     In a new place, on a new day.
     Everything that's lost is found again
     On a new day, in a new way.

     Io, Kore!
     Io, Kore!
     Io, Persephone!

TECHNO-LESSON #3:  Supplementing Abilities

First, He & She 'argue' about who's going to lead it, jokingly asking if 
anyone in Circle wants to do background music;  then He gets pathworking with music on audio tape.  When pathworking is done, folks should still be in light trance;  the next thing is to concretize the working by distributing pens so that people can put whatever they symbols they think are appropriate on their airplanes.

POWER CHANT:  A rising OM;  which at peak leads into Countdown.  At "Liftoff", throw the planes upwards (when done, planes can either be kept or HP/S should offer to see that they get burned.

     (* Note *) (* Note *)  Don't forget to Ground  (* Note *) (* Note *)


GROUNDING CHANT:
                                Earth below us
                               Drifting, falling
                              Floating weightless
                                  Coming home

TECHNO-LESSON #4:  There is no Techno-Lesson #4.

                         CAKES & WINE, WITH DISCUSSION

Topics for Discussion:

(0)  Why we invoked the particular guys
(1)  Best and Worst side of technology
(2)  Incorporating tech with Wicca
(3)  Space Travel & Wicca: not leaving Her dead when we go
(4)  More respecters of Earth involved with control of tech
(5)  Whatever else ...

                                  CLOSE (SHE)

     I thank Thee, Mighty Ones of the North for Your presence at our rite, 	and ere You depart for Your earthy realms we bid You Hail and 	Farewell, in the name of Ptah CraftsMaster.

     I thank Thee, Mighty Ones of the West for Your presence at our rite, 	and ere You depart for Your watery realms we bid You Hail and 	Farewell, in the name of Poseidon ShipMaster.

     I thank Thee, Mighty Ones of the South for Your presence at our rite, 	and ere You depart for Your fiery realms we bid You Hail and Farewell, 	in the name of Brigid SmithMistress.

     I thank Thee, Mighty Ones of the East for Your presence at our rite, 	and ere You depart for Your airy realms we bid You Hail and Farewell, 	in the name of Athena WiseWeaver.


                                        (HE)

     Fire, seal the Circle round; let it fade beneath the ground;
     Let all things be as they were since the beginning of time.  (3 times)

***** NOTES *****

Tools:  (0)     Athame(s) & cingula
                Cup
                Censer & Incense
                Pentacle
                Salt dish & salt
                Altar & quarter candles
                Libation bowl
                Cakes & wine
                Robes (optional, depending on participants)
                God & Goddess symbols
                SCRIPT

        (1)  Firesticks & Sacred Bic

        (2)  Paper and pens for paper airplanes

        (3)  Cassette deck and pathworking cassette

        (4)  Drum and Casio w/ rhythm generator

        (5)  Talking stick (optional)

                                                by  Skydancer & Triton
                                                    Proteus Coven, NYC

(c) 1987 Perihelion Press.  Reprinted by permission.

	WICCAN TOOL LIST MASTER

Equipment:
          a Pentacle
		6 candles; 1 for each direction, 2 for altar
		chalice of wine
		wand
		scrounge of silken cords
		small bowl of water
		small bowl of salt
		3 cords, one red, one white, one blue, 9' long each
		white handled knife
		individual athames
		incense burner and incense
		small hand bell
		dish of cakes
		sword
		chalk
		altar cloth  any color
		cauldron
		tape recorder and tapes of appropriate music
		veil for Great Rite of a Goddess color  blue, green,silver or 
          white

	For New or Dark Moon Esbat:
	(For Samhain Sabbat replace wine with hard apple cider)
		extra incense
		an apple and a pomegranate
		cauldron with a fire in it and/or a bonfire
		crystal ball or other scrying tools
		white tabard with hood for Priestess

	For Winter Solstice (Yule):
		cauldron with candle or oak bonfire
		wreaths, 1 of holly and 1 of mistletoe					
          crowns, 1 of oak and 1 of holly
		blindfold
		sistrum
		animal skull filled with salt

	For Spring Equinox cords as described in preparations
		hard boiled eggs
		a bonfire ready to ignite or a taper
          in the cauldron	flowers

	For Beltane Sabbat:
          bonfire

	For Initiations anointing oil
	          tub to bath the candidate in
		  towels
		  salts, herbs and oils to add to the bath
		  a blindfold
		  a shirt or other clothing that can be cut				  
            a length of string to measure the person
		  two lengths of cord to bind the hands and feet
		  bonfire for warmth if needed

	For Blessings   anointing oil, wine


  	ALL HALLOW'S EVE 
 	================
  	by Mike Nichols  
    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *  
    *  Halloween.  Sly does it.  Tiptoe catspaw.  Slide and creep.   *          *  But why?  What for?  How?  Who?  When!  Where did it all      *
    *  begin?   'You don't know, do you?' asks Carapace Clavicle     *         *  Moundshroud climbing out under the pile of leaves under the   *         *  Halloween Tree.  'You don't REALLY know!'                     *          *      --Ray Bradbury   from 'The Halloween Tree'                *          *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *       
      Samhain.  All Hallows.  All Hallow's Eve.  Hallow E'en.  Halloween.  The most magical night of the year.  Exactly opposite Beltane on the wheel of the year, Halloween is Beltane's dark twin.  A night of glowing jack-o-lanterns, bobbing for apples, tricks or treats, and dressing in costume.  A night of ghost stories and seances, tarot card readings and scrying with mirrors.  A night of power, when the veil that separates our world from the Otherworld is at its thinnest.  A 'spirit night', as they say in Wales.

      All Hallow's Eve is the eve of All Hallow's Day (November 1st).  And for once, even popular tradition remembers that the Eve is more important than the Day itself, the traditional celebration focusing on October 31st, beginning at sundown.  And this seems only fitting for the great Celtic New Year's festival.  Not that the holiday was Celtic only.  In fact, it is startling how many ancient and unconnected cultures (the Egyptians and pre-Spanish Mexicans, for example) celebrated this as a festival of the dead.  But the majority of our modern traditions can be traced to the British Isles.

       The Celts called it Samhain, which means 'summer's end', according to their ancient two-fold division of the year, when summer ran from  Beltane to Samhain and winter ran from Samhain to Beltane.  (Some modern Covens echo this structure by letting the High Priest 'rule' the Coven beginning on Samhain, with rulership returned to the High Priestess at Beltane.)  According to the later four-fold division of the year, Samhain is seen as 'autumn's end' and the beginning of winter.  Samhain is pronounced (depending on where you're from) as 'sow-in' (in Ireland), or 'sow-een' (in Wales), or 'sav-en' (in Scotland), or (inevitably)  'sam-hane' (in the U.S., where we don't speak Gaelic).

       Not only is Samhain the end of autumn; it is also, more importantly, the end of the old year and the beginning of the new.  Celtic New Year's Eve, when the new year begins with the onset of the dark phase of the year, just as the new day begins at sundown.  There are many representations of Celtic gods with two faces, and it surely must have been one of them who held sway over Samhain.  Like his Greek counterpart Janus, he would straddle the threshold, one face turned toward the past in commemoration of those who died during the last year, and one face gazing hopefully toward the future, mystic eyes attempting to pierce the veil and divine what the coming year holds.  These two themes, celebrating the dead and divining the future, are inexorably intertwined in Samhain, as they are likely to be in any New Year's celebration.


       As a feast of the dead, it was believed the dead could, if they  wished, return to the land of the living for this one night, to celebrate with their family, tribe, or clan.  And so the great burial mounds of Ireland (sidhe mounds) were opened up, with lighted torches lining the walls, so the dead could find their way.  Extra places were set at the table and food set out for any who had died that year.  And there are many stories that tell of Irish heroes making raids on the Underworld while the gates of faery stood open, though all must return to their appointed places by cock-crow.

       As a feast of divination, this was the night par excellence for  peering into the future.  The reason  for this has to do with the Celtic view of time.  In a culture that uses a linear concept of time, like our modern one, New Year's Eve is simply a milestone on a very long road that stretches in a straight line from birth to death.  Thus, the New Year's festival is a part of time.  The ancient Celtic view of time, however, is cyclical.  And in this framework, New Year's Eve represents a point outside of time, when the natural order of the universe dissolves back into primordial chaos, preparatory to re-establishing itself in a new order.  Thus, Samhain is a night that exists outside of time and hence it may be used to view any other point in time.  At no other holiday is a tarot card reading, crystal reading, or tea-leaf reading so likely to succeed.


       The Christian religion, with its emphasis on the 'historical' Christ and his act of redemption 2000 years ago, is forced into a linear view of time, where 'seeing the future' is an illogical proposition.  In fact, from the Christian perspective, any attempt to do so is seen as inherently evil.  This did not keep the medieval Church from co-opting Samhain's other motif, commemoration of the dead.  To the Church, however, it could never be a feast for all the dead, but only the blessed dead, all those hallowed (made holy) by obedience to God - thus, All Hallow's, or Hallowmas, later All Saints and All Souls.

       There are so many types of divination that are traditional to Hallowstide, it is possible to mention only a few.  Girls were told to place hazel nuts along the front of the firegrate, each one to symbolize one of her suitors. She could then divine her future husband by chanting, 'If you love me, pop and fly; if you hate me, burn and die.'  Several methods used the apple, that most popular of Halloween fruits.  You should slice an apple through the equator (to reveal the five-pointed star within) and then eat it by candlelight before a mirror.  Your future spouse will then appear over your shoulder.  Or, peel an apple, making sure the peeling comes off in one long strand, reciting, 'I pare this apple round and round again; / My sweetheart's name to flourish on the plain: / I fling the unbroken paring o'er my head, / My sweetheart's letter on the ground to read.'  Or, you might set a snail to crawl through the ashes of your hearth.  The considerate little creature will then spell out the initial letter as it moves.


       Perhaps the most famous icon of the holiday is the jack-o-lantern.  Various authorities attribute it to either Scottish or Irish origin.  However, it seems clear that it was used as a lantern by people who traveled the road this night, the scary face to frighten away spirits or faeries who might otherwise lead one astray.  Set on porches and in windows, they cast the same spell of protection over the household.  (The American pumpkin seems to have forever superseded the European gourd as the jack-o-lantern of choice.)  Bobbing for apples may well represent the remnants of a Pagan 'baptism' rite called a 'seining', according to some writers.  The water-filled tub is a latter-day Cauldron of Regeneration, into which the novice's head is immersed.  The fact that the participant in this folk game was usually blindfolded with hands tied behind the back also puts one in mind of a traditional Craft initiation ceremony.

       The custom of dressing in costume and 'trick-or-treating' is of Celtic origin with survivals particularly strong in Scotland.  However, there are some important differences from the modern version.  In the first place, the custom was not relegated to children, but was actively indulged in by adults as well.  Also, the 'treat' which was required was often one of spirits (the liquid variety).  This has recently been revived by college students who go 'trick-or-drinking'.  And in ancient times, the roving bands would sing seasonal carols from house to house, making the tradition very similar to Yuletide wassailing.  In fact, the custom known as 'caroling', now connected exclusively with mid-winter, was once practiced at all the major holidays.  Finally, in Scotland at least, the tradition of dressing in costume consisted almost exclusively of cross-dressing (i.e., men dressing as women, and women as men).  It seems as though ancient societies provided an opportunity for people to 'try on' the role of the opposite gender for one night of the year.  (Although in Scotland, this is admittedly less dramatic - but more confusing - since men were in the habit of wearing skirt-like kilts anyway.  Oh well...)


       To Witches, Halloween is one of the four High Holidays, or Greater Sabbats, or cross-quarter days.  Because it is the most important holiday of the year, it is sometimes called 'THE Great Sabbat.'  It is an ironic fact that the newer, self-created Covens tend to use the older name of the holiday, Samhain, which they have discovered through modern research.  While the older hereditary and traditional Covens often use the newer name, Halloween, which has been handed down through oral tradition within their Coven.  (This is often holds true for the names of the other holidays, as well.  One may often get an indication of a Coven's antiquity by noting what names it uses for the holidays.)



       With such an important holiday, Witches often hold two distinct celebrations.  First, a large Halloween party for non-Craft friends, often held on the previous weekend.  And second, a Coven ritual held on Halloween night itself, late enough so as not to be interrupted by trick-or-treaters.  If the rituals are performed properly, there is often the feeling of invisible friends taking part in the rites.  Another date which may be utilized in planning celebrations is the actual cross-quarter day, or Old Halloween, or Halloween O.S. (Old Style).  This occurs when the sun has reached 15 degrees Scorpio, an astrological 'power point' symbolized by the Eagle.  This year (1988), the date is November 6th at 10:55 pm CST, with the celebration beginning at sunset.  Interestingly, this date (Old Halloween) was also appropriated by the Church as the holiday of Martinmas.

       Of all the Witchcraft holidays, Halloween is the only one that still boasts anything near to popular celebration.  Even though it is typically relegated to children (and the young-at-heart) and observed as an evening affair only, many of its traditions are firmly rooted in Paganism.  Interestingly, some schools have recently attempted to abolish Halloween parties on the grounds that it violates the separation of state and religion.  Speaking as a Pagan, I would be saddened by the success of this move, but as a supporter of the concept of religion-free public education, I fear I must concede the point.  Nonetheless, it seems only right that there SHOULD be one night of the year when our minds are turned toward thoughts of the supernatural.  A night when both Pagans and non-Pagans may ponder the mysteries of the Otherworld and its inhabitants.  And if you are one of them, may all your jack-o'lanterns burn bright on this All Hallow's Eve. 

     **PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ** 
 
 
SAMHAIN  (pronounced saw-an), commonly referred to as  Halloween,  
is  a  religious  holiday celebrated by Wiccan  and  witch.   The  
festival traditionally is a feast for the gathering of the family  
in  love  and  remembrance.  All  the  family  including   one's  
ancestors. 
 
Wiccans  do  not regard physical death as an end but  merely  one  
more  event  in a continuing progress of the soul's in  its  path  
toward fulfillment of divine destiny.  Because of these  beliefs,  
it is only natural at this time of year to invite  our  beloved  
ancestors to remember and to celebrate with us.  
 
If you do not find these beliefs in conflict  with your own  
personal  beliefs, please join us in the  following  ritual  of  
thanksgiving and remembrance. 
 
Whether you join with us or not,  
     May you walk in the Light of the Lady  
          and know the Wisdom of the Lord. 
 
Blessed Be. 
 
The clergy and members of the United Wiccan Church. 
 
                               *** 
 
After  you  have  shared  the bounty of  your  harvest  with  the  
children  of  your neighborhood (candy, etc) and  the  house  has  
settled down for the night, disconnect or turn off your telephone  
so that this state of serenity will continue uninterrupted.  
 
Prepare a special feast of whatever foods reminds you of a special  
departed  friend or family member, or of past  family  gatherings.  
While you are preparing this feast think of all  of  the  good  
times you had with them.   
 
When the feast is prepared, set your holiday table with a special  
place  of honor for the departed friend or family member.   
 
Decorate  the  table and room as you would for a  holiday  dinner  
with the family, add those special things that are important  to  
you  and  your  family (flowers, candles,etc.)   If  you  have  a  
picture  of the loved one, it is nice to place it at their  place  
at the table. 
 
Speak to that special person and invite them to join you in  this  
celebration   and   time  of  remembrance.  It   is   completely  
appropriate  to  say grace or offer any prayer that you  feel  is  
fitting.  
 
THE FOLLOWING IS DONE IN COMPLETE SILENCE: 
 
Serve  the  meal  remembering to serve  your  honored  guest  (or  
guests)  first. If wine or other alcoholic beverages are  served,  
it is recommended that they be kept in moderation as you and your  
guests need to have a clear head. 
 
Now  sit  down to the table with your loved ones and  enjoy  your  
feast.  When  you address them in your mind, always see  them  as  
well. (Try not to say in your mind, "if you can hear me...", etc.).  
After  the  meal, the time of silence is over.  Do  whatever  you  
normally do at a family holiday gathering (clear the table,  play  
games,  sing songs, etc.).  Enjoy the companionship. 
 
When  the evening is over, or in the morning if you wish to  make  
it  an all night party, thank your invited guests for being  with  
you and for making your celebration a special one. 
 
 
                               *** 
 
 
There are a few words of caution that we will offer. 
 
1.    If this ritual does not feel right for you, do NOT  do  it.  
Follow your instincts. 
 
2.    Remember that crossing over does not necessarily  change  a  
person, so if you could not get through a meal in peace with them  
while they were alive, you will probably have the same problem with  
their spirit.  
 
3.    Do not ask your guest to grant you wishes or do you favors.   
It  is  rude to invite a guest and then make it  obvious  that  a  
favor  is  the reason they were asked, not because  of  love  and  
respect.  Spirits do NOT like rudeness!  Besides,  spirits  often  
forget  that you are limited in ways that they are not.   If  you  
ask them for $1,000, it may come as an insurance settlement after  
a  painful  break  in  your water pipe with  all  the  delight  in  
cleaning up the mess from ensuing water damage. 
 

		SAMHAIN NOTES ONE  FARRAR 
 
	The High Priestess wears her white tabard if she has one for the opening ritual, with the veil thrown back. 
  	After the Witches' Rune, the High Priest and High  Priestess take up their athames. He stands with his back to the altar, she faces him across the cauldron, They then  simultaneously draw the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air with their athames, towards each other, after which they lay  down their athames he on the altar, she by the cauldron. 
  	The High Priestess scatters incense on the charcoal in the cauldron. When she is satisfied that it is burning, she stands still facing the High Priest across the cauldron. She then  declaims (if needed, ask a man to bring one of the altar candles and hold it for her): 
 
  	"Dread Lord of Shadows, God of Life, and the Giver of Life 
  	Yet is the knowledge of thee, the knowledge of Death. 
  	Open wide, I pray thee, the Gates through which all must  pass. 
	Let our dear ones who have gone before 
	Return this night to make merry with us. 
	And when our time comes, as it must, 
	O thou the Comforter, the Consoler, the Giver of Peace and Rest, 
	We will enter thy realms gladly and unafraid; 
	For we know that when rested and refreshed among our dear ones 
	We will be reborn again by thy grace, and the grace of the Great Mother. 
	Let it be in the same place and the same time as our beloved ones, 
	And may we meet, and know, and remember, 
	And love them again. 
	Descend, we pray thee, in thy servant and priest." 
 
	The High Priestess then walks around the cauldron and gives the High Priest the Five Fold Kiss. 
	She returns to her place and pulls the veil of her tabard over her face. She then calls on each woman, by name to come forward and give the High Priest the Five Fold Kiss. 
	When they have all done so, the coven forms up around the circle, alternating male and female with the Maiden next to the West candle. As soon as they are in place, the High Priestess says: 
 
		"Behold, the West is Amenti, the Land of the Dead, to which many of our loved ones have gone for rest and renewal. On this night, we hold communion with them; and as our Maiden stands in welcome by the Western gate, I	call upon all of you, my brothers and sisters of the Craft, to hold the image of these loved ones in your hearts and minds, that our welcome may reach out to them. There is mystery within mystery; for the resting	place between life and life is Caer Arianrhod, the Castle of the Silver Wheel, at the hub of the turning stars beyond the North Wind. Here reigns Arianrhod, the White Lady, whose name means Silver Wheel. To this, in spirit, we call our loved ones. And let the Maiden lead them, moving widdershins to the center. For the spiral path	inward to Caer Arianhod leads to night, and rest, and is against the way of the Sun." 
 
	The Maiden should spiral into the center, taking three or four circuits to do so. During this time, the coven should maintain absolute silence and concentrate on welcoming their dead friends. 
	When she reaches the center, she faces the High Priestess across the cauldron. They touch palms and the High Priestess says: 

 
	"Those who you bring with you are truly welcome to our	Festival. May they remain with us in peace. And you	Maiden, return by the spiral path to stand with our	brothers and sisters; but deosil for the way of rebirth,	outwards from Caer Arianrhod, is the way of the Sun." 
 
	The women break contact and the Maiden returns to the West candle. When she is there, the High Priestess says: 
 
	"Let all approach the walls of the Castle." 
 
	Everyone moves in and sits in a close ring around the cauldron. The High Priestess renews the incense. Now is the time for communion with the dead. When finished scrying, the cauldron is placed next to the East candle. 
	The spirits of the dead must be thanked and released. The High Priestess leads the rest of the Coven in saying: 
 
	"We thank you our friends for visiting here this night. We bid you a pleasant repose in Caer Arianrhod. We also thank you, the Dread Lord of Shadows for taking care of them and giving them comfort." 
 
The next thing to do is the Great Rite in some form. 
 
Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert 	Hale 1983 
 
Transcribed to computer file by Seastrider 
 
 

	O.T.O. Samhain Ritual
                      Open the Temple in fire. 
 
Banishing ritual. 
 
Hierophant:  Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. 
 
Hierophant: Ve Gabolah. 
 
Ring bell 5-5-5-5-5 
 
Priest strikes staff  upon ground 3-3-3  5-5-5-5-5 3-3-3 
			 
					Return bell and staff to altar. 
 
Hierophant: Let all adore the King of Fire. 
				 
					All do the god form of 
					PUER, the fire of 
					NOX, facing Altar. 
 
						AUM 
 
Hierophant picks up dagger and points Toward the East, standing in the West. 
				(Fire with) 
			 	TETRAGRAMMATON  TZABOATH (all repeat) 
 				ALGA (all repeat) 
 
				BITOM (all repeat) 
 
 
Hierophant: In the sacred names and letters: 
 
					   OIP *  TEAA * PDOCEE * 
 		         In thy name:      IHVH  TZABAVTH 
 
 
Hierophant: I declare the sacred fire one and eternal 
            In all worlds seen and unseen. 
 
					(priest lights censer) 
 
Hierophant: Glory be the light, eternal fortress 
            On the frontiers of darkness.  Blessed Be. 
                       (all repeat) 
 
				Priest drops more incense 
				in censer. 
 
Hierophant: Hail those from the caverns of the dark. (sign of                                                              enterer) 

					Bell: 3-3-3 5-5-5-5-5 3-3-3 
					(sign of silence) 
 
 
 

Hierophant: O great and dreaded Lord of Shadows 
            He who is God of all Life & the giver 
            of life, It is Thee we invoke. 
					(all repeat last line) 
 
Hierophant: Behold, the West is Ameti 
            Land of the Dead 
            To which many have gone for 
            rest and renewal. 
 
OPEN WIDE THE GATES THROUGH WHICH ALL MUST PASS 
 
LET THE SHELLS OF KINDERED SOULS RETURN THIS NIGHT 
GUIDED BY THE SACRED FIRE SEEN IN ALL WORLDS 
 
DESCEND UPON US, ALL ARE TRULY WELCOME TO OUR FESTIVAL. 
MAY YOU REMAIN AMONG US TILL THE FIRST LIGHT OF DAWN... 
IN PEACE AND HARMONY 
 
APPROACH THE WALLS OF OUR CASTLE  
				(all repeat) 
 
              3-3-3 5-5-5-5-5 3-3-3 
				   (put more incense in censer) 
 
Hierophant: Hail those from the caverns of the dark. 
					(all repeat) 
 
pick up contract at sacrifice; 
 
KINDERED SOULS HERE THIS NIGHT, TO THEE WE GIVE OUR SACRIFICE 
 
UPON THIS PAPER WE EACH HAVE WRITTEN A CONTRACT BINDING OF SOULS TO SOULS 
 
SO INTO THE FLAMES & LET IT BE CONSUMED 
 
IT IS BETWEEN YOU AND I, NO ONE ELSE. 
 
				as written, to bind the contract 
				drink of the blood. 
 
....done 
 
        So mote it be (all repeat). 
 
Others who desire a sacrifice may now do such; come forward one after another. 
 
		all participating in the sacrifice 
		drop in 'contract' repeating as before 
		with wine then saying 'so mote it be'... 
		all should repeat after each sacrifice 'so mote it be'. 
 
After last sacrifice; all raise hands upward, vibrating  
							AUM 
 
Hierophant: Our sacrificing done, I proclaim this evening rite over 
 
LOVE IS THE LAW, LOVE UNDER WILL. 
				(all repeat)

	T W O   W I T C H E S
	A Modern Craft Fairy-Tale
	=========================
	by Mike Nichols

	Once upon a time, there were two Witches.  One was a Feminist Witch and the other was a Traditionalist Witch.  And, although both of them were deeply religious, they had rather different ideas about what their religion meant.  The Feminist Witch tended to believe that Witchcraft was a religion especially suited to women because the image of the Goddess was empowering and a strong weapon against patriarchal tyranny.  And there was distrust in the heart of the Feminist Witch for the Traditionalist Witch because, from the Feminist perspective, the Traditionalist Witch seemed subversive and a 
threat to "the Cause".      

	The Traditionalist Witch tended to believe that Witchcraft was a religion for both men and women because anything less would be divisive.  And although the Goddess was worshipped, care was taken to give equal stress to the God-force in nature, the Horned One.  And there was distrust in the heart of the Traditionalist Witch for the Feminist Witch because, from the Traditionalist viewpoint, the Feminist Witch seemed like a late-comer and a threat to "Tradition".      These two Witches lived in the same community but each belonged to a different Coven, so they did not often run into one another.  Strange to say, the few times they did meet, they felt an odd sort of mutual attraction, at least on the physical level.  But both recognized the folly of this attraction, for their ideologies were worlds apart, and nothing, it seemed, could ever bridge them.      

	Then one year the community decided to hold a Grand Coven, and all the Covens in the area were invited to attend.  After the rituals, the singing, the magicks, the feasting, the poetry, and dancing were concluded, all retired to their tents and sleeping bags.  All but these two.  For they were troubled by their differences and couldn't sleep.  They alone remained sitting by the campfire while all others around them dreamed.  And before long, they began to talk about their differing views of the Goddess.  And, since they were both relatively inexperienced Witches, they soon began to argue about what was the "true" image of the Goddess.      

	"Describe your image of the Goddess to me," challenged the 
Feminist Witch. The Traditionalist Witch smiled, sighed, and said in a rapt voice, "She is the embodiment of all loveliness.  The quintessence of feminine beauty.  I picture her with silver-blond hair like moonlight, rich and thick, falling down around her soft shoulders.  She has the voluptuous young body of a maiden in her prime, and her clothes are the most seductive, gossamer thin and clinging to her willowy frame.  I see her 
dancing like a young elfin nymph in a moonlit glade, the dance of a temple priestess.  And she calls to her lover, the Horned One, in a voice that is gentle and soft and sweet, and as musical as a silver bell frosted with ice.  She is Aphrodite, goddess of sensual love.  And her lover comes in answer to her call, for she is destined to become the Great Mother.  That is how I see the Goddess."      

	The Feminist Witch hooted with laughter and said, "Your Goddess is a Cosmic Barbie Doll!  The Jungian archetype of a cheer-leader!  She is all glitter and no substance.  Where is her strength?  Her power?  I see the Goddess very differently.  To me, she is the embodiment of strength and courage and wisdom.  A living symbol of the collective power of women everywhere.  I picture her with hair as black as a moonless night, cropped 
short for ease of care on the field of battle.  She has the muscular body of a woman at the peak of health and fitness.  And her clothes are the most practical and sensible, not slinky cocktail dresses.  She does not paint her face or perfume her hair or shave her legs to please men's vanities.  Nor does she do pornographic dances to attract a man to her.  For when she calls to a male, in a voice that is strong and defiant, it will be to do battle with the repressive masculine ego.  She is Artemis the huntress, and it is fatal for any man to cast a leering glance in her direction.  For, although she may be the many-breasted Mother, she is also the dark Crone of wisdom, who destroys the old order.  That is how I see the Goddess."      
	Now the Traditionalist Witch hooted with laughter and said, "Your Goddess is the antithesis of all that is feminine!  She is Yahweh hiding behind a feminine mask!  Don't forget that it was his followers who burned Witches at the stake for the "sin" of having "painted faces".  After all, Witches with their knowledge of herbs were the ones who developed the art of cosmetics.  So what of beauty?  What of love and desire?"      

	And so the argument raged, until the sound of their voices awakened a Coven Elder who was sleeping nearby.  The Elder looked from the Feminist Witch to the Traditionalist Witch and back again, saying nothing for a long moment.  Then the Elder suggested that both Witches go into the woods apart from one another and there, by magick and meditation, that each seek a 
"true" vision of the Goddess.  This they both agreed to do.      

	After a time of invocations, there was a moment of perfect stillness.  Then a glimmer of light could be seen in the forest, a light shaded deepest green by the dense foliage.  Both Witches ran toward the source of the radiance.  To their wonder and amazement, they discovered the Goddess had appeared in a clearing directly between them, so that neither Witch could see the other.  And the Traditionalist Witch yelled "What did I tell you!" at the same instant the Feminist Witch yelled "You see, I was right!" and so neither Witch heard the other.      

	To the Feminist Witch, the Goddess seemed to be a shining matrix of power and strength, with courage and energy flowing outward.  The Goddess seemed to be holding out her arms to embrace the Feminist Witch, as a comrade in arms.  To the Traditionalist Witch, the Goddess seemed to be the zenith of feminine beauty, lightly playing a harp and singing a siren song 
of seduction.  Energy seemed to flow towards her.  And she seemed to hold out her arms to the Traditionalist Witch, invitingly.      

	From opposite sides of the clearing, the Witches ran toward the figure of the Goddess they both loved so well, desiring to be held in the ecstasy of that divine embrace.  But just before they reached her, the apparition vanished.      And the two Witches were startled to find themselves 
embracing each other.      

	And then they both heard the voice of the Goddess.  And, oddly enough, it sounded exactly the same to both of them.  It sounded like laughter.     

	WICCA From My Point of View
	by Lady Phoenix
          
     I can give you a brief overview of Wicca.  (I don't speak for all 
Wiccans, only myself.  There are some differences in the different 
Traditions.)   
          
         We believe that the ultimate godhead is unknowable.  This doesn't make for a good working relationship with the deity, however.  So, we break it down into a Goddess and a God.  Different Wiccans worship different 
Gods/Goddesses.  We can utilize *any* pantheon.  Some worship Pan/Diana, some Cernnunos/Aradia, Isis/Osiris, and many others. 
       
	We see our Goddess as being Triple Aspected -- Maiden, Mother, and 
Crone, and she is reflected in the phases of the Moon -- Waxing, Full and 
Waning.  We see the God as the Lord of Nature, and he is reflected in the 
seasonal changes.  Like Jesus Christ, he dies for the land and the people, and is reborn. 
          
     In general, we believe in reincarnation and karma.  What you call 
Heaven, we call the Summerlands.  We don't believe that Hell exists (or Satan either.)  We believe that there should be balance in all things - when the balance is disturbed, that's when 'evil' occurs.  Fire, for example is not 'evil'.  It could be considered such when it  becomes out of balance, as in a forest fire, or house fire.  Controlled fire is a useful tool.  Anger is not 'evil', but when unbridled can't help but lead to negative things.  When properly expressed and balanced with constructive working to correct that which invoked the anger - it, too, can be a useful tool. 
          
	We regard the Earth as our Mother, and try to have respect for Her 
by not polluting her and try to live in harmony with Her and Her ways. 
          
         Women reflect the Goddess, Men reflect the God, so the Wicca have a Priestess and Priest to 'run' the religious services.  We call our services circles. 
          
         This was sort of an "Reader's Digest Condensed Version" of Wicca.  If you have any questions or want more detail on any of this, please let me know.  Thank you for asking. 
          
         Blessed be  >>Phoenix<< 
 
* Origin: InterVisioN "The ParaNormal Connection" 603-547-6485 HST (1:132/123) 

	            The following is an excerpt from "Witchcraft: The Old Religion"
	            by Dr. L. L. Martello.
	Questions and Answers. 

Q. What is the best way for one who is interested in the Old Religion to make contact with a genuine coven? A. Subscribe to all of the Pagan and Witchcraft publications. It's easier to get into a Pagan grove which often acts as a backdoor to the Craft, since many are Wicca-oriented in their worship and rituals. Fill out a Coven-Craft application form issued by WICA. To obtain yours, enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope. 
WICA's address is Suite 1B, 153 West 80 Street; New York 10024,  

Q. What are the major feast-days of Witches? Could you tell me more about the origins of Halloween?

A. Most Anglo-American covens celebrate the following 
holy days. The four major ones are Oimelc or Candlemas on February 2; May Eve, Beltane, or Walpurgisnacht on April 30; Lammas on July 31 or August 1; and of course Halloween or Samhain on October 31. The four minor Holy Days are the two solstices: Yule, around December 22; and Midsummer, around June 21 or 22. The other two are the equinoxes: March 20-21 for spring and the fall equinox on September 22 or 23.  The following will help to give you some idea of the origins of Halloween:    
	November Eve, All Hallows' Eve, the Gaelic fire festival of Samhain, now generally called Halloween, represents the summer's end, when the Earth Goddess turns over her reign to the Horned God of the Hunt, the transition from life to death, from an agrarian time to one of hunting, from summer to winter, from warmth to coldness, from light to darkness. It has been Christianized into All Saints' Day, a time when the souls of the departed wander the land and in some cases where the souls of the living temporarily join their spirit brethren, a time for mediumship, remembrance of departed loved ones, and celebration (as opposed to mourning) of the dead.  The Roman Goddess of fruits and seeds, Pomona, was worshipped on this day. The stored fruits and seeds of the summer were then opened for the celebrants. Apples and nuts were the main fruits. This was also the autumn harvest festival of the Druids. They believed in the transmigration of souls 
and taught that Saman, the Lord of Death, summoned those wicked souls who were  condemned to occupy the bodies of animals in the preceding twelve months. The accused believed that they could propitiate Saman by gifts and incantations, thus lessening if not eliminating their sentences. This was also the time when the Druids lit huge bonfires in honor of Baal, a custom continued in Britain and Wales until recent times.    In Ireland October 31 was called Oidhche Shamhna, or Vigil of Saman.  In his Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis, Villancey says that in Ireland the peasants assembled with clubs and sticks, "going from house to house, collecting money, breadcake, butter, cheese, eggs, etc., for the feast, repeating verses in honor of the solemnity, demanding preparations for the festival in the name of St. Columb Kill, desiring them to lay aside the fatted calf and to bring forth the black sheep. The good women are employed in making the griddlecake and candles; these last are sent from house to house in the vicinity, and are lighted up on the (Saman) next day, before which they pray, or are supposed to pray, for the departed soul of the donor. Every house abounds in the best viands they can afford: apples and nuts are devoured in abundance; the nutshells are burnt, and from the ashes many strange things are foretold; cabbages are torn up by the root; hemp-seed is sown by the maidens, and they believe that if they look back they will see the apparition of the man 

intended for their future spouse; they hang a smock before the fire, on the close of the feast, and sit up all night, conceal ed in the corner of the room, convinced that his apparition will come down the  chimney and turn the smock; they throw a ball of yarn out of the window, and wind it on the reel within, convinced that if they repeat the Pater Noster backwards, and look at the ball of yarn without, they will then also see his sith or apparition; they dip for apples in a tub of water, and endeavor to bring one up in the mouth; they suspend a cord with a cross-stick, with apples 
at one point, and candles lighted at the other, and endeavor to catch the 
apple, while it is in a circular motion, in the mouth."   Vallancey concludes that these practices are the remnants of Druidism and will never be eradicated while the name of Saman remains. In this brief passage we will see the origins of many modern Halloween practices, such a trick or treat, the Jack-o-Lantern, and apple bobbing.    In the island of Lewis the name Shamhna, or Saman, was called Shony.  One writer in disgust described "an ancient custom here to sacrifice to a sea-god, called Shony, at Hallowtide." The supposed Christian inhabitants would gather at the Church of St. Mulvay, each family bringing provisions and malt which was brewed into ale. They chose one of themselves to wander into the sea at night up to his waist. He then poured out a cup of ale calling upon Shony to less his people for the coming year.  "At his return," this writer says, "they all went to church, where there was a candle burning upon the altar; and then standing silent for a little time, on   of them gave a signal, at which the candle was put out, and immediately all of them went to the fields, where they fell a-drinking ale, and spent the rest of the night in dancing and singing.  The ministers in Lewis told me they spent several years before they could persuade the vulgar natives to abandon this ridiculous piece of superstition."    The name Saman shows evidence of 
Druidism in the Irish. Another word, the name of a drink, is "lambswool." It is made from bruising roasted apples and mixing it with ale or milk. 
The Gentlemen's Magazine for May, 1784, says, "this is a constant ingredient at a merrymaking on Holy Eve." Vallancey shrewdly traced its etymological origin when he said, "The first day of November was dedicated to the angel presiding over fruits, seeds, etc., and was therefore named La Mas Ubhal,--that is, the day of the apple fruit,--and being pronounced Lamasool, the English have corrupted the name to Lambs-wool." The angel referred to of course is the Roman Goddess Pomona.  


Q. Are these Holy Days the same throughout the world?  

A. No. However, there are many universal similarities between all the pagan religions. Names, dates, and days vary according to national origin. 
For instance, one of the Holy Days still celebrated by many It alien and 
some Sicilian traditions is the Lupercalia, on February 15. It has since been Christianized into St. Valentine's Day on Feb. 14. Let me quote from the WICA Newsletter: Ancient Roman festival honoring Lupercus, God of Fertility. It was called dies februatus meaning 'day of expiation.' The Lupercal --'wolf's grotto' --a cave on the western slope of Palatine Hill. Near it was the ficus ruminalis, the fig tree under which Romulus and Remus were found and nursed by a she-wolf.  The Lupercai who celebrated this yearly festival were made up of the Fabian who belonged to the Sabines and the Quintilian Lupercai, the Latins. Later in honor to Julius Caesar, there was added the Julian Brotherhood. They sacrificed a goat. Young neophytes were brought in. The High Priest touched their foreheads with the bloody knife. Then another priest wiped away the blood with wool dipped into milk. The feast began with the celebrants clothed only in goat skins and carrying (really hiding) thongs made from the same goat hides.  They ran up and down the streets of the city striking anyone who passed them.  Women came forward to be hit by the goat-thongs, believing it enhanced their own fertility. This was also a symbolic purification of the land and of the 
persons touched. This was on   of the last Pagan rites to be given up 
before Christianity completely dominated the country. It is still celebrated today but in modern form, without the goat or any other kind of sacrifice, but all wearing skins and goat horns in a special streghe ritual."  

Q. What are some of the Christian holy days that are based upon or borrowed from ancient Pagan Religions? 

A. You'll find many of them discussed in this book. However, briefly, here are some of them. December 25 in ancient times was the day celebrated in honor of the sun, deified in such figures as Mithra, Osiris, Horus, and Adonis. It was also the feast day of Bacchus, Krishna, Sakia, and others. The legends of these Gods were the same as those attributed to Jesus Christ by the early Church. Pope Julius I in A.D. 337 made December 25 the official day to celebrate Jesus's birth, following older traditions who 
honored their founders on that date. It was also the ancient celebration of the winter solstice. There is absolutely no record in the Bible or elsewhere of when Jesus Christ was born.    All of us are still paying tribute to the ancient Gods and Goddesses by the names of our days of the week.  
English   French   Italian    Spanish   Planet  GOD  
Sunday    Dimanche Domani     Domingo   Sun     Mithra 
Monday    Lundi    Lunedi     Lunes     Moon    Diana 
Tuesday   Mardi    Martedi    Martes    Mars    Tiw 
Wednesday Mercredi Mercoledi Miercoles  Mercury Mercury 
Thursday  Jeudi    Giovedi    Jueves   Jupiter  Jove-Thor 
Friday    Vendredi Venerdi    Viernes   Venus   Venus-Freya 
Saturday  Samedi   Sabato     Sabado    Saturn  Saturn  

Two of the English names come from Old Saxon rather than Latin. Tiw's Day became Tuesday in honor of the old Teutonic deity, Tiw or Tives. Wednesday is named after the old Teutonic Norse God Wodan or Wotan. The Saxon word for day is doeg. In olden times the days were called Jove's Doeg (Thursday), Mercury's Doeg (Wednesday), Mar's <sic> Doef <sic> (Tuesday), etc. Friday was the day when the ancients paid tribute to Venus--the love day. When Christianity became dominant, Friday was no longer considered lucky--Jesus was crucified on that day; also, the uninhibited sexual rites dedicated to the love Goddess Venus was considered a great "sin." Besides the days of our week our months are also named after the ancient deities:   
 January: From Latin Januarius, honoring Janus, a Roman God. He presided over the Gates of Heaven, which the Christians later assigned to St. Peter. The Anglo-Saxons called it Aefter-Yule, and  prior to that Wolf-monat.    February: From Februus, another name for the God of purification Faunus, thus fertility. The feast was held on February 15 (see Lupercalia) and was called Februa.    March: After Mars, God of War. Anglo-Saxons called it Hraed-monat, rugged month, or Hlyd-monat, stormy month. A stormy March was an omen of poor crops. A dry March indicated a rich harvest.    April: From Latin aperio "to open," like buds. Anglo-Saxons called it Easter-monat, in honor of the Teutonic Goddess of the same name.  She ruled spring and light. The Romans dedicated this month to Venus, often referring to it as Mensis Veneris instead of Aprilis.    May: Named after Maia Majesta, ancient Roman Goddess of Spring. Considered Vulcan's wife. Look up the 
folklore regarding the May Day celebrations, bonfires, and other rites 
celebrated throughout Europe.    June: Named after the Roman Goddess Juno. Called Sear-monat by Anglo-Saxons. Juno was Queen of Heaven and Guardian of Marriage and ruled childbirth. June is still the most favored month for 
marriage today.    July: Originally called Quintilus, the fifth month. Old Saxons called it Maed-monat,--"mead month"--the time to gather honey for the drink called mead.   August: Named after the Roman Emperor Augustus. 
Was once called Sixtilis, the sixth month.   September: Named after the Latin number for seven, that being the month in the old calender <sic>. Saxons called it Gerst-monat, barley month, as this crop was usually gathered then.  October: From octo, theeighth month in the old calendar. Saxons named it Wyn-monat,  "wine month." This was harvest time, and Bacchhus and Dionysius and all the other ancient deities were honored. See Halloween above.  November: From the ninth month in old Roman calendar. Saxons called it Blot-monat, "blood month." This was when the cattle and sheep were slaughtered for food and sacrifices.    December: Named after the tenth month in the old calendar. It was consecrated to Saturn, and on December 17 the great feast of Saturnalia began, lasting several days. It coincided with the winter solstice and the Yule season. The Anglo-Saxons called it Yule-monat, "midwinter month." It coincided with the winter 
solstice and the Yule season. The Anglo-Saxons called it Yule-monat, 
"midwinter month."

 
                 Wicca, Wicca, Who's Got the Wicca?  
 
                                 or  
 
                       My Tradition, or Yours?  
 
 [An article which attempts to make sense of all the various Traditions,  
Brands, Denominations, ect., which may confuse the unwary new-comer to Neo- 
Paganism (Wicca in particular).]  
 
                            By: Hurn  
 
 
	Greetings, and Bright Blessings...  Welcome to this, the next in a series of introductory pieces on Alternate  Religions.  Today, we shall take a look at the many varied Traditions in the  Wicca Family of Faiths.  Whilst there is, indeed, a large number of groups who  profess one set of tenants, or ideas; one soon begins to see why they may all be lumped together as one Religion.  
 
  Obviously, to start, one must define Religion as it applies to these groups of people.  Next, a listing of some of the more Popular Traditions, giving a  basic description of each.  Lastly, some comments on the "cords which bind these groups together", ie. a discussion on the Underlying Philosophies of the  New Age Movement, Neo-Paganisms in particular.  
 
 
  I. What is a Religion?  
 
  A dictionary definition of religion looks something like:  
     Religion, n.; An organized system of Beliefs and/or Rituals,  
     centering on a Supernatural Being or Beings.  
 
  Everyone with me so far? Good. I think we can all agree on definitions for "Beliefs" and "Supernatural", so the only sub-definition will be  
"Ritual": any ordered sequence of events or actions, including    
directed thoughts, especially one that is repeated in the 'same'   
manner each time, and that is designed to produce a predictable    
altered state of consciousness, within which certain magical or    
religious results may be obtained.  
 
  Now, by using these definitions, the astute reader may realize that one need  not "believe" in anything in order to belong to a Religion, although most  'established' churches Do require that one has conforming beliefs in order to  become 'accepted into' that Religion.   One of the beauties of the Pagan/NeoPagan/Wiccan Religion is that the majority of the sects do not  require one to have 'conforming' beliefs.  One need not Believe in the  
God/dess in order to worship them, and this is the key to being a New Age type  Religion.  

	New Age Religions acknowledge that there are many paths to Godhood, and that  each person should find his/her own way.  Thus,  while there is communication  and discussion between the diverse ways of Wicca, there is generally no cause  for religious persecution or Holy Wars.  Also, there are very little 'missionary' type efforts, since there is no Prime Directive stating that everyone who does not believe a certain piece of Dogma is Wrong, and will burn  in Hell forever, unless saved, or made to see the light.  
  Contrary to most religions, it is Not the shared set of Beliefs, or similar Dogma which holds the Wiccan Religions together.  Rather, it is the Attitudes of the people involved, and their common Heritage which provide the bonds of cooperation among the Pagan Peoples. These points of agreement shall be further addressed following a brief list of some of the more popular Traditions, with a description of each.  
 
 
  II. Traditions/Branches/Gatherings/Sub-Groups/Interpretations/ect.  
           [nb. This is not, by any means, an all inclusive list]  
 
     A. Gardnerian:  
  Started by G. Gardner, in England, in the mid 1950's, this Tradition claims  to have existed, in secret, since the Witch-Burnings began during the Middle Ages.  While there is some doubt as to whether or not it is as old as it claims, there is no denying that the Gardnerian Sect has been one of the most Influential of the Traditions.  In fact, many of the groups which follow were  started by people who had been introduced to Paganism and the Worship of the  Lord and Lady as members of a  Gardnerian group.  
  Characteristics:  
  A structured religion with definite hierarchy within each group (known, as a  Coven), but little to no Authority of one coven over another.  Within the coven, a Matriarchy exists, with the High Priestess generally being considered the leader (there are, of course, exceptions to this, but these descriptions  are, for the most part, only generalizations based upon information gathered  from many sources).  
  The typical Gardnerian view of the God/dess is that of a Dominant Three- Faced Goddess (Maid, Mother, and Crone) with a Male Consort (Who has 2 sides..  the Young Summer King, and the Old Winter King).  
  Ceremonies include a series of initiations into higher levels of the Craft, various Holiday Celebrations (based, of course, upon the "Wheel of the Year"  calendar of Feast days.  
 
     B. Alexandrian:  
   Started about the same time as Gardner's, this tradition is fairly similar, with a little more emphasis upon Ceremonial Magick.  There are numerous Covens in both US and Europe.  
 
     C. Dianic:  
  This is more of a Sub-class, rather than a particular Tradition.  There are several Feminist Traditions which are considered Dianic.  This sub-class tends to emphasize the Female aspect of the Goddess, sometimes to the exclusion of the Male God.  Some feel that these groups are rather reactionary and self limiting.  Be that as it may, the Dianic Covens tend to be more politically active.   
 
     D. School of Wicca:  
  Headed by Gavin and Yvonne Frost, this School is the largest correspondence school of Witchcraft in the US.  Numerous Covens have resulted from this School, although it is somewhat unconventional (if, that is, anything dealing with Wicca could be called conventional).  The Frosts' views on Wicca as a religion do differ with the majority.. in that they do not consider Wicca as "Pagan", but rather as Monotheistic.  

     E. Seax (or Saxon) Wicca:  
  Started by Raymond Buckland, who was originally a leader in promoting the  Gardnerian Tradition, as an alternative to the existing Covens.  Unlike most traditions, which consider the Coven group to be the normal unit of division (ie. all ceremonies/Rituals = Group Rites), the Seax version has provision for lone witches (often referred to as Solitaires). Another thing which sets this particular brand apart is its non-reliance upon being properly initiated into the Wiccan community.  Many of the other groups require that new members be brought to existing covens to be ceremonially initiated into that Tradition, and that only after years of study within the group is one ready to start a new coven.  The Seax tradition, recognizing that there may not be a friendly, neighborhood Coven, allows for self-initiation, and Auto setup of a Coven.  
 
    F. Traditionalist (Welsh, Scots, Greek, Irish, etc...)  
  Like Dianic, this is a sub-class.  Each Traditionalist group is based upon the traditions, literature, myth, and folktales of that particular  
geographic/demographic area.  This is evident in the Names of the God/dess  used by individual groups.  
 
 
   III. Common ties/beliefs/Ideals/ect...  
 
 As stated earlier, it's not doctrine/dogma similarities which tend to hold  these diverse groups together, rather, it is the common Ideals and feelings  expressed by the Pagan Peoples themselves.  Here are some examples:  
  The Wiccan Rede:  "An it harms none, do what thou will." is almost  
universally accepted amongst the groups.  Most groups tend to be polytheistic, animists, pantheists, ect.  One is not "converted" to Wicca, rather, the new comer feels a sense of  "Coming Home", or, more poetically, "The Goddess calls to Her own".  Nature plays a big part in most Traditions, either as direct personification  of the God/dess, or as aspects of them.  There is no counterpart to the Devil, as such, in the Pagan religions... no personification of All Evil, rather, the choice is there for all to make.  However, there is the Law of Three Fold Return, which states "That which thou dost send out shall return three fold", so good begets good, and evil befalls those who are evil (a horrendous understatement / simplification, but true).  
 
Author's note:  
 Whew!  That was a long haul of writing in one sitting... if there are any big errors noticeable, mail me, and I'll make a second draft of this.. or perhaps even expand it some.. (my time is limited in as far as when I have  opportunities to just sit down and write something like this, but I can  
usually squeeze in some time, here or there.)  
   I hope that this is somewhat enlightening... there are some other files,  here, which give more basic explanations of the terms used.. (Witch, Coven,  Magick, ect..) ... I did assume a small amount of familiarity present within the reader... if anyone wishes, I can append a Preface covering that which was presupposed knowledge.  
 
                                         Blessed Be...  
                                                        Hurn  
 

                  BINDING A SPELL (Classic version) 
 
	Come ye as the charm is made! 
	Queen of heaven, Queen of hell, 
	Horned Hunter of the night 
	Lend your power unto the spell, 
	And work our will by magic rite! 
	By all the power of land and sea, 
	By all the might of moon and sun 
	I call the Earth to bind my spell. 
	Air to speed it well. 
	Bright as Fire shall it glow. 
	Deep as tide of Water flow. 
	Count the elements fourfold, 
	In the fifth the spell shall hold. 
 
 
Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert 	Hale 1983 
Valiente, Doreen; "Witchcraft for Tomorrow"; Phoenix Publishing 1985 
 

	 Saxon Wicca Rites 
 
From THE TREE: THE COMPLETE BOOK OF SAXON WITCHCRAFT by Raymond Buckland 
copyright 1974  - Samuel Weiser Publishers 
 
NOW OUT OF PRINT 
 
posted for PAN, the ORIGINAL Psychic Awareness Network at 1-703-362-1139 
by MATRIKA, co-sysop 
 
Legend of Woden/Odin retrieving the Runes 
 
The Snake came crawling and struck at none 
But Woden took nine glory-twigs (pieces of wood on which were carved runic inscriptions) and struck the adder so that it flew into nine parts 
 
This quote shows how Woden/Odin was a master magician and drew his power 
from the runes.  To this day many Saxon Pagans work much of their Magic 
with runes, inscribing them on candles in candle magick, incorporating them into talismans or symbols of protection that they wear, carry or keep in 
their homes (can also be for other purposes, etc.  They can even be put 
somewhere invisibly by tracing them with a scented oil.  For example, a 
rune or runic monogram (several runic letters overlaying one another) can 
be inscribed on your place of business in Money in Abundance oil or some 
other money - oriented oils of your own preference.  For healing a rune or runic monogram of healing can be written on the body of the patient with an oil of Healing, after the regular transfer of Pranic energy or "laying - on - of - the - hands" healing has occurred.  (including use of crystals, if 
that is so desired)  Etc. etc. etc.   Why are runes so important?  For the same reason that they were in Cabalistic Magick among the Jews and in 
Sidha Yoga.  In India among the Sidhis the Shakti or Feminine aspect of 
DEITY (as Shiva is the male) has many aspects through which the world was 
emanated - one of the more important aspects is MATRIKA SHAKTI or the power of sound to create via the letters of the alphabet forming themselves into Words.  In both systems - Kabbalah and Sidha Yoga - it is believed that the universe was created by words.  This is reflected in modern New-Age work 
with Affirmations used by such diverse sources as Marion Weinstein, Diannic Witch, as described in her book POSITIVE MAGIC (phoenix Publishing) and the Unity School of Christianity as well as the Religious Science and Christian Science and Divine Science and all the other "science" churches.  Shakti 
Gawain, author of CREATIVE VISUALIZATION teaches it from the New - Age 
perspective as well.  It is through words we create out own reality and 
right use of them for good and in loving ways is one of the most powerful 
of Magicks.  NOTE BY MATRIKA 
 

 
From the old Norse Verse, Lay of the High one, stanzas 138, 139, and 141 
 
Woden/Odin is speaking 
 
" I know that I hung there 
on the windy tree 
swung there nights, all of nine 
gashed with a blade 
bloodied by Odin 
myself an offering to myself 
knotted to that tree 
no man knows  whither the root of it runs 
 
None gave me bread 
None gave me drink 
down to the depths I peered 
to snatch up runes 
with a roaring screech 
and fall in a dizzying faint 
 
Wellspring I won 
and wisdom too 
and grew and joyed in my growth 
from a word to a word 
I was led to a word 
from a deed to another deed 
 
 
As you can see this legend, which in the original sources pre-dates 
Christianity, has much in common with the legend of Jesus's 
Crucifixion/Resurrection in the Newer religion - but then there are 
similar themes in the story of Tammuz from the Middle East, the story of 
Osiris in Egypt and in many other sources.  The story of the fallen God who is resurrected with great power and wisdom reflects the Shamans's 
confrontation with his own death - either in a literal sense through 
sickness or accident, or in a Psychological sense or by other means such as the mild, natural hallucinogens used by the Native Americans and other 
tribal peoples.  (NOTE, I AM NOT ENDORSING THERE USE; THEY ARE COMPLETELY 
UNNECESSARY - but nevertheless, this is the practice in some cultures, 
where they know how to handle the power of these drugs and guide one safely through the experience.  It is important to note this is not done lightly 
or playfully either and that the drugs they use are NATURAl substances, not the harsher chemical ones abused in our modern society for recreational 
use) 
 
	It also represents the natural cycles of the year - the grain grows and is cut down or sacrificed only to be reborn again, the trees lose their leaves and seem to die only to resurrected, (which is why the tree of life/cross image developed)  some animals hibernate and come back, etc. etc. etc 
 
	Now here is the legend of the Goddess in the Saxon form as the search by Freya for the necklace Brosingame - a silver circlet worn about her neck as a chaplet.  As with the Gardnerian Wicca legend of the descent of the 
Goddess to the Underworld, it reflects the cycles of the year - when 
fertility seems to sink into the earth and vanish during winter's barren 
months only to have the Lady and her bounty return to us in the spring. 

 
(Matrika's notes) 
 
 
 1.  All day had Freya, most lovely of the Goddesses, played and romped in  the fields.  Then did she lay down to rest. 
 
2.  And while she slept; deft Loki, the prankster, the mischief-maker of 
the Gods; did espy the glimmering of Brosingame, formed of Galdra (magick) Her constant companion.  Silent as the night did Loki move to the Goddess's side and with fingers formed over the very ages in lightness did remove the silver circlet from about her snow white neck. 
 
3.  Straightaway did Freya arouse; on sensing it's loss.  Though he moved 
with the speed of the winds, yet Loki she glimpsed as he passed swiftly 
from sight into the barrow (burial mound) that leads to Dreun. (land of the dead, the underworld) 
 
4.  Then was Freya in despair.  Darkness descended all about her to hide 
her tears.  Great was her anguish.  All light, all life, all creatures 
joined in her doom. 
 
5.  To all corners were sent the Searchers, in quest of Loki; yet knew 
they. they would find him not.  For who is there may descend to Dreun and 
return again from thence? 
 
6.  Excepting the Gods themselves and, alzck, mischievous Loki. 
 
7.  So it was that, still weak from her grief, Freya herself elected to 
descend in search of Brosingame.  At the portals of the Barrow was she 
challenged, yet recognized and passed. 
 
8.  The multitude of souls within cried joyfully to see her, yet could she not tarry as she sought her stolen light. 
 
9.  The infamous Loki left no trail to follow, yet was he everywhere past 
seen.  Those to whom she spake held to Freya (that) Loki carried no Jewel 
as he went by. 
 
10.  Where then was it hid? 
 
11.  In despair she searched an age. 
Hearhden (also known as Heimdall)  the mighty smith of the Gods, did arise from his rest to sense the bewailment of the souls to Freya's sorrow. 
Striding from his smithy, to find the cause of the sorrow, did he espy the Silver Circlet where Loki Mischief-maker had laid it; upon the rock before his door. 
 
13.  Then was all clear. 
 
14.  As Hearhden took hold of Brosingame (then did) Loki appear before him, his face wild with rage. 
 
15.  Yet would Loki not attack Hearhden, this mighty smith whose strength 
was known even beyond Dreun. 
 
16.  By wiles and tricks did he strive to get his hands upon the (silver) 
circlet.  He shape-shifted; he darted here and there;  he was visible, then invisible.  yet could he not sway the Smith. 

 
17.  Tired of the fight, Hearhden raised his mighty club.  Then sped Loki 
away. 
 
18.  Great was the joy of Freya when Hearhden placed Brosingame about her 
snow-white neck. 
 
19.  Great were the cries of Joy from Dreun and above. 
 
20.  Great were the thanks that Freya and all People gave to the Gods for 
the return of Brosingame. 
 
	This tale and the Gardnerian legend of the descent of the Goddess into the Underworld (told in the 2d degree initiation) and similar myths from around the world, such as the legend of Kwan Yin's descent to the land of death and her being expelled for spreading mirth and joy, show that women also shared a very important role in the shamanism/priesthood of the European Pagan traditions and also faced the ordeals - i.e. the physical or psychological confrontation with death.   And again, it reflects the times of darkness and light in the year - the waxing and waning of the moon each month and the waxing and waning of the sun each year from Yule or Winter 
solstice to Mid-summer's night or Summer solstice when the light grows 
stronger and the remainder of the year, when light grows weaker. 

	WICCAN SHAMANISM
	by 
	Selena Fox 
typed by Lewis for P.A.N. 
508-795-7628 
 
 
     Shamanism exists in tribal cultures around the world and has done so for centuries.  Yet, in reading most anthropological texts on Shamanism, there is little, if any reference made to shamanism in Europe.  However Shamanism has existed among the peoples of Europe not only in ancient times, but also through the present day.  During the Middle Ages, the Old Ways largely disappeared from public view because of persecution.  Yet they were not eradicated but took a more underground existence.  Today, there are some of us of European ancestry that are bringing Shamanic ways rooted in pre-Christian Europe back into the light. 
 
     Wiccan Shamanism is a term I began using several years ago in an attempt to describe my own path of magick and spirituality in relation to the other forms of Shamanism on the Planet.  Wiccan Shamanism draws on the Old but it is not simply an attempt re-construction and revival of the Old Ways of tribal Europe.  Wiccan Shamanism blends both the Old and the New to suit the modern times in which we live.  Although emphasis is on European symbology and traditions Wiccan Shamanism is multi-cultural, incorporating ways of other healers and magick workers from many places and eras. 
 
     What follows is a glimpse into Wiccan Shamanism as I know it and practice  it.  While Jim,Dennis, and others who help with various aspects of CIRCLES  work may share many of these concepts, I speak here only for myself - for at  the heart of this spiritual approach is the idea that each person must seek their own connection with the Divine, within their own Self, rather than having me or anyone else do this for them.  This is not a path of a leader with followers, but a path where each becomes their own leader. 
 
***************************************************************************     I call to the Powers of the Four Quarters -- to Earth in the North which  is the Realm of the Physical Body and Material Plane, to Air in the East which is the Realm of Thoughts and Intellect, to Fire in the South which is the Realm of Will Power and Action, and Water in the West which is the Realm of Emotions and Intuition.  My Medicine Wheel is the Magick Circle which connects the Four Quarters.  The sacred places I frequent include a high rock, a crystal clear spring fed pool n a hidden valley and a circle of stones in a grove of Oak and Birch on a mound. 
 
     I am a channel between Planet Earth beneath my feet and the Heavens above  my head.  I become the World tree when I Shamanize, linking the transforming Dark of the Underworld with the Awakening Light of the Upperworld. 
 
     I am the Crystal LIght that is at the Center of the Circle and is the  fifth Element Spirit.  I seek always to act out of MY own Inner Self which is at the enter of MY being, for my Inner Self in the Balance of all the  
Elements, of my Female and Male sides, of my Lunar and Solar natures of my  intellect and intuition my Inner Self is my doorway into the realm where All is One. 
 


     I see the Circle of Life from the Center.  I watch the Seasons change as  the Wheel of the Year turns and I celebrate the 8 sabbats.  I connect with the dance of Night and Day, of Fair and Stormy Weathers, of the Waxing and Waning Moon.  I see the cycle of Birth, Growth, Maturity, Death, and Rebirth in all of Nature.  I examine the cycles of my own life and of the lives of those who seek healing aid from me. 
 
     I am the traveler between the World of Daily Life and the Otherworld  which is the land of Dreams, visions and Spirits.  I am a Consciousness  
Explorer. the Otherworldis as real and as important to me as the Day-to-Day World.  I bridge the Worlds rather than seeking to dwell solely in one or the  other.  I journey into the Otherworld for a reason -- to bring back healing and knowledge to apply to Daily Life, helping others, myself and the Planet. 
 
 
     I see the Divine in all things.  My friends and allies include not only humans but also plants, animals, rocks, winds, waters, fire, stars, and other life forms.  I commune with the Source some call "God" as both Mother Goddess and Father God, for both aspects are necessary for the Unity. 
     
    The main focus of my Shamanic work is Healing.  I was called to this path as a young child in dreams and Out-of-Body experiences, but I didn't begin my work until my adult years when I started Healing myself.  To do this I journeyed alone into the Pit of my Shadow Self and came face-to-face with my  problems and hang-ups; my doubts fears, disillusionments, rejections, angers and hurts; with all MY false self images.  Words can not begin to express the misery, the utter despair the powerlessness I felt during this time.  Yet  coming apart was essential; it enabled me to break through the barriers which  I had formed and let others form in my psyche that had kept me from being one  with my True Self.  In the deepest Darkness, I felt the Light of my own Inner Self beginning to shine through.  I focused on the Light and slowly emerged from the Pit, stronger and more integrated than ever before and with the power to heal others as well as myself.  As a result of this transformation process, my life's work became clear.  I now help others from their own pits of negativity and become whole again. 
 


    Yet my work also extends to more than Humankind; it involves bringing  Healing to the Planet as a whole.  In my communing with the Land, I have heard the cries of the Earth mother, sorrowing over the self-centered, greedy, intolerant, and destructive behaviors of many of Her human children, who are polluting the soiled, waters, and air; who are playing power games with nuclear fire; and who are polluting the spiritual atmosphere of the entire world with their narrow mindedness and hate.  I am deeply concerned about survival -- not  of the Planer Herself for all the humans in the world can not destroy Her even with all their weapons; She is too strong and powerful for that to happen.  What I am concerned about is the survival of the human race. -- will we annihilate ourselves and many of the life forms around us, or will we wake up in time to see the larger picture, find and implement creative solutions to the  worlds problems, and enter a New Age of expanded consciousness? 
 
    The Balance of Life can be restored on Planet Earth; Harmony can be  
restored between humankind and other life forms; Love consciousness can  
increase and be prevalent on the Earth.  I, along with numerous other healers and ministers from a variety of spiritual traditions around the world today have responded to the upset of Mother Earth by dedicating our lives to this Planetary Healing Work, each in our own way.  It is this Great Work that underlies all the healing and other things I do.  It is the Heart of Wiccan  Shamanism. 
 
 
 
     First published in fall 1984 CIRCLE NETWORK NEWS; 
     (C) 1984, CIRCLE, Box 219, Mt. Horeb WI 53572 USA.; 
 


                              A Healing Myth  
 
                                By "Nihasa" 
 
|---------------------------------------------------------------| 
| This story can have a powerful healing effect when read out   | 
| loud (or recorded and then played) to someone suffering from  | 
| a phobia or other effect of childhood trauma. While names,    | 
| settings, and style can be varied to suit individual tastes,  | 
| the sequence which the apprentice describes, the sequence     |  
| the princess goes through, and the vagueness of the "bad      | 
| thing" descriptions should remain unchanged and no element    | 
| of the story should be left out.                              | 
|---------------------------------------------------------------| 
 Once, in another time and another place, a kingdom of magic  
 and beauty knew a time of peace. No armies threatened its  
 boarders, no bandits plundered its trade routes, no plagues  
 sickened its people. Yet even in such peaceful times, bad  
 things could happen: accidents, misunderstandings, even  
 good people doing bad things.  
 
 The third daughter of the king was a bright and cheerful  
 sort. She wasn't the strongest or the prettiest of the  
 royal princesses, but she did have the nicest wings of  
 anyone her age. She loved to fly around the countryside  
 and explore the groves and meadows she found...they were  
 always full of surprises.  
 
 One day she found a particularly pretty grove, with a pond  
 glistening in a little clearing in the middle. As she went  
 in for a closer look, she saw images start to form. She saw  
 her own reflection, and as she lightly touched the ground  
 she saw that her reflection was watching reflections of her  
 own...dim watery reflections from her past.  
 
 "So you can see the pictures." The voice from among the  
 trees made her jump. "Don't worry," continued the young man  
 as he stepped out from among the trees, "nobody else can see  
 the same images, Princess. It's part of the magic."  
 
 "How...?" she asked, looking him up and down. He was a young  
 man, no older than the princess herself, dressed in the  
 rough tunic of a wizard's apprentice. "Who are you? How did  
 you know who I am, what I saw?"  
 
 "I am apprenticed to the Court Wizard. Everybody knows who  
 you are, Princess...and besides, I have seen you at the  
 palace when I have been there with my master." He paused,  
 glancing at the ground and lowering his voice. "As to the  
 images...well, at one time I had need of their magic."  
 
 "When I entered the Wizard's service, I had a great and  
 secret fear. Something...bad...happened to me when I was  
 younger. It hurt to even think about, and after time I  
 didn't think about it much. But ever since that time, I had  
 lived with the fear. When my master learned of this, he  
 taught me the magic of this pool and its stream."  

 
 "The pool reflects images from your mind...scenes from your  
 past, dreams of the future, even fantasies of the present.  
 The stream flows like time itself, upstream into the past,  
 and downstream into the future. If I followed the ritual he  
 described, these magics could wash clean the fear."  
 
 She made a face. "I suppose this ritual involves deep magics  
 usable only by Wizards?"  
 
 "Not really. All the magic is in the waters, and anyone can  
 use the ritual. Even a lowly apprentice." He grinned. "It's  
 pretty simple. After he told me about it, he brought me here  
 and then stood back by the trees. He said that he would  
 answer any questions I had but otherwise I was on my own."  
 
 "I stood where I could see my reflection in the pool, and  
 then thought about my fear. As I thought, my reflection  
 watched a reflection of my thoughts...like a stage where  
 dimly lit actors played out the scene against a colorless  
 backdrop. I looked up and saw that I was still here, in the  
 glade. I looked back at the water, holding on to a small  
 part of the special feeling of fear it had given me. As I  
 turned and looked back upstream, I saw more images...each  
 earlier than the last. I relaxed and let the feeling guide  
 me back to the earliest image. When I had that, I turned  
 back to the pool and found my reflection watching the same  
 colorless players in their dim reflection of the memory. As  
 my reflection watched, the image went from a time shortly  
 before the bad thing happened, through the whole thing, and  
 on to a time when it was all over. When it passed the ending  
 that way, it stopped...like a drawing. Then the drawing  
 faded away, and I was just looking at my reflection. The  
 Wizard had told me that if I stepped into that last part of  
 the image, it would run very quickly backwards, with full  
 color and sound and me living backwards through it all...all  
 the way through to the part before the beginning. It sounded  
 very strange. As I looked at my reflection again, it was  
 watching the image go forward again in its dim, colorless  
 way. When it reached the drawing at the end, I stepped into  
 the image and was plunged into a world going backwards! It  
 went clear through to before the beginning in less than a  
 second, then stopped. Startled, I let the water carry me  
 downstream, through all that had happened since, with the  
 fear gone and the memory unable to hurt me. When I reached  
 the here-and-now, I got out and just stood there, knowing  
 that the fear would trouble me no more." He stopped, and  
 suddenly seemed to remember where he was, and who he was  
 talking to. "That was over a year ago, and the fear is still  
 gone. The Wizard says it is gone for good."  
 
 She thought for a moment. "So all there is to this ritual is  
 think of the problem until your reflection sees it, follow a  
 part of the feeling upstream to my earliest memory of it,  
 wait for my reflection to see it all the way through, step  
 into the ending, and live it backwards quickly? What kind of  
 magic is that?"  
 
 He thought for a minute, shrugged, and said "Effective? If  
 you wish, I will withdraw to the trees while you try it."  
 
 "What makes you think that I NEED it?"  
 
 "Because the images only come to those who do." His voice  
 faded to an embarrassed silence as he realized what he had  
 said. "I'll go now."  
 
 "Yes, do." She said absently, already thinking. Then: "But  
 not too far, in case I need you." She was remembering an  
 incident a few days back which had set off her special fear,  
 and just as the apprentice had described, her reflection in  
 the pool was watching a dim and watery scene of the memory.  
 Startled, she looked up again. Yes, she was in the clearing,  
 with the trees all around and the apprentice all but lost  
 among the closer ones. She could still feel a part of that  
 fear, so she kept that feeling while she looked back up  
 stream at all the images from the past that the feeling had  
 touched...until she found the earliest of them all. She  
 brought that memory back to the pool and released it as her  
 reflection started to watch it unfold in its dim and watery  
 way. Her reflection seemed to have a life of its own as it  
 watched the pale scene start before anything happened, run  
 through the bad parts, and then pause at a time when it was  
 all over. She watched her reflection shift as she prepared  
 for what she would do. Her reflection settled as it watched  
 the scene unfold again. The dim scene passed through the  
 beginning, through the bad time and on past again. When it  
 stopped, she jumped in to it. Suddenly, she was there again:  
 back where and when it had happened. Everything was moving  
 backwards, and in a flash she had lived backwards through it  
 and past the beginning. Shocked, she let the water carry her  
 down stream, forward through all the rest of her yesterdays  
 without the bad times for company. When she got to today,  
 she stood up. There she was...standing, dripping in a stream  
 in the clearing. She looked around for the apprentice, half  
 expecting him to be laughing at the soggy mess she must be.  
 He was there, by the trees...not laughing, just smiling in  
 an understanding way.   
 
 In the years that followed, they became friends. Although  
 they went their separate ways...he, as wizard to one of the  
 King's high lords and she as wife to a neighboring prince...  
 they valued that friendship to the end of their days. And  
 from that time on, neither was ever again troubled by their  
 great fears.  
                                .........  
 


 	C A N D L E M A S:  The Light Returns 
                  =====================================
 	by Mike Nichols

       It seems quite impossible that the holiday of Candlemas should be considered the beginning of Spring.  Here in the Heartland, February 2nd may see a blanket of snow mantling the Mother.  Or, if the snows have gone, you may be sure the days are filled with drizzle, slush, and steel-grey skies -- the dreariest weather of the year.  In short, the perfect time for a Pagan Festival of Lights.  And as for Spring, although this may seem a tenuous beginning, all the little buds, flowers and leaves will have arrived on schedule before Spring runs its course to Beltane.

       'Candlemas' is the Christianized name for the holiday, of course.  The older Pagan names were Imbolc and Oimelc.  'Imbolc' means, literally, 'in the belly' (of the Mother).  For in the womb of Mother Earth, hidden from our mundane sight but sensed by a keener vision, there are stirrings.  The seed that was planted in her womb at the solstice is quickening and the new year grows.  'Oimelc' means 'milk of ewes', for it is also lambing season.

       The holiday is also called 'Brigit's Day', in honor of the great Irish Goddess Brigit.  At her shrine, the ancient Irish capitol of Kildare, a group of 19 priestesses (no men allowed) kept a perpetual flame burning in her honor.  She was considered a goddess of fire, patroness of smithcraft, poetry and healing (especially the healing touch of midwifery).  This tripartite symbolism was occasionally expressed by saying that Brigit had two sisters, also named Brigit.  (Incidentally, another form of the name Brigit is Bride, and it is thus She bestows her special patronage on any woman about to be married or handfasted, the woman being called 'bride' in her honor.)

       The Roman Catholic Church could not very easily call the Great Goddess of Ireland a demon, so they canonized her instead.  Henceforth, she would be 'Saint' Brigit, patron SAINT of smithcraft, poetry, and healing.  They 'explained' this by telling the Irish peasants that Brigit was 'really' an early Christian missionary sent to the Emerald Isle, and that the miracles she performed there 'misled' the common people into believing that she was a goddess.  For some reason, the Irish swallowed this.  (There is no limit to what the Irish imagination can convince itself of.  For example, they also came to believe that Brigit was the 'foster-mother' of Jesus, giving no thought to the implausibility of Jesus having spent his boyhood in Ireland!)

       Brigit's holiday was chiefly marked by the kindling of sacred fires, since she symbolized the fire of birth and healing, the fire of the forge, and the fire of poetic inspiration.  Bonfires were lighted on the beacon tors, and chandlers celebrated their special holiday.  The Roman Church was quick to confiscate this symbolism as well, using 'Candlemas' as the day to bless all the church candles that would be used for the coming liturgical year.  (Catholics will be reminded that the following day, St. Blaise's Day, is remembered for using the newly blessed candles to bless the throats of parishioners, keeping them from colds, flu, sore throats, etc.)


       The Catholic Church, never one to refrain from piling holiday upon holiday, also called it the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  (It is surprising how many of the old Pagan holidays were converted to Maryan Feasts.)  The symbol of the Purification may seem a little obscure to modern readers, but it has to do with the old custom of 'churching women'.  It was believed that women were impure for six weeks after giving birth.  And since Mary gave birth at the winter solstice, she wouldn't be purified until February 2nd.  In Pagan symbolism, this might be re-translated as when the Great Mother once again becomes the Young Maiden Goddess.

       Today, this holiday is chiefly connected to weather lore.  Even our American folk-calendar keeps the tradition of 'Groundhog's Day', a day to predict the coming weather, telling us that if the Groundhog sees his shadow, there will be 'six more weeks' of bad weather (i.e., until the next old holiday, Lady Day).  This custom is ancient.  An old British rhyme tells us that 'If Candlemas Day be bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year.'  Actually, all of the cross-quarter days can be used as 'inverse' weather predictors, whereas the quarter-days are used as 'direct' weather predictors.

       Like the other High Holidays or Great Sabbats of the Witches' year, Candlemas is sometimes celebrated on it's alternate date, astrologically determined by the sun's reaching 15-degrees Aquarius, or Candlemas Old Style (in 1988, February 3rd, at 9:03 am CST).  Another holiday that gets mixed up in this is Valentine's Day.  Ozark folklorist Vance Randolf makes this quite clear by noting that the old-timers used to celebrate Groundhog's Day on February 14th.  This same displacement is evident in Eastern Orthodox Christianity as well.  Their habit of celebrating the birth of Jesus on January 6th, with a similar post-dated shift in the six-week period that follows it, puts the Feast of the Purification of Mary on February 14th.  It is amazing to think that the same confusion and lateral displacement of one of the old folk holidays can be seen from the Russian steppes to the Ozark hills, but such seems to be the case!
       Incidentally, there is speculation among linguistic scholars that the very name of 'Valentine' has Pagan origins.  It seems that it was customary for French peasants of the Middle Ages to pronounce a 'g' as a 'v'.  Consequently, the original term may have been the French 'galantine', which yields the English word 'gallant'.  The word originally refers to a dashing young man known for his 'affaires d'amour', a true galaunt.  The usual associations of V(G)alantine's Day make much more sense in this light than their vague connection to a legendary 'St. Valentine' can produce.  Indeed, the Church has always found it rather difficult to explain this nebulous saint's connection to the secular pleasures of flirtation and courtly love.
       For modern Witches, Candlemas O.S. may then be seen as the Pagan version of Valentine's Day, with a de-emphasis of 'hearts and flowers' and an appropriate re-emphasis of Pagan carnal frivolity.  This also re-aligns the holiday with the ancient Roman Lupercalia, a fertility festival held at this time, in which the priests of Pan ran through the streets of Rome whacking young women with goatskin thongs to make them fertile.  The women seemed to enjoy the attention and often stripped in order to afford better targets.


       One of the nicest folk-customs still practiced in many countries, and especially by Witches in the British Isles and parts of the U.S., is to place a lighted candle in each and every window of the house, beginning at sundown on Candlemas Eve (February 1st), allowing them to continue burning until sunrise.  Make sure that such candles are well seated against tipping and guarded from nearby curtains, etc.  What a cheery sight it is on this cold, bleak and dreary night to see house after house with candle-lit windows!  And, of course, if you are your Coven's chandler, or if you just happen to like making candles, Candlemas Day is THE day for doing it.  Some Covens hold candle-making parties and try to make and bless all the candles they'll be using for the whole year on this day.

        Other customs of the holiday include weaving 'Brigit's crosses' from straw or wheat to hang around the house for protection, performing rites of spiritual cleansing and purification, making 'Brigit's beds' to ensure fertility of mind and spirit (and body, if desired), and making Crowns of Light (i.e. of candles) for the High Priestess to wear for the Candlemas Circle, similar to those worn on St. Lucy's Day in Scandinavian countries.  All in all, this Pagan Festival of Lights, sacred to the young Maiden Goddess, is one of the most beautiful and poetic of the year.   


  	L A D Y    D A Y:  The Vernal Equinox 
 	===================================== 
 	by Mike Nichols

         Now comes the Vernal Equinox, and the season of Spring reaches it's apex, halfway through its journey from Candlemas to Beltane.  Once again, night and day stand in perfect balance, with the powers of light on the ascendancy.  The god of light now wins a victory over his twin, the god of darkness.  In the Mabinogion myth reconstruction which I have proposed, this is the day on which the restored Llew takes his vengeance on Goronwy by piercing him with the sunlight spear.  For Llew was restored/reborn at the Winter Solstice and is now well/old enough to vanquish his rival/twin and mate with his lover/mother.  And the great Mother Goddess, who has returned to her Virgin aspect at Candlemas, welcomes the young sun god's embraces and conceives a child.  The child will be born nine months from now, at the next Winter Solstice.  And so the cycle closes at last.

      We think that the customs surrounding the celebration of the spring equinox were imported from Mediterranean lands, although there can be no doubt that the first inhabitants of the British Isles observed it, as evidence from megalithic sites shows.  But it was certainly more popular to the south, where people celebrated the holiday as New Year's Day, and claimed it as the first day of the first sign of the Zodiac, Aries.  However you look at it, it is certainly a time of new beginnings, as a simple glance at Nature will prove.

      In the Roman Catholic Church, there are two holidays which get mixed up with the Vernal Equinox.  The first, occurring on the fixed calendar day of March 25th in the old liturgical calendar, is called the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (or B.V.M., as she was typically abbreviated in Catholic Missals).  'Annunciation' means an announcement.  This is the day that the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was 'in the family way'.  Naturally, this had to be announced since Mary, being still a virgin, would have no other means of knowing it.  (Quit scoffing, O ye of little faith!)  Why did the Church pick the Vernal Equinox for the commemoration of this event?  Because it was necessary to have Mary conceive the child Jesus a full nine months before his birth at the Winter Solstice (i.e., Christmas, celebrated on the fixed calendar date of December 25).  Mary's pregnancy would take the natural nine months to complete, even if the conception was a bit unorthodox.

      As mentioned before, the older Pagan equivalent of this scene focuses on the joyous process of natural conception, when the young virgin Goddess (in this case, 'virgin' in the original sense of meaning 'unmarried') mates with the young solar God, who has just displaced his rival.  This is probably not their first mating, however.  In the mythical sense, the couple may have been lovers since Candlemas, when the young God reached puberty.  But the young Goddess was recently a mother (at the Winter Solstice) and is probably still nursing her new child.  Therefore, conception is naturally delayed for six weeks or so and, despite earlier matings with the God, She does not conceive until (surprise!) the Vernal Equinox.  This may also be their Hand-fasting, a sacred marriage between God and Goddess called a Hierogamy, the ultimate Great Rite.  Probably the nicest study of this theme occurs in M. Esther Harding's book, 'Woman's Mysteries'.  Probably the nicest description of it occurs in M. Z. Bradley's 'Mists of Avalon', in the scene where Morgan and Arthur assume the sacred roles.  (Bradley follows the British custom of transferring the episode to Beltane, when the climate is more suited to its outdoor celebration.)

      The other Christian holiday which gets mixed up in this is Easter.  Easter, too, celebrates the victory of a god of light (Jesus) over darkness (death), so it makes sense to place it at this season.  Ironically, the name 'Easter' was taken from the name of a Teutonic lunar Goddess, Eostre (from whence we also get the name of the female hormone, estrogen).  Her chief symbols were the bunny (both for fertility and because her worshipers saw a hare in the full moon) and the egg (symbolic of the cosmic egg of creation), images which Christians have been hard pressed to explain.  Her holiday, the Eostara, was held on the Vernal Equinox Full Moon.  Of course, the Church doesn't celebrate full moons, even if they do calculate by them, so they planted their Easter on the following Sunday.  Thus, Easter is always the first Sunday, after the first Full Moon, after the Vernal Equinox.  If you've ever wondered why Easter moved all around the calendar, now you know.  (By the way, the Catholic Church was so adamant about NOT incorporating lunar Goddess symbolism that they added a further calculation: if Easter Sunday were to fall on the Full Moon itself, then Easter was postponed to the following Sunday instead.)

      Incidentally, this raises another point:  recently, some Pagan traditions began referring to the Vernal Equinox as Eostara.  Historically, this is incorrect.  Eostara is a lunar holiday, honoring a lunar Goddess, at the Vernal Full Moon.  Hence, the name 'Eostara' is best reserved to the nearest Esbat, rather than the Sabbat itself.  How this happened is difficult to say.  However, it is notable that some of the same groups misappropriated the term 'Lady Day' for Beltane, which left no good folk name for the Equinox.  Thus, Eostara was misappropriated for it, completing a chain-reaction of displacement.  Needless to say, the old and accepted folk name for the Vernal Equinox is 'Lady Day'.  Christians sometimes insist that the title is in honor of Mary and her Annunciation, but Pagans will smile knowingly.

      Another mythological motif which must surely arrest our attention at this time of year is that of the descent of the God or Goddess into the Underworld.  Perhaps we see this most clearly in the Christian tradition.  Beginning with his death on the cross on Good Friday, it is said that Jesus 'descended into hell' for the three days that his body lay entombed.  But on the third day (that is, Easter Sunday), his body and soul rejoined, he arose from the dead and ascended into heaven.   By a strange 'coincidence',  most ancient Pagan religions speak of the Goddess descending into the Underworld, also for a period of three days.  
    Why three days?  If we remember that we are here dealing with the lunar aspect of the Goddess, the reason should be obvious.  As the text of one Book of Shadows gives it, '...as the moon waxes and wanes, and walks three nights in darkness, so the Goddess once spent three nights in the Kingdom of Death.'  In our modern world, alienated as it is from nature, we tend to mark the time of the New Moon (when no moon is visible) as a single date on a calendar.  We tend to forget that the moon is also hidden from our view on the day before and the day after our calendar date.  But this did not go unnoticed by our ancestors, who always speak of the Goddess's sojourn into the land of Death as lasting for three days.  Is it any wonder then, that we celebrate the next Full Moon (the Eostara) as the return of the Goddess from chthonic regions?


      Naturally, this is the season to celebrate the victory of life over death, as any nature-lover will affirm.  And the Christian religion was not misguided by celebrating Christ's victory over death at this same season.  Nor is Christ the only solar hero to journey into the underworld.  King Arthur, for example, does the same thing when he sets sail in his magical ship, Prydwen, to bring back precious gifts (i.e. the gifts of life) from the Land of the Dead, as we are told in the 'Mabinogi'.  Welsh triads allude to Gwydion and Amaethon doing much the same thing.  In fact, this theme is so universal that mythologists refer to it by a common phrase, 'the harrowing of hell'.

      However, one might conjecture that the descent into hell, or the land of the dead, was originally accomplished, not by a solar male deity, but by a lunar female deity.  It is Nature Herself who, in Spring, returns from the Underworld with her gift of abundant life.  Solar heroes may have laid claim to this theme much later.  The very fact that we are dealing with a three-day period of absence should tell us we are dealing with a lunar, not solar, theme.  (Although one must make exception for those occasional MALE lunar deities, such as the Assyrian god, Sin.)  At any rate, one of the nicest modern renditions of the harrowing of hell appears in many Books of Shadows as 'The Descent of the Goddess'.  Lady Day may be especially appropriate for the celebration of this theme, whether by storytelling, reading, or dramatic re-enactment.

       For modern Witches, Lady Day is one of the Lesser Sabbats or Low Holidays of the year, one of the four quarter-days.  And what date will Witches choose to celebrate?  They may choose the traditional folk 'fixed' date of March 25th, starting on its Eve.  Or they may choose the actual equinox point, when the Sun crosses the Equator and enters the astrological sign of Aries.  This year (1988), that will occur at 3:39 am CST on March 20th.  


  	L A M M A S:  The First Harvest 
 	=============================== 
 	by Mike Nichols        
*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *         Once upon a Lammas Night
       When corn rigs are bonny,
       Beneath the Moon's unclouded light,
       I held awhile to Annie...      
*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *  
       Although in the heat of a Mid-western summer it might be difficult to discern, the festival of Lammas (Aug 1st) marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall.  The days now grow visibly shorter and by the time we've reached autumn's end (Oct 31st), we will have run the gamut of temperature from the heat of August to the cold and (sometimes) snow of November.  And in the midst of it, a perfect Mid-western autumn.  
    The history of Lammas is as convoluted as all the rest of the old folk holidays.  It is of course a cross-quarter day, one of the four High Holidays or Greater Sabbats of Witchcraft, occurring 1/4 of a year after Beltane.  It's true astrological point is 15 degrees Leo, which occurs at 1:18 am CDT, Aug 6th this year (1988), but tradition has set August 1st as the day Lammas is typically celebrated.  The celebration proper would begin on sundown of the previous evening, our July 31st, since the Celts reckon their days from sundown to sundown.

      However, British Witches often refer to the astrological date of Aug 6th as Old Lammas, and folklorists call it Lammas O.S. ('Old Style').  This date has long been considered a 'power point' of the Zodiac, and is symbolized by the Lion, one of the 'tetramorph' figures found on the Tarot cards, the World and the Wheel of Fortune (the other three figures being the Bull, the Eagle, and the Spirit).  Astrologers know these four figures as the symbols of the four 'fixed' signs of the Zodiac, and these naturally align with the four Great Sabbats of Witchcraft.  Christians have adopted the same iconography to represent the four gospel-writers.

      'Lammas' was the medieval Christian name for the holiday and it means 'loaf-mass', for this was the day on which loaves of bread were baked from the first grain harvest and laid on the church altars as offerings.  It was a day representative of 'first fruits' and early harvest.

      In Irish Gaelic, the feast was referred to as 'Lugnasadh', a feast to commemorate the funeral games of the Irish sun-god Lugh.  However, there is some confusion on this point.  Although at first glance, it may seem that we are celebrating the death of the Lugh, the god of light does not really die (mythically) until the autumnal equinox.  And indeed, if we read the Irish myths closer, we discover that it is not Lugh's death that is being celebrated, but the funeral games which Lugh hosted to commemorate the death of his foster- mother, Taillte.  That is why the Lugnasadh celebrations in Ireland are often called the 'Tailltean Games'.      
*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *        The time went by with careless heed
      Between the late and early,
      With small persuasion she agreed
      To see me through the barley...    
*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *  

      One common feature of the Games were the 'Tailltean marriages, a rather informal  marriage that lasted for only 'a year and a day' or until next Lammas.  At that time, the couple could decide to continue the arrangement if it pleased them, or to stand back to back and walk away from one another, thus bringing the Tailltean marriage to a formal close.  Such trial marriages (obviously related to the Wiccan 'Handfasting') were quite common even into the 1500's, although it was something one 'didn't bother the parish priest about'.  Indeed, such ceremonies were usually solemnized by a poet, bard, or shanachie (or, it may be guessed, by a priest or priestess of the Old Religion).

      Lammastide was also the traditional time of year for craft festivals.  The medieval guilds would create elaborate displays of their wares, decorating their shops and themselves in bright colors and ribbons, marching in parades, and performing strange, ceremonial plays and dances for the entranced onlookers.  The atmosphere must have been quite similar to our modern-day Renaissance Festivals, such as the one celebrated in near-by Bonner Springs, Kansas, each fall.

      A ceremonial highlight of such festivals was the 'Catherine wheel'.  Although the Roman Church moved St. Catherine's feast day all around the calender with bewildering frequency, it's most popular date was Lammas.  (They also kept trying to expel this much-loved saint from the ranks of the blessed because she was mythical rather than historical, and because her worship gave rise to the heretical sect known as the Cathari.)  At any rate, a  large wagon wheel was taken to the top of a near-by hill, covered with tar, set aflame, and ceremoniously rolled down the hill.  Some mythologists see in this ritual the remnants of a Pagan rite symbolizing the end of summer, the flaming disk representing the sun-god in his decline.  And just as the sun king has now reached the autumn of his years, his rival or dark self has just reached puberty.  

    Many commentators have bewailed the fact that traditional Gardnerian and Alexandrian Books of Shadows say very little about the holiday of Lammas, stating only that poles should be ridden and a circle dance performed.  This seems strange, for Lammas is a holiday of rich mythic and cultural associations, providing endless resources for liturgical celebration.    
*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *        Corn rigs and barley rigs,
      Corn rigs are bonny!
      I'll not forget that happy night
      Among the rigs with Annie!    
*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    [Verse quotations by Robert Burns, as handed down through several Books of Shadows.]


   	H A R V E S T   H O M E 
 	=======================
  	by Mike Nichols       

*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *       There were three men came out of the West,
     Their fortunes for to try,
     And these three men made a solemn vow,
     John Barleycorn must die...    
*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *  
       Despite the bad publicity  generated by Thomas Tryon's novel,  Harvest Home is the pleasantest of  holidays.  Admittedly, it does involve  the concept of sacrifice, but one that  is symbolic only.  The sacrifice is  that of the spirit of vegetation, John  Barleycorn.  Occurring 1/4 of the year  after Midsummer, Harvest Home  represents mid-autumn, autumn's  height.  It is also the Autumnal  Equinox, one of the quarter days of  the year, a Lesser Sabbat and a Low  Holiday in modern Witchcraft.      Technically, an equinox is an  astronomical point and, due to the  fact that the earth wobbles on its  axis slightly (rather like a top  that's slowing down), the date may  vary by a few days depending on the  year.  The autumnal equinox occurs  when the sun crosses the equator on  it's apparent journey southward, and  we experience a day and a night that  are of equal duration.  Up until  Harvest Home, the hours of daylight  have been greater than the hours from  dusk to dawn.  But from now on, the  reverse holds true.  Astrologers know  this as the date on which the sun  enters the sign of Libra, the Balance  (an appropriate symbol of a balanced  day and night).  This year (1988) it  will occur at 2:29 pm CDT on September  22nd.

      However, since most European  peasants were not accomplished at  calculating the exact date of the  equinox, they celebrated the event on  a fixed calendar date, September 25th,  a holiday the medieval Church  Christianized under the name of   'Michaelmas', the feast of the  Archangel Michael.  (One wonders if,  at some point, the R.C. Church  contemplated assigning the four  quarter days of the year to the four  Archangels, just as they assigned the  four cross-quarter days to the four  gospel-writers.  Further evidence for  this may be seen in the fact that  there was a brief flirtation with  calling the Vernal Equinox  'Gabrielmas', ostensibly to  commemorate the angel Gabriel's  announcement to Mary on Lady Day.)   Again, it must be remembered that the  Celts reckoned their days from sundown  to sundown, so the September 25th  festivities actually begin on the  previous sundown (our September 24th).

      Although our Pagan ancestors  probably celebrated Harvest Home on  September 25th, modern Witches and  Pagans, with their desk-top computers  for making finer calculations, seem to  prefer the actual equinox point,  beginning the celebration on its eve  (this year, sunset on September 21st).

      Mythically, this is the day of the  year when the god of light is defeated  by his twin and alter-ego, the god of  darkness.  It is the time of the year when night conquers day.  And as I  have recently shown in my seasonal  reconstruction of the Welsh myth of  Blodeuwedd, the Autumnal Equinox is  the only day of the whole year when  Llew (light) is vulnerable and it is  possible to defeat him.  Llew now  stands on the balance (Libra/autumnal  equinox), with one foot on the  cauldron (Cancer/summer solstice) and  his other foot on the goat  (Capricorn/winter solstice).  Thus he  is betrayed by Blodeuwedd, the Virgin  (Virgo) and transformed into an Eagle  (Scorpio).

      Two things are now likely to occur  mythically, in rapid succession.   Having defeated Llew, Goronwy  (darkness) now takes over Llew's  functions, both as lover to  Blodeuwedd, the Goddess, and as King  of our own world.  Although Goronwy,  the Horned King, now sits on Llew's  throne and begins his rule  immediately, his formal coronation  will not be for another six weeks,  occurring at Samhain (Halloween) or  the beginning of Winter, when he  becomes the Winter Lord, the Dark  King, Lord of Misrule.  Goronwy's  other function has more immediate  results, however.  He mates with the  virgin goddess, and Blodeuwedd  conceives, and will give birth -- nine  months later (at the Summer Solstice)  -- to Goronwy's son, who is really  another incarnation of himself, the  Dark Child.    

	Llew's sacrificial death at  Harvest Home also identifies him with  John Barleycorn, spirit of the fields.   Thus, Llew represents not only the  sun's power, but also the sun's life  trapped and crystallized in the corn.   Often this corn spirit was believed to  reside most especially in the last  sheaf or shock harvested, which was  dressed in fine clothes, or woven into  a wicker-like man-shaped form.  This  effigy was then cut and carried from  the field, and usually burned, amidst  much rejoicing.  So one may see  Blodeuwedd and Goronwy in a new guise,  not as conspirators who murder their  king, but as kindly farmers who  harvest the crop which they had  planted and so lovingly cared for.   And yet, anyone who knows the old  ballad of John Barleycorn knows that  we have not heard the last of him.  
*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *     *    *    *    *    *    *          They let him stand till  midsummer's day,
      Till he looked both pale and wan,
      And little Sir John's grown a  long, long beard
      And so become a man...     
*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *     *    *    *    *    *    *    	

	Incidentally, this annual mock  sacrifice of a large wicker-work  figure (representing the vegetation  spirit) may have been the origin of  the misconception that Druids made  human sacrifices.  This charge was  first made by Julius Caesar (who may  not have had the most unbiased of  motives), and has been re-stated many  times since.  However, as has often  been pointed out, the only historians  besides Caesar who make this  accusation are those who have read  Caesar.  And in fact, upon reading  Caesar's 'Gallic Wars' closely, one  discovers that Caesar never claims to  have actually witnessed such a sacrifice.  Nor does he claim to have  talked to anyone else who did.  In fact, there is not one single  eyewitness account of a human  sacrifice performed by Druids in all  of history!

      Nor is there any archeological  evidence to support the charge.  If,  for example, human sacrifices had been  performed at the same ritual sites  year after year, there would be  physical traces.  Yet there is not a  scrap.  Nor is there any native  tradition or history which lends  support.  In fact, insular tradition  seems to point in the opposite  direction.  The Druid's reverence for  life was so strict that they refused  to lift a sword to defend themselves  when massacred by Roman soldiers on  the Isle of Mona.  Irish brehon laws  forbade a Druid to touch a weapon, and  any soul rash enough to unsheathe a  sword in the presence of a Druid would  be executed for such an outrage!        Jesse Weston, in her brilliant  study of the Four Hallows of British  myth, 'From Ritual to Romance', points  out that British folk tradition is,  however, full of MOCK sacrifices.  In  the case of the wicker-man, such  figures were referred to in very  personified terms, dressed in clothes,  addressed by name, etc.  In such a  religious ritual drama, everybody  played along.    


*    *    *    *    *    *    *     *    *    *    *    *    *    *     	They've hired men with scythes so  sharp,
     To cut him off at the knee,
     They've rolled him and tied him by  the waist
     Serving him most barbarously...     
*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *     *    *    *    *    *    *    

          In the medieval miracle-play  tradition of the 'Rise Up, Jock'  variety (performed by troupes of  mummers at all the village fairs), a  young harlequin-like king always  underwent a mock sacrificial death.   But invariably, the traditional cast  of characters included a mysterious  'Doctor' who had learned many secrets  while 'travelling in foreign lands'.   The Doctor reaches into his bag of  tricks, plies some magical cure, and  presto! the young king rises up hale  and whole again, to the cheers of the  crowd.  As Weston so sensibly points  out, if the young king were ACTUALLY  killed, he couldn't very well rise up  again, which is the whole point of the ritual drama!  It is an enactment of  the death and resurrection of the  vegetation spirit.  And what better  time to perform it than at the end of  the harvest season?

      In the rhythm of the year, Harvest  Home marks a time of rest after hard work.  The crops are gathered in, and  winter is still a month and a half away!  Although the nights are getting  cooler, the days are still warm, and there is something magical in the  sunlight, for it seems silvery and  indirect.  As we pursue our gentle  hobbies of making corn dollies (those  tiny vegetation spirits) and wheat  weaving, our attention is suddenly  arrested by the sound of baying from  the skies (the 'Hounds of Annwn'  passing?), as lines of geese cut  silhouettes across a harvest moon.   And we move closer to the hearth, the  longer evening hours giving us time to  catch up on our reading, munching on  popcorn balls and caramel apples and  sipping home-brewed mead or ale.  What  a wonderful time Harvest Home is!  And  how lucky we are to live in a part of  the country where the season's changes  are so dramatic and majestic!  
*    *    *    *    *    *    *     *    *    *    *    *    *    *        And little Sir John in the  nut-brown bowl--
   And he's brandy in the glass,
   And little Sir John in the  nut-brown bowl
   Proved the strongest man at last.     
*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *     *    *    *    *    *    *        

  	T H E   D E A T H   O F   L L E W 
                      A Seasonal Interpretation 
 	 ================================= 
 	by Mike Nichols       

*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *   *    *    *    *    *    *    *          Not of father, nor of mother
        Was my blood, was my body.
        I was spellbound by Gwydion,
        Prime enchanter of the Britons,
        When he formed me from nine blossoms.
       --'Hanes Blodeuwedd'                      R. Graves, trans.      *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *   *    *    *    *    *    *    *  
        In most Pagan cultures, the sun god is seen as split between two rival personalities: the god of light and his twin, his 'weird', his 'other self', the god of darkness.  They are Gawain and the Green Knight, Gwyn and Gwythyr, Llew and Goronwy, Lugh and Balor, Balan and Balin, the Holly King and the Oak King, etc.  Often they are depicted as fighting seasonal battles for the favor of their goddess/lover, such as Creiddylad or Blodeuwedd, who represents Nature.

      The god of light is always born at the winter solstice, and his strength waxes with the lengthening days, until the moment of his greatest power, the summer solstice, the longest day.  And, like a look in a mirror, his 'shadow self', the lord of darkness, is born at the summer solstice, and his strength waxes with the lengthening nights until the moment of his greatest power, the winter solstice, the longest night.   
	Indirect evidence supporting this mirror-birth pattern is strongest in the Christianized form of the Pagan myth.  Many writers, from Robert Graves to Stewart Farrar, have repeatedly pointed out that Jesus was identified with the Holly King, while John the Baptist was the Oak King.  That is why, 'of all the trees that are in the wood, the Holly tree bears the crown.'  If the birth of Jesus, the 'light of the world', is celebrated at mid-winter, Christian folk tradition insists that John the Oak King (the 'dark of the world'?) was born (rather than died) at mid-summer.

      It is at this point that I must diverge from the opinion of Robert Graves and other writers who have followed him.  Graves believes that at midsummer, the Sun King is slain by his rival, the God of Darkness; just as the God of Darkness is, in turn, slain by the God of Light at midwinter.  And yet, in Christian folk tradition (derived from the older Pagan strain), it is births, not deaths, that are associated with the solstices.  For the feast of John the Baptist, this is all the more conspicuous, as it breaks the rules regarding all other saints.      

	John is the ONLY saint in the entire Catholic hagiography whose feast day is a commemoration of his birth, rather than his death.  A generation ago, Catholic nuns were fond of explaining that a saint is commemorated on the anniversary of his or her death because it was really a 'birth' into the Kingdom of Heaven.  But John the Baptist, the sole exception, is emphatically commemorated on the anniversary of his birth into THIS world.  Although this makes no sense viewed from a Christian perspective, it makes perfect poetic sense from the viewpoint of Pagan symbolism.  (John's earlier Pagan associations are treated in my essay on Midsummer.)  


    So if births are associated with the solstices, when do the symbolic deaths occur?  When does Goronwy slay Llew and when does Llew, in his turn, slay Goronwy?  When does darkness conquer light or light conquer darkness?  Obviously (to me, at least), it must be at the two equinoxes.  At the autumnal equinox, the hours of light in the day are eclipsed by the hours of darkness.  At the vernal equinox, the process is reversed.  Also, the autumnal equinox, called 'Harvest Home', is already associated with sacrifice, principally that of the spirit of grain or vegetation.  In this case, the god of light would be identical.

      In Welsh mythology in particular, there is a startling vindication of the seasonal placement of the sun god's death, the significance of which occurred to me in a recent dream, and which I haven't seen elsewhere.  Llew is the Welsh god of light, and his name means 'lion'.  (The lion is often the symbol of a sun god.)  He is betrayed by his 'virgin' wife Blodeuwedd, into standing with one foot on the rim of a cauldron and the other on the back of a goat.  It is only in this way that Llew can be killed, and Blodeuwedd's lover, Goronwy, Llew's dark self, is hiding nearby with a spear at the ready.  But as Llew is struck with it, he is not killed.  He is instead transformed into an eagle.

      Putting this in the form of a Bardic riddle, it would go something like this:  Who can tell in what season the Lion (Llew), betrayed by the Virgin (Blodeuwedd), poised on the Balance, is transformed into an Eagle? My readers who are astrologers are probably already gasping in recognition.  The sequence is astrological and in proper order:  Leo (lion), Virgo (virgin), Libra (balance), and Scorpio (for which the eagle is a well-known alternative symbol).  Also, the remaining icons, cauldron and goat, could arguably symbolize Cancer and Capricorn (representing summer and winter), the signs beginning with the two solstice points.  So Llew is balanced between cauldron and goat, between summer and winter, on the balance (Libra) point of the autumnal equinox, with one foot on the summer solstice and one foot on the winter solstice.    

	This, of course, is the answer to a related Bardic riddle.  Repeatedly, the 'Mabinogion' tells us that Llew must be standing with one foot on the cauldron and one foot on the goat's back in order to be killed.  But nowhere does it tell us why.  Why is this particular situation the ONLY one in which Llew can be overcome?  Because it represents the equinox point.  And the autumnal equinox is the only time of the entire year when light (Llew) can be overcome by darkness (Goronwy).

      It should now come as no surprise that, when it is time for Llew to kill Goronwy in his turn, Llew insists that Goronwy stands where he once stood while he (Llew) casts the spear.  This is no mere vindictiveness on Llew's part.  For, although the 'Mabinogion' does not say so, it should by now be obvious that this is the only time when Goronwy can be overcome.  Light can overcome darkness only at the equinox -- this time the vernal equinox.  (Curiously, even the Christian  tradition retains this association, albeit in a distorted form, by celebrating Jesus' death near the time of the vernal equinox.)


      The Welsh myth concludes with Gwydion pursuing the faithless Blodeuwedd through the night sky, and a path of white flowers springs up in the wake of her passing, which we today know as the Milky Way. When Gwydion catches her, he transforms her into an owl, a fitting symbol of autumn, just as her earlier association with flowers (she was made from them) equates her with spring.  Thus, while Llew and Goronwy represent summer and winter, Blodeuwedd herself represents both spring and fall, as patron goddess of flowers and owls, respectively.

      Although it is far more speculative than the preceding material, a final consideration would pursue this mirror-like life pattern of Llew and Goronwy to its ultimate conclusion.  Although Llew is struck with the sunlight spear at the autumnal equinox, and so 'dies' as a human, it takes a while before Gwydion discovers him in his eagle form.  How long?  We may speculate 13 weeks, when the sun reaches the midpoint of the sign (or form) of the eagle, Scorpio -- on Halloween.  And if this is true, it may be that Llew, the sun god, finally 'dies' to the upper world on Halloween, and now passes through the gates of death, where he is immediately crowned king of the underworld, the Lord of Misrule!  (In medieval tradition, the person proclaimed as 'Lord of Misrule' reigned from Halloween to Old Christmas -- or, before the calender changes, until the winter solstice.)

      Meanwhile, Goronwy (with Blodeuwedd at his side) is crowned king in the upper world, and occupies Llew's old throne, beginning on Halloween.  Thus, by winter solstice, Goronwy has reached his position of greatest strength in OUR world, at the same moment that Llew, now sitting on Goronwy's old throne, reaches his position of greatest strength in the underworld.  However, at the moment of the winter solstice, Llew is born again, as a babe, (and as his own son!) into our world.  And as Llew later reaches manhood and dispatches Goronwy at the vernal equinox, Goronwy will then ascend the underworld throne at Beltane, but will be reborn into our world at midsummer, as a babe, later to defeat Llew all over again.  And so the cycle closes at last, resembling nothing so much as an intricately woven, never-ending bit of Celtic knotwork.      

	So Midsummer (to me, at least) is a celebration of the sun god at his zenith, a crowned king on his throne.  He is at the height of his power and still 1/4 of a year away from his ritual death at the hands of his rival.  However, at the very moment of his greatest strength, his dark twin, the seed of his destruction, is born -- just as the days begin to shorten.  The spear and the cauldron have often been used as symbols for this holiday and it should now be easy to see why.  Sun gods are virtually always associated with spears (even Jesus is pierced by one), and the midsummer cauldron of Cancer is a symbol of the Goddess in her fullness.  If we have learned anything from this story from the fourth branch of the 'Mabinogion', it is about the power of myth -- how it may still instruct and guide us, many centuries after it has passed from oral to written tradition.  And in studying it, we have barely scratched the surface. 

                         	SPRING EQUINOX CEREMONY   

Preparations: 
	A wheel symbol stands on the altar; it may be anything that feels 
suitable a cut out disc painted yellow or gold and decorated with 
spring flowers, a circular mirror, around brass tray.   The High Priest's robe, if any, and accessories should be symbolic of the Sun; any metal he wears should be gold, gilt,brass or bronze.   The altar, if indoors, should be decorated with springflowers particularly the yellow ones such as daffodils,primroses, gorse, or forsythia. One banquet should be ready for handing to the Spring Queen, and a chaplet of flowers for her crowning. The Spring Queen is one of the younger women in the Coven.    

	The cauldron is placed in the center of the circle, with an unlit 
candle in it. If outside, and conditions permit, a bonfire is made ready to light. A taper is placed ready on the altar for the Maiden to carry fire to the High Priest.

	A phallic wand is on the altar.

	Half as many cords as there are people present are ready on the 
     altar, tied together at their center point in a single knot. If 
     there is an odd number of people, add one before dividing by two.

     As part of the feasting and offering to the Gods, you can use hard 
     boiled eggs with painted shells. These symbolize the World Egg, 
     laid by the Goddess and hatched by the heat of the Sun of the God.

The High Priest moves to stands in the East, and the High Priestess in the West, facing each other over the unlit bonfire. The High Priestess carries the phallic wand in her right hand. The rest of the Coven distribute themselves around the rest of the perimeter of the Circle.

The High Priestess says:
	
       "We kindle this fire today
 	In presence of the Holy Ones,
	Without malice, without jealousy, without envy,
	Without fear of aught beneath the Sun
	But the High Gods.
	Thee we invoke, O Light of Life,
	Be Thou a bright flame before us,
	Be Thou a guiding star above us,
	Be Thou a smooth path beneath us;
	Kindle Thou within our hearts
	A flame of love for our neighbors,
	To our foes, to our friends, to our kindred all,
	To all men on the broad earth.
	O merciful Son of Cerridwen,
	From the lowliest thing that liveth
	To the Name which is highest of all."

    The High Priestess holds the phallic wand on high and walks slowly deosil around the bonfire or cauldron to stand in front of the High Priest. She says:

	"O Sun, be Thou ready to conquer the Dark!"

    The High Priestess presents the phallic wand the High Priest and then 	steps to one side.
    The High Priest holds up the wand in salute and replaces it on the 	altar.
    The Maiden lights the taper from one of the altar candles and presents 	it to the High Priest. The Maiden then steps to one side.
    
    The High Priest carries the taper to the bonfire and lights it. He gives the taper back to the Maiden, who blows it out and replaces it on the altar. She then picks up the cords and gives them to the High Priest.

	 The High Priestess arranges everyone around the fire, man facing woman as far as possible. The High Priest hands out the ends of the cords in accordance with her instructions,retaining on end of the final cord himself and handing the other end of it to the High Priestess. If there is an odd number of people, with more men then women, he holds on to two cord ends himself, or if more women then men, the High Priestess does the same. Either way, both of them must be linked with two members of the opposite sex.

	When everyone is holding a cord, they all pull the cords taut, with the central knot above the fire. They then start circling deosil in the Wheel dance, building up speed, always keeping the cords taut and the knot over the fire. Any chant can be used that sounds good.

        Then the Coven all sit in a circle round the fire. The High Priest gathers up the cords, being careful not to let them get burned and replaces them on the altar.

	The High Priest names one of the women to be the Spring Queen and stands her in front of the altar. He crowns her with the chaplet of flowers and gives her the Five Fold Kiss.

        The High Priest steps back and calls forward each man in turn to give the Spring Queen the FiveFold Kiss. When the last man has done so, the High Priest presents the Spring Queen with her bouquet.
	Then, starting with the Spring Queen, everyone jumps over the fire, singly or in couples, not forgetting to wish.


Farrar, Janet and Stewart; "Eight Sabbats For Witches"; Robert 	Hale 1983

	SMUDGING: HOW TO DO IT--HOW NOT TO DO IT 
                                             ~~~ 
	 
I came across a very interesting article from "Shaman's Drum" which 
was reprinted for Vision Quest Bookstore.  I will attempt to convey 
the gist of it, along with my views, as a student of the Ways of the 
Teneh, about it. Smudging is a way of using the smoke from burning 
herbs as a way to cleanse the body, an object, or a given area of 
negative influences.  I myself use smudging to "cleanse" crystals 
before using them in jewelry projects I may do, and for protecting my 
home from some recent "bad vibe"-producing events. (landlord 
troubles!)  I imagine that the skillful use of the proper herbs could 
help in warding and banishing ceremonies as well, if used properly and 
with reverence. The three most used plant material for smudging are 
sage of all types, cedar, and sweetgrass. 
 
Sage 
~~~~ 
There are two major genii and several varieties of each genus of Sage 
that are used for smudging.  Salvia, or the herb sage used for cooking, 
comes in two major varieties: S. Officinalis, commonly known as Garden 
Sage, and S. Apiana, commonly known as White Sage.  Salvia varieties 
have long been acknowledged as healing herbs, reflected in the fact 
that its genus name comes from the Latin root word *salvare*, which is 
the verb "to heal" or "to save." Artemisia is the genus commonly 
considered "Sagebrush", and is more common in the wilds out here in 
California. There are two major varieties to the Artemisia genus: 
A. Californica, or Common Sagebrush, and A. Vulgaris, or Mugwort. 
There are many other varieties of both Salvia and Artemisia, and all are 
effective in smudging.  Sage is burned in smudging ceremonies to drive 
out evil spirits, negative thoughts and feelings, and to keep Gan'n 
(negative entities) away from areas where ceremonials take place.  In 
the Plains Sweatlodge, the floor of the structure is strewn with sage 
leaves for the participants to  rub on their bodies during the sweat. 
Sage is also used in keeping sacred objects like pipes or Peyote wands 
safe from negative influence.  In the Sioux nation, the Sacred Pipe is 
kept in a bundle with sage boughs.  I would think special crystals could 
be so protected this way as well. 
 
Cedar 
~~~~~ 
True cedar is of the Thuja and Libocedrus genii.  Some Junipers 
(Juniperus genus) are also called "cedar", thus complicating things some. 
Some Juniper varieties ARE cleansing herbs, especially J. Monosperma, or 
Desert White Cedar.  But for smudging, the best is Western Red Cedar 
(Thuja occidentalis) and California Incense Cedar (Libocedrus descurrens). 
Cedar is burnt while praying to the Great Spirit (Usen', the Source--also 
known to Plains nations as Wakan Tanka) in meditation, and also to bless a 
house before moving in as is the tradition in the Northwest and 
Western Canada.  It works both as a purifier and as a way to attract 
GOOD energy in your direction.  It is usually available in herb stores 
in chipped form, which must be sprinkled over a charcoal in a brazier. 
 I like a piece of charcoaled mesquite for this purpose, rather than 
the commercial charcoal cake. 
 


Sweetgrass 
~~~~~~~~~~ 
Very important to the Sioux and Cherokee nations, its botanical name is 
Hierochloe Oderata.  In these tribes, the sweetgrass is braided like hair 
braids. It could be burnt by lighting the end of it, or (more economically) by shaving little bits of it onto charcoal in a brazier.  Again, use 
charcoaled Mesquite (I believe it comes packaged for barbecue use 
under the brand name "Red Arrow") to burn it, not pressed charcoal 
tablets.  Sweetgrass is burnt after smudging with sage, to welcome in 
good influences after the bad had been driven out. Sweetgrass is very 
rare today, and traditional Plains people have been attempting to 
protect the last of it.  Myself, I believe that Cedar, which is not 
endangered, can safely be used this way.  Also Pinon pine needles 
(used more frequently by the Southwest Teneh, like the Navajo and 
Apache as well as the Pueblo people and the Zuni) and Copal (used by 
the Yaqui and in ancient times by the Azteca and the Maya) have 
similar effect.  The three mentioned here are readily available either 
through gathering yourself or, in the case of copal resin, from any 
good herb shop. 
 
Using Smudging 
~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ 
Burn clippings of the herb in a brazier...not a shell as some "new age" 
shamanic circles do...it is an insult to White Painted Woman (The Goddess) to do this, especially with the abalone shell which is especially sacred 
to Her. If the herb is bundled in a "wand", you can also  light the end 
of the wand that isn't woody and use that.  I like the latter way.  Direct the smoke with your hands or with a Peyote (feather) wand over the 
person or thing you wish to smudge.  If you can see auras, look for 
discolored places in the aura and direct the healing smoke towards 
those places on the patient's body.  For cleansing a house, first 
offer cedar smoke to the four directions outside the house.  Then, 
take a sage bough and go throughout the inside of the house, making 
sure the smoke penetrates every nook and cranny of the house.  It 
might help also, if you have a power animal, to visualize your animal 
doing these things, to also dance your animal, and if you have a power 
song, to sing that too.  Then finally, run through the house with a 
white candle that is well protected, to "light up" the house.  Careful 
not to burn it down when you do it!!! 
 
Final Thoughts 
~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ 
Smudging should be done with care, with reverence, and in an attitude 
of LOVE.  Show your respect and honor to the plants that Usen' has 
given us for our healing, and they will return the favor by keeping us 
well and free from disease and negative energy. Aloe Vera plants, 
though not to be burnt, are good for the cleansing angle as well.  Keep 
one or more potted Aloe Veras in the house (modern varieties are too 
tender to plant in anything but full shade outside) in organic (wood 
or ceramic, never plastic or metal) pots.  To honor the plant when you 
transplant it, sprinkle the roots with corn meal and smudge it with 
cedar once it is transplanted.  The spirit of Aloe Vera is a good 
protective spirit, and if you burn yourself, can also be used to heal 
your skin.  BE SURE TO ASK THE PLANT'S PERMISSION before cutting part 
of the leaf off for the healing juice.  If you don't, the protective 
power of the plant will cease, and you will be left with but an inert 
houseplant...and perhaps some bad karma to boot. 
Hi-dicho, it is finished....ENJU! 
	Michelle Chihacou White Puma Klein-Hass 
             An Introduction to Traditional Wicca 
    c. 1987,  Keepers of the Ancient Mysteries   ( .K.A.M. ) 
 
Often Traditional Wiccans are asked to describe our religion and 
beliefs for interested people, who may or may not have confused 
us with other Pagan religions, with inversions of 
Christian/Islamic religions like Satanism, or with purely magical 
traditions with no religious base. There is a lot of flexibility 
in the ways that we describe ourselves, and one characteristic of 
Wicca is a large degree of personal liberty to practice as we 
please. Still, there is an outline that can be described in 
general terms. Many traditions will depart from one particular or 
another, but groups departing from all or most of these features 
are probably non-Wiccan Traditions attempting to stretch or 
distort the Wiccan name to cover what they want to do. 
 
Mysteries and Initiation 
 
Wicca is an Initiatory religion descended from the Ancient 
Mystery Religions. A mystery religion is not like Catholicism 
where a Priest is the contact point between the worshiper and the 
Deity, nor like Protestantism where a sacred Book provides the 
contact and guidelines for being with the divine. Rather a 
Mystery Religion is a religion of personal experience and 
responsibility, in which each worshiper is encouraged, taught and 
expected to develop an ongoing and positive direct relationship 
with the Gods. The religion is called a "Mystery" because such 
experiences are very hard to communicate in words, and are 
usually distorted in the telling. You have to have been there in 
person to appreciate what is meant. Near and far-Eastern 
religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and Shinto are probably 
Mystery traditions, but Wicca is very western in cultural flavor 
and quite different than eastern religions in many ways. 
 
A Blend of Pagan Roots 
 
Most Wiccan Traditions, .K.A.M. included, have particular roots 
in the British Mystery Traditions. This includes traditions of 
the Picts who lived before the rise of Celtic consciousness, the 
early Celts, and some selected aspects of Celtic Druidism. 
American Wicca is directly descended from British Wicca, brought 
in the late 1950's by English and American Initiates of 
Gardnerian, Alexandrian and Celtic Wicca. These traditions are a 
little like the denominations in Christianity, but hopefully far 
more harmonious. 
 
While British Traditions are very strong in Wicca, or the Craft 
as it is sometimes called, other Western Mystery traditions 
feature prominently, including the ancient Greek Mysteries of 
Eleusis,  Italian Mysteries of Rome, Etruria and the general 
countryside, Mysteries of Egypt and Persia before Islam, and 
various Babylonian, Assyrian and other mid-eastern Mysteries that 
flourished before the political rise of the advocates of "one 
god". 


What's In a Name? 
 
Wicca, Witchecraft, and "The Craft" are used interchangeably at 
times by many kinds of people. It is fair to say that all Wiccans 
are Witches, and many of us believe we are the only people 
entitled to the name. It is important to know that many people 
call themselves witches who are not in the least Wiccan, and that 
Masons also refer to themselves as "Craft", with good historical 
precedent. Carefully question people on the particular things 
they do and believe as part of their religion rather than relying 
on labels. Any real Wiccan would welcome such honest inquiry. 
 
Traditions and Flavor 
 
There are specific Wiccan beliefs and traditions, including 
worship of an equal and mated Goddess and God who take many forms 
and have many Names. Groups who worship only a Goddess or only a 
God are not traditional Wicca however they may protest, although 
they may be perfectly good Pagans of another sort. The Wiccan 
Goddess and God are linked to nature, ordinary love and children 
-- Wicca is very life affirming in flavor.  
 
Because we have and love our own Gods, Wiccans have nothing to do 
with other people's deities or devils, like the Christian God or 
Satan, the Muslim Allah or the Jewish Jehovah (reputedly not his 
real name). Christians often deny this fact because they think 
that their particular god is the only God, and everybody else in 
the whole world must be worshipping their devil. How arrogant. 
They're wrong on both counts. 
 
Traditional Wicca is a religion of personal responsibility and 
growth. Initiates take on a particular obligation to personal 
development throughout their lives, and work hard to achieve what 
we call our "True Will", which is the best possibility that we 
can conceive for ourselves. Finding your Will isn't easy, and 
requires a lot of honesty, courage and hard work. It is also very 
rewarding. 
 
Wicca is generally a cheerful religion, and has many holidays and 
festivals. In fact, most of the more pleasant holidays now on our 
calendar are descended from the roots Wicca draws on, including 
Christmas, May Day, Easter and Summer Vacation. Wicca is 
definitely not always serious. Dancing, feasting and general 
merriment are a central part of the celebrations. 

 
Wiccan Ethics 
 
Wiccans have ethics which are different in nature than most 
"one-god" religions, which hand out a list of "do's and don'ts". 
We have a single extremely powerful ethical principal which 
Initiates are responsible for applying in specific situations 
according to their best judgment. That principle is called the 
Wiccan Rede (Old-English for rule) and reads: 
 
"An (if) it harm none, do as ye Will" 
 
Based on the earlier mention of "True Will", you will understand 
that the Rede is far more complex than it sounds, and is quite 
different than saying "Do whatever you want as long as nobody is 
hurt". Finding out your Will is difficult sometimes, and figuring 
out what is harmful, rather than just painful or unpleasant is 
not much easier. 
 
Initiation into Wicca 
 
People become Wiccans only by Initiation, which is a process of 
contacting and forming a good relationship with the Gods and 
Goddesses of Wicca. Initiation is preceded by at least a year and 
a day of preparation and study, and must be performed by a 
qualified Wiccan Priestess and Priest. The central event of 
Initiation is between you and your Gods, but the Priestess is 
necessary to make the Initiation a Wiccan one, to pass some of 
her power onto you as a new-made Priestess or Priest and to 
connect you to the Tradition you're joining. 
 
Women hold the central place in Wicca. A Traditional Coven is 
always headed by a High Priestess, a Third Degree female Witch 
with at least three years and three days of specific training. A 
Priest is optional, but the Priestess is essential. Similarly, a 
Priest may not Initiate without a Priestess, but a Priestess 
alone is sufficient. Women are primary in Wicca for many reasons, 
one of which is that the Goddess is central to our religion. 
 
One Religion at a Time 
 
People often ask "Can I become a Wiccan and still remain a 
Christian, Muslim, practicing Jew, etc. The answer is no. The 
"one god" religions reject other paths besides their own, 
including each other's. "One-god" religions also do not exalt the 
Female as does Wicca, and mixing two such different traditions 
would water them both down. Besides, you'd have to ask how 
serious a person who practiced two religions was about either 
one. Being Jewish is an exception, since it is a race and culture 
as well as a religion. There are many Wiccan Jews, but they 
practice Wicca, not Judaism. 


Magick and Science 
 
People interested in Wicca are usually curious about the magick 
that Wiccans can do. While magick (spelled with a "k" to 
distinguish from stage conjuring) is not a religion in itself, it 
is related to our religious beliefs. Wiccans believe that people 
have many more abilities than are generally realized, and that it 
is a good idea to develop them. Our magick is a way of using 
natural forces to change consciousness and material conditions as 
an expression of our "True Wills". Part of becoming a Wiccan is 
training in our methods of psychic and magickal development.  
 
Because we believe that everything a person does returns to them 
magnified, a Wiccan will not work a magick for harm, since they 
would pay too high a price. But a helpful magick is good for both 
the giver and receiver! Wicca is entirely compatible with the 
scientific method, and we believe all the Gods and forces we work 
with to be quite natural, not supernatural at all. We do not, 
however, hold with the kind of scientific dogma or pseudo religion 
that sees everything as dead matter and neglects its own method 
by trumpeting "facts" without honest examination of evidence. 
 
Priestesses at Large? 
 
Long ago the spiritual (and sometimes physical) ancestors of 
Wiccans were Priestesses and Priests to the Pagan culture as well 
as devotees of their Mystery. Now that a Pagan culture is rising 
again, some ask if today's Wiccans could resume that role. This 
seems unlikely.  
 
Today's Pagan culture is very diverse and more interested in 
exploring and creating new forms than in building on existing 
traditions. A public role would either dilute our traditions or 
force them on an unwilling audience. The neo-Pagan community 
generally prefers "media figures" and rapid membership and 
growth. This is  not compatible with our slow methods of training 
and Initiation, the insistence that livelihood come from work 
outside the Craft, or our needs for privacy. Our religion is not 
accepted in the American workplace or political system, and may 
never be. The most powerful Priestesses are often unknown to all 
but their Coveners. While all Wiccans are Pagans, all Pagans are 
not Wiccan, and it is best that it remain so. 
 

	Principles of Wiccan Beliefs

1.  We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the
seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarter.   

2.  We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with Nature, in ecological balance offering fulfillment to
life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.   

3.  We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called supernatural, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.

4.  We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as
manifesting through polarity -- as masculine and feminine -- and that this same  Creative Power lies in all people, and functions through the interaction of the masculine and feminine. We value neither above the other, knowing each to be supportive to the other. We value sex as pleasure, as the symbol and embodiment
of life, and as one of the sources of energies used in magickal practice and religious worship.

5.  We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological, worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconscious, Inner Planes, etc. -- and we see in the inter-action of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magickal exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.

6.  We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.


7.  We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it -- a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft -- the Wiccan Way.

8.  Calling oneself "Witch" does not make a Witch -- but neither does heredity itself, not the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seeks to control the forces within her/himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and well without harm to others and in harmony with Nature.

9.  We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a
continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal roll within it.

10.  Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the only way" and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.

11.  As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the Craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.

12.  We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as "Satan" or "the Devil", as defined by the Christian traditions. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

13.  We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is
contributory to our health and well-being.

The afore mentioned principles are from the Council of American Witches circa 1974 .

                            The Wiccan Way 
 
Recognizing that there is more than one path to spiritual 
enlightenment and that Wicca is but one of many, and that Wicca 
holds within itself the belief that there is more than one type of 
step set to the spiral dance, find here listed common denominators 
of the Craft. 
 
That there is above all the Goddess in her three-fold aspect and many 
are her names.  With all her names we call her Maiden, Mother and 
Crone. 
 
That there is the God, consort and son, giver of strength and most 
willing of sacrifice. 
 
That and it harm none, do what ye will shall be the law. 
 
That each of her children are bound by the three-fold law and that 
whatever we create, be it joy or sorrow, laughter or pain, is brought 
back to us three-fold. 
 
That as she is the mother of all living things and we are all her 
children, we seek to live in harmony not only with each other, but 
with the planet earth that is our womb and home. 
 
That life upon the earth is not a burden to be born, but a joy to be 
learned and shared with others. 
 
That death is not an ending of existence, but a step in the on-going 
process of life. 
 
That there is no sacrifice of blood, for She is the mother of all 
living things, and from her all things proceed and unto her all 
things must return. 
 
That each and everyone of the children who follow this path has 
no need of another between themselves and the Goddess, but may find 
Her within themselves. 
 
That there shall not by intent be a desecration of another's symbols 
of beliefs, for we are all seeking harmony within the One. 
 
That each person's faith is private unto themselves and that 
another's belief is not to be set out and made public. 
 
That the Wiccan way is not to seek converts, but that the way be 
made open to those who for reasons of their own seek and find the 
Craft. 
 
And as it is willed, so mote it be. 
 

                       The Charge of the Goddess 
 
 
           Whenever  ye have need of any thing, once in the month, and 
     better  it  be  when  the moon is full, then shall ye assemble in 
     some  secret  place  and adore the spirit of She, who is Queen of 
     all  witches.  There  shall ye assemble, ye who are fain to learn 
     all  sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets; to these will 
     She teach things that are yet unknown.  And ye shall be free from 
     slavery;  and as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be naked 
     in  your  rites;  and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and 
     love,  all  in Her praise. For Hers is the ecstasy of the spirit, 
     and  Hers  also  is  joy  on  earth; for Her law is love unto all 
     beings. Keep pure your highest ideal; strive ever towards it; let 
     naught  stop  you  or turn you aside. For Hers is the secret door 
     which opens upon the land of youth and Hers is the cup of wine of 
     life,  and  the cauldron of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Grail of 
     immortality.  She  is the gracious goddess, who gives the gift of 
     joy  unto the heart of man. Upon earth, She gave the knowledge of 
     the  spirit  eternal;  and  beyond  death,  She  gives  peace and 
     freedom,  and  reunion  with those who have gone before. Nor does 
     She  demand  sacrifice,  for  behold,  She  is  the mother of all 
     living, and Her love is poured out upon the earth. 
 
          She who is the beauty of the green earth, and the white moon 
     among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of 
     the  heart of man, calls unto thy soul. Arise, and come unto Her. 
     For  She  is  the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe. 
     from Her all things proceed, and unto Her all things must return; 
     and before Her face, beloved of gods and men, let thine innermost 
     divine  self  be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let Her 
     worship  be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all acts 
     of  love and pleasure are Her rituals. And therefore let there be 
     beauty  and  strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, 
     mirth  and  reverence  within  you. And thou who thinkest to seek 
     Her,  know  thy  seeking and yearning shall avail thee not unless 
     thou  knowest  the  mystery; that if that which thou seekest thou 
     findest  not  within  thee,  then thou wilt never find it without 
     thee.  For behold, She has been with thee from the beginning; and 
     She is that which is attained at the end of desire. 
 

	 Satanism vs. Wicca 
	By: Diane Vera 

Since your main worry seems to be public relations, here's how I 
would make the distinction between Wicca and Satanism, in a way that 
is fair to both sides and does not throw Satanists to the dogs: 
. 
     Wicca and Satanism are quite distinct.  Wiccans worship pre- 
     Christian deities (or a modern-day composite of pre-Christian 
     deities) and do not worship the Christian anti-God.  Some 
     Satanists also worship a pre-Christian deity, but regard the 
     Christian anti-God as a manifestation of their deity, which 
     Wiccans do not.  Wicca and Satanism are very different in 
     their aims and tone.  Wicca emphasizes harmony and balance, 
     whereas Satanism emphasizes spiritual self-liberation via 
     iconoclasm and catharsis. 
. 
I should mention, though, there's one possible problem with that 
last sentence.  Some feminist Wiccans might take offense at it, 
since it implies the more radical forms of feminist Wicca are really 
more like Satanism than like Wicca.  Which in my opinion they are. 
If you've read some of Mary Daly's books, you'll know what I mean. 
. 
I myself identify as a feminist Goddess-oriented neo-Pagan, as well 
as a Satanist.  Indeed, feminist Goddess religion is still my 
*primary*  religious identification.  (Satanism is how I relate to 
"male" energy.)  I don't and never did call myself a feminist 
"Wiccan". 
. 
By the way, while I accept today's use of the word Wicca (with a 
capital W) to refer to a specific European-based religion with a 
very specific worldview,  I do  *not*  accept the attempt by Wiccans 
to copyright the words "witch" and "witchcraft".  These words are 
generic terms, not the property of any one religion.  They refer to 
occult practices found in many religions around the world.  A 
Satanist has as much right to the word "witch" as anyone else.  (It 
so happens that  *I*  don't call myself a "witch", but for a 
different reason:  I think many "witches" are making exaggerated 
claims to occult power, and I don't want to give the appearance of 
making such an exaggerated claim.) 

	Women vs. Men
	By: Michelle Hass (in conversation with Scott Szakonyi

	"Ok folks, Loki and I have been chatting, and we're ready to raise a 
	ruckus that might go on for months."
 
	Chiniginish and I relish the challenge...with Coyote looking over Our shoulders and chuckling... 
 
	"Here's the question:  Are women superior to men, and if so, why? 
	I THINK that women are superior to men in the modern world because 
	evolution is lagging society.  Most of the evolution of the human race 	(about 60 million yrs) took place in hunter/gatherer tribes, where 	aggressive behavior on the part of the male hunters was a survival 	trait, and relating/caring behavior was a survival trait for females.  	Now, in the 20 thousand or so years since we have become agrarian, the 	need for male hunter aggressiveness has gone the way of the Dodo, 	while the need for relating/caring behavior has become primary.  Where 	does this leave us? 

	"Well, as I see it, women are almost ideally suited to the 	overcrowded, communication intensive environment that we call modern 	society.  Men, on the other hand, are like people with no arms playing 	handball.  It's not that we're bad folk, it's just that we were 	designed by evolution for an environment that hasn't existed for 20 	THOUSAND YEARS, which is a real drop in the bucket in terms of 	evolution.  Evolution isn't going to be giving us any help for at 	least a few million years; maybe never since we are constantly 	screwing up the gene pool with our wars that leave the genetically 	defective to breed and send the genetically preferable off to 	evolutionary dead ends.  So all we men can do is try to better 	ourselves and ask for patience on the part of women, who must feel 	like the entire male sex has completely missed the boat. "
 
	Well, you've got a nice point, but it assumes something that I believe 'taint necessarily so. Is male aggressiveness part of nature or nurture? 
The jury seems to be coming back from a long period of deliberation, and it looks like the verdict is NURTURE. 
 
This very nicely dovetails with my own theory of what thelemites refer to as the "procession of the aeons". In Crowley's notorious Liber Al vel Legis, we are said to be passing from an aeon of belief in suffering male gods and patriarchy to an aeon of belief in the value of Self and of partnership between the sexes. Crowley called the old aeon the "Aeon of Osiris" and the new the "Aeon of Horus, the Crowned and Conquering Child." The enthroned Child is not masculine or feminine, but androgynous/gynandrous. The aeon before the Osirian was that of Isis, an aeon of Great Mother Goddesses and matriarchy. 
 
My chronology is a little different than that which Crowley attributed to these three epochs of human history so far. Crowley declared that the Aeon of Horus began with the Spring Equinox of 1904+ Common, just before the writing of the Book of the Law. I maintain that the change is still taking place, and had its roots in the 1700s+ Common. The writings of the philosopher Locke were some of the first to make a very important quantum jump, and provided ideological impetus for the vital changes that have and are taking place. 

What Locke asserted was that government did not rest on Divine Right, but on the consent of the governed. Human beings were not born to different castes, some fated to serve while others were fated to rule by the grace of the gods.  Human beings were born equal, and had certain rights as a birthright: Life, Liberty, the right to pursue Happiness, and the right to security of private property. 
 
This assertion shows up in Liber Al as these statements: 
	"Every Man and Every Woman is a Star. "
	"Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be The Whole Of The Law. "
	"Love Is The Law, Love Under Will. "
	"Thou hast no right but to do thy Will. "
 
In a little less arcane language, these statements run thusly: 
	Every Individual matters. 
	Every Individual has the right to live, be free and pursue Happiness 	(harmony with one's life's purpose, or True Will) as they Will. 
	These rights stop at the boundary of the Wills of others. Live your 	life as you see fit, but mind your own business and above all, HARM 	NOBODY. This includes yourself in a very conditional way. You *do* 	have the right to self destruction, but if you truly believe that you 	matter, why would you want to? 
 
These assertions are usually encountered firstly in a Locke-inspired document that has passed into the history of this country, the Declaration of Independence. If there is any one document that is a trigger point for the New Aeon, it's that one. The American Revolution was the first time monarchy was cast aside in favor of democracy of a representative sort. Democracy was tried before, but never quite this way. And despite several course corrections that needed to be made, (the abolishment of Slavery, the giving of Women, Blacks and Amerinds the right to vote) and some that still need to be made (the granting of total equality for all races and sexes, a shift to a more direct method of participation, ie Cyber-democracy) the democratic experiment in the United 
States is the most enduring of all. 
 
Before the 1700s, government was imposed from above, not thought of as flowing from the consent of the governed. Individuals were not accorded rights as a birthright, but were granted rights by the king, usually on a class-by-class basis. Human beings were dealt with as masses and classes, on a Collective basis. 
 
Coincidental with these developments was a surfacing of hermetic thought in a more widespread way then ever before in history. The Rosicrucian and Freemason movements brought hermeticism to a wide audience. Within the ranks of Freemasonry were both common and noble, and often commoners would be lodgemasters in lodges frequented by those of noble birth. Hermetic orders ennobled not by birth, but by level of knowledge and initiation and (hopefully) by level of spiritual attainment. 
 
Now, this was fine in theory, but unfortunately in practice things weren't so swift. It was only until the mid-1800s and groups like the original Golden Dawn that women had the possibility of initiation. Even now, in Masonic lodges that have lost their occult focus and are now little more than men's clubs, men are ritually strip-searched to assure the initiator that the candidate is indeed male and not a disguised female. 


The baggage of the old days of sexism and classism remain in a lot of hermetic orders even today. Crowley himself had serious problems accepting women as equals: he had a rather low opinion of them and was quite cruel to them in numerous cases. But very explicit in the message of the New Aeon is that people are to be dealt with, not by sex or race or social strata but by their inborn, inalienable rights as individuals...as Stars, to use a thelemic term. 
 
The Neo-pagan movement was a definite evolutionary step in defining a New Aeon mode of spirituality. Unlike the traditional hermetic order, Wicca and other forms of Neo-paganism do not have a multiplicity of ranks and a chain of command. Some have three degrees, some two, some only one, that of initiate.  Initiation is not a bestowal of rank, but more a purpose-oriented process. As magickal orders continue to evolve, they will either need to emulate more and more the informality and non-hierarchical non-structure of Neo-paganism or choke on their bloated hierarchies. It is funny when one considers that there is much evidence to suggest that Neo-paganism evolved from the Astrum Argentum and the OTO, and that much of Gardner's groundbreaking work in reconstructing the old pre-Osirian Druidic religion was helped along with the research help of Uncle Al himself. 
 
Perhaps, as the knightly orders of the past were meant as guardians of the Christian Church, there will become a symbiotic connection between Neo-paganism and Magickal orders, especially among those whose non-structure mimics that of the coven. Arguably this symbiosis exists now, and hell, I'm living proof of this. 
 
So what the deuce does this have to do with the sexes? You'll see as I wrap this up.  Ok...remember I mentioned that before the Osirian epoch and the patriarchy, which seems to have come in with the rise of the big cities and the transformation from a hunter-gatherer society to an agrarian one (methinks you have placed the transformation a little too far into the past) there was the Isian epoch and the matriarchy? Well, before patriarchal philosophy displaced matriarchalism, women pretty much ran things. They didn't hunt because to place women, who were the living image of the Goddess and the ex-nihilo creatrixes of the next generation, in bodily jeopardy was literally blasphemy. Women were the intermediaries for men to the Goddess, who was unapproachable otherwise. The men had their hunting cults, but they were as insignificant in reality as the Victorian-era anthropologists misread the ancient religion of the Goddess as merely an inferior "fertility cult." 
 


When the transition came to the cities and to patriarchy sometime around 10,000- to 7,500- Common, the long-suppressed males took by force what the 
Goddesses of the Isian era denied them by their divine decree...power. Male warrior deities replaced female mother deities. The priestesses of the old religions were destroyed. (The Book of Joshua in the Old Testament is a vivid account of one triumph of Osiris over Isis.) And the new order began. But the old matriarchal religions survived for several thousands of years after the turn of the aeon, and it is painfully obvious that the old patriarchal ways will haunt us for thousands of years into the future, even as new ways take hold and new philosophies become more accepted. 
But it really is nurture rather than nature that makes men aggressive and women passive. Men can learn to be nurturing and loving, and women can learn to be assertive and empowered. In order that we can truly enter this new aeon where all are leaders and all are Stars, we each have to cultivate the "other side" of our Selves. No, women are not superior to men, nor is it the other way around. Every Individual matters. Everyone has the potential to be a King, in the thelemic sense of the word. We need to learn to treat all with dignity, be they material successes or abject material failures. We need to treat even those still enslaved by the old _ideas fixes_ with as much dignity as those who have declared their secession from them and their embracing of the New Law. 
 
The evolution is really and truly in our own hands. 
 
Beauty and balance, Will and Love, 
Michelle. 

 
The coven that I've been working with in Denver begins its cup blessing by a dialogue between the Priest and the Priestess.  Both have a hand each on the athame and the chalice: 
 
Priest:  "Be it known that a man is not greater than a woman. 
 
Priestess:  "Nor yet is a woman greater than a man" 
 
Priest:  "For what one lacks" 
 
Priestess:  "The other can provide" 
 
Priest"  "As the Athame is to the male" 
 
Priestess:  So is the cup to the female. 
 
Both:  And when conjoined together, they become one in truth, for there is no greater magick in all the world than that of love. 
 
BB Rowan 

	 WHAT IS D.A.W.N.? 

          The Denver Area Wiccan Network is a group of pagans and 
friends from a wide variety of Craft traditions.  DAWN sponsors 
parties, group rituals, a student/teacher network, and other 
activities as inspired or impelled.


WHY DO I WANT TO JOIN DAWN?
*    You want to be part of an active, growing community of 
     Wiccans who can work together to make some changes in their 
     world;
*    You want to meet people and make new friends who share your 
     basic values--people you can be yourself with, no need to 
     keep your cover;
*    You want an ongoing opportunity to exchange views and 
     information with people from groups or traditions other than 
     your own;
*    You want to be in on the creation of a Denver pagan extended 
     family which will make all the above possible;
*    You like hugs, and you enjoy being warmly welcomed.  

     
DO I HAVE TO "GO PUBLIC" TO BE A MEMBER?
     No.  Only the Board Chair and Secretary are expected to be 
"public," and the identities of all other members are fiercely 
protected.


HOW DO I JOIN?
     Dues are $13 per coven, $5 per solitary, payable twice 
yearly in May and November.  These cover the cost of mailings and 
the setup costs for parties and rituals, as well as other costs 
authorized by the Board and/or Steering Committee.


DO I HAVE TO JOIN DAWN TO PARTICIPATE?
     No.  All parties are open to pagans and friends.  To find 
out about them and other DAWN functions, write us at the P.O. Box 
listed below (postage is appreciated) or call Bob Key on his 
answering machine.  Another way to find out more about DAWN is to 
show up at one of our Steering Committee meetings. They are held 
at 6:30 pm, the second Sunday of each month, at the Glendale 
Community Center (999 S. Clermont).  


THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN DAWN!

D.A.W.N.                      Bob Key  
P.O. Box 11202                (303) 758-2115
Englewood, Colorado 80151

	 BYLAWS 
	
	DENVER AREA WICCAN NETWORK
 
I.   BOARD OF DIRECTORS
	A.	The Board of Directors (hereinafter referred to as the Board) shall be selected by the Steering Committee from among the active members of DAWN such that: 
		1.	Each coven shall have no more than one member on the Board; if there are fewer than 5 member covens, then there may be a second Director from any coven;  
		2.	There shall be at least one member of the Board who is a member of a coven; and
		3.	There shall be at least one member on the Board from among the DAWN members who are not members of any coven.  
	B.	The Board shall have no fewer than 4 members and no more than 13 members.  It shall determine its own size within those limits.  
	C.	The Board may appoint members of DAWN to fill vacancies on the Board.  Persons so appointed shall serve only until the next regular election.
	D.	Each elected Director (member of the Board) holds a two year term, except that, when the size of the board is increased, half of the new positions shall initially be for one year only. Any person serving one elected term may not be reelected as a Director until they have been retired from the Board for one year.  
	E.	Each seated Director may designate an Alternate to speak and vote in their stead when they are absent from Board meetings.  The identity of this Alternate shall be recorded in the Minutes of the Board, and no other person may serve this function until the Director changes the designation and the change is on record.  Being named Alternate to a Director does not automatically name them Alternate to any offices that director may hold; however, they may so serve at the discretion of the Chair.
	F.	The Board shall elect Officers from among the Directors for the positions of Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer.  This shall be done after each new election, and no later than the next regular meeting of the Board.  
	G.	A quorum of the Board shall consist of 70 percent of the Directors, either present or represented by their Alternate.  
	H.	The Board shall elect a Newsletter Editor from the general membership of DAWN.  This officer shall serve at the will of the Board and report directly to the Board.


	I.	The Board shall meet regularly, at least four times per year, at a time and place to be fixed by the Board. Additionally, The Chair or any two Directors may call a Board meeting upon giving at least 7 days notice to all Directors by U.S. Mail, or upon at least 2 days notice given by telegram.  Said notice will be deemed delivered when deposited in the U.S. Mail with the last known address of the Director and proper postage thereon prepaid, or when the given to the telegram company.  Any Director may waive notice of any meeting.  The attendance of a Director at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice, except when the Director attends the meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of business because the meeting has not been lawfully called or convened.  The notice of meeting need only contain the date, time, and place of the meeting.   
	J.	The Board may make rules to govern the conduct of its own meetings.  
	K.	All Board Meetings are open to the membership of DAWN.  Accordingly, any Director is required to furnish information regarding dates, times, and places of upcoming Board meetings to any DAWN member upon request.  

II.  STEERING COMMITTEE
	A.	The Steering Committee shall be composed of the Directors,  one representative from each member coven and proportional representation for such DAWN members as do not belong to any member coven (hereinafter referred to as Solitaries). The method of choosing a coven representative is left to the discretion of the individual coven.  A method for choosing representation for Solitaries will be determined by said Solitaries, subject to approval by the Board.  There shall be at least one (1) representative of the Solitaries, who is not a Director, on the Steering Committee.
	B.	Steering Committee members must commit to serve for at least six (6) months.  They may serve as long as their constituents wish them to serve.  
	C.	The Steering Committee shall elect a Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Clerk of the Committee from among its members.
	D.	A quorum of the Steering Committee for the purpose of amending the Bylaws or Constitution shall be two-thirds (2/3) of the committee.  A quorum for other business shall be a majority of the Committee.  
	E.	Steering Committee members will not have alternates.


	F.	The Steering Committee may make rules to govern the conduct of its own meetings.  
	G.	Decisions made by the Steering Committee shall be referred to the Board for action, except as otherwise provided for in these Bylaws.  
	H.	Any recommendation that dues be levied or changed must receive at least two-thirds (2/3) of the votes cast by the Steering Committee, ten (10) days notice having been given that dues will be discussed.  
	I.	The Steering Committee shall meet regularly at a time and place to be fixed by the Committee.  Additionally, the Board may call Steering Committee meetings with 15 days notice should such meetings be necessary.  

III. OFFICERS
	A.   Chair - duties shall include:
		1.   Presiding over meetings of the Board.  
		2.	Presiding over meetings of the general membership of DAWN.  
		3.   Preparing an agenda for Board meetings.  
		4.	Preparing an agenda for meetings of the general membership of DAWN.  
	B.	Vice-Chair - shall perform the duties of the Chair when the Chair is absent or incapacitated.  
	C.	Secretary - duties shall include: 
		1.	Maintaining accurate and current minutes of all meetings of the Board and all business related meetings of the general membership of DAWN.  All such minutes are to be made available, upon reasonable notice, to all members of the body so recorded, and are to be presented at the next meeting of the Board for
              approval.  
		2.	Handling correspondence other than the newsletter and general announcements.  
		3.	Maintaining an accurate and current list of members and friends of DAWN.  The Secretary may NOT release the addresses, phone numbers, or full names of any person associated with DAWN, except as noted in this paragraph, to any person, without specific permission from said person.  The Secretary will share this list with the Newsletter Editor.  When leaving this job, the Secretary will turn over all copies of the membership list, in whatever form, to their successor in these duties.  


	D.	Treasurer - is responsible for maintaining all the financial records of DAWN.  The Treasurer is also responsible for the safekeeping  and expenditure of the monies held by DAWN as directed by the Board.  
	E.	Speaker - shall preside over meetings of the Steering Committee and prepare an agenda for said meetings.  
	F.	Deputy Speaker - shall perform the duties of the Speaker when the Speaker is absent or incapacitated.  
	G.	Clerk of the Committee - is responsible for maintaining accurate and current minutes of all meetings of the Steering Committee.  All such minutes are to be available to members of the Steering Committee, and are to be presented at the next meeting of that body for approval.  
	H.	Newsletter Editor - duties shall include: 
		1.	Providing timely announcements of meetings and other DAWN functions.
		2.	Providing a regular newsletter in keeping with DAWN policies.  
		3.	Maintaining an accurate and current list of newsletter recipients.  The Newsletter Editor may NOT release the addresses, phone numbers, or full names of any person associated with DAWN, except as noted in this paragraph, to any person, without specific permission from said person.  The Newsletter Editor will share the mailing list with the Secretary.  When leaving this job, the Newsletter Editor will turn over all copies of the mailing list, in whatever form, to their successor in these duties.  
     
IV.  AMENDMENTS
     In order to amend this document, the proposed change must receive the votes of at least two-thirds of the Directors and must receive at least two-thirds of the votes cast at a proper meeting of the Steering Committee,  both bodies having received at least 20 days notice of the proposed amendment. 

 
V.   ELECTIONS
     On the second Sunday in October, The Steering Committee shall meet to hold an election.  At this time, the Steering Committee will elect replacements for Directors whose term is expiring.  Names will be taken in nomination, consent obtained from those nominated, and one ballot cast.  Each Committee member, including retiring and interim Directors, shall have as many votes as there are vacancies.  The qualified candidate with the most votes will fill the first vacancy - two year terms being filled first.  As each vacancy is filled, members of the successful candidate's coven are stricken from the list.  If only one vacancy remains and either part I.A.2 or part I.A.3 of the Bylaws has not been fulfilled, then only those candidates who meet the criterion can be selected; otherwise, the position will remain vacant to be filled by the Board, as soon as possible, by appointment.  If a tie exists between equally qualified candidates, where all may not serve, a runoff election shall be held between those candidates.  Misspellings shall not invalidate ballots where the appropriate person can be discerned; nor shall voting for fewer than the number of vacancies.  Voting for too many candidates shall invalidate that ballot.  No individual shall vote more than one time for the same person;  therefore duplicate names on a single ballot shall count as only one vote.  All elected persons take office at the first meeting in November.

VI.  Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised (copyright 1970) will govern in any circumstances not covered by the Rules, Bylaws, or Constitution of DAWN.

VII. DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS ON DISSOLUTION
     In the event of dissolution of the organization, all remaining assets will be delivered to a tax-exempt organization to be chosen at the time of dissolution by the Board of Directors.

	GLOSSARY OF TERMS COMMONLY USED IN WICCA
	Copyright 1992 by Rowan Moonstone and Durwydd MacTara

AKASHA- the spiritual ether (or Aether); the omnipresent
fifth occult element which embraces the other four- earth,
air, fire, and water; and from which they stem. This is the
realm of "pattern" or causality, from which the realm the
normally thought of "five senses manifests.  Some define it
is the "other" of the "two worlds" that the witch or
magician walks between.

ARADIA- Daughter of the Goddess Diana, and a name for the
Goddess used by Italian Witches or Strega, commonly used in
many Wiccan traditions today.

ASPECTING- Any advanced magickal activity in which a practitioner
manifests a particular aspect of the Goddess or God, in thought,
feelings, behavior, appearance, etc.;  Often as a direct result of a
"Drawing Down".  Often a minor variation of this phenomena occurs with
the selection of a "Magical Name", of Craft Name.

ASPECTS- Forms, facets, or personas of Deity:  for example, Brighid,
Iseult,Eos, and Kore are all aspects of the Maiden, and the Maiden
is an aspect of the Goddess.

ATHAME- black handled, double edged dagger. Principally used
to cast and dissolve the circle, for which purposes it is
interchangeable with the magic sword. A tool of the
"Element" of Fire in the Georgian Tradition and some others.

BELTANE- May Eve festival. One of the Ancient Celtic "Fire
Festivals." on this night, the cattle were driven between
two bonfires to protect them from disease. Couples wishing
for fertility would " jump the fires" on Beltane night. Also
the traditional Sabbath where the rule of the "Wheel of the
Year" is returned to the Goddess.  This Festival also marks
the transition point of the threefold Goddess energies from
those of Maiden to Mother.

BOOK OF SHADOWS- Traditionally hand copied book of rituals,
recipes, training techniques, guidelines, and other
materials deemed important to a Witch or a coven. Each
tradition has it's own standard version of the Book and each
Witch's book will be different as he or she adds to it with
time from many different sources. Only another Witch can see
your book of shadows. Also, traditionally, it may never
leave your hands or possession until death, when it should
be destroyed, or (in some traditions) returned to the coven
to be disposed of.

BURNING TIMES- a term used by some Witches for the period of
persecution in the Middle Ages and later. It is in fact a
misnomer in some places, as Witches were only burned in
Scotland, and on the continent of Europe. In England and the
U.S., they were hanged.

CANDLEMAS- Festival held on Feb. 1. One of the 4 Celtic
"Fire Festivals. Commemorates the changing of the Goddess
from the Crone to the Maiden. Celebrates the first signs of
Spring. Also called "Imbolc" (the old Celtic name).  This is
the seasonal change where the first signs of spring and the
return of the sun are noted, i.e. the first sprouting of
leaves, the sprouting of the Crocus flowers etc.  In other
words, it is the festival commemorating the successful
passing of winter and the beginning of the agricultural
year.This Festival also marks the transition point of the
threefold Goddess energies from those of Crone to Maiden.

CARDINAL POINTS- North, South, East, and West, marked in the 
Georgian Tradition by candles of green, red, yellow, and 
blue, respectively. The Circle is drawn to connect these 
four points. 
 
CHALICE- one of the tools of the Witch. Placed on the altar 
to represent the element of Water. 
 
CHARGE OF THE GODDESS- The Traditional words of the Goddess 
to her followers, or "hidden children". Normally declaimed 
by the HPS at every coven Circle. 
 
CIRCLE- the area in which the magickal worship and spells 
takes place. Can also be used to designate a particular 
group of Witches or Pagans such as "Silver Acorn Circle". 
 
CONE OF POWER- power raised in the circle by the Witches 
assembled, and sent out into the world to work magick, is 
usually visualized as being retained and built in the form 
of a "cone" prior to release. 
 
COVEN- an organized group of Witches, led by a High 
priestess and/or a High Priest who meet regularly for 
worship and fellowship. The traditional membership is 13, 
but in fact most covens number considerably less. 3 is the 
minimum in the Georgian Tradition. In Middle English, 
"Covin" a group of confederates;  In Old French "Covine" a 
band or group with a single purpose; Latin "Com"-together, 
"Venire"-to come or move. 
 
COVENSTEAD- regular meeting place for a coven. Usually the 
home of the High Priestess or High Priest. 
 
COWAN- a non-Witch. Formerly used in a very derogatory 
manner.  Still used in Masonic Ritual to indicate the non 
initiate and/or pretender to "real craft".  Not often used 
today among most Witches. 

 
COYOTE ENERGY- trickster energies. Named for the American 
Indian Trickster, Coyote, who tricks man into learning what 
he needs to learn. Applies to one who constantly jokes and 
clowns.  Also applies to the concept of "Holy Fool" in many 
traditions. 
 
CROSS QUARTER DAYS- The modern name for the Celtic Fire 
Festivals of Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lammas. 
 
DEOSIL- clockwise, or sunwise. Traditional direction for 
working "building" magick. 
 
DRAWING  DOWN THE MOON- Ritual invocation of the spirit of 
the Goddess into the body of the High Priestess by the High 
Priest. 
 
DIVINATION- magical method of exploration or inquiry into a 
situation via such methods as Tarot cards, runestones, I- 
Ching, etc. 

ELEMENTS- Earth, air, fire, and water, plus spirit, which 
includes them all. These are regarded as realms or 
categories of nature (both material and non-material) and 
are not to be confused with the physicists table of 
elements, which the modern witch, of course, accepts. 
 
ESBAT- weekly or biweekly meeting of a coven. Traditionally 
held either on the full moon or the new moon. 
 
FAMILIARS- Either a Witch's pet animal which has been 
trained  to be a magickal helper, or an artificially 
created "elemental"  which performs the same functions as 
the animal friend. 
 
FIVEFOLD KISS, FIVEFOLD SALUTE- The Witches' ritual salute, 
with kisses; (1) on each foot, (2) on each knee, (3) above 
the pubic hair, (4) on each breast, and (5) on the lips- 
really 8 kisses in all. It is only used within the Circle, 
but the words that go with it are the origin of "Blessed 
Be." 
 
GARDNERIANS- Tradition of Witchcraft descended from the 
teachings of Gerald Gardner. 
 
GNOMES- an "entity" or "elemental" that dwells in the plane 
of Earth or is associated with the EARTH Element. 
 
GREAT RITE- The rite which is the main feature of the third 
degree initiation, and which is also laid down for certain 
festivals.  It is sexual in nature, but may be `actual' 
(and private to the couples concerned) or symbolic, as the 
participants wish. 
 
HALLOWS- name used by some traditions for Samhain, or 
Halloween 

 
HANDFASTING- Wiccan equivalent of a wedding. It can be made 
legal if the Priestess and/or Priest are registered as 
clergy with the local authorities, or it may only be 
considered binding within the coven. 
 
HIGH PRIEST/ESS- Technically speaking, a Witch who has 
received the 3rd. degree initiation. More usually, the male 
and female leaders of a coven. 
 
IMBOLC- Celtic name for Candlemas. 
 
INVOCATION- The ritual "calling-in" of an entity (or 
energies) higher than human, either for communication with 
the caller through a medium or by visible manifestation or 
else to enter into a human body as in the Drawing Down the 
Moon. In some traditions, a Prayer. 
 
LAMMAS- August 1st. Witch Festival. The Old Celtic name for 
this festival is Lughnassadh. It is the Festival of the 
First Fruits, and is the first of the 3 harvests. This 
festival also marks the change of the Threefold Goddess 
energies from that of Mother to Crone. 

MAIDEN- An appointment held by one of the women of the 
coven. She is virtually the assistant High Priestess. This 
term is also the descriptive term used to describe the first 
of the aspects of the Threefold Goddess Energies (Maiden, 
Mother, and Crone).  It is traditionally associated with the 
Waxing Moon, and the period from Imbolc (Candlemas) to 
Beltane (May eve) where the energies are those of 
initiating, beginning, and creation. 
 
OLD RELIGION- another name for the Craft. 
 
PAGANING- Presentation of an infant to the Circle and to the 
Gods. 
 
PENTACLE- a disc shaped talisman; in particular, the metal 
disc which represents the earth element among the witch's 
working tools. 
 
PENTAGRAM- The five-pointed star. With a single point 
uppermost, it represents the human being. Inverted, with two 
points uppermost, it can have Satanist associations; but not 
necessarily. Some traditions of Wicca use the inverted 
pentagram to signify an initiate of the second degree. 
 
QUARTERS- The North, East, South, and West parts of a 
magickal circle or other ritual area. (See also 
"Watchtowers") 
 
REDE- rule or law. 

 
SABBAT- one of the Eight festivals or high holy days of 
Wicca. 
 
SALAMANDER- an entity that dwells in the realm of Fire. 
 
SAMHAIN- The festival of remembrance for the dead, held on 
the eve of Nov. 1st. It is the last of the three harvests. 
This festival also marks the transition of rulership of the 
"Wheel of the Year from that of the Goddess to that of the 
God. 
 
SCRYING- divination, usually using such methods as crystal 
gazing, or divination via incense smoke, or water as opposed 
to tarot or other manipulative means. 
 
SPELL- a prayer, or verbal direction of magickal energies 
toward the accomplishment of some goal. 
 
SUMMONER- The male officer of the coven who corresponds to 
the Maiden. He is the assistant High Priest. 
 
SYLPH- an "entity" or "elemental" that dwells in the plane 
of Air or is associated with the AIR Element. 
 
TRADITIONS- any of the various "sects" of Wicca such as 
Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Georgian, Seax, etc. 
 
UNDINE- an "entity" or "elemental" that dwells in the plane 
of Water or is associated with the WATER Element. 

WAND- A rod or staff that is prepared so that it may be used 
for magickal or psychic purposes, usually to project some 
form of power. 

 
WARLOCK- a term coined in the Burning Times . It was used to 
denote a traitor to the Craft, or one who had betrayed the 
followers of the Old Religion. It's origin is Scottish. 
Because of the negative connotations, it is not used by most 
Wiccans today. 
 
WATCH TOWERS- Originally from the Enochian branch of 
Ceremonial Magick, now incorporated into many "Traditions" 
of Wicca, these are the four elemental "directions" or 
"quarters" (corresponding to the appropriate points on the 
compass) called to protect the Circle during its 
establishment. Each of them have a correspondence between 
the compass point, an element, and (varying amongst 
different traditions) color associated with them. 
 
WICCA- the name most modern day Witches use for the Craft. 
It comes from the Anglo-Saxon word Wicce, meaning to bend or 
to shape. This is the root word from which we get wicker. 
 
WIDDERSHINS- counter clock wise. Used for "tearing  down" 
OR BANISHING magick. 
 
WHITE HANDLED KNIFE- the working knife of a Witch. It is 
used to carve candles, and for fashioning the other tools. 
Traditionally, it can only be used in a Circle. 
 
    Copyright 1991 by Rowan Moonstone and Durwydd MacTara.

Permission to reprint for educational purposes at no cost is hereby granted to all and sundry, provided the text is not altered in any way. 

                                   MOON WEB 
                            C/O Michael Harismides 
                 PO Box 4538, Sunnyside, New York  11104-4538 
                          Subscription $3.00 a year 
 
            RITUAL FOR THE HEALING AND PRESERVATION OF RAINFORESTS 
 
                                May 24th, 1988 
                               8 pm local time 
 
(Individual version): 
 
Cast a circle 
 
Invoke elements by calling upon them in protective aspects (for example, you might invoke Watchfires or Beacons in the South).   
 
Chant the names of the Earth Goddess, beginning with your personal favorites, then naming as many as you can think of.   
 
Take a piece of green string.  Begin to tie knots in it, while chanting:    
                    Tying the Cord, Renewing the Earth; 
                    We are Her Children, bringing Rebirth. 
 
(The knots may be simple or elaborate, but leave enough string to tie together at the end.)  As you chant, see the world as a network of connected systems.  Breathe the air that comes from the jungles of South America.  Feel the living fire of an ocelot's power.  Taste the rain on the leaves at the tops of the trees.  Feel the delicate structure of the soil at the forest floor.)   
 
Tie the cord together in a loop; hold it up, strung around your two hands, and begin chanting:   
 
                    We are the Flow and we are the Ebb; 
                    We are the Weavers, we are the Web.   
                     
As you chant, see yourself standing guard over the borders of the rainforest.  See yourself with others, protecting rainforest as you would protect yourself,_because that's what you're doing._   
 
Bury the cord in a container of earth.  Earth the power; thank the Deities and elements; open the circle.  Later bury the cord in the forest if possible.   
 

 
(If circumstances make the above impossible): 
 
Sit quietly and see:  the network of ecosystems that make up the world; the  rainforests thriving; plants and animals breeding; the Earth, green and filled with life; yourself, standing guard.  Breathe, and know that the air comes from the sea and the jungles of Brazil.  Drink and know that the water has been around the world, and circulates through you as it does through the air, land, and sea.  Stand up and stretch; the strength of your body is the Earth's strength.   
 
 
                                    RITUAL 
                       FOR THE HEALING AND PRESERVATION  
                                OF RAINFORESTS 
 
(Group version):   
 
Facilitators give each participant a slip of paper containing the name of an Earth Goddess and a Nature God.   
 
Facilitators invoke elements, stressing protective/preservative aspects of  each one and ending with "Into this circle I call the Element Air! (Fire,  Water, Earth.)"  After each such invocation, a dancer or dancers representing the particular element come into the circle from outside and do an elemental dance.   
 
A facilitator says:  "We now call upon the Earth Goddess by her many names!"  Participants call out the Goddess name on their slip of paper, then any other Goddess names they wish.  This ends on a signal from the drums.   
 
A facilitator says: "We now call upon the God of Nature by his many Names!"   
The God is invoked in the same fashion as the Goddess, ending with a drum  signal.   
 
The elemental dancers go to the quarters and begin passing out pieces of green  string, while a facilitator explains that the condition of the rainforests affects us all, that all things are connected, and that the worldwide climate is changed every time another acre of rainforest is lost.  S/he explains that these sections of cord represent parts of the Life Circle of Earth, and that they must be joined to protect her.   
 
When the above speech has been made and all the cords have been passed out, a facilitator ties the first knot, saying that tying the cord is renewing the Earth, that we are her children, bringing her rebirth.  This is the signal to begin the chant:   
 
                    Tying the Cord, Renewing the Earth; 
                    We are Her Children, bringing Rebirth. 
 


Clockwise around the circle, one by one, each cord is tied to the next.  When the circle is complete, the elemental dancers go to the quarters and hold the cord aloft (participants should not let go yet).  The chant continues until the facilitators begin a second chant:   
 
                    We are the Flow and we are the Ebb; 
                    We are the Weavers, we are the Web.   
 
(Since this is to the same tune, the transition should be easy and seamless.)  When this chant begins, the elemental dancers begin to gather in the cord, gently pulling it away from the participants, who gently release it.  The  elementals bury the cord in a container of earth in the center of the circle, then return to the outside to lead a spiral dance in to the center and back  out (once) as the chant continues.  When the participants are standing in a circle once more, the chant builds to a cone of power and fires.   
 
The Deities and Elements are thanked, the power is earthed, the circle opened, hugs exchanged.  Later bury the cord in the woods.   
 

                             WHAT ARE RUNES
                             ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
	LOKRIEN 

  In the most mundane sense, runes are an alphabet much as our own  alphabet and others such as the Greek and Cyrillic alphabets.  Each  rune represents a sound and was/is used to write words with.
 
  But that is in the most MUNDANE of senses.
 
  Runes were used long before the concept of writing was around.  Each rune
is an archetype of a force.  People had concepts for such  things as Fire,
Honour, Birth, et.al. and each of these concepts were  given names to make
them easier for us to comprehend.  In this way,  runes are very similar to
the Hebrew alphabet.  Each 'letter' not  only has a sound and a name, but is a complete word with all  associated concepts.
   This similarity with Hebrew extends even farther.  Each hebrew word  is
made of several Hebrew letters, therefore each Hebrew word is made  of
several Hebrew words.  The initial letters of several words in a  sentence,
or of the first letters of each sentence or paragraph may  be gathered to
form a new word that is used to help explain and  expand upon what is already written.  The same can be done with  runes.
   Runes lend themselves readily to numerology.  The Runic alphabet is 
properly shown as three rows of eight letters.  Therefore each letter  can be identified by row:column number.  Additionally, each rune has  it's
sequential number identified by it's placement in the alphabet.  Much like us numbering A as 1, B as 2, ... , and Z as 26.
   Each rune can be placed in position on a tree pattern much like the 
traditional Qabbalah.  They may represent the different worlds or  paths of
the tree and can be expanded and expounded upon as much as  the Qabbalah
itself is.  In fact, Runic Qabbalah is quite intriguing  and does contain a
life of study (as do all other facets of  Runework).
   Runes can be used for fortunetelling.  They can be drawn and placed  and
read much like tarot cards.  The can be cast or strewn and the  relationship of groupings, distance and angles and patterns formed  will tell the caster what he wishes to know.  
   Runes are also entities in and of themselves.  Much like the  angels,
princes, demons, sylphs, undines and watchtowers of the  ceremonial magician.  Each rune can be invoked or evoked and the  power harnessed to work ones will to enlighten the intellect.  They are a fantastic meditation tool and will always increase ones  knowledge.
   Much as the primal elements of Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Spirit,  each
rune also has it's part in the manifestation of all things  manifested. 
Chaos, grass, people, sunlight, honour, dragons, hopes,  and sex are all
replete with runes are could not ever exist without  the runic force that
creates, shapes, releases, destroys and changes  them.
   I have equated runes to many other branches of esoteric, occult, 
phsycological and intellectual pursuits.  This is in the hopes that  if you
are already familiar or interested in one of these, you will  realize that
runes are already familiar to you or that you are  already interested in them and don't yet realize it.
 
   May you approach the Well of Wyrd and may your sip there only  increase
your thirst.
 
                                    Lokrien @ The Sacred Grove
 
                                              (206) 634-1980 (WA)

	 MODELS OF MAGIC 
	 by Frater U.'.D.'. (Germany) 
 
	In the  course  of  exploring  the  possibilities  of  new,  more efficient  techniques  of  magic  I was struck by the fact that a structuralist view of the history of magic to  date  might  prove helpful.  After all, magicians have always aspired to restate the theory and practice of magic in the language of their times  i.e. in different models pertaining to current world views. 

     There is,  however,  some risk involved in such an approach: models  do  not  really   explain   anything,   they   are   only 
illustrations  of  processes,  albeit rather useful ones.  What's 
more,  over-systematization  tends  to  obfuscate  more  than  it 
clarifies  and  one  should not mistake the map for the landscape 
anyway, a fallacy a great many kabbalists seem to be prone to. 

     Thus,  the following five (or rather: four plus one)  models 
of magic should be seen as a means of understanding the practical 
possibilities   of   various   magical  systems  rather  than  as 
definitive theories and/or explanations of the way magic works. 
 
It has proved effective in  practice  to  view  magic  under  the 
following categories: 
 
THE SPIRIT MODEL 
THE ENERGY MODEL 
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MODEL 
THE INFORMATION MODEL 
THE META-MODEL 
 
                              *** 
 
THE SPIRIT MODEL 
 
This  is purportedly the oldest model of magic though it may very 
well have come into existence after or  simultaneously  with  the 
energy  model.  We  can find it worldwide in shamanic cultures as 
well as in many religions.  Its basic premise is the existence of 
an  otherworld inhabited by more or less autonomous entities such 
as spirits, angels, demons,  gods etc.  The shaman or magician is 
someone who can enter this otherworld at will,  who has travelled 
widely in it,  knows  its  language  and  customs  and  has  made 
friends,  smitten  enemies  and/or  acquired allies and servitors 
there.  This is important as all  magic  is  of  these  entities' 
making. The modern German word for witch, "Hexe" (f.) illustrates 
this rather neatly if we take a closer look at its etymology.  It 
derives from Old High  German  "hagazussa"  which  translates  as 
"fence  rider".  The  hagazussa  is riding the "fence between the 
worlds" i.e. she is at home in the world of everyday life as well 
as in the magical otherworld of spirits. 


     In the spirit model magic is seen as being effected by these 
entities who are usually  invisible,  at  least  to  the  average 
punter,  and  it  is the shaman's or magician's task to make them 
put his will into effect. This may be done by prayer,  by barter, 
by  cajoling  or  even  -  vide  medieval  demon  magic  - by the 
application of magical force, threats and pressure. 
     The otherworld may have its own geography but it is  usually 
considered to coexist with the world of everyday life. The key to 
entering  it  is  an  altered state of consciousness,  controlled 
trance or ecstasy of which the shaman is an expert. 

     The spirit model has prevailed in traditionalist or Dogmatic 
magic until today,  some of its most noted exponents being  Franz 
Bardon and, at least to a great extent, Aleister Crowley. 
 
THE ENERGY MODEL 
 
The  rise  of the energy model in the West is marked primarily by 
the appearance of Mesmerism towards the end of the 18th  century. 
Anton  Mesmer,  who was not an occultist but who was on the other 
hand regarded by his contemporaries to be a "miracle  worker"  of 
sorts,  rediscovered  amongst  other  things  the ancient healing 
disciplines of hypnosis and magnetism.  He popularized his theory 
of  "animal magnetism" which he saw as a subtle force inherent in 
organisms,  but he also made  heavy  use  of  metal  magnets  for 
healing purposes. 

     While  the French Revolution put a temporary end to Mesmer's 
movement, his ideas were not lost. They were taken up by a number 
of  others,   primarily  occultists,   who  drew  on  them  while 
developing their own theories of magic. One of the first to do so 
was  Bulwer Lytton of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (SRIA), 
who postulated the existence of a subtle energy which  he  termed 
Vril,  possibly  deriving from Latin virilitas or "force,  power, 
strength". (This was actually the model for the naming of Bovril, 
from Latin "bovis" or "ox",  and Vril or "life  force".)  We  can 
observe  interesting  parallels  to  this concept in the vitalist 
theories of biology which emerged around  the  same  time.  Other 
exponents  of the energy model of magic (not then so termed) were 
Reichenbach with his concept of Od,  Eliphas Levi and his  Astral 
Light and Mme.  Blavatsky, who adopted the theories of Prana from 
Yoga physiology.  This was also the time  when  anthropology  and 
ethnology  discovered  the Polynesian concept of Mana and Asiatic 
scholars began to concern themselves with the  Chinese  principle 
of Ki or Ch'i (Chi).  The latter two go to show,  of course, that 
the idea of subtle energies utilized by magic is far  older  than 
the  18th  century.  In fact,  we can observe it already in early 
shamanic cultures.  Shamanic magic is very frequently  a  mixture 
between  spirit and energy model,  e.g.  the shaman may call upon 
his spirits or gods to give him "power" or he  may,  vice  versa, 
use his power to extort favors from them. 


     In its pure form,  however, the shaman or magician is not in 
need of spirits and other entities.  The world is viewed as being 
"vitalized"  by  subtle  forces  or energies and his primary task 
consists in mastering the  art  of  perceiving  and  manipulating 
them.  As  all  phenomena are basically energetic in nature,  the 
existence of an otherworld is not strictly  required.  Thus,  the 
magician  is  more  of an "energy dancer" than a "fence rider" or 
go-between. But even here the key to the perception, charging and 
general utilization of these forces is again the  magical  trance 
or, as Chaos Magic terms it, gnosis. 

     Theories and practices pertaining to the energy model can be 
found  with many magical authors but it has seen its real,  large 
scale popularity only since the seventies of our century when the 
general influx of Eastern thinking  (pace  the  Hippie  movement) 
made  concepts  such  as  chakra and kundalini work a mainstay of 
most occult disciplines. Strong energy model elements can also be 
found in  Franz  Bardon's  system  of  "electromagnetic  fluids", 
"condensators" etc. 
 
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MODEL 
 
Sigmund Freud's theory of the subconscious revolutionized Western 
thinking  in  general  and psychology (which he did not,  as some 
people are wont to believe, invent all by himself) in particular. 
Suddenly,  man was seen as  a  being  which  was  only  partially 
conscious  and  in  control of itself.  While psychology is still 
fighting for its academical recognition  as  a  science,  it  has 
stamped its mark on therapeutic disciplines - and on magic. 

     The psychological model of magic does not purport to explain 
how  magic works,  its only premise is that the subconscious (or, 
as Carl Jung later retagged it,  the unconscious) will do the job 
if  it  is  properly addressed and/or conditioned.  This again is 
achieved by magical trance,  suggestion and the  use  of  symbols 
(i.e.  selective  sensory input) as tools of association and as a 
means of communication between the magician's conscious will  and 
his subconscious faculty responsible for putting it into effect. 

     Aleister  Crowley  dabbled a great deal in the psychological 
model which comes as no surprise as he not only tried to keep  up 
with  all  major  academic  disciplines  of  his time but thought 
himself to be the world's greatest psychologist into the bargain. 
But all considered he remained a traditionalist exponent  of  the 
spirit   model:   after  all  Aiwass  was,   in  his  belief,   a 
preternatural entity.  Nevertheless  he  did  have  a  knack  of 
explaining magic in psychological terms to make it sound sensible 
to the skeptics of his time. 


     A  more  radical  approach  was  taken by Austin Osman Spare 
whose sigil magic rests on the basic tenets of the  psychological 
model.  Spare's  brilliant system is in principle an inversion of 
Freud's theory of complexes: by actively suppressing his will  in 
the  form  of  a graphical sigil and forgetting it,  the magician 
creates an artificial "complex" which  then  starts  to  work  on 
similar lines just as suppressed, subconscious traumas will cause 
neurotic behavior etc. 

     The  psychological  magician  is a programmer of symbols and 
different states of consciousness.  He is not necessarily in need 
of  a transcendent otherworld or even subtle energies,  though in 
practice he will usually work on the assumption that one  or  the 
other  (or  both)  do  in  fact  exist and can be utilized by his 
subconscious. 

     Authors such  as  Israel  Regardie,  Dion  Fortune,  William 
Butler,  Francis  King,  William  Gray  and  to  some extent Pete 
Carroll subscribe to the psychological model which  seems  to  be 
the  primary  domain  of  the English speaking world of magic and 
which has become the prevailing paradigm ever since the seventies 
of this century. 
 
THE INFORMATION MODEL 
 
The information model of magic is  being  developed  since  about 
1987  and  there is still considerable debate about the direction 
it shall ultimately take.  Its basic  premises  to  date  are  as 
follows: 
 
     a)  Energy  as  such  is "dumb": it needs information on 
     what to do;  this can be so called  laws  of  nature  or 
     direct commands. 
     b) Information does not have mass or energy. Thus, it is 
     faster  than  light and not bound by the restrictions of 
     the Einsteinian spacetime continuum. It can therefore be 
     transmitted or tapped at all times and at all places. In 
     analogy (but of course only as such!) it may be  likened 
     to    quantum   phenomena   rather   than   relativistic 
     mass-energy. It can, however,  attach itself to a medium 
     e.g. an organism or any other memory storage device. 
 
At the start of the theoretical debate it was still believed that 
the  postulation of morphic (or,  more precisely,  morphogenetic) 
fields as hypothesized by Rupert Sheldrake had to be an essential 
factor by way  of  explaining  the  mode  of  actual  information 
transmittance.  This,  however, while still being discussed, does 
not appear to be strictly prerogative though  it  cannot  be  not 
ruled  out  that  an  act  of  information  magic may create such 
fields. It does seem more probable,  though,  that the concept of 
information  matrices  will prove to be the most promising theory 
in the long run. 


     The application of the as yet evolving information model has 
led  to  the  discipline   I   have   termed   Cybermagic   (from 
"cybernetics"  or the "science of control systems").  Contrary to 
the other models described above,  Cybermagic does  not  rely  on 
magical trance to achieve its effects.  Rather, the Cybermagician 
activates either his own main  memory  banks,  namely  brain  and 
spine  (the  Golf-club  chakra,  so-called  because  of its shape 
reminiscent of a golf-club) or those of the  target  person.  The 
desired  information  is  then  called  up  and transmitted quite 
similarly to a copy command  on  an  MS-DOS  computer.  The  copy 
command analogy holds good insofar as the information (not having 
mass)  is not actually "lost" in the process (as energy would be) 
but rather is duplicated. This is an important point as it allows 
for the magician to perform his magic even in a state of very low 
physical power, possibly even when almost completely intoxicated, 
as long as his basic  "life support systems" are still functional 
and the command syntax is employed correctly. 

     It is,  however,  obvious that this technique demands a fair 
control  of what used to be termed kundalini effects and practice 
has shown  ever  and  again  that  a  good  amount  of  Yoga  and 
meditation experience is a great help in achieving to Cybermagic. 

     Unfortunately,  the  full  theory and practice of Cybermagic 
cannot be described here due to lack of space and will thus  have 
to be the subject of a separate article to be published later. To 
date the main experimental research work is being done within the 
Magical  Pact  of  the  Illuminates  of Thanateros (IOT) and some 
quite astounding results have already been  achieved,  especially 
in  the  field  of  language  and  knowledge  transfer as well as 
magical healing. 

     In spite of its very modern,  untraditionalist  outlook  the 
basic  principles  of  Cybermagic may in truth well be the oldest 
form of magic extant. For we can,  for example,  find a number of 
reports  in the East to the effect of a guru transferring all his 
knowledge to his successor before his  death,  which  is  usually 
achieved by an act of long, mutual meditation. 

     This  goes  to show that magic as a whole has always existed 
in many,  coexisting models.  What has changed,  however,  is the 
stress laid on one model or the other in the course of time. 
 

THE META-MODEL 
 
The  meta-model  of  magic  is  not a model as such but rather an 
instruction on the use of the others.  For its only advice to the 
magician  is:  "Always use the model most adequate to your aims." 
This may sound a bit trite but we will see that it is  not  quite 
as  self evident  amongst  magicians  as  one might expect.  It is 
rooted in Chaos magic's assertion "Nothing is true. Everything is 
permitted",    which   ultimately   boils   down   to   pragmatic 
utilitarianism.  Before this aspect is enlarged upon, though, let 
us look at an example of the models presented here as applied  in 
practice. 
 
We shall take the situation of magical healing to demonstrate how 
these models differ from each other. 
 
In  the  spirit model healing is regarded as an exorcism: illness 
is caused by "evil" or,  at least,  undesired entities which have 
to  be negated.

	 The Eight Paths and other Wiccan miscellany 

Dogs in the Temple:
  The "dogs" were MALE Canaanite temple prostitutes
(normally eunuchs, as I understand it), with whom male worshippers had
intercourse in order to obtain various boons from the gods, of which the fertility of themselves, their herds and their crops were the chief.  A "dog"'s earnings couldn't be contributed to Yaweh's treasury.  (Nor could that of a FEMALE temple prostitute!)  Now if they were doing the Great Rite with male priests way back when TO make things  more fertility, why should Stewart Farrar have a cat over gay men and lesbians being involved in the Craft now?!?  (Although, in fairness to him, I'll bet he's never thought of it that way!  He strikes me as a reasonable man, all in all... ) 

As for the Paths:  

	Meditation is the first and--in my opinion--the most basic, because you use it to get to or enhance some of the other Paths.  
Trance work is the second, which includes astral projection exercises.  Perhaps it's the most important, because it gets us where we go to exercise the power or obtain the wisdom that we want to.  

Dancing is a Path that I personal can't use because I'm lame; but I've been told by able-bodied Pagan friends that it's great because it engages the whole self--and especially it helps you be grounded AND Elsewhere at the same time.  Binding with cords and other forms of
sensory deprivation are good for helping the mind travel beyond the body's limits because one wishes to escape the tedium and discomfort of them.  (I'm sorry, but even a flotation tank gets uncomfortable eventually!)  Scourging and other repetitive acts also use tedium as a release but are more stimulating than being bound or floating in a tank.  (They do NOT use pain.  If they're being done THAT intensely, they're being done incorrectly... ) 

Chanting and mantras use repetitive sound and the inherent nature of some sounds to produce altered states of consciousness.  

Drugs (which normally means incense and MAYBE alcohol but NOT hallucinogens and such) variously stimulate, relax, disinhibit or otherwise change one's mental state.  

And that brings us back to the Great Rite and other forms of sex magick, which attempt to involve all levels from the physical to the Divine Within at one time.  That's VERY thumbnail; but if anyone wants to know more, I'll be glad to elaborate on the ones I use or have seen used.  Oh, and I can--and should--add that the various Paths can be used in combination as well as separately, that there's some variation from one tradition to another as to what the Eight Paths are, and that not ALL traditions have Eight Paths per se!  
	Bright blessings!  Granny Spider

	 Balance of the God and Goddess 
	Adrienne

I see the God as That is Created and Destroyed; the Goddess is the Creator and the Destroyer.  His knowledge is experiential and he sees the cycle of rebirth from the unique perspective of the being that experiences it. He understands, more so than the Goddess, how the cycle shapes the world of the living.  His life cycle of birth to full power to age to death to rebirth parallels our own lives on this earth.  The Goddess loves Her children, the God understands His.  Through the love they bear for each other, they share in both the knowledge of the mystery of rebirth and in the power, but the knowledge remains His province and the power rests in Her.

--- Maximus-CBCS v1.02
 * Origin: Pandora's Box, Ottawa, Ontario (93:9630/1)

	 Where do we go from here? 
	By Pete Carroll 

Occult revivals occur when the social, economic or intellectual 
status quo is disturbed by the unexpected. Affluence combined 
with the collapse of the Roman state religion caused one revival. 
The rediscovery of classical knowledge in the Renaissance brought 
about another. Dissatisfaction with catholic hellfire 
christianity spawned spiritualism, theosophy, the Golden Dawn and 
Crowley. In our own time anti-semitism, affluence, drugs and 
oriental ideas spawned another outburst. 
 
Occult revivals are stimulated by economics and by the availability, 
rather than the creation of ideas. Roman culture was subject to a 
huge influx of ideas, cults and philosophies from conquered peoples. 
Written material surviving from this synthesis appeared again 
as hermetics in the Renaissance. The revivals of the late 
nineteenth century and the nineteen-sixties owe much to the 
availability of scientific ideas and oriental philosophies. It is 
probably more useful then, to look for impending changes in the 
general situation rather than within the occult itself if we want 
to second guess the next revival. The period between one revival 
and the next is shortening rapidly and we are probably due for 
another around the turn of the century, give or take a decade. 
I`d like to try and identify some of the factors which may help 
shape it. 
 
Firstly the millennium. Christianity is unfortunately not yet 
completely extinguished and humanity will have to cope with a 
rising tide of apocalypse mania as the calendrical millennium draws 
closer. Right wing christian fundamentalists in America may even be 
in a political position to inaugurate a real Armageddon by then. 
I hope that whatever courage and imagination there is in the occult 
is put to good use in undermining this sort od idiocy. Those 
occultists who do jump on the millennial bandwagon have only 
disaster or ridicule to look forward to. 
 
Economics has a powerful effect on the occult climate. A fairly 
rapid increase in affluence will often provoke a revival as leisure 
time becomes available and some minds turn to higher things. 
Conversely, a decline in living conditions will sometimes make 
people seek what they have lost, or a substitute, by occult means. 
Boom propelled revivals are usually much more fun than slump 
propelled upsurges. In this country, any increment in occultism 
arising from socio-economic desperation, is likely to be some 
species of neo-nazi mystic nationalism. As with millennium madness, 
the greater honour will, in the long run, go to those occultists who 
oppose such nonsense. However, the metaphysical fallout from the 
sixties may yet carry us through to the next boom revival and these 
problems may not yet arise. 
 

It seems unlikely that anthropology or archaeology will be able to 
make fresh ideas available for cannibalization by the occult in the 
next revival. Computerized libraries, satellite photography and 
global communication systems leave few stones unturned. There seems 
little chance lost ancient manuscripts, magical tribes or forgotten 
occult civilizations coming to light nowadays. So it is to science 
itself that I think we should turn for fresh ammunition. 
There are already discernable strains of space mysticism in some 
quarters of the occult. Questions about the reality or otherwise of 
supposed visits by aliens should not distract us from recognizing 
that UFO-mania itself is a mystico-religious phenomena. The 
UFO-ologist wants to personally receive wisdom for the whole of 
humanity from some superhuman being. Seeking angels in space suits 
is to repeat humanity`s perennial mistake, pretending to look 
outside for what is really inside ourselves. 
 
Quantum physics has been quietly undermining the whole basis of 
mechanistic cause and effect type science for nearly sixty years. It 
has been said that if you are not shocked by the implications of 
quantum physics then you have not understood it. This may be 
perfectly true for the scientist but for the magician, quantum 
physics provides elegant confirmation of many of his theories. A 
quantitative approach to quantum physics is beyond all but the best 
mathematician. Many of the principles are enshrined in equations for 
which we have few verbal or visual analogies. Because of this very 
few laymen or philosophers have been able to appreciate what has 
been going on. 
 
Briefly in qualitative terms, we now have hard experimental evidence 
which strongly implies that physical process are, at root, acausal; 
they just happen out of themselves and that consciousness, or at 
least the decisions of the observer, can modify or control what 
happens. Secondly it would seem that pure information can travel 
anywhere instantaneously and perhaps persists indefinitely, 
providing there is some sort of affinity, or magical link as we 
would call it, between that which emits and that which receives. 
Very few liberties need to be taken with quantum physics to fit in 
virtually the whole of parapsychology. It remains to be seen if 
quantum physics can be presented in sufficiently accessible form to 
provoke another occult revival. 
 

A quantum based revival would effectively demolish the spirit 
hypothesis. A "spirit" would have to be recognized as nothing more 
than the information that a phenomenon emitted about itself when it 
existed physically. Anything else would have to be put down to the 
creativity of the observer`s subconsciousness. Thus the "tree-ness" 
of a tree or the quality of a thought is just an extension of the 
object itself on the plane of non-local information. If you talk to 
Egyptian gods your subconsciousness is, at best, simply animating 
the general personality characteristics of the gods projected by 
their worshippers millennia ago. Spirits cannot be gaseous 
vertebrates with powers of independent discursive thought. On the 
practical level quantum physics implies that the medium of magic is 
not some sort of nebulous psychic energy or force, it is simply a 
transfer of information. Magical healing or attack is accomplished 
by long range telepathic suggestion not by astral bandages or 
thunderbolts. The quantum paradigm forces a re-examination of 
reincarnation. There is no reason why anybody should not be able to 
tap the memories of any historical person. Conversely we can all 
look forward to fragments of our ideas and personalities manifesting 
in other people in the future. 

Telekinesis and related phenomena can be accommodated within the 
quantum paradigm if we allow intent to expand upon the small degree 
of fundamental uncertainty, or more properly indeterminacy, in the 
position and momentum of any object. Prophecy is always the most 
doubtful of the magical arts although short term prediction or 
precognition can often be impressive. The quantum model allows for 
this providing the operator later observes the precognised event. 
Such apparent nonsense as astrology and homeopathy begin to make 
more sense in a quantum paradigm which suggests that expectation can 
have real effects via what one might call a magical level. This is 
quite over and above the purely psychological effects of expectation 
that materialists usually invoke to explain away these things. 
 
I`ve heard the quantum occult paradigm described as Big Bang 
Mysticism and Electro Gnosis. I rather like this, for it implies 
that the universe is being viewed as a self-created magical organism 
and that magic itself is a technology we can potentially master 
because it is a part of the nature of ordinary reality. Of course, 
what is missing in this scheme are the pseudo certainties of belief 
in gods and higher powers or even a benign cosmic mind. It throws us 
back on our own powers and ingenuities, but isn`t this what the best 
occultism has always been about anyway ? 
 

(811)   Mon 29 Apr 91  3:26
By: Madoc
To: Chris Anderson
Re: What's this "Right" stuff, anyway?
St:
------------------------------------------------------------
@PID: RA 1.01
@MSGID: 8:7703/8 4dba2fe8
>What would a Wiccan provide as an explanation for behavior that was
>"contrary" in the sense that you've given?  We've all seen folks behave in a way that is *apparently* inconsistent with stated beliefs, even those that are closely held.  What do you believe is the basis for the difference between a "positive direction along the Path" and actual behavior that is contrary to this by one who earnestly seeks "the Path"?  The answer is stated clearly enough for many other religions, but I've never had the opportunity to hear a Wiccan add his/her windage on this topic.  Flip Wilson's answer obviously isn't going to apply, so where do we go with it? ;)

Chris, sorry for the delay in answering your question. I have written and re-written my response, and although I still may not have answered your question herein, I feel that I must reply at last.

First, I must stipulate that what follows is my own interpretation of
Wiccan belief, and my own sense of "morals." You know, the usual
disclaimer.

Second, I wish to deal briefly with the concept of separation of Law and Moral. What I am writing here has absolutely no relation to the practice of law. I do not advocate murder, for example, nor do I think that murder should go unpunished by the State. I recognize that we live in a society which must have rules in order that the maximum amount of freedom may be enjoyed by all. I would not hesitate, if I were a juror, to vote to send a proven criminal to jail, or even to death, if the situation warranted it.  Therefore, let none who read my words mistake my moral convictions with my beliefs about our judaical system - I am not in disagreement with the majority of our laws as they exist.

Finally; the point:

To save space, I'll omit the dictionary definition of 'sin.' I think we all understand that Christians believe in sin, Wiccans do not. As you have stated, members of other religions have their rules clearly stated, so that one may easily decide if one is in error or not (although it's often not quite *that* easy). Wiccans claim to follow only the Rede, which states, "An it harm none, do as thou shalt."

You have asked how a Wiccan can stray from such a path. The answer is
complex and far-reaching, and even delves into (ugh) philosophy. I'll try to keep it succinct.


If one thoughtfully examines the Rede, it quickly becomes apparent that almost every action has the potential to harm some creature in some way.  Drawing breath can kill micro-organisms that float unseen, in the atmosphere. Drinking water does the same thing. One could choose to marry, and ultimately bring pain and suffering on future generations of children by way of an unhappy union. There is literally no way that one could possibly foresee all circumstances and avoid harming anyone. Yet, that is what the Rede demands. What is the answer?

In my opinion, the answer is obvious. The Wiccan must choose. Each and
every Wiccan is responsible for their own actions, and will be accountable to themselves for the results of those actions. The wheels turns, and each Wiccan reaps what they have sown. No Godly mandate or indulgence can save us from the results of our own actions, be they good or bad. But, with ultimate responsibility comes ultimate freedom. No God can shackle my soul or subject me to that which I do not Will. I am supreme within myself, and I am the "captain of my soul." I have chosen to obey certain of society's laws and mores. I have chosen to be a "good" man. Mine is the reward for choosing such action, and mine will be the punishment if I fail to meet my self-imposed responsibilities. As you jested, I cannot claim Flip Wilson's
famous defence. Nor do I claim that such things as I do well stem from my Creator - in ultimate hubris, I claim that "As I Will, so mote it be."

Every day, I am met with new decisions. I make those decisions, and then I live with the consequences of my actions. In my opinion, that is what makes me human, what sets me apart from the animals. Man alone can choose, man alone is not chained to genetically imprinted behavior.

I have been asked why, if there is the possibility that the Christian deity exists, do I not choose Christianity on the possibility that it is correct? This is Pascal's famous wager. If I wager that (the Christian) God exists and I am correct, then I win all. If I am wrong and God does not exist, then I have lost nothing, and have lived (hopefully) a good and productive life in the bargain. Why would anyone not accept this wager? My answer to that is that I would not willingly serve any God that would choose one of His/Her creations over another, the good over the bad, the shriven over the heathen. If I had definitive proof that such a God existed, I would actively oppose Him/Her. I would rather suffer the cold comfort of damnation than continue to exist in a hereafter peopled with only the "saved." This is my choice, and again, as I Will, so mote it be.

>What do you believe is the basis for the difference between a "positive direction along the Path" and actual behavior that is contrary to this by one who earnestly seeks "the Path"?

A fine, difficult question, Chris. As you've stated elsewhere, we've been dancing all around this one for some time. Here goes:

I cannot determine what any one individual's Path is. I am not even sure of my own. I often follow forks in the road until they come to a dead end, and have to double back. Of course, that's the problem one faces in following one's own Will, and not a set of directions laid down by God. My concept of the Path is that it is like many roads, all of which lead eventually to self-knowledge (enlightenment, Godhead, nirvana, and so on). In my theology, my ultimate goal is to become one with the God of my creation by gaining divine knowledge, or gnosis. We've discussed the concept of "hidden knowledge" in the past, yet I feel that my understanding of gnosis differs from yours.

The entire concept of the ancient mystery religions, and of modern "occult" (which mean only 'hidden' after all) religions and practices was based on the concept of the inverted filter. Each person passed through successive layers of filters, gaining knowledge and understanding at each stop, until they could absorb no more (and so could not pass through the next layer of filter). Of course, at each level, the initiate was given to believe that they were now in possession of secret knowledge, and ultimate truth. If they could find legitimate questions that led them to reject or doubt those 'truths' and seek deeper meaning, then they passed through to the next level of understanding. If they did not question, then they were satisfied that they had gained truth.

This 'hidden knowledge' can be obtained outside of the constraints of
organized religion; in fact it originally was obtained independently. Just as Newton's Laws could eventually be figured out by a person ignorant of his discoveries, one could find a Path to enlightenment separate from any of the mystery religions. However, just as one attends school to learn that which is already known, so one pursues illumination from the teachings of those who have already achieved more than oneself.

Further, I do not believe that there is one 'right' Path. I accept that the OTO has valuable knowledge to impart. I accept that Christian Mystics, Jewish Quabalists, Muslim Sufis, and so on all have some piece of the puzzle, and that all will eventually converge on the road to wisdom. I know because I have been to that intersection once or twice, although I am not there now. My Path is my own, and as Van Morrison said, I have "No teacher, no guru, no method."

Can I move in a direction that is contrary to positive movement towards the Laughing Light? You bet. The tough part is that the definition of what is or is not 'positive' is not static. An example: it might be proper that I learn what it means to take another human being's life by killing an intruder in my home. It might not be proper that I learn that lesson by following the orders of a superior officer in time of war. OR VICE VERSA.  I must choose at every instance, and I might not immediately know if my choice has given or taken from my search for truth.

There are also times when I might know that I am actively choosing to
deviate from my Path. I might choose to sooth a feeling of anxiety about whether or not I can pay the rent this month by yelling at my wife. I'm not using this as an example because it is traditionally "wrong," but because I know that I cannot solve my problems by transferring my anxiety to others.  If I choose to ignore what I have already learned, then not only have I lost ground, but I will have to deal with the anger that I've given out at some point.

In conclusion, I believe that I am responsible for my own actions, as
others are for theirs. I also believe that if I commit an action which may seem 'right' to me, but which society has deemed to be a crime, I'll be punished by society for breaking that law. I would punish those who break the laws which are meant to hold our society together, such as prohibitions on murder, burglary, and so forth. I believe that my moral convictions are binding only on myself, not on others, and that I'll ultimately deal with the consequences of my thoughts and deeds. I believe that I have no right to judge the moral content of another's actions. I believe in the Wiccan Rede, "An it harm none, do as thou shalt," and I further believe that it is meant to make me consider my actions and their consequences, and to make my own decisions, rather than as a prohibition against any specific action.

There is much that I do not know about Godhead; much that I do not know about Right and Wrong. I have only my instincts and intellect to guide me, but I trust myself to make the right decisions eventually.

Madoc



	 Sex & Magic 
	Fra.: Apfelmann

In this article I would like to address the issue of sex and magic.
I am quite aware of the fact that this is a loaded subject. It is
one of the oldest disciplines in occultism and virtually every magic
tradition applies it somewhere down the road. Yet it has always been
regarded as the innermost secret discipline. Witches, Shamans,
Runesters, Yogis and Magicians of all varieties work with it in one
form or another.

To build up, strengthen, direct and aim this powerful energy is an
awesome magical tool, as anyone who has ever worked with it knows.
Being limited in time and space, but having such a wonderful and
eclectic medium to work with, I want to give you a few unbiased
ideas on the subject.

No discipline of magic has attracted as much mumbo jumbo or
misinformation as sex magic does. Nothing stirs the mind more than
the left and right of the so-called middle path quite as vividly.
Nothing is more ancient, powerful and misunderstood as Sex magic.
Yes, the market on Tantra is booming, as a visit to any occult book
shop will show you. Yet well researched, practical introductions
into sex magic are virtually non-existent. Male sexist tunnel vision
abounds.

One of the reasons being that the general approach towards sexuality
and women is steeped in Judeo-Christian hang ups.
The most common approach seems to be: "Just lay down and be the
altar dear, you are going to love it." Even such revolutionaries as
Aleister Crowley have done very little to improve this. Louis
Culling even dares to state in his contemporary work (1971), that a
frigid woman is more conductive to sex magic practice than a sensual
or, mind you, sexually aggressive one. For this would surely disturb
ones concentration on the Great Work.
No wonder that there are few women attracted to these kinds of
partners! You will always get what you want in magic and the
so-called true will does reveal itself in strange ways. Doing some
soul searching and clarifying your motives is quite effective.

Now, regarding literature on this subject there is hope. My german
friend Fra.: U.D. has written a comprehensive, pragmatic book on sex
magic. It`s title is "Secrets of the German Sex Magicians"
(Llewellyn) and he told me last weekend that it is available in the
States right now. (I hope he will give me some extracts to post them
here...) It beats everything that has ever been published on the
subject. Get it!


Now let me point out, one more time, that magic is a practical
science. Merely reading about it or going to a workshop will not get
you anywhere.
The multitude of sexual expressions is just as great and manifold as
human behavior in general. Here, like everywhere in Chaos Magic, it
is useful to keep in mind that if it works for you, use it!
Remember, the real sex magicians, male and female, have always known
that and discarded social conditioning and taboos, right along with
the do`s and don`ts of dogma.
We do magic to liberate ourselves. So if it is possible for one
thing to be sacred we logically conclude that everything else can be
sacred too.

Auto-, Hetero- and Homosexual expressions are equally valid in
sex magic. It is more about expanding ones horizons that about
finding a certain "right" way, partner or ritual to do it. The Chaos
Magical paradigm kicks right in: Nothing is True, and Everything is
Permitted!

The next issue I want to address is the Auto-erotic practice. So let
me state this loud and clear: Without auto erotic practice it is
impossible to achieve anything in Sex magic!
Auto-eroticism is of central importance because it is the ideal
practice and playground. It constitutes a powerful technique in
itself, and it makes us independent of partners. Especially in the
beginning it is much easier to explore, prolong and amplify orgasmic
trance states. For this very same reason it is possible to do
effective sex magic with a partner who knows nothing about it but
working with a partner who is equally trained in this art is ever so
much more effective. Most amateurs believe that sexual magic is
something that solely happens between partners in a ritual, but in
reality the vast majority of sex magical arts are performed
auto-erotically.

Regarding the physical aspects of the sexual magical training first
thing to consider is that your body is really _your temple_. And for
it to be your ultimate tool and asset it has to be in peak
condition. Physical and mental dependencies, be it alcohol,
stimulants or even tobacco, will interfere with your ability to
develop and direct this tool. I do not want to project a moral
attitude on this, or any other subject, but mind, spirit and body
are deeply intertwined. And the more you alter your mind from the
outside by using drugs of any sort, the harder it gets to focus your
will and physical reaction. If you are in a frizzy condition, you
will get frizzy results! Here, as in all magic, the borders are
fluid. A good training in practical magic will greatly enhance your
sexual magic and vice versa.


A lot of physical exercises in sex magic derive from Tantra Yoga.
The only point of disagreement appears to be the way of using the
orgasm. In particular, the "traditional" Tantra authors seem to cling
to the idea that there is only a limited amount of sperm available
to men. Therefore this precious substance is carefully guarded, held
back and reassimilated when spent. Western magic does not agree
with this belief. Its approach is rather like: the more you spend -
the more you get! This applies to male magicians, women have always
been pretty much inexhaustible in their orgasmic capacity. What
joins both is that the intent in Sex magic is much more result
oriented and concrete than in Tantra, where it is mainly
transcendental.

The longing for transcendence seems to be inherently natural in
human behavior. Yet being western magicians living in the nineties
we know that we have to handle the "real world", our physical
reality first, and then we can move on to the loftier goals.

A good manual for your physical preparation and training is
"Stalking the Wild Orgasm" by Christopher Scott Kilham. Hie work not
only includes some excellent yoga exercises, but also gives you some
great clues regarding nutrition and aphrodisiacs.
When you get going in this direction you will find that it soon
penetrates into many other areas of your magical work. You will be
in better physical shape, more relaxed, focused and grounded. Magic
is a gut level art. We have to remove it from the intellectual
stuff. Trust your own experiences. Strive to conduct your magic work
from this part of your body where all magic originates - your loins.
Have fun!

With fractalic greetings and laughter  * Fra.: Apfelmann *


                     THE RIDDLE OF THE TRICKSTER
                      a cross-cultural overview
                                  by
                     Thunderspud of Dragonfhain 
 
Who is this trickster archetype, the one who inspires such mixed  feelings and brouhaha?  Trickster has been with us from the  beginning.  Trickster will be there at the ending. (If there is an  ending, Trickster will probably trigger it).  Trickster is a creator,  a transformer, a joker, a truth teller, a destroyer.
 
Whoever has created a dance, a song, written a ritual, tailor-made a  job, birthed a child or invented a game has partaken of a controlled  Trickster energy.  After all, in Northwest Native and Inuit  tradition, Raven created the world; Loki is known to the Norse as a  co creator (and the bringer of Ragnarok); Anansi the spider-trickster  among the Ashanti of Ghana and Nareau the spider in Micronesia;  Coyote among the Southwest Natives --these are the creator aspects of  this wild and uncontrolled energy.  Trickster often begins in the  void, desiring to bring Order out of Chaos; once Order is imposed,  however, Trickster represents the breaking free of negative power 
from the Universal Order of things.
 
As a shape-shifter, Trickster is all things to all people, at one  time or another, and often simultaneously.  Of course Trickster is a  creator and a destroyer.  Sure he's a family man and a vagabond.  Naturally he gives fire to humans and then steals their food before  they can cook it.  This is his style; when he acts out of  selfishness, everyone benefits -- Maui of the Thousand Tricks might  snare the Sun to slow it down, making life easier for humans, but he  did it so his mother would have more time to cook for him.  When he  acts out of altruism, there's most always a negative effect --Marawa,  a Lou Costello prototype from Banks Island carved human figures from  wood and put them in the ground so they would grow and be strong; however, they merely rotted and death came into the world of humans.  This shape- shifter not only moves from shape to shape, but from  world to world. Number Eleven suffered at the hands of death to free  his brothers; his brothers then took his lifeless body away and  revived him.  In the Winnebago cycle, Trickster dies three times and  returns to life three times.  In just one collection of Coyote  stories, Giving Birth to Thunder, Sleeping With His Daughter, Coyote  dies of a snake bite, a gunshot, an arrow wound, a broken heart, a  rock-fall and a drowning; this resembles nothing so much as a 
Roadrunner cartoon.
 

Trickster fuzzes the lines between Male and Female, between cunning  and stupidity (in one story Coyote steals a horse, in another he  almost drowns trying to eat some berries reflected in a stream),  between wisdom and stupidity.  Trickster tells us the truth about our  selves, showing us with truth and wit the sides of our nature that we  may be more comfortable not acknowledging; he's the one who points at  the Emperor's nakedness, he's Lenny Bruce and Ashleigh Brilliant, Ken  Kesey and Uncle Remus, Opus, Geech, Tom Robbins, Abbie Hoffman, Don  Becker, Weird Al Yankovich and David Letterman, holding up a skewed  mirror of reality for us to look into.  Among the Aztecs, as serious  a culture as this continent has ever seen, Ueuecoyotl, a funny and  outrageously unacceptable clown figure; in the Southwest, at serious  rituals, he's the Koshare speeding around the circle with tickling  feathers and rattle, being ignored completely by the priest.
 
Trickster shines on as a culture bringer: Prometheus steals fire for  his poor stunted creations, and pays a terrible and eternal price for  his philanthropy.  Loki also steals fire for humans, as do Anansi,  Raven, Coyote, Maui; so far I have found no less than seventeen  stories from different cultures on this theme.  Anansi tricked  Nyankopon the Sky-God out of his stories and gave them to the humans.   Clat, from Banks Island, taught humans how to sleep.
 
In the stories of the Ashanti, Anansi invented the tar-baby as a ruse  to trap an elemental spirit, but in the Native American stories,  Coyote is trapped by a tar-baby set up by a farmer. Actually the  farmer had caught a rabbit with his tar-baby, but Coyote happened  along and asked Rabbit what he was doing there. "The farmer who owns  this field got mad at me because I wouldn't eat his melons, so he  stuck me here and said he'd come back and make me eat chicken."  Rabbit replies, "But I told him I wouldn't do it."  Of course, greedy  Coyote extricates Rabbit and wraps himself around the tar-baby where  he still his when the farmer comes out and shoots him.
 
So this is the Trickster, the energy that  allows us to break out of  our stereotypes, whether they've been imposed by ourselves, our  families, our culture.  This is the energy that opens the world of  limitless possibilities and it behooves us all to work with it before  it destroys us, to touch the Trickster as he touches us.
                    ...........from RMPJ, Oct.'86   

	 Notes on Kabbalah (a continuing series of many parts) 

	Copyright Colin Low 1991


 Chapter 1.: The Tree of Life

      At  the root of the Cabalistic view of the world are  three
 fundamental  concepts and they provide a natural place to  begin.
 The  three concepts are force,  form and consciousness and  these
 words  are  used in an abstract way,  as the  following  examples
 illustrate:

      -  high  pressure steam in the cylinder of  a  steam  engine
      provides a force.  The engine is a form which constrains the
      force.

      -  a  river runs downhill under the force  of  gravity.  The
      river channel is a form which constrains the water to run in
      a well defined path.

      - someone wants to get to the center of a garden  maze.  The
      hedges  are a form which constrain that person's ability  to
      walk as they please.

      -  a  diesel engine provides the force which drives  a  boat
      forwards.   A  rudder  constrains  its  course  to  a  given
      direction.

      -  a  politician wants to change the  law.  The  legislative
      framework  of  the country is a form which he  or  she  must
      follow if the change is to be made legally.

      - water sits in a bowl. The force of gravity pulls the water
      down. The bowl is a form which gives its shape to the water.

      -  a stone falls to the ground under the force  of  gravity.
      Its  acceleration  is constrained to be equal to  the  force
      divided by the mass of the stone.

      - I want to win at chess.  The force of my desire to win  is
      constrained within the rules of chess.

      - I see something in a shop window and have to have it. I am
      constrained  by  the conditions of sale (do  I  have  enough
      money, is it in stock).

      - cordite explodes in a gun barrel and provides an explosive
      force on a bullet. The gas and the bullet are constrained by
      the form of the gun barrel.

      - I want to get a passport. The government won't give me one
      unless I fill in lots of forms in precisely the right way.

      - I want a university degree.  The university won't give  me
      a  degree unless I attend certain courses and  pass  various
      assessments.
 In all these examples there is something which is causing  change
 to  take  place ("a force") and there is something  which  causes
 change to take place in a defined way ("a form").  Without  being
 too pedantic it is possible to identify two very different  types
 of example here:

      1.  examples of natural physical processes (e.g.  a  falling
      stone) where the force is one of the natural forces known to
      physics (e.g.  gravity) and the form is some  combination
      of physical laws which constrain the force to act in a  well
      defined way.

      2.  examples of people wanting something, where the force is
      some ill-defined concept of "desire",  "will",  or "drives",
      and  the form is one of the forms we impose  upon  ourselves
      (the rules of chess, the Law, polite behavior etc.).

 Despite  the  fact that the two different types  of  example  are
 "only  metaphorically  similar",  Kabbalists see  no  fundamental
 distinction  between  them.  To the Kabbalist there  are  forces
 which  cause  change  in  the  natural  world,   and  there   are
 corresponding psychological forces which drive us to change  both
 the world and ourselves,  and whether these forces are natural or
 psychological they are rooted in the same  place:  consciousness.
 Similarly,  there  are  forms which the component  parts  of  the
 physical  world  seem  to  obey  (natural  laws)  and  there  are
 completely  arbitrary forms we create as part of the  process  of
 living (the rules of a game, the shape of a mug, the design of an
 engine, the syntax of a language) and these forms are also rooted
 in the same place:  consciousness. It is a Cabalistic axiom that
 there is a prime cause which underpins all the manifestations  of
 force  and form in both the natural and psychological  world  and
 that prime cause I have called consciousness for lack of a better
 word.
      Consciousness is undefinable.  We know that we are conscious
 in different ways at different times - sometimes we feel free and
 happy,  at other times trapped and confused,  sometimes angry and
 passionate,  sometimes  cold  and restrained -  but  these  words
 describe  manifestations  of consciousness.  We  can  define  the
 manifestations  of  consciousness in terms of  manifestations  of
 consciousness,  which is about as useful as defining an ocean  in
 terms  of  waves  and  foam.   Anyone  who  attempts  to   define
 consciousness  itself tends to come out of the same door as  they
 went in. We have lots of words for the phenomena of consciousness
 - thoughts,  feelings, beliefs, desires, emotions, motives and so
 on  -  but few words for the states of consciousness  which  give
 rise to these phenomena,  just as we have many words to  describe
 the  surface  of a sea,  but few words to  describe  its  depths.
 Kabbalah  provides  a  vocabulary  for  states  of  consciousness
 underlying the phenomena,  and one of the purposes of these notes
 is to explain this vocabulary,  not by definition,  but mostly by
 metaphor  and analogy.  The only genuine method of  understanding
 what  the  vocabulary  means is by attaining  various  states  of
 consciousness in a predictable and reasonably objective way,  and
 Kabbalah provides practical methods for doing this.

      A fundamental premise of the Cabalistic model of reality is
 that  there  is  a  pure,   primal,   and  undefinable  state  of
 consciousness which manifests as an interaction between force and
 form.  This is virtually the entire guts of the Cabalistic  view
 of  things,  and almost everything I have to say from now  on  is
 based  on  this  trinity  of  consciousness,   force,  and  form.
 Consciousness  comes first,  but hidden within it is an  inherent
 duality;  there is an energy associated with consciousness  which
 causes   change  (force),   and  there  is  a   capacity   within
 consciousness  to constrain that energy and cause it to  manifest
 in a well-defined way (form).

                        First Principle
                              of
                      /  Consciousness   \
                     /                    \
                    /                      \
                Capacity                   Raw
                to take  ________________ Energy
                 Form
                           Figure 1.

 What do we get out of raw energy and an inbuilt capacity for form
 and structure?  Is there yet another hidden potential within this
 trinity waiting to manifest? There is. If modern physics is to be
 believed we get matter and the physical world.  The  cosmological
 Big  Bang  model of raw energy surging out from  an  infinitesimal
 point and condensing into basic forms of matter as it cools, then
 into  stars and galaxies,  then planets,  and  ultimately  living
 creatures,  has  many points of similarity with  the  Cabalistic
 model. In the Big Bang model a soup of energy condenses according
 to  some  yet-to-be-formulated  Grand-Universal-Theory  into  our
 physical  world.  What Kabbalah does suggest (and modern  physics
 most  certainly does not!) is that matter and  consciousness  are
 the  same  stuff,  and  differ only in the  degree  of  structure
 imposed  -  matter  is consciousness so  heavily  structured  and
 constrained  that  its behavior becomes  describable  using  the
 regular and simple laws of physics.  This is shown in Fig. 2. The
 primal,  first principle of consciousness is synonymous with  the
 idea of "God".


                        First Principle
                              of
                      /  Consciousness   \
                     /         |          \
                    /          |           \
                Capacity       |           Raw
                to take  _____________ Energy/Force
                 Form          |
                    \          |           /
                     \         |          /
                      \        |         /
                             Matter
                           The World

                           Figure 2

 The glyph in Fig.  2 is the basis for the Tree of Life. The first
 principle of consciousness is called Kether,  which means  Crown.
 The  raw energy of consciousness is called Chockhmah  or  Wisdom,
 and  the capacity to give form to the energy of consciousness  is
 called Binah, which is sometimes translated as Understanding, and
 sometimes  as  Intelligence.  The outcome of the  interaction  of
 force and form,  the physical world,  called Malkuth or  Kingdom.
 This  quaternery  is  a Cabalistic  representation  of  God-the-
 Knowable,  in the sense that it the most primitive representation
 of God we are capable of comprehending;  paradoxically, Kabbalah
 also  contains  a notion of God-the-Unknowable  which  transcends
 this glyph,  and is called En Soph.  There is not much I can  say
 about En Soph, and what I can say I will postpone for later.
      God-the-Knowable has four aspects,  two male and two female:
 Kether and Chokhmah are both represented as male,  and Binah  and
 Malkuth are represented as female.  One of the titles of Chokhmah
 is Abba,  which means Father,  and one of the titles of Binah  is
 Aima,  which means Mother,  so you can think of Chokhmah as  God-
 the-Father,   and  Binah  as  God-the-Mother.    Malkuth  is  the
 daughter, the female spirit of God-as-Matter, and it would not be
 wildly  wrong to think of her as Mother Earth.  One of  the  more
 pleasant things about Kabbalah is that its symbolism gives  equal
 place to both male and female.
      And  what  of God-the-Son?  Is there also a  God-the-Son  in
 Kabbalah?  There is, and this is the point where Kabbalah tackles
 the interesting problem of thee and me.  The glyph in Fig. 2 is a
 model of consciousness,  but not of self-consciousness, and self-
 consciousness throws an interesting spanner in the works.

 The Fall

      Self-consciousness  is like a mirror in which  consciousness
 sees itself reflected.  Self-consciousness is modelled in Kabbalah
 by making a copy of figure 2.

                         Consciousness
                              of
                      /  Consciousness   \
                     /         |          \
                    /          |           \
               Consciousness   |      Consciousness
                    of  ________________   of
                   Form        |       Energy/Force
                    \          |           /
                     \         |          /
                      \        |         /
                         Consciousness
                             of the
                             World

                           Figure 3

 Figure 3.  is Figure 2. reflected through self-consciousness. The
 overall  effect  of self-consciousness is to  add  an  additional
 layer to Figure 2. as follows:

                        First Principle
                              of
                      /  Consciousness   \
                     /         |          \
                    /          |           \
                Capacity       |           Raw
                to take  _____________ Energy/Force
                 Form          |
                    \          |           /
                     \         |          /
                      \        |         /
                         Consciousness
                              of
                      /  Consciousness   \
                     /         |          \
                    /          |           \
               Consciousness   |      Consciousness
                    of  ________________   of
                   Form        |       Energy/Force
                    \          |           /
                     \         |          /
                      \        |         /
                         Consciousness
                             of the
                             World
                               |
                               |
                               |
                             Matter
                           The World
                           Figure 4


 Fig.  2  is  sometimes  called "the Garden of  Eden"  because  it
 represents a primal state of consciousness.  The effect of  self-
 consciousness as shown in Fig.  4 is to drive a wedge between the
 First Principle of Consciousness (Kether) and that  Consciousness
 realized  as  matter and the physical world  (Malkuth).  This  is
 called "the Fall",  after the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden
 of Eden. From a Cabalistic point of view the story of Eden, with
 the  Tree  of Knowledge of Good and Evil,  the  serpent  and  the
 temptation,  and the casting out from the Garden has a great deal
 of   meaning   in  terms  of  understanding  the   evolution   of
 consciousness.
      Self-consciousness    introduces   four   new   states    of
 consciousness:  the  Consciousness  of  Consciousness  is  called
 Tipheret,  which means Beauty;  the Consciousness of Force/Energy
 is  called  Netzach,   which  means  Victory  or  Firmness;   the
 Consciousness  of Form is called Hod,  which means  Splendor  or
 Glory,  and  the Consciousness of Matter is called  Yesod,  which
 means  Foundation.  These  four states  have  readily  observable
 manifestations, as shown below in Fig. 5:

                            The Self
                         Self-Importance
                          Self-Sacrifice
                      /        |         \
                     /         |          \
                    /          |           \
                 Language      |         Emotions
               Abstraction_______________Drives
                  Reason       |         Feelings
                    \          |           /
                     \         |          /
                      \        |         /
                       \   Perception   /
                           Imagination
                            Instinct
                          Reproduction

                            Figure 5

 Figure 4.  is almost the complete Tree of Life,  but not quite  -
 there  are  still two states missing.  The inherent  capacity  of
 consciousness  to take on structure and objectify itself  (Binah,
 God-the-Mother)  is  reflected through  self-consciousness  as  a
 perception of the limitedness and boundedness of things.  We  are
 conscious of space and time, yesterday and today, here and there,
 you  and  me,  in and out,  life and  death,  whole  and  broken,
 together and apart.  We see things as limited and bounded and  we
 have a perception of form as something "created" and "destroyed".
 My  car was built a year ago,  but it was  smashed  yesterday.  I
 wrote an essay, but I lost it when my computer crashed. My granny
 is dead. The river changed its course. A law has been repealed. I
 broke  my  coffee  mug.  The world changes,  and  what  was  here
 yesterday  is  not  here today.  This  perception  acts  like  an
 "interface"   between  the  quaternary  of  consciousness   which
 represents  "God",  and the quaternary which represents a  living
 self-conscious  being,  and  two  new states  are  introduced  to
 represent this interface. The state which represents the creation
 of new forms is called Chesed,  which means Mercy,  and the state
 which  represents  the destruction of forms  is  called  Gevurah,
 which   means  Strength.   This  is  shown   in   Fig.   6.   The
 objectification  of forms which takes place in  a  self-conscious
 being,  and the consequent tendency to view the world in terms of
 limitations and dualities (time and space,  here and  there,  you
 and me,  in and out,  God and Man,  good and evil...) produces  a
 barrier to perception which most people rarely overcome,  and for
 this reason it has come to be called the Abyss. The Abyss is also
 marked on Figure 6.

                        First Principle
                              of
                      /  Consciousness   \
                     /         |          \
                    /          |           \
                Capacity       |           Raw
                to take  _____________ Energy/Force
                 Form          |            |
                   |\          |           /|
                   | \         |          / |
               --------------Abyss---------------
                   |   \       |        /   |
              Destruction      |        Creation
                  of_____\_____|_____ /____of
                 Form     \    |     /    Form
                   | \     \   |    /    /  |
                   |  \     \  |   /    /   |
                   |   \ Consciousness /    |
                   |          of            |
                   |  /  Consciousness   \  |
                   | /         |          \ |
                   |/          |           \|
               Consciousness   |      Consciousness
                    of  ________________   of
                 \ Form        |       Energy/Force
                  \ \          |           / /
                   \ \         |          / /
                   \  \        |         /  /
                    \    Consciousness     /
                    \         of           /
                     \     the World      /
                      \                  /
                       \       |        /
                        \      |       /
                         \     |      /
                             Matter
                           The World

                            Figure 6


 The  diagram  in  Fig.   6  is  called  the  Tree  of  Life.  The
 "constructionist"  approach I have used to justify its  structure
 is  a little unusual,  but the essence of my presentation can  be
 found  in  the "Zohar" under the guise of the  Macroprosopus  and
 Microprosopus, although in this form it is not readily accessible
 to  the average reader.  My attempt to show how the Tree of  Life
 can be derived out of pure consciousness through the  interaction
 of an abstract notion of force and form was not intended to be  a
 convincing exercise from an intellectual point of view - the Tree
 of  Life  is  primarily  a gnostic  rather  than  a  rational  or
 intellectual  explanation  of consciousness and  its  interaction
 with the physical world.
      The  Tree is composed of 10 states or  sephiroth  (sephiroth
 plural,  sephira singular) and 22 interconnecting paths.  The age
 of  this diagram is unknown:  there is enough information in  the
 13th.  century "Sepher ha Zohar" to construct this  diagram,  and
 the  doctrine of the sephiroth has been attributed to  Isaac  the
 Blind in the 12th.  century,  but we have no certain knowledge of
 its  origin.  It  probably originated sometime  in  the  interval
 between the 6th.  and 13th.  centuries AD. The origin of the word
 "sephira"  is unclear - it is almost certainly derived  from  the
 Hebrew word for "number" (SPhR),  but it has also been attributed
 to the Greek word for "sphere" and even to the Hebrew word for  a
 sapphire (SPhIR).  With a characteristic aptitude for discovering
 hidden meanings everywhere, Kabbalists find all three derivations
 useful, so take your pick.
      In the language of earlier Cabalistic writers the sephiroth
 represented  ten primeval emanations of God,  ten  foci  through
 which  the energy of a hidden,  absolute and unknown Godhead  (En
 Soph)  propagated  throughout  the  creation,  like  white  light
 passing  through  a prism.  The sephiroth can be  interpreted  as
 aspects of God,  as states of consciousness,  or as nodes akin to
 the  Chakras  in the occult anatomy of a human  being  .
      I  have left out one important detail from the structure  of
 the  Tree.  There is an eleventh "something" which is  definitely
 *not* a sephira,  but is often shown on modern representations of
 the  Tree.  The Cabalistic "explanation" runs as  follows:  when
 Malkuth "fell" out of the Garden of Eden (Fig.  2) it left behind
 a "hole" in the fabric of the Tree,  and this "hole",  located in
 the center of the Abyss,  is called Daath,  or Knowledge. Daath is
 *not* a sephira; it is a hole. This may sound like gobbledy-gook,
 and in the sense that it is only a metaphor, it is.


      The  completed  Tree of Life with the Hebrew titles  of  the
 sephiroth is shown below in Fig. 7.


                            En Soph
                  /-------------------------\
                 /                           \
                (            Kether           )
                        /   (Crown)    \
                       /       |        \
                      /        |         \
                     /         |          \
                 Binah         |        Chokhmah
             (Understanding)__________  (Wisdom)
              (Intelligence)   |           |
                   |\          |          /|
                   | \       Daath       / |
                   |  \   (Knowledge)   /  |
                   |   \       |       /   |
                Gevurah \      |      /  Chesed
               (Strength)\_____|_____/__ (Mercy)
                   |      \    |    /    (Love)
                   | \     \   |   /     / |
                   |  \     \  |  /     /  |
                   |   \   Tipheret    /   |
                   |   /   (Beauty)    \   |
                   |  /        |        \  |
                   | /         |         \ |
                   |/          |          \|
                  Hod          |        Netzach
                (Glory) _______________(Victory)
               (Splendor)     |       (Firmness)
                  \ \          |           / /
                   \ \         |          / /
                   \  \        |         / /
                    \  \       |        /  /
                    \   \    Yesod     /  /
                     \    (Foundation)   /
                      \                 /
                       \       |       /
                        \      |      /
                         \     |     /
                            Malkuth
                           (Kingdom)

                            Figure 7


 From  an historical point of view the doctrine of emanations  and
 the  Tree  of  Life are only one small part of  a  huge  body  of
 Cabalistic speculation about the nature of divinity and our part
 in  creation,  but it is the part which has  survived.  The  Tree
 continues  to  be used in the Twentieth Century  because  it  has
 proved  to be a useful and productive symbol for practices  of  a
 magical,  mystical and religious nature.  Modern Kabbalah in  the
 Western   Mystery  Tradition  is  largely  concerned   with   the
 understanding and practical application of the Tree of Life,  and
 the following set of notes will list some of the  characteristics
 of each sephira in more detail so that you will have a "snapshot"
 of  what each sephira represents before going on to  examine  the
 sephiroth and the "deep structure" of the Tree in more detail.

 Chapter 2.: Sephirothic Correspondences

      The correspondences are a set of symbols,  associations  and
 qualities  which  provide  a handle on the  elusive  something  a
 sephira represents.  Some of the correspondences are hundreds  of
 years old, many were concocted this century, and some are my own;
 some  fit very well,  and some are obscure - oddly enough  it  is
 often  the most obscure and ill-fitting correspondence  which  is
 most  productive;  like a Zen riddle it perplexes and annoys  the
 mind  until  it arrives at the right place more in spite  of  the
 correspondence than because of it.
      There  are  few  canonical  correspondences;   some  of  the
 sephiroth  have  alternative  names,   some  of  the  names  have
 alternative  translations,  the mapping from Hebrew spellings  to
 the  English  alphabet varies from one author to  the  next,  and
 inaccuracies  and  accretions  are handed down  like  the  family
 silver. I keep my Hebrew dictionary to hand but guarantee none of
 the English spellings.
      The correspondences I have given are as follows:

      1.  The  Meaning is a translation of the Hebrew name of  the
          sephira.

      2.  The  Planet in most cases is the planet associated  with
          the  sephira.  In some cases it is not a planet  at  all
          (e.g.   the  fixed  stars).   The  planets  are  ordered
          by   decreasing   apparent   motion  -   this   is   one
          correspondence which appears to pre-date Copernicus!

      3.  The Element is the physical element (earth,  water, air,
          fire,  aethyr) which has most in common with the  nature
          of  the Sephira.  The Golden Dawn applied an  excess  of
          logic to these attributions and made a mess of them,  to
          the  confusion  of  many.   Only  the  five  Lower  Face
          sephiroth have been attributed an element.

      4.  Briatic  color.  This is the color of the  sephira  as
          seen in the world of Creation,  Briah.  There are color
          scales  for the other three worlds but I  haven't  found
          them to be useful in practical work.

      5.  Magical Image. Useful in meditations; some are astute.


      6.  The  Briatic Correspondence is an abstract  quality
          which  says something about the essence of the  way  the
          sephira expresses itself.

      7.  The  Illusion characterizes the way in which the  energy
          of the sephira clouds one's judgement;  it is  something
          which is *obviously* true.  Most people suffer from  one
          or more of these according to their temperament.

      8.  The  Obligation is a personal quality which is  demanded
          of an initiate at this level.

      9.  The  Virtue and Vice are the energy of the sephiroth  as
          it  manifests  in a positive and negative sense  in  the
          personality.

      10. Klippoth  is a word which means  "shell".  In  medieval
          Kabbalah  each sephira was "seen" to be adding  form  to
          the  sephira  which preceded it in the  Lightning  Flash
          (see Chapter 3.). Form was seen to an accretion, a shell
          around  the pure divine energy of the Godhead,  and each
          layer  or  shell hid the divine radiance  a  little  bit
          more, until God was buried in form and exiled in matter,
          the end-point of the process.  At the time attitudes  to
          matter  were  tainted  with the  Manichean  notion  that
          matter   was  evil,   a  snare  for  the   spirit,   and
          consequently the Klippoth or shells were "demonised" and
          actually turned into demons.  The correspondence I  have
          given  here restores the original notion of a  shell  of
          form  *without* the corresponding force to activate  it;
          it  is the lifeless,  empty husk of a sephira devoid  of
          force,  and while it isn't a literal demon, it is hardly
          a bundle of laughs when you come across it.

      11. The  Command  refers to the Four Powers of  the  Sphinx,
          with an extra one added for good measure.

      12. The Spiritual Experience is just that.

      13. The Titles are a collection of alternative names for the
          sephira; most are very old.

      14. The  God  Name  is a key to invoking the  power  of  the
          sephira in the world of emanation, Atziluth.

      13. The Archangel mediates the energy of the sephira in  the
          world of creation, Briah.

      14. The Angel Order administers the energy of the sephira in
          the world of formation, Yetzirah.

      15. The Keywords are a collection of phrases which summarize
          key aspects of the sephira.


 =================================================================
 Sephira: Malkuth                   Meaning: Kingdom
 -------                            -------
 Planet: Cholem Yesodeth            Element: earth
 --------(the Breaker of            -------
          the Foundations, sphere of the elements, the Earth)

 Briatic Color: brown              Number: 10
 ------------- (citrine, russet-red,------
                olive green, black)

 Magical Image: a young woman crowned and throned
 -------------
 Briatic Correspondence: stability
 ----------------------
 Illusion: materialism              Obligation: discipline
 --------                           ----------
 Virtue: discrimination             Vice: avarice & inertia
 ------                             ----
 Klippoth: stasis                   Command: keep silent
 --------                           -------
 Spiritual Experience: Vision of the Holy Guardian Angel
 ------
 Titles:  The Gate; Gate of Death; Gate of Tears; Gate of Justice;
 ------   The Inferior Mother;  Malkah,  the  Queen;  Kallah,  the
          Bride; the Virgin.
 ------
 God Name: Adonai ha Aretz          Archangel: Sandalphon
 --------  Adonai Malekh            ---------
 Angel Order: Ishim
 -----------
 Keywords:the  real world,  physical  matter,  the  Earth,  Mother
          Earth,  the physical elements, the natural world, sticks
          & stones,  possessions,  faeces, practicality, solidity,
          stability, inertia, heaviness, bodily death, incarnation.

 =================================================================
 Sephira: Yesod                     Meaning: Foundation
 -------                            -------
 Planet: Levanah (the Moon)         Element: Aethyr
 --------------                     -------
 Briatic Color: purple             Number: 9
 -------------                      ------

 Magical Image: a beautiful man, very strong (e.g. Atlas)
 -------------
 Briatic Correspondence: receptivity, perception
 ----------------------
 Illusion: security                 Obligation: trust
 --------                           ----------
 Virtue: independence               Vice: idleness
 ------                             ----
 Klippoth: zombieism, robotism      Command: go!
 --------                           -------
 Spiritual Experience: Vision of the Machinery of the Universe
 --------------------
 Titles: The Treasure House of Images
 ------
 God Name: Shaddai el Chai          Archangel: Gabriel
 --------                           ---------
 Angel Order: Cherubim
 ----------
 Keywords: perception, interface, imagination, image, appearance,
           glamour, the Moon, the unconscious, instinct, tides,
           illusion, hidden infrastructure, dreams, divination,
           anything as it seems to be and not as it is, mirrors
           and crystals, the "Astral Plane", Aethyr, glue,
           tunnels, sex & reproduction, the genitals, cosmetics,
           instinctive magic (psychism), secret doors, shamanic
           tunnel.



 =============================================================
 Sephira: Hod                       Meaning: Glory, Splendor
 -------                            -------
 Planet: Kokab (Mercury)            Element: air
 ------                             -------
 Briatic Color: orange             Number: 8
 -------------                      ------
 Magical Image: an hermaphrodite
 -------------
 Briatic Correspondence: abstraction
 ----------------------
 Illusion: order                    Obligation: learn
 --------                           ----------
 Virtue: honesty, truthfulness      Vice: dishonesty
 ------                             ----
 Klippoth: rigidity                 Command: will
 --------
 Spiritual Experience: Vision of Splendor
 ------
 Titles: -
 ------
 God Name: Elohim Tzabaoth          Archangel: Raphael
 --------                           ---------
 Angel Order: Beni Elohim

 Keywords: reason, abstraction, communication, conceptualization,
           logic, the sciences, language, speech, money (as a
           concept), mathematics, medicine & healing, trickery,
           writing, media (as communication), pedantry,
           philosophy, Kabbalah (as an abstract system), protocol,
           the Law, ownership, territory, theft, "Rights", ritual
           magic.


 ===============================================================
 Sephira: Netzach                   Meaning: Victory, Firmness
 -------                            -------
 Planet: Nogah (Venus)              Element: water
 --------------                     -------
 Briatic Color: green              Number: 7
 -------------                      ------
 Magical Image: a beautiful naked woman
 -------------
 Briatic Correspondence: nurture
 ----------------------
 Illusion: projection               Obligation: responsibility
 --------                           ----------
 Virtue: unselfishness              Vice: selfishness
 ------                             ----
 Klippoth: habit, routine           Command: know
 --------
 Spiritual Experience: Vision of Beauty Triumphant
 ------
 Titles: -
 ------
 God Name: Jehovah Tzabaoth         Archangel: Haniel
 --------                           ---------
 Angel Order: Elohim
 ----------
 Keywords: passion, pleasure, luxury, sensual beauty, feelings,
           drives, emotions - love, hate, anger, joy, depression,
           misery, excitement, desire, lust; nurture, libido,
           empathy, sympathy, ecstatic magic.

 ================================================================
 Sephira: Tipheret                  Meaning: Beauty
 -------                            -------
 Planet: Shemesh (the Sun)          Element: fire
 --------------                     -------
 Briatic Color: yellow             Number: 6
 -------------                      ------
 Magical Image: a king, a child, a sacrificed god
 -------------
 Briatic Correspondence: centrality, wholeness
 ----------------------
 Illusion: identification           Obligation: integrity
 --------                           ----------
 Virtue: devotion to the Great Work Vice: pride, self-importance
 ------                             ----
 Klippoth: hollowness               Command: dare
 --------
 Spiritual Experience: Vision of Harmony
 --------------------

 Titles: Melekh, the King; Zoar Anpin, the lesser countenance, the
 ------  Microprosopus; the Son; Rachamin, charity.

 God Name: Aloah va Daath           Archangel: Michael
 --------                           ---------
 Angel Order: Malachim
 -----------
 Keywords: harmony, integrity, balance, wholeness, the Self, self-
           importance, self-sacrifice, the Son of God, centrality,
           the Philospher's Stone, identity, the solar plexus,
           a King, the Great Work.



 ================================================================
 Sephira: Gevurah                   Meaning: Strength
 -------                            -------
 Planet: Madim (Mars)
 --------------
 Briatic Color: red                Number: 5
 -------------                      ------
 Magical Image: a mighty warrior
 -------------
 Briatic Correspondence: power
 ----------------------
 Illusion: invincibility            Obligation: courage & loyalty
 --------                           ----------
 Virtue: courage & energy           Vice: cruelty
 ------                             ----
 Klippoth: bureaucracy
 --------
 Spiritual Experience: Vision of Power
 --------------------
 Titles: Pachad, fear; Din, justice.
 ------
 God Name: Elohim Gevor             Archangel: Kamael
 --------                           ---------
 Angel Order: Seraphim
 -----------
 Keywords: power, justice, retribution (eaten cold), the Law (in
           execution), cruelty, oppression, domination & the Power
           Myth, severity, necessary destruction, catabolism,
           martial arts.

 ===============================================================
 Sephira: Chesed                    Meaning: Mercy
 -------                            -------
 Planet: Tzadekh (Jupiter)
 --------------
 Briatic Color: blue               Number: 4
 -------------                      ------
 Magical Image: a mighty king
 -------------
 Briatic Correspondence: authority
 ----------------------
 Illusion: being right              Obligation: humility
 --------  (self-righteousness)     ----------

 Virtue: humility & obedience       Vice: tyranny, hypocrisy,
 ------                             ----  bigotry, gluttony
 Klippoth: ideology
 --------
 Spiritual Experience: Vision of Love
 --------------------
 Titles: Gedulah, magnificence, love, majesty
 ------
 God Name: El                       Archangel: Tzadkiel
 --------                           ---------
 Angel Order: Chasmalim
 -----------
 Keywords: authority, creativity, inspiration, vision, leadership,
           excess, waste, secular and spiritual power, submission
           and the Annihilation Myth, the atom bomb, obliteration,
           birth, service.

 ================================================================
 Non-Sephira: Daath                 Meaning: Knowledge
 -----------                        -------
 Daath has no manifest qualities and cannot be invoked directly.

 Keywords: hole, tunnel, gateway, doorway, black hole, vortex.


 ================================================================
 Sephira: Binah                     Meaning: Understanding,
 -------                            -------
 Planet: Shabbathai (Saturn)
 ------
 Briatic Color: black              Number: 3
 -------------                      ------
 Magical Image: an old woman on a throne
 -------------
 Briatic Correspondence: comprehension
 ----------------------
 Illusion: death
 --------
 Virtue: silence                    Vice: inertia
 ------                             ----
 Klippoth: fatalism
 --------
 Spiritual Experience: Vision of Sorrow
 --------------------
 Titles:   Aima, the Mother; Ama, the Crone; Marah, the bitter
           sea; Khorsia, the Throne; the Fifty Gates of
           Understanding; Intelligence; the Mother of Form; the
           Superior Mother.

 God Name: Elohim                   Archangel: Cassiel
 --------                           ---------
 Angel Order: Aralim
 -----------
 Keywords: limitation, form, constraint, heaviness, slowness, old-
           age, infertility, incarnation, karma, fate, time,
           space, natural law, the womb and gestation, darkness,
           boundedness, enclosure, containment, fertility, mother,
           weaving and spinning, death (annihilation).


 ==================================================================
 Sephira: Chokhmah                  Meaning: Wisdom
 -------                            -------
 Planet: Mazlot (the Zodiac, the fixed stars)
 --------------
 Briatic Color: silver/white       Number: 2
 -------------   grey               ------

 Magical Image: a bearded man
 -------------
 Briatic Correspondence: revolution
 ----------------------
 Illusion: independence
 --------
 Virtue: good                       Vice: evil
 ------                             ----
 Klippoth: arbitrariness
 --------
 Spiritual Experience: Vision of God face-to-face
 ------
 Titles: Abba, the Father. The Supernal Father.
 ------
 God Name: Jah                      Archangel: Ratziel
 --------                           ---------
 Angel Order: Auphanim
 -----------
 Keywords: pure creative energy, lifeforce, the wellspring.



 ==================================================================
 Sephira: Kether                    Meaning: Crown
 -------                            -------
 Planet: Rashith ha Gilgalim (first swirlings, the Big Bang)
 --------------
 Briatic Color: pure white         Number: 1
 -------------                      ------
 Magical Image: a bearded man seen in profile
 -------------
 Briatic Correspondence: unity
 ----------------------
 Illusion: attainment
 --------
 Virtue: attainment                 Vice: ---
 ------                             ----
 Klippoth: futility
 --------
 Spiritual Experience: Union with God
 --------------------
 Titles:   Ancient of Days, the Greater Countenance
           (Macroprosopus), the White Head, Concealed of the
           Concealed, Existence of Existences, the Smooth Point,
           Rum Maalah, the Highest Point.

 God Name: Eheieh                   Archangel: Metatron
 --------                           ---------
 Angel Order: Chaioth ha Qadesh
 -----------
 Keywords: unity, union, all, pure consciousness, God, the
           Godhead, manifestation, beginning, source, emanation.

 Chapter 3: The Pillars & the Lightning Flash
 ============================================

      In  Chapter  1.  the  Tree of Life was  derived  from  three
 concepts,  or  rather  one  primary concept  and  two  derivative
 concepts which are "contained" within it. The primary concept was
 called consciousness,  and it was said to "contain" within it the
 two complementary concepts of force and form. This chapter builds
 on  the idea by introducing the three Pillars of  the  Tree,  and
 uses the Pillars to clarify a process called the Lightning Flash.
      The Three Pillars are shown in Figure 8. below.

                Pillar      Pillar       Pillar
                  of          of           of
                 Form    Consciousness   Force
              (Severity)  (Mildness)    (Mercy)

                             Kether
                        /   (Crown)    \
                       /       |        \
                      /        |         \
                     /         |          \
                 Binah         |        Chokhmah
             (Understanding)__________  (Wisdom)
              (Intelligence)   |           |
                   |\          |          /|
                   | \       Daath       / |
                   |  \   (Knowledge)   /  |
                   |   \       |       /   |
                Gevurah \      |      /  Chesed
               (Strength)\_____|_____/__ (Mercy)
                   |      \    |    /    (Love)
                   | \     \   |   /     / |
                   |  \     \  |  /     /  |
                   |   \   Tipheret    /   |
                   |   /   (Beauty)    \   |
                   |  /        |        \  |
                   | /         |         \ |
                   |/          |          \|
                  Hod          |        Netzach
                (Glory) _______________(Victory)
               (Splendor)     |       (Firmness)
                  \ \          |           / /
                   \ \         |          / /
                   \  \        |         / /
                    \  \       |        /  /
                    \   \    Yesod     /  /
                     \    (Foundation)   /
                      \                 /
                       \       |       /
                        \      |      /
                         \     |     /
                            Malkuth
                           (Kingdom)

                            Figure 8


 Not surprisingly the three pillars are referred to as the pillars
 of  consciousness,  force and form.  The pillar of  consciousness
 contains the sephiroth Kether,  Tiphereth, Yesod and Malkuth; the
 pillar  of  force contains the  sephiroth  Chokhmah,  Chesed  and
 Netzach; the pillar of form contains the sephiroth Binah, Gevurah
 and Hod.  In older Cabalistic texts the pillars are referred  to
 as  the pillars of mildness,  mercy and severity,  and it is  not
 immediately obvious how the older jargon relates to the  new.  To
 the  medieval Kabbalist (and this is a recurring metaphor in  the
 Zohar)  the  creation  as  an emanation  of  God  is  a  delicate
 *balance* (metheqela) between two opposing tendencies:  the mercy
 of  God,  the outflowing,  creative,  life-giving and  sustaining
 tendency in God, and the severity or strict judgement of God, the
 limiting,   defining,  life-taking  and  ultimately  wrathful  or
 destructive tendency in God. The creation is "energized" by these
 two tendencies as if stretched between the poles of a battery.

	Modern  Kabbalah makes a half-hearted attempt to remove  the
 more  obvious  anthropomorphisms in the  descriptions  of  "God";
 mercy and severity are misleading terms,  apt to remind one of  a
 man with a white beard,  and even in medieval times the terms had
 distinctly  technical meanings as the following  quotation  shows
 [1]:

      "It must be remembered that to the Kabbalist, judgement [Din
      - judgement,  another title of Gevurah] means the imposition
      of limits and the correct determination of things. According
      to  Cordovero  the  quality  of  judgement  is  inherent  in
      everything  insofar as everything wishes to remain  what  it
      is, to stay within its boundaries."

      I understand the word "form" in precisely this sense - it is  that which  defines *what* a thing is,  the structure whereby a  given thing is distinct from every other thing.

      As for "consciousness",  I use the word "consciousness" in a
 sense so abstract that it is virtually meaningless, and according
 to whim I use the word God instead,  where it is understood  that
 both  words are placeholders for something which  is  potentially
 knowable  in  the  gnostic  sense only  -  consciousness  can  be
 *defined* according to the *forms* it takes, in which case we are
 defining   the  forms,   *not*  the   consciousness.   The   same
 qualification applies to the word "force". My inability to define
 two  of  the three concepts which underpin the structure  of  the
 Tree  is a nuisance which is tackled traditionally by the use  of
 extravagant  metaphors,   and  by  elimination  ("not  this,  not
 that").


      The classification of sephiroth into three pillars is a  way
 of  saying  that each sephira in a pillar partakes  of  a  common
 quality  which is "inherited" in a progressively  more  developed
 and  structured form from of the top of a pillar to  the  bottom.
 Tipheret,  Yesod and Malkuth all share with Kether the quality of
 "consciousness in balance" or "synthesis of opposing  qualities",
 or but in each case it is expressed differently according to  the
 increased degree of structure imposed. Likewise, Chokhmah, Chesed
 and   Netzach   share  the  quality  of  force   or   energy   or
 expansiveness,  and Binah,  Gevurah and Hod share the quality  of
 form,  definition  and limitation.  From Kether down to  Malkuth,
 force  and  form  are combined;  the symbolism of  the  Tree  has
 something  in common with a production line,  with  molten  metal
 coming  in one end and finished cars coming out  the  other,  and
 with  that  metaphor we are now ready to describe  the  Lightning
 Flash,  the process whereby God takes on flesh, the process which
 created and sustains the creation.

      In  the beginning...was Something.  Or Nothing.  It  doesn't
 really matter which term we use,  as both are equally meaningless
 in this context. Nothing is probably the better of the two terms,
 because  I can use Something in the  next  paragraph.  Kabbalists
 call  this  Nothing "En Soph" which literally means "no  end"  or
 infinity,  and  understand by this a hidden,  unmanifest  God-in-
 Itself.

      Out of this incomprehensible and indescribable Nothing  came
 Something.  Probably more words have been devoted to this  moment
 than  any other in Kabbalah,  and it is all too easy to make  fun
 the effort which has gone into elaborating the indescribable,  so
 I  won't,   but  in  return  do  not  expect  me  to  provide   a
 justification for why Something came out of Nothing. It just did.
 A  point  crystallized in the En Soph.  In some versions  of  the
 story  the En Soph "contracted" to "make room" for  the  creation
 (Isaac  Luria's  theory of Tsimtsum),  and this  is  probably  an
 important clarification for those who have rubbed noses with  the
 hidden  face of God,  but for the purposes of these notes  it  is
 enough  that a point crystallized.  This point was the  crown  of
 creation, the sephira Kether, and within Kether was contained all
 the unrealized potential of the creation.

      An  aspect of Kether is the raw creative force of God  which
 blasts into the creation like the blast of hot gas which keeps  a
 hot air balloon in the air. Kabbalists are quite clear about this;
 the creation didn't just happen a long time ago - it is happening
 all  the time,  and without the force to sustain it the  creation
 would crumple like a balloon. The force-like aspect within Kether
 is  the sephira Chokhmah and it can be thought of as the will  of
 God,  because  without it the creation would cease to  *be*.  The
 whole of creation is maintained by this ravening, primeval desire
 to  *be*,  to  become,  to  exist,  to  change,  to  evolve.  The
 experiential distinction between Kether,  the point of emanation,
 and Chokhmah,  the creative outpouring,  is elusive,  but some of
 the  difference  is  captured  in  the  phrases  "I  am"  and  "I
 become".


      Force by itself achieves nothing;  it needs to be contained,
 and the balloon analogy is appropriate again.  Chokhmah  contains
 within it the necessity of Binah,  the Mother of Form. The person
 who  taught  me Kabbalah (a woman) told me  Chokhmah  (Abba,  the
 Father) was God's prick,  and Binah (Aima,  the mother) was God's
 womb,   and  left  me  with  the  picture  of  one  half  of  God
 continuously ejaculating into the other half.  The author of  the
 Zohar  also makes frequent use of sexual polarity as  a  metaphor
 to describe the relationship between force and form, or mercy and
 severity  (although the most vivid sexual metaphors are used  for
 the  marriage of the Microprosopus and his bride,  the Queen  and
 Inferior Mother, the sephira Malkuth).
      The sephira Binah is the Mother of Form;  form exists within
 Binah  as a potentiality,  not as an actuality,  just as  a  womb
 contains  the  potential of a baby.  Without the  possibility  of
 form,  no thing would be distinct from any other thing;  it would
 be impossible to distinguish between things,  impossible to  have
 individuality  or  identity  or  change.   The  Mother  of   Form
 contains the potential of form within her womb and gives birth to
 form  when a creative impulse crosses the Abyss to the Pillar  of
 Force and emanates through the sephira Chesed.  Again we have the
 idea of "becoming", of outflowing creative energy, but at a lower
 level.  The  sephira  Chesed is the point at which  form  becomes
 perceptible  to the mind as an inspiration,  an idea,  a  vision,
 that  "Eureka!"  moment  immediately  prior  to  rushing   around
 shouting  "I've got it!  I've got it!" Chesed is that quality  of
 genuine  inspiration,   a  sense  of  being  "plugged  in"  which
 characterizes  the  visionary leaders who drive  the  human  race
 onwards into every new kind of endeavour.  It can be for good  or
 evil; a leader who can tap the petty malice and vindictiveness in
 any  person  and  channel it into a vision of  a  new  order  and
 genocide  is  just  as much a visionary as  any  other,  but  the
 positive  side  of Chesed is the humanitarian leader  who  brings
 about genuine improvements to our common life.

      No  change  comes easy;  as Cordova points  out  "everything
 wishes to remain what it is". The creation of form is balanced in
 the sephira Gevurah by the preservation and destruction of  form.
 Any impulse of change is channelled through Gevurah, and if it is
 not  resisted then something will be destroyed.  If you  want  to
 make  paper you cut down a tree.  If you want to abolish  slavery
 you have to destroy the culture which perpetuates it. If you want
 to  change  someone's  mind you have  to  destroy  that  person's
 beliefs about the matter in question.  The sephira Gevurah is the
 quality  of strict judgement which opposes change,  destroys  the
 unfamiliar,  and  corresponds  in many ways to an  immune  system
 within the body of God.

      There has to be a balance between creation and  destruction.
 Too much change,  too many ideas,  too many things happening  too
 quickly  can have the quality of chaos (and can literally  become
 that), whereas too little change, no new ideas, too much form and
 structure and protocol can suffocate and stifle.  There has to be
 a  balance  which  "makes sense" and this "idea  of  balance"  or
 "making  sense" is expressed in the sephira Tiphereth.  It is  an
 instinctive  morality,  and  it isn't present by default  in  the
 human species.  It isn't based on cultural norms; it doesn't have
 its roots in upbringing (although it is easily destroyed by  it).
 Some people have it in a large measure,  and some people are  (to
 all  intents and purposes) completely lacking in it.  It  doesn't
 necessarily  respect conventional morality:  it may laugh in  its
 face.  I  can't  say  what it is in any  detail,  because  it  is
 peculiar  and individual,  but those who have it have  a  natural
 quality   of integrity,  soundness of judgement,  an  instinctive
 sense of rightness,  justice and compassion, and a willingness to
 fight or suffer in defense of that sense of justice. Tiphereth is
 a  paradoxical  sephira because in many people it is  simply  not
 there.  It  can  be developed,  and that is one of the  goals  of
 initiation,  but for many people Tiphereth is a room with nothing
 in it.

      Having  passed through Gevurah on the Pillar  of  Form,  and
 found its way through the moral filter of Tiphereth,  a  creative
 impulse picks up energy once more on the Pillar of Force via  the
 Sephira Netzach,  where the energy of "becoming" finds its  final
 expression  in  the form of "vital urges".  Why do  we  carry  on
 living?  Why bother?  What is it that compels us to do things? An
 artist  may have a vision of a piece of art,  but  what  actually
 compels the artist to paint or sculpt or write? Why do we want to
 compete  and  win?  Why do we care what happens  to  others?  The
 sephira  Netzach  expresses the basic vital creative urges  in  a
 form we can recognize as drives,  feelings and emotions.  Netzach
 is pre-verbal; ask a child why he wants a toy and the answer will
 be "I just do".  "But why," you ask,  wondering why he doesn't want the  much more  "sensible" toy you had in mind.  "Why don't you  want  this one here."
      "I just don't. I want this one."
      "But what's so good about that one."
      "I don't know what to say...I just like it."

 This  conversation  is  not fictitious  and  is  quintessentially
 Netzach.  The structure of the Tree of Life posits that the basic
 driving  forces which characterize our behavior  are  pre-verbal
 and non-rational; anyone who has tried to change another person's
 basic  nature or beliefs through force of rational argument  will
 know this.
     After  Netzach we go to the sephira Hod to pick up our  last
 cargo of Form.  Ask a child why they want something and they  say
 "I  just  do".  Press  an adult and you will  get  an  earful  of
 "reasons".  We  live  in a culture where it is  important  (often
 essential) to give reasons for the things we do,  and Hod is  the
 sephira  of form where it is possible to give shape to our  wants
 in  terms  of reasons and explanations.  Hod is  the  sephira  of
 abstraction,  reason,  logic,  language and communication,  and a
 reflection  of the Mother of Form in the human mind.  We  have  a
 innate  capacity  to  abstract,   to  go  immediately  from   the
 particular  to  the general,  and we have an innate  capacity  to
 communicate these abstractions using language,  and it should  be
 clear    why   the   alternative   translation   of   Binah    is
 "intelligence";  Binah  is  the "intelligence of  God",  and  Hod
 underpins what we generally recognize as intelligence in people -
 the ability to grasp complex abstractions, reason about them, and
 articulate this understanding using some means of communication.

      The   synthesis  of  Hod  and  Netzach  on  the  Pillar   of
 Consciousness  is  the sephira Yesod.  Yesod is  the  sephira  of
 interface, and the comparison with computer peripheral interfaces
 is an excellent one. Yesod is sometimes called "the Receptacle of
 the  Emanations",  and it interfaces the emanations of all  three
 pillars to the sephira Malkuth,  and it is through Yesod that the
 final abstract form of something is realized in matter.  Form  in
 Yesod  is  no  longer abstract;  it  is  explicit,  but  not  yet
 individual  -  that last quality is reserved for  Malkuth  alone.
 Yesod  is  like  the mold in a bottle factory -  the  mold  is  a
 realization  of  the  abstract  idea "bottle" in  so  far  as  it
 expresses  the  shape  of a particular  bottle  design  in  every
 detail, but it is not itself an individual bottle.
      The final step in the process is the sephira Malkuth,  where
 God  becomes  flesh,  and  every abstract  form  is  realized  in
 actuality,  in the "real world". There is much to say about this,
 but I will keep it for later.


      The process I have described is called the Lightning  Flash.
 The Lightning Flash runs as  follows:  Kether,  Chokhmah,  Binah,
 Chesed,  Gevurah, Tiphereth, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, Malkuth, and if
 you  trace the Lightning Flash on a diagram of the Tree  you  will
 see  that  it has the zig-zag shape of  a  lightning  flash.  The
 sephiroth are numbered according to their order on the  lightning
 flash:  Kether  is  1,  Chokhmah is 2,  and so  on.  The  "Sepher
 Yetzirah" [2] has this to say about the sephiroth:

      "When  you think of the ten sephiroth cover your  heart  and
      seal  the  desire of your lips to announce  their  divinity.
      Yoke your mind.  Should it escape your grasp,  reach out and
      bring it back under your control.  As it was said,  'And the
      living  creatures  ran and returned as the appearance  of  a
      flash  of  lightning,'  in such a manner  was  the  Covenant
      created."

 The  quotation within the quotation comes from  Ezekiel  1.14,  a
 text   which  inspired  a  large  amount  of  early   Cabalistic
 speculation,  and  it  is probable that the  Lightning  Flash  as
 described  is  one  of the earliest components  of  the  idea  of
 sephirothic emanation.
      The   Lightning  Flash  describes  the   creative   process,
 beginning with the unknown, unmanifest hidden God, and follows it
 through ten distinct stages to a change in the material world. It
 can be used to describe *any* change - lighting a match,  picking
 your  nose,  walking the dog - and novices are  usually  set  the
 exercise   of analyzing any arbitrarily chosen event in terms  of
 the Lightning Flash.  Because the Lightning Flash can be used  to
 understand  the inner process whereby the material world  of  the
 senses  changes  and evolves,  it is a key to  practical  magical
 work,  and because it is intended to account for *all* change  it
 follows that all change is equally magical,  and the word "magic"
 is   essentially   meaningless  (but  nevertheless   useful   for
 distinguishing   between  "normal"  and  "abnormal"   states   of
 consciousness, and the modes of causality which pertain to each).

      It also follows that the key to understanding our "spiritual
 nature"  does  not belong in the  spiritual  empyrean,  where  it
 remains  inaccessible,  but in *all* the routine  and  unexciting
 little  things  in life.  Everything is  equally  "spiritual",
 equally  "divine",  and there is more to be learned from  picking
 one's nose than there is in a spiritual discipline which puts you
 "here" and God "over there". The Lightning Flash ends in Malkuth,
 and it can be followed like a thread through the hidden  pathways
 of  creation  until  one arrives back at  the  source.  The  next
 chapter  will  retrace  the  Lightning  Flash  by  examining  the
 qualities of each sephira in more detail.

 [1]  Scholem,  Gershom  G.  "Major Trends in  Jewish  Mysticism",
                             Schoken Books 1974

 [2]  Westcott, W. Wynn, ed. "Sepher Yetzirah". Many reprintings.

 Chapter 4: The Sephiroth
 ========================
      This  chapter  provides a detailed look at each of  the  ten
 sephiroth  and  draws together material scattered  over  previous
 chapters.

 Malkuth
 -------
      Malkuth  is  the  Cinderella of the  sephiroth.  It  is  the
 sephira most often ignored by beginners,  the sephira most  often
 glossed  over in Cabalistic texts,  and it is not only the  most
 immediate of the sephira but it is also the most complex, and for
 sheer  inscrutability  it  rivals Kether -  indeed,  there  is  a
 Cabalistic aphorism that "Kether is in Malkuth,  and Malkuth  is
 in Kether, but after another manner".

      The  word Malkuth means "Kingdom",  and the sephira  is  the
 culmination of a process of emanation whereby the creative  power
 of  the  Godhead is progressively structured and  defined  as  it
 moves  down the Tree and arrives in a completed form in  Malkuth.
 Malkuth is the  sphere of matter,  substance,  the real, physical
 world.   In  the  least  compromising  versions  of   materialist
 philosophy (e.g. Hobbes) there is nothing beyond physical matter,
 and from that viewpoint the Tree of Life beyond Malkuth does  not
 exist:  our  feelings  of  identity  and  self-consciousness  are
 nothing  more  than  a by-product of chemical  reactions  in  the
 brain,  and the mind is a complex automata which suffers from the
 disease   of  metaphysical  delusions.   Kabbalah  is   *not*   a
 materialist  model  of reality,  but when we examine  Malkuth  by
 itself we find ourselves immersed in matter, and it is natural to
 think in terms of physics,   chemistry and molecular biology. The
 natural  sciences provide the most accurate models of matter  and
 the physical world that we have,  and it would be foolishness  of
 the  first  order  to imagine that Kabbalah  can  provide  better
 explanations  of the nature of matter on the basis of a study  of
 the  text  of  the  Old Testament.  Not  that  I  under-rate  the
 intuition  which  has gone into the making of Kabbalah  over  the
 centuries,  but  for  practical purposes the  average  university
 science  graduate knows (much) more about the material  stuff  of
 the  world than medieval Kabbalists,  and a grounding  in  modern
 physics is as good a way to approach Malkuth as any other.

      For  those  who are not comfortable with physics  there  are
 alternative,  more traditional ways of approaching  Malkuth.  The
 magical  image  of Malkuth is that of a young woman  crowned  and
 throned.  The woman is Malkah,  the Queen, Kallah, the Bride. She
 is  the  inferior mother,  a reflection and  realization  of  the
 superior mother Binah. She is the Queen who inhabits the Kingdom,
 and the Bride of the Microprosopus.  She is Gaia,  Mother  Earth,
 but of course she is not only the substance of this world; she is
 the body of the entire physical universe.

      Some care is required when assigning Mother/Earth  goddesses
 to Malkuth,  because some of them correspond more closely to  the
 superior  mother  Binah.  There is a close  and  deep  connection
 between  Malkuth  and Binah which results in  the  two  sephiroth
 sharing   similar  correspondences,   and  one  of   the   oldest
 Cabalistic texts [1] has this to say about Malkuth:

      "The  title of the tenth path [Malkuth] is  the  Resplendent
      Intelligence.  It is called this because it is exalted above
      every head from where it sits upon the throne of  Binah.  It
      illuminates  the  numinosity  of all lights  and  causes  to
      emanate  the  Power  of the  archetype  of  countenances  or
      forms."

 One of the titles of Binah is Khorsia,  or Throne,  and the image
 which  this  text provides is that Binah provides  the  framework
 upon  which Malkuth sits.  We will return to  this  later.  Binah
 contains the potential of form in the abstract,  while Malkuth is
 is the fullest realization of form,  and both sephiroth share the
 correspondences of heaviness,  limitation,  finiteness,  inertia,
 avarice, silence, and death.

      The  female quality of Malkuth is often identified with  the
 Shekhinah,  the  female  spirit  of  God  in  the  creation,  and
 Cabalistic literature makes much of the (carnal) relationship of
 God and the Shekhinah.  Waite [7] mentions that the  relationship
 between God and Shekhinah is mirrored in the relationship between
 man and woman,  and provides a great deal of information on  both
 the  Shekhinah and what he quaintly calls "The Mystery  of  Sex".
 After  the  exile  of the Jews from  Spain  in  1492,  Kabbalists
 identified their own plight with the fate of the  Shekhinah,  and
 she  is pictured as being cast out into matter in much  the  same
 way as the Gnostics pictured Sophia,  the outcast divine  wisdom.
 The doctrine of the Shekhinah within Kabbalah and within  Judaism
 as a whole is complex and it is something I don't feel  competent
 to  comment further on;  more information can be found in  [3]  &
 [7].

      Malkuth   is  the  sphere  of  the  physical  elements   and
 Kabbalists  still  use the four-fold scheme which dates  back  at
 least  as  far  as Empedocles and  probably  the  Ark.  The  four
 elements correspond to four readily-observable states of matter:

               solid     -     earth
               liquid    -     water
               gas       -     air
               plasma    -     fire/electric arc (lightning)

 In  addition  it is not uncommon to include a  fifth  element  so
 rarified  and arcane that most people (self included) are  pushed
 to say what it is;  the fifth element is aethyr (or ether) and is
 sometimes called spirit.

      The  amount  of  material  written  about  the  elements  is
 enormous,  and  rather than reproduce in bulk what is  relatively
 well-known  I will provide a rough outline so that those  readers
 who aren't familiar with Kabbalah will realize I am talking about
 approximately the same thing as they have seen before. A detailed
 description of the traditional medieval view of the four elements
 can  be  found in "The Magus" [2].  The  hierarchy  of  elemental
 powers can be found in "777" [4] and in Golden Dawn material  [5]
 - I have summarized a few useful items below:

      Element        Fire          Air       Water       Earth

      God Name       Elohim        Jehovah   Eheieh      Agla

      Archangel      Michael       Raphael   Gabriel     Uriel

      King           Djin          Paralda   Nichsa      Ghob

      Elemental      Salamanders   Sylphs    Undines     Gnomes


 It amused me to notice that the section on the elemental kingdoms
 in Farrar's "What Witches Do" [6] had been taken by Alex Saunders
 lock,  stock  and  barrel  from traditional  Cabalistic  and  CM
 sources.

      The elements in Malkuth are arranged as follows:

                             South
                             Fire



              East          Zenith Aethyr+    West
              Air           Nadir  Aethyr-    Water




                            North
                            Earth

 I have rotated the cardinal points through 180 degrees from their
 customary directions so that it is easier to see how the elements
 fit on the lower face of the Tree of Life:

                           Tiphereth
                             Fire


              Hod           Yesod          Netzach
              Air           Aethyr          Water



                           Malkuth
                            Earth

 It  is important to distinguish between the elements in  Malkuth,
 where  we  are talking about real substance (the  water  in  your
 body,  the breath in your lungs),  and the elements on the  Tree,
 where we are using traditional correspondences *associated*  with
 the elements, e.g.:

      Earth: solid, stable, practical, down-to-earth

      Water: sensitive, intuitive, emotional, caring, fertile

      Air: vocal, communicative, intellectual

      Fire: energetic, daring, impetuous

      Positive Aethyr: glue, binding, plastic

      Negative Aethyr: unbinding, dissolution, disintegration

 Aethyr or Spirit is enigmatic, and I tend to think of it in terms
 of the forces which bind matter together.  It is almost certainly
 a coincidence (but nevertheless interesting) that there are  four
 fundamental forces - gravitational, electromagnetic, weak nuclear
 & strong nuclear - known to date, and current belief is that they
 can  be unified into one fundamental force.  On a  slightly  more
 arcane tack, Barret [2] has this to say about Aethyr:

      "Now   seeing   that  the  soul  is  the   essential   form,
      intelligible  and incorruptible,  and is the first mover  of
      the body, and is moved itself; but that the body, or matter,
      is of itself unable and unfit for motion, and does very much
      degenerate from the soul, it appears that there is a need of
      a more excellent medium:- now such a medium is conceived  to
      be  the  spirit  of the world,  or that which  some  call  a
      quintessence;  because it is not from the four elements, but
      a  certain first thing,  having its being above  and  beside
      them. There is, therefore, such a kind of medium required to
      be,  by which celestial souls [e.g.  forms] may be joined to
      gross  bodies,  and bestow upon them wonderful  gifts.  This
      spirit is in the same manner,  in the body of the world,  as
      our spirit is in our bodies;  for as the powers of our  soul
      are communicated to the members of the body by the medium of
      the spirit,  so also the virtue of the soul of the world  is
      diffused,  throughout  all  things,  by the  medium  of  the
      universal  spirit;  for there is nothing to be found in  the
      whole world that hath not a spark of the virtue thereof."

 Aethyr   underpins  the  elements  like  a  foundation  and   its
 attribution to Yesod should be obvious,  particularly as it forms
 the  linking  role between the ideoplastic world of  "the  Astral
 Light"  [8] and the material world.  Aethyr is often  thought  to
 come in two flavors - positive Aethyr, which binds, and negative
 Aethyr,  which  unbinds.  Negative  Aethyr  is  a  bit  like  the
 Universal Solvent, and requires as much care in handling ;-}


      Working with the physical elements in Malkuth is one of  the
 most  important areas of applied magic,  dealing as it does  with
 the basic constituents of the real world.  The physical  elements
 are  tangible and can be experience in a very direct way  through
 recreations such as caving,  diving,  parachuting or firewalking;
 they bite back in a suitably humbling way,  and they provide  CMs
 with an opportunity to join the neo-pagans in the great outdoors.
 Our bodies themselves are made from physical stuff, and there are
 many Raja Yoga-like exercises which can be carried out using  the
 elements  as a basis for work on the body.  If you can stand  his
 manic intensity (Exercise 1:  boil an egg by force of will)  then
 Bardon [9] is full of good ideas.
      Malkuth is often associated with various kinds of  intrinsic
 evil,  and to understand this attitude (which I do not share)  it
 is necessary to confront the same question as thirteenth  century
 Kabbalists:  can  God be evil?  The answer to this  question  was
 (broadly speaking) "yes",  but Kabbalists have gone through  many
 strange  gyrations  in an attempt to avoid what was for  many  an
 unacceptable conclusion.  It was difficult to accept that famine,
 war, disease, prejudice, hate, death could be a part of a perfect
 being, and there had to be some way to account for evil which did
 not contaminate divine perfection. One approach was to sweep evil
 under  the  carpet,  and  in this case the  carpet  was  Malkuth.
 Malkuth became the habitation for evil spirits.
      If one examines the structure of the Tree without  prejudice
 then  it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that evil is  quite
 adequately  accounted for,  and there is no need to shuffle  evil
 to  the periphery of the Tree like a cleaner without  a  dustpan.
 The  emanation  of  any  sephirah  from  Chokhmah  downwards  can
 manifest as good or evil depending on circumstances and the point
 of view of those affected by the energy involved. This appears to
 have  been  understood  even at the time of the  writing  of  the
 "Zohar", where the mercy of God is constantly contrasted with the
 severity  of God,  and the author makes it clear that one has  to
 balance  the  other  -  you cannot have  the  mercy  without  the
 severity.  On the other hand, the severity of God is persistently
 identified  with  the rigors  of  existence  (form,  finiteness,
 limitation),  and while it is true that many of the things  which
 have  been  identified  with  evil  are  a  consequence  of   the
 finiteness of things, of being finite beings in a world of finite
 resources governed by natural laws with inflexible causality,  it
 not  correct  to  infer  (as  some  have)  that  form  itself  is
 *intrinsically* evil.

	The notion that form and matter are *intrinsically* evil, or
 in  some  way imperfect or not a part of God,  may  have  reached
 Kabbalah  from  a  number  of  sources. Scholem comments:

      "The  Kabbalah  of  the early  thirteenth  century  was  the
      offspring  of  a  union between  an  older  and  essentially
      Gnostic tradition represented by the book "Bahir",  and  the
      comparatively modern element of Jewish Neo-Platonism."


 There  is  the possibility that the Kabbalists of  Provence  (who
 wrote  or  edited  the "Sepher Bahir")  were  influenced  by  the
 Cathars,  a  late form of Manicheanism.  Whether the  source  was
 Gnosticism,  Neo-Platonism,  Manicheanism or some combination  of
 all three,  Kabbalah has imported a view of matter and form which
 distorts the view of things portrayed by the Tree of Life, and so
 Malkuth ends up as a kind of cosmic outer darkness, a bin for all
 the  dirt,  detritus,  broken  sephira and dirty hankies  of  the
 creation.  Form is evil,  the Mother of Form is female, women are
 definitely and indubitably evil,  and Malkuth is the most  female
 of the sephira,  therefore Malkuth is most definitely evil...quod
 erat demonstrandum. By the time we reach the time of S.L. Mathers
 and  the  Golden Dawn there is a complete Tree  of  evil  demonic
 Klippoth  *underneath* Malkuth as a reflection of the "good"  Tree
 above it.  I believe this may have something to do with the  fact
 that  meditations  on Malkuth can easily  become  meditations  on
 Binah, and meditations on Binah have a habit of slipping into the
 Abyss,  and once in the Abyss it is easy to trawl up enough  junk
 to "discover" an averse Tree "underneath" Malkuth.  This view  of
 the  Klippoth,  or Shells,  as active,  demonic evil  has  become
 pervasive,  and the more energy people put into the demonic Tree,
 the  less  there is for the original.  Abolish  the  Klippoth  as
 demonic  forces,  and the Tree of Life comes alive with its  full
 power of good *and* evil.  The following quotation from  Bischoff
 [10] (speaking of the Sephiroth) provides a more rational view of
 the Klippoth:


      "Since  their energy [of the sephiroth] shows three  degrees
      of  strength  (highest,  middle and  lowest  degree),  their
      emanations group accordingly in sequence. We usually imagine
      the   image  of  a  descending  staircase.   The   Kabbalist
      prefers to  see this fact as a decreasing alienation of  the
      central  primeval  energy.  Consequently  any  less  perfect
      emanation  is  to him the cover or shell  (Klippah)  of  the
      preceding,  and so the last (furthest) emanations being the
      so-called material things are the shell of the total and are
      therefore called (in the actual sense) Klippoth."

 This is my own view;  the shell of something is the accretion  of
 form  which  it accumulates as energy comes  down  the  Lightning
 Flash. If the shell can be considered by itself then it is a dead
 husk  of  something which could be alive - it preserves  all  the
 structure  but there is no energy in it to bring it  alive.  With
 this interpretation the Klippoth are to be found  everywhere:  in
 relationships,  at work, at play, in ritual, in society. Whenever
 something  dies and people refuse to recognize that it  is  dead,
 and cling to the lifeless husk of whatever it was, then you get a
 Klippah.  For this reason one of the vices of Malkuth is Avarice,
 not only in the sense of trying to acquire material  things,  but
 also  in the sense of being unwilling to let go of anything, even
 when it has become dead and worthless.  The Klippah of Malkuth is
 what you would get if the Sun went out:  Stasis, life frozen into
 immobility.

      The  other  vice  of Malkuth is Inertia,  in  the  sense  of
 "active resistance to motion;  sluggish;  disinclined to move  or
 act".  It is visible in most people at one time or  another,  and
 tends  to  manifest  when a  task  is  new,  necessary,  but  not
 particularly exciting, there is no excitement or "natural energy"
 to keep one fired up, and one has to keep on pushing right to the
 finish.  For  this  reason  the obligation  of  Malkuth  is  (has
 to be) self-discipline.

      The  virtue  of Malkuth is Discrimination,  the  ability  to
 perceive  differences.  The ability to perceive differences is  a
 necessity  for any living organism,  whether a bacteria  able  to
 sense  the gradient of a nutrient or a kid working out  how  much
 money  to  wheedle out of his parents.  As Malkuth is  the  final
 realization  of  form,  it is  the sphere where  our  ability  to
 distinguish between differences is most pronounced.  The capacity
 to  discriminate  is  so fundamental to survival  that  it  works
 overtime and finds boundaries and distinctions everywhere - "you"
 and  "me",  "yours" and "mine",  distinctions of  "property"  and
 "value"  and "territory" which are intellectual  abstractions  on
 one  level  (i.e.  not real) and fiercely defended  realities  on
 another  (i.e.  very real indeed).  I am not going to  attempt  a
 definition  of real and unreal,  but it is the case that much  of
 what we think of as real is unreal,  and much of what we think of
 as  unreal  is real,  and we need the same  discrimination  which
 leads  us into the mire to lead us out again.  Some people  think
 skin color is a real measure of intelligence;  some don't.  Some
 people  think gender is a real measure of  ability;  some  don't.
 Some people judge on appearances;  some don't. There is clearly a
 difference between a bottle of beer and a bottle of piss,  but is
 the color of the *bottle* important?  What *is* important?  

What differences are real, what matters?  How much energy do we devote
 to things which are "not real".  Am I able to perceive how much I
 am being manipulated by a fixation on unreality?  Are my goals in
 life "real",  or will they look  increasingly silly and  immature
 as I grow older?  For that matter,  is Kabbalah "real"?  Does  it
 provide  a  useful model of reality,  or is it the remnant  of  a
 world-view which should have been put to rest centuries ago?  One
 of  the  primary  exercises  of an initiate  into  Malkuth  is  a
 thorough examination of the question "What is real?".

      The  Spiritual  Experience  of  Malkuth  is  variously   the
 Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel  (HGA),  or
 the Vision of the HGA (depending on who you believe).  I vote for
 the  Vision  of  the  HGA  in  Malkuth,  and  the  Knowledge  and
 Conversation  in Tiphereth.  What is the HGA?  According  to  the
 Gnosticism  of  Valentinus each person has a guardian  angel  who
 accompanies  that individual throughout their life and reveals  the
 gnosis;  the angel is in a sense the divine Self.  This belief is
 identical  to  what  I was taught by the  person  who  taught  me
 Kabbalah,  so  some  part of Gnosticism  lives  on.  The  current
 tradition concerning the HGA almost certainly entered the Western
 Esoteric Tradition as a consequence of S.L.  Mather's translation
 [11]  of  "The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin  the  Mage",
 which  contains  full details of a lengthy ritual to  attain  the
 Knowledge  and Conversation of the HGA.  This ritual has  had  an
 important  influence  on twentieth century magicians  and  it  is
 often attempted and occasionally completed.

      The  powers  of Malkuth are invoked by means  of  the  names
 Adonai ha Aretz and Adonai Melekh, which mean "Lord of the World"
 and "The Lord who is King" respectively. The power is transmitted
 through the world of Creation by the archangel Sandalphon, who is
 sometimes referred to as "the Long Angel",  because his feet  are
 in Malkuth and his head in Kether, which gives him an opportunity
 to chat to Metatron,  the Angel of the Presence.  The angel order
 is  the Ashim,  or Ishim,  sometimes translated as the "souls  of
 fire", supposedly the souls of righteous men and women.

 In concluding this section on Malkuth,  it worth emphasizing that
 I  have  chosen  deliberately not to explore  some  major  topics
 because there are sufficient threads for anyone with an  interest
 to  pick up and follow for themselves.  The image of  Malkuth  as
 Mother  Earth  provides a link between Kabbalah  and  a  numinous
 archetype with a deep significance for some. The image of Malkuth
 as physical substance provides a link into the sciences,  and  it
 is  the  case  that at the limits of  theoretical  physics  one's
 intuitions seem to be slipping and sliding on the same reality as
 in Kabbalah.  The image of Malkuth as the sphere of the  elements
 is  the key to a large body of practical magical technique  which
 varies  from yoga-like concentration on the bodily  elements,  to
 nature-oriented work in the great outdoors.  Lastly,  just as the
 design of a building reveals much about its builders,  so Malkuth
 can reveal a great deal about Kether - the bottom of the Tree and
 the top have much in common.


 References:

 [1]  Westcott,  W. Wynn, ed. "Sepher Yetzirah", many editions.

 [2] Barrett, Francis, "The Magus", Citadel 1967.

 [3] Scholem,  Gershom G.,  "Major Trends in  Jewish  Mysticism",
                             Schocken 1974

 [4] Crowley, A, "777", an obscure reprint.

 [5] Regardie, Israel, "The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic",
                        Falcon, 1984.

 [6] Farrar, Stewart, "What Witches Do", Peter Davies 1971.

 [7] Waite, A.E, "The Holy Kabbalah", Citadel.

 [8] Levi, Eliphas, "Transcendental Magic", Rider, 1969.

 [9] Bardon, Franz, "Initiation into Hermetics", Dieter
                     Ruggeberg 1971

 [10] Bischoff, Dr. Erich, "The Kabbala", Weiser 1985.

 [11] Mathers,  S.L.,  "The Book of the Sacred Magic of  Abramelin
                        the Mage", Dover 1975.


Chapter 4: The Sephiroth (continued)
========================
     This  chapter  provides a detailed look at each of  the  ten
sephiroth  and  draws together material scattered  over  previous
chapters.

Yesod
-----

     Yesod means "foundation",  and that is what Yesod is:  it is
the  hidden  infrastructure  whereby  the  emanations  from   the
remainder  of  the Tree are transmitted to the  sephira  Malkuth.
Just as a large building has its air-conditioning ducts,  service
tunnels,  conduits,  electrical wiring, hot and cold water pipes,
attic  spaces,  lift shafts,  winding  rooms,  storage  tanks,  a
telephone exchange etc,  so does the Creation,  and the external,
visible   world  of  phenomenal  reality  rests   (metaphorically
speaking)   upon  a  hidden  foundation  of   occult   machinery.
Meditations  on  the nature of Yesod tend to be  full  of  secret
tunnels and concealed mechanisms, as if the Creation was a Gothic
mansion  with  a secret door behind every mirror,  a  passage  in
every wall,  a pair of hidden eyes behind every portrait,  and  a
subterranean world of forgotten tunnels leading who knows  where.
For this reason the Spiritual Experience of Yesod is aptly  named
"The Vision of the Machinery of the Universe".

     Many  Yesod  correspondences  reinforce  this  notion  of  a
foundation,  of something which lies behind,  supports and  gives
shape to phenomenal reality.  The magical image of Yesod is of "a
beautiful  naked man,  very strong".  The image which springs  to
mind  is that of a man with the world resting on  his  shoulders,
like  one  of  the misrepresentations of  the  Titan  Atlas  (who
actually held up the heavens,  not the world). The angel order of
Yesod is the Cherubim, the Strong Ones, the archangel is Gabriel,
the Strong or Mighty One of God,  and the God-name is Shaddai  el
Chai,  the Almighty Living God.

     The idea of a foundation suggests that there is a  substance
which lies behind physical matter and "in-forms it" or "holds  it
together",  something less structured, more plastic, more refined
and rarified,  and this "fifth element" is often called aethyr. I
will  not attempt to justify aethyr in terms of  current  physics
(the  closest  concept  I have found is  the  hypothesized  Higgs
field); it is a convenient handle on a concept which has enormous
intuitive  appeal to many magicians,  who,  when asked how  magic
works,  tend  to  think in terms of a medium  which  is  directly
receptive  to  the will,  something which is plastic and  can  be
shaped through concentration and imagination, and which transmits
their  artificially  created forms  into  reality.  Eliphas  Levi
called  this  medium the "Astral Light".  It is also  natural  to
imagine  that  mind,  consciousness,  and  the  soul  have  their
habitation in this substance, and there are volumes detailing the
properties of the "Etheric Body",  the "Astral Body", the "Causal
Body" [1,2] and so on. I don't take this stuff too seriously, but
I do like to work with the kind of natural intuitions which occur
spontaneously  and  independently in a large number of  people  -
there  is  power  in these intuitions - and it is  a  mistake  to
invalidate  them  because they sound cranky.  When I  talk  about
aethyr  or  the  Astral Light,  I mean there  is  an  ideoplastic
substance  which  is subjectively real  to  many  magicians,  and
explanations  of  magic  at the level  of  Yesod  revolve  around
manipulating this substance using desire, imagination and will.
     The fundamental nature of Yesod is that of  *interface*;  it
interfaces the rest of the Tree of Life to Malkuth. The interface
is  bi-directional;  there are impulses coming down from  Kether,
and echoes bouncing back from Malkuth.  The idea of interface  is
illustrated in the design of a computer system: a computer with a
multitude  of  worlds hidden within it is a source  of  heat  and
repair  bills  unless  it has peripheral  interfaces  and  device
drivers to interface the world outside the computer to the  world
"inside"  it;  add  a keyboard and a mouse and a  monitor  and  a
printer  and you have opened the door into another  reality.  Our
own senses have the same characteristic of being a bi-directional
interface  through which we experience the world,  and  for  this
reason  the  senses correspond to Yesod,  and not only  the  five
traditional senses - the "sixth sense" and the "second sight" are
given  equal  status,   and  so  Yesod  is  also  the  sphere  of
instinctive psychism,  of clairvoyance,  precognition, divination
and  prophecy.  It is also clear from accounts of lucid  dreaming
(and personal experience) that we possess the ability to perceive
an inner world as vividly as the outer,  and so to Yesod  belongs
the inner world of dreams,  daydreams and vivid imagination,  and
one  of  the titles of Yesod is "The Treasure House  of  Images".

     To  Yesod is attributed Levanah,  the Moon,  and  the  lunar
associations of tides,  flux and change,  occult  influence,  and
deeply   instinctive   and  sometimes   atavistic   behavior   -
possession,   mediumship,  lycanthropy  and  the  like.  Although
Yesod is the foundation and it has associations with strength, it
is  by  no means a rigid scaffold supporting a world  in  stasis.
Yesod  supports the world just as the sea supports all  the  life
which lives in it and sails upon it,  and just as the sea has its
irresistible currents and tides, so does Yesod. Yesod is the most
"occult"  of the sephiroth,  and next to Malkuth it is  the  most
magical, but compared with Malkuth its magic is of a more subtle,
seductive,  glamorous and ensnaring kind.  Magicians are drawn to
Yesod  by the idea that if reality rests on a hidden  foundation,
then  by  changing the foundation it is possible  to  change  the
reality.  The magic of Yesod is the magic of form and appearance,
not   substance;   it  is  the  magic   of   illusion,   glamour,
transformation, and   shape-changing.   The  most   sophisticated
examples of this are to be found in modern marketing, advertising
and  image consultancies.  I do not jest.  My tongue is not  even
slightly  in my cheek.  The following quote was taken  from  this
morning's paper [3]:

     Although  the changes look cosmetic,  those responsible  for
     creating  corporate  image  argue  that  a  redesign  of   a
     company's uniform or name is just the visible sign of a much
     larger transformation.

     "The majority of people continue to misunderstand and  think
     that  it is just a logo,  rather than understanding  that  a
     corporate identity programme is actually concerned with  the
     very commercial objective of having a strong personality and
     single-minded,    focussed    direction   for   the    whole
     organization, " said Fiona Gilmore, managing director of the
     design company Lewis Moberly.  "It's like planting an  acorn
     and then a tree grows.  If you create the right *foundation*
     (my  itals)  then you are building a whole culture  for  the
     future of an organization."

I don't know what Ms.  Gilmore studies in her spare time, but the
idea  that it is possible to manipulate reality  by  manipulating
symbols and appearances is entirely magical.  The same article on
corporate identity continues as follows:

     "The scale of the BT relaunch is colossal. The new logo will
     be  painted on more than 72,000 vehicles  and  trailers,  as
     well as 9,000 properties.
     The  company's 92,000 public payphones will get new  decals,
     and  its 90 shops will have to changed,  right down  to  the
     yellow door handles.  More than 50,000 employees are  likely
     to need new uniforms or "image clothing".

Note  the emphasis on *image*.  The company in question  (British
Telecom)  is  an ex-public monopoly with  an  appalling  customer
relations  problem,   so  it  is  changing  the  color  of   its
door handles! This is Yesodic magic on a gigantic scale.

     The  image  manipulators gain most of their power  from  the
mass-media.  The  mass-media correspond to two  sephiroth:  as  a
medium of communication they belong in Hod,  but as a  foundation
for our perception of reality they belong in Yesod. Nowadays most
people form their model of what the world (in the large) is  like
via the media.  There are a few individuals who travel the  world
sufficiently  to have a model based on personal  experience,  but
for most people their model of what most of the world is like  is
formed by newspapers,  radio and television;  that is,  the media
have become an extended (if inaccurate) instrument of perception.
Like  our  "normal"  means of perception  the  media  are  highly
selective in the variety and content of information provided, and
they  can be used by advertising agencies and other  manipulative
individuals to create foundations for new collective realities.

     While on the subject of changing perception to assemble  new
realities,  the following quote by "Don Juan" [4] has a definite
Cabalistic flavour:

     "The next truth is that perception takes place," he went on,
     "because  there  is  in  each of  us  an  agent  called  the
     assemblage   point  that  selects  internal   and   external
     emanations for alignment.  The particular alignment that  we
     perceive  as  the world is the product of  a  specific  spot
     where our assemblage point is located on our cocoon."

One of the titles of Yesod is "The Receptacle of the Emanations",
and  its function is precisely as described above - Yesod is  the
assemblage  point which assembles the emanations of the  internal
and the external.

     In  addition  to the  deliberate,  magical  manipulation  of
foundations, there are other important areas of magic relevant to
Yesod.  Raw, innate psychism is an ability which tends to improve
as more attention is devoted to creative visualization,  focussed
meditation (on Tarot cards for example),  dreams (e.g.  keeping a
dream  diary),   and  divination.   Divination  is  an  important
technique  to  practice even if you feel you are terrible  at  it
(and  especially  if  you  think  it  is  nonsense),  because  it
reinforces  the  idea  that it is permissible  to  "let  go"  and
intuits  meanings into any pattern.  Many people have  difficulty
doing  this,  feeling  perhaps  that they will  be  swamped  with
unreason (recalling Freud's fear, expressed to Jung, of needing a
bulwark  against the "black mud of occultism"),  when in  reality
their minds are swamped with reason and could use a holiday.  Any
divination system can be used,  but systems which emphasize  pure
intuition are best (e.g.  Tarot,  runes,  tea-leaves,  flights of
birds,  patterns on the wallpaper,  smoke. I heard of a Kabbalist
who  threw a cushion into the air and carried out  divination  on
the  basis  of the number of pieces of foam stuffing  which  fell
out).  Because  Yesod  is a kind of aethyric  reflection  of  the
physical world,  the image of and precursor to  reality,  mirrors
are an important tool for Yesod magic.  Quartz crystals are  also
used,   probably  because  of  the  use  of  crystal  balls   for
divination,  but also because quartz crystal and amethyst have  a
peculiarly  Yesodic quality in their own right.  The average  New
Age shop filled with crystals, Tarot cards, silver jewelry (lunar
association),  perfumes, dreamy music, and all the glitz, glamour
and  glitter  of a demonic magpie's nest,  is like a  temple  to
Yesod.  Mirrors  and  crystals are used passively  as  foci  for
receptivity, but they can also be used actively for certain kinds
of  aethyric magic - there is an interesting book on  making  and
using magic mirrors which builds on the kind of elemental magical
work carried out in Malkuth [5].

     Yesod  has  an  important  correspondence  with  the  sexual
organs. The correspondence occurs in three ways. The first way is
that when the Tree of Life is placed over the human  body,  Yesod
is positioned over the genitals. The author of the Zohar is quite
explicit about "the remaining members of the  Microprosopus",  to
the  extent that the relevant paragraphs in Mather's  translation
of "The Lesser Holy Assembly" remain in Latin to avoid  offending
Victorian sensibilities.

     The  second  association of Yesod with the  genitals  arises
from  the  union  of the Microprosopus and  his  Bride.  This  is
another recurring theme in Kabbalah, and the symbolism is complex
and  refers  to several distinct  ideas,  from  the  relationship
between  man and wife to an internal process within the  body  of
God: e.g [6].

     "When  the  Male  is  joined  with  the  Female,  they  both
     constitute one complete body,  and all the Universe is in  a
     state of happiness, because all things receive blessing from
     their perfect body. And this is an Arcanum."

or, referring to the Bride:

     "And she is mitigated,  and receiveth blessing in that place
     which is called the Holy of Holies below."

or, referring to the "member":

     "And  that  which floweth down into that place where  it  is
     congregated,  and  which is emitted through that  most  holy
     Yesod,  Foundation,  is entirely white,  and therefore is it
     called Chesed.
     Thence  Chesed entereth into the Holy of Holies;  as  it  is
     written Ps.  cxxxiii.  3 'For there Tetragrammaton commanded
     the blessing, even life for evermore.'"

It  is  not difficult to read a great deal into  paragraphs  like
this,  and there are many more in a similar vein.  Suffice to say
that  the  Microprosopus  is often identified  with  the  sephira
Tiphereth,  the  Bride is the sephira Malkuth,  and the point  of
union between them is obviously Yesod.

     The  third and more abstract association between  Yesod  and
the  sexual  organs  arises because  the  sexual  organs  are  a
mechanism  for perpetuating the *form* of a living  organism.  In
order to get close to what is happening in sexual reproduction it
is worth asking the question "What is a computer program?". Well,
a  computer program indisputably begins as an idea;  it is not  a
material  thing.  It can be written down in various ways;  as  an
abstract  specification  in set theoretic notation akin  to  pure
mathematics,  or  as  a  set of  recursive  functions  in  lambda
calculus;  it  could be written in several different  high  level
languages - Pascal,  C,  Prolog,  LISP, ADA, ML etc. Are they all
they same program? Computer scientists wrestle with this problem:
can we show that two different programs written in two  different
languages  are  in some sense functionally  identical?  It  isn't
trivial  to do this because it asks fundamental  questions  about
language  (any  language)  and meaning,  but it  is  possible  in
limited  cases  to  produce  two  apparently  different  programs
written   in  different  languages  and  assert  that  they   are
identical.   Whatever   the  program  is,   it  seems  to   exist
independently of any particular language,  so what is the program
and  where is it?  Let us ignore that chestnut and go on  to  the
next  level.  Suppose we write the program down.  We could do  it
with  a pencil.  We could punch holes in paper.  We  could  plant
trees in a pattern in a field.  We can line up magnetic  domains.
We can burn holes in metal foil.  I could have it tattooed on  my
back. We can transform it into radically different forms (that is
what compilers and assemblers do). It obviously isn't tied to any
physical representation either.  What about the computer it  runs
on?  Well,  it  could be a conventional one made with CMOS  chips
etc.....but  aren't there a lot of different kinds and  makes  of
computer, and they can all run the same program. It is also quite
practical  to build computers which *don't* use electrons  -  you
could use mechanics or fluids or ball bearings - all you need  to
do  is  produce  something with the  functionality  of  a  Turing
machine, and that isn't hard. So not only is the program not tied
to any particular physical representation,  but the same goes for
the  computer itself,  and what we are left with is two puffs  of
smoke.  On another level this is crazy;  computers are real, they
do  real things in the real world,  and the programs  which  make
them work are obviously real too....aren't they?
     Now apply the same kind of scrutiny to living organisms, and
the mechanism of reproduction. Take a good look at nucleic acids,
enzymes,  proteins etc., and ask the same kind of questions. I am
not  implying  that  life is a sort of program,  but  what  I  am
suggesting is that if you try to get close to what constitutes  a
living  organism  you  end up with another puff of  smoke  and  a
handful  of  atoms which could just as well be  ball-bearings  or
fluids  or....The thing that is being perpetuated through  sexual
reproduction is something quite abstract and immaterial; it is an
abstract  form preserved and encoded in a particular  pattern  of
chemicals,  and if I was asked which was more real, the transient
collection  of chemicals used,  or the abstract  form  itself,  I
would answer "the form". But then, I am a programmer, and I would
say that.


     I   find  it  astonishing  that  there  are  any   hard-core
materialists left in the world.  All the important stuff seems to
exist at the level of puffs of smoke,  what Kabbalists call form.
Roger Penrose,  one of the most eminent mathematicians living has
this to say [7]:

     "I  have made no secret of the fact that my  sympathies  lie
     strongly  with the Platonic view that mathematical truth  is
     absolute,  external and eternal,  and not based on  man-made
     criteria;  and  that  mathematical objects have  a  timeless
     existence of their own,  not dependent on human society  nor
     on particular physical objects."

"Ah  Ha!"  cry  the  materialists,   "At  least  the  atoms   are
real." Well,  they  are until you start pulling them  apart  with
tweezers and end up with a heap of equations which turn out to be
the linguistic expression of an idea. As Einstein said, "The most
incomprehensible   thing   about  the  world  is   that   it   is
comprehensible",  that  is,  capable of being described  in  some
linguistic form.
     I am not trying to convince anyone of the "rightness" of the
Cabalistic  viewpoint.  What I am trying to do is show that  the
process  whereby  form is impressed on matter  (the  relationship
between  Yesod  and Malkuth) is not  arcane, theosophical  mumbo-
jumbo;  it is an issue which is alive and kicking, and the closer
we  get  to  "real things" (and that  certainly  includes  living
organisms),  the better the Cabalistic model (that form precedes
manifestation, that there is a well-defined process of formation
with the "real world" as an outcome) looks.

The  illusion of Yesod is security,  the kind of  security  which
forms the foundation of our personal existence in the world. On a
superficial level our security is built out of  relationships,  a
source of income, a place to live, a vocation, personal power and
influence etc,  but at a deeper level the foundation of  personal
identity  is  built  on a series  of  accidents,  encounters  and
influences  which  create the illusion of who  we  are,  what  we
believe  in,  and  what we stand for.  There is  a  warm,  secure
feeling  of knowing what is right and wrong,  of doing the  right
thing,  of living a worthwhile life in the service of  worthwhile
causes,  of having a uniquely privileged vantage point from which
to  survey  the problems of life (with all  the  intolerance  and
incomprehension of other people which accompanies this  insight),
and conversely there are feelings of despair, depression, loss of
identity,  and  existential  terror  when a crack  forms  in  the
illusion,  and  reality shows through - Castaneda calls  it  "the
crack in the world".  The smug,  self-perpetuating illusion which
masquerades  as  personal identity at the level of Yesod  is  the
most astoundingly difficult thing to shift or destroy.  It fights
back  with  all  the  resources  of  the  personality,   it  will
enthusiastically embrace any ally which will help to shore up its

defenses   -  religious,   political  or   scientific   ideology;
psychological,   sociological,   metaphysical  and   theosophical
claptrap (e.g.  Kabbalah); the law and popular morality; in fact,
any  beliefs  which  give it the power to  retain  its  identity,
uniqueness and integrity.  Because this parasite of the soul uses
religion (and its esoteric offshoots) to sustain itself they have
little  or  no  power  over it and become a  major  part  of  the
problem.
     There  are  various ways of overcoming this  personal  demon
(Carroll [8],  in an essay on the subject,  calls it  Choronzon),
and the two I know best are the cataclysmic and the abrasive. The
first method involves a shock so extreme that it is impossible to
be  the  same person again,  and if enough preparation  has  gone
before  then it is possible to use the shock to rebuild  oneself.
In  some  cases this doesn't happen;  I have  noticed  that  many
people  with  very rigid religious beliefs  talk  readily   about
having  suffered  traumatic experiences,  and the  phenomenon  of
hysterical conversion among soldiers suffering from war  neuroses
is well known.  The other method,  the abrasive,  is to wear away
the demon of self-importance,  to grind it into nothing by  doing
(for  example) something for someone else for which one  receives
no thanks, praise, reward, or recognition. The task has to be big
enough  and awful enough to become a demon in its own  right  and
induce  all  the  correct feelings of compulsion (I  have  to  do
this),  helplessness (I'll never make it),   indignation  (what's
the point,  it's not my problem anyway),  rebellion (I  won't,  I
won't, not anymore), more compulsion (I can't give up), self-pity
(how  did  I get into this?),  exhaustion (Oh  No!  Not  again!),
despair  (I can't go on),  and finally a kind of submission  when
one's  demon hasn't the energy to put up a struggle any more  and
simply gives up.  The woman who taught me Kabbalah used both  the
cataclysmic  and  the  abrasive  methods  on  her  students  with
malicious  glee  -  I will discuss this in  more  detail  in  the
section on Tiphereth.

     The virtue of Yesod is independence, the ability to make our
own foundations,  to continually rebuild ourselves, to reject the
security  of comfortable illusions and confront  reality  without
blinking.

     The vice of Yesod is idleness.  This can be contrasted  with
the  inertia of Malkuth.  A stone is inert because it  lacks  the
capacity to change,  but in most circumstances people can  change
and can't be bothered.  At least,  not today. Yesod has a dreamy,
illusory, comfortable, *seductive* quality, as in the Isle of the
Lotus  Eaters - how else could we live as if death  and  personal
annihilation only happened to other people?

     The  Klippothic aspect of Yesod occurs when foundations  are
rotten  and  disintegrating and only the  superficial  appearance
remains  unchanged - Dorian Gray springs to mind,  or cases where
the  brain is damaged and the body remains and carries out  basic
instinctive  functions,  but the person is dead as far  as  other
people are concerned.  Organizations are just as prone to this as
people.


[1] A.E.  Powell,  "The Etheric Double",  Theosophical Publishing
                    House, 1925

[2] A.E.  Powell,  "The Astral Body",  Theosophical Publishing
                    House, 1927

[3] "It's the Image Men We Answer To",  The Sunday  Times,  6th.
                                        Jan 1991

[4] Castenada, Carlos, "The Fire from Within", Black Swan, 1985.

[5] N.  R.  Clough, "How to Make and Use Magic Mirrors", Aquarian
                     1977

[6] S.L.  Mathers, "The Kabbalah Unveiled", Routledge & Kegan Paul
                    1981

[7] Roger Penrose,  "The Emperor's New Mind",  Oxford  University
                     Press 1989

[8] Peter J. Carroll, "Psychonaut", Samuel Weiser 1987.

Copyright Colin Low 1991




	 Footprints in the Chamber - Towards a Quantum Qabbala, 
	by Fra.: +0- 
 
The Qabbala has through the ages been used as a directory towards 
the understanding of the universe and man`s relationship to it. 
Since former Aeons of magick have had their perceptions rooted in 
the observance of simple cause and effect relationships, the Qabbala 
itself, having attained its nascence in the earlier traditions, was 
unfortunately bogged down by this limited apprehension of the 
universe. Here mathematics as used in a more or less Pythagorean 
context provide a sort of key with which to approach the 
unfathomable nature of human consciousness. 
 
To this very day there are groups which still adhere to and openly 
practice the more traditional ramifications of Qabbalistic 
principles which are still firmly rooted in the mire of Nineteenth 
Century Newton-sewed-it-all-up-there-are-no-more-mysteries physics. 
But of course, owing to the leaps and bounds acquired by a very 
unpredictable but consistent quantum model of reality as observed in 
our laboratories, this simplistic view is necessarily obsolete. We 
no longer live, we have learned (if indeed we ever did) in a simple 
cause and effect universe where the source can always be gleaned 
from observable effect. For the same reasons, Newtonian-based magic 
must give way to a more quantum model. Newton`s apple must now take 
into consideration Heisenberg`s Uncertainty Principle. The secret 
wisdom must follow suit towards quantumization. 
 
Another unfortunate tendency of some modern practioners of Qabbala 
is to continue to regard everything from the standpoint of the 
Demiurge, Yahweh, which of course is the basis of the now obsolete 
(and dangerous) Judeo-Christian foundation of religious thought 
which has held western civilization in its thrall for about two 
thousand years. Personally I find it amazing that modern 
practioners, who despite no real Semitic disposition still practice 
an unmistakably orthodox Jewish mysticism. It was Aleister Crowley, 
that great Qabbalistic agent provocateur, who initiated the process 
of liberating the Qabbala from its otherwise Judaic orientation. 
(This is not anti-semitism but a necessary step towards individual 
development. It must also be stated that a Qabbala had been in use 
centuries earlier by the Egyptians. The Jews merely adopted it to 
their own religious precepts. They didn`t invent it. The actual 
origin most likely predates Egyptian history.) 
 
Crowley emphasized that the enlightened magician must, after careful 
study and application of his knowledge, develop his own Qabbalistic 
framework. By virtue of this the magician has arrived at a more 
chaotic paradigm in opposition to a purely empirical view. Crowley, 
by adapting the Qabbala to a Thelemic context initiated that first 
leap forward into the quantum age. Thus, the foundation for a more 
quantum/chaotic system was lain. 
 


I would like now to redefine the secret wisdom in terms of 
quantumization as follows: 
"The Qabbala is a table of observed synchronicities wherein multi- 
dimensional potentia overlap into the field of perception implying a 
correlation/interaction as perceived on a three-dimensional plane." 
The sum of the parts of the whole is determined by conceptual 
visualization and the observer`s ostensible observation thereof. It 
is therefore merely a perceptual tool for perceiving hidden meaning 
in the world determined entirely by the perceived-perception of the 
perciper (in the language of Satre), which will alter its form and 
content (via expansion and contradiction) according to the 
percipere`s own innate tendencies. 
 
The qabbala is no longer merely a mathematical construct of an 
ordered universe as conceived by divine will. Instead it becomes a 
kind of computerized network of extra-sensory information. Even the 
idea of a prima causa itself may be inadequate as well. This idea is 
based solely upon a linear time frame and is therefore a corollary 
of our erroneous perception of time whose actual nature may tend 
more towards the cyclical. Primitive man, for example was very well 
aware of this fact, and acted in accordance with it. (This may have 
to do with primitive people being more in tune with their own 
circadian rhythms. This expresses a more lunar-intuitive cycle 
rather than our own solar one.) If perception of time is based upon 
natural rhythms which effect the body coupled with our observance of 
nature, then our concept of time is entirely contrary to what nature 
itself is telling us. We are thus unaligned with a proper time 
framework. Since a cycle is essentially a circle, no beginning or 
ending can be found. And, it is already been theorized that there 
are other dimensions of reality in which time as we know it (in a 
durational, linear sense of perception) simply cannot exist. 
 
The universe has again and again defied our attempts a definable 
order upon it. Yet, mysteriously it does seem to act intelligently, 
even though this cannot be grasped by a rigid point A to point B 
structure. What emerges is a kind of chaotic mandala structure, and 
it is the task of quantum qabbalism to apprehend, as much as is 
possible, the interior of this structure. This opens the doors to 
practical mysticism as opposed to impractical mysticism. The qabbala 
must then be updated to accommodate this vital realization in regard 
to its properties of being able to regulate perceptive awareness via 
interacting forces springing from more or less hidden dimensions 
whose effect is known but not the cause. 

 
The understanding of the intention of creation is a product of the 
mind of the qabbalist himself. The fabric of reality is thereby 
flexible, effected by his own experience of it, and in turn, this 
experience determines his perception of it, which is altered by the 
interaction of these elements, more clearly understood as a 
transaction. In other words, one perceives his environment and that 
environment by virtue of one`s perception of it begins to act 
accordingly to the reality model which is believed to be true. This 
could be described as a kind of Copenhagen Interpretation as applied 
to qabbalistic principles. The qabbalist then shares a unique 
position of receiving qabbalistic impressions via observable 
systematic synchronicities by means of inclination represented in 
his own psyche. These impressions will translate back as meaningful 
data insofar as the transaction between observer and the observed 
becomes enacted. His perception modifies the universe and in turn, 
the universe modifies his perception. (This can serve as a 
representation of the union of microprosopus and macroprosopus.) The 
feedback of this required information will be meaningful to him 
alone as it is a byproduct of his own psychic field. He becomes a 
kind of decoder of esoteric information which he has learned to 
process. 
 
From this quantum/chaos framework the qabbala can be regarded as a 
four (or five) dimensional transaction as revealed in the mundane 
world, whereby an enriched quality of information provides the key 
to a higher understanding of the universe and of oneself, provided 
the person in question is capable of processing this information. 
From this perspective, ghosts, poltergeists, and other enigmas of 
paranormal phenomena can be understood as failed communication or 
remnants of a highly coded system which hasn`t been solved. The 
problem arises when one dimension fails to adequately "translate" 
into another. You might term this the Tower of Babel Effect. The 
information being received is misinterpreted due to inadequate tools 
of reception and perhaps an inability to use tools properly. There 
is also a basic misunderstanding of what this information means and 
to what extent the source can be determined. This is a little like 
trying to demonstrate fourth dimension physics by a purely three 
dimensional means. The instances of paranormal phenomena as 
described above, may be due to a discrepancy of overlapping 
dimensions which allows for a greater margin of error which impedes 
effective communication between the dimensions themselves. One is 
reminded of Plato`s parable of the cave, wherein the shadows of the 
things observed on the wall of the cave are mistaken for reality 
itself. Granted, a shadow does resemble the object projecting it, 
but it is hardly the object itself. It is the task of the quantum 
qabbalist to make allowances for this margin of interpretive 
miscalculation by preparing for it in advance and thus integrating 
this possible glitch into his qabbalistic computer. He makes 
allowances for this possible occurrence of organizational entropy and 
thus he is able to use it to his advantage. 

 
The idea of a qabbala based upon an exploration of prima causa is no 
longer valid in the quantum age. The quantumized qabbalist learns to 
regard himself in the mirror of chaos. For him, the old Gnostic 
dictum of "there is no part of me which is not of the gods", is 
literally true. His "Tree of Life" is based squarely upon the 
apprehension of his own enigmatic existence. He is more interested 
in a practical application of his qabbalistic ideas and principles 
for himself and others, than a cosmological game of hide and seek 
wherein one searches for a prima causa "God" figure. But even for 
this, he has an explanation: By careful observation of himself 
within the mirror of chaos he has learned that the miracle of 
creation is somehow a byproduct of his own consciousness and that he 
has played an inexplicable role in the very act itself. ("Did ye not 
know that ye were gods?") Joyously he has found that the tracks of 
God etched across the illimitable sands of time in the accelerated 
particle chambers of his own expanding consciousness. Thus has he 
learned to adore the divine mystery of existence donning the masks 
of creation. 

	 The Dark Night of the Soul 
	Fra.: Apfelmann

"The Dark Night of the Soul" is the name given to that experience of
spiritual desolation that all students of the Occult pass through at
one time or another. It is sometimes characterized by feelings that
your occult studies or practices are not taken you anywhere, that
the initial success that one is sometimes granted after a few months
of occult working, has suddenly dried up. There comes a desire to
give up on everything, to abandon exercises and meditation, as
nothing seems to be working. St.John of the Cross. a christian
mystic, said of this experience, that it;
 "...puts the sensory spiritual appetites to sleep, deadens them,
 and deprives them of the ability to find pleasure in anything.
 It binds the imagination, and impedes it from doing any good
 discursive work. It makes the memory cease, the intellect become
 dark and unable to understand anything, and hence it causes the
 will to become arid and constrained, and all the faculties empty
 and useless. And over this hangs a dense and burdensome cloud,
 which afflicts the soul, and keeps it withdrawn from the good."

Though the beginner may view the onset of such an experience with
alarm (I know I did), the "Dark Night" is not something bad or
destructive. In one sense it may be seen as a trial, a test by which
the Gods examine our resolve to continue with occult work, and if
you are not completely whole-hearted about your magical studies, it
is during this period (at its beginning) that you will give up. The
Dark Night of the Soul should be welcomed, once recognized for
what it is (I have always received an innate "warning" just before
the onset of such a period), as a person might welcome an operation
that will secure health and well-being. St.John of the Cross embraced
the soul`s Dark Night as a Divine Appointment, calling it a period
of "sheer grace" and adding;
 "O guiding Night,
 O Night more lovely than Dawn,
 O Night that has united the lover with his beloved
 Transforming the Lover in her Beloved."

When entering the Dark Night one is overcome by a sense of spiritual
dryness and depression. The notion, in some quarters, that all such
experiences should be avoided, for a peaceful existence, shows up
the superficiality of so much of contemporary living. The Dark Night
is a way of bringing the Soul to stillness, so that deep psychic
transformation may take place. All distractions must be set aside,
and it is no good attempting to fight or channel the bursts of raw
energy that from time to time may course through your being. This
inner compulsion to set everything aside results in the outer
depression, when nothing seems to excite.


The only thing to do is obey your inner voice and become still,
waiting for the inner transformation, (which the "Dark Night"
heralds), to take place. You may not be aware for a very long time
of the results of that inner change, but when the desire to work
comes again and the depression lifts, the Dark Night has (for a
moment) passed. No one can help during this time, and in many cases
there is hardly anyone to turn for advice. One must disregard the
well-meaning advice of family and friends to "snap out of it" this
is no ordinary depression, but a deep spiritual experience which
only those who have passed through themselves (in other words to a
magical retreat) but for many, as the routines of everyday life
prohibits this, all you can do is cultivate an inner solitude, a
stillness and silence of heart, and wait, (like a chrysalis waits
for the inner changes that will result in a butterfly) for the
Transformation to work itself out. There are many such "Dark Nights"
that the occult seeker must pass through during the mysterious
process of mitigation. They are all trials but experience teaches
one to cope more efficiently.

With fractalic greetings and laughter  * Fra.: Apfelmann *


	 Weaving Webs 
	Fra.: Apfelmann

The Mantra Web is a very simple and effective technique for using
sonics in a group. Choose a mantra with a number of syllables
corresponding to the numbers of operators, eg. IAO for 3 people. The
operators should link hands, left palm up and right palm down, and
slowly start to circle clockwise, each vibrating their syllable. As
this is done the operators should each project a thread of light
from their Solar Plexus (Manipura chakra) to a central focal point.
The color(s) of the threads of light should be determined before
the operation according to its purpose and the current beliefs of
the operators. As the speed and resonance of the mantra is built up
over a period of time, so the web is empowered, until a climax is
reached and the web energy directed by a pre-specified operator to
its purpose. This is just a sketchy outline of the technique, which
obviously can be used for much more than this. Some of the more
common uses for this technique include healing (with the individual
in the center at the focus, crystals would also boost the energy
levels); sexual magick (with operator(s) in the center and, if
possible, the climax timed accordingly); empowering sigils, and so
on.

If the operators vibrate their syllable alternately instead of
together, the mantra will spin around the circle and have a
positively disorienting effect on the operators.
It is important that the operators visualize their thread of light
continuously, and not just when vibrating their mantra syllable. I
particularly recommend this technique for outdoor use, especially at
suitably aspected power sites. However, if you are using a stone
circle or any other site of magick, please do think about what
aspects the site has, and preferably visit beforehand to achieve
some rapport with the site.

With fractalic greetings and laughter  * Fra.: Apfelmann *

	 Supradimensionality Part I 
	by Fra. Forovius

The Quest for Unknown ENNEAD:
Supradimensionality itself cannot be experienced directly; our
senses are not equipped for it. We are used to aligning our
consciousness with the three space dimensions, and these proceed
along the dimension of time. Whereas we can move freely in space, we experience the dimension of time as a continuum that goes inevitably in one direction - from past to future, with no return. People often lay all their hopes and theories on some new, fourth or fifth, or whatever, dimension, when they are confronted with supernatural phenomena and ask themselves where it all came from. At the very least science fiction novels tend to overstress supradimensions; as a source of UFOs, for example, or of inexhaustible energy sources and similar things. In this article I would like to try out a little mind experiment with you to see if we might get a feeling for what it could be like if a gate opens to other dimensions. Let`s take a look:

In answering the question about the meaning of the word "dimension", we should leave out all overburdened explanations, be it SciFi or traditional mathematics. Mathematics is a perfect symbolic language(!) for the relationships of numbers and quantities, as it is very accurate and gives exact results where normal language gives up. But not everything is true that can be proven by mathematics, it is just conclusive. Let`s use our imagination first...

For the following we begin at the simplest point. Try to experience your surroundings as a one-dimensional being. You can use all your senses as in hot/cold, hard/soft, light/dark, silent/loud. You can move only along one line in one direction - forward. So, now you are sitting in your easy-chair and start to move as a tiny speck of dust.  At first the world is soft and comfortable; the room`s center gets a bit more cool, although light; then, at the wall, it is extremely hard, dark and uncomfortable, and so on. For every section of the way you have gone you have a single, irreversible impression. Sounds familiar doesn`t it, like we think of the "eternal flow of time and aeons". But let`s steer clear od speculation that would not be apt for a speck of dust.

Resume: when every section of this way has it`s own distinct
characteristic (not affectable by time, because time doesn`t exist), it is inconceivable for us that in some places other conditions along the same length in same sector may exist, just to the right or left of the way. Don`t forget - right/left have not been invented yet!

Were it able to move left or right, if only slightly, it might be
able to experience different conditions on the same spot of its
one-dimensional axis (on a border, a corner, a different surface).  But what lies outside its one-dimensional paradigm is unknowable.  The model for this paradigm is, therefore, that along the dimension there can only be one condition at one spot.
Let`s shift now to a 2-dimensional paradigm. Now the first dimension and the 2nd can be used, and the room presents itself to us like a section with an even surface. Along the first dimension there are still the same conditions as before, but to the side (left/right) there are some more.

The model is changed as follows: along dimension 1 (length) there
can be different conditions, but at different levels of dimension 2 (width). This new being acts in a more familiar manner as, like maps for example, it orients itself according to a horizontal and
vertical axis.

You can guess how the riddle continues. We learn to move or grow up and down. Now different conditions are possible on the same surface coordinates but at different heights and depths. In the new paradigm there is only one condition at one point in space.

Finally, we shift to our normal paradigm by adding time. We can now observe different conditions at the same point of space at different times, and can formulate the paradigm as follows: At the same point in space only one object can exist at the same time. This is a long established model of physics, matching perfectly our mechanical world and our senses.

In this mental experiment we have learned 2 things:

1, Moving along a dimension, one can recognize differences. This is the characteristic of a dimension, not its definition.
2, After each shift to the next dimension, the model (dogma) of the preceding one is superseded. Generally, the most recent dimension is a continuum, ie., a dimension that goes irreversible in one direction. Our own paradigm model consists of the (old) 3 space dimension plus the (new) time as a continuum. How could a world look like that contains one dimension more, the fifth one, called "E" or Ennead for example? (I think Ennead is an expression from a science fiction novel, but the Ancient Egyptians had a similar expression for the place where all possibilities exist that don`t exist here;  or where all the possibilities manifest that are kept by us from manifesting in this world here.)

You can construct the new model dogma by yourself: at one and the
same point of space and time there CAN be different conditions
(objects, colors, temperatures...), but at a different Ennead(!!).


BUT: at the same point of space at the same time and Ennead, there is again only one condition (object etc.) possible! This game can theoretically be continued forever, but soon gets uninteresting, because everything becomes far-fetched.

The step to the next dimension implies several interesting changes because:
- first of all it calls for the parallel existence of different
things and events, side-by-side and at the same spot of the
space/time-paradigm. This sounds very much like the sometimes
incomprehensible reports of mystic experiences, whether from
contemporary times like the Seth-books, or long ago, like Meister
Eckhart, Tauler or Seuse. It is also similar to the picture of the 4 worlds of the Kabbala which exists inside one another, and it makes certain Egyptian mysteries understandable.
- it makes a huge number of connections possible that we normally
would not think of. Numerous events inexplicable by rational
thinking may have their roots here, because causality is only valid in the exact space/time paradigm and loses its ultimate character the moment a new dimension is brought in.
- most probably, and here all thinking and imagination stops, it
replaces the time continuum with a ubiquitous time dimension (like length, width and height in our paradigm) where we can move freely forwards and backwards - but always at the same Ennead. Again, this dimension shift doesn`t free us completely, it just opens a gate and makes the next border visible.

The question about the quality or sense of this new E-dimension
remains unanswered. But our familiar dimensions also have no state or sense or quality; they just exist and make us feel that they exist by limitations of our sense of movement etc. Although we live in this system, we cannot give a real definition of it (should we really?), only some more or less mathematical explanations. We just experience that along a dimension something changes. Dimensions let things happen. We feel something has changed along a dimension and we measure it by looking for regular changes. We measure time by observing the regular movements of the sun and the earth, but with no feeling for their pure quality.

Also, a new dimension E would not change our world radically; its
only effect to our paradigm would be that some additional things
happened - miraculously side-by-side in time. But as we have no
sensors for this, it would be totally imperceptible. And should a
short impression slip through, it would be instantly erased by our mind`s censor. Moreover, if some of us should get to this dimension it would prove nearly impossible to explain it to others; having no common language, comparisons or symbols for it.

This mental experiment has done its job, if we have achieved a
feeling for what supradimensionality could be. Our paradigm is not the ultimate possibility, others exist - in between!

Other Forms of Existence:

Anyone used to observing nature from the heart, will have seen
that it doesn`t like to have jumps in it; especially when it is only to be fitted into an artificial theoretical system  of the human brain`s. Therefore, it is not consequent to assume that our paradigm of a space+time-continuum is the only valid system. The motto cannot be: "either you are with us in our system, or you are non-existent!"
- a logical chain that we tend to follow all too often.  If there are more simple dimensional systems, they will surely have their inhabitants. However, the creative amongst you should refrain from designing flat monsters for a 2-dimensional world now. As explained before, this all exists in our world, one in the other!

Again a little mental experiment may show us the way. Let`s imagine the following:
1, We put away all conditions related to the last dimension, the
continuum. At the same time the last-but-one dimension becomes the continuum automatically, as explained before, because the last dimension always is a continuum (!!). It is interesting that our time-continuum physically is related only to movement, which means that everything able to move freely can experience time.(As stated here, the gift that our space+time paradigm gives to us is motion.  Now, in Ancient Egypt, a very important symbol was the Ankh, meanings originally a sandal`s belt (scientists say). So, the meaning of the respective hieroglyph means "TO WALK". On Egyptian pictures, when a GOD gives life to a HUMAN he hands an ANKH to him, i.e. giving him LIFE = TO WALK = MOVEMENT.)
So we ignore everything that has to do  with motion. And the space becomes continuum.
2, We look for forms of existing lacking exactly that last paradigm element, ie., (in our case) time and movement.
That means we are looking for something that fulfills the picture of this reduced paradigm. In our previous example: something that
doesn`t move, but spreads in space continuously and irreversibly.
Just let the picture grow before thinking further; that`s it -
GROWING! Anything that grows steadily and cannot shrink
deliberately.

We may think of plants growing, clouds rising, micro-organism, fungi etc. For example, a tree starts from an exact point in space (the seed) and spreads evenly according to a distinct blueprint. Its size, especially the section rings of its stem, correlate exactly with its age; that means spatial growing and age match exactly. It cannot shrink definitely; it is able to drop leaves or branches, but they soon grow back to make it fill the same space occupied before.  The process of spatial growth is irreversible. A harrowing thought - most probably we "grow" through time in the same manner! Maybe, even like some herbs or grass that die off in Autumn and grow again in the Spring - a picturesque allegory of death and rebirth!

For our next example we again take one dimension less. Now there is no free (active) motion and no growth in space. The continuum is the surface. A much more tricky paradigm. Something existing here must have the tendency to spread in surface as much as possible and never contract again deliberately. Hmmm.. what`s the biggest surface on earth? Of course, water! Water, as a liquid, can be formed freely, as it has no fixed form and will mould itself to fit any surface.  But it cannot be compressed, and has the tendency to fill a space from beneath with the maximum of even surface at the same time. The gain with this form of existence is in the changeability of form - its flexibility and adaptability. The picture for this is the ocean, the river, or organisms like lichens which exist in clumps or patches.

Our next move is one more step towards reduction of existence. Now there is no area and no spreading over a surface. The continuum is dimension 1, the line, and everything else is fixed. In this paradigm all solid objects exist. Changes, if any, are only allowed along one line and are irreversible as in falling towards a center of gravity for example, or rolling down a slope. This dimension 1 does not have to be a straight line, but is the most efficient and best way of coming nearer to the center of attraction. Irreversible.

It`s interesting to see that we humans still align our orientation in space according to these same systems as described. The vertical line is a solid object hanging down, the plumb-rule; the horizontal surface, the level, is adjusted by hydrostatic balance (with water!). And the only independent (ie., not geodetic) system for measuring height is an instrument derived from a barometer (the
altigraph), which works on the basis of the expansion and reduction of a specific gas volume in a sealed shell.

These thoughts are certainly a little bit hard to chew on, but I`m sure they give enough themes for meditation.


Here`s an example for a simple meditation; freestyle of course. Get yourself into a trance-journey somehow. You may use a shamanic technique or jump through a Tattwa sign or whatever you prefer and are best used to. Let`s take the water element for example.  According to classical technique, you imagine the horizontal syrinx sign and go through it (but in silver and not in green as usual when you want to explore the water world) and become the water yourself.  Try to let the feeling flow freely. Flow down, spread, split into drops while breaking on a stone that lies in the water way; flow down as a torrent etc.; trickle to the ground; evaporate to the sky;  experience total passivity in the respect of controlled growth or active motion. Be totally passive! It is important to collect oneself after this meditation and perform a thorough earthing. This exercise is comparatively easy with the water element. It is also possible with a 3-dimensional system (plant or cloud), but more complicated, or with 1-dimensional system (solid object), but the latter takes a long time in my experience.

The purpose of this exercise is to get a feeling for the structure and physical reality of other dimensional existence and their relation with other systems, and to comprehend that these need not be projected to distant universes, but really exist in our world and that we meet them every day.

For people dealing with magic it is of immense value to get the
right feeling of the existence of one universe in the other, and to be able to shift from a low dimensional system to a supradimensional system and vice versa. This is because we face many phenomena reaching into our paradigm from other systems. For example, severe distortions of reality go hand-in-hand with deep trance, (lucid) dreams and precognition. These all make our reality and our normal environment appear more or less different from normal experience:  for example, when we experience our home in dream reality or on a mental journey, the table in the room isn`t where it normally used to be or maybe the window is on another wall and looks into a different landscape etc.. All this is due to distortions along the 5th dimension (the Ennead as I named it provisionally).


Let`s continue our little mental experiment, but this time in the
forward direction. At first we see no differences, when we go from our paradigm to a 4+1 dimensional system. Obviously we have no sense and no feeling for what`s happening when we go beyond our 3+1 (space+time) system. So the new mental experiment leads nowhere.  It`s worth it to demonstrate that no practical model comes from mental speculations in this direction. But we can derive a description from our "experiences" with low-dimensional systems.  Keeping the last paradigms in mind and adding a new dimension, the Ennead, we can formulate the new paradigm by same method as follows:

"At the same place in space at the same time there ARE different
conditions possible at different E-dimensions."

Exactly like the addition of a "new" time-dimension to the old 2+1 (area+space) paradigm makes free movement possible for the first time, so also the addition of a new dimension E to our 3+1 paradigm makes it possible (at least theoretically) for the following to exist:
- the one-inside-the-other-existence of different entities and
conditions
- parallel worlds
- events occurring simultaneously in time
- time travel (forward and backwards).

The key to all this seems to be the existence of "parallel worlds", and I want to take a little look into how our ability to distinguish objects function. If different things exist on the same spot at the same time this implies that the same things exist in different worlds (systems, universes etc., it`s all the same!). The explanation for this you will find in the section Other Forms of Existence. Things are distinguishable for us by their presence (POSITION in space+time) and their QUALITY (that we check by our senses). They are different if they have different position and/or quality. Example: sheep A is as dull as sheep B, looks the same, sounds the same, smells the same. I know they are different as one stands beside the other (ie. at different positions at the same time). If there are enough sheep that are so similar and they run among each other, I can distinguish nothing. That is unless I mark them to make them look different; or one has changed its appearance, by having been sheared, for instance. Then it looks different at a different time, but still is essentially the same. In all these cases we orient according to differences and coherence of existence,
and not very reliably at that. I want to show with this shaggy sheep tale that the question of continuous existence throughout different positions and qualities is not easily resolved, and therefore we should be carefully before we discount all talk of "double existence, parallel worlds etc.".


Existence is hard to imagine and contradicts with experience and
commonsense unless we postulate the existence of parallel worlds in which all possibilities at least potential exist. But only one
possibility becomes reality. By taking this thought further, we see that all these parallel worlds contain the possibilities of life, and we move through all this, making reality out of one of them - by DECISION or free will, call it as you like. A picture that we also find in some of Castaneda`s books.

Outlook:
The question remains unanswered is: What makes these parallel worlds manifest (ie. how often do "I" exist) or just remain hypothetical assumptions. But this is without importance for us at the moment. In a simple and subjective way, only that which we experience actually manifests. For me it appears dimly that out of Ennead only the parallel worlds through which we pass by our subjective experience, our acting and our reality become reality and sharply outlined. All else remains dim and unreal but may be experienced by others - who knows? This is similar to a widespread network of rails in a railway shunting station, with numerous railtracks linked by switches, but only ONE track being used by a train. The switches stand for important decisions which open this or that way. According to our decisions we pass a track leading more "up" or "down", more "ahead" or "back" (all seen from Ennead), or we just shuttle back and forth in the middle. To help to understand this we can look at certain games, like chess, that show how the chain of events is predetermined by decisions that lie far back in the past. By playing chess you can get an idea of the reality of fate, and that some errors taken in the past can hardly be set right whilst some may easily be. These causal chains may be very long in any case.

The previously described Ennead system could work in a similar
fashion to this: exactly like our space+time paradigm enables us to move, so the jump into the space/time+ennead paradigm opens the gates to potentiality and its network of connections. Although we cannot take part in this because of our limited senses, and we cannot jump into the next dimension and its adherent paradigm, we can take a peek behind the curtain and at least get a feeling for the kind of interference therein. It may open a new view on things hitherto believed to be inevitable: the passing of time, all our actions and interactions, and on fate itself. Are we just "programmed" towards another target or direction, that can only be seen from above, from Ennead, from the next dimension? Do we "move" in Ennead with our decisions (and this implies things like character, mental attitudes, views and opinions, by which we decide on this or that way)?



However, for a being fixed and rooted in his/its paradigm, there is not much difference how it decides. A root or a branch can grow in this or that way, and reacts to certain stimuli like light or water, but remains fixed and not suited for free movement. The more simple an animal is organized, the more unidirectional its reactions are:
"lurk - snap - gorge" and suchlike. The (occasionally) more complex motivations of men lead me conclude that we may be on the threshold before the door to the next paradigm. (Similar to plant-like organisms, corals for example, that are fixed to the ground but can push out and pull in their tentacles... Hagazussa already?).

We can "move" in this way - and this is certainly the most noble
expression of "do what thou wilt" and Thelema - by influencing our position in Ennead consciously and constantly, and without mercy giving our decisions a certain orientation and thereby "moving" with this through Ennead and the parallel worlds. (If our personal "thelema" was not a nonsense ie. Choronzon.) I`m sure many of you have experienced that after somebody changed their attitude and opinions, sometimes their environment also begins to change, but without any causal reasons! Just the right people appear; some lucky (or unlucky) opportunities open up; old friends seem to withdraw and appear more and more strange... Maybe a new parallel world has opened, and you move in? But besides these speculations and as a last consequence this means we bring all that we face by our own decisions, and we blame nobody else but our own good selves for "all the bad luck and hard days we suffer from". On the other hand we are not responsible to anything/anybody/anygod for all the shit we are in... its our own hard way! All that has to do with character building starts here. Here and now and in our own earthbound and mortal life and in our own paradigm, we have the chance to move in a certain direction, perhaps "up" or "down" or maybe recognized only from aside/above/from Ennead. Even from the next paradigm maybe. But
we have the chance NOW. Possibilities are numerous. Let`s use them for maximum experience.

	 CELTIC CRAFT READING LIST - 6 JULY 1991 
	Rowan Moonstone

*** Marks especially good books. Read these FIRST!!  Keep in mind,
this is simply a listing of the books that I have found useful.
Question everything.

A.E.(GEORGE RUSSELL); "The Candle of Vision", Quest Books,
Theosophical Pub. 1975

ALFORD, VIOLET; "The Hobbyhorse & Other Animal Masks", Merlin Press
1978

AMERICAN CONFERENCE FOR IRISH STUDIES; "Guide to Irish Studies in
the U.S.A." 1987

ANWYL, EDWARD; "Celtic Religion in Pre-christian Times", Archibald
Constable & Co. 1906 ***

ARTOS, ALLEN; "Arthur, The King of Light", Lorien House 1986

ASHE, GEOFFREY; "The Ancient Wisdom", London 1977

BAIN, GEORGE; "Celtic Art: The Methods of Construction", Dover Pub.
1973

BARBER, CHRIS; "Mysterious Wales", Paladin Press 1983

BOASE, WENDY; "Folklore of Hampshire & the Isle of Wight", Rowman
& Littlefield 1976

BONWICK, JAMES; "Irish Druids and Old Irish Religion", Arno Press
1976

BORD, JANET & COLIN; "The Secret Country", Grenada 1978 ***

BORD, JANET & COLIN; "Mysterious Britain", Grenada 1974 ***

BORD, JANET & COLIN; "Earth Rites", Grenada 1983 ***

BORD, JANET & COLIN; "Sacred Waters", Paladin Books 1986 ***

BREFFNY, BRIAN DE, ed.; "Ireland, A Cultural Encyclopedia", Thames
& Hudson 1983

BREFFNY, BRIAN DE; " The Irish World", Thames & Hudson 1986

BRIGGS, KATHERINE; "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees, & Boggarts", Pantheon
1979

BRIGGS, KATHERINE; "Nine Lives; Cats in Folklore", Rudledge & Kegen
Paul 1980

BROWN, PETER, ed. & selected by; "Book of Kells", Alfred A. Knopf
1980

CAMPBELL, J.F. & GEORGE HENDERSON; "The Celtic Dragon Myth",
Newcastle Pub. 1981

CARMICHAEL, ALEXANDER; "Celtic Invocations", Vineyard 1972

CASTLEDEN, RODNEY; "The Wilmington Giant", Turnstone 1983

CHADWICK, NORA; "The Celts", Pelician 1970

CHANT,JOY; "The High Kings", Bantam 1983

CHMELOVA, ELENA; "Celtic Tales", Exeter Books 1982

CLARE, T.; "Archelogical Sites of Devon & Cornwall", Moorland Pub.
1982

COGHLAN, RONAN; "Dictionary of Irish Myth and Legend", Donard Press
1979

COHANE, JOHN PHILLIP; "The Key", Crown Pub. 1969

COLLUM, PADRAIG; "Treasury of Irish Folklore", Crown Pub. 1967

COLLUM, PADRAIC; "Treasury of Irish Folklore", rev. ed. Killenny
Press 1967

COLLUM, PADRAIC; "The King of Ireland's Son", McMillian & sons 1933

CONWAY, D.J.; "Celtic Magic", Llewellyn Pub. 1990

COOKE, GRACE & IVAN; "The Light in Britain", White Eagle Pub. Trust
1983

COSMAN, MADELEINE, PELNER; "Medieval Holidays and Festivals",
Charles Scribmer & Sons 1981

CROSSLEY-HOLLAND, KEVIN, ed.; "Mabon of the Mabinogion", Thorsen
Pub. 1984

CUNLIFFE, BARRY; "The Celtic World", McGraw Hill MCMLXXIX ***

CURTAIN, JEREMIAH; "Myths and Folk Tales of Ireland", Dover Books
1975

DAMES, MICHAEL; "The Avebury Cycle", Thames & Hudson 1977 ***

DANAHER, KEVIN; "The Year in Ireland", (Leinster Leader, Ltd. 1972)
Mercier Press 1972 ***

DANIEL, GLYN & PAUL BAHN; "Ancient Places - The Prehistoric &
Celtic Sites of Britian", Constable 1987

DAVIDSON, THOMAS; "Rowan Tree and Red Thread", Edinburgh 1949
DAVIES, EDWARD; "The Mythology and Rites of the British Druids",
J. Booth 1809

DELANEY, FRANK; "The Celts", Little Brown & Co. 1986

DILLON, MYLES; "Early Irish Literature", University of Chicago
Press 1948

DINNENN, REV. PATRICK S.; "Irish- English Dictionary", Irish Textes
Society 1927

DUGGAN, COLM; "Treasures of Irish Folklore", Mercantile Marketing
Consultants, Ltd. 1983

DYER, JAMES; "The Penguin Guide To Prehistoric England & Wales",
Penguin Books

EVANS-WENTZ, W. Y.; "The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries",
Universtiy Books 1966 ***

FELL, BARRY; "America, B.C.", Wallaby Books 1976

FITZPATRICK, JIM; "The Silver Arm", Paper Tiger Press 1981

FITZPATRICK, JIM; "The Book of Conquests", E.P. Dutton 1978

FLOWER, ROBIN; "The Irish Tradition", Clarendon Press 1947/1978

FORDE, JOHNSTON J.; "Prehistoric Britian & Ireland", W.W. Norton
& Co. 1976

FRAZIER, SIR JAMES GORDON; "The Golden Bough", (The Macmillan
Company, 1951) Avenel 1981

FRENCH, J.M.F.; "Prehistoric Faith and Worship", London 1912

FROUD, BRIAN & ALAN LEE; "Faeries", Harry M. Abrams 1978

GANTZ, JEFFERY; "Early Irish Myths & Sagas", Penquin 1982

GERALD OF WALES; "The History & Topography of Ireland", Penquin
1982

GLASSIE, HENRY; "Irish Folk History", University of Pennsylvannia
Press 1982

GREGORY, LADY AUGUSTA; "Visions and Beliefs in the West of
Ireland", Colin Smythe 1920/1979

GREGORY, LADY AUGUSTA; "Gods and Fighting Men of the Celts", John
Murray 1913 ***

GUARD, DAVID, "Dierdre: A Celtic Legend", Celestial Arts 1977

HERM, GERHARD; "The Celts", St. Martin's Press 1975

HIGGINS, GODFREY; "Celtic Druids", Philosohpical Research Society
1977

HOPE, MURRY; "Practical Celtic Magic", Aquarian Press 1987

IRISH TEXTES SOCIECTY; "Poems of Egan O'Rahilly", Rev. P.S. Dinnenn
& T.O. Donough 1966


IRISH TEXTES SOCIECTY; "Duanaine Finn", Vol VII, part 1, ed. &
trans. Eoin MacNeil

IRISH TEXTES SOCIECTY; Keating, "History of Ireland, Vol 1-4,
1902/1987

IRISH TEXTES SOCIECTY; "Adventures of Suibhne Geilt", ed. & trans.
J.G. O'Keefe 1913

IRISH TEXTES SOCIECTY; "Poems on the Marcher Lords", ed. Anne
O'Sullivan & Padrain O'Riain 1987

IRISH TEXTES SOCIECTY; "Labor Gabala Erenn", parts 1-4, Trans.
R.A.S. MacAlister 1941 ***

JACKSON, KENNETH HURLSTONE; "A Celtic Miscellany", Penguin 1980

JACKSON, KENNETH HURLESTONE; "The Oldest Irish Tradition; A Window
on the Iron Age", Cambridge 1964

JACOBS, JOSEPH; "Celtic Fairy Tales", Dover 1963

JONES, GWYN & THOMAS; "The Mabinogion", Dragon's Dream 1982 ***

JOYCE, P.W.; "Social History of Ancient Ireland", Vol 1 & 2
Benjamin Blum Pub. 1968 ***

KERR, MILDRED L., HARNES, ELIZABETH & ROSS, FRANCES; "Giants &
Faires", Charles E. Merrill Co. 1946

KINSELLA, THOMAS; "The Tain", Oxford Univ. Press 1969 ***

KNEIGHTLY, THOMAS; "The World Guide to Gnomes, Fairies, Elves, and
Other Little People", Avenel Press 1978

KNIGHT, GARETH; "The Secret Tradition in Arthurian Legend",
Aquarian Press 1983

KRUTA, VENCESLAS & VERNER FORMAN; "The Celts of the West", Orbis
1985

LEAMY, EDMUND; "Golden Spears", Desmond Fitzgerald 1911

LEHMANN, RUTH P.M.; "Early Irish Verse", University of Texas Press
1982

LOGAN, PATRICK; "The Old Gods", Apple Tree Press 1981

LONSDALE, STEVEN; "Animals & the Origin of the Dance", Thames &
Hudson 1982

LUCY, SEAN; "Love Poems of the Irish", Mercier Press 1977

MACALISTER, R.A.S.; "Tara; A Pagan Sanctuary of Ancient Ireland",
Charles Schribner & Sons 1931 ***

MACCANA, PROINSIAS; "Celtic Mythology", Hamlyn Pub. 1970

MACCULLOCH, JOHN ARNOTT; "Religion of the Ancient Celts", Folcroft
Library, 1977rep.

MACCULLOCH, JOHN ARNOTT; "The Mythology of all Races in Thirteen
volumes; Celtic, Volume III.", Cooper Square Pub. 1967

MACLENNAN, MALCOLM; "A Promouncing & Emtylogical Dictionary of the
Gaelic Language", (Scots Gaelic) Aberdeen Univ. Press 1979

MACMANUS, SEUMAS; "The Story of the Irish Race", Devin-Adair Co.
1981

MACNEILL, MAIRE; "The Festival of Lughnasa", Oxford, 1962 ***

MARKALE, JEAN; "Women of the Celts", Inner Traditions International
Ltd. 1986

MARRIS, RUTH; "The Singing Swans & Other Irish Stories", Fontana
Lions 1978

MARSH, HENRY; "Dark Age Britain", Dorset Press 1970

MATTHEWS, CAITLIN; "The Elements of The Goddess", Element Books
1989

MATTHEWS, CAITLIN; "The Elements of The Celtic Tradition", Element
Books 1989

McNEIL, F. MARTIN; "The Silver Bough, Vol 1.: Scottish Folklore &
Beliefs", Cannon Gate Classic 1956/1989

O'BRIEN, CHRISTIAN; "The Megalithic Odyssey", Turnstone 1983

O'CONNOR, FRANK; "Short History of Irish Literature", Capricorn
Books 1967

O'CONNOR, NORREYS; "Battles & Enchantments", Books for Libraries
Press 1922/1970

O'DRISCOLL, ROBERT; "The Celtic Consciousness", George Braziller
1982

O'SULLIVAN, DONALD; "Carolan: The Life & Times & Music of an Irish
Harper", Vol 1 & 2, Celtic Music 1983

PEPPERS & WILCOCK; "A Guide to Magical & Mystical Sites - Europe
& the British Isles", Harper Colophon Books 1977

POWELL, T.G.E.; "The Celts", Thames & Hudson 1980


QUILLER, PETER & COURTNEY DAVIS; "Merlin, The Immortal", Spirit of
Celtia 1984

REES, ALWEN & BRINLEY; "Celtic Heritage", Oxford 1971 ***

RHYS, JOHN; "Celtic Folklore, Welsh & Manx, Vol.I"

ROLLESTON, T.W.; "Myths & Legends - Celtic", Avenel Press 1985

ROSS, ANNE; "Pagan Celtic Britian", Rudledge & Kegen Paul 1967 ***

ROSS, ANNE, & DON ROBBINS; "The Life & Death of A Druid Prince",
Summit 1989 ***

RUTHERFORD, WARD; "Celtic Mythology", Aquarian Press 1987

RUTHERFORD, WARD; "The Druids, Magicians of the West", Aquarian
Press 1978 ***

SEYMOUR, ST. JOHN; "Irish Witchcraft and Demonology", 1913

SHARKEY, JOHN; "Celtic Mysteries", Thames & Hudson 1975/1987

SJOESTEDT, MARIE-LOUISE; "Gods and Heroes of the Celts", Methven
& Co. Ltd. 1949 ***

SMITH, LESLEY M.; "The Dark Age: The Making of Britian", Schocker
Books 1984

SPENCE, LEWIS; "The Minor Traditions of British Mythology", Rider
& Co. 1948

SPENCE, LEWIS; "The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain", Anchor Press

SPENCE, LEWIS; "British Fairy Origins", Aquarian Press 1946

SQUIRE, CHARLES; "Celtic Myth & Legend, Poetry & Romance",
Newcastle 1975 ***

STEWART, R.J.; "Book of Merlin", Blandford Press 1988

STEWART, R.J., ed.; "Merlin & Woman", Blandford Press 1988

STEWART, R.J.;  "Mystic Life of Merlin", Arcana Press 1986


STEWART, R.J.; "The Underworld Tradition", Aquarian Press 1985

SUTHERLAND, ELISABETH; "Ravens & Black Rain", Corgi Books 1985 ***

THURNEYSON; "Old Irish Reader", Dublin Institut for Advanced
Studies 1968

TOULSON, SHIRLEY; "The Winter Solstice", Jill Norman & Hobhouse
1981 ***

WHITE, CAROLYN; "A History of Irish Fairies", Mercier Press 1976
***

WHITLOCK, RALPH; "In Search of Lost Gods", Phaidon Press 1979

WILDE, LADY; "Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, & Superstitions of
Ireland With Sketches of the Irish Past" Chatto & Windus 1925

WILLIAMS, GWYNN A.; "Madoc, The Legend of the Welsh Discovery of
America", Oxford Univ. Press 1987

WILLIAMSON, JOHN; "The Oak King, the Holly King & the Unicorn",
Harper & Row 1974 ***

WOOD-MARTIN, W. G.; "Traces of the Elder Faiths of Ireland, Vols
1 & 2", Kennicat Pub. 1902/1970 ***

YEATS, W.B.; "Fairy & Folktales of Ireland", Pan Books 1882 & 1882/
1973

YEATS, W.B. & LADY GREGORY; "Irish Myth, Legend, & Folklore",
Avenel Press 1986

YOUNG, ELLA; "The Wondersmith and His Son", David McKay Co. 1927


                        THE COVENANT OF THE GODDESS 

PURPOSE

    The Covenant of the Goddess was founded in 1975 to increase
cooperation among Witches,  and to secure for Witches and covens
the legal  protection enjoyed by members of other religions.

FUNCTIONS

    The Covenant publishes a newsletter;  issues ministerial
credentials on request to qualified persons; sponsors a national
festival each summer; and encourages networking nationally,  as
well  as  regionally  through local councils.

STRUCTURE

    The  Covenant is incorporated as a non-profit religious
organization in California, though it has grown to be a
nationwide organization.  It is a confederation of covens and
solitaires  of  various  traditions,  who share in the worship of
the Goddess and the Old Gods and subscribe to a common  code of
ethics.  The Covenant holds a Grand Council annually to elect
national officers, set a budget, and decide matters which require
deliberation by the full membership.  Decisions are usually made
by consensus.

CODE OF ETHICS

    * An ye harm none, do as ye will.

    * Since our religion and arts and practices peculiar to it
are the gift of  the Goddess,  membership and training in a local
coven or tradition are bestowed free,  as gifts,  and only on
those persons who are deemed worthy to receive them.  However, a
coven may expect each of its members to bear a fair share of its
ordinary operating expenses.

    * All persons have the right to charge reasonable fees for
the services by which they earn a living,  so long as our
religion  is  not thereby exploited.

    * Every person associated with this Covenant shall respect
the autonomy and sovereignty of each coven, as well as the right
of each coven to oversee the spiritual,  mental,  emotional and
physical development of its members and students in its own way,
and shall exercise reasonable caution against infringing upon
that right in any way.

    * Members of this Covenant shall respect the traditional
secrecy of our religion.

    * Members of this Covenant should ever  keep  in  mind  the
underlying unity of our religion as well as the diversity of its
manifestations.


    *  These ethics shall be understood and interpreted in light
of one another, and especially in light of the traditional laws
of our  religion.

CONFIDENTIALITY

    All information give to the Covenant of the Goddess or any of
its officials  is considered strictly confidential,  unless you
indicate otherwise.  No information about members is published or
given  out  without explicit  written  permission.  Direct access
to the Covenant's mailing list is limited to the Board of
Directors.  Maximum privacy is assured.

NEWSLETTER

    At every Sabbat the Covenant publishes a newsletter of Craft
and  Pagan news,  original  articles,  poetry,  humor,  rituals
and announcements.  Member covens receive  the  newsletter
automatically.  Individual  coveners  and  non-members who donate
a suitable tax-deductible gift will also be placed on the mailing
list, to receive the newsletter and other mailings.  Circulation
is  limited  to members and friends of the Covenant.

FINANCES

    An  annual  membership  tithe is set every year by the Grand
Council to cover bare expenses,  based on the previous  year's
expenses  and  any projected  cost increases.  The annual
financial statement is published in the newsletter.  Other
activities  are  supported  by  fund-raising.
    All contributions to the Covenant of the Goddess are greatly
appreciated and are tax-deductible.

APPLYING FOR MEMBERSHIP

    Any Goddess-supporting coven or solitaire can be eligible
for  membership  in  the  Covenant of the Goddess if certain
criteria and requirements are met.  All inquiries into membership
should  be  sent  to the National Credentials Officer.  If the
coven or solitaire is in an area near a local council,  the
National Officer will forward the inquiry to the local
Credentials Officer, who will respond.  A member can apply in
person at a council meeting, or by filling out the appropriate
form and sending it in with the initial membership tithe.

GENERAL CRITERIA FOR COVEN MEMBERSHIP

    * Generally focus thealogy and ritual, etc., around worship
of the Goddess and the Old Gods (or the Goddess alone).

    * Believe and follow a code of ethics compatible with that of
the Covenant.

    * Have been meeting monthly or oftener for at least six
months.


    * Have three more members who have been formally
accepted into the clergy.

    * Be a cohesive, self-perpetuating group.

REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP

    Full Membership:  The applicant must be recommended without
reservation by two active members of the Covenant.

    Provisional Membership:  The applicant may be recommended by
one  member;  and  then  within a year and a day make a viable
effort to get to know other members, in order to achieve Full
Member status.

    The appropriate Credentials Officer (National or  local)
shall  verify information regarding criteria and credentials.

COVEN-AT-LARGE

    This is the term we use to represent the many Witches who are
solitaires, i.e. practicing alone.  Each local council may devise
its own standards for admission of coveners-at-large,  in harmony
with national guidelines.

LOCAL COUNCILS

    A local council is a smaller branch of the Covenant,
consisting of  at least three member covens of at least two
different traditions, in
reasonably close geographic proximity to each other.  The  local
councils generally meet more often than the national
organization.  They may initiate independent projects,
sponsor local festivals and  workshops, and generally work
together for common goals close to home.  As the Covenant
continues to grow, we encourage new member covens close to one
another to form their own local councils.

VOTING

    When a matter requiring a decision is presented before the
Covenant in council, it is discussed by the members in attendance
until a consensus is reached.  If a consensus cannot be reached,
then a vote is taken.  A coven  holding a current Full Membership
is entitled to one vote.  Each such coven also holds the power to
veto,  though this is exercised only in extreme cases.  A coven
with Provisional Membership is entitled to one vote, but does not
hold veto power.


    A coven-at-large is entitled to one vote if, and only if,
three individuals are physically present at the council and
unanimous in their choice of vote.


MINISTERIAL CREDENTIALS

    In order to receive Ministerial Credentials as a Priestess or
Priest, a person shall:

    1.  Be an active member of a coven which is a Full Member of
the  Covenant.

    2.  Have  been  "confirmed" to taking on the full commitment
to the requirements of that coven's Tradition of our religion.

    3.  Have undergone at least a full year  of  active  training
for  the ministry of that Tradition.

    These credentials shall remain valid only so long as the
person remains an  active  member  of  the coven which remains an
active member of the Covenant.

    In order to be eligible to receive Ministerial Credentials as
an Elder, a person shall:

    1.  Satisfy (2.) and (3.) above.

    2.  Have undergone an additional full year of active training
for  the ministry.

    3.  Be fully able to form a coven, admit members, and train
them in the tenets and practices of that Tradition.

    These  credentials shall remain valid for life, unless
specifically revoked, so long as the person remains in contact
with the Covenant.

THE NATIONAL FESTIVAL

    The annual Grand Council or national business meeting is held
as  part of a national festival,  which is open to the whole
membership as well as Pagans and Witches who are not part of the
Covenant.  The
festival is usually held at a secluded campground or resort,  and
moves to a different area of the country each  summer.  In
addition to  the council  meeting,  the  program  includes
workshops  on magick and the Craft, concerts, a potluck feast, a
talent show, and the opportunity to purchase (or barter for) art,
crafts and ritual tools by  Pagan  artisans.  Registration
information is available in the newsletter.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

    Write to: Covenant of the Goddess, P.O. Box 1226, Berkeley,
CA 94704.

	 A Pledge to Pagan Spirituality 



     I am  a Pagan and I dedicate Myself to channeling the Spiritual Energy of my Inner Self to help and to heal myself and others.


  *  I know  that I  am a  part of  the Whole  of Nature.   May I  grow  in understanding of  the Unity  of all  Nature.  May  I  always  walk in Balance.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                      SO MOTE IT BE
The Craft (Witchcraft - NOT to be confused with Satanism.  A true Witch has nothing to do with this, even though there are some Satanists who (unright-fully) call themselves "Witch".) contains a large number of groups with bonds to each other, for the most part, which are looser than those you will find between Christian churches.  Each has it's own traditions, it's own beliefs, it's own pantheon, etc.  So just WHAT is it that, overall, a Witch believes in? The American Council of Witches was formed to determine what it was that all  Witches have in common, belief-wise.  In the early 1970's, a paper was released with their findings, and gives a good overall picture of it.  The following is the text of that paper. 
      
====================================================================== 
      
	BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE CRAFT
      
1.   The first principle is that of love, and it is expressed in the ethic, 
          "DO AS YOU WILL, SO LONG AS YOU HARM NONE" 
     a) love is not emotional in it's essence, but is an attribute of 	   the individual as expressed in relation to other beings; 
     b) harming others can be by thought, word, or deed; 
     c> it is to be understood the "none" includes oneself; 
     d) the harm which is to be regarded as unethical is gratuitous 	          harm; war, in general, is gratuitous harm, although it is 	          ethical to defend oneself and one's liberty when threatened by 	   real and present danger, such as defense against invasion. 
  
2.   The Witch must recognize and harmonize with the forces of the 	universe, in accord with the Law of Polarity: everything is dual; 	everything has two poles; everything has it's opposite; for every 	action there is a reaction;  all can be categorized as either 	active or reactive in relation to other things. 
     	a) Godhead is one unique and transcendent wholeness, beyond 		   any limitations or expressions; thus, it is beyond our 		        human capacity to understand and identify with this 		        principle of Cosmic Oneness, except as It is revealed to 		   us in terms of It's attributes and operation. 
     	b) The most basic and meaningful attribute of the One that 		        we, as humans, can relate to and understand, is that of 		        polarity, of action and reaction; therefore Witches 		        recognize the Oneness of the Divinity, but worship and 		        relate to the Divine as the archetypal polarity of God 		        and Goddess, the All-Father and the Great Mother of the 		        universe.  The Beings are as near as we can approach to 		        the One within our human limitations of understanding and 		   expression, though it is possible to experience the 		        divine Oneness through the practices of the Mysteries. 
		c) Harmony does not consist of the pretty and the nice, but 		   the balanced, dynamic, poised co-operation and                         co-relation. 
  


3.   The Witch must recognize, and operate within the framework of the 	Law of Cause and Effect; every action has it's reaction, and 	every effect has it's cause.  All things occur according to this 	law; nothing in the universe can occur outside this law, though 	we may not always appreciate the relation between a given effect 	and it's cause.  Subsidiary to this is the Law of Three, which 	states that whatever goes forth must return threefold, whether of 	good or ill; for our actions affect more than people generally 	realize, and the resulting reactions are also part of the 	harvest. 
  
4.   As Above, So Below.  That which exists in the Macrocosm exists, 	on a smaller scale and to a lesser degree, in the Microcosm.  The 	powers of the universe exist also in the human, though in general 	instance they lie dormant.  The powers and abilities can be 	awakened and used if the proper techniques are practiced, and 	this is why initiates of the Mysteries are sworn to guard the 	secrets from the unworthy:  Much harm can be done by those who 	have power without responsibility, both to others and to 	themselves according to the Laws of Cause and Effect and of 	Threefold Return. 
     	a) Since our philosophy teaches that the universe is the 	          	   physical manifestation of the Divine, there can be 		               nothing in the universe which does not partake of the 		        nature of the Divine; hence, the powers and attributes of 		   the Divine exist also in the manifest, though to much 		        smaller degree. 
     	b) These powers can be awakened through the various 		               techniques of the Mysteries, and, although they are only 		   capable of small effects in and of themselves, it is 		        possible to use them in order to draw upon the forces of 		   the universe.  Thus humanity can be the wielders of the 		        power of the Gods, a channel for Godhead to act within 		        It's own manifestation.  This, then, is further reason 		        for the oath of secrecy. 
     	c) Since the universe is the body of the One, possessing the 		   same attributes as the One, it's Laws must be the 		               principles through and by which the One operates.  By 		        reasoning from the known to the unknown, one can learn of 		   the Divine, and thus of oneself.  Thus the Craft is a 		        natural religion, seeing in Nature the expression and 		        revelation of Divinity. 
  
5.   We know that everything in the universe is in movement or 	vibration and is a function of that vibration.  Everything 	vibrates; all things rise and fall in a tidal system that 	reflects the motion inherent in the universe and also in the 	atom.  Matter and energy are but two poles of one continuous 	phenomenon.  Therefore the Witch celebrates, harmonizes with, and 	makes use of the tides of the universe and of life as expressed 	through the cycle of the seasons and the motion of the solar 	system.  These ritual observances are the eight great Festivals 	of the Year, referred to as the Wheel of the Year.  Further, the 	Witch works with the forces and tides of the Moon, for this body 	is the mediator of much energy to our planet Earth and thus to 	ourselves. 
  


6.   Nothing is dead matter in the universe.  All things exist, 	therefore all things live, though perhaps in a different manner 	from that which we are used to calling life.  In view of this, 	the Witch knows that there is no true death, only change from one 	condition to another.  The universe is the body of Godhead, and 	therefore possesses one transcendent consciousness; all things 	partake of the consciousness, in varying levels of 	trance/awareness. 
     	a) Because of this principle, all things are sacred to the 	     	        Witch, for all partake of the one Life. 
     	b) Therefore the Witch is a natural ecologist, for Nature is 		   part of us as we are a part of Nature. 
  
7.   Astrology can be useful in marking and interpreting the flow and 	ebb of the tides of our solar system, and thus of making use of 	those tides; astrology should not be debased into mere 	fortune-telling. 
  
8.   Throughout the development of the human race, civilizations have 	seen and worshipped many and various attributes of the Divine.  	These universal forces have been clothed in forms which were 	expressive to the worshipper of the attribute of the Godhead 	which they expressed.  Use of these symbolic representations of 	the natural and divine forces of the universe, or god forms, is a 	potent method for contacting and utilizing the forces they 	represent.  Thus the Gods are both natural and truly divine, and 	man-made in that the forms with which they are clothed are 	products of humanity's striving to know the Godhead. 
     	a) In keeping with the Law of Polarity, these god-forms are 		   brought into harmony by the one great Law which states:  		   All Gods are one God.  All Goddesses are one Goddess.  		        There is one Initiator.  This law is an expression of our 		   understanding that all of the forces of the universe, by 		   whatever ethnic god-form is chosen to clothe and relate 		        to whichever force, can be resolved into the fundamental 		   polarity of the Godhead, the Great Mother and the                      All-Father. 
     	b) It is the use of differing god forms, of differing ethnic 		   sources or periods, which is the basis of many of the                  differences between the various Traditions of the Craft.               Each Tradition uses the forms, and thus the names, which               to that Tradition best express and awaken an                           understanding of the force represented, according to the               areas of emphasis of the Tradition. 
     	c) Because we know that differing names or representations                are but expressions of the same divine principles and                  forces, we require our members to swear that they will                 never mock the names by which another honors the Divine,               even though those names be different from and seemingly                less expressive than the names and god forms used by our               Tradition (for to the members of another Tradition, using               it's names, ours may easily seem equally less                          expressive). 
  


9.   A Witch refuses to allow her/himself to be corrupted by the great 	guilt neuroses which have been foisted on humanity in the name of 	the Divine, thus freeing the self of the slavery of the mind.  	The Witch expresses responsibility for her/his actions, and 	accepts the consequences of them; guilt is rejected as inhibiting 	to one's self-actualization, and replaced by the efforts of the 	Witch to obey the teachings of harmlessness, responsibility for 	the consequences of one's actions, and the goal of actualizing 	the full powers of the individual. 
     	a) We refuse to believe that a human being is born innately              sinful, and recognize the concepts of sin and guilt                    are tremendously inhibiting to the human potential; the                consequences of the Law of Cause and Effect, called karma               by some, are not punishment, but the recurrences of                    situations and their effects because the individual as                 not gained the Wisdom needed to handle or avoid such                   situations. 
     	b) There is no heaven except that which we ourselves make of              our life on Earth, and likewise there is no hell except                the effects of our unwise actions.  Death is not followed               by punishment or reward, but by life and the continuing                evolution of the human potential. 
     	c) One cannot damn the divine in oneself; one can, however,              cut oneself off from it through the rejection of wisdom                and a refusal to strive for self-realization.  This                    cutting off does not lead to personal suffering 
             in "hell", for there is no Self to suffer if the tie to                one's own divinity has been severed; what remains is                   merely an empty shell, a "personality" or thought-form                 devoid of it's ensouling Spark of the Divine Fire. 
  
10.  We know of the existence of the life-force which ensouls all 	living things, that is, all that exists.  We know that a spark of 	this Divine Fire is within each and every thing that exists, and 	that it does not die; only the form of it's existence changes.  	We know that this spark of the life-force returns to 	manifestation again and again in order to fully realize and 	actualize it's potential, evolving finally to the peak and 	essence of existence which is pure being.  In this process of 	reincarnation each form returns in the same type of form, though 	it's ever-increasing actualization may lead to higher levels of 	existence of that form.  Man returns as man, cat as feline, 	mineral as mineral, each class of form evolving as the individual 	forms of that class evolve. 
  
11.  This process of evolution through successive incarnations in 	manifest form works through the utilizations of wisdom gained, 	the essence of the life-experience.  This essence of experience, 	or Wisdom, is an attribute of the spark of life itself, one and 	inseparable (see 9a). 
  


12.  We must care for the body, for it is the vehicle of the spark of 	life, the form by which we attain.  Thus we must heal the body of 	it's ills and keep it a tuned and perfected tool; so must we heal 	others (both physically and psychologically) as far as it is 	within our power to do so.  However, we cannot interfere with the 	life of another, even to heal, except at their request or with 	their express permission; unless such non-interference would be 	inhibiting to our own, ethical existence and development -- and  
     even then the responsibilities and consequences must be 	understood and accepted.  This, then, is one of the important 	reasons for the communal life the Witches under the guidance of 	the Priesthood:  That the group may be guided by wisdom and 	experience, with the aid and support of one's peers; and that 	one's actions may be guided by the influence of the ethical life 	of the group as a whole. 
  
13.  Harmony with, and utilization of, the great natural forces of the 	universe is called magick.  By magick we speak, not of the 	supernatural, but of the superbly natural, but whose laws and 	applications are not as yet recognized by the scientific 	establishment.  The Witch must strive to recognize these forces, 	learn their laws, attune her/himself to them, and make use of 	them.  The Witch must also be aware that power corrupts when  
     used _only_ for the gains of the self, and therefore must strive 	to serve humanity:  Either through the service in the Priesthood, 	or by example and effects of his/her life on others.  The choice 	must be made in accord with the true nature of the Witch. 

This article is excerpted from the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal. 
Each issue of the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal is published by 
High Plains Arts and Sciences; P.O. Box 620604, Littleton Co.,  
80123, a Colorado Non-Profit Corporation, under a Public Domain 
Copyright, which entitles any person or group of persons to  
reproduce, in any form whatsoever, any material contained therein 
without restriction, so long as articles are not condensed or  
abbreviated in any fashion, and credit is given the original 
author.! 
 
                      IN GRANDMOTHER'S LAP 
                      Copyright 1987, RMPJ 
 
"Morals are the nagging fear that somebody somewhere may be 
having a good time." --H. L. Mencken 
 
     What is the difference between one of us and Oral Roberts?  
Well, hopefully there are lots of differences, but the top one 
on my list is that I work on being ethical and he is a moralist. 
 
     The moralist knows how everybody else should behave in order 
to be a good person, avoid Hell, fit into decent society, etc., 
etc.  He is quite likely to feel that he is a valid exception to 
all his own rules, since he can handle temptation and control his 
outcomes.  His main characteristic is frantic paranoid distrust 
of other people.  No one should be seen nude, for instance, 
because this would be un-bearably sexually arousing and lead to 
promiscuity, neglect of ordinary duties, etc.  He knows he can 
control himself, but everybody else has to be "protected" from 
their evil impulses.  His major defence is projection: "I'm not 
oversexed, and of course I'd never want to be or want to be 
unfaithful to my wife, but that woman in the (name situation or 
article of clothing) sure is asking for it.  Ultimate expressions 
of this type of thinking are wife-beating -- one man said, "When 
I walked into the self-help group I thought that when they heard 
what I'd had to put up with they'd con-gratulate me for not 
having killed her." -- and witch-burning -- "I am a good person.  
Bad things do not happen to good people.  A bad thing has 
happened to me.  Somebody did it!  Kill them!" 
 
     In essence, the moralist is saying "It can't be my fault 
(I'm not able to face the idea that it might be my fault).  It 
must be somebody else's fault.  If people would just follow these 
few simple rules, which I'll be glad to explain to them, nothing 
would go wrong and I wouldn't have to feel anxious.  But since 
they won't all follow my rules, everything is their fault, not 
mine, and I don't have to feel anxious." 

 
     To me this is nauseating.  I have no idea how you "should" 
behave; who are you?  What's the situation?  Who else is 
affected?  Even then, the best I could offer would be some 
suggestions of courses of action which might have good results -- 
 but I don't believe there are any simple rules for human conduct 
which are always "right."  What I do believe is that ethical 
behavior consists of choosing your actions such that you can look 
at yourself in the mirror in the morning without flinching.  
Which means I can see a Corsican being ethical and killing 
another person as part of a feud; a gypsy being ethical and 
defrauding a gaujo.  I suspect that what I mean here is that 
ethics impel you to be true to your own values, while morals make 
you want to 
a) control others, and 
b) not get caught yourself.  But being ethical implies that they 
are your own values, which you have thought through and decided 
to accept, and not just the ones you have swallowed whole from 
your family or culture. 
 
     Marjoe, a famous evangelist who later went straight, 
described preaching hellfire and damnation and then going back to 
the motel and making love to his girlfriend of the moment -- who 
had to be flown in from New York so the locals wouldn't know what 
he was doing.  Oral Roberts says people have to give him $8 
million, or God will "call him home."  These are examples of 
people whose highest priority is influencing others, making the 
right kind of impression - the actuality doesn't seem to be 
really relevant to their choice-making process. 
 
     The ethical person, on the other hand, may not care at all 
about the impression he is erig; he will say in total sincerity 
"I know I look like a fool for doing it, but I couldn't have 
lived with myself if I hadn't."  Or even harder, "I know you 
think I'm being hard and cruel, but I honestly believe this is 
the best solution in the circumstances." 
 
     Next issue (are you holding your breath?) the difference be- 
tween act idealism and absolute idealism, or how to tell a witch 
from a fundamentalist without a score card. 
 
   The Spinster Aunt ..........  FROM RMPJ, 2/3/1987 

	 EXEGESIS ON THE WICCAN REDE 
	by Judy Harrow 
 
originally published in HARVEST - Volume 5, Number 3 (Oimelc, 1985) 
second publication: THE HIDDEN PATH - Volume X, Number 2 Beltane, 1987) 
 
     All religions began with somebody's sudden flashing insight, 
enlightenment, a shining vision. Some mystic found the way and the words to share the vision, and, sharing it, attracted followers. The followers may repeat those precise and poetic words about the vision until they congeal into set phrases, fused language, repeated by rote and without understanding.  Cliches begin as great wisdom - that's why they spread so fast - and end as ritual phrases, heard but not understood. Living spirituality so easily hardens to boring religious routine, maintained through guilt and fear, or habit and social opportunism - any reason but joy. 
 
     We come to the Craft with a first generation's joy of discovery, and a first generation's memory of bored hours of routine worship in our childhood.  Because we have known the difference, it is our particular challenge to find or make ways to keep the Craft a living, real experience for our grandchildren and for the students of our students.  
 
     I think the best of these safeguards is already built into the Craft as we know it, put there by our own good teachers. On our Path, the mystic experience itself is shared, not just the fruits of mysticism. We give all our students the techniques, and the protective/supportive environment that enable almost every one of them to Draw the Moon and/or Invoke the God. This is an incredibly radical change from older religions, even older Pagan religions, in which the only permissible source of inspiration has been to endlessly reinterpret and reapply the vision of the Founder (the Bible, the 
Book of the Law, the Koran, ... ). The practice of Drawing the Moon is the brilliant crown of the Craft. 
 
     But notice how often, in the old myths, every treasure has its 
pitfalls? I think I'm beginning to see one of ours. Between the normal process of original visions clotting into cliche, and our perpetual flow of new inspiration, we are in danger of losing the special wisdom of those who founded the modern Craft. I do not think we should assiduously preserve every precious word. My love for my own Gardnerian tradition does not blind me to our sexist and heterosexist roots. And yet, I want us to remain identifiably Witches and not meld into some homogeneous "New Age" sludge. For this, I think we need some sort of anchoring in tradition to give us a sense of identity. Some of the old sayings really do crystallize great wisdom as well, life-affirming Pagan wisdom that our culture needs to hear. 
 


     So I think it's time for a little creative borrowing from our 
neighbors. Christians do something they call "exegesis;" Jews have a somewhat similar process called "midrash." What it is something between interpretation and meditation, a very concentrated examination of a particular text. The assumption often is that every single word has meaning (cabalists even look at the individual letters). Out of this inspired combination of scholarship and daydream comes the vitality of those paths whose canon is closed. The contemporary example, of course, is Christian Liberation Theology, based on a re-visioning of Jesus that would utterly shock John Calvin. 
 
     Although our canon is not closed - and the day it is the day I quit - I'm suggesting that we can use a similar process to renew the life of the older parts of our own still-young heritage. 
 
     So, I'd like to try doing some exegesis on an essential statement of the Craft way of life. Every religion has some sort of ethic, some guideline for what it means to live in accordance with this particular mythos, this worldview. Ours, called the Wiccan Rede, is one of the most elegant statements I've heard of the principle of situational ethics. Rather than placing the power and duty to decide about behavior with teachers or rulebooks, the Rede places it exactly where it belongs, with the actor. 
 
                     eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill: 
                      AN IT HARM NONE, DO WHAT YOU WILL. 
 
I'd like to start with the second phrase first, and to take it almost word by word. 
 
	Do what YOU will. This is the challenge to self-direction, to figure out what we want, and not what somebody else wants for us or from us. All of us are subject to tremendous role expectations and pressures, coming from our families, our employers, our friends, society in general. It's easy to just be molded, deceptively easy to become a compulsive rebel and reflexively do the opposite of whatever "they" seem to want. Living by the Rede means accepting the responsibility to assess the results of our actions and to choose when we will obey, confront or evade the rules. 
 
	Do what you WILL. This is the challenge to introspection, to know what we really want beyond the whim of the moment. The classic example is that of the student who chooses to study for an exam rather than go to a party, because what she really wants is to be a doctor. Again, balance is needed. Always going to the library rather than the movies is the road to burnout, not the road to a Nobel. What's more, there are others values in life, such as sensuality, intimacy, spirituality, that get ignored in a compulsively long-term orientation. So, our responsibility is not to mechanically follow some rule like "always choose to defer gratification in your own long-term self interest," but to really listen within, and to really choose, each time. 
 


	DO what you will. This is the challenge to action. Don't wait for Prince Charming or the revolution. Don't blame your mother or the system. Make a realistic plan that includes all your assets. Be sure to include magic, both the deeper insights and wisdoms of divination and the focusing of will and energy that comes from active workings. Then take the first steps right now.  But, beware of thoughtless action, which is equally dangerous. For example, daydreaming is needed, to envision a goal, to project the results of actions, 
to check progress against goals, sometimes to revise goals. Thinking and planning are necessary parts of personal progress. Action and thought are complementary; neither can replace the other. 
 
     When you really look at it, word by word, it sounds like a subtle and profound guide for life, does it not? Is it complete? Shall "do what you will" in fact be "the whole of the law" for us? I think not. The second phrase of the Rede discusses the individual out of context. Taken by itself, "DO WHAT YOU WILL" would produce a nastily competitive society, a "war of each against all" more bitter than what we now endure. That is, it would if it were possible. Happily, it's just plain not. 
 
     Pagan myth and modern biology alike teach us that our Earth is one interconnected living sphere, a whole system in which the actions of each affect all (and this is emphatically not limited to humankind) through intrinsic, organic feedback paths. As our technology amplifies the effects of our individual actions, it becomes increasingly critical to understand that 
these actions have consequences beyond the individual; consequences that, by the very nature of things, come back to the individual as well. Cooperation, once "merely" an ethical ideal, has become a survival imperative. Life is relational, contextual. Exclusive focus on the individual Will is a lie and a deathtrap. 
 
     The qualifying "AN IT HARM NONE," draws a Circle around the individual Will and places each of us firmly within the dual contexts of the human community and the complex life-form that is Mother Gaia. The first phrase of the Rede directs us to be aware of results of our actions projected not only in time, as long-term personal outcomes, but in space - to consider how actions may effect our families, co-workers, community, and the life of the Earth as a whole, and to take those projections into account in our decisions. 
 
     But, like the rest of the Rede, "an it harm none" cannot be followed unthinkingly. It is simply impossible for creatures who eat to harm none. Any refusal to decide or act for fear of harming someone is also a decision and an action, and will create results of some kind. When you consider that "none" also includes ourselves, it becomes clear that what we have here is a goal and an ideal, not a rule. 
 
     The Craft, assuming ethical adulthood, offers us no rote rules. We will always be working on incomplete knowledge. We will sometimes just plain make mistakes. Life itself, and life-affirming religion, still demands that we learn, decide, act, and accept the results. 
  
                         Judy Harrow 

       The Witches' Creed 
 
Hear Now the words of the witches, 
The secrets we hid in the night, 
When dark was our destiny's pathway, 
That now we bring forth into light. 
 
Mysterious water and fire, 
The earth and the wide-ranging air, 
By hidden quintessence we know them,  
And will and keep silent and dare. 
 
The birth and rebirth of all nature, 
The passing of winter and spring, 
We share with the life universal, 
Rejoice in the magical  ring. 
 
Four times in the year the Great Sabbat 
Returns, and the witches are seen 
At Lammas and Candlemas dancing, 
On May Eve and old Hallowe'en. 
 
When day-time and night-time are equal, 
Whensun is at greatest and least, 
The four Lesser Sabbats are summoned, 
And Witches gather in feast. 
 
Thirteen silver moons in a year are, 
Thirteen is the coven's array. 
Thirteen times at Esbat make merry, 
For each golden year and a day. 
 
The power that was passed down the age, 
Each time between woman and man, 
Each century unto the other, 
Ere time and the ages began. 
 
When drawn is the magical circle, 
By sword or athame of power, 
Its compass between two worlds lies, 
In land of the shades for that hour. 

 
This world has no right then to know it, 
And world of beyond will tell naught. 
The oldest of Gods are invoked there, 
The Great Work of magic is wrought. 
 
For the two are mystical pillars, 
That stand at the gate of the shrine, 
And two are the powers of nature, 
The forms and the forces divine. 
 
The dark and the light in succession, 
The opposites each unto each, 
Shown forth as a God and a Goddess: 
Of this our ancestors teach.  
 
By night he's the wild wind's rider, 
The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Shades. 
By day he's the King of the Woodland, 
The dweller in green forest glades. 
 
She is youthful or old as she pleases, 
She sails the torn clouds in her barque, 
The bright silver lady of midnight, 
The crone who weaves spells in the dark. 
 
The master and mistress of magic, 
That dwell in the deeps of the mind, 
Immortal and ever-renewing, 
With power to free or to bind. 
 
So drink the good wine to the Old Gods, 
And Dance and make love in their praise, 
Till Elphame's fair land shall receive us 
In peace at the end of our days. 
 
And Do What You Will be the challenge, 
So be it Love that harms  none, 
For this is the only commandment. 
By Magic of old, be it done! 
 
     Doreen Valiente, 
     "Witchcraft For Tomorrow" 
     pp.172-173

                    Hill Country Pagan Grove 
                      Austin, Texas, U.S.A.  
  
 Published December 1982 by C.C.C. Creative Cooperative Consolidated 12611 Research Blvd. Number 125 Austin, Texas 78759 U.S.A.  
  
 First edition, December 1982 Second edition, revised, April 1983  
  
 PREFACE  
  
 Some have asked how this little booklet came into being. It's all very straightforward: as the most visible representatives of paganism here in Austin, Texas, I and my consort, Arnthor Phalius, are asked often to appear in public to talk about witchcraft. The questions included here are those most often asked, along with the answers we give.  
  
 Of course we cannot pretend to speak for all Pagans, only for ourselves. But the little booklet has been well-received as a non-threatening method of getting to know a subject like Wicca. Occasionally we will find someone who has had negative experiences with persons who call themselves Wiccans or Witches, and in those cases they expressed relief on find that `other types' of Pagans existed than those which had given them their initial bad impressions.    
 The Directory* is an individual effort at networking in the Sunbelt. Here in Texas there are many traditions and varieties of Paganism, and if one isn't to be alone, one must learn that there are more similarities than differences in Paganism and the other major religions. Pagans have always known this, but for various reasons, have not stepped forward as representatives of this view.  
  
 I (Merlana) am a mystic who responds to the Universal Mind as it is 
expressed in Nature. It is my deep belief that persons who reverence these principles are unified at bottom, and separated only by the illusion of words, which are not reality. Sometimes words aren't even adequate representations of `Reality`!  
  
 It is my intention in this little booklet to re-define some issues and terms in the way that my tradition sees them. It so happens that much of the rest of Paganism falls within this general framework. (NOTE: A  `tradition' is a varietal type, like `denomination').  
  
 If you already know the subject and wish to differ, your comments are welcome. If you are new to the subject, perhaps here you'll find some questions answered, and (if wanted) fellowship with others who are on similar paths. Directory* listings are free to those in the Sunbelt of the USA (South and Southwest.) New editions are published irregularly.  

  
 If you don't live in the Sunbelt, but have goods or services which interest Pagans, you may also put an ad into the Directory.* Write for details.  
  
 Blessed be, Merlana April 1983  
  
 1. WHAT IS WICCA?  
  
`Wicca' (pronounced Wick-ah) is one name given to the Nature religions  practiced in Northern Europe and the Middle East from the times of the ice ages. It is one spiritual path out of many in a group of spiritual practices known as NeoPaganism. NeoPaganism is currently in a world-wide revival, led by persons and groups in the United States and Britain.  
  
 2. HOW DO WICCA AND NEOPAGANISM FIT TOGETHER?  
  
 Wicca is one subsidiary form, or `tradition,' similar to the way 
Christianity has many forms. One can be a Christian and still be Baptist, Methodist or Roman Catholic. In the same way, one can be a Pagan but ascribe to another, more specific, sub-variety of philosophy.  
  
 3. IS IT THE SAME AS WITCHCRAFT?  
  
 One linguistic theory has the word Wicca coming from Olde English  
`Wicca-Craeft', meaning `craft of the wise ones.' Most followers of  
 Wicca (and most Pagans) prefer not to use the terms `witchcraft' or  `witch' because of the emotional connotations these words carry in our   society.  
 
 Generally, one who calls him or herself a `witch' without further 
qualifications is seeking notoriety and special attention. Those of us who guard the portals of personal Power (like Carlos Casteneda's character Don Juan) are normally hard to find or engage in discussion. Our Mysteries are carefully hidden from the world, and from those who might be tempted to misuse them.  
  
 4. WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE ABOUT GOD?  
  
 Although Pagans generally agree that one God exists and is the same 
regardless of name, they vary in specific concepts about God, as in other religions.  
  
 What an individual Pagan holds is strictly a matter of personal belief.  However, occasionally a tradition will teach highly-specific concepts, structures and mythologies. If one finds oneself in disagreement, the best policy is `voting with the feet', or withdrawing to find another group who better agrees.  
  
 NOTE: Sometimes it may be easier to gather together a group of people who believe as you do to form an entirely new group. That's the purpose of networking, or what the booklet is designed for.  
  


 Most Wiccans divide the Godhead (generally conceived of as Mother Nature) into two forces. One force is male and the other female. They are called respectively: The God and The Goddess.  
  
 Between them, these two divinities create balance and harmony in the Eternal Dance. They represent the forces of birth, death and regeneration symbolized in the change of the seasons. Wiccans call 5this cycle The Wheel Of The Year. Most rituals celebrate the Wheel Of The Year and our deep, meaningful participation in natural cycles of change.  
  
 Because the male force has been in ascendancy for thousands of years due to the Christian, Moslem and Jewish religions, there is presently a tendency to emphasize The Goddess, especially by feminists (or by those whose personal concept of God happens to be female).  
  
 We also believe in Magick, which is a partnership between humanity and the Universal Mind. This partnership creates changes in what we normally call `reality', i.e., change accomplished with prayer. These changes can seem miraculous or merely coincidental, and always include personal effort. Magick is not the same as `wishing.'  
 
 5. WHAT HAPPENS AT A WICCAN CEREMONY?  
  
 There are several types of get-togethers that Pagans of all traditions attend. The most available and open is called a `Grove,' where those who wish may study both spiritual and ceremonial topics. Most groves emphasize fellowship and harmony of mind between their members. You should choose one as much for how you blend with the personalities of the members as for a particular brand of teaching.  
  
 Eight times a year, at the solstices and equinoxes, May Day, Halloween, and other points on the lunar calendar, Pagans gather together (usually outdoors under trees) to celebrate Nature and the turn of the seasons.  
  
 These celebrations consist of dancing, prayer, invocations, and rituals passed down from the many traditions through the ages. We also urge participants to develop and use their own original rituals and to share them with others.  
  
 Because we dance and pray in a standing Circle (or sometimes a spiral), and because we draw at these times from the Universe spherical energies of protection and power - these meetings are called (appropriately enough!) Circles.  
  
 6. HOW CAN I ATTEND A GROVE OR CIRCLE?  
  
 Wiccans and Pagans tend to be very private, and do not advertise their faith at publicly as some others might. This is mainly because of past persecutions. However, for those who are sincerely interested, there always exist persons with whom to visit and explore that interest. Check the Directory* at the back of this booklet for names of others who are open to contacts.  
  


 If you are sincere and rally want to set out upon the Pagan path, the first step is to find a Grove to study with. After a Grove accepts you, eventually you will attend Circles.  
  
 7. DO I HAVE TO GIVE UP MY OTHER SPIRITUAL PATHS TO BECOME A WICCAN?  
   That will depend on the tradition and the teacher. In general, Pagans are most tolerant of any philosophical structure, and ask only that the tolerance be returned. You will not be requested to do anything that differs with your beliefs and spiritual needs.  
  
 8. DOES BEING PAGAN MAKE A PERSON SPECIAL OR DIFFERENT?  
  
 Well yes, of course. But the special qualities are available to everybody. Everything that Pagans do with Magick is done in other religions by other names. It is only that we have found that these particular formulas, beliefs, and celebrations work best for us.  
  
 These are varying approaches to (and grasps of) personal Power. One way of recognizing someone who is truly Powerful is to note whether he or she seems to need control or influence over others. True personal power is content to control only the self, and personal reality.  
  
 9. DO YOU CAST SPELLS ON OTHER PEOPLE? 
  
 The major law in our religion is: "Do what you will, an it hurt no other." (The Golden Rule)  
  
 In other words, no one is prevented from exploration of God and GodSelf as long as others are not harmed.  
  
 We do believe in directing the energies of the universe toward 
accomplishment of certain ends, but magick is never effective on another person unless the person specifically requests it and takes responsibility for that request.  
  
 Attempts at so-called `black' magick, or use of the universal energies for negative or harmful purposes, only result in karmic backlash magnified at least threefold on the unfortunate would-be black magician.  
  
 Our tradition does not believe in the possibility of `psychic attack', and hence does not teach methods for combating it. Our philosophy tells us that to raise a force against `psychic attack' is only to create that which you fear.  
  
 10. ARE PAGANS ANTI-CHRISTIAN?  
  
 No. But many Christians are anti-Pagan. Historically there has existed an adversary relationship between Christianity and the Nature Religions  (largely created by Christians.)  
  
 It takes much universal love not to strike back when attacked, and 
occasionally a Pagan might seem bitter or afraid as the result of anti-Pagan treatment. This is only a personal reaction, not a characteristic of the religion itself.  


 It is also true that Wiccans and Pagans have suffered dismissal from jobs and worse simply from their religious affiliation being revealed. Events like these lead to a certain caution and sometimes even an attitude approaching mild paranoia.  
  
 11. WHO IS IN CHARGE OF PAGANISM?  
  
 Each person is in charge of him or herself, responsible totally to Godd/ess. One might hear an individual called High Priestess, or Priest, but this title has more to do with the role played in ceremonies than with status in any formal hierarchy.  
  
 Groves and teaching groups sometimes have various levels of initiation, but again, these are individual to each tradition.  
  
 12. WHAT MAKES WICCA DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PATHS THAT BELIEVE IN THE PSYCHIC POWERS?  
  
 We usually find that people most often comment on the robes and the tools. Traditionally we wear special garments while engaging in devotions, as a male Jew wears prayer shawl and skullcap. The garments have symbolisms, and stand for beliefs of the person wearing them.  
  
 The tools are: a cup, knife, staff (or wand), and the pentacle, a 5-pointed star with 5th point upward, enclosed in a circle.  
  
 For those familiar with the tarot cards, this was the original source of the tarot suits as well as many meanings and symbolisms in the tarot deck.  
  
 13. WHAT IS DONE WITH THE TOOLS?  
  
 They are used, along with other objects, like candles, bells, and incense to focus energies and influence Universal forces with our prayers. If the format reminds you of Roman Catholic mass, that's because much of the indigenous Nature Religion's mysteries were  
`adopted' when Christianity moved into Northern Europe -- into England, Scotland, Ireland and Scandinavia ... the lands of the Celts.  
  
 Also, if the tools and concepts seem to resemble elements in Rosicrucianism, the Caballa, and the Masonic Temple, it is because the latter paths drew and adopted Pagan rituals and forms for other uses. Since ours was an oral tradition we gratefully acknowledge the role these organizations played in bringing to modern times knowledge and insights which have otherwise been lost.  


  
 Here's a bit of trivia: Although the Founding Fathers of the U.S.A. 
generally held indifferent attitudes about Christianity they were all thirty-third degree Masons. Obviously they sought to incorporate their high ideals into writing our first constitution. This odd fact explains to some people why fundamentalist Christians and the constitution occasionally seem to be at cross-purposes.  

 14. HOW LARGE IS THE RELIGION?  
  
 Since Wicca, or Paganism, is an alternative religion uninterested in power or clout, we measure our `size' usually only by spiritual growth. There is a national newspaper published quarterly by which many Pagans keep in touch.  
  
 15. WHAT ABOUT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY? 
  
 That's magick, too! Craft practitioners of old WERE the scientists ... there was need for healers and herbalists, agriculture and astronomy experts. The scientific method has now made teaching these subjects respectable in universities. But in the process we have lost the lore's former integration of the spiritual relationship between God Expressed As Nature and ourselves.  
  
 Many of us are scientifically trained and hold technological jobs and interests. This does not interfere with but only adds to a desire for ritual celebration and union with Godd/ess. Also many of us are ourselves practicing psychics, or are interested in extrasensory perception (ESP) and its uses.  Paganism makes available a philosophical structure for all of these ends utilized effectively for millennia.  It urges individuals to develop their personal powers within that structure and to use them thereafter in a responsible way.  


  
 16. THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE: WHY DON'T I EVER HEAR OR READ ABOUT PAGAN CHARITIES OR GOOD WORKS?  
  
 Good news makes terrible press. News media and supermarket tabloids would much rather print scandal and controversy. How many times have you seen a headline that attributed a person's conduct to his/her belief in Witchcraft? Do you ever see the same types of stories about Moslems, Jews or Christians?  
  
 In addition, organized charity can only be accomplished under certain forms of organized religious structures. That takes leadership, delegation of powers, community resources and accumulation of money and collective wealth.  
  
 We focus instead on personal responsibility and the necessity of reflecting Godd/ess in our characters and lives. Occasionally persons in the Craft will join together to change a situation or to help someone, but this is always done quietly and with the full knowledge and permission of those for whom the help of change in requested. It is always done without taking public credit. We feel that Godd/ess knows, and that is all we need.  
  
 17. HOW CAN WE SUM THIS UP IN A FEW WORDS?  
  
 Wicca, a branch of the spiritual movement called Neopaganism (or Paganism) is primarily a religion of personal, mystical relationship between the Universal Mind as expressed in Nature and the individual. It believes in Magick, or positive change wrought by prayer and ceremonial ritual. It brings its practitioners the joy of union and harmony with Godd/ess as expressed in Nature as well as fellowship with other persons who are on similar paths. Personal responsibility and growth are stressed, dogma and rigid beliefs are discouraged.  
  
                MAY GODD/ESS SPEAK TO YOU 
                IN THE VOICE YOU HEAR BEST. 
                BLESSED BE! 

                     A LITTLE LESS MISUNDERSTANDING 
 
          (What Christians Don't Understand about Neopaganism) 
 
                            by J. Brad Hicks 
 
Q:   Are you a witch? 
A:  That's actually a tricky question to answer, so let me go      about it in a round-about way.  What I am is a Neopagan.   
Neopaganism is a beautiful, complex religion that is not in  
opposition  to Christianity in any way - just different.  However,  
some of the people that the Catholic church  burned  as  "witches"  
were people who practiced the same things that I do.  In  
identification with them and the suffering that they went through,  
some of us (Neopagans) call ourselves witches.   One expert,  P.E.I.  Bonewits,  says that there are  actually several kinds of groups who call themselves "witches." Some are people whose ancestors were the  village  healers,  herbalists, midwives, and such, many of whom had (or were ascribed to have) mental, psychic, or magical powers, which were passed down through the family in the form of oral tradition,  and Bonewits calls them "Traditional  Witches." Some are people who have deliberately used the term to oppose themselves to  Christianity,  are  practicing "Satanists," and practice (deliberately) most of the practices invented by the Inquisitors.  Bonewits calls them "Gothic"  or "Neo-Gothic Witches."  Of a different kind are some radical  
feminist groups, who call themselves witches because they believe  
that the original Inquisition was primarily anti-female;  some of  
these also practice magic,  many of them do not -  Bonewits  calls  
them "Feminist Witches." But the vast majority of modern witches  
are harmless people who worship God in many forms, including the  
Lord of the Dance, the Lady, and the Mother Earth.  These are the  
people that Bonewits (and I) call"Neopagan Witches" - and this  is  
what I am.  I hope that this helps more than it confuses.   
 
Q:   Are you a devil worshipper? 
A:   I'm tempted to just say, "No!" and leave it at that, but that  
probably isn't enough.  Devil  worship  (including  Satanism)  is  really a Christian heresy.  (If you don't believe me, ask an expert - say,  any well-read pastor or theology professor.) In order to worship Satan, you have to believe in him - and there are no references to Satan outside of the Christian Bible.  So to be a Satanist  or  a  devil worshipper, you have to believe in the accuracy of the Christian  Bible, then identify yourself with God's Enemy, proclaim that you  
are "evil," and then try to "fight against Jesus" or similar  
nonsense.  Neopagans do not accept the Christian Bible as a source of  truth.  As a source of some beautiful poetry,  sometimes, or as a  
source of myth, but not as a source of truth.  Emphatically, we do  
not believe that God has an Opposite, an evil being trying to destroy God,  the world,  man, or whatever.  So it is non-sensical to say that Neopagans worship Satan.  Of course, many people insist that any god  other than JHVH/Jesus (and his other Biblical names) is a demon or an  illusion created by Satan.  Well, you're welcome to believe that if  you like - but over half of the world's population is going to  
be unhappy at you.  Jews and followers of Islam are just as confident  that  they worship the True God as you are, and resent being called devil worshippers.  So do I.   
 

Q:   What do Neopagans believe about God? 
A:   Neopaganism is a new religion with very, very old roots.  It  
harks back to the first religions that man ever practiced (based  
on the physical evidence).  Neopagans worship a variety of symbols  
from the Old Religions - the practices of the ancient  Celts,  the  
Greeks, the Egyptians, the Romans - and differ with each other over what those symbols really represent.  What I (and  many others) believe is that they are all aspects of God (or maybe, the  Gods)  -  some  kind of beautiful, powerful, and loving being or force that ties all of life together and is the origin of all miracles  -  including miracles such as written language,  poetry, music, art ...   
 
Q:   Do Neopagans have a Bible? 
A:   Not most of us.  The closest analogue would be a witch's Book  
of Shadows, which is a sort of notebook of legends, poetry, history, and magic ritual which is copied by every newly-initiated witch,  then  added to.  But on the whole,  even a Book of Shadows isn't what Christians think of as a  Bible.  It's  not  infallible (couldn't be, they've been brought to us via hastily-copied texts under trying circumstances),  it doesn't prescribe a specific code of morality (except for a few general guidelines),  and it doesn't claim to be dictated by God - except for a few, debatable parts.   Those of us  who  aren't witches don't even have that much.  Neopaganism is a  religious  system  that  relies  more  on  the individual than on the Book or the Priest.  One of the principal beliefs of Neopaganism is that no one,  not Pope  nor  Priest  nor Elder, has the right to interfere with your relationship to God.  Learn from whomever you want, and pray to whatever name means the most to you.   
 
Q:   Did you say magic?  Do Neopagans believe in the occult? 
A:   Cringe.  What a badly worded question - but I hear it all the  
time.  Neopagans as a rule don't "believe in the occult" - we  
practice magic.  Magic is simply a way to focus the  mental abilities  that  you  were  born with,  and use them to change the world in positive ways.  Magic can also be mixed with worship; in which case it differs very little from Christian prayer.   
 
Q:   But I thought that you said that you weren't a demon-worshipper? A:   That's right.  Magic and demonology are two different things.   
Magic you also know as "psychic powers" or "mentallics" or even as  
"the power of positive thinking" - in essence,  the magical world  
view holds that "reality" is mostly a construct of the human mind,  
and as such, can be altered by the human mind.  That's all  there  
is to it.   
 


Q:   How do you become a Neopagan? 
A:   In  a  very  real  sense,  nobody every "becomes" a Neopagan.   
There are no converts, as no conversion is necessary.  Neopaganism  
is an attitude towards worship, and either you have it or you don't.   My case is not atypical.  All of my life, I have been fascinated by  the old mythologies.  I have always found descriptions of the Greek  Gods fascinating.  If I had any religious beliefs as a child, it was that somewhere, there was a God, and many people worship Him, but I had no idea what His name was.  I set out to find Him, and through an  odd  combination  of circumstances, I because convinced that his Name was Jesus.  But  seven years later, I had to admit to myself that Whoever God  is, he answers non-Christians' prayers as well as those in the name of Jesus.  In  either case, true miracles are rare.  In both cases, the one praying has a devout experience with God.  After searching my soul, I admitted that I could not tell that I was better off than when I believed in the Old Gods.  And in the mean time, I had found out that other people also loved the Old Gods -  and  that  they  call  themselves  Neopagans.  When I realized that what I believed was little or no different that what they believed, I called myself a Neopagan, too.  The common element for nearly all of us is that nearly all of us already believed these things,  before we found out that anyone else did.  "Becoming" a pagan is never a conversion.  It's usually a  home-coming.  No one ever "brainwashed" me.  I finally relaxed, and stopped struggling against my own self.   
 
Q:   I've heard about witches holding orgies and such.  Do you? 
A:   No, that sort of thing doesn't appeal to  me.  Most  of  the  
crap that you've heard about "witch orgies" is nonsense made up by  
the National Enquirer to sell magazines.  But I shouldn't be flippant about this,  because it underlies a serious question - what kind of morality do Neopagans hold to?   
      
                 "Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill: 
                  An it harm none, do what thou will!" 
                              from an old Book of Shadows 
 
That about sums it all up.  Neopaganism teaches that it is  
harmful  to  yourself  (and  dangerous)  to  harm others.  It also  
teaches that trying to impose your  moral  standards  on  somebody  
else's behavior is (at least) foolish - and probably dangerous,  
as you run some serious chance of hurting that person.  Perhaps in  
a sense Neopagans don't have morality, for as R.  A.  Wilson said,  
"There   are   no  commandments  because  there  is  no  Commander  
anywhere," but Neopagans do have ethics - standards for  behavior  
based on honor and mutual benefit.   

 
Q:   I saw on the news that Neopagans use a star in a circle as their       emblem.  Isn't that a Satanic symbol?   
A:   A pentacle (that's what it's called) is a Satanic symbol in  
precisely same sense that the cross is a Nazi symbol.  The German  
National Socialist Party used an equal-armed cross with four flags  
attached to it as their emblem.  (Yes, I know - that's a swastika.   
Well, before the Nazis made the word common knowledge, people just  
called  it  a  "bent cross" - it's an old heraldic symbol,  and it  
means the same thing that a normal cross does).  That doesn't make  
the Nazis good Christians, and it doesn't  make  Christians  into  
Nazis.  In the same sense, Satanists (and some rock groups) use a  
type of pentacle as their emblem.  That doesn't make them Neopagans,  nor does it mean that Neopagans are Satanists (or even rock-and-rollers).   
 
Q:   Are Neopagans opposed to Christianity? 
A:   Some Neopagans are ex-Christians, and I'm not going to deny  
that some of them have a grudge against the Church because of what  
they perceived as attempts to control their minds.  Further,  many  
Neopagans are suspicious of the Church, because it was in the name  
of Jesus Christ that nine million of our kind were murdered.   
Neopagans are opposed to anyone who uses force to control the  
minds of others.  Does that include you?  If not,  then  it  means  
that Neopagans as such are not opposed to you.  Do you work for the benefit of mankind, are you respectful to the  Earth?  Then it makes us allies,  whether or not either of us wants to admit it.   
 
                          - - - - - - - - - - 
 
     There  are many other misconceptions in the popular mind about the Neopagan religion.  Unless  you've  studied  it,  read  about  it  from sympathetic sources, then you really don't know anything about Neopagan history,  beliefs, practices, customs, art, science, culture, or magic.  But it would take several entire books to teach you, and I already fear that I will be accused of trying to win  converts  (despite  what I've said above).  If you are curious and willing to learn,  try some of the following books:  
 
                  Margot Adler, _Drawing Down the Moon_ 
                       Starhawk, _The Spiral Dance_ 
                      P.E.I. Bonewits, _Real Magic_ 
                    Stewart Farrar, _What Witches Do_. 

	 NEOPAGANISM   
	By Eric S. Raymond
I. Introduction 
 
     The neopagan phenomenon is a loose collection of religious movements, experiments and jokes that offers a healthy alternative to the dogmatism of the Judeo/Christian/Islamic mainstream (on the one hand) and the mushy-mindedness of most 'New Age' groups (on the other). 
  
     This article, prepared at the request of a number of curious net. posters, offers a brief description of neopagan thought and practice. A list of good sources for further study are listed at the end. 
  
II. What is a neopagan? 
 
     I used the term 'religious' above, but as you'll see it's actually more than somewhat misleading, and I (like many other neopagans) use it only because no other word is available for the more general kind of thing of which the neopagan movement and what we generally think of as 'religion' are special cases. 
  
     Neopaganism is 'religious' in the etymological sense of 're ligare', to rebind (to roots, to strengths, to the basics of things), and it deals with mythology and the realm of the 'spiritual'. But, as we in the Judeo/Christian West have come to understand 'religion' (an organized body of belief that connects the 'supernatural' with an authoritarian moral code via 'faith') neopaganism is effectively and radically anti-religious. I emphasize this because it is important in understanding what follows. 
  
     Common characteristics of almost all the groups that describe themselves as 'neopagan' (the term is often capitalized) include: 
  
1. Anti-dogmatism 
 
     Neopagan religions are religions of practice, pragmatism and immediate experience. The emphasis is always on what they can help the individuals in them to *do* and *experience*; theology and metaphysics take a back seat, and very little 'faith' or 'belief' is required or expected. In fact many neopagans (including yours truly) are actively hostile to 'faith' and all the related ideas of religious authority, 'divine revelation' and the like. 
  
2. Compatibility with a scientific world-view 
 
    This tends to follow from the above. Because neopaganism is centered in experiences rather than beliefs, it doesn't need or want to do vast overarching cosmologies or push fixed Final Answers to the Big Questions -- understanding and helping human beings relate to each other and the world as we experience it is quite enough for us. Thus, we are generally friendly to science and the scientific world-view. Many of us are scientists and technologists ourselves (in fact, by some counts, a plurality of us are computer programmers!). 
  

3. Reverence for nature, sensuality, and pleasure 
 
    Most neopaganisms make heavy use of nature symbolism and encourage people to be more aware of their ties to all the non-human life on this planet. Explicit worship of 'Gaia', the earth ecosphere considered as a single interdependent unit, is common. Veneration of nature deities is central to many traditions. Ecological activism is often considered a religious duty, though there is much controversy over what form it should take. 
  
    By preference, most neopagans hold their ceremonies outdoors under sun or moon. Seasonal changes and astronomical rhythms (especially the solstices, equinoxes and full and new moons) define the ritual calendar. 
  
    Ritual and festive nudity are common; to be naked before nature is often considered a holy and integrating act in itself. Sex is considered sacramental and sexual energy and symbolisms permeate neopagan practice (we like to contrast this with Christianity, in which the central sacrament commemorates a murder and climaxes in ritual cannibalism). 
  
4. Polytheism, pantheism, agnosticism 
 
    Most neopaganisms are explicitly polytheistic -- that is, they recognize pantheons of multiple deities. But the reality behind this is more complex than it might appear. 
  
    First, many neopagans are philosophical agnostics or even atheists; there is a tendency to regard 'the gods' as Jungian archetypes or otherwise in some sense created by and dependent on human belief, and thus naturally plural and observer-dependent. 
  
    Secondly, as in many historical polytheisms, there is an implicit though seldom-discussed idea that all the gods and goddesses we deal with are 'masks', refractions of some underlying unity that we cannot or should not attempt to approach directly. 
  
    And thirdly, there is a strong undercurrent of pantheism, the belief that the entire universe is in some important sense a responsive, resonating and sacred whole (or, which is different and subtler, that it is proper for human beings to view it that way). 

Many neopagans hold all three of these beliefs simultaneously. 
  
5. Decentralized, non-authoritarian organization; no priestly elite 
 
    Neopagans have seen what happens when a priesthood elite gets temporal power; we want none of that. We do not take collections, build temples, or fund a full-time clergy. In fact the clergy-laity distinction is pretty soft; in many traditions, all members are considered 'in training' for it, and in all traditions every participant in a ritual is an active one; there are and can be no pew-sitting passive observers. 
  

    Most neopagan traditions are (dis)organized as horizontal networks of small affinity groups (usually called 'circles', 'groves', or 'covens' depending on the flavor of neopagan involved). Priests and priestesses have no real authority outside their own circles (and sometimes not much inside them!), though some do have national reputations. 
  
    Many of us keep a low profile partly due to a real fear of persecution. Too many of our spiritual ancestors were burned, hung, flayed and shot by religions that are still powerful for a lot of us to feel safe in the open. Down in the Bible Belt the burnings and beatings are still going on, and the media loves to hang that 'Satanist' label on anything it doesn't understand for a good 
juicy story. 
  
    Also, we never proselytize. This posting is about as active a neopagan solicitation as anyone will ever see; we tend to believe that 'converts' are dangerous robots and that people looking to be 'converted' aren't the kind we want. We have found that it works quite well enough to let people find us when they're ready for what we have to teach. 
  
6. Reverence for the female principle 
 
    One of the most striking differences between neopagan groups and the religious mainstream is the wide prevalence (and in some traditions dominance) of the worship of goddesses. Almost all neopagans revere some form of the Great Mother, often as a nature goddess identified with the ecosphere, and there are probably more female neopagan clergy than there are male. 
  
    Most neopagan traditions are equalist (these tend to pair the Great Mother with a male fertility-god, usually some cognate of the Greek Pan). A vocal and influential minority are actively feminist, and (especially on the West Coast) there have been attempts to present various neopagan traditions as the natural 'women's religion' for the feminist movement. The effects of this kind of politicization of neopaganism are a topic of intense debate within the movement and fuel some of its deepest factional divisions. 
  
7. Respect for art and creativity 
 
    Neopaganism tends to attract artists and musicians as much as it attracts technologists. Our myth and ritual can be very powerful at stimulating and releasing creativity, and one of the greatest strengths of the movement is the rich outgrowth of music, poetry, crafts and arts that has come from that. It is quite common for people joining the movement to discover real talents in those areas that they never suspected. 
  
    Poets and musicians have the kind of special place at neopagan festivals that they did in pre-literate cultures; many of our best-known people are or have been bards and songsmiths, and the ability to compose and improvise good ritual poetry is considered the mark of a gifted priest(ess) and very highly respected. 
  

8. Eclecticism 
 
    "Steal from any source that doesn't run too fast" is a neopagan motto.  A typical neopagan group will mix Greek, Celtic and Egyptian mythology with American Indian shamanism. Ritual technique includes recognizable borrowings from medieval ceremonial magic, Freemasonry and pre-Nicene Christianity, as well as a bunch of 20th-century inventions. Humanistic psychology and some of the more replicable New Age healing techniques have recently been influential. The resulting stew is lively and effective, though sometimes a bit hard to hold together. 
  
9. A sense of humor 
 
    Neopagans generally believe that it is more dangerous to take your religion too seriously than too lightly. Self-spoofery is frequent and (in some traditions) semi-institutionalized, and at least one major neopagan tradition (Discordianism, known to many on this net) is *founded* on elaborate spoofery and started out as a joke. 
  
    One of the most attractive features of the neopagan approach is that we don't confuse solemnity with gloom. Our rituals are generally celebratory and joyous, and a humorous remark at the right time need not break the mood. 
  
    We generally feel that any religion that can't stand to have fun poked at it is in as sad shape as the corresponding kind of person. 
  
III. What kinds of neopagan are there, and where did they come from? 
 
     Depending on who you talk to and what definitions you use, there are between 40,000 and 200,000 neopagans in the U.S.; the true figure is probably closer to the latter than the former, and the movement is still growing rapidly following a major 'population explosion' in the late '70s. 
  
     The numerically largest and most influential neopagan group is the 'Kingdom of Wicca' -- the modern witch covens. Modern witchcraft has nothing to do with Hollywood's images of the cackling, cauldron-stirring crone (though wiccans sometimes joke about that one) and is actively opposed to the psychopathic Satanism that many Christians erroneously think of as 'witchcraft'. Your author is an initiate Wiccan priest and coven leader of long standing. 
  
     Other important subgroups include those seeking to revive Norse, Egyptian, Amerind, and various kinds of tribal pantheons other than the Greek and Celtic ones that have been incorporated into Wicca. These generally started out as Wiccan offshoots or have been so heavily influenced by Wiccan ritual technique that their people can usually work comfortably in a Wiccan circle and vice-versa. 
  
     There are also the various orders of ceremonial magicians, most claiming to be the successors to the turn-of-the-century Golden Dawn or one of the groups founded by Alesteir Crowley during his brilliant and notorious occult career. These have their own very elaborate ritual tradition, and tend to be more intellectual, more rigid, and less nature-oriented. They are sometimes reluctant to describe themselves as neopagans. 
  
     The Discordians (and, more recently, the Discordian-offshoot Church of the Sub-Genius) are few in number but quite influential. They are the neopagan movement's sacred clowns, puncturing pretense and adding an essential note to the pagan festivals. Many Wiccans, especially among priests and priestesses, are also Discordians and will look you straight in the eye and tell you that the entire neopagan movement is a Discordian hoax... 
  
     Neopaganism used to be largely a white, upper-middle-class phenomenon, but that has been changing during the last five years. So called 'new-collar' workers have come in droves during the eighties. We still see fewer non-whites, proportionately, than there are in the general population, but that is also changing (though more slowly). With the exception of a few nut-fringe 'Aryan' groups detested by the whole rest of the movement, neopagans are actively anti-racist; prejudice is not the problem, it's more that the ideas have tended to be accepted by the more educated segments of society 
first, and until recently those more educated segments were mostly white. 
  
     On the East Coast, a higher-than-general-population percentage of neopagans have Roman Catholic or Jewish backgrounds, but figures suggest this is not true nationwide. There is also a very significant overlap in population with science-fiction fandom and the Society for Creative Anachronism. 
  
     Politically, neopagans are distributed about the same as the general population, except that whether liberal or conservative they tend to be more individualist and less conformist and moralistic than average. It is therefore not too surprising that the one significant difference in distribution is the presence of a good many more libertarians than one would see in a same-sized chunk of the general population (I particularly register this because I'm a libertarian myself, but non-libertarians have noted the same phenomenon). These complexities are obscured by the fact that the most politically active and visible neopagans are usually ex-hippie left-liberals from the '60s. 
  
     I think the most acute generalization made about pagans as a whole is  Margot Adler's observation that they are mostly self-made people, supreme individualists not necessarily in the assertive or egoist sense but because they have felt the need to construct their own culture, their own definitions, their own religious paths, out of whatever came to hand rather than accepting the ones that the mainstream offers. 
  
IV. Where do I find out more? 
 
     I have deliberately not said much about mythology, or specific religious practice or aims, or the role of magic and to what extent we practice and 'believe' in it. Any one of those is a topic for another posting; but you can get a lot of information from books. Here's a basic bibliography: 
  
  


Adler, Margot _Drawing_Down_the_Moon_ (Random House 1979, hc) 
  This book is a lucid and penetrating account of who the modern   neo-pagans are, what they do and why they do it, from a woman who   spent almost two years doing observer-participant journalism in the   neo-pagan community. Especially valuable because it combines an   anthropologist's objectivity with a candid personal account of her   own feelings about all she saw and did and how her ideas about the   neo-pagans changed under the impact of the experiences she went   through. Recommended strongly as a first book on the subject, and   it's relatively easy to find. There is now a revised and expanded second edition available. 
  
  
Starhawk _The_Spiral_Dance_ 
  An anthology of philosophy, poetry, training exercises, ritual outlines and instructive anecdotes from a successful working coven. First-rate as an introduction to the practical aspects of magick and running a functioning circle. Often findable at feminist bookstores. 
  
  
Shea, Robert and Wilson, Robert Anton _Illuminatus!_ (Dell, 1975, pb)
  This work of alleged fiction is an incredible berserko-surrealist  
rollercoaster that _will_ bend your mind into a pretzel with an acid-head blitzkrieg of plausible, instructive and enlightening lies and a few preposterous and obscure truths. Amidst this eccentric tale of world-girdling conspiracies, intelligent dolphins, the fall of Atlantis, who  _really_ killed JFK, sex, drugs, rock and roll and the Cosmic Giggle Factor, you will find Serious Truths about Mind, Time, Space, the Nature  of God(dess) and What It All Means -- and also learn why you should on  no account take them Seriously. Pay particular attention to Appendix Lamedh ("The Tactics of Magick"), but it won't make sense until you've read the rest.  This was first published in 3 volumes as _The_Eye_In_The_Pyramid_, _The_ Golden_Apple_ and _Leviathan_, but there's now a one-volume trade 
paperback carried by most chain bookstores under SF. 
  
Campbell, Joseph W., _The_Masks_of_God_ (Viking Books, 1971, pb) 
  One of the definitive analytical surveys of world mythography -- and  readable to boot! It's in 4 volumes: 
I. _Primitive_Mythology_ 
II. _Oriental_Mythology_ 
III. _Occidental_Mythology_ 
IV. _Creative_Mythology_ 
The theoretical framework of these books is a form of pragmatic 
neo-Jungianism which has enormously influenced the neopagans (we can  accurately be described as the practice for which Campbell and Jung were theorizing). Note especially his predictions in vols. I & IV of a  revival of shamanic, vision-quest-based religious forms. The recent  
Penguin pb edition of this book should be available in the Mythology and  Folklore selection of any large bookstore. 


  
Bonewits, Isaac, _Real_Magic_ (Creative Arts Books, 1979, pb) 
  A fascinating analytical study of the psychodynamics of ritual and  
magick. This was Bonewits's Ph.D. thesis for the world's only known  
doctorate in Magic and Thaumaturgy (UCLA Berkeley, 1971). Hardest of the five to find but well worth the effort -- an enormously instructive, trenchant and funny book. 
  
V. Will there be more net.info on this topic? 
 
   I am also available to answer questions by email or phone. Be warned that I will probably tell you to go off and study some more, rather than referring you to a group, if you haven't read at least two out of the five above or else good equivalents like Michael Harner's _Way_Of_The_Shaman_ (Castaneda, UFOlogy books and anything on astrology or the Great Pyramid will *not* count! Grrr...!). 
  
   No fooling, learning to do this stuff right is hard work and demands a lot more rigor and clear thinking than most people associate with 'occultism'. But it's also fun and empowering and could turn out to be one of the couple most important things you do with your life. 
  
   If response to this posting is heavy, I may post some stuff on Wiccan ritual practice and theology, that being what I know best. 
  


                   W H A T   I S   W I C C A ? 
 
            An Introduction to "The Old Religion" of Europe 
                      and its Modern Revival 
 
                    by Amber K, High Priestess 
 
                      Our Lady of the Woods 
                           P.O. Box 176 
                   Blue Mounds, Wisconsin 53517 
 
(This leaflet may be reproduced and distributed exactly as-is,  
without further permission from the author, provided it is  
offered free of charge.  Changes in the text, however, must be  
approved in advance by the author.  Thank you!) 
 
     WICCA (sometimes called Wicce, The Craft, or The Old  
Religion by its practitioners) is an ancient religion of love for  
life and nature.   
 
     In prehistoric times, people respected the great forces of  
Nature and celebrated the cycles of the seasons and the moon.   
They saw divinity in the sun and moon, in the Earth Herself, and  
in all life.  The creative energies of the universe were  
personified: feminine and masculine principles became Goddesses  
and Gods.  These were not semi-abstract, superhuman figures set  
apart from Nature: they were embodied in earth and sky, women and  
men, and even plants and animals.   
 
     This viewpoint is still central to present-day Wicca.  To  
most Wiccans, everything in Natures -- and all Goddesses and Gods  
-- are true aspects of Deity.  The aspects most often celebrated  
in the Craft, however, are the Triple Goddess of the Moon (Who is  
Maiden, Mother, and Crone) and the Horned God of the wilds.   
These have many names in various cultures.   
 
     Wicca had its organized beginnings in Paleolithic times, co- 
existed with other Pagan ("country") religions in Europe, and had  
a profound influence on early Christianity.  But in the medieval  
period, tremendous persecution was directed against the Nature  
religions by the Roman Church.  Over a span of 300 years,  
millions of men and women and many children were hanged, drowned  
or burned as accused "Witches."  The Church indicted them for  
black magic and Satan worship, though in fact these were never a  
part of the Old Religion.   
 
     The Wiccan faith went underground, to be practiced in small,  
secret groups called "covens."  For the most part, it stayed  
hidden until very recent times.  Now scholars such as Margaret  
Murray and Gerald Gardner have shed some light on the origins of  
the Craft, and new attitudes of religious freedom have allowed  
covens in some areas to risk becoming more open.   
 
     How do Wiccan folk practice their faith today?  There is no  
central authority or doctrine, and individual covens vary a great  
deal.  But most meet to celebrate on nights of the Full Moon, and  
at eight great festivals or Sabbats throughout the year.   
 
     Though some practice alone or with only their families, many  
Wiccans are organized into covens of three to thirteen members.   
Some are led by a High Priestess or Priest, many by a  
Priestess/Priest team; others rotate or share leadership.  Some  
covens are highly structured and hierarchical, while others may  
be informal and egalitarian.  Often extensive training is  
required before initiation, and coven membership is considered an  
important commitment.   
 
     There are many branches or "traditions" of Wicca in the  
United States and elsewhere, such as the Gardnerian, Alexandrian,  
Welsh Traditional, Dianic, Faery, Seax-Wicca and others.  All  
adhere to a code of ethics.  None engage in the disreputable  
practices of some modern "cults," such as isolating and  
brainwashing impressionable, lonely young people.  Genuine  
Wiccans welcome sisters and brothers, but not disciples,  
followers or victims.   
 
     Coven meetings include ritual, celebration and magick (the  
"k" is to distinguish it from stage illusions).  Wiccan magick is  
not at all like the instant "special effects" of cartoon shows or  
fantasy novels, nor medieval demonology; it operates in harmony  
with natural laws and is usually less spectacular -- though  
effective.  Various techniques are used to heal people and  
animals, seek guidance, or improve members' lives in specific  
ways.  Positive goals are sought: cursing and "evil spells" are  
repugnant to practitioners of the Old Religion.   
 
     Wiccans tend to be strong supporters of environmental  
protection, equal rights, global peace and religious freedom, and  
sometimes magick is used toward such goals.   
 
     Wiccan beliefs do not include such Judeao-Christian concepts  
as original sin, vicarious atonement, divine judgement or bodily  
resurrection.  Craft folk believe in a beneficent universe, the  
laws of karma and reincarnation, and divinity inherent in every  
human being and all of Nature.  Yet laughter and pleasure are  
part of their spiritual tradition, and they enjoy singing,  
dancing, feasting, and love.   
 
     Wiccans tend to be individualists, and have no central holy  
book, prophet, or church authority.  They draw inspiration and  
insight from science, and personal experience.  Each practitioner  
keeps a personal book or journal in which s/he records magickal  
"recipes," dreams, invocations, songs, poetry and so on.   
 
     To most of the Craft, every religion has its own valuable  
perspective on the nature of Deity and humanity's relationship to  
it: there is no One True Faith.  Rather, religious diversity is  
necessary in a world of diverse societies and individuals.   
Because of this belief, Wiccan groups do not actively recruit or  
proselytize: there is an assumption that people who can benefit  
from the Wiccan way will "find their way home" when the time is  
right.   

 
     Despite the lack of evangelist zeal, many covens are quite  
willing to talk with interested people, and even make efforts to  
inform their communities about the beliefs and practices of  
Wicca.  One source of contacts is The Covenant of the Goddess,  
P.O. Box 1226, Berkeley, CA 94704.  Also, the following books may  
be of interest:  (Ask your librarian.)  
 
   DRAWING DOWN THE MOON by Margot Adler 
   THE SPIRAL DANCE by Starhawk 
   POSITIVE MAGIC by Marion Weinstein 
   WHAT WITCHES DO by Stewart Farrar 
   WITCHCRAFT FOR TOMORROW by Doreen Valiente 
 

                       CULT DANGER EVALUATION FRAME 
                       ~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~ 
                   (with apologies to P.E.I. Bonewitz) 
 
1    2    3    4    5    6    7    8    9    10 
low                 middle                 high 
 
Rate these 15 criteria according to the amount of it you perceive in a given group/religious organization.  Higher scores usually mean a higher 
danger of mind control or brainwashing. 
 
1.)  HOW MUCH CONTROL DO THE LEADER(S) OF THE ORGANIZATION 
     HAVE OVER ITS MEMBERSHIP?............................___________ 2.)  HOW MUCH WISDOM AND/OR INFALLIBILITY IS CLAIMED BY 
     THE LEADER(S) OF THE ORGANIZATION?...................___________ 3.)  HOW MUCH WISDOM AND/OR INFALLIBILITY DO THE MEMBERS 
    OF THE ORGANIZATION CREDIT TO THEIR LEADER(S)?.......___________ 
4.)  HOW INFLEXIBLE IS THE ORGANIZATION ON INTERPRETATION 
     OF DOCTRINE/REALITY CONCEPTS?........................___________ 5.)  HOW IMPORTANT IS RECRUITING/PROSELYTIZING TO THE 
     ORGANIZATION?........................................___________ 6.)  HOW MANY FRONT GROUPS DOES THE ORGANIZATION OPERATE 
     UNDER?...............................................___________ 7.)  HOW MUCH EMPHASIS DOES THE GROUP PLACE ON DONATIONS? 
     HOW IS MONEY USED WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION? ARE THE 
     LEADER(S) VISIBLY WEALTHIER THAN THE RANK-AND-FILE 
     MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZATION?........................____________ 8.)  HOW MUCH POLITICAL POWER EXISTS WITHIN THE 
     ORGANIZATION OR IS DESIRED BY THE ORGANIZATION?.....____________ 9.)  IS THERE SEXUAL MANIPULATION BEING USED IN THE 
     GROUP? (HARASSMENT/LEADER(S) ASKING OR GETTING 
     SEXUAL FAVORS FROM THE MEMBERS).....................____________ 10.) HOW MUCH ACCESS TO AND TOLERANCE OF OTHER IDEAS DO 
     THE LEADER(S) ACCORD MEMBERS? HOW MUCH DO MEMBERS 
     KNOW OF OUTSIDE OPINIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION?.......____________ 11.) HOW INTENSE ARE EFFORTS DIRECTED AT PREVENTING OR 
     RE-INDOCTRINATING DROPOUTS?.........................____________ 12.) DOES THE ORGANIZATION ENDORSE VIOLENCE ON BEHALF OF 
     IT OR ITS LEADERS?..................................____________ 13.) HOW MUCH PARANOIA DOES THE ORGANIZATION EXHIBIT 
     TOWARDS THE "OUTSIDE WORLD?"........................____________ 14.) HOW MUCH DISAPPROVAL DOES THE ORGANIZATION HAVE OF 
     JOKES ABOUT IT, ITS DOCTRINES, OR ITS LEADER(S)?....____________ 15.) HOW TIGHT IS DISCIPLINE INSIDE THE ORGANIZATION? 
     (FOR EXAMPLE, ARE THOSE WHO DISAGREE WITH DOCTRINAL 
     POINTS OR LEADERSHIP DECISIONS OSTRACIZED OR 
     SHUNNED?).........................................._____________ 
 
Questions number 9 and 12 are pretty much yes or no questions, so give a 1 if no, a 10 if yes. 7 is an iffy one, if it looks like the leader or leaders of the group are living a lot higher on the hog than their "flock", or that the leader(s) skim liberally from the "collection 
box" and use that to live in luxury, then you should give the group an automatic 9 or 10 in that department. 
I hope this is of use to all in regards to figuring out whether or not a group is truly a "cult" or not.  It's YOUR mind...USE IT!!!!!!! 

	       RE-THINKING THE WATCHTOWERS 
	                    or 
	  13 Reasons Air should be in the North 
	 ======================================= 
	             by Mike Nichols 
	     copyright 1989 by Mike Nichols 
	  (fondly dedicated to Kathy Whitworth) 
  
  
 INTRODUCTION 
  
  It all started 20 years ago.  I was 16 years old then, and a 
 recent initiate to the religion of Wicca.  Like most neophytes, 
 I was eager to begin work on my Book of Shadows, the traditional 
 manuscript liturgical book kept by most practicing Witches.  I 
 copied down rituals, spells, recipes, poems, and tables of 
 correspondences from every source I could lay hands on.  Those 
 generally fell into two broad categories: published works, such 
 as the many books available on Witchcraft and magic; and 
 unpublished works, mainly other Witches' Books of Shadows. 
  
      Twenty years ago, most of us were "traditional" enough to 
 copy everything by hand.  (Today, photocopying and even computer 
 modem transfers are becoming de rigueur.)  Always, we were 
 admonished to copy "every dot and comma", making an exact 
 transcription of the original, since any variation in the 
 ceremony might cause major problems for the magician.  Seldom, 
 if ever, did anyone pause to consider where these rituals came 
 from in the first place, or who composed them.  Most of us, 
 alas, did not know and did not care.  It was enough just to 
 follow the rubrics and do the rituals as prescribed. 
  
      But something brought me to an abrupt halt in my copying 
 frenzy.  I had dutifully copied rituals from different sources, 
 and suddenly realized they contained conflicting elements.  I 
 found myself comparing the two versions, wondering which one was 
 "right", "correct", "authentic", "original", "older", etc.  This 
 gave rise to the more general questions about where a ritual 
 came from in the first place.  Who created it?  Was it created 
 by one person or many?  Was it ever altered in transmission?  If 
 so, was it by accident or intent?  Do we know?  Is there ever 
 any way to find out?  How did a particular ritual get into a 
 Coven's Book of Shadows?  From another, older, Book of Shadows? 
 Or from a published source?  If so, where did the author of the 
 published work get it? 
  
      I had barely scratched the surface, and yet I could already 
 see that the questions being raised were very complex.  (Now, 
 all these years later, I am more convinced than ever of the 
 daunting complexity of Neo-Pagan liturgical history.  And I am 
 equally convinced of the great importance of this topic for a 
 thorough understanding of modern Witchcraft.  It may well be a 
 mare's nest, but imagine the value it will have to future Craft 
 historians.  And you are unconditionally guaranteed to see me 
 fly into a passionate tirade whenever I'm confronted with such 
 banal over-simplifications as "Crowley is the REAL author of the 
 Third Degree initiation," or "Everyone KNOWS Gardner INVENTED 
 modern Witchcraft.") 
  
 
 CONFLICTING TRADITIONS 
  
      The first time I noticed conflicting ritual elements was 
 when I was invited as a guest to attend another Coven's esbat 
 celebration.  When the time came to "invoke the Watchtowers" (a 
 ritual salutation to the four directions), I was amazed to learn 
 that this group associated the element of Earth with the North. 
 My own Coven equated North with Air.  How odd, I thought. 
 Where'd they get that?  The High Priestess told me it had been 
 copied out of a number of published sources.  Further, she said 
 she had never seen it listed any other way.  I raced home and 
 began tearing books from my own library shelves.  And sure 
 enough!  Practically every book I consulted gave the following 
 associations as standard: North = Earth, East = Air, South = 
 Fire, West = Water. 
  
      Then where the heck did I get the idea that Air belonged in 
 the North?  After much thought, I remembered having copied my 
 own elemental/directional associations from another Witch's Book 
 of Shadows, her Book representing (so she claimed) an old Welsh 
 tradition.  Perhaps I'd copied it down wrong?  A quick 
 long-distance phone call put my mind at ease on that score. 
 (When I asked her where she'd gotten it, she said she THOUGHT it 
 was from an even older Book of Shadows, but she wasn't certain.) 
  
      By now, I felt miffed that my own tradition seemed to be at 
 variance with most published sources.  Still, my own rituals 
 didn't seem to be adversely affected.  Nor were those of my 
 fellow Coven members, all of whom put Air in the North. 
 Further, over the years I had amassed lots of associations and 
 correspondences that seemed to REQUIRE Air to be in the North. 
 The very thought of Air in the East offended both my sense of 
 reason and my gut-level mythic sensibilities.  There are good 
 REASONS to place Air in the North.  And the whole mythological 
 superstructure would collapse if Air were in the East, instead. 
 If this is so, then why do most published sources place Earth in 
 the North and Air in the East? 

  
 RITUAL TAMPERING 
  
      Suddenly, I felt sure I knew the reason!  Somewhere along 
 the line, someone had deliberately tampered with the 
 information!  Such tampering is a long and venerable practice 
 within certain branches of magic.  In Western culture, it is 
 most typically seen among Hermetic, Cabalistic and "ceremonial" 
 magic lodges.  It is common among such groups that, when 
 publishing their rituals for public consumption, they will 
 publish versions that are INCOMPLETE and/or deliberately ALTERED 
 in some way from the authentic practice.  This prevents someone 
 who is NOT a member of the group from simply buying a book, and 
 performing the rituals, without benefit of formal training.  It 
 is only when you are initiated into the lodge that you will be 
 given the COMPLETE and/or CORRECTED versions of their rituals. 
 This is how such groups guard their secrets.  (And it is a 
 telling postscript that many scholars now believe modern 
 Witchcraft to have "borrowed" its directional/elemental 
 correspondences from ceremonial magic sources!  What a laugh if 
 this was Crowley's last best joke on his friend Gerald Gardner!) 
  
      I remember the first time I became aware of such deliberate 
 ritual tampering.  A friend of mine had been making a study of 
 the so-called "planetary squares", talismans that look like 
 magic squares consisting of a grid of numbers in some cryptic 
 order.  There are seven such squares -- one for each of the 
 "old" planets.  While making this study, he began coloring the 
 grids (more for his own pleasure than anything else), making 
 colorful mini-mosaics, using first two colors, then three, then 
 four, and on up to the total number of squares in the grid.  Six 
 of the planetary squares yielded pleasing patterns of color. 
 Then there was the Sun square!  Against all expectation, the 
 colors were a random jumble, with no patterns emerging.  Thus, 
 he began his quest for the CORRECTED Sun square.  And I became 
 convinced of the reality of ritual tampering. 
  
 THE WATCHTOWERS 
  
      All that remains, then, is for me to assemble all the 
 arguments in favor of the Air-in-the-North model, which I have 
 now come to believe is the CORRECTED system of correspondences. 
 The remainder of this article will be devoted to those 
 arguments, each with its own name and number: 
  
      1. AIRTS: This is perhaps the strongest argument.  In 
 Celtic countries, the four elemental/directional associations 
 are referred to as the "four airts".  And it is a known fact that 
 this tradition associates Air with North.  While it is true that 
 some writers, familiar with ceremonial magic (like William Sharp 
 and Doreen Valiente), have given "tampered" versions of the 
 airts, it is a telling point that folklorists working directly 
 with native oral traditions (like Alexander Carmichael and F. 
 Marian McNeill) invariably report the Air/North connection. 

  
      2. PARALLEL CULTURES: Although arguing from parallel 
 cultures may not be as convincing, it is still instructive to 
 examine other magical aboriginal cultures in the Western 
 hemisphere.  For example, the vast majority of Native American 
 tribes (themselves no slouches in the area of magic!) place Air 
 in the North, which they symbolize by the Eagle.  (Aboriginal 
 cultures lying south of the equator typically have different 
 associations, for reasons I will discuss next.) 
  
      3. GEOPHYSICAL: If one accepts the insular British origins 
 of elemental directions, then one must imagine living in the 
 British Isles.  To the West is the vast expanse of the Atlantic 
 Ocean (i.e.  water).  To the East, the bulk of the European land 
 mass (earth).  South has always been the direction of fire 
 because, as one travels south (toward the equator), it gets 
 warmer.  Which leaves North as the region of air, home of the 
 icy winds of winter.  (These last two associations would be 
 reversed for cultures in the southern hemisphere, for whom north 
 is the direction of the warm equatorial region, and south is the 
 land of ice.) 
  
      4. HYPERBOREAN: In fact, an ancient name for the British 
 Isles was "Hyperboria", which literally means "behind the north 
 wind", thus associating north and wind (air) once more.  The 
 inhabitants were themselves called "Hyperborians", and the 
 phrase "at the back of the north wind" (the title of one of 
 George MacDonald's faery romances) is still current.  Of all the 
 winds of the compass, it is unquestionably the north wind 
 (Boreas), bringer of winter, which is perceived as the strongest 
 and most influential (cf.  Robert Grave's goddess fantasy "Watch 
 the North Wind Rise").  You don't hear too much about the other 
 three cardinal winds. 
  
      5. SEASONAL: Many occultists associate the four seasons 
 with the four cardinal points, as well.  Hence, winter = north, 
 spring = east, summer = south, and autumn = west.  (To be 
 precise, it is the solstice and equinox points which align with 
 the cardinal points.)  Again, in most folklore, winter is 
 associated with air and wind, as the icy blasts that usher in 
 the season.  In spring, it is the earth which arrests our 
 attention, with its sudden riot of blooms and greenery.  Again, 
 south relates to summer, the hottest season (fire), and west 
 relates to autumn. 
  
      6. DIURNAL: Occultists also often associate the cardinal 
 points of a single day to the four compass points.  Thus, 
 midnight = north, sunrise = east, noon = south, and sunset = 
 west.  (Please note that we are talking about TRUE midnight and 
 TRUE noon here, the points halfway between sunset and sunrise, 
 and between sunrise and sunset, respectively.)  These associate 
 nicely with the seasonal attributes just discussed.  It is easy 
 to see why sunrise should equate to east, and sunset to west. 
 And, once again, from the perspective of the British Isles, the 
 sun rises over land (earth) and sets over the ocean (water). 
 South is related to noon because it is the moment of greatest 
 heat (fire).  Leaving the "invisible" element of air to be 
 associated with the sun's invisibility, at midnight. 
  
 
    7. MYTHOLOGICAL: In Celtic mythology, north is invariably 
 associated with air.  The pre-Christian Irish gods and 
 goddesses, the Tuatha De Danann, were "airy" faeries (later 
 versions came equipped with wings, relating them to sylphs).  The 
 Book of Conquests states their original home was in the north, 
 "at the back of the north wind".  And when they came to Ireland, 
 they came in ships, THROUGH THE UPPER AIR (!), settling on the 
 mountain tops.  (It has always struck me as odd that some modern 
 writers see mountains as a symbol of earth.  The crucial 
 symbolism of the mountain is its height, rising into the air, 
 touching the sky.  Virtually all Eastern traditions associate 
 mountains, favorite abodes of gurus, with air.  A CAVE would be 
 a better symbol of earth than a mountain.)  In Welsh mythology, 
 too, Math the Ancient, chief god of Gwynedd (or NORTH Wales), is 
 specifically associated with wind, which can carry people's 
 thoughts to him. 
  
      8. YIN/YANG: Many occultists believe that the four elements 
 have yin/yang connections.  Both air and fire are seen as 
 masculine, while earth and water are seen as feminine.  If air 
 is associated with the north point of the magic circle, and 
 earth is east, then one achieves a yin/yang alternation as one 
 circumambulates the circle.  As one passes the cardinal points 
 of east, south, west, and north, one passes feminine, masculine, 
 feminine, masculine energies.  This alternating flux of 
 plus/minus, push/pull, masculine/feminine, is the very pulse of 
 the universe, considered of great importance by most occultists. 
 That it was equally important to our ancestors is evidenced by 
 standing stones in the British Isles.  At sites like the Kennet 
 Avenue of Braga, the tall, slender, masculine, phallic stones 
 alternate precisely with the shorter, diamond-shaped yoni 
 stones. 
  
      9. GENERATOR: This argument flows out of the previous one. 
 Practicing magicians often think of the magic circle as a kind 
 of psychic generator.  Witches in particular like to perform 
 circle dances to "raise the cone of power".  Hand in hand, and 
 alternating man and woman, they dance clockwise (deosil) around 
 the circle, moving faster and faster until the power is 
 released.  This model has an uncanny resemblance to an 
 electrical generator, as man and woman alternately pass each of 
 the four "poles" of the magic circle.  These poles themselves 
 MUST alternate between plus and minus if power is to be raised. 
 This means that if the masculine fire is in the south, then the 
 masculine air MUST be in the north.  If the feminine water is in 
 the west, then the feminine earth MUST be in the east.  If any 
 adjacent pair were switched, the generator would stop dead. 


      10. MASCULINE/FEMININE AXIS: When you look at a typical 
 map, north (the cardinal direction) is at the top.  Any 
 north-south road is a vertical line, and any east-west road is a 
 horizontal line.  Likewise, a "map" of a magic circle makes the 
 vertical north-south axis masculine (with air and fire), while 
 the horizontal east-west axis is feminine (earth and water). 
 This makes logical sense.  When we look at the horizon of the 
 earth, we see a horizontal line.  Water also seeks a horizontal 
 plane.  Feminine elements, considered "passive", have a natural 
 tendency to "lay down".  Fire, on the other hand, always assumes 
 an erect or vertical position.  Air, too, can rise upward, as 
 earth and water cannot.  Masculine elements, being "active", 
 have a natural tendency to "stand up". 
  
      11. ALTAR TOOLS: In modern Witchcraft, there are four 
 principal altar tools, the same four tools shown on the Tarot 
 card, the Magician.  They also correspond to the four Tarot 
 suits, the four ancient treasures of Ireland, and the four 
 "hallows" of Arthurian legend.  And, like the four elements, two 
 of them are feminine and two of them are masculine.  The 
 pentacle is a shallow dish inscribed with a pentagram, 
 representing earth, and is here placed in the east.  The 
 womb-shaped chalice, symbolizing water, is placed in the west. 
 They form the horizontal feminine axis.  The phallic-shaped 
 wand, representing fire, is placed in the south.  And the 
 equally phallic-shaped athame is placed in the north.  They form 
 the vertical masculine axis.  (The gender associations of cup 
 and blade are especially emphasized in the ritual blessing of 
 wine.) 
  
      12. AXIS SYMBOLISM: In nearly every culture, the vertical 
 line is a symbol of yang, or masculine energy.  The horizontal 
 line is yin, feminine energy.  When the vertical masculine line 
 penetrates the horizontal feminine line, forming the ancient 
 Pagan symbol of the equal-armed cross, it becomes a symbol of 
 life, and life-force.  Place a circle around it or on it, and 
 you have a circle-cross or "Celtic" cross, symbol of everlasting 
 life.  (Please note the importance of the EQUAL-armed cross.  If 
 one arm is longer or shorter, then the four elements are out of 
 balance.  The Christian or "Roman" cross, for example, has an 
 extended southern arm.  And many historians have commented on 
 Christianity's excess of "fire" or zeal.  Some versions actually 
 show a shortened northern arm, indicating a dearth of "air" or 
 intellectual qualities.) 

  
      13. ASTROLOGICAL: The astrological year is divided into 
 four equal quadrants, each beginning at a solstice or equinox. 
 And each quadrant is governed by one of the four elements. 
 Which element can be discovered by examining the exact MID-POINT 
 of the quadrant.  For example, the first quadrant, beginning at 
 the winter solstice (north) is governed by air, which rules 15 
 degrees Aquarius, symbolized by the Man or Spirit.  The second 
 quadrant, beginning at the spring equinox (east) is governed by 
 earth, which rules 15 degrees Taurus, the Bull.  The third 
 quadrant, beginning at the summer solstice (south) is governed 
 by fire, which rules 15 degrees Leo, the Lion.  And the fourth 
 quadrant, beginning at the fall equinox (west) is governed by 
 water, which rules 15 degrees Scorpio, here symbolized by the 
 Eagle.  Thus, north, east, south and west correspond to air, 
 earth, fire, and water, and to man, bull, lion, and eagle, 
 respectively.  If the last four symbols seem familiar, it is 
 because they represent the four elemental power points of the 
 astrological year, and their symbols appear in the four corners 
 of the Tarot cards, the World and the Wheel of Fortune.  (The 
 same figures were later adopted by Christians as symbols of the 
 four gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.) 
  
       If those are the arguments in favor of Air-in-the-North, 
 where are the counter-arguments in favor of Earth-in-the-North? 
 Surprisingly, I've heard very few.  The most common by far is 
 "But we've always done it this way." Not too convincing. 
 However, no matter HOW persuasive my arguments may be, many have 
 countered that magic doesn't lend itself to rational arguments. 
 It's what FEELS right that counts.  True.  And there's no 
 denying that many practitioners do just fine with earth in the 
 north.  Granted.  Still, if they've never tried it the other 
 way, how would they really know? 
  
      My challenge to my fellow practitioners then is this: give 
 Air-in-the-North a shot.  Just try it on for size.  See what it 
 feels like.  And not for just a single ritual.  It'll take 
 several tries just to overcome your habitual ritual mindset. 
 And nothing is as habitual as ritual!  So in order to give this 
 a fair shake, you'll have to do a whole series of rituals with 
 air in the north.  And go into it with an open mind.  Like all 
 magic, if you decide ahead of time it won't work, it won't. 
 Then, once you've tried it, compare it to your old method.  Ask 
 yourself what's different, if it worked any better, and why or 
 why not.  And let me know.  I'd enjoy hearing about your 
 experiences. 

 
                     What is a First Degree? 
 
Many  persons feel that the first degree initiation is  something  
that  a person receives simply because this group or that  wishes  
to accept a person into their circle (Gardenarian, Alexandrian,  
etc.). 
 
In the my tradition, as a first degree, you ARE a priest/ess, and  
as  such  you carry responsibilities.  In  some  traditions,  the  
knowledge  you have gained during your first degree studies  will  
qualify you for a third degree in that tradition.  But let's look  
at it a minute. 
 
As I have stated, as a first degree, you ARE a priest/ess.   What  
does this mean?  In other faiths, you must go to seminary or  its  
equivalent for a period of at least 5 years to obtain this  goal.  
When  you  leave  there, you are knowledgeable in  not  only  the  
beliefs  of  your  faith,  but  also  it's  history,  sects,  and  
doctrines.  You have been trained to be a counselor, helper,  and  
friend  to your parishioners.  You have had training  in  dealing  
with  problems  within  your church,  your  community,  and  "the  
enemy".  Basically, you have been given the trust of your  church  
to be knowledgeable, loving, caring, and trustworthy.   
 
Should a Priest/ess in the craft be expected to be any less?   As  
an Isian, the answer is a resounding NO!   
 
During  your first degree studies, you are the equivalent  of  an  
Associate  Pastor/Minister/Whatever.  You are now in training  to  
eventually  have your own coven, or if you wish to  be  solitary,  
you  are  in training to be able to defend your religion  to  the  
outside world if the need arises. 
 
What are the responsibilities of a First Degree in my tradition? 
 
As always, in the this tradition, you are required to  constantly  
be learning and growing.  This does not mean that you have to  be  
constantly be learning about the craft, but about yourself,  your  
community, Mother Earth, etc.  This responsibility does not cease  
even   when   you  receive  your  third  degree.    This   is   a  
responsibility to yourself. 

 
Some of your responsibilities to the coven are listed below: 
1.) To grow within the craft.  
2.)  Observe  and  participate in all circle  functions  of  your  
degree or lower. 
3.)  To  assist in preparation for all circle functions  of  your  
degree or lower. 
4.)  To assist any student of a lessor grade in  his/her  studies  
when asked by this student for assistance. 
5.)  To contribute at least one research paper of 10 pages (5  if  
single spaced) or more on the craft subject of your choice. 
6.) Contribute in some manner to each sabbat or public  gathering  
either  by  time, monies for supplies, or bringing  something  to  
share  either during or after event.  Time could be  by  arriving  
early to help set up, staying a little later and helping to clean  
up  after, preparing and sharing a workshop (if open workshop  is  
scheduled),  making  phone calls to remind people of  the  event,  
etc. 
7.)  Contribute  to ideas for coven gatherings and  help  arrange  
same. (Remember, all things do not happen at Covenstead!)  
8.)  Be aware of any conflicts within Circle, and bring  this  to  
the  attention of the HP/HPS (even if that's where  the  conflict  
is!)   
9.)  Be  prepared  to accept the responsibility of  a  circle  or  
ritual should something happen to your HP/S. 
 
To  some  people, this may seem like a lot of  expectations,  but  
keep  in mind.  We are not are not training  "week-end  witches."  
You are in training to be a Priest/ess of Wicca.   
 
Your  first degree is something to be proud of.  You have  worked  
hard  and long to receive it, and your HP/S has found you  worthy  
of same.   
 
May the Lord and Lady smile on your efforts. 

                        CHURCH OF ALL WORLDS 
                             BOX 1542 
                           Ukiah, CA  95482 
 
  Duplicate Membership Application (as presented in GREEN EGG Oimlec 1989) Distributed Electronically to the Pagan Community by the Pagan Information Network in the general interest of all. 
 
 
  In dedication to the celebration of life in its many forms, I hereby declare my commitment to a way of life that is ethical, benevolent, humanistic, life-affirming, ecstatic and ecologically sane.  I subscribe to means and methods that are creative rather than destructive, tolerant rather than authoritarian, gentle rather than violent, inclusive rather than exclusive.  I pledge myself to harmonious eco-psychic awareness with the total biosphere of holy Mother Earth. 
 
Like a redwood tree, I would have my roots deep in the Earth and my branches reaching for the stars. 
 
I acknowledge my personal responsibility for myself, to my fellow humans, and to the whole of Nature; and I recognize this total responsibility, in each of us, as the source of our infinite freedom to become who we are and do what we will.  I dedicate myself to my own inner growth and development that I may be of greater service to myself and the world around me.  For these reasons I recognize Divinity both within and without, and I say to myself and others : THOU ART GODDESS; THOU ART GOD. 
 
I wish to unite with others upon a spiritual path that encompasses both the Heaven's and the Earth, and all the worlds between, and hereby make application to join the membership of the Church of All Worlds, in order that we may learn together and teach each other ways to bring about these ends. 
 
I understand that this association does not require the severing of any other religious ties. 
  
Date______________ Signature_________________________________________________ 
 
 
 
I enclose $_______ as a contribution to help carry on the work of the Church. 
(Annual membership dues are $25 for individuals, $20 each for family members at one address.) (The Church of All Worlds is a state and federally tax-exempt 501(c)(3) religious organization.  All donations are tax-deductible.) 
  
 
Reviewed and approved by______________________this day:_____________________ 

	 What is Shamanism? 
	Michelle Klein-Hass/SysOp, Shaman's Soup BBS 
 
Pardon me for asking, but what is Shamanism?  That's one area of "the 
occult" that I don't remember hearing about. 
 
OK, I guess I'm the resident shamanism maven here, so I'll try to 
define it.  Shamanism is the name (from the Tungus Shaman, meaning 
miracle-worker) for any tradition of ecstatic worship of the Earth, 
and the forces that reside and pervade Her.  Most traditions of 
shamanism worship two deities, the God and the Goddess.  In the 
European shamanic tradition, also known as Wicca, the God and Goddess 
are most commonly known as The Lord and The Lady, or Great Mother and 
the Lord of the Hunt. In the Yoruban tradition, they are known as Ogun and Yemaja. In the shamanic tradition of the Chiricahua Teneh 
(Apache), they are known as Earth Mother and Sky Father, and also as 
White Painted Woman and Killer of Enemies.  In other traditions, there are more deities worshipped, and in most of those named, there are 
other lesser deities.  Some forms of shamanic tradition can be 
classified as true polytheism, some, like the tradition of the 
Australian Dreamtime, are truly pantheistic (the God-force is in all, 
and all exists in the God-force, or as they put it, the Dreamtime) and at least in the tradition of the Yoruba (Nigerian African) and in most Native American traditions, these Gods and Goddesses are seen as 
emanations from a Great Spirit.  In the Teneh tongue, this spirit is 
known as Usen', Who is neither Male nor Female but encompasses both. 
Joe Wilson describes the difference between the path of the Shaman and the path of the Priest this way: the Priest is the custodian of 
tradition and rite, the Shaman is the one who journeys within and 
experiences the God(esse)s directly. The path of the shaman is the 
path of healing, direct involvement with ones Gods/Goddesses, and the 
path of acquiring Power for The Good.  Modern Shamanism in America is 
usually of two currents: Wiccan and Native.  

	Wicca is a reconstructed system, which is probably similar but not identical to the pre-Christian religion of the Keltoi (the Britons, the Gallics, the Irish and Scottish Gael, the Picts, and the Cymri(Welsh)  It used to claim quite an impressive history, but is reliably traceable to people like Gerald Gardner, who designed a system of Wiccan practice from various sources, including, supposedly, a wealthy woman whose family had practiced witchcraft for generations. He obviously had a good grasp of some of the Anthropological works on the subject, but liberally borrowed as well from Crowley, Freemasonry, and *fin de Siecle* occultism like the Order of the Golden Dawn. Artificial or authentic, it seems to still work.  

	Native shamanism works with either traditions of a native people like the Native Americans or the Yoruba tribe (present in Santeria), or is a distillation of many practices, as is the shamanism taught by Dr. Michael Harner and by Joseph Wilson of Toteg Tribe.  The true native traditions are dying out quickly, and most native Shamans are unwilling to transmit their knowledge.  In some cases, the knowledge has died out, and those descendants who remain and wish to embrace the Old Ways must re-invent their tradition.  My teacher, Misha Sacred Wolf of the Naiche-Tosawi band of the Chiricahua, is in that unenviable position.  The Apache still exist, and they celebrate some of the old festivals for the benefit of tourists.  But much of the Old Knowledge died with the coming of the white man, the reservation, and the missionaries that considered the reservation their rightful "mission field". 
	While it is true that many Native peoples are indignant about any non-Native involvement in shamanism, and the new age movement is full to the brim with hucksters and shysters who if you give them money will teach you "how to become a Shaman", there are two non-Natives who seem to respect the Ways, and have attempted to present the teachings of Native shamanism in a respectful, reverential way.  One is Dr. Michael Harner, author of "The Way of the Shaman" (Bantam) and his "core shamanism" system.  His approach is sometimes a little too eclectic, with a glaring lack of the ritual and mythos that makes shamanism so powerful.  He has reduced the shamanic experience to a few major elements: The Lowerworld Journey, where the shamanist comes face-to- face with their "Power Animal", which is a representative of the person's basic animal energy; The Upperworld Journey, where the person journeys to contact their "Teacher Within", who is a representation of the person's Higher Self; the Middleworld Journey, where ordinary reality is seen through non-ordinary eyes; and various techniques of healing, primarily the Jivaro "sucking doctor"technique.  A non-ordinary state of consciousness is reached through rhythmic drumming, singing, and visualization.  Despite the very clinical "self-help" aspect of Harner's work, it is very valuable.  If you live in the Los Angeles area, you are quite fortunate in that perhaps the most exciting work in the eclectic shamanic way is going on through Toteg Tribe, a shamanic society founded and facilitated by Joseph Wilson. Joseph was a participant in the Neo-Pagan (Wiccan-shamanic) movement for more than 25 years, and is now trying to forge a new shamanic way for ALL people of the Americas.  He has built on the techniques of Harner with insight from both traditional Native peoples of this land that he has studied with and entirely new ways of expression that he and others that work with him have spontaneously come up with.  He does not claim to teach traditional shamanic ways, but his work is quite valuable and instead of looking behind to the old days of Tribal America, is aimed towards the 21st century and beyond.  Again, I study with a woman who is of the Chiricahua Apache tradition, but I also find Wilson's work to be exciting and very important.  I hope this cleared up a few things...there's a lot of good info in the file areas about shamanic practice. 
Hi Dicho--this is finished (sigh of relief) 
Enju! B*B Michelle Klein-Hass (Chihacou White Puma) 

Here is the complete expansion of the Indo-European root of the word "witch", from THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY OF INDO-EUROPEAN ROOTS, revised & edited by Calvert Watkins (Houghton Mifflin Co.: Boston, 1985; ISBN 0-395-36070-6): 
 
WEIK- [1].  Clan (social unit above the household).  1. Suffixed form *WEIK- SLA in Latin VILLA, country house, farm: VILLA, VILLAGE, VILLAIN, VILLANELLE, (VILLEIN); (BIDONVILLE).  2. Suffixed o-grade form *WOIK-O in: a. Latin VICUS, quarter or district of a town, neighborhood: (VICINAGE), VICINITY; b. Greek OIKOS, house, and its derivativ e OIKIA, dwelling: ANDROECIUM, AUTOECIOUS, DIOCESE, DIOECIOUS, DIOICOUS, ECESIS, ECOLOGY, ECONOMY, ECUMENICAL, 
HETEROECIOUS, MONOECIOUS, PARISH, TRIOUECIOUS.  3. Zero-grade from *WIK- in Sanskrit VIS- dwelling, house, with derivative VAISYAH, settler: VAISYA. 
 
WEIK- [2].  In words connectid with magic and religious notions (in Germanic and Latin).  1. Germanic suffixed form *WIH-L- in Old English WIGLE, divination, sorcery, akin to the Germanic source of Old French GUILE, cunning trickery: GUILE.  2. Germanic expressive form *WIKK- in: a. Old English WICCA, wizard, and WICCE, witch: WITCH; b. Old English WICCIAN, to cast a spell: BEWITCH.  3. Possible suffixed zero-grade form *WIK-T-IMA in latin VICTIMA, animal used as sacrifice, victim (although this may belong to another root *[SHWA]WEK- not otherwise represented in English): VICTIM. 
 
WEIK- [3].  To be like.  1. Suffixed variant form *EIK-ON- in Greek EIKON, likeness, image: ICON, (ICONIC), ICONO-; ANISEIKONIA.  2. Prefixed and suffixed zero-grade form *N-WIK-ES, not like (*N-, not), in greek AIKES, unseemly: AECIUM. 
 
WEIK- [4]. Also WEIG-.  To bend, wind.  I. Form WEIG-. 1. Germanic *WIK- in: a. Old English WICE, wych elm (having pliant branches): WYCH ELM; b. Swedish VIKER, willow twig, wand, akin to the Scandinavian source of Middle English WIKER, wicker: WICKER; c. Old Norse vikja, to bend, turn, probably akin to the Scandinavian source of Old Nort h French WIKET, wicket (< "door that turns?): WICKET.  2. Germanic *WAIKWAZ in: a. Old Norse VEIKR, pliant: WEAK; b. Dutch WEEK, weak, soft: WEAKFISH.  3. Germanic *WIKON-, "a turning," series, in Old 
English WICU, WICE, week: WEEK.  II. Form *WEIK-.  Zero-grade form *WIK- in: a. Latin VIX (genetive VICUS), turn, situation, change: VICAR (VICARIOUS), VICE[3]; VICISSITUDE; b. Latin VICIA, vetch (< "twining plant"): VETCH. 
 
WEIK- [5].  To fight, conquer.  1. Germanic *WIK- in Old Norse VIGR, able in battle: WIGHT[2].  2. Nasalized zero-grade form *WI-N-K- in Latrin VINCERE (past participle VICTUS), to conquer: VANQUISH, VICTOR, VINCIBLE; CONVINCE, EVICT. 

	 NATURE SPIRIT MAGIC 
	By Larry Cornett
 
INTRODUCTION: 
 
Each plant, animal, rock, and other entity has a spirit 
(consciousness resonance matrix).  These spirits can join 
together, in a hive-mind, as a spirit of an area.  Nature spirits 
include real biological intelligences, are psychically powerful, 
and are much less abstract and controllable than the Elementals 
that many magical people who perform all of their rituals indoors 
are familiar with.  They can be extremely powerful allies.  It is 
possible to sense nature spirits, to determine if they are 
receptive to a ritual planned, and to have them actively 
participate in magical workings if they are. 
 
 
SOME EFFECTS OF WORKING WITH NATURE SPIRITS: 
 
Spectacular physical manifestations can happen when working with 
nature spirits in the wild.  I have personally seen actual 
foxfire mark the boundaries of a magic circle at a location that 
was identified as a receptive power spot and attuned to a 
planned ritual the day before.  I have seen more than one site 
attuned for ritual be dry and comfortable, with a round hole in 
the clouds overhead, on days that were cold and rainy at other 
nearby locations.  Birds have joined in rituals, flying around 
the circle when energy was being raised; and insects, birds and 
animals have joined in chants.  In addition, the wind often 
responds to invocations.  Generally, these spectacular 
manifestations happen unexpectedly.   
 
With or without such manifestations, nature spirits often will 
channel tremendous amounts of power into the magic being 
performed.  It is suggested that you do not consciously try for 
specific manifestations.  Let Nature channel her power into the 
magic in her own way.  If approached with respect, nature may 
give you many pleasant surprises. 
 
Spectacular physical manifestations are not a necessary sign of 
success.  If you need a spectacular manifestation and nature 
spirits know this, you will get it.  The best success in magic is 
on the inner planes and more subtle than such manifestations.  
This success involves beneficial changes in consciousness that 
last and helpful chains of synchronicity.  In addition, working 
with Nature Spirits can also bring a deep sense of partnership 
with Nature, and bring new levels of attunement. 
 
To get the best results, perform nature spirit attunement 
several hours to several days before the main ritual.  The 
purposes of such attunement are to find suitable power spots and 
to get the help of friendly nature spirits.  This timing gives 
Nature time to gather her children and to prepare to actively 
participate in the main ritual. 
 


WHAT TO NOT DO: 
 
If nature spirits are approached with disrespect by attempting 
to command them rather than listening to them and inviting them 
to work with you, nature spirits may flee, rebel, or attack.  I 
once attended a ritual by some pseudo-Crowleyites who attempted 
to perform the "Ritual of the Barbarous Names" at a power spot in 
a forest and then to extend the circle several hundred yards in 
all directions.   
 
While the forest in general had loud insect and frog noises, the 
area at which the ritual took place got quiet immediately when 
the main ritualist declared that all spirits were subject unto 
him.  The vibes from nature could best be characterized as "Oh 
yea, Mother...!"  One participant was quickly possessed by an 
angry spirit and kept repeating "You killed my children, your 
children will never live in peace."  When the priestess stepped 
out of the boundaries of the original circle, she was attacked by 
bees; and bees covered the Book of the Law.  Magicians should 
know better than to attempt to command spirits whose true names 
they do not know! 
 
 
CALLING NATURE SPIRITS: 
 
To make the most out of working magical ritual in the wild, one 
should find power spots where nature spirits are receptive to the 
ritual planned and approach the spirits with respect, as equals.  
In my experience, the most effective power spots for working with 
the living intelligences of nature are located in wild areas with 
diverse, active ecologies.   
 
When entering a wild area to find a site for a ritual, find a 
place that feels good.  Then do the following, either 
individually or, if in a group, as a guided meditation: 
 
o Relax, while standing upright, and focus on your breathing.  
  Breathe deep breaths from the diaphragm.  Breathe together if 
  in a group. 
  - Feel the wind, and let it relax you and awaken your spirit 
    within, as your deep breathing takes you into non-ordinary 
    reality. 
  - Picture, in your mind's eye, a light inside you.  As you 
    breathe, feel the light expand, purify and energize you  - as 
    it expands to fill your aura.   
  - Feel yourself glowing, balanced, purified, and full of power. 
  - Connect with your inner self (your higher self), and feel 
    your intuitive self operating. 

o Feel yourself as: 
  - The wind, full of life and intelligence, communicating with 
    all round. 
  - The Sunlight, warm, alive, channeling the power to 
    communicate with nature and energizing all around. 
  - Water, emotional, intuitive, refreshing, and connected with 
    nature. 
  - The Earth, and note how your physical body is able to wander 
    while remaining part of Mother Earth. 
 
o Focus on your spiritual self, and: 
  - Note the light within and feel it as love,  
  - Expand the light and love beyond the immediate aura of your 
    body to the surrounding area - where you will go to find a 
    power spot and contact nature spirits. 
 
o Telepathically (by thinking while channeling the love and light 
  energy) send out signals to nature spirits to emerge and be 
  aware of your presence.   
  - Say why you have come, and invite them to join in sharing, 
    mutual celebration, and  the work you intend. 
  - Visualize the light and love energy you are channeling 
    extending out and merging with the light from distant places. 
  - Feel the power of the Earth flowing up through your body and 
    feet. 
  - Feel the power from the sky, and channel this power also to 
    further energize the carrier signal of light and love for 
    communicating with nature. 
  - Visualize the light expanding and merging.   
  - Continue to send out telepathic signals. 
 
o Now go deeper: 
  - Close your eyes, sit on the Earth, and feel your connection 
    while you channel more light and love.   
  - Continue modulating the light and love with your thoughts - 
    inviting receptive spirits to join with you and to make 
    themselves known. 
  - If in a group, someone should start playing a drum at a rate 
    of about one beat per second; and you should listen to the 
    drum and let the drum take you deeper. 
  - Affirm that you are a nature magician, a medicine person, who 
    knows and communicates with nature.  Let this part of 
    yourself emerge to full consciousness.  Let the drum and the 
    connection to your inner self awaken that part of yourself 
    that naturally communicates with other life forms.  Let it 
    awaken your telepathic senses. 
  - Continue sending telepathic signals to nature.   
  - When you feel ready and an inner urge to begin, open your 
    eyes a crack and look around, while continuing to channel 
    love and light and telepathically calling for a response.   
  - You may see light coming from certain areas that are 
    receptive.  You may get other signals, such as a feeling of 
    power or love returning in a certain direction.  Perhaps the 
    type of response to this work will be unexpected; follow your 
    intuition in interpreting it. 

  - You may test your connection by communicating (mentally) 
    instructions for signals for yes/no responses (such as light 
    getting brighter for less and darker for no) and then 
    mentally ask questions and observe the responses. 
 
o When you have found an areas that seems to be responsive and 
  receptive, begin walking to the area, while beaming love 
  energy.  Extend your aura to the area and sense the energy.  
 
 
ENTERING A POWER SPOT: 
 
o Before entering a power spot, ask permission to enter.  If the 
  response is good, enter; if not, locate another more receptive 
  area.   
 
o When entering the power spot, look around.  Perhaps the 
  responsive energy will be concentrated around some singularity 
  (a bush, a tree, a specific branch, a moss covered rock, or 
  other entity that stands out).  Perhaps the energy will be more 
  general.  Use your intuition and feedback from the spirits to 
  guide your actions. 
 
o If it feels right, send out a signal that you would like to 
  touch the singularity (or the ground) for better communication.  
  If the response is good, approach beaming love energy, and then 
  touch or hug the singularity (or the ground).   
 
o Treat the spirits as you would other Pagans you meet for the 
  first time - be sensitive, open, and listen. 
 
 
DEEPENING COMMUNICATION WITH NATURE SPIRITS: 
 
o Now that you have made contact with spirits that seem 
  receptive, deepen the communication: 
  - Breathe deep breaths from the diaphragm, and with each 
    breath, feel more refreshed.   
  - Now imagine that your spine is the trunk of a tree; and, from 
    its base, roots extend deep into the Earth.  Deep into the 
    rich moist Earth.   
  - With every breath, feel the roots extending deeper, 
  - Feel the energy deep within the Earth and within the waters 
    of the Earth.  Feel your roots absorbing nourishment from the 
    Earth and from its waters.   
  - Feel the moist, warm energy rising.   
  - Feel it bursting up from the Earth and rising up your spine, 
    like sap rises in a tree.   
  - Feel the energy rise to your crown chakra (at the top of your 
    head). 
  - Now imagine that you have branches, branches that sweep up 
    and then bend down towards the Earth, like the limbs of a 
    willow.   
  - Feel the branches extending and interweaving with your 
    surroundings.   

  - Feel the warm, moist energy of the Earth flowing through your 
    branches.  As it flows, feel yourself being purified, 
    centered, and connected to the Earth.   
  - Feel the power from the Earth flowing through your branches 
    and then down back to the Earth, like a fountain. 
  - Note how your branches absorb energy from the air.  Also, 
    feel them receiving light (fire) from the sky.   
  - Feel the energy from above penetrating deep through your body 
    into the Earth. 
  - Feel the warmth of the Earth rising also.   
  - Feel the energy circulating. 
 
o Notice how your branches intertwine with the branches of energy 
  surrounding you.   
  - Feel the energy dancing among your branches and the branches 
    around you. 
  - Notice how your roots also intertwine with underground energy 
    channels.   
  - Feel the energy dancing between your roots and the  
    surrounding energy patterns.  
  - Notice how you and the life around you are rooted in the 
    same Earth, breathing the same air, receiving the same fire, 
    drinking the same water,  sharing the same underlying 
    essence.  You are one with the magical grove. 
 
o Telepathically mention the time in the past when nature spirits 
  and people communicated regularly and the need to establish 
  such communication now.  
 
o Test your connection by asking questions and observing the 
  responses. 
 
 
WORKING WITH NATURE SPIRITS: 
 
o Explain to the spirits the purpose of your coming to them and 
  the nature of the ritual you plan.   
 
o If the spirits you contacted are receptive: 
  - Explain to them the details of the ritual and invite them to 
    provide ideas. 
  - Listen, you may receive suggestions on how to improve the 
    ritual.  Such suggestions may come in the form of hunches, 
    visions, answers to yes/no questions using pre-arranged 
    signals, or in other ways. 
  - Explain what type of space is needed and ask what the best 
    place to perform the ritual is.  
  - You may see light or get other psychic signals leading you 
    to other sites, or you may be at one of them.   
  - You may also ask what the best places for other aspects of 
    the planned work are (picnicking, individual vision quests, 
    etc.). 
  - If preparation of the site is needed (removing briars, 
    preparing a fire circle, etc.) ask permission of the spirits 
    before proceeding with such action. 

  - Before you leave the power spot, tell the spirits you have 
    contacted when you plan to return to do the ritual 
    (visualizing the associated lunar and solar aspects can help 
    with this communication). 
  - Invite them to join in the ritual when you return and to 
    bring their friends.   
  - Ask if it would be best to return silently, with drums, with 
    chanting, or with some other form of approach. 
  - You can also ask the spirits to provide guidance for working 
    in balance and to provide a teacher to provide further 
    guidance. 
 
o Before you leave the power spot: 
  - Thank the spirits,  
  - Channel love energy,  
  - Trigger your memory of the experience, and 
  - If it feels right, leave an offering of tobacco, or beer and 
    honey poured on the ground (or other suitable material). 
 
o  Leave in peace and love. 
 
o Proceed to other sites that were indicated by the spirits, 
  doing similar meditations at each site.   
 
o If you need something, like a staff, a Maypole, or a wand, you 
  can also ask where you can find it and follow the guidance you 
  receive (not slavishly, but as you would guidance from another 
  Pagan). 
 
o Before leaving the general area in which you found power spots 
  and contacted nature spirits: 
  - Channel love energy towards the receptive sites you found, 
  - Thank the spirits of the land,  
  - Pull back your roots and branches,  
  - Ground any excess energy into the Earth (placing your hands 
    on the Earth, breathe in any excess energy, and channel the 
    energy down your arms, while visualizing and feeling the 
    energy going into the Earth), and  
  - Leave in peace and love.   
 
o Naturally, you should leave the area at least as clean, and 
  preferably cleaner, than you found it.  
 
o If you work with techniques of Wicca or Ceremonial Magic, you 
  may find that by casting a circle, calling the Elements, the 
  Goddess, the Gods, and the local nature spirits while you are 
  at receptive sites, you may be able to greatly increase 
  communication. 
 
o Through the use of drums and other power raising techniques, it 
  is even possible to energize receptive nature spirits.  The 
  results can be very interesting.  If with a coven, such circles 
  can be done as part of a group attunement to a power spot you 
  have located. 
 

o If you do not get good feelings in response to your explanation 
  of the ritual and are unable to come up with a ritual that 
  gives good responses, do not try to force a good response.  You 
  would only be fooling yourself.   
  - Thank the spirits for their attention. 
  - Ask them why they are not receptive (if it feels right and 
    they are communicative). 
  - Trigger your memory.  
  - Pull back your "roots and branches," return any excess 
    energy you feel into the Earth. 
 -  If it feels appropriate, leave an offering of tobacco or 
    other appropriate material, out of respect for the spirits. 
  - Move to a more receptive site.   
   
o If it is hard to find a site that is really receptive, you 
  should: 
  - Consider any impressions you got of why the nature spirits 
    weren't receptive in the area you were in, and re-think your 
    plans for a ritual, as necessary and appropriate. 
  - It may also be appropriate to look for another general area 
    in which to find a suitable power site that is receptive to 
    the work planned. 
 
 
WHAT TO DO WHEN RETURNING: 
 
It can be very powerful to purify and center yourself and to 
attune to the spirits of the land using the techniques previously 
described for calling nature spirits immediately upon returning 
to the site.   
 
Often, individuals may have found small specific power spots to 
which they have a special attunement, where the spirits are 
interested in participating; but where the site is too small, has 
too much vegetation, or is otherwise unsuitable for the main 
ritual.  Individual attunement to the spirits in such areas and 
inviting them to participate in the main ritual can be 
worthwhile. 
 
Then approach the main ritual site using the previously arranged 
technique.  You should have the details worked out with the 
spirits of the land.  An exceptionally powerful technique 
involves doing a procession through or past receptive power 
spots, inviting nature spirits to join as you pass each power 
spot, and then moving to the central power spot for the main 
ritual.  If participants are at individual power spots, they can 
join the procession as it passes nearby. 
 
When consecrating space in the wild, or casting a circle, do not 
set up the perimeter as a barrier to all outside forces; it 
should be a beacon to attract friendly nature spirits, a 
container for holding magical power, and a barrier to spirits 
who it isn't right to be with.   

 
One thing that is fun and worthwhile in nature is to bring 
instruments, such as a rattle, a flute and/or a drum, to tune in 
to nature's sounds, and to make music in time to nature's 
sounds.  You may be able to get some very interesting back and 
forth exchanges of music going with selected creatures of the 
wild, and get into an amazing jam session. 
 
After the work is complete, be sure to thank the spirits for 
their participation.  Libations and other offerings may also be 
left for the spirits during and/or after the ritual. 
 
 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: 
 
There are other ways of working with nature spirits.  This is one 
approach.  The author thanks Selena Fox for teaching the basic 
guided meditation technique for locating and contacting nature 
spirits at a tranceworking session sponsored by the Chameleon 
Club (part of the Association for Consciousness Exploration) in 
1981, Vicky Smith for editorial review of this article, Isaac 
Bonewitz for the outline of the expanded tree meditation, and 
Carlos Castenada, Black Eagle, Pasha, the Goddess, the Gods, and 
various nature spirits for teaching the rest of the good methods.  
 
 
Most of this article is an expansion of an article by the author 
titled "Finding a Sacred Grove for Druid Initiation" by Larry 
Cornett, published in The Druid's Progress and in Amaranth 
Anthology.  
	RIGHTS TO DISTRIBUTE THIS ARTICLE: 
 
This article is written by Larry Cornett.  It is copyrighted 
l988; and it is hereby placed by the author in the public domain, 
providing it is not modified without the explicit permission of 
the author and providing the author is acknowledged.  It may 
therefore be distributed freely to any BBS or other Electronic 
Forum or copied and handed out for free.  Permission to reprint 
it in a publication for sale may be requested from the author, 
and will generally be granted in exchange for a copy of the 
publication containing the article.  This copyright takes 
precedence over any copyright expressed or implied by any BBS or 
commercial system on which this file is posted. 

	by  Larry Cornett
9/24/'88  9527 Blake Lane, # 102, Fairfax, VA  22031   (703)352-3791  

                       THE MYCENEAEN MYSTERIES 
                A Neo-Pagan Alternative Belief System
                    (C) 1989 By Joseph W. Teller
 * Free to Distribute & Copy in its Entirety For Non-Commercial Use*
  
              MYCENEAEN MYSTERIES : A QUICK INTRODUCTION              
  
        Myceneaen Mysteries are an ongoing project to introduce a new
     path of passage and religious belief to the present Neo-Pagan
     community.

        Like anything within the Neo-Pagan Community, we do not exist
     in a vacuum. I have been trained in several traditions and paths
     of the present community, and have learned much from them, but
     have found that a personal lack of hereditary connection to some
     of the pantheons and belief systems involved have often made my
     practice of Celtic or Shamanistic systems to become clumsy and
     sometimes ineffective for me personally. Thus, to find my own 	way, I went forth on a combination research project and personal 	path searching for what path would be best for myself.

        The Myceneaen Mysteries are based upon a personal interface
     between myself and the aspects of the Early religious system and
     belief of the area now known as Greece, a personal comfortable
     status with many of the gods and goddesses of the pantheon 	therein which I could not find in the Celtic, Norse or American 	Indian belief systems. Many hours of painstaking research into 	the true culture, beliefs, gods and means of worship practiced by 	the early Myceneaens have resulted in this ongoing system of 	belief. It is not for all, but if you feel a true connection 	between yourself, the mythologies, the social structure and the 	beliefs involved then perhaps this path is for you.

        The Myceneaen belief system is not a total "re-creationist" 	idea, nor the structuring of a system out of whole cloth, but 	like any belief system stemming from another time and blossoming 	into a Neo-Pagan tradition it comes from a combination of both. 	The land of Myceneae has gone through not one but two dark ages 	in its time, and much of the original material was lost or 	destroyed or very badly distorted by the people that would pass 	through it as their conquerors, and so I have had to take some 	liberty to the myths, sorting them according to the values and 	theology they present as to whether they were of these people and 	if so trying to prune out the changes made by centuries of 	conquest. This is an ongoing project, and the belief structure 	will be added to as new material is encountered and adapted, but 	the basic structure outlined in the pages of work already 	completed will for the most part remain stable, with each person 	who takes up the system adding their own touch to the system.

     Thus, if you choose this path, you will be forming and helping
     to form the belief system for yourself and for others, making
     your actions and writings just as important as those that have 	now been finished. Few religions or belief paths truly allow the 	many members within it to shape the system to their own needs and 	to bring about change. Myceneaen Mysteries does.

    

 If you are reading this file online a BBS or from a printout of
     such, or on a distributed disk, there should be several other 	text files here for you to read over, so please do so and feel 	free to distribute it at will among your fellow Neo-Pagans and 	all open minded non-pagan friends. Only through the greatest 	number of people getting involved can we do the greatest amount 	of improvement and gain personal enlightenment on this path.
  
        * Love, Trust & Community : The key of Myceneae *
  
               MYCENEAEN MYSTERIES : THEOLOGICAL ANSWERS              
  
     The purpose of this document is to explain some of the positions
     of The Myceneaen Belief system that are considered important and
     controversial to other Religious groups, many times to the point
     where they will place their views not only in public view but to
     enforce them upon others not of their beliefs 'for their own 	good'.  These positions are important, as they help show where we 	stand and also explain a bit more of what we are really about. 	These views are not forced on the membership of the Laos, but are 	the official accepted policies, beliefs and viewpoints of the 	organization in today's world - based on the overall religion.
  


     1. Contraceptive Devices.
           We realize the importance of life, as most nature-oriented
        religions do, and have a high respect for it and for the right
        of all to live. On the other hand we strongly believe in the
        right to choose one's path and actions in life. Thus, because
        of these factors, and in consideration of the high risk of
        disease in today's social circles, we support the use of all
        non-destructive Contraceptive means to prevent the spread of
        disease and the possibility of unwanted children being 	   	          conceived We do not support, on the other hand, operative              contraception through vasectomy or sterilization - since these          cause an actual mutilation of the body and because they are            both questionable in recent studies as causes of increased             cancer rates. We have a strong belief in taking responsibility          for our actions, and to utilize contraceptive devices is to            take responsibility in ones sexual activities.
  
     2. Homosexuality/Bi-Sexuality.
           These concepts in Sexuality are not nor ever have been in
        our beliefs or those of the original Myceneaens anything but
        Natural. To call such actions and feelings perverse, or worse,
        is to deny the realities of nature and of the human condition.
        We are born bi-sexual and make our choices based on         environmental enforcement. We accept Homosexuality and         Bi-sexuality as true parts of life, not something to be         encouraged nor discouraged, but accepted as normal.
  
     3. Public Nudity.
           This one is obvious and simple, throughout most of the
        Neo-Pagan community it has always been : if you feel         comfortable and won't be making too many others uncomfortable         then feel welcome to any level of dress or undress that suits         you. It is suggested that among a Damos that a full level of         acceptance and knowing each others bodies, at least by sight,         be eventually accomplished to improve the ability of the Damos         to work as a true group bound in the love and trust they have         declared (if you can't trust to be nude in someone's presence         you probably can't trust them entirely). This will be         difficult for some, it is suggested that if a member seems         uncomfortable with this that they be introduced to it slowly         by the rest of the group so they become more comfortable. Not         only does this build trust, but it can also help in keeping         tension levels down and to improve health of the group overall         in some ways.
  


     4. Smoking.
        The smoking of tobacco in today's society is deeply enmeshed,
        but slowly people are bring the realization of the damage of
        utilizing this herb as an addictive substance regularly. We
        also understand the difficulties of eliminating the effects
        of it upon the body in withdrawal. Considering all this, there
        shall be no usage of such materials within ritual or within
        a celebration's public confines (the exception is the use of
        pure, natural, un-chemically treated indian tobacco for use in
        American Indian smoking rituals - which are rare and very
        limited in scope or exposure). If a smoker chooses to do so at
        a celebration they must go off away from the Damos and Guests
        to a secluded area where their second-hand smoke cannot affect
        anyone else in the group. The Damos should join in on trying
        to help the smoker get past the addiction and back to a sense
        of personal worth where such is unneeded (all addiction is
        caused by a sense of personal inferiority and incompleteness).

     5. Ritual Drugs.
        The use of these substances should only be within certain very
        controlled circumstances, under extreme supervision by people
        who are experienced and obviously personally balanced in the
        matter. The use of illegal or highly controlled drugs is not
        encouraged and anyone choosing to do so are doing so as an
        individual, not as a representative of the Laos. Again, the
        main word is caution with all drugs if you don't understand            all the risks then don't use the substance.

     6. Alcohol.
        The Myceneaens were the inventors of Beer and several other
        naturally fermented acholic drinks, and so we cannot
        deny this part of the past nor the religious aspects of it.
        Any naturally fermented alcohol is acceptable for libation in
        Ritual and in celebration, but the taking of distilled                 alcohols shall not be within Ritual (its alright for                 celebration though).  Unless a ritual is specifically to 	          Dionysus, the taking of enough alcohol to be considered         'Drunk' in circle is to be frowned upon and felt offensive.         Becoming drunk in a celebration if so wished is acceptable, so         long as one maintains the rules of hospitality and does not         attempt to do such morally wrong things as driving intoxicated         (Hosts be warned that if a guest is so intoxicated you are         under obligation to make sure they either have a ride home         with a non-intoxicated person or that sleeping space, at least         upon your floor, is made available to them). Alcohol in small         amounts acts as a natural remover of the mental shields that         can block ones ability to perceive the powers of nature and         oneself, thus being useful in this way.

     7. Abortion.
        This is for many groups one of the most discussed area of
        personal choice. In Myceneae belief, ones spirit is not found
        within an embryo until the finish of the third month, and so
        we support the right of a woman to choose whether or not to
        take such an action, but do want her to consider all of the
        available options before doing such. Life is precious, both
        that of a mother and that of a child, but an existing life         will hold priority over a yet-to-be born, since if an abortion         does occur the spirit of the child will find another body to           gain re-entrance into the life-cycle. We do support the use of          all natural abortifacient herbs and drugs over physical                operations, but again this is the choice of the mother and not          for the religion to enforce.

   8. Pornography.
      We believe that the true pornography in the world is depictions
      of humanities cruelties unto itself for the purpose to glorify
      it and encourage it. This means we label books and movies of
      a purely violent nature to be Pornographic (Examples of such
      are 'Faces of Death', 'The Green Berets' or any of the numerous
      'slasher' films). Additionally we feel that films of a sexual
      nature that show women as inferior, mere sex objects or actually
      depict violent rape as something its not to be pornographic
      (ex: The Story of O). We have no objections to sexuality in
      books in films, displays of nudity or love within such. We
      also oppose Child-pornography, bestiality and slavery of any
      kind.

   9. Sexual Responsibility.
      Myceneaen beliefs have nothing in opposition to group sex or
      group marriages, from Menage-a-trois to full multi-faceted
      tribal families. We do have a strong ruling of community to
      regulate ourselves, and to reduce the risks of disease and other
      related problems. Any member of a Damos who has a sexually
      transmutable disease should warn all other members of the Damos.
      When a person enters into a Damos they must expose such info
      to the members, to protect all. If a member of a Damos is in
      a relationship with someone outside the Damos they should       refrain from sexual contact with members inside the Damos,       unless sure that they are clear of such afflictions.       Relationships within the Damos should be encouraged, as this       will prevent an influx of diseases from outside unknown sources.       Members of a Damos who are sexually active in any way should       seek out a medical check for such problems routinely and should       share the results with the members. Keeping everyone within the       Damos healthy is of import to all members of the Damos. Remember       a Damos is more than just a group of friends and acquaintances       as is common in most Neo-Pagan groups, it is an extended family       and community.
  
                         HISTORICAL CONTEXT
                         -----------------
     The Mycenaean Era is not the Greece of Homer, and has many of
  its own unique differences that set it off from that Era. It is
  sometimes known as the Golden Age or Heroic Age of the ancient
  land we call Greece. Fledgling borne from migrants coming into
  the area from Syria and Persia during the Empire of Crete, the
  Mycenaeans were a willful folk, who accepted the rule of Crete
  until the Minoans fell from power by a complex series of events
  that caused them to abandon the Mainland and Isles of Greece
  and vanish back into the mists of History. Neither The Minoans
  nor the Mycenaeans were remembered, until our own 1840's (AD)
  when the ruins were discovered and slowly excavated (a process
  still uncompleted to this day).

     Egypt, it has been said, introduced government to the world
  (and Bureaucracy and all that goes with it). Minos introduced the
  concept of Laws governing all equally (which Homer's Greece would
  rediscover in its own era) and the value of colonization & trade.
  Each had its religions and cults, but it was in Mycenaean that did
  rise truly human gods and goddesses - those who could weep or
  laugh, who did not simply hold themselves aloof from the majority
  of the population but who were close and intricately associated
  with their people.

     In concept, and in Mycenaean Myth, we are all descended from
  the gods. We are all their children, and we are all working
  towards learning what we must to take our proper places beside
  them one day in a future existence. We all have within us the
  ability to perform feats of wonder, magic as we call it, through our
  own ability of will and perception.

     As children of the gods and goddesses, we are imperfect only
  in that we have not yet learned the ways to best utilize our own
  abilities and to work with nature thoroughly - as Neo-Pagans we
  can work towards this goal, unlike those who refuse to open their
  eyes to their own ability and instead falsely believe that nature
  is a force to be battled and conquered instead of one that we are
  part of and must work with in order to survive. We are not in
  any way perfect, we do not have 'the one true path' or the 'one
  way to enlightenment', we have simply chosen a path in this belief
  system and religion that serves our personal growth (some may even
  walk this path and then later chose another closer to their own
  hearts in some way). We ask that others accept the fact that we
  have chosen this path of our own free will, if they ask for any
  information we shall give it freely, and that we ask that they be
  tolerant of us in our every day lives and not show bigotry against
  us for our belief path.

     The Mycenaean Era, historically lasted from approx. 1700 BC, as
  the Minoan Empire collapsed inward, and prospered through till 1120
  BC when the last shreds of it fell beneath the onslaught of the
  invading Dorians, who were the ancestors of Homer's Greece. The
  fall of Mycenaea brought with it a terrible 400 years of what has
  been called the 'Greek Dark Age' for the invaders destroyed all
  the knowledge of writing, and much of the culture and technology
  of the people of the land that was then Greece. They had come down
  out of the Northern parts of Central Europe, outnumbering the
  Mycenaeans and being experts at large scale war, still it took
  them from 1190 BCE to 1120 BCE to fully conquer the Mycenaeans.

     When the Dorians invaded and conquered the people, they
  destroyed what was then the most advanced civilized people in
  Europe. Mycenae had the benefits of the technology of the Minoans
  and the advantages of a widespread sea-trade with Syria, Italy,
  Sicily, Spain, Egypt, Rhodes, Persia and even possibly the Isles
  of Britain. This widespread trade made them one of the richest
  people, and their willingness to exchange knowledge and goods
  made them welcome in many ports. Mycenae had colonized villages
  in many lands, to serve as trading posts with native peoples.
  Their only major war was, that which we know now as the Trojan
  War, in 1200 BC (approx), was a successful enterprise supposedly
  based on principle instead of greed.

     Mycenae, like the native peoples of the Americas, were slowly
  worn down and defeated by an enemy they had sought to not war
  with but to trade with. The Dorians came first as raiders, then
  in larger numbers as they fled south from either hostile weather
  conditions or an unknown northern invader, and were not to be
  appeased with simply the lands of the neighbors of the Mycenaeans,
  such as the Hittites, but wanted the rich trade of the Black and
  Mediterranean Seas. They did not have a written language, but
  were evidently of similar stock of that which the Mycenaeans had
  once come from centuries before and spoke a similar tongue. They
  destroyed the citadels, palaces and shrines, burning many to the
  ground in their fury. They slew the learned and enslaved the
  poor and agricultural people to serve their own economy - they were
  not the peaceful folk that Homer first tries to show them to
  be, in Homer's day, after the ages, Mycenae was forgotten and
  Minoan Empire a wispy memory of long ago.

     Parts of the culture and its gods and goddesses were still so
  strongly enmeshed in the people that remained that the Dorians
  adapted it into their own rather than try to fight its existence,
  changing it to fit their own values and warlike natures. Thus the
  Mycenaean Age faded away in history and memory until the 1840's AD
  when the ruins of Mycenae were discovered and the Archaeological
  Society of Greece began to recover its forgotten past.

     Much of what we have to work with in our beliefs are based on
  the records of archaeological findings, the eventual deciphering
  of the few tablets and inscriptions in the ancient language of
  the people (Many of which were simply old accounting records)
  and the myths that have survived even the purging and nature of
  the Homeric era. Vocal records always change tales with the
  telling, and thus it has been painstakingly difficult to produce
  what these pages attempt to do. Much has had to been assumed in
  my research as the information is not available, and some has been
  modified to suit our modern times and needs. Thus this is not a
  recreation,no more than Ar nDracht Fan can claim an absolute
  reconstruction of Celtic Druidism, but a new view for the present
  and hopefully the future.

        Each Wanax is responsible for seeing that their Damos sits
     down and somehow develops a name for their Damos, and it is by
     this name that they will be known to other Damosi. It is      suggested that Greek names or ones related to the places they 	choose to name sacred or to the local Native American Indian 	names be used (We, as members of the Myceneaen belief must 	realize the rights of the natives of the lands we presently live 	in and also respect and honor their gods, goddesses and local 	nature spirits and beliefs, for like the original Myceneaens we 	accept the validity of local deities as much as our own, some 	being our own known by other names and some being local powers 	like the dozens of river gods and nature spirits found in ancient 	Greece). If a name is not to be in Greek or in line with a Native 	American group then it should in some way reflect the nature of 	the people involved and their own goals together. Names, 	preferably, should not be more than ten words in length and not 	less than two. At the end of each name shall be added the word 	Damos, to identify it as a part of the Laos.


        For the present I have chosen to act as the Basileus of the
     'organization', that is I wish to be a personage who will be the
     arbitrator (if requested by all sides) in disputes between any
     two or more Wanaxi or Damosi dealing with the material in my
     structure or in a gathering of Damosi. I will also, for the
     moment, hold the position of a communications point between any
     of the further spread Damosi. I hold this position only until
     we have someone who can serve better for either position and who
     is willing to take on the duties - the position holds no true
     power over other Wanaxi or the greater Damosi unless they choose
     to have me arbitrate. This position I will hold no longer than
     ten years, and preferably much less. Once a hundred Wanax are
     established they will have the power, by a majority decision,
     to decide when to replace the Basileus and with who (the who
     must be willing to take the office).

        I also ask that all Wanaxi record their record of activities
     (which we will call, for lack of better terminology your Damosi's
     Book of Records) in photocopy, ASCII text file or to be
     Handwritten/typed/carboned and pass this duplicate on to me to
     keep  and utilize for communicating with all the members of the
     Laos (the people, in greek) of the Mycenaea faith, either within
     newsletters, computer files or whatever - based on the needs of
     each individual of the faith. This is a matter of choice of the
     Wanax personally, if they feel they need secrecy for some reason
     that is their choice and they may choose not to send such to me.
     I am not in a position of power in this path, simply a guide for
     part of the way and then it is up to your own selves to decide
     where you will go dealing with the path, your Wanax, your damos
     and your life-cycles.

     Many of the ancient titles and positions within Mycenae are
  no longer of great import in today's society, but might one day
  become of import. The E-qe-tai (ee-kay-tie) were the liaison
  between the temples and the military, I suggest that this be a
  position given by each Wanax to a member of their Damos when
  they feel the need for someone to act as a Liaison between the
  Damos and any other Damos, a messenger of sorts between groups,
  and also to serve as such if the group comes into contact with
  the press or other public media. This position need not be a
  permanent one, and several may be bestowed this title at one
  time if more than one series of liaisons are necessary. The
  Ko-Re-te (kowe-ray-tay) were military commanders within a Damos,
  we have no need of such at present, unless the Wanax of a group
  chooses that members of their Damos should learn a martial art
  or weapon skill for personal growth - then the Ko-Re-te will be
  the title given to a teacher within the group (You should not
  expect members of your Damos to be taught in such things by a
  person outside the Laos, nor can teaching be forced or required,
  only requested or suggested).

    The Lawagetas was in ancient times the 'Leader of the Host',
  a military leader for a collection of the Laos from more than
  one Damos for a particular purpose. Obviously this is not a
  needed position within our present structure. The Pa-si-re-u
  was the official responsible within a Damos responsible for the
  bronze smiths, again a title I cannot see the need to restore
  (If anyone is skilled at this art and wishes to offer it as a
  teaching to members of your Damos, then grant them the title).

    The klawiphoroi were the key-bearers, always female, of the
  temple. Since our temples, shrines, groves and altars will be
  most likely within other buildings or outside and there is no
  plan to purchase buildings at present for this purpose (for we
  are a poor folk) this title will remain among the unused.

    Each individual of the Laos, including those not of a Damos,
  may consider themselves Mycenaean Priests and Priestesses as long
  as they choose to follow this path of Neo-Paganism. There are no
  paian (non-clerical followers), though there may be members of
  other faiths present at a ritual, celebration or gathering -
  so long as they are willing to accept the rules of hospitality.
  Due to legalities, children are brought into ritual rarely -
  they are not yet on this path and should not be forced upon it
  like some religions do. We must not make the mistakes that many
  mainstream religions have before. They can be present at an open
  celebration, but should not be brought into ritual until they
  are old enough to understand the beliefs and concepts, say
  not before their 16th birthday (this will be an arbitrary
  choice between the Wanax and the parents).

     Finances are the choice of the to deal with, and whether they
  will handle the finances of the Damos or have a separate person
  appointed treasurer or choose to keep no finances for the group
  but run the group as a 'donate anything but money' operation. I
  would like to hear from the Wanaxi on how they are handling their
  finances and the operations herein, especially any who set up
  their Damos as a physical communal household or farm site.


             THE LAWS OF HOSPITALITY FOR MYCENEAENS
             ---------------------------------------
  1) A Guest always has the right to leave a Host's home, lands,
     celebration or gathering when they wish (this is not possible
     always in the middle of a ritual and can only be done when the
     officiary of the ritual grants it magically etc), without
     harm or threat of harm, with all that they brought with them
     into the locale.

  2) A Host always has the right to ask a Guest to leave their home,
     lands, celebration, gathering or ritual without conflict of
     a physical or verbal nature, and to take with them all they
     brought with them into the locale.

  3) A Host has the right to request an armed guest to peace-bond,
     remove from the locale or to take a weapon of any obvious
     nature, unless necessary for a ritual taking place, until it
     the guest is ready to leave without argument or conflict.

  4) A Host has the right to request a guest not utilize or even
     bring into their home, lands, celebration, gathering or ritual
     any substance or device that may be legally questionable or
     outlawed or physically harmful to the Hosts health or that of
     other guests or members of the Damos. (this may be anything
     from drugs, alcohol, poisons, cigarettes, flamethrowers etc.
     all by the Host's discretion).

  5) A Host may ask the following of a personal rule of hygiene or
     social concept be followed by a guest while within the home,
     celebration, ritual, lands etc (EX: the removal of shoes before
     entering the house, the washing of hands, maintaining a low
     level of noise due to someone else sleeping, sharing in the
     breaking of bread, etc by the host's discretion).

  6) Both Host and Guest are bound by a rule of trust - none shall
     carry out violence of a physical or psychic nature against
     those present or they shall be in violation of the rules of
     Hospitality and nullify all such rules at that point.

  7) Neither Host nor guest shall steal from the other - either
     doing such shall be in violation of the rules of Hospitality
     and they shall be annulled at that point.


  8) The Host may ask one service of the guest if they are to
     share meal, sleep within the hosts area, or in other words
     impose on the host in any manner. This service cannot require
     the leaving of the hosts area, nor be of an illegal, personally
     distasteful or harmful way, but will most probably be of a
     simple manner (and not the tasks set out historically in legend)
     such as assisting with the setting of the table, chopping of
     wood for the fire, etc. This is not mandatory, simply suggested
     in conceptual context of the original Mycenaean Society.

  9) The Host and guest, if of different religions, will not seek to
     force their beliefs upon the other - discussion is allowed, but
     not obvious attempts to convert or proselytize.

  10) The Host and guest (and members of the Hosts Damos) will not
     seek to force their affections on each other sexually - this
     does not rule out flirtation, involvement or seduction, but
     does rule out harassment, forced sex and rape. If a person
     says they are not interested then their word is final and any
     further consideration should be personally curbed. Violation of
     this rule invalidates the rules of hospitality in the
     situation.

  11) The Host may request of a Guest reimbursement for any supplies
     that have been used in the feeding or entertainment of the guest
     that are considered excessive. Additionally a guest is expected
     to repay any bills of an excessive nature (such as those of
     long distance telephone calls) that they are responsible for.

  12) A Guest at Ritual is expected to accept the Authority of the
     officiaries within the ritual area as absolute, and shall not
     question their authority or actions while within the ritual area.
     Nor shall a Guest seek to disrupt a ritual from within or from
     outside of it while it is being carried out.

  13) A Guest is expected to provide a gift for a host or the hosts
     Damos when visiting for ritual (A food dish or libation is the
     common practice) or celebration. This is waved if not more than
     one days notice has been given or if the Guest claims a truly
     impoverish condition in their own life.

   
    The above may seem simplistic, obvious or unnecessary, but I feel
  it is important that we have a set of rules for those who cannot
  see the obvious and to protect all involved. Further, I'd like to
  request that any member of the Laos who has had the Rules violated
  by a Host or Guest (especially those rules dealing with violence,
  Forced affection, theft etc) to report them by name to me, anyone
  who has been found in such violation with witnesses by members of
  any three Damosi will be reported as such and publicized by us
  internally to be avoided as Guest or Host (and of course, if a
  legal violation occurs any Host is welcome to report them as such
  to the authorities).

     Remember that a Guest or host cannot be considered held by the
  rules of Hospitality if they have not seen them and agreed to them
  beforehand. Feel free to suggest that other Neo-pagan groups
  accept these rules themselves - this does not have to be just a
  Myceneaen only concept.
                    ETHICS & CONCEPTS OF CONDUCT
                    ----------------------------
     You take, by using this work and collection of beliefs and the
  title of Myceneaen Priest or Priestess, the responsibility for
  your own life and actions in it. Every time you make a decision
  in life you are exercising your freedom and are responsible for
  your actions. With knowledge and power come great responsibility,
  to yourself, your Damos, your Waxan, the Laos, your homeland,
  your birth family, the human race and that of the entire planet.
  There are no 'evil' forces manipulating you or your actions, no
  devils or demons exist save in the minds of others (and if any do
  exist in your own mind then you must cast them out). No amount of
  alcohol, drugs or influence shall change the fact that you are
  still responsible for what you choose to do and not to do.

     Yes, we recognize that there are forces beyond our ability to
  fully conceive in this reality, that at times the gods and the
  goddesses might interfere with our lives, remember that there is
  something to be learned from each success and every failure, that
  they do not wish you to suffer - they simply wish you to learn
  and advance to one day rise above the need for the state of being
  what you are at present - bound within a limiting fleshly body
  for this cycle and for each you have and will have given to you
  until you have learned all this existence can teach and advance
  to a level where you may enjoin with the gods and see beyond our
  present.

                        OPEN CIRCLE ETHICS 
                        by Brandy Williams

    Event organizers and open-circle coordinators have,  I think,
a responsibility to participants  to  provide  a safe and comfor-
table  environment.    The Pagan community here  in  the  Pacific
Northwest  seems  to be evolving an  ethical  standard  governing
organizers.   Althea Whitebirch calls it choice-centered,  and  I
offer  my perception of it  here as a  model and a basis for dis-
cussion.

    HISTORY:  A  few years ago,  the Seattle/ Vancouver/ Portland
area had no ongoing festivals.  As I write,  August '86,  organi-
zers  are  planning next year's schedule --   the  second  annual
Spring  Equinox  Mysteries  festival,  the first Summer  Solstice
Gathering,   the  third annual Solitary Convention,   the  fourth
annual Fall Equinox Festival.   Many of the attendees are new  --
either  to Paganism or to  the  northwest,   and  the events draw
people from a wide geographical area, including British Columbia,
Montana, Idaho, Oregon, California, and all of Washington state.

    We're growing.   We're growing very rapidly, and dealing with
a  disproportionate  influx  of  people  inexperienced  in  group
rituals.   As a result we're starting from scratch in  developing
organizer  ground  rules,  and developing  solutions  to problems
being discussed in the Pagan net nation-wide.

    In  the Pacific northwest,  the circle of organizers is  very
small, almost familial, and we're working from a basis of friend-
ship and trust.   We're concerned about each other and pay atten-
tion  to caring for one another.   I  think the combination of  a
small group handling a  lot of newcomers  has allowed us to gene-
rate a uniquely compassionate set of attitudes and guidelines.

    This outline is my own.   I'm going to phrase this is strong,
definitive terms, with this qualifier: I call it Northwest Ethics
because it has evolved out of  discussions with other organizers.
However,  it isn't offered as a group consensus and any given or-
ganizer might disagree with some of these points or the language.
This  is intended  as  a starting point for discussion and not  a
presentation of a set-in-concrete consensus.

    My  own experience:   I've staffed a number of events in  and
out of the community.   My most recent experience was heading the
SolCon '86 staff, so I'm using it as my most frequent example.

    RITUAL CHOICES:   Althea Whitebirch and I facilitated a  dis-
cussion at the '85  Fall Equinox Festival that has borne substan-
tial  results  in  the local community.   We argued  that  closed
circles can do what they like,  but those of us in charge of open
circles  should lay down some ground rules to  ensure  everyone's
comfort and safety.

    Explain  The Ritual.   I'm personally finding it necessary to
make  some  very  basic announcements,   like  circle  boundaries
shouldn't  be  indiscriminately crossed,  and people should  only
walk clockwise within them.   Again,  we're dealing with a lot of
newcomers.

    No Pressure To Physically Touch.   I've never seen anyone ob-
ject  to holding hands,  but a lot of people have commented  that
they cringe at kisses.  No kissing spirals in open circles.

    Why?   Newcomers tend to go along with group activities, even
ones  they're uncertain about.   Maybe they should be  assertive,
but  more  often  they're not,  and organizers are  their  voice.
Choice: every event in this area includes space for people to put
together  their own circles,  some of which can be more touching-
oriented --  and are identified as such.   Or we might experiment
with  providing an Intimate Circle,  which would include a lot of
hugs and kisses.

    The  rule is:   you don't have to touch anyone you don't want
to, anytime.  That should be clear to newcomers.

    Choice  In Participation.   In open circles,  if the  dancing
gets too rapid or wild,  participants can step back.   Just bring
your  neighbors'  hands together and move out of the way.    I've
also  seen some ritualists allow people to cut themselves out  of
the circle -- the procedure was clearly explained in advance.

    Effective ritual evokes response.   Novices are at  different
tolerance and skill levels than experienced ritualists,  and some
rituals can be overwhelming.   Also,  the 'boogie till you  puke'
crowd exhausts the older folks and the kids in the group.

    Experiment  note:    I  recently separated a circle into  two
groups, the 'keep on dancing' people, and the 'sit down and rest'
folks.    Some rhythm is traded off for comfort.   I've also seen
two  rituals staged consecutively,  one quiet and one 'dance  all
night.' Suggestion: we can try a novice ritual, and a more power-
ful one for skilled people.

    Also note:  one northwest organizer disagreed with these sug-
gested choices,  feeling those who participate in a circle should
be committed for the duration of the experience.   It's a  point.
In  that case,  I  think a clear understanding of what's to  come
would be essential.

    STIMULANTS

    In  PANEGYRIA Vol.  3  No.  4,  Althea Whitebirch argued  for
informed  choice in using stimulants.   If alcohol is used  in  a
communal  cup everyone should know,  and a fruit juice  or  other
substitute should also be available.

    Drugs:  NOT AT EVENTS I COORDINATE!   At least,  not with  my
knowledge or approval.  Private drug use hasn't been a problem so
far.    My concern is that if anyone is caught,  it's not private
any  more.   I'm the one who gets to deal with the police and the
press, and the whole community's image suffers.

    If problems arise in the future,  I'd consider banning  drugs
altogether.    Organizing is tough enough --  I  have a right  to
limit my risks.  Call a closed circle and do it at home.

    MINORS: Young children supervised by Pagan parents are a real
joy.   Teenagers with absent,  non-Pagan parents or guardians are
becoming a problem, even with signed in advance waivers.  Some of
us  are  leaning  toward a 'no minor  without  attending  parent'
policy.   How do you keep them away from the wine?   Think of the
issues surrounding sexuality with under-age kids.  The 'what-ifs'
are frightening to contemplate.

    I  haven't made a firm decision because I know how  important
the  contacts and support can be to our younger friends.   On the
other hand,  they do grow up.   In two years, a  16  year old can
sign her own waiver.  Maybe we could set up a gentle,  first con-
tact network to provide them with 'one on one'  support, starting
slowly.

    SOLOMONIC DECISIONS

    I  was asked to kick out two people who wanted to attend  the
last SolCon, and I burned one request for a registration.

    I know,  I  know.  The word 'blacklist'  leaps immediately to
mind.    This is a tough issue.   The request I burned was from a
person  who was suspected of having responded violently to a cri-
ticism.  The other two revolved around sexual ethics: men accused
of coercing women into intimacy.

    Help.

    The problem, as always, is that none of the cases were clear-
cut.  How do I substantiate an accusation?  Do I kick someone out
on a suspicion?   I  don't want violence or sexual coercion at an
event  that  has my name on it.   I  also don't want  to  mediate
personal conflicts;  that's not my job.

    At  the  moment,  one well-placed person can  ruin  another's
reputation.   I've seen three people kicked from the community on
ONE person's request.   I've also seen people with  a lot of con-
tacts  survive a number of complaints.   Neither situation  seems
fair.

    We have a lot of options.   This is an essay question:   pick
one and list the pros and cons.
1. Anyone at all can attend any event.
2. Each organizer must individually choose who to deny attendance
to.  (In practice, we do pass names to each other.)
3.(Any person  who has been accused by one person of one  of  the
following things should get flagged.  That is,  every event orga-
nizer should be notified:
    -Theft or destruction of another's property.
    -Violence against people -- assault.
    -Sexual coercion or abuse.
    This seems to me to be most workable:

4.(In one case I had three complaints a man had made weird sexual
phone calls to women.   I  called him and offered him  probation:
find someone to sponsor you,  to be willing to act as liaison  be-
tween you and the community.   As with minors, the sponsor should
be with you at each event you attend.   Then I would put the word
out  that  you  are one probation,  and  the  sponsor  should  be
contacted  if you contact anyone on your own and misbehave.   The
probation would last for  a  year.    Any repetition of the unde-
sirable behavior would get you kicked from my events permanently,
and  I  would  notify other organizers.   Failure to  accept  the
probation means getting kicked immediately.

    I haven't had a chance to use this procedure because the per-
son  decided the effort wasn't worth it (a statement in  itself).
I notified other organizers.

    I'm aware this issue is extremely hot.   Personally,  I'm in-
troducing  a  lot  of people to the community,   AND  vice-versa.
There are a lot of weirdos out there.  I don't want to let a mass
murderer  loose  among us (as it were).   I  also don't  want  to
blacklist someone because of a personality conflict.

    Bottom  line:  some novice assertiveness training seems to be
in order.

    CARETAKING

    Some  of  us  have had good experience  with  'greeters'   or
ombudsmen.   (Ombudspeople?)  It's a staff position, the sole re-
sponsibility  of  which  is  to be  available  for  participants'
support,   to solve problems,  hold hands,  and be a liaison  with
staff.

    I didn't have greeters at SolCon '86  and regretted it.  Even
with 30  people,  the event coordinator (me)  didn't have time to
personally check in with everyone.

    I  like  very  much that northwest events  coordinators  show
visible concern and caring for everyone.  A  friend of mine said,
"I  love these events because I always feel so cherished."    I'd
like to see that become a community standard.

    ORGANIZER'S MAGIC

    SolCon  '86   has  a staff  conceptualizer  who  renamed  the
position.   An organizer is the focus,  he said,  of the energies
coming into, and generated by the event.

    A  festival isn't just about magic.   It IS magic,   and  the
focus has the pleasure of shepherding what another friend of mine
calls the magical child through its inception,  and allowing par-
ticipants to share in its direction.  (Rearing?)

    This outline is a suggestion, a template,  for focusing event
magic.  These are the major focus points:

-Conception.   When the event is scheduled/sited.  I  saw a staff
group hold a circle at the actual site several months before  the
event, asking for:  safety, to have enough registrants,  what the
event  was designed to accomplish for the attendees,  the  staff,
and the community.

-Presentation.  I  don't know about anyone else, but for me, put-
ting a flyer together is casting a spell.

-Orientation.  Somewhere in the first few hours of the event, ask
the  participants  to  help focus on the  event's  parameters  --
safety, joy, solvency ...

-Major or parting ritual.   Of necessity the ritual  coordinators
will  set  the  structure,  and almost always the nature  of  the
working  as well,  but eve here the attendees can have some space
to give feedback.

-Post-event focus:  a thank-you circle.

    FEEDBACK

    It  might  be suggested that an organizer has a right  to  do
whatever works,  and event participants must fend for themselves.
I argue that event sponsors represent the community -- create the
experience of the Pagan community for many who have no other con-
tacts,   and as such,  they are accountable to their participants
and to other event organizers and community elders.

    Aside from the issues already discussed,  there are financial
ones.   This year I distributed a financial accounting to  SolCon
'86  attendees.  That was scary --  laying out the bottom line of
the decisions and mistakes I made!  The thing is, a lot of people
asked for that kind of accounting,  and I've wondered myself when
I attended events.

    The other issue is proceeds or profits.   SolCon '86   didn't
make any.   I had, however,  planned to pay my staff some salary,
thinking we should be compensated for our work.  Some people dis-
agreed,   feeling event funds should be channelled into  projects
the  community benefits from.   Since teeny SolCon is becoming  a
formal organization (for legal purposes)  and I'm putting  myself
on  the Board,  I  won't personally be in a position to take  any
money out.   However,  I'd still like to pay the staff --  even a
small amount --  because they sacrifice some of their own fun and
do a lot of work to make the thing possible.

    Finally:   organizing is a pretty heavy responsibility and  a
lot of work.  I think we have a right to ask for hugs.

    I  hope to see lots of discussion on these issues.    Because
our  value  is maximum tolerance for diversity,  doesn't have  to
mean that anything goes.   I  think it's possible for us to reach
consensus about some ground rules, to safeguard our community and
everyone in it.   We ask for perfect love and perfect trust.    I
think we need to provide a safety net to ensure it.

    As always, I welcome feedback.
                                                  Brandy Williams

	 STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS--LIFEWAY SHAMANIC FELLOWSHIP 
 
    By Usen's grace, Ho-dah.... 
 
    1.) PURPOSES: 
          This is an era of decision. Do we allow ourselves to cut the 
          throat of the Mother Who has nourished us as a species since 
          we "came down from the trees"?  Or do we work to walk in 
          Beauty and Harmony with Her, and cherish Her, and work to 
          see Her healed?  The resurgence of Shamanism, the primal 
          Earth Religion of practically all of the Earth's 
          pre-Agrarian cultures, is an important thing, foretold by 
          the Paiute prophet Wovoka and in the Hopi Prophecies.  It 
          was said that both the Red Man would return to the Ways of 
          the Old Ones and that the non-Native would also embrace the 
          Lifeway.  There are non-Natives who respectfully have chosen 
          these Ways, and are carrying them on in a reverent way. If 
          the Lifeway was only given for the Native peoples, it would 
          die out within our lifetime.  There are simply not enough 
          traditional Elders left. 
 
          It has been shown to some of us that Our Mother The Earth is 
          not willing to die quietly.  She has demonstrated this by 
          the increase in natural disasters of the past decade, which 
          continue day by day.  The Hopi prophecies state that, when 
          the "bowl full of ashes" (most interpret this as the 
          Thermonuclear Bomb) is overturned, that Our Mother shall 
          rise up in Her righteous anger and destroy humanity.  This 
          prophecy is coming true, although it may yet be reversible. 
          Perhaps it is we who reverence the Ways and walk in harmony 
          with Our Mother that may stay Her hand. 
 
          The Lifeway Fellowship is here for those who wish to honor 
          Our Mother and Our Father, Earth and Sky, and to honor The 
          Giver Of Life, from whence all things flow in the Universe. 
          Our world-view is primarily allied with that of the 
          Navajo/Dineh, Apache/Teneh, and Hopi peoples. However we do 
          not represent ourselves as the keepers of those ways.  The 
          secrets of those Nations are for them alone, unless Usen' 
          wishes to reveal them to us.  Our mission is to help heal 
          Our Mother, The Earth, and to help each other walk in closer 

          harmony with Her.  We also exist to provide a way for urban 
          and sub-urban people to learn and practice the root Shamanic           techniques that aid us in finding our True Vision and True 
          Way of Power, and following that Vision and that Way. 
 
          We identify ourselves as Pagan (Webster's New World 
          Dictionary "1. b)...a person who is not a Christian, Moslem,           or Jew (by faith); heathen. Pagan specifically refers to one           of the ancient polytheistic (or pantheistic) peoples.") and 
          as unashamed Pantheists and Polytheists.  The Lifeway 
          is truly a religious commitment.  No-one can make a                    commitment to the Lifeway and to the worship of Life Giver,           The Earth Mother and The Sky Father and remain a worshiper           of other Paradigms of the Deity, much as one cannot be a           Christian and worship the Greco-Roman pantheon.  However           this does not imply the condemnation of other Paradigms, nor           impel a duty to "convert" others. 
 
          We stand by other Pagans who do not share our paradigms, IE.           Wiccans, Asatruans, Hellenists, and other Shamanic           traditions, (African and neo-African(Santeria & Voudoun),           Australian, Siberian, Traditional Native American, and           Polynesian, to name a few) and even though we may disagree           with some or all of their practices and beliefs, they are           Brothers, Sisters and Cousins, and in times of persecution           as well as times of goodwill we must defend them.  We may           even share in their open rituals and allow them to share in           our open ceremonials.  But that which is ours must remain           ours, just as that which is theirs must remain theirs. 
 
    2.) THE(A)OLOGY: 
 
          As our Fellowship is inherently religious, we must declare a 
          The(a)ology. (The strange spelling refers to the fact that 
          we acknowledge a Goddess as well as a God) 
          This is summed up very easily.  There are three main powers 
          we worship, Usen' the Life Giver, The Earth Mother, and The 
          Sky Father.  The latter Two are emanations of the First, as 
          all, including the God and the Goddess, are emanations from 
          Usen', which is the primeval First Cause. 
 


          Usen': One cannot look upon The Life Giver as either Male or           Female, for The Life Giver is beyond those distinctions. 
          Usen', and The Life Giver, are names for this First Cause, 
          this Force that pervades all and caused all to come into 
          being. From Usen', the God, Sky Father, and the Goddess, 
          Earth Mother, emanate, as the lesser Deities emanate from 
          Them. 
 
          The Earth Mother: We live and walk and are sustained from 
          The Earth Mother, which is our Earth.  She is alive, and we 
          all exist within Her as part of Her structure. Science, 
          through the Gala Hypothesis, has finally acknowledged Her 
          existence, and some even have learnt the lesson that our 
          duty in this life is to care for and honor Her.  This is a 
          lesson that all must learn, for as long as we despoil Her, 
          we risk Her wrath.  She is expressed through the faces of 
          White Painted Woman, Who is The Woman Warrior, through Corn 
          Mother, Who is The Nourishing Mother, and through Spider 
          Woman, Who is The Wise Woman, The Ancient One, The Custodian 
          of Wisdom. Women are acknowledged as being human represent- 
          atives of The Earth Mother. 
 
          The Sky Father: Just as among we Humans, there is both Man 
          and Woman, so there is no Earth Mother without Sky Father. 
          Sky Father is the air we breathe, the flame that gives us 
          warmth and cooks our food, and brings forth the rain that 
          fertilizes Our Mother and allows Her to provide us with 
          the crops and animals that sustain us.  Sky Father is also 
          expressed as The Hunter, The Warrior, and First Shaman, and 
          is also expressed in Killer Of Enemies and The Child Of 
          Water. He is also present and acknowledged as being present 
          in every Man. 
 
          There are other spirits that exist in the Universe, some 
          beneficent, some maleficent.  But most important is Usen', 
          Earth Mother, and Sky Father. By walking in harmony with the 
          God(esse)s, one can tell the Good from the Evil, welcoming 
          in Good, and protecting each other from Evil. 

 
    3.)ETHICS: 
 
          We have our code of Ethics.  It is neither lengthy nor 
          overly restrictive.  We do not include ancient taboos in 
          this list, such as Mother-In-Law avoidance or the taboo 
          against Fish, because they may not apply nowadays.  If you 
          wish to not eat fish or to avoid your Mother-In-Law for 
          religious reasons, it is your prerogative.  But it is not a 
          requirement. 
 
          1.) If the action does not harm yourself, other people or 
          intelligent beings, or Our Mother The Earth, you are free to           do as you wish. 
 
          2.) To charge for healings, sweats or ceremonials is totally 
          wrong and extremely offensive.  Also, to charge excessively 
          for teaching is equally offensive, but a modest fee 
          over expenses is allowable.  Your conscience is the best 
          guide, that and the Will of the Deities. 
 
          3.) Magick should be limited only to protection of Self and 
          Loved Ones, and to healing and helping those in need, 
          provided that permission is given by the patient and that 
          help other than healing does not interfere with the Will of 
          others. Magick that is used in a coercive (IE. Love spells) 
          or destructive (harming or killing magick) way is patently 
          wrong and is considered Black Magick. 
 
          4.) Contact of spirits by any means other than Shamanic 
          journeying or the Vision Quest is very risky, and Possession           is a real possibility.  The practice of mediumship, or 
          "channeling" has no place in the Lifeway, and exposes not 
          only Self but others to danger. 
 
          5.) Permission must always be asked of the spirits of plants           and/or animals before taking them for either sustenance or 
          for medicine. 
 
          6.) One's visions and one's personal ceremonies are one's 
          own.  Personal visions should not be spoken of, but shared 
          visions are for all of the group. 

 
          7.) It is wrong to criticize another within the group or 
          outside the group.  Racism, sexism, xenophobia or general 
          disrespect of others has no place in the Fellowship. 
          Individual decisions about lifestyle and other ethical 
          issues not covered here are an individual's own affair. 
 
    4.):GROUP STRUCTURE AND INITIATION PRACTICES 
 
          There is only one Initiation, which is the Initiation that 
          makes one Kin within the group and in the sight of The 
          Deities.  It is given after one has taken their first Vision           Quest, has found their Power Animal(s) and has met the 
          Shaman Within.  It can only be denied to those who have met 
          these requirements, is younger than the legal Age Of Consent           (in most places, 18 years) is not of sound mind, and/or is 
          under suspicion of being a Law Enforcement Officer or other 
          person antipathetic to Pagan and/or Shamanic belief 
          who requests initiation for fraudulent purposes (usually to 
          infiltrate to either sabotage or publicly discredit the 
          Fellowship) Initiation must not be denied on account of 
          physical disabilities, blindness, deafness, or sterility, 
          nor on account of sex, race, nationality, political belief, 
          or sexual preference. 
 
          There are no set offices within the Fellowship.  Ideally, 
          leadership should be by consensus, with true leaders being 
          temporary and purpose-oriented.  Facilitation of rituals may           be done by any Initiate of the Fellowship.  ANYONE WHO 
          REPRESENTS THEMSELVES AS A HIGH PRIEST/ESS OF THE LIFEWAY 
          SHAMANIC FELLOWSHIP IS A FRAUD, AND IS DOING SO CONTRARY TO 
          THIS STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS. 
 
          Support of the Fellowship is done on a purely voluntary and 
          mutual basis. No tithe or dues should be assessed unless 
          they have been agreed upon by all members, initiates and 
          non-initiates alike. 
 
          Membership is extended to all.  But initiation is reserved 
          for those who meet the criteria mentioned above. 
          Non-initiates can participate in open ceremonials and in 
          basic workshops, but may be denied participation in certain 
          ceremonials and advanced workshops. 

 
    5.) THE QUESTION OF RECOGNIZING SHAMANS 
 
          In traditional societies, the title Shaman was not just an 
          honorific, or recognition of talents.  Nor was it the 
          highest initiatory level in a Shamanic society.  The Shaman 
          was, in most cases, above the Chief in decision-making power           and was judge, doctor, father-confessor, and intercessor 
          with the Deities for the tribe.  Some Shamanic societies are           now providing their membership with "Shaman training 
          seminars" and "Shaman apprenticeships" that can be had for 
          an exorbitant price.  This implies that the cost of being a 
          Shaman can be paid in money and in a set amount of time. 
          This is not the case.  Many tribes believe that the office 
          of Shaman is not one that is earned, but one that one is 
          born into.  Certainly, the skills are never something one is           born with, and this is not merely hereditary.  Rather, when 
          a child is born, the current Shaman would recognize that the           child had the POTENTIAL of being the next one, and the 
          child's training would begin when they were considered ready           by the Shaman.  At adulthood, they would be tested.  If they           passed the test, they would become the next Shaman.  If they           failed, usually the test was such that they would either die           outright, or they would go insane.  Many "heroic quest" 
          tales, and most notably the Arthurian legends have echoes of           this practice within the ancient Shamanic traditions of 
          Europe. 
 
          But the point that is being made here is that we should not 
          go back to that sort of way of doing things, because in this           society it is nigh on impossible.  The stand I am offering 
          here is that recognition as a Shaman can be conferred only 
          through shared vision, and signs from the Deities.  It is 
          not my place to say what the signs are...it will be obvious 
          to the Fellowship.  I am not Shaman myself, and will not 
          brook anyone calling me that.  This is something I place in 
          the lap of the Deities to decide.  I cannot do anything 
          more.  It is a mockery of those people that can truly be 
          called Shamans, who are respected, powerful people of 
          traditional tribes, to do anything less.  In any event, to 
          claim such a title is definitely not enough, and is 
          punishable by withdrawing Fellowship from the one who claims           to be Shaman falsely. 

 
    6.) FESTIVALS AND WORSHIP DAYS 
 
          The festivals are reckoned as they have been for centuries 
          by most Southwestern tribes, by both the Sun and the Moon. 
          The seasons begin on the first full moon after a Solstice or           an Equinox.  The Solstices and Equinoxes themselves are 
          times of celebration as well, and perhaps the period between           the two (which usually works out to be no more than a week 
          or so) could be considered a time of Holiday.  Lesser 
          ceremonials are held on New Moons and Full Moons between the           first Full Moons of the seasons.  Optionally certain Pagan 
          festivals could be celebrated in conjunction with other 
          groups, but they are not to be adopted as official Lifeway 
          Fellowship ceremonial days. 
 
          There are other ceremonials that are personal in nature, and           can be held at any time, although synchronizing them with 
          the Festivals and the New and Full Moons is advisable. They 
          are Naming, where a newborn child is named in the presence 
          of the group and their Life-beads given; Coming Of Age, 
          where the child's physical maturity is acknowledged, and 
          where, for a short time, they become Child of the Water (if 
          a boy) or White Painted Woman (if a girl); Initiation, where           a person becomes a full-fledged member of the group, given 
          after a person becomes a legal adult; Joining, where a man 
          and a woman consent to be married; Unjoining, where a man 
          and woman who are married consent to have the bond 
          dissolved, which is to be done only after four reconcili- 
          ation attempts fail or after evidence of marital infidelity 
          or abuse is given before the group; the Moonlodge, which is 
          a special sweat for women in their Moon-time; and Release, 
          where a ceremony for a dead member of the Fellowship is done           to guide their soul Back Home.  Other ceremonials that are 
          dreamed or envisioned by a person or group are also 
          encouraged. 

 
     7.) SUMMING UP 
 
          A few quick ones: One can be either clothed or unclothed at 
          ceremonies, but it should be known that none of the 
          Southwestern tribes did ceremonies in the nude.  However, 
          one should disrobe for the sweat lodge, as clothes are not 
          only uncomfortable within the sweat lodge, but interfere 
          with the cleansing process of the lodge. 
 
          This Statement can be accepted or rejected by individual 
          groups that federate themselves with Lifeway Fellowship. But           federation can be denied to those groups who stray too far 
          from some of the basic guidelines, or do anything that would           sully the reputation of the Fellowship in general. 
 
          Hi-dicho...this is finished. 
          May these proceeds please Life Giver Usen', and the Mother 
          and the Father. 
          ENJU! 
          Chihacou White-Puma, 1988. 

	The Pantacle - a teaching story
	(c) Gary Dumbauld, 1988


	Michael came, walking slowly, purposefully, to the stone
circle deep in the woods.  Stripped of clothes he came, naked to
the wind the moon and the stars, a cord of red twice his height
tied round his waist, a black-hilted knife at his left hip.  He
tried to still his mind, remember his lessons, push his thoughts
to the back of his mind, and just feel; the feel of the Earth on
which he trod, the feel of the wind on his body, the feather-
weight touch of the moonlight on his skin.  He tried to put
himself in harmony with the grand design of the Universe, the
purpose of the evening, he willed himself sternly to master his
emotions, listen and look with sacred intent.

	He came, bearing the pantacle before him, balanced firmly on
his hands.  Silver, it was, silver like the moon, carved and
etched, polished, burnished and blackened with signs and symbols. 
How he had sweated over it, this past year, with hammer and
chisel, graver and burin, acids and wax, the tools of the
silversmith.  A year and a day it had been, since he was judged
worthy to become a Priest, and given this task.  His to carry,
this silver shield, but not his to own, till the rite was over
and he, like his father and mother before him, his aunts and
uncles and grandparents for generations, inherited by solemn and
sacred ceremony the High Priesthood of the Wise.

	The High Priestess' athame pressed to his chest, her low,
clear voice as she asked him the ritual questions, roused him as
from a dream, of forest dark, and woods enchanted.   He answered
her with a voice not quite fearful, but not as steady as he would
have wished.

	"I come to this Circle seeking knowledge.  I am Michael; my
face you well know; I have been sworn and initiated into the
Third Degree, but I would now seek the Priesthood of the Wise.  I
come, bringing as my key this sacred Pantacle, over which I have
labored for a year and a day; I wish to be instructed in it's
true meaning; to this end I present my self, the work of my
hands, and two passwords: Perfect Love and Perfect Trust."


	"All who bring such words are doubly welcome" the High
Priestess replied, "and I give to you a third password, a kiss",
And so saying, kissed him on the lips and whirled him sunwise
into the sacred space.  He gazed about himself, his eyes sliding
easily over the usual implements on the altar, the candles and
wands, censer, bowls of incense and salt; he looked at the High
Priestess expectantly.  

	The High Priestess spoke again, her voice reverberating
through the circle, echoing back from the sacred boundary stones;
"A seeker comes; this his purpose.  The purpose of the Wise--to
teach!  As it has ever been, let it now so be done!  Who shall
begin?"

	The Priest in the North stood forward.  "I shall begin.  Young
High Priest to be, step to the North."  

	Michael walked to the North, handed the Priest his Pantacle, and
stood silently while the Priest examined it, hoping that his work
would be judged as correct, hoping he had made an accurate
rendering of all the signs and symbols that he had been shown, a
year and a day previous.

	The Priest carefully examined the pantacle, turning it about to
catch the light of the central fire, then handed it back to the
boy.

	"It is well done, all is correct.  Look upon the symbol at
the top of the pantacle--the upright triangle.  This sign is the
symbol of fire, the flame straining upwards, and stands for the
three-fold salute, by which I now salute you, recognizing the
fire within you, the fire of will, the will to accomplish, the
will to dare.  A year ago you knew nothing of the craft of the
silversmith, and yet you have taught yourself to make this pan-
tacle.  I say again, well done!", and so saying, the Priest
touched Michael with his athame on the right shoulder, the top of
his head, the left shoulder, and again on the right shoulder.


	Putting his arm around Michael's shoulder, the Priest brought
Michael around sunwards a few steps, then faced him again.

	"The next symbol on the pantacle is a pentagram.  This
pentagram stands for the five-fold salute.  In the form of a
pentagram with one point up, the five-fold salute symbolizes that
which is the best man has to offer, ascending to the Gods, being
enriched, expanded and augmented, and returning to enrich the
life of mankind.  Thus, the five fold salute symbolizes the
microcosm of man containing the macrocosm of the Universe."   So
saying, the Priest touched Michael with the wand, on the right
hip, head, left hip, right breast, left breast, and right hip.

	A priestess stepped forward, saying, "Now, with your
permission, I will carry on this candidate's instruction."  The
Priest bowed to her, and returned to his place in the North.  The
Priestess took Michael by the hand and walked with him farther
around the circle, still moving sunwards.  She stopped, released
his hand, and faced him, taking up a bowl of blue paint. 
Stepping closer, she reached out her blue-daubed hand, and made
the sign of the labrys on his chest.

	"The next symbol on the pantacle is that of the Goddess in
her aspect as the two moons, monthly waxing and waning.  The
waxing moon symbolizes that which is outgoing and constructive in
mankind, the waning moon that which is hidden and withdrawn.  The
waning moon also reminds us that for every accomplishment there
will be failures, that for every gain in our lives there will be
setbacks; we are not to weep and wail against the Gods, or fate,
or karma, but we should accept that there is a balance, and the
balance will be maintained, whether we will it or not. 
Constructive and destructive, life and death--this is the way the
world is made; that which dies paves the way for the next round
of life."

	The Priestess linked arms with him then, and they moved farther
sunwards about the circle.  She turned to him, and kissed him
firmly on the mouth, saying "The next symbol on the pantacle is
the kiss.  I kiss you, Michael, because we are human; the Gods
have created us male and female.  I also kiss you in token of the
perfect love and perfect trust I have for you, and for the
perfect love and perfect trust you declared for us when you
entered this holy space.  That is why you were greeted by the
High Priestess with a kiss."

	Michael stood, blushing.  He could still taste the sweetness of
her mouth, and his body wanted to respond to her as man to
woman--it was well he was carrying the pantacle in front of him;
then he got himself under control, realizing the importance of
this lesson; the ritual kiss would always be more than a
handshake between equals, but never quite a sexual overture; an
acknowledgement, not a demand.  He sighed, composed himself, and
looked at the next sign on the pantacle.

	A stern-looking Priest came towards Michael, his face set in grim
lines, carrying something Michael could not quite make out.  The
man faced Michael, then walked behind him, carrying what could
now be clearly seen as a cat o'nine tails.  Michael flinched in
anticipation of being struck; surely the Priest was not going to
whip him?  Ouch! Yes he was!

	"Michael," the Priest said, between strokes, "the next sign
on the pantacle is the scourge.  The scourge of memory.  Stand
tall, now, and be still, it will hurt worse if you try to avoid
it."

	Now he had stopped striking Michael with the scourge.  The welts
on his back stung and burned, but Michael tried to ignore the
pain and concentrate on the Priest's voice as he continued.

	"Michael, you told us at your First Degree initiation that
you were willing to suffer to learn.  This scourge will not be
applied to your back again in a physical sense, but I want you to
learn to look back upon your life; and take power from the
foolish stupid things you have done.  The mistakes, the petty
jealousies, the little hurts you've inflicted on your friends,
your parents, the people around you.  Remember, Michael, and as
you remember, allow yourself to feel sad, to feel the pain and
embarrassment you've caused.  Feel it, take the power from it,
then let it go!  Go onward, take strength from your past, don't
dwell on it, but don't pretend the past never happened."

	The Priest again stepped behind Michael, this time carrying a pot
of something in his hand.  Michael flinched again as something
touched his back, but this was cool and soothing, drawing out the
pain.  The Priest waited a few moments, till he saw that the
cooling balm had done its work, then took Michael gently by the
hand and drew him along, ever sunwards, to explain the next
symbol.

	"The next symbol on the pantacle is the sign of the God, the
horned circle.  The horned circle represents, among other things,
the Cretan bull, annually sacrificed by our ancestors.  The bull
symbolizes the wild magic of the God, the intuitional magic, the
magic that springs from the instinct.  The Cretan priests
sacrificed the bull, thus indicating the triumph of reason and
intellect over instinct and intuition.  We, however are not
Cretans, and we do not immolate the bull of intuition on the
altar of reason.  Logic and reason are fine in their place, but
never neglect the way you feel; never forget that the universe is
a mixture, a combination, a melding of the tangible and the
unreal, instinct and logic.  Now I must retire, your instruction
will be completed by the High Priestess."

	The High priestess approached Michael, walking slowly,
deliberately, each foot placed with purpose, her upright carriage
reminding him of her status, first among equals, High Priestess
of the Coven, the Circle of the Wise.

	She stepped closer.  "Michael," she said, "the last symbol on the  rim of the pantacle is the inverted triangle, the alchemical
symbol of water; representing the number three, the number of
life.  It is a gate, a gateway of life, a gateway of time, for
time is past, present, and future; life is body, mind, spirit.  I
am about to bestow upon you, the three-fold kiss, to bring your
body, your past, your mind, the present, your spirit, and the
future to bear on this moment."

	So saying, she bent and kissed him, first on the right shoulder,
then the left; kneeling she kissed him just above the phallus,
and then on his right shoulder again.

	"Michael, you have now passed around the rim of the
pantacle, let us now move to the center, and I will instruct you
in the meaning of the central pentagram.  The pentagram in the
center of the pantacle is the sign of mankind.  If I stand thus,
with feet apart, hands stretched to the winds, head erect, the
pentagram will enclose my body.  We therefore can observe that
the pentagram in the center of the pantacle represents mankind in
the center of the universe, surrounded by Goddess and God;
blessings and reminders; past, present and future; good memories
and bad; light and life, love and law.  The central pentagram
therefore can serve as a reminder to us, that the Universe was
NOT made for man, man was made for the Universe."


	She knelt at his feet, smiling, and kissed him, first on the
left foot, then the right, saying, "I bless your feet, Michael,
that have brought you in these ways, reminding you to be ever
ready to go on foot, to help, protect, and defend the brothers
and sisters of the Wise."  

	She kissed his knees, saying, "I bless your knees, reminding
you to ever go on bent knee in humility when supplicating the
Deities, that one who knows his own worth will gladly kneel in
order to learn."

	She kissed his phallus, and said, "I bless and consecrate
the organ of generation, that in time you may know that love is
the great teacher of equality; love is the prime example of man
and woman as equals; two beings, alike in all ways, equal in all
ways, but totally different; one incomplete without the other;
forever opposite, but forever complimentary.  Indiscriminate sex
will gain you nothing, Michael, for though sex is magic, love is
the magician."

	She kissed his right and left breast, saying "I bless your
breast, and remind you to keep within the safe repository of the
breast, the secrets of the Wise, as if under lock and key."

	Then she kissed him on the mouth, and said, "I bless your
mouth, Michael; henceforth, as a High Priest, you will be a
teacher, and the words of your mouth, based in knowledge,
leavened with intuition and instinct, uttered with magical will,
shall live in the memory of the Wise.  Go forward, make your
progress, High Priest and Magus!

	 Defining Chaos 
	By: Mark Chao
 
Introduction 
* 
   Chaos, according to the `Oxford English Dictionary' means: 
1. A gaping void, yawning gulf, chasm, or abyss. 
2. The `formless void' of primordial matter, the `great deep' or 'abyss' out of which the cosmos or order of the universe was evolved. 

   There are a couple of additional definitions, but they are irrelevant 
to this discussion.  When chaos is used in magic, there is no place for 
confusion or disorder. 

   Chaos is the creative principle behind all magic.  When a magical 
ritual is performed, regardless of `tradition' or other variables in the 
elements of performance, a magical energy is created and put into motion to 
cause something to happen.  In his book, `Sorcery as Virtual Mechanics', 
Stephen Mace cites a scientific precedent for this creative principle. 
I quote: 
   "To keep it simple, let us confine our example to just two electrons, 
the pointlike carriers of negative charge.  Let us say they are a part of the solar wind--beta particles, as it were--streaming out from the sun at thousands of miles a second.  Say that these two came close enough that their negative charges interact, causing them to repel one another.  How do they accomplish this change in momentum? 

   "According to quantum electrodynamics, they do it by exchanging 
a "virtual" photon.  One electron spawns it, the other absorbs it, and so do they repel each other.  The photon is "virtual" because it cannot be seen by an outside observer, being wholly contained in the interaction.  But it is real enough, and the emission and absorption of virtual photons is how the electromagnetic interaction operates. 

   "The question which is relevant to our purpose here is where does 
the photon come from.  It does not come out of one electron and lodge in the other, as if it were a bullet fired from one rock into another.  The electrons themselves are unchanged, except for their momenta.  Rather, the photon is created out of nothing by the strain of the interaction.  According to current theory, when the two electrons come close their waveforms interact, either cancelling out or reinforcing one another. 
Waveforms are intimately tied to characteristics like electric charge, and we could thus expect the charges on the two electrons to change.  But electron charge does not vary; it is always 1.602 x (-19) coulombs.  Instead the virtual photons appear out of the vacuum and act to readjust the system.  The stress spawns them and by their creation is the stress resolved". 


Austin Spare understood this principle in regard to magical phenomena 
long before scientists discovered photons or began experiments in the area of chaos science. 

Austin Osman Spare-some history 
* 
   Austin Spare was born at midnight, Dec. 31st, 1886 in a London suburb called Snow Hill.  His father was a London policeman, often on night duty. 

   Spare showed a natural talent for drawing at an early age, and in 1901-1904 left school to serve an apprenticeship in a stained-glass works, 
but continued his education at Art College in Lambeth.  In 1904 he won a 
scholarship to the Royal College of Art.  In that year he also exhibited a picture in the Royal Academy for the first time. 

 In 1905 he published his first book, `Earth Inferno'.  It was primarily 
meant to be a book of drawings, but included commentaries that showed some of his insight and spiritual leanings.  John Singer Sargent hailed him as a genius at age 17.  At an unspecified time in his adolescence, Spare was initiated into a witch cult by a sorceress named Mrs. Patterson, whom Spare referred to as his "second mother".  In 1908 he held an exhibition at Bruton Gallery.  In 1910 he spent a short time as a member of the Golden Dawn.  Becoming disenchanted with them, he later joined Crowley's Argentum Astrum.  The association did not last long.  Crowley was said to have considered Spare to be a Black Magician. In 1909 Spare began creation of the `Book of Pleasure'.  In 1912 his reputation was growing rapidly in the art world. In 1913 he published the `Book of Pleasure'.  It is considered to be his most important magical work, and includes detailed instructions for his system of sigilization and the "death postures" that he is well known for.  1914-1918 he served as an official war artist. He was posted to Egypt which had a great effect on him.  In 1921, he published `Focus of Life', another book of drawings with his unique and magical commentaries. 

 In 1921-1924 Spare was at the height of his artistic success, then, in 1924 he published the `Anathema of Zos', in which he effectively excommunicated himself from his false and trendy artistic "friends" and benefactors.  He returned to South London and obscurity to find the freedom to develop his philosophy, art and magic.


   In 1947 Spare met Kenneth Grant and became actively involved with
other well-known occultists of the period.  In 1948-1956 he began work on a
definitive Grimoire of the Zos Kia Cultus, which is referred to in his various writings.  This is unfinished and being synthesized from Spare's papers by Kenneth Grant, who inherited all of Spare's papers.  Much of this information was included in `Images and Oracles of Austin Osman Spare' by Kenneth Grant, but there are some unpublished works which Grant plans to publish after completion of his Typhonian series.

   References for this section are mostly from Christopher Bray's
introduction to `The Collected Works of Austin Osman Spare' and from
`Excess Spare', which is a compilation by TOPY of photocopied articles
about Spare from various sources.

 
The Magic of Austin Osman Spare 
* 
   Spare's art and magic were closely related.  It is reputed that 
there are messages in his drawings about his magical philosophy.  One 
particular picture of Mrs. Patterson has reportedly been seen to move; the eyes opening and closing.  Spare is best known for his system of using sigils.   Being an artist, he was very visually oriented. 

 The system basically consists of writing down the desire, preferably 
in your own magical alphabet, eliminating all repeated letters, then forming a design of the remaining single letters.  The sigil must then be charged.  There is a variety of specific ways to do this, but the key element is to achieve a state of "vacuity" which can be done through exhaustion, sexual release or several other methods. 

 This creates a `vacuum' or `void' much like the condition described 
in the introduction to this discussion, and it is filled with the energy of the magician.  The sigil, being now charged, must be forgotten so that the sub-conscious mind may work on it without the distractions and dissipation of energy that the conscious mind is subject to.  Spare recognized that magic comes from the sub-conscious mind of the magician, not some outside `spirits' or `gods'. 

 Christopher Bray has this to say about Spare's methods in his 
introduction to `The Collected Works of Austin Osman Spare': 
   "So in his art and writing, Spare is putting us in the mood; or 
showing by example what attitude we need to adopt to approach the 
`angle of departure of consciousness in order to enter the infinite. 
 What pitch of consciousness we need to gain success. 

   "One must beware making dogma, for Spare went to great pains to 
exclude it as much as possible to achieve success in his magic; however a 
number of basic assumptions underpin chaos magic. 

   "Chaos is the universal potential of creative force, which is 
constantly engaged in trying to seep through the cracks of our personal and collective realities.  It is the power of Evolution/Devolution. 


   "Shamanism is innate within every one of us and can be tapped if 
we qualify by adjusting our perception/attitude and making our being ready to accept the spontaneous.  Achieving Gnosis, or hitting the 
`angle of departure of consciousness and time', is a knack rather 
than a skill." 

   There are other methods to utilize the same concept that Spare 
explains for us.  Magicians since Spare have written about their own methods and explanations of his method quite frequently in occult magazines, mostly in Great Britain.  Spare is certainly not the first person in history to practice this sort of magic, but he is the one who has dubbed it (appropriately), Chaos. 
 
Chaos since A.O.S. 
* 
   Austin Spare died May 15, 1956, but his magic did not die with 
him.  There have been select groups of magicians practicing versions of Chaos 
ever since, especially in Northern England and Germany.  In 1976, a couple of dozen Chaos Magicians, including Peter J. Carroll and Ray Sherwin, announced the formation of a new magical Order, the Illuminates Of Thanateros.  The intention of the group was to have an Order where degrees expressed attainment rather than authority, and hierarchy beyond just organizational requirements was non-existent. 

 There are those who say that this lofty ambition has failed and that 
the Order has since slipped into a hierarchical power structure; Ray Sherwin "excommunicated" himself for this reason, but the Order continues and is identified as the only international Chaos organization to date. 

   The IOT has since spread to America.  There are smaller groups 
of Chaos practitioners, as well as individuals practicing alone.  Chaos since Spare has taken on a life of its own.  It will always continue to grow, that is its nature.  It was only natural that eventually the world of science would begin to discover the physical principles underlying magic, although the scientists who are making these discoveries still do not realize that this is what they are doing.  It is interesting that they have had the wisdom to call it chaos science... 

In the abovw part of my series on Chaos, I've made scant reference to the IOT due to lack of information, however, in typical Murphy's Law fashion, a letter just arrived filling in some blank spots and pointing out to me that I made one mistake in chronology.  The story goes;
In 1977/78 Ray Sherwin was editor and publisher of a magazine called
`The New Equinox', which Pete Carroll was a regular contributor to.
 Unsatisfied with the choices of available magical groups in England
at the time, they formed the IOT.  They advertised in `New Equinox' and the
group formed and progressed as previously explained.  Ray Sherwin dropped out before Pete Carroll went on to form `The Pact'.  They are still friends, and Pete has graciously consented to write an introduction to Ray's newest edition of `The Book of Results' which will be available through TOPY soon.


Chaos Science
*
   Modern chaos science began in the 1960's when a handful of open-
minded scientists with an eye for pattern realized that simple mathematical
equations fed into a computer could model patterns every bit as irregular and "chaotic" as a waterfall.  They were able to apply this to weather patterns, coastlines, all sorts of natural phenomena.  Particular equations would result in pictures resembling specific types of leaves, the possibilities were incredible.  Centers and institutes were founded to specialize in "non-linear dynamics" and "complex systems."  Natural phenomena, like the red spot of Jupiter, could now be understood.  The common catch-terms that most people have heard by now; strange attractors, fractals, etc., are related to the study of turbulence in nature.  There is not room to go into these subjects in depth here, and I recommend that those who are interested in this subject read `Chaos: making a new science' by James Gleick and `Turbulent Mirror' by John Briggs & F. David Peat.

   What we are concerned with here is how all this relates to magic.
Many magicians, especially Chaos Magicians, have begun using these
terms, "fractal" and "strange attractor", in their everyday conversations.
Most of those who do this have some understanding of the relationship between magic and this area of science.  To put it very simply, a successful magical act causes an apparently acausal result.  In studying turbulence, chaos scientists have realized that apparently acausal phenomena in nature are not only the norm, but are measurable by simple mathematical equations. Irregularity is the stuff life is made of.  For example, in the study of heartbeat rhythms and brain-wave patterns, irregular patterns are measured from normally functioning organs, while steady, regular patterns are a direct symptom of a heart attack about to occur, or an epileptic fit.

 Referring back again to "virtual" photons, a properly executed magical
release of energy creates a "wave form" (visible by Kirlian photography) around the magician causing turbulence in the aetheric space.  This turbulence will likely cause a result, preferably as the magician has intended.  Once the energy is released, control over the phenomena is out of the magician's hands, just as once the equation has been fed into the computer, the design follows the path set for it.

   The scientists who are working in this area would scoff at this
explanation, they have no idea that they are in the process of discovering the physics behind magic.  But then, many common place sciences of today, chemistry for example, were once considered to be magic.  Understanding this subject requires, besides some reading, a shift in thinking.  We are trained from an early age to think in linear terms, but nature and the chaos within it are non-linear, and therefore require non-linear thinking to be understood.  This sounds simple, yet it reminds me of a logic class I had in college.  We were doing simple Aristotelian syllogisms.  All we had to do was to put everyday language into equation form.  It sounds simple,and it is.


 However, it requires a non-linear thought process.  During that lesson
over the space of a week, the class size dropped from 48 to 9 students.

 The computer programmers were the first to drop out.  Those of us
who survived that section went on to earn high grades in the class, but more importantly, found that we had achieved a permanent change in our thinking processes.  Our lives were changed by that one simple shift of perspective.

   Chaos science is still in the process of discovery, yet magicians
have been applying its principles for at least as long as they have been writing about magic.  Once the principles of this science begin to take hold on the thinking process, the magician begins to notice everything from the fractal patterns in smoke rising from a cigarette to the patterns of success and failure in magical workings, which leads to an understanding of why it has succeeded or failed.  There is a diagram of a fractal design on the cover of `Kaos' magazine #11 (now out of print) that would be a wonderful example of magic at work and the many paths that the energy may follow...

Defining Chaos Magic
*
   Chaos is not in itself, a system or philosophy.  It is rather an
attitude that one applies to one's magic and philosophy.  It is the basis for all magic, as it is the primal creative force.  A Chaos Magician learns a variety of magical techniques, usually as many as s/he can gain access to, but sees beyond the systems and dogmas to the physics behind the magical force and uses whatever methods are appealing to him/herself.
Chaos does not come with a specific Grimoire or even a prescribed set of
ethics.  For this reason, it has been dubbed "left hand path" by some who
choose not to understand that which is beyond their own chosen path.  There is no set of specific spells that are considered to be `Chaos Magic spells'.  A Chaos Magician will use the same spells as those of other paths, or those of his/ her own making.  Any and all methods and information are valid, the only requirement is that it works.  Mastering the role of the sub- conscious mind in magical operations is the crux of it, and the state called "vacuity" by Austin Osman Spare is the road to that end.  Anyone who has participated in a successful ritual has experienced some degree of the `high' that this state induces.

   An understanding of the scientific principles behind magic does
not necessarily require a college degree in physics (although it wouldn't hurt much, if the linear attitude drilled into the student could be by-passed), experience in magical results will bring the necessary understanding.


   This series is directed toward the increasing numbers of people
who have been asking, "What is Chaos Magic?"  It is very basic and by no means intended to be a complete explanation of any of the elements discussed.  Many of the principles of magic must be self-discovered, my only intent here is to try to define and pull together the various elements associated with Chaos Magic into an intelligible whole.  For those who wish to learn more about this subject, I have prepared a suggested reading list for the last section, however, I must emphasize that there are always more sources than any one person knows about, so do not limit yourself to this list.  Chaos has no limits...

For Further Reading:
*
`The Book Of Pleasure' by Austin Osman Spare
`Anathema Of Zos' by Austin Osman Spare
available from:
	Abyss
	34 Cottage St. Box 69
	Easthampton, MA. 01027
	catalog on request
*
`A Book Of Satyrs' by Austin Osman Spare
`Images and Oracles of Austin Osman Spare' by Kenneth Grant
`The Early Work of A.O.S.'
`Excess Spare'
`Stations In Time'
available from;
	TOPY
	P.O. Box 18223
	Denver, CO. 80218
	write for information
*
available from most bookstores (at least by special order):
`Chaos: making a new science' by James Gleick
`Turbulent Mirror' by John Briggs & F. David Peat
`Liber Null & Psychonaut' by Peter J. Carroll
`Practical Sigil Magick' by Frater U.D.
*
Magazines dealing with Chaos Magic(k):
Chaos International
BM SORCERY
London WC1N 3XX
England
*
Thanateros
P.O. Box 89143
Atlanta, GA. 30312
*
Mezlim
N'Chi
P.O. Box 19566
Cincinnati, OH. 45219
*
Mezlim deals with a wide range of magical traditions, but the editor has
expressed an interest in articles dealing with Chaos.  Articles about Chaos can
be found in other Ceremonial Magick magazines as well, as the editors see fit.


	 Notes on the role of the historical Egregore in modern Magic 
	by Fra.: U.D. 
 
It is quite easy to poke fun at the historical claims of most 
magical and mystical orders, especially when they purport to have derived from "very ancient", possible even "Atlantean" or, to top it all, "pre-Atlantean" brotherhoods for whose existence even the most 
sympathetic historical scholar worth his name would be very hard 
pressed to find any significant proof. Actually, it is rather a 
cheap joke to cite, for example, AMORC`s claims that even good old 
Socrates or Ramses II (of all people!) were "Rosicrucians". However, 
the trouble only starts when adepts mistake these contentions for 
_literal_ truths. "Literal", of course, derives from literacy and 
the letters of the alphabet. And, as Marshall MacLuhan has justly in 
his "Understanding Media" and perhaps even more so in "The Gutenberg 
Galaxy", western civilization has a 
very strong tendency towards _linear_ thinking, very probably due to 
- at least in part - the linear or non-pictographic nature of our 
alphabet. The very structure of this alphabet informs us at quite a 
tender age to think in terms of linear logics such as cause and 
effect, or, more interestingly in our context, PAST-PRESENT-FUTURE. 
This is not at all a "natural necessity" as most people are wont to 
think, for the ideographic or pictographic "alphabets" as used for 
example in ancient Egypt or even modern China and Japan tend to bias 
the correspondingly acculturalised mind towards what MacLuhan terms 
"iconic thinking" - a perception of holistic factors rather than 
the systematization into separate (preferably indivisible) single 
units. Western thought has formulated this problem as the dichotomy 
of the _analytic_ and the _synthetic_ approach. But it is perhaps no 
coincidence that our contemporary culture tends to associate 
"synthetic" with "artificial" , vide modern chemistry. 
 
Now magical and mystical thinking is quite different; in fact it is 
not half as interested in causality as is linear thought. Rather, it 
strives to give us an overall, holistic view of processes within 
our perceived space-time continuum; an overall view which includes 
the psychology of the observer to a far stronger degree than even 
modern physics seems to have achieved in spite of Heisenberg`s 
uncertainty principle and Einstein`s earlier theory of relativity. 
In other words, mythological thinking is not so much about literal 
("alphabetic"?) truth but rather about the "feel" of things. For 
example, a shaman may claim that the current rain is due to the rain 
goddess weeping because of some sad event. He might predict that her 
phase of mourning will be over in two days` time and that the deluge 
will then end. A Western meteorologist might possibly come to 
similar prognoses, but he will of course indignantly deny using any 
of "this mystic stuff" in the process. His rain goddess takes the 
form of barometric pressure, wind velocity and direction, air 
humidity and the like - but who is to say which view is the "truer" 
one, as long as abstract and mystic predictions prove to be 
accurate? From an unbiased standpoint, the modern demons "barometric 
pressure", "wind velocity" and factors of a similar like are just as 
abstract and mythic as the shaman`s hypothetical rain goddess - 
especially so for us laymen who religiously follow the daily 
indoctrination via the TV weather forecasts and satellite photograph 
divination: all we can do is _believe_ in what the expert tells us 
is the truth. The non-shaman in a shamanic society shares a very 
similar fate when he has to believe simply that the rain goddess 
wants to be comforted say, by a substantial donation of meat or 
tobacco in the course of a fully fledged tribal ritual. 
 
There _is_ an important difference however. If we accept the model 
(strongly propagated by A.O. Spare, who was, of course, in his very 
special manner, quite an orthodox Freudian) of magic primarily 
taking place within the subconscious (Freud) or, less 
ambiguous, the unconscious (Jung); and if we furthermore agree that 
said unconscious is not only the source of personal magical energy 
(mana, or, as I prefer to term it, _magis_) but tends to think and 
act in symbols and images, we might come to the conclusion that our 
shaman`s explanation may perhaps not be scientificly more 
satisfying in Western terms, but it is surely more in accord with 
the way our unconscious tends to perceive reality. In that sense it 
is not only more "natural" but, one suspects, even downright 
_healthier_ for psychic hygiene. It is, so to speak, more 
"ecological and holistic" in terms of psychic structure. 
 
As an aside I might mention that it is the better explanation for 
practical magical reasons as well. For at least rain goddesses can 
be cajoled into happiness by magical technique, ritual trance and 
the like until they stop weeping, a task a meteorologist will hardly 
be able to imitate. (Actually I have preferred the magic of rain 
prevention to the more classical example of rain making because it 
is far more relevant to our own geography and experience). 
 
In recent years Rupert Sheldrake`s theory of morphogenetic fields has 
raised quite a hue and cry, not only within the confines of the 
scientific community but strangely enough among occultists too. I 
find this latter reaction quite astonishing, because a lot of what 
Mr. Sheldrake basically claims is nothing more than the old, not to 
say ancient, tenet of philosophical idealism: namely that there is 
what in both German and English is called "Zeitgeist", a form of 
unique time-cum-thought quality, leading to surprisingly similar 
albeit completely independent models of thought, technical 
inventions, political truths and so on. One would rather expect the 
people to be profoundly intrigued to be among materialist/positivist 
biologists or physicist rather that occultists who have traded in 
the Zeitgeist principle ever since occult thought proper as we 
understand it arose in the Renaissance. 
From a pragmatic point of view Mr. Sheldrake is behaving very much 
like our meteorologist, replacing mythic explanations with 
crypto-mythic "scientific" factors. Unfortunately, most scientific 
scholars tend to fear a devaluation of scientific termini tecnici; 
once they are mentioned in the wrong "context" (almost invariably 
meaning: by "wrong" people) they are readily labelled as "non-" or 
"pseudo-" scientific - which is, after all, precisely what happened 
to poor Mr. Sheldrake amongst his peers in spite of all his academic 
qualifications. This example goes to show how very much estranged 
occultists can be from their own sources even when working with 
them daily. 
 
Reality too is always the reality of its description: we are marking 
our pasts, presents and futures as we go along - and we are doing it 
all the time, whether we are conscious of the fact or not, whether 
we like it or not, we are constantly reinventing our personal and 
collective space-time continuum. 

 
Space seems rather solid and unbudging; even magic can do very
little it seems to overcome its buttresses of solidity and apparent
inertia, occasional exceptions included. (May it be noted that I
include matter in this space paradigm, because solid matter is
usually defined by the very same factors as is space - namely width,
length and height.)
Time, on the other hand, is much more volatile and abstract, so much
so in fact that it is widely considered to be basically an illusion,
even among non-occultist laymen. And indeed in his famous novel
"1984" George Orwell has beautifully, albeit perhaps unwillingly,
illustrated that history is very little more than purely the
_description of history_. (Which is why it has to be rewritten so
often. It seems that mankind is not very happy with an "objective
past" and prefers to dabble in "correcting" it over and again. This
is quite an important point I shall refer to again later on.)
History is, after all, the defining of our past own roots and our
_present_ position within our linear space-time continuum in
relation to past and future. Very often, unfortunately, the
description and interpretation of history seem little more pathetic
endeavour to obtain at least a minimum of objectivity in a basically
chaotic universe. The expression "ordo ab chao" is more or less a
summary of Western thought and Weltanschauung, of the issues
straining and stressing the Western mind since ancient Greece. Chaos
is considered "evil", order on the other hand is "good" - then the
political philosophy, if you care to dignify it by this terms, of
"law and order", appeals to people`s deeply rooted fears of loss of
stability and calculability. ("Anarchy" is another widely
misunderstood case in point.) The ontological fact that everything
is transitory has never been particular well-received in Western
philosophy and theology.

Now before you get the impression that I am only trying to impose a
typical exercise in heavyhanded Teutonic style philosophical
rambling upon your overbusy reading mind, let me hasten to point out
that if past, present and future are, at least in principle, totally
subjective, we as magicians are locally perfectly free to do what we
like with them. For the magician is a) the supreme creator of his
own universe and b) the master of Illusion (ref. the Tarot card "The
Magician/Juggler"). This freedom of historical choice, however, is
seldom realized let alone actively applied by the average magician.
Maybe one of the reasons for this has to do with the somewhat
pathetic fact that most of us tend to live our lives in a more or
less manner, being mild eccentrics at best, distinctly avoiding
becoming too much over the top. There are a number of possible
explanations for this, ranging from "every magician is just another
guy/gal like me" to "prevention of insanity". As we deal all the
time with insanity - i.e. extremely unorthodox states of
consciousness by bourgeois standards, we magicians prefer some
stability in our everyday lives and makeups, but this is not really
our topic.

Rather than delve into social normality of the average magician I
should like to investigate the many bogus claims to antiquity as put
forward by a multiple of magical and mystical orders from this point
of view. Such orders range from Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism and
Theosophy to such venerable institutions as the O.T.O., the Golden
Dawn and many others. Their historical claims are usually quite
stereotyped: the spectrum covered includes Atlantis, Lemuria, Mu,
Solomon, Moses, Dr. Faustus, St. Germain, the Gnostics, the Knight
Templar,the Cathars, the Illuminati, the Holy Grail myth,
prehistoric witchcraft, matriarchy, shamanism etc.

Now it is quite common for shamans, to cite one example, to claim
that in the good old days (usually, of course, dating back to a
non-calibrated, non-defined time immemorial) things used to be much,
much better. One of the more profane reasons for this contention may
be the fact that most of these shamans have already achieved quite a
venerable age in their trade; and don`t we all know the typical
attitude of old crones towards modernity ? It may not sound
particular spiritual or holy but maybe all we are seeing here is the
primitive`s parallel to the "Now when I was in Poona with Royal
Indian Army, young lad..." reported occasionally to be heard in some
of today`s pubs.

But there is more to it, I think. By calling up "bogus" ancestors
from Moses via Solomon to Dr. Faustus and St. Germain, the magician
not only reinvents his own history, he also is summoning up the
egregore of these "entities" (along with all their powers and
inhibitions of course) - or, to put into Mr. Sheldrake`s
terminology, their morphic fields. By violating all the
painstaking endeavors of the meticulous historian, by simply
ignoring a number of tedious and possibly contradictory facts and
questions (such as whether Moses and Solomon have ever _really_ been
sorcerers of some standing in their own time) the magician becomes
God in the fullest sense of the expression: not only does he choose
his relatives in spirit quite arbitrarily, he even claims the right
to do what not even the judaeo-christian god of the old testament is
ever described as doing, namely changing "objective past" at will.

This type of creative historicism appeals, so it seems, very
strongly to the unconscious mind, supplying it with a great deal of
ideological back-up information, thus reducing its
conscious-mind-imposed limits of "objectivity" to at least some
modicum of superficial probability. It is only when the occultist
mixes up the different planes of reference, when he purports to
speak of "objective linear truth", instead of mythic or
symbological, decidedly non-linear truth, that serious problems
arise.This should be avoided at all costs in order not to strain our
psychic set-up by contradictory evidence, which can easily result in
an unwilled-for neutralization of all magic powers.

But this, of course, is the same problem as with occult scientism.
"Rays" are quite a convincing hypothesis to base telepathic
experiments on, as long as you don`t try to overdefine said rays by
epitheta such as "electromagnetic" or the like. For if you do, you
become the victim of scientists`zealous inquisition boards. Or, as
Oscar Wilde might have put it, it is not truth which liberates man`s
mind but lying. (Which, again, is one of the reasons why Aleister
Crowley entitled his magnum opus "The Book of Lies" in the first
place...)

Let us then resort to _creative historicism_ whenever we find it
useful. Let us not have "historical objectivity" dictated to us by
the powers that be. Let us accept our fuzziness of expression which
is, after all, little more than a honest acknowledgement of the
fact that symbols and images are always more than just a little
ambiguous, as our dreams well prove every night. As in divination,
it does not pay to become overprecise in magic: the more you try to
define a spell, the higher probability of failure. It is quite easy
to charge a working talisman quite generally "for wealth"; it is
quite another to charge it to "obtain the sum of $347.67 on March
13th at 4.06 p.m. in 93, Jermyn Street, 3rd floor" and still expect
success. While the latter may strangely enough succeed occasionally,
this is usually only the freak exception of the rule. However, by
systematically rewriting our past in fuzzy terms, possibly eventing
past lives and biographies for ourselves consciously or arbitrarily,
we are fulfilling the final demand of Granddaddy Lucifer`s "non
serviam". Let nobody impose his or her time and history parameters
on you!

And for practical exercise, allow your clock occasionally to be well
in advance of your contemporaries`; let it sometimes lay behind for
a few hours _and_ minutes (do not just change the hour hand as this
would make it easy to recalculate into demiurge`s "real" space-time
continuum, making you yet again its slave!) Do this to learn about
your former ill-advised humility towards the current time paradigm -
and about the illusory character of time and its measurement in
general. Rewrite your personal and family history daily, invent your
own kin and ancestors. "Problems with Mom and Dad? Pick a new
couple!" Experiment with retroactive spells, try to heal your
friend`s flu before he even contracted it. But do this in a playful
spirit lest your censor should whack you for your constant
violations of the rules of this game by again confusing the frames
of reference. Jump from one parallel universe to the next one, never
permit yourself to stand still and become enmeshed by Maya`s veil
(you are supposed to be the _Master_ of illusion, remember?). And
don`t panic: for nothing is true, everything is permitted.

This article is excerpted from the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal. 
Each issue of the Rocky Mountain Pagan Journal is published by 
High Plains Arts and Sciences; P.O. Box 620604, Littleton Co.,  
80123, a Colorado Non-Profit Corporation, under a Public Domain 
Copyright, which entitles any person or group of persons to  
reproduce, in any form whatsoever, any material contained therein 
without restriction, so long as articles are not condensed or  
abbreviated in any fashion, and credit is given the original 
author.! 
 
POWER ANIMALS 
 
by Alernon 
 
 
Come to us: Eagle, Wolf, Bear and Cougar.   
Dance we now The Power dances. 
 
Eagle soaring above the peaks, 
Share with us freedom, majesty and fighting skills. 
Teach us lessons we need to learn. 
Dance with us The Power dances. 
 
Wolf, cunning tracker, by day or night.  Share with us endurance, 
courage and adaptability. 
Teach us lessons we need to learn.  Dance with us The Power 
dances. 
 
Bear, trampling along earthen paths, Share with us Mighty 
strength and sense of smell. 
Teach us lessons we need to learn.  Dance with us The Power 
dances. 
 
Cougar, lonely tracker of terrains, Share with us Agility, 
stamina and endless curiosity.  Teach us lessons we need to 
learn.  Dance with us The Power dances. 
 
Movements slow 
Movements rapid. 
Frenzied swaying 
Upward, downward. 
Dipping, turning 
Round and round. 
Dance we now 
The Power dances. 
 
Dancing partners, 
You and I. 
With me, in me 
I am you, you are me. 
Together as one, 
Yet separate, too. 
Dance we now 
The Power dances. 
 

Awaken now 
All Spirit Beings, 
To dance the dances 
With your human kin. 
 
Dance the Cycles 
Of Life and Death, 
Hope and Fear, 
Good and Evil. 
Dance the Cycles, 
Now and Again. 
 
Lowerworld, Upperworld, 
Journeying now 
and forevermore. 
Of Time and Space 
All is Once, 
There is none. 
Dance the dances 
Again and again.   .......from R.M.P.J. 8/86 

The Care and Feeding of Crystals 
by Matrika 
co-sysop of PAN - the Psychic Awareness Network 
 
Crystals have been in the lime-light ever since celebrities such as Shirley Mcleane and Cher have come out of the closet and admitted they were "New-Agers".  However, along with this public scrutiny, has also been a whole bunch of misconceptions.  The most common of which is that a person just wears a crystal like jewelry or carries it and it works like some kind of instant stage-magic or prestidigitation.  This, of course, is not the case.  To get the full effect of "Crystal Power" in your life means, as with so much else, that you must put into it what you take out of it.  So here are a few simple guidelines for those of you who plan on taking this subject seriously. 
 
1.  Selecting your Crystal 
To select a Crystal is not all that much different from selecting a pet or a work of art.  When you go into the store to purchase your crystal - or any other stone used in healing or Psychic work - just pick the one that "calls" to you.  Handle the various stones and place them, one by one, in your receptive hand.  (the one that is not your dominant hand; if you are right-handed or ambi-dextrous, your receptive hand is your left.  If you are completely left-handed your receptive hand is your right.)  The stone that is right FOR YOU will "pull" you to it.  This may not be the stone that looks the clearest or the most impressive, either.  Our societies materialistic values 
and our conditioning to accept them must not enter into our decision, which is very hard for most of us at first.  Our first tendency is to judge the stone -as we always judge ourselves and everything else in a constant stream of thoughts- by what we have been conditioned to believe is "good" or "bad". 
  
If the piece you are choosing is for a specific purpose; i.e. for healing, or to enhance your psychic abilities, or for meditation; it will help if you keep that purpose in mind while you are selecting the stone.  An interesting phenomena often happens to people who are just going into the gem and mineral healing or psychic work.  Most people start off with clear quartz, because it has the most applications.  They go into a store or a gem show to purchase a clear quartz and find themselves drawn to all kinds of other "rocks" (as the collectors call them) too.  Many times they bring a bag of various mineral specimens home with them.  Later they look up the stones in one of the many
reference books on this subject, only to find the stones they were drawn to are exactly the ones they need to deal with issues or illnesses that they need to work on. 
 
The very first thing you need to do when you first get a crystal is to "clear it" from the imbalanced energies of anyone else who has touched it.  Crystals "work" because of their piezoelectrical field.  Researchers in Kirlian photography and other subjects have long shown us that the body is surrounded by a field of electro-magnetic energies, which psychics call the AURA.  People who have studied this subject tell us that Crystals help us by attuning their piezoelectrical charge to the charge of our auras.  So we must first remove the charges from the stone that come from other's handling of it.  This is done by leaving the stone in sea-salt (available at almost any health-food store) for 3 days.  The only time you will have to use this technique - which is drastic - to cleanse the stone is when you first buy it.  The reason I say the technique is drastic is because it erases ALL of your energy from the stone too, so the stone has to be rebonded.  (explained later) This piezoelectrical effect of the stone is the same reason that quartz is useful in making computers, telephones, watches, and in other electronic devices. 
 
2.  the regular maintenance of your stone 
 
The regular care and maintenance of your stone is really quite simple.  First of all a gentler method of clearing the piece should be used at least once a week and after any uses in either physical or inner 
(mental/emotional/spiritual) healing work.  This can be done in several ways.  First of all, you can run it under COOL - no extremes of temperature PLEASE - water in your sink for several minutes, while visualizing (intensely imagining in vivid detail, from a meditative or extremely relaxed state) all imbalanced energies leaving it.  You can also leave it in mugwort (an herb) for 2-3 days buried it in carefully.  You can also place it in a flowerpot with an african violet plant, but you should know that if it has been used to heal any severe conditions, the plant will die.  The stones should also be re-charged about once a month or after every use.  For other stones, direct sunlight is not such a good idea as it can fade the colors.  You can get the reflected energy of the sun by placing them in the moonlight during the waxing of the moon.  (from one day after the new moon through the night of the full moon)  They can also be charged by surrounding them in a circle of quartz points that have been charged by the sun, with the points of the crystals facing inward toward the stones being charged.  Another method is to purchase an amethyst or quartz cluster and place the stones on it.  A cluster is a specimen with several individual crystals on it.  Oh, and if you charge the stone by a circle of crystals, be sure they have been cleared and charged themselves before using them to charge anything else.  The circle should consist of at least 4 points, but 8 is best.  These stones used for charging do NOT have to be large at all. 
 
3.  Using your stones
Stones are tools in our psychic work and, as in any other object used, work by focusing the mind's powers.  To get the best use out of them, more than just wearing them or carrying them is required.  They should be used from a state of meditation, while visualizing the goals we wish to accomplish with them - such as healing, increased Psychic perception, etc.    A good way to do this for to help you focus and a self-hypnosis tape that relates to your goals and use it.  And if you are using the crystals in healing, be aware that they are NOT meant to replace the care of a competent health professional - but many people find them a useful adjunct to it. 

Date: 10-May-89 22:29
From: Warren Stott
Subj: Ethics in Magick



A local group recently sponsored a seminar on the ethics of magick. I was unable to attend but heard the tapes of the session. Several people on this  echo were present and had thoughtful things to say as did the others in attendance.  I would like to address a few ideas that came up there and, of course, are  significant to all people that work magick.

The question of hexing came up. A rousing chorus ensued saying essentially  that many folks there felt their own ethical model does not allow hexing. Initially, I put myself in that group as well.  I am not a bad person, I do not intentionally hurt people.  After some thought, though, I asked myself this question.

If there is a conceivable ethical situation where I might sucker     punch someone, why would there not be such a time to zap them with     the same magnitude of magick?

If I punch someone when they have no known defense against me, I am opening  the serious potential to harm them. My punch might not hurt them at all, it might surprise them more than hurt them, it might hurt them enough that they get the message I was sending, or it might blind or even kill them. I would not know until after the fact. If I felt justified in punching them, I would probably do it. If they turned and destroyed me, I would have to question my judgement afterwards. Likewise if I blinded them.

Acceptance of the karmic debt was raised as part of this justification cycle. By going ahead and hitting them, I tacitly or implicitly accept the debt. Personal destruction or harming the other guy, it is the same, I accept the debt by my action.

Now where is the ethical question here?

I have often done things, things as simple as saying something in a certain way, that I immediately want to retract. If I hit this fellow, I probably  would want to take it back afterward. Is it ethical to act in a fashion that given a little thought you would realize you will regret later?

Magick works in the same way. Presuming the ability to control the magickal zap to the relative intensity of the sucker punch, the results are just as unknown. So you accept the karmic debt, so you zap away.

"Do what ye will" as long as you accept the debt makes it ethical? I don't think so, I think it is in fact unethical to hit or zap the person. But I might do it anyway. It is not really so much a question of ethics as it is a question of responsibility.

No doubt Ollie North thinks that it is unethical to break the law. But he did. No doubt Jim Wright takes the ethics of public office very seriously, but he is now in deep refritos over an ethical dilemma of his own making.

Shit Happens. (For those of you with new babies, Doo Doo Happens.) Ethics is a model of what we would like in the ideal.  That ideal we measure ourselves against. We can parade case examples all day to test this conclusion but it is still unethical to harm another. But we do it, both physically and magickly.

So, ethical hexing, there is no such thing. I caste a hurt-you-this-much zap on the intended, I have acted unethically. "An ye harm none." No disclaimer or release for special situations is given or implied. She will see me break this, karma will see that the ripples in the pool come back to me. All together, She will see me take responsibility, ethics be damned.

One more time, the chorus swells and this time I am sure that I am part of that group. There is no ethical justification for hexing. Just don't piss me off though, I might be willing to take responsibility for my actions.

Bambi died for us, kicking and screaming in torment!

-Warren-

               CANDLE MAGIC

1    One of the simplest of magical arts which comes under 
the heading of natural magic is candle burning.  It is simple 
because it employs little ritual and few ceremonial 
artifacts.  The theatrical props of candle magic can be 
purchased at any department store and its rituals can be 
practiced in any sitting room or bedroom.

2    Most of us have performed our first act of candle magic 
by the time we are two years old.  Blowing out the tiny 
candles on our first birthday cake and making a wish is pure 
magic.  This childhood custom is based on the three magical 
principals of concentration, will power and visualization.  
In simple terms, the child who wants his wish to come true 
has to concentrate (blow out the candles), visualize the end 
result (make a wish) and hope that it will come true( will 
power).

3    The size and shape of the candles you use is 
unimportant, although highly decorative, extra large, or 
unusually shaped candles will not be suitable as these may 
create distractions when the magician wants to concentrate on 
the important work in hand.  Most magicians prefer to use 
candles of standard or uniform size if possible.  Those which 
are sold in different colors for domestic use are ideal.

4    The candles you use for any type of magical use should 
be virgin, that is unused.  Under no circumstances use a 
candle which has already adorned a dinner table or been used 
as a bedroom candle or night-light.  There is a very good 
occult reason for not using anything but virgin materials in 
magic.  Vibrations picked up by secondhand materials or 
equipment may disturb your workings and negate their 
effectiveness.

5    Some magicians who are artistically inclined prefer to
make their own candles for ritual and magical use.  This is a 
very practical exercise because not only does it impregnate 
the candle with your own personal vibrations, but the mere 
act of making your own candle is magically potent.  
Specialist shops sell candle wax and molds together with 
wicks, perfumes, and other equipment.

6    The hot wax is heated until liquid and then poured into 
the mould through which a suitably sized wick has already 
been threaded.  The wax is then left to cool and once is this 
has occurred the mould is removed , leaving a perfectly formed 
candle.  Special oil-soluble dyes and perfumes can be added 
to the wax before the cooling process is complete to provide 
suitable colors and scents for a particular magical ritual.  
Craft shops which sell candlemaking supplies can also provide 
do-it-yourself books explaining the technicalities of the art 
to the beginner.


7    Once you have purchased or made your ritual candle it 
has to be oiled or 'dressed' before burning.  The purpose of 
dressing the candle is to establish a psychic link between it 
and the magician through a primal sensory experience.  By 
physically touching the candle during the dressing 
procedure, you are charging it with our own personal 
vibrations and also concentrating the desire of your magical 
act into the wax.  The candle is becoming an extension of the 
magician's mental power and life energy.

8    When you dress a candle for magical use, imagine that
it is a psychic magnet with a North and a South pole.  Rub 
the oil into the candle beginning at the top or North end and 
work downwards to the half-way point.  Always brush in the 
same direction downwards.  This process is then repeated by 
beginning at the bottom or south end and working up to the 
middle.

9    The best type of oils to use for dressing candles are 
natural ones which can be obtained quite easily.  Some occult 
suppliers will provide candle magic oils with exotic names.  
If the magician does not want to use these, he can select 
suitable oils or perfumes from his own sources.  The oils 
soluble perfumes sold by craft shops for inclusion in candles 
can be recommended.

10   the candles you use can be colored in accordance with 
the following magical uses:

         white- spirituality and peace.
         red- health,energy,strength,courage, sexual potency.
         pink- love affection and romance.
         yellow- intellectualism, imagination, memory and 
                 creativity
         green- fertility, abundance, good luck and harmony
         blue-inspiration, occult wisdom, protection and 
               devotion
         purple Material wealth, higher psychic ability, 
                spiritual power and idealism
         silver- clairvoyance, inspiration, astral energy and 
                intuition
         orange- ambition. career matters and the law.

11   If you wanted to use candle magic for healing, you would 
select a red candle to burn.  To pass an exam, burn a yellow 
candle, to gain esoteric knowledge burn a blue candle or for 
material gain, burn a purple one.  It is obvious these
colors relate to the signs of the zodiac and the planetary 
forces.


12   The simples form of candle magic is to write doesn't the 
objective of your ritual on a virgin piece of paper.  You 
can use color paper which matches the candle.  Write your 
petition on the paper using a magical alphabet, such as 
theban, enochian, malachain,etc.  As you write down what you 
want to accomplish through candle magic-- a new job, healing 
for a friend, a change of residence, a new love affair, 
etc.-- visualize your dream coming true.  Visualize the 
circumstances under which you might be offered a new job, 
imagine your employer telling you that your salary has been 
increased or conjure up a vision of your perfect love 
partner.

13   When you have completed writing down your petitio, 
carefully fold up the paper in a deliberately slow fashion.  
Place the end of the folded paper in the candle flame and set 
light to it.  As you do this concentrate once more on what 
you want from life.

14   When you have completed your ritual, allow the candle to 
have completely burned away.  You do not need to stay with 
the candle after the ritual, but make sure that is safe 
and that red-hot wax will not cause damage or fire.  Never 
re-use a candle which has been lit in any magical ritual.  IT 
should only be used in that ritual and then allowed to burn 
away or be disposed of afterwards.

15   If you are conducting a magical ritual which involves 
two people (e.g. an absent healing for a person some distance 
away) then the  second person can be symbolically 
represented during the ritual by another candle.  /all you 
need to do is find out the subject's birth date and burn the 
appropriate candle for that zodiacal sign.  These are as 
follows-
         ARIES                 red
         TAURUS                green
         GEMINI                yellow
         CANCER                silver
         LEO                   orange
         VIRGO                 yellow
         LIBRA                 pink
         SCORPIO               red
         SAGITARIUS            purple
         CAPRICORN             black
         AQUARIUS              all colors
         PISCES                mauve

	 Elemental Cauldrons 

   Using a cauldron, symbol of inspiration and rebirth, has brought new dimensions to both group and solitary work.  A cauldron decorates the center of the Circle during Lesser Sabbats.  An air cauldron at a spring rite creates a misty, magical quality for the ceremony.  In summer, the cauldron will flash and spark.  A blue flame burns mysteriously within the Water cauldron during the autumn festival.  Throughout Yule, the Earth cauldron burns steadfast and constant.  During moon rites, when magick is done, we write the purpose of our working on flash papers and toss them into the burning cauldron while chanting.
   A working cauldron should be of cast iron, with a tight-fitting lid, three sturdy legs, and a strong handle.  Season your cauldron before using it for the first time.  Pour in generous helping of salt and lighter fluid, slosh it up to the rim and wipe dry.  For indoor use it MUST have a fireproof base or your workings will summon up yellow-coated salamander spirits from the fire department.

EARTH Cauldron

   Layer salt, wax shavings, three powered or ground herbs, fighter fluid and ivy leaves in the cauldron while focus and chanting.  Use a candle to light it.  When the smoke starts to roll, extinguish the cauldron by putting the lid on.

AIR Cauldron

   Using tongs, put a chunk of dry ice is a small glass or ceramic bowl and place the bowl on a cloth in the bottom of the cauldron.  Allow the cauldron to smoke as long as the ice lasts.  The mists create excellent images for scrying.

FIRE Cauldron

   Cover the inside bottom with dirt or sand to dissipate heat.  Light incense charcoal and add either salt petter for flame and spark or flash powder for a different but spectacular effect.  To assist in releasing or firing off peak energy, try using flash "bombs".  Make a small pocket in a piece of flash paper, fill with flash powder and tie with thread.  The "bomb" should be about the size of your smallest fingernail.  The results are spectacularly bright, so use the powder sparingly.  Don't look directly at the flash as you drop the "bomb" in the cauldron.

WATER Cauldron.


   At least seven days before the ritual, place equal quantities of three appropriate herbs in a pint glass jar.  Fill the rest of the jar with Everclear (200 proof alcohol), cap tightly, and shake gently while concentrating on the purpose of the ritual.  Add a chant if its feels right.  Let the jar rest in a dark, warm spot and shake twice daily, charging with purpose.  Before the ritual, place a fireproof ceramic or glass bowl in the cauldron.  Pour in the herb mixture, being careful none spills into the cauldron.  Light with a candle to produce a beautiful blue flame.

   The cauldron, as the fifth elemental spirit, symbolizes inspiration, rebirth, illumination and rejuvenation.  Use a Fire cauldron with salt petter to cast a Circle.  Use the mists of an Air cauldron for an initiation.  Burn away hate, prejudice and negative self-images, with a Water cauldron.  The Earth cauldron is ideal for indoor Beltane rites.
   Remember to place a burning cauldron on a fireproof surface.  Practice safety when using any volatile materials and you will enjoy your cauldron for many rites.


 
                   A N 
 
           I R I S H   M Y T H 
 
          C O N C O R D A N C E 
 
          ===================== 
 
             by Mike Nichols 
 
           copyright 1985 c.e. 
           by MicroMuse Press 
 
 
[This information may be reproduced and distributed exactly as is, without further permission from the author, provided the statement of authorship and copyright are retained, and provided it is offered free of charge.  Changes in the text, however, must be approved in advance by the author.  MicroMuse Press is a division of The Magick Lantern, 1715 Westport Road, Kansas City, MO  64111.  816/531-7265] 
 
 
 
 
'Myth is what we call other people's religion.' 
                                        --Joseph Campbell 
 
 
    The following concordance is based on 'Gods and Fighting Men' by Lady Augusta Gregory, first published in 1904.  Page number references are to the 1976 trade paperback edition published by the MacMillan Company of Canada Limited.  Brief supplementary material is taken from 'Dictionary of Irish Myth and Legend' by Ronan Coghlan, published in 1979 by Donard Publishing Comapany, and referenced as 'DIM' in the following text. 
 
    As this is intended to be a concordance of the Irish mythological cycle only (as opposed to heroic, legendary, or historical material), references are limited to Part I, Books I - V, of Lady Gregory's volume.  'Gods and Fighting Men' was selected as the primary text for this concordance because it represents the most comprehensive synthesis of variant sources (both published and oral) ever attempted as a continuous narrative of Irish mythology.  Lady Gregory lists her published sources as follows: 
 O'Curry, 'Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish' 
         'MSS. Materials' 
         'Atlantis' 
De Jubainville, 'Cycle Mythologique' 
                'Epope'e Celtique' 
Hennessy, 'Chronicum Scotorum' 
Atkinson, 'Book of Leinster' 
          'Annals of the Four Masters' 
Nennius, 'Hist. Brit.' (Irish Version) 
Zimmer, 'Glossae Hibernacae' 
Whitley Stokes, 'Three Irish Glossaries' 
                'Revue Celtique' 
                'Irische Texte' 
                'Gaedelica' 
                'Dinnsenchus' 
Nutt, 'Voyage of Bran' 
      'Proceedings Ossianic Society' 
O'Beirne Crowe, 'Arma Columcille' 
                Dean of Lismore's Book 
Windisch, 'Irische Texte' 
Hennessy et. al., 'Revue Celtique' 
                  'Kilkenny Archaeological Journal' 
Keatinge's 'History' 
           'Oyia' 
Curtin's 'Folk Tales' 
         'Proceedings Royal Irish Academy' 
         'MSS. Series' 
Dr. Sigerson, 'Bards of Gael and Gall' 
              Miscellanies, 'Celtic Society' 
Muller, 'Revue Celtique' 
Standish Hayes O'Grady, 'Silva Gaedelica' 
 
 
 
 
Abhean - son of Bicelmos, he was the harper of the Tuatha de Danaan, brought from the hills by the Men of the Three Gods (37). 
 
Aedh (1) - killed by Brian, he was one of the three sons of Miochaoin (q.v.), the others being Corc and Conn (59) 
 
Aedh (2) - along with Angus and Artrach, one of the three sons of Bodb Dearg, he was the comeliest of them.  Troops of poets from Ireland and Alban used to be with him, so that his place was called 'The Rath of Aedh of the Poets' (78). 
 
Aedh (3) - a son of the Dagda, he was killed by Corrgenn, who suspected Aedh was involved with his wife (82) 
 
Aer - one of two Druids of the Sons of the Gael (the other was Eithis) who was killed in the first battle against the Tuatha De Danaan, and was given a great burial (75) 
 
Ai - the plain where Niall pursued Cailcheir, before it went through a lake (81) 
 
Aife - along with two other daughters of Midhir of the Yellow Hair, Doirenn and Aillbhe, she was given as wife to one of the three sons of Lugaidh Menn (79). 
 
Ailbhe - (Ai-noo-al) one of the three daughters of Oilell and a foster-child of Bodb Dearg (124) 
 
Ailell Anglonach - of the One Fault, brother of Eochaid Feidlech, he fell in love with his brother's wife, Etain, and pined for her until she agreed to heal him (95) 
 
Aillbhe - along with two other daughters of Midhir of the Yellow Hair, Doirenn and Aife, she was given as wife to one of the three sons of Lugaidh Menn (79). 
 
Aille - the daughter of Cormac (q.v.) (107) 
 
Aine (1) - the daughter of Modharn, who gave a cook to the sons of Lugaidh Menn (79) 
 
Aine (2) - some said she was the daughter of Manannan, but some said she was the Morrigu, she owned the Cathair Aine.  But she often gave her love to men, and she was called Leanan Sidhe, the Sweetheart of the Sidhe (86).  Wisps of straw are burned in her honor on St. John's Eve.  She is associated with meadow-sweet, and invoked against sickness.  According to legend, she was raped by the king of Munster (DIM). 
 
Ainge - she was a daughter of the Dagda, who made her a great vat (81) 
Airmed - sister of Miach, she spread her cloak on which to arrange the herbs which sprang from the grave of her murdered brother.  But Diancecht, still jealous of Miach, mixed up the herbs, so that no one knows all their right powers to this day (35).  She was the daughter of Diancecht and sister of Octruil, and helped them in their healing work at the well of Slaine (64) 
 
Airnelach - brother of Tadg and Eoghan, he was captured by Cathmann and made to cut firing (115), but was later rescued by Tadg (120) 
 
Amergin - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), he spoke with Banba upon Slieve Mis (71) and was sent as messenger to the Tuatha De Danaan (72) and quieted the storm sent against his people by them and was the first to set foot in Ireland after that (74).  Heber gave him a share of the two provinces of Munster after the Battle of Tailltin (75). 
 
Angus - along with Artrach and Aedh, one of the three sons of Bodb Dearg (78) 
 
Angus Og - son of the Dagda, he advised his father how to kill Cridenbel and what reward to ask of Bres (33).  After the second battle of Magh Tuireadh, only four men of the Fomor were left in Ireland, and they were driven out one Samhain night by Morrigu and Angus Og (67).  He was considered for kingship of the Tuatha de Danaan after their defeat (77).  Also called the Frightener or Disturber, for the unrest he occasioned in horses and cattle (83).  His loves included Enghi, Derbrenn, and Caer Ormaith (84).  He was the Irish love-god (DIM). 
 
Anvil of the Dese - see Indeoin na Dese (81) 
 
Aobh - (Aev, or Eev) the eldest of the three daughters of Oilell, 
foster-daughter of Bodb Dearg and wife of Lir and, by him, mother of 
Fionnuala, Aodh, Fiachra, and Conn, though she died bringing the latter two to birth (125) 
 
Aodh - (Ae, rhyming to 'day') one of the four children of Lir and Aobh, he was turned into a swan by Aoife, Lir's jealous second wife (126) 
 
Aodh Aithfhiosach - of the quick wits, a son of Bodb Dearg, he was sent in search of the children of Lir (132) 
 
Aoibhell - (Evill) a woman of the Sidhe who dwelt at Craig Liath, she tried to prevent her lover from joining a battle (87).  Her harp fortells death for any who hear it (88). 
 
Aoife - (Eefa) one of the three daughters of Oilell and a foster-child of Bodb Dearg (124), she became the wife of Lir after her sister Aobh had died in childbirth (125).  Through jealousy, she changed Aobh's four children into swans at Loch Dairbhreach (126) 
 
Aonbharr - styled 'of the One Mane', he is Manannan's horse, as swift as the naked cold wind of spring.  She can gallop across the sea, and no rider was ever killed off her back (41).  She was often ridden by Lugh (43). 
 
Arias - styled the 'fair-haired poet', one of the four wise men and teachers of the Tuatha de Danaan before they came to Ireland.  His home was Finias (27). 
 
Arranan - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), he died by falling from the mast to the deck of his ship as the Sons of the Gael attempted their second landing in Ireland (73) 
 
Artrach - along with Angus and Aedh, one of the three sons of Bodb Dearg, he had a house with seven doors and taught the king's son of Ireland and of Alban how to throw spears and darts (78) 
 
Athluain - a ford of the Shannon that Lugh passed on his way to do battle with Bres (45) 
 
Badb - (Bibe) one of the greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan, she was a battle goddess (27).  She, along with Macha and Morrigu , used powers of enchantment to bring mists , clouds of darkness, and showers of fire and blood over the Firbolgs at Teamhair for three days (29).  Sometimes regarded as the same as Nemain, her name means 'crow' and she could appear in that guise.  She was the wife of Net (DIM). 
 
Balor - styled 'of the Evil Eye' or 'of the Strong Blows' (38), he is chief king of the Fomor (36), husband of Ceithlenn and, by her, the father of Ethlinn (42).  One of his eyes had the power of death in it, so that none could look at it and live (38), and he also had the power of putting on a different shape (39).  He was also the father of 12 'white-mouthed' sons, all among the chief men of the Fomor (42).  At the second battle of Magh Tuireadh, Lugh made a spear cast that brought Balor's evil eye out through the back of his head, instantly killing him and 27 of his own army, thus fulfilling the prophecy that he would be killed by his grandson (66). 
 
Banba - the wife of MacCuill and a queen of the Tuatha De Danaan, one of three daughters of the Dagda whose name was given to Ireland afterwards (27), she met the Sons of the Gael on Slieve Mis and spoke with Amergin (71), and was later killed in the Battle of Tailltin (75). 
 
Banna - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 

Battle of Taillten - the great battle between the Sons of the Gael and the Tuatha De Danaan, after which the Sons of the Gael had the rulership of Ireland (75) 
 
Bearna nah-Eadargana - the Gap of Separation, it is a place that Lugh passed on his way to do battle with Bres (45) 
 
Bechulle - one of two witches of the Tuatha De Danaan (the other was Dianan) who had the power to turn trees and stones and sods of earth into an armed host (62) 
 
Bed of the Dagda - in the house of the Dagda at the Brugh na Boinne (80) 
 
Beinn Edair - the dwelling place of Tuireann (60), mentioned briefly in Ethne's complaint (58) 
 
Belgata - the great mountain to the rear of Magh Nia in Connacht (29)  
Beltaine - May Day (28) 
 
Bennai Boirche - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Berbhe - see Green of Berbhe (42) 
 
Betach - see Fiachna (121) 
 
Bicelmos - see Abhean (37) 
 
Birog - styled 'of the Mountain', a woman-Druid who helped Cian win the love of Ethlinn who had been imprisoned in a tower.  When Ethlinn bore a child (Lugh), Balor would have had it killed, but Birog rescued it (40). 
 
Birthplace of Cermait Honey-Mouth - in the house of the Dagda at the Brugh na Boinne (80) 
 
Blai-Slieve - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62)  
Boann -  a water goddess, wife of Nechtan and mother, by the Dagda, of Angus, she is associated with the River Boyne (DIM).  Also see Dabilla (80) 
 
Bodb - (Bove) see Rudrach and Dergcroche (117) 
 
Bodb Dearg - (Bove Darrig) son of the Dagda, he was king of Connacht when Bres and his army landed in Ireland to battle Lugh (43).  He lived at Sidhe Femen, was eldest among the children of the Dagda, and was given the kingship of the Tuatha de Danaan after their defeat (77).  His three sons were Angus, Artrach, and Aedh (78), his daughter was Scathniamh (80) and his musician was Fertuinne (79).  Two other sons were Aodh Aithfhiosach and Fergus Fithchiollach (132) 
 
Boinn - variant of Boinne, one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 

Boinne - the salmon of the dumb Boinne are mentioned briefly in Ethne's complaint (58) 
 
Bran (1) - the son of Tuiren (68) 
 
Bran (2) - son of Febal, he was called by the silver branch to board a boat and journey to the Land of Women, Tir na mBan (105) 
 
Brath - see Mide (68) 
 
Breagan - see Cuailgne (75) 
 
Bres - son of Eri and Elathan (35), a champion of the Tuatha de Danaan, he was sent to meet Sreng of the Firbolgs (28).  He was the most beautiful of all the young men, and he was chosen king after Nuada (31).  'As beautiful as Bres' was a common saying.  However, he was known for his lack of hospitality (32), and was deposed when Nuada was reinstated as king (35).  By Brigit, he was father of Ruadan (64). 
 
Bresal Etarlaim - the Druid who helped Fuamach to destroy Etain (88) 
 
Bri - the daughter of Midhir, she died of a broken heart because she could not be with her love, Leith, and the hill of Bri Leith, the spot where she died, was named for them (88) 
 
Bri Leith - home of Midhir the Proud (77), named after his daughter Bri, and her love Leith (88) 
 
Bri Ruri - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Brian - styled 'Flame of Valour' (60), along with Iuchar and Iucharba, he is one of the three sons of Tuireann (47) and his sister, the daughter of Tuireann, was Ethne (50).  He had the power to change his own shape and that of his two brothers (51).  He caused the death of Cian (44), Tuis (53), Pisear (54), Dobar (55), Miochaoin and his three sons (59). 
 
Brigit - one of the greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan, she was a woman of poetry, healing, and smith's work.  Her name came from Breo-saighit, meaning a fiery arrow (27).  She was daughter of the Dagda and, by Bres, mother of Ruadan (64) 
 
Brugh na Boinn - (or Brugh na Boinne - 57) the place where Lugh kept the Scuabtuinne (50) and the place where the Dagda had his house which Angus took from him by trickery (81) 
 
Buan - the nine lasting hazels of Buan dropped their nuts into the Well of Knowledge where the salmon would eat them, sending their husks floating out on the five streams that flowed from the well (108 & 110)  
Buas - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
  
Caer of the Fair Hair - see Inis Cenn-fhinne (49) 
 
Cailcheir - one of the swine of Debrann, it was called by Corann's harping (81) 
 
Cainte - Cian, Cu, and Ceithen were the three sons of Cainte, and they had a long-standing feud with the three sons of Tuireann (43) 
 
Cairbre - see Erc (31) 
 
Camel - son of Riagall, he was one of the two door-keepers at Teamhair when Lugh first arrived (37) 
 
Caoilte - (Cweeltia) one of the last of the Fianna, he was loved by Scathniamh (80) 
 
Carn Corrslebe - a place near Loch Ce' (67) 
 
Carpre - (variant of Corpre) he had the power to compose a satire that would shame men so they could not stand against fighting men (62) 
 
Carpre Lifecar - the son of Cormac (q.v.) (107) 
 
Cassmail - one of the Tuatha De Danaan, he was killed by Octriallach at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (65) 
 
Cathair Aine - a stone belonging to Aine that would cause madness in someone who sat on it (86) 
 
Cathbad - the Druid, he aided Conchubar in treacherously slaying the sons of Usnach (97) 
 
Cathmann - son of Tabarn and king of Fresen, he captured Tadg, his wife (whom he took as his own wife), and two brothers (115), but was later killed by him (120) 
 
Cauldron - one of the four great treasures the Tuatha de Danaan brought to Ireland from the north.  It came from the city of Murias, and no one ever went from it unsatisfied (27). 
 
Ce' - the Druid of Nuada, he was wounded in the second battle of Magh Tuireadh, and when he died and was buried near Carn Corrslebe, a lake burst out over his grave and it was called Loch Ce'. (67) 
 
Cecht - the plough (28) 
 
Ceis Corain - the place where the champions of Connacht (all except Niall) gave up their pursuit of Cailcheir (81) 
 
Ceithen - along with Cian (q.v.) and Cu, he was one of the three sons of Cainte.  Cu and Ceithen went towards the south, while Cian went north, to gather the Riders of the Sidh to help Lugh in his battle with Bres (43). 
 
Ceithlenn - styled 'of the Crooked Teeth, she was queen of the Fomor, the wife of Balor and, by him, the mother of Ethlinn (42)  She gave the Dagda a dreadful wound at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (65) 
 
Celtchar of Cualu - see Leith (88) 
 

Cermait - styled 'Honey-Mouth', son of the Dagda, his three sons shared the kingship of Ireland at the time of the invasion of the Sons of the Gael (72), and were killed in the Battle of Tailltin (75).  His birthplace was the house of the Dagda at Brugh na Boinne (80). 
 
Cesair - the first that ever reached Ireland, she later dwelt on Inislocha where Tadg met her (118) 
 
Cesarn - one of the three Druids of the Firbolgs who broke the enchantment laid upon them by Badb, Macha, and Morrigu (30) 
 
Children of Rudraighe - see Eimher (75) 
 
Ciabhan - (Kee-a-van) of the Curling Hair, the King of Ulster's son, he went to Manannan's country (111), won the love of Cliodna, but lost her due to the treachery of Iuchnu (112) 
 
Cian (1) - a man of the Tuatha de Danaan (27), brother of Goibniu and Samthainn (39), and father of Lugh by Ethlinn (37), he was present when Nechtan deceived King Bres (32).  He lived at Druim na Teine (39), and his famous cow was the Glas Gaibhnenn (39).  Along with two other brothers, Cu and Ceithen, he was one of the three sons of Cainte (43).  He had the power of shape-shifting and was killed (by Brian) while in the form of a pig (44). 
 
Cian (2) - son of Olioll and father of Tadg (114) 
 
Cliach - the Harper of the King of the Three Rosses in Connacht, he vainly sought one of Bodb Dearg's daughters in marriage.  Loch Bel Sead sprang up under his feet (77). 
 
Cliodna - (Cleevna) of the Fair Hair, daughter of Gebann, she gave her love to Ciabhan but, through the treachery of Iuchnu, she was drowned (112)  She had three colorful birds, whose sweet singing could lull the sick to sleep (DIM). 
 
Codal - of the Withered Breast, he threw yew rods for Eochaid to discover the hiding place of Midhir and Etain (96) 
 
Coir-cethar-chuin - 'the Four-Angled Music', it was another name for Uaitne (q.v.) (67) 
 
Coll - the hazel-tree (28) 
 
Collbrain - see Nechtan (106) 
 
Colpa - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), his ship was wrecked as the Sons of the Gael attempted their second landing in Ireland, and he drowned while trying to reach land at Inver Colpa (73) 
 
Colum Cuaillemech - styled 'of the Three New Ways', he was a smith of the Tuatha de Danaan (37) 
 
Comb and the Casket of the Dagda's wife - a hill near the house of the Dagda at Brugh na Boinne (80) 
 

Compar - a messenger and tax-gatherer of the Fomor, he was one of the four hardest and most cruel, the other three being Eine, Eathfaigh, and Coron (41) 
 
Conaire - High King of Ireland, grandson of Etain and Eochaid, who got his death by Midhir and his people (96) 
 
Conall Cearnach - of the Red Branch of Ulster, he was descended from the line of the sons of Eimher (75)  The slayer of Anluan, he originally may have been a horned god (DIM). 
 
Conan Maol - it was his gold, hidden in a cairn, that Caoilte gave to 
Scathniamh as a bride-price (80)  One of the Fianna, he was regarded as something of a buffoon (DIM). 
 
Conchubar Abratrudh - of the Red Brows, the father of Liban (115) 
 
Conn (1) - killed by Brian, he was one of the three sons of Miochaoin (q.v.), the others being Corc and Aedh (59) 
 
Conn (2) - of the Hundred Battles, King of Teamhair, grandfather of Cormac (106), he tried to stop his son Connla from going to Manannan's country (113) 
 
Conn (3) - one of the four children of Lir and Aobh, he was turned into a swan by Aoife, Lir's jealous second wife (126) 
 
Connacht - one of the five provinces of Ireland (31), it is where the Tuatha de Danaan first landed (27).  Both Magh Rein (28) and Magh Nia (with the mountain Belgata) were there (29), as well as the river Unius (61).  It was the province chosen by Sreng for the Firbolgs after they were defeated by the Tuatha de Danaan (31). 
 
Connla - of the Red Hair, son of Conn, he went to Manannnan's country despite his father's efforts to prevent it (113) 
 
Coran - the Druid of Conn, he tried to keep Connla from being taken to 
Manannan's country (113) 
 
Corann (1) - Lugh passed through the 'place of the bright-faced Corann' on his way to do battle with Bres (45) 
 
Corann (2) - Diancecht's harper, and the best harper of the Dagda's household, 
he called Cailcheir with his harp (81) 
 
Corc - killed by Brian, he was one of the three sons of Miochaoin (q.v.), the others being Conn and Aedh (59) 
 
Cormac - grandson of Conn, King of Teamhair, he journeyed to Manannan's country to bring back his wife, Ethne; his daughter, Aille; and his son, Carpre Lifecar (106) 
 
Coron - a messenger and tax-gatherer of the Fomor, he was one of the four hardest and most cruel, the other three being Eine, Eathfaigh, and Compar (41) 
Corpre - son of Etain, he was a poet of the Tuatha de Danaan who cursed Bres for his lack of hospitality with the first satire ever made in Ireland (34) 
 
Corr Slieve na Seaghsa - the Round Mountain of the Poet's Spring, it is a place that Lugh passed on his way to do battle with Bres (45) 
 
Corrgenn - a great man of Connacht who, while visiting the Dagda, killed Aedh because he suspected him to be involved with his wife (82)  
Craisech - thick-handled spears belonging to Sreng, they were sharp at the sides though they had no points (29) 
 
Credenus - styled 'the Craftsman', he was a chief among the Tuatha de Danaan (27) 
 
Credne Cerd - styled 'the Brazier' (64), a worker in brass for the Tuatha de Danaan (37) 
 
Cridenbel - an idle blind man with a sharp tongue who always demanded the Dagda's three best bits of food.  Starving, the Dagda hid three pieces of gold in the three bits and this killed Cridenbel (33). 
 
Crimthan Cass - the King of Connacht and father of Laegaire (121) 
 
Cron - mother of Fianlug, she was at the forge of Goibniu grinding spears when Ruadan was killed (64) 
 
Crow of Battle - see Morrigu (27) 
 
Cruacha - the maidservant of Etain who accompanied her when she departed with Midhir.  Cruachan in Connacht was named after her (96) 
 
Cruachan Aigle - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Cu - along with Cian (q.v.) and Ceithen, he was one of the three sons of Cainte.  Cu and Ceithen went towards the south, while Cian went north, to gather the Riders of the Sidh to help Lugh in his battle with Bres (43). 
 
Cuailgne - the son of Breagan, he and his brother Fuad, two of the best leaders of the Sons of the Gael, were both killed in the rout of the Tuatha De Danaan (he at Slieve Cuailgne), following the Battle of Tailltin (75) 
 
Cualu - the home of Celtchar (88) 
 
Cuan - the wood of Cuan was cleared away by Duach and the men of Ireland so there could be a gathering around Taillte's grave (68) 
 
Culain - although he may have been Manannan in another guise, he was the great smith, originally living on the Island of Falga, who was invited by Conchubar to live on the plains of Muirthemne, where Cuchulain killed his great dog and thereafter took the name Cuchulain, meaning 'the hound of Culain' (98) 
 
Dabilla - a little hound belonging to Boann (80) 
Dagda, the - father of Eire, Fodla, Banba (27), Angus Og (33), Bodb Dearg (43), Brigit (64), Cermait (72), Ainge and Diancecht (81)..  Known as a good builder, he was ordered by Bres to build raths (33).  Styled 'the good god' (63) and 'the Red Man of all Knowledge' (80), he got a dreadful wound from a spear thrown by Ceithlenn in the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (65) and he owned a magic harp called Uaitne (67).  His house was at the Brugh na Boinne, where Dichu was his steward and Len Linfiaclach was the smith (81).  His personal name was Eochaid O Uathair, and he had a magical club which could slay or heal (DIM). 
 
Dalbaech - see Elathan (1) (35) 
 
Dalbh - see Goll (121) 
 
Dana - greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan (from whom they take their name), she was called the Mother of the Gods (28) 
 
De Domnann - see Indech (61) 
 
Debrann - owned Cailcheir, the swine that was called by Corann's harping (81) 
 
Delbaeth (1) - see Elathan (3) (61) 
 
Delbaith (2) - see Eri (35) 
 
Denda Ulad - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62)  
Deorgreine - a Tear of the Sun, daughter of Fiachna, she was given to Laegaire as his wife in Magh Mell (123) 
 
Derc-Loch - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Dergcroche - son of Bodb, he and his brother Rudrach were the two kings of Inislocha (117) 
 
Dianan - one of two witches of the Tuatha De Danaan (the other was Bechulle) who had the power to turn trees and stones and sods of earth into an armed host (62) 
 
Diancecht - father of Miach (34), he was a chief among the Tuatha de Danaan, and understood healing (27).  He fashioned an arm of silver for Nuada, who had lost his own in battle (34).  Also father of Octruil and Airmed, he restored slain warriors in the healing well of Slaine (64).  His father was the Dagda and his harper was Corann (81).  
Dichu - steward first to the Dagda (81) and then to Angus (82) 
 
Dobar - the King of Siogair killed by Brian (55), he was the owner of two horses and a chariot that were among the payments that Lugh demanded from the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (49) 
 
Doirenn - along with two other daughters of Midhir of the Yellow Hair, Aife and Aillbhe, she was given as wife to one of the three sons of Lugaidh Menn (79). 
 
Dolb - the smith of the Fomor (63) 
Donall Donn-Ruadh - styled 'of the Red-brown Hair', he was one of the sons of Manannan.  His brothers included Sgoith Gleigeil, Goitne Gorm-Shuileach, and Sine Sindearg.  His foster brother was Lugh (41). 
 
Donn - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), he and twenty-four others died when the ship he commanded was wrecked as the Sons of the Gael attempted their second landing in Ireland (73) 
 
Druim Cain - Teamhair (q.v.) (31) 
 
Druim na Descan - Teamhair (q.v.) (31) 
 
Druim na Teine - the Ridge of Fire, the dwelling place of the three brothers, Goibniu, Samthainn, and Cian 
 
Druimne - son of Luchair, he made a cooking oven for the Dagda at Teamhair (80) 
 
Duach (1) - see Echaid (37) 
 
Duach (2) - styled 'the Dark', husband of Taillte, he built the Fort of the Hostages in Teamhair, and organized the men of Ireland to cut down the wood of Cuan (68) 
 
Dur-da-Bla - 'the Oak of Two Blossoms', it was another name for Uaitne (q.v.) (67) 
 
 
 
Eab - son of Neid, he was one of the chief men of the Fomor (42) 
 
Eadon - one of the greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan, she was called the nurse of poets (27) 
 
Eas Dara - in west Connacht, it is the harbour where Bres and his army landed in Ireland to battle Lugh (43) 
 
Easal - the King of the Golden Pillars, he was the owner of seven 
self-regenerating pigs that were among the payments that Lugh demanded from the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (49).  A daughter of Easal's was the wife of the King of Ioruaidh (56). 
 
Eathfaigh - a messenger and tax-gatherer of the Fomor, he was one of the four hardest and most cruel, the other three being Eine, Coron, and Compar (41) 
 
Echaid - styled 'the Rough', son of Duach, he was foster-father of Lugh (37) 
 
Eimher - (Aevir) the son of Ir, he divided Ulster between himself and some other chiefs of the Sons of the Gael following the Battle of Tailltin.  It was of his sons, that were called the Children of Rudraighe, and that lived in Emain Macha for 900 years, that both Fergus and Conall Cearnach were descended. (75) 
 
Eine - a messenger and tax-gatherer of the Fomor, he was one of the four hardest and most cruel, the other three being Eathfaigh, Coron, and Compar (41) 
Eire - variant of Eriu, one of the greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan, she was one of three daughters of the Dagda who gave her name to Ireland (27) 
 
Eithis - one of two Druids of the Sons of the Gael (the other was Aer) who was killed in the first battle against the Tuatha De Danaan, and was given a great burial (75) 
 
Elathan (1) - the son of Dalbaech and a king of the Fomor, he was father of Bres by Eri, a woman of the Tuatha de Danaan (35).  He came to her over the sea in a vessel of silver, himself having the appearance of a young man with yellow hair, wearing clothes of gold and five gold torcs (35). 
 
Elathan (2) - son of Lobos, he was one of the Fomor who took part in the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (61) 
 
Elathan (3) - son of Delbaeth, he was one of the Fomor who took part in the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (61) 
 
Emhain Abhlach - (Avvin -------) an island paradise, the place to which Bran journeyed (105) 
 
Emain Macha - the capitol of Ulster, named after the twins of Macha (DIM), the place where the Children of Rudraighe lived for 900 years (75) 
 
Emmass - see Macha (65) 
 
Eochaid (1) - (Eohee) son of Erc, he was king of the Firbolgs when the Tuatha de Danaan first came to Ireland (28) 
 
Eochaid (2) - along with Fiacha and Ruide, one of the sons of Lugaidh Menn, King of Ireland (78) 
 
Eochaid (3) - son of Sal, he was killed by Fiachna after capturing his wife (121) 
 
Eochaid Feidlech - also called Airem, of the Plough, High King of Ireland, he wedded the reborn Etain (by whom he had a daughter, Esa), but lost her to Midhir in a chess game, but got her back by beseiging Bri Leith (96) 
 
Eoghan - (Owen) brother of Tadg and Airnelach, he was captured by Cathmann and made to run a ferry (115), but was later rescued by Tadg (120) 
 
Erc (1) - see Eochaid (1) (28) 
 
Erc (2) - descended from the children of Sreng in Connacht, the son of Cairbre, he gave Cuchulain his death (31) 
 
Erc (3) - son of Ethaman, he was a teller of tales for the Tuatha de Danaan (37) 
 
Eremon - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), he spoke with Eriu upon the hill of Uisnech (72) 
 
Eri - a woman of the Tuatha de Danaan (32), the daughter of Delbaith, she was mother of Bres by Elathan, a king of the Fomor (35).  She was the wife of Cethor (DIM). 
 
Eriu - variant of Eire, the wife of MacGreine and a queen of the Tuatha De Danaan whose name was given to Ireland afterwards, she met the Sons of the Gael on the hill of Uisnech, and talked with Eremon.  One moment she would be a wide-eyed beautiful queen, and the next she would be a sharp-beaked, grey-white crow (72).  She led the Tuatha De Danaan in the first battle fought against the Sons of the Gael, but was beaten back to Tailltin where she was killed in the Battle of Tailltin (75). 
 
Esa - daughter of Etain and Eochaid Feidlech (96) 
 
Ess Dara - near Magh Tuireadh-2 (q.v.) (63) 
 
Ess Ruadh - home of Ilbrech (77) 
 
Etain - see Corpre (34) 
 
Etain Echraide - the second wife of Midhir, she was driven out by Fuamach, taken in by Angus, turned into a fly by Fuamach, swallowed by Etar's wife, and reborn as Etain, later the wife of Eochaid Feidlech (by whom she had a daughter, Esa), who lost her to Midhir in a chess game, but got her back by attacking Midhir's stronghold at Bri Leith (95) 
 
Etar - of Inver Cechmaine, King of the Riders of the Sidhe, his wife swallowed Etain in the form of a fly who fell into her drinking cup, and nine months later gave birth to her again (89) 
 
Ethaman - see Erc (3) (37) 
 
Ethlinn - daughter of Balor and Ceithlenn (42), she was mother of Lugh by Cian (37).  Because a Druid foretold that Balor would get his death from his own grandson, Balor locked Ethlinn in a tower (attended by 12 women) to keep her away from men.  Described as 'tall and beautiful', she came to Teamhair after the second battle of Magh Tuireadh, and married Tadg.  By him, she was mother of Muirne and Tuiren. (68) 
 
Ethne (1) - daughter of Tuireann and sister of Brian, Iuchar, and Iucharba (50) 
 
Ethne (2) - the wife of Cormac (q.v.) (107) 
  
Fachtna - physician to Eochaid Feidlech (91) 
 
Fail-Inis - a beautiful whelp belonging to the King of Ioruaidh, the Cold Country, that was among the payments that Lugh demanded from the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (49).  This king's wife was a daughter of Easal's (56). 
 
Fais - the wife of Un, she was killed in the first battle fought between the Tuatha De Danaan and the Sons of the Gael, in the place later called the Valley of Fais (75) 
 

Falias - styled 'great', one of the four cities of the Tuatha de Danaan before they came to Ireland.  Its teacher was Morias, and its treasure was the Lia Fal, the Stone of Virtue (27) 
 
Falga - see Island of Falga 
 
Fand - daughter of Flidhais, her bright vessels were made by Len Linfiaclach (81).  Manannan's wife, and Cuchulain's  mistress (DIM). 
 
Fathadh Canaan - descended from the line of Ith, he held sway over the whole world, taking hostages of the streams, the birds and the languages (76) 
 
Feast of the Age - Manannan made this feast for the Tuatha de Danaan (after they were defeated) where they ate his magic swine and drank Goibniu's ale (77). 
 
Febal - see Bran (103) 
 
Fer Ferdiad - of the Tuatha De Danaan, he was a Druid and pupil of Manannan who was killed by him for causing the death of Tuag (97) 
 
Ferdiad - descended from the children of Sreng in Connacht, he made a good fight against Cuchulain (31).  He was one of the race called Gaileoin (76) 
 
Fergus - the son of Rogh, he was descended from the line of the sons of Eimher (75) 
 
Fergus Fithchiollach - of the chess, a son of Bodb Dearg, he was sent in search of the children of Lir (132) 
 
Fertuinne - son of Trogain, he was a magician given by Bodb Dearg to the sons of Lugaidh Menn (79) 
 
Fiacha - along with Eochaid and Ruide, one of the sons of Lugaidh Menn, King of Ireland (78) 
 
Fiachna - son of Betach and father of Deorgreine (123), of the men of the Sidhe, his wife was captured by Eochaid, whom he killed, but she was then given to a nephew, Goll (121), but Goll was killed by Laegaire and Fiachna's wife was restored to him (122) 
 
Fiachra - one of the four children of Lir and Aobh, he was turned into a swan by Aoife, Lir's jealous second wife (126) 
 
Fianlug - see Cron (64) 
 
Fianna of Ireland - a band of legendary soldiers and Finn was the head of them (68) 
 
Figal - see Gamal (37) 
 
Figol - son of Mamos, he was a Druid of the Tuatha de Danaan who had the power to cause showers of fire to fall on his enemies (62) 
 
Findemas - see Findgoll (32) 
 
Findgoll - son of Findemas, a Druid who advised Nechtan in the deceiving of King Bres (32) 
 
Finias - one of the four cities of the Tuatha de Danaan before they came to Ireland.  Its teacher was Arias, and its treasure was the Spear of Victory (27) 
 
Finn - son of Muirne, he was Head of the Fianna of Ireland (68) 
 
Fionn - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Fionnuala - one of the four children of Lir and Aobh, she was turned into a swan by Aoife, Lir's jealous second wife (126) 
 
Firbolg - styled 'the Men of the Bag', they were the people who lived in Ireland before the Tuatha de Danaan but after the people of Nemed, and they had come from the South (28) 
 
First Battle of Magh Tuireadh - the first battle fought in Ireland by the Tuatha de Danaan (31).  Begun at Midsummer, the Firbolgs were defeated after four days (30). 
 
Flidais - Lugh wore the cloak of the daughters of Flidais when the sons of Tuireann returned to Ireland to pay him their fine (57) 
 
Flidhais - see Fand (81) 
 
Fodla - (Fola) daughter of the Dagda, wife of MacCecht, and a queen of the Tuatha De Danaan whose name was given to Ireland afterwards, she met the Sons of the Gael on Slieve Eibhline (71) and was killed in the Battle of Tailltin (75). 
 
Fodhla - variant of Fodla (q.v.) 
 
Fomor - people who lived beyond the sea or below the sea west of Ireland, they demanded heavy tribute from the Tuatha de Danaan.  They were led by a giant and his mother, and they each had but one foot or one hand.  They were friendly with the Firbolgs but jealous of the Tuatha de Danaan (32). 
 
Ford of Destruction - the name given to the foot of Unius since the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (66) 
 
Fort of the Hostages - in Teamhair, it was built by Duach (68) 
 
Freagarthach - styled 'the Answerer', the sword of Manannan, whoever was wounded by it would never get away alive, and whoever it was bared against would lose their strength (41) 
 
Fresen - a beautiful country, of which Cathmann was king, that lay to the south-east of the Great Plain (114) 
 
Fuad - he and his brother Cuailgne, two of the best leaders of the Sons of the Gael, were both killed in the rout of the Tuatha De Danaan (he at Slieve Fuad), following the Battle of Tailltin (75) 
 
Fuamach - the very jealous first wife of Midhir, she attempted to destroy Etain with magic, and was herself killed by Angus for it (89) 
Gae Bulg - the spear of Cuchulain (DIM) 
 
Gaedhal - styled 'of the Shining Armour' and 'the Very Gentle'.  The sons of Gaedhal were also called the Sons of the Gael (q.v.) (71) 
 
Gael - see Sons of the Gael (71) 
 
Gaible - son of Nuada of the Silver Hand, he stole a vat from Ainge and hurled it away (81) 
 
Gaible's Wood - the beautiful wood that sprang up on the spot where Ainge's vat was hurled by Gaible (81) 
 
Gaileoin - a race of Ireland that had a reputation for lies, big talk, injustice, and good fighters (Ferdiad was one of them), but the Druids drove them out of Ireland (76) 
 
Gairech - one of two hills (the other being Ilgairech) that Lugh passed on his way to do battle with Bres (45) 
 
Gamal - son of Figal, he was one of the two door-keepers at Teamhair when Lugh first arrived (37) 
 
Garbhan - he and Imheall were the Dagda's two builders, and they built the rath around the grave of Aedh, called the Hill of Aileac (82) 
 
Garden in the East of the World - three golden apples from this garden were among the payments that Lugh demanded from the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (48) 
 
Gebann - the son of Treon (119) and a chief Druid in Manannan's country, his daughter was Cliodna (112) 
 
Glas Gaibhnenn - (Glos Gov-nan) belonging to Cian, she was a wonderful cow whose milk never failed (39) 
 
Goll - son of Dalbh and a brother's son of Eochaid, he got Fiachna's captured wife after Eochaid died (121) but was killed in battle by Laegaire (122) 
 
Gnathach - one of the three Druids of the Firbolgs who broke the enchantment laid upon them by Badb, Macha, and Morrigu (30) 
 
Goibniu - styled 'the Smith' (27), the son of Tuirbe (81),and brother of Cian and Samthainn (39), he was a chief among the Tuatha de Danaan (27), and lived at Druim na Teine (39).  His ale kept whoever tasted it from age and from sickness and from death (77). 
 
Goitne Gorm-Shuileach - styled 'the Blue-eyed Spear', he was one of the sons of Manannan.  His brothers included Sgoith Gleigeil, Sine Sindearg, and Donall Donn-Ruadh.  His foster brother was Lugh (41). 
 
Goll - one of the Fomor who took part in the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (61) 
 
Gorias - styled 'shining', one of the four cities of the Tuatha de Danaan before they came to Ireland.  Its teacher was Urias, and its treasure was the Sword (27) 
 
Grave End - place at Indeoin na Dese where Len Linfiaclach would cast his anvil (81) 
 
Great House of a Thousand Soldiers - in Teamhair, north of the little Hill of the Women Soldiers (31) 
 
Great Strand - see Traig Mor (114) 
 
Green of Berbhe - a plain in Lochlann (42) 
 
Green of Teamhair - in Teamhair, it lay to the west of the Hill of Hostages (31) 
 
Grellach Dollaid - also called 'the Whisper of the Men of Dea', it is the place where Lugh, Nuada, the Dagda, Ogma, and Diancecht made their secret plans to rise against the Fomor (40) 
 
Grian - the sun (28), and a fairy queen in County Tipperary (DIM) 
  
Hall of the Morrigu - in the house of the Dagda at the Brugh na Boinne (80) 
 
Happy Plain - see Magh Mell 
 
hazels of wisdom, nine - hazel-trees of inspiration and the knowledge of poetry of the Tuatha de Danaan.  They grew by a well below the sea, out of which the seven streams of wisdom spring and return.  In the well are the five salmon of knowledge who eat the nuts that fall from the hazel trees.  If anyone eats one of the salmon, all wisdom and all poetry would be theirs (28). 
 
Heber - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), he was one of only three who survived when the Sons of the Gael attempted their second landing in Ireland (73).  He was awarded the two provinces of Munster (less the share he gave to Amergin) after the Battle of Tailltin (75). 
 
Heremon - one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), his ship was wrecked as the Sons of the Gael attempted their second landing in Ireland, but he got safely to land at Inver Colpa (73)  He was awarded Leinster and Connacht after the Battle of Tailltin (75). 
 
High Seat - of Teamhair, it lay to the south-west of the Hill of Hostages (31) 
 
Hill of Aileac - 'the Hill of Sighs and of a Stone', it was the rath built over the burial site of Aedh (82) 
 
Hill of Dabilla - a hill near the house of the Dagda at Brugh na Boinne (80) 
 
Hill of Hostages - a hill in Teamhair, north-east of the High Seat (31) 
 
Hill of Miochaoin - in the north of Lochlann, three shouts given on this hill were among the payments that Lugh demanded from the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (49) 
 
Hill of Sighs and of a Stone - see Hill of Aileac (82) 
 
Hill of the Axe - see Tulach na Bela (81) 
 
Hill of the Sidhe - a hill in the north-east of Teamhair, where the well Nemnach was located (31) 
 
Hill of the White Field - see Sidhe Fionnachaidh 
 
Hill of the Women Soldiers - styled 'little', it lay to the south of the Great House of a Thousand Soldiers, in Teamhair (31) 
 
Hill of Uisnech - on the west side of Teamhair, where Nuada held an assembly of his people (40) 
 
House of the Women - in Teamhair, it is where the great feasts were held.  It had seven doors to the east and seven doors to the west (31). 
 
Ilbrech - of Ess Ruadh, he was considered for kingship of the Tuatha de Danaan after their defeat (77) 
 
Ilgairech - one of two hills (the other being Gairech) that Lugh passed on his way to do battle with Bres (45) 
 
Imheall - he and Garbhan were the Dagda's two builders, and they built the rath around the grave of Aedh, called the Hill of Aileac (82) 
 
Indech - son of De Domnann and father of Octriallach, he was a king of the Fomor who fell and was crushed in the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (61) 
 
Indeoin na Dese - 'the Anvil of the Dese', where Len Linfiaclach would cast his anvil every night after work (81) 
 
Ingnathach - one of the three Druids of the Firbolgs who broke the enchantment laid upon them by Badb, Macha, and Morrigu (30) 
 
Ingol - one of the Fomor who took part in the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (61) 
 
Inis Cenn-fhinne - called the Island of the Fair-Haired Women (59) and the Island of Caer of the Fair Hair, the women of this island had a cooking-spit that was among the payments that Lugh demanded from the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (49) 
 
Inis Daleb - one of the four paradises of the world, the others being 
Inislocha to the west, Inis Ercandra to the north and Adam's Paradise to the east (118) 
 
Inis Ercandra - one of the four paradises of the world, the others being Inislocha to the west, Inis Daleb to the south and Adam's Paradise to the east (118) 
 

Inislocha - Lake Island, seen by Tadg on his voyages, and ruled by two kings, Rudrach and Dergcroche, sons of Bodb (117).  It is the fourth paradise of the world, the others being Inis Daleb to the South, Inis Ercandra to the north, and Adam's Paradise to the East (118) 
 
Inver Cechmaine - home of Etar, where the reborn Etain first met Midhir while she was bathing (89) 
 
Inver Colpa - in Leinster (75), the place got its name because Colpa, one of the sons of Miled, was drowned there, although his brother Heremon came safely to shore there (73) 
 
Inver Sceine - in the west of Munster, it is where the race of the Sons of the Gael first landed in Ireland (71) 
 
Inver Slane - to the north of Leinster, it is where the race of the Sons of the Gael made their first attempt to land in Ireland (71) 
 
Ioruaidh - see Fail-Inis (49) 
 
Ir - father of Eimher (75) and one of the sons of Miled (q.v.), he was known for his bravery in battle but he died when his ship was wrecked as the Sons of the Gael attempted their second landing in Ireland, and he was buried on Sceilg Michill (73) 
 
Irish - the language of both the Firbolgs and the Tuatha de Danaan (29) 
 
Island of Falga - original dwelling place of Culain, the Smith (97) 
 
Island of Joy - Bran left some of his men ashore there on his way to Emhain (105) 
 
Island of the Fair-Haired Women - see Inis Cenn-fhinne (59) 
 
Island of the Tower of Glass - Balor lived there in the days the Fomor visited Ireland often.  From this island, the Fomor would capture ships that passed near. They thus defeated the ships of the sons of Nemed in a time before the Firbolgs were in Ireland.  (38) 
 
Islands of Mod - islands from which Ogma was ordered by Bres to bring firing every day (32) 
 
Ith - one of the race of the Sons of the Gael, he was killed by treachery while in Ireland, and it was to avenge his death that the race of the Sons of the Gael invaded Ireland (72).  From his line was descended Fathadh Canaan (76). 
 
Iuchar - along with Iucharba and Brian, he is one of the three sons of Tuireann (47) and his sister, the daughter of Tuireann, was Ethne (50) 
Iucharba - along with Iuchar and Brian, he is one of the three sons of Tuireann (47) and his sister, the daughter of Tuireann, was Ethne (50) 
 
Iuchnu - he played music to Cliodna in the curragh until she fell asleep and was drowned (112) 
 
  
Kath Brese - the Dagda made a trench around it (33). 
 
King of the Great Plain - father of Taillte (37) 
 
Laegaire - son of Crimthan Cass, he killed Goll in battle in order to restore Fiachna's captured wife to him (122), after which he took Fiachna's daughter as his own wife and ruled as a king in Magh Mell (123) 
 
Lake Island - see Inislocha (117) 
 
Lake of Birds - see Loch na-n Ean (121) 
 
Lake of the Dwarfs - see Loch Luchra (112) 
 
Lake of the Oaks - see Loch Dairbhreach (126) 
 
Land of Promise - dwelling place of the Riders of the Sidh (41).  See Tir Tairngaire (111) 
 
Land of the Ever-Living Ones - see Tir-nam-Beo (113) 
 
Land of the Ever-Living Women - the place to which Fer Ferdiad was trying to take Tuag when she drowned (98) 
 
Land of Women - see Tir na mBan (105) 
 
Laoi - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Leanan Sidhe - Sweetheart of the Sidhe, a title given to Aine (86) 
 
Leat Glas - Indech's poet, he was present at Indech's death at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (66) 
 
Leith - (Leh) the son of Celtchar, he loved Bri, but she died before they could be together and the hill of Bri Leith was named after them (88) 
 
Len Linfiaclach - smith to the Dagda, he made the bright vessels of Fand (81) 
 
Lia Fail - one of the four great treasures the Tuatha de Danaan brought to Ireland from the north.  It came from the city of Falias (27).  It was kept to the north of the Hill of Hostages, and it used to roar under the feet of every true king of Ireland (31). 
 
Liath - son of Lobais, he was one of the chief men of the Fomor (42) 
 
Liath-Druim - Teamhair (q.v.) (31) 
 
Liban - daughter of Conchubar Abratrudh and wife of Tadg, she was captured and taken to wife by Cathmann, but was later rescued by Tadg (115) 
 
Life River - the salmon of the Life River are mentioned briefly in Ethne's complaint (58) 
 
Lir - father of Manannan (27), of Sidhe Fionnachaidh, he was considered for kingship of the Tuatha de Danaan after their defeat (77).  He married Aobh (by whom he had four children), and then her sister Aoife (125). 
 
Lobais - styled 'the Druid', he was father of Liath and one of the chief men of the Fomor (42) 
 
Lobos - see Elathan (2) (61) 
 
Loch Arboch - see Slaine (64) 
 
Loch Bel Sead - the lake that is on top of a mountain, it sprang up under the feet of Cliach (78) 
 
Loch Ce' - see Ce' (67) 
 
Loch Cuan - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Loch Dairbhreach - (Loch Darvragh) Lake of the Oaks, where Aoife changed Aobh's four children into swans (126) 
 
Loch Dearg - the dwelling-place of Bodb Dearg (124) 
 
Loch Decket - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Loch Echach - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Loch Feabhail - the burial place of Aedh, son of the Dagda (82) 
 
Loch Febail - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Loch Laeig - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Loch Luchra - the Lake of the Dwarfs, near Manannan's city, in Tir Tairngaire (112) 
 
Loch Luimnech - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Loch Mescdhae - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Loch na-n Ean - the Lake of Birds, where Laegaire met Fiachna (121) 
 
Loch Orbsen - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Loch Riach - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Loch Righ - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Lochlann - the dwelling place of the men of the Fomor (42) 
 
Loscuinn - it lay to the north of the river Unius (61) 
 
Luachaid - see Luchtar (37) 
 
Luan - see Pisear (49) 
 

Luath - two swift men of the Fomor were named Luath, and they gathered an army for Bres when he went to do battle with Lugh (42) 
 
Luchair - see Druimne (80) 
 
Luchta - variant of Luchtar (q.v.), styled 'the Carpenter' (64) 
 
Luchtar - son of Luachaid, he was the carpenter of the Tuatha de Danaan (37) 
 
Lugaidh Menn - King of Ireland.  Eochaid, Fiacha, and Ruide were three of his sons (78). 
 
Lugh - (Loo) styled 'Lamh-Fada', of the Long Hand (41), son of Cian and Ethlinn, and foster-son of Taillte and Echaid, he was also styled 'Ildanach', the Master of all Arts (37).  Nuada abdicated the throne to him for 13 days in order to enlist his help against the Fomor (38).  His foster-brothers were the sons of Manannan (41).  At the second battle of Magh Tuireadh, he made a spear cast that brought Balor's evil eye out through the back of his head, instantly killing him and 27 of the army of the Fomor (66).  Father of Cuchulain (DIM). 
  
MacCecht - styled 'Son of the Plough', he was the husband of Fodhla (71) 
 
MacCuill - styled 'Son of the Hazel', he was the husband of Banba (71)  
MacGreine - styled 'Son of the Sun', he was the husband of Eriu (72) 
 
Macha - one of the greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan, she fed on the heads of men slain in battle (27).  She, along with Badb and Morrigu , used powers of enchantment to bring mists , clouds of darkness, and showers of fire and blood over the Firbolgs at Teamhair for three days (29).  The daughter of Emmass, she was killed by Balor in the second battle of Mag Tuireadh (65). 
 
Maeltine Mor-Brethach - styled 'of the Great Judgments', he was a wise man of the Tuatha De Danaan who advised Lugh not to spare the life of Bres after the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (66) 
 
Magh Cuilenn - (Moy Cullin) the place where some say Uillenn Faebarderg killed Manannan in battle (96) 
 
Magh Luirg - the Plain of Following, it is a place that Lugh passed on his way to do battle with Bres (45) 
 
Magh Mell - (Moy Mal) the Pleasant Plain, in Manannan's country (113)  
Magh Mell - the Happy Plain, where Laegaire ruled as king, along with Fiachna (121) 
 
Magh Mor - 'the Great Plain'.  See Taillte (68) 
 
Magh Mor an Aonaigh - the Great Plain of the Fair, the place where Lugh and the Riders of the Sidh met Bres and his army of the Fomor in battle (45) 
 

Magh Nia - the second settlement of the Tuatha de Danaan in Ireland, better fortified and farther west in Connacht than Magh Rein (29) 
 
Magh Rein - (Moy Raen) the first settlement of the Tuatha de Danaan in Ireland (28) 
 
Magh Tuireadh (1) - (Moytirra) see First Battle of Magh Tuireadh (31)  
Magh Tuireadh (2) - not the same as the place where the battle between the Tuatha De Danaan and the Firbolgs was fought, but to the north, near Ess Dara.  It is where the great battle between the Tuatha De Danaan and the Fomor was fought, that was later called the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (63) 
 
Mamos - see Figol (62) 
 
Manannan - (Mananuan) son of Lir, a chief of the Tuatha de Danaan who was greater even than their king, Nuada (27).  His sons are Donall Donn-Ruadh, Sgoith Gleigeil, Goitne Gorm-Shuileach, and Sine Sindearg (41).  Manannan understtod all enchantments, so the Tuatha de Danaan left it to him to find places for them where they would be safe from their enemies.  He chose the most beautiful hills and valleys of Ireland and put hidden walls about them (77).  He helped Angus to get the Brugh na Boinne away from the Dagda by trickery (81).  Aine may have been his daughter (86).  Some say he was killed by Uillenn Faebarderg in battle at Magh Cuilenn (96).  He raised Deirdre's 
children, taught Diarmuid the use of weapons, taught Cuchulain the use of the Gae Bulg.  Some say he was Deirdre's father and a shape-changer, and was Culain, the Smith (97).  He was the major sea god, ruling Tir Tairngiri.  His wife was Fand (DIM). 
 
Mata - the Sea-Turtle that could suck down a man in armour (80) 
 
Mathgen - the great magician of the Tuatha de Danaan who had the power to topple mountains onto his enemies (61) 
 
Mechi - the son of the Morrigu, he was killed by MacCecht (85) 
 
Miach - son of Diancecht and brother of Airmed, he was better at healing than his father.  He replaced the silver hand that Diancecht had fashioned for Nuada with Nuada's original hand and healed it.  Diancecht, jealous of his son's healing powers, killed him.  But 365 healing herbs sprang up from his grave (34). 
 
Mide - the son of Brath, he kindled the first fire that was ever kindled in Ireland, at Uisnech, for the sons of Nemed (68) 
 
Midhe - (Mee) the plain of Midhe was the place Taillte was buried with a mound raised over her grave (68).  Also see Uisnech of Midhe (58) 
 
Midhir (1) - of Bri Leith, styled 'the Proud', he was considered for kingship of the Tuatha de Danaan after their defeat (77).  His first wife was Fuamach, his daughter was Bri, and his second wife was Etain (88). 
 
Midhir (2) - styled 'of the Yellow Hair', he was chief of the Men of Dea.  His three daughters, Doirenn, Aife, and Aillbhe, were given as wives to the three sons of Lugaidh Menn (79). 
 
Midsummer Day - when the first battle between the Firbolgs and the Tuatha de Danaan began, which lasted for four days (30) 
 
Miled - the sons of Miled, including Amergin (71), Eremon (72), Arranan, Donn, Ir, Heremon, Colpa, and Heber (73), led the invasion of the race of the Sons of the Gael into Ireland (71).  His wife was Scota (75). 
 
Miochaoin - killed by Brian, he was guardian of the Hill of Miochaoin (q.v.) and, along with his sons (Corc, Conn, and Aedh), he was under bonds not to allow any shouts to be given from that hill.  Cian got his learning with them (49) 
 
Men of Dea - see Tuatha de Danaan (27) 
 
Men of the Bag - see Firbolgs (28) 
 
Modharn - see Aine (79) 
 
Morias - one of the four wise men and teachers of the Tuatha de Danaan before they came to Ireland.  His home was Falias (27). 
 
Mor-Loch - one of the twelve chief lochs of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Morrigu - one of the greatest of the women of the Tuatha de Danaan, she was styled 'the Crow of Battle' (27) or 'the Battle-Crow (61).  She, along with Badb and Macha , used powers of enchantment to bring mists , clouds of darkness, and showers of fire and blood over the Firbolgs at Teamhair for three days (29).  After the second battle of Magh Tuireadh, only four men of the Fomor were left in Ireland, and they were driven out one Samhain night by Morrigu and Angus Og.  She also proclaimed the news of the victory to the hosts and the royal heights of Ireland and to its chief rivers and invers (67).  Mechi was her son (85).  Aine may have been her daughter (86). 
 
Mother of the Gods - see Dana (28) 
 
Muaid - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Muirne - daughter of Ethlinn and Tadg and sister of Tuiren and mother of Finn (68) 
 
Muirthemne - see Plain of Muirthemne (43) 
 
Murias - styled 'rich', the southern-most of the four cities of the Tuatha de Danaan before they came to Ireland.  Its teacher was Senias, and its treasure was the Cauldron (27) 
  
Nas - the place where Lugh held his court following the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (68) 
 
Nechtan (1) - on the advice of the Druid Findgoll, to deceive King Bres, who taxed his people of the milk of all dun cows, he singed all the cows of Ireland in a fire of fern, making them dark brown. (32).  He was the husband of Boann (DIM). 
 

Nechtan (2) - the son of Collbrain, he begged Bran to leave Emhain and return to Ireland but, upon reaching shore, he crumbled to ashes (106) 
 
Neid - see Eab and Seanchab (42) 
 
Neit - he was a chief among the Tuatha de Danaan, and a god of battle (27) 
 
Nem - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Nemed - see Island of the Tower of Glass (38).  The first fire ever kindled in Ireland (at Uisnech, by Mide) was for the sons of Nemed (68). 
 
Nemnach - a well on the Hill of the Sidhe, out of which flowed the stream called Nith (31) 
 
Nemthann - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Nes - a magical spear made by Goibniu that would burn up like fire anyone whom it struck (65) 
 
Net - husband of Badb, an early Irish god of war (DIM) 
 
Niall - a champion of Connacht, he was drowned while attempting to pursue Cailcheir through a lake (81) 
 
Nine Poets of the Fomor - among the chief men of the Fomor, they had learning and the gift of foreknowledge (42) 
 
Nith - flowing from the well of Nemnach, it was the stream on which the first mill in Ireland was built (31) 
 
Nuada - king of the Tuatha de Danaan when they first came to Ireland (27).  He lost his arm in the first battle of Magh Tuireadh and hence, he lost the kingship (31).  Diancecht fashioned an articulated arm of silver for him and he was called Nuada Argat-lamh, of the Silver Hand, for ever after (34), even though Miach later restored his original hand (34).  After that, he was restored to the kingship (35).  The father of Tadg (68) and Gaible (81), he was killed by Balor in the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (65) 
   
Octriallach - son of Indech, he was one of the Fomor who took part in the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (61)  On his advice, the Fomor threw stones into the well of Slane until it was dried up and a cairn raised over it, that was called Octriallach's Cairn (64).  He killed Cassmail in the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (65). 
 
Octriallach's Cairn - see Octriallach (64) 
 
Octruil - the son of Diancecht and brother of Airmed, he helped them in their healing work at the well of Slaine (64) 
 
Ogham - the stone raised over Cian's grave had his name written on it in Ogham (47), the script of pre-Christian Ireland which was invented by Ogma (DIM) 
 
Ogma - styled 'the shining poet' (32), father of Tuireann (43) and brother of Nuada, he was a champion among the Tuatha de Danaan (37), and taught them writing (27)  He found the sword Orna at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (66) 
 
Oilell - of Aran, his three daughters were Aobh, Aoife, and Ailbhe (124) 
 
Olioll - see Cian (114) 
 
Orna - the sword of Tethra found by Ogma at the second battle of Magh 
Tuireadh, it had the power to tell of all the deeds that had been done by it (66) 
 
 
 
Pisear - the King of Persia killed by Brian (54), he was the owner of the Luan, a deadly spear that was among the payments that Lugh demanded from the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (49) 
 
Plain of Muirthemne - the place where Cian was killed by the sons of Tuireann  (43) 
 
Plain of the Two Mists - a beautiful plain where Goll fell in battle against Laegaire (122) 
 
Plain of Victory - in Manannan's country (114) 
 
Pleasant Plain - see Magh Mell (113) 
 
Prison of the Grey of Macha - in the house of the Dagda at the Brugh na Boinne (80) 
  
Rachlainn - in the sea, from which a young man of the Tuatha gave the sons of Lugaidh Menn magical wedding gifts (79) 
 
Rath Chobtaige - between this rath and Teamhair was the rath given by Angus Og to the sons of Lugaidh Menn (79) 
 
Rath of Aedh of the Poets - see Aedh (78) 
 
Red Branch of Ulster - Conall Cearnach was of that line (75) 
 
Riagall - see Camel (37) 
 
Rider of the Wave of Tuaidh - mentioned briefly in Ethne's complaint (58) 
 
Riders of the Fomor - from Lochlann, seven battalions of them accompanied Bres to do battle against Lugh (42) 
 
Riders of the Sidh - from the Land of Promise, they accompanied Lugh on his return to Teamhair (41), and again in his battle with Bres and his army of the Fomor at Magh Mor an Aonaigh (45) 
 
Rogh - see Fergus (75) 
 
Ruadan - son of Bres and of Brigit, he was sent to spy on the Tuatha De Danaan during the second battle of Magh Tuireadh, but was killed by Goibniu after he tried to kill him (64) 
 
Rudrach - he and his brother Dergcroche were the two kings of Inislocha (117) 
 
Ruide - along with Eochaid and Fiacha, one of the sons of Lugaidh Menn, King of Ireland (78) 
 
Ruirtech - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
  
Sal - see Eochaid (121) 
 
salmon of knowledge, five - see hazels of wisdom (28) 
 
Samair - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Samhain - (Sow-in) after the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh, only four men of the Fomor were left in Ireland, and they were driven out one Samhain night by Morrigu and Angus Og (67) 
 
Samthainn - brother of Cian and Goibniu, he lived with them at Druim na Teine (39) 
 
Scathniamh - (Scau-nee-av) styled 'the Flower of Brightness', she was a daughter of Bodb Dearg who gave her love to Caoilte (80) 
 
Sceilg Michill - the small island where Ir was buried (73) 
 
Scetne - the place where the host of the Fomor landed in Ireland just before the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh (60) 
 
Scota - the wife of Miled, she was killed in the first battle fought between the Tuatha De Danaan and the Sons of the Gael (75) 
 
Scuabtuine - styled 'the Sweeper of the Waves', it was Manannan's curragh, which was often used by Lugh and kept at Brugh na Boinn (50) 
 
Seanchab - grandson of Neid, he was one of the chief men of the Fomor (42) 
 
Sean-Slieve - Lugh passed the head of it on his way to do battle with Bres (45) 
 
Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh - at Magh Tuireadh (2), it is where the great battle between the Tuatha De Danaan and the Fomor took place (63), after which there were only four men of the Fomor left in Ireland, till they were driven out one Samhain night by Morrigu and Angus Og (67) 
 
Segois - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Senias - one of the four wise men and teachers of the Tuatha De Danaan before they came to Ireland.  His home was Murias (27). 
 
Sgoith Gleigeil - styled 'the White Flower', he was one of the sons of 
Manannan.  His brothers included Goitne Gorm-Shuileach, Sine Sindearg, and Donall Donn-Ruadh.  His foster brother was Lugh (41). 
 
Shannon - a river containing the ford of Athluain (45), it was named after Sionan, one of the only women (probably a goddess) to eat of the salmon of knowledge (DIM) 
 
Sidhe Femen - (Shee -----) home of Bodb Dearg, and he put great enchantments about it (77) 
 
Sidhe Fionnachaidh - the Hill of the White Field, on Slieve Fuad; the home of Lir (77) 
 
Sine Sindearg - styled 'of the Red Ring', he was one of the sons of Manannan.  His brothers included Sgoith Gleigeil, Goitne Gorm-Shuileach, and Donall Donn-Ruadh.  His foster brother was Lugh (41). 
 
Siogair - see Dobar (49) 
 
Sionnan - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62), a variant of Shannon (q.v.) 
 
Sital Salmhor - one of the chief men of the Fomor (42) 
 
Siuir - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Slaine - lying to the west of Magh Tuireadh (2) to the east of Loch Arboch, the well of Slaine was used by Diancecht, Octruil, and Airmed to restore to lifethe slain warriors of the Tuatha De Danaan in the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (64) 
 
Slane - vaiant of Slaine (q.v.) (64) 
 
Slieve Bladma - (Sleev ------) one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Slieve Cuailgne - the place where Cuailgne was killed (75) 
 
Slieve Eibhline - the place where the Sons of the Gael met Fodhla (71)  
Slieve Fuad - the place where Fuad was killed (75), and the location of Sidhe Fionnachaidh (77) 
 
Slieve Leag - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62)  
Slieve Macca Belgodon - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Slieve Mis - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62), it is where the Sons of the Gael met Banba, and Amergin talked with her (71) 
 
Slieve Snechtae - one of the twelve chief mountains of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Sligech - one of the twelve chief rivers of Ireland (q.v.) (62) 
 
Sons of the Gael - also called the sons of Gaedhal, they came from the south to invade Ireland and avenge the death of Ith, one of their race who had come to Ireland before and met his death there (71) 
 
Spear of Victory - one of the four great treasures the Tuatha De Danaan brought to Ireland from the north.  It came from the city of Finias (27). 
 
Sreng - a great fighting man of the Firbolgs, he was sent to meet the Tuatha De Danaan when they first came to Ireland (28).  He led the forces of the Firbolgs after King Eochaid fell (31), and it was he that struck off Nuada's arm (31). 
 
Stone of Virtue - the Lia Fail (q.v.) (27) 
 
streams of wisdom, seven - see hazels of wisdom (28) 
 
Sweetheart of the Sidhe - see Leanan Sidhe (86) 
 
Sword - one of the four great treasures the Tuatha De Danaan brought to Ireland from the north.  It came from the city of Gorias (27). 
  
Tabarn - see Cathmann (114) 
 
Tadg (1) - (Teig) son of Nuada and husband of Ethlinn and, by her, father of Muirne and Tuiren (68) 
 
Tadg (2) - the son of Cianand and brother of Airnelach and Eoghan, he went to the Land of the Ever-Living Ones (114) on his journey to rescue his wife, Liban, and his two brothers (120) 
 
Taillte - daughter of the king of Magh Mor and wife of Duach and foster-mother of Lugh, she died during Lugh's kingship and was buried on the plain of Midhe and is honored each summer by fires and keening and games and sports at the place called Taillten (68) 
 
Taillten - named after Taillte, it is the place where fires, keening, games and sports are held each summer in her honor (68) 
 
Tailltin - (probably a variant of Taillten) it is the place Eriu's forces were driven back to during the first battle between the Sons of the Gael and the Tuatha De Danaan, and where the Battle of Tailltin (q.v.) was subsequently fought (75) 
 
Tarba - the oak-wood where Niall caught up with Cailcheir (81) 
 
Teamhair - (T'yower, or Tavvir) residence of Eochaid when the Tuatha de Danaan first came to Ireland (28).  The Tuatha de Danaan took possession of it after the first battle of Magh Tuireadh, and from that time it was the chief place of Ireland, for its king was the High King.  It was sometimes called Druim Cain, the Beautiful Ridge, and Liath-druim, the Grey Ridge, and Druim na Descan, the Ridge of the Outlook.  The king's rath lay to the north (31).  The Dagda made his home here after losing the Brugh na Boinne to Angus (82) 
 
Tethra - a king of the Fomor, he owned the sword called Orna that was later found by Ogma (66) 
 
Three Gods of Craftsmanship - Credne, Luchtar, and Goibniu (DIM) 
 
Tiabhal - one of the Queens of the sea, her image was placed by Culain on Conchubar's magical shield (98) 
 
Tir Tairngaire - the Land of Promise, Manannan's country (111) 
 
Tir-nam-Beo - the Land of the Ever-Living Ones, Manannan's country (113) 
 
Tower of Glass - on the Island of the Tower of Glass (q.v.), it was the home of Balor  (38) 
 
Traig Mor - the Great Strand, in Manannan's country (114) 
 
Traigh Eothaile - the strand where King Eochaid fell in the battle against the Tuatha de Danaan.  He was buried there with a great heap of stones raised over his grave (30). 
 
Treon - of the Tuatha De Danaan; see Gebann (119) 
 
Trogain - see Fertuinne (79) 
 
Tuag - fosterling of Conaire the High King, she was loved by Manannan, but his pupil Fer Ferdiad failed in his attempt to bring her to Manannan, and the girl drowned (98) 
 
Tuaidh - see Rider of the Wave of Tuaidh (58) 
 
Tuatha de Danaan - (Too-a-ha-dae Donnan) styled 'the Men of Dea', the people of the gods of Dana who came from the North through the air in a mist to Ireland (27).  They landed in north-west Connacht on Beltaine (28). 
 
Tuirbe - father of Goibniu the Smith, he was famous for the cast of his axe (81) 
 
Tuireann - son of Ogma, his own three sons were Brian, Iuchar, and Iucharba (47) and his daughter was Ethne.  His sons had a long-standing feud with the three sons of Cainte and they killed Cian on the Plain of Muirthemne (43) 
 
Tuiren - daughter of Ethlinn and Tadg, sister of Muirne, and mother of Bran (68) 
 
Tuis - the King of Greece, killed by Brian (53), he was owner of a healing pig-skin that was among the payments that Lugh demanded from the sons of Tuireann for the death of Cian (48) 
 
Tulach na Bela - 'the Hill of the Axe', place from which Tuirbe would cast his axe (81) 
 
twelve chief lochs of Ireland - they are Derc-Loch, Loch Luimnech, Loch Orbsen, Loch Righ, Loch Mescdhae, Loch Cuan, Loch Laeig, Loch Echach, Loch Febail, Loch Decket, Loch Riach, and Mor-Loch (62) 
 


twelve chief mountains of Ireland - they are Slieve Leag, Denda Ulad, Bennai Boirche, Bri Ruri, Slieve Bladma, Slieve Snechtae, Slieve Mis, Blai-Slieve, Nemthann, Slieve Macca Belgodon, Segois, and Cruachan Aigle (62) 
 
twelve chief rivers of Ireland - they are the Buas, the Boinn, the Banna, the Nem, the Laoi, the Sionnan, the Muaid, the Sligech, the Samair, the Fionn, the Ruirtech and the Siuir (62) 
  
Uaitne - also called Dur-da-Bla and Coir-cethar-chuin, it was the Dagda's magic harp which was taken by the Fomor during the second battle of Magh Tuireadh.  Lugh and the Dagda and Ogma went to retrieve it.  When the Dagda called to it, it sprang toward him, killing nine men of the Fomor on its way.  The Dagda then played the sleeping strain and as the Fomor slept, he restored to Ireland all the cattle that the Fomor had taken in tribute. (67)  

Uillenn Faebarderg - of the Red Edge, some say he killed Manannan in battle at Magh Cuilenn (96). 
 
Uisnech - mentioned briefly in Ethne's complaint (58), the place where the five provinces meet, and the first place there was ever a fire kindled in Ireland (by Mide).  Some say that Lugh died there (68).  The hill of Uisnech is where the Sons of the Gael met Eriu, and Eremon spoke with her (72). 
 
Ullad Echne - it lay to the south of the river Unius (61) 
 
Un - the husband of Fais (75) 
 
Unius - a river of Connacht where the Morrigu was washing herself when the Dagda returned from the camp of the Fomor (61).  The foot of the Unius was called the Ford of Destruction since the second battle of Magh Tuireadh (66) 
 
Urias - styled 'of the noble nature', one of the four wise men and teachers of the Tuatha de Danaan before they came to Ireland.  His home was Gorias (27). 
   
Valley of Fais - a valley at the foot of a mountain, it is were Fais was killed (75) 
 
Valley of the Mata - near the house of the Dagda at Brugh na Boinne (80) 
  
Wall of the Three Whispers - in Teamhair, it was near the House of the Women (31) 

Wave of Tuaidh - see Rider of the Wave of Tuaidh (58) 
 
Whisper of the Men of Dea - see Grellach Dollaid (40) 
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                    Last amended June 11, 1989  --  Page 

